Chapter- 4 Definition and Description of Navavidha Bhakt[· .. CHAPTER-4 DEFINITION AND DESCRIPTION OF NAVAVIDHA BHAKTI "Knowledge of Sangita (music), bereftof devotion, is valueless and cannot secure salvation "1. - Saint Thyagaraja The Concept of Bhakti plays an important role in the history of Karnatic Music and Sanskrit literature. It is a fact that there is God or Almighty or an ultimate Source from whom everything emanates and by whom everything is maintained in this world. This ultimate source is explained rationally and authoritatively in the beautiful 'Bhagavatam', which may be described as the greatest and most popular of the Puranas. It is written by Srila Vyasadeva, the literary incarnation of God, under the direction of Naradamuni2 and is referred to as the most complete and authoritative exposition of vedanta-sutra and vedic knowledge. 'Bhagavata' contains the highest principles of ethics, highest truth of philosophy and religion, expounded in appropriate language. The essential truths which the 'Bhagavata' emphasises are the imperishability of the soul, the goodness, the power and helpfulness of God and the attainment of salvation by the method of Bhakti. This Purana sings execlusively about the glories of the Lord and the Greatness of Devotion to Him. 'Bhagavata' and 'Bhagavadgita' are the basis of the philosophy of bhakti of the middle ages. Bhakti was preached as a doctrine for the first 85 time is 'Bhagavadgita ', which holds bhakti in high esteem and attached more importance to devotion and exhorts people to pursue the path of devotion. The key note of 'Gita' is that the supreme appears before a seeker in the form and manner he wishes Him to appear. The spiritual as well as material prosperity is guaranteed to the devotee by the 'Gita' (IX.22). Sri Krishna wants Arjuna to follow the path of devotion; and declares that Bhakti is the most important among the means of Liberation. The concept of Sangita Bhakti is the devotion through music, which can take us effectively to the realms of spirituality. Our ancient people have realized this truth and they extrilled God in poetic hymns. "Narada is the first Bhagavata-musician ; the Lord delights in the beautiful music that Narada is singing in praise of Him. Hence is Narada represented as going about with his Vina, singing the glory of the Lord and proclaiming to the world that the Lord dwells not in Vaikuntha, nor in the sun, nor even in the hearts of yo gins, but where His devotees sing": ulTg cm@, � al�fclm;�� Z cfi I �� "ll5f a11,4faa cf5f fatso1fai � 11 "Naham vasaami Vaikunde na yogi hridaye ravau I Mad Bhakta yatra gayanti tatra tishtami Narad"3 II It has been stated by Sage Yajnavalkya that he who knows the mysteries of playing the Vina, he who has mastered the knowledge of Sruti and jati and he who is an adept in tala, attains moksha without effort. That is, one who understands music well, reach easily the path of devotion. 'Vijnana Bhirava Tantra' says that the "mental absorption produced by 86 music gradually leads to realization ofoneness with divine spirit". Homage is paid to God also through. sacred music like Tevaram, Tiruppugazh, Divyanama kirtans, Ashtapadis of Jayadeva etc. which inspire in us the emotion ofbhakti. 'Bhagavata' is the most favourite devetional work of Indian literature and the well known science of bhakti. The main theme of this Purana is the importance, greatness and value of devotion to God. 'Bhagavata' observes that Bhakti is a state of complete dedication of life, mind and every thing else. Bhakti means a firm, stable and unflinching attachment for God which brings well-being in this world and bliss in the world beyond. 'Bhagavata' has defined Bhakti as a flow of the mind towards the Almighty at the slightest hearing about the Lord. Just as the water of the Ganges flows un-interruptedly and inevitably towards the ocean, so the mind flows towards the God. � aJUT � an$"r � �Ja1011�1� I i:flafla1Pct (Pc!R?9a=a1 �� � 11 "Mad guna sruti maatr�na mayim sarvagunasaye I Manogati ravischinta yadha gadgambhamodambudho "4 II . 87 According to Prahlada, devotion consists in dedicating mind, speech, action, riches and lifeto God. Bhagavata says; 3llcifll�lctil&IT � farar� 31'1¢� I <154�� � � �araaJ0n � : II "Aatmaramaksha sunayo nirgandh apyukrame I Kurvantyahai turki bhakti mityambhuta guno Hari"5 II That is, for sages, the charm of Rama was over powering. It is believed that the utterance of the names of God will lead one to Moksha and thus songs became a vehicle forthe attainment of Moksha. As a result of this, Saint singers started composing compositions for popularising this aspect of Bhakti. The revival of Bhakti movement was received with much incentive in South India. The second half of eighteenth centurywitnessed a remarkable growth of Bhakti cult which influenced the rise of modem Kamatic music. Our saint singers made notable contributions which were outstanding both in their Bhakti aspect and also in their aesthetic content. Early composers in the pre-trinity period like Jayadeva, Purandaradasa, N arayana