Narada Bhakti Sutras - Text, Transliteration, Translation & Commentary /45

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<ignore>3. FRUITS OF BHAKTI
 

37
 
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<p text="C">times he becomes silent and sits motionless like a
statue.
 

statue.</p>
<p text="C">This is the state of identity or union with the

Lord. The devotee loses his separate existence. He

has no will of his own as he has already surrendered

it completely to the Lord. He is simply an instrument

in the hands of the Lord.
 
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<p text="C">One of the Nayanars burnt up his hair on the

head when he was not able to get oil for burning the

light in the temple.
 
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<p text="C">Another cut off the nose of a queen who had

plucked up a flower and smelt it when the devotee

was making a garland of flowers to be offered to Siva.

The queen'&apos;s husband came and cut off her hand

which he said had committed the first offence, because

it had picked up the flowers.
 
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<p text="C">A Nayanar or devotee rubbed his elbow on the

sandal stone when he could not get any more sandal

wood for the use of Lord Siva.
 
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<p text="C">St. Francis of Assisi brought upon himself,

through intense meditation on Lord Jesus Christ, the

marks of Crucification and joyfully experienced the

extreme pain to which Jesus himself had been sub-

jected at the time of crucification.
 
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<p text="C">In the Upanishads Atman is compared to Madhu

or honey. The Sufis often compare it to wine; the

Saktas compare it to liquor. In the Vedic Yagna it is

Soma juice. All these symbolise the enjoyment of

the sweetness of divine bliss.
 
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