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Devotion, only way to worship God

CHENNAI JULY 14 . As one traverses through life with its various trials and tribulations, it is a common tendency to covet material acquisitions. A greedy person amasses wealth; an egotist surrounds himself with pandering minions to constantly feed his inflated sense of self. While such pursuits only serve to increase one's dependence, the spiritual path, either by a deep study or by simple, sincere devotion to the Lord, leads to a sense of fulfilment. One of the qualities one gains by this endeavour is inner strength of the mind.

Saint Tulsidas has highlighted this outstanding characteristic in his Ram Charita Manas. The monkeys of Kishkintha marched towards Lanka after seeking Rama's blessings. Due to the mental strength gained by this act the monkeys roared like lions, replicated the full battle cry, whose resonance struck at the very heart of the demons, who were better equipped and were avowed weapons experts. They also possessed superior physical strength. Yet the untrained army of monkeys, empowered by the thought of the Lord, resorted to guerrilla tactics, used unconventional weapons such as stones and claws and prevailed over a mightier force. The defeat was all the more laudable since the invaders succeeded in sapping the mental stamina of the defending forces of Lanka.

While spirituality and inner strength are vital ingredients for accomplishing any worthwhile task, material objects are necessary as tools in the achievement of the same. It is important for one to know the difference between worldly props and self-control, which is the bedrock of all aspirations. Spirituality and earthly possessions are not opposing forces but are complementary factors on occasions. Anjaneya, the supreme devotee, is a fine model of discipline and devotion due to singular strength of mind, a confidence gained from chanting "Rama Nama".

Philosophical expertise is not a necessary qualification for reaching the Supreme Being as the Lord says in the Bhagavad Gita, "To worship Me the one thing required is devotion." God consumed Vidura's humble offering of gruel since there was genuine feeling behind it. Similar is the case of Sabari's submission of fruits to Rama and Kannappa Nayanar's offerings to Lord Siva, said Swami Veetabhyananda in his discourse.

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