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THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE.
solitude, caring for nothing, but attaining the realization of That : chastising himself through remorse and reproach for every shortcoming in Love, at length he reaches a great calm, a great serenity; he stands on the other shore.' He knows, he feels : his shoulders may become marked with the stripes that fall on those of others, but he suffers no longer : he is ever happy and satisfied. No words can explain that state, and because it cannot be expressed, except by negations, it is a mystery--the peace which passeth all understanding.'”
When this all-powerful, all-conquering devotion, producing Love for friend and foe alike, springs up in the heart, it becomes pure, and is then prepared for God-vision. Ardour in the worship of the Self, constant contemplation of his glory, the dedication of all actions to him, and the feeling of extreme misery in losing him from memory, are some of the signs of true Devotion. It arises from knowledge, in the first instance, and itself leads to the perfection of Wisdom.
As to the why and the wherefore of bhakti, Love is said to arise as the climax of a course of evolution. According to Srirûpa Goswami :
"First arises faith ; then follows attraction, and after that adoration. Adoration leads to suppression of worldly desires; and the result is single-mindedness and satisfaction. Then grows attachment which results in ebullition of sentiment. After this love comes into play."
The above is the quintessence and general summary of the views of the devotional schools of religion. We shall now proceed to investigate the nature of the main principles underlying this particular branch of Yoga. To begin with, bhakti, being a form of the emotion of
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