"Bhakti and Yogic Discipline": Satsang with Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati

Revered Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati continues his series on the Principles of Bhakti Yoga, reading from the teachings of Kapila Muni in the Srimad Bhagavatam, Skanda 3, Discourse 28 (translation by Swami Bhajanananda):
1. śrī-bhagavān uvācayogasya lakṣaṇaṁ vakṣyesabījasya nṛpātmajemano yenaiva vidhināprasannaṁ yāti sat-patham 
The Blessed Lord said:"O princess, I shall describe the authorized system of yoga, by the practice of which one’s mind becomes joyful and advances on the path of Truth."
2. sva-dharmācaraṇaṁ śaktyāvidharmāc ca nivartanamdaivāl labdhena santoṣaātmavic-caraṇārcanam
"One must perform one’s dharma with all one’s strength and avoided prohibited actions. One should be satisfied with what one has through destiny  and worship the lotus feet of the Self-realized."
3. grāmya-dharma-nivṛttiś camokṣa-dharma-ratis tathāmita-medhyādanaṁ śaśvadvivikta-kṣema-sevanam
"Giving up worldly activities one should then develop a taste for activates that lead to liberation. One should always eat pure food in moderation and stay in a secluded and peaceful dwelling."
4. ahiṁsā satyam asteyaṁ yāvad-artha-parigrahaḥbrahmacaryaṁ tapaḥ śaucaṁsvādhyāyaḥ puruṣārcanam
"One should practice nonviolence, truthfulness, non-stealing, possessing only what is necessary, celibacy, austerity, cleanliness, self-study, and worship of the Supreme Person."
5. maunaṁ sad-āsana-jayaḥsthairyaṁ prāṇa-jayaḥ śanaiḥpratyāhāraś cendriyāṇāṁviṣayān manasā hṛdi
"One should practice silence, attain mastery of a proper and steady posture, control the breath/prana, gradually withdraw the senses from sense-objects, and focus the mind on the heart."
6. sva-dhiṣṇyānām eka-deśemanasā prāṇa-dhāraṇamvaikuṇṭha-līlābhidhyānaṁsamādhānaṁ tathātmanaḥ
"One should fix the mind and prana  in one place in a chakra in the body and meditate upon the pastimes of Lord of Vaikunta and thus become absorbed in the self."
7. etair anyaiś ca pathibhirmano duṣṭam asat-pathambuddhyā yuñjīta śanakairjita-prāṇo hy atandritaḥ
"By these and other ways  this wicked mind on the path of illusion must be gradually controlled by the intelligence and one’s prana should be carefully focused."
8. śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpyavijitāsana āsanamtasmin svasti samāsīnaṛju-kāyaḥ samabhyaset
"Spreading a proper seat in a pure place and sitting in an easy posture, with body erect , engage in practice."
9. prāṇasya śodhayen mārgaṁpūra-kumbhaka-recakaiḥpratikūlena vā cittaṁyathā sthiram acañcalam
"One should purify the passages of prana by inhaling, retaining and exhaling and then reversing the process , thus making the mind-stuff (cittam yathā) steady and unwavering."
10. mano ’cirāt syād virajaṁjita-śvāsasya yoginaḥvāyv-agnibhyāṁ yathā lohaṁdhmātaṁ tyajati vai malam
"When a yogi’s breath is thus controlled then the mind is soon freed from disturbance, just like gold in an air-fanned fire becomes free of impurities."
11. prāṇāyāmair dahed doṣāndhāraṇābhiś ca kilbiṣānpratyāhāreṇa saṁsargāndhyānenānīśvarān guṇān
"Through pranayama, one overcomes faults; by concentration, sins; by withdrawal of the mind, worldliness; and by meditation, ungodly qualities."
12. yadā manaḥ svaḿ virajaḿyogena susamāhitamkāṣṭhāḿ bhagavato dhyāyetsva-nāsāgrāvalokanaḥ
"When one’s mind is purified by yoga, gazing at the tip of the nose, with full concentration one should meditate upon the Supreme Lord."
____________
34. evaḿ harau bhagavati pratilabdha-bhāvobhaktyā dravad-dhṛdaya utpulakaḥ pramodātautkaṇṭhya-bāṣpa-kalayā muhur ardyamānastac cāpi citta-baḍiśaḿ śanakair viyuńkte
T"hus one will develop intense love for Bhagavan Hari, the heart will melt, hairs stand erect from excessive joy and tears will flow constantly from one’s eyes due to longing . Thus overcome , the mind, which has acted as a hook, begins to withdraw."

"Foundations of the Spiritual Life (part 2): Satsang with Swami Bhajanananda

Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati continues his  series of discourses on the Principles of Bhakti Yoga, followed by arati and Ramnam Sankirtan.  Swamiji expands on the pillars of dharma discussed in last week's class, focusing on truthfulness, compassion, desire, and company.  

"The Four Legs of Dharma & the Kali Yuga", Satsang with Swami Bhajanananda

Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati begins a new series of discourses on the "Principles of Bhakti Yoga.", followed by arati and kirtan.
This class focuses on a story in the Srimad Bhagavatam about the bull of dharma and the cow of Earth being attached by the demon Kali, the personification of the adharma of Kali Yuga. Swamiji reads and discusses chapters 17 and 18 of Skanda I, and then focuses on some important verse given below:
ŚB 1.17.24राजोवाचतप: शौचं दया सत्यमिति पादा: कृते कृता: ।
अधर्मांशैस्त्रयो भग्ना: स्मयसङ्गमदैस्तव ॥ २४ ॥rājovācatapaḥ śaucaṁ dayā satyam iti pādāḥ kṛte kṛtāḥ
adharmāṁśais trayo bhagnāḥ smaya-saṅga-madais tavaThe King (Parikshit) said:"In Satya Yuga your four legs were established as austerity (tapaḥ), purity (śaucaṁ), compassion (dayā), and truthfulness (satyam). But it appears that three of your legs have been broken by adharma in the form of pride (smaya), attachment (saṅga), and blinding passion (madaiḥ)."
ŚB 1.17.25इदानीं धर्म पादस्ते सत्यं निर्वर्तयेद्यत: ।
तं जिघृक्षत्यधर्मोऽयमनृतेनैधित: कलि: ॥ २५ ॥idānīṁ dharma pādas te satyaṁ nirvartayed yataḥ
taṁ jighṛkṣaty adharmo ’yam anṛtenaidhitaḥ kaliḥ"At present, O Dharma, you are standing on one leg only, which is truthfulness (satyam), and you are somehow or other hobbling along. But Kali, the personification of adharma, is trying to destroy this leg by dishonesty (anṛtena)."
ŚB 1.17.38सूत उवाच
अभ्यर्थितस्तदा तस्मै स्थानानि कलये ददौ ।
द्यूतं पानं स्त्रिय: सूना यत्राधर्मश्चतुर्विध: ॥ ३८ ॥sūta uvāca
abhyarthitas tadā tasmai sthānāni kalaye dadau
dyūtaṁ pānaṁ striyaḥ sūnā yatrādharmaś catur-vidhaḥSūta said:"Thus petitioned, he (Parikshit) gave Kali permission to reside where there are the four kinds of adharma: gambling (dyūtam), drinking (pānam), womanizing (striyaḥ), and animal slaughter (sūnā)."
ŚB 1.17.39पुनश्च याचमानाय जातरूपमदात्प्रभु: ।
ततोऽनृतं मदं कामं रजो वैरं च पञ्चमम् ॥ ३९ ॥punaś ca yācamānāya jāta-rūpam adāt prabhuḥ
tato ’nṛtaṁ madaṁ kāmaṁ rajo vairaṁ ca pañcamam"[Kali] asked for something more, and because of his begging, the king gave him permission to live where there is gold (jāta-rūpam), because wherever there is gold, there is also deceit (anṛtam), intoxication (madam), lust (kāmam), cruelty (rajaḥ), and enmity (vairam) the fifth."
ŚB 1.17.41अथैतानि न सेवेत बुभूषु: पुरुष: क्वचित् ।
विशेषतो धर्मशीलो राजा लोकपतिर्गुरु: ॥ ४१ ॥athaitāni na seveta bubhūṣuḥ puruṣaḥ kvacit
viśeṣato dharma-śīlo rājā loka-patir guruḥ"Therefore, whoever desires their own welfare, those who aspire to be virtuous, kings, public leaders, and gurus, should never encounter these under any circumstance."

"Madhurya Bhava" Vivekananda's Bhakti Yoga (Part 15)

Discourse by Rev. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Swami Vivekananda's "Bhakti Yoga", chapters: "God of Love is His Own Proof"' and "Representations of Divine Love", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 17 March 2018.

"God of Love" Vivekananda’s Bhakti Yoga (Part 14)

Discourse by Rev. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Swami Vivekananda's "Bhakti Yoga", chapters: "God of Love is His Own Proof" and "Representations of Divine Love", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 17 March 2018.

"The Triange of Love" Vivekananda’s "Bhakti Yoga" (Part 13)

Discourse by Rev. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Swami Vivekananda's "Bhakti Yoga", chapter: "The Triangle of Love", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 10 March 2018.
 
 

"Universal Love" Vivekananda’s "Bhakti Yoga" (Part 12)

Discourse by Rev. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Swami Vivekananda's "Bhakti Yoga", chapters: "Universal Love and How it Leads to Self-Surrender" and "The Higher Knowledge and the Higher Love are One and the Same", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 3 March 2018.

"Naturalness of Bhakti" Vivekananda’s "Bhakti Yoga" (Part 11)

Discourse by Rev. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Swami Vivekananda's "Bhakti Yoga", chapters: "The Naturalness of Bhakti-Yoga and It's Central Secret" and "The Forms of Love-Manifestation" given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 13 January 2018.

"The Bhakta's Renunciation Results from Love" Vivekananda’s "Bhakti Yoga" (Part 10)

Discourse by Rev. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Swami Vivekananda's "Bhakti Yoga", chapter: "The Bhakta's Renunciation Results from Love" given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 13 January 2018.

"Preparatory Renunciation" Vivekananda’s "Bhakti Yoga" (Part 9)

Discourse by Rev. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Swami Vivekananda's "Bhakti Yoga", chapter: "The Preparatory Renunciation" given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 30 December 2017.