CHENNAI: This kind of crystallization is Para Bhakti or extreme sense of reverential devotion at the Lotus Feet of the guru. When Para bhakti overflows from within your heart, gods reside inside you. You then start spreading the wonderful quality of trust to others.
This is all because of para bhakti. This is how you radiate. You radiate either Brahman or parabrahman swaroopa. Likewise, your own bhavanas or emotions take shape of your inner feelings to which you are now exposed. You take the forms of different deities like Devi, Krishna, Narasimha and so on. It is like ice taking-on the color of the water. King Janaka once inquired with his guru Ashtavakra upon the path to attain liberation where Ashta Vakra replied - “If you are seeking liberation my son, shun the objects of senses as poison. Practice tolerance, sincerity, compassion, contentment and truthfulness like nectar”.
Once a disciple attains the para bhakti or the state of extreme devotion, you automatically shift your focus from yourself, your desires, your needs to caring for other souls. God will be established as pivot in your heart with His divine attributes of care, compassion, and selflessness.
Gurupadambujam smrtva jalam sirasi dharayet Sarva tirthavagahasya samprapnoti phalam narah.
Sprinkle water on your head while remembering the Lotus Feet of the guru. Thus, a person obtains the benefits of bathing in all holy waters. The process of atonement is an incessant process. When we go on offering our prayer of atonement with utmost sincerity everyday with total faith and devotion to our guru seated in our own heart as our very soul - Brahman, we are automatically in the course of purification. Then, we realise that we are what we are because of the grace of our guru. We will go on serving our guru with utmost dedication and dedicated devotion that is in the state of Para Bhakti.
Here, we begin to cherish and treasure our guru’s glorious and gracious presence within us. Then we understand the fact of our very life itself. We come to know that we are born only because of Karma. As per the Rig Veda, a soul attains human birth due to 49 per cent of bad karma and 51 per cent of good karma and vasanas or tendencies. However, this birth is attained only for us to absolve all our karma through dedicated seva and sadhana to attain emancipation.
Lord Shiva says, once you dedicate yourself through your body, mind and soul at the lotus feet of your guru in His service that is seva, then all our karmic residues starts melting away and the effulgence of our soul is now visible to the whole world. People will now no longer see your outer form anymore. They will only see your divine effulgence.
Such is the power of the lotus feet of the guru. It can completely dissolve all your karmic residues. That is why many gurus or saints and sages -Mahatmas do not allow you to touch their lotus feet when you prostrate.
As per the scripture - the Garuda Purana, it is described that when a soul leaves its mortal coil, it has to go across the river by name vaitarini that is full of blood and pus. It requires a wish -fulfilling cow - Kamadhenu to take the soul across this river. That is why on occasion of demise during the ceremonial procedures or shraddhas, symbolically a cow is given as daana - donation to ensure that the departed soul is taken across the Vaitarini river by the Kamadhenu.
Likewise, this materialistic age - Kali Yuga that houses all suffering, problems, pain and mental unrest represents the Vaitarini river. The lotus feet of the guru is the Kamadhenu or wish fulfilling cow that takes you across this ocean of Samsara or suffering.
Extract from The Force of Nirvana by Shri Shri Nimishananda