vedic principles and the concept of oneness

Mangalam Guru DevaayaMangalam Jnana Daayine,Mangalam Parthi Vaasaaya,Mangalam Sathya Saayine.May the divine Guru be auspicious to us

May the Best ower of wisdom be auspicious to us

May the Lord, Who manifested in Parthi be auspicious to us

May Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba be auspicious to us.

With love, gratitude, and reverence, I offer my prayerful Pranams at the Divine Lotus Feet of our Dearest, Sweetest, Loving and Omnipresent Lord – Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Dear brothers and sisters, loving Sairam to all of you. It is beautiful to meet you again during this webinar after almost a year. I know we met in June of 2020. We had a webinar, and it was nice that we could talk about the Vedas, and the essence of the Vedas at that time. I congratulate all of you. I am proud that you have had the perse-verance to continue this program for one year and I was informed that this is the seventh webi-nar you are having. Swami says that three ‘Ps’ are important – purity, patience, and perseverance. So, this shows your perseverance. Also, I congrat-ulate the International Young Adults Coordina-tor, Deviesh, Deputy Coordinator, Roshini, all the

Zone Young Adults Coordinators, the Veda train-ers, the Veda resource persons, and participants, because it is a team effort; it is a combined effort of all of you. Sambavi gave a beautiful summary of all the wonderful things that are happening. It is especially gratifying to hear the nice story of the people from Nepal, showing that if you have genuine and sincere interest, Swami will make it happen. I am very happy that all of you are continuing with this Veda program that you started.

What are the Vedas?To clarify, Veda means knowledge; the root word ‘Vid’ means knowledge. Knowledge belongs to all, irrespective of nationality, race, religion, creed, cast. So, Veda belongs to one and all. The Vedas are the repository of knowledge for all people, that is why we say, that this belongs to the eternal religion, Sanathana Dharma. It is a way of life, and that is why these Vedas are Anaadi that means they don’t have any beginning, and they are Anantha (infinite), the knowledge is infinite. And it is Apaurusheya; meaning it is not coming from just our human mind. The source is the Divine. So, it has no beginning, it is infinite, and the source is the Divine. We should remem-ber that Veda is the way of life. It is not just for chanting but also for our practical daily living. As we said, Swami gave so much importance to Vedas, from the very fact that He named the resi-

sathyasai.org

Dr. Narendranath ReddyChairman, Sri Sathya Sai International Organization

International Young Adults Veda Programme5 June 2021

Vedic Principles and the Concept of Oneness


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dences where He stayed accordingly. In Kodai-kanal, Swami’s home is called ‘Sai Shruti’. Shruti means Vedas – Agamas and Nigamas. So, that is the importance He gave to Vedas. Then, His house in Brindavan is called ‘Trayee’. Trayee means the three Vedas. First, there were three Vedas: Rig, Yajur and Sama Veda, and then came the Atharva Veda. Swami’s house in Prasanthi Nilayam is called ‘Yajur Mandir’. He gave importance to Yajur Veda because it is considered the heart of all Vedas and Rudram is the heart of the Yajur Veda – this shows the importance Swami gave to the Vedas.

Sections of the VedasIn the Vedas, there are three aspects. One is Karma Kanda, that is rituals, work, and service and then, Upasana Kanda, where one expresses love to God, devotion to God, and finally, Jnana Kanda, where one realizes oneness with God. This is actually what we practice in our Sai centers on a regular and practical level. Karma Kanda is where we get involved doing selfless service in our societies, communities; and devo-tional practices is the Upasana Kanda, or Bhakti, where we sing God’s glories and share His stories. Finally, Jnana Kanda is where we conduct study circles and practice self-inquiry. All these three practices are part of the Vedas. For example, Karma Kanda and Upasana Kanda in Vedas are contained in Samhitas, Brahmanas and Aaranya-kas, whereas the Upanishads are part of the Jnana Kanda. That is why they call it Vedanta. Veda-antha means end of Vedas, which is the Upanishads. This is the progression we make. We can compare Karma (service) to a flower; Bhakti (devotion) to the fruit, and finally Jnana (knowl-edge) which is the ripened fruit. I am happy you chose the topic of oneness which is Jnana. Jnana Devathu Kaivalyam – Only through Jnana one attains liberation. Everything ends in Jnana because this is the ultimate. Swami says, Advaita Darshanam Jnanam, seeing oneness is knowl-edge. Because Swami says the dual mind is half-blind. So, we need to see that oneness. That is the whole purpose of our spiritual practice, to realize our divinity and see the same divinity in every-thing. That is what Swami has been teaching us.

