Srimad Narayaneeyam, A Little Introduction (M.P.R.Nair)

Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya:

NARAYANEEYAM, A LITTLE INTRODUCTION

                The story goes that one day lord Vishnu gave Brahma Dev an image of Narayana. The image was made of a very rare material called Pathala Anjana Sila. Lord Brahma gave it to Sage Sutapas. The Sage handed it over to Kasyapa Prajapati. He gave it to Srimad Vasudev, the father of Sree Krishna. Sree Krishna got it from His father and it was installed and worshipped at Dwaraka. Just before Swargarohana, at the end of Dwapara Yuga, Lord Krishna told His minister and devotee, Srimad Udhava, that this image would come floating in the sea that would engulf Dwaraka. Srimad Udhava was instructed to request Brihaspati, the Deva Guru, to install the image at a suitable place so that it would help the spiritual uplift and salvation of people suffering from the adverse effects of the coming Kaliyuga. Accordingly, Deava Guru Brihaspati collected this Divine Image and along with Vayu, the Wind-God, went all around the world to select a suitable spot. Finally, at the direction of Lord Siva, installed it at a place twenty five kilometers to the North-West of Trissur, in Kerala State in India. Since Guru and Vayu installed the image together, the place came to be known as Guruvayoor.

            

According to the story told in the ‘Guruvayupura Mahatmyam’, this Temple of Guruvayoor had thus its origin in the beginning of Kaliyuga, that is about 5, 100 years ago. King Janamejaya, the son of King Pareekshit, the grandson of Pandavas, was afflicted by leprosy, as a result of the curse of serpents. It is said that that he got his disease cured after long years of worship of the Lord of Guruvayoor as advised by Sage Atreya. Later, a Pandya King built a good temple for the Lord of Guruvayoor, as he escaped from a snake-bite as foretold by Astrologers during his pilgrimage to Guruvayoor. Historically, the temple dates back only from the 17^th century, by which time the temple came into great prominence. The glory of the temple of Guruvayoor came into more lime light mainly due to five great saintly devotees. These five devotees, who lived in the 16^th or 17^th century, were Vilwamangalam Swamiyar, Kurooramma, Poonthanam Namboodiri, Mana Vikrama Raja and Melppathoor Narayana Bhattathiri. Panamaram, Manjula etc., were also there to add their own share to the saturated devotion at Guruvayoor. Of all these, Melppathoor Narayana Bhattathiri , born in Melppathoor Illam situated on the east of Chandanakkavu Temple near Ponnani in Malappuram District, 450 years ago, in the year 1560 C E (Malayalam Year-735), by his great and scholarly poetical hymn, the NARAYANEEYAM, and his miraculous recovery from a crippling paralysis , has immortalized the temple of Guruvayoor. He was the second son of Mathrudathan Bhattathiri, a great scholar and priest. The father taught him Mimamsa and various other Sasthras. His elder brother Damodaran taught him Logic or Tarka Sasthra. He also learned Vedas, Astronomy, Maths etc., from one Madhavacharya. He married around the age of 20, the niece of Trikandiyoor Achutha Pisharodi, a celebrated Grammarian. The young Narayana, after marriage lead a profligate life of sensual enjoyment for some time.

                One day, the great Achutha Pisharodi scolded him in the presence of his students for his irreligious life. It touched his heart very much and as a result he, then and there, accepted Pisharadi as his Guru. He learned Sanskrit Grammar from him. This was a turning point in Bhattathiri’s life. He was in his prime youth but his outlook in life was completely changed. He became a serious student and never cared for his physical comforts, though he was very young. During this time Achutha Pisharodi fell a victim to a serious attack of paralysis and suffered unbearable pain. Bhattathiri, the devoted disciple, could not bear the sufferings of his Guru. He therefore fervently prayed that the disease of his Guru, may be transferred to him and his Guru freed of the sufferings. The Lord was pleased and Bhattathiri accepted the ‘karam vipaka dana’ by which the sins of his Guru were transferred to him. It happened as he prayed and soon, while Pisharodi recovered, the disease made Bhattathiri a crippled person. The pain was excruciating. Sitting ‘Bhajanam’ in the temple of Guruvayoor was considered as a sure cure for paralysis and so Bhattathiri went to Guruvayoor for ‘bhajan’ along with his younger brother. During the 100 days of Bhajanam at the temple of Guruvayoor, he summarized the entire Bhagavatha Purana as ‘Narayaneeyam’. Every day he composed 10 verses and since he was severely debilitated, each composed verse, when recited was written down by his brother. Almost every verse, except the first two dasakas, until his Darshan of Bhagavan, ends with a prayer to the Lord of Guruvayoor to cure him of his illness. He requested his Lord to remove his disability so that he might walk to the temple with his legs and do pooja to the Lord, with his hands. It was with complete dedication, total surrender at the Lotus Feet of the Lord and with full Divine Providence, he began his poem. In the very beginning, the author introduces the subject to readers by establishing the identity of Lord Guruvayoorappan with Brahman, and invokes that Supreme Power. The first verse itself extols, how it is couched in a ‘samajjasa sammelan’ of beauty and devotion, equally mixed together to make it truly nectarine and sublime:

                “ Sandranandavabodhathmaka manupamitham kaldesavadhibhyam……..jananam”, meaning:

There shines in grandeur, in the temple of Guruvayoor, the Lord, in truth and in reality, in the form of joy of ecstasy and jnana. It appears at first as a mere image, but on contemplation reveals itself to be the condensed essence of Consciousness- the Supreme Brahman, the ‘Sakshal Parabrahma”. HE is the ultimate end of all human endeavors. HE is non-comparable, ever beyond the limitations of time, space and measure. HE is extremely free from Maya, and whose nature, the numerous texts of Vedas seek to reveal. HE is the source of liberation through Purusharthas, to seekers. Wonderful indeed, is the fortune of mankind (to visit HIM at Guruvayoor)- ‘Hantha Bhagyam Janananm’. The last 3 words of the first verse, ‘Hantha- Bhagyam- Jananam’, are immortalized since they are inscribed at the entrance of the Shrine and we can see them there even now. All the remaining verses, one by one, are equally or even more beautiful. It may be noted with the deepest indebtedness in this context that while 330 billions of gods (muppathimukkodi devathakal) are waiting in queue in Vaikuntam, the original colorful abode of the Lord, to have a glimpse of a His Darshan for a moment, we can have it here at Guruvayoor, lavishly in abundance for hours together, if you want even almost always. Even the gods feel jealous of us. It is really, ‘Hantha Bhagyam Jananam’!!!! . We are lucky. Since it is the original Image that is kept in Guruvayoor, Guruvayoor is famed as ‘Bhooloka Vaikuntam’.

Narayaneeyam is his masterpiece. It is like a condensed form of famous Bhagavatha Purana. The subject matter of the extensive Bhagavatha is summarized and re-cast in Narayaneeyam, in his original, inimitable and elegant style. Srimad Bhagavatham carries 18, 000 verses, but they are condensed to 1036 verses in Narayaneeyam, divided into 100 dasakas in 12 Catos. Each dasakam carries approximately of 10 slokas. Both as a poem (kavya) and as a devotional hymn, Narayaneeyam occupies a very high and top place in Sanskrit literature. Unlike other hymns, it also exposes more great truths of Vedanta. It is a rare literary masterpiece in Sanskrit, using as many as 18 meters, and poetic devices for creating sound effects through Anuprasa, Yamaka, different allegories etc., and also using effective figures of speech, puns, witticisms and the like.

‘Kaliyamarddanam’, ‘Rasacreeda’ etc., are some of the examples of his marvelous pieces of poetic beauty. It is also a rare hymn of devotion, probably the longest hymn in Sanskrit. As a literary piece it is pre-eminent. As a unique hymn, saturated with Divine Bhakthi, it is unparalleled. In addition to being a devotional work, Srimannarayaneyam contains the gist of all Upanishads and is therefore a work of great significance from the Vedantic point of view also. He has transformed sublime philosophy into scintillating poetry. We cannot imagine the audacity of a young man in his twenties, attempting a summary of Devarshi Vyasa’s Srimad Bhagavatham in Sanskrit hymns, with such a literary beauty, devotional content, and Vedantic insight.

                On the 100^th day Bhattathiri had a vision of the Lord in the form of Venugopala, with exquisite beauty and grandeur. The 100^th Dasaka composed on that day gives a graphic description of the Lord, as he saw in his vision, from Bhagavan’s head to foot. It really defies description. It is known as the famous ‘Kesadipada Varnana’ of the Lord. The 100^th Dasaka starts beautifully with the verse:

“Agre pashyami thejo nibidda thara kalayavalee……..mandalaischa.” , meaning:

I see before me with my mortal eyes, a bluish radiance excelling the beauty of kayampoo flowers. It is like a most attractive ‘teja punjam’-radiant light; I feel like bathed in nectar or amrt. In the midst of that radiating luster, I see the Divya Tejas of a child, a budding youth, with resplendent beauty and grace. I feel really astonished and wondered to see His ornamented and most beautiful ‘anga-prathyangas’. I also witness Naradadi Rishis, (1008) Upanishads in the form of Apsarasses, around His ‘Prabha Mandalam’. Until that time he was appealing to the Lord at the end of every verse to cure his disease. After the wonderful Darshan, he forgot that request throughout the slokas in the last and the 100^th Dasaka, not knowing himself that he was free from the incurable disease and was hale and healthy. He submitted his precious gift of Narayaneeyam, at the Lotus Feet of the Lord, in November 1586 (28^th Vrischikam 762, Sunday, Malayalam Year), as denoted by the kaliyuga samkhya word, ‘ayurarogyasoukhyam’, seen as the last word in the last sloka of Narayaneeyam, at the young age of 27. In commemoration of this great event, we celebrate ever since gratefully, 28^th Vrischikam of every year as ‘Narayaneeyam Day’. Somehow or other, the book reached readers’ accessibility only in the year AD 1851. It is believed that he lived a healthy life at the ripe old age of 106 and wrote many more Sanskrit works on Grammar and Devotional hymns and acclaimed by many Scholars as ‘Abhinava VedaVyasa’. Some historians affirm that he must have lived at least up to the age of 86. The immortal composition Narayaneeyam is so named for two reasons, as mentioned by the poet himself in the last verse of the last dasaka. First, it is due to glorifying Lord Narayana, and secondly it is composed by Narayana Bhattathiri.

                Unlike in Vyasa Maha Bhagavatham, here the poet himself is the speaker, who sings before Lord Guruvayoorappan, in a sublime tune about His glories and prays to Him, in person. It is unique that in a temple within our reach, witnessed by hundreds of people like us, Bhagavan cured an incurable disease of His devout Bhaktha. This proves that He is Immanent and Omni Powerful. The temple is full of saturated Divine Power. It is no wonder that every day Bhakthas are getting new experiences from there. Hearing the ‘Parayana’ or reading of Narayaneeyam is also believed to possess the wonderful power of healing of illness, both mental and physical, of Devotees. The ‘Nithya Parayana’ of Narayaneeyam is supposed to give ‘ayurarogya soukhyam’ to its listeners. Dedicated to the ardent service at the Lotus Feet of Narayana, the presiding Deity of Guruvayur, Brahmasri Melppathoor Narayan bhattathiri, who gave the world this great devotional Hymn, ‘Srimad Narayaneeyam’ is really a ‘Maha Purush’. His devotion is unshakable. He is affectionate to his fellow beings. He wants to reveal to them, the greatness and superiority of his self-chosen path of Devotion to the Lord, so that they are also encouraged to adopt the same path for God-Realization. Inspired by an incessant flow devotion to the Lord, the poet’s thoughts and feelings find eloquent expression in theses holy verses in praise of His Sportive Incarnations, aswell. Narayaneeyam is truly an outstanding monument to Bhattathiri’s deep insight in Vedanta.

Narayaneeyam has been translated into different languages , including Tamil. Narayaneeya Sapthaham, like Bhagavatha Sapthaham, is conducted in Guruvayoor Temple by Devaswom invariably on every Narayaneeyam Day. Devotees also arrange to conduct Sapthaham and many other poojas based on Narayaneeyam, as offerings to God. In certain other temples and in many houses, they are used to conduct ‘Narayaneeya Parayanam’ in different places on several occasions. Besides being a general prayer, it also works in certain places as a panacea for all ailments mostly with impairment or loss of motor functions of nerves. Innumerable devotees flock at the Guruvayoor Temple and offer worship to the Lord, reciting this hymn of prayer in the firm hope, belief, and trust that they would be cured of all their ailments. ‘Narayaneeya Archana’ or even ‘Kesadipadavarna Archana’ is supposed to be a panacea for rheumatism. The increase in the number of devotees, day by day, in hundreds of thousands, in Guruvayoor, is clear evidence that Bhagavan answers their prayers favorably in time. HE will never leave His Bhakthas in trouble, who resort to ‘Sharanagathy’.

Padaravindame Saranam, Guruvayoorappa Saranam.

“ Swasthi prajabhyam, paripalayantham,

         Nyayena marggena, mahim maheesha,

         Go Brahmanebhya, Shubhamasthu nithyam,

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu”

Sreemad Bhagavatha Mahathmyam.- Eleventh and Twelfth Skandas :

Eleventh and Twelfth Skandas :

1024. Detachment comes from contemplation.
1025. When you feel detached from each and every object in this world, it means you have developed devotion to God.
1026. So long as God remains away from your body, there will be a bad smell for the body.
1027. By merely thinking about godly men you can become free from all sins.
1028. Man’s natural tendency is to live a bestial life in younger days. So try to get rid of your beastliness under the supervision of a Guru.
1029. Don’t talk much. Try to observe silence at least for three hours daily.
1030. Misuse of tongue (words) and hands (actions) is a great offence against God.
1031. Do not condemn the faith of other religions.
1032. Pray daily without fail.
1033. The body has its origin from desire. So the paths of Yoga and Knowledge are not suitable for God–realization in Kaliyuga. Chanting the Names of God is the simplest and most effective means for this in Kaliyuga.
1034. Almost everyone possesses theoretical knowledge. But only virtuous persons can translate that knowledge into their life.
1035. Try to speak sweetly; and keep a cool temperament.
1036. It is a sin to think about the sins of others.
1037. Don’t get elated by gains or dejected by losses.
1038. Give help to others as the Sun does. But never feel proud about doing so.
1039. Don’t cry when someone dies. You must cry only to get God.
1040. Don’t get entangled in sorrows and pleasures. Try to remain happy in any event.
1041. Man, who is now Nara can become Narayana if he tries for that.
1042. Man and woman engaged in spiritual practices should necessarily avoid mutual company
1043. Give away your wealth instead of amassing it.
1044. The main thing that causes man’s downfall is his tongue. He who has his tongue under control will get God also under his control.
1045. Your desire for enjoyment of pleasures is the cause for all your sorrows.
1046. Learn innocence from children.
1047. Don’t entertain desire for pleasures.
1048. Peace of mind is alien to those who live in cities. Therefore, holy men should live in solitude.
1049. God creates, protects and destroys everything by His Maya (delusive power)
1050. Even birds and animals are uplifted by the company of Holy men. Therefore, avoid the company of lustful people.
1051. Idle talk is a great sin. Speak only with measured words.
1052. Penance is the name of giving up desires. Giving up tendencies is Chivalry. Meditation of God is Truth. Righteousness is the greatest Wealth. A pundit is on who knows the path to reach God. He who translates his knowledge into life is Wise. He who installs ego in his intellect is Ignorant. One who is rich in his good qualities is the really rich man. That which is subordinate to Maya is soul. One who is always happy is the really wealthy man. One who is always unhappy is the destitute. One who has the senses under his control is God. The brave is one who has destroyed all his internal foes. A true Bhakta is he who does not entertain even the slightest degree of contempt against anyone.
1053. Human body is most sacred. If you don’t get the good fortune for the company of holy men, don’t get disappointed. But you must strictly avoid the company of worldly men. The duty of avoiding the company of worldly men is yours.
1054. Don’t be exulted by praises. So also don’t get dejected by insults. One who cannot bear insult is a weakling. One who insults you is really your well-wisher.
1055. Don’t get into the problems of others unnecessarily. Try to uplift yourself first.
1056. It is difficult to please the world; it is not so difficult to please God.
1057. Everyone knows that the last journey has to be performed alone. Nevertheless, man cannot live without woman, and woman cannot live without man. What a paradox?
1058. At the time of death, man should think only about the God’s form. God will then convert that man into His own form.

