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Date:6 May 2001 Occasion:Eswaramma Day Place:Brindavan

Prayers of Mothers Sustain Life

 

 

The more you grind the sandalwood, the more it yields sandal paste.

The more you crush the sugarcane, the more it yields sweet juice.

As the gold is heated more and more, it becomes purer and shines with
added brilliance.

Likewise the good qualities in a noble person blossom more and more as
he passes through the vicissitudes of life,

(Sanskrit Verse)

 

Embodiments of Love!

 

The difficulties of life do not cause any hindrance to a person pursuing
a noble course of life. In spite of these, he always remains at peace
and contemplates on God constantly.

 

In Bharat, the relationship between the mother and the child has been
considered highly sacred and nectarine since ancient times.

 

Rama's Divinity blossomed under Kausalya's loving care;

Because of the tender feelings and austerity of Sita,

Lava and Kusha achieved name and fame;

Fostered with the love of his mother Putlibai, Gandhi became a Mahatma;

The loving care of Jijabai made Sivaji a great warrior.          (Telugu
Poem)

 

You cannot expect sweet mangoes when you sow neem seeds. If you want
mangoes, you have to sow the seeds of mango. The earth is one but the
seeds are different. You must sow what you want to reap. The womb of the
mother is like the earth. The children will be good or bad depending on
the thoughts of the parents. Janthunam Narajanma Durlabham (out of all
the living beings, the human life is the rarest). It is a great good
fortune to be born as a human being. Having been blessed with human
birth, man should develop noble thoughts and experience bliss within.
Only then will he be called truly fortunate.

 


  Sacredness of Mother-child Relationship

   

Putlibai, the mother of Mahatma Gandhi used to observe a vow wherein she
would not partake of food unless she heard the singing of cuckoo. One
day, it so happened that the song of cuckoo was not heard. Gandhi, who
was a small boy, then could not bear to see his mother fasting for a
long time. Out of love and concern for his mother, he went behind the
house and mimicked the singing of cuckoo. Then he came inside and told
his mother that she could have her food as she had heard the song of
cuckoo. The intention behind this act was no doubt good. But Putlibai
felt very sad, as she knew that her son was uttering a lie. With tears
in her eyes, she bemoaned, "What sin have I committed that I gave birth
to a son who speaks untruth!" So saying, she reprimanded him for telling
a lie. Gandhi took a vow that he would never indulge in falsehood
thenceforth. As per the command of his mother, he adhered to truth till
the very end of his life and attained good reputation.

   

Putlibai had a maid-servant named Rambha. As the saying goes, "Yatha
Raja Thatha Praja" (as is the master, so are the subjects). She was also
pure-hearted like Putlibai. One day, Gandhi came running to her and told
her that he was haunted by fear. She told him to chant the Name of Lord
Rama whenever he was lear-stricken. From then onwards Gandhi chanted the
Name of Lord Rama till his last breath. Thus, we see that when the
mother and the other members of the household take to sacred path, the
children would certainly emulate them and attain exalted position in life.

    

Aryamba, the mother of Sankaracharya, spent all her time in the worship
of Easwara. Everyday she performed Abhisheka (sacred bath) to the Siva
Linga, sipped the sanctified water and gave it to her son too. She
constantly chanted the Divine Name of Lord Siva. Sankaracharya became a
world teacher and attained great fame as he was born to such a noble mother.

   

After the war for the liberation of Rangoon, a mother and her son
somehow managed to reach Chennai. They neither had shelter over their
head nor any food to eat. The mother was concerned more about her son
than herself. Such is the love of the mother. The love of the mother
transcends all descriptions. A bus stand became their home. Everyday the
mother would go for begging alms from house to house, give most of it to
her son and partake of whatever little was left. When she would not get
enough, she would give the entire food to her son, and would herself go
without food. As a result, her health gradually deteriorated. One day
the son told her, "Mother, you have been taking care of me all along.
Now it is my duty to take care of you. From today you take rest, I will
bring food for both of us." Everyday he would go for begging, give most
of it to his mother and partake of whatever little was left.
Consequently, he too became very weak.

