Devotion Is The Easiest Path To Attain God

On the morning of 24th April 1996, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba created a diamond which was two and a half inches in diameter and was as big as an apple. This was the diamond gifted by King Dasharatha to Lord Rama, which He wore on His turban during His wedding with Sita, told Bhagawan to the devotees who were wonderstruck to witness this unique creation by Him. Similarly, Bhagawan created in the afternoon Mangalsutram of Sita having a three-inch diameter ruby in its centre which had nine gems embedded around it. Bhagawan not only provided the rare opportunity to the students and devotees to see these unique creations closely, but also permitted them to touch them.

The Outpouring Of Prema Is Dharma

One may be the master of all forms of knowledge, 
One may vanquish one’s adversaries in debate, 
One may fight with valour and courage in the 
battlefield, 
One may be an emperor reigning over vast kingdoms, 
One may offer cows and gold as an act of charity, 
One may count the countless stars in the sky, 
One may tell the names of different living creatures 
on the earth, 
One may be an expert in eight steps of Yoga, 
One may reach even the moon, 
But, is there anyone who can control the body, mind 
and senses, turn the vision inward and achieve the 
supreme state of equanimity of the mind?

(Telugu Poem)

Embodiments of Love!

Lord Krishna declares in the Bhagavad-gita:

Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati Bharata 
Abhyutthanamadharmasya Tadatmanam 
Srijamyaham.

(Sanskrit Verse)

(Oh Arjuna! Whenever there is a decline in Dharma and rise in Adharma, I incarnate on earth.)

God incarnates to teach Dharma (righteousness) to man and to raise him to the divine level. Dharma itself therefore takes human form.

Where There Is Dharma, There Is Victory

Devotion is most important in the life of man. Unflinching love for God is true Bhakti (devotion). But people waste their life by their love for external worldly objects. Worldly love is not true love. This is sheer attachment, not love. Only love for God is true love. Intense love for God is real devotion. The outpouring of Prema is Dharma. One who understands Dharma will foster Prema. A person who develops love for God can follow Dharma easily. Dharma and Prema are twins. But man today has lost both these qualities. Life without Dharma and Prema is barren like a waste land.

At the time of Mahabharata war, Duryodhana went to his mother Gandhari, prostrated at her feet and beseeched her blessings for victory in the war. But Gandhari knew that Duryodhana did not follow the path of Dharma in his life. So, she did not give him her blessings for victory in the war in spite of Duryodhana’s pleadings for it. Her only blessing was: “Where there is Dharma, there shall be victory.” She did not say that he would be victorious. Later, Duryodhana went to his preceptor Dronacharya to seek his blessings. Dronacharya also said: Where there is Dharma, there is God; where there is God, there is victory.

God loves the devotee who follows the dictates of Dharma. When man has love and righteousness, the Divinity latent in him becomes patent. There is nothing higher than love for God. Man can realise God only through Bhakti (love for God). No amount of power and wealth can help man to attain the Divine. Duryodhana and Dussasana had enormous wealth and power, but they could not get the support of Krishna. Similarly, Sishupala and Dantavakra relied on their physical strength rather than on the Divine strength. So, they were ultimately destroyed. Take the case of Ravana and Kumbhakarna. They possessed enormous strength and wealth. Ravana was endowed with great capabilities. He was highly learned and affluent. But wealth and learning could not help him to get liberation. God can be attained only by devotion and love.

Man Can Attain God Through Love And Devotion

Kuchela was a childhood friend of Lord Krishna. He had a large family but he was mired in poverty. Therefore, his wife advised him to go to Dwaraka and seek the help of Krishna. The moment Krishna saw his old friend, He got down from the throne, ran towards him and hugged him with intense love. Kuchela was overwhelmed by the love and attention given to him by Krishna. When Kuchela went back home, his wife asked him as to what happened in Dwaraka. Kuchela said, “The moment Krishna saw me, He came running to me, He held my hands, looked at me with love from top to toe and embraced me tightly. What should I say and how should I say? He took the dried beaten rice from me and ate them, saying it tasted like nectar. How can I describe the love of Krishna in words”?

Though Kuchela did not ask Krishna for any help, Krishna gave enormous wealth to him to remove his poverty. God showers His grace on those who contemplate on Him with intense devotion. Sabari and Jatayu did not ask Rama for anything. They worshipped Him with great devotion. Rama performed the last rites of Jatayu unasked. He went to the hut of Sabari and showered His grace on her.

