RATHA YATRA OR CAR FESTIVAL

Today is Ratha Yatra Day. May Lord  Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra bless you all  on this auspicious day.

Ratha Yatra or the Car Festival is a huge Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the state of Orissa, India. Now a days it is also celebrated all over the world.

This annual festival is celebrated on Ashad Shukla Dwitiya (second day in bright fortnight of Ashad month). The festival commemorates Lord Jagannath's annual visit to Gundicha mata's temple via aunt's home (Mausi Maa Temple which is near Balagandi Chaka in Puri).

As part of Rath Yatra, the presiding deities of the Jagannath Temple, Puri main temple, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, with the celestial wheel (Sudarshana Chakra) are taken out from the temple precincts in an elaborate ritual procession to Gundicha Temple and remain there for nine days.

On their way back from the Gundicha Temple, the three deities stop for a while near the Mausi Maa Temple (Aunt's abode) and have an offering of the Poda Pitha, which is a special type of pancake supposed to be the Lord's favourite. After a stay for seven days, the deities return to their abode.The return journey of Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra is known as Bahuda Yatra.

HOLYNESS AND Significance:

A glimpse of Lord Jagannatha on the chariot is considered to be very auspicious and saints, poets and scriptures have repeatedly glorified the sanctity of this special festival. The sanctity of the festival is such that even a touch of the chariot or even the ropes with which these are pulled is considered enough to confer the results of several pious deeds or penance for ages. In fact, there is a famous Oriya song which says that on this occasion, the chariot, the wheels, the grand avenue all become one with Lord Jagannatha himself.


THE CONCEPT OF THE CHARIOT HAS BEEN EXPLAINED IN THE KATHOPANISHADA:
Atmanam rathinam viddhi shareeram rathameva tu,
Buddhim tu sarathim viddhi manaha pragrahameva tu.
Indriyani hayanyahur vishayansteshu gocharan.

“The atman is Rathi - owner of the `chariot' - the body

The intellect is the Sarathi - driver,

The mind is the rein,

The senses are the horses, and

The Panch Vishayas - material objects of the five senses - are

the fields of pasture for the horses.

i.e. The person whose Sarathi - intellect - is wise, whose mind fully controls the senses, can traverse Samsara to reach the desired goal - the Lord's abode.

The Skanda Purana glorifies the sanctity of the Rath Jatra:

Gundicha mandapam namam jatrahamajanam 

pura Ashwamedha sahasrasya mahabedi tadadvabat.

Those who are fortunate to see the deities of the Srimandira in the Gundicha Temple, the final destination of the procession of the chariots, derive the benefits of a thousand horse sacrifices, an immensely pious deed.

Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja in his famous Vaidehisa Vilasa mentions: The Lord comes out from his sanctum for participating in the Gundicha Jatra (another name of the Festival of Chariots) only for redeeming the fallen, the patita jana who get the opportunity to behold their dearest god at close quarters on this occasion. 

Saint poet Salabega waxes eloquent in praise of the dark Lord Jagannath and says:

The Lord swaying and moving like a wild elephant arrives at the Grand Avenue and rides his chariot and destroys in a flash all the sins of his devotees, even if these may be grave or unpardonable.

INTERNATIONAL RATHA YATRA:

The Ratha Yatra festival has become a common sight in most major cities of the world since 1968 through the ISKCON Hare Krishna movement. Its leader A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada successfully transplanted the festival which now happens on an annual basis in places all over the world in over 100 cities including Dublin, Belfast, Birmingham, London, Bath, Budapest, Melbourne, Montreal, Paris, New York, Singapore, Toronto, Antwerp, Kuala Lumpur and Venice, CA. The Rathajatra in Dhamrai, Bangladesh is one of the most important in Bangladesh.

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Historical Origin

Many believe that the custom of placing idols on grand chariots and pulling them is of Buddhist origin. Fa Hien, the Chinese historian, who visited India in the 5th century AD, had written about the chariot of Buddha being pulled along public roads.

Ratha Tana or chariot pulling:

The festival begins with the Ratha Prathistha or invoking ceremony in the morning, but the Ratha Tana or chariot pulling is the most exciting part of the festival, which begins in the late afternoon when the chariots of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhdra start rolling. 

