Narada Bhakthi Sutra – 5

 

Sutras 34 to 42

            We had so far seen the first two chapters covering 33 Sutras that described Para Bhakthi, which is the goal to be reached.  Now we shall see the next chapter that describes the sadhanas that take one to the goal of Para Bhakthi.

 Sutra 34

Tasyaaha sadhanaani gayantyaachaaryaaha.

For that (Para Bhakthi) teachers sing (many) practices.

Sutra 35

Tat tu vishayatyaagaat sangatyaagaachcha.

Now that (goal) by renunciation of worldly things and giving up attachment.

               Sutra 34 describes that the various spiritual masters prescribe the several sadhanas through “stuthis” or songs, in a poetic way by using the expression “Teachers sing”.  From the next Sutra, start the sadhanas.

          One of the sadhanas to reach the goal of para-bhakti is by way of renouncing worldly objects and giving up attachment.  Kaivalya Upanishad (Mantra 3) states: “Na karmana na prajaya dhanena tyagenaika amirtatvamanasuh (Not by work, nor by progeny, nor by wealth, but by renunciation alone, Immortality is attained.”).  Renunciation of worldly things is an attitude born of the understanding that the worldly objects have only limited value and that they will not give one that inner peace and contentment. One may intellectually recognize the limited worth of the worldly objects, but may not quite accept it emotionally.  One must renounce the emotional attachment to objects and cultivate the freedom from desire for these objects.  The second aspect of this sadhana is giving up attachment to the beings around in one’s life and to one’s possessions.  As regards relationship to living beings, these are not to be renounced but one’s relationship is to be chastened by freeing oneself from emotional dependence on them.

Sutra 36 

Avyaavritat bhajanaat.

Through uninterrupted (continuous), loving service of the Lord

Sutra 37

Loke’pi bhagavadgunasravanakirtanaat.

By hearing and singing the glories of the Lord even while engaged in worldly activities.

          In Sutra 35, spiritual service was of a negative character.  But in Sutra 36 spiritual service of positive character is prescribed.  The worship that sage Narada is advocating in this Sutra is continuous non-stop worship. Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita (8-14):

Ananyachetaah satatam yo maam smarati nityashah;

Tasyaaham sulabhah paartha nityayuktasya yoginah. 

O Arjuna, to that yogi of constant concentration and single-minded attention, who remembers Me uninterruptedly and for long, I am easy of attainment.

Sage Narada echoes this idea in this Sutra by saying “Constantly remembering the Lord throughout one’s life is an easiest way of attaining Him.”        

          Sutra 36 presents another sadhana, viz., remembering God by listening to the glories of God in stories and by singing His praises always, even while engaging in worldly activities. Sage Narada is here apparently referring to the nine types of bhakthi (Nava-vidha-bhakthi) stated in Srimad Bhagavadam, as follows:

“Sravanam, Kirtanam, Vishno-smaranam, Pada-sevanam,

Archanam, Vandanam, Daasyam, Sakhyam, Athma-nivedanam.”

The nine types of bhakthi listed in the above verse are as follows:

1)    Sravanam – listening to epics and puranas.

2)    Kirtanam – Singing devotional songs.

3)    Vishno-smaranam – Uninterrupted thinking of God as Vishnu or one’s Ishta devata.

4)    Padasevanam – Worship of God’s feet meaning worship of God through service to people.

5)    Archanam – Doing puja or any simple ritual.

6)    Vandanam – Chanting hymns and singing His glories.

7)    Daasyam – Thinking and behaving as God’s servant.

8)    Sakhyam – Acting and thinking with a feeling of love and close intimacy with God as in friendship.

9)    Athma-nivedanam – Surrender of self in intense devotion.

Adopting one or more of these above modes one can engage in uninterrupted devotion all the time. After stressing self-effort, Sage Narada stresses the importance of Grace of God, Guru and Mahapurushas in the next five Sutras.

Sutra 38

Mukhyatastu mahatkripayaiva bhagavatkripalesaad va. 

Primarily through the compassion of great beings and a little of Divine grace.

Sutra 39

Mahatsangastu durlabho’gamyo’moghashcha. 

But (to obtain) the company of some one great is extremely difficult; it is impossible to know them fully, yet it is infallible in its effect.

