Tirumantiram - TANTRA ONE - 20 LEARNING

Tirumantiram

English translation of the Tamil Spiritual Classic by Saint Tirumular

 

TANTRA ONE

20 LEARNING

 

290: True Learning Leads to Liberation

 

The meaning I knew of life and body in union knit;

In the depth of my being I knew of the Lord of Devas untold;

Denying naught, He stept straight into my yearning heart;

Thus I gained the Learning Great, freeing us from fleshly fold.

 

 

291: Illumined Souls Get the Inner Eye

 

When the Learned-wise in deep meditation sat,

In their deep, illumined souls was as Inner Eye;

What in contemplation they saw and spoke,

In turn opened others' eyes leading to Wisdom high.

 

 

292: Learning Purifies

 

While yet life subsists, the Lord of existence adore;

In action prove what you learn, all sins to clear;

In accents unfaltering worship the Lord, and thus wise,

A jewelled lamp It'll be, beyond compare.

 

 

293: Learning Leads to Renunciation

 

Men of Learning abandon the fettering, worldly ways;

The firm of mind flourish high on coiling snake-like Kundalini

Night and day, unremitting, praise the Lord,

And so your body, as on herbs alchemised, with glow of youth will be.

 

 

294: Pure Knowledge is Guardian Angel

 

As our Guardian Angel comes the pure Light from high,

As our Guardian Angel, the Pure word in beauty drest,

As our Guardian Angel comes the Pure Fragrance rich,

As our Guardian Angel comes the Pure Knowledge best.

 

 

295: Holy Books Help Scale Spiritual Heights

 

Those who fail to scale the heights with holy books to guide,

If to outer things of life they yield, fruitless is all their lore;

On rod of Vairagya lean, and away fly the Birds of Desire;

And yet, men to Ignorance clinging, in stupor ever lie.

 

 

296: Hara Stands Revealed to Truly Learned

 

To them that search the Holy Books, Hara stands revealed;

Out of the sublimed Fire, sparks of pure knowledge fly;

Those who, thus, the Samadhi's Moon can reach,

To them it'll be a ladder leading to Wisdom high.

 

 

297: Lord is No Support to the Ignorant

 

In life's journey a Support and Elixir rare was He,

An unfailing Guide--but to the ignorant of mind,

No support He--in all the seven Heavenly globes,

Sure prop was He, the Mighty being, Great and Kind.

 

 

298: The Truly Learned Attain Bliss

 

If desire you must, the Lord in desire seize,

If the lord's Grace you get, all things are obtained;

Like the deep-skilled Devas of flaming Light;

The truly learned Heavenly Bliss attained.

 

 

299: He Resides in Learned Devotees Hearts

 

The seas He owns and the mountains high;

His Body shaped of the elements five;

The Lord of Immortals who, through endless ages,

Mounts the fierce Bull, at devotees' heart to arrive.

 

 

RESULT OF GOOD SHOW

RESULT OF GOOD SHOW

 

Baba said, "I do not need any paraphernalia of worship - either eight-fold or sixteen-fold. I rest there where there is full devotion" in Sri Sai Satcharitra, Ch. XIII.

 

There are some devotees who want to show off. For hours they meditate, for hours they chant, for hours they repeat the name of Lord Krishna. They look down upon others who do not spend so much time meditating and chanting. Arjuna happened to be one of these. If you remember, one of Arjuna's brothers, whose name was Bhima, was the strongest in the family. Bhima never prayed to any god. He used to eat and he used to fight. He was a voracious eater and at the same time a great fighter.

But Arjuna used to pray to this god and that god; he had to please all the gods on earth. The Lord Shiva had to be worshipped every day. For two hours daily Arjuna used to collect hundreds of flowers and offer them to Lord Shiva one by one. Each time while offering the flowers he used to utter the name of Lord Shiva. Then pride entered.

