Between You and Us

Dear Reader,

Sai Ram, and greetings from Prashanti Nilayam. So, how did you like our Sivarathri special? We are simply dying to know!

As we wrote in our last issue, we did a live TV broadcast on Sivarathri evening, from 5 PM to 8 PM. Millions saw it in India and they were absolutely thrilled. We have a special article on that effort. Subsequently, we sent the data files to the U.S, where special arrangements had been made to stream the program during the weekend. So this year, many people in different parts of this country and America have been able to see the spectacular events of Sivarathri almost immediately or very soon after. In some respects, we do have to be grateful to modern technology!

The 30th of March is Rama Navami. The name Rama evokes great joy, and Ananda in Swami. No surprise in that because Rama is truly the embodiment of Sathya and Dharma. Not that the other Avatars are any less; far from it; however, among the people, Rama’s name has become synonymous with these two basic values. As late Mr. V.K.Narasimhan [whom some may remember as the late Editor of Sanathana Sarathi] often used to say, there were many great kings like Alexander the Great and Akbar the Great, but Rama is remembered more often than these so-called great kings. Why? Because Rama stood for Truth and Righteousness. In fact, in India, even to this day, people talk of Rama Rajya as the ideal. It means a reign where Truth and Righteousness prevail and there is Justice.

Gandhi was a great devotee of Rama, and constantly chanted His Name. He once said that his breath may stop but not his chanting. About the Name, Swami has spoken so many times. On 30th January 1948 when an assassin pumped bullets into Gandhi as he was coming for the evening prayer meeting, Gandhi muttered He Ram twice and died. In the Gita, the Lord says that one must die remembering the Lord in the very last minute. Swami has repeated this many times and also narrated humorous stories to drive home the point. And, above all, Swami stresses that one cannot remember the Lord in the last moment, unless one makes it a habit. In other words, Chanting the Name or Namasmaranam must always be going on, like background processing in a computer! What do you think?

All the best. Jai Sai Ram.

SGH TEAM