Sl. No. 4 - Lecture - (Power of Satsang and the ill-effect of Pride.)

Dhaka - East Bengal Brahmomandir
Sunday, 6th March 1292 Bengali Calender [1886 A.D.]

When Prahlad became the king and sat on the throne of the asuras (demons), then unrest disappeared and peace prevailed in the kingdom. There was no war anywhere in the kingdom. Everything was peaceful. Then the asuras found that because of no war, their demoniac nature was not getting fulfilment. So they were dissatisfied. Some of them felt that owing to the sattwaguna (pious nature) within Prahlad, peace had been established in the kingdom, therefore unless tamoguna, (lowest level of character) was implanted in him their demoniac activities would not survive. Thinking thus, they started slandering the gods and the Almighty. Finding this intolerable, Prahlad plugged his ears and left the place. This apart, the asuras kept serving foods that promote tamoguna, like liquor, meat etc to Prahlad. Thus tamoguna started penetrating his body. When Prahlad started worship, the thoughts of the bad actions of the gods appeared in his mind and anger developed. Then he ordered the asuras to prepare for war. Immediately the entire surroundings reverberated with trumpeting elephants, neighing of horses, and beating of war trumpets. Readying himself thus, Prahlad set out to conquer the whole world. Whichever kingdom he went to, he was greeted as the devotee Prahlad with great pleasure and presented with suitable gifts that a devotee deserved. Prahlad then felt that the idea of war was no more feasible. He then went to Lord Vishnu. Taking advantage of his absence, Prahlad sat on Vishnu’s throne. Seeing Prahlad seated on Vishnu’s throne, Lakshmi felt that it would cause great harm to Prahlad. She then invited Narada and said, “Just sing keertan praising God and saints, before Prahlad who is afflicted with tamoguna. Let sattwaguna awake in Prahlad, else nothing will be good.” According to Lakshmi’s wishes Narada started singing keertan praising saints and God before Prahlad. On hearing this Prahlad realised his soul’s danger and became restless. Vishnu consoled him in different ways.

He said, “You have become restless because you sat on my throne; but when you were thrown into the fire, when you were tied up with a boulder and dropped into the water, when you were pushed from the mountain peak, then it was me who took you in my lap to save you from that fire, water and mountain peak and bore all your sufferings. What offence can you commit to me?” Prahlad broke down and said, “Oh Master, by driving you away, by occupying your throne I have brought on my ruin.”

We see such things in the world of dharma too. For example, Prahlad was earning dharma with great effort. All troubles had passed and peace was established. Having seen this the asuras indulged in various conspiracies and finally made him drift from the path of dharma. He could no longer protect dharma. Similarly inspite of earning dharma against odds we too find it difficult to retain it. If somebody displays the slightest sign of having acquired religiosity, immediately asuras attack from all sides. These asuras stay nowhere else but within ourselves. We have to be on our guard to ensure that no polluted thought penetrates our mind. We shall instantly leave such places where discussion of filthy topics, fault finding with others and slandering take place. “That person is irreligious, I am religious, he commits evil deeds, I do all the good things”– expressions of pride like this and slandering of the respectable ones pollute the heart. We shall therefore try to give these up as soon as possible.

What we want is only dharma. What is that thing called dharma? A thing which exists today and disappears tomorrow, that which does not have joy in it is not dharma. Dharma is that which remains in good shape and grows gradually. Our dharma will be felt when we shall see that our religious tendencies are increasing step by step, and when this does not happen it is not dharma.

How is this dharma protected? Just as Prahlad had a change of heart after his association with the devotee Narada, he felt remorse on realising his offences, in the same way we too should associate with religious people (satsanga). Satsanga has various good qualities. What is satsanga? The place where religious feelings blossom, from where irreligiousities are driven away, the places having no groupism or communalism, is satsanga. The place of satsanga is always imbued with holy talks, holy discussion and pure bliss. The place where some people are laughing, some others are dancing with joy—that is known as satsanga. The place devoid of these things is not satsanga. Everybody is treated as equal by the man who is pious. His degree of affection does not vary on the basis of his closeness or distance with persons. Even the person considered to be worthy of hell, is treated lovingly by him, because he is pleased to find his Master in him. He does not entertain any sense of groupism.

One’s state of religiosity can be protected by worship, satsanga, reading holy books, thinking of oneself as a lowly person giving up pride. God, the crusher of pride humbles one’s pride. The entire state of one’s religiosity vanishes with the slightest presence of pride. In the religious world, the lowliest and the humblest has the biggest claim.