Narada Bhakti Sutras Lecture 21 Su.35-36 on 28-February-2019
Full Transcript Not corrected
Opening Invocation
ॐ जननीम् शरदाम् देविम् रामक्रिष्णम् जगत् गुर्म्
पादपद्मे तयोः स्रित्वाः प्रणमामि मुहुरुमु
Oṁ jananīṁ śaraḍhāṁ deveṁ rāmakriṣṇam jagad-gurum
pādapadmetayosritvā pranamāmi-muhurumuhu
Continuity and Introduction to Para Bhakti Mahatma
So before that, we have to give the link to what we discussed earlier, so that there will be a continuity. The second part of this Narada Bhakti Sutras is called Para Bhakti Mahatma - the greatness, glory, superiority of Para Bhakti, not Vaidhi Bhakti. You know what is Vaidhi Bhakti? Preparatory devotion. Gauni Bhakti.
Para Bhakti and Para Jnana - No Difference
So, Narada, greatest devotee. Before we proceed, one important point is: suppose a person is greatest devotee, will he have any kind of fanaticism? Fanaticism always comes to people who are at the beginning stage.
Why? Swami Vivekananda had explained this so beautifully. There is no difference between Para Bhakti and Para Jnana. There is no difference.
Why? What is Para Bhakti? Bhagwan. What is Para Jnana? Bhagwan. So why is it Bhakti and Jnana? Both are two expressions.
If it is an expression of Chit, it is called Jnana. If it is an expression of Ananda, it is called Bhakti. So what is this difference between Chit and Ananda? Can you separate Chit knowledge and Ananda? Can you separate them? Is it ever possible? The moment you have knowledge, understanding, in our mind there are two parts of it.
One part is called Buddhi. Buddhi's nature is to understand, Jnana. But there is another part called Chitta. That is the part which exhibits emotions. And that is why Patanjali Yoga Sutra says, "Yogaha Chitta Riti Nirodha." Very important.
The Realized Soul's Experience
Now we are interacting with this world. Suppose a person realizes God. Will he see the world? Will he experience the world or not? This is the question that came.
Yes, he experiences. Just as I am seeing you, he will also see you. But what is his knowledge? "Is he also God? I am also God."
Will he experience joy? Yes, he will experience joy. Will he experience grief? He will also experience grief. But what is the difference between his joy and our joy? First, his joy is unbroken. And secondly, his dukkha is sympathy, compassion for others.
Why? Because if he sees somebody suffering, from his own point there is no suffering. But when he sees other people suffering from ignorance, then he also will have sympathy.
Sri Ramakrishna's Compassion
Sri Ramakrishna used to weep whenever he saw people suffering. But his weeping is of a very high category. He says, "Oh mother, why don't you give a little knowledge? After all, I know he is God, but you kept him under complete darkness."
Then he understood, "Oh, I understand that this is also one of your play." So it is like cat and mouse play. You understand? Cat and mouse play. Play for whom? What about for the mouse? This is very important for us to understand. We don't know. So he will have tremendous grief because of sympathy.
That's why he says, "Let me have a million bucks if I can help somebody. I am prepared." During the last two days, when Sri Ramakrishna was suffering so much, one day he told him, "You know, his suffering has become too much. If you think so, I can give up this body. What do you say?"
My God, what a question! The thing is, we are ignorant people. That means if his body goes, we can't see him. All that we can interact with Sri Ramakrishna is only through his body. Now we have no option but to interact through the stone image. That's all.
When he was having the body, you can do anything you like. You just fall at his feet, especially Holy Mother. "Ma, give me mantra." Immediately she will give. Only you have to utter that word, "Ma." Now you go on uttering, "Ma, give me initiation." Apply, apply.
So what can M say? You just stood beside him. He wants Sri Ramakrishna to be there so that he could communicate. But at the same time, he doesn't want Sri Ramakrishna's body because he could see so much of suffering. This dichotomy will be there.
The Nature of True Devotion
So what is the point we are discussing? This para bhakti and para jnana. Where there is jnana, appropriately there will be an expression of emotion, experience of emotion. And that is not condemned. What is condemned is our wanting it again and again.
I hope you are following what I am trying to tell you. Supposing you are a great bhakta and then somebody brings nice sweet for you. Your favorite, maybe. Your favorite means it was a favorite before you became a great bhakta. Will you enjoy it or not? You will enjoy it tremendously.
Why? Because previously you were gobbling it up. Now you are half-curious. Every thought will be in God only. So you are offering it. "I am not eating, but I am offering it to God." You will have that wonderful bhakti. "This is prasada." Everything is prasada. So you will enjoy it more, but it will not become bondage.
For us, "I want it again, otherwise I am miserable." For the bhakta, he says, "Oh Lord, if you give, it is okay. If you don't give, it is okay. My devotion to you is not going to be affected, whether you give or not."
