Bharatiyas happen to be the descendants and children of these great Rishis who were men of realisation. Among each of us, we have our family Gotras showing our lineage. Our Gotra may be: Bharadwaj; Atreya; Vashista; Kowshik (Vishwamitra), Kashyap, Saraswat, Vatsya, Koundinya, to name a few. These are names of some of our greatest Rishis of Vedic times and we claim our lineage and descent from them. How fortunate and proud we must be that some of their sanctified blood still flows thru our veins! Even many of our stars are named after these Rishis like Vashista, Arundati, Dhruva, Agastya, Ashwini, etc. The aims and goals of these Vedic Rishis were nothing short of the Ultimate and the stupendous efforts made for realisation of the Brahman. Their single pointed determination in pursuit of the ideal, even pursuit unto death, was similar to the bhakthi of Radha towards her ideal, Krishna. Swami played on the word 'Radha' to say "The 'Aradhana' (devotion), of 'Radha' was like a 'Dhara' (continuous flow like Tailya- dhara or oil) towards the 'Adhara' (support) which was Krishna! This great goal of spiritual perfection was their ultimate endeavour and they would pursue it indefatigably and with dogged determination staking their everything, including their very life for this. True Tyagis and Vairagis in every sense of the word! With a strong and sharpened buddhi which was their greatest tool, and earned through intense sadhana and austerities, they would utilise the Buddhi in full for the final divine merger. 'Buddhi' which is symbolised left wing comprising 'Sathyam', the body being the by a bird with the head of 'Shraddha', right wing for 'Ritam'. 'Mahatatva' and the tail symbolised by Yoga' for balance, This 'Bird of Paradise' along with a purified Anthakarana, which is the totality and the complete (Poorna). This led to was only a step away for the all consuming Spirit (Atman), their ultimate enlightenment and liberation from all bondages. It was the One Spirit (Soul or Atman) that they visualised. They were the Spirit, and nothing would exist, other than the Spirit.- the One without a second. These restablished with firm determination, the sacred culture and Vedic Dharma of Bharat and of experiencing the Truth behind all this Manifestation. The Atman of the Vedantist: Which is free of all pairs of opposites and the 'enemy of darkness' therefore is of utmost and ultimate significance and we shall discuss it at length during the course of our talks. The Atman is then compared to the Lion. Obviously the lion is the king of the forest. The master of Samsara and not its bond slave. We compare 'Samsara' to a forest, wherein it is dark (the darkness of ignorance or Tamas) and we get lost in its maze and complexity. Also the Lion's roar makes all the denizens (animals) of the forest, flee. Animal desires of man are similar in nature and contemplating on the Atman purifies the heart and drives out the animal nature in man.
The great Mahavakyas from the Vedas are not to be taken as just missionary statements but the ultimate truth for all human beings capable of realisation by every true and earnest seeker. Our dear Swami has repeatedly emphasised on this. Once when asked if He was God, Swami replied: "Yes! I am God and you are also God. The only difference is I know it but you do not know it." This book aims at spreading the highest truth of our being among all Sai devotees who have been influenced by the words of our dear Swami and those who have accepted Swami as their Guru and God Incarnate. Swami's simple and lucid words on some of the most abstruse thoughts of Vedanta philosophy from the Upanishads are such that even a school boy can grasp and assimilate their essence. These talks given in the form of a series of lectures have been put in a book form in order to encourage aspirants eager to seek the higher and the nobler life
Vedas (1256)
Upanishads (525)
Puranas (637)
Ramayana (780)
Mahabharata (386)
Dharmasastras (175)
Goddess (539)
Bhakti (252)
Saints (1807)
Gods (1319)
Shiva (418)
Journal (180)
Fiction (71)
Vedanta (390)
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