Bhakti Theology
Introduction
The main purpose of this posting is to share my bhakti through the songs which I began to write ever since I became the bhakta of Bhagavan Muktinath. Though I gave the title ‘Bhakti theology’ yet I am not sure how far my views on my bhakti will be considered as theological. However as I cannot use the term ‘philosophy’ for my bhakti, at the same time understanding the importance of ‘theology’ I use this word, though my views may not be strictly theology in its academic and traditional sense. Of course I use ‘philosophy’ too in my translation of certain Tamil words, not in its original sense both in West and India.
I am going to use my songs alone to express my bhakti theology. Rather this is a journey through my songs, which even moulded my views—which many times not endorsed by Muktivedic principle, at the same time not opposed to its basic tenet. Of course what is the basic tenet of Muktiveda could be debated, as each one can approach this subject from their point of view. Our Lord said, ‘love God and love your neighbour’ as the summary of the Law. Whereas Rabbi Hillel said, ‘What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour; that is the whole Torah, while the rest is the commentary thereof…..’ (Kenneth E. Bailey, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels, Illinois, IVP Academic, 2008, ‘The Parable of the Good Samaritan’ p. 287)
As I am sharing my pilgrimage in the Lord through my songs, here I need not dwell very much on the topics: ‘what is bhakti’ and ‘what is theology’, as several scholarly books are available on this subject. However for me bhakti stands for my relationship with my Lord and theology tries to comprehend it intellectually, which cannot be expressed through words. So my songs both reflect my bhakti and my limited expression of my intellectual understanding through words. At the same time most of my songs go beyond that intellectual understanding as some kind of mysticism often overtook me which I tried to articulate through those songs. Because when I sit for prayer or meditation, suddenly I will feel some kind of inner compulsion or intuition to write that ‘experience’ through a song. Several times one word of sentence will flash in my brain which will go on repeating, even not allowing me to continue my prayer or meditation. Then out of compulsion, immediately, discontinuing my prayer or meditation, I will take a paper or book and will write down that first word or sentence. Most of the time within a few minutes I will complete that song as words will naturally flow one after the other. Those who have written poems can endorse this point. Of course a few songs I wrote with a gap of few days, weeks, months and even years. There are several such songs that remain incomplete with me. But one thing I know for sure that however I tried, I never could write a song just for writing a song for its own sake. Whenever I try to write a song ‘artificially’, however I strain my brain, no words will come naturally and will never fit with the lines. Thank God, I so far never tried to write a song artificially just for the sake of writing a song.
For me one main feeling for a song is emotion. But songs are not merely expressions of that emotion. Next to emotion, experience too plays an important role in writing a song. At the same time experience cannot be the foundation for any theology, particularly with that of Muktiveda. Similarly some kind of mystic feelings overcame me which compelled me to express it through words. However I cannot claim that I am a mystic in its strict sense. Intuition is another word that could be used for all these: emotion, experience, feeling, mysticism. Such intuition came when I was consciously awakened a few times in my dreams. Yes I have seen few dreams in
I was writing some songs. Then suddenly I will wake up and as I always keep a notebook and pencil on my bed, immediately I will write down those words or sentences which still echo in my brain. Later I will complete those songs.
But being a rationalistic person, I cannot accept all these terms as they are (emotion, feeling, intuition, mysticism, experience) or explain them by any words. So not only this introduction but most of the following songs may not help others to understand my pilgrimage in the Lord. That is why I need to give some kind of background to some or most of the songs. Because the circumstance in which I wrote them is more important for me to understand my bhakti theology, than what they could try to communicate independently as mere song. Sometimes the attempt to give the context of the song will take more words than what actually are in a song.
I wish I could write these thoughts in Tamil, as ‘my’ English will never help me to translate my songs that they actually communicate in my mother tongue. To save ‘English’ from me, I can seek the help of other Tamilians to translate my songs in good English. But they cannot do full justice both to the song and my journey, as some of the Tamil words cannot be translated literally. And most of the Tamilians in our group don’t have the luxury of wasting their precious time for that thankless job. For reasons that we all know, I cannot take the help from outsiders. When I stand as ‘confusion’ for many in our group, I will look like a mad man for any outsider. Though ‘madness’1 is a fitting complement to a typical sannyasi or mystic, yet that will be a distant goal as I have yet to become a complete sannyasi in its true sense.
Finally, every saint needs to learn to walk alone. Though not yet becoming such a saint, when it comes to writing a song, I often felt that in that realm as I am walking alone with my Lord. So though I welcome your criticism, questions, comments, corrections (in theology) above all encouragement to take this big endeavour, I am walking in this journey of songs alone with the Lord. In my study, learning, discussion and sharing others contributed a lot in shaping my thoughts (theology). But when it comes to the songs I have to walk alone, though I got several inspirations when I read other materials (books, songs, scripture etc.)
Though I never shared any of my thoughts from the two books already published (one still in manuscript level) in this forum, I have decided to share this first in this forum so that I can include others views also—which may or may not see its light in the distant future in a book form. So those who have time and patience to read these songs are welcome to share their views.
May 5, 2014. Mathigiri. 8.51 pm
Early attempts
Before starting with my bhakti songs, I have to share a bit about my interest in writing them. I am not sure I can call myself a poet or will be recognized by others, yet I began to write songs as far back as in 1971. Though most of those songs were secular in nature, yet I wrote few on Hindu deities. I wrote even one bhajan for my mother for her bhajan mandali in Raga Malika. Her bhajan group leader composed the music and used it for them. When I first shared one of my songs to my college lecturer when I met him at Salem (as a salesman 1973), he dismissed it completely. Not discouraged by this, I continued to write when I got some inspiration. Unfortunately I lost the diary in which I have recorded them all (more than 400 songs). Later I remembered some of them and began to write them down and now they are posted in my blog separately as Tamil songs.
Like English, I don’t know grammar in Tamil. In fact Tamil grammar is more difficult than English and when it comes to following poetical grammar it is beyond my reach and comprehension. Likewise I make several spelling mistakes in Tamil and nowadays Saradha Kannan (from Erode) helps me to correct the spelling mistakes. In principle a good poet is one who can follow the rules of grammar and also write without mistakes. However, from the beginning of the 20th century, new kinds of poems began to emerge in Tamil and now a lot of Tamil poems are coming in all forms—even mixing with English words known as ‘Hihoo’. I wrote poems when I got some inspiration and never shared them with others. Of course in the early days I shared a few poems with my friends, but later I never shared with anyone. When I wrote one poem on Lord Murugan, I sent it to the famous singers known as Suramangalam Sisters requesting them to compose and publish. They wrote back that they only sing and do not compose or publish. I might still have that letter with me somewhere, as I preserved some old letters. After that I never shared any of my songs with anyone.
Poem is the essence of emotion. Several times when we fail to communicate through our words, they give a helping hand. At the same time, adding imagination helps to express our feelings in short form. If poems were not there, how dry human life would become.
Though modern poems may not follow the traditional poetic structure, the way they provide freedom to express our feelings is a tremendous one. Who can decide what a poem is? As long as human feelings and words are there, no one can put any restriction or define what poems should be. A poet never rights for others. That is her inner voice. She writes it for her own satisfaction and not expecting appreciation from others. My poem is my inner voice. Instead of keeping them buried in my files, if they could provide an expression of someone’s feeling, I should share them. Therefore I present them here.
Almost each of my poems has its own background. Some of my secular songs do not express my ideology. They are mere imagination. There will be several contradictions between the songs. The reason for it is that I wrote them to express my feelings at that time based on that situation. I don’t agree with some of their meanings. I merely express my thoughts and feelings in those circumstances adding some imagination. But my Bhakti songs differ from the secular songs, as they are my mediation and prayers. Several times when I was praying, if I got inspiration, immediately I wrote a poem and then sang it as my prayer. Likewise when I was reading or thinking on any subject, inspired by it, I wrote poems. I have arranged the songs chronologically and not topic wise.
As I am sharing only my Bhakti Songs, there is no point of sharing about my secular songs. However it is good to begin with a few songs which I wrote on Hindu deities. Sharing them will help others to know about my pilgrimage in the early days.
May 5, 2014, Mathigiri.
Notes
1. The tradition of the asceticism of dishonor involves the dishonoring of the corpse through the breaching of traditional funereal taboos and injunctions. Socrates, Diogenes, and Gosala are all recorded to have wished to avoid any ritual honoring of their corpses. Socrates instructed his friends just to throw his body on the dump. When Diogenes was old and nearing death he refused to make any preparations for it. When asked, “When you die, who will carry you out to burial?” he replied: “Whoever wants my room.”….— Thomas McEvilley, Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies, Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, (2002), First Indian Edition, 2008. p. 230
The custom of the “beast-vow” was based on the shaman’s ability to transform himself or herself into the shape of an animal ally. The Buddhist texts Mahanidesa and Cullaniddesa mention vows to live like an elephant, a horse, a cow, a snake, a dog, and others. Beast ascetics are also mentioned in the Buddhist Majjhima Nikaaya (I.387 ff.) and the Dhamma-sangani (261). Bovine ascetics wear a tail and horns and bray like bulls. The Indus Valley figures of therianthropic males with horns and tales (which go back in turn to Mesopotamian representations of bull-men) may have represented persons who had taken such vows. The Pasupata, in his first state of training, was obliged to spend a part of every day bellowing like a bull, hoping “to transform himself … into the Lord’s beast.”{M. G. Bhagat, Ancient Indian Asceticism (Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1976), p. 145.}
Both animal imitation and shocking behavior are encountered in the “bull-vow.” “The Jaiminiya Brahmana specifies that the enactor of the bull-vow should have sexual congress in defiance of all human laws, that is, indiscriminately with forbidden members of his family as well as with others.”{Ibid. p. 295} Diogenes similarly advocated incest as (p.230) a part of an ideal of complete indifference to social and familial customs. Indian texts also mention dog ascetics who sit like dogs, walk and eat like dogs, sleep in the streets like and among dogs, and who eventually are to acquire the very thought patterns and feelings of dogs. Diogenes, “the Cynic,” or “the Dog,” lived in the streets of Athens among dogs and was called one by the Athenians. In India every Aghori guru was always accompanied by a dog. A Sanskrit drama refers to a madman who delighted in eating the leaving of a dog.—ibid. pp. 230-31
…Shamans round the world have employed beast-imitations for various purposes. The donning of animal skins, dancing, singing, and imitation of the cries and movements of animals are shamanic practices which go back to the Paleolithic age. ….—ibid. p. 231
…. In India such postshamanic societies became orders of ascetics and gradually adopted spiritualistic justifications for their practices. In some cases the shamanic current may have been segregated in certain secret or sheltered priesthoods.—ibid. p. 231
…Early ascetic groups in India also stressed such issues, discriminating, for example, between those who ate from a bowl and “hand-lickers.”{See. e.g., {Haripada Chakraborti, Asceticism in Ancient India, Calcutta: Punithi Pustak, 1973. Pp. 40 ff., etc.} A still more advanced vow than that of the hand-licker is that of Turiyatita; the ascetic who takes this vow “eats only fruits in the way the cow takes food (i.e. without using hands).” {Sannyasa Upanisad; quoted by Chakraborti, Asceticism in Ancient India, p. 41} Diogenes’ renunciation of the bowl, viewed from the perspective of Indian asceticism, would represent an important moment in his career, a moment at which he advanced from one category of ascetic vow to another: He became a hand-licker.—ibid. p. 232
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