NAVA VIDHA BHAKTHI
Shrawanam
keertanam vishnoh smaranam padsevanam |
Archanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atmanivedanam ||
Archanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atmanivedanam ||
Ways of worshipping the supreme are many. Srimad Bhagavata
mentions nine important lakshnas (aspects) of devotion.
Repeated
hearing of the deeds of God (SRAVANAM), doing Japam or singing in praise of HIM
(KEERTHANAM), dwelling in His Leelaas (SMARANAM) Pouring Bhakthi onto His feet
and serving him (PAADA SEVANAM), performing pooja (ARCHANAM), prostrating
before him (VANDANAM), Serving him without Ego (DAASYAM), gaining his
friendship (SAKHYAM), surrendering totally unto HIM (AATHMA NIVEDANAM) are the
various forms of expressions of Bhakti. Bhakti ultimately enables all humans
beings to achieve the culmination of
human evolution (Mukthi).
Shravanam
: Hearing
stories of the god or heavenly virtues.
The story of the great
king Parikshith who attained moksha by listening to the glories of the supreme,
as told to him by Srisuka is the leading theme of Bhagavata. The kings days
were numbered, thanks to a curse. But he was fortunate to have the stories of
the Lord narrated to him by Srisuka. Continuously for seven days. At the end
his soul became one with the Lord. Takshaka. The serpent could only bite his
physical body which then turns into ash.
Keerthanam.: Admire and sing the songs of god and goodness.
Chanting of Lords
names, is inseparable from saint Narada. Narada. son of Brahma, was a poor
womans son during his earlier birth. Then as a small boy he had the opportunity
to serve and to be with four saints for four months. Love for the Supreme
developed in him and the saints blessed him with everlasting devotion. The
evermoving Narada. never stops chanting the names of Hari. Uninterrupted
chanting need not be the only way of worship. Narada once asked Lord Vishnu to
identify his most ardent devotee. Vishnu points out to a poor farmer. Narada's
curiosity takes him to the farmers house. To his surprise he noticed that the
farmer chanted 'Narayana' only twice during the day: once in the morning and
once in the evening. In between he was totally engrossed in his household
chore. Narada. perplexed, approached Vishnu to clear his doubt. Vishnu hands
over to Narada a vessel filled to the brim with oil. He was asked to go round
his usual way and come back at the end of the day. but with one condition. Not
a drop of oil should spill from the vessel. At the end of the day a jubilant
Narada returns with the oil intact. Vishnu has one question to ask him. How
many times did he chant 'Narayana'. Alas! since he started with the oil. he had
not uttered the name once. for he was fully concentrating on the oil pot. It
dawns on Narada, that the farmer, burdened with innumerable household-problems
remembered the Lord, atleast twice.
Smaranam: Remembering god and goodness.
The episode of Prahlada
depicts the importance of Smaranam. Prahlada is said to have received the knowledge of Vishnu while
he was in his mother's womb. when his mother was in Narada's ashram. As the
child grew up. his devotion for Vishnu also grew and it multiplied with even
obstruction his father. Hiranyakasipu created. He could even turn his
distractors mind towards Vishnu. Finally the Lord appears in the ferocious, awe
inspiring form of Narasimha. kills Hiranyakasipu. Only child Prahlada with his
devotion could calm the Lord and stop his distruction spree.
Padasevanam : Offering services to Godly places and godly
work.
Mahalakshmi the consort
of Mahavishnu is always at his feet serving him. While the milky ocean was
being churned by the Devas and Asuras for obtaining Amrut many objects like
Iravatha the elephant. 'Uchaisravasu' the horse. Parijatha tree deadly poison
'Kalakuda' etc. aroused out of it. Then standing on a fully blossomed lotus
flower Mahalakshmi appeared. Holding a garland of celestial flowers, she moved
towards Lord Vishnu and garlanded him and the Lord accepted her as his consort.
Sri Rama Padama http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uJXuOs3kOk
Archanam :
Performing pooja or offering decorations and comforts to god and good
people.
Archanam
is the offering to the Lord of flowers, water, leaves or anything that one is
capable of. The story of Kind Indradyumna who was cursed by Saint Agastya to
become an elephant and later attained moksha by offering lotus (lowers to the
Lord is well known. The strong, proud elephant was feared and respected by
every one in the forest. In the lake he was caught in the hind leg by a
crocodile: who again is a gandharva victim of a curse. The elephant slowly
loses all his followers and his pride. As he was being pulled deep into the
water, he plucked the lotus flowers with his trunk and offered them to the
Lord, with full devotion. Lord Vishnu with his consort comes on his vehicle
Garuda. Jumping out cuts the crocodile with his discus Sudarshana pulls out the
elephant with one hand. The crocodile attains the original form of the Gandhrva
and the elephant takes the form of Vishnu himself, that is Sarupya Mukti.
Sharanam bhava http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLrwWI7Z3kA
Vandanam : paying obeisance to
the lord.
King ‘Uttanapada's son
by his first wife was reprimanded b\ his stepmother for sitting on his father's
lap. Unable to suffer further humiliation, the small boy. with the consent of
his mother goes to the forest to do deep penance. On the way Saint Narada gives
him advice. As the penance became harder and harder the elect was felt by the
Devas. All his senses w ere cut from the external world to such an extent that
when the Lord appeared before the boy he did not see him. Only when the Lord
temporarily disappeared from his minds eye did Dhruva notice the Lord standing
before him. Touching the boy's cheek with his celestial conch Vishnu blesses
him. The boy comes back to the kingdom for a happy re-union.
Dasyam : Selfless and uninterrupted services to god.
Uddhava was Krishna's
prime minister and his most trusted lieutenant. Uddhava was Krishna's emissary
to the Gopis and Gopalas of Vrindavan. He got a chance to understand their
devotion towards Krishna and it further increased his humility. Later just
before the last days of Krishna: after the destruction of the Yadhava dynasty.
Krishna speaks to Uddhava for a long long time akin to the advice he gave to
Arjuna at the Kurukshetra. Before parting. Krishna gives his padukas (footwear)
to Uddhava as a memento. As directed. Uddhava sets forth to Badri Ashram at the
foot hills of Himalaya. A chance meeting between Uddhava and Vidura. old lime
friends and both devotees of Krishna brings back the memories of their past
spent in the service of Lord Krishna.
Sakhyam : Making
friendship with god,without material expectations.
Sudama. also known as
Kuchela was Krishna's classmate at saint Sandeepani's Gurukulam. As a poor
householder unable to make both ends meet. Sudama. proded by his wife visits
Krishna. Flabbergasted at the welcome and engrossed in the reveries of the
gurukula days neither did Sudama speak nor did Krishna ask about his living
condition. Yet when the Lord partook the beaten rice brought by Sudama. he had
bestowed his blessings on the family.
Bhavathi vivaso http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKNAY9amqyo
Atma
Nivedanam : Offering one's everything to god
without leaving back anything.
The story of the asura
king Mahabali is an example of absolute surrender to the Lord. Ball's guru
Sukracharya dissuades him from gifting the land asked b\ Vamana. Taking the
form of a bee he even tries to stop sanctifying the gift by slopping the flow
of water from pooja vessel. But Mahabali with full devotion offers himself at
the feet of the Lord. Lord Vishnu as Trivikrama. Ordains Mahabali as the ruler
of Sutala. which even excels Surga. The Lord as Vamana is said to be standing
in guard at the gates of Mahabali's palace.