What Bhima did was very simple. He would put his fingers on his forehead and concentrate for a couple of minutes before each meal. Then he would eat voraciously. This was his meditation! Poor Arjuna would spend hours gathering flowers, but Arjuna's pride could not escape Sri Krishna.

Sri Krishna said to Arjuna, "Come, let us go for a walk." As they were walking, they saw a man drawing a cart. The cart was loaded with flowers. All kinds of flowers. Arjuna said to the man, "What are you doing with these flowers? And where are you going?" The man had no time to respond to Arjuna. Sri Krishna said, "Arjuna, let us follow him."

When the man reached his destination, there were many more carts of flowers. "What are you going to do with all these thousands and millions of flowers?" Arjuna inquired. "I have no time to speak to you. I am now in serious concentration. I can speak only to one person on earth, and that is Bhima, the second Pandava. He is the greatest spiritual seeker. When he meditates before his meals just for a minute or two, saying 'O mighty Lord Shiva,' thousands of flowers are offered by him to Lord Shiva. His concentration is most intense. His meditation is most sincere. Arjuna only throws flowers at Lord Shiva. He just shows off."

Poor Arjuna went back with Lord Krishna and was extremely angry with him for subjecting him to this humiliation. Lord Krishna said to Arjuna, "I wanted to teach you that it is not the number of hours, it is not the number of flowers, but it is the power of concentration, it is the power of dedication that counts.

BABA SAVED SHRI K. JAGADISH MUNSHI FROM THE HANDS OF RAZAKARS.

BABA SAVED SHRI K. JAGADISH MUNSHI FROM THE HANDS OF RAZAKARS.

 

On 1948, Shri Jagadish K. Munshi and his wife were travelling in first class compartment of the train going from Bangalore to Bombay. There were six members in the compartment including an old couple and two youngsters. Shri J. K. Munshi and his wife were playing cards. The old man was praying and his wife was watching the others. Before their departure from Bangalore, they have been advised not to travel by this particular route because of Razakars trouble then prevailing in other places of Hyderabad state. They have not paid any heed to the advice as they were youngsters then. The train left Hyderabad and was approaching Sholapur Station in Indian Union. All of a sudden, the train was forced to stop at Gangapur. The Razakars who were assembled there with rifles, lathis and other lethal weapons cried out "All Muslims get down. Kill all Hindus".

 

The old man all along in -prayer ordered to close all the doors of the windows. They promptly carried out his orders. The wailing of passengers who were pulled out of the train, beaten and robbed and field into the nearby fields. The Rasakars repeatedly tried to force to open the doors of their compartment but failed to do so. Even in this calamity the old man observed his prayer. The struggle went on nearby for five hours. Then the train came to Sholapur with their only one compartment. All the inmates of the compartments arrived safely untouched by the Razakars.

 

After some days of this incident, the old man has given an article in a magazine that because of his prayers to Shri Sai Baba Shirdi that the compartment of the train escaped unhurt by the Razakars. As a witness, he has mentioned the name of Shri Jagadish K. Munshi in the article. He told that it was true that the old man was particularly praying at the time and added that he had never heard the name of Shri Sai Baba, Shirdi he forgotten to thank of him.

 

Later on, In 1953, when calamities came in his family, he saw a picture of Shri Sai Baba, Shirdi which was hung in a frame maker's shop on his way to his office. He looked his teachings in the photo as "If you look to me, I shall took to you" Then he remembered the past incident and with his wife's consent, he bought one Sai Baba's photo and performed puja requesting Baba to solve his problems, within a few days thereafter, all his problems have got settled at his reasonable satisfaction and the puja went on regularly,

 

After two years, he was once travelling by a night train left Surat to Bombay. After the train left Surat railway station he developed severe pain on account of stone in the bladder. The pain aggravated in such a manner that he could neither sit, stand nor lie down. He then began to pass blood through urine.

