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The means and end is Bhakti alone
There is a story in the Upanishad that relays the importance of life-breath. Once it so happened that each of the senses, one after another desired to take leave for some time. The Supreme Being gave them that privilege.
But when they all returned after their coordinated leave period, they came together to work with co-operation. This time, it was the chance for the life-breath to take leave. When it leaves, all the senses become inactive and motionless.
So too, without Bhakti, all endeavors towards spiritual progress is a waste, and are of no direct consequence. Sriman Chaitanya Mahaprabhu boldly proclaims that Bhakti is the very substratum of all Human pursuit. When a person attains Bhakti, there remains nothing else to be achieved.
Yearning for the Lord, is the key ingredient of Bhakti
What is the point in discussing the various ingredients of food stuff, without actually tasting it? Does it help, talking about nourishment, without even trying to eat food?
What is the point of speculating about Bhakti, without first developing deep interest about the Personality of Godhead and without yearning deeply for Him? So Bhakti is the soul behind God-realization. All other forms of God-realization is merely a play with the shadows of the Lord.
Shandilya Bhakti Sutra Aphorism 12 says
दर्शनफलमिति चेन्न तेन व्यवधानात्
darśanaphalamiti cenna tena vyavadhānāt
Some opine that seeing God alone is Supreme attainment or the highest pursuit. No, because there can be an impediment here.
The Atma Rati (आत्मरति ātmarati)
The Chandogya Upanishad says स स्वरात भवति (sa svarāta bhavati) which means a mere vision of Truth is not an alternative to the becoming.
When one can visualize God and after such visualization one gets atma-rati (आत्मरति ātmarati or satisfaction and contentment of the heart), or delights in God through transcendental love, only such a devotee has reached the aim of Bhakti, not otherwise.
Merely Philosophizing about God cannot do the trick
Philosophers who normally describe God or philosophize about God, many times do not realize in their heart that the Lord is immutable. In their heart there is no determined faith that the Lord is the only protector, other than Him there is no resort, there is none other worthy of praise. Their philosophies revolve around God, but their heart has not yet transformed to be established in God.
There is no surrender to the Supreme Being. Just as the sun though shedding its light equally everywhere, passes only through perfectly transparent objects, bathing every particle of the object with its light, and not on opaque things, God is accessible only to perfect devotees because they constantly dwell in Him, through rendering loving devotional service unto Him. It is their Love that enshrines the Supreme Being in the core of their hearts.
Non devotees remain dry even after the vision of the Lord
The Bhagavatham says “The devotees are my Heart, I am the Heart of them. They want nothing but only service to me and I know not of anything other than My devotees.” The Vedanta declares “Bhakta-Vatsalya (भक्त वात्सल्य Love for the devotees), is a special characteristic of the internal potency of the Lord”
Bhagawan says “If at the very sight of Me, everybody could realize Me then Hiranyakashipu would not have fought with my Narasimhadeva form whereas his son Maharaja Prahalad recognized Me as his worshipable Lord.”
The wonders of my infancy and every glory of mine were not unknown to the Kauravas, yet when I went as the peace ambassador on behalf of the Pandavas, they refused to accept Me and tried to capture Me. Why did Kamsa not take refuge under Me? Even the Yajnika Brahmins of Mathura well-versed in Vedic lore could not serve Me.
Later, how they lamented; Fie upon our three-fold birth and so-called Vedic learning. Fie upon our sacred vows, Fie upon our learning and general knowledge, fie upon our proficiency in rituals, that we turned away our faces from the originator of the Vedas, Sri Krishna, fools that we are. Hence the Lord says that only through single-minded devotion and service to Me alone, you can truly perceive Me.
Shandilya Bhakti Sutra Aphorism – 13 says
दृष्टत्वाच्च (dṛṣṭatvācca)
Yes, it is also by the very sight of God, one attains the highest purity of life.
Power of Associating with Devotees
In the earlier aphorism, we saw that mere Vision of the Truth, cannot bring fulfillment. In the material world one sees that by the very sight of a young man, a virgin suddenly entreats passion of love for him.
It is important to understand here that when love impregnates itself in one’s heart, by the very sight of the object of love, one attains the desire of fulfillment. For one, who has not reached adolescence, how at the sight of an object of love can one entreat passion of love in the heart?
Therefore, by the dint of association with an exalted devotee, who has Atma rati, Love of God, one entreats love in the unstinted heart, at the very sight of his or her Object of Transcendental Love.
7/8 Questions from Sanatana Dharma
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Kubja’s meeting with the Object of Transcendence
The story of Kubja is apt. Sri Krishna entered the city of Mathura with his elder brother Balarama. One the way He met Kubja, when the Lord asked her to offer Him unguents, meant for Kamsa, although hunch-backed, and in the prime of her youth. The Lord’s bewitching Beauty, Adolescence Charm, loving disposition, smiling countenance, witty talks and penetrating glances captivated the heart of Kubja.
She offered Him the best kinds of perfumes and served Him. In return, Sri Krishna by touching her transformed her into a perfect damsel, with all the physical beauty of the celestial women.
Sri Krishna satisfied her lust too, which does not have an iota of material lust that earthly men are used to. Even lust when applied to the Supreme Person transforms into a spiritual mellow.
Such is the beauty of directing the most fundamental instincts towards the Lord. Kubja Herself became imbued and impregnated with attraction for the Lord and hence His vision triggered the highest instincts and feelings towards the Lord and then the Lord elevated her to a very high spiritual platform.
A Heart suffused in Bhakti alone surrenders
But this type of deep dalliance with the Lord, one can never be enjoyed directly through the material platform, by beings ensnared within the noose knots of Maya. As a man who is suffering from a disease of bile cannot get the taste of sweetness of sugar-candy. The same analogy applies to devotion.
A person devoid of Bhakti in the heart shall not find it comfortable to chant the Lord’s names. He shall find it bitter. Therefore, only a heart that is suffused with Bhakti, attained either in the previous births through Grace or attained by continuously associating with elevated devotees of heart, it is possible to appreciate the Lord and give oneself to the Lord.
A person who has consciously understood the path of Bhakti and desires Bhakti with all his heart, even in the absence of Bhakti in the initial stages can attract tremendous Grace, by willing alone. This in Bhakti parlance gets the name Ahaituki Kripa (अहैतुकी कृपा Causeless Grace).
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