Sri Sri's Message At The
Event Of VenuNaad

(VenuNaad is a historic performance that staged 5378 Indian flautists, in Nashik, under the guidance of Shri Ronu Mujumdar, in presence of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia. Below is the transcript of Sri Sri's message at this historical event).

As you all heard just now, 5100 years ago, a divine flute was played in this land, whose melodious notes are still resonating across the country. Today, in the city of Nashik, 5378 artistes have gathered together to play the flute, and by doing so they have created a truly historical landmark.
You know, a flute can be used to play music and also to beat and chase someone away (laughter). Our life, our own body is like a flute. When we drop all negativity, cravings and aversions and become hollow and empty from within, then consciousness dawns and blossoms within us and we no longer need to be shown a stick (meaning: with the dawn of awareness one naturally walks the path of righteousness and does not need to be punished).
If there is some mud or dirt stuck inside the flute, then it does not produce a melodious sound. In order to produce melodious notes, a flute has to be clean and pure from the inside just as it is clean and shiny from the outside. A flute has to be hollow and empty to be able to produce harmony.

You know, music is a very important aspect of our lives. Before we start speaking we start singing. Young children learn a language much later but start making musical sounds early on in their lives. And those sounds are musical because there is total harmony – harmony within and harmony all around us.
Today, when the world is going through depression, terrorism, fear and uncertainty, it is time that we wake up and awaken the humaneness that is deeply embedded in each one of us. It is time for us to encourage our children to learn music and spend time in doing service to the society, and to develop a scientific temper while also pursuing spiritual and dharmic knowledge.
We have been doing this across the world through our events. We have always encouraged the preservation and promotion of the ancient culture and classical and folk music of the country. Today, this is the 11th big event that we are having where 5378 flautists are participating together to bring peace and happiness to all the people in the world.

Today, terrorism has become widespread in our country and also in the world at large. In such difficult times, people often ask, 'Gurudev, when there is so much tension in the world, why have you asked so many people to come together and play the flute?'
There is an ancient saying in Sanskrit, 'Kaavyashaastravinodena kaalo gachathi dhimataam; Vyasanena tu murkhanaam nidrayaa kalhena vaa' (from the Hitopadesha).
It means that the sign of an intelligent person is that he spends his time in learning and mastering the arts, literature, and music, and in discussing knowledge. This has been the tradition in our country since many ages.
In our country, we always had a very holistic and total view of life and did not see it as divided into separate and unrelated compartments or phases. We have always combined Gaan (music), Jnana (knowledge) and Dhyaan (meditation). This is what it means to be truly Indian.
Today, it is from India that the world expects and looks up to for a message of peace and prosperity. Only Indians can convey this unique message of love and peace to the world.

Today is Swami Vivekananda’s birthday. Today also happens to be the birthday of one of the greatest Spiritual masters – Maharishi Mahesh Yogiji, who made great efforts to popularize and spread meditation to every part of the world.
They are both highly respected and great personalities who helped to promote and popularize Indian spirituality and Indian culture to every corner of the world.
Today we have held this event in their honour and to pay our tribute to them for all that they did.

The city of Nashik is said to be the Kumbha Nagri (since the city of Nashik hosts the holy Maha Kumbh Mela every 12 years). And we shall enter into the zodiac sign of Kumbha in another eight months from now.
You know, the city of Nashik is also the meeting point of three holy rivers: Godavari, Kapila, and Nasardi. But today, all these three rivers are suffering from a lot of pollution. In fact, the river Nasardi looks more like a sewage canal rather than a river. We need to make these rivers clean and pure once again.
All the sewage canals of the city drain their wastes into these rivers. How can we expect that sages and saints will want to come to this holy city and take a dip in such waters?
Just a while ago, people from the media met me and asked, 'Gurudev, would you want to come and take a dip in these rivers today?'
I told them, 'The rivers have become so dirty and polluted that it is not fit to even step foot in their waters'. It is our responsibility to clean up these rivers and make them pure again. Let us all take this sankalpa (determined pledge or sincere intention) to clean these rivers.

I would like to congratulate our volunteers from Maharashtra on this occasion today. They are really doing such great work in the service projects to eliminate water pollution and rejuvenate the rivers. They have revived five rivers in the Marathwada and Vidarbha areas. It is the turn for Nashik city now. The city’s three rivers need to be cleaned and made pure once again, and we all have to join in this project.
I would also appeal to the local administration and the central government authorities here to assist and support this project on an emergency basis. Both the State and Central governments will have to join hands to work for this initiative. We have eight months before us. We can definitely do a lot of good work. When we have been able to reach the planet Mars using our space satellites, then we surely have the ability and resources to make this project a success also.
Eight months are enough to bring happiness and celebration back to this city, and to revive these three rivers. I would want to make this request to the Mayor of Nashik city, and also to all the Members of the State Assembly and the Central parliament who are present here with us today. I urge you all to come forward to lead this initiative and provide every kind of support for the success of this initiative.
Just think of this as a holy penance for yourself. You have the support of all the citizens of Nashik for this. Everyone should spare three to four hours on every Sunday for this initiative. Prevent garbage from being dumped into the rivers. Let us make the river banks clean and beautiful like gardens.
The sewage canals that are merging with the river waters cannot be cleaned by the city folk. This is the responsibility of the local administration. I would once again urge the local administrative bodies to act on this issue on an emergency basis giving it the highest importance. Otherwise all of us will take up a peaceful protest march for this. We need the waters of river Godavari to be clean and pure once again, so that sages and saints come here for the Maha Kumbh to take a holy dip and bathe in the waters and consider it sacred once again. The Godavari river is said to be the river Ganga of the South. So it is everyone’s duty to purify the waters of the Ganga of the South.

