Story: How a Bhakta should thirst for Narayana

[Guest guest]

This story illustrates how a Bhakta should aspire for the feet of

Vishnu.

-----

Once a person, on listening to the stories of Haribhaktas, got a

desire to have a direct dharsanam of Mahavishnu. Though his desire

was noble, it was not supported by a commensurate level of sincerity

and commitment to Narayana, due to his predominantly materialistic

outlook. He then visited a sage and implored him to `reveal'

Vishnu to him. The sage, being a knower of the hearts of all, knew

the lukewarm devotion of the person. But due to his innate kindness

natural to those who cherish Mukunda in their hearts, the sage

said "Dear son, even though all beings are perpetually seeing

Vishnu alone on account of Hari being the inner self of all, they do

not know this truth and therefore they suffer. But to have a direct

perception of Narayana is the highest attainment in the universe,

attaining which all the joys of the world pale into insignificance.

Such being the case, it is difficult to attain Mahavishnu's

vision unless one bathes oneself in the dust of the feet of sages

who possess nothing other than Haribhakti. Therefore I advise you to

constantly serve the Prapannas of Govinda. I assure you that this

alone will be adequate to fulfill your desire."

 

Even though the sage gave him the best advise, the devotee could not

digest it due to his own impatience. He left the sage dissatisfied,

only to come back a few days later with the same request. The sage

advised again that the attainment of the lotus feet of Vasudeva is

not a child's play and one need enormous kshama (patience) for

that great attainment. The devotee again left the sage, dissatisfied

with the sage's advice and thinking that the sage was

unnecessarily

denying him his desire. This routine happened a few more times and

the devotee was becoming more and more impatient.

 

On one occasion, when the devotee started speaking in the same vein

to the sage, the sage thought that it was high time to prove to the

devotee, in physical terms, what it means to aspire for Krishna. He

asked the person to accompany him to a nearby lake. The person

gladly accepted the idea thinking that the sage would teach an

esoteric mantra that will reveal Mahavishnu. On reaching the lake,

the sage suddenly grabbed the neck of the devotee and forcibly

drowned him in the waters of the lake. Astounded by this unexpected

action of the sage and gasping for breath, the devotee struggled to

get out of the clutches of the sage. A few seconds passed by but the

sage did not relax his hold on the devotee. Suffering greatly, the

devotee struggled to get out of the water. After some time, the sage

pulled the devotee out of the waters. Thirsting for a breath of air,

the devotee sprung out of the water and breathed air like never

before. Being confused as well as angry, the devotee shouted "May

I know why your holiness has done this to me. I sought from you a

vision of Vishnu and in return you almost killed me." The sage

asked "Dear son, when you were inside the water gasping for

breath, what is the one thing that you wanted?"

 

"Air, one breath of air, that is the only thing I wanted in the

world; I sought nothing else, I swear" said the devotee.

 

The sage replied "DEAR, WHEN YOU CHERISH THE SAME KIND OF SINGLE-

MINDED DESIRE FOR HARI, WHEN YOU WANT NARAYANA JUST AS BADLY AS YOU

WANTED A BREATH OF AIR, WHEN YOU GASP FOR ONE VISION OF VASUDEVA,

WHEN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE BECOMES MEANINGLESS WITHOUT GOVINDA, THEN

WILL VISHNU MANIFEST BEFORE YOUR EYES, I SWEAR."

[Guest guest]

Hari Hari,

 

A very nice and perfectly true story by Shree.

Srinivasan. Adiyen has heard that the sage was "Shree

Raamakrishna Paramahamsa". Is Adiyen right ?

 

Hari Hari

 

--- psrinivasan99 <psrinivasan99 wrote:

> This story illustrates how a Bhakta should aspire

> for the feet of

> Vishnu.

> -----

> Once a person, on listening to the stories of

> Haribhaktas, got a

> desire to have a direct dharsanam of Mahavishnu.

> Though his desire

> was noble, it was not supported by a commensurate

> level of sincerity

> and commitment to Narayana, due to his predominantly

> materialistic

> outlook. He then visited a sage and implored him to

> `reveal'

> Vishnu to him. The sage, being a knower of the

> hearts of all, knew

> the lukewarm devotion of the person. But due to his

> innate kindness

> natural to those who cherish Mukunda in their

> hearts, the sage

> said "Dear son, even though all beings are

> perpetually seeing

> Vishnu alone on account of Hari being the inner self

> of all, they do

> not know this truth and therefore they suffer. But

> to have a direct

> perception of Narayana is the highest attainment in

> the universe,

> attaining which all the joys of the world pale into

> insignificance.

