“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)

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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

The stories emanate from people who were completely renounced from this world. Shukadeva Gosvami was literally born that way. He never strayed. He never deviated from the path. The gatekeepers who followed were at a similar level. They could only be found in temples or remote areas. They would not share the wisdom with just anyone. They applied appropriate and reasonable discrimination. We are now expected to implement the same principles whilst living within the world, with one distraction after another served in front of our eyes. Whenever we want to do anything; even something simple like making a phone call has distractions, often built into the app on the smartphone.

The recommendation of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, supported by the previous acharyas of the same line of instruction, is yukta-vairagya. This is simultaneously connecting and renouncing. Take that which you are already attached to and put it to the proper use. Then the attachment serves the same purpose as renunciation. This is similar to the answer Krishna gives to Arjuna in Bhagavad-gita about the false distinction between work and philosophical understanding.

साङ्ख्य-योगौ पृथग् बालाः
प्रवदन्ति न पण्डिताः
एकम् अप्य् आस्थितः सम्यग्
उभयोर् विन्दते फलम्

sāṅkhya-yogau pṛthag bālāḥ
pravadanti na paṇḍitāḥ
ekam apy āsthitaḥ samyag
ubhayor vindate phalam

“Only the ignorant speak of karma-yoga and devotional service as being different from the analytical study of the material world [sankhya]. Those who are actually learned say that he who applies himself well to one of these paths achieves the results of both.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.4)

How do we determine if the connection, the yukta, is actually bringing renunciation, which is vairagya? The following hypothetical situation involves machinery supposedly used to further the purpose of worship, of upasana, but with uncertainty as to the effectiveness. In this story, you are an adult travelling on business. You are in a different city for a few days, to attend a conference. One of your friends from childhood happens to live in this city. You decide to pay them a visit.

The last time you two met was a long time ago. As they say, life happens. People move around for their careers. There are other interests, such as spouse and children. It is easy to lose touch. One thing you share in common is a love for bhakti-yoga, bhagavata-dharma, devotional service, or whatever the preferred term to describe the tradition of the Vaishnavas, who specifically worship God the person. You consider yourself an aspiring devotee, and you know for certain that your friend is a devotee.

Taking advantage of some rare downtime during the trip, you pay a visit to your friend’s home. You are pleased to see that they are doing well. The home is in a quiet and beautiful neighborhood. The inside of the house is clean and properly maintained. Your friend has an eagerness about him, though. It is like he cannot wait to tell you something. After exchanging a few pleasantries in the beginning, he gets right into it:

“You are never going to believe it. See this here? It looks like a robot, right? Well, it is not just any robot. I have programmed it to complete a full routine of worship. I am talking from early in the morning until late in the evening. We have both mangala and sandhya periods covered, my friend. This thing will chant the holy names a set number of times. It will open the curtains in the deity room. It will even prepare the offerings in the kitchen. How cool is that? The robot sings the prayers that we are all familiar with. It even produces new content. That is correct, I have programmed it to study the trending topics on the internet each day. It will then create an explanation from the point of view of shastra, referencing key verses from sacred texts like Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam. I made sure this guy has everything covered. I do not have to lift a finger. Have you ever seen anything so great?”

It is certainly remarkable. This must have been difficult to get going. Who would even think something so comprehensive could be possible from a single point of energy? This robot can even host online discussion groups. It knows how to respond to questions. There is one aspect that bothers you, though. You ask your friend about his time. In other words, since the robot does everything now, what does your friend need to do? With a quizzical look on his face, he responds as follows:

“Hmm. I never thought about that. I guess I do not have to do much of anything. But just think of how much everyone must be pleased with me! There is worship going on, continuously. It will never stop. The robot never gets tired. It practically maintains itself. I did all of that. Shouldn’t I get credit? Don’t you think my sukriti is building up? In a sense, you could say that I am a worshiping machine! Get it? Just kidding, but you know what I mean.”

It is difficult to pass judgment in a moment such as this. Your friend certainly means well. They have the requisite enthusiasm, utsaha. They are not arguing or causing a fuss. They are not interfering in the devotional efforts of others. Speaking of effort, this contraption sure required many hours of trial-and-error. You do not think any lesser of your friend, but at the same time you wonder about their wellbeing.

The truth is that the Supreme Lord is not dependent on worship, necessarily. The devas rely upon the oblations poured into the sacrificial fire. That is like the tribute the human population must pay in order to use the utility services they otherwise take for granted. Wind, fertile ground, rain, sunlight – the components necessary for the production of food are in the hands of the gods. The recommendation for yajna thus makes sense.

अन्नाद् भवन्ति भूतानि
पर्जन्याद् अन्न-सम्भवः
यज्ञाद् भवति पर्जन्यो
यज्ञः कर्म-समुद्भवः

annād bhavanti bhūtāni
parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
yajñād bhavati parjanyo
yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ

“All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rain. Rains are produced by performance of yajna [sacrifice], and yajna is born of prescribed duties.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.14)

The highest being of all does not have codependency issues. He is atmarama, or fully satisfied in the self. The recommendations He offers for worship are ultimately for the benefit of the worshipers. If the entire process gets outsourced to other forces, then what benefit will the individual receive? It is the consciousness which requires purification. The worship can take place entirely in theory, within the mind, and still produce a benefit. The more a person worships the closer they move towards transcendence. If someone else is conducting the worship, then where is the movement?

“Although the Lord was present in Vaikuntha, He was present also in the heart of the brahmana when he was meditating on the worshiping process. Thus, we can understand that things offered by the devotees even in meditation are accepted by the Lord, and they help one achieve the desired result.” (The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 10)

In Closing:

Friend the supplies to get,
Another in the kitchen set.

Expert reciting prayers with grace,
Bountiful offerings on altar to place.

What then left for me?
In perpetual rest to be?

The worship intended for my sake,
That change of consciousness should make.

Categories: stories

Tags: bhakti, dailyprompt, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, yoga