In our case, at this moment, if he gives, we become very emotional. And if he doesn't give... Even more emotional. What about for bhakti? If he gives, you are overjoyed. If for some reason, you are not getting those experiences or whatever, wanting that, is that wrong? Wanting is not wrong, but feeling miserable if God doesn't give.
Wanting anything is not wrong. So you can go on wanting: "I want a car, I want a seven-star hotel-like building, I want a few crores of rupees as my bank deposit." You are free to pray whatever you like. You should give the same freedom to God, what He likes giving. Yes, you should give freedom.
Our problem: we want God to listen to us. We don't want to listen to God. That's our biggest problem.
True Love vs. Attachment - The Mahapurush Maharaj Story
So, this bhakti is karma-jnana-yogye-bhupi-adhikatarah. Because first of all, its delight is only in God. Secondly, it wants only bhakti. And what is the nature of bhakti? It doesn't want one's happiness, it wants the happiness of God.
That is why earlier we discussed, "tad vihinam jharanamiva tasmin tad sukhe sukhitvam nastir." In ordinary worldly love, a person loves not because of the other person's happiness, one's own happiness. This is so subtle.
You know, a wife dies. It's a common example. And the husband is weeping his heart out. And if you ask him, "Oh, I love her." And if you probe deep into his mentality, it so transpires that he cares damn for his wife. Now he has to do his own cooking, his own washing, and his own everything, so he is missing.
I think I told you an incident from the life of Mahapurush Maharaj. I don't know how many of you remember. Mahapurush Maharaj had a householder disciple. Very wealthy man. His wife was a very beautiful woman. And he used to shower her with silk saris, you know, costly saris. He could afford his wife. Do you remember the story?
Anyway, it is worth recollecting a thousand times. So, you can understand, the man always, wherever he is, he is thinking only about his wife. So he mistook it, that "I love my wife."
And once he presented her with a very costly Banaras silk sari. And one day, with that, she also loved her husband. Very devoted lady. She was cooking. The silk sari caught fire. Completely gutted. Within a few minutes, she was completely gutted. The husband went mad. He thought that he would commit suicide. Then they locked him up.
After one week, two weeks, something like that, slowly he became a little bit composed. Then they brought him to Mahapurush Maharaj. Both husband and wife took initiation from Mahapurush Maharaj. So, when this event was happening, Swami Nikhilananda was present.
So the man came, and the moment he saw Gurudev, he started sobbing. "Maharaj, I loved her so much. Now, I used to look after her so much. Now who is... I am terribly worried that who is looking after her."
Mahapurush Maharaj, he understood everything. He looked at Thakur's photograph and said, "Whenever this thought comes, that nobody is looking after your wife, think that she is in the lap of Ramakrishna." And he became consoled. He went away.
Nikhilananda was witnessing this event. Six months passed. Then Nikhilananda was sent to Mayawati. And this gentleman also happened to be in Mayawati. He visited. By that time, he became normal. And Nikhilananda saw him, recognized him. "What a change I am seeing in you. I saw what happened to you immediately after your wife died. You looked like a madman, you looked like a suicide. Now I see, completely you are..."
So here is the real secret. The man confessed, "Maharaj, how the mind cheats us. When I thought that I used to love my wife, I was looking after her so much, I thought I loved her, but actually she was an object of enjoyment for me, and I was missing it terribly." This goes in the name of Prema. Kama goes in the name of Prema.
So I was missing her company, but my unconscious mind knows it. My conscious mind thinks "I love her, now I am worried about her," like that. But Mahapurush Maharaj was God-realized in his soul. So he looked at Thakur and said, "Whenever this thought troubles you, imagine that she is sitting in the lap of Thakur."
When this man tries to think of his wife as a wife, now he can't succeed, because what is he looking at? The lap of Sri Ramakrishna. You understand? Sri Ramakrishna's lap is his. How can he think that this is an object I would like to enjoy? So, by Guru's grace, slowly that feeling has come. And that is how a Sadguru really saves the disciples. And that is why the company, Mahat Sanga, we are going to discuss about it. The mind cheats us very much.
True Devotion and Following God's Will
On one part of our mind, we really want to become devotees. Another part of the mind says, that if you become a devotee, then you have to follow the teachings of the Lord. Who is a devotee? He who follows the teachings of the Lord.
God will not be pleased. Simply our saying, that "I love you, your face is wonderful, and you are standing on a lotus," etc., you know? "Pradaya kamalam athi rajitam nirvikalpam Sada sada kila vidadhitam Eka swaroopam." But what is the real this thing? If we love anything, then we have to follow what our beloved wants us to do. That is the true characteristic of love. It applies to God also.
That's why I am deviating so much. Say a mother loves her child too much. Because the mother loves the child truly, she is prepared even to beat him. For whose good? For his good. Neighbors don't care. "You want to play, you play. You don't want to go to school, you don't need to go to school. We don't care for you." But a mother will not tolerate, because of her love.
