Salutations to the Guru and the paduka strotram

 Hari Aum.

It was Guru purnima around a week ago-- a day to celebrate the presence of the Guru in our lives. This is just a short post in praise of the Guru, to affirm the living presence of the Guru, to declare that (in my experience at least), the Guru is the most beloved manifestation of the Divine.

If I repeat my mantra daily today, despite all the karmas (both good and bad) that I have endured, it is due to the grace of the Guru. If I have a family today, a job, health, wealth, everything both material and spiritual that has been given to me by the universe, there is no doubt at all in my mind, that this is exclusively and solely due to the grace of my Guru Sivananda.

There is no end to the compassion of the Guru. Humans are unreliable, the demi-gods are unreliable, even God (as Krishna especially!) can sometimes be unreliable, one's own mind may be unreliable. Only the Guru is consistently reliable, only the Guru can be completely trusted.

Sivananda is my spiritual father, mother, relative, friend and everything combined. I trust only him. I do not want any darshan of any form of God any longer-- I am satisfied with my mantra (given by my Guru) and my Guru himself. The appearance of my Guru in dreams in recent years tells me that he is with me through thick and thin, that he wants me to continue upon the spritual path-- and with his grace and my self-effort (which also feels like his grace), I am hopeful that I will continue sadhana until the end of my life. 

I dedicate my life, including the fulfillment of all material and spiritual duties, to my Guru alone. If he is happy, then I am happy. In this sacred month of Shravana, that began after Guru purnima, I re-dedicate myself to the 'Twenty important spiritual instructions' given by my Guru to all his students. I will re-assess how well I am following these and attempt to improve upon this. 

I would also like to point out the key message of my Guru and all Gurus since time immemorial-- ethics is everything in life. As Sivananda says "If wealth is lost, nothing is lost. If health is lost, something is lost. But if character is lost, everything is lost". 

He also said "You sow an action and reap a habit. You sow a habit and reap a character. You sow a character and reap your destiny." He said that we alone can make or mar our own destiny based upon our own actions and character. So, while the grace of the Guru is everything in life, we also need to take responsibility to open ourselves up to receiving his/her grace-- and the key way to do that is sadhana (practice of ethics and japa, meditation, karma yoga and so on).

I am on holiday currently, visiting family in the sweltering heat on the continent of Europe, and doing mantra sadhana in this state is not particularly pleasant (especially as the heat has triggered a couple of migraines). Nonetheless, as the Gurus say, "Jis haal mein, jis desh mein, jis vesh mein raho, Radha-Raman, Radha-Raman, Radha-Raman kaho!", meaning "Whatever condition, country or apparel you find yourself in, repeat the name of God!"-- and that is exactly what I am attempting to do. By the grace of Guru, I am managing to stick to daily mantra japa (regardless of the level of concentration or quality, which can vary from day to day, it is getting done and I am grateful for this). 

As Sivananda said, "Obedience is better than reverence". May he bless us all so that we may walk steadily upon the spiritual path.

I will conclude by sharing a link to the incredibly beautiful 'Guru paduka strothram' composed by Adi Shankaracharya:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1D2H826c94

https://shlokam.org/gurupadukastotram/ (the Sanskrit text with English translation)

Om Sri Gurave Namah. Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya. Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

P.S. I would like to comment on a couple of twin soul videos recently released by Pradnya Pandit called the 'marriage-monkhood matrix' and 'breaking out of the marriage template' (I would like to clarify that I have no judgements or negative thoughts at all related to this but would like to share my personal views on this subject). 

My thoughts on these videos respectfully are that there is only one template in life-- the ethical template (and there is no other, second, template). The ethical template involves living a life based on ahimsa/non-violence, truthfulness and control of the senses. 

Any template that contradicts this ethical template is unfit as a basis for spiritual life. One may call oneself anything one pleases (a soul, twin soul, triplet soul, soul mate, karmic soul, whatever soul), based upon one's life experiences, but the firm and rigid adherence to these fundamental spiritual tenets forms the very basis for the foundation of spiritual life. 

Without these three spiritul values, there is no progress towards God, no pleasing the Guru and no knowledge of the Higher Self. All 'twin souls' would do well to remember these 'triple values' of spirituality. There is no escaping them under any circumstances. These are essential for the experience of peace and happiness both here and hereafter.

