The Secret of Devotion (continued)
Here we should focus upon the effect of devotee Hanuman and king Surath's devotional rememberance of God. Being attracted by their single-minded devotion, God instantly came there. God's loving and single-minded remembrance has immense greatness. See the story of devotee Sudhanva, due to the effect of remembrance of God, even the extremely hot oil became pleasingly cold for him and also while fighting with Arjuna the effect of God-remembrance is seen in him from time to time
When Arjuna had remembered God and taken out three arrows and vowed "I will cut off Sudhanva's head with these three arrows; if I fail to do so then may my ancestors loose all their virtuous deeds and fall in hells", then Sudhanva too remembered God and vowed just the opposite "I will cut those three arrows with my arrows, and if I fail to do so, then may I suffer a terrible fate". God fulfilled both the vows that his devotees had taken with God-remembrance. For protecting devotee Arjuna, God gave up his virtuous Karma (Punya) of cow-service to the first arrow and ordered Arjuna to release that arrow. Arjuna released that arrow, but Sudhanva remembered God and destroyed that arrow with his own arrow. Then God ordered Arjuna to release the second arrow and also gave up his several other virtuous Karma to that arrow too. As soon as Arjuna released the second arrow, Sudhanva remembered God and instantly destroyed that arrow too. Now the third arrow remained, God gave up his virtuous Karma accumulated during his incarnation as Ram, and made Brahmaji sit at its rear end, Kaala (death) in the middle and He himself sat on the arrow's front end and ordered Arjuna to release the arrow. When Arjuna released the third arrow, then Sudhanva said to God - "God! I know that you yourself are sitting inside this arrow, now you give me refuge in your feet and gratify me". Saying this, he remembered God and broke that arrow into two halves with his own arrow. The rear half of that arrow fell on the ground and the front half, on which Lord Shri Krishna was sitting, flew and cut-off Sudhanva's head. Sudhanva's head came and fell onto God's feet. With the vision of God infront of Him, a light came out of Sudhanva's mouth and entered into God.
Therefore, with an eye on the effect of God-remembrance, we too should perform all our actions while remembering God. We should keep remembering God constantly even while performing our worldly tasks. However, we need to take special care that when we sit down alone for daily tasks such as singing God's glories, remembering Him, serving and worshipping him etc, then there should not be even the slightest rememberance of the world.
The following seven things are especially helpful in maintaining a constant and continuous remembrance of God - undivided love for God, company of saints, contemplative study of scriptures and spiritual texts, chanting God's name, doing prayers in praise of God, firm faith that constant remembrance of God will be there through God's grace, and an effort to carefully maintain that remembrance at all times.
If one follows the above seven things and remembers God and God alone, then all his obstacles and problems are destroyed and he attains God very soon. What to speak about the effect and greatness of God-remembrance -
yasya smaraNamAtreN janmasaMsAra bandhanAt
vimucyate namastasmai viShNave prabhaviShNave
'Merely by whose remembrance, man gets liberated from the bondage of coming and going (birth and death), I bow down again and again to that supreme Lord Shri Vishnu who is the creator of all'.
Narayan ! Narayan !! Narayan !!!
From book in Hindi "Jeevan ka Kartavya" By Swami Ramsukhdasji
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If in doubt regarding the translation, please read the original Hindi message by Swamiji.
FOR MESSAGE IN HINDI PLEASE VISIT Date : 14th November, 2011 – BHAGWAD BHAKTI KA RAHASYA