Narada Bhakti Sutras Lecture 01 Introduction on 02-December-2018
Full Transcript (Not Corrected)
Opening Invocation
ॐ जननीं सारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगदगुरुम पादपद्मे तयो: श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहु :
Om Jananim Saradam devim Ramakrishnam jagadgurum Padapadme tayoh shritva pranamami muhurmuhuh.
Introduction to Narada Bhakti Sutra
So, there is reputed to be a poem composed by Narada, it's called Narada Bhakti Sutra. So, why should we study Narada Bhakti Sutra? Because Hiram Krishna specially advocated, he said for this Kali Yuga, the Bhakti as taught and instructed by Narada is the easiest, best, or suitable for all of us.
Why Bhakti is Suitable for the Kali Yuga
Why is it suitable? Hiram Krishna made, or used to make statements: "Kali Kale Manush Anna Gata Prana." In this age of Kali, men are intensely conscious of their body. So, Anna Gata Prana, that is completely focused upon the body, body conscious. In Sanskrit language, another name for the body is Anna.
Anna Maya Kosha, Prana Maya Kosha, Mano Maya Kosha, Vijnana Maya Kosha, Ananda Maya Kosha. We are enclosed as it were in this Sushruta, Anna. And moreover, we think we are not Anna.
But any mosquito you ask, it will tell us, we are none other than beautiful, very adorable, attractive, desirable, Anna only. So, tiger, any tiger, even if it is not hungry, when it looks at us, it starts getting hungry, because this is food, food for everyone. So, Sri Ram Krishna used to say, in this age, people are highly conscious of the body.
The Nature of Body Consciousness
When body conscious means what? People are highly emotional. First, we are conscious of the body. That means, whatever we do our whole life, our thoughts, our words, our actions are centred around body.
So, whatever helps us, whatever makes this body healthy, happy, we run towards that, Raga. So, we develop attachment. And whatever takes us away from this body, whatever gives pain to the body, we run away from it.
We are caught in the mesh of this bondage called Raga and Mesha. It is not the activities that are our enemies. It is the likes and dislikes. The mind is swinging towards the likes and dislikes, up and down. That means, they are moving us. We are not moving them. We are under their control.
So, we can do everything to protect this body. We can kill even parents, brothers, sisters, anybody for the preservation of this body. Though rare, some children, for the sake of money, they will kill their parents. The instances are quite a number. Not too many, but there are instances like that.
So, this body becomes the object of our worship. And whoever gives more pleasure to the body, they are adorable, likeable, lovable. And whoever does the opposite, the opposite.
The Path for Body-Minded People
So, we also need to be shown a path, how to become devotees of God with this body. So, this body is swayed by emotions. Raga and Mesha is nothing but pure emotions.
So, we all have these emotions. Then the question comes, what is the best path for realising God? Sri Ramakrishna clearly mentioned, the bhakti as taught by Narada. That is why we have to study Narada Bhakti Sutra, first.
About Narada
Second, Narada was the person who himself is considered as a Nityamukta by Sri Ramakrishna. And he is Chiranjeevi. That means he is alive even today. So, he is Triloka Sanchari. And he is Avadhita Dwaran. Nobody will stop him being inside.
Narada's Reputation and Purpose
See the greatness of this. He had an ill reputation, that he is Kalaha Priya. And Kalaha Bhojana. The day he cannot put quarrels between two people, he will be starving. But not to worry, he is always full of first class food only.
But what is the greatness? He is trying to create quarrels that will be confined only between devotees and very sincere devotees. So, what is the purpose? Through this quarrel, whatever weaknesses, defects or obstructions for further devotion are within them, we will come out. When they come out, they will say, "Oh, these are the qualities which are not allowing me to move faster towards God." And only when once we know what are the obstructions, weaknesses, then only we can deal with them, isn't it? Be it Kama, Krodha, etc.
The Meaning of Narada's Name
So, that is why, though he has got a bad name, but his very name itself is interpreted in a most wonderful way. One who bestows Naram. Naram means Nanam. What is Nanam? So, it could be Tattvamasi Gnanam. But here we are not talking about Tattvamasi Gnanam. You are Amrutha Kutra.
You are the child of Narayana. You are a child of God. Until now we think we are the children of our parents, human beings, etc.
So, Narada comes and gives that knowledge. If he is pleased with us, if we can please him, then he will be pleased with us, then he will bestow upon us this knowledge. What knowledge? You are not a human being. You are a child of God. Especially Bhakti means we must have Ishta Devata. You are a child of Narayana.
