Samarth Ramdas The last instructions of Ramdas to his disciples were: "Do not think much of your bodily

wants. Have Satsang with devotees. eep the image of !ord Rama in your heart. Repeat the name of !ord Rama always. "nnihilate lust# greed# anger# hatred and egoism. See !ord Rama in all creatures. !ove all. $eel His presence everywhere. !ive for Him alone. Serve Him in all beings. %ake total and unreserved surrender unto Him. &ou will always live in Him alone. &ou will attain immortality and eternal bliss". Chakradhar Swami The philosophy of Shri 'hakradhar Swami advocated the bhakti mode as well as an austere code of conduct. This influence the literature of %ahanubhavas. " work like !eela 'haritra was composed by %ahimbhatta# a disciple of Shri 'hakradhar Swami. He met a large number of people who had been in contact with Shri 'hakradhar Swami# collected the reliable information about his deeds and verified it with (agadevacharya and finally put it into a massive prose biographical te)t. Saint Dnyaneshwar Dnyaneshwar says# let the people of the world be happy and let them do good deeds to make others happy. Dnyaneshwar says that while flowing streams provide water needed for life# the banyan tree provides shade and shelter from the sun*s heat# without any e)pectations. +eing good and doing good to others without evil thoughts or e)pectations of rewards# is the first step towards spiritual attainment. (e)t# Dnyaneshwar re,uests -od to remove ignorance from our lives and replace it with enlightenment and divine light to achieve our goal# to let everyone adhere to his swadharma or his own sacred duty towards others. .f everyone sticks to swadharma there will be no conflict and happiness will prevail. Dnyaneshwar re,uests -od to fulfil the genuine desires and aspirations of all. "ll pious persons who perform their duty without any e)pectations or returns# will ultimately desire to become one with the Supreme. Saint Eknath The sayings of a man who practised what he preached must be of special interest to us: Duty well performed purifies the mind# and ,ualifies one for +hakti /Devotion0. The 1edas should be followed as long as one has not risen above attachment and duality 2ust

as a watchman is needed to guard the fruits of a mango tree until the fruits are removed and then he can be dispensed with. So when a man transcends body consciousness he is beyond the 1edic 3rder. 4Through !ove#5 says Saint 6kanth# 4the devotee can even become -od.5 4-od and His devotees are akin to the ocean and its waves.5 He also condemned unnecessary penance of the body while the mind remains steeped in worldliness. 4To emaciate one7s body with fasts and the like is not true penance. So long as evil passions persist in man# all e)ternal appliances are useless.5 Saint Tukaram "n individual should make -od the center of his universe. Serving others and loving others is the best way through which we can find Him. $or the attainment of sadhana# an individual needs to have faith in his8her destiny. .t is not necessary to renounce the world and lead the life of an ascetic in order to be one with -od. Spirituality does not re,uire elaborate rituals. (ama 9apa /reciting the name of !ord0 is the most important privilege of being a devotee. Siddhis serve as impediments in the attainment of genuine sadhana /meditation0. Traditions prevent an individual from budding in the love of -od. 3ne has to sidestep the usual customs to achieve the same. Saint Namdev 6very thing is -od: there is nothing but -od: consider the world and -od to be one: the foam and the water are not different. it is impossible that the pursuit of -od can be coupled with a life of Samsara. .f it had been possible for a man to find -od while he was pursuing Samsara# then Sanaka and others would not have grown mad after -od. .f it had been possible for him to see -od while carrying on the duties of a householder# the great Suka would not have gone to the forest to seek -od. Had it been possible for people to find -od in their homes# they would not have left them to find out. (am Dev has left all these things# and is approaching -od in utter submission