To: AM-GLOBAL
From: Vidyabhusan
Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2013 22:48:11
Subject: 5 Years, 4 Months, & 1 Day
Baba
This entire email is composed of 3 parts:
(1) Prabhat Samgiita #1370;
(2) Posting: 5 Years, 4 Months, & 1 Day;
(3) Trailer Quote: Sometimes Democracy is Harmful.
Each section is demarcated by asterisks (*).
****Here begins the Prabhat Samgiita.
"Nayaneri ainjan ma'nasranjain tumi janame maran'e sa'thii mor..." (PS 1370)
Purport:
Baba, O' Parama Purusa, You are so gracious. You are the ainjan (ointment of knowledge) of my eyes; You are Manasrainjan [1], the One who saturates my mind with devotion; You are with me life after life, in birth and in death, always - up to eternity. O' Divine Entity, in the vast sky of my mind, in my mental horizon, Your attractive and charming form is vibrating and shining. Seeing Your exquisite beauty & divine vibration, I have become completely captivated and devotionally ensconced in You.
O' Parama Purusa, this expressed universe is situated in the mirror of Your maya. Everything is resonating in Your divine sound - omnkara (shinjit o nu'pure) [2]. Please grace me, by looking towards me; please shower me in Your divine compassion. O' Citta-cor / Chit-chor [3], O' Parama Purusa, You are captivating my mind in all the ways.
Baba, O' my Dearmost, I want You and You alone. I do not want anything from You. I only have one desire: Please grant me parabhakti [4] and keep me at Your lotus feet, always. I want to surrender my entire being unto You. O' Lord, please grace me and allow me to concentrate all my feelings and surrender my whole existence at Your feet. You are my Goal; You are my Ista. Baba, You are like the moon and I am the like the cakor / chakor [5] bird, always involved in Your ideation.
O' Divine Entity. O' Baba, You are my everything; You are the Goal of my life. My only desire is that You please grace me and give me a place eternally at Your lotus feet by granting me parabhakti...
NOTES FOR PRABHAT SAMGIITA #1370:
[1] Ma'nasrainjan: The mind is affected or coloured by whatever one thinks about in day to day life. Every thought has a particular colour and that colour varies based on one's object of contemplation. If a businessman is thinking primarily about his business, then his mind is coloured in that way. A drunkard's mind is coloured with the thought of wine. When the mind is completely obsessed with a particular thought, the mind becomes fully coloured in that manner, whether it be tamasik, sentient, or spiritual etc.
When Parama Purusa graciously colours a sadhaka's mind with devotion, they remain wholly ensconed in the thought of Parama Purusa. If a new sadhaka cannot do sadhana at all, then we can understand that their mind is not coloured with devotion. And if someone longs to do more and more meditation, we can understand that their mind is deeply coloured with with divinity.
Depending on the nature of one's thought, their mental colour changes. It may be black, red, yellow or white etc. Those bhaktas who think of Parama Pursua exclusively will have a white-coloured mind; it will be white effulgence. A violent person's mind will be red in colour. Remember, this colour is not their skin colour, nor any other external colour. Here we are only talking about the colour of their mind - nothing else.
Baba has given countless demonstrations on this. He used to make two sadhakas sit facing one another. Then He would bestow upon one the power to see into the other's mind. Then that devotee would be able to clearly see the colour of the other sadhaka's mental plate. Still today this is possible. When one advances in sadhana, they can easily see another's mental colour. Immediately, they can understand what type of person they are. In that case, nobody can hide. There is no scope for hypocrisy.
Parama Purusa, in His role as Ma'nasrainjan, is that Divine Entity who colours and saturates the mind of sadhakas in the fountain of devotion.
Baba says, "'rainjana', which means 'the One who colours' - that which colours the mind." (Ananda Vacanamrtam - 1)
So He is that Cosmic Being who graciously showers devotional love into the heart and mind of the bhakta. And by such overwhelming Cosmic grace, the devotee becomes immersed in Supreme bliss and comes in the closest proximity with that Love Personified Entity: Parama Purusa.
We all know that devotion is that unique ingredient which allows one to advance in the spiritual field. Without innate love for Parama Purusa one can never succeed.
[2] Shinjit O Nu'pure: In the process of creation, the universal sound of omnkara is generated. There is a variety of such sounds: The roar of the ocean, the sweet melody of the flute, the chirping of the crickets etc. At different stages of realisation the sadhaka can hear these sounds. In this song, all these sounds are symbolically represented by the ankle bell - shinjit o nu'pure - Parama Purusa.
[3] Citta-cor / Chit-chor: In His role as 'Citta-cor' Baba is the Thief or Stealer of the devotee's mind. How does He steal the mind? He captivates their mind and attracts the bhakta by His exquisite beauty and charm whereby the sadhaka cannot think of anything or anyone else. The sadhaka has lost control of his own mind: It incessantly and unknowingly rushes towards Parama Purusa. The One who makes this happen is Citta-cor - the Stealer of the mind.
And this happens in the mundane realm as well. There are numerous worldly examples where a person's mind is stolen. If they lost money, if they are infatuated with the opposite sex, if they are anxious about getting a new job - in all such cases when the person's mind runs again and again in that direction, then it means their mind was stolen. The person's mind is no longer their own - they do not have control over it. Over and over, their mind is thinking of that lost money or the opposite sex. So their mind has been stolen. And the person or entity that causes someone to lose control of their mind is citcor - the stealer of the mind.
