Narada Bhakti Sutra -1

Namaste Brothers and Sisters!

By blessings of H. H. Shri Sadgurudeva, by the blessings, guidance of Shri. Kalki Sharma Guruji, who is just like Sadgurudeva for me, by blessings of H. H. Swami Mrigendra Saraswati who has blessed me and this blog by following and by blessings of all of you, from today, starting to a new series on Gurukripa. This is the detailed Vyakhya, the meaning and elaboration of Narada Bhakti Sutra. I am not a Gyani or a Great Devotee. To write on Narada Bhakti Sutra, I must have the devotion like Devarshi Narada, but I am such an ordinary person, if I think to do something for the devotion of Lord Krishna, I stop without even thinking further.

Lord ShriKrishna is the complete love and I am nothing. What can I really do to express some devotion for HIM? Still I am writing on Narada Bhakti Sutra,

then this must be Gurukripa.

I will write on eighty six Bhakti Sutra, is it possible? I didn’t have a thought of doubt for a single moment,

then this must be Gurukripa.

I pray to H. H. Shri. Sadgurudeva for the complete expression of supreme love towards Lord ShriKrishna by the Narada Bhakti Sutra. I can’t write without your blessings.

I am referring the Narada Bhakti Sutra translated by the Sadguru of Mahayoga, H. H. Shri. ShripadMama Deshpande, the translation is in Marathi. Narada Bhakti Sutra are in Sanskrit. My thoughts on every sutra will be based on this Marathi Traslation, mentioned above. I pray to H. H. Shri. ShripadMama Deshpandeji for the blessings and success in this impossible mission for an ordinary person like me. This mission will be the easiest by the blessings of All the Sadgurus. The book I am refering is published by Shripad Seva Mandal, Pune, by H. H. Shri Shirishdada Kavde Maharaj.

There are eighty six Bhakti Sutra. Sutra means in simple words Formula. These spiritual Sutra are expressing the supreme knowledge of the Gyana, Bhakti in short lines of Sanskrit. These are not like Shlokas which have definite verses and poetic forms. The meaning of Sutra like Narada Bhakti Sutra, Patanjali Yoga Sutra, Brahma Sutra are very very deep and we can explain in maximum possible words or lines, still the complete meaning will not be expressed.

We will go deep in Narada Bhakti Sutra, as usual by just expressing some simple thoughts.

If you find any mistake in my writing, meaning understanding please guide me, that is all my ‘ego’- ‘Ahankara’ which is expressed in the form of mistakes, otherwise Gurukripa is always perfect.

1.      Sutra : Athato Bhakti Vyakhyasyamaha

अथातो भक्तिं व्याख्यास्याम : |

Jai Vitthala,

Sage Naradaji Says,

Meaning: So......now I am explaining the Bhakti – the supreme devotion towards Parameshwar.

Expressions from Heart on this Sutra :

Here I wonder, at the very begining of the Sutra, Naradaji says, ‘So....’, ‘Therefore’...Why? Naradaji starts with ‘So......’ ?

Whom must he be telling these Bhakti Sutra.

There must be some Jigyasu – who must be desperate for the Moksha, and must be curious to know, how to realize the Moksha or more specific a person desperate for Moksha at the begining of spiritual journey thinks how to ‘reach’ the state of Moksha? When the Mumukshu realizes Moksha, he/ she realize that there was no begining, no end, no journey – I am always Mukta.

In the path Bhakti, nobody says, I wish to reach Moksha. The true devotee thinks that I wish to know that Bhakti by which I will be always mad in love of the Parmeshwar, Lord Shrikrishna. Bhakti is not limited to one specific form of the Parmeshwar. Anybody can love and call the Mother of all Maa Shakti, Mother Goddess, just like Bhagwan Ramakrishna Paramahans used to call always Maa Kali, as Kali Kali. He lived in that supreme love for the mother, the mother of all, Maa Kali. Many devotees love Lord Krishna. All this we will see while realizing further Sutra. This series is the realization for me, even I didn’t know the depth of the Sutra and just writing what the heart is willing to express. So this is not based on the theorotical study. Love or Bhakti is not the subject to study but the  eternal feeling to live with,  to live within from the heart.

So....coming back to the point, why there must be the word ‘So....’?

Naradaji might have explained the importance of Gyana, Bhakti and Karma and due to some reason he is explaining the Bhakti which later has become the series of Narada Bhakti Sutra.

What must be the reason?  Is the reason explained in further Bhakti Sutra? Is Naradaji explaining only Bhakti from the begnining or after explaining Gyana and Karma or He is just explaining everything and Narada Bhakti Sutra are part of all His Preaching?

If the imporatance and reason of explaining Bhakti has been told earlier by Sage Naradaji, then why it is not in the Sutra from begining or it must be written or added in different scriptures?

So...the reasons may be many, but here my reason to explain all this is to share the process of reasoning. We can’t get the satisfaction by just reading the meaning and remembering the Sutra. Curiosity and questions never stop and should never stop, this is the glory of Hinduism, the Bharateey culture and philosophy.

This may be a bit irrelevant, but many people ask and spread that Hindus don’t have a single book to refer, so many books and so many Gods  - as per their understanding, is it right? Simple thing is yes, it’s the freedom given to everyone, freedom of reasoning may it be foolish sometimes, freedom of asking questions, freedom of seeking the truth and even freedom of rejecting what is being thought in Hinduism. The basic purpose of Indian culture and Indian spirituality is that a Human should realize the purpose of Human life and experience that he or she is not different from the Almighty. This makes a human free from all the bondages, the cycle of life and death and all the pains of life. Without allowing a person to grow as an individual or to ask questions or even to think, will not ever make anybody spiritual or free from the material bondages.

So the thinking and independent thinking, asking questions is most imporatant while living the life and even more impoartant while moving on the path spirituality.

So far, we have read so many things, scriptures, so many verses about Hinduism. But have we try to feel what writer, the Sage wish to convey us? From today, we will try to read not by eyes but by heart, by the eyes of the soul.

The questions further after reading the first Sutra are,

Can we really define the Bhakti?

Can we understand the Bhakti if someone defines?

Is Bhakti so simple or will be very difficult like the path of Gyana?

Here, Bhagwan Naradaji is telling the Sutra so He is our Guru in this new journey and when a Guru and supreme devotee of Lord Vishnu Naradaji is our Guru, we can easily understand, feel and realize the Bhakti. Our lives will be filled with the supreme love for the Parameshwar.

And, yes the importance of Mahayoga and Kundalini Awakening, will also be explained in the context of Bhakti.

|| ShriKrishnarpanamastu ||

This is in Sanskrit which means all this is dedicated to Lord Krishna.