The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : Supremacy of devotion

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 16, 2004

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

Supremacy of devotion

CHENNAI, AUG.16 . It will be rewarding for a spiritual aspirant to consider why saints, who have realised the truth through contemplation on the formless Absolute Reality, have stressed devotion to God with form. Sage Suka, Adi Sankara, Narayana Bhattatiri and Sadasiva Brahmendra come readily to mind for they were all men of wisdom (Jnani) who also composed soul-stirring hymns on different deities or revelled in recounting the glory of the Lord in His incarnations. Sage Suka was a born mystic who excelled his father Vyasa in spiritual attainment. It was he who expounded the glory of devotion to King Pareekshit and narrated Lord Krishna's divine deeds at length to him. Though Vyasa compiled the Vedas and wrote the Mahabharata and the Puranas, it was only after composing the Bhagavata Purana that he attained peace of mind.

Adi Sankara's renown as a prolific composer of works in the Advaita tradition can be seen from his extensive commentaries on the Brahmasutras, Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, and his independent treatises. He has also sung many devotional hymns and in the Bhaja Govindam he says clearly that all learning will be of no avail when the end comes and only devotion will come to one's aid. Bhattatiri was a scholar turned saint who was fortunate to behold the truth he had learnt from the scriptures in the image of the Lord of Guruvayur. His devotion was such that the Almighty not only blessed him with the vision of His divine form but also responded to the questions about His divine deeds that he asked while composing the Narayaneeyam.

In his discourse, Sengalipuram Sri Kesava Dikshitar said Sadasiva Brahmendra was a mystic who was lost to the world around him. An incident is related about him walking on unaware that his arm had been severed, which was bleeding profusely. Such a Jnani in one of his compositions exalts the glory of the Divine name Rama. These examples only reinforce the fact that there is no difference between the form and the formless aspects of the Supreme Being. It is due to His compassionate nature that God makes Himself accessible to His devotees by assuming various forms and also in consecrated images. As it is human tendency to lose interest in something, which is within easy reach this attitude should not be allowed to affect spiritual life. The fact that saints have beheld God and conversed with His images in temples should reinforce one's faith in His presence in them.

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