An English translation of a verse of Sant Surdas ji, a great devotee of Lord Shri Krishna. Surdas ji was blind, yet he has sung exquisitely the acts and exploits of Lord Shri Krishna. Surdas ji along with many other sants like Mira Bai and Tulsidas ji is commonly perceived to be a "sagunopaasak" (one who worships a God with form and qualities – 'sagun' God). But as has been amply shown in the previous blogs here, Mira Bai and Tulsidas were, in fact, worshippers of the 'nirgun' God (formless, omnipresent God) and practiced the Yoga of Light & Sound. Surdas ji was no exception as the poem below unequivocally demonstrates. These saints have predominantly composed verse in praise of 'sagun' God because it is easier of description in words. Surdas ji has, in fact, said so very explicitly in one of his own verses "sab vidhi agam vichaarahi taate, Sur sagun leela pad gaayo" (Considering the description of the monotheistic God too difficult of description in the form of poetry, says Surdas ji, I sing the acts & exploits of the 'sagun' God). The verse presented below clearly hints that Surdas ji practiced inner meditation and that he had realised the Supreme Bliss by practising 'naadaanusandhaan' or 'surat shabd yog' (Yoga of Divine Sound) which, as he says, he had learnt from his Guru . The objective in all these blogs is only one – to place above board the inevitability, the indispensability of the Inner Meditation on Divine Light and Sound, a fact which is corroborated by all the sants or mystics of all the regions & religions, of all the times & climes, as well as by the Sages of the Holy Scriptures such as the Vedas & Upanishads. Therefore, we human beings must consider this our supreme bounden duty to practise the Inner Meditation and thus, effect or realise the true purpose of having received this wonderful, unique cloak or incarnation of a human being which is not available even to the gods inhabiting the heaven or other astral spheres.

- English Translation by Pravesh K. Singh (http://blog.360.yahoo.com/praveshksingh , http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sant_santati )

The Original Verse (English Transliteration):

"Apunapau Aapun hee mein paayo |
Shabdahi shabd bhayo ujiyaaro, Satguru bhed bataayo ||
Jyon kurang naabhee kastooree, dhoondhat firat bhulaayo |
Fir chetyo jab chetan hwai kari, aapun hee tan chhaayo ||
Raaj kunwaar kanthe mani bhooshan, bhram bhayo kahyo ganwaayo |
Diyo bataai aur satajan tab, tanu ko paap nasaayo ||
Sapane maanhi naari ko bhram bhayo, baalak kahoon heraayo |
Jaagi lakhyo jyon ko tyon hee hai, naa kahu gayo na aayo ||
Surdas samujhe kee yah gati, man hee man musakaayo |
Kahi na jaay yaa sukh kee mahimaa, jyon goongo gud khaayo ||"

Translation

[I discovered myself within me only. |
My Satguru taught me the secret (art of meditation) practising which words (sounds) after words (sounds) were revealed to me as each word perceived lit the way for the other to be perceived. ||

The musk-deer, who has, in fact, the musk concealed within his navel itself, keeps on wandering outside hither and thither forgetful of its true whereabouts|
However, when it becomes conscious, it realises the fragrance pervading its being. ||

(Likewise) a royal prince, who though is wearing the jewellery bedecked with precious stones around his neck, coming as he does under the sway of illusion, thinks he has lost the necklace. |
However, when right meaning persons bring the truth to his notice, he realises his mistake. ||

A woman sees in her dream that she has lost her son (and thus gets anguished). |
But, on waking up from her sleep she finds that the kid has not gone anywhere else and is very much there beside her only. (Similarly, God is beside us, with us. However, we are living in a dream-like state in this body, in this world and think that He is something separate from us, but when we wake up from the sleep of our ignorance, we realise that He is, ahd always been, with us; in fact, we and He are one and the same.)||

Surdas ji remarks, a Self-Realised person, similarly (after realisation dawns upon him) smiles at his folly (that he had been hitherto foolish enough to identify himself with his body, mind, intellect etc and to undergo the resultant agony). |
(So, Surdas ji states that) it is not possible to describe (in words) that extraordinary divine bliss; it is as if a dumb man has eaten the jaggery (though such a person has fully experienced the sweetness of the jaggery he has eaten, he can not describe it in words because he is dumb – though he knows the taste full well. Similarly, although the soul directly experiences the absolute bliss of Self-Realisation, that bliss can not be described because it is beyond the reach of mind, intellect etc and the faculty of description (that is, the tongue) which are too gross to be able to perceive that). ||]

Tune in to the Divine Bliss That Are Chiming All the Time Within The Temple That is Our Body

[An English rendering of the Hindi translation of couplets of Sant Kabir Sahab by Maharshi Mehi Paramhans ji Maharaj (1885-1986), taken from the latter's book “Santwaani Sateek” (Commentary on Sayings of Sants).

