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What is True Devotion and How to Define It?

[24-01-2003] Showing devotion only when receiving the grace of God is not a true devotion. Showing love to those who benefit us is not a true love. When we are happy and show love to others, it is not called true love, because they are the cause of our happiness. It is our own love for ourselves. We love things and people, which give us happiness because we love ourselves. So, it is an expression of love for oneself, but not love for others. We do not love the people who neither give us happiness nor give us sorrow. Let us say, we found a stone in one place. That stone does not give us happiness. It is not causing sorrow either. So, we have no love for that stone. But if we stumbled over that stone, we throw it away with anger. So, instead of loving one’s own self, when will the actual love for others be revealed? When Swami blesses us by giving boons, our loving Him back becomes conditional and it is not true love. It is called complete and true love on Swami even when He neglects us and does not give any fruit for our worship. Besides this, what is called the truest and fullest love and service even when Swami shows anger on us? Despite Swami neglecting us and not giving us the fruit by causing us difficulties, if we still love and serve Swami, it is called the fullest and truest love. For selfish desires, He will not only reject the boons and keeps silent but also gives difficulties but still if we continue to love and serve Him firmly, it is the true love that we show on Swami.

Kārtavīrya approached Swami to repair his two faulty hands. But, Swami did not fulfil his prayers, instead He kicked Kārtavīrya’s hands with His foot and broke them. In spite of the insult by Swami, there was no change in Kārtavīrya's behavior to love and serve Swami. Though hands were not cooperating, he served Swami with his head. Swami was very much pleased for his true love. Similarly, when Lord Rama respected the washerman’s blasphemy and sent Sita to the wild forests, she did not scold Rama. Sita told Lakshmana, “Had not there been this foetus in my womb belonging to the dynasty of Shri Rama come in between, I would have left this life as it would have been wasted in His separation. After giving birth, I will do penance in the middle of the terrific heat of the five fires (Pañcāgnis). The goal of that penance will be that I should get Rama as my husband in the next birth.” See, she did not blame Shri Rama being a devoted wife, knowing that His actions are always justified. This is called true devotion.

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