ABOUT CHARIOT:

Each of these carriages have different specifications: The chariot of Lord Jagannath is called Nandighosa, has 18 wheels and is 23 cubits high; the chariot of Balabhadra, called Taladhvaja has 16 wheels and is 22 cubits high; Devadalana, the chariot of Subhadra has 14 wheels and is 21 cubits high.

Each year these wooden chariots are constructed anew in accordance with religious specifications. The idols of these three deities are also made of wood and they are religiously replaced by new ones every after 12 years. 

A Festival For All

Rath Yatra is a great festival because of its ability to unite people in its festivity. All people, rich and poor, brahmins or shudras equally enjoy the fairs and the joy they bring. You will be amazed to know that even Muslims participate in Rath Yatras! Muslim residents of Narayanpur, a village of about a thousand families in the Subarnapur district of Orissa, regularly take part in the festival, from building the chariots to pulling the rath.

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LORD JAGANATHA, A SACRED NYAGRODHA BRIKSHA: 

Lord Jagannatha is identified fully with Vishnu and Krishna. In his original manifestation as Nilamadhaba, he was worshipped in a sacred Nyagrodha Briksha or banyan tree. The branches of the tree had spread for several miles and any one entering this area was instantly emancipated and was relieved of the travails of the birth and re-birth. In fact, the influence of Yama, the God of Death, is supposed to have been curtailed in the sacred city of Puri – Srikshetra on account of the presence of Lord Jagannatha and therefore it is also called the Yamanika Tirtha.

SOURCE: en.wikipedia.org; hinduism.about.com; swaminarayan.org;

                   rathjatra.nic.in

VIVEKANANDA TELLS US STORIES

Shuka and Jnanka

Vyasa

There was a great sage in India called Vyâsa. This Vyâsa is known as the author of the Vedanta aphorisms, and was a holy man. His father had tried to become a very perfect man and had failed. His grandfather had also tried and failed. His great-grandfather had similarly tried and failed. He himself did not succeed perfectly, but his son, Shuka, was born perfect. Vyasa taught his son wisdom; and after teaching him the knowledge of truth himself, he sent him to the court of King Janaka. He was a great king and was called Janaka Videha. Videha means "without a body". Although a king, he had entirely forgotten that he was a body; he felt that he was a spirit all the time. This boy Shuka was sent to be taught by him. The king knew that Vyasa's son was coming to him to learn wisdom: so he made certain arrangements beforehand. And when the boy presented himself at the gates of the palace, the guards took no notice of him whatsoever. They only gave him a seat, and he sat there for three days and nights, nobody speaking to him, nobody asking him who he was or whence he was. He was the son of a very great sage, his father was honoured by the whole country, and he himself was a most respectable person; yet the low, vulgar guards of the palace would take no notice of him. After that, suddenly, the ministers of the king and all the big officials came there and received him with the greatest honours. They conducted him in and showed him into splendid rooms, gave him the most fragrant baths and wonderful dresses, and for eight days they kept him there in all kinds of luxury. That solemnly serene face of Shuka did not change even to the smallest extent by the change in the treatment accorded to him; he was the same in the midst of this luxury as when waiting at the door. Then he was brought before the king. The king was on his throne, music was playing, and dancing and other amusements were going on. The king then gave him a cup of milk, full to the brim, and asked him to go seven times round the hall without spilling even a drop. The boy took the cup and proceeded in the midst of the music and the attraction of the beautiful faces. As desired by the king, seven times did he go round, and not a drop of the milk was spilt. The boy's mind could not be attracted by anything in the world, unless he allowed it to affect him. And when he brought the cup to the king, the king said to him, "What your father has taught you, and what you have learned yourself, I can only repeat. You have known the Truth; go home."

SOURCE: The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda; Volume-1, Chapter-VI

THE GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA

CHAPTER-4: ADVICE TO HOUSEHOLDERS; PART-VI

Disciplines of Tantra:

NARENDRA: "Isn't it true that the Tantra prescribes spiritual discipline in the company of woman?"

MASTER: "That is not desirable.  It is a very difficult path and often causes the aspirant's downfall.  There are three such kinds of discipline.  One may regard woman as one's mistress or look on oneself as her handmaid or as her child.  I look on woman as my mother.  To look on oneself as her handmaid is also good; but it is extremely difficult to practise spiritual discipline looking on woman as one's mistress.  To regard oneself as her child is a very pure attitude."

The sannyasis belonging to the sect of Nanak entered the room and greeted the Master, saying, "Namo Narayanaya." Sri Ramakrishna asked them to sit down.