Theertha, Bhadrachalam Ramadasa, Sadasiva Brahmendra are examples. The composers of bhakti pieces in the eighteenth century include the Sangita Trimurtis namely Syama Sastry, Saint Thyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar and also H.H. Swati Thirunal Maharaja. Later, Gopalakrishna Bharati, Papanasam Sivan and Neelakanta Sivan of the 88 post-Thyagaraja period made remarkable contributions to this field of Karanatic music. According to the Acharyas of the Bhakti school, the well known classification of Bhakti in the major forms occur in the Bhagavata. It mentions different types of bhakti at different places and the nine types of bhakti are Sravana, Kirtana, Smarana, Padasevana, Archana, Vandana, Dasya, Sakhya and Atmanivedana. ' Bhagavata' proclaims nme forms of Bhakti through the followingsloka; when Hiranyakashipu asks his son Prahlada to tell him the best thing he had learnedfrom the school, Prahlada says: 3ftlaf cfaGafcR � .. ollctilfcfi���aicll II � l:jcf.Sfurr fcrmfr aifa,�&TUTT � (}lalckt� I�� aaitiail�I tilcicljcicticJt II "Sravanam Kirtanam Vishno : Smaranam Padasevanam I Archanam Vandanam Dasyam Sakhyamatmanivedanam II lti pumsarpita Vishnov bhakti srennavalakshana I Kriyate Bhagavasyadyatanmanyeda dhitamuttamam ,,6 II Meaning "That I consider the best lesson, worthy to be learnt, if man could practice devotion to the Lord, characterisedby nine forms; listening to the 89 Lord's song and glory, singing of the Lord, contemplation of the Lord, worshipping His feet especially, saluting and serving Him like a servant, moving with him as a friend and offeringone self to Him." The source of some of the nine forms of devotion can be seen in 'Bhagavata' in one of the closing verses of Arjuna's hymn to the Lord on seeing the Lords 'visvarupa'. Then Arjuna asks the Lord to excuse his mistakes, as a father to his son, a friend to another friend and a lover to his beloved. Here we can see three forms of Bhakti - Valsalya, Sakhya and Prema. fqcfcf���: � : ��1cmg� � �I "Piteva putrasya sakhev,asakhyu Priya : Priyagrarhasi Deva sodumu 7 'Narayaneeyam' of Melpattur Narayanabhattathiri is a condensed version ofl3hagavata·in which the greatness of the nine types of Bhakti is explained. The sloka in 'Narayaneeyam' about the nine types of Bhakti is as follows: 3f� � fct,faiPct qQq�.s� � ����: ¥� (lRfcql t1i6JicfiPcl2� � cfcTI4 I� Ioi Rcf1 at o!la <1<! (}lcfrq I��12 ol II 90 Adhitesu srestham kimiti paripristetta tanaye Bhavatbhaktim varyaamabhigadati paryakuladhritih Gurubhyai rositvaa sahajamatirasyetyabhividan Vadhopayanasmin vyatan�ta bhavatpada sarane 8 II Meaning When Hiranyaksipu asked Prahlada to tell him which is the greatest among the studies he made, he replied that the bhakti or devotion shown unto Thee is the greatest. Prahlada believed that Thy lotus feet is the ultimate goal and this bhakti of him has been acquired from his previous Janma. Another sloka in 'Narayaneeyam' about the greatness of Bhakti is: 31c'1.lllll� ¢,lfcll ¢dlQIC:c1oil'cll4 - fatllimtic11 : mtl�it .S 3l�cllL1ftjaa lcti Ill lfcra fcf,a:f cflqill I fctt.1�1 a$qit qrn acf cfq : �6ctiR .. cx.l�qal �=qa1�cqf¾8 fclftja=c=.q • : �� \1Jmt11crc1� 11 "Atyaayaasa karaani karmapatalan aacarya niryanmalaah Bodhe bhaktipatte athavaa apyucitataa maayaanti kim taavataa I Klistvaa tarkapathe param tava vapuh brahmaakyamanye punah Scittaardra tvamrite vicintya bahubhih sidhyanti janmaantarai" 9 II 91 Meaning "The karmayogis, afterperforming the rituals ordained in the karma khanda which tires out the body, getting the mind purified i.e., the mind driven offits dross, return to jnana marga, if they have dispassion. If they do not have dispassion, they turnto bhakti marga. What is the use ? Others, with a mind that never tires or despairs, take to vedanta vicara and with one- pointed concentration, they meditate Thy form (in the cave of their heart) which is verily Bhrahman and at the end of such striving attain Thee, the very essence of Brahman." The roots of Navavidha Bhakti can be seen in the " Bhaktimanjari" of H.H. Swati Thirunal Maharaja. The nine forms of bhakti forms the nucleus of the theme treated in the last six Satakas of Bhaktimanjari. It expounds the Navavidha Bhakti and contains some illustrative stories for that purpose. � �' � Yi201cJi®��cloidi �, cf� cqeft q � GRlcfT � � �@di'fr:!,dl, faicl�ai 'cHcdioi �c1<-l1cfl afcfm� afqfa Cl1Rts2�t1iti1 11 "Srutir varada, Kirtanam Smaranamamgreesa Sevanam Ramavara, tadharchanam tvapi cha Vandanam Dasata Tvaiva saha Sakhyamachuta, Nivedanam Chatman Stavayeeti navadha smrita bhavati bhaktiratyutama" 10 92 Another sloka in 'Narayaneeyam' about the greatness of bhakti is: � � : � arcrcj o=tof�Q�lctill ��ltjcft•-hflci af � � ��6cf5falct51I af t1,ii1��1ffficaq tl qqaf �dlcfiqtn �&rr ?&11qotjq-qa1Qlllct1Qgflctt 11 Bhavathbaktih sphita bhavatu mama saiva prasamaye Dasesaklesaugham na khalu hridi sandehakanika Na cet vyasasyokti stava ca vacanam naigamavaco Bhaven mittyarattya purusavacanapraya makhilam 11 11 Meaning Oh Guruvayurappa ! Let my devotion unto Thee grow from moment to moment.