Four Possible Reactions To Seeing The Deity

“In the Skanda Purana there is the following description of the result of seeing aratrika (worship) of the Deity: ‘If someone sees the face of the Lord while aratrika is going on, he can be relieved of all sinful reactions coming from many, many thousands and millions of years past. He is even excused from the killing of a brahmana or similar prohibited activities.’” (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 9)

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His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada compares it to sending letters through the mail. If something has to be sent, it is not dropped in just any box. It must be put in a receptacle that is authorized to accept such items. There is a higher authority who makes the determination, and with dropping the letter there is security in knowing that the proper destination will most likely be reached.

Deity worship is similar. Prayers, fears, confessions, hopes, dreams, worries - everything the mind contemplates can be presented before the Supreme Lord. Where to find Him is not difficult. One place is the temple where He is the chief resident. There is a specific place, in a specific room. See with the eyes.

Since there are countless living entities in the world, each within different stages of maturity and different levels of familiarity with religion and irreligion, the reaction to seeing the deity in the temple will vary.

1. Just a statue

The deity looks like an ordinary statue. There is obviously something different. You can note where it is. It’s like the statue is put on display specifically for people to look at. Yet if a person has no familiarity with Vedic culture, there may not be much to appreciate.

Even if they are familiar with religion, it is possible they have been taught that God has no form. Fear Him instead, as He watches disapprovingly from above.

“Go to church to repent for everything you’ve done wrong. These other people worshiping a statue have created false gods. That’s what these statues really are.”

Unfortunately, this sentiment is entirely possible. After all, if everything is stripped away, the meeting is between a person and a statue. That truth cannot be denied

2. A nice piece of art

This person has more of an open mind, but the appreciation is limited to the artistic value. They like the craftsmanship. The paint has been applied in such a way that the statue looks beautiful. Whichever person this statue represents, they are peaceful. They are in bliss. They are inviting. It doesn’t look like they are angry at anyone. The statue can be gazed upon for hours and hours.

3. Complete loss of ego

In this situation the statue is known to be something special. The child instinctively has this reaction. They don’t need to be told that the statue is a physical representation of the transcendental features belonging to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They don’t need to be told about awe and reverence, respecting that this statue is the boss of all bosses.

There can be a complete loss of ego. Whatever I thought of myself, now I am seen stripped of that. I am no longer a man or a woman, a father or a spouse, a leader of the company or a successful artist. It’s like this statue knows who I really am, and how I am so vulnerable. Even with this vulnerability, the statue seems to have the most compassion in the world. They are looking at me as if we have known each other for a long time. It is my fault for having forgotten. Now I have returned to make the relationship whole again.

4. Appreciation for God’s kindness to appear in such a form

As there is further maturity in practicing the science of self-realization, that same figure which is an ordinary statue to others becomes appreciated more and more. Looking at the deity, a person may think the following:

“I can’t believe God is so kind to appear in such a form. In truth, He is much larger. His influence is beyond comprehension. He is the entire universe and more. Yet He is allowing people here to dress Him. He is accepting wonderful food preparations brought for His enjoyment. Yes, the food will taste very good when eaten later on, but it’s like the cooks don’t even think about that. If there was no food to eat later, if it somehow all vanished after the offering, they would continue the process. Everything is done out of love. That is who God is. He is complete love. It is to a degree that is impossible to know in truth, but the deity helps me to understand a little.”

In Closing:

Like authorized box for letter sending,

Deity process from authority descending.

Many people, so of varying view,

To one just a statue, unfamiliar and new.

Another the artistic value appreciation,

For other complete ego’s emancipation.

At highest mercy of Lord understanding a bit,

The whole universe, but so kind here to sit.

Four Solutions To Problems And Where They Fall Short

“Just as saying is useless without doing and succeeding is useless without subsequently protecting, every solution is useless without love for Shri Rama’s lotus feet.” (Dohavali, 103)

jāya' kahaba karatūti binu jāya' joga bina cema |
tulasī jāya' upāya saba binā rāma pada prema ||

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Don’t just talk the talk. Walk the walk, afterwards. To make a vow is a good start. At least the mind is thinking forward, moving in a positive direction. At the same time, anyone can say anything. To actually make the desired difference there has to be effort.

