Entamatramu Bhakti Keerthana: A 15th Century Song That Teaches the Secret of Being Limitless

Be Limitless – A 600 Year Old Definition

Every day, I feel blessed with miracles around me. This past weekend, my sister sent me a link to a song I’d never heard before. The moment I listened, I was seized by its essence. It felt like a direct invitation to connect with the Ultimate Divine within me, within all of us, and within the universe itself.

Spirituality is the science of deep inner reflection. This Keerthana, composed by the great 15th-century Telugu saint-poet Annamayya, has the power to reveal the complete meaning of life lived at our highest potential. Its core message is that “God” appears to each of us according to how ready we are to understand Him.

This aligns perfectly with Advaita Vedanta, we are all one Divinity, but humans perceive It in different forms based on our stage in the journey of self-realization.

Here’s the song’s essence distilled by each stanza:

1. The more deeply a person can conceive of God’s true nature, the more fully He manifests in that form to them, just as fire lies hidden within wood or coal, revealing itself according to the seeker’s awareness.

2. You may call Him Vishnu, Shiva, Bhairava, or Brahman. But, they are the same Divine, appearing in different forms depending on the seeker’s perception and truth.

3. For some, God is Shakti, the divine energy. Though the Divine is infinite, the lens of our human mind determines how much of that infinity we can experience. If we limit it to material wealth or finite forms, our understanding stays small. But when we see God as the eternal, infinite reality and the Divine in all, our experience becomes limitless.

4. The Divine is infinite, like an endless ocean or the abundant Ganges. But we receive only according to our capacity, just as a small cup can only hold a small quantity of the vast waters. Since you’ve accepted me, oh Lord Vishnu, I surrender to you, for you’re the ultimate truth for me.

In the end, the Divine doesn’t limit Himself, its us humans who limit our experience of the Divine through our own boundaries. We can give “God” any form we need, but only a few truly seek inward to discover the formless Brahman, the Paramatma. This song for me is a reminder that if I’m to self actualize, I must believe in my limitless potential.

Here my question to you.

When you look for self-reflection, are you gazing into a shallow well, a small pond, or the infinite ocean?

Entamatramu Lyrics

ఎంత మాత్రమున ఎవ్వరు తలచిన, అంతమాత్రమే నీవు
అంతరాంతరములెంచి చూడ, పిండంతే నిప్పటి అన్నట్లు ॥

కొలుతురు మిము వైష్ణవులు, కూరిమితో విష్ణుడని
పలుకుదురు మిము వేదాంతులు, పరబ్రహ్మంబనుచు ।
తలతురు మిము శైవులు, తగిన భక్తులునూ శివుడనుచు
అలరి పొగడుదురు కాపాలికులు, ఆది భైరవుడనుచు ।

సరి మిమ్ముదురు సాక్తేయులు, శక్తి రూపు నీవనుచు
దరిశనములు మిము నానా విధులను, తలుపుల కొలదుల భజింతురు ।
సిరుల మిమునే అల్పబుద్ది, తలచినవారికి అల్పంబగుదవు
దరిమల మిమునే ఘనమని తలచిన, ఘనబుద్ధులకు ఘనుడవు ॥

నీవలన కొరతే లేదు మరి నీరు కొలది తామరవు
ఆవల భాగీరధి దరి వాగుల ఆ జలమే ఊరినయట్లు ।
శ్రీ వేంకటపతి నీవైతే మము చేకొని వున్న దైవ(ము)మని
ఈవలనే నీ శరణని ఎదను, ఇదియే పరతత్వము నాకు ॥

Entamatramu – M.S. Subbulakshmi | Sri Annamacharya

Featured Image: Pahari Style Hari Hara (Shiva and Vishnu) from 1700 CE

About Sanatana Dharma

ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः।
अनेन वेद्यं सच्छास्त्रमिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः॥

Brahman alone is real; the universe is mithya – neither fully real nor unreal, but an appearance. The individual self (jiva) is none other than Brahman itself, not separate or different. This is the true teaching of the scriptures, as revealed by Vedanta. ~ Verse 20 from Brahma Jnānavali Māla