In the devotional sphere, only Parama Purusa is Citta-cor. The sadhaka thinks of Him, unknowingly. Always the mind is goaded in that direction. Even if the bhakta intentionally tries not to think in this way, still his mind becomes ensconced in the thought of Parama Purusa.
Ultimately, when this condition climaxes, in that culminating state the unit mind - the jiiva'tma - becomes one with Supreme Consciousness.
[4] Parabhakti: Par means divine; and apara means worldly. The feminine is para and when combined with bhakti, it is parabhakti. That is the highest devotion. In that blessed state, devotees want to do each and everything for Parama Purusa and give Him pleasure. In return, they do not want anything. Those sadhakas who got Parama Purusa, by His grace, have gotten everything.
Baba says, "When one wants Parama Purus'a from Parama Purus'a, then that bhakti is para'bhakti...And what is para'bhakti? 'O Parama Purus'a, You know whether I am Your devotee or not. It is You who are to judge whether I am Your devotee or not -- but I want You...I want You. And why do I want You? Because I want to serve You'." (Subhasita Samgraha - 24, p.97)
[5] Cakor / Chakor Bird: The red-legged Bartavelle bird or Greek Partridge that seems to subsist on moonlight alone. All night long the cakor bird looks and stares at the moon - wanting to soak up and drink each and every ounce of moonlight. It is completely linked with the moon (vidhu). That is why it is said that the cakor bird has a deeply loving relation with the moon. In Baba's above devotional song, the bhakta is compared to the cakor and Parama Purusa is likened to the moon.
Namaskar,
Everyone is aware that after being poisoned Baba took to fasting for 5 years, 4 months, and 1 day. He was poisoned on 12th February 1973. After being refused a judicial hearing, Baba began His fast in April 1973. And He did not break His fast until after His release from jail in early August 1978.
This entire episode stands as the basis of our "Niilkantha Divas" - when the whole society was transformed, by His grace.
As we all know, the important Ananda Marga observance Niilakantha Divas was on Feb 12. Now, here is more about the significance of this remarkable moment in history.
Specifically, how has the name been born & why do we call Baba as "Niilakantha". What is the meaning, and how did it happen. These are the questions addressed in this letter, as well as the grand mythological tale surrounding Lord Shiva.
There is a reason behind the name, and why we call 12th February as a Niilakantha Divas. The reason behind that very day is well known. This was the day Baba Himself swallowed the poison while in jail.
But there is also a reason behind the term "Niilakantha". Why the name Niilakantha? Niilakantha is a Sanskrit / Samskrta term. "Niila" means blue; "Kantha" means throat. The literal meaning of Niilakantha is Blue throat; and, the common meaning in everyday parlance is Lord Shiva. And divas means day. So the entire meaning of Niilakantha Divas is "blue throat day".
There is one mythological story related with this term "Niilakantha". To save the society from the poisonous effect of deadly poison or "Kal Ku't'", Lord Shiva Himself swallowed all that entire poison.
In that magical story, the churning of the mythological divine ocean was arranged. The ocean took the form of a bowl or mortar, as from 'mortar and pestle'. And in the ocean one big mountain was placed as a pestle to churn the ocean. And the mythological cobra, Shes' Na'g, was tied as a rope around the mountain. On one side of the mountain a party of demons was holding one end of the rope-like cobra. And on the other side of the mountain a party of devatas was holding the other end of the cobra. By this way they could move the mountain back and forth. These two parties used the mountain to churn the ocean. Then various things emerged from the ocean in the course of that churning. One thing that emerged from the ocean was the deadly poison "Kal Kut'".
That poison was so deadly, if it had remained there, it would have spread all around and destroyed everything. To save the society, Lord Shiva swallowed all the poison.
Although we don't believe these mythological stories, there is one meaningful teaching behind this mythological tale. Namely, to save the society, Lord Shiva swallowed the poison and counteracted its negative effect. This is one great example: Serving the society even by swallowing poison. That is the great meaning of this mythological story.
Here I will add something further in connection with the story about Lord Shiva. For that lends also deeper understanding about what occurred with Baba.
Seeing the situation with the deadly poison, Lord Shiva took it upon Himself to swallow it. Otherwise, that very 'vish' (poison, or "Kal Ku't'") would have annihilated a huge population. So Lord Shiva saved the society by swallowing poison. He swallowed it and with His divine play, the poison remained in Lord Shiva's throat permanently. And with its effect, the poison created a blue mark all around Lord Shiva's neck. His neck became blue permanently. Yet it did not affect Lord Shiva more than that. That's why one of the names of Lord Shiva is "Niilakantha" - Blue throat.
This was the greatness of Lord Shiva: He swallowed the deadly poison, with the sole purpose to save the society from the disastrous effect of that deadly poison, "Kal Ku't'". Saving the society was His only motive - nothing else.
For this reason, Baba has chosen the term "Niilakantha" and declared 12th February as "Niilakantha Divas". There is a literal meaning and an inner meaning. The literal meaning is blue throat day. The inner meaning is, 'The day of ingesting poison to save the humanity'.
