Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 19

Sutra 8. Nirodhastu Lokavedavyaapaaranyaasah. 

(On the contrary control of desires means the resignation to the Lord of all worldly and scriptural activities.)

Nirodha: inhibition of desires

Tu: on the contrary

Lokaveda Vyaapaarasya: of worldly and scriptural activities;

Nyaasah: resignation or consecration (to the Supreme).

When divine love grows renunciation of action comes by itself. The devotee is God-intoxicated. He knows nothing but his beloved Lord. His mind is ever fixed on the form of his Lord. He is not capable of doing any action enjoined by the Smritis or the Vedas. All activities leave him of their own accord.

He sees nothing else but God. He speaks of nothing else but God. He does not listen to anything. He has no craving or desire. Sometimes his voice is choked. He sits silently. How can he work at this stage ?

Nirodha: The word Nirodha is not used here in the ordinary way as “restraint”. It is used in a special sense viz., Nyasa or ‘renunciation’, or ‘dedication’.

Loka Veda Vyaapaara: Renunciation of worldly activities and scriptural duties does not mean here the abandoning of such activities themselves.

We often take up a particular activity / we act in a particular way due to any of the following reasons:-

• Our religion and its related treatise prescribe certain actions/ certain way to act- Bhagwad Gita / Bible / Quran etc prescribe certain actions / restraints.
• There are certain accepted norms of the society / society or the people around us / the community expects us to act in a particular way
• If we do things in a particular way / if we take up some actions, then we will get appreciation from society.

How ever, what does Narada say about a Bhakta who is intoxicated in Love of God???

He says, the Bhakta is not bound by any prescriptions in scriptures, nor does  he concern himself about expectations of society from him, nor is he mindful of actions which will fetch him appreciation from  society.

Does it mean that he does not abide by scriptures/ social norms??

A true Bhakta, immersed / intoxicated in God's Love, does not act because scriptures impose / society expects such action from him, but he does everything good, everything that is honored by the society because HE IS GOOD BY HIS NATURE, He has become THAT which is  respected, accepted and loved by the world!!

Buddha, even when he was old and much later after attaining enlightenment,   used to go through all the daily duties/ practice that a young monk is expected to undertake in his initial period of training.

An young monk approached Buddha and said, " Master, you are beyond all these practice, why do you take up these practice"?

Buddha smiled and replied, " I am not taking up any practice, these practice have taken me over".

What did Buddha mean??

The rigorous practice in the initial years in renunciation has become a natural way for Buddha and he does not do any such action because the religion prescribes, but because, he spontaneously ended up acting in that manner!!!

So, a lover of God exists unconcerned about any prescriptions of religion / society  but he is essentially perfect, essentially so good that whatever he does / act / speak  are those actions / words which are prescribed as "Good" by religion / society!!.

Thus, even the distinction of sacred and secular (worldly) duty vanishes for a realised devotee. Every work is sacred to him. Every work is a sacred offering unto the Lord. Every work is an expression of his love for God.

He does not intend to subscribe to any norms but in his purity, he ends up acting pure and perfect and his actions are such which are hailed by religion/ by humanity / by society / by world at large!!

Love.