[Advaita-l] Bhakti as identification and surrender

[V Subrahmanian]

" सा त्वस्मिन् परमप्रेमरूपा । " ~ नारदभक्तिसूत्र , १.२

" सा पराSनुरक्तिरीश्वरे । " ~ शाण्डिल्यभक्तिसूत्र , १.१.२

These two Sutras imply that Bhakti is towards Ishvara regarded as one's own
Atman. Otherwise the sutras would be referring to a situation that could
never exist, for #परमप्रेम , unconditional love, #परा_अनुरक्ति (supreme
attachment) can only be to Atman alone and nothing else. This has been made
amply clear in the BrihadAranyaka Upanishad :

" न वा अरे सर्वस्य कामाय सर्वं प्रियं भवति, आत्मनस्तु कामाय सर्वं प्रियं
भवति । "

~ बृहदारण्यकोपनिषत् २.४.५

It is evident therefore that unconditional love , #अव्यय_प्रेम , that is
the real Bhakti towards Bhagavan or the Guru would be in evidence only when
Bhagavan or the Guru is experienced as one's own very Atman. This is what
is usually referred to as #पराभक्ति.

Any deviation from this standpoint would involve a set of situations that
is disastrous :

शिव इत्यहमित्युभौ न भिन्नौ शिव एवाहं अहं शिवः स एव ।
यदि नैवं अनात्मता शिवस्य प्रसरेत् अशिवत्वमात्मनोऽपि ॥

~ स्वराज्यसिद्धि टीका ३.३९

" The two, Shiva and I, are never different. I am Siva Himself and Siva is
I myself. Otherwise, अनात्मता / जड़त्व will pervade Siva and अशिवत्व
(inauspiciousness), the Atman. "

(This idea is also echoed in the popular saying " देवो भूत्वा देवं यजेत ")

It is in the light of this situation, that Bhakti is characterised as "
स्वस्वरूपानुसन्धानं भक्तिरित्यभिधीयते ॥ " in विवेकचूडामणि.

स्वस्वरूपानुसन्धान is same as निदिध्यासन.Then Acharya remarks in
विवेकचूडामणि :

स्वात्मतत्त्वानुसन्धानं भक्तिरित्यपरे जगुः ।

स्वात्मनः means of one's own JivAtman. तत्त्व, the truth about its nature
means the ParamAtman indicated by the word ' That '. Its अनुसन्धान means
though really there is difference (between the Jiva and ParamAtman) in that
situation, contemplation of ' That ' as oneself in the manner of
अहंग्रहोपासना (Jiva as non-different from the ParamAtman). Others say that
it is Bhakti. Shri BhagavatpAda implies by the word अपरे जगुः - Others say
that this is not मुख्यभक्ति as it is preceded by a sense of difference and
is a भ्रान्ति.

It is पराभक्ति which is devoutly referred to in the verse -

तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥

The obeisance is to the Ishvara Himself in His aspect as Guru which
obviously indicates that the Anugraha sought is only for this JnAna.

The importance of नमः in this connection cannot be overemphasized. Starting
with साष्टांगनमस्कार its culmination would be in getting merged - अभेदभावना
- in the स्वरुप of the Guru, nay, securing identity with Him -

प्रह्वीभावस्य पर्यवसानभूमिमाह - प्रह्वता नामेति ।
न्यग्भावेन नमस्कर्तव्यप्रत्यासत्तिः प्रह्वत्वम् | तच्च मायया
परशिवस्वरूपाद्भेदेन परिकल्पितस्य जीवस्य पुनस्तत्स्वरूपेण तादात्य्मलक्षणे
संबन्धे विश्राम्यतीत्यर्थः |

~ श्री विद्यारण्याचार्य , सूत संहिता टीका ४.८.१०-११

Shruti also says - " नमस्त्वैक्य प्रवदेत् " ~ रामापूर्वतापन्युपनिषद २.४

" Prostrating , identity is to be given expression to. "

 This is referred to as आत्मनिवेदन in BhAgavat :

श्रवणं कीर्तनं विष्णोः स्मरणं पादसेवनम्
अर्चनं वन्दनं दास्यं सख्यमात्मनिवेदनम्।
इति पुंसार्पिता विष्णौ भक्तिश्चेन् नवलक्षणा
क्रियते भगवत्यद्धा तन् मन्येऽधीतमुत्तमं॥

~ श्रीमद्भागवतम् ७-५-२३

And also In Bhagavat Gita : " सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज " ~
गीता १८.६६

The highest form of devotion, पराभक्ति is स्वाभाविका for a JnAni :

उत्पन्नात्मप्रबोधस्य विद्वेष्टत्वादयो गुणाः।
अयत्नतो भवन्त्यस्य न तु साधनरुपिणः॥  ~ नैष्कर्म्यसिद्धिः ४.६९

" In an AtmajnAni , virtues like non-hatred establish themselves of their
own accord, i.e. without any effort. They are not of the nature of साधन to
him. "

BhaktAgresara Prahlada has exclaimed in अद्वैतभावना :

अहं त्वं त्वमहं देव दिष्ट्या भेदोऽस्ति नावयोः
दिष्ट्या मत्तामसि प्राप्तो दिष्ट्या त्वत्तामहं गतः ।
मह्यं तुभ्यमनन्ताय मह्यं तुभ्यं शिवात्मने
नमो देवाधिदेवाय पराय परमात्मने ।।

~ योगवाशिष्ठ

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Sources :

1. SHRIDAKSHINAMURTYSTOTRAM (a study based on the Manasollasa and
Tattvasudha) by D S Subbaramaiya

2. Sri Vivekachudamani commentary by H.H. Shri Chandrashekhara Bharati
Mahaswamij