The Hindu Article - Merit of unalloyed devotion

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Date:21/07/2003 URL:

http://www.thehindu.com/2003/07/21/stories/2003072100370800.htm

 

Miscellaneous - Religion

 

Merit of unalloyed devotion

 

 

CHENNAI JULY 21 . Human birth is an opportunity given by God to man

for attaining liberation from rebirths. Unfortunately, amidst the

travails of worldly life man forgets his destiny and loses his

direction in life. Some people by the influence of the environment in

which they live and due to the accrued merit of spiritual practices

done in previous lives take to the spiritual path early in life and

make progress according to their effort. Even in such cases there are

very few who develop singular devotion to God. Such unalloyed

devotion to Him gets reciprocated in full measure as can be seen in

the case of Arjuna to whom Lord Krishna taught the ultimate truth in

person.

 

It can be seen that when a person is undergoing suffering or mentally

distraught with some immediate problem, the mind is unable to grasp

spiritual knowledge, though it is in moments of despair that man

turns instinctively to God.

 

This predicament happened to Arjuna when he listened to the Gita, as

he was in a mental dilemma overwrought with emotion facing his kith

and kin on the battlefield. He sought advice from Lord Krishna about

the course of action; instead His counsel touched on the existential

truths about life and death. The Lord had to teach him spiritual

knowledge to make him see that it was his ignorance that confused his

mind about the right course of action.

 

In his discourse, Sri B. Sundar Kumar said the cowherd maidens

(Gopis) were also privileged to learn spiritual knowledge from Lord

Krishna directly because of their unalloyed devotion to Him. After

Krishna left Gokul these devotees suffered from pangs of separation

and comforted themselves by recalling the divine deeds of His

childhood. So when He met them after a long time in Dwaraka they were

so overcome with emotion that He had to first console them and then

teach them, "I need not tell you that loving devotion to Me brings

immortality to all who practise it. I am the beginning and end of all

beings and pervade them both inside and outside."

 

It is needless to say that the state of oneness they had attained

through love and devotion to Lord Krishna is difficult to attain even

through contemplation on God. The Gopis' prayer to Him during this

meeting, "Your feet alone serve as the support for people fallen into

the abyss of mundane existence. Occupied as we are with our household

duties, kindly bless us that Your lotus feet ever remain present

before our mental eyes," is an inspiration to devotees.

 

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