There is an ancient saying, 'Anahate Patra Karne, abhagna shabdh saridrate'. Shabdh brahmane nishnata, Para-brahmadi gachhati'. It means that when we soak ourselves and meditate deeply upon the sound of the Brahman (of Consciousness), then we immediately start our journey towards merging with the Divine, the Para-Brahman (One Consciousness). This is a unique technique to help calm the mind and free it from worries and entanglements. A stress-free life, disease-free body, prejudice-free and sharp intellect, and a joyful mind is the birth right of every individual. There are many ways to achieve this, of which music is one wonderful way. We have to take all the three together with us in life – Gaan, Jnaana and Dhyaan. And like I said earlier, we all must whole-heartedly contribute towards Seva. Will you all do it?

Our Prime Minister has started a massive campaign towards a cleaner and healthier India called the Swachha Bharat Abhiyaan. He has raised a strong voice for making our country cleaner. Many of you are already engaged in these projects but now you have stronger support for this. We should all help to support and expedite this campaign.

When the rivers - which are the sources of water supply of the country become clean and pure, then a lot of benefits will come our way. It will put an end to so many diseases. Often in villages, the same polluted and dirty water is used for watering the crops and for irrigation. This pollutes the food and makes it impure. When we consume these food grains, it affects our mind, our thoughts and our behaviour as well. That is why it is said, 'Jaisa Ann waisa mann' (as is your food, so is the state of your mind). So for your thoughts to be pure, your food should be pure and healthy as well. Chemical-free farming techniques will further help to clean and purify our air and water resources. Nowadays we burn plastics in the open, and the air gets polluted. We should not burn plastic. The toxins produced out of burning one piece of plastic is enough to induce cancer in 1000 people. Such is the effect of the dangerous dioxins that are produced by burning just one piece of plastic. We all have to come forward to make our cities clean and green once again. Will you all do it?

I was discussing the same thing with Mr. Hanumant Gaikwadji also. He works tirelessly for this cause. I told him that this initiative will have the support of all people, including the Mayor of the city, the members of the State Assembly, the various spiritual and religious leaders and the people of the city. I strongly believe that the spiritual and religions heads present here too will bless the people and provide support for this initiative. We shall make the city sparkling clean before the Maha Kumbha this year.

People today think that these are the times of rock music, and that classical music has lost its charm. I would tell them to come here today and see the grandeur and beauty of our classical music. So many people have gathered today to listen to Indian Classical music. They are all here to support Indian Classical music and to renew its glory and honour once again. This is a very unique part of our Indian heritage, and it is our duty to preserve and promote our Indian classical schools of music.
Around five years back when I had met Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasiaji, we were discussing how people still love to listen classical music and that we have to connect the youth of today with our classical music. We have to make them aware of India’s great and glorious heritage and culture of music. It is with this thought in mind that we have been able to organize this great event today. Thousands of Indian youth are learning Indian classical music and taking pride in doing so.
I am happy to see this revival among the youth and would urge all the parents here in the audience to encourage their children to learn Indian classical music. Whether it is Hindustani, Carnatic, Folk, instrumental or vocal – you must encourage children to take up some form of Indian classical music. We must teach the importance of music to children.

When we had the Sahastra Veena Jhenkara event in Karnataka where 1000 Sitar players came together to play music, it was Renu Majumdar’s wish that a similar event be organized for flautists all over the country. At the Art of Living, it seems we have developed a habit of creating and making World Records time and again.
I heartily congratulate all the volunteers who worked tirelessly for this event. We have so many professional and experienced flautists also on stage with us who happily agreed to share the stage with young children and youth to play the flute for this event. It shows your brilliance, your modesty and the generosity of your heart.
It is said that it is often very difficult to gather intellectual and scholars together under one roof (laughter). It is easy to gather fools together at one place, but it is very difficult to bring scholars together. And it is far more difficult to bring talented music artistes together, than it is to gather scholars. But the fact that so many great and talented artistes are sitting on one stage together with each other is such a great contradiction to that belief.
It is not possible to name each and every one of you, but I want to congratulate you all for being so humble and generous to come together and participating in this grand event, which is no less than a Maha Yajna (a grand and sacred ritual or fire sacrifice). I would urge you all to continue to promote our Indian classical music and knowledge and take it to greater heights of fame and popularity.
We should spread and promote Indian classical music everywhere we go. Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasiaji and Renu Majumdarji travel all over the world during concerts to help popularize Indian classical music. Life too should become a melodious harmony. This is what has been said in the Vedas too.
There is an ancient prayer in the Vedas which says, 'May there be sweetness in the Earth, in the Air, in the Water and in the voices and hearts of the people everywhere. With this prayer in our minds, let us all walk ahead in life'.

Many people tell me that India should become a Vishvaguru (Guru to the entire world). I reply by saying that India already is the Vishvaguru and it has always been the Vishvaguru. The Indian civilization has always been the one that has given direction and led the way for other civilizations in the past.
Today is a historic day as it is the birth anniversary of two great Indian visionaries – Swami Vivekanandaji and Maharishi Mahesh Yogiji. They have already become one with the Para Brahman but their blessings and best wishes continue to be with us always. With this in mind, we should all commit ourselves towards service for the nation and for the world with love and dedication.

I once again congratulate all the organizers and volunteers who made such a mega event possible. May God bless you all. Leave all your worries here and take the knowledge with you, and live the knowledge totally. Let us all smile and serve. Jai Gurudev!