Personality Development 15 - Ananya Bhakti - Its results

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15. Ananya Bhakti - Its results

 

Why do we pray to God? Mostly to fulfill our desires. `Oh

God, my boss is very strict. Please change him. My son should get

a white collared job. My daughter should get married to a rich man

without any dowry.' In one word we want God to change our fate or

we want God to change Himself!

 

Some people pray to boast about their prayer. Some pray to

test God's power. They learn prayer moves mountains'. A girl sits

before a mountain, prays for sometime and opens her eyes to test the

impact of her prayer. She is only happy it hasn't moved, because it

confirms her doubt.

 

Some pray for hours together only mechanically with no deep

involvement. Swami Sukhabodhanand quotes beautiful example for it.

Once a religious person was blessed with a pious horse by his guru.

If the person says `Oh my God' the horse will run forward and if he

says `Thank you God' it will stop. `Oh that's simple. I think of

God all the time 'thought the man. He kept on saying `oh my God'

and the horse was racing ahead filling him with joy. Suddenly when

he observed where he was the horse was heading towards a big

valley. He was so scared. In his fear he said `Oh my God' it still

galloped After a frantic minute, he remembered what he should

say `Thank you God' The next second the horse stopped at the edge of

the path. Just one more step, he would have fallen into the

valley. Seeing how narrowly he escaped death, he heaved a deep sigh

of relief and exclaimed. `Oh, my God!' That's all! He fell into the

valley.

 

Then how should we pray? Lord Krishna proclaimed it in the

Bhagavad Gita.

 

anan yas cintayanto mam

ye janah paryupasate

tesam nit yabhi yuktanam

yoga-ksemam vahamy aham

 

Synonyms

ananyah—having no other object; cintayantah—concentrating; mam—on

Me; ye—those who; janah—persons; paryupasate—properly worship; tesam—

of them; nitya—always; abhiyuktanam—fixed in devotion; yoga—

requirements; ksemam—protection; vahami—carry; aham—I.

Translation

Whoever prays to me with no other thought whoever thinks of

me incessantly, I will take care of their welfare.

 

This sloka has its special significance in the Gita. If we

compare Gita to a garland, this sloka can be compared to the central

bunch which hangs down in the garland. This sloka is in the middle

of the Gita. It has a fragrance of a flower with a great meaning.

It answers many doubts of the people.

Ananya Bhakti. If we put one step towards God, God puts ten

steps towards us' proclaim the Sastras. If we fulfill our duty, God

fulfils his duty. If we make sound near a mountain, it gives a

resound. If we don't get a resound, it means we didn't make a sound

properly.

 

Once a man cried, when he was engulfed in a problem, `Oh

God! Why did you forget me?' Promptly God answered `Why did you

forget me, my son?' A similar point is found in the Bible.

 

`Ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find, knock

and it shall be opened'.

 

People are asking, seeking and knocking but wrong things

like material comforts.

 

Ye bhajani tumam bhaktya mayite teshuchapyahan

 

`Whoever prays to me sincerely, they live in my heart and I

live in their hearts' proclaims God. God treats everyone equally

but we are not able to understand God. There may be treasure hidden

in the house, but unless a person knows where it is, he cannot enjoy

it. The same way, unless we learn about God, we cannot enjoy his

blessings. To seek them, we should pray with Ananya Bhakti.

 

`I will take care of them' what an assurance! Vidya

Prakasananda Giri, swami explains this beautifully we don't have to

worry thus - who will protect me? Who will save me! `Why fear when

I am here' says God! All that He requires is reciprocation from

us. Even when we buy a small object in the market, we have to shell

down some money for it. How can we expect God to give us something

just like that? We believe in rights, but not responsibilities. The

swami explains, God is asking us, `Oh man! You want Moksha, you seek

eternal bliss, you require unattachment, but where is the price for

that? You first pay its value. Its value is your sacrifice, your

Bhakti, your `Ananya daiva chintana'.

 

We need not hesitate to leave everything When God himself is

beside us, why should we worry? He saved Ambarish, Draupadi,

Gajendra, Prahlad etc. Won't he save us?

 

`Ananya' means only on God, not on any other physical

object. There is no point in dividing our heart into various pieces

and distributing it on various earthly pleasures and just retaining

one piece of heart of God. That is not `Ananya'. So we should

distract our mind from material comforts and concentrate on

God. `Ye Jana' clearly explains `whoever'. God has no caste or

creed difference.

