“O son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.27)

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यत् करोषि यद् अश्नासि
यज् जुहोषि ददासि यत्
यत् तपस्यसि कौन्तेय
तत् कुरुष्व मद्-अर्पणम्

yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi
yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam

“The bhakti-yoga presentation is unique. No one can deny that. There seems to be a counterargument for every angle. In whatever manner you enter the arena, sanatana-dharma is ready for you. All that is required is someone who knows the truth, a tattva-darshi, to both access the knowledge and explain it as required by the situation.

“It is amazing to see people with love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They do everything for Krishna. They take that verse from Bhagavad-gita literally. They offer everything to Him. They try not to venture out from under His umbrella for even a moment. They won’t even go five yards beyond the boundary line, if there is one.

“The thing is, these are people who already love Krishna. What about newcomers? How will they love someone they don’t know? They are not familiar with these Eastern traditions. How can you expect them to surrender everything without any background?”

This is not a difficult issue to tackle. We could pose similar questions to the parents of newborns. If they are expecting the birth of a child, someone could challenge them as such:

“How are you going to live with this total stranger? For at least the next eighteen years, if you are lucky, everything is under your control. You have to be responsible. You have to display exemplary behavior. You have to be the one to lead.

“You will be doing all of this for a total stranger. You have no idea what their character or nature will be like. What if they misbehave? What if they challenge authority? What if they refuse to apply themselves in school? What if they hate everything that you like, and vice versa? Will you still love them?”

Parents have faced such issues since the beginning of time. The lack of prior familiarity appears to have no bearing on the outpouring of love and affection. The bodily relation is everything. This is my child, they will say. The children will be raised under my roof, is the stipulation.

The relationship with Shri Krishna is no different, except with the roles reversed. He is the parent. He is the father. He provides the original seed. Material nature is like the mother of this existence.

सर्व-योनिषु कौन्तेय
मूर्तयः सम्भवन्ति याः
तासां ब्रह्म महद् योनिर्
अहं बीज-प्रदः पिता

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya
mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir
ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

“It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 14.4)

A notable distinction is that this father knows everyone already. He is not surprised by anything that occurs. He loves no matter what. It is love without conditions. The evidence is there in the travels of the spirit soul, who always has Supersoul accompanying within the heart.

ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमस: परमुच्यते ।
ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम् ॥

jyotiṣām api taj jyotis
tamasaḥ param ucyate
jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ jñāna-gamyaṁ
hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam

“He is the source of light in all luminous objects. He is beyond the darkness of matter and is unmanifested. He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge. He is situated in everyone’s heart.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 13.18)

Children are also new to the relationship. They have love and affection after familiarity. They grow to know the parents. In most instances, the parents are the first people they meet. In adulthood, they can look back and honestly say that they have known the mother and father longer than anyone else.

If we are not familiar with Krishna, due to forgetfulness, we can be made familiar. What is not to like? He supplies everything. Whatever it is that I already enjoy in life, I should know that Krishna is the source.

Whatever it is I don’t like, I should know that the cause is also Krishna, but in an indirect way. Those who go against Him, who try to forget Him, who wish to unseat Him as the topmost person in the world, they find one misery after another. This continues for lifetime after lifetime.

भूत-ग्रामः स एवायं
भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते
रात्र्य्-आगमे ऽवशः पार्थ
प्रभवत्य् अहर्-आगमे

bhūta-grāmaḥ sa evāyaṁ
bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate
rātry-āgame ‘vaśaḥ pārtha
prabhavaty ahar-āgame

“Again and again the day comes, and this host of beings is active; and again the night falls, O Partha, and they are helplessly dissolved.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.19)

A simple correction is all it takes. Spend time with those who already love Krishna and see what makes them so dedicated. What is it that they know that I should know? What are they feeling that I should be feeling? What is the secret to that one engagement that seems to spawn an infinitely expanding reservoir of bliss and enthusiasm?

In Closing:

New family member to greet,
Never before to meet.

But love from the start,
Strong and not to depart.

Same towards Krishna apply,
On knowledge and referrals rely.

By authorities trusted and true,
Then like someone you always knew.

Categories: questions

Tags: children, hare krishna, parenting, poem, poems, poetry, yashoda