How to Win Over the Lord?

The fighting was at its peak in the Kurukshetra war. Dronacharya had just been killed, and his son Ashwatthama was in a rage. In his fury, desperate to wipe out the Pandava army, he hurled the most powerful weapon in his arsenal – the Narayanaastra.

More dangerous that either the Brahmaastra or the Pashupataastra, this Narayanaastra made the sky dark, and a strong wind ripped through the battlefield. Against the darkness, thousands of chakras, gadhas, arrows and other weapons appeared like lightning in the sky, ready to rain death on the Pandava side.

The Pandavas, as always, turned to their one and only refuge Krishna, for guidance.

He knew that astraa too well, for, didn’t it bear His name?

“All of you throw down all your weapons! Remove the tiniest thought of resisting the weapon from your minds! Fall to the ground in surrender to the weapon!” came His strange order.

Unresisting, all of the Pandava army immediately obeyed the order. And what a surprise! The weapons hovering in the sky began to slowly disappear.

But suddenly, there was a rain of arrows from the sky on the pandava Bhima.

Why?

Because he held his gadha (mace) high, unbending, challenging the might of the Narayanaastra.

As always, Krishna stepped in to save the situation. 

He pulled Bhima to the ground and forced him to bow his head and fold his hands in prayer.

Immediately, the sky cleared, the sun shone bright again, and all the weapons from the sky disappeared.

Ashwatthama was stunned. The most powerful weapon in his arsenal had failed against the Pandavas!

What was the reason?

The Narayanaastra is the weapon of Lord Narayana. It is indeed the most powerful weapon in the world. Yet, there is something stronger than that, something that renders even the Lord powerless.

Sharanaagati. Surrender.

When we surrender to the Lord, He becomes powerless.

No longer is He able to look at our doshas (faults) and our papas (sins).

Karuna floods His heart, and He forgives all and accepts us unconditionally.

The gesture of prayer with hands folded in supplication is called “Anjali mudra”.

“Am jalayati iti anjalihi” – that which makes the Lord melt, is anjali.

Rishi Bharadwaja says

“Anjalihi parama mudra, kshipram deva prasaadini”

“The anjali is the best of all gestures and speedily secures on us the loving favour of the Lord”

Let us make it a practice to offer the anjali mudra to the Lord, and surely He will grace us with His blessings.

And perhaps with His grace, if we are able to surrender unresistingly when people of this world rain down the weapons of their angst  on us, maybe our lives will also become easier!

The Most Expensive Fruit

 “Tasty juicy naagapalam! Come and buy my nectarine naagapalam!”

Krishna was thrilled to hear the familiar call of the fruit-seller of Gokul. Always, Father Nandagopan would buy his son’s favourite jamun fruit from this lady. Today, he was too busy with other work and so, he instructed little Krishna to handle the business himself.

“Run to the backyard, Kanna, and bring some grains to give the fruit-seller. In return, she will give you as many fruits as you want!”

Baby Krishna sped to the backyard and dipped both His tiny hands into the sack of grains. In a hurry to savour His favourite fruits, He ran with the grains in His cupped hands to the courtyard of the house, unaware that most of the grain was spilling to the ground.

Finally reaching the fruit-seller, with a huge flourish, He emptied whatever little grain was in His hands into her fruit basket.

“Give me the naagapalam, Grandma!” He demanded.

“Oh, I will, but only if You give me something in return,” said the old woman with a calculating look on her face.

“But I already gave you the grains that my father said I should give!” complained little Krishna.

Gesturing for the little boy to step closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially, the fruit-seller voiced her very specific demand.

“Grant me moksha, and I will give you the naagapalam that You so love!” she whispered.

Krishna blinked His eyes in surprise. Never in the history of His entire creation had anyone made such an outrageous demand!

“Naagapalam in exchange for moksha!! Do you think moksha comes so cheap, Grandma?” He asked, a tender smile tugging at the corners of His lips. “Besides, how do you know that I can grant you moksha?”

“Don’t think that You can fool me with Your sweet words, O Lord! When You were emptying the grains from Your tiny hands into my basket, I glanced at Your palms. You think I didn’t see the sign of the chakra on Your right palm and the shankha on Your left palm? I may be old, but I’m smart enough to know what that means!”

“Well, what does it mean, Grandma?”

