Bhagawan on Shraddha – Dr. K Anil Kumar (PhD 1990)
I recall a sequence of wonderful “sambhashanams” that He granted to guide us on the right path. I was one of a group of students Swami had called to the interview room. I was seated at the far end corner of the room. The topic of the discussion was the Bhagavad Gita (what a coincidence – His Will, I am writing this on Gita Jayanti day), He turned towards me and queried whether I knew the first verse of the Bhagavad Gita. I recited the first line “dharma-kṣhetre kuru-kṣhetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ” since that is all I knew, and then fell silent. Swami then looked deeply at me and said, “You have a lot of Bhakti but no Shraddha.” This made me start thinking about what “Shraddha” actually meant. I researched and became more confused than ever before. The Lord, having ignited the lamp, will ensure it burns bright. He will, in His infinite Love, continue the guidance until we learn it in its totality. In a subsequent interview which was almost a year later, Swami spoke to me on Shraddha. He gave the most profound yet simplest meaning of Shraddha – He said, “Shraddha consists of two aspects – Asakti and Sthiratwam.” He then went on to explain that Asakti is a never-ending yearning to be with the LORD, a deep yearning coupled with enthusiasm (in Telugu – “utsahamu to koodina tapas”); Sthiratwam is steady pursuit, an unwavering mind (in Telugu – “chalinchani manasu”). Then, Swami said, “Follow what Saimata tells Shraddha will naturally come.” Such a simple but profound and practical explanation for Shradda, only our Dear Lord can convey in such a manner. Every word of our Lord is suffused with deep significance. I was wondering why Swami referred to himself as “Saimata”, a rare mention and whether there was any deeper significance to this. Yes, every doubt is cleared in His presence – “Om Sri Sai Sakala Samshaya Haraya Namaha”. In the following festival discourse, Swami said that Mother (Shakti) is “Shraddha” and Shiva is “Saburi”. Prayer to Mother will bestow us with Shraddha. HIS love and guidance are “purnam – total”. Swami did not stop this lesson there. In the next interview a year later, He explained, “With Shraddha even a small tiny spark of amber can be made into a mighty flame.” Swami said that we are a spark of fire, through shraddha we can become Our Lord.
Like a loving and dedicated Guru, the Lord is
प्रेरकः सूचकश्वैव वाचको दशर्शकस्तथा । fशक्षको बोधकश्चैव षडेते गुरवः स्मृताः ॥
“He is the motivator, the guiding post, the eloquent preacher, the example, the teacher, and the enlightened one.”
