Savour the Holy Land of the Lord -1
=Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya
(Akhand Jyoti Jan.fub.2009)
Odyssey of the Enlightened -7 Savour the Holy Land of the Lord -1 It was the first or the second month of 1924 when Shriram accompanied his father to the house of his maternal grandfather to participate in the Bhagavat - Week arranged there. The discourse on Bhagavat was to be given by another scholar. Pt. Roop Kishore was invited, as he was the son-in- law. Taiji had reached there earlier. Father and son left one day before the ceremony and reached there on time. On the way, the son raised a few philosophical questions that had already crossed his mind during the incident with Chhapko Amma. One of the questions was - ‘You give discourses on Bhagavat and based on this, you could have proved that serving Chhapko Amma was the right thing to do; yet during the discussion, you explained the matter to Kalyan Pandit on the basis of Gayatri. Why did you choose Gayatri?’
The father explained that he chose Gayatri because Bhagavat was nothing but a detailed commentary on Gayatri; not just Bhagavat but all shastras were the detailed explanations of Gayatri and that Gayatri was the seed from which all the scriptures, including Vedas, had sprouted. Sriram listened and asked again ‘I too have listened to your discourses, but never has the glory of Gayatri been described like this anywhere in that Purana’. The reply of his father gave direction to Sriram’s thought. Panditji said, “You have to investigate that glory. For now, just learn the scriptural aspect of Bhagavat. It begins with Gayatri mantra. The very first shloka of Bhagavat Purana is like a commentary on Gayatri mantra. It is resplendent with many words and meanings related to Gayatri.” The meaning of the shloka is – “That, in which the entire universe is created, maintained and dissolved; that, in which, space and other matter is present and also absent; one who is omniscient; one who is omnipotent and is in the form of supreme effulgence; who by mere resolve explained Vedas to Lord Brahma; one who enchants great and learned scholars; by whose influence this illusory universe also appears as a reality; to that effulgent form of light who creates illusion but is beyond it, we offer our prayer.” On narrating the opening sloka, the father said that the phrase ‘Janmadyasya yatah’ implies the word ‘Savituh’. Similarly, ‘svarat’ implies ‘devasya’; ‘Dhamna svena sada nirasta kuhakam’ implies ‘Varenya bharga’ and ‘Tene brahmahruda cha adikavyaye’ talks about the all-pervading power inherent in Gayatri that controls all three worlds. ‘Satyam param dhimahi’ expresses the fundamental inspiration behind Gayatri mantra. Not only that, the Bhagvat Shastra also concludes with ‘Satyam param dhimahi’.
The 19th sloka of the 13th chapter of 12th canto of Bhagavat speaks of imbibing into ourselves the truth of the Lord Almighty who is purity personified and beyond all illusions. In this way, both in terms of words and meanings, Srimat Bhagavat is nothing but a detailed commentary of Gayatri. Panditji further explained that according to Matsya and Vaman Puranas also, the presiding deity of Bhagavat is Gayatri. The Shastra begins with Gayatri and hence it is called Bhagavat. The entire journey till the house of the maternal grandfather was spent in this discussion that - Gayatri represents the knowledge of all Shastras; is the basis of the most important scripture of the era - the Bhagavat which is also the basis of Sanatana Dharma. He further explained that Valmiki wrote Ram Katha comprising of 24000 shlokas as an exposition of the 24 letters of Gayatri. If one looks into Ramayan, the first shloka in every thousand shlokas begins with one of the letters in Gayatri mantra. Panditji continued – “Few hundred years ago, Goswami Tulsidas wanted to narrate Ramakatha as folklore. He wanted to explain the nature of sanatana dharma in the language of the masses and hence sought the help of Valmiki Ramayan and Bhagavat. From Valmiki Ramayan, he picked the story of Ram- Avatar and from Bhagavat, devotion. He synthesized them both and composed ‘Ramcharit Manas’. Do you know how Goswamiji received the inspiration to write the book? Baba Venimadhav has said in ‘Gunsayi Charit’ that one day when Tulsidasji had just completed Sandhya Gayatri, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati appeared before him and directed him to write Ramcharit Manas.
