Krishna Responds Very Quickly Sometimes!

Recently, Krishna mercifully answered one of my prayers and I wanted to share that with you all :)

2 weeks ago, I was on my way to work when I remembered Krishna, which inspired my heart to utter a little prayer. I prayed, "Krishna, thank You for this beautiful day. Help me, Kanha, to go through this day working to please You, and in full surrender to You. Be merciful to me, Oh Gopinath, and help me to remember You just a little bit today. Even if I remember You once throughout the day, I will consider myself lucky."

And that was it. I reached my office and started doing my work. At about 1 PM, my friend called me to have lunch with her. I wasn't going to go meet her as someone else had invited me, but I had ditched her for lunch the previous day so thought I should meet her for lunch. Then when I met her, I found out she was fasting. I asked her why and she said it was to worship Shiva. Then we started talking about Shiva and I told her how I loved Shiva, especially in his form as Nataraja. I then explained to her how Shiva is the greatest Vaishnava and I explained a little bit about Krishna and the Bhagavad Gita to her. I narrated the lila about Krishna's birth and showed her the most significant verse in the Bhagavad Gita:

"Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend." - Bhagavad Gita, 18.65

She seemed interested in hearing about the lilas and I was having a lot of fun talking to her about Krishna and spreading some of His wisdom. A lot of time passed simply speaking about Krishna and our lunch break ended up taking up more time than we are allowed.

Later on, when thinking about how awesome it was to speak to someone about Krishna and preach a little, I realized what Krishna had done: He had answered my morning prayer. Not only had He mercifully let me remember Him 'just a little bit' like I had asked, He also let me spend about an hour speaking about His glories to someone who didn't know much about Him. He mercifully allowed me to do a little preaching for Him. The whole day went wonderfully with me receiving lots of good news: I got complimented at work, my friend got a promotion, my other friend got a bonus... that whole day was filled with mercy and grace!

All of this brings me back to what a devoted Christian had once told my friend, "If you need something from God, just ask." This is so true! The first thing you need to have is desire. From that desire comes determination, so it was very important to have that desire. Then you must have the willingness to surrender to God's will, and realize that no one but God can truly fulfill your wishes, as He is our only provider. It is ideal for devotees to not ask for material things, but it is also ideal that if we ever have any urgent material needs, we should turn to Krishna and Krishna only. Remember that even material needs become spiritual ones when used in service of Krishna. So either need Krishna or need something for Krishna - that will become a perfect desire!

The most important thing to realize is that sometimes, God answers our prayers in the way we ask. Sometimes, God answers our prayers by not answering them. In whichever way He chooses to answer them, know that it is what is best for us.

"When we get what we want, that is Hari Kripa [Hari's Mercy], when we don't get what we want, that is Hari Iccha [Hari's Will]"

Hare Krishna

The Pictures Say it All!

i have no words to describe the beautiful pics that follow...no catchy captions...no poetic uselessness...no pretend-smart comments...no words to describe the beauty and greatness of our dear Lord. So, do enjoy the feast!

Morning Miracle

Sunday Morning's are always lazy.

It's not the day after work, but the day before it.

Come Monday, and you have a storm awaiting you.

So, today, when i "got up", it was an early 05: 30. But, after a lot of (day) dreams, it was two hours later that i pulled myself out of bed.

It's funny, but there's more work on a Sunday than a normal day. This includes all that procrastinated cleaning, and in my case, a dangerously huge amount of laundry to take care of.

All this cumulative excuses made me decide that i could take care of the morning pooja later, and decided to devote myself to essential work.

So, even as the radio played some beautiful songs that made me think of the Hero of this blog, i chose to do with an apology unto Him.

Now, we just shifted houses, and we are still living out of suitcases, so to speak.

This makes access to basic things like a calendar very difficult.

Things that really make your life, you will never understand until you don't have them.

So, even as the simple task of glancing at a calendar is made complicated, we still managed to discover it is an Ekadasi today.

Damn my resolve to do productive work, i thought!

But, i still decided not to budge. i proclaimed another heart-felt apology, and continued what i was doing.

All the while, the music was making me think more and more about Him.

And, add to this, our neighbours having organized some chanting, the beautiful sounds of it easily pierced our walls, and icily pierced my heart, leaving it full of guilt.

i moaned about how, even on any normal day, i wouldn't have breakfast till i had finished the morning prayers. And, today being an Ekadasi, i felt so distraught that i was going to eat without having His "theertham"

So, even as i poured milk into a bowl, and added the diet conscious breakfast cereal, my mind kept apologizing to Him.

Not really thinking about it, i reached out for a water bottle kept on the kitchen shelf (another drawback you get used to when shifting is drinking water out of bottles).

