The Sakara And Nirakara Worship

"Bhaktiman Me Priyo Narah” 

These are God’s own words. It means “He who has devotion, is dear to me.” 

Man today is aspiring for several things; he is acquiring wealth, gold and several other material things. He is able to achieve honours, prestige, positions and power. However, these are only momentary as stated in the twelfth chapter of Bhagawad Gita. What is to be achieved is God’s grace which is resplendent, full of essence, most precious like a diamond and which grants perpetual joy. How then can you achieve such pure Love and Divine grace? Which path you have to tread for achieving this boon? This has to be examined. Unless the field is cleared of wild bushes, stones and pebbles and tilled properly, the seeds sown will not sprout. Similarly, in the Hridaya Kshetra (field of the heart) it is only after the ego and bad qualities are removed, the crop of atmananda (atmic bliss) becomes available. The same principle is explained in the Bhakti Yoga in Bhagavad Gita, where it is said that “Dehabhimana” (attachment to the body) must be removed. Man deludes himself into thinking that he is loving God. But, what is the use? What is important is the fact whether God loves you or not. Even if you love God, if God does not love you, the result is nil. Then how to achieve God’s Love? 

Tripti And Santripti 

Bhakti Yoga said “Santustah Satatam.” It also exhorted us to be “Dridha Nischayah.” You must always be contented, contented to the heart. Tripti (contentment) is different from santripti (contentment flowing out of an eqmanimous mind). There is a difference between Geetam and Sangeetam (song and music) and kirtana and sankirtana (Singing and soul-stirring singing). It is said “Samyak Kirtanam, Sankirtanam.” In kirtanam, the song may come out of the lips, most mechanically. But in sankirtanam, the heart melts and moves into a song which flows freely, dancing in ecstasy. Similarly, the words tripti and santripti. Tripti (contentment) is momentary, temporary. This is related to the mundane world. This is a worldly nature (pravritti). On the other hand, santripti is like sankirtan. It flows from one’s heart. This is permanent, related to the eternal truth and other — worldly. This is related to the “Nivritti Marga” (the inward path). Santripti is changeless; neither anything can be added to it. It is a changeless, self-contented state of mind. A true devotee should never think about the material loss or gain and cultivate a steadfast mental equilibrium. The word “santripti” connotes an equanimous state of mind where one is neither elated by success nor depressed by failure. Santripti can be taken to mean pure, unsullied and unwaveing love. Whatever God grants, whatever God gives, must be taken as “Prasada” (His gift) and we must be contented with that. Such an equanimous state of mind and balanced behaviour can be considered as santripti. 

“Dridha Nischayah” (Firm determination) 

This is the nature of a person, when he has a firm, steady and unwaveing mind. Man, by nature is endowed with courage and steadfastness. He puts these qualities to use in so many ways. Some people use their courage and adventurism in mountaineering. They are extremely courageous. Some others employ these qualities in swimming and crossing the seemingly endless ocean. Yet others show their courage in travelling through dense forests infested with wild animals. Some people mercilessly torture others and extort money from them, displaying their courage and adventurism. Yet, there are some others who bid adieu to Divinity, forget humanity and indulge in cruel acts, like demons. They employ their courage in such acts. Thus, courage and steadfastness can be employed either in good or in evil deeds. 

Valmiki, while he was only Ratnakara, put his courage, adventurism and steadfastness in committing evil deeds like highway robberies. But, after coming in contact with the Saptarishis (seven great sages), diverted his capacities in chanting the holy Ramanama. Ultimately he transformed himself into a great poet and a seer composing the immortal epic Ramayana. Thus, if these God-given powers of courage, fortitude, adventurism and steadfastness are properly channelled in the control of senses, yearning for God and the divine path of devotion, human birth will become meaningful. Human nature will acquire uniqueness. 

Saguna And Nirguna Worship 

The Bhaktiyoga has explained in detail about the worship of God with attributes (saguna) and without attributes (nirguna). Of the saguna and nirguna forms of worship or the sakara and nirakara methods, which is better and which is more feasible and useful to the devotees - the Bhagavad Gita dwelt at length on this aspect. Without practising the saguna and sakara methods of worship (i.e., worshipping God with a form and attributes) initially, we cannot worship God without form and attributes (nirguna and nirakara). As long as there is bodyconsciousness and body-attachment, man cannot contemplate on the nirakara, nirguna aspects of God. As long as man thinks I am the body, I have a body, I am a human being, it is not possible for any-body to attain the Nirakara, Nirguna Parabrahma (Absolute Divinity). That is why, Srikrishna said Deham Mam. Therefore a bhakta (devotee) or a sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) must invariably start worshipping God with a form and attributes, in the beginning. When this goes on for sometime, he can gradually switch over to the nirakara worship, nevertheless having a firm foothold in the sakara aspect of God. 

