अम्बा लक्ष्मीरमृतसहभूरब्धिराजन्यकन्या
पद्मा विश्वम्भरसहचरी पद्मसद्मा रमेति ।
यो नामैवं प्रपिबति भवन्नामनामामृतौघं
तस्यैवाहुर्जननि सुलभां संसृतिश्रान्तिशान्तिम् ॥
The Rahasya SPahasranāma describes Parāmbāas Prēmarūpā. What is prema? Bhagavān Nārada defines it thus:
guṇarahitam kāmanārahitam pratikṣaṇavardhamānam |
avicchinnaṁ sūkṣmataraṁ anubhavarūpam ||
Prema or love for the divine can never be expressed in words or analyzed through the sensory faculties: anivarcanīyam prēmasvarūpam. For the sake of the ignorant who mistake lower emotions for prema, Nārada lists six lakṣaṇas of prema:
1. Guṇarahitam
One loves an object based on its visible, perceivable qualities. The same is not true in the case of bhakti or prema towards the Lord. Lord is complete with auspicious qualities such as aiśvarya, yaśaḥ, śrī, dharma, jñāna, and vairāgya. It is this set of qualities that attracts many to the Lord. However, prema which has these qualities as lakṣya rather than the Lord himself, cannot be referred to as bhakti. These qualities lead to śraddhā which gradually turns into prēmarūpā bhakti.
2. Kāmanārahitam
Prema which involves a desire of any kind cannot be bhakti. Many worship the Lord for various desires and some for mōkṣa or salvation. śāstra rejects both these attitudes as aśuddha bhakti. A true bhakta showers prema on the Lord without any desire, be it bhukti or mukti.
It is said:
bhuktimuktispr̥hā yāvat piśācī hr̥di vartatē |
tāvat bhaktisukhasyātra kathamabhyudayō bhavēt ||
Till the ghost of desire for bhukti and mukti lingers in one’s heart, how can true prēmarūpā bhakti arise?
Moreover, mōkṣakāma is the greatest of desires.
3. Pratikṣaṇa vardhamānam
There can be no limit for true prema towards the Lord as it is ever increasing.
4. Avicchinnam
Prema is uninterrupted like the stream of Bhagavatī Gaṅgā. Once the heart is filled with the nectar of Bhagavad-bhakti, the flow of this amr^ita is continuous without any break. Bhakti which appears in the mind only on ēkādaśi or during a visit to the temple cannot be termed prema.
5. Sūkśmataram
Bhakti or prema is distinguished from other emotions by this statement: prema is subtler than the subtlest. It can never be equated to other longings directed toward the phenomenal world. Also, due to its highly subtle nature, it cannot be exactly described in words through upamāna.
6. anubhavarūpam
If prema cannot be described, how does one know about it? Nārada has the answer, anubhavarūpam, only through direct experience.
Thus, prema is the homogeneous and integral experience of divine Love, devoid of attachment to attributes and selfish tendencies, highly subtle in nature, and ever-expanding.
trirūpabhaṅgapūrvakaṁ nityadāsya nityakāntā bhajanātmakam prēma kāryam prēmaiva kāryam || (Nārada bhaktisūtra)
Laukika bhakti is generally of three kinds:
1. Bhaya-bhakti
Some visualize Parāmbā as a ferocious entity with great might and worship her out of fear with the thought, “If I do not worship her, she may harm me and my family”. This is the main intent behind the worship of Mārī, Plegamma, Masāṇamma, and other such deities. This so-called bhakti, arising primarily out of fear, does not deserve to be called bhakti. Where there is true bhakti, there is not an iota of fear. When Lord Sankarṣaṇa appeared in front of Prahlāda in a ferocious form, all deities including Ramā were frightened beyond measure. But Prahlāda, the true bhakta that he was, approached the Lord fearlessly, touched his feet, and even sat on his lap when lifted up by the Lord! That is the real example of bhakti, characterized by immeasurable prema or love for the divine.
2. Kāma-bhakti
Some are not scared of Parāmbā but worship her primarily with the objective of fulfilling their desires. They read or hear from different sources that worshiping Parāmbā grants all desires and with the main objective of achieving desires, worship her by reciting mantras, sahasranāma, cakrārcana, etc. The desire can be anything, from getting a promotion to attaining good health. Those who perform kratus for the sake of fruits such as svarga-prāpti, also exhibit this category of bhakti. This way of bhakti, tainted by desires, is called kāma-bhakti.
3. Sātiśayatva bhakti
We visualize Parāmbā as the great Empress, we hear that her family comprises of divinities of immeasurable prowess such as Mantriṇī, Daṇḍinī, Kāmēśvara, etc. We visualize her beautiful form and meditate on her divine abode called Maṇidvīpa. But as time progresses, these superficial attributes may supersede the recognition of the true nature of Parāśakti, who is all-capable and complete even without any of these assumed attributes. When these aspects such as qualities, form, and abode become the limiting factors in knowing the true nature of Parāmbā, such bhakti comes to be termed as Sātiśaya bhakti.
True bhakti, called parā, is untainted by these three attitudes of bhaya, kāma, and paricchēdaka buddhi. Thus, prema is possible only after trirūpa bhaṅga, the destruction of these three attitudes. This expression however has a deeper meaning. In the world, when we talk of love, there are three aspects to it: the love itself, the lover who is the Lord in this case, and the loving one, who is the upāsaka. When true prema for Nr̥kēsarī shines in the heart, these three distinctions disappear and only pure love remains. The sense of separation between the Lord and the upāsaka ceases and only true prema, which is the light of the Self, shines. When the Rahasya Sahasranāma speaks of Jagadambā as Prēmarūpā, an uttamādhikārin should interpret that to refer to parā-bhakti or prema and understand clearly that Lalitā is ātmasvarūpiṇī.
Now, it becomes clear that parā-bhakti is not possible for all. So, what can I, as a Gauṇa bhakta, do? Is there no way to attain parā-bhakti? Is there no way I can understand parā-bhakti? The compassionate sage Nārada teaches two attitudes that can help us in this direction.
Nityadāsatva bhāva: A loving servant is completely dedicated to his master. He is happy with the little food given to him. He does not care for clothes or salary. Every smile of his master is like a sunrise to him. A little word of praise is enough to send him to the seventh heaven. At the smallest command of his master, he is ready to give his life. Through such selfless love for the master, the sense of “I” slowly begins to diminish, leading to a higher state of awareness. The best example of a bhakta who exhibited Nityadāsatva bhāva towards the Lord is Māruti.
Nityakāntā bhāva: When a lady marries her husband, she becomes one with him and finds joy in his joy. She changes every aspect of her personality to please her husband, without expecting anything but love from him. She craves his attention and goes to the extent of fighting with Yama to stay with him. Such an attitude towards the Lord where selfless love is exhibited like a loving wife is called Nityakāntā bhāva. Bhagavatī Jānakī is the greatest example of this attitude.
Some misinterpret the following verse:
kalau kalmaṣacittānām pāpadravyōpajīvinām |
vidhikriyāvihīnānām gatirgōvindakīrtanam ||
“In the age of Kali, people are of sinful nature, live on sinful means, and are devoid of varṇāśrama dharma. For such people, the only refuge is the recitation of the divine name of the Lord”. Karmāndha-s interpret the verse thus to negate the necessity of bhakti involving smaraṇa, kīrtana, etc., for those following the varṇāśrama dharma. This is untrue as the Lord says in the Gītā śāstra:
kiṁ punarbrāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayastathā ||
“Arjuna, when the sinners attain such great merits through bhakti, what to speak of the greatness of those ācāraniṣṭha brāhmaṇas, who are engaged in bhagavad-bhakti?”
It is also said:
prāyaścittānyaśēṣāṇi tapaḥ karmātmakāni vai |
yāni tēṣāmaśēṣāṇām kriṣṇānusmaraṇam param ||
In śruti, the explicit reference to bhakti occurs in the śvētāśvarōpaniṣad:
yasya dēvē parā bhaktiḥ yathā dēvē tathā gurau |
tasyaitē kathitā hyrathāḥ prakāśantē mahātmanaḥ ||
That bhakti is vēda pratipādyā is clarified by sage Shāṇḍilya:
bhaktiḥ pramēyā śrutibhyaḥ ||
Venerable commentators on this sūtra point out various mantras from the śruti which expound bhakti tattva. The Veda Stuti in Viṣṇu Bhāgavata Upapurāṇa states that the purport of the śruti is to expound not only Karma and Jñāna but Bhakti as well.
In the manuṣya prapañca, anurāga is of three kinds:
1. Snēha: that which is expressed towards inferiors like son, daughter, disciples, etc. (nimnagāmī)
2. Prema: that which is expressed towards equals like friends, spouse, etc. (samānagāmī)
3. śraddhā: that which is expressed towards superiors like parents, Guru, etc. (mānyagāmī)
Anurāga again can be:
1. Kāmamūlaka: here the cause is svārtha and the goal is anātma-vastu like indriya bhōga, etc.
2. Prēmamūlaka: here the cause is parārtha and the goal is ātma-vastu.
When a kāmī gets rid of svārthaparatā, parārthaparatā sets in and he becomes a prēmī. With growing prema towards the Divine, there is a proportionate decrease in svārtha. The spring of anurāga in his heart begins to flow on prēmabhūmi instead of kāmabhūmi. As ajñāna is the root cause for svārtha, only a premika is the adhikārin for superior bhakti. This is stated by the Lord in the Bhāgavata purāṇa:
mithō bhajanti yē sakhyaḥ svārthaikāntōdyamā hitē |
na tatra sauhr̥daṁ dharmaḥ svārthārthaṁ taddhi nānyathā ||
Sneha and other vr̥ttis discussed above are laukika or associated with objects of the perishable world. Hence, there can be no enduring joy obtained from these forms of anurāga. When anurāga is turned towards Paramātman who is eternal and imperishable, enduring and limitless joy is obtained. Through the peaks of Himaśaila, Jāhnavī flows in the form of three streams, with different names, colors, quality,, etc. – Mandākinī, Alakanandā, and Bhāgīrathī. The different streams, on reaching the plain, merge and flow as one serene stream that destroys all sins, called Gaṅgā. Thus, śraddhādi vr̥ttis, when made devoid of svārtha and diverted towards the plain called bhagavadbhāva, attain the form of parānurakti, which is termed as bhakti.
Definition and lakṣaṇa of Bhakti are discussed variously, my favorite being the one from Srī Madhusūdana Sarasvatī:
dravībhāvapūrvikā manasaḥ bhagavadākārarūpatā savikalpā vr̥ttiḥ bhaktiḥ ||
manōgatiraviccinnā yathā gaṅgāmbhasō’mbudhau |
lakṣaṇaṁ bhaktiyōgasya nirguṇasya hyudāhr̥tam |
ahaitukyavyavahitā yā bhaktiḥ puruśōttamē || (Bhāgavata purāṇa)
yā prītiravivēkānāṁ viṣayēṣvanapāyinī |
tvāmanusaratassā mē hr̥dayānmāpasarpatu || (Viśṇu purāṇa)
sā tvasmin paramapēmarūpā || (Nārada)
sā parānuraktirīśvarē || (śāṇḍilya)
alaukikēśvarānurāgarūpā || (Aṅgīrasaḥ)
drutasya bhagavaddhārmāddhārāvāhikatāṁ gatā |
sarvēśē manasō vr̥ttiḥ bhaktirityabhidhīyatē || (Bhagavadbhaktirasāyana)
sarvōpādhivinirmuktaṁ tatparatvēna nirmalam |
hr̥ṣīkēṇa hr̥śīkēśasēvanaṁ bhaktirucaytē || (Nārada)
ananyamamatā viṣṇau mamatā prēmasaṅgatā |
bhaktirityuccyatē bhīṣmaprahlādōddhavanāradaiḥ || (Pāñcarātrāgama)
svarūpānusandhānaṁ bhaktirityabhidhīyatē || (Vivēkacūḍāmaṇi)
Bhakti is classified into two: gauNI and parA. gauNI is again of two kinds: vaidhI and rAgAtmikA. vaidhI is classified into nine [shravaNa etc.] and rAgAtmikA into fourteen [hAsya etc.]. Thus, it becomes evident that during sAdhanA, the form of bhakti is gauNI, the siddhAvasthA of which leads to parA bhakti. Thus, gauNI is sAdhana and parA is sAdhya. So, the importance of gauNI as sopAna for parA bhakti is unquestionable.
