The Emperor of Sweetness
by Rukmini Walker
Below is a blog called Madhurastakam: One of the Best Divine Prayers, complied by and reprinted from Speaking Tree, with beautiful pictures of Krsna, the Madhurastakam prayer in Sanskrit and English, along with a recording of it. So beautiful!!! I hope you too enjoy it. ~ All the best RukminiMadhurashtakam : Adharam Madhuram -
Stotra on Sri Krishna
Madhurashtakam by Vallabhacharya
--> to listen to the audio/video version of the Madhurashtakam, click here <--
The Madhurasthakam, composed by Sri Vallabhacharya (1478 A.D), is a unique stotra, describing the Sweetness of Lord Sri Krishna. Madhurashtakam was originally written in Sanskrit and is easily understood. Only one word, madhuram, is repeated seven times each in this ashtakam (poem with eight verses)!
The Madhurasthakam uses just one adjective, “madhuram”, meaning sweet or beautiful etc., to describe the lovely attributes of Lord Sri Krishna’s beautiful form, who is the master of Sweetness and Sweetness personified. It is evident from the ashtakam that the devotee is fascinated to have a look at not only the beautiful divine sweet form [sarvanga sundara rupam] of Lord Krishna but also the very existence of the Lord — by way of His moves, plays, pastimes, etc.
Thus says the devotee: “The Lord of Mathura, Krishna, is sweet, sweet and nothing but sweet! Even ambrosia and nectar may satiate after some time, but concerning the sweetness of the Divine Lord, one cannot have enough of it. Krishna’s lips are very sweet, his beautiful face is sweet, his beautiful black eyes with sidelong glances are sweet, his enchanting smile is even sweeter, his love-sports are sweet and his three-fold bend form is very sweet. O Lord of sweetness, everything about You is completely sweet, You are sweetness personified.”
Vallabhaacharya (1479-1531) A famous 16th century sage philosopher of India and great devotee of Lord Krishna. He was born in Champaran near Raipur in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Vallabha is regarded as an acharya and guru within the Vaishnava traditions of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Within Indian Philosophy he is known as the writer of sixteen ‘stotras’ (tracts) and produced several commentaries on the Bhagavata Purana, which describes the many lilas (pastimes) of the Avatar, Lord Sri Krishna.
Many of his pieces involve praise of Lord Krishna, especially in the form of a boy. Some works include Vyasa Sutra Bhashya, Jaimini Sutra Bhasya, Bhagavata Tika Subodhini, Pushti Pravala Maryada and Siddhanta Rahasya, all in Sanskrit. He has written many books in Brij Bhasha as well.
compiled by : Ram Singhal
Singing rounds in Cathedral Woods
By Rukmini Walker
My husband and I just spent the last five days visiting my sister Susan, and her husband George, in central coastal Maine, along with our son, Gaura Vani, his wife, Vrindavani, and their kids Revati, Kairava, and Kirtan. While we were there we took a boat across the bay of Maine to Monhegan Island. On the island is a magical forest called, Cathedral Woods where visitors and hikers create hundreds of fairy houses from acorns, ferns, and other various flora. While in the "greenwood", the kids were inspired to create a multicultural celebration-singing rounds, including In the Greenwood, Dona Nobis Pacem, and Dance Radha Krsna Dance.Click here to see video clip of the whole family singing rounds -- part 1Click below to see video clip part 2 - a celebration of singing rounds![video width="224" height="128" mp4="http://www.urbandevi.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/VIDEO-2019-08-17-02-12-33.mp4"][/video]
Meeting Our Emotions
by: Rambhoru Dasi
Sometimes, in the interests of spiritual development, practitioners avoid, suppress, or disconnect from their feelings viewing them as taboo. They may even be self-critical or judgmental of themselves or others for having “negative” emotions. The trouble with these attitudes is that they prevent us from perceiving the valuable information our emotions carry with them.
Our emotions help us know whether we can trust our environment or other people. They help us discern our personal nature, inclinations and preferences. They can rouse us into action, inspire us to pause to reflect or get us to notice a potential problem and resolve it before it manifests.
Emotional cognizance or awareness means to be able to identify what we are feeling in any given moment. For example, when we start a sentence with “I feel….” and there’s no feeling word in the sentence, pause and become curious. What is the feeling word that captures the essence of your experience? Then ask, “What does my feeling mean? Is it inviting me to change my behavior or attitude in some way?”
