Friday, May 20, 2011

Vinay Patrika: Hymn 130

Raag Bihag

Bilaaval


Chant the Name of Shri Ram


ram ram, ram ram, ram ram, japat |

mangal-mud udit hot, kali-mal-chhal chhapat ||1||

kahu ke lahe phal rasaal, babur beej bapat |

haarhi jani janam jaaya gaal gool gapat ||2||

kaal, karam, gun, subhaau sabke sees tapat |

ram-naam-mahimaakee charcha chale chapat ||3||

saadhan binu siddhi sakal bikal log lapat |

kalijug bar banij bipul, naam-nagar khapat ||4||

naam son prateeti-preeti hriday suthir thapat |

paavan kiye raavan-ripu tulsihu-se apat ||5||


Repeatedly do Japa of Shri Ram's Name

By chanting the name of Shri Ram our auspicious well-being and ecstasy escalate, and the sins plus deceitful trickery of Kaliyuga go into hiding ||1||


The Babool Tree

Who could ever attain the mango fruit by sowing the seeds of babool? For this very reason you must not gossip in vain and ruin your (the precious life of a human being) birth.(the fruition of idle talk is certainly going to be disastrous;therefore do japa of the name of Ram which certainly leads to salvation)||2||


Singing the Glories of Shri Ram

*Kaal, karmas, gunas (sattva, rajas and tamas) and temperament-are looming over everyone's head, which means due to their impact everyone has to bear sorrow and do their karmas; but all of them are crushed as soon as singing the glories of Ram Naam begins and no adverse affect of theirs remains(for this very reason do incantation of the name of Shri Ram)||3||


The Realm of Shri Ram Naam

People are anxiously longing to attain all the siddhis (supernatural powers) without adopting any means; but when has this ever been possible? Yes the extensive business of trade & commerce and worldly possessions of Kaliyuga is exhausted in the realm of Shri Ram Naam, or in other words the horde of Kaliyuga's sins are annihilated by the majestic brilliance of the name of Shri Ram||4||


The Name of Shri Ram Purifies the Sinful

By having implicit faith and love for the Lord's name, the heart becomes quietly serene and calm. Shri Ram's name has even purified an enemy like Ravan and a sinful person like Tulsi ||5||


babool tree: the acacia tree which can produce no good result


kaal: or eventual destiny or fate


karmas: or actions with its fruits and implications of merit


gunas : three constituents of nature,sattva or goodness, rajas or passion and tamas or darkness

Vinay Patrika: Hymn 128

Raag Bihav

Bilaaval


Shri Ram & Sita


sumiru saneh-sahit seetaapati |ramcharan taji nahin aani gati ||1||

jap, tap, teerath, jog samaadhi | kalimati bikal, na kuch nirupaadhee ||2|

karathun sukrit na paap siraaheen| raktabeej jimi baadhat jaaheen ||3||

harati ek agh-asur-jaalikaa | tulsidaas prabhu-kripaa-kaalikaa ||4||


Shri Ram, the Beloved of Ma Janki

O heart of mine! Lovingly do the *smarana of Ram ji, the beloved of Sri Janki. Because you can not get salvation from anywhere else except the feet of Shri Ramchandra ji||1||


Practicing Yoga

Japa, tapa, pilgrimages, practicing yoga, *samadhi and so on are means; but the good sense of living beings in Kaliyuga is not steady. Due to this very reason, no one has been free of hindrances while adopting these means ||2||


Raktabeej Destroyed by Ma Kali

Despite doing virtuous deeds, sins are not annihilated (because wisdom is not properly placed) as of today. Very much like *Raktabeej these sins are rising day by day.The bhava is this that due to the age of spiritual darkness there is a presence of virtuous wisdom in sinful acts and sinful wisdom in virtuous deeds.Therefore even on doing good deeds, sins are escalating||3||


Goddess Kalika

O Tulsidas! It is the only the Kalika of God's grace which will destroy the demoniac forces of sin. (Except from taking refuge in the Supreme Being, we can not achieve our purpose by following any other means)||4||


smarana: meditate upon with imaginative recollection


japa: incantaion

tapa : penance,


doing yoga: a practice of abstract meditation undertaken to bring the soul towards union with the supreme spirit with bodily exercises or disciplines as conducive to the above.


samadhi: (profound meditation esp with the mind successfully fixed upon the ultimate being, with the senses completely restrained in the final stage of yoga)

Raktabeej: As per the legend of the Skanda Purana earth was being ruled by demons.The gods were helpless and innocent beings was forced to live a life of misery.The chief demon was Raktabeej who had got a boon from Lord Shiva and he reigned over a place called Rashin. Even Harihar (Vishnu & Shiva) were not powerful enough to vanquish Raktabeej. Consequently all the devas prayed to Ma Jagdamba.


