Narada Bhakti Sutras Lecture 23 Su.36-37 on 10-March-2019

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 Sadhanas

In the Narada Bhakti Sutras, what are the sadhanas? "Asya sadhananika" in the acharya. Different acharyas have different methods, but all of them are agreed - one of the greatest is bhajana. Avyavrata bhajana.

Bhajana kriya has to be done. That was what we were explaining. Bhajana means you sing God's names, God's glories.

But how to sing? A cassette recorder also can sing. Or people go on singing. You know, they dance also sometimes. They are also singing. But if they are singing like that, will it yield result? Some result will be there. God's name is infallible. Some result will be there, but not the desired result.

You know what is the reason? The reason is that unless we are yogya adhikaris, the effect will not be there. Simple example: When Shri Ramakrishna uttered some words, many disciples understood in their own way. But when Narendranath was there, he understood it in a much, much better way. Same words, but different understanding.

Nama Aparadhas (Offences Against the Holy Name)

So, we have discussed Nama aparadhas. I hope you remember it from last time. So, this is very interesting. You were not there. Very quickly we will go through this. Nama aparadhas.

These are the offences described in the Vaishnava scriptures:

1. Criticizing a Devotee

Never criticise. The holy mother says, "Don't criticise anybody," but especially one devotee should never criticise other devotees, because the other devotee also will give it compound interest. And when it reaches our ears, not only that, something peculiar happens. Always we criticise, not in front, with somebody.

If you want to criticise, there must be somebody to hear you criticise also. And he will add his own masala and convey it to the next man. And by that time it reaches the actual person, it has become like a small needle has become a mountain high now. That is the thing. Same thing happens if you criticise.

What happens? Your bhakti will be destroyed. You are wasting your time. How do you know that he is not a devotee? Outside it appears to be like that.

2. Considering Other Forms of God as Inferior

To consider the names of other forms of God as inferior to one's own chosen deity. Suppose a person is worshipping Rama, and there are many, many so-called popular speakers today who criticise Vaishnavas. They criticise Shiva. What do they understand about Shiva? Openly they are criticising. That means they neither understand Vishnu nor understand Shiva.

They don't understand. By criticising Shiva, whom are they criticising? Vishnu. And by criticising Vishnu, you know what is criticising Vishnu? You put your head like that and spit. Where does it fall? That people are misunderstanding.

So, any form of God, even we think, you know, a villager is worshipping some Pule Rama, like that in a village. For you, you think it is Chillara goddess, but for them, she is the greatest goddess. So God fulfils their desires through them.

3. Disobeying the Instructions of the Guru

Whatever guru says, you have accepted, and close your eyes, whatever he says, do it. Don't think, "Is it right, is it wrong?"

So then somebody asked Holy Mother, "Should guru's instructions be obeyed blindly?" She said very softly, "If he gives advice with regard to worldly affairs, you will have to use your common sense. With regard to spiritual instructions, close your eyes and just obey, because you don't know anything about it. But sometimes the worldly matters, you may know much better than your guru." So he is only giving what best he knows, but that is not necessary, you have to obey that one.

4. Blaspheming the Vedic Literatures

Do not criticise anybody's scriptures. Different religions have different scriptures. Never criticise any religion, never criticise any scripture, because there are so many people who, following that scripture, have realised God. Who the hell are you to criticise? It is also coming from God only, that is the idea.

5. Considering the Glories of the Holy Name as Exaggerated

Sometimes you know, "Oh, they are exaggerating the greatness of God's name. Okay, it has got some power, I am not denying, but not that much power as the devotee is exaggerating," as though it is exaggerated. That is completely wrong.

How do you know that God's name has not that power? Have you tested it? Test it without testing, simply doing it, like that.

6. Interpreting the Holy Name in a Deviant Way

Don't go on interpreting God's name without knowing. Simply if you don't know the meaning, say it is God's name, it is a mantra, it will help me. That's all. Don't worry about any other explanation.

