लीला स्मरण Remembrance of Krishna's pastimes

Says Rahimdasji:

ताहि अहीर की छोकरियन, छछिया भरी छास पे नाच नचावत !

(To that Lord who is all powerful, the King of all Kings) - the Gopis of Braj used to make Him dance for a cup of butter milk !


Surdasji says:


काक के भाग बड़े सजनी, हरि हाथ से ले गयो माखन रोटी. 


O Sakhi! This crow is so forutnate that he has taken away roti from the hands of Hari.


Comment:
The above 2 lines are very nice meditations. Meditate on how Gopis can make the Supreme Lord dance on their fingers. Meditate on fortune of Kaka-bhushandi who took butter and roti from the hands of baby Krishna.

स्मरण का स्वरूप How to Remember Ram?

बिगड़ी जनम अनेक की, सुधारे अब ही आज.
होई राम को नाम जपो, तुलसी तजि कुसुमार

All the wrong-doings of previous births can be fixed today by doing jap of Ram with acceptance that I am Ram's and giving up bad association.

Ram jap has immediate effect when we do it with acceptance that we are Ram's i.e. we and everything  belongs to Ram. Our self is part of Ram and this world also belongs to Ram.

Give up worldly shelters

(Says Goswami Tulsidasji - In Vinay Patrika)

अंतहु तोही तजेंगे पामर, क्यों न त्तजे अब ही ते !

मन पछितायेन्गे अवसर बीते !

(Re :These worldly shelters)

Antahu (In the end ) tohi (to you ) tajenge (will leave/reject) paamar (O stupid /Jeeva) , kyon na (Why not) taje (renounce) (them) ab hi te (now itself) !

Man (Mind/You) pachitaiyenhe (will regret/repent) avasar (opportunity) beete (passes away) !

O Stupid (Jeeva) ! In the end (these worldly shelters) will reject you certainly ! (Then) Why dont you reject them RIGHT NOW !! (So that) You will not regret later on when this opportunity passes away ! (Opportunity - Human life) !!

Hari Smaran

Importance of Hari Smaran (remembering Hari)

स्मर्तव्यः सततं विष्णुर
विस्मरतव्यो न जातुचित
सर्वे विधि निषेधः स्युर
एतयोर एव किन्क्ररः

Smartavyah satatam visnur
Vismartavyo na jatucit
Sarve vidhi nisedhah syur
Etayor eva kinkaarah

Vishnu should always be remembered and never forgotten at any moment. All the rules (actions to be performed) and prohibitions (actions not to be performed) should be the servants of these two principles. (Padma Purana)

Comment: Remembering Vishnu is aim (goal) of all our activities. It is also means of perfection. This means that we should decide which actions to do and which actions not to do based on how much they help us to remember Vishnu. Also, remembrance is also a measure of our spiritual advancement.

स हानिस तन महच्छिदृं
स मोहः स च विभ्रमः
यंमुहूर्तं क्षणं वापि
वासुदेवं न चिन्तयेत

Sa haanis tan mahac chhidram
Sa mohah sa ca vibhramah
Yan-muhurtam ksanam vapi
Vasudevam na cintayet

If even for a moment remembrance of Vasudeva is missed, that is the greatest loss, that is the greatest illusion, and this is the greatest failure. (Vishnu Purana)

Comment: This verse is from the perspective of the absolute perfection. From that perspective the moments which we spend not remembering Vasudeva are waste. How about devotional activities like japa, kirtan, puja etc done without remembrance? Are they waste? From absolute perspective, they are if done without remembrance.

nāradas tu tad-arpitākhilācāratā tad-vismarane parama-vyākulateti
(Narada Bhakti Sutra 19)

According to Narada Muni, bhakti is offering all actions unto the Supreme Lord and feeling extreme distress in forgetting Him.

Om apavitrah pavitro va
Sarva-vastham gatopi va
Yah smaret pundarikaksam
Sa brahyabhyantarah sucih

Either pure or impure or having passed through all the conditions of material life, one who remembers the lotus eyed Krishna becomes externally and internally pure. (Guruda Purana)

Comment: Remembrance purifies our self and our actions and also, our body.

anta-kale ca mam eva
smaran muktva kalevaram
yah prayati sa mad-bhavam
yati nasty atra samsayah

And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt. (BG 8.5)

yam yam vapi smaran bhavam
tyajaty ante kalevaram
tam tam evaiti kaunteya
sada tad-bhava-bhavitah

Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kunti, that state he will attain without fail. (BG 8.6)

tasmat sarvesu kalesu
mam anusmara yudhya ca
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
mam evaisyasy asamsayah

Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt. (BG 8.7)

abhyasa-yoga-yuktena
cetasa nanya-gamina
paramam purusam divyam
yati parthanucintayan

He who meditates on Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O Prtha, is sure to reach Me. (BG 8.8)

ananya-cetah satatam
yo mam smarati nityasah
tasyaham sulabhah partha
nitya-yuktasya yoginah

For one who always remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain, O son of Prtha, because of his constant engagement in devotional service. (BG 8.14)

ananya cintayanto mam
ye janah paryupasate
tesam nityabhiyuktanam
yoga-ksemam vahamy aham

But those who always worship Me with exclusively thinking about Me - to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have. (BG 9.22)

mayy eva mana adhatsva
mayi buddhim nivesaya
nivasisyasi mayy eva
ata urdhvam na samsayah

Just fix your mind upon Me and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt. (BG 12.8)

yad-anudhyasina yuktah
karma-granthi-nibandhanam
chindanti kovidas tasya
ko na kuryat katha-ratim

With sword in hand, intelligent men cut through the binding knots of reactionary work [karma] by remembering the Personality of Godhead. Therefore, who will not pay attention to His message? (SB 1.2.15)

etavan sankhya-yogabhyam
sva-dharma-parinisthaya
janma-labhah parah pumsam
ante narayana-smratih

The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember Narayana at the end of life. (SB 2.1.6)

srnavan grnan samsmarayams ca cintayan
namani rupani ca mangalani te
kriyasu yas tvac-caranaravindayor
avista-ceta na bhavaya kalpate

Even while engaged in various activities, devotees whose minds are completely absorbed at Your lotus feet, and who constantly hear, chant, contemplate and cause others to remember Your transcendental names and forms, are always on the transcendental platform, and thus they can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (SB 10.2.37)

anyāśrayāṇāḿ tyāgo 'nanyatā
(Narada Bhakti Sutra 10)

Ananya bhakti means giving up all the shelters other than the Supreme Lord.