Superior bhakti

13 15 17 20 22 25 26 27

Ball takes edge to deviate (4)

Always enters house by east or other side (7)

Worrying after son's accommodation (7)

Turn around for wateringhole (4)

Responded to a news broadcast on leftist (8)

Husband's relative in capital of Georgia gets nostalgic (8) Country is a primarily egregious leviathan trampling right (6) Observe that these days tax overwhelms the French and British

(9)

Cheat cleared contents of portable shelters (5)

Cops detailed rules on drug possession by people (9)

That woman's seniority overcomes a beginner in team with

legacy (8)

Basically someone erected a small idol depicting Eashwar at

beach (7)

Awful mistake, kept note outside with book on aisleway

essentially (8)

State not in a mess (6)

Trolls out of shelves, not being quiet (5)

For starters, husband exhibits ardour, treats with warmth (4) Gains in surplus covered by states' 50% subsidy (9)

Say, workers pass current through fuses (8)

Opinions of conservatives binding the man (8)

First neutralise arrogant husband, to be put away for being wayward (7)

Jumps, misses ball and drops (6)

Opening was primarily short and brilliant (4)

Nurses can access records, examine, sedate at the very outset

(5)

Solution to previous puzzle

Solution to yesterday’s Sudoku

Lakshmana serves Rama in the forest. Yet it is Bharata’s bhakti that is considered superior to Lakshmana’s. Lakshmana’s bhakti was seshatva, while Bharata’s was paratantriya, said Navalpakkam Vasudevachariar, in a discourse. Seshatva is the quality of dedicating oneself to the Lord and serving Him. But paratantriya is the attitude of thinking of oneself as belonging to the Lord. The very existence of such a bhakta is to carry out the Lord’s will. Bharata was one such bhakta. Usually an example is given to show the difference between seshatva and paratantriya. Suppose the Lord asks a person whose bhakti falls under the classification of seshatva to jump into a fire, he will ask, “If I am not here, who will serve You?” But if the same order were given to one whose bhakti can be classified as paratantriya, then he will obey, without questioning the Lord.

In his Paduka Sahasram, Vedanta Desika praises Bharata as the one who first proclaimed the greatness of Raghava paduka (Rama’s sandals). There are many conversations that Bharata has with various characters in the Ramayana. Through conversation that Bharata has, Valmiki shows us the importance of the dharma sastras. He has nothing but harsh words for Kaikeyi. He assures Kausalya that he had no part in Kaikeyi’s decisions. Vasistha insists that Bharata ascend the throne, but Bharata refuses.