Sutra 40

Labhyate’pi tatkripayaiva.

Nevertheless, it is attainable through God’s grace.

          One cannot reach the goal of uninterrupted bhakthi through one’s own efforts alone; one needs help.  Primarily, what one needs is the compassion of a loving, compassionate person like a spiritual teacher, or a saint. It is through their compassion or through a bit of God’s Grace that one’s efforts will bear fruit.

          In Sutra 39 sage Narada warns that finding a proper teacher is extremely difficult and even when the opportunity arises it is not obvious; it is subtle.  Sri Sankara says in Vivekachudamani (verse 3)

 Durlabham trayamevaitad devanugrahahetukam I

Manushyatvam mumukshatvam mahapurushasamsrayaha II

Human birth, mumukshuthvam, the tutelage of a mahapurusha (a great realised person) are difficult to gain without God’s Grace.

Also, one has to be beware of false teacher who tempts the seeker with the promise of an easy path without much sadhanas.  And, there is also the danger of not recognizing a true teacher when one meets him.

          So, sage Naradha states in Sutra 40, that one should seek the Grace of God for getting the proper spiritual teacher. It is by the Grace of God only that one turns a mumukshu.  Again, it is only the Grace of God that will lead him to the right Guru who will guide him in that path. 

Sutra 41

Tasmintatjane bhedabhavaat.

Because between God and His devotees there is no difference.

             ‘Devotee’ in this context means the Para Bhakta and not every devotee. Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita (7-18) that He views the Jnani Bhaktha (Para Bhaktha) as His very Self.  Mundaka Upanishad (3-2-9) states: -“Brahmavit Brahmaiva Bhavathi (The knower of the Brahman becomes Brahman). Para Bhaktha is one who has realized his oneness with Brahman and does not stray from this knowledge in all his activities.  This Sutra is also interpreted as “that the love of God knows no distinction among His children” and so anyone seeking His Grace sincerely, steadfastly, and with single minded devotion will get it with kindness, irrespective of his past before coming to the path of spiritual seeking.

Sutra 42

Tadeva saadhyataam tadeva saaadhyataam.

That alone is to be accomplished; that alone is to be accomplished.

          The repetition in the sutra is to emphasize the point that the sadhana as would enable one to obtain God’s Grace that would ultimately reveal God through the teaching of a spiritual teacher is only to be practiced.  Sadhana clears away all obstructions in the way of understanding the true identity of one’s Self with Brahman. 

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Who am I?

 (Based on Taittriya Upanishad)

            The first anuvaka of Brahmandavalli of Taittriya Upanishad opens with a cryptic statement, “Brahmavid apnoti param (The knower of Brahman attains Supreme)”. Supreme here denotes Brahman as we can see from Mundaka Upanishad (3-2-8) where there is a similar statement which states, “Sa yo ha vai tat paramam Brahma veda, Brahmaiva bhavathi (Whoever knows the Supreme Brahman, becomes the very Brahman)”. This gives rise to the questions, “1) Who or what is Brahman and 2) where can one find Brahman”.  The answers to both these questions are given in the latter part of the Mantra. Let us first take the first question which is answered through quoting the Rig Mantra which states “Satyam, Jnanam, Anantam Brahma (Brahman is Satyam, Jnanam, Anantam)”.   The nature of Brahman is defined through these words Satyam, Jnanam and Anantam.  We shall see each of them separately taking first “Anantam”

            Anantam means the limitless one or infinite. The limitation can be in three ways; spatial, time-wise and object-wise. Spatial limitation means an object cannot be in two places at the same time i.e. presence in one place means absence from other place.  So free of spatial limitation means It is all-pervading, sarva vyapakam.  Time-wise limitation means one is confined to a time-frame. Swami Chinmayananda calls our life a dash from womb to tomb. Brahman is present at all times; past, present and future i.e. eternal. Object-wise limitation arises from the presence of another object. Brahman is free from this limitation means it is non-dual. So Anantam means eternal, all-pervading and non-dual.  Jnanam means knowledge. Knowledge is of two kinds. 1) conditioned knowledge which is knowledge of things conditioned by things known and 2) unconditioned knowledge which is absolute knowledge illuminating the objects of experience in the outer and inner worlds, namely, the Consciousness principle.  Brahman being infinite without limitations is this Pure Consciousness which is called Chit.  Satyam, generally meaning Truth, also means an existent object. The existent object has three components, nama, rupa and existence. Brahman being infinite, the finite nama, rupa is discarded and the pure Existence principle which is called ‘Sat’ alone is taken as the meaning of Satyam.  As Brahman is free from attributes, the definition is called ‘Svabhava  lakshanam’ and it is “Sat, Chit, Anantam” i.e. “eternal, non-dual, all-pervading Existence, Consciousness” which we shall refer hereafter as “limitless Existence, Consciousness”, capital letters indicating that they are Pure Existence and Pure Consciousness.

