“Others will also ridicule and scorn saying, ‘This child is an asura but prays to the gods. It is like a cat offering prayers to a mouse or a peacock to a snake.’ This is indeed a bad omen, behavior resembling an enemy, as even after obtaining great wealth and power, an unintelligent person can fall down.” (Hiranyakashipu speaking to Prahlada, Narasimha Purana, 41.59-60)

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अन्येपि त्वां हनिष्यन्ति वदिष्यन्ति जनास्त्विदम्
असुरोयं सुरांस्तौति मार्जार इव मूषकान्
द्वेष्यान् शिखीव फणिनो दुर्निमित्तमिदं ध्रुवम्
लब्ध्वापि महदैश्वर्यं लाघवं यान्त्यबुद्धयः

anyepi tvāṃ haniṣyanti vadiṣyanti janāstvidam
asuroyaṃ surāṃstauti mārjāra iva mūṣakān
dveṣyān śikhīva phaṇino durnimittamidaṃ dhruvam
labdhvāpi mahadaiśvaryaṃ lāghavaṃ yāntyabuddhayaḥ

1. We have too much going on

“Work. School. Tasks. Studies. Learning. Responsibilities. Cleaning the dishes. Clearing out the dishwasher. Cooking food. Making sure everyone wakes up on time. Paying the bills. Fixing stuff that is broken, i.e. repairs. Making plans for the long-term, such as where to live in the future, where to go on vacation, how to maneuver the latest regulations passed by the corrupt government.

“You want to know about yajna and bhajana, but where is the time? We barely have a moment to ourselves, to settle down, to gather our thoughts. We watch television for a reason. We make playlists of music to relax. There is no other way. It is to maintain our sanity. What do you expect out of us?”

2. We follow a schedule

“Yes, it is nice, I must admit. It is a reminder of our lack of control. We are not satya-sankalpa. Vikalpa is the more appropriate Sanskrit term to describe our situation. We cannot manage outcomes with one hundred percent certainty. There is always a degree of faith involved. We must pray that things will go as planned, that everyone will be safe.

“We worship, but it is on a schedule. In the morning. In the evening. We offer a little water, chant a hymn, and light some incense sticks. We are not atheists; trust me. We appreciate all the blessings we have received. We have not necessarily been instructed to go beyond this. I am not sure what you are asking. Do you think we are slacking? Should we be punished based on the schedule that we do follow? Would we be placed in the remedial class in a school dedicated to teaching the sanatana-dharma culture?”

3. We do as we are told

“This is the tradition we were born into. This is the tradition we inherited from our ancestors. Not that I am into competition or creating a rivalry, but I think it is a nice tradition. Very quietly, for your ears only, I will say that this is the best tradition. It is all-encompassing. It appeals to all kinds of sentiment. There is basic worship. There is also study. If you want to really understand the science of an existence, there is more than enough material to consume. If you simply want to give thanks, to pay your respects, there is a steadiness in a vow, vrata.

“That is what we follow. We adhere to vratas as they are passed down. We do not make anything up. Is this not what Krishna Himself warns against in Bhagavad-gita? Why would we deviate from what has been assigned to us? Is that not the best way to respect the people who came before us?”

य: शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारत:
न स सिद्धिमवाप्‍नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम्

yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya
vartate kāma-kārataḥ
na sa siddhim avāpnoti
na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim

“But he who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 16.23)

4. We prepare when there is a need

“If we have recently purchased a new vehicle. If someone is getting married. If our child has an important examination upcoming; one that will determine their future course of study. If something tragic has taken place recently. If we are mourning. If we are celebrating a joyous occasion.

“These are various reasons for deviating from the well-established schedule. These are justifications for ‘extra’ moments of worship, if you will. We worship when the situation calls for it. This is the process passed down to us. We respect that process. We do not introduce anything new.”

5. We will not fit in with others

“Imagine the situation. A neighbor pays a visit. They unexpectedly knock on the front door. They embody the very definition of atithi. They are the guest who arrives without prior notice. It is not that a letter necessarily precedes their arrival. They do not place a phone call in anticipation of their visit.

