Mukunda-mālā-stotram E-Book

Paramahamsa Vishwananda

• Herausgeber: Bhakti Marga Publications
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 244

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

The Mukunda-mālā-stotram is one of Vaiṣṇavism's most beloved devotional prayers, composed by King Kulaśekhara. As the seventh of the twelve Alvars, the mystic bhakti saints of South India, he played a pivotal role in the revival of bhakti and served as an inspiration for Sri Rāmānujācārya's Sri Sampradaya.
This prayer is a celebration of śaraṇāgati, perfect surrender to the Lord, and reminds us to strive for unceasing remembrance of the Lord at all times and places. King Kulaśekhara speaks of the misery of the soul trapped in this world, with its many trials and tribulations, all the while reminding us all that the Supreme Lord, Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, is the only means of liberation from this otherwise endless predicament.

It asks Mukunda, the Lord as the granter of liberation, to give the self-proclaimed unworthy author freedom from the cycle of birth and death. Accompanied by the enlightening commentaries of Paramahamsa Vishwananda, this is unquestionably a must-read
for all aspiring Vaiṣṇavas.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda is a God-realised spiritual Master whose commentaries on scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita, the Srimad Bhagavatam and many more have touched the hearts of thousands, inspiring them to a life of devotion and service to God and humanity.

Leseprobe

Mukunda-mālā-stotram: Commentary on Kulaśekara Alvar's Offering of Love and Surrender

Bhakti Marga Publications

Copyright © 2021 Bhakti Event GmbH

Cover Artwork by DasAvatar Das, copyright © Bhakti Event GmbH

All international rights reserved.

English First Edition

ISBN Print edition: 978-3-96343-084-8

Printed in Germany

Bhakti Marga Publications c/o Shree Peetha Nilaya

Am Geisberg 1-8, 65321 Heidenrod - Springen, Germany

[email protected]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

About Paramahamsa Vishwananda

Verse 1

Verse 2

Verse 3

Verse 4

Verse 5

Verse 6

Verse 7

Verse 8

Verse 9

Verse 10

Verse 11

Verse 12

Verse 13

Verse 14

Verse 15

Verse 16

Verse 17

Verse 18

Verse 19

Verse 20

Verse 21

Verse 22

Verse 23

Verse 24

Verse 25

Verse 26

Verse 27

Verse 28

Verse 29

Verse 30

Verse 31

Verse 32

Verse 33

Verse 34

Verse 35

Verses 36 - 37

Verse 38

Verse 39

Verse 40

PREFACE

Paramahamsa Vishwananda has often said that if one wants to make real spiritual progress, then study the lives of the saints. What the saints have lived, what they have learned, and consequently shared, is of immeasurable value. They are people that have walked the very same path so many are treading today, but by a combination of their wisdom and God’s grace, they have succeeded where so many have not. It is our honour and privilege to walk in their footsteps. For Vaiṣṇava of all sampradāyas, King Kulaśekhara and the Alvars are held in the highest esteem, serving as inspirational and pivotal contributors to the path of bhakti as we know it today.

King Kulaśekhara’s Mukunda-mālā-stotram is special in so many ways, but above all in its ability to capture the sentiments of all Vaiṣṇava in such a relatable and profound manner. As much as he glorifies the Lord with beautiful words of praise, he also expresses his concerns, his difficulties, not seeing himself as being ‘safe’ from the clutches of māyā and consequently pleading with the Lord for His saving mercy. That is the hallmark of every true bhakta. They always demonstrate immense faith in the Lord’s providence and, at the same time, they are very mindful of māyā’s ensnaring nature. There is no arrogance, no entitlement, no presumptuousness; instead, we find humility, self-awareness and surrender.

Among all the forms of bhakti it is smaraṇa-bhakti, the remembrance of God, that is most emphasised by King Kulaśekhara. Afterall, it is arguably the condition of one’s mind that is the most determining factor in one’s spiritual life. As Krishna famously states in the Bhagavad Gita, ‘The mind is a friend to one who has mastered it. But for one whose mind is uncontrolled, it becomes the worst of enemies.’ It is that ignorant mind that creates the illusion of value in the material world, giving rise to all our desires, attachments and, ultimately, obstacles. Every second spent in that ignorance is a missed opportunity to remember the Lord, to serve Him, to love Him – a point never forgotten by King Kulaśekhara.