God will not tolerate, because of his love for us. That is why all the problems that we have, he is really the gift of God. The Holy Mother says, "Misery is the gift of God." It is true, because God loves us.
Sri Ramakrishna's Parable of the Two Gardeners
So, how to please God? Sri Ramakrishna's guidance is there on all these matters. There was a zamindar, he has a garden, and he employs two gardeners. One gardener always stands in front, and says, "Oh master, your face is like a moon, and your smile is like the shower of amrita." Like that, 24 hours he goes on trying to flatter.
Another person, silently, he works very hard, and rarely he comes in front of you. Now, having given this example, analogy, then Sri Ramakrishna is asking, "With whom will the zamindar be pleased?" With the person working. So, that is the understanding we have to develop.
God wants us to behave in a particular way. How do we know? What is the shastra? The shastra is what God wants us to do. In Sharanagati Gadhiya Brahmanuja, "Anukulasya Sankalpaha Pratikulasya Varjana," is doing what pleases the Lord, and not doing anything, putting forth great effort not to do what displeases God. It requires a tremendous amount of effort.
What is Sri Ramakrishna advising us? "Do not live like a maidservant." How many of us are living like maidservants? Nowadays, maidservants live like the owners, and the owners have to live like maidservants. "Today, I don't want to come." This fellow has already had a heart attack. You know, they are blackmailing all of us.
So, the point we are discussing is that if we want to please God, we have to do these two things. What pleases God, that alone we should do. What we know that displeases God, how do we know? From the scriptures. Vidhi and Nishedha.
The Nature of the Soul's Potential
With that background, he can read some of these things. So, the earlier sutras, what we discussed is that each soul is potentially... Each soul is potentially jnani. Each soul is potentially karmi. Karmi means karmayogi. Each soul is potentially a bhakta. So, all these are potentially there. Only that potential divinity manifests through a particular faculty which is dominant within each one of us.
You understand? If emotion is dominant in you, then that potential divinity wants to manifest itself through emotion. How? Emotion directed towards God is called devotion. So, activity is a natural condition. So, if activity can be directed towards God, that becomes karma yoga. Only very simple like this. We are anyway doing it, activities. If these activities can be directed in the idea, "I am serving Ishwara." Samarpana buddhi. Ishwara arpana buddhi. And what type of activities? Every type of activities.
Converting All Activities to Worship
You see here, I am talking. This is an activity. I am breathing. Why am I breathing? I want to love God. And why am I sleeping? That is there. Shivakshamapana stotram. "Nidra samadhi sthiti." If I move my hands, it is arathi. If my legs move, that is pradakshina. If I am breathing, that is pranayama. And if I am thinking, that is your sthiti. If my mouth is speaking, that is your sthiti. If I am sleeping, that is samadhi. And that is true.
So when we are sleeping, why are we sleeping at night? When we sleep very nicely, if we don't try to sleep properly, it is an aparatha. Can you understand? Why is it an aparatha? So there is a particular way of sleeping. What is it? Don't do anything violent. Don't drink beverages like coffee, tea, etc. just before sleep. Don't watch any type of things which will agitate the mind. Do such things which will calm and quiet and make the mind very relaxed. Then as soon as you lie down, and then that will... Otherwise you watch a terrible movie, a violent movie, and sleep immediately. Show it to him. It is not going to happen. So reading and having ugly conversations with somebody, anything.
But why does the man want to sleep? He will have very good sleep. That means he will be very alert when he gets up. And when a person is alert, whether you want yoga or bhoga, alertness is the condition, isn't it? Even if you want to drive also, very alertness is necessary. So what to speak of meditation, what to speak of etc.
So whatever I do, Lord, it is only for pleasing Thee. With that idea, whatever we do, it is.
The Brahmo Lady's Story
That is what Sri Ramakrishna, that Brahmo lady came. She said, "I want to think of Krishna, but I am bringing up a nephew. My mind is always... Whenever I want to think of Krishna, my mind is thinking of my nephew." It was a real dilemma.
Then Sri Ramakrishna said, very simple, "Don't separate Krishna from your nephew. When the thought of your nephew comes, immediately superimpose it, superimpose Krishna. This is not my nephew, this is my Krishna." Within a few months, she started having visions of Krishna. If she had continued, she would be having visions of whom? Nephew. Now she is having visions of... What has changed? Slight adjustment. "This is not my nephew, this is the divine Lord."
So this is the understanding our dharma shastras want to give. When a chaste wife should think of her husband as what? As God. Now they also say, "Whether he is a drunkard, he is a madcap, he is a gambler, he is what is called parastri sangama, it doesn't matter." It is a beautiful teaching, though many women get angry. So the husband also should think, his wife is the only wife. Every other person, "parastri jene re, parastri jene matare." Where does it come? Vaishnavachanato, "tene kahije, peedu parayi jane re." This is the truth.
