Hindu Article-Supremacy of Devotion

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Supremacy of devotion

 

 

CHENNAI, AUG.16 . It will be rewarding for a spiritual aspirant to

consider why saints, who have realised the truth through

contemplation on the formless Absolute Reality, have stressed

devotion to God with form. Sage Suka, Adi Sankara, Narayana

Bhattatiri and Sadasiva Brahmendra come readily to mind for they were

all men of wisdom (Jnani) who also composed soul-stirring hymns on

different deities or revelled in recounting the glory of the Lord in

His incarnations. Sage Suka was a born mystic who excelled his father

Vyasa in spiritual attainment. It was he who expounded the glory of

devotion to King Pareekshit and narrated Lord Krishna's divine deeds

at length to him. Though Vyasa compiled the Vedas and wrote the

Mahabharata and the Puranas, it was only after composing the

Bhagavata Purana that he attained peace of mind.

 

Adi Sankara's renown as a prolific composer of works in the Advaita

tradition can be seen from his extensive commentaries on the

Brahmasutras, Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, and his independent

treatises. He has also sung many devotional hymns and in the Bhaja

Govindam he says clearly that all learning will be of no avail when

the end comes and only devotion will come to one's aid. Bhattatiri

was a scholar turned saint who was fortunate to behold the truth he

had learnt from the scriptures in the image of the Lord of Guruvayur.

His devotion was such that the Almighty not only blessed him with the

vision of His divine form but also responded to the questions about

His divine deeds that he asked while composing the Narayaneeyam.

 

In his discourse, Sengalipuram Sri Kesava Dikshitar said Sadasiva

Brahmendra was a mystic who was lost to the world around him. An

incident is related about him walking on unaware that his arm had

been severed, which was bleeding profusely. Such a Jnani in one of

his compositions exalts the glory of the Divine name Rama. These

examples only reinforce the fact that there is no difference between

the form and the formless aspects of the Supreme Being. It is due to

His compassionate nature that God makes Himself accessible to His

devotees by assuming various forms and also in consecrated images. As

it is human tendency to lose interest in something, which is within

easy reach this attitude should not be allowed to affect spiritual

life. The fact that saints have beheld God and conversed with His

images in temples should reinforce one's faith in His presence in

them.

 

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