Special Grace of God in Miseries
continued....
There is a description in Gita that one who has control over his internal instrument (antahkaran), such a person free from attachment and aversion by using sense-objects with senses attains placidity of mind and on attaining that placidity, all his sufferings come to an end and his intellect very quickly gets firmly established in God (Gita 2/64-65). He who remains happy in most unfavorable circumstances, his intellect gets established in God very quickly. The reason is that the happiness arising during the unfavorable situation is the mother of equanimity. If such happiness (placidity) is attained, then the person should think that he has attained the mother of equanimity and the grand-mother of God-realization.
There is a very special grace of God in the unfavourable circumstances but this does not mean that you should desire unfavourable situation. We should not desire for favourable or unfavourable situations but we should remain pleased with the situation which God sends to us. Our relationship stands with God, not with any circumstance. If God sends an unfavourable situation, then we should understand that it is a great favor. God has sent the unfavourable situation for removing our attachment to favourable circumstances. In Valmiki-Ramayan, Aranyakanda, it has been said -
Sulabha purusha raajan satatam priyavaadinah |
Apriyasya cha pathyasya vakta shrota cha durlabh || (37/2)
‘O’ king, there are so many people who continuously go on speaking sweet words but there is dearth of speakers as wells as, listeners of unfavourable but useful words’.
There is a Marwari proverb -
‘sati deve santoshi pave; jaaki vaasana teen lok mein jaave.’
If the giver of alms (food) is a chaste woman and he who receives it is contented, the fragrance of such alms (food) spreads in the three worlds.’
Similarly if the giver is God and the receiver is His devotee i.e., if by making special favors; He sends unfavourable situation and the devotee becomes joyful by accepting it, then its effect shall be experienced by the entire world.
to be continued......
From article in 'Kalyaan Kalpatru' by Swami Ramsukhdasji from Gita Press, Gorakhpur