And what if there is success? If you did come through on your promise, will you protect what you have acquired? It doesn’t have to be something manifest, either. If reputation is enhanced through pious behavior, just one slipup and everything is spoiled. There is ample evidence in the lives of public figures. Adored for years and years, a bad five minutes recorded on video and distributed throughout the world ruins their previously good name.

Goswami Tulsidas goes one step further. He says that every solution is flawed if a key ingredient is missing. It is a link, something to which the solution must be tied. And no doubt, so many solutions are attempted, as material existence means one problem after another.

1. Diet and exercise

I haven’t been feeling well lately. It’s not a specific malady, necessarily. Sure, I’ve been getting sick more often. It just seems that everything is wrong. The muscles hurt. Sleep is compromised. Too much fat on the body.

The common recommendation is diet and exercise. Limit food intake and keep the body moving on a regular basis. This solves so many issues. The combination is the very definition of good health.

2. Buying a new car

I’ve gone as long as I could with the car that I own. I purchased it a long time ago, and I’ve kept pace with the maintenance. It’s not like I’m treating it poorly and waiting to run it into the ground.

Speaking of the ground, that seems to be the destination, based on the performance of late. One problem after another. I hate arriving late to work. I prefer the security of a stable and properly running automobile; I don’t have that now.

The solution is to purchase a new car. Wow are cars different today. So many features. It’s like the thing is almost driving itself. The car I have my eye on will make me so happy, it seems. So many worries will vanish.

3. Moving to a new city

The cold weather has become too much. It’s not like summers are a picnic, either. There is rarely such a thing as a nice day. It’s either super cold or way too humid. In the spring my allergies flare up. I don’t get any relief.

The solution is to move elsewhere. Let me find a different setting. It’s like a reset on life. I won’t have the same routine. Time to shake things up. Hopefully the climate won’t present as many problems.

4. Getting married

No direction in life. Just going to work, eating, sleeping, watching television, and then repeating the next day. Not only are the days and weeks the same, it’s like the years repeat. When I was in school, one year was like an eternity. Now a year passes like a week.

The solution is to get married. This way I won’t be a social outcaste anymore. A spouse and children to care for. The routine will change. Love will be exchanged. It’s the typical cycle in life, anyway. I might as well grow up already.

These are just a few solutions, and in many cases they work in temporarily solving the problem. The issue of protection remains, though. In fact, no solution arrived at by the mind alone can fully protect, as the body itself is destined for destruction.

How much joy is a car really going to give me, as it must break down eventually? The children in the home will one day grow up and leave. Despite the best attention paid to health, there is disease lurking around the corner, ready to attack a body diminished in ability due to old age.

Tulsidas says every solution is worthless without love for the lotus feet of Shri Rama. This is because the Supreme Lord maintains the devotion of His devotees. In the Bhagavad-gita this is clearly stated.

“He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.31)

This is not to say that death will not occur. It’s just that death will be of a different nature. The devoted soul has prepared for the end of life through practicing devotion on a regular basis, chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Whether high or low, in heaven or in hell, in a man’s body or a woman’s, they will keep what is most valuable to them: love for the endearing prince of Ayodhya, the husband of Sita, and the brother setting the best example for Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna.

In Closing:

Perhaps in new city to thrive,

Happiness with new car to drive.

To take impetus in life partner to choose,

Diet and exercise for health to improve.

Many solutions in this way to try,

But on nature’s cooperation to rely.

Eventually destruction to come,

Not with bhakti, exception the one.

Talk Is Cheap

“Just as saying is useless without doing and succeeding is useless without subsequently protecting, every solution is useless without love for Shri Rama’s lotus feet.” (Dohavali, 103)

jāya' kahaba karatūti binu jāya' joga bina cema |
tulasī jāya' upāya saba binā rāma pada prema ||

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In the collections industry, there is something known as a “promise to pay.” The agent initiates the phone call. The debtor is delinquent. The cause is not always the same. Perhaps they simply forgot to pay. Maybe they didn’t receive the bill on time. They could be in difficult financial circumstances, where there isn’t enough money.

When contacting the debtor on the phone, oftentimes a promise is made. “I will pay on this date. I will send the check in the mail.” The agent notates the account as such, and then the waiting begins. As the debtor was already delinquent, there is a likelihood that the promise will not be fulfilled. When the payment is not received on time, the event gets marked as a “broken promise.”

