By N N Subramanian
Andal's Divine Union With Sri Narayana
The Tiruppavai, a 1,000-year-old collection of 30 Tamil songs in praise of Krishna, was composed by Goda when she was barely 15 years of age. It is sung during the month of Margazhi in Tamil Nadu, between mid-December and mid-January. The Tiruppavai is also called Godopanishad because it contains the quintessence of the scriptures.
An incarnation of Bhudevi, Goddess Earth, the consort of Mahavishnu, Goda's appearance was to show us the pathway to God through bridal mysticism - looking upon God as the bridegroom.
One day, Vishnuchittar Periyalvar was gathering flowers for the daily puja at the temple when he found a child under a Tulsi bush in his garden. He took her home and brought her up as his own child. He named her Goda (or Kothai, in Tamil), meaning 'maiden' or 'song-girl'; also 'giver of cows, speech or light'.
Goda grew up listening to the sweet tales of Krishna her father narrated to her. Goda's dream was to marry the Lord. Daily, she would wear the garlands her father strung for the temple deity and peer into the well to admire her reflection in the water. One day, her father saw this and saddened by her impiety, he forbade her from ever touching the flowers meant for the Lord.
The next day Periyalvar took the garlands to the temple. That night the Lord appeared in his dream and said that only the garlands worn by his daughter were dear to Him. From then on, Goda would wear the garlands first and then send them to the temple. Soon she came to be known as Sudikkodutta Sudarkodi (the lady who offered garlands to God after first wearing them).
Goda became lovelorn. Long before dawn, she would go door-to-door, rousing her friends. Singing loudly the praises of Krishna, they would arrive at the palace of Nandagopa, and wake up everyone there, including Krishna. They would appeal to the Lord to provide them with conches, drums, lamps, flags and festoons. They also wanted Him to reward them for singing His praises. Finally, Goda would disclose to Krishna the true purpose of their visit - to be granted one boon that they could be with Him always.
Goda's Nacciyar Tirumozhi (poems of the Lord's bride) is a longer composition of 143 verses in which she expresses her love for Krishna in moods ranging from the agony caused by the pangs of separation from Him to the ecstasy born of union with Him.
As Periyalvar watched with grave anxiety his daughter's boundless love for Krishna grow, he was perplexed; how could he arrange a marriage between a mere human being and the Supreme Lord of the Universe? Krishna announced to Periyalvar in a dream that He would take care of that. Krishna spoke to the temple priests of Srirangam and told them to go to Srivilliputtur and escort His bride-elect to Him.
On the appointed day, Goda, in bridal finery, was taken in a palanquin from Srivilliputtur to Srirangam right into the sanctum sanctorum. Softly stepping down from the palanquin and proceeding with a swan-like gait towards the deity reclining on Adisesha, Goda climbed onto the serpent-bed. Then she just disappeared, getting absorbed into Him.
At Periyalvar's request, the Lord agreed to a traditional marriage ceremony which was performed on the panguni uthiram at Srivilliputtur. Every Vaishnavite temple in Tamil Nadu has a shrine for Goda who came to be known as Andal, 'she who rules', because she rules over the heart of Lord Narayana Himself; and Andal's divine marriage is celebrated to this day, every year, on the panguni uthiram day.
Article Source : http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Goda/id/50285
Monday, February 11, 2008
Bridal Mysticism: Story of Meerabai
by Jyotsna Kamat
Page Last Updated: December 21,2007
Saint Mirabai (1547-1614 A.D.)
As the more famous (than Andal or Akkamadadevi) of the female saints of India, Bhakti Mira or Mirabai can be considered as one of the foremost mystics of the world. Worldly comforts never attracted these mystics. They have left beautiful songs and hymns to posterity which are sung to this day.
To Andal, Akkamahadevi and Mira, the soul was the eternal bride and the Lord their eternal Bridegroom the eternal Bridegroom . All the three excelled in the life of renunciation and divine realization. They lived in entirely different regions, wrote in their respective language in different age and Milieu, but became legends in their lifetime itself, by the austere life and single purpose of pursuit of God and finally divine attainment. This life is extremely difficult irrespective of gender to practice and attain salvation.
Mirabai was a princess of Rathod clan and belonged to Medath of Rajasthan. Rana Ratan Simh was her father. (Rana is the word for "Raja"). Even from childhood she exhibited spiritual traits. She was passionately attached to the idol of Giridhar Gopal, a form of Lord Krishna.
Refusal to Commit Sati and Marriage to Krishna
She was married to crown prince of Chittore. But shortly after, her husband Bhojraj and father-in-law Rana Sangh died. Mira refused to commit Sati, as was the practice among Rajputs. She was by conviction wedded to Giridhar Gopal, and death of "earthly" husband had no meaning to her. She spent all her time in praying, meditation, singing and dancing before her beloved idol, installed in the palace premises. The place started attracting many devotees, wandering saints and spiritual seekers. Mira found great solace in their company.
But this strange behavior was not acceptable to royal household and the ruling king, her brother-in-law. They thought of various modes of diverting her attention and save the glare of public. (Rajput women then and even now (year 2001) observe strict purdah) .Some songs of Mira reflect the agony and persecution she had to undergo. But her Giridhar Gopal always proved her savior.
"The Rana sent Mira a basketful of flowers with a snake inside. Mira absorbed in worship, put her hand into the basket to take flowers. Oh God! The snake had changed into a Saligrama! (Saligrama is a small round shaped black stone from the Gandaki river in Himalayas and is worshipped as a symbol of Vishnu).
Determined to kill Mira, the Rana sent a cup of poison. She prayed to Gopal and drank it. The poison turned into nectar. The Rana got a bed of sharp nails and Mira was made to lay down on it. But the nails turned to flowers. Mira was saved from all these dangers by none other than her Lord. Now intoxicated with immense love, she wanders all over in search of her Lord, dedicating herself to him entirely" she sang.
When many plots failed to kill Mira, it is said that Rana, the new king, cursed her "Why shouldn't this ignoble woman drown herself and die?"
Mira came to know about this wish and thought it would be a great relief to her royal relations if she put amend to life by jumping into the river. But in the nick of time divine voice addressed her. "It is a great sin to kill oneself... go to Brindavan."
So she undertook pilgrimage to Brindavan. It is considered sport field of Lord Krishna. Brindavan, a sacred place, was abode to several holy men. Jeeva Goswami had taken a vow never to see a woman--even her shadow! So, disciple of Goswami stopped her. "The Swamiji will not see any woman."
Mira laughed. "I though the only Man in Brindavan is Shri Krishan. now I see, there is a rival to him!"
In the Bhakti cult the love of the wife for her husband is said to be the best form of devotion. Hence all devotees in this world are women and God is the only man. In Brindavan the only man was supposed to be Krishna and other men and women were gopis, as gender distinction did not exist among real Bhaktas. If a devotee really felt as a gopi, he could never refuse to see another woman devotee. If anybody thinks himself a man it amounts to being a rival to god.
Mirabai's words stung Goswami and he at once understood the hidden meaning. He came out from cottage, bowed to the great lady and escorted to the hermitage.
From Brindavan she went to Dwaraka singing and praying. "I discovered the great secret in uttering the name and learnt it was quintessence of sastras. I reached my Giridhar through prayers and tears."
She gave many helpful suggestions to spiritual aspirants. "Oh my mind! You must do spiritual practice and worship.
"To love and live for Him" was the central theme of her songs. "Without pure love, the darling son of Nanda cannot be attained."
It is said that Mira got merged into the idol of Krishna in the temple of Ranchod at Dwaraka.
More than 400 songs ascribed to Mira known as Padas (lyrics) have been collected. She herself set tune to her songs and sang in soul-stirring divinely sweet voice. "Rag Govind" and "Rag Mira Malhar" are her creations. All her songs could be set to music easily and have become immensely popular throughout India, an indication to national solidarity established through Bhakti and through music.
Article Source : http://www.kamat.com/indica/faiths/bhakti/mirabai.htm
Page Last Updated: December 21,2007
Saint Mirabai (1547-1614 A.D.)
As the more famous (than Andal or Akkamadadevi) of the female saints of India, Bhakti Mira or Mirabai can be considered as one of the foremost mystics of the world. Worldly comforts never attracted these mystics. They have left beautiful songs and hymns to posterity which are sung to this day.
To Andal, Akkamahadevi and Mira, the soul was the eternal bride and the Lord their eternal Bridegroom the eternal Bridegroom . All the three excelled in the life of renunciation and divine realization. They lived in entirely different regions, wrote in their respective language in different age and Milieu, but became legends in their lifetime itself, by the austere life and single purpose of pursuit of God and finally divine attainment. This life is extremely difficult irrespective of gender to practice and attain salvation.