        Now we come to the second question, “Where can one find this Sat, Chit Anantam Brahman?”. The Upanishad gives the answer along with the benefits flowing from the knowledge of Brahman, following the definition of Brahman as, “yah veda nihitam guhaayaam parame vyoman I sah ashnute sarvaan kaamaan, saha brahmanaa vipashchiteti II (He who knows It as existing in the cave (of the heart) in the inner Akasa, realises all his desires along with the Omniscient Brahman”).  So it has to be known in the space of the heart and mind pervades this space. Brahman is to be realised as the Consciousness in one’s mind as one’s Real Self. This true Self of one is hidden by Maya, the first level of Brahman’s Upadhis. Maya with its veiling power, avarana sakthi, covers Brahman and through its projecting power, vikshepa sakthi, projects the upadhis of body-mind complex as one’s self.  When through the process of Jnana Yoga under the guidance of a competent Guru, one realises the identity of one’s True Self as Brahman, the limitless Existence, Consciousness, one feels one with the Mahavakhya “Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman)”.  Now he, after realization of his essential identity with Brahman, declares like Asvalayana rishi in Kaivalya Upanishad (Mantra19);

Mayyeva sakalam jatam, mayi sarvam pratishthitam I

Mayi sarvam layam yati, tad brahmadvayamasmyaham II 19 II

Everything is born in me alone; everything is based on me alone; everything resolves into me alone. I am that non-dual Brahman.

With this knowledge he feels totally fulfilled and as he is everything, which amounts to his having everything and no wants or desires for anything.  This feeling of total fulfillment as Brahman is stated in the end part of the Mantra as realising all his desires along with the Omniscient Brahman. 

(adapted from a talk of Swami Sarvapriyananda)

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Chandogya upanishad (ch.6,7&8)–23

 Chapter 7, Sections 25 to 26 (end)

Mantra 7-25-1

sa evadhastatsa uparishtatsa paschatsa purastatsa dakshinatah sa uttaratah sa evedam sarvamityathato'hamkaradesa evahamevadhastadahamuparishtadaham paschadaham purastadaham dakshinato'hamuttarato'hamevedam sarvamiti || 7.25.1 ||

That Bhuma is below; it is above; it is behind; it is in front; it is to the south; it is to the north. All this is Bhuma.  Now, as regards one’s own identity: I am below; I am above; I am behind; I am in front; I am to the south; I am to the north. I am all this.

            The whole creation is nothing but Bhuma, i.e. Brahman, plus nama-rupa.  And this Bhuma is nothing but ‘I” of oneself only. This is expressed poetically in this verse by first stating that Bhuma is everything in creation i.e. what is above, below, south and to the north (right and to the left) and then repeating the same for “I” (aham). Earlier to this Sanathkumara had been referring to Bhuma in third person. So now he wants to clear any misimpression that may have been created that It is different from oneself. Mundaka Upanishad (2-2-11) also states similarly:

brahm’aiv’edam amrtam purastad brahma paschad brahma dakshinatasch’ottarena I

adhas ch’ordhvam cha prasrtam brahm’aive’edam visvam idam varishtam II

Verily, all this is the immortal Brahman.  He is everywhere-above, below, in front, at the back, upon the right, upon the left.  All this world is indeed the supreme Brahman.

