NAVDHA BHAKTI (नवधा भक्ति)
IN THE RAMAYANA, LORD RAMA EXPLAINS THE NINE TYPES OF DEVOTION OR PENANCE TO SHABRI:
श्रीराम जी ने शबरी को नवधा भक्ति के बारे में ज्ञान दिया था:
अवधी भाषा में (रामचरितमानस से)
नवधा भगति कहउं तोहि पाहीं। सावधान सुनु धरु मन माहीं॥
THE NINE (नवधा ) STEPS OF DEVOTION (भगति), I IMPART (कहउं) TO YOU. LISTEN YOU WELL (तोहि पाहीं) AND REMEMBER IT ALWAYS (सावधान सुनु धरु मन माहीं)
1. प्रथम भगति संतन्ह कर संगा।
THE FIRST STEP (प्रथम भगति ) TO DEVOTION (BHAKTI) IS TO KEEP COMPANY (संगा) OF THE SAINTS (i.e., SATSANG) (संतन्ह)
2. दुसरि रति मम कथा प्रसंगा॥
THE SECOND (दुसरि) STEP IS TO ENJOY (रति) LISTENING TO LEGENDS/DISCOURSES (कथा प्रसंगा) PERTAINING TO ME (LORD) (मम)
3. गुरु पद पंकज सेवा तीसरि भगति अमान।
SELFLESS SERVICE (सेवा ) TO THE GURU'S LOTUS FEET (गुरु पद पंकज) WITHOUT ANY PRIDE (अमान) IS THE THIRD (तीसरि) STEP. (IT IMPLIES FOLLOWING GURU’S SHOWN PATH)
4. चौथि भगति मम गुन गन करइ कपट तजि गान॥
THE FOURTH STEP (चौथि भगति ) IS TO EARNESTLY SING (गान) PRAISES OF THE LORD'S VIRTUES (मम गुन गन ) WITH A HEART CLEAR (तजि) OF GUILE, DECEIPT OR HYPOCRISY (कपट)
5. मंत्र जाप मम दृढ़ बिस्वासा। पंचम भजन सो बेद प्रकासा॥
CHANTING MY NAME (मंत्र जाप) WITH STEADFAST FAITH (दृढ़ बिस्वासा) IS THE FIFTH STEP (पंचम भजन) AS THE VEDAS REVEAL (सो बेद प्रकासा)
6. छठ दम सील बिरति बहु करमा। निरत निरंतर सज्जन धरमा॥
THE SIXTH (छठ), IS TO PRACTICE SELF-CONTROL (दम), GOOD CHARACTER (सील), DETACHMENT (बिरति) FROM MANIFOLD ACTIVITIES (बहु करमा) AND ALWAYS (निरंतर) FOLLOW THE DUTIES AS GOOD SPIRITUAL (धरमा) PERSON (सज्जन).
7. सातवँ सम मोहि मय जग देखा। मोतें अधिक संत करि लेखा॥
THE SEVENTH (सातवँ) STEP IS TO PERCEIVE THE WORLD AS GOD HIMSELF (सम=EQUAL, मोहि=MINE) AND REGARD (कर=(SAINTS) ACT, लेखा=DO) THE SAINTS (संत) HIGHER (अधिक) THAN THE LORD (मो तें).
8. आठवँ जथालाभ संतोषा। सपनेहुं नहिं देखइ परदोषा॥
THE EIGHTH (आठवँ), IS A STATE (WHICH ONE ARRIVES AT WHEN ONE TRAVELS THE FIRST SEVEN STEPS) WHERE THERE IS NO DESIRE LEFT (संतोषा=(BE) CONTENTED), BUT THE GIFT OF PERFECT PEACE AND CONTENTMENT WITH WHATEVER ONE HAS (जथा=WHATEVER, लाभ=(WHATEVER) YOU GOT). (IN THIS STATE) ONE DOES NOT (नहिं) SEE (देखइ) FAULT IN OTHERS (पर=(IN) OTHERS, दोषा=FAULTS), EVEN IN A DREAM (सपनेहुं).
