Shravanam:
(King Parikshit listening to the stories of Lord Krishna told by Sage Suka)
King Parikshit, the moment he learnt that he had been cursed by Sringi to meet with death in seven days, summoned all the sages to ascertain how best he could utilise every moment of the remaining life span given to him. He felt that waste of time is waste of life. He appealed to the sages to advise him how best he could use the seven days left for him. When the Sage Suka entered the assemblage, the king requested him to redeem his life by converting what was a curse into a blessing. Suka taught the king continuously night and day all about the Supreme Lord and His incarnations and glories. Listening to Suka’s words, Parikshit was immersed in an ocean of bliss. All the sages present felt equally ecstatic and were lost in contemplation and love of the Lord. By enjoying the stories about the Lord, Parikshit was filled with devotion and experienced the Lord within him. He exemplifies how devotion can find the highest expression in merely listening to the glories of the Lord.
Kirtanam:
Sage Suka taught how by listening to the exploits of the Lord, singing His glories and constantly reciting His name, the supreme goal of God realisation can be achieved. Suka experienced the bliss of union with the Brahman by revelling in singing His glories.
Vishnu smaranam:
Prahlada is the supreme example of the devotee who always centered his thoughts on Vishnu regardless of whether he was subject to pain or pleasure. ‘Namo Narayana’ was his response to every ordeal. He was ceaselessly repeating the names of the Lord without any concern for the tortures to which he was subjected by the demons deputed by Hiranyakashipu. He was neither afraid nor distressed. Prahlada was fully conscious that the body composed of the five elements was perishable while the In-dweller was eternal. Hence he did not care what happened to the body. All his thoughts were ever concentrated on God.
Pada sevanam:
(Pic courtesy: Bhakti time)
Not all devotees get the opportunity to worship the feet of the Lord. Even when the opportunity is available most people use it for material purposes. Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, is the supreme example of one who dedicated herself totally to the worship of the Lord’s feet, regarding the Feet as the source of the entire creation, holding them supremely sacred owing to their being washed by Brahma himself, wondering at them as feet which had measured the whole cosmos, and venerating them as all-pervading.
Archanam:
(Maharaja Prthu, the Personification of Temple Service - pic courtesy: harekrsna )
Emperor Prithu stands out as the exemplar of this type of devotion. In all circumstances, Prithu adhered to the worship of Hari as his primary occupation. He saw the Lord in everything in the universe. Hence, he dedicated every thought, word and deed to the Divine.
Vandanam:
(pic courtesy: Divyapravachanam)
Akrura is an illustrious example of a devotee who sanctified his life by constantly prostrating before the Lord and offering obeisance to Him with humility and purity. Vandanam does not mean merely folding the palms together and offering salutations. It means offering to the Lord all that the jnanendriyas and Karmendriyas (the sense organs and the organs of action) do in a spirit of total surrender. Akrura worshipped the Lord in this spirit of total submission to the Divine will. Hence he could get a vision of Vishnu everywhere.
Dasyam (service):
Hanuman is the great exemplar of this type of devotion. Concentrating on the name of Rama and rendering service to Rama were Hanuman’s preoccupation all the time. He was no ordinary being. He was a master of the 64 sciences and arts. Rama described him as a hero of peace, who possessed immense strength and wisdom. In everything he handled, Hanuman would examine whether it had Rama’s name on it. If it was not there, he would discard even a precious gem as a useless piece of stone. While building the bridge to Lanka, Hanuman hurled rocks into the sea uttering the name of Rama and they rose to the surface. The letters ‘Ra’ and ‘Ma’ were written on separate stones and when they were thrown into the sea they joined together on the surface and thus the bridge was formed. Each hair of Hanuman was echoing the name of Rama. He was a devotee who remembered Rama at all times, whether in joy or sorrow. He had no sense of ego. He had given up all feeling of ‘mine’ and ‘thine.’ When the Rakshasas asked him in Lanka who he was, he firmly declared: ‘I am a Dasa of the Lord of Kosala (Rama).’ In all situations he described himself as a servant of Rama.
Maitri (friendship):
The great exemplar of this kind of devotion is Arjuna. Arjuna and Krishna lived together closely. Arjuna accompanied Krishna like a shadow. He experienced innumerable troubles and was subjected to calumny and abuse. But through all these experiences, he did not allow his faith in Krishna to waver. He always prayed: ‘Krishna! You are my sole hope and refuge. There is none other to protect me.’ In this way, looking upon Krishna as friend, kinsman and alter ego, Arjuna relied on Krishna for everything. Krishna, for his part, was even ready to act as Arjuna’s charioteer in battle. Arjuna made Krishna the charioteer of his life. Krishna thereby acquired the appellation Parthasarathi--the charioteer of Partha (Arjuna).
Atma nivedanam (Or Atma arpanam) (Surrender of the self):
Emperor Bali, the grandson of Prahlada, was an example of a devotee who completely surrendered to the Lord, offered everything he possessed to the Lord and thereby sanctified his life. He was totally dedicated in his devotion to the Lord. He was prepared to offer his head to the Lord and go down to the nether-world. No sacrifice was too great for him to win the Lord’s grace. When has Guru,Sukracharya, advised him to go back on the gift he had promised to Vamana, Bali rejected the advice, declaring that his life, his body and all that he had belonged to the Lord. (SSS Vol.19, pp. 175-179)