Talk:Pādasevanaṃ
This means serving the feet of Bhagavan, or in other words, humbling oneself in front of Him. This can be done either by bowing in front of a Mūrti, or mentally, or even by bowing towards other devotees of Bhagavān.
In the Vedas, several mantras illustrate this practice of Bhakti towards various Deities. For example,
With all humility, worshippers seek the holy feet of the Lord and obtain unblemished fame. Thereafter they realized the sacred names and enjoyed Your auspicious vision. Rigveda 6.1.4 For the acquisition of spiritual blessing, devotees offer adoration at your feet. Wearing a beautiful vesture, as radiant as the sin, Oh valiant Indra, you become a source of great inspiration to your devotees. Rigveda 6.29.3
A fake Bhakta has ego and pride in him, whereas a true Bhakta considers himself insignificant, and unimportant in front of the Lord. The former believe that only weak people bow humbly to the Divine whereas the latter believe that the Divine is the Highest and therefore worthy of respect and adoration with faith and humility.
Below are some verses from the Bhāgavata Purāṇa glorifying this practice of Bhakti and explaining its beneficial results -
By whose praise, by whose remembrance, by whose sight, by whose salutation, by whose hearing, by whose worship, men get rid of their sinful tendencies immediately – to that Lord, the reputed center of abounding grace and benevolence, our repeated prostrations. Bhāgavata Purāṇa 2.4.15 Afraid of the serpent of Death, a man runs about as it were, through numerous transmigrations, in this and other spheres, seeking in vain for freedom from fear of death. O Thou Original Being! Having attained Your holy feet through some good fortune, he lies there in peace and Death leaves him alone and departs. Bhāgavata Purāṇa 10.3.27 Therefore abandon worldly life – the domain of repeated births and deaths and the source of passions, attachments, sorrow, anger, pride, desire, fear, misery, and worry -, and seek refuge at the feet of the Lord, the domain of fearlessness. Bhāgavata Purāṇa 5.18.4 The task of those who seek to cross the ocean of Samsāra, rendered dangerous by crocodiles constituted of the six passions, is very difficult indeed if it is undertaken without the help of Ishvara as the boat. Therefore, resort to the boat of the worship of Shri Hari, and cross this ocean of misery, which is difficult to cross by any other means. Bhāgavata Purāṇa 4.22.40 If a man having obtained this human embodiment, a veritable gift of God, fails to adore Thy feet owing to the pull of his uncontrolled senses, he is indeed cheating himself and is to be pitied. Bhāgavata Purāṇa 10.63.41
Pādasevana could also mean bowing to the Lord in forgiveness.
O Lord! You are Imperishable, the Supreme Being that we should seek to know. You are the ultimate shelter of the entire universe. You are the relentless protector of eternal Dharma. I believe that You are that Being Who has existed since eternity. Gita 11.18 You are the Parent of the entire Universe – living as well as that which is non-living. You are the goal of our worship and the most venerable Teacher. In the entire universe, no one is equal to You, then how could anyone be greater than Yourself? Gita 11.43 Therefore, I bow to You with my body prostrated before You, and seek Your blessings. Please forgive my mistakes, just as a father forgives his son, as a friend forgives his friend, and as we forgive someone very dear to us. Gita 11.44
Seeking Divine help, seeking refuge in the Lord instead of in the treasures of this world, or simply humbling oneself in front of the Lord are all expressions or motivations of Pādasevana. Several stories illustrate the concept of Pādasevana Bhakti in the Hindu tradition.
Story - Arjuna seeks the help of Krishna
This story is found in the fifth book (Udyoga Parva) of the Mahābhārata. When it was certain that a war would break out between the Kauravas and the Pāṇdavas, the Pāṇdava Arjuna rushed to Dwārakā to get the help of Krishna. When Kaurava Duryodhana learned about this, he too rushed to Dwārakā to seek Krishna’s help.
Both of them happened to reach Krishna’s room at the same time. Krishna was resting on his bed, and they decided to wait for him to wake up. Duryodhana rushed into his room first and took the chair that was placed close to Krishna’s head. Arjuna merely stood at the foot of the bed, with his hands folded in prayer.