Mirabai was a princess of Rathod clan and belonged to Medath of Rajasthan. Rana Ratan Simh was her father. (Rana is the word for "Raja"). Even from childhood she exhibited spiritual traits. She was passionately attached to the idol of Giridhar Gopal, a form of Lord Krishna.
Refusal to Commit Sati and Marriage to Krishna
She was married to crown prince of Chittore. But shortly after, her husband Bhojraj and father-in-law Rana Sangh died. Mira refused to commit Sati, as was the practice among Rajputs. She was by conviction wedded to Giridhar Gopal, and death of "earthly" husband had no meaning to her. She spent all her time in praying, meditation, singing and dancing before her beloved idol, installed in the palace premises. The place started attracting many devotees, wandering saints and spiritual seekers. Mira found great solace in their company.
But this strange behavior was not acceptable to royal household and the ruling king, her brother-in-law. They thought of various modes of diverting her attention and save the glare of public. (Rajput women then and even now (year 2001) observe strict purdah) .Some songs of Mira reflect the agony and persecution she had to undergo. But her Giridhar Gopal always proved her savior.
"The Rana sent Mira a basketful of flowers with a snake inside. Mira absorbed in worship, put her hand into the basket to take flowers. Oh God! The snake had changed into a Saligrama! (Saligrama is a small round shaped black stone from the Gandaki river in Himalayas and is worshipped as a symbol of Vishnu).
Determined to kill Mira, the Rana sent a cup of poison. She prayed to Gopal and drank it. The poison turned into nectar. The Rana got a bed of sharp nails and Mira was made to lay down on it. But the nails turned to flowers. Mira was saved from all these dangers by none other than her Lord. Now intoxicated with immense love, she wanders all over in search of her Lord, dedicating herself to him entirely" she sang.
When many plots failed to kill Mira, it is said that Rana, the new king, cursed her "Why shouldn't this ignoble woman drown herself and die?"
Mira came to know about this wish and thought it would be a great relief to her royal relations if she put amend to life by jumping into the river. But in the nick of time divine voice addressed her. "It is a great sin to kill oneself... go to Brindavan."
So she undertook pilgrimage to Brindavan. It is considered sport field of Lord Krishna. Brindavan, a sacred place, was abode to several holy men. Jeeva Goswami had taken a vow never to see a woman--even her shadow! So, disciple of Goswami stopped her. "The Swamiji will not see any woman."
Mira laughed. "I though the only Man in Brindavan is Shri Krishan. now I see, there is a rival to him!"
In the Bhakti cult the love of the wife for her husband is said to be the best form of devotion. Hence all devotees in this world are women and God is the only man. In Brindavan the only man was supposed to be Krishna and other men and women were gopis, as gender distinction did not exist among real Bhaktas. If a devotee really felt as a gopi, he could never refuse to see another woman devotee. If anybody thinks himself a man it amounts to being a rival to god.
Mirabai's words stung Goswami and he at once understood the hidden meaning. He came out from cottage, bowed to the great lady and escorted to the hermitage.
From Brindavan she went to Dwaraka singing and praying. "I discovered the great secret in uttering the name and learnt it was quintessence of sastras. I reached my Giridhar through prayers and tears."
She gave many helpful suggestions to spiritual aspirants. "Oh my mind! You must do spiritual practice and worship.
"To love and live for Him" was the central theme of her songs. "Without pure love, the darling son of Nanda cannot be attained."
It is said that Mira got merged into the idol of Krishna in the temple of Ranchod at Dwaraka.
More than 400 songs ascribed to Mira known as Padas (lyrics) have been collected. She herself set tune to her songs and sang in soul-stirring divinely sweet voice. "Rag Govind" and "Rag Mira Malhar" are her creations. All her songs could be set to music easily and have become immensely popular throughout India, an indication to national solidarity established through Bhakti and through music.
Article Source : http://www.kamat.com/indica/faiths/bhakti/mirabai.htm
Bridal mysticism at its poetic best
WHEN THE Bhakti Movement initiated by Poygaiazhwar, Bhoodathazhwar and Peyazhwar had begun to sustain the common man who had been confounded by many religions all of which pampered the priestly middlemen and indulged in soulless ritualism, Tamil literature grew wings as well. The Azhwars experimented with many prosodic variations. Equally rich was the Azhwars' contribution to the genres. Dandakams, Madal, Thoothu and Tiru-palli-ezhuchi are some of them. The most important was their use of bridal mysticism.
Though prayers are aplenty in Vedic Sanskrit literature and the literature of the classical age, no one had tried to approach the Lord as the Eternal Bridegroom, conceiving the individual soul as the bride. When the Azhwars began writing mystic prayers to the Supreme in "Illuminating Tamil" (Gnana-Tamizh), they absorbed the genres of ancient Tamil literature with effortless ease. Sangham poetry used the love between man and woman as the appropriate metaphor for what happens in the inner recesses of the mind.
The Azhwars borrowed the idea to explain to their listeners the aspirations of the individual soul eager to join the Supreme, the mystic moments of togetherness between man and God and the unbearable consequences of separation that torture the individual. Nature is also drawn in, to help in this process. The gift of such bridal mysticism by Tamil Azhwars spread all over India, and even the stately Sanskrit language has been tuned to the wavy movements of a creeper in Jayadeva's "Gita Govindam".
Though Tirumangai Azhwar and Nammazhwar have made sure approaches to God taking on the voice of a young girl, it is Goda Devi's poems that are cited as the height of bridal mysticism. Peria Achan Pillai says that because Goda Devi was a woman, such longing for her Lord gushed forth. Born under the Pooram star in the month of Adi, and raised in the house of the great devotional poet, Periazhwar, devotional diction became almost second nature to her. She sang, and the thoughts swirled around in perfect prosody. Hence, her poems mark the beginning of bridal mysticism in India's sacred literature.
Goda Devi's verses in this genre are utterly natural. The 10 verses in the Ninth decad located in Tirumaliruncholai (near Madurai) are enough to show the fire of aspiration is burning in the depths of Goda Devi's heart. Yet she is consumed by this fire of divine love. It is the rainy season on the hills which has made the atmosphere cool but the aspirant's heart continues to be a burning brazier. The instinctive love for all creations is turned into Nature poetry by Goda Devi.
There are subtle changes in the thought-currents of Goda Devi. "Isn't there a certain friendliness in the smile of dark ironwood blossoms and Kuruvilai flowers? For these are dark-skinned, like the Lord's complexion." So she speaks to them. "The Lord has as good as stolen her bangles. She has grown thin pining for his presence, and the wrists can retain the bangles no more. Perhaps these friendly flowers can suggest a way to arrest this rapid decline." There is no answer except that the flowers are dancing in the breeze. How can they be so cruel?
There is a direct prayer — an attempt to make a personal approach — a familiar ploy of taking a vow for the flow of Grace. So Goda Devi spells out a promise:
"A hundred pots of butter; A hundred pitchers of sweet pudding;
Such is my promise to Tirumaliruncholai Lord; Will he come and accept this offering of mine? If only the Lord comes here today; Receives my gift and enters my heart; I promise lakhs of such pitchers; And eternal servitude at his feet."
The promise of eternal servitude (aahum seyyan) is an indication of the symbolic significance of the offering. It is not Moksha that Goda Devi wants. Her goal is Kainkarya, an unbroken closeness to the Lord. It is the same ideal that prompted Lakshmana to give up the comforts of regal living, and his bride Urmila. Eternal servitude to the Lord is symbolised by Adisesha who is a throne, a bed and an umbrella to Narayana. It is said that Sri Ramanuja (considered an avatar of Adisesha-Lakshmana) recognised the aspiration behind these two verses of Goda Devi. Of course she had had no time to fulfil her vow as she merged with the Lord the moment she came face to face with Him in the Srirangam temple. On her behalf, Ramanuja offered hundreds of pots of butter and sweet pudding to the Lord. Hagiology assures us that the next time he went to Srivilliputtur, Goda Devi's voice called out to him. "Come, come, elder brother." Since then, devotees have always considered her to be the younger sister of Sri Ramanuja.
