Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 89

Sutra 84. Ya Idam Naaradaproktam Sivaanusaasanam Viswasiti sraddhatte Sa Bhaktimaan Bhavati sa preshtam labhate sa preshtam labhate iti.

[He who believes and has faith in this auspicious teaching expounded by Narada becomes endowed with Bhakti and realises the most beloved Lord, attains the most beloved Lord.]

Ya: who

Idam: this

Naaradaproktam: recited by Narada

Sivaanusaasanam: auspicious teaching

Viswasati: believes

Shraddhate: practises with faith

Sah: he

Bhaktimaan: possessed of devotion

Bhavati: becomes

Preshtam: the most beloved Lord;

Labhate: realises, obtains

Sa: He

Prestham: the most beloved Lord

Labhate: attains

Iti: thus.

This is the Phala Sruti. What is got is the most beloved Lord. Preshta is the object of Love. It is used here as a synonym for the highest goal of human life. 

Iti- thus. This word marks the end of the treatise.

Narada now describes the fruit of devotion. He says that he who believes, respects and practises these holy teachings originally laid down by the first Teacher of Bhakti, Lord Siva, enunciated and elaborated by Devarishi Narada, attains God in the form of the “Beloved.”

  

"Preshtam Labhate"  or "the devotee attains his object of desire / love" is repeated twice in this  sutra. 

This is in line with the upanishad verse in Brahmananda Valli in Taittiriya upanishad which says that when one discovers / realizes Brahman as Sathyam, Jnanam and Anantam in the cave of his heart, along with the realization of Brahman, all his desires are at once fulfilled!!!

So, in the repetition of the line twice, perhaps, the hidden lesson for the Bhaktas who reach to this last verse of the sutra is as under:-

"When, in divine Love, absorbing and practicing and living as the essence of the sutras in this Bhakti treatise, one realizes his Loving God within his heart (1st preshtam labhate), along with that, he attains / gets all the objects of his desire (2nd preshtam labhate), where, the key or the punch expression taught by the author to a few in the taittiriya upanishad session is - "along with realization of God, all his desires are also attained simultaneously and at once - PROVIDED ---- ANY DESIRE IS STILL LEFT OUT UPON REALIZING GOD".

Chinmaya concludes this sutra with these lines, as though emerging from Lord supreme

“Though I am never loath to grant salvation,

I hesitate indeed to grant pure love,

He who wins pure love, surpasses all,

He is adored by men,

He triumphs over the three worlds”

Glory to the Lord ! Glory to Sage Narada !

Glory to all Saints, Bhaktas, Bhagavatas and Mahatmas and all realized masters, Glory to the path of Divine Love !

Om Tat Sat ! Om Santi, Santi, Santi !

Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 88

Sutra 83. Ityevam vadanti janajalpanirbhayaa ekamataa kumaara vyaasa suka saandilya Garga Vishnu koundilya seshoddhava aruni bali hanoomad vibheeshanaadayo bhakta- achaarya.

[Thus, the teachers of devotion Sanatkumara. Vyasa, Suka, Saandilya, Garga, Vishnu, Koundillya, Sesha, Uddhava, Aruni, Bali, Hanuman, Vibheeshana etc., proclaim unanimously in this strain, without fear of the carping criticisms of men.]

Ityevam : in the manner described above,

Jana Jalpa Nirbhayaa: fearless of the prattle of people

Ekamatah: of unanimous opinion. Kumara, Vyasa, Suka, Sandilya, Garga, Vishnu, Kaundillya, Sesha, Uddhava, Aruni, Bali, Hanuman, Vibhishana and others Bhaktacharyaa: teachers of devotion

Vadanti: say, declare.

The names given above are of the highest personalities in the realm of devotees, who held the same view as the Rishi Narada on this subject.

They are not afraid of being criticised by anyone, because they have the inner conviction of spiritual experience.

Giving the reference of other principal teachers of the path of Bhakti, Narada strengthens his own point of view.

Kumara is Sanatkumara who was Guru of Narada. He is constantly engaged in the Japa of the Mantra, “Hari Saranam” (Refuge to Sri Hari). He is the prince among Bhaktas. He is one of the pioneers in the path of devotion.

Sandilya, the author of Sandilya Sutras is an Acharya in the path of Bhakti.

Garga is an ancient Rishi. He obtained knowledge of the 64 Vidyas from Siva Himself as a result of penance and worship. He performed the Namakarana ceremony of Sri Krishna. He knew Sri Krishna to be Parabrahman. He is a great authority on astrology. His teaching is recorded as Garga Samhita.

