Guest guest Posted April 30, 2005 Report Share Posted April 30, 2005 Shri Raman, this is beautiful and heart-warming, thanks a lot. Om Namo Narayanaya. On 4/29/05, GANAPATHY RAMAN <agraman62 wrote: > > Hare Krishna > > Devotees everywhere pray Lord for something material benefits,cure of > illness,begetting children,marriage etc etc. and vow to offer in case their > wishes are fulfilled. > > In Guruvayur Tulabharam is a common vow.In this devotee is weighed against > bananas,coconuts,sandalwood,sugar or any other article of daily use.Thearticles are weighed and gifted to the > temple.There are lot of incidents in which the devotees are tested by the > Lord.One such instance is that a devotee vowed to hv weighed himself > against plantains before the Lord.At the time of weighing ceremony however > he had a costly silk dhoti on.His mother > thinking that it might get soiled,asked him to remove it and wear instead > an ordinary cotton cloth which he did.He squatted on one pan of the scales > and plantains were loaded on to the other pan.All were amazed to see that > no amount of bananas could match the mans weight.A priest who happened to > witness this suggested that the silk cloth also be placed on the devotees > pan.When this was done the scales became even.A word about the real > significance of making offerings to God would be appropriate.It would be > wrong to regard it as a bribe given to the deity for a favour.It is > actually a surrender of atleast a part of our possessions.Renunciation,that > is self denial or giving up things is the real test of a true devotee.Itis said in Kaivalya Upanishad : > > Na karmana na prajaya dhanena tyagenaikena Amrtatvamanasuh: > (Not by work,not by offspring nor wealth --only by renunciation does one > attain > immortality.) > It shuld again be remembered that the Lord accepts whatever is given in > devotion and rejects everything,however expensive,offered without > devotion.This idea has been proclaimed by the Lord Homself in the Gita: > > Patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati > Tadam bhaktyupahrtam asnami prayatatmanah > ( I accept and enjoy whatever is offered in devotion-leaf,flower,fruit or > water.while what is given without devotion,however costly it does not > induce to my joy.) > The gruel offered by Vidura was accepted with delight by Sri Krishna.Thebeaten rice hesitatingly brought by Sudama(Kuchela) was pulled out from the > folds of his garment and partaken of with relish by Him.So too was He > satisfied with the bit of leaf sticking to the utensil of Draupati.In her > anxiety to offer the best to Sri Rama Sabari bit each fruit and gave it to > the Lord after being satisfied that it was good.Lord Siva accepted the > tongue-tainted venison and mouthful of water offered by the hunter Kannappa. > There are more examples like this.The Lord along with Nanda and others was > encamping at Mathura on the eve of destruction of King Kamsa.When He went > about sight-seeing ,a tailor presented garments befitting Krishna and > Balarama--to the former a yellow garment and to the latter a blue-coloured > one.As a result the tailor was able to attain salvation as the clothes > were presented with utmost devotion.Later the Lord blessed the garland > maker Sudama who had joyfully presented Him with garlands and a bouquet and > praised Him with hymns.At the instance of the Lord he chose two boons viz. > devotion and wealth which seldom exist together in one.Yet the Lord of > Goddess Lakshmy readily granted both the boons as requested by His > devotee.There was the woman Kubja the hunchback who used to prepare the > toilet for Kamsa.On her way to the kings palace she met Krishna and > presented Him with scented ointment.To reveal the uprightness in her body > that was in her mind.Krishna removed her hunch and made her > a beautiful woman.Her love towards the Lord was but another form of > devotion. > > What matters to the Lord therefore is bhakti.Material abundance is of no > avail to gain access to the Lord.It is disinterested devotion to which the > Lord submits Himself.The Lord further elaborates: > > Yatkaroshi Yadashnasi yajjuhoshi dadasi yet > Yattapasyasi Kaunteya tatkurshva madarpanam > (Whatever you do,whatever you eat,whatever you offer in sacrifice,whatever > you gift away,whatever austerity you practice, O Kaunteya(Arjuna),do it as > an offering to Me.) > The panacea for all the evils of earthly life is prescribed here.Makinggifts is often for > self-advertisement.Practicing austerity with self interest may bring in > spiritual vanity.But when all these good deeds are done for the glory of > the Lord,the doer emerges as the divine.The turning point in life comes in > dedicating everything to God instead of petitioning to Him for things here > and hereafter.It is with this understanding that we shuld offer to Lord > whatever we can, but with devotion. > Suddhe manasi Govinda swayameva prakasathey. > May the Lord of Guruvayur cleanse our minds from all impurities and > inculcate an unswerving devotion and bhakti to Him. > > Hare Krishna,Sri Guruvvayoorappa. > > agraman > > Om Namo Narayanaya: > 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