Oh Mother! Give me Jnana, Bhakti and Vairagya!, by Parag Singla
No one knows the complexities of divine play. Inscrutable are the ways of the Lord that only a few can understand; others call it fate. Such a life-shattering event occurred in the life of Narendra when he had passed his degree course in the college. Everything was going smoothly for him at home and at Dakshineswar, when his father suddenly died of massive heart attack. The liberal attorney, Vishwanath Dutta, although outwardly appeared well off, was in severe debt. His unusual generosity and carelessness in handling money-matters had put him in a situation where nothing was left as savings. The debtors took away their share, leaving the bereaved family in utter poverty and want. Narendra’s uncles also shied away in this hour of crisis and, instead of helping him, they also took their share and kept aloof.
In this state of despair, Narendra thought of his Guru as the only hope. He said to Sri Ramakrishna, “Sir, please pray to the Mother so that my family is supplied with coarse grain and clothes. I know the Mother listens to you and definitely grants your prayers.” But Sri Ramakrishna had different plans. He said, “Look my boy, I have given everything to the Mother; how can I ask back anything from her now? But I can tell you one thing, why don’t you go and pray to the Mother to fulfill your wish? My Mother is very kind and gracious and, I am sure, she will not disappoint you.”
Thus, Narendra was forced to pray to Mother Kali for fulfilling his wants. That night Narendra and Sri Ramakrishna were alone in the Kali Temple, when Narendra went to the Mother’s shrine to pray and ask for material things of urgent necessity. However, as he entered the shrine all that he could say was, “O Mother, please give me Jnana, Bhakti and Vairagya.”
Having prayed thus, Narendra returned to where Sri Ramakrishna was waiting for him. Sri Ramakrishna inquired, “Naren, have you asked for food and money required for your family?” Swami Vivekananda, surprised as he was as well, replied, “Why, no sir. I asked for Jnana, Bhakti and Vairagya” “You naive,” said Sri Ramakrishna, “Go and ask for wealth and the things you actually need now.” Thrice Swami Vivekananda went to Ma Kali, but could not utter a word about money, clothes, food, and etc.; instead every time he prayed for Jnana, Bhakti and Vairagya.
As soon as Swami Vivekananda entered the temple, his mind would rise to such a wonderful state of consciousness that the whole world, including money, material comfort, and food, lost its value, and in its place there shone forth the radiant face of divine and blissful Mother, gracious enough to grant highest Jnana, Bhakti and Variragya. Who would ask for transient and useless things when Mother was ready to grant such priceless things? Who would ask for pebbles when someone was distributing the gems!
Now Swami Vivekananda understood the deep meaning and significance of Sri Ramakrishna’s word, that formless God and God with form as Mother were but one. Swami Vivekananda accepted Mother as the highest embodiment of spiritual virtues, power, and knowledge. Exhausted, but satiated with inner knowledge of divinity in all of its aspects, he bowed down at the holy feet of Sri Ramakrishna and said, ‘O Lord, today I came to know who you are. You are all, everything in this universe. I do not want anything anymore from the Mother. It is all your wish.’ Embracing his disciple, the master assured, “Go my son, be at peace. From today onwards you and your family would ever be provided with simple clothes, food, and shelter. This much I guarantee for you.”
Source: : http://us.geocities.com/neovedanta/sv5.html
Parag Singla is a PhD student at the Computer Science Department at University of Washington. You can reach him at parag@cs.washington.edu
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