Re: Kamya bhakti - A valid path that will eventually lead to god
So what kind of Bhakti is that called? Where you azk for nothing, just enjoy darshan, bhajans and the joy of devotion, but though you ask for nothing everything is easy, you get everything, including material things like pennys from heaven?
What Bhakti is that called?
A bhakta is someone who renders bhakti. Perhaps one who receives rewards without asking for it is a 'bhokta'? Just kidding, loved your write-up, thank you!
Well, only to point out that not wanting any material return for one's devotion does not mean necessarily some "superior" status.
Nishkamya bhakti or bhakti for the sake of bhakti is more often the product the lifetimes of sincere bhakti, and tireless efforts on the sake of bhakti. So in that sense, the more 'evolving' form of bhakti, namely "Kamya bhakti" is seen as something not yet quite as mature as the former. The lesser or more inferior status is rendered to Kamya bhakti in this sense.
In another site, someone writes that people who pray for something in return have the "audacity" to claim theirs to be bhakti... It is this notion or propaganda about Kamya bhakti that I wished to rectify in my little write-up.
Kamya bhakti is ingrained in Hinduism, in my opinion. Right from 'KarvaChauth' when married women pray for the well-being of their husband to 'Marghazhi' month worship of Sri Krishna by maiden girls in anticipation of a good groom!
People, in millions, resort to Kamya bhakti, when human effort fails or for circumstances where the outcome is not controlled merely by human acts.
When poverty strikes people despite their work ability, there are established means in Hinduism such as doing 'Kubera Pooja' or 'Lakshmi Pooja' to try and rectify the situation. When disease befalls, there are also other rigorous pariharas rendered. When people get into debts that they are unable to clear, there are yet other pariharas. The entire field of Jyotish employs the means of 'pariharas' as remedies to try and ask for divine grace to rectify a situation.
Sometimes help (spiritual help) rendered by oneself to be saved from calamities is the best form of help that can be rendered, at all! It has the hidden blessing of good wishes from those who get saved in the process, sometimes one's entire family and kith and kin.
So Kamya bhakti is not something trivial or something to be looked down upon, it is ingrained as part of parcel of Hinduism, has the potential to earn a lot of spiritual merit too in the long run to the sadhaka since it involves a lot of effort, time, penance and discipline. Bhagiratha who made Ganges fall down on earth rendered the entire humanity a service though he did it only to rescue his late forefathers!
I understand that sravanam and mananam of scriptures and doing karmas without the "I the doer" notion are paths that would lead to god.
I see Kamya bhakti as the path that would lead someone to the above stated path in the first place.
Irrespective of whatever that is, I surely would like to tell this other person who claimed Kamya bhaktas should not have 'audacity' to claim theirs is bhakti in the first place, that there is no such implication applicable, that Kamya bhakti is valid indeed to be recognized as a form of pure bhakti due to the above stated reasons.
Thanks, ShivaFan ji.
jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar
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