{"id":3498,"date":"2007-05-20T11:32:55","date_gmt":"2007-05-20T10:32:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=3498"},"modified":"2007-07-11T13:37:45","modified_gmt":"2007-07-11T12:37:45","slug":"rescue%e2%80%a6in-the-nick-of-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=3498","title":{"rendered":"Rescue – In the Nick of Time!"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Praghosa Das ACBSP<\/strong><\/p>\n

I would like to offer a direct and personal comment to the young lady whose questions to HH Romapada Swami were used by him in the article entitled \u201cDealing with unexpected reversals in life\u201d. ( http:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=3465<\/a> )<\/p>\n

The subject offers us a chance to look closely at what constitutes \u201creversal\u201d. <\/p>\n

While I agree with Maharaja in the issue of accepting suffering in the mood of one who considers all suffering to be a fraction of what we deserve, I would suggest that we approach this matter a little differently. This is not an actual reversal. Especially in the matter of marriage. The young man revealed either his or this young lady as being not yet qualified for marriage \u2013 otherwise it would have happened. It is not something to be tolerated as a result of past sinful action so much as being fully understood. I see it as being the result of good karma or Krsna\u2019s Mercy. Something to be welcomed and even celebrated! <\/p>\n

The good Maharaja \u2013 having never committed to working and spending 2 million dollars in the care of a wife and family \u2013 simply cannot see it this way. This is not a fault at all. But lacking such experience \u2013 his response left out a very important angle of vision. <\/p>\n

The young lady ended with \u201cI am helpless\u201d. <\/p>\n

Maharaja\u2019s comments to your question and comments were fine and expressed clearly the general response we are always advised to take in the face of reversal. After all \u2013 this material world is called Maya or \u201cThat which is NOT what it pretends to be. This entire realm is imagined to be a place within which the jiva is allowed to engage in his pastime of forgetting Krsna when in truth \u2013 it is created for the Lord to engage in His Lila of rescuing us from this very specific \u201creversal of reality\u201d and His \u201creversing\u201d our forgetfulness of His existence and the wonderful role we actually have within it. <\/p>\n

Now \u2013 as a young lady of marriageable age \u2013 you have great value. If you are chaste and modest, clean, healthy of mind and body, capable and cheerful of disposition, favorable to your parents and fixed up in devotion to our Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krsna \u2013 with no blemish of character \u2013 then what happened to you was not a reversal. What happened was an unqualified man pretended to value your qualities sufficiently to ask for your hand in marriage and then later he realized that he was not fully capable or willing to pay the full price for your hand. After all \u2013 the enthusiastic willingness of a young man to take full charge of a chaste young lady in marriage is a perfect demonstration of his recognizing her value in all ways, both \u201cobjectively\u201d and \u201csubjectively\u201d. <\/p>\n

Objectively he can see that she will make \u201csomeone\u201d a very wonderful companion and assistant in his devotional service and an excellent mother for his sons and daughters. \u201cSubjectively\u201d he wisely seeks to bring her and her valuable qualities to his life and seeks the advantages that they offer. <\/p>\n

Clearly \u2013 this young man was either not yet capable of meeting the full price (marriage) required to secure your full committment, or he was, but was not capable of seeing the qualities you brought or considered your qualities to be less than he was seeking for a wife. The matter of his \u201cguru\u201d stepping in and advising him against this marriage is fiction only. No man will allow another man \u2013 guru or otherwise \u2013 to make such a decision for him; unless of course he is unsure of his intent, strength of desire, or the character or capacity of the prospective bride. <\/p>\n

Now any man who does allow outside influence is simply not of marriageable age. This \u201cadvice\u201d by his guru merely served to fully expose this. No doubt he so advised the young man because he could see that the young man was either not eager or not capable, for if he was \u2013 no man would advise against his marriage. <\/p>\n

