Devotion and devotees

श्रवणं कीर्तनं विष्णोः स्मरणं पादसेवनम्।

अर्चनं वन्दनं दास्यं सख्यमात्मनिवेदनम् ॥

श्रीविष्णोः श्रवणे परीक्षिदभवत् वैयासकिः कीर्तने

प्रह्लादः स्मरणे तदंघ्रिभजने लक्ष्मीः पृथुः पूजने ।

अक्रूरस्त्वभिवन्दने कपिपतिर्दास्येऽथ सख्येऽर्जुनः

सर्वस्वात्मनिवेदने बलिरभूत् कृष्णाप्तिरेषाम् परम्॥।

 

 

Pareekshit excelled in hearing, shuka in singing, Prahlada in remembering, Goddess Lakshmi in serving His lotus-feet, Prithu in worshipping, Akrura in obeisance, Hanuman in humble service, Arjuna in friendship and Bali in total surrender.

Why do Karmic ractions not come in this life itself? Something to think about!

Different seeds fructify after different time durations. Grains harvest after two or three months, some fruit seeds produce fruits after twenty years and some seeds may even take hundred years to fructify. Every action that we do is like a seed sown. The seed will fructify and we cannot escape the result. One may say, “I don’t like this fruit, I don’t want it.” But one will be forced to eat the fruit, even if it is thorny. The reactions will come, but different types of karma seeds (actions) have different time durations after which they fructify.

Why do different actions give reactions after different time durations? To understand this, let’s recall this incident from Mahabharata!

After the bloody Kurukshetra war, Dhritrarashtra asked Krishna, “I had hundred sons and all of them were killed in the war. Why? Krishna replied, “Fifty lifetimes ago, you were a hunter. While hunting, you tried to shoot a male bird, but it flew away. In anger, you ruthlessly slaughtered the hundred baby birds that were there in the nest. The father-bird had to watch in helpless agony. Because you caused that father-bird the pain of seeing the death of his hundreds sons, you too had to bear the pain of your hundred sons dying.

Dhritarastra said, “Ok, but why did I have to wait for fifty lifetimes?” Krishna answered, “You were accumulating punya (pious credits) during the last fifty lifetimes to get a hundred sons because that requires a lot of punya. Then you got the reaction for the papa (sin) that you have done fifty lifetimes ago.”

some signiicances of 108

9 times 12: Both of these numbers have been said to have spiritual significance in many traditions. 9 times 12 is 108. Also, 1 plus 8 equals 9. That 9 times 12 equals 108.

Harshad number: 108 is a Harshad number, which is an integer divisible by the sum of its digits (Harshad is from Sanskrit, and means “great joy”)

Heart Chakra: The chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of them, sushumna leads to the crown chakra, and is said to be the path to Self-realization.

Sanskrit alphabet: There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti. 54 times 2 is 108.

Pranayama: If one is able to be so calm in meditation as to have only 108 breaths in a day, enlightenment will come.

Upanishads: There are 108 Upanishads, texts of the wisdom of the ancient sages.

Sri Yantra: On the Sri Yantra there are marmas where three lines intersect, and there are 54 such intersections. Each intersections has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti qualities. 54 times 2 equals 108. Thus, there are 108 points that define the Sri Yantra as well as the human body.

Pentagon: The angle formed by two adjacent lines in a
pentagon equals 108 degrees.

Marmas: Marmas or marmasthanas are like energy intersections called chakras, except have fewer energy lines converging to form them. There are said to be 108 marmas in the subtle body.

Time: Some say there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future.

8 extra beads: In doing a practice of counting the number of repetitions of the mala, 100 are counted as completed. The remaining are said to cover errors or
omissions. The 8 are also said to be an offering to God and Guru.

Chemistry: Interestingly, there are about 115 elements known on the periodic table of the elements. Most of those, around or higher than the number 100 only exist in the laboratory, and some for only thousandths of a second. The number that naturally exist on Earth is around 108.

Astrology: There are 12 constellations, and 9 arc segments called namshas or chandrakalas. 9 times 12 equals 108. Chandra is moon, and kalas are the divisions within a whole.

River Ganga: The sacred River Ganga spans a longitude of 12 degrees (79 to 91), and a latitude of 9 degrees (22 to 31). 12 times 9 equals 108.

Planets and Houses: In astrology, there are 12 houses
and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals 108.

Goddess names: There are said to be 108 Indian goddess names.

Gopis of Krishna: In the Krishna tradition, there were said to be 108 gopis or maid servants of Krishna.

1, 0, and 8: Some say that 1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for infinity or eternity.

Sun and Earth: The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth. The distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun.

Moon and Earth: The average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon.

Silver and the moon: In astrology, the metal silver is said to represent the moon. The atomic weight of silver is 108.

Numerical scale: The 1 of 108, and the 8 of 108, when added together equals 9, which is the number of the numerical scale, i.e. 1, 2, 3 … 10, etc., where 0 is not a number.