In Samvat 1631, on the day of Ramnavami, after the morning Sandhya Vandan, Goswamiji began the composition of ‘Ramcharit Manas’. The sadhak may choose any deity as his favourite, but he has to begin with the japa of Gayatri.” In the playground of Lord Sri Krishna After pausing for a while, Panditji said, “Think this way - ‘Gayatri Mantra’ is the key and all the sadhanas are the treasure house. Without this key, it is not possible to acquire the wealth of devotion, knowledge and yoga.” During the course of Saptah Parayana, Panditji unraveled many aspects of Gayatri in addition to Bhagavat and religion. Shriram was extremely interested in those discussions.
On the concluding day of the Katha, both father and son began to make preparations to return home. Taiji also made up her mind to leave because it would spare the trouble of someone escorting her back home later. When it was decided that they would leave together, then Taiji expressed her desire to visitMathura Mathura Mathura
The change in programme would take two extra days. Theland of Vraj Mathura Mathura temple of Gram Devta
After having the darshan of the Lord, they sat down to relax for a while. Within a few minutes, the silence of the temple was broken by a booming voice chanting ‘Jai Jai Radhe’. Panditji saw a mendicant approaching them. The person with a long beard and ruffled hair could have been about 60-65 years old. Panditji offered his salutations to the sanyasi. In reply, the Sadhu enquired if they had any food left. Taiji opened her food packet and took out 4 Puris and pickles and extended it towards Panditji. Panditji offered the food respectfully to the sadhu who in turn blessed them and left the place. Shriram, who was seated near his mother, was observing all this closely. On seeing the sadhu walk away, Shriram shouted ‘Babaji, have you seen God?’ The sadhu stopped in his tracks and replied - ‘No, but I wish to see Him. It is to realize Him that I am wandering in His land.’ Stop wandering After giving his reply, the sadhu looked at Shriram lovingly. Shriram said ‘Babaji, stop roaming from one place to another. Savour the holy land of the Lord and you will get Him here.’ Though it was a simple suggestion, it somehow touched the heart of the sadhu. Whatever meaning he attributed to the word ‘savour’, he lay down and rolled in the soil in front of Lord Govind’s temple. The touch of the soil rejuvenated and thrilled his whole being. In his reverie, he went on saying, ‘You have shown me the path, my child. My search is over. The Lord had always been here but I had shut my eyes to Him.’ Saying this, the sadhu wanted to prostrate in front of the boy; but before he could do so, Shriram ran off. Both Taiji and Panditji were listening to the conversation between their son and the sadhu. When Shriram began to run, they asked him to stop, joined him and continued their journey to Dwarakadish temple.
Nobody spoke anything on the way. After they had the darshan of Dwarakadish, Taiji expressed her reaction to the incident on the hillock temple and said ‘The Lord Himself spoke through my child. What is the need for anyone to wander way-lost in His land? Anyone who reaches here is liberated.’ After reachingMathura Mathura
It is believed that Sri Krishna was born here. Now one can see an imposing temple and Bhagavat Bhavan there, but when Shriram visited the place with his family, there was only an ordinary temple. After leaving Katra Keshadev, the family reached Vishram Ghat. It is believed that from Katra Keshavdev, where thepalace of Kansa
The father could not help but smile at his son’s naughty comment. Agony at Vishram Ghat The subtle vibrations permeatingMathura
The panda made fun of the suggestion and in a malicious tone said - “One task we can certainly do. If you die, we can throw you into river Yamuna. Then whatever belongings you have will become our hard-earned wages.” The other pandas began to laugh on hearing the reply. Shriram looked at his father in bewilderment. Panditji held the hand of his son and signaled him to move on. Shriram asked as to why no one was helping the pilgrim who was being harassed. His father said –“The pandas outnumber us. If anyone goes against that panda, all the other pandas will get united and it will be difficult to fight against them.” Shriram in his boyhood innocence asked ‘Is this theland of Lord Krishna
The father reassured him saying “It is not so. The circumstances do not remain the same for long. This will definitely change.” They were taking a turn towardsSati Tower Mathura Gujarat came to Swami Virajananda. The celibate said that he wanted to study all the Vedas and Shastras so that he could know the ultimate truth. The sanyasi asked what the student could give as Guru Dakshina. The celibate replied that he would give anything that the Guru wanted. The sanyasi replied – “Destroy the hypocrisy, revolt against the atrocities being committed in the name of righteousness (dharma) and uproot all evil practices.” The disciple agreed to give this Guru Dakshina. He stayed with the Guru and acquired all the Vedic knowledge. After completing his studies, the disciple traveled around the entire country. He awakened people and made them aware of all the evil practices being indulged in the name of dharma. He explained to the people the true nature of dharma. Shriram expressed his curiosity and asked how a single person could achieve all that. The father replied – “If one has courage and determination, no task is too tough to accomplish”.
