Short Stories

S h a n k a r a m S i v a S h a n k a r a m S h a n k a r a m S i v a S h a n k a r a m S h a n k a r a m S i v a S h a n k a r a m

A recluse and a prostitute were neighbors. The recluse advised the prostitute, ‘Do not indulge in merry making; it will land you in hell’. The prostitute replied politely, "Holy sir, please pardon me, this is my only means to buy food". The recluse got into counting how many persons visited the prostitute. He was angry with her for not heeding his advice.

And one fine day, both of them passed away. God bade His messengers to lead the prostitute to heaven and throw the recluse in hell.

The enraged recluse asked God, "I have offered daily poojas to You, chanting Your Holy Name; and yet You are in favor of that prostitute whose negative actions were known to everyone". To which God replied, "Despite the fact that she used her physical form as a means of business to make her living, her thoughts were forever concentrated on Me. She used to cry to Me always, seeking relief from the evil ways of the world. Whereas despite My giving you all the facilities for you to worship me, you were focusing your thoughts on taking an inventory of how many people visited the prostitute. Is that becoming of you?"

Then the recluse asked God, "Is there no result for my prayers then?" God replied, "Look down at what is happening to the physical body you departed from". The recluse saw his body being bathed in choicest fragrances of sandal and lavender and being led in veneration to the cremation ground, while the prostitute’s corpse was left to wolves and savage dogs. God said, "You did good with your body, therefore your body is honored. She resorted to a different path, so her corpse is at the mercy of dogs and wolves. But in terms of the soul, she led an honorable life, whereas you erred in your thoughts. Therefore she is in heaven and you are in hell".

It is not the act that is relevant in God’s Kingdom; it is the thought that is more relevant. Your thoughts dictate the future turn of events in your life. If you have truly immersed your thoughts in the Divine, nothing can lead your thoughts astray and that is what will count with God. Everything else you assume to be true in this world is a question of relative judgment that you have formed for your convenience.

Be true to your conscience that is God, do not think evil and always think good for and of yourself and others, and that will lead you to God’s good books naturally.

Padmapada, eager to get darshan of Lord Narasimha, performed austere penance, standing on one foot, with fire burning high around the place

he stood. A shepherd boy passing by, witnessed Padmapada's severe austerities, and asked him, 'Swami, for what purpose are you putting in such painstaking efforts?' Padmapada replied, 'I want to get the vision of the Lord Narasimha that has been unavailable to anyone after the Lord appeared for the sake of Prahalada.' Well! The shepherd had no idea of what Padmapada was saying, and he innocently asked, 'How does this Narasimha look?' to which the sage replied, 'Lion Face, Human body'. The boy assured him, 'I am going deep into the forest and I will definitely search for the person you want to see'. Without any expectation, and out of compassion that someone was subjecting himself to austere penance, the shepherd boy diligently sought the Being with 'Lion Face, Human body'. Overcome by love for this innocence, Narasimha appeared resting under a tree, in the vicinity of that shepherd, who, happy that he had got what he sought, tied Narasimha up with leaves and dragged Him to where Padmapada was in penance. The amazed Padmapada exclaimed 'Ah Narasimha! You have come', to which the Lord replied, 'I did not present myself to fulfill your foolish ambition, fuelled by your arrogance for accomplishing something that others could not do after Prahalada. Even if you had performed penance for several million years, I would not have manifested Myself. This shepherd boy was looking out for me so selflessly, out of compassion for you, and his innocent love drew Me to him'.

This may be a true story or an analogy to explain that God responds to innocent love only.

Yes, Narasimha is an Instant Mix (Cosmic Force with a Human Form and Lion Face), that is readily available within you, just waiting for you to call out to Him'.

A King, once passing through a forest, came across a sage and requested the holy person to accompany him to his kingdom. The motive behind the invitation was to expand his kingdom and acquire more wealth, with the help of the sage. The holy man, divining this intention, resolved to bring the king back to his senses.

At the palace, he dressed in costly silk garments, sprayed perfumes and ordered for rich food. The king, feeling that he had misconstrued a jolly person to be a sage, decided to send him back to the forest. Just as the sage was about to depart for the forest, the king could not contain his feelings and exclaimed bitterly, ‘I thought you were a saintly person. Why did you indulge in such merriment?’

To which the sage replied, ‘I wanted to demonstrate to you that I could lead the life of a recluse as well as a life of luxury and yet remain unaffected; whereas you have not yet mellowed.’

