bhakti swatantra sakala sukha khani - 6

[Guest guest]

Bhakti Yoga continued..<br><br>Let us observe the

Cataka, a bird that lives only on the rain water that

comes from the Svati constellation. <br><br>This bird

is a beautiful example of selfless Love. <br><br>It

loves its beloved all year round, whereas <br>we the

worldy people run to temples and Saints only when we are

in trouble. <br>And the moment are worldy desires

are fulfilled, we never think of going again.

<br><br>We are too pre-occupied with material pleasures to

even think of God. <br>If someone asks you, <br>'Why

have you stopped going to the temples or the Saints?'

<br><br>you arrogantly reply, <br>'I have no need of all that

external show. I attain everything from within my self.'

<br><br>The reality is that we are actually worshippers of

worldly desires. <br>We have not yet understood anything

about the subject of God. <br>We should learn a lesson

from the 'Cataka'. <br><br>We to must love God

constantly, and our every desire should be centralized in

pleasing Him alone. <br><br>When ever there is love in the

world there is always an inherent selfishness. <br>The

moment that self interest is harmed, the love comes to

an end and even results in enmity. <br><br>But the

love of cataka is different. <br>It is unselfish.

<br><br>Tulasidass wrote that the beloved of the cataka bird is very

cruel hearted. <br>The cataka begs for a few rain drops

but his beloved makes thunder and lightning fall upon

him, insults and teases him instead. <br><br>But the

cataka never resents this cruel behaviour, nor is he

angered by it, in fact he never thinks about the

imperfectness of his beloved, but derives pleasure in his every

action. <br><br>This should be the state of a true

devotee. <br><br>we should never be upset or angry when

any worldly calamity befalls us. <br><br>It was a hot

summer day. The cataka began to feel dizzy from thirst.

<br>He flew to a tree to rest in its shade. <br>When he

regained his senses, he realised his mistake.

<br><br>'This tree under whose shade I am sitting, has been

nourished by the underground water which I never drink.

<br><br>To take rest in its shade means infidelity and is a

direct insult to my beloved. <br>The scorching heat of

the sun is better than the shade of this tree'.

<br><br>With these thoughts the cataka left the tree, and flew

around in the heat of the sun. But how long could he

bare the heat, in that thirsty state? <br><br>He again

felt dizzy and sat on the branch of the <br>another

tree, which was on the banks of the river Ganges.

<br><br>Coincidently, a hunter was sitting under that very tree waiting

for a target. <br>When he saw the cataka, he

immediately shot him with his arrow. <br>The wounded bird

fell in the river below. <br><br>In his last moments

he opened his beak to quench his thirst, with the

thought that he would attain mukti [liberation] by

drinking the water of the Ganges. <br><br>But before he

drank even a drop, it struck him that it would be

disloyal, and a disgrace to his true love to drink the

water of the Ganges, and accept liberation. <br><br>He

immediately turned his beak upwards lest the water of the

Ganges should enter his mouth, and died at that very

moment. <br><br>Thus the true love of the cataka remained

unblemished to the very end. <br><br>In spite of the

suffering he stuck to his deal, and did not aspire even for

salvation, as it would mean disloyalty to his beloved.

<br><br>We too must not loose the supreme ecstasy of the

Divine Love by falling into the trap of liberation or

any material desires. <br><br>Like the cataka bird,

our ULTIMATE aim should be EXCLUSIVE, EVER-STEADY

DEVOTION of the MIND and HEART to SRI KRISHNA.<br>Our

INTENSE LOVE and SEVA (service) to HIM, should be

ENTIRELY for the sake of PLEASING HIM.<br>LOVE should ONLY

be for LOVE'S SAKE.<br>(contd..)