Hanuman – The Exemplary DevoteeYesterday was the holy event of Hanuman Jayanti and a lot of devotees of Lord Rama and Hanuman celebrated it. Hanuman was the perfect example. When Lord Rama asked Hanuman, “What is your attitude towards Me? He said, “Lord, when I have body consciousness, I think I am Your servant. I am Your Dasa. I want to serve You because I have body consciousness. Because, to get rid of body consciousness, one of the best ways is service”. So, He says, “I am Your servant”. We know how dedicated a servant Lord Hanuman was. That is why Swami unveiled a 65-feet tall Hanuman statue during His 65th Birthday celebrations in Hillview stadium, which towers over all other statues. And then Hanuman says, when I feel that “I am the Jiva”, an individual being, then I think I am just a fraction of you, I am a part of You, and when I think I am the Atma, I am consciousness, then I realize that You and I are one – there is no difference”. It is the same thing for us, depending upon where we are, because this is the spiritual evolution we all go through. But this process can all go together. In the beginning we can do self-less service; then devotional practices; then we become part of Him, and we enjoy the bliss and finally, we realize as Swami says, “I and My father are one. I and you are one”. Swami said that many, many times. S.A.I. means Sai and I are one. That is the realization which Hanuman showed us, by his greatest example. Swami has shown us that all of us need to practice the Vedas, so that finally we attain Jnana.

Jnani – The Greatest DevoteeWhy is the Jnana important? Lord Krishna, in Bhagavad Gita chapter 7, verse 16 says:

Chatur-vidhā bhajante māṁ janāḥ sukṛitino arjuna,

ārto jijñāsur arthārthī jñānī cha bharatarṣhabha

There are four types of devotees. The Lord Himself says they are all devotees no doubt, but the first one is ārto. That means when they are suffering health problem or family problem, any worldly problems, and they just pray to the lord. The second type is arthārthī. They want prosper-ity, benefits, they want promotion in their job or

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success in business, and they pray to the Lord. The third type is, jijñāsur, enquirers, seekers of the truth; and finally, the jñānī – devotees who realize their oneness with God, oneness with everything. Lord Krishna says Jnani Atmaiva Me Matam, there is no difference between Me and Jnani. He says, they are all dear to Me, all four types of devotees, because there is nothing wrong in asking God, because God is our divine mother and father. We can pray to Him when we are in trouble, we can ask Him first for wonderful gifts, wonderful blessings, but the highest stage is love for love’s sake. When we have that feeling, that is the highest gift, and to illustrate this Swami narrated a beautiful story about a rich man and his four wives who expressed what they wanted him to get for them during a trip abroad. The first wife, who was spiritually enlightened, prayed for his safe return. The second wife wanted him to bring some sacred books. The third wife, who was ailing wanted him to get some medicines. The fourth wife, who was “modern”, asked him to get her sarees and jewelry. The merchant on his return gave the three wives what they wanted and stayed with the first wife because she had no other desire except to have him back. God responds to devo-tees in the same manner. To those who aspire for wealth, He gives wealth. Those who seek knowl-edge, He will help them acquire it. Those who are ailing and who pray to God, will get the relief they pray for. God builds hospitals for their treatment. Those who pray to God for oneness with Him, will realize Him. This is the way God responds to the four kinds of devotees. Devotees should consider God alone as important, and not for fulfilling other mundane desires. If we have God with us, all other things come easily. So, God is our real wealth. Real health is God. Men should strive for God-Realization because we came from God and should go back to Him.

Interest in Advaita – Gift of Divine Grace

The Lord loves the one who is completely immersed in Jnana and the scriptures say:

Ishwaranugrahād-eva pumsām advaita vasana

Only people who have divine grace, have interest in Advaita. Most people are caught up in eating, drinking, sleeping, and even people who have spiritual interest are also caught up in rituals and other things, and thus they don’t make progress. But people who have special grace of the Lord, Ishwaranugrahād-eva pumsām advaita vasana, develop interest in Advaita. What is Advaita (oneness)? The topic you chose is part of the Vedanta since the Upanishad says Advaita Darshanam Jnanam. Remember that the dual mind is half blind. We need to see that oneness. It is said, Maheshwarad Jnana Ichathe which means, Lord Shiva gives Jnana, and that is why I started with the prayer ‘Mangalam Guru Devaaya, Mangalam Jnaana daayine’. Lord Sathya Sai is our Maheshwara, and Lord Sayeeshwara gives us Jnana.

How to Get JnanamHow do we get this Jnanam? Swami Himself has said that the best way to get Jnanam is by self-inquiry. Who am I? Am I this body? Am I this mind? Am I this intellect? And finally, we realize, I am I.

