TV Channel

All the sages and devotees come there on that day to bathe in the holy river Saryu. The Saryu River flows near the palace where God Rāma was born. Every day, He used to bathe in that river. Furthermore, when He departed from this world, they all entered the river, and it gave them passage back to Veṅkuṇḍa, to Svargaloka. They all come to bathe in that holy river, and in their hearts they meditate on the blue-complexioned God Rāma, repeating His name constantly; the name of God is always on their lips. Whatever happens, good or bad, the devotees always say, "Rām, Rām, Rām, oh Rām, Rām," just as you might say, "Oh God." An accident occurs, and you say, "Oh God." Something good happens, and you say, "Thanks to God." But you will notice that when a negative thing happens, you say "Oh God" suddenly and automatically. When a good thing happens, sometimes you do not say it. You say, "Really? Oh, really? Is that so?" We forget God. Therefore, it is said that in times of trouble, everyone remembers God and repeats the mantra, but in times of happiness, they do not remember God. If you remember God intensely during happiness as well, then troubles will not come. So, devotees always remember God. His name is always on their face and lips, with a smile on their face. When you remember God, your face and skin relax. Your whole body relaxes. But when you remember something else, like your enemy, then your face becomes tense, with dried, sweaty skin. So, always keep God's name in mind. When you have God in your mind, everything is positive. Thus, the Vedas and Purāṇas, and all saints declare that when you have darśan, when you touch the lotus feet or touch that river or God's feet, you will be filled with joy, and it purifies your karmas. Just as washing in water cleans away all dirt, similarly, the darśan of the sand and touching the feet of the sand is a form of bathing—a bathing that removes the impurity of karma. That river Saryu is very pure and divine. Tulsīdāsjī said the glory of that river is endless. You know, a river is life. A river is a source of our life as well. Water is life. In rivers, many creatures exist. All human civilizations are based on the banks of rivers. All those cultures and peoples from thousands and thousands of years ago were established on the banks of rivers. And that river is a divine river in which God Himself incarnated and bathed. That is something divine. That river must possess great merit. Once a poet said, "Oh Rādhā, how fortunate you are! What kind of tapasyā and sādhanā did you perform in past lives? The Lord of all three worlds and the liberator of all three worlds is always obeying you." Indeed, she must have performed some great sādhanā. When she said no, He said okay. That sādhanā can only be bhakti, love. In that bhakti, there should be no doubts at all. Similarly, that river must be holy, that tree must be holy, and that piece of land where His divine feet stepped must be divine and holy. That divine energy never disappears. Divine energy is always present. So, do you remember what I told you yesterday? In those intellects, there is no name of God. In those minds, no name of God. In those words, there is no name of God. In those hearts, no name of God. And in those actions, there is no devotion to God. That body is merely a cave of the Rākṣasas, a cave of devils. But in those minds, intellects, speech, and actions where God resides in the heart, that is a holy temple, a holy pilgrimage site. Unfortunately, the physical form of God has disappeared, has gone. For us, only memory remains, or those objects which were witnessed or touched by Him. Only through that touch can we satisfy our minds. Even the wind, when it blows from that direction, carries immense spiritual energy; only devotees can receive that energy. You see the sun shining, and now we know there is a lot of solar energy, but we do not utilize it properly. Those who have tried and developed techniques to harness solar energy are using it; it seems like a wonder, but the sun does not lose energy. It is not as if someone installs many solar panels and the whole Czech Republic becomes cold or dark. Spiritual energy is like that. Millions of people can think of you and draw energy from you, yet you remain pūrṇa. Pūrṇa is always pūrṇa—complete. In the same way, the glory of the river Saryu is also endless. Tulsīdāsjī said that even the pure-minded goddess Sarasvatī, the goddess of wisdom, is unable to describe the glory of that river. Svata řeka.