Obstacles Bhakti - Kunjeshwari Home

Obstacles in Bhakti
rid myself of my faults? It is impossible for me to realize my faults. I am
doubtful that Holy Name is all capable.
Gour kripa – If you take it like this, you will make a mistake. Holy Name is
capable of granting every wish, but once we take shelter of Holy Name we
must endeavor diligently to avoid all that Shâstras forbid. If we become slack
in this respect, although Holy Name is all capable, He will not yield auspicious
results.
Some times if we go crazy and do something that Shâstra prohibits, our
conscience should burn and we should pray to Holy Name –“O Nâm-prabhu! I
have committed a gross crime; please forgive me. I shall try my level best
not to commit it again. I have surrendered unto You. Please grant me good
sense so that I will not stray next time.” If we pray in this manner, chastise
ourselves, try our level best to follow the regulative principles and all other
principles of bhakti very strictly and continue to chant Holy Name with
reverence, definitely He will give us good sense and rid us of our faults.
Many a times we harbor some subtle tendency to commit aparâdh. We don’t
think deeply about it. Take this example – I take a Grantha 1 from someone.
Many days pass. Whoever had given me the Grantha has forgotten to whom
he had given and when. Now I start thinking, “That devotee has forgotten all
about the Grantha. He is not asking me to return it. Therefore, it is not an
aparâdh if I don’t return it anyway. First, let him ask for it. Then I will give it
back.” Nevertheless, my dear, this is outright robbery! I am performing
bhajan, yet I am not afraid of aparâdh! These subtle tendencies to commit
aparâdh can destroy our Vaishnavness altogether.
There are some more aparâdhs. We should be careful not to collect them,
and continue to chant diligently. Holy Name will forgive those aparâdhs.
These are as follows.
Thirty-two sevâ-aparâdhs mentioned in the Âgam-Shâstras.
1. We must not enter a place of worship wearing footwear or riding in a
vehicle.
2. We must participate in Holy Feasts and follow the Lord when the devotees
take out His procession.
3. We must always pay Him obeisance.
4. We must not worship Sri Vigraha, pay obeisance or do any sevâ in the
state of uchchhishta 2 and ashauch 3 .
5. We must not pay obeisance with single hand.
6. We must not perform pradakshina 4 showing our backs to Him. If we want
to circumambulate Him, we must go completely around Him, keeping Him to
our right.
7. We must not sit with our legs pointing towards Him.
8. We must not sit in front of Him by embracing the knees.
1
Holy Book
2
(a)One who still has the remains of food in the mouth or hands, (b)one who has not
washed his hands or mouth after eating and therefore is considered impure (c)impure.
3
Impurity, foul, contamination, defilement (contracted by the death of a relation, or by
the commission of a prohibited act), uncleanness
4
circumambulation
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