One time, I was with Swami in Brindavan along with another great devotee Mr. V.K. Narasimhan. He was the editor of Sanathana Sarathi, and an exemplary devotee of Swami. We were sitting with Swami and Swami started talking about the various spiritual topics and said to us that the greatest truth is Advaita and to never forget that! He went on to say that this life is a dream, and to strive to realize it. Then I said, “Swami, how can this be a dream?” Swami replied, “Yes, what you go through in the night is night dream, and what you go through in the daytime is daydream.” I said, “Swami, then, are You also part of the dream? “Yes,” He said, “I am there not only in the daydream, but I am also there in waking state, sleeping state, dream state and in the ultimate turiya state.” That means He is that eternal consciousness. That is what He wanted us to realize. I said, “Swami it is a difficult thing to real-ize that”. Swami said that it is not difficult at all. He gave a beautiful example, “Say a cave is dark for thousands of years and you go and light a candle, how long does it take for the darkness to go away? It goes away instantly. Similarly, when


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the dawn of knowledge comes with your sincere effort and sincere longing, then automatically knowledge of Advaita comes; and you realize that you are One with the divine.”

I was with Swami at another time, and I asked Swami about what Lord Krishna Himself says. In Chapter 10, Vibhuti yoga, shloka 10, He says:

Teṣhāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūr-vakam dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ.

(Whoever does My worship, sings My glory, I will give them Jnana.)

So, I asked Swami – “Swami, I just need to sing Your glories, think about You, remember You, do Your Japa, meditation, and then will You give me Jnana?” Swami said, “Yes, if you have faith and sincerity, I will give you Jnana. But there are two conditions: satata-yuktānāṁ, prīti-pūrvakam. That means you should worship God, satatam, that is always, not sometimes. Sometimes, we forget God and a lot of us become part-time devo-tees. Sometimes we remember Him, and some-times we forget. If we think of Him all the time, in all places, always and prīti-pūrvakam, with love, Swami says, definitely He will give Jnana. Also, Lord Krishna says to get Jnanam, śhraddhāvān labhate jñānaṁ (Chapter 4, shloka 39): the man with faith will get Jnanam. So, we need to have that absolute, unflinching, unwavering faith under all circumstances, even with ups and downs of life which are a part of life. We have to hold on. Swami gave an example: consider a dry leaf, with wind it blows away, whereas an iron ball does not move even if there is a big wind-storm, it doesn’t move at all. Similarly, a man with shallow faith, when faced with a little worldly trouble, ups and downs, loses the faith, but the man with absolute faith faces all situations courageously and holds on to the feet of the Lord. Then, Lord gives him Buddhi. So, we need to have that absolute faith and just think about Him all the time and do it with intense love. Then we will get Jnana. So, first is self-enquiry, and second is faith. Shirdi Baba talked about Jnanam by explaining a Gita Shloka.

This is a beautiful story. One of the great Sanskrit scholars, Nanasahib Chandorkar was reciting a shloka in the presence of Shirdi Sai Baba. Because

all of you are interested in Sanskrit and Vedas, I am referring to these scriptures and Sanskrit verses. This is shloka 34, from Chapter 4 of Bhagavad Gita that he was reciting:

Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśhnena sevayāUupadekṣhyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas

tattva-darśhinaḥ

That means, the devotee, Sadhaka or spiritual seeker goes to the Guru and just surrenders to Him, does his service, and then the Guru will give him Jnanam. But, Shirdi Baba gives the correct meaning to Nanasahib and says “no, the Guru will show you Ajnanam because you are already the embodiment of wisdom. We are all Jnanis. But we forgot it because of our negative qualities. So, what the Guru will show is that these are your negative qualities, you should get rid of them, and then automatically your purity and divinity will shine forth. It is like when the sun is behind the clouds, the clouds hide the sun. The sun is always there, and as soon as the clouds leave, we see the sun. Similarly, once the cloud of ignorance which is covering us goes away, auto-matically we reveal that divine light. That is what the true Guru facilitates.

Jnana Gives Supreme PeaceWhat happens when we get Jnana? Lord Krishna says clearly:

jñānaṁ labdhvā parāṁ śhāntim achireṇādhi-gachchhati (Chapter 4, shloka 39)

Once you have Jnana, and you realize this oneness, you will have supreme peace, peace that passeth all understanding. That is what we call Prasanthi; Shanti is peace, and Prasanthi is supreme peace. That means, we are always in that serene, calm, peaceful state. Bhagavad Gita, which is the essence of all the Upanishads, teaches us this truth. The most important part of Vedas is Upanishads, Vedanta. The essence of Upanishads is Bhagavad Gita. And here, Lord Krishna empha-sizes that to get to that Advaita Darshanam Jnanam; we should have Shraddha. We should have absolute faith and automatically we will attain Jnanam – the realization of oneness.

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Jnana Burns Away KarmaAnother spiritual benefit is jñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇaṁ tam āhuḥ paṇḍitaṁ budhāḥ. What happens is that once we attain Jnana, all past karma, negative karma, prarabdha karma, is completely burnt away that very minute. At one time Swami told me, even a mountain full of Karma will instantly burn away with the grace of God. He gave this example: there is a mountain full of cotton but when we put a matchstick to it, it completely turns into ashes. Once we have Jnanam, we will have supreme peace and bliss and all our karmas are burnt away. Upanishads are important part of Vedas. I will touch briefly upon a couple of them.

