kaLayE sundarAKAram sadaika priyadarshnam |
ajnAna nAshakam dEvam sadgurum muraLidharam ||
muraLImaNDitha karakamalm munijana mohanam
vytyasthapAdam vanamALAdhAriNam |
premabhaktamaNDala nitya kIrtitam
Sri premikavaradam AshrayEham ||
We all know these are called Dhyana slokas, but do we understand why we recite them?
The practice of reciting Dhyana slokas has hailed from Sanatana Dharma or also referred to as Hinduism. The reason for reciting these verses is to be able to concentrate and focus your mind. We chant these shlokas so we can be at our productive best, have our intelligence fully available and our attention fully present.
Our Rishis have said we should never work with a grudge or unwillingly, we should always put forth our best effort. There are two important purposes: 1. You will enjoy what you are doing and 2. You will achieve a greater result. For example, before starting any work we can identify our distractions and try to set them as far as possible. This method protects us from distraction and helps us focus on our objective. Have you ever noticed a torchlight? It’s capable of showing us what’s ahead in a dark place, but this same light when it is focused is known as a laser. Lasers are used in the medical field as well as in the engineering field, they can cut through hard substances. In the same way, when light is focused, it can bring tremendous results, similarly, our mind can do the same.
There was a young boy who used to go to a forest to cut trees. He did a good and responsible job of cutting, he went around working at his productive best but over time he realized that his productivity was dropping. He didn’t know what was going on, puzzled he went to his father and asked, “Why is my efficiency and productivity decreasing day by day?” His father responded, “You are rushing and hurrying yourself in getting the job done, try spending about 30 minutes sharpening your axe and you will see how your productivity increases and how you will be able to cut more trees!” The little boy found out that his father was right and this way he could cut more trees. Often, we rush ourselves into doing academic lessons or to enjoy a sweet treat, we don’t spend even a second preparing ourselves to do what we want to do.
Our Guru Maharaj always brings his mind to the same place as his task or what he’s doing. The way he walks, talks, acts all depend on the task that is being completed. The ability to do this is “the perfect sign of a perfected person.” Such as when he is about to watch a music concert, his mind would be thinking about music and talking about music. He brings his mind to what is being done so he can enjoy and receive it perfectly. Now if he was going to talk about something very important or formal, he would sit behind a table and make sure his mind was directed toward the discussion, so on and so forth. This perfect person who we call our Guru gets into this sublime state and makes sure his mind is focused on his goal and not anything else.
This is the reason we chant dhyana slokas. Many of us read Bhagavatam or do daily parayanam, without knowing the meaning. Reading Bhagavatam is not like reading any ordinary book. For example, If you read Harry Potter you will only get the satisfaction or benefit if you can understand what you are reading. If a person struggles with English, he or she will have no idea what is happening. However, in Bhagavatam you need not know the meaning, as you keep on reading the meanings will slowly, automatically be understood by you. Bhagavatam is not an ordinary textbook or novel; it is in fact living divinity. For example, imagine a metal claw screeching against a chalkboard. We all in unison will have genuine disgust for that sound. Just by thinking of such we can mentally hear this sound. That’s how powerful sounds are. In this case, we took a negative and disturbing example, similarly there are some positive and healthy sounds that get our mind to focus, build love and entitle happiness. Such a positive sound is our beautiful Bhagavatam that can build the sense of joy in ourselves.
Let’s take a flower. Is it possible to pull out a flower from a bud? Can I force a flower to appear in front of me? Whatever you do, you can’t make a bud flower. The plant should flower naturally. When the bud obtains fresh water, sunlight, and whatever it needs to grow, it will grow naturally. Likewise, love or “prema” cannot be forced into ourselves, it has to appear naturally. Just as a flower needs water and sunlight to grow, we need Bhagavatam. When we read Bhagavatam patiently and properly, love flows in our heart. We should be patient, we cannot expect the results the next day, and as we persist, joy and happiness rushes in and takes its place in our heart. So when an event takes place, we act calmly and not like animals. This is what Bhagavatam and satsang promises us. Bhagavatam helps us live a full life. We should continue to read Bhagavatam; slowly but surely we will reach our destination.
By Dhruv Jujare, 14 yrs. Orlando, Florida, USA
Based on Sri Poornimaji’s Kishora Bhagavatam sessions
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