 

His co-passenger was sleeping. When the train came to Palghar, the pain was so severe that he woke up his co-passenger and urge him to call the guard. The guard came and complained the position that no doctor could be traced in the train and advised to get down at Palghar and have a treatment from a local doctor. The guard called the Station Master and under their joint advice, he got down at Palghar and the train left the railway station. With the help of Station Master, he was lifted up into a bullock cart and driven to the doctor's residence as the doctor refused to come to the railway station in the late hours of the night.

 

In this critical juncture he prayed Shri Sai Baba for help. The doctor has attended on him and given treatment and he was somehow relieved of the pain. The doctor also sent a call to his relatives at Bombay and they arrived and taken him to Bombay the next day. Even for this incident, he did not consider any particular significance to Shri Sai Baba Shirdi. In 1968, his father took him to Sri Satya Sai

Baba and introduced to him, Shri Satya Sai Baba Said, "I knew him. He is a believer of Shri Sai Baba, Shirdi for the last 16 years. Once he got out of the train in severe pain and called "Shri Sai Baba, Shirdi. It was Shirdi Sai Baba who saved him. This utterance of Shri Satya Sai Baba himself assumed significance to Shri Sai Baba Shirdi by him.

 

In 1959, his one month old daughter fell ill severely and admitted to the Hospital. The treatment went on for three weeks. Even then the child had been running high temperature; his wife and himself were very morose. On 14-11-1959, they were informed by two leading doctors that the survival of the child were remote. He decided that if the child does not survive he would end his worship to Shri Sai Baba, Shirdi. After this decision by him, the temperature of the child decreased gradually and became normal by 7 P.M. within three months of this incident the child was in the pink of health. In March, 1960, they visited Shirdi by car with the child of five months. On the way the child uttered first words "BABA-BA-BA" He told that Shri Sai Baba Shirdi is solving his knotted problems of his existence and guiding him.

 

 

 (AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI - STORIES AFTER BABAS MAHASAMADHI ON 15-10-1918 - WRITTEN BY RAMALINGASWAMY, Ambrosia-7)

 

 

 

Tirumantiram - TANTRA ONE - 19 SIVA KNOWS THOSE WHO LOVE HIM

Tirumantiram

English translation of the Tamil Spiritual Classic by Saint Tirumular

 

TANTRA ONE

19 SIVA KNOWS THOSE WHO LOVE HIM

 

 

280: Lord Rewards as Merit Befits

 

What we scorned and what we gained, He knows;

The righteous Lord in Love rewards as merit befits;

Whose, with burning zeal, seek Him with heart of love

To such, well-pleased, He His Grace remits.

 

 

281: Lord Blends Life With Love

 

The Lord fashioned all things for a life of bliss;

Many though the trials that beset this vale of sorrow

Yet this life, the Lord God with His divine Love blends,

In His Divine Love's sweet presence, the life-cycle ends.

 

 

282: Divine Light in God-Love

 

From mind fixt in God's Love, the Divine Light is born;

The tangled skein of the tormenting senses five,

Drag us headlong to sweet ardours of woman's passionate eyes,

That bond sunder; may your thoughts e'er at God's Feet arrive!

 

 

283: Surrender in Love

 

Like the sweet love in sex-act experienced,

So, in the Great Love, let yourself to Him succumb;

Thus in Love sublimed, all your senses stilled,

Bounding in Bliss Supreme, That this becomes.

 

 

284: Faith Leads to Liberation

 

Even the Siddhas, standing close in banded group,

Knew not the Light Supreme in splendorous glow;

But He gave Salvation's bliss and the Vision splendid,

To them whose hearts did in intense faith overflow.

 

 

285: His Feet Visioned in Love

 

I saw the Feet of the Lord, deckt in odorous Konrai blooms,

I saw the Feet of the Lord, dark-dressed in elephant-skin,

I saw the Feet of the Lord, on lotus-blossom enthroned,

I saw the Feet of the Lord, my heart-core's love within.

 

 

286: His Love is Inscrutable

 

My Lord God whom the heavenly beings praise

As one into myriad forms and things outspread,

The Great Lover who inside love savours love's tributes;

Sad indeed that few seek Him, or to Him are led.

