Srimad Bhagavatam Skanda 1 - The Nama Sankeertana of Lord & Bhakti Yoga
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| Hare Srinivasa |
My salutations to you.
We heard Bhoo Devi praising the attribute of प्रागल्भ्यं or proficiency in Lord. The compassionate Lord having this attribute
blesses his dear devotees too with proficiency to take the right stand, or
stand-up for truth, or establish a premise. In such devotees, self-confidence
and proficiency starts manifesting in all day-to-day activities.
Even if the government uses all its might or if
the whole world stands against, the blessed yogi having worshipped the प्रागल्भ्यं or proficiency in Lord would stand firm exhibiting proficiency. This is
the Prasada of the divine gift bestowed by the Lord.
प्रागल्भ्यं प्रश्रयः शीलं सह ओजो बलं भगः ।
गाम्भीर्यं स्थैर्यमास्तिक्यं कीर्तिर्मानोऽनहङ्कृतिः ॥ २८॥
In the same breadth of proficiency, Bhoo Devi
remembers the next attribute of Lord that is प्रश्रयः or Vinitha or civility or being humble or modesty. Though the Lord is proficient in all his acts,
he never misuses it. He is stainless being मार्दवं or Soft and is प्रश्रयः or full of civility being humble and modest.
Though being the Lord of this whole universe,
controlling everything with his Lordship, yet when he appeared as Sri Krishna,
he exhibited this attribute with his parents, teacher, and all elders. He did
the service of Guru Sandipani Rishi and washed the feet of the Brahmin friend
Sudhama teaching अतिथि सेवा. He made a bed for his elder brother Balarama to
sleep and he pressed his legs to soothe the fatigue. These and at every
occasion, Lord exhibited the attribute of civility, humbleness, and modesty.
By worshipping this attribute of Lord or doing
yoga with this attribute of प्रश्रयः of being humble and modest, the yogi too would be
blessed with this attribute to his capacity. Humbleness and modesty start
manifesting. He will respect the Sanyasi, Gurus, Elders, in Positions of
authority and express love towards the weak and ignorant.
शीलं or Morality or Loka Manohara svabhavatvam or charming the entire world. Lord Sri Krishna was attractive. Everyone
including Vasudeva, Devaki, Nandagopa, Yeshodha, those Gopas, Gopikas, friends,
Cows, Calves, peacocks, trees, and even rivers danced to his tune. All were
attracted to him. He captivated everyone's attention. When he had appeared as
Sri Rama and was heading towards the forest, the whole of Ayodhya started
following him, the trees bent towards him asking to take them along with him,
he is Loka Manohara attracting everyone.
By worshipping the attribute of divine brilliance
or Kanti in the Lord, doing the Gayatri mantra will be bestowed with the
attraction to the divine charm of the Lord. The Lord holds the yogi captivated
towards him. The desire to see him and be with him will increase. So too the
attraction by others in such yogis increases towards their physical charm.
Whereas by worshipping the Lord for his attribute, or doing yoga of the
attribute of शीलं or as Loka Manohara svabhavatvam or charming the
entire world, Lord would bless such attribute to individual capacity. Such
personalities will easily be accepted by the world for their morality,
integrity, and character. They would find a place wherever they go.
All the aspects of strength have been described by
Bhoo Devi including सहस् or Might or the ability to bear the whole world; take the responsibility of creation, sustenance,
control, confinement of Jiva, and release with moksha. These attributes are
natural in our Lord. However, ओजस् or Vigour having energy and enthusiasm to defeat
others is in Lord. Though a
vigor of four times that of the opponent is required to win over and hundred
times that of an opponent to kill, our Lord has immeasurable vigor; or
Vitality.
By worshipping the attribute of सहस् or Might in the Lord, various benefits including to bear the family
responsibilities of getting food to the table, educating children, conducting
marriage, and so on will manifest. The ability to take the responsibilities at the office, or
in the community will manifest. Also, the ability to bear grief or mental
stress increases by worshipping the Lord as सहस्वन् or Mighty.
By worshipping Lord as ओजस्वि with the attribute of ओजस् or Vigour having energy and enthusiasm to defeat
others, intellect will be able easily to defeat the opponents in a debate;
those working in countries defense, guarding the boundaries of the countries
will be able to defeat the aggressors; those managing business will be able to
succeed in market dynamics; the working class would be able to carry out
their acts with ease and enthusiasm.
Hence, Lord Veda Vyasa has composed below the verse in Vishnu Sahasranama:
ओजस्तेजोद्युतिधर: प्रकाशात्मा प्रतापन:।
ऋद्ध: स्पष्टाक्षरो मन्त्रश्चन्द्रांशुर्भास्करद्युति:॥३०॥
Oh, Lord! Your splendid supremacy in vigor,
skills, and abilities are radiant like a high noon sun shining brilliantly
providing heat. Like the radiant of the sun shatters the early morning dew and
haze, your brilliance shatters the ignorance bestowing the clear and clean
knowledge including bhakti and Vairagya.
