Bhakti – A Personal Journey Beyond Barriers

By Smt. Rajalakshmi Raghavan

What is Bhakti?

Is Bhakti simply the knowledge of scriptures or the result of growing older and wiser? Many believe that learning about Perumal and Thayar, or facing life’s struggles, naturally increases one’s Bhakti. But if that were the case, how do we explain the deep devotion of Prahalada and Andal, both of whom were barely five years old? Or the Gopikas, who, without formal education, loved Krishna with such innocence and intensity?

Bhakti, then, clearly doesn’t depend on age, education, status, or environment.

The essence of Bhakti lies in the word Anubhavam — In Sanskrit “Anu” means “atom” or “molecule”. In Finnish/Estonian: “Anu” means “grace”. In Hebrew, “Anu” means “us” or “we”. In Hungarian, it means “mom”. Hence, we could then draw a conclusion that anu-bhavam is the expression of a very deep experience. Anubhavam is our very personal and deep experience of Perumal and Thayar, one that is felt by every atom in our being. One that occurs so naturally like it does for our mothers. Everyone expresses bhakti in their own ways. Some enjoy decorating Them, some enjoy singing on Them, some enjoy dancing with Them, some enjoy making prasadams for Them. Every act of love towards Perumal and Thayar brings us one step closer to Them.

The Bhakti enjoyment

“வாடினேன் வாடி வருந்தினேன் மனத்தால்
      பெருந் துயர் இடும்பையில் பிறந்து
கூடினேன் கூடி இளையவர்-தம்மோடு
      அவர் தரும் கலவியே கருதி
ஓடினேன் ஓடி உய்வது ஓர் பொருளால்
      உணர்வு எனும் பெரும் பதம் திரிந்து
நாடினேன் நாடி நான் கண்டுகொண்டேன்
      – நாராயணா என்னும் நாமம்“

Azhvar says in the above pasuram that most worldy aspects of life cause sorrow. It is only the recitation of the beautiful name “Narayana” that alleviates him from worldly problems and gives him eternal joy. In most areas of life — exams, careers — we sacrifice joy now for results later. Even those rewards are temporary. But in Bhakti, the process itself is blissful. Being in the company of a goshti, chanting pasurams, preparing prasadams — every step is a celebration. And when we ultimately reach Sri Vaikunta, that joy continues, eternally.

The Bhakti measurement

Sometimes bhakti becomes a competition of who ranks better in the bhakti scale. Sometimes even jealousy and hatred get into the mixture. In reality there is no ranking system for a bhakta. You’re Their devotee the moment you’re born and even beyond death. Krishna Himself says in the Bhagavad Gita:

mayy eva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṁ niveśhaya
nivasiṣhyasi mayy eva ata ūrdhvaṁ na sanśhayaḥ

“Fix your mind on Me alone, let your intellect dwell in Me; then you will live in Me always — there is no doubt.”, says Krishna. As long as you have the slightest Bhakti, you are then already in the company of the Divya Dampati, they are awaiting us at all times with open arms.

The Bhakti Barriers

If Bhakti is so beautiful and accessible, why is it sometimes hard to feel? The answer lies in our past karmas — they cloud our minds.

“சிந்தனைகள் கெடுவதும் தேவர்கள் எளிவதும்தாம்
முந்திய வினைகளும் முழுதும் ஒழிதருவான்
அந்தமில் பெருஞ்சுடர் அச்சுதன் நாமம் தன்னை
புந்தியில் உருத்தி நெஞ்சே! புகழ்ந்திருப்பாய்!”

To erase karma old and new, chant the name of Achyuta. Make bhakti a habit till it becomes part of your system. Start where you are — listen (śravaṇam), chant (kīrtanam), serve (dāsyam), or simply remember (smaraṇam). There is a beautiful story of an elderly gentleman who use to chant Sri Vishnu Sahasranama daily at 6pm. When he was counting his days and in coma, his mouth alone would start chanting Sri Vishnu Sahasranama exactly at 6pm. Such is the power of dedicated devotion.

A lesson in faith

Some time ago, one of our goshti members had shared a simple yet profound moment — a video of a little bird, one that looked very much like a sparrow, fluttering gently through the halls of his home. It wasn’t just a casual visitor. This was a mother bird, preparing to bring new life into the world.

In that very hall, hanging gracefully, was a vastram from Tirupati Perumal. The sanctity of this garment — once adorning the Lord Himself — was now part of the home’s spiritual ambience.

But something unexpected and divine unfolded.

The little bird, in her instinctual quest to create a warm and safe nest for her soon-to-be-born chicks, found the vastram. Not to admire or revere it as we might, but to gently pluck from it, thread by thread, to weave her nest.

She made repeated trips — flying between the plant outside and the hall inside — each time carrying a tiny strand of the sacred vastram. It wasn’t an act of disrespect. It wasn’t a bird that knew of Perumal or of Tirupati. It was simply doing its duty. Unaware of the spiritual significance of the cloth, she acted purely from faith, instinct, and purpose.

Isn’t that the beauty of it?

While we, as observers, marvel at how blessed the chicks must be to be born into a nest made of Perumal’s vastram, the bird herself has no such notions. She seeks only to protect, to nurture — and most remarkably, once her chicks have grown and flown, she will abandon that nest without a second thought. As a gift for that divine and sincere efforts by the mother bird, Perumal gifts His own garment to her and her babies!

Despite all the effort she put in, despite the divine threads that made it up, she remains detached.

To sum up..

Bhakti is shaashvatham — eternal. Everything else in life is asthiram — temporary. When you walk the path of Bhakti, you don’t need qualifications, wealth, or status. Just a willing heart and sincerity in duty.

Start today. Even a small whisper of “Govinda” is enough to bring you closer to the Divine.