Narada's Mission
And then he himself is the greatest devotee of Narayana. And 24 hours he has no sleep. What does he do? He goes on moving, uttering, singing the name of God. This is well known. And what is his purpose of moving? Why should he move?
So, the answer is, he wants to find out, is there any worthy person to whom I can inject a devotional love? Like this he goes on moving. His eyes are very sharp. He can discern who is a worthy candidate for making him.
Examples of Narada's Work
Valmiki
The moment he says, simple example, I will use two examples. One is Valmiki, future Valmiki. At that time he was Ratnakara. Indians are very good at naming him. A borrowed pauper Ratnakara.
So, if he was a Ratnakara, where was the need for him to become a robber? He could have lived like a prince. So, Ratnakara, he came across, and he gave the Taraka Mantra, Ram Nama, and then he left.
Dhruva
Then the next one is Thova. So, the Dwajasakshari Mantra, "Om Namo Bhagwate Vasudevaya." He saw, here is a candidate, and then he told, I am initiating you with this mantra, go into that place.
Prahlada
Then who was also the cause of Prahlada's greatest devotion? Narada. Prahlada's devotion. You know how? Beautiful Bhagavata story, is Hiranyakashipu was the greatest enemy of God, so to say, but the Bhagavata itself tells, he was the greatest devotee of God, he was the Dwarapalaka of Vaikuntha, Vishnu, and he committed some indiscretions, pride had come, he forgot, then some holy people cursed him.
So, holy people curse is really the greatest blessing anybody can get. Through that, they were not going down from God, they came down from God, in order to complete their incomplete sadhana, and they became perfect and went back. Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha were in one birth, they were perfect.
The Story of Prahlada's Birth
So, Hiranyakashipu was married, and his wife was carrying, at that time, this Hiranyakashipu thought, I must get more power, and even that Rakshasa was highly aware, we call him Asura, but he was the greatest devotee of God, and also it is very significant, Esavasya Upanishad calls people, who are not devotees of God, as Asuras.
The third mantra of Esavasya Upanishad, "Anyone who is not devoted to God, he is considered by your scriptures, as an Asura." The etymological meaning of Asura is, "One who delights in sense organs." We are all Asuras only, because we like to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch.
Our life is nothing but a manifestation of this. So, we are all Asuras. They are called Atmahana, they are the killers of the Atman. One cannot be killed, because to kill Atman means to kill oneself. That's not what they want, you are neglecting.
Look, what you are seeking, is within yourself, because whatever you are seeking, you are that. Kabir Das, beautiful Doha: "Oh fool, where are you searching for me? I am right near you, inside you, I am you, because there is no place where I am not."
The Philosophy of Omnipresence
Prahlada was asking, "Where is your Narayana?" "Where is not your Narayana?" Narayana is everywhere. If Narayana is everywhere, who is Prahlada? Narayana. Who is Hiranyakashipu? Narayana.
He did not have that knowledge. He broke the pillar. "Is he in this pillar?" Yes. Not only is he in the pillar, he is the killer. So, let me see.
His idea is like a sofa is inside the room. A chair is inside the room. A book is on the chair. So, we always place inside and outside and all that. But he did not have that idea inside and outside. So, he breaks the pillar.
He thought God may be hiding inside the pillar. What is that pillar? It is a representative of egotism.
The Nature of Ego
One second. In movement, egotism. Be very careful. Ego and God is the same. Aham, nobody can break. Because Aham means what I am. Whatever we add after I am, that is called Ahamkara.
So, I am the body, I am the mind. The whole universe is dependent upon the body and mind. So, as soon as egotism is broken, he realises I am God. And he becomes liberated. This is the inner meaning of all these scriptures.
Understanding Our True Nature
So, we are what is called body-minded people. So, we also need to know that you are not the body, but you are the real self. So, that is called Nama. But to have that Nama right away is not possible.
Nama Brahma, difficult even for the most astute intellectual people, also very difficult. But if we say you are the child of God, easier to understand. Why? Because we are already having the idea, I am the child of so and so.
The Concept of Spiritual Initiation
So, this is beautifully brought up by the idea of initiation. Suppose you are initiated. So, your guru becomes, so to say, your father. Is it not? So, supposing your father and mother are also initiated by the same guru, then what do they become to you? Siblings. That means these are my parents' idea is gone. These are my brother and sister, but our guru, he is our father and mother, like that.
In our case, many times I told you, whoever has been initiated by the Ramakrishna, who is our father? Of course, Ramakrishna. And who is our mother? Holy Mother. Always remember that.
And I also told you two more things, that our parents, Ramakrishna and Holy Mother, are having two qualifications. They are brahmanas and they are sannyasins. Brahmanas, not in the jati sense. Brahmanas, knowers of Brahma. Holy Mother and Brahma. Therefore, if I am the child of Thakur and Ma, I am the child of a brahmana.
