|| Shri Hari ||
Taking Refuge in Gita
continued .......
Parikshit’s mother Uttara also took shelter of the Lord. Dronacharya’s son Ashvatthaama had made up his mind that he would entirely wipe the Pandava’s race. While sleeping he murdered five of Draupadi’s sons. Now the only remaining heir was a small child in the womb of Uttara. To destroy this child, Ashvatthama released the “Brahmaastra” (a very lethal weapon). When Uttara saw this weapon coming towards her, she called out to the Lord -
Paahi paahi mahaayogindevadeva jagatpate |
naanyam tvadbhayam paschye yatra mrutyuh parasparam ||
Abhidravati maameesha sharastpataayaso vibho |
Kaamam dahatu maam naath maa me garbho nipaatyataam \\ (Srimad Bhagwat. 1/8/9-10)
O Lord of Lords! The ruler of this entire Universe ! the greatest of all Yogis ! Please protect me! Protect me ! Besides you
there is no one in this world who can make me overcome my fears; because here everyone is becoming the cause of each others death. O’ Lord! the Almighty one ! This fearlessly burning arrow is ferociously coming straight towards me. O’ Lord ! May it devour me, but let it not destroy my child.”
On listening to Uttara’s cry of desperation, The Lord took his “chakra” (special weapon), taking on a very tiny form, entering Uttara’s womb, he began to encircle around the child in the womb. The Bhramaastra weapon was unable to harm the child in the womb, and slowly quietened down. Parikshit said -
Dronyastraviplushtmidam madang
santaanbeejam kurupaandavaanaam |
jugop kukshitam gat
aattchakro
maatusch me yah sharanam gataayaah || (Srimad Bhagwat. 10/1/6)
“O’ King! This body of mine which is in front of you, and which is the only support of both the Kaurava and Pandava clan, has been burnt by the Ashvatthama’s Brahmastra weapon. At that time when my mother went to take refuge in the Lord, the Lord took his “chakra” weapon in his hands,
and entered her womb and protected me.”
The meaning of this is that it is man’s (jeev’s) duty to take refuge in the Lord, and it is Lord’s duty to protect the “jeev” in whatever way that the Lord can. If man has even the slightest bit of sentiments and feeling of taking refuge in the Lord, then the Lord melts, he cannot stay, and he accepts man as his devotee right away. If someone with a true heart, just once says, “O’ Lord! I am Yours” then God sees to his supreme good. God can never renounces a devotee who has taken refuge in Him. Lord says -
Ye daaraagaarputraaptaan praanaan vittmimam param |
hitvaa maam sharanam yaataah katham taamstyaktamtashe || (Srimad Bhagwat 9/4/65)
“The devotee who leaves everything - wife, son, home, spiritual guide, life breath, wealth, this world, and the world beyond and exclusively takes refuge in Me, how can I even think about leaving such a one ?”
Koti bipra badh laagahin jaahu |
aayam saran tajaum nahin taahu || (Manas, sunder. 44/1)He who with a true and sincere heart, takes refuge in God, his life changes. I have seen so in my life. I had met a gentleman in Calcutta. He used to say that “I used to consider those who were doing satsang as ordinary and useless, as
if they were wasting away their time. One time I went to Navadeep. I was staying at the famous “Bhajanaashram” over there. One day a few ladies were doing “kirtan” (chanting the Lord’s name). I sat down over there, where one lady got up and spoke about taking refuge in the Lord (Sharanagati) and shared the following verse from Valmiki Ramayana -
Sakrudeva prapannaaya tavaasmeeti cha yaachate |
abhayam sarvabhootebhyo dadaamyetad vratam mama || (6/18/33)
“He who just once takes refuge in Me and says ‘I am Yours’ and asks for my protection, I make him fearless among all the beings’ this is my resolve.”
I heard this and a thought came to my mind that this is very simple practice ! I came into my room and closing all doors, in solitude, said to the Lord, with a sincere heart - that if any one just
once comes to Your refuge, then You see to their well-being. You free them from all sins - if this is true then - “O’ Lord! I have taken your shelter! saying so, I prostrated falling down to the floor.
Thereafter I left for Calcutta and got busy in my work. I completely forgot about the event that took place in Navadveep. One day I
heard that there was satsang going on nearby somewhere, and I casually strolled over there. On going there, I found it interesting, and I started attending it regularly. Slowly and gradually my life transformed. Then one day I was surprised that I was the kind to argue and challenge, then how did so much transformation take place in me automatically? I then recollected what I had said in Navadveep that “O’ Lord! I have taken refuge in You”. It is the result of that alone.
The point
is when a man takes refuge in God with a true and sincere heart, then the responsibility for his spiritual well-being is shouldered by God. With a true and sincere heart “He Naath! O’ Lord! I am Yours” Simply by this acceptance, one attains salvation. Because in fact all belong to the Lord. It has come in the Mahabharat -
ekoapi krishnasya krutah pranaamo dashaashvamedhaavabhruthen tulyah |
dashaashvamedhaa punareti janma krushnapranaami na punarbhavaaya ||
(Mahabharat, Shaanti. 47/92)
“If you just bow to Lord Krishna once, then the outcome (fruit) is like that of bathing after conducting ten “Ashvamedha” sacrificial fires. Besides that there is one exceptional thing about bowing down to the Lord, that the one who performs the ten ashvamedha yagya is born again in this world, but one who bows and prostrates to Shri Krishna (one who takes refuge
in Him) is never again bound by this world.”
Goswami Tulasidasji Maharaj says -
koor kuti khal kumati kalanki |
neech neseel nirees nisanki ||
Teu suni saran saamuhen aaye |
sakrut pranaamu kihen apanaaye || (Manas, Ayodhya. 299/1-2)
Sab swaarathi asur sur nar muni, koyu na det binu paaye |
kosalpaalu krupaalu kalapataru, dravat sakrut sir naaye || (Vinaya Patrika 163/2)
(to be continued)
FOR MESSAGE IN HINDI PLEASE VISIT -