> Such being the case, it is difficult to attain

> Mahavishnu's

> vision unless one bathes oneself in the dust of the

> feet of sages

> who possess nothing other than Haribhakti. Therefore

> I advise you to

> constantly serve the Prapannas of Govinda. I assure

> you that this

> alone will be adequate to fulfill your desire."

>

> Even though the sage gave him the best advise, the

> devotee could not

> digest it due to his own impatience. He left the

> sage dissatisfied,

> only to come back a few days later with the same

> request. The sage

> advised again that the attainment of the lotus feet

> of Vasudeva is

> not a child's play and one need enormous kshama

> (patience) for

> that great attainment. The devotee again left the

> sage, dissatisfied

> with the sage's advice and thinking that the sage

> was

> unnecessarily

> denying him his desire. This routine happened a few

> more times and

> the devotee was becoming more and more impatient.

>

> On one occasion, when the devotee started speaking

> in the same vein

> to the sage, the sage thought that it was high time

> to prove to the

> devotee, in physical terms, what it means to aspire

> for Krishna. He

> asked the person to accompany him to a nearby lake.

> The person

> gladly accepted the idea thinking that the sage

> would teach an

> esoteric mantra that will reveal Mahavishnu. On

> reaching the lake,

> the sage suddenly grabbed the neck of the devotee

> and forcibly

> drowned him in the waters of the lake. Astounded by

> this unexpected

> action of the sage and gasping for breath, the

> devotee struggled to

> get out of the clutches of the sage. A few seconds

> passed by but the

> sage did not relax his hold on the devotee.

> Suffering greatly, the

> devotee struggled to get out of the water. After

> some time, the sage

> pulled the devotee out of the waters. Thirsting for

> a breath of air,

> the devotee sprung out of the water and breathed air

> like never

> before. Being confused as well as angry, the devotee

> shouted "May

> I know why your holiness has done this to me. I

> sought from you a

> vision of Vishnu and in return you almost killed

> me." The sage

> asked "Dear son, when you were inside the water

> gasping for

> breath, what is the one thing that you wanted?"

>

> "Air, one breath of air, that is the only thing I

> wanted in the

> world; I sought nothing else, I swear" said the

> devotee.

>

> The sage replied "DEAR, WHEN YOU CHERISH THE SAME

> KIND OF SINGLE-

> MINDED DESIRE FOR HARI, WHEN YOU WANT NARAYANA JUST

> AS BADLY AS YOU

> WANTED A BREATH OF AIR, WHEN YOU GASP FOR ONE VISION

> OF VASUDEVA,

> WHEN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE BECOMES MEANINGLESS WITHOUT

> GOVINDA, THEN

> WILL VISHNU MANIFEST BEFORE YOUR EYES, I SWEAR."

 

 

 

 

Send FREE Valentine eCards with Greetings!

http://greetings.

[Guest guest]

Hari Om. I too heard the story and it certainly made

me feel that I am still far from reaching that state.

And yes, the sage is Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa.

 

S.V.Swamy

 

--- Mohan T L <mohantl wrote:

> Hari Hari,

>

> A very nice and perfectly true story by Shree.

> Srinivasan. Adiyen has heard that the sage was

> "Shree

> Raamakrishna Paramahamsa". Is Adiyen right ?

>

> Hari Hari

>

> --- psrinivasan99 <psrinivasan99 wrote:

> > This story illustrates how a Bhakta should aspire

> > for the feet of

> > Vishnu.

> > -----

> > Once a person, on listening to the stories of

> > Haribhaktas, got a

> > desire to have a direct dharsanam of Mahavishnu.

> > Though his desire

> > was noble, it was not supported by a commensurate

> > level of sincerity

> > and commitment to Narayana, due to his

> predominantly

> > materialistic

> > outlook. He then visited a sage and implored him

> to

> > `reveal'

> > Vishnu to him. The sage, being a knower of the

> > hearts of all, knew

> > the lukewarm devotion of the person. But due to

> his

> > innate kindness

> > natural to those who cherish Mukunda in their

> > hearts, the sage

> > said "Dear son, even though all beings are

> > perpetually seeing

> > Vishnu alone on account of Hari being the inner

> self

> > of all, they do

> > not know this truth and therefore they suffer. But

> > to have a direct

> > perception of Narayana is the highest attainment

> in

> > the universe,

> > attaining which all the joys of the world pale

> into

> > insignificance.