Perhaps it is this sentiment that best summarises the mindset of the great saint: we do not know what our karma has in store for us. It is foolish to ask for anything, even heaven, when we do not know what it is we actually need. The only one that will always know is Śrīman Nārāyaṇa. So, ask for Him. Long for Him. It is what King Kulaśekhara did, and it is certainly what Paramahamsa Vishwananda wishes for us all to do.

ABOUT PARAMAHAMSA VISHWANANDA

Paramahamsa Vishwananda carries the grace of two lineages which emphasise bhakti: loving devotion to God.

He is an acharya of the Vaiṣṇava tradition, which promotes bhakti through ritual and service. He is also a kriya Master and direct disciple of Mahavatar Babaji in the kriya-yoga lineage. With the blessing of His guru, He introduced Atma Kriya Yoga which promotes bhakti through meditation.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda expertly weaves these two traditions together, one external and one internal, with the bhakti teachings of scriptures and the inspiration of bhakti saints to show everyone how to cultivate a uniquely personal, loving relationship with the Divine.

Since Paramahamsa Vishwananda is a satguru (one who can bring devotees to the level of God-realisation), the glory of God can be revealed through Him. Still, remaining humble and humorous, He makes the unfathomable, unknowable Lord not only real, but practical, tangible and personal. He brings the most profound and subtle truths down to earth, so that the same path that, traditionally, was pursued only by the few, is now accessible to all.

Dedicating His life to uplifting humanity, Paramahamsa Vishwananda’s teachings can be found in His books, videos, spiritual practices, livestream satsangs (spiritual Q&A), online darshan blessings, and His worldwide mission and organisation known as Bhakti Marga (the path of devotion).

paramahamsavishwananda.org

ABOUT BHAKTI MARGA

Based in the heart of Europe, Paramahamsa Vishwananda’s international mission known as Bhakti Marga, ‘the path of devotion’, is a movement of universal Love that is spreading quickly throughout the world.

Its headquarters and ashram near Frankfurt, Germany, has become a hub of spiritual activities, ranging from small courses and workshops to large festivals and events, including the annual ‘Just Love’ music festival that draws thousands every year.

bhaktimarga.org

INTRODUCTION TO THE VERSES

ghuśyate yasya nagare ranga-yātrā dine-dine | tamaham śirasā vande rājānām kulaśekharaṁ ||

I bow to King Kulaśekhara, in whose land pilgrims journey to see Lord Raṅganātha every day.

(This verse refers to how King Kulaśekhara made all his citizens perform a symbolic yātra, where every morning they would wake up and take a few steps in the direction of where Śrī Raṅganātha stayed.)

The Mukunda-mālā-stotram is a stotram that liberates. What does it liberate? It liberates the mind if you meditate upon the verses and really understand what he is talking about.

King Kulaśekhara was living the Rāmāyaṇa. He was also living the childhood of Kṛṣṇa, because there was an instance where he identified himself with Devakī. This is where plays started, actually. When we have drama, we enact a certain play. He is referred to as the one who was the first to bring drama into the lives of the people. We have to see that, at that time, people were not that educated. (Well, also not nowadays!) He brought drama to get their attention, to make them really understand what a spiritual life is. Like Kṛṣṇa said, when somebody who is ‘high’ does something, everybody looks at that person and follows. And of course, Bhagavān has long-term planning. How He reminds everybody of His love is really amazing. It is beyond the comprehension of the mind how He will make bhakti awaken inside the heart, how He will call each person. He always finds His way.

Like it’s said, he is the incarnation of Kaustubha, the crest jewel of Śrīman Nārāyaṇa. That jewel is always residing in the heart of Śrīman Nārāyaṇa. So, whatever is happening inside that heart, that jewel knows about it. Such jewels, when they come, can’t keep this for themselves. They come to elevate everybody to that stage. This is a stage where, very often, if you tell people, ‘Yes, go on the spiritual path, dedicate your life, surrender’, people will never understand because people always like the way things are going with their lives. They like the normality of life which is to live life, work, enjoy and die. They forget that deep within there is something more to that life.