When Krishna woke up, His gaze first fell on Arjuna, who was standing at His feet. “What brings you here my friend?” asked Krishna. Duryodhana immediately interrupted, “I came here first. Therefore, my wish should be granted before you fulfill Arjuna’s request. We have both arrived to seek your help in the war.” Krishna said, “Look, I have decided that I will not lift any weapon during the war, and I will not fight. Therefore, you both have a choice – one of you can ask for my mighty Nārāyaṇī army. The other will get only Me. But, I saw Arjuna first because he was standing at my feet, and he is the younger one of you two. Therefore, he gets the first choice.”
Duryodhana was upset, but he had no choice. He was worried that Arjuna would ask for the army and hoped in his heart that Arjuna would not do that. But to his surprise, Arjuna said, “Bhagavān, I have always wanted you to be my charioteer. Therefore, I request you alone to be our guide. I have enough weapons to fight the war. But what I want to win the war are your guidance, blessings, and grace!”
Duryodhana heaved a sigh of relief. “What a fool Arjuna is,” he thought. He left the room with Krishna’s promise that His entire army (called ‘Nārāyaṇī’) would support the Kauravas against the Pāṇdavas. When Duryodhana left, Krishna asked Arjuna, “My friend, don’t you think that you made a mistake? What is the use of me, when I am not even going to pick up any weapon?”
Arjuna smiled, “I know that you can destroy the entire army of Kauravas by your mere thought. What was lacking on our side was your blessing and grace. And therefore, I asked for you.” Arjuna then returned to Upaplavya with the good news.
The story illustrates that a true Bhakta seeks refuge only at the Lotus Feet of the Divine. He bows to the Lord and humbles himself in front of Him, offering all praises to Bhagavān with firm faith in Him.
Story -Bhagavān Jagannāth accepts the gift of Angad Singh
Most of us human beings serve worldly masters, like a rich man, or a powerful person. But a true Bhakta turns away from these and serves only the feet of the Lord. Below is the story of Angad Singh, who was a mighty warrior and served the King of a place called Raisen, in central India. But when he served Bhagavān Jagannātha, even his former master, the King of Raisen, bowed in front of Angad.
In the 15th century CE, the King of Raisen had a brave military commander named Angad Singh. The latter’s wife was a very virtuous woman, who served her dutifully and was also a great devotee of Bhagavan Vishnu. She had a Guru, whom she served dutifully and whose spiritual guidance she followed with diligence.
Angad had no faith in Bhagavan. One day, he returned from hunting and saw his wife listening to a pravachana being given by her Guru. Being tired, he became angry and abused the Guru. Then, he scolded his wife for being a foolish woman who chased useless men like her Guru. The Guru did not feel offended. He merely said to the lady, “Forgive your husband, because he does not know that Vishnu alone was the source of all happiness in this world.” The Guru then left for his own home.
And yet, the wife was very hurt by her husband’s behavior and stopped eating her food. After her fourth day of fasting, Angad became a bit concerned about the deteriorating health of his wife. He asked her for forgiveness. She replied, “If you want me to live, then you will need to transform yourself completely. I want that henceforth, you should you’re your life with Bhakti towards Hari. After many rebirths does one get the human body? It is through this body alone that we can strive towards Moksha and reach Hari. And yet, most humans spend their entire lives chasing the mirage of worldly pleasures. They do not realize that only Hari can give them true and everlasting happiness. For the sake of so-called happiness, ignorant people eat meat, drink alcohol, and harm other creatures in different ways. They do not understand that this human body is meant to take the soul towards Hari. The minute by minute, day by day, time passes by. Death can come at any moment. And yet, foolish men waste their lives by forgetting Hari. When they finally understand that we should focus our lives on Hari, it is sometimes too late. Therefore my dear husband, do not waste a single moment, and start living the life of a true Bhakta.”
The words of his beloved wife had a great impact on Angad’s heart. He was now a changed man. He started devoting all his free time to singing the praises of Hari, reading scriptures, and serving Sants and other Bhaktas. He thanked his wife for being his Guru, and for making him leave a life of evil.
One day, the Sultan of Delhi invaded the kingdom of Raisen. Angad was asked to lead the military forces and face the enemy. Angad was successful in making the enemy flee, leaving behind their wealth, and even the gem-studded crown of the Sultan.
Angad took possession of all the treasures that the enemy had left. He noticed that the royal crown had a very large diamond. He thought, “This will make a perfect gift to Bhagavan Jagannatha at Puri!” And so, he kept the diamond with himself and sent the rest of the captured treasures to the King of Raisen. But when the King heard that Angad had kept the diamond with himself, he sent his soldiers to fetch it for his treasury. Angad refused, saying that the best of our possessions must always be reserved for offering to Hari.
The King was furious to hear Angad’s reply. He ordered his soldiers to capture Angad and take the diamond away from him forcibly. Angad ran for his safety on horseback. But soon, he was cornered at the bank of the river. Seeing no way to escape, he threw the diamond into the river with the prayer, “Bhagavan Jagannatha, I give this precious gem to you as my humble offering.” The soldiers captured Angad and hauled him to the royal court. The King was annoyed to learn what Angad had done. But keeping in mind his past services, the King forgave him.
Meanwhile, in the Jagannātha Mandir, a diamond appeared on the navel of the Mūrti. The Mūrti spoke to the priest miraculously, “My dear Bhakta Angad has gifted me this diamond with great faith. Please go and bring him here in my presence.” The priest obeyed the command, and his followers finally found Angad after three months of search. They fell at his feet, and requested him to accompany them to the Mandir, saying that Bhagavān Jagannātha had Himself accepted his gift, and wanted him to come to Puri. When Angad reached the Mandir, the priest and numerous Bhaktas came to welcome him. As Angad entered the Mandir, the Mūrti spoke again, “My dear Bhakta, you have truly given up your earlier ways, and have become my true Bhakta under the influence of your wife. Most people in this world would not want to part with a precious diamond, but you gave it to me with great faith. I am like a fisherman, and this world is like a net. When a fisherman throws a net, which is open in his feet’s direction, the fish that try to run away from the fisherman’s feet get caught in the net. On the other hand, the fish that try to come closer to the feet of the fisherman are saved. Similarly, those who seek refuge with Me are saved from the sorrows of this world, but those who look away from me get caught in these sorrows. And who are those Bhaktas that look towards my feet? They are the ones who take care of orphans and give charity to the Brahmanas, the Sants, and other needy people. They do good deeds and are not stingy in giving away their wealth. And they do all this only out of love for Me. Angad, you have turned away from the net of this world, and have taken refuge in my feet. Therefore, I consider you as my true Bhakta.”
When the King of Raisen heard all about Jagannātha’s appearance before Angad, he regretted his greed. He asked Angad for forgiveness and requested him to return to his home. The King also donated five villages to Angad so that he could live comfortably the rest of his life, and devote himself towards Bhakti[1].
Story: Ahilyā is Purified by the Touch of Rama’s Feet
In the Rāmāyaṇa, a beautiful story is narrated that has earned the Lord the epithet of ‘patit-pāvan’ in Hindi, or the purifier of the fallen. In their teenage years, Rama and Lakshmana traveled towards Mithilā with Rishi Vishvamitra. Just outside Mithilā, the three men passed by an abandoned āshrama. Rishi Vishvamitra then narrated the following story to the Princes – “Many years ago, Rishi Gautama and his beautiful wife Ahilyā used to live here. Rishi Gautama was always busy with his meditation, worship, and reading scriptures. He ignored Ahilyā. But she continued to serve her husband dutifully even though she felt very lonely. One day, Indra, the King of Devas, saw Ahilyā and fell in love with her. When Gautama was away, Indra took the form of Gautama and came to see Ahilyā. She realized that he was not her husband, but did not ask Indra to leave and instead fell in love with him. When Gautama returned suddenly, he realized what had happened. He cursed Indra, who ran away. He also cursed Ahilyā and said that she would get converted to a piece of stone and would live by breathing air. He said to her, “One day, Prince Rama will arrive and he will bless you to come to life again from the lifeless stone.” Vishvamitra then pointed to a large rock and asked Rama to touch it with his feet. As soon as Rama did so, a beautiful and pure woman came out of the rock. She fell at the feet of Rama and asked him to forgive her for her mistake. Rama blessed her and said, “Do not worry. You are completely freed of your mistake and your husband will also forgive you.” Ahilyā shed tears of joy and thanked Rama for his mercy. Then, she flew into the sky to meet with her husband in heaven, where he forgave her. Some other examples of revering the Lotus Feet of the Lord are also given in the same epic.
