Swamiji TV

Other links



Video details

Endure the challenges of life

A satsang story about marital harmony, spiritual tests, and faith.

"Fortunate indeed are those who experience a harmonious family life. When a couple shares perfect harmony, understanding, and love, that is the happiest family."

"The best way to handle someone's aggression is not to swallow it... but to be a good husband by remaining silent. If she says something harsh, simply reply, 'Yes, I understand, thank you.'"

The speaker narrates a parable about a devout farmer with a fiercely antagonistic wife. When thirty sādhus arrive, the farmer uses a clever deception to persuade his wife to prepare a lavish feast for them, showcasing his unwavering faith and patience. The story expands into a discourse on the spiritual importance of marriage, the power of prayer, and the soul's journey, emphasizing the roles of tyāga (renunciation) and the guiding Satguru.

Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic

There is a story of Gurujī, one of the many satsaṅg stories. Should I tell the whole story or only the end? Fortunate indeed are those who experience a harmonious family life. When a couple shares perfect harmony, understanding, and love, that is the happiest family. If husband and wife share the same opinions, decisions, and qualities, then they possess the kingdom of heaven; they live like a king in heaven. As the Urdu saying goes, "Miyā̃, bābū rājī, kyā kare kājī?" If the husband and wife are happy and in agreement, then even the Kājī, the priest, can do nothing. They are happy. On the other hand, if the husband and wife have no shared opinion and constantly quarrel—if he dislikes what she says and she dislikes what he says—then life becomes difficult. There was once a farmer who was very spiritual, wise, and devoted. He would help anyone who came and was exceptionally humble and devoted when he saw sādhus. His wife, however, was like a dog with rabies—restless and aggressive. The husband had no chance to come near her; she would constantly order him, "Go and do this, go and do that." She became especially furious, like a volcano, if he brought any sādhus or spiritual people home. She wanted no prayers, no incense (agrabattī), no lights, and gave him a hard time. Yet the husband was great. If she refused to cook when guests came, he would say, "It's okay. Today we will not eat, is it okay?" When she was very angry, he would say, "Darling, don't lose your energy. I accept my mistake." The best way to handle someone's aggression is not to swallow it, which can cause stomach or psychic problems, but to be a good husband by remaining silent. If she says something harsh, simply reply, "Yes, I understand, thank you." At that time, she is boiling inside, but no answer is an answer—an answer that brings purification. The next day she might say, "I'm sorry." He would ask, "For what?" She would say, "I was not nice to you yesterday." He would reply, "Which yesterday? I didn't listen to what you were talking about." This would make her angry again. She wouldn't call upon God but would instead complain, "Ah, God, devil. Why do I have such bad luck to have such a husband?" He would say, "Darling, now we can't help it. We have to spend a lifetime together. Let our karma finish in this life. I am happy. I thank God to have such a wife. I pray that such a wife should be only for a rare, special person." One day, a group of sādhus came—thirty of them. They came walking on foot to his farm at around nine in the morning. The farm was beautiful, with many vegetables and fruits, and a nice well for watering the fields. The sādhus thought, "There is good fresh water; we will wash ourselves and our clothes here." When the farmer saw the sādhus in their orange cloth, he saw them as divine beings from Brahmaloka. He thought, "How fortunate I am. How lucky I am." As Mirabai said, that day is counted as life itself when one meets a saint. One must respect the sannyāsī, be careful, and not sit too close, as proximity can be dangerous. The farmer asked them, "What about your eating, dear sir? It is now 9 o'clock; by 11 or 12, you will not have eaten?" They replied, "No. God will give when His time comes. The weight of the stomach we don't carry on our shoulders." Those who carry sandwiches and provisions for a picnic show no trust in God. God gives a little corn or sugar to the ant and 100 kilos to the elephant every day; they carry nothing on their backs. The farmer then said, "Please, can you be so kind as to bless my house and eat there today?" They said, "Good luck, bhakta, you are the fortunate one. We are a group of thirty sādhus. We will eat at eleven-thirty. We will relax, wash our clothes, perform prāṇāyāma, āsana, and our daily yoga. You go home to prepare the food." On his way home, the farmer's heart was joyful for this opportunity, but he also thought, "At home sits the Rākṣasanī. She will first kill me and then them. What to do?" This is why many men do not come home early; they go to a party, a pub, or gamble and return very late when their wife is already asleep. In this case, it was the wife. He thought, "What will I do? For certain things, you have to lie for the sake of her protection, his protection, the sādhus' protection, and the protection of my promise." At 9:30, he arrived home. She said, "Stupid one, what are you doing here? It's time to work in the field. Why are you running here and there? Crazy. Who will take care of the field? Where's