Shiva means, Graciousness, Auspiciousness, Mangalam. He is all Graciousness, ever Auspicious, Sarva Mangalam. That is the reason why the epithet, Shri, which indicates these qualities, is not added to the name Shiva, Shankara, Eswara etc. It is added to the number of Avatars (divine incarnations), for they have taken on perishable bodies for a specific purpose.
They have to be distinguished from other humans, by the epithet, but Shiva is eternally gracious, auspicious, mangala and so the.
epithet is superfluous. Shiva is adored as the Teacher of Teachers, Dakshinamurthy. The Form of Shiva is itself a great lesson in tolerance and forbearance.
The Haalahaala poison is hidden by Him in His throat; the beneficent Moon which all welcome, He has worn on His head.
This is a lesson for man to keep away from others all harmful tendencies and to use for their benefit all useful tendencies that he can command. If one uses his skills for his own advance, and his
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evil propensities for putting down others, he is only taking the road to ruin.
Man is inherently Divine; he ought therefore demonstrate in thought, word and deed the Divine attributes of love, tolerance, compassion and humanity. God is Truth; man too must live in Truth.
God is Love; man too must live in Love, eschewing anger. Master hatred through Love; master anger through sweet Tolerance. (SSS Vol.12), 5-3-1973
Stand up for truth
He who seeks a Guru can find him in every word spoken within his hearing, in every incident that happens around him. The Deity, Dakshinamurthy (primal divine teacher of eternal spiritual wisdom) was walking along wide seashore alone, immersed in deep meditation. He turned towards the waves and watched the unending succession of breakers. He saw a dry little twig on the crest of a wave in the distance; it was being passed on from one wave to another, from trough to crest, from crest to trough, until it was cast on the sands on the shore, near where He stood!
Dakshinamurthy was astounded at the egoism of the Ocean that would not give asylum to even a tiny twig. (SSS Vol.9) 29-7-1969
Dakshinamurthy questioned the ocean: "How selfish you are! You are boundless and fathomless. Can't you make some room for this poor stuff? It is highly selfish on your part not to tolerate this poor thing despite your vastness." (SSS Vol.22)
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Sensing His reaction, the Ocean declared, in words that He could understand, "Mine is neither egoism nor anger; it is only the duty of self- preservation. I should not allow the slightest blot to deface my grandeur. If I allow this twig to mar my splendour, it will be the first step in my downfall."
Then, Dakshinamurthy smiled within Himself, admiring the vigilance of the mighty Ocean. He pictured the incident as a great lesson in spiritual endeavour. The slightest twig of desire, if it falls on the mind, has to be immediately lifted out of the pure waters and thrown off. That was the lesson to be learnt. (SSS Vol.9) 29-7-1969
Lord Dakshinamurthy conveyed His message through silence. He seldom resorted to speech. By mere sight He could impart the profoundest truths about the universe and the Divine. On one occasion, in the course of his travels, He reached the shore of the ocean. He was delighted to listen to the Omkara vibrations coming from the ocean. The ocean represents the Sabda Brahmam (primal divine sound). It symbolises the grandeur and majesty of the Divine.
Likewise every person should keep out even the smallest bad thought the moment it seeks to enter the mind. To treat it as small and inconsiderable would mean allowing such things to enter the mind and in due course fill it entirely. In the process, the entire nature of the person is changed. His human essence is undermined.
Hence every effort must be made to keep out all bad thoughts and feelings and promote human qualities as much as possible.
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Through very small effort great things can be accomplished. A huge serpent can be destroyed by a large number of small ants. Do not consider yourself small. Seek to acquire the strength and determination to carry out your duties. In the world, difficulties crop up from time to time.
Jealousy towards one's betters is quite common. Crows have animus against the. cuckoo. Cranes jeer at swans. But neither the cuckoo nor the swan is worried. The world has many such envious beings. Do not allow yourself to be overwhelmed by such experiences. You have to confront them boldly and stand up for truth. (SSS Vol.22)
Reflect on these truths and decide to enter boldly into the realm of fearless inquiry. What can the possession of canvas and paint do, if an artist with vision is not moved to paint? What can the chisel and a lump of marble do with no image formed in the heart of a devoted sculptor? That vision and that image are the sparks of the Divine.
You are all 'the Divine' packed in human skin and bone, the Atma encased in the evanescent flesh. Know this and you become fearless, happy without limit. Get rid of the ego- enclosure in which you now feel you are shut in; then, you are liberated from the non-existent prison(!) which now enfolds you as hard as non-existent one!
This is the higher wisdom, the knowledge of the spirit; the lower one is that which adheres to the mind, which cleanses the mind and calms its agitations, which is earned by japa, dhyaana, naamasankeerthan (repetition of holy Names or sacred formula, meditation and singing of God's Names) and such other meritorious activities. (SSS Vol.11), 8- 7-1971
No mortal has transcended the guna (quality) and ruupa (form).
God alone can be described as unaffected by these. And, God is the Guru, fight in your heart, ready to lead and enlighten.
He is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-pervading. Scatter the dark clouds of ignorance and egoism that cover the face of the Sun shining in the sky of your heart. Your parents might disown you, your kinsmen might desert you. Your friends might give you up;
your treasure possessions might be lost. But, God will be ever near, ever dear, ever ready with counsel and courage. People will gather around you so long as you have pelf and power; you will be left severely alone, when you lose these. They are like swarms of frogs that infects a full lake, croaking flattery, but, disappearing, when the lake is dry.
It is always preferable to approach God for the fulfilment of wants, rather than cringe before men, who themselves are but tools in the hands of God. In His own silent way, God will transform, the mind and turn it towards sadhana and successful spiritual pilgrimage.
He cannot allow his children to lose their way and suffer in the jungle. When you approach God and seek his help and guidance, you have taken the first step to save yourself. You are then led to accept His Will as your own. Thus, you achieve shanti (Absolute Peace).
- Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai
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Acknowledgments
When, I first conceived the idea to write about Guru Poornima, immediately, my second daughter D.S.S got into action and collected so much material from different sources. Then my other family members, also started working on it. Varun Tumuluru, my grandson designed the cover pages, Satyaprabha, my daughter-in-law used to send the manuscript to D.S.S and give me the print outs; my elder daughter, Gowri accompanied by Kumar, of course, provided material and financial help and my husband, Tumuluru Krishna Murty gave his invaluable suggestions. Thus, it become a family effort by God’s Grace.