One of the qualities of the Supreme Lord is that He is All-cognizant. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word “cognizance” as “knowledge, awareness or noticing”.
Srila Prabhupada explains, “We are also cognizant (aware), and God is also cognizant (aware)... He is also a person. I am also a person.” (purport, Bhagavad-gita, 3.17). As individual persons we each have our unique natures and preferences.
Being truly aware of ourselves requires us to be able to grasp the information our emotions bring and to skillfully respond to that information in ways that transform our attitude and behavior to align with our essential spiritual nature; sat (eternal), chit (knowledge or awareness) and ananda (bliss or joy). When we keep in view our goal of loving the Lord unconditionally we can utilize the information provided by our emotions to guide our transformation.
Self-Realization literally means the “fulfillment of oneself by the possibilities of one’s character or personality” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). To that end, “The mind should be fixed in self. We are self, and Kṛṣṇa is also Self.” (Bhagavad-gita 6.25-29 purport). The closer we align with our essential spiritual nature, the more we will experience ourselves as whole and undivided.
That’s called integrity!
The Art of Dying
--by Rukmini Walker
To listen to the audio format of this blog, please click below.
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My mother, Edith, died last Wednesday. I was with her, almost at the moment. I had the chance to garland her with my sacred tulsi neck beads and anoint her body with sacred oil from Lord Nrsimhadev in Sridham Mayapur.
She was ninety-one years old and suffering from the debilitating disease of old age and some degree of dementia. Just a year ago, she was so happy when her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren all gathered to celebrate her ninetieth birthday.
But now, she was depressed, angry and unable to change her perspective on her life’s situation. She did not have the gift of faith. Which one of us can really change the patterns of a lifetime in the last moments of life?
For so long she’d been saying that she just wanted to die. The day before her death, she was chanting it repeatedly, like a mantra, “I just want to die, I just want to die, I just want to die…” I told her, “You are dying, we all are. But now you can choose to die in a mood of gratitude for your life, or you can die as a bitter and angry old woman.” She was not able to hear that, or anything but the voice of her anger.
I was with her in her last days. Trying to be of some comfort, chanting to her. Sometimes she would get angry at me for that, sometimes I could get her to say, “Hare Krsna”. She was rudderless in the sea of her misery, unable to hold onto anything of substance, unable to see that there is any real eternal substance beyond this world of suffering.
She was not afraid of death. She could not even think or reach that far. In yoga, we learn that we should try to live, ‘in the moment’. But that means in the moment of remembrance of ourselves as atma, as spirit; in connectivity to the Supreme, the Paramatma.
She was living in darkness, ‘in the moment’ of her own lamentation and frustration, in the same way that someone in passion might commit violence ‘in the moment’ of hot-blooded anger. Each moment is a gift. Each of us can choose how we want to utilize that gift. We didn’t know she had so little time. None of us know how little time we have.
What is the art of dying? Bhagavad Gita says:
yam yam vapi smaran bhavan
tyajaty ante kalevaram
tam tam evaiti kaunteya
sada tad-bhava-bhavitah
Translation: Whatever state of being one remembers when she quits her present body, in her next life she will attain to that state without fail. (Bg 8.6)
In our lives, we create patterns. We can learn to choose where to place our minds, our hearts, our destiny…
All the best,
Rukmini Walker
Madhava's Lullaby by Jahnavi Harrison
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Open-Hearted Men
by Rukmini Walker
When I began writing this blog for our Urban Devi website, it was with the intention to uplift the often unheard voices of the Vaisnavis: women aspiring toward the path of Bhakti Yoga. That is, connecting to the Divine through the path of love in action, or serving in devotion.
Throughout history, in all cultures, both secular and spiritual, the voices of women have been fewer than those of the men. But I’ve always loved and sought out the poignancy of the voices of women - on all spiritual paths-in their poetry, their personal journals, and in all their writings.
This intention remains our focus. But I have to say, that so often it is open-hearted men who respond so gratefully to these posts we share.
In my personal life and in this community of Urban Devi, I have to express my deep gratitude for the open-hearted men, who, although male in gender, embody the compassionate qualities of the sacred feminine in their lives and in their actions.