-English Translation by Pravesh K. Singh
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sant_santati , http://blog.360.yahoo.com/praveshksingh ) ]

The Original Verse:

“Paancho naubat baajatee, hot chhateeso raag |
So mandir khaalee padaa, baithan laage kaag ||

Jaakee jibhya bandh nahee, hirade naahee saanch |
Taake sang na laagiye, ghaalai batiyaa kaanch ||
Agavaanee to aaiyaa, gyaan vichaar vivek |
Peechhe guru bhee aayenge, saare saaj samet ||
Jab dil milaa dayaal se, tab kachhu antar naanhi |
Paalaa gali paanee milaa, yon harijan hari maanhi ||
Kabir bhedee bhakt se, meraa man patiyaay |
Seree paavai shabd kee, nirbhay aawai jaay ||
Boond samaanaa samund mein, yah jaanai sab koy |
Samund samaanaa boond mein, boojhai biralaa koy ||
Nirbandhaa bandhaa rahai, bandhaa nirbandh hoy |
Karam karai karataa nahee, daas kahaavai soy ||
Janh aapaa tanh aapadaa, janh sanshay tanh sog |
Kah Kabir kaise mitai, chaaro deeragh rog ||”

The English Translation:

[(The temple i.e. our own body) wherein five central sounds (one central sound each for the five spheres of creation namely, sthool or gross sphere, sookshma or astral sphere, kaaran or causal sphere, mahaakaaran or supra-causal sphere and chetan/ kaivalya or conscious sphere) keep on reverberating and the thirty-six melodies (consisting of six ‘ragas’ or primary modes in music and thirty ‘raginis’ or modifications, variations of ‘ragas’) keep resonating. (36 musical modes are actually used here to symbolise numerous divine sound currents or ‘anahad naad’ that a spiritual practitioner gets to listen during meditation in the inner sky.) |
That temple (ironically) is lying empty and crows have begun to sit on it. (What is hinted here is that this wonderful body of us human beings which should be used to tune in to numerous divine melodies or sound currents and thereby realise the Supreme Bliss is being awfully wasted in all sorts of base or vile worldly acts.) ||

One whose tongue is not within control and one who does not have truth in his heart |
Seek not the company of such a person as he would lead you onto an evil path (of self-destruction). ||

(To a person who is on the right track) first come (right) understanding, discretion/ wisdom and reflection |
Later would follow the Guru or God also (Guru is also one among several names of God. Guru is one who imparts knowledge. Since God is the first one to impart true knowledge, he is also called Guru) along with all the logistics required for salvation. ||

When the individual soul sees or meets the Supreme Lord, both fuse together to become one; with no difference remaining between the two. |
Just as the frost or snow melts down to merge into water, the true devotee, also, merges to be one with the God. ||

Kabir Sahab states that he (Kabir Sahab) easily believes and has faith in a true devotee who knows the secrets of meditation and practise accordingly. |
Who has got hold of the ladder of Divine Sound (leading up to complete liberation) and keep on visiting, while still very much alive (in this body), fearlessly the Supreme Sovereign. ||

It is common knowledge that a water-drop (pind, microcosm or this body) is contained within, or is a part of, an ocean (macrocosm or the brahmand). |
However, there are very rare few who know (realise) that the ocean (the whole of brahmand) also is contained within the drop or this body (this realisation occurs only to those practise meditation perfectly). ||

He who does not recognise or honour the restrictions (such as shunning the sinful actions and adopting the noble company and practicing meditation) remains restricted or tied down to this transitory world (and keeps on suffering the cycle of transmigration), while he who keeps himself restricted or assiduously tied to the afore-mentioned restrictions becomes freed of all the bondages or fetters of this ephemeral world. |
He is the true devotee who, while performing the desirable acts in the world, does not consider himself to be the doer (i.e. remains above all sorts of vanity or vainglory). ||

Where there is ego/egotism/conceit, there is crisis; where there is doubt, there is sorrow. |
In that case, asks Kabir Sahab, how the four deadly diseases (ego, trouble, scepticism and grief) would be destroyed (that is, would not be destroyed unless & until we learnt the right ways of a true devotee as mentioned above)? ]

N.B. Comments in pink bold italics are those of the English Translator

Arati and Santmat

- Pravesh K. Singh

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sant_santati, http://blog.360.yahoo.com/praveshksingh )

Most of the Hindu religious ceremonies end by performing a ritual called ‘arati/aaratee’ ( a ceremony performed in adoration of a deity or a deeply respected religious figure of highest spiritual accomplishments by circular movement of a lighted lamp accompanied by ringing of bells, blowing of conches, beating of drums and gong etc.). The lighted lamp is usually placed in the centre of a large flat metallic plate or platter which is decorated with ‘akshat’ (whole unbroken rice grains), camphor, flowers, fruits, sandalwood paste/powder, betel leaves, confectionery sweet dishes, incense sticks, camphor etc. Use of light and sound in some form or the other are found to be generally associated with most of religions worldwide. In mosque, for instance, ‘chirag’ (lamp or some other source of light; as ‘namaz’ is not offered in darkness) is kindled and ‘namaz’ (prayer) is rendered by the ‘Imam’ (priest) through microphone. Candle and bell can be found in churches. While, in the Buddhist temples lamp is kept lit and a gong is hung.

