27. Ishwarsyapyabhimana dveshitvat dainyapriyatvat cha.
Narad says that God dislikes the sense of self or ego and he likes one’s feeling of helplessness and one’s inadequacy in obtaining salvation. Narada, is again saying something of get importance. God does not like or dislike anything. How can he be concerned with these? But Narad is being subtle. He means that so long the heart is full of pride and the sense of self (ego) there is no room for God to descend into it. When the devotee is totally devoid of pride and ego, he becomes a void and then God can descend into it easily.
28. Tasyah gyanameva Sadhanmityeke.
Some say that knowledge alone is the means to attain it.
29. Anyonyashrayayatvamityante
The opinions of the sages (Archaryas) are of arguments and counter argument. Bhakti is not dependent on these disputatious. It is not essential that the Bhakta should be a person of some superior intellect or knowledge. In the same way, devotion and knowledge. In the same way, devotion and knowledge cannot be interdependent. The ways of knowledge and Bhakti are different. A follower of the path of devotion need not have any qualification of intellect. The path of knowledge is similarly, sufficient in itself. A Gautam Buddha need not be a Bhakta, too.
30. Svayam phalgrupeti brahmakumarah
According to Sanat kumar and Narad that Bhakti is itself of the nature of the fruit. Narad is not in agreement with the preposition that knowledge is the means of attaining to Bhakti. He also does not agree with the view that the knowledge and the Bhakti are interdependent. He sage Bhakti is itself a reward, it is like fruit. It does not require any prop or support. Bhakti is its own reward.
31. For it is seen thus in the case of the king, home and food.
32. Sharing does not become a king, traveller does not derive satisfaction nor the hunger is satisfied.
32. Rajagriha bhojanadishu tathaiva. Dristatvat na tena raja paritoshah chhudhashantirva.
Narad clarifies his view by giving an example. He says that is we argue in various ways about the food and we accumulate a lot of knowledge about the food, it does not satisfy our hunger. Similarly a lot of discussion about God and by acquiring a lot of knowledge about Him, does not help us to realize him. Bhakti is like the food, which satisfy hunger while knowledge is like the art of cooking which does not satisfy our hunger.
33. Tasmat saiva grahya mumukshibhih.
Therefore, those who want to be free of the worldly bondages, who want to obtain Moksha, they should resort to Bhakti. The world is the cause of bondages, this is often said. But if we go a bit deeper into this Sutra of Narad, we shall reach the conclusion that the world is the bondage itself. Once world is there the bondage too is there. One’s wife, parents, children, home make a world and there are bondages. Even the desire to reach the supreme is bondage. When we become free from all the bondages, the supreme descends in to our hearts. All the hopes and desires of life are bondages. Bhakti is an easy way to be free from these. Bhakti does not mean abandoning the world or fleeing from it. it is to accept the world as the grace of God.
34. Tasya Sadhanani gayantyacharyah
Teachers (Acharyas) have described in hymns and psalms about the means of realising Bhakti. Since ancient times the seers and sages have composed many hymns, psalms, mantras and songs etc. to achieve the perfection in divine love. Vedas, Puranas and Scriptures are full of these compositions. In the following Sutras the method of reaching the state of perfection’s has been describe in detail.
35. Tat tu vishayatyagata sangatyagatcha
That Bhakti can be obtained by abandoning the worldly desires and by renunciation of attachment to the worldly objects. It is possible to reach the state of Bhakti when one removes the obstacles, which come in the way of its realization. Having desire of worldly enjoyments interest in the objects of senses are the impediments in the path of a devotee. To give up the worldly pleasures totally and to have complete indifference and detachment with the sense objects are essential to realize perfection in Bhakti, according to Narad.
36. Avyavrita bhajanat
Bhakti can be attained by singing the glories the lord (Bhajans) without any interruption. Being of single mind and totally absorbed in the lord free from worldly obstacles like lust, desires like dislikes etc, by singing his glories continually cone can reach the perfection in devotion. The devotee sees only god in all his works. Whatever he does, it is for the sake of God.
37. Lokeapi bhagawatgunashravankirtanat.
While doing the day to day activities of life, singing and hearing the glories of God (is the way of realizing him). To do Bhajans or to hear and to listen to the glories of the lord does not mean that the devotee give up his ordinary activities of life. He only sees the presence of the lord in all his activities. He finds his daily works as a means to serve the lord. Food seems as if given to him by the grace of God. He seeks to serve the lord by all his activities in the world.
38. Mukhyatastu mahatkripavaiva bhagawatkripaleshad va
One realizes perfection in devotion through the grace of the great souls or through the small grace of the lord. Bhakta gets guidance by the grace of his guru or some great soul. Dhruva, Prahlad etc. obtain perfection through the guidance and grace of sage Narad himself. A small grace of god can also help one to realize Bhakti. Mira, Nanak etc great souls attained perfection by the grace of God.
39. Mahatsangastu durlabhoagamyoamoghos
(But) the contact with the great souls Chya and to be benefitted by such contacts is very rare. The influence of such a soul is subtle, in comprehensible and unfailing in its effect. This Sutra of Narad is of even greater relevance today. So called God-men, Babas and Gurus are growing in plenty. But Narad is not describing these types. He sages that are very rare to come in contact with a great soul a true Guru. In this time, hypocrisy and fraud souls were rare to come by. Today it is virtually impossible to come into contact with such a soul. But the effect of such a soul is subtle, deep and unfailing. The influence of Sarnarth, Guru Ramdas on Shivaji is the example of one such event.
40. Labhyateapi tatkripayaiva
Nevertheless, realization of Bhakti is possible only through the grace of God or god-men alone. Narad reiterates that Bhakti is by the grace of God or god-men alone. By one’s own efforts it cannot be obtained.
