|| Shri Hari ||
Taking Refuge in Gita
continued....
A baby monkey holds on to his mother, but a kitten does not hold on to the mother, rather it is the mother who holds the kitten and takes the baby wherever she likes. A devotee who has taken refuge is God is also like a kitten. It does not rely on its own strength, there is no pride of its strength. Hanumanji being a teacher of “Bhakti”, yet had no pride of being so, he says -
“Jaanaun nahin kuch bhajan upaayi”
(Maanas, Kishkindhaa. 3/2).
“Atulit-baldhaamaa”
Even though being very strong, Hanumanji was not aware of His own strength. Jaambavaan said to him -
Pavan tanay bal pavan samaanaa |
budhi bibek bigyaan nidhaanaa ||
Kavan so kaaj kathin jag maahin |
jo naahin hoyi taat tumh paahin ||
On hearing so much praise from Jaambavaan, then too Hanumanji kept silent. But when Jaambavaan said that you have been born to serve the Lord Ram, then Hanumanji immediately remembered his strength and powers -
Ram kaaj lagi tav avataaraa |
Sunatahin bhayau parbataakaaraa
Hanumanji was ready to cross the ocean, having deep faith that the Lord’s work will get done by His grace, therefore why to see towards our abilities-inabilities ? Wherever there is no pride of one’s strength, God’s power comes to play. It is due to pride that one faces obstacles.
Whenever pride comes, whenever tendencies turn bad, when desires come, then the easiest way to get rid of them, is to tell it to the Lord. Say to Him, “O’ Lord! See! desires have come! see the condition of my mind. My Lord! Such tendencies have taken hold of my mind; ‘ O’ Lord ! I pray, worship and meditate, people consider me to be your devotee, they regard me as virtuous, but such is my condition !’ On contact with fire, even a piece of black coal begins to shine. In fact, coal has an affinity only with the fire, but it turns black staying away from the fire.
Similarly on having an affinity with God, all the flaws are burnt away, and man begins to shine. He develops an exceptional quality in him; as in fact his affinity is only with God. God’s grace makes the impossible, possible. Similarly, “kartumkartumanyathakrtum sarmathah” When one takes the support of the Lord, then what is there to worry about? God does all the work of the devotees that have taken refuge in Him -
“sab bidhi ghatab kaaj mein toren,
aham tvaa sarvapaapebhyo mokshayishyaami”
(continued....)
From book in hindi “Jit Dekhu Titi Tu” by Swami Ramsukhdasji