7. Committing Sinful Activities on the Strength of Chanting

Do you know that people commit sins? So they say, "I am repeating God's name, if you don't obey me, I will curse you. God will curse you." Like that some pujaris also will tell, "No, God will never do any harm, only you will come to harm."

Every black magician, he ultimately recoils upon himself, and he will suffer. So black magic is there, people can do somehow, but karma phala, inevitably will come back, and the person will suffer. Many people commit sin in the name of God, in God's name.

Many people, murder also can be committed, killing can be committed, it is a common thing. "My Divine Mother requires a tender lamb, tender." Why tender? Because her teeth are very, very delicate. Whose teeth are delicate? Whose teeth are delicate? The fellow who has to eat prasada, his teeth are delicate, that's why he wants tender. Fattened, tender, not old goat, but young goat. Like that.

8. Comparing the Chanting of the Holy Name to Other Pious Activities

To compare the greatness of glory of Holy Name, you know you can donate money, you can do service, they give some punya, but to compare the power of Holy Name equal to all other pious activities, that is another aparada, nama aparada.

9. Instructing the Glories to Those Without Understanding

To instruct the glories of the Holy Name to a person who has no understanding of the chanting of the Holy Name, this is another thing also you have to accept.

Do you understand? See, a person is not interested and you have to convey God's name to him. Don't ever talk about God to people who have no faith. Better keep quiet. Otherwise he will influence you more than you influence him. Doubt will come.

10. Not Awakening in Loving Attachment Despite Scriptural Injunctions

Not to awaken in loving attachment for the chanting of the Holy Name, even after hearing all these scriptural injunctions, every scripture tells us God's name is so holy, so powerful that it can purify you, it can lift you up. To doubt those things after hearing is also nama aparada.

As far as God's name is concerned, close your eyes and do it. Holy Mother was asking, "Will it save?" "Yes, it will save. It has its own power, it will save you." "But I don't see it." You don't see it because this has to go deep down and destroy all the accumulated impurities, then only you feel the result of it. That is the meaning of it.

Prahlada's Teaching: The Nine Steps of Devotion

Today we are going to deal with something which is very important. I raised this topic in our last class.

Prahlada was sent by his father to be educated. Now, this is the tendency of devotees. The moment they start devotional life, they start giving lectures to everybody. Prahlada started giving lectures to everybody now. What was he giving? "Hey fellows, gather all these pupils. Our teachers are wrong," that was the first instruction. "All gurus are hopeless gurus." Really they were hopeless because they were not teaching about God, they were teaching about Hiranyakashipu.

Then he said, "If you take God's name, your life will be blessed." And he is talking with authority.

The Authority of True Devotees

Why Swami Vivekananda has roused so much of response? The moment he said, "Sisters and brothers of America," the entire congregation rose to its feet. And that was not the first time they were hearing those words. Many speakers have uttered it beforehand. Then why did it rouse so much of response?

Do you know why? Because he was not academically, intellectually addressing them like that. He felt, "You are all my sisters and brothers." He was seeing God in them. They also got that response. Immediately they got the response.

It doesn't take four or five minutes, it is not dying down. After that, the president of the meetings had a tremendous problem because every day so many lectures were scheduled. Where to put Swami Vivekananda? Put it at the very end.

Do you know why? Because if he was put in the first, the moment his talk is over, they will all disappear because they know the worthless speeches other fellows are going to give. They know how much Swami Vivekananda's words really mean because they instinctively, unconsciously understood he was a man of God. That is called authority.

So Prahlada had that authority. He was himself the greatest devotee. And that is why his words attracted people.

And then, "Does God exist?" "Yes." "Have you seen him?" "Yes." Not "seen him." No saint will ever say, "I have seen God." You know why? He says, "I see God." "I have seen" means what? Past tense. Now I am not seeing, no. I see, yesterday also I saw, today also I am seeing, tomorrow also I will see, it is unending. So this Prahlada was telling.

The Nine-fold Path of Devotion

So in order, although he anticipated the questions of the fellows, he goes on saying, "How can we get such a God? There are nine steps and one after the other." This is the important thing:

Shravanam, Kirtanam, Vishnoh, Smaranam, Padasevanam, Archanam, Vandanam, Dasyam, Sakhyam, Atmanivedanam.

1. Shravanam (Hearing)

So what is the very first thing? Shravanam. You have to hear. Because if you never heard, how will you know about God? You have to hear either from your grandmother or some teacher talking about it, or read about it.

Is reading hearing or not? Reading is another form of hearing only, Shravanam only. There must be a first time Shravanam. So Shravanam.

2. Kirtanam (Chanting/Singing)

Shravanam, Kirtanam, Vishnoh. After hearing about God, about God's name, or from the Guru's mouth after hearing, Kirtanam, means go on singing. Because that has to be reinforced.

This is equivalent to Manana. Manana. So after reading something, and if you don't remember it again and again, it is likely that we forget it. So after hearing it constantly, to chant as much as possible. This is called Kirtanam.

3. Smaranam (Remembrance)

Then as a person goes on chanting, it becomes deeper in the memory. Otherwise what happens? You forget. You go on hearing about this, you forget about it. No. If not to forget, what should you do? Go on remembering it. That remembrance becomes deeper and deeper and deeper. Until how long should we remember? Until we can never forget it.

The Psychology of Constant Mental Activity

So about this curious phenomenon, psychological phenomenon, that phenomenon is this. So supposing you utter your name, and immediately you will hear it. Suppose there are a thousand people, and I utter here, I am talking. Everybody is like that. A thousand people means how many people are talking? One thousand people are talking. Not one person.

Now we are here. Are you talking or not? Who is talking? Am I talking or are you talking? Tell me. That is what you think. Your mind is constantly talking to yourself. Is it not thinking? What is thinking? Talking to yourself. Yourself.

Most of the time you are forced to think because nobody wants to listen to you. So the only person who can listen to you is... Yourself. You understand now? Is there any time when you stop talking to yourself? Only one time. Deep sleep. Otherwise constantly chattering, thinking. Our thinking is nothing but chattering.

Is it a fact or not? Yes, this is a fact. So this is what he is saying. Smaranam. Try to remember. Try to remember. Because what remains in the end is only God's name and nothing else.

4. Padasevanam (Service to the Feet of Great Beings)

Then padasevanam. So first is shravanam. Hear. Then constant hearing means not even once. Go on hearing. Wherever there is a good talk, wherever there is bhajan, wherever there is puja, go on doing it.

Then that idea... Then you start singing. Whenever you get the opportunity, repeat God's name. Go on singing. Praying. Praying also is part of the singing. Then afterwards smaranam. Go on remembering. Go on remembering until it becomes deep inside our unconscious mind. That is very important.

Then comes padasevanam. What is padasevanam? You know what is padasevanam? God doesn't require your sevana, padasevanam. Great people, it could be mother, it could be father, it could be guru, it could be swamis, like that they call it padapuja.

So why do padapuja? Because we believe they are swamis, they are remembering God. If we touch their feet and worship, through their blessings, we will also remember God even more. So padasevanam is always to guru, to elderly devotees, and to sadhus, sanyasins, etc.

Whoever reminds you of God, you have to go and bow down to them. You will see that it is very, very helpful. Padasevanam means bowing down, and padasevanam also means doing some kind of service.

Proper Understanding of Padasevanam

But we have to understand what is padasevanam, worshipping the feet. So you see your guru sitting there. Immediately after hearing my talk, you go and start pressing his legs. He says, "My legs are already paining very much, and if you go on pressing, the pain will decrease or increase?" That is not what is wanted. This is one type of aparada.

The other type of aparada, he says, "I am thirsty, please bring some water." And then you say, "No, no, Swami Dayatmanji told me to do padasevanam," and then go on pressing, not bringing what he wants to bring. There are devotees. These kind of things also, they will do it. This is called prasadi hawa.

Story of Prasadi Hawa

You know what is prasadi hawa? So there was one stupid guru. With great difficulty, he obtained one stupid disciple, intelligent disciple. So he thought, in South India, in summer season, until this time he was fanning himself. Now he wanted to... He thought, "Now I will sit comfortably. I have found my disciple. He will fan me."

So he told, "Hey, come and fan me." So that fellow stood at a long corner. "I am not fit even to approach anywhere near you." Never came near. So what can the guru do? He started fanning himself. Immediately the disciple came near like that. Guru asked, "What is the matter?" He said, "Prasadi hawa. I want to have this hawa prasad. You know, it is coming from your holy hands. That prasad I want." What devotion! So like that stories are there.

Story of the Devoted Disciple

You have not heard? One guru, great difficulty, obtained a disciple. And to impress the disciple, told him, "You know, always be merged in japam, japam, japam. Don't deviate from it. That is how you progress in God."

So next morning a guru called him and he was sitting for japam. "Hey, go and beg food and bring." He said, "No, aapne bole the, I have to do japam." He didn't go at all. So the poor guru what to do? He himself went and then brought food.

Then the guru asked, "Hey, get some firewood. We have to cook." "No, no, you told me I have to do japam. Now I am doing japam. Can't give it up." So the poor guru had to bring.

Then he said, "I have brought food. I have brought firewood. Baba, cook." Then he said, "No, you only told me that I have never to leave God's name. I am doing japam. Don't disturb me at this time." The poor guru had to cook.

Now he had to feed, you know. He called him, "Hey, come and eat." Immediately the disciple jumped up and said, "I have committed maha aparatha by disobeying my guru three times. Fourth time, I am not going to disobey." What great devotion.

True Meaning of Padasevanam

So that is a wrong type of, pada sevanam means, pada means feet, sevanam means serve the feet. That means be humble. That is the main meaning. Second meaning is, whatever the elderly persons really require, serve them in that way. If they require food, procure food and feed them. If they require water, if they require bathing, help them in taking bath. Whatever way you can do, that is called pada sevanam.

But mainly it means make pranams, because what does pranam mean? Who gets benefit? When you bow down to me, who gets the benefit? I get or you get? It brings humility. That humility is the capacity to receive the instructions. That is the benefit one has to obtain. So that is what.

5. Archanam (Worship/Puja)

Then archanam, puja. Archanam means puja, worshipping God. This is a very useful thing. How much this puja helps sadhakas is unbelievable. Because in the morning, you have to take bath, you have to go and gather flowers, you have to make garlands, and then get the whole place ready, decorate the picture, and then light up a lamp, and then do deepa.

And then you start doing, we discussed four steps: Shuddhi, Niyasa, Manasika Puja, and Vahya Puja. By the time you complete, several hours have passed. And then you can have the prasada afterwards, after distributing to other devotees and other people. If we do it with real devotion, our hearts will get purified, and really we advance in spiritual life. Devotion will come through puja.

That is why puja has been given so much importance in every religion, especially in Hinduism. Everywhere pujas are going on from morning till evening, day after day. Have you ever heard, "Today is holiday for puja?" Have you ever heard? Not only that, some days are normal pujas, which are long. Some days are special pujas, like Brahma Utsava, Radha Utsava, Garuda Utsava, Palki Utsava. If you go to Tirupati, every day there is some Utsava or the other is there.

And that creates a beautiful atmosphere for people who worship with devotion, and also for people who are participating. But here we are talking about especially a sadhaka himself doing puja. So in the public temples, they are paid. That is why they are not willing to do puja with bhakti. Exceptions are there, but most people do it because they get some money, remuneration out of it. They are not doing it out of their desire for worshipping God.

That is why they are called pujaris. Pujari means what? Hari of puja. Yes, because they don't respect the things inside, you know. They trample upon the things offered to God. So many things they do. That is not a very good thing.

6. Vandanam (Salutations)

After archanam comes vandanam. Vandanam means salutations. Salutations again and again to the Lord. What is this salutation? Salutation means offering thanks to God for everything that we get in our life. This is called thanksgiving. In America, one day is specially allotted for thanksgiving day. It is very important.

So from morning till evening, God is providing us with everything. The earth will provide us so that we can walk. The water, whenever you get thirsty, all the rivers, all the rains, etc. is serving us to remove our thirst. And whenever we require vayudevata for breathing, we supply oxygen. God, vayudevata is supplied. No depth of supply. The supply is going from our birth even for death also, we require vayudevata.

You understand? No? That we have to be burnt. And if there is no air, there is no burning. It is going and it is getting off. Even for burning also, we require the aid of vayudevata, like that. So this is called vandanam. Above all, saluting every manifestation of God is called vandanam.

Personal Experience with Mangoes

I see a tree and my salutations to the tree. See, suppose nowadays you see a mango tree. You have to salute, especially if it is a bandinapalli, rasalu, then dasheri, langda, like that these are the sweetest mangoes available.

My whole day, every day, I was enjoying beautiful mangoes. You know, that ballari, they are getting very good mangoes, alphonso, and some names I have forgotten, local names, and bandinapalli. Andhra, have you heard bandinapalli? Ah, your life is in vain if you have never heard about it.

It is a very special big mango from Andhra Pradesh. Tremendous sweetness, tremendous flavour, if it is well ripened. Beautiful mangoes have come and every day they used to make juice. Some days they used to cut and give me, morning, evening. I was not supposed to take, but I said, "I will not tell them anything." Yeah, this body comes and goes, but mangoes do not always come and go. Like that.

The Story of the Neem Tree

So, this is called vandana, means, the whole universe is manifestation of God. Ganga nadi, Nadi, Kaveri, Tungabhadra, Krishna, every day in puja we invoke, "Gange je, Imane je, Udavari Saraswati, Narmadesh, Indu, Kaveri, Jale Asmin, Sannidhin Kuru," the divine lord in the form of a river to sustain billions of living creatures. Everything is for our sustenance. Even neem tree is for our sustenance. You know that, neem tree?

So, there is a beautiful story, about neem tree. There was a capital, there was a king, and one day, there is another town, city, from the capital. There are two motorways, not motorway, roads. So, one can go either this way, the other way to that other place.

Then, one road was lined with mango trees from the beginning to the end. Another was lined with neem trees from the beginning to the end. So, this king said, "Mango is such a wonderful tree, let me enjoy it." So, he walked, whole day he had to walk. By that time, he was very sick, because the air that is being breathed by the mango trees, and it is not very healthy, it produces some sickness.

Next day, he had to return back. So, he said, "Enough of this mango tree." He came by the road, where neem trees were there. By that time he reached, he was in a pink of health, because the air, that was being given by the neem trees, acted like a wonderful medication.

The Mahatmya, we think that it is only eating, even they have their own influence nearby, even though it is very subtle. Bhoomiupati people know it very well. So, anyway, Vandana means, the ability to see God everywhere, and to bow down reverentially.

Types of Vruddhas (Elders)

Of course, elders bow down to elders, bow down to Brahmins, bow down to sannyasins. So, many vruddhas are there. You know what is a vruddha? Elderly people.

One is Vaya-vruddha. Elderly by age. You have to salute them, because they have life experience behind them.

Then there is Jati-vruddha, upper castes, higher classes, Brahmins. We have to bow down to them.

Then there are Vidya-vruddhas. Vidya-vruddhas. That is, their knowledge is far superior to many of us.

And then there is Guna-vruddhas. Some people are fooled, not by other things, not by age, but by quality. Beautiful qualities are there. They have got such sadgunas. They are called Guna-vruddhas.