Mantra 7-25-2

athata athmadesa evatmaivadhastadatmoparishtadathma paschadathma purastadathma dakshinnata athmottarata athmaivedam sarvamiti sa va esha evam pasyannevam manvana evaṃ vijanannathmaratirathmakrida athmamithuna athmanandah sa svaradbhavati tasya sarveshu lokeshu kamacharo bhavati atha ye'nyathato viduranyarajanaste kshayyaloka bhavanti tesham sarveshu lokeshvakamacharo bhavati || 7.25.2 || iti panchavimsah khandah ||

Next is the teaching on the Athma:  Athma is below; Athma is above; Athma is behind; Athma is in front; Athma is to the south; Athma is to the north. Athma alone is all this. He who sees in this way, reflects in this way, and understands in this way, has pleasure in the Athma, revels in the Athma, union in Athma, and has joy in the Athma.  He becomes the Sovereign of all the worlds. He is free to act as he wishes. But those who think otherwise are under the control of others and live in perishable worlds. In all the worlds, they are not free to act as they wish. (i.e., they are under many limitations).  End of section 25.

            First Sanathkumara talked about Bhuma as a third person and then he changed it to first person.  Now he wants to be much more clear and avoid any misunderstanding of ‘I’ (aham) as the anathma of body-mind complex, the vachyartha, and he specifically describes it as Athma, the Self.  Through this he is emphasising the identity of Bhuma, the Brahman with Athma, the Self, the lakshyartha of ‘Aham’ as in Mahavakhya “Aham Brahmasmi”. One who has realised this is called ‘svarat’, that means one who is a supreme ruler and also as one who shines by his own light. For he is not subservient to anybody else because there is no second thing other than Athma, the Brahman.  Further, he is also self-luminous as everything else shines in the light of Athma and Athma is not illumined by anything else because it is of the nature of pure intelligence that makes all knowledge possible.  Whereas the one who has not realised the truth about one’s Self, feels limited as a mortal and he is not free of the cycle of birth and death. He will live a life as a slave of his desires and of destiny.

Mantra 7-26-1

tasya ha va etasyaivam pasyata evam manvanasyaivam vijanata athmatah prana athmata asathmatah smara atmata akasa athmatasteja athmata apa athmata avirbhavatirobhavavathmato'nnamathmato balamathmato vijnanamathmato dhyanamathmataschittamathmatah samkalpa athmato mana athmato vagathmato namathmato mantra athmatah karmanyathmata evedamsarvamiti || 7.26.1 ||

For a person like this who sees in this way, reflects in this way, and has this knowledge, everything comes from Athma, the Self: Prana, aspirations, memory, Akasa, fire, water, appearance and disappearence, food, strength, knowledge, meditation, intelligence, will, the mind, speech, name, Mantras, and all rites—all this comes from Athma, the Self.

            This Mantra is a consolidation of the teaching.  In this, the vision of the realised Jnani is given.  Earlier in this chapter, Sanathkumara prescribed fifteen upasanas where 15 principles from Nama to Prana were taken up for meditation on Brahman.  These included principles that constituted the external world which were deemed to be outside him.  Now with the realisation that Athma, his Self, is none other than Brahman, he finds all of them spring from him only.   This is emphasised by giving the list of items he meditated upon in the reverse order, starting from Prana to Nama, with the addition of the three more principles that are:

1.    appearance and disappearance – Just as the dream world arises from and disappears in one, the waking world also arises from and disappears in him only when he wakes up to the super-waker status of a realised Jnani

2 & 3. Mantras and rites –The Vedas also have arisen out of him.

Only ‘I’ now stands for Athma, the Brahman, while before Jnanam ‘I’ represented the anathma of body-mind complex.  Kaivalya Upanishad (Mantra 19) states as follows giving Jnani’s changed vision:

mayyeva sakalam jaatam mayi sarvam pratishtitham I

mayi sarvam layam yaati tadbrahmaadvayamasmyaham II

In me alone everything is born; in me alone does everything exist and in me is everything dissolved.  I am that non-dual Brahman.

Mantra 7-26-2

tadesa sloko na pasyo mṛtyuṃ pasyati na rogam nota duhkhatam sarvam ha pasyah pasyati sarvamapnoti sarvasa iti sa ekadha bhavati tridha bhavati panchadha saptadha navadha chaiva punaschaikadasah smrtah satam cha dasa chaikascha sahasraṇi cha vimsatiraharasuddhau sattvasuddhau dhruva smṛtih smṛtilambhe sarvagranthinaṃ vipramokshastasmai mrditakashayaya tamasasparaṃ darsayati bhagavansanatkumarastam skanda ityachakshate tam skanda ityachakshate || 7.26.2 || iti shadvimsah khandah || iti saptamo'dhyayah ||

Here is a verse on the subject: ‘He who has realized the Self does not see death. For him there is no disease or sorrow. Such a seer sees everything (as it is) and also attains everything in whatever way (he wants).’ He is one (i.e., before creation; but after creation), he is in three forms, five forms, seven forms, and nine forms. Then again, he is in eleven, a hundred and ten, and even a thousand and twenty forms. If one eats pure food, one’s mind becomes pure. If the mind is pure, one’s memory becomes strong and steady. If the memory is good, one becomes free from all bondages. The revered Sanatkumara freed Narada from all his shortcomings and led him beyond darkness (i.e., ignorance). The wise say that Sanatkumara is Skanda, yes they call him Skanda. End of section twenty-six.  End of section seven.

            A Rig Mantra is quoted in support of the statement in earlier Mantra. When one looks at oneself as body he is not all-pervading. But when one changes the identification to Chaitanyam, the pure Consciousness i.e. Chit, he becomes all-pervading non-dual Jagat Karanam, Brahman who multiplies into this Universe.  And the multiplication is given in the form of various numbers.  In short, He multiplies in the form of everything.   To attain this knowledge, one essential step is to have pure food among other things. The pure food keeps the body and mind pure and enables one to maintain mind-control. Keeping mind in control, one can concentrate on gaining Self-knowledge. Self-knowledge helps one to look upon oneself not as the mortal body with limitations but as the immortal Chaitanyam with a body as temporary upadhi.  Sanathkumara guided Narada across the ocean of ignorance through his instructions and Narada following him with a pure mind freed himself from the shackles of Self-ignorance and attained enlightenment.  The wise teacher Sanathkumara is none other than Skanda, the Lord Subramaya, son of Lord Siva. The section and chapter end with this Mantra.

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Tat, Tvam Tadathmyam

Vakyavritti – 7

Verse 37

‘Tat-Tvam’-padaarthau nirneetau vaakyaarthah chintyate adhuna I

Tadathmyam atra vaakyaarthah tayoreva padaarthayoh.II

The meaning of the words ‘That’ and ‘Thou’ have been ascertained.. The meaning of the sentence ‘Thou are That’ which establishes (indirectly) the identity of the above two words shall be discussed now.

Of the four questions asked by the disciple in verse 7 the guru has concluded answering the first two concerning padarthas with the previous verse.   From this verse guru is answering the third and fourth question concerning the identity of the two padas ‘Tat’ and ‘Tvam’ and the vakhyartha of Mahavakhya ‘Tat Tvam Asi’ through enquiry of Mahavakhya that declares their identity. First he made enquiry into Tvam pada, the vachyartha or primary or literal meaning of which is Jeevathma, Athma with the three sareeras, sthula, sukshma and karana sareeras and arrived at the lakshyartha or secondary or contextual meaning which is Athma alone, also called Sakshi and is of Satchidananda swarupa.  Then through enquiry into Tat pada whose vachyartha is Iswara, Saguna Brahman, he arrived at the lakshyartha as Brahman, Nirguna Brahman, which is of Sat, Chit, Aananda swarupa.  The identity of these two, Tat and Tvam, that have the same lakshyartha is taken up for discussion from this verse which is also an introductory verse for the discussion on vakhyartha of the Mahavakhya  ‘Tat Tvm asi’ ( That is you).

Verse 38

Samsargoh vaa vishishto vaa  vaakyaarthoh natra sammatah I

Akhandaikarasatvena vaakyaarthoh vidushaam matah II

It is not acceptable that the meaning of the sentence is arrived at through sequence of words or through expansion by qualifications.  An Infinite Being, consisting of bliss only is the true meaning (of the sentence) according to the wise.

