Therefore, man always thinks that he can get pleasure in external objects, mistakes the body, children and wife as Atma and takes the unreal world as real. When lust manifests, the intellect becomes blind and the most intelligent man becomes an easy prey to passion. A worldly-minded man vainly searches for his happiness in outside perishable objects.
The idea that he should dive deep into the chambers of his heart-by collecting all the dispersed rays of the mind, and withdrawing the out-going senses-and meditate on God, never strikes him. He never believes in devotion, concentration and meditation.
He cannot imagine of a pure, unalloyed happiness that is independent of external objects, although he enjoys the bliss of the Self daily at night. He foolishly thinks: "If I have a son, if I have a garden, I will be happy. This is due to the force of Avidya. His intellect is calm and tranquil.
All the outgoing energies become transmuted into spiritual energy. Sattva flows from the feet of the Lord towards his mind.
All desires melt away. The Vikshepa Sakti is destroyed. He has the firm, unshakable conviction that the real happiness is in God. His mind is always inward. He has Antarmukh vritti. The senses do not wander about. They get absorbed in the mind and the mind gets absorbed in God. He is ever peaceful. He enjoys the happiness within. He delights in the bliss of God. He, therefore, stands adamant even amidst grave troubles and calamities.
So Rishi Narada uses the expressions "Stabdho Bhavati. Lord Gouranga was so much intoxicated with the divine nectar of Prem that sometimes he did not know when it was day-break and when it was night. Mira, though a young Rani, danced in the streets amidst males and men of inferior class on account of this intoxication of Krishna Prem.
Words can hardly describe the nature of this divine intoxication. One has to feel it oneself. Even if there is a mild intoxication it will give immense strength to the devotee to face the difficulties in the battle of life: Therefore Narada says, "Matto Bhavati.
Sutra 7. Sa na kamayamana nirodharupatvat. The moment Bhakti dawns all desires disappear. The devotee does not expect any reward from God. He loves Him for love's sake. The basis of Bhakti is self-restraint. Renunciation is the very essence of this devotional love.
Divine love has no element of desire in it. The inhibition of all desires is not a total annihilation or extinction of all activities. The devotee wants God and God alone and His Service. He does not accept even when offered the five forms of Mukti.
Bhakti Yoga is not practiced for any selfish purpose whatsoever. The devotee does not want prosperity, power or even release from pain and sufferings. The basis of devotion or divine love is self-denial. Devotion to the Lord increases in intensity when mundane desires are renounced. It is a terrible mistake. It is purely divine. It is sublimation of sex-energy into ojas or spiritual energy which is utilised in divine contemplation. Desire is an enemy of devotion.
Without renunciation tyaga Bhakti can never be cultivated in the heart. Vishaya Asakti attachment to sensual enjoyments is the greatest obstacle in developing devotion. Energy leaks out. No improvement is seen in spiritual Sadhana. The devotee always complains: "I have not realised anything in the path of devotion. My mind remains in the same state. It always wanders about wildly in sensual grooves. I am restless. What is to be done? It assumes various subtle forms.
Desire is Maya's weapon to hurl down the Jivas in the mire of Samsara. There is no end for desires. It is unconquerable. Enjoyment does not bring satisfaction of a desire. Just as fire is increased by pouring ghee over it so also desire is strengthened by Bhoga. Have you not studied the life of Raja Yayati in Mahabharata?
He borrowed the youthful state from his son and enjoyed for thousands of years and cried out in the end: "Alas! My passion has not gone. There is no satiety. My heart is still burning with lust. I live on leaves and water. I do penance, yet lust is troubling me. The senses, the mind and the reason are said to be its seat; by these, enveloping wisdom, it bewilders the dweller in the body. Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, mastering first the senses do thou slay this thing of sin, destructive of wisdom and knowledge.
Thus understanding Him greater than the Reason restraining the self by the self, slay thou, O mighty-armed, the enemy in the form of desire, difficult to overcome.
