|| Shri Hari ||
The Nature of 'Bhajan'
(Devotion and Worship)
God says -
‘Anityamasukham lokamimam praapya bhajasva maam’.
‘अनित्यमसुखं लोकमिमं
प्राप्य भजस्व माम् ।’
प्राप्य भजस्व माम् ।’
‒ From these words of the Lord, we must immediately become engaged in ‘bhajan’ (devotion, worship, prayer, adoration, remembrance) of the Lord. In this verse, the Lord shares the following, ‘anityam, asukham imama lokam praapya maam bhajaswa.’
The meaning of ‘anityam’ (temporary) is that one should not delay. Who knows - whether the next breath arrives or not. How is one to know? If right now the life breath stops, then nothing can be done. Whatever things you have thought about, will all remain as-is. Everything will become dirt, because, body is fleeting, it will not remain steady even for a single moment. Every moment it is going away with great speed and it is going towards death, which no one desires. That very same death is nearing every moment. Every hour 900 life breaths are going away, in 24 hours, 21600 life breaths are going away. Simply pay attention towards this point. The breaths are getting used up and what are you earning? What are you so pleased about ?
Chahso sahas ikees dam jaawat hai din raat ।
eto toto taahi ghar kaaheki kusalaat ॥
The second word ‒‘Asukham’ which means ‘in this world, there is no pleasure’. This world is devoid of happiness. Not only this point, God says -
Dukhaalayamashaashvatam
‘दुःखालयमशाश्वतम्’
Meaning: It is an abode of sorrow.
It is such a surprising thing, that even though the world is an abode of sorrow, we are searching for pleasure in it ! Just like some man is searching for his “dhoti” and other clothes, in an educational institution. Just like another is asking for the price of sweets in a pharmacy, in the same way, we are searching for pleasure in the abode of sorrow. In this world, the things that are regarded as a source of pleasure are - money, wife, son, house, and sense pleasures. If you think about all of these and see, then in fact there is no pleasure at all, before and after there is sorrow and only sorrow.
to be continued......
From book in Hindi "Jeevan ka Kartavya" by Swami Ramsukhdasji