Poojya Swamiji tells us that as the devotion grows, and also the devotee advances, the entire focus of devotion shifts from the invisible and infinitely distant God to one’s own inside personality. The devotee realizes that the God he is emotionally drawn to, and the emotion itself, are both products of the mind. In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says that the devotee may offer anything to Him, but it should be done with devotion, that attitude of the mind is what really matters. In Chapter 12, Krishna goes on to lay down the qualities of a true devotee.

Slokas recited in the track:

(Timestamp: 00:05:02)
पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति ।
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः ।।
patraṃ puṣpaṃ phalaṃ toyaṃ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati |
tadahaṃ bhakty-upahṛtam-aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ ||
(Bhagavad Gita 9.26)

(Timestamp: 00:06:55)
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय ।
निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः ।।
mayyeva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṃ niveśaya |
nivasiṣyasi mayyeva ata ūrdhvaṃ na saṃśayaḥ ||
(Bhagavad Gita 12.8)

(Timestamp: 00:08:16)
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च ।
निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ।।
सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः ।
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ।।
adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca |
nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī ||
santuṣṭaḥ satataṃ yogī yatātmā dṛḍhaniścayaḥ |
mayyarpitamanobuddhiryo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ ||
(Bhagavad Gita 12.13, 12.14)

PR 04 Aug 2013