05.04.2006
921. Veeta-bhayah –“One who has lost all fears.” Fear can come only from the sense of ‘other.’ In Advaita Reality, there cannot be any fear as He is the “One- without-a-second.” The state of Narayana-Consciousness is declared in all scriptures to be’ Abhaya’-the Fearless State.
922. Punya-sravana-keertianah –“One whose Glory when ‘heard’ (sravana) and ‘sung’ (keertana) causes merits (punya) to grow in the bosom of that devotee. This statement of fact is never investigated deeply by students so they generally understand its superficial and obvious meaning only.
By ‘hearing’-with attention-to the stories of the Lord- we must get ourselves involved in the ‘listening’ and thereafter we must reflect upon the glories of the Lord (Bhagavat Guna) and thus expose ourselves to those recreative thoughts. Not only is it sufficient thus that we imbibe the qualities spiritual, but we must learn to get ourselves committed to the life of God- centred activities. This is called true keertana-singing His Glories. It is not to be a mere noisy chanting of hymns, a mere muttering of mantras; we must teach ourselves to allow Him to express through us. Our physical activities, mental feelings and intellectual thoughts must all shine forth the awareness of His Divine Presence that is in us at every moment, every- where. The life of such a deyotee will itself become, in its dynamic beauty, love and devoted tenderness, a constant worship (poojaa), a continuous (akhanda) hymn chanted (keertana) in praise of the Lord-of-the-heart.
923. Uttaaranah –“One who lifts us out of the ocean-of-change.” We, by identifying through our body- mind-intellect, with the changing whirls of matter around us, assume to ourselves the changes and these provide us, in their totality, the horrible sorrow of the mortal finitude. On lifting our attention from the giddy changes in these whirls of finite matter, when we fix it upon Him, the one Consciousness that illumines all changes in all living creatures, we get uplifted into a state of Immortality-Changeless, Blissful, Supremely Satisfying. Hence, Sree Narayana is called as the ‘Up-lifter,’ the ‘Saviour.’
The ‘Taara-mantra’ lifts us from the cesspool of sense living into the serener climes of the lit-up peaks of peace and perfection.
924. Dushkritihaa –‘Kriti’ means actions; ‘Dush-kriti’ means bad actions. When actions are undertaken, prompted by sensuous desires, they leave impressions (vaasanaas) and these always have a tendency to make us repeat similar actions. When one turns the mind towards Narayana,-the Self, he is emptied of his existing vaasanaas, so Lord is indicated as the ‘destroyer (Haa) of the sins.’
925. Punyah –“Supremely Pure.” One who purifies the heart of His devotee-removing all his sensehunting vaasanaas of indulgence. Sree Narayana guides the pure-hearted to the portals of the final goal, the Higher Consciousness.
To be contd....