13 Feb 2016
Ever Since I’ve Seen You, O Guru Datta!
Smt. Devi
Ever since I’ve seen You O Guru Datta, why does my heart long to attain You?
Was far from You till now; why does my heart long to come closer to You?
Had a lot of complaints in life; why does my heart want to forget them all?
Ever since I’ve seen You O Guru Datta, why does my heart long to attain You?
Got cheated; faced insults; why does my heart want to open it all out to You?
Was all that pain not enough? Why then does my heart want to love You?
Storms came and ravaged gardens; why does my heart want to raise a new one?
Ever since I’ve seen You O Guru Datta, why does my heart long to attain You?
Loneliness was my enemy; why does my heart want to make friends with it now?
The sorrows of the past; why does the heart want to adorn in the hair like flowers?
The world that gave so many memories; why does my heart want to forget it now?
Ever since I’ve seen You O Shri Datta, why does my heart long to attain You alone?
The people who were in my life; why does my heart wish to erase their memories?
If memories bring pain, why then does my heart want to drown in Your memories?
The tears that I hated; why then does my heart wish to shed them in Your longing?
Ever since I’ve seen You O Shri Datta, why does my heart long to attain You alone?
This world had robbed me, but my heart only feels like being robbed byYou.
In spite of being far from You O Datta, my heart wants to be enchanted by You.
O Prabhu Datta, I don’t know why my heart simply wishes to succumb to You?
What is this love O Lord, that my heart wishes to attain nothing other than You?
What is this agony Lord, in which my heart only wishes to get even more restless?
Knowing that I can’t reach You Lord, yet why does my heart wish to attain You?
Even though afar, but ever in Your thoughts; My heart wishes to revel only in You.
What is this love O Swami, in which my heart finds a sort of solace even in pain?
O Traveler of the Endless Universe! My heart only wants my mind to wander behind You.
O Lord Venu Gopala! My heart only longs to be lost forever in the sweet melody of Your flute.
O Three-Eyed Destroyer of Tripura! My heart wants to burn my life with Your Knowledge-Fire.
O Lord Datta, my heart wants to simply attain and attain and forever keep attaining You.
Being fully content with You, yet I know not why my heart still keeps yearning for You.
Pardon me, but what to do? My heart wants to keep increasing this greed of mine!
What is this hunger O Swami? In which, every moment my heart wants to go on eating?
The yearning to reach You, sunk deep in the mind; My heart keeps longing to attain You.
But whenever You come before me, I know not why my mind becomes quiet.
Unable to speak even though I want to, I feel as if words have forsaken me.
In Your own sweet voice O Swami, it’s as if all words have been absorbed.
Even without saying anything to You O Swami, it’s as if everything reaches You.
But finding You far from me, whenever my restless heart fills with fear,
I drown myself only in Your thoughts and my mind just goes on writing.
Writing to You of all things in my heart, when my mind finds You with me,
Then alone over my restless fearful mind, comes a semblance of safe peace.
Your love is such that my heart just wants to keep getting tied up in it forever.
Giver of Infinite Love! My heart only wants to be drowned in Your unfathomable love.
There are no words for Your kindness; my heart just wants to surrender to You.
Where there are no words; just Your fathomless Love; there my mind just falls silent.
The Veda of Devotion
Unimaginable God
I, the unimaginable God, present in energetic incarnation called Dattatreya,
Present in human incarnations in human bodies of My specific devotees,
Swing to sing for you, simultaneously for world of My top devotees also,
Nikhil is pious spiritual knowledge, Sattvam, Vishnu, white Ganga river,
Devi is sweet divine devotion, Tamas, Shiva, the blue Yamuna river.
Between both, I am invisible Saraswati river, the unimaginable God,
Visible only in one place, the contemporary human incarnation,
When this couple, the two eyes of Lord Datta, once, visited Me,
I was the third eye placed above both eyes like the divine mark,
But, after seeing knowledge-decided-devotion of this pious couple,
I stand, now, below both, like mouth, the humble servant of both,
Singing these most sacred poems, which are in par with those Vedas.
