In the journey of bhakti-yoga, the nine forms of devotion guide the soul towards deep spiritual union with the Supreme Lord. One of these processes, Padasevanam, meaning “service to the feet,” stands as an emblem of humility, reverence, and complete surrender. This practice, the fourth of the nine steps of devotion, holds a great significance in the spiritual progression of a devotee.
In many cultures, approaching someone's feet is seen as the highest gesture of humility and submission. Even in modern-day India, touching the feet of elders is a sign of respect. However, in bhakti, this gesture takes on a deeper spiritual meaning. The Vedic scriptures describe the Lord's feet in detail. On His soft reddish soles are the marks of the lotus, conch shell, club, disc, flag, thunderbolt, fish, and rod for controlling elephants. To worship someone's feet is to accept the humblest of approaches, and yet the Lord makes this attractive with His exquisitely beautiful feet. Worship of the Lord's lotus feet is a great spiritual blessing, because anyone charmed by those transcendental feet loses attraction to temporal pleasures.
The devotees of Lord Krishna, particularly the gopis of Vrindavana, held the Lord’s lotus feet in utmost reverence, often pressing the dust from His footprints against their heads and hearts, lost in an ecstatic trance. The power of the Lord's feet is such that the devas, controllers of the material cosmos, rejoiced when Lord Krishna walked through the forests, leaving behind His sacred footprints in the dust. His feet represent shelter, protection, and a doorway to liberation.
Padasevanam follows naturally after hearing about Krishna, chanting His glories, and meditating upon Him. In this stage, the devotee's heart yearns not just to contemplate the Lord but to offer practical service to His feet, symbolizing the ultimate gesture of surrender. The devotee seeks the intimacy of service, mirroring the love and devotion expressed through physical actions such as massaging or worshipping the Lord's lotus feet.
The Srimad Bhagavatam beautifully illustrates this with the prayer of Lord Brahma:
samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁmahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥbhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁpadaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām
(Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.58)
"For one who has accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murari, the enemy of the demon Mura, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf's hoof print. His goal is param padam, or Vaikuntha, the place where there are no material miseries."
This highlights the transformative power of surrendering at the Lord's feet. Once the soul seeks shelter there, the ocean of worldly suffering shrinks to insignificance, much like the water in a calf’s hoof print.
A shining example of Padasevana is seen in the worship and service offered by Goddess Lakshmi, the eternal consort of Lord Vishnu. Goddess Lakshmi is the embodiment of perfection in Padasevanam. Despite her restless nature—epitomized by her name Chanchala, which denotes movement and impermanence—Lakshmi Devi remains forever fixed at the feet of Lord Vishnu. While wealth and material fortunes may be fleeting, Lakshmi’s unwavering service to the Lord's feet shows the true goal of life: to serve without seeking anything in return.
yadyapy asau pārśva-gato raho-gatastathāpi tasyāṅghri-yugaṁ navaṁ navampade pade kā virameta tat-padāccalāpi yac chrīr na jahāti karhicit
Srimad Bhagavatam (1.11.33)
The goddess of fortune, although by nature always restless and moving, could not quit the Lord’s feet. So who can be detached from those feet, having once taken shelter of them?
This teaches us that even though Lakshmi is worshipped by humans and devas alike, her ultimate devotion is reserved for the Lord alone. Her service is not contingent on the Lord’s desires or her own whims. Instead, she finds her fulfillment in the selfless, humble act of serving His lotus feet, which grants her eternal perfection. Lakshmi’s service is not just a story of a goddess serving her consort; it carries a powerful spiritual lesson for all devotees. While Lakshmi bestows material wealth on those who worship her, she herself is entirely devoted to the Lord’s service, unaffected by the worldly allurements she provides. She constantly reminds us that true wealth lies not in material opulence but in the opportunity to serve the Lord’s lotus feet.
The Lord, often indifferent to wealth and luxury, appreciates the service of His devotees, even more than the goddess of fortune. The Brahma-Samhita explains that the Lord is constantly surrounded by millions of goddesses of fortune, yet He remains unattached to material wealth, emphasizing that His affection is for the pure-hearted service offered by His devotees. Serving Krishna is akin to watering the root of a tree—when the root is nourished, all branches and leaves are automatically sustained. Similarly, serving the Lord satisfies all obligations and fulfills all other duties.
Following the footsteps of Mother Lakshmi, devotees can attain spiritual perfection by serving the Lord’s feet, either through worship in temples or in personal meditative practices. Temples of Lord Vishnu and Krishna offer the opportunity for devotees to render this service, allowing them to experience the same intimate devotion that Lakshmi herself embodies. Ultimately, Padasevanam represents a journey of humility, selfless devotion, and total surrender to the divine. It is not just a physical act of touching or serving the Lord’s feet but an internal gesture of offering oneself to the Lord.
Goddess Lakshmi serving the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu
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