1 Gita Sloka Every Day - Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - Sloka 10

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of Bhagavad Gita  published by Ramakrishna Mission

Is there any other course open to the sadhaka, if his mind does not submit to Abhyasa Yoga? The next course is pointed out :-

The Worship of Saguna Brahman 6-12

1 Gita Sloka  Every Day - Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - Sloka 10

45th Azhagiyasingar of Ahobila Mutt

Abhyase api asamrthah assi mad karma na paramah bhava I

Mad artham api karmani kurvan siddhim avapsyasi II sloka 10

अभ्यासे अपि असमर्थः अस्सी मद कर्म न परमः भाव I

मद अर्थम् अपि कर्मणि कुर्वन् सिद्धिं अवाप्स्यसि II श्लोक 10 

If you are unable to even practise Abhyasa Yoga, be you intent on doing actions for my sake; even by performing actions for my sake you will attain perfection. 

Force of habit is too strong to be altered or curbed; it drags the man along its own way. Even such a bent can be turned  to advantage. While the bent is allowed to have its sway,it is utilised in the service of the Lord. A talkative man for example, may go on talking of god instead of worldly things. An active man may work hard for the glory of his maker and not for mammon. When he becomes an instrument of the Lord in this way, no work taints him. His mind becomes gradually purified. 

When a man changes his attitude he is freed from bondage. Whatever work takes place though man is actually the work of the Lord. "Lord, You have Your work done by me. In ignorance I feel that, " I am the doer. May I be only an instrument".Attitude of this kind emancipates the aspirant

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa 

1 Gita Sloka Every Day - Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - Sloka 9

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of Bhagavad Gita  published by Ramakrishna Mission

What has that sadhaka to do, whose mind is not stauch and steady in the pursuit of God? The injunction comes..

The Worship of Saguna Brahman 6-12

1 Gita Sloka  Every Day - Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - Sloka 9

Rama Building the Bridge or Sethu

Atha chitham samadhatum na shaknoshi mayi sthiram I able to 

Abhyasa yogena tatah mam icha aptum dhananjaya II sloka 9

अथ चितम् समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् I 

अभ्यास योगेन ततः माम् इच्छ आप्तुं धनञ्जय I I  स्लॉक् 9

If you are not able to fix your mind steadily on Me, O Dhananjaya, then seek to reach me by Abhayasa Yoga

Staunch is that devotion of that sadhaka which does not deviate from the Lord. Wavering is that devotion which oscillates between God and the world. Through constant practise the mind has to be weaned away from the world. It is abhyasa yoga which is practised ceaselessly until the mind is permanently reclaimed from baseness. The impossible can be made possible through constant practise. Nature can be changed by nurture, it being the most effective means.

A man was rearing a pet dog allowing it undue indulgence. One day when he was conversing with a learned visitor, the dog, as was his wont, jumped on to the lap of his master and licked his face. "This is no good", observed the newcomer. The remark produced a salutary effect on the man who decided then and there to train the dog properly. Thence forth, he gave a knock every time the dog jumped up to lick his face. The sagacious animal was not slow to find out that the master did not approve of that act. It changed its habits accordingly. Similarly the unwanted desire is a wretched dog that man has fondly reared. It dominates over him and depraves him woefully. Repeated blows in the form of counter thoughts and ideas are the only way to rectify it. 

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - Sloka 8

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of Bhagavad Gita  published by Ramakrishna Mission

How should the embodied one prepare himself for the attainment of the plenitude?

The Worship of Saguna Brahman 6-12

1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - Sloka 8

Mayi eva mana adhatsva mayi  buddhim niveshaya I

Nivasishyasi  mayi eva atah urdhvam na samshayah II sloka 8

मयि एव मन आधस्त्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेश्यस I

नियसिष्यसि मयि एव ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः II श्लोक 8

Fix your mind on Me alone, let your thoughts dwell in Me. You will hereafter live in Me alone. Of this there is no doubt.

To feel is the way of the mind and to decide is the way of the intellect. And these are the inner subtle organs of man. A man's residence need not be reckoned basing on the locality where he has placed himself bodily. Man verily is where his mind is. There are those who live in hell on earth; and there are those others who make a heaven of this earth. It is the mind of man that makes the heaven or hell. When this mind is made over to God, Man is then verily the divine presence. The Lord says there is no doubt about this; the devotee can verify this for himself.

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - Sloka 6 & 7

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of Bhagavad Gita  published by Ramakrishna Mission

The Worship of Saguna Brahman 6-12

1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - Sloka 6

Ye tu sarvani karmani mayi samnyasya matparah I

Ananyena eva yogena mam dhyayanta upasate II sloka 6

ये तू सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत् पराः I 

अनन्येन एव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते II श्लोक 6

But those who worship me, renouncing allactions in Me, regarding Me as the supreme goal, meditating on Me with single minded yoga.

1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - Sloka 7

Tesham aham samudrata mrutyu samsara sagarat I

Bhavami nachirat partha mayi aveshita  chetasam II sloka 7

तेषां अहम् समुध्रता मृत्यु संसार सागरात् I 

भवामि नचिरात् पार्थ मयि अवेशित चेतसाम् II श्लोक 7

For them whose thought is set on Me, I become very soon, O Partha the deliverer from the ocean of the mortal samsara.

He who attunes his personal life to the cosmic functioning which is the sport of Iswara, gains in Sreyas and gets into the plenitude supremely above the wheel of birth and death. 

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - Sloka 5

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of Bhagavad Gita  published by Ramakrishna Mission

If both ways of worship are one and the same, may one adopt any method according to one's liking? No, one should not, for:

Brahman With or Without Attributes 1-5

1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - Sloka 5

Lord Varadaraja of Kanchi

Kleshah adhika tarah tesham avyakta asakta chetasam I

Avyaktah hi gatih dukham deva vadbhih avapyate II sloka 5

क्लेशः अधिचेतसां क तरः तेषां अव्यक्त आसक्त I

अव्यक्तः हि गतिः दुखम् देव वद्भिः अवाप्यते II श्लोक 5 

Greater is their difficulty  whose minds are set on the Unmanifested, for the goalof the Unmanifested is very hard for the embodied to reach.

Though the goal is the same, the worship of Godwithout form is very difficult for the sadhaka soaked in body-consciousness. As he thinks of himself with form, he can not help thinking of God as also with form. The worship of Saguna Brahmanis easy. He who adores Nirguna Brahman has to be free from body-feeling right from the beginning. But the attainment of that state is not possible for all. The easy and natural course for the sadhaka is to proceed with the worship of God with form.

Then how should the sadhaka proceed with the worship of God? The answer follows

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - Sloka 4

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of Bhagavad Gita  published by Ramakrishna Mission

Brahman With or Without Attributes 1-5

1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - Sloka 4

Kanchi Varadaraja Perumal

Samniyamye indriya gramam sarvatra sama buddhayah I

Te prapnuvanti mam eva sarva bhuta hite ratah II sloka 4

सम्नियम्ये इन्द्रिय ग्रामं सर्वत्र सम बुद्धयः I
ते प्राप्नुवन्ति माम्  एव सर्व भूत हिते  रताः II श्लोक 4

Having restrained all the senses, even minded everywhere, engaged in the welfare of all beings - verily they also come to me.


The last sloka sent was from Chapter 12 sloka 3. The link for the same is given below

http://haricharanam.blogspot.in/2013/11/1-gita-sloka-every-day-chapter-12_6.html

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - Sloka 3

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of Bhagavad Gita  published by Ramakrishna Mission

Brahman With or Without Attributes 1-5

1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - Sloka 3

45th Jeer of Ahobila Mutt - My acharya!

