BHAKTHI--TYPES AND CLASSIFICATIONS

BHAKTI-- TYPES AND CLASSIFICATIONS.

Bhakti or devotion is defined as pure love for God. But this love for God has different stages and paths that a devotee can choose according to his feelings or emotion. Like the entire rainwater falling from the skies travels towards the sea, all devotional prayers reach the same God! The ninefold path of bhakti celebrated in the sastras are 1 Sravanam 2 Kirtanam 3 Smaranam 4 Padasevanam 5 Vandanam 6 Archanam 7 Dasyam 8 Sakhyam and 9 Atma Nivedanam. These stages or paths are too very well-known to be described again in detail. Apart from these nine stages there are three methods of devotion or bhakti. They are 1 the Vihanga or bird like bhakti 2 Markata or monkey like devotion and 3 Pipilika or ant-like steadfast bhakti. In the first type the devotee is impatient like the bird that swoops down on the ripe fruit! He loses the fruit through his impatience! In the second, like the monkey, the bhakta is unsteady and pulling one fruit after another, is undecided about which fruit he wants! Hesitation and change cost him his purpose and aim! The third Pipilika method leads the devotee slowly, steadily but surely, like the ant, to the sugar candy with undivided attention!

“ How long can you stagnate in the same class? Have you no wish to get promoted to the next higher class?” questions Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba in one of his spiritual discourses. The three higher classes in bhakti are 1 Sahaja Bhakti 2 Visesha Bhakti and 3 Para Bhakti. In the first  are included bhajans, worship and vratas or vow-keeping, pilgrimage etc. In the second the devotee should maintain purity of character, practice ‘ daya, prema, shanti and ahimsa’. The third Para bhakti insists on ‘ good, clean mind and good conduct’. It is worship of God on a superior scale. It is a difficult and rare devotion to worship God through good qualities, good conduct, good thoughts and good company! While bhakti is described in different ways and stages, the Vedas too classify bhakti into three types!  They are 1 Bhoutika 2 Ekanta and 3 Ananya bhakti! Different commentaries and interpretations have been made on these types.

Sravanam, Manana or assimilation of what is learnt and nidhidhyasa or practical application of what one preaches and has learnt, yagna, pilgrimage, service like charity come under Bhoutika bhakti. Japa, tapa, rites like sandhya, temple construction, worship, and related acts are physical and hence come under this type of devotion. Ekanta bhakti is not idol worship in an isolated room! It is the realization of the eternal soul or the Atma within the physical frame, a chip of the same block. “ Ekah paratma  bahudeha varti”- He should realize that the all pervading Atma resides within him which depends on a steady and fixed mind. In short the bhakta has to recognize his ‘antaratma’. Ekanta bhakti requires an undisturbed, noiseless and lonely ambience. The best time for this is early morning- ‘Brahma muhurta’ between 3 am and 5 am. Regulated control of breath or pranayama leads to the stage where the mind is shorn of thoughts and desires-- ‘sankalpa and vikalpa’. The Sadhaka , then, experiences the presence of God in every one and everywhere--  ‘’ anor aniyan mahato mahiyan”. When the eye is turned inward he has the vision of Divinity or “Atma sakshatkara”. This Ekanta bhakti can also be called  inner vision or “antar drishti”.

The word ‘ananya’ is split into na + anya meaning ‘ nothing else.’ For this devotee there is nothing else in the world except God! For him the entire universe is the manifestation of God.He sees God in everything, in every action experiences God! As such he dedicates every action to the Divine. This attitude comes very close to atma nivedanam or total and complete surrender to the lotus feet of God. Krisna in the Bhagavad-Gita emphasizes this concept of total surrender when the entire burden of the bhakta is borne by the Almighty. It is said a gopika, when advised by Uddhava to to follow the path of the Yogis to reach God, retorted, “ We have only one mind, not many; that mind has gone away to Mathura along with Krishna. Devoid of a mind, we are unable to understand you”. In short, single minded bhakti is the easiest way to salvation!

“ Real Ananya bhakti comes from deep inquiry into the reality of the inner Self. This form of devotion cannot be practised easily by all. It is easy to say that God is all-pervasive. But it is not so easy to experience that truth" remarks Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba (SSS 23.1.’82) In the Mahabharata, Dharmaraja can be cited as an example of Ananya bhakti! He was unperturbed at the trials and tribulations that he and his brothers had to face! His single minded devotion to Krisna and his exceptional faith saw him through all the troubles! He was unruffled when their five sons were mercilessly killed by Aswathama! He maintained equanimity through sunshine and storm! “For the Pandavas the Lord came first, the world next, and their own interests last. First God, then the world,last “ I. “ Why not we follow this mahamantra and make our lives fruitful??