Maharishi Vishnu was a reputed author of Smriti. He was ever absorbed in meditation. 

Lord Sesha is engaged day and night in singing the praises of Sri Hari through his thousand tongues. He is the teacher of servant-sentiment, Dasya Bhav.

Uddhava was the most intimate friend of Sri Krishna. 

Aruni is Nimbarcharya who brought forth the idea of Radha-Krishna Love. 

Bali was he very embodiment of the sentiment of self-surrender. Moved by his devotion Lord Hari had to undertake the duty of a watchman at his gate.

Hanuman is the greatest devotee. He had Dasya Bhav.

Vibheeshana gained the friendship of Lord Rama through Hanuman. All these Acharyas of Bhakti have established the supremacy of Bhakti through the examples of their lives.

This Sutra indicates that Bhakti is a practical method of approaching God which has been adopted with success by a good many devotees placed in different stations in life, that this treatise is a compendium of their views written by one who himself has practised what he preaches and that it is worth while to follow and profit by the teachings of these disinterested Masters of Bhakti.

With one more concluding Sutra, we will come to the end of this wonderful  work - Narada Bhakti Sutra 

Love.

Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 87

Dear All, 

Let us continue further on the previous sutra which says,

"[Bhakti, or Divine Love, though in itself one only, manifests itself in the following eleven forms: 

(1) Love of the glorification of the Lord’s blessed qualities,

(2) Love of his enchanting beauty, 

(3) Love of worship, 

(4) Love of constant remembrance, 

(5) Love of service, 

(6) Love of Him as a friend, 

(7) Love of Him as a son, 

(8) Love for Him as that of a wife for her husband, 

(9) Love of self-surrender to Him, 

(10) Love of complete absorption in Him, 

(11) Love of the pain of separation from Him.]".

1) Guna maahatmya Aasakti  (Glorifying Lord's blessed qualities)

In this, the devotee's smouldering Love Divine is constantly fed by the repeated remembrance of the glories and virtues of the Lord.

Narada, Vyaasa, Sukhdev are the devotees who pursued this mode.

2) Roopa Aasakti (Love of his enchanting beauty)



Attachment to Lord's divine form is a path by which devotees reached the highest experience in their spiritual path. 



3)  Love of worship

Constant performance of ritual and worship of the Lord Sree Narayana is a beautiful example of this form of devotion.





4)  Smarana Aasakti (Constant remembrance) 

Prahlada and Dhruva travelled in this path of constant remembrance of Lord. Through their never ceasing remembrance of the Lord, they realized God as Supreme Love.


5)  Dasya Asakthi ( Serving the Lord)

Devotion can also be reached by the unquestionable, reverential devotion of the servant to the master, maintained in the pure heart of the seeker. Hanuman and Vidhura lived this path.

6) Saakhya Aasakti (Loving Lord as friend)

Attachment to the Lord as a friend is yet another path. The attitude of Arjuna, Sudhaama and kuchela fall under thus category.



7) Vaatsalya Aasakti (Parental Love)

The devotee may also reach the great state of supreme love through the devotion of Parental Love. Kausalya, Yasoda, Devaki are those who loved the Lord as their child.




8) Kanta Aasakti (Loving Lord as spouse)

As a beloved it is an attitude of relationship between devotee and the Lord. This is a path wherein the devotee considers herself to be the Lord's beloved, like the eight queens of Krishna, like Sita approaching Lord Rama.

9) Atma nivedana Aasakti (Self surrender)

Complete surrender to the Lord, ready to give one's life, one's very existence to the Lord is indeed a way by which devotion can be invoked, maintained and developed. 

Out of all the 11 mode of Love explained in this sutra, this is the pinnacle and the ultimate stage.

In all other modes or most of the other modes, we can see a duality between the Bhakta and the Bhagawan. 

In Atma nivedanam, the devotee's ego is totally annihilated and the nivedanam is the highest one where, the SELF or the ATMAN (Devotee's real identity) is offered or it merges with BRAHMAN ( Real identity / existence of God).

10) Tanmayata Aasakti (Total absorption in lord)

In this path, Bhakti is developed by constantly trying to feel one's essential oneness with Him without any distinction such as creator and creature, Devotee and the Lord etc. 

Sanat kumara, Yagna valkya are few such beings who travelled in this path.

11) Parama viraha Aasakti 

The devotee feels burning anguish of separation, remembering the Lord constantly in Lord's absence. 

This is the feeling of Gopis of Brindavan when Krishna left Brindavan. 

Thus, according to the nature of each  devotee, the devotee expresses his / her devotion in one's own unique way.

Love.