This is one instance where the saying, “Talk is cheap,” is relevant. A person can say anything. Usually, honor and decency steer the person in the right way afterwards, but when there are no good characteristics the words themselves are known to be empty. Politicians are notorious for making promises they can’t keep.

The talk is cheap because it ends up being meaningless. It is like the wind blowing. The sound vibrations are simply air. Without following through what is the value of promising anything? If a person expounds on a particular philosophy, but doesn’t faithfully follow it themselves, the message is diminished. They are known as a hypocrite. Making honest mistakes here and there is another story, but simply ignoring everything taught to others is not good.

Then there is the case of succeeding in a venture. The work is put in. Going beyond the initial words comprising the vow to complete, there was a real effort made. And everything worked out. The objective was reached.

But now what? If the thing worked so hard for is not protected, what was the use? I put in a lot of extra hours at the office to purchase a new car. Then, on the first day of owning it I drive it recklessly and carelessly, causing an accident that leads to a total loss of the vehicle. What good was my success?

In the above referenced verse from the Dohavali, Goswami Tulsidas references both situations, used as a juxtaposition to any endeavor and the fruitless nature when a certain component is absent. There are many words spoken during a lifetime. Many successful objectives are reached, as well. These are necessary since so many issues arise.

Every solution tried will be pointless when love for the lotus feet of Shri Rama is missing. This is automatically true based on the nature of the world we inhabit.

Take the following sequence: There is a problem. A solution is proposed. Then the solution gets implemented. The best case is success, but even then the positive condition is guaranteed to deteriorate. This is because the creation itself goes through cycles of manifestation and annihilation.

“When Brahma's day is manifest, this multitude of living entities comes into being, and at the arrival of Brahma's night they are all annihilated.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.18)

When the solution includes love for Shri Rama’s lotus feet, consciousness gets purified in the process. If I propose a solution of plucking a flower and offering it to the deity representation of Bhagavan, there is the intended goal of peace of mind; calm in an otherwise storm-like existence.

The flower will eventually wilt away. Frustration and worry may return, as well. Still, the solution brings a lasting benefit. The flower offered in devotion to Rama increases bhakti. When there is more love for God, there is more detachment from the temporary world. When the scales fully tip over on the love side, then rebirth is stopped. Moreover, the bhakti continues. Love for Rama’s feet is itself the greatest solution, bringing potency to otherwise fruitless endeavors.

In Closing:

When promise not to keep,

Talk known to be cheap.

In endeavor success to get,

But worthless when not to protect.

Since world dissolved same way concluded,

Solution only when Shri Rama included.

When love for His lotus feet,

Then successful end to meet.

Beyond Piety And Sin

“One who remains apart from attachments accompanying birth and death finds happiness. In the same way, one who continues to worship stays protected by Shri Rama, wherever piety and sin may lead.” (Dohavali, 102)

bilaga bilaga sukha sa:nga janama marana soi rīti |
rahiata rākhe rāma keṃ gae te ucita anīti ||

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On the one hand we’re taught to worry about right and wrong. From the very beginning, before even entering school, the parents are there to guide. “Don’t do this. Don’t do that.” We shouldn’t take what belongs to others. If we have something of value, we should share. The hoarding mentality is not good.

As maturity continues, so the things to do and the things to avoid increase in scope. We shouldn’t steal on a large scale. We should complete our assignments in school on time. We shouldn’t lie. We should honor our parents and respected elders. We should be responsible to the spouse and children.

The idea is that piety brings better things in the future. Sin leads to unwanted experiences. Touching the realm of spirituality is not even required for understanding. Piety is something as simple as putting together furniture the right way. The expected result is an object that will be sturdy. Sin is assembling in an improper way. The resultant reaction, the fruit, if you will, may not manifest immediately. Eventually, though, there will be a reaction, and it will be unpleasant.

In the above referenced verse from the Dohavali, Goswami Tulsidas says to essentially remove concern for piety and sin. Note that as a renounced mendicant following the Vedic tradition, Tulsidas is the ideal symbol of saintly life. He is without sin, even though he will never proclaim himself as such.

The recommendation isn’t to cast aside right and wrong. It’s not to suddenly steal from people and not be concerned with the consequences. The idea is that in the material world there are so many attachments formed. This is the basis for viewership in television shows and sporting events. Take an interest in something that you otherwise wouldn’t care about. Develop an attachment.

What is the result? Sometimes there is happiness, but sadness is present, as well. We can become upset over the result to a scripted program. This is misery over something that doesn’t even exist; such is the strength of attachment.

