Odyssey of Life

Bhakti (devotion) is the best way to connect with the Supreme and attain the highest state of spiritual evolution. Bhakti is very close to human heart. It is an emotional “weakness” that is leveraged as strength by directing it in the “right way”. Every human heart is filled with love; thus, bhakti comes naturally to us. It is an emotional anchor that humans seek throughout their lives. No matter how low one is in intellectual evolution, Bhakti can still be pursued by him. Sanatana Dhrama scriptures are filled with plenty of examples citing characters of different personalities that reached the Supreme through this path.

Take an example of Vyadha, a tribal hunter. His unorthodox way of worshipping Lord Shiva did not stop of him realizing his form. Being a hunter, he used to offer dead animals as naivedya and perform abhisheka using the water filled in his mouth (effectively spitting on Lord’s form). While his way was looked with disgust by the orthodox world, his pure emotions made him an example amongst the best devotees. Similarly, neither age of Dhruv (mere 5-year-old boy) nor poor intellect of Gajendra (An elephant) prevented them to attain the highest. Shri Ved Vyaas sings their glory in Bhagavatam to elicit the importance of pure emotions in devotion.

Ancient India was very meticulous about purity of individuals and overall society. Scriptures provided detailed guidelines on this subject, with clear Do’s and Don’ts in everyday life. However, devotion was unconditionally available for all. Mahabharat quotes Vidura as one of the most loved devotees of Shri Krishna despite being born in a low caste. King Ugrasen, a weakling amongst kings, lacked manhood to run the kingdom and was thus overthrown by this own Son Kamsa. Bhagavatam cites him as a model devotee. Whether it is an ugly woman with hunched back like Kubja, or pathetically poor Brahmin Sudama; they were loved equally by Lord Krishna due to their unwavering devotion.

By citing these examples, scriptures emphasis that all you need is pure love for the Supreme. No matter whether one is rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, strong or weak, human or animal, young or old. One’s place in society or way of worship does not matter, what matters is how deeply he loves God, without any preconditions, any pre-requisites.

In fact, path of devotion is nourisher for all other paths. Love for the creator makes one love his creation, thus compassion for all beings naturally follows. Devotee develops an attitude of Self-less service in all his interactions with the world. Knowledge of oneness naturally prevails, and knots of hearts starts melting away. An ardent devotee, through his purity and power of worship, has power to convert an ordinary stone into manifestation of the Supreme Lord. Even God worships such devotee. Lord is chained to the heart of such a devotee.

While walking on all other Spiritual paths, one gets results AFTER one reaches the goal. However, in the path of devotion, results keep coming in the journey WHILE walking the path. More you love the Lord; more you enjoy loving. This makes this path sweet and pleasant to walk on.

How do you cultivate such Bhakti?

As mentioned earlier, human mind needs anchor to latch on to. An ignorant mind anchors itself to worldly objects – like people, places, possessions, situations, past memory, future hopes. This only leads to sorrows in the long run. Mind must be directed to latch on to the form of the Supreme Lord as an anchor. However, how to do that? How can a materialist non-believer start believing? Pandit Ramanuja Aacharya suggests six qualities to make one’s mind latch on to the Supreme lord.

1. विवेक – Power of Discrimination: This is intellect’s ability to understand that the world is transient and ephemeral. One cannot get infinite happiness and love from the finite worldly objects. Such knowledge must be understood intellectually and then it should be absorbed in deep recesses of mind. This is where pain can help. Painful experiences help one to detach from such transient anchors (Ref: Pain purifies.)
2. विमोह – Giving up Delusions: Once one experientially understands ephemeral nature of the world, detachment naturally follows. All delusions about those worldly objects being a source of happiness and love, breaks. Search starts for permanent happiness. This is where scriptures help. They provide guidance to latch on to the “new” anchor, based on one’s emotional personality.
3. अभ्यास – Practice: Every relationship, whether worldly or with the Supreme, needs investment of time and emotions. This can be done by practicing rituals suggested in scriptures. Whether counting beads (japa), pooja, meditations (dhyaana) or any other ritual. However, this must be done for a long time, consistently and repeatedly.
4. क्रिया – Doing good to others. As mentioned earlier, love for the creator naturally culminates (or demands) love for his creation. One must act compassionately towards all other beings and help to flourish in a best possible way.
5. कल्याण – Purity. Purity of thoughts, words and actions (Trikarna shuddhi) is must for one who wants to experience pure love for God. Pure heart is ripe for devotion and melts quickly for the love of Supreme.
6. अनवसाद – Forbearance / Tolerance. While all qualities so far focus on softness of devotee’s personality. This quality emphasis on strength of the devotee to tolerate uncomfortable situations and use it instead to strengthen the devotion.
7. अनुद्धर्ष – Absence of pride (for oneself) and prejudice (towards others). This quality helps one in dissolving his ego and surrender results quickly and effortlessly.

What are progressions in Bhakti?

When one starts walking on this path, progression naturally happens. Various scriptures like Narad Bhakti Sutra and Bhagavatam explains this progress in three categories.

