Satsang Devotee by Swami Kesavaiahji

Satsang Devotee by Swami Kesavaiahji

Devotee by Swami Kesavaiahji (contd….)

A mere child Pralhad was subjected to every unimaginable torture, such as letting loose on him a mad elephant, exposing to the bites of venomous snakes, dropping from the top of a moun­tain or shutting up in a death room filled with poisonous gases, But he neither feared nor did he meet with death. What was the secret of Pralhada's power? His firm faith in God; Shri Sai Baba often used to stay that once a person has faith in God, he has achieved everything. There is nothing greater than faith. Shri Rama, who was God himself, had to build a bridge to cross the sea to Lanka, but Hanuman, who had immense faith in Rama cleared the sea in one jump. Shri Ramakrishna says, "As is a man's mediation, so is his feeling of love. As is a man's feeling of love, so is his gain. And faith is the root of all". Saint Mirabai drank the cup of poison in one draught and Haridas bore gladly the strokes of the lash, all the while repeating the name of Hari and praying God to pardon his persecutors. A devotee, who has such intense faith, does not bear any ill-will towards his enemies. His faith is so unshakeable that he actually sees that the whole world is full of God and everything in it is a manifestation of God.

The extraordinary patience displayed by a devotee towards those who harm him should not be interpreted as cowardice. The devotee's heart is full of virtues like forgiveness, spirit of non-violence, compassion and love. He prefers to suffer inconve­niences himself rather than persecutors. Thus, forgiveness, non­violence, compassion etc., are the virtues of the hero and the characteristic of a true devotee is courageous patience or Saburi as Shri Sai Baba has put it.

There are different types of devotees. It is the lot of many to tread the hard and steep path through suffering, sacrifice and toil. They need long and arduous spiritual discipline and practice. There are some who are "Nitya Siddhas". Since their birth, their spiritual consciousness is awake. They are born like Shri Sai Baba to impart spiritual illumination to others to lift a little of the heavy Karma of the World. There is yet another class of devotees- "Kripa Siddhas" on whom the grace of God descends all of a sudden. Within a short time, they attain great vision and knowledge. In short, a true devotee is one “who cannot live without God; so also God cannot live without His devotee". He has humility and he loses all traces of the ego. He has surrendered completely his body and soul to God. He has abundant faith (Nishta), and courageous patience (Saburi). These are the high hallmarks of a true devotee. Judging by this touch­stone, let each fix bearings in the wide ocean of life and follow the distant light which is within every one of us.

Swami Kesavaiahji
Madras
Source Shri Sai Leela Magazine May 1979