In the Bhagavat Mahapuran it is stated, and plus by the other rasik Saints, like in Bhakti Rasamrit Sindhu (The Ocean of the Nectar of Devotion) etc., it is stated that gyan (knowledge), karm (ritual action), yog—all this, put it aside. Bhakti (devotion), devotion to God, your love for God, your Divine love, devotion to God does not need any of these practices.
You don’t have to do all this jap (chanting), tap (austerity), brata (fasting) etc. Everything will be taken care of. In other words, you don’t need to do all this separately.
You love Him, and with that love, whatever you do, it’s fine. God is only thirsty, He’s only hungry, for your bhav (devotional sentiment). Your prem, your love.
आज हरी आये, विदुर घर पावना ।
आज हरी आये, हमारे घर पावना ।
अरे बिदुर नहीं घर थी बिदुरानी, आये थे जब सारंग पानी।
फूली नहिं समाति मन में, भोजन कंहा बनावना ।
आज हरी आये, विदुर घर पावना ।
केला बडि प्रेम से लायीं, गिरी गिरी तो देत गिराई ।
छिलका देत श्याम मुख मांही, कहाँ गवांई भावना ।
आज हरी आये, विदुर घर पावना॥Āj Harī āye, Vidur ghar pāvanā.
Āj Hari āye, hamāre ghar pāvanā.
Are bidur nahin ghar thee biduraanee, aaye the jab saarang paanee.
Phūlī nahiṇ samāti man meṇ, bhojan kahā banāvanā.
Āj Harī āye, Vidur ghar pāvanā.
Kelā baḍi prem se lāyīṇ, girī girī to det girā-ī.
Chhilakā det Shyam mukh māṃhī, kahā gavāṇī bhāvanā.
Āj Harī āye, Vidur ghar pāvanā.
“Krishna just walks into the house of Vidur, abandoning the 56 varieties of delicacies offered to Him by Duryodhan, and eats the banana peelings. Vidurani, the wife of Vidur, was so intoxicated and immersed in the love of Krishna because of that loving devotion that she always practices with Shree Krishna, that when she found Shree Krishna at her place…”
“Oh God!”, she couldn’t believe it, and she said,
“Oh, my love, my Beloved is here! Now what to offer to Him? I have to offer Him something!”
And she could only find this one banana, and she starts peeling it to give Him nicely the banana, but instead of the banana, the banana is being thrown on the floor, and the peeling is given to Krishna. And Krishna, oh Shree Krishna, is shedding tears like anything. He is extremely thrilled and overjoyed and filled with so much love also for Vidurani. Seeing the love of Vidurani, God and Saints love the love in our hearts. They don’t love people; they love the love. Likewise with Shabri etc.
So in this, in Shree Krishna, you see the embodiment of love itself, and in this devotion to Shree Krishna, do not start to think,
“Oh, but this is the right way and this is the wrong way and this is this way.”
That right way will always come to you. You will only do the wrong thing if you don’t have devotion, because devotion’s two children,the two sons: bhakti (devotion)’s two sons are Gyan (spiritual knowledge) and Vairagya (detachment). So Gyan is the child of devotion.
Gyan is not the father of devotion. Gyan is the child of devotion. So gyan will come to us only when bhakti comes to us, the mother. The mother is not there, the child is not there. So the true gyan, to do the true things, will always be there with you if you have bhakti, and detachment from the world also, from the body also; everything unwanted wouldn’t come when bhakti is there, when devotion is there. So devotion to God does not need the help of (nor is it) dependent on gyan, karm, yog, tap etc.
That is why,
अन्याभिलाषिताशून्यं ज्ञानकर्माद्यनावृतम् ।
आनुकूल्येन कृष्णानुशीलनं भक्तिरुत्तमा ॥Anyābhilāṣhitā-śhūnyaṁ gyāna-karmādy-anāvṛitam |
Anukūlyena kṛṣhṇānuśhīlanaṁ bhaktiruttamā ||- Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhu: 1.1.11
Anukūl bhāv - it’s a very favorable feeling in your heart, a positive feeling in your heart. You devote yourself to God, not like Kans, though Kans will also attain God, Sishupal also attains God, Ravan also attains God, but we are not to practice bhakti to God in that manner.