When a man abandoneth, O Partha, all the desires of the heart, and is satisfied in the self, by the Self, then is he called stable in mind. III - 39, 40, 41, II - Eventually preference also will be destroyed. When the attraction towards external objects ceases, then there yet remains Trishna thirsting for objects. This is the most dangerous enemy of devotion. When the attraction towards objects, external as well as internal, ceases without any veil, then it is termed Mukta freed Trishna.
The mere thought of longing that such and such a thing should come to oneself is Trishna. It is this strong chain of Trishna that you should unshackle yourself from, if you want to grow in Bhakti. Cut off the Trishna-tantu the thread of sense-hankering by the sword of Vairagya. This is " Nirodha " or control of desire. Sutra 8. Nirodhastu lokavedavyaparanyasah. The more you fight with desires, the stronger and more intense they will become. Do not add further fuel to the fire of desire.
Reduce your activities. Cultivate dispassion. Learn to discriminate. Do Japa. The desires will gradually lose very much of their force. The devotee is God-intoxicated. He knows nothing but his beloved Lord. His mind is ever fixed on the form of his Lord. He is not capable of doing any action enjoined by the Smritis or the Vedas.
All activities leave him of their own accord. He speaks of nothing else but God. He does not listen to anything. He has no craving or desire. Sometimes his voice is choked. He sits silently. How can he work at this stage? It is used in a special sense, viz.
The activities cannot be stopped. They can be consecrated or dedicated to the Lord by complete surrender of the individual soul to the Lord. Every work is sacred to him.
Every work is a sacred offering unto the Lord. Every work is an expression of his love for God. He reaps the fruits by going to heaven. He comes back again to this Mrityuloka when the virtuous works are exhausted.
He again does good and evil Karmas. Thus he is caught up in the never ending wheel of Samsara or. Rishis, seers and the Vedas, therefore, advise that the works should be performed without expectation of fruits and should be consecrated to the Lord as Isvararpana. Then the heart is purified and Bhakti develops. That is the reason why Lord Krishna advises Arjuna: "Whatever thou doest, whatever thou eatest, whatever thou offerest, whatsoever thou givest, whatsoever thou doest of austerity O Kaunteya!
Patanjali Maharshi, the exponent of Raja Yoga philosophy, also says: "Ishvarapranidhanadva ". Subtle hidden Vasanas will try to come to the surface of the mind. Desire which is suppressed for some time will again manifest with re-doubled force, if the aspirant is not careful, if there is some waning in his Vairagya and spiritual practice, and if he mixes with worldly-minded people. Generally, the aspirant consciously or unconsciously, wittingly or unwittingly keeps up some desires, for his gratification.
He does not wish to part completely with his desires. Therefore, the self-surrender does not become perfect and unreserved. So the grace of the Lord does not descend. Even if there is an atom of desire or egoism, there is no possibility of Divine Grace. Mira says, "I have given up my mind, my heart, my soul, my Chitta, my intellect, my all to my beloved Giridhar Gopal. He is very cruel and puts His devotee to severe tests and trials. Only when Surdas poked his eyes with the thorns and remained without food and water in the thick jungle, Lord Krishna appeared before him with sweetmeats and water.
He did not hear the words of Draupadi so long as she kept up her own strength and traces of egoism. When she cried aloud with perfect sincerity and total resignation: "O Dvarakanath, my beloved!
Come to my rescue. Nyasa means renunciation. This brings Nirodha control of mind. It is renunciation of the fruits of works. Renunciation of egoism is Sarva Tyaga renunciation of all. All desires, selfishness, Raga-dvesha, bodyidea, Deha-abhimana, are hanging on egoism. Egoism is the pivot on which all these are centred.
Kill egoism. Then the surrender becomes complete. Even if there is a tinge or grain of egoism, the Lord will not reveal Himself. Sutra 9. Tasminnananyata tadvirodhishudasinatha cha. Do every action as an offering unto the Lord. Practise absolute surrender to the Lord.