PREMA NANDAKUMAR
Article Source : http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2003/08/01/stories/2003080101480600.htm
Though prayers are aplenty in Vedic Sanskrit literature and the literature of the classical age, no one had tried to approach the Lord as the Eternal Bridegroom, conceiving the individual soul as the bride. When the Azhwars began writing mystic prayers to the Supreme in "Illuminating Tamil" (Gnana-Tamizh), they absorbed the genres of ancient Tamil literature with effortless ease. Sangham poetry used the love between man and woman as the appropriate metaphor for what happens in the inner recesses of the mind.
The Azhwars borrowed the idea to explain to their listeners the aspirations of the individual soul eager to join the Supreme, the mystic moments of togetherness between man and God and the unbearable consequences of separation that torture the individual. Nature is also drawn in, to help in this process. The gift of such bridal mysticism by Tamil Azhwars spread all over India, and even the stately Sanskrit language has been tuned to the wavy movements of a creeper in Jayadeva's "Gita Govindam".
Though Tirumangai Azhwar and Nammazhwar have made sure approaches to God taking on the voice of a young girl, it is Goda Devi's poems that are cited as the height of bridal mysticism. Peria Achan Pillai says that because Goda Devi was a woman, such longing for her Lord gushed forth. Born under the Pooram star in the month of Adi, and raised in the house of the great devotional poet, Periazhwar, devotional diction became almost second nature to her. She sang, and the thoughts swirled around in perfect prosody. Hence, her poems mark the beginning of bridal mysticism in India's sacred literature.
Goda Devi's verses in this genre are utterly natural. The 10 verses in the Ninth decad located in Tirumaliruncholai (near Madurai) are enough to show the fire of aspiration is burning in the depths of Goda Devi's heart. Yet she is consumed by this fire of divine love. It is the rainy season on the hills which has made the atmosphere cool but the aspirant's heart continues to be a burning brazier. The instinctive love for all creations is turned into Nature poetry by Goda Devi.
There are subtle changes in the thought-currents of Goda Devi. "Isn't there a certain friendliness in the smile of dark ironwood blossoms and Kuruvilai flowers? For these are dark-skinned, like the Lord's complexion." So she speaks to them. "The Lord has as good as stolen her bangles. She has grown thin pining for his presence, and the wrists can retain the bangles no more. Perhaps these friendly flowers can suggest a way to arrest this rapid decline." There is no answer except that the flowers are dancing in the breeze. How can they be so cruel?
There is a direct prayer — an attempt to make a personal approach — a familiar ploy of taking a vow for the flow of Grace. So Goda Devi spells out a promise:
"A hundred pots of butter; A hundred pitchers of sweet pudding;
Such is my promise to Tirumaliruncholai Lord; Will he come and accept this offering of mine? If only the Lord comes here today; Receives my gift and enters my heart; I promise lakhs of such pitchers; And eternal servitude at his feet."
The promise of eternal servitude (aahum seyyan) is an indication of the symbolic significance of the offering. It is not Moksha that Goda Devi wants. Her goal is Kainkarya, an unbroken closeness to the Lord. It is the same ideal that prompted Lakshmana to give up the comforts of regal living, and his bride Urmila. Eternal servitude to the Lord is symbolised by Adisesha who is a throne, a bed and an umbrella to Narayana. It is said that Sri Ramanuja (considered an avatar of Adisesha-Lakshmana) recognised the aspiration behind these two verses of Goda Devi. Of course she had had no time to fulfil her vow as she merged with the Lord the moment she came face to face with Him in the Srirangam temple. On her behalf, Ramanuja offered hundreds of pots of butter and sweet pudding to the Lord. Hagiology assures us that the next time he went to Srivilliputtur, Goda Devi's voice called out to him. "Come, come, elder brother." Since then, devotees have always considered her to be the younger sister of Sri Ramanuja.
PREMA NANDAKUMAR
Article Source : http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2003/08/01/stories/2003080101480600.htm
Meera Bai, fine exemplar of Bridal Mysticism
CHENNAI, JULY 4. Many are the paths open before devotees to reach their goal. They can choose any one of them, to have their objective fulfilled depending on what is best suited to them. For some, service to God may be preferable, some treated God as their child, while others held Him as their master. Yet to some, He was their ``beloved''. Some considered Him as their friend. But one thing is commonly available in all of us and we can always make use of it, that too very effortlessly. That is ``Divine Love''.
This pure love for the Divine implies detachment from worldly life. Such devotees felt that God exists in them and they in turn were altogether His. Meera Bai was one such devotee who dedicated herself to Lord Krishna in the name of ``Giridhara Gopala'' as His spouse and exemplified the way of Bhakti. She sang her agony of separation from Him giving expression to bridal mysticism. She dedicated herself as the bride of God and translated her burning love for Him in the form of songs filled with messages for all others who seek Him. Even as a three-year-old girl, she developed an intense liking to an idol of Krishna. A casual remark, in jest, that her bridegroom (when she grew) would be Sri Krishna as ``Giridhara Gopala'' made a deep impression on her and from then on she started worshipping the Lord, adoring Him through songs and spending her time in the midst of godly souls.
In his lecture, Swami Mitrananda said Meera even after her marriage to a prince of the Rajput clan, continued her deep faith and love towards her ``Divine Spouse''. She was given freedom to worship and a shrine was erected for Lord Krishna. Listening to reports about her religious fervour and her lilting Bhajans and devotional congregations, Emperor Akbar, with Tansen, attended incognito, one such gatherings and moved by the scene there, revealed his identity and presented a necklace which was used by Meera to decorate her idol. Later furious at her conduct attempts were made to torture her and even to do away with her but the Lord saved her and she ultimately reached the feet of God. One among her numerous devotional outpourings refers to the power of the holy name of God and how chanting it with faith will help a devotee to cross the ocean of transmigration itself acting as a boat. ``Among all types of valuable possessions, God's name is the greatest wealth.'' No doubt, the mind cannot be controlled so easily but even as Lord Krishna states in the Gita, constant practice will surely make the recitation of Lord's name purposeful.
Article Source : http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/07/04/stories/10040906.htm
This pure love for the Divine implies detachment from worldly life. Such devotees felt that God exists in them and they in turn were altogether His. Meera Bai was one such devotee who dedicated herself to Lord Krishna in the name of ``Giridhara Gopala'' as His spouse and exemplified the way of Bhakti. She sang her agony of separation from Him giving expression to bridal mysticism. She dedicated herself as the bride of God and translated her burning love for Him in the form of songs filled with messages for all others who seek Him. Even as a three-year-old girl, she developed an intense liking to an idol of Krishna. A casual remark, in jest, that her bridegroom (when she grew) would be Sri Krishna as ``Giridhara Gopala'' made a deep impression on her and from then on she started worshipping the Lord, adoring Him through songs and spending her time in the midst of godly souls.
In his lecture, Swami Mitrananda said Meera even after her marriage to a prince of the Rajput clan, continued her deep faith and love towards her ``Divine Spouse''. She was given freedom to worship and a shrine was erected for Lord Krishna. Listening to reports about her religious fervour and her lilting Bhajans and devotional congregations, Emperor Akbar, with Tansen, attended incognito, one such gatherings and moved by the scene there, revealed his identity and presented a necklace which was used by Meera to decorate her idol. Later furious at her conduct attempts were made to torture her and even to do away with her but the Lord saved her and she ultimately reached the feet of God. One among her numerous devotional outpourings refers to the power of the holy name of God and how chanting it with faith will help a devotee to cross the ocean of transmigration itself acting as a boat. ``Among all types of valuable possessions, God's name is the greatest wealth.'' No doubt, the mind cannot be controlled so easily but even as Lord Krishna states in the Gita, constant practice will surely make the recitation of Lord's name purposeful.
Article Source : http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/07/04/stories/10040906.htm
The Bridal Mysticism
by Jyotsna Kamat
Page Last Updated: December 22,2007
Bridal mysticism is a form of Bhakti as practiced by Andal and Akkamahadevi, wherein the devotee looks upon herself as a bride and the Lord as bridegroom. It is an example of sublimating all mental powers through power of imagination. The Lord, soul of all souls, is invoked for internal bliss and the craving for the Lord is evinced in the soul-stirring poetry written by these two proponents of the Bhakti movement.
The bridal mysticism gave way to yet another form of devotion in India where the women (abused, unmarried, or even married) could address God as their savior, and supreme lover.
I love the Handsome One:
He has no death
decay nor form
no place or side
no end nor birthmarks.
I love Him O mother. Listen.
