Priya Kunj Ras

Q: If a sadhak’s parents are elderly and there is no one to take care of them except the sadhak, is it appropriate for the sadhak to leave them against their wishes and go to solitude to engage in devotion to God? A: It is the first and foremost duty of every human being to serve their parents. [A son should serve and care for his parents as long as they are alive. The same is true for a daughter until she gets married. After marriage, she must serve her parents-in-law like her own parents.]   This is ordained by the scriptures. In the life stories of various pure devotees, it can be seen that they served their parents with utmost commitment before attaining pure Bhakti for their Lord. Those sadhaks who do not serve their parents and leave them disappointed at home do not progress much in the Bhakti path even while living in the forest. If the parents are very hostile to the Bhakti path and do not let the sadhak engage in Bhakti at all, then the sadhak can leave them because...