Sharanagati

Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya[1] –  this is the greatest mantra for protection. If you look around you will see how much suffering is there in this universe. Some people think that Bhagavad Gita is very pessimistic. But actually this is not pessimistic, this is not optimistic – this is realistic. Why? Because Krishna says that this material world – from the topmost planet down to the lowest planet – is a place for suffering, where the repeated birth and death are in power[2]. And although the situation is like this – that we are under the control of the material energy – most of the people want to escape their fate. What is our fate? Our fate is written on our foreheads. Have you checked in the morning what is written on your foreheads? Sometimes we have some wrinkles due to troubles. This is part of your story. But these horizontal lines you can compensate with some vertical lines. In this way we can overwrite our fate, our karma. And what is the message of our fate? We all have certain amount of happiness; and another part of the package is certain amount of suffering for this lifetime. Everybody comes with his bag. We have some good parts and some difficult parts there. And trying to avoid our fate means that we want to enjoy more happiness and we try to escape suffering. But unfortunately most people don’t know how to do it. And if you are not in harmony with the divine principles, then it’s a must – you have to pay the price. Of course, even if you try to be in harmony with the divine desires, you have to pay certain price. Because God, and especially this Krishna, is not easily satisfied. You think ‘I’ve offered everything,’ but still He is not satisfied.

So, to come closer and closer to the origin of this whole universe is a demanding job. And considering all these points: suffering is here, our fellow human beings need some help, we also need some help, and we also want to have darshan, meeting with God – what is the solution? What is your suggestion? What kind of activities we should undertake? If you want to be connected, what is the first prayer?

Somebody: We have to find out to whom we want to connect.

Swami Tirtha: Yes, correct. The first prayer should be: “Please, reveal Yourself to me!” To understand who is the goal, where are You: “Show me Your face.” So, theoretical Krishna consciousness is not enough. ‘I have read in the books that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’ All right, but what is your personal experience of that? Theory is not enough. Therefore we should pray: “Please my Lord, reveal Yourself to me, show Your face to me!” Is that enough? Shall we stop here? No, this is not enough. So it’s not only God who demands much, but a devotee also demands very much. What is the next demand?

Answer: “Give me Your mercy!”

Swami Tirtha: Yes, something like this. “Please, fill up my heart, inundate me, fill me with Your mercy!” So this is the second prayer. First you want to see, you want to meet; second you want to be connected. Because ‘You should give me Your mercy” means ‘I am connected to You through this link’. Shall we stop here? “Reveal Yourself and show me some mercy” – shall we stop here? ‘Now we had seen the face of God, now we had achieved His mercy; we are saved, all right, our business is done. Don’t mind other people rotting in hell.’ So, maybe we need a third step also of prayers. And what is this third step?

Manjari: “Please, let me be instrument of your mercy.”

Swami Tirtha: Correct! “Make the path easy for others.” So, in one sense this prayer, this Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya compresses all these three different aspects of prayers. We should meet; we should be connected; and then this mercy should spread out. I don’t want to be very sentimental, this is not the point, but nevertheless we should try to help the overall condition of even this material sphere to rise a little bit.

[1] Shrimad Bhagavatam 1.1.1

[2] Bhagavad Gita 8.16