There was a family of wife and husband, of whom the wife
was very devoted to God and was always in thought of the Divine.
She worried that her husband never uttered the name of God, even once. She believed in the truth that uttering the
name of God was the best way to get liberation and it was a
boat to cross the ocean of life.
She was praying to God, entreating
Him to show mercy on her and make her husband utter
God’s name. She even questioned the Lord as to whether it
was her misfortune to have such a husband, and as Compassionate
One, could He not transform her husband into a devotee
like her?
The same night when she was contemplating on such entreaties
to God, she heard her husband suddenly utter, “Rama,
Rama,” in his sleep. Her joy knew no bounds when she heard
her husband utter Rama’s name, which he had never done before.
She thought her prayer to God was answered.
She got up ealier than usual in the morning and decorated
the entrance to her house with rangoli and arranged for Mangala
Vadya to be played. When the husband got up, he was
surprised to see the decorations and hear the auspicious music,
and he was wondering whether it was a festival day.
When he
asked his wife the cause for these extraordinary arrangements
made by her, she said that all along he had never uttered God’s
name, but the previous night he said “Rama, Rama,” in his
sleep. So, she was profoundly happy and decided to celebrate
this event in a befitting manner.
On hearing this, the husband got perplexed and exclaimed,
“Have I let out the Lord enshrined in my heart so carefully all
along? What a pity!” So saying, he breathed his last.
In this way, pravaha persons may not be uttering God’s
name or doing external worship, but they may have the thought
of God enshrined in their heart. Some among the modern youth
are singing bhajans and participating in nagarsankirthan.
Looking at this, some elders are questioning, “Why should
these youth take up this sort of activity in this age? They ever uttered the name of should do this only after they retire from service, in their old
age.” This is totally wrong. Remembering God and chanting
His name should be done without break always, at all places
and in all situations —Sarvada Sarvakaleshu Sarvatra Harichinthanam.
There is no restriction of time or place for chanting
the divine name.
(From the Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)
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