The wise know that those who stay apart, bilaga, from such attachments find happiness, sukha. These attachments start from the time of birth, janma. There is worry over what will be lost when death, marana, eventually arrives.

Better to stay above. Birth and death come and go in cycles. What really can be done with the objects to which attachments are formed? The wise choice is to not be overly concerned. As even the personal body will vanish eventually, what need is there for great lamentation at loss or joy at gain?

If a person applies this attitude towards bhakti-yoga, then they are always protected. Let right and wrong sort themselves out. Just continue to worship God the person, who in this case is referenced by the name Rama. Tulsidas says that Rama will continue to protect; He will put the devotee in the right situations.

Sometimes that could be in the hellish region. This is feared by those who are not devoted to God. Sometimes the destination is the heavenly realm. This is enjoyable for those who are attached to material objects. In either case the devotee maintains the same disposition. They are happy to continue in their service.

In this way the saint has subtly given the secret to finding true happiness. The formula is rather simple, maybe too much so, but the test for proof is through practicing devotion. Always chanting the holy names and renouncing attachment to material objects can be practiced by any person, at any age.

In Closing:

Not exclusive to life of the sage,

Devotion to practice at any age.

For proof of promise seeing firsthand,

That Shri Rama with protection to stand.

Piety and sin change positions dramatically,

Let be sorted out automatically.

With devotion to the Almighty stay,

To serve Him always find a way.

What Did We Do Wrong Before Birth

“Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 16.19)

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Friend1: I have a variation of the “origin of the jiva” question today.

Friend2: What came first, the chicken or the egg?

Friend1: I guess it’s something like that. I’ve never heard it asked this way before, though.

Friend2: Okay.

Friend1: So it starts with the acknowledgment that we need reformation.

Friend2: Who is “we”?

Friend1: The conditioned souls. The people going through birth and death. Not limited to the human beings, either. So much variety in living conditions. So many body types.

Friend2: 8,400,000.

Friend1: Each with a soul inside.

Friend2: And the same kind of soul. No difference between the soul of an animal and the soul of a human being.

Friend1: Right. Just like there is no difference between the soul of a child and the soul of an adult.

Friend2: Body is what accounts for the distinction. I am the same today as when I first emerged from the womb.

Friend1: Even while within the womb.

Friend2: Exactly. People could barely see me back then. They needed special machines. I was still alive, though. I look totally different now, but I have remained the same individual throughout.

Friend1: And so in past and successive lifetimes there is the chance to end up in a different kind of body.

Friend2: The wise person sees the spiritual equality. They obviously don’t behave the same way with the tiger and the cow, but they understand what is on the inside.

“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.18)

Friend1: We have to fix ourselves. There are different ways. Elevation through prescribed duties, karma.

Friend2: Which means advancing in terms of personal interest, svartha, and supreme interest, paramartha. This lifetime and the next.

Friend1: We can become enlightened through knowledge, jnana. There is yoga, which allows for extraordinary abilities and possibly merging into the light of nothingness.

Friend2: It seems like nothingness to us, but it is actually complete purity. Brahman is the spiritual light, free of material contaminations.

Friend1: There is also bhakti-yoga. Pure devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Friend2: Wherein typically the result is residence on His planet, the place free of birth and death.

Friend1: Yet in fact bhakti-yoga can flourish anywhere. A replica of the kingdom of Godhead can be created in a closet, even, or just a room.

Friend2: Right.

Friend1: Okay, so there are different paths. There is the staircase and also the elevator. Whatever the option chosen, some type of elevation is required.

Friend2: Yes.

Friend1: The question is, “What did we do wrong before?”

Friend2: Before what?

Friend1: Birth.

Friend2: The present birth? Shri Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-gita that those who are envious of Him get cast into lower species. Lower here means more ignorance covering up the otherwise spotless spirit soul. Think of it like hot and cold. In a lower species you are further away from liberation, which is known as moksha.

Friend1: And moksha is the release from the cycle of birth and death. No, I get that part. We could have done something wrong before this birth or that, or one hundred lives ago. What about at the beginning? What did we do wrong to get cast into the ocean of birth and death?

Friend2: Ah, so that’s why you compared this to the origin of the jiva issue.

Friend1: Yes.