MAHASIVARATHRI

MAHASIVARATHRI

Mahasivarathri is one of the greatest festivals dedicated to Lord Siva and celebrated all over India with religious fervour and gusto.  It usually falls on the 13 the night of the waning moon and the 14th day of the month of Magha according to the lunar calendar. The festivals are celebrated over three to ten days  according to convenience. The Hindu calendar has a ‘masa sivarathri’ every month but the main festival is described as ‘ Mahasivarathri’. Literally Mahasivarathri means the great night of Lord Siva. It falls on 24th February, 2017 this year. Devotees spend the day in prayers, fasting and meditation. They meditate on the ideal qualities of the Lord, his  virtues like self-restraint, honesty, non injury to others and forgiveness! Actual origin date of this ancient Hindu festival is unknown.

A few legends are associated with the celebration of Mahasivarathri. When the ocean was churned by the Devas and the demons with the Meru mountain at the center and Vasuki, the king of snakes as the rope, terrible and all destructive poison came out! The Devas prayed to Lord Siva to save them! Sympathizing with their trouble, Lord Siva converted the poison into a ball and gulped it down! But he stopped it in his throat so that the other worlds in his stomach should not suffer! His neck became blue on account of the effect of the poison! Thus Lord Siva came to be called ‘Neelakanta’. It is believed that Mahasivarathri is the day on which this event took place.

There is another version of the legend where the creator Brahma and the protector Lord Vishnu go in different directions to find out the origin of Lord Siva in the form of brilliant jyoti or effulgent light! They are unable to find the beginning or the end! But Brahma the creator lies and is cursed that none would offer prayers to him! That is probably why we do not have temples dedicated to Lord Brahma whereas plenty of them are found for Lord Siva and Vishnu! Mahasivarathri is considered as the day when this happened ages ago! In certain temples the Divine wedding between Lord Siva and Goddess Parvati is celebrated very grandly!

Siva temples all over India and abroad celebrate Mahashivaratri with great devotion! In America Hindu temples vie with one another in celebrating the sacred day!  Throughout the night chanting of ‘Mahanyasam and Sri Rudram’ are conducted to propitiate the Lord. Abhishekams are performed continuously during every section of the night!  There is hectic activity at night and the public throng to temples to offer worship and participate in the deliberations of the temples. People do ‘jagaran’, which means they keep themselves awake through the entire night! Not only Sri Rudram', but many other Siva sthutis are chanted and there is an ambience of spiritual fervour in every temple of Siva during Mahasivarathri.

In all the temples where the 'Jyothirlingas’ are situated there are special pujas and abhishekams.In the South, at Tiruvannamalai, Madurai, Rameswaram, and Kanchipuram Mahasivarathri is celebrated grandly! In Andhrapradesh we have the most famous Srisaila kshetra presided over by Lord Mallikarjuna and his consort Goddess Bhramaramba! The Sivaratri celebrations at Srisailam are a feast for the eye! In the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt and Sri Sarada Mutt of Sringeri in Karnataka too Sivaratri is celebrated on a grand scale! In Varanasi which is the holiest of the shrines of Lord Siva the scale of celebrations is indescribable,highly pious and spiritual! Let us participate in the holy celebrations of Mahasivarathri and be eligible for the grace and blessings of Lord Siva!!!

THE MIRACLE O FAITH

THE MIRACLE OF FAITH.

Faith is the essence of life! Without faith life becomes meaningless. It is the binding force between the husband and wife,mother and children as well as man and God! Any worship, bhajan  and good work without faith is utterly futile! They turn out to be empty rituals carried out for mere social compulsions. Man can transform his inner self not by these outward trappings but through intense faith. It is the root of inquiry that engenders inner faith. “ When the truth is known , faith is rendered firm”. When the truth is realized that it is , after all, a rope you have no fear and the faith in its harmlessness is firm in your mind. The fear and illusion that it is a snake disappears immediately! But faith can never establish itself without severe tests! In the life of devotees like Prahlada, Dhruva and Markandeya  there was intense struggle between faith and hatred and extreme difficulties. In fact the impediments take the form of demons and other situations that could defeat the most courageous individual! It is only when there is firm faith and the devotee is as imperturbable as a rock he is saved by God from imminent danger!

