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Early Morning Talk on 5
November 2003
By H. H. Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj
At The Samadhi Shrine of Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj
OM OM OM
OM Namah Shivaya
OM Namah Shivaya
OM Namah Shivaya
Worshipful homage to Thee, O Thou Transcendental Spirit Divine. Thou
who art Infinite and Eternal. Thou Who art beyond all visible forms and
all names. Yet in Whom, all Divine Names reside and from whom, all Divine
Names proceed. Being nameless and formless, yet you are the force of al
the names and of all forms because, besides Thee, nothing else exists.
Therefore, whatever does exist, contains Thy essence, contains That which
You Are. To Thee, worshipful homage.
Reverential salutations and adorations, reverential prostrations and
adorations to beloved and worshipful Holy Master Sat Guru Bhagavan, Sri
Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj who has taught us the great indescribable value
of God’s Name. By devoting an entire book to the attainment of God
experience through the practise of His Name. The repetition of His Name
as a spiritual practise. It is called Japa in Sanskrit. There is a Sutra
in Patanjali – Japat Sidhihi – attainment of perfection through
the repetition of God’s Name. That is what this great and brief
aphorism means. Japat Sidhihi. This is because there is a firm belief
among all devotional people, who take to the Path of Devotion, though,
this can also be seen that this sort of a belief is not unknown or not
alien to the practise of the Jnana Marga, the practitioners of Vedanta
also.
Vedantins have as their goal - the nameless, formless, non-dual Brahman.
But, they also do believe that even though It is nameless and formless,
the non-dual Brahman, has a symbol which indicates It and that symbol
is the symbol, “AUM”. It is composed of the alphabet or letters
‘A’, ‘U’ and a half pronounced ‘M’.
If this is written down in the Roman Script or our today’s English
alphabet, it has to be written as A, U and M. The ‘M’ or ‘ma’,
is not the full ‘ma’ but the half ‘ma’. Very strangely
enough, this half ‘ma’ in Sanskrit, is also interestingly
enough duplicated in the English spelling also. The Sanskrit ‘aa’
is referred to as ‘aakaara’, the Sanskrit ‘u’
is referred to as ‘ukaara’, the Sanskrit ‘ma’,
is referred to as ‘makaara’, the Sanskrit ‘ka’,
is referred to as ‘kakara’, the Sanskrit ‘ta’
is referred to as ‘takara’. So, ‘aakaara’, ‘ukaara’
and the thin ‘ma’ which leaves the mouth open. When we pronounce
or chant ‘AUM’, you don’t conclude by leaving the mouth
open, you conclude by leaving the mouth shut.
AUM, AUM, AUM
Therefore, the full ‘ma’ will be ‘ma’, but, the
half ‘ma’ will be ‘muh’. Therefore it is called,
‘aakaara’, ‘ukaara’ and ‘adhya maakaara’.
Strangely enough, when you say P – the mouth is open, Q –
the mouth is open, the same with other alphabets, the lips are still apart.
When you say M – the lips are closed. There it ends with, ‘aakaara’,
‘ukaara’ and ‘adhya maakaara’.
There is another aphorism to declare, even though It has no name –
nameless, formless, transcendental, infinite, beginningless, endless,
eternal Brahman, yet they say that just as the word Brahman symbolises
It, they say that this sound symbol – AUM – also indicates
It. There is another aphorism that states, ‘tasya vaacakah pranavaah’.
The word which indicates It is, ‘Pranavah’. Pranava is the
name given to AUM, “Among letters, I am the Pranava,” –
Vibhuti Yoga, the 10th chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita. So great is
the power, the glory and the divinity of this AUM, this Pranava, so great,
that the Lord says - the Geetacharaya, Arjuna’s Teacher on the Battlefield
of Kurukshetra, He says, “The Yogi who departs from the body uttering
AUM, uttering the Pranava, he does not return once again into this world,
this world of pain and death. He does not return once again to this world
of birth, death, old age, disease, sorrow, conflict, clash, love and hate
- he does not come back again. Who? – he who apart from body, centering
his mind upon God and uttering the Pranava – AUM.
Om esharam brahama tasyachyavacaka pranavah. That is why, to augment
the force, the glory, the power and the infallibility of efficacy of every
mantra, of all the different aspects of the ‘Personal God’
with name and form, they are all preceded by Pranava. Namah Shivaya is
preceded by Om Namah Shivaya, Namo Narayanaya, meaning I salute Narayanaya,
I worship Narayanaya – namaste, namo Namah – Om Namo Narayanaya,
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, Om Namo Sri Raghunathaya, Om Namo Bhagavate
Sivanandaya, Om Sri Kartikeya Namah, Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah, Om Sri Hanumate
Namah, Om Sri Maha Lakshmiye Namah, Om Sri Maha Saraswatiye Namah, Om
Sri Durgaye Namah, Om Sri Kalikaye Namah – every mantra is preceded
by Om. This is the glory of Om. The name of God has in it this greatness.
There is a very popular Upa-Katha, you see when great learned scholars
who have knowledge of all the scriptures, of the Vedas, of the Upanishads,
of the Brahma Sutras, of the Aparoksha Anubhuti, of the Ramayana, of the
Mahabharata, of the Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana with 12 skandas, each
skanda contains innumerable chapters, for example, we were reviewing yesterday
that in the 3rd skanda of the Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana, the five of
six chapters are entirely devoted to a priceless exploration of the Supreme
Being given as an upadesha, as a teaching by a son to his mother –
the Srimad Bhagavata Purana, trittiya skanda, chapters (adhyaya) 25-30.
It is the advice of the great Kapila Muni to his mother Devati. Kapila
Muni is of Divine origin, kapila sakshayana, kapilo upadesha. It is very
rare that a son gives upadesha to his mother. The glory of God and His
Name is naturally the central subject, the formless, with form –
it expounds the nature of Reality – this is the central subject.
Many learned scholars well versed in the eighteen Puranas, the Bhagavata
Mahapurana and other scriptures, Panchadasi, Yoga Vasishta, they expound
these scriptures, containing subtle truths, they try to bring out and
then support it with certain side narratives. These side narratives are
called Upa-Kathas. The main subject is of the scripture they are expounding
and they bring out certain principles expounded, something narrated and
they bring out side narratives. A Katha is a narrative, Upa is a sub-narrative
and there is one popular sub-narrative just as in the 11th skanda of the
Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana, there comes a portion called the Uddhavajita.
Lord Krishna tells his very dear friend next to Arjuna, there was no one
so dear to the Lord as Uddahva, great friend. He calls Uddahva and he
says, “O Uddahva, all that I have come to do and to achieve in this
incarnation of mine, in this form that I have taken as the son of Devaki
and Vasudeva as the brother of Subhadhra, and the foster son and Nanda
Goapala and Yashodha – all that I have come to achieve in this form,
I have completed. Now, my life work is over. Nothing more remains to be
done for me. Now therefore, I have decided, to depart from here and to
return once again to the realm from which I came. When I leave with all
my Divinity from this earth plane, things will start deteriorating because
the third of the four ages is coming to an end. There are four ages, popularly
they call it the golden age, the silver age, the copper age and the iron
age just to indicate quality. The golden age is called krita yuga or satya
yuga – the first age where everything is perfect, everything is
divine, everything is righteous, everything is how it should be.
In krita yuga, the Lord incarnated as Narsimha, the Man-Lion Avatara.
In the treat yuga, the Lord incarnated as the ideal man, Sri Ramachandra
in order to destroy Lanka Ravan and his brother Kumbhakarna. In the third
age, dwarpa yuga, He incarnated as Lord Krishna in order to slay Shishupala
and Dantavakra, two evil elements. In this kali yuga, He takes two incarnations,
one as the incarnation of Buddha, Who was here about slightly more than
2500 years ago when Alexander invaded India. This was about 2350 years
back. Buddhism was already there because Lord Buddha was born 2500 years
ago, he has preceded. Buddhist monks were there teaching Ahimsa. They
said, don’t quarrel, don’t fight, don’t hate each other,
don’t have enimity. Be established in Ahimsa. Where there is ahimsa,
there is no enemity. There is a sutra to bear this out also, ahimsa pratishtayam
vairatyayah.
So, Buddha also is an incarnation of kali yuga and the 10th incarnation
is yet to come and strangely enough, there are similar indications within
the context of Christianity also. They call it the second coming of Christ.
In this second coming of Christ. In the second coming of Christ, he will
not come as a mild, docile, gentle, compassionate, loving master and a
spiritual teacher, a guide friend and philosopher. He will come as a raging
purative force, a fiery power to destroy all that is ungodly, all that
is threatening, like a weapon, to completely rid the world of all that
is evil. As a Great Warrior Who will end all wars and I don’t know
what source this word derived from – Armageddon, they call it the
Armageddon. It is in the present day King James version of the Bible.
Look up and English dictionary for the second coming of Christ to fight
the Armageddon, the war which will end all wars. No more enemity, no more
hate, no more clash and conflict no more raga dwesha.
The popular sub-narrative where it is said, Upa-Katha, where Lord Krishna
decides, “My work is over I am going,” He calls His friend
Uddhava. This is in the 11th skanda of the Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana.
He tells Uddhava, “O Uddhava, I am now departing, the situation
will deteriorate, you are a 100% sattvic, pure, spiritual being, you will
not be able to tolerate and bear the atrocities and state of affairs.
The Tamasic state of things, therefore, you leave this environment, the
towns and villages of the kali yuga. Go away into the silent solitude
of the heights of the Himalayas. High in the Himalayas, in the snowy regions
of the north, there is an abode of mine called Badrikashrama. In the Himalayan
heights, in the solitude, there is an ashram of Mine called Badrikashrama
(which is the modern day Badrinath Shetra). Go there and be in solitude
and silence. Plunge into meditation upon me. Lead a life of sadhana, meditation,
spiritual practise. At the right time, I shall manifest myself before
you in my true form because my incarnated form as Krishna is a limited
form. My true nature is beyond time and space, beyond name and form, it
cannot be described. I shall initiate you in my true form, I shall reveal
to you my true form and grant you emancipation forever. So, before He
departs, He makes Uddhava also depart and go away from the sorrid worldly
surroundings into the Himalayan solitude and devote himself into the contemplation
of the Supreme Being. The sub-narrative says, when he went away, he told
Uddhava this and he proclaimed to the ordinary follower, look here, in
the 1st yuga – kripa yuga, in the 2nd yuga – treta yuga, in
the 3rd yuga - dwarpa yuga, I have been present with name and form, with
a personality, talking with you, living with you. But, when kali yuga
comes, things will become so bad, I will withdraw my form. The Lord will
not incarnate with form and move about with men, He can no longer be seen.
He will no longer be seen as when He moved about with the Pandavas, the
Kauravas and everyone, with the Gopalas.
It is said, that the devotees were hurt with fear and said, “What
is this? You are more needed in this 4th iron age called kali yuga, Your
presence is more necessary. Your presence amongst mankind was not so necessary
in the kripa yuga, treta yuga and dwarpa yuga, but most necessary is your
presence in this kali yuga. Otherwise, to whom will you turn? When you
are most needed you say that you cannot any longer come here and that
you are withdrawing your form. Doctors are not so much needed when all
things are normal in any place in society. But, when there is a great
epidemic raging, a cholera epidemic, pneumonia epidemic, any other epidemic,
small pox, chicken-pox, jungle fever, malaria, killer malaria, cerebral
malaria, cerebral meningitis another killer disease when such epidemics
are raging, doctors are needed more than ever. At that time if the doctors
say that they are taking a holiday and going away for two months, what
a horrible thing will be created, people will die in hundreds. Your saying
is like that. Then, the Lord assures him by saying, “Look here,
even though the eyes of human society in the kali yuga is not pure enough
to behold my divine form, therefore, I must of necessity withdraw it from
their sight. Nevertheless, fear not. I shall leave a factor as equally
powerful as myself, what is that? That is my name. I shall leave my name
upon earth and the name shall defend man against all undivine forces and
the name shall convey man from earth to the celestial region of God. Name
is the link between man and God. Through the name, people will be able
to connect themselves to God. Through the practice of the name, people
will be able to break the bondage of kali yuga and through the name, the
people will be able to rise to God-experience – sakshatkara, bhagavat
sakhatkara, ishwar sakshatkara and become liberated forever.
