asirvada-maharaj: a sadhu as means for avoiding paying doctor's bill

[Guest guest]

People in India are often eager to ask for blessings from holy men, but

unfortunately they rarely have any serious spiritual intent. There are also

many sadhus accustomed to offering such meaningless asirvada, or blessings.

 

Srila Prabhupada refers to this kind of sadhu as an asirvada-maharaja.

Usually they give a wave of the hand, a nod, and exchange a few polite

words. There is no spiritual discussion, no transmission of knowledge, and

no transformation. Yet both parties are satisfied with this giving and

receiving of they know not what -- 'asirvadas.' From our understanding of

Prabhupada's teachings, such intangible exchanges are of no practical value.

Naturally, as Prabhupada's servants, we don't like to see his time wasted

with such blessing-seekers.

 

When Harikesa and I went out of the compartment, the curious men were still

there. On our return, despite our obvious reluctance to let them in, they

strained to see past us, knowing that if they caught Prabhupada's eye,

etiquette would oblige him to let them in. Prabhupada was awake, eye-contact

was made, and he instructed us to let them in. The three filed in and sat

opposite, smiling and pleased at having evaded the secretaries of someone

they knew was a great spiritual leader and holy man.

 

Thus we all sat: we three somewhat irritated by this polite infringement on

Prabhupada's precious time, they three ignoring us, eager to have his

darsana, and Srila Prabhupada, as always, a warm and cordial host. Not at

all inconvenienced, Prabhupada received them courteously, asking them a few

polite questions: what their names were, where they came from, what they

did, and the like. Then he looked directly into their faces and asked, "So,

what is it that I can do for you?"

 

"Swamiji, we just wanted to get your blessings."

 

"What is that blessing?"

 

This answer took them by surprise. No one had ever asked them what kind of

blessings.

 

Caught off guard, one of them replied, "Well Swamiji, I have this pain in my

knee..."

 

We almost groaned out loud and the man, becoming embarrassed, hastily added,

"And for our families also..."

 

Strike two.

 

"Ah, and of course we want to do good to others..."

 

As he trailed off into confused silence, Prabhupada indicated his three

disciples with shaved heads, sikhas, kurtas, dhotis, and tulasi beads. He

told them, "This is my blessing. These boys have given up everything for

Krsna's service and to chant Hare Krsna. Are you prepared to accept such a

blessing?"

 

At first there was no reply. They were stunned; all kinds of wild thoughts

seemed to run through their heads and across their faces. Then, before they

could become the beneficiaries of this blessing, they hurriedly stood. One

stammered, "Well, actually Swamiji, at the moment we have so many duties

with the family and all, this kind of life of a sannyasi, for us it is not

possible..." With profuse apologies and many thanks they beat a hasty

retreat. We laughed as Prabhupada sat smiling and shook his head.

 

"This is the problem. They simply take a sadhu as some means for avoiding

paying the doctor's bill, that's all. Asirvada-maharaja. They are not

serious for spiritual life."

 

People have no appreciation of a real mahatma.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => TD 1-7: Andhra Pradesh