Sadhana Karu Pyare is a unique philosophical compilation set in 54 lines and arranged in the form of couplets (dohas). In these lines, Shree Maharajji has summarized the entire philosophy of the knowledge of God and Guru (Philosophy of Divine Love). Swamiji explained the complete set of 54 lines at the Puri Sadhana Shivir in 2008, which we will reproduce in this series.
This is the next line of "Sadhana Karu Pyare" series.
naam guṇ līlādi kīrtan sāth meṁ karu pyāre
dhyān hī hai sādhanā kā prāṇ jīvan pyāre
dhyān binu sab sādhanāhai prāṇbinu tanu pyāre
In the preceding lines, Shree Kripaluji Maharaj has
explained about meditating on God and the importance of applying our mind.
He repeats this message again in the new verse. Why is that?
From a historical and literary perspective, the repetition of a particular
phrase or word of advice is considered a flaw.
But a God-realized Saint does not give much importance to rules of literature.
He gives prime importance to the upliftment of individual souls.
That is why Shree Maharajji has repeated this line for the benefit of the sadhaks.
Because, he knows that once said, people will not listen to it carefully.
If it is repeated again and again, the message will penetrate the mind
slowly and gradually. He knows very well that all individual souls are
under the influence of maya, and nobody is like Arjun, who heard to Shree
Krishna's advice just once and said:
naṣhṭo mohaḥ smṛitirlabdhvā
"My ignorance has been destroyed, and with Your Grace, I have gained true
knowledge." So, a Guru repeats the advice again and again. When you
are in Mangarh for the sadhana program, you will always hear Shree Maharajji
saying - 'Practice Roop-dhyan'. He knows that all devotees will listen to the
Guru. Yet, they soon forget and Maharajji reminds them constantly. The sadhak
forgets the message and Shree Maharajji reminds him again. The Guru never
gets tired or sad that his words are not being followed even though he is
repeating it. He is ready to repeat the advice a thousand times.
We have to remember that Shree Maharajji's philosophy is a few notches higher
than the philosophies of other saints. At the same time, it does not mean
these saints are wrong. They revealed and preached their philosophy according
to the time, situation and circumstances surrounding them. All the
spiritual masters have mentioned about the need for meditation or dhyan.
Let us hear what saints have to say. "Just chant and remember the name of
God".
sāṁketyaṁ parihāsyaṁ vā stobhaṁhelanamevavā vaikunṭhanāmagrahaṇaṁ
śheṣhāgaharaṁviduḥ
The Bhagawat says: "Chant God's name unintentionally,
or in humor or chant His name in anger. Just chant the name of God and its
benefits will surely reach you".
Adi Jagadguru Shankaracharya, the premier acharya of the path of knowledge, gyan
marg, says in his commentary on Vishu Sahasranam,
śhraddhā bhaktyorbhāvopi bhagavannām saṁkīrtan samastaṁ
duritaṁ nāśhayati ityuktaṁ
"Just chant the name of God without any faith or devotion".
Tulsidaas has also said:
bhāv kubhāv anakh ālassahu
nām japat maṅgal diśhi daśhahuṁ
"Remember the name of God with feelings or without any feelings, yet, you
will be blessed in every possible way". Surprisingly, nobody has
questioned these words saying, "We have chanted the name of God, but why
have we not received any benefit?" For instance, Aristotle, the noted
Greek philosopher from 300 BC, wrote that men have more teeth than women.
This statement was not verified for a thousand years. His words were
accepted as the truth. It was later discovered that Aristotle had
committed a blunder.
In the same vein, Kripaluji Maharaj questions, "You have been chanting
your friend Ramgopal's name, but you have not become a God-realized
person!"
Some saints use the example of Ajamil. They say, "He attained Divine
abode by chanting 'Narayan', his son's name. You should also chant the
name of God and reach Him." Saints also use another example - that
of Saint Valmiki or Ratnakar as he was known before he became a saint. He
never chanted 'Ram Ram' as he could only say 'Mara Mara'.
ulṭā nām japat jag jānā
vālmīki bhaye brahma samānā
Now, if someone could attain God by merely saying 'Mara Mara', then what about
the one who says 'Ram Ram'?
