Bhakthi is referred as Upaasana

Sairam,

Prashaanthi Nilayam, 1963

Once Krishna pretended to be suffering from intense and unbearable headache. He wound warm clothes around his head and rolled restlessly in bed. His eyes were red and the face too appeared swollen and pale.  Rukmini, Sathyabhaama and the other queens consulted Naaradha after trying all kinds of remedies and palliatives. Naaradha went into the sick room to consult Krishna himself and find out which drug would cure him. Krishna directed him to bring the dust of the feet of a true Bhaktha. Naaradha manifested himself in the presence of some celebrated bhakthas of the lord but they were too humble to offer the dust of their feet to be used by their Lord as a drug! Krishna asked Naaradha to try in Brindhaavana where the Gopees live. The queens laughed at the suggestion and even Naaradha thought in dismay "What do they know of bhakthi (devotion)?". When the gopees heard Krishna was ill and that the dust of their feet might cure him, without a second thought they shook the dust off their feet and filled his hands with the same. It was a drama played by Krishna to teach that self-condemnation is also egoism and that the lord's command must be obeyed without demur by all bhakthas. The feelings like "I am low, mean, small, useless, poor, sinful, inferior" are also egoistic. When the ego goes, you do not feel either superior or inferior.  

Krishna is the Athma that resides in the citadel (Dwaaraka) with the nine gates or dwaaras, body itself. He is the witness of everything and anything done without his approval or without being dedicated to him will be a failure. The five paandava brothers in Mahabharatha are the five praanas (vital energies) that won the battle against evil forces eventhough there are so many temptations placed before them to slide back into A-dharma. 

The true Bhaktha will discard all doubting news but the wavering doubter and the ignorance dabbler will lend his ear to useless talk. Avathaars perform leelas (Divine sportive act) to demonstrate the divinity inherent in the human form to doubting world. Krishna could have stopped the rains however powerful Indhra was. But he manifested his divinity by lifting Govardhanagiri to protect the cows and cowherds. 

Bhakthi will force the Lord to give you himself as the gift. Bhakthi (intense devotion) makes every error excusable. Bhakthi should be filled with jnaana otherwise it will be as light as a balloon which drifts along any current of air or gust of wind. Jnaana will make the heart dry and bhakthi will make the heart soft with sympathy. Karma gives the hands something to do which will sanctify every one of the minute that was given to you to live here. 

Bhakthi is referred as Upaasana i.e., dwelling near, feeling the Presence and sharing the sweetness of Divinity. The sixteen items of Upachaara (honouring) with which the Lord is worshipped satisfy the mind which craves for personal contact with the Supreme. A sadhaka will start with the idea, "I am in the Light;" then the feeling "the light is in me" becomes established. This leads to the conviction, "I am the Light". That is the supreme wisdom. 

Buddhi, chittham and hrudhayam (intellect, sub-conscious mind and heart) are the three centres in the individual where jnaana, karma and bhakthi will reside. The karma (action) should be suffused with Bhakthi (humility, prema, karuna and ahimsa i.e., love, compassion, non-violence) filled with jnaana i.e., all is one. All karma which is approved by higher wisdom will be shivam (auspicious, beneficial, blessed).  The effulgence of Sathyam will reveal Shivam; The experience of that shivam is called Sundharam (Real Aanandha). There is no Sathyam (Truth) without Shivam (Goodness); there is no Shivam without Sundharam (Beauty). 

To discover one's reality and to dwell in that Divine peace, one need not give up the world and take to asceticism. A mere Five-minute inquiry will convince you that you are not the body, or the senses, the mind or the intelligence, the name or the form, but that you are the Aathma Itself, the same Aathma that appears as all this variety. Once you get a glimpse of this truth, hold on to it; do not allow it to slip. Make it your permanent possession.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       --SATHY SAI

Omsai Srisai Jaijaisai