By long usage in religious literature, devotion is commonly understood as adoring God with supreme love and as the way of life conducive to it. "It is the whole-hearted dedication at God's feet. Developing it, a man feels he has gained the highest attainment in life; he rises above fear and finds himself in unalloyed bliss. He becomes indifferent to everything except God and depends on nothing except Him. It is characterised by absorption in His worship and in remembering his excellences. It's most conspicuous sign is complete surrender to Him and the feeling of intense anguish whenever the mind slips away from Him". This is how one of the two authorities on Bhakti, Narada describes it. The other expert, Sandilya, defines it as the highest form and ever continuing attachment to God.

The Bhagavatam more or less on these lines, speaks about devotion as follows: "When all the energies of the mind including those of the organs of knowledge and of action, become concentrated asa unified mental mode, directed to the Supreme Being, spontaneous like an instinct and devoid of an extraneous motives, the resulting state is known as Bhakti. Like fire, it burns up the soul's sheath of ignorance."

The Bhagavatam is concerned with the depiction of the majesty and greatness of God, who is Supreme, the Absolute, Infinite but is responsive to worship and prayers and that He could be communed with as one's master, father, mother, friend or any other relationship one prefers. His majesty is six-fold, omnipotence, virtue, glory, beauty, omniscience and non-affectedness.

In a discourse, Swami B. P. Yati Maharaj said, although human beings are gifted with the faculty of discrimination and thinking, yet very few try to attain immortality. The Bhagavatam points out that among ten million men who perform Vedic rituals, rarely one may be found to really possess intuitive wisdom and thereby labour for liberation. Again, it is the rarest one who displays devotion to Krishna because such a soul does not hanker after even salvation.

Such rare devotion can be cultivated only by constant association with sincere and pious devotees of the Lord. Saints have explained how a pure devotee should conduct himself. He should avoid avarice, hatred, malice and should not hanker after fame but recite God's names. He should follow the path of genuine asceticism and should not resort to forbidden spiritual exercises. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has sung that a person who is humbler than a blade of grass, more forbearing than a tree, who honours others, will know the value of Lord's names.
                                                                          August 25, 1995

Devotion is not mere emotional rapture

In affirming the value of life, God's sermon on the battlefield, the Bhagavad Gita paves the way for men to return to His fold. The message presents a comprehensive ideal of religion. The different paths made available to men to reach the goal of salvation at times bewilder them as each one has been described by religious texts and leaders as equally important an valid. The path of action enables them to get rid of the impurities in the mind. The path of spiritual knowledge reveals the relationship with God. Both result in developing devotion leading them to the Almighty's abode. It is the key to the vision of God.

What binds us to the world is not out acts but out selfish desires. We should give up the ego and not the activity; there should be self-renunciation. The path of duty asks us to dedicate all our acts in loving devotion to the Lord. Motiveless activity is psychologically impossible but the Gita attitude is that we have an obligation to act but place the fruits obtained at His feet. By acquiring true knowledge of the "Self and of Godhead, persons are purified and their passions are checked and they will realise the need to take shelter in Him.

Duty and transcendental knowledge help men to intensify their devotion, which is nothing but showing love to God. It isa feeling that does not indicate mere emotional rapture. No doubt we should offer worship, pray, meditate, visit temples and take other measures to seek Divine grace but more vital behind these is the affection we show to God and the firm belief in Divine dispensation.

In a discourse, Sri Sugunendra Thirtha Swami referred to the absolute need for a devotee to cultivate this faith in the Lord as it is the very foundation of Bhakti. A person who yearns to approach God should be aware that he cannot achieve anything without the Lord's approval. A discipline asked his preceptor whether God will grand rain to a parched area which was in dire need of water. The teacher promised to appeal to God and told the student to be ready to receive a downpour next day. When rainfall did not occur, the disciple wondered whether it is proper to claim, 'God will giveanything'. The master replied that if he had real faith, he should have come prepared with an umbrella to secure protection from the expected downpour but his intention was only to test the words of his mentor.

On the other hand, a physician gave a prescription on a piece of paper to a sick man, who not realising that he has to purchase the medicine, tore it into four parts, took each piece a day and got cured. Such an attitude and total belief that God will stand by him should be the hallmark of a sincere devotee.
                                                                          October 14, 1995

Faith in Cosmic power, only remedy

In the scientific age, man is striving to fathom the mysteries of the universe. Yet the infinite power of the "Self" remains unknown. Man is ignorant of the truth that this "power" is within himself. The Supreme Truth can only be known through faith and meditation. At a time when the good and pious are disappearing from the face of the world, when life has become a battle-field and when ego and selfishness have turned human relationship into a business-like endeavour, it is the imperative need, now, to discover one's own essential nature and the capacity of the indwelling power. The chain of limitations which binds us should be broken to know one another and to understand the pain and suffering of others by putting ourselves in their place. Then we may discover how God enters our lives.

Some may deny the existence of God. But human intellect cannot disprove God. If the intellect can contain Him within its grasp, then it will only mean that intellect is greater than God. A God under the control of intellect is not what we need. What we want is faith in the supreme power which controls the universe and which is beyond the mind and the senses and which makes the intellect function. What we have to enquire about is the very source of that power that exists within ourselves. Faith in Cosmic power, together with meditation, alone will enable us to attain knowledge of the "Self". That power is the very substratum of our existence.

