నవవిధ భక్తి
We read so many books and we listen to songs in our daily life. Some of these become our favorites and some of them make us forget ourselves. But what we experience in Bhakti is total bliss and it is second to none. If we immerse ourselves in this sea of devotion, the experience we feel is indescribable and words cannot describe those feelings. Mere reading is a waste of time till the meaning is not experienced, for which the blessings of a Guru, who has the knowledge of the Brahman, is required. Mere bookish knowledge is futile. We might have bhakti, but do we experience this so called bliss and can we comprehend this?
If we have to reach this stage, what do we need to do? Baba showed an excellent path, that is Navavidha Bhakti. Baba told this through Anathrao Patankar and he did us great favor by giving this path. Of course this was mentioned in Bhagavata purana, but Baba gives us personal experience through his mercy. What was the situation and what made Baba give us this parable about Navavidha Bhakti.
The story from Satcharita goes as follows;
Once a resident of Pune, whose name was Anantrao Patankar, who had developed respect for Sai’s darshan, came to Shirdi soon. He had heard all the Vedas and read the original Upanishads, along with the commentaries; but his mind remained always restless and peace of mind eluded him. When he had taken Sai Samartha’s darshan, Patankar’s eyes were rewarded. After bowing down at his feet he worshipped him with ritualistic accuracy. Afterwards, with folded hands, he sat in front of Baba, very close to him. Anantrao, who looked very lovingly, asked him with extreme humility: “I have read many books, including the Vedas, the Vedangas and the Upanishads. I have listened to the holy Shastras and Puranas. Yet, why is my mind so despondent? I now feel that whatever I have read has been wasted. I think that even the illiterate devout devotee is better off than me. All my study of books, learning of Shastras is a waste. All this bookish knowledge is futile as long as my mind remains unsteady.Oh how empty is the effort I have made over the study of etymology; to what purpose is the japa and mantra which does not give peace of mind! How will I then ever acquire the knowledge of Brahman? By word of mouth I have heard that by Sai’s darshan all worries are removed and that you show the right direction even in your humorous talk, very easily. Therefore, Maharaj, treasure trove of austerities, I have reached your feet. Give me your blessings, by which I may have peace of mind. ” Upon which, Maharaj told him a humorous parable by which Anantrao was satisfied and enjoyed the fulfillment of his learning. Those few words are the entire essence of knowledge. I will tell you that story. Be ready to hear it. It is humorous but meaningful. Who can disregard such words?
Baba said, in reply: “Once a merchant came along and at that time a horse passed nine balls of stool in front of him. The merchant was very efficient. He immediately took off his wrap, and spread it out, collected all the balls and tied a knot and was able to achieve concentration of mind. ”
‘What has Sai Samartha said? What could be its meaning? Why the collection of the stool by the merchant?’ He did not understand anything. Thinking thus, Anantrao came back and related the conversation, from the beginning to the end, to Kelkar and said: “Who was the merchant? What was the purpose of those balls of stool? Why was number nine mentioned? Please reveal the meaning to me. Dada, what kind of riddle is this? I find myself incompetent to solve it. Tell me something which will open Baba’s heart clearly to me, in plain words. ” Dada said: “ I too, do not understand. Baba’s talk is always of this kind. But I will tell you whatever I am able to understand, as he inspires me. The horse is God’s Grace. This is how the puzzle of the nine-fold devotion could be explained. Without devotion one cannot have a union with God and knowledge will not be acquired.
Sravana (hearing of God's Lilas and stories)
Kirtana (singing of His glories)
Smarana (remembrance of His name and presence)
Padasevana (service of His feet)
Archana (worship of God)
Vandana (prostration to Lord)
Dasya (cultivating the Bhava of a servant with God)
Sakhya (cultivation of the friend-Bhava) and
Atma nivedana (complete surrender of the self).
With full faith, even if one of these ways of devotion is practiced, Sree Hari who longs for devotion will appear in the home of the devotee.
Now, after reading directly from Satcharita, let’s explore what they are:
First three Sravanam, Kirtanam and Smaranam will purify our mind. Then seed of bhakti is ready to grow. Then if we can incorporate Padasevana, Archana and Vandana seva, the seed starts growing in to a shrub. Guru will bless us and at that point we have to use Dasya and Sakya. Finally we merge in to Paramatma by Atmanivedana. This is the goal of human life.
