CHENNAI, JULY 4. Many are the paths open before devotees to reach their goal. They can choose any one of them, to have their objective fulfilled depending on what is best suited to them. For some, service to God may be preferable, some treated God as their child, while others held Him as their master. Yet to some, He was their ``beloved''. Some considered Him as their friend. But one thing is commonly available in all of us and we can always make use of it, that too very effortlessly. That is ``Divine Love''.
This pure love for the Divine implies detachment from worldly life. Such devotees felt that God exists in them and they in turn were altogether His. Meera Bai was one such devotee who dedicated herself to Lord Krishna in the name of ``Giridhara Gopala'' as His spouse and exemplified the way of Bhakti. She sang her agony of separation from Him giving expression to bridal mysticism. She dedicated herself as the bride of God and translated her burning love for Him in the form of songs filled with messages for all others who seek Him. Even as a three-year-old girl, she developed an intense liking to an idol of Krishna. A casual remark, in jest, that her bridegroom (when she grew) would be Sri Krishna as ``Giridhara Gopala'' made a deep impression on her and from then on she started worshipping the Lord, adoring Him through songs and spending her time in the midst of godly souls.
In his lecture, Swami Mitrananda said Meera even after her marriage to a prince of the Rajput clan, continued her deep faith and love towards her ``Divine Spouse''. She was given freedom to worship and a shrine was erected for Lord Krishna. Listening to reports about her religious fervour and her lilting Bhajans and devotional congregations, Emperor Akbar, with Tansen, attended incognito, one such gatherings and moved by the scene there, revealed his identity and presented a necklace which was used by Meera to decorate her idol. Later furious at her conduct attempts were made to torture her and even to do away with her but the Lord saved her and she ultimately reached the feet of God. One among her numerous devotional outpourings refers to the power of the holy name of God and how chanting it with faith will help a devotee to cross the ocean of transmigration itself acting as a boat. ``Among all types of valuable possessions, God's name is the greatest wealth.'' No doubt, the mind cannot be controlled so easily but even as Lord Krishna states in the Gita, constant practice will surely make the recitation of Lord's name purposeful.
Article Source : http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/07/04/stories/10040906.htm
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