Therefore, it emerges that light and sound are central to almost versions of worship. Sants say that this emphasis on worship of light & sound is, in fact, a hint at the fact that the true worship consists in worshipping (focusing one’s undivided attention on) the divine light and the divine word which are pervading the whole of universe/creation - gross or astral. Even our own life depends on the presence of these two – light and sound. Absence of light (indicated by the complete loss of body warmth; light and heat are mutually inter-related to each other essentially) and sound (manifested in the pulse-rate and heart beat) implies our bodily death. So, sants explain that these outer light and sound are symptomatic or suggestive of the more important inner light and inner sound. God has made the creation with the help of these two. Maharshi Mehi Paramhansji Maharaj, one of the all-time greatest exponents of Santmat, would say that light and sound are like the two arms of God so that if we wished God to embrace us with all His love and affection, we must try to catch hold of these two limbs of His. Thus, a different notion of ‘arati’ is found in Santmat. The ‘arati’ of Santmat is an internal activity and should be accordingly performed within the temple that is, our own body. Sants like Tulsi Sahab of Hathras (U.P.), Maharshi Mehi Paramhans ji Maharaj etc. have composed wonderful verses exhorting seekers to perform ‘arati’ (signifying meditation on inner light & sound) within. Below is presented essence in English of one such ‘arati’ by composed by Sant Tulsi sahab of Hathras, based on its Hindi Translations by Maharshi Mehi Paramhans ji Maharaj and his worthy disciple & successor Maharshi Santsewi ji Paramhans. This ‘arati’ is sung at the end of Akhil Bharatiya Santmat (the branch of Santmat started by Maharshi Mehi Paramhans ji Maharaj) Satsangs (spiritual gatherings):

“Perform ‘arati’ (within you) in the company of the True Guru, and behold the light that keeps illuminating the inner sky. ||1||

Manifest Divine Fire within this body, made of five elements, (this may also be construed as to make the five characteristic colours of the five elements forming the gross universe around us including our own body appear within the body) and spread light by lighting lamp from this fire. ||2||

Placing (decorating) the Sun and the Moon as fruits & flowers on the plate or platter of the inner sky, install the pitcher of camphor i.e. the white luminous point, in the beginning of ‘arati’.||3||

Make ‘akshat’ (whole, unbroken grains of rice used in arati and other religious ceremonies) of stars and wear the garland of pearls visualized in the inner sky.||4||

[N.B. The spiritual practitioner comes to visualize stars, the Moon and the Sun in the inner sky in the course of meditation. These celestial bodies may be thought of as resembling small grains, flower, fruit etc. (articles used in the ritual of ‘arati’ performed outside in the gross world) kept on the plate or platter that is, the inner sky itself.]

Different forms of bright light seen within are like the betel leaves, sweets, sandal, incense sticks, lamps etc. used in ‘arati’.||5||

While visualizing the refulgent light within, melodious sounds of various musical wind and percussion instruments are heard by the mind-fish (just as the fish can swim upstream against even very strong currents of water, mind also ascends in the inner sky and, therefore, has been likened to tiny fish by sants. Thus the method of ‘surat shabd yoga’ or ‘naadaanusandhaan’ – meditation on the inner divine sound - is also referred to as the ‘meen-maarg’ or the path of the fish).||6||

Just as the black bee is lost completely in the sweet fragrance of, and gets willingly trapped within, a lotus flower, focused surat plays in the inner sky joyfully, captivated by the fragrance of divine sound.||7||

The pure light that appears within destroys all the sins of the beholder.||8||

In the inner void or sky the currents of light and sound keep pouring. The spiritual seeker who can ascend himself unto this gateway (of divine kingdom) merrily drenches or soaks himself in this rain.||9||

The surat drinking the nectar (of Divine Light & Sound) gets intoxicated with the resultant joy, and thus marches jubilantly forward.||10||

Brilliance of light visualized within is comparable to the luminance of crores of Suns taken together. Connect yourself (to God) by seeing (ascending) beyond the Unseeable (Quintessential Sound) ||11||

Every moment keeping your surat focused in the inner sky, sip the rare Imperceptible juice by the Guru’s grace.||12||

The path to Guru’s abode is illuminated with sparkling lights and reverberates with divine sound. Sant Tulsi Sahab advises us to forsake the body (rise above the body) by reverting inwards just as the bird ‘alal’ does. ||13||

[N.B. In Hindu Scriptures there is a mention of a bird named ‘alal’ which is said to live pretty high above in the sky. This bird never comes down to the earth. The eggs laid by the ‘alal’ begin to fall down towards the earth. However, these eggs are laid at such great heights that before these can reach the earth’s surface, their hatching period is over and the young kids come out of them and fly back towards their homes high above in the sky. Using the allegory of the ‘alal’ Sant Tulsi Sahab advises our individual souls to climb back, through meditation, to the great heights, our own true native abode i.e. the Realm of the God.]