Sincere Devotion Moves The Lord

God is present in the entire creation. He assumes the form according to the feelings of the devotee. You can attain God only through love. Therefore, you should develop intense love for God. Then only can you experience Divinity. Worldly attachments and desires are the creation of the mind. Control of the desires and the mind is true devotion. Devotion connotes unconditional and limitless love for God. If you acquire this divine quality, you can easily attain God.

The word Bhakti (devotion) is derived from the root ‘Bhaja’ which means worship and service of God. It is the path which ensures total bliss. Sakkubai experienced bliss even when she was being put to physical suffering. She prayed, “Krishna, how long will I have to undergo suffering? Is there no justice? Don’t You have compassion? Am I not Your servant”? What was the suffering did Sakkubai undergo? She was suffering because she could not attain the proximity of God. There were many devotees like Tulsidas, Tukaram and Ramadas who all suffered for God.

Ramadas prayed to Rama, “Oh Lord! I am Yours. Why are You keeping distance from me? Have I done any wrong? I spent all the money collected by me to build a temple for You. O Rama, I got special jewels made for You. But Tanisha did not understand this. He punished me and put me in prison. I blamed You because I could not withstand the thrashing of Tanisha’s soldiers. Kindly excuse me”. Immediately, Rama and Lakshmana came in the form of servants and offered to Tanisha the amount of money that was due from Ramadas. When Tanisha asked who they were, they replied, “We are Ramaiah and Lakshmanaiah. We are the servants of _Ramadas_”. When Tanisha realised the truth, he went to Ramadas and prostrated before him. He understood what a noble person Ramadas was. It is the sincere devotion of a devotee that moves the Lord.

All devotees can experience bliss by means of devotion. The path of devotion is very easy. It does not involve any hard labour or a lot of money. It only requires true love for God.

God Manifests When You Pray With Pure Heart

Thousands of people attained God through devotion. The path of Raja Yoga and Karma Yoga is quite difficult, because it is not easy to control the mind. So, do not give up this simple path of devotion. It may appear to be difficult in the beginning. In fact, any new venture is difficult in the beginning. For example, when you learn riding a bicycle or motorbike, it appears to be difficult in the beginning. But it becomes easy when you continue the practice. You can get rid of your bad qualities by constant practice of righteous deeds. Then you can easily contemplate on God. This is the true wealth.

There was a devotee in Karnataka who spent all her time in the contemplation of God. She said:

Waves are the ornament for the ocean, 
Houses are the ornament for the village,
Lotus is the ornament for the lake, 
Moon is the ornament for the sky, 
But for the heart, love is the jewel.

(Telugu Poem)

She praised and worshipped God, saying, “Oh Lord! You are present everywhere. There is no place where You are not present. All names and forms are Yours only”. Since her heart was full of pure love, she could realise God in her heart. God manifests when a devotee prays with a sacred heart full of pure and selfless love.

Tyagaraja constantly chanted the Name of Rama. When his brother threw in the river Kaveri the idol of Rama which Tyagaraja used to worship, he went in search of it. He constantly prayed, “Where can I search You, Oh Rama? When can I see Your smiling face? Why are You punishing me like this? What sin did I commit”?

Some pure-hearted pilgrims carried Tyagaraja in a palanquin. Noticing this, some robbers decided to rob him considering him to be a rich man. Immediately, Rama and Lakshmana, armed with bows and arrows, manifested there and drove the robbers away. Tyagaraja was not aware of this impending attack by robbers and did not call out Rama for help. Instantly, the robbers fell at Tyagaraja’s feet. When he asked them why they were doing so, the robbers told him that two warriors with bows and arrows attacked them to save him. Tyagaraja was surprised but he understood the truth and prayed, “O Rama! You protected me from the robbers. The robbers got the boon of seeing You, but I did not”. The robbers saw Rama and Lakshmana but did not recognise them. However, Tyagaraja’s conviction that Rama and Lakshmana were always with him got strengthened by this incident. Tyagaraja went to the river Kaveri for taking bath. There he found the idol of Rama which had been thrown in the river. Then Tyagaraja sang, “O Rama! Come, home. I will worship You. O son of Dasharatha! I can no longer bear the separation from You”. Then he experienced the vision of Rama.

Only A True Devotee Attains God’s Vision

Out of all the people in the whole world, only the devotee of God can attain His vision. Many learned persons have thorough knowledge of the scriptures, but mere learning does not help a person to have the vision of the Lord. It is pure love that makes God manifest before a devotee. The entire universe is contained in the word Prema. Except Prema, nothing else of value exists in the universe. The path of love is the supreme path for attaining God. The unbroken flood of love bestows happiness on all. This is the easiest path to attain God for the entire mankind. There are three main principles of love: don’t ask, always give and do not take, and be happy. Man’s happiness depends upon following the path of love. God too will be happy when you follow the path of love. He will then make you dance in the ecstasy of love.

Everything is contained in the Name, Rama. Chanting of the Name of Rama removes all bad qualities and burns all sins. The word Rama consists of three letters: Ra, A, Ma. Ra stands for fire, which has the potency to burn all sins, A stands for the sun which dispels all darkness and Ma stands for the moon which cools and pacifies the mind. So, chant the Divine Name of Rama wholeheartedly. It is the greatest Mantra for man’s liberation.

Man can connect with God by chanting His Name. Here is a small story to illustrate it. Once a big function was organised to inaugurate the supply of water to villagers. A water tank was built and a golden tap was fixed with the tank. Some high dignitary was invited as Chief Guest to inaugurate the supply of water by opening the golden tap. A large number of villagers gathered there to witness the function. However, when the Chief Guest opened the tap, the water did not come out of the tap. The reason was that the organisers forgot to open the valve which connected the tank with the river which was the source of water. The source is God, the tap is the devotee and valve that connects the devotee with the source is the Name of God. Unless the connecting value is opened, the grace of God in the form of water cannot flow. When the devotee connects with God by chanting His Name, Divine grace flows towards him.

Man Can Experience Divinity By His Divine Feelings

Many devotees like Ramadas, Gora Kumbhar and Sakkubai attained the grace of God by chanting His Name. Pothana was another great devotee and scholar who composed the Bhagavatam in Telugu. Though his brother-in-law Srinatha asked him to dedicate his Bhagavatam to the king, Pothana refused to do so as he had dedicated it to Rama. In his anger, Srinatha put the house of Pothana on fire. Everything in the house was burnt except the Bhagavatam composed by Pothana. At that time, Pothana had gone out and his son was ploughing the field. When Srinatha passed that way, Pothana’s son enquired about his well-being. To this, Srinatha replied that there was no dearth of his well-being and it was sufficient if he looked after the welfare of his father’s family.

When Pothana desired to write the Bhagavatam, he was not able to complete the first stanza of the book though he had composed the last part of the book which read “Rama is everything”. Pothana left the book open in its incomplete form and went to take bath in the river. When he returned, the incomplete stanza left by him was completed by Rama. This is how God helps His devotees unasked. Do you need a lamp to see the moon on a full moon night? No, you can see the moon by the light of the moon itself. Similarly, man experiences Divinity by his own divine feelings. The relative who does not help in need, a companion who is ignorant and unlettered and a horse that cannot run should be left immediately. But people do not follow these principles and suffer in life. They miss the correct path because of their distorted vision. Here is a small example. Once a teacher was teaching mathematics, but a student in the class was looking elsewhere. When the teacher asked him how much he had got, meaning how much he had grasped, the student replied that only the tail was left because he was looking at a rat entering a hole in the ceiling. This is the state of man today who does not pay attention even if he is made aware of the straightforward path.

Forty years ago, the Maharaja of Mysore, Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, Ramaswamy Mudaliar, Lakshmanaswamy Mudaliar, the mother-in-law of the Maharaja and some others came to Swami. All of them then visited Chamundeswari Temple. The mother-in-law of the Maharaja was seventy years old, but she had never visited the temple earlier. She did not realise the importance of the temple because it was very close to her house. When something is close to us, we do not understand its value. We do not recognise the value of our eye. But we realise it when we lose our eyesight. Many people come to Swami. But they do not realise the value of Swami’s grace when they get everything from Him. Such type of people cannot be called human beings at all.

Bhagawan brought His Discourse to a close with the Bhajan “Prema Mudita Manase Kaho Rama Rama Ram”.

– Bhagawan’s Divine Discourse in Sai Sruthi, Kodaikanal on 24th April 1996.