Naradabhakthisuthra-suthra3

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suthra-3-amrthasvarupA cha

 

 

 

Also of the nature of immortality.

 

SA-that bhakthi is, amrtha svarupA-having the essential form of amrtha,

cha- also.

 

 

 

This suthra gives a description of the nature of bhakthi. In its own

essential nature bhakthi is no less than mukthi, a state of immortal

bliss and hence is called amrtha.

 

 

 

The joy experienced in this world or the next, that is, heaven , is not

permanent. The sukha in this world is always mixed with or followed by

sorrow and that in the other world is also temporary as Krishna says,

'ksheenE puNyE marthya lokam viSanthi, when the merit, puNya is

exhausted the soul riverts back to the mortal world,' in Bhagavtgita.

 

 

 

Hence the immortal bliss ,amrtha is possible only in the state of

mukthi. Amrtha translated as nectar is also relevant because the joy

experienced through bhakthi is like nectar to the devotee, an extremely

blissful experience of the Lord who is termed by NammazvAr as

ArAvamudhan, ceaseless nectar.

 

 

 

Narayanabhattadhri says in Narayaneeyam that the devotion to the Lord is

sweet in the beginning, in the middle and in the end. All the saints in

all countries, regions and in all languages have expressed the

experience of devotion as nectar-like.

 

 

 

Bhakthi is not losing individualtiy but delving deep into the divine,

transcending the individuality and regaining the natural self of

uinfinite joy.Sri Ramakrishna describes God as a liquid sweet. He asked

Vivekanandha that, suppose he was a fly and there is a vessel full of

syrup of sugar where will he sit and drink it and Vivekanandha replied

that he will sit at the rim lest he will be drowned. Sri Ramakrishna

said that diving into the divine sea called sacchidhAnandha one does not

drown but gets immortality.

 

 

 

The state of bhakthi attainable in this life itself is parAbhakthi which

is akin to mukthi. So Narada accepts immortality in this life itself

through bhakthi, which means not the continuation of this embodiment but

freedom from misery and experience of eternal bliss. In Katopanishad it

is said, 'aTha marthyO amrthO bhavathi athra Brahma samaSnuthE

(Kata.6-14) then the mortal becomes immortal and attains Brahman here.'

In Purushasuktha we have the statement, 'thamEvam vidhvAn amrtha iha

bhavathi, realising Him thus one becomes immortal here.'

 

 

 

The word amrtha, according to AmarakoSa, the sanskrit lexicon compiled

by Amarasimha, has also other meanings besides nectar and immortal. It

means alms unasked 'dhve yAchatha ayAchithayOh yaTHA sankhya mrtha

amrthE, mrtha and amrtha mean asked and unasked respectively. So bhakthi

is amrtha because the devotee is not interested in anything else except

to enjoy the Lord's presence and His service.But the Lord gives mukthi

unasked. The supreme cannot be attained through knowledge, meritorious

acts like charity, austerity etc. but can be obtained by Divine grace

alone which bhakthi secures for the devotee.'YamaivEshavrNuthE thEna

labhyah, It(mukthi) is attained by him alone whom God chooses.'

 

 

 

Another meaning of amrtha is yajnaSesha, the remains of an offering.

This implies that sacrifice which gives the result is through self

effort. Hence the word amrtha with respect to bhakthi means that even

though supreme devotion is the grace of God resulting in mukthi it

requires self effort. Unless one wishes for it and takes effort, the

grace will not descend on him. This is what has been denoted by Krishna

in the Gita by 'mA thE sangOsthu akarmaNi' which means that one should

not abstain from performing work,' though the result is not in his

hands.

 

 

 

In short,immortality, bliss and freedom form the end while the grace of

God and self effort form the means.