All is possible with God:

MASTFR: "Nothing is impossible for God.  Nobody can describe His nature in words.  Everything is possible for Him.  There lived at a certain place two yogis who were practising spiritual discipline.  The sage Narada was passing that way one day.  Realizing who he was, one of the yogis said: 'You have just come from God Himself.  What is He doing now?' Narada replied, 'Why, I saw Him making camels and elephants pass and repass through the eye of a needle.' At this the yogi said: 'Is that anything to wonder at? Everything is possible for God.' But the other yogi said: 'What? Making elephants pass through the eye of a needle - is that ever possible? You have never been to the Lord's dwelling-place.' "

At nine o'clock in the morning, while the Master was still sitting in his room, Manomohan arrived from Konnagar with some members of his family.  In answer to Sri Ramakrishna's kind inquiries, Manomohan explained that he was taking them to Calcutta.  The Master said: "Today is the first day of the Bengali month, an inauspicious day for undertaking a journey.  I hope everything will be well with you." With a smile he began to talk of other matters.

Present Panchavati

When Narendra and his friends had finished bathing in the Ganges, the Master said to them earnestly: "Go to the Panchavati (see Picture) and meditate there under the banyan-tree.  Shall I give you something to sit on?"

Discrimination and dispassion:

About half past ten Narendra and his Brahmo friends were meditating in the Panchavati.  After a while Sri Ramakrishna came to them.  M., too, was present.

The Master said to the Brahmo devotees: "In meditation one must be absorbed in God.  By merely floating on the surface of the water, can you reach the gems lying at the bottom of the sea?"

Then he sang:

Taking the name of Kāli, dive deep down,

O mind, Into the heart's fathomless depths,

Where many a precious gem lies hid.  

But never believe the bed of the ocean bare of gems

If in the first few dives you fail;

With firm resolve and self-control

Dive deep and make your way to Mother Kāli's realm.

Down in the ocean depths of heavenly Wisdom lie

The wondrous pearls of Peace, O mind;

And you yourself can gather them,

If you but have pure love and follow the scriptures' rule.  

Within those ocean depths, as well,

Six alligators, lurk - lust, anger, and the rest -

Swimming about in search of prey.  

Smear yourself with the turmeric of discrimination;

The very smell of it will shield you from their jaws.

Upon the ocean bed lie strewn

Unnumbered pearls and precious gems;

Plunge in, says Ramprasad, and gather up handfuls there!

Narendra and his friends came down from their seats on the raised platform of the Panchavati and stood near the Master.  He returned to his room with them.  The Master continued: "When you plunge in the water of the ocean, you may be attacked by alligators.  But they won't touch you if your body is smeared with turmeric.  There are no doubt six alligators - lust, anger, avarice, and so on - within you, in the 'heart's fathomless depths'.  But protect yourself with the turmeric of discrimination and renunciation, and they won't touch you.

Futility of mere lecturing:

"What can you achieve by mere lecturing and scholarship without discrimination and dispassion? God alone is real, and all else is unreal.  God alone is substance, and all else is nonentity.  That is discrimination.

"First of all set up God in the shrine of your heart, and then deliver lectures as much as you like.  How will the mere repetition of 'Brahma' profit you if you are not imbued with discrimination and dispassion? It is the empty sound of a conch-shell.

"There lived in a village a young man named Padmalochan.  People used to call him 'Podo', for short.  In this village there was a temple in a very dilapidated condition.  It contained no image of God.  Aśwattha and other plants sprang up on the ruins of its walls.  Bats lived inside, and the floor was covered with dust and the droppings of the bats.  The people of the village had stopped visiting the temple.  One day after dusk the villagers heard the sound of a conch-shell from the direction of the temple.  They thought perhaps someone had installed an image in the shrine and was performing the evening worship.  One of them softly opened the door and saw Padmalochan standing in a corner, blowing the conch.  No image had been set up.  The temple hadn't been swept or washed.  And filth and dirt lay everywhere.  Then he shouted to Podo:

You have set up no image here,

Within the shrine, O fool!

Blowing the conch, you simply make

Confusion worse confounded.  

Day and night eleven bats

Scream there incessantly.