Nikhil, straight knowledge, looks like the epic Ramayanam,
Devi, devotion with clashes looks like the epic Mahabharatam,
I, complicate contradiction, test of Datta look like epic Bhagavatam,
We three, not only poets, but also works of poets!
Highest truth is the highest inconvenience, the highest complication,
The highest problem, the rarest and costliest Kohinoor Diamond,
Only richest devotee like Hanuman or Radha, none other than God,
Purchases it, one after millions of births[1] only may know its value.
Due to this, devotees stop spiritual analysis at various levels of depth,
Which are the tolerable levels of their devotion-related-convenience,
They cut the level of theory also as per their level of practicability,
Instead, they should go to the deepest level in the theory at least,
So that it can follow souls as strong scent through all future births,
And in some birth, that highest truth is transformed in to practice,
Highest force of devotion alone can bring such highest transformation,
Highest knowledge becomes highest practice through highest devotion,
Shankara leads you to Madhva through Ramanuja.
Higher level devotees stopping at certain depth in spiritual knowledge,
Afford to purchase only artificial American diamonds,
Meera, bonded only to statue of past human incarnation, drinks poison,
Think Radha! Catching her contemporary human incarnation!
She is Lord Shiva, solidified Tamas, unshakable rock of firm decision,
Coming from deep true logical analysis, shining Sattvam, Lord Vishnu,
Following divine scripture, Holy Veda, wonderful Rajas, Lord Brahma.
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the three subsequent spiritual stages!
Meera proved openly her complete detachment from world resulting
From single attachment to God by leaving house, guided by Tulasidas,
She is the incarnation of Radha, who also openly proved to the world,
Incarnations give open proof to world for encouraging all devotees.
Gopikas, souls, devoted sages, need not prove to the world since
They concentrated on the self-uplift, evolved the middle golden path,
By not exposing their detachment, which is certainly total, no doubt,
Self-proof, sufficient since they do not cheat their selves, no hypocrisy,
They danced with Krishna in midnight, gave butter to Him secretly,
Without hurting the external atmosphere, succeeded also spiritually.
Radha, Meera and Gopikas reached same divine fruit called Goloka.
If the external atmosphere is affected by jealousy, secrecy is the path,
The detachment from three strongest bonds called as Eshanaas,
Bonds with children, life partner and money, all the three have
The uniform philosophy, king of these three is money, as perVeda,
Which is the root of this world, generally blended with the issues,
Everywhere strongest is money being the basis of other two bonds,
Strongest may also differ from one to the other, specific to a soul,
Availability is not the basis, Meera is poor and her husband is rich,
By this, “Meera, not to be tested in money, husband only in money”-
Should not be concluded saying sacrifice is possible only on available,
Availability is not the criterion; bond is based on inherent mentality.
The inherently strongest alone is tested by God, Gopikas in all three,
Since all three are strongest covering all devotees in the world,
One or two or three, the point is the strongest bond or bonds,
In Gaya, one is asked to sacrifice the fruit most liked by him!
The answer for all your ‘whys’ in the clash of thoughts is that -
Essence of present exceptional devotion to contemporary form,
Which is very rare, being the highest fruit, appearing in a devotee,
Finds its source only in same type of devotion in several past births,
That follows the soul as the strongest mentality called samskara,
Which grows reinforced, placed in same congenial atmosphere,
Strong atmosphere also generates fresh samskara in this birth,
Samskara and atmosphere, based on individual strengths,
May reinforce or clash each other, stronger remains at end.
Perfect is My Pravrutti administration, no flaw, no failure,
Robber shall be robbed here and there for robbing My devotees,
Provided the robber was not robbed in reverse in previous birth,
Similarly cheating and insulting My devotees.
