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Qualities of the devout

CHENNAI: The bond between the Lord and His devotee is a unique one. True devotion transcends scholarly attainments, philosophical arguments or ostentatious offerings and is characterised by renunciation of all else except thoughts of God, desiring only to remain devoted to Him. The Lord’s penchant for sincere devotion is manifest in the many instances in the lives of the devout wherein He chooses to stand by them at all costs.

It is thus established that even when seeking His help and presence, one has to qualify with the credentials of sincerity, humility and unflinching devotion, pointed out Tiruchy Sri K. Kalyanaraman in a lecture. What stands in the way is ego and this has to be uprooted and this too is possible only through His boundless grace.

Both Duryodhana and Arjuna came to Lord Krishna seeking His help. Duryodhana showed arrogance and pride in his demeanour while Arjuna was humble. Duryodhana sought the Lord’s army and also a promise from Him that He would not take up weapons during the war. Still Arjuna was not disappointed and he sought merely the Lord’s presence. When thus Duryodhana had claimed his share, Arjuna was more than happy to have the Lord with Him, though the Lord indicated to him that without army and weapons there wouldn’t be much help from Him. Arjuna knew having the Lord was the ultimate gain for the Pandavas.

The Lord willingly accepts whatever is offered with pure and genuine devotion. He claims in the Bhagavad Gita that even the humblest offering such as a leaf, flower or a drop of water is dear to Him when it is offered with love and devotion to Him. Such devout people who are very dear to Him know the value of devotion and do not seek material favours, and wish to remain in devoted service to Him.

The Lord for His part knows their requirements and chooses to bless them accordingly. The devout Kuchela did not want to ask Lord Krishna any help to alleviate the poverty in his family; but the Lord extended the affluence to his family unasked.

Arjuna, being a true devotee, was fortunate to be enlightened by the Lord, who told him, “As you are My devotee, I shall teach these secrets to you."

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