 

What we offer to God is not more important than how we

offer. He gives not the best who gives the most. So we should see

the depth of our prayer but not the extent of the surface of it.

 

In the same chapter, Krishna added, `Oh Arjuna, know it for

certain my devotee will never suffer. He never falls. This is the

truth.' To be His bhakta, we have to concentrate on God.'

 

Jnatum - understand God

When we pray sincerely and continuously to God, God who will

be pleased by our faith, bless us. When we praise an ordinary human

being, he showers us with some gifts. In such a case won't God

bless us? What will He give wealth, health, power or liberation?

Though God can provide us liberation, He doesn't give it. He leads

us to the path of jnana which makes us acquire atmajnana.

 

tesam satata-yuktanam

bhajatam priti-purvakam

dadami buddhi-yogam tam

yena mam upayanti te

 

On those ever united through devotion with me and

worshipping me with love. I confer that yoga of wisdom through which

they come to me. The word Dadam means I confer. So God has promised

the returns. There is no going back against it. So Bhaktas can be

rest assured of Jnana and subsequently liberation.

 

We are more used to idol worship of God. We pray to sakara

rupa of God. Then how can we change our attitude? How can we look

with in from looking outside? This sloka answers our doubts. God

answers `Oh devotees! Don't you worry! You continue your practice.

I will provide you the required Jnana yoga. I will help you attain

self realization. `Two qualities of Bhaktas are highlighted here -

1. Sata ta yuktanam - always thinking of God. 2. `Preetipurvakam'

with love. So even ordinary men can become saint through incessant

prayer to God and through their loving devotion to God. This also

drives out doubts about Bhakti and Jnana. Bhakti can lead us to

Jnana. So we need not give up our religious practices.

 

Drastum -see God

Arjuna was shown viswaroopa can everybody see it? No, not

everybody proclaimed Krishna.

 

Na tu mam sakyase drastumane naiva swa chakshusha

Divyam dadami te chakshunu pasy a me yoga mai swaryam (11-8)

 

But surely you cannot see me with these human eyes of yours;

therefore I vouchsafe to you the divine eye. With this you behold

my divine power of yoga.

 

Whoever has divine eyes, divine vision can behold the divine

presence of God. With our naked eyes we cannot see for instance

micro organisms, the stars in the Milky Way, the bones in the body

etc. We need a microscope, a telescope and an x-ray to see them.

How then can we see God with our naked eye? Because we cannot see

him thus, we cannot declare, `There is no God!' The sunshine

dazzles our bright eyes, but a blind man cannot see. So also the

omnipotent God shines all over the world but an Ajnani cannot see

him. He needs special spectacles as we need for 3D pictures, but

these spectacles are not given just like that, we have to acquire

them through our incessant practice, undaunted spirit and strong

belief in God. Arjuna has acquired that stage so he was provided the

Divine eye-sight.

 

`Through ananya bhakti, single minded devotion however; one

can see my viswaroopa but not through yagna or tapas.' This takes us

back to `Ananya chintayantomam' the strong devotion to God. The

word `ananya' is repeatedly used in Gita. Many are devoted to God,

but it is not `ananya' bhakti. Such devotion cannot help him

experience God. `Anya' is some other thing. `Ananya' no other

thing. They should be interested in God but no other thing.

Initially person's love may be divided but by practice he can

develop it into undivided love for God.

 

Pravesti, - enter God

Once we develop this `Ananya' Bhakti, we can not only see

God but also enter God says Krishna. `Jnatum, drastum, Pravesum.' -

meaning understand God, see God and enter God.

 

Vidya Prakasananda Giri swami compares it to a mango. We

learn about the taste of a mango in the market. That is the first

step. We enjoy the news. Then we go to the market, keep it before

us and derive pleasure by seeing it. That is the second step. Then

we cut it and eat it. It has entered our body and has become one

with us. That gives us the greatest happiness. That is the third

stage.

 

We can reach that stage very soon. We begin with `I am God's

devotee' then reach the stage I am your devotee' (feel God before

us) and should finally be able to say `Oh God, I am you' It appears

to be difficult but is not impossible. Even an insignificant ant can

travel thousands of miles, but Garuda cannot move an inch if he

doesn't make an attempt.

 

We need not doubt the success because God has already

assured `name bhaktha pranasyati' my devotee will never fall.'

 

Love only God you can understand God

You can see God and you can be one with God.