Life is the most precious of all. Without life all your senses would not be active. Do you think without life your mind would be able to think? Do you think your eyes would see? Your ears would hear, your nose would smell, your mouth would speak, or taste? No, there would be nothing! But life is not just to live like an animal. (Well, even animals praise God in their own way.) It’s a reminder that our life is a life of servitude, a life to attain sat-cit-ānanda. It’s not just three mere words like that. It’s a life where we live in that love relationship.

‘I bow to king Kulaśekhara.’ The person who wrote that realised the greatness of that king. There are so many kings. Like Bhūdevī said, ‘So many have gone on Earth, walk through me, so many have this pride and arrogance inside of them. They want to conquer everything.’ In the 12th Canto of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, it is said that, ‘So many kings have walked upon me. So many kings wanted to take possession of me, claiming, “Yes, that’s mine.” But where are they? They are born and they are dead.’ You are born, you think you will have everything, and you will hold upon everything so tightly. We hold upon life so strongly so that it will never go away, but with time, everything goes away. Your beauty, despite how beautiful you are today, tomorrow you will become wrinkly. It doesn’t last for long. You can powder yourself as much as you like with layers and layers on your face, but all will disappear. When you go ‘underground’, the worms will look at you and run away from you, so that when they dig you out, people will think that you are holy because you are intact. But you are forgotten. You will never be remembered.

Here Kulaśekhara is being revered. Why? Because he has touched something deep inside the heart of these people. He has shown them something beyond their mind’s understanding. That miracle of transformation that has happened inside of them—that’s the most beautiful miracle. There is no greater miracle than that. Whenever He makes a certain miracle on the outside, it’s only to remind you or to transform you. That’s what this great king is being praised for.

King Kulaśekhara wanted to go on a pilgrimage: a journey to Śrīraṅgam. From Kerala to Śrīraṅgam is not that near. It’s very far. To go there every day is not possible. So, what would he do? He would tell his people, his citizens, to symbolically walk a few steps towards Śrīraṅgam. We have to understand that part: it’s a constant reminder. Why did he do that? Why did he tell them to walk a few steps towards Śrīraṅgam? When something is constant, it becomes a habit. When something becomes a habit, you start to enjoy it. When you start to enjoy it, of course, it becomes part of you. When it becomes part of you, that is when the transformation happens.

After the Mahābhārat War, the Pāndavās wanted to go for a pilgrimage. They went to Lord Kṛṣṇa and said to Him, ‘Hey Bhagavān, we want to go for pilgrimage to cleanse all our sins from what happened. We killed so many people.’ Bhagavān looked at them and gave them a neem branch. Neem is very bitter. He said, ‘Go for pilgrimage.’

They went to Kāsī, to Prayāg, to many places. And He said, ‘Wherever you go on pilgrimage, bathe that branch. Wherever you go, do that.’ So, they did. Wherever they went for pilgrimage, they would bathe that piece of wood. After their pilgrimage, they returned and Lord Kṛṣṇa asked them, ‘Where is that branch I gave you? Give it to Me.’ So, they gave Him the stick, and Lord Kṛṣṇa broke it into five pieces, gave it to them, and said, ‘Eat it.’ They ate it, and to their amazement it was even more bitter than bitter! Bhagavān said to them, ‘You went for pilgrimage on the outside. Did something change? You washed, you took baths everywhere, in all the sacred rivers and ponds, and so on. Has something changed? You have washed the outside, but has something changed in the inside? Did the neem become sweet? The neem didn’t become sweet. The neem stayed bitter.’

Bhagavān wanted to teach them that a pilgrimage is firstly to transform yourself. And that’s what Kulaśekhara is doing, the same thing for his people. It’s not just to go to Śrīraṅgam and come back. That is easy. Thousands of people go to pilgrimage every day. They pass in front of the deity, ‘Jai ho Śrīman Nārāyaṇa!’ And then they move and go out. Nothing has changed. But when something is a constant reminder, the change is meant to happen. When you are doing japam, for example, it’s a constant chanting of the Divine Name. Something that is constant brings change. So, moving a few steps towards Śrīraṅgam is moving a few steps from the mind towards the beloved Lord inside your heart. Of course, mechanically outside you have to do it, because you have a body and you have a mind. Bhakti doesn’t awaken just like that. Bhakti is not awakened just when you read a book or you go and take a certain course and become knowledgeable. You do some āsana, you become very flexible. But bhakti doesn’t awaken just like this. Bhakti awakens when there is sincerity inside of you, when your mind is fully saturated with rāsa. Then bhakti awakens. So, that’s what he is trying to do: to remind people of what that pilgrimage is, of the importance of that pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage places are filled with whom? With devotees. With the devotees of the Lord Himself. In the mind of these devotees there is only Bhagavān inside. Pilgrimage is not just a random place. It’s a place sanctified with the presence of devotees. That’s why you see Kāsī, Prayāg, Rāmeśvaram, Vṛndāvan, and these places are full. There are so many devotees, so many places where great sages meditated and did their penance. These places are not just simple places. Śrīraṅgam, for example, is not just to go there to see the temple, to see the Lord. No. It’s to really feel His Love, feel all these thousands of people who have gone there with devotion, feel the energy around it, all the worship, all the great bhaktas who have worshipped there.