9. नवम सरल सब सन छलहीना। मम भरोस हिय हरष न दीना॥
IN THIS NINTH (नवम) STATE, ONE HAS FULL FAITH IN THE LORD, AND BECOMES (CHILD-LIKE) SIMPLE (सरल) WITH NO HYPOCRISY OR DECEIT (छल=DECEIPT, हीना=WITHOUT). THE DEVOTEE HAS STRONG FAITH (भरोस) IN THE LORD (मम) WITH NEITHER EXALTATION (हरष) OR DEPRESSION (दीना) (IN HEART (हिय) IN ANY LIFE CIRCUMSTANCE (BUT BECOMES EQUANIMOUS).
नव महुं एकउ जिन्ह कें होई। नारि पुरूष सचराचर कोई॥
सोइ अतिसय प्रिय भामिनी मोरे। सकल प्रकार भगति दृढ़ तोरे॥
O MY (मोरे) DEAR (प्रिय ) SISTER (भामिनी), YET IF ANYONE (नारि=WOMAN, पुरूष=MAN, सचराचर=LIVING BEING, कोई=ANY) WERE TO HAVE TAKEN (जिन्ह कें होई) EVEN ONE STEP (एकउ) TOWARDS DEVOTION, OUT OF ALL NINE (नव महुं), HE/SHE (सोइ) WOULD BE VERY DEAR (अतिसय प्रिय ) TO THE LORD. SHRI RAM ADDS THAT SHABRI’S BHAKTI IS PERFECTLY COMPLETE (सकल=ALL, प्रकार=(NINE) TYPES, भगति=DEVOTION, दृढ़=STRONGLY, तोरे =IN YOU)
video 1 < click to listen
video 2 < click to listen
Entire playlist of Navdha Bhakti 3 < click to listen
Read 1 < click to read
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- Divine Discourse, Feb 19, 1970.
Navdha bhakti explained by Sri Sathya Sai as follows:
The (first six of the nine) steps in the pilgrimage of man towards God along the path of dedication and surrender are:
(1) Developing a desire to listen to the glory and grandeur of the handiwork of God and of the various awe-inspiring manifestations of Divinity. It is by hearing about the Lord again and again, that we can transform ourselves into Divinity.
(2) Singing to oneself about the Lord, in praise of His magnificence and manifold exploits.
(3) Dwelling on the Lord in the mind, revelling in the contemplation of His beauty, majesty and compassion.
(4) Entering upon the worship of the Lord, by concentrating on honouring the feet or foot-prints.
(5) This develops into a total propitiation of the Lord, and systematic ritualistic worship, in which the aspirant gets inner satisfaction and inspiration.
(6) The aspirant begins to see the favourite Form of God, which one likes to worship, in all beings and all objects, wherever one turns, and hence develops an attitude of Vandana (reverence) towards nature and all life!
(7) Established in this bent of mind (of seeing the Lord in all), the devotee becomes the devoted servant of all, with no sense of superiority or inferiority. This is a vital step which presages great spiritual success.
(8) This takes the seeker so near the Lord that one feels like the comrade and friend, the sharer of God's power and mercy, of God's triumphs and achievement, one becomes His sakha like Arjuna had become.
(9) As can be inferred, this is the prelude to the final step of total surrender, or Atmanivedanam, yielding fully to the Will of the Lord which the seeker knows through one’s own purified intuition. You will note that the seventh step is dasyam (the servant stage). That is the stage of service, which every person calling oneself a social worker, or volunteer, or sevak has to reach. It is more fruitful than reciting the Name or counting beads, or spending hours in meditation, though one's service will be richer and more satisfying if done on the basis of spiritual discipline
Love for God must be manifested as love for man, and love must express itself as service. - Baba
Love for God must be manifested as love for man, and love must express itself as service. - Baba
Fill your hearts with pure love and surrender to God. Then, whatever you experience,good or bad is a gift from God. - Baba
- Divine Discourse, Feb 19, 1970.
