Today is the eightth day of the Chaitra Navratri festival. Tomorrow will be Shriramnavmi. Today's poem is dedicated to Lord Shriram.
Some years back, I had visited Gondavle, the spiritual place of Lord Shrirama’s devotee great sant, Shri Brahmachaitanya Gondavlekar
Maharaj. Remembering those tranquil moments I spent for two days, in this poem. The best rule there, in the Lord Krishna temple, was everybody should observe silence and chant Shriram's name.
This image is from Shriram Temple, Dhule
Penned down the pain of missing those days...
missing
those days
when I forgot myself in you, Shriram
missing
those precious moments
when I had forgotten this world,
when I was
living in your world
missing
those peaceful days
when I could
chant your name
for days and
nights!
and nobody would torture me for that
missing
those days
when I was
in Gondavle
missing
those nights
when I could
sleep effortlessly
melting in
the divine aura of you, Shriram!
missing
those calm moments
when I didn’t know this word, ‘worries’
as I was in
the safe zone of you, Shriram!
missing that
cool summer
when your
name’s magic
never
allowed any pain to reach me
I know you
are here,
with me, within my heart
still
missing peaceful Gondavle
missing you, Shriram!
give me my
old days back
safe from
this worldly chaos
where only
the peace prevails
can’t find you
in temples
where crowds and gossips
don’t allow
me to even look at you
can’t find
you in festivals and rituals
where show
off is the only devotion
want to discover you again in my heart
want to meet
you again
come to meet me in Dhyana
I don't know rituals,
I don't know Pujas, mantras
I don't know devotion
I don't know the faith
I know love
your love and your friendship
come to meet me!
want to discover you within myself
in my poems
in my tears
in my breaths
please, Sriram!
Bhaktiyoga Sadhana:
Bhaktiyoga Sadhaks experience two opposite phases in their
lives during the Sadhana. First is Viyog or Virah when the Bhakta miss their Bhagwanji and in the other phase, the phase of supreme love, Bhakta discovers beloved Bhagwanji, in their heart. The Mahayoga Sadhana gives different experiences, experiences can be from Bhaktiyoga also, if the Sadhak is devoted toward the path of Bhakti. Bhakta loves Dvaita Bhakti, so they talk with their beloved Bhagwanji. This poem is about Virah.
What I personally believe is that no experience, or feeling is
destiny of Sadhana path, Sadhana never ends! Goswami Tulsidasji have written in Shriramcharitmanas,'Sadhana-Siddhi Ram pag nehu'. Sadhana is love for Ram and Siddhi the result of Sadhana is also Love for Him. How beautiful! How sweet!
So, what is most important is walking the Sadhana path wih patience and devotion, and He will keep blessing us.
Having said that, for me, Bhakti is beyond my level of understanding and practicing, honestly!
The glory of Bhakti - the devotion is that I can confess to Bhagwanji, I don't want to go to temple, I can't perform Poojas and you should come to meet me. Dharma is for this freedom.
For me, Shriram or Krishna is my friend, my dearest friend. :-)
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