Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 41

Sutra 31. Rajagrihabhojanaadishu tathaiva drishtatwaat.

(For it is seen to be just so in the case of the king, home and dinner.)

Raja-griha-bhojanaadishu : in the case of the king, home and dinner 

Tatha : in similar manner

Eva : only

Drishtatwaat : because it has been seen.

Narada gives here three illustrations to explain his view that the experience of bliss by a Bhakta in the presence of the Lord is not the result of any practice. 

KING REMAINS KING WHEREVER HE IS

Once a king lost his son in a forest. The prince was found by a forester. He grew in the forest under the care of the forester. Neither the forester nor the child knew that the child was a prince. Later on, the truth was known and the prince was taken to his kingdom.

During the period that the prince stayed with the forester, he had not been any other than the prince. After he came into his kingdom also, he was not any other than the prince.

When the boy, who was ignorant of his parentage, and who considered himself a mere forester, heard of his parentage accidentally, nothing new is produced but he is only reminded of an existing fact. 

HOME IS THE SAME, WHENEVER ONE RETURNS HOME

A man goes on a long pilgrimage. For many days he wanders about and endures many hardships, he experiences severe kinds of troubles. He cannot enjoy during his journey, the conveniences which he enjoyed in his own home. 

The home continues to be his home even in his absence but the distance which stood in the way of his enjoyment is removed when he comes back. 

A DINNER / ANY ATTAINMENT ONLY SETTLES THE ATTAINER IN HIS ORIGINAL STATE (OF HAPPINESS)

When a man is hungry, he is unhappy. The food does not

produce any new satisfaction but only removes the disturbance caused by hunger . It removes hunger, the source of unhappiness. When the uneasiness is removed, the natural satisfaction remains undisturbed.

WHAT DO THE ABOVE 3 EXAMPLE TEACH, IN DEVOTION?

The three example teach a / the supreme truth which a devotee experiences in the path of devotion and a Mumukshu experiences in the path of wisdom, when the goal is reached, when they attain GOD / SELF Realization.

Swami goes through a display of Art / paintings etc in Parthi , way back in 90's and then when He comes out of the Bhajan hall where the paintings were displayed, He smiles and says, "Happiness is within". 

Author had a video of this scene and this one line from Avatar, stored in the depth of author's heart, in sub conscious mind, as though, charged him with a never before fire to take up the path of wisdom after Sai's parting (yet conveying, directing and gracing) glance in Aug 2010.

He has to give the example which he has given umpteen number of times, to drive home the truth revealed by Swami in his words above and the three illustrations in this sutra.

A South Indian coffee is indispensable for a Brahmin down south and his day cannot begin without that hot, filter coffee, the aroma of which captivates the one even when his wife makes coffee for him in kitchen.

A Pathan living in Kabul hates the same coffee and for him, his heaven is in his hot cup of tea, which he won't mind taking 10 times a day!!

Now, readers, is the real happiness there in that coffee or in that tea??

If it is there, then the coffee must give the same satisfaction to Pathan or that tea must give the same satisfaction to the Brahmin in South India. 

So, where is the real satisfaction or real happiness, as poured by Bhagawan, really is???

• The  peace, the  Bliss, the  pure  existence (SATH) is the  REAL / ETERNAL  NATURE of Any Individual.
• Since we are infected by the ignorance of our real existence as given above, we tend to move away from our real nature and fail to be in the realm of Bliss / peace always.
• Then the man cries, "ENGE NIMMADI?", From where do I get peace??
• God replies, Know who you are, the real I, then that real I need not search for peace, for, you are the Truth (Sath), pure existence consciousness (Chit) , pure bliss (Ananda)!

In the context of devotion, the journey starts with Love for God and it is external in the beginning, as the object of Love is God whom you think as some one other than you.

At the end of the journey, God bestows His grace on you, being satisfied with your devotion and you realize that You and the God whom you loved hitherto, this creation, this earth, that heaven is all nothing but LOVE!!.

So, here, Swami's pour comes true- "True Happiness / Love, is within".

Just like,

The Prince, on knowing his reality, had no confusion that he was the same prince even when he was in forest, as he is born as prince.

The one who returns home after pilgrimage, has no confusion about the reality of his home, even if he returns after 10 years, he knows his home, he is not stranger to his home.

A hungry person, after a sumptuous meal, is as much satisfied as if he was never hungry!!!!!

The happiness that a Pathan gets on drinking a Tea or a Brahman on sipping a coffee are not inherent in  tea / coffee. The real nature of that Pathan or that Tamil Brahmin (as much in the case of all beings) is inherent in them, it is their real nature. 

Their forgotten nature, Happiness (real happiness),  comes to the forefront and their heart goes and touches and embraces the same eternal happiness once a desire is fulfilled. The texture of the happiness, even on fulfillment of a mean desire is the same, the eternal happiness / peace / Love / Bliss, whatever you may call it.

Sadly, this is not realized by human beings that, irrespective of what comes and goes, our real nature is happiness / bliss. So, ignorant of this truth, the human mind, like a monkey, jumps from one desire to another till the time it gets tired, sick and dies!!!!

The Author can go on and on to explain, but for a sincere reader, what ever explained till now, is MORE THAN ENOUGH to know the real significance of Sai's gospel- "REAL HAPPINESS IS WITHIN".

Love.

PS. There is a school of thought which gives a totally different meaning to this verse.

They say, whether it is going to a Raja Graha or settling for a dinner, the efforts must be sincere, the goal must be clear and the significance of being blessed by a King or having a good dinner must always be clear . 

i.e., In devotion, the efforts must be sincere, the goal must be clear, the worthiness of reaching God must wash off the pain / the struggle undertaken in the journey to reach God.

However, the interpretation which has been given in the above post, i.e., on reaching the destination (God realization), one discovers that he is always THAT (Love / Bliss / Ananda / Real Existence), which came from within, is more suitable, as it connects directly to the author's experience as well as the eternal secret which our Srutis have given us.

Love.