Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 30

Sutra 18 . Atmaratyavirodheneti Sandilya.

(The sage Sandilya thinks that it must be without hindrance to the enjoyment of bliss in the Atman )

Atmarati-avirodhena: without hindrance to the enjoyment of bliss in the Atman

Iti : Thus

Sandilya : sage, 

(to be understood as Sandilya Manyate:, Sandilya thinks).

The sage Sandilya holds that it must be without being opposed  the delight in the Atman.

This is a difficult verse at the surface level. Let is try to understand the verse clearly.

Sage Vyaasa has explained Bhakti as attachment to God.

Sage Garga has explained that Bhakti is getting immersed in talks of / on divine Lord.

What Sage Sandilya explains here is the ultimate attainment in the path of devotion.

The sage, as though, points out that all Pooja, all rituals, all immersing in glory of God, all so called emotions towards God, should ultimately culminate in finding the God within, merging with God and attainment of / experience of ultimate Bliss / Ananda.

Without reading this verse, Author,  in the previous post also, had written on the significance of all rituals / incense sticks / mala / alter etc. and was upheld with a concluding line that all this should elevate the devotee to a higher level and he should not get stuck up with these props and these rituals for ever.

Sage Sandilya means exactly the same in this verse.

To be more clear, all the joy, all the inner experience which happens when a devotee visits a Sai centre, immerses himself when someone renders a nice bhajan, when a devotee visits any temple / any place of worship, closes his eyes when the Aarti is performed or, to be very precise, when Swami comes for darshan and approaches a devotee, something happens to him deep within, the devotee does not exist with his body, his mind, his intellect at that moment, the devotee does not exist as an individual, the devotee is not conscious of his physical existence and it is his soul which has touched the universal soul that is SAI. The tears that roll over is proof that the soul has touched the soul.

ALL SUCH EXPERIENCES ARE NOT THE EXPERIENCE OF HIS MIND BUT AT ALL SUCH MOMENTS, HIS SOUL / HIS SELF / HIS ATMAN IS AWAKENED AND THE JOY OR BLISS EXPERIENCED IS THE JOY / BLISS OF THE SELF / SPIRIT / ATMAN.

This particular verse and its commentary requires  deep contemplation especially for those who have not actually thought of their experience in their devotion in the way it is explained in this verse.

Love.

PS - It is precisely due to the truth revealed in this verse / sutra that it is recognized that Bhakti in its true sense MUST culminate in Jnana.

i.e., Bhakti, though has the background of duality with Bhakta separate from Bhagwan, when it is in its purest and most intense state, must and does end the duality between the devotee and the God and culminates in Non Dual State where, the individual spirit / soul / atman of the devotee merges with the universal spirit / soul / Brahman!!!.

Love.

Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 29

Sutra 17. Kathaadishviti Gargah.

The sage Garga thinks that Bhakti consists in talks of His glory and greatness and the stories of His various sports and the like.

Katha-adishu: in holy talks (of Lord’s glory and greatness) and the like (anuraga: devotion)

iti: thus

Garga : Sage Garga (manyati thinks).

Garga, an apostle of Bhakti thinks that indulgence in talks of Lord’s glory and greatness, fondness for spiritual conversation and the like is the sign of devotion or the characteristic of divine love .

The stories of the incarnations of God are most elevating, inspiring and soul stirring. They instil devotion in the hearts of the hearers. There is a mysterious and marvellous charm in the stories pertaining to Avataras. A sincere devotee loses himself in the stories of Lord Rama or Lord Krishna .

Hearing the stories of the Lord removes the impurities of the mind and leads to God-realisation ultimately.

Kathaadishu: Narration is Katha. “Adi" here includes also reading of the stories “Patha”, Kirtan (individual), Sangkirtan (collective with musical instruments), Japa, prayer, Harikathas (discourses on spiritual topics), hymns, Bhajans or songs, theological literature.

Lord Krishna says in Gita “With their hearts fixed on Me and their life absorbed in Me, constantly discoursing and conversing with one another about Me, they are contented, and they rejoice. (Chapter X.9.).

Narada always goes about singing the glories of the Lord in ecstasy. Gauranga immersed himself in Sankirtan.

Parikshit delighted himself in listening to the glories of the Lord by Sri Suka . 

Sri Suka says in Bhagavat, “Enquiring about Lord Krishna’s stories purifies him who describes him who enquires and him who listens.”

Listening to the glory of Lord like Srimad Bhagawatham by itself is one of the greatest Sadhana. It brings in all the focus of a listener to God's thoughts, takes him away from all worldly thoughts and makes his heart melt in the glory of God.

Love.

Further on Anuraag - "Attachment to God "

Dear All,

In today's post, Vyaasa defines Bhakti as "Attachment towards God, through whatever ways one worships God".

Brother Hari, in a talk  reveals that Swami has defined Bhakti in 3 simplest steps that even a normal human being, without the previous background of any literature of Spirituality, without any listening of discourses, without any background whatsoever, can very easily understand, whether he practices it or not.

STEP 1

Devotion is attachment towards God.

Where, we channelize all our stupid attachments towards so many objects, relations etc. in this material world towards God and only God.

STEP 2

Such attachment has only one route - Up and Up

Where, the attachment towards God can not halt and relax, cannot stumble back, cannot go in any other direction but it can only go up and up and up, towards God. 

In real life,  In the path of devotion, we human beings keep swinging from one God, one route, to so many other routes, run to so many other semi Gods / Gurus, take so many halts, start walking backward instead of moving forward towards God, take up so many activities with ego in the name of our Love for God ....... and............

SWAMI / GOD WATCHES US in all these above distractions, AS HE IS OUR PRANA SAKHA, OUR ETERNAL COMPANION, EVEN IN ALL OUR RUNNING AWAY FROM HIM AND SAYS, "YOU CAN LEAVE ME BUT HOW CAN I?!!!!!!

STEP 3

Such an  upward moving attachment to God must be in Total Surrender

Where, the Bhakta surrenders  his very identity at the lotus feet of the Lord. We say, we surrender our thoughts and words and actions etc. Even we say so, we very much retain the identity of "we", our identity as this stupid human being. That "we", our identity, must be surrendered to God, then only we will have nothing to hold on to, except His Lotus feet.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

This small piece of Hari's talk along with author's elaboration which would come from within, was to be taken up in the talk on "Purpose of Bhajan" in Sai centre in Muscat, which was held last month, but due to shortage of time, this was skipped. All His will.

In the 3 simple steps given by Bhagwan, the entire Bhakti treatise of all religions which have come up so far, is contained, in ESSENCE. 

Love.