my stick?" He said, "My dear Mahāśakti, don't talk like this." She demanded, "Why are you not in the field? Tell me quickly and go." He said, "You know, thirty people came from your birthplace, from your village. As a wedding party, they were traveling the whole night and are very tired. They came to our farmhouse." She asked, "Where are they? I think you are normal. Where are they? Good that you came. They are just washing themselves. They are very tired, so I should first go and see them, meet them, get their blessings and give them blessings. Oh, golden sunrise, my people from my village! Let's go!" He said, "Wait a moment, don't be so hasty." She retorted, "Why? I should not meet my people? Who are you to stop me? You take care of the home; I go there." He said, "You can meet them after as many hours or days as you want. They are hungry and tired. They will say, 'What kind of girl is this from our village?' They still see her as stupid." She asked, "What did you say?" He said, "Don't talk. Cook something nice for them." She asked, "Are you sure they are my people or yours? Are there some sādhus?" He replied, "Yes, they are your sādhus from your village." In those days, people loved their village as their own family. Every boy of the village was respected as a brother, and every girl as a sister. The whole village was like one family. He said, "Cook quickly. I will wait, take the food there, and then bring them here." She said, "Are you normal? My people are not beggars that you give food there. They will come here. So go and bring them while I cook." He agreed, "Okay, no problem. Exactly at 11:30, you know your people are punctual and correct. They love to come on time and go on time. They are very hungry, so you should prepare the food already served." She said, "Speak normally to me." He confirmed, "Eleven-thirty, thirty plates will be prepared." He then left. She made a lot of good food. For an Indian woman, even feeding a hundred people is no problem within two hours, whereas elsewhere it might take three days of cooking and storing in the fridge. That is the talent. Your happy, bright future begins when you can cook. Learn cooking. If you want to be rich, healthy, happy, and have a bright future, learn cooking. Do not learn engineering or anything else. Good, healthy cooking will make your children brilliant. She prepared halvā, parāṭhās, three sabjīs, khīr, mango juice, and more. She washed, made up, and waited, asking, "When will he come? When will he come?" The farmer approached from the back of the house, knowing that if she saw the sādhus from a hundred meters away, it would not be a good day and might be the last day of his life. He entered first. She asked, "Where are they? We must welcome them nicely. Come here, stand here, welcome them." The sādhus arrived, chanting "Hari Om, Hari Om, Namaḥ Nārāyaṇa." She then said, "Oh, my God. They are not my people!" She took a big bamboo stick, but the farmer, being strong, caught her and tied her to a tree in the yard. The sādhus, being from East India, did not understand the Rajasthani dialect. They all came in. The food was ready. She was screaming and trying to throw dust from her feet onto their thālīs. The sādhus asked, "Bhakta, what happened to your wife? Is there a problem? We don't understand what she is talking about." He said, "Yes, she has some psychic problems. She cooks beautiful food, nicely prepared. But when someone begins to eat, she becomes crazy and tries to throw dust inside. That's why I tie her here." She was shouting, "His father, his mother, they are all crazy. He's crazy, I'm normal, he's crazy. Wait, wait. Tonight you will see." The sādhus asked, "What did she say?" The farmer replied, "She said something. Wait and eat peacefully." All the sādhus said, "We bless her. She will be normal one day." Again, she said, "I don't need your blessing. I am normal; you are all not normal." It is like the story of someone driving the wrong way on the highway. The radio announced, "Careful, one ghost is driving on the wrong way." The driver looked at his wife and said, "This is stupid. Why did you want ghosts? Look how many ghosts come in opposite." They finished eating and washed their hands. The farmer went into the house, took money and some cloth (dhotī), and gave them to all thirty sādhus. She shouted, "You crazy one, you broke my heart. You took all my money, a belt away from my whole life. They are not my people; they are yours." The sādhus got up, saying, "Namo Nārāyaṇa, Namo Nārāyaṇa." The āśramadā said, "Go quickly out." The farmer thanked the sādhus and said he would accompany them. He then said to his wife, "This is your house, this is your life, do what you want. I go with the sādhus." And he left. When such couples are together, life is horror. Therefore, there are ceremonies and prayers before marriage, even when you do not know who will be your husband or wife. From childhood, you pray because household life becomes complete when the wife and husband hold hands for the first time, and that hand will be opened only at the time of the funeral. But the soul will go with. Even if one dies, it is a tyāga. The one who remains behind undertakes a lifelong tyāga and tapasyā, remaining as the partner of the departed. There is a German song: "I will be faithful to you always." But the last sentence says, "When I die, I will stop being faithful to you." I change it: "Even if I die, I will be faithful forever." Such a couple will meet again. The body is separated, but the soul, the Jīvātmā, is together. That mother or father gives love to the children—both a mother's love and a father's love. That is a protection for our society and the understanding of human quality. Otherwise, it is called Paśu Saṁskṛti and Mānav Saṁskṛti. Therefore, there is prayer from the beginning. When girls are small—five, ten, twelve, fifteen, twenty years—they go for prayers and pūjās. This is the job of the women. Men often do not care, and that is why, after marriage, a man is surprised. But mostly, the dharma in this world survives because of women. Women have great devotion and love for God and children. Wherever you see spiritual gatherings—in churches, spiritual lectures, satsaṅgs—they are mostly women. For humanitarian work and good causes, women are the first. Dharma survives because of women. There is only one place where there are more men: prison and the army. The army represents the greatness of men, protecting the territory, nation, and families. Both sides have good and bad qualities, but women are great. For example, in our meetings, the majority are women. If I were to ask them, "Why did you come?" I would need three bodyguards. These three bodyguards are called Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. All three guṇas have to be awakened. We are lucky to have a good father and mother, lucky to have a good partner, and lucky to have good children. Human life is different. Before getting married, you pray, and according to your prayer, the right partner will come. Wait; it will come. If not in this life, then in the next. If not the next, then the life after. That is called tyāga and tapasyā. That is called satī. That is called the powerful one. But often, our tires are flat; we cannot survive or go further. Therefore, human life has different principles and aims to achieve something. Otherwise, mother and father have all that animals have: eating, sleeping, and surviving. Everyone feels pain and hunger. But what is the difference? As long as you keep discipline, you have strong energy and willpower. There is a bhajan from Mahāprabhujī directed to our vṛtti, our sūratā. Our vṛtti means we look and say, "Oh, I like this. Oh, this is a mango, I like this. Ice cream, I will drink." These vṛttis have been with you for many lives, and many times you have been disappointed. That is called śruta. Vṛtti, śrutā. Śrutā means our visions—not Śrotā, not Śrotriya, not Śāstras, not Smṛti. That is a different subject. Śrutā also means our destination. According to that sūtra, they designed what we call a navigator. We type our address, and our vehicle is guided door to door. We are the traveler in our car, and our destination is Střílecký Jásen. When you arrive, you say, "Thank you, I am here," and telephone home. Our destination is God, Ātmā-jñāna, Mokṣa, which is not possible without the Satguru-dev. We are on a journey that is not yet the destination. But while your navigator is guiding you, you might decide to go somewhere else or see something interesting and stop. Only the navigator can turn you back. So if you lose your path, lose your bhakti and devotion, you can still turn back and take your original path. Sūratā is a beautiful word for our destiny. There is a bhajan of Mahāprabhujī. Sūratā is a feminine word. For many days, years, months, ages, billions and trillions of years, I was wandering here and there. I did not find my partner. Many times I wandered like a lonely deer that lost the group. Many times I performed karmas and was sad because this was not my partner. Brahmaveta means that Ātmā Jñānī who can lead me also to Ātmā Jñāna. This beautiful bhajan has these great meanings. Sūtra is a beautiful word. There is a bhajan, "Sūratā Vajayega"—oh my sūratā, go there. Tyāga does not mean you must renounce your household life after marrying. For that, God has created marriage. But it should not be like having five new boyfriends a year. That is too much. Śrī Rām Jaya Rām Jaya Jaya Amma Śrī Rām, Amma Śrī Rām, Jaya Jaya Rām, Śrī Amma Śrī Rām, Śrī Rām, Jaya Rām, Jaya Jaya Rām, Śrī Amma Śrī Rām, Jaya Rām, Jaya Jaya Rām, Śrī Amma Śrī Rām, Jaya Rām, Jaya Jaya Rām, Śrī Amma Śrī Rām, Jaya Rām, Jaya Rām, Śrī Amma Śrī Rām, Jaya Rām, Śrī Amma. Śrī Rām, Jaya Rām, Śrī Amma Śrī Rām, Jaya Rām, Śrī Amma Śrī Rām, Jaya Rām, Śrī Amma Śrī Rām, Śrī Amma Śrī... Rām, Jaya Rām, Śrī Ammā Śrī Rām, Śrī Ammā Śrī... Rām. With these mantras, all the divinities are invited as witnesses that you are going to marry. When you go to the church and promise, that is why the church does not allow a second marriage. There must be some human principles. So what do people do? They say, "I will not be a member of the church." It is your choice. I was telling you a story. The choice is yours, but the fruits of destiny are not in your hands. Tyāga, Virāga, and Tapasyā are great words. Christ is not easy. Tyāga does not mean having no money or house; that is nothing. Inner tyāga is to endure the challenges of life. Dīpa Nayana Bhagavān Kī Devīśvara Mahādeva Satguru Swāmī Madhavānandajī Bhagavān Satya Sanātana Dharma Om Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ... This is my Maishweta Dhanājī Guru.

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

Email Notifications

You are welcome to subscribe to the Swamiji.tv Live Webcast announcements.

Contact Us

If you have any comments or technical problems with swamiji.tv website, please send us an email.

Download App

YouTube Channel