Fwd: EVERYMAN'S 'VEDAVITH'-PART 2 (Sri.B.N.Suresh's message)

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tiruvengadam, "Sudarshan M.K." <sampathkumar_2000>

wrote:

> --- bindinganavale suresh <suresh_b_n> wrote:

> > Dear Sri Sudarshan,

> > Not only is the episode a

> > touching story being a treat to our emotions,but it

> > also a very meaningful one.It is not our learning or

> > knowledge that takes us closer to our Lord,but the

> > faith and devotion towards him born out of such

> > learning and knowledge that makes him dear to us and

> > us dear to him.

 

 

Dear Sri.Suresh and other friends,

 

Please permit me to point out one other important and subtle lesson

to be learnt from the "Gohinda or Govinda" story (and one which

Mukkur Swamy in fact used to deftly convey by implication in his

discourses). It is this:

 

The relationship between an individual and the Almighty is an

extremely private one. The bond of intimacy that grows between

a 'bhakta' and 'bhagavan' is a delicate and mysterious one. It might

seem very strange to an outsider. Mukkur Swamy, for example, found it

strange, and rather rude too, that the poor pilgrim was

calling 'Govinda' by the unusual 'tirunAma' of "Gohinda". But

eventually he discovered, as we learn from the story, that the

pilgrim had never been called to account by God for the so-called

transgression! The pilgrim had instead been in receipt of the full

grace of God! It shows us, thus, how inscrutably compassionate are

the ways of God... (in the parlance of SriVaishnavite theology, this

behaviour of the Almighty is commonly termed "nirhetuka-kripa").

 

None of us can therefore really sit in judgment over the form and

intensity a person's special feeling of 'bhakti' may take. Religion,

and more specifically, personal faith is an intensely personal

matter.

 

Religious devotion takes many various forms. Some of the forms

individuals embrace may not conform to tradition, convention or

custom at all... But on that account alone one may NOT reject such

devotion nor can one look upon such persons condescendingly. If the

Almighty is pleased to be beckoned as "Gohinda, Gohinda" by a rustic

pilgrom from rural Andhra ..who are we to butt in as holy

interlocutors between man and God?

 

So, the lesson here I think is that we should be extremely careful in

adjudging the religious devotion or ardour of each other. In matters

of personal faith it is better to respect each other's privacy. It is

always good to follow the golden rule of "live and let live" ... and

leave each other well alone. Which is why Mukkur Swamy, as we saw in

the story, finally decided against correcting the pilgrim in the

pronunciation of the 'govinda-nAma-shabdha'.

 

In the end 'bhagavAn' alone is the final judge... As it is said in

the scripture, the Lord is both 'bhOkta' and 'bhOgi'... He is the

enjoyer; He is the object of enjoyment too...

 

Something quite close to this very same idea is what, I believe, is

conveyed in that famously rhythmic stanza from the very first hymn of

NammAzhwAr's great 'tiruvoimOzhi':

 

"avar-avar tama-tamadhu arivu ari vagai-vagai

avar-avar iraiya-var ena adi adaiya-vargal

avar-avar iraiya-var kuraivu-illar, iraiya-var

avar-avar vidhi-vazhi adaya nin-nraNarey!"

 

It is a very beautiful stanza of NammAzhwAr indeed and its meaning

roughly in English is as follows:

 

"Leave each man alone his way of worship,

For he worhips well who truly worships;

Our Lord accepts all ways of all men ---

And every man who has worship to offer

In time begets his divine due." (1.1.5)

 

There is a powerful lesson in here somewhere for modern day religious

politicians too (in India, for example)... I mean the sort who

needlessly interfere in the personal faith of common people and cause

misery to their lives, to their community...

 

Regards,

dAsan,

Sudarshan

--- End forwarded message ---