You are Shabda Brahaman, residing in each of the
mantras breaking the entanglement with Prakriti.
Oh, Lord! Your brilliance surpasses that of thousands
of Suns raised together in the Lotus of Heart of Yogi yet with the pleasantness of thousand’s of the full moon.
The medicine for the unsteady, vulnerable,
depressed, and resorting to suicide is worshipping the attribute of ओजस् or vigor having energy and enthusiasm in the Lord. Worshipping the
Lord having immeasurable vigor, energy, and enthusiasm is the only remedy.
बलं is the strength required to do an act that includes physical as well as mental
strength. The Lord is supreme having immeasurable strength to carry out all
acts at his will including the creation of this vast Universe. His strength is
inconceivable even by God Brahma, the best of Jiva.
By worshipping Lord as having immeasurable
strength, conceivable by none to do acts at his will, the devout Yogi will be
blessed by strength to do Vrikshasana, Garudasana, or stand on one for hours
together or enough strength to do his day to day acts at their will.
The Lord has the attribute of गाम्भीर्यं or Profoundness. In this vast universe, there is an immeasurable
number of acts, responses, and reactions happening by immeasurable living
beings and non-living things. Though each of these acts, responses, or
reactions are pulling in different directions, our Lord remains गाम्भीर्यं or composed. His intellectual ability to dive deeper gives him a
complete understanding of the innate character of Jivas or living beings and
Jada or the inanimate substance called Prakriti. The Lord had an in-depth
knowledge in the creation of the vast inanimate universe suitable for the
sustenance of innumerable living beings, controlling Jivas by bestowing
ignorance and Knowledge to them, binding them with inanimate Prakriti, and
releasing them with moksha. He is on top of things exercising absolute control.
None including Goddess Mahalakshmi, Gods Brahma, Vayu, Garuda, Sesha, Indra,
and others can completely understand him. He remains composed with profound
knowledge, and so are his attributes, his thoughts, his words, and his acts.
By worshipping this attribute of composure and
profoundness in the Lord, by doing yoga, the flickering in the Yogi will
disappear and will be blessed with a steady mind.
Our Lord has the attribute of स्थैर्य or Stability and tranquillity. He does not quiver or shakes with physical
incapability, nor is he busy and mentally disturbed with commotion. In all his
acts, he remains stable, composed, and tranquil. By worshipping this attribute
of the Lord, the devoted yogi is also blessed with
a) Such attribute in himself
b) Decline in temptations towards the glamor and
attractions for worldly pleasure
c) Increased Sankalpa or determination to do
austerity
d) धर्मचरण or observation of divine law increases by remaining focussed in
propitiating Lord
e) Determination to overcome obstacles brought about
by evil Kali and his associates to disassociate from the auspicious and divine
Lord
f) And the Yogi will be able to successfully overcome
obstacles set forth by Gods to test and bring about a determination
आस्तिक्यं or Trust, faith, and belief in the sacred Knowledge
of Vedas and treating
it is proof. The Vedas have to be treated as proof because it has truth in it.
The Vedas are outlining the attributes of the Lord, its precise definitions,
the process of propitiating him, accomplishing him, and the fruit of
accomplishing him.
The description of the Lord, the definitions of
his attributes, the process of accomplishing him, and the fruit there off in
Vedas are all true as the Lord has understood that way. His creation is
consistent with his understanding and brought about to existence that way.
Hence, the आस्तिक्यं or Trust, faith, and belief in the sacred
scripture of Vedas by the Lord are to bring the same into existence.
However, by worshipping the Lord as having the attribute आस्तिक्यं or Trust, faith, and belief as written in Vedas, treating it as proof, verifying the same during the process of practice, Yogi receives the Prasada or divine gift of आस्तिक्यं or Trust, faith, and belief in Lord and the proponents of Vedas.
कीर्ति is the Glory of the Lord that is spoken everywhere, the praises that are sung in rhyme, rhythm
and dance. The Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabarata, and all Puranas or old
literature narrates his glories. The Bhagavata who were present earlier, now and
in the future, hear, read, and sing his glories and dance with ecstasy. By
worshipping this attribute of कीर्ति or the Glory of the Lord, while the Yogi for sure
will be blessed with such attribute to his capacity by the compassionate Lord,
but also the Lord would bless his nama sankeertana or sing his name.