Isavasya UpanishadIsavasya Upanishad is a very short Upanishad which has only about 18 shlokas and it says that everything is permeated by God. Once we realize that, the Upanishad says tatra ko mohah ko shoka – then there is no more Moha, no more delusion, no more attachment, no more grief, that means we are constantly in bliss. Swami gave a lot of importance to Isavasya Upanishad, and Mahatma Gandhi also gave lot of importance to this Upani-shad. Once we realize that oneness, then there is no more moha (delusion) or shoka (grief).

Purusha SuktamAnother important part of the Vedas is Purusha Suktam, which sanyasis also chant along with Rudram. In the Purusha Suktam, it is mentioned that we will get that knowledge, which is the highest, having attained which we will not be born again and will be free from the cycle of birth and death. Purusha means the Lord in cosmic form. Everything is contained in Him. This Sukta says that from His eyes comes the sun, the direc-tions come from His ears, from His head come the Brahmins; from His shoulders come the ksha-triyas, the warriors; and from His thighs come the vysyas, the business community; and from His feet come the shudras, the people who are unskilled laborers. But people think that unskilled laborers are the lowest people. But what do we worship when we worship God? We worship the feet. We don’t worship just the head or the shoulders and the thighs. This shows that

we are all part of the same Oneness, that is Divin-ity. The Purusha Suktam clearly shows that we are all different parts of the one whole cosmic being.

RudramRudram also reveals that there is only one thing that exists, and that everything is Rudra. I will give you just few glimpses. In Rudram, it says that the stone is Rudra, the hillocks are Rudra, the mountains are Rudra, and the pool of water is Rudra. The lake and the oceans, the tanks, water-falls they are all Rudra, manifestation of Rudra. Even among the plants, the branches of the tree, the tree, the gardens, the forests, everything is nothing but Rudra. Everything is Brahman, even among beings, beginning with simple microbes, dogs, and all animals are nothing but the mani-festation of Rudra. And even among human beings of various professions, carpenters, potters, hunters and physicians, and all kinds of people, are nothing but the manifestation of Rudra. That means whatever we come across we should see as an aspect of Rudra. This is what the Vedas teach. So, what all exists is God in different forms. Vishnu Sahasranamam (a Sanskrit hymn in praise of Lord Vishnu) also has a very import-ant line in the beginning, “Vishwam Vishnur Vashatkaro”, which means the universe, God, and the beings are all the same. So, that is what we should remember.

Qualities of a JnaniSo, until now what I have shared is what is Jnana, how to attain Jnana, what are the benefits of having Jnana, and finally I will dwell on the subject, how do we know that we have attained Jnana? To know the qualities of a Jnani, you can go to Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 13, shlokas 8 to 12. (https://holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/13/verse/8-12)

The following are the five shlokas. Please read them. I will explain these briefly.

First is:

amānitvam adambhitvam ahinsā kṣhāntir ārjavam

āchāryopāsanaṁ śhauchaṁ sthairyam ātma-vinigrahaḥ

https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/13/verse/8-12


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The main qualities emphasized in this shloka are: we should not have ego, pride, and attachment; and we should have purity and complete self-con-trol.

asaktir anabhiṣhvaṅgaḥ putra-dāra-gṛihādiṣhunityaṁ cha sama-chittatvam

That means don’t be entangled by attachment to children, family, or property. So, we should love everybody with complete detachment.

janma-mṛityu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣhānudarśhanam

Know that this life is temporary, like Lord Buddha has realized. We have birth, growth, sickness, old age, and death. So, when we contemplate and see that life is temporary, then we can focus on what is permanent.

vivikta-deśha-sevitvam aratir jana-sansadi

That means, Jnanis, like to be contemplative. They like quietness, and solitude; but it doesn’t mean that we give up society. Swami says, “Hands in society, Head in forest”. Always enjoy being with God at all times. Finally, Lord Krishna says:

adhyātma-jñāna-nityatvaṁ tattva-jñānārtha

Always have that hunger for the truth, always, not just sometimes. We should always discrimi-nate whether this is real or that is real – give up the unreal and focus on the real. So please study those five shlokas. It gives many qualities to develop to become a Jnani. I just touched on a few important ones: not having attachment, not having ego, and trying to enjoy solitude and ‘just be’. Let us realize the unreal nature of life and focus on the supreme reality and always be contemplative. These are the main highlights, but there are more qualities described in these shlo-kas. Please contemplate on them and learn how to self-audit whether we have attained Jnana.