And Thakur and Ma, both are sannyasins. Sannyasin in the sense, one who is totally dedicated to God. So, if I am the son of such parents, daughter of such parents, then I am also a sannyasis to them. What do they become? Sannyasis. Don't take literal sense. Sannyasi cannot have children.
We are talking about that absolute dedication to God. So, that is our potentiality.
Growing in Spiritual Understanding
Like children, you know. A king of a huge kingdom, he has a small child, six months. Does the child know that I am the prince of this kingdom? We are like that. But as we grow, physically a prince will grow, but our growth seems to be stuck there.
Where are you after initiation? Wherever my guru left me, that is it. If we do sadhana, we will grow. What does grow within us? Nyanam will grow. What is nyanam? These are my parents. They are brahmanas, they are sannyasins. Therefore, I am the child of such people. I cannot be anyone other than the same. That knowledge grows.
That is what Sri Ramakrishna used to say, that these people who come to me, they must know only two things, who I am, who they are, and what is the relationship between me and them. This is what I am talking about. My parents are Thakur and Ma. I am their child. What is my relationship? I am their child. So, a prince must be a future king. That means the child of a sannyasi and brahmana must also become a brahmana and a sannyasi when slowly as he grows up.
The Transformation Process
That is the purpose of Upanayana, etc. So, this is what we also need to understand in the most possible way. So, we will have to pay attention. Slowly, we have to remove this idea, I am not this annagatha prana, means I am not the body, I am not the mind. So, in the first instance, I am the body and I am the mind. We are swinging in between these two.
But in the course of time, the next step is not, I am not the body, I am not the mind, I am brahmana, forget about it. I have a body, I have a mind. These two have been given me by God. So, he told me, I am lending them to you, you are like living in a rented house, so you will have to look after. What is the rent? I don't want money or anything, but you take care of it, you are the caretaker. And use this body and this mind for a proper purpose. This is what God expects from us.
Understanding True Worship
In fact, we have so many foolish notions about our relationship with God. I am doing puja. Puja of whom? God. So, how do you do puja? I bring water, I bring flowers, I bring fruits, I bring eatable things, and many other things. And I try to offer them to God.
Use to do the favour. That you yourself are a gift from God. From where have you got all those things? The water belongs to whom? To God. The flowers belong to whom? To God. The fruits belong to whom? To God. My very body, mind belong to whom? To God only. Where from have you brought these things, first of all? Second, does your God need these kind of rotten fruits and other things which we give to him? Here also we will not give us.
An Anecdote About Offerings
I will tell you something very interesting. One Ghatumal was staying in Varanasi. So, one devotee from Calcutta had come. He was intimate with Ghatumal. So, one day he told, "Maharaj, I am going to Mother Annapurna. I have brought a cloth from Calcutta. So, let us go and offer this cloth." So, Ghatumal agreed.
They were going. On the way, suddenly Ghatumal, he knew the nature of the school. He said, "Let me see the sari which you brought" and it was coming only up to here. In those days, the sari is to cover entire, nothing can be seen. Nowadays, they call it mini skirt. As less as possible, then you show, and that is called fashion.
So, then, Ghatumal got terribly annoyed. He said, "Guruji, suppose I give this cloth to you and say, and you give it to your mother and let her wear it, will you dare to give it to your mother and ask her to put on this kind of clothing? You have to understand, what you cannot offer to your own mother, how dare you offer it to the Divine Mother, who is giving, even who is giving the money, etc., for buying this thing."
So, this kind of miserliness, even though God only is giving us everything, and yet we don't want to give Him. Whatever is the least expensive possible, we are going to give to God.
True Devotion in Offerings
Ghatumal has told. You don't need to spend hundreds of rupees just to bring one very good fruit, could be banana, could be orange, whatever. God will be pleased, but let you see that it is the very best. If you cannot afford, whatever you can afford, that only you bring, but do not look for the quantity. God doesn't want anything from you.
He will only see, what bhakti accompanies what we are offering. He who only accepts bhakti, he doesn't want all those things. In fact, He is only giving us all those things in the form of pancha bhutas.
The Universal Worship
So, that is why, one day Shri Ram Krishna, during worship, He used to go and collect flowers, make garland and offer it to the Divine Mother. One day He said, "I went out, and I saw, all the flowering trees, have already offered all these to Virat." Song is there, no? Guru Nanak's song? Like that. The whole world is doing aarati to me. You know that song?
