28 May 2021
काषाय चेल! कपर्द काल!
नतोऽस्मि दत्त! करुणाचित्त! (पल्लवी)
Kāṣāya Cela! Kaparda Kāla!
Nato’smi Datta! Karuṇācitta! (Chorus)
O Red Robed One! O One with black matted haired! O kind hearted One! O Datta, I salute to You.
सुवचन गीत ज्ञान भक्त्या ।
क्रिया फलाशा वेश्याभक्तिः ।।
suvacana gīta jñāna bhaktyā ।
kriyā phalāśā veśyābhaktiḥ ।।
The worst form of devotion is veśyā bhakti or prostitution devotion. It involves worshiping God by theoretical knowledge and theoretical devotion, aspiring some practical fruit from God. A prostitute also cleverly speaks sweet words and sings love songs for people, aspiring for their money.
क्रिया फलाभ्यां क्रिया फलानि ।
क्रय विक्रयता वैश्यभक्तिः ।।
Kriyā phalābhyāṃ kriyā phalāni ।
kraya vikrayatā vaiśyabhaktiḥ ।।
A better form of devotion is vaiśya bhakti or business devotion. Here, the devotee aspires for some practical fruit from God in return for the practical expression of his devotion. Such devotion is basically the business of buying and selling. A businessman also gives a practical item in exchange for practical money.
सन्तानार्थं क्रिया फलानि ।
विना फलं यदपत्यभक्तिः ।।
santānārthaṃ kriyā phalāni ।
vinā phalaṃ yadapatyabhaktiḥ ।।
Apatya bhakti or child-devotion is the best. It is being devoted to God as one is devoted to one’s children. In such devotion the devotee, without the aspiration for any fruit in return from God, expresses practical devotion to God. Expressing practical devotion includes the offering (sacrifice) of service and the sacrifice of the fruit of one’s work. This is like the true love that parents have for their own children. The love of parents for their children is proved to be true by the fact that they practically serve their children when they are young and pass on the entire fruit of their work (wealth, property etc.) to them, irrespective of how the children treat them.
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