Emotions in Indian Thought-Systems by Purushottama Bilimoria;Aleksandra Wenta;

Author:Purushottama Bilimoria;Aleksandra Wenta;
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Unlimited)
Published: 2015-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Śiva says, bhakti is eightfold: Love towards my bhaktas, to feel happy in my worship, performing my worship with devotion, to be physically busy for my sake, to experience modifications in one’s voice, in eyes (as shedding tears of joy) and in other limbs as effects of intense devotion, to hear holy legends related to me, to remember me always and to lead the life taking me as the only support. Even a mleccha2 who possesses this eightfold bhakti is equal to a learned Brahmin; he is a sage and is a prosperous man and he is learned.

In the words of the immortal hagiographer, Cēkkiḻār, these devotees par excellence are:

pūtam aintum nilaiyiṟ kalaṅkiṉum

mātōr pākar malarttā maṟappilār

ōtukātal uṟaippiṉ neṟi niṉṟār

kōtilāta kuṇap peruṅ kuṉṟaṉār.

kēṭum ākkamum keṭṭa tiruviṉār

ōṭuñ cempoṉum okkavē nōkkuvār

kūṭum aṉpinil kumpiṭalē aṉṟi

vīṭum vēṇṭā viṟalin viaṅkiṉār.

Even if the elements five should quake,

They swerve not from their adoration

Of the flower-feet of Ammai-Appar (Mother-Father, i.e., Śiva-Pārvatī);

They stand rooted in bhakti hailed by the holy ones;

They are flawless hills of piety.

They are the ever-blest who have beyonded

Both prosperity and adversity;

Ruddy gold and potsherds, they view alike;

Adoration of the Lord in love is their sole goal;

They seek not even Moksha;

Such is their firmness of purpose (Periyapurāṇam 1.4.7–8, in Ramachandran 1990: 40).

Even if the five components of the world (pañca-mahābhūta) derail in their state, (devotees) do not forget a flower-like feet of the Lord composed of male and female aspects. They stand by the principle of praising of the Lord with love, which is metaphorically compared to ‘the hill of flawless pity’, indicating their strength. They have wealth which cannot be destroyed or created. They do not discriminate between tile and gold. Other than folding their hands out of rising love, they do not even want to attain liberation (mokṣa) (Periyapurāṇam, 1.4.9, ibid.). Cēkkiḻār, having thus described the depth and vastness of devotion of these great devotees of Śiva, concludes by wondering: ‘Can I ever describe their peerless valour in words?’ (Periyapurāṇam 1.4.9, in Ramachandran 1990: 40). The devotion of these bhaktas is heroic, a valour-infused devotion. This is an instance of heroism in devotion, heroism in supreme love.

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