Mata Amritanandamayi, in a lecture, said God moves through His creations. People should shed their selfishness, fully becoming conscious that the effects of good and evil acting in one part of the world will be reflected in other areas. In order to build a healthy and wholesome society, children should be taught moral and spiritual values. The life force that pulsates in trees, plants and animals is the same as that in human beings. The same consciousness flows in every human being, lends its power to the movement of the wind, the flow of the river and the light that filters from the sun. Just like the human body, the world is a whole but the progress we witness is divided growth.

The division in the minds of individuals can be the cause of fissiparious tendencies in the family, in society, in the nation and the world. We should grow spiritually along with our material progress. When we meditate and pray, as a group, the life energy of all of us will harmoniously flow into a single point. Attuning our hearts with that one supreme power, we should submit ourselves to God appealing to him to let all beings in the world be happy, peaceful and prosperous.
                                                                          November 27, 1995

Holy company ensures steadfast devotion

Differences among people due to circumstances of learning, status of birth and wealth exist only in the maternal world and these disparities do not have any meaning in the spiritual realm. What ultimately matters in life is devotion to God because it holds the key to salvation.

Eternal service to the Supreme One is the end to be attained, according to the Srivaishnavism and no differences exist in the state of Moksha. Even if the service one performs to the Lord differs, every little act carried out with dedication to the Lord is dear to Him. When the sons conduct duties according to their capabilities, the father is happy with all of them and does not show any distinction. Likewise even a menial service rendered to God has spiritual potency.

Guha was neither well versed in the scriptures nor cultured, but he earned Rama's friendship by his service to Him. Likewise, Vibhishana's surrender to the Lord was accepted by Him though he came from the enemy's camp because he sought the Lord with feeling of true surrender.

In his discourse Sri V. Srivatsankachariar said, Vedanta Desika in his work Paduka Sahasram prays to be Lord that he should always be blessed with true devotion and enthusiasm in the performance of Divine service. This point is emphasised because devotion to God must not waver and a steadfast mind is necessary to remain devoted to Him. We often see in the world people going on pilgrimage to important Theerthas (like the Prayag) with faith that a dip in the waters would wash away their sins, but some living there not bothered to take advantage of the sanctity of the holy waters.

Once the turning point comes in one's life understanding with conviction the futility of material existence, there should not be any effort spared to take the necessary steps to progress spiritually. Desika stresses the importance of satsangh (the company of the holy) to help one remain devoted to God resolutely. The Gita advocates moderation in sleep and food for a true makes on sluggish and deviate from the ideal one has set for oneself.

Even a moment spent in pursuit which takes one away from God must be considered as wasted according to Vishnu Purana. While explaining how a devotee should feel when he spends time in idle pursuit, scripture say that one should feel as bad and desperate as a rich man who has been robbed of his entire wealth. Hence, it is advisable to always remain in the company of other devotees. Whereever devotees seek each other's company and sing the glory of the Lord, He chooses to remain there.
                                                                          January 1, 1996

Sincerity of devotion alone matters

There can be none in this world who will get tired of seeing again and again the ocean and its rising and ebbing tides. So too is the joy that can be experienced by witnessing the consecrated idols enshrines in temples. No devotee will remain contented even after worshipping them for hours, because for them, God resides in them and reveals Himself. Every time one goes to worship the idols, one can witness His form from a new angle and dimension. It is not necessary, as some think, that they should be present all the time when the idols are bathed, decorated and adored through the chanting of Mantras and the performance of rituals.

Even a few minutes of worship conducted by a devotee at home will provide joy and peace. An aspirant need not feel that he has wasted his time and thereby get disheartened. Saints and spiritual leaders conduct worship elaborately. That they consider it as their duty, but a devotee who has to discharge his official duties and domestic chores can devote the time available to the worship. It is like tasting just a drop of elixir from a spoonful. The benefits accrued is the some when one gets a lot of its quantity or only a tiny portion. What is necessary and expected is the sincerity of devotion. Everyone should perform worship to the best of his ability.

In this connection, the Jeeyar Swami of Ahobila Math in a discourse described how Sage Narada who was closely associated with God thought that no one equalled him in devotion. The Lord however pointed out to a farmer (in the world) who amidst several challenges like providing for his huge family without much of income and troubles like the monsoon playing truant when his crops where raised, commenced his daily agricultural operations after seeking just for a minutes, God's grace for success in his activities.

The Lord then asked Narada to keep a tiny vessel brimming with oil on his head and go around without spilling even a drop. The sage did so but his entire attention was on the oil and not on God whereas in the case of the farmer, his dedication was towards Him only. Likewise, a student with all facilities, getting a rank is not surprising as compared to his classmate who hails from poor circumstances, lacking comforts and other amenities.

By his devotion, the Bhagavatham says, Parikshit, who was cursed to die within a week, reached God's feet and so too another (Khatvanga) who had just 48 minutes left for shedding his mortal coil reaching God's kingdom through his sincere prayer. No one need regret for having failed to do the mandatory religious duties as prescribed in a detailed manner but he should display his depth of devotion before God and carry them out as best as he can.
                                                                          April 19, 1997