He does not take any credit for himself. Slay this ego, the enemy of devotion and peace. Be indifferent to its persuasions and promptings. Place it as an offering at the-lotus feet of the Lord. This is the real flower that can be offered to the Lord. A passionate husband thinks of his wife and wife alone. A greedy man thinks of his money and money alone. Even so the devotee should entertain in his heart the picture of his Ishtam and Ishtam alone. Then he can have Darshan of God easily.
Lord Krishan says to Arjuna, "He who constantly thinketh upon Me , not thinking ever of another, by him I am easily reached, O Partha, by this ever-harmonised Yogi. Whenever the wavering and unsteady mind runs out, curb it, draw it and fix it again and again at the face or lotus feet of the Lord. It takes some time for the collection of the scattered rays of the mind and for establishing new habits in the mind.
One should not be discouraged in the beginning. Patience, perseverance, attention, faith, strong will, fortitude, power of endurance are needed. These virtues should be cultivated. Satsanga, dietetic adjustment, milk and fruits, fasting, control of sleep, reduction in the hours of sleep, sometimes seclusion, observance of Mouna, Brahmacharya should be resorted to. The mind is naturally prone to love of ease, gluttony, laziness, seeking of comforts, gossiping, worldly talks, sight-seeing, etc.
It should be gradually trained, tamed and disciplined by suitable methods. It is like a spoiled, indulgent child. It must be sometimes coaxed, while at other times, if it is unruly and disobedient, it must be threatened and whipped. Fasting is whipping. Mouna is whipping. Objects are enemies of God.
Sons, wife, property, cattle, house, friends, relatives are the enemies of God. You must cherish perfect indifference to those objects. Moha is infatuated love towards body, children, father, mother and wife.
Attachment to the body is deep rooted. You must not think of body, and its wants too much. Thoughts of body, thoughts of food, thoughts of wife and children make you forget God.
You cannot have thoughts of God if you have thoughts of Anatma things non-sentient objects. You will find in Mundaka Upanishad, "Two birds, inseparable companions, dwell upon one and the same tree. One of them eats the sweet fruit, the other looks on without eating. On the same tree, the Jiva, immersed in worldliness and bewildered, grieves on account of helplessness. But when he sees the other, the Lord, who is adored by all and His glory, then his grief passes away.
The tree is this body. Udaseenata destroys all sorts of attachments and desires. Attachment is death. Udaseenata is eternal life. Lord Krishna says, "An Udaseen indifferent man is dear to me. XII Just as the spectators of a cricket or foot-ball match enjoy the game nicely, so also an Udaseena who is quite unconcerned with the world enjoys as a witness of this world-dharma and passes beyond grief.
In the Gita you will find: "Unattachment, absence of self-identification with son, wife or home and constant balance of mind in wished for and unwished for events"-This is declared to be the Wisdom. That Udaseenata is not physical nudity or inaction. It is not the living on neem leaves or cow's dung or groundnut. Performance of foolish kinds of austerities Mudha tapas does not constitute Udaseenata. Lord Krishna says, "the men who perform severe austerities, unenjoined by the scripture, wedded to vanity and egoism, impelled by the force of their desire and passion, unintelligent, tormenting the aggregated elements forming the body and Me also, seated in the inner body, know these to be demoniacal in their resolves.
XVIII - 5, 6. Queen Chudalai was a perfect Udaseena , though she reigned a dominion, but her husband Sikhidwaja was attached to his begging bowl and walking stick though he lived in a forest. A man may be attached to his kowpeen or a fountain-pen even, whereas a king like Janaka may be a perfect Udaseena though he is amidst luxuries and opulence. Worldly people attach much importance to external show only. This is a great pity. This is their horrible mistake.
A man may be nude and yet his mind may be full of desires. Some hypocrites pretend to be Virakta Sadhus to exploit the householders. Householders should use their discrimination always Udaseenata Vritti comes from Mithya Drishti and Dosha Drishti in objects and from discrimination between the real and the unreal.
Sutra Anyasrayanam tyagonanyata. Desires and cravings will continue to trouble the aspirant. The devotee should not seek the help of instruments other than those employed in the cultivation of devotion, namely listening to talks about the Lord, singing His name, etc.
The Lord is all in all for him. The Lord is the sole refuge for him. He lives for the Lord and Lord alone. He works for Him alone. The Lord is his own support, his only strength, his only hope and his only object of faith. Just as the eyes of the Chatak bird are fixed on the cloud, so also his eyes are fixed on his Beloved Lord alone. How then will he seek the shelter of any other person or object. He sees nothing else besides the Lord.
Nothing other than God can protect one from the troubles of this world. Therefore, the devotee abandons everything in this world and depends upon God and God alone, who is eternal, who is omnipotent, and who is all merciful.
To the chaste and devoted wife, no male except her Lord exists even in dream. Even so for a sincere devotee no object or person except his beloved Lord exists even in dream. He is absorbed in the Lord, the object of his love and devotion. Wherever there is a little sensual pleasure, the mind is attached there, through Raga. All the pleasure centres should be destroyed. Then alone the mind can be turned towards God with one-pointed concentration.
The mind is always jumping like a monkey. Now it thinks of sweetmeats or fruits. Then it wants to talk something with some friends. Just as a Chinese is drawn hither and thither by his five wives, so also the mind is tossed hither and thither by the five Indriyas.
It is always restless. Then through constant, steady Abhyasa of Japa-dhyana, it should be turned towards God. The struggle is doubtless keen and hard. Still more difficult it will be for taking the mental energy towards God. It is easy to direct the mental energy towards sensual objects. It is but natural. It is the nature of the mind to run by itself towards objects without the least exertion.
It is its Swabhava. Lord Krishna says:. Abhyasa Yoga Yuktena chetasa nanya gaamina,. Paramam purusham divyam yati parthanuchintayan. VIII - 8. In the practice of concentration one should have the same patience and perseverance as that of the bird which tried to empty the ocean with its beak or blade of grass. Arjuna aimed at the bird above by seeing the reflection of the bird in the water.
The arrow-maker was so much absorbed in his work that he did not notice the huge crowd of Raja and his retinue. Such must be the nature of concentration in God in the Adhyatmic battlefield. Just as the bird that is tied to a post flutters about hither and thither and eventually rests on the post, so also the mind that wanders about here and there in sensual objects finally rests in God, through the practice of one-pointed concentration and devotion. Lokavedeshu tadanukulacharanam tadvirodhishudasinata.
Now we are again enjoined to respect to some extent the dictates of religion and morality. Here seems, therefore, to arise some confusion. This is only superficial. Only selfish activities must be given up, in order to get rid of desires. All works which can help to cultivate devotion must be regularly practised. There must be active co-operation with the divine plan. This Sutra explains the indifference to obstacles of Bhakti referred to in Sutra 9. You must do all actions for His sake.
Then alone it is beneficial. Then alone it will endure. The teacher will interpret the sacred scriptures and guide the devotees. But they all contributed to the welfare of the world. They are all regarded as benefactors of the world. He abandons activities that are prohibited by the scriptures such as theft, adultery, taking animal food and liquor.
He abandons all selfish actions. But he does Nitya obligatory and Naimittika incidental in strict conformity with the procedure laid down in the Vedas without any expectation of fruits. These actions should be performed without attachment and without expectation of fruit. The sacrifice which is offered by men without desire for fruit as enjoined by the ordinances, under the firm belief that sacrifice is a duty, is pure.
The three kinds of austerities, viz. They are: -. Observance of Chandrayana Vrita and Krichara Vrita destroys sins effectively. They serve the purpose of Prayaschitta for expiating sin. The more the mind-mirror is cleaned the better it is. Though these ceremonies are not necessary for an advanced Bhakta, they are very essential for neophytes. Consult the code of Manu or Yajnavalkya Smriti and you will get abundant information on this subject.
Various kinds of. Prayaschitta destroy various kinds of sin. If you find it difficult to consult the scriptures, consult the Pundits and Acharyas and they will guide you. If you do not observe these rituals, you will be subject to pratyavaya dosha , the sin of omission. Jaimini lays great stress on Karmas Agnihotra, etc. They should also be observed rigidly. Bhavatu nischayadadhyadurdhvam sastrarakshanam.
Actions enjoined by the scriptures should be diligently performed, till that state of absolute forgetfulness of external existence is reached. The scriptures are the words of God. They are guiding lights for the aspirants. Swerving even an inch from the path chalked out by the Sastras will bring about a downfall for the devotees. They do not observe the laws. They break them. They are deluded souls. They will get hopeless downfall. He must have first intellectual conviction and then firmness in living up to the ideal.
He must practise the principles. He must live up to the principles which he knows by conviction are essential for his happiness, spiritual evolution and God-realisation. He is now able to defend the Sastras against attacks. This is also Sastra Rakshanam or protection of Sastras and Dharma. They should set an example by their own life and teachings. Only then can the ordinary man adopt them for guidance in his life. Knowing what has been declared by the ordinances of the scriptures, thou oughtest to work in this world.
He who follows the injunctions of the Sastras will evolve quickly. He will have no uneasiness in mind. He will be cheerful and fearless. He will have satisfaction. He will feel that he is on the right path and progressing rapidly in spirituality.
He will feel the nearness of God. He will have peace of mind. Vedas have come out from the mouth of God. They are revelations. They are traditionally handed down from Rishis and seers to their disciples in succession Parampara. So long as there is world, there are scriptures and teachers to guide the people in the path of Truth and Righteousness.
The number of teachers may be few in the iron age but they do exist. Books are not eternal. But the ideas in the Vedas are eternal. I do not know why these rationalists, socialists and materialistic scientists are unnecessarily racking their brains, fighting and doubting. It is really a great pity! It is their stiff egoism that makes them deny the existence of God. Whether they accept His existence or not, He is shining from eternity to eternity.
The sun is always there whether the owls accept the existence of the sun or not. There are gross impurities in their minds which screen and cloud their understanding. There are sins in their Antahkarana which make their intellects perverted. They will have to wait for some time for grasping. If he mixes with atheists, he will lose his faith in God quickly.
He must be always in the company of Sadhus, Mahatmas and Bhaktas. Their company is an iron fortress for him. If the injunctions of the Sastras are rigidly followed nothing can shake one's convictions. Just as a nail is driven deep into a plank by frequent hammering so also the Samskaras and convictions become very deep by observing strictly the sacred laws of the scriptures.
This is the meaning of this Sutra. Anyatha patitya sankaya. For, otherwise there is the risk of a fall. He will return to his previous state of worldliness and ignorance. There arises necessities for many readjustments in the scriptures. Realised persons should test the scriptures in the light of their own spiritual experiences.
They should prune away superfluities and excrescences and remould if necessary the rules to suit the capacity of the people. Then alone the scriptures will be protected Sastra Rakshanam. Mysterious is the power of Moha and desire! That is the reason why Lord. Krishna says: "O son of Kunti, the excited senses of even a wise man, though he be striving, impetuously carry away his mind.
Such of the roving senses as the mind yieldeth to, that hurries away the understanding, just as the gale hurries away a ship upon the waters. II, Even Lord Buddha had to face Mara. This world is full of temptations. There is fear of fall at every moment. A beginner, a Tyro, is unable to resist temptations.
He falls a prey to its influence quite readily. The Sadhaka must be very, very careful. He should observe the injunctions of the Sastras. They pave a long way in keeping him from falling. He should not test his spiritual strength at the very outset when he had made a little progress only.
Reaction may set in. The Indriyas will revolt. The mind will become furious. He will become a victim to passion. Even at the present moment, such instances of Yoga-bhrashtas are not lacking.
When one is put to test he fails. Jaimini was tried by his Guru, Sri Vedavyasa. He failed in his Brahmacharya. Physical control alone will not suffice. No evil thoughts should arise in the mind. There must not be any unholy thrill or unholy vibration in the mind, even.
This is the highest standard to purity. The Gita says, "Who sitteth, controlling the organs of action, but dwelling in his mind on the objects of the senses, that bewildered man is called a hypocrite. They enter the world quickly for preaching, and mix with the house-holders freely and get a hopeless downfall rapidly. What you have gained by rigid Sadhana in twelve years will be lost in twelve seconds if you mix promiscuously with householders and if you do not take proper precautions.
You should never come out to the plains till you attain Brahma or Brahma-Sthiti, till you become a full-blown Yogi or Jnani. The observances will drop by themselves when you are established in highest devotion. Lokopi tavadeva kintu bhojanadi vyaparastv-. But eating, drinking, dressing should be continued as long as one wears this body. A time will come when all activities, religious as well as mundane, will drop by themselves.
One cannot serve God and humanity without good health. He will have to conform to those social rules which are essential for the preservation of the safety of the society. The customary injunctions also should be followed like the scriptural injunctions. They are also helpful to the aspirant in the beginning. When he is fully established in supreme devotion and piety, he can safely dispense with the scriptural as well as customary injunctions.
They will drop themselves when he advances in purity and devotion. But on the contrary, eating and drinking will continue as long as he lives. Tallakshanani vachyante nanamatabhedat. Thinkers agree as to the essential character of devotion; but they give prominence to one or other of its various manifestations in order to indicate its nature from their several points of view. Different teachers have defined Bhakti in different ways.
After giving their views first, Devarishi Narada advances his own views in the matter. Lakshanani: marks. The inner experiences of Bhakti is purely subjective. The mental condition of a devotee is known only to himself. But the devotees conduct themselves in different ways.
We can recognise the characteristics or marks of devotion. Every change in the heart finds external manifestation in the behaviour as well as the appearance of the devotee.
In this and the succeeding nine Sutras Narada gives a description of Bhakti as given by some writers who have preceded him and shows how his own view is more complete than that of any of his predecessors. Differences in description do not point to differences in the experiences itself. In the Sivanandalahari, Sri Sankara speaks of Bhakti as the sticking of thoughts to the feet of the Lord permanently, just as a needle sticks to the magnet, the seed to the Ankola tree, a virtuous wife to her husband or a creeper to a tree.
There should not be any break in the regular succession of thoughts about God. Svapnesvara comments on this Sutra and says that this love results from the realisation of the greatness of the Lord. These views are different on account of the differences in which the divine love is experienced by devotees who are in different stages of development or evolution and also in different moods or states.
All devotees unanimously agree in the essential characteristics of devotion. But some give prominence to certain indications; while others to certain other marks. That is all. There cannot be any fundamental difference in the essence.
Pujadishvanuraga iti parasaryah. Worship ranges from the worship of an image as a symbol of God to the worship of Virat, Hiranyagarbha, etc. This is the highest form of worship. This is also internal worship. Internal worship or Manasic Pooja is more powerful than the external worship with flowers, etc. Bheema did Manasic pooja. It was more powerful than the external worship done by Arjuna.
It took for him three years to construct the temple mentally. He fixed also mentally the date on which the Kumbhabhishekam ceremony was to be conducted. Lord Siva attended the ceremony. Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Gauranga engaged themselves in worship even after realisation. May not the ceaseless flow of love and attachment leave my heart, while I am constantly meditating upon Thee. Devotion cometh and goeth in the beginning. When it is fully ripe, the devotee has intense attachment to the lotus feet of the Lord.
Even for the infinitesimal part of a second his mind does not stir from the point or Lakshya. This is Anuraga. Kathadishviti Gargah. The sage Garga thinks that Bhakti consists in talks of His glory and greatness and the stories of His various sports and the like. They instill devotion in the hearts of the hearers.
There is a mysterious and marvellous charm in the stories pertaining to Avataras. A sincere devotee loses himself in the stories of Lord Rama or Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna says in the Gita, "With their hearts fixed on Me and their life absorbed in Me, constantly discoursing and conversing with one another about Me, they are contented, and they rejoice.
Chapter X. Gauranga immersed himself in Sankirtan. Here is a difference of opinion. It is the hearing of praises and greatness of the Lord that inspires a man to take to the spiritual path. Parikshit realised God through hearing from the sacred mouth of Sri Sukadev.
Man gets several knocks and blows in the daily battle of life. He gets failures and disappointments. This world becomes a hot furnace to him. He approaches the Bhagavatas and hears the praises of God. Then the mind gradually is turned towards God. The mind of the rogue Ratnakar who turned towards God after meeting Narada.
Atmaratyavirodheneti Sandilyah. On the contrary, everything which relates to God and holds Him constantly before your minds eyes, strengthens and deepens the flow of devotion. The hearing or study of the Leelas or sports of the Avataras or divine incarnations produces a profound.
This delight comes from the spirit in man. The soul is exalted comes from the spirit in man. The soul is exalted during divine ecstasy. It is a calm, subjective experience of the devotee. Mistake not emotion for devotion. God Himself exists as the soul in every being. Devotion to the soul is devotion to God. Devotion is quest for supreme Atman according to a Vedantin.
Sandilya identifies God with Atman. The devotee who always dwells in God must enjoy the bliss of God. There is always divine aura and bloom in his face. The eyes sparkle and glitter with Divine effulgence. Those who surround the devotee experience the bliss, because he radiates joy all around vide Sutra 6. If a devotee is always morose and unhappy, if his countenance is cheerless, if he is peevish, there is surely some error in his Sadhana.
He is not enjoying the bliss of the Self. Ananda is a very important sign of devotion. It is a fundamental sign of a jivanmukta too. Naradastu tadarpitakhilacharata tadvismarane paramavyakulateti.
Yes; certainly. It is not at all an impracticable ideal, because there are instances. In this Sutra he is giving his own opinion.
Devotion to God in thought, word and deed is very essential for a truly spiritual life. Narada says that there cannot be real devotion unless there is complete self-surrender in every aspect of our life.
The devotee becomes extremely restless and miserable at the slightest lapse in the remembrance of God. This is the teaching of Narada. Complete self surrender is the prime characteristic of Bhakti. It is certainly proper and necessary to worship God, to sing His praises and to love God as the soul of all.
Narada's definition of Bhakti covers the definitions of Bhakti given by Vyasa, Garga and Sandilya and is complete in every way. It is a comprehensive definition. It points out the very essence of Bhakti.
In Pooja and narrations the devotee does not surrender his all. Any selfless work performed without egoism, with the attitude of self-surrender has a real place in devotional or spiritual life. It is a real offering to the Lord. God is pleased immensely. Lord Gouranga, Mira and the Gopis of Brindavan exhibited this sign. This is Virahaagni pain from separation of the Lord. This feeling can hardly be described in words. It breaks the heart of the devotee. This Sutra does not in any way contradict Sutra An advanced Bhakta who always rests in God has no Viraha.
He is always in divine bliss. Examples do exist of such perfect expression of Bhakti. So it is. Yatha vrajagopikanam. They played with Sri Krishna and identified themselves with Him in complete devotion. They said, "Wherever we look, we find Shyama, in the dark rain cloud, in the black pupils of our eyes, in the dark Tamal tree leaves, in the blue waters of Jumna, in the blue sky, etc.
It removes all inequalities and brings the lover and the beloved on the same level. It results in the fusion of personalities. The love of the Gopis to the Lord cannot be adequately described in words. They dedicated their bodies, minds, possessions, souls, and their all to the Lord. They always sang the Lords glories with their voices choked with emotion. I cannot repay the debt of yours by serving you even for the life time of a celestial being.
Please relieve Me from this liability out of your own generosity. They think that I am their life. They have abandoned all their closest relatives for My sake. I ever support those who cast aside all worldly pleasures for My sake.
Persons with a pure heart can understand the pure divine love of Gopis. Gopis were exalted beings. They should not be judged by human standards. The Gopis surrendered all their actions at the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. They experienced acute agony if they missed His presence even for a moment. When they heard the sweet, melodious flute of their beloved they left their houses while milking the cows.
With minds absorbed in Krishna they rushed forth to where their lover was without taking notice of each other. Some did not wait to see the boiling of the milk. Some did not take down boiled wheat from the oven. Some were serving their husbands and some were taking their own food. But they all left their work half-finished. They gave up their household duties, with clothes and ornaments all in disorder, they hurriedly went to Krishna. When Krishna disappeared they asked the trees if they had seen their lover.
They enquired of the creepers, the earth and the deer. Tatrapi na mahatmyajnanavismrityapavadah. Mahatmya-jnana-vismrita- apavadah : particular reason for forgetting the glory and greatness of the Lord. Without a clear consciousness of the majesty and grandeur of God, devotion cannot operate as a persistent factor of spiritual development. They recognised Him as the soul of the universe and also as their own Atma.
You are the witness of everything. You have taken an incarnation for the protection of the whole world. These are allegories which contain profound spiritual truths. The author of the stories which depict the Leelas of Lord Krishna is the holy sage Vyasa and the narrator is his son, Sri Suka Deva, the greatest sage and seer.
Lord Krishna was a child. So there cannot be any tinge of unholiness in the Leelas, which is attributed by some ignorant, dull-witted, passionate, foolish, worldly-minded, sensuous, worthless persons, who are on a level with animals in deep carnal, brutal instincts. They project the relative appearance of God as the universe. Tamas — ignorance, inertia, anger, excessive egoism, excessive sleep. Method to acquire such fitness are: abandoning sensual objects and attachment to them, constant remembrance of God, singing the names and glories of God, hearing the stories of God and His attributes etc.
Rajasic Bhakti — Predominance of Rajas Guna; practised in order to obtain power, wealth and pleasures. Tamasic Bhakti — Predominance of Tamas Guna; practised to seek divine help with a view to injure others. Bhakti of Artharthi the self-interested — practiced to obtain money or worldly pleasures.
Example: Dhruva. Bhakti of Jijnasu the seeker after knowledge Bhakta — practised to obtain knowledge of the Supreme Truth to purify the mind and intellect. Example: Uddhava. Bhakti of Arta the afflicted Bhakta —practised to seek the help of God to overcome personal problems. Examples: Draupadi, Gajendra, Uttara. Ananyata is single minded devotion to God. The devotees attribute everything to the grace of his Ishtadeva the deity chosen as the only object of love alone; entertains in his heart the picture of his Ishtadeva alone; thinks of his Ishtadeva as his sole refuge, his only strength and his only hope and lives for and depends on him alone.
He ignores all pleasure-centres of the world. His mind finally rests in his Ishtadeva. Nectar bestows immortality. A Bhakta lives constantly in the presence of God. He is blessed by God with the freedom from the wheel of births and deaths and from the bondage of the world. In this way, he attains immortality or Bliss or Freedom after realizing God i. This seeking without devotion is dry. Many paths lead to freedom but they have importance only in so far as they are auxiliary to devotion.
I, therefore humbly ask you to me the virtue of devotion. Now, you have taken the problem of devotion.
I shall explain devotion to you in the form of sutra aphorism. Saying so, the sage delivered a discourse on devotion in 84 aphorisms. Feeling — a sort of vacuum and restlessness without God.
Thinking — that life is meaningless without God. God-Realization A lively feeling of oneness with God; constantly living in the presence of God. Supreme Love of God Sutra no. Action done in a mental framework of : performance of a duty : serving others in the world : serving God who appears in the forms of the world Jnana — Actual realization that God is one without a second and is all-pervading.
Maya Sutra no. YogaKshema Sutra no. In each soul one or the other Guna is predominant.
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