THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER O Adorable Lord of Mercy and Love! Salutations and prostrations unto Thee. Thou art Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient. Thou art Satchidananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute). Thou art the Indweller of all beings. Grant us an understanding heart, Equal vision, balanced mind, Faith, devotion and wisdom. Grant us inner spiritual strength To resist temptations and to control the mind. Free us from egoism, lust, greed, hatred, anger and jealousy. Fill our hearts with divine virtues. Let us behold Thee in all these names and forms. Let us serve Thee in all these names and forms. Let us ever remember Thee. Let us ever sing Thy glories. Let Thy Name be ever on our lips. Let us abide in Thee for ever and ever. —Swami Sivananda CONTROL OF MIND One of the most common habits of the mind is the wandering habit. It cannot stick to one point as it is of the nature of air. Sri Krishna says, “O mighty armed (Arjuna)! The mind is hard to curb and is restless, but it may be curbed by constant practice and by dispassion.” Destruction of desires and control of Indriyas are the essential steps for the control of mind. It is the desire that makes the mind restless. The Indriyas run after objects and the mind also follows the Indriyas just as a dog follows the master. Therefore, if you want to check this wandering mind, you will have to renounce all sorts of desires and control the Indriyas rst. Then alone will you be successful in the practice of concentration, meditation, will-culture, memory-culture and thought-culture. THE DIVINE LIFE Vol. LXXX APRIL 2021 No. 01 PRASNOPANISHAD PANCHAMA PRASNA (QUESTION V) SATYAKAMA AND PIPPALADA AW h¡Z§ e¡ã`… gË`H$m_… nàÀN>Ÿ& g `mo h d¡ VØJdÝ_Zwî`ofw àm`UmÝV_mo§H$ma_{^Ü`m`rVŸ& H$V_§ dmd g VoZ bmoH§$ O`Vr{VŸ&&1Ÿ&& 1. Then Satyakama, son of Sibi, questioned him: O Bhagavan! What world does he, who among men meditates on 'Om' until death, attain by that? 3 4 THE DIVINE LIFE APRIL 2021 ‘hmJwédU©‘mV¥H$mñVmoÌ‘² MAHAGURU-VARNA-MATRIKASTOTRAM Jnana Bhaskara Mahamahopadhyaya Sri S. Gopala Sastri aå¶o am{OVh¡‘e¡b{ZH$Q>o ^mJraWrnmdZo amYmdëëm^g{ÞYmZ‘{hVo am‘m‘¥Vmñdm{X{Z & ê$T>mZÝXHw$Q>raYm‘{Z bgZ² [aº$íM amofm{X{^: 鳑m^mo JwéamQ²> àgrXVw adr am¡ÐmÝܶ{dÐmdUo &&25&& 25. May our Beloved Gurudev be propitiated, who dwells in the holy hermitage called 'Ananda Kutir' at the sacred banks of Mother Ganga near the glorious Himalayas in the divine presence of Lord Krishna, who enjoys the nectar of Ramanama, who is free from anger, whose beautiful form glitters as gold, and who is like sun dispelling the darkness of dreadful ignorance. bú‘reo bãY^{³Ëm: b{bV‘¥XþdMm: bm{bVmeof{eî¶: {bßËmmo ^y˶m Z ^r˶m ew^JwUgwJ‘mo brZ{MÎm: napñ‘Z² & bwßËmmemo byZnmemo {Z¶{‘VH$aUmo bmoH$nyÁ¶mo Jwé‘} bm¡ë¶§ {MÎmñ¶ Kmoa§ e‘¶Vw gw¶eñò½Yamo {Xì¶VoOm: &&26&& 26. Who has great devotion towards Lord Vishnu, who speaks simple and sweet words, who is very affectionate towards all his disciples, whose forehead is smeared with the holy ash, who is fearless, who is the repository of all the sublime virtues, whose mind is ever absorbed in Brahman, who has renounced all desires and worldly ties, who has restrained his sense-organs, who is deeply revered all over the world, who shines with divine luster and who is adorned with the garland of fame, may such a great preceptor graciously remove the terrible ckleness of my mind. (To be continued) APRIL 2021 FOLLOW THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS 5 Sri Ramanavami Message FOLLOW THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS Sri Swami Sivananda The noblest lesson embodied principles, ethical values and in the Ramayana is the supreme spiritual ideals, which should guide importance of righteousness in the one's day-to-day actions and serve l i f e o f e v e r y h u m a n b e i n g . as powerful means for the culture of Righteousness is the spiritual the human personality. That is the spark of life. Cultivation of purpose of life. That is the way to righteousness is the process of the Self-realisation. unfoldment of the latent divinity in Do that which promotes man. The glorious incarnation of harmony, good-will and peace, and t h e S u p r e m e T r u t h , S