Page 4 - August 2018 Newsletter

FOOD FOR THOUGHT :

Q & A

With

Mrs Asha Manoharan

Bhakti - Shravana Bhakti

Today, we are going to talk about Bhakti, in particular, Shravana Bhakti.
Many elders compare Shravana Bhakti to Shravana Homam, with the ears

performing the role of a Homa kundam, and good messages or chants are like
the Samith we offer to the Homam. These good messages would help ignite

and sustain the fire of Bhakti, which would eventually merge with the Para-
matman within each one of us.

Why do we give so much importance to Shravana Bhakti? Traditionally, our
society has progressed by listening and learning from narratives found in

Hindu texts, such as the Vedic literature, epics like Mahabharata and

Ramayana, and the Puranas. The combination of this spiritual content along

with Bhakti, become like the havis (oblations offered to God) in a Homam.
Elders also emphasize that this form of Bhakti is an effective path to attain

Moksha.
In this regard, I would like to highlight two examples of Shravana Bhakti from

our mythology.
One example is that of Saint Uthangar in Mahabharat. Uthangar was a close

friend of Lord Krishna and had supreme devotion towards him. In one of their
conversations, Uthangar asks Lord Krishna about the path to Moksha. Lord

Krishna explains that being exposed to spiritual learnings as part of a
satsang (religious gathering) is the ideal way to attain Moksha.

Another example is that of King Parikshit in Mahabharat. When Parikshit was
travelling through a forest, he saw a sage deep in penance. He found a dead

snake near the sage and wrapped it as a garland around him. When the
sage’s son came to know about the incident, he cursed Parikshit that he
would die in 7 days from a snake bite. Having heard this, Parikshit ap-

proached Sage Sukhadev (son of Veda Vyasa) for possible remedy from this

curse. Sage Sukhadev advised Parikshit that there is no remediation from
this curse, and that he should use the remaining time he has, to listen to
verses from Bhagavata Purana. In this manner, Sage Sukha guided Parikshit

towards the path of Shravana Bhakti, as a medium to attain Moksha.

In summary, we should strive to assimilate the essence of our Puranas with
Bhakti in our hearts, to get closer to the Paramatman within, and achieve
Moksha. Even a small step in this direction on a daily basis, will help bring a

positive outlook to the day.

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