Secrets of Spiritual Sadhana-13/14 - By Swami

Mukundananda

Swami Mukundananda is a world renowned

spiritual teacher from India, and is the
senior disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji
Maharaj and founder of JK Yog. He has
received his degrees in engineering from
world renowned institutes in India, IIT and
IIM. He has inspired people all over the
world on the path of spirituality, holistic
health, yoga, meditation, service to society
and God realization. For details:
www.jkyog.org

Secrets of Spiritual Sadhana-13 [Sadhana Karu

Pyare]
Sadhana Karu Pyare is a unique philosophical compilation set in 54 lines
and arranged in the form of couplets (dohas). In these lines, Shree
Maharajji has summarized the entire philosophy of the knowledge of God
and Guru (Philosophy of Divine Love). Swamiji explained the complete set
of 54 lines at the Puri Sadhana Shivir in 2008, which we will reproduce in
this series.
This is the next line of "Sadhana Karu Pyare" series.
char achar me lakhahu apano, i ha kaha nit pyre
sarvad sarvatra hari ko, sth mnahu pyre
pu ko ikalo kabahu jani, mnu man maha pyre
We must see God in every entity. If we begin to realize that God resides in every person then, there will
be an end to the two biggest obstacles in devotion - raag and dvesh, attachment and hatred. The two
biggest hurdles in bhakti can be surpassed with Divine vision. How would we have enmity towards
someone
if
we
see
God
in
every
entity?
Bheemsen had married a demoness called Hidamba. They had a son named - Ghatotkach. Ghatotkach
had a son and named him Babrisaan. Babrisaan was a very powerful person. When the great
Mahabharat war was about to begin, Babrisaan showed his interest to go to battle. When Shree
Krishna saw that Babrisaan was marching towards the battlefield, He realized that he had the capability
to change the situation of the war. He decided to talk to him. Shree Krishna asked him, "Where are you
going?" "To join the war", replied Babrisaan. Shree Krishna then asked him what he can do.

Babrisaan took his bow and arrow and aimed at a nearby tree. With just a single shot, he cut down all
the leaves of the tree and offered them at the feet of Lord Shree Krishna. Shree Krishna was very
impressed. God then asked him that would he give Him something if asked for it. Babrisaan replied,
"Anything you ask for my Lord, whatever You want." Shree Krishna asked him to promise Him that he
would give whatever He asked for. Babrisaan promised to do so. Shree Krishna then asked Babrisaan
to give Him his head. Without a word, Babrisaan cut his head and gave it to Shree Krishna. Shree
Krishna then placed his head in the sky so that he could watch the whole Mahabharat. After the war,
Shree Krishna asked Babrisaan what he saw. Babrisaan said that all he could see Shree Krishna
everywhere. "I could see You in both Kauravas and Pandavas." Shree Krishna was very pleased with
his words. Today, people in Rajasthan worship Babrisaan in the form of Khatu Shyam.
Shree Kripaluji Maharaj says that we must also try to see God in every entity.
Shree Kripaluji Maharaj further tells us how to make bhakti, devotion a part of our daily life. We consider
bhakti to be different and separate from our day to day life. We think that we need to do devotion for
half an hour and spend the rest of the day as we want. Shree Maharajji says that this is not the right
way to lead our lives. We need to add devotion into our lives. i.e., whatever we do in twenty-four hours
should
only
be
devotion.
This is explained by Shree Krishna:
yatkaro hi yadahnsi yajjuho hi dadsi yat
yattapasyati kaunteya tatkurukha madarpa a
He says, "Arjun! Whatever you do, offer it to me".
There was a legendary and brave king in the history of India - Chatrapati Shivaji. He was a spiritual
person. His Guru was Samarth Ramdas. He used to roam around with his bowl for alms and the king
was his follower. Once, he was roaming in the capital of the kingdom of Chatrapati Shivaji with his bowl
and begging for alms. When Shivaji saw this, he got an idea. He wrote a letter to his Guru that he would
like to gift his kingdom to him, and placed that letter in his Guru's bowl. When Samarth Ramdas read
this, he smiled.
Samarth Ramdas told Chatrapati Shivaji, "What will I do with this Kingdom? I am a saint and my duty is
to remember God and remind others to think of God." He told Shivaji that you are a king and it is your
duty to rule the kingdom. Now that you have given the kingdom to me, rule over it by thinking that it is
your Guru's, and not yours.
Similarly, we should lead our lives with the same thinking that whatever we have belongs to our Guru.
Whatever we do, it is for our Guru. This way, our life will not be separate from bhakti. Even if you
possess a lot of wealth, think that it belongs to your Guru. We should use only what is important and
necessary for our body, and the rest we should dedicate to our Guru's seva. This is the way that we
inculcate bhaktiin our daily lives. Shree Kripaluji Maharaj gives us a very powerful formula that is, to
constantly think and remember Shree Krishna and your Guru with you always. Whenever you begin
some work, first realize the presence of God and Guru in front of you, and watching you. Then begin
your work; but after one hour, stop your work for a moment, and again realize that Hari-Guru are

watching you. Once you have practiced to do this in hourly intervals, then reduce the time to half-hour.
Then reduce the duration further to fifteen minutes. In this way, with practice, we will reach the stage
where we will always feel the presence of God and Guru with us.
This philosophy is also mentioned by Christian saints. Brother Lawrence was a Father in a small
church. He wrote a book - Practice of the presence of the God. In the book, he states: "If I were a
preacher, I would preach nothing but the practice of the presence of God. Every other spiritual practice
will happen automatically." Other saints read the book after his death and said that this is a remarkable
and highly admirable spiritual practice. They recognized Brother Lawrence to be a great soul and
exhumed his ashes to Westminster Abbey, London. Shri Aurobindo had also said, "Live always as if you
are under the very eye of the Supreme soul and the Divine Mother."

Secrets of Spiritual Sadhana-14 [Sadhana Karu

Pyare]
Sadhana Karu Pyare is a unique philosophical compilation set in 54 lines
and arranged in the form of couplets (dohas). In these lines, Shree
Maharajji has summarized the entire philosophy of the knowledge of God
and Guru (Philosophy of Divine Love). Swamiji explained the complete set
of 54 lines at the Puri Sadhana Shivir in 2008, which we will reproduce in
this series.
This is the next line of "Sadhana Karu Pyare" series.
man jah bh jya hari ko, khao karu taha pyre
manahi te hrigr karu sab, jais bhe pyre
Moving further, Shree Kripaluji Maharaj tells us that when we practice sadhana, devotion, we move a
few steps ahead, but we also fail at times. There are situations, when thoughts about the material world
are stronger, and detachment from this world becomes weaker. You may repeatedly contemplate about
detachment from the material world, and try to concentrate on God, but it is difficult. It does happen that
when there are bad days, how much ever you try contemplating on God, it becomes very difficult to
concentrate
on
Him.
People get frustrated and say, "What to do? The mind is not under my control." Shree Kripaluji Maharaj
tells us not to get scared. If you scold your mind, it will react negatively. You were concentrating on God
and suddenly your mind started thinking about your son. Now if you scold your mind as to why is it
doing this, the mind will get more disturbed. So, first of all, be calm. Let your mind go wherever it wants
to go, and then visualize the form of God in that place. If your mind started thinking about your son,
visualize the form of God in your son. If your mind starts thinking about ice cream, place God in the ice
cream and concentrate upon Him. If it thinks about the cricket match, imagine that God it standing in
the field. So, in one way or the other, tie your mind to God.
This is just as a monkey is unsteady by nature.
grah gihit
puni vtavah t puni bchh mr puni piviya vru kahiya kah upachr
At

the

end

of

the

Ramayan,

Tulsidasji

says:

"O Lord! The mind of a monkey is very restless by nature. If you tie a scorpion to its tail, what will be the
condition of that monkey! And if that monkey gets hysteria, then how restless will it be? Further, it is
made to drink alcohol! Just imagine the condition of that monkey. My mind is similar to the condition of
that
monkey.
What
can
I
do?"
But you must have seen how the monkey trainer controls the monkey. On the first day, he ties a rope
around the monkey which is 100 feet long. The monkey has to jump and play within 100 feet. The rope
presses its neck. It cannot go further, else the rope will hurt his neck. The next day he reduces the rope
to 80 feet. The monkey wants to go beyond, but the rope hurts his neck and hence he learns to jump

within that limit. Slowly, when the rope is reduced to 3 feet by the trainer, the monkey thinks, "Leave it.
Let
me
stay
quiet
and
lie
down
right
here."
Now that energetic and restless monkey is totally under control. Our mind is similar to this monkey. You
need to tie this mind with the rope of Shyamsundar. Imagine God wherever your mind goes. If your
mind wishes to see the beautiful seashore of Puri (sacred place in Eastern Orissa), imagine Shree
Krishna to be standing there. Shree Krishna is standing on the beach with his flute. If your mind thinks
about Taj Mahal, imagine Shree Krishna standing on the marble stone. Just like the monkey, the mind
will come under control. It will be bound with Shree Krishna wherever it goes. Slowly, the mind will
come
to
rest
in
Shree
Krishna.
This
is
the
solution.
Note that this is not just your imagination. It is a fact that God resides everywhere, and we have to
realize that wherever our mind goes, God is present there. Keep practising this way and it will only
happen when you practice Roop dhyan, or meditation on the form, constantly for some time. Close your
eyes and imagine your personal form of God to be in front of you. To strengthen Roop dhyan in your
mind, imagine that you are dressing your God. Imagine as if you are decorating Him with a beautiful
necklace
and
offering
Tulsi
at
His
lotus
feet.
So, by constantly meditating like this, your Roop dhyan will get stronger. And when that stage arrives
that as soon as you close your eyes, you can see your God's personal form in front of you, then you do
not
have
to
worry.
To attach your mind in God, it is very important that a devotee practices Roop dhyan. During devotion,
wherever your mind goes in the material world, place Shree Krishna in front of you. Moreover, decorate
Shree Krishna with your mind. By doing this, Roop dhyan will become more firm and deeper. And our
love
for
God
will
progress
in
leaps
and
bounds.
Now, you will be able to progress with the steps which Shree Kripaluji Maharaj has explained in the
next lines of his self composed kirtan series.