Meditations: Some say there are 108 styles of meditation.

Breath: Tantra estimates the average number of breaths per day at 21,600, of which 10,800 are solar energy, and 10,800 are lunar energy. Multiplying 108 by 100 is 10,800. Multiplying 2 x 10,800 equals 21,600.

Paths to God: Some suggest that there are 108 paths to God.

Smaller divisions: The number 108 is divided, such as in half, third, quarter, or twelfth, so that some malas have 54, 36, 27, or 9 beads.

Hinduism: 108 is said to refer to the number of Hindu deities. Some say that each of the deities has 108 names.

Stages of the soul: Said that Atman, the human soul or center goes through 108 stages on the journey.

Meru: This is a larger bead, not part of the 108. It is not tied in the sequence of the other beads. It is the quiding bead, the one that marks the beginning and end of the mala.

Dance: There are 108 forms of dance in the Indian traditions.

There can be several spiritual reasons which can be quoted in regard to significance of 108, but a very simple reason is that great acharyas like Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya, Sankaracharya, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Nimbarakacharya, Vallabhacharya, and in modern times, Srila Prabhupada have all emphasized on a fixed count of chanting of the holy names i.e. 108 in every mala. So by following in the footsteps of the great devotees of the Lord, we please the Lord very easily.

The Ultimate Dharma

Dharma is the harmony of thought, word and deed. This is the mark of true humanness. Worship, study, charity, austerity, truth, forgiveness, compassion and freedom from greed, this is the eightfold path to Dharma.

The first four can also be performed by a hypocrite, but the last four can only exist in a great soul.

Dharma is Sanatana (eternal) and pervades all religions, because it comprises of all that is eternal and internal in a religion. A life in accordance of Dharma is a life in accordance of the laws of Nature and creation; hence it leads us towards evolution, development and everlasting bliss.

Dharma is our true place in the cosmic process: in time, in space, in awareness, in thought, deed and desire. The eternal principle of Dharma determines the harmonious functions of the cosmic machine. In order that we fulfill our role in the divine play we must behave within our Dharma. That is, we ought to do the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, and for the right reason. By this we attain balance. To establish balance within yourself ensures your own welfare as well as the welfare of society. It opens the path prepared for us by the divine.

Importance of Swadharma

 

One’s dharma differs from that of another person depending on one’s calling, place in the family, place in society, station in life and other circumstances. The Gits says:

स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः।

It is better to die doing one’s own dharma than following परधर्म, that is, another man’s dharma. Following परधर्म may have frightening consequences. What is swadharma to a butcher cannot be swadharma to a brahmin and vice versa.

Srimad Bhagavata tells the story of dharma vyadha, a butcher by calling, who practiced his swadharma as a Karma Yogi would.  He did his allotted work in life with a detached mind and served his old parents with all his heart, seeing in them God incarnate.  By the practice of swadharma in this manner he became a highly evolved soul spiritually. He was considered competent to impart spiritual instruction to even a brahmin by birth. Such is the power of practicing swadharma in the right spirit, offering the fruits of one’s actions in loving devotion to the Lord.

 

The highest dharma according to Bhishma

 

In the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira asks Bhishma Pitamaha “को धर्मः सर्वधर्माणां भवतः परमो मत:” “Which is the highest of all dharmas?” Bhishma replies:

एष मे सर्वधर्माणां धर्मोऽधिकतमो मतः।

यद्भक्त्या पुण्डरीकाक्षं स्तवैरर्चेन्नरस्सदा ॥

The highest dharma is to worship the lotus-eyed Lord vishnu with devotion by singing hymns in his praise’. This is perhaps the easiest dharma which can be practiced in this Kali Yuga.

 

Surrender to the Divine Will, the ultimate dharma

 

The final pronouncement on dharma comes from Lord Krishna Himself in the 18th chapter of the Gita:

अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः ॥

O Arjuna ! leave aside all dharma and take refuge in me alone in total surrender. I shall free you from all sins, do not grieve.

By totally surrendering oneself to the Divine, one becomes truly an instrument of the Divine. Such a person is incapable of committing any sin.  All his actions become dharma. The Divine will works through him and he becomes one with the Divine. Such a human being goes beyond dharma and adharma and all his conflicts are resolved.

The ten marks of Dharma

Part 2

To continue from Part 1 about dharma,

The word dharma is also used in a different way within Hindu philosophy that can also be understood from the root dhri. Every constituent of matter: liquids, metals, gases, fire, and so on have different dharmas.

For example, the dharma of water is liquidity and wetness.

The dharma of ice is solidity and coldness.

The dharma of fire is heat and light.

In other words, whatever it is that makes water, water or ice, ice, or fire, fire; what upholds the state of being water-ness, ice-ness, or fire-ness, etc., is dharma. These ideas occupies an important part of Hindu philosophy and even though they are subtle, I think we can see how even this use of dharma comes from the root dhri Indeed, the idea of dharma is paramount within both Hindu religion and philosophy.

