[As per Sage Nārada, if all the thoughts of the devotee are always in the direction of God only and if his/her mind becomes very much worried in case of forgetting God even for a second, such devotion to God of such devotee is called the real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Sage Vyāsa, if the mind is always strongly attracted with unshakable determination towards decorating contemporary or past Human Incarnation as different beautiful forms of God, performing the spiritual discussions (Satsangas) about the knowledge preached by God, participating in singing sweet devotional songs (Bhajans) on God and worshipping God by practically serving God in all needful ways, such devotion to God of such devotee is called the real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Sage Garga, the climax ambition of love to drink the divine nectar of glorifying stories of God exists in a devotee. Such determination of the devotee is called the real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Sage Śāṇḍilya, if the service and sacrifice done to God give natural pleasure to the self of the devotee instead of giving pressure due to some forcible attraction for boons, such determined practical service and sacrifice are called as the real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, if we get love from the aspects of individual personality of God without any angle of profit concerned with our selfish benefit or pleasure, such love is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, if God asks for even any unjust thing by hiding that He is testing you and if the devotee makes no trace of delay to give it to God, such preparedness of the devotee is called real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, instead of always doing service to God by intellectual analysis of knowledge and mental devotion through mind, if one does both types of practical Karma Yoga or practice (i) Karma Saṃnyāsa or sacrificing physical energy in service and ii) Karma Phala Tyāga or sacrificing fruit of hard work) to the most possible extent to please God, such practical sacrifice of devotee is called as the real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, if a devotee treats spiritual knowledge and devotion as the external body and treats the practical sacrifice or Karma Yoga as his/her inner life and is anxious about the protection of the health of both, such anxiety is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, the devotee is called as ‘Paramahaṃsa’ when these worldly affairs look like mud ponds of pigs, before the bond with God, which is like divine nectar. Such firm decision of such devotee is called the real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, when Uddhava preached some philosophy, Gopikās replied that there is no space in their minds for the entry of anything else other than God Kṛṣṇa. Such devotion of Gopikās is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, the devotee called as Saktuprastha was fasting along with family for the past ten days in a drought and when he got a little food one day, he sacrificed the entire food to God, who came in disguise. Such sacrifice is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, a hunter devoted to God Śiva found His two eyes were bleeding in the Śva liṅgam (a representative wave-like stone model of God Śiva) and he plucked his both eyes with his arrow to replace the wounded eyes of God Śiva. Such sacrifice is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, Prahlāda did not shake even once to leave his devotion to God Viṣṇu even though his father, demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, tortured him in several ways. Such devotion is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, Rādhā, even though married Ayanaghoṣa, did not allow her husband even to touch her due to climax love on God Kṛṣṇa till her death. Such devotion is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, Siriyāla was prepared to kill his son and give him as food to God Śiva, who came in disguise as Kāpālika and desired so. Such sacrifice is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, Hanuman tore His chest, telling that God Rāma can be seen, who is present in His heart and showed Rāma in His heart by tearing His heart with His own nails. Such devotion is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, Lakṣmaṇa, younger than Rāma, left his wife and went to the forest to serve Rāma, who is enjoying with His wife Sītā in the asylum and served Rāma without eating and sleeping for 14 years. Such devotion is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, when Rāma came in a tired condition to the asylum of Śabarī, she tasted the fruits to confirm that they were sweet and then only offered to Rāma. Such climax of faithful love is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, five-year age-innocent concentration of Dhruva initiated by Sage Nārada himself, who is the chief preacher of devotion, is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, when the milk was absent in the house, the mother of Upamanyu advised her son Upamanyu to ask God Śva for the milk. Upamanyu cried for God Śiva with climax emotion and love. Such devotion is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, the child Mārkaṇḍeya embraced Śiva Liṅgam, crying for God Śiva while God Yama was trying to cause death to him by dragging the life out of him. Such emotional cry for God is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, Sudāmā was suffering with fasting due to poverty, but still, he did not beg anything from God Kṛṣṇa and sacrificed a little flattened rice. Such sacrifice of fruit of work, which is flattened rice brought on loan from a neighbour is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, Gautama Buddha realised the temporary strongest worldly bonds in one night and broke all the three bonds (wife, children and wealth/kingdom) in one attempt. Such determination in sacrifice is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, Śrī Śaṅkarācārya left His mother while He was eight years old for the sake of propagation of spiritual knowledge, although His mother was alone without any assistance from other relatives (since she was boycotted by relatives). Such sacrifice is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, Śrī Rāmānujācārya while studying the meaning of the Veda was taught that one Vedic hymn says that the eyes of God Viṣṇu were as red as the anus of the monkey and also as lotus flowers (Tasya yathā kapyāsaṃ puṇḍarīkam evam akṣiṇī). By this meaning, He started weeping with a lot of tears flowing from His eyes. He rejected this simile of the red anus of the monkey for the word ‘kapyāsaṃ’ and gave the meaning for “kapyāsam…” as the sun blossomed lotus flowers. Such weeping of Śrī Rāmānuja is called as real devotion to God.]

