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Guru Purnima Parva - Day 6
Prapti
Stuti: [(Shrimad Sadgun Shālinam…), Jaynād (1 min)]
Dhun: [Bhaj Man Swāminārāyan - Anirdesh Kirtan Muktavali (3 mins)]
Gun Grahan: [Write down 3 qualities of people you have met, seen, or heard about this week, and share these with your family.]
Guru Purnima is a significant and widely celebrated festival in various spiritual, cultural, and educational traditions, especially in India. We celebrate Guru Purnima with lots of love. Why? For we believe that it is our great fortune that we have obtained such a Guru in our life that guides us on the path of Moksh. Nishkulanand Swami writes about the GREATEST fortune that we have obtained! The biggest TREASURE! Let us explore it in a bit more detail today… The purple text below will help us understand the Kirtan in a bit more detail.
Kirtan: Bhagya Jagya Re…
Bhāgya jāgyā re āj jāṇvā, koṭi thayā kalyāṇ;
Udhāro na rahyo ehno, pāmyā Prabhu pragaṭ pramāṇ... 1
(1) Believe that our great fortune has awakened today. We have been redeemed countless times. Our liberation is not a ‘debt’ that will be repaid after we die; we have attained the manifest form of God so we are liberated while alive.
- What does it mean to be redeemed ‘countless times’?
- Let us play a small game here - tear an A4 piece of paper into as many small pieces as you can; then try and count the pieces (take a minute to do so). Did you end up counting all the pieces of paper? Now think of each piece of paper as a life-form that you have been given. It was tiring enough to count all the pieces of paper right? How tiring would it be to go through all those cycles of births and deaths?
Anāthpaṇānu me’ṇu ūtaryu, sadā thayā sanāth;
Ḍar na rahyo bījā devano, grahyo Harie hāth... 2
(2) No one can tease us that we are orphans (spiritually). We have a master now (who will provide for us). We have no fear of other minor deities. God has grabbed our hand (to save us).
- [Swami is using an analogy of an orphan in this line. He says that an orphan who does not have anyone to provide necessities (food, clothing, shelter) is teased by others. One who has someone to provide necessities does not have to worry about surviving. Similarly, on the spiritual path, we have God, our master (Nāth) who will liberate us, so we have nothing to worry about. And no one can tease us that we are left desolate on the path of God.]
Kangālpaṇu ke’vā na rahyu, sadā manāṇu sukh;
Mastī āvī re ati angmā, dūr palāṇā dukh... 3
(3) We are no longer in poverty. We believe we are always happy now and it shows in our whole self. Misery has fled from us.
Aṇsamjaṇ aḷgī thaī, samī samjāṇī vāt;
Pāmpaḷā sarve parā paḷyā, maḷyā Shrī Hari sākshāt... 4
(4) Our misunderstanding is gone now as we have understood the correct truth. We no longer have to scamper; we have met God face-to-face.
Kasar na rahī koī vātnī, pāmyā Prabhu pragaṭ prasang;
Khoṭ maṭīne khāṭya thaī, rahī gayo chhe rang... 5
(5) We have no deficiencies remain in any way since we have the company of the manifest God. All loses have been redeemed and we are now benefiting.
Bhūdhar maḷtā bhalu thayu, fero fāvyo ā vār;
Sukh taṇī sīmā te shī kahu, mane mod apār... 6
(6) A great thing happened to us since we met God. This birth has been fruitful. How can I describe the unlimited bliss? I have great happiness in my mind.
- Think of the bliss that we have in or lives; how has Satsang helped us to remain and feel happy? How would you describe this bliss? Let us play a small game here - describe the gift of Satsang in a circle; go around for 3 minutes and try and list as many different reasons here. If you had more time, would you be able to list more gifts of Satsang?
Āj ānand vadhāmṇā, haiye harakh na māy;
Amaḷtī vāt te āvī maḷī, shī kahu sukhnī simāy... 7
(7) Today bears good news and I cannot contain the joy in my heart. I found what cannot be found anywhere. How can I describe the unlimited bliss?
Āj amrutnī helī thaī, rahī nahi kāī khoṭ;
Ek kalyāṇnu kyā rahyu, thayā kalyāṇ koṭ... 8
(8) A shower of amrut is pouring down. No deficiencies have remained. This is not just one kalyān; we have attained countless kalyāns.
- How profound is this line here?! What does Amrut mean?
- Swamini Vaat: The abode of God is full of bliss. From there a drop of bliss was released, reaching humans via Prakruti Purush, Pradhan - Purush, Vairat and the deities. That bliss makes all jivas happy. Therefore, the source of all bliss is God. Be happy through his bliss.
- What does it mean to obtain countless kalyan? What is one kalyan?
Rānkpaṇu to rahyu nahi, koī mā kahesho kangāl;
Nirdhaniyā to ame nathī, mahā maḷyo chhe māl... 9
(9) We are no longer meek. No one call us poor. We are not penniless. We have obtained great merchandise (i.e. wealth in the form of God).
Koṇ jāṇe ā kem thayu, āvyu aṇchintavyu sukh;
Dhāḷo alaukik dhaḷī gayo, maḷyā Hari mukhomukh... 10
(10) Who knows how this happened? I have attained bliss that I never imagined. We have met God face-to-face.
Dhanya dhanya avsar ājno, jemā maḷīyā Mahārāj;
Nishkuḷānand danko jītno, vāgī gayo chhe āj... 11
(11) How blessed in this time, when we have met Maharaj. The bells of our victory are resounding today.
- Now that we have learnt about the greatness of what we have obtained, how can we make the most of this greatness? Whom have we obtained? How should we make sure that we continue to hold onto the Satpurush?