Once there was a man, who indulged himself in malicious gossip about a Sadhu. He approached the Sadhu one day and told him, “Swami I misspoke a lot of things about you. I have spread wild rumors against you through malicious gossip. Now I have come to realize that you are a very good person. Please forgive me for all the sins that I have committed and provide me with a remedy which can absolve me of all sins I have committed”.

The Sadhu said “Take a pillow from your house to a junction where several streets meet and rip the pillow of all the cotton inside it. After doing so come back and see me’. The man did as the Sadhu said and he went back to inform him about the same.

The Sadhu said, “If you are really interested in a remedy which could absolve you of all your sins, then I suggest you go back to same place, pick all the cotton you had ripped off from the pillow, stuff it back into the pillow case and bring back the pillow to me’. The man was confused and he asked the Sadhu “how can I collect the cotton which I ripped off from the pillow yesterday and stuff it into the pillow case as they have all got dispersed?”

The Sadhu said, ‘Yes. You cannot reclaim the cotton that got dispersed when the pillow was ripped. In the same way there is no remedy that will absolve you of your sins. The only solution for the problem is to abstain yourself henceforth from committing any sins’.

God determines the right time to mellow every person. If you study the lives of Mahaans, you will understand how God moulds everyone.

Manickavachagar served as a minister in the court of Arimarthana Pandian. He was given some money to buy horses for the royal stable. On his way, he got engrossed in a discourse by a Saivite

saint and forgot the purpose for which he had set out. Instead, he constructed a temple in that place and stayed there. The king demanded the money back, failing which Manickavachagar would be punished. Manickavachagar prayed to Lord Siva, and God advised him not to worry, presented him with a parcel and directed him to tell the king that the horses were on their way. Soon enough, the Lord, in the form of a well-built person led some horses to the court and instructed the king to check them before they were led to the stables. Sometime later, the king heard the ‘horses’ (horse in Tamil is ‘pari’) howling like a fox (fox is ‘nari’ in Tamil) instead of neighing. Manickavachagar was imprisoned and beat up.

The river Vaigai started overflowing and flooding Madurai. The king commanded each family to send one person as its representative to join the efforts of controlling the flood by constructing a dam. There was a poor old woman who had no representative but herself. Siva presented Himself to her as a young man, partook of

‘pittu’ (a sweet delicacy) prepared by the woman and offered to be her representative. At the construction site, while others toiled, Siva, who was in disguise, took rest. The king whipped him and was surprised to find that everyone (including himself) bore the blows. Only then did the king understand that these were the Thiruvilayadal(s) (pranks) of the Lord. And Siva revealed Himself, ‘Do not think of Manickavachagar as an ordinary mortal. He was Thiruvadavoorar with me in Kailash. During one of My discourses, his attention was diverted to Indra travelling across Sivaloka. And so I sent him down to Earth to satisfy his pending desires and make him realize that these are illusions. When he came across the Saivite saint (which was none other than I), he was reminded of his real self, and got engrossed in it. He cannot serve you as a minister anymore’.

So Manichavachagar was freed, and he constructed an ashram for himself near Chidambaram and composed the Thiruvachagam. ‘Thiruvachagathirku urugaar oru vachagathirkum urugaar’. ‘One who is not overwhelmed by the beauty of the Thiruvachagam verses, has a stone-heart that will not melt in anything’.

There was a Saivite Mahaan in Sri Lanka during the period when Buddhism was reigning strong. He used to repeat ‘Ponnambalam, Ponnambalam’ for every word spoken to him. The Buddhist monks reported this to the king. Called for an explanation, the Mahaan explained that anyone who feasted his eyes on Lord Nataraja swaying as the Cosmic Dance at Ponnambalam, would not seek anything else. The king, along with ministers, and the princess who was dumb by birth, set out to check on this statement. The Lord instructed Manickavachagar to welcome them. Manickavachagar welcomed them with an invocation song on the Lord, and to the amazement of the gathered crowd, the mute princess was blessed with the power of speech. So the king of Sri Lanka embraced Saivite philosophy.

These are instances of Lord Siva making use of Manickavachagar as His instrument. Siva appeared in the form of an old man and told Manickavachagar, ‘Your songs are impregnated with spiritual depth. These must be preserved for posterity. So dictate them and I will be your scribe’. That is the infinite mercy of the Lord. Vinayaka transcribed while Veda Vyasa authored the Mahabharatha. Similarly, Lord Siva acted as the scribe for Manickavachagar who did not realize then, that it was Lord Siva in disguise, transcribing his compositions. On completion of the work, Lord Siva signed off with these words, ‘Manickavachagan odha Ponnambalamudaiyaan kaiyezhuthu ittadhu’ -- ‘The Lord of Ponnambalam transcribed Manickavachagar’s compositions’. That is how Thiruvachagam came to be.