So, why is it so? Because whatever is the husband, that is not the point. The point is, he is a target practice. He is a target practice. You know, he plays darts. Target practice. You take this person, why I am dwelling upon this? Suppose he is a very good person, saint, and what is there in greatness in the wife? Every husband who is a very good person, very loving person, to think of him as God is not difficult.
But to think of a person who is anything but a saint, that is the only thing which will make this person a saint. So, this is the point we have to understand. A saint is not one who is always in the company of saints. A saint is one in whose eyes everybody is God. Is it not? "Vidya, Vinaya, Sampanne, Brahmane, Gavi, Hastine, Shunicheva, Swapakecha, Panditaha, Samdarshinaha," a dog, eater of dog, a cow, an elephant, a learned Brahmana, all are looked upon equally in the eyes of, because that is the truth.
So, these rules, regulations have come because a wife has to serve the husband. And then, she may not have a good opportunity, in those days at least, to go independently on Kunyakshet Tirtha, or to go and attend. Women were very much highly protected because of the condition of the society. But will she not have an opportunity to grow into a spiritual personality? Yes. Take the circumstances in your own home and then convert them into spiritual assets. That is what is said. So, the same thing we also have to do.
The Nature of Happiness and Bondage
In the last three sutras, what is it? So, when a king doesn't know he is a king, but afterwards he comes to know that "Yes, I did not know I was the prince, I am the king," does he gain anything new? Nothing. A person who gets so many comforts at home and then he goes away on a business for a long time, and then when he comes back, meanwhile he is missing all the comforts of the home. So, when he comes back, the moment he reaches home, again he is back to all the comforts.
So, what does it mean? You did not gain anything new. You were separated from what you were having and now you became united with what you already had. Through this, what Narada wants to say to us that we are all bhaktas because we are part of God. What else can happen to you?
That is what Swami Vivekananda categorically declared at the Parliament of Religions, "Shrunvantu Vishve Amrutasya Putraat." You are all Amrutasya Putraat. "To call man, to label him as a sinner is the greatest blasphemy on man." There is a lot of psychology and also logic. We are not going into it. He is only reminding that really you are not a human being trying to become a spiritual person. You are a spiritual being temporarily entrapped in a human situation and you understand it is not a good situation. You are trying to get out. What is the difference between these two?
So, also he says, "Rajagriha Bhojanadishu." You asked last time, what is Bhojana? What does it exemplify? So, you are not hungry. You have eaten, you are very happy. And after a few hours, you feel hungry. Then you eat food. Now, you are very happy. What were you before hunger came? A happy person. Then what happened? Hunger has come. Hunger has come as an obstacle. And by giving food, you removed that obstacle and you are back to your own nature.
This is the nature of happiness. We are happiness. Temporarily, we are separated from happiness which is called unhappiness. And we remove that unhappiness and go back to our state of happiness. This is Vedanta philosophy. Therefore, one should take resort to only Bhakti Marga. That is the final conclusion. I also discuss it. We always keep in mind, Bhakti Marga is not the only Marga. But for most of the people, Bhakti Marga is the path. Why? Emotional. We are emotional people. So, emotional people.
Bhakti Sadhanani - The Methods of Devotion
Third part of it, Bhakti Sadhanani. Bhakti is the goal, Sadhya. Sadhana means what? The effort to obtain something is called Sadhana. But that which we would like to obtain is called Sadhya. What is the Sadhya in this case? God.
What is the nature of God? He is of the nature of Supreme Love. Holy Mother is of the nature of Supreme Love. Why are people running to Her? Because She never makes any distinction. She loves everybody equally. She never says, "You are a wicked person, therefore I won't love you." No such thing. "Ramakrishna, you are a wicked person, Go and see the Biddi." Holy Mother, "Come my child."
So, Bhakti Sadhanani. There are certain well-specified ways how to develop. Very important. All this book, this is the most important chapter. Because Sadhana is more important than all those things.
The Role of Acharyas
"Tasya Sadhanani Gayanti Acharya." Acharya we discussed. Teachers of Bhakti. Acharya means to give a special meaning. Chara means to move. Chara means to behave. Chara means to live. Acharya means one who practically lives that life. He is called Acharya.
So this Acharya is not an ordinary person like a professor of philosophy. Imagine a professor of Bhakti. He is expounding to the students. You know what is it called? It is not called knowledge. It is called information. It is an information passed on from the notebooks of the professors on to the notebooks of the students without passing the brains of either. This is called modern education. Ranganathanji Maharaj used to quote it very often. That means it doesn't bring any change in them.
But here we are not talking about that. So "Tasya Sadhanani Gayanti Acharya." Acharya means true Bhaktas who attain to that Bhakti. Examples. Prajagopika. Narada himself. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And then now Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, direct disciples.
