Advaita Bhakti thro. Contemplative Practice of Narayaniyam ( ABCPN - 0 )

[Guest guest]

Namaste.

 

This is only an Introduction.

Starting from this post I intend to make 13 posts on the subject

of symbiotic verbal expression of Bhakti as understood and

practised by an advaitin. For this purpose I have selected 36

verses from nArAyaNIyaM, the great poetical work of Narayana

Bhattatiri, who lived in the 16th and 17th centuries. This work

is an inimitably faithful epitome in 1036 Sanskrit verses of

Srimad Bhagavatam, in such a masterly fashion that the epitome

itself is considered as sacred as the original, which contains

18000 verses. In 1587 A.D. Bhattatiri took the paralysis of

his Guru on himself and then to get rid of his illness, he

composed the nArAyaNIyaM sitting in front of the idol of Krishna

at Guruvayoor temple, where on the 100th day of the composition,

he was blessed by the Lord with a darshan and also a complete

cure of his illness. In all the works of Bhattatiri, the

Absolute Transcendental is Krishna, the deity of Guruvayoor in

the state of Kerala, India. He is usually referred to as

Guruvayoor-appan by his devotees throughout the world. As

sAdhakas towards the goal of advaita we should not have any

qualms in conceiving of Guruvayoor-appan, (or for that matter

any deity of a temple) as THE manifestation of The

Transcendental Absolute.

 

It is generally thought that advaita is just a philosophy and

bhakti is a way of life. In my personal experience of having

seen my father Sri R. Visvanatha Sastri live his life, I feel

that the advaitic attitude is also a way of life and (according

to me, as I understood him) THE way of life. It is the

continuing PRACTICE OF THIS ADVAITIC ATTITUDE by my father that

convinced me that the expression of true bhakti has to be

advaitic in essence. In fact Adi Sankara says

(Vivekachudamani–33). that contemplative living in one’s natural

state, that is the divine state, is bhakti.

‘svasvarUpA-nusandhAnaM bhaktir-ity-abhidhIyate’.

I have seen my father practise it (perhaps) all his life – he

was already 45 when I was born, and when I was 29 he was no

more.

 

The 36 slokas that I have selected from nArAyaNIyaM are mostly

expressions of bhakti but, with my experience of my father’s

life, I can see how Bhattatiri must have felt and lived. These

slokas have a running thread of the advaitic spirit and

attitude. In fact Bhattatiri transforms philosophy into

scintillating poetry. His is a philosophy of advaita which is

devotional, almost like (in the devotional aspect) the one which

Sankara himself followed in his own life, though, Bhattatiri’s

understanding of the advaita concept has shades of the Vaishnava

philosophy in it. For the past five years I have been

contemplating on the thread of these 36 slokas daily at all

possible times of day and night. The Slokas and their meanings

are listed in these posts in the order in which I have sequenced

and remembered them. This is, however, not their sequential

order in the text. The sequence below is mine. It is so because

I feel that this way it gives expression to my feeling towards

the Lord and to my conviction that it is leading me – mark it,

‘leading me’ – to that distant goal of realisation of

NON-DUALITY. The reader of these posts may or may not resonate

with this feeling of mine, but still I thought I will share with

you my experience.

 

Each of these posts, starting from the next, will dwell on three

slokas, in my sequential order. I am sure there can be several

opinions on my selection of the particular slokas as well as

their sequencing, but what is to be remembered is that it is a

personal selection and I enjoy contemplation on it. I consider

it as a spiritual exercise in tuning my mind to advaitic

practice – my model being, my FATHER.

 

(To be continued)

praNAms to all advaitins

profvk

 

 

 

=====

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

My website on Science and Spirituality is http://www.geocities.com/profvk/

You can access my book on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought Vision and

Practice, and my father R. Visvanatha Sastri's manuscripts from the site.

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

--- "V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk wrote:

> Namaste.

>

> This is only an Introduction.

> Starting from this post I intend to make 13 posts on the subject

> of symbiotic verbal expression of Bhakti as understood and

> practised by an advaitin. For this purpose I have selected 36

> verses from nArAyaNIyaM, the great poetical work of Narayana

> Bhattatiri, who lived in the 16th and 17th centuries.

 

Professor V Krishnamurthyji - Krishna is manifesting through you. We

are all delighted to witness these manifestations. Having brought up

as a Vaishnavate, these sloka-s as well as mukundamaala slokas of

Kulasekhara Alwar have a special place in my heart. Thanks you and

waiting to study your posts.

 

Hari OM!

Sadananda

 

=====

What you have is His gift to you and what you do with what you have is your gift

to Him - Swami Chinmayananda.

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Namaste

 

 

<<Having been brought up

as a Vaishnavate, these sloka-s as well as mukundamaala slokas

of Kulasekhara Alwar have a special place in my heart.>>

 

Respects, Sadaji. Thank you for your above words of

encouragement. I would like to see the mukundamala slokas

translated and commented by you.

 

praNAms to all advaitins

profvk

 

=====

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

My website on Science and Spirituality is http://www.geocities.com/profvk/

You can access my book on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought Vision and

Practice, and my father R. Visvanatha Sastri's manuscripts from the site.

 

 

 

U2 on LAUNCH - Exclusive greatest hits videos

http://launch./u2