Chronicle Reporter, Bhopal, The worldly and materialistic things deviate us from the path of God. The more we wish for worldly possessions the more our greed increases. Therefore we should lead a simple life and keep our desires in control.
As per Vedas, people suffer because they lead a worldly life in this material world, and that they should devote themselves to God and liberation only. We should engage in worldly activities but the devotion to God is supreme.
These views were expressed by Rashtrasantshri Gyandev Maharaj on the third day of Shrimadbhagwat Katha. Gyandev Maharaj has come from Vrindavan. The katha is being organized at Ektapuri, Semra. Gyandev Maharaj said all creatures represent God, because all of them are God’s children and the God loves them all equally.
Therefore serve all creatures just as you love God. Giving example of Saint Namdev, he said Namdev, from his very childhood was like Prahlad. At the age of two, when he began to talk, the first correct word he uttered was ‘Vi?hala’, and since then, he continued with the repetition of that sacred name incessantly, without any help or instruction from others.
Gyandev said Namdev found great pleasure when every day his mother took him to the temple of Vi?hoba for offering worship to the Deity. His next step was, when at the age of about seven, he prepared a pair of cymbals and spent his time in dancing and singing, doing bhajan, to the neglect of everything-food, studies in school, rest, sleep, etc. His devotion to Vi?hoba was so innocent and sincere that he used to treat Him sometimes as his dearest brother or as his playmate.
Saintshri said that one day a dog ran away with his roti. Saint Nandev ran after the dog with ghee in his hand saying O God please let me apply ghee on your roti. Namdev saw God in the dog and so god Vithoba appeared before him.
Lord Krishna destroys Indra’s pride
Story recite Pandit Santosh Chaturvedi spoke about Govardhan puja and how Lord Krishna destroyed the pride of Indra. Panditji was reciting Bhagwat Katha at Lau Khedi.
It was the rainy season. The sun was smiling weakly behind dark clouds. Brindavan, then a charming village, was transformed into a lush heaven with healthy, greener vegetation and plenty of rains for the people. Everyone in the village was happy.
Once Krishna saw villagers of the Braj are planning for the Puja of Lord Indra. Krishna, as a child then asked them why they are pleasing Lord Indra by doing Puja.One of the villagers explained to Krishna that this is done every year to please Lord Indra so that he continued to grace the people of Braj by providing rain as and when required.
Krishna disapproved of it and wanted to teach a lesson to Lord Indra that it is the Dharma (duty) of Indra to provide rain for the people without any Puja or rituals. He convinced the inhabitants that they should stop performing Puja for Indra. They should not perform pujas or conduct sacrifices for any natural phenomenon.
Instead, they should honor Mount Govardhan, whose fertile soil provided the grass upon which the cows and bulls grazed. And also honour the cows and bulls who provided milk and plowed the lands.
Indra got enraged with the inhabitants of Braj that instead of worshipping him, the King of Devas, they are worshipping Mount Govardhan. To punish them, he sends terrible rain clouds to flood the land of Vrindavan.
Calling the Samavartaka clouds of devastation, lndra ordered them to lash upon Vrindavan with torrents of rain and thunderstorms and cause extensive floods that would destroy the livelihood of the inhabitants.
Frightened people of Vrindavan go to Krishna for help. To protect villagers from this calamity, Krishna lifted Mount Govardhan on his little finger and had the entire village come under the hill to take shelter from the storm. For seven days and seven nights, he held up Mount Govardhan, providing a giant umbrella to shelter the inhabitants of Vrindavan from the torrential rain.
Realizing his blunder, Indra called back the clouds of devastation.The sky became clear again, and the sun shines brightly over Vrindavan. Pandit Chaturvedi said Lord Krishna gave the message of environmental conservation to the people.