 

 

287: Seek Him in Love

 

They who claim that thro' Love they'll find the Lord,

From Birth and Death are they sure free;

Yet in Love they neither seek him nor find,

Nandi, who from Birth and Death is free.

 

 

288: Seek Him, He Seeks You

 

The Lord God knows them who, by night and day,

Seat Him in heart's core, and in love exalted adore;

To them wise with inner light, actionless in trance,

He comes, and, in close proximity, stands before.

 

 

289: Be Steadfast in Devotion

 

It little profits if, intermittent, you pursue the Divine Light;

Unceasing, I will seek the Greatness that has no end,

My Lord, my heart's precious Life and treasured Delight;

In Him to merge is life's supreme baptismal bath.

 

 

 

BABA SAVED SHRI R MOREWALA FROM FALLING DOWN FROM THE TRAIN.

BABA SAVED SHRI R MOREWALA FROM FALLING DOWN FROM THE TRAIN.

 

Shri R. Morewala Solicitor of Bombay was not so much religious minded. But he has got faith in Baba. In 1953 he was going to Thana by a train. The train was over crowded and hence he could not get into the train and was standing at the door. Then the train moved.

 

Owing to the pushing of the crowd from inside the train, he fell down from the door and while falling down, he uttered the name of Shri Sai Baba. The Chain was pulled out by one old man and the train was stopped. That old man caught the hand of Morewala and prevented him from falling down.

 

All the people and the guard came to see why the train was stopped and who pulled the Chain? Shri R. Morewala also wanted to pay tribute to the old man. But the old man was not there and he had disappeared. All were surprised, Shri Morewala has gone to his house and told this incident to all his family members.

 

 This incident was told to his son when he went to Chalisgaon in 1964 by a Saint "That had I not saved your father's life in 1953 ?" Is this not mean that Baba is still living and helping His devotees when they require His help ?

 

 

 

(AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI - STORIES AFTER BABAS MAHASAMADHI ON 15-10-1918 - WRITTEN BY RAMALINGASWAMY, Ambrosia-6)

Tirumantiram - TANTRA ONE - 18 TO BE LOVE-POSSESSED

Tirumantiram

English translation of the Tamil Spiritual Classic by Saint Tirumular

 

TANTRA ONE

18 TO BE LOVE-POSSESSED

 

270: Love and Siva are One

 

The ignorant prate that Love and Siva are two,

But none do know that Love alone is Siva

When men but know that Love and Siva are the same,

Love as Siva, they e'er remained.

 

 

271: Lay Love's Garland at Lord's Feet

 

He of the leopard's skin, gleaming brighter than gold,

His tender crescent flashing rich with argent ray,

The Great Dancer, with burning ashes smeared thick;

At His Feet, my garland, plaited with Love's incense, I lay.

 

 

272: Melt in Love and Possess Him

 

You may turn your bone to fuel, your flesh to meat,

And let them roast and sizzle to the gold-red blaze;

But unless your heart melts in the sweet ecstasy of Love,

My Lord, my Treasure-trove, you ne'er can possess.

 

 

273: Love Hara and See Him

 

They, of intense love, Hara surely see,

They, of the compassionate heart, see the Holy Feet to praise;

The world-burdened see only life's revolving wheel,

And, in Horror's mazes lost, enter Hell's trackless ways.

 

 

274: Love Him, He Loves You

 

My God, the melter of my heart of love, let all adore;

My God, the Lord of primal Love, First of Beings ever,

My God, who again and again melts my heart, Nandi Lord,

May He render me His Love in foremost measure!

 

 

275: He is Enthroned in Love

 

Praise Him but once, the Pure and Holy One;

For e'er your heavenly escort He'll be,

He, the Lord Siva, deckt in honeyed konrai blooms--

He sat enthroned in my love, steadfast and free.

