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| Gatirbharta prabhusakshi nivasa sarvamsuhrut |
| Prabhavah pralayah sthanam nidhanam beejamavyayam |
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I am the Ruler; the Lord; the existence, shelter, friend and support; I am the ever-lasting seed of this world.
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-Lord Krishna
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We must have ananya nishta towards the Sovereign Sri Radhadevi, who is the deity of Krishna, the Ruler of all worlds. There is none other than Mother. This is a very important principle whose meaning must be understood carefully. Many people treat their deity with love and respect but all other Gods with contempt. This will not fetch you any good; on the contrary it is a sin. In South India the two religious sects in Siva Kanchi and Vishnu Kanchi live in hatred of each other and are always engaged in abuse of their rival God. During festivals and celebrations, they fight and even kill one another. This is not religion; it is cruelty; a demonical act. A true devotee would accept that God is singular; all Gods have emerged from a single entity.
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You must always maintain the bhava that Mother Radhaji is present everywhere. There is no such place where She is not there. She is super-imposed on all other Gods. She is all pervading. She has permeated every atom of the Universe just like 'Vasudeva sarvamiti ….' Her radiance is filled in all the Gods. So She will be displeased if you demean other Gods. In this way, there are so many hidden implications in Ananya nishta. You must worship not only Mother but also the devotees; again not Her devotees alone but all devotees. This is your duty.
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Radhaji demonstrated this fact through the life of Hariramavyasji, Her ardent devotee. Once some Vaishnava devotees participated in a satsang arranged in his house and sang songs on Lord Vishnu. Hariramavyasji felt disdain in his heart. That's all! Radhaji who always sits on a throne in his heart suddenly disappeared. The whole world turned upside down for him. He began to weep uncontrollably, 'Mother, what happened? Why did you become invisible?' Two days passed in this way. On the third day, with his heart filled with grief, he approached his Guru, Sri Hitacharya. As soon as he saw his disciple, the Guru understood the situation. Hariramavyasji wanted to convey his state to his Guru but his grief was so intense that he could not even speak. He simply prostrated before his Guru.
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Sri Hitacharya said, 'Mother is very sensitive. She cannot bear if anyone is hurt. You felt aversion in your heart towards the Vaishnava devotee. This made Mother, who is always glowing in your heart very sad. Sri Radha is the embodiment of all Gods; She is the all-pervading Supreme. 'Anoraneeyan mahato mahiyan' - She glows as the matter in the atom and greatness in the great. Her ardent devotees should never forget this truth.' In this way, Sri Hitacharya explained the meaning of Ananya nishta.
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Hariramavyasji washed his Guru's feet with his tears and returned home. Later he invited the Vaishnava Brahmins and paid his respects to them. Immediately Sri Radha re-entered his heart.
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That's why you must constantly maintain the bhava that Sri Radhaji is present everywhere. Don't indulge in wrong thoughts like 'this God is inferior; this is a Muslim God; we do not want this God etc'
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| Purushassaparah Partha bhaktya labhayastyanyaya |
| Yasyanthasthani bhootani yeva sarvamidam tatam |
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Arjuna, the God in whom the whole Universe exists; the God who is all pervading can be attained only through ananya bhakti.
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-Lord Krishna Gita: 8-22
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Radha Mahadevi, the Sovereign who is all pervading and shining everywhere can be attained only through ananya bhakti. Ananya nishta means seeing only 'Rasa leela ' everywhere. Wherever you look, you must see only Rasa, nothing else. You must have such ananya nishta. Lord Narada spoke about ananya nishta when Prahlada was still in his mother's womb. The little boy imbibed Narada's words completely. When his father Hiranyakasapa asked him where his God 'Hari' was Prahlada replied, 'Father, if my Hari was a small object I could say that he is a box or a basket. But my Hari, my Swami is all pervading and omni present. Then how can I show him to you? Don't ask me where he is present; ask where he is not present. ' Each one should possess that kind of ananya nishta where he sees none other than his deity in every atom of the Universe. See only Radha everywhere. My Mother is present in an idol, stone, temple - everywhere. Whatever may be the name and form of the God; it is only Radhaji who is superimposed on all.
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| Ananyaschintayanto mamye janah paryupasate |
| Tesham nityabhimuktanam yogakshemam vahamyaham |
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I will look after the welfare of those devotees who pray to me incessantly with ananya nishta.
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-Lord Krishna Gita: 9-22
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That is the greatness of ananya nishta. God actually hands himself over to those who surrender themselves to him and have faith in him only. Arjuna always had one-pointed devotion for Krishna. So it is the Lord's responsibility to look after Arjuna. During Mahabharata war, Bheeshma once vowed that 'in tomorrow's war, either Arjuna or I will survive.' That night Krishna went to Arjuna's tent and found him sleeping peacefully. He woke Arjuna and asked 'do you remember the vow that Bheeshma's has taken today?' Arjuna replied, 'Yes. I do' 'Then how are you sleeping so peacefully'? 'I am constantly contemplating only on you (chintana); engaged only in your thoughts. So I would indeed be peaceful, dear Krishna.'
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Krishna went to Bheeshma's tent along with Draupadi and saw that he was immersed in dhyana. Bheeshma planned to bless Bhanumati Devi, Duryodhana's wife with the power of his penance so that Duryodhana would not die. Since Krishna knew about this, he prevented Bhanumati Devi from coming there and arranged for Draupadi to be present in her place. At midnight, when Bheeshma opened his eyes, he mistook Draupadi for Bhanumati Devi and blessed 'Deerga sumangali bhava' - May you have a long and prosperous married life. In this way, Pandavas victory was ensured! Why did Krishna act in this manner? He surrendered to Arjuna's one pointed devotion and looked after their welfare. Such is the greatness of ananya chintana.
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Little Prahlada saw only Lord Vishnu even in the hot oil into which he was about to be thrown. He saw only the Lord even in the demon who was about to throw him into the oil. Then what did the Lord do? He thought 'Prahlada considers me as everything and sees only me everywhere. How can I allow him to be killed by anyone?' and took the responsibility of saving the boy's life. Prahlada clearly told his father that he saw only his Lord in every atom of this world.
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In the same way we must look up to Radhaji who has encompassed the 14 worlds and is superimposed on everything. She is the deity who looks after even Krishna. We must understand that there is none other than Mother. We must always be engaged in thoughts of the all-pervading Mother. You must not do dhyana on Her idol or Her image in a temple. You must attain the bhava that She is all pervading. See only Sri Radha in all other Gods. See only Her everywhere and in everything.
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| Api chetsuduracharo bhajate mamananya bhak |
| Sadhureva sa mantavyah samyagvyavasitho hi sah |
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Even if a person is extremely wicked, he becomes blessed if he worships only me. He deserve to be saved like a pious devotee.
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-Lord Krishna Gita: 9-33
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If a man has ananya nishta, God ignores everything else. That is why the kind Lord said,
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| Manmana bhava madbhakto madyaji mam namaskuru |
| Mamevaishyasi yuktwainam atmanam matcharayana |
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Think only of me; worship only me; serve only me; respect only me. If you surrender to me in all ways completely, then you can attain me.
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-Lord Krishna
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Don't bother about caste or creed; Mother only is present everywhere. I worked as a teacher in a Muslim school in Guntur. One night a little boy came for begging. I recognized him as my student Guffoor. He felt ashamed to come in. I gave him food and sent him back. The very next day I arranged a 'Muslim Poor Fund' and made the first contribution of Rs 100. This was almost 60 years ago. I used to contribute about 25% of my salary. I involved other teachers in my endeavor. You must understand that it is wrong to think that you must help only people who belong to your caste and not others. Mother has pervaded the entire Universe. You must believe this and see only Her everywhere. Even today when I go to Guntur, the Muslims surround me and wish me. Such acts please Mother. You also must do such things, which please Her. All this is a part of adorning the mind. The first part of adornment is Ananya nishta ; the second is Tatsukhena sukhitwam. Mother is watching what we think and what we speak. This is the philosophical secret. You will sleep but She has no sleep. She is awake within you, watching. She is not present somewhere in the sky. She is present within us, in our heart and everywhere else. I surrendered to Radhaji. She came near me so many times. She will come near you also. Can Bhagavad Gita be false?
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Can these words of Lord Krishna be false? He said that 'if you surrender to me completely and are constantly engaged in my thoughts, then I will certainly become yours! I will take care of your wellbeing'. What a great sentence! This sentence depicts the assurance that God has given us.
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When a girl is married she thinks, 'I came to your (husband) house leaving behind my maternal home. I have accepted your surname in place of my maternal surname.' We tend to think in this way even in human relationships. Then it is needless to say how spiritual our life would be if we have ananya nishta towards Radhaji, who is our means, our end, infact everything.
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Once I was in need of Rs 50000. On point of principle, I don't ask anyone for money. That same night one lady rang up saying that she is traveling alone to our ashram and requested to send somebody to the railway station to receive her. When she reached our ashram, she handed over the bag she was carrying. The bag contained Rs 51000. Honestly I don't know why she gave that much money. I was in need, so Mother arranged in this way. I have none other than Mother. She looks after my well being. The same will happen in your case also.
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| Sarva dharman parityajya mamekam saranam vraja |
| Aham twa sarvapapebhyo mokshayishyami ma suchah |
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Krishna has laid down two conditions. Firstly, give up all dharmas. Secondly, surrender to him. It is not easy to give up Vaidika dharmas. Bhagavata dharmas and all dharmas related to daily life. Once you have done this, you must surrender to him with ananya nishta. You must be able to fulfill both these conditions.
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-Lord Krishna Gita : 18-66
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Radhaji has only one condition - incessant bhava dhyana on only Radha and nothing else. Through SriRadhasudhanidhi, She explained about bhava dhyana, which is filled with love. If you do dhyana only on Radhadevi who has come down blissfully as a young girl, your karmas will be destroyed and you will feel detachment even towards God's dharmas. Then there is no need to specifically give up any dharmas. Only one thing remains - the flow of Radha bhava dhyana with ananya nishta.
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Sri Radha's sakhis demonstrated this magnificent truth through their exemplary life. For them there is none other than Mother. So much so that they have no interest even in Krishna who is believed to be a 'Complete God'. The sakhis are aware that the Divine Duo of Radha and Krishna are inseparable and their leelas together are meant for the benefit of the world. Yet their body, mind, heart and life are always concentrated at the holy feet of Mother. Sriradhasudhanidhi describes the ananya nishta of the sakhis in a unique manner.
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| Nijapraneswarya yadapi dayaneeyeyamiti mam |
| Muhuschumbatyalingati suratamadhwya madayati |
| Vichitram snehardhim rachayathi tadhapyadhbhutagate |
| Stavaiva Sri radhe padarasa vilase mama manah |
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The sakhi tells Radhaji, 'Sri Radhe. You are the beloved one of Krishna. Since you love me, Krishna embraces me, kisses me and expresses his affection in many peculiar ways. Though I have obtained so much love from Krishna without even asking for it, my mind is focused only on your holy feet.
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-Sri Radha Sudha Nidhi Verse 55
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The beautiful women of Vraja are always yearning for one glance of the Lord; Brahma and other Gods always do dhyana to attain the darshan of the holy feet of the Lord. Yet when that Lord Krishna himself embraces the sakhi, her mind lies at Radhaji's feet. Sakhi, Sri Radha's constant companion is not willing to accept Krishna's affection. Just imagine, the Lord of three worlds is voluntarily offering himself to the sakhi but she is not willing to accept! Sakhi's heart, mind and soul always rest at Sri Radha's feet only. This is incomparable ananya nishta of a sakhi.
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Now why does Lord Krishna, who has ananya bhakti towards Mother show such unusual affection towards the sakhis? Krishna is the embodiment of love's rasa. If he pleased with someone, he grants pure and pious experience of the sweetness of rasa. Yet he lovingly approaches the sakhis with the bhava that 'this sakhi is blessed by my beloved one. If I make her happy, Radhaji will be pleased with me.' The sakhi in turn has surrendered her mind at Mother's feet. Thus both Lord Krishna and sakhi have expressed ananya nishta.
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Though Krishna danced along with the sakhis and exhibited many leelas of love with Radha, we must not forget that it is purest prema rasa. Always remember that Radha and Krishna are the embodiment of formless radiance and that their forms are also radiant! That rasa dham is beyond gunas. It is bhava loka having only bhava. By the grace of our Guru, we must try to understand at least a little of this divine secret. Otherwise we will lose the opportunity that Mother has so lovingly provided us. Let us all practice ananya nishta and attain Mother's love.
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