Post by madanmohandas on Dec 22, 2023 7:11:39 GMT -6
Inspired by the essays of Cicero and Montaigne, it seemed an interesting thing to do. I post here as much of the content will versified quotes. Anyway I thought it would cool or expedient to form a collection of informal essays on any given subject in relation Vaishnava studies. These are the bare bones, but I want to keep them short and sweet as might be read at the breakfast table or waiting for a bus.
On Holy Association
Sadhu Sanga.
The root cause of Sri Krishnas' devotion,
Derives from holy association;
And when love of Krishna the soul attains,
As chief guiding principle it remains.
(CC.2.22.83)
The subject is of such vital importance that there have been numerous tracts, orations, citations, and volumes dedicated to it, examining the particulars of holy association, that one is at a loss to come up with any original ideas, but to make observations and cite relevant texts, of which there, as might be expected, a plenitude. By association there is a mutual influence, and birds of a feather flock together, and desires and attitudes are thus influenced, as Krishna says,
sangaat sanjaayate kaamah, From association springs desire.
(Gita.2.62)
For aspirants of devotion it has been naturally determined as a vital necessity to begin and maintain the disciplines of devotion in holy association. And even there, the best would be of like-mind, of similar aspirations (svajaatiya), and most importantly, affectionate and amiable (snigdha); and with superior learning and devotional experience (Paro). Sri Krishna thus recommends to Uddhava in Book Eleven,
Then evil attachments he should forsake,
By exercise of his keen intellect;
Then with holy ones fond attachment make,
Whose speech helps him all evils to forsake.
(SB.11..26.26)
Not only their speech, but their mere sight and presence has a salutary effect, as Sri Krishna points out to uncle Akrura,
The holy shrines are not without virtues,
And gods are divine in stone and statues;
But these take time the soul to purify,
Yet mere sight of sadhus doth sanctify.
(SB.10.48.31)
And the same mood, the king Pariksit honours the newly arrived on the scene, Suka muni,
Mere recollection of great ones like thee
Confers straightway on the home sanctity;
What of seeing, touching, washing thy feet,
Can be said, and of offering a seat?
(SB.1.9.33)
Shaunaka also observes the sanctifying effect of holy association in his discussion with Suta,
Sages, Suta, who at those feet remain,
Straightway by their company remove stain;
Whereas Ganga can but sin wash away,
By bathing in her current every day.
(SB.1.5.15)
What occasions the meeting with holy ones is not easy to determine, past pious deeds, luck, mercy, chance, who knows? Well the king Muchukunda expresses his insight while praising Sri Krishna,
What time the worldly wandering expires
Of a creature, good company acquires
Of Acyuta's devotees; then attains
Love for the Lord, the highest of all gains.
(SB.10.51.53)
The Bhagavata when looking into such causes often ambiguously states, 'yad-richayaa', somehow or other; which can be variously interpreted or left to its mystic ambiguity.
This self is not attained by much discourse,
Nor by study, nor intellectual force;
To whom the self chooses the self is shown,
And thus the nature of the self is known.
(Katha. 1.2.23. Mundaka. 3.2.3)
(To be continued)
…………….
On Hearing
Shravana sadhana
Hearing implies listening with deep attention to the songs and narratives celebrating Krishna's names and compound epithets, which is to say, descriptive appellations, such as Lotus-eyed Krishna, Demon-slayer, Radha's lover, Son of Nanda, Darling of Yashoda, etc. etc. And listening with rapt attention to the descriptions of his his beauty, qualities and exploits. Otherwise, Sri Suka makes the following observation,
O king of kings! Thousands of topics vain,
The common ear of man might entertain;
Blinded to the true doctrine of the self,
They stay engrossed in household life and pelf.
(SB.2.1.2)
Hearing is the first in the list of the nine disciplines of devotion;
'To hear of Vishnu, praise, and contemplate....etc.
It is a discipline in that it requires listening with an attentive ear and mind which enables the aspirant to imbibe the subject, giving rise to subjective and intuitive insight or realisations, which nourishes the devotional sentiment and enhances a fond regard for Hari katha.
