Prema Vahini

Manavas or Men, are full of Prema or Love. Their hearts are springs of mercy. They are endowed with True Speech. Peace is the characteristic of the mind of man. That is the innate quality of the mind. In order to search for peace or to attain peace, there is no need to go anywhere else. As gold and silver lie hidden under the earth and pearl and coral under the sea, peace and joy also lie hidden in the Manovrittis (thoughts, feelings or activities of the mind). Desirous of acquiring these hidden treasures, if one dives and turns activities of the mind inward, then, he becomes full of Prema or Love. Only those who have so filled themselves with Love and who live in the light of that Love be called Manavas, men. Those devoid of Prema are Danavas, monsters, sub-humans. That holy quality of Love will not remain unmanifested, off and on; it will be ever present, without change. It is one and indivisible. Those saturated with Love are incapable of spite, selfishness, injustice, wrong and misconduct; but, in those who have no Love, the above qualities are always above everything else. Danavas are those who trample on Love and consider inferior qualities as important, while Manavas are those who consider those inferior qualities as snakes to be destroyed and Love alone as the quality to be fostered. Bad conduct and bad habits distort the humanness of man. Hearts filled with the nectar of Love indicate genuine humanness in man. By Prema or Love in reality is meant Love which is unsullied, unselfish, devoid of impurity, unparalleled and blissful.

Between Manava and Danava, the difference is only Ma and Da! But the letter Ma is soft, sweet and immortal in symbolism, while the sound Da is merciless, lawless and such burning qualities. Are they men, who have no sweetness in them and who endeavour to suppress the craving for immortality? Theirs is the nature of Danavas, though the form is human! For, it is not the form that is primary; it is the character. How can those with human form be called men, if they have no kindness and no rightness, and if they have the nature of Danavas? No, they cannot be called so. How can those with demon form be called as Danavas, if they have kindness and rightness and if they have the quality of sweetness in mind? No, they cannot be called so. Among men, there are Danavas too in plenty! They both look alike, but their qualities make them distinguishable as Manava and Danava. The Manavas engage themselves in the soft and sweet deeds of kindness, rightness, love and truth and they are witnesses to the possibility of realising, and manifesting one’s immortality. Their good nature is resplendent on their faces as Ananda (Bliss); but without that goodness, even if he gesticulates with joy, his face will indicate only the destructive fire of the Danava; it will not have the Grace of Ananda.

Today’s Words are Only the Words of Yesterday

During Treta-yuga, when Narada asked Sri Ramachandra about the nature and characteristics of His Dasas and of the Sadhakas, or spiritual aspirants, He answered as below:

“Listen, O Narada! Men who are My Dasas are full of Love; they always stand by Dharma or righteousness. They speak the Truth. Their hearts melt with mercy. They are devoid of wrong. They avoid sin. Their nature is well-founded. They will renounce everything gladly. They eat in moderation. They are engaged in doing good to others. They have no selfishness. They are not worried by any doubts. They will not lend their ears to flattery. They are eager to listen to the praise of the good nature of others. They have beautiful, strong and holy character. Sadhakas are those who earnestly endeavour to acquire such qualities and possess such a character. Such ones are likened to immortals. They are my Dasas. Now, I shall tell you about those who are Priya (Dear) to Me. Anyone who is engaged in Japa (repetition of Holy Name), Tapas, and Vrata (observant of vows), who has Samyama or Self-control, Niyama or discipline, anyone who has faith, patience, comradeship, kindness, and joy as well as unalloyed Prema towards Me, is Priya to Me.

“Now, about My real Bhaktas. Whoever, with Viveka (Discrimination) and Vairagya (Renunciation), and Vinaya (Discipline) and Vijnana (Knowledge), are aware of the knowledge of Reality, whoever are always immersed in the contemplation of My Leela (Divine sport, play), whoever dwells on My name at all times and under all conditions, and who sheds tears of love whenever the Lord’s name is heard from any lip, they are My genuine Bhaktas.”

So, the Lord will protect in all ways and at all times those who worship Him in complete, undistracted and uncontaminated devotion (Ananya Bhakti), — just as a mother protects her infants, a cow saves her calf from danger, and the eyelids guard the eyes, effortlessly and automatically. When the infant grows up into an adult, the mother will not pay so much attention to its safety. So too, the Lord does not pay much attention to the Jnani. The Saguna Bhakta is like an infant of the Lord. So, he has no strength except the strength of the Lord. For the Jnani, his own strength is enough. Therefore, until one can rely on one’s own strength, one must be an infant in the Lord’s Hands, as a Saguna Bhakta, isn’t it? No one can become a Nirguna Bhakta, without having been a Saguna Bhakta. So, Bhaktas should grow up like infants in the lap of the mother and thereafter, become _Jnani_s who can rely on their ‘own’ strength and be free. Still, both have the same source of strength, the Mother. Those indeed are really fortunate who grasp this secret of the path of Devotion, who develop Ananya Bhakti and straighten the traits of their character, who transform themselves into infants in the lap of the Lord, and who get everything done by Him as He wishes.

