ASTERISK NOTES (*):
*Bandhu= Parama Purusa is the nearest and dearest of all living beings.
Separation from Him is unbearable; nobody can exist without Him. That is
why He is called Bandhu. Only Parama Purusa is Bandhu.
Baba says, "'Atya'go sahano bandhu'-- the person who cannot tolerate
separation is a 'bandhu'. When the tie of love is so great that a person
cannot tolerate any separation from you, he is called your bandhu... Parama
Purus'a is the only real bandhu. He loved you in the past; He will love you
in the future. He alone is Bandhu." (AV-4, 'Your Real Friend')
*Diipak Jva'lio= 'Please light the lamp of divinity and remove the darkness
of ignorance'. As a Sadguru Baba graces us with true, inner knowledge by
lighting our lamp within. And that is one of the main messages of this
particular Prabhat Samgiita. By His grace an idea similar to the one
expressed in the above Prabhat Samgiita is expressed in our Guru Puja.
About this I think most are aware.
"...Jina'na'injana shala'kaya'..."
Baba says, "You know that an eye ointment is applied with a stick
('Shala'ka' means stick). Now, all the microcosms are parts of that
Noumenal Entity, all are actually parts and particles of that Supreme
Entity, but due to ignorance, due to the darkness of ignorance, they cannot
see what is what and which is which. That is why they require the ointment
of spiritual knowledge. Guru (with a stick) applies the ointment of
spiritual knowledge to their eyes." (AV-3)
== ONGOING DOGMA ==
Namaskar,
During my usual pracara work with my Dit.S. Dada, I visited various remote
villages of the district. And in those travels I became surprised to see
that long-term, senior margiis were singing Shivagiiti at the time of
Paincajanya. Not once did I witness this but on numerous occasions. Because
I got the opportunity to stay in those remote villages. And in those places
they are without basic communication-- let alone email. Then still this
dogma of Shivagiiti and paincajanya is going on. Actually they think the
two are interlinked. That one cannot happen without the other. And this may
not be an isolated case; there may be other places where this is going on.
Some of our brothers and sisters may have their own opinion about this--
whether it is a dogma or not.
So I thought to invite others to think about this and I have written the
following with the hope that others will also share their thoughts and
perspectives.
One way to begin is by reviewing the history. Here then is one look into
the past to see into the situation.
HISTORY OF SHIVAGIITI IN AM
Per my recollection and discussion with other senior Margiis what follows
is a brief history of how the dogma of singing ShivaGiiti got established
in AMPS.
As many margiis know, in 1982 Baba graciously gave the book Namah Shivaya
Shantaya (NSS). I remember that Baba delivered many of the discourses
during general darshan in front of the margiis and acaryas. And other
chapters Baba did in straight dictation format privately in His room in
Patna directly with Vijayanandji.
One such discourse was 'Shiva in the Song of Shiva', discourse #19 of the
book Namah Shivaya Shantaya. And that very chapter begins with the
ShivaGiiti song, "Jaya shubhavajradhara...", which is actually a song Baba
wrote long back in His childhood. Because that time on 8 August 1982 when
Baba was giving the dictation, then Baba told to all that this ShivaGiiti
is one song which He composed for Shiva in his childhood. And then and
there Baba sang the Shivagiiti song and made the Dadas note it down. Of
course as we know now that just over 2 1/2 years later on 28 March 1985 in
Kolkata, Baba included this very same ShivaGiiti song "Jaya
shubhavajradhara shubhra kalevara" in His Prabhat Samgiita collection as
song number 2526.
But 8 August 1982 was the day that Baba first revealed this Shiva Giiti
song to Ananda Margiis. And that was the time when He in was dictating the
Namah Shivaya Shantaya book.
HOW SHIVAGIITI GOT ENTWINED WITH PAINCAJANYA
So that time immediately news quickly spread that Baba has just revealed
one song which He has written in His childhood. And everyone was very
excited. Because those days in August 1982, it was a difficult task to find
songs which Baba had composed Himself, since Baba had not yet begun His
Prabhat Samgiita collection.
We know that Prabhat Samgiita first began on 14 Sep 1982. So original songs
composed by Baba were unavailable those days in August 1982. That is why
Dadas were encouraging everyone to sing the ShivaGiiti bhajan because this
was composed by Baba. So all thought that, 'okay this is good'. And as there
was no existence of Prabhat Samgiita so everyone was feeling comfortable.
Simultaneously that very time in 1982 Baba also introduced the practice of
paincajanya into Ananda Marga. And according to Baba's direction, everyone
was supposed to sing a song during this newly given paincajanya program.
So those days in Aug of 1982 Dadas were vigorously moving all around giving
two basic messages:
(1) That Baba has given a new devotional program that is to be done in all
AM units. And that program is paincajanya. And the singing of a song is
compulsory in this program.
(2) That Baba has recently revealed one of His original songs: the ShivaGiiti.
In this way many Ananda Margiis mixed up the two matters and developed the
fixed idea in their mind that the Shiva Giiti song is the song of
paincajanya.