vaidhI bhakti employs the assistance of Guru and the shAstras to discard niShiddha sAdhana and embrace vihita sAdhana. This leads to rAgAtmikA bhakti where an intense emotion [kAmarUpA sambandharUpA vA] towards the Lord begins to flow like tailadhArA. This leads to intense dispassion towards anything other than the Lord, preparing the Yogi to attain parA bhakti.
shriyaH patirya~jnapatiH prajApatiH
dhiyAM patirlokapatirdharApatiH |
patirgatishchAndhakavR^ishNisAtvatAm
prasIdatAm me bhagavAn satAM gatiH ||
nR^isimhAmAdim sharaNam prapadye
Chapter 4
nIlA tArA yasya pArshwe tam vande gaNanAyakam
It is said in the shAstra:
sa vai puMsAM paro dharmo yato bhaktiradhokShaje |
ahaitukyapratihatA yayAtmA suprasIdati ||
When the bhakti of an upAsaka towards the Lord is:
1. ahaitukI: free from the desire for the fruits
2. apratihatA: unceasing or continuous
then such bhakti induces the prAdhAnya of sattva guNa in the mind, paving way for the rise of tattva jnAna. The word adhokShaja is of special significance here. adhokShaja means he who is not perceivable through the sensory faculties like akShi i.e. avA~Ngmanasagochara, signifying the Atma tattva. This interpretation is especially true in the case of parA bhakti. Thus, sAdhya and sAdhana are both indicated in this verse.
The utility of Bhakti in attaining vairAgya and jnAna is stated elsewhere:
vAsudeve bhagavati bhaktiyogaH prayojitaH |
janayatyAshu vairAgyam jnAnaM yattahaitukam ||
For most, bhakti is prescribed towards a chosen saguNa mUrti. When the goal is mokSha, one would have to evaluate the mUrti or mantra chosen as the upAsya, for it is said:
mumukShavo ghorarUpAn hitvA bhUtapatInatha |
nArAyaNakalAH shAntA bhajanti hyanasUyavaH ||
Though the specific reference here is to shrImannArAyaNa, similar verses can be found regarding ambA, parameshwara, gaNapati, Aditya etc. According to mantra shAstra, every mantra has a specific effect, degree of which is based on the sincerity and efforts of the upAsaka. The same statement can be applied to the deity representing the mantra due to abheda between mantra and devatA. Not all devatAs and hence not all mantras are described as mokShada mantras in the shAstras based on this concept. It may be too secular to make the statement: all mantras grant mokSha, it is just the intent of the upAsaka. Though this may be true to a certain extent, one needs to consider the following points:
1. The mantra a person obtains from a Sadguru [no, we are not talking of crash courses or diksha packages] is based on the pravR^itti and intent of the sAdhaka. A Guru knows what mantra would work for a person at that moment based on his state, which naturally is the force shaping his intent.
