There is only one who is truly and perfectly democratic! He treats all equally! He gives opportunity to all! There is no discrimination between one and the other! He is not bothered about caste, community, religion, race, language, family background and various other things! He is the personification of love and compassion! His love is unconditional! He loves those who worship him as well as those who deny him! He is omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient! He manifests in every creature of this universe! But he is the unseen protector of the entire world! It is impossible to escape his attention! He is the bedrock and basis of everything in the universe! He is the darling of his devotees. He doesn't tolerate any harm done to his bhakthas. He is the very form of Existence, Awareness and Bliss! He is the very Providence, God!
“ Devotion knows no caste; it saves all, ennobles all. Lord is enshrined in the heart of a devotee.” says Bhagawan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba. What is devotion? It is pure, unalloyed love for the Supreme Lord! The bhakthas lose themselves in the thought of God and are not bothered about their families and children and other attachments. They live in God, eat with Him sleep with Him and there is nothing that can separate them from m His presence! In short, they have surrendered themselves totally to the Will of God! The trials and tribulations that they come across are taken as His will and gladly accepted by them!They are neither elated by their success nor dejected or despondent on their failures! They resign themselves to whatever God has bestowed on them! There is a sense of supreme contentment in them that distinguishes them from the others! God does not like show and ostentation. He is fond of true love and sincere prayer! Is there any doubt that the Lord will not accept the selfless love of these devotees irrespective of their caste? How many saints and sages and staunch devotees of different castes have been blessed by the compassionate Lord!
We should never delve into the origins of sages and saints and devotees! Valmiki was a highway robber! Kabirdas was a Muslim. Nandanar was of very low caste. Kannappa Nayanar was a hunter! But their devotion to the Lord was pure and exemplary such that the Lord overruled every other thing in preference to to their bhakti! Trilochana das was an expert in making gold and silver jewels. He was pious and spent his money on serving the devotees of the Lord. The Nawab who ruled the town ordered a beautiful diamond studded jewel for his daughter from Trlochana Das and wanted it to be delivered in four days! Das totally forgot this in serving the bhaktas who came to him in large numbers. The Nawab was persistent to get the jewel on the same day. Initially Das was unnerved but threw all responsibility on Krishna of Mathura, had his darshan, prayed and went to Brindavan. Sensing the delicate situation of his true devotee, Lord Krishna, went to the Nawab as Trilochana Das and handed over the diamond studded jewel! The Nawab was amazed at the splendid design and artistry of the jewel! Pleased beyond measure, he gave Das plenty of money which the Lord handed over to the wife of Trilochana Das and vanished! In the meanwhile, the jewel worn by the Nawab's daughter grew heavy day by day and could not be worn. All attempts to lessen its weight and even cut it proved futile!
Nawab’s daughter wanted the jewel very badly and said that she had the darshan of Lord Krishna as long as she wore the jewel! Now He has disappeared! She said that without the same jewel she cannot live! Surprised at this experience of his dear girl, the Nawab sent a hundred servants to get Trilochana Das back home! Tired of searching, the servants entered the forest and began praying. Das, who was in another side of the forest heard their prayers, provided food and enquired about what had happened. Initiated into bhakti, the hundred servants became his disciples and remained in the forest! Feeling dispirited after waiting for six months, the Nawab set out to search for Trilochana Das himself! He went to Gokul Brindavan and met Das shining brilliantly like the moon amid the stars! He was overwhelmed with spiritual feelings and fell at the the feet of Das! Das blessed the Nawab and said that it was because of his sacred deeds in the past he had developed bhakti for the Lord! In the meanwhile, Lord Krishna went to the Nawab’s daughter, took a bit of the jewel, created three hundred sixty amazing jewels and asked her to wear a jewel a day and vanished! When the Nawab heard this incredible news he was astounded at the Divine sport of the Lord!
Muslims of the day were furious at the Nawab for his piety and total surrender to Trilochana Das! They wanted to wreak vengeance! They waited to humiliate the Nawab and Das as they returned from bath. Sensing this the Nawab, wantonly sent his sepoys to attack Das! But the swords used in the attack became garlands to the utter dismay of the Muslims! On another occasion a tiger accosted Das and his men while returning home. Das saw his Lord in the Tiger! When the disciples prayed, the tiger lost its ferocity, became very docile and as gentle as a lamb!! If the heart is not filled with pure devotion, there is no use even if one quits his kingdom or leaves every thing! If pure bhakthi is achieved mukti or salvation becomes easy! The story of this ordinary maker of jewels is an illustration of how the Lord cares little for caste, community, creed, religion language and other trivial things! “There is only religion, the religion of Love”.
No comments:
Post a Comment