- By HG Devakinandan prabhu, disciple of His Holiness Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj
namo 'kincana-vittaaya / nivrtta-guna-vrttaye aatmaaraamaaya shaantaaya / kaivalya-pataye namah
"My obeisances are unto You, who are the property of the materially impoverished. You have nothing to do with the actions and reactions of the material modes of nature. You are self-satisfied, and therefore You are the most gentle and are master of the monists."
Akinchana vittaaya - Krishna is the property of the materially impoverished:
One day Satyabhama was sitting with Krishna and at that point Narada muni comes and Satyabhama prays to Narada muni and says, "Welcome my dear Narada, what can I give you?" Narada muni says, "You can give me something which you consider to be most valuable." So she said I have many things which are valuable. She brought Narada into her room and she said, "See Krishna has given me all this wealth. He has given me diamonds, ear rings, bracelets, anklets everything.
They have so much value." Then Narada said, "Is this the most valuable item you have?" Satyabhama is devotee. So she says, "The person who has give me this is more valuable than all the valuable things that I have." So then Narada said, "Then I want that which is most valuable." So Satyabhama got trapped. She said the person who has given her all this is most valuable.
Therefore He is the one most precious to her. Just before then Narada had been asked by her what he wanted and she had agreed to give that to him. So when she said Krishna is most valuable to her, Narada said, "I will take Krishna with me. He is most valuable. So I will take Him with me." So Satyabhama begins to worry. She cannot bear to live in separation from Krishna. So she tells Narada muni, "I will give you something which is equal in value to Krishna. Is that alright?" Narada muni said, "If you can find that, I will be very happy."
So she says, "Krishna come here." We all know Krishna acted as a perfect hen-pecked husband of Satyabhama. Wherever Satyabhama says, "Krishna come", He will come. "Krishna, sit" and He will sit. "Krishna I want paarijaata flower" and He will take the whole tree. That is the greatness of Krishna.
So Krishna immediately came and said, "How can I serve you?" Satyabhama then told the servant to bring a large scale and then she says, "Krishna You sit on the left side." And immediately the scale goes down. So Satyabhama then looks around.
She goes to the room. She starts taking all the items of jewellery that Krishna had given her and she puts everything there confidently thinking that at some point the scale will become equal. Maharaj says that almost two hours had passed and she had put everything she has on the scale. Nothing left on her own body even. Krishna had not moved even an inch up. Then she calls all the other queens and asks them to bring all their jewellery. She puts everything on the pan and still Krishna does not move even an inch. Now she is really beginning to sweat. Narada Muni says, "If you cannot reach the value of Krishna, then I am going to take Krishna" and Krishna was just smiling and waiting to see the outcome. He does not want to interfere. Two great devotees are there. Better not to get into trouble. Just sit down and wait. Sometimes Maharaj says we are also caught in crossfire between two devotees. Both devotees want to serve Krishna and therefore they fight. When the two devotees are fighting for Krishna, better keep silent and be in the centre. That is the safest, Maharaj says. So Krishna sits down and waits.
Now Rukmini mata comes into the palace. Satyabhama calls Rukmini, "My dear sister, you must now help me." Maharaj says, Normally, Satyabhama doesn’t really like Rukmini mata so much. She is in the leftist camp and Rukmini is in the rightist camp. So little bit of tension is there sometimes, not so much from Rukmini’s side, but Satyabhama. Maharaj says Satyabhama has a bit of a heavy mentality. She likes to exert her authority over Krishna. So Rukmini mata comes in and she says, "What can I do?" Satyabhama explains that "Narada is going to take Krishna if we are not able to find something equal in value to Krishna. I have tried my best. All the jewellery in the palace is put and there is nothing left. Can you help me?" Rukmini mata becomes very upset. She says, “My dear sister Satyabhama, how can you really think that you can measure Krishna with any amount of material wealth?" All the wealth you have in the world cannot equal to Krishna and that is very true. The more wealth you have, the more you forget Krishna and the more you forget Krishna, the more anxious you become not for Krishna, but in forgetfulness of Krishna. So Rukmini mata said, "I know only one thing in this world which will really be equal to the value of Krishna." She goes outside and she picks one beautiful Tulasi leaf.
She comes inside and she prays very earnestly to Krishna, "Krishna, You please accept Tulasi maharani. She is Your dear most devotee. No one excels her in devotion. You please accept this with whatever little devotion I also have and if You can accept this, then You please be pleased with us. We do not want to lose You Krishna and Your value can never be measured." Saying like that,Rukmini mata throws all the jewellery aside and she puts Tulasi maharani on the pan and Krishna goes way up and Tulasi maharani goes way down. And Krishna starts laughing. Narada starts laughing. Satyabhama almost faints and she runs to Rukmini and says, "Now I know why you are the most favorite queen of Krishna because you realize the true value of Krishna."
It is such a simple story but is so deep because it tells us that very often we run after Krishna with all the material paraphernalia but we do not realize that He is not interested in that. He is interested only if you run after His devotees. Tulasi maharani is His devotee.
If you serve His devotees, then Krishna's value increases in our lives.
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