Tuesday, July 28, 1992
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| President Shankar Dayal Sharma, First Lady Smt. Vimla Sharma with Sri Sathya Sai at Puttaparthi |
Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma came to Puttaparthi on this day, in order to pay his homage to Bhagavan after having been elected the President of India. Dr. Sharma participated in a public meeting arranged at Poornachandra Auditorium. This was his first public function in his official capacity. Sri K. Chakravarthy welcomed the President. Mr. Vijay Sai, an Institute student spoke on this occasion. The President then addressed the gathering. The Governor and the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh were also present at this meeting. Bhagavan, in His Discourse, said that good men at the helm of the nation envisaged a brighter future for the country. He said:
"Love is the form of the Brahman (Supreme). Love permeates Brahman. God can be attained only when love is merged with love. There is nothing greater than Love in the Cosmos. Love is sweeter than nectar. It is because men have forgotten this love that they have become a prey to all kinds of ills and lost peace of mind. Because men have lost the love of God and fear of sin they have become veritable demons.
There are two kinds of love - worldly love and the love of the Divine - according to the scriptures. The love of the Divine is called Bhakti (Devotion) or Prapatti. Man lost Divine love because of complete involvement in worldly things and ephemeral desires. Man needs both worldly love and spiritual love. Devotion is turning the mind Godward. Faith is essential for devotion. Without faith man can never realise his true nature. Faith, however, has to be suffused with Love. Such love can make the Divine and the devotee dance in ecstasy oblivious to everything else. The nation is plunged in myriad troubles because it has forgotten the supreme principle of Love.
Our President, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, referred to Swami Vivekananda's message: "Faith in yourselves, Faith in the country and Faith in God - this is the secret of greatness." Dear students! Today the educational system does not promote the spirit of patriotism. Education is pursued to achieve individual aspirations. It is because patriotism is absent that we have differences between individuals and groups. It is essential to promote love of the country among students. Just as you say that this is my body, you must say this is my nation.
Three Hs must be developed
The President compared Science and Technology to the head of the human body. But it is not enough to have only the head. Spirituality constitutes the heart of the body and that has to be developed equally. Science and Technology is the head, Spirituality is the heart and Dharma is the hand. Hence man must develop the 3 Hs - head, heart and hand. People refer to EHV (Education in Human Values). It is the cultivation of three H's that is most important; this is called Trikarana Shuddhi (purity in thought, word and deed) in the scriptures and when you have the triple purity you acquire Divine Love.
Dear students! Today all of you should cultivate the love of the nation. The larger the number of persons you love the greater is the joy you experience. Develop the conviction that the Divine is equally present in all beings. It is not enough to utter the Upanishadic saying that the Divine is present everywhere and dwells in every being. Your actions must be based on a recognition of the truth of these sayings.
Many of those who read the Ramayana are not really practising the message contained in it. Rama is praised for acting according to the behest of his father. But how many obey the injunctions of their parents today? Of what use is it in reading the Ramayana without practising any of the lessons contained in it? Practise is very essential to realise the fruits of such study. Students should realise that time is infinitely precious. God is the embodiment of time. Even a single moment should not be wasted.
Obtain Peace by rendering Service to Society
The President referred to the importance of Seva (service). More than wealth, rendering Seva is vital. A great devotee in the Bhagavatam prayed to God as follows: "I do not seek any kingdom. I do not seek any heaven nor do I seek freedom from rebirth. But I desire only the opportunity to relieve the sufferings of fellow human beings." The Divine cannot be experienced by Yaga and Yajna (sacrifices), nor by indulging in charity and other good deeds. Only when you engage yourselves in service to society, eschewing egoism, you can really get peace. The Upanishadic message of harmony and co-operation is relevant to all mankind. The differences of caste and community are utterly irrelevant to the practice of these truths. All the basic elements in the Cosmos do not have differences of caste and community. All human beings benefit equally from air, fire, water, earth and sky. All differences arise because of man's self-interest.
The truths proclaimed in the Upanishads - Satya and Dharma (Truth and Righteousness) have to be practised by everyone irrespective of caste or community. The practice of good conduct is the natural duty of man. You should realise that the happiness of the individuals is dependent on the welfare of the society as a whole. The transformation of the individual is a prerequisite for the transformation of the world. Together with changes in the political, social, and economic spheres, we need transformation in the mental and spiritual spheres. Without such transformation all other changes are of no use. Therefore, make your actions pure. Only then can the human rise to the level of the Divine.
The President's career a Lesson for the Students
Students! You must realise the process by which our President, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, rose to such an eminent position. In the early years he pursued education diligently. He completed his studies in the University and acquired refinement of a deep culture. He became an MLA, and a Member of Parliament in due course. Starting as a minister at the state level, he became a minister at the Centre. Then he became a Governor. He then rose to the position of the Vice President, and from Vice President he became the President. You can see that he rose step by step and had no setback. Other persons have had ups and downs in their careers.
In the case of Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, his refined culture, his faith and his sacred ideals have served to carry him to the most eminent position. He considered reverence for the mother and love of the motherland as greater than heaven itself. He adhered to the ideals of devotion to the mother and service to the motherland. His mother is alive today. He begins his day's activities after offering prostrations to his aged venerable mother. The status he has now achieved is due to these qualities. In the election for President he sought no one's help. He has full faith in God. He believed that God would give him whatever he should get and left everything to the will of the Divine. Honours come unsought to the pure-minded. (Swami here recited a song in which the mind is asked not to seek any favour but to leave everything to the Divine Will. Did not the Divine shower His grace on Sabari and Jatayu without their seeking any favour?).
Good men at the helm will yield good results
As is the seed so is the fruit. Likewise, with good men at the helm of the nation, it will experience good results. All of you should pray for such fruit. You are the future builders of the nations. The welfare of the country is dependent on the students. You must therefore strive to follow the lead of such good men at the helm and lend your support to them for the progress of the nation. Through unity, you have purity; and through purity, Divinity is realised. You all should be united. Union is strength. But alas! There is no unity today. It is the duty of the students to promote unity by all possible means. It is not enough if you maintain unity within the Institute. You must go out into the word and promote unity.
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| Babu Rajendra Prasad takes charge as the first President of India |
This year is also notable for another significant fact. The first President of India was Babu Rajendra Prasad. He entered the Rashtrapati Bhavan wearing the Gandhi cap, symbol of the nation's struggle for freedom. After so many years, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma made the entry into the Rashtrapati Bhavan wearing the Gandhi cap. With such a President and Prime Minister we can look forward to a better future for the country with peace and prosperity.
The President referred to the advent of the Divine as Avatar whenever there is decline of Dharma, “Dharmasya Glanir Bhavati”. How is the victory of Dharma achieved? The answer is given by Sanjaya in the Gita. Where the Divine and the pure-minded (like Arjuna) come together, there is bound to be the victory of Righteousness. Purity leads to unity and unity leads to Divinity.
Combine the mundane with the Divine
From the point of view of the students the message given by the President of India today is supremely important. Whatever aspirations and ideals he had as a student, he has presented them to you today. He has therefore set an example. The true role of an Acharya (preceptor) is to practice what he teaches. This is the meaning of the term Achara.
Students! Bharat is entering a sacred and glorious period. Many sacred developments are bound to happen. The nation's prosperity and glory will grow. Man has to pursue both the Preyo Marg (worldly path) as well as the Shreyo Marg (spiritual path). Man should combine the mundane with the Divine. Students should learn to combine these two paths. Develop faith in God. Without faith in God life is useless. Everything depends on faith in the Divine. The Divine is the basis of all that happens. Therefore, develop faith in the Omnipotent Divine. Anything in the world can be accomplished with faith in God."
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