“In the Hari-bhakti-sudhadaya there is another example, forwarded by Maharaj Dhruva. He says there, ‘My dear Lord, I have practiced austerities and penances because I was desiring to receive something from You, but in exchange You have allowed me to see You, who are never visible even to the great sages and saintly persons. I had been searching out some pieces of broken glass, but instead I have found the most valuable jewel. I am therefore fully satisfied, my Lord. I do not wish to ask anything more from Your Lordship.’” (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 46)

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1. The head of the household

“Dad, can I get a new car? I don’t want your old one. The kids at school will make fun of me. I want one that has sufficient horsepower. Trust me, I will be safe. I will only open it up on the highway, when no other cars are around. Please! You have to come through for me.”

2. The boss at work

“Sir, I am terribly sorry, but I need to take another two weeks off at the end of the month. There is a wedding within the family that was appointed without much coordination. I kind of have to go. There is no way out. I have enough vacation days left, but I know that we are in the middle of an important project. I hope you will come through for me with an approval.”

3. The local leader

“Dear sir, our community is in shambles. There is crime everywhere. Homeless people are sleeping on the sidewalks. It is not safe for our children to roam. It wasn’t like this when I was growing up. You have to do something. We can’t continue like this for much longer.”

4. The leader of the nation

“Dear sir, why is the price of everything skyrocketing? Why is there scarcity wherever we turn? Why are people unable to make ends meet? Why are there no jobs? You have to do something. The things you talk about are meaningless. It’s like you hate your own citizens. I donated to your campaign. You owe me something.”

5. The Supreme Personality of Godhead

“Please God, I promise to never bother you again. Just make this one thing happen. I know that I shouldn’t approach you in this manner. I realize that time will take care of everything, good and bad. But I cannot ignore the desperation of the situation. I know that only you can grant relief in a swift manner.”

…

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that the best option is to go towards Krishna. He is also known as Vishnu. He is also Narasimha and Rama, and while the names may be different, the personality is the same.

The idea is to go towards God. Not a deva. Not a superintendent of the material creation. Not a powerful personality. This needs to be stipulated because everyone has some sort of desire they wish to be fulfilled. They make requests. They approach others. This is the way the world works.

चतुर्-विधा भजन्ते मां
जनाः सुकृतिनो ऽर्जुन
आर्तो जिज्ञासुर् अर्थार्थी
ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ

catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ
janāḥ sukṛtino ‘rjuna
ārto jijñāsur arthārthī
jñānī ca bharatarṣabha

“O best among the Bharatas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me – the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.16)

Shri Krishna gives four general categories of people who approach Him. If creating a hierarchy, the jnani is the best. This is because they follow Krishna with knowledge at the foundation. They have jnana, which is knowledge about the difference between matter and spirit and the way the material world operates.

The reason to approach Krishna is not necessarily for guaranteeing success. It is entirely possible that the request will be denied. Perhaps there is a limitation on resources. There is only one job opening. There is only one champion in a sporting contest. There is no returning to childhood, and so forth.

The reason to approach Krishna is the purification of desire. No other leader can provide the same. The devas, the demigods in heaven, do not play this role. They follow the assignment dutifully. They grant desires to their worshipers. There is no assessment as to the nature of the desire, as to the future impact, as to the usefulness of the newly created situation.

Shri Krishna applies discrimination. He is under no obligation to come through, but the association is always beneficial. The ideal example in this regard is Dhruva Maharaja. As a young boy he went to the forest to seek out the favor of Vishnu. He wanted something specific from the deva of the devas.

In the process, Dhruva completely forgot about his original purpose. The eventual meeting with Vishnu purified the situation. The end result was something far better than whatever temporary situation was trying to be created.

In Closing:

To the forest retreated,
And in meditation seated.

But when Vishnu finally met,
Dhruva the purpose to forget.

Since purification seeing through,
A higher reward knew.

This way following the best,
For long-term interest blessed.

Categories: the five

Tags: god, hare krishna, hinduism, poem, poems, poetry, religion