The human being is so puny that he requires GODs mercy to step and progress on the devotional path. He cannot progress on the devotional path with his own power or wisdom because worldly illusion will get the better of him. Without GODs mercy it is not possible to step in the devotional path because the great storm of worldly illusion will blow him away and lead him astray.
Therefore whosoever devotees have progressed in this devotional path, they have all done so on strength of GODs mercy.
If we move two steps towards GOD in the devotional path, the LORD moves four steps towards us. When GOD moves four steps towards us, the worldly illusion moves away four steps from us.
The first principle that we must understand is that the more we progress towards GOD, He reciprocates by progressing much more towards us. The LORD is ever willing and inclined to fill the gap between Him and His devotees. This principle must be seen as the first instance of GODs mercy.
The second principle that we must understand is that the more we progress towards GOD, the worldly illusion takes an equivalent backseat. Just as there is a rule that the shadow follows a man. When we move we do not have to ask the shadow to follow us because as a rule it will do so. Likewise there is a rule that worldly illusion will move in the opposite direction to GOD. When GOD comes in our life we do not have to ask worldly illusion to go away, it does so by its own. This principle must be seen as the second instance of GODs mercy.
After discussing the GODs mercy required for progressing in the devotional path, let us discuss the devotional power which we derive with our progress on the devotional path.
Just see the power of devotion that during progress on the devotional path we required GODs mercy but after progressing on the devotional path we achieve so much devotional power ( or GOD imbibes so much devotional power in us) that the LORD gets influenced by the love and devotion of the devotees to such an extent that He even breaks His rule in the process.
GOD and GODs nature never break their rule but due to the devotion of devotees they sometimes do so. Interpretation of two incidents of Holy Sri RamCharitManas by the saints prove this fact. When Sri Bharat ji went to the forest to pursue LORD SriRamji to accept the crown, the nature despite non-autumn season made the trees shed leaves so that it covers the route with a leaf cushion in order to comfort Sri Bharat jis feet. During the entire exile period in forest, the LORD never ordered nature to comfort His feet by the cushion of leaves and walked on rocks and pebbles but He ordered the nature to do so for His devotee. The LORD made the nature break its rule. The LORD Himself broke His rule for His devotee. The example of Bhagvati Shabari is relevant here. In the incarnation as LORD SriRamji, the LORD broke His rule and accepted the eaten fruit of His devotee. We feel blessed and privileged to receive the eaten food of LORD as Prasad but the LORD ate the eaten fruit of His devotee with great passion. It must be assumed that after putting the first fruit in His mouth the LORD blessed and emancipated His devotee and freed him from the cycle of birth and rebirths. Then why did the LORD eat so much fruit. Was it due to the sweetness of the fruits. No, it was the sweetness of devotion which the LORD even remembered during RamRajya (when He was crowned King) when Goddess Mata Janaki use to bring the food and the LORD use to say that it was delicious but not as much as the fruit which was offered by my devotee Shabari. { In the incarnation of LORD SriRamji, the LORD pleasingly went to exile in forest to fulfill His fathers vow but His brother and devotee SriBharat ji refused the crown and instead went to the forest to pursue the LORD to accept the throne.} { In the incarnation of LORD SriRamji, out of sheer love and devotion for the LORD, the devotee Bhagvati Shabari bit the fruits to check its sweetness before offering the same to the LORD and the LORD pleasingly ate the eaten fruits of His devotee with great delight and remembered the sweetness of devotion all through.}
The devotion received by the mercy of LORD ties the LORD with the love and makes Him break His rule. We must hail such devotion of the LORD.
If we earn anything else than this magnificent and divine devotion, it is just like fetching pebble from the ocean when we were supposed to fetch pearl. The human life is for earning the pearl of devotion. But see our misfortune that we accumulate the pebbles of worldly illusion and exhibit the same in the world with pride that we have earned such fortune, such asset and such splendor. If we think like this we must realize that the worldly illusion has got the better of us because real fortune, real asset and real splendor is only in devotion towards GOD for which we have received this scarce human life.
