Chapter 3 Summary

HARI AUM

Prostrations to all.

We have concluded the third chapter of Narada Bhakthi Sutras titled Bhakthi Saadhanaani. Let us today try to summarize the contents of the chapter so that we may be easily able to remember and implement at least some of these (if not all of these) in our day-to-day life so that it will lead us to the ultimate goal of eternal bliss.

Narada in this chapter was speaking about the various sadhanas in order to achieve the final goal of paraa bhakthi or merging into the ultimate reality of Lord. The sadhana has two aspects - positive and negative. Positive aspect is following of certain things which in turn will directly lead to the goal whereas negative aspects are those that have to refrain from as they will cause obstacles to the progress in the spiritual path towards the goal.

The positive aspects were mentioned by Narada as renouncing attachment to sense objects and through continuous uninterrupted supreme devotion to the Lord. Both of these were mentioned by Narada as being easy to achieve through the grace of God or through grace of Mahat sanga (association with wise people). Association with wise people is achieved only through the grace of God. Such association is great in that it is very tough to really achieve (though Mahatmas are many), beyond our apprehension and sure to lead us to the goal. Such association with Mahatmas should always be encouraged in the life of a seeker as this in itself will ensure the qualities essential in a seeker to achieve the goal of realization of the ultimate reality of Lord.

Satsanga is not merely association with Mahatmas but any talk about such Mahatmas or their works or their words is also association with them. Such words and talks will have the presence and grace of the Mahatma which in itself will ward off evil thoughts and encourage good thoughts in the mind thereby leading a seeker fast in the spiritual path.

Association with bad people or things should always be renounced as though they might seem to be small like waves or bubbles, they have the potential to become an ocean once properly cultivated. Here bad doesn't mean anything in particular but just those thoughts and those people who are posing as obstacles in the spiritual path even if they are our own parents or relatives or Guru. Any person or thing that is an obstacle to our progress is a bad thing which has to be renounced at all costs.

Why should dussanga or association with bad be renounced?

Because they will finally lead a person to destruction. Such dussanga will initially lead to kaama or desire to keep them with oneself. When such desire is not fulfilled, it will lead to anger. Anger will lead to delusion. Delusion will lead to destroying of intellect or discriminating capability. This will in turn lead to destruction of a person.

Since dussanga will lead to destruction of a person, a seeker should always be away from dussangas in all forms.

Finally Narada ends up this chapter by telling as to who will overcome the delusion of Maya. The qualities given were elaborate and easily used by a seeker to judge as to where he stands in the spiritual path. We will just enumerate here as detailed explanation has already been done.

1. He who renounces sanga
2. He who serves the Mahatmas by following his words into actions
3. He who is devoid of the notions of "I" and "mine" (commonly known in Vedanta as Ego).
4. He who stays in a secluded place contemplating on the Lord
5. He who gets rid of the roots of bondage with the world
6. He who goes beyond the three gunas of sattva, rajas and tamas
7. He who renounces both good and bad
8. He who renounces the craving for fruits of actions
9. He who renounces all actions by renouncing the doer-ship notion
10. He who becomes nirdvandva or gets rid of the dual notions of the mind
11. He who renounces even the Vedas
12. He who sticks on to unlimited attachment or devotion to the Lord alone

Such a seeker who possesses the aforementioned 12 qualities will overcome the delusion of Maya. Such a person will not only overcome the delusion of Maya but he will be instrumental in helping the people in the world to overcome the delusion of Maya by properly guiding them and making them realize the non-dual reality of Lord.

With this, we come to the end of this third chapter of Narada Bhakthi Sutras. We will continue with the next chapter from the next day.

Prostrations to all.
HARI AUM
Thanks
Hariram

Let a moment not pass by without remembering God

Chapter 3 Sutra 16 and 17

HARI AUM

Prostrations to all.

Sutra 16 –
Yo vedanapi sanyasyathi kevalam avicchinna anuraagam labhathe

Word Meaning
Yah vedaan api sanyasyathi – He who renounces even the Vedas,
Kevalam avicchinna anuraagam labhathe – and attains only unlimited devotion to the Lord

(He crosses over Maya).

Sutra Meaning
He who renounces even the Vedas and attains only unlimited devotion to the Lord, he crosses over Maya.

Narada finally ends up the enumeration of the qualities in a seeker to overcome Maya in this sutra. He gives the last two qualities essential in a seeker in this sutra. As in many other places, Narada’s view might seem to be non-traditional, non-conventional and even contradictory to scriptures but the statements are perfectly in blend with scriptures.