 

One day he stood in front of the house of an officer and cried, "Oh sir,
I am hungry, I am hungry." The officer was relaxing in an easy chair and
was going through the daily newspaper. Hearing the pitiable cries of the
boy, he went inside, brought food in a leaf and told him to sit and eat.
But the boy said that he would take it home. The officer said, "Why
should you take it home? If you are really hungry, sit here and eat." As
the officer was insisting that he should eat the food there itself, the
boy felt giddy and collapsed on the ground. He was trying to say
something, but could not say it loud enough as he was very weak. The
officer went close to the boy and tried to hear what he was saying. The
boy was saying, "First to my mother, to my mother..." With these words,
he breathed his last. Seeing this, the officer was moved to tears. He
thought, how lucky this boy was who had sacrificed his life for the sake
of his mother. Blessed was the mother, who gave birth to such a noble son.

It is impossible to describe the love that exists between the mother and
her child. The Bharatiyas consider the love of a mother as true love.
But, unfortunately, modern youth do not realize the sacredness of
mother's love. They keep their self-interest above their parents. They
do not try to understand the love their parents have for them. He/she
alone is a true son/daughter who gives happiness to his/her parents.

 


  Noble Mothers have Noble Wishes

   

Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar lived with his mother in a village near
Kolkata. Financially, they were poor, but they were endowed with the
wealth of virtues. The mother often told her son, "My dear one, the
education that merely caters to the needs of the stomach is no education
at all. You should study so as to serve society. You should utilize your
education for the emancipation of the country." Vidyasagar used to study
under streetlights or at the bus stand because of his poverty. He
followed the words of his mother in letter and spirit and put his heart
and soul in his studies. Mother's blessings can make anybody great. The
children may be good or bad, but the mother always loves her children
and aspires to their welfare. The mother's heart is full of love and
compassion for her children.

 

After completing his education, Vidyasagar took up a job. Once there was
a religious festival in the village. The rich people of the village
participated in the festival in their best clothes. But Vidyasagar's
mother had to wear an old sari even on the festival day, as she had no
good sari to wear. Seeing this, Vidyasagar felt very sad. When he
received his first salary, he placed it at the feet of his mother and
pleaded with her to buy a good Sari for herself. She said, "Son, I don't
want you to spend your earnings on my Saris and jewels. Utilize it to
serve society. All that I want is that you should come up in life and
earn a good name." Then she added, "I have a few desires, but I will
express them only at the appropriate time."

   

Gradually, Vidyasagar rose to a higher position and accordingly his
salary too increased. Then he requested his mother to express her
desires. She made him sit by her side and said, "My dear one, you are
highly educated and are holding an exalted position. But as a mother I
must tell you what is good for you. Whatever I tell you is only out of
my motherly love towards you. I don't want anything for myself. Ours is
a small village. The children of our village have no opportunity for
education as there is no school in our village. So, I want you to
construct a small school." Complying with his mother's wish, he
established a small school in the village. After some time, he said to
her, 'Mother, as per your wish I have got a school constructed in our
village. Is there anything else that you want?" She told him, "Son, in
our village, people are suffering due to lack of medical facilities.
There is nobody to treat them even for small ailments like cough, cold
and fever. So, it would be convenient for everybody, especially the
children, if you establish a small hospital here." Obeying the command
of his mother, he promptly built a small hospital.


  Easwaramma, the Chosen Mother

   

Mother Easwaramma too had such noble desires. As Sai's glory began to
spread far and wide, she came to Me one day and said, "Swami, I am
pained to see small children of our village walking all the way to
Bukkapatnam to attend school. Please construct a small school."
Conforming to her wish, I established a small school. After some time,
she wanted a small hospital also to be established here. She said she
could not bear to see the mothers taking the trouble of carrying their
children to Bukkapatnam for medical treatment. Accordingly I got a small
hospital built. The small school that I established has become a big
university today. The small hospital that I constructed has become a
super specialty hospital. These mighty tasks could be accomplished as a
result of the Sathya Sankalpa (noble wish) of Mother Easwaramma and
Nitya Sankalpa (Divine Will) of Sai. Her last wish was to provide
drinking water to the village. She pointed out that the women had to
take great pains to draw water from deep wells, which had almost dried
up. I immediately provided drinking water to the village. Now under Sri
Sathya Sai Water Supply Project, I have provided drinking water to the
entire district of Anantapur.

