As human beings we have forgotten the art of joyful living. We allow our moods to dictate our lives. Now we are always reacting to our circumstances. The Taittariya Upanishad tells us that our heart is like a “Kumbha” — an urn of perennial bliss. The sages of yore not only revelled in this bliss, they also shared it with others.
Musical saints like Shri Tyagaraja heard soaring scales of music within themselves. They would delve deeper and deeper into their musical insights, expand these melodies into well defined ragas and lose themselves in the fervour of their devotion. They forgot the world and swam in an ocean of bliss. Intoxicated with joy, they transcended their body consciousness, singing and dancing in ecstasy. Soaked in the sweetness of divine love, their classical compositions are immortal. They are passed on from one generation to the other. They tune us directly to the soul.
In the Kali Yuga, it is difficult to keep the mind focused on meditation. God will manifest himself through forms in this Yuga but that form cannot be felt and seen by all. God is a feeling. God can be experienced in many ways. Our musical saints proved that we can attain God through music.
Bhajans, keertans and classical music are great aids in spiritual sadhana. All ragas in music are beautiful, but there are certain ragas that are especially conducive to day to day life. They destroy inner fear, stress, tension, anxiety and release the mind from its burdens. The mind feels light and begins to soar. These ragas are Bhairavi, Durga, Begade and Nata.
Some ragas take you to god through Bhakti Yoga. They pull at the strings of your heart and devotion fills you. They destroy all feelings of enemity in you and transform your enemies into friends. They infuse you with tremendous energy. These ragas are Mohana, Sindhu Bhairavi, Kalyani and Shree.
Think of your favourite form of divinity, family deity or guru and consecrate them in your mind. Fill the urn of your heart with the nectar of bliss. Now, listen to the ragas that fill us with the light of knowledge and walk on the path of Jnana Yoga. When we become beacons of light, we will automatically establish a dharma — a way of truth that will be like the Sun, Moon and Stars for all the generations to come. Dharma is eternal. It has no barriers of language, caste or religion. Let us establish jnana and dharma in our lives by savouring the sweetness of raga Hamsadhwani, Hari Kambodhi, Bheem plas, Pahadi, Jhunjoti, Kedar and Goula.
When we experience this bliss, god comes running to us. Then a tillana begins to reverberate inside us. This is the eternal dance of bliss. May all of you experience this wonderful dance.
This article has been written by His Holiness Shri Shri Nimihananda Guruji. For more details visit www.shrinimishamba.org