Sundara Khanda discourse continues as narrated by Sri BalaSwamiji in Trinidad in 2019.
Sruti is very important.
There is a time for everything. We should wait, Patience.
Kalou hi durati brahma(graham)
There’s a saying in Sundara Kanda,you cannot win over time. Go with time, then you will win. Ram Navami had started in India, so Appaji is celebrating Ram Navami in Hyderabad Ashram. We have a beautiful Marakata (emerald) Hanuman in Hyderabad Ashram , like Marakata Raja Rajeshwari. Emerald Hanuman, a beautiful murti of Hanuman there. Let us all pray Pujya Sri Swamiji from here; let our manas, let our mind travel to Hyderabad to Swamiji to have His darshan.
Om Gam Ganapataye Namah, Om Gam Ganapataye Namah
Bhajan: Gajanana Gajanana
Yaddhyana nirdhuta viyoga vanhihi
Vedehe baalaa vibhudhari vanyaam
Pranan dade pranamayam prabhumtam
Sri jaanaki jivana maanatosmi Sri jaanaki jivana maanatosmi Sri jaanaki jivana maanatosmi
Sri jaanaki jivana maanatosmi Jai bolo sri Ramachandra prabhu ki, Jai!Jai bolo pavana suta hanumana ki, Jai!
There is a nama in Vishnu Sahasranama: Ramo viramo virato maargo nayo neyo nayaha
Your next task is Vishnu Saharanama. After Bhagavad Gita. Get ready to learn Vishnu Saharanama. It’s very easy. Don’t be scared. Swamiji, we have asked you for your blessings not for the task, you may say. No, it is very easy. You can learn Vishnu Sahasranama. It is a very powerful mantra. There is this line in Vishnu sahasranama: ramo viramo.
Rama means 'your mind rests'.
As we discussed yesterday, Rama is virama, virama is resting. He is your resting place, you can rest in him. You can rest in Rama. That means whenever you think of Rama, your mind rests. Your mind gets resting. That is Rama. Ramo viramo virato. His virata, virata means detached. We need to practice some detachment otherwise we are going to suffer, I must say. Detachment is very good, we have to practice. When we are detached from worldly things we are able to sleep, otherwise we don’t get sleep. If we don’t get sleep, we struggle," I am not able to sleep. I don’t have good sleep." We struggle. We struggle with sleeplessness. What is it called? Something. Insomnia. Some other world name, it is like alien language, insomnia. I always think.
Why practise detachment? How to practise?
Sleepiness is good, so you are detached, your mind is detached that is why you are able to sleep. If your mind keeps thinking about worldly things,something else, then you could not sleep, right? So detachment is for good. Practice. You may ask, “Swamiji, anyhow we are detached everyday. Everyday we sleep, why we need to practise?”
That happens because our body, our mind, our senses are tired. That is why we need sleep. We should do this consciously. That is detachment, practise it. Practise. Switch off your cellphone, that is detachment. Don’t see mobile phone when you are in Ashram, that is detachment. Don’t bother who is whats apping, don’t bother who is messaging. They will wait, they shall wait.
Twenty years ago, there was no cellphone. Now we are cellphone. Cell is, you know cell, prison. We have prisoned ourselves in cellphones. That is cellphone. This is why the name suits cellphone. It suits. But that is not the way to lead our lives, right? So we need to practise some detachment. This comes only from Sadguru. Who is bothered about detachment? Who wants detachment? We always, our nature is like this, our mind’s nature is like this. It always goes towards world, not towards paramatma, that is its nature. You have to change its nature. That is spiritual, that is spiritual. So he is Vedatta. He was happy. See, we think when we talk, we are happy. No.
Ramayana gives peace of mind.
When we give, we are happy. Rama gave everything, and He left Ayodhya. He is happy. That is Rama. That is why, say ramo viramo virato maargo nayo nayaha maargha He Himself is path, He is path, He is showing the path, that is why, yesterday as we discussed, when He asked to show the path, Atri Maharishi said, “Who am I to show the path? You are the one who is showing the path to the world, so Rama you find your path, and show us the path.” Atri Maharishi himself prayed, right, yesterday we heard, remember? He is maarga, maargo nayo neyo nayaha that is why we keep listening to Ramayana, to Sundara kanda. It gives peace of mind, that is what’s required. We have everything but we don’t have peace of mind, then we struggle. We ask for peace of mind, we have everything but we don’t have peace of mind, we need that. We get peace of mind from Ramayana. Rama says in Uttara kanda, in the beginning of Bala Kanda, he invites everyone, “Oh people, come, come, come, listen to Ramayana.” Mama pita bhutikaram prajakshataye, mama pita bhutikaram.' Mama' means it is giving happiness to me.
Rama was the first one to listen to Ramayana.
Read Appaji's Life History for many benefits
When we had Appaji’s 'Life History' in Appaji’s 50th year, that is Appaji’s golden jubilee year, Appaji listened to His Jiva Charitra, His life story. Then Appaji okayed it. Then Appaji said,
“Ok, this is now fit for release, you can release it.”
