Story to Substantiate the Lord's Promise of Yoga-Kshema to His Devotees

[bilva]

Story to Substantiate the Lord's Promise of Yoga-Kshema to His
Devotees

Chapter 9 TEXT 22
ananyas cintayanto mam
ye janah paryupasate
tesam nityabhiyuktanam
yoga-ksemam vahamy aham

TRANSLATION
But those who worship Me with devotion, meditating on My
transcendental form--to them I carry what they lack and preserve what
they have.


How does Shri Bhagavan carry the yoga-kshema (progress and
maintenance) of His bhaktas? In this regard a true story is told.

Once, there was a poor brahmana whose name was Arjuna Mishra. He was a
parama-bhakta of Shri Bhagavan. Every morning after performing his
bhajana, he spent two hours writing a commentary on Shri Bhagavad-gita
and then he would go out to beg for alms. Whatever he received by
begging he would give to his wife, who would prepare, cook and offer
the food to Shri Bhagavan with great love. She then gave the
mahaprasada to her husband. Whatever was left over she would eat with
great satisfaction. They were very poor and all their clothes were
torn. They only had one dhoti that was suitable to wear whenever they
left the house. When the brahmana wore that dhoti to go for alms, his
wife covered her body with some torn cloth, and when he returned, she
put on that same dhoti to go outside or perform other household
duties. They both considered their poverty to be a gift from Shri
Bhagavan and were fully satisfied. They always offered whatever alms
were collected by Bhagavan's mercy to their ishta-deva, Shri
Gopinatha, and later accepted His mahaprasada. This was their constant
bhavana (mood). Thus their time passed blissfully and they were not
the least disturbed by their situation.

In this way, the brahmana regularly wrote his commentary on Bhagavad-
gita. One day, after performing his morning bhajana he sat down to
write a commentary on the shloka:

ananyash cintayanto mam / ye janah paryupasate
tesham nityabhiyuktanam / yoga-kshemam vahamy aham
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 Verse 22

Upon reading this, his mind became perplexed with a grave doubt that
he was unable to resolve in any way. "Will that Person, Svayam-
Bhagavan, who is the only master of the whole universe, Himself carry
the yoga-kshema (progress and maintenance) of those who are engaged in
His ananya bhajana? No, this cannot be true. If this were so, then why
is my situation as it is? I am completely dependent on Him, and with
exclusive devotion, have offered everything unto His lotus feet. Why
then, do I have to undergo the misery of poverty? Therefore, this
statement, nityabhiyuktanam yogak shemam vahamy aham, could not have
been spoken by Bhagavan Himself; it must have been interpolated." He
tried to resolve this difficulty on the strength of his own
intelligence but instead he became more and more perplexed and his
doubt gradually increased. Finally, he put three slash marks on this
line with his red pen, stopped writing and went out to beg alms.

Now, the most compassionate Bhagavan, who protects the surrendered
souls, saw that a doubt had appeared in the mind of His bhakta
regarding His words. Taking the form of an extremely beautiful,
tender, black-coloured boy, He filled two baskets with ample rice,
dal, vegetables, ghee and so on and putting them on either ends of a
bamboo stick, He personally carried them on His shoulders to the house
of this brahmana.

The door was locked from inside. First He knocked on the door, and
then loudly called, "O mother, O mother!" But the poor brahmani was
only wearing torn cloth, so how could she come out? Out of shyness,
she sat quietly but the knocking and calling out continued. Finding no
other alternative, she shyly came out keeping her head lowered and
finally opened the door. Carrying that weight, the boy entered the
courtyard, placed His load on the floor and stood to one side. Shri
Bhagavan, in the guise of that boy, spoke to her as follows, "Mother,
Panditji (the brahmana) has sent these supplies. Please take them
inside."

Until now, the brahmani had been standing with her face lowered. Upon
hearing the sweet words of the boy, she looked up and saw in the
courtyard two big baskets filled with foodstuffs. She had never seen
so many vegetables and food grains.

