Ananya bhakti refers to that kind of devotion, which is based on the conviction that there is nothing in the universe other than God and that everything is a manifestation of God. The devotee sees God in everything, experiences God in every action. Nothing exists for him apart from the Divine. Wherever he goes, it is a pilgrimage. Every action is dedicated to the Divine. Such devotees have attained God realisation by the type of one-pointed devotion. This form of devotion cannot be practised easily by all. It is easy to say God is all-pervasive. But it is not easy to experience that truth.
A true devotee is one who acts on the convictions he professes. This is what is implied in the concept of purity in thought word and deed (Trikarana shuddhi). The Ananya bhakta is one who continually acts on the basis of his belief that the Lord is Omnipresent, Omniscient and Omnipotent. (D3 , p. 81)
We have a feeling that Ananya bhakti consists in surrendering to God, saying: ‘I have no saviour other than you’, We think that simply by declaring ‘You are mother, You are father, You are friend and You are my saviour. Oh God of Gods’, we have surrendered and are practising Ananya bhakti. This is only oral Ananya bhakti. Real Ananya bhakti comes from deep Inquiry into the reality of the Inner Self.
The experience you have in waking state and the things you see in the dream and deep sleep states are found to be illusory and transitory when you inquire into them deeply. After such inquiry, the Ananya bhakti will come to a conclusion that in all the three states whatever one sees is illusory. He will find that the ‘I’ which is present in all the three states, is only the Atma and that there is no difference between this Atma and Paramatma. If the thought of the body is not there, duality too will not be there. Where there is no thought of a second one, it is Ananya. To reach this state of Ananya, you have to go through the stage of Ekanta Bhakti. (SSS Vol.11, pp. 242-243)
Ananya bhakti can be described as ‘unquestioning faith.’ (SSS Vol.11, p. 243)
Ananya bhakti is marked by the feeling, ‘You alone exist. I do not exist at all.’ Hanuman one day said to Rama: ‘Oh Lord! When I think that I am the body, I am overcome by the feeling that I am Your servant. When I think that I am the individual self, I am overcome by the feeling that You are the object, and I am your reflection. When I know I am the Atma, then I feel that You and I are one.’ Thus, Hanuman revealed the depths of his devotion. (SSB 1996, p. 64)
The devotee is ever conscious that the universe is a manifestation of the Divine and is permeated by the Divine. His life is based on the recognition of the immanence of God in everything. This state of mind is called ‘Prema Advaitam’ (unity in Love). Through this love the devotee experiences his oneness with the Divine. Enjoying the bliss of this experience, the devotee does not even desire Moksha (liberation from birth and death). Unremitting love of the Lord is everything for him. Such devotion is known as ‘Ananya bhakti’ (total devotion to One and One only).
Bhakti indicates that man needs, in addition to the four Purusharthas (the objects of life - Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha) – a fifth object, devotion to God. Adi Sankara characterised this devotion as the mark of Jnana. There is no need to bemoan the fact that one has not been able to perform the prescribed rites or forms of worship. ‘Parama Bhakti’ (supreme devotion to the Divine) encompasses within itself all meritorious qualities. (SSS Vol.19, pp. 2-3)