Naradabhkthisuthra-2

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suthra-2

 

 

sAthvasmin paramaprEma rupA

 

 

sA- that(devotion); thu-indeed; paramaprEmarupa- of the nature of supreme devotion asmin- in that.

 

Bhakthi is of two kinds aparA and parAbhakthi. The devotion of an aspirant is the former and the same when fructified into realisation of the goal it is parA bhakthi. The particle thu differentiates this parAbhakthi from the ordinary sense of the term commonly understood as bhakthi. the real devotion of saints like Meera, Andal and azvars is not the one which goes by the name of pooja, or observing rituals either for fulfilment of desired object or out of fear.Normally on the world people call one bhakthiman merely by his outward manifestations such as regularly going to the temples, doing ritualistic worship, observing vratas like ekadasi etc. But it is possible for one to do all this yet not to have real devotion at heart. Bhakthi is an attitude of the heart with or without external manifestations.

 

Then what is bhakthi? Ramanuja gives the answer in Sribhashya. It is Dhruvasmrthi, constant remembrance of the Lord, like thailadhaArA, the dripping of oil. It has been declared by PrahlAda, Uddhava and Narada that bhakthi is the feeling that the Lord is one's own. In gopAlapoorvathApini upanishad bhakthi is defined as 'bhakthirasya bhajanam; EthadhihAmuthrOpADHinairASyEna amushmin manahkalpanam,' Bhakthi is the adoring service with mind fixed on Him, without any expectation in this world or the next. The same idea is expressed by Thondaradippodi Azvar in ThirumAlai 'icchuvai thavira yAn pOy indhiralOkam ALum acchuvai perinum vEnden arangamAnagaruLAnE.' " I do not wish for anything else including the rulership of heaven, except singing your names and stay here."

 

Affection for one's Chosen Ideal matures into extreme love and when it is absorbed totally in the object of love it is called bhakthi. Sankara says in Vivekachaadamani 'svasvarupanusanDHAnam bhakthirithybhidheeyathe;svAthmathathvAnusanDHAnam bhakthirithi aparE jaguh.' Devotion is defined by some as an enquiry into oneself and by others it is said to be an enquiry into the truth of one's own nature. As the supreme being is the inner self of all, this is also true. ChandhOgya upanishad says that Brahman is to be worshipped and realised, is the same as the Atman in the heart. Thus love of God is nothing but the love of the Reality or the higher self, the indwelling self of man.

 

The word in the suthra paramaprEmAkhyA defines bhakthi in order to distinguish it from the common view of bhakthi. It is not fevered imagination or emotional excitement. It is not also hallucination which defies all scientific explanations but it is real and the transcendental experience of bliss. It is also a far cry from fanaticism or blind faith that often leads to sectarian fights. It is not selfish or egoistic and removes any other love of the world or desire for worldly gains and is accompanied with complete self-effacing forgetfulness and the love that lacks all these qualities is not bhakthi.

 

In srimadbhagavatham we find Krishna telling Uddhava about the gopis-

thA nAvidhan mayyanushangabaddhaDHiyah

svamAthmAnam adhasthaTHEdham

yaTHA samAdhOU munayO abDHithOyE

nadhyah pravishtA iva namarupE (Bh.11.12)

 

With their thoughts firmly fixed on Me they were not aware of their body or what was far or near, just like sages in samadhi or the rivers losing their name and form on merging with the sea.

 

Suka describing the state of the gopis says, 'thadhmanaskAh thadhAlApAh thadhvichEshtAh thadhAthmikAh; thadhguNAnEva gAyanthyah nAthmAgArANi sasmaruh.'(Bh.10.30.44)

 

With their hearts absorbed in Krishna they talked only about him, acted like him, thought of themselves not different from him, singing only about his qualities,they forgot even their own homes.

 

The word asmin in this suthra is significant as it does not denote any metaphysical or theological designation.In the initial stages the divine spirit is conceived as something different from oneself and the mind is investing that spirit with all divine qualities which the individual gradually acquires himself in course of devotion until there is no separation from his ideal and realises that as his own self.

 

This is expressed in the famous lines presumably spoken by Hanuman,

'dhEha budDHyA thu dAsOham jeevabuDHya thvadhamSakah;AthmabudDHyA thvamEvAham ithi mE nischithA mathih.'

"when I identify myself with my body I am your servant.When I consider myself as a soul I am a part of you. But when I think of myself as the Athman I am one with you."

 

In srimadbhagavatham it is said that the sages , though they have become one with the supreme self, wilfully retain their identity in order to enjoy the bliss of the company of the supreme self because they want to remain separate and taste the sugar rather than merging wirh it.

 

But there are another kind of bhakthas who never bother about retaining or giving up their individuality but surrender themselves to God and let Him do whatever He likes with them. But the individuality of those, changes irrevocably and they remain divine in all their thoughts words and deed.

 

Thus the supreme divine love indicated by Narada is different from the term bhakthi used normally in everyday life. It is the culmination of all yogas, ending in the complete selfless love for the sake of love alone.