The great Vaisnava saint Parasara Bhattar* was told the story of a hunter in the forest who had caught a rabbit. The hunter was about to kill it, but it kept circling around him and it finally placed its head at the hunter's feet. The hunter's heart melted, and rather than kill it he offered it protection.
When Parasara Bhattar heard this, tears began to flow from his eyes, his hairs stood on end, and he fell unconscious. Seeing these ecstatic symptoms, his disciples became filled with wonder. They revived their illustrious master and asked him to explain why he had fainted. In a voice choked with transcendental emotion, the Acarya explained:
"The hunter was a low caste brutal person, and he had given no instructions and made no promises. The rabbit was a simple animal who studied no scriptures and performed no sadhana. Still, when the rabbit sought shelter at the feet of the hunter, he could not refuse. How much more fortunate then are we that the Lord has explicitly instructed us to surrender to Him and that He has promised us that He will protect us from all sinful reaction? Just see how merciful the Lord is! If even a common and lowly hunter will protect a creature that takes shelter of his feet, how can we possibly doubt that our Lord will take care of us if we take shelter at His lotus feet!"
Thinking of His beloved Lord in this way, Parasara Bhattar experienced ecstasy.
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* = Parasara Bhattar was the divinely conceived son of the South Indian Vaisnava saints Kuresh and Andal and was personally installed as the next Acarya of the Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya by Sripad Ramaunjacarya.
When Parasara Bhattar heard this, tears began to flow from his eyes, his hairs stood on end, and he fell unconscious. Seeing these ecstatic symptoms, his disciples became filled with wonder. They revived their illustrious master and asked him to explain why he had fainted. In a voice choked with transcendental emotion, the Acarya explained:
"The hunter was a low caste brutal person, and he had given no instructions and made no promises. The rabbit was a simple animal who studied no scriptures and performed no sadhana. Still, when the rabbit sought shelter at the feet of the hunter, he could not refuse. How much more fortunate then are we that the Lord has explicitly instructed us to surrender to Him and that He has promised us that He will protect us from all sinful reaction? Just see how merciful the Lord is! If even a common and lowly hunter will protect a creature that takes shelter of his feet, how can we possibly doubt that our Lord will take care of us if we take shelter at His lotus feet!"
Thinking of His beloved Lord in this way, Parasara Bhattar experienced ecstasy.
____
* = Parasara Bhattar was the divinely conceived son of the South Indian Vaisnava saints Kuresh and Andal and was personally installed as the next Acarya of the Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya by Sripad Ramaunjacarya.
6 comments:
Welcome back it's been awhile, but well worth the wait, what a beautiful post! All glories to Sri Govinda's lotus feet!
i was trying to put up the link to more pics of Radha Murlidar and the rabbits but it wont let me..oh well.
I saw this pic on Amul's facebook album :-) !!! Great post Prabhu. I think its high time I update my own blog too
good one
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