|| Shri Hari ||

The Nature of 'Bhajan'

(Devotion and Worship)

continued.....

This human body which has been attained as a fruit of past actions as a means to attain liberation, but to blame those “karmas”  is false,  because  -   

                  बड़े भाग मानुष तनु पावा । सुर दुर्लभ सब ग्रंथन्हि गावा ॥

                  बड़े भाग पाइब सतसंगा । बिनहिं प्रयास होहिं भव भंगा ॥

God has showered His immense grace, by giving this human body at a time when one has not done actions to deserve a human birth.  At a time,  when one is not  even worthy of this human body,  but for the deliverance of the soul,  he has provided us with the most opportune time.   A Rajasthani poet has said -  

करुणाकर कीन्हीं कृपा,    दीन्हीं नटवर देह ।

ना चिन्हीं कृतहीन नर खल कर दीन्हीं खेह ॥

“O’ most compassionate Lord,  has bestowed this human body out of His mercy and grace,   but this foolish and ungrateful man has not recognized this body;  in fact,  he just turned it back to earth (soil).”

Saying to the causeless,  merciful One that “what to do,  God has made us like this, He has made us worldly and got us trapped in householder related work and business.   How are we to do “bhajan”?  Such is God’s will, he makes us do so,  therefore we do so” -  etc.   Such accusation is false.   The point is that man himself does not make an effort and blames others, and wants to  remain innocent.  For how long will such things last?   

       Therefore,  through discrimination one must think about ones natural and innate progress,  and with commitment, with great fervor and enthusiasm become engaged in His divine work. 

The Lord shared the fourth point -  ‘मां भजस्व’ “Ma Bhajasva”  “Remember Me, Be devoted to Me, Worship Me”. Now, the thing to think about is, what is the form of God, and what is devotion and worship of the Lord.  So far what we have seen, heard, and read,  and whatever we have understood of God’s divine form, whether it be God with attributes,  without attributes, with form-formless etc, that itself is God’s form, and in this manner,  understanding God’s form to be best of all and eternally attainable, and exclusively taking refuge in That alone is “bhajan”.     In other words,  with the mouth,  repeating the Lord’s name,  with the mind,  remembering His form,  with the intellect,  deciding to follow His instructions,  with this body, to surrender everything to Him,  and to remain ever satisfied and contented in all his dispensations.   This itself is “bhajan” ( love, devotion and worship) of the Lord.  

        

to be continued......

From book in Hindi "Jeevan ka Kartavya" by Swami Ramsukhdasji