Vidyeswara Samhita - Chapter - 4
In this chapter
the Sages request Lord Brahma to help them understand the difference between
Sravana, Manana and Kirtana. Brahma reasons that while mind ponders over the efficacy
of worship, meditation, attributes of divine Isa, his numerous names and his majestic
form, He bestows one with His benevolent glance. The devotion to God is an act
of deliberate submission to the omnipotent Super Energy. The Kirtana is the
clear form of expression of all the exploits of Isvara, His celestial story. In
the human world this sets up the recital of worship in the traditional
folklore, music, dance and importance to the regional mother tongue, identity
of every person. It is the middle one of the means of worship. Sravana is
listening to the words of and about Isvara, in fact the most famous amongst the
mortals. Sravana is a natural outcome of association with pious people and Kirtana
follows steadily. But of all these, Manana is excellent. It is the Tapas one
does under the benign surveillance of Lord Shiva.
In this context
Brahma narrated a sacred anecdote. Once Vyasa, the son of Sage Parasara was
performing a penance of the bank of river Saraswati. He was agitated mentally
and not in composure. It was during that time Sage Sanatkumara was passing by
in his aerial chariot, resplendent like Sun and stopped by to visit Vyasa. As
Vyasa offered him the holy obeisance in flutter and eagerness, Sanatkumara
asked Vyasa why he was performing the penance unattended. Vyasa clarified that
he has been practicing established four ways of – virtue, wealth, love and
salvation – adhering to the path of Vedas. But still, knowledge which is the means
of liberation has not dawned upon him. Then Sanatkumara told him that erstwhile
he too was in the same dilemma and was performing penance on mountain Mandara.
It was then that divine attendant of Lord Shiva Nadikeswara, arrived there. In conformity
of all Vedas it was Nandikeswara who proclaimed the importance of Sravana,
Kirtana and Manana. Hence, Sanatkumara, advised Vyasa to practice the three
means of salvation and returned to his auspicious abode. Brahma thus narrated
the liberating anecdote to the Sages proving that to achieve liberation – stress
and strain need not be the only way – committed devotion is of more significance.
D. Ashalatha Reddy
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