[Advaita-l] Jagadguru Speaks: Devotion to God Is the Best Form of Prayer

[S Jayanarayanan]

 (Around the beginning of the month, a nugget of Wisdom from the Jagadguru may be posted
on the Chaturamnaya list : http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/chaturamnaya )
 
http://www.tattvaloka.com/uploads/jagadguruSpeech/pdf/Aug2015.pdf
 
Experience shows that man with devotion to God attains sreyas in
life. But nowadays some people wonder whether God hears our prayers
and whether he has ears, eyes, hands and legs.
 
The reply to this question is: “God is all-knowing. He alone has the
capacity to redeem us from our difficulties. For that he does not need
limbs, eyes or ears.” Sankara Bhagavatpada says in his bhashya:
 
  apaaNipaado javano grahiitaa pashyatyachakshuH sa shRRiNotyakarNaH .
  ityakaraNasyapi brahmaNaH sarvasaamarthyayogaM darshayati ..
 
There is no room to imagine that God must have only the miniscule
powers that we have.
 
  na cha yathaikasya saamarthyaM dRRishhTaM tathaanyasyaapi saamarthyena bhavitavyamiti niyamo.astiiti ! ...
 
God takes note of our devotion alone; not the external show. He is
above and beyond all of us. He makes it clear in the Gita: “I accept even
water offered to me with devotion.” Hence, without doubt, all should
cultivate unshakeable faith in him.
 
One who makes himself eligible for God’s grace through devotion
needs no other prayer. He becomes extremely blessed. Such was the
height of devotion of Dhruva to the Almighty.
 
  sthaanaabhilaashhii tapasi sthito.ahaM tvaaM praaptavaan.h devamunindraguhyam.h !
  kaachaM vichinvannapi divyaratnaM svaamin.h kRRitaartho.asmi varaM na yaache !!