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Story: How a Bhakta should thirst for Narayana

From the Bhakti List Archives

psrinivasan99 • February 13, 2002 


This story illustrates how a Bhakta should aspire for the feet of 
Vishnu.
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Once a person, on listening to the stories of Haribhaktas, got a 
desire to have a direct dharsanam of Mahavishnu. Though his desire 
was noble, it was not supported by a commensurate level of sincerity 
and commitment to Narayana, due to his predominantly materialistic 
outlook. He then visited a sage and implored him to `reveal'
Vishnu to him. The sage, being a knower of the hearts of all, knew 
the lukewarm devotion of the person. But due to his innate kindness 
natural to those who cherish Mukunda in their hearts, the sage 
said "Dear son, even though all beings are perpetually seeing
Vishnu alone on account of Hari being the inner self of all, they do 
not know this truth and therefore they suffer. But to have a direct 
perception of Narayana is the highest attainment in the universe, 
attaining which all the joys of the world pale into insignificance. 
Such being the case, it is difficult to attain Mahavishnu's
vision unless one bathes oneself in the dust of the feet of sages 
who possess nothing other than Haribhakti. Therefore I advise you to 
constantly serve the Prapannas of Govinda. I assure you that this 
alone will be adequate to fulfill your desire." 

Even though the sage gave him the best advise, the devotee could not 
digest it due to his own impatience. He left the sage dissatisfied, 
only to come back a few days later with the same request. The sage 
advised again that the attainment of the lotus feet of Vasudeva is 
not a child's play and one need enormous kshama (patience) for
that great attainment. The devotee again left the sage, dissatisfied 
with the sage's advice and thinking that the sage was
unnecessarily 
denying him his desire. This routine happened a few more times and 
the devotee was becoming more and more impatient. 

On one occasion, when the devotee started speaking in the same vein 
to the sage, the sage thought that it was high time to prove to the 
devotee, in physical terms, what it means to aspire for Krishna. He 
asked the person to accompany him to a nearby lake. The person 
gladly accepted the idea thinking that the sage would teach an 
esoteric mantra that will reveal Mahavishnu. On reaching the lake, 
the sage suddenly grabbed the neck of the devotee and forcibly 
drowned him in the waters of the lake. Astounded by this unexpected 
action of the sage and gasping for breath, the devotee struggled to 
get out of the clutches of the sage. A few seconds passed by but the 
sage did not relax his hold on the devotee. Suffering greatly, the 
devotee struggled to get out of the water. After some time, the sage 
pulled the devotee out of the waters. Thirsting for a breath of air, 
the devotee sprung out of the water and breathed air like never 
before. Being confused as well as angry, the devotee shouted "May
I know why your holiness has done this to me. I sought from you a 
vision of Vishnu and in return you almost killed me." The sage 
asked "Dear son, when you were inside the water gasping for
breath, what is the one thing that you wanted?" 

"Air, one breath of air, that is the only thing I wanted in the 
world; I sought nothing else, I swear" said the devotee. 

The sage replied "DEAR, WHEN YOU CHERISH THE SAME KIND OF SINGLE-
MINDED DESIRE FOR HARI, WHEN YOU WANT NARAYANA JUST AS BADLY AS YOU 
WANTED A BREATH OF AIR, WHEN YOU GASP FOR ONE VISION OF VASUDEVA, 
WHEN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE BECOMES MEANINGLESS WITHOUT GOVINDA, THEN 
WILL VISHNU MANIFEST BEFORE YOUR EYES, I SWEAR."




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