“My dear Lord, the garlands, scented substances, garments, ornaments and other such things that have been offered to You may later be used by Your servants. By partaking of these things and eating the remnants of food You have left, we will be able to conquer the illusory energy.” (Uddhava, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 11.6.46)

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त्वयोपभुक्तस्रग्गन्धवासोऽलङ्कारचर्चिता:
उच्छिष्टभोजिनो दासास्तव मायां जयेमहि

tvayopabhukta-srag-gandha-
vāso-’laṅkāra-carcitāḥ
ucchiṣṭa-bhojino dāsās
tava māyāṁ jayema hi

“I took birth in the culture. I am trying to carry the torch, to pass it forward, as they like to say. I was not always like this. During childhood, I thought the rituals were strange. I would make fun of some of the chants. That is likely what did me in. As soon as I mocked the practices, I was destined to repeat them, to be so immersed that I would one day feel the need to explain everything to others. Today, I try my best. I am far from perfect, but I have a routine in place. I have an object of worship. I try to bring offerings in a steady flow.

“But I have to admit that even I am confused by some of what goes on. I am talking about the imagery, the worship that takes place in the formal sense. You have these ancient temples with their amazing stories of origin. This deity only accepts certain offerings, you see. This other deity is not dressed in the same way that others are. People visit this one temple only on a specific day in the year, to get a vision of something amazing.

“Alright, but how are people going to resolve the contradictions? To outsiders, the practices resemble idolatry. Taking a statue and bowing in front of it. Worshiping some strange-looking figure. For the skeptics, their faith prohibits anything resembling worship of the deity. They point to some commandment as the basis for their objection. How do we explain to them this timeless practice of archanam, which is worship of God in the saguna form?”

There is the saying that there are no atheists in foxholes. The context is a military conflict. If you happen to find yourself in a foxhole, you are likely in trouble. Bombs are blasting nearby. There are enemies just waiting for you to emerge. They will shoot on sight. Their aim is to kill. They might even patrol the area and find you hiding underneath the ground.

Faced with the dire predicament, even the staunchest denier of a higher being tends to look upwards. They understand the helplessness. They realize that only some intervention which is out of their control can provide rescue. They are no longer the doer. They cannot strategize their way to safety.

प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि
गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः
अहङ्कार-विमूढात्मा
कर्ताहम् इति मन्यते

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate

“The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.27)

In this hypothetical case, the prior skeptic who is now turning to the heavens is a kind of dishonest worshiper. They only turned towards the Divine out of desperation. At the same time, this tendency was always within them. No one guided them towards prayer. It was not like the foxhole had a secret library, with a stash of books instructing the individual during times of trouble. The person inherently had an understanding of a higher power. They always carried this understanding, but they resolved to suppress the tendency for worship.

In contrast, we can say that the followers of the Vedic tradition are honest worshipers. They do not have to wait for the foxhole. They are worshiping in a steady manner. Whether they took up the practice through values inherited within the family or by reading a book by an esteemed leader, they are worshiping all the same. The temple, the house of worship, the altar area within the home – these are like laboratories where scientific principles play out. The individual inside is the knower within the field. They decide to create the playing field that is the place of worship. This is so they can act on their inherent tendency for worship, for acknowledging a higher power.

Better to worship without shame. Better to take the humble approach and realize that you cannot do everything on your own. Better to acknowledge that you are always helpless. The difference between man and God does not manifest only in times of desperation. That difference is constant. At the same time, there is oneness. There is similarity. This is the basis for the relationship, as nicely explained by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu through the philosophical conclusion of achintya-bhedabheda-tattva.

“Lord Chaitanya instructed the mass of people in the sankhya philosophy of achintya-bhedabheda-tattva, which maintains that the Supreme Lord is simultaneously one with and different from His creation. Lord Chaitanya taught this philosophy through the chanting of the holy name of the Lord.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Preface)

When there is honest worship, what are the worshipers asking for? There may be variety, depending on the circumstances of the individual. Someone like Uddhava says that the worship automatically accounts for the illusory energy. The false distinctions of “I” and “Mine” are eliminated through worship of Shri Krishna, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. More importantly, such worship keeps God close by. That is the best kind of worship, and the urgency is now. No need to wait for reaching a higher standard in an institution. No need to patiently await a future state of maturity. The worship can begin today, such that the same Krishna who spoke to Uddhava can feel close by, like He is my constant, well-wishing companion.

मन्-मना भव मद्-भक्तो
मद्-याजी मां नमस्कुरु
माम् एवैष्यसि युक्त्वैवम्
आत्मानं मत्-परायणः

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
mām evaiṣyasi yuktvaivam
ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ

“Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.34)

In Closing:

Even today can try,
For feeling close by.

That not just as statue standing,
Over my wellbeing commanding.

Whether promoted to higher place,
Or again this world to grace.

Decision taking with vow,
That to worship honestly now.

Categories: questions

Tags: dailyprompt, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, prayer, religion