BHAKTI OR TRANSCENDENTAL LOVE OF GOD-SUPREME IN KALYUGA

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Angas or parts of bhakti are nine

" shravanam kirtanam Vishnu smarnam padvesanam archan vandan dasya

sakhyatmanivedanam "

 

the nine angas are-

-listening to his glories or leelas

-sankirtana of his name

- remembering his glory and past times etc

- serving the lotus feet

- offering him saatvik materials like flowers

-folding hands before idol, bowing , prostrating etc

-praying from the heart

 

Maata Devahuti says to lord Kapila - " your devotees are most

elevated and fortunate;what to say of those who have your saakshat

darshan? indeed now I know they must have performed all austerities,

learnt the vedaas, bathed in the sacred rivers.... "

 

This is the correct understanding of a devotee

 

But a devotee like Rama's beloved Bharat says- O I became a means

for lord Rama's grief.I am certainly very unfortunate and so I was

born from sin personified Kakaye

 

while lord Rama remembers and praises Bharat all the time during

vanvaas/exile

 

But the devotee never thinks of himself as good or a devotee. He

hinks like this- " O I am the most wretched of souls for if I had

really loved God I would have died in his seperation by now just as

the great devotee Dasharatha did.The fact that I am still alive is

the proof that I never loved him "

 

The Ayodhya citizens in thier distress think- " how fortunate and

great is Nishadhraj and how unfortunate are we "

 

" Jo koi inke rup ka nishdin karta dhyaan;

yeh Vedon ku aagya unchi padvi paaon " (Guru Mahima)

 

rupa means the suguna form of God.it means- " The one who meditates

upon Lord's rupa everyday;

it is ordained by the Vedaas that he acquires the highest of places "

 

but For " the highest of places " a devotee cares nothing. He bothers

least about all this.He thinks like this- Oh lord please assure that

any high place does not become an obstruction in bhakti.Keep me on

earth, hell , heaven or Vaikuntha anywhere you wish to but please

assure that I can always serve you wherever I may be "

 

The devotee does not think of fruitive activities as he evolves as a

bhakta. They arent among those " whose minds are many and are

involved in many worldly quarrels/pursuits " (Bhagvat Gita)

 

will resume later