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Sacred Space Download: SrimadBhagwatgita (with English translation) RamcharitManas (with English translation) SrimadBhagwatgita (with Hindi translation) Click www.gitapress.org How to win in Life Vibhisana was disconcerted when he saw Ravana mounted on a chariot and the Hero of Raghus line without any. His great fondness for the Lord filled his mind with diffidence; and bowing to His feet he spoke with a tender heart: “My lord, You have no chariot nor any protection either for Your body (in the shape of armour) or for Your feet (in the shape of shoes). How, then, can You expect to conquer this mighty hero?” “Listen, friend:” replied the All-merciful, “the chariot which leads one to victory is quite another. Valour and fortitude are the wheels of that chariot, while truthfulness and good conduct are its enduring banner and standard. Even so strength, discretion, self-control and benevolence are its four horses, that have been joined to the chariot with the cords of forgiveness, compassion and evenness of mind. Adoration of God is the expert driver; dispassion, the shield and contentment, the sword. Again, charity is the axe; reason, the fierce lance and the highest wisdom, the relentless bow. A pure and steady mind is like a quiver; while quietude and the various forms of abstinence (Yamas) and religious observances (Niyamas) are a sheaf of arrows. Homage to the Brahmanas and to one’s own preceptor is an impenetrable coat of mail; there is no other equipment for victory as efficacious as this. My friend, he who owns such a chariot of piety shall have no enemy to conquer anywhere”. “Listen, O friend of resolute mind: the hero who happens to be in possession of such a strong chariot can conquer even that mighty and invincible foe, attachment to the world”. Source:RamCharitManas, Lankakand,79 (1-6) , 80 (A) (www.gitapress.org) Where we can find the Lord ? All the Gods sat in counsel: “Where we can find the lord, so that we may appeal to Him?” Some one suggested that they should go to Vaikuntha. Another said, “The Lord has His abode in the ocean of milk.” The Lord always manifests Himself in response to the devotion and love one cherishes in one’s heart. Girija, I too happened to be in that assembly and took occasion to put in a word: “For ought I know Sri Hari is present everywhere alike and is revealed only by love. Tell me any place, time or quarter of the heaven where the Lord is not. Having taken the form of all creation, both animate and inanimate, He is yet destitute of every thing and passionless; He is revealed by love even as fire is manifested by friction.” “My words found favour with all and Brahma applauded me saying, “Well said, well said !” Source:RamCharitManas,BalKand,184,1-4 (www.gitapress.org) Happiness & Sorrowfulness
Birth and death, all painful and pleasurable experiences, loss and gain, union with and separation from friends,all these, my lord, take place under the unalterable laws of time and destiny like the succession of night and day. Fools rejoice in prosperity and mourn in adversity; while the wise account both alike. Therefore, exercising your mature judgment take up courage and cease sorrowing, O friend of all. Source:RamCharitManas, Ayodhyakand,149-(3-4) (www.gitapress.org) Spiritual Wisdom Dispassion Illusion Devotion God Individual Soul Discourse to me on spiritual wisdom and dispassion as well as on Maya. (Illusion); and also speak to me about Bhakti (devotion), which You make an occasion for showering Your grace. Also explain to me all the difference between God and the individual soul, so that I may be devoted to Your feet and my sorrow, infatuation and delusion may disappear. Maya (Illusion) I will explain everything in a nutshell; listen, dear brother, with your mind, intellect and reason fully absorbed. The feeling of I and mine and you and yours is Maya.(Illusion), which holds sway over all created beings. Whatever is perceived by the senses and that which lies within the reach of the mind, know it all to be Maya.And hear of its divisions too: they are two, viz., knowledge and ignorance. The one (ignorance) is vile and extremely painful, and has cast the ego into the sink of worldly existence. The other (knowledge), which brings forth the creation and which holds sway over the three Gunaas (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) is directed by the Lord and has no strength of its own. Spiritual wisdom Spiritual wisdom is that which is free from all blemishes in the shape of pride etc., and which sees the Supreme Spirit equally in all. He