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Strengthen devotion

CHENNAI: The legacy that sages like Veda Vyasa and Valmiki have bequeathed to humanity in the form of their compositions is unmatched. They were not only contemporaries of the Lord during His descents and gifted poets who could compose great literature but also seers who articulated their mystical insights through their works. So texts like the Ramayana and the Srimad Bhagavata have a singular stamp of authority and hence their perennial appeal to spiritual seekers. Without their documentation of the Lord’s incarnations it would not have been possible to experience His glory in such detail now.

In his discourse, Sengalipuram Sri B.Kesava Dikshitar said chanting the Divine name and listening to the Lord’s infinite glory were the panacea to worldly sorrows. Suffering is due to bondage and hence it is only by remedying the cause that its effects can be cured. Bondage is due to ignorance of one’s eternal relationship with God, as a consequence of which, one becomes attached to the world which is ephemeral. This, in turn, leads to desires and the mind then knows no peace as it is agitated with thoughts of desires, which prod the person to action (Karma) in order to fulfil them. Karma becomes the cause of further births and hence the vicious circle of transmigration.

The Bhagavad Gita pinpoints this malady and also offers a solution thus: “Completely renouncing all desires arising from thoughts of the world, and fully restraining the whole pack of the senses from all sides … fix the mind on God.” Control of thoughts is the key to peace of mind. The easiest way to control thoughts is to divert the mind from worldly engagement to God by devotion. Kunti’s prayer to Lord Krishna focuses on strengthening devotion for overcoming attachment to one’s kith and kin. Just as only a person who has suffered the scorching heat of the sun can appreciate the cool shade, so also, can those who have faced great sorrows vouch for the solace they experience when they turn to God for support. Sage Narada is said to have declared that he came to the world to spread the glory of God and devotion to Him because human beings suffering from bondage would appreciate his teaching best.

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