Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 72

Sutra 67. Bhaktaa ekaantino mukhyaaha.

[Those who have one-pointed devotion to God for His own sake are primary.]

Ekaantinah: single-hearted, those who possess one-pointed devotion to the Lord for His own sake, those whose only object of love is God

Bhaktaa: devotees

Mukhyaah: are primary.

Bhaktas who are exclusively attached or devoted to the Lord are the best of His devotees.

The body, mind, wealth and everything else become the property of God. He lives in the world as His instrument. His mind is absorbed in God. His eyes see everywhere and at everytime the Lord .

The Lord has settled in the eyes of the devotee. No one can enter his eyes now. Even sleep has no access there.

This was explained in the context of the Bhajan - Sai Aum Sai Aum Sai Aum in a recent blog where, "Nayan Nayan Mein Sai Aum" was explained.

He who has attained this primary Bhakti or absolute stage of devotion is called a Bhagavata or Sant (Saint). This primary devotion is not tinged with any worldliness or selfishness. The devotee does not long even for Mukti. He does not love God as a means to an end.

A description of the nature of a true Bhakta is given in Bhagavat (XI.14.14), “He who has resigned his mind to me, does not seek after the position of Brahma or that of Indra, or an emperor’s throne or lordship over Patala, or the attainment of Yoga powers, or even Moksha from which there is no returning ; for he desires nothing but Myself.” 

Such a one was Uddhava. Of him the Lord says, “Neither Brahma, nor Sankara, nor Samkarshana, nor Sri Devi, nor my own self is so very dear to me as you are.

“Just as fire growing into a flame turns all fuel to ashes, so devotion to Me, 0 Uddhava, burns out all sins.”

Single pointed devotion has been dealt exclusive in post 12 under Surrender theme, which is reproduced here.

SINGLE-MINDED DEVOTION

Single-minded Devotion – Craving nothing but God 

After the war in Lanka, Ma Sitaji presented Hanumanji with a

beautiful, precious pearl necklace as a gift of gratitude. Hanumanji proceeded to carefully examine each and every pearl – from top to bottom, from left to right. Then, he began to take the pearls off the string, one by one, bite them in half, again examine them thoroughly, and then throw them on the ground. Ma Sitaji could not watch this. Finally she said, “Hanuman – what are you doing? That is a very expensive, precious necklace I have bought for you. Why are you pulling off the pearls and breaking them?” Hanumanji replied, “I am looking for Rama. You have said these pearls are priceless and precious. If so, they must have Rama inside them.”

Swami
Chidanandasaraswati

Pearls (and diamonds and rubies and cars and money) are only precious if they are filled with God. If God is not there, it doesn’t matter how expensive the diamond is, it is still empty and useless. God’s presence in your life can turn stones to diamonds, but without God your diamonds are as worthless as stones. 

                       - (Swami Chidanandasaraswati)

Single minded devotion- Bhagwad Gita 

XI:53 

NAA HAM VEDAIR NA TAPASAA NA DAANENA NA CHE JYAYAA SHAKYA EVAMVIDHO DRASHTUM DRISHTAVAAN ASI MAAM YATHAA

Neither by the vedas, nor by austerity, nor by gift, nor by sacrifice, can I be seen in this form as you have seen me.

XI:54

BHAKTYAA TW ANANYAYAA SHAKYAM AHAM EVAMVIDHO RJUNA JNAATUM DRASHTUM CHA TATTWENA PRAVESHTUM CHA PARANTAPA

But by single-minded devotion can I, of this form, be known and seen in reality and also entered into, o Arjuna.

The wise student should endeavor to read such ideas together, and ponder the real inner meaning. 

Swami Venkatesananda

Austerity, charity, and self-sacrifice, are indeed most essential, not for self-realization, but for self-purification. 

With their help, we de-hypnotize ourselves, and overcome the hallucination of worldly life and sense-pleasure. 

Hence, Krishna wisely warns us in the eighteenth chapter that even the three purifiers should be performed without attachment. Dirt on the body is removed by soap but the soap itself should then be washed away.

Only by single-minded devotion can god be realized. 'ananya bhakti' means love or devotion in which there is no other involved. 

This devotion is not exclusive of anything, but all-inclusive. Here 'All' is a synonym for God. 

One who sees God, and God alone, everywhere, 'enters' into the reality, and swims saturated in his omnipresence.

(Bhagwad Gita commentary by Swami Venkatesananda)

Dear Ones,

We learnt from the previous posts on Attraction-Faith-Adoration and Worship that as the devotee engages himself in worship of his chosen God, the thought patterns get reduced and focused on the Lord alone.

When the focus on God gets total and complete, then the whole day, the whole life of a devotee is saturated with God’s thoughts and in that God filled mind, there can be no impressions left, out of all the activities undertaken by the devotee as a part of his artha, kama and dharma, as a householder, as an office goer, as husband /  wife / father / mother / child etc. 

Actions are performed, duties are discharged but the heart stays unmoved, not perturbed by anything that happens to a Bhakta!

Mira used to perform her duties in the palace and apart from her minimum duties, the entire remaining part of the day she used to be seated in the temple of Krishna, constructed as per her request by her father in law. She danced and sang- “mein ne leeno, govind mol mayi re mein ne leeno govind mol” (I gave myself to Krishna and in the barter, in exchange, I got Govind all to myself).

Actions are performed truly as an offering to God, obviously without expecting any results, only when the devotee reaches this single minded devotion.

That is the nature of Ekanta Bhakti. Ekanta means “having only one end.” That end is to be in the presence of the Lord always and ever doing service to Him. Such devotees have only one thought of God.

Love.