So what are they taking? Tasya. How to obtain that Bhakti? They are singing. Why are they singing? Why are they not talking? Each word is so beautiful. When do you sing? When you are very happy. So they are very happy. Suppose the student says, "I don't like your singing." He says, "I don't mind. Because it is my joy. I am thinking about God. I am talking about God. I am enjoying thinking, talking, speaking, singing about God. If you also join me, enjoy it. It is fine. If you are not enjoying, that is your misfortune."
Because for them, any talk is only reminding them of what? Only God. Their only effort in life is not to forget. Remember we have already done. Does he get tired? Tiredness comes when you do something which you don't like. Have you noticed it? Yes.
So Narada is going on singing because of infinite compassion. That is secondary. Jagad Gita is secondary. He enjoys it. If others also can get benefit, it is fine.
So it is very important for us to know what are these pathways and how to slowly progress.
Sutra 35: The Two Essential Conditions
So this is the 35th Sutra. "Tat tu vishayatyagat sangatyagat ja."
Tat means that. How to obtain that? Two conditions. Vishayatyagat and Sangatyagat. And in that order.
What is Vishayatyaga?
What is Vishayatyagat? So what is Vishaya? Anything that makes us forget God is a Vishaya. Vishaya means actually an object. Any object, not necessarily. You see, you are sitting, you are talking. Suddenly somebody comes whom you know. "I have brought prasada from the ashram. I have brought prasada from the ashram." The moment you hear prasada, that is an object. That material that person has brought is an object. The moment you think of that object, is it taking you down to the world or is it making you think of God?
So is it a good object or a bad object? So an object by itself is neither good nor bad. Then what is it telling? Every object is good.
"Prabhu Teri Mahima Parama Apara." So I was quoting, you know, that Guru Nanak's song. "Garganamayathala Ravichandra Deepakupane Taraka Mandala Jwalanta Jyoti Ray." He is talking like that. I was reading this Gospel.
And this event happened at Puri. The Puri priest did not allow Guru Nanak because he was in a, what is called, wandering monk, you know, full of dirt, dust, and then torn cloths, etc. So very dirty must be. So they did not allow. He went, he composed. Ah, that song became what is called universal song. How many people go and sing?
So what was his vision? He is seeing the whole universe. All the Panchabhootas are offering their puja to God. Art is that you are going and plucking a flower. By the moment you pluck it, it is already fading. And then you bring it, and then take one first class sewing needle, and through its heart you are piercing it and making a garland, and then you are very happy.
Sometimes, so many times I have seen these devotees, garland makers. I used to do puja in Pasangudina. Here also, many years I have done puja. So here garland makers were not there, only on special occasions. There every day one lady used to come. Three o'clock she will finish, she and somebody else. And then I have to decorate. And then she will be sitting there. "Swamiji, this little bit will come here, that little bit will come there." Because they are able to see in a better way.
So sometimes I used to ask them, "Do you see Thakur here or do you see only your garland?" Because "This is our garland, we prepared it." That is the whole thing. They used to do it, shraddha.
This Kanakambara, you know what is Kanakambara? It is a flower, a very small flower. There are so many colors. Beautiful colors, Kanakambara. Kanakambara is only Kanakambara Kamalasana. That is only golden, very small. Small flower. They make this garland, how they make, God alone knows. And within four or five hours, they make this garland really. What is Kanakambara? You don't know.
So we have got lots of Kanakambara flowers here, white and all those things. Anyway, what is the point? They are taking God's name. They do japa, they have mantra. Each flower they have to do. So they are doing mantra japa, they are also doing it, it is their offering. Here also, our devotees do, all the seven days, she is one of them.
Unlike Vishnu Chittasu, Seva, they won't first put on themselves, and give to Thakur. Like Andal used to do. But there is no danger because she never used to prepare garland, only she used to decorate herself, and then it was being offered to God.
So what are we talking about? That sadhana, Vishayatyaga. So what is the point we discussed? Vishaya is not an enemy, but what thought it will provoke within us, usually, you know, food material, and for man it is a woman, and for woman it is a man, then this money, then this power and position, these are called Vishayas. So they have to be given up.
What is Sangatyaga?
Then, Sanga has to be given up. So why? Bhagavad Gita gives, even when a person doesn't enjoy a particular object for many many years, that remembrance of that object itself is forgotten. But once upon a time he enjoyed it.
Sri Ramakrishna used to give this beautiful example. Some wandering sadhus were sitting and they were meditating. When they were meditating, one day a woman, a village woman, happened to pass by. So everybody, all others never opened their eyes. One fellow, obliquely, like that, he opened his eyes and saw. Sri Ramakrishna observed all these things.
Then he was remarking, "At one time he was a married man. He knows the pleasures of married life. The others were straight, they took to sannyasa." So this person is not doing anything bad. He had given up many years. But rasa varjam, that remembrance of that pleasure, is still there.
Then I gave the example of one sadhu. This is a real incident. A sadhu had taken a vow. "I would not look at the face of a woman in my whole life." Slowly his name and fame... Remember? He was such a one kutiya in a lonely place, wooded area, and then slowly disciples gathered, his name and fame spread, and 50 years passed. He became an old man.