Thus, he assures people. He tells them do not fear, I shall still remain
apaar as the Divine Name. There is this truth, not only belief but truth
that the name and the owner of the name are the same, they are not two
different principles but the same. The non-difference between God and
his Divine Name is a sure assurance and people do not have to fear. They
have a force that is equal to God, same as God, one with God and making
use of that, they can attain God.
So, this is why in many, many places, they do this Japa Yajna. They do
a practise of what is called Japa Purascharana. This is a practise of
the Divine Name where the devotee, the sadhaka takes a vow to finish as
many hundred thousand times the repetition of the Lords Name as there
are the alphabet in the Lords Name. An alphabet is called akshara. NA
MA SHI VA YA, NA MO NA RA YA NA YA – for each letter, one takes
a vow of repeating 100,000 times, this is called in Sanskrit, laksha and
in Hindi is lakh. So, if a mantra is Five letters, five lakhs of times
and in taking the oath, he also adds a time limit to it. Within one month
I shall do Japa so many lakhs of times, my mantra, may own mantra, the
mantra given from my Guru. That means, he may have to draw up a daily
time schedule, a daily timetable for Japa, I shall get up every morning
at about half past three am, take my bath and sit for Japa at 4 am. From
4 am to 7 am, for three hours, I shall do Japa. Then afterwards, after
taking a little rest and taking a little bite of breakfast, and attending
to some work in the house. Again, I shall sit from 9 or half past 9 until
12:30 mid-day. After 12:30, I will relax, take a little rest, take some
food, a little rest and again, I shall sit at about 3 o’clock and
repeat till 6 o’clock pm. At 6 o’clock, I shall relax, go
for a little walk, attend to any correspondence, then after walk, come
back, take a little rest and supper. Then after supper, I shall do one
hour or a couple of hours. Then it becomes, 10 hours a day or 11 hours
a day. Then again, before retiring they sit on the bed and for 10-15 minutes,
repeat the name and then go to bed.
They put up a time table and in this way, by repeating for so many hours
a day, I shall finish so much Japa, so many numbers of time and that also
slightly varies if he repeats the Japa at a fast speed, he will finish
a greater number of Japa. If he not able to repeat it fast and is doing
it at a medium speed, naturally the quantum of Japa for that day will
be slightly lesser. If he is of a nature who can neither repeat it at
a fast speed or a medium speed, naturally he will repeat it slow. If he
repeats it slow, he will be able to finish one mala in 7 minutes, he will
be able to finish so many malas in one hour and he will be able to finish
so many malas in 9 hours or 10 hours based upon the number of hours he
is able to sit and do Japa. So, how much time it will take him to finish
the quantum of so many hundred thousands for each letter, for each akshara
in the mantra. Naturally, the longer the mantra, the longer the time needed.
Such repetition is called Purascharana. The shorter the mantra, the earlier
the Purascharana will get completed. The longer the mantra, the more time
the Purascharana will take to get completed.
Why is it that they give so much importance to the repetition of the
Name? From Brahma the Creator to a blade of grass, this is all Maya. In
this, there is only One Reality and that One Reality is only the Name
of God. Thus, it is emphasized that this is the greatest sadhana for the
kali yuga. So much importance is given to the Divine Name because of the
belief in the non-difference in the Name of God and God, they are not
different. They are both One. Thus, the seva of today. That is why so
much importance is being given to the 60 day repetition of Om Namah Shivaya.
Om
Sriman Narayana Narayana Narayana
Sriman Narayana Narayana Narayana
Sriman Narayana Narayana Narayana
Sriman Narayana Narayana Narayana
Sriman Narayana Narayana Narayana
Sriman Narayana Narayana Narayana
Sriman Narayana Narayana Narayana
Sriman Narayana Narayana Narayana
Hari Om Narayana Narayana Narayana
Hari Om Narayana Narayana Narayana
Hari Om Narayana Narayana Narayana
Hari Om Narayana Narayana Narayana
Om Narayana Narayana Narayana
Om Narayana Narayana Narayana
Om Narayana Narayana Narayana
Om Narayana Narayana Narayana
Sriman Narayana Narayana Narayana
Sriman Narayana Narayana Narayana
Sriman Narayana Narayana Narayana
Sriman Narayana Narayana Narayana
Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya
Om Namo Narayanaya, Om Namo Narayanaya, Om Namo Narayanaya
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