Therefore, those who yearn to be Dasas, Bhaktas, Priyas and Ananya Bhaktas should take up the corresponding path and name, and act and live accordingly: the Bhakta should develop the above-said characteristics of devotion; the Priya should follow the Prema of the Lord; the Ananya Bhakta has to surrender completely to the Lord. Mere reading and rolling on the tongue are of no avail. Ananda is the result of action only. This Ananda is not dependent on caste or race or gender. Even in those days, when Sri Rama came to Shabari, she asked Him in the following manner, while Sri Rama was gladly partaking the feast of roots and fruits, selected and reserved by Shabari for Him after herself tasting every individual item: “Lord! I am but a woman. In addition, I am of feeble intellect. Above all, I am low-born. How can I praise You? I do not know what to do or how!” Then, Sri Rama smiled and said, “Shabari! My mission is only the kinship of Bhakti. I have no kinship of race or caste. Of what use is it to have status, wealth and character, without Bhakti? Like the cloud that does not bear rain, which wanders about in the sky, these people without devotion are at the mercy of the winds, however much of status in caste, wealth, power and fame they may possess. They cannot be likened to the clouds that bear rain. Bhaktas reach Me through nine paths; any one of them takes them to Me.” Then, Shabari prayed to Sri Rama to tell her about the nine paths, and Sri Rama responded:

Shravanam (Listening to stories of God)
Kirtanam (Singing the Name of the Lord)
Vishnohsmaranam (Remembering God)
Padasevanam (Serving the Feet of the Lord)
Vandanam (Reverence towards Nature and all life)
Archanam (Ritual Worship)
Dasyam (Path of dedication and surrender)
Sneham (Befriending)
Atmanivedanam (Path of surrender)

If the devotee sincerely practises any one of these paths, he can attain Me. I am bound by these nine forms of Bhakti. You have in you all these nine forms of Bhakti in full measure. That is why you have been able to so easily obtain this opportunity of seeing, touching and speaking with Me, an opportunity which even Yogis find too difficult to get. You have realised Life’s purpose today. Sri Rama blessed Shabari thusly. See! Today’s Words are only the Words of Yesterday!

Bhakti is of Two Kinds

Those who follow the above-said Ninefold Path, are of two kinds. (1) The followers of the Hard Path. (2) The followers of the Safe and Easy Path. These are referred to as (1) Bhakti (Path of love of God) and (2) Prapatti (Absolute self-surrender). That is to say, the practise of the Markatakishora or the young of the monkey is Bhakti and the practise of the Marjalakishora or the young of the cat is Prapatti.

Devotion has to be unintermittent, uninterrupted, like the flow of oil from one vessel to another. Though the two kinds are basically the same, the practises are different. Without Prema nothing can be acquired in this world. It is only when there is Prema, there is Anuraga or affection. Anuraga in its turn, produces the desire to protect and guard. In both the above kinds, Prema is equal, no doubt; but in actual manifestation, there is difference. In the Markatakishora Marga, the child has to rely on its own strength to protect itself, wherever the mother might jump about; it has to attach itself fast to the mother’s belly and should not release its hold, even if pulled apart! So, the Bhakta too has to stand the tests at the hands of the Lord. And hold on to the Lord’s name at all times and under all conditions, tirelessly, without any laxity, without the slightest trace of dislike or disgust, bearing the ridicule and the criticism of the world and conquering the feelings of shame and defeat. The example of this type of Bhakti is that first among devotees, Prahlada.

The Prapatti Marga is not of this type; it is like the way of the kitten, the Marjalakishora, ‘Sarvabhara Samarpita’ attitude. As the kitten simply continues mewing in one place, placing all its burdens on the mother cat, the devotee puts complete trust on the Lord. The mother cat holds the kitten in its mouth and removes it to more elevated places or transports it safely through even very narrow passages. So too, whatever challenges he encounters in the world, the devotee places all his burden on the Lord and surrenders fully to His Will. He is protected by the Lord in every way. Lakshmana is the witness of this path.

The discipline of Prapatti is much superior to the discipline of Bhakti. The characteristic of Prapatti is complete self-surrender to the Lord, in all aspects. To serve Sri Rama, Lakshmana renounced all obstacles in his path, like wealth, wife, mother, home and even sleep and food. And, this, not for a day or month or year but for a full fourteen years. He felt that Sri Rama was his all, his happiness and joy, that He would grant him everything that he needed and that his life’s purpose was only to follow Him and serve Him, and surrender his will to Him. So, if all burdens are placed on Him and if He is followed ceaselessly and unforgettingly, He will certainly provide everything. This is the nature of the Prapatti type of devotion.