Dharma is a unique human attribute

An oft-quoted verse in Sanskrit says:

आहारनिद्राभयमैथुनानि सामान्यमेतत्पशुभिर्नराणाम् ।

धर्मो हि तेषामधिको विशेषो धर्मेण हीनाः पशुभिस्समानाः ॥  

Eating, sleeping, fearing and mating—human beings have these in common with animals. What distinguishes them from animals is dharma. Those devoid of dharma are no better than animals.

Only human beings are endowed with the capacity to distinguish between what is dharma and what is adharma, the opposite of dharma. Human beings are endowed with an inner conscience which cautions us when we contemplate deviating from the righteous path. This, of course, assumes that we have not smothered this inner voice by habitually breaking the counsel of that voice. Without adherence to dharma humans will sink to the level of animals.

The conflict between dharma and adharma goes on all the time, both in the external world and in the internal world of man. The kurukshetra war typifies this battle in which the final victory is always of dharma. The Lord Himself was on the side of dharma represented by the Pandavas.

How do we distinguish between dharma and adharma ? Manu has this to say in answer to this question:

That which the Vedas and dharma sastras prompt us to do is dharma. The example set by noble and exalted souls by their conduct (सदाचारः) and what one’s own conscience says is also dharma. Manu also says:

Steadfastness or determination (धृतिः), patience (क्षमा), control of the mind (शमः), non-stealing (अस्तेयं), purity of mind, body and speech (शौचं), control of the senses (इन्द्रियनिग्रहः), an inquiring intellect (धीः), knowledge which leads to liberation (विद्या), truth in thought, word and deed (सत्यं) and controlling anger (अक्रोधः) these ten are the marks of dharma.

It is the duty of everyone to protect dharma. Manu says “धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः’ meaning dharma protects those who protect it. The same idea is expressed in Valmiki Ramayana wherein Kausalya tells Rama before he leaves for the forest:

यं पालयसि धर्मं त्वं धृत्या च नियमेन च।

स वै राघवशार्दूल धर्मस्त्वामभिरक्षतु॥

’O Raghava! Dharma, which you uphold with steadfastness and discipline protect you from all sides.

Dharma-what it means- Part 1

As we venture into finding what Dharma means, we realize that Dharma does not mean what most of us think it does....

 

Generally the equivalent of Dharma in English is considered "religion". However, this translation is based on a fundamental misunderstanding since if "religion" means :-

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. the condition of belonging to a religious order,

 

2. a particular religious or monastic order,
3. a particular system of a belief in a supernatural power,

Then Dharma has nothing to do with religion. In this sense, the Sanskrit word for "religion" can be "sampradaya" or "Mata", but not Dharma. However, in Sanskrit, there is no word which is the exact equivalent of religion.

 

Anyway, dharma is not religion.

 

What is it then?

 

Dharma is one of the most important themes within what we now refer as Hinduism. One often sees dharma translated as religion, duty, or even righteousness, but in fact, there is no single direct translation for dharma. Religion, duty and righteousness are not wrong; they are simply included within the idea of dharma. The word "dharma" comes from the Sanskrit root dhri, meaning to "uphold" or to "sustain." From this perspective, the best way to think of dharma is to say, "that which upholds or sustains the positive order of things: the nation, the community, the family and ultimately even the universe..

 

The thought of dharma generates deep confidence in the Hindu mind in cosmic justice. This is reflected in the often-quoted maxims: "The righteous side will have the victory." "Truth only prevails, not falsehood." "Dharma kills if it is killed; dharma protects if it is protected." "The entire world rests on dharma.

 

Dharma is the law that maintains the cosmic order as well as the individual and social order.

 

Dharma sustains human life in harmony with nature. Dharma’ is a unique human attribute

 

.At a social level, every individual has a particular dharma according to their place in life. Children have a dharma, parents have a dharma, teachers have a dharma, the police have a dharma and even the head of a nation has a dharma.
One of the dharmas of a child, for example, is to obey parents and to study. Parents have a dharma to protect and look after children: to make sure they are educated, fed, housed and trained. It is sometimes written on the sides of police cars: To Serve and to Protect. This is a statement of dharma for police. A head of state has a dharma to protect the country and to provide a secure environment for its citizens. If everyone performs their dharma: children obey parents, parents look after children, citizens uphold the laws of the land, the police enforce the law, a head of state protects the nation, then the family, the community and the nation are "upheld" and there can be prosperity. This is dharma, and it all follows from the idea of dhri, to uphold.
The opposite of dharma is "a-dharma." What this means is obvious. If children fail to obey parents, if parents do not train and discipline children, if the police misuse their power and fail to protect, if the head of state fails to act in the interest of the nation, then adharma exists, and when there is too much adharma, there will be a break down of the family, society or the nation. The nation, the community, the family and even individuals cannot prosper when too much adharma reigns. There is a saying, Protect dharma and dharma will protect you.

 

Wait for more in part 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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