Ye tu aksharam anir deshyam avyaktam paryupasate I

Sarvatra gam achintyam cha kutha stham achalam dhruvam II sloka 3
ये तु अक्षरम् अनिर देश्यम् अव्यक्तम् पर्युपासते I 
सर्वत्र गम् अचिन्त्यम् च कूट स्थम् अचलम् ध्रुवम् II श्लोक 3

But those who worship the Imperishable, the Indefinable, the Unmanifest, the Omnipresent, the Unthinkable, the Unchangeable, the Immovable, the Eternal - 

Thirunakshatram of Manavaala Maamunigal .

November 7 is Aipasi Moolam & is the thirunakshatram of a great saint and acharya of the SriVaishnava sampradayam called as Manavaala Maamunigal . Here are his details

Manavalamamunigal @Thiruvahindrapuram

Amsam                  Ramanjuar

Acharya                Thiruvazhmozhipillai

Date of Birth          1370 AD

Life span              73

Tamil month & star     Aipassi Moolam

Year of Death          1443

Parents                Tigazhaakkidanthan Tirunaveerudaiya piran dasar annar & 

Sriranga Nacchiyar

Place of Birth Alwarthirunagari

Name at Birth Azhagiya manavalan/Perumal Nayanar 

(Other names : Ramyajamathru, Saumyajamatru, Visada-Vak-Sikhamani,                                                     Yathindrapravanar, Varayogi,  Varavaramuni)

Gothram Kaundinya

Works Eight VyAkhyAna granthams are:1. Sri Vachana BhUshaNam, 2. Mumukshuppadi, 3. Tattvathrayam 4. AchArya Hrudhayam, 5. Jn~Ana Saaram, 6. PramEya Saaram, 

7. PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi 8. RaamAnuja NooRRanthAdhi 3 granthams known as PramANa Thirattu are: 1. Eedu, 2. Sri Vachana BhUshaNam, 3. Tattvathrayam His Own Granthams in Sanskrit (3) and Tamil(5) add up to the remaining 8: 1. UpadEsa Rathna Maalai, 2. ThiruvAimozhi NooRRanthAdhi, 3. Iyalc ChaaRRu, 

4. ThiruvArAdhana Kramam 5. YathirAja Vimsathi, 6. DevarAja MangaLam, 

7. Sri Kanchi DevapperumAL SthOthram & 8. Aaarthi Prabhandham , his last grantham .

Links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manavala_Mamunigal,          http://www.acharya.org/acharya/smm/  http://www.mamunigal.freeservers.com/thaniyan.html

                                http://www.mamunigal.freeservers.com/links.html

Taniyan                     SrisailEsa dayApatram dhIbhaktyAdi gunArnavam
                                yatIndra pravanam vandE ramyajAmAtaram munim.

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - Sloka 2

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of Bhagavad Gita  published by Ramakrishna Mission

Brahman With or Without Attributes 1-5

1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - Sloka 2

Shri Bhagavan Uvacha

Mayi aveshya manah ye mam nityam yuktah upasate I

Shraddhaya paraya upaetah te me yukta tama matah II sloka 2

श्री भगवान उवाच 

मयि आवेश्य मनः ये माम् नित्यम् युक्तः उपासते I 

श्रद्धया परया उपेताः ते मे युक्त तमाः मताः II श्लोक 2

The Blessed Lord said

Those who have fixed their minds on Me, and who, ever steadfast  and endowed with supreme shraddha, worship Me - them do I consider perfect in yoga

The Lord is having the cosmos for his physical body. He is the Saguna Brahman. He rules the universe. He is the Lord of the yogis, the Omniscient. His devotees are they who have dedicated themselves to his worship. They are free from attachment, aversion and angularities. Thought of the Lord alone dominates their hearts day and night. They live for the perfect service of the Lord and are therefore the perfect yogis. 

Are they not yogis, who take the adoration of the attributeless Absolute Reality ? The answer is given in the next sloka