A seeker who is in the spiritual path considers the Vedas as the ultimate authority to anything whether it is regarding actions to be performed or rituals or propitiation or knowledge. There is nothing greater than the Vedas for a seeker. The Vedas since are the final authority on knowledge and spiritual path, it is the last thing that has to be renounced by the seeker. Vedas as they themselves proclaim in Brihadarayanka Upanishad (vedaah avedaah) are valid only in the empirical plane. At the ultimate level, there is only one thing which is real – that is termed as Ishwara or Lord or Brahman. Thus there is only one thing that has to kept close to our heart and everything else has to be renounced. The more we cling on to Vedas, we are in fact binding ourselves with the golden chain of Vedas. Vedas are just like the dream lion which helps us in waking up. Once we wake up, we shouldn’t still cling on the dream lion. We should let the dream lion go once we wake up as the lion which caused us to wake up is only an illusion only.

The Vedas though are said to eternal at the empirical level, is an illusion only from the ultimate level. If we cling on to any part of the Vedas whether it is the Brahma Sutras or the Upanishads or Gita, we will not be able to realize our nature of Lord. If we are to realize our nature of Lord or Brahman, we have to renounce everything and be attached to the Lord alone. This is possible only if we renounce the Vedas as well. There are many people who cling on to the Vedas after learning them. There are yet others who cling on to their Guru or the Mahatmas in the world. Any speech about the Mahatma also being an illusion will evoke strong protest from such people. Such seekers have to understand and realize that everything apart from Brahman is an illusion whether it is the Vedas or the Mahatma or the Sadguru. Clinging to one’s Guru or the scriptures is also an attachment which will hinder the progress towards realization.

We are all in the spiritual path from the ocean of samsaara to the kingdom of liberation. While traversing in the ocean, we take resort to the boat of Guru and scriptures. After reaching the kingdom, we cannot say that “I will still keep the boat”. Clinging on to the Guru or the scriptures is as good as clinging on to the boat. We have to renounce the boat if we have to enter into the kingdom of liberation. As long as we cling to the boat, we will not be able to cross and get out of the ocean of samsaara. Similarly as long as we don’t renounce attachment to the Guru and the scriptures, we will not be able to cross over the delusion of Maya.

JIs renouncing of Guru and scriptures along enough? No, after renouncing we should ensure that we cultivate unlimited devotion to the only real entity of Lord. This devotion can be in the form of devotion to Guru whom we consider as the Lord alone. But the moment we differentiate between Guru and Lord by seeing the Guru as a form, we are getting attached to the Guru. A real seeker will renounce the Guru in the physical form and be devoted to the Guru in the unlimited form of adviteeya Brahman or Lord. Such a devotion is unlimited because there is only the Lord seen – nothing else is seen and attachment to nothing else is achieved. This is the final step towards realization when the seeker renounces everything and is devoted in the purest form to the ultimate reality of Lord. Such a person alone crosses over Maya.

We will see Narada’s another bold statement that such a person not only crosses over Maya but he helps in crossing other ignorant people as well in the world in the next day.

Sutra 17 –
Sa tarathi sa tarathi sa lokaan taarayathi

Word Meaning
Sa tarathi – he crosses (over the ocean of Maya)
Sa tarathi – he crosses (over the ocean of Maya)
Sa lokaa taarayathi – he also helps in the world (people in the world) crossing over.

Sutra Meaning
He crosses; he crosses over the ocean of Maya. He also helps in the world crossing over Maya.

We saw in the previous day as to Narada finally proclaiming that a person who renounces everything including the Vedas and develops ultimate devotion to the ultimate reality of Lord crosses over the ocean of Maya. Here Narada boldly says that such a person not only himself crosses over Maya but he helps in the world over crossing over. This means that such a person helps the people in the world to cross over. As proclaimed by Lord in Gita that a Mahatma’s activity in the world is only for the welfare of the world, the very presence of the Mahatma helps other people to get inspiration, work towards the goal and thereby crossing over the ocean of samsaara.

Is there any world for the Mahatma who has crossed over Maya? Can he perform any actions as actions are arising out of ignorance?
The world may or may not be there for a Mahatma. The state of a Mahatma cannot be explained in words as he has realized Brahman who is beyond words. We cannot really put in words the experience of a Mahatma but can only hint at it from the viewpoint of an ignorant person. The question itself shows that the questioner is in ignorance. Such a person who is in ignorance cannot apprehend the state of a Mahatma who is in knowledge even as a farmer cannot understand the state of Einstein. But in order to pacify the seeker who questions such futile questions, the scriptures explain it beautifully.

