“Without satsanga, it is not possible to hear Hari-katha. Without Hari-katha, it is not possible to be free from delusion. Without being freed from delusion, it is not possible to have determined devotion to the lotus feet of Shri Rama.” (Dohavali, 132)

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बिनु सतसंग न हरिकथा तेहिं बिनु मोह न भाग।
मोह गएँ बिनु रामपद होइ न दृढ अनुराग ॥

binu satasaṃga na harikathā tehiṃ binu moha na bhāga।
moha gae~ binu rāmapada hoi na dṛḍha anurāga ॥

1. Satsanga

Sanga refers to association or meeting. Sat is the truth or that which lasts beyond the temporary manifestations visible within a material creation. The way of life for realizing this truth, for keeping it within the consciousness, is also sat. The people following such a path are also known as sat.

There is a distinction between sat and asat. Due to ignorance we tend to follow asat. This is the inclination from the beginning of life, after emerging from the womb. Just as we require assistance in learning to read and write, so the true purpose of education is to break the interest in asat and create constant association with sat.

2. Hari-katha

These are discourses about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known by the name Hari. This is not the only name, but one that tends to refer to the personal side, as opposed to the all-pervading avyakta-murtina.

मया ततम् इदं सर्वं
जगद् अव्यक्त-मूर्तिना
मत्-स्थानि सर्व-भूतानि
न चाहं तेष्व् अवस्थितः

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ
jagad avyakta-mūrtinā
mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni
na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ

“By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.4)

We hear Hari-katha through satsanga. By associating with saintly people, who are known as sat or sadhu, we have the transfer of information. If we are running a relay race, we can only accept the baton from another participant. A machine will not carry the line forward. There has to be a living being, a force with life.

In the same way, Hari-katha passes through the generations in a descending process, from saintly people. When they meet with others the association is known as satsanga. Without such meetings, it is not possible to hear Hari-katha, which is like nectar to the ears.

We have a tendency to gravitate towards stories. We want to hear what others are doing. The greater the person, the greater the interest. Who can be greater than God? Whose deeds can be more glorious? Whose life-sketch can be more beautiful? Whose actions can carry more intrinsic value, in terms of both example and precept?

3. Removing delusion

The Sanskrit word is moha. This refers to delusion. An equivalent concept is illusory duality. As Bhagavad-gita explains, living beings are born into delusion through the dualities of acceptance and aversion.

इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत।
सर्वभूतानि संमोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप।।

icchādveṣasamutthena dvandvamohena bhārata।
sarvabhūtāni saṃmohaṃ sarge yānti parantapa।।

“O scion of Bharata [Arjuna], O conquerer of the foe, all living entities are born into delusion, overcome by the dualities of desire and hate.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.27)

The duality is illusory, which means that it is not real. I consider one person to be a friend. This is because of what they do for me, the way they behave, what I can extract from their association. The person who is on the opposing side, who has qualities which are the opposite in terms of my benefit, is an enemy.

The line is artificially drawn. The other person is the same in each situation. It should not matter how they treat me. The nature of my association with them has no bearing on their existence. It is merely duality, with temporary significance.

To remove moha is not easy, but there is a worthwhile benefit on the other side. A person gains determination in their devotion to the lotus feet of Shri Rama, who is the same Hari. Rama-katha is the same in nature as Hari-katha. They are essentially the same thing.

There is no higher reward than this devotion. Goswami Tulsidas provides the sequence of steps in order that any person may reach this coveted destination. The beginning is satsanga. The saintly person might be so humble that they will not reveal the open secret that their timeless wisdom passed on in the form of written instruction is itself a form of satsanga.

Despite their denials, the truth remains. From that satsanga flows Hari-katha. If a person simply hears on a regular basis, with attention, with an eye towards contemplation, with an open-mind, then they will surely have their delusions removed. As His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains, when there is sunlight there is no question of darkness.

Discussions of the transcendental activities of the Supreme Lord are like the brightest light. The darkness of illusion stands no chance. When that moha dissipates, a person naturally gravitates towards God the person, in a mood of devotion that cannot be broken, even by all-devouring time.

In Closing:

Even from all-devouring time,
Not severing to find.

Since to lotus feet bound,
From Hari-katha sound.

By satsanga possible made,
Impression forever stayed.

That suffering no more in delusion,
Sita-Rama the beginning and conclusion.

Categories: dohavali 121-160, the three

Tags: dohavali, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, rama