Steps of Bhakti - Easy to follow

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Sravanam, Keerthanam, Smaranam, Archanam, Vandanam, Daasyam,

Padasevanam, Sakhyam, Athmanivedanam

 

The nine steps that makes bhakti the most powerful among the karmas

and bonds, the follower of these nine steps (he/she), to the

supreme: KRSNA

 

Sravanam (Hearing): Sravanam is the basic function of the ears

and when it is used to hear KRSNA’S names and stories, it can

be said to be used in the proper manner. The quest of the ears to hear

more and more of Harikatha will increase each time anuone who

hears KRSNA’S name and his stories. As the name suggests, “iti

karshaye ti KRSNA; one who attracts is called KRSNAâ€, he

attracts anyone and everyone who hear him. Ears should have an

unlimited thirst for the stories of KRSNA, and should ask you

for more keertans and should dance with ecstasy when hearing the name

of the supreme, KRSNA. All these will automatically happen when

you are a real bhakta of KRSNA, and for that anyone should

first start listening to stories of KRSNA and also his keertans

and songs and in this manner, he/she will be more attached to the

supreme: KRSNA.

 

Keerthanam (Devine Songs): The chanting of KRSNA

mantras and his name is holy and ever powerful. The tongue should have

the eagerness to recite his keertans and his name all the time. This

is the primary karma of a tongue and a tongue that doesn’t do this is

just an extra fitting on a human body and is good for nothing. Tongue

should enjoy the reciting of his name and this can be attained by

Sravanam. By hearing his stories all the time and thinking

about it even when you are sleeping makes you eager to chant his name

and by doing this, you will be attached to the supreme: KRSNA

 

Smaranam (Thinking): Smaranam (Prower to remember) is very

important to life as without it we are not even called humans. This is

a special power given to the humans by the supreme that makes the

human kind different from all other species and helped humans to

achieve the impossible (to other species). Smaranam is just the

remembering of KRSNA’S stories heard by the ears, and also the

keertans that is being chanted by the tongue. Smaranam is often

referred to as Mananam, in other words the act of thinking what

is heard and often recited in the mind (Manassu). Smaranam (of course

about KRSNA) makes a human more attached to him and the more a

human think about KRSNA, the more he becomes attached to the

supreme: KRSNA

 

Archanam (Pujas): Archanam is one of the most important of the

nine steps. Archanam literally means to do pujas for KRSNA and

to offer him flowers and do archana to him with flowers. This karma

makes the doer think about KRSNA all the time he does archanam

and in turn he is doing his karma completely for KRSNA and

whoever does it with complete devotion and love is definite to get the

desired result. People who do it without any result intended and just

for the sake of the love to KRSNA is very dear to KRSNA

and he himself turns to be the lover of that bhakta. In archanam, one

has to remember about the different aspects of KRSNA he/she

heard about through the ears, recite the keertans and think about him

all the time he/she does the archanam. In this way all the time anyone

is engaged in archanam is in turn engaged in the service of the

supreme: KRSNA.

 

Vandanam (Pray): Vandanam is important especially in this

kaliyuga as there are less peace and more and more violence, but this

era makes it very very special for the bhaktas as by the mere

recitation of KRSNA naamam(name), makes he/she/thing eligible

for the eternal blessing and after which that soul should not have to

be in the circle of life and death and can attain the paramapadam

(supreme position), the feet of KRSNA. Vandanam includes going

to a temple and praying to the deity there. No matter what deity it is

(Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, Durga, or any) as KRSNA himself said

that whom ever you pray to it all comes to me as I am the eternal

giver and taker of all karmas you do. So Praying is very important and

while in a temple he/she have to employ all the above techniques above

mentioned. In the temple he/she should remember the stories heard,

recite the mantras and the holy name KRSNA, think about the

various names and stories he/she heard about, also tell him all the

sorrows and happiness you have, offer him pujas (in places where

direct pujas are not allowed, do it via the pujari / priest). In this

manner anyone can (at least) employ that certain amount of time he/she

in the temple for KRSNA, and by doing this every day

(preferably morning) makes one attached to the supreme: KRSNA

 

