Smaran

(An extract from recent address to an educational institution)

There is an inspirational line from Gita:

abhyasa-yoga-yuktena cetasa nanya-gamina 

paramam purusam divyam yati parthanucintayan

By regular meditation, with the mind and intelligence remaining steadfast, and remaining in Constant Remembrance of Him, one achieves the Transcendental Supreme Person, O Arjuna!

We are well aware that yoga and meditation regulate and train the mind and prevent it from wandering. With the help of daily sadhana, it is a lot easier to fix the Supreme Lord in one’s mind at all times, in constant remembrance (smaran). When such dedicated practice gets reinforced, it also helps the sadhak to find answers for questions like who we really are, where we have descended from and so on.

The mind is fickle. It is therefore essential to engage the mind by force to think of the Divine. As is the case with the caterpillar which thinks of becoming a butterfly and so is transformed into a butterfly in the same life. Smaran of the divine is a hallmark of spirituality. Scriptures exhort us to stay connected with the Supreme Power every moment.  Through such continuous remembrance called satat smaran, we keep the mind employed so that it doesn’t stray here and there during our day long activities. This practice is a precious and powerful gift from the ancient wisdom, a boon both for the elders at work and the young ones in academics.

Blessed is your Institution offering such spiritual dimension blending with a scientific temper, to help the pupils “grow to glow”; transforming them into achievers in their chosen fields with strong values.

-Dr.Arun Madhavan