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

 

Service to God, an end in itself

 

CHENNAI, MAY 5. Performance of eternal service to the Supreme

Being is considered as the ultimate good that a spiritual

aspirant can aspire for as the fruit of all his efforts.

According to the scriptures the eternal and the realised souls in

the transcendental realm engage themselves in the service of the

Divine couple and they accompanied the Almighty during His

incarnations. The Ramayana portrays Lakshmana as the epitome of

service to the Almighty. He could not even entertain the thought

of being left behind in Ayodhya when Rama went on exile and

preempted such a situation by appealing through Sita to Rama.

 

His acts of service to Rama is legion. The epic describes in

every possible juncture how Lakshmana was always at the service

of Rama and Sita. When they reached Chitrakoot they visited the

hermitage of Sage Valmiki and paid their respects to him. When

Rama expressed His wish that He would like to stay there

beholding the beauty and serenity of the place and sought the

sage's permission, Lakshmana immediately took upon himself the

task of erecting a hut out of leaves for Rama and Sita. He had

not indicated in any manner that He wanted the privacy of an

abode for Him and Sita, but Lakshmana who always wanted to serve

them in the best possible way thought it fit to build a dwelling

place for them. The Ramayana notes that Rama rejoiced and shed

the agony caused by His exile from Ayodhya during their stay in

Chitrakoot.

 

In his discourse, Sri K. B. Devarajan said that the manner in

which Rama broke the news to Lakshmana when He learnt about

Dasaratha's demise from Bharata gave an insight into how much

Lakshmana cared for Him. Rama told him, ``You are fatherless

Lakshmana. Bharata sorrowfully related the emperor's ascent to

heaven.'' By these words Rama indicated that Lakshmana was caring

for Him in the same manner as His father would have and hence

Dasaratha's death would affect Lakshmana more than Him.

 

The means for realising the privilege of performing service to

the Almighty is through surrender to God (Prapatti). The doctrine

of self- surrender as means to liberation is unique in that the

responsibility of the aspirant's liberation is shifted to the

Lord. The efficacy of this means is apparent from scriptural

authority adduced by preceptors like Ramanuja in their works. The

promise given by the Lord during His manifestation as Varaha to

His consort is cited to show that if a person had performed

Prapatti once, the Lord remembers him during his last moments and

redeems him even if the devotee fails to concentrate his mind on

Him.

 

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