A Dip into Vishnu Sahasranama-2

The fact is that world is full of problem. Philosophers call it the problem of evil. But it is a case of wrong nomenclature. It is to give a negative name to a positive phenomenon. Problems exist in the universe, but problems are not evil; they are challenges. The only meaningful explanation of this phenomenon is to take problems as challenges posed by Sai Parabrahman to test our ‘sraddha’.

This phenomenon can be explained by keeping in mind the creation plan of the Creator in this second shloka of Vishnu Sahasranama –

‘Pootatma Paramatma Cha Muktanaam Parama Gatihi,
Avyaha Purushah akshi Kshetrjnoschara Eva Cha’

There is a difference between the human and material world. According to Sai Baba’s plan, the material world has no freedom of choice. The course of the material world is predetermined while man is free to make his choices. It is this difference that creates problems in the human world that can be viewed positively.

The concept of self-development does not exist in the material world.  Man, on the other hand, was born with a great potential, and this potential can be realized during different circumstances.  It is only in circumstances of pressure that man’s hidden potential can be turned into actuality.  The word ‘Pootatma’ means the Pure Self, verily the ‘Paramatma’ – The Supreme Self is the goal of the emancipated as ‘Muktanam Paramagatihi’.

He is ‘Avyaya’ — the Unchanging person as ‘Purusha’.  He is the Witness – the ‘Sakshi’ of all our activities as ‘Kshetrajna’ – the knower of the field, and of course the ‘Aatha’ recorder of its past and present sojourns.

One should understand this law of nature.  On planet earth, the gravitational pull exists in the right proportion.  This pull is so important that without it civilizations could never have come into existence.  But this blessing of the Creator remained unknown to man until the Physicist Isaac Newton received shock treatment from nature.  According to a well-known story he was hit on the head by an apple when he was sitting under an apple tree.  Through this ‘hit’, nature was, as if saying in silent language, ‘O man, why don’t you think.  If you think you will come to learn a great reality.’

In this respect, everyone is like Newton.  Everyone is born with great treasure in his mind.  But every person needs a shock treatment.  This is the course of nature explained in Vishnu Sahasranama and there is no exception in this regard.  Without passing through this course, a person’s mind will not unfold, and he will not be able to achieve great success.

In ‘Sai Satcharitra’ we come across the story of a rich land lord Chandbhai Patil of Dhoopkhed village, who in 1858 lost his mare.  Months together he searched for it and he was bemoaning his loss.  His endless search ultimately led him to Sai Baba.  With Baba’s help he not only regained his mare and he emerged as the greatest leader of Sai-Bhakti leading Sai Baba to his nephew’s wedding at Shirdi, from where the ‘Loving God’ is operating for the welfare of humanity.

A millionaire lawyer of Salem, Narasimha Iyer had the greatest tragedy of his life in 1921, when he lost two of his children as they slipped into a well and drowned.  After this incident, Narasimha Iyer gave up his family ties and started in search of truth.  The result was that he emerged as a great saint – Sri Narasimha Swamiji who first discovered for us Ramana Bhagawan between 1926 and 1929, and later in 1936 Sai Baba at Shirdi.  He went all over India between 1936 and until his ‘Mahasamadhi’ in 1956 and through his lectures, books and ‘Sai Prachar’ has taken Sai Baba ‘out of Shirdi to all over globe’ as a personal God of millions.  The tragic death of his children ‘changed the course of his life’.

If an ‘apple’ hits your head, do not take it in the negative sense, but know that it has hit your head to make your mind a super mind.  Take it as a wake-up call – that a new day is dawning upon you.