Obstacles Bhakti - Kunjeshwari Home

1 offender
Obstacles in Bhakti
at his feet and said tearfully, “Sir, I am the lowest of all beings, a fool. I must
have committed an offence against you, otherwise why should you beat me?
You wish me well, that is why you beat me for my betterment. But dear sir,
please take mercy on me and tell me how I have hurt you then I shall surely
rectify my mistake. Please forgive my offence.” Saying like this he started
crying.
The Brahmin’s heart had melted by now. He was extremely ashamed for his
activity. Perceiving Tukaram’s Vaishnav-ness, he said tearfully, “Dear brother
Tuka, you have not committed any offence. I am an aparâdhi. 1 I have hurt an
exalted devotee such as you; I have committed an extremely foul offence.
Dear brother please forgive me; if you don’t forgive me I shall have no
deliverance.” Saying this he too fell at Tukaram’s feet.
So now, you understand, how a pure devotee thinks. Even though someone
hurts them, they only search for their own faults. When we achieve such
mentality, it means we have Bhaktidevi’s kripa. If we are less fortunate, we
will never see our own faults.
“mahater swabhab ajner dosh kshama kore,
krishner swabhab bhakta nindâ sohite na pare.”
Meaning - “Hence, although a pure devotee does not accept aparâdh,
Bhagavân never forgives us, or you may say the dust of his feet do not
forgive us.”
Anyhow, at the very onset of bhakti if we are not extremely alert about
Vaishnav-aparâdh, then unknowingly when we’ll commit aparâdh, we will not
even come to know. Sri Chaitanya Bhâgabat has given us strict warning to
this effect –
“chaitanya singher ajna koriya langhan,
na bujhi baishnab ninde paibe bandhan.
chaitanyer dande jâr na jonmilo bhoy,
janme janme sei jeeb jom-dandya hoy.”
To consider Shiva as a controller independent from Bhagavân Vishnu is
another Nâm-aparâdh. Sri Brahma-samhita says –
“kshirang yatha dadhi vikara-vishesha-yogat
sanjayate na tu tatah prithag-anti hetoh,
yah shambhutam-api tatha samupaiti karyad-
govindam-adi-purushang tam-ahang bhajami.”
Meaning – “Although milk turns into curds, their basic ingredients remain the
same. Similarly the Supreme Being appears as Shiva to perform certain
functions – I adore That Govinda, the Primeval Purush.”
Srimad Bhâgavatam states – Sri Hari assumes the names Virinchi (Brahma)
and Hara (Shiva) depending on the function He performs.”
12