Namaste, Hari Om,
Great article I found on devotion, this is universal as the end lesson can benefit all.
Source and further information:
http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/advaita-vedanta/147320-re-exp-adwaita-bodh-katha.html
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"There was a devotee who wanted something very specific from
the Lord. He met a Sadhu who advised him to worship Lord
Shiva elaborately every day in a ritualistic fashion. The
devotee was following the instructions very closely for a
whole month but nothing happened in terms of the Grace of
the Lord showing forth or anything of that kind. Another
Sadhu passed by and seeing this devotee carry on his
worship so steadfastly, the Sadhu enquired and found out
the truth. He offered an unsolicited advice and said:
‘Shiva is not the God to propitiate for such kinds of
prayers to the Lord. After all Shiva himself is a pauper
and so you better propitiate Lord Vishnu who has got
Goddess Lakshmi as His consort. He will give you what you
want’.
>From the next day the decvotee put aside the Shiva picture
in a corner and started the puja of Lord Vishnu in all
seriousness. Another month passed by and nothing happened.
A third Sadhu came along. The devotee went and reported to
him and complained that the Lord had not blessed him yet.
This Sadhu now gave his own advice and said: Vishnu and
Shiva are after all only at the mercy of the all-powerful
Shakti. The Mother Goddess is the store of energy for all
these other Gods and so it is Her that the devotee should
worship. She will definitely grant Him what He wanted.
>From that day both the Vishnu and Shiva pictures were laid
away. The picture of Mother Goddess adorned the centre of
the puja room and very elaborate worship continued for
several days. The days were not different and nothing
happened to indicate that the Goddess was satisfied.
One day at the end of the Puja, the devotee was elaborately
performing the Dhupa ritual, that is, the burning of the
incense for the picture of the Goddess and waving it before
the picture. The whole room was filled with incense smoke
and he found that the smoke not only covered the picture of
the Goddess but it also blocked out the pictures of the
Gods Vishnu and Shiva on the wall, which by the way had
been pushed by him to the two corners after his earlier
disenchantment with them. The devotee was really furious.
How can these discarded Gods inhale the incense which he
really meant only for the Shakti picture in the centre? He
would not allow it. So thinking, he took up two pieces of
cloth, covered the two pictures of Shiva and Vishnu so that
they cannot inhale the incense and then continued his
propitiation of the Goddess.
Lo and Behold! At that very instant, the Lords Vishnu and
Shiva appeared before him from nowhere! Imagine his
consternation and wonder! He asked them: How come, You Gods
did not appear before me when I propitiated you
individually each for a month with all that elaborate Puja,
but now when I have discarded you, you are coming before me
when my worship is really intended for somebody else?
And they replied: That is where our secret lies. The moment
you have a firm conviction that we are present here in this
room in flesh and blood it is our Dharma to present
ourselves. When you covered our pictures with cloth so we
may not inhale the incense offered to the Goddess, at that
time you really believed that we were sitting here inhaling
your incense! Whenever a devotee has such an unshaking
faith and awareness about our presence, we cannot but be
present in person there! It is our Dharma."
Jai Jai Maha Dev,
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