Hare Ram - Sankeertan

 

Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj  gave a constant stream of four day, fifteen day, one month and even four month akhanda (non-stop) sankirtan programs of this famous Mahamantra in order to propogate the bhakti of Shree Krishna to the people of the world.

hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare

Book Review - Bhagavad Bhakti (True Devotion)

Bhagavad Bhakti contains the transcripts translated into English of all eight discourses in their entirety and sequential order, complete with all the scriptural quotations given by Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj.  As each discourse is complete within itself, Bhagavad Bhakti is compelling reading as a series and also as a collection of individual discourses.

Shree Maharajji delivered a series of discourses elaborating on a devotional couplet:

hari anurāg ho yā govind rādhe,

jaga virāga ho, ho mana se batā de

In the elaborate explanation of this couplet, Shree Maharajji clarifies the nature of attachment and detachment. He discusses the importance of 'desire' in a devotees journey towards God, clarifying that desire for God is in fact devotion, and this can flourish when one firmly decides that there is no true happiness in this world.   He further says, "We have to replace our desires for the world with desires for God.  It is that simple.  This is what is called true devotion or bhakti.  In this practice, desires remain.  You don't have to eliminate desires, and in any case you are incapable of eliminating desires even if you tired for millions of years."

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Tridha Bhakti - The Threefold Devotion Explained by Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj

 

Tridha Bhakti - The Threefold Devotion

 

The threefold devotion is also called ‘tridha bhakti’ and it is because of its power that people engage in devotion day and night and experience the bliss of God.  Chanting, hearing and remembering the Names, Forms, Virtues and Leelas (pastimes) of God is the simplest and most powerful form of devotion in Kaliyug. Engaging in this threefold devotion cleanses the mirror of the heart and extinguishes the blazing fire of material existence.  This form of devotion is extremely sweet because it helps us to easily attach our mind to God.  We can chant the names of God, sing His glories, contemplate on His beautiful form for hours and hours.  On the other hand if we are asked to sit in a yagya, we get distracted in no time as we are unable to understand the mantras that the pundit recites.  But if we have to sing the beautiful kirtans of God or listen to a spiritual lecture by a God-realized Saint we will feel the inspiration to engage in it much longer.

As one engages in this threefold devotion, there is however an important point to keep in mind.  The heart and soul of tridha bhakti lies in the involvement of the mind in devotion.

Unfortunately in today’s world, external behaviour takes precedence.  We say many things, but we hardly feel them from within.  For example, we often say “thank you” and “sorry” to each other, but we rarely feel gratitude or regret from within.  This may be a trend in the material world, but God says that such craftiness and deception is of no importance in the spiritual realm.  God says, “I will only consider the feelings in your mind”.  Hence, you may think you are engaging in chanting and hearing really well, but actually you may be practicing devotion merely with your material senses.  You may be hearing the Guru’s lectures with your ears and reciting prayers with your lips, but your mind could be wandering elsewhere.   There is no benefit of engaging in such devotion.

Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj teaches us to meditate upon God, which means we have to meditate upon the form of God.  Along with this we can also chant His Divine Names and Pastimes and sing kirtans that will be helpful in the remembrance of God.  Thus, foremost we have to engage the mind in remembrance of God and then involve the material senses in devotion. 

JAGADGURU BY SPIRITUAL MERIT, NOT BY RIGHT OF INHERITANCE TO A MONASTIC SEAT

Jagadguru Sri Kripaluji Maharaj is the sole fifth Jagadguru of this age. He is a Jagadguru not by any right of inheritance to a monastic seat but by the virtue of his transcendental, spiritual merit and profound and prodigious authority over Holy Scriptures like the Vedas, the Upanishadas, the Puranas, the Gita, the Ramayan and the Ram Charit Manas. In this introductory brief, he would henceforth be referred to as ‘Shri Maharajji’, an epithet by which he is lovingly and popularly known.

An historical event happened in Kashi, in January 1957 when Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj gave his amazing series of lectures at the invitation of Kashi Vidvat Parishad, an apex body of the learned scholars of bhartiya scriptures in Kashi (Varanasi).

Shri Maharajji spoke for seven days in scholarly sanskrit, revealing the secrets of our scriptures and reconciling the discrepancies that appear in darshan shastras and the writings of our jagadgurus. He gave references from hundreds of bhartiya scriptures that amazed and enthralled the entire audience. Apart from the general audience, over 500 erudite sanskrit scholars from Varanasi and other parts of india were present.

With profound admiration, the pandits of Kashi vidvat parishad proclaimed him as the supreme jagadguru of this age. Among the various accolades that they showered upon him was "Bhakti Yoga Rasavatara", or the incarnation of divine love. Jagaguru Shri Kripalu Ji maharaj is thus the Fifth original Jagadguru in the past 5,000 years.

THE PRACTICAL ASPECT OF DEVOTION TO GOD

While remembering Radha Krishn and meditating on Their Divine form, you have to chant Their name, virtues and leelas with tears of love and longing, and with a deep desire to receive Their Divine vision and Divine love. During devotion, loving meditation on Their form is most important. You may form Their image in your own mind according to your liking. You may take the help of a Deity or a picture of Radha Krishn. But, whatever form you create in your mind, you must have Divine feelings in that, because the body of Radha Krishn is always Divine and Blissful.

You can choose any form of Krishn (or Radha) from a newly born baby up to sixteen years of age and mentally decorate that form according to your desire and choice.

Along with the meditation on His form you should also remember His loving leelas and His virtues, just like: He is the true friend of every humble soul (deenbandhu) and a true companion to every fallen soul (patit pavan).

All the names, virtues, leelas, abodes and the rasik Saints of Radha Krishn are totally synonymous.

You should not have any worldly desire or even the desire of liberation from Them. You must only desire for Their selfless Divine love and Divine service.

You should always think that your Divine Beloved (Radha Krishn) and your beloved Master are always with you and are protecting you. Never ever think that you are alone.

All the time in your heart you must remember the name ‘Radhey Shyam’ or ‘Radhey Radhey.’

You have to keep yourself away from damaging thoughts and bad associations. They are: looking to another person’s fault; criticizing other devotees; desire for popularity; disappointment in devotion; laziness in doing devotions; and friendliness with such worldly people whose association may spoil your devotional feelings.

You have to keep yourself away from the spiritual transgressions related to the name, form, leelas, virtues, abode, associates, and the Divine love of Radha Krishn.

‘Only They are my everything,’ this feeling has to be strengthened in the mind.

BHAKTI - THE EASIEST PATH TO GOD

What is so difficult about Bhakti? The one whom we have to worship is sitting within our heart. One God, Shri Krishna is sitting within the hearts of everyone, Everyone - Man, Dog, Cat, Pig, Demon, everyone. And, he is everywhere, within every particle of the universe. But, we cannot see Him. We will be able to see Him after we are purified by doing Bhakti. Right now, we have to try to bring God in our hearts. Later, we will not have to try, we will be able to think about God continuously without any effort. It will be very natural.Once there was a beautiful Gopi sitting near the Yamuna river and someone thought look at this beautiful girl, she is thinking about Shri Krishna. Someone asked her you are thinking about Shri Krishna ? She said, you took His name again, I am trying hard to remove Him out of my mind but in vain. I have small kids to take care of and my family for whom I have to cook and run errands. Whenever I am cooking or trying to do something, He comes in front of me and plays His melodious flute and I forget everything and get lost in His thoughts. Such is the high state of the Gopis who are physically doing all the work at home but in their mind, she is continuously thinking about Shri Krishna.

BHAKTI

The ultimate aim of your life is to experience the selfless love of god which is received through Bhakti. Bhakti ,in fact, is not only observing a worshipping routine,as normally people do,but it is the feeling of your heart when you begin to experience the real affinity for your beloved Krishn.