When you go to Vṛndāvan, for example, Vṛndāvan is not just a simple place like that. It’s where Bhagavān Himself lived. More than that, what has kept the energy of this place is the glory of His devotees. That’s what King Kulaśekhara wanted to remind you of: that you devotees are not just human beings, you are not just a normal person. When you have taken shelter to the Feet of Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, it is the Lord who is residing inside of you. You may not know about it, but by constantly reminding yourself of that, you start to feel Him, you start to love Him, you start to build a relationship with Him, just like Dhruva, Prahlād and all the great saints have done. This pilgrimage is an experience of a devotee, and this experience gives one the authority that the scriptures talk about: that Bhagavān resides within. Here he asked the people to do something constantly.

Why do you go for prayer? You walk, don’t you? It’s also like a small pilgrimage. You are coming to the temple, you are coming to pilgrimage, you are listening to the discourses, you are listening to the satsaṅg. Here Bhagavān Himself is indirectly guiding His devotee to tanmaya (absorption), the transformation of the mind itself. These people, when they are fully in bhāva, are fully into that sweetness of the Lord, they can just only give that. This is the whole point. He wanted to give what he has inside of him to the people. He wanted to remind everyone of the relationship they have towards the Lord. How to have this relationship is only by constantly thinking about Him. If you love the Lord Himself, it must be only Him inside of you. It’s not only when you have time to think about Him. No. That’s why he encourages his people every day to walk few steps towards Śrīraṅgam. But we have to understand why he specifically said towards Śrīraṅgam. He gave a direction. If you go for a walk and you want to go somewhere, but you don’t have any directions, where would you go? You would keep turning around, wasting time. No, he said here. The aim, the direction, your aim is Śrīman Nārāyaṇa. This is where you have to go. Even if you are doing it mechanically, that aim is constantly in your mind. You are walking towards Śrīman Nārāyaṇa. Here, Śrīraṅgam is not about the place. It’s about Śrīman Nārāyaṇa. The few steps you walk is towards Śrīman Nārāyaṇa. Like Bhagavān said, ‘If you walk a few steps towards Me, I will run towards you.’ What a wise way of putting it, you know. What a clever way of saying it.

VERSE 1

śrī-vallabheti vara-deti dayā-pareti bhakta- priyeti bhāva-luṇṭhana-kovideti| nātheti nāga-śayaneti jagan-nivāsety

ālāpanaḿ prati-dinaṁ kuru me mukunda || 1 ||

O my Lord! You are the only one who can deliver me. Please make me capable of praising You every day by chanting your Divine Names such as: Śrī Vallabha (the One who is dear to Mahā-Lakshmī), Varada (the giver of boons), Dayāpara (He who is Merciful), Bhakta-priya (He who is dear to His devotees), Bhāva-luṇṭhana-kovida (He who can break the bonds of samsāra), Nātha (the Supreme Lord Himself), Nāga-śayana (He who rests on the snake Ádiśeṣa), and Jagan-nivāsa (the One who pervades this universe).

‘O my Lord! You are the only one who can deliver me.’ When we listen to this part, the word ‘Mukunda’ means the one who gives liberation. Here he is saying there is nobody else. Who can deliver anyone? Nobody can because everybody is shackled. They have shackles on their legs, they are bound by māyā. Only Bhagavān can give liberation. Only Bhagavān can deliver you from countless lives and deaths. Only Bhagavān can make you go out of the cycle of birth and death. By yourself you will not do it! Very few really free themselves and come to the state of Self-realisation. But this is not about Self-realisation. Forget about that. Here he said, ‘If I want truly to be free, to be delivered, it’s only by the grace of Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, only by the grace of the Lord Himself. If He sees that I truly long for Him, I truly long not to be liberated.’ Devotees don’t care about their own liberation because they want to be with the Lord. So, liberation in that context doesn’t mean to be delivered. It’s not to be liberated like people very often think. To be delivered is to be freed from the cycle of māyā so that you can serve Him, and your mind doesn’t disturb you. There is no hindrance on your path towards service to Him.

