नवधा भक्तिः — Nine-fold Devotion in Umāsahasram of Vasishtha Ganapati Muni
Umāsahasram is a magnificent poem in praise of the Divine Mother in the form of Umā. This poem has one thousand verses organised in forty sections called stabakas of twenty-five verses each. This is the magnum opus of the Muni which he composed as an expression of his gratitude to Umā for giving him Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi as his Guru. The entire Umāsahasram was composed in twenty days. As a part of his tapas the Muni had revised this poem seven times. A copy of the final text in Ganapati Muni’s own handwrting was presented to Sri Aurobindo before they met on 15 August 1928. After going through the entire Umāsahasram Sri Aurobindo had said — ‘A Super-human performance’. Indeed, Umāsahasram is a living synthesis of the Veda, the Upanishads and the Tantra, built out of the lifelong realization of the Muni.
Brahmarshi Kapali Shastri, one of the greatest disciples of the Muni who later settled in Sri Aurobindo Ashram, wrote a wonderful Sanskrit commentary on Umāsahasram called prabhā. It is here Brahmarshi Kapali Shastri has brought out the secrets of many verses which an ordinary reader may miss.
In the 29th stabaka of Umāsahasram (composed in a seven syllable meter called madalekhā), the Muni offers his devotion to Umā through नवधा भक्तिः or the Nine-fold Devotion.
As per the bhakti tradition, there are nine different types of bhakti (नवधा भक्तिः — Nine-fold Devotion). These are:
श्रवण — Listening
कीर्तन — Singing
स्मरण — Remembering
पादसेवन — Serving the feet
अर्चन — Worshipping
वन्दन — Bowing
दास्य — Serving
सख्य — Friendship
आत्मनिवेदन — Self-giving
The verses in which the Muni presents the nine-fold devotion are presented here with their meanings and little additional notes. Each of the nine verses presented here is dedicated to one type of devotion.
- श्रवणम् śravaṇam or listening (Umāsahasram 29.2)
नात्यर्घाणि निरर्थं नेतव्यानि दिनानि ।
अम्बायाश्चरितानि श्रोतव्यान्यनघानि ॥
nātyarghāṇi nirarthaṃ netavyāni dināni .
ambāyāścaritāni śrotavyānyanaghāni ..
अत्यर्घाणि दिनानि atyarghāṇi dināni — priceless days
निरर्थं nirarthaṃ — uselessly
न नेतव्यानि na netavyāni — ust not be wasted
अम्बायाः ambāyāḥ — of the Mother
अनघानि चरितानि anaghāni caritāni — the holy deeds
श्रोतव्यानि śrotavyāni — must be listened to
One’s priceless days must not be wasted uselessly; the holy deeds of the Mother must be listened to again and again.
Each moment is precious if it is spent rightly. What can be more precious than listening to the glorious stories of the of the Divine Mother! Every single word describing Her deeds fills the entire being through the ears with droplets of amrita. This is how not just the shravaṇendriya or the ears but the entire being reverberates with those Divine sounds. And one becomes gathered in adoration of the Divine Mother.
2. कीर्तनम् kīrtanam — Singing the glories of the Divine (Umāsahasram, 29.3)
उद्योगं कुरु जिह्वे संहर्तुं दुरितानि।
पूतान्यद्रिसुतायाः कीर्त्यन्तां चरितानि ॥
udyogaṃ kuru jihve saṃhartuṃ duritāni.
pūtānyadrisutāyāḥ kīrtyantāṃ caritāni ..
हे जिह्वे he jihve — O tongue
दुरितानि duritāni — the errors
संहर्तुम् saṃhartum — to erase
उद्योगं कुरु udyogaṃ kuru — exert yourself
अद्रिसुतायाः adrisutāyāḥ — of the Daughter of the Mountain
पूतानि चरितानि pūtāni caritāni — the holy deeds
कीर्त्यन्ताम् kīrtyantām — laud/sing
O tongue, exert yourself to remove or erase all errors resulting from bad deeds. Sing uninterruptedly the glories of the holy deeds of the Divine Mother Uma, the daughter of the Mountain Himalaya.
To be safe and well protected and well led on the path of sadhana, there is not better way than singing the glories of the Divine Mother. Constant utterance of the names of the Divine Mother and celebrating Her Divine deeds, vibrations of power and purity are released which wipe out the grooves of past karma, of all that has been committed in ignorance. By constant repetition of the names of the Divine Mother and singing Her glories the Speech gets purified, the entire being reverberates with the purity of the Divine vibration and becomes pure. And then one becomes a perfect channel for the Divine energy to flow through his/her entire being.
3. स्मरणम् smaraṇam — Constant Remembrance (Umāsahasram, 29.4)
श्रीसक्तिर्विनिवार्या चिन्ता काऽपि न कार्या ।
नित्यं चेतसि धार्या दीनानां गतिरार्या ॥
śrīsaktirvinivāryā cintā kā’pi na kāryā
nityaṃ cetasi dhāryā dīnānāṃ gatirāryā ..
श्रीसक्तिः śrīsaktiḥ — Attachment to wealth
विनिवार्या vinivāryā — To be avoided
न कापि चिन्ता na kāpi cintā — no worries
कार्या kāryā — to be allowed
दीनानां dīnānāṃ — Of the weak
गतिः gatiḥ — Refuge
आर्या āryā — The Noble Divine Mother
नित्यं nityaṃ — Always
चेतसि cetasi — In the mind
धार्या dhāryā — to be held
Avoid all kinds of attachment to wealth; do not allow any worry to disturb you; And always hold in mind the noble Divine Mother who is the refuge of the utterly weak.
Constant remembrance of the Divine Mother not only brings the seeker close to the Her but brings silence and purity to the mind that is affected by the दोष doṣa-s or faults of विक्षेप vikṣepa or dispursion, मल mala or dirt, and आवरण āvaraṇa or veil. It is easy to concentrate on the Divine when mind is in peace. The mind gets affected by the faults because of the attachment to the material wealth of all kinds. So to become close to the Divine it is necessary to avoid that attachment which keeps the one immersed in worldly pursuits; this bondage must be sundered. The mind must not be allowed to be distracted or agitated; it must be kept free from all worries. Then it is possible to remember the Divine constantly and steadily. It’s in this state of constant remembrance that one is capable of doing the दिव्यं कर्म divyaṃ karma or the Divine work.
4. पादसेवनम् pādasevanam — Serving the Feet (Umāsahasram 29.7)
येषां स्यात् परितप्तं प्रायश्चित्तमघेन ।
रुद्राणीपदसेवा प्रायश्चित्तममीषाम् ।।
yeṣāṃ syāt paritaptaṃ prāyaścittamaghena .
rudrāṇīpadasevā prāyaścittamamīṣām ..
प्रायः prāyaḥ — Mostly
येषां yeṣāṃ — of those
चित्तम् cittam — Mind
अघेन aghena — because of errors/faults
परितप्तं paritaptaṃ — distressed
स्यात् syāt — is
अमीषाम् amīṣām — of these
रुद्राणीपदसेवा rudrāṇīpadasevā — serving the feet of the Divine Mother
प्रायश्चित्तम् prāyaścittam — is the way to expiation
For those whose mind is distressed due to wrong actions, service of the Feet of Divine Mother (Shakti of Rudra) is the way to purify oneself.
Man keeps committing errors after errors because of the default nature of the various aspects of its consciousness. Mind, for example, is the most dubious instrument that in its impure state keeps misleading and forces the man to commit errors. And accumulated errors create the destiny of the man. The Muni says here that serving the feet of the Divine Mother can make one free from these committed errors and purify the mind.
