Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 24

Sutra 12. Bhavatu Nischayadardhyadoordhwam SaStrarakshanam. 

(Let a man protect the scriptural teachings even after his spiritual realization becomes well established.)

Bhavatu: let there be
Nischaya dardhyat: after realisation becomes firmly established
Oordhwam: after
Sastrarakshanam: protection of scriptural teachings.

When one is established in Dharma he is eligible to protect the Sastras. He is now able to defend the Sastras against attacks. Others can protect the Sastras by living up to the ideas of the Sastras. This is also Sastra Rakshanam or protection of Sastras and Dharma.

Men of realization unassumingly follow the scriptures in their actual life. They set an example by their own life and teachings. 
  
Scriptures are infallible. Vedas have come out from the mouth of God. They are revelations. They are traditionally handed down from Rishis and seer to their disciples in succession (Parampara). 

So long as there is world, there are scriptures and teachers to guide the people in the path of Truth and Righteousness. The number of teachers may be few in the iron age but they do exist. Books are not eternal. But the ideas in the Vedas are eternal.

Dear All,

Our own Beloved Swami, incarnated in human form, is the best example for all those Bhaktas who are nearer to Swami, with the goal to merge with Him and attain God realization.



Swami commenced the Veda  Purusha Saptaha Jnana Yagna way back in 1962 in Prashanti Nilayam, true to one of the archana hymn, "Veda Raksha Parayanaya Namah". 




Later on, after nearly 4 decades, He willed and the "Ati Rudra Homam" became an yearly festival during Shivaratri functions in Parthi.










Vedas are imparted to all students in school / college level in Swami's educational institutions, to all, boys and girls, of all religion, without discrimination.

Why do the Avatar / Realized masters take up such tasks of fostering vedas??

It is definitely not for them as they are beyond vedas and yagnas.

But it is for the spiritual seekers so that they hold on to the sacred Vedic culture to evolve spiritually and to attain God realization one day, in one birth.

Adi Sankara, Sri Ramana and all the realized masters who came after, even after attaining Self Realization, have composed hymns / prayers on Siva, on Shakti, on Krishna, on Rama etc. 

For them, these things may not be required because they are not different from God and they have attained non-dual Realization but they know the path they have travelled, towards realization, they know the obstacles faced by them in the spiritual path, they know how human mind can play havoc and can take him backward, if he does not follow the Vedic traditions and for that purpose, effortlessly, they have composed various hymns, have written several commentary on our sacred vedas and vedantha and have left the treasure for the spiritual seekers for centuries to come.

Love.

Note:- Most important thing to be understood and grasped about this verse is that the Masters, upon realization, do not go about protecting  spiritual teachings / veda / vedanta. 

Whatever they do, whatever they speak, whatever they act, even their silence - any thing about them just protects / elevates / propagates / teaches spiritual secrets to the humanity, provided the human beings have the keen-ness, sincerity and Prarabdha to observe these masters and take the secret from them and practice the same in their lives for their spiritual transformation. 


P.S: Author wrote two article at the same time "Form Worship and Self Realization" and then "Form Worship after Realization". Those of you who would like to get these articles may leave a comment in this blog and then, the articles would be sent to them.


Love.




Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 23




Sutra 11. Lokavedeshu Tadanukoolacharanam TadVirodhishoodaaseenata. 

(By “indifference to all which are hostile to Him” is understood as the performance of these secular and religious activities which are congenial to Him.)

Lokavedeshu: regarding secular and religious activities
Tadanukool Acharanam: practices or performances which are congenial to Him
Tad-virodhishoodaaseenata: indifference to all which are hostile to Him.

Swami Sivananda writes on this sutra thus:

"In the eighth aphorism, we have been taught to direct all our energies of thought and action towards God. Now we are again enjoined to respect to some extent the dictates of religion and morality. 

Here seems, therefore, to arise some confusion. This is only superficial. Only selfish activities must be given up, in order to get rid of desires. All works which can help to cultivate devotion must be regularly practised. 

There must be active cooperation with the divine plan. This Sutra explains the indifference to obstacles of Bhakti referred to in Sutra 9.

Indifference to all that are hostile to Him (to the Spiritual injunctions.)

A devotee does not do any action which is not pleasing to God, which does not help in the growth of devotion, which goes against the will of his Lord. Prahlad renounced his atheistic father. Vibheeshana his asuric brother, Bharata his cruel mother, Bali his preceptor even, the Gopis of Vraj their husbands. But they all contributed to the welfare of the world. They are all regarded as benefactors of the world.

The devotee does all actions which are pleasing to the Lord till he attains God-realisation. He abandons all selfish activities that are prohibited by the scriptures.

Dear All,


Intuitively, even before reading this verse, the essence of this verse was given by the author through the example of Buddha and then he followed up in the next post on How a Bhakta, rendered pure, serene, with all his spiritual energy in tact, ends up doing just all those things to perfection, which the spiritual injunctions and social norms expect out of a good human being.


Practices or performances which are congenial to Him (to His state of Perfection / God realization


Buddha did all things to perfection, did practice all spiritual practice NOT BECAUSE he followed the spiritual injunctions religiously but because  HE WAS GOOD IN SIDE,  because THE SPIRITUAL INJUNCTIONS got merged in him and manifested from within!!!

Sage Ramana, when one disciple handed over a very sacred and very rare treatise "Ribhu Gita" which is all about the state of a yogi after the yogi has attained SELF REALIZATION, glanced through the book and the words that came from within spontaneously were "O, This book is all about my state"!!!!!!


Sage Ramana did not follow Ribhu Gita, The Ribhu Gita followed Ramana and was but a biography of Ramana (His state)!!!!!


Love.