There are innumerable people who have benefited by performing Mahamantra kirtan; the number of those continuing to reap the benefits are also countless. Is there anyone amongst us who has not reaped the fruit of Mahamantra kirtan? A jackfruit is rough outside, but inside it is sweet. Similarly, if one who is facing problems in life chants Nama, the troubles vanish and he attains peace and happiness. With Guru’s grace, we see this happen directly.
In Sivakasi, a lady lived a very difficult life. She had two daughters and a son. Her husband worked in an ordinary job in a private company. Their family situation was such that they could not eat even one good meal a day.
She could not speak openly about her troubles; the mind was reluctant to become obliged to relatives. If we saw her children, our eyes would fill with tears. Even if she opened her heart and spoke about the situation with her family, the burden of the heart would remain. Whatever work she did, the question – why am I in this situation? – would continue to nag. This was her state. Yet that lady continued to chant Nama.
Can a goat that has been sighted by a tiger ever escape? It will definitely die. Similarly, the difficulties of those who do as their Guru says, will reduce, be destroyed and disappear step by step.
As she could not forget her troubles even while she was cooking or involved with other chores or outside work, her mind constantly thought of her Guru, Nama and prayer. The sorrow seemed to have brought this union about. One can pray for deliverance from trouble. But one cannot decide how that deliverance should happen. That depends on the grace of God.
One day, the situation was such that there were absolutely no groceries in the house. Rice was being cooked. But she had only five rupees in her hands. What could that buy these days? Could she buy any ingredients to make sambar with that? At that time, she heard an old woman on the road who seemed to be selling curd. She thought – this sounds like a cowherdess. She bought curd for five rupees from her. That was more than enough for her and her children. Perhaps divine grace first wishes to soothe physical problems before calming the mind.
From the next day, it became a routine for them to buy curd from that curd-seller lady and eat it. This continued and that curd-seller lady became her friend. Even if she gave a lot of curd, the old woman would not take more than five rupees. Over time, she began to sell her entire stock of curd to her for just twenty rupees.
The devotee lady began to make buttermilk from the extra curd and started to sell it herself. Buttermilk that brings goodness to everybody! From that, income slowly started to come in. From the buttermilk sales, she bought butter, melted it and started selling ghee. This improved the state of her family. But all through this, the devotee did not stop chanting Mahamantra and praying to the Guru.
Her children stopped crying out of hunger. With Gopala’s grace, there was always butter in the house. As the devotee chanted Mahamantra with a pure heart filled with faith in the Guru, Bhagavan graced the lady’s house and brought her fortune through the very curd that He loves so much. What is He showing through this? Perhaps He is saying that this is His family!
Bhagavan is also the mother indeed!
Original article by Dr. Bhagayanathan, Madhuramurali August 2016 issue
Translated by Nisha Giri, Houston TX
