The culture of India is the oldest and yet the most active even today. It is ever fresh, for, it is based on beginning-less and eternal truths, concerning human nature, and the external world, which impinges on human consciousness. This culture has emphasised that human activity is best done as dedication to God, the Sat-Cit-Ananda, that pervades and envelopes the Universe. It has taught man to work with reverence and humility; then it draws out the full potentialities of the faculties, with which God has endowed man.
The name Bharati, means, Bha (God), rati (love). Love towards God, which enthuses man to consecrate every little effort of his for His Glory. That Love (rati) will awaken the compassion of man, towards all God’s children, human or animal; it will make him blind to the failings and faults of all others, and aware of his own; it will render him responsive to the pain, and the joy of everyone around him. It will fill him with wonder and amazement at the handiwork of God and he is able to see Divinity everywhere and in everything.
You must be told, during these years at College, the grandeur and glory of this unique heritage, for, it is your right, the duty the elders owe you. But, most of the students pass through the portals of schools and colleges, without securing, the priceless treasure left by the sages of the past. I am glad the members of the staff of this College have planned a course of lessons on Indian Culture, to supplement the curriculum, and to give you the sustenance the sages have laid in store for you.
They call the course, Bharatiya Samskriti. Samskriti means culture which cleanses the metal, shapes in, the mould, melts in the crucible to purify, brightens and straightens. Indian culture removes the dross of animality there by enabling man to devote all his time towards the pilgrimage to God Within him. It is a double process-this Samskriti: the plucking out of weed and the sowing of seeds. And, it starts in India, right, from the cradle. It has to be continued through kindergarten, school and College.
The Anantapur College has to set an example, by providing opportunities for the rising generations to practise the disciplines in order to purify and promote these ideals. That is the reason, which prompted its establishment. You have been influenced in this direction already, by the homes in which you have spent the formative years, and by the; society in which you have learnt your attitudes, habits and prejudices. Here too, you influence each other, by your conversation and behaviour. All this will help you in understanding and benefitting from the culture of India.
The mother-country is not a map or an extent of soil, or a collection of names; it is the mother, which feeds the body as well, as the mind; that sings lullabies and presents and pictures for the eye and the spirit; it teaches the art of; moving towards the, goal of life, namely, self-realisation.! It gives every child knowledge of its potentialities and its limitations. It is thus both Lakshmi and Saraswati.
A Women’s College has an added responsibility to practise and preserve the essential values of Bharatiya Samskriti. Motherhood is the most precious gift of God. Mothers are the makers of a nation’s fortune or misfortune. They should teach two lessons, fear of sin and fondness for virtue. Both these are based on faith in God, being the inner motivator of all. If you want to know how advanced a nation is, study the mothers; are they free from fear and anxiety, are they full of Love towards all, are they trained in fortitude and virtue? If you like to imbibe the glory of a culture, watch the mothers, rocking the cradles, feeding, fostering, teaching and fondling the babies.
Mothers must assume this responsibility and not throw it on ayahs or governesses. Of course, ayahs and governesses are industrious and sincere. I have nothing to say against them. But, the child that is brought up by the ayah loses an essential fertiliser for growth, Love. The child is denied the most health-giving vitamin, Love. The home where the fragrance of this Love has to be inhaled has now lost its sacred atmosphere. Harmony amongst the inmates of a household is fast receding. There is no shrine for God in most houses; even if there is, it is in a corner of the kitchen, where no one can sit and spend some time in meditation; or, the worship of God in that shrine is performed by a paid priest, as an empty and enforced ritual. The great temples of this land, built by devoted hands through the toil of decades of dedication, are neglected and allowed to fall in ruins. The inspiration of group singing and group worship is forgotten and even ridiculed!
You must in this College emphasise cultivating physical health and mental equanimity, as well as scholarship and proficiency. A healthy mind is pre-requisite for a healthy body. There is an example of Indra Devi of Mexico, who learnt Yoga in India, with a view to derive physical and spiritual benefits. See how active, energetic, and happy she appears to be in spite of her age.
Atmavidya is the only Vidya that can save sustain, when man is tossed about on the sea of The art of living should help to attain liberation. This Vidya is a special feature of Bharat, and that is why Bharat has been considered as a teacher of Humanity. She has to take up that ancient role, in spite of the apathy of the people and the short-sighted attitude of the rulers. The God who dwells in the dewdrop and the star, in the scientist as well as the atom he studies, can be visualised only by a purified inner consciousness. The tongue alone can taste sweetness, and that too, when it is healthy. So too, only a pure consciousness can recognise the grandeur and glory of God. Purify this through the constant repetition of the idea of Soham, He is I, I am He, so that He and I will merge and only He remains.
Dwell on these Divine Thoughts, engage yourselves in activity for the sake of His Adoration, then, you will earn ‘marks’ in plenty; I appreciate your efforts to secure such ‘marks’, not the ‘remarks’ from the Principal and Professors. (Sathya Sai Women’s College, Anantapur, 5.9.1968). (SSS Vol.7, pp. 19-22)
Women, who were all these centuries, the bulwarks of Indian culture, the guardians of Indian spiritual wealth, are fast succumbing to the flimsy attractions of foppish culture, as is evident from the modes of living and the social behaviour of many educated women. This is the result of the artificial and empty system of education, as well as the subtle pulls of cheap literature and shoddy films. Women are the mothers of the coming generation; they are the teachers of that generation, during the first five years of life.
The mother’s responsibility is most crucial
The mother is the first of the five Matas (Mothers), that the Indian child encounters: Deha mata (the mother that gave birth to this body); Gomata (the cow that gives sustaining milk); Bhumata (the land that grows the crops which feed the body); Desha mata (the Native country that gives protection, care, love, rights and chances to serve and elevate oneself to one’s full height), and Veda mata (the heritage of spiritual treasure that reveals the aim and purpose of human life and takes one step by step, towards the Goal of Self-realisation). The Deha mata must reveal to the child the glories of all the other four; so her responsibility is the greatest and most crucial. That is the reason why it has been resolved to start a women’s college, in every State, in order to promote the Dharma, which I have come to establish. This is part of the general task. Every act of Mine, every word, will have only that goal in view. (SSS Vol. 6, p. 204)- (Divine discourse at the Inauguration of Sri Sathya Sai Arts and Science College for Women, Anantapur, 22-7-1968)
(See - Sri Sathya Sai Institute Of Higher Learning)