I am thankful to Dr. Hoefer for giving permission to share his paper which he presented in one Rethinking Forum [2022] based on my Bhakti Theology Songs. As a theologian and scholar [who knows Tamil also both read and write] his paper helped to have a theological perspective to my songs. I thank him for this thankless job of preparing and presenting this paper.
I hope this paper will also help others to understand my poems in a meaningful way. So before sharing my songs, I would like to share this paper as the Theological Introduction to my songs.
A Psalmody for Jesu Bhaktas: Hindu Jesu Bhakti in the Poems of Swamy Dayanand Bharati (b. 1952)
by Herbert Hoefer
Outline:
Roots of Jesu Bhakti
Jesu Bhakti in Religions
Jesu Bhakti in Christianity
Bhakti in the Wisdom Literature of the Bible
Jesu Bhakti Poetry of Swamy Dayanand Bharati
Character of Jesu Bhakti
Hindu Character
Ecumenical Character
Themes of Jesu Bhakti
Intimacy
Like a Mother
Arguing
Lament
Scripture
Viraha-bhakti (Love in Separation)
Humility/Submission
Worship
Conclusion by Swamy Dayanand Bharati
Postscript Poem
Roots of Jesu Bhakti
In this article on the Jesu Bhakti Hindu poetry of Swamy Dayanand Bharati, we will begin with a discussion of the strong roots of this piety. We will see how mystical devotion to Jesus has been a universal phenomenon, both within Christianity and beyond. This deep personal devotion is typically expressed in poetic form, also in the Bible.
Jesu Bhakti in Religions
Jesu Bhakti is not limited to Hindu devotees of Jesus. Finding in Jesus a personal Lord and Guru is a phenomenon among devotees in all religions, interpreted within their particular worldview. Here are a few examples:
Sufi Islam:
“The mystical interpretation of Jesus, in Sufism, remains highly prized, even though he is not singularly glorified but utilized as a powerful transformative idiom for spiritual development in Sufi literature. (“Representations of Jesus in Islamic Mysticism: Defining the ‘Sufi Jesus’” by Milad Milani)
Kabbalah Mystical Judaism:
“There is no knowledge that proves the Divinity of the Messiah better than . . . kabbalah.” (Kabbalah Centre, Los Angeles, CA. Pico della Mirandola (1463-94)
New Age:
“People ask me all the time, “Is Jesus the only way to God?” I answer by saying, “He is my way to God.” (Steve McSwain, “Jesus: The Original New Age Thinker”)
Atheism:
“He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lake-side. He came to those who knew Him not. He speaks to us the same word: ‘Follow thou me’ and sets us to the tasks which He has to fulfil for our time. He commands. And to those who obey Him… they shall learn in their own experience Who He is.” (Albert Schweitzer, concluding paragraph of “The Quest for the Historical Jesus”)
Buddhism:
In 2001 the Dalai Lama stated that “Jesus Christ also lived previous lives”, and added that “So, you see, he reached a high state, either as a Bodhisattva, or an enlightened person, through Buddhist practice or something like that.”
Individuals in these religions find in Jesus a transformative spiritual experience. This allegiance is not just an admiration for Jesus’ teaching, such as the Sermon on the Mount. It is a personal relationship of a spiritual, devotional character. They can speak of Jesus as their Lord. Thus, it is not surprising that there would also be such mystical devotion to Jesus within Hinduism. The Hindu Swamy Dayanand Bharati is an example of such devotion.
Jesu Bhakti in Christianity
The religious philosopher Paul Tillich has famously summarized: “All religion begins and ends in mysticism.” And in Christianity this mystical relationship is with Jesus. We are all familiar with the mystics in the Roman Catholic tradition. However, we are less aware of the mysticism of the Protestant tradition. This tradition is generally called Pietism.
Pietism arose in the 17th century in Europe among the churches of the Reformation, particularly in Germany. In the theological battles between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism, the Christian faith was expressed in intellectual doctrines. Such a scholastic system of faith was useful for doctrinal disputations, but not for spiritual nourishment. It also fomented disputes that splintered the church into competing factions.
The leaders of Pietism felt this rationalistic expression of the faith was not transformative and personal, besides being divisive. They advocated a mystical expression of the faith that would transcend denominational divisions. It would become a devotion to Jesus that would unite all in a spiritual unity, irrespective of theological differences. They expressed and spread this approach to the faith through mystical hymns. Here are some examples:
Johann Scheffler (b. 1624):
Jesus, Savior, come to me;
Let me ever be with Thee.
Come and nevermore depart,
Thou who reignest in my heart.
Johann Freylinghausen (b. 1670):
Who is there like Thee,
Jesus, unto me?
