Bhakthi or devotion is defined in many ways by many people. Generally it means love for some thing. Too much of attachment to some object is called devotion. If the attachment to God is great it is called Bhakthi. As ordinary mortals we have our own ideas of Bhakthi or devotion. Performing japa or chanting the name of a chosen form of God is considered as Bhakthi by a few people. Recitation of hymns and stotras for the Grace of God is also taken for devotion or Bhakthi. In all these attempts there is an element of selfishness on the part of the individual. According to Vyasa, the highest form of worship is service to man. The right royal path to the grace of God is to share one's joy, wealth, and knowledge with the less fortunate! It is quite interesting and instructive to know what Bhagawan Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba, the epitome and embodiment of Divine Love has to say on this topic of Bhakthi. According to him Bhakthi has two body guards viz wisdom and detachment. It must be based on wisdom that finally leads to detachment from the mundane world!
According to Swami the synonyms for Bhakthi are ‘faith, steadiness, virtue, fearlessness, absence of egoism and surrender. “ Bhakthi is love for God”. Swami explains the term Bhakthi in an entirely different angle which is interesting and which none had defined so, so far. “ The word Bhakthi is a combination of ‘bha' in the word Bhagawan (God) and ' kthi' in the word ‘anurakthi’ (love). Other features like 'Virakthi' (renunciation) and ‘Mukthi’ (liberation) come in the travail of Bhakthi. Love for God should be the very life breath of man.” (SSS Vol 4) Bhakthi can be described as genuine devotion to the Lord. It is only a form of discipline to reach the Goal. All forms of Bhakthi finally reach the same God who is called by different names in different religions. “ akasath patitam toyam yathagacchati sagaram sarvadeva namaskaram Kesavam pratigacchati.”—like the waters falling from the sky finally reach the ocean, obeisance to all Gods reach Lord Kesava or Vishnu. More than the love for the Lord, the bhaktha should concentrate on the Grace and love of the Lord that he could attain. Real Bhakti is to engage oneself in activities pleasing to the Lord. All acts of the bhakta should be directed to gain the Grace and pleasure of God!
Bhagawan categorically states that Bhakti or devotion does not mean merely doing bhajans or performing puja. Real Bhakthi is constant contemplation of God. Bhaktas or devotees can be classified into four divisions. First are those who worship when they are in distress. They forget God soon after their wishes are fulfilled. The second type of devotee seeks worldly things and does not depend on others. The third prays for others and considers others' welfare as his own welfare. The fourth and the highest form of Bhakti is complete or total surrender to the lotus feet of the Lord and offering all actions to the service of the Divine. Bhagawan calls this last type of worship “ Ananya Bhakthi.” Bhakti should not depend upon fulfillment or non fulfillment of desires. Pain or pleasure, sorrow or happiness must be treated as the gift of God and only for good. “ Bhakthi is not a uniform to be worn on Thursday evenings to sing bhajans. It must mean the promotion of an attitude of humility, of revering parents, teachers, elders and others; it is a mental outlook, an attitude that is ever present.” (SSS Vol 7) “ God is ignored in sunshine; he is wanted only when there is Night. Bhakthi or Devotion must persist and flourish, unaffected by time, place or circumstance.” (SSS Vol 9)
What is the effect of Bhakthi on the individual? Swami says that it has the power of destroying the ego or “ Ahankara” of the person. He is made to feel humble. “ Ego is most easily destroyed by Bhakthi (devotion); by dwelling on the magnificence of the Lord and by humility surrender to the Divine will on the path of devotion the Lord himself guides us to our goal.” (SSS Vol 1) Bhakthi, in any way shall lead the person to the cherished destination. Swami says, “ Bhakthi is the through—carriage. Though it may be detached from one train and connected to another, if you get into it, you need not worry; so long you stick to your place, it is bound to take you to your destination.” (SSS Vol 3) Bhakthi , according to Swami, has different stages similar to that of the body’s growth. “ The tender fruit is love, the grown is devotion, and the ripe fruit is surrender.” (SSS Vol 7) The bhktha should not yearn for silly worldly things from God when He is ready to grant his Grace that fulfills all his desires. The Bhktha should see God in everything in the universe. The Unborn manifests in different forms! “ ajayamano bahudha vijayathe” says the Veda- (Purusha Suktha) Swami says, “See God in stone; do not change God into stone. That is the vision highly desirable. The stone must be visualized as Divine, suffused with God, which it really is.”
Bhakthi can compel God into your presence! Incidents galore are present in our Puranas where the Lord descended in a huddle impressed by the devotion of His bhakta. Child Dhruva, Prahlada, Markandeya are brilliant illustrations who surrendered themselves to His will! The sages too realized God through their single minded devotion and tapas. Even the rakshasa, like Ravana could compel God through his severe penance to accord him rare boons and invincibility from everything! Is bhakthi easy to develop? No, says Swami. It is much more difficult than Jnana as that implies total unconditional surrender to His Will! “ God first; world next; myself last. This is the legitimate sequence for the devotee. But man has reversed it and made it 'myself first, the world next and God last'! Hold fast to God then you will be safe” says Bhagawan. (SSS Vol 7B) Swami wants Bhakthi to be simple and sincere. Let there be no ostentation and show. “ It is sheer waste of money to burden the pictures and idols in the shrines and altars of your homes with a weight of garlands and to parade costly utensils.” declares Swami! How can Bhakthi be effective? Swami says, “ Bhakthi, to be effective, must be regularized through self discipline; It should not be allowed to grow wild and untended!”
