Narada Bhakti Sutra [1:4]

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[1:4] That (Devotion) which having gained, a person realizes

perfection (siddhah), becomes amritah (divine) and contented

(s)he becomes.

 

One who has discovered in oneself the Supreme Devotion for the

Lord has in fact gained all that is to be gained.

 

`siddha' is not to be confused with cheaper psychic powers or the

famous eight-siddhis described in Yogashastra. A devotee of the Lord

rejects them as insinificant and of having no value at all. Here the

attainment (Siddhi) is only the highest Devotion for the Supreme.

 

Lord describes a true devotee: "One, who has given away his/her

heart to Me, thereafter claims nothing other than Me- - neither

the state of Brahmanhood nor the throne of Indra nor the emperorship,

nor the kingdom, nor the cheap Siddhis - - nay, not even Moksha

does (s)he come to demand.

 

Love is its own fulfilment. A devotee after having gained this subtle

wealth of Supreme Devotion discovers an infinite satisfaction in

itself, by itself, for itself. (S)He lacks threafter nothing. Rich in

his(her) love, (s)he steadily lives on, and experiences no change. No

more is (s)he conscious of the usual thraldom of existence. (S)He

comes to gain and live `Immortality' here among us, even while

apparantly living the life of daily joys and sorrows. Since his(her)

mind is constantly resting in Devotion, (s)he lives the Infinitude

which is the nature of the Lord.

 

There is an exhilerating satisfaction in the subjective bosom of a

true devotee. Even though (s)he may be living in utter starvation and

penury, misery and sorrow, as Sudhama of yore did, (s)he lives

inwardly full and rich, happy and joyous.

Heaven or hell, liberation or bondage, are all the same to him(her),

and they have the same value as they are equually gifts from the

beloved.

 

Shree Shankara in Sivanandalahari expresses the deep longing thus:

"Let me be born as a man or God, an animal or a tree, a gnat, a worm,

or a bird. If my heart is immersed in the love of Thy blessed lotus

feet, what do I care for any kind of body?"

 

"Those heroes and saints who are devoted to me as their only goal and

refuge, do not care even for Release from birth which I may grant."

 

Narada, as we have just seen, holds no distinctions based on male or

female to the practice of devotion and the perfection in devotional

life.

 

Mere satisfaction should not be taken to be the test of realization;

for then, whenever we are satisfied with some minor achivement, we may

not aspire further. The satisfaction of the perfect person is only an

accompaniment of realization, and not one that should be consciously

aspired after by the aspirant. For such hankering for satisfaction,

being itself a kind of desire, will be an obstacle in the way of its

achievemnt.

 

St.John of the Cross says:

`To seek satisfaction in God is spiritual gluttony.'

 

 

The aspirant must be ready to accept God even if His coming means

trouble and tribulation.

Madame Guyon says in her Acquiescence of Pure Love:

To me it is equal whether love ordain

My life or death, appoint me pain or ease.

My soul perceives no real ill in pain ;

In ease or health no real good she sees ;

One good she covets, and that good alone, -

To choose Thy will, from selfish bias free,

And to prefer a cottage to a throne,

And grief to comfort, if its pleases Thee.

 

[While typing the above,

I got the following message from editing software :-)

"It looks like you're writing a letter. Would you like help?"

I thought to myself, yes, I am echoing a Love-Letter to God,

but I need no help, thank you.]

 

`If God were to will to send the souls of the just to hell- -

so Crysotom and Clement suggest- - souls in the third state

would not love Him the less… It is only pure love that loves

to suffer', Fenelon. Cf. The words of Job:

`Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him".

 

The mother of the virtuous Pandavas,Kunti prays:

"O Guide of the universe, let hardships and sorrows come

always if during their course we are blessed with Thy vision

that puts an end to birth and death, Bhag 1.8.24.

 

Gita 6:

21. When he (the YOGI ) feels that Infinite bliss --- which can be

grasped by the (pure) intellect and which transcends the senses ---

wherein established (s)he never moves from the Reality;

 

22. Obtaining which one does not think of any other acquisition to be

superior to that, and being established in which one is not perturbed

even by great sorrow;

 

 

---

Ramakrishna Mission's Narada Bhakti Sutras and

Swami Chinmayananda's discourses on Narada Bhakti Sutra

are used. The books may be purchased from the Missions.

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Namaste /\ /\ /\

Raghava