Being repeatedly requested by the boy to take them, she carried them
to the inner part of the house. While doing so, she constantly gazed
upon His beautiful face, and became completely satisfied. "Aho, how
beautiful His face is! How can a person of such dark colour have such
transcendental beauty?" She had never even imagined such beauty.
Awestruck, she stood transfixed. Her eyes then noticed that on the
chest of the boy were three bleeding slash marks as if someone had cut
it with a sharp weapon. Her heart disturbed, she cried, "O son! Which
merciless person has made these cuts on Your chest? Alas! Alas! Even a
stone-hearted person would melt at the thought of making cuts on such
soft limbs!.

Shri Krishna, in the guise of the boy, said, "Mother, while bringing
you these foodstuffs, I was delayed, so your husband himself made
these cuts on My chest." Her eyes full of tears, the brahmani cried,
"What! He made these cuts on your chest? Just let him come home and I
will ask him how he could have done such a merciless thing! My son,
don't feel distressed. Stay for some time. I will prepare this food
and You also can accept the prasada of Thakurji." Seating the boy in
the courtyard, the brahmani went to the kitchen and started to prepare
an offering. Krishna then thought, "The purpose for which I Myself
carried these foodstuffs has been completed. Now, when the brahmana
returns to his house, he will immediately discover the authenticity of
My words, and he will never doubt them again." In this way, having
made arrangements to dispel the doubts of His bhakta, Krishna
disappeared.

That day, despite great effort, the brahmana was unable to collect any
alms. Losing all hope, he returned home, thinking that his inability
to collect anything was the will of Thakurji. He knocked on the back
door and his wife opened it. When he saw that she was busy cooking, he
inquired, "How is it that you are cooking when I received no alms
today? What can you cook with?"

"Why? Some time back you sent so much foodstuff in the hands of that
boy that it will take six months for both of us to finish it. Why are
you asking me, What will you cook?."

She was a little surprised. "And your heart is like stone. This I did
not know before. That boy had three red marks on His chest. How could
you slash the tender body of that boy? Have you no mercy?"

The brahmana, completely amazed, asked her to explain. "I didn't send
anything home nor did I beat a boy. I do not understand what you are
talking about."

After hearing the statements of her husband, she showed him the rice,
dal, flour and other things, but when she entered the courtyard to
show him the boy and His cuts, the boy was not there. She began to
search for Him everywhere. Where had He gone? The outside gate was
closed as before. They both looked at each other in surprise. The
brahmana now began to understand the whole situation and tears flowed
continuously from his eyes. After washing his hands and feet he
entered the Deity room and, to completely dispel his doubt, he opened
his Bhagavad-gita. That morning he had made three slash marks with his
red ink on the line: nityabhiyuktanam yoga-kshemam vahamy aham, but
now these three marks were gone. Overwhelmed with happiness, he came
out of the Deity room crying. "My dear, you are so fortunate! Today
you have directly seen Shri Gopinatha! And all these foodstuffs were
brought personally by Him! How could I possibly have brought so much
stock? This morning, while writing my commentary on the Bhagavad-gita,
I doubted the statements of Bhagavan and slashed those words with
three lines of red ink. That is why the tender chest of our Thakurji,
Gopinatha, was marked with cuts. He is supremely compassionate. He has
taken so much trouble to prove the authenticity of His statements and
to remove the doubts of an atheist like me."

Then, his throat choked up and he was unable to speak. Overwhelmed
with love, he cried out, "Ha Gopinatha! Ha Gopinatha!" and fell to the
ground. Standing in front of Shri Gopinatha, the eyes of his wife, who
was struck dumb, filled with tears. After some time the brahmana
returned to consciousness and, after taking his bath, performed his
daily duties. He offered the preparations to Shri Gopinatha that his
wife had prepared and, with great love, they both accepted His
remnants. He continued writing the commentary on Gita every day, and
his life became full of love.

Please chant Nityananda, Gauranga and Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, and
the Supreme Lord will personally look after your needs and
maintenance. This is a promise given and delivered by the Supreme Lord
Sri Krishna himself.