None is like Thee, none above Thee,
Thou art altogether lovely;
None on earth have we,
None in heaven like Thee
Nicolas von Zinzendorf (b. 1700):
Jesus, still lead on
till our rest is won;
and although the way be cheerless,
we will follow, calm and fearless.
Guide us by your hand
to our fatherland.
Jesus, still lead on
till our rest be won.
Heav’nly leader, still direct us,
still support, console, protect us
till we safely stand
in our fatherland.
We are all familiar with the Pietism hymns that are in common usage today, such as “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” (John Wesley) “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” (Joseph Scriven), “In the Garden” (Austin Miles). They call people of all doctrinal traditions to a uniting love and devotion to Jesus
Christian mysticism permeates the traditions of the faith yet today. The goal of the mystical writers and composers is to call us into a transformative personal relationship with Jesus. This is the call we will experience in the Jesu Bhakti poems and songs of Swamy Dayanand Bharati.
Bhakti in the Wisdom Literature of the Bible
Finally, we see that such mystical devotion is a central theme in the Wisdom literature of the Bible, especially in the Psalms of lament. This devotion also is expressed in poetic style, in the Hebrew poetic style of rhyming thoughts:
Ps. 6:2-3
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing. O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is sorely troubled. But Thou, O Lord, – how long?
Ps. 10:1
Why does Thou stand afar off, O Lord?
Why dost Thou hide Thyself in times of trouble?
Ps. 38:8-9
I am utterly spent and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart.
Lord, all my longing is known to Thee; my sighing is not hidden from Thee.
Ps 42:1-2
As a hart longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for Thee, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?
Ps. 130:1
Out of the depths I cry to Thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice!
Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
Job 42:4-6
“Hear, and I will speak; I will speak and you declare to me.
I had heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees Thee.
Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
Song of Songs 2:16, 3:1
My beloved is mine, and I am His…. Upon my bed by night I sought him whom my heart loves.
Song of Songs 4:10
How sweet is your love, my sister, my bride.
How much better is your love than wine.
Song of Songs 8:6
Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arms.
We will see this same emotional spiritual devotion in the Jesu bhakti poems of Swamy Dayanand Bharati. They are a psalmody for the Jesu Bhaktas of Hindu India.
Jesu Bhakti in the Poetry of Swamy Dayanand Bharatii
Character of Jesu Bhakti
Hindu Character
Swamy Dayanand Bharati is a Hindu sanyasi He is highly learned in Hindu religious and philosophical ways and literature and has written a book on Hinduism, “Understanding Hinduism.” His chosen Hindu path is bhakti, and he writes his poetry in the Hindu bhakti tradition. The Encyclopedia Britannica describes this tradition thus:
Bhakti (Sanskrit: “devotion”) in Hinduism is a movement emphasizing the mutual intense emotional attachment and love of a devotee toward a personal god and of the god for the devotee. According to the Bhagavadgita …the path of bhakti, or bhakti-marga, is superior to the two other religious approaches, the path of knowledge (jnana) and the path(s) of ritual and good works (karma)
It is evident that this Hindu bhakti tradition is very similar to the Pietism tradition in the Christian Protestant tradition and the mystical tradition in Roman Catholicism, as well as the piety of the Wisdom literature of the Bible. Jesu bhakti has arisen in Hinduism as it has in other religions, also often in the form of devotional poetry. Historically, Hindu religious literature and doctrinal beliefs have been expressed in poetic formulations, which are easily remembered and digested.
Swamy Bharati is a Hindu whose spirituality is in the bhakti tradition, which encourages and legitimizes anyone to choose the deity one is attracted to and trusts. Through a long process of struggle and searching, the Holy Spirit led Swamy Bharati to choose Jesus as his personal god and guru in life, his “ishta deva.” His bhakti poems are addressed to Him, though he also writes occasional poems on non-religious themes. Swamy Bharati reads many theological books and reflects on them in his poems. To date, he has composed and posted over a thousand rhyming Tamil poems on his blog, with English translations and explanations. For the purpose of this paper, I asked him to select his favorites for me to reflect on theologically. For the most part, I have used his own English translations.
Swamy Bharati shares that he writes his poems spontaneously, as events occur in his life or thoughts arise from his readings of Scripture and theology. To quote from his blog:
Often I think that I need not give any reason why I write poems or some articles in the name of “brain storm.” As I often say, I write only for my need…. Of course, there will be inconsistencies and contradictions… but I often write according to the need that comes in a particular situation… Above all, as I too evolve according to age and understanding, that too is reflected in my poems and writings. (#456)
Thus, the poetry is not intended to teach anything. It is on a different level and intention than intellectual doctrinal formulations. The poems are a celebration and reflection on life, life with God in Jesus Christ, his Maha-Guru. As Swamy Bharati says in poem #668: “When unable to understand theology, only bhakti alone provides bliss.”
He has written an entire poem (#802) on this theme, some excerpts below:
There is no limitation for bhakti, going beyond any theology.
Bhakti never seen caste and family… It will embrace whoever comes within it.
If one bows calling herself as a simple one or brags herself as a learned one, both are the same before it….
You called me to be your bhakta, removing all the discussion about theology and doctrine, removing all kinds of unnecessary arguments.
Running in the path toward salvation, you enabled me to run making me as your own.
Ecumenical Character
As commented above with Protestant Pietism, its proponents saw such personal piety as a path to bridge the gap between the warring factions of post-Reformation Christianity. Adherents to the Reformed, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic traditions could keep their personal theological beliefs but unite in devotional piety to their common Lord. This was the case also with the Hindu bhakti movement.
This movement is generally attributed to have originated in the 7th century in South India and then gradually spread throughout the country. There was bitter conflict between devotees of Vaishnavism, Saivism, Jainism, and Buddhism, and the bhakti saints sought to unite these warring factions in a mutual spirit of devotion and love to their chosen deity. In addition, these poets gathered people of different castes and languages, enabling them to express their spirituality in their heart language. It was a piety for the general population, free from Brahmanism and Sanskrit.
Swamy Bharati writes his poetry in his mother tongue of Tamil. For the sake of his devotees around India, he typically provides a rough English translation. However, the emotional impact of his poems is strongest for those who share his Tamil culture. Nonetheless, the content and spirit of his poetry are communicated in the translations.
Denominational theologies can be highly intellectual and complex, attempting to justify and clarify differences. Swamy Bharati is not anti-intellectual. To the contrary, he is continually reading theological materials and searching for intellectual cogency in his beliefs. However, he is very clear that doctrinal formulations are not the heart of his faith. He continually retreats to his mystical devotion to get his spiritual strength renewed and centered.
The ordinary worshipper can find these doctrinal formulations and arguments quite incomprehensible, distracting, and irrelevant. What they want from their faith is encouragement and strength for their daily journey and hope for their eternal future, as does Swamy Bharati as reflected in his poetry. As the Pietists said, religion must move beyond intellectual assent to inner spiritual transformation. This Jesu bhaktas can find in their heart of hearts by participating in the renewing and recentering mystical devotion of Swamy Bharati’s poems
This mystical piety can inspire devotion to Jesus across Christian denominational lines and also unite Christians with the many Hindu devotees of Jesus. As with the early Hindu bhakti poets, Swamy Bharati’s poetry can unite devotees of Jesus across gender (he habitually refers to bhaktas with female pronouns), caste, denominational, religious, and linguistic lines. Putting divisive arguments aside, all can experience God’s love and express their love together, singing these songs.
Themes of Jesu Bhakti
In many religious traditions, the Supreme Deity is unknowable and unreachable. The Deity is a great and powerful Being who is feared and mollified. Not so in bhakti piety. In Christian scriptures, it is emphasized that God is love. He loves us, and we are called to love Him in return. He calls us to His embrace.
Intimacy
In his poems, Swamy Bharati swims in the ocean of intimacy with the Divine. The Divine is addressed with the Tamil second person singular term used for family members and close friends. There is a feeling of warmth and an attitude of trust. One can be vulnerable and open-hearted in this safe environment. It is a comforting and renewing relationship. Some quotations from Swamy Bharati’s poems of intimacy:
Poem #962
We remain bound together with deep love
We lost our sense by getting immersed in love…
Who can understand this? If I tell this, they will mock me…
Let us remain in a relationship which nobody can understand.
Let us rejoice by living this forever.
Poem #780
Forgetting myself, I get completely lost in you….
Silently I get lost in that bliss, transcending body and words…
There is no place for separation…
I will live with you always
Poem #668
Unending bliss is flowing there
It comes like a river of honey.
When unable to understand theology
Only bhakti alone provides bliss…
Once you gave yourself to me, where is any separation between us?…
I become a mad man by enjoying it….
Let us remain there forever, without knowing separation.
Poem #1296
I understood the special relationship
Which you bestowed exclusively for me…
(People) say that God is common to everyone
And even try to prove it to me.
There is no means for me to communicate to them
What you have done exclusively for me….
One cannot understand it unless it is lived
And experienced in life.
Poem #576
I got some kind of disturbance within me,
And I rushed unto you to share it.
When I come near to you, I forget all about them.
Silently, I bowed at your feet.
When you hugged both my shoulders.
Forgetting myself I fall on your chest.
Closing my eyes as I keep my head on your chest,
Taking me kindly, you hugged me deeply within you.
Poem #459
It might be easy for you to throw me away.
Accepting or rejecting me is your prerogative.
But it is not possible for me to leave, who has no other refuge
And even if you ask me to leave, that is not possible for me.
Like a Mother
Female goddesses are very popular in the Hindu bhakti tradition. It is a natural outgrowth from the sense of intimacy between the divine and the devotee. The goddess has love for all, but for her devotee children she has what in Tamil is called “passam,” tender affection.
In the history of India, already back in 3000 B.C. in the Indus Valley civilization we have statues of goddesses. In the Upanishads, she is Pakriti, the all-pervasive energy present in all things. In the Mahabharata this creative force is personified as Shakti, who then takes many Devi forms performing all divine powers of creating, preserving, defending, destroying, and on and on. In the bhakti tradition, then, female deities like Saraswathi, Parvati, and Lakshmi, are very popular, performing these various divine duties.
It is no wonder, then, that the Hindu bhakti of Swamy Bharati should express this strong Hindu tradition, personifying The Divine as female, having the same powers and duties as Devi. Indeed, in the Bible as well, we have such allusions, as in Jesus’ famous grieving for the fate of Jerusalem: “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” (Mt 23:37) Already the prophet Isaiah found in motherhood the nature of God in His commitment to His People Israel: “You shall suck, you shall be carried upon her hip. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you“ (Is 66:12-13)
Therefore, with these two strong biblical and Hindu traditions, it is no surprise that addressing and conceiving God as mother is a pervasive theme in the poems of Swamy Bharati, as illustrated below:
Poem #1367
A mother will make a child to cry
Then hugging it the next minutes.
Is not this the heart of a mother?
After that, as the baby becomes upset.
It will kick the mother with much whining.
Can I do that? Can I kick you?…
You should take me to pamper, as I am kicking you…
Taking and hugging me and comforting me,
You should behave like a mother.
Poem #1312
I become like an infant that does not know its own need.
But I am in my mother’s two arms,
Even though I am unaware…
To the infant that knows only its mother,
There exists no separate world.
It never finds separate joy,
As it has relationship with much affection with mother.
Poem #1267
Like a mother who accepts
The beating of her baby with a smile,
Accepting my scolding as praises,
Is your nature.
Poem #1204
Is there any baby on this earth that does not know
How to change the wrath of its mother?
Whining slightly, the mother will hug it.
Don’t think that I have crossed the age for whining.
Poem #294
Who is there who understood my heart?
Who will listen to me when I share?…
Why have you given me this many trials,
O my Lord, I cannot bear any more pain….
But I know your motherly heart.
That alone is my greatest weapon.
If one hand strikes, another will hug,
And I found great joy only in this…
I will take refuge in you.
Poem #814 (titled “You Are My Mother”)
My mother, won’t you hug me,
Won’t you take me to your feet?…
Though the mother spanks,
The child will fall back on her lap…
I grew only seeing your face,
Drinking your grace, I grew in life…
But like a child I will cry
So that I will again get more of your love.
There is no comparison for this relationship.
It is the right of a bhakta to receive it…
Once you come as my mother,
I receive it as your child,
There is no greater joy other than this on the earth.
Arguing
In an intimate, motherlike relationship, there is security. We are free to be honest and forthright. Like Jeremiah, we can complain, “You have deceived me, and I was deceived.” (Jer 20:7) Like the psalmist, “Why dost though stand afar off, O Lord? Why does thou hide thyself in times of trouble?” (Ps 10:1) Even Jesus on the cross, “My God, My God, why has Thou forsaken Me?” (Mt 27:46) So also in Swamy Bharati’s poems, as illustrated below:
Poem #987
There is no true change within me,
I don’t have the thought to live for you…
Even after knowing this, you don’t have concern for me…
I shed tears thinking of my condition.
I longed for when you would touch me.
What is the reason for further delay?
Is it right on your part to leave me alone to suffer?
Poem #963
You said that you would not go away from me – That is your promise
But now you forgot me. That alone is cruel.
On the one side my atman is longing for you.
On the other side, my heart is furious toward you.
As I weep with longing, I am completely wet.
But due to the heat of my anger, I become dry…
Therefore, ask your heart and give answer to me
Poem #961
My melted heart is panting thinking of you.
Tears are flowing like a fountain.
When I am burnt out by living in solitude,
Where has your grace gone, leaving me alone?…
Is it right on your part not to dwell in my heart?
Do you not share in my shortcomings?