In Nivrutti - I am the biggest robber, I always rob totally,
I robbed total pot of milk or curd or butter from Gopikas,
This biggest robber protects devotees from small robbers,
Who rob something of soul, but, I rob the soul totally,
Robbing is path to God, where alone, robbing means to get robbed,
Souls run after Me with tears crying “rob me, rob me”,
I run away from them fearing total robbing from them in return,
Since I know that they do not like to be robbed without fruit!
Human incarnation is also mutual robbing of Me and devotee,
I rob total devotee to identify with him for enjoying this world,
With full ignorance, in return, he robs Me totally to become God,
But, here, robbing by devotee is only due to My force, since
The devotee never desired to rob Me at all!
If the devotee does not rob Me even by My force,
I shall become his servant allowing him to rob Me forever!
When you meet Me, you say that you become silent,
By silence, you are reminding Me of My unimaginable nature,
Which is beyond words, I awake from My ignorance derived
From My devotee in the Human incarnation and try to go back
Into My original nature, you are protesting against that,
Your play excelled My play! Since I am your servant,
And you are My master.
But This Too Isn’t Enough Praise of Thee. Neti!
Dr. Nikhil
What words can praise You, my Unimaginable Lord?
He alone can truly praise You, who even knows God.
You are known to You alone[2], says the sacred Shruti.[3]
You’re best indicated by the silence of inability--Neti![4]
But my heart full of gratitude and love constantly
Struggles to find words of praise that are worthy.
Glorious Enchanter of creation, God Almighty.
But this too isn’t enough praise of Thee. Neti![5]
Prodigal humans forsook You out of free will.[6]
To reform them sinners You keep incarnating.
You are the Bearer of human-caused suffering.[7]
But this too isn’t enough praise of Thee. Neti!
Revealed Yourself[8] even to me who denied You.
Showered divine knowledge ‘n infinite grace too.
The Kindest Impartial Father of all souls are You.
But this too isn’t enough praise of Thee. Neti!
Reading of a yogi and his Guru, I had once cried,
“Will I ever get that fortune in my unfortunate life?”
You heard and came, Lord of Unimaginable Grace!
But this too isn’t enough praise of Thee. Neti!
For me who was trapped in the worldly forest untrue.[9]
No hope even of worldly faith[10]; what of reaching You!
Upon calling[11]You gave Yourself as Datta Sadguru.[12]
But this too isn’t enough praise of Thee. Neti!
Life in the land of the West, ruled by material acquisition,
Where righteousness kneels before the mind’s ambition,
By Your advent, became for me, the holiest Kashi city.
But this too isn’t enough praise of Thee. Neti!
You blessed me with family, profession and social dignity,
Knowledge, devotion and service to the Embodied Trinity.[13]
O Incomparable[14] Datta, the Giver of Pravritti and Nivritti![15]
But this too isn’t enough praise of Thee. Neti!
Falteringly on the spiritual path as I began to tread,
The hope of a finding a devoted life-partner ebbed.[16]
Then You gave me Your dear daughter from Kashi.
But this too isn’t enough praise of Thee. Neti!
No expression of my devoted praise feels adequate.
Welling emotion bursting through my heart’s gates,
Gushes forth from my eyes to wash Thy Lotus Feet.
My Swami of Grace! Accept this offering incomplete.
A tear of love in the corner of my eye I forever bear.
Floodgates hiding the emotion from the worldly stare.
Far from You, yet inseparable from Your Feet I lie.[17]
Keep me ever Your devoted servant—my only prayer.
Revelations of the Path of Devotion
Unimaginable God
You are blessed by God with best best-half, spiritual life partner,
Who realises highest spiritual truth taught by you through analysis,
Even I am not blessed with such divine fortune, I envy you much,
Jealousy is natural for anybody, this human being component also.
