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.