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Shri Datta Swami

Posted on: 22 May 2022

               

Kindly clarify the following verse in Mukunda Mala Stotram by Kulasekara Alwar?

[Shri Balaji asked: Namaste Swami, Kindly clarify on the following verse in Mukunda Mala Stotram by Kulasekara Alwar. 'Majjanmanah phalamidam ........ Bhrtya Bhrtya Bhrtyasya Bhratya iti Smara Maam Lokanaatha'. Here, the saint asks the Lord to consider him as the servant of the servant ....... of the servant of the Lord's servant.

How can one practically understand and apply this statement in the current Kali Yuga? There are various levels of devotees starting from Hanuman, Gopikas, Garuda etc., upto ordinary devotees of low level who form the majority of theists today. If one considers himself as a servant of an ordinary devotee of low level, the devotee may be on the wrong spiritual path and doing sins as well. Following that low level devotee as a servant may mislead one in his/her spiritual path.

So, in the above verse, is the Alwar referring to only servants of God of very high level like Adi Sesha, Garuda, Nandi, Alwars and other great Acharyas etc.? Thus one has to analyze if a devotee is of a very high level and on the correct spiritual path, and only then serve him as a servant? Sincerely, Balaji]

Swami Replied:- The literal meaning shall not be taken and the effective meaning only shall be taken. When the face is compared to moon, the effective meaning is that the face is as pleasant as moon. One should not take the literal meaning and find the similarities like circular shape, black spots of the moon, increasing and decreasing sizes of moon in every fortnight etc. The effective meaning here is that the ego of a devotee shall be continuously suppressed so that there is no chance for even the least trace. Even the least trace of ego becomes a huge mountain in no time. This verse means that the soul shall be always in continuous effort to suppress its ego because the soul shall realize that it is absolute zero before the infinitely meritorious God. If this verse is not taken in proper sense and is taken in improper sense, it results in saying that excessive obedience is the characteristic of a cheat (Ati vinayaḥ dhūrta lakṣaṇam)!

 
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