I pray to Swami to give us patience, perseverance, and purity so that we can pursue our spiritual practices to attain the supreme knowledge, Jnanam. Swami says He is going to give us Jnanam if we are sincere and love Him all the time – love for love’s sake. Then we will reach the goal for sure. Thank you and Jai Sai Ram.

Question & Answer SessionHow can we experience the oneness in and around us by applying the Vedic principles in daily life?First, we should have firm conviction, belief. The scriptures say, and our master says, there is only one thing that exists because the essence of all the scriptures is Brahma Sathyam, Jagat Mithya. The only truth is divinity, and everything else is illusory. Swami beautifully sang about this Oneness:

The stars are Brahma, the sky is Brahman,the plants, and everything is Brahman.We are Brahman.This assembly of people is Brahman.

So, we need to go on remembering that, and also, we need to practice it.

Here, I am reminded of a beautiful story in the life of Shirdi Baba, Swami’s previous incarnation. The incident is described in Shirdi Sai Satcharita, about the Isavasya Upanishad. This Upanishad contains only 18 shlokas but talks about profound wisdom that only one thing exists, and that is divinity. So, focus on that, don’t covet others’ wealth, isha vasyam idam sarvam. That is why it is said, Tatra ko mohah ko shokaha, No delusion or sorrow affects us when we realize this. So, this devotee of Shirdi Baba, Das Ganu Maharaj, used to talk about Baba and sing the glories of Shirdi Baba all the time in many places. He wanted to translate this Upanishad, from Sanskrit into the regional language, Marathi. He wanted to trans-late it and give commentary. He approached many scholars for guidance and made several attempts to do the work. Although he was a very scholarly man, he was not successful in doing the translation. So, he visited Shirdi, and prayed to Baba for help saying, “I have approached many people and still no success.” Baba assured him and said that on your way back you are going to pass by the home of your friend Kakasaheb Dixit. There, his maid servant will teach you about the Upanishad. People seated near Baba were wondering that if scholars could not help this man, how can a maid servant teach him. So, they thought that Baba is pulling his leg, just to tease him. But this devotee had a lot of faith in Baba’s

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words. He implicitly followed Baba’s advice and went and stayed at Dixit’s home.

While staying at that house, he observed that this servant girl gets up early in the morning, washes the clothes, dishes, sweeps the grounds, and does all the chores. All the while, she was happily sing-ing while carrying on with her work. She had torn, soiled clothes; but nothing bothered her. She was always joyful. This is what Isavasya Upanishad teaches: contentment and to be always happy. He was moved by her joy, but he was also sad that she was poor, and was wearing torn clothes. He requested one of his friends who was presenting him with some clothes, to give a sari for her. So, a sari was given to that girl and on the next day, and she wore it. She was very, very happy, dancing with joy like a little girl. The next morning, she put away her new clothes and was back wearing her old torn clothes, yet she was exuding the same joy in her face. Das Ganu Maharaj was grateful to Baba for this revelation as he reflected, “what I didn’t learn from scholars and reading commentaries, I learned with a prac-tical demonstration here. Irrespective of what-ever we have, we should be content with what we have and see the oneness in all, then we realize that everything is divine. The one who is giving that sari is God, the one who is receiving, that girl is God, and the sari is God – everything is divine.”

Swami says the difference between a spiritual seeker and an ordinary person is the perception of how one looks at things. Everything will be the same, but if you wear glasses of Jnana, glasses of Brahman, everything appears as Brahman. So, there is nothing different; the main thing is to practice that in whatever we see – realize that all is pervaded by God, and everything is divine. When this is a constant practice and reminder, we will see the oneness.

The Bhagavad Gita says, “if you can see God in everyone, you can never do harm to anyone”. Although our minds accept this, how do we practically, in daily life, implement this?As Lord Krishna says, it is practice, practice, and practice. Arjuna asked this question to Lord Krishna, “Lord! I can control everything, I can even control the air, I can hold the air in my hand, but I can’t control this mind, as it jumps all over

