By: Sri Baba Shivarudra Balayogi
(Shivabalayogi Ashram, Dehradun)
I invoke the blessings of Shirdi Sai Baba for all the readers of SAI AURA for a happy and prosperous new year 2022.
All of you should practice Shraddha and Saburi as advised by Sai Maharaj. Ramayana, Mahabharata generously use adjectives such as brave, courageous, beautiful, powerful, and so on to describe their characters.
The small print, however, talks of what Lord Sainath stated in Sai Satcharita on determination, optimism, and perseverance, not falling prey to poor self-esteem and dejection. Only such people become legends. For instance, on the dawn of 2022, let us recall the ‘Saburi’ – perseverance of Vishwamitra, the fiery-tempered sage.
Vishwamitra was once a powerful king. While on a world tour with a large entourage, he met Sage Vasishta. The sage welcomed him and wished to entertain him. Incredulous at the thought of a sage being able to feed his entire retinue, the king politely refused. But the sage insisted. And so, a life-changing event took place. The sage commanded his cow Sabala to lay a regal repast. As the astounded King watched, delicacies after delicacies were being placed before him and the entire army.
Greed veered its head and the King desired to possess Sabala. Vasishta refused to part with Sabala. Vishwamitra tried all means to convince the sage and finally resorted to violence. Vasishta stopped all of Vishwamitra’s arrows with his staff alone. Vishwamitra was jealous of the sage’s prowess. He decided to harness that power. His goal was to attain the status equal to Vasishta’s, in terms of spiritual merit.
Giving up all riches, he undertook severe penance. When he attained some measure of success, Brahma appeared before him and granted him a boon. Vishwamitra desired all possible weapons that the divine could give him. Armed thus, he went back to attack Vasishta. Again, Vasishta’s staff alone quelled all his attacks.
Vishwamitra returned to penance again. This time a King came to him with a request that he be transported to heaven with his body. Vasishta had told the king that it was not possible. To prove one better than Vasishta, Vishwamitra promised the King that he would do the needful. When he failed in doing so, he salvaged the situation by creating a new solar system midway where the King still rests, though upside down. It is called Trishanku Swarga. In the process, however, Vishwamitra spent all the spiritual merit he had earned thus far.
Relentless he began all over. Now an apsara by the name of Menaka came to lure him. Vishwamitra was infatuated. After years of enjoyment, he suddenly woke up to the fact that this was a ploy of Gods to disturb his spiritual progress. He then overcame lust and went back to penance. Now, a nymph, Rambha, was sent to lure him. Vishwamitra could see through it this time, but alas he could not control his temper. He cursed her and again lost all the merit he had gained. Vishwamitra realized that anger had to be overcome
Finally, having conquered greed, jealousy, arrogance, lust, and anger, Vishwamitra was on the road to real penance. Despite setbacks and conniving circumstances, he went back to attain his goals, each time correcting himself a little bit more. He did not give up, in spirit or form.
This time the Gods knew he deserved all the praise and so it was then that he earned the epithet of Brahmarishi.
So, don’t lose heart. Setbacks happen. Problems arise. We must try to carry on despite them. When we give up our baggage like hatred, jealousy, greed, desire we become clear to receive Sai grace.
Somewhere, something good is waiting to happen. Remember Lord Sainath is close behind your thoughts and let us seek his blessings
Leave a Reply