 

[As per Datta Swami, Śrī Madhvācārya was always weeping by shedding tears with emotionally vibrating body while reciting the prayer of Viṣṇusahasranāma Storam with a lot of dedication. Such emotion on God and pious tears of Śrī Madhvācārya are called as real devotion to God.]

 

[If you take some of the meanings of the root word ‘Bhaja’, we get some selected meanings, which are attainment, service and loving worship. When we dedicate these three meanings to God from the side of devotees, the word ‘Bhakti’ results.]

 

[When the verbal root (Dhātu) ‘Bhaj’ is combined with the suffix (Pratyaya) ‘Ktin,’ the word ‘Bhakti’ results. For this word, the other two selected meanings are knowledge and surrender. Both these meanings are also added to the above-said three meanings. Finally, the word bhakti stands for five meanings: i) attaining God, ii) serving God, iii) worshipping God with love, iv) knowing God and v) total surrender to God. Hence, the word ‘Bhakti’ stands as a representative of all these five meanings amalgamated together.]

 

[After attaining God very closely (Yoga), serving God by sacrificing physical energy (Sevā) is also called as Karma Saṃnyāsa. Then, the full details of God are studied and known (spiritual knowledge). Then, God is practically worshipped with full theoretical devotion. The practical worship means sacrificing the fruit earned by hard work (Karma Phala Tyāga) along with sixteen modes of worship. The final step is total surrender (Sarvasva Śaraṇāgati) and in this step also, sacrificing the fruit of work is added.]

 

[There are three steps to establish devotion to God:- i) To hear the spiritual knowledge from Sadguru or Human Incarnation of God. ii) To repeatedly think about the spiritual concepts with logical analysis. iii) To achieve faith through assimilation of spiritual knowledge resulting in the end of the second step called realisation of the concepts, which are unshaken throughout life.]

 

[There are nine practical steps in Bhakti or devotion to God:- i) Hearing about God, ii) Singing about God, iii) Always remembering God only, iv) Bending before God, v) Doing worship to God, vi) Falling on the feet of God, vii) Doing all types of service to God, viii) Developing friendly attitude with God and ix) Total self-surrender to God.]

 

[To hear the spiritual knowledge, Sadguru or the Contemporary Human Incarnation must be selected after deep search. If Sadguru is not identified (He comes in every generation), it is better to select the path of spiritual knowledge preached by a past Sadguru, which is available in the form of writing. If you happen to catch only a guru (a human scholar), you must question him in every concept comparing with the original scripture given by a Sadguru and you shall not blindly follow a guru, who may go wrong in certain complicated concepts.]

 

[Sadguru means directly the ultimate God coming in human form and the knowledge of the Sadguru in written form is the authority. Similarly, the Bhagavad Gītā of God Kṛṣṇa, the Brahma Sūtras of Sage Vyāsa and the Upaniṣads written by Sages and the three commentaries written on these three sacred books called ‘Prasthāna Traya’ by the three Divine Preachers called Śrī Śaṅkara, Śrī Rāmānuja and Śrī Madhva are also the ultimate authorities.]

 

[Thinking and analyzing the concepts heard or studied must be done continuously in the association of scholars in logic and spiritual knowledge. Still, if any doubt stands unsolved, you must resolve the doubt in the presence of Sadguru only or with the help of the scripture written by Sadguru.]

 

[One must know the essence of the meaning of the word ‘Gāyatrī’ and must always be singing devotional songs, which are like the natural streams of a waterfall. For this divine singing, you need not worry about rules of music provided your singing is full of devotion to God. You need not think that learning the music-scripture is essential for singing on God. Singing should be natural with full of love on God.]

 

[If a devotee leaves the worldly affairs and always remembers God, His qualities and His stories, it means that God alone is always dear to the devotee and this step is called as Smaraṇam or remembrance. God Datta is called ‘Smartṛgāmī’, which means that if you remember Him, He immediately comes close to you.]

 

[Whenever you see the Sadguru, who is God in human form, you must fall on His lotus feet and press His feet for some time as a service to Him with full respect. This is called as ‘Pāda Sevanam’.]