Lord Krsna is described in the 5th Canto of Srimad Bhagavtam as \u201cthe only real husband\u201d and after learning of the reality of the Lord and His lila, we enact the roles of husband or wife in this world \u2013 merely to demonstrate our aligning our purpose with His. The Lord\u2019s pastimes in this world \u2013 are described as \u201chumanlike\u201d not because they resemble the actions of human society. They are so cited because the Lord comes to this world and exemplifies the correct conduct for what are called \u201chuman beings\u201d. If we carefully read Srila Prabhupada\u2019s rendering of the Tenth Canto in his Krsna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, we find Lord Krsna\u2019s Daily Activities wonderfully recounted. Likewise there is the beautiful chapter where some of the principle Queens of Lord Krsna take such delight in telling Draupadi how they each met and wed with Lord Krsna. Thus if our actions are guided by the example of Lord, then our activities are \u201chumanlike\u201d or like what humans are supposed to do as shown us by the Lord Himself.<\/p>\n

Your desire and willingness to marry the young man who initially requested your companionship and help in forming a family of devotees \u2013 was ultimately altered by the reality of either his lack of ardor or ability to measure up to the demands that would be placed upon him in that venture. His lack of ardor could have been due to his perceiving you as undeserving of such an investment of 30 years of time and effort. Or he could very well have realized that he was not yet sufficiently capable of paying the \u201cfull price\u201d demanded of him that marriage entails. <\/p>\n

No matter what the case \u2013 if you are confident of your qualities and capacity \u2013 then all that really happened is \u2013 your real long term protector \u2013 Lord Krsna \u2013 stepped in and rescued you from an unqualified man and preserved all the qualities you do possess \u2013 to ensure that they are not wasted upon an unqualified man and will be fully intact \u2013 when Lord Krsna\u2019s \u201cchoice\u201d for you does indeed come along!! No man of good character will request a woman\u2019s hand and then for no good compelling reason \u2013 give it back. That is not acceptable. My own policy of instruction to my 4 sons has always been \u2013 \u201cYou break it \u2013 you buy it my friend\u201d. I cannot imagine that a \u201cguru\u201d would advise a young devotee to break his word in this fashion. Of course it happens but it is not acceptable \u201cadvice\u201d from men of character. What most likely occurred is the devotee so \u201cadvising\u201d this young man could see the young man\u2019s ambivalence and stepped in and merely proved the young man\u2019s lack of maturity. <\/p>\n

That makes the entire affair a thrilling reversal of what could have been a horrible misfortune; marrying a man unqualified by dint of his being blind to your good qualities or incapable of paying the full price that is marriage \u2013 or someone who was not as enthusiastic to serve Lord Krsna with your company as he could be. <\/p>\n

Seen in this light \u2013 your \u201creversal\u201d is rescue! <\/p>\n

It can be seen as Lord Krsna \u201criding to your personal rescue\u201d just as He did for Queen Rukmini. She was likewise to be wed with a most unqualified man \u2013 Sisupala. This man was inimical to Lord Krsna \u2013 to the very marrow of his bones. But Lord Krsna \u2013 following the \u201cadvice\u201d of Narada Muni \u2013 stepped in to thwart the plans of Rukmini\u2019s brother who had arranged her betrothal to Sisupala the hated enemy of Lord Krsna. You know how that ended \u2013 with Rukmini driving the \u201cgetaway chariot\u201d with Krsna firing arrows at all the kings who tried to help Sisupala reclaim what he considered his property; the radiant Princess Rukmini! <\/p>\n

In the preface of the Teachings of Lord Chaitanya \u2013 Srila Prabhupada writes:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the surrendering process, one should: (1) accept things favorable for discharging devotional service, (2) reject things unfavorable, (3) believe firmly in the Lord’s protection, (4) feel exclusively dependent on the mercy of the Lord, (5) have no interest separate from the interest of the Lord, and (6) always feel oneself meek and humble.\u201d<\/p>\n

If in the future you do marry \u2013 you will be called upon to exhibit the above mood of surrender to your husband. Such behaviour will nourish your relationship with your husband and serve as a wonderful example for your children. It is this quality above all others that will win the full measure of your husband\u2019s heart and his full commitment to do whatever it takes to care for you and your children. In fact your mood of surrender will inspire him to do all that is needed.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be disheartened by the diminished value subjectively assigned you by one young 21 year old boy. The Lord Himself values each of us \u2013unlimitedly. He wants only what is best for you and this boy. <\/p>\n