One day, in the evening, before sunset, he heard the anklets of a woman passing by. Immediately he ran and looked. He did not see the woman, but she was on her back. Then he came back and said, "What a maya, 50 years, I have not seen anybody. I know, anklets are worn by whom? By woman. And one village woman, she came to gather some firewood, and she did that, and she was going back. And this person, in spite of all 50 years of sadhana, and his unconscious input, he said, get up and go, and look at her." He said, "What a maya." He took an axe and broke both his legs. "From today, you are not going to move." Vairagya, you know, but the illustration is, how powerful is this samskara.
Rabiya's Story
One day, you heard about Rabiya? Rabiya was a Sufi woman, like our Mirabai, very great soul. I just love Rabiya's teachings and other things. I will tell you one or two also. She was very famous. Everybody recognized her as a great saint, and there were some fakirs, sanyasins, and many of them became jealous, "Why this woman has become so famous, when we are also fakirs." But she never cared about it, because her great... truly she loved God. She was called Sufi, Sufi woman, not this Mullah's woman.
So one day, she was walking in the wooded area. All the birds were competing with each other, who will get the place to sit on her shoulder. So as soon as one bird, big bird comes and pushes, "What right have you got? I have got the right to sit." And then one Mullah was fakir, he was also fakir. He was following her, and he was inviting the birds, "Come, come, you sit on my shoulders." And the moment he approaches, the bird will run away.
So he got puzzled. Then he asked, "Rabiya, you know, I know, that I don't have any intention of harming these birds. Then why is it that they are running away from me, and they are all competing with each other to sit on you?" Then she replied, "That is because brother, before you became a monk, you used to eat the birds. The taste of the birds is lingering on your tongue." This is called rasa varjam.
So forgetfulness comes if you don't see a person. Slowly the memory fades. But if you are very intimate with that person, close, that friendship and all that, it is not easy to forget. Suddenly, especially, you know, when we become old, the recent memories fade, the old memories come back, and we are young, what happens and all that.
So what are we talking about? Vishayatyaga. So how to really practice it? Because we are living in the world. We are not living in a monastery. So whatever objects you notice, that they are making you forget God. Try to give them up, physically, or reduce, slowly reduce. But this is only the beginning.
Then sangatyaga. What is sangatyaga? "I want it again." This is called sanga. "I cannot live without it." We have to give it up. This is what Sri Ramakrishna calls nirjanata. You know what is nirjanata? You be away from all the objects which will distract you and which will keep you away from God. True nirjarata, nirjanata. You know what is true nirjanata? Nirjana. Sri Ramakrishna used to say, nirjana, and Bhagavan Krishna says, "nirjanata." That's in chapter Bhagavad Gita. That sthana, vivekta means, where nobody is there, you have to love that place.
Solitary place. You should not get any joy in the company of people. Now we are not talking about Tom, Dick and Harry. You are walking, hundreds of people are walking towards you, away from you, with you. That is not janasamsadhi. Jana means here, your people. My father, my mother, my husband, my wife, my children, my brothers, my sisters. These are the people. You are a jivanmukta with regard to everybody else. You won't get headache. If something, even if my head is burning, you will do, but your appetite will not become less. Isn't that a fact?
So, sangatyaga. Sanga means attachment. Attachment is always mental. Nothing physical. So first, reduce your dependence upon external objects, and then slowly reduce the next thing which is mental attachment. Mental attachment is stronger than anything else.
Avyavruta Bhajana - Continuous Worship
Then, Avyavruta Bhajana. Avyavruta. Avyavruta means stoppage. Avyavruta means non-stop. Bhajana.
"Bhaktir bhagascha bhajanam bhava bhedakar gacchan telam subhipalam gamanayat." How do you get it? Have you heard? Yes. "Bhakti hi bhagascha bhajanam." Three. What does that mean? Your bhakti means karma yoga. Bhajanam means bhakti yoga. Bhaga means jnana yoga. "I know oh lord, all these three are more than subhipalam. More than adequate." For what? "Gamanaya tattvam." To reach my goal, tattva, to reach God. They are more than sufficient.
"Ucchadhrutai pi haridhime na kevadhikinci." I am going on talking about this. You be a devotee, you be a yogi, you be a karma yogi, you be a jnana yogi, any yoga is sufficient to take you to God. We know that. Where? Here. Patra means I go on uttering these words in my mouth. "Hridhime na kevadhikinci." There is no response from the heart. That means I don't really feel anything for any path. "Sasmar, pamye vasahana," oh lord, please disturb your grace.
Avyavruta bhajana. Avyavruta means broken. Avyavruta means unbroken. That means constantly without forgetting we have to remember God.