alone, dear brother, should be called a man of supreme dispassion, who has spurned all supernatural powers as well as the three Gunaas (of which the universe is composed) as if of no more account than a blade of grass. (Shrimad Bhagavadgita enumerates the following characteristics which make for spiritual wisdom.They are: absence of pride, freedom from hypocrisy, non-violence, forgiveness, guilelessness, devout service of one’s preceptor, purity of body and mind, steadfastness, subjugation of the mind, aversion to the objects of sense, absence of egotism, pondering again and again on the painful character of and the evils inherent in birth, death, old age and disease; absence of attachment and the feeling of mineness in respect of one’s son, wife, home, etc., and constant equipoise of mind both in favourable and unfavourable circumstances;unflinching devotion to the Lord through exclusive attachment living in secluded and holy places and finding no enjoyment in the company of men; fixity in self-knowledge and seeing God as the object of true knowledge). Jeeva (individual soul) That alone deserves to be called a Jeeva (individual soul), which knows not Maya nor God nor one’s own self. God And God is He who awards bondage and liberation (according to one’s deserts), transcends all and is the controller of Maya. Dispassion Dispassion results from the practice of virtue, while spiritual wisdom comes of the practice of Yoga (concentration of mind); and wisdom is the bestowal of liberation: so declare the Vedas. Devotion ( Bhakti) And that which melts My heart quickly, dear brother, is Devotion, which is the delight of My devotees. It stands by itself and requires no other prop; whereas Ghyana (knowledge of God in His absolute formless aspect) and Vighyna (knowledge of the qualified aspect of God, both with and without form) depend on it. Devotion, dear brother, is incomparable and the very root of bliss; it can be acquired only by the favour of saint. I now proceed to tell you at some length the means of acquiring Devotion, an easy path by which men find Me.In the first place a man should cultivate excessive devotion to the feet of the Brahmanas and secondly he should remain engaged in his own duty according to the lines laid down by the Vedas. This induces an aversion to the pleasures of sense and dispassion in its turn engenders a love for My Cult (the Cult of Devotion). This will bring steadfastness in the nine forms of Devotion* and the mind will develop an excessive fondness for My sports. Again, one should be extremely devoted to the lotus feet of saints and should be persistent in the practice of adoration through mind, speech and action. He should recognize Me as his preceptor, father, mother, kinsman, lord, deity and all and should be steadfast in My service. A thrill runs through his body as he sings My praises; his voice gets choked and his eyes flow with tears; he is free from lust and other vices, pride and hypocrisy. I am ever at the beck and call of such a devotee.. Nay, I ever repose in the lotus heart of those who depend on Me in thought, word and deed and who worship Me in a disinterested way Source:RamCharitManas, Aranyakand 13 (4), to 16 (www.gitapress.org) Lust, Anger & Greed Brother, there are three evils most formidable of all. lust, anger and greed. In an instant they distract the mind of hermits who are the very repositories of wisdom.The weapons of greed are desire and hypocrisy, of lust naught but woman; while anger’s weapon is harsh speech: so declare the great sages after deep thought. Source:RamCharitManas, Aranyakand 38 (A-B) (www.gitapress.org) Rule of Conduct Sovereignty without political insight, wealth divorced from virtue, noble deeds that have not been offered to Shri Hari (God) and learning which does not beget wisdom is nothing but fruitless labour to the man who has gained such kingdom or wealth, to the doer of the noble acts and to the student respectively. A recluse is quickly undone by attachment, a king by evil counsel, wisdom by conceit, modesty by drinking, friendship by want of love, and man of merit by vanity: such is the maxim I have heard. Source:RamCharitManas, Aranyakand 20 (4-6) (www.gitapress.org) Devotion & Nine Forms of Devotion (Bhakti) to GodI recognize no other kinship except that of Devotion. Despite caste, kinship, lineage, piety, reputation, wealth, physical strength, numerical strength of his family, accomplishments and ability, a man lacking in Devotion is of no more worth than a cloud without water. Now I tell you the nine forms of Devotion; please listen attentively and cherish them in your mind. The first in order is fellowship with the saints and the second is marked by a fondness for My stories. Humble service of the lotus feet of one’s preceptor is the third form of Devotion, while the fourth type of Devotion consists in singing My praises with a guileless purpose. Muttering My Name with unwavering faith constitutes the fifth form of adoration revealed in the Vedas. The sixth variety consists in the practice of self-control and virtue, desisting from manifold activities and ever pursuing the course of conduct prescribed for saints. He who practises the seventh type sees the world full of Me without distinction and reckons the saints as even greater than Myself. He who cultivates the eighth type of Devotion remains contented with whatever he gets and never thinks of detecting other’s faults.The ninth form of Devotion demands that one should be guileless and straight in one’s dealings with everybody, and should in his heart cherish implicit faith in Me without either exultation or depression. Whoever possesses any one of these nine forms of Devotion, be he man or woman or any other creature.Sentient or insentient. is most dear to Me. Source:RamCharitManas, Aranyakand 34 (2-4),35 (1-4)(www.gitapress. Qualities of a Noble Friend One would incur great sin by the very sight of those who are not distressed to see the distress of a friend. A man should regard his own mountain-like troubles as of no more account than a mere grain of sand, while the troubles of a friend should appear to him like Mount Sumeru, though really they may be as trifling as a grain of sand. Those fools who are not of such a temperament presume in vain to make friends with anybody. A friend should restrain his companion from the evil path and lead him on the path of virtue; he should proclaim the latter’s good points and screen his faults,should give and take things without any scruple and serve his friend’s interest to the best of his ability and finding him in distress love him a hundred times more than ever.The Vedas declare these to be the qualities of a noble friend. Source:RamCharitManas, Kishkindhakand 6 (1-5)(www.gitapress.org) God: Nirguna & Saguna (Qualified Divinity & Unqualified Brahma) There is no difference between qualified Divinity and the unqualified Brahma: so declare the sages and men of wisdom, the Vedas and the Puranas. That which is attributeless and formless, imperceptible and unborn, becomes qualified under the influence of the devotee’s love. How can the Absolute become qualified? In the same way as water and the hail-stone are non-different in substance. Infatuation is out of the question for Him whose very Name is like the sun to the darkness of error. Source:RamCharitManas,BalKand,115,1-2 (www.gitapress.org) Qualities of a Chief A chief should be like the mouth,which alone does all the eating and drinking but supports and nourishes all the other limbs,with discretion says,Tulasidasa. Source:RamCharitManas, Ayodhyakand, 315 (www.gitapress.org) . World’s Reality
Union and separation, pleasurable and painful experiences, friends, foes and neutrals. snares of delusion are these. Even so birth and death, prosperity and adversity, destiny and time and all the illusion of the world; lands, houses, wealth, town and family, heaven and hell, and all the phenomena of the world; nay, whatever is seen, heard or thought of with the mind has its root in ignorance: nothing exists in reality. Source:RamCharitManas, Ayodhyakand,91-(3,4) (www.gitapress.org) Suppose in a dream a beggar is crowned king or the lord of paradise is reduced to the state of a pauper; on waking, the one does not gain nor does the other lose anything. So must you look upon this world. Reasoning thus be not angry nor blame anyone in vain. Everyone is slumbering in the night of delusion, and while asleep one sees dreams of various kinds. In this night of mundane existence it is Yogis (mystics) alone who keep awake-Yogis who are in quest of the highest truth and remain aloof from the world. A soul should be deemed as having awoke from the night of the world only when he develops and aversion for the enjoyments of the world of sense. It is only when right understanding comes that the error of delusion disappears and then alone one develops love for the feet of Sri Rama (the Lord of Raghus). O friend, the highest spiritual goal is this: to be devoted to the feet of Sri Rama in thought, word and deed. Sri Rama is no other than Brahma (God), the supreme Reality, unknown, imperceptible, beginningless, incomparable, free from all change and beyond all diversity.
Source:RamCharitManas, Ayodhyakand,92-(1-4) (www.gitapress.org) OM, TAT, SAT OM.TAT and SAT- this has been declared as the triple appellation of Brahama, who is Truth, Consciousness and Bliss. By that were the Brahmanas and the Vedas as well as sacrifices created at the cosmic dawn. Therefore, acts of sacrifice, charity and austerity,as enjoined by sacred precepts, are always commenced by noble persons, used to the recitation of Vedic chants, with the invocation of the devine name ‘OM’. With the idea that all this belongs to God, who is denoted by the appellation TAT, acts of sacrifice and austerity as well as acts of charity of various kinds, are performed by the seekers of liberation, expecting no return for them. The name of God, SAT, is used in the sense of reality and goodness. And the word SAT is also used in the sense of a praiseworthy, auspicious action, Arjuna. And steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity and charity is likewise spoken of as SAT and action for the sake of God is verily termed as SAT. Source:ShrimadBhagwatGita Chapter XVII ( 23- 27) (www.gitapress.org) Where should Lord reside ? Those who have no lust, anger, arrogance, pride or infatuation, are without greed, excitement, attraction or aversion and who are free from fraud, hypocricy and deceit-it is in their heart that you shoud abide, O Chief of Raghus. Again those who are beloved of all and friendly to all, to whom joy and sorrow, applause and abuse are alike and who scrupulously utter truthful and polite words, nay, who are resigned to You whether awake or asleep and who have no support other than Yourself-it is in their mind,O Rama, that You should dwell. Again, those who look upon another’s wife as their own mother and to whom another’s wealth is the deadliest of all poisons, who rejoice to see other’s prosperity and are particularly grieved to see another’s distress, and to whom,O Rama, You are dear as their own life-their minds are Your blessed abodes. Source:RamCharitManas, Ayodhyakand , 129,1-4 (www.gitapress.org) The Manifestation of God Arjuna, whenever righteousness is on the decline, unrighteousness is in the ascendant, then I body Myself forth for the protection of the virtuous, for the extirpation of the evil-doers,and for establishing Dharma(righteousness) on a firm footing, I manifest Myself from age to age. Source:ShrimadBhagwatGita Chapter IV ( 7- 8) (www.gitapress.org) Gates of Hell & Heaven Desire, anger and greed-these triple gates of hell bring about the down fall of the soul. Therefore, one should shun all these three. Freed from these three gates of hell, man works for his own salvation and thereby attains the supreme goal,i.e.,God. Source:ShrimadBhagwatGita Chapter XVI ( 21-22) (www.gitapress.org) Karmayoga Your right is to work only and never to the fruit thereof. Do not be the cause of the fruit of action; nor let your attachment be to inaction. Source:ShrimadBhagwatGita Chapter II (47) (www.gitapress.org) The Faith The faith of all men conforms to their mental disposition, Arjuna. Faith constitutes a man; Whatever the nature of his faith, verily he is that. Source:ShrimadBhagwatGita Chapter XVII ( 3) (www.gitapress.org) A Gift A gift which is bestowed with a sense of duty on one from whom no return is expected, at appropriate time and place, and to a desrving person,that gift has been declared as Sattvika.A gift which is bestowed in a grudging spirit and with the object of getting a service in return or in the hope of obtaining a reward,is called Rajasika.A gift which is made without good grace and in a disdainful spirit,out of time and place,and to undeserving persons,is said to be Tamsika. Source:ShrimadBhagwatGita Chapter XVII ( 20,21,22) (www.gitapress.org) A Doer Free from attachment,unegoistic,endowed with firmness and zeal and unswayed by success and failure-such a doer is said to be sattvika.The doer who is full of attachment,seeks the fruit of actions and is greedy,and who is oppressive by nature and of impure conduct,and is affected by joy and sorrow,has been called Rajasika.Lacking piety and self control,uncultured,arrogant,deceitful, inclined to rob others of their livelihood,slothful,despondent and procrastinating-such a doer is called tamasika. Source:ShrimadBhagwatGita Chapter XVII ( 26,27,28) (www.gitapress.org) The Nature of Saints I vow to the saints, who are even-minded towards all and have no friend or foe, just as a flower of good quality placed in the palm of one’s hands communicates its fragrance alike to both the hands (the one which plucked it and that which held and preserved it).Realizing thus the noble disposition and loving nature of saints, who are innocent at heart and catholic in spirit, I make this humble submission to them. Listening to my child like prayer and taking compassion on me, O noble souls, bless me with devotion to the feet of Sri Rama. Source:RamCharitManas, BalKand,3 A-B (www.gitapress.org) The poets have declared the heart of a saint to be soft as butter; but they did not know what should be said. For, while butter melts only when the same is heated on fire, the holy saints melt at the suffering of others. Source:RamCharitManas, UttarKand,124 (4) (www.gitapress.org) Fate of bad Governance A king whose reign brings suffering to his beloved people surely deserves an abode in hell. Source:RamCharitManas, Ayodhyakand,70-3 (2nd line) (www.gitapress.org) Act & Consequence God requites our actions according as they are good or bad, weighing them in the scale of His judgment. He alone who does an act reaps its consequences: such is the law of the Vedas and so declare all. Source:RamCharitManas, Ayodhyakand,76-4 (www.gitapress.org) No one is a source of delight or pain to another; everyone reaps the fruit of one’s own actions.
Source:RamCharitManas, Ayodhyakand,91-2 (b) (www.gitapress.org) Truthfulness There is no virtue equal to truthfulness:so declare the Agamas (Tantras),Vedas and Puranas. Source:RamCharitManas, Ayodhyakand,94-3(1st line) (www.gitapress.org)
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