|| 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-out 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 other’s 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 in desperation,  The Lord took his “chakra” (special weapon),  and assuming 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 ‘bhaav’ (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.   

    (continued....)

 

From book in hindi “Jit Dekhu Titi Tu” by Swami Ramsukhdasji