I love the Beautiful One
with no bond nor fear
no clan no land
no landmarks
So my Lord, white as jasmine, is my husband.
by Akkamahadevi
Translated by A. K. Ramanujan
Article Source : http://www.kamat.com/indica/faiths/bhakti/bridal_bhakti.htm
Page Last Updated: December 22,2007
Bridal mysticism is a form of Bhakti as practiced by Andal and Akkamahadevi, wherein the devotee looks upon herself as a bride and the Lord as bridegroom. It is an example of sublimating all mental powers through power of imagination. The Lord, soul of all souls, is invoked for internal bliss and the craving for the Lord is evinced in the soul-stirring poetry written by these two proponents of the Bhakti movement.
The bridal mysticism gave way to yet another form of devotion in India where the women (abused, unmarried, or even married) could address God as their savior, and supreme lover.
I love the Handsome One:
He has no death
decay nor form
no place or side
no end nor birthmarks.
I love Him O mother. Listen.
I love the Beautiful One
with no bond nor fear
no clan no land
no landmarks
So my Lord, white as jasmine, is my husband.
by Akkamahadevi
Translated by A. K. Ramanujan
Article Source : http://www.kamat.com/indica/faiths/bhakti/bridal_bhakti.htm
The Ecstacy of St Theresa of Avila
Saint Teresa's love of God and her desire for spiritual union with him found expression in a vision in which an angel pierced her heart with a golden spear and sent her into a trance. The erotic intensity of her vision is vividly suggested in this image by Teresa's swooning expression and languid pose, and by the deep folds of drapery, which convey her agitation.
Artist: Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini Sculpture: marble Life-size group 1645-1652 CE Site: Italy: Rome Location: Italy: Rome, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Cornaro Chapel
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teresa is clothed from head to foot in a loose hooded garment. Her feet are bare, the left one prominently displayed. Her eyes are shut, her mouth opened, as she swoons in ecstasy. Standing before her is the figure of a winged youth. His garment hangs on one shoulder, exposing his arms and part of his upper torso. In his right hand he holds an arrow that is pointed at the heart of Teresa.
CULTURAL COMMENTARY top
Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) was a Spanish mystic who lived during the Counter-Reformation, a period of religious turmoil in Europe. Teresa founded several houses for discalced (or "barefoot") Carmelite friars and nuns, who sought to live according to the original rule of the order. This was a more primitive and ascetic form of monastic life than was practiced in Spain at that time. In addition, Teresa was author of numerous books, including her Life, a personal autobiography, the Way of Perfection, a handbook for her nuns, and Interior Mansions, in which she describes the many different steps taken on the path to mystical union with God.
Teresa described the soul's intense desire for God in the language of erotic passion. In this, she belongs to a long tradition of mystical experience that is known as bridal mysticism:
It pleased our Lord that I should see the following vision a number of times. I saw an angel near me, on the left side, in bodily form. This I am not wont to see, save very rarely.... In this vision it pleased the Lord that I should see it thus. He was not tall, but short, marvellously beautiful, with a face which shone as though he were one of the highest of the angels, who seem to be all of fire: they must be those whom we call Seraphim.... I saw in his hands a long golden spear, and at the point of the iron there seemed to be a little fire. This I thought that he thrust several times into my heart, and that it penetrated to my entrails. When he drew out the spear he seemed to be drawing them with it, leaving me all on fire with a wondrous love for God. The pain was so great that it caused me to utter several moans; and yet so exceeding sweet is this greatest of pains that it is impossible to desire to be rid of it, or for the soul to be content with less than God. (Peers, 197)
The symbolism of bridal mysticism is found already in early gnostic forms of Christianity, where the central sacrament is called the Bridal Chamber. There the feminine soul of the gnostic unites with the masculine spirit and is in this way spiritualized, that is, liberated from the limitations of mundane existence. Related symbolism is found as well in the writings of the early Christian mystic Origen and the Neoplatonic mystic Plotinus. These three forms of mysticism are related and serve as the foundation for the history of mysticism in Christianity.
Probably, the early forms of bridal mysticism were influenced by the myth of Eros and Psyche, which was quite popular during late Hellenism. Indeed, we find a gnostic interpretation of this myth in the anonymous homily entitled Exegesis on the Soul, which describes the sacrament of the Bridal Chamber. During the Renaissance, Greek themes and images were rediscovered in Italy and elsewhere in Europe. Certainly, the form of Teresa's vision, and the symbolism illustrated here by Bernini, lies very close to the tale of the god of love and his human beloved. Psyche's name means "soul," and she begins her career as a mortal. It is because Eros loves her and wants her for his bride that Zeus is willing to elevate her to the status of an immortal. For Teresa, the moment in which she experiences the spiritual wound is but one moment in a complex drama culminating in the spiritual marriage, when such wounds will no longer be felt but are supplanted by a complete union of God and the soul on an inner level.
ARCHETYPAL COMMENTARY top
The word psyche in contemporary analytical psychology has taken on at least two meanings. On the one hand, it refers to the faculty of the human being that is capable of experiencing the imaginary world as well as the physical world. On the other hand, psyche may refer to the entire realm of experience, both conscious and unconscious. In the first case, the psyche is identified with the soul in the traditional sense; in the second, the psyche is the world of the soul.
The two traditions that are joined in this image of Saint Teresa are that of Greek mythologystory of Psyche and ErosRenaissance Christian mysticism, in which the soul is awakened to spiritual passion. There is, however, one important variation: In the Greek tale (recounted by Apuleius) it is not Eros who wounds Psyche with one of his arrows (in fact, he wounds himself when he first beholds her); rather, Psyche accidentally wounds herself when, disobeying him, she takes up a light to see what he looks like. In Teresa's vision, she as "soul" is completely passive and receives the wound at the hands of an Eros figure. Nevertheless, central to both scenes is the symbol of wounding, the origin of love in pain inflicted from without.
Although it may seem insignificant at first, the suffering caused by the arrow's wound is of the greatest value. It is the pain that initiates the ensuing action, the eventual marriage of Eros and Psyche in heaven and the spiritual marriage of the Bridegroom and the Bride in Teresa's innermost heart. Teresa describes this pain as being filled with fire, being inflamed. What is needed is something to quench the fire, to heal the wound. For Psyche, what follows is a painful period of alienation between her and Eros, until ultimately they are reunited and she gives birth to their daughter, Joy.
The marriage between the human soul and the divine lover represents a creative union of the human self with its transpersonal counterpart. The soul symbolizes the subjective capacity to feel and experience realitycapacity for consciousness. By uniting with the god of love, the soul gains a permanent connection with the abiding source of all life and love. In the infant, there is not yet the separation that gives rise to a subjective self. In the symbolism of the sacred marriage, a return to the original wholeness is achieved without a regression to the infantile unconsciousness.
Erich Neumann suggests that Psyche cannot truly love Eros in the dark. As Psyche, she requires vision. Her desire to see results in suffering, but also in real love: Psyche's act leads, then, to all the pain of individuation, in which a personality experiences itself in relation to a partner as something other, that is, as not only connected with the partner. Psyche wounds herself and wounds Eros [with the hot oil of the lamp, not the arrow -ed.
BIBLIOGRAPHY top
Auclair, Marcelle. Saint Teresa of ?ila. New York, 1953.
Beever, John. Saint Teresa of Avila. Garden City, N.Y., 1961.
Neumann, Erich. Amor and Psyche, the Psychic Development of the Feminine: A Commentary on the Tale by Apuleius. New York, 1956.
Peers, E. Allison. Studies of the Spanish Mystics. London, 1927.
Walsh, William T. Saint Teresa of ?ila. Milwaukee, 1943.
Article Source : http://aras.org/se_ecstasy.html
Artist: Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini Sculpture: marble Life-size group 1645-1652 CE Site: Italy: Rome Location: Italy: Rome, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Cornaro Chapel
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teresa is clothed from head to foot in a loose hooded garment. Her feet are bare, the left one prominently displayed. Her eyes are shut, her mouth opened, as she swoons in ecstasy. Standing before her is the figure of a winged youth. His garment hangs on one shoulder, exposing his arms and part of his upper torso. In his right hand he holds an arrow that is pointed at the heart of Teresa.
CULTURAL COMMENTARY top
Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) was a Spanish mystic who lived during the Counter-Reformation, a period of religious turmoil in Europe. Teresa founded several houses for discalced (or "barefoot") Carmelite friars and nuns, who sought to live according to the original rule of the order. This was a more primitive and ascetic form of monastic life than was practiced in Spain at that time. In addition, Teresa was author of numerous books, including her Life, a personal autobiography, the Way of Perfection, a handbook for her nuns, and Interior Mansions, in which she describes the many different steps taken on the path to mystical union with God.
Teresa described the soul's intense desire for God in the language of erotic passion. In this, she belongs to a long tradition of mystical experience that is known as bridal mysticism:
It pleased our Lord that I should see the following vision a number of times. I saw an angel near me, on the left side, in bodily form. This I am not wont to see, save very rarely.... In this vision it pleased the Lord that I should see it thus. He was not tall, but short, marvellously beautiful, with a face which shone as though he were one of the highest of the angels, who seem to be all of fire: they must be those whom we call Seraphim.... I saw in his hands a long golden spear, and at the point of the iron there seemed to be a little fire. This I thought that he thrust several times into my heart, and that it penetrated to my entrails. When he drew out the spear he seemed to be drawing them with it, leaving me all on fire with a wondrous love for God. The pain was so great that it caused me to utter several moans; and yet so exceeding sweet is this greatest of pains that it is impossible to desire to be rid of it, or for the soul to be content with less than God. (Peers, 197)
The symbolism of bridal mysticism is found already in early gnostic forms of Christianity, where the central sacrament is called the Bridal Chamber. There the feminine soul of the gnostic unites with the masculine spirit and is in this way spiritualized, that is, liberated from the limitations of mundane existence. Related symbolism is found as well in the writings of the early Christian mystic Origen and the Neoplatonic mystic Plotinus. These three forms of mysticism are related and serve as the foundation for the history of mysticism in Christianity.
Probably, the early forms of bridal mysticism were influenced by the myth of Eros and Psyche, which was quite popular during late Hellenism. Indeed, we find a gnostic interpretation of this myth in the anonymous homily entitled Exegesis on the Soul, which describes the sacrament of the Bridal Chamber. During the Renaissance, Greek themes and images were rediscovered in Italy and elsewhere in Europe. Certainly, the form of Teresa's vision, and the symbolism illustrated here by Bernini, lies very close to the tale of the god of love and his human beloved. Psyche's name means "soul," and she begins her career as a mortal. It is because Eros loves her and wants her for his bride that Zeus is willing to elevate her to the status of an immortal. For Teresa, the moment in which she experiences the spiritual wound is but one moment in a complex drama culminating in the spiritual marriage, when such wounds will no longer be felt but are supplanted by a complete union of God and the soul on an inner level.
ARCHETYPAL COMMENTARY top
The word psyche in contemporary analytical psychology has taken on at least two meanings. On the one hand, it refers to the faculty of the human being that is capable of experiencing the imaginary world as well as the physical world. On the other hand, psyche may refer to the entire realm of experience, both conscious and unconscious. In the first case, the psyche is identified with the soul in the traditional sense; in the second, the psyche is the world of the soul.
The two traditions that are joined in this image of Saint Teresa are that of Greek mythologystory of Psyche and ErosRenaissance Christian mysticism, in which the soul is awakened to spiritual passion. There is, however, one important variation: In the Greek tale (recounted by Apuleius) it is not Eros who wounds Psyche with one of his arrows (in fact, he wounds himself when he first beholds her); rather, Psyche accidentally wounds herself when, disobeying him, she takes up a light to see what he looks like. In Teresa's vision, she as "soul" is completely passive and receives the wound at the hands of an Eros figure. Nevertheless, central to both scenes is the symbol of wounding, the origin of love in pain inflicted from without.
Although it may seem insignificant at first, the suffering caused by the arrow's wound is of the greatest value. It is the pain that initiates the ensuing action, the eventual marriage of Eros and Psyche in heaven and the spiritual marriage of the Bridegroom and the Bride in Teresa's innermost heart. Teresa describes this pain as being filled with fire, being inflamed. What is needed is something to quench the fire, to heal the wound. For Psyche, what follows is a painful period of alienation between her and Eros, until ultimately they are reunited and she gives birth to their daughter, Joy.
The marriage between the human soul and the divine lover represents a creative union of the human self with its transpersonal counterpart. The soul symbolizes the subjective capacity to feel and experience realitycapacity for consciousness. By uniting with the god of love, the soul gains a permanent connection with the abiding source of all life and love. In the infant, there is not yet the separation that gives rise to a subjective self. In the symbolism of the sacred marriage, a return to the original wholeness is achieved without a regression to the infantile unconsciousness.
Erich Neumann suggests that Psyche cannot truly love Eros in the dark. As Psyche, she requires vision. Her desire to see results in suffering, but also in real love: Psyche's act leads, then, to all the pain of individuation, in which a personality experiences itself in relation to a partner as something other, that is, as not only connected with the partner. Psyche wounds herself and wounds Eros [with the hot oil of the lamp, not the arrow -ed.
BIBLIOGRAPHY top
Auclair, Marcelle. Saint Teresa of ?ila. New York, 1953.
Beever, John. Saint Teresa of Avila. Garden City, N.Y., 1961.
Neumann, Erich. Amor and Psyche, the Psychic Development of the Feminine: A Commentary on the Tale by Apuleius. New York, 1956.
Peers, E. Allison. Studies of the Spanish Mystics. London, 1927.
Walsh, William T. Saint Teresa of ?ila. Milwaukee, 1943.
Article Source : http://aras.org/se_ecstasy.html
BRIDAL MYSTICISM
I am the bride; the Creator is my Husband
Lord. I adorn myself to His liking. When
it pleases Him, He enjoys me. My
body and mind are joined to the
True Lord (sggs 1128).
The purpose of human life is to love the omniscient Divine. We can do so through many mental states. These various states can be lumped up in the following headings: Shaant Bhaava (tranquility), Daas Bhaava (master and a servant relationship), Sakhaa Bhaava (friendship or comradeship), Vatsalya Bhaava (affection, like between mother and child), and Maadhuriya Bhaava (bridal mysticism — sweetness, as between lover and beloved). On a material platform, these relationships are based on selfishness. However, on the Spiritual platform, they are purely based on selfless love (Bhagti or devotion). The whole idea of all methods of Self-realization is to revive our consciousness of these eternal states by actively loving the Divine Factor within, leading to man's redemption from bondage.
hir ismrq sdw hoie Anµdu suKu AMqir sWiq sIql mnu Apnw: Hari simarat sadaa hoi anand sukh antari saanti seetal manu apanaa: Meditating on God, you will find Bliss and Peace forever deep Within, and your mind will become tranquil and cool (sggs 860).
qU myrw Twkuru hau dwsu qyrw]quJ ibnu Avru nhI ko myrw: Too meraa thaakur hayu daas teraa. Tujh bin avar nahee ko meraa: O Lord, You are my Master; I am Your slave. Without You, I have no one at all (sggs 1144).
imqRü ipAwrw nwnk jI mY Cif gvwieAw rMig ksuMBY BulI: Mitru piaaraa Nanak jee mai shad gavaaiaa rangi kasunbhai bhulee: I abandoned and lost my Frioend, the Divine Beloved, O Nanak; I was fooled by the transitory color of the safflower-- deceptive Maya or world-appearance (sggs 963).
qUM myrw ipqw qUMhY myrw mwqw]qUM myrw bMDpu qUM myrw BRwqw]qUM myrw rwKw sBnI QweI qw Bau kyhw kwVw jIau: Toon meraa pitaa toon hai meraa maataa. Toon meraa bandhap toon meraa bharaataa. Toon meraa rakhaa sabhnee thaayee taa bhaayu kehaa kaaraa jeeyu: O Lord, You are my Father, and You are my Mother. You are my Relative, and You are my Brother. You are my Protector everywhere; why should I feel any fear or anxiety? (sggs 103).
kvl nYn mDur bYn koit sYn sMg soB khq mw jsod ijsih dhI Bwqu Kwih jIau]dyiK rUpu Aiq AnUpu moh mhw mg BeI ikMknI sbd Jnqkwr Kylu pwih jIau: Kaval nain madhur bain koti sain sang sobh kahat maa jasod jisahi dahee bhaat khaahi jeeo. Dekhi roop ati anoop moh mehaa magg bhaee kinkanee sabad jhanatakaar khel paahi jeeo: You are lotus-eyed, with sweet speech, exalted and embellished with millions of companions. Mother Yashoda invites You to eat the sweet rice. Gazing upon Your supremely beautiful form, and hearing the musical sounds of Your silver bells tinkling, she was intoxicated with delight (sggs 1402).
mY kwmxu myrw kMq krqwru]jyhw krwey qyhw krI sIgwr: Mai kaaman meraa kant kartaar. Jehaa karaae tehaa karee seegaar: I am the bride; the Creator is my Husband Lord. I adorn myself to His liking (sggs 1128).
ijnw iprI ipAwru ibnu drsn ikau iqRpqIAY]nwnk imly suBwie gurmuiK iehu mnu rhsIAY: Jinaa piri piyaar bin darsan kiyu tripteeyai. Nanak milai subhaaye gurmukh ih man rahaseeyai: Those who are in love with their Divine Beloved, how can they find satisfaction without His Darshan (Self-realization)? O Nanak, the Gurmukhs (Spiritual beings) meet Him with ease, and his mind blossoms forth in joy (sggs 1422).
To experience the bridal mysticism, all souls are considered as female in relation to the Supreme Being, who is considered the only man (Purukh or Purushottama). The lives of all God-immersed souls or Rasik Bhagatas (lovers of the Divine Name) who have reveled in this form of mysticism testify to this. As indicated in the Gurbani (SGGS) as well, those engrossed in the Bliss of the Divine Love consider the one Divine as Beloved or Husband, and rest as His soul-brides. In other words, considering one's soul as the lover or bride and the Divine Being as her Beloved or Husband, one surrenders the false ego and then maintains this relationship to eternity.
kyqI nwir vru eyku smwil: Ketee naari var ek samaal: There are so many brides of the One Divine Beloved - consider this (sggs 932).
Twkuru eyku sbweI nwir: Thaakur ek sabaaee Naar: There is one Husband Lord, and all are His brides (sggs 933).
sbid rqy haumY geI soBwvMqI nwir]ipr kY BwxY sdw clY qw binAw sIgwru: Sabadi ratte houmai gaee sobhaavantee naari: Attuned to the Divine Name (Word or Shabad), the soul-bride is rid of egotism, and she is glorified. She walks steadily in the way of His Will; thus her decorations become meaningful (sggs 651).
syj suhwvI sdw ipru rwvY hir vru pwieAw nwir: Sej suhaavee sadaa pir raavai har var paaeiaa naar: Her couch becomes beautiful, and she constantly enjoys her Divine Beloved; for she has Realized the Divine Beloved (sggs 651).
imil pRIqm suKu pwieAw soBwvMqI nwir: Mil preetam sukh paaiaa sobhaavantee naari: Meeting with my Divine Beloved, I have found peace; I am most beautiful and happy soul-bride (sggs 755).
rwm rwm rwm rMig rwqy rs risk gtk inq pIjY: Raam raam raam rang raate ras rasik gatak nit peejai: Those who are imbued with the Love of the Divine Name continually drink in this essence as a Rasik — the lover of the Divine (sggs 1323).
The Gurbani is among many unique exemplars of bridal mysticism. To spread the glory of the Divine Love or Pure devotion, there are numerous hymns throughout the Gurbani representing exceptional works in the genre of bridal mysticism — written by those reveled in this form of selfless Love, steeped in the Bliss of the Divine experience by constantly remembering Him. It is said that bridal mysticism (Maadhuriya Bhaava) is the all-rounded, most intimate, highest ecstasy and most exalted expression of pure Transcendental Love. Also, the bridal mysticism is considered to be inclusive of all the qualities of other "Bhaavas" or "Rasas", where all other Bhaavas attain their Spiritual Perfection.
nIhu mihMjw qaU nwil ibAw nyh kUVwvy fyKu]kpV Bog frwvxy ijcru iprI n fyKu: Neehu mahinjaa taou naal biaa neh koorraave dekh. Kaparr bhog daraavane jichar piree na dekh: I am in love with You; I have seen that other love is false. Even clothes and food are frightening to me, as long as I do not see my Divine Beloved (sggs 1094).
jwlau AYsI rIiq ijqu mY ipAwrw vIsrY]nwnk sweI BlI prIiq ijqu swihb syqI piq rhY: Jaalayu aisee reet jit mahi piyaaraa veesrai. Nanak saayee bhalee preet jit sahib setee pat rahai: Burn away those rituals which lead you to forget the Beloved Lord. O Nanak, sublime is that love, which preserves my honor with my Lord (sggs 590).
PrIdw glIey ickVu dUir Gru nwil ipAwry nyhu]clw q iBjY kMblI rhW q qutY nyhu]24] iBjau isjau kMblI Alh vrsau myhu ]jwie imlw iqnw sjxw qutau nwhI nyhu]25]: Freedaa galeeeye chikarr doori ghari naal piaare nehu. Chalaa ta bhijai kambalee rahaan ta tuttai nehu. Bhijou sijo kambalee allah varasou mehu. Jaai milaa tinaa sajanaa tuttaou naahee nehu: Fareed, the path is muddy, and the house of my Beloved is so far away. If I go out, my blanket will get soaked, but if I remain at home, then my heart will be broken. Let my blanket may get soaked, drenched with the downpour of the Lord's Rain. But I am going out to meet my Divine Beloved, so that my heart will not be broken (sggs 1379).
kbIr lwgI pRIiq sujwn isau brjY logu Ajwnu]qw isau tUtI ikau bnY jw ky jIA prwn: Kabeer laagee preeth sujaan sio burujai log ajaan. Taa sio toottee kiou banai jaa ke jeea paraan: Kabeer, I am in love with the All-knowing Divine; the ignorant ones try to hold me back. How could I ever break with the One, who owns our soul and breath of life (sggs 1376).
ijn AMdir pRIiq iprMm kI ijau bolin iqvY sohMin: Jiin aandari preeti piram kee jiou bolan tivai sohann: Those whose inner beings are filled with the Love of their Divine Beloved, look beautiful as they speak (sggs 301).
mY min qin pRymu iprMm kw ATy phr lgMin: Mai mani tani prem piramm kaa athe pahar lagann: My mind and body are imbued with the Love of my Divine Beloved, twenty-four hours a day (sggs 301).
bwir ivfwnVY huMms DuMms kUkw peIAw rwhI]qau sh syqI lgVI forI nwnk And syqI bnu gwhI: Baar viddaanarrai hummas dhummus kookaa peeaa raahee. Taou sah setee lagarree doree Nanak anad setee banu gaahee: In this wondrous forest of the world, there is chaos and confusion; shrieks emanate from the highways. I am in love with You, O my Divine Beloved; O Nanak, now I can cross the jungle joyfully (sggs 520).
ipRA pRym shij min Andu Drau rI: Pria prem sahaj mani anadu dharou ree: Loving the Divine Beloved, the mind is filled with celestial bliss (sggs 389).
ijin ipru rwivAw sw BlI suhwgix: Jin pir raaviaa saa bhalee suhaagan: She who enjoys her Beloved, is the good Soul-bride (sggs 561).
ipru pwieAVw bwlVIey Anidnu shjy mwqI rwm: Pir paaiarraa baalarreeeye anadin sahaje maatee raam: When the young, innocent bride finds her Divine Beloved, she is automatically intoxicated with Him, night and day (sggs 771).
kwmix min soihlVw swjn imly ipAwry rwm: Kaaman man sohilarraa saajan mile piaare raam: The mind of the soul bride is very happy, when she meets her Friend, her Divine Beloved (sggs 772).
hir AMik smwxI jw pRB BwxI sw sohwgix nwry: Har anki samaanee jaa prabh bhaanee saa sohaagan naarae: She merges into the Being of her Beloved, when she becomes pleasing to God; she is the happy, blessed Soul-bride (sggs 1107).
ipru rwvy rMig rwqVIey ipr kw mhlu iqn pwieAw rwm: Pir raave rang raatarreeye pir kaa mahal tin paaiaa raam: Ravishing her Divine Beloved, soul-bride is imbued with His Love; she experiences His Presence within (sggs 771).
mYfw mnu rqw AwpnVy ipr nwil: Maiddaa manu rattaa aapanarre pir naal: My mind is attuned to the Love of my Divine Beloved (sggs 1014).
suinbo sKI kMiq hmwro kIAlo Ksmwnw: Sunibo sakhee kanti hamaaro keealo khasamaanaa: Hear, O my companions, my Divine Beloved, My Husband, has possessed me (sggs 372).
imrqk khIAih nwnkw ijh pRIiq nhI BgvMq: Miratak kaheeahi Nanakaa jih preet nahee bhagavant: He is likened to a corpse, O Nanak, if one does not love the Divine (sggs 253).
sunhu lokw mY pRym rsu pwieAw: Sunahu lokaa mai prem Rasa paaiaa: Listen, O people: I have tasted the elixir of Divine love (sggs 370).
