“Others will also ridicule and scorn saying, ‘This child is an asura but prays to the gods. It is like a cat offering prayers to a mouse or a peacock to a snake.’ This is indeed a bad omen, behavior resembling an enemy, as even after obtaining great wealth and power, an unintelligent person can fall down.” (Hiranyakashipu speaking to Prahlada, Narasimha Purana, 41.59-60)

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अन्येपि त्वां हनिष्यन्ति वदिष्यन्ति जनास्त्विदम्
असुरोयं सुरांस्तौति मार्जार इव मूषकान्
द्वेष्यान् शिखीव फणिनो दुर्निमित्तमिदं ध्रुवम्
लब्ध्वापि महदैश्वर्यं लाघवं यान्त्यबुद्धयः

anyepi tvāṃ haniṣyanti vadiṣyanti janāstvidam
asuroyaṃ surāṃstauti mārjāra iva mūṣakān
dveṣyān śikhīva phaṇino durnimittamidaṃ dhruvam
labdhvāpi mahadaiśvaryaṃ lāghavaṃ yāntyabuddhayaḥ

Bhagavad-gita makes reference to a peculiar implementation of religion, if considering from the outsider’s perspective. The Sanskrit word describing the activity is kirtayantah. This actually means “to describe”, though in the common implementation kirtana is known as singing or chanting. The meanings actually merge based on the subject matter, i.e. the object of the singing, the person to whom the chanting is offered.

सततं कीर्तयन्तो मां
यतन्तश् च दृढ-व्रताः
नमस्यन्तश् च मां भक्त्या
नित्य-युक्ता उपासते

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ
yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ
namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā
nitya-yuktā upāsate

“Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.14)

Such kirtayantah happens in a continuous fashion, satatam. Certain individuals are always chanting the glories of the object of worship. Continuous implies that the practice is steady. In the manner that the sun rises in the morning and the proprietor of the home prepares to leave for the office, so the dutiful devotee makes sure to stay connected, yukta, in some way to the origin of everything. They may implement a regimen involving kirtayantah, through the chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

If we want to explain the dedication to someone on the outside, who is not familiar with the ins and outs of sanatana-dharma culture, we might begin by offering a comparison to an awards show. Imagine that you are inducting someone into a hall of fame. It could also be bestowing a lifetime achievement award. The exact field of excellence is not important for this discussion. Be it art, cinema, music, or athletics, the person being honored means so much to you. You feel blessed to be chosen as the one to honor them.

After the fact, you reflect on how amazing the experience was. There is a sense of purification. There was so much you wanted to get off your chest, built up over many years. You spend so much of the day arguing, in settling disputes between different factions. You watch the news, follow politics, and offer opinions. But this night was different. You focused only on the positives. You feel so wonderful, after the fact, that you wish you could do the same. If actually following through on the desire, to have another around of glorification, there are several issues to consider. These are limitations, which put an abrupt halt to your plans.

1. The recipient would get sick of it

“Okay, you have gone on long enough. I get it. I meant a lot to you. I have my own mentors, you know. Trust me. You don’t see me making them stand here and listen to such praise for so long. At some point, it has to stop. You need to reach the end. People are getting antsy. They can’t wait to rush to the bar, which is open, by the way. I do not need to hear my glories sung to such a degree; the obsequiousness becomes nauseating after a while.”

2. There isn’t enough to talk about

“I said so much last night, but what more could I possibly add? I think I have reached the end. The impact is tremendous. I am not a miser. It is not that I think I have surpassed my mentor. But speeches like from last night are a one-hit wonder; delivering the same will not go over too well.”

3. There aren’t enough functions

“Yes, let’s do it again. When? How about tonight? What do you mean no one will show up? Why not? They were all just here. Last night. You were there. Don’t you remember? Just call them back. They can wear the same clothes; no one will mind. I want to praise that person again. Yes, they received the award already, but I have more to say. I don’t think one night is enough. I felt constrained by the limits of time. You guys gave me the hook and went to commercial. That was not cool.”

4. You might expect something in return

“After all I did for you. No one else could have inducted you as well as I did. Be honest. I should at least get a ‘thank you’ in return. I can’t believe you would ignore me like that. Only a miser fails to repay favors. I thought you were better than that. Were you even paying attention while I was up there speaking?”

5. The praise becomes too effusive

“Dude, give it a rest, already. We get it. They meant a lot to you. They are cool. They gave you strength. They provided inspiration. It was nice to hear those remarks you gave. But I think it is time to move on. Don’t you feel the same? People will start to wonder. They will ask if you need to have your head examined. No one is that devoted to someone else. If they are, they keep it to themselves. That is simple manners; have some decorum.”

…

The historical figure named Hiranyakashipu thought that the object of worship was not deserving. Hiranyakashipu was both a father and a leader of a community. He was the head of the Daityas, and they happened to wield the topmost authority in the universe at one point in time. Hiranyakashipu assumed that his young son named Prahlada would follow in the footsteps of the father.

The father was surprised to see that Prahlada had an inclination towards stuti. This is the praise that might be associated with the aforementioned kirtayantah. However, the praise was not towards the father or the Daitya way of living. Rather, Prahlada was known to write different names of Vishnu on his slate used for school. The child was basically worshiping in his spare time. He was worshiping Vishnu instead of learning the ins and outs of ruling a kingdom.

Hiranyakashipu considered the practice to be crazy. He compared it to a cat glorifying a mouse or a peacock doing the same for a snake. There would be no reason to. The superior party does not intentionally show weakness towards the inferior party. Hiranyakashipu considered Vishnu to be inferior.

Prahlada knew the secret. He was a living embodiment of the description from Bhagavad-gita, of the mahatmas who always glorify the Supreme Lord. Prahlada showed that the range of applicability extends to the greatest boundaries known to man. Not even a child living in a kingdom inimical to Vishnu can be stopped from worshiping. They can continue the glorification from the time of childhood all the way to the end of life, where they remember Narayana and achieve the best destination.

एतावान् साङ्ख्य-योगाभ्यां
स्व-धर्म-परिनिष्ठया
जन्म-लाभः परः पुंसाम्
अन्ते नारायण-स्मृतिः

etāvān sāṅkhya-yogābhyāṁ
sva-dharma-pariniṣṭhayā
janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām
ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ

“The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.1.6)

In Closing:

From lifetime’s devotion blessed,
Their next destination set.

Even a child faithful can do,
Prahlada with names of Vishnu who.

On his slate from school to write,
To father an infuriating sight.

Trying every which way to end,
But son infinitely to extend.

Categories: supplicating the inferior, the five

Tags: bhakti, dailyprompt, kirtanam, poem, poems, poetry, yoga