Swami Jayadevar Pravachanam translation

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This is the original transcript of the Harikatha pravachanam by Paranur Mahatma Sri Sri Krishna Premi Anna which is told in so much bhAvam, filled with the pure essence of bhakthi of the Lord personified in an all flowing nectar from the divine expression of our Sri Sri Krishna Premi Anna Swamigal. One cannot just stop the flow of tears of bhakthi as one can purely feel the grace and presence of the lord within. As it is intertwined with a soul-stirring dual-divinity personification of the "nada brahmam" and the "saguna brahmam" in equal measure that can only arise from the soul-stirring music from the mouth of our Sri Sri Anna. 

Certainly by the compassionate grace of Sri Sri Anna, I was even able to translate this upanyasam by hearing it word-for-word. As Srimad Bhagavatham says "yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty... - Not according to the grammatical rules and other rhetorical rules, but simply an attempt to glorify the lord is enough! was what motivated me to translate word-by-word, albeit with a simpleton's understanding and hearing of the words coming from the mahatma and attempt to simply repeat the words as a service to the lord and a chance to be able to write his glories that's all! I want to be completely forgiven by the lord and the mahatma for any mistakes and if at all I have assumed something even knowingly and unknowingly, for it is complete lack of ignorance and foolhardiness on my part. I really really thank the lord from the depths of my heart to have got this thought, more so to be able to even bravely embark upon writing the words of the mahatma and I take this as a great fortune bestowed unto me."

Please listen to the pravachanam from the divine voice of Sri Sri Anna in Tamil for no words can describe the divine bliss one gets from hearing the upanyasam from the Mahatma himself. You can reach out for all the divine discourses expounded by Sri Sri Anna at the website portal https://srisrianna.com/

I noted that I began to write the words down for two reasons, first to supplement the Gita Govindam which is divinity personified and when told from the mouth of Sri Anna makes it all the more divine and gave me some superficial understanding at my level and second to experience the greatest of bliss while translating every word and sentence in an attempt to try and get their meaning as well, a feast for the soul I daresay. Immense satisfaction was obtained while listening to it again and again, word for word. This gave me a great joy whilst also rooting the kavyam deep in my heart never to forget and time and again the joy to remember these whenever and wherever in the Radhakalyanam astapathi bhajans were sung or pravachanams heard, which hitherto I was blissfully unaware of. Also an excuse for listening again and again to savor every pearl in the oysters of the words flowing from Sri Sri Anna's mellifluous divine voice of Sri Krishna himself while writing them down. 

I was also very much blessed to be able to hear this pravachanam by Smt. Vishaka Hariji at Kumbakonam and wished also to share this divine upanyasam with one and all so they too can enjoy reading in English if they did not have a chance to hear this wonderful pravachanam. Radhe Krishna! Anand Sundaresan

Guru Maharaj Guru Jay Jay parabrahma sathguru |

Guru Maharaj Guru Jay Jay parabrahma sathguru ||

dhimikiTa dhimikiTa vAje mrdanga

bramha tALa karI gajAnana

tANDava nritya karI gajAnana

tEhatIsha kOTi suragaNa dATi
madhyE shiva gaurI gajAnana

tANDava nritya karI gajAnana

nAmI rangalE dasa sadhOdita
shobhE candra shirI gajAnana

tANDava nritya karI gajAnana…..

Bala Bheema Bala Bheema Bala Bheema Jaya Jaya…

Ram Krishna Hari Jai! Ram Krishna Hari!!

Ram Krishna Hari Jai Jai! Ram Krishna Hari!!

Govindanamasankeerthanam Govinda Govinda!

In the beginning of the keerthanam, Sri Sadguru Swamigal tells all the bhakthas of the ways and means to reach the lord from within the ocean of samsara. En Peruman is ready to even leave the paramapadam and come and live with us. He is the antaryAmi within us. In each and every temple and divya desham, he is present for all of us to have darshan. Amongst such temples, where the glory is sung heartfelt by the Azhwars, are the 108 divya deshams. There are also purana sthalams. There are also the avatAra sthalams of the Mahans. Sthalams, where bhakthars have sung are also there and where bhagavan has come to stay. Such songs are the truths from the vedas. If bhagavan did not stay there, these sayings would not be truthful. To maintain this truth, bhagavan resides in these divya deshams. There are thus many many kshetrams and divya deshams in India.

