Raksha Bandhan

 Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on 'Shravan Purnima' (full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravan), which generally falls in the month of August, every year. All the Indian festivals have some spiritual significance.

The literal meaning of 'Raksha-Bandhan' is 'the bond of protection'. On this day, it is customary for the sisters to tie a scared thread, called Rakhi, on their brother's wrist. The brothers, in turn, promise their sisters to protect and safeguard them against all the evil forces. Thus this auspicious day commemorates the unique bond between a brother and a sister. 

​In ancient times, saints and sages used to tie a thread sanctified by the power of Mantras, on the wrist of their disciples/ followers as a vow of protection from all the inauspicious happenings. And, with their own spiritual power they were capable of doing so.

Since the time the most beautiful Rajpoot Queen Karnavati sent a rakhi to a Mugal King Humayun with a plead of protecting her husband, this festival has prevailed as the festival of brothers and sisters,

Shri Maharaj Ji wrote a couplet –

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रक्षा करे हरी गुरू,गोविंद राधे,
मायाधीन भइया रक्षा करे ना बता दे।
Rakṣā karē harī gurū,gōvinda rādhē,
Māyādhīna bha'iyā rakṣā karē nā batā dē.

"Only God and Guru (Saint) are capable of protecting all the time. Physical brother cannot provide protection at all times from all things". Hari is Almighty and Omnipresent, so He can obviously protect all the time from all things. Guru too is almighty and can reach anywhere he wishes to reach. 

A human being is susceptible to harm, also he cannot reach everywhere instantly. When material beings cannot always protect even oneself, then such a person cannot be expected to protect someone else.

निंदक नियरे राखिए ऑंगन कुटी छवाय हिंदी मीनिंग NINDAK NIYARE RAKHIYE AANGAN KUTI CHAVAY HINDI MEANING

(Synopis of Bhakti ki Aadhar Shila, The Foundation Stone of Devotion, a lecture given by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj)

There are three conditions that a practitioner of the path of bhakti must fulfill. He should be more humble than a blade of grace. (When we walk on grass, it simply bows under the pressure of our feet with no resistance.) We should be as tolerant as a tree (which without complaint allows itself to be plundered for its fruits, leaves and branches). We should offer only respect to others and never expect the same for ourselves.

To try to be called good or to be seen as good in the eyes of others makes us fall in our devotion. We should instead try to actually become good. For example, when someone criticises you, you feel bad. You become angry with that person and feel he is your foe. You continuously think of him with animosity. We harm ourselves greatly when we do this.

Instead of bringing God and Guru into our mind, we have given a place in our mind to a mayic soul. By doing so we are simply increasing the impurity of the mind, not decreasing it.

It is a fact that until one attains God realisation, one is completely under the control of Maya. This means that all the mayic defects such as anger, lust, greed, attachment, pride and so on, will also remain in our minds. Along with this, the consequences of all our actions from countless births also remain with us, because these consequences are only destroyed through God’s grace after God realisation. As Shri Krishna says in the Gita,

Aham tvam sarvapapebhyo mokshayishyami ma shuchah. (18/66)

As a soul has had uncountable births and in all those births we have performed every kind of action, then if someone calls us lustful, hot-tempered, greedy, sinful, mean, unprincipled, or wicked, then what is wrong with that? We should happily accept the truth and try to rectify that fault.

When we introduce an ordinary police officer to someone as a police officer, he doesn’t feel bad and say, “Why didn’t you introduce me as a detective or a police chief?” This is, after all, his position. Saint Tulsidas says,

Nindak niyare rakhiye aangan kuti chhavay.

The one who criticises us is actually our well-wisher. If a snake or scorpion were crawling on our back and if someone were to warn us, “Hey! Look out!” We would consider that person our well-wisher. In fact, all Saints who have attained God and gone beyond Maya express the acceptance of one’s faults in their writings,

Mo sam kaun kutil khal kami.

“There is no one as deceptive, wicked and worldly as I.” A true Saint doesn’t possess any of these qualities, but we definitely do. Still we feel bad when someone criticises us and thus we harm our devotional progress greatly.