“That You are the Lord Srimannarayana Himself who has descended from Srivaikuntha! Now tell me, do you think I’m foolish enough to lose this opportunity to get the coveted prize of moksha from You?”

“You have won my heart, Grandma! Ok, done! Your wish for moksha is granted!”

And so it came to pass that an unlettered, simple old fruit vendor of Gokula attained liberation from the cycle of birth and death to gain eternal service of the Lord in Srivaikuntham.

That which eludes the great jnanis poring over the Vedas and Upanishads, the great yogis engaged in arduous penance and the deities like Brahma and Indra with all their opulence, was attained by this innocent fruit-seller of Gokula. 

How? 

By the sheer force of her love for the Lord!

Can we learn to foster such love for Him in our hearts, too?

Note: This narration is based on an account of this episode in Part 378 of the Srimad Bhagavatam series of Sri U. Ve. Velukkudi Krishnan Swamy. I'm assuming it is based on the Azhwars' (Tamil saints') experience of the Lord's leelas, because in the actual text of the Srimad Bhagavatam (SB 10.11.11), the story is that in exchange for the fruits, Krishna filled the fruit seller's basket with jewels and gold. However, for the true bhakta, it is moksha that is the ultimate desire, and not any worldly jewel or gold!

The Blemishless Luggage of Bharata

All arrangements were finally in place. Bharata stepped forward to receive the blessings of his parents and Guru Vasistha before embarking on the journey to Kekaya desha, the land of his maternal uncle. Just as he finished paying his obeisance, there was a slight commotion.

Shatrughna stood in front of all the elders, with a bowed head and folded hands.

“Please grant me too your blessings,” he requested softly.

“Why? Where are you off to?” demanded the Guru.

“I’m accompanying Bharata on his journey.”

“But we have not taken you into consideration while finding the auspicious day for travel! Today was a good day as per Bharata’s horoscope. Now, if you are going along, we will have to check the charts to see if today is the right time for you to travel!”

In a soft voice full of conviction, Shatrughna replied.

“With all due respects to the Guru, I would like to ask if the rules demand that a prince check the horoscope of the luggage he carries along on the journey?”

Everyone was confused, but Guru Vasistha nodded his approval and let young Shatrughna proceed with Bharata on the journey.

Such was the humility of Shatrughna that he considered himself as nothing more than a piece of luggage that would accompany Bharata!!

Shatrughna with flowers, ready to serve!

"GacchatA mAtula kulam BharatEna saha anagha:

ShatrughnO nitya ShatrughnO neeta: preeti puraskrita:"

In this shloka, Sage Valmiki says that Shatrughna was “taken” by Bharata to his maternal uncle’s kingdom, and it gives us a glimpse into how completely the younger brother had surrendered to the elder one, that he was no more an entity than a piece of luggage in the entourage traveling with Bharata!

When Bharata brought the padukas of Lord Rama, and installed them at Nandigram, refusing to enter Ayodhya till his brother returned from vanavaasa, it was the devout Shatrughna who managed all the activities of administration and took care of the welfare of the mothers, on behalf of Bharata.

The Srivaishnava acharyas draw our attention to how, if Lakshmana was steeped in “Bhagavad-bhakti” (devotion to Lord Rama), Shatrughna was immersed in “Bhaagavata-bhakti” (devotion to the Lord’s devotee, Bharata).

The name Shatrughna indicates that he was a destroyer of enemies. Sure, Rama and Lakshmana destroyed many rakshasas, but except for one Lavanasura, there is no description of any other enemies killed by Shatrughna. Then why this name for him?

The aachaaryaas explain that this was because he had destroyed those dangerous inner enemies – kaama, krodha, lobha, moha, madha and maatsarya – the six foes of lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and jealousy.

The shloka mentioned above also refers to Shatrughna as “anagha” – the one without a blemish. The aachaaryaas explain that this indicates that he was free from the fault of “Raama-bhakti”!

Isn’t it blasphemous to say so?

No, comes the vociferous reply from the aachaaryaas. Shatrughna’s whole life revolved around service to Bharata – service of the Lord’s devotee. In this scenario, “Bhagavad-bhakti” would be an unnecessary diversion that would interfere in his performance of “Bhaagavata-bhakti”.