Some people propose that God can be worshipped in the cosmic form. But, this worship of the cosmic form is also a sakara worship. God as the Lord of the universe is Bhutakasha. God in His cosmic form is Chittakasha. Chidakasha, which is beyond these two and also beyond the mind and senses is the Nirakara, Nirguna Parabrahma. Whatever we have experienced in our wakeful state, atleast some of them will be visible in our dream state. During the wakeful state, the influence of mind and senses is great. But, during the dream state, eventhough the influence of the senses is absent, there will be that of the mind. In the deep sleep state (sushupti) which is causal in nature, however, even the mind disappears. Bhutakasha is the result of the influence of the objective world and the senses. Chittakasha is the result of the influence of the Mind. Chidakasha is the result of the mind and senses merging into one. Here there is neither the mind nor the senses. Hence, perhaps only in the deep sleep state (sushupti) it might be possible to contemplate upon the nirakara nirguna tatwa (God without form and attributes). It does not mean that we should always depend upon the sakara principle. Both sakara and nirakara are necessary for the sadhak. Just like the two wings for the birds, two wheels for the cart, two legs for the human being, similarly, both sakara and nirakara methods of worship are important for the sadhaka treading on the spiritual path by the influence of Bhakti (Devotion). When he thus travels with the help of both the sakara and nirakara, he will be able to reach his goal of Sannidhya (Divine presence). Sakara is momentary, whereas nirakara is permanent. 

Sakara Is Momentary; Nirakara Is Permanent 

A small example for this: You are sitting in thousands in this hall of Prasanthi Nilayam. You are sitting here for one or one and half hours. I am also in this hall, along with you. We are all sitting within the four walls of this hall. We are all sitting here for a specified time and for a specific purpose. However, when you go back to your places and recollect this experience in your chittakasha, you will realise that this Prasanthi Nilayam, the thousands of people sitting therein and Swami are all imprinted in your heart. Outwardly and in the waking state, you are all in Prasanthi Nilayam at this moment. But, when you go back to your places and contemplate upon this scene, Prasanthi Nilayam lives in you. Even though you are in Prasanthi Nilayam for one hour only, this experience gets imprinted in your Chitta lifelong. Whenever you recollect that experience, the scene flashes in your mental frame. Is it not because you had experienced this sakara tatwa in the waking state, that it is permanently imprinted in your chittakasha as nirakara tatwa?

Without the sakaratatwa, there is no scope for the nirakara tatwa getting firmly imprinted in your Chitta. Hence, for the nirakara nirguna tatwa to establish itself firmly in your heart, it is necessary for you to worship the sakara, saguna tatwa in the beginning. 

We want to teach the word ‘Chair’ to a child. Simply by repeating the word ‘chair’ or its spelling, he will not be able to comprehend its form. But, once you show a chair to him and tell him that that particular form is the chair, he will easily understand. Once he has recognised its form, eventhough the “Chair” is not physically there, he will easily be able to understand the meaning of the word “Chair.” Hence, the form is necessary until one is able to recognise the formless. The form is kshara (that which vanishes) and the formless is akshara (permanent and indestructible). Akshara can be recognised only through kshara. Divinity is like Akshara. To realise this, the approach is through form only. To the question whether God exists or not, not everyone is firmly established in his conviction. Several people will be oscillating with several doubts whether God really exists; if so, where does He exist? Why is He not visible to me; Is it true or false? Is it simply a delusion? Or a fantasy, etc., etc. In order not to fall a prey to such confusion and doubt and to develop a firm faith, it is necessary for us to take the help of a form for our worship of God. One more example: 

