Scene 3

PRAJAPATI: Today it is time for me to give you my spiritual instruction, my divine advice. I wish to advise each of you separately. We will start with the god. (The god bows to Prajapati.) Now tell me, what kind of advice do you actually want from me?

COSMIC GOD: O Prajapati, you know what is best for me. I want my life to be really fruitful, meaningful and soulful.

PRAJAPATI: Da. (On hearing this the god is struck with confusion.) It seems that you have not understood my instruction. Go over there for a while and meditate on what I have said. Come back when you have understood my advice. We shall meditate here until you return.

(The god bows to Prajapati and moves away, out of their sight. The other three meditate together.)

COSMIC GOD: I don’t understand it. I thought he would give me some special teaching, something that would illumine me all at once so that I could illumine the world. But what he has said, I do not understand at all. Let me meditate on it… (Meditates.) Ah, I have found the answer.

(The god rushes back to Prajapati.)

PRAJAPATI: So, you have understood what I said?

COSMIC GOD: Yes, my Lord, I have understood.

PRAJAPATI: Then tell me.

COSMIC GOD (with folded hands): You want me to lead a most disciplined life; you want me to control all my senses. You want me to live a life of total discipline and perfect Perfection.

PRAJAPATI (overjoyed): Yes, my child, you have understood my advice; you have understood my philosophy. (To the man.) Now it is your turn. (The man comes with folded hands.) Tell me what you actually want. What kind of advice do you need?

MAN: My Lord, I want you to tell me how I can feel that my life has special meaning on earth. I want to lead a life of happiness and fulfilment. This is all that I want.

PRAJAPATI: Da.

(The man is totally confused. He cannot make anything out of it.)

PRAJAPATI: Ah, I know it is difficult for you. Now you can move away from here for a little while and meditate on what I have said, and come back when you have understood it. It may take a little while, but we shall wait for you here.

(The man bows to Prajapati and goes aside. Prajapati, the god and the asura meditate together.)

MAN (from a distance): I will never understand this Prajapati. Just one word — Da. What does he mean? What does he actually mean? What does he want me to understand? I thought he would tell me something very deep and secret, something sacred that would give me all joy, all satisfaction, all perfection, all at once. Instead of doing that, he just says Da. I can make neither head nor tail of it. Anyway, let me meditate on Da and if I get any answer, I will go back to him… (Meditates.) Aah, I have found the answer!

(The man rushes back to Prajapati.)

PRAJAPATI: It seems you have found the answer; you have understood my advice. Now tell me what you have learned.

MAN: Ah, my Lord, at long last I have understood what you meant. You want me to give everything that I have and everything that I am. All that I have and all that I am you want me to give away freely, soulfully, devotedly and unconditionally to the world at large. Am I correct?

PRAJAPATI (joyfully): Right, you are absolutely correct, absolutely correct, my son; you have understood my advice; you have understood my philosophy. (To the asura.) Come up, please.

(The asura comes before him and bows with folded hands.)

PRAJAPATI: Your two friends have understood my philosophy. I am sure you will also easily understand my philosophy. But before I teach you, I would like to ask you what you actually want. Is there anything specific that you need from me which will really help you in every way?

ASURA: My Lord, I want you to decide on my behalf. I don’t know what will actually make me the most powerful and the happiest being at the same time. Please, make me the happiest and the most powerful.

PRAJAPATI: Indeed, that is a splendid desire. Now here is my advice — Da.

ASURA: Confusion, all confusion! You have thrown me into a sea of confusion! I do not know what it all means.

PRAJAPATI: O my son, do not be disturbed, do not be confused. Like these two, you can also move away from here and meditate on it for a while. I am sure you will understand my advice. And when you get the answer, come back to me. In the meantime, we shall meditate here.

(The asura bows to Prajapati with folded hands and moves away.)

