Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 70

Sutra 64. Abhimaanadambhaadikam tyaajyam.

[Egoism, hypocrisy and other vices should be given up.]

Abhimaanadambhaadikam: egoism, hypocrisy and other vices

Tyaajyam: should be given up.

Egoism, hypocrisy etc., are the enemies of devotion. They should be totally annihilated.

It is difficult to give up these evil traits by effort. The proper remedy is to divert their courses. Cultivation of the opposite virtues viz., humility, modesty, simplicity will easily remove them.

Egoism creates a barrier between man and man. An egoistic man separates himself from others.

Hypocrisy is pretending to be what one is really not. A hypocrite feigns or pretends. He pretends to be a pious devotee. He pretends to possess virtues which he does not actually possess. He puts on a false appearance.

“Aadikam” etc. By adding etc., after Abhimaana and Dambha, Devarishi Narada has made an indirect reference to the other evils coming under the head of the demoniacal qualities. Therefore all the demoniacal traits should be given up by the devotee. 

Giving up all these evil qualities is easier said than done. So, what a devotee in his early stage in devotion has to do??

The devotee has to ignore these evil qualities in him and even when they are there in him, he has to Love God with all his earnestness, all his sincerity, all intensity.

The essential nature of a man is Love. Man is as divine as God and therefore, his nature has to be that of the Lord - LOVE.

That essential nature has been clouded by all these so called evil qualities as mentioned in this sutra.

He was and he is Love. His nature - Love, has been clouded

by Ego and its children in the form of Hypocrisy, Hatred, Attachment, Fear etc.

The cure for all this is again only Love. 

He has to find his essential nature Love by starting to love God, only to discover that he was ever the same - Love.

Sutra 65. Tadarpita akhila achaarah san kaama krodha abhinmaanaadi Tasminn eva karaneeyam.

[Having once dedicated all activities to God, he (the devotee) should show (if at all) his desire, anger, egoism, etc., only to Him.]

  

Tadarpita-akhila-aachaarah: one who has dedicated all activities to Him

San:  being

Kaama-krodha-abhimaana-adikam: desire, anger, egoism etc.

tasmin: with reference to Him

eva: alone

Karaneeyam: should be employed or shown or cherished.

The Sutra starts with  the expression  "Desire, Anger, Egoism etc."

This denotes the 6 vices - Kama (desire), Krodha (Anger), Moha (Delusion), Lobha (Miserliness / greed), Mada (Arrogance) and Unhealthy competitiveness (Matsarya).

All these arise from Mind. As long as mind is there, it is very difficult to get rid of all these 6 vices altogether.

And, it is difficult to transcend one's mind till the time one merges with God.

So, what is the solution??

Here, Narada advocates the  process of sublimating our mind and every one of our emotions and directing it towards God. 

All our actions internal and external should become a sacred offering unto the Lord. Then alone they will be transmuted and welded into pure devotion or Bhakti. 

Even if the devotee has desire and cannot get away from attachment, here, Devarishi asks such a devotee to direct all his desire, all his attachment towards God!!

The persistent thought of the Lord, whether in love or even hate, transforms the heart into a sacred shrine. Ravana hated Lord Rama. He attained a high state after his death because his mind dwelt constantly on the Lord.

Just as the Lord is the object of love of his devotee even so He is the object of the latter’s desire, anger etc. As no one else exists in the eyes of the devotee except the Lord, who else will become the object of these last emotions or impulses ?

Emotions which stand as obstacles in the spiritual path are changed into helps when directed towards God. Passion, anger, etc. get absorbed in the Lord.

The devotee who entirely depends on God can make Him the object of his passion, anger and pride.

In this context, The Author cannot help repeating this incident which was shared by  Bro. Hari Subramanyam in one of his talks.

There was a devotee who was going through a very bad phase in his life and he rushes to Puttaparthi to seek solace in Swami.

Swami, as He often does to bring out all the agony / all the anguish, all the sense of guilt of a devotee, ignored this devotee totally and did not come near the devotee.

The devotee goes and lies down on a railway platform and waits for train to crush him. The train does come in its time but at the last minute, the devotee is picked up and pushed out of the track by some unknown force. 

The devotee is now sure that Sai has saved his life, so he rushes to Parthi, only to be ignored by Swami.

The devotee is now angry with Swami to the core and then rushes again to the railway track, again lies down, again the train comes, again  he is lifted and placed outside the track by some unknown force.

This drama goes on for 2 to 3 times and at the end, Swami comes near him and says, "Bangaru, you have to lose your weight, every time, with your present weight, I cannot lift you like this, to save you"!!!

Swami then talks to him lovingly and says, "It is ok to be angry with Swami. Who else but Swami can take all your feelings, all your dirt within???. No one will bear all your anger etc. except Swami, so take them out and shower all  your anger to Swami only".

So, what would be the result at the end when the devotee directs all his vice qualities to Lord ????

We can very well understand what would have happened to the devotee at the end after he shows all his anger to Swami and Swami calls him and talks to him??

  

When one directs his anger against his own evil qualities, he is only purifying himself. 

The evil impressions will vanish. The Sattvic nature will fully manifest.

Love.