The father explained that he chose Gayatri because Bhagavat was nothing but a detailed commentary on Gayatri; not just Bhagavat but all shastras were the detailed explanations of Gayatri and that Gayatri was the seed from which all the scriptures, including Vedas, had sprouted. Sriram listened and asked again ‘I too have listened to your discourses, but never has the glory of Gayatri been described like this anywhere in that Purana’. The reply of his father gave direction to Sriram’s thought. Panditji said, “You have to investigate that glory. For now, just learn the scriptural aspect of Bhagavat. It begins with Gayatri mantra. The very first shloka of Bhagavat Purana is like a commentary on Gayatri mantra. It is resplendent with many words and meanings related to Gayatri.” The meaning of the shloka is – “That, in which the entire universe is created, maintained and dissolved; that, in which, space and other matter is present and also absent; one who is omniscient; one who is omnipotent and is in the form of supreme effulgence; who by mere resolve explained Vedas to Lord Brahma; one who enchants great and learned scholars; by whose influence this illusory universe also appears as a reality; to that effulgent form of light who creates illusion but is beyond it, we offer our prayer.” On narrating the opening sloka, the father said that the phrase ‘Janmadyasya yatah’ implies the word ‘Savituh’. Similarly, ‘svarat’ implies ‘devasya’; ‘Dhamna svena sada nirasta kuhakam’ implies ‘Varenya bharga’ and ‘Tene brahmahruda cha adikavyaye’ talks about the all-pervading power inherent in Gayatri that controls all three worlds. ‘Satyam param dhimahi’ expresses the fundamental inspiration behind Gayatri mantra. Not only that, the Bhagvat Shastra also concludes with ‘Satyam param dhimahi’.
The 19th sloka of the 13th chapter of 12th canto of Bhagavat speaks of imbibing into ourselves the truth of the Lord Almighty who is purity personified and beyond all illusions. In this way, both in terms of words and meanings, Srimat Bhagavat is nothing but a detailed commentary of Gayatri. Panditji further explained that according to Matsya and Vaman Puranas also, the presiding deity of Bhagavat is Gayatri. The Shastra begins with Gayatri and hence it is called Bhagavat. The entire journey till the house of the maternal grandfather was spent in this discussion that - Gayatri represents the knowledge of all Shastras; is the basis of the most important scripture of the era - the Bhagavat which is also the basis of Sanatana Dharma. He further explained that Valmiki wrote Ram Katha comprising of 24000 shlokas as an exposition of the 24 letters of Gayatri. If one looks into Ramayan, the first shloka in every thousand shlokas begins with one of the letters in Gayatri mantra. Panditji continued – “Few hundred years ago, Goswami Tulsidas wanted to narrate Ramakatha as folklore. He wanted to explain the nature of sanatana dharma in the language of the masses and hence sought the help of Valmiki Ramayan and Bhagavat. From Valmiki Ramayan, he picked the story of Ram- Avatar and from Bhagavat, devotion. He synthesized them both and composed ‘Ramcharit Manas’. Do you know how Goswamiji received the inspiration to write the book? Baba Venimadhav has said in ‘Gunsayi Charit’ that one day when Tulsidasji had just completed Sandhya Gayatri, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati appeared before him and directed him to write Ramcharit Manas.
