Story 111 - The Vedantic Lullaby

Madaalsa, an Indian queen took a vow of seeing that all her children were perfect. She took the vow of making all her children free from transmigration. She also took the vow of making all her territories filled with men of realization, with God-men.

She also wanted to make all her subjects God-men. This was one vow by one mother, and she succeeded. Her sons were God-men, they were Krishnas, Buddhas, Philosophical men, men of renunciation, and they ruled the whole community; all her subjects were made free. One woman did that; and what was her process? She used to sing to her children while very young, she used to sing to her children while she nursed them at her bosom, she used to instill into them with her milk, the milk of Divine wisdom. The milk of Vedanta she drilled into them while she rocked the cradle, while she sang her lullaby to them as follows:

Sleep, baby, Sleep!

No sobs, no cries, ne'er weep,

Rest undisturbed, all fears fling, To praise Thee all the angels sing. Arbiter of riches, beauty, and gifts,

Thy innocent At man governs and lifts.

Sleep, baby, Sleep.

Soft roses, silvery dew-drops sweet, Honey, fragrance, zephyrs, genial heat, Melodious, warbling notes, so dear, And all that pleases eye or ear,

Comes from Thy heavenly, blissful home: Pure, pure Thou art, untainted Om

Sleep, baby; Sleep, etc.

No foes, no fear, no danger, none, Can touch Thee, O Eternal One! Sweet, lovely, tender, gentle, calm, Of sleep Thy Atman doth embalm. Thyself doth raise the spangled dome Of starry heavens, O darling Om!

Sleep, baby, sleep, etc.

The sun and moon The playing balls,

The rainbow arch bedecks Thy Halls, The milky ways for Thee to walk,

The clouds, when meet, of Thee they talk;

The spheres, Thy dolls, sing, dance and roam, They praise Thee Om, Om Tat Sat Om!

Sleep, baby, sleep, etc.

In lilies and violets, lakes and brooks, How sweet Thy sleeping beauty looks. Let time and space, the: blankets warm Roll off Thy face by sleeping arm, Look half askance as baby lies,

Dear naughty boy with laughing eyes! Sleep, baby, sleep, etc.

The shrill, sharp echoes of cuckoos

Are whistles, rattles, Thou doth choose. The sparrows, winds and all the stars Are beautiful toys and baby's cars.

The world is but Thy playful dream, It is in Thee, tho' outside seem,

Sleep, baby, sleep, etc.

O wakeful home of rest and sleep! O active source of wisdom deep!

O peaceful spring of life and action!

O lovely cause of strife and function! To limiting darkness bid adieu Adieu! adieu! adieu! adieu!

Sleep, baby, sleep, etc.

The beauteous objects, charming things, Are flattering sound of beating wings, Of Thee, O Eagle blessed King,

Or fleeting shadows of Thy wing, Bewitching beauty half reveals, And as a veil it half conceals,

The wearer of this veil, Sweet Om, The real Self, Om, Tat Sat Om.

Sleep, baby, sleep, etc.

This gives a kind of idea of the lullaby which the queen sang to seven of her sons. When the sons left home, they went abroad, filled with Divinity. Through them was Vedanta spread. The eighth child was not trained exactly that way, because the father did not wish this child to leave the throne; he was not wanted to become a perfectly free man. So to this child the mother did not sing this lullaby, but she had to carry out her vow in some way, that the child should not suffer sorrow or be pained in this life. As the eighth child was not to leave the royal throne, it was not brought up the same way as the other seven. The eighth son was placed in the care of a nurse, but when the mother was about to die, this son was brought before her, and she gave him this lullaby, which was written on the paper and wrapped in some rich, costly material and covered with jewels; she encircled it around his arm, and asked him to keep the amulet most sacred, she asked him to read the paper contained within, she asked him to think it, feel it, and it would make him free, it would take away all sorrow; she told him the amulet was not to be opened except in case of emergency. The mother died and the father died and their boy became king and ruled for many years. One day the elder brothers of the boy came to the capital of their father, and sent a message to the boy Alerk by name, and menaced him to leave the throne, because they were the elder brothers and they were the rightful heirs to the throne, and he ought to leave throne in favour of the eldest brother. When this Alerk was threatened by the authority of the elder brothers, when he was threatened by the precedence of his eldest brother, he trembled with fear, he was terrified and knew not what to do; he wept at the fear of losing all his grandeur and glory. On returning to his bed at night he noticed this amulet around his arm, and the last words of his mother flashed through his mind, and he opened it and read the paper, with tears in his eyes he read, "Thou art pure, thou art immutable; thou art all knowledge, all power; thou art the arbiter of all power; thou art the giver and restorer of all beauty, all joy in the world. Think not yourself to be the body, depend not on worldly things, rise above it, meditate upon it, think it over, friend and enemy ye are!" The son realized it through and through, his anxiety and fear were gone; cheerfulness and joy were brought to him. He sang it over and over again. What with the meaning and virtue of the song and the good wishes of the mother, he was resuscitated and became himself; all fears and anxiety had fled, all sorrow was gone; he bade adieu to all worldly expectations, all worldly asking, all petty desires. He realized it so much; so filled was he with purity and power that it was gushing out of him; he forgot to go to bed, and he dressed and went to the spot where his brothers were, and cried, "Come, come, come and release me of this burden—this head aching crown—here is the burden, take it, release me from it, I know I am all these bodies, desirous of sitting on the throne, and ruling the kingdom; and I am you, and you and I are one, there is no difference." When the brothers marked this sacredness on his face, it filled them with joy, and they said that they came not to take the throne, for they were the rulers of the whole world; they simply wanted to give him his true birthright contained within that body. They said, "O brother, this is not you who are the dupe of senses; you, brother, you are not the king of the earth only, but the king and ruler of the sun, the stars, the worlds and all the lokas that be. O brother, come, realize that you are the Infinite, the Immutable Self, the Sun of suns, the Light of lights." The prince realized this truth, and he (Alerk) went on ruling, but he looked upon the office of king as an actor's role in the theatre, imagining himself to be playing that part. Well, this prince was sane, and nothing could make him sorrowful. He ruled as a mighty monarch and was a most successful king of the world. Successful sought him.

Joy Eternal, Unbroken Peace is yours, nay, you are that. Realize your Centre and be there for ever and ever.

MORAL: The Vedantic Lullaby or Vedant, if drilled into the mind from the very infancy, is sure to lead to Eternal joy or Self-realization.

Vol. 1 (205-209)