Paramahansa Yogananda's poem portrays the attitude of the spiritual aspirant who understands the spiritual goal of realizing the divine nature within.
The speaker of the poem, “I Was Made for Thee,” from Songs of the Soul declares the spiritual truth, “I was made for Thee alone.” From that awareness, he then demonstrates what it is like to be aware that his existence was actually called into being for the purpose of understanding that very fact. If then he knows he was made for the Divine, how does that fact affect his behavior? Since he is made only for the Divine, what will he do? How will he spend his time?
Morning Meditation
In the first stanza, the speaker says that because he was made for Spirit alone, he will meditate deeply offering his attention and love to Spirit, and he will do this every morning. The speaker says, “on the altar / of the morning,” indicating that he considers morning his temple. In addition to signaling time, “morning” represents a holy place that calls the devotee to begin his day drenched in the devotion and awareness of Divinity.
Hands Made to Serve - Feet Made to Seek
The second stanza begins a catalogue or list of the speaker’s physical attributes and declares the purpose for their creation: “My hands were made to serve Thee willingly; to / remain folded in adoration, waiting for Thy coming; and when Thou comest, to bathe Thy / feet with my tears.”
When the speaker begins his daily work, because he realizes that his hands were made for working for the Divine, he will do his work “willingly.” That willing attitude guarantees that the work will be done well, not just to get by and get finished so he can move on to other things, but he will actually accomplish his work with integrity and honesty that produces the best outcome.
And after the speaker accomplishes his work duties, he returns to the peace of meditation with hands “folded in adoration.” Because the speaker is doing everything possible to remain in contact with the Divine, he stays alert and energized, ready to work again when the time is again right for work.
The speaker then declares, “My voice was made to sing Thy glory. / / My feet were made to seek Thy temples everywhere.” If the speaker believes that his voice was made to sing the glory of Divinity, then that understanding guarantees that he will speak only truth. If his feet are made to seek temples, he will go only to wholesome places.
Eye, Ears, Lips Used for Worship
About his eyes, the speaker claims: “My eyes were made a chalice to hold Thy burning / love and the wisdom falling from Thy nature’s / hands.” If his eyes were made for the glory of the Divine, he will observe only the useful things from Nature, “wisdom falling from Thy nature’s hands.”
About his ears, the speaker declares: “My ears were made to catch the music of Thy / footsteps echoing through the halls of space, and / to hear Thy divine melodies flowing through all / heart-tracts of devotion.” His ears will listen for the Divine’s “footsteps echoing through the halls of space,” and he will listen to “divine melodies,”and hearing these messages from that Sacred source will keep him balanced and in harmony with his inner and outer beings.
About his lips, the speaker asserts: “My lips were made to breathe forth Thy praises and / Thine intoxicating inspirations.” His lips will speak to praise the Great Spirit and tell others about the “intoxicating inspirations” he receives from the Divine.
Spark of the Divine Flame
The final three stanzas focus on the abstract ideas of love, heart, and soul.
His love was created to search for love of the Divine “hidden in the forest of my desires.” Desires that spring from the physical and mental, i.e. sense-awareness, are like a forest in which one can get lost, but knowing the true purpose for his love makes this speaker aware that his love is like an “incandescent / searchlight.”
His heart beats not primarily to pump blood to keep him living, but to open its door to Divinity in conversation and communion.
His soul was created to function as a messenger, to let other souls know their true purpose, so they too can live an exalted, dare one say, double life, or more accurately, complete life.
If we understand our true nature, it stands to reason, that we would act in concert with that true nature. If our true nature is a spark of the Divine Flame, and our only purpose is to become aware of that nature, it also stands to reason that we would behave differently—more devoutly, more divinely, even as we eat, sleep, work, breed, and die on the physical plane.