The Lord is full of divine qualities. Serving Him and practising devotion to Him is therefore not very difficult. But the devotee of the Lord, who is as human as you and me, being able to serve him is not as easy and therefore, truly a test of our devotion.

Can we try to inculcate the spirit of Shatrughna, work on destroying our inner enemies, and try to be of service to those who are bhaktas of the Lord?

Providing for the Provider

Swami Ramanuja frowned. Something was wrong. Lord Ranganatha did not have His usual radiant look. He looked quite dull, almost ill.

Swami questioned the priest about the prasadam that had been offered to the Lord that day.

“Daddojanam” came the reply, indicating that curd-rice had been the offering.

“And? Anything else?” persisted the great Acharya

“Oh, I forgot! Yes, we also offered Him a few of His favourite Nagapalam fruits!” indicating that the jambhul or Indian blackberry fruit had been fed to the Lord.

Swami Ramanuja was upset.

“No wonder Ranganathar looks ill! The combination of daddojanam and nagapalam must have given Him a cold!”

Immediately the Acharyar sent for the vaidya (physician) and instructed him to prepare a kashayam (herbal decoction) for the Lord!

Only after the kashayam had been offered, and the Lord had regained His usual bright look did Swami Ramanuja leave the temple!

It was time for the Lord’s evening worship. Nadadoor Varadaguru waited inside the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) of the Varadaraja temple at Kanchipuram. The priest hurried in with milk to offer to the Lord.

Suddenly, Varadaguru moved forward and snatched the vessel from the priest’s hands. The priest was shocked at this sacrilege, but before he could give words to his ire, a strange sight met his eyes.

Tears were streaming down the face of Varadaguru!

In a trembling voice, Varadaguru questioned the priest, “How can you give such hot milk to the Lord? Will it not burn His tender tongue?”

As Varadaguru proceeded to fan the milk to cool it down, a divine voice called out.

“Amma!”

Both the priest and Varadaguru looked up in surprise.

Moved by the vaatsalya (motherly love) of Varadaguru, it was Lord Varadaraja Himself who had lovingly called out like a child to it’s mother!

And ever since that day, the devout Nadadoor Varadaguru came to be known as Nadadoor Ammal.

We pray to the Lord for all kinds of help. We are always seeking this and that from Him.

Have we ever thought of caring for His needs?

That Supreme Lord has left all the comforts of Vaikuntha and descended to this earth to bless us. That One who is the Master of the Universe resides in the place we create for Him – whether in the temple or in our tiny pooja room – ready to accept whatever we offer Him.

What do we feed Him every day? 

Do we feed Him every day?

In the Bhagavad Geeta (3.13), Lord Krishna says,

यज्ञशिष्टाशिन: सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषै: |
भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् ||

yajña-śhiṣhṭāśhinaḥ santo muchyante sarva-kilbiṣhaiḥ
bhuñjate te tvaghaṁ pāpā ye pachantyātma-kāraṇāt

The spiritually-minded, who eat food that is first offered in sacrifice, are released from all kinds of sin. Others, who cook food for their own enjoyment, verily eat only sin.

Let us cook with the consciousness that it is for the Lord’s pleasure.

Let us offer what we cook to Him first and then consume it as His prasadam, with gratitude for all He has given us.

When we do this consistently, surely the Lord will bless us with the ability to experience Him as a living presence in our life with the same bhaava as Swami Ramanuja and Nadadoor Ammal.

Keeping vs Breaking His Word

“Arjuna, it’s high time you began to seriously fight Bheeshma! Have you forgotten your vow to destroy the Kaurava side?” thundered Lord Krishna.

“Yes, I’m doing my best, Krishna!” came the meek reply from Arjuna who couldn’t summon the will to harm his great-grandfather.

Arrows flew thick and fast.

So far, Bheeshma’s arrows had been merely grazing the surface; now the grandsire took serious aim, and the missiles began to pound, threatening to cause bodily harm to Arjuna.

Throwing down the reins of the chariot, Krishna jumped down.

Grabbing the wheel of a broken chariot He charged towards Bheeshma, determined to put an end to him.

Seeing this, Bheeshma put down his bow and with a smile, and welcomed Krishna. “What bigger fortune will I have, O Madhava, than to be killed by Your divine hand?”

Watching these events, Arjuna was shaken out of his complacence.

