“If some kind of hurt
or harm is caused to others, we should make an attempt to help them by doing
some service. It is not only by work and
by keeping out surroundings clean that you can do service. You can do service by your words as
well. With a good word, you can soothe
their hearts and by doing good deeds, you can soothe their minds. Therefore by using good words and doing good
work, you will give comfort to others and this is good service.
Today people who call
themselves leaders are not doing good service and as a consequence, the world
around us is becoming very confusing. In
this context, a story relating to the Krishnavatara has to be mentioned.
One day Krishna
approached Yasoda and told her that all his cowherd friends were inviting him
to go with them and tend the cows and that he was planning to go. The mother explained to him that to go to the
forest will mean that he will have to walk on thorns, that he may have to meet
snakes, and that he may get close to bushes.
She said that his tender feet may not be able to put up with the
troubles and she said that it is better if he puts on footwear before going to
the forest. She said that shoes for him
will be ready only the next day and he could go to the forest only the next
day.
Immediately Krishna
asked the mother to tell him how she addressed him. She said that his name was Gopal and that she
addressed him by his name. The word
“Gopal” stands for one who tends the cows.
He said that he acquired that name because he could tend the cows and be
the leader of the cows. Since the cows
will follow him as their leader, he said that he will have to do something
which the cows also will do. The cows do
not have shoes to protect their feet and therefore he said that he also should
not have to protect his feet. He said
that he will do only that which persons who follow him can possibly do. He said that if he wore shoes, the cows will
also want to wear shoes because their leader was wearing shoes. He was not going to wear shoes and allow
those whom he has to protect, go without shoes.
This is how he argued with his mother.
This simply means
that when God takes a human form, men will try and imbibe his qualities and
will behave like him. In those days when
God appeared as an Avatar in the form of Krishna, the Gopis, the Gopikas and
the cows followed him. Today, if an
Avatar comes and makes some decisions, we will be able to recognize the same as
divine only by putting such decisions into practice.”
(Source: Summer Shows
in Brindavan 1973)
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