# God's Nectar (Part: 8) <p>সৃষ্টির সূচনায় স্রষ্টা যখন বিশ্ব রচনা করলেন, তখন তিনি একটি বিশেষ উদ্দেশ্য নিয়ে সবকিছু সৃষ্টি করেননি। সৃষ্টি হয়েছে স্বতঃস্ফূর্তভাবে, যেমন একটি শিল্পীর কল্পনা থেকে শিল্পকর্ম ফেটে বেরিয়ে আসে। কিন্তু যখন সৃষ্টি সম্পূর্ণ হয়েছে, তখন সেই সৃষ্টিতেই একটি লক্ষ্য, একটি অর্থ, একটি সুন্দর সংগতি আবিষ্কৃত হয়েছে।</p> When the Creator first fashioned the world at the dawn of creation, He did not shape everything according to some predetermined design. Creation emerged spontaneously, the way a work of art springs forth from an artist's imagination. Yet once creation reached its completion, a purpose revealed itself within that very creation—a meaning, a beautiful harmony. <p>এই পৃথিবীতে প্রতিটি বস্তু, প্রতিটি প্রাণী, প্রতিটি মানুষের একটি নির্দিষ্ট স্থান আছে এবং সেই স্থানেই তার যথার্থ মূল্য নিহিত। একটি ফুল যখন তার শাখায় ফোটে, তখনই তার সৌন্দর্য সার্থক। একটি নদী যখন তার নির্ধারিত পথে বয়ে যায়, তখনই তার গতি অর্থবহ। মানুষও তাই—সে যখন তার নিজের স্থানে, তার নিজের ধর্মে প্রতিষ্ঠিত থাকে, তখনই তার জীবন সুন্দর এবং সার্থক।</p> In this world, every object, every creature, every human being occupies a particular place, and therein lies its true worth. A flower achieves its beauty when it blooms upon its branch. A river fulfills its meaning when it flows along its destined course. So too with human beings—when they stand firm in their own place, grounded in their own dharma, only then does life become beautiful and worthwhile. <p>কিন্তু আমরা সর্বদা এই সত্য ভুলে যাই। আমরা চাই অন্যের স্থানে বসতে, অন্যের ধর্ম পালন করতে, অন্যের মতো হতে। এই আকাঙ্ক্ষাই আমাদের দুঃখের মূল। যখন আমরা নিজেদের পরিচয় হারিয়ে অন্যদের অনুকরণ করি, তখন আমরা শুধু নিজেদেরই নয়, সমগ্র সৃষ্টি-সংগতিকেও বিচ্ছিন্ন করে দিই।</p> Yet we perpetually forget this truth. We wish to sit in another's place, to fulfill another's dharma, to become like someone else. This very yearning is the root of our suffering. When we abandon our own identity and imitate others, we not only betray ourselves but fragment the harmony of all creation. <p>প্রকৃতি নিজেই আমাদের শেখায় এই পাঠ। একটি গাছ সূর্যের দিকে মুখ করে থাকে, কিন্তু সে তার শিকড় কখনো মাটির বাইরে নিয়ে যায় না। একটি পাখি আকাশে উড়ে, কিন্তু সে সর্বদা তার বাসা খোঁজে। প্রতিটি প্রাণী তার নিজের সীমা জানে এবং সেই সীমার মধ্যে থেকেই সে সত্যিকারের মুক্তি, সত্যিকারের আনন্দ পায়।</p> Nature itself teaches us this lesson. A tree turns its face toward the sun, yet never pulls its roots from the earth. A bird soars in the sky, but it always seeks its nest. Every creature knows its own limits and finds true freedom, true joy within those very constraints. <p>তাই যারা জীবনকে সার্থক করতে চান, তাদের প্রথম কর্তব্য হলো নিজেকে চেনা। নিজের ক্ষমতা, নিজের সীমা, নিজের প্রকৃত স্বরূপ—এসব অন্বেষণ করা। এবং তারপর নিজের সেই স্বরূপকেই সম্পূর্ণভাবে বিকশিত করা, যেভাবে একটি ফুল তার পাপড়ি খুলে দেয়।</p> Therefore, those who wish to make their lives worthwhile must first know themselves. They must explore their own capacities, their own limitations, their own true nature. And then they must fully develop that nature—the way a flower unfolds its petals. <p>এই আত্মজ্ঞান, এই আত্মস্থিতি—এটাই হলো প্রকৃত ধর্ম। এটাই হলো দেবত্বের পথ। কারণ স্রষ্টা প্রতিটি প্রাণীর মধ্যেই সৃষ্টি করেছেন একটি অনন্য সম্ভাবনা, একটি বিশেষ উপহার। যখন আমরা সেই উপহারকে স্বীকার করি, যখন আমরা নিজের সত্যিকারের স্বরূপে ফিরে আসি, তখনই আমরা স্রষ্টার সাথে সংযুক্ত হই, তখনই আমরা দেবত্ব অর্জন করি।</p> This self-knowledge, this rootedness in one's own being—this is true dharma. This is the path to divinity. For the Creator has woven into every creature a unique potential, a distinctive gift. When we acknowledge that gift, when we return to our authentic nature, we connect with the Creator; we attain divinity. <p>তাই সৃষ্টির প্রতিটি কোণায়, প্রতিটি স্তরে ঈশ্বরের উপস্থিতি বিদ্যমান। শুধুমাত্র যারা নিজেদের মধ্যে সেই দেবত্ব অনুভব করতে পারে, তারাই সেই সত্যকে দেখতে পায়।</p> Thus God's presence inhabits every corner, every stratum of creation. Only those who can feel that divinity within themselves can truly perceive this truth.

