Merit of listening to the Lord's glory

CHENNAI, JAN. 27. It is not possible to assess the depth of a person's devotion and gauge whether he has attained the maturity to experience God. Divine grace plays an important role in a person's spiritual progress and hence a devotee must repose faith in God and await His grace to be blessed with the experience. Scriptures give a clue to the mystery of the working of divine grace.

According to the Bhagavata Purana even great sages who had realised Him by dint of knowledge (Jnana) revelled in listening to the glory of God in His incarnations, especially the infantile sports of Lord Krishna, which shows that devotion holds the key to accentuating the unique relationship between the Lord and His devotee. The cases of the Gopis, the simple cowherd maidens, and His foster-mother Yashoda, who were singled out for His grace, have become the nucleus of a vibrant spiritual tradition which continues to inspire countless spiritual seekers by reliving the experiences of the Gopis by listening to the exposition of His divine sports.

In his discourse, Paranur Sri Krishna Premi said that the cowherd community of Gokul did not have a moment's rest after the Lord came to their midst. Just by beholding His bewitching form the Gopis forgot and forgave Him for all the troubles they had to face because of Him. Those who came to complain to Yashoda about Him were compelled to silence when they confronted the picture of innocence Krishna presented.

The Gopis had legitimate reasons to complain to Yashoda thus, ``Untethering the calves before the cows could be milked, your darling swallows our tasteful curds and milk stolen through thieving devices contrived by Him. He deals them out in order to feed the monkeys; and if a monkey drinks no more, He smashes the jar. Where the milk is kept hanging beyond the reach of His hands, He contrives plans to get at it.''

``Possessed of insight into the contents of the pots and expert in making holes, He strikes holes into the pots. He does all these at a time when the cowherd women have their minds fully engrossed in their duties. He commits nuisance in our tidy houses and does other such mischievous acts. And having accomplished His work through pilfering devices, He sits by your side as a very innocent boy.''

By denying them a moment's respite Krishna made them forget all their worldly preoccupations by making them engage their minds on Him with undivided attention by His irresistible charm and pranks. This is the ultimate goal of spiritual practices - to develop one-pointedness of mind which can then experience God.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Miscellaneous
Previous : Solution to puzzle 6962
Next     : dated January 28, 1951: Anniversary of Republic