Another point we must understand is that the only time we utilise correctly is when our mind remains attached to God. So during the course of one day, how much does our mind remain attached to God? Think about it. Repeatedly reflect, “The consequences of all the wrong actions I have ever performed in countless past lifetimes are still with me. Plus I have performed uncountable wrong actions in this birth. Still, I can’t stand before God and shed tears asking for His forgiveness. Shame on my understanding!”

You have to repeatedly promise yourself that you will not feel bad if someone tells you your faults. Practise will lead to success. Every day before going to sleep at night ask yourself, “How many times did I fail to tolerate someone’s criticism today?” The next day be more careful so you don’t commit the same mistake. With this kind of regular practise, you will stop feeling bad.

You should also remember that Shri Krishna is seated in our hearts, noting all our thoughts. If we feel animosity towards someone, how will He grace us? These faults will decrease if we are aware of His presence everywhere, which means we will also be doing continuous remembrance. Don’t feel animosity towards the one who criticises you; Shri Krishna also dwells in his heart, too. Instead remain neutral. Request God repeatedly,

Yadi dainyam tvatkripaheturna tadasti mamanvapi.
Tam kripam kuru radhesh yatatey dainya mapnuyam.

“Oh Shri Krishna! You bestow grace on the base of one’s humility, but I am not humble at all. So first grace me so I may become humble!” While saying this, shed tears. You must definitely do this. The human birth is temporary, so quickly do this. You don’t know when your time will be up. I humbly request this of all of you.

© Radha Govinda Samiti and Bhakti Bliss

Our Guru - Jagadguru Shri Kripaluji Maharaj

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj

Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj, founder of the worldwide organization Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, is a Hindu Saint whose entire life has been dedicated to inspiring souls on the path of devotion to God. Through enlightening discourses and chanting of the holy name, Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj (lovingly addressed as Shri Maharaj Ji by His devotees) has been making unceasing efforts to reveal the true philosophy from the Vedic scriptures to mankind in the simplest form possible so that they can attain their true goal of God Realization.

Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj took birth on October 5, 1922 on the auspicious full moon night in Mangarh, a tiny village in Northern India. His mother Bhagvati Devi and father Lalita Prasad Tripathi named their child Ram Kripalu. From childhood He showed signs of divinity and was a most precocious student. According to the custom of the times, His parents got Him married at a very young age to the daughter of a learned astrologer hailing from the nearby village of Leelapur. Despite being married, Shri Kripaluji Maharaj often left home for long intervals, and at the age of sixteen, He was discovered roaming the Chitrakoot forests in divine ecstasy earlier exhibited only by the greatest personalities such as Gaurang Mahaprabhu and Ramkrishna Paramhans. While still in His teens He led devotees in an ecstatic chanting of Hare Ram Sankeertan, which lasted six months.

At the young age of 34, He was awarded the title of Jagadguru by Kashi Vidvat Parishat, the distinguished and exclusive organization of 500 Vedic scholars, in the holy city of Benaras, on 14th January 1957. The title of Jagadguru has been granted only four times before. The first Jagadguru is Adi Shankaracharya; the second one is Jagadguru Ramanujacharya, followed in history by Jagadguru Nimbarkacharya and Jagadguru Madhvacharya. The title of Jagadguru (Guru of the world) is awarded only to a divine personality who possesses complete theoretical knowledge of all scriptures as well as a practical experience of God, and who brings about a spiritual revolution in the world.

When delivering enlightening discourses such as the ones given by Shri Krishna (Gita) and Shukdev Paramhans (Bhagvatam), Shri Kripaluji Maharaj recites the most difficult Sanskrit verses from the Vedas, Upanishads, Purans, Gita and other scriptures eloquently and explains them in a lucid manner that leaves both the scholar and the layman spellbound. The most remarkable aspect of His recitation is that He has never studied these scriptures. His formal education had come to an end at the age of sixteen. Shri Kripaluji Maharaj has composed more than a thousand bhajans and more than 600 keertans that evoke extremely devotional sentiments within the heart. Many years ago He composed 1,008 devotional songs in only nine days. These are collectively known as the scripture ‘Prem Ras Madira.’ This scripture has been highly praised by the well-known poets of India.

