Friday, March 29, 2013

From Bhakti-Tattva-Vijñāna


     What is bhakti? In response to this question by the ṛṣis headed by Śrī Sanaka, the Śrī Gopāla-Tāpanī Śruti says, bhaktir asya bhajanaṁ tad-ihāmutropādhi-nairāsyenāmuṣmin manaḥ kalpanam etad eva hi naiṣkarmyam. “Bhakti means service or bhajana to Śrī Bhagavān that is devoid of all desires pertaining to this world and the next, with senses and mind absorbed in him at all times. This type of bhajana is known as naiṣkarmyam, or abstention from all acts and their consequences.” These words from śruti reveal the fact that since bhajana and naiṣkarmyam are of the same category, if a bhakta is engaged in bhajana, all of his desires for fruitive action are destroyed and his mind is freed from all secondary or nonessential relations, resulting in an overwhelming taste for Śrī Bhagavān’s sevā.


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