Draupadi’s story in the Mahabharata is a classical example of how her inner faith in God saved

her from the outrage of her modesty in the royal court in front of her own husbands and the great Bhishma Pitamaha and others! It is her intense prayer and faith in Krishna that saved her as she was being disrobed! Faith of such magnitude and purity resulted in an endless supply of dress through Divine intervention! Faith really works miracles! Innumerable instances can be cited to prove the efficacy of true faith in the lives of many saints and sages and true devotees who  threw their burden on God and yearned for Him! It is better to have faith in God than in the fickle minded man! While the former rewards the latter deceives finally! Sri Satya

Sai baba narrates the story of a thief whose implicit faith brought the Lord to his immediate

presence! He heard a discourse by a pundit on the Divine sports of Lord Krishna. Attracted to the costly adornments of the Lord, he wanted to steal them and enquired where Krishna could be found! The pundit directed the thief to Vrindavan on the banks of the Yamuna. The robber went to Vrindavan and found young Krishna with cows! He was stunned at the Divine beauty of the Lord and went on drinking deep the beauty of Krishna! The thought of robbing Krishna, of his jewels, did not come to him at all! The thief lost himself in ecstasy! Krishna himself enquired what he wanted and gave him all his jewels!! The thief was overwhelmed with joy and fell at his feet! But when he rose young Krishna had disappeared! Returning to the pundit, the thief verified if the jewels were really those of Krishna! The pundit fell at the robber’s feet and wondered at the miracle his faith had brought about!

Radha loved Krishna passionately but her love was ennobling spiritual bhakti!  Once, people envious of her attachment to Krishna, wanted to test her. They gave her a pot full of many holes and directed her to bring water from the Yamuna! Poor Radha didn't know anything about it. As usual, Radha, repeating the Lord’s name every fraction of a second,went to the Yamuna and filled water in the pot. Her Krishna consciousness and faith sealed all the potholes and she brought water without spilling a single drop! Faith has its effect on inanimate objects also! “What ever things you may lose, whatever amenities you may enjoy, only faith in God will confer real peace of mind. An air conditioner may cool your body, but only grace of God can cool the heated brain and the troubled heart.” according to Sri Satya Sai baba.There is another  story  equally amazing, related to a staunch devotee of Shirdi Sai baba. She was simple, illiterate,and lived in pahalgaon. Keeping three bright brass pots called Ganga,Yamuna and Saraswathi, she used to quench the thirst of wayfarers by offering a mixture of water from all the three brass pots.

She called the water as,’Triveni Teerta’ and had an unshakable faith that the bras pots were connected to the three rivers that joined at ‘Prayag’ the confluence of the three rivers! When her husband left for Varanasi, his mother gave him a gold ring as a talisman and asked him to take care of it. But unfortunately he lost it while bathing in the Manikarnika Ghat. After his visit he told his mother that Ganga wanted the ring and so she has taken it! But his wife said that Ganga would never take the property of a poor old lady! Ganga would surely return the ring. Saying that Ganga is there in her kitchen, she prayed with folded hands before the pot named Ganga! When she searched the pot, amazingly, she found the same gold ring lost by her husband in the Manikarnika Ghat!!! She visited Dwarakamayi with her husband and mother in law later! It is faith that is important. “ The form and then name on which it is fixed do not matter.For all names are His; all forms are His” (SSS 23.11. ‘62)

THE BAD GUY

Of the four ‘ purushartas’  Dharma, artha, kama and moksha, artha or money is considered as the best according to sastras! But that money has to be earned in righteous manner. Money gains importance in life because everything in this material world revolves around money! We know the Sanskrit adage, ‘ dhana moolam idam  jagat-- money is the root cause of this world! In spite of lack of character, morality, scholarship, courage and various other qualities, a rich man is considered great and flatterers and sycophants gather round him like ants before the sugar candy! He enjoys this undeserved flattery but does not know his own real state! There is every possibility for the rich to be puffed up with pride and arrogance and turn into bad persons and tread evil paths! One has to be very cautious about joining the company of the rich who are bad guys! At any cost the bad rich person has to be abandoned! What qualities signify a bad person?

Bhartruhari lists the qualities of bad persons in this world. These do not apply to a single person or country or race and community. Persons without compassion, those who pick up quarrel for no reason, those who want to appropriate others’ properties, that desire enjoyment with other women, those who are impatient with their relatives and good people are labeled as bad ! These are the natural, inborn qualities of bad guys and none should keep company with  such Individuals! The serpent, though with a precious stone on its hood, is very dangerous! So too a bad person despite his erudition and scholarship has to be kept at an arm’s distance! How do bad persons consider others? The modest are looked down upon as inert, people performing  ‘vratas’ are arrogant. Naturally pure persons are blamed as putting on airs! Bad persons consider as foolish those involved in realizing their Atma in meditation! People who talk sweetly are pathetic to the bad guy! One who is bright and radiant is, for the bad, a proud person. A smart and eloquent person is a chatterbox for a bad individual! There is not a single virtue which is not denounced by the bad person!