Any person whatsoever may attain this devotion. All possess the capacity to gain it, yet devotion is not a thing easily acquired. Only through great labour and sustained practice, through attraction toward higher purposes and the repeated renunciation of baser interests in manifold ways—only thus can devotion gradually be attained. To win this devotion, we must undertake endless effort and unceasing discipline. If a farmer wishes to make his soil fit for harvest, he must, through tireless toil, prepare the earth with particular care. When the six passions strive to overcome us, we must always keep natural desires in check through the aid of reason, conscience, the heart's innate wisdom, justice, love, and purity. We must subdue our attachment to the senses through the heart's devotion to the soul.

In this time of unprecedented yearning for wealth, status, and fame in life, we must always regulate all manner of narrow and personal self-interest through indifference to outcomes, truth, good, virtue, and love—and doing so requires of us constant and particular sacrifice. We must sometimes restrain sensual desire, sometimes resist the will to self-gain. In many things we must renounce self-interest; yet through this renunciation, our own reason, conscience, heart, and soul shall find ease, peace, and growth.

We must not renounce truth, justice, purity, or affection. But if we diminish and renounce sensual craving and worldly desire, then shall we gain these spiritual treasures in ever greater measure—for the present and the future—and truth, justice, good, affection, and purity shall become the ornaments of our lives eternally. In this we shall find ineffable self-satisfaction. Our hearts shall be filled with infinite strength, our minds with infinite peace, our lives with infinite sweetness, and dwelling with the Divine we shall know surpassing joy; He too shall move freely within our hearts.

To live in union with the Creator through spiritual yoga and with the people of the world through the yoga of love, and to draw ever nearer to both these forms of union—there is no greater fortune than this. Should one live thus, human birth shall bear fruit. Therefore one must attend with care to the cultivation of one's humanity to such heights, and in this shall lie fulfillment for all eternity.

Let us speak to ourselves, sensing the existence of our own soul: O Infinite Being! We need no words to cry out for you in our hearts. You are the Witness within, dwelling in the depths and seeing how our very breath yearns to reach you. We bow before your power; we worship your knowledge; we offer ourselves wholly to your benevolent grace; we rejoice in your love and wish to be blessed by your companionship. We know you ask no outward sacrifice of us, that you have no need of the oblations of our speech; yet we dwell in your world, sustained always by your will for our welfare, drawing breath from the air you have given us to live. Your strength protects us, your benevolent purpose guides us, your compassion grants us safety, and your love shall bring us joy through all eternity.

O Supreme God! We cannot help but praise you; and yet, however much we sing your praises, the hunger of our hearts is never fully satisfied. With humble hearts we bow before you. We long to remain, if only for a moment, in your presence, to make our souls fresh and strong, so that through your grace we might become more capable in fulfilling life's duties, so that we might endure all trials and sorrows more easily, and at last be granted the imperishable joy that is yours alone.

We thank you for placing us in this varied world. Around us, water and nature sometimes rest peacefully, touched by the sun's light, and sometimes, wrapped in clouds, surge with violent force; yet through fair days and foul, we dwell in your care and are blessed. All that we have gained in this life you have given to us, and you have promised to glorify us in countless ways yet to come. We praise you; we thank you for each day of our life.

We thank you for the duties you have set to strengthen us, for the trials and temptations through which you test the power of our hearts—for those beloved friends who gladden our eyes by day and who, even in dreams at night, ceaselessly shower joy upon our hearts. For all these things, we thank you.

Lord of this heart! We thank you for the tender power of your creative wisdom that shelters us all. We thank you for your mercy that provides for the welfare of young and old alike—a mercy that freely gives love to those who walk in righteousness and remains ever compassionate even toward the sinner. We know that we often stray from your true path. We know that we forget your laws. We know that this fleeting world often exerts dominion over us, and that we become enslaved to passion and desire.

Yet, remembering your miraculous mercy and infinite love—that you are ever engaged in the welfare of your children, and as a shepherd carries the weak lamb upon his own breast and tenderly restores each straying lamb to his home and tends its wounds, so too do you carry the weak of humanity in your embrace and lead the wayward sinner to your imperishable dwelling. Remembering all this, we find hope and joy.

O God! Teach us to partake of this world with knowledge, faith, and righteousness. In the daily work and trials of this place, may we be able to gain wisdom, goodness, and devotion. Whatever tests and temptations you place before us, may we derive right instruction from each one. Whatever calamities, disasters, and sorrows you bring upon us, may we draw strength from them; and even if we must drink the bitter tears of sorrow in humility for our own transgressions, may we yet be able to gain new health and new vigor in our lives thereby.

Help us to dwell in peace with our own souls. May we not strike a single false note among all these thousand strings; may perfect harmony resound through them all, and may our life be proclaimed throughout this world as one great hymn of your glory. Bestow upon us this blessing. Even if we cry out in fervent prayer with tear-filled eyes to obtain something, should it prove harmful to us, keep it always far from us. Do what is truly good for us.

Help us, we beseech, to keep our personal interests in perfect harmony with the welfare of those dear to you—overlooking their frailties, free from envy of their triumphs, winning their affection through our own sincerity, and dwelling with them in righteousness and fellowship. Teach us to love even those who cannot draw forth our natural affection. Grant us the strength of heart to work for the good of those who wish us ill. That we might labor in redeeming those who add to the world's burden of sin—give us this purpose. Grant us patience in toil, that all might come to know you as Father, and humankind as brother and sister, and so become steadfast in faith in you and compassionate toward one another. Make us capable of dwelling as one with you. Let not idleness shroud us from your sight. Let not the clamor of desire lead us astray from your law. Through intellect, conscience, heart, and soul, bind us so to you that your truth shall dwell in our understanding, your goodness shall illumine our conscience, and your love shall flow eternal and inexhaustible—a fountain of endless joy—forever within our hearts and souls.