Bhakti and gnana

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

Bhakti and gnana are but one. Bhakti is total surrender and gnana is

but *know* to surrender.God relishes everything that a Bhakta

surrenders, whether he is a gnani or not.

I remember the story I read in school.(in Telugu). It is about

Bhakta pothana and Pandit Sreenatha. Sreenatha made fun of Pothana

when he said that that LOrd Vishnu ran hearing the cries of the

elephant caught in the jaws of crocodile, without telling Goddess

lakshmi, not even pausing to gather any arms. Sreenatha ridicules as

to what Lord Vishnu would achieve by running to his devotee's call

with out any preparation. Pothana replied the Lord's love for his

Bhakta is such. Then after a while, there is loud noise and someone

announces that sreenatha's son had fallen into the well. Sreenatha

rushes to the well and helplessly peers into it. Pothana, then tells

Sreenatha, the unconditional love he had for the child made him rush

irrespective of and without any thought. He then said such also is

the love of the Lord for his *bhakta*. He loves him as a Mother

would love her child. This Bhakta could not have achieved Bhakti

without the Knowledge that he is but the child of God. Thsi is the

true knowledge and is vastly different from the scriptures,vedanta

etc which prepare the mind to accept the total surrender. Total

surrender is the way of Karma too. So a Bhakta is a true karma yogi.

I am sorry if I have unwittingly caused hurt,

Nalini