Ma Kalika: In Kali's most famous myth, Durga and her assistants wound the demon Raktabieeja in various ways and with a variety of weapons, in an attempt to destroy him. They soon find that they have worsened the situation, as for every drop of blood that is spilt from Raktabeej, the demon reproduces a clone of himself. The battlefield becomes filled with his duplicates. Durga, in need of help, summons Kali to combat the demons. It is also said that Goddess Durga takes the form of Goddess Kali at this time.


Kali destroys Raktaeeij by sucking the blood from his body and putting his many duplicates in her gaping mouth. Pleased with her victory, Kali then dances on the field of battle, stepping on the corpses of the slain.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Vinay Patrika: Hymn 127

Raag Bihag

Bilavaal


The Lotus Feet of Shri Hari

maain jaanee, haripad-rati naaheen | sapanehun nahin biraag man maaheen ||1||

je raghubeer charan anuraage | tinha sab bhog rogsam tyaage ||2||

kaam-bhujang dasat jab jaahee | bishay-neenb katu lagat na taahee ||3||

asmanjas as hriday bichaaree | badhat soch nit nootan bhaaree ||4||

jab kab raam-kripaa dukh jaaee | tulsidaas nahin aan upaaee ||5||


Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Being

I have come to know that I don't have love for Shri Hari's feet because there is no asceticism in my mindset even in my dreams (being detached from desires of the material world is the touchstone which assays our loving affection for the feet of the Supreme Being)||1||


Shri Ram

Those who have loving affection for the feet of Shri Ram have abandoned all sensual enjoyments like a disease.


The Neem Tree

When the snake of passion stings a person, it is only then that the neem (tree) of these sensuous pleasures does not seem bitter to him||3||


Goswami Tulsidas

Reflecting in this fashion there is great uncertainty in my heart as to what should I do? With this very thought a new concern is increasingly weighing on my mind||4||


The Grace of Shri Ram

O Tulsidas! There is no other solution; whenever this sorrow will be dispelled it will only be by the grace of Shri Ram||5||

Vinay Patrika: Hymn 120

Raag Bihag

Bilaval


Shri Hari


hey hari! kas na harhu bhram bhaaree |

jadyapi mrishaa satya bhaasaai jablagi nahin kripaa tumhaaree ||1||

arth abidyamaan jaaniya sansriti nahin jaai gosaaeen |

bin baandhe nij hatth satth parbas paryo keerkee naaeen ||2||

sapne byaadhi bibidh baadhaa janu mrityu upasthit aaee |

baaidh anek upaaya karaai jaage binu peer na jaaee ||3||

shruti-guru-saadhu-samriti-sanmat yah drishya asat dukhkaaree |

tehi binu taje, bhaje binu raghupati, bipati sakaai ko taaree ||4||

bahu upaaya sansaar-taran kahan, bimal giraa shruti gaavaai |

tulsidaas maain-mor gaye binu jiu sukh kabhun na paavaai ||5||


The Mundane World

O *Hare! Why don't you get rid of my grave misapprehension (regarding the truth and sensual joys of this mundane world)? Even if this material world is a delusion and is illusory, nevertheless all of this appears to be true unless one receives your grace||1||


A Caged Parrot

I am aware that the particular subjects (body-wealth-sons and so on) are not in fact a reality, but O *Svami! Despite this I am not released from this material world. Without being bound by anyone else, I am subserviently caged like a parrot due to my own infatuation.(I have been kind of tied down by my own ignorance)||2||


Spiritual Evolution

Just as someone is ridden with several diseases in his dreams, which supposedly leads to his impending death and outwardly the vaidhs keep administering many remedies, but as long as he does not wake up his pain is not alleviated.(In the same manner without awakening spiritually but getting absorbed in the delusion of maya, people are bearing several painful sufferings of this material world and undertaking futile measures to get rid of their anguish. But without knowledge of the true nature of things, one can never get rid of this sorrow.)||3||


The Vedas & Gurus

The Vedas, gurus, saints and *smritis all unanimously state that this perceptible world is illusory (and if we regard it as an imaginary State) it is a form of sorrow. Unless we renounce it and worship Shri Raghunath ji, who else has the energy which can annihilate this disaster? ||4||


Goswami Tulsidas

In a clear voice, the Vedas are telling us several measures to cross over the ocean of this mundane world, but Oh Tulsidas! A living being can never find happiness as long as 'I' plus 'mine' are not got rid of, and arrogance plus affectionate attachment are not erased||5||


Hare: refers to Harati or He who unties the knot of material desires in the hearts of living entities.


Svami: Lord


Smriti: refers to a specific body of Hindu religious scripture, and is a component of Hindu customary law.The literature which comprises the Smriti was composed after the Vedas around 500 BCE. Smriti also denotes the traditions of the rules on dharma, especially those of lawful virtuous persons.

Vinay Patrika: Hymn 105

Raag Dhanaasree


Shri Ram


ablaaun nasaanee, ab na nasaaihaaun |

raam-kripaa bhav-nisaa siraanee, jaage phiri na ddasaaihaaun ||1||

paayeun naam chaaru chintaamani, ur kar tein na khasaaihaaun |

syaamroop suchi ruchir kasaautee, chit kanchnahin kasaaihaaun ||2||

parbas jaani hansyo in indrin, nij bas havaai na hansaaihaaun |

man madhukar pankaai tulsee raghupati-pad-kamal basaaihaaun ||3||


The Illusory Night of This Material World

This (span of life has been uselessly) ruined till now, but I will not let it be doomed from now onwards.By the grace of Shri Ram the night of this material world has passed,(I have woken up from the illusory night of this mundane world). On awakening I am not going to lay out the bedding (of maya or delusion as to the supposed reality of the world and be ensnared by its noose, once more)||1||


The Chintamani of Shri Ram Naam

Having found the beautiful *chintamani of Shri Ram Naam, I will never let it drop down from the hand of my heart. Or I will keep doing *smarana of the name of Shri Ram with my heart and do japa or chant the name of Shri Ram with a *mala.


Dark-hued Shri Raghunath ji

Making the beautifully pure, dark-hued form of Shri Raghunath ji a touchstone, I will assay the wealth of my mind. Or in other words I will observe whether my mind is constantly and forever absorbed in meditating upon Shri Ram or not ||2||


Goswami Tulsidas Steeped in the Love of Shri Ram

As long as I was controlled by the *senses, they (made me dance according to their tune) and made a great mockery of me, but now on being freed from them that is on triumphing over the mind plus senses, I will not let myself be ridiculed by them. I am going to take a vow now and focus the capricious black bee of my mind on the lotus feet of Shri Ram. Or in other words I am not going to let my mind flit anywhere else apart from Shri Ram's feet.


Chintamani : a supposed jewel granting its possessor all desires


smarana : religiously contemplating


*mala : Vaishnava rosary


Senses: 5 karm indriyan or senses,feet, anus, penis, mouth, hands

5 gyan indriyan or senses, eyes, ears, nose, mouth and skin

4 suksham indriyan or sensorium, mind, intellect, memory, action

Monday, May 16, 2011

The Manifestation of Thakur Radharaman ji

Sri Radharaman ji, Vrindavan

17th May, 2011: The appearance day of Lord Radharamanji of the Chaitanya Mahaprabu tradition in Vrindavan.The Deity of Sri Radharaman manifested from one of Gopal Bhatta Goswami's salagram-silas on a full moon day of Vaisakha (April/May) in 1542.


Srila Gopala Bhatt Goswami

It so happened that one rich businessman offered clothes crowns, and jewellery to *Srila Gopal Bhatt Goswami, who said that, as he was worshipping Sri Shaligram who was round like a stone he could not dress, or adorn him with crowns and jewellery like the other Goswamis were decking their respective deities. Lamenting in this way, the Goswami took rest.


One Sila (Damodar) Transforms into Lord Krishna Playing the Flute

Early the next morning when he came to do the seva arpanam puja for the Shaligrams he discovered that one of the Silas (Damodar) had transformed into the most beautiful angular posture of Lord Krishna playing with the flute with bent legs,hips and neck. He had manifested out of love, just to receive the loving worship from Gopal Bhatta Goswami.


A Crown Next to Raman ji Represents Radharani's Presence

Radha Raman means the "one who gives pleasure to Srimati Radharani". There is no external manifestation of Srimati Radharani in the temple but there is a crown next to Raman ji that represents Her presence.


Sri Radharamana's lotus face is like Sri Govindaji's, His chest is like Sri Gopinath's and His lotus feet are like Sri Madanmohanji's. By sighting Thakur Radharaman one simultaneously receives the darshan of these three primary deities.

The Radharaman Temple in Vrindavan

The event is celebrated every year (May) by bathing the Deity with 100 litres of milk and other auspicious items. Gopal Bhatta Goswami's other salagram-silas are also worshiped on the altar. A gomati-chakra is worshipped on the altar to His left.According to an injunction of Sri Hari-bhakti-vilas, a *gomati-chakra is to be worshipped along with a salagram-sila.


Gomati chakra: is a form of shell stone and is found in Gomti River of Dwarka in Gujarat.The chakra resembles the sudarshan chakra or discus of Lord Vishnu.It is said to bring luck and is used as a yantra and in worship. It is believed that those who possess the gomti chakra are blessed with money, good health and prosperity.


Srila Gopala Bhatt Goswami (1503-1578) is one of the foremost disciples of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and a leading figure in Gaudiya Vaishnavism. He belonged to a group of Vaishnava devotees known collectively as the six goswamis of Vrindavan who established the philosophical basis of the Gaudiyas.