> > Such being the case, it is difficult to attain

> > Mahavishnu's

> > vision unless one bathes oneself in the dust of

> the

> > feet of sages

> > who possess nothing other than Haribhakti.

> Therefore

> > I advise you to

> > constantly serve the Prapannas of Govinda. I

> assure

> > you that this

> > alone will be adequate to fulfill your desire."

> >

> > Even though the sage gave him the best advise, the

> > devotee could not

> > digest it due to his own impatience. He left the

> > sage dissatisfied,

> > only to come back a few days later with the same

> > request. The sage

> > advised again that the attainment of the lotus

> feet

> > of Vasudeva is

> > not a child's play and one need enormous kshama

> > (patience) for

> > that great attainment. The devotee again left the

> > sage, dissatisfied

> > with the sage's advice and thinking that the sage

> > was

> > unnecessarily

> > denying him his desire. This routine happened a

> few

> > more times and

> > the devotee was becoming more and more impatient.

> >

> > On one occasion, when the devotee started speaking

> > in the same vein

> > to the sage, the sage thought that it was high

> time

> > to prove to the

> > devotee, in physical terms, what it means to

> aspire

> > for Krishna. He

> > asked the person to accompany him to a nearby

> lake.

> > The person

> > gladly accepted the idea thinking that the sage

> > would teach an

> > esoteric mantra that will reveal Mahavishnu. On

> > reaching the lake,

> > the sage suddenly grabbed the neck of the devotee

> > and forcibly

> > drowned him in the waters of the lake. Astounded

> by

> > this unexpected

> > action of the sage and gasping for breath, the

> > devotee struggled to

> > get out of the clutches of the sage. A few seconds

> > passed by but the

> > sage did not relax his hold on the devotee.

> > Suffering greatly, the

> > devotee struggled to get out of the water. After

> > some time, the sage

> > pulled the devotee out of the waters. Thirsting

> for

> > a breath of air,

> > the devotee sprung out of the water and breathed

> air

> > like never

> > before. Being confused as well as angry, the

> devotee

> > shouted "May

> > I know why your holiness has done this to me. I

> > sought from you a

> > vision of Vishnu and in return you almost killed

> > me." The sage

> > asked "Dear son, when you were inside the water

> > gasping for

> > breath, what is the one thing that you wanted?"

> >

> > "Air, one breath of air, that is the only thing I

> > wanted in the

> > world; I sought nothing else, I swear" said the

> > devotee.

> >

> > The sage replied "DEAR, WHEN YOU CHERISH THE SAME

> > KIND OF SINGLE-

> > MINDED DESIRE FOR HARI, WHEN YOU WANT NARAYANA

> JUST

> > AS BADLY AS YOU

> > WANTED A BREATH OF AIR, WHEN YOU GASP FOR ONE

> VISION

> > OF VASUDEVA,

> > WHEN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE BECOMES MEANINGLESS

> WITHOUT

> > GOVINDA, THEN

> > WILL VISHNU MANIFEST BEFORE YOUR EYES, I SWEAR."

>

>

>

>

> Send FREE Valentine eCards with Greetings!

> http://greetings.

>

>

>

-----------------------------

> - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -

> To Post a message, send it to:

> bhakti-list

> Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/

>

>

> Your use of is subject to

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

Got something to say? Say it better with Video Mail

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Mohan and Sri Swamy Swarna:

 

I am quite glad you enjoyed the story of Krishna Trishna (thirst for

Krishna). But I am afraid the sage mentioned in the story is not Sri

Ramakrishna. However Sri Ramakrishna himself is said to have

narrated this story to his disciples. I do not know the identity of

the sage in the story. Such legends pass from generation to

generation - nevertheless they have a highly remarkable potential to

wake us from our slumber and open up our eyes to the Supreme Truth,

Narayana and our Supreme Duty, servitude to Him. Personally adiyen

was moved by this story as by many other stories.

 

dasan,

P.Srinivasan