Rushing towards Krishna, he begged, “No, Krishna, don’t do this! Don’t you remember that you have taken a vow that You will NOT pick up weapons in this yuddha? How can You break Your Word thus?!?”

Placated, Krishna returned to His chariot and the war continued.

The Lord is said to be “Satya Vaakyan” – One who is always true to His word.

Why then did He take the decision to forego His word to abstain from fighting in the war?

Because the Lord possesses another quality that He values far more than His word – the quality of “Aashrita Paaratantrya” – One who is dependent on the wishes of the devotee who seeks Him!

In Srimad Bhagavatam (9.4.63), the Lord says

“Ahaṁ bhakta-parādhīno”

“I am completely under the control of My devotees.”

Bheeshma was an ardent devotee of the Lord.

Bheeshma had taken a vow that he would either kill Arjuna or force Krishna to pick up arms in the war.

To keep the word of this great devotee, the Lord was more than willing to give up His word!

Now Arjuna was also dear to Krishna; so, when Bheeshma’s arrows threatened the very life of Arjuna, He didn’t think twice before charging at Bheeshma to protect His devotee Arjuna.

In the Bhagavad Geeta (9.31), the Lord has proclaimed:

कौन्तेय प्रतिजानीहि न मे भक्त: प्रणश्यति ||

kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśhyati

“O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that no devotee of Mine is ever lost.”

Why is the Lord asking Arjuna to declare this? Why doesn’t He declare it Himself?

Because He knows that He may break His own promise, but nothing in the world will drive Him to break the word of His devotee!

What bigger reassurance do we need of the Lord’s unconditional loving acceptance of us? Isn’t this reason enough to motivate us to become His bhaktas?

On today’s divine occasion of Ekadashi, let us pray for the Lord to bless us with such bhakti!

The Loving Churner

It had been decided. The ksheera sagara (ocean of milk) was to be churned by the devas and asuras to obtain amruta (nectar).

Vasuki, the king of serpents coiled around Mandara mountain and the churning began at a rapid pace.

But soon Mandara began sinking into the ocean.

The Lord incarnated as a huge tortoise, Kurma, and slipped below Mandara to provide base support and the churning resumed.

But as the churning intensified, Mandara began to sway unsteadily, threatening to jump off the back of the tortoise.

Lord Vishnu now took a 1000-handed form called Ajitha and held the mountain firmly in place so that the churning could proceed.

Cut to the Lord’s incarnation as Krishna.

A young gopi is arranging her pot filled with curd and setting up the churning rod and rope. As she settles in place, and begins to churn, that notorious maakhan chor (butter thief) rushes in. With a sweet smile, he begs the gopi, “Please, can I help you churn the butter?”

She knows He is there to rob the butter and yet, she has no defense against that charming twinkle in His eyes. Her heart melts. She lets Krishna join in the churning. Singing, swaying, huffing and puffing, and laughing, together, they churn the curd in the pot.

Kulasekhara Azhwar marvels, comparing these two leelas of the Lord in two different avataras.

He took a 1000-armed form as Ajitha and single-handedly churned the ksheera sagara to bring forth amruta. He needed no help from anyone then!

Yet, during Krishnavatara He chose to sit with an ordinary gopi, helping her to churn butter!

What is it that motivated the Lord to do this? 

Wasn’t it the unconditional love of the gopi, who rejoiced in His mere presence, seeking nothing from Him?

The devas sought the Lord to acquire amruta, so that they could gain immortality. The gopis sought the Lord not to gain anything from Him but instead, to offer Him their affection with overwhelming devotion.

The Lord provided the amruta for the devas, but whose actions do you think pleased Him the most?

Can we learn to cultivate the innocent bhakti of the Vrajavaasis?

In the Bhagavad Geeta (4.9), Krishna says:

जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वत: |
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन ||

janma karma cha me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna

Those who understand the divine nature of My birth and activities, O Arjuna, upon leaving the body, do not have to take birth again, but come to My eternal abode.

As we prepare for Krishna Janmashthami that’s coming up on September 6, 2023 let us contemplate on this and other leelas of the Lord and drown ourselves in the experience of His divine glory!

What Can We Offer Him?

Vidura couldn’t believe his eyes! His joy knew no bounds! 

Krishna, the Lord Himself, had come to Vidura’s hut! 