Purification of mind

"There is no use in merely making a noise if you want to establish the Deity in the shrine of your heart, if you want to realize God.  First of all purify the mind.  In the pure heart God takes His seat.  One cannot bring the holy image into the temple if the droppings of bats are all around.  The eleven bats are our eleven organs: five of action, five of perception, and the mind.

"First of all invoke the Deity, and then give lectures to your heart's content.  First of all dive deep.  Plunge to the bottom and gather up the gems.  Then you may do other things.  But nobody wants to plunge.  People are without spiritual discipline and prayer, without renunciation and dispassion.  They learn a few words and immediately start to deliver lectures.  It is difficult to teach others.  Only if a man gets a command from God, after realizing Him, is he entitled to teach."

Thus conversing, the Master came to the west end of the verandah.  M stood by his side.  Sri Ramakrishna had repeated again and again that God cannot be realized without discrimination and renunciation.  This made M. extremely worried.  He had married and was then a young man of twenty-eight, educated in college in the Western way.  Having a sense of duty, he asked himself, "Do discrimination and dispassion mean giving up 'woman and gold'?" He was really at a loss to know what to do.

Mahendranath Gupta ('M')

M. (to the Master): "What should one do if one's wife says: 'You are neglecting me.  I shall commit suicide?' "

MASTER (in a serious tone): "Give up such a wife if she proves an obstacle in the way of spiritual life.  Let her commit suicide or anything else she likes.  The wife that hampers her husband's spiritual life is an ungodly wife."

Immersed in deep thought, M. stood leaning against the wall.  Narendra and the other devotees remained silent a few minutes.  The Master exchanged several words with them; then, suddenly going to M., he whispered in his ear: "But if a man has sincere love for God, then all come under his control - the king, wicked persons, and his wife.  Sincere love of God on the husband's part may eventually help the wife to lead a spiritual life.  If the husband is good, then through the grace of God the wife may also follow his example."

This had a most soothing effect on M.'s worried mind.  All the while he had been thinking: "Let her commit suicide.  What can I do?"

M. (to the Master): "This world is a terrible place indeed."

MASTER (to the devotees): "That is the reason Chaitanya said to his companion Nityananda, 'Listen, brother, there is no hope of salvation for the worldly-minded.' "

On another occasion the Master had said to M. privately: "Yes, there is no hope for a worldly man if he is not sincerely devoted to God.  But he has nothing to fear if he remains in the world after realizing God.  Nor need a man have any fear whatever of the world if he attains sincere devotion by practising spiritual discipline now and then in solitude.  Chaitanya had several householders among his devotees, but they were householders in name only, for they lived unattached to the world."

It was noon.  The worship was over, and food offerings had been made in the temple.  The doors of the temple were shut.  Sri Ramakrishna sat down for his meal, and Narendra and the other devotees partook of the food offerings from the temple.

SOURCE: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

SNANA YATRA

May the Lord Jagannath Bless us all on this auspicious Day.

Balaram, Subhadra and Jagannath

The Snana Yatra (which means the Bathing Festival, in Sanskrit) celebrated on the Purnima (full moon day) of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha. It is an important festival of the Jagannath Cult. This is the first occasion in the year as per the Hindu calendar, when the deities Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, Sudarshan, and Madanmohan are brought out from the Jagannath Temple (Puri) and taken in a procession to the Snana Bedi [Bathing  Platform]. There they are ceremonially bathed and decorated for a public audience with the devotees.

RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANE:

It is a belief among devotees of Lord Jagannath that if they make a pilgrimage to see the deity on this day, they would be cleansed of all of their sins. Hundreds of thousands of devotees visit the temple on this occasion.

LENGENDS:

According to the Skanda Purana when King Indradyumna arranged this bathing ceremony for the first time when the idols of the deities were first installed. This day considered to be the birth-day of Lord jagannath.

Hati Vesha (Elephant Mask) festival:

Traditionally this festival has been going on since the time of the carving of the 'Dharu-brahman' Deities of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balaram, and Lady Subhadra in Sri Purushottam Kshetra (Jagannath Puri) thousands of years ago, commemorating Their sacred appearance for Their devotees - primarily the saintly King Maharaj Indradyumna. 

After the bathing ceremony the Lord catches a transcendental chill, are fed sweet foods and drinks to break Their fever, and then retires for Their 'Anavasara kala' - recuperation period. In Jagannath Puri where the Deities are painted with natural mineral paints, after the bathing ceremony the paints have a tendency to run and the Deities would be not viewable to the general public. So to allow the devotees to partake further in the Lord's pastimes, they made a special arrangement with one 'brahmin' who came to visit to take 'darshan' at this time.