A similar thing happened with Baba.
We know that when Taraka Brahma descends on this earth as Mahasambhuti it seemingly looks like He is human, but the truth is something else. Mahasambhuti is not just one human being that is full of shortcomings and limitations. Mahasambhuti is capable of doing anything He likes.
So it is with Baba.
To save the society from the disastrous effect of much deadly poison or many deadly and destructive weapons, He Himself knowingly, deliberately swallowed the poison. Why? To save humanity from the demonic and destructive forces. That is what happened symbolically in the jail. AMPS was not yet banned, most of the WTs and Margis were outside the jail. Then Baba took upon Himself the trouble of the entire organization, nay the entire society.
Not only the demon Indira Gandhi, but all demonic political groups like communists were spreading their claws to grip the entire society in their hold. Just as serpents do. Communism was most ghastly in those days. Such demonic leaders turned their full attention towards Shrii Shrii Anandamurtijii. By that way, they gave poison in the jail. And Baba swallowed that.
If Baba would not have done so, Indira Gandhi and communist Russia would have done more heinous crimes and killings - both to Ananda Marga and the general society. They would have wreaked even more havoc on this earth. Baba graciously defused their negative plan. In that way, their negative intentions were neutralised: Everything was controlled and everyone was saved - and Indira Gandhi was destroyed.
Those aware about Baba's divine play know if Baba would not have taken the poison, Indira Gandhi would have brought more disaster on the country. And communists would have ruined many more lives on this earth.
And Indira Gandhi would have poisoned or killed many WTs and Margis. But she could not do anything. Rather every one of us, those in jail, saw that Baba controlled the situation. He transformed thorns into flowers. All trouble He took upon Himself. And digested everything to save us.
So those who do not have deeper understanding, they think that Baba was poisoned in the jail, etc. And those who know the inner truth, and Baba's way of playing His divine play, they know that by swallowing poison, He saved Ananda Marga and the entire society from the deadly effect of various negative events. Baba disclosed all this to many devotees while in jail. On that very basis, I wrote here the above section related with poisoning and saving the society.
So this "Niila Kantha" term and "Niilakantha Divas", has deep meaning. And as we know that "Niilakantha" means blue throat, and the 'blue throat' appeared because of swallowing the poison. And this name Niilakantha was related with Lord Shiva. And a similar thing happened with Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji. That's why one of the names of Lord Anandamurtiji is also Niilakantha. On 12 February day, Baba became "Niilakantha": He swallowed the poison and saved the earth.
"It has been seen that whenever the Divine Entity has descended on the earth, one group of human beings has stood in its favour, while an opposite group has opposed it. Kansa was against Krśńa; Ravana was against Rama." (1)
" when Parama Puruśa brings about social welfare by speaking truthfully and unambiguously and performing many good deeds, good people, common people, derive the benefit and speak highly of His deeds. They are full of praise for Him. They love Him and they revere Him...Much time has passed since Krśńa left the earth, but still today thousands of people praise Him, and at the same time many people continue to slander Him. I will not call them wicked; let the people pronounce judgement. Thus yashasah implies both yasha [fame] and apayasha [infamy]. Positive and negative go hand in hand. Interestingly, a clear polarization emerges in the minds of people. Two unmistakable lines are drawn; two opposing camps are formed – the Kaoravas and the Pandavas. This is yasha." (2)
"Yasha: One who is praised by the world for his or her uncommon virtues or else is continually slandered by those blinded by jealousy, is called yashasvii. His or her essential quality is known by the name yasha (yashas)." (3)
"Lord Shiva came to this world about 7000 years ago; even now there are many who are His admirers, there are many others who are His opponents. The Iyers in South India will say, “Oh! Lord Shiva was great;” the Iyengars will say, “No, Lord Shiva was not great.” Lord Krśńa came about 3500 years ago; even now you will see there are so many admirers and so many opponents of Krśńa. That is, when Táraka Brahma comes, the entire intellect of the world gets polarized – one north pole, another south pole; one admirer, another opponent. There were the gopabálákas [cowherds] of Vrindavana who loved Krśńa very much, and there were Kansa, Putana Raksasi, Bakasur and Aghasur who were His deadly enemies. So during Krśńa’s time there was polarization." (4)
"Yasha: By His advent two things happen simultaneously. On the one hand, He gets staunch supporters, and on the other, sworn enemies. The whole human society gets clearly divided into two camps – moralists and immoralists, the bad elements. Everyone has to join either of the two camps, and complete polarization takes place. If one is the North Pole, the other one is the South Pole. He is crowned with success and glory and at the same time faces bitter criticism and infamy. This happened to Lord Shiva and Lord Krśńa also. During their time also the whole society got divided into two camps – the moralists and the immoralists. Remember always dhármic people are ultimately bound to be victorious." (5)
"Suppose an evil force says, “I, the lord of a certain country, will destroy Ananda Marga from the very root.” A dhármika should maintain patience, should be patient. Because the day is soon to come when that evil force is going to be destroyed. Its weapon will serve as a boomerang for its own death. And this happened in the near past, as you all know." (6)
"Those who misuse their faculties are also doomed to destruction. The misuse of one's qualities not only brings harm to the world, but it also exhausts one's own inherent strength. You have seen with your own eyes that in the past certain powerful persons thought, in their extreme vanity, that they could make or break anything. They perpetrated indescribable tortures and atrocities on Ananda Marga. But even in the face of such torments, Ananda Marga held its head high. There is no power in the universe, in the heaven or in the underworld, which can annihilate Ananda Marga, because Ananda Marga is established on the solid foundation of rationality and righteousness. If those wicked forces engage in fight with Ananda Marga, they will themselves be pulverized: they will be crushed like ants." (7)
Namaskar,
in Him,
Vidyabhusan Deva
In preparation of this significant observance, a few days ago there was a posting about Baba's famous darshan of that day.
