History And Story of Paincajanya

Baba

This entire email is composed of 4 parts:
(1) Posting: History And Story of Paincajanya;
(2) Comment by Reader - Re: Bitter Pill To Swallow;
(3) Trailer Quote: Harassing Others Is Dreadful
(4) Prabhat Samgiita #2327;

Each section is demarcated by asterisks (***).

== HISTORY AND STORY OF PAINCAJANYA ==

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 just 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. So 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.

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 ANANDA MARGA

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 Ac 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 (See Note A). Because that time on 8 August 1982 when Baba was giving the dictation, He told to all that this Shivagiiti is one song which He composed in His childhood for Shiva. Then and there Baba sang the Shivagiiti song and made the Dadas note it down. As we know now, just over 2 1/2 years later on 28 March 1985 in Kolkata, Baba included this very 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 Shivagiiti song to Ananda Margiis. And that was the time when He was dictating the Namah Shivaya Shantaya book.

HOW SHIVAGIITI GOT ENTWINED WITH PAINCAJANYA

Immediately news spread that Baba has just revealed one song which He has written in His childhood. And everyone was very exuberant. Because those days in August 1982, it was very unusual to have 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 August 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 Ananda Marga 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 Shivagiiti 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. Many 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 began.

The history is like this: Those days Baba was moving around in Bihar and 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, that Baba composed His first Prabhat Samgiita, 'Bandhu he niye calo'.

HOW SHIVAGIITI 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 had just been given publicly. A month later, when Prabhat Samgiita had begun, some units started using Prabhat Samgiita directly in their paincajanya program.

Yet already other units were habituated with using Shivagiiti at paincajanya. In this way singing Shivagiiti at paincajanya had taken root in many Ananda Marga units.

For those who started with Shivagiiti, that tradition continued on for years and years. Today, in some places, it is still going on. But which devotee can think that it should and will continue much longer. Although, philosophically, 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. And verily, no true devotee of Baba can ideate on any other Divine Entity like Shiva or Krsna.

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 ISTA 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.

A sadhaka should have devotion for Ista and ideate on Ista in sadhana. For Ananda Margiis, we lovingly call Ista as Baba. Various people have various Istas. Just as Baba has come as Mahasambhuti, Lord Shiva and Lord Krsna also came as Mahasambhuti; yet for Ananda Margiis, only Baba is Ista.

If all your life you have been calling your mother as mom, and then one day your call her by her legal name, she may not even recognise that her own child is calling her. Similarly, we should be very keen to always call our Ista as Baba.

Philosophically speaking, one can make various connections but those cannot stand in the field of devotion. The devotional heart only knows One. For Ananda Margiis, that singular and most loving Entity is Baba. Hence in the devotional mood of the early morning dawn during paincajanya we should only sing songs that are for Him.

STORY OF GREAT MYTHOLOGICAL DEVOTEE HANUMAN

Here is a very significant story that is highly related with this entire matter: Pointed ideation on Ista.

"When Hanuman was asked why he was so insistent on taking the name of Ráma and never taking the name Náráyańa, he promptly replied:

Shriináthe jánakiináthe cábheda Paramátmani
Tathápi mama sarvasvah Rámah kamalalocana.

“I know by philosophical analysis that there is no difference between Náráyańa and Rama, and yet I will channelize my mind towards One Entity and not many. For me there is no Náráyańa, there is only Ráma.”

"Likewise for the genuine spiritual aspirants there is only One Entity, and they rush only towards that Supreme One. Their minds move only in one direction, not in a thousand directions." (1)

In that discourse, Baba's pointed teaching in this story is that a sadhaka's devotional feeling must be linked with one Ista - for Ananda Margiis that Ista is Baba Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji. For non-margiis it may be Lord Krsna or Lord Shiva. But for Ananda Margiis it is Baba.

Without this idea firmly set in the mind, one cannot reach the Goal. Ananda Margiis should not say, "O Lord Shiva come and grace me" - that will not help, rather hinder. The mind will be bifurcated or trifurcated. Some part of the mind will go to Lord Shiva, and another portion to Lord Krsna, and some portion to Baba. That mind is broken, retarded - it will go nowhere. There is one ista - that is our Guru's teaching.

An Ananda Margiis should only sing those devotional compositions that point the mind towards Baba; whereas those Prabhat Samgiita compositions about Lord Krsna and Lord Shiva are for the general public. In devotional life, a sadhaka of Ananda Marga is to choose from the many hundreds of songs about Baba and sing only those songs, and not sing or use compositions about Lord Krsna and Lord Shiva during paincajanya etc. That does not mean we should discard those songs about Lord Krsna and Lord Shiva, rather we are to learn them so we can teach to non-margiis. But, in one's own personal practice and devotional life, a bhakta of Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji (Baba) is to only sing songs about Him. That is the key guideline - and the pointed mandate to follow.

BABA WROTE SHIVAGIITA FOR NON-MARGIIS

So Baba wrote the Shivagiiti song for non-margiis. We margiis are responsible for learning this Shivagiiti song in order to share with those non-margii devotees who have not yet come onto the path of Ananda Marga and are involved in worshipping Lord Shiva etc. So that song is Baba's gift to those non-margii devotees. In Baba's divine kingdom no one is left out or forgotten.

IMPORTANCE OF ISTA

Till a little while ago, 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.

"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". (2)

Here is another of Baba's key and colorful teachings on this matter.

Baba says, "A person whom I was very close to, a relative of mine, used to recite the following after taking bath: “Victory to mother Káli, victory, victory to Káli, victory to mother Káli of T́han T́haniá, victory to mother Káli of Dakśińeshvar, victory to Bábá Táraknáth, victory to Bábá Vaidyanath of Deoghar. O, Fathers! None of you should think that I am leaving out someone's name.” After this he would say, “O, gods and goddesses, please forgive me if I have omitted any name inadvertently. Please assume that I have mentioned your name also.” Does this yield anything at all? One says “victory to mother Káli of Kálighát” and in the same breath one says “victory to mother Káli of T́han T́haniá.” It signifies that the mind is moving both towards Kálighát and T́han T́haniá. Can the mind become concentrated in this way? Certainly not." (3)

So although Baba has given 5,018 Prabhat Samgiita songs, one must have the required viveka to use the songs in the right way. We are only to sing those songs in our devotional practices like paincajanya that focus on Baba, Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji.

ONE-POINTED DEVOTION

If one margii is singing this song - Jaya shubhavajradhara shubhra kalevara (Prabhat Samgiita #2526) - it means you are paying homage to Lord Shiva, requesting Him to "please come in my meditation and come in my dhyana." But then when you conclude the song and start your actual meditation practice, you are pointing the mind towards your Guru, Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji. So that bifurcated approach is not at all good; it will not be helpful.

Why? Because you are addressing both Lord Shiva and Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji; the mind is not at all pointed, rather bifurcated. Yet sadhana can only be done with a pointed mind.

"According to spiritual science the samádhi attained when the entire mind is pin-pointed." (4)

SICK FATHER AND MEDICINE STORY

Once there was a father who was suffering from a sickness. He called out to his sons, "O' Tom, Dick, Harry, I need medicine. Please go to the store and bring my medicine." All three sons listened very sincerely to their father's request. The eldest son, Tom, immediately thought that the youngest (Harry) will get it. And Harry thought Tom would get it. And Dick thought one of his brothers would get the medicine. Later, in the middle of the night, the father called out to his sons, "O Tom, Dick, Harry, now is the time I need my medicine." All three sons looked at each other and realised that no one had gotten the medicine. Now all the shops were closed and father's condition was not good. In short, disaster had struck. And there was nothing to be done in that late hour.

If the father had specifically asked one of his sons to get the medicine, then that son would have done it. Then the problem would have been averted. Asking all three sons at the same time was a mistake. The father learned his lesson.

This same theory holds true in the realm of devotion as well. Worshiping multiple deities is not going to bring the proper outcome. How is one going to be graced with it is divided in multiple directions. The mind must be pointed in one direction. In the field of devotion, the sadhaka must be singular in approach.

In their day-to-day practical manner, the Semitic religions worship not one god but many. Those followers ask boons and grace from numerous godheads. In theory, they may try to deny this and give their own justification; but in their practical life that is what they do. It is quite evident.

Nowadays, most Christians and Muslims are in so-called 3rd world countries. And those believers follow multiple religions plus local gods and goddesses. They are involved in numerous belief systems. One single person might worship Allah, a Christian God, and their own local or native gods / goddesses and ritualistic deities. This is prevalent all around Africa and the Asian nations.

Next is Buddhism which has adopted multiples deities. And the worst is Hinduism where there are countless gods and goddesses.