The story goes that this 'brahmin' was a devotee of Lord Jagannath, but for some reason expected to see the elephant-headed deva, Ganesh, in the temple. The 'brahmin' was somewhat disappointed seeing the deva / demigod not there, and that Lord Jagannath had been bathed already and that they were looking a bit 'off colour' with their mineral paint colours running. In many ways the hearts’ desire of that devotee were unfulfilled. Then that night, knowing his heart, the Lord appeared to the devotee in a dream and told him to go back to the temple and he would not be disappointed. Rather all his desires would be fulfilled by worshipping Lord Jagannath and not by separately worshiping any deva.

The all merciful Lord then appeared to his devotee; Lord Jagannath and Lord Balaram assumed the appearance of beautifully decorated elephants, while Lady Subhadra decorated Herself as a Lotus flower. From that time on they began the Hati Vesha (Elephant Mask) festival.

CEREMONIES CONDUCTED:

On the eve of the Snana Yatra, the idols of the Deities are brought out in a grand procession from the Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) to the Snana Bedi. On the day of the Snana Yatra, the Deities are bathed with 108 pots, made of gold, of ritually purified water drawn from the northern well of the temple to the accompaniment of religious incantations. In the evening, at the conclusion of the bathing ritual, Jagannath and Balabhadra are dressed up in elephant headgear representing the God Ganesh. This form of the God is called the 'Gajavesha'.

After the Snana Yatra the Gods are traditionally believed to fall ill and are kept in a sick room to recuperate in privacy under the care of the Raj Vaidya, The Royal Physician of the King of Puri. It is said that with the Ayurvedic medication ('pnachan') administered by the Raj Vaidya the Gods recover in a fortnight and resume giving an audience to their devotees.

COURTESY: en.wikipedia.org; www.vaisnavacalendar.info

CONSECRATION OF DHAKSHINESWAR KALI TEMPLE:

Kali Temple with Radha-Govinda Temple in the front

On the occasion of Snana Yatra on May 31, in 1855 consecration of  Kali Temple at Dhakshineswar along with 12 Shiva temples and Radha-Govinda temple took place. Sri Ramakrishna's brother Ramkumar  officiated as the first priest of Kali temple. Later Sri Ramakrishna took over the worship of Divine Mother. 

THE GOSPEL SRI RAMAKRISHNA

CHAPTER-IV; PART-V

Nahabat where the Holy Mother lived

Narendra, M., and Priya were going to spend the night at the temple garden.  This pleased the Master highly, especially since Narendra would be with him.  The Holy Mother, who was living in the nahabat, had prepared the supper.  Surendra bore the greater part of the Master's expenses.  The meal was ready, and the plates were set out on the southeast verandah of the Masters room. 

Near the east door of his room Narendra and the other devotees were gossiping. 

NARENDRA: "How do you find the young men nowadays?"

M: "They are not bad; but they don't receive any religious instructions".

Narendra (later Vivekananda)

NARENDRA: "But from my experience I feel they are going to the dogs.  They smoke cigarettes, indulge in frivolous talk, enjoy foppishness, play truant, and do everything of that sort.  I have even seen them visiting questionable places."

M: "I didn't notice such things during our student days."

NARENDRA: "Perhaps you didn't mix with the students intimately.  I have even seen them talking with people of immoral character.  Perhaps they are on terms of intimacy with them."

M: "It is strange indeed."

NARENDRA: "I know that many of them form bad habits.  It would be proper if the guardians of the boys, and the authorities, kept their eyes on these matters."

They Were talking thus when Sri Ramakrishna came to them and asked with a smile, "Well, what are you talking about?"

NARENDRA: "I have been asking M. about the boys in the schools.  The conduct of students nowadays isn't all that it should be."

The Master became grave and said to M. rather seriously: "This kind of conversation is not good.  It isn't desirable to indulge in any talk but talk of God.  You are their senior, and you are intelligent.  You should not have encouraged them to talk about such matters."

Narendra was then about nineteen years old, and M. about twenty-eight.  Thus admonished, M. felt embarrassed, and the others also fell silent. 

While the devotees were enjoying their meal, Sri Ramakrishna stood by and watched them with intense delight.  That night the Master's joy was very great. 