Friend2: The answer is that we don’t know. Nor will we ever know. Perfect knowledge is required, which only Bhagavan can possess. We are similar to God in quality, but at the same time always inferior. One proof of that inferiority is the lack of perfect knowledge.

Friend1: We’ll never know when the first birth took place or where we lived prior to that?

Friend2: Time itself is impossible to understand. It runs infinitely in both directions. You say a beginning, but there was something before that. You say an end, never coming back, but there is always time moving forward.

Friend1: There is the teaching that every one of us was originally with Krishna, in the spiritual world. We became envious for a brief moment and that led to the exit. Another teaching is that we were originally part of the Brahman energy. Situated in the marginal position, by chance we chose the material world instead of the spiritual world.

Friend2: Just look at the solution. It is said that those who are perfectly Krishna conscious while quitting their body go to Krishna.

“And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.5)

The solution should give a hint into the original cause of the problem. Acharyas, those who teach by example, have said that to trace out the history of the jiva is futile. It is not a valuable usage of time. We know the solution right now, so let’s take it. Chant the holy names and be happy: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Body changing all the time,

In next life different to find.

Before as something else existing,

Many past lives with chain persisting.

What exactly the mistake,

That in samsara’s world to awake?

Since flawed never exactly to know,

Forward now to Vaikuntha go.

The One With Pure Goodness

“One who holds Shankara dear but hates me or is my devotee and hates Shankara - Shri Rama says such a man lives in the most ghastly hellish place for an entire kalpa.” (Dohavali, 101)

sa:nkara priya mama drohī siva drohī mama dāsa |
te nara karahiṃ kalapa bhari ghora naraka mahu' bāsa ||

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Shiva, Brahma, or Vishnu? The three deities are well-known to those growing up in the Vedic tradition. Not mythological characters. Not figments of the imagination. Not images symbolic of higher concepts. These three deities preside over the material creation and beyond.

That creation consists of three modes: goodness, passion and ignorance. These are material elements, which subsequently lead to variety in ways of living, such as sacrifice, austerity, charity, desires and so forth. Each mode has its corresponding deity.

Brahma is in charge of passion. He is the creator, which requires some passion within. Populating the many planets with creatures is not a job for the passive mind. Brahma takes the three base ingredients and displays his artistry in the resulting 8,400,000 different species.

Shiva is in charge of ignorance. Passion leads to creation and ignorance destruction. Therefore, when the time is fit, the great god, Mahadeva, gets to work on destroying the creation that first came into being through Brahma’s work.

Vishnu controls the mode of goodness. He is the maintainer. Not surprisingly, goodness leads to good things. The mode of goodness is doing things the right way; leading to advancement, both in the present life and the future. Lord Vishnu maintains effortlessly, while lying down in rest.

So which one is superior? Are they equal? Can a person approach any one of them and get the same result? Bhrigu Muni made a test of this many years back. He decided he would offend each of the three deities and assess their reactions. Brahma was offended through thoughts and Shiva through words. Both became angry, but somehow Bhrigu was spared punishment.

The saint then offended Lord Vishnu with deeds, kicking the chest of the maintainer. Surprisingly, Vishnu did not get offended. Instead, He was worried that Bhrigu’s foot might be hurt, since Vishnu’s transcendental body is so strong.

From this test it was determined that Vishnu possesses the mode of goodness in full. In fact, He is beyond the creation. He actually expands into the three deities to manage the affairs of the material world. The original Vishnu lies down in rest, and through His breathing, which we consider an involuntary activity, the universes manifest and dissolve.

In the above referenced verse from the Dohavali, Goswami Tulsidas passes on the sentiments of the Supreme Lord Rama, who is non-different from Vishnu. Hearing about the different forms, expansions, avataras, or what have you can certainly get confusing, but know that the Supreme Lord is not limited to a specific manifestation. It is not that if you are devoted to Vishnu, Rama is neglected. If Krishna is your deity of choice, it is the same as if you were worshiping Rama.

That is not to say that every divine figure is equal. Vishnu and His non-different expansions are always above. Still, from Rama’s opinion we see that those who are dear to Him must be respected. If a person is a dasa, or servant, of Rama, but at the same time holds enmity for Shiva, then there is no hope for them.

The inverse situation holds true, as well. Mahadeva is known as the greatest Vaishnava, or devotee of Vishnu. In fact, his worshipable deity of choice, the ishta-deva, is Shri Rama, the one who holds the bow in His hand and protects the interests of His friends like Sugriva and Vibhishana. Rama is the life and soul of the brother Lakshmana, the wife Sita, and the dedicated representative Hanuman.

If a person loves Shiva but hates Rama, they are doomed to hell for an entire kalpa. The word ghora is used. This means “ghastly.” It is not just any hell the person goes to. The sentence is for the worst kind of hellish region, and for an entire age.

Such a punishment only frightens the materialists, as the pure devotees don’t mind going anywhere as long as they get to practice their devotion. Only the materialist would meet such qualifications as preferring one deity, while having intense hatred for the other.

The real devotee of Rama loves the entire creation, from sinner to saint. Naturally, they will have affection for Mahadeva, his wife Parvati, and their beloved child Ganesha. Such devotion to Rama is so powerful that other gods are automatically satisfied and honored; a separate effort is not required.

In Closing:

Deities presiding over material modes three,

Picture of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva to see.

Brahma in passion the creation,

Over ignorance Shiva’s destruction.

Vishnu maintaining all along,

Glorified in Vedas songs.

Love for Rama, for others too offer,

Otherwise in worst hell to suffer.

Independent Contractors

“In this world everyone is troubled by everyone else; no one is really a servant of anyone else. Tulsi says that whatever good can come will only be through the merciful Shri Rama.” (Dohavali, 100)

bādhaka saba saba ke bhae sādhaka bhae na koi |
tulasī rāma k।rpālu teṃ bhalo hoi so hoi ||

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“There is svartha to consider. There is the time factor. There is mortality. It only makes sense, then, that I would look after myself first. Who else is going to take care of me? My parents won’t be around forever. The spouse insists on some kind of support. It’s not like there are no options. Divorce is a real possibility. Children will one day move on to some other place. All that support I gave them will be forgotten.

Don’t get me started on friends. What happened to them? They are gone. I never speak with them. We spent so much time together. There are great memories. Now everyone is busy doing their own thing. It’s been years. It’s like nobody in this world really cares about anyone else.”

A similar assessment is made by Goswami Tulsidas in the Dohavali. The idea is that even friends are there only while a shared interest is met. Once there is a conflict, the friendship can break. A true sadhaka, which is a servant, is difficult to find.

The good Samaritan who helps a person in need on the street can later get sued for interference. The employee loyal for so many years to the employer can jump at a better offer to work someplace else. Though they would be considered in the laborer class, they are more of an independent contractor. “Meet my demands and I will do the work.”

As there is always an element of reciprocal interest, it is difficult for real good to be done. I’m only helping you now because you are helping me in some way. What is actually good for you may not be done. The same goes for me.

Goswami Tulsidas says that the mercy of Shri Rama is required. This makes sense since Rama is not in need of anything. He is married to Sita Devi, the goddess of fortune. There is no poverty in that household. The concept of daridra-narayana is not valid, since the real Narayana is the wealthiest person in the world. He is the original proprietor of everything; He has the proper claim on all objects that can be possessed.

A true sadhaka is one who serves Shri Rama. It is difficult to not seek personal interest in the beginning, as that is the typical way for transactions to occur. Rama’s association is so purifying that the selfishness in His presence does not remain for long.

The purified conditioned soul, who now serves without purpose and without motive, seeks only the pleasure of Rama. They look to be able to continue to serve, and the merciful Rama obliges. No other benefactor behaves this way. Even if another were so inclined, they lack the potency, as all-devouring death arrives eventually.

Rama is Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is neither affected by death nor influenced by time. He remembers every deed done in His honor, and He rewards even the most basic gesture of kindness. Due to forgetfulness we tend to behave in the opposite way. After so many years of loyalty, just one transgression from a friend can make them our enemy.

The servant of Rama has the potential to rise so high that they earn a greater stature. One example is Shri Hanuman. In family pictures, Hanuman is always kneeling in front, in a small form as compared to the others. Hanuman can expand to the size of a mountain, but he remains this way out of humility. He never thinks that he has become the boss. Because of his pure devotion to Rama to this day Hanuman is honored throughout the world.

In Closing:

So happy a friend to see,

But really wanting something from me.

Only then the relationship to exist,

Otherwise not long to persist.

True sadhaka in world difficult to find,

Tulsi the position of Rama to remind.

That never even simplest gesture forgetting,

Servants like Hanuman the highest stature getting.