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Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com)

 

Cultivate devotion for its own sake

 

CHENNAI, NOV. 23. It is rare to be born as a human being and

rarer still is the desire for liberation when one is privileged

to be born in an environment conducive for spiritual growth. Even

if one develops a taste for spiritual life, company of saints

(Satsangh) results only if one is blessed with God's grace. Lord

Krishna has pointed out in the Bhagavad Gita that it is, ``In the

very last of births that the enlightened soul worships Me,

realising that all this is God. Such a great soul is very rare.''

 

The scriptures indicate two paths for human pursuit. Those

engrossed in worldly life engage in actions which are result-

oriented and it is difficult to convince such people about the

futility of pursuing only material ends. The other is the path of

ultimate good (Shreyas) which ensures that all human actions are

oriented towards the goal of liberation.

 

Since the average human being has become avaricious because of

the prevalent materialistic culture it has even affected the

pursuit of knowledge which is a human privilege. Learning has

become profit-driven and only a few are inclined to take to study

of the scriptures which can enable man to realise the goal of

human birth - liberation from rebirths.

 

In his discourse, Sengalipuram Sri N. Babu Dikshitar said that

even devotional activities like worshipping at the temple were

undertaken for realising some worldly goal by the majority. This

is not to belittle the importance of worshipping God before

embarking on any activity but the attitude must be of total

surrender to Him.

 

It must be borne in mind that the Supreme Being as the bestower

of the result of man's deeds will grant man according to his

Karma without any favour including all material comforts readily,

but He blesses a person with devotion to Him only when the

devotee seeks devotion as the end and not as a means to realise

something else. The reason for this is that the Lord becomes

bound to such a devotee who is devoted to Him for His sake. So

when the devotee does not seek anything from God, the Lord

blesses him with devotion and also fulfils all his worldly needs.

 

Listening to the exposition of the scriptural texts is a sure way

of enhancing devotion to God. The Narayaneeyam which is a

condensation of the Bhagavata Purana, for instance, was composed

by Bhattathri out of unalloyed devotion to the Lord of Guruvayur

when he was afflicted by an incurable disease. Even at the outset

the objective of the work is related to be to envision God and

that he realised it becomes apparent from the description of His

divine form at the end.

 

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