If I lack in bhakti, is it not a loss for you?
Don’t further delay once you know this.
Don’t forsake my heart anymore.
Poem #956
When soldiers fight, they have a common set of rules for combat.
There is a rule that only two equally strong soldiers should fight with each other.
How many times can I say that I am not ready for combat with you?…
I told several times that I am not the proper person for your lila (divine play).
I clearly told you that I don’t have energy to act on the stage further….
But while I perform and faint, you alone should come to carry me.
Lament
Closely related to the theme of argument in bhakti, is the theme of lament. Lament is a feeling of frustration and disillusionment. It is exhaustion from futilely arguing. Of course, lament is a huge theme in the Bible. Approximately 40% of the 150 psalms are considered psalms of lament. It is a common theme among the prophets, and there is a whole book of the Bible called Lamentations.
Lamenting arises from disappointment. Disappointments arise because of expectations. Expectations arise because of promises and relationships. Only in a relationship of love and trust does a lament arise. Since that is the character of a bhakti relationship, there will be heartfelt laments when things do not go as one had hoped and expected.
Because the relationship with the Lord is so firm and sure, typically the laments end in an affirmation of trust and hope. This is true, for example with the psalms of lament in the Bible. Only six of them do not end with the famous “Nonetheless…” We see this same pattern in Swamy’s poems. Here are quotes from some of Swamy Bharati’s poems of lament:
Poem #1293
You alone know the life that I am living.
You alone will bestow the liberation that I seek.
Till that time, O my Lord, give me your grace to have patience.
The life on earth becomes a burden.
My lamentation alone became praises now…
Thinking of your divine grace in my heart,
I should live only seeking you.
I longed only for this kind of life.
I prayed for you to bestow only this life.
I carry that responsibility.
Accepting it, I will complete my duty if you ask me to.
Poem #820
There is none who can weep for me.
There is none who will cry with me.
No one understood my condition.
Therefore, no one wept for me.
You wept for the world. You also wept for your relatives.
You wept remembering your friend, but you forgot this dog.
Because already you redeemed me, therefore I got my comfort.
Therefore, I stopped crying
Poem #389
Let your grace uphold me.
Let your compassion increase.
I come to you seeking mercy. What else can I say?…
Don’t I have a place in your kind heart?
Do I need to ask this: Does your heart not melt for me?…
I lament and cry, unable to understand.
This life on earth is a burden
Enough is enough, please take care of me.
Poem #393
I went everywhere searching for him.
I searched for him in so many places all the time.
I don’t know why he has this much interest
In seeing my frustration in seeking him….
People are talking that I am struck with lust.
Not knowing my true love they talk like that.
They all spoil my name, joining together,
Not knowing my heart, they are rebuking me.
Let anyone talk whatever they want to talk.
Who is going to come and help me in this?
Unless they know about my true bhakti,
Who else will know the real treatment for my sickness?
Scripture
Swamy Bharati is a highly knowledgeable not only in Christian theology and Hindu philosophy, but also in Holy Scripture. He uses the term “muktiveda,” meaning “salvation scripture.” He always wants to check if what he is thinking is in accordance with Holy Writ. The poems are mini-homilies.
Most of Hindu bhakti philosophy is written in the form of poetry, and Swamy Bharati advocates that it would be good if Christian theology also were expressed this way. He argues that poetry is a form that Hindus appreciate for its artistry and tradition, and it is easier to memorize. It is similar to the use of poetic hymns to teach the illiterate masses by the Reformers in the 16rh and 17th centuries in Europe. Some quotes from a few of these poems:
Poem #310
It is the word which was there from the beginning….
Everything came only through that word…
And that showed the light to humanity,
And the darkness can never overcome that light.
… that light which alone will enlighten
Everyone who is born on this earth.
Poem #3
I don’t have the aromatic oil on my hand
I don’t have tears also in my eyes
Neither I have the courage or heart
to seek and bow at your feet
One woman got remorse on seeing her condition
She was shocked by the cruel nature of her sin
Taking courage she approached His feet
He bestowed forgiveness on seeing her condition
She was ready to accept the insult by others
And bowed at the feet of the King Muktesan
‘Go in peace as I have removed your punishment
Which cannot be removed otherwise’ He said
Knowing my condition I came at your feet
Won’t you accept me the poor man?
I don’t know any other place of refuge
Save me O Lord of Grace
Poem #20
The Eternal God who pervades everywhere
The Grace who yourself
Out of over flowing love for the humanity
Who came as His only son
You lived with the divine Glory and
Why you gave up that divine nature?
You came to this earth in order to redeem
A wretched sinner like me…
Therefore God lifted up you and
Gave you that Glory
So that the heavenly being, men on earth and those who dwell below the earth
Will bow before you with humility
Poem #374
When he was sobbing recalling
With heavy burden in his heart
How he lamented confessing all
And how he felt very sad?
‘Even the entire world deny you
I won’t do that
And I will give myself to protect you’
Did he remember this?
When the guru came carrying the water
To wash the feet (of the disciples)
‘I won’t allow you to do this to me’
Did he remember these words?
‘We left everything to follow you
What we will gain’ as he asked
‘You will receive the eternal life’
Did he remembered this promise (by the Lord)
I am also in the same situation
And walk everyday denying you.
Do you have love for me?
As I was asking this, bowing my head silently
And afraid to life up my face to see Him,
I took refuge at His feet, saying:
“You know that too, O my Lord.”
Poem #379
Getting up before the sun rise
And looking all around with much fear
And rushing to the grave before others could notice
And when they reached the front of the cave
As its mouth remain opened
And they went inside with much hesitation
A man dressed in white dress
Proclaimed that noble news (to them)
“Did you come searching after the Lord?
Who hanged on the Tree?
Look and see the place where He was kept
And the divine one is already gone…
Though they ran without saying anything
What all the things they were thinking in their mind
But when they conveyed the news accordingly
The disciples didn’t believe their words.
Poem #397
In order to show how good is he
And asked the question for others to applaud him
To the one who has a mean mind?
The Lord turned to him and said—go and do….
“Who is your neighbour?
Whom you think is your neighbour
Those who are in need are your neighbours
If you help them they will become your own” —go and do….
Yet he became very sad
As he has desire over his wealth
Though he received the apt answer to his question
Went away as if he didn’t heard,
Without giving any response (to the Lord) —go and do.
Poem #441
Rejecting the good one
And allowing the criminal to escape
In order to preserve his position
He has done the worst thing
But there is no point in blaming him
That too is the will of God
But as he failed to uphold his justice
He earned a bad name
Did he alone done this
Did he committed that mistake only for others
We too are like that
We too transgress in order to please others.
Viraha-bhakti (Love in Separation)
Viraha-bhakti is an experience peculiar to mystical bhaktas. A similar experience in Christian mysticism is called “The dark night of the soul.” As we have seen in the above poems of lament, a major source of frustration and confusion is the yearning of the bhakta for a close experience of the Divine. Once you have had the joy of this close Divine Presence in your life, you want it over and over again. It is understandable to feel this absence deeply when it has been so transforming and fulfilling.
In his explanation for one of these poems, Swamy Bharati quotes from the Canto Spiritual of the mystic saint, St. John of the Cross, to illustrate his feelings:
Where did you hide, my lover,
Leaving me in agony?
You wounded me, and then fled like a deer.
I ran outside after you, crying out,
And you had gone.
Such feelings of separation anxiety are difficult for non-mystic believers to understand. Most believers are aware that God is near and cares, but they may never intimately experience this nearness. One might have a sense of it on a human level between lovers and parents and children. It is because the relationship is so close and enriching that it hurts so much to lose it, even briefly. You savor the memory and yearn for its return. Some examples:
Poem #682
I came seeking your feet.
I can hear the sound of your gentle steps
Like honey in my ears.
I visualize your holy footprints,
And auspicious music is all around.
I get ready to receive you.
I prepared the arati to welcome you.
What is the reason for so much delay?
Are you hesitating to accept this slave?
Every second feels like an eternity.
Alone with my heart, the body also burns.
The love in separation is burning me down…
I become frustrated, filled with tears.
You gave me the promise
That you would definitely come to redeem me.
I am waiting for you,
Longing for you to come, to accept me.
Enough is enough of this divine play.
Play your pranks somewhere else,
Saving me who suffers due to love in separation.
Give me the joy of joining with you.
Poem #961
My melted heart is panting, thinking of you.
Tears are flowing as a fountain
When I am burnt out by living in solitude.
Your grace has gone, abandoning me.
Unfathomable fear has come.
My heart is shivering thinking about it.
It doubts whether you have forgotten me.
It laments that there is no use in living anymore.
I lived so far not knowing separation.
So far I have lived not experiencing separation.
When it first came, I completely lost myself….
Not forgetting me, though, you came
And redeemed me out of love till I became completely yours.
Is it not right on your part to dwell in my heart?…
Don’t forsake my heart anymore.
Poem #868
I waited for him with tearful eyes…
I fell in love and never realized that he is a thief.
I never knew about separation.
I remembered his promise of non-separation
Therefore, when he came and knocked on the door,
I ran with much enthusiasm and opened the door…
Before I could tell about his love, he went away.
He made me drown in the pond of my eyes…
Did he think that I am not qualified for him?…
The one who bestows grace, receiving anyone, why did he renounce only me?
But I won’t forget the promise which he gave. I live only believing it.
The one who promised to come will definitely come.
He will bestow the opportunity for me to bow at his feet.
Poem780
I was waiting for you, remaining awake.
I was looking for your arrive, not even blinking my eyes.
When the time was right, you came and received me.
As my tears were pouring down, you hugged me.
Forgetting myself, I get completely lost in you.
I closed my eyes. My hair stood on end.
I kept both your feet in my heart.
O my God, I was worshipping at your feet.
Silently I was drowned in bliss, transcending body and words.
I was with you. I lived without needing anything more.
Offering myself, I was bowing at your feet.
But when I woke up, I realized it was all just a dream.
The vision that I had was not true, I realized.
Whether true or not, once you came within my thought ,
There was no more separation, I realized.
Once I had the relationship. there would never be separation.
Therefore, I don’t wait on you anymore.
I will live with you always.
Humility/Submission
Though the bhakti relationship is one of intimacy and trust, it is a Master-Servant/Disciple relationship. Jesus’ disciples called him Master. Only He could presume to call them friends (Jn 15:15). From the standpoint of the bhakta, it is a relationship of humility and submission. Examples:
Poem #425
A mother will have extra concern over a sick child.
As I become good for nothing, you too had this kind of compassion on me.
Though I don’t know even the word “thanks,”
But like a dog I will stay at your feet,
For the leftovers that you will throw from your table for me.
Poem #23
Only a burning lamp can light another one, is true in life.
I don’t find any use for my learning
Unless my heart with the power of the Spirit
Becomes a burning lamp by receiving light (from you).
Having eyes, I became blind; became deaf having ears
Became a fool, even though I have intellect
And became a poor man in my heart.
Without you in my heart, I became empty…
Show mercy to this poor man in this life on earth
To become a burning lamp through your eternal Words.
Give your words as the un-quenching lamp to this slave,
Who sought your feet.
Poem #973
What are the final answers to everything?
Let people give it to me if possible…
There is no final answer for everything
Until God tells it clearly.
Those who realize this will leave it to God
And remain humble.
Poem #954
I cannot bear the burden of sin.
I cannot understand the nature of sin….
When I wandered seeking an answer to this,
You came as the answer to me.
You shed your blood for me on the cross for this…
I am unable to bear that burden alone.
I beg you to give mercy and remove it.
Poem #953
As long as I live, my sinful nature,
Which is rooted with me, won’t go from me..
As your atonement reminds me again,
I come to you, begging again…
I beg for you to give your grace
For me to fight against it till the end
I call upon you to carry me when I stumble, not to fall again.
When I lie down wounded after a fight,
I call upon you to come and put balm on my wounds.
Healing me again, standing with me by giving company
To struggle again until you take me to the further shore.
Till then, remain as my guru, to show me the way.
I give myself to you, for you to lead me each day.
Poem #456
There is nothing in my life to parade (before others).
I have nothing to say to the world.
What is there to give others from an empty vessel?
This is not pseudo-humility.
This is the fact which I tell after full realization…
On which greatness could I brag
When I don’t have anything.
Even what little I had is gone
Once I understood the Truth
Physically, appearance has disappeared very quickly.
I don’t see any greatness even in my birth (as a Brahmin).
I never achieved any greatness in my education,
And what all I learnt never came to any use.
And I never found the things which I searched for.
Now what is there for me to brag in any of them?
I made noise like an empty vessel
And put a mask on all through my life.
Finally, when God came and redeemed me,
I found the true greatness about it.
That greatness is enough for me, and I will take pride in it.
All other greatness is nothing but rubbish,
And all are mere loss for me.
Worship
Of course, the fundamental relationship of the human to the Divine is worship. Here are excerpts from Swamy Bharati’s poems of worship:
Poem #1267
However I sing, my heart won’t find fulfillment.
I cannot utter your sweet name simply in words.
Like a mad person intoxicated with bhakti,
However much I write (songs), they are not enough for me
Though I lament, complaining against you so many times,
The one time I sing your praises my heart is fulfilled.
As you accept both scolding and praising equally,
As I sing about you, I feel joy in my heart.
Poem #11
The embodied Light
Became a Graceful Word,
Incarnate to save this world;
Hail to You!
Remaining primordial God,
Become His gracious Son;
Creator of everything,
You came to this world, Hail to You!
Crossing beyond mind and words,
Becoming the form of Light
and the source of Life,
You are the essence of Grace; Hail to you!
You remain as Grace upon Grace;
You become Light to this world
And showed light in darkness;
Lord Muktinath, Hail to you!
Poem #84
In this calm evening when I sit with my Lord,
As a melodious music surrounds me, I forget myself.
Birds with their gentle voices praise the Lord,
And my heart too raises up to worship Him.
What other pleasure will I seek in this contradicting world,
Other than sitting as His feet, to gently massage His feet.
Poem #534
You come to give something to me,
But I don’t know what it is…
I cannot reject it as mere emotion.
I didn’t accept it as feeling of my heart.
Yet, there is some kind of bliss, and I am unable to understand it.
My hair stands up, and tears are coming.
My tongue gets twisted, and my pulse is going down.
And I want to dance. More than that, I experience some kind of peace
But my tongue hesitates to share. Yet, my heart is forcing me to do it.
But words are hesitant and unable to share.
What actually happened to me?
Yet, I need to share all this so others might get the same bliss.
They should experience this joy in themselves,
And they should drown in this divine bliss.
Poem #1
The day is dawned and birds are singing.
Let us praise the Holy Lord Muktesan.
Sun has risen and the devotees have gathered.
Let us sing a joyful song and glorify Him.
Flowers have blossomed and the world has woken up.
Let us praise the Holy Lord Muktesan.
Temple bell is calling the devotees.
Let us glorify Him by singing joyful song.
The saints are glorifying Him and
The angels are adoring the divine name of the Lord Muktesan.
Come ye all devotees to bow and serve Him
Who removes all our sorrow and gives holiness.
All the nations glorify Him and the Holy Scriptures praise Him.
Let us also daily glorify Him, bowing at His holy feet.
Conclusion by Swamy Dayanand Bharati
I asked Swamy Bharati to write the conclusion for this article, as these bhakti poems are his life:
I have called my poems “bhakti theology songs.” A theologian need not be a poet, but without bhakti/faith one cannot do theology. Likewise, a bhakti poet inevitably uses theology. However, she is not bound by abstract, intellectual formulations. She can express her bhakti, which is mainly based on her personal relationship with Bhagavan, using the medium of poems. I found my solace in the poems as it gave immense personal freedom and joy to celebrate my relationship with the Lord. Of course, it is a private world and personal sadhana. Yet, a bhakta always calls others to join her to celebrate this personal relationship with the Lord.
Another advantage that I have as a Hindu bhakta of the Lord is to inherit a rich bhakti tradition in India, not keeping it within the academic discipline of theology. The Hindu tradition of so many bhakti saints from various sects only added richness to express my relationship with the Lord through my poems. Of course, those who are strictly brought up in “Christian tradition” cannot understand this. As I cannot disown my root and Hindu tradition, not minding others’ criticism, I with much joy used my own Hindu tradition to express my bhakti theology.
A special example are my poems of “viraha-bhakti” (love in separation). Some followers of the Lord feel uncomfortable to use such poems; however, my Hindu tradition gave me the personal freedom to express my bhakti in this genre.
I always thank God that I was born not only in India but also know Tamil as my mother tongue. It is one of the richest living languages in the world, and its religious literature was almost always expressed in poetry. I was immensely blessed by that heritage to express my bhakti in the Lord by writing poems.
So though I have written poems only for my personal need and private sadhana, still I am happy to share with others, requesting every follower of the Lord to use one’s own birth tradition while celebrating her relationship with the Lord. And I hope this paper will give some small hope for a few to rethink their personal view about their own birth traditional values which is a gift from God.
Postscript by Hoefer
I would like to conclude by quoting in full a poem which I think expresses well the depth of Swamy Bharati’s bhakti:
Poem #24
You are the Mother, you are the Father
You are my Master, You are my Refuge
You are my dear Friend
You are my compassionate Brother
You are the centre of my love
You are the Lord to my soul
Who stole my heart with affection!
I sing unto you in melodious music
With a melting heart and
Emotional spirit with bhakti
The eternal Being
God of God and True Jyothi (light)
The blissful Light
Refuge to the bhaktas
Where can I find language?
To praise you
How can I tell you?
The longing of this poor man’s spirit
How can utter them to you
Don’t you know my heart?
The Eternal one
God my Master
By cleansing my inner being
With blissful tears and forgetting myself
Like a girl who is
Struck with love
Seeking the face of the beloved
And every day approaching you
I offered myself unto you
Protect me; I took refuge at your golden feet
My heart melts in you
And the hairs stood up at the end
Tears flowing from eyes
Bowing at your feet with folded hands
I come unto you as my refuge
O Mother I am your child
I cannot find on this earth
Any other refuge other than your feet
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