Post by Amritha Varshini on Sept 3, 2013 19:32:01 GMT 5.5
Jnana, the ideal path of devotion
Article by Sri V.S. Krishnan (vsk1940@gmail.com)
Every devotee remains in different levels of perception and understanding. It is the Guru who awakens his consciousness and kindles the light of knowledge. The Guru helps the devotee in fulfilling his Karma Vasanas, in purifying the mind of the devotee and directing him to the Lotus Feet of the Lord.
Devotion involves loving God, but mere loving of God is not enough. The devotee should be able to know God, realize God and experience God which is possible by means of knowledge (Jnana) imparted through a Guru. God Himself has taken the role of a Guru and taught this doctrine to his chosen devotee, Namdev. Namdev was born in a Maharashtra family and got married at the age of 11. He came under the influence of Bhakti movement led by Jnanadev from Pandharpur. His devotion towards Lord Vittobha was overwhelming and he even maintained a channel of communication with Lord Vittobha. Being highly devoted and dedicated, he experienced the presence of Vittobha and even exchanged his thoughts with Vittobha. But he erred slightly; he thought he was self-sufficient in his devotion and needed no knowledge or advice from any Guru.
Once, during a Satsang, another devotee, Gora Kumbhar, a potter by profession, was asked to ascertain who among the assembled had attained full devotional maturity. Gora Kumbhar went to different persons, patted on their head with the piece of stick which he used to test his potteries and depending upon the sound heard made remarks like “matured’, “not matured”, “not sufficiently matured” etc. He then came to Namdev, patted on his head and said “half-matured”. Namdev felt humiliated, rushed to Vittal, the Lord with whom he was in the habit of expressing his emotions and narrated the incident. Namadev then heard the Lord’s voice: “I have come to you earlier in different forms. Once I came as a friend and gave ornaments to be offered to the girl you were to marry. Later, at the time of delivery of your wife, I came as a helper. On another occasion, I came in the form of a businessman and helped you in conducting the ear-piercing ceremony of your child. But on none of these occasions, you were able to recognize me. Your devotion may help you to reach me but only Jnana can help you to know me. Go to Visobha Khechar, a disciple of Jnanadev, who lives in a village called Avandhya”.
Namdev then went to the village, took shelter in a temple and rested there for a while. Then, he saw a man sleeping with his feet resting on the Siva Linga. “What an audacity!’ thought Namdev. He woke up the man and admonished him by saying that he was desecrating the Linga by placing his feet on it. “If you think it is wrong, please do me a favour”, Visobha replied with a smile. “I am too old and weak. You please lift my feet and place them in another spot”. Namdev then took the feet of Visobha in his hands and as he tried to place them in another spot, he found a Linga there too. Wherever he tried to place Visobha’s feet, he found a Linga there. All along, in his search to find a spot devoid of Linga, he was holding Visobha’s feet. Then the realization dawned on Namdev that God is everywhere and He permeates throughout the universe. He then realized that he has found his Guru. He surrendered before Visobha and requested to accept him as his disciple. Visobha formally initiated Namdev to sainthood, set ‘Self-Realisation” as the goal of life and advised the path that leads towards it. He also advocated the value of Nama Sangeerthan as the ideal way to reach the Lotus Feet of God.
Namdev composed innumerable songs known as Abhangs. He went on a long pilgrimage along with saint Jnaneswar to highlight the glory of Nama Sangeerthan. “Oh Panduranga, let this body remain or perish but let my devotion towards you live on forever. My only refuge is your Lotus Feet. My tongue should ever utter your divine names like ‘Panduranga’, ‘Vittala’ . (Deha Javo Athava Raho, Pandu Rangeem Druda Bhavo, Sarana Sotim Sarvatha Anathuji Pandari Natha,…)
Though Namdev was an ardent devotee and he received the grace of God, he could not experience God without the help of a Guru. The incident when Namdev held the feet of Visobha in his hands marked the transformation that has taken place in Namdev’s life. That moment, when he held his Guru’s feet in his hand, he was placed on the right track to God. It showed that a Guru alone can escort you to the doors of God. God had appeared before him many times in different forms but he could not recognize. Now after he received the grace of Guru, he could not only see but also experience God within. Soon, he realized that the Guru who manifested before him was none other than Panduranga and he himself was reflection of Panduranga. There was no seer or the seen. There was no duality. There is only Panduranga.