‘Please, make me capable of praising You every day by chanting Your Divine Name.’ Here in his prayer to Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, he is asking, ‘Make it that I am worthy. In spite of old age coming, in spite of so many things that can happen, don’t let me ever forget about You.’ Forget what? It is the Name, the power of the Name itself. ‘Let me be fully absorbed in chanting Your Name, in remembering Your Name.’ This is japam. Again, it is continuous. The Name that he said is Śrī-Vallabha, the one which is dear to Mahā-Lakṣmī. Varada is the one who gives boons to fulfil everything. What is the boon that devotees ask for? The boon is to be with the beloved Lord Himself. When you ask God for Himself, this is the greatest boon. When you say, ‘I don’t want anything else. I want You. You can give everything. If You could give everything, why not take You? You are the source of everything. Everything has a beginning and has an end. Today it is here, tomorrow it is not here. But You, who is the eternal one, who doesn’t have a beginning and doesn’t have an end, that is the boon I want. I want You.’

‘Dayāpara’, He who is merciful. Bhagavān is so merciful. Out of His mercy, He cares for everyone. He looks after even those who don’t believe in Him. Imagine somebody not believing in God and just dying on the spot, the world would be very empty nowadays. But out of His mercy, even if you believe in Him or you don’t believe in Him, you love Him or you don’t love Him, He cares for you. That is His mercy. When we look around, you see His mercy is given to everybody to make this world. Imagine this world—in the whole universe, it’s a speck, nothing. But yet, He has made such a beautiful place. Of course, He continuously reminds people of His mercy, firstly the mercy that you are alive. Even through the Corona virus, He is reminding you that you have to be grateful for life, you have to be grateful for what He has given you!

There was once a shopkeeper. This shopkeeper was a pharmacist. He was a very nice man, very dedicated to his job, and he knew his shop by heart. He knew where he put every medicine. But there was one thing: he didn’t believe in God. He never believed in God. He said, ‘I do good things’, like many people do. ‘That’s it. Why should I waste my time?’ So, he would work very hard. Of course, during the afternoons sometimes he would play cards with his friends. One afternoon, it rained very heavily. They were playing and then when it started raining and thundering, all his friends started running away and he decided to close his pharmacy. At that moment, a little boy came running up and said, ‘I need medicine. My mum is very sick.’ The shopkeeper said, ‘No, I can’t.’ But the boy was crying and said, ‘Please!’

Due to the thunderstorm, the electricity was gone but the shopkeeper just went in because he knew his pharmacy by heart. He took the medicine which he thought was there, but he could not see what he was taking. He gave it to the boy and said, ‘Give this to your mother.’ The boy paid, went running off and disappeared. So, when the electricity came back, to his horror, he realised that somebody had brought some rat poison, and he had placed it in that place and said, ‘I will move it later.’ He had given that rat poison to that boy and he didn’t know where the boy lived, and if the mother of that boy drank it, for sure she will be ‘Bolo Rām’ (which is an expression we say in India which means dead)!

An idea flashed into his mind. He remembered when his father had opened this pharmacy, he had a picture of Kṛṣṇa. He quickly looked for that picture of Kṛṣṇa. The poor Kṛṣṇa picture was so full of dust that he could not even see Kṛṣṇa. He quickly cleaned it and offered a prayer. That prayer was from his heart, saying, ‘Lord, if You can help, please, do something.’ He just did that because he didn’t know any mantra or anything. But that prayer was from his heart.

A few minutes later the same boy came running back. The shopkeeper said, ‘What happened?’ and he was thinking now the mother has drunk this medicine and she has already gone. The boy said, ‘I was running home and I slipped, and I fell down, and the medicine bottle broke.’ The shopkeeper was so relieved. He gave the right medicine to the boy and said, ‘Please, go.’