Those who come into Ananda Marga from such backgrounds often have a hard time understanding that Ista must be one, i.e. singular. Those who come into Ananda Marga at a young age easily understand. Age aside, those with adequate devotion absolutely understand.

Every bhakta in Ananda Marga must be singularly pointed on Ista, and only ideate on Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji. There is no other way.

Note A: HIS CHILDHOOD COMPOSITIONS WERE BROUGHT INTO PRABHAT SAMGIITA

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 revealed this history.

CONCLUSION

The conclusion of this entire letter is that the Shivagiiti song should not be sung at the time of paincajanya or for any devotional gathering of Ananda Margiis. For Ananda Margiis, the Ista is Baba, and we should only sing for Him, our most-loving Baba.

Ananda Margiis should not sing those songs that directly address Lord Shiva and Lord Krsna. Those songs give way to this type of expression, "O' Lord Shiva, O' Lord Krsna, I salute Thee." Those songs are not for margiis but for non-margiis. Those singing such songs are not following 16 points - unfortunately. They are remiss in one of the points.

There are many devotional Prabhat Samgiita that are not for Lord Krsna nor Lord Shiva that focus fully on Baba. In total, there are only a few compositions for Lord Krsna and Lord Shiva - other than those few songs, the entirety of the Prabhat Samgiita collection are songs for Baba. And those are the songs we should sing during paincajanya and our devotional programs.

Namaskar,
at His lotus feet,
Satiish


REFERENCES:
1. Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life - 11
2. Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life
3. 11 April 1979, Kolkata
4. Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 21, Liberation of the Devotee

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Subject: Re: Bitter Pill To Swallow
Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2013 23:43:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: Nagaraja ...sbcglal.net>
To: AM-GLOBAL

== Re: BITTER PILL TO SWALLOW ==

Comment on: http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2013/03/bitter-pill-to-swallow.html

Great analysis done. 

Nice way to shake up every one. Lots of individuals begin to think, "Yes, I can identify myself with such and such Mahabharata character. Hope at least one person reading this article changes for the better.

Namaskar,
Nagaraja

The section below demarcated by asterisks is an entirely different topic,
completely unrelated to the above material. It stands on its own as a point of interest.

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Harassing Others Is Dreadful

"It is only when the human beings, become puffed up with vanity and misuse the power granted to them by Parama Purus'a, that He steals everything from them. Hence, He is called Darpaha'rii - the stealer of vanity...Vain people suffer a similar fate when their vanity is destroyed as the balloon faces when its air is let out. But, does Parama Purus'a snatch away everything from everyone? No, He takes away only when the unit beings try to create obstructions in the flow of His creation." (Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutsehll - 4, p. 247)

Note: In His above teaching, Baba warns us about the fate of arrogant people. As we know, the ultimate antidote to vanity is developing a devotional link in life and surrendering to the sweet will of Parama Purusa. Then, in that case, extreme arrogance and vanity will not get scope to crop up and ruin one's personae. Unfortunately, some in our Ananda Marga overlook their devotional practices and instead get wrapped up in their own plans and programs. Such persons can be easily be recognised. With their ego and vanity, they harass and terrorise others, as well as misuse their strength to inflict harm. For their welfare, Parama Purusa pulverizes their ego - He destroys and crushes their feelings of vanity. When their ego is crushed, they learn their lesson. If afterwards they are still alive they become humble and stop terrorizing others. They become proper human beings. That is why one of the names of the Lord is Darpaha'rii - destroyer of vanity.

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Here begins the Prabhat Samgiita

Introduction to PS #2327: In the following song Baba is lovingly guiding one disciple who is confused and totally immersed in materialism.

"Cora'ba'lir pa'r'e keno gar'e ya'o ghar..."   - P.S. 2327

Purport:

O' human being, why are you building your abode on quicksand. Have you not examined the matter carefully. That structure is sinking and shaking dramatically because of its soft foundation.

For so many ages, you have been passing your days in constructing your castle on quicksand. You have invested huge time and energy along with blood, sweat & your own grueling labour to build it. All the while you were indulging in your own dreamland - foolishly thinking that this "thing" will give you permanent satiation - that it will be with you always. You were never ready to admit that this is temporary and ephemeral.

O' human being, pay heed, any moment a river or landslide will overrun the embankments, even before the quicksand would give way. Your abode is destinted to be destroyed. All the alluring transitory colours and shine would vanish and only the unchangeable would remain...

Note: In the above song quicksand means materialism and castle means building one's life.