The Hindu Article - Insight into devotion

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Date:14/08/2003 URL:

http://www.thehindu.com/2003/08/14/stories/2003081400130600.htm

Miscellaneous - Religion

 

Insight into devotion

 

CHENNAI AUG.14. Adi Sankara has composed hymns in praise of several

deities. The perusal of each composition conveys that this

philosopher-saint was a great devotee of that particular deity. It

was his philosophical vision of Advaita, which made it possible for

him to see the one Absolute in every form. Devotion is defined as

unconditional love of God but for a spiritual aspirant it is more

instructive to learn from examples of devotees who realised God

through devotion to Him.

 

Kannappa Nayanar was one who came to be known by this name because he

did not hesitate to gorge his eyes one after the other to arrest the

bleeding in the Linga he worshipped everyday. And how did he do it?

To know where exactly he had to place his eye, he marked the spot

with his foot. Preposterous indeed. He was a simpleton who did not

know the sanctity of rituals and purity in worship and regularly

brought water in his mouth to perform the ablutions and meat to offer

to the Lord. But, it was to his expression of untainted love that

Lord Siva responded. Prahlada's devotion was so total that he did not

even ask the Lord to save him when he was administered poison by his

own father.

 

Another example that readily comes to mind is the cowherd maidens'

(Gopis) devotion for Lord Krishna. He had captivated their hearts so

much that they related to Him through all their actions. Their

behaviour as recounted in the Bhagavata Purana may appear obsessive

by normal human standards but it was divine love that had made them

behave the way they did. Instead of calling out the names of the

wares they sold some of these Gopis shouted "Govinda" as they were so

absorbed in Him and thus became a laughing stock.

 

The Sivanandalahari was one of Sankara's hymns, which was a testament

of devotion giving insight into the nature of true devotion, said Sri

R. Krishnamurthy Sastrigal in his discourse. In this he brings to the

attention of the devotee that it is the mind that is the cause of all

human problems. The nature of the mind is such that it has to also

provide the solution to the problems it creates. In a verse Sankara

metaphorically describes the human mind as a monkey. Just as the

animal hops from one branch to another, restless all the time, man's

mind also runs after one sensory desire or the other. This detracts

the devotee from contemplating on God. Sankara offers insight by way

of prayer to God that He should fasten the devotee's mind by the bond

of devotion.

 

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[Guest guest]

Namaste

I was wondering if someone might tell me where I could find Sankara's

Hymn Sivanandalahari, mentioned by Ram Chandran. Thank you so very much.

Sarojini

-

Ram Chandran

advaitin

Wednesday, August 13, 2003 7:14 PM

The Hindu Article - Insight into devotion

 

 

Date:14/08/2003 URL:

http://www.thehindu.com/2003/08/14/stories/2003081400130600.htm

Miscellaneous - Religion

 

Insight into devotion

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Namaste:

The following two sites contain the entire verses of Sivanandalahiri

 

http://acharya.iitm.ac.in/mirrors/vv/literature/sankara/sound1.html

http://sanskrit.gde.to/doc_shiva/shivaananda.itx

 

I also want to add the following article which describes the stages

of devotion. Sri Sunderji may be able to provide additional

references and/or update the provided references.

 

warmest regards,

 

Ram Chandran

============================================

Stages of Devotion - compiled speeches of Jagadguru Sri

Chandrasekhara Bharathi Mahaswamigal (34th Jagadguru Shankaracharya

of Sri Sringeri Sarada Peetham)

Source: http://www.jagadgurus.org/avt-tea-stage.htm

 

Madhusudana Saraswathi, the famous author of the Advaita Siddhi, was

a great devotee of Krishna. His being an Advaitin par excellence did

not in any way stand in his way of composing soul-stirring verses on

Krishna. He has spoken of three stages of devotion.

 

First stage of Devotion:

 

The first stage is the one where the devotee feels "I am yours" with

regard to God. In other words, the devotee dedicates himself to God.

A special characteristic of a true servant of God is that he longs

for nothing from God in return for his devotion and service.

