November 2024 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami--Bhakti Yoga I
Srivatsa Ramaswami
November 2024 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami–Bhakti yoga-I
HAPPY DEEPAVALI
I am joining Mini Shastri in a Vinyasakrama program in Delhi early December Here is the link
Bhakti Yoga -I
Some 50 years ago when I started teaching Yoga a western acquaintance asked me if people in India practice yoga. I could not answer him immediately as the answer that came to my mind was “NO”. At that time there were a few who would quietly practice a few asanas at home like suryanamaskara or the inversions. There were very few yoga studios as there are nowadays. Now within a radius of one mile I can count more than four yoga studios doing brisk business owned and managed by very competent yoginis (most of them had attended some of my programs).
But I said that there were many, thousands who practice yoga, but Bhakti yoga. In fact my Guru Sri Krishnamacharya even as he was a great Hatayogi, master of asanas vinyasas pranayama mudras and all was a consummate Bhakti Yogi.
But why would anyone worship and pray to the Lord? Here is quotes from Kumarila Bhatta
प्रयोजनमनुद्दिश्य न मन्दोऽपि प्रवर्तते ।prayojanam anuddiśya na mando’pi pravartate |
“Even a fool does not undertake an action without having purpose.”
The Lord in the Bhagavat gita mentions in Ch 7 that devotees approach Him with different goals or aspirations
चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जना: सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन |आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ || 16||
chatur-vidhā bhajante māṁ janāḥ sukṛitino ’rjuna
ārto jijñāsur arthārthī jñānī cha bharatarṣhabha
Pious people worship Me for four different goals. They are sufferers desiring relief from suffering, those that are desirous of knowledge, then there are those who want worldly or other worldly achievements and possessions and finally those who wish to know Me and reach Me.
It is common experience that all creatures including human beings ceaselessly endeavor to get what one wants and get rid of what one does not want.Many times the efforts to get what one wants may not end up successfully. Likewise the efforts one may put in may not lead to the removal of what is not wanted.
Artis are those who suffer and put in efforts to overcome the pain by trying to remove the cause of dukkha or pain. Many try to do it alone or take help from others. And a vast majority also pray to the Lord for relief from duhkha. Here is a story. The elephant is the biggest and a powerful creature. The head of a herd was Gajendra ( literally King of elephants) This puranic story says Gajendra was a great devotee of the Lord. Once with his herd Gajendra was crossing a waterbody. Suddenly a large crocodile lurking in the waterbody caught hold of the leg of Gajendra. Despite his best efforts Gajendra was unable to extricate himself from the crocodile jaws. Raising his trunk to the heaven Gajendra cried and shouted the name of the Lord “Adi Mula” The story is that the Lord sent His cakra or the disc which came down and cut the crocodile”s throat and gave release to Gajendra. The release of Gajendra is known as Gajendra moksha, This story is told by grandmothers to the grandchildren over and over again. When I was a kid I heard this story from my grandmother many times. The climax when Gajendra cries and pleads to the Lord for relief is a scene I used to visit again and again. The eyes would become moist listening to the story. There is a powerful Gajendra mosha prayer slokas Here is the link
https://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_vishhnu/gajendramokShaH.html
There is a cute little prayer to Lord Rama called Sri Rama Jayam . In the olden days children would be taught to say this prayer before going to sleep. One line is
Arthanam aartihamtharam bheethanam bhayanasanam
It says that I pray to Lord Ramaschandra who removes the sufferings and also fears. Children are told that this prayer would make them sleep without fear of nightmares and difficulty. Samkhya karika says “duhkham svabhavikam” or pain is inherent in life. Difficult old parents, wayward children, cantankerous spouse, litigant neighbor, unreliable business partner, scanty income and then ill health, accidents– many woes. And many people manage to go through difficult life, the arthis or the suffering devotee. He/She manages to swim through life with the grace of the Lord.
To be continued in the next newsletter _God willing