When we engage in chanting the divine names, not only do we have the remembrance of Bhagavan, but we also have His very presence with us!

 

Source : Madhuramurali English Edition

SAINT SKETCH – Himmat Dasji

Srimad Bhagavatam says,

एवंव्रत: स्वप्रि यना मकी र्त्या जा ता नुरा गो द्रुतचि त्त उच्चै: ।

हसत्यथो रो दि ति रौ ति गा यत्युन्मा दवन्नृत्यति लो कबा ह्य: ॥

evaMvrata: svapriyanAmakIrtyA

jAtAnurAgO drutachitta uchchai: |

hasatyathO rOditi rauti gAyatyunmAdavannRtyati lOkabAhya:||

SB 11.2.40

 

When we start our spiritual journey, we chant the divine names of Bhagavan with more

discipline but probably with less focus or love. However, even if the chanting then begins to seem merely mechanical, one should not stop chanting, for this discipline slowly brings in the grace of Bhagavan and divine love flowers within. Once such divine love flowers within, the devotee loses himself in the singing of divine names and forgets the world around.

 

This was the state of our sadhu Himmat Dasji too. He was lost in the joy of singing the divine names. Once while he was on his way to have darshan of Shri Jugal Kishore, a few robbers stopped him midway. Oblivious to his surroundings, Himmat Dasji was still engaged in divine kirtan. Thinking he was ignoring them deliberately, the angered robbers snatched the cymbals from the hands of Himmat Dasji. This brought his mind down back to the world. Still holding the cymbals, the robbers demanded, “Give us everything you have if you want to save yourself!”

Himmat Dasji replied, “You already have my cymbals! I carry nothing else materially with me. But if you insist that I give you all that I have, I can surely give you the divine names of Bhagavan! For that is my true possession.”

This is the mark of a great saint is it not? Devotees of the Lord deem nothing but the divine names as the real treasure. But the robbers were not happy with this. They did not care for anything spiritual. When they understood they could do nothing about it, they angrily walked away with the cymbals of Himmat Dasji still in their hands.

Himmat Dasji smiled at that and did not engage with them any further even for the sake of the cymbals. He thought, “Krishna! Your will is supreme! If it pleases you that they have my cymbals, so be it!” and continued his journey.

Suddenly he heard the screaming of the robbers. Himmat Dasji rushed to see what had happened, and saw that they had all lost their eyesight! The robbers realised the greatness of Himmat Dasji and fell at his feet, begging him to save them. Himmat Dasji was moved, both by their state and by the love of Bhagavan who protects His devotees who are ever engaged in chanting His divine names.

The highest spiritual practice is chanting the divine names, is it not? When we engage in chanting the divine names, not only do we have the remembrance of Bhagavan, but we also have His very presence with us! Bhagavan Himself tells Sage Narada, “I do not live in Vaikunta or the heart of Yogis. It is where my devotees lovingly engage in chanting my divine names that I am always present.” Little does one realise this initially in one’s spiritual journey. But as one progresses spiritually, the Lord reveals His presence.

Himmat Dasji prayed to Bhagavan for the well-being of the robbers. The grateful robbers got their eyesight back and they humbly returned the cymbals too to Himmat Dasji.

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

As a result of these repeated prayers, by Lord Venkateshwara’s grace, the situation changed. My focus is now only on continuous japa.

 

Source : Madhuramurali English Edition

Written by an Ardent Seeker

I went to Tirumala and cried shedding tears before Lord Venkateshwara. “May all that I think never ever become a reality. May you please grant me only that which is good for me! That is enough” As a result of these repeated prayers, by Lord Venkateshwara’s grace, the situation changed. My focus is now only on continuous japa.

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

 

 

Our immensely compassionate Sri Sri Anna looked at this youth with benevolence and said tenderly, “Chant as much as possible, chant whenever possible. That is enough.”

Source : Madhuramurali English Edition

 

The DIVINE LIFE OF SRI SRI ANNA –

by HH Maharanyam Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

 

After several centuries, Dravida desha the birthplace of Bhakti, finally found the meaning of this highest state of bhakti, which cannot be explained in words, but fully just seen in the persona of Sri Sri Anna alone. Such an avatara of parama prema is very rare.

 

So what is the path shown by our Sri Sri Anna, who was in such an elevated divine state, to all the people who are withering, as we saw earlier, due to the tempestuous winds of Kali? An incident that took place in the divine life of Sri Sri Anna this year, aptly captures and makes clear the path that he showed the world.

 

Our Sri Sri Anna had taken ill. At that time, a young man obtained Nama upadesa from Sri Sri Anna. Before leaving his presence, the young man asked Sri Sri Anna, “How much japa should I do? And when should I do it?” Our immensely compassionate Sri Sri Anna looked at this youth with benevolence and said tenderly, “Chant as much as possible, chant whenever possible. That is enough.”