2. Namami Krsnasundaram: Párthasárathi Krśńa and Pariprashna (Discourse 24)
3. Shabda Cayanika - 2, Disc: 8
4. Subhasita Samgraha - 21, Jaeva Dharma and Bhágavata Dharma
5. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 1, Devotion
6. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 6, Ten Wonts of Dharma
7. A Few Problems Solved - 4, Forward Movement Is the Essence of Life
Namaskar,
We live in an era where democracy is seen as the ultimate form of leadership and governance. Here we examine critical ways how democratic rule undermines unity in society.
“There are occasions when majority decisions do not create unity in society because people are more or less divided on an issue. In such circumstances, the leaders should be very cautious when making their decisions, and take special care to safeguard the interests of everybody. In particular, they should select a course of action which does not harm the sentiments of any group. For example, suppose there are seven brothers in a joint family, and these brothers are divided on an issue. Four brothers may be on one side and three brothers on another. If the head of the family takes a decision based on the wishes of the majority, the family will be divided into two groups. Therefore, a decision should be taken which safeguards the interests of all the brothers.” (Prout in a Nutshell – 16, Three Cardinal Socio-Political Principles)
Note: Up till now, amongst the various political systems, democracy is the best of a bad lot. The ideal system will come in the future. Until that time, we must stick with democracy, despite its pitfalls and limitations.
On certain occasions, the democratic approach works well, but in many circumstances the result of majority rule is harmful. There are many delicate issues that should not be decided by the democratic process because such majority decisions harm the sentiments of the people, thereby leading to disunity and division. That is Baba’s above warning.
Here are a few practical examples from the greater society.
(A) After Indian Independence, using the democratic process, a majority decision was taken to make Hindi the national language. Ten of millions of people were extremely displeased and angered by this decision, especially in South India. That led to chaos and bloodshed within the country, and national unity was lost. This was clearly a case where a majority-based decision went against the well-being of the country, and failed to protect the interest of all. Thus, on sensitive issues a democratic, majority decision sparks anger, alienation, and disunity.
(B) In certain Middle Eastern nations, the majority Muslims made Islam the national religion, thereby alienating those citizens who followed a different religion. This too led to infighting, socio-religious tensions, and disunity among the populace. Here again we see that a majority decision led to the fragmentation of society. Thus, on sensitive issues a democratic, majority decision sparks anger, alienation, and disunity.
BROKE AWAY AND FORMED THEIR OWN NATION
(C) For decades Pakistan and Bangladesh were one nation. But majority leaders of Pakistan suppressed the mother tongue (Bengali) of Bangladesh. In addition, those Pakistani leaders imposed various rules and laws. The people of East Pakistan felt suffocated and in result broke away and formed their own nation, i.e. Bangladesh. This also shows how a majority vote by Pakistani leaders led to a divisive outcome. Thus, on sensitive issues a democratic, majority decision sparks anger, alienation, and disunity.
(D) Here is a distinct avenue of life where a democracy or majority rule cannot work: A college of university. At these institutions the student body numbers in the thousands or even tens of thousands, while the number of faculty and administrators is far, far less. If majority rule was applied, then student could grade their own assignments, write their own letters of recommendation, and change the rules according to their own liking – everything from academic requirements to alcohol and drug use to male-female relations etc. The institution would suffer on all fronts. That is why no academic college operates by majority rule. Rather there is a distinct leadership, both in the classroom and in the administration. By that minority rule, the university develops and grows.
The overall point which Baba has given is that the democratic approach does not bring social harmony if a majority decision is made on certain sensitive issues. On certain occasions, the rule by majority is fine. Yet there remain numerous instances on delicate topic where a majority decision only serves to alienate and anger many people ultimately cause division and disunity.
Thus care and caution are needed to build a unified society. Simply resorting to majority rule will not do. That is Baba’s guideline.
From: Vidyabhusan
Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2013 22:48:11
Subject: 5 Years, 4 Months, & 1 Day
Baba
This entire email is composed of 3 parts:
(1) Prabhat Samgiita #1370;
(2) Posting: 5 Years, 4 Months, & 1 Day;
(3) Trailer Quote: Sometimes Democracy is Harmful.
Each section is demarcated by asterisks (*).
****Here begins the Prabhat Samgiita.
"Nayaneri ainjan ma'nasranjain tumi janame maran'e sa'thii mor..." (PS 1370)
Purport:
Baba, O' Parama Purusa, You are so gracious. You are the ainjan (ointment of knowledge) of my eyes; You are Manasrainjan [1], the One who saturates my mind with devotion; You are with me life after life, in birth and in death, always - up to eternity. O' Divine Entity, in the vast sky of my mind, in my mental horizon, Your attractive and charming form is vibrating and shining. Seeing Your exquisite beauty & divine vibration, I have become completely captivated and devotionally ensconced in You.
O' Parama Purusa, this expressed universe is situated in the mirror of Your maya. Everything is resonating in Your divine sound - omnkara (shinjit o nu'pure) [2]. Please grace me, by looking towards me; please shower me in Your divine compassion. O' Citta-cor / Chit-chor [3], O' Parama Purusa, You are captivating my mind in all the ways.
Baba, O' my Dearmost, I want You and You alone. I do not want anything from You. I only have one desire: Please grant me parabhakti [4] and keep me at Your lotus feet, always. I want to surrender my entire being unto You. O' Lord, please grace me and allow me to concentrate all my feelings and surrender my whole existence at Your feet. You are my Goal; You are my Ista. Baba, You are like the moon and I am the like the cakor / chakor [5] bird, always involved in Your ideation.
O' Divine Entity. O' Baba, You are my everything; You are the Goal of my life. My only desire is that You please grace me and give me a place eternally at Your lotus feet by granting me parabhakti...
NOTES FOR PRABHAT SAMGIITA #1370:
[1] Ma'nasrainjan: The mind is affected or coloured by whatever one thinks about in day to day life. Every thought has a particular colour and that colour varies based on one's object of contemplation. If a businessman is thinking primarily about his business, then his mind is coloured in that way. A drunkard's mind is coloured with the thought of wine. When the mind is completely obsessed with a particular thought, the mind becomes fully coloured in that manner, whether it be tamasik, sentient, or spiritual etc.
When Parama Purusa graciously colours a sadhaka's mind with devotion, they remain wholly ensconed in the thought of Parama Purusa. If a new sadhaka cannot do sadhana at all, then we can understand that their mind is not coloured with devotion. And if someone longs to do more and more meditation, we can understand that their mind is deeply coloured with with divinity.
Depending on the nature of one's thought, their mental colour changes. It may be black, red, yellow or white etc. Those bhaktas who think of Parama Pursua exclusively will have a white-coloured mind; it will be white effulgence. A violent person's mind will be red in colour. Remember, this colour is not their skin colour, nor any other external colour. Here we are only talking about the colour of their mind - nothing else.
Baba has given countless demonstrations on this. He used to make two sadhakas sit facing one another. Then He would bestow upon one the power to see into the other's mind. Then that devotee would be able to clearly see the colour of the other sadhaka's mental plate. Still today this is possible. When one advances in sadhana, they can easily see another's mental colour. Immediately, they can understand what type of person they are. In that case, nobody can hide. There is no scope for hypocrisy.
Parama Purusa, in His role as Ma'nasrainjan, is that Divine Entity who colours and saturates the mind of sadhakas in the fountain of devotion.
Baba says, "'rainjana', which means 'the One who colours' - that which colours the mind." (Ananda Vacanamrtam - 1)
So He is that Cosmic Being who graciously showers devotional love into the heart and mind of the bhakta. And by such overwhelming Cosmic grace, the devotee becomes immersed in Supreme bliss and comes in the closest proximity with that Love Personified Entity: Parama Purusa.
We all know that devotion is that unique ingredient which allows one to advance in the spiritual field. Without innate love for Parama Purusa one can never succeed.
[2] Shinjit O Nu'pure: In the process of creation, the universal sound of omnkara is generated. There is a variety of such sounds: The roar of the ocean, the sweet melody of the flute, the chirping of the crickets etc. At different stages of realisation the sadhaka can hear these sounds. In this song, all these sounds are symbolically represented by the ankle bell - shinjit o nu'pure - Parama Purusa.
[3] Citta-cor / Chit-chor: In His role as 'Citta-cor' Baba is the Thief or Stealer of the devotee's mind. How does He steal the mind? He captivates their mind and attracts the bhakta by His exquisite beauty and charm whereby the sadhaka cannot think of anything or anyone else. The sadhaka has lost control of his own mind: It incessantly and unknowingly rushes towards Parama Purusa. The One who makes this happen is Citta-cor - the Stealer of the mind.
And this happens in the mundane realm as well. There are numerous worldly examples where a person's mind is stolen. If they lost money, if they are infatuated with the opposite sex, if they are anxious about getting a new job - in all such cases when the person's mind runs again and again in that direction, then it means their mind was stolen. The person's mind is no longer their own - they do not have control over it. Over and over, their mind is thinking of that lost money or the opposite sex. So their mind has been stolen. And the person or entity that causes someone to lose control of their mind is citcor - the stealer of the mind.
In the devotional sphere, only Parama Purusa is Citta-cor. The sadhaka thinks of Him, unknowingly. Always the mind is goaded in that direction. Even if the bhakta intentionally tries not to think in this way, still his mind becomes ensconced in the thought of Parama Purusa.
Ultimately, when this condition climaxes, in that culminating state the unit mind - the jiiva'tma - becomes one with Supreme Consciousness.
[4] Parabhakti: Par means divine; and apara means worldly. The feminine is para and when combined with bhakti, it is parabhakti. That is the highest devotion. In that blessed state, devotees want to do each and everything for Parama Purusa and give Him pleasure. In return, they do not want anything. Those sadhakas who got Parama Purusa, by His grace, have gotten everything.
Baba says, "When one wants Parama Purus'a from Parama Purus'a, then that bhakti is para'bhakti...And what is para'bhakti? 'O Parama Purus'a, You know whether I am Your devotee or not. It is You who are to judge whether I am Your devotee or not -- but I want You...I want You. And why do I want You? Because I want to serve You'." (Subhasita Samgraha - 24, p.97)
[5] Cakor / Chakor Bird: The red-legged Bartavelle bird or Greek Partridge that seems to subsist on moonlight alone. All night long the cakor bird looks and stares at the moon - wanting to soak up and drink each and every ounce of moonlight. It is completely linked with the moon (vidhu). That is why it is said that the cakor bird has a deeply loving relation with the moon. In Baba's above devotional song, the bhakta is compared to the cakor and Parama Purusa is likened to the moon.
== 5 YEARS, 4 MONTHS, & 1 DAY ==
Namaskar,
Everyone is aware that after being poisoned Baba took to fasting for 5 years, 4 months, and 1 day. He was poisoned on 12th February 1973. After being refused a judicial hearing, Baba began His fast in April 1973. And He did not break His fast until after His release from jail in early August 1978.
This entire episode stands as the basis of our "Niilkantha Divas" - when the whole society was transformed, by His grace.
MORE ABOUT THIS SIGNIFICANT OBSERVANCE
As we all know, the important Ananda Marga observance Niilakantha Divas was on Feb 12. Now, here is more about the significance of this remarkable moment in history.
Specifically, how has the name been born & why do we call Baba as "Niilakantha". What is the meaning, and how did it happen. These are the questions addressed in this letter, as well as the grand mythological tale surrounding Lord Shiva.
MEANING OF THE NAME
There is a reason behind the name, and why we call 12th February as a Niilakantha Divas. The reason behind that very day is well known. This was the day Baba Himself swallowed the poison while in jail.
But there is also a reason behind the term "Niilakantha". Why the name Niilakantha? Niilakantha is a Sanskrit / Samskrta term. "Niila" means blue; "Kantha" means throat. The literal meaning of Niilakantha is Blue throat; and, the common meaning in everyday parlance is Lord Shiva. And divas means day. So the entire meaning of Niilakantha Divas is "blue throat day".
SIGNIFICANT MYTHOLOGICAL STORY
There is one mythological story related with this term "Niilakantha". To save the society from the poisonous effect of deadly poison or "Kal Ku't'", Lord Shiva Himself swallowed all that entire poison.
In that magical story, the churning of the mythological divine ocean was arranged. The ocean took the form of a bowl or mortar, as from 'mortar and pestle'. And in the ocean one big mountain was placed as a pestle to churn the ocean. And the mythological cobra, Shes' Na'g, was tied as a rope around the mountain. On one side of the mountain a party of demons was holding one end of the rope-like cobra. And on the other side of the mountain a party of devatas was holding the other end of the cobra. By this way they could move the mountain back and forth. These two parties used the mountain to churn the ocean. Then various things emerged from the ocean in the course of that churning. One thing that emerged from the ocean was the deadly poison "Kal Kut'".
That poison was so deadly, if it had remained there, it would have spread all around and destroyed everything. To save the society, Lord Shiva swallowed all the poison.
Although we don't believe these mythological stories, there is one meaningful teaching behind this mythological tale. Namely, to save the society, Lord Shiva swallowed the poison and counteracted its negative effect. This is one great example: Serving the society even by swallowing poison. That is the great meaning of this mythological story.
ADDITION TO THE STORY
Here I will add something further in connection with the story about Lord Shiva. For that lends also deeper understanding about what occurred with Baba.
Seeing the situation with the deadly poison, Lord Shiva took it upon Himself to swallow it. Otherwise, that very 'vish' (poison, or "Kal Ku't'") would have annihilated a huge population. So Lord Shiva saved the society by swallowing poison. He swallowed it and with His divine play, the poison remained in Lord Shiva's throat permanently. And with its effect, the poison created a blue mark all around Lord Shiva's neck. His neck became blue permanently. Yet it did not affect Lord Shiva more than that. That's why one of the names of Lord Shiva is "Niilakantha" - Blue throat.
This was the greatness of Lord Shiva: He swallowed the deadly poison, with the sole purpose to save the society from the disastrous effect of that deadly poison, "Kal Ku't'". Saving the society was His only motive - nothing else.
For this reason, Baba has chosen the term "Niilakantha" and declared 12th February as "Niilakantha Divas". There is a literal meaning and an inner meaning. The literal meaning is blue throat day. The inner meaning is, 'The day of ingesting poison to save the humanity'.
THE DAY WHEN BABA TOOK THE POISON
AND SAVED THE UNIVERSE
FROM ITS GHASTLY EFFECT
AND SAVED THE UNIVERSE
FROM ITS GHASTLY EFFECT
A similar thing happened with Baba.
We know that when Taraka Brahma descends on this earth as Mahasambhuti it seemingly looks like He is human, but the truth is something else. Mahasambhuti is not just one human being that is full of shortcomings and limitations. Mahasambhuti is capable of doing anything He likes.
So it is with Baba.
To save the society from the disastrous effect of much deadly poison or many deadly and destructive weapons, He Himself knowingly, deliberately swallowed the poison. Why? To save humanity from the demonic and destructive forces. That is what happened symbolically in the jail. AMPS was not yet banned, most of the WTs and Margis were outside the jail. Then Baba took upon Himself the trouble of the entire organization, nay the entire society.
PLUS...
Not only the demon Indira Gandhi, but all demonic political groups like communists were spreading their claws to grip the entire society in their hold. Just as serpents do. Communism was most ghastly in those days. Such demonic leaders turned their full attention towards Shrii Shrii Anandamurtijii. By that way, they gave poison in the jail. And Baba swallowed that.
OTHERWISE...
If Baba would not have done so, Indira Gandhi and communist Russia would have done more heinous crimes and killings - both to Ananda Marga and the general society. They would have wreaked even more havoc on this earth. Baba graciously defused their negative plan. In that way, their negative intentions were neutralised: Everything was controlled and everyone was saved - and Indira Gandhi was destroyed.
Those aware about Baba's divine play know if Baba would not have taken the poison, Indira Gandhi would have brought more disaster on the country. And communists would have ruined many more lives on this earth.
And Indira Gandhi would have poisoned or killed many WTs and Margis. But she could not do anything. Rather every one of us, those in jail, saw that Baba controlled the situation. He transformed thorns into flowers. All trouble He took upon Himself. And digested everything to save us.
So those who do not have deeper understanding, they think that Baba was poisoned in the jail, etc. And those who know the inner truth, and Baba's way of playing His divine play, they know that by swallowing poison, He saved Ananda Marga and the entire society from the deadly effect of various negative events. Baba disclosed all this to many devotees while in jail. On that very basis, I wrote here the above section related with poisoning and saving the society.
CONCLUSION
So this "Niila Kantha" term and "Niilakantha Divas", has deep meaning. And as we know that "Niilakantha" means blue throat, and the 'blue throat' appeared because of swallowing the poison. And this name Niilakantha was related with Lord Shiva. And a similar thing happened with Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji. That's why one of the names of Lord Anandamurtiji is also Niilakantha. On 12 February day, Baba became "Niilakantha": He swallowed the poison and saved the earth.
RELATED TEACHINGS:
"It has been seen that whenever the Divine Entity has descended on the earth, one group of human beings has stood in its favour, while an opposite group has opposed it. Kansa was against Krśńa; Ravana was against Rama." (1)
" when Parama Puruśa brings about social welfare by speaking truthfully and unambiguously and performing many good deeds, good people, common people, derive the benefit and speak highly of His deeds. They are full of praise for Him. They love Him and they revere Him...Much time has passed since Krśńa left the earth, but still today thousands of people praise Him, and at the same time many people continue to slander Him. I will not call them wicked; let the people pronounce judgement. Thus yashasah implies both yasha [fame] and apayasha [infamy]. Positive and negative go hand in hand. Interestingly, a clear polarization emerges in the minds of people. Two unmistakable lines are drawn; two opposing camps are formed – the Kaoravas and the Pandavas. This is yasha." (2)
"Yasha: One who is praised by the world for his or her uncommon virtues or else is continually slandered by those blinded by jealousy, is called yashasvii. His or her essential quality is known by the name yasha (yashas)." (3)
"Lord Shiva came to this world about 7000 years ago; even now there are many who are His admirers, there are many others who are His opponents. The Iyers in South India will say, “Oh! Lord Shiva was great;” the Iyengars will say, “No, Lord Shiva was not great.” Lord Krśńa came about 3500 years ago; even now you will see there are so many admirers and so many opponents of Krśńa. That is, when Táraka Brahma comes, the entire intellect of the world gets polarized – one north pole, another south pole; one admirer, another opponent. There were the gopabálákas [cowherds] of Vrindavana who loved Krśńa very much, and there were Kansa, Putana Raksasi, Bakasur and Aghasur who were His deadly enemies. So during Krśńa’s time there was polarization." (4)
"Yasha: By His advent two things happen simultaneously. On the one hand, He gets staunch supporters, and on the other, sworn enemies. The whole human society gets clearly divided into two camps – moralists and immoralists, the bad elements. Everyone has to join either of the two camps, and complete polarization takes place. If one is the North Pole, the other one is the South Pole. He is crowned with success and glory and at the same time faces bitter criticism and infamy. This happened to Lord Shiva and Lord Krśńa also. During their time also the whole society got divided into two camps – the moralists and the immoralists. Remember always dhármic people are ultimately bound to be victorious." (5)
"Suppose an evil force says, “I, the lord of a certain country, will destroy Ananda Marga from the very root.” A dhármika should maintain patience, should be patient. Because the day is soon to come when that evil force is going to be destroyed. Its weapon will serve as a boomerang for its own death. And this happened in the near past, as you all know." (6)
"Those who misuse their faculties are also doomed to destruction. The misuse of one's qualities not only brings harm to the world, but it also exhausts one's own inherent strength. You have seen with your own eyes that in the past certain powerful persons thought, in their extreme vanity, that they could make or break anything. They perpetrated indescribable tortures and atrocities on Ananda Marga. But even in the face of such torments, Ananda Marga held its head high. There is no power in the universe, in the heaven or in the underworld, which can annihilate Ananda Marga, because Ananda Marga is established on the solid foundation of rationality and righteousness. If those wicked forces engage in fight with Ananda Marga, they will themselves be pulverized: they will be crushed like ants." (7)
Namaskar,
in Him,
Vidyabhusan Deva
Note 1: EARLIER LETTER ON THIS TOPIC
In preparation of this significant observance, a few days ago there was a posting about Baba's famous darshan of that day.