Kardama Prajapati and Devhuti:
To understand all this we have to go back to creation. In Satcharita, bhakti is compared to a Horse (female). In the beginning of creation, Lord Brahma created Manu and Satarupa as first male and female. They had a daughter by name Devhuti. She gets married to Kardama Prajapati. Kardama was very pious, embodiment of knowledge. She did extreme penance by serving her husband.
Once the sage Kardam noticed that Devhuti has aged and Shriveled by harsh living, and pleased by her dedication, Kardam asked her to seek a boon. Devhuti only begged that there should never be any lethargy in any service on her part towards him. Pleased again by her pure feelings Kardam provided her with heavenly luxuries. Together they enjoyed those luxuries for many years during which nine daughters were born to them. All those daughters symbolized the Navadha Bhakti (nine kinds of devotion) and were married to nine Prajapatis like Marichi etc. Thus kala was married to Marichi, Anusuya to Atri, Shradha to Angira, Havirbhu to Pulatsya, Gati to Pulah, Shanti to Atharva, Krita to Kratu, Khyati to Bhrigu and Arundhati was married to the sage Vashishtha.
These daughters are the nine forms of Navavidha Bhakti. All the Maharshis represent the Jnana (Knowledge) and their consorts were forms of Bhakti (Devotion). Whenever we worship God with utmost devotion, then only we merge with God. Then there is no difference between God and Devotion. This is the Sakti- Chaitanya form together. This is Paramatma (supreme soul) & Sakthi (Maya) combined.
Sai is the kind of Parama Guru, who will make us experience this Navavidha Bhakti rather than just preaching us. Baba taught this on several occasions but mainly in two situations. One was with Ananthrao Patankar and another with Laxmi bai. Let’s us explore Navavidha Bhakti forms individually now.
1) Sravana: Sravana is hearing of God's virtues, glories, sports and stories connected with His divine Name and Form. The devotee gets absorbed in the hearing of Divine stories and his mind merges in the thought of divinity; it cannot think of earthly things, the mind loses, its charm for the world. The devotee remembers God only even in dream.
One cannot attain Sravana-Bhakti without the company of the saints or wise men.
An experienced man is necessary to instruct the devotee in the right path.
The company of the wise, even for a moment, becomes the boat to cross across the ocean of Samsara.
The fort of Sadhana should be built on the foundation of Satsanga. Mere austerities are not the end of Sadhana. Satsanga illumines the devotee and removes his impurities. It is only then that subtle truths are grasped well by the devotee.
King Parikshit attained Liberation through Sravana. He heard the glories of God from Suka-Maharshi. His heart was purified. He attained the abode of Lord Vishnu in Vaikuntha. He became liberated and enjoyed supreme Bliss.
2) Kirtana: Kirtana is singing of Lord's glories. The devotee is immersed in Divine Emotion. He loses himself in the love of God. He weeps in the middle when thinking of the glory of God. His voice becomes choked and he flies into a state of divine Bhavana. Wherever he goes he begins to sing and praise God. He requests all to join his Kirtana. He sings and dances in ecstasy. He makes others also dance. Such practices should be the outcome of a pure heart, and they should not be merely a show. God knows the inner secret of all and none can cheat Him. He becomes Sattvic and pure at heart.
3) Smaranam: Smarana is remembrance of the Lord at all times. This is unbroken memory of the Name and Form of the Lord. The mind does not think of any object of the world, but is ever engrossed in thinking of the glories of the Lord alone.
The mind meditates on what is heard about the glories of God and His virtues, Names etc., and forgets even the body and contents itself in the remembrance of God.
Remembrance also includes hearing of stories pertaining to God at all times, talking of God, teaching to others what pertains to God, meditation on the attributes of God, etc.
Remembrance of God alone can destroy all worldly Samskaras. Remembrance of God alone can turn away the mind from sense-objects.
Lord Krishna says in the Gita: O Arjuna! He who fixing his mind on Me, constantly remembers Me, I am easily attained by that Yogi, ever united with Me. The Gita is an authority on the nine modes of Bhakti. Lord Krishna illustrates with authority that the various modes of devotion shall lead one to the Supreme.