Amongst all the great many punya kshetrams and divya deshams where many mahans have sung the glory of the bhagawan, one of the most famous is Puri Jagannatham. In this kshetram there are present alongwith the bhagavan, Jagannatha perumal, Balaram and Subhadra. Some kshetram or divya desham or to the perumal we always pray and be in divine contemplation and service is verily bhakthi. This is being told in the prathama padham in the song 'Bhajare Manasa Jagannatham'. The Great Mahans giving upadeshams to others are quite less in number. They would usually tell to themselves. Whatever they tell to themselves are for the sake of others only. 'Bhajare Manasa Jagannatham' meaning ‘Oh! Mind, always do bhajan to Jagannatham’, he is Lakshminathan always being served by both devas and munis. What will we get if we do bhajan to Jagannatham if one asks?

All your sorrows will end. That is important. Unable to face sorrows, different types, different diseases, different dangers, difficulties and losses, this is samsaram. There are several pariharams (deliverances) for our sorrows. Sastras split the sorrows faced by us all into 3 types - AdhyAthmikam, Aadhibautikam, Aadhideivikam. For all these three types of sorrows, parihAram is also available. Both sorrows as well as parihAram are available, that is what we see nowadays. Of these, AdhyAthmikam is about the different diseases for which we search for parihAram in the form of medicine and doctors. Are we not doing parihAram for diseases?. 

On one side parihArams are being done, on the other these diseases are thriving more comfortably than us. So there is no single vimochanam (liberation) from diseases. Ultimately the vimochanam (liberation) for our karmas and resulting sorrows is only one and that is the thiruvadi (lotus feet) of bhagawan Jagannathan. Whenever we want to go closer to bhagavan we seek somebody who will take us, as we see in Sri Ramayanam, its Vibhishanam as he being in sky cries out to someone who can take him to Sri Rama. A while ago as Krishnan Swami said, ‘Taking hold of Adiyarghazh only can we go to Perumal.

In Puri Jagannath kshetram there is Balabadran (Adhishemam amsham) and Subhadran is also present and if we go and have the darshan there all our sorrows will be removed. Our sorrows come mainly due to our papams and once all the wrong doings are eliminated, our punyams will get activated and we start to be happy again, but this is again only transient and temporary. As we see when we take medicine the deliverance from pain is temporary. Sarva papam will be removed (vimochanam) only with bhagavan namam. Bhagavan namam has such a sakthi, if it can remove all the papams all the dukhams also will be gone isn't it. All the punyams will be left over then and we can attain the thiruvadi of the bhagawan. Thus if we need sakala sowbhagyam and removal of dukham, we should perform the bhajan of Sri Jagannathan. Many bhakthas and Acharyas have gone to many of these kshetrams and shown us the "nama" as the path to reach the bhagawan.

Among the Acharyas the most famous is Adi Shankaracharyar who went to Puri Jagannatham and prayed to the bhagawan Sri Jagannathar. Only Adi Shakarar could see the bhagavan and his consort Rukmini in the famous rathotsavam (chariot) procession of Sri Jagannathar. This kshetram is also known as Neela chalam, it is mentioned in great detail in the Brahmapuranams kshetra mahatmiyam and is located in the coastal town of Puri in the state of Orissa, India. This kshetram is very famous for its Rathothsavam and is on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal. Whenever En Peruman is sleeping, it will the sayana swaroopam, when he is sitting he will be upon the throne. Like in Krishna avatar if he is walking he will be like an Umbrella - nivasi niladrau nihita-carano ananta-shirasi. 

The ratham itself will be like a ther, the ratham itself will be like a mountain – neelachalam, it will feel as if they are pulling a mountain itself. The rathothsavam of Sri Jagannathar is very famous, it is famously mentioned in the puranas about the prasadam of Sri Jagannathar. The prasadam of Sri Vishnu itself is parama pavithram, that itself is brahma swaroopam. The prasadam of Sri Jagannathar follows no niyamams rather its like Ganga theertham. In that kshetram there is only Krishnan, Balaraman, also in that famous ratham, Rukmini thayyar was in it - is actually mentioned in the puranas. Radhai is not mentioned as being in the chariot. In Brindavan there is no ratham, no ther. Where will there be a ther to take radhai, Sri Krishna would have taken radha for a walk or if needed carry her on his shoulders. There is no mention of ther in brindavanam. In Jagannath, when the Lord is taken in the ratham in the rathothsavam, while looking at the ratham, Sri Adi Shankarar starts to sing the Sri Jagannathashtakam, in the eyes of the great saint what was visible was that ‘Jagannatha who was as Sri Krishna came alongwith Radha in the chariot’. 

