Wednesday, January 13, 2016

BHAKTI AND JNANA ENTWINED

"For the Kaliyuga the path of devotion (Bhakti Marga) described by Narada is best" said Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa to Pandit Shashadhar in explaining the efficacy of Bhakti for modern times.  'Salvation through Devotion' is exemplified by, apart from Ramakrishna, other luminaries like Meerabai, Ramadas, Sri Chaitanya Prabhu, Namdev, Tulsidas, Tukaram, Annamacharya ; just to name a few.

How the life is led by an astute devotee of Lord Vishnu - named as Vaishnavite, his mental attitudes about the worldly matters are all of interesting information for the seeker on spiritual path of divine knowledge. So let us enlighten ourselves about this thrilling theme in the sankeertana, "Chintalu Rechaku Mammu Chittama" by the poet Sri Annamacharya. It is in the nature of metaphorical addressing to one's own Mind....

'O Mind! Please do not cause us any anxiety.  Rather,  it is better for you to live by following us with determination.

'You shall know that our mother is Goddess Lakshmi Devi and our father, Lord Vasudeva. The entire Brahmanda  (Infinite Space) is our house. There is no dearth of prosperity for us in our house. Our unflinching devotion is in the Mighty Almighty - Sri Hari.  Hence we never accept (or expect) Karma Phalas (Fruits of our Actions).

'The wealth we possess is the 'Spiritual Knowledge".  Our  ornamental possessions are all the Vedas.  Our earnings are the Vairagya (renunciation) Our  daughters are our devout practising of services to our gurus. The only problem is with our bodies.  Because of our attachment to it.

'Our faith in and worship of the all pervading Almighty, is everything for us.  Our relatives are all the seekers surrendered to and graced by the Almighty. All our prayers to the Almighty is the royal way to our Salvation. What more we need? What else is there to be bothered about?'

Reaching heights need ladder is of every body's knowledge.  So in the spiritual journey  of this body, gradual awareness  and  conscious effort are necessary through devotional path for transformation from 'Tamo guna pradhana'  to 'Rajo guna  pradhana'  and from'Rajo guna pradhana' to 'Sattva guna pradhana' and finally, jettisoning even the Satva guna and become 'Gunatita' (beyond the consciousness of any attributes) by the time niche reached, that is the Ultimate Salvation.

How the unforeseen  twists and turns  take  place  in the upward  growth  of Bhakti-Jnana ladder I narrate here.  On 27th Dec 2011,  I had drawn my one hundredth oil painting  with the theme Om and Gayatri with foot note saying "Na Swasa,  Na Dhyasa, Na Upiri - Gayatri ! "  My Japa, Tapa,  Manana,  Dhyana Everything- Gayatri ! And added that "In this,  the invisible hand of the Almighty  (Paramatma)  is Implicit ". Now all those are merged in my Consciousness. 

 Being fully conscious about what we actually are - The Consciousness,  still I close my eyes daily at the bed time in sublime soul soothing sankeertanas and get up cheerfully in early hours of Brahmi Muhurta. That is the indivisible relationship between Bhakti and Jnana !


My hundredth 
Inspirational oil painting 

On Shanti!                                                                                                                                              


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