Why does music enhance our connection to God? Day 3 Knoxville Katha.

Pujya Bhaishri shared a taste of the breadth and depth of music on day 3 of the ongoing devotional festival at Knoxville, USA, and how it connects us to God.

Through a medley of powerful Upanishad mantras, Bhagavat verses, corresponding Marwari, Gujarati, Hindi Bhajans, Sant Vāni, Kirtans and stirring classical music, Pujya Bhaishri demonstrated the power of melody to connect man with the Almighty.

Pujya Bhaishri also explains the meaning of Krishna, why the Bhagavat Dharma is universal and what is not Dharma.

Pujya Bhaishri led the devotees present into a powerful experience of collective silence to give all a taste of this Truth, this nectarine fruit of prayer.

Is our life an eternal dance with the Lord or Ebb?

Ask yourself, “is your life an eternal dance with Shri Krishna (Rāsa) or is it deteriorating every moment?”

Whilst we frantically run to and fro in seek of happiness, we mistake it to exist in the ephemeral outer world when in fact, it exists nowhere other than in your own true Self! In luxuries and entertainment, we find ourselves enjoying the short-lived and expensive joys of the world whilst remaining bereft of true bliss which is eternal and priceless but free of cost!

What does Krishna Mean?

Delving into the true essence of the name ‘Krishnaʼ, Pujya Bhaishri quoted the scriptures to demonstrate that the syllable “Krish” is connected to eternal truth and the syllable “Na” is connected to a state of nothingness.

Where there is nothing – no joy, no sorrow, no resolutions, no desires, bliss permeates! Krishna thus refers to uninterrupted, eternal bliss of self where nothing has ever happened and can thus also be understood to be Nityānand (eternal happiness), Sadānand (perpetual bliss) or Poornānand (complete delight).

The Journey Home forevermore

The light of the Bhagavat manifests the following universal Prayer in our life and thus brings us back from death, darkness and untruth to light, truth and the nectar of our true Self as well as establishes us therein forevermore.

Asatomā sad gamaya, Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya, Mrityor mā amritam gamaya

Om Shāntih Shāntih Shāntih

Which means,

May we journey from untruth to Truth; from darkness to light; from death to the nectar of immortality, Om Peace, Peace, Peace.

What cannot be called Dharma?

That which replaces compassion with dogmatism, replaces love with discrimination and hatred and trades in untruths in the name of truth can never be Dharma. That is some other form of trade in the name of religion.

Dharma is connected to Truth; not to the strength of the number of followers. Dharma is connected to love and compassion; not to hatred or hard-heartedness. Without compassion, any Dharma that leads to these negative outcomes can never truly be Dharma.

The Shrimad Bhagavat describes and manifests such a loving way of life (Bhagavat Dharma)! Due to this devotion, naturally her off springs shall manifest in one’s life in the form of knowledge of what is true and detachment from all that is untrue. This is our natural state of peace and self.

Stay connected to make this journey home to your soul, Shri Krishna, via the Knoxville Bhagavat Katha.