The Ninth Skandha:
723. Those who make good use of the God-given gifts like time, wealth, strength etc. are Devas (god-like men).Those who misuse them are Rakshasas (demon-like men)
724. When there is lust in your mind, you can see only lust everywhere.
725. You should always maintain the limits of morality as exemplified by Lord Sri Rama.
726. When we emulate the example set by Mahatmas (great souls) our natural tendencies will subside. But the minutest tendencies deep-rooted in mind and intellect will still remain. Mind will become pure only by ultimate knowledge. Never entertain the feeling that your mind is pure.
727. Worship properly the Moon which is governing deity of the mind and SuryaNarayana (the sun-god) which is the governing deity of the intellect. The intellect gets easily purified for those who perform the worship at the three Sandhyas ( Sun-rise, mid-day and sunset)
728. Where there is Bhakti (devotion),there you get the protection of Jnana (knowledge) in the form of Sudarsana (the divine wheel of Vishnu)
729. A real Vaishnava(devotee of Lord Vishnu) will not see the faults of others. He will see his own faults again and again.
730. Those who pursue the course to attain God should totally avoid the company of lustful men and women. They should avoid the company of not only women, but also those men who always keep company with women.
731. It is difficult to develop Bhakti when you live among lustful and luxurious people. There is no reason for disappointment even if you don’t get the company of good men. But make it sure that you don’t get into the company of lustful men.
732. The woman who insults her husband by cruel words will be born as a female crow in her next birth.
733. When you build a house for you imagine that it is Ayodhya.If you live on the banks of the
734. Human life is momentary. Remember this truth always and put on the garment of Bhakti. Humility is the ornament that adorns Bhakti.
735. Depend upon God only. Never depend upon your mind. If you depend upon your mind, your downfall is certain.
736. God always resides in those who try to make others happy and comfortable.
737. In grief, God’s sacred Names will give you great relief.
738. Both men and women should live within the moral limits prescribed for them.
739. Bhakti which disregards the Dharmic limits has no value and is useless.
740. If any person has all good qualities present in him, that person is none other than God.
741. Make all efforts to emulate all the good qualities of Lord Sri Rama in your life.
742. While man performs meritorious acts on one side, he commits sins also through the other side. So the ultimate result gets nullified.
743. Parents are visible forms of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Narayana. So they should be worshipped with purity of thought, word and deed.
744. Man should strictly adhere to one wife in his life. A house-holder, who enjoys worldly pleasures in accordance with the moral code prescribed by the scriptures, is in effect a celibate person.
745. Being faultless is the quality of God. If you happen to see any fault in your Guru preceptor) that alone should not be emulated by you.
746. Women should not touch the feet of any man other than their husband, even if it happens to be a great man. They should prostrate before such people without touching their feet. This is the injunction of scriptures.
747. Never hurt the feelings of Mahatmas.
748. Every word in the Ramayana has the power to redeem our sins.
749. You must invariably give up enmity and hatred.
750. If you happen to speak or hear about drinking poison, recite the names of Rama with love. Then nectar will ooze from your throat and that will neutralize the poison.
751. You must regard elder brother as Rama and younger brothers as Bharata and Lakshmana.
752. Bharath is the land of action. Whatever action you perform here will definitely bear fruit
.753. What you think about others; that others will think about you too.
754. Love is not accepting something from others. Always giving is the sign of love. Love is broken when emotions, tendencies and selfishness crop up.
755. Those who wish to see others happy will never be unhappy.
756. Prarabdha (result of past actions) has necessarily to be suffered. But take care not to acquire new Prarabdha.
757. Detachment is to be kept within one’s own self. It is not to be displayed for convincing others.
758. If you want to be happy, you should first cultivate in yourself, contentment, forbearance, egalitarianism and the habit of doing good to others.
759. If you will respect everybody, your life will be as sweet as sugar-candy.
760. If the very sight of a person can change your character, that person is none other than God. If you can always think of Sri Rama, you can see the whole world as your mother.
761. Try to install God in your eyes, ears and face.
762. By worshipping and meditating on whom all your worldly desires subside, that person is God.
763. That intellect, which is deeply immersed in the thoughts of carnal pleasures, is blunt and life-less.
764. Those who are unable to live without thinking of God and worshipping Him are Vaishnavas(true devotees)
765. Diseases keep away from those who worship Tulasi plant daily.
766. One who makes others cry without cause is Ravana. He who boasts himself and compels others to praise his glories is also Ravana.
767. If there is no similarity between the habits of husband and wife their marriage cannot be successful. Marriage is the unification two minds dwelling in two different bodies.
768. When you praise the parents of your wife, she becomes happy. Similarly, if you love the world, you will be loved by the world.
769. When the hairs near your ears become grey, remember that you are approaching old age.7
70. There is no end for desires.
771. God forgives even the greatest mistakes committed by man.
772. Ultimate Truth is simple. But the worldly activities are complicated. So even while in the midst of activities, keep thinking of God.
773. Life is not beautiful without penance.
774. Cause of man’s happiness and unhappiness is his own actions.
775. The species in which a soul takes birth is dependent on its past actions.
776. The results of past actions must be endured inevitably.
777. Man’s life has to be bound by certain moral principles. A man whose life is unprincipled is worse than animal.
778. Too much of reading and understanding leads to pride. This is hindrance to Bhakti.
779. Those who are struggling in worldly matters are wasting their time and money. He who is reluctant to serve Lord Hari, wastes the whole of his life, doing only harm to others.
780. A man’s mind has to be tested with reference to his food and other habits. That is to say, your character can be guessed from your food and other habits.
781. If the worldly pleasures appear to you as sweet, you cannot have Bhakti.
782. Worldly pleasures by themselves are not harmful. Excessive desire for them is harmful.
783. Bhakti without detachment cannot thrive.
784. Vasana(tendencies), like Soorpanakha would appear beautiful in the beginning. Later it will reveal its true colour.
785. Worship of God is not for convincing others; but for pleasing only God.
786. Man cannot live without love. But, instead of loving God, man loves everything other than God and consequently he is subjected to terrible sorrow. Love of God can be developed by curtailing the love of worldly things little by little.
787. Without realizing one’s own faults, one cannot see God. Finding fault with others is an obstruction to the vision of God.
788. He who dies with a tendency to hate others cannot reach God’s abode. So take the vow that “I will not hate anyone”.
789. It is difficult to remain detached amongst the people attached to worldliness. Your eyes and body might commit sins unknowingly, however hard you may try to control them.
790. Recite the holy names of God and think of noble things before retiring to sleep at night and rising from bed in the morning.
791. It is a sin to insult food.
792. Showing insult or disrespect towards holy men will lead to total annihilation.
793. Avoid cooking food on Ekadasi day(eleventh day after a Full moon or New moon).
794. Try to be innocent and impervious like children.
795. Faults enter into our mind through the eyes. So keep a control over the eyes. Then life will become faultless.
796. It is good for house-holders to read Ayodhya Kanda in Ramayanam daily. That will be helpful to avoid quarrels in the house.
797. It is difficult to lead a peaceful life without spending a term in the forest. Therefore, go to some forest area on the bank of a river and spend one month every year worshipping God.
798. Neck does not become adorned by ornaments. The real ornaments that will adorn the neck are recital of God’s names and observance of celibacy.
799. Your old age will be glorious if you have controlled carnal desires in the youth. Efforts for uplifting the soul should start from younger days.
800. In spite of getting a human body, running after worldly pleasures is equivalent to exchanging nectar for poison.
801. Man’s desires and greed do not become old even in his old age. Tendency for enjoying pleasures does not diminish by enjoyment. It only increases just as fire in a pyre burns with more intensity when ghee is poured into it. In fact you are not enjoying pleasures; the pleasures are enjoying you. Greed does not reduce. You are getting reduced.
802. Listening to the stories of God can be a test for your defects. If you can shed tears of joy while hearing the stories of God, know that you are listening properly.
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