We had studied the process of Bhakti Yoga and the
benefits of nama sankeertana in Srimad Bhagavatam Skanda 1 – The Pursuit to
hone Bhakti
Sri Suthacharya says,
तच्छ्रद्दधाना मुनयो ज्ञानवैराग्ययुक्तया ।
पश्यन्त्यात्मनि चाsत्मा नं भक्त्या श्रुतिगृहीतया ॥
Having great trust & belief in Lord Tattva,
Rishis study the Bhagavata Shastra repeatedly to gain Jnana and Vairagya. This
would blossom the Lotus of Heart, Bhakti, and glow the Light of Love towards
the Lord. They would see the splendid Lotus-eyed Lord in their Heart.
तस्मादेकेन मनसा भगवान् सात्वतां पतिः ।
श्रोतव्यः कीर्तितव्यश्च ध्येयः पूज्यश्च नित्यदा ॥
Hence, being focused and with a single objective, one should propitiate the Lord through Hearing His Glories, Singing His Attributes, Meditation, and Worship.
यदनुध्यायिनो युक्ताः कर्मग्रन्थिनिबन्धनम् ।
छिन्दन्ति कोविदास्तस्य को न कुर्यात् कथारतिम् ॥
Sri Suthacharya is telling that all
those कोविदा or learned by यदनुध्यायिनो propitiating the Lord through
hearing, singing, and meditation on the attributes and glory of the Lord at all
times of the day tie up their minds to him or practice The Yoga of Mind which
has the capacity to छिन्दन्ति or sheer these knots and tangle
that has wrapped our Soul.
शुश्रूषोः श्रद्दधानस्य वासुदेवकथारतिः।
स्यान्महत्सेवया विप्राः पुण्यतीर्थनिषेवणात् ॥
Sri Suthacharya addressing विप्राः, The Brahmins, Shaunaka and his fellow Rishis says,
While propitiating the Lord through hearing,
singing, and meditating, one will be blessed with पुण्यतीर्थनिषेवणात् or pilgrimage to holy places and dip in holy
rivers. This would yield स्यान्महत्सेवया or service of Saints and Gurus who are close to
the Lord. When pilgrimage and service of saints are done with श्रद्दधानस्य or Trust and Belief, शुश्रूषोः or Crave and eagerness to hear Lord’s Stories
would increase. As the mind gets Prasanna or lucid, वासुदेवकथारतिः or there would be pleasure in hearing the stories
of
Lord Vasudeva is brilliantly glowing
brightly in a crystal clear mind.
Lord Vasudeva for whom the creation
of the Universe that includes several forms of himself, all living beings &
non-living things, sustenance, distraction, regulation, bestowing of both
Ignorance & knowledge to confine to birth & death and liberation to
provide moksha is a Lila or Sport.
शृण्वतां स्वकथाः कृष्णः पुण्यश्रवणकीर्तनः ।
हृद्यन्तःस्थो ह्यभद्राणि विधुनोति सुहृत् सताम् ॥
The most attractive, Lord Krishna in his dark skin like the color of
monsoon cloud, standing in हृद्यन्तःस्थो or the Lotus of Heart like a सुहृत्, friend. A dear friend for the सताम् or virtuous waiting with
great patience as if he has nothing else to do except for ह्यभद्राणि विधुनोति, destroying all our
Sins that cause inauspiciousness and ready to pour his mercy.
He is waiting for us to श्रवणकीर्तनः, hears, and sing his Glory. So that he could pour पुण्य, the mercy, and high merit.
Like he did to Kuchela, with a torn dress and made him Sudhama, having
in abundance just for three fists of beaten rice. The rice filled with Love,
brimming with devotion through hearing and singing the Glory of the Lord.
So too, he came as if he was at the beck and call of Prahlada! Also, in
a form only dedicated to him!
नष्टप्रायेष्वभद्रेषु नित्यं भागवतसेवया ।
भगवत्युत्तमश्लोके भक्तिर्भवति नैष्ठिकी ॥
By serving Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavatas
regularly and taking its refuge, all inauspicious will get destroyed.
Also, the Lotus of the heart filled
with nectar called devotion towards the all auspicious and most popular Lord
Sri Krishna will flow constantly, Says Sri Suthacharya.
Knowledge of the Lord comes by argument and
reasoning. Illusion should be avoided by shunning Credulity and Superstition.
The Knowledge of the Lord brings Trust & Belief. The Trust and Belief in
the Lord lead towards the following of Varnashrama Dharma and gain Bhagavat
Preeti or Lord’s love. It also makes the mind lucid with a desire to hear,
sing, and meditate the stories of the Lord's glory with his attributes.
By worshipping Lord Sri Krishna this way, he
starts to shear the layers of action with the sin of knots and tangles wrapped
around the soul. Also, one would be blessed to take-up Pilgrimage, dip in Holy
Rivers, and subsequently the service of Saints and Gurus. When done with full
of Trust and Belief leads to वासुदेवकथारतिः or the pleasure in hearing Lord Vasudeva's
stories and subsequently leads to a continuous flow of Bhakti.
|| Hari Om ||
|| Sri
Krishnarpanamastu ||
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