Saints Of India - Their Contribution To Hinduism-Part II

Swami Chinmayananda

oi-Staff

By Staff

Tuesday, May 12, 2009, 10:14

The ancient book Srimad Bhagavada records child sage Prahalada's sagacious words to his fellow youth, the first special class conducted ever in the world. and that was Prahaladji. Prahaladji calls us little fellow-men, fellow-creatures, and says: "Don't you listen to what Masters are saying". The asuric masters have a very vicious syllabus to teach. I will give you a Sattvic syllabus, the syllabus that you are reading here my dear listeners - with pride and with freedom. I can say, having come out of the cramping, cribbed condition of the colleges.

I can say, we in college cannot teach you what the youth camp here can teach you. We have never had the freedom. We have never had the liberty, nor have had the inclination. There you come under compulsion. Here you come under conviction. That is why you are listening. Otherwise you would be walking out or whispering among yourselves. It is because you want to know something which you have not learnt within the four walls of the college - that you come to a convention like this, which the Chinmaya Mission is so successfully conducting.

My dear children - youth needs a direction and I have always felt right from the time of Prahaladji this message has to go to the youth. There is a common misnomer that all religion is for 60 plus. They don't know that religion should start at 5 plus, as it did for little child Dhruva. Dhruva was 5 when he realised God and Prahalad was 7 when he realised God. Alarmingly young they were and yet they had a sparsha of the Lord. They had the touch of Divinity and a touch of Bliss. My dear children. Prahalad says:

Kaumara Acareth Pragnyo dharmam Bhagavatam niyaha
Dhurlabham maanusham janmam tadhapi adruvam artadam

In simple words it means it is in your childhood and youth that you should practise righteousness. A little later you are too stiff to practise anything nice. It is only in this flexible age, this pliant age when you can become what you want "Kaumara Aachareth praagne". The wise man starts practising when he is young, particularly Bhagavatha Dharmas. Bhagavatha Dharmas are the Dharmas, the characteristics of the sages. the sage-like qualities. Why because it is rare to be born as a human being. Many of us have had human birth, but rarer still is to find a purposeful life. "Dhurlabam Maanusham Janma, Thadhapi adhruvam arthatham" - a purposeful life is something which most of us have not realised.

My missionary friend Krishna Kumarji always asks me: "How many youngsters were in the audience?
To-day I can tell him there were very few old people. The reason is not that old ones have to be neglected. but these doctrines are often repeated for them. while the impact on youth is a seminal significant impact. People who heard Christ followed him. People who heard Gandhi followed him, people who heard the Great Master Vivekananda followed him, because they were young. they were enthusiastic and they were flexible. Religion and faith we put off indefinitely for tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow but our classics have taught us "Time Management" before our schools of management taught us what time was.

Our common-sensical sage poet called Barthruhari sais : "Time is not passing, we are passing"

Kalo Na yathu vaya meva vathaha

Everybody's watch is ticking off, but it does not matter to the watch whether it is 10 minutes to 10 or not. It matters to me, because I have 40 minutes to go. It is something personal. It is something that affects me as it affects you. Time has a subjective attitude for every person.

About the author

Prema Pandurang

She is the founder President of Samskriti (Home of Culture) and Kshetropasna Charitable Trust and the Founder Trustee of Shree Chakra Foundation. Kshetropasna Trust was founded by Pujya Prof.Prema Pandurang and Dr.P.R.Krishnakumar with the noble purpose of establishing a unique organization to revive the values and ideals of our Indian culture in India & Abroad. This Trust encompasses several activities. She wields a powerful pen and has a God-given gift of magnificent eloquence. She has to her credit a number of articles in various popular journals. Her writing always stimulate thought and inner peace. She speaks on God with fervor and conviction.