In Samvat 1631, on the day of Ramnavami, after the morning Sandhya Vandan, Goswamiji began the composition of ‘Ramcharit Manas’. The sadhak may choose any deity as his favourite, but he has to begin with the japa of Gayatri.” In the playground of Lord Sri Krishna After pausing for a while, Panditji said, “Think this way - ‘Gayatri Mantra’ is the key and all the sadhanas are the treasure house. Without this key, it is not possible to acquire the wealth of devotion, knowledge and yoga.” During the course of Saptah Parayana, Panditji unraveled many aspects of Gayatri in addition to Bhagavat and religion. Shriram was extremely interested in those discussions.
On the concluding day of the Katha, both father and son began to make preparations to return home. Taiji also made up her mind to leave because it would spare the trouble of someone escorting her back home later. When it was decided that they would leave together, then Taiji expressed her desire to visit
The change in programme would take two extra days. The
After having the darshan of the Lord, they sat down to relax for a while. Within a few minutes, the silence of the temple was broken by a booming voice chanting ‘Jai Jai Radhe’. Panditji saw a mendicant approaching them. The person with a long beard and ruffled hair could have been about 60-65 years old. Panditji offered his salutations to the sanyasi. In reply, the Sadhu enquired if they had any food left. Taiji opened her food packet and took out 4 Puris and pickles and extended it towards Panditji. Panditji offered the food respectfully to the sadhu who in turn blessed them and left the place. Shriram, who was seated near his mother, was observing all this closely. On seeing the sadhu walk away, Shriram shouted ‘Babaji, have you seen God?’ The sadhu stopped in his tracks and replied - ‘No, but I wish to see Him. It is to realize Him that I am wandering in His land.’ Stop wandering After giving his reply, the sadhu looked at Shriram lovingly. Shriram said ‘Babaji, stop roaming from one place to another. Savour the holy land of the Lord and you will get Him here.’ Though it was a simple suggestion, it somehow touched the heart of the sadhu. Whatever meaning he attributed to the word ‘savour’, he lay down and rolled in the soil in front of Lord Govind’s temple. The touch of the soil rejuvenated and thrilled his whole being. In his reverie, he went on saying, ‘You have shown me the path, my child. My search is over. The Lord had always been here but I had shut my eyes to Him.’ Saying this, the sadhu wanted to prostrate in front of the boy; but before he could do so, Shriram ran off. Both Taiji and Panditji were listening to the conversation between their son and the sadhu. When Shriram began to run, they asked him to stop, joined him and continued their journey to Dwarakadish temple.
Nobody spoke anything on the way. After they had the darshan of Dwarakadish, Taiji expressed her reaction to the incident on the hillock temple and said ‘The Lord Himself spoke through my child. What is the need for anyone to wander way-lost in His land? Anyone who reaches here is liberated.’ After reaching
It is believed that Sri Krishna was born here. Now one can see an imposing temple and Bhagavat Bhavan there, but when Shriram visited the place with his family, there was only an ordinary temple. After leaving Katra Keshadev, the family reached Vishram Ghat. It is believed that from Katra Keshavdev, where the
The father could not help but smile at his son’s naughty comment. Agony at Vishram Ghat The subtle vibrations permeating
The panda made fun of the suggestion and in a malicious tone said - “One task we can certainly do. If you die, we can throw you into river Yamuna. Then whatever belongings you have will become our hard-earned wages.” The other pandas began to laugh on hearing the reply. Shriram looked at his father in bewilderment. Panditji held the hand of his son and signaled him to move on. Shriram asked as to why no one was helping the pilgrim who was being harassed. His father said –“The pandas outnumber us. If anyone goes against that panda, all the other pandas will get united and it will be difficult to fight against them.” Shriram in his boyhood innocence asked ‘Is this the
The father reassured him saying “It is not so. The circumstances do not remain the same for long. This will definitely change.” They were taking a turn towards
Thanks GOD,Thanks Sadguru,
Shiv Sharma
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