|| Shri Hari ||
The Nature of 'Bhajan'
(Devotion and Worship)
continued.....
We must carefully read these words and contemplate on them. He who attains this human body, and does not do spiritual practices, they say - “This is the age of Kali” (Kaliyug). These are bad times. At such a time, there is sin and sin only that is being propagated everywhere; Truth, non-violence, and abiding in one’s dharma (righteousness), prayer, worship and devotion (bhajan), all of these, simply cannot take place. This time of Kali is extremely grave, everyone’s intellect is engaged in non-righteousness. What to do, time is such. When everything in the environment has degraded, then what can man do? If we go according to the times, then spiritual practices do not take place. However, we must think about this, are we truly going along according to the times? Never ! Whenever cold arrives, we buy new warm clothes, we arrange for heater or fire, we keep the house closed and stay inside.
Is this not going along with the season? Similarly in summer months, and during rainy season we are extra careful and make the proper arrangements for a good transition. That is, we stay away from things that are unfavorable to the body. And we try to acquire the things that are suitable to the body. In the same say, we must make an effort toward spirituality and be saved from the age of Kali. Just as on not protecting the body, the body is destroyed, similarly on not protecting our spiritual life, we will be compelled to remain totally deprived of that gain.
Therefore it is false to blame the times; because for spiritual progress, the age of Kali is considered excellent. Because in this age, we get value of prayer and worship of the Lord. Very easily one gets liberation, which is not possible in other “yugs”. Shri Tulasidasji says ‒
कलिजुग सम जुग आन नहिं जौं नर कर बिस्वास ।
गाइ राम गुन गन बिमल भव तर बिनहिं प्रयास ॥
Therefore, it is a mistake to blame “the age of Kali” in which one can cross over this ocean of life, without any effort.
to be continued......
From book in Hindi "Jeevan ka Kartavya" by Swami Ramsukhdasji