Posted on: 09 Jun 2024
(Poem by Smt. Chhanda Chandra is enclosed. Click here to read)
Swami replied:-
What is the use of describing about a mud-pond,
In which all similar pigs, almost-drowned, enjoy?
Even if a lotus flower with unimaginable fragrance,
Standing near them tries to scent those mad animals.
It is simply wastage of time to propagate divine message,
A spoon of sugar added doesn’t make the sea taste sweet,
Still, all devotees work in the divine mission day and night,
With the only view that their true love-service pleases God.
Even the lotus flower trying to change odour of pigs and pond,
By fully sacrificing its marvellous fragrance-practical devotion,
Fails in its aim, but blessed by God to get higher than highest,
O Chhandaa! You are that lotus flower and I bless you forever.
Some do service and very few can do very difficult sacrifice,
Service stands for energy and sacrifice stands for the matter,
Lot of energy can become equal to very small trace of matter,
This concept is established by Einstein, genius of your physics!
(A poem on His Holiness Shri Datta Swami by Smt. Chhanda)
It is my great fortune that once I happened to read ‘Shri Shri Ramakrishnagiita’,
Where Paramahamsa is showing us the reality of worldly people and their katha (story).
I got so much of inspiration from that simple writing,
That I thought of sharing it in the light of my Swami’s teaching.
How beautifully Paramahamsa described our situation,
It is exactly the same way, my Swami also tries to explain.
I will try to put it in my own language,
As it is impossible for me to explain clearly the inner significance.
Worldly people are always entangled in Kamini (lust) and Kanchana (greed),
Always intoxicated in these materialistic thoughts, no other karma (work).
We think that worldly life is so beautiful and there is nothing to fear - kind of a heaven,
Hardly we understand that we are drowning (sinking) in the whirlpool of worldly ocean.
So intense and charming are these false worldly attractions,
That we can’t forget these worldly matters even in our very last moments.
I will try to explain it by taking one example,
That will give us a clear picture how strongly are we entangled!
Even if we see that the flame in the lamp is very bright,
Lying on the death bed also, we say, ‘Reduce the flame, more oil will get burnt’,
More realistic is another fact, where all relatives surrounding the departing soul,
Will start asking, ‘You are going but what are you leaving behind for us all?’
It is not only that they will simply stop there,
They start fighting in front of him, for not getting their expected share.
We are always so much attached to all kinds of worldly properties,
Never will we think of even talking at least some Godly matters.
If we have leisure time, either we will pass it by gossiping or talking all nonsense,
Or we will kill the time just wasting in unnecessary engagements.
Even after that if we have some time still to be passed,
We will prefer playing cards instead of thinking or discussing God.
Our condition is like a camel that loves to eat thorny grass,
The more it eats, the more it bleeds, but won’t leave it at any cost,
Similarly, we also don’t want to come out after going through various tough situations.
There is so much grief, so much heat, so much sorrow and so much danger,
Yet there is no Chaitanya (consciousness) at all, will prefer to remain as we were.
As soon as the wife dies, the unchaste husband will immediately marry again,
(unchaste - loose character)
After the death of a child, the mother also starts enjoying, forgetting the extreme pain.
A person loses everything in preparing even for his one daughter’s marriage,
Yet he will continue to give birth to children every year irrespective of age.
He is ready to lose everything for fighting just a single case,
But he won’t feel any better if he is told to stop filing the case.
Our situation becomes more pathetic (pitiable), if we are kept with saints,
We will die in each and every moment by caring about our worldly tales (stories).
The insect that stays in excretion, remains happy, healthy and gets nourished there itself,
If kept in rice pot carefully, it will die immediately, showing exact condition of ourselves.
The dung worm loves to stay inside the dung only,
If you bring it and put it inside the lotus, it will die quickly.
Similarly, a worldly person takes pleasure in worldly matters only,
If you speak spiritual things like service and sacrifice, they feel like dying literally.
Giving a good spiritual lesson to such an entangled person,
It is just like hitting a nail on a stone, nothing happens to the stone.
If we take Hari-name in front of such an attached person,
He will take a side, saying, ‘Hari-name is not required now, will see before dying’.
When such a person goes on a pilgrimage,
He won’t think about God there also, will only carry family luggage.
And he will advise his children to drink charanamrita and to keep rolling over,
He gets engaged in performing these duties and thinks more about his worldly matters.
He accepts slavery for his own self and his family,
And will call all the people as mad those who think Godly.
These worldly people have nothing inside them as important matter,
They are simply the slave of money, desire and their masters.
This is the practical reality of worldly people like us even on today also,
What should we do to improve ourselves, we don’t even bother to think so.
Parabrahman, in the form of Swami, came down to save us from such pathetic condition,
I feel always a total loss (though You never think so) for You by seeing the situation.
Other than You, no one can save us as You only can come down to so low level,
Because Your level is so high that we all know it is simply unimaginable.
Swami, You Yourself are the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva,
Similarly, we also are the form of Trinity, with ego, jealousy and attachment.
You, the God Datta is teaching us that all the worldly bonds are filled with selfishness,
But Your love for us is totally selfless like the gold and its matchless brightness.
You, the embodiment of sacrifice, donated Yourself for us and became Datta truly,
In return, we are giving You only the rusted iron of selfish love not free from aspiration.
We, the sinful souls are so much full of ego from head to toe in this creation,
That even a comparison with lowest and lower, gives us satisfaction.
It is just by Your own kindness that You are allowing us to lead life of a human,
But we do not know how to respect You and of course have no realization.
In order to save Your children, only You, the Divine Father has to come to the earth,
We have no other option, only to take shelter in You and follow Your path.
How much effort will You, O Lord Datta, put to rescue us, the sinful souls?
There is no way that we can pay You back Swami, leading us towards our goal.
You are guiding the whole creation for our own upliftment,
But still, we are not realizing the value of such a pious movement.
Only very few are able to accept You and Your philosophy,
Who have tasted the divine nectar in the form of divine spiritual knowledge therapy.
We are trying to come out of the ignorance state and understand the reality,
As You are not appearing as superior to us, there too pacifying our inner jealousy.
All the illusions start vanishing slowly with Your grace only,
Otherwise, we will always remain in the darkness and forever lonely.
How fortunate we are, whom You have accepted as Your devotees,
Not only miraculous knowledge, You are also taking our sufferings,
And showering immense love on us to concentrate on the spiritual path smoothly.
I have a request to You my Swami, not to leave me alone in this path ever,
As You are not only the guide but the goal itself and I want to be there forever.
I am doing all sins, in all sinful angles, in all places and at all times,
O Ocean of Kindness! O Divine Father, God Datta! there is no other way for me than Yourself.