The sure Path to Salvation is Devotion
Oh Gurudev! You are the (cause of) my ‘Bhava’ (divine emotions), (Whereas) I am ‘Abhaava’ (lacking such divine emotions). Kindly fill in the empty space of my heart with such emotions and accept me as Your own . Let my body be Your Abode. Let it ever reverberate with Your name. Let my mind become Yours. May You be the cause of all my wishes. Let my hands become Your hands, let my ‘Karma’ be Your ‘Karma’.
Walk with me when I walk. May You speak through my lips. You partake of what I eat. When I sleep, You sleep too. You also get annoyed when I get angry. You too become contented when I feel satisfied. Let my ‘Punya’ (virtues) be Your ‘Punya’. Please accept my ‘Paap’ (vices) as well. Kindly accept, Oh Gurubar, all that is mine. Oh Shri Gurudev, Gurubar! I humbly request You with folded hands that let my head be always at Your feet.
‘Mukti’ (Salvation) can’t be achieved through (the path of) ‘Karma’ alone. The only sure path of ‘Mukti’ is ‘Bhakti’ (path of devotion). ‘Gyana’ (the path of knowledge alone) generates dry knowledge which can bear no fruit. Without the kindness of the Guru, devotional fervor does not awaken (in the heart of the devotee). Guru is at the root of ‘Bhakti’ in the eternal play (mutual relationship) of the Guru and the disciple.
When the devotee becomes hyper-emotional (in Guru’s love), he becomes oblivious of the greatness of the Guru. When ‘para-bhakti’ (Highest Devotion) awakens, he even starts arguing with the Guru forgetting his limitations (the rules of the game which he is supposed to follow in traditional relationship with the Guru ). At that time, the Guru is taken (perceived) as his own. He neither thinks of Him as God nor as His Lord . Whenever the devotee feels unhappy, he conveys it to the Guru (without any reservations). For no reason, at times (a feeling) emotional distraught rises in the devotee’s heart, and He complains to the Guru:
Oh Lord, You pretentiously got me tied up in the web of Your love. Suffering from the anguish of separation, when I decide to forsake You, You appear from nowhere at that juncture and fill my heart with ‘Rasa’ (elixir of love). l don’t know as to who seeks (yearns) for whom – You are seeking me or I am seeking You? Therefore, I think of going away (disassociate) from You, (since) You are playing such game of hide and seek (game of love) with me. At the time of my distress, You bring me smile and You divert my mind. (Thereafter) You again hide somewhere and again I search for You with a distressed mind.
Source: Shri Guru Bhagavat, Vol.1 by Dr. C B Satpathy