Narayanasramam

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Sakala-bhuvana-madhye nrdhnaas-tepi

nivasati hridi yesaam srihaer-bhaktir-eka |

harir-api nijalokam sarvathaato vihaaya

pravisati hridi tesaam bhakti-sutropanaddhah ||

Srimadhbhaagavata mahatyam 3.73

 

Translation:

In whose heart dwells one-pointed devotion to Lord Hari, they are the most

blessed in the entire world, even if they might be poor. Bound by the thread of

their devotion, Lord Hari himself enters their heart abandoning his own abode.

 

Points for Introspection:

When a person does not have money even for meeting his bare needs like food,

shelter and clothing, we say he is a poor man. Everybody feels sympathetic

looking at the suffering of this man and thinks he is an ill-fated person. On

the other hand, a person having wealth is

considered to be fortunate and blessed.

 

However, money or material wealth is not the greatest treasure in life. In spite

of having wealth, one may not be fortunate enough to enjoy that wealth because

of other sufferings born out of disease, death of dear and near ones, or because

of son going astray or having

retarded children and so many other miseries.

 

Even if the above mentioned miseries are not there, a wealthy man may suffer

because of his own mental traits like irritation, anger, impatience,

intolerance, tension, fear, depression and so on. These victimize him every

moment in every interaction and he is not happy and peaceful. Even if such a

person has abundant riches, can he be called blessed?

 

The best treasure or wealth that man should possess in this world is one-pointed

devotion to God. What is one-pointed devotion? In such devotion, the object of

devotion becomes supreme in one's life. He thinks about the object constantly so

that his mind becomes one

with the object of devotion.

 

When one has one-pointed devotion to God, God becomes supreme in his life. He

sees God in everybody and everything. His mind then naturally transcends likes

and dislikes. As a result his mind becomes rid of all agitating traits born of

likes and dislikes. By virtue of onepointed devotion to God where the devotee

develops supreme love and devotion for God, he cultivates all the qualities in

himself which God likes to see in His devotees. When the mind

becomes thus purified, such a devotee becomes peaceful and joyous in all

situations. Not only that, as his devotion becomes more and more focused, he is

able to realize God in his own self.

 

So, a person who does not have riches may be called a poor man by the whole

world, but truly he is the most blessed person in all the worlds if he has

one-pointed devotion to Lord Sri Hari.

 

This sloka announces this great Truth. It also tells us what the Lord does for

such devotees who have no other possession than the Lord himself, and who do not

even want to have any other possession.

Not being able to resist the pull of this wholesome intense devotion where the

devotee relies on the Lord alone, the wish-fulfilling Lord leaves His own abode

and enters the heart of the devotee. That is, the devotee has the experience of

God-realization in his heart and feels the Lord's presence within him always.

 

While chanting this shloka repeatedly, the mind melts with the mere thought of

such a quality as one-pointed devotion for God and total surrender and reliance

at His feet. There arises in the mind a compulsion to have these qualities which

makes one completely identified with the Lord and none else.