Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 47

Dear All,

We are continuing with the previous Sutra which glorified the purpose of Sravanam and Kirtanam and said,

[(Bhakti develops) from listening to and singing of the attributes and glories of the Lord, even while engaged in the ordinary activities of life in the world.]

In this post, we will deal with Singing or Kirtanam, having covered Sravanam or Listening, in yesterday's post.

KIRTANAM

He who does the Kirtan and Japa of Lord’s names derives the merit of all austerities, of all sacrifices of baths in all sacred waters and of study of the Vedas.

Just as the sun removes the darkness of mountain caves, just as the powerful wind makes a heavy cloud to vanish, even so, the Kirtan and Japa of the divine name enter the heart and brings all sorrows and miseries to an end.

Therefore the constant practice of Kirtan, hearing and remembrance of the name and glory of God is surely the best and supreme method for the attainment of devotion and God-realisation.

God is the source of all love and to fill our hearts with the sweetness of love (devotion), we must naturally approach Him.

Swami says “Chanting the name of the Lord must be considered as the highest form of sadhana. You can travel anywhere in the light of this name. In this age of Kali Yuga the easiest way to reach the Lord is this chanting of the Lord’s name. There is nothing more sacred than His name.”

Like Sravanam is not complete without knowing about Parakshit's life, Kirtanam cannot be complete without relating it to Meera.

When she was of age, her family got her married to King Bhojraj, who loved her very much. She was a dutiful wife and daughter-in-law but after she finished her household chores, she went back to her Krishna. Her devotion to the Lord was pure,  simple and so complete that none of the hurdles she faced in life affected her. She used to sing all the time, making up the most beautiful and moving lyrics. Her devotion for the Lord was immense and she spent all her time remembering Him through singing, dancing and chanting His name.

Even though Meera-bai moved on in her devotion to reach Atmanivedanam, she did not stop the kirtans. That is why we can consider her to be an exemplar of this step of devotion. Sri Narada Muni is another great devotee who stands for kirtanam.

The benefits of singing devotional songs with love for the Lord are many. They include:

1. Singing calms the mind

Swami often concludes His discourses with the bhajan “Hari Bhajana Bina Sukha Shanti Nahi” which means that without singing the glory of God, without being devoted to Him, one cannot experience joy and peace.

Devotional singing occupies a prominent role in almost every

religious tradition as it has a very calming effect on the mind.

When the mind is focusing on the Lord who is pure and unconditionally loving, it calms down. Therefore, one should train the mind to revel in the glory and majesty of God.

2. Purifes the mind and fosters virtues.

Today the mind of man has not only become agitated but also

mean and wicked. Swami says: “In this Kali Age, the wicked

have to be reformed and reconstructed through love and

compassion. That is why this Avatar has come unarmed. He

has come with the message of love. 

The only weapon which can transform the vile and the vicious is the name of the Lord, uttered with love. The name is redolent with divine glory. So when it is turned over in the mind, it transmutes it into an instrument for liberation from delusion.”

3. Purifies the atmosphere

The recitation of the names of the Lord will purify the atmosphere as a result of the sacred sound waves being transmitted into the atmosphere. 

4. Draws divine grace

Remembrance of God becomes constant and steady through Kirtanam. This speeds us on the path of winning the Lord’s grace. Swami says: “The tongue is the post and bhajan is the rope, you can bring God near you and tie Him up so that His grace becomes yours.” 

Those who listened to the Feb Talk in Sai Sadan by the Author (by the Lord, through an instrument called Sathya, for, what can this tongue speak, what can this voice sing, what can this body act, without HIS GRACE?)  on Purpose of Bhajan singing may recall the stages in spiritual evolution through Bhajan singing / kirtan were dealt as under, taking a message of Sai which was played in the beginning.

1. Music  melts the heart (first melts the ego in heart and later, melts the heart itself in Love for God).

2. Music takes the devotee nearer to the Lord.

3. With Music / Kirtanam, you can please the Lord.

4. With Music, you can find the Lord and 

5. You can merge with Lord and exist as one with the Lord.

Those who were there in Sadan when Samarpan Bhajans were being learnt together, may recall this Bhajan which we learnt together.

Aao Aao Sai Pyaare, 
Kirtan Karoon Mein Sai Tumhare

Tumho Mere Nayano Ke Taare, 
Darshan Do Jivan Ke Sahare

Aao Aao Sai Pyaare

Come O lord, with the sunrise, sea of devotees are waiting for your glimpse in Parthi, come floating, come gliding, Uthishta Uthishta Parti Isa.

(In the depth of meditation, as the3 devotee waits for the darshan, he  is  actually and intensely praying to the Lord to walk into his life, fill his life with Sai's Prema( pyaare). I have gone astray in this life and several life so far, now no more, Come O Deena Bandhava, O Prana Sakha, COME, COME, never to leave me ever)

Kirtan Karoon mein Sai Tumhare

You have been hailed as "Sama Gana Lola, Sangeetha Lola, Bhajana Priyaya etc.. from time immemorial, To prove all these words, here we are, ready to fill our heart of Love through singing your Glory and in the process, please You as well. We are  singing  your Kirtan, Come, O Lord, (In the depth of heart, pleasing You is known as realizing the SELF through this simple sadhana of Namasmarana, as SELF is the source of all Bliss, Ananda), Come o Paramananda Ananda Govinda Shyam!

So, as though the line at the surface level seems to be luring the Lord who is Sangeeta Priya, lover of Music, it is actually the call / craving of the devotee to fill himself in God's Divine Love through this most sacred sadhana of Kirtanam so that the God in side, the very Atman is realized and the devotee exists no more as a mere physical entity but as SAT-CHIT-ANANDA!!!. 

Tum ho mere nayanon ke taare

You are the light of my eye, You are the source of illumination, not only to my eye, but to the inner eye of wisdom for all, to the whole creation, O Koti Surya Sama Teja Swarupa, Come, O Lord.

(When the devotee, existing as Love=God, His ( God's) eyes are his eyes, he starts seeing/ experience ing the creation as it is actually created by the Lord, Pure and blemish less and it is in this sense, that the God exists now as the illumination of his eyes, Nayanon ke taare)

Darshan do Jeevan ke Sahare

Grant me Thy divine darshan, not for today, not for a week, not for a year, not for a decade but, O Lord, come, stay in my heart forever as the very Atman... or...., in other words, Awaken my soul so that I can get Your divine darshan as the very SELF in the cave of my heart, THAT DARSHAN WHICH IS ETERNAL.

To whom else the devotee can cry out to grant this ATMA DARSHAN but the lord Himself who is the ONLY ONE UNTO WHOM THE DEVOTEE CAN SEEK REFUGE TO GRANT HIM MUKHTI. 

So, " Jivan ke Sahare"  comes from within here!!

O men in this Kali Yuga, is Kirtan not taking you to the ultimate Mukti itself, if taken with such sincerity, such Love, as given above?? 

Why delay??

Sai Naam Ka Loot Hai, 
Loot Sake To Loot

(varna) Anth Samay Pachtayega, 
Jab Tan Se Pran Jaye Choot!!

O man, The Glory of Sai Naam is available to you to take in, chant, absorb and realize, make use of it NOW,

For,

Otherwise, (if you are lost in this world and forget His divine name / glory), you will be left with remorse / sorrow when the Lord of death calls you to him and you have lost this janma, without taking the Brahmastra of Sai Nama to realize the very goal of your life (to realize God).

Let each day begin with a call from Lord, "O  Bhakta, it is NOW or NEVER".

Love.