There is a question whether ‘God’ exists or not. The answer for this question is the word ‘God’ itself. If there is no form or an object like ‘God’, then where does the word ‘God’ come from? If there is no object, there is no name for it as well. If there is a name, there is the object. Therefore, the very word ‘God’ proves the existence of ‘God’. This is a tumbler. Tumbler is a word. The meaning for this word, in itself, is its form. Meaning (arthamu) plus word (padamu) make up padartha (material or object). Every object or material that exists in this world is the meaning of a word. The meaning of the word chair is denoted by its form. That which teaches the meaning of a word, is sound. Word and sound, together make up an object. If there is no God, there cannot be a word ‘God’. However, you may bring out an example of certain words like gagana kusumamu (flower in the sky). Here there is a word, but the object as such does not exist, because there cannot be a flower in the sky. This is only a metaphor. It is only a combination of two words gagana (sky) and kusumamu (flower) both of which exist. Similarly, for every word in this objective world, there is a form. It is impossible not to have it. Let us take a Dictionary. There are several words in the Dictionary. Are there not definite forms for all these words? There is a word ‘God’ in the Dictionary. If there is no God, why should this word be included in the Dictionary? Therefore, even if you have seen or not seen, experienced Him or not, the word God itself denotes His form. This is sakshatkara (personification). First, it is form; then, the word. This is a chair. If there is no chair, there is no form or word. Therefore, first it is sakara (God with a form). Then, it is nirakara (God without a form). It is impossible to leave the form and directly go to the formless. Another small example: 

This is a pillow. What is the object that covers it? It is called a cloth cover. What is inside? Cotton. You may say that the material inside is cotton and that outside is cloth. But, I will say, both are cotton. That means, cotton that is shapeless has taken the shape of a thread and ultimately woven into a cloth. The cloth is sakara (form) and cotton, nirakara (formless). The sakara and nirakara merging themselves into one is called, Divinity. But, we cannot take a lump of cotton and lean on it. The cotton (nirakara) has to be converted into a cloth (sakara), to be of use to us. 

As long as there is body attachment, such conversions are necessary. As long as you have the body attachment of “I am the body,” it is impossible for you to give up the sakara. Even in the sakara, we are performing several types of worship; for example, the “shodashopachara” (sixteen forms of worship). We perform so many archanas (worship). We light a lamp and an agarbatti and burn camphor before the Deity. All this is sakara tripti (the satisfaction we dervive by worshipping God with a name and form). When this gradually gets imprinted in the hridaya as nirakara tatwa (Formless Divinity) and after shedding our body consciousness, we worship Divinity with the Bhava Pushpa (mental flowers). As long as you are worshipping God as sakara, you offer different types of flowers like jasmine, marigold, chemanti, etc. Here, the body that worships as well as the flowers that are used for worship, both are transient. However, the flowers that are to be offered in the worship of the nirakara tatwa (formless Divinity) are totally different. Here the flowers to be offered are the flowers of ahimsa (nonviolence), indriya nigraha (sense control), kshama (forbearance), shanti (peace), daya (compassion), sathya (truth), tapas (penance), etc. All these belong to the nirakara tatwa. Unless we go upto a higher stage in our sadhana and enter into the Nivritti Marga (inward path), we should not give up the pravritti (external activities). Basing on this principle, Gitacharya in Bhaktiyoga of Chapter 12 of the Bhagavad Gita taught how a devotee should develop qualities. 

A devotee should always be happy, contented and peaceful. He should not give scope for any pain or sorrow in his heart. That is why, Bhagavata has exemplified Prahlada as an embodiment of devotion and surrender. Prahlada had been constantly chanting and contemplating God’s name and form at all times. Inspite of the great physical pain and the difficulties he underwent at the hands of his tormentors, he never shed tears or cared for the pain. That is why Prahlada has been glorified as “santushtah Satatam Yogi” (always happy and contented, a Yogi). A devotee should never allow bad qualities like anger, envy, jealousy, hatred and carrying tales to enter into his mind. These are literally enemies to him and hinder his progress on the devotional path. He must be alike to everybody. If you hate anybody it amounts to hating the God whom you worship. If you take any action against anybody out of ego, it amounts to taking action on the very same God whom you worship. That is why Bhagavad Gita has exhorted “Adweshta Sarva Bhutanam” (never develop any hatred towards anybody). This is the most important warning to us. Just as the seeds sown in a field do not sprout, without cleaning the field before hand, similarly, atmananda and God’s grace cannot be obtained without shedding the bad qualities in us. This is so, inspite of any amount of sadhana we may undertake. 

Bhakti Yoga teaches us to treat others as embodiments of the Divine. It is not enough if you worship God alone. You must love and respect the Jivas (beings) also. Worshipping God and tormenting Jivas, does it amount to devotion? This is simply ignorance. Such persons can never enter into the devotional path. In course of time, I will teach you what further things are to be learnt in Bhakti Yoga, what needs to be followed by the devotees, how to utilise your time and energy in undertaking sacred activities and thus sanctify your body and time.