BHAGWANA UVACHA

The whole episode of handling of corona reminds me of few stories of childhood. One story is on principles of Bhagavad-Gita and the other is my own experience as child having strong belief.

We were living in a math/ ashram (A place where a saint’s spirits are believed to be present) and the atmosphere was highly religious. Twice a day pujas were essential. Belief was, missing a puja is an invitation to catastrophe. I used to be strong devotee of the saint (Parankusha Swami) and God. Used to follow strong rituals of devotion after taking bath before having anything to eat. This ritual, I never used to miss even if I am not well. I used to recite Bhagavad-Gita every day and even used to recite Sankhya-Yoga (second chapter) without referring to book—by-heart.

During this period a friend of mine told me, by reciting Gayatri Mantra (GM) we can fulfil our desires. He wanted to demonstrate it: He said, he desires to have laddu. Further he said, he would recite GM and laddu would be found behind photo of God. I agreed for the demonstration. He mumbled something for about seven minutes and then took me to place where photo frames of various gods were placed in a row at an angle to wall at about four feet height from the ground level. This is a typical arrangement of photo frames for a devotee to see them in sitting position at the time of puja.

 

There were about seven large photo-frames and my friend lifted central photo and caught a falling medium sized boondi laddu. QED. There was no need for any further demonstration. I became stronger devotee. God is there and would make sure that, I am taken care of, as long as I am a proper devotee. Nothing on earth could shake my belief at that time. As my upanayanam (thread ceremony, a ritual to start proper education) was not done, I was not eligible to test the hypothesis by reciting GM.

One of the powerful philosophies of BG is do your karma (duty/ work) without worrying about the result (Karmanyevadhikaraste maphaleshu kadachana.....). There are two principles involved in it: God cannot help those, who do not help themselves or do their work. Second is, result of an action cannot be ensured/ determined by the person taking action. One can only work towards a result but does not have control over final outcome. These principles are enunciated/ repeated by many thinkers and philosophers such as various famous seers of past and present, RN Tagore, MK Gandhi.......

A wealthy sahukar (money lender) was to travel to wedding ceremony at a considerable distance from his home. He was travelling in a cart driven by an ox (bullock cart). He is well dressed with gold coated silver zari bordered pattu (silk) clothes. After travelling certain distance, wheels of the cart got stuck in ground and bull is not able to pull it off. The cart driver asks for help from the sahukar. He asks him to push the cart a little to enable him to drive the cart out of the mud.

The sahukar thinks that his clothes would be muddied if he gets down to help to pull out the cart. He also happens to be ardent devotee of Srimannarayana (Vishnu, one of the trimurtis of Hindu belief, who is believed to be preserver/ protector of the world). He starts praising his god in all his glory and asks him to give darshan (request for show up). Vishnu obliges him and presents himself in all his glory (with padma, kaumodaki, shankha, chakra in four hands with zari embeded/ filled pattu clothes, kirita, etc) and asks sahukar, what help he would need.

Sahukara is overwhelmed. He thanks him asks him to get his cart out of the mud and explains his problem.

 

Vishnu laughs and tells him to get down and push the cart. 

 

Sahukar tells him, his clothes would get soiled and he cannot go to wedding ceremony with soiled clothes. He says : "Srimannarayana, you are apatbandhu, help everyone who comes to you for help. Why not push and help me in in getting out of the mess?"

 

Vishnu says: "You seem childish. You are so illogical, you are asking me to push the cart, worrying about your clothes. As you remembered me in full glory, I came down in that particular avtar/ attire. You have only zari border. I am full of zari clothes with many implements one me and in my hands. I cannot help you without you helping yourself. If you push, I will help you with extra power and energy to accomplish the task". 

 

Saying so, he disappeared from the place.