Aylisa: Hello, Sundari. Thank you for taking time to consider my question. I realize that you are continually buried in a landslide of email inquiries, so I really appreciate your time and attention. And this one is kind of a softball, so to speak.

Below is my recent correspondence with Annette in California. It’s little consolation that she was stumped too. I’m hoping you can supply the missing adjective, which conveys the modest and discreet quality of devotion, held within oneself. The (missing) word itself isn’t so important but the condition it describes is intrinsic to those of us who find ourselves as undercover Vedanta agents.

Thank you so much to you both for all that you do. “Gratitude” is hardly sufficient – my indebtedness as a jiva to this teaching is kind of overwhelming. Hopefully, Isvara will supply some way to give back at some point. Meanwhile I remain your grateful adherent.

~ Best regards

Sundari: Hello, Aylisa. The term for “hidden bhakti” is upamsu bhakti, the kind of bhakti where one does show devotion publicly for whatever reason. The Ramayana is one of the classic texts of Bhakti Marga, the literature of the bhaktas. So is Srimad Bhagavatam, Naradi Bhakti Sutras (The Logic of Devotion) and also the Puranas.

I hope this helps!

~ Namaste, Sundari