Edifying Parables of His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Mahaswamigal Publisher Sri Vidyatheertha Foundation Chennai www.svfonline.net First Edition 1995 (1200 Copies) Reprint 2000 (1500 Copies) 2004 (3000 Copies) 2014 (1200 Copies) 2015 (2000 Copies) Digital Version 2016 © All rights reserved ISBN 81-903815-4-7 Published by: Sri Vidyatheertha Foundation G-B, Sai Karuna Apartments 49, Five Furlong Road Guindy, Chennai - 600 032 Mobile : 90031 92825 Email: [email protected] This E-Book is for free distribution only. 6 Edifying Parables Preface His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Mahaswamigal, reverentially referred to as ‘Acharyal’ in this book, had an innate ability to explain even complex topics in a simple manner through stories composed by Him on the spot or based on texts such as the Vedas, Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas. This book contains well over a hundred edifying parables of our Acharyal compiled by a disciple and grouped over 97 heads. The sources of the parables are Acharyal’s benedictory addresses and His private conversations with the disciple. Following are the minor liberties that have been taken in the preparation of the text: 1. Parables narrated by Acharyal in more than one benedictory address have been grouped under a single head. 2. In rare cases, names have been given to the characters of a story even when Acharyal did not do so during His talk with the disciple. 3. Where Acharyal has narrated more than one version of a story, information from all the versions have been utilised. 7 We are glad in publishing the digital version of this book and offering it to all for free-download in commemoration of the birth-centenary of His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Mahaswamigal. We humbly dedicate this effort at His Lotus Feet. Trustees Sri Vidyatheertha Foundation Place : Chennai Date : 29th October 2016 8 Edifying Parables Contents Striking Traits .................................................................................. 13 (Compiler) Other e-Books and Video-clippings for Free Download . 32 Beware of Desire, Anger and Rashness ................................ 33 1. The Snare of Longing ................................................................ 35 2. Danger of Fascination with Sense-Objects ....................... 39 3. Lust Ruins ...................................................................................... 41 4. Insidious Attack of Desire ........................................................ 43 5. Harmfulness of Anger ............................................................... 49 6. Look Before You Leap ............................................................... 55 7. Never Too Late to Reform ...................................................... 62 The Path of Dharma ....................................................................... 70 8. The Veda Determines What is Dharma ............................... 71 9. Knowledge of Tradition ............................................................. 73 10. Spotlight on Speaking the Truth ......................................... 75 11. Truth and Silence ..................................................................... 77 12. Subtle Aspects of Truthfulness .......................................... 78 13. Vedic Chanting Should be Error-Free ............................... 84 14. Potency of Vedic Mantras ..................................................... 86 15. Parents and Children ............................................................... 87 16. Thankfulness .............................................................................. 89 17. Doing Good to Others ............................................................. 94 18. Joy at the Expense of Others ............................................. 97 9 19. The Nature of the Great ........................................................ 98 20. Religious Practices and Helping Others ............................ 99 21. Benefits of Charity ................................................................ 100 22. Farcical Offers of Gifts ....................................................... 102 23. Charity in Keeping with Capacity ..................................... 104 24. Hospitality Then and Now ................................................... 105 25. Norms and Exceptions ......................................................... 106 26. Profundity of Dharma ........................................................... 116 27. Conversion, an Absurdity .................................................... 128 God, the Refuge of All ............................................................. 129 28. Though Unseen, God Exists ............................................... 130 29. Atheist in a Quandary .......................................................... 131 30. God, The Greatest Magician .............................................. 132 31. Impeccable Ways of God ..................................................... 133 32. God Punishes When Due ..................................................... 135 33. God’s Merciful Justice ......................................................... 137 34. Success and Glory Due to God ......................................... 140 35. Dweller in the Heart .............................................................. 143 36. Jiva, the Reflection, and God, the Prototype .............. 145 37. Anyone Can Tread the Path of Devotion ...................... 146 38. God Graces Anyone Who Thinks of Him ....................... 150 39. God Will Accept Us ............................................................... 154 40. God Never Abandons His True Devotee ....................... 156 41. Stages of Devotion ............................................................... 157 10 Edifying Parables 42. Divine Mother Graces Without Delay ............................. 158 43. The All-Pervading Lord’s Sport ........................................ 159 44. Forms of God .......................................................................... 161 45. Devotee’s Offering ................................................................ 162 46. Light on Idol Worship ............................................................ 163 47. Combined Influence of Many ............................................. 167 48. Gopurams Induce Humility .................................................. 169 49. Significance of Shivarathri ................................................. 170 50. To Which Deity Should a Person Pray ........................... 171 51. Characteristic of a Great Devotee .................................. 173 52. Concentration .......................................................................... 175 Scope of Destiny and Human Endeavour ........................ 177 53. Fate and Free Will ................................................................. 178 54. An Inadvisable Attempt to Avert Fate .......................... 191 55. The Way to Deal with Adverse Destiny ......................... 193 Towards Mental Purity and Dispassion .............................. 195 56. Mental Cleanliness Necessary .......................................... 196 57. Ganga, the Great Purifier ................................................... 198 58. Influence of Food on the Mind .......................................... 200 59. Impure Food Must Be Eschewed Except to Save Life ............................................................................................................. 203 60. How a Householder Should Conduct Himself ............... 205 61. Sameness in Conduct and in Mental Responses ........ 208 62. Karma Yoga ............................................................................. 210 11 63. Fitness for Knowledge of the Supreme ......................... 216 64. Contentment ............................................................................ 218 65. Rise and Fall of Envy ........................................................... 220 66. Problem Due to Possession of a Valuable .................... 221 67. Wealth Yields Comforts Not Happiness ......................... 223 68. Life is Transient .................................................................... 226 69. The Feeling, “Mine”, Kills Peace ....................................... 230 70. The Source of Happiness .................................................... 234 Guru, the Visible God ................................................................. 236 71. Entrapment in Eddies ........................................................... 237 72. Ignoring the Knock of Opportunity .................................. 239 73. Need for a Guru ..................................................................... 240 74. No Analogue for a Guru ...................................................... 241 75. The Sadguru Graces All Immaculately ........................... 242 76. Where Censure is a Blessing ............................................. 248 77. The Sadguru Rewards Unstinted Guru Seva ............... 257 78. God and the Devas Favour a True Guru Bhakta ....... 260 79. Teaching Through Silence .................................................. 268 80. Brahma’s Advice: “Da, Da, Da” .......................................... 270 81. Essentiality of Humility ........................................................ 271 82. Self-control and Fructification of Guru’s Teaching .. 273 83. Price of Inadequate Faith ................................................... 277 84. Some Errors of