In this enlightening work, Prem Prakash, director of the Green Mountain School of Yoga in Vermont, presents his commentary on the bhakti sutras of Narada from the twelfth century A.D. This path of spiritual devotion focuses on the relationship of the soul to God — it is different from the other yogic routes of service, wisdom, and meditation.
The alpha and omega of this practice is love of God. The aspirant sees all things as "partial manifestations of Shakti, God's creative, intelligent energy." Hence devotion is expressed in acts and gestures of kindness, sympathy, and compassion. By relinquishing selfish wants, the aspirant relaxes into "a state of inner stillness." God pours grace into the self-emptied ego.
For Narada, spiritual devotion is its own fruit. Aspirants are wise when they seek the guidance of "great souls" who have experienced ananda (bliss or divine love). They can learn much from these "surfers on the waves of God's love," as Prakash calls them. The yoga of spiritual devotion eventually leads to peace and joy — the signs of a radiant heart.