Devotion is an overwhelming experience felt in one’s inner being when the human soul longs to reach the Lotus feet of the Lord. The restless human mind is given to fear and all kinds of phobias when it is involved in worldly affairs. All this only makes one further rooted in the cycle of birth. Akrura exemplifies the truth that true devotion and jnana are complementary and not antithetical, pointed out Sri B. Damodhara Dikshitar in a discourse.
Kamsa entrusts Akrura with the mission of bringing Krishna and Balarama to Mathura. In all humility, Akrura understands that though he is worldly minded and engaged in the service of Kamsa, he is now most lucky and fortunate to be able to see Krishna in person. He sets forth to Gokula, with his mind fully engrossed in Krishna. Akrura ruminates on the greatness of the Lord and His incarnations that provide a chance for ordinary people to know about the Highest Truth. His mind revolves around his hopes and expectations about the Lord. He also wishes for the removal of all obstacles. So much takes place in his mind about the forthcoming meeting with Krishna. As he enters Gokula, he feels the vibrations of the place sanctified by the Lord’s presence. He sees the footprints of the Lord on the ground and he rolls on the sands to savour the divine contact with His Lotus feet. He is caught in the river of spiritual joy. Adi Sankara, the famous exponent of Advaita Siddhanta, extols bhakti as the state of mind that finds solace in God even as the rivers find their refuge in the ocean. He asserts that bhakti is the best path for emancipation of the human soul. The mind gets attracted to the Lord even as iron filings gets drawn to the magnet or when the creeper reaches out to the tree for support.
