Bhakti is Everlasting

कर्म  ज्ञान साध्य अन्य, गोविन्द राधे ।
भक्ति साधना तो भक्ति सध्य दिला दे।
Karma jñāna sādhya an'ya, gōvinda rādhē
Bhakti sādhanā tō bhakti sadhya dilā dē

The scriptures tell us that there are three paths to God realization -

1. Karma: path of performing Vedic rituals,
   
2. Gyan : path of knowledge and
   
3. Bhakti: path of devotion
   

The path of Karma and Gyan are the means to achieve an end.

For example, if one performs Karma, exactly as depicted in the Vedas with no errors, the Karma will result in confirming a place for that individual in the heavenly abodes.The individual will enjoy heavenly bliss for a predetermined period of time. After experiencing those luxuries, one will be sent back into a lower forms of life.

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Thereby one will have to go through innumerable cycles of births and deaths before being granted a human form again. When granted the human form, the individual will gain back the right to perform Karma.

So, Karma is a tool or a vehicle to attain heavenly gratification.

Now let’s reflect at the path of knowledge - Gyan Marg. The end result of pursuing the path of knowledge is removal of ignorance which is caused by Maya.

Maya has 2 aspects

      1. Swaroopavarika Maya (स्वरूपावरिका माया) or Avidya Maya (अविद्या माया): This aspect hides the true identity of self and creates the wrongful belief that “I am this body”.

       2. Gunavarika Maya (गुणावरिका माया) or Vidya Maya (विद्या माया): When gyani attains Gyan then he conquers Rajas and Tamas modes of Maya yet Sattva (सत्तव) (Goodness) mode remains dominant.The aspirant of Gyan Marg, upon perfection, is freed from Swaroopavarika Maya. In other words, the soul attains the knowledge and bliss of self (आत्मज्ञान). This state is called brahmabhootavastha (ब्रह्मभूतावस्था). In this state one perceives everyone as a soul. Thus, one rejoices in no material gain and is not upset due to any material losses. Even after attaining such a high state, one is still under the clutches of Gunavarika Maya hence one does not experience God (परमात्मज्ञान).  A self-realized Gyani has to practice devotion to become God-realized. As the Gita says -

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भक्त्यामामभिजानाति यावान्यश्चास्मि तत्त्वतः ।
ततो मां तत्वतो ज्ञात्वा विशते तदनन्तरम् ॥ गीता १८.५५
Bhaktyāmāmabhijānāti yāvān'yaścāsmi tattvataḥ.
Tatō māṁ tatvatō jñātvā viśatē tadanantaram. Gītā 18.55

Jagadguru Shankaracharya says ‘one cannot even purify ones mind without devotion’.

शुद्धयतिनान्तरात्मा कृष्णपदाम्भोजभक्तिमृते ॥
Śud'dhayatināntarātmā kr̥ṣṇapadāmbhōjabhaktimr̥tē.

Now let us examine the path of Bhakti -  Bhakti Marg.

भक्त्या संजायते भक्त्या
Bhaktyā san̄jāyatē bhaktyā

The result of Bhakti is no different than Bhakti itself. Aspirant needs to practice Bhakti or do Sadhana Bhakti. Practice imparts perfection and that is called Siddha Bhakti, which results in God-realization. In other words Bhakti is the only means of God-realization. Bhakti is ever increasing and everlasting. Even Sage Narad, Lord Shankar, and Shri Krishna also do Bhakti.

फलरूपत्वात्।    ना. भ. सू.
Phalarūpatvāt. Narad Bhakti Soottra.

Bhakti is both the cause and the effect, performing Bhakti results in Bhakti.

Thus,

• Karma results in attainment of celestial abodes,
• Gyan results in attainment of knowledge of the self
• Bhakti results in eternal everlasting bliss of God, which is ultimate Goal of life.

To illustrate this quality of Bhakti, Sage Narad, his composition Narad Bhakti Sutra, wrote

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अमृतस्वरूपा च । ना. भ. सू. ३
Amr̥tasvarūpā ca. Nā. Bha. Sū. 3

All other paths are spent after offering their respective rewards long before God-realization. But Bhakti never ceases to exist. Moreover it increases even after God-realization.

Bhakti is everlasting. This is an exceptional quality of Bhakti.

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