The following two methods of getting the meaning of the sentence, vakhyartha, is eliminated as not giving the true meaning of the sentence. They are:

i) Samsarga: “sequence of words”. The Mahavakya does not indicate a meaning

obtained just by stringing words together with their literal meanings. Samsarga is the most ordinary form of sentence construction, e.g. “Rama went to forest with Sita”.  One simply accepts these words at face value, without the need to look deeper.

ii) Visishtah: “expansion by qualifications”. An example is “The lotus is blue”, where the lotus is having the qualification of blueness and not vice-versa.

We cannot use these two methods in arriving at the correct implied meaning of the Mahavakhya, “Tat Tvam asi” where everything points to the Brahman as the correct implied meaning to be taken for both words.  We had seen earlier the lakshyartha for both Tat and Tvam is the Satchidanandaswarupa Brahman, giving the meaning of sentence, without divisions and without attributes, to the spiritually qualified listener as “Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman)”.  This is the interpretation of the spiritually wise as well.

Verse 39

pratyak bodhoh yah aabhaati sah advayaananda lakshanah I

advayaananda roopahscha pratyak bodhahaikalakshanah II

The witness consciousness (“This”) that shines within is the Absolute Bliss (“That”) indicated outside.  Conversely, the Absolute Bliss in manifested form is the witness consciousness indicated within.

Kaivalya Upanishad states in verse 16 “tattvameva, tvameva tat (That is you only, You are that only)".  This verse illustrates that statement.   Pratyag-Bodha in the first line means the witness consciousness (Sakshi Chaitanyam) within each individual Jiva, namely “This”.  Advayananda in the same line is the universal Bliss Consciousness pervading the universe, namely “That”.  So the first line of this verse effectively tells us that the witness Consciousness or Sakshi Chaitanyam in Jiva is in fact the Absolute non-dual Brahman i.e., ‘This’ is ‘That’. The second line effectively tells it other way round i.e. vice-versa, namely ‘That’ is ‘This’ by saying that the universal Bliss Consciousness i.e. Brahman expresses Itself in Jiva as the indwelling Consciousness.  Through this interchangeability, TatTvam and TvamTat, total oneness i.e. tadathmyam is also established. 

Verse 40

Ittham anyonya tadathmya pratipattih yadaa bhavet I

Abrahmatvam ‘tvam’-arthasya vyaavarteta tadaiva hi II

Verse 41

‘Tat’-arthasya cha paarokshyam yadheva kim tatah Shrunu I

Poornaananda eka-roopena pratyak bodhoavatishthate II

As explained above, when the mutual identity between the two words is comprehended, then the misconception that the word ‘Thou’ means something other than Brahman and the meaning of the word ‘That’ is known indirectly shall come to an immediate end then and there. (Disciple) That being so, what next? (Guru) Listen: The all-pervading Bliss, without a second, is itself the witness consciousness, i.e. That is This!

On comprehension of the meaning of Mahavakya, the ego sense or the false identity dissolves or merges into the ‘One Blissful Eternal Brahman’.  For this dissolution to happen the bheda jnanam, the idea of ‘I am not Brahman’ should be destroyed. Bheda Jnanam is the knowledge that arises due to seeing distinction of Self from Brahman.  This bheda jnanam brings about all the sorrow and problems of samsara and the sense of alienation from one’s true Self which is Brahman.  With Realisation the distinction is destroyed and the Truth which is ‘I am Brahman’ becomes one’s second nature.  Disciple now has a problem.   This, the witness Consciousness can be grasped without difficulty as it connects us to the objects of the world as the illuminator of the objects of the world and of the thoughts in the mind.   But Brahman is objectless Consciousness, as It is without objects and the disciple feels the meaning cannot be grasped directly and it can be comprehended only after one absorbs doubt-free Ikya Jnanam.  Seeing this difficulty in the student, the teacher assures him that ‘That’ is ‘This’. One cannot have a direct experience of the Consciousness as identical to the inner witness unless one has purified oneself wholly and has the subtle intelligence to grasp the deeper meaning of Mahavakhya.   So for the student who wants the direct experience of the Consciousness guru gives the reassurance that ‘That is This’, meaning the direct experience of inner witness is claiming that Blissful Consciousness as his own Real Self.  It is an internal attitudinal transformation, a transformation that will happen automatically on absorption of the doubt-free knowledge of tadathmyam of ‘That’ and ‘This’.

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