Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 49

Dear All,

In the previous post, we read how God sends His messengers for guiding man for spiritual evolvement.

Swami Sivananda writes in this context, thus:-

          

MYSTERIOUS HELP FROM THE LORD

"Just see how the Lord has helped the devotees in the following instances. Eknath heard an Akasavani (a voice from the sky). It said, "See Janardan Pant at Deva Giri. He will put you in the proper path and guide you." Eknath acted accordingly and found his Guru. 

Tukaram received his Mantra, Rama Krishna Hari, in his dream. He repeated this Mantra and had Darshan (vision) of Lord Krishna. 

Lord Krishna directed Namdev to get his higher initiation from a Sannyasin (renunciate) at Mallikarjuna. 

Queen Chudalai assumed the form of Kumbha Muni, appeared before her husband Sikhidhwaja in the forest, and initiated him in the mysteries of Kaivalya (state of absolute independence). 

Madhura Kavi saw a light in the firmament for three days consecutively. It guided him and took him to his Guru Nammalvar who was sitting in Samadhi underneath a tamarind tree near Tinnevelly. 

Vilvamangal was very much attracted to Chintamani, the dancing woman. The latter became his Guru. Tulasidas received instructions from an invisible being to see Hanuman and, through Hanuman, to get Darshan of Sri Rama. 

Competent disciples are never in want of a competent Guru. Realized souls are not rare. Ordinary ignorant-minded persons cannot easily recognise them. Only a few persons, who are pure and embodiments of all virtuous qualities, can understand realised souls, and they only will be benefited in their company. 

So long as there is a world, there are Gurus and Vedas to guide the struggling souls in the path of Self-realisation. The number of realised souls may be less in the Iron Age when compared with the Satya Yuga (age of Truth), but they are always present to help the aspirants. Let each man take the path according to his capacity, temperament, and understanding. His Sadguru will meet him along that path. "

Now, to the next stage/ process. 

PROCESS 4 - Upto man, to take the guidance of  these great men

• Lord, out of His mercy, sends His great men of wisdom for the guidance of His human beings, for, the God knows that man otherwise will get lost in the glittering objective world.
• Spiritual masters come, they are given the mission by God to guide the vast humanity in spiritual path.
• It is one in a thousand or even a lakh who really strive to take the guidance of these masters.
• Master's writings, Master's gospel, Master's literature , Master's service - all of these are attractive to the men of this world but the world with its illusory attraction is so powerful that when confronted with 2 options - to follow the Masters or to follow the world, a man often fails to pick up the option of following the Masters and man gets lost in  the call of this world of wine, woman and wealth!!.

But for that one in thousand or one in a lakh who develops the conviction to follow the Master and treads along the path given by the  Master, what does the God give in return?

LAST AND THE FINAL LITTLE GRACE BY THE LORD

The Lord knows that His devotee can reach upto the penultimate step in reaching the Lord and  for climbing the final step, only the Lord can help him.

So, the Lord extends His little help to the devotee, holds his hand and takes him to His abode of peace, Prashanti!!

The expression "Little Grace by the Lord" has to be understood in its proper sense here.

The expression "little grace" is given in this sutra because, after extending their initial little grace in terms of sending His Messengers, Masters for the guidance of man, the Lord knows that the devotee, with his steadfastness, has followed the guidance of those Masters and with conviction, he has almost reached the penultimate stage in his spiritual height and now, he needs only God's hand, the last and a little grace, to cross this ocean of samsara and reach and merge with the Lord.

So, it is upto the effort of a devotee whether to take the guidance of Masters as per process 3 and 4 and reach the abode of Lord or to return to his stage prior to the taking the guidance of the Masters and lead a life of a man lost in his way and living in dark!!

Unfortunately, in this Kali age, number of seekers who really hold on Guru / God's teachings / instructions are very few in number and those who listen to the teachings, appreciate the same and then forget the same and get back to the world of Maya are maximum in number. This is perhaps the curse of this Kali Yuga!!!

Love.