Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
36
The verse states that the pure devotion (Chegkhīj) is the devotion that is offered to the Jina Raja (the victorious one) with the feeling of a seeker, experiencing the state of Devchandra (the moon god) and the pure radiance. Shri Devchandraji here refers to pure devotion, not impure devotion. Shri Haribhadrasuriji says that we are talking about serving this extraordinary Lord in an extraordinary way. We are talking about serving this transcendental Lord by knowing and understanding the profound secrets and mysteries of his service, and by offering service that is a manifestation of spiritual qualities. Many beings serve this transcendental Lord in a worldly way without understanding his true nature. They serve him with the desire for worldly rewards, both in this life and the next. Or they serve him with the ten karmas (vices) like anger, pride, deceit, greed, etc. This kind of service offered to a transcendental Lord with worldly desires is not pure service, and it is not Chegkhīj. Pure service is that which is offered (1) with the understanding that the Lord is the ultimate object of worship, (2) without the ten karmas, and (3) without any desire for worldly or otherworldly rewards. This kind of pure service is what is called Chegkhīj.
Therefore, (1) first and foremost, we should develop the understanding that this Vitaraga (free from attachment) Supreme Being is the most worthy of respect, worship, and adoration in the entire universe. We should consider him as the ultimate object of worship, whose glory and virtues are infinitely greater than anything else in the universe. We should consider him as the ultimate teacher, the ultimate God, the ultimate beloved. "Serve him above all else!" This means that we should be more eager to serve this compassionate ocean of virtues, the "Arhat" (worthy one), who is infinitely more glorious than any other object in the universe, than we are to serve anyone else. (2) Second, pure devotion is characterized by the absence of the ten karmas, including the desire for food, anger, etc. In pure devotion, even the desire for food is forgotten, fear disappears, lust becomes useless, attachment dies, anger is pacified, pride is extinguished, deceit is abandoned, greed is eliminated, wrong belief is replaced by true understanding, and there is no concern for worldly praise. This is the kind of pure devotion that a seeker of liberation should practice. As Shri Yovijayaji said, "When one meets the cool Jina, one's mind becomes pure." (3) Third, pure devotion should be free from any desire for worldly or otherworldly rewards. Any action performed with the desire for worldly rewards like wealth, fame, or praise, destroys the true self and becomes a poisonous action, as it is motivated by hope. Similarly, any action performed with the desire for otherworldly rewards also becomes a poisonous action, as it is motivated by fear. Therefore, we should...