Fwd: [granthraj] Lord's Feeling of Indebtedness
Dr Satish Gosain (Sri Krishna Hari Das)
From: Malu Vivek <malu...@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, Feb 4, 2012 at 7:48 PM
Subject: [granthraj] Lord's Feeling of Indebtedness
To: "gran...@yahoogroups.com" <gran...@yahoogroups.com>
Dear Prabhujis and Matajis,
Hare Krishna! Please accept our humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Gurudev!
The Supreme Lord always feels that He is very much indebted to His devotees for whatever service they do to Him. Although pure devotees do not expect anything in return from the Lord, the way He reciprocates to their loving dealings is far beyond what they could imagine. When we help someone, we expect help in return and also feel proud that we have helped them. We have no capacity on our own, but still we never feel grateful or indebted to others, because of ego and pride in us. But we find the Supreme Lord Krishna, inspite of being the source of everyone and everything in this creation, reciprocates very wonderfully to His devotees and feels indebted to them, even after reciprocating to them nicely. Draupadi gave Him a small piece of her saree to tie His finger once when He got hurt, Sudama gave Him just a handful of old puffed rice and Kubja gave Him little bit of sandalwood paste. In return for all their simple loving services, Lord reciprocated to each one of them in a wonderful manner. Lord Krishna gave 999 sarees to Draupadi and protected her when she was being disrobed in the Kuru-assembly. He gifted magnificent palaces to Sudama and in case of Kubja, He removed her hunch-back and made her into a beautiful woman. So He always remembers every simple act of His devotee offered in love to Himself. He always feels indebted and never feels He has been able to offer in anything in equal proportion. In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 10.32.22, pleased by the unalloyed devotion of the gopis, He tells them, "I am not able to repay My debt for your spotless service, even within a lifetime of Brahma. Your connection with Me is beyond reproach. You have worshiped Me, cutting off all domestic ties, which are difficult to break. Therefore please let your own glorious deeds be your compensation."
The Lord always remembers His devotees and is always looking out anxiously about how to reach out to him. We can also see His causeless mercy in the case of Ajamila. Just like a caring father, He is always anxious to take us back to Him. For a devotee who is surrendered and is engaged in loving service to the Lord all through his life, there is nothing like this reassuring statement by Lord Bhu-Varaha provided in the Varaha Puranam. During the time of great deluge (pralaya) when the Lord rescued Mother Earth from the clutches of the demon Hiranyaksha and lifted her from the Garbhodaka Ocean, Bhuma Devi offers prayers to the Lord for rescuing Her from inundation in the ocean as follows, "My Lord, as the original boar within this universe, You fought and killed the great demon Hiranyaksha. Then You lifted me [the earth] from the Garbhodaka Ocean on the end of Your tusk, exactly as a sporting elephant plucks a lotus flower from the water. I bow down before You." (SB 5.18.39).
She was trembling in fear even as she was rescued and made to sit on the lap of Lord Varahadev. When the Lord asked her the reason for her fear, the personification of forbearance and compassion (kshama) that she is, she responded thus, "Oh my Lord! You have protected me. But still our children in the samsaara are helpless and suffering. They cannot practise what has been enjoined in the Vedas with their limited knowledge. So you must be kind enough to show them a simpler way to reach you". Bhu Devi, brimming with compassion for her children rotting in this material existence was thus asking the Lord for laghu upaayam (short-cut) for the ultimate happiness and true wellness of Her children. The Lord, being the personification of wisdom as well as the Father and the benefactor of all the living entities, understood the affection of Bhu Devi towards her children and came out with befitting response in the form of the glorious Varaha Charama Shlokams that can put out the slightest of doubts if any about His intentions of not letting off go any opportunity to retrieve His devotee and lead him to the ultimate destination, His supreme abode. 'Charama' as the word suggests is the last (or ultimate in this case). The Varaha Charama shlokas as they are known are:
stithe manasi su-svaste sharire sati yo narah
dhaatu samye stithe smartha viswaroopam ca maam ajam
tatastam mriyamanam tu kashta paashana sannibham
aham smaraami mad bhaktam nayami paramam gatim
kapabatadi doshena ma-bhakto na ca maam smaret
tasya smaramyaham no-cet kritagno nasti tat-parah
Srimad Bhagavatam verse 3.13.49 also gives the same assurance:-
tasmin prasanne sakalaashishaam prabhau
kim durlabham taabhir alam lavaatmabhih
ananya drshtyaa bhajataam guhaashayah
svayam vidhatte sva gatim parah paraam
The message is very clear and plain. When our senses are at their best and unfailing it should be engaged in the service of the Lord in the mood of surrender; and even though we may not be in a fortunate position to think of the Lord at the dying moments due to the severe pains and agony the Lord will remember us and rescue if we had spent our time remembering Him always.
As our beloved Maharaj, H H Mahavishnu Goswami says, "At the time of end of life, you remember the sins you have committed. It is better in young age, not to commit sinful activities so that in old age, we all become old, we will be comfortable. And for your comfortable old age, you have to try for the whole life. It is not that you become old and will take up the process and start chanting. No. You can't do it unless you create a habit the whole of your lifetime. You will not be able to do anything in your old age because your body will be dislocated completely. Your body will not obey you at that time. When your body does not obey you, you have to worry about your own body. If you don't do these activities, you will perform so many sinful activities the whole of your lifetime and the whole poison is in your body in the form of reactions of all your sinful activities and then you completely repent at the late hours when nothing will be possible. It is better we come to our senses and make our lives completely regulated and force the mind in the beginning to perform the devotional services. Then slowly the mind will cooperate and it will be your friend. This is the way. Otherwise no chance of survival. We will just be like dogs and cats and we will be running around like them." (lecture on Bhagavad Gita verse 6.26 delivered at Belgium)
Our attitude to life should be one of surrender to the lotus feet of the Lord. As Prahlad Maharaj advises "One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life - in other words, from the tender age of childhood - to practise the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements." (SB 7.6.1)
Let us pray to the Lord to engage all our senses, mind, intelligence in His services and remembering His names and pastimes when we are physically fit and mentally alert so that we can reach the ultimate destination and attain the eternal loving service unto His lotus feet.
Your humble servants,
Malathy and Vivek,
Abu Dhabi.
--
Yours Servant
Sri Krishna Hari Das
(Dr Satish Gosain MBBS DNB i Med)
Congregational Preacher, ISKCON, Delhi, NCR & Gurgaon.
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