THE STARTING OF PRABHAT SAMGIITA
Furthermore, those days Baba used to encourage Samaj members to compose
their own songs. And I remember how that time Baba used to arrange
competitions between one samaj and another samaj on the point of composing
and singing their Prout or social or devotional songs. This style of
competition went on for few weeks. We should not forget that this was the
pre-stage of Prabhat Samgiita planning.
So in 1982 first Baba inspired all the margiis to compose their own songs
and when they could not make proper songs, then Baba Himself started giving
His own song. And in that way Baba's fountain of Prabhat Samgiita songs
started.
The history is like this: Those days Baba was moving around in Bihar and as
I recall in the end of August He was in Kolkata. Then after a short tour
Baba reached Deoghar. And it was on the historic day of 14 September 1982
in Deoghar, Bihar Baba composed His first Prabhat Samgiita, 'Bandhu he niye
calo'.
HOW SHIVAGIITA GOT ENTWINED WITH PAINCAJANYA - PART 2
Here then we should analyse how ShivaGiiti got established in the
Paincajanya program.
Basically those Margiis who got the message from Dadas about the new
paincajanya program before the creation of Prabhat Samgitia, they started
using the ShivaGiiti song because those days ShivaGiiti was easily available.
And when Prabhat Samgiita started coming then some units started using
Prabhat Samgiita directly in their paincajanya program.
But already some units were habituated with ShivaGiiti and in this way
singing ShivaGiiti at paincajanya had taken root in many AM units.
And for those who started with Shiva Giiti, that tradition continued on for
years and years. And today in some places today it is still going on. But
in my heart I do not think that it should and will continue much longer.
Because although in philosophical sense Lord Shiva, Lord Krsna, and Shrii
Shrii Anandamurtiji are one, but with the strict adherence to Ista no
Ananda Margii should worship or meditate on Lord Krsna or Lord Shiva.
Reason being that mind is one and at the same time it cannot focus on or be
dedicated to two or three different Entities.
DEVOTION TOWARD BABA ONLY
And here is another way of looking at it.
Everybody is aware that Paincajanya is one very beautiful, dharmic, and
devotional program. But linked up with that program is one bulky dogma.
Because paincajanya is about oneness with Ista, Baba. So if someone is
singing the Shivagiiti in the morning then that goes against the basic
devotional approach. Because in that sentient mood of the early morning
dawn, we should remember Baba. He is our most loving and closest One. This
is the common, sentimental feeling of the heart for every Ananda Margii:
That Baba is our nearest and dearest One.
Then why should we wake up in the morning and sing: 'Lord Shiva, victory is
yours, Lord Shiva, victory is yours, Lord Shiva, victory is yours...'
Why should we sing like this when it goes against the basic devotional
feeling of the heart. All night we dream about Baba and then in the
sweetness of the early dawn we want to sing exclusively for Him, a song
related with Baba. Yet the Shivagiiti is something different.
Philosophically speaking, one can make various connections but those cannot
stand in the field of devotion. Because the devotional heart only knows
One. And for Ananda Margiis that singular and most loving Entity is Baba.
Hence in the devotional mood of the early morning dawn we should only sing
songs that are for Him.
Here I would like to conclude with this following Baba's teaching.
Baba says, "Spiritual aspirants should remember that they will have to
become dedicated to their Is't'a. They will have to establish a
relationship of exclusive devotion to Is't'a. If there is not intense
attachment to Is't'a in one's heart, then one cannot do anything". (AMIWL)
Namaskar,
Satiish
Note 1: Please, if anyone else remembers others aspects of this history,
please write and share with one and all.
Note 2: I think all readers are aware of the fact that Baba wrote the
ShivaGiiti song for non-margiis. And that we Margiis were / are responsible
for learning this ShivaGiiti song in order to share with those devotees who
have not yet come onto the path of AM and are involved in worshipping Lord
Shiva. So that song is Baba's gift to those non-Margii devotees. In Baba's
divine kingdom no one is left out or forgotten.
Note 3: Till recently even in our local unit we were singing the ShivaGiiti
song during paincajanya. But that practice has since stopped as we realised
that when Baba alone is the Ista, then during our collective devotional
practices we should sing songs of His glory, and not that of Lord Shiva or
Lord Krsna.
Note 4: It was not entirely uncommon for Baba to take songs which He wrote
in His childhood or during His student life and include them in His Prabhat
Samgiita collection. For example, one other such song "Toma'r e asiim apa'r
bha'laba'sa'r..." which Baba wrote as a young boy when seeing His
grandmother pray to the Lord, and this song Baba later included in HIS
Prabhat Samgiita collection as Prabhat Samgiita no. 209. In 1988 DMC Baba
told about this.
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WT Conduct Rule: Laokika Family Relations
This following rule applies to all Wts:
Baba says, "No relationship should exist with worldly family." (Pt 9 of '32
Rules...')
Note 1: These days unfortunately the standard of Wts is quite low. They
continue their relations with their own laokik family. But being an
avadhuta doing like this is sin. Because for them the whole universe
belongs to their family. True avadhutas will not commit such sin rather
they will follow Baba's above guideline.
Note 2: Some senior Wts are so thick skinned that in DC they openly brag
and shamelssly tell stories about visiting their own loakik family members
like their parents, brothers and sisters.
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