According to Swami the synonyms for Bhakthi are ‘faith, steadiness, virtue, fearlessness, absence of egoism and surrender. “ Bhakthi is love for God”. Swami explains the term Bhakthi in an entirely different angle which is interesting and which none had defined so, so far. “ The word Bhakthi is a combination of ‘bha' in the word Bhagawan (God) and ' kthi' in the word ‘anurakthi’ (love). Other features like 'Virakthi' (renunciation) and ‘Mukthi’ (liberation) come in the travail of Bhakthi. Love for God should be the very life breath of man.” (SSS Vol 4) Bhakthi can be described as genuine devotion to the Lord. It is only a form of discipline to reach the Goal. All forms of Bhakthi finally reach the same God who is called by different names in different religions. “ akasath patitam toyam yathagacchati sagaram sarvadeva namaskaram Kesavam pratigacchati.”—like the waters falling from the sky finally reach the ocean, obeisance to all Gods reach Lord Kesava or Vishnu. More than the love for the Lord, the bhaktha should concentrate on the Grace and love of the Lord that he could attain. Real Bhakti is to engage oneself in activities pleasing to the Lord. All acts of the bhakta should be directed to gain the Grace and pleasure of God!
Bhagawan categorically states that Bhakti or devotion does not mean merely doing bhajans or performing puja. Real Bhakthi is constant contemplation of God. Bhaktas or devotees can be classified into four divisions. First are those who worship when they are in distress. They forget God soon after their wishes are fulfilled. The second type of devotee seeks worldly things and does not depend on others. The third prays for others and considers others' welfare as his own welfare. The fourth and the highest form of Bhakti is complete or total surrender to the lotus feet of the Lord and offering all actions to the service of the Divine. Bhagawan calls this last type of worship “ Ananya Bhakthi.” Bhakti should not depend upon fulfillment or non fulfillment of desires. Pain or pleasure, sorrow or happiness must be treated as the gift of God and only for good. “ Bhakthi is not a uniform to be worn on Thursday evenings to sing bhajans. It must mean the promotion of an attitude of humility, of revering parents, teachers, elders and others; it is a mental outlook, an attitude that is ever present.” (SSS Vol 7) “ God is ignored in sunshine; he is wanted only when there is Night. Bhakthi or Devotion must persist and flourish, unaffected by time, place or circumstance.” (SSS Vol 9)
What is the effect of Bhakthi on the individual? Swami says that it has the power of destroying the ego or “ Ahankara” of the person. He is made to feel humble. “ Ego is most easily destroyed by Bhakthi (devotion); by dwelling on the magnificence of the Lord and by humility surrender to the Divine will on the path of devotion the Lord himself guides us to our goal.” (SSS Vol 1) Bhakthi, in any way shall lead the person to the cherished destination. Swami says, “ Bhakthi is the through—carriage. Though it may be detached from one train and connected to another, if you get into it, you need not worry; so long you stick to your place, it is bound to take you to your destination.” (SSS Vol 3) Bhakthi , according to Swami, has different stages similar to that of the body’s growth. “ The tender fruit is love, the grown is devotion, and the ripe fruit is surrender.” (SSS Vol 7) The bhktha should not yearn for silly worldly things from God when He is ready to grant his Grace that fulfills all his desires. The Bhktha should see God in everything in the universe. The Unborn manifests in different forms! “ ajayamano bahudha vijayathe” says the Veda- (Purusha Suktha) Swami says, “See God in stone; do not change God into stone. That is the vision highly desirable. The stone must be visualized as Divine, suffused with God, which it really is.”
Bhakthi can compel God into your presence! Incidents galore are present in our Puranas where the Lord descended in a huddle impressed by the devotion of His bhakta. Child Dhruva, Prahlada, Markandeya are brilliant illustrations who surrendered themselves to His will! The sages too realized God through their single minded devotion and tapas. Even the rakshasa, like Ravana could compel God through his severe penance to accord him rare boons and invincibility from everything! Is bhakthi easy to develop? No, says Swami. It is much more difficult than Jnana as that implies total unconditional surrender to His Will! “ God first; world next; myself last. This is the legitimate sequence for the devotee. But man has reversed it and made it 'myself first, the world next and God last'! Hold fast to God then you will be safe” says Bhagawan. (SSS Vol 7B) Swami wants Bhakthi to be simple and sincere. Let there be no ostentation and show. “ It is sheer waste of money to burden the pictures and idols in the shrines and altars of your homes with a weight of garlands and to parade costly utensils.” declares Swami! How can Bhakthi be effective? Swami says, “ Bhakthi, to be effective, must be regularized through self discipline; It should not be allowed to grow wild and untended!”
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