After supper the devotees rested on the mat spread on the floor of the Master's room.  They began to talk with him.  It was indeed a mart of joy.  The Master asked Narendra to sing the song beginning with the line: "In Wisdom's firmament the moon of Love is rising full."

Narendra sang, and other devotees played the drums and cymbals:

In Wisdom's firmament the moon of Love is rising full,

And Love's flood-tide, in surging waves, is flowing everywhere. 

O Lord, how full of bliss Thou art! Victory unto Thee!

On every side shine devotees, like stars around the moon;

Their Friend, the Lord All-merciful, joyously plays with them. 

Behold! the gates of paradise today are open wide.

The soft spring wind of the New Day raises fresh waves of joy;

Gently it carries to the earth the fragrance of God's Love,

Till all the yogis, drunk with bliss, are lost in ecstasy.

Upon the sea of the world unfolds the lotus of the New Day,

And there the Mother sits enshrined in blissful majesty. 

See how the bees are mad with joy, sipping the nectar there!

Behold the Mother's radiant face, which so enchants the heart

And captivates the universe! About Her Lotus Feet

Bands of ecstatic holy men are dancing in delight.

What matchless loveliness is Hers! What infinite content

Pervades the heart when She appears! O brothers, says Premdas,

I humbly beg you, one and all, to sing the Mother's praise!

Sri Ramakrishna sang and danced, and the devotees danced around him.

A devotee's dream:

When the song was over, the Master walked up and down the northeast verandah, where Hazra was seated with M. The Master sat down there.  He asked a devotee, "Do you ever have dreams?"

DEVOTEE: "Yes, sir.  The other day I dreamt a strange dream.  I saw the whole world enveloped in water.  There was water on all sides.  A few boats were visible, but suddenly huge waves appeared and sank them.  I was about to board a ship with a few others, when we saw a brahmin walking over that expanse of water.  I asked him, 'How can you walk over the deep?' The brahmin said with a smile: 'Oh, there is no difficulty about that.  There is a bridge under the water.' I said to him, 'Where are you going?' 'To Bhawanipur, the city of the Divine Mother', he replied.  'Wait a little', I cried.  'I shall accompany you.' "

MASTER: "Oh.  I am thrilled to hear the story!"

DEVOTEE: "The brahmin said: 'I am in a hurry.  It will take you some time to get out of the boat.  Good-bye.  Remember this path and come after me. 

MASTER: "Oh, my hair is standing on end! Please be initiated by a guru as soon as possible."

Shortly before midnight Narendra and the other devotees lay down on a bed made on the floor of the Master's room. 

At dawn some of the devotees were up.  They saw the Master, naked as a child, pacing up and down the room, repeating the names of the various gods and goddesses.  His voice was sweet as nectar.  Now he would look at the Ganges, now stop in front of the pictures hanging on the wall and bow down before them, chanting all the while the holy names in his sweet voice.  He chanted: "Veda, Purana, Tantra; Gita, Gayatri; Bhagavata, Bhakta, Bhagavan." Referring to the Gita, he repeated many times, "Tagi, tagi, tagi." Now and then he would say: "O Mother, Thou art verily Brahman, and Thou art verily Śakti.  Thou art Purusha and Thou art Prakriti.  Thou art Virat.  Thou art the Absolute, and Thou dost manifest Thyself as the Relative.  Thou art verily the twenty-four cosmic principles."

In the mean time the morning service had begun in the temples of Kāli and Radhakanta.  Sounds of conch-shells and cymbals were carried on the air.  The devotees came outside the room and saw the priests and servants gathering flowers in the garden for the divine service in the temples.  From the nahabat floated the sweet melody of musical instruments, befitting the morning hours. 

Narendra and the other devotees finished their morning duties and came to the Master.  With a sweet smile on his lips Sri Ramakrishna was standing on the northeast verandah, close to his own room. 

NARENDRA: "We noticed several sannyasis belonging to the sect of Nanak in the Panchavati."

MASTER: "Yes, they arrived here yesterday.  (To Narendra) I'd like to see you all sitting together on the mat."

As they sat there the Master looked at them with evident delight.  He then began to talk with them.  Narendra asked about spiritual discipline. 

MASTER: "Bhakti, love of God, is the essence of all spiritual discipline.  Through love one acquires renunciation and discrimination naturally."

SOURCE: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna