Bhagavad Gita Yajna 12th chapter - day 1 notes
Bhagavad Gita Gnana Yajna on 12th chapter "Bhakthi Yogam".
Discourses by Pujya Swami Sureshananda ji
Talks in Thamizh.
Swami Sureshananda ji Yajna on Bhagavad Gita 12th chapter.
Day 1 summary
Before entering into the text, the following aspects of bhakti was
explained.
5 questions
- What is bhakti?
- Bhakti is of how many types?
- What is the yard stick for measuring bhakti?
- How to develop bhakti?
- Results of bhakti?
We all have
love. When this love is expressed towards family it is called paasam (பாசம் or attachment). The more we share, the
more we get. (just like knowledge). When expressed towards friends, it becomes
friendship.
When love
expressed towards the Lord, it is called bhakti. Love towards the Lord is
expressed as service to all creatures.
In the
case of attachment, there is selfishness involved. In friendship also, there is
selfishness involved – usually sustains on the foundation of give and take
policy. In bhakti – there is only giving and no expectations.
Attachment
is compared to seeds in a box. They don’t sprout and grow and benefit others. Friendship
is like a small plant which will give only as long as we nourish it. But bhakti
is like a fully blossomed flowering plant which gives fragrance to all without
any expectation and partiality. That’s why we worship the Lord with flowers.
The 3
stages of life are compared to the various aspects of love. i.e childhood is
total selfish phase wherein focus is more on getting. Then in the youth, love
as friendship is evident – here both giving and taking takes place. Finally, in
the old age, there is only giving without any expectations.
Bhakti
according to great sages
- Kargar Rishi defines bhakti as listening to Lord’s stories eg Parikshit Maharaja listening to Bhagavatham
- Chandilya rishi describes bhakti as being steadfast in performing dharmic actions
- Veda Vyasa defines bhakti as worshipping the Lord. i.e to do puja with bhava
- Sage Narada explains bhakti as – a seeker attempting to always remember the Lord and because of some distraction the mind wanders. Then the seeker suffers the separation from the Lord and worries. This feeling of repenting for forgetting the Lord is bhakti.
Types of bhakti
At a broader
level, bhakti is divided into 2 categories
- Saadhaarana bhakti – aasthika buddhi i.e. a mind that strongly believes that there exists a Lord
- Visesha bhakti – further classified into 5 types
1)
Kamya bhakti is praying for needs, wishes
2)
Nishkamya bhakti is thanking the Lord for all
that we have received
3)
Ishta devata bhakti is having a personal
relationship with our ishta devata
4)
Vishvaroopa bhakti is seeing the universe as Lord.
Lord has not created world, but he has become the world.
5)
Nirguna bhakti is to worship the Lord without
any name and form
Measure of bhakti
Measure of
sacrifice determines the measure of bhakti. Eg. Kannappa naayanaar gave his
eyes, pusalaar naayanaar gave his heart for the Lord to stay. How much we are
ready to sacrifice for the sake of Lord reveals our bhakti. Are we ready to
give up a TV serial? 😊
How to develop bhakti
Through
knowledge of the Lord, love for God grows eg as we came to know of Abdul kalam
ji, love grows. Knowledge of a thing or a person alone creates love and respect
in our hearts.
Result of bhakti
Bhakti
increases atmabalam, buddhi balam, Mano balam, deha balam. Eg Hanuman ji
How? Because
sleep alone makes a person fresh and free of diseases, not mere medicines. That’s
why even doctors recommend good sleep after taking medicines. In sleep, we
merge with the Lord. From that Lord alone we derive strength to all the layers
of our personality. Permanent happiness can be given by the permanent Lord
alone and not possible from impermanent things and beings.
Thus, the
result of bhakti is happiness and strength.
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