Thus, bridal mysticism is a characteristic of Pure Love or devotion (Bhagti), not lust; for Love and lust are two totally opposite feelings. Simply put: bridal mysticism is acting in a way that is pleasing to the Divine Will (Eternal Law or Hukam). Other characteristics of Pure devotion include abandoning of all desires and fear, keeping devotion unadulterated, being steadfast in devotion to the One Divine only, and keeping mind engaged in meditation and deep reflections.
guxvMqI shu rwivAw inrguix kUky kwie]jy guxvMqI QI rhY qw BI shu rwvx jwie ]1]myrw kMqu rIswlU kI Dn Avrw rwvy jI]1]rhwau] krxI kwmx jy QIAY jy mnu Dwgw hoie]mwxku muil n pweIAY lIjY iciq proie: Gunvantee sahu raaviaa nirguni kooke kaai. Je gunvantee thee rahai taa bhee sahu raavan jaai. Meraa kant risaaloo kee dhann avaraa raave jee. Karanee kaaman je theeai je manu dhaagaa hoi. Maanak muli na paaeeai leejai chit paroi: The virtuous bride enjoys (realizes) her Divine Beloved; but one without the Divine virtues (who wanders around) uselessly cries out. If she were to become virtuous, then she too could enjoy her Divine Beloved. (The soul-bride who understands that) My Divine Beloved is the Source of all Happiness; she then does not wander around to enjoy anyone else (in search of happiness). O soul-bride, cultivate good conduct; make your mind the thread, and string the Jewel (of the Divine Name) on your consciousness through this thread of your mind within. No one can purchas this Jewel for any price outside (sggs 557).
jy loVih vru kwmxI nh imlIAY ipr kUir: Je lorrahi var kaamanee nah mileeai pir koori: If you long for your Divine Beloved, O soul-bride, you must know that He is not met by falsehood (sggs 17).
sic imlhu vr kwmxI ipir mohI rMgu lwie: Sach milahu var kaamanee piri mohee rang laai: Through Truth, meet your Divine Beloved, O soul-bride. He has embellished me with His love (sggs 58).
clu clu sKI hm pRBu prboDh gux kwmx kir hir pRBu lhIAw: Chal chal sakhee hamm prabh parabodhah gun kaaman kar har prabh laheeaa: Let us go, O my fellow devoted souls, and understand our Divine; with the Divine virtue, let us obtain Him (sggs 836).
nwnk qy sohwgxI ijn@w gurmuiK prgtu hoie: Nanak tae sohaaganee jinaa gurmukh paragat hoe: O Nanak, the Gurmukhs (Spiritual beings) are the happy, virtuous Soul-brides; God is revealed to them (sggs 1412).
—T. Singh
Article Source : http://www.gurbani.org/webart141.htm
Lord. I adorn myself to His liking. When
it pleases Him, He enjoys me. My
body and mind are joined to the
True Lord (sggs 1128).
The purpose of human life is to love the omniscient Divine. We can do so through many mental states. These various states can be lumped up in the following headings: Shaant Bhaava (tranquility), Daas Bhaava (master and a servant relationship), Sakhaa Bhaava (friendship or comradeship), Vatsalya Bhaava (affection, like between mother and child), and Maadhuriya Bhaava (bridal mysticism — sweetness, as between lover and beloved). On a material platform, these relationships are based on selfishness. However, on the Spiritual platform, they are purely based on selfless love (Bhagti or devotion). The whole idea of all methods of Self-realization is to revive our consciousness of these eternal states by actively loving the Divine Factor within, leading to man's redemption from bondage.
hir ismrq sdw hoie Anµdu suKu AMqir sWiq sIql mnu Apnw: Hari simarat sadaa hoi anand sukh antari saanti seetal manu apanaa: Meditating on God, you will find Bliss and Peace forever deep Within, and your mind will become tranquil and cool (sggs 860).
qU myrw Twkuru hau dwsu qyrw]quJ ibnu Avru nhI ko myrw: Too meraa thaakur hayu daas teraa. Tujh bin avar nahee ko meraa: O Lord, You are my Master; I am Your slave. Without You, I have no one at all (sggs 1144).
imqRü ipAwrw nwnk jI mY Cif gvwieAw rMig ksuMBY BulI: Mitru piaaraa Nanak jee mai shad gavaaiaa rangi kasunbhai bhulee: I abandoned and lost my Frioend, the Divine Beloved, O Nanak; I was fooled by the transitory color of the safflower-- deceptive Maya or world-appearance (sggs 963).
qUM myrw ipqw qUMhY myrw mwqw]qUM myrw bMDpu qUM myrw BRwqw]qUM myrw rwKw sBnI QweI qw Bau kyhw kwVw jIau: Toon meraa pitaa toon hai meraa maataa. Toon meraa bandhap toon meraa bharaataa. Toon meraa rakhaa sabhnee thaayee taa bhaayu kehaa kaaraa jeeyu: O Lord, You are my Father, and You are my Mother. You are my Relative, and You are my Brother. You are my Protector everywhere; why should I feel any fear or anxiety? (sggs 103).
kvl nYn mDur bYn koit sYn sMg soB khq mw jsod ijsih dhI Bwqu Kwih jIau]dyiK rUpu Aiq AnUpu moh mhw mg BeI ikMknI sbd Jnqkwr Kylu pwih jIau: Kaval nain madhur bain koti sain sang sobh kahat maa jasod jisahi dahee bhaat khaahi jeeo. Dekhi roop ati anoop moh mehaa magg bhaee kinkanee sabad jhanatakaar khel paahi jeeo: You are lotus-eyed, with sweet speech, exalted and embellished with millions of companions. Mother Yashoda invites You to eat the sweet rice. Gazing upon Your supremely beautiful form, and hearing the musical sounds of Your silver bells tinkling, she was intoxicated with delight (sggs 1402).
mY kwmxu myrw kMq krqwru]jyhw krwey qyhw krI sIgwr: Mai kaaman meraa kant kartaar. Jehaa karaae tehaa karee seegaar: I am the bride; the Creator is my Husband Lord. I adorn myself to His liking (sggs 1128).
ijnw iprI ipAwru ibnu drsn ikau iqRpqIAY]nwnk imly suBwie gurmuiK iehu mnu rhsIAY: Jinaa piri piyaar bin darsan kiyu tripteeyai. Nanak milai subhaaye gurmukh ih man rahaseeyai: Those who are in love with their Divine Beloved, how can they find satisfaction without His Darshan (Self-realization)? O Nanak, the Gurmukhs (Spiritual beings) meet Him with ease, and his mind blossoms forth in joy (sggs 1422).
To experience the bridal mysticism, all souls are considered as female in relation to the Supreme Being, who is considered the only man (Purukh or Purushottama). The lives of all God-immersed souls or Rasik Bhagatas (lovers of the Divine Name) who have reveled in this form of mysticism testify to this. As indicated in the Gurbani (SGGS) as well, those engrossed in the Bliss of the Divine Love consider the one Divine as Beloved or Husband, and rest as His soul-brides. In other words, considering one's soul as the lover or bride and the Divine Being as her Beloved or Husband, one surrenders the false ego and then maintains this relationship to eternity.
kyqI nwir vru eyku smwil: Ketee naari var ek samaal: There are so many brides of the One Divine Beloved - consider this (sggs 932).
Twkuru eyku sbweI nwir: Thaakur ek sabaaee Naar: There is one Husband Lord, and all are His brides (sggs 933).
sbid rqy haumY geI soBwvMqI nwir]ipr kY BwxY sdw clY qw binAw sIgwru: Sabadi ratte houmai gaee sobhaavantee naari: Attuned to the Divine Name (Word or Shabad), the soul-bride is rid of egotism, and she is glorified. She walks steadily in the way of His Will; thus her decorations become meaningful (sggs 651).
syj suhwvI sdw ipru rwvY hir vru pwieAw nwir: Sej suhaavee sadaa pir raavai har var paaeiaa naar: Her couch becomes beautiful, and she constantly enjoys her Divine Beloved; for she has Realized the Divine Beloved (sggs 651).
imil pRIqm suKu pwieAw soBwvMqI nwir: Mil preetam sukh paaiaa sobhaavantee naari: Meeting with my Divine Beloved, I have found peace; I am most beautiful and happy soul-bride (sggs 755).
rwm rwm rwm rMig rwqy rs risk gtk inq pIjY: Raam raam raam rang raate ras rasik gatak nit peejai: Those who are imbued with the Love of the Divine Name continually drink in this essence as a Rasik — the lover of the Divine (sggs 1323).
The Gurbani is among many unique exemplars of bridal mysticism. To spread the glory of the Divine Love or Pure devotion, there are numerous hymns throughout the Gurbani representing exceptional works in the genre of bridal mysticism — written by those reveled in this form of selfless Love, steeped in the Bliss of the Divine experience by constantly remembering Him. It is said that bridal mysticism (Maadhuriya Bhaava) is the all-rounded, most intimate, highest ecstasy and most exalted expression of pure Transcendental Love. Also, the bridal mysticism is considered to be inclusive of all the qualities of other "Bhaavas" or "Rasas", where all other Bhaavas attain their Spiritual Perfection.
nIhu mihMjw qaU nwil ibAw nyh kUVwvy fyKu]kpV Bog frwvxy ijcru iprI n fyKu: Neehu mahinjaa taou naal biaa neh koorraave dekh. Kaparr bhog daraavane jichar piree na dekh: I am in love with You; I have seen that other love is false. Even clothes and food are frightening to me, as long as I do not see my Divine Beloved (sggs 1094).
jwlau AYsI rIiq ijqu mY ipAwrw vIsrY]nwnk sweI BlI prIiq ijqu swihb syqI piq rhY: Jaalayu aisee reet jit mahi piyaaraa veesrai. Nanak saayee bhalee preet jit sahib setee pat rahai: Burn away those rituals which lead you to forget the Beloved Lord. O Nanak, sublime is that love, which preserves my honor with my Lord (sggs 590).
PrIdw glIey ickVu dUir Gru nwil ipAwry nyhu]clw q iBjY kMblI rhW q qutY nyhu]24] iBjau isjau kMblI Alh vrsau myhu ]jwie imlw iqnw sjxw qutau nwhI nyhu]25]: Freedaa galeeeye chikarr doori ghari naal piaare nehu. Chalaa ta bhijai kambalee rahaan ta tuttai nehu. Bhijou sijo kambalee allah varasou mehu. Jaai milaa tinaa sajanaa tuttaou naahee nehu: Fareed, the path is muddy, and the house of my Beloved is so far away. If I go out, my blanket will get soaked, but if I remain at home, then my heart will be broken. Let my blanket may get soaked, drenched with the downpour of the Lord's Rain. But I am going out to meet my Divine Beloved, so that my heart will not be broken (sggs 1379).
kbIr lwgI pRIiq sujwn isau brjY logu Ajwnu]qw isau tUtI ikau bnY jw ky jIA prwn: Kabeer laagee preeth sujaan sio burujai log ajaan. Taa sio toottee kiou banai jaa ke jeea paraan: Kabeer, I am in love with the All-knowing Divine; the ignorant ones try to hold me back. How could I ever break with the One, who owns our soul and breath of life (sggs 1376).
ijn AMdir pRIiq iprMm kI ijau bolin iqvY sohMin: Jiin aandari preeti piram kee jiou bolan tivai sohann: Those whose inner beings are filled with the Love of their Divine Beloved, look beautiful as they speak (sggs 301).
mY min qin pRymu iprMm kw ATy phr lgMin: Mai mani tani prem piramm kaa athe pahar lagann: My mind and body are imbued with the Love of my Divine Beloved, twenty-four hours a day (sggs 301).
bwir ivfwnVY huMms DuMms kUkw peIAw rwhI]qau sh syqI lgVI forI nwnk And syqI bnu gwhI: Baar viddaanarrai hummas dhummus kookaa peeaa raahee. Taou sah setee lagarree doree Nanak anad setee banu gaahee: In this wondrous forest of the world, there is chaos and confusion; shrieks emanate from the highways. I am in love with You, O my Divine Beloved; O Nanak, now I can cross the jungle joyfully (sggs 520).
ipRA pRym shij min Andu Drau rI: Pria prem sahaj mani anadu dharou ree: Loving the Divine Beloved, the mind is filled with celestial bliss (sggs 389).
ijin ipru rwivAw sw BlI suhwgix: Jin pir raaviaa saa bhalee suhaagan: She who enjoys her Beloved, is the good Soul-bride (sggs 561).
ipru pwieAVw bwlVIey Anidnu shjy mwqI rwm: Pir paaiarraa baalarreeeye anadin sahaje maatee raam: When the young, innocent bride finds her Divine Beloved, she is automatically intoxicated with Him, night and day (sggs 771).
kwmix min soihlVw swjn imly ipAwry rwm: Kaaman man sohilarraa saajan mile piaare raam: The mind of the soul bride is very happy, when she meets her Friend, her Divine Beloved (sggs 772).
hir AMik smwxI jw pRB BwxI sw sohwgix nwry: Har anki samaanee jaa prabh bhaanee saa sohaagan naarae: She merges into the Being of her Beloved, when she becomes pleasing to God; she is the happy, blessed Soul-bride (sggs 1107).
ipru rwvy rMig rwqVIey ipr kw mhlu iqn pwieAw rwm: Pir raave rang raatarreeye pir kaa mahal tin paaiaa raam: Ravishing her Divine Beloved, soul-bride is imbued with His Love; she experiences His Presence within (sggs 771).
mYfw mnu rqw AwpnVy ipr nwil: Maiddaa manu rattaa aapanarre pir naal: My mind is attuned to the Love of my Divine Beloved (sggs 1014).
suinbo sKI kMiq hmwro kIAlo Ksmwnw: Sunibo sakhee kanti hamaaro keealo khasamaanaa: Hear, O my companions, my Divine Beloved, My Husband, has possessed me (sggs 372).
imrqk khIAih nwnkw ijh pRIiq nhI BgvMq: Miratak kaheeahi Nanakaa jih preet nahee bhagavant: He is likened to a corpse, O Nanak, if one does not love the Divine (sggs 253).
sunhu lokw mY pRym rsu pwieAw: Sunahu lokaa mai prem Rasa paaiaa: Listen, O people: I have tasted the elixir of Divine love (sggs 370).
Thus, bridal mysticism is a characteristic of Pure Love or devotion (Bhagti), not lust; for Love and lust are two totally opposite feelings. Simply put: bridal mysticism is acting in a way that is pleasing to the Divine Will (Eternal Law or Hukam). Other characteristics of Pure devotion include abandoning of all desires and fear, keeping devotion unadulterated, being steadfast in devotion to the One Divine only, and keeping mind engaged in meditation and deep reflections.
guxvMqI shu rwivAw inrguix kUky kwie]jy guxvMqI QI rhY qw BI shu rwvx jwie ]1]myrw kMqu rIswlU kI Dn Avrw rwvy jI]1]rhwau] krxI kwmx jy QIAY jy mnu Dwgw hoie]mwxku muil n pweIAY lIjY iciq proie: Gunvantee sahu raaviaa nirguni kooke kaai. Je gunvantee thee rahai taa bhee sahu raavan jaai. Meraa kant risaaloo kee dhann avaraa raave jee. Karanee kaaman je theeai je manu dhaagaa hoi. Maanak muli na paaeeai leejai chit paroi: The virtuous bride enjoys (realizes) her Divine Beloved; but one without the Divine virtues (who wanders around) uselessly cries out. If she were to become virtuous, then she too could enjoy her Divine Beloved. (The soul-bride who understands that) My Divine Beloved is the Source of all Happiness; she then does not wander around to enjoy anyone else (in search of happiness). O soul-bride, cultivate good conduct; make your mind the thread, and string the Jewel (of the Divine Name) on your consciousness through this thread of your mind within. No one can purchas this Jewel for any price outside (sggs 557).
jy loVih vru kwmxI nh imlIAY ipr kUir: Je lorrahi var kaamanee nah mileeai pir koori: If you long for your Divine Beloved, O soul-bride, you must know that He is not met by falsehood (sggs 17).
sic imlhu vr kwmxI ipir mohI rMgu lwie: Sach milahu var kaamanee piri mohee rang laai: Through Truth, meet your Divine Beloved, O soul-bride. He has embellished me with His love (sggs 58).
clu clu sKI hm pRBu prboDh gux kwmx kir hir pRBu lhIAw: Chal chal sakhee hamm prabh parabodhah gun kaaman kar har prabh laheeaa: Let us go, O my fellow devoted souls, and understand our Divine; with the Divine virtue, let us obtain Him (sggs 836).
nwnk qy sohwgxI ijn@w gurmuiK prgtu hoie: Nanak tae sohaaganee jinaa gurmukh paragat hoe: O Nanak, the Gurmukhs (Spiritual beings) are the happy, virtuous Soul-brides; God is revealed to them (sggs 1412).
—T. Singh
Article Source : http://www.gurbani.org/webart141.htm
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