To obtain His compassion and gain admission into ranks of these illustrious liberated, or join the vanguard of his trusted lieutenants, the scriptures have enjoined on the prospective god - minded to implement certain easy practices which not only ensure emancipation, but turn the practicians into the Pole stars to take seat next Dhruva. They are NINE in number and appear so simple and common-place in nature or content, but are exceedingly potent that they can link the earth with heaven with a single, a feeble strand serving as  ladder.  Hark! that Vailkuntavasa though seems separated by a distance to be measured by astronmical figures. HE is the antaryamin- occuyping the heart of every human. Isn't He then so near though seeming to be so far, far, far off .... To tying Him to a pillar in the house of your heart, as Mother Yasoda did to Balakrishna; only genuine, unswerving ambition free - nishkamabhakti is needed. And it is the right means.

It can be obtained by nine ways. 'They are - Sravana, Kirthana, Smarana, Padaseva, Archana, Vandana, Dasya, Sakhya and Atmanivedana. These were practised by the celebrated bhaktas and reached the lotus feet of the Lord. All the nine need not be taken up in their entirety at once, or one after another, but it is enough, if any one of them is implemented with as much tenacity as tenacity itself. If done, the Lord dashes out to bless the practitioner running with meteoric speed, as it were. As they are sanskrit terms embodying greater connotation than denotation, explanation is needed. So read...

The first of the nine is Sravana, means merely listening to the ineffable splendour of the Lord, displayed during His playing the role of Jagannataka Sutradhari- controller of the universal drama with His creation-Nature as background and animate beings, characters. To add to this, hearing of His divine names whose number crosses thousands is indispensable. Listening ignites the slumbering religious instincts and paves way for further action to be pursued. Rapt attention and firm determination lift the practitioner.

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