Both of you are knowledge-Ganga and devotion-Yamuna,
As per your colours also, running together covering Me,
The ignorant-insignificant Saraswati river, hiding like thief,
Actually Shiva, tamas, is blue and Vishnu, sattvam is white,
But, Shiva looks white and Vishnu looks blue, colours exchanged,
Knowledge and devotion should be mutually exchanged by you both,
Knowledge requires forcible devotion to be transformed in to practice,
Devotion requires knowledge material for the very transformation,
After Prayaga, the joined river is white and blue, realized devotion,
Which alone reaches the goal, the ocean of bliss.
If you set aside the world, I, the unimaginable, only remain,
‘I exist as unimaginable’ – is the only information you can have,
You can’t even imagine Me, leave prayer and practical devotion,
World is unreal without Me and with reference to Me also,
World includes you also, the human being component also,
Where are you and your Swami, path, bond, salvation etc.,
If the world, My creation, is not existing?
When world appears, you and your Swami can appear,
I am unimaginable to both of you, always I alone know Myself,
Some like My unimaginable nature to avoid several problems,
Like service, surrender and devotion practically to be implemented,
Limiting themselves to the day-dreams of theoretical domain always.
They even doubt My existence with 50-50 probability at the basis,
To get boons if I exist, practical sacrifice is absent, hence, no loss,
Only loss of some leisure time by prayers, devotional songs,
Meditation, discussions of scriptures, time is also killed in good way
Since bad way - entertainments result in loss of wealth and health.
I am just a reflection of My devotee, walking in the same path
To welcome him, returning his same sacrifice to him multiplied,
Better poetry, more sweet voice, strong mind and intelligence to debate,
As blessings from Me in the same phase, as sung by Me in Gita[18],
Problems are inevitable in the path of practical spirituality, but,
Failures are stepping stones for future success in any practical way,
Of course, ‘as you wish’, ‘as you like it’ are My usual comments always.
In the absence of world, neither you nor your Swami is expressed,
No path to lead you to Me exists, of course, no problems also!
Now I can play with My devotees always throwing the poem balls,
If you are bored as servant, Human incarnation is there, where
Mutual exchange of God and soul exists for a change from routine,
You will be praised as God outside, secretly I am enjoying world fully,
Using your ignorance by feeling the full reality of this creation,
Exchange offer! Not bad, don’t you feel so?
If you leave the worldly knowledge and have only My knowledge,
You have to chant forever two words only “unimaginable exits”,
I was bored and created this world, if you are also bored,
Come back to world, I welcome you.
I like to continue this world forever for My entertainment,
Even in My rest intervals, the film show is only withdrawn,
The film reel is stored as ‘Avyaktam’, screened again and again,
Veda and Gita say so[19].
I have no beginning, no end, yet, My creation has beginning,
But has no end since I wish so, film reel is not burnt after show,
If you like the poet and dislike his epic, poet is much hurt,
If you appreciate epic, poet is pleased to the climax!
Don’t criticize the administration of world, which is Mine,
Analyze carefully and find My administration as the best,
When you are in human body, play with Human incarnation,
When you are in energetic body, play with energetic incarnation,
In both, I exist and I am playing with you, play is play only,
I like friendship, best of all modes of the devotion,
Which is just before the total practical surrender[20].
War is worldly item, the worst injustice as per ethics,
There too, killing grandfather by whom Arjuna was grown!
This is the ultimate aim of the entire spiritual song, Gita,
Killing evils takes a fraction of second for Me, as shown in vision,
Then, what is the ultimate aim?—to see total surrender of Arjuna.
In Pravrutti, justice to be voted against injustice, but, in Nivrutti,
I am to be voted against even justice, as per end of Gita[21],
Arjuna surrendered to Me completely and killed his grandfather,
It is not sin, if he violated My word, it is the greatest sin!
Pleasing Me is holy deed, displeasing Me alone is the sin.
Spirituality is always a practical based on theory.