 

Here the following instance comes to mind. To prove Prahlada's view

that God is present everywhere and also in a pillar pointed at by

Hiranyakasipu, the Lord emerged from the pillar in the form of

Narasimha. Lord Narasimha slew Hiranyakasipu but continued to be very

fierce. The Devas were afraid of approaching Him and so was Goddess

Lakshmi. Hence, Prahlada, who was but a young boy, was asked to

pacify the Lord. Prahlada consented and fearlessly walking up to the

Lord, who was full of fury, prostrated before Him. Immediately, the

Lord calmed down and moved by compassion, He rose from the throne He

was occupying and placed His hand on the boy's head. Being pleased

with His devotee, the Lord asked Prahlada to seek a boon. Promptly,

Prahlada replied that he desired nothing from the Lord.

 

There is a scintillating verse in the Bhagavatam wherein we have

Prahlada telling the Lord "He who desires anything from God is a

trader and not a servant of God". The story brings out two aspects.

One is that a true servant of God knows no refuge other than God.

That is why Prahlada felt no fear in approaching Lord Narasimha. The

second aspect is that the true servant of God desires nothing from

God. In fact, he does not even pray for Moksha.

 

In a verse in the Sivanandalahari, Shankara tells the Lord, "Tell me

why You are not redeeming me from this wretched worldly state. If the

answer is that it pleases You that I should wallow thus then I have

achieved all that has to be achieved". When God is pleased what else

is there to long for?

 

Second Stage of Devotion:

 

The second stage is the feeling "He is mine" with regard to God. Here

the devotee is positively concerned about ensuring God's welfare. It

is not as though God is in need of the devotee's care. In spite of

this, He allows Himself to be even controlled by the devotee on

account of the devotee's love.

 

The Bhagavatam contains the explicit declaration of Bhagavan, "I am

subservient to My devotee like one under the control of another".

Yashoda's love for Krishna is an illustration of devotion of the

form "He is mine". To her Krishna was her darling and not the Lord.

Krishna seems to have relished her motherly love so much that He

deliberately withdrew from her the awareness that He was none other

than the Supreme. Though omnipotent, He even allowed Himself to be

tied to a mortar by Yashoda.

 

Third Stage of Devotion:

 

The third stage of devotion is the feeling "I am He" with regard to

God. In other words, Advaitic realization is the highest stage of

devotion. A reason is that while others are willing to brook at least

some minute separation from God, a devotee of this class cannot bear

even that. When can separation be totally obliterated? Obviously when

one realizes that one is not different from the Supreme. In the Gita,

Krishna Himself indicates that the knower of the Truth is not

different from Him.

 

 

advaitin, "Sarojini" <Yoga@w...> wrote:

> Namaste

> I was wondering if someone might tell me where I could find

Sankara's Hymn Sivanandalahari, mentioned by Ram Chandran. Thank you

so very much.

[Guest guest]

Namaste

 

Regarding Shankara's concept of Bhakti and the story of

Kannappar illustrating it, one may see also the following three

postings of mine on 'Bhakti according to Shankara?:

Advaita-bhakti'.

advaitin/message/5298

advaitin/message/5300

advaitin/message/5307

dated 17, 18, 19, June 2000.

 

PraNAms to all advaitins

profvk

 

=====

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

My website on Science and Spirituality is http://www.geocities.com/profvk/

You can access my book on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought Vision and

Practice, and my father R. Visvanatha Sastri's manuscripts from the site.

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "Ram Chandran" <rchandran@c...>

wrote:

> The following two sites contain the entire verses of Sivanandalahiri

>

> http://acharya.iitm.ac.in/mirrors/vv/literature/sankara/sound1.html

> http://sanskrit.gde.to/doc_shiva/shivaananda.itx

 

 

Namaste,

 

Tha Bhagavata Purana, another classic from Vyasa's pen,

dealing with devotion in all its aspects, is at:

 

http://www.srimadbhagavatam.org/contents.html

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder