Bhakti Mantra: Narada Bhakti Sutra

Sutra 84. Ya Idam Naaradaproktam Sivaanusaasanam Viswasiti sraddhatte Sa Bhaktimaan Bhavati sa preshtam labhate sa preshtam labhate iti.

[He who believes and has faith in this auspicious teaching expounded by Narada becomes endowed with Bhakti and realises the most beloved Lord, attains the most beloved Lord.]

Ya: who

Idam: this

Naaradaproktam: recited by Narada

Sivaanusaasanam: auspicious teaching

Viswasati: believes

Shraddhate: practises with faith

Sah: he

Bhaktimaan: possessed of devotion

Bhavati: becomes

Preshtam: the most beloved Lord;

Labhate: realises, obtains

Sa: He

Prestham: the most beloved Lord

Labhate: attains

Iti: thus.

This is the Phala Sruti. What is got is the most beloved Lord. Preshta is the object of Love. It is used here as a synonym for the highest goal of human life.

Iti- thus. This word marks the end of the treatise.

Narada now describes the fruit of devotion. He says that he who believes, respects and practises these holy teachings originally laid down by the first Teacher of Bhakti, Lord Siva, enunciated and elaborated by Devarishi Narada, attains God in the form of the “Beloved.”

"Preshtam Labhate" or "the devotee attains his object of desire / love" is repeated twice in this sutra.

This is in line with the upanishad verse in Brahmananda Valli in Taittiriya upanishad which says that when one discovers / realizes Brahman as Sathyam, Jnanam and Anantam in the cave of his heart, along with the realization of Brahman, all his desires are at once fulfilled!!!

So, in the repetition of the line twice, perhaps, the hidden lesson for the Bhaktas who reach to this last verse of the sutra is as under:-

"When, in divine Love, absorbing and practicing and living as the essence of the sutras in this Bhakti treatise, one realizes his Loving God within his heart (1st preshtam labhate), along with that, he attains / gets all the objects of his desire (2nd preshtam labhate), where, the key or the punch expression taught by the author to a few in the taittiriya upanishad session is - "along with realization of God, all his desires are also attained simultaneously and at once - PROVIDED ---- ANY DESIRE IS STILL LEFT OUT UPON REALIZING GOD".

Chinmaya concludes this sutra with these lines, as though emerging from Lord supreme

“Though I am never loath to grant salvation,

I hesitate indeed to grant pure love,

He who wins pure love, surpasses all,

He is adored by men,

He triumphs over the three worlds”

Glory to the Lord ! Glory to Sage Narada !

Glory to all Saints, Bhaktas, Bhagavatas and Mahatmas and all realized masters, Glory to the path of Divine Love !

Om Tat Sat ! Om Santi, Santi, Santi !

Sutra 83. Ityevam vadanti janajalpanirbhayaa ekamataa kumaara vyaasa suka saandilya Garga Vishnu koundilya seshoddhava aruni bali hanoomad vibheeshanaadayo bhakta- achaarya.

[Thus, the teachers of devotion Sanatkumara. Vyasa, Suka, Saandilya, Garga, Vishnu, Koundillya, Sesha, Uddhava, Aruni, Bali, Hanuman, Vibheeshana etc., proclaim unanimously in this strain, without fear of the carping criticisms of men.]

Ityevam : in the manner described above,

Jana Jalpa Nirbhayaa: fearless of the prattle of people

Ekamatah: of unanimous opinion. Kumara, Vyasa, Suka, Sandilya, Garga, Vishnu, Kaundillya, Sesha, Uddhava, Aruni, Bali, Hanuman, Vibhishana and others Bhaktacharyaa: teachers of devotion

Vadanti: say, declare.

The names given above are of the highest personalities in the realm of devotees, who held the same view as the Rishi Narada on this subject.

They are not afraid of being criticised by anyone, because they have the inner conviction of spiritual experience.

Giving the reference of other principal teachers of the path of Bhakti, Narada strengthens his own point of view.

Kumara is Sanatkumara who was Guru of Narada. He is constantly engaged in the Japa of the Mantra, “Hari Saranam” (Refuge to Sri Hari). He is the prince among Bhaktas. He is one of the pioneers in the path of devotion.

Sandilya, the author of Sandilya Sutras is an Acharya in the path of Bhakti.

Garga is an ancient Rishi. He obtained knowledge of the 64 Vidyas from Siva Himself as a result of penance and worship. He performed the Namakarana ceremony of Sri Krishna. He knew Sri Krishna to be Parabrahman. He is a great authority on astrology. His teaching is recorded as Garga Samhita.

Maharishi Vishnu was a reputed author of Smriti. He was ever absorbed in meditation.

Lord Sesha is engaged day and night in singing the praises of Sri Hari through his thousand tongues. He is the teacher of servant-sentiment, Dasya Bhav.

Uddhava was the most intimate friend of Sri Krishna.

Aruni is Nimbarcharya who brought forth the idea of Radha-Krishna Love.

Bali was he very embodiment of the sentiment of self-surrender. Moved by his devotion Lord Hari had to undertake the duty of a watchman at his gate.

Hanuman is the greatest devotee. He had Dasya Bhav.

Vibheeshana gained the friendship of Lord Rama through Hanuman. All these Acharyas of Bhakti have established the supremacy of Bhakti through the examples of their lives.

This Sutra indicates that Bhakti is a practical method of approaching God which has been adopted with success by a good many devotees placed in different stations in life, that this treatise is a compendium of their views written by one who himself has practised what he preaches and that it is worth while to follow and profit by the teachings of these disinterested Masters of Bhakti.

With one more concluding Sutra, we will come to the end of this wonderful work - Narada Bhakti Sutra

Love.