That changed certain things inside of him. He saw how quickly Bhagavān could respond to him and then he started to believe. He finished with his pharmacy and he built a beautiful temple in Bombay for Lord Kṛṣṇa. Actually, last time I was there, we visited a Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa temple, and that is the temple he built.

You may not know Him, but He knows you and out of His mercy, He is Bhakta-priya. This is the other Name which Kulaśekhara praised Him by. He is the beloved of and the dear one to His devotees. And that Bhakta-priya is not only one way; it’s a two-way love. Very often love for mundane people is one way. People have great expectations. Once they entertain their expectations, love disappears. But a bhakta’s heart can’t be satisfied. Everything that is limited can be satisfied, no? Everything that is created can be satisfied. But Love is your being itself. It can’t be satisfied. Bhagavān is eternal. Bhagavān is infinite. How can that be satisfied? You can get satisfied only when it is finite. But Bhagavān is infinite. You can’t get satisfied. And this is Bhakta-priya, who is dear to His devotee, who is always there for His devotee.

‘Bhāva-luṇṭhana-kovideti’, the one who breaks the bond of saṁsāras. He is the one who will free you, who will break that bond you have created through thousands or millions of lives. You have made that reality here yours, and you have said to yourself thousands and thousands of times, I will be happy, I will be happy, I will be happy.’ But you are still miserable. ‘If I get this, I will be happy. If I get that, I will be happy.’ There is no real happiness you have ever found in this world through thousands of lives. How can you really be happy? It’s only when you detach that you break that bond you have created through thousands and millions of lives; then you can truly be happy. Otherwise, you will just have petty joy that comes and goes. Today you are here, tomorrow an illness comes – finish. You will have so much regret as you are leaving this world. What have you achieved? Nothing. You have achieved many things on the outside, but you have not achieved anything on the inside.

The other word that he said, ‘Nāth’, is so beautiful. I like this word. When someone says Nāth, for example, it’s not just a normal word – it’s a reminder that you are the Master. It’s not that we are the servants. No. But He is the Ultimate in everything. We may be a parcel of Him, but He is still full. You may have all the divine qualities inside, but still looking at Him, the magnitude, the greatness, He surpasses all. What am I to that? But yet, your ego is so big, your pride is so big, that makes you think that you are so great.

I was listening to one person saying some time back, ‘It’s funny how the ego is. It makes you think that in this whole universe, God looks only at you. God cares only for you. You are the centre of God Himself.’ That’s what many people think. When your ego is without any measure, you think that you are too great, but when you open your mouth only dirt comes out. But here, when Kulaśekhara is saying Nāth, automatically when you pronounce it, it brings you down. Because when you say Nāth, you prostrate yourself. Nāth is so high. But that which is so high longs for you. It’s amazing. But how He will long for you? Only when you don’t have any pride and ego. You can call Bhagavān ‘Nāth’ only when you are without any pride inside of your heart. Then you become His centre point also. But not with pride and ego.

‘Nāga-śayana’, the one which is resting on Ādiśeṣa. Here again he said He is the only Supreme Lord, Śrīman Nārāyaṇa. You see Mahā-Viṣṇu is lying down; Śrīman Nārāyaṇa is lying down on Ādiśeṣa. Here when we look at Raṅganātha, He has only two hands. He is not like Mahā-Viṣṇu with Caturbhuja. He has two hands like everybody. He is reminding you that as He is, you are also. He is not far away; He is not a Caturbhuja-Viṣṇu. He has two hands to hold you, to bring you near and dear to Him. That’s why He hides all His thousand hands.

Then the next one he said is ‘Jagan-nivāsa’, the one who pervades this whole universe, or the one who resides within the whole universe. There is no place where you will not find Him. In Chapter 11 of the Gītā, when Arjuna was looking, what did he describe? ‘Wherever I look, I see only You, no one else, nothing else. I look down, it is You. I look up, it is You. Front, left, right, everywhere it’s only You.’

There was a saint once who prayed to Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, and Bhagavān wanted to test him. Bhagavān said to him, ‘I want to give you boons. Ask.’ The saint bowed down his head and said, ‘Bhagavān, whatever is pleasing to You, that I will take.’ When he said that, his head was down, there was no happiness, nothing. But inside his heart, his heart was burning. His heart was saying, ‘I want only You. I don’t want anything else. I want only You.’