The signs of devotion

 INTRODUCTION:

Swami Vivekananda has given many explanations about devotion in his book “bhakti yoga”.
I am analyzing as much as I can evaluate. If there is any mistake, apologize for that. I'm hoping if someone studies properly, maybe he can find a new light in his life. In today's society, everyone understands the definition of devotion, but few people understand the devotional analysis. Swamiji always looked into God among all creatures of nature and devoted himself to his service through devotion. Still, a handful of people have devoted themselves to the services of all creatures through devotion. This is a very good medium for all the nation. Now the question is if the human is getting closer to God through devotion, why do some people fail? For this reason, we should really understand the devotion of the Swamiji. here you can get the views of various philosophers and great devotees about devotion. the definition of devotion and the analyzation of devotion are not the same. first, you should analysis about devotion, after that you must define it. swamiji highlights all views of varieties philosophers and great devotees about devotion. Maybe they have separate views as per separate era, but the basic thing is very much common. Which has been explained. Here you can get only about Devotion. you may are be belonging to other religion or you have any other worshiped god, to whom you worship. That worship is possible with absolute devotion. So the basic thing is Devotion. I believe that the basic devotion is the same in every holy book, it doesn't matter in what religion you are belonging to. You can also follow the way of Devotion for your god.
In this book, I just want to tell you about the sign of Devotion. What are the symptoms of a devotee? Nowadays what we are thinking about Devotion? Can we get closer to our god by this Devotion as per our ambition in human life? If you believe that God lives in every creature in this world, then why we can’t realize him? The only reason is lack of Devotion. That is why I am telling you about the analyzing of Devotion. It can purify your soul                                                                                                                                                                                                                         -Sudipta Chakraborty.