2. Alternately, some mantras have the capability to change the intent of the upAsaka while accelerating chitta shuddhi, when recited without a desire for fruits.
3. Though intent of the upAsaka is important, how can reciting the mantra of a yakshi like maNimekhalA or udayasundarI grant Chitta Shuddhi or vairAgya? If someone claims to know of an upAsaka who did achieve jnAna through the upAsanA of yakShi, that would only indicate the uttamAdhikAra of such an upAsaka and he probably never required an upAsanA Krama to begin with.
4. Every mantra is said to have one chief purpose, called mukhya viniyoga and other auxiliary purposes. Those mantras which have mokSha as the mukhya viniyoga are termed as mokSha pradhAna mantras. Various scriptures list various mantras in this category and the pramANa accepted here should be in accordance with ones tradition. While vaiShNavAdi sampradAyas hold bhairavAdi mantras as tAmasika, tantra ascribes mokSha dAtrtva to these forms. Thus, the pramANa here is the Guru and sampradAya.
5. Finally, every mantra has a specific effect of the energetic body. For example, svarNAkarShaNa bhairava mantra activates kuhu nadi. How can activating kuhu nadi activate Kundalini, cleanse the nadi chakras and take one towards mukti? Many times, lots of mantras are credited with the power to grant puruShArtha chatuShTaya but such statements should be taken with a pinch of salt and pepper and interpreted as glorification of the mantra. Here again, to be able to distinguish between yathArtha and glorification, one should take refuge under the Guru, the lineage and the instructions from realized masters like Shankara who prescribed worship of pancha devatas for those seeking Chitta Shuddhi. This is especially true for those who are not uttamAdhikArins.
6. For the purpose of mano laya, any mantra, like the hamsa mantra, when recited with awareness, can instill stillness of the mind, forcing the mind to explore its own nature, resulting in the true awareness of its non-existence. For this purpose, any mantra can work. There is no deity here or bhakti and the approach is primarily nAstika in nature. This is certainly a valid method for enlightenment [the paribhasha of which is hardly universal!] and hence adopted by Astikas but cannot be equated with the approach of mantra shAstra or shrIvidyA tantra. There are similarities but they are not exactly the same.
In the current context, as sUta is specifically speaking of those worshipping the Lord for vairAgya and jnAna, he suggests the practice of niShkAma bhakti of vAsudeva through the eight or twelve lettered mantras, illustrated as mokSha mantras almost universally. Thus, the prescription here is to indulge in bhaktipUrvaka upAsanA of a chosen deity ascribed with mokSha dAtrtva, if the goal of the bhakti is mokSha. Whatever form or mantra is adopted for practice, the upAsaka is warned not to indulge in nindA or look down upon other vibhUtis of the Lord, each manifested by the Supreme with a specific purpose [hyanasUyavaH].
It is said:
yamAdibhiryogapathaiH kAmalobhahato muhuH |
mukundasevayA yadvattathAtmAddha na shAmyati ||
The mind is not calmed down completely by yamAdi yogas but certainly through bhakti towards parameshwara. This verse should again not be interpreted as nindA of yoga mArga but instead as prashamsA of the simplicity and universal accessibility of bhakti mArga in comparison.
So how really does one practice bhakti? Yama has the answer, which we shall examine in detail:
etAvAneva loke.asmin pumsAm dharmaH paraH smR^itaH |
bhaktiyogo bhagavati tannAmagrahaNAdibhiH ||
Also, the fact that bhakti can lead one to Atma jnAna after which naraka, svarga or mokSha are all same without any difference is stated by Bhagavan Shankara:
nArAyaNaparAH sarve na kutashchana bibhyati |
svargApavarganarakeshvapi tulyArthadarshinaH ||
Various sAdhana pathas are adopted based on adhikAra or qualification. strI shUdrAdayaH cannot indulge in various karmas and certain other paths are not universally suitable for upAsakas of all pravR^ittis. But the path of bhakti is suitable for all categories of upAsakas indicated here by the word “sarve”, to which our attention is specifically drawn by shrIdhara svAmin.
