BHAKTI & SONS

I just received an email from a friend who claims that she picked up the perusal of the Shrimad Bhaagvad again, after she got my Dal-sabzi note on it.

She remarked ‘Mukti kise nahin chaahiye?’  (Who does not wish to be liberated from the cycles of birth and death?)

That remark made me smile even though my mother is in hospital.  My mother would not tire of hearing katha (discourse) after katha on the Shrimad Bhaagvad.  She organized a Shreemad Bhaagvad saptaah (One week Discourse) for herself, in Vrindaavan.  She invited family and friends, sages and saints.  She felt that why should she not listen to It while alive?  Why wait until one year after her death for her Mukti.

Allow me to narrate to you another story from the Shrimad Bhaagvad.

Once Sage Naradji felt dejected observing the sorry state of affairs in the world. He could not find truth, penance or compassion in it. He observed that man says something, feels something else and yet behaves in a different manner.

When Brahma-Putra Naradji arrived in Vrindaavan, he saw a young woman who had 2 very feeble sons, who seemed afflicted by a terrible illness.  The young lady told Naradji that she was ‘Bhakti’(Devotion)  And her two old sons were ‘Vairaagya’ (The Spirit of renunciation) And ‘Gyaan’ (Wisdom)

It is not difficult to find the symbolic message here.

In Kaliyuga where unrighteousness is the order of the day, the sons of Devotion, who are Renunciation and Wisdom are not in the pink of health.  Naradji tried to cure the ill sons, by trying to wake them up from their stupor.  Naradji whispered some truths into the ears of Vairaagya and Gyaan.  They would wake up for a while to fade out again.  

What happened to Gyaan and Vairaagya is an everyday occurrence in today’s world. People awaken to the Truths of life while listening to Spiritual discourses, but get into a spiritual coma, the minute they breathe in the glitzy world of desires and attachments.

A classic example which we Sindhis call ‘Masaani Gyaan’ is when one is faced with the death of a close and dear one.  At that time one feels how futile it is to pursue our ambitions, at any cost.  But that kind of Vairaagya and Gyaan says ‘Good-bye’ just as fast as the Departed soul.

When Gyaan and Vairaagya did not recuperate from their illness, Naradji asked for help from various saints and sages.  Naradji was informed that Gyaan and Vairaagya would revive and recover the minute they would hear the Shrimad Bhaagvad.  Knowledge about Gyaan and Vairaagya is there, in the Vedas,  But the language of the Vedas is deep and requires study.  

Hence it is believed that if one reads the Shrimad Bhaagvad, and as a result, love emerges for Krishna, then Renunciation and Wisdom is granted as free gifts. When one listens to the Shrimad Bhaagvad, Krishna enters through the ears into the heart.

So if you are reading this I can safely assume that you will pick up this Great Scripture. 

Even if you don’t,  You, my reader who has been with me this far with me, is a candidate for Mukti, according to the promise that He who even reads a few words is liberated from sorrow.

JUST BELIEVE!

In return for my little effort of instilling an interest in you, on the subject, may I ask you for something?  Will you send out a prayer for my mother who is unwell?  That Krishna who she has loved dearly all her life keep her from pain?  And to grant me the strength to look after her with love, compassion and gratitude that she more than deserves?