Re: Universal Prayer.

From the Bhakti List Archives

• April 29, 1996


Keshava Prasad's posting depicts a mental struggle against
saranagathi while wanting to stick to the roots of our ancestors.

In a discourse at a Dola utsavam, HH The Jeer of Sri Ahobila Mutt
compared the worship of other deities to doing charitable work in
society while neglecting the service of elderly parents in the house.

Also Swami Desikan says in the RTS that when one understands the body
soul relationship, between us and Sriman Narayana, all the waves
(of agitation) caused by rival theories will subside.

The body soul relationship means that the body exists only to fulfil
the purposes of the soul and is entirely controlled by the soul.
Thus it is Keshava Prasad's soul that wishes to post the article to
Prapatti, but it is his body which went to the computer and typed the
article etc.

Similarly we exist to serve the purposes of Sriman Narayana only.  It
is only when one comes to the understanding of this position, that
one becomes entitled to get relief from this existence of birth,
death, old age and disease.

In order to get out of this cycle, we must first desire it and then
strive towards that end.  In order to be able to see Narayana
everywhere and worship Him universally, one must first get to the
point of seeing Him everywhere.  Before that we have to first see Him
at least in the temple.  There are many who look upon the archa
murthy as a stone representation.  This is totally athiestic even if
one is well versed in upanishads etc.

We are all in various stages of spiritual evolution and should find
association with people that we are comfortable with.  This is why
the Karma Kanda section of the Vedas exist and this is why Vyasa
composed Rajasic and Tamasic Puranas while also showing the highest
goal in the Brahma sutras and the sattvic Puranas.

Jaganath.