nIlo.api rAgamadhikam janayan purAreH
lolo.api bhaktimadhikAm dR^iDhayan narANAm |
vakro.api devi namatAm samatAm vitanvan
kAmAkShi nR^ityatu mayi tvadapAN^gapAtaH ||
Chapter 5
One can pose the following practical question: Yes, bhaktireva garIyasI, but how can I develop bhakti? Uddhava answers this question:
dAna vrata tapo homa japa svAdhyAya saMyamaiH |
shreyobhirvivdhaishchAnyaiH kR^iShNe bhaktirhi sAdhyate ||
By performance of vihita karmas like dAna, vrata, tapaH, japa etc., gradually gauNI bhakti develops, further leading one towards parA bhakti. A blind person is incapable of distinguishing between black and white and similarly, those unaware of the shAstras are incapable of distinguishing between vihita and avihita [prescribed and banned] karmas as shruti and smriti form the two eyes of a dvija:
shrutismr^itI ubhe netre viprANAM parikIrtite |
ekena vikalaH kANo dvAbhyAmandhaH prakIrtitaH ||
The shAstra also says:
mukhabAhUrupAdebhyaH puruShasyAshramaiH saha |
chatvAro ja~jnire varNA guNairviprAdayaH pR^ithak ||
ya evaM puruShaM sAkShAdAtmaprabhavamIshwaram |
na bhajantyavajAnanti sthAnabhraShTAH patantyadhaH ||
The system of varNa and Ashrama originates from the parama puruSha as explained in mahAbhArata:
brahmaNo mukhataH sR^iShTo brAhmaNo rAjasattama |
bAhubhyAM kShatriyaH sR^iShTaH UrubhyAM vaishya uchyate ||
varNAnAM paricharyArthaM trayANAM puruSharShabha |
varNashchaturthaH pashchAttu padbhyAM shUdro vinirmitaH ||
Thus, those who do not adhere to their svdharma based on the varNa and Ashrama cannot be called as bhaktas of the parama puruSha and they attain adho gati. The pramANa here is bhagavadvAkya itself:
varNAnAmAshramANAM cha yA maryAdA mayA kR^itA |
tAM ye samanuvartante prasAdasteShu sambhavet ||
My grace is obtained by those who follow the varNa and ashrama dharma that is established by me.
The Lord also declares those not following varNAshrama dharma as pAtakis elsewhere:
shrutiH smR^itirmamaivAj~nA yastAmullaMghya vartate |
Aj~nAcChedI mama drohI madbhakto.api na vaiShNavaH ||
But is mechanical performance of vihita karma with disregard to bhagavdbhakti of any use? The Lord says: dharma, tapaH, satya etc., when devoid of bhagavadbhakti [i.e. performed with an objective other than bhagavatprINana], cannot grant chitta shuddhi or j~nAna:
dharmaH satyadayopeto vidyA vA tapasAnvitA |
madbhaktyA petamAtmAnaM na samyak prapunAti hi ||
Only when bhakti becomes ripe in an upAsaka and anugraha of the Lord begins to shine luminously in his heart, he attains anAsakti in laukika and vaidika karma vyavahAra:
yadA yasyAnugR^ihNAti bhagavAnatmabhAvitaH |
sa jahAti matiM loke vede cha pariniShThatAm ||
devarShi nArada rejects even the upAdhi nivartaka jnAna devoid of karma vAsanA, if without bhagavadbhakti:
naiShkarmyamapyachyutabhAvavarjitam
na shobhate j~nAnamalaM nira~njanam |
kutaH punaH shashvadabhadramIshvare
na charpitaM karma yadapyakAraNam ||
Hence, even the great knowers of the Self who are free from samsAra granthi, engage in niShkAma bhakti of the Lord:
AtmArAmAshcha munayo nirgranthA apyurukrame |
kurvantyahaitukIM bhaktiM itthaMbhUtaguNo hariH ||
Though j~nAna, vairAgya etc. are attained through bhakti, a true bhakta never practices bhakti for these or even for mokSha. They are devoid of even mokSha kAma:
