Bhakti yoga

A person who practices bhakti yoga, will gladly accept

whatever the Lord gives him. Kooratazhvan in his Varadaraja

Stava, said that he was not aware of what was considered to

be valuable or otherwise in the eyes of the world. But

whatever the Lord chose to give him, he would accept it.

Steadfast faith is the core of bhakti yoga. In the Gita, Lord

Krishna refers to bhakti yoga as rajavidya, said Valayapet

Ramachariar, in a discourse.

One meaning is that it is the king of sciences. Another

meaning is that it is fit to be practised by kings. This is not to

be taken as excluding those who do not wield power. It

means someone who cares for the welfare of others, for is

this not what a good ruler would do? The Lord also uses the word ‘rajaguhyam’, meaning secret to be shared only with those with pure minds.

Uttamam pavitram means that this bhakti yoga destroys all

our sins. Moksha is the goal of bhakti, and this bhakti yoga

which leads us to the Lord, is therefore, very dear to the

devotee. Bhakti yoga gives the practitioner joy, besides being

easy to practise.

Bhakti is said to be avyayam. When we do something to

attain a goal, the means is forgotten once the goal is reached. But bhakti continues even after we reach the feet of the Lord. It sustains itself- svayam rakshayati.

The Lord is never satisfied with the boons he confers on

His devotees. Krishna felt remorseful with reference to

Draupadi.

“I only helped her for her calling out to Me as Govinda.

But she used several of my other names as well, to call Me.

What did I give her for her utterance of those names?”

Krishna said