BHAKTI MARG IS THE BEST FOR ATTAINING GOD: JIYAR SWAMI

ARA (RNI) At Paramanpur Chaturmasya Vrat Sthal, India's great sage Saint Shri Lakshmi Prapannam Jiyar Swami Ji Maharaj said that Bhakti is the only means through which a person can attain God's abode. When a person gets absorbed in God through Bhakti, then there is no possibility of him going astray in any way. Under Shrimad Bhagwat Katha, on the holy banks of Ganga, King Parikshit is asking Shukdev Ji that what should the sage, whose death is certain, do.

For the last several days, Shukdev Ji has been enlightening King Parikshit on Mantra Yoga, Laya Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga and many other paths. But Shukdev Ji says that King Parikshit, in all the yogas we have told you, a person can sometimes go astray. But Bhakti is such a medium through which a person does not have ego, hatred, anger, greed, lust.

In all the other paths shown for attaining God, we try to hold on to God. But sometimes there can be a possibility of losing it. Because when we try to hold on to something, it can slip away. But when Param Brahma Parmeshwar Bhagwan Shriman Narayan holds on to something, it never slips away. There is no tradition of taking and giving in the path of devotion. There is only surrender in it.

We neither want to take anything from the world, nor do we have hatred towards anyone, nor do we have ego towards anyone, neither do we consider anything as ours, nor do we consider anyone as a stranger. Everything is the same in the path of devotion. That is why the devotee lives in the heart of God.

In devotion, the devotee does not make any kind of demand from his master. He only wants to give for his master. The way Bharat had devotion towards Lord Shri Ram, it has been told to do devotion in the same way. Bharat had devotion towards Lord Shri Ram. When Shri Ram Ji went to the forest, Bharat Ji was desperate to bring him back to Ayodhya.

At that time King Janak had taught Bharat the path of devotion. King Janak had said to Bharat that in devotion, the devotee does not ask anything from God. Rather, he surrenders himself at his feet. That is why you also surrender yourself at the feet of Lord Shri Ram.

Follow whatever Shri Ram commands you. At that time, the feeling of winning in Bharat's mind ended. That is why the path of devotion is said to be the best. The way a cat holds its child. In the same way, when God holds his devotees, the possibility of it falling ends.

Yagna, donation etc. are done for the worship of God. But there is a possibility of ego in it. By donating, ego can come in the mind of a person that we are the biggest donor. Many times even great kings have become egoistic. Once a king was a great donor. He used to donate cows. Suddenly a Brahmin's cow lost its way and went into the king's herd of cows. The king could not recognize the Brahmin's cow in that herd.

The king used to donate cows every day. Considering the Brahmin's cows as his own, he donated them. The Brahmin reached there searching for his cows. He saw that a person was taking away my cow. The Brahmin God said how are you taking my cow without permission. That person said the king has donated this cow to me. The Brahmin God said how can the king donate my cow. You come with me. Those two people reached the king.

The Brahmin said that king how did you donate my cow without my permission. The king said that Brahmin God, it is okay, we have donated your cow. You take another cow from me. I have no shortage of cows. You can take as many cows as you want. That Brahmin God was self-respecting. He did not take donations. He was a person who lived his life by working hard according to his deeds.

They said, "King, we will not take another cow from you. You will have to return the cow that belongs to me." The king said to the person to whom he had donated, "You take another cow and return that cow." The person who had taken the cow said, "No, no, we will keep the cow that we have taken. We will take this cow with us. You give the other cow to the Brahmin." Now no one was ready to agree.

The king got angry and started abusing the Brahmin God. "You have taken so much pride for one cow. We donate thousands of cows every day." In this way, he started using good and bad words. The Brahmin God was also proud. Angry, the Brahmin God said, "King, the cows donated by you have no importance. Because you are full of pride. Such donations have no meaning."

That is why sometimes there is a possibility of ego coming in life by donating. There is a possibility of ego coming in even after performing a yagya. Because even at that time, the person may have such pride that we are performing a yagya. There can be a possibility of deviation in it. But Bhakti Marg is such a path. By which, despite having everything, a man does not consider any object as his own. He considers it to be God's object. God is the only thing visible to him. Even if that object can be of different types.

King Nahush performed so many yagyas, havans, donations on earth, due to which he also attained the throne of Indra. When the same King Nahush attained the throne of Indra, then he became the owner of all the objects of Indralok.