http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2013/02/discourse-transcription-niilakantha.html
REFERENCES
1. Discourses on Krsna & The Giita, The Significance of the Word “Bhagaván”REFERENCES
2. Namami Krsnasundaram: Párthasárathi Krśńa and Pariprashna (Discourse 24)
3. Shabda Cayanika - 2, Disc: 8
4. Subhasita Samgraha - 21, Jaeva Dharma and Bhágavata Dharma
5. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 1, Devotion
6. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 6, Ten Wonts of Dharma
7. A Few Problems Solved - 4, Forward Movement Is the Essence of Life
The section below demarcated by asterisks is an entirely different topic,
completely unrelated to the above letter. It stands on its own as a point of interest.
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completely unrelated to the above letter. It stands on its own as a point of interest.
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OCCASIONALLY DEMOCRACY IS DANGEROUS
Namaskar,
We live in an era where democracy is seen as the ultimate form of leadership and governance. Here we examine critical ways how democratic rule undermines unity in society.
“There are occasions when majority decisions do not create unity in society because people are more or less divided on an issue. In such circumstances, the leaders should be very cautious when making their decisions, and take special care to safeguard the interests of everybody. In particular, they should select a course of action which does not harm the sentiments of any group. For example, suppose there are seven brothers in a joint family, and these brothers are divided on an issue. Four brothers may be on one side and three brothers on another. If the head of the family takes a decision based on the wishes of the majority, the family will be divided into two groups. Therefore, a decision should be taken which safeguards the interests of all the brothers.” (Prout in a Nutshell – 16, Three Cardinal Socio-Political Principles)
Note: Up till now, amongst the various political systems, democracy is the best of a bad lot. The ideal system will come in the future. Until that time, we must stick with democracy, despite its pitfalls and limitations.
On certain occasions, the democratic approach works well, but in many circumstances the result of majority rule is harmful. There are many delicate issues that should not be decided by the democratic process because such majority decisions harm the sentiments of the people, thereby leading to disunity and division. That is Baba’s above warning.
Here are a few practical examples from the greater society.
ANGERED BY DECISION
(A) After Indian Independence, using the democratic process, a majority decision was taken to make Hindi the national language. Ten of millions of people were extremely displeased and angered by this decision, especially in South India. That led to chaos and bloodshed within the country, and national unity was lost. This was clearly a case where a majority-based decision went against the well-being of the country, and failed to protect the interest of all. Thus, on sensitive issues a democratic, majority decision sparks anger, alienation, and disunity.
INFIGHTING, SOCIO-RELIGIOUS TENSIONS
(B) In certain Middle Eastern nations, the majority Muslims made Islam the national religion, thereby alienating those citizens who followed a different religion. This too led to infighting, socio-religious tensions, and disunity among the populace. Here again we see that a majority decision led to the fragmentation of society. Thus, on sensitive issues a democratic, majority decision sparks anger, alienation, and disunity.
BROKE AWAY AND FORMED THEIR OWN NATION
(C) For decades Pakistan and Bangladesh were one nation. But majority leaders of Pakistan suppressed the mother tongue (Bengali) of Bangladesh. In addition, those Pakistani leaders imposed various rules and laws. The people of East Pakistan felt suffocated and in result broke away and formed their own nation, i.e. Bangladesh. This also shows how a majority vote by Pakistani leaders led to a divisive outcome. Thus, on sensitive issues a democratic, majority decision sparks anger, alienation, and disunity.
ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE TO MALE-FEMALE RELATIONS
(D) Here is a distinct avenue of life where a democracy or majority rule cannot work: A college of university. At these institutions the student body numbers in the thousands or even tens of thousands, while the number of faculty and administrators is far, far less. If majority rule was applied, then student could grade their own assignments, write their own letters of recommendation, and change the rules according to their own liking – everything from academic requirements to alcohol and drug use to male-female relations etc. The institution would suffer on all fronts. That is why no academic college operates by majority rule. Rather there is a distinct leadership, both in the classroom and in the administration. By that minority rule, the university develops and grows.
DEMOCRATIC APPROACH DOES NOT BRING SOCIAL HARMONY
The overall point which Baba has given is that the democratic approach does not bring social harmony if a majority decision is made on certain sensitive issues. On certain occasions, the rule by majority is fine. Yet there remain numerous instances on delicate topic where a majority decision only serves to alienate and anger many people ultimately cause division and disunity.
Thus care and caution are needed to build a unified society. Simply resorting to majority rule will not do. That is Baba’s guideline.
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