The Crocodile Analogy from Vivekachudamani
In this matter, there is a beautiful book called Vivekachudamani. So, in the Vivekachudamani, this Shankaracharya is giving an analogy. There is a fellow and he wants to cross this ocean of samsara and he has taken one small floating pole and with the help of that one somehow he is keeping and then he is crossing. What is Mahamaya doing? She is following like a crocodile. Like a crocodile it is following this person. One second's forgetfulness. Immediately he went down.
Sri Ramakrishna's Story of Vibhishana
Ramakrishna, as I said, is a source of marvelous explanations. So, Vibhishana was the king of Sri Lanka. And once, what happened? You know that Vibhishana? He is Chiranjeevi. One of the Chiranjeevis. Even now he is there.
Very funny incident happened. One Swami Akhandanandaji, he was wandering. Then he met some wandering monks, illiterate monks. They were called Ramayana sadhus. They worship Rama. They do bhajan of Rama, etc. So, they were very happy to meet. He said, "I went even to Sri Lanka. How is Vibhishana?" Then he can't tell a lie, you know. He said, "There is no Vibhishana. It is now run by this previous Prime Minister and all those things between British people and all." He got so angry. Because their idea is still Vibhishana is running Sri Lanka. Hanuman is considered Chiranjeevi. Ashwatthama is considered Chiranjeevi.
"For 8 kalpas, he will be alive, paying the price of killing the small children and all those things." Anyway, this Vibhishana tells this story. You remember? One man was shipwrecked. He landed on the place. Immediately, Rakshasa's mouth started watering. Because Vibhishana never allowed any nara-mamsa. Because his Ishtadevata was Sri Rama. Sri Rama was a human being. So, he did not allow.
So, these Rakshasas, they caught hold of him. And because there is a law to any such thing, first you have to bring it to the king. So, immediately Vibhishana took him inside. Treated him very nicely. Shastra and Prana. Why? After so many yugas, he was seeing another human being like his Ishtadevata, Sri Ramachandra. Because he looks like that. No resemblance between Sri Rama and all those. But Nara, like that.
All human beings are divided into only two. Nara, Va, Nara. We are all Vanaras. Whose words? Swamiji's words. Vanara means, we are not talking about the physical body. We are talking about the restlessness of the mind. There is a monkey, it is very restless. Then it became drunk. Then it was stung by a scorpion. Then it was possessed by a demon. Who can describe the restlessness of the mind?
So, what is the drunk? By desires. And what is the stinging? Jealousy. And then what is the demon? Pride. Who can understand? So, since the topic came, Sri Rama took the help of only Vanaras. Why? What is this Vanaras symbolism? If anybody associates himself or works for Sri Rama, he will be liberated. Otherwise, outside, yes, we don't call ourselves as Vanaras. But our nature is... You tell me, Vanaras are better or this President Bush and all these fellows, who are better? Vanaras are much better. They don't do much damage. But these fellows, they wreck everybody's lives. Anyway.
So, one man was wrecked and he was presented. And they were thinking that Ravishana, he protected him, treated him very well and said, "You should not stay here because I can't protect you always. So, tomorrow morning, I will send you." He said, "I don't have any ship. What can I do?" "Don't worry. I will give you some magic potion. I will tie something in your cloth, waist and you just walk over the waters. Safely you will reach India and then you will be free."
So, this person, next day he was put. All the Rakshasas must have been very disappointed fellows. Then he was going nicely. He was walking over the waters. So, he was walking nicely and then he said, "What is this? This is very magical. He wrote something. Let me see what it is." He opened it and a small piece of paper. What is written? "Rama." Only this. The moment he lost faith, immediately he sank to the Lord.
This is the power of faith. Until that time he was walking nicely. That is the power of faith. Faith in the name of God, etc.
Summary of the First Condition
So, Vishayatyaga and Sangatyaga. This is the first condition to obtain Bhakti. Why? What is it that stops us from progressing towards God? There must be something. What is it? This one. First is Vishaya. Then the Sanga that comes to the... and then this Vishaya also. Vishaya means object of the senses. We want to hear particular type of words.
Madhu Kaitabha. Our first bondage comes from Madhu and Kaitabha. What is Madhu Kaitabha? Madhu means praise. Kaitabha means criticism. We are enslaved if somebody tells you, "You are a nice person." And then, you know, the power of advertisement. Suppose a person comes and says, "You are a nice person, you are a nice person, you are a nice person." After some time, we feel we are really nice person. Power of advertisement.
Do you follow what I am saying? Some ugly person is there and she goes and buys some dress. "If you put on this dress, you look beautiful." And then everybody is telling, "You look beautiful, you look beautiful, you look beautiful." The people who never understand, what are they telling? They are not saying, "You are beautiful." They are saying, "You look beautiful." You see, if this person is beautiful, anything will make that person beautiful.
So, those designer cloths are meant only for such particular type of bodies. If that body puts on that kind of dress, it enhances. If the other type puts on, like Bhima Sena putting one way, it will be like that.
So, what are we talking about? That we are slaves to people's either they flatter us or they criticize us. And we are thinking we are like that. It is not true. Our heart has to say what we are. So, the first obstruction is Vishayatyaga and then Sangatyaga. Vishaya means any object which will make us forget God, that is Vishaya. But if the same Vishaya can make us remember God, it is very helpful.
Then Sangatyaga. What did Sri Ramakrishna say? Satsanga. Cultivate Sanga. Sanga is not bad. When you are saying Sangatyaga, you must always understand Dus Sangatyaga, not Sat Sangatyaga. Satsanga. "Sangat Sanjayate Kamaha." I hope you remember that Bhagavad Gita we discussed.
Eight steps. "Vihayato Vishayan Pumsaha. Sangah Teshu Pajayate. Go on brooding over objects. Attachment comes. Sangat Sanjayate Kamaha." Satsanga. Go on doing Satsanga. Slowly, our understanding, our knowledge about God becomes better. And the more we think about God, then the desire comes. "I only want God."
Now we are also saying, "I want God." What for? Not for God. "I want God to procure for me certain things." That is what everybody is running to Tirupati Venkateshwara. What for? He is thinking, "Oh my God, so many people have come to see me." No, they have not come to see you. They have come to extract something from you.
Why so many people were going to Sathya Sai Baba? Is it out of love for Him? Because they want to hear, "May you be free from cancer, may you be getting a job." If people come to know that I can perform one or two such miracles, then you will have to sit there to listen to this Narada Bhakti Sutras. You understand? You know, when Swamiji returned from America, it is Chennai, Kumbakonam, everywhere, he could not speak. Thousands of people were clamoring to have a glimpse of this Vivekananda. And of course, there were no microphones in those days. So, he could not speak at all.
Anyway, Vishayatyaga, Vishayatyaga, and Sangatyaga. So, two important points. Even if we give up Vishaya, what is called, the Samskara we developed by enjoying it for a long time, it still remains. When does it disappear? Only "Paramdrishtvaiva," only when we have a glimpse of God, Bhagavat Sakshatkar. Otherwise, it will not go. "Paramdrishtva nivartate."
When we experience the supreme reality, because all this will give us happiness. So, to understand this point, you know, why is it we can't forget our idli, our dosa? What is the reason? Because they give us happiness. But when we get more happiness, we are not eating all these things for the sake of idli, dosa. You understand? Suppose you get so much happiness from idli, dosa, and it so happens, after some time, you develop distaste for it. Then there is a taste like poison. What would be your condition then, even if he offers first-class idli, dosa? Simply you want to go. Vomiting, isn't it?
The same thing. Occasionally it happens. When your stomach is upset, then they appear like poison. But as soon as the stomach settles down, again you want this. That's why you say, "Don't throw them away. Keep them in the refrigerator. As soon as they become alright, then I'll take it there." Because they can be kept for 2-3 weeks. Do you understand? Yes.
So, vishayatyaga. And more important is sangatyaga. But once our devotion to God becomes firm, you can have all these things. Will there not be obstructions? No, there won't be obstructions. On the contrary, they will be sahakarina. They will help us. Same thing will help us to progress in spiritual life.
The Nature of Bhajana
Then, the next sutra says, we were talking about bhajana. Bhajana means, simply this is the fact in this world, God alone is real. To remember that fact is called bhajana. Otherwise you sing a beautiful song and you do all these things.
An Incident from Cherrapunji
I want to recollect when I was in Cherrapunji. Occasionally we had to go to Gauhati for marketing. Shopping. Because that is the capital of Assam. So there was a devotee, Bengali devotee, many years old. Very nice person. More than, I think, 50 years old, I don't remember now. But definitely he was a very...
One day, you know what? At that time, the head of that centre was Hemanta Maharaj. So one day, I was talking with Hemanta Maharaj. At that time I was a Brahmachari. And he told, "Do you know why that gentleman..." Yes, I have seen that gentleman. "So many years he is a devotee. He comes and confesses to me, 'Maharaj, I read Kathamrita until 12 o'clock at midnight. The moment I close it, I have to run to my wife.'" He was a good man. He confessed. So many years he has been initiated. So many years he has been reading this Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. See this force.
So until greater joy in God enters into our mind. Because actually speaking, we don't care for anybody, for anything. It is only for happiness we are attached. But if we can get that greater happiness in God, then we don't care for all these things.
That is why, until that time, Vishayatyaga and Sangatyaga, that is negative. What is positive? Avyavruta Bhajana. Uninterrupted worship of God. This is the most important thing we have to understand.
Closing Prayer
ॐ जननीम् शरदाम् देविम् रामक्रिष्णम् जगत् गुर्म्
पादपद्मे तयोः स्रित्वाः प्रणमामि मुहुरुमु
Oṁ jananīṁ śaraḍhāṁ deveṁ rāmakriṣṇam jagad-gurum
pādapadmetayosritvā pranamāmi-muhurumuhu