Serving the feet demands full concentration of the mind and complete surrender. And these are the means to purify oneself and empower the inner faculties to work steadily from the higher states of consciousness. Any action performed from the higher state of consciousness is not only free from errors, but has the power to remove the all that results wrong actions of the past.
5. अर्चनम् arcanam — Worshipping (Umāsahasram, 29.10)
शर्वाणीचरणार्चापीठं पीवरकाणाम् ।
वध्यस्थानमिदं स्यादुग्राणां दुरितानाम् ॥
śarvāṇīcaraṇārcāpīṭhaṃ pīvarakāṇām .
vadhyasthānamidaṃ syādugrāṇāṃ duritānām ..
इदम् idam — this
शर्वाणीचरणार्चापीठम् śarvāṇīcaraṇārcāpīṭham — the pedestal (pīṭham) for worshiping (arcā) the Feet (caraṇa) of Sharvani or the shakti of Shiva
पीवरकाणाम् pīvarakāṇām — of large or huge
उग्राणाम् ugrāṇām — aggressive
दुरितानाम् duritānām — wrong deeds
वध्यस्थानम् vadhyasthānam — place of killing
स्यात् syāt — becomes or is
The very pedestal used for worshiping the Feet of the Divine Mother Sharvani becomes the place of killing for all the result emerging from the huge and aggressive bad deeds.
We, because of our submission to ignorance, keep committing many bad deeds, the result of which becomes our misfortune. When we realize this at some point of time we have no clue how to get rid of the bondage. The sure way of becoming free from this is to take refuge at the Lotus-feet of the Divine Mother and worship the feet with all devotion and sincerity. When there is much concentration and feeling of the living presence of the Divine everything becomes charged with the vibrations of that presence. The Divine presence then manifests and accepts the worship. In the presence of the Divinity all the terrible karma vanishes and one becomes free from the bondage of these accumulated aggressive and wrong actions. Archanam or worship with sincere devotion and concentration is a powerful means to identify oneself with the Divine Mother.
6. वन्दनम् vandanam — Bowing in adoration (Umāsahasram 29.17)
पादाम्भोजमुमायाः प्राज्ञास्सम्प्रणमन्तः ।
गृह्णन्ति श्रियमस्मिन् राजन्तीं निजशक्त्या ॥
pādāmbhojamumāyāḥ prājñāssampraṇamantaḥ .
gṛhṇanti śriyamasmin rājantīṃ nijaśaktyā ..
उमायाः umāyāḥ — of Umā
पादाम्भोजम् pādāmbhojam — the Lotus Feet
सम्प्रणमन्तः sampraṇamantaḥ — bowing down in submission
प्राज्ञाः prājñāḥ — the enlightened ones
निजशक्त्या nijaśaktyā — as per one’s inner capacity
अस्मिन् asmin — in this (Feet-Lotus)
राजन्तीं rājantīṃ — shining or glowing
श्रियम् śriyam — light and prosperity
गृह्णन्ति gṛhṇanti — receive
Bowing (in adoration) to the Lotus Feet of Uma, the wise, by their inherent power, draw the prosperity glowing in Her Feet.
The wise or the enlightened one being aware of the supreme power of the Divine Mother bow down at Her Lotus Feet in conscious submission. He remembers Her infinite glories and his heart become filled with total devotion and his entire being becomes channel of adoration of the Divine Mother. In that state there is much receptivity and because of there takes place an effortless drawing of the forces of prosperity and wealth from the Feet. It happens spontaneously. And depending upon the inner capacity, the wise is capable of manifesting that much of Divine glow and prosperity in him. This is the power of vandanam.
7. दास्यम् dāsyam — State of being a Faithful and Sincere Servant (Umāsahasram 29.19)
कालस्यापि विजेतुः शर्वाण्याश्चरणस्य ।
एषोऽहं कविलोकक्ष्मापालोऽस्मि भुजिष्यः॥
kālasyāpi vijetuḥ śarvāṇyāścaraṇasya .
eṣo’haṃ kavilokakṣmāpālo’smi bhujiṣyaḥ..
