World of Philosophy

SR No.: 007005
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan
Publication Year: 2011
Total Pages: 1002
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 30 MB

Page 486

मत्सम पातकी नास्ति पापनि त्वत्समा नहि।
एवं ज्ञात्वा महादेवी यथा योग्यं तथा कुरु "O, great Goddess, there is no sinner like me. Neither is there destroyer of sins like you, you know better than me my sinful nature and your sin-destroying power. Hence you see what is right (whether you excuse me or not) I have surrendered myself completely to you." What a fantastic arration ! This kind of narration of deep devotional feelings can never be presented by anybody except Shri Shankara. In other words, his perfect narration of deep devotional feelings has made him the greatest of the devotees. This is seen in all his hymns.
In his “Viveka Choodamani", Shri Shankara tells about Bhakti or devotion to God.
मोक्ष कारण सामग्यां भक्तिरेव गरीयसी। स्वस्वरूपानुस,धानं भक्तिरित्यभिदीयते ॥
Several ways are there for salvation. Several means are also there. Of all the means, devotional path is the great one. Shri Shankara has made this statement in a scientific spirit. What is Bhakti ? or devotion ? He defines it there immediately. “Bhakti” means contact with the God who is beyond our mental conscience. Shri Swami Vivekananda says - "When devotion reaches its highest point, it is called “Parabhakti". Parabhakti is ‘Parajnana' the knowledge of the Other. Enlightenment or knowledge and devotion become one here. In the following sloka Shri Shankara describes the Parabhakti. In the "Shivananda Lahari", we get another instance of his narration of Bhakti or devotion to God.
अङ्कोलं निजबीज सन्ततरय स्कान्तोपलं सूचिका। साध्वी नैजविभुलता क्षितिरुहं सिन्दुः सरिद्वल्लभम् ॥ प्राप्नोतीह यथा तथा पशुपतेः पादारविन्दद्वयम् ।।
चेतोवृत्तिरुपेत्य तिष्ठति सदा सा भक्तिरित्युच्यते ॥ He interprets devotion by giving an excellent simile. There is a statement "3441 Totalte. We can use the same statement for Shri Shankara also. He gives such wonderful similes here.
The first simile for devotion is "Ankolam”. 'Ankola' is a tree. The special feature of the seeds of the tree is that however much they might be spread out here and there, they get collected around the tree overnight. Similarly, however much our mind is indulged in material affairs, all aspects of mind should come and rest at the feet of God. It is possible to bring all facultiesof mind to the feet of God in some way or other.
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