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RE: Digest bhakti.v004.n208

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Sudarsan.Parthasarathy • January 24, 2000 


Sri Raamajayam
Sri GopAla DEsika MahADEsikAya Namaha

Dear Sri.Balu,
              Adiyen have always asked these kind of questions 
to myself(out of realization these are important) and used to 
ask such questions to my maternal grandfather when I was young 
(since our PSBB school always encourage debates & and somehow I
 tried to be oversmart instead of being humble enough as to how
 to ask such questions from a learned person)

Regarding Bhakthi
'Bhakthi' is realization of the Ultimate goal(Sriman Naarayana), where we are(Samsaara), where we are going(rebirth in Samsaara, Sivapadam, Satyaloka,Paramapadam), where we should go, and having a resolve to attain the same(Vairaghya and Jnaana).  Having mentioned Bhakthi, Adiyen is tempted to say something on 'Para Bhakthi'.  'Para Bhakthi' is unfaltering Bhakthi, like Thaila Dharanam(Oil flow) flows inconsequential of the holes(surroundings, events).

Regarding specifics of "Vennai Unda Vaayan", "Maakan Chor" Sri Krishna,

Well beauty is in the eye that beholds.  So there is no true or false about what you perceive out of an event.   Azhvaars displayed 'Para Bhakthi' in any Bhaava(as a father, as a Nayaki, as a Mithra).  In fact taking the Lord in our responsibility as a father or Nayaki, the Azhvaars have been able to command the Lord(of course they did it out of deep love without any ego), and the Lord is "Sonna Vannam Seibhavan"('he does what he was told).  This is demonstrated in many Azhvaar Vaibhavam, like Thirumazhisai Azhvaar, Andaal etc.  We are not Azhvaars since our Bhakthi(if at all Adiyen have some) has not matured to 'Para Bhakthi' and we are not able to see our children/other children as the Lord being born to us.

My(Adiyen) two cents, based on what I have heard.

Sri Raamanuja Daasan,

Sudarsana Dasosmi

From: "Balu" 
Subject: About the Bhaktas and Bhakti
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 01:44:05 +0100
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Dear Fellow-travellers,

Avidly, and with great interest, have I been following our discussions. I
want to raise a question about which, I hope, you will do some thinking
before answering -- if at all. Is bhakti what the bhaktas do, or are people
bhaktas because they 'follow' (bad choice of words, but there is no other
way to put it) the 'bhakti marga', or is bhakti *neither* of the two? I mean
to ask you the following: is the bhakta moved because, for example, the
child who stole the butter happens to be the *Kannan*, or because the
*child*, who also happens to be the Lord, stole the butter? If it is the
first, it is *worthless*: it is the same as being a sycophant (as the
Americans would put it: one sucks up to ...). If the second, it is false:
surely, we are not moved to tears when our children steal and then lie about
it. When the mother gets to hear from a child: "'I' did not steal" and, as
proof, gets to see the 'vishwarupa' (in the mouth where the speech manifests
itself) and 'sees' the Cosmos (all that ever was, is and shall be) in an
'I' -- what is the question, and what the answer?

In the hope that bhakti will not become a show of sentimentality,

Yours truly,

Balu