Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 64

Sutra 58. Anyasmaat saulabhyam bhaktau.

[The practice of devotion is easier than other methods (in the attainment of salvation].

Bhaktau: in devotion, with respect to divine love

Anyasmaat: than others, than any other

Saulabhyam: easy recognizability, the nature of being easily obtained.

Bhakti is easier than any other way of approach to God.

Karma, Yoga, Jnana are the three other paths. Bhakti is the direct approach to the ideal through the heart. Love is natural to everybody.

The practice of devotion is the easiest of all forms of spiritual practice.

Karma, Yoga, Jnana are the three other paths. It is only a help to knowledge and devotion. It purifies the heart of the aspirants. Vedic rites can be performed only by wealthy people.

KARMA YOGA

In the path of action, it is most important to get rid of Ego and avoid the sense of doer-ship. Also, it has to have the backdrop of devotion where one has to surrender his actions and fruits of his actions to God. This is easier said than done.

RAJA YOGA

Yoga is beset with difficulties and dangers. The Yogi gets powers and misuses and gets downfall. It is very difficult to practice  Pratyahara, Pranayama, etc.

JNANA YOGA

The pursuit of knowledge is dry for some, while that of devotion is sweet and enjoyable. Jnana Yoga demands vast study, sharp and subtle intellect, bold understanding and gigantic will.

Also, even when one enters this path, one has to acquire 4 qualifications - Viveka (discrimination), Vairagya (Dispassion), Shad-sampath (6 virtues), with all these three qualifications culminating in Mumukshatva (intense craving for liberation).

Again, these are not easy. It is Author’s experience that amongst those who started attending his spiritual sessions, while the initial sessions like Purpose of Human Birth, Surrender, Karma etc. were found interesting by them, as they had nothing to acquire and they had only everything to listen. But when it came to the session on these 4 qualifications, many of them left and never turned back again for more sessions.

BHAKTI/ DEVOTION

Bhakti can be practised under all conditions and by all alike, irrespective of age and sex.

Learning, austere penance, study of the Vedas, brilliant intellect are not needed for the attainment of Bhakti or devotion. What is wanted is constant and living remembrance of God, coupled with faith. That is the reason why the path of Bhakti is (Saulabhyam) available for everyone .

Bhakti is the easiest path because in Devotion, one does not have to acquire any qualifications, one does not have to indulge in intense austerities, one does not have to sit and meditate on something abstract.

A human being is nothing but Love, inside out. In devotion, one has to channelize one’s love from worldly object to God supreme and pray to God sincerely, wherever one is.

It is but manifesting of one’s inherent quality of Love and directing it towards the supreme merciful God who responds instantly to the call of a sincere Bhakta.

Speaking of devotion, Swami says,

“With the help of an analogy, we will be able to realise whether God is serving man or man is serving God. We imagine that man, Manava, is offering everything that he has for the sake of the realisation of God, Madhava. It is not difficult for man to follow the path and try to realise Madhava. 

Every discipline and every action which leads man to God is not difficult to be implemented. For instance, a Vedic Brahmin takes the holy water of the Ganges in the palm of his hand and offers the same water back to the sacred river. The truth is that he is not offering his property or his father's property or his grandfather's property but he is offering the holy water that he has drawn from the sacred river back to the river. 

Similarly, when we look at the objects offered by man to God, they are all created, preserved and bestowed upon man by God Himself. Man is not offering anything of his own, except when he is offering his devotion arising from his heart. God takes care of that devotee who completely surrenders himself with single-minded devotion at the lotus feet of the Lord. 

If one is intoxicated with divine love and forgets all worldly responsibilities, God will take upon Himself all the responsibilities of that devotee.”

(Divine discourse -May 1972)

Love.

PS:- 

1) The views expressed in this sutra is Narada's view.

2) This is not to undermine the path followed by Sage Patanjali (Raja Yoga) or Adi Sankara (Jnana yoga) or few other masters who have followed the path of Karma as their predominant path.

3) How ever, from Author's own experience in his sadhana over 45+ years in this birth, he can say authentically that even for progressing in the path of Jnana, background of devotion is required. 

Author was soaked in Bhakti for His Bhagawan Sai from his childhood. His long journey in the path of devotion had reduced the ego element in him, he had started getting more and more inward, his heart was full of ever expansive love for Sai and His creation and when he was ushered into the path of Jnana by none other than Sai, all that had to be experienced was the formless SELF in place of LOVE for God.

With sincere efforts, God showers grace for this replacement of Love with SELF or, LOVE + SELF or SELF that is LOVE.

Author can say very clearly that without the background of Bhakti for over 4 decades in this birth (and many more decades in many more previous births), it would / might have been very difficult to contemplate on an abstract God that is Atman and to discover that Atman within the heart.

Love.