“We treat them like a deva. They are a god who has blessed us with their presence. They happen to notice our activity at the time. They have unknowingly interrupted some kind of formal ritual. Except it is not formal. It is not a ritual that fits into the calendar of observances slated for the upcoming year.

“They wonder what we are doing. They politely inquire as to the occasion, as to why we are dressed nicely, sitting in front of an altar, reading a sacred text and singing songs. What will our answer be? Will we say that we simply felt like it, that we were in the mood for connecting with higher beings? That will sound silly. It won’t make any sense. They will never understand. They will think that we are trying to outpace them in the race to be pious. They will assess against their own behavior and start to feel deficient. Why would we want to make them feel inferior in that way?”

…

The Sanskrit word yajna is synonymous with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is another way to address Him, in fact. Despite the variety to implementations of yajna, there is always one person supporting them. Even if the worshiper has ill-intent, is looking for boons that will cause havoc and destruction, they must receive the sanction of the Almighty in order to succeed.

स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते
लभते च तत: कामान्मयैव विहितान्हि तान्

sa tayā śraddhayā yuktas
tasyārādhanam īhate
labhate ca tataḥ kāmān
mayaiva vihitān hi tān

“Endowed with such a faith, he seeks favors of a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.22)

Irrespective the specific intent, mention of yajna tends to bring to mind images of a sacrificial fire, offerings of items like ghee and rice, with associated chants of Sanskrit words. There is a sort of formality to the affair. This is the reason for the schedules, for the enumerated intentions, for the concern over straying from well-established traditions.

For these reasons, it may seem odd to encourage the extension of yajna into a way of life. Instead of worshiping in specific places, at designated times, for purposes aligning with the typical human experience, make the entire existence yajna. Sacrifice everything for the Supreme Lord, in the manner that Krishna directly recommended to His dear friend.

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

“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)

There are so many valid justifications for not expanding beyond established protocol in the systematic worship of God, but we see that these concerns were absent in a young boy who lived in the community of Daityas. Adults are known to excuse such intense affiliation when seen in children. If the child was not specifically taught a specific kind of worship, it makes the practice more endearing, as the child does not even know what to ask. They are too young to exploit the process, to look for some gain that they will then run with, leaving God in the rearview mirror.

In that Daitya kingdom, the child named Prahlada was known to write different names of Hari. This was on his slate, which is like the equivalent of a notebook today. In the modern day, a child might write the names of the people they like. The parents. The friends. They might make drawings of the logos of the musical artists they prefer. Or perhaps a comic book character or someone from a movie they recently watched.

Since Prahlada was writing the names of Vishnu, he was engaged in worship. He did not necessarily sit in front of a fire and offer oblations. He was not necessarily concerned with the time of the day or what was to be gained in the process. Writing a holy name is just as good as chanting it. Writing that name helps to remember the person the name describes. Remembering Hari is just as good as being with Hari.

Amazingly, the father of Prahlada strongly objected. He could not believe the child was inclined towards the enemy of the kingdom. This was the view of Hiranyakashipu, who happened to also be the king. How could the king’s son go in the complete opposite direction of the king? How could the son openly betray and embarrass the father?

More than just a waste of the time spent in school, of utilizing moments to spare, Prahlada was worshiping the wrong person. Hiranyakashipu compared it to a cat offering prayers to a mouse. A peacock intentionally being subordinate in front of a snake. Such things simply do not occur in a sane world. The inferior should live in fear of the superior. Vishnu should be dishonored. Vishnu should not be erroneously elevated in stature.

But Prahlada had his inclination, and it was not going to change. Whether sitting in school or being harassed at home by the inimical father, Prahlada was going to stay connected. His entire life was yajna, and due to that allegiance he ended up becoming the greatest symbol of sacrifice this world has ever known.

“For the devotees there is no need for performance of prescribed sacrifices because the very life of the devotee is a symbol of sacrifice.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.16.20 Purport)

In Closing:

Through innocent allegiance shown,
Greatest symbol world has ever known.

Of sacrifice through simple way,
Writing names as child’s play.

The father harsh words to say,
That such worship family to betray.

But Prahlada strong even in time to spare,
Fixed in worship both here and there.

Categories: supplicating the inferior, the five

Tags: bhagavad-gita, dailyprompt, god, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry