ShirdiSaiBaba

Lastly comes the example of the rivers. The current of devotion is attained by losing one’s own entity or existence in that of the divine or the end of the course. The river is inevitably drawn down. Does water go back or upward? It is drawn downward and downward, and finally it meets the ocean. The waters of the rivers were originally part of the ocean, and after being held up in the form of water vapor, cloud and rain, they take the shape of a river. So, it is the oceanic waters that flow through the rivers and get back to their original source. The devotion of the river that was issued out of that immense, endless, infinite expanse called the ocean makes it get back to that ocean and be lost in it. Once the rivers Ganges, Indus, get in to the ocean, they cannot be segregated again as Ganges or Indus water. Purna laya is the end of the devotion and that is obtained by the jives surrendering themselves, that is, making atma nivedana, which is the last mode mentioned in the navavidha Bhakti. That is both devotion and also absorption. After that there is nothing further to reach.

Thus the various stages, attitudes, and relations of a Bhakta can be very well dwelt upon and learnt by studying the above illustrations and applying them to oneself.

A number of loving bhaktas are ever remaining in one’s heart who show how Bhakti achieves its ends. The end of Bhakti is not achieved by the offer of money to God or by mere learning or by age or beauty of a person; God does not want any of these. God wants only heart, that is, your self, and he will not be satisfied with anything else.

For the hunter Kannappa, what Achara or religious course of conduct had he?

For Dhruva, What was his age?

For the elephant Gajendra, what education or degrees and titles had He?

Had Vidura, favourite of Krishna, any qualification in respect of caste? He was the son of a slave or dancing girl.

For the king of Yadavas called Ugrasena, who was favoured by Krishna, what manliness had he? He was a great coward.

For Kubja, who was favoured by Krishna, had she any great beauty? She was deformed.

For Sudhama, known as Kuchela who also was favoured by Krishna, had he any wealth?