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Nisaadhanta
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Shree Morari Bapu |
Naath sakal saadhan main heena
Kinhi kripa jaani jan deena
So kachhu dev na mohi nihora
Nij pan raakheo jan man chora
I have already narrated to you that Sri Ram arrived at the ashram (hermitage) of Sharbhang.
Aaye prabhu jahan muni Sharbhanga
Sunder anuj Janaki sanga
The above means that Sri Ram arrived at the hermitage of Sharbhang, along with his brother and Janaki (the daughter of King Janak ie Seetaji )
Dekhi Ram mukh pankaj
Munivar lochan bhrang
Saadar paan karat ati
Dhanya janam Sharbhang
Tulsidasji exclaims: " Dhanya janam Sharbhang " which means that Sharbhangji's life is blessed .(As he is fortunate enough to entertain such divine guests) "Dekhi Ram mukh pankaj" which means that Sharbhangji beheld the countenance of Sri Ram. How is it that Sharbhangji is bold enough to glance at the eyes ("lochan bhrang") of Sri Ram ?--- Because he feels fearless ! A pilgrim who walks on the path of Nisaadhanta or Sharanaagati becomes fearless because his source of fear which is his mind, is stolen by the Lord. Love makes one daring, and one gazes at the Lord's face and looks into His beautiful eyes.
Naath sakal saadhan main heena. When all other means fail for the devotee to achieve the Lord , he finds two alternatives which become his strength. They are :
A helpless child will imploringly look at his mother to get something that he yearns for, and if he is not able to achieve it, --he cries! -- So does the Spiritual pilgrim!
Chitvat panth raheo din raati. A point to consider is that it has not been promised how long the Spiritual pilgrim has to wait.......Dear Ram's exile to the forest was for 14 years.......The Spiritual traveler's wait lasts for lifetimes!
The greatness of the union and the separation of the Gopis of Vraj
The Gopis of Vraj knew how to wait!.....They did not know the road through which Krishna had come to Vraj (as a baby) as it was around midnight and they were asleep. But they did know the road through which Krishna had left Vraj with Akroorji.
A poet describing the longing for Krishna of the people of Vraj has written "they not only gazed at the road that would reunite their Lord with them , but they actually spread their eyes on the path ,so that when the Lord would finally come, they would not overlook or miss Him."
While Krishna was with the Gopis, the latter would be immersed in their love for Him.....It would never occur to them that He is "Brahm" (God) and therefore omnipresent. The above realization , the Gopis achieved only when they were separated from Him. In the famous" Gopi Geet" they sing to Him , " Not only are you the child of Nandbaba but you are the very essence of the whole universe." So separation is as important as union in the Spiritual path. Being together is like the coolness of the moon that lulls you to sleep, whereas the separation feels like the heat of the sun, that keeps you awake to pine, cry and wait for the Beloved. The Gopis cry to Udho (Krishna's friend) " Ever since Krishna has been separated from us , we have had only the "Rainy season" in Vraj.......the "rain" is the tears that constantly flow from our eyes as we pine for Him."
As I told you before , that for those for whom all means fail to achieve the Lord ---they are left with two strengths:--To wait...and to cry...that as we have seen is what the Gopis and the inmates of Vraj did.
According to Sri Vallabh, devotees are of three kinds :
Susaadhan kind:
These people study and read the Scriptures. They, however, have to go through a certain process before they achieve their goal and this process takes its own time. Chaitanya Mahaprabhuji does not attach much value to the above people if they possess no devotion, and do not have much love for the name of the Lord. Saraswati is the Goddess of Learning and Knowledge. She was responsible for inspiring the maid Manthara to influence Kaikeyi to insist on Sri Ram going to the forest. When Bharatji went to the forest to urge Sri Ram to return, he was ready to bathe in the Ganga River and the Yamuna , but he would not do so in Prayag where the River Saraswati flowed.
Bharatji said: "If there is only learning and Knowledge here and no 'Ram naam' or 'Krishna naam' (Devotional chanting of the Lord's name) then I will not dive into these waters.
Someone asked Mahaprabhuji what happens when you take the Lord's name. The latter answered "It cleans the mirror of your mind" The Lord has an understanding with His devotees: He will sweep your heart until it is spotless if you will keep His temple clean. If the devotee wears Him a garland, the Lord will keep him in his heart.
Mahaprabhuji has interpreted the Shrimad Bhagvad. Each word is priceless. I would request you to have an open mind before you interpret Mahaprabhuji's teachings. A lady who is proficient in cooking knows which spice to use for which recipe; Similarly the right Master knows which teaching is appropriate for which disciple.
As I was saying, certain knowledgeable people get offended if devotion is praised. Yet they forget that knowledge (gyan) is the son of devotion (bhakti) (The above is stated in the Srimad Bhagvad) I feel that every son should be happy whenever he hears his mother praised.
The Kusaadhan kind :
These are the kind of devotees who have thought of the Lord, but in a negative way. The important point to note is that they have achieved the Lord. Kamsa was obsessed with Krishna and thought of Him all the time. So did Shishupal, with anger and enmity. The above type of people reach the Lord , and are better than those who do not think of Him at all.
God had two gatekeepers called Jay and Vijay. They stopped Sanatkumar from entering the Lord's chambers. Sanatkumar cursed them and then burst into tears. When the Lord asked him the reason why he was crying, he answered: "My intrinsic nature is not to mean harm to anyone, so why have I gone against my temperament and cursed the door-keepers to take birth on earth as human beings ,who will be opposing you ?"
The Lord answered "You have acted according to my will"
Sanatkumar then expressed his desire to come to earth as Prahlad (a great devotee) when one of the door-keepers would incarnate as Hiranyakashipu . The Lord agreed.
Through the narrations in the Scriptures , one has always noted that the Lord has been under the spell of His devotees. He who is so great as to command the Universe is found bound by the string of Mother Yashoda.! He who makes the world spin is found dancing to the tune and clapping of hands of His beloved gopis! Tulsidasji says, "I am as good as a counterfeit coin and yet I have value because I chant the Lord's name!" One who thinks himself unworthy and surrenders to the Lord, is elevated by Him to dizzy heights!
You can try and tie the Lord unto you. You must put in the efforts. But remember that it will only be possible with the Lord's grace, if He so desires. When Yashodaji tried to tie baby Krishna, she got exhausted trying,.She was able to finally succeed only when Krishna allowed Himself to be bound. The Lord's attributes are such that He cannot be constrained.
In the dispute that took place between the two groups that argued whether the Lord can be bound or not; 'Mercy' said that the Lord can be bound by love, however great His attributes may be as "Hari karat das par priti'" which means that the Lord loves His disciples.
The susaadhan kind of devotees reach the Lord 'der se' (late)
The kusaadhan kind achieve the Lord 'maar se' (overpowered and beaten)
The nisaadhan kind achieve the Lord 'pyar se' (with love)
For the Nisaadhan type of devotees, there is no delay and no fear of being punished as theirs is the Royal Highway. When Sudama went to meet Krishna , he was not made to wait at the door, nor was he over powered or punished, since he was a nisaadhan type of devotee. As a matter of fact Krishna came running to meet him at the door. But remember that being a nisaadhan devotee does not mean that you do nothing! You must perform but with the idea that the fruits that will come, when they come, will be because of the Grace of the Lord.
Loving the Lord (Bhakti) is the goal in itself, not the means.
Tulsidasji claims:" All other means to achieve the Lord are flowers, Bhakti (devotion) is the fruit, and it holds the seed within itself to blossom furthermore. Three types of devotees :
The first type are those who pray for material or personal benefit.
The second type accumulate good deeds in desire for Heaven.
The third type pray to the Lord for the Lord.
The above are the ideal type of devotee, according to Sri Vallabh. Tulsidasji claims:
Ehi kali kaal na saadhan dooja,
Jog jagya jap tap vrat puja.
Which means that, during the Iron age difficult penances and rituals will not be possible, only chanting the Lord's name and keeping His remembrance in your heart will enable you to achieve Him.
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