The signs of devotion:
God is frankly searching for devotion. Affection its original, middle and end. Divine love comes from freedom of love. Narad has said in his devotion, 'God is the only one who is full of love'. If it is received, the creature is Love ban and hate zero in everything and is satisfied for eternity.No one can benefit by the wish from this affection because this love does not arise when there is content. Due to action, knowledge and joining the devotees, they are the targets of their goal, but they are worthwhile and devoted.
All the great people of our country have discussed the devotional theory. Even though Shandilya, Narada gave away the speeches of Bhakti, the great commentator of Bisasutra, which clearly shows the knowledge-based support, has also given many hints about devotion. Not all of them, although the interest of explaining the sources in the sense of the most sensible sense is a commentator, their explanation cannot be easily explained if the sources of the formulas - especially worship-related sources, are neutrally searched.
Generally, people think that there is a difference between knowledge and devotion, it is not really that. In a gradual sense, knowledge and devotion meet together in the same goal. Unfortunately, in the name of cheating and entrapment, the rajas are often used for dusting in the eyes of inexperienced people. So also is it with Raja-
Yoga, which, when pursued as a means to attain liberation, and not ( as unfortunately it frequently becomes in the hands
of charlatans and mystery-mongers) as an instrument to
hoodwink the unwary, leads us also to the same goal.
There are two types of devotion among different people. 1) Higher level devotion and 2) Low-level devotion.If there is a high level of devotion then the best for the person.This is the most simple and natural way of reaching our ultimate goal to God. But fear is the low level of devotion.In today's society, there is a lot of low-level devotion. This devotion often takes the form of a terrible dogma.Among Hindus, Muslims, and Christianity, this dogma is very much in number. That true love without God's devotion does not grow, and sometimes it is the main reason for the intense attack and blame on all other opinions. All the religions and all the weak and weak people of the country can love their own idals in the only way. That is the way we love our own ideals and hate the other ideology. This is because of the reason that people who are devoted to their God, ideological ideology, heard or talk about other ideals, why are they shouting like a start. This kind
Of love is somewhat like the canine instinct of guarding the master’s property from intrusion; only, the instinct of the dog is better than the reason of man, for the dog never mistakes its master for an enemy in whatever dress he may come before it.The bigoted person lost all the power of justice.The personal point of view so much that what a person is saying is true or false; They don't think they need a hearing or buzz, But the people of this class are very kind to the powerful person.The people of this class support the strong people even if they are wrong or false. The person who is compassionate and Upright on these powerful people He wants to hurt all the people outside his community.This fear is only on the lower level of a devotion.this stage is called “GOUNI” When devotion is turned into supreme (পরাভক্তি), Then there is no such type of orthodoxy. Under this supreme devotion, the devotee comes so close to God that he does not have any hatred.It is not possible to make life with all the adjustments in this life.A great character is, where knowledge, devotion, and yoga are present in it.now What should be the specialty of high-level devotion?First of all, a person should leave his arrogance. how could it be possible? it is very easy to find out.for example, I meet every day with many people in the surroundings around me. they may be the good or bad persons. that is not important to me, but I realized one thing that everybody always wants to show how much great he is.If a big mind helps someone it's a very good thing, But when they want to make a reputation for this help in the society, It can never be a selfless worship. And otherwise, selfless devotion can never be possible without selfless worship. If such people are respected then they are happy with their society.Again they cannot be commendable from society when they help a lot to helpless people. They are very sad in their minds. They always express their grief to the loved ones. If you think that God's position is in all the creations of the world and if you want to search the god through their service then I am sorry to say that, this is not the right way to wake up in the devotional mind. first of all, you must think about selfless thought.when u do anything selflessly, yours thought never comes to you that you are a loser person or not.if this type of thought comes to your mind, then you never understand about real devotion. You must understand one thing that you don’t have anything in your hand in the world.Submitting yourself to God. give up self-seeking thought. Remember your only identification is your soul.your body is only the cover of your soul. Which has been identified by your name, address, religion etc.if you submitting yourself to god, Your soul will be purified by itself. From there, you can find God among the creatures.Only then you can dedicate yourself to them selflessly.the high level of devotion comes after that. Three things are necessary for a bird to fly—the two wings and the tail as a rudder for steering. gyana (knowledge) is the one wing, Bhakti (love) is to the other, and Yoga is the tail that keeps up the balance. For those who cannot pursue all these three forms of worship together in harmony, and take up, therefore, Bhakti alone as their way, it is necessary always to remember that forms and ceremonials, though absolutely necessary for the progressive soul, have no other value than taking us on to that state in which we feel the most intense love to God. SHRI RAMKRISHNA, the Guru of SWAMI VIVEKANANDA told about real devotion of god that, there are three things which are the symbol of real love in this world, i) the love of a Chaste wife for her husband 2) love of worldly-minded people for his wealth and 3) love of a mother for her child. If these three types of love can be united for the worship of the God and by the mixing of this three type of loves, that kind of devotion is originated, This is the real and high-level devotion. The only way to get God by this devotion.There is a little difference in opinion between the teachers of knowledge and those of love, though both admit the power of devotion. The Jnânis hold Bhakti to be an instrument of liberation; the devotees look upon it both as the instrument and the thing to be attained. To my mind, this is a distinction without much difference. In fact, Devotion, when used as an instrument, really means a lower form of worship, and the higher form becomes inseparable from the lower form of realization at a later stage. Each seems to lay a great stress upon his own peculiar method of worship, forgetting that with the perfect love true knowledge is bound to come even unsought and that from perfect knowledge true love is inseparable. Now let's see, what the Vedantic commentators said about this topic. In explaining the Sutra Avrittirasakridupadeshat, Lord Shankara says, “Thus people say, ‘He is devoted to the king, he is devoted to the Guru’; they say this of him who follows his Guru and does so, having that following as the one end in view. Similarly, they say, ‘The loving wife
meditates on her loving husband’; here also a kind of eager and, continuous remembrance is meant.” This is devotion according to Lord Sankara. If you love something or somebody by your heart and soul, there is the real devotion is generated from your heart and soul on this particular person or thing. If a person loves his king or if a chaste loves her husband both examples are the real symbol of devotion. Meditation again is a constant remembrance (of the thing
meditated upon), flowing like an unbroken stream of oil poured out from one vessel to another. When this kind of remembering has been attained (in relation to God) all bondage break. Thus it is spoken of in the scriptures regarding constant remembering as a means to liberation.This remembering again is of the same form as seeing, because it is of the same meaning as in the passage, ‘When He who is far and near is seen, the bonds of the heart are broken, all doubts vanish, and all effects of work disappear.’ He who is near can be seen, but he who is far can only be remembered. Nevertheless, the scripture says that we have to see Him who is near as well as Him who is far, thereby, indicating to us that the above kind of remembering is as good as seeing.This remembrance when exalted assumes the same form as seeing. Worship is constant remembering as may be seen from the essential texts of scriptures. Knowing, which is the same as repeated worship, has been described as constant remembering. . . . Thus the memory, which has attained to the height of what is as good as direct perception, is spoken of in the Shruti as a means of liberation. ‘This Soul is not to be reached through various sciences, nor by intellect, nor by many studies of the Vedas. Whomsoever this Soul desires, by him is the Soul attained, unto him this Soul discovers Himself.’ Here, after saying that mere hearing, thinking, and meditating are not the means of attaining this Soul, it is said, ‘Whom this Soul desires, by him the Soul is attained.’ The extremely beloved is desired; by whomsoever, this Soul is extremely beloved; he becomes the most beloved of the Soul. So that this beloved may attain the Soul, the Lord Himself helps. For it has been said by the Lord: ‘Those
who are constantly attached to Me and worship Me with love—I give that direction to their will by which they come to Me.’ Therefore it is said that to whomsoever this remembering, which is of the same form as direct perception, is very dear because it is dear to the Object of such memory-perception, he is desired by the Supreme Soul, by him the Supreme Soul is attained. This constant remembrance is denoted by the word Devotion. This is said by the lord RAMANUJA in the sutra of ‘Athato Brahma Jijnasa’ ( অথাতো ব্রহ্মজিজ্ঞাসা ).
In commenting on the Sutra of Patanjali ‘ISHWAR PRANAMISTHA (ঈশ্বরপ্রানাধিষ্ঠা)’, Bhoja says, “Pranidhana is that sort of Bhakti in which, without seeking results, such as sense-enjoyments, etc., all works are dedicated to that Teacher of teachers.” Bhagavan Vyasa
also, when commenting on the same, defines Pranidhâna as “the form of Bhakti by which the mercy of the Supreme Lord comes to the Yogi and blesses him by granting him his desires.” According to Shandilya, “Bhakti is intense love to God.” The best definition is, however, that given by the king of devotee Prahlad. That deathless love which the ignorant have for the fleeting objects of the senses—as I keep meditating on Thee—may not that (sort of intense) love (for Thee) slip away from my heart!” Love! For whom? For the Supreme Lord Ishwara. Love for any other being, however great, cannot be Devotion; for, as Ramanuja says in his Shri-Bhâshya
quoting an ancient Acharya, i.e. a great teacher: “From Brahmâ to a clump of grass, all things that live in the world are slaves of birth and death caused by Karma; therefore they cannot be helpful as objects of meditation, because they are all in ignorance and subject to change.”In commenting on the word Anurakti used by Shandilya, the commentator Swapneshwara says that it means Anu after and Devotion attachment; i.e. the attachment, which comes of. after the knowledge of the nature and glory of God; else a blind attachment to anyone, e.g. to wife or children would be Bhakti. We plainly see, therefore, that Bhakti is a series or succession of mental efforts at religious realization beginning with ordinary worship and ending in a supreme intensity of love for the God.