When one surrenders, according to the circumstances, the devotee becomes subject to some doubts and mental agitations.
For instance, in the Ramayana, when Rama and Lakshmana were going in search of Sita, suddenly Lakshmana felt tired and told Rama that he was fed up with the search for Sita and would like to go back to Ayodhya to have a more comfortable time. Rama smiled and said, "Let us proceed. I shall explain everything later." How did Lakshmana, who previously had declared that Rama was everything to him and that he would not live without Rama even for moment, suddenly develop this attitude? How did this concern for bodily comfort arise?
After they had walked some distance, they sat under a tree. That moment Lakshmana felt the pangs of repentance. He realized his mistake, clasped Rama's feet and said' "Brother! Forgive me for what had said. I cannot understand how this bad thought came to my mind. What is the reason?"
Rama then replied "Lakshmana! The region through which we passed recently was the haunt of Shuurpanakha who used to rest under the tree there. That place was surcharged with all her evil qualities. Those vibrations aroused in you the bad thoughts. The moment you came out of the place, your inherent good nature asserted itself."
The lesson of this incident is that people a will have to be careful about their association with certain places or persons. Eschew bad company. Be away from places where evil qualities are rampant. The vibrations from a place affect persons who frequent them.
(Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol 27, 1994)
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