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Who could concentrate his total attention on Paramatma following Bhakti Marg?
હરિનો મારગ છે શૂરાનો નહીં કાયરનું કામ જોને
પરથમ પહેલું મસ્તક મુકી વળતાં લેવું નામ જોને
Who could follow the spiritual path and pay attention with total devotion and dedication only to Paramatma? Above poetry says that the path of Paramatma is very difficult only the brave can follow it . No coward can attain HIM. As it demands the sacrifice of an entire life. The first condition is that one has to bow down and surrender to Paramatma. He has to sacrifice his beloved wife, property, and family and then he has to go for the selection of Bhakti yoga from Ashtang Yoga. It is very difficult to be detached from Prakruti in the form of beauty whether it is seen in woman or taste in food or beautiful sight fascinating eyes or sweet smell attracting to nostrils . Bravery is an ornament of a man. We can see many brave persons. You can even control a mad elephant and crazy SANDH सांढ. A brave one can hunt a lion and control hippopotamus but he cannot control his lust and passion, as it is said;
मत्तॆकुम्भदलने भुवि सन्ति धीराः केचित्प्रचण्डमृगराजवधेङपि दक्षाः।
किंतु ब्रवीमि बलिनां पुरतः प्रसह्य कन्दर्पदर्पदलने विरला मनुष्याः।।
As we have discussed in the previous chapter, to have control over the desires of physical bodily entertainment with the opposite sex is uncontrollable. A person can walk on the spiritual path only when he could control his sense and feel ashamed only the time till he is conscious about his greed.
सन्मार्गे तावदास्ते प्रभवति च नरस्तावदेवेन्द्रियाणां
लज्जां तावद्विधत्ते विनयमपि सभालम्बते तावदेव।।
And he could be full of manners only up to the time till he is awakening about the weakness of his lust and passion. Otherwise, when he is engaged with woman and lust, he would be drowned in the darkness of ignorance and he would see everything surrounding him as created to arose his lust and passion.
यदासीदज्ञानं स्मरतिमिरसं चारजनितं तदा द्दष्टं नारीमयमिदमशेषं जगदिति।
इदानीमस्काकं पटुतरविवेकाञ्जनजुषां समीभूतां द्दष्टिस्त्रिभुवनमपि ब्रह्म मनुते।।
But when his consciousness awakens, his eyes would shine with knowledge and he could see Paramatma in trio-world otherwise he would be inclined to the entertainment of his senses. When a devotee realizes that he has to follow only God and he has to be dependent only on Paramatma, he would be on the right path. As Tulsidasji says;
एक भरोसो एक बल एक आस बिस्वास ।
एक राम धन स्याम हित चातक तुलसादास।।
A devotee should have faith in Paramatma. He should trust hopefully only on Paramatma and pray only to Paramatma for his salvation. He should be like CHATAK चातक who waits for rains to quench his trust .It is known as pied cuckoo and is considered a harbinger of monsoon rains due to the timing of its arrival in India. It is said that he longs for rain so heartily that it seems as if awaiting wife longs for her husband who has gone a far way to earn money.
A desire to long for Paramatma becomes so severe as if it seems that a dying person longs for oxygen to breathe. When a devotee could not live even for a moment without Paramatma he could be said on the path of Bhakti Yoga. A nice example of longing for Paramatma is given in Bhagavad Katha. Once a wife of a devotee was doing worship day and night but she is worried about her husband as she has never seen him doing any religious rituals, Yagna, Nam jap, or Bhajan-kirtan. She herself doing all these day and night and thinks that her husband has no faith in Paramatma. Once her husband fell sick. During the night he was having high temperature, he started murmuring NARAYAN NARAYAN नारायण नारायण and his wife heard it. She was very much pleased thinking that at least in an hour of grief and sickness her husband recited Hari Nam NARAYAN NARAYAN. When in the morning, she told her husband that you were reciting Narayan Narayan in your sleep. Her husband was shocked. He felt very sorry and said, O God! You have to live with me, my breathing till my existence. You don't have to come out from my mouth CHHIDRA छिद्र- i.e. weakness of showing own self as a devotee; as I could not live without you. I could not bear separation from you even for a moment and he died at the same moment as if disclosure of his unique relationship with Paramatma in the world is a time of going back to HIM.
Paramatma is available to those who are involved in his Swaroop as Narshinh and Mira and lots of other devotees whenever they call Paramatma from the depth of their hearts, Paramatma rushed to them in the Swaroop they desire.A blind saint Bilva Mangal Das want to go to Vrundavan .It is said that Shri Krishna in the Swaroop of a cowboy came to him and told him to hold the stick and the other edge was held by him and they reached Vrundavan. When Shakubai want to visit Vithoba in Pandharpur and her mother-in-law locked her in the room to grind wheat into flour. Paramatma has taken the Swaroop of Shakubai and worked on behalf of Shakubai till she returns back home after Darshan of Vithoba in Pandharpur with the group of Saints and devotees. Shabri has faith in the words of her Guru and waited for Ram for most of the time of her life. Ahalya being cursed by her husband waited for Shri Ram are examples of longing for Paramatma and depth of faith in Paramatma's mercy and unconditional love and on the side, it shows faith without the least doubt in the heart of a devotee.
When a person offers various kinds of instruments to please Paramatma, he becomes full of pride and ego. He thinks that he has built temples, did charity, performed Yagna, or doing daily rituals and hence he could be eligible to attain Bhagavad Krupa- the blessings of Paramatma but Paramatma is not attainable through outer sources. He could be pleased only when a devotee longs for his Darshan and does his karma without desiring fruits and leaving its consequences on the justice of Paramatma. Paramatma wants devotees to serve HIM without selfish intentions. A Vaishnav devotee, when getting up early in the morning, he tells Paramatma. Let us wake up Krishna it is morning. Let us do the routine tasks. Let's have a bath, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Let us work for bread and butter. And at night let us rest. It means that he does everything with the feeling as if Krishna is his constant companion. He is with him 24*7 days and nights.
It is said that following Bhakti marg does not support the laziness of a person.If a woman goes to temple with SHODASHOPACHAR षोडशोपचार Poojanam to please Paramatma but she did not take care of or fed her kids, husband and old mother, father in-laws in the house, Paramatma would not be happy, as;
काकतालीयवत्प्राप्तं दृष्टवापि निधिमग्रतः।
न स्वयं दैवमादत्ते पुरुषार्थमपेक्षते।।
When a crow sits on the branch of a tree and a fruit drops in the mouth of a traveler sleeping under a tree is an accidental benefit. A person cannot live depending on luck or fate without doing any karma as Paramatma does not want any person to be depending on fate and be lazy. When a devotee desires his own welfare and salvation, Paramatma blesses him and when he wants to serve humanity and others with his knowledge and skill, intelligence, and labor, he would see Paramatma in everybody. Paramatma not only fulfills his mission but also stands by him in all the ups and downs of his journey as he remains with Arjun in the war of Mahabharat taking reigns of his chariot in his hands.
હરિ હળવે હળવે હંકારે મારું ગાડું ભરેલું ભારે
મેં તો લગામ દીધી હાથ હરિને હરિ ચાહે તો પાર ઉતારે
Then how to be eligible for Bhakti Marg?
Let us understand from Jagat Guru Shri Krishna and Surrender to HIM...