Every Bit Counts

||Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

Aum Namo Narayanaya

Baby Krishna

As the winter makes its graceful exit - the torment of the chill and icy winds are slowly being replaced by exceptionally balmy days.  The alarms are being sounded, as life is intravenously being infused into the dormant grass, shrubs and trees by Mother Nature. The bugle band of spring has barged in stridently arousing the hibernating creatures to action. In the midst of this jamboree I still lay seized to winter, recovering from a chest infection. Confining me to the bed for many a day; my mind though was adjunct from the body and revelling in the ambrosia of the nectar of the Bhagavatam.  It was in a way the tonic that augmented the allopathic treatment for my illness.

Speaking of winter, I must add that the Province of KwaZulu-Natal is the famed destination of travel in winter as warm beaches provide excellent recreation despite falling temperatures in other provinces. However, one of nature’s most phenomenal acts which draws tourists by the thousands is termed the "sardine run" - an annual spectacular that occurs from May through July when billions of  sardines – or more specifically the Southern African pilchard - spawn in the cool waters of the Agulhas Bank and move northward along the east coast of South Africa. Their sheer numbers create a feeding frenzy along the coastline. The run, containing millions of individual sardines, occurs when a current of cold water heads north up to Mozambique where it then leaves the coastline and goes further east into the Indian Ocean.

In terms of biomass, researchers estimate the sardine-run could rival East Africa's great wildebeest migration. However, little is known of the phenomenon. It is believed that the water temperature has to drop below 21°C in order for the migration to take place. In 2102 - the sardines failed to 'run'. The shoals are often more than 7km long, 1.5km wide and 30m deep, and are clearly visible from spotter planes or from the surface.

Sardines group together when they are threatened. This instinctual behaviour is a defense mechanism, as lone individuals are more likely to be eaten than large groups. I recall how one year, I watched as an entire batch of the shoal was netted out at our local beach. It was not a pretty site for me to watch, as literally thousands of fish gasping for air were dragged to the shore and left to die.

While laying on my bed these few days thinking of the "no show" of these silvery treasures of the ocean, I for some reason instantly connected this thought with man and the one episode I read from the Bhagavatam.

Being envious, jealous and desirous of each other we have lost our individuality; and like these fish, slavishly follow other cultures and way of life. It is so evident in our times that activities with such meaning and positive impact on our lives are being replaced by transitory, baseless activities - for instant pleasure and gratification.

This type of behaviour makes it so easy to be trapped by the net of maya and dragged from the ocean of bliss onto the shores of worldly life to wither and die gasping for air.

At Kamsa's behest, the demoness Putna entered Vraja and by her special powers transformed into the most beautiful woman. She approached the house of Nanda and found Baby Krishna laying in His cot. She then picked up the child, placed Him on her lap and took Him to her breasts to suckle highly toxic poison which would kill any being in an instant.  However, Sri Krishna, the indweller of all beings, who was to be the death of her, gripped and pressed her breast and began to suck - drawing the life blood out of her.  Screaming to be released, she struggled and collapsed to her death.

Relieved that the baby did not fall into any harm, they performed special pooja for His well-being.  They then cut the huge body of Putna into pieces and carried it some distance away from the village, and cremated it on a pyre of firewood

But alas, as the pieces of her body burned, the sweet smell of sandalwood spread from it and permeated the air. This was because Krishna suckled the demoness.  Those sacred feet of His which devotees cherish in their hearts, which receive the worship of even those who are the objects of the worlds adoration - with those feet He stepped onto her lap and suckled her breast; with the consequence that, even though she was a demoness, she got the reward due to the mother of God incarnate - what shall we then say to those mothers and cows who fed Him with love and attention.

In this world, no amount of sadhana or prayer is wasted - despite living in the world and being trapped in this maya. Instead of wasting our lives away gasping and crying for material possessions or things that have not materialised (like relationships etc); even if we can simply just utter the Lord's name we will have some sort of relief from the clutches of desire and maya. As much as Putna acted on the account of desire (Kamsa) - by merely touching the Lord, she got liberation. This is further propounded in the Gita when Sri Krishna says in Chapter 8, Verse 2:  And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.

In this age of Kaliyuga, the Lord, understanding the forces of Maya being so over-powering on the mind; through His infinite mercy is willing to grant His grace to His devotees by merely calling His name - for that which sages in the other ages had to perform years of austerities.

So always remember that every little bit of sadhana counts. Never loose a single moment to engage in devotional service. May He through His infinite mercy grant us all  liberation by His name, glance and touch is my sincere prayer.

With love and prayers always

Yogan 

(sardine run- Wiki pedia)