कालस्य अपि kālasya api — even of Death
विजेतुः vijetuḥ — conqueror
शर्वाण्याः śarvāṇyāḥ — Sharvani’s (of the shakti of Shiva)
चरणस्य caraṇasya — of the feet
भुजिष्यः bhujiṣyaḥ — servant
एषः अहं eṣaḥ ahaṃ — this (myself)
कवि-लोक-क्ष्मा-पालः अस्मि kavi-loka-kṣmā-pālaḥ asmi — the emperor of the world of poets
The feet of the Divine Mother has the power to conquer even Death. By serving Her Feet as a faithful and sincere servant (bhujiṣya) I have become the monarch of the world of poets.
The Feet of the Divine Mother are immensely powerful and have complete control even over the all-powerful Death. The poet here says that by virtue of his service to these Feet, he has become pre-eminent among all poets. Such is the power of serving the Divine Mother as a faithful and sincere servant.
8. सख्यम् sakhyam — State of being a Comrade (Umāsahasram, 29.20)
रक्ते दर्शय रागं रुद्राणीपदपद्मे।
चेतः पुष्यति शोभां सारस्सारवतोऽग्रे ॥
rakte darśaya rāgaṃ rudrāṇīpadapadme.
cetaḥ puṣyati śobhāṃ sārassāravato’gre ..
चेतः cetaḥ — O Mind!
रक्ते रुद्राणी-पदपद्मे rakte rudrāṇīpadapadme — In the red colored Lotus Feet of Rudrani
रागं rāgaṃ — Reddening Love
दर्शय darśaya — Show
सारवतः अग्रे sāravataḥ agre — In the presence of the strong
सारः sāraḥ — Strength
शोभां पुष्यति śobhāṃ puṣyati — Glows
O Mind! Show your reddening love for the red colored lotus like feet of the Divine Mother Rudrani. In the presence of the Strong strength glows and gets nourished.
Sakhyam is to have friendship with the Divine. The poet here says that the mind must turn to the Lotus Feet of the Divine Mother with the intensity of the love of a friend. This was the mind glows and gets nourished drawing the glow and the strength from the Lotus Feet of the Rudrani which is the source of all glows and strength. When the mind with its reddening love is in tune with the red colored Lotus like Feet of the Divine Mother, there grows the friendship.
9. आत्मनिवेदनम् ātmanivedanam — Self-surrender to the Divine (Umāsahasram, 29.21)
संशोध्यागमजालं सारांशं प्रवदामः ।
स्कन्दाम्बापदभक्तिर्भुक्त्यै चाथ विमुक्त्यै ।।
saṃśodhyāgamajālaṃ sārāṃśaṃ pravadāmaḥ .
skandāmbāpadabhaktirbhuktyai cātha vimuktyai ..
आगमजालं āgamajālaṃ — All āgamas
संशोध्य saṃśodhya — Having examined
सारांशं sārāṃśaṃ — The essence
प्रवदामः pravadāmaḥ — We say
स्कन्दाम्बा-पदभक्तिः skandāmbā-padabhaktiḥ — Devotion in the Feet of the Divine Mother
भुक्त्यै bhuktyai — Is for true enjoyment
अथ विमुक्त्यै च atha vimuktyai ca — And for the release
Having delving deep into the web of āgamas we declare the essence of it as follows: devotion in the Feet of the Mother of Skanda results in both true enjoyment and release.
The whole of the Vedic, Tantrik and the other philosophical texts and traditions might have spoken variously at various places about the various aspects of the Truths, but a complete Self-surrender to the Divine is, indeed the key to the right bhukti or enjoyment and mukti or the liberation from all limitations. It is by giving oneself completely to the Divine Mother, the mother of skanda that one can become free from all that binds and limits. All the purushārthas are fulfilled with ātmanivedanam.