r i do not do that which inspires a Ramachandra, has exemplied contrary effect. Do that which is through His own life how to follow universally considered to be true, the path of righteousness. Let just and proper, that which is mankind follow in His footsteps and bound to produce positive effects, practice the ideals cherished by and do not do that which will bring Him, for it is only thus that there negative results. This is the yard- can be everlasting peace, prosperity stick of judgment. This is how you and welfare in this world. could decide between right and No one but the righteous can wrong. be truly happy. No one but he who Blessed aspirants! Swerve has the correct sense of duty and not from the path of truth. Do not be the will for its implementation can negligent to follow the course of be said to live worthily. One must be D h a r m a . L e t n o t m a t e r i a l imbued with a denite conviction considerations outweigh spiritual about the supremacy of moral values. Let not personal gains over- Taken from 'Illuminating Messages' 6 THE DIVINE LIFE APRIL 2021 step general good. Allow not and do today what would be condu- selshness to rule your conduct. cive to make a better tomorrow. Permit not the dictates of the senses Have an open heart, an open mind, to over-rule the judgment of reason but accept only that which is good, and wisdom. proper and worthy of remembrance. First consider the welfare of At least one good action every day – others, and last of all your own. let this be your motto. Look into your own character and What you dislike in others, conduct. Read your own heart. Find take care to correct that in yourself out whether your thought, speech rst. Accept only what is good in and action are in accordance with others and ignore the rest. Your t h e p r i n c i p l e s o f D h a r m a . own happiness depends on how you Discipline the body, mind and conduct yourself. Do not complain senses. Enlighten yourself with about circumstances. Try to make u s e f u l s p i r i t u a l k n o w l e d g e . best of everything. Eradicate gradually evil thoughts, Spiritual seekers! Reect, evil speech and evil habits, and cogitate, analyse and ratiocinate cultivate pure thoughts, correct what should be aspired for and speech and good habits. what should not be, what ought to E l i m i n a t e t h a t w h i c h be done and what ought to be produces a negative reaction in abstained from. Meditate on the others and strengthen that which is Lord. Pray to Him for light and quick to generate a sense of well- guidance. Sing His holy name. being within you and in others, too. Think rightly. Speak gently, But do not be carried away by the truthfully. Act honestly, justly, exhilaration of doing good and selessly. Thus grow and evolve being good. It is nothing special that and improve yourself every day, is expected of you. It is your duty. every moment. The only way you can make M a y t h e g r a c e o f S r i tomorrow a better day is to think Ramachandra be upon all. APRIL 2021 LET IDEALISM BE BORN IN THE HUMAN HEART 7 LET IDEALISM BE BORN IN THE HUMAN HEART Sri Swami Chidananda Adorable Divine Presence, and oneness between individuals, Thou Who art the one all-pervading, communities and nations. May ever-present Reality behind the there be peace in the East and in the ever-changing, vanishing names West, peace in the North and the and forms that constitute this world South and peace all over the a p p e a r a n c e , t h i s p r o j e c t e d universe. Give us this day the phenomenon in time and space! guidance necessary to make this day Adorable Divine Presence, Thou a t and worthy offering at Thy Feet. Who art without and within and Let this day be lived with noble e v e r y w h e r e , T h o u W h o a r t deeds, sublime feelings and with interconnected in the innermost r i g h t u n d e r s t a n d i n g , g o o d cells of our body, Thou Who art the intentions and pure thoughts. Eye of our eyes, the Ear of our ears, Beloved and Worshipful the Breath of our breath, the Mind of Gurudev, thou who has granted to our mind, the Heart of our heart, the us once again the grace of being in Prana of our prana, the very Soul of your spiritual presence at this early our soul, Thou Who art seated morning hour.