Krishna's Grace necessary for Success

October 18, 2004

Hare Krishna,

Failure in accomplishing a task which one has undertaken can demoralise even the most sagacious person. If the person is unequal to the mission entrusted to him then the wrong choice can be blamed for the failure. But if the individual is capable and well-equipped to accomplish the job entrusted to him then he has to analyse the reason for not succeeding in the task. This kind of soul-searching can often pinpoint the reason and help him to try again with renewed vigour and self-confidence.

It is common to see pious people undergoing a lot of suffering in life while those who neither believe in Krishna nor are principled leading a relatively happy life. This paradox often confounds even a staunch devotee especially when he is beset with problems. It is during such situations that a devotee must not lose faith in Krishna's grace. The reason for this apparent enigma must be understood in the light of the Karma

theory.

Karma determines the status of birth and the joys and sorrows an individual faces. So what one enjoys in this life is the result of one's deeds in previous lives and hence a person's faith in Krishna will give him the strength and divine grace to face problems. The devotee instead of bemoaning his lot must repose total faith in divine dispensation. Krishna's grace is paramount for succeeding in any enterprise as there are many factors which can cause obstacles

and they can be surmounted only by Divine grace.

When Hanuman was chosen to be sent to Lanka for locating Sita, there was no doubt in anyone's mind about his capabilities, especially Rama whose confidence he had won right at their first meeting. His physical prowess, sagacity of mind and above all his devotion to Rama made him the unanimous choice.

Naturally when there was so much at stake in this task he was delegated, he took all the efforts possible from the moment he reached Lanka to find Her. He combed even Ravana's palace to rule out the possibility of Her being kept in captivity there. Not finding Sita anywhere he became very despondent that he would not be able to succeed and started deliberating upon all the consequences in case he returned to Kishkinda without accomplishing the task.

He argued to himself that Rama would not be able to bear it if he did not report the good news of having found Her and this would lead to disastrous consequences like everyone connected to Rama dying because He would certainly not live without Sita. He even toyed with the idea of taking his life in dejection but resisted prudently concluding that it would serve no purpose. So he decided to renew his search after deciding that he would not rest till he had found Her.

Hanuman had deliberated all this sitting atop a tower from where he then beheld a beautiful grove of Asoka trees which he had not searched so far. Before entering the grove which was guarded by ogres Hanuman who had gained self-confidence prayed to God, ``Let all the Gods along with hosts of Rishis for their part grant success to me in this undertaking.'' He was indeed blessed with success ultimately for he located Sita and identified Her correctly even though this was the first instance he was seeing Her. Then he acted with great alacrity of mind to gain Her confidence and convince Her that She would be rescued soon.

Hanuman's exploits being the central theme of the Sundara Kanda, it was aptly named after him. ``Sundara'' also draws attention to the poetic excellences of this canto as the poet is at his best while describing the agony faced by both Rama and Sita due to their separation.

Traditionally perusal of this canto is believed to be auspicious and bestows success in one's undertakings. This canto is a condensation of the Ramayana as all the important incidents in the lives of Rama and Sita are narrated by Hanuman to Sita. The Ramayana is not just a story or the depiction of the incidents in the life of the Lord when He incarnated on the Earth. It is a veritable treatise on Dharma delineating in every episode some profound truth or nuance of Dharma.

Krishna’s grace can be seen in the lives of great saints like Ramadasa and Tyagaraja. These prodigious composers have only sang in more profusion and poignancy when they had to face troubles. They never bothered about their personal suffering but could not bear separation from their chosen deity.

Please Chant:Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare HareHare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare HareAnd Be Happy.