Day before yesterday, I think, it was... Guru Nanak's birthday. So, what happened, one day, He wanted to enter into a temple. Some people say it is Jagannatha temple, whatever it is. He was in a very dirty and peculiar dress, because He was a wandering monk. The priest didn't allow Him to enter.
It was evening time, and then, He did not mind at all. He did not curse them or anything. He said, "Okay Lord, You are everywhere." He came out, He looked up, the stars have come out. Spontaneously, He composed this song.
The Five Elements in Worship
So, in aarati, what do we do? In aarati, we offer five items. First, Deepa, then water, Jala, then piece of cloth, Fastra, then Pushpa, then Chamara, representing five Bhutas. Each represents one Bhuta.
Already, these external Bhutas, the Akasha, what are those things, you know that? But these five items represent, so five items, you know. Deepa, there is Akasha, Vayu, Agni, Jala, and Prithvi.
Now Jala, we are offering. Which Bhuta it represents? Mahabhuta, Jala, and this Deepa, Agni, and Chamara, Vayu. Only with regard to the other two, we have a little bit of difficulty. Cloth represents Akasha. Yeah, that is why, Chidambara, Ambara means cloth.
Digambara, Chidambara, Sretambara, the names are given there. Digambara means? No, Digambara, one who has got the directions themselves as the cloth, that means he is having, what we call, birthday dress. It is called birthday dress.
Guru Nanak's Universal Aarati
What is the Arati? That all the whole universe has come out of you. It is none other than you. I also have come from this universe. Therefore, I have also come from you. Therefore, I am you, and you are me. With that, the puja will stop.
So, this Guru Nanak, he looked there, he composed it. What is the... "Gagana, Maya, Thala." Thala means plate, Arati plate. "Gagana, Maya," the whole sky is the Arati plate. "Ravi, Chandra, Deepaku, Bane."
This Ravi means sun, and Chandra means this moon. "Deepaku, plants," and also Taraka, Mandala, all these stars. These are all beautiful lights. 24 hours they are doing Arati. What is the Chitka fellow for 15 minutes he will do Arati? And then he will suffer from this rheumatic pain, rheumatic pain and his hand is not lifting and all that.
The Essence of Bhakti
Narada's way of devotion. What is the essence of Narada's way of devotion? Sing the names and glories of God. This is the essence of Narada's way. But to sing the names and glories of God, we must have certain prior qualities. What is it? First of all, intense faith that this is the only valuable thing in life. There is nothing more valuable than the name of God.
There is a beautiful song by Purandar Dasa. "I don't want you, I don't want your glory. Simply if I have your name, that is, you take off, but your name is with me, and that is more than enough for me." Glorifying the name of God.
The Power of God's Name
So, Pralada was in trouble. What did he say? "Narasimha, Narasimha." He just uttered that name, and he became liberated. Like that, the whole beautiful song.
When Ajamila was in his last days, and Yama's messengers have come and were pulling him, what saved him? Narayana. Did Narayana had come? He did not come. Simply by uttering Narayana, those fellows ran away, and Narayana's messengers have come and taken him away.
When Gajendra was caught by this crocodile, then he was praying to God. Adimula means Mahavishnu. So he uttered the name Narayana, Adimula, and that name, immediately Narayana came and released that crocodile from his curse, because God also released. So he saved Gajendra, he also saved, and released the crocodile, because when God kills, it is Moksha.
The Philosophy of Name and Named
But Shri Ram Krishna also adds something. Name and named are one and the same. There is a wonderful philosophy behind it, and also psychology. The big meaning is there.
I will just give you. You close your eyes, and somebody says to you, that Swami Dayatmananda. Immediately, what is your impression? I am not there, but the moment you hear, my whole picture will come into your mind. Is it not a fact? Yes.
So this is what we need to understand properly, that God and God's name, me and my name, the chair and its name, that is why in English language, it is an object we call it. Anything experienced is an object. But one thing in Sanskrit, what is the Sanskrit word for One person can sit here. What is the Sanskrit word for an object in Sanskrit? It is a meaningful word. There are two words.
Pada means sound. Artha means meaning. If you close your eyes, you just hear the name, and instantaneously that object will shine forth in your mind.
The Reality of Name's Power
So, if you think of God, immediately the whole idea of God will spring, isn't it? That is the meaning. The name and the name are exactly one and the same.
I will give you a little more graphic illustration to make this point. See, supposing you are very much frightened of a snake, and somebody knows about it, and one day you are sitting nicely after breakfast, and late evening, nicely, and suddenly somebody shouts, "Snake!" You hear that sound. What would be the immediate reaction? You jump up from wherever you are, try to run away, then only you see whether it is really a snake or not.
What is my point? That nama, snake, the moment the person heard, you heard that, because you really associated certain knowledge with that thing. What is the knowledge? A snake, a dangerous thing, and anywhere I am near, and it is going to harm me, kill me, etc. So, what am I trying to prove to you? That if our knowledge of the object and its name are absolutely one and the same, so you don't need that object. That name itself is sufficient.
The Psychology of Names
So, if some devotee has got that kind of knowledge about God, Rama means God, Narayana means God, God knowledge completely compressed within that name. That is what Siddhant Krishna means, name and named are the same.
So, I will also, little bit I will tell you, because this idea has to go deep within us. So, supposing you are sitting here, suddenly somebody brings a snake and puts it on your lap. Anybody will get frightened, isn't it? So, that object is giving you that effect. Clear?
Now, one day you are sitting there, suddenly somebody shouts, "Hey, there is a snake underneath your chair," and immediately you jump up and try to run. What is the difference? When the object is thrown, you run away. When you heard the name of the object also, you are running away. That means in your mind, that name and that effect both are completely identical.
When we, in our mind, through sadhana, identify God's name and its effect upon us, then only we can say, Nama and Namni, there is absolutely no difference.
Closing Thoughts on Bhakti
For this Kali Yuga, Bhakti is the easiest. We will come to that subject later on, I want to tell you, a little bit about Narada, so the Narada is Chiranjeevi, means he is still here.
What I want to tell you, is for this Kali Yuga, Bhakti is the easiest, we will come to that subject later on. I want to tell you, a little bit about Narada, so the Narada is Chiranjeevi, means he is still here, he was also supposed to be, author of musical treatise, and Yagaraja wanted, that book, to lead some new ragas, but that was not available, he prayed to Narada, one night he had a dream, but actually it was a vision, Narada appeared and said, I am pleased with you, I am presenting you, one of my copies.
Summary of Key Points
Let me summarise what we discussed today. According to Sri Ram Krishna, the best path for most of us in this age is Bhakti. Why is it so? Because we are highly conscious of our body, the only way to get out of this body identity is through the path of Bhakti, so we already have the equipment called emotion, we are highly emotional.
So, if we can somehow make a sankalpa, that I have emotion, so I want to bring it, and collect it, direct it, and channelise it towards God, so, that is the first point. Second, this is because we are emotional, most of us are emotional, so we have to follow our natural faculty, which is emotion, therefore the best suited path for us is devotion.
Third reason is devotion is the easiest natural path, because you don't need to give up anything, you don't need to give up anything, all that you need to do is redirect, giving up means I am not the body, I am not the mind, I have to give up, no, you have body, worship God, you have wealth, use it for worshipping God, worshipping sadhus, worshipping poor people, helping yourself, already you have the equipment, only to use it, it is the most natural path.
How natural? Like from a mountain, when rain falls upon a mountain, you don't need to pray, "Oh mountain, please release the water, I need the water," it is, even if you don't pray, automatically the water will flow, this is called naturalness, therefore we are emotional very naturally, now we have to give a worthy object for that emotion, which is another name for God, so this is the path of least resistance and that is why Sairam Krishna tells, you are body conscious, increase your body consciousness but at the same time relate it to God, instead of saying I am the child of so and so, now turn it and they say, I am the child of holy mother, I am the child of father.
A Concluding Story
I will close today's topic with one incident. One of our swamis, a devotee, he was going to western countries through middle east countries and he was asked to take out everything, there was a photograph of holy mother and Sairam Krishna, so that fellow doesn't know anything about, he asked "Are these your parents?" Swami cheerfully said, "Yes, he is my father and she is my mother."
"Alright, alright, you can keep that." But if he had told, "This is my God," immediately they will confiscate it. By just saying that, he told the truth, this is my mother and father and only thing is my and your mother and father biologically, they are all separate but this mother and father can have infinite number of children and still she goes on complaining "I don't have enough children, you give me more children" like that she will go on.
That's what holy mother said: "I don't want to be housewife normal wife but I want to be called mother." Sairam Krishna said, "A time will come when you will pray make me deaf so that I don't need to hear the name Ma, Ma, Ma and then do all those things." Now she must be a little bit liberated why? It is there so we will discuss it.
Closing Prayer
ॐ जननीम् शरदाम् देविम् रामक्रिष्णम् जगत् गुर्म्
पादपद्मे तयोः स्रित्वाः प्रणमामि मुहुरुमु
Oṁ jananīṁ śaraḍhāṁ deveṁ rāmakriṣṇam jagad-gurum
pādapadmetayosritvā pranamāmi-muhurumuhu