One may think that Arjuna did My work through war,
By destroying injustice and establishing justice on earth,
This is totally wrong because I can do My work without war,
I showed that in the cosmic vision given to Arjuna,
Swallowing evil Kauravaas through My mouth.
The entire war was ordered by Me to test Arjuna,
For his total surrender to Me in killing his grandfather,
Anyway, Bhishma will be killed by Me for supporting evil,
That was twisted to other angle of testing Arjuna's devotion.
Datta uses the fruits of bad deeds of a devotee only,
To conduct tests, not any extra creation of problem,
If the devotee fails in the test, no loss to him at all,
Because the test is only another form of his bad fruit,
That exhausted in this way, even otherwise, to be faced.
Mind vibrates to front and back always in devotee,
Front is faith in Me, the inner unimaginable God,
Back is doubt in the external human form repelled,
Theoretical faith and doubt, estimated in practice.
By practical only, theoretical devotion is estimated,
Two steps front, two steps back, faith and doubt equally strong,
The resultant motion is nil, steps decide faith and doubt,
Practical devotion is proportional to percentage of faith.
I exist beyond world and also in it as incarnations,
Energetic incarnation in upper world, human incarnation here,
Existence of unimaginable beyond and in the world,
Proved by its boundary there and miracles here respectively,
Even proofs are based on world and its items only.
In any path and in any effort, as you are, so I am,
If you are blind to see Me, I am also blind to look at you,
If you are dumb to pray Me, I am also dumb to preach you,
If you are deaf to my word, I am also deaf to hear your prayer.
I am always your reflected image,
I told the same through Shirdi Sai Baba also[22].
My abode is ocean of milk, did I steal milk?
My wife, Anagha, is other name of beauty, did I dance with Gopikas?
Tests were inevitable for the sages, I know, they will pass,
But, examination is unavoidable formality to get degree,
Not all sages could pass out, except very few.
Matter is tamas, energy is rajas, awareness is sattvam,
World is made of these three only.
Soul and body of human incarnation is of these three,
You and My medium are world only.
Matter is fruit, work is energy, sacrifice is awareness,
Path is also this world only.
Players, playground and the balls are in world only,
Bliss and salvation from bonds while alive is Jeevanmukti,
The status of this life continues after death also,
Anything is achieved here, the 'karma loka' only,
Human life is very rare, may not even come at all!
If you miss Me here, you will miss Me there also,
Due to repulsion between common media,
Not sure of next human birth like September after March,
After death, no effort is possible in the upper world,
Effort here only, that too, if born as human being again[23].
Brahma is energetic incarnation; I, soul and energetic body together,
Saraswati is a devoted soul in energetic body serving Me always,
I am the knowledge and she is the beautiful poetry,
I am the creator and she is the creation.
Atheists criticize our bond as father-daughter turned husband-wife,
Gita says, Krishna is Divine Father, how Gopikas, souls, are darlings?
If first bond is real, all souls including Saraswati are children of Brahma,
In the second bond, all souls are children of Brahma and Saraswati,
By this, all souls here must be brothers and sisters only,
As addressed by Swami Vivekananda!
In both bonds, the atheist and his wife must be brother and sister!
Madhva, incarnation of Brahma, established the real God-soul bond
As Master (Sevya) - Servant (Sevaka), all other bonds are unreal,
Any unreal bond can be superimposed on real bond at any time.
Unreal bonds are dramatic as said by the sage Ashtaavakra,
Mother in this life becomes wife of her son in the next life!
As we see the shifting roles of two actors from film to film,
In one film husband-wife, in next film mother-son,
The real bond between the two co-actors is only friendship.
All these unreal bonds exist between souls, changing always,
From one birth to the other, non-existent bond before shooting
And after shooting is non-existent during shooting also,
Veda says that only existent can exist in all the three times[24].
Even the gender with respect to God is to be understood,
Veda and Meera say that God alone is male-husband[25],
This means God is the Master and soul is servant,
Such difference in gender is based on old tradition.
Enough, enough, I rained enough knowledge,
Academic year passed away, still discussing admission!
There is a Sanskrit verse on king Bhoja, who was invited,
By all his queens on one night on various specific reasons,
King was thinking and thinking to go to which queen,
The night passed away and the problem got solved!
[1]Kashchit maam...; Bahunaam janmanaam—Gita.
[2] The Veda says “Brahmavid Brahmaiva bhavati”, which means, “God alone knows God”.
[3] Shruti is the Veda.
[4] In order to know God, the Veda uses the logical technique of negation of all items within creation, which are non-God. “Neti neti” means “Not this, not this”. Upon negating all items within creation--all imaginable items--one reaches the conclusion is that God is beyond our intellect, words, mind, logic and beyond creation. He is Unimaginable. Unimaginable God is indicated by silence, which is indicative of the total inability to comprehend Him.
[5] The Veda uses the logical process of negation (neti) in attempting to discover God. I’m using a similar process of negation, in which I find that no words of praise are sufficient to describe His glory.
[6] In the beginning when God created humans, there was perfect order and humans obeyed God perfectly and lived in bliss (Krita Yuga or Garden of Eden). Later, they chose to exercise their free will and be the authors of their actions. They turned their back on God and started committing sins.
[7] When the Human Incarnation of God descends on Earth, He endures all the general pains and struggles of this world like an ordinary human. He endures all this in order to uplift devotees and reform sinners. More specifically, He bears on His own body the suffering of some chosen devotees who have surrendered to Him.
[8] The Veda says “Vivrinute tanuum swaam”, which means “He reveals Himself to those whom He chooses”.
[9] The unreal illusory world that tempts and traps souls in the cycle of birth and death.
[10] Due to atheistic beliefs, there was no hope even of leading an ordinary theistic life. Find God in human form, was totally out of the question.
[11] Lord Datta is well-known for instantly rushing to the rescue of a devotee to prays and calls Him earnestly.
[12] ‘Datta’ means ‘One who is given’. The Lord gives Himself to humanity in the form of a contemporary Human Incarnation. The Human Incarnation is the Sadguru--God who is the True and Best Preacher.
[13] Lord Datta is the Divine Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) incarnated in human body.
[14] God is said to be incomparable. No one and nothing can ever be equal to God (Na tat samaH--Gita).
[15] Pravritti is worldly living with justice and Nivritti is spiritual life of learning divine knowledge, developing devotion and serving the contemporary Human Incarnation of God.
[16] For a spiritual aspirant, finding a life-partner who will not oppose his/her spiritual path itself is extremely rare. Finding a partner who will not only support, but also equally walk on the path is not just the rarest of the rare, but it can only be achieved due to the infinite grace of God.
[17] God is said to be farther than the farthest, since He is unimaginable. Yet He is near since He has come in human form. (Tad duure tadvantike cha—Veda). He is nearer than the nearest also because He knows and feels each and every thought of every soul. The devotee feels the constant connection with God, even though he or she might be physically far from the Human Incarnation or Sadguru.
[18] God says in the Gita “Ye yathaa maam…”, which means “As you approach me, so shall I respond to you.”
[19] “Dhaataa Yathaa Purvam”—Veda, “Visrujaami Punah punah”—Gita.
[20] “Sakhya maatmanivedanam” means, after friendship, the next mode of devotion is total surrender.
[21] “Sarva Dharmaan...”;“Sarva Paapebhyah”—Gita.
[22]Sai Baba told that His sight is on the devotee, whose sight stands on Him.
[23] “Nara Janma durlabhamidam”—Shankara
[24] “Naasthyakrutah kruteneti”—Veda.
[25]Striyah Satih pumsah— Veda, means: All males are females and wives of God. Meera also asked Tulasidas that whether there are males in souls also! In old tradition, husband was considered as master and wife as servant. In modern tradition, equality and even reverse is seen!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★