On Doing Bhajanam in Guruvayur Temple

A message originally posted in guruvayur@yahoogroups.com

Dear Sir͵
I have spent a considerable amount of time doing bhajanam in the temple. I give below my very humble but true-to experience suggestions.

1) Bhajanam is not an easy job & is particularly challenging in a place like Guruvayur. Except when it is heavily raining͵ the crowd would be invariably huge. All types of characters will be there. You have to take special effort to close ur eyes & ears to all distractions and to concentrate on ur Japa sadhana.
2) The platform near the bookstall & Adhyatmic hall͵ is the only place inside the temple where you can meditate undisturbed.
3) During my stay͵ I have not seen any of the Nambudiris & Iyers doing Sandhyavandanam inside the temple at the proper twilight time (Apologies if I hurt anyone with my plain speaking) So the authorities too have not provided any facility for this. I need not emphasize the importance of timely Sandhyavandanam & Gayatri japam in any devotional activity. As for me͵ I give arghyam in a corner near the western nada. For further Gayatri japam I again sit in the platform mentioned earlier.

4) If you are planning to visit alone, then getting accommodation would be a great challenge. Of course you will see lots of lodges but they are run by materialistic people. The local administration has given strict orders not to give rooms to single people (for fear of them committing suicide there). They use this excuse to either refuse you accommodation altogether͵ or͵ if you show your credentials and somehow convince them that you are not visiting to commit suicide͵ then to extort a higher rent from you. The Devaswom guest houses are also meant only for families or for moneyed visitors. In my experience there is one lodge very close to the temple where you can get tolerable accommodation at budget rates. It is called Guru kripa lodge.

5) Some very devoted, highly blessed people visit this temple. If you keep your eyes closed to the distractions you can take note of them and get their acquaintance. Which is the highest blessing in kali yuga.

All my wishes to your spiritual quest!

Regards͵
Hari

VSN helped me deal with the Huge Queues awaiting darshan in the Guruvayur temple

There will always be huge crowds queuing outside the Guruvayur temple, waiting for the darshanam. In such situations, I have found that a simple remedy has been of great benefit to me, in passing the time and in overcoming tiredness/boredom while waiting the queue. Whenever I stand in the queue and mentally recite the Vishnu Sahasranamam while pondering the meanings of the nama-s, I have found that the crowd moves forward quickly, allowing me to have darshanam in quick time. I found this working, not once or twice, but many times. Whenever I was travelling in a crowded bus, the same simple remedy has fetched me comfortable seat/accommodation in quick time. The key thing here is, "pondering on the meanings of the nama-s", and connecting them with that eternal, all pervasive Para Brahman, as stated by the Bhagavad Gita. When I come to think of it - as the Brahma Sutras state - "Athaatho Brahma Jijnaasa" - so isn't this meditation on VSN naamas, one way of performing Brahma Jijnaasa too?

Ramana Maharshi on the exalted Gayatri mantram

Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi on the exalted Gayatri mantram.

Another visitor asked: What should we do to make the mind still?

Sri Bhagavan: First let the mind be caught hold of and brought here; then we shall consider ways and means of stilling it.

Devotee: I meant so say that it is always changing -- even when we our japa.

Maharshi: Japa is meant only for stilling the mind.

Devotee: What Japa is good for it?

Maharshi: Anything suitable, such as Gayatri.

Devotee; Will Gayatri do?

Maharshi: Can anything excel it? Only those who cannot do it look for others. It contains the whole range of truth in it. Chanting will lead to dhyana and it is the means for realizing the Self.

Devotee: Will half an hour a day do for it?

Maharshi: It must be done always or as long as you can.

[Talks No. 322, 7th Jan. 1937]

* * * Gayatri Mantra Japa * * *

Mr. Venkatakrishnayya, a lawyer-devotee, visited Sri Bhagavan ten years before and asked Him what he should do to improve himself.

Sri Bhagavan told one devotee to perform Gayatri Japa.

The young man went away satisfied. When he returned after some years, he asked: Q .: If I meditate on the meaning of the Gayatri mantra, my mind again wanders. What is to be done?

Ramana Maharshi :
Were you told to meditate on the mantra or its meaning? You must think of the one who repeats the mantra.

~ Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi,606

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Q: How should I carry on japa?

Sri Ramana Maharshi :

One should not use the name of God mechanically and superficially without the feeling of devotion.

Q: So mechanical repetition is unproductive?

Sri Ramana Maharshi :

Acute diseases will not be cured merely by repeating the name of the medicine but only by drinking the medicine.

Similarly, the bonds of birth and death will not cease merely by doing many repetitions of mahavakyas such as `I am Siva'. Instead of wandering about repeating `I am the supreme', abide as the supreme yourself.

The misery of birth and death will not cease by vocally repeating countless times `I am that', but only by abiding as that.

~ From Be as you are book

Q: It is said in Aparoksha Anubhuti that hatha yoga is a necessary aid for enquiry into the Self.

Sri Ramana Maharshi :

The hatha yogis claim to keep the body fit so that the enquiry may be conducted without obstacles.

They also say that life must be prolonged so that the enquiry may be carried to a successful end.

Furthermore there are those who use some medicines [kayakalpa] with that end in view.

Their favourite example is that the screen must be perfect before the painting is begun.

Yes, but which is the screen and which the painting ?

According to them the body is the screen and the enquiry
into the Self is the painting.

But is not the body itself a picture on the screen, the Self ?

Q: But hatha yoga is so much spoken of as an aid.

Sri Ramana Maharshi :

Yes. Even great pandits well versed in the vedanta continue the practice of it. Otherwise their minds will not subside. So you may say it is useful for those who cannot otherwise still the mind.

~ From Be as you are book