 

 

276: His Love is Unending

 

Many know not Him who first wrought this world,

And wrapt in infinite Love, born of His lordly Grace;

In this world, evil-ridden, He filled our life

With His love unending, He, the Lord of limitless space.

 

 

277: His Love is Blessings All

 

The Light Refulgent emits beams of purest gold;

Plant that deep and firm in heart; raising worship thus,

If you, in yearning song, seek Isan's Grace,

Then, sure, no end be to His blessings copious.

 

 

278: Seek in Love the Heavenly Father

 

Birth He caused, and Death, too, in its wake;

This mystery we daily see; and yet mankind

Cling in deep desire to life, but call not on Him,

Nor seek Him, saying, "Our Father, great and kind."

 

 

279: He is Our Refuge

 

Inside Love is He; in outer Nature is He; as body also is He;

The past and future is He; the Lord of Rishis is He;

The Precious One who inside Love resides,

Only those, who in Love reside, find in Him the Refuge free.

 

Blessed are the merciful

BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL

 

Baba said, "Eating that lovely bread I am heartily contended and I am still belching. The dog which you saw before meals and to which you gave the piece of bread is, one with Me, so also other creatures (cats, pigs, flies, cows etc.) are one with Me. I am roaming in their forms. He, who sees Me in all these creatures is My beloved." in Sri Sai Satcharitra, chapter IX.

 

Once upon a time, a man had to set out on a journey. In those days, most people traveled on foot, for it was only aristocrats and the rich who could afford horses and carriages.

 

The man's wife packed some food so that he would not go hungry. He set out early in the morning, taking advantage of the coolness of the early hours.

 

Soon the day got hot and sultry. Having walked continuously the man grew tired and hungry. He began to look for a shady tree by the wayside, under which he could rest, eat his meal, refresh himself and proceed.

 

Such a tree was soon found. The man sat down in its shade, grateful at being able to take his weight off his weary feet. After some time, he opened the container of food that his wife had given him. Oh how inviting the food seemed to him! Truly had it been said that hunger was the best sauce!

 

Just as he was about to eat, he heard a plaintive, "Meaow!" Behind the tree, he saw a cat which had just given birth to a whole brood of kittens – there were seven of them – tiny little creatures, Their eyes tightly closed; meowed away in hunger!

 

The man's heart touched with compassion. His own hunger forgotten, he emptied the box of food before the cat and gently signaled to her to come and eat. He then filled the empty box with water and set it before her, so that she may not go thirsty.

 

Having done this, he felt a wonderful sense of satisfaction. He really felt as if he had undergone a lovely experience.

 

All of a sudden, it occurred to him that the cat might be hungry again after some time. Where she could find food to eat on this lonely stretch of road?

 

His wife, a caring and considerate woman, had packed extra food in a second container, in case he should need it. So he emptied the second box too, before the cat, and filled the empty box with water. Now he felt happy. She could eat the food and drink the water whenever she wanted.

 

Without eating a morsel of food, the man went to his way. As he walked, he was blessed with a Vision of Light and filled his soul with joy and peace!

BABA SAVED SHRI G B. MANKAR AND HIS MEN FROM THE JAWS OF DEATH

BABA SAVED SHRI G B. MANKAR AND HIS MEN FROM THE JAWS OF DEATH

 

In his letter, Shri G. B. Mankar has stated to Shri Tarkhad in 1923 during his work in his work field, it has to lift a 375 horse power diesel engine (weight 12 tons) in a fly crane.

 

As the fly crane was not so strong to bear the weight of the engine, a cracking sound came from the crane and all were afraid. Then Shri Mankar] cried out *'Sai Baba" and invoked His help. After his utterance all on a sudden smell of rose flowers and agarbathis spreadover the field and Baba has appeared on the spot and saved all the people from the jaws of death. Mankar saw baba and again cried out "Baba".

 

All others meant that "Kaka" of Mankar came there. But Mankar has cleared their doubt and that Shri Sai Baba, Shirdi had came to the spot and saved them from the jaws of death.

 

Is this incident does not show that Baba is living and lending His helping hand to His devotees as and when they are in trouble ?

 

 

(AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI - STORIES AFTER BABAS MAHASAMADHI ON 15-10-1918 - WRITTEN BY RAMALINGASWAMY, Ambrosia-5)

Tirumantiram - TANTRA ONE - 14 THE GLORY OF RAINS, 15 THE GLORY OF GIVING, 16 IN THE PRAISE OF CHARITABLE, 17 WAY OF THE UNCHARITABLE

Tirumantiram

English translation of the Tamil Spiritual Classic by Saint Tirumular

 

TANTRA ONE

14 THE GLORY OF RAINS, 15 THE GLORY OF GIVING, 16 IN THE PRAISE OF CHARITABLE, 17 WAY OF THE UNCHARITABLE

 

248: Vegetation Blooms

 

The fertilising flood of rains outpouring

Makes trees and plants bloom enriched with sap;

The areca palm, coconut, cane and plantain green,

And vomica to Samadhi's nectar leading--Stand laden rich with crop.

 

 

249: Descent of Divine Stream in Yoga

 

The heaven-sent torrent leaps rushing down rocky eights;

So does the silent divine stream from heart's inner core,

Foamless, pure, clear, crystalline,

Boundless, free--from my Holy Master, e'er pour.

 

 

15 THE GLORY OF GIVING

 

250: Share Your Food With Others

 

Give freely to all; discriminate not o'er much;

See food served to others ere sitting down to eat;

Heap not perishing gold, eat not in greedy haste;

The crow calls its brood to share its food, howe'er sweet.

 

 

16 IN PRAISE OF THE CHARITABLE

 

251: The Charitable Realize the Self

 

Who the self realise, seek and adore the Feet of the Lord;

Who the self realise, most freely give in charity;

Who the self realise, Lord of Tattvas become;

Who the self realise, Kin to the Lord in dear amity.

 

 

252: Charity is Within Reach of All

 

Easy to all to offer in worship a green leaf to the Lord,

Easy to all to give a mouthful to the cow,

Easy to all to give a handful, sitting down to eat,

Easy to all, good, kind words on others to bestow.

 

 

253: Evils of Hoarding

 

The food that feeds the needy--that alone true charity is;

True men they who that simple truth do find;

But they who hoard, like water in pool past access,

To eat and gorge--to Charity's ways are they blind.

 

 

254: Give Charity When You Have

 

Dirt driven away, with Wisdom you fill not your mind;

In days of plenty, empty is your charity's exchequer;

What avails it, though wide awake, if hell-fire spreads around,

What avails it, then, if impoverished of heart you are?

 

 

255: Give Charity Here and Now

 

Of yourself knowing little, caring naught for your good,

Unmindful e'en of poverty of tender youth taking no care,

Before Death's stern, relentless summons arrives,

Let noble charities your redeeming goodness declare.

 

 

256: By Your Charities Lord Knows You

 

To him who renounces, no kith or kin has he;

To him condemned to beg, no true delights has he;

To him who charityless is, the Lord denies His Presence;

By the measure of thy charity done, the Lord is known to thee.

 

 

257: Charity Leads to Life Eternal

 

Some in charity overflow; by such noble deeds done,

Noble gods they become in human beings' high esteem;

And the many who hold this fleshly body their dear God,

To them comes Death, saying; "I, your God supreme."

 

 

258: Charity and Devotion Twin Escorts to Heaven

 

Our life's boat across the foaming sea of Karma flies;

Twin the pathways to dispel the labour and the strain;

Glory giving tapas and charity the heavenly escorts,

To us and our dear kin from life's battle vain.

 

 

259: Charity is Your Life's Prop

 

Earthly desires to worldly objects attached,

No end know; but in charity's noble way,

E'en the little things you give, sure props provide;

All the rest meekly take as the Lord's gift for the day.

 

 

17 WAY OF THE UNCHARITABLE

 

260: The Hoarders are Sinners

 

The ripened nux vomica falls profitless on ground;

Such the barren wealth of those who charities deny;

With usurious greed they bury deep their treasures,

The hardened sinners, true fruit unknowing, thus live and die.

 

 

261: Life is Fleeting; Give While You Live

 

The aeons pass, the unreturning ages go;

The allotted span of life daily dwindles away;

This irksome body, as if squeezed by some power unknown,

Perishes: seeing this yet, they learn not charity's way.

 

 

262: Give and Escape Hell

 

Charity denying, they know not the Lord's Feet to praise,

Nor enter they the precincts of the City of Siva's Grace;

Their ears inclined to those who falsehoods preach,

They stand to sin enslaved, condemned to hell's hot embrace.

 

 

263: All Ailments Assail, If in Charity You Fail

 

Consumption and anaemia, asthma and colic pain--

Such the lot of those who nothing in charity give;

Snake and thunder, sore throat and fleshly ills,

Approach not them that others' needs relieve.

 

 

264: End is Nigh; Do not Deny

 

The Lord adored by all the world, yet they praise not,

To the needy poor, even the smallest bit ye deny,

Nor'll ye tend the garden e'en with one potful of water;

Will ye for ever stand in Hell? Ye whose end is nigh.

 

 

265: Loneliness Comes of Denial

 

Unescorted, alone, the charity-less their last journey make,

And miss their track; journeying thus, in birth-cycle caught

They know not how the binding Karmas to dispel,

And so slip and fall to be irretrievably lost.

 

 

266: Compassion Leads to God

 

They, whose hearts melt in charity, see the Feet of the Lord,

The steadfast of faith attain Swarga's might,

But those sinful ones of charity befeft, helpless, forsaken,

Engulfed in passions low, pass into eternal night.

 

 

267: Denial Leads to Misery

 

Bliss and pain--these two woven into the web of life,

Result from deeds of our own devising;

The bliss of giving they knew, and yet the fools gave not,

The shrivelled of heart, to charity unwise, its glory unknowing.

 

 

268: Denial Leads to Sinful State

 

The Lord of blemishless glory, from death and birth immune,

Permits none to enjoy bliss, unearned by worthy deed;

Giving and gifting--of these always think;

Deny and cause pain;

You stand condemned to the Pasu state indeed.

 

 

269: Giving is Aiming True

 

Seek not wealth that many reckon as life indeed,

Nor waste your days on fools, of wisdom dark,

But turn your feet to the eternal Home and praise the Lord,

Then true bowman you prove, hitting straight the mark.

 

 

 

Tirumantiram - TANTRA ONE - 13 DEATH FAIRER THAN THE TYRANT

Tirumantiram

English translation of the Tamil Spiritual Classic by Saint Tirumular

 

TANTRA ONE

13 DEATH FAIRER THAN THE TYRANT

 

238: Death Fairer Than the Tyrant

 

The ignornant king and Death are cast in equal mould;

Nay, truth to tell, more justly than foolish King, Death claims his due;

The Witless tyrant no law obeys but in murderous fury kills

But Death, cast in finer mould, nears not the good men true.

 

 

239: Let the Ruler Observe Holy Law

 

The ignornant king and Death are cast in equal mould;

Nay, truth to tell, more The Holy Law daily in strictness observed,

If he who rules the state fails to seek the Divine Way

Day by day that land decays in folly envelopt,

Day by day that ruler's wealth declines and dwindles away.

 

 

240: Ruler's Duty Towards Men of False Garb

 

What avails the holy garb if the holy life you refuse?

Theirs the truest garb when outer guise and mind accord;

If the king justly rule the state against those who go off the holy way

Then he makes them keep the holy way

And to sure salvation their feet directs.

 

 

241: Ruler's Duty to Impious Brahmins

 

If Brahmins, from folly unredeemed, flaunt the tuft and thread,

That land droops and fades, its ruler's glory runs to waste;

So, scanning deep in Wisdom's light, the King shall clip

The thread and tuft for empty show kept and possessed.

