𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐝

"𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐝"

𝐉𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐝𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐮 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐁𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐣𝐢:

In his Shivabhujanga Stotra, Adi Shankaracharya says: अयं दानकालस्त्वहं दानपात्रं, भवानेव दाता त्वदन्यं न याचे ।

भवद्भक्तिमेव स्थिरां देहि मह्यं, कृपाशील शम्भो कृतार्थोऽस्मि तस्मात् ॥

This is the time for daana (charity). He (i.e., Shankaracharya) is the recipient and God is the giver. Shankaracharya prays that he wants firm devotion towards God, and nothing else; and that he would be most gratified by that. Here, it is important to note that Shankaracharya seeks firm and stable devotion in God, and not just ordinary devotion.

People’s devotion towards God wavers widely. Sometimes, they are highly devoted, and at other times, they lose all interest in God. This is not the type of devotion that Shankaracharya wants.

Krishna says in the Bhagavadgita -

चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन।

आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ।।

Many devotees visit temples. If we ask them the reason, the answers would fall into four categories. Some would say that they have serious difficulties, which no one has been able to solve; and that they have come to seek God’s blessings to overcome their problems. Some others would respond that thanks to God’s grace, they have no difficulties whatsoever; and that they have come to seek gnaana or vidya. A third category of devotees would answer that in spite of their best efforts and hard work, they are unable to earn enough, and always find themselves short of money. And that they have come to seek financial security. courtesy ahambrahmaasmi. org

And finally, there is a fourth category of devotees, who would say that God knows better than themselves as to what they actually require; and that there is no need for them to ask for anything. And further, that God has given them everything that is necessary. They have nothing further to seek. They have come only to have God’s darshan and convey their gratitude. They are quite confident that if there is anything more that they require, God will know about it; and will automatically fulfil the same on His own.

Finally, after describing the four categories of devotees, Krishna states

तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिर्विशिष्यते ।

प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः ॥

He explains that while He loves all His devotees, the gnaani is most dear to Him, in view of his unwavering devotion. The other three categories of devotees have a reason for approaching God, and may forget Him altogether, once their requirements are met with. On the other hand, the gnaani’s devotion is selfless, and therefore unaffected by any worldly matters.

In essence, the message is that we should surrender to God with a pure conscience, with the firm conviction that God is aware of all that we require, and that He will on his own provide us with the same; at the right time, and in the right manner. If we develop this kind of perspective towards life, we can in fact experience this actually happening to us. We would find that God provides us with the necessities on His own. The shastras do not say anything that cannot be experienced in real life. But we do not experience what is stated in the shastras, because we fail to make the necessary effort in a consistent manner.

- From An Anugraha Bhashanam at Hatti Angadi 2024

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