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Consummate devotion

CHENNAI : True devotion has been described as unalloyed love of God for His own sake. Such devotion does not expect anything in return. But this is the highest level of devotion, which is an ideal for the majority of spiritual aspirants. Lord Krishna Himself accedes when He taught the spiritual truth in the Bhagavad Gita that there are four types of devotees: "Four kinds of devotees adore Me, Arjuna. They are the distressed ones, the knowledge-seeker, the wealth-seeker, and the knower." Of them the last, who is the man of Self-realisation (Jnani), is the highest.

In his discourse, Sri K.V.Seshadrinatha Sastrigal said the Gita had highlighted devotion without expectation of result as the end to be attained. Lord Krishna has assured in the case of such a devotee, "Whoever being devoted to Me solely, engage themselves always in contemplation and worship of Me— to such ever-steadfast devotees I ensure procurement of all their wants (salvation) and the preservation of their assets (worldly interests)." That devotion leads to liberation has been illustrated in the Bhagavata Purana through the lives of devotees like Dhruva and Prahlada. Both were children when they realised God.

While Prahlada surmounted threat to his life at the hands of his father by his unflinching devotion, Dhruva who was stung by his stepmother's word sallied forth to the forest to do penance to realise God with such determination that Narada, who tried to dissuade him by saying that the path he had set out was difficult even for sages, ultimately blessed him by initiating the child into the Divine name. Such exemplary devotion is rare but an inspiration for every spiritual seeker.

As knowledge (Jnana) is the means to liberation according to Advaita Vedanta, detachment towards the world arising out of the awareness that worldly joys are ephemeral becomes crucial to progress. Spiritual union is the objective to be attained through spiritual practices and in the case of devotion the mind becomes one with God resulting in spiritual knowledge. In Saiva and Vaishnava theology devotion takes the form of service to God and His devotees, and this is considered the end in itself.

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