Krishna called this world a 'dukhalaya', or 'an abode of sorrow'. The only way to navigate this place is by practicing the triple values of ahimsa, satya and brahmacharya. These reduce the pain of this dukhalaya, and without them, the pain only intensifies. Let us therefore pray to our Gurus to enable us to firmly and rigidly stick to these spiritual values in all circumstances in our lives.

Om Sri Gurave Namah. Om Sri Durgayai Namah. Om Namah Shivaya. Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Bala Kanda Part 6: First combat with the asuras

 Hari Aum.

Om Sri Ramaya Namah. Let us continue our study of the Ramayana of sage Valmiki.

In the previous post, we saw Sri Rama and Lakshmana arrive at a dense and dark forest with sage Vishvamitra. The sage told the Princes about a highly malevovent being known as Tataka who lived there. She had been terrorising the inhabitants of the forest including the sages for a long time. He told Sri Rama that the forest needed to be freed of her so that the beings within it could live in peace.

Now, a key duty of kshatriyas (warriors including kings and princes) in those times was to uphold dharma or righteousness by protecting the good, destroying evil and ensuring justice in society. This duty included protection of those sections of society who were perceived as being more vulnerable, such as children, women and the elderly. It was generally regarded as being completely against kshatriya dharma (the warrior code) to harm women in any way (sometimes this included in battle too; for example, in the Mahabharata, we see Bhishma laying down arms before Shikhandi, a woman who had been reborn as a man due to strange twist of fate!).

Sage Vishvamitra therefore knew that Rama would be uneasy at the thought of harming Tataka who had been born as a yaksha woman (or yakshini). He therefore warned Rama that she was no ordinary woman and that there was nothing feminine at all about her. Her character was entirely demonic-- cruel, sadistic, perpetually angry and ever ready to kill. He warned Rama that she had demonic powers, including those of illusion (Maya). Far from being a frail woman who required protection, she was a very dangerous opponent who would not be at all easy to defeat.

Sri Rama had been feeling uncomfortable at the thought of battling a woman. However, He now recalled His father's parting words that He was to obey the sage's every command. He therefore bowed before Vishvamitra and agreed to follow his instruction.

Preparing for battle, He then lifted His bow, and pulled its string causing a great twanging sound that powerfully reverberated in all directions. The mighty sound, an invitation to battle, penetrated the dense forest and struck fear into the hearts of the evil beings within. Tataka heard the sound and was filled with intense anger.

She rapidly made her way towards where the sound had originated. Upon seeing Rama with His brother and the sage, she rushed at them with an intent to kill. She towered well above them and had powerful arms and a fearful roar; yet Rama was loath to kill her due to her being a woman. Instead, He decided to attempt to remove her capacity to physically harm others by causing her some limited injury.

He tried this tactic but it only served to enrage her further. She then used her demonic powers to attack Rama and Lakshmana. Flying into the air, she made herself invisible and then threw a large number of rocks and boulders at them. They defended themselves and she then began to use sorcery and powers of illusion to try to kill them (while they responded by continuing to attempt to injure rather than kill her outright).

This went on for about an hour and dusk began to fall. Sage Vishvamitra then told Rama to end the battle, warning Him that asuras (demons) gained great power with nightfall. He declared that Tataka's strength would soon increase severalfold, making her even more difficult to defeat.

"Have done with Your mercy Rama, and put an end to this wicked being now!", he exclaimed.

Rama, hearing this admonishment from the sage, bowed and accepted his wish. He then fitted a final arrow to His bow and released it. The arrow met its mark, hitting Tataka in the centre of the chest and she was slain.

Seeing that the demoness was no more, the watching demi-gods felt greatly relieved and joyful. After praising Rama and Vishvamitra, they asked the sage teach the Prince knowledge of divine weapons.

Vishvamitra happily agreed but as it was now night, he told the Princes that they should rest. They all slept well and upon rising the next morning, Rama's teaching related to the use of divine weapons began.

The sage told Rama that he was very pleased and satisfied with His service in ridding the forest of the menace of Tataka. He declared that he would now give Him knowledge of the weapons of the celestials and of the Supreme Being Himself. 

He then went on to teach Rama the mantras required to invoke the weapons of Brahma, Vishnu (Narayana) and Shiva, the demi-gods (including Indra, Agni, Varuna, Yama and others), and the other celestials (such as the Gandharvas and Vidyadharas). 

Some of these weapons were designed to take the life of their target, while others were able to stupefy, pacify or alter their mental or physical state in some way. They had a variety of different forms including chakras (wheel or disc), spears, tridents, swords, maces, javelins, nooses and thunderbolts.