After finishing His task as ‘Pandava-doota’ – the messenger from the Pandavas, seeking to avert war, Krishna had rejected the invitations of everyone right from the young Duryodhana to the grandsire Bheeshma. He had chosen to come to his, Vidura’s humble abode!

Ushering in Krishna, Vidura ran to ready the asana for the Lord to sit. Krishna looked on in amusement as Vidura kept on critically examining the seat, blocking Him from actually sitting down.

“You seem to be searching for something, Vidura?” He smiled.

“Yes, my Lord! After having served under Dhritarashtra and Duryodhana for all these years, I’m worried that their habits may have rubbed off on me. Who knows if I may have placed a pin or a needle in this chair to hurt you?” sighed Vidura as he shamefully remembered how just a few hours ago, Duryodhana’s plans to capture Krishna had been foiled by the Omniscient Lord.

Finally, Vidura let the Lord sit down. Kneeling in front of Krishna, he picked up a banana from the fruit bowl on the side table, to offer it to the Lord. Lost in this magical moment of being in the Lord’s presence and having the rare opportunity of serving Him, Vidura began peeling the fruit to offer to the Lord.

The Lord too happily accepted and ate what Vidura offered Him, a sweet smile playing on His lips all the time.

“What are you doing?” came the shocked voice of Vidura’s wife, jarring him out of his happy contemplation of Krishna’s divine face.

“Why, I’m offering fruits to the Lord,” he turned to say to his wife, wondering why she was asking such a foolish question.

“Just look at what you have offered Him,” she whispered.

Image courtesy:Chinnajeeyar.org

Lying in a pile on the floor were all the fruits Vidura had discarded even as he had lovingly offered the banana peels to the Lord!

Vidura was aghast! “Oh, what a sin I have committed! How did I come to err like this? O Lord, please forgive me. I don’t know what came over me to commit such a sacrilege,” cried Vidura.

Now he picked up the next banana carefully, peeled it and made sure he was handing over the fruit and not the peel to the Lord.

“Enough, Vidura! I can’t eat any more. I’m full,” exclaimed Krishna.

“But I only gave You the peels,” cried Vidura, ashamed of his crime.

“How innocent you are Vidura!” declared the Lord. “I’m the One who ate the entire universe at the time of pralaya (the great deluge). Do you think you can appease my hunger by giving me fruits or their peels? Nay – it’s your bhakti, your sincere heartfelt devotion that has filled my hungry stomach!”

In the Bhagavad Geeta (9.26), the Lord says

“पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति |
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मन: ||”

patraṁ puṣhpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayachchhati
tadahaṁ bhaktyupahṛitam aśhnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

"If one offers to Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, 

a fruit, or even water, 

I delightfully partake of that item 

offered with love 

by My devotee in pure consciousness."

The Lord is the Prabhu – the master and owner of all in the Universe. Is there anything He doesn’t have? 

Nothing! 

Except perhaps one thing – the ability to offer bhakti to Himself!

That, then, is probably the only edge we have – we can offer Him our whole-hearted, single-minded devotion. 

And that is exactly why the Lord cherished the banana peels offered by the devout Vidura.

Can we start working to develop the devotion of Vidura?

His Bondage and Our Liberation

It was time for Lord Ranganathar’s thirumanjanam or holy bath. The curtains were firmly closed as the temple priest went about the ritual. Suddenly, he noticed a movement near one end of the drapes. The most respected acharyar of the Srivaishnavas, Sri Nanjeeyar, was peering at the Lord’s unclothed form with undisguised curiosity!

Shocked, the priest questioned this irreverent behaviour.

Pat came Sri Nanjeeyar’s reply, “I’m searching for the mark of the rope with which Mother Yashoda tied baby Krishna to the grinding stone, which gave Him the name of ‘Damodara’!”

The priest was perplexed. Mother Yashoda had tied up the naughty baby Krishna to the grinding stone in Dwaparayuga. How could the acharyar hope to find it on the holy form of Lord Ranganatha in this Kaliyuga? Probably Sri Nanjeeyar was so steeped in devotion that he got the two mixed up?

“But why are you seeking that rope-mark with such desperation? How does it matter whether you find it or not?”

Engrossed in his vision of the Lord, Sri Nanjeeyar replied, “If that mark is there – it means that for all His supremacy, the Lord is certainly within our grasp! If Mother Yashoda could tie Him up, then even we can do the same!”