What qualities are good and what are bad? Bhartruhari considers miserliness as the worst! Carrying tales is a sin leading the person to hell! There is no principle purer than speaking truth! There is no holy ‘ thirtha’ leading to ‘moksha’  better than a pure heart or manas! It is your goodness that does everything for you like servants! Your greatness is your great adornment! There is no better wealth than good education! Bad renown is the worst death that one can have! Bhartruhari describes how it is practically impossible to serve bad kings. You are considered deaf if you don't talk; a chatterbox if you talk too much! If very near you are branded as fearless and disrespectful; .if at a distance incapable. If you endure humiliation you are called timid and when you rebel you are considered as born of low caste! In short, it is very different to satisfy a bad king!

What will be the nature of friendship with the good a well as the bad? The friendship with the bad is like the shadow during the morning hours.It is long at first but gradually decreases in size until it disappears! On the other hand the friendship with the good is like the shadow in the afternoon, first short and increasing gradually thereafter! The bad are naturally hostile to others in society.The deer is gentle and Iives on grass. The fish feeds on insects in water They are satisfied and live with contentment without harming others! It is the quality of the good people to lead a contented life with what little god has given them! Despite their harmlessness hunters target the deer, anglers kill fish and the mischievous bring sorrow to the good and the noble!

What creates excruciating pain to an individual? Bhartruhari lists seven things in life that make  life unbearable! They are 1 the moon in the morning without lustre, 2 the woman shorn  of her prime youth, 3 a dandy without education, 4 the king mad after money, 5 a good person permanently suffering from poverty, 6 a bad guy with the king obstructing and spoiling  the work of others! Hence it is always better to avoid the company of bad people though they are rich, powerful, or scholarly and erudite! We do not know how they will react at certain points of time!1

THE WAY OF THE WORLD

Present day society has become highly materialistic! People have become worshippers of  Mammon, the God of wealth! The lure for wealth has become irresistible. Man is ready to go to any extent for the sake of money! Looting, murder, fraud and various heinous crimes are done just for the sake of money and wealth! None is spared whether he is a father, brother, or mother and sister! What is this obsession for money? Why do people live and die for money? From the days of the Ramayana the importance of money has been recognized! Lakshmana tells SrI Rama that one should definitely earn money in his life for there is no difference between a dead person and the poor man! Poet Bhartruhari echoes the the same thought that there are people in society who are mad after wealth irrespective of its consequences!

“Let caste and community be dumped into  the nether world! Let courage and bravery be buried in  earth! Let character be destroyed and lost! Let the dynasty go into flames! We are least worried at the loss of these ideal qualities! Our only desire is to accumulate wealth! That is the be all and end all of many in this world! We reject all other desirable qualities of character and run after money  because without money all these qualities are worthless as a blade of grass!” so says the poet  describing the nature of people whose thirst for money is unsatiated! Without these sterling qualities of character what can anyone do?  It is a pertinent question one can ask.

Though one does not have character, scholarship, erudition, beauty and eloquence, if only he is rich, he is considered as one endowed with all ideal qualities! How can such a person be called great? It is because all the ideal qualities are based on one’s  possession of immense wealth!! A millionaire or a crorepati is considered as the possessor of all the good and ideal qualities! A bad minister spoils the king. Association undoes a yogi. Indulgence destroys the son. The brahmin spoils himself without  the study of the Vedas. The race or community suffers through

the conduct of the son. Bad company dents one’s character. Drinking removes modesty and  loss of supervision costs the crop. Foreign travel costs attachment to family and children while absence of love spoils friendship. Immorality destroys wealth and charity impoverishes man  according to the poet Bhartruhari!

According to sastra wealth or riches has four heirs who can share it. They are Dharma, Agni or fire, the king and the thief! If the eldest,Dharma is humiliated the other three become angry! The best and the noblest use for money is charity! Money spent in personal enjoyment and luxury is the next best. The worst loss of money is when it is robbed by thieves and others! Bhartruhari

points out  that the rich should be benefactors and charitable! Is the person who becomes poor. through giving his wealth away for charity looked down upon?  No says the poet. He shines bright like the polished diamond and the wounded warrior on the battlefield! The crescent that is lean, the damsel enjoying conjugal bliss, the rich who have become poor by giving away their money, have their radiance and glory despite their loss!! In other words they are adorable. through their respective losses!