Do all that is required to ensure your own self confidence in your qualities and capacity. If this young man is to be your fortunate companion so gifted by no less than Lord Krsna Himself \u2013 then nothing will prevent that from eventually happening. And if in the future \u2013 the real husband comes along who easily and instantly sees your value and eagerly seeks your hand and wins your heart \u2013 what have you lost in the present?<\/p>\n

However \u2013 don\u2019t measure the notion of \u201creversal\u201d as being other than an inability to see the protective hand of Lord Krsna in everything that happens to us. If we are chanting His name with faith and affection \u2013 why we should doubt His presence and full knowledge of exactly what we need to perfect our life and bring us to Him? Lord Krsna dropped everything and raced to the rescue of Rukmini \u2013 pulling her from the clutches of the rascals \u201cexactly like the lion steals the the prey from the jaws of the lesser jackals!\u201d <\/p>\n

This was no \u201creversal of fortune\u201d my young friend! This was an amazing \u201crescue\u201d by Lord Krsna! <\/p>\n

After learning of Lord Krsna\u2019s protection and care for His devotees \u2013 and then forgetting that in a moment of weakness would be a \u201creversal\u201d. Think of all that the world suffers and realize that they are suffering primarily due to their not knowing the instant availability of the Lord\u2019s presence and protection. <\/p>\n

We suffer no such thing. It is our ignorance that has undergone \u201creversal\u201d with our meeting Srila Prabhupada and his books and we should do all we can to reverse the ignorance of those who have not yet discovered the protection of Lord Krsna!
\nVyasadeva was described by Srila Prabhupada as \u201cdespondent\u201d because he had not sufficiently glorified the Lord. We can all shake off \u201cdespondency\u201d and the feeling of helplessness \u2013 by going out on Samkirtan. <\/p>\n

Srila Prabhupada told us once in Chicago \u201cThe achievements of Visvamitra Muni came to him after he performed great austerities for 60,000 years! Those same results come to a devotee \u2013 after the performance of samkirtan \u2013 FOR A FEW DAYS ONLY!\u201d
\nNow \u2013 with information like that \u2013 how can you or I or anyone \u2013 feel helpless or hopeless or depressed? <\/p>\n

To despair \u2013 is to turn our back on Krsna! <\/p>\n

Go on samkirtan \u2013 wherever you are. Join in the kirtan \u2013 with all your friends and family \u2013 wherever you are. In a \u201cfew days only\u201d \u2013 you will be as peaceful and inspired as can be. Tell everyone you meet how Krsna came to your rescue! He brought you to Srila Prabhupada and his books. The Holy Name! The devotees! And He even spared you marrying the wrong man \u2013 IN THE NICK OF TIME! <\/p>\n

Read the Story of Rukmini\u2019s Rescue for inspiration! <\/p>\n

When I was ill with Cancer \u2013 I personally took great shelter in recounting this pastime and the story of Krsna\u2019s Killing the Rascal Kamsa. Both —-IN THE NICK OF TIME! <\/p>\n

Krsna really knows how to be dramatic!! <\/p>\n

Down the road \u2013 either that 21 year old \u201cboy\u201d will have grown into a wise and capable young man, becoming the \u201cright man\u201d and come back to you with a determination to pay the full price for your hand \u2013 or your real \u201cKrsna Catch\u201d will have fully matured somewhere and will arrive in time to win you before some other imposter tries to interfere with Krsna\u2019s intentions. <\/p>\n

Respectfully <\/p>\n

Praghosa Das – (NYC)
\npdhedemark@yahoo.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"HareBy Praghosa Das ACBSP – not the Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n

I would like to offer a direct and personal comment to the young lady whose questions to HH Romapada Swami were used by him in the article entitled \u201cDealing with unexpected reversals in life\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3498"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3498\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}