Manickavachagar was with Lord Siva. His attention got diverted to worldly desires and he had to take birth to fulfil his wants. He was thrown into prison. This is ‘pazhavinai aruppadhu’ (resolving karmas). How does the Lord remove your illusion? Just as He presented Himself in the form of a Saivite saint and delivered a discourse that brought back memories of Kailash to Manickavachagar, making him realize who he was. That is the split second in which the Lord brings you back to your senses.

The next step is mellowing your mind to concentrate on Him always. This is the state of Manickavachagar singing the Lord’s Infinite Glories in Thiruvachagam.

Take the case of Appar Swami. He was born into a Saivite middle class family, but was drawn towards the Jain cult. He was afflicted with severe stomachache. His sister Thilakavathy, who did not approve of his embracing Jainism, advised him to chant the Panchakshara mantra and partake of the Lord’s Vibhuthi (holy ash) as Jainism could not help him to get rid of the disease. He was healed and returned to the Saivite fold.

Enraged by this, the king engaged elephants to trample him, had

him thrown into the ocean and attempted to kill him in various ways. Appar continued chanting, ‘Lord Siva is my constant companion. There is nothing to fear.’ (‘Natrunaiyaavadhu Namachivaayame! Anjuvadhu yaadhonrum illai. Anjavaruvadhum illai.’) Lord Siva saved him and absolved him of his karmas. Enveloped in God’s Grace, Appar continued his mission of spreading the Lord’s message. When he grew old and could not travel to Kailash, Lord Siva assumed the form of an old person, directed Appar to take a dip in the lake and thus Appar was granted the darshan of Kailash at the Lake at Tiruvaiyaar.

As far as Appar Swami was concerned, the Lord gave him severe stomach-ache to take him into His Folds; absolved him of his karmas by the torture he was subjected to by the king; engaged the saint in His service by making him do temple service -- cleaning the temple area. Appoothi Adigal, drawn to the service that Appar was rendering the Lord, invited the saint for a feast; the devotee’s son was stung by a serpent when he went to fetch a plantain leaf for the guest and Appar revived him. These are instances from Appar’s life to show how God takes care of everyone.

Sundaramoorthy Nayanar dwelt in Kailash, as Siva’s personal friend. He was attracted to two of Parvathi’s assistants. And so Siva instructed him to take birth on Earth, complete his karmas (caused by the distraction) and when Sundarar pleaded for mercy, Siva promised that He would take charge of him at the appropriate time.

At Thiruvennainalloor temple a voice directed Sundaramoorthy to sing the Lord’s praises in Tamil. When he protested that he had no such ability, the voice instructed him to commence with the same word ‘Pittha’ he used earlier to chastise the Lord. And Sundaramoorthy Nayanar sang the praises of the Lord. He got married to Sangili Nachiar and Paravai Nachiar. He breached his vow of not leaving his second wife’s house and lost his eyesight in consequence.

He admonished the Lord with three eyes (Siva: Mukkannan) for taking away his eyesight. When he approached the Tirumullaivoyil temple, he asked the Lord in a fit of rage, ‘Do you exist?’ (neer ulleera?). God replied in jest, ‘I am here. You can go on your way’. (Yaam Ulom. Neevir poveer). Groping his way to Kanchipuram, Sundarar sang the praises of the Lord and regained sight of one eye. At Vriddhachalam temple, sight was restored to his other eye. Happy at his eyesight being restored, he sought material wealth from the Lord of Vriddhachalam. The Lord handed him a gold brick. The saint afraid of being burgled on the way, requested the Lord to send it across by water to Tiruvaroor and the Lord complied with his friend’s request. When the saint felt unhappy that his wife was not letting him in, the Lord Himself served as a messenger to arrange a truce between them. That is the bliss of having the Lord for your friend.

Meanwhile, another devotee of Siva, Kalikaama Nayanar, was angered by Sundaramoorthy Nayanar’s treatment of the Lord. Siva wanted to unite these devotees. So He made Kalikaama Nayanar suffer from stomach-ache, appeared in his dream with the message that the pain would subside if he obtained Vibhuthi from Sundarar and instructed the latter to give prasadam to Kalikaama Nayanar. As Sundarar approached, Kalikaama Nayanar rebuked him for his actions and said he would rather die than accepting anything from him. At that moment, Siva presented Himself and revealed that everything was His Thiruvilaiyaadal (infinite pranks). Later, Lord Siva sent a white elephant and brought back Sundaramoorthy Nayanar to Kailash.

