Sunday, 25 May 2025

Bhakti and Karma: The Twin Pillars of Spiritual Life -By Pandit Brahm Dev Vedalankar

The one with whom I have established a bond, the one to whom I have expressed my sorrows and unburdened my heart—He is my beloved, the Supreme Father, the Almighty. A true devotee must reflect on what form genuine devotion should take. How should one call out to the Supreme Father in such a way that He listens? But nowadays, things have taken a different turn.

Please don’t take offense—just reflect for a moment. When we are in trouble or face hardship, what do we often say? “God, please fulfill my wish; I will offer so much in return.” When we come to a place of worship, we often say, “Lord, please help me. I will donate this much to the temple or offer this much in alms.” The intention is not bad, but the method is flawed.

Let me ask you a simple question. The one who sustains us all, who protects us and is supremely powerful—He is known as Indra, the all-powerful, the Lord. In the Satyarth Prakash, it is said that the one full of divine majesty is called Indra, that is, God.

Now tell me, the things we offer to God—are they truly ours? Or do they belong to God? Of course, they belong to Him. Then how can we assume ownership of them, and say, “God, I offer You this much; now You must do this for me”?

Devotion is not about bargaining with God. True devotion says, “Lord, if You have given me suffering, then You will also take it away. If You have given me hardship, then it is mine to endure—it will pass.”

Let me give you a simple example. When you're driving a vehicle and hit a pothole, the car jolts but recovers. What absorbs the shock? The shock absorbers in the car. Similarly, devotion works as a shock absorber in life—it softens the impact of life’s troubles.

Today, while studying the Upanishads, I came across a beautiful teaching. It said there are two kinds of devotion: regular and irregular. Regular devotion strengthens your self-confidence. Irregular devotion, on the other hand, leads to blind faith.

Let me illustrate this: When you wake up in the morning, you brush, bathe, and follow your routine. If you miss breakfast, you feel uneasy. Just like food is necessary for the body, regular devotion is essential for a pure and peaceful mind. But what do we do? We keep it last. After all our tasks, we squeeze in two minutes for a mantra or a quick prayer. And when asked to join a havan or prayer, we say, “No time.” If someone invites us to a spiritual gathering, we respond, “I’ll do it at home sometime.”

But then, in a moment of crisis, we remember God intensely. I received a powerful message once: “Who says God doesn’t exist? When everything fades in life, only God remains visible.” But why let it come to that? Why not remember Him always—as our guide, as the one who leads us?

Our prayer should be action-oriented. As the Vedas say: labor first, prayer later. Devotion has been misinterpreted as sitting idle and chanting, expecting miracles. True devotion means action plus prayer, infused with knowledge.

Let me share why we revere Swami Dayanand, Swami Shraddhanand, and Pandit Lekh Ram. It’s because their devotion wasn’t passive. They didn’t just chant. They acted—they transformed society. Their devotion wasn’t just in words, but in deeds.

Devotion must be active, driven by action (karmana). We must worship God through our deeds. If our words and actions don’t match, we’ll never truly understand God.


Lord Krishna also emphasizes this in the Gita. There are two paths—knowledge and action. The organs of knowledge perceive, while the organs of action perform. Just as a blind man needs the guidance of someone who can see, and a lame man needs someone who can walk—together they move forward.

Likewise, knowledge and action must go hand in hand. Prayer should follow labor. Effort and devotion must coexist, and devotion should be informed by knowledge.

Let me share the story of Swami Shraddhanand, formerly known as Munshi Ram. He was an atheist, caught in bad company. When Swami Dayanand visited Bareilly, his father urged him to attend the sermons. Munshi Ram did so, and after hearing the final sermon, he confessed that although all his questions had been answered, one thing was missing—he still hadn’t felt God’s presence.

Swami Dayanand responded, “I never promised to show you God. The Upanishads say that God is not attained through sermons or study but through His grace.” This moment stirred Munshi Ram. He later renounced alcohol, changed his life, and eventually became Swami Shraddhanand, founding Gurukul and leading social reform.

True devotion brings change. Think—despite years of worship and rituals, how much change has occurred in your life? Change happens when we offer with a pure heart and say, “Everything I have is Yours, Lord. Nothing is mine.” That’s when real devotion begins.

God helps those who help themselves. Take one step toward Him, and He will take ninety-nine toward you.

Vedas teach us that devotion must be active. We must be dynamic—not idle. And we must nurture ourselves, not just physically, but through self-examination and humility. Evaluate your actions. Are you impatient, angry, egoistic toward others? Cultivate inner refinement.

There’s a story of two disciples who sought a guru. He asked them how to remove darkness from a room. One said, “I’ll cut it with a sword.” The other said, “I’ll light a lamp.” We often fight our weaknesses. Instead, we should light the lamp of self-study, service, and good company.

When you sit in a satsang, negative thoughts disappear. Why? Because you're in the presence of truth. Serving others humbly brings inner grace. Lord Krishna, a master of all scriptures, chose to serve at the Rajsuya Yajna, handling guests' footwear and arrangements. That is true humility.

Becoming God-centered means aligning with His attributes—truth, consciousness, bliss (Sat-Chit-Ananda). Swami Dayanand once said: The greatest is God. And being near greatness makes you great. Just like keeping company with the divine instills divinity in you.

Swami Vivekananda said: “The one who helps is more fortunate than the one who receives help.” For a moment, God entrusted you with His work. That is a blessing.

Bhagavad Gita also says—purify yourself through knowledge and penance (tapas). What is penance? Enduring life's dualities—heat and cold, joy and sorrow—with steadiness. Krishna taught Arjuna to bear them like a true warrior.

When you light the lamp of knowledge, the same wind that once extinguished it now fuels it. Similarly, the hardships of life that once seemed against you will uplift you when you face them with strength.

So instead of fighting your anger, light the lamp of study. Replace jealousy with service. And at the beginning of your yajna, remember the mantra: “Om Amritopastharanamasi Swaha”—O Lord, You are my refuge, my resting place, my covering. When I rest in You, what need is there to fear?

Reflect on this truth daily, and the certainty of God will become stronger. As I said earlier, regular devotion gives self-confidence. Irregular devotion fosters blind faith.

Let us pause here for today. I will continue this reflection tomorrow. If you found anything meaningful, do ponder it. If there was any shortcoming, I welcome your feedback so I may improve. Thank you for your time and attention.

Om Shanti.

 


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