religion-vaishnavism

Devotion scores over scholarship

One night, Pandya king Vallabhadeva goes out incognito. One of his citizens tells him that for a peaceful sleep at night, one must work hard during the day; for a peaceful old age, one must work hard when he is young; and for remaining peaceful in the rainy season, one must work hard during the dry months.
But what should one do to attain moksha, the man asks.
The king is in a state of confusion, for he does not know how to attain salvation.

He consults his minister Selva Nambi, who suggests that the king organise a debate among scholars to establish the way to salvation.

One who gives the most convincing answer will be given a bag of gold coins. The king follows suit.


Vishnu Chitta, with no inkling of all this, is immersed in his pushpa kainkaryam to the Lord at Srivilliputtur

. The Lord appears in his dream and asks him to go to Madurai to establish that Lord Narayana is the Supreme One. Vishnu Chitta wonders how he can do this, when all the people gathered there are scholars.
The Lord says He Himself will speak through him.

Vishnu Chitta then goes to Madurai and establishes Lord Narayana’s ‘Paratva,’supremacy using Vedic statements.

The king, pleased with Vishnu Chitta’s arguments, places him on an elephant and takes him out on a procession through the streets of Madurai.


The Lord appears with His consort on Garuda, and Vishnu Chitta sings ‘Thirupallandu.’

Vishnu Chitta is not a scholar, yet the Lord chooses him to establish His Supremacy.

This shows that bhakti is of far greater importance to the Lord than scholarship
 .
Moreover, it also is a lesson to everyone that we ourselves do not really do anything.

In Santhi Parva in the Mahabharata, Yudhishtra is unhappy that he is responsible for the death of so many.
Bheeshma points out that those killed were only facing the result of their karma

. We do things only at God’s will.

If we remember that it is the Lord who is in charge of things and that He decides what we shall face in this life, in accordance with our karma, there is no room for us to be proud of our successes or to be sorrowful for our failures

source-the hindu