Miscellaneous - Religion   

Varied ways of devotion

CHENNAI: The value of the puranas and Ithihasas lies in their ability to convey the essential message of the scriptures in an easily comprehensible manner to the majority of mankind who may not have access to the scriptures, or even if they have, may not be able to understand the import because of their esoteric nature. Kalyanapuram Sri Aravamudachariar pointed out in a discourse that the central message of the Bhagavata Purana being devotion to the Lord, the variety of ways in which the Bhakti Bhava takes root in devotees is well defined and the art of meditation made easy.

While narrating the circumstances leading to the incarnation of the Lord as Narasimha, Sage Suka drew attention to the incident in the Mahabharata at the completion of the Rajasuya Yaga when Sisupala was killed by Lord Krishna who used His discus for the purpose. The assemblage was astounded by the strange phenomenon that followed when a light from Sisupala's collapsing body merged with Lord Krishna Himself.

It was then that Yudhishtira voiced his doubts to Sage Narada about how a person with such a degree of overt hatred to the Lord could achieve the eminent status that even those with fervent devotion find it difficult to attain.

Sage Narada clarified that Sisupala and Dantavaktra were actually Jaya and Vijaya, servants to the Lord in Vaikunta. Due to the arrogance they displayed when the Sages Sanaka and others wanted to enter Vaikunta, they wrought upon themselves the curse that caused them to be born as demons in three consecutive births.

Through the Lord's intervention, it was also destined that they would remain devoted to the Lord not out of love but in their hatred during this period. In their previous births they were born as Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu and again as Ravana and Kumbhakarna.

Sage Narada also reinforced that devotion enjoins that one remains steadfast in thoughts of the Lord at all times.

Whether out of love as was the case with the gopis, friendship (the Pandavas), hatred (Sisupala), fear (Kamsa), Bhakti (Prahlada, Narada and many others) or any other reason, it is a constant uninterrupted focus on the Lord that really matters, when nothing else other than the Lord is noticed.

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