How do I know whether I am attracted to the knowledge presented in the form of devotional songs or merely to the melody?

[An online spiritual discussion was conducted on December 27, 2020, in which several devotees participated. Some of the questions of devotees answered by Swāmi are given below.]

[Smt. Sudha Rani asked: I generally like listening to bhajans (devotional songs) a lot. Does it mean that I am attracted to the knowledge in those bhajans or the melody (sangītam)? What should I do in order to reduce my attraction towards the world?]

Swāmi replied: If you are attracted to God after listening to the bhajan, your focus is on the knowledge of the song. If you are attracted to the music, you will become a musician. The attraction to God alone can bring detachment from the world. The mind always has a natural tendency to attach to something, whether it is God or the world. The detachment from one thing can only be brought about by the attachment to another thing. Detachment from both the things is impossible. Attachment to something is the food of the mind. Without food none can exist. We must always concentrate on the development of devotion to God and not on the detachment from the world. If you taste divine nectar, you will automatically get detached from coffee. You need not separately try to resist the drinking of coffee. The resistance to drinking coffee must naturally come after tasting the divine nectar. Without tasting divine nectar, you cannot resist drinking coffee for a long time.

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| Shri Datta Swami | How do I know whether I am attracted to the knowledge presented in the form of devotional songs or merely to the melody?

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