Daasyam (working): Daasyam or working for KRSNA makes

he/she very very dear to him. Anyone can take up this path as Daasyam

is very easy. Helping a porman cross the road also counts as Daasyam,

the work done for KRSNA. Giving food to the hungry, and helping

others (even if enemy) also counts. This is one of the easiest way and

yet one of the most powerful. Each time you do a work for him, you can

feel the energy inside you feeling happy (believe me on this as I have

personally experienced this) and every time you are becoming closer

and closer to the supreme: KRSNA

 

Padasevanam (Working unto him): Padasevanam is also working

for KRSNA. Most of the people ask what the difference between

Daasyam and Padasevanam. Padasevanam can only be attained when you

mastered all the six of the steps above. The simple difference is

Daasyam is work done for him to the world and Padasevanam is work done

for him to him. By Padasevanam I mean KRSNA is personally

present there when you are eligible to do it. You can either see him

or feel him according to your mind and how elevated it is. This stage

was attained by many many people like Vilwamangalam, Poontaanam,

Kururamma, Ezhuttachan(all from kerala; we even know how KRSNA

ran away from Vilvamangalam and went to Anantapuri to from

Thiruvanantapuram), Sri Chaitanya Maha Prabhu, and many others. When

anyone has attained this position, he/she is a holy person and is

situated well in the heart of the parampurausha: KRSNA

 

Sakhyam (friendship): This is my personal favorite of all the

nine steps and this the way of getting close to KRSNA by being

friends with him. In other words anyone who sees KRSNA as

his/her own son, brother, friend or lover has a better pace in

attaining KRSNA and this is the easiest way to attain

KRSNA. For attaining this state, he/she have to go through some

or the other part of all the seven steps above and when you come to

this state its more fun as all you have to do is Love KRSNA to

the full extend as you love your own son, brother, friend or lover or

whatever form you like to see KRSNA. In this way, you will be

thinking about him all the time. I must warn you that anyone who is

intended not to love KRSNA should not try this because when you

accepted a relation ,like if you see KRSNA as your own son, and

you are a woman, KRSNA starts to see you as his mother and if

you want to turn back, he is not going to allow that just like a child

not allowing his mother to get away from him. The best example is Mira

Bhai. The other side is who doesn’t want to be loved, that also,

intimately by the supreme lord: KRSNA

 

Athmanivedanam (self surrendering): When you are at the eight

stage, i.e, Sakhyam, you are automatically in the night step,

Athmanivedanam. Here you are surrendering yourself fully to

KRSNA. Athmanivedanam makes he/she attached permenantly to the

supreme power KRSNA and he/she should not and cannot have

anymore sorrows in the life. All that passes by he/she is just a play

by KRSNA and the bhakta will know this by this stage. Even if

you see KRSNA as your fr9iend or son or lover or in anyother

form, ultimately you are seeing him as the supreme power, the ever

lasting and the everpowerful GOD and by attaining this position of

knowing him as the supreme and yet consider him as your own sweet

love, is not just an easy task, but when attained you are really

really lucky and know that KRSNA is always with you as he

doesn’t like his mother, father, lover, brother/sister to get hurt and

he personally will eradicate all the miseries in the life by the

supreme himself: KRSNA

 

Experience the Nine steps as it is free of cost and there are no

hidden fees…so apply today for this. The faster you get to

KRSNA the better it is. There is no age bar for these nine

steps. A two year old and a 90 year old can practice these with the

same enthusiasm. So don’t wait to get old. Start with Sravanam today

itself and beat your friends in the race to the supreme KRSNA

as we all are (knowingly or unknowingly) going there, to the lotus

feet of the Supreme Lord: KRSNA.

 

The best source for Sravanam is Devine Songs or Keertans and reading

Srimad Bhagavatam (Reading also is a process of Sravanam. Your mind is

hearing what you are reading and then only it analyses the meaning of

what you are reading)

 

For Keertanam, I recommend the Kaliyuga Maha mantra “Hare Rama Hare

Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare

Hareâ€. There are also others like your sandhya vandana stotras, Vishnu

Sahasranamam, Sri Krsna Ashtottaram, Damodarashtakam and many more. If

you need more, I will make a list of it and will send it to you (just

ask).

 

And the rest of the steps are being derived by these first two steps

or the more you do these two steps, you will be drawn to the rest of

the steps. Any doubt, just leave me a message, and I’ll try my level

best to sort it out.