4) Padasevanam: Padasevana is serving the Lord's feet. We see Lakshmi serving Lord Narayana’s feet. No mortal being has got the fortune to practice this method of Bhakti for the Lord is not visible to the physical eyes. So what we can do is serve God’s idol, or picture. For Sai we have the great opportunity to serve his feet as he allowed his devotees to worship him this way. As Sai taught us that he is everywhere, to serve other people & animals is also his Padasevanam. The whole universe is only Virat-Svarupa (Universal form). Service of the world is service of the Lord.
Sri Lakshmidevi is enjoying this practice of devotion and she is ever serving the feet of Lord Hari. Lord Vishnu is resting His feet on the lap of Sri Lakshmidevi and she is the example of one engaged in Padasevana-Bhakti. Can we serve Sai’s feet that way?
5) Archana: Archana is worship of the Lord. Worship can be done either through an image or a picture or even a mental form.
Worship can be done either with external materials or merely through Manasa Puja (worship in the mind) with strong feeling. Manasika puja (Mental prayer) is an advanced form of worship which only men of purified intellect can do.
The purpose of worship is to please the Lord, to purify the heart through surrender of the ego and love of God.
Serving the poor people and worshipping saints is also worship of the Virat-Svarupa of the Lord. The Lord appears in all forms. He is everything.
The devotee should have Sai Bhava or Isvara-Bhava in all beings. He should consider all creatures, down even to the worm, as merely God. This is the highest form of worship.
During worship the mind of the devotee should always be concentrated on the form of the Lord. It should think of His attributes, His Infinite Nature, Bliss, Immortality, etc. It should not think of earthly things. It is the feeling of love for God that God takes into account and not the material that is offered. He is pleased even with leaves and mere water.
6) Vandanam: Vandana is prayer and prostration. Humble prostration touching the earth with the eight limbs of the body (Sashtanga-Namaskara), with faith and reverence.
The devotee should bow before everything in absolute devotion, thinking that he is bowing before God Himself.
The object or purpose of Devotion is to realize God through exclusive love. The ego or Ahamkara is effaced out completely through devout prayer and prostration to God. The Divine grace descends upon the devotee and man becomes God.
7) Dasya: Dasya Bhakti is the love of God through servant-sentiment. To serve God and carry out His wishes, realizing his virtues, nature, mystery and glory, considering oneself as a slave of God, the Supreme Master, is Dasya Bhakti.
Serving and worshipping the Idols in temples, sweeping the temples, meditating on God and mentally serving Him like a slave, serving the saints and the sages, serving the devotees of God, serving poor and sick people who are forms of God, is also included in Dasya Bhakti. Radhkrishna mai used to sweep whole area where Sai had to walk. This is Dasya Bhakti also.
Mhalsapati, Shyama, Bhagoji along with several others, followed Dasya kind of bhakti. By doing this they were ever with Sai in order to offer services to Him and win His Divine Grace and attain thereby immortality.
8) Sakya Bhakti: Sakhya-Bhava is the cultivation of the friend-sentiment with God. We do everything for our dear friends. Sometimes we put all our priorities behind to take care of this friend.
To be always with Sai, to treat Him as one's own dear relative or a friend belonging to one's own family, to be in His company at all times, to love Him as one's own Self, is Sakhya-Bhava of Bhakti-Marga. Physical love is turned into spiritual love. There is a transformation of the mundane into the Eternal.
He is supremely joyful if anything of his own comes to the service of God. He longs to see God. He does not want to leave the Lord even for a moment.
Sai should be the innermost and the dearest of friends. All friends may desert a person, but Sai will never desert His devotees. He loves you even if you do not love Him. The devotee feels himself merged in the ocean of joy on seeing, touching or thinking of the Beloved.
9) Atma-Nivedana: Atma-Nivedana is self-surrender. The devotee offers everything to God, including his body, mind and soul. He keeps nothing for himself. He loses even his own self. He has no personal and independent existence. He has given up himself for God.
This self-surrender is Absolute Love for God exclusively. There is nothing but God-consciousness in the devotee. Even against his own wishes, the devotee shall become one with God and lose his individuality. This is the law of being. The Highest Truth is Absoluteness and the soul rises above through different states of consciousness until it attains Absolute Perfection when it becomes identical with God. This is the culmination of all aspiration and love.
Conclusion:
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