Obstacles Bhakti - Kunjeshwari Home

Obstacles in Bhakti
manmanâ bhâva madbhakto mad-yâji mâm namaskuru,
mâmevaishyasi satyam te pratijâne priyo’si me
sarva dharmân parityajya mâmekam sharanam vraja,
aham twam sarva pâpebhyo mokshayishyâmi mâshuchah
Meaning - "Dear Arjun, keep your innermost mind fixed on me, perform my
bhakti, worship me, pay obeisance unto me. I promise you that you will
obtain me, because you are dear to me. O Arjun, forsake all dharmas and
take my shelter. I will deliver you from all sins, do not worry.”
Sharanâgati is the last word of Bhagavad Gitâ.
Now we may ask – “What is so confidential that the Lord could not tell
everyone? And what is so special about ‘take my shelter’? What? Is this
confidential? And if this is the ultimate truth that ‘nothing happens without
my will’ – then what was the need to propound so many philosophies in the
beginning? Follow the path of dharma, do yog and what not. There was no
need for so much talk.
First of all, we cannot reveal a confidential fact to anyone other than who is
dear to us, because only a dear one will believe us. If we reveal a secret to
any one else, he may put it to misuse. When the sâdhak forsakes all and
accepts Sri Krishna’s lotus feet as the topmost achievable goal of life and
supreme shelter – Sri Krishna’s confidential message is for that dear and
special devotee.
Does this instruction sound ordinary? No. “Take my shelter in all respects” –
the devotee does not have to worry about anything. In practical sense it is
not an ordinary instruction. Please listen to this story.
A guru and his disciple practiced devotion in a cottage on the banks of the
Gangâ. There was no settlement nearby. One day, the guru had a slight
fever. He asked the disciple to bring milk from the village across. The disciple
said, “Gurudev, there is no boat available to cross the Gangâ. I have no
money either. I do not know to swim. How will I cross the Gangâ?” The
Spiritual Master wrote some mantra on a piece of paper gave it to the
disciple and said – “Hold this in your palm and simply walk across the Gangâ,
you will not drown. But beware! Do not open the paper.” Truly, the disciple
held the paper in his fist and walked across. He brought milk from the
villages. On the next day the Spiritual Master ordered him to bring milk
again. The disciple brought milk in the same manner as he did on the
previous day. He continued to walk across the Gangâ everyday. One day
when he was in the middle of the river he had an indomitable wish to see
what was written on the paper. He thought, “What on earth is written on this
that is so powerful? And I manage to walk across the Gangâ everyday?” His
curiosity got the better of him and he opened the paper. He saw that only
two syllables were scrawled on it – “Râm”. The disciple was full of scorn. He
exclaimed – “Aw shucks! Is this a mantra?” As soon as he said this, he
drowned.
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