Datta Maata 177: Knowledge with Devotion

Om Aim Hrīm Srīm Shiva Rama Anagha Dattaya namaha!

The experience of being devoted is different from the scholarly knowledge. If devotion, dispassion and worship go hand in hand with the scholarly knowledge, then the latter gets elevated to a higher level. It will also become a great use to the world. That energy will be completely filled in it. A real scholar who truly worships God with total devotion which is rich with Vairāgya (dispassion) will not even have a trace of ego. Even God will praise such a person and is always near to him. Name and fame come to such people automatically because God is near them always. Such scholarly knowledge gets influenced by God and nature. That is why, such knowledge will bestow good benefits on the society. The literature exists in several forms - poetry, prose, songs amongst others. But, one can attain salvation if and only if one possesses total devotion. In this manner, there are many mahatmās who fullfilled their lives by rendering their services with devotion like Kanakadāsa, Purandharadāsa, Tygārājaswamy and Mīrabai.

In Telugu literature, many of us know about Srinatha and Pōthana. Both of them were great poets and mahatmās. However, there is a lot of difference between both of them. Srinatha was a good devotee but his ego enveloped his devotion. Pōthana was a natural scholar. His nature was totally different from that of Srinatha, who is interested much towards worldly affairs. On the contrary, Pōthana was rich with spiritual knowledge. Srinatha dedicated his knowledge to the kings whereas Pōthana was such a mahatma that he dedicated his entire knowledge to God. In Pōthana Bhagavatham, during Gajendra Moksham, in order to protect Gajendra, Srimannarāyana went to him without taking any weapons with him. In this context, Pōthana wrote a famous poem :
Sirikin cheppadu shankha chakra yugamun!!

When Srinatha listened to this, he mocked "Oh man! What is the need for Maha Vishnu to immediately go? What did he think of doing without taking his weapons?" Meanwhile, they got the news that Srinatha's son had fallen into a well. They even heard the splashing sound when he fell into it. Srinatha who was having his food immediately came near the well. When he tried to see there, he did not find his son. He felt tensed. Then, Pōthana smiled and asked, "My dear Srinatha, you came running all the way while you were still eating. You did not even bring anything like ladder, rope or bucket. What is this? How do you think you will protect your son?" Srinatha understood and felt ashamed. Pōthana has written the Bhagavatham with deep devotion. The words written by him indicate the ceaseless compassion and affection on the devotee of the Paramatma when he listens to the yearning call of the devotee when faced with hardhips. It is very close to the experience we get in this world.

Bhakthi hēnanthu pāndityam!
Shavālankriti sannibham!!
The singing or the knowledge devoid of devotion is equivalent to the decoration made to the dead body.

Shabdajālam mahāranyam - The poetry written in lengthy essays will not be of any use to us. If devotion is attached to them, one becomes dear to God. It also bestows benefits to the world. All the literates must understand this very well. Many of them do a lot of writing work in literature. They write something or the other. In that, if the devotion is also attached, then it becomes too good. It will be of some use to the world. It must not be meant for temporary entertainment. People simply laugh and applaud. It must be something permanent.

Jai Guru Datta! Sri Guru Datta!