28 Apr 2018
Note: This article is meant for intellectuals only
(Scripture of Knowledge of God)
(Uttaraardha Charchaa - Second Half Part Discussion)
12) Pratiphalaakaamkshaarahita kevala Bhagavat preeti maargaamshaah
Sadaa smaraneeyaah saadhana ruupaah.
[The climax devotees wanted to see God in order to serve Him with whatever they have. Service to God gives bliss to a devotee. Service is sacrifice of physical energy called as ‘Karma Samnyaasa’, which alone is confined to saints (Samnyaasins). Sacrifice of fruit of work or Karmaphalatyaaga is meant for all house-holders in addition to Karmasamnyaasa. These two constitute practical devotion or Karma Yoga as emphasised in the Gita again and again. Even service and sacrifice to true devotees pleases God since the second address of God is a true devotee as per the Narada Bhakti Sutra whereas the first address is direct human incarnation in which case alone direct service is possible. But, it is very difficult to recognize the true human incarnation also since several false human incarnations exploit the innocent devotees. In fact, God feels more pleased if His true devotee is served since God feels Himself as servant of true devotee. The father is more pleased if you serve the sweet to his beloved issue than to himself. But, the devotees in beginning stage are reluctant to serve a co-existing human form due to ego and jealousy. For such devotees, service to representative models of God like statues is the only leftover path, in which service is not directly received by God. The representative models are inert and service to these models is practically a total wastage. Yet, the worship of statues increases the theoretical devotion only since all practical sacrifice becomes wastage. It is inevitable to the beginners and hence, shouldn’t be criticized at all since at least development of theoretical devotion exists, which is the mother of practice in a later stage after realization. Initiation of life is done in the case of inert statues, which doesn’t mean that by such ritual the inert statue becomes alive. It only means that if life enters the inert statue, it becomes alive body and hence, the devotee is instructed to catch the alive contemporary human incarnation for worship as soon as possible. Worship of a true devotee is also far better than such worship of statues initiated for life through the ritual. From the point of the beginning stage of spiritual effort, which should not be criticized since every beginning stage is full of defects as said in the Gita (Sarvaarambhaahi… Gita). A boy sitting in LKG class and his LKG class shall not be criticized. But, if the boy sits in LKG class only throughout his life without proceeding to further higher classes, he shall be criticized. Wastage of precious food material, the ghee, by burning in physical fire in the name of worship is criticized by sage Kapila in the Bhagavatam. Krishna also asks the wives of sages to donate the food prepared for burning in the fire in a sacrifice to His hungry friends. The hunger fire in the stomach, called as Devataagni or Vaishvaanaraagni, shall be worshipped with the prepared ghee fried food (called as ghee by lakshanaavrutti). The physical fire is the instrument to cook the food. A little ghee is used to lit the fire in the beginning called as Chakshuseehoma, which doesn’t mean that you should pour and burn all the ghee in the fire! Serving food to any hungry living being and donating money to any poor living being shall be done without analyzing their deservingness as an emergent justice (aapat dharma). Such social service without preaching spiritual knowledge and devotion to God gives temporary heaven only. Same social service based on God leads the soul to the abode of God.
All the modes of theoretical devotion must be enclosed with practical sacrifice for the proof of reality like an application for job must be enclosed with the necessary certificates of qualifications and experience as proof. Mere theoretical devotion is blessed with theoretical fruits only and practical devotion is blessed with practical fruits. You reap the same sowed by you. When you serve the devotees, serve seeing their needs. Sacrifice of money is the best as praised in the Veda (Dhanenaikena…), the Yogavaashishtha (Dhanamaarjaya…) and the Gita (phalam tyaktvaa...) since the devotee can fulfill any type of his need with money. The human incarnation being God is not in any need except to test the devotee for his practical love as proof towards God. A grandfather presents a pocket of biscuits to the mother of his grandson without his notice and asks the grandson a bit of the biscuit while he is eating the biscuit given by his mother. The grandfather, who gave a full pocket of biscuits, is not in real need of a bit of the biscuit from the grandson except to test his practical love towards him. The grandson thinks that his mother gave the biscuit and refuses the grandfather. Ignorance of the grandson regarding his grandfather as the donor of the biscuits is the main stage of this drama. Shirdi Sai Baba asking the devotees for money shall be understood in this way. A greedy person, who wants to escape from the sacrifice in tricky way says that God, the giver to all, doesn’t need anything. It is true, but, your intention becomes clear only through your practical sacrifice. The real love is proved by practical sacrifice only as you do it to your life partner and issues.
Worshipping God through mere theoretical devotion aspiring practical boons from God is the prostitute-devotion in which the prostitute exhibits all theoretical love to you to snatch your money practically from your pocket! God is very clever and gives theoretical boons only for such devotion. The second type of devotion is business-devotion in which practical boons are aspired for practical devotion offered to God as in the case of sales in the business. At least, there is some ethics in this type. The best real love-devotion is not to aspire for any fruit in return while doing practical devotion to God as in the case of your issues and this type is called as real issue-devotion. All these points are the guide lights in the real spiritual journey to please the God and hence, must be kept in mind forever.]
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