Sep 28th 2025
Suman ji shared that Bhakti time is such an epic, just time for love for Bhagavan. Going through small review before the class.
In first class the question was Why Bhakti? All of us seek security but where do we find it? We focused on Chapter 9 Verse 22 of Bhagavad Gita that Bhagavan himself carries the burden of those who depend on him. We explored this more, felt this more through Gajendra story that reminded us of how when all else fails only Bhagavan remains, that Bhakti is the surest anchor for this questioning rational mind.
In our second class we focused on what problems does Bhakti solve? What practical ways can I live this, that’s what we always ask. How do I apply this? So, what problems does Bhakti solve? We focused on Chapter 7 verse 16 of Bhagavad Gita where Bhagavan Sri Krishna describes four types of devotees those in distress, those seeking wealth, seekers of truth and then the wise. We explored this through stories of Droupadi, Druva, Uddhava and Sri Hanumana. How Bhakti met at every stage of seeking. Whatever we want in life, Bhakti is the path to fulfilment. It doesn’t matter if its worldly or spiritual. IT IS the path.
Then in our last class the universality of Bhakti. Bhagavan Adi Shankaracharya shares in Bhaja Govidam that devotion is essential for all just sing, chant his praise. Even Ved Vyas ji who gave us so many scriptures only found fulfilment through Bhakti. The take away saw here was Karma, Bhakti, Jnana Yoga they all culminate in Bhakti again. If think this through Satsanga, Seva, Sadhana they all culminate in Seva again. The fulfilment of sacred knowledge manifests as love. It is the path, it is the goal and it is the expression of both.
Today we will focus on Why now, the relevance of Bhakti today.
Science: Really when Suman ji thinks on this, today Bhakti is the only antidote to our modern restlessness. In an age of speed, stress, and superficial connections our minds are constantly pulled outwards through notifications, through deadlines, through comparisons. They just keep us restless. Bhakti brings depth, it brings lightness, it brings meaning while so much of our time is spent processing information against a clock now, now, now, more, more, more. Bhakti acts as a compass. It lends direction so that information leads to transformation. Gurudev lovingly shared with us our own plight we heard it so many times yet but many of our actions haven’t changed. Tragedy of human history is decreasing happiness in the midst of increasing comforts. We have convenience and comfort but not contentment. If we did, we wouldn’t chant now, now, now; more, more, more and give chase. We would find fulfilment in each action rather than its result. We would chant Bhaja Govindam. Bhakti turns dependent outer comfort joy into independent inner contentment joy. It transforms pressure into prayer, distraction into remembrance and loneliness into divine companionship. Ultimately Bhakti brings inner fulfilment while the worlds joys are like mirages. They shimmer in the distance. But as soon as we arrive there they vanish.
Scripture: We will explore Bhagavan Krishna again; he loves us so much. Verse 66 from Chapter 18 in Bhagavad Gita.
sarvadharmānparityajya māmekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja,
ahaṁ tvā sarvapāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ.
sarvadharmānparityajya, renounce all Dharmas. This means false identification body, mind and intellect and ego’s endless roles.
māmekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, take refuge in me alone, the lord, the self of all, your own divine essence.
ahaṁ tvā sarvapāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ, I myself liberate you from all bondage, all agitations, all restlessness.
mā śucaḥ, don’t grieve; don’t fear.
Dharma has many meanings what we will focus on today is Dharma as essential law of being just like fires Dharma is heat and Suga’s Dharma is sweetness. Our Dharma is divinity itself Sat Chit Ananda. But because of ego we mistake non-essential Dharmas body, mind, intellect as our essential Dharma, as our true identity. This is what creates agitation and sorrow, restlessness we experience day in and day out. In today’s world we are more identified than ever with these BMI, these non-essential Dharma. Body image, emotional ups and downs, intellectual comparisons we scroll, we compete, we consume but we never rest. This is why Bhakti is so relevant. It restores us to our essential Dharma which is love for and oneness with the divine. To make this verse simpler to follow, we are going to hold on to 3 Ts as we navigate to portions of it. It will flow as 1) what’s the teaching, 2) how does it turn the mind towards Bhakti, and 3) how does it matter today. The first part Sarva Dharman Parityajya, renouncing of all Dharmas ego’s home. Here renunciation doesn’t mean that shirking our responsibilities but dropping false identifications. Abandon the ego’s claim on responsibility that manifests as doership and deserver-ship. Turning the mind, the path of devotion gives us a simple method for this renunciation. When we dedicate our actions and surrender our results to the divine, we simply call out in surrender. Acknowledging control never lay with us. The ego loosens its grip. Bhakti offers us what intellectualism alone cannot, our hearts willingness to let go. Please note Bhakti does not dismiss effort in fact it demands tremendous effort without anxiety for the results. Bhakti means we strive with all our strength yet relinquish outcome to divine. The fusion of self-effort and surrender is what makes peace possible. Today, why now? Because modern restlessness comes from two much choice and over identification. We push, strive and then we collapse under the weight of our own expectations and others’ expectations. Bhakti exclaims, exert fully, offer lovingly, rest peacefully. Renounce through dedicated action.
māmekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, this is the shelter Bhakti is ever offering us. The teaching is the mind cannot give up extroversion pleasure, possession, position unless it is given a positive introversion. One’s relationship with the divine, lends itself to the contemplation on the divine. This is that positive introversion. And the turning is that this is the heart of the Bhakti. Sheltering Bhagavan is not passive resignation, but active relationship. In him alone we find love that never leaves us. Today, why now? Because we live in a time of loneliness, despite infinite number of connections. We have hundreds of contacts, but no contact. Bhakti is one relationship in which, intentional living leads to this contact.
ahaṁ tvā sarvapāpebhyo, this is the peace of Bhakti. This is Bhagavan’s responsibility to look after us. The teaching here is the nature of our problems we face doesn’t matter. Worldly problems will never be solved by worldly solutions. It requires spiritual ones. The solace is Bhagavan Krishna’s assurance “I myself will liberate you, I will look after you. Don’t worry about the agitations that you are experiencing, the anxiety of future, the bondage, the restlessness”. The turning of the mind us he promises to carry us, love means letting him. Bhakti is trusting his word. It is enough to loosen the grip of any anxiety, any fear. We still exert fully. But our heart says Bhagavan I am yours the burden is yours. That trust turns effort into joy instead of strain or stress. Sri Hanumana declares Bhagavan serving you is my joy. Success or failure that belongs to you. I want nothing to do with it. So, today what this means for us in our world? The more restless we feel, the more control we seek, the less control we find we have. Bhagavan Sri Krishna promise is the exact opposite. You let go by holding on to me, have more faith. Have more faith let his promise be our peace. Lot of intensity, Suman ji is trying to ease it up.
Story: Picture this, we are in the court yard of Hastinapur. Kauravas are seated with arrogance. The elders Bhishma and Drona are sitting heavy with silence. The Pandavas they stand defeated bound by cruel outcome of this dice game. Into this court, Draupadi is dragged. Queen, very daughter in law of the Kuru dynasty. Pulled like a criminal before assembly. A silence injustice hangs in the air. Duryodhana mocks, Dushshasana steps forward and sees Draupadi’s saree. His hands gripped ready to strip her dignity in front of everyone. Court just gasps but no one moves. Terrified but she is resolute Draupadi first looks to her husbands, the mighty Pandavas. But they are bound by their vow, their Dharma from gambling. They cannot help her. Family, although loving is powerless here. Then her eyes turn to her elders Bheeshma and Drona paragons of Dharma and tradition. Surely, they will protect her. But they just look down, they avert their gaze. Social authority too is compromised. In desperation she clutches her saree with her own two hands, struggling with all her strength to protect herself. This is her last effort. Her reliance on her own personal Dharma. But her hands grow weary. She can only resist so own hands. And then in a moment of exhaustion, despair, surrender she lifts both of her hands and cries Hare Krishna, Govinda, protect me. Bhagavan Sri Krishna beyond space and time hears this and emerges. Her saree becomes endless. Dusshasana pulls and pulls but that cloth piles endlessly. Her dignity what she is holding on to is preserved. Everyone is just hushed in silence. When we think of this story and Bhakti and its relevance today if we look to her husband’s Pandavas, they are a symbol of family Dharma. But we see they too are bound, powerless. Our families can support us but they cannot save us from deepest suffering, can they? Elders like Bheeshma and Drona symbols of social Dharma, tradition and authority they too are silent. Society too can be compromised unable to protect the truth. Look at where we are now. To her own strength she holds her saree with her own hands. A symbol of personal Dharma, egos effort. But her strength gives way, her hands tired. Our self-effort without surrender always reaches limit. Then finally her turning point, exhausted, she raises both hands and cries to Bhagavan. This is sarvadharmānparityajya, she drops all her nature. She turns holly to Bhagavan. Bhagavan appears that saree endless. This is proof of Bhagavan Sri Krishna’s promise. You turn to me. You take one step; I will take the rest. I will liberate you. You are being looked at, you are being looked after. You simply turn towards me.
