Sanaathana Saaradaa — 6 : Japam and Dhyaanam

SANAATANA SAARADAA–6
18–08–2017, Friday.

Japam & Dhyaanam.

1. Japam: Japam is a constantly contemplative uttering of one’s own “Ishta Daiva” mantra or the name of one’s chosen deity with utmost love. Sage Patanjali defines mantra as “Tat Japah Tat Artha Bhaavanam“. It means that japa is contemplating upon the meaning of all the words of the mantra. It also means that meditating upon the object of mantra, which in turn implies that the spiritual seeker has to constantly rejoice all the glories of the God which are revealed in terms of Name, Form, Qualities, and Splendours of Him/Her. In Bhagavad Geeta, Sri Krishna clarifies as under regarding japam.(VIII–13).

“Aum ityekaaksharam Brahma Vyaaharan Maam anusmaran“.
“You utter “Aum” while meditating Me as the Object of It“.

So, japam is fully mental and emotionally involved endeavour or ” maanasika vyaapaara” of saadhaka exclusively confined to himself/herself and his/her own Beloved Deity. When this japam acquires the
supreme quality of sublime devotion, then such a japam may fructify into Dhyaana or even Samaadhi.

2. Dhyaanam:—

“Praanaayaamaih dahet doshaan
Dhaaranaabhih cha kilbisham |
Pratyaahaarena samskaaraan
Dhyaanenaaneeswaraan gunaan” ||

“Through regulation of vital-air-energy one can purge ones own bodily and praanic impurities. Through concentration, one can get rid of one’s evils. Through the withdrawal of one’s own sensory energies from the material world, one can eradicate one’s own samskaaras or propensities and proclivities. By attaining Dhyaana one can weed out the entire process of  ideation that fills the human soul with non-Godly qualities. So, with the help of best quality japam the spiritual seeker can receive the Grace of God, which is capable of endowing the devotee with all above yogic states and a lot more too.

Next week we discuss about “Abhishekam” to home/temple God, as my niece Mrs Aruna Kumar from the U.S. wants to know this.