   

Once you become the recipient of your mother's love, you don't need
anything else. You may be aware or not, but even after 30 years of her
passing away, Mother Easwaramma continues to express her love for Swami
in a number of ways. Even to this day, she moves around in her physical
body. At times, she comes to Me and expresses her motherly concern for
My well-being. Once she cautioned Me not to accept handkerchief from
everybody. I told her that I had to accept when people offered it with
devotion. She said, "Swami, no doubt there are crores of such noble
persons. But there are also a few evil-minded persons who may smear
poison on the handkerchief and offer it to You. This can prove dangerous
when You use it to wipe Your lips." I promised her that I would follow
her advice. Even to this day, she makes her appearance in My room. The
boys who sleep in My room too have witnessed this. Whenever she comes
and talks to Me, they sit up on their beds and listen.

   

One day, I asked the boys for a belt to keep the silk Dhoti tight around
My waist. The belt that they gave Me had a shining buckle and would be
seen through the robe I wear. I did not want to use it lest people
should think that Sai Baba wears a golden belt. After this, one day
Easwaramma came to My room early in the morning and started talking to
Me. Then Satyajit, Sainath and Srinivas woke up and wanted to know with
whom I was conversing. They wondered as to how anybody could enter My
room as the lift was locked and the key was with them. Then I told that
Griham Ammayi (Mother Easwaramma) had come. I showed them the belt that
she gave Me. It had no buckle. There are many such noble mothers in this
world. But Easwaramma was the chosen one. I chose her to be My mother.
That is the intimate relationship between Mother Easwaramma and Myself.

 


  True Devotion of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

   

Once Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went to a temple and prayed, "Oh Lord, I know
that You are the Master of the world. You are omnipresent, omnipotent
and omniscient. You can grant any wish that I ask for. But I don't have
any worldly desires. I don't aspire for money, jewelry and material
objects. Neither am I interested in devotion or renunciation nor do I
crave for liberation. But I do have one desire. Grant me the strength to
love You. It is enough if I can love You. There is nothing superior to
this." As Chaitanya Mahaprabhu loved God dearly, he propagated the
message of love to the entire world. "Think of God incessantly. Chant
His Name. There is nothing in this world except God." This was the
message propagated by Chaitanya.

   

His mother wanted him to get married to a girl named Lakshmi, who hailed
from a good family and was highly devoted. But Chaitanya was not
interested in marriage. He said that he had dedicated his life to the
Lord. His mother said, "You might have offered your mind to God, but
what about your body? Life should have both spiritual and physical
aspects." On insistence of his mother, Chaitanya married Lakshmi.
Immediately after the marriage, he set out on a pilgrimage. He wanted to
propagate the Divine message. Chaitanya did not return home from his
pilgrimage for a long time. His wife Lakshmi was a pious lady. She had a
pure heart full of selfless love. She left her mortal coil while
constantly thinking of Chaithanya. Chaitanya returned home after her
death. His mother felt highly depressed at the turn of events. She felt
that it was impossible to get another girl like Lakshmi who was pious
and pure hearted. Then she got him married to another girl named
Vishnupriya. After his second marriage, he again set out to propagate
the Divine message and in the process totally forgot his home. He
considered God as His only refuge. He had no other thought in his mind.

 

 Once when he was singing the glory of Lord Krishna in the streets, some
miscreants, .who were jealous of his growing reputation, snatched away
the cymbals from his hands. Thereafter, he started playing on a drum
while singing the Divine Name. Even the drum too was broken by the
miscreants, but he was least perturbed. He felt that there was no
necessity to use the musical instruments to sing the Divine Name. Then
he started clapping and singing Bhajans. Now the miscreants beat him up
mercilessly. His body started bleeding profusely, yet Chaitanya
continued to chant the Divine Name. But when his mother came and saw,
there was no trace of blood on his body. It had all disappeared
miraculously because Chaitanya firmly believed that his body belonged to
God and was not attached to it.

 


  Wicked People do not Spare even God

  

When the mother's heart is pure, her children too would be pure-hearted.
One should respect one's mother and never hurt her feelings. When Swami
was staying in the Old Mandir, one day there was an unusual crowd.
Sensing danger, Easwaramma came to Me and said, "Swami, these people
seem to be having some ulterior motive. I am afraid they may try to harm
You. I am unable to sleep peacefully." I infused courage in her, saying,
"Be fearless. The body is bound to perish one day or the other. So, give
up body attachment." Those days I used to sleep all alone in a thatched
hut. That night, as Easwaramma feared, some evil-minded people set the
hut on fire from all four sides. There were raving flames all around.
Seeing this, Subbamma and Easwaramma came running. When they reached the
spot, they found to their utter amazement, there was a heavy downpour on
the hut. However, there was absolutely no rain in the surrounding area.
When I came out of the hut, both of them were overjoyed to see Me safe
and sound.

   

There is a similar incident in the Mahabharata. Lord Krishna went to the
Kauravas as an emissary of the Pandavas to bring about a compromise and
avert the war. Before going to the Kauravas, He approached the Pandavas
one by one and sought their opinion. Dharmaraja was of the opinion that
a person of Krishna's stature should not approach the mean-minded
Kauravas in the role of an ambassador. Arjuna and Bhima who were filled
with Rajo Guna (quality of passion) were in favor of Krishna going to
the Kauravas, but they wanted Him to settle for war so that the wicked
Kauravas could be punished. Then Krishna sought the opinion of Draupadi.
Women are by nature tenderhearted. She did not want war as it would
cause immense grief to both the sides. Then He went to Nakula and
Sahadeva who did not say anything.

   

Krishna went to Hastinapur, spoke to the blind king Dhritarashtra and
tried His best to bring about a compromise, but all in vain. When
Krishna returned, Nakula and Sahadeva hugged Him and shed tears of joy.
They said, "Krishna, it is enough for us that You have returned safe
from the den of the wicked Kauravas. You had asked us what we wanted
before setting out on Your peace mission. Your safe return is what we
wanted. Your welfare is our welfare. You are everything for us"

 


  Women are the Embodiment of Compassion

   

Draupadi said to Krishna, "Oh brother, I too was of the opinion that You
should not go to the wicked Kauravas. People may say that women are
weak-minded. But, in fact, women are highly courageous and when it comes
to sacrifice, women stand first"

   

During the Mahabharata War, on a certain night, Aswatthama, the son of
Dronacharya, slaughtered the Pandava children while they were asleep.
Arjuna took a vow that he would behead Aswatthama. He told Draupadi that
she could anoint herself with his blood as an act of revenge. He tracked
down Aswatthama, tied him with ropes and dragged him before Draupadi.
Will any mother forgive the one who has mercilessly slaughtered her
children? But what did Draupadi do? Instead of cursing the evil doer,
she fell at the feet of Aswatthama and said: "It is at the feet of your
father, Dronacharya, that my husbands have learnt all that they know.
Being the son of Dronacharya, was it proper for you to kill my children?
How could you have the heart to kill them, who were unarmed, young,
quietly asleep, were not having any grudge against you, and were not
contemplating any harm to you?"                 (Telugu Poem)

   

Consumed with fury, Arjuna was about to attack Aswatthama. Draupadi
raised her hand and asked him not to kill him. She said: "Oh Partha! It
is not righteous to kill a person who is afraid or has lost courage, who
is asleep or intoxicated, who seeks refuge or is a female. You should
not kill Aswatthama, for he is your preceptor’s son. (Telugu Poem) She
said, "Arjuna, today I am crying over the death of my children. If you
kill Aswatthama, imagine what would be the plight of his mother. One
should never cause grief to a mother. So, restrain yourself from killing
him”.  But having taken the vow, Arjuna was bent upon killing him. She
stood in front of Aswatthama and stopped Arjuna from going towards him.
Bhima could not bear to see this. Exploding with anger, he roared: “Do
not release him but kill him. If you do not do that, I myself will
hammer his head with my powerful fist." (Telugu Poem) Draupadi pleaded
with him to forgive him: "Forgiveness is the highest virtue. It is the
truth, righteousness, non-violence. It is verily the essence of the
Vedas. It is the heaven and everything in all the worlds." (Telugu Poem)
Though the Pandavas were highly virtuous and brave, the spirit of
compassion that Draupadi possessed was not found in them. The heart of a
woman is highly sacred as it is filled with nectarine love and
compassion. So, it melts easily. At times, women may also get angry, but
they immediately repent and reconcile. Due to the impact of the Kali
Age, modern women are sometimes found lacking in the spirit of love. But
even today, there are many women of virtues and character. It is because
of such noble women that Bharat is what it is today. The progress of a
nation depends on its women. So, never look down upon them. Treat all
elderly women as your mothers and the younger ones as your sisters. The
country will remain safe and secure only when men have such noble
feelings. When you understand this truth and act accordingly, you can
attain even Divinity. Mother is not just an ordinary woman; she is
verily God. Worship her and attain her grace. Once you have the
blessings of your mother, you can achieve anything in this world. Never
disobey or displease her.

 

Abhimanyu ventured into the battlefield against his mother's wish. His
mother Subhadra said, "Son, your father Arjuna and uncle Krishna are
busy fighting the enemies elsewhere. At this juncture, it is not proper
for you to enter the battlefield." But Abhimanyu did not pay heed to his
mother's advice and insisted upon going to the battlefield. She blessed
him thus, "Son, you are going against my wish. May victory be yours!"
Then she prayed: "May such blessings be with you and protect you which
mother Gowri conferred on her son at the time of the killing of
Tarakarasura and those received by Bhargava from his mother when he
slayed Shambharasura!' (Telugu Poem)

 


  Love and Serve your Motherland

 

Even today, there is no dearth of noble mothers. They feel pained to see
their children straying away from the right path. They leave no stone
unturned to correct them. It is impossible to describe the love of a
mother. The love of the mother is much more than that of the father.
Once Mother Parvati and Easwara saw a person sitting on the branch of a
tree, which was about to break. Then Mother Parvati pleaded with Easwara
to save him. Easwara teasingly remarked, "Why should I protect him? You
have seen him first. It is your duty to save him." She said, "How can I
protect him without Your grace. I am negative and You are positive.
Unless You shower Your grace on him, he cannot be saved. Please do not
delay any further." Then Easwara replied, "Is it not his duty to call Me
for help? How can I go to his rescue without being called? As the
proverb goes, one should not attend a function without being invited”.
Parvati, out of her motherly compassion, wanted to protect that person
at any cost. So, she said to Easwara, "If that person, when he falls
down, cries out Amma (mother), I will go to his rescue and if he cries
out Appa (father), You should protect him." Easwara agreed to her
proposal. Both of them eagerly waited, but the person fell down crying
Ayyo! (alas!). The words Amma or Appa did not come to his lips as he
never respected and revered his parents in his lifetime. Such was his
fate. How can God come to the rescue of a person who has totally
forgotten his parents? Mother is God; father is God. With such feelings,
offer gratitude to your parents.

 

Today we are celebrating Easwaramma Day to propagate the glory of
motherhood. The world is sustained by the prayers of mothers. A woman's
prayer is more powerful than a thousand prayers of men because women are
pure and tender-hearted. Never cause displeasure to your mother. Never
hurt her feelings. Then God will help you in all your endeavors. One
calls one's country motherland and not fatherland. Thus, mother is given
an exalted position in the world. Consider your country as your own
mother and work for its progress. Under any circumstances, do not cause
any harm to your mother and motherland. This is the significance and
main teaching of today's celebration.

   

In a few minutes from now, you will listen to a music program presented
by P. Susheela and others. She has been a devotee for the past 40 years.
When she had no children, I blessed her with a son. I performed her
son's marriage too. Her daughter-in-law is also a musician. They are all
here today to sing a few devotional songs and give happiness to one and
all. After this music program, Bal Vikas children will present a drama
in the Kalyana Mantapam. You know why these programs are arranged? Man's
mind is like a mad monkey. Discourses, music programs and prayer
meetings are meant to control the waverings of the mind. Body is like a
water bubble; mind is like a mad monkey. Don't follow the body; don't
follow the mind. Follow the conscience. Contemplate on what you have
seen and heard here. Put it into practice and derive the bliss there from.

 

 [Bhagavan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, "Hari Bhajan Bina
Sukha Santhi Nahin..."]

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