Radha is rasaswaroopini, Krishnan rasaswaroopan. Krishna being a rasAnanda swaroopan coming alongwith premamayana Radhai in that great chariot which was shaking on the roads, the gentle Radha would have been afraid and would hug Krishna out of fear. Sri Adi Shankarar saw the radha in the chariot. That’s why he sang, otherwise this sloka would not have been necessary in the Jagannatha kshetram in the midst of rathothsavam. That’s how it looked to him.

rasAnando sarasa-vapur-alingana-sukho radha jagannatha svami

meaning Radha Krishnan (Jagannathan) as they are in the chariot in my vision, be always coming in a ‘nayana’ reethi margam. Such a kshetram is the Jagannatha kshetram.  

Near Jagannatha kshetram there is a village by name Kendubilva where Jayadevar was born. That village was described greatly by Swami Jayadevar himself.

varNitham jayadEvakEna harEridam pravaNena |

kindhu bilva samudhra sambhava rOhiNi ramaNEna Hari Hari ||

Kindhu bilva village was like a moon appearing out of the sea. Mahans will often praise and their praises will be of Lord Krishna always. If there is some name atributed to them, then that perumai is as a Krishna bhakthan. Called as krishna bhakthan, what bhagyam we have done, dhanyoham krishna, dhanyoham krishna. It is not a name seeking out of ego, but out of happiness. If there is no such happiness then that devotee does not know the greatness of the bhagavan. As we serve the lord, what shortcomings will we have. Such a place where there is no shortcomings, such is the famous village of Jayadevar. The village was made more prominent and famous by the presence of Jayadevar. There was a mahan by name bhOjadEva. His wife was rAmAdEvi. They were Krishna bhaktas. By the grace of bhagavan, Jayadevar was born, who was actually an amsam of Vyasa as said in the bhaktha vijayam.

sri bhojadeva prabhavasya rämädevisutaH sri jayadevakasya |

paräçarädipriyavargakaNThe sri gitagovinda kavitvamastu ||

He learnt all the Vedas and Sastras and when he came of marriable age, his parents were searching for a suitable bride for him. But Jayadevar's mind was quite different, he was always alone, always in bhagavath dhyanam and he had no interest in family matters, always having bhagavatham in his hands. The parents told of their opinion to their son Jayadevar to get him married. Jayadevar did not agree to get married as he felt that it hindered sri krishna dhyanam. In the sea, if we swim with bare hands we can swim easily, but if we tie a stone to our stomach, can you swim? Like that this bandham of marriage is one which we take upon, the bandham of parents is already made upon us. That will be there always but atleast we can forgo the bandham what we are about to take. Thus Jayadevar did not want to take this bandham (bondage) of marriage. His parents tried again and again in vain to get him married.

Days rolled by. 

Jayadevar never got married and his parents passed away in grief failing in their attempts to convince Jayadevar. Being a brahmachari, Jayadevar was now all alone. He created an ashram and was performing dhyanam, japam and parayanam. He begged for his food as he was a brahmacharyan. He was with niyama performing his karmAnustanams and was steadfast in his activities befitting a saint. He would just go about his duties not looking at anyone and not speaking and always in Krishna dhyanam. He knew his heart was pure. But the Lord Sri Krishna sankalpam was different. Kardama prajapathi obtained devahuthi after long penance.

It seems that such a level has to be reached before Jayadevar could get married. In that place there was another brahmanan by name Devasharma. He had prayed to Sri Jagannatha perumal that if he ever got a child he would leave the child to Krishna kainkaryam. He had the grace of the bhagavan, but a girl child was born to him. The child who was like lakshmi was named as Padmavathi. Days rolled by and the child blossomed into a lovely girl. With a very good gunam and sheelam she came of marriageable age. If it was a male child he could have left at the temple for kainkaryam. He thought to himself now, ’I told the bhagavan that I would leave my child for Krishna kainkaryam, but this child is now a girl, there is no practice to leave a girl child in the temple, this is not accepted in the sastrams, but I should not go back on my words’, thinking thus, he approached the Sri Jagannatha Kshetram and stood in front of the bhagavan with tearful eyes. I prayed to you and you gave me a child, this child is for your kainkaryam only but I don’t know the way. They won't accept in the temple. Can she be without getting married. How will you accept this child, I don’t know. Thinking thus, sadly he went to sleep near the temple. Bhagavan came in a dream in a divya darshanam and said,

Devasharman Prasanosmi! O brahmana! I am pleased with your bhakthi. I will accept your daughter for kainkaryam. I will tell you the way. There is no difference between bhakthan and myself. You asked to be able to do kainkaryam for me, if you give your daughter in marriage to my bhakthan, then she will be doing kainkaryam to me always. My bhakthan is Jayadevan. He opened his eyes, knew the way now and was very very happy. He offered his prayers to the bhagavan and came back to his own village, seeing his daughter said, ’Perumal has told about your prospective husband’. Let us go and see your suitor, taking his daughter Padmavathi with him, he came to Jayadevar’s ashram. He saw Jayadevar and was invited and asked them to sit in his ashram and enquired as to what he could offer as seva. 

Devasharman started to say, ’I have a daughter’ and as soon as he began thus, Jayadevar suddenly stood up and started to leave immediately. Jayadevar never even looked at both of them, got up and left immediately. The brahmanan saw Jayadevar going and called up his daughter and said, ’ Padma! See the person going there, he is your husband.’ The person running there is your husband. This daughter being offered to Jayadevar or Jayadevar thinking he does not want to marry Padmavathi is bhagavan sankalpan. For no one, their own sankalpam won't matter. But ‘Paranthu Jayadeva dIyagha’ is bhagavan’s words, only the bhagavan sankalpam is going to happen. Being steadfast and believing in this, this brahmanan thought that my sankalpam or your sankalpam won't matter, if the bhagavan give Padmavathi to Jeyadevar has ordained, then Jayadevar will only be Padmavathi’s husband. But the brahmanan said, ’You keep doing kainkaryam always. daily, you come here and perform ashrama seva’, that was her father’s words.

Daily in the morning she would come to the ashram but only after Jayadevar would have left the ashram much earlier to offer his daily poojas. Padma would come and beautifully put the kOlam, pluck the flowers, clean the pooja vessels, light the lamp and finish all the kainkaryams and leave the ashram before Jayadevar would arrive. Jayadevar would come and see all this has been done. 

Thus days passed, he was happy and felt nice about it as earlier when he was doing all this, the ashram was not kept this clean, more like a bachelors accommodation. Now its very neat and nice but someone is doing, seeing this kOlam, he thought this looks like one drawn by a woman. If this is not enquired about, then people would start talking about this. Having found who it was, Jayadevar thought that on finding her, he will tell her good words and satisfy her prarthanai and send her. So he came early on one of the days. He saw Padmavathi there. 

The other day, there was a brahmanan and with him was this girl did not occur to him as on the other day, Jayadevar hardly looked up to see. Had he seen, he would have recognized today. Who are you? Why are you performing seva in this ashram? What do you want as you have done seva all this time? Just as soon as Vishwamithra arrived, without preamble Dasaratha asked what he could offer. The answer Padmavathi gave was, “just like this, adiyAl would like to serve you always”. Sathya sandhar once having given the word won't take them back. 

Jayadevar thought, ’Such a question he had to ask, and such a reply he had to receive’. That’s how En peruman desired, he understood. Although this looks like a story, the meaning here is, A sati if she has to attain a pathi, the lakshiyam is seva. A pathi taking a sathi, the lakshiyam is to protect her. This shows how the two lakshiyams are to be attained. The kriya called ‘vivAham’ or marriage is only for this.  Every man must protect his wife. To protect, the man must have right over the woman. Woman without right cannot be protected by a man. To establish that right, is the kriya called vivAham in  the loka reethi. Now Jayadevar did not immediately say, ok stay in the house with me. He took her with him and approached her father and in an yetHottamana vivAham wanted to marry her. Her father knew this is how it would happen, not just by Jayadevar changing his mind but due to En Peruman sankalpam.

Continued in link Swami Jayadevar discourse - Page 2