“One time, that wicked king of the Daityas saw his son of lotus-like face and beautiful eyes, surrounded by women, having returned from the home of the guru. In his hand, that boy was holding a slate which had the mark of a chakra at the top and the name of Krishna written with great adoration.” (Narasimha Purana, 41.35-36)

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तं पद्मवक्त्रं दैत्येन्द्रः कदाचित् स्त्रीवृतः खलः
बालं गुरुगृहायातं ददर्श स्वायतेक्षणम्
गृहीत्वा तु करे पुत्रं पट्टिका या सुशोभना
मूर्ध्नि चक्राङ्किता पट्टी कृष्णनामाङ्कितादरात्

taṃ padmavaktraṃ daityendraḥ kadācit strīvṛtaḥ khalaḥ
bālaṃ gurugṛhāyātaṃ dadarśa svāyatekṣaṇam
gṛhītvā tu kare putraṃ paṭṭikā yā suśobhanā
mūrdhni cakrāṅkitā paṭṭī kṛṣṇanāmāṅkitādarāt

“Alright, please don’t take this as criticism. It is merely an observation; a personal one, at that. It is just something that I see, that I notice, that I ponder, that I question, from time to time. This is from intentionally taking the perspective of an outsider. Not someone who knows the ins and outs, who has read the books, who understands the principles at the foundation of these practices, which are ancient in origin, but somehow still just as relevant in the modern day.

“Observe someone who is in the kitchen. They are active. They are working on something. They resemble the researcher in the laboratory at the university. They are similar to the people outside, working under the hot sun to repair that pothole at the entrance to a strip mall. This person is preparing something. They have three or four different preparations going at the same time. The stove burners are all on. They have the exhaust fan running, but that does not diminish the pressure or the rising temperature in the room. In other words, the kitchen is getting hot.

“When this person completes their work, they take small portions of the various dishes and place them on a single serving plate. They then rush to another room with that plate. You see, they are offering everything before a picture. There is reverence in that picture; the adarat cannot be denied. At the same time, it is just a picture. A child might wonder if the person depicted in the framed portrait will reciprocate. Will they talk back to the worshiper? Will they acknowledge that the food has been made specifically for their enjoyment?

“You see the issue here? Won’t others think that worshipers in the bhakti-yoga tradition are a little off their rocker? They are working so hard, just to give everything back to a statue, a painting, or a building. It won’t make sense to a lot of people. There are two extremes. The work is real. The work is genuine. The effort sometimes borders on extraordinary. The end-result is nothing to build stature, name, recognition, or fame. There is nothing to enjoy really, if you think about it. The fruits of the labor are entirely for someone else. The offering might even take place in isolation, without a soul around. No one will know that this offering was made and how hard the devotee worked.

“How do you convince others that this is a way to practice yoga, a way to uplift the human condition? How do you expect others to follow when there is no physical evidence of an exchange?”

The truth is that the same questions can be asked of everyone outside of bhakti-yoga. I worked so hard for my last employer. It is a large, multinational corporation. I went above and beyond. I sometimes worked late into the night. I figured that they will value my diligence, my perseverance, my dedication, and my loyalty. They will recognize all the sacrifices I make for them.

Sure enough, one day I get a random phone call from people I have never heard of. They work for the same company, for sure. They are just outside of my department. As soon as I pick up, they start reading from a prepared statement. You see, after careful consideration, my position is being eliminated. I am out of a job, starting right now. No prior warning. No second chance. No time to prepare. Just a coldhearted dismissal.

I sacrifice for my friends. I consider their interests. I am mindful of their feelings. When I need them, however, they are nowhere to be found. My family members that I have known since birth, they are all envious of me for some reason. They will stab me in the back the first opportunity they get. Just what did all of that sacrifice get me? I worked so hard to satisfy this body, but now it is breaking down. One day it will stop functioning completely.

Only a crazy person would continue serving illusion and deride the opportunity for transcendence. That person worshiping in a dedicated vow, dridha-vrata, is not wasting their time. They are not worshiping just a statue or a painting. That system of worship has been passed down for generations. It is authorized. It is an extension of mercy from the one who is always wishing well to everyone. We can never possibly fathom someone so kind and compassionate. We can only dream of what such an individual would look like, how they would behave, what they would prefer to see from supporters, and the like.

Dream no more, as the Vedas pass down different descriptions of such an individual. The paintings and statues are depictions corresponding to the transcendental features of that Almighty being. The individual worshiping in such a way is trying to connect. They are bringing the individual consciousness in line with the Supreme Consciousness.

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)

What to speak of cooking and bringing offerings before a deity, something as basic as writing on a tablet can create the same connection. As a five year old child, Prahlada Maharaja was inclined in this direction. He would write the name of Krishna and draw the symbol of the chakra. The father did not approve. Prahlada was wasting his time, you see. Except he wasn’t. The object of worship was watching the entire time, and He would eventually show Himself to the doubting father.

In Closing:

The father to doubt,
That proof of identity without.

Just a name to write,
And some mythology to cite.

How seriously could take?
From worship pretend and fake.

But Prahlada truth always knowing,
Soon Narasimha the vision showing.

Categories: prahlada and his slate, questions

Tags: dailyprompt, hinduism, life, poem, poems, poetry, work