Namasthe- Njanappaana 8

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Njanappaana 8

 

Chuzhannitunna samsaara chakratthil

Uzhannitum namukkarinjeetuvaan

Arivulla mahatthukkal undoru

Paramaartham arul cheythirikkunnu

Eluthaayittu mukthi labhippaanaay

Chevi thannithu kelppin ellaavarum

We are restlessly moving (uzhannitum) up and down in this rotating (chuzhannitunna) wheel of material world (samsaara chkratthil). For us to know (namukkarinjituvaan), great njaanis( arivulla mahatthukkal) have preached (arul chythirikkunnu) the paramaartham (Supreme truth). All of you listen to this (kelppin ellaavarum) because to attain salvation (mukthi labhipaanaay) easily (eluthaayittu) God has given you the sravanaedriyam or ears (chevi thannithu). The meaning of " chevi thannithu " can also be taken as " give your ears " or listen to what Mhaathmaas told us.

 Getting human life is rare and even after getting human life, very few people are blessed to pursue the spiritual path. But great sages of the past realized this pitiable condition of ordinary souls and have prescribed easy ways to know the Supreme Truth. One of the easiest method for Kaliyuga suggested by them is Naamasankeerthanam. Since this is the opinion of self-realized bhakthaas, Bhagavan Himself approves this method and tells in Bhagavad Gita: " yajnaanaam japayajnosmi " or Among all the sacrifices, sadhanas, austerities or forms of tapas, I am represented by japa " and thus supporting the words of Mahaathmaas. 

(Bhagavan always supports Bhakthaas. When Poothaanam once read Amaraprabhu as Maraprabhu while chanting Vishnusahasra naamam, a few Sanskrit scholars made fun of him. Bhagavan could not take his dear devotee's grief and told from the sanctum sanctorum : " I am Amara prabhu as well as Maraprabhu, meaning I am also the lord of trees or in Malayalam maram " .)

We are all going up and down on the wheel of material world rotating with extreme speed and it is very difficult to escape from that. But once we know the Supreme Truth, we will be relieved from the samsaarachakra. This Brahma jnanam is possible by sincerely chanting the auspicious names of God because Naamam or names of Lord are even greater than Naami or Lord Himself. Hanumanji had to just chant Raama naamam to cross the ocean where as Lord Raama had to construct the bridge to cross the ocean to Lanka!

Also as explained in the previous lines, anybody can chant naamam anytime and anywhere. So Poonthaanam is asking us to listen carefully to what Mahaathmaas have told us about Supreme Truth. Like sravanedriyam or ears can be used for hearing the greatness of Lord, all other indriyaas should be used for the purpose of serving God. Sankarrachaaryar also gives this idea in a very beautiful sloka in Soundarya Lahari:

JapO jalpa: shilpam sakalam api mudraa-virachanaaGathi: praadakshiNya-kramanam ashanady aahuthi-vidhi:PraNaama: samvesha: sukham akhilam aathmaarpaNa -drushaaSaparyaa paryaya: thava bhavathu yan mae vilasitham

Let my spoken words become manthras, let all my hand gestures become mudraas, let all my steps become circumambulation or pradakhinam to you, let my lying down to sleep become prostration to you, let the food I consume be an offering to the sacred fire lit for you, let what ever I do become a worship to you.

Let us do continuous Naamasankeerthanam to elevate ourselves spiritually:

Krishna!Krishna! Mukunda! Janaardana!

Krishna! Govinda! Naarayana! Hare!

Achyuthaananda! Govinda! Maadhava!

Sachidaananda! Naarayana! Hare

Sreekrishnaarpanamasthu

Regards an dprayers

SavitriP.S : I cannot help quoting the last sloka of chapter 98 of Naaraayaneeyam :durvaaraM dvaadashaaraM trishataparimilatShaShTi parvaabhiviitaMsambhraamyat krooravegaM kshaNamanu jagadaachChidya sandhaavamaanam |

chakraM te kaalaruupaM vyathayatu na tu maaM tvatpadaikaavalambaMviShNO kaaruNya sindhO pavanapurapate paahi sarvaamayaughaatThy invincible wheel of Time has the 12 months as spokes, the 360 days of the year as teeth, whirls at a fierce speed and runs on cutting down the universe every moment. May it not torment me for whom thy feet are the only refuge. O! Vishnu! Ocean of compassion! Lord of Guruvayur! save me from all the hosts of ailments! (By S.N Sastriji)