Anyways, drinking water is one of those voluntary activities you enver think about.

But, even as a song played inside me, even as the water touched the insides of my mouth, a sweetness filled me.

Yes! It was not plain water. It was flavoured with cardamom and tulasi. The small flakes of cardamom teased my tongue and the fragrance of tulsi stunned my senses.

This could not be...it had to be....but how could it?????

It was HIS THEERTHAM!

Someone had stored it in a water bottle!! (i suspect my dear grandmother)

And, i had drunk it even before i had had my breakfast!

I had picked up some random bottle without thinking, and it turned out to be His theertham!

i was not in any position today morning to offer prayers, or go see Him, but He had blessed me with His mercy anyways!

How do i describe what all i felt?

How do i describe this dear heartthrob, who answered my thoughts so sweetly?

How can i describe the greatness of this Lord of ours, who threw "protocol" to the winds, and gave me the greatest gift?

Oh! How wonderful are His ways!

Today, he blessed an unfit devotee, by giving me what i had wanted.

Today He gave me theertham on His own, even when i had not taken my morning bath!

i still know it is wrong not to fast today, but whatever may be it, that kind Parthasarathy now has my heart firmly fastened to His feet.

Checking Out Krishna!

Two days ago, my friend called me.

She said we must go have a nice girls' day out.
A girls' day out is quite a thing for girls, but i can hardly say the same for the guys, unfortunately.
And she made me get into an agreement that it would be exactly as i said above. :)
I was pretty excited, as it had been long since i had done anything of that sort.

Two hours later, after this conversation, i found myself in my lover's house.

While making that little "agreement" of ours, i had been thinking a lot about dear PSP.
It was a bit of a weird situation for me, as i was at loss what to say.
On one hand was my dearest lover, whom i could never possibly cheat on.
On the other, my best friend, excited about having the little joys in life.
To say the truth, even i was excited about having a good time with her.

So, i stood in front of PSP. Tall, handsome, dark, and, at that moment, quite intimidating.
"You know i never will look at anyone but You?"
Not  a flutter on His face!
"Look, You know about my conversation over the phone. You know everything. You know what is planned!"
No smile yet!
"It may mean nothing to You, but i am committed to You. And, THIS is just not happening behind Your back! i cannot be guilty, never in front of You."
Still, no response from dear PSP.
i was exasperated by now. i felt like crying.
"Fine, do whatever You want, as usual. i am surrendered unto You. You are more important than anything else. If You will it, let me go. Otherwise, i'll be fine yeilding to Your wish!"

The next day, a number of developments made sure i could not go.
i felt pretty let down, but i had reconciled myself to His will.
In fact, i stood in front of Him as the doll i was in His hands.

 

"If that is Your will, then so be it!"

An amazing calm was enveloping me.

i called my friend. i told her i couldnt make it.

Afterall, He was (is) my dearest lover. And, i was bound by His words.

i slept off, my mind in a tumult of thoughts.

When i woke up, the world had changed!

ok, not the world, but my world-the "developments" which had stopped me from going, where now gone themselves.

To cut  a boring story short, i was racing to the hottest mall in town! :)

But, when it came to honouring my stupid "agreement", i failed totally!

Yes, we girls had lot of fun. Yes, the girls were checking out the guys, big time.

Yes, i too tried joining in....And failed miserably!

i ended up searching for a dark, handsome moustached man in the last place i must look for Him!

That evening, i ran to my PSP. 

For, He is my One and Only One.

For, my heart lies at His feet.

For, my heart yearns for His caress.

For, in my lover's house i did what i had been incapable the whole day- i "checked out" the most handsome guy in the Universe. :)

My friends had their own ideas of "play". Actually, even i did.

But in all this, He managed to play His own game!

IDIOT PSP!

Ladoos Part II: Analysing The Perfect Taste

DISCLAIMER: This is a blog on Krishna, and it remains a blog on Krishna.But, His ladoos are impossibly irresistible. Ofcourse, the fact that we are analysing "His Prasad" talks volumes, not of our culinary skills, but rather, of how much we are in love with Him- and His food.
********************************************************************************
It's midnight...

i am having a snack...

Yes, i have been talkng of tirupati Balaji for a while now.
Thanks to a dear, new friend who has been constantly singing His praises.

And my dear Srinivasa, made my dad spring an "unexpected", out-of-the-blue trip to Tirupati.
And quite expectedly, i am now with laddu/ladoo in my hands.

So, i began analysing the taste.
What is the special ingredient that makes it worthy of an ISI mark?
Definitely more than nus, ghee, flour, sugar, jaggery....
ingredients:
1) The devotees' love in painstakingly making these ladoos
2) The devotees' minds which yearn for these ladoos, and the Lord's eagerness to quench their thirst
3) The devotees' desire to parcel it and send it to as many people as possible
And other such ingredients.....

