Bhajans evening from the Strilky Ashram
A fine shawl, a sacred motherland, a coach of the body, and a two-day meeting.
A bhajan says the body is a fine shawl dyed with God's name, woven on eight lotus chakras; saints keep it spotless. Mother India is like sandalwood, a land of penance and sacred duty. Dawn blows the conch, dusk sings a lullaby, and fortune is shaped by actions. Poets sing sacrifices, wisdom is pure as Ganga, soldiers chant Gita, goal is God-realization. The body is a coach pulled by ten horses, the ten shaktis, controlled by mind and intellect. Knowledge is light; the Atma sits inside with discernment. Five thieves—desire, anger, pride, greed, ego—seized the coach, made horses lose way. Gurudeva's arrow-word made them flee. In the coach are solar systems, five karmendriyas, five jnanendriyas, brahmanas. Through holy worship, joy is enjoyed in this body. Life is a two-day meeting: yesterday, today; tomorrow unknown. It is a play of coming and going; alone we came, are alone, go alone. Only karma, mantra, Gurudeva's light guide. Life flows like unholdable water; at end, no one helps. Meditate on God; dharma, dhairya, mitra, artha must be proved at right time.
“The soul of this country, Bhārata, is like chandan, like sandalwood.”
“The only thing that will go with us is our karma, our deeds. The power of the mantra and the light of Gurudeva—this will guide us.”
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
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Bhajan evening in the Strilky Ashram
The bhajan of the caged bird reflects the soul's entrapment in karmas and qualities. A bird confined in a cave endures great suffering, crying out with pain no one comprehends. This symbolizes the soul still bound. Pain is part of life, yet one day abiding in Sat Chit Ananda is certain. The bird, placed in a cage, lives a life no longer its own. Observers see beauty, but the existence is harsh. Never confine a creature; compassion means letting it remain free. The bhajan conveys unbearable suffering. How to open the cage? Humans are similarly caged, dispersed everywhere yet believing themselves at ease. Preoccupation with money and possessions conceals the inner cage. The bird, if free, would stand in a tree, questioning its placement by God. Another bhajan speaks of a girl locked in a cage for countless lifetimes, seeking her beloved husband. Without shame, she lived as a child unable to walk, unable to find the beloved. Eventually, she found the divine beloved and dissolved into the immortal, unborn one. Through bhajan, liberation is attained.
"The bird is held within, and its life is no longer its own."
"We too are inside a cage. What is that cage?"
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
Bhajan singing from Jadan
Archive 20230421 16 Edited
Musical recording.
Yuga Yuga Jivo Maheshwarananda
Archive 20240706 19 Edited
Musical recording.
Sataguru rakho laj hamari
A devotee pleads for the Satguru's protection and honor. The Guru's power is described as encompassing mighty forces while maintaining perfect stillness. The plea references a devotee seeking refuge, ultimately leaving other companionship. The speaker appeals for mercy, acknowledging it is now their turn for grace. Instructions are given for writing specific praises. A final verse invokes divine names and forms.
"You have encompassed the water and the elephant, and the water remained still."
"O Satguru, preserve my honor."
Filming location: Jadan, Rajasthan, India