1059. Pathitha skhalitha schaartha:Kshuthwa vaa vivashofbruvanHaraye nama: ithychai:muchyathe sarva pathakaath.(When you are falling down, when you commit errors , when extreme sorrow befalls you, when you are sneezing and when you are tired, loudly say “Sri Haraye Nama:” (Prostrations to Sree Hari); then you are freed from all sins and you attain God-realization
1060. Bhave Bhave yathaa Bhakti: paadayosthava jaayathe,
Thathaa kurushwa devesha: naathasthwam no yatha: prabho.
Naamasankeerthanam yasya sarva papa pranaashanam
Pranaamo du:khasamana: tham namaami Harim param.
(Oh! God of all Gods! You are our Master and sole protector. Do unto us, that by which we can get unflinching devotion to your Holy Feet. We prostrate before Lord Hari, the chanting of whose names destroys all our sins and prostration before whom mitigates all our sorrows.)
[Thus the translation of Bhagavatha Dharmam by Shri: PNB Nair ends here.]

It contains 1060 Suthras (Axioms)which bring out the essence of Srimad Bhagavatham. Bhagavatha Dharmam is not a verbatim interpretation of Srimad Bhagavatham. Bhagavatha Dharmam is really the Devotee (Bhakthan), the Devotion (Bhakthi) and the Deva(Bhagavan)(the Supreme Truth). It shows the interrelation among theses three. It explains the Devotional duties through which mortal beings could be rid of all fears. The observance of this Bhagavatha Dharmam is the very essence of Srimad Bhagavatham and it will take one to the ultimate goal of God Realization.]

HARI OM THAT SAT                           HARI OM THAT SAT

Sreemad Bhagavatha Mahathmyam -Tenth Skandha(Second half):

Tenth Skandha(Second half):

996. This world is never bad. It is your polluted mind that sees the world as bad.
997. So long as the mind contains emotions and tendencies, it will remain polluted. Mind will get purified insofar as these emotions and tendencies are controlled.
998. Tightly hold the holy feet of God well before your body is invaded by the disabilities due to old age and time.
999. In old age, people lie in the sick bed for seventeen days and die on the eighteenth day.
1000. The sorrows of birth, old age and death are your own creations.
1001. You must learn the secret of action and give up all actions before actions themselves give you up. When you give up all actions, you become surrendered to God.
1002. There are two rules which man should necessarily observe:-(1) Give up sins; and (2) Perform good actions.
1003. A man breathes 21600 times a day. So if he can recite on name of God along with each breath, his life will be fulfilled without doubt.
1004. When you are fifty years old, know that death has already occupied half of your body.
1005. Giving the senses whatever worldly objects that the body needs for its upkeep is using them. But giving the senses whatever they ask for the sake of sensual enjoyment is misusing them. Those who misuse wealth and strength are Daityas(Demons).Those entrapped in fashion-related tendencies are merely misusing their time and money.
1006. (i) Lakshmi is the name of money acquired through all means, fair as well as foul .That money is used for good causes as well as for enjoyment of pleasures.(ii) Maha Lakshmi is the name of money acquired through rightful employment based on eligibility and other righteous means .That money is used only for noble purposes.(iii) Alakshmi is the name of money acquired only through sinful means. That is used only for the enjoyment of sensual pleasures. That money will continue to give disturbance and restlessness to man.
1007. Don’t enter into a marriage as a slave to the senses. You should marry only with full control over the senses.
1008. Listen to the stories of Lord Krishna over and over again. He will attract your mind and make it His own.
1009. If the wife is virtuous, her husband will be free from sorrows.
1010. Speak only what you think in your mind. Try to maintain unity of your words and deeds.
1011. Treat Lakshmi(goddess of wealth) as your mother and worship at home. That will make you happy. If you try to become Lakshmi’s master, you will be beaten by the broomstick of Alakshmi.
1012. Don’t be under the control of your innate nature. Rather, keep it under your control. Innate nature will be cultured by positive actions, thoughts about God, recital of God’s names, company of godly men, reading of good books etc.
1013. First ensure that your mind is cultured. Then only you should start to advise the world. If your own inner self gets satisfaction from your actions, it shows that your innate nature has been cultured.
1014. If Veda Mantras get into the hands of sensuous people, they will interpret the Mantras according to their convenience, by giving opposite meanings.
1015. If Brahmacharis come to your house, receive them respectfully.
1016. The soul becomes restless in old age.
1017. If there is difference of opinion at home, go on a pilgrimage.
1018. Destitution is not a misfortune. Forgetting God in destitution is the greatest misfortune
.1019. One who eats food without sharing it with others will become destitute.
1020. Give up all your enmities and tendencies before death. Tendencies will cause rebirth.
1021. If man will think about death often, he cannot commit sins.
1022. Desire (for worldly pleasures) is a strong impediment to Bhakti.
1023. If a man’s food is impure, his prayer will also be impure.

Sreemad Bhagavatha Mahathmyam -Tenth Skandha(First Half)

Tenth Skandha(First Half)

803. Husband and wife should love each other. But mere physical attachment is not love. Today the word “love” has been corrupted very much. When you are governed by emotions and tendencies, you cannot realize the value of true love. A life without love is delusion.
804. A yogi will not become a rogi.(sick) If a yogi gets some disease, it means that he has erred in the path of Yoga.
805. A thoughtful man should think of Lord Krishna only at all times. If a man goes into a trance, with eyes wide open, while sitting in meditation, that condition is genuine Samadhi
.806. A true Bhakta does not fear death. He will welcome death with pleasure.
807. He is true Bhakta, who sees his own faults and praises the merits of others.
808. The body of the one who makes others happy by the purity of his thoughts, words and actions will naturally become the abode of God.
809. There are many obstacles in the path of Jnana(knowledge). Self realization will be possible only through total renunciation and control of all the eleven senses.
810. If you receive the blessings of all, there will be God’s presence in your house. Don’t make cause for any one to criticize you.
811. Respect everyone. The greatest gift that we can give to anyone is respect. In truth, all beings are different manifestations of God. With this conviction, we must respect all.
812. Take care to see that actions of others do not disturb your peace of mind.
813. Avoid all actions that may cause unhappiness to others.
814. If God is in your mind, you will forget hunger and thirst.
815. Pure body and mind are nothing but Mathura and Gokul.
816. There will be no injustice in the kingdom of God. Whatever happens there will be just and fair.
817. Pilgrimage to holy places is good. But along with that it should be ensured that our body and mind are also kept as pure as the holy places.
818. When Lord Sri Krishna is residing in your mind there will be no trace of unhappiness in it.
819. The best time for meditation of God is Brahma muhurtha( one-and-a –half hours prior to sun-rise).It is necessary to do meditation for at least half an hour during this period. If you do this regularly for twelve years, you will have the experience of God.
820. God has given you wealth in order to spend it for poor- feeding and other noble purposes.
821. Mahatmas (great men) cannot be tested on the basis of their caste or creed. Their greatness is in their eyes and thoughts.
822. When four eyes meet at one place, you experience Ananda(Bliss)
823. Ordinary beings remain separate from God. So they are afflicted by fear.
824. When you see friends don’t tell them about your comforts. Only enquire about their comforts
.825. When you return from distant places bring something special for God. If you do so your life at that place will have the fragrance of Bhakti.
826. There is no other thing as sacred as Jnana(knowledge).Bhakti comes out of pure Jnana.
827. Look at women not as mere females, but as the images of Parasakti. (Superior cosmic power.)
828. When the desire for enjoying unrighteous and unlawful pleasures arises in you, and you eat food merely for satisfying the taste of your tongue, take it that Poothana (not pure) is dominating your tongue.
829. When your mind finds pleasure in listening to dreadful and wanton conversation, it means that Poothana is dominating your ears.
830. If you pay more attention to the leather (Body), you will become a cobbler in your next birth. Therefore, instead of wasting time for pampering the body, worship God as much as possible.
831. The one whose mind is poisonous and body alone is beautiful, she is Poothana. The one whose appearance is beautiful while actions are cruel, she is Poothana. The one who praises anyone on seeing face to face, but insults later on is Poothana.
832. Don’t be deluded by the external beauty of a person and believe that person to be pure internally too.
833. As man is a heap of tendencies, his downfall is quick. Poothana makes her appearance through the eyes.
834. When we are able to see God in everything, then only we can derive the joy of ‘seeing’.
835. Jiva (the soul) is egotistic Even though there is nothing of its own, poor thing! It takes pride in everything.
836. Wishing happiness to others is the characteristic of true devotees of God
.837. One who,by the grace of God, is able to see God in everything, will be accepted by the Goddess of Bhakti as her own.
838. Jiva (the soul) has no right to deal with Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth). If it does so, Lakshmi will vanish immediately.
839. Cow’s urine purifies everything. Drinking and bathing in cow’s urine will eradicate diseases. It is useful for purifying the mind also. By drinking cow’s urine 108 times you get relief from all sins. Do this for six months.
840. If you waste your time on ‘fashion’ and allied bad habits, you cannot progress in the path of Bhakti.
841. On festival days, make good use of your thoughts, words and seeds. Think of God for a longer time than usual. Give food to the poor. Invite holy men to your house, pay them respects and offer them food and clothing.
842. ‘Poor and destitute’ are the children of God. We should be ashamed to call them so. Whatever we give them should be given with humility and respect, fixing our eyes on the ground.
843. If the desire to receive arises in you, it is called Moha (delusion). If your desire is always to give, that is called Prema(love)
844. If you misuse your wealth, Lakshmi( goddess of wealth will forsake you.
845. There is a golden opportunity in everybody’s life when luck becomes favourable. Without wasting that occasion, give all that you have to your fellow creatures lavishly and spread the message of universal love. If luck is not in your favour, you cannot earn anything however much you desire to do so.
846. God will be pleased if you pay your homage to holy men and Brahmins.
847. Married life is not for enjoyment. On the contrary, it should be used for the worship of God. If the chariot of marriage goes astray, it will topple down.
848. If importance is given for carnal pleasures, know that the chariot is going astray. Even after realizing that you are moving in the opposite direction, if you continue the same path, the chariot will definitely fall into deep pit.
849. If the memory of anything comes to your mind when you are about to sleep at night, that is the thing in which your mind finds more pleasure. The mind of a greedy person finds pleasure in wealth while that of a lustful person in women. What gives more pleasure to your mind in the waking state, that you will see in your dream also. A man’s character can be determined from the dreams he sees.
850. A right seeker gets his first vision of God in his dreams.
851. Recite the names of God while cooking your food. Sing the sweet songs on Krishnabhakti(devotion to Lord Krishna) melodiously.
852. While performing your duties maintain your devotion also. This is known as Maryada bhakti( limited devotion)
853. God will appear before you in any form. So you must respect everyone. If not you will be deceived.
854. Those who waste money for carnal pleasures are Rakshasas.(demons)
855. God will never part with a true spiritual seeker. But God will forsake those who are not sincere in spiritual practices. Anyone who takes pride in his spirituality will also be forsaken by God. So be careful not to take pride in your spiritual practices.
856. If you are not able to detach yourself from worldly bonds during your life time, it would not be possible after death also.
857. The world is wonderful. What you can see with your eyes closed is the world. The world that is deep-rooted in your mind is a strong impediment.
858. Bhakti(devotion) cannot reach perfection without Bhavana (imagination).
859. Your mind does not part with you even in your death.
860. The mind becomes free from all thoughts when you are in deep sleep. That is why you get the experience of happiness during sleep.
861. The mind exists because of its thoughts on worldly objects. There fore, when worldly objects are forsaken, the mind ceases to exist.
862. The mind always needs a support. There fore, withdraw the mind from negative thoughts and lead it to positive thoughts.
863. Yoga is difficult for pleasure-mongers. First pre-requisite for Yoga is celibacy. He who acts contrary to this principle will be afflicted by serious diseases leading to disaster.
864. Do not show hatred towards anyone in this world.
865. Give up the desire to enjoy worldly pleasures.
866. A spiritual seeker should not get involved in the mesh of unnecessary arguments. Thinking of worldly objects is the practice of mind from time immemorial. Induce that mind to listen to the stories and think of Lord Krishna. When the nectar of Sri Krishna’s stories falls on your ears, thoughts of worldly objects will automatically disappear.
867. Your senses being Gopis, join them with Lord Krishna.
868. Time will deceive you once. At that time you will have to leave your house with tears. Those who know this truth will, renounce the house well in time.
869. Like YasodDevi(Foster-mother of Lord Krishna)you should try to see God even while performing your normal duties.
870. Each and every action of a Bhakta (Devotee) is soaked in Bhakti(Devotion), because all his actions are performed under the orders from God.
871. Man falls into dangers when his intellect rejects God and seeks worldly objects.
872. Man does not see God because he is not praying with a pure heart.
873. God gives every thing, even to a wicked man, with the expectation that his soul might recover from its fall and improve in the near future.
874. God does not accept a man as His without testing.
875. How much sin does a man commit for the sake of a little money? Several small sins combined together become a great sin. Oh! Man! Even if you do not do anything good, it will be a good thing if you can desist from committing sins.
876. God is the only one who deserves to be loved. Because of your love towards worldly things, you have to spend most of your life in tears.
877. A soul gets a human body when papa and punya (merits and demerits of past actions) are equal. When you start experiencing grief, take it that your papa is being mitigated.
878. When you are engaged in household affairs, you cannot remember any other thing. But when you are engaged in Japa( recital of God’s names) you remember only household affairs and allied worldly matters.
879. Even when sitting for meditation on God, man is often thinking of the worldly pleasures that he has experienced. Human nature is generally to forget God, on the pretext that of meditating on God.
880. It is also human nature to seek for anything that is not easy to get.
881. God never forgets man. But man unnecessarily burns his heart by engaging himself in useless thoughts.
882. If you lose everything in the service of God, never mind .That is a blessing of God. But if your service of God is only for the sake of food, that is not service.
883. When you develop distaste for worldly matters, you get the taste of God. When that taste is full, God will take care of your worldly affairs also.
884. Bhakti in the form of love, binds God to our hearts. Jnana and Yoga have no power to bind God in this manner. Bhakti means Shakti(Power)
885. God is free from all desires while the soul is full of desires.
886. Man’s love is fragmented or scattered among many things. Some of his love goes to wife and children come for various luxuries of life and finally not a bit of love remains for God.
887. Money earned through unfair means leads to three main vices, viz. gambling, immorality and addiction to liquor and meat.
888. Blinded by money-power, man forgets that his body is mortal and subject to decay. So he hurts other fellow creatures He who realizes that this body belongs to God and has to be used for the service of God, is the most fortunate person.
889. Those who use their time and money solely for enjoyment of worldly pleasures will take birth as trees in their next incarnation. Sinners necessarily have to take re-birth as trees, because trees are said to be in the Papa Yoni. (Sinful womb)
890. If someone cries for Kannaya (Lord Krishna), sitting in solitude, then Kannaya will rush to his side and console him.
891. Never beg to God for anything. Recollect the helps done by God to us, time and again. You can bind God only with the rope of Love.
892. Do not eat your food without sharing it with others. If you share your food joyfully with others, your satisfaction will be thousand times more than what you get by eating alone
.893. While circum-ambulating in the temples, keep on chanting the Names of God.
894. Man observes certain discipline in his food; but not in his worship. If a man eats his food without worshipping God, he is eating sin.
895. You must tell the story of your grief to God only, in private. Never talk about it to others.
896. When you surrender the fruits of your actions to God, He will give you everything including Himself. When you surrender the fruits of your good actions to God, He will fill your coffers with valuable gems.
897. Never entertain the desire to enjoy the fruits of your actions already surrendered to God. When you perform each and every action on behalf of God, that action will take shape as Bhakti.
898. You can do whatever you want to do. But take care not to move away from God. Then all your actions will turn into Bhakti.
899. Man is affected by sinful thoughts when he becomes weak. Make it a habit to think of God at least for five minutes at the beginning of each hour during the day. This will ward off all sins from you.
900. You must be happy always, whatever be the circumstances in which God has placed you. Make all your actions be subjected to the will of God. You don’t know the results of your actions; but God knows.
901. Sound and its echo are alike. If you have ill will towards others, they will also have ill will towards you.
902. You must be active always. If your body is not tired of day-long activity, you cannot get good sleep. If you remain idle, you will be fall in the grip of sinful thoughts. Good actions will give good sleep. That sleep will lead you in the path of Bhakti.
903. When the culture and tendencies of previous births no longer influence you, you will derive happiness from your actions.
904. When your children are five years old, you must try to inculcate the culture of righteousness in them. Don’t give them rice as food on Ekadasi days. Parents who do not give instructions to their children in the path of Bhakti and righteous living are their enemies.
905. Impressions formed in a child’s mind are long-lasting. A child’s mind is very tender. Good culture inculcated in childhood will make the youth glorious.
906. The company of great men you protect you from down fall. The fear of fall is only when you walk alone. If you walk holding the hands of God, there is no need for any fear.
907. God exhorts all living creatures to His side through the melodious sound of His divine flute. But this sound does not reach the ears of those creatures that are enchanted by the attraction of worldly objects.
908. Do not reject any one. That is the main requirement of Bhakt.
909. There is no greater sin than arrogance. All other sins have atonement; but not for arrogance.
910. He, whose body is handsome but mind is wicked, is Bakasura.
911. Where ignorance and arrogance are reigning, that is the kingdom of sin.
912. Arrogance will show up when fame and greed for wealth are on the increase.
913. When man is about to commit a sin, his conscience will warn him against it. But because of man’s weakness, he is not able to desist from the sin. As a consequence, mishaps constantly attack him. A true Bhakta (devotee) is on who does not allow shelter to sin in his mind.
914. Soul and senses are mutually related. Therefore, the soul is unable to prevent the sinful actions of the senses. It simply remains as a mere witness.
915. Cut off any sinful thought from the mind as soon as it occurs. Once sin enters into the mind of any one, it will never leave him. But there is one remedy for it. That is to go and weep before the Lord.
916. If a sinful thought is allowed to remain in the mind even for a short while, it will be very difficult to get rid of it later.
917. The mind is always with you. Therefore, wherever you go, it will, continue to induce you to commit sin.
918. When guided by tendencies, you will tend to commit sins, even if your conscience forbids. Divine knowledge is often swept away in the current of tendencies. Therefore, you have no hesitation to commit sins. Strangely enough, you don’t even get peace of mind without committing sin! What is the remedy for this? The only remedy is to make God a witness to all your actions.
919. No action is possible without pronouncing a sound. If not by your tongue, you are always making sound with your mind. Therefore, before committing any sin either your tongue or mind will make the sound of it. If you want, you can get rid of that sin then and there.
920. Everyone knows that telling a lie is sin. Similarly, it is well known that hurting others is also sin. Nevertheless, the weakness of your mind makes you commit such sins.
921. If you have committed a sin by chance, recite the names of God. Make God the witness to all your actions. If you do so, God will take away your tendency to commit sin.
922. Sins already committed will not be mitigated without suffering the punishment for them. But if you surrender both the punya(merits) and papa(demerits) of your actions to God, they will not affect you.
923. If you receive the mercy of holy men and evolved souls, you will be freed from the tendency to commit sins.
924. Your tendency to commit sins arises from desire and anger. Both are born out of Rajo guna (the quality of restiveness).So you must always try to eradicate Rajoguna and cultivate Sattwa guna (the quality of solemnness)925. If you can derive happiness from the worship of God at least once, the whole world will then appear to you as quite silly. People go after worldly objects for happiness, only because they are unable to find happiness from worship of God.
926. A woman who cannot see God in her husband cannot feel the presence of God in other images also.
927. The more you enjoy worldly pleasures, the more is your tendency to commit sins. Reduce the enjoyment of pleasures and your sins also will get reduced.
928. Try to check all your bad habits. Try to curtail the urge that ‘’I want more, I want more”. This will make you happy.
929. To see only “things” is the nature of soul. God sees not “things”, but only “attitudes”
930. If God has given you sufficient wealth, use it for rearing cows. Service to cows will ward off all fears such as untimely death and other similar mishaps.
931. If a man having immense wealth in his possession chooses to enjoy it without giving anything to others, he is Dhenuka Asura. Asses like him will consider the body as the greatest wealth.
932. This world is like a wild fire. It encompasses and burns the creatures from all the four sides. Burning from all sides, this terrifying fire destroys everyone. Therefore, close your eyes and loudly recite the holy names of God. God will put out this wildfire which comes to us in the form of woes
.933. If you can remain totally absorbed in the recital of God’s names, this wild fire will not affect you.
934. Do not collect the poison of hatred in your heart.
935. A woman who takes her husband to the presence of God or to the company of godly men is the real wife.
936. A real housewife is the woman who leads her husband in the spiritual path and encourages him to perform good actions. A wife who entangles her husband in worldly pleasures is his enemy.
937. Bliss cannot be experienced unless the worshipper and worshipped become one. This is the first step to enter into the realm of God.
938. Food shall never be disrespected and left over food shall never be served to god-men
939. If you have to depend on something, depend on God’s holy feet only; nothing else.
940. Look at every woman as your mother. Then carnal desires will not arise in your mind. So also, try to see Lord Krishna in every thing.
941. The time between 11PM and 3.30AM is not suitable for taking bath and food.
942. Man’s greatest enemy is desire. All other bad qualities come from that. Loss of Budhi (discriminative power) is its ultimate result.
943. A Pathivratha (a woman who is faithful to her husband without blemish) can convert even God into a child.
944. Love intensifies during separation. Separation is beneficial while re-union is sometimes detrimental (to love)945. If the seeker’s mind is restless while meditating on God, he will not get the vision of God. He will see only darkness. But the meditation should be continued without getting disappointed. Gradually the light of God will become visible to you.
946. He who is dominated by Rajoguna can see only faults, even in faultless things.
947. Do not waste your time on worldly talks and thoughts. If you waste the most valuable time, how can you uplift yourself in this birth?
948. The reason for all the unrest of today is forgetting God.
949. By Sadhana (spiritual practices) you get many Sidhis (supernatural powers). If you are not carried away by these powers, you will get God in the end. So carry on with your spiritual practices, without being enamored of the Sidhis.
950. Do not trust your mind till the last breath. If you trust the mind, it will throw you into a dark pit.
951. You must continue your prayers and worship of God till the last day of your life. Your prayer must be like this:-“Oh God! Bless me to continue my prayers, worship and recital of thy names till my last breath.” Let death come at any time.
952. By spiritual practice man gets many powers. Some get word power. That makes them famous. People start running after them. So they become proud of their word power. Pride is the first step towards their downfall. Their followers start praising them. The poor soul thinks that he has become great. This brings about his total downfall.
953. When love of God increases, the seeker gets the feeling that God belongs to him. At the culmination of Sadhana, this feeling changes and he will see his God and himself as one single entity. Even after this experience of identification with God, the seeker does not stop his spiritual practices. Because, he knows that as soon as he stops Sadhana, Maya (delusion) will catch hold of him.
954. However, most people show the tendency to stop spiritual practices after reaching its culmination.
955. When you get wealth and comforts, don’t forget God. Whatever be the circumstances, never give up worship of God.
956. If you think that pleasurable objects of the world are giving you happiness, you become unhappy in their absence. What you have to seek is the happiness which is not related to any worldly object. Otherwise, the result will be unhappiness only.
957. If a man thinks of something constantly in his mind, its shape will reflect on his face.
958. When man becomes egotistic, his voice will become hoarse. That will affect his mind also.
959. Speak about your own faults and always praise the glories of God. God will soon be pleased with you.
960. Praise God when your happiness ends, when your unhappiness ends and also when your life end.
961. Take refuge in God. This is the greatest duty of man. It is God’s duty too, to accept the refugee as His own.
962. Gift of food and clothing to others is a noble act. But the noblest gift one can give is the stories of God. Great devotees of God are those who give out the stories of God without expecting anything in return.
963. Make God your debtor. Don’t make yourself a debtor to God by begging something from Him.
964. By constant worship of God, the body of the devotee becomes divine.
965. Delusion demands pleasures; love demands renunciation. Delusion intensifies in union; love intensifies in separation.
966. When anger leaves you, greed also goes with it. But desire does not go. If you want to defeat desires, you must take refuge in Lord Krishna. Take only moderate food. Remain in solitude. Overcome sleep. Read RasaPanchadhyayi at midnight. Carnal desires are usually aroused around midnight. At that time you must necessarily worship Lord Krishna. Desires will flee only when His names are heard
.967. Don’t be proud of beauty. If you belittle any creature, you cannot acquire devotion. Humility and simplicity are the aids to the path of devotion.
968. Don’t look at anyone with a faulty vision. It is a sin to think of this body which is merely skin. On seeing shapes (bodies) emotions arise in your mind. This world is never a beautiful thing. God alone is beautiful.
969. Whenever you perform any noble action, you must tell yourself:- “God is making me an instrument for the performance of this action.”
970. Do not entertain any desire either to live long or to die early.
971. Sinners commit sins even when walking along the road. Good men perform good actions even when walking along the road. Don’t look at anybody when you are walking along the road.
972. God will fulfill all your good intentions. Man’s hunger is his egotism. That hunger makes him feel that all others should respect him. But when man is honoured by God, that hunger will subside and his egotism will be shattered.
973. You should not have the desire to know what the world tells about you. If someone gives a good opinion about you, you become happy and you will have goodwill to that person. If it is the opposite you will have ill will against him.
974. Keep in touch with God, somehow or other.
975. A son gives a little happiness but more sorrow.
976. In which attitude you think of God, God accepts you in the same attitude.
977. He is the rich one, who like Akroora, is honoured in the council of God. Those who are honoured by the world tend to become proud and that leads to their downfall.
978. Ordinary water is not suitable for washing our mind. Tears of love flowing out of our eyes incessantly will wash out the impurities of both mind and eyes.
979. Insulting others is a nefarious act. This is divine law. If a man commits sin using a particular sense organ, he will suffer sorrow on account of the same organ.
980. If a man’s mind is impure, that mind will be restless at the time of his death.
981. How should love be expressed? Learn this from the conduct of Bala Rama and Sree Krishna.
982. Intellect becomes crooked when it follows the senses. When it follows God, it becomes straight again.
983. Thakshaka, the serpent in the form death will come and bite every one. This will definitely happen on any one of the seven days of the week. When black hairs turn white, when teeth begin to fall, take it as a notice for the arrival of death. At least on receipt of notice from death, one must start worshipping God.
984. He is Kamsa, who enjoys pleasures by hurting others. Today their number is on the increase. Consequently, man has to face unending dangers on account of his desire, anger and other allied vices.
985. If your words and deeds are not alike, those words will have no power. The mistake of those who try to put Jnana (knowledge) into practice is this. They would hold discussions on spirituality while living in luxurious bungalows. This is not correct. Instead of putting too much theoretical knowledge into your head, it is better to put into practice whatever knowledge you have acquired. Whatever advice Lord Krishna had given to the world, He had put into practice all of them in His life.
986. What has man to do? He must serve godly persons having good spiritual power. Knowledge is achieved only through service. Knowledge acquired through one’s own efforts will generate egotism. On the other hand, knowledge achieved by the service of great men will give humility and discrimination.
987. Today teachers who should impart knowledge are living in luxury. So the students also live in luxury. But control of senses is essential for students.
988. Control of senses is the main factor for God-realization. If the student does not have this he cannot get knowledge. Therefore, develop control of senses and detachment. Having once given up any worldly pleasure, take care not to enjoy it again. It is equivalent to eating the spew.
989. A solemn atmosphere will purify the mind. Polluted atmosphere will likewise pollute the mind.
990. Jnana (knowledge) is not for preaching. True Jnanis(learned) will never be proud of their knowledge
.991. Love likes to remain concealed. However it automatically gets revealed very often.
992. Knowledge without Bhakti is worldliness only.
993. A Jnani(learned man) always speaks little. When Jnana(knowledge) is blessed by its mother Bhakti, Jnani becomes silent.
994. The so called Jnanis do not surrender themselves to God.Their mind is deluded by the thought that “I am a learned man”. Because of this feeling of pride, humility evades them. Good qualities will shine forth only when they are combined with humility. When pride is dominating in a person, only bad qualities will show up.
995. In union, we see with our external eyes; in separation we see with our mind’s eyes