As Vishvamitra recited the mantras (which were complex and difficult to remember for even the demi-gods), these great divine weapons appeared in shining, ethereal forms before him and Rama. Some were brilliant like the sun and moon, while others seemed to shine with a smoky light or appeared like burning coal. 

The weapons, in embodied form, now all folded their hands as a mark of respect and, after bowing to Rama, declared that they would be delighted to serve Him in whatever way He wished. Rama was very pleased by their appearance and addressed them affectionately saying that He regarded them all as His own. 

Turning to sage Vishvamitra, He said that He now wished to learn the art of calling back these weapons after they had been released and fulfilled their purpose (this was an important part of warfare-- knowing how to both release and call back a divine weapon). The sage then taught Rama another set of elaborate mantras designed to call back the divine weapons that had been released in battle. 

The weapons in living form now spoke in sweet tones to Sri Rama and asked how they could be of service to Him. Rama replied saying that for the present He wished them to return back to their homes. When in need, He said that He would summon them, and they should then appear and fulfil their duties. 

The divine weapons replied saying that it would be as He wished. They bowed again and went around Him as a mark of respect and then departed for their respective homes.

Vishvamitra, Rama and Lakshmana now continued walking and, after a while, came across a very beautiful region (it was quite different from the dark and foreboding forest of Tataka). It contained clusters of pretty trees filled with birds that sang sweetly. There were also various delightful species of deer living in the area.

Turning to the sage, Rama asked him to tell Him about this region. He also wanted to know where the sage's ashram (hermitage) was located (as this was where Vishvamitra had said he would require protection from the attack by asuras). 

Vishvamitra told Rama that this forest, filled with a divine atmosphere, had been the dwelling place of none other than the famous avatar of Lord Narayana known as Vamana (meaning the 'little one' as this avatar was a young boy-- not a 'dwarf' as some incorrectly say). He went on to tell Rama the legend of the Vamana avatar who had cleverly succeeded in winning back the lands of the demi-gods that had been unrighteously stolen from them by the demons (I will aim to write another post on this remarkable avatar as it is a very interesting story with useful spiritual lessons).

The place where Vamana had lived and meditated in the forest was called 'Siddha ashrama' ('Siddha' means a sage or one who is spiritually advanced). After the Vamana avatar had departed the Earth, the ashrama had been given to the sages living in the forest and it was here that Vishvamitra now resided.

The sage affectionately told Sri Rama that the ashram belonged to Him as much as to the sages who currently lived there (as Rama and Vamana were both avatars of the same Lord Narayana)! Vishvamitra then led Rama and Lakshmana into the ashram where they were received with great reverence and delight by the sages who resided there. 

After a restful night, the Princes awoke at dawn the next day and performed their usual morning worship (including recitation of the Gayatri mantra). They then greeted sage Vishvamitra, who had completed his own worship, and asked him to tell them how they could now serve him. 

The sage replied that two asuras known as Marichi and Subahu had been regularly disrupting his sacred fire ritual (one purpose of this type of ritual was to nourish the demi-gods, and so the demons were often eager to prevent this from taking place). He said that the demons would usually arrive suddenly at the ashram using their illusory powers, and they would then pour various impure materials onto the sacred fire thus rendering it unfit for use. He wanted Rama to slay the asuras and thus ensure that he and the other sages could perform their worship peacefully without any fear or disruption. 

Vishvamitra told Rama and Lakshmana that he was about to commence a fire ritual that would last for six days and nights. He asked the Princes to remain by his side and keep a look out for the demons as he performed the ritual and they agreed. He then began to conduct the ritual that involved pouring clarified butter and herbs into the sacred fire while chanting mantras in praise of the Divine.

On the sixth day of the ritual, there was a disturbance in the sky a short distance from them, and the two asuras suddenly manifested along with their accomplices. They all then rushed with tremendous speed towards the sacred fire and poured various impure and forbidden substances into it (including flesh, blood and pus), thus desecrating the place of worship completely. 

Seeing a rain of blood suddenly falling onto the sacred fire, Sri Rama and Lakshmana ran towards the source of the disturbance and saw the asuras in the sky. Declaring to Lakshmana that He would soon dispense with them, Sri Rama began to invoke some of the divine missiles previously given to Him by sage Vishvamitra.