I have to say, I would be remiss to not recognize them-both the great teachers, as well as those kind and tender-hearted men who are new to the path. Thank you, dear readers! We honor you all. Your names are too numerous to mention!
In the past, I’ve been called out for posting deep and wise thoughts written by men. After all, this is supposed to be a site written for women, by women!
But I just want to share with all of you that I will continue to share deep wisdom that resonates with Bhakti principles-whether it comes from a man or a woman, whether it comes from someone on the path of Bhakti, or someone of another tradition who shares the same realizations and goals.
Pure Bhakti is defined in the Srimad Bhagavatam as love of God in service, without ulterior motives for any particular payback in return.
I am Yours! Please give me the understanding of how I can love You more fully! How I can serve You better with my body, mind and soul?
This is the beautiful path of Bhakti. Like fire, when it touches us, we know!
All the best,
Rukmini Walker
Happy Black-eyed Susans and Unconditional Love
By Pranada Comtois
I treasure Black-eyed Susan’s cheerful orange-yellow glow. They have a fire for life but not without graceful countenance. Spritely, joyful Susan’s deserve larger vases. When I must discard my yellow bundles of love, I put them in the dirt on both sides in the front of the house. They seed themselves. They grow themselves from their own deaths. I’ve got a garden of them thriving.There’s another garden I’m giving special attention to: my friends and family and complete strangers. Every day I turn myself over to the practice of unconditionally loving. This takes practice and rigorous practice, at first. I don’t always feel loving, and people, family included, can be absolutely impossible at times.Actively cultivating unconditional devotional love for my Divine Other, the Supreme Person, makes it possible to tend to other relationships. See, I found out that no material relationship makes me whole, and unless I’m whole I can’t love unconditionally. I learned the secret to giving unconditional love—and not be drained or degraded by my offering—is to make developing love of God my central relationship. In that relationship (as one friend likes to say) “giving is receiving; the giving is getting.” When I’m hooked up to my unlimited Giving Source, I find the ability to extend unconditional love to others.Once I decided that my life’s work and joy is to develop unconditional spiritual love, or bhakti, I’ve found that it seeds itself, sprouts up from fear (and strangles it), and returns love to me unbounded.We have tremendous potential for spiritual development in our relationships. Do we believe this? If we look at the state of family in America, we might suspect our collective answer has to be “no.” Do we care about the state of family in America? Enough to change ourselves?After looking at statistics below, if you had to rate it honestly, how would you rate the health of family in America?Awful, Poor, Fair, Good, Great?Divorce rate holds firm at 50% for many years, with more than 2 million couples marrying every year. One million marriages coming to an end every year means emotional turmoil for 2 million people and their families.Most everyone either knows the emotional and relational costs of divorce or experiences pain as they grapple with evaporating dreams.Divorce isn’t the only familial ill in America (or elsewhere).As you read the numbers below please don’t read too fast. Allow yourself to remember that each number refers to a human being.Every day 4 to 7 children die from abuse and neglect right here in our country. This number doesn’t take into account the fact that 50%, or more, of children’s deaths due to maltreatment are not listed as such on the death certificate. 70% of these children are under 2 years old.More than one in four children live in a single parent home, or 24 million children. 408,000 children were in foster care in 2010, but it should be noted that closer to 600,000 move in and out of foster care during the year.Every day more than 3 women are murdered by their partners. About 1.3 million women are victims of physical violence by their partner every year. Nearly 7.8 million women have been raped by their partner at some point in their lives.Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women—more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. Studies suggest that up to 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually.Whenever I listen to the news or hear depressing things like these statistics about the state of family in America, I feel overwhelmed. What can I possibly do to help change the suffering in the world? What’s really frustrating is I usually answer, Not much.But I can change what’s happening in myhome, in my heart. I can change how I relate to my friends and colleagues. I can change how I behave in relationships and I can do it today.Guy Finley writes, “How do we illuminate our relationships at home, in our workplace, wherever we are? What must we do to enlighten this murky world of ours that staggers under the weight of its own shadows? We must cease being an unconscious part of its darkness.”I see myself and others as a spiritual individual and contemplate how we’re eternally interconnected in relationships.I can choose to act with each person, event, and my environment in a manner that honors and energizes how I want to express myself in my personal relationship with my Divine Other. I design my relationship and establish the tenor of my relationship with divinity by choosing how I act in each circumstance now.Let the numbers remind us; let the human beings remind us; let our loved ones remind us: we can choose to love unconditionally.We can do so without self-neglect by recharging ourselves through daily practices of loving exchange with our Divine Source, the reservoir of love.
Pranada Comtois is a devoted pilgrim and author of Wise-Love: Bhakti and the Search for the Soul of Consciousness,which has received four industry awards in spirituality and body/mind/spirit. She is a featured speaker in the film “Women of Bhakti.”
A Darshan of Our Dependence
by Rukmini Walker
For the last week or so, I’ve been in South Florida, along with my sister, Susan, along with her very sensitive and caring artist husband, George, both of them from Maine. We’ve been here helping our ninety-one-year-old mother, Edith, transition into assisted living, from her own apartment, where she’s been living fairly independently for the last several years.Until recently, Edith has been very sharp mentally, and physically, without any major illnesses. Her aging, and the gradual decline in her ability to control the affairs of her life has been causing her to feel desperate. In fact, how are we ever, truly, independent? In all ways, we are dependent upon our Source, Sri Krsna, for the air, the water, the earth that sustain us; for our own bodies and minds; for our very ability to walk and for the ground on which we walk… We are also interdependent upon other living beings for our food, our homes that give us heat and shelter, our communities that give us joy, and in a myriad of other ways.We helped Edith move into her new apartment. My husband, Anuttama was there to help her the previous week, mapping out where each piece of furniture could be placed. Then we came with George who hung all of her paintings and family pictures. Susan has been path-smoothing for the last many months to line up all possible resources for her care.Edith has been so grateful, calling us angels and thanking us all. But on her first night there, she and her triangular walker tipped over, and she fell and broke her hip.At the hospital, her beautiful, young Latina surgeon came to see her just before the surgery. My mother said, “It’s just that I have no control!” The wise doctor replied, “None of us do!”My mother, a lifelong agnostic, has promised me that when she feels desperate, she will take a deep breath, and try to remember to say, “Hare Krsna”.In this world, there is only one Supreme Person, only one Supreme Controller, and our abilities to control are minute by comparison. In the wisdom and humility of dependence we can try to lean in toward Him and seek His shelter.Bhagavad Gita (13.8-12) lists the qualities that define wisdom, beginning with humility. Number eleven on that list is:
janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-dukha-dosanudarshanam
It means to always keep before our eyes the perception, the darshan of the pains of this world- birth, death, old age and disease. And to always keep the realization that I am spirit, traversing through the sufferings of this world. But, as spirit, we are meant for a much higher life. We are not of this world, and a darshan of our dependence can help us all - sooner or later - to remember that.All the best,Rukmini Walker
Last Moments in Mindfulness?
I was in a small satsang this morning at our temple in Potomac, Maryland with Ananda, our community president, Giri, our resident wise man, Kim, our kirtan angel, and Adrianna, our Russian friend.
Giri was quoting from a story he’d read once by Dostoyevsky. He didn’t remember the name of it. It was back in the fog of his past life’s tomes.
In the story, a man had been sentenced to execution. As he traveled by horse-drawn carriage to the guillotine (or was it a hanging?), time seemed to slow, as he saw at the distant horizon the place of his death, many blocks ahead of him on the road.
In the almost frozen last framed moments of his life, he was present to each sensation, mindful that each would be his last the call of a bird, the creaking wheels of the carriage, the mood of the sky…
Is being mindful in the moment enough? Is there a place of permanence and solace beyond this moment? In the moments of my conscious life, and in the last moments of my life, where will I rest my shelter-seeking heart?
The Gita is not vague or impersonal in its prescriptions for our ultimate maladies:
[perfectpullquote align="full" cite="" link="" color="" class="" size=""] For those who see Me everywhere and see everything in Me, I am never lost, nor are they ever lost to Me… (Bhagavad Gita 6.30) And whoever, at the end of life, quits her body remembering Me alone at once attains my nature. Of this there is no doubt. (Bhagavad Gita 8.5) [/perfectpullquote]
All the best to you in all the moments of your life,
Rukmini Walker