Nation - An Extension of Man

But the most important thing is that we must first expand to the limits of our Nation. Why is that important? Why not family? Family has a natural identity. There is no effort required to feel one with the family. But, for community more effort is required. For Nation, still more effort is required and for Nations -in the present situation – they are the highest evolved possible level of identification. You can identify with Nation. You cannot so easily identify with the whole humanity. You are not emotionally trained to that. It is not emotionally possible also. Because Nation, as I told in the beginning has an identity by itself, born out of a seed – a divine seed. Nation is a divine manifestation. This is what Swamiji has said. This is what Maha Yogi Aurobindo has said. That is why we call this as Bharat Mata.

You don't call Loka Mata. Loka Mata is another thing. You don't call the whole world as a Mata. You call Bharat Mata. This concept of Bharat Mata as a divine force manifesting is not just this land stretching from Himalayas to Kanyakumari. This earth, this sand, these mountains, these trees – that is not Bharat Mata. Bharat Mata is a living deity, living Goddess. And you will find all the rivers in Bharat – they are sacred. There is no river which is not sacred. You take the water of the river, it is supposed to be holy. Typically it is a 'Gangecha, Yamunechaiva, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu, Kaveri". These are the seven sacred rivers. But all the rivers are sacred. Seven are specially mentioned. That is all. Similarly mountains are there Devatatma Himalaya. And every mountain is sacred. So whole Bharat is looked upon as divine.

If you read Vivekananda, if you read Aurobindo and if you read all our great Sages and saints, you will find invariably, that every one of them looked upon this Bharat as a Holy land, Punya Bhumi, not Bhoga Bhumi. Europe is a Bhoga Bhumi. America is a Bhoga Bhumi. Why do people go from here to America? To enjoy material prosperity. It is a Bhoga Bhumi. Nobody goes there to attain Moksha. Does anybody go to America to get Moksha? Americans come here to get Moksha. So this is the Moksha Bhumi. This is the Punya Bhumi. All other Bhumis are Bhoga Bhumis. This is Karma Bhumi, Punya Bhumi, Moksha Bhumi. This is divine. This is written in our Bhagavata also. In all our Puranas it is written. And all holy men, great men were born here. All the avatara have taken place in this country. So, this is the concept of Bharat as our divine mother, Punya Bhumi and our identification with this whole motherland, Bharat.

This is in a way – the fullest expression of our life. When do you become a full man? I think any Hindu or any true Indian becomes fully grown up when be totally identifies himself with the whole country. No question of Punjabi, Marathi, Rajasthani, Gujarati, Malayalee, Tamil. They are all the children of Bharat Mata, speaking different languages. Even in a house people can speak different languages as they like. More the languages, he merrier. I know three languages. Very good. You know five languages, Better. Another person ten languages. All the more good. Languages are not that important after realization of this Bharat as One. So our identification should be with Bharat.