Invoking the powerful weapon of Manu (the progenitor of mankind), He aimed this at Maricha and released it. The tremendous force of the weapon carried the demon a few thousand miles away and he was tossed unconscious into an ocean (he was not killed as Rama had stated that it was not yet time for him to die). 

Rama then invoked the weapon of the demi-god of fire, Agni, and released this at the demon Subahu thus slaying him. He then released the weapon of the demi-god of the air, Vayu, upon the remaining asuras which caused them all to be flung very far away.

Vishvamitra and the other sages rejoiced greatly at seeing the demons being removed far away from their ashram. They praised Rama greatly even as the King of demi-gods, Indra, was congratulated in the past when he had won battles over the asuras. The sages then completed their worship for the day and they all retired to sleep feeling extremely peaceful and contented. 

Upon waking the next morning and completing their morning routine of worship, Sri Rama and Lakshmana approached the sages. Saying that they felt deeply honoured to have served them by defeating the asuras, they asked if they could now be of any further help.

The sages replied saying that they were highly pleased with the help rendered by the Princes. They then explained that they were about to embark upon a very special journey to see the marvellous bow of Lord Shiva Himself. This mighty divine bow had been gifted to the great King Janaka after he had performed a most wonderful fire ritual in worship of the Divine. The King was himself a self-realised sage (a kingly sage or 'raja-rishi'/ 'rajarshi' in Sanskrit) and ruled over a neighbouring kingdom known as Mithila.

They declared that the bow of Lord Shiva was so extraordinary and powerful that not even the demi-gods, celestials and demons could dream of lifting it (much less mere human beings). A great worship was about to be conducted in Mithila in honour of this magnificent divine weapon. The sages said that they would be delighted if the Princes would accompany them to witness this unique ceremony.

Sri Rama and Lakshmana were greatly intrigued and fascinated at the thought of seeing the divine bow of Lord Shiva Himself and therefore happily agreed to travel to Mithila with the sages.

The sages then made preparations for their journey which included setting up a number of carts laden with various sacred materials required for worship. Accompanied by Sri Rama and Lakshmana, they set off joyfully for the kingdom of Mithila to participate in the wonderful ceremony of the divine bow. 

To be continued.....

Om Sri Vamanaya Namah.

Om Sri Ramaya Namah.   

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

P.S. The current lunar month known as Shravana is regarded as particularly auspicious for the worship of Lord Shiva via mantra japa, puja, homam and so on. Om Namah Shivaya. May He bless and protect us all.

Natya Veda and Lord Nataraja

 Hari Aum.

Many of us would be familiar with term 'Veda'-- this term represents spiritual knowledge that was intuited by seers or 'rishis' in ancient times. There are four well-known Vedas-- the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda and the Atharva Veda. The knowledge of the Vedas was preserved from ancient times to the modern day by a rigorous system of teaching (that requires the student to spend years memorising the ancient texts and perfecting the pronunciation and intonation of mantras). 

As part of my recent study of Bharatanatyam, I have come to discover the existence of the Natya Veda; some people refer to this as the 'fifth Veda'. I find the legend of the origin of the Natya Veda interesting and will explain a bit about this here.

According to our scriptures, a very long time ago, during the Treta Yuga (the second yuga after the Satya Yuga), the devas (demi-gods) observed that the spiritual consciousness of human beings was declining. People were less inclined to contemplate the divine and thus experienced more negative thoughts. This led to an increase in the number of conflicts and suffering on Earth.  

The devas were greatly concerned by this situation and desired to help humanity. They approached Brahma (the creative aspect of the Supreme Being Narayana) and requested him to find a solution.

Brahma listened to their concerns and assured them that he would help. He went deep into meditation and the answer was revealed to him. He intuited that music and dance was the answer to humanity's problems.

Music and dance that would elevate the restless, negative human mind to sublime spiritual heights was what was required he said. This would allow people to feel the Divine within themselves and others and thus experience bliss.

Brahma took an element from each of the four existing Vedas (e.g. words from the Rig Veda, music from the Sama Veda and so on) and synthesised a unique and beautiful scripture dedicated exclusively to the arts-- this was the 'Natya Veda'. This explained in great depth the use of various types of music (both vocal and instrumental) and dance to express devotion to the Divine. 

He taught this Veda to a sage known as Bharata. The sage Bharata then compiled this knowledge into a famous text known as the 'Natya Shastra'. He then gave this knowledge to his sons, who taught it in turn to their disciples (both celestial and human). Thus, the knowledge of the Natya Shastra was preserved for many centuries via the Guru-disciple tradition.

After imbibing the knowledge of the Natya Veda, the devas decided to put up their first performance-- this was known as 'Asura Parajaya' (meaning the defeat of the demons, the arch enemies of the devas). The asuras came to know about the production of this play and were furious. They were determined that the play should not go ahead and vandalised the building and attempted to attack the artists.

Brahma then commanded the divine architect of the demi-gods, known as Vishvakarma, to construct an extremely strong and secure theatre that would withstand any attack by the asuras. Vishvakarma did as requested and the devas were delighted to be able to put up their first performance (related to the churning of the milky ocean and the procurement of the divine amrita/nectar).Various illustrious guests were invited to attend the play including Lord Shiva, the Divine Mother Parvati and Lord Narayana. 

After watching the play, Lord Shiva was very pleased. He decided to bless the performers by revealing to them the knowledge of His own sacred dance. He taught this knowledge to a beloved disciple known as Tandu. The disciple then went on to teach this to others; thus this dance of Shiva came to be called 'Tandava' (this dance is a highly energetic one that reflects the power and glory of the masculine aspect of the Divine). 

Mother Parvati too was most delighted by the performance and taught Her beloved disciple, Usha, the knowledge of Her form of dance. This is a more gentle, feminine style of dance and is called 'Lasya'. Usha then shared this teaching with others (including later, the gopis). 

Over the centuries, many great Gurus of classical music and dance have studied the Natya Shastra of sage Bharata and written further texts and commentaries upon this. One particularly famous work is the 'Abhinaya darpana' of Nandikeshvara. This Sanskrit text contains detailed information about dance-- the use of various hand gestures, movements, expressions and more. For instance, it explains the 'mudras' (hand positions) used to represent the deities, the nine 'grahas' (planets), the various avatars of Narayana and so on. It is this text that I have been studying in the past year as part of my learning of Bharatanatyam.

As part of my study for my upcoming examination in Bharatanatyam (there is a theory and a practical portion), I have been asked to contemplate upon Lord Nataraja and the message that He represents. Nataraja is a manifestation of Lord Shiva. I regard Him to be one of the most beautiful manifestations of the Divine and would therefore like to write a bit about Him here. 

In Sanskrit, 'nata' means 'dance', and 'raja' means 'king'; thus, 'Nataraja' means 'King of dance'. In this manifestation, Shiva is portrayed in a dramatic and beautiful form (unlike His popular serenely meditating form, here He is highly active and energetic as He dances). 

He has four hands-- in His upper right hand, He holds a special type of drum (shaped like an hourglass and called 'damaru' in Sanskrit'). The drum represents 'Shabda Brahman', or God in the form of sound (this includes all mantras). The sound generated by this sacred is Om, and it is said to be the origin of all the alphabets of the Sanskrit language and all sound. 

His left upper hand holds a ring of fire that surrounds Him. This fire (Agni) represents the cosmic fire of destruction that occurs at the end of a cycle of Creation so that a new cycle can begin. His other hands are held in a posture to grant blessings and protection to His devotees (abhaya mudra). 

He stands with His right foot placed over a being known as Mulayaka; this being symbolises all that is dark, negative and spiritually ignorant in Creation. By standing upon this being, Nataraja symbolises conquest over the lower forces in the Universe. His left foot is held above the ground and crossed over His body indicating the vigour and energy of His dance. 

Like the serene meditating form of Shiva, this energetic and active form as Nataraja, also has long, matted hair through which the sacred river, Ganga, flows (She represents the waters of immortality). He too has the crescent moon in His hair, representing conquest over the mind.

The essence of the form of Nataraja is said to be the great panchakshara (five syllabled) mantra of Lord Shiva, namely "Namah Shivaya"

The dance of Nataraja is said to represent the Divine Lila of Creation, preservation and dissolution of the Universe. According to Sivananda, He dances in order to free jivas (individual souls) trapped within the cycle of birth and death known as samsara.

I came across a wonderful composition by Maharishi Patanjai recently known as the Nataraja stothram (prayer to Nataraja). It is a poem in Sanskrit and the image of Nataraja it portrays is exceptionally beautiful. (I confess I am totally smitten and now aspire to have His darshan in addition to Lord Narayana and Mother Durga! They are all One of course. In my mind's eye now when I meditate upon Narayana, in His heart centre, I see Nataraja, the Lord of Dance, as described in this poem and what a wonderful sight it is!)

I will conclude by sharing Sivananda's wonderful work on Lord Shiva (there is much written about Nataraja and Tandava here): https://www.dlshq.org/download/lord-siva-and-his-worship/#_VPID_37

I would also like share the beautiful Nataraja stothram that I mentioned above:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBjOaBqYI4c

Om Salutations to Lord Nataraja, the manifestation of the grace of God in the form of beautiful dance. May He bless us all with His darshan.

Om Sri Natarajaya Namah.

Om Namah Shivaya.

Om Sri Durgayai Namah.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Elephants, glue and overcoming obstacles

 Hari Aum.

Around a decade ago, when I first embarked upon the journey of mantra japa and purascharana, I looked online for guidance and inspiration. I was keen to hear about the lives of other spiritual seekers who had already walked this path and who could inspire me as I started out on this unfamiliar path. 

I could not find all that much online at the time but did come across a video (please see link below) in which a spiritual teacher discusses the subject- towards the end of the video, he says something rather dramatic-- he declares that, when a spiritual seeker performs spiritual practices such as mantra purascharana, sooner or later, a number of cosmic forces unite in an attempt to drag him/her off the path. Forces, within and without, do everything possible to shake the spiritual seeker off the path, to make him/her give up the practice and let go of the Divine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn8WyYXzXtU

When I watched this video years ago, I thought the comment about the obstacles was interesting but it is only in recent years that I have more truly understood the meaning of what this teacher has said. (By the way, I do not know much about this particular Guru or follow his specific spiritual path of Tantra; I just found this video of his teaching on purascharana useful and am therefore sharing it here).

In recent years (particularly in the astrological phase of Rahu-Rahu), I have certainly experienced the truth of this statement. Things are calming down (by the grace of God), however, and as I look back at this period, I see things more clearly. 

I realise that it is the mantra itself that acts as a divine shield against negativity both within and without. It is the mantra, which is none other than God Him/Herself (and a manifestation of His/Her highest grace), that keeps the devotee steady on the spiritual path.

When I was a child growing up in India around thirty years ago, there used to be advertisement on television for a type of glue (called 'Fevicol' that children would often use in school at the time). In the advertisement, a group of strong men attempted to pull apart an object that had been stuck together with the glue. They tugged hard at a rope connected to the object, and were even assisted in their efforts by a large elephant! After much pulling and tugging, and huffing and puffing, the men and the elephant gave up. They conceded that the glue was simply too strong for them! 

Similar is the case with the mantra and the forces that attempt to pull the devotee off the path to the ishta devata.

The devotee stands in the middle. One one side is the rope of the mantra attaching them to the Divine, their favourite form of God, the beloved ishta devata. On the other side is the rope of all sorts of cosmic forces-- some that come to test the strength of the devotee,  others that come to try and force the devotee to give up the spiritual search.

As the men in the advert pull at the glued furniture (roaring in Hindi, "Dum laga ke, haisha! Zor laga ke, haisha!", which broadly translates as "Let's make an effort with full strength, will full force!"), so also the cosmic forces pull and tug at the devotee with full force in all directions. 

However, the mantra acts like the glue firmly holding the devotee together and connecting him/her to the Divine. Under no circumstances will the mantra ultimately permit the devotee to fall from dharma or from the sacred feet of the Divine.

This is why the Gurus famously sing the song "Jis haal mein, jis desh mein, jis vesh mein raho, Radha Raman, Radha Raman, Radha Raman kaho!". In order words, no matter what condition one finds oneself in, one should recite the name or mantra of the Divine. 

And, they remind us that no matter how wonderful and fantastic our family, friends and others may be, it is the mantra alone that stands by us at all times. Everybody on this planet has their own issues to deal with in life, and, as the yogis say, it is hard work to manage one's own mind and be happy. So, they say, when it is generally hard work for people to keep themselves happy, how can we expect anyone else to make us happy (we are ultimately each responsible for our own happiness in life)!

Thus, the Gurus wisely say, stick to the mantra at all costs. It will give us everything we need in life and more. 

Speaking of elephants and the grace of God, I am reminded of a famous story from the Puranas that highlights this message of the Gurus.

Once upon a time, there lived in the celestial realms, a majestic elephant known as Gajendra. He was King of elephants and lived a wonderful life filled with material joys. He had a loving family and they were part of a large herd of powerful elephants who lived in a beautiful forest. 

One day, accompanied by the herd, he went to a lake to drink water. After he and the other elephants had quenched their thirst, they played in the crystal clear waters of the lake that was filled with lovely flowers and with water birds that sang most enchantingly. The elephants, immersed in the joy of playing with each other, were oblivious to the danger that lurked under the surface of the placid waters of the lake.

A large and ferocious crocodile lived deep within the lake. He was greatly incensed by the disturbance created by the elephants playing in the water. He came out of his lair within the lake to investigate what the matter was. Upon seeing the elephant-King in the water, he swam up to him swiftly. Opening his mighty jaws, he clamped down upon one of Gajendra's legs. Then, with great strength, he pulled downwards with the intention of drowning the elephant and consuming him. 

The elephants, mighty though they were, could not match crocodile who was far more powerful, especially in the water. In great alarm, they all rushed towards the banks of the lake and saved themselves. Seeing their relative and King in the grasp of the crocodile, they all felt great grief and shed many tears but did not know how to help him.

Gajendra, meanwhile, managed to drag himself with great difficulty towards the bank of the lake. However, the crocodile was not prepared to give up on his prey so easily. He responded by tightening his vice-like grip on the unfortunate elephant's leg and dragged him back into the water.

The elephant and crocodile continued to pull in opposite directions for some time with neither side winning. After a while, Gajendra began to feel very fatigued; however, the crocodile showed no sign at all of any tiredness. 

At last, the elephant-King, who had given the fight his all, realised that he would not be able to save himself by his own efforts. He also knew that his fellow elephants would not be able to rescue him. 

Faced with the unpleasant prospect of being killed and eaten by the crocodile, he felt greatly distressed.

At this moment, by the grace of God, he suddenly recalled his previous lifetime as a human king. He remembered that he had incurred the wrath of a sage who had then cursed him to be reborn as an elephant. 

As a human being, he used to recite a mantra of Narayana, and the memory of this mantra now came back to him. Without any further ado, he recited the mantra with great devotion and prayed to Narayana, pleading with Him to come to his rescue. 

Hearing the elephant's prayers, the legend goes that Narayana appeared before the elephant-King. Gajendra, delighted to see Him, presented Him with a beautiful lotus from the lake to express his deep gratitude and devotion (he managed this feat despite being in a significant pain due to the attack by the crocodile). He also praised Him with a beautiful hymn. 

Narayana accepted the flower and hymn, and then used His divine weapon (called the Sudarshana chakra) to slice off the crocodile's head, thus saving the elephant's life.

Now, there appears a twist in the tale (or tail, depending upon how you want to look at it)! The crocodile too, had had an exalted birth in his previous lifetime; he had been no less than King of the celestial musicians known as the Gandharvas. He too had unfortunately managed to offend a sage and had been cursed to be reborn as a crocodile; the sage pronouncing the curse, had declared that he would be saved when he would encounter Narayana! 

(Aside from any other moral, this story clearly teaches that one should avoid offending any sages, even by mistake! As the yogic saying goes, "If God is offended, the Guru can save you, but if the Guru is offended, then even God cannot save you!". In other words, the Guru, being the highest manifestation of God, is to be treated with utmost reverence at all times as far as possible. This applies to all true Gurus-- not only one's own).

Upon being cut by the divine weapon of Narayana, the crocodile was immediately transformed into his original form as the King of Gandharvas. He was delighted to be finally freed of his curse and bowed to Narayana to express his heartfelt gratitude and devotion. Narayana blessed him and the Gandharva King then returned with great joy to his celestial realm.  

Meanwhile, Gajendra too had received a great blessing from Narayana. As he had come in direct contact with His hand, he was granted a form of Self-Realisation (known as 'Salokya mukti', where the devotee assumes a form similar to that of the Lord and is given a place in His own realm known as 'Vaikuntha'). 

Thus, the story which seemed to be heading towards a very grisly end, fortunately turned out for the best for all involved--it was a happy ending all round! 

And, as you would have noted, the key ingredient that turned things around was the recitation of the mantra of Narayana by Gajendra!

This story is often taught by Gurus to highlight the power of mantras, of devotion to God, and to illustrate that the Supreme Being is compassionate towards all beings including animals (not only towards human beings; and that we too should endeavour to be compassionate).

May Narayana bless us all so that we too, being gripped by the dread crocodile of samsara, may repeat His names and mantras daily with devotion and thereby obtain His grace and blessings.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat