Seven-Day Religious Recharge Retreat

Whenever righteousness is at stake, or unrighteousness on the rise, I  descend on Earth (Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhavati…), said Lord Krishna in Bhagavat Gita. In my case, very much a grounded mortal, I say that whenever spiritualism in me registers a low ebb, I recharge it with a Satsang. A family function in JP Nagar came in handy this time.

It was Bhagavata Saptaham, a discourse on Srimad Bhagavatam, lasting seven days as the word Saptaham suggests. Why seven days, why not 9 or 11. King Parikshit, the lone surviving grandson of the Pandavas, thirsty after a hunting mission, went to a hermit nearby for water. The sage was in penance and the king thus could not elicit a response to his request. In anguish he hung on sage’s neck a dead snake that was lying nearby. This angered the sage’s son who cursed Parikshit that he would die of snake bite in seven days. The repentant Parikshit went to the banks of Ganges to spend his last days where Sage Sukacharya (son of Sage Vyasa) narrated to him Srimad Bhagavatam, clarifying his doubts on life, karma, dharma, spiritualism…in those seven days. Hence Bhagavatam recital is organised for seven days.  

The morning sessions were devoted to reciting Bhagavatam, a staggering 18 000 verses. The sheer length of the epic compelled Purohit to recite at fast-forward mode, in order to complete them in seven mornings. The narrative part was done in the evening. The event thus held the audience in sway from 7 am  to 1 pm, and from 6 to 8.30 pm for seven days. Though not prescribed, during the interim the ladies recited Narayaneeyam from 4.30 to 5.30 and Vishnu Sahasranamam till 6 pm to optimise the benefit from this religious sojourn. Thus for all the seven days it was full plate though the accompanying  breakfast, lunch and snacks sessions were not so. In keeping with the sanctity of purpose these were supposed to be moderate - just more than a home fare, but way off from a marriage feast.

It has been his experience, the Purohit shared, that whenever he performs Bhagavatam Saptaham, it rains on one or more  days, and he hoped it does so during the Bangalore session as well. Yes, it did, at least on two evenings. That augurs well, doesn’t it? However what kept me spellbound was the felicity with which he negotiated his way through 18000 verses like a pilot on a non-stop long-haul flight, turbulence-free.

As for the origin of Srimad Bhagavatam, sage Vyasa who compiled Vedas and several puranas, was a little disenchanted with his contributions.  Sage Narada, his mentor, advised him to bring out a condensed and compact edition covering the highlights of Vedas, Upanishad ad puranas. So did Vyasa in the form of Srimad Bhagavatam. Also, Dwapara Yuga was yielding place to Kali Yuga, and the prescription for Kali Yuga is Bhakti and devotion, as opposed to  penance and yagna for Dwapara yuga. Hence nothing could be more appropriate.

The word Bhagavatam primarily means the revelations of the Lord - Bhagavan Himself. One stays blessed by either reciting or listening to it. Even one verse a day would have the impact of a full recital. The Purohit reminded us that most of us are familiar with this verse in it: Krishnaya Vasudeva, Devaki Nandana ya cha. Nanda Gopa Kumara ya, Govindaya Namo Namah. Likewise if one recites once a day Srirama Rama Rameti Rame Raame Manorame, Sahasranama Tattulyam Ramanama Varanane, it is equal to having recited the entire Vishnu Sahasranamam. He alerted us that there are 84 lakh species in this world, and that we are born as humans after being born as all these species in 7.5 crore births. Thus it is imperative that we feel grateful for having had the human birth, make the most of it and, more than anything else, live up to it. And, with the easiest of prescriptions - Bhakti and Devotion - it augurs well to recite these at least once daily.

Well then, here is fulfilling today’s quota: Krishnaya Vasudeva, Devaki Nandana ya cha. Nanda Gopa Kumara ya, Govindaya Namo Namah, 

and Srirama Rama Rameti, Rame Raame Manorame, Sahasranama Tattulyam, Ramanama Varanane.

God bless us all.

E&OE (Errors and Omissions Excepted)

V V Sundaram

Maple 3195

21 March 2017