As humble as He is great, He makes Himself accessible to all sincere spiritual aspirants. He has trained approximately fifty monastic disciples, male and female, who travel the world spreading the most authentic divine wisdom contained in the scriptures. His teachings have spread all over the world through his monastic disciples and through His televised discourses. Even at this age He travels extensively, mostly throughout India.

The spiritual work undertaken by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj is certainly His greatest contribution to society. However, His philosophy concentrates on creating a balance in life by taking care of the body as well as nurturing the soul. Recognizing the need to take care of the physical body also, Shri Kripaluji Maharaj inspires devotees to engage in various humanitarian activities.

In this age when people are judged by material success, the human soul yearning for peace and fulfillment finds soothing solace in Shri Kripaluji Maharaj, who shines with divinity and works tirelessly to uplift humanity. He shatters all doubts of spiritual confusion with great ease and effectively reveals a clear and practical path leading to God. He is, in true sense of the word, a Jagadguru, Guru of the entire world.

May He bless us all with His Divine Grace.

Shyama Shyam Geet

 

Shyama Shyam Geet

श्यामा रटें श्याम श्याम श्याम रटें श्यामा ।

श्यामा श्याम आठु याम रटें ब्रजबामा ॥(1)

Shree Radha (Shyamaa) chants Shyam, Shyam and Shree Krishna (Shyam) chants Shyamaa, Shyamaa . Gopis of Braj chants both- Shyamaa and Shyam.

मनमानी तजु भज श्याम अरु श्यामा ।

जाने कब तनु छिन जाय कह बामा ॥(2)

Give up carelessness and remember Shyamaa and Shyam every moment. No one knows when death will snatch this human form from you.

मैं मैं मैं मैं काहे करे मूढ आठु यामा ।

अज जानि काल वृक भेजे यम धामा ॥(3)

O, fool! why do you keep saying "Main(I)", "Main(I)" like a goat, the wolf in the form of death is preparing to send you to the abode of Yama.

भुक्ति मुक्ति सुख सुख बैकुण्ठ धामा ।

तजु काम एक नाम रटु श्याम श्यामा ॥(4)

Chant the Names of Shyamaa Shyam alone, discarding all material desires up to the abode of Brahma, liberation and even for the opulence of Vaikuntha.

शुक के समान जनि रटु श्याम श्यामा ।

बक के समान ध्यान करु कह बामा ॥(5)

Just saying "Shyamaa" "Shyam" with tongue alone like a parrot without attaching your mind to the form of Radha Krishna will not do. Concentrating on Their Divine form like a crane is essential.

रसना की भक्ति ते ना बने कछु कामा ।

शून्य का करोड गुना शून्य आवे बामा ॥(6)

Devotion merely by the senses such as tongue will not lead you to the real goal.  It is similar to multiplying zero with a billion where the result will always be zero.

देह सम कीर्तन नाम गुन धामा ।

प्रान समान रुप-ध्यान श्याम श्यामा ॥(7)

Singing the Names of the Lord, His pastimes and qualities is like body. By fixing mind on the Form of Shyamaa Shyam while singing Their glory is like infusing soul in that body.

श्यामा श्याम नाम जपो चाहे आठु यामा ।

बिना प्रेम रीझें निहं कभू श्याम श्यामा ॥(8)

Shyamaa Shyam can be pleased only by chanting Their Names with love.

Without love, taking their Names for whole day and night is of no use.

प्रेम ही है सब साधन परिणामा ।

प्रेम में भी भान रहे सदा निष्कामा ॥(9)

Love alone is the outcome of all devotional endeavours.

Also, one needs to ensure that this love is without any demand. It should be unconditional.

रिद्धि मिले सिद्धि मिलें मिलें मोक्षधामा ।

सब हैं अज्ञान ज्ञान प्रेम श्याम श्यामा ॥(10)

Acquisition of material opulence and even liberation is nothing but ignorance. Real knowledge is to know Shyamaa Shyam.  Only by knowing Them we can attain Them.