Bhakti Ras

Living in Union with God

The Sanskrit word yog (योग) means:

1. 1. Union with God
   2. System that unites the soul with God

In other words, both the spiritual journey and the goal of human life is yog. So, when one treads on the spiritual path endeavoring through the system of yog, it results in a God-conscious life. Such enlightened individuals are invariably absorbed in God and engaged in His devotion. They are situated in the highest level of yog.

When We Surrender our Intellect to God, We Live in Him

This is an assurance that Shree Krishna gave to Arjun. Our scriptures are replete with such exalted devotees who lived in Him. Bhishma Pitamah, for example, was one such elevated soul. An episode in the Mahābhārat reveals that he was in constant and conscious communion with Shree Krishna, thereby living in the Lord.

After the Kurukshetra war ended, Yudhishthir was crowned as the king. One morning, Yudhishthir went for Shree Krishna’s darshan. Observing that the Lord was in deep meditation,Yudhishthir offered his obeisance and waited.

When the Lord came out of His meditation, Yudhishthir asked inquisitively, “O Lord, you are the Yogibhir Dhyaanagamyam (i.e., one who is attainable through devotional meditation). How come You are meditating? May I know who the object of Your meditation was?”

With a gentle smile, Shree Krishna answered:

शरतल्पगतो भीष्मः शाम्यन्निव हुताशनः ।
मां ध्याति पुरुषव्याघ्रस्ततो मे तदग्तं मनः ।।

śharatalpagato bhīṣhmah shāmyanniv hutāshanah
Mām dhyāti puruṣhavyāghrastato me tadagtam manah

“Bhishma Pitamah, lying down on the bed of arrows, is meditating upon Me. Hence, he attracted My mind.”

(Mahābhārat)

We struggle and coax the mind to fix itself on the Lord while going about our mundane activities. Whereas Bhishma Pitamah, lying on his deathbed of piercing arrows, was deeply engrossed in the alluring form of the Lord that was etched in his heart. He could recall the enchanting form of Shree Krishna on the battlefield, His lotus face glowing with beads of sweat, His flowing hair covered with the red dust raised by the hoofs of horses.

Only those who have been liberated from all material illusions can attain Bhishma Pitamah’s state of mind. To rise to this state, the very first step is to fix the mind on God and surrender the intellect to Him. The intellect analyzes and decides, and the mind creates thoughts in accordance with the intellect’s decisions.

“Surrendering the intellect means to think in accordance with the knowledge received from God via the medium of the scriptures and the Guru,” explains Swami Mukundananda.

To be in communion with God, tethering the mind to Him is a perfect spiritual practice. However, immediately after embarking on the spiritual path, it is an arduous task for a novice to achieve this perfection. How then, do we enshrine Him in our hearts?

Practice Remembering God

When we continuously endeavor to remember God with devotion, we can achieve the divine union. God descends in the world to give a basis for devotion, revealing His divine forms, names, virtues, pastimes, abodes, and associates. Each time the mind wanders to the worldly objects, we must fetch it back and engage it in God with determination.

With conviction, we have to repeatedly remind ourselves about the ephemerality of this world and the eternality of our relationship with God.

Despite our fervent efforts, success doesn’t come swiftly, as we easily get consumed by the worldly works. However, we don’t have to lose heart, as we can gradually achieve our goal by working for God.

Glorify God through Work

The God-realized souls perform all types of work within this world with this distinct thought:

करोति यद् यत् सकलं परस्मै नारायणायेति समर्पयेत्तत्

karoti yad yat sakalaṁ parasmai nārāyaṇāyeti samarpayetat

“This is for the pleasure of Lord Nārāyaṇa.”

(Śhreemad Bhāgavatam 11.2.36)

Identifying ourselves as the body is in our material consciousness. We regard ourselves as the doer of all work. We tend to forget that it’s the God-given energy which enables this body to pursue and accomplish the worldly works, ensuing pride of doership or proprietorship.

To lead a God-conscious life, along with the ceremonial offerings of fruit, flowers, etc., we must dedicate all works with loving attachment to God, instructs Sage Narad:

नारदस्तु तदर्पिताखिलाचारता तद्विस्मरणे परमव्याकुलतेति ।।

nāradastu tadarpitā khilāchāratā tadvismaraṇe paramavyākulateti

“Devotion means offering your every activity to God, and feeling intense separation if ever you lose remembrance of Him.”

(Nārad Bhakti Darśhan, Sūtra 19)

Customarily, people misconstrue that remembrance of God and offerings to Him should be made only in a temple or in the home-shrine. On the other hand, the enlightened souls dedicate each and every work to God to fix their minds on Him in all circumstances. When we perform all our mundane activities – ablutions, eating, drinking, walking, talking, attending to family members, or going about worldly business – with the intention of glorifying God, the temporal activities blossom into divine service of God. So, let us live in His consciousness by worshiping Him with every skill or talent that He has bestowed on us.

However, all the three ways (mentioned above) to live in union with God require a purified and resolute intellect. For those who have not yet arrived at that stage, there is an easier option.

Offer God the Fruit of Every Effort

When we perform all actions in a selfless manner, offering the rewards to God, we begin to live in His presence. This state of living, as the scriptures and saints have declared, is bhakti.  The Sanskrit word bhakti is derived from the root bhaj, which means to love and serve. Therefore, our real constitutional position is of an eternal servant of God. That is why, upon his arrival in Lanka, Hanuman announced, “Dasoham Kosalendraya – I am the servant of Lord Ram.”

Every soul is an eternal servant of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, the fruits of all our actions are not for our gratification; those belong to God. Hence, after listening to Shree Krishna’s instruction: सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च | sarveṣhu kāleṣhu mām anusmara yudhya cha (Bhagavad Gita 8.7) or “Always remember Me and also do your duty of fighting the war,” Arjun changed his consciousness. Earlier, his intention was to fight for victory, kingdom, and happiness. Later, his mind detached from the results and did his work was an act of devotion to Shree Krishna.

Peace will immediately follow when we renounce the fruits of our efforts to God, as it will help to remove worldliness from the mind and purify the intellect. Then, with that purified intellect, we will move to the higher levels of consciousness naturally, consistently, and blissfully.