Suno! Suno! Sadhuji! – 5

Amity and Universal Brotherhood
Kirtana and Sadhana were waiting at airport to receive Karuna, who was flying from Mumbai. Sadhana ran forward to meet her childhood friend with smile lighting up her face! Kirtana welcomed Karuna with a warm hug! As they drove home, Sadhana enquired all about Karuna’s family and her studies. After refreshing herself, Karuna joined Sadhana and Kirtana for breakfast.
“It’s a busy life in Mumbai, isn’t it Karuna?” asked Kirtana over the table.
“Yes Aunty! It is! And if something comes to disrupt the normal life…my god! It is tough time getting back to schedules!”
“Hmm! True!” agreed Sadhana.
“Aunty! A question often troubles my mind. Why is there any war or fight or terrorism at all! Why can’t we all be at peace…throwing away all the weapons/arms?”
The sincerity in Karuna’s voice touched Kirtana. With so much terrorism around, her question was justified.
Sadhana chirped in, “Well! Karuna! I have an idea! Disarmament is the solution! Right ma?”
Kirtana walked with the two to the hall and as each took their seats, smilingly replied, “No dear!”
Turning to the puzzled Karuna, she said, “Let me tell what the great saint Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Swamigal said regarding the very same question. He says, war wouldn’t stop even if we stopped producing arms! We would not hesitate to fight with sticks, stones and hands as long as animosity lurks in the hearts of people.”
“I agree Aunty. But it makes me feel so sad. Isn’t there a way out at all?”
Kirtana, stroked Karuna and said, “My dear! Let me sing a wonderful song composed by the very Sage of Kanchi, Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Swamigal. He says, a change should happen in each one of us. That’s the only way to see a change in the world. And he goes on to tell us what each one should do to make universal peace a reality!
maitrIm bhajata akhilahrud jetrIm
‘Be friendly with all and win over their hearts!’
Karuna! One can win over others’ heart only through love. We all want others to love us. But none of us stop to think if WE love others, isn’t it? The beauty in love is that it reciprocates naturally! If we truly love someone, they can’t but love us! And if we learn to love the entire world, it would reciprocate our love. And imagine! If EACH one of us loves everyone else, who would fight with whom?! Who would use a weapon even if he had multitudes of them?!
Atmavadeva parAnapi pashyata
yuddham tyajata spardhAm tyajata
tyajata pareshu akramamAkrmaNam
‘See others as your very self! Give up fight! Give up competition! Give up attacking others unjustly’
Karuna! Unless one suffers the pain, he never realizes what pain is. Any thought, word or deed should go through a test where one puts oneself in the shoes of the one who is at the receiving end. That would suffice! Not a hurting thought or word or deed would ever come to pass! This alone would stop wars.”
Sadhana asked, “Ma! But why is competition bad?”
Kirtana continued, “Sadhana! No one is hurt by a healthy competition. But one should not desire to achieve their goal by hook or crook or violence isn’t it? If you want to score more than Prarthana, you can work hard for it! Instead, if you start hating her and wishing she would fall sick during exams: is it fair? That’s what the Sage means here. Even anger and desire are in us by the Lord’s design and they have their utility too! Only they should be rightly used. If a child misbehaves, the mother admonishes her. Anger is needed here for the good of the child. But one should not attack others unjustly for gratifying his own whims and fancies! If one understands this clearly, there would be no wars!
He further sings,
jananI pruthivI kAmadughAste
janako devah sakala dayAlu
Karuna! The sage says we have the most generous Mother earth, like the wish yielding cow, ready to provide us with all that we need and the most compassionate Father, Lord of the universe, ready to pour His choicest blessings on us! Why should we fight to gain something from others when we can get all that we NEED from our mother! And for our rightful wants, we can always ask the loving and most compassionate Father, the Lord of the universe. As Sri Akrura says, “kimalabhyam bhagavatI prasannE shrI nikEtanE”. If He is pleased with us, what cannot be gained? Why try to snatch things from others? And if the Lord decides to deny, who can ever give us?! So, why look for things from anyone other than the Lord?
dAmyata datta dayadhvam janatah
shreyo bhUyAt sakala janAnAm
“Have self restraint! Give others! Be compassionate! Ye people! Let all be happy and prosperous’
Karuna! If one knows to live according to his needs rather than wants, he wouldn’t fight for anything or compete unjustly. That means one should control his random desires. Giving away things in charity reduces our attachment to possessions. Attachment to our possessions is also a cause for war isn’t it? If we are compassionate towards all, we wouldn’t dream of hurting anybody. So the sage says ‘dAmyata datta dayadhvam’
If we vow to follow this most wonderful Upadesa of this great Sage and bring in a change within each of us, universal peace and prosperity would follow undoubtedly!
So Karuna! One should love all! But one loves oneself the most! So if you see others as yourself and treat them so, love for them would follow and war, competition and attack would cease on its own. Remember Mother Earth and our loving Father, the Lord, provide us everything. None else can in reality! Let’s control our passions, give liberally without holding back and be compassionate and make this universe a peaceful haven!”
“Aunty! This is such a wonderful thing! How clear things get when one lends ears to the seers! Can you sing this for me Aunty?”
“Sure Karuna! You and Sadhana can join me.”
maitrIm bhajata akhilahrud jetrIm
Atmavadeva parAnapi pashyata
yuddham tyajata spardhAm tyajata
tyajata pareshu akramamAkrmaNam
jananI pruthivI kAmadughAste
janako devah sakala dayAlu
dAmyata datta dayadhvam janatah
shreyo bhUyAt sakala janAnAm