Satyopanishad – Upanishad Of Sri Sathya Sai – Part 23-2, Questions by Prof. Anilkumar Kamaraju
Manikandan Govindasamy
Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! From where has evil come? Do you say that the mind is the source? Then, what is it that transcends both, good and evil? How is evil to be eliminated? Swami alone can explain this with felicity, None else can. Kindly enlighten us.
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Evil is not related to the mind. Rather it stems from samskaras, previous accomplishments.
The mind is full of thoughts. That is why it is said, “sankalpavi kalpatmakam manah”. The mind is essentially determinations and negations. Being hard like wax, the mind softens with a little heat. In that state anything and everything sticks to it. When wax is thrown into fire, it melts completely. Attachment and hatred stick to the mind only when it is in the soft state. When the mind is melted away, nothing sticks to it. Then how does the mind melt away completely? Even as fire melts away wax completely, jnana, supreme wisdom, melts away the mind..
Atma is beyond good and evil, and nothing can touch or injure it. Being a witness, Atma transcends duality. Notice this little example. The lotus flower blooms in water and mud. Without these, there is no way it can exist. But, neither water nor mud sticks to the lotus. Mud represents samskaras of past lives, and water, the fruits of present actions: The flower of the soul is beyond past and present.
Desires which are bounde by time constitute nerpu (Telugu), skill or craft, while Divinity mined from the recesses of the heart is kurpu (Telugu), arrangement or synthesis. In other words, nerpu is pravrtti, outward oriented, and kurpu is nivrtti, inward oriented. If ‘nerpu’ is a matter of the mind, ‘kurpu’ is a matter of the heart. A small example. For irrigating the fields, an etam or waterlift is used. It bails out water. A long wooden beam is laid across a well with a heavy stone tied at one end with a rope, and a bucket hanging from the other end. When the bucket goes down deep into a well or a canal, it gets filled with water. At that time, the heavy stone goes up as in a see-saw or a balance. The stone represents desires, and hence the heaviness. This is nerpu or previous accomplishment. But, the bucket is not like that. It sinks deep into the well of the heart, and fills itself with the water of divinity. This is kurpu . Are there any games without a ground to play them on or a song without a rhythm to it! The bird comes out of the egg, and the tree from the seed. Likewise the nature of atma and humanness are reciprocal, and supplement each other. Then, not taking note of evils is the way to do away with them. Consider them illusions. That would be fine.
Question) Anil Kumar: Swami! Kaikeyi had sent Rama to the wilderness on the eve of his installation as the crown prince. What was Rama’s attitude to her? Generally, it would be one of hostility, wouldn’t it?
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: Rama is the embodiment of Dharma, the embodiment of Tranquility. Under no circumstance did he hate Kaikeyi. It was only after bowing down at her feet that he left for the forest accompanied by Sita and Lakshmana. Longing for the darsan of Rama, Bharata too proceeded to the forest, accompanied by feudatory kings, the army, citizens of Ayodhya, and the sages. Falling at Rama’s feet, he sought to be pardoned, and prayed to Rama to return to Ayodhya and rule the Kingdom. Kaikeyi stood pitiably to one side. Rama surveyed the gathering. Right away Rama addressed Bharata with these words: “Bharata! Has mother Kaikeyi arrived? Where is she?” Turning to her, Rama bowed at her feet. Her words, like the prelude to a great drama, had inaugurated the mission of the incarnation. Had she not expressed her desire as she did, the events of the Ramayana would not have taken place. She auspiciously initiated the work of the Divine Master Plan. Rama, indeed, knew this. Then, what scope is there for hostility and hatred?
Moreover, in this context, Rama had to uphold another dharma as well. At the time of Kaikeyi’s wedding with Dasaratha, her father, the king of Kekaya had made known his desire: “O King Dasaratha! You have contemplated marriage with my daughter, Kaikeyi, in order to have progeny. Then, it is her son, who should become king, your successor, shouldn’t he? Is this acceptable to you? If your queens Kausalya or Sumitra give birth to sons, Kaikeyi’s son would lose the right to kingship, wouldn’t he?” King Dasaratha listened to this wish, consulted Kausalya and Sumitra in the matter, apprised them of the implications, and won their approval. Then, Kausalya remarked: “After you had promised that Kaikeyi’s son alone would become king of Ayodhya, even if we were to conceive and give birth to sons, they would never act contrary to their father’s word of honour. None assuredly would be born in our dynasty but those who accept respectfully the fulfilment of their father’s wishes.” Accordingly, for Sri Ramachandra the practice of dharma and the fulfilment of his father’s wishes were supreme. Therefore, Kaikeyi’s wish is lawful and righteous. This was not unknown to Rama.