30 Jul 2023
[Dr. JSR Prasad asked:- Swami, please correlate the various opinions on Bhakti or devotion especially, the opinions of Sage Paaraasharya, Sage Garga, sage Shandilya and Sage Narada.]
Swami Replied:- Sage Paaraasharya stressed on worship (Pūjādiṣvanurga iti pārāśaryaḥ). Worship means practical devotion involving both service (Karma Samnyaasa) and sacrifice (Karma Phala Tyaaga). In Puja or worship, we have sixteen types of services (upacharas). The materials used in worship are purchased using hard-earned money (sacrifice) and using these materials in worship involves service. In this way, practical devotion or Karmayoga is stressed by Sage Paaraasharya. This is a very important step because this gives proof for true love or theoretical devotion. Practical fruit comes only to practical devotion.
Sage Garga spoke about theoretical devotion, which is the source of practical devotion. Theory is the mother of practice. Theoretical devotion is inspiration and emotion that inspires the devotee to do practical devotion. What is the method to get high and permanent inspiration? The method is not certainly doing Japa (repetition of God’s name) since it gives lot of headache not only to the devotee but also to God since it cannot maintain the interest for a long time. Such inspiration can come only when you think or speak about the good divine qualities of God projected in His stories. Hence, Sage Garga told that excellent and eternal inspiration can come only through such divine stories of God (Kathādiṣviti Gargaḥ) as explained by Sage Vyasa in his eighteen secondary scriptures, called Puranams. In the Veda also, at several places, the divine stories are mentioned.
Sage Shandilya spoke about personal self-interest through both the above said methods (Ātmaratyavirodheneti śāṇḍilyaḥ). It means that the provoking inspiration shall come due to your personal interest and personal attraction developed simply based on the divine personality of God. Such inspiration shall not come from your aspiration for some selfish fruits, in which case, it is only false love. This is the most important point and is the life of true devotion.
Sage Narada says that all your awareness or thoughts and subsequent practices shall be surrendered to God only and you must suffer very much if you forget God (Nāradastu tadarpitākhilācāratā tadvismaraṇe parama vyākulateti). Here, he told that all the aacharas must be surrendered to God only. Aachara means both theoretical thought as well as practical action. If you take the verbs meaning movement, they also mean knowledge (Gatyarthānāṃ dhātūnāṃ jñānārthakatvāt). Aachara by itself means inherently practice. In this way, both theory and practice are mentioned. Another point is also told, which is that on forgetting God, a lot of mental pain shall be experienced. Forgetting God is like a culvert in the water canal that improves the flow of water. Similarly, forgetting God is an obstruction to devotion like the culvert to flowing water. The result is that the speed of the devotion or water is very much enhanced. Hence, we find several problems in the life-histories of great devotees created by God Himself. These hurdles act not only as tests, but also, as culverts increasing the speed of the stream of devotion. This is also a very important aspect since it deals with total surrender to God.
In this way, we have to take all the opinions of the above-mentioned Sages to see the complete building of the form of devotion.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★