A person sees water in desert. He runs after water but doesn’t find it. Thereby he realizes that there was and there is no water in desert. After knowing that there is no water in desert, he might still see water in desert. But the knowledge that there is no water will help him in not running after water. Even if he runs after water along with the world, he will not be affected by the outcome of not finding water because he already knew that there is no water. Similarly once a Mahatma crosses over the ocean of samsaara, he might still see the world. But he knows that there is no world as the world is only an illusion of names and forms in the ultimate reality of Lord. Therefore he is not bound by the world or its objects. He might do actions like a worldly person even as we daily dream though we know there is no dream world. Such actions do not exist for the Mahatma as he knows that everything is an illusion. But ignorant people like us will see such a Mahatma performing actions because of our ignorance state. Any action performed by a Mahatma will be for the benefit of the world because he has overcome all actions. Even as a perfect actor will perform the role to perfection, the Mahatma will be doing actions to perfection keeping in mind the welfare of the world. This “welfare of the world” explanation is not from the perspective of the Mahatma as for him there is no world at all but this is from the perspective of the ignorant seeker.

Such Mahatma’s very presence will inspire us to seek the ultimate reality of Lord and enter into such a state. Thus the Mahatma will be instrumental in helping people of the world cross over the ocean of samsaara even as great actors like Aamir Khan, Kamal Hassan and others are instrumental in making fresh and new actors perform to perfection.

This aspect of a Mahatma helping others to cross over is not as important as the qualities enumerated which will help seekers like us to cross over Maya. With this, we come to the end of this third chapter of Narada Bhakthi Sutras. We will see a summary of this chapter in the next day and then enter into the four chapter.

Prostrations to all.

HARI AUM

Thanks
Hariram
Let a moment not pass by without remembering God

Chapter 3 Sutra 14 and 15

HARI AUM

Prostrations to all.

Sutra 14 –
Yo viviktha sthaanam sevathe, yo lokabandham unmoolayathi, nistraigunyo bhavathi, yogakshemam tyajathi

Word Meaning
Yo viviktha sthaanam sevathe – He who stays in a quiet place and in solitude,
Yo lokabandham unmoolayathi – he who removes all bondages from the world from the roots (fully),
(Yah) Nistraigunyo bhavathi – he who goes beyond the three gunas,
(Yah) Yogakshemam tyajathi – he who renounces both acquiring and maintaining,

(He crosses over Maya).

Sutra Meaning
He who stays in a quiet place (in solitude), he who removes bondages from the world, he m he who goes beyond the three gunas and he who renounces both good & bad, he crosses over Maya.

We saw in the previous sutra, Narada enumerating three qualities essential for crossing over Maya as renouncing all attachment, serving Mahatmas and being devoid of the attitude of “mine” (possession). Here Narada continues this enumeration by pointing out four more qualities.

It is able to fully renounce the world both internally and externally only when we are in a place which is quiet. Such solitude is essential in order to get out of the shackles of bondage with people and things. Internal solitude is what is to be ultimately aimed but such internal solitude is possible only through external solitude. Thus a person has to try to be in solitude. Such quiet and calm places make a person’s mind relax thereby making it easy to forget everything and contemplate on the Lord.

Attachment to things and people is due to considering the world to be real. Thus it is bondage to the world which causes attachment to people and things. Therefore it is essential to get rid of bondage to the world fully. Solitude will help a person to get rid of attachment and associations with the world (both of which lead a seeker to get more and more bonded to the world). Removing bondages from the world is nothing but knowing the world to be illusory and unreal. Even an avatar like Krishna couldn’t stay away from the world. As long as we are in the world, we have to bound to people and things. It is impossible to live in the world without external bondages. Thus what is important is internal non-bondage which is possible only through knowing and remembering that the world is only an illusion in the ultimate reality of Lord.

When we consider the world to be unreal, then we are not bind to the world. This non-binding will make us cease to have the three gunas which are the innate nature of the mind based on the surrounding and helping us to do activities. When a person knows the world to be unreal, all activities just happens – he is not attached to activities. As he is not attached to activities, there is no quality in the mind which forces such activities. Such a seeker is thus beyond the three gunas of sattva, rajas and tamas.

When a seeker is beyond the three gunas, he is not bound by activities. Thus such a person doesn’t bother about his well-being. Therefore he has renounced both acquiring things (desire to acquire things) and maintaining things (desire to maintain things). Such a person fully is beyond good and bad seeking in the world. He is ever immersed in contemplation of the Lord – as he is beyond the three gunas, he is not bound by fruits of actions leading to good and bad categorization of the fruits. Such a person alone gets rid of the bondage of Maya which causes duality and likes-dislikes to the duality. Likes and dislikes in turn causes good and bad fruits. A seeker who is devoid of seeking good or bad fruits is therefore not having likes-dislikes. Such a seeker considers the duality as a mere illusion of names and forms in the reality of Lord. Therefore he overcomes Maya.

We will continue with Narada’s enumeration in the next sutra the next day.

Sutra 15 –
Yah karmaphalam tyajathi karmaani sanyasyathi tatho nirdhvandhvo bhavathi

Word Meaning
Yah karmaphalam tyajathi – He who renounces craving for fruit of actions,
(Yah) karmaani sanyasyathi – he who renounces all actions
Tatah – therefore
Nirdhvandhvo bhavathi – becomes unaffected by dual notions like happiness-sorrow, cold-heat etc.

(He crosses over Maya).

Sutra Meaning
He who renounces craving for the fruits of actions, who renounces all actions and therefore becomes unaffected by dual notions of the world, he crosses over Maya.

Narada here continues the enumeration of qualities in a seeker which helps in crossing over Maya. The last quality that Narada mentioned was renouncing the idea of acquiring and maintaining. When a person is not bothered about yoga and kshema, he renounces the fruits of all actions. Renouncing the fruits of actions means that when a person does any activity, he is not craving for the fruit of the activity. He does actions because it happens. If by change an action doesn’t happen, then he is not affected. The person is not affected by the outcome of that action. Let’s say the action is applying for a job – if he gets the job, he doesn’t get over-excited; if he doesn’t get the job, and he doesn’t get sad. He remains as if he is not at all involved with the activity as he is unaffected by the outcome and isn’t craving for the fruits of the action.

Such non-craving and unaffected state of mind for the outcome of any action is possible only if the seeker is not the doer of the action. The doer of the action always has to be the enjoyer. If “I” do the action of typing the mail, then “I” will be the enjoyer of the outcome which might be appreciation mails or abusive mails. But the moment I cease to be affected by the outcome of the action, then I cease to the doer as well. Doer-ship and Enjoyer-ship both go hand in hand. We cannot have one without the other. Thus if a person is not the doer, then he is not affected by the fruit. If a person is not affected by the fruit, then he is not the doer.

This is as good as telling that “I” am not affected by the performance of the cricket team (reallyJ) because “I” am not part of the cricket team in any way thereby ceasing to the doer of any activity related to the cricket team. But if I am attached to the cricket team and do the activity of watching cricket, then I will be the enjoyer of the outcome of the cricket team’s performance.

Thus a person who is unaffected by the outcome of an action is the non-doer of the action. A devotee who wishes to cross over Maya will have to remain unaffected by the outcome of an action therefore has to renounce all actions. Here renouncing actions doesn’t mean “inactivity” or “non-activity” going to a forest and just sitting with closed eyes. This only means renouncing the notion of “doer-ship”. As long as “I” don’t identify myself with the doer of Ego, I am not doing any action. As long as I am not doing any action, I have renounced the craving for the fruit and am unaffected by the outcome of the action.

This unaffected and unattached state wherein the seeker renounces the doership and is thereby unaffected by the outcome is termed as saakshi bhaava or witnesshood in Vedanta. We are all in fact saakshi or witness of all activities as we are of the nature of Consciousness which is distinct from the doer of Ego. But due to ignorance, we mix the “I” Consciousness with “I” ego. Thereby starts doer-ship notion and attachment to fruits of actions. Thus when good happens, I become happy – when bad happens, I become sad. The moment we realize our nature of witness of all activities, we will be unaffected by activities and their outcome. This is the state where we are a mere witness to all activities even as the Sun is a mere witness to all activities on Earth. Such witness-hood will make us ever immersed in our nature of blissful Lord thereby ever rejoicing in the bliss inherent in each one of us.

When we are ever blissful, we will not be affected by the dual notions of the mind like happiness-sorrow, cold-heat as we are not doers to enjoy the fruit of any activity. Thus we overcome dhvandhva bhaava which causes most of the sorrow in the world. Therefore we will overcome the ocean of Maya characterized by likes-dislikes which in turn lead to the dhvandhva bhaava of the mind.

We will continue with Narada’s enumeration in the next day.

Prostrations to all.

HARI AUM

Thanks
Hariram
Let a moment not pass by without remembering God