I was there. I was very small, Prasadji was there. One hut. We used to sit in a hut and Appaji used to come there, … the writer of Appaji’s life history, he used to read some pages of Appaji’s life history, Appaji used to listen to them and after fifteen or twenty days, he said, “Now it is ready, you can release.” After listening to His own life history, Appaji said, “Whoever reads this Life History will definitely get so many benefits. I promise,” Swamiji said. I remember those words from Swamiji.
Rama listened to His own Charitra, Ramayana, from His children, Luv and Kush, and that is Ramayana. So we should listen to Ramayana always. Yesterday we were discussing about Satsanga. Hanumanji when He saw Lankini, Lankini remembered what Brahma said, and she permitted, “Hanuman, you can enter into Lanka now. You can go and see Sita Mata,” she permitted.
Satsanga is very powerful
That time, Ram Charitra Manas Tulsidas Maharaj says, “Satsanga is very powerful.” Keep doing Satsanga. Satsanga means thinking good, doing good, gathering like this in an Ashram, in a temple, and listening to good words, chanting mantras and listening to mantras, having Darshan of deities. All this is Satsanga. There, Kakabhushundi says the greatness of Satsanga to Garuda. Garuda thought he was capable to reach Vaikunta-- anywhere he wanted. He felt a little ego. By knowing this Kakabhushundi said, “Garuda, you are the vehicle of Maha Vishnu. This is not good for you. You should not feel ego. Let it go. Let ego go."
E-go. We have e- book, e- phone, everything e, e. E- go. Easy go. Let it go, let the ego go from your mind.
Kakabhushundi says,
“Garala Sudha Ripu karahi methayi,
Gopada Sindhu Analasitha layi,
Garuda somerurenu samathahi,Garuda sumerurenu samathahi,
rama krupa kare chitava jahi , garala Sudha.
If you do Satsanga, Garala- poison will become nectar to you. You don’t feel any pain anytime. Whatever pain you get, you keep on smiling. That is the power of Satsanga.
So, you think, I have satsanga, I have my sadguru, why should I cry. Garala Sudha ripu karahi methayi. Ripu, if you keep on doing satsanga, keep on visiting satsanga. Ripu means enemies, enemies will become friends. One or the other day they will definitely become your friends. Or you don’t feel anyone your enemy. They may feel, they may see you as their enemy, but you don’t see them as your enemies. That is satsanga. Enmity is not good. If you want to grow spiritually, then leave this enmity. ripu kara hi methayi gopada sindu analasitha layi – the sea will reduce into cow hoofs side, goshpadi krita varashim. gopada sindu analasitha layi- anala means agni; fire. You will feel fire as ice analasitha layi- cool, that means whatever the situation you are facing, you will feel that peacefulness. That is the power of satsanga. Garuda sumerurenu samatahi, sumerurenu samatahi - if anyone comes to you and say, “this much I have achieved” then you say, “okay, fine.” “You didn’t achieve anything.” “yes, fine, I agree. I didn’t achieve anything. But I have my Sadguru, my God with me, that is enough for me.” That is sumerurenu samatahi. You don’t see anything big, because you only see God big, your Sadguru big. sumerurenu samatahi, Rama krupa kari chitava jahi- so how to get the satsanga if you have Rama krupa? Blessings of Rama, then only you get Satsanga. That is what Kakabhushundi says to Garuda. We are very much blessed to have satsanga. I am also very much blessed to do Satsanga in Trinidad Ashram at the holy feet of 85feet Hanuman. There is a great Abhanga in Marathi Bhasham, Marathi language, santa sangaticha mahima adbhuta-we have heard the bhajan abhanga from Swamiji, my favourite bhajan you could say.
Bhajan: Santa sangaticha mahima adbhuta
Jai bolo Sadgurunatha mahaja ki jai!
Searching for Happiness is life
Hanuman got the permission from Lankini, He entered into Lanka. He is searching, He searched everywhere. Not even an inch he left, everywhere He searched for Sita. He’s searching, searching, searching. What is life? I am asking you, what is life? Yes, anyone, what is life? It is our life, you should answer, what is life? We are all living, we are all leading life, right? What is life? Tell me. Satsang is life, good. Any answers? Journey yes, journey is life, okay. Any? Karma is life, okay. Searching is life. What we do, we keep on searching. Searching for what? Happiness. This is life, searching is life. Sita anvesha is Sundara Kanda, right? what is Sundara Kanda? Searching for Sita Mata is Sundara Kanda. Searching for happiness, Sita Mata is happiness. Without Sita Mata, Rama is not happy, without Rama, Sita Mata is not happy. So, Rama is searching for Sita Mata, and Sita is searching for Rama. So, what is Hanuman doing in between?
Hanuman is like our sadhana.
Hanuman is our good karma, through our good karma, we search for happiness. That is what Hanuman is doing here, Hanuman is searching for happiness, Hanuman is searching for Sita. That is why life is nothing but searching, you never stop searching, you keep on searching. Search, search, search, search. When the searching stops, you may ask? Swamiji when will we stop this searching? Because we get tired one day, right? Searching searching…
Then you have the darshan of Sita Mata. Sita Mata is here. Sita Mata is in your sahasrara. Sita Mata is in your buddhi. When you find Her, Parashakti, then you automatically stop searching, right? That is Sundara Kanda. Hanuman is showing us how to search for happiness. Sometimes we don’t know, not sometimes, always we don’t know what is happiness. We think everything is happiness. Everything is happiness. There are two words in Sanskrit for happiness. Santosha and Ananda. Santosh is worldly happiness. Ananda is spiritual happiness. When you get spiritual happiness, you don’t look for worldly happiness. Now Hanuman is searching for spiritual happiness. It looks difficult for us to search for spiritual happiness because we are living in the world. We have so much to do in this world, we think as if we stop doing karma , then the world must stop. We think like that. That is all madness. Nothing is going to stop. You think anything is going to stop? If it stop our karma? No, don’t think like that. Don’t put so much on your head. Oh, we are always tense, what if I don’t do this. No, be calm. Do your karma. Don’t leave your karma, that is not good. That is karma yoga.
Who does his karma with yoga, that is karma yoga.
We need to practice karma yoga, not karma. We know how to do karma, we always do some karma, that is with everyone. Those who are attending satsanga, they are doing karma, those who are not attending satsanga, they are also doing karma. So what is the difference? We should see some difference right? We should become karma yogis not karmis. Everyone does karma. So here in Sundara Kanda, Hanuman is searching. He searched inch by inch in Lanka. Never He could find Sita Mata. Now, He’s little worried. It is a big chapter in Valmiki Ramayana. It goes for 13 sargas(13 chapters). The 13th chapter, He had the darshan of Sita Mata. 13 number, 13 stanzas for Rama Taraka Mantra. There are 13 letters right. Sri Rama Jaya Rama Jaya Jaya Rama. 13 letters. In 13th sarga, He had the darshan of Sita Mata.
In Sundara Kanda, but in Ramacharitamanas Tulsidas Maharaj skipped all the story and he directly went to Vibeeshana. Hanuman was worried. “Aree! I’m searching, but I’m not able to get any truth/ fruit.” If we struggle, we do karma, if we do business for years together, years, years, years. So many years we are doing business, but not getting any profits. How it feels? It feels very bad right. For how many years I should work like this? I am not getting any fruit. The same way Hanuman thought, “I am not getting Sita Darshan. How will I get Sita darshan?” Hanuman did some upadesha, some good teaching to us.
Keep searching without sorrow.
He taught us wonderful things in this particular chapter in Sundara Kanda. He says, “Never feel sorrow”. You have to keep searching Anirveda. He says Anirveda. Nirveda is sorrow, nirveda is crying. Never cry. Why you cry? You should keep on moving doesn’t matter if you move in 5th gear, 4th gear, no. if you move in 1st gear, ok. If you are cycling that is also fire, but never stop. That is what Hanuman says. He searched for one whole day. He was not able to find Sita Mata. Now he thinks, it comes in His mind that he should leave his body because He cannot return without a good message to Rama. He thought of leaving His body. Now He is planning, “How to leave my body?”
Spend time with good people.
There is a wonderful shloka in Sundara Kanda Valmiki Ramayana. In Valmiki Ramayana, before going to Ravana’s home, Ravana’s main palace, Hanuman went to Vibeeshana’s place. That is what’s said in Valmiki Ramayana, but here in Ramacharitamanas, Tulsidas Maharaj says when Hanuman met Vibeeshana, He got to know where Sita Mata is. That subject we are discussing, Hanuman heard Rama Nama. Somebody’s chanting Rama Nama. See, good people are very rare. You cannot complain, “Oh, I'm surrounded by bad people." No, you search. There are good people everywhere. Okay, I agree, there are bad people. We cannot judge them. Who are we to say they are bad people? Right? We may not like them, so keep yourself away from them. Don’t go to them. But there are good people. You spend time with them, you be with them. That will definitely help you. Here, Hanuman thinks, “where will I find Sita? How to find Sita? Who is going to tell me whereabout of Sita Mata?” Now, He heard Rama Nama. Someone is chanting, “Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram.
Hanuman is listening to Rama Nama. He changed His dress, He changed His rupa. He changes His form. Now He looks like a veda pandit. Taking veda pandit form, He takes Rama’s name. He says "Rama, Rama." Vibeeshana sitting inside his house, he is singing Rama and Hanuman in the form of Veda person, He is replying Rama. He says Rama. He says, “Rama, Rama, Rama…” Vibeeshana was surprised. “Who is chanting Rama Rama?” It is like an echoing , Vibeeshana takes Rama’s name and Hanuman takes Rama’s name. Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama. Vibeeshana came out and he saw Hanuman. He was very happy. He says, “I am very much blessed. I’m seeing a saint here. I am very happy to see you. Where are you coming from? It is my luck that I could see see you today. I am seeing you here, this is my luck. Otherwise having a sat purusha darshana. Satsanga its impossible. I think I am blessed by Rama, that is why I am seeing you. One who is chanting Rama nama, taking the Lord’s name. I am very happy.”
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