Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 42

Sutra 32 . Na Tena Rajaparitosha kshudhasaantirva.

[Not by that (by mere knowledge of things) does the king become king, nor does the hungry man become satisfied.]

Na: not

tena: by that

Raja: king

Paritosha: satisfaction  

Kshudhasaanti: appeasement of hunger

vaa: or.

Not as a result of the hearing of the news does the boy become a prince. He was a Prince already. No status was added to him by his mere hearing.

The pilgrim’s satisfaction is also there already. Nothing new was added to him by his return to his home.

Mere knowledge of the food and its ingredients cannot satisfy your hunger. You must eat the food. Then alone satisfaction will come and hunger will be appeased. Even so mere verbal knowledge of God cannot develop devotion and give peace.

The followers of the path of devotion oppose those who hold the view that knowledge is means for attainment of devotion by the aid of the above illustration. They say: “Mere knowledge of food cannot appease hunger; so also mere knowledge cannot develop devotion”.

A Prince, as explained in the previous Sutra, does not become a worthy Prince/ King only on knowing that he is a Prince. The worthiness is not guaranteed to him just by virtue of being born in Royal family. He has to be virtuous, generous, kind, just, brave, compassionate .., he has to process all such qualities to be a successful King. 

If he does not develop these virtues and becomes worthy enough to hold on to the throne, he may be dethroned by an enemy king or by his own people in his own kingdom.

What does this sutra teach a Bhakta??

• Mere visits to temple, singing kirtan, engaging in rituals, Poojas, garlanding God's idol / portrait, speaking on Devotion in a gathering, mere outward appearance as kind hearted, desireless  devotee, even few people praising someone to be a true devotee, does not make him a true devotee.
• The devotee should crave for nearing Lord and merging in Lord. The Devotee's heart should expand in Love. In that expansion of Love, the entire creation should be enveloped. 
• Even in the worst phase in his life, he must hold on to
  
  Lord and laugh away all the struggle and surrender to Lord and say, "O LORD, THY WILL BE DONE".
• Surrendering all thoughts, words, actions is not to be spoken like a parrot. In worst times or in best times, not being aware of one's individual body, mind and intellect and to exist just as a Lover of God, losing one's self to God, existing with that LOVE filled heart makes him a true devotee.
• Lord says, it is not enough if you call yourself my devotee, I should recognize you as my true devotee. Krishna has prescribed 26 qualities of a true devotee in Bhagwad Gita. Even to fulfill 4 to 5 of those 26 qualities at all times is most challenging in this Kali Yuga!!

Sutra 33. Tasmaatsaiva graahyaa mumukshubhihi.

[Therefore the path of devotion alone should be adopted by those who desire salvation.]

Tasmaat : therefore; hence; (since devotion is higher than the other paths);

hi: Saa: supreme devotion, that

Eva: alone (to the exclusion of the others)

Mumukshubhihi: by seekers of liberation

Graahya: worthy of being adopted (as the goal) .

In the foregoing 32 Sutras the nature of Para Bhakti has been described and explained.

The royal road to liberation is devotion to God. Devotion is a sure, natural and easy means to liberation.

There are few people who are really intellectual enough to grasp the subtleties of the metaphysics of Sri Sankara and can take up the path of Knowledge / SELF inquiry.

The path of devotion ends at the same point as the path of knowledge. Para Bhakti and Jnana are one. This has been explained in a previous sutra where, the author has given his own real life experience as to how Bhakti glides to the attainment of true Jnana on its own.

One must become a Mumukshu. One should pine for liberation. One should not desire anything else than the Lord. Then alone God will choose him. Then alone the Lord stretches out His hand to lift you up from the mire of this Samsara.

This has been  explained in the previous sutra in this post itself, when it just flowed from within, without realizing that the next sutra is talking about the same subject!!

With the 33rd Sutra, the part dealing with Para Bhakti comes to an end. All the remaining sutras of the book deal with the means for attaining Para- Bhakti and God-Realisation.

In the next chapter consisting of Sutras 34 to 50, the Sadhanas are mentioned.

Love.