here and there. That’s why I get all these negative thoughts, harming or helping somebody. So, what can I do about this?” Then Lord Krishna answers, Asanshayam mahabaho mano durni-graham chalam. Abhyasena tu kaunteya vairagyena cha grhyate. No doubt, it is very diffi-cult to control the mind but by constant practice and detachment, you will be able to control it. Lord Krishna speaks in the Gita about who is the greatest yogi – atma upanyana sarvatra. The one who thinks others joy as his own joy, others pain as his own pain – he is the greatest yogi. There are so many examples. In Shirdi Satcharita, when one of the devotees, Tharkad’s wife fed a dog in a distant place, Baba told her, “Oh! You have fed Me, you made Me very happy.” He identified with the dog, and it is the same with all the great masters as they see that oneness. Once, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Guru of Swami Vivekananda, described this state. He talked about somebody walking on the grass, saying “Oh, I feel as if some-one is walking on my chest”, because he identi-fied himself even with the grass. Similar story is told about Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi, that when somebody was cutting a branch in a tree, he exclaimed, “Oh! Somebody is hurting me.” They feel the oneness with the whole creation. We need to feel that there is nothing but the One that exists. Take the example of our body. If there is a thorn which pricks the foot, then our hand removes the thorn, and eyes shed tears because of the pain. All parts of the body are in coopera-tion because all are parts of our own body, even though the thorn is pricking only the foot. The same thing happens with food. Swami says, when you take the food which is unpalatable, and put in the mouth, you spit it out, as they work together because they all belong to the same body. Similarly, once you know that everybody is part of the One God, we don’t do any harm. That is why, Swami says: Help Ever Hurt Never. Swami’s teachings are the essence of all Vedas. Very simply, Help ever, Hurt never. We cannot hurt anybody, anytime – not sometimes, never. That means we cannot hurt, by thought, word or deed; not hurting anyone physically, by bad words, or bad thoughts. That is what we need to constantly practice. It is not difficult. Everything is a constant practice, and we need to watch the


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masters and learn from them. I was in Prasanthi at one time, before the present Kulwant Hall was built, and they were building the compound wall and to cure the cement they were hosing it with water with much force. Observing it, Swami sent a message to tell them not to put water with that much force, because He sees consciousness in everything. We also know the story of the weep-ing sari that Dr. Hislop described. When the sari that was not used by Swami in the distribution it became wet. Swami explained that the sari was weeping because it was rejected to be used in service. There is consciousness not only in human beings, animals, and plants but also in everything, because every atom, every cell of creation is pervaded by the divine.

Is there any scientific knowledge that expresses the concept of oneness in and around us and in controlling the senses as well by chanting the Vedas?Science clearly says when we go to the micro-level, cells, atoms and then finally the electrons, protons, and ultimately what all exists is energy in wave form. Energy is nothing but the embodi-ment of Shakthi. It doesn’t have a particular form. So really, the Vedas teach there is only one thing that exists, that is divinity, whether we call it energy or micro-particles. What all exists is pure Divine energy. The Vedas call it Shakthi or Puru-sha and science calls it particle physics or nano-science. So, we need to see that oneness. That is why great scientists like Albert Einstein, Newton, and many of them find that there is no difference between science and spirituality. They say spirituality begins where science ends. There is no dichotomy between science and spirituality.

In implementing the Vedic chanting in daily life what do the Vedas reveal on how human lives can be shaped, providing paths to success?If we dive deep into the Vedas, they tell us the secret of how to be happy, how to be blissful and successful. Lord Krishna beautifully says what-ever work we do – yogaḥ karmasu kauśhalam (Chapter 2, shloka 50) – perfection in action is yoga. That is what the Vedas teach. Whatever we do, we should do it with perfection. This is where the attention to detail comes; and Swami Himself

is an example. I happened to be with Him on many occasions, and watched Him closely, for example, when He was going to inaugurate the Sai Ramesh hall in Brindavan. The night before the inauguration, Swami went to the hall late at night to make sure the lamp stands were there, the mics were on, the flowers were in the right place; to show that even though He was the chief guest, He wanted to make sure everything is in order. So, the message is success depends on attention to detail, and perfection in action.

Another important thing is whatever we do, it should be based on right conduct. Is it Dharmic? We should use fundamental discrimination. Is it for my good or for the good of all? Whatever we do, question: is it for the highest good of all? The Vedas are helpful when we follow simple basic principles like those in Taittiriya Upanishad. Swami has them posted all over the university. Simple principles: love your mother, treat your mother as God, treat your father as God, treat your teacher as God, treat your guest as God. Always speak the truth – Sathyam vada. Dhar-mam chara, follow right conduct. If we practice all these teachings, then we will have peace. What is success? Success ultimately is to have peace and happiness. Whether we pursue a professional career, whether we have a business, whether we want to have a family, why do we do all that? Why do people want to have a big job, a successful career or have a nice family? The reason is to be happy and peaceful. If we have all that, but have no happiness and peace, then there is no purpose in all our possessions. So, the Vedas teach us how to have the peace and happiness by following the principles they have laid down. These principles are revelations from God to the great sages and they are enunciated in various scriptures.

Although Vedic principles are common to all, most of them symbolize natural concepts specifically in Hinduism. How can we generally explain this concept to a community where people are from various religions and faiths?Yama is actually a part of the Patanjali Ashtanga yoga. Patanjali shows that yoga is nothing but union with God. What is happiness? Happiness is union with God. In Bhagavad Gita, all the 18 chap-

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ters, beginning with Vishada Yoga, followed by Sankhya Yoga, Karma Yoga, and Jnana Yoga. Everything is called yoga because they will bring union with God. The great master called Patanjali wrote the yoga aphorisms and one of the ques-tions you are asking about is Yama. Yama, Niyama, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Asana, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi – these are the eight paths of yoga. So, Yama means control or restraint, and it is followed by niyama which means what you should do. Yama is about what we should not do, it’s a Sanskrit word, but simply put, it is what we should not do. Ahimsa means we should not do himsa, that is we should prac-tice not hurting anybody by our thoughts, words, and deeds. Second practice is Asteya, not to steal anything from anybody, as in the ten command-ments, ‘Thou shalt not steal’. The third is Apari-graha, don’t take somebody’s property. And the next one is Sathya, to tell the truth. Then Brahm-acharya, living in the thoughts of God. The prin-ciples the Vedas talk about, Ahimsa, Sathya, Aparigraha, Asteya, Brahmacharya are universal. Similarly, with Niyama – what you should do. What we should do is practice contentment, Santosha. We should be happy. Next is Saucha – we should always have internal and external purity. Next is Ishvara Pranidhana, that means always contemplate on God. These are the vari-ous spiritual practices the scriptures teach – what we should not do, and what we should do. So, these are not unique only to Hinduism, but they are the part of the eternal religion (Sana-thana Dharma), the way of living. They are appli-cable to any human being, any person living in any part of the earth because these are universal values. That is why Swami’s teachings are univer-sal and the human values are applicable to all humanity. This is the explanation about Yama, Niyama and the Ashtanga Yoga.

Are there any easy and simple tips or steps that you can advise young adults to follow to help them, remind them of the Vedic knowledge and principles in daily life?First, we should examine whatever we do, and enquire what is that we are trying to achieve? We need to have a regulated and disciplined life. Next, we should have clarity of our goal. Our goal is to be in tune with God and realize the innate

divinity, and have a peaceful, blissful, happy life. Anything which takes us towards that goal, such as chanting Vedas, with the understanding of the meaning and practice is good. Vedas have many mantras. What is Mantra? Mananāt trāyatē iti mantrah, contemplating on which and repeating which in itself has a great effect. As I said, when we take our medicine, we don’t know its chemi-cal structure, composition, but still when we take medicine it helps us. But, if you know the various aspects of the medicine, like what are the side effects, interactions, it will have more benefit. Similarly, these Vedic mantras being chanted for thousands of years by great spiritual seekers and saints have great power. But, if we know the inner meaning, it will give better results. The main task is to know the meaning of the chants and practice them in daily life. Swami says, we need to take one or two important principles and practice them. Like telling the truth, not hurting others, and living right based on right conduct (Dharma). We don’t need high esoteric philoso-phy. All that is important is understanding the meaning and practice of the Vedas.

With the notion of staying in tune with God, all Vedas, Upanishads and even the Bhagavad Gita strictly govern meters or Chandas. There are strict number of syllables in each line and throughout the entire chart. What is the true significance of these meters and what is the consequence if these meters are not correctly followed?Anything we learn, any subject for that matter, whether it is physics, chemistry, or music, we should strive to be true to the subject. We know how the musicians are very particular about a raga, and if it is a little off tune, they get upset. I remember, one time, the great music maestro Ravishankar came to our house, and he was listening to our bhajans. So, we thought it was okay. But for him it was painful because they are masters, and they see every little error in the ragas and rhythm, and it bothers them. Similarly, with chanting Vedas, which were developed over thousands of years, there is a particular intona-tion, particular accent, particular way of chant-ing. That is why you should learn them from people who have mastered it. That is why the Vedas are called shruti. Shruti means listening.


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Over generations they are passed on, one to another, by listening. By reading, we can see the words but by listening we can learn from the teacher. So, that is very important. We should learn it properly but even if we don’t learn it, Swami says, don’t worry about it. Just saying Om Sri Sai Ram is the essence of all Vedas. We don’t need to struggle. But whatever we do, let us do it correctly. If we don’t do it correctly it may give the opposite meaning. For example, in Sri Suktam, which is the hymn in praise of goddess Lakshmi, there is a verse with the word Alakshmi Nashaya-mahayam, meaning Mother, get rid of my poverty. Lakshmi means prosperity, Alakshmi means poverty. So, if we don’t say Lakshmi properly, Alakshmi is just a difference of a syllable. It will make it, ‘Lord, take my prosperity away’, instead of saying take away poverty. If we don’t know proper pronunciation and intonation, it can give the wrong meaning. But the Lord always forgives. So, let us try to learn from a good teacher and do it right. To learn from a good teacher is important because we learn primarily by hearing.

In practicing the Vedas and learning how to chant them, we will make many mistakes, especially when learning the Vedas. We hear about the sin of Gohatyā after each mistake while chanting the Vedas. How can one avoid sin because making mistakes in chanting is inevitable? Will chanting the Kshama Prarthana for example, eliminate such sin?Gohatyā means killing a cow. Killing a cow is supposed to be bad or sinful. So, people instill a little fear so that we take it seriously when we learn Vedas and don’t make any mistakes. The Lord looks at the heart. Swami says there is only one language. What is that language? Language of the heart. Let us do with sincerity; that is the most important thing. Do the best we can and don’t make mistakes. When we chant the Kshama Prarthana it says Mantra Hinam, Bhakthi Hinam, Kriya Hinam Janardhana. That means any mistake I do in placing an accent, an intonation, sandhi, or if I worship You without love or I did any mistake in chanting mantras, please forgive me. So, we pray sincerely for forgiveness. Then there’s no Gohatyā and nothing will affect us because the Lord is the embodiment of forgive-ness. But that doesn’t mean we should be care-

less and not attentive. So, let us learn to the best of our ability, the best way how to chant, and do it correctly. But, if there are any mistakes know-ingly or unknowingly, we can ask the Lord for forgiveness, and nothing will affect us. Actually, the most important thing here is our Bhava, our feeling. But, let me say that Swami’s words are the greatest of the Vedas. I learned many scrip-tures from many different religions. Swami’s words are the essence of all scriptures because His every word is a mantra, His every sentence is an aphorism, His every discourse is a Veda, and every conversation is a Gita. So, once we have that conviction, we don’t need to go elsewhere. Go to Sathya Sai Speaks, read it. It is the essence of all Vedas. We can listen to Him, read His Vahinis, and this is the essence of all Upanishads and Gita. We don’t need to struggle. If we enjoy music, and have nice voice, and want to learn music, we can do it. But, if we don’t have good voice, and don’t know music, then we don’t need to struggle. Similarly, regarding chanting Vedas, if we enjoy doing it, then proceed. If not, Swami’s books, Sathya Sai Speaks, Vahinis, should be as good as Vedas because Swami looks at the heart.

God is Moved by Love and SacrificeLet me end by describing a beautiful incident from the scriptures. There was a tribal hunter called Kannappa. He was a simple devotee of Lord Shiva. He was going in the forest, and he saw a Shiva Linga in a dilapidated temple where the Shiva Linga was not properly cared for. Yet, there was a priest that would come daily to do the worship, Abhishekam for the lingam and complete the worship. The tribal man saw the lingam and felt that he needs to offer something to Lord Shiva. So, he fetched water from a nearby lake and because he doesn’t have a container, he carried the water in his mouth and spits it on the Shiva lingam. Since he is a hunter, he killed animals, and offered the meat to Lord Shiva. The next day the priest arrived and was horrified to see that there were pieces of meat and spit. He gets outraged wondering what kind of person would commit such a sacrilege. He was very upset and wanted to see who this person is. So, he waited and was hiding out of sight to see the culprit. As usual this hunter devotee came with a

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mouthful of water and spits it on top of the lingam as Abhishekham, because that’s all he knew. He did this with true love for God. Then, he offered the meat. Suddenly he noticed bleeding from one eye of Lord Shiva. He agonized, “Oh! My Lord, my Shiva’s eye is bleeding. Instinctively he takes out one of his eyes with his arrow, and places it on Lord Shiva’s bleeding eye. The bleed-ing stopped, and he was happy. Then, suddenly the other eye started bleeding. He had now only one eye, and if he took it out, how could he put it on the lingam? So, he put his foot as a mark on the bleeding eye. Otherwise, he won’t be able to see once he takes out his other eye to replace it, because he will be blind. So, he takes out his other eye, puts his foot on the Shiva Linga and places it there. Then Lord Shiva, who was very pleased with his devotion, appeared to bless him. God did not care that this hunter doesn’t know the Vedas, or he doesn’t know the rituals, or how to do the Abhishekham. Lord Shiva was pleased with his sacrifice and love. The devotee did not care about losing his eyes and did the offering with so much love that Lord Shiva appeared to him. Then, there is the Pujari, the priest who was doing worship every day for so many years, but

he never had the divine vision. Then, the priest learned that it is not scholarship, or Vedas that God is pleased with. More important is the heart and feeling with which we do worship, the love with which we do worship, and the sacrifice we make – that is what God looks at. No doubt it is good to know the Vedas, but more important is the heart, how much we love the Lord, how much purity we have, how much sacrifice we are will-ing to make. This is what all of us should keep in the back of our minds while chanting, learning scriptures, and doing rituals. That is what Jesus taught, when he came to teach the Jews in the temple. He said, not to go by the letter of the scriptures, but to go by the spirit of the scrip-tures. Lord Buddha taught the same thing; when people are caught up in animal sacrifices, Vedic rituals, He advised them to avoid violence and practice non-violence, Ahimsa Paramo Dharmah. So, we need to always remember the fundamen-tal Vedic principles. It boils down to Swami’s five human values. If we practice the five human values, it is truly practicing all the Vedic injunc-tions.◼

vedic principles and the concept of oneness

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