Suno! Suno! Sadhuji! – 6

Measure of God’s mercy
Sadhana looked drowned in some thought as she absent mindedly placed her school bag right on the sofa in hall and sat down. Kirtana, who had heard the door open, came and sat beside Sadhana and asked, “What’s the matter dear? Everything fine at school?”
“Oh Yes ma! No worries at school at all. But my friend Aasha was telling me how dejected her family was since her father did not get the desired promotion in his workplace.”
“Ah! That happens for so many Sadhana! Was she so upset that it has set you thinking about it so deeply?”
“No! No! ma! But what she said in connection with that has set me thinking. She said their entire family was so devout and had made trips to every temple in entire India; more so this year. That the Lord should be so hard hearted without showering His grace on their family hurts her.”
“Hmm…!”
“Ma! Really, why does Lord not grant such simple wishes of His devout devotees? Getting a promotion for His devotee should be a cake walk for someone like the Lord who can create this universe and maintain it so wonderfully! Is it not so?”
Kirtana smiled to herself and said, “Sadhana! Wash yourself and come! I shall keep both food and answer ready for you. Ok?”
Sadhana freshened herself and came running to hear the answer from her mother. As she placed the plate in front of Sadhana, Kirtana said, “Sadhana! Can a mother who refuses ice-cream to her ailing child be called hard hearted? Devotion, grace, compassion etc are a few words commonly used by all but less understood! What do you think is the grace of the Lord? Should not that which gives us eternal happiness be considered as real blessing?”
“Ma! I understand the mother’s example but…”
“Hmm…! Let me explain this to you better with our Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji’s kirtan. Sri Swamiji sings
Un Karunaienbadu Ennavo Kanna?
Unnmaiyai solliduvaai Shyaamasundara (Un)
Sri Swamiji is asking the Lord, Sri Krishna, Himself as to what is to be deemed as His compassion? And Sri Swamiji implores Krishna to say the Truth!
Sadhana! People have their own measures and standards for everything in this world. Some things may seem to be good and beneficial for us at the outset but later we might realize we were wrong in our hasty conclusion. We should have the right understanding of everything. Mahatmas throw light on those aspects of life that confuse us, by showing us all the dimensions of perception involved in it. Sri Swamiji here points out to such fallacies involved in deeming something as Lord’s grace. He says,
Nidiyum padaviyum suga bhoga vaazhkaiyum
Un karunai enbar arivilaa moodar
Meendum meendum piravippinniyil thallum
Ivai eppadi undan karunaiyaagum?
‘Krishna! Some people of lesser intellect deem wealth, power and a life of luxury as Your grace and compassion! How can these that push one in the whirlpool/misery of cycles of birth and death ever be deemed Your compassion?’
Sadhana! Our ultimate good lies in finding the fountainhead of eternal bliss in the feet of Lord Sri Krishna and freeing ourselves from the clutches of this miserable cycle of birth and death. It is our little ego that comes in way of our supreme good. Wealth, power and the luxurious life only puffs up one’s ego. Blinded by these one hardly remembers they can be snatched away any second by the all powerful time. Sri Adi Shankara says,
‘Maa kuru dhana jana youvvana garvam
Harati nimeshaat kalah sarvam’
‘Don’t take pride in your wealth, family or youthfulness! Swifter than the eyes can wink, these are snatched away from you by the Time!’
And snatching away by the almighty is indeed is His grace says Sri Krishna Himself in Srimad Bhagavatam!
“brahmanyamanugruhNAmi tadvisho vidhunomyaham
yanmadaH puruShaH stabdho lokaM mAM chAvamanyate”
Wealth, power and other worldly pleasures are not only transitory but also carry along with them some worry and misery. All these create a craving in men for acquiring more of the same and in the process of maintaining and multiplying them they undergo untold hardships. Will an intelligent person ever deem that which is merely temporary and brings misery ultimately, as a blessing?”
“Ma! Then what can be deemed as His grace?”
Kirtana continued, “Listen to what Sri Swamiji says! He sings,
Unnmayum tavamum uyar ozhukkamum
Un charanattil didamaana bhaktiyum
Jnanamum viraktiyum varumaagil endanukku
Aduve un karunai taamarai Kanna

‘If only I am blessed with Truthfulness, Tapas, Discipline and Steadfast Devotion unto Your Lotus Feet, Jnana and dispassion,Then and only then will I deem It to be Your compassion Oh! Lotus-eyed one!’
Sadhana! Lord Himself is in the form of Truth. Truth and the Lord are not different. A life rich in austerities and moral values cleanse us and in such pure heart Love/devotion unto the Lotus Feet of the Lord blossoms. This Love/devotion results in real dispassion and knowledge shines in all its splendor in such a heart! This knowledge removes all the doubts and dispels the darkness of ignorance – the cause for all our miseries. Thus we are freed from the clutches of samsara and are immersed in everlasting bliss untouched by sorrow. Such state is indeed our Supreme good! And these come only with Lord Sri Krishna’s blessing and not otherwise. And only when Sri Krishna blesses us with these, which lead us to the ultimate unadulterated bliss, can we deem it as His grace isn’t it?
“Wow! Ma! What an eye opener! How less different I was from the people who deem wealth and worldly pleasures as a blessing! How foolish is it to settle down for paltry pleasures when the Lord is capable of bestowing eternal bliss!”
“Yes Sadhana! But remember we have to pray for this to the Lord lest we should get deluded! That’s why Sri Swamiji cries to Lord Sri Krishna,
Sharanamenradainden aanaikaruliyavaa
Muralidharanukku arulvadu ennaLo? ‘Hey! Saviour of the elephant (Gajendra)! Unto You I surrender. When will You shower Your blessings on Muralidhara?’
Sadhana! Sri Swamiji is showing us how to beg for Sri Krishna’s grace to get such blessings because we can’t earn these!”
“Ma! Can you sing this for me?”
“Sure Dear!”
Closing her eyes, as Kirtana sang, Sadhana prayed earnestly to Lord Sri Krishna…
Un Karunaienbadu Ennavo Kanna?
Unnmaiyai solliduvaai Shyaamasundara (Un)
Nidiyum padaviyum suga bhoga vaazhkaiyum
Un karunai enbar arivilaa moodar
Meendum meendum piravippinniyil thallum
Ivai eppadi undan karunaiyaagum? (Un)
Unnmayum tavamum uyar ozhukkamum
Un charanattil didamaana bhaktiyum
Jnanamum viraktiyum varumaagil endanukku
Aduve un karunai taamarai Kanna (Un)
Sharanamenradainden aanaikaruliyavaa
Muralidharanukku arulvadu ennaLo?