Sri Krishna is said to be immensely fond of hearing his own glories, and abides as the indwelling monitor in the hearts of all beings. And so it is said,
His own accounts to Krishna are most dear,
And sanctify those who recite and hear;
Since in the hearts of pious ones he dwells,
And as their well-wisher, all taint dispels.
(SB.1.2.17)
Pariksit expresses his observation and realisation after hearing the initial lessons of Suka in the 2nd Canto. Although Krishna dwells already in the heart, in the narrative of his accounts he enters again through the ear, and so he observes,
He entering their lotus-hearts, appears,
As having gained ingress via the ears;
And as the Sharad season purifies
The rivers, Krishna the heart sanctifies.
(SB.2.5.8 )
Such being so, Shaunaka raises a rhetorical question, to encourage the aspirant and admonish the lax.
Who is there then that would not lend his ear,
The hallowed glory of the Lord to hear,
If he would pacify his mind and be
Free from the foul pollution of Kali?
(SB.1.1.6)
Otherwise,
I pity those for their iniquity,
That are averse to topics of Hari;
Due to the unwinking spirit of Time,
Not gaining aught, must undergo decline;
Their doctrines and their rituals are vain.
And from their cogitations reap no gain.
(SB.3.5.14)
How hearing accounts of Hari is the unfailing panacea to relieve the heat of existence, in the speech of the siddhas to Vishnu,
This sweet stream of ambrosia proceeds,
As the accounts of your glorious deeds;
Our minds submerged therein such joy conceive,
Like Brahmic bliss, which we would never leave;
As tuskers caught in conflagration dire,
Enter the river to avoid the fire.
(SB.4.7.35)
Apprehending the excellence of hearing Hari katha, Prithu raja submits the only boon he desires,
For salvation, dear Lord, I do not care,
At any time if I cannot find there
Thy foot-nectar, distilled within the heart,
Of great ones, who then from their mouths impart.
The blessing most worthy to me appears,
Is that thou might grant me a million ears!
(SB.4.20.24)
………………..
On Smarana Sadhana (De Memoriam)
Since forgetfulness of Krishna is said to be the cause of transmigratory existence in,
The souls forgetful of Krishna repine,
Have turned away since beginningless time,
And under Maya's potent influence,
Suffer the pain of worldly existence.
(CC.2.20. 117)
Such being so, it follows that the remedy for forgetfulness is to remember. But it might urged how? Is memory voluntary or involuntary? Well, generally it would seem to be the latter. But there is the practice of active remembrance, a focused thinking about; a kind of searching in the mind, rather than just waiting for a memory to pop up, and this would be the idea behind smarana sadhana, the discipline of remembering which is effected by hearing and chanting the name, beauty, qualities and exploits of Krishna.
The Bhagavatam eulogises the practice of 'avismrti' or remembering not to forget,
By practising the non-forgetfulness,
Of Krishna's lotus feet removes distress;
All inauspiciousness diminishes,
With an increase of all auspiciousness;
A living being is cleansed of all stain;
And doth devotion to the Lord attain,
With wisdom and with dispassion endued,
He thus achieves divine beatitude.
(SB.12.12.55)
Also in the 6th Canto Suka sums up his discourse, saying,
The men of Kali, fraught with foul disgrace,
As also substance, temp'rement and place;
Relief from sin and pollution can find,
By keeping Purushottama in mind.
(SB.6.11.)
Later on Krishna says to Uddhava,
O learned one, those who have fixed their mind
On me, and have other objects resigned;
Attain to the divine state of self-bliss;
How might vain sense pleasure compare with this?
(SB.11.14.12)
The freed kings sought instruction from Krishna on how to maintain constant contemplation in the midst of distraction,
Instruct us Lord, how we may ne'er forget,
Though here we are by worldliness beset,
And how your lotus-feet, despite of all,
We may fondly and constantly recall.
(SB.10.73.15)
Krishna's associates naturally always remember him as illustrated in,
Whether sitting, reclining or walking,
And in such acts as bathing and talking,
The Vrishnis of themselves were unaware,
Absorbed in dear Lord Krishna present there.
(SB.10.90.46)
A verse from Kulashekhara set in motion a train of references in relation to his supplication, which goes something like this,
I do not bow at your two feet Hari
To overcome worldly duality;
Nor to escape if I indeed should dwell,
And suffer affliction in boiling hell;
Nor with tender nymphs of heaven to play,
Nor in the divine Nandan garden stray.
But in each life-time that to me is due,
Within my heart may I remember you.
(Mukunda Mala. 6)
On Holy Association
Sadhu Sanga.
The root cause of Sri Krishnas' devotion,
Derives from holy association;
And when love of Krishna the soul attains,
As chief guiding principle it remains.
(CC.2.22.83)
The subject is of such vital importance that there have been numerous tracts, orations, citations, and volumes dedicated to it, examining the particulars of holy association, that one is at a loss to come up with any original ideas, but to make observations and cite relevant texts, of which there, as might be expected, a plenitude. By association there is a mutual influence, and birds of a feather flock together, and desires and attitudes are thus influenced, as Krishna says,
sangaat sanjaayate kaamah, From association springs desire.
(Gita.2.62)
For aspirants of devotion it has been naturally determined as a vital necessity to begin and maintain the disciplines of devotion in holy association. And even there, the best would be of like-mind, of similar aspirations (svajaatiya), and most importantly, affectionate and amiable (snigdha); and with superior learning and devotional experience (Paro). Sri Krishna thus recommends to Uddhava in Book Eleven,
Then evil attachments he should forsake,
By exercise of his keen intellect;
Then with holy ones fond attachment make,
Whose speech helps him all evils to forsake.
(SB.11..26.26)
Not only their speech, but their mere sight and presence has a salutary effect, as Sri Krishna points out to uncle Akrura,
The holy shrines are not without virtues,
And gods are divine in stone and statues;
But these take time the soul to purify,
Yet mere sight of sadhus doth sanctify.
(SB.10.48.31)
And the same mood, the king Pariksit honours the newly arrived on the scene, Suka muni,
Mere recollection of great ones like thee
Confers straightway on the home sanctity;
What of seeing, touching, washing thy feet,
Can be said, and of offering a seat?
(SB.1.9.33)
Shaunaka also observes the sanctifying effect of holy association in his discussion with Suta,
Sages, Suta, who at those feet remain,
Straightway by their company remove stain;
Whereas Ganga can but sin wash away,
By bathing in her current every day.
(SB.1.5.15)
What occasions the meeting with holy ones is not easy to determine, past pious deeds, luck, mercy, chance, who knows? Well the king Muchukunda expresses his insight while praising Sri Krishna,
What time the worldly wandering expires
Of a creature, good company acquires
Of Acyuta's devotees; then attains
Love for the Lord, the highest of all gains.
(SB.10.51.53)
The Bhagavata when looking into such causes often ambiguously states, 'yad-richayaa', somehow or other; which can be variously interpreted or left to its mystic ambiguity.
This self is not attained by much discourse,
Nor by study, nor intellectual force;
To whom the self chooses the self is shown,
And thus the nature of the self is known.
(Katha. 1.2.23. Mundaka. 3.2.3)
(To be continued)
…………….
On Hearing
Shravana sadhana
Hearing implies listening with deep attention to the songs and narratives celebrating Krishna's names and compound epithets, which is to say, descriptive appellations, such as Lotus-eyed Krishna, Demon-slayer, Radha's lover, Son of Nanda, Darling of Yashoda, etc. etc. And listening with rapt attention to the descriptions of his his beauty, qualities and exploits. Otherwise, Sri Suka makes the following observation,
O king of kings! Thousands of topics vain,
The common ear of man might entertain;
Blinded to the true doctrine of the self,
They stay engrossed in household life and pelf.
(SB.2.1.2)
Hearing is the first in the list of the nine disciplines of devotion;
'To hear of Vishnu, praise, and contemplate....etc.
It is a discipline in that it requires listening with an attentive ear and mind which enables the aspirant to imbibe the subject, giving rise to subjective and intuitive insight or realisations, which nourishes the devotional sentiment and enhances a fond regard for Hari katha.
Sri Krishna is said to be immensely fond of hearing his own glories, and abides as the indwelling monitor in the hearts of all beings. And so it is said,
His own accounts to Krishna are most dear,
And sanctify those who recite and hear;
Since in the hearts of pious ones he dwells,
And as their well-wisher, all taint dispels.