Kevata’s Devotion towards Rama
Due to palace intrigues, Rama was exiled for 14 years from Ayodhya and decided to spend that time in the forest. He was accompanied by his wife Sita and younger brother Lakshmana. The royal charioteer Sumantra rode them to the outskirts of the forest that abutted the bank of River Ganga.
Sumantra had tears in his eyes when he left Rama. Rama then requested Guhā to find a boatman who could take them across the Ganga River. Kevata, the boatman came but he had a strange request. He said, “Dear Rama, I have heard that the touch of your foot turned a stone into a woman Ahilyā. My boat is made of wood, which is weaker than stone. This boat is the only means by which I earn my living. If your feet change my boat into a woman, then how will I, who am a poor man, earn his living? Therefore, I first want to wash your feet with water before you enter my boat.”
Rama was deeply moved by Kevata’s words. He knew that Kevata had faked this reason so that he could offer his respect to Rama by washing his feet. So Rama affectionately agreed. After the boat had crossed the Ganga, Rama asked Sita to give a ring to Kevata as the fee for his service.
But Kevata refused and said, “Rama, people say that you are an Avatāra of Bhagavān. Just seeing you and washing your feet have fulfilled all my desires. What more can I ask for in this life? I will not take Sita’s ring or any other fee from you. But when I die and my soul leaves my body, I want you to guide it towards you, so that I live with Bhagavān always.”
Story- Bharat worships Rama’s sandals
Another famous example is that of Bharat refusing to sit on the throne of Ayodhya in place of his elder brother Rama. When Rama refused to return from the forest to become the King of Ayodhya, Bharata requested Rama for his sandals. Thereafter, Bharat returned to Ayodhya with the sandals and placed them on the throne. He then lived at another site while continuing to rule in the name of Rama’s sandals for the next fourteen years, till Rama returned to Ayodhya and became the king.
Quite obviously, the chance that we can serve the feet of Avataras like Rama and Krishna in our lifetime is very remote. But, these stories give us vital clues as to what Pādasevana means in practical terms. The table summarizes the practical implications of Pādasevana for Bhaktas:
| No. | Name of the Story | Lesson for Bhaktas |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Angad Singh offers the diamond to the feet of Jagannātha | The best things in life should be offered to the feet of the Lord, in his service. Seek refuge in Him rather than seek solace and pleasures in the riches of this world. |
| 2. | Arjuna sits at the feet of Krishna | Bhagavān sees Bhakta-s who are humble and bow in reverence to Him, not those who are arrogant and haughty. |
| 3. | Ahilyā comes alive when Rama’s feet touch her | Bowing to the Lord and seeking refuge with him in humility can purify us of prior sinful Karma. |
| 4. | Kevata insists on washing the feet of Rama | A true Bhakta bows to the Lord in reverence and never seeks to be His equal, nor does he wish the Lord to reciprocate with any material benefits. He only seeks eternal companionship with his Lord. |
| 5. | Bharat worships sandals of Rama | All noble and important work must be done in the name of the Lord as if it were a Divine mission. |
According to some teachers, whereas Padavan refers to the actual act of worship, the next two in Prahalad’s model – dāsya and sakhya are better described as states of mind in which one sees his Bhagavān as his Master or as his friend[2]