https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0Uy4zmRbRzUqsNqQaC8BgTo6aa2xy8ra48V59pdh4q8i225GgF2AwVBnodLjvAb9Xl&id=100064874822943&sfnsn=wiwspwa&mibextid=6aamW6
https://www.facebook.com/100064874822943/posts/pfbid0hR4JVG9VSdribSuyzUTuTd2utJmyRgP7Cvi8E7mdpUzCLWsc1Fj1oWsbDXGcQrfgl/?sfnsn=wiwspmo&mibextid=6aamW6
Whether grain grinding or pounding
Your name, Oh Infinte, I am chanting
Your name is with me constantly
Not forgetting it even momentarily
My only perennial occupation
Is Almighty’s name recitation
My mother, father, brother, sister
You are, O Sudarshan Chakra holder
On your feet is focused my attention
So says Sant Namdeo’s handmaiden
If the Ganga flows to the ocean
and the ocean turns her away,
tell me, O Vitthal,
who would hear her complaint?
Can the river reject its fish?
Can the mother spurn her child?
Jan says,
Lord,
you must accept those
who surrender to you.
The bird flies to the end of
the horizon
and brings food for its young.
The mother-eagle wanders in the sky
but hastens back to her young
Mother is busy with her work
and yet her mind never leaves her child.
Mother monkey jumps over a tree
with her child holding on to her stomach.
Similarly, mother Vitthal watches over Jani
over and over again.
Jani has had enough of samsara,
but how will I repay my debt?
You leave your greatness behind you
to grind and pound with me.
O Lord you become a woman
washing me and my soiled clothes,
proudly you carry the water
and gather dung with your own two hands.
O Lord, I want
a place at your feet,
says Jani, Namdev’s dasi.
——————————————–
“There is nothing empty of divine.”
——————————————–
[For Janabai, the divine is inseparable from other reality: Janabai become Vitthal, Vitthal becomes Janabai. Her use here of the word “Vithabai” creates a feminine form of the masculine name “Vitthal”:]
What I eat is divine
What I drink is divine
My bed is also divine
The divine is here, and it is there
There is nothing empty of divine
Jani says—Vithabai has filled
everything from the inside out. ————————————————————–
“We the devotees are the source of your strength.”
————————————————————–
[Her relationship with Vitthal allows Janabai to scold him:]
I have no fascination for you, God!
I am not going to serve you any more!
You are not magnanimous
Why do you carry this false pride
of greatness?
What will you gain by getting angry with me?
We the devotees are the source of your strength.
You have no power of your own.
Hari, haven’t I understood your secret?
——————————————
“By my life I will not let you go.”
——————————————
[And to speak of imprisoning him. “Pandhari” is the city of Pandharpur; so’ham means “I am he,” total identification with Vitthal:]
I caught the thief of Pandhari
by tying a rope around his neck.
I made my heart the prison cell
and locked him up inside.
I bound him firmly with the Word,
I fettered his holy feet,
I thrashed him, whipped him
with the word so’ham
while Vitthal complained bitterly.
Sorry, O Lord,
says Jani,
by my life I will not let you go.
————————————————————–
“Jani’s victory was proclaimed in the entire world.”
————————————————————–
[Here the speaker-scribe is Vitthal, speaking to Jnanadeva, Namdev’s teacher; Janabai’s abhangs are worthy to be recorded by a god:]
“I wrote down Jani’s words
as she uttered them,
Jnanadeva! let it be
known to you,
this has not made me
any less divine!
The absolute truth
is the paper, and
with ink of eternity
Vitthal writes on it
Incessantly
with Jani.”
Jnanadeva smiled
at these words
and clapped.
Jani’s victory was
proclaimed in the ENTIRE WORLD.
God exercises no discrimination between poor and rich and He sees no caste, creed or religion among His devotees. Transcending all barriers He will help them and shower His blessings infinitely. Janabhai, a destitute girl was worshipping Lord Panduranga every day. Her stay at the house of Namadeva — another great devotee — motivated her more towards the Lord. She prayed that He is her father, mother, friend, relative and in short everything. It is said Panduranga Himself had written the compositions of Janabhai. Her songs are very melodious, melting and full of feelings called as Janabhai Abhangam.
Ashtakshara mantra, dhvaya mantra and carama sloka are all important to Sri Vaishnavas. But dhvaya has a special place, said Kazhiyur B. Devarajan, in a discourse.
Our scriptures, our gurus and yogis advice us to lead a life of detachment. They tell us to shun ambition and embrace the selfless characteristic of charity. Such injunctions may appear to be impossible, however, our epics are replete with examples of people who show us the way forward. One such exceptional guide is Bharatha, who spurned his mother’s wresting of the kingdom of Ayodhya from Rama, said Dhamal Ramakrishnan in a discourse.
Bharatha expresses neither joy nor happiness, only deep anguish and tells his mother Kaikeyi he was ashamed to be identified as her son, since what she did was against dharmic principles. When he goes in search of Rama to refuse the kingdom, and seeks Guha’s help, the latter is initially suspicious of him. After all, who will turn down a kingdom? However, when Bharatha drops to the ground and circumambulates the ground where Rama and Sita had sat, that act allays Guha’s suspicions.
On meeting Rama, Bharatha asks to be allowed in exile with him. When coaxed by Rama, saints such as Vasishta and others to rule Ayodhya, he assumes the role of a caretaker, carries Rama’s padhuka as symbolic occupier of the throne and camps in Nandigram, not Ayodhya. Ever aware of human nature, he does not want anyone to assume he strayed from dharma and stole his brother’s crown. He also serves Rama an ultimatum that if the elder brother fails to return at the end of 14 years to Ayodhya, he will immolate himself. When the deadline nears, Rama sends Hanuman ahead to Ayodhya, wondering if Bharatha had undergone a change of heart. However, a steadfast Bharatha was on the verge of sacrificing himself. Rama blesses him, and says Bharatha is the best example of moral values.
Parasara Bhatta wants to praise Goddess Mahalakshmi, but feels his skills are inadequate for the purpose. He then says perhaps on second thought he is the best person to praise Mahalakshmi, for if She were to accept his words of praise, then the whole world would become aware of Her grace. After all, it takes a lot of daya to accept the words of Bhatta, which are far from pleasing, says Parasara Bhatta. Having established that he is fit to praise Her, Bhatta wants his work to be widely accepted by learned men, said Thenthirupperai Aravindalochanan, in a discourse. But if men of consequence are to like his work, then it must be flawless. Having already admitted to his inability to express himself in the best possible words, how can he expect acceptance by scholars, if he is not in some way helped to write the work? And what better guide can he have than the Goddess Herself? So in sloka seven of his Sri Guna Ratna Kosa, Parasara Bhatta prays to the Consort of Lord Ranganatha, and asks Her to undertake the task of supplying the proper words to Bhatta!
Having sought Her help, Bhatta lists out all the qualities that he wants his work to have. The words in the work should be meaningful (vaidhagdhya). It is not enough that they have deep meanings. They must be pleasing to the ear too. The words must be such that they acquire prestige (gaurava) and acceptance by pandits. This work of Parasara Bhatta’s, because it is going to come from the Goddess Herself, will be pleasing to men of learning. The more they hear this work which has sweetness (maadhurya rasam), the more they will want to hear it. Such should be its appeal. “You Yourself, oh Lakskmi (SvayamEva Lakshmi), must complete this work (na: sookthim samagrayathu)”
