28 April 2014 - QA 3

Gurudev, it is said, 'Sattvashuddhaira karyasidhhi' (Meaning: One achieves his desires by increasing purity and positivity, i.e., sattva). Is purifying one’s sattva sufficient to achieve what one desires, or is it one of the many factors for success?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

There is a verse in Sanskrit, 'Raviryartevantyam pratidinam-uparasya narabhasyah. Kriyasiddhir bhavati Sattve-mahatam nopakarane'.
(From the Raghuvamsa by Sri Kalidasa)

It means that one cannot achieve desires by upakarana alone (Upakarana implies the means or medium used to accomplish one’s desires). By enhancing one’s Sattva (positivity) one is able to accomplish what one wants. But this does not mean that one can achieve something without using any material means or medium.

You can understand it like this. You can bake bread on the stove only when there is fire (here referring to Sattva). If there is no fire, the bread will remain uncooked. But to make bread, you also need wheat flour, water and a baking pan (these being the materials). Only then can you prepare the dough. So, just having dough, or just having fire alone cannot bake bread.
If you just keep saying, 'I am very positive, I am very Sattvik', and think that everything will be accomplished by that alone, then that is not going to happen. You definitely need the tools to accomplish what you want.

There also comes a stage in which, the moment a thought or a wish arises in the mind, it gets materialized and fulfilled instantly. This is called Naishkarma Siddhi and it happens in very rare individuals. It means having all your wants and desires fulfilled even before the thought arises in the mind. And who gains such ability? One who is totally content from within and free from all actions and their attachments, attains Naishkarma Siddhi.

It also happens to a devotee who is so totally soaked in devotion and desires nothing at all. Such a devotee too attains Naishkarma Siddhi. But for that they have to strive for a long time in their life to attain such a state. Once a person attains such a state, then whatever he thinks immediately starts happening.
Such a Brahmajnani (one who has realized the Brahman or the Supreme Consciousness) effortlessly acquires Naishkarma Siddhi. But a Brahmajnani also attains this Siddhi over due course of time. When the time is right and the person has become ripe, then he attains Naishkarma Siddhi.

How many of you have experienced this that whatever you think of starts happening? Yes, this is called Naishkarma Siddhi. Everyone surely gets a glimpse of this in their life, but it may take some time to attain it completely.

(Note: The discourse was given in Hindi. Above is a translation of the original talk.)