na ki~nchit sAdhavo dhIrA bhaktyA hyekAntino mama |
vA~nChantyapi mayA dattaM kaivalyamapunarbhavam ||
sharvANi sarvajanavanditapAdapadme
padmacChadacChaviviDambitanetralakShmi |
niShpApamUrtijanamAnasarAjahaMsi
haMsi tvamApadamnekavidhAM janasya ||
Chapter 6
shvetaM varAhavapuShaM kShitimuddharantam
sha~NkhArisarvavaradAbhayayuktahastam |
dhyAyennijaishcha tanubhiH sakalairupetam
pUrNaM vibhuM sakalavA~nChitasiddhaye.ajam ||
shrImAtre namaH
Sri Kapila recommends satsanga as an important factor in developing bhakti:
satAM prasa~NgAnmama vIryasamvido
bhavanti hR^itkarNarasAyanAH kathAH |
tajjoshaNAdAshvapavargavartmani
shraddhA ratirbhaktiranukramiShyati ||
By involving oneself in satsanga [company of the good and the devoted], one gets to hear the lIlAmR^ita of the Lord, leading one gradually towards shraddhA, rati and bhakti, which result in eternal bliss through avidyA nivrR^itti.
The Lord states the following to nArada:
satsevayA dIrghayA.api jAtA mayi dhR^iDhA matiH |
“O Narada! By the merit of continued service done by you to my devotees, you have attained dhr^iDha bhakti in me”.
The following is stated by prachetasa:
tulayAmi lavenApi na svargaM nApunarbhavam |
bhagavatsa~Ngisa~Ngasya martyAnAM kimutAshiyaH ||
Neither svarga nor freedom from rebirth are comparable even faintly to the pleasure of the company of bhagavad bhaktas. That being the case, what to speak of material possessions like kingdom etc.?
yatpAdasamshrayAH sUta munayaH prashamAyanAH |
sadyaH punantyupasR^iShTAH svardhunyApo.anusevayA ||
One attains purity by drinking the sacred water of Ganga. But even this takes a while and not immediate as, though ga~NgA was born from the lotus feet of the Lord, she is not stationed there. But by taking refuge at the feet of the great sages who are immersed in Bhakti, sanctity is attained immediately as they are ever stationed at the lotus feet of bhagavAn and the Lord is ever stationed in their heart.
aho vayaM janmabhR^ito.adya hAsma
vR^iddhAnuvR^ityApi vilomajAtAH |
dauShkulyamAdhiM vidhunoti shIghram
mahattamAnAmabhidhAnayogaH ||
shAstras state that the birth of a person in a particular varNa are determined by his pre-doings and birth itself brings certain merits and de-merits. Though births such as mlecCha or viloma are considered as associated with sin, there is an easy way to cleanse oneself of it: serving the saints and bhagavatas, which inculcates bhakti. When the father is of a higher varNa than the mother, the resulting offspring is an anuloma santAna. The varNa of such a santAna is mishra. The offspring resulting out of the union between the mother of a higher varNa and the father of a lower varNa is pratiloma santAna and the varNa is said to be hIna. Sage sUta himself is a pratiloma santAna owing to his mother being a brAhmaNI and father a kShatriya. But, as he states in the above verse, by service to bhAgavatas and j~nAna vrddhas, he absolved himself of all sins and attained the status of a great R^ishi.
bhaktistu kA yadi bhavedratibhAvabheda-
statkevalAnvayitayA viphalaiva bhaktiH |
prItistvayi trijagadAtmani kasya nAsti
svAtmadruho na khalu santi janAstrilokyAm ||