What is the Method for Chanting and Japa?
Concept: Puri Peethadhishwar Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Nishchalananda Saraswati Ji Maharaj
Credits: Sandeep Sehgal Ji
Kirtana can be done with Ishwara’s names like Rama, Shiva, Krushna. Hare Krushna Hare Krushna Krushna Krushna Hare Hare; Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare or Govind Jai Jai, Gopal Jai Jai. There are many more as per the traditional prescription.
But sounds like “Aum” is the essence of Vedas and contains a lot of power. Those who get authorization by Shastra and traditions, they can recite and digest these sounds. It is written in the Manusmriti; by taking the name in long and high volume, the ‘Manorajya’ (imagination through thoughts) is pacified. When Manorajya is pacified, then the consciousness of a person acquires the ability to speak it in such a volume that he only is able to listen to the same. Then reciting that continuously, he gets more ability that the ‘Vaak’ (speech) gets merged with sense and then mind. Then recite it inside, one can take it to intellect.
This is the prescribed order to perform Japa, which is called ‘Para, Pashyanti, Madhyamaa, Vaikhari’ in the Scriptures. All these are types of Vaani (types of articulation). ‘Vaikhari Vaani’ means reciting the name while speaking it. When one recites the name by speaking it while doing ‘Samkirtan’ then the mind stays focused.
Recite in a long voice, it helps in controlling the Manorajya. That’s why it is written by Charandas Ji: “Aath Maas Mukh So Jape, Solah Maas Kanth Jaap.” Recite it through the mouth for eight months, speak it, do the Kirtan for sixteen months, double the period, take the mind to the throat and recite there and for thirty-two months, recite while taking the mind to the position of the heart.
Acharyas don’t respond to this in the gathering because it is a matter of prayer. For sixty-four months, take the mind to the belly button and recite while it is attached there. Then Charandas Ji has said, “Rag Rag Bole Rama.” From every vein of the body, the name of Lord Rama will be so inter-fused that recitation will happen itself automatically. Now look into this: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and so on. 1, 2, 4, 8 divide the minutes in this ratio. For one minute, recite it through the mouth, for 2 minutes, make it lower, through lips so that is heard to self. Then take the mind to the throat and mix it with voice. Then take it to heart, then to belly-button.
There was one Saint in Vrindavan. He was called “Phool chor Baba” Saint Who Steals Flowers,
He was from Multan. He was very fair, left his body at the age of 110. But he didn’t tell anyone about himself and his concern. There is a garden of Bihari Ji in Vrindavan. He used to steal flowers and offer to Bihari Ji, that’s why he was called “Phool chor”. If anyone gave him flowers, even if a variety of flowers and in good numbers, he would throw all of them and would like to steal the flowers, and only then would offer it to Bhagwan. People used to beat him but still, he used to steal the flowers somehow getting into the garden.
He once told an anecdote; Once he was on the bank of River Narmada sometime during his youth and was a saint. Another saint was lying having his head or feet towards the Narmada during the evening. He asked him, “O Baba! You are sleeping at the banks of Narmada in the evening. Get up. Why don’t you do Bhajan? For this only have you become a Baba?” The other Baba smiled but didn’t say anything. He asked him twice, thrice. Then the other Baba pointed out, “put your ears here, he was pointing out at various parts of his body.
Phool chor Baba did exactly as told and wherever he would put his ears; he heard the voice “Raaaama…Raaaama”. He told this incident to Puri Shankaracharya Mahabhag; the other Baba said, “I hope you have understood how I do my Bhajan.”
That’s why the Mahatmas used to say, “Suraj Dhalta na Dikhe, Badhti Dikhe na Bel, Sadhu Bhajan Karta na Dikhe, Yeh Kudrat ka Khel.”
The sun goes slowly towards sunset, from sunrise to sunset and then from sunset to sunrise but this happens very slowly. A vine grows, keeps growing every moment. Similar is the case with our nails, those too grow every moment to the extent those can but we don’t realize it.
After one or two months, we realize that our nails have grown. If we get our haircut, after fifteen days, we feel that these have grown in such a shorter time. These grow every moment.
So, in the case with Bhajan, even if a saint doesn’t appear to be doing Bhajan but internally, Bhajan is working within him. So initially do the Samkirtan of the name of Bhagwan in loud voice, from that gradually comes the ability to control the ‘Manas’ (mind), if we pronounce it slowly through lips only, then only we would be able to hear it only and not others. Then take it to the throat and then mix it with voice and then recite. Then gradually move it to the heart and then take your focus to the belly-button. If we keep doing this, then devotion will develop.
Narayana !!!
