Fwd: [granthraj] Prayer Means Glorification - Part 4
Dr Satish Gosain (Sri Krishna Hari Das)
From: <jayk...@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, Jun 30, 2010 at 10:39 AM
Subject: [granthraj] Prayer Means Glorification - Part 4
To: gran...@yahoogroups.com
Dear Prabhujis and Mathajis,
Hare Krishna! Please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Gurudev!
This is in continuation of the previous mails highlighting some of the points from the wonderful class of H.G. Devakinandan prabhu, our beloved God brother in Singapore who visited Chennai in May 2010 and gave very instructive and practical explanations on Srimad Bhagavatam 3.9.23.
2.What should be our actual prayer?
In the last mail it was mentioned that Brahmaji is teaching us by his example as to what our actual prayers should be. Brahmaji is praying that let him be engaged in the sevice of the Lord but let him not be materially affected by his works and also he prays that he may be able to give up the false prestige of being the creator. In Srimad Bhagavatam 2.6.34, Brahmaji speaks a wonderful verse and this qualifies Brahma’s attitude in the verse 3.9.23.
na bhaarati me’ nga mrshopalakshyate / na vai kvacin me manaso mrshaa gatih
na me hrishikaani patanty asat-pathe / yan me hrdautkanthyavataa dhrto harih
"O Narada, because I have caught hold of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, with great zeal, whatever I say has never proved to have been false. Nor is the progress of my mind ever deterred. Nor are my senses ever degraded by temporary attachment to matter."
So the focus of Brahmaji here is only one thing and that is dhrto harih – catching the lotus feet of Lord Hari with great zeal and because of this qualification, Brahmaji is free from three things.
1. Whatever Brahmaji says has never proved to be false.
2. The progress of the mind is never deterred. Otherwise when we grow old, we become senile. Maharaj says that our sharpness of the mind never goes because we are with Krishna and this is the way to combat senility.
3. The senses are never degraded by temporary attachment to matter.
When we catch hold of the lotus feet of the Lord, a devotee gets the mood of Brahmaji.
The secret of approaching Krishna is to glorify Him. While starting this prayer, Brahmaji is addressing the Lord as prapanna varadah - the benefactor of the surrenedered souls. This is the way he starts his prayer. He doesn’t start saying, ‘O Lord, somehow or the other, I may be engaged in Your service.’ He starts by glorifying Krishna. The secret to really approach Krishna is to glorify Krishna. If we do not glorify Krishna, then we lose the qualifiation to pray to Him. Except for Krishna, no one else should be glorified. Krishna means the devotees also and for us when we are asked who is the pure devotee we should glorify, then we should follow what Maharaj always told us – that "except for our own self everyone else is a pure devotee". If we have that mood in loving devotional service, then we will never feel when a devotee tells us, ‘Prabhu, do this’. Otherwise we feel who is he asking me to do. If we really appreciate that someone is a greater devotee than us, we should be ready to execute anything. For this the mind should be properly guided. As Srila Prabhupada states in his purport to SB 5.11.17 ‘Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thaakura used to say that to control the mind one should beat it with shoes many times just after awakening and again before going to sleep. In this way one can control the mind. This is the instruction of all the shaastras. If one does not do so, one is doomed to follow the dictations of the mind.’
We have to keep on telling the mind that ‘I am not the doer’. Otherwise the rascal mind will always counteract the mood of a devotee. That is why , Brahmaji to purify himself, before he starts the prayer, he glorifies Krishna. We are not here to expand the preaching. We are here to glorify the Lord. Preaching is the by product of glorification. It is natural and it comes with no separate endeavor. So never come for a program for a social reason. Brahmaji says in his prayer that the Lord’s activities are always enacted through His internal potency called Rama or the goddess of fortune who bestows all the opulences.
Krishna willing, Devaki prabhu’s explanation on what is the real opulence shall be posted in the forthcoming mail.
Thank you very much.
Yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada and Gurudev,
Vaijayanthimala devi dasi,
Abudhabi.
--
Yours Servant
Sri Krishna Hari Das
(Dr Satish Gosain MBBS DNB i Med)
Congregational Preacher, ISKCON, Delhi, NCR & Gurgaon.
Dr Bharti Nursing Home, B-30 hari Nagar, New Delhi 110064
+91-97170-55006, +91-98913-86194 +91-11-2512-5595, +91-11-2512-8754
ISKCON-learn Bhagavad-gita Community on orkut:
http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=29085008
My Bhagavad-gita Lecture Videos on Youtube http://in.youtube.com/my_playlists?pi=0&ps=20&sf=&sa=0&sq=&dm=0&p=F29FC2589817EB98