Granting Of A Writ Of Certiorari

“In the Hari-bhakti-sudhadaya there is another example, forwarded by Maharaj Dhruva. He says there, ‘My dear Lord, I have practiced austerities and penances because I was desiring to receive something from You, but in exchange You have allowed me to see You, who are never visible even to the great sages and saintly persons. I had been searching out some pieces of broken glass, but instead I have found the most valuable jewel. I am therefore fully satisfied, my Lord. I do not wish to ask anything more from Your Lordship.’" (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 46)

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Friend1: Did you know that the Supreme Court doesn’t accept every case that comes its way?

Friend2: This is for the United States?

Friend1: Yes.

Friend2: What do you mean by every case? I think courts have to be selective in some way.

Friend1: I mean to say that not every appeal made to the highest court in the land gets granted a hearing.

Friend2: Oh. I did know that. People always speculate in this way or another. They say that if the court agrees to hear the case, it means that a majority of the judges has some inkling towards reversal.

Friend1: Granting of a writ of certiorari. Yes, the public tries to predict the outcome. They go by the questions offered by the bench during oral arguments.

Friend2: I’ve heard both sides on that issue. Some say that you can tell which way a particular justice is leaning based on their questions. Others say that the questions don’t mean anything. And then you have the justice or two who never says a word.

Friend1: I kind of like that. Keep everyone guessing. What do the arguments really do, anyway? Most of these cases are pretty straightforward. Read the law. Review the Constitution. Check if everything is aligned. If not, reverse the decision.

Friend2: The implications of the decision are where the problems come into play. There is politics. Though the court should always side with the law, the news reports afterwards will claim that the court chose the side of one party over another.

Friend1: Let me know if there is a similarity here. Could you compare the Supreme Personality of Godhead to the Supreme Court?

Friend2: I mean His judgment is final. He is the highest authority. He is the first law-giver and also the determining factor in how those laws operate. At the same time, He is not influenced by politics. He does not pretend to be fair and objective and then carry out some alternate agenda.

Friend1: I’m speaking in terms of petitioning. If you make a request to Him, in the form of prayer, it is not guaranteed to be heard.

Friend2: I wouldn’t say that. Everywhere are His eyes, ears and so forth. Bhagavan expands as the Supersoul to act as the all-pervading witness. He sees everything.

Friend1: Seeing is one thing, but actually agreeing to a meeting is another. Look at the example of Dhruva. He went to the forest and meditated. People were impressed by his dedication to tapasya. Eventually, Lord Vishnu arrived riding on Garuda.

Friend2: A special case, for sure.

Friend1: That is my point! It was like the Supreme Court agreeing to hear a case. It turned out not to be a waste of time, either, as Dhruva changed his desires. He initially wanted the meeting in order to get revenge on the step-mother. He wanted to be able to sit on the lap of the king, who was also his father.

Friend2: Then simply by meeting Vishnu everything changed. Dhruva compared the previous desire to pieces of broken glass. Now he had found the most valuable jewel in Vishnu’s association. Going forward he only wanted to continue to serve.

Friend1: Yes; no other benediction necessary. Not every person is as fortunate, though.

Friend2: What do you mean?

Friend1: Just because I pray to God for a long time, it doesn’t mean that I will meet Him.

Friend2: I wouldn’t agree with that. It may appear that way to you, but if you are dedicated in that path, then certainly success will come.

व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिर्
एकेह कुरु-नन्दन
बहु-शाखा ह्य् अनन्ताश् च
बुद्धयो ऽव्यवसायिनाम्

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca
buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām

“Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.41)

Another way to look at it is that if I try to satisfy a material desire through a different avenue, I have no chance of meeting Bhagavan. You are supposed to be above desire and hate, attraction and aversion, gain and loss and other pairs of conditions in duality. Yet that is a high standard to which every person may not reach immediately.

Friend1: Sure.

Friend2: Therefore, even if there are struggles within the material world, bring them to Bhagavan. Petition Him for help. You may not get the face-to-face meeting immediately, but there will be some purification along the way. Just repeating the maha-mantra on a daily basis has such a strong effect: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Though not immediately to detect,

Still coming a purifying effect.

When issues Bhagavan to,

Instead of personal effort through.

Not like some cases to reject,

Which from court to expect.

Dhruva after a time long meeting,

But reward of Vishnu greeting.