Joy of little flowers

Doing daily `Nitya Karmas` (duties) is of paramount importance for a devotee. `Nitya Aaradhana` is performing daily aaradhana to Sriman Narayana. 

Calling myself, a devotee to Narayana is blatant and pompous because for a true devotee, `bhakti` (devotion) flows like liquid with laminar flow, whereas my `bhakti` is erratic and menial. I always dream of becoming like Prahalad, NamAzhwar, Yamunacharya, Ramanujacharya, Vedanta Desika who worshipped him with `trikarana suddhi` (thoughts, words, and deeds) in all three ways (Karma, Gnyana, and Bhakti yoga). But even they proclaim how too untidy they are to worship blemishless and pristine Lord Vishnu. Yamunacharya in his heart ravishing, `Stotra Ratnam` says,

न धर्मनिष्ठोऽस्मि न चात्मवेदि

न भक्तिमान् त्वच्चरणारविन्दे ।

अकिञ्चनोऽनन्यगतिः शरण्य

त्वतपादमूलं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥ 22

"Oh You worthy of being sought as refuge! I am not one established in Dharma, nor am I a knower of the self. I have no fervent devotion to Your Lotus-feet. Utterly destitute as I am, and having none else for resort, I take refuge under Your feet"

Vedas glorify him in several ways. Taitriya Upanisad - Aanadavalli lists the quantification of joy being able to experience by each living being. The list ends with the statement,

आनन्दं ब्रह्मणो विद्वान्

which reveals the happiness experienced by a man who understands Vedas or Brahman, is equal to that enjoyed by the Lord Brahma himself. But it stands inarticulate on defining the happiness of `paraBrahma` or Sriman Narayana, as he is the experiencer of the unbounded ocean of happiness all the time. Vedas also proclaim units of time and lifetime of all the entities,

According to Vedas,

1 year (consisting of two `ayanas`) for humans = 1 day for devatas

12,000 years of devatas = 1 `chatur yuga` (4 yugas)

1,000 `chatur yugas` = 1 day for Brahma 

The lifetime of Brahma is `100 Brahmanic years` and the cycle repeats. But in all these cyclic events, the `paraDevata` Sri Vishnu watches all these changes in `yoga nidra` (state of consciousness between waking and sleeping), like a child watching a late-night cartoon. And yet he acted as such he is incompetent to lose himself free from Yasoda tying him with a rope.

Image original source

It is this simplcity of him that make his devotees to easily approach him and inspired me to approach him with my irregularities and artlessness. Collecting flowers to perform daily Aaradhana is an whole together different experience and gives excessive bliss.

 When collecting flowers, I wonder how lucky they are! With their wholesome beauty, they stay along with Vishnu for one full day. When Hanuman got the opportunity to embrace Sri Rama lasting for just a few seconds, he refused to leave his body to move to other world. Such is the rare opportunity to get sparsha (touch) of Sri Vishnu, but these flowers decorate him for one full day, indeed how blessed are these flowers!

Before snaanaasanam

After Aaradhana

All that I would like to say is, let us enjoy all earthly enjoyments, watch TV series, plough through our favourite food, hangout with friends but we should also take a moment in our hectic day to appreciate the happiness experienced by these little flowers :)