[/div]Devotion involves loving God, but mere loving of God is not enough. The devotee should be able to know God, realize God and experience God which is possible by means of knowledge (Jnana) imparted through a Guru. God Himself has taken the role of a Guru and taught this doctrine to his chosen devotee, Namdev. Namdev was born in a Maharashtra family and got married at the age of 11. He came under the influence of Bhakti movement led by Jnanadev from Pandharpur. His devotion towards Lord Vittobha was overwhelming and he even maintained a channel of communication with Lord Vittobha. Being highly devoted and dedicated, he experienced the presence of Vittobha and even exchanged his thoughts with Vittobha. But he erred slightly; he thought he was self-sufficient in his devotion and needed no knowledge or advice from any Guru.
Once, during a Satsang, another devotee, Gora Kumbhar, a potter by profession, was asked to ascertain who among the assembled had attained full devotional maturity. Gora Kumbhar went to different persons, patted on their head with the piece of stick which he used to test his potteries and depending upon the sound heard made remarks like “matured’, “not matured”, “not sufficiently matured” etc. He then came to Namdev, patted on his head and said “half-matured”. Namdev felt humiliated, rushed to Vittal, the Lord with whom he was in the habit of expressing his emotions and narrated the incident. Namadev then heard the Lord’s voice: “I have come to you earlier in different forms. Once I came as a friend and gave ornaments to be offered to the girl you were to marry. Later, at the time of delivery of your wife, I came as a helper. On another occasion, I came in the form of a businessman and helped you in conducting the ear-piercing ceremony of your child. But on none of these occasions, you were able to recognize me. Your devotion may help you to reach me but only Jnana can help you to know me. Go to Visobha Khechar, a disciple of Jnanadev, who lives in a village called Avandhya”.
Namdev then went to the village, took shelter in a temple and rested there for a while. Then, he saw a man sleeping with his feet resting on the Siva Linga. “What an audacity!’ thought Namdev. He woke up the man and admonished him by saying that he was desecrating the Linga by placing his feet on it. “If you think it is wrong, please do me a favour”, Visobha replied with a smile. “I am too old and weak. You please lift my feet and place them in another spot”. Namdev then took the feet of Visobha in his hands and as he tried to place them in another spot, he found a Linga there too. Wherever he tried to place Visobha’s feet, he found a Linga there. All along, in his search to find a spot devoid of Linga, he was holding Visobha’s feet. Then the realization dawned on Namdev that God is everywhere and He permeates throughout the universe. He then realized that he has found his Guru. He surrendered before Visobha and requested to accept him as his disciple. Visobha formally initiated Namdev to sainthood, set ‘Self-Realisation” as the goal of life and advised the path that leads towards it. He also advocated the value of Nama Sangeerthan as the ideal way to reach the Lotus Feet of God.
Namdev composed innumerable songs known as Abhangs. He went on a long pilgrimage along with saint Jnaneswar to highlight the glory of Nama Sangeerthan. “Oh Panduranga, let this body remain or perish but let my devotion towards you live on forever. My only refuge is your Lotus Feet. My tongue should ever utter your divine names like ‘Panduranga’, ‘Vittala’ . (Deha Javo Athava Raho, Pandu Rangeem Druda Bhavo, Sarana Sotim Sarvatha Anathuji Pandari Natha,…)
Though Namdev was an ardent devotee and he received the grace of God, he could not experience God without the help of a Guru. The incident when Namdev held the feet of Visobha in his hands marked the transformation that has taken place in Namdev’s life. That moment, when he held his Guru’s feet in his hand, he was placed on the right track to God. It showed that a Guru alone can escort you to the doors of God. God had appeared before him many times in different forms but he could not recognize. Now after he received the grace of Guru, he could not only see but also experience God within. Soon, he realized that the Guru who manifested before him was none other than Panduranga and he himself was reflection of Panduranga. There was no seer or the seen. There was no duality. There is only Panduranga.