 

Such a simple path to attain Bhagavan, that can be followed by anyone and is apt for any time, can be shown only by avatara purushas who descend as an absolute embodiment of compassion. To the lotus feet of our Sri Sri Anna, who is such a form of immeasurable love and an embodiment of the boundless compassion of Bhagavan, we prostrate again and again a million times over.

Sri Sri Premikendra Sadguru Maharaj ki – Jai!

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

 

He did not carry the chakra in His hands; turning in his hands the beads of a Nama japamala, that are apt for this Age, he moved about.

 

Source : Madhuramurali English Edition

The DIVINE LIFE OF SRI SRI ANNA –

by HH Maharanyam Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

No doubt that yoga, yAga, vratha, jnAna vichAra are all glorious paths that can enable us to attain Bhagavan. Butnow people are struggling immensely, caught as they are in the tempestuous winds of ‘Kali’. Simply fulfilling daily needs is itself a huge challenge today. The current lifestyle, food habits, the present state of society – none of these are even slightly conducive for the above-mentioned spiritual paths; in fact, they are actually detrimental to the sadhanas mentioned above. When this is the case, if we tell someone to do yoga, or vichara, or sacrificial rituals, what will he or she ever do?

 

So, deciding that these people cannot be taken ashore through sadhana, but only through infinite, causeless Grace (krupa), Bhagavan descended as our Sri Sri Anna. He did not come sounding the shankha; he came sweetly sounding Srimad Bhagavatam which “bestows one with jnana-bhakti-vairagya the moment it is listened to, and takes them ashore“. He did not carry the chakra in His hands; turning in his hands the beads of a Nama japamala, that are apt for this Age, he moved about. He did not come holding His sturdy Kaumodaki (mace); he came to grace us with the sweet words of Bhagavat guna on his tongue, that were strong enough to melt the stoniest ofhearts. He did not come flashing the divine light of His sharp sword Nandaki; he came to shower the divine sound of the Mahamantra that could sharply root out the sorrow of all. He did not come with a lotus in His hand spreading its fragrance; he came to spread the divine fragrance of prema bhakti. He did not come with a Vanamala swinging on his wide chest; he came adorned with a simple mala of Tulasi beads. Giving up His grand yellow silken robes, he donned a simple white dhoti. Sri Sri Anna’s lovely form is indeed the embodiment of Bhagavan’s divine, pure prema (love). For several hundreds of years, Dravida desha had forgotten what true prema was.

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Bhagavan takes care of the welfare of those devotees who engage themselves in constantly singing My divine names.

Source : Madhuramurali English Edition 

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare 

If satsanga is not packed with BhagavadguNa and nAmakIrtan, and if there is room for a lot of gossip and wordly affairs there, then the poor samsAri who wanted a soul refreshment, finds no solace, and the time he spent there goes in vain!

 

Source : Madhuramurali English Edition

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

He happily started doing Mahamantra kirtan in the prakAra with child-like enthusiasm and energy

 

Source : Madhuramurali English Edition

 Madhurasmaranam

 The beginning or the end of the queue of devotees to have Bhagavan’s darshan could not be seen. The lineup was so long. Sri Swamiji said, “I really would love to have a closer darshan of Sri Guruvayurappan. But, you all know that I don’t prefer crowds.” Saying this, Sri Swamiji sat near a pillar in the temple premises. Devotees who were with Sri Swamiji thought that they should request somebody’s help to take Sri Swamiji alone to have a closer darshan. Sri Swamiji knew what was going on in their minds and stopped that thought immediately. Sri Swamiji does not like doing that.

He happily started doing Mahamantra kirtan in the prakAra with child-like enthusiasm and energy. Sri Swamiji said, “Sri Guruvayurappan knows everything! Won’t He know that I am sitting here, thinking all about Him and singing His nAma? He will certainly indicate to us that He knows everything” and continued the sankirtan. Preparations were going on for Seeveli. On one side there were elephants and on the other side a flood of devotees, there was so much going on there.

It would have only been five minutes since Sri Swamiji had said that. A person doing kainkarya at the temple emerged through the massive crowd of people, and came straight to Sri Swamiji. Without any hesitation, he took the right hand of Sri Swamiji and pressed something in his hand. He came closer to Sri Swamiji and said, “Guruvayurappan who is inside the temple asked me to give this to you.” He went back. While Sri Swamiji opened his hand he saw a hot appam that had just been offered to Sri Guruvayurappan as naivEdyam.

Little Krishna had sent the prasAdam that He had accepted, to Sri Swamiji. You can imagine how Sri Swamiji would have felt at that very moment.

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare