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Re: Purpose of life

From the Bhakti List Archives

Jay.Bharadwaj • November 7, 1995 


My understanding is that Shri Josyula had correctly presented all
Vaishnava Acharyas' emphatic statements that Service to Sriman Narayana or
Vishnu is the aim and goal of life and that only those who are envious of
Sriman Narayana have trouble accepting the fact.  In the Bhagavad Geeta
Sri Krishna says that He is partial to no one. This means that whatever
facilites were available to Nitya Suris like Garuda were also available to
us at all times.  We (here we refers to Baddha Jivatmas only) just failed
to take advantage of it because we did not see how much Krishna loves us
and wants us to be happy by serving the All Perfect Being, but we only saw
how He sits on the big throne and orders everyone about.  This is the
beginningless Karma that Ramanuja talks about in the Geetabhasya and
Vedartha Sangraha.  However from the story of Puranjana and avignyatu in
the Srimad Bhagavatam it is clear that we enjoyed a very close
relationship with Narayana in spite of not surrendering to Him and
rendering constant service to Him.  It was an accumulation of sins that
resulted from us not serving Sri Krishna that eventually brought us to a
stage of forgetfulness of our Master in this material world.  When we
begin to seek salvation it is because Sriman Narayana out of His kindness
made life so difficult for us that we appealed to Him for help.  His
response eventually brought us to the stage of Prapatti or other paths
towards Moksha.  It is only at the time of Moksha that our jealously
towards Him is totally removed from which point service to Him is
constant.

Regarding Shri Bhasyam's question, service to Narayana is in three forms.
 (a) Bhagavath Seva or service directly to Narayana in His Vigraha,
Salagrama or Avatara forms.
 (b) BhAgavatha Seva or service to His devotees depending upon which
devotee we are put in touch with by Narayana.  It is not for us to judge
who is or who is not a devotee until we are put in a situation where a
stand has to be taken (e.g. emails on the purpose of life).  Social
Service falls within this category and WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT SRIMAN
NARAYANA IS USING US AS HIS INSTRUMENTS TO HELP OTHER INDIVIDUALS IN NEED.
 (c) The third and highest category is Acharya Seva or service to Acharya
according to His instructions.

Jaganath.