The mind of the rich is vacillating! By chance, if he becomes poor, he is ready to accept anything and consider it as the greatest gift of God! But when he grows rich again he becomes arrogant and does not care for anybody. His pride makes him consider things according to his convenience.Recent demonetization has revealed how people have hoarded unaccounted money and how they wanted to save that money by hook or crook! Many Banks and their staff were involved in illegal exchange of the demonetized notes for the new denomination currency! We know that money is absolutely needed for existence. But too much of money po problem to man! It is enough if we possess the money required for our day to day comfortable and happy life! But human desires are countless and limitless and they are responsible for the misery of man!

MIDNIGHT MARRIAGE

I was pleasantly surprised to see the message from my niece that her daughter's marriage was fixed for February,1,2017! We were in UK visiting our grand daughter and her family! From there we visited our son’s family at Fremont in California. We left UK in the month of August, 2016 after a stay of about 4 months and came to Fremont in September. It was a hectic time there with celebrations for the  fiftieth birthday of my son. Sai bhajans, discourses and Rudrabhishekam were organized for the entire month that kept us agile, active and fully engaged. We were visiting after two years and he wanted us to remain with him for the entire period of six months. When we told him about the marriage in February which we wanted to attend he refused to entertain our desire. We were in a dilemma.

He had booked our tickets for India late in the month of February,2017. We had a wonderful time visiting the Fremont Hindu Temple and others in the vicinity. It was a real spiritual experience with bhajans and abhishekams to Lord Someswara at the temple.Navaratri and the month of Karthik made us busy with guests and we also visited a few friends. Meanwhile we were very happy to know that my brother’s grand daughter is to be married on February 9, 2017. That made us insist on leaving for India sufficiently early so that we can attend both the weddings to the satisfaction of all our relatives eagerly awaiting our arrival from America. My son had to give in and we left for India on January 21,2017 by direct flight from San Francisco to Delhi and from there to Chennai by Air India domestic flight! What a great difference in weather between California and Chennai!! The chill, rainy, and winter conditions that we dreaded were totally replaced by the warm and stuffy weather in Chennai! We were under house arrest in Fremont because of the climate and could not stir out!

What intrigued us very much was the timing of the wedding! It was on the night of February 1, at 1.30 am after midnight! We were a little surprised at the timing of the wedding since it was night and the guests and relations would be more interested in having a good sleep rather than witnessing a marriage! Usually we conduct weddings during early morning hours or a few hours later before noon. A section of people in Andhra Pradesh are particular of having the marriage  during the night hours! The groom’s party insisting, the wedding was fixed for the night! So we reconciled to the ordeal of enjoying the marriage with semi sleepy or sleepy eyes! There was an Upanayanam on 30th of January for the son of my niece. We reached Hyderabad on 30th morning and joined the celebrations. It went off very well with a select band of invitees closely related.

After a stay with my nephew overnight, we left in the morning for Maruti Gardens, Lakdikapul, the venue of marriage in Hyderabad! It is a vast area beautifully decorated with permanent festoons and arches and carpeted to receive a royal guest! The arrangements and decorations reflected a cinematic taste and touch! The pathway was elegantly illuminated with  a splash of bright and blinking lights! There was soft music inside the hall. Servants were ready to receive us and lead us to our allotted rooms! The path between the rooms was tastefully illuminated! The dais for the wedding was simply grand and beautiful! Flower decoration was superb! A large screen placed by the side of the stage enlarged the proceedings of the marriage and the rituals! We were warmly received at the entrance of the Gardens and taken to the room allotted to us.It was a big room with a double cot and other facilities. There was a TV and an air conditioner that did not work!

By 10am the groom’s preliminary rituals were over! Breakfast, rather heavy, with upma, idly, vada, pesarat- an Andhra Special, were served with coffee or tea. There was no event until the evening. Kasi Yatra was over in the morning itself! After lunch we had good rest and sleep!  By about six in the evening the bride and the groom met each other and exchanged garlands amid tumultuous noise and shouts! The groom was a six footer and his friends lifted him up! The bride’s party was equally resourceful and lifted her up to garland him! It was great fun and enjoyable! The real ordeal started at 11pm! A few had already slept! The others woke them up and when the Thali was tied barely a hundred were present to see the event! Many were sleepy and had to be awakened! Coffee was served at 2 am along with some snacks! We returned to the room at 3am but could not sleep! The other rituals continued till 6am on the following day that is on 2nd February, 2017! It was really an interesting experience for us as well as to those who attended the wedding!