SARVETRAH SUKHNAH SANTUH: DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

One of the questions that often disturbs us is; “what is the sense in praying for the welfare of all, when it is an impossible proposition?”

Is it not true that it is impossible for every one to be happy?

Why should we pray for such unrealistic goal?

In Sanskrit there is a prayer as follows:

Sarvetrah sukhinh santu
Sarve santu niramayaah
Sarve bhadrani pashyantu
Maa kaschit dukkham aapnuyat

Grossly speaking this means:
Let every body be happy
Let every body be pure at heart
Let every body see (experience) divinity
Let every body be free from sorrow.

Is this ever possible?

Can all; around 7000 million people of world; be happy, pure, divine and free from sorrow?

Is this possible in view of innumerable varieties of psychological and physiological variations, diseases, handicaps; besides; political, economic, cultural and other variations?

Is this possible (even if all 7000 million human beings and other living beings are emancipated) if we consider the millions of human beings and other living beings being born a new; every second?

What about the other living beings such as animals and plants, which are often brutally killed and eaten or used for leather, fur, teeth, blood, bile etc; or exploited in other ways?

Similarly is it really ever possible to have unconditioned love, equality, nonviolence etc, in view of our different, variable and varying personalities, constitutions and tendencies (e.g. cheating, exploitative, criminal)?

The answer to this question is:

In view of the nature of NATURE; we can not predict the future of the universe in terms of detailed characteristics. It is not desirable also to plan (because it is unnatural, absurd and arbitrary) a detailed protocol/blue print for the whole universe (or even an individual); and expect or impose it coercively!

But; while the prayer is for universe; it automatically helps us; in our blossoming and transformation; from TAMOGUNA and RAJOGUNA to SATVAGUNA; and finally to the state of GUNANATEETAVASTHA i.e. from baddha (state of bondage) to mumukshu to sadhak to siddha. Siddha is the state of eternal freedom. It is a state of blissful, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent experience; which is called AMRUTANUBHAVA.

The prayer and its effect (attainment of AMRUTANUBHAVA) continue through ages; to serve the ever renewing life everywhere and in all forms; from time to time. This perfectly concurs with the eternally valid enlightened wisdom in the apparently simple preaching of “NAMASMARAN for the sake of only NAMASMARAN”; by Shri Gondavlekar Maharaj from Gondavle in India.