sai_pranam

WHAT IS TRUTH ?

Truth is God. This is not enough. You should have this imprinted in your heart. Truth is changeless and eternal..

Sri Sathya Sai Baba is embodiment of TRUTH (Sathya). That is why we pray Sai as OM SRI SATHYA GUNAATMANE NAMAHA. Aadi Shankara preached which is not grievous, false is Sathya, yedha abhuth, ardha vachanam relating what you see, saying what ever happened is Sathya. Sri Baba gives utmost importance to Sathya and wants to imbibe this quality in to us. As we follow deeper and deeper Sri Sai, we realize the real meaning of Sathyameva Jayate; Whenever Sri Baba gets opportunity, he tries to inculcate the immense importance of Truth. I want to place before you two of such instances.

During a Discourse to the fifteenth Convocation of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning on 22-11-1996, at Purnachandhra Auditorium, Bhagawan explained the importance of Truth through a story relating to Prahlaadha. Once Indra secured the gift of ;Sheelam (character). When Character left Prahlaadha the goddess fame, Royal prosperity and Prowess left him one by one. Prahlaadha allowed them to go. But when Sathya (Truth) started to leave, Prahlaadha prayed to goddess not to leave him. The moment Truth stayed with Prahlaadha, the other deities representing Fame, Prosperity etc. also returned. Students! In whatever situation you may be placed in your official careers, never give way to untruth. You must uphold Dharma, which means acting according to your conscience. Always follow the dictates of your conscience. This is the meaning of Upanishathik dictum Sathyam Vadha, Dharmam Chara; (Speak the truth, follow righteousness). This was the advice given by Rishis to their disciples when they completed their studies.

In a discourse at Sai Kulwant Mandap on 18 July 1997, Baba explained you may think that relating exactly what you saw is Truth. It is not so. Suppose you see a person acting as a king in a drama on a stage, you see him with royal robes and crown etc. But when you see him offstage after the drama is all over he may be in his usual dress. Which is true? Is it the role on the stage or is it the role outside? If you analyze this, it becomes obvious that what is subject to change may be termed as fact but not as Truth. Truth remains true at all points of time. In Sath-e-yam, Sath means life, e stands for food, yam stands for Sun. food is essential for every individual. Sun helps production of crops, which constitute our food to sustain our life. Sun and light never change. Sathyam stands for life sustaining energy. If you read Sathya, Sa-tha-ya, in the reverse direction, it is read as ya-tha-sa. ya denotes outer and inner discipline as part of Thapas or tha when you do much Thapas, you acquire divinity or Sa; Thapas is triple purity i.e. purity in thought, word and deed.

We are not able to know our own potentialities. Divinity is in Microcosm and in Macrocosm. Everything is a combination of atoms. Swami says," You are not able to realize the divinity within, in spite of all your education and scholarship. Whatever you study is only about physical world and gross matter. If you want real lasting happiness you can get it only by union with God. God is all-pervasive. Why should you search for god while He is with in you? Body is like a water bubble and mind is mad monkey. Do not follow them. You should follow only conscience-, which is Sathya the principle of Truth. If you have an unpolluted heart and engage in unblemished action, you will experience manifestation of God. You should lead a life of morality and character."

The Upanishad says: Sathyam Bruyaath (speak Truth). This is physical aspect of the directive Priyam Bruyaath;. This is Dharmik or virtuous aspect, which means you should speak Truth in a nice and palatable way. Next is ;Na Bruyaath Sathyam apriyam. This is the spiritual aspect.

You should avoid speaking even truth when it is not pleasing to the person. At the same time, simply because it satisfies the other person, don't speak untruth. It is written on the board ; Truth is God. This is not enough. You should have this imprinted in your heart. Truth is changeless and eternal.

This conviction is not traceable among persons of the modern world. You should join good company, which will help you to entertain sacred thoughts to be translated into action. In Shridi Sai avatar also, Bhagawan used to say sitting in the masjid the fakir would never utter false. So my fellow devotees of Bhagawan, it is time for us to have introspection and analyze whether we are following the noble teachings of the Jagadguru Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

References:

1. Ashtottara shatanaama mani maala (Telugu) by B. Ramaraju
2. Sathya Sai Speaks vol. XXIX
3. Sathya Sai Speaks vol. XXX
Submitted by: Dr. M. Nagaraju

Year 2 Volume 1

23rd Nov 2002

Contents:

Prayer

SaiRam

Editorial

Sai Speaks

Saint of Shirdi

Mani Sahukar

Women

Sai Answers

Sai Reveals Truth