Observe Sundaramoorthy Nayanar’s life. When his marriage was to take place, the time was ripe to free him from worldly illusions. His karmas were resolved when he got married to the girls he had desired, then his eyesight failed; he regained faith in the Lord when his eyesight was restored. When his work on Earth was over, God granted him salvation, sent him a white elephant for his journey back to Kailash.

On one of his visits to Vishnu loka, Narada found Lord Narayana with His Divine Consort, Mahalakshmi in solitude. He asked the Lord, ‘I thought you would be very busy; but you seem to be relaxing’, to which Narayana laughed in jest, ‘Well, no one seems to have time for me in this

Kali yuga; people are engrossed in the luxuries of the world’. Narada refused to believe this. So Narayana said that if Narada found a person willing to come to Vishnu loka, He would permit that person in without any test.

Narada apprised every person who seemed a devotee, of the good news that the Lord had consented to grant free entry. But to his amazement, he did not find any single mortal willing to accept his invitation. Narada finally located one person who was prepared to accompany him, but only after the latter’s son got married.

Narada went to him again after the marriage was over, and the old man wanted to play with his grandchildren before departing from Earth. This went on, till the day came for the person’s natural death. The man’s attachment towards his family caused him to take birth as a dog in the same house. Narada told the person, ‘If you had heeded my words, you would have been blessed by Narayana’s company. Now you have taken birth as a dog.’ The man replied, ‘I am guarding my son’s house’. The grandchild pelted a stone at the dog but the old man tolerated this, saying, ‘after all, it is my grandson who hit me’. Narada decided that his wait for the man was fruitless. Meanwhile the man’s wife also took birth as a dog in the same house. Narada approached her and asked her if she was ready to come with him to heaven. Before she could say ‘yes’, a few dogs chased her and she seemed to relish the chase much better than Heaven!!

This is the state of affairs in society today. People pursue perishable commodities. Just like the dog gnaws at a bone, unaware that the taste is caused by its bleeding jaws, so too, people do not realize that what they think as the pleasures of this world, are, in fact, pain.

A merchant traveling on the high seas suddenly found that a storm had set in. He prayed to the Lord that he would sell his bungalow and donate to Him the proceeds if He rescued him from the storm. Immediately, the seas calmed down and the merchant returned to the shore. Now, the merchant was disturbed that he had promised God in haste. So he advertised in the papers that he was offering his bungalow for sale at a cost of Re.1. And he told the prospective buyers that he would sell the bungalow, only to the person who was prepared to buy his cat at Rs.1,00,00,000. One of the prospective buyers decided that anyway the property was worth so much and bought the bungalow for Re. 1 and the cat for Rs.1,00,00,000. And as per his “promise” to God, the merchant donated one rupee to the temple.

A telegraph office announced an interview. On the day of the interview, several bright candidates, well dressed in coat and suit, waited in the office reception room for the interview call. A few minutes later, one of them stepped inside the manager’s cabin and returned ten minutes later with an appointment letter in hand. The others asked him, ‘Do you know the interviewer? Were you recommended by someone?’ to which the newly appointed recruit replied, ‘We are attending an interview at the telegraph office! They were announcing the interview, using the Morse code and since none you attempted to get up, I went in to attend the interview’. The others had been waiting for a personal call, whereas this person was shrewd enough to hear the code-call. Be aware that God is beckoning you; it is in your interests to hear His call. God is scrutinizing you every minute. Those who understand this are engulfed by His Presence.

Life is a relativity theory. A man lived a peaceful, contented life with his wife and children. His parents-in-law came to stay with him. After a few days time, this person was annoyed with the number of persons in the small dwelling. He sought the advice of a sage, complaining that he had lost his peace because his household had grown larger. The sage advised the man to bring in 6 hens into his dwelling for a month and then seek further advice. When the man visited the sage a month later, the wise man asked him, ‘So how are things now?’ to which the man complained that life had gone worse, because of the stink from the hens. The sage advised the man to buy a pair of oxen and two goats, and have them as pets in his dwelling, and return to him after a month for further advice. The man had no other option but to comply. He returned to the sage after a month and cried, ‘O Holy one! Life has become awful. The place is too crowded and stinks of garbage always.’ The sage advised him to shift the pets elsewhere and return to update him after a month. The man returned to thank the sage for restoring peace into his life. To which the sage smiled and said, ‘Son! If you recollect, you have as many occupants as you had when you came to me. It is your perspective that has changed, because of your experiences.’

That is life. It is when you wearily find your way through a hot summer day, that you understand the bliss that shade is.

Once a murderer was caught and sentenced to imprisonment for ten years. Assuming himself to be clever, he escaped from prison and ran away to a nearby forest. Then on, he lived the life of a fugitive, fearing arrest every second.

He was caught again and put behind bars. Had he only stayed back in prison the first time, he might have managed to be released sooner on account of good conduct. But his foolish escape landed him up with a longer sentence.

So it is with life. We have been assigned the bondage of worldly life to absolve ourselves of our karmas due to our actions across births. If we run away from this, we will be only extending our punishment to more births. God provides us with whatever is necessary for life - - food, clothing and shelter. When our term is over, He Himself will send His representative to free us from the bondage of this prison. So think good, be good and do good till the Good God takes over us as His.

Three persons visited Ramakrishna Paramahamsa requesting him to reveal God to them. One was Viv

ekananda. Ramakrishna asserted that one could converse with God on a first-person basis. Realizing that Vivekananda was destined to serve God’s mission in a large way, and penance would be a barrier for this service, it was only at the appropriate time that Ramakrishna guided Vivekananda to the Lord’s Presence.

Another person asked Ramakrishna to reveal God. Without directly replying, Ramakrishna thrust the person’s head into water, and the man forced his head out, gasping for breath. Ramakrishna asked him, ‘What were you thinking about, during the past few minutes?’, and the person confessed that his attention was on getting out of water. Ramakrishna said, ‘When you become that desperate for realizing God, come to me, and I will guide you to His Presence.’

A third person came to Ramakrishna with the same request. Paramahamsa told him to learn the Bhagavad-Gita and consume grapes, and the person asked, ‘how many kilos of grapes and for how many days?’ Ramakrishna declared that the person would never be able to realize God. When the man pleaded with him, the sage explained, ‘You never asked me how many chapters of Bhagavad-Gita you are to learn, you were more interested in eating. How will God present Himself to you?’

There are three categories of persons: those who yearn for God’s presence, like Vivekananda did, and the intensity of their quest helps them comprehend God. The second category of persons is yet to desperately seek God; and it takes some time. The third category of persons is deep in the worldly perishables of eating, sleeping and leading a useless life.

An old lady was thrashing grains when a saint came seeking alms. In a fix of irritation, the lady hit him with the pestle used for pounding grains. The saint calmly took a grain that was on the rod, and partook of it after offering it to Lord Siva.

Some months later, when the lady passed away and was led to Yama’s court for judgment, Yama asked Chitragupta (the book keeper of human lives) for an account of the woman’s good and bad deeds. Chitragupta asserted that the woman had not done a single good deed by herself, except for that incident when the grain was offered to Siva by the saint she had hit. That offering to Siva made her eligible for a fleeting darshan of the Lord. So she was led to the Abode of Siva to have a glimpse after which she was destined to suffer in hell. Being ineligible for entry into The Holy Abode, the emissaries of Yama left her at the Gate with instructions to return immediately after the fleeting glimpse of the Lord.

The woman was so much overwhelmed by the ambience of Kailash, the cosmic dance of Siva, the chanting of Vedas, the notes of music penetrating into the being, that she clung to the Lotus Feet of Siva. Recalling her story, the Lord resolved, ‘He who has taken refuge in me, has no unfulfilled karma'.

Such is the efficacy of a single grain offered to the Lord even without one’s knowledge.

Sage Durvasa was returning from a Yagam he had attended at Kailash where Lord Siva had presented him with agarland. Durvasa came across Lord Indra mounted on his white elephant, Airavatha, and deciding that it will be a benediction for all the Devas, he gifted the garland to Indra. In a fit of arrogance, Indra tossed the garland on the elephant that in turn threw it on to the ground and trampled it. The enraged Durvasa cursed that Indra and his Devas be deprived of their divine energy. The Devas beseeched Lord Vishnu to help restore their energy. Vishnu advised them that the only way out was to partake of the nectar obtained by churning the Milky Ocean, taking the help of the powerful asuras since the devas had lost their prowess.

So the Devas joined forces with the Asuras and churned the Milky Ocean, obtained nectar that was distributed to the Devas by the Mohini (feminine) aspect of Vishnu. From this episode, we learn that for something good to happen, the conflicting forces of positive and negative have to unify. If you wish for a good result, you must be able to get along with negative minded people also. This is Lord Vishnu’s technique - - all forces unite to churn the Milky Ocean and obtain nectar.

As far as Siva Shankar Baba is concerned, he never discriminates between good and bad. He believes that there is good within everyone. He never rejects anyone. That is why there is no disparity of religion or caste or creed or gender or materialistic station in Samratchana. There is neither good nor bad, neither virtue nor vice. How can any good happen if you discard everyone on some reason or the other? Be all-embracing and good will result.

Krishnaiyyer, a person in the services of Arcot Nawab, was a devout person. All others in the office were jealous that Krishnaiyyer was in the Nawab’s good books. They grabbed every petty opportunity to tarnish his name. He usually started his accounting for the day with a Pillaiyar Suzhi (invocation to Vinayaka). The conspirators brought this to the Nawab’s notice. When the Nawab asked for the ledger, what was visible to him, was a line from the Holy Quran, in place of the Pillaiyar Suzhi. Some days later, Krishnaiyyer went on a week’s leave, not disclosing to his Islamic superior that he was on a pilgrimage to Tirupati. The scheming officers immediately sneaked this information to the Nawab. Just before the Nawab could question Krishnaiyyer, a Sufi appeared, exclaiming to Krishnaiyyer, ‘I saw you at Mecca last week. How did you manage to return so early from your pilgrimage?’ A historical anecdote that evidences the Omnipresence of God.

Vidura, known for his piety, performs rigorous penance and obtains a bow - the Brahma Dhanus from Brahma, the God of Creation. It is an

indestructible weapon. If Vidura retains the bow, Duryodhana would be successful in the Kurukshetra battle. When Krishna goes as the Pandava emissary to meet the Kauravas, all the assembled nobles invite Krishna to their houses. But Krishna chooses to eat and rest at Vidura’s house. Duryodhana burns with jealousy that Krishna has sought the company of Vidura, a courtier. At the assembly the next day, Duryodhana chastises Vidura, ‘Krishna has come as the messenger of my foe. You have taken him to your house and revealed the secrets of the Kaurava army’. But Vidura has not mentioned anything. He reveres Krishna as God. Krishna seizes this opportune moment knowing that Vidura would be emotionally disturbed since Duryodhana has insulted him in front of the other courtiers. He tells Vidura, ‘Please do not act impulsively for any reason. Don’t be hasty, as Duryodhana has spoken only in anger. Do not break the Brahma Dhanus that you have obtained after such severe austerities.’ Krishna achieves what he wants by such subtle provocations. Vidura says to Duryodhana, ‘This is the right treatment for such a scoundrel as you’ and breaks the Brahma Dhanus in front of Duryodhana. This is how one voluntarily spoils whatever chances he has. The bow that was obtained after such penance, did not benefit Vidura or Duryodhana – not even the world.

The body is the bow granted by Brahma. But people do not put it to proper use. They succumb to alcoholic abuse, which leads to various illnesses and ultimately they are of no use either to themselves or to society. Do they at least make some garlands for the Lord, sweep the temple or take care of the temple gardens? They are wasting away this Brahma Dhanus that is the body. They are digging their own graves.

Rama breaks the Siva Dhanus in King Janaka’s court. Parasurama, the Vishnu incarnate is then at Mahendragiri forest. He confronts Rama on his way to Ayodhya and says, ‘Wield this Vishnu Dhanus like you broke the Siva Dhanus.’ Rama strings the Vishnu Dhanus and seeks a target for the arrow. Parasurama transfers the powers of his penance to Rama, the Vishnu incarnate.

Vishnu’s power – Vishnu Dhanus – is responsible for your worldly wealth and prosperity. Vishnu, the God of protection, voluntarily gives you your due. You need not seek anything. At the appropriate time, Vishnu grants the wealth, pleasures, graduation degrees, status that you enjoy in this world. Vishnu does this of His own accord. But only when He deems it right.

Siva Dhanus – It just happens! Siva is an ocean of compassion. When Sundaramoorthy Nayanar is about to be engaged, Siva reveals to him that Paravai Nachiyar and Sangili Nachiyar are waiting to get married to him. This is what Devaram sings of – ‘Captivating at the right moment, nullifying the effect of past actions and overwhelming the devotee with thoughts of the Lord’ – this is Siva’s leela. He will captivate you at the right time in life. Did he not take care of Pattinathar, and Arunagirinathar? When the time was ripe for Rama to get the Siva Dhanus, He used Viswamithra as an instrument to make Rama obtain the Siva Dhanus-the powers of Siva- through Janaka. This happens automatically.

* Brahma’s Blessing – This physical body. If you waste it away, you are destroying it.

* Vishnu’s Blessing – He confers at the appropriate time. This is granting automatically.

God performs the three activities of creation, protection and destruction through us.

We are all some forms of God. If we learn this truth, our life becomes an Everlasting Spring.

Take the case of Thondaradipodi Azhwar. As Vipranarayanan. He was in serene penance in the forest. A devadasi passing by, observing his

concentration, enticed him into loving her. He married her, led a family life and went to the extent of robbing the temple vessels for her sake and then God took charge of him and granted him wisdom. God could have appeared before him during his penance and granted Moksha, couldn’t he? Why did God stage the drama of bringing a woman into his life, making him stoop down low and then reveal his spiritual heights to the world?

This is a lesson that you too should not feel bad over anything that happens in your life. All of you are sages, yearning for the grace of the Lord. But the Lord tests you; do you know why? You still have some experiences to undergo. Vipranarayanan had some previous birth balance to settle with that devadasi. Till that account was closed, God could not do anything for him.

So also, people – good or bad – appear in your life to settle their dues and yours too. Once these are settled, God will take you to Him. So why fear? Exhaust your karmas. Don’t run; don’t hide.

A poor man came to Vedanta Desika seeking money to perform his daughter’s wedding. Vedanta Desika prayed to Mahalakshmi – the

Goddess of Wealth. Mahalakshmi refused to help the man, warning Vedanta Desika that the man was not destined to be wealthy. But Vedanta Desika pleaded with her on the grounds that he had called for her help, and she could not let down a devotee. So she showered golden coins. The poor man held his towel to catch the coins, but the force of the coins falling down created a hole in the towel and only a few remained. Only what is destined for you, will happen. A Guru can only help you along the way.

God owns everything. So if you hold on to God, the entire world becomes yours. You can achieve whatever you want to. This is the message my life illustrates.

Whatever I say, is bound to happen. God has His own time frame; He has His own master plans. You never need to doubt my words.

There is nothing worth attaining, except God. He must be your aim. If you attain Him, then everything else becomes yours. You need not toil for anything; you need not chase anything. Your problem is – you hunt for worldly possessions and lose track of the most important thing. Never seek the perishable commodities. Concentrate on the Most Divine and the Everlasting and the Imperishable thing called God. Your target and destination should be that.

Siva Shankar Baba is able to implement all his thoughts and ideas. Do I have any money on me? Then how is this possible? Through Grace. If you attain God, whatever you think, happens. You do not hold on to God, but want to hold on to the comforts of this materialistic world. That’s why your thoughts do not bear fruit.

A traveler once came to a large plain during his journey; Having trekked for long in the sun, he was fatigued thoroughly.

Profusely, perspiring, in the shadow of a tree he sat down to take some rest, not knowing the tree (Kalpataru) was a celestial one.

'How pleasant it would be' he thought, 'If I could lie down and have a nap on a mattress, soft!'

The very next instant, appeared a nice bed. Amazed, he stretched himself on it, contented.

'How enjoyable it would be for a girl to massage my legs gently'. A girl appeared out of nowhere and massaged his legs diligently.

He mused ,'And if I could get some food too this moment' Tasty dishes appeared and he ate to his heart's content.

As he reminisced of the day, he was seized with fear What would happen if a tiger may suddenly appear !

Thus ended the traveler's life; such is the fate of man if on worldly things he would meditate.

For worldly possessions, when a man prays His dreams may com true, but he won't be happy always.

Behind the worldly entices, lurks the danger of many tigers, "Disease", "Death" ,"Penury" and the like -- tigers diverse.

While craving for material things, men must remember for ever that desires are a thousand times more terrible than a tiger.

Narada had become stuffed with the pride that there was no greater devotee than him. He went to Narayana and declared that there was none whose devotion was as ardent as his. With a mischievous laugh, the Lord gave Narada an oil lamp and asked him to go around the world once, without spilling even one drop of oil.

Narada followed the Lord's instructions and went around the world. He was very careful not to spill even one drop of oil. He reported to the Lord that he had complied with His instructions. God asked him, 'How many times did you think of me?' Narada replied, 'When did I think of you? My entire attention was on the oil'.

