Smaran is remembering God at all times. It is a constant dwelling on the Lord and His Glories. There is no time or place for smaran. Smaran is to be done at all times of day and night. It is unbroken memory of the Name and Form of the Lord. It is remembering God in good and bad times, in health and sickness, in youth and old age, during day and night and at all times. It is another method of bhakti as taught by Sri Rama to Shabari in the Nava Vidha Bhakti.
Smaran is a continuous flow of remembrance of God. There is no particular time fixed to remember God. God has to be remembered at all times as long as we are conscious. When the practices of smaran are done, the remembrance of the Name and Form carry into our sleep and dreams and even our nights become a part of our worship. Sitting on asan and doing japa and the walking japa are smaran. Hearing stories of God – shravana and constantly remembering His Glories and Greatness and talking about them at all times is also smaran.
When smaran of the Supreme is done, the mind is consciously engaged in thinking and meditating about the Name and Form of God and His great leelas or mysterious deeds in this world. When the mind is engaged in this way, the hold of anger, lust, greed, vengeance, attachment, pride and power lessen over the mind. The Holy Name is like a fire which burns away our karmas and negativities. We become more calm and peaceful. Our thoughts and actions are worthy of a bhakta.
In the Bhagwad Geeta, the Lord teaches smaran or exclusive remembrance of God. Sri Krishna tells Arjun : O Partha, I am easily attainable by the steadfast Yogi who constantly remembers Me daily and not thinking of any other thing ( single minded devotion). Having attained me, these Mahatmas or great souls do not again take birth which is the source of pain and is non-eternal, they having reached the highest perfection (Moksha).
God should be remembered like a lover obsessed with his lady love; like a cow which is grazing in forest but thinking about its calf which is at the owner’s home; like a miser who counts his coins again and again; like a deer which is mesmerized by the haunting music of the veena and does not notice the hunter stalking it; like a moth that is fascinated by the flame and keeps flying around it and finally embraces it and is burnt; like a bee which hums around the fragrant flowers; like the fish which cannot live without water and dies separated even for a moment; like man who cannot live without air even for a few minutes.
The Gopis of Vrindavan remembered Krishna all day and night. They were busy with their daily routines of cooking, cleaning and caring for the family, taking care of cows and calves, milking, curd making, churning butter and selling the butter in the town of Mathura. During all moments of their lives, their minds and thoughts were focussed on the enchanting form of the young Sri Krishna and his mischief and they would think and talk of nothing else. Dhruva and Prahlad also did smaran of God and attained His Grace and Love.
We are divine beings on a temporary stay on earth. Our lives are not just for eating, sleeping, working and playing. We are here to realise our true nature and go back to our Divine Home. When we do smaran of God and remember Him ceaselessly while doing our daily duties and offer the results of our work to Him and accept all that we get as His Blessings, we sanctify our life. Constant remembrance of God and His Holy Name will give us understanding of why things happen in our lives and we will be able to flow with life effortlessly. Peace, love and grace which flows from the smaran of God smoothes our pathways and we move effortlessly through life. By remembering God at all times, we become One with Him. May the smaran of SitaRam always be with us.