1. अपरा भक्ति: This is the early stage of Bhakti. In this stage, the expression of emotions is through physical actions like going to temple, pooja, decorate idol, sit for satsang, listen to devotional music etc. One starts to feel the sense of connection with the lord. At this stage, devotee has a sense of trinity – i.e. “I”, “the Lord” and “the world”. He loves the Lord and ignores the world.
2. मुख्या भक्ति: Apara bhakti graduates to Mukhya bhakti. At this stage, one starts to treat the form of lord as lively form while doing pooja, offering naivedya, performing abhishek etc.  Just like how mother makes sure water is not too hot or too cold before giving bath to her baby, devotee does the same check with the water before performing abhisheka on the idol of the lord. He talks to the lord, sings to him, fights and scolds him. Here devotee only perceives himself and the Lord. The world merges into the lord. Devotee sees the world as lord’s manifestation, dissolving trinity into duality.
3. परा भक्ति: The highest form of devotion is Para bhakti. It is of the form of pure love. There is no difference between devotee and the lord. Devotee sees the lord in everything and everyone, including himself. At this stage, expression goes beyond ritualistic worship. Every action of devotee is expressed as lord’s action, done by devotee as an instrument. This is the final stage, where duality too vanishes and only the Lord remains. Devotee sees himself as a reflection of lord.

Ramayana captures these three stages beautifully in a dialogue between Shri Hanuman and Lord Rama. Hanuman, while introducing himself to Lord Rama on their first meeting, cites all three stages of devotions expressed through different instruments of one’s personality. Lord Hanuman says – देहभावेन दासोऽहम्, from the perspective of body, I am your servant. जीवभावेन अंशोऽहम्  – from the perspective of Jeeva, I am a part of you. आत्मभावेन त्वमेवाहम् – from the perspective of soul, I am you only.

Qualities of Devotee

In last 8 verses of Chapter 12 of Bhagavad gita (Ref V12.13 to V12.20), Shri Krishna cites 36 qualities of devotee (भक्त-लक्षण) to Arjun. Shri Shankaracharya-ji calls these eight verses अमृत-अष्टकम्, nectar of eight verses. 

First four qualities describe devotee’s attitude towards other beings. Ardent devotee possesses no hatred towards other beings (सर्वभूतानां अद्वेष्टा), he is friendly (सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः), and compassionate (सर्वभूतानां करुणः) towards all. Moreover, he is always forgiving (क्षमी).

Shri Krishna goes further in describing devotee’s attitude towards himself. Ideal devotee is devoid of sense of egoism (निरहङ्कारः), and free from any sense of possession (निर्ममः). He is a wanderer, with no possessions. Entire world is his, and at the same time, nothing belongs to him (अनिकेतः).

His mind is fully controlled at all times (यतात्मा), with sense of ever fulfillment (सततं सन्तुष्टः). He has a firm conviction (दृढनिश्चयः) and never wavers (स्थिरमतिः). He is always silent (मौनी), not just at the level of speech (no unnecessary words), but also at the level of body (no unnecessary actions) and mind (no unnecessary thought ripples). His mind and intellect at always surrendered in the Supreme (मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धि).

Devotee’s mind never reacts to external stimulus but responds in a thoughtful and calm manner. He is free from mental agitations of excitement (हर्ष मुक्तः), jealousy (आमर्ष मुक्तः), fear (भय मुक्तः) or anxiety (उद्वैगः मुक्तः)

Such devotee shares a simple relationship with the world. He neither get agitated due to the world (लोकात्  न  उद्विजते), nor creates any agitations in the world (लोकः न  उद्विजते).

Knowing all above qualities, it is worth asking how can one live in this world, how does he act? Shri Krishna clarifies this by describing his attitude towards all his actions. He acts without desires (अनपेक्षः), with purity of body, mind and speech (शुचिः). While ideal devotee renounces all selfish actions (सर्व आरम्भ-परित्यागी), he is skillful (दक्ष) in any work taken up for the betterment of the world. In such actions, he acts without any prejudice, with no sense of good or evil (शुभ-अशुभ-परित्यागी). While acting, he neither carries the baggage of the past (गतव्यथः), nor the anxiety about the future (उदासीनः).

Such an ideal devotee does not respond to the worldly stimulus of various experiences with excessive joy (न हृष्यति), bitter hatred (न द्वेष्टि), prolonged grief (न शोचति) or expectations of specific outcomes (न काङ्क्षति).

In all situations, he remains equanimous. Whether interacting with friends or foes (समः शत्रौ मित्रे), he remains unattached to individuals, places, objects or situations (सङ्गविवर्जितः), and stays indifferent to praise of criticism (तुल्य-निन्दा-स्तुतिः). In all situations, he remains intellectually detached by staying equanimous to respect and insults (समः मानापमानयोः), mentally detached by staying equanimous to joys and sorrows (समः सुखदुःखेषु), and finally even physically detached by staying equanimous to experiences like heat and cold (समः शीतोष्ण).

While all these attributes capture qualities of devotee, for an aspiring spiritual seeker, these are traits to be developed through constant and prolonged practice (सिद्धस्य लक्षणानि, साधकस्य साधनानि).

So, what are you waiting for? Stop seeking happiness, joy and validation from the world, anchor yourself in that Supreme, in any form that appeals to you. Let your desire to love and be loved flow towards HIM.

श्रीकृष्णार्पणम् अस्तु ।