“You crossed over the ocean of one hundred yojanas wide, the reservoir of sharks and alligators, as if it were a small puddle.” (Sita Devi speaking to Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 36.8)

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शतयोजनविस्तीर्ण स्सागरो मकरालयः
विक्रमश्लाघनीयेन क्रमता गोष्पदीकृतः

śatayojanavistīrṇa ssāgaro makarālayaḥ
vikramaślāghanīyena kramatā goṣpadīkṛtaḥ

“I know the famous verse. I understand that the object of worship gives direct assurance. He promises the disciple in that case, the bow-warrior named Arjuna, that every sinful reaction will be covered. Sin refers to any negative consequence. It is like the dosha corresponding to the guna. If saphala paints a specific picture, then failure has something that is the opposite. There are so many categories of piety and sin, punya and pāpa, that it is difficult to properly track the many decisions we make across a certain stretch of the life experience.

“There is no reason to fear, because Krishna is here. He runs cover. He takes over whatever gets left behind. If someone or something causes problems as the result of our negligence, Krishna will handle the matter. This is because we have fully surrendered to Him. We have abandoned all varieties of religion, dharma. We are now working only for His interest. Everything descends from that decision, from that prioritization.

“Okay, but have you ever thought about the people who might be hesitant? They are simply afraid to try Krishna consciousness. Perhaps they have studied the track record of children born into such a culture, where the religion was basically forced upon them. They see just how horribly those children were treated. They spot the duplicity of the officially recognized teachers, the gurus. They are well aware of the crimes committed in the name of bhakti-yoga. They see the modern-day practitioners as the greatest cheaters, who feel that their alignment with Krishna gives them license to look down at others, to deceive, and to violate the basic laws of decency that a society generally agrees upon.

“What would you say to such a person? They do not want to try. They feel there is too much at stake; the risk is too high. They would rather not take that risk. They prefer to stay where they are. They will try some other time; perhaps in a future existence, when they are less skeptical.”

सर्व-धर्मान् परित्यज्य
माम् एकं शरणं व्रज
अहं त्वां सर्व-पापेभ्यो
मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.66)

One line of argument asks a question in response. What do you have to lose? What exactly are you protecting? If Krishna consciousness fails to materialize a higher standard of living, in experiencing something better, just what have you lost? You already lose so much. You cling to this attachment and that, but everything gets taken away. You have surely noticed the pattern by now. Just what is material life getting you, other than heartache, pain, misery, fear, exhaustion, and disappointment?

“…the word pavarga signifies our struggle for existence and our meeting with defeat, exhaustion, bondage, fearfulness and, at last, death. Apavarga means that which can nullify all of these material conditions. Krishna is said to be the giver of apavarga, the path of liberation.” (Shrila Prabhupada, The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 59)

Another line of argument says that fear will not alter the course of events. Rather than waiting for a magical rescue to occur, at some unknown time, take some action today. Things might actually turn against you; at least initially. We have the historical case of Prahlada Maharaja, the five-year old son of the king of Daityas. Prahlada tried bhakti-yoga because of instruction. He heard from a self-realized soul, a tattva-darshi.

तद् विद्धि प्रणिपातेन
परिप्रश्नेन सेवया
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं
ज्ञानिनस् तत्त्व-दर्शिनः

tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.34)

Prahlada was not able to directly offer service to that teacher. The communication could be categorized as half-duplex, where one side had a malfunctioning device. The teacher spoke. The disciple only listened. This is because the disciple was in the womb. Amazingly, the child remembered everything. He retained the wisdom, even after the trauma of emerging from the womb. Prahlada was so determined in his vow, dridha-vrata, that nothing was going to stop him.

सततं कीर्तयन्तो मां
यतन्तश् च दृढ-व्रताः
नमस्यन्तश् च मां भक्त्या
नित्य-युक्ता उपासते

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ
yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ
namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā
nitya-yuktā upāsate

“Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.14)

Not even palace guards could deter Prahlada. They came at him with weapons. This was the punishment for the crime of worshiping Vishnu, who is the personal God. Prahlada’s father was against Vishnu. Prahlada’s father would not tolerate allegiance to Vishnu, even if it came from an innocent child who happened to be related through blood.

विष्णुः शस्त्रेषु युष्मासु मयि चासौ यथा स्थितः
दैतेयास् तेन सत्येन मा क्रामन्त्व् आयुधानि वः

viṣṇuḥ śastreṣu yuṣmāsu mayi cāsau yathā sthitaḥ
daiteyās tena satyena mā krāmantv āyudhāni vaḥ

“O Daityas, just as Vishnu is in those weapons and also situated in me, so by that truth your weapons will not be able to overcome me.”  (Prahlada Maharaja, Vishnu Purana, 1.17.33)

We have the historical example of Shri Hanuman. He was not afforded the luxury of sitting on the sidelines. He received direct instruction, to do something specific. That mission happened to be dangerous. It happened to be prone to failure, at multiple stages. That mission would likely end in failure, but Hanuman proceeded regardless.

At one point, the brave, fearless, and large Hanuman had to choose. Should he stay in his powerful form and roam through the city of Lanka? Or should he take a more measured approach, in humbling himself to go undetected? He chose to reduce himself to the size of a cat. There would be no plaudits for having crossed over the ocean in a single leap. There was no one waiting on the island to place a gold medal around his neck. There was no trophy symbolizing victory, with his name inscribed within a list of past champions, for others to read. Rather, the reward for choosing to serve the Supreme Lord in His avatara of Shri Rama was continued danger, with the path not obviously constructed. Hanuman had to repeatedly take risks, make choices without the help of expert consultation, and hope that the mission would not get ruined by a careless error.

नेहाभिक्रम-नाशो ऽस्ति
प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते
स्व्-अल्पम् अप्य् अस्य धर्मस्य
त्रायते महतो भयात्

nehābhikrama-nāśo ‘sti
pratyavāyo na vidyate
sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya
trāyate mahato bhayāt

“In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.40)

And errors we will make. Returning to the promise of Krishna to Arjuna, the negatives will eventually be washed away. Awaiting on the other side is a life of exuberance, enthusiasm, excitement, and an ever-renewing reservoir of bliss, which are all due to the connection to the one who is the reservoir of all pleasure. With such potential in store, surpassing the sky itself, the wise will at least make an attempt.

In Closing:

If this endeavor to choose,
Nothing to lose.

What currently at stake?
When all destined to forsake.

But that consciousness to stay,
The wise thinking in this way.

That at least for Supreme to try,
And on His protection to rely.

Categories: questions

Tags: bhakti, dailyprompt, hinduism, poem, poems, poetry, yoga