ASURA (from a distance): What does this old man mean? This old man has no sense. I came to him for power, only power. If he had given me advice on how to acquire boundless power, I would have been the happiest person on earth. Here, there, everywhere I want to be the Lord, the Lord Supreme. I want the whole world to be at my feet, but he didn’t understand me; he didn’t feel my heart’s desire. Now I am all confused. He has simply thrown me into a sea of confusion, this old man. I thought he would at least use some Sanskrit phrases, some mantras. They say that in Sanskrit mantras there is tremendous power. I would repeat them millions of times in order to get power. But he didn’t use any. I thought that he would ask me to repeat a particular portion of the scriptures, but he didn’t do that. I thought that he would disclose some secret and, with that secret, I would be able to lord it over the whole world, and make the world touch the dust of my feet. But alas, he just said Da. I am helpless and I am hopeless. I came to him for help, but I am helpless with what he has said to me. Anyway, what can I do? This is my fate, my deplorable fate. Let me meditate on his stupid word, Da. (Meditates.) Aah, I have understood, I have understood! It is so easy, so easy!

(The asura runs to Prajapati.)

PRAJAPATI: So, you have understood my philosophy, I am sure. Tell me about it.

ASURA (with folded hands): I have understood the depth of your philosophy. It means that I must be compassionate, be affectionate, be full of concern all the time. Am I correct?

PRAJAPATI (overjoyed): You are absolutely correct, my child. You have understood the very depth of my philosophy. Be compassionate. Let your outer being and inner being be full of compassion. In all that you say, in all that you do, show only compassion, a flood of compassion. Only then, here on earth and there in Heaven, will everybody appreciate you, admire you and adore you. Be a sea of limitless compassion. (To all.)

PRAJAPATI: O cosmic god, O man, O asura, I am satisfied with your understanding of my spiritual instruction. Go back to your homes and, from now on, do the things that you have learnt. O asura, use your compassion as power. O man, use your love as power. O cosmic god, use your illumination, your Light, as power. Asura, your compassion is your boundless power. Man, your love is your infinite power. God, your Light is your transcendental power. When you three work together my Dream becomes my Reality, and my Dream-Boat touches the Golden Shore of the ever-transcending Beyond. It is you three who can manifest me, fulfil me and make me feel that my creation is something of which I can be eternally proud. Only your loving concern for me, your total dedication to me, your constant oneness with me can make my creation and cosmic manifestation Divine, Immortal and Perfect. You will make my world a land of Beauty, a land of Light and Delight, a land of Love, a land of Compassion, a land of Illumination, a land of Perfection and a land of absolute Fulfilment. You can do it, and you must do it. Once it is done, I, the Creator, will dance with highest pride and deepest gratitude.

(The three students bow.)

MAN: We shall do it, we shall do it. We shall please you, we shall fulfil you, we shall be your most chosen instruments. Through us you will manifest yourself on earth.

COSMIC GOD: In us and through us you will offer your Light to Heaven.

ASURA: O Prajapati, we are of you and we are for you.

PRAJAPATI: My children, you three are of me, you three are for me. From now on I will be nothing but a garland of gratitude if you fulfil my desire, my aspiration, my realisation.

ASURA: O Prajapati, we shall do it, we shall do it, we shall do it! With your boundless Light, with your boundless Love, with your boundless Compassion, we shall do it.

MAN: You are ours and we are yours. Forever we shall take part in your cosmic Lila and fulfil you here, there, everywhere. Today, tomorrow, eternally, we shall work together. Together we shall be in your heart to love you, to please you, to fulfil you. Together we shall play with you, sing with you, dance with you.

COSMIC GOD: Together we shall run towards the highest Goal, which is You, You the eternal Reality, the everlasting, the ever-fulfilling, the ever-illumining Reality.

(Prajapati blesses his students with tearful gratitude.)

PRAJAPATI: I offer you not only my gratitude but all my pride, because in you I have found three most worthy students.

THE THREE STUDENTS: We offer you our deepest gratitude, deepest love, deepest adoration; everything that is divine in us. In you we have found our Haven, our Goal.