Seeking Refuge in Bhagavan Sri Krishna

September 25, 2005

Hare Krishna. Pranam to all Vaishnavas,

Man in his quest for conquering nature when failed always believed that there is a Supreme Power that controls every happening in this Universe. One can not define what exactly that phenomenon is except agreeing that that Supreme Power known as ‘Bhagavan’ is Omniscient, Omnipotent and can do whatever He wants .

The great ancient Sages after performing deep penances to find the truth, have revealed that, Maha-Vishnu is the Bhagavan . He has thousands of forms among which ‘Sri Krishna’ is the most easily accessible one for His devotees. Bhagavan Krishna in His Paramatma (Super soul) form is the Indweller of all beings and capable of doing all deeds. Even in the stone age people were believing that their version of Bhagavan helps them when they were in difficulties and used to worship Him in their own way.

Naturally it is beyond one’s understanding to know how all the events seen in this world but the wise people called devotees believe in Krishna and gladly take refuge in Him.

Hence we have to depend on the Vedas and Puranas which are the writings and compositions of the great Seers of yore. These sacred texts advise that surrendering to Bhagavan Krishna is the best thing a human being can do to succeed in his/her life. The realised souls have confirmed that Krishna the all pervading Supreme God is available within our heart . We have countless devotees who have been experiencing Krishna in some form or other guiding them by their devotion and surrender.

Sages say when you get the true knowledge then you become an instrument of Krishna and there won't be any difference as 'I' of the body gives way to the 'I' of Krishna. In order to reach that point a common man has to understand Krishna’s nature and His instructions given in Gita, Bhagavatam etc. Some devotees say why should we worry about such and such things there is Krishna who will take care of everything. So they get contented with that statement without having any idea about what they mean by Krishna . In order to understand about Krishna a devotee should follow what the ancestors said and believed and seek refuge in Krishna to make the life meaningful.

On the other hand , to claim the body as his own, to consider himself as the agent of all his activities ,to conceive of himself as a person of consequence in the world-all these attitudes bind him to Maya ( illusion) . This ignorance of Bhagavan Krishna makes him fall down from the Bhagavan’s grace to the miserable world of maya .

The relationship between the individual soul and Sri Krishna , the Super Soul is the same as between the wave and ocean. The wave has no water of its own. The Individual soul has no body of his own. The forms of both ( Individual soul and waves) are impermanent. ,They are always in a state of flux. The activities of the waves are actually that of the ocean. The wave can never have an existence independent of the ocean. The

individual soul has neither individuality nor any existence when it tries to be independent of Krishna. Knowing this truth and attuning one's life to this truth is the act of taking refuge in Krishna. The most beneficial task a human being can do for himself/herself is to take refuge in Bhagavan Krishna and apply His instructions in day to day life.

We can see that the Pandava brothers,Vidura,Draupati,Kuchela and others had taken refuge in Sri Krishna whom they believed as the Bhagavan . During Krishna’s incarnation as Rama , His had taken refuge in Him. So also Guha, Sugreeva, Vibheeshana and others had taken refuge in the Bhagavan. All those who had taken refuge derived immediate peace of mind and tremendous success in their lives. Kaikeyi, Vali, Ravana, Kamsa and others of their

type revolted against the Bhagavan instead of taking refuge in Him. And there was no end to the excited troubles they had brought on themselves.

The setting of Nature is ever congenial to the spiritual growth of Jivatman (embodied soul) . This favourable situation is due to the causeless mercy of Krishna. Poetically stated ,the wind of the grace of Sri Krishna is constantly blowing. Those among the aspirants who dedicate themselves to the Bhagavan are like the prudent sailors who avail of that wind to navigate the ship to her destination. The seamen

who take advantage of the wind need not have to toil much in the oaring of the ship. Similarly ,the devotees who take refuge in Bhagavan Krishna do not suffer from their worldly life . Supreme Peace and Krishna’s Eternal Abode Vaikunta are for them .

Radha was asked to fetch water for Sri Krishna with a pitcher full of holes. Not a drop of water leaked out when she discharged that duty for the sake of the Bhagavan. When the assembled Gopis and others extolled her greatness, she exclaimed that whatever had taken place was the glory of Sri Krishna and that she was merely an instrument in His hands . This is the ideal attitude an individual has to observe for seeking refuge in Bhagavan Krishna.

During times of distress it is very easy to get dejected, but, Krishna assures in the Gita , ``The devotees, however, who loving no one else constantly think of Me, and worship Me with faith, to those ever united in thought with Me, I bring full security and personally attend to their needs.''

Sri Krishna has acknowledged that it was only after countless births that a person develops unalloyed devotion to Him exclusively. And, such a devotee is dear to Him. The Bhagavan remains bounden to His devotees and makes Himself accessible to them. Jagannatha Dasa in one of his compositions conveys Bhagavan Krishna's accessibility to His devotee and the esteem in which He holds him as follows : If the devotee sings His glory lying down, the Bhagavan listens raptly to it seated ; if the devotee is seated, the Bhagavan remains standing while listening to him ; and if the devotee sings His praise

standing, then the Bhagavan dances with joy listening to him .

OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVAYA !!!

SriKrishnaDasa Rajeev

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