Sâdhu and Bhakti
Skandha XI. Chap. 11-12
Uddhava asked: —
“Who according to Thee is a Sâdhu? What sort of Bhakti (devotion) may be offered to Thee?”
Sri Krishna replied: —
“Compassionate, harmless, forgiving, firm in truth, faultless, impartial, doing good to all, undisturbed by desires, self restrained, mild, pure, not asking for anything, indifferent, temperate in eating with controlled mind, steady in the performance of duties, seeking refuge in me, given to meditation, careful, profound, patient, having control over the six-fold waves (hunger, thirst, sorrow and delusion, infirmity and death), not seeking respect from others, but respecting others, able, friendly, tender-hearted, wise, such is a Sâdhu. He who knowing my injunctions and prohibitions in the performance of one’s own Dharma or duties of life, even gives them all up for my sake is the best of all Sâdhus. Those who seek me and nothing else, whether they know or not what I am, are the best of My Bhaktas.
“To see, touch and worship My symbols and my votaries, to serve and adore them, the humble recital of My glory and of My deeds, Faith in hearing words about Me, constant meditation on Me, the offering up of all gains to Me, even the offering up of self in a spirit of service, the observance of the sacred days, rejoicings in the houses set apart for Me (all good Hindus have a house or room set apart for divine worship), initiation according to the Vedic and the Tântric System (one who is initiated is to recite the Mantras a certain number of times, every morning and evening and he can not take his meals without doing so in the morning) to observe fasts, enthusiasm in founding My image for worship, and in founding gardens, buildings and towns (in connection with My worship) humility and silence about one’s own good deeds, — these are the indications of Bhakti.
“Sun, Fire, the Brâhmana, the Cow, the Vaishnava, Akâsa, Air, Water, Earth, Âtmâ, and all beings — these are the eleven places of my worship.
“I am to be worshipped in the Sun, by Vedic Mantras, in the fire by sacrificial Ghee, in the Brâhmana by hospitality, in the cows by the offer of grass, in the Vaishnava by friendly treatment, in the Akâsa of the heart cavity by meditation, in the air by the contemplation of Prana, in the water by offerings of libation and so forth, in the Earth by secret Mantras, in Âtmâ by experiencing (Bhōga) and in all beings by equality.
“In all these places of worship I am to be meditated on as with four hands, bearing conch, disc, club and lotus.
“He who worships Me as above and serves the Sâdhus acquires Devotion. Except by devotion that is acquired in the company of Sâdhus, there is hardly any other way of liberation. I am not so easily attainable by Yoga, Sânkhya, Dharma, the reading of Scriptures, Tapas, gifts, charitable acts, fasts, Yajnas, the Vedas, resort to pilgrimage, Niyamas or Yâmas as by the company of Sâdhus. Even those that are the lowest by birth, those that have Rajas and Tamas predominant in them, the Daityas, Asuras, and Râkshasas attain me easily by the company of Sâdhus. The Gopis in Vraja, the wives of the Vedic Brâhmanas did not read the Vedas, they did not observe fasts, they did not perform Tapas, but they attained Me, through the company of Sâdhus. Therefore O Uddhava care not for Srutis or Smritis, for biddings and for forbiddings. Have recourse to Me, the Âtmâ of all beings, with all devotion, and thou shall have no fear from any quarter.”
(The following stages are to be marked: —
Study of Nature and self instruction.
Self discrimination, resuting in the separation of the conscious Âtmâ and the unconscious Non-Âtmâ.
The understanding of what is bondage and liberation, and the relation between Jiva Âtmâ and Parama Âtmâ (Íshvara.)
The liberating process during which the rules are to be observed, sacrifices to be made, the duties of life to be performed and active good done to all beings. During this process, the whole nature of the man becomes one of universal compassion and friendliness. Differences vanish. Good and bad become all alike.
The Jiva rests in his own Âtmâ, which is the Âtmâ of all beings, and then all is calm and quiet.
The company of Sâdhus.
Devotion acquired in that company.
When Devotion (Bhakti) becomes a part of one’s nature then the giving up of all rules, all karma, whether pertaining to the Srutis or the Smritis.)