“What rope will you use?” asked the priest indulgently

“Rope?” laughed Sri Nanjeeyar. “Do you think Mother Yashoda tied baby Krishna with a physical rope? Why, it was her love that tied Him up! When she struggled at first for so long to get the rope to go around Him, how was it that within an instant she had Him tied to the stone? Wasn’t it His willingness to be tied that made the impossible, possible? And what was it that made Him willing? Wasn’t it the infinite love of Mother Yashoda?”

Even as the baffled priest looked on, Sri Nanjeeyar walked away with a smile, leaving us with a valuable lesson.

In this world we find that anyone who has great power is often not accessible and one who may be very accessible to us does not have any great power. 

But the Lord is an exception.

He has a unique combination of two qualities – Paratvam and Saulabhyam – Supremacy and Accessibility. He, the Supreme Lord, the One who destroys the bondages of jeevas in this samsara, allowed the love of Mother Yashoda, to bind Him to a grinding stone! 

In His bondage, then, lies the secret to our liberation!

In this world we find that people don’t like to exhibit their weaknesses. The Lord is exactly opposite – He proudly took the name “Damodara” that openly proclaims His punishment at the hands of His mother! He sports the mark of the ‘damam’ or rope around His ‘udara’ or stomach, as an abharanam, an adornment!

Let this nature of the Lord give us eternal hope like it did to Sri Nanjeeyar – if we try to bind Him with unconditional love, wanting nothing in return, won’t He release us from the bondages of samsara?




Reference: Srimad Bhagavatam (Tamil) series of Sri. U. Ve. Velukudi Krishnan Swamy, Part 374

Amazing is Her Karuna!

“Hey Monkey!” She blurted in angst.

He was shocked!

Different names had been used over the years to describe his qualities – he was Vayuputra, AnjaneyA, SankatamochanA, Dheera, DaityakulAntaka, HanumAn, the Nava-vyAkarana-Pandita, master of the 9 grammars – and here was someone he revered as his Mother, addressing him by such a lowly name!

Yet, respectful as ever, Hanuman paused to let Mother Seeta finish what She was saying.

पापानां वl शुभानां वl वधार्हाणां प्लवङ्गम
कार्यं कारुण्यं आर्येण न कश्चिन् नापराध्यति

pApAnAM vA shubhAnAM vA vadhArhANAM plava~Ngama ||
kAryaM kAruNyamAryeNa na kashchinnAparAdhyati |

Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda, 113-46

"Hey Monkey! Whether someone is a sinner or a virtuous person or even a person who deserves death, the noble person will show mercy on them, for, there is none who never commits a wrong."

Why did Mother Seeta call Hanuman a monkey?

They were in the Ashoka vana after the Rama-Ravana yuddha was over.

Ravana had been killed, and Hanuman had come to give Her the good news. She was thrilled and wanted to reward him, but right then, had nothing to give.

Understanding Her dilemma, Hanuman said there was one thing She could grant him – permission to destroy the rakshasis who had been torturing Her day in and out for all these months.

It was in reply to this request that Mother Seeta chastised Hanuman with that pejorative term ‘monkey’, for wanting to punish the rakshasis. She went on to explain Her stance:

“The rakshasis were only obeying the instructions of their king Ravana. Now, when Vibhishana becomes king and orders them to show me respect, they will act accordingly. Why punish them for obeying orders? The truly noble person is the one who shows karuna or compassion on all – whether a virtuous person or a sinner or even someone who has acted in a manner that deserves death as punishment.”

“There is no one who has never committed a wrong!” She proclaimed.

Hanuman was intrigued. “What wrong have you committed, Mother? Or Lord Rama?” he asked.

“When I had Lord Rama with me, I desired the golden deer – that was my mistake. Then I spoke harsh and undeserving words to Lakshmana – that was also my mistake. Lord Rama should have known the golden deer was a ploy, and yet He went chasing it, giving in to my request, that was His mistake!”

“Even you Hanuman, for all your devotion, have also committed a wrong,”

Again, Hanuman was shocked. What now?

“You have stood here with me, talking about the wrongs done by all, that is your flaw!” She smiled.

Thus, with a patient firmness, Mother Seeta, the very epitome of karuna or compassion, gave the entire world an ideal to live up to.

Could we try to practice even an iota of such kindness in our lives?