Recapping, these husbands this family Dharma, loved ones give companionship but cannot free us from fear, death or sorrow. Our elders, social Dharma, culture, community, institutions can guide but they cannot ultimately save us. Our own strength, this personal Dharma, our intellect, emotions, body they are limited. Shankar ji doesn’t need to explain this, we know this, we feel this every day. We collapse under pressure. Bhagavan Sri Krishna is our ultimate Dharma. Turning to him is turning to our true nature, our eternal refuge. We see through this 18th chapter 66th verse, we see through Draupadi’s experience. When every other Dharma fails, only surrender to divine brings peace. Why Bhakti now? Because we put too much faith in our society, family, our own strength as the answer to our own restlessness. Like Draupadi’s story we find ourselves limited, we find ourselves wanting is Bhagavan Sri Krishna’s message. Droupadi’s story is Bhagavan Sri Krishna’s message let go of false Dharma, turn in to me, your true refuge. It shows us that Bhakti is not our last resort, it our only true resort. Haven’t we tried everything else? Why not trust our trust triangle. Why not love who loves you the most.
RAW: Once a day before unlocking your phone or before opening laptop Shankar ji wants us to pause for 30 seconds. Offer that action to Bhagavan. May what I see, may whatever I do bring me closer to you.
Discussion Subject: What is one challenge that you have faced that ancient people may not have faced like constant notifications on the phone or pressure to perform in the professional space, loneliness despite infinite connections how can Bhakti provide inner security or peace or connection to deal with that.
Shankar Ji: they may have lot of outer silence as they didn’t have phone with them, constant notifications, there was still inner noise. Today in Kaliyuga we have tremendous amount of outer noise and tremendous amount of inner noise. There is both. Bhakti helps us redirect our attention. Chanting Bhagavan’s name, pausing for prayer or dedicating action becomes like our inner notification that steadies us midst endless outer ones. When we think on every growing comparison culture, if you think back comparison was local, it’s just your village or family. Its intense but localized. Now comparison is global social media, career benchmarks however many platforms are you being liked and disliked, loved. So much comparison of everything we are doing, Bhakti shifts standards of success not how am I doing compared to others but am I remembering Bhagavan, am I dedicating my work? This is how we find rest. Thinking on connections. Long ago to be in Satsang to find a guide people would find so far just to do this. Now we can be in Satsang immediately. But today when we think about our surroundings not relative to Satsang we can be surrounded by people and yet we still feel alone. Bhakti ensures that we are never truly alone Bhagavan is our unseen companion a friend in each of our hearts. Suhrud Sarva Bhutanam Chapter 5 verse 29 of Bhagavad Gita he is friend in each of our hearts. The world offers infinite number of options. But these options often paralyze rather than liberate us. Bhakti provides clarity. Whatever I chose let it be in line with remembering serving Bhagavan. It simplifies life’s noise into a single guiding threat. Looking at large when you think people of old, they face wars, droughts, migration, extinctions their challenges were real. Today our challenges are just as real but are different texture. Distraction, pressure, loneliness, overload the common solution all across the ages is the same. Bhakti. It’s what turns restlessness into rest, noise into song and loneliness into love. That’s why Bhakti is not some ancient wisdom its modern medicine. We should take it daily overdose.