 

 

242: Ruler's Duty to Impart Wisdom to Erring Brahmins

 

The senseless fools donning sacred thread and matted locks,

And with chanting phrases pretend to wisdom unpossessed,

Them, the ruler of state shall, with wise men's help, take and test,

And, for the country's good, impart words in wisdom drest.

 

 

243: Ruler's Duty to Protect Cow, Women and Brahmins

 

The cow, the woman, the sacred Brahmins true,

And men in holy garb whom the Devas acclaim,

These the King shall protect; if that duty he ignores,

Irredeemable his hell shall be, cursed ever his name.

 

 

244: Ruler's Share--One-Sixth of the Subject's Produce

 

If salvation high and treasures true you seek,

Then, awake or asleep, unceasing, the holy way pursue;

Know that of labour done in this sea-girt world,

To the King, in truth, one share in six is due.

 

 

245: Ruler's Duty to Defend the Territory

 

If the ruler exceeding well his state protects,

The subjects, in duty bound, to that same end incline;

When the enemy, in lust of pride, the state invades,

Then, like a leopard, leaps the King to defend his domain.

 

 

246: Ruler to Punish Drunkards

 

Breath in control held, letting inward fire upward rise,

Mind turned to Samadhi moon-sprung nectar--if they drink not,

But, like inebriates, heady liquors madly consume,

Then, such shall by ruler to just punishment be brought.

 

 

247: Ruler to Punish Those Who Deviate From Their Professed Faiths

 

Who, by their professed faiths, do not abide,

Beside the judgment they receive in the life beyond,

In terms of Agamic law by Siva revealed,

Punished they shall be on earth by the just ruler of the land.

 

 

THE KINGDOM YOU SEEK

THE KINGDOM YOU SEEK

Baba said, "What My Sircar (God) gives, lasts to the end of time. No other gift from any man can be compared to His. My Sircar says "Take, take," but everybody comes to me and says 'Give, give.' Nobody attends carefully to the meaning of what I say. My Sircar's treasury (spiritual wealth) is full, it is overflowing. I say, "Dig out and take away this wealth in cartloads, the blessed son of a true mother should fill himself with this wealth. The skill of my Fakir, the Leela of my Bhagwan, the aptitude of my Sircar is quite unique. What about Me? Body (earth) will mix with earth, breath with air. This time won't come again. I go somewhere, sit somewhere; the hard Maya troubles Me much, still I feel always anxiety for My men. He who does anything (spiritual endeavour) will reap its fruit and he who remembers these words of Mine will get invaluable happiness" in Shri Sai Satcharitra, chapter XXXII.

A King decided to meet his subjects personally, to hear their requests and redress whatever grievances they had. He announced that he would hold an open darbar at a public place, on a duly appointed day.

 

The proclamation about the darbar was made all over the kingdom. The king sat under a tree in a public garden, where anyone was free to go and meet him.

 

The king had made a strange arrangement at the park that day. The gardens were transformed into veritable mela, a fun fair. Stalls were laid out all over the park – food stalls with delicious stuff to eat, stalls with household utensils, clothes, provisions, fruits and vegetables, toys and games, jewellery and precious stones, and what's more, everything that was on display was absolutely free. The people who came to the park could have anything they liked

 

The king, disguised as a gardener, kept watering the plants. But the people who came to see him were carried away by the tempting display of worldly goods. They quite forgot the purpose of their visit, and spend the whole day gathering everything they wanted. However, there was one young man who, indifferent to the gorgeous display of goods, sought out the king.

 

"Why haven't you picked up any of the free goods on offer?" the king asked him. "My Lord," replied the youth, "my sole purpose was to seek you out. Nothing would distract me."

 

"Then, indeed" said the king, "you will be chosen one – and all I have will be yours!"

 

It was Jesus who said, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and all these things shall be added unto you."