Devotion does not call for arduous spiritual practices or severe disciplines of any kind. There is no need to perform intense penances or Yajnas (religious sacrifices). The only easy and sure means for ordinary people to realize God, without regard to their caste, nationality, gender or any other qualification, is to have intense devotion and love for God. Where there is deep faith, there is intense love. Where there is love, there is Shraddha (earnestness). Through earnestness, the Jnana (higher knowledge) is gained. This knowledge enables one to practice spirituality. The Gopikas (cowherd maidens) exemplified this; they experienced the continuous presence of God within them and outside them. They showed that such sublime love was possible even for ordinary persons with little knowledge of the scriptures or spiritual disciplines and demonstrated the inextricable link between the Divine and the individual.