Using these two real life examples, many saints have preached that one should
chant the name of God at all times. Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj clarifies
the real motive behind this message. Saints advise us to chant the name of God
(with or without feelings), so that sadhaks can earnestly begin their spiritual
journey in some form or the other. It is like planting a seed. If a
Guru strictly instructs a beginner to apply his mind first and then chant the
name of God, the aspirant may not be able to do so. He may even
discontinue his spiritual quest since his mind is not tuned towards God fully.
Hence, to encourage and protect the sadhak's aspirations, saints advise
to start chanting irrespective of the feelings inside.
Another example we can consider is when parents bring their child to pay
respects to a saint. They say "Son, bow down and prostrate in front of
Swamiji." The child starts to wonder, "Who is this Swamiji and why
should I do pranaam?" The youngster does not understand the importance of
this act and refuses. The parent forces the child to bow down and offer
pranaams, against his wishes. When the child grows older, he will
understand the significance and meaning of offering pranaam to a Swami.
Hence, in the preliminary stages, physical action is taught, and its importance
is learnt with the passage of time.
Similarly, saints have taught and encouraged people to practice bhajans with
the earnest hope that they will progress to the next level. The secret
behind this is revealed by Kripaluji Maharaj. He clarifies that, when Ajamil's
example is used by saints, it does not mean that he just chanted 'Narayan' and
attained Divine abode.
Before he became a saint, Ajamil was a highly capable personality. But he had
strayed from his path of sadhana and turned away from God. He later
realized his mistakes and practiced bhakti in Haridwar (holy town in North
India) for a year.
gaṅgādvār mupeyāya tyaktasarvānubandhan
It is only after practicing devotion with complete absorption of the mind in
God that he became a God-realized Saint. He did not reach his goal merely
by chanting 'Narayan'.
Shree Maharajji again clarifies the essence of the message given by saints when
they refer to Saint Valmiki or Ratnakar. He chanted 'Mara Mara' because
he was instructed by his Guru, Saint Narad who is the primordial acharya of bhakti.
Naradji told him to chant 'Mara Mara' till he returns. Ratnakar
surrendered his mind and intellect to his Guru, and did exactly as his Guru
wished. He never questioned, "Guruji, when will you come back? What
if you never return and I keep repeating 'Mara Mara'? When will I have the
vision of God?" No. He never questioned his Guru. He had
complete faith in his Guru's words and surrendered his mind to him.
Thousands of years passed; termites built a mound over his body. He was
completely covered in it and hence he got the name Valmiki, which means
'termite' in Sanskrit. With the Grace of his Guru, Ratnakar had a vision of God
and became a God-realized Saint whom we all recognize by the name Valmiki.
So, it is our misunderstanding that by just saying 'Mara Mara', one can
attain God.
The simple truth is that, wherever we attach our mind, we will attain that
object. Jad Bharat, a paramahans, was reborn as a deer in his next life because
of his deep affection for a fawn in his ashram. It is a false assumption
that we could loath our lives away, and at the time of death, just chant 'Ram
Ram' to attain God's Divine abode. The main question is - Did we chant
God's name with our mind involved in it? Did we remember God in our heart and
feel His presence? This is the reason Shree Kripaluji Maharaj lays
emphasis on meditating with the mind, and reminds us that the very life and
essence of sadhana is 'Roop-dhyan'
.... To be Continued
Sadhana Karu Pyare is the essence of the Upanishads.
ReplyDeleteUpanishads have been somewhat esoteric, not because they're in Sanskrit but mainly because they're beyond the realm of logic and intellect; Shree Maharajji has elucidated all that—leaving the Siddhant, pristine! Swamiji— as a genuine disciple—has wonderfully expounded the same.
Sadhana Karu Pyare kee Jay!!
BtW, where can i find this lecture in form of a video or audio?
I agree with Averagesoul. I have heard Swami Mukundanandaji speak on Bhagavad Geeta also. I saw it in Disha channel. I think they have the DVDs/Audio CDs of it.
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