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Lord's Lotus Feet

is the Safest Shelter

 Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept our humble pranams. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Gurudev.

Miseries are like uninvited guests at home. They keep coming and going in our lives. Srila Prabhupada very nicely mention in his book Science of Self realisation very nicely mentions that, "In this material world no one wants misery, but it comes. Unexpectedly, like a forest fire that starts without anyone's striking a match, it comes. No one wants a war, but war is fought. No one wants famine, but famine comes. No one wants pestilence, but it comes. No one wants fighting, but there is fighting. No one wants misunderstanding, but there is. Why? This is like a blazing fire in the forest. And it cannot be extinguished by fire engines. This blazing fire of problems cannot be extinguished by our so-called advancement of knowledge. No. That is not possible, Just as one cannot extinguish a forest fire by sending a fire engine or by bringing some water, the problems of our life cannot be solved by material processes."

Few days ago there was a very unfortunate accident in Chennai wherein a 7 year old girl who was returning from school in bus died in a very pathetic way. As parents we usually think that it is safer for children to go in school bus rather than public bus. Here also this child was travelling in a school bus, it also appeared as if she was seated in a safe place. (She was sitting six seats behind the driver.) But as soon as her stop came, she rose from her seat, and when she took one step forward, the cardboard which was used in the bus to hide a hole near her seat, broke and she fell right down, just to be crushed by the wheels of the same bus. Unfortunately the driver didn't notice her fall and the child who was supposed to have reached her house in few minutes, had left the world. Though the government has punished the driver and caretaker of bus, for using such a defective bus, no-one can bring back the girl to her parents. How much painful it would be for the parents to see their dear daughter die? We all love our children and take every care to put them in a good school, provide them safe way of transportation etc. But the bitter truth is that no place is safe in this world. The Lord's lotus feet alone is the safest shelter in all the worlds. If not for His shelter, we are all helpless and are not capable of protecting our own selves, what to speak of our kith and kin. Supreme Lord alone is in control of everyone and everything and unless He allows, we cannot help or protect each other. This reminds us the following lines of Srila Prabhupada. "Prahlada Maharaja says, "My dear Lord, the father and mother are not actually the protectors of the children." The father and mother take care of their children; that is their duty. But they are not the ultimate protectors. When nature's law calls the child, the father and mother cannot protect him. Therefore although generally it is considered a fact that the father and mother are the protectors of the child, actually it is not a fact. If someone is sailing the ocean and he thinks he has a very nice seat, will that protect him? No. Still he may drown. A nice airplane is flying in the sky, everyone is safe, but all of a sudden it crashes. Nothing material can protect us. Suppose someone is diseased. He may engage a good physician who gives good medicine, but that will not guarantee that he will live. Then what is the ultimate guarantee? Prahlada Maharaja says, "My dear Lord, if You neglect someone, nothing can protect him."

baalasya neha sharanam pitarau nrsimha
naartasya caagadam udanvati majjato nauh
taptasya tat-pratividhir ya ihaanjaseshthas
taavad vibho tanu-bhrtaam tvad-upekshitaanaam

"My Lord Nrsimhadeva, O Supreme, because of a bodily conception of life, embodied souls neglected and not cared for by You cannot do anything for their betterment. Whatever remedies they accept, although perhaps temporarily beneficial, are certainly impermanent. For example, a father and mother cannot protect their child, a physician and medicine cannot relieve a suffering patient, and a boat on the ocean cannot protect a drowning man." (SB 7.9.19)

Srila Prabhupada explains in his purport that despite the presence of a father and mother, a child cannot be protected from accidental death, disease and various other miseries. No one can help, including the parents. Ultimately the shelter is the Lord, and one who takes shelter of the Lord is protected. This is guaranteed. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (9.31), kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyat - "O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes." Therefore, unless one is protected by the mercy of the Lord, no remedial measure can act effectively. One should consequently depend fully on the causeless mercy of the Lord.

Though it is very painful to accept these facts, this is the reality. Each and every one of have our own destiny according to our past karma. We don't have track of whatever sins or good deeds we had done in the past life. But Krishna, Supreme Lord has every detail in tact in His account and as a well-wishing father, He bestows us with happiness/distress as per our karma and His will. We might think that He should always reward us and never punish us. But actually His punishment is also mercy for us. In this context there is story of Pandarpur. Every day evening Lord Vithala use to go out and return after few hours. One day Rukhmini devi asked Lord Vithala, "Where are you going every day?" Then Lord replied, "One of my great devotee is very sick and he cannot do any thing on his own. I am going there to help him". Then Rukhmini devi said, "You are bhakata vatsala, then why are you allowing him to suffer? Why don't you make him alright?" Then Lord replied, "If I will do so, then again he has to take birth in this material world to complete his cycle. On the other hand if he simply tolerates the misery now and continues with bhakti, then he can come back to Me in this life itself." So when we face troubles, we should understand that it is because of our own past sins and Supreme Lord Krishna apart from giving the punishment, is also giving us the strength to overcome it, as long as we stick on to His shelter.

Let me therefore sincerely pray to the Supreme Lord, Srila Prabhupada and Gurudev to bestow Their mercy upon us so that we can understand the above fact and depend fully on the causeless mercy of the Lord.

Thank you very much
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Gurudev,
Tushta Krsna Das and Suniti Devi Dasi,
Sharjah.