So, like that, there is Vaya, elderly by age, greater by age, greater by education, greater by gunas, greater by caste. So, we all have to bow down. That is a Guna. Whether they deserve it or not, it develops humility in them. That is what is called Vandanam.

7. Dasyam (Service)

Then Dasyam. We have to render the best service. We have to render service to our family, especially to our parents, our gurus, and then sadhus, sanyasins, and those who are in need. This is called Shiva-jnane, Jiva-sheva, looking upon everybody as Shiva himself. This is one way of doing. This is called Dasyam.

8. Sakhyam (Friendship)

Then Sakhyam, means friendship. What is this friendship? You deliberately take pains to cultivate friendship with the people who can make you also a better person. Don't cultivate by implication friendship with people who are mean-minded, who are cruel, and who are doing a lot of harm to the society directly. Never cultivate this kind of companionship.

Sometimes, you know, by a little bit of experience you can understand, these persons talk rot. I am not talking even outside people. Even some of our devotees, they talk rot. You have to be avoiding them like poison. But there are some nice people, they love to talk about God, they love to talk about, discuss about, scriptures, etc.

If you find them, cultivate friendship, because the more you cultivate such friendship, you will also become like them. This is called Satsang. Cultivate friendship with good people, in so many ways.

Suppose somebody is rendering wonderful service to the society, they may not be taking God's name, but they are rendering great service. Cultivate friendship. Find out that which takes us nearer to God, find out, cultivate nearness to those things.

9. Atmanivedanam (Self-Surrender)

Then the last is called Atmanivedanam, that is, surrender yourself totally to God. Nivedana means to offer. Atma means myself. Let me offer myself. To whom? Only to God. Surrender. This is the ultimate.

So, some of them, you know, this Dasya, Sakya, part of those Pancha Bhabhas, Shanta, Dasya, Sakya, Vatsalya and Mathura, part of them is giving you this beautiful enumeration of these nine steps. And one, first is the lower step, and it will lead to the next higher step, then it will lead to the next higher step, so that...

How do you recognise a great person? Unless you have a diagram. The ultimate is complete self-surrender to God, which Ramanuja has expounded so beautifully.

The Six Aspects of Surrender (Sharanagati)

Anukulasya sankalpaha, pratikulasya varjanam, rakshisya siddhi vishwasaha, bhoktratva varanam, atmanikshepaha, kaakpanye iti shraddhvidhaha, sharanagatihe.

Prasmat vameva sharanam, mama dina bandho.

A Story of Forgotten Mantras

Why did you hear it? There was a Brahmin boy, he was invested with Gayatri mantra in the morning. In the evening he went to his father to confirm whether that is the proper mantra or not. The father said, "Chant it loudly." And the boy chanted. "Ah, I remember having heard it somewhere long ago." That means what? After getting Gayatri mantra, he never again uttered it. You understand now?

Every day we are singing here:

Om Hreem Hritham Tvamah Shiloh Puno Jit Pune Dhyanaktan Deham Sakalnam Tava Pala Padmam Moham Kshampakritam Nabhajeyatoham Dasmat Vameva Sharanam Mama Dina Bandho Sharanagata Dina Artha Paridhrana Parayane Sarvasya Aarti Hare Deem Narayane Namostu

Conclusion

This is the nine beautiful, nine-stepped way or Prahlada's teaching, we only discussed very briefly, it has got, each one can be discussed for one hour's lecture, it's so marvellous, so this is how, one way of obtaining bhakti, this is how we also have to do bhajan, that is possible, ok, we will stop here.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Closing Prayer

ॐ जननीम् शरदाम् देविम् रामक्रिष्णम् जगत् गुर्म्

पादपद्मे तयोः स्रित्वाः प्रणमामि मुहुरुमु

Oṁ jananīṁ śaraḍhāṁ deveṁ rāmakriṣṇam jagad-gurum

pādapadmetayosritvā pranamāmi-muhurumuhu