Naradabhakthisuthras-suthras13,14 and 15

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Suthra13- anyaThA pAthithyaSankayA

 

For otherwise there is a risk of fall.

 

To an enlightened person there is no risk of a fall as he has reached the stage of sthithaprajna as outlined in the Gita. But it is the duty of such men to guide the rest of the humanity by imparting knowledge because to one follows the spiritual disciplines without proper understanding there is a risk of fall, meaning that he will lapse back into samsara.

 

Suthra14- lokopi thAvadheva ; bojanAdhivyapArasthu ASareeraDhraNAvaDhi

 

The worldly activities of an enlightened man also is restricted to those that are necessary for the sustenance of life. But they have to follow the common way of life for the sake of others doing the same duties as the others do but without attachment. The same idea is expressed by the Lord in the Gita as follows:

sakthAh karmaNi avidhvAmsaH yaThA kurvanthi bhAratha

kuryAth vidhvAn thaThA askthaH chikeershuH lokasangraham (BG-3.25)

 

The wise do the same actions as the unenlightened but while the latter do them with attachment the former does it with detachment.

 

The Lord further says that even though there is no work for Him to do He still goes on working nonstop merely because if He ceases to work the worlds will collapse. The life of Lord Krishna was the best example to this. What he did He preached later. He tended the cattle and fed the horses during the war and did all the work expected of Him in the role He put on Himself.

 

 

 

Suthra15- ThallakshNAni vAchyanthe nAnAmathabhedhAth

 

The characteristics of bhakthi is described variously according to different viewpoints.

 

Bhakthi is a subjective experience and it has to be different for different individuals. In the following nine suthras Narada defines bhakthi as given by various devotees before him and also gives out his view point. Even an ordinary worldly love defies description as words cannot express clearly what the heart feels. The divine love which is bhakthi likewise differs from devotee to devotee and could only be experienced because it transcends verbal description. Still the sages and saints try to explain it for the sake of all in order to give a taste of what it is. When the infinite bliss of devotion is expressed in words it becomes finite as the words are finite. The infinite can never be described by the finite. In the next nine suthras show the attempt of the bhakthas to define and describe what is devotion.