Navdha Bhakti – Shravanam

We start with Listening, Shravanam, the first pillar of Bhakti. In Ramacharitra Manas, Tulsidas Ji writes that Lord Rama himself spoke about bhakti to Shabari. Her absolute, complete self was immersed in the words that were flowing out of her Lord’s mouth. Her entire being vibrated and she was lost to the world, which resulted in God Realization.

Bhagavatam refers to Parikshit as the guru of Shravanam. Parikshit Maharaj attained salvation by merely hearing the Bhagvatam recited by Shukadeva Goswami Maharaj.

It is also said that, on the banks of Ganga in Prayagraj, for ten consecutive days, Chaitanya Maha Prabhu gave a discourse on Bhakti.  Srila Roop Goswami ji was one of the listeners, and based on the learnings from his guru, Srila Roop Swamiji later wrote many texts on Bhakti. The most popular one is Bhakti Rasa-Amrit Sindhu, which explains these nine pillars in detail.

Why is listening considered the first pillar or maybe the foundation stone on this journey of bhakti?

Listening ignites the spirit of enquiry! Listening to his deeds, about him and being in the presence of people who talk about the lord, lights the spark in the heart of the seeker. Hearing about the Master, the aspirant is curious and the desire to know a little more about the Master is kindled. Listening lays the foundation and starts the seeker’s inward journey. Listening is a key skill for communication also, be it to communicate with others or with our own self!

And how does the listener listen?  Luckily, there are no rules on how to listen! If we can listen in the passing also, it leaves its magic and reaps immense benefits. Listening gives the entry ticket to His Loka. Salokyata starts with listening.  The heart starts to gently thaw, and throb. Listening gently leads us to the remaining pillars of devotion.

One who is unable to listen has a long wait before an introduction with the Self and Him can happen.