Once Pujya Swami Vivekananda was in Kashmir and he was at a Bhagavati Parvati mandir, which was destroyed by the invaders. So being frustrated, angry and sad since the Murti and shrine was gone, He shouted out that He would have protected the mandir if only He was around when that happened. As He was walking away, He heard from the shrine area “are you protecting me, or am I protecting you?”.  Bhagavati Parvati in the form of Bhavani offered this message to Him. Bhavani is the one who does not become, but is rather the one who is ‘be-ing’.

From Bhavani comes bhava (that which becomes or creation). She knows the reason why anything and everything happens. She is protecting all, and we are not the doers. When Sri Ramakrishna felt the power of Swami Vivekananda, some have shared that He locked that power, because otherwise He would not travel or teach and He would just be in enlightenment.  This power was unlocked again when Swami Vivekananda heard the message from Devi Bhavani, and shortly after experienced Mahasamadhi. Our course on Narada Bhakti Sutra is a course designed for us to feel that Bhagavan is as real as we feel we are. This transition of feeling Bhagavan is real is what Bhakti is! 

The Veena was given to Rishi Narada by Bhagavan, and is called Devadutta. Another name for Rishi Narada is Devadarshana (the one who has seen Bhagavan). If one sees or feels Rishi Narada, then in a matter of time they too will see Deva (just like what happened to Druva). Rishi Narada has created the sutras (cord or thread) and it is with this rope we should tie ourselves to Bhakti.  

Recap: 

In Sutra 12, Rishi Narada explains the importance of the Shastras. They are the means and even when we reach the ends, we still follow the means. Shastra is the ‘Nishtha in Shanta’. Nishtha means to be established or experienced in Shanta (peace). When one experiences peace, they start to act out of fulfillment. Their acting or ‘aacharana’ becomes the shastra. For one who is peace filled, how they live becomes the map for all who also want to experience peace. 

In Sutra 13, Rishi Narada explains that those who do not follow the shastra, they fall. Either we follow or fall. A universal question we have is ‘what are we supposed to do?’ – What we are supposed to do is not to be based on likes and dislikes. When one acts on likes and dislikes, one is acting in a limited way. Conversely, one should reflect if this doing is leading one to ‘be-ing’. Whatever verbs we are engaged in should be leading us to rest/realization. When one reflects on this and follows this, then one will not fall. We will know we are not acting on just likes and dislikes when we get less bored, less afraid and less like an individual. 

In Sutra 14, Rishi Narada explains how for the one who is enlightened, what we see is their body functioning on account of prarabdha. It will stay in motion until the energy runs out. The highest creation theory is that ‘there is no creation’. So for the one who is enlightened, there is no creation, which means they have no prarabdha or body. The sense of prarabdha and body is only from our perspective, not theirs. Once when a student asked Sri Ramana why He was reading the Upanishad when He was  already like that, He said ‘I wanted to see what they wrote about me’!. 

This Class:

Sutra 15: tat-lakshanāni vāchyante nānā-mata-bhedāt 

Tat means that, here referring to Bhakti. Lakshanāni means characteristics, vāchyante means described, nānā means diverse, matta means thoughts/mindsets, bhedāt means different.

There are different understandings of bhakti, so Rishi Narada is now going to share some of those understandings. Rishi Narada is establishing precedent. When one establishes precedent in sacred science, it is cultivating humility. You are not the original questioner and I am not the original answerer. Bhakti is already described as para (highest/deepest). Bhakti is not ‘because of. We will know we are evolving in bhakti when we are better at being indifferent or  ignoring that which holds us back or pulls us down. When we hold on to something higher, we cannot be pulled down so easily. 

Sutra 16: pūjādishu anurāga iti pārāsharyaH 

Pūjādishu means engaging in puja etc, but inside of this is anurāga (there is love). This is the perspective of Pārāsharya (Rishi Vyasa). One of the greatest expressions of bhakti is Srimad Bhagavatam. The parampara of Srimad Bhagavatam is: Bhagavan Narayana is the original teacher, He taught the original Bhagavatam to Bhagavan Brahma, who then taught this to Rishi Narada. Rishi Nararada then challenged Rishi Vyasa, because Rishi Vyasa knew so much about Vedanta yet He was ot feeling complete because He was not focused on Bhakti. This made Rishi Vyasa put together the map of Srimad Bhagavatam. 

Shurpanakha symbolizes raaga (attachment), the way to deal with a vice like raaga one needs Sri Lakshmana who is the icon of viraaga. Raga is holding on to the lower and viraaga is letting go of the lower. Anuraaga is symbolized by Bhagavan Rama, which is love for holding on to the higher. Viraaga is not enough, love is needed. This Anuraaga has to be infused into all verbs. The word ‘puja’ is used and we have notions of puja, but following puja is the word ‘adi’ which means etcetera or all. A way to come out of raaga to viraaga to anuraaga is to come to the honesty that there is no other way to live than to live by love (for divinity). As long as we feel there is another way, we will be pushed and pulled. So we should slowly close the idea of alternatives, such as –  we can be indulgent and disciplined.  We should simplify our to-do list. 

Sutra 17: kathādishu iti gargaH

This feeling of anuraaga should be in ‘katha’. This is the narrative of Rishi Garga (Kulaguru of Bhagavan Krishna). Bhagavan Krishna’s sathguru is Rishi Sandeepany and kulaguru was Rishi Garga. Rishi Garga shares that this feeling of love should be in listening to ‘katha’ as well as sharing ‘katha’. Rishi Garga performed the namakarana of both Krishna and Sankarshana (Balarama), and both names mean ‘one who attracts’. This attractiveness has been infused into our kathas, specifically the itihaasa and puraana, where there is a play of leela. The etymology of the word leela is ‘leenam bhaavam laati prakatayati’ which means ‘that which heard makes one melt’. Both in the Ramayana and Bhagavatam, what is described is that those people who don’t listen to katha, their ears are snake holes! Those people who don’t share katha, their mouth is a ‘frog hole’! So organizing katha to help with listening and sharing is something we should all do !