Aandal aka kothai (a famous Tamil poet who sang about Krishna and married Him) says in Tirupaavai (Tamil)
"Koodi irundhu kulirndhelor empaavay!"
"Come, gather together [have prasad] (she tells Krishna) (with your devotees) and be cooled in your minds!"

Ofcourse, Aandal meant a speciality dish called "Akkara adisal" which, in its French version, may be tiramisu. (Is tiramisu French or Italian?)


But, the picture shows them giving Him laddus.

And, this song is the REASON why laddu is soooo special to me.
1) Because He touched it with His hands
2) Because, somewhere in that nut-ball, hidden is the sweet nectar of His honey-dew lips, when He had touched those laddoos to His mouth
3) Because, His hands are more eager to give the ladoos to us than to take them Himself
4) Because, as i sit eating His ladoos, i know HE IS WATCHING with a smile

To a surrendered slave, a besotten lover, by this respect, even the mud-ball He ate as a kid would taste like Amrita, actually it IS greater than Amrita...
But would we have our dear Krishna eat mud-balls?????
No, no, no, !!!
He is entitled to the tastiest of dishes, and delicacies.
And, we shall serve Him that He has none less than the perfect!! :)

P.S: Back to the title, what is the receipe?? His greatness, His love, His mercy, and His infinite number of qualities make that ladoo irresisitible. THE ONLY WAY U R GETTING IT RIGHT IS BY FALLING AT HIS BEAUTIFUL FEET! There is no other way!!!!

The Story of Meera

There were two kinds of women in Vrindavan: those who were born there and those who came there in marriage.
While Radha was a Vrajavasi, there was a girl was from Mathura.
She came to Vrindavan as a new bride.
Her friends had already been teasing her that she would lose herself to the famous blue-complexioned boy, but she had laughed it off.

She had come to Vrindavan to make it her home.
But, she saw no homes there.
When she went, she saw not the splendor of Vraj, but utter disaster.
It was raining incessantly. There were dilapidated ruins of houses all around her. Trees were falling.
And, there were none around her.
Such appalling sights for a new bride!
And then she saw!
A mountain hanging in mid-air!
Amazed, she went to see what it was/
And there she saw, a blue-complexioned boy, with peacock feathers in His hair, wearing a yellow garment, His hands bearing the large mountain almost lazily by the pinky.
She saw the whole village crowded around His feet, staring at Him with happiness.

Then she realized-there were no houses in Vraj, but they had found the truest shelter.
And, she lost herself to Him that very minute.
And, as she stood dumbstruck, He invited her with His eyes, smiling.
But, just then, a stroke of lightning struck her.
She died instantly, the thoughts of Giridhari in her head, and her eyes, and her heart.
i have read that it was this girl who was born as Meera.
She always sang about Giridhari, in all her songs.
This is why.
Coz the reason of her birth was her intense longing for Giridhari. :)

Lord Srinivasa of Tirupati with the Flute

How long can someone NOT look at Him if He is this handsome???

It will take a really idiotic heart not to be swayed by His beauty.

Look at Him, standing so handsome and picture-perfect!

i just wanna kiss Him, His cheeks are so perfect and inviting! :))

[செடியாய வல்வினைகள் தீர்க்கும் திருமாலே
நெடியோனே வேங்கடவா நின் கோயிலின் வாசல்
அடியாரும் வானவரும் அரம்பையரும் கிடந்து இயங்கும்
படியாய்க் கிடந்து, உன் பவழ வாய் காண்பேனே!]

"O Lord of Lakshmi who lashes out problems lasting,
O Lord forever at Your devotees service, so majestically standing!
At Your doorstep, as a comfort for Your  devotees aplenty,
Lying as a "step", i shall feast at Your lips' beauty!"

-Kulasekara Alwar
(A very rough, perhaps, not complete translation) 

Just imagine the pure devotion of Alwar here!
He says it's enough if He is a little step on the way to Tirumala.
That way, He will keep looking at Perumal's beautiful's face! 
Such is the greatness of the devotion of His purest devotees.


Pic Courtesy: www.kannansongs.blogspot.com

MannMohanaaa!!

Happy new year people!

"Mohana" means to attract!

While man does get attracted to so many humans by "sight", is that all?

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever."

Ofcourse, what pleases our eyes is joyful.

But, what of one who goes beyond mundane sight?

What of Him whose greatness our mundane eyes can't perceive?

He is the one who "attracts" our mind!

Our attraction to Him is not just what our material senses percieve.

It is the truest connection of our hearts!

So let us lay our hearts at His feet!

This new year, let's take a resolution to "surrender"