Easiest way to approach God

CHENNAI, OCT. 6. There has been no instance of any devotee, who having placed his entire burden at the feet of God, was let down by Him. Being ever merciful, He is ready to protect all those who depend on His help and guide them properly. Since God knows what His devotees need and are entitled to receive what is due to them, none should seek material benefits from Him. If requests are made for specific favours, He will grant them only; but unasked, He may lavish His grace on a bigger scale and give them much more. Prayers and appeals for His succour will be duly rewarded. At times, due to their problems, some may brand Him as deaf towards their plea but this is far from truth.

How God can be approached has been explained in scriptures and by holy men. The easiest method, which is universal and easy is to sing His praise and chant His names. That is the only panacea for people of this era and there will be relief for the tormented souls. Incessant chanting will serve as a tonic to men who want solace. In recent times, we have come across a saint, who by repeating the name of Lord Rama 96 crores of times, of having even conversed with Him and who had composed 24,000 musical compositions bringing out God's glorious attributes and incorporating philosophic statements through them. That was Saint Thyagaraja, whose compositions reveal the intensity of devotion. Since he was attached to Rama, his songs bring out in simple language the highlights of the Ramayana, the Lord's qualities, His concern for those who cling to His feet and His readiness to extend His grace. But the Lord should always be worshipped in association with the Divine Mother. When a demoness overlooked Her presence and went after Rama, she suffered punishment. When Ravana separated Her from Rama, he met with his end. In one of his songs, the first portion (Pallavi) in Telugu and the second (Anupallavi) in Sanskrit, the saint shows his generosity in asking Rama to confer prosperity on all people, and excuse them for their defects, said Sri M.V. Simhachala Sastrigaru in his Harikatha. How the saint maintained tradition is demonstrated by resorting to the system of collecting alms from householders, just sufficient for the day. To the Sanyasi who stayed with him for a night and later initiated him into the ``Tharaka'' (Rama) Mantra, Thyagaraja has given a portrait of the effulgence of the Lord. The saint was asked to chant the name at the rate of 1.25 lakhs daily. The letter ``Ra'' throws out the vicious thoughts from within and ``Ma'' (with lips closed) acts as a no-entry path preventing sins from getting in again.

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