Therefore whosoever devotees have progressed in this devotional path, they have all done so on strength of GODs mercy.
If we move two steps towards GOD in the devotional path, the LORD moves four steps towards us. When GOD moves four steps towards us, the worldly illusion moves away four steps from us.
The first principle that we must understand is that the more we progress towards GOD, He reciprocates by progressing much more towards us. The LORD is ever willing and inclined to fill the gap between Him and His devotees. This principle must be seen as the first instance of GODs mercy.
The second principle that we must understand is that the more we progress towards GOD, the worldly illusion takes an equivalent backseat. Just as there is a rule that the shadow follows a man. When we move we do not have to ask the shadow to follow us because as a rule it will do so. Likewise there is a rule that worldly illusion will move in the opposite direction to GOD. When GOD comes in our life we do not have to ask worldly illusion to go away, it does so by its own. This principle must be seen as the second instance of GODs mercy.
After discussing the GODs mercy required for progressing in the devotional path, let us discuss the devotional power which we derive with our progress on the devotional path.
Just see the power of devotion that during progress on the devotional path we required GODs mercy but after progressing on the devotional path we achieve so much devotional power ( or GOD imbibes so much devotional power in us) that the LORD gets influenced by the love and devotion of the devotees to such an extent that He even breaks His rule in the process.
GOD and GODs nature never break their rule but due to the devotion of devotees they sometimes do so. Interpretation of two incidents of Holy Sri RamCharitManas by the saints prove this fact. When Sri Bharat ji went to the forest to pursue LORD SriRamji to accept the crown, the nature despite non-autumn season made the trees shed leaves so that it covers the route with a leaf cushion in order to comfort Sri Bharat jis feet. During the entire exile period in forest, the LORD never ordered nature to comfort His feet by the cushion of leaves and walked on rocks and pebbles but He ordered the nature to do so for His devotee. The LORD made the nature break its rule. The LORD Himself broke His rule for His devotee. The example of Bhagvati Shabari is relevant here. In the incarnation as LORD SriRamji, the LORD broke His rule and accepted the eaten fruit of His devotee. We feel blessed and privileged to receive the eaten food of LORD as Prasad but the LORD ate the eaten fruit of His devotee with great passion. It must be assumed that after putting the first fruit in His mouth the LORD blessed and emancipated His devotee and freed him from the cycle of birth and rebirths. Then why did the LORD eat so much fruit. Was it due to the sweetness of the fruits. No, it was the sweetness of devotion which the LORD even remembered during RamRajya (when He was crowned King) when Goddess Mata Janaki use to bring the food and the LORD use to say that it was delicious but not as much as the fruit which was offered by my devotee Shabari. { In the incarnation of LORD SriRamji, the LORD pleasingly went to exile in forest to fulfill His fathers vow but His brother and devotee SriBharat ji refused the crown and instead went to the forest to pursue the LORD to accept the throne.} { In the incarnation of LORD SriRamji, out of sheer love and devotion for the LORD, the devotee Bhagvati Shabari bit the fruits to check its sweetness before offering the same to the LORD and the LORD pleasingly ate the eaten fruits of His devotee with great delight and remembered the sweetness of devotion all through.}
The devotion received by the mercy of LORD ties the LORD with the love and makes Him break His rule. We must hail such devotion of the LORD.
If we earn anything else than this magnificent and divine devotion, it is just like fetching pebble from the ocean when we were supposed to fetch pearl. The human life is for earning the pearl of devotion. But see our misfortune that we accumulate the pebbles of worldly illusion and exhibit the same in the world with pride that we have earned such fortune, such asset and such splendor. If we think like this we must realize that the worldly illusion has got the better of us because real fortune, real asset and real splendor is only in devotion towards GOD for which we have received this scarce human life.