Narayana led Narada to a poor worker's house to watch his day's activities. When the worker wokeup in the morning, he said, 'O God! Narayana!'. Then he ate his porridge, went to the forest and worked hard. He also motivated his co-workers to put in their best. When he returned from work, just before he slept, he said, 'O God! Narayana!'.

Vishnu asked Narada, 'Tell me who is more devout. Even though that worker has carried the strenuous work, he thought of me twice. But you, a sannyasi, who has no work, have not been able to think of me when you took the lamp around the world. Obviously that poor worker is a better devotee'.

IN GOD'S DICTIONARY, YOU, WHO ARE THINKING OF GOD DESPITE YOUR MISERIES, ARE NOBLER THAN ENLIGHTENED SOULS. That's what you have to understand. Don't fret that 'This person is a saint. That temple priest is able to chant many mantras. Only I have not performed any worship.'

It is not necessary for you to think of God all twenty four hours a day, amidst your worldly duties. Fulfill your responsibilities, contemplating always on the Lotus Feet of the Lord, submitting all your actions to Him.

Pulling God Towards You

While passing by a lake, a saint saw a stork had dirtied the area and directed an angry glance at it. The stork was immediately burnt to ashes. He went to a house and from outside, asked for water. Immediately a lady's voice requested him to wait for sometime and assuring him she would fetch water. He became angry and was about to curse her, when her voice was heard from inside the house 'Did you think I was stork?' The saint was shocked at how she knew what had happened. He asked her, 'You were able to tell what happened by the lakeside. How did you get that power?' To which she replied, 'I perform Pathia pooja for my husband everyday. Even now, I just completed the pooja'.

Everyday morning, seven dark women used to walk by and return clean and beautiful. A Rishi who was watching this asked them who they were. They said, 'We are seven rivers. When people come and wash their sins in our waters, we grow dark...There is a person who, when we go and circumambulate him, the sins wash away and we regain our true nature'.

God went to that person's house. He was requested to stand on 2 bricks till the person finished his pada pooja to his parents. It is this God form who stood on the bricks who is termed Panduranga. An example of God waiting for a devotee who did not neglect his worldly responsibilities. This is Panduranga's glory.
So being a householder or being a recluse is not important. What is more important is the path you have chosen to lead your life. You should adopt the value system according to the path you have chosen. You might say that you also want to reach God by following certain value systems. But what to do if your personal value system clashes with other's value systems? Then you should do your role properly. Even if people around you are stinging scorpions, you be a saving saint. For, EVERYONE IS GOD.

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Devotion In Its Highest State

Ajamilan did not know God. He did not offer even one single prayer to God during his lifetime. He has a son called Narayanan. When Ajamilan was dying, in order to hand over a key to his son, he called out 'Narayana'. Immediately Lord Narayana's emissaries sent the Yamadhoothas away since Ajamilan had uttered God's name. This is an episode in the Puranas. Knowingly or unknowingly he had uttered God's name on the verge of death, so he was granted Moksha and escaped the clutches of Yama.

When Ducchadana attempted to insult Draupadi, she tried to save herself. When she could not, she raised both her hands above her head in total surrender and cried out 'Hridaya Nivasa Kirshna'. Immediately, Krishna helped her out of nowhere. A help from a form not physically present. In times of distressing danger, knowing fully well that there is no help, calling out to God for succor.

Thirdly, always meditating on God. Breathing out God's name, calling out to Him in every single action-boarding a bus, writing out a cheque-every single second, remembering God. The elephant Gajendran possessed this noble quality. When the crocodile caught hold of Gajendran's legs, God's name that was present in the elephant's tongue literally slipped out. Since it was always concentrating on God, it screamed out His name 'Adimoolame!' Immediately God came and released the elephant from the clutches of the crocodile applying His Sudarshana chakra. We should strive to attain this state. Not calling out His name in times of humiliating agony, or being immersed in worldly activities so as to not know the glory of His name but being forever absorbed in the pure sweetness of the Lord's name.

Only the third state is true. Even Draupadi's state is not true. SAVORING GOD'S NAME EVERY SINGLE MOMENT IS THE HIGHEST STATE OF DEVOTION. That is why Azhwars said 'Let us recite Narayana's name now itself, so that even if we forget to call Him in our last moments, He will come to our aid. Since I am in good form now, I am reciting your glory now. I do not know whether I will call out to you when I am in utter distress. So please remember my reciting your numerous names and save me when I am tormented'.

Shankaram Siva Shankaram !! 'THEN and THERE are fictitious - HERE and NOW are realities' -- Baba