(SB.1.2.17)
Pariksit expresses his observation and realisation after hearing the initial lessons of Suka in the 2nd Canto. Although Krishna dwells already in the heart, in the narrative of his accounts he enters again through the ear, and so he observes,
He entering their lotus-hearts, appears,
As having gained ingress via the ears;
And as the Sharad season purifies
The rivers, Krishna the heart sanctifies.
(SB.2.5.8 )
Such being so, Shaunaka raises a rhetorical question, to encourage the aspirant and admonish the lax.
Who is there then that would not lend his ear,
The hallowed glory of the Lord to hear,
If he would pacify his mind and be
Free from the foul pollution of Kali?
(SB.1.1.6)
Otherwise,
I pity those for their iniquity,
That are averse to topics of Hari;
Due to the unwinking spirit of Time,
Not gaining aught, must undergo decline;
Their doctrines and their rituals are vain.
And from their cogitations reap no gain.
(SB.3.5.14)
How hearing accounts of Hari is the unfailing panacea to relieve the heat of existence, in the speech of the siddhas to Vishnu,
This sweet stream of ambrosia proceeds,
As the accounts of your glorious deeds;
Our minds submerged therein such joy conceive,
Like Brahmic bliss, which we would never leave;
As tuskers caught in conflagration dire,
Enter the river to avoid the fire.
(SB.4.7.35)
Apprehending the excellence of hearing Hari katha, Prithu raja submits the only boon he desires,
For salvation, dear Lord, I do not care,
At any time if I cannot find there
Thy foot-nectar, distilled within the heart,
Of great ones, who then from their mouths impart.
The blessing most worthy to me appears,
Is that thou might grant me a million ears!
(SB.4.20.24)
………………..
On Smarana Sadhana (De Memoriam)
Since forgetfulness of Krishna is said to be the cause of transmigratory existence in,
The souls forgetful of Krishna repine,
Have turned away since beginningless time,
And under Maya's potent influence,
Suffer the pain of worldly existence.
(CC.2.20. 117)
Such being so, it follows that the remedy for forgetfulness is to remember. But it might urged how? Is memory voluntary or involuntary? Well, generally it would seem to be the latter. But there is the practice of active remembrance, a focused thinking about; a kind of searching in the mind, rather than just waiting for a memory to pop up, and this would be the idea behind smarana sadhana, the discipline of remembering which is effected by hearing and chanting the name, beauty, qualities and exploits of Krishna.
The Bhagavatam eulogises the practice of 'avismrti' or remembering not to forget,
By practising the non-forgetfulness,
Of Krishna's lotus feet removes distress;
All inauspiciousness diminishes,
With an increase of all auspiciousness;
A living being is cleansed of all stain;
And doth devotion to the Lord attain,
With wisdom and with dispassion endued,
He thus achieves divine beatitude.
(SB.12.12.55)
Also in the 6th Canto Suka sums up his discourse, saying,
The men of Kali, fraught with foul disgrace,
As also substance, temp'rement and place;
Relief from sin and pollution can find,
By keeping Purushottama in mind.
(SB.6.11.)
Later on Krishna says to Uddhava,
O learned one, those who have fixed their mind
On me, and have other objects resigned;
Attain to the divine state of self-bliss;
How might vain sense pleasure compare with this?
(SB.11.14.12)
The freed kings sought instruction from Krishna on how to maintain constant contemplation in the midst of distraction,
Instruct us Lord, how we may ne'er forget,
Though here we are by worldliness beset,
And how your lotus-feet, despite of all,
We may fondly and constantly recall.
(SB.10.73.15)
Krishna's associates naturally always remember him as illustrated in,
Whether sitting, reclining or walking,
And in such acts as bathing and talking,
The Vrishnis of themselves were unaware,
Absorbed in dear Lord Krishna present there.
(SB.10.90.46)
A verse from Kulashekhara set in motion a train of references in relation to his supplication, which goes something like this,
I do not bow at your two feet Hari
To overcome worldly duality;
Nor to escape if I indeed should dwell,
And suffer affliction in boiling hell;
Nor with tender nymphs of heaven to play,
Nor in the divine Nandan garden stray.
But in each life-time that to me is due,
Within my heart may I remember you.
(Mukunda Mala. 6)