Stabilising the Mind in God: The Twelfth Chapter of the Bhagavadgita: 5. Swami krishnananda.

Chinmaya Mission:

Twenty-six Yuvaveers from the 14th batch of the Youth Empowerment Programme recently visited Adi Sankara Nilayam, the maternal birth home of Adi Sankaracharya, as an expression of gratitude for the great Master. 

Having studied his compositions during their course, they offered Sankara Kriti Parayana, a respectful chanting of Sadhana Panchakam and Tattvabodha, led by Swamini Sampratishthananda, Br. Sudheer Chaitanya, Br. Sundar Chaitanya, Br. Ved Chaitanya, and Brni. Taarini Chaitanya. 

The Parayana began with Totakashtakam, followed by mantras from both texts, and concluded with the aarti of Sri Sankaracharya.

Offering Sankara Kriti Samarpanam at Adi Sankara Nilayam, where Adi Sankaracharya underwent his Vidyarambham and Upanayanam, remains a meaningful tradition for seekers honoring the Master’s profound legacy.

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Wednesday 30, October 2024, 06:20.
Article
Scripture
Stabilising the Mind in God: 5.
The Twelfth Chapter of the Bhagavadgita: 
Swami Krishnananda
(Spoken on June 26, 1983)

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Archana is daily worship as you do in the temples. With shodasa upachara, the sixteen methods of ritualistic performance, you adore God Almighty as present here in His archa avatara, in His images, in His murtis, in His idols, as we have in the temples or places of holy worship.

Vandanam is offering prayer: “O Lord of mercy and love…” as you pray. You may pray, “Father, Thou art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name,” and so on, or you may have your own prayers where you open up your heart before the only thing that is before you. It is a confession that you are making before the Holy Father, the Ultimate Being. “My Lord, You know what I am. If I have sinned, pardon me. I shall not commit this mistake again. Ignorant child that I am, I might have gone wrong in many a way. It is the benignancy of the Almighty that Thou art to excuse me for my faults. I promise that in future I shall try my best not to commit this mistake. Thou art all.” Thus, is prayer, vandana.

Dasya is utter surrender, comparable to the attitude of Hanuman to Sri Rama, where you are a servant of God. This aspect of the servanthood of the devotee in respect of God the Almighty is emphasised very much in Vaishnava schools, especially in the School of Madhva. Also, in Sri Vaishnava parlance they say, “I am only an appendage, an attribute, a quality, something that I attach to Him, and He is almighty. He is the original. He is the organism, and I am that which is appended to Him. So dasya is the feeling of utter dependence on Him, as there is no other alternative.

Sakhyam is a novel attitude of devotion which places the devotee on an equal footing with God, as exemplified in Bhakti Shastras in the life of Arjuna and his companionship with Sri Krishna. He is your friend and philosopher and guide. He is always with you, and He is at your beck and call because He is your friend. You can call upon Him at any moment for His succour. Just now He is there to assist you, help you, take care of you and do anything for you. That is the meaning of a friend. A friend in need is a friend indeed, and He is a friend in need; therefore, He is a friend indeed. God is a friend, and nobody else can be regarded as a real friend in this world. Every friend will leave you one day or the other for some reason or the other. Here is a friend who will not leave you. He will be with you till your doom and till the end of your consecrated salvation.

The final way is atma-nivedanam. That is the highest form of devotion, where realising the greatness, grandeur, magnificence, power, sweetness, compassion and mercy of God, you feel that you are no more. You have gone into utter extinction before the mighty radiance of these universal solar rays. These are the nine ways of bhakti, and Madhusudana Saraswati says that though these are not mentioned in detail in the Bhagavadgita, we have to read between the lines and understand that the indication is for devotion to God, and as these are the principal accepted ways of devotion, we may consider that this is the prescription here.

Also, we have what are called attitudes of devotion, bhavas. There is the attitude of a father. Mostly religions consider God as a Father in heaven, as a Parent Supreme. Sometimes in India we have the concept of considering God as Mother. Or, as I mentioned, there are other ways such as sakhya and other things, which are not usually practised these days. The predominant concept is the concept of a parent – God, the Supreme Father – though other ways are also there. However, all these are mentioned in connection with the understanding of this third way, which is prescribed when it is felt that the first two ways are too difficult. And even this third way is difficult, we may say. 

Athaitad apy asaktosi kartum madyogam asritah, 

sarvakarmaphalatyagam tatah kuru yatatmavan: 

“Foolish man, you say everything is difficult, so I give you the final, easiest way. You are doing so many things. Why are you doing all these things? Who told you to do anything? What for are you doing these things? Anyhow, you are doing it for some purpose. Let the fruit of whatever you do be dedicated to Me. Abandon craving for the fruit of your actions. Don't ask something in return for what you do.”

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Continued

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