Ahankar (Proundness) & Saranagati (Surrendering)

 

Saranagat Vatsal Lord Sri Hari

 

Sri Sri Thakur had always instructed all his devotees to be careful of this harmful element known as Ahankar which has also been referred to as Kortitabhiman in the holy vedvani!! There have been many incidents wherein Sri Sri Thakur had shown His total dislike towards the devotees who are having this element of proudness which is one of the biggest hindrance  towards Devotion/Bhakti!! He had always insisted to be having Akarta bhav (sense of detachment) towards all our deeds and surrending everything onto the holy feet of Gurudev.  Out of many incidents where we can understand this aspect much better I would narrate some. It once happened that a devotee who was very poor at one time and was struggling very hard to do some business for his living but without any success happened to visit Sri Sri Thakur very often and everytime he would visit Him Gurudev used to ask him in front of all as “what have you brought for me”!  It is very well known fact that one should not go empty handed while visiting a temple or his Guru and should offer something into his Lord’s holy feet!! That devotee used to feel very much embarrassed & bad inside his heart and used to think that next time when he goes to see Him would try to bring something for Gurudev but next time also he couldn’t take anything and Sri Sri Thakur would again ask the same question!! Once when he was going to see Gurudev suddenly he heard a sound behind his back and when he turned around he was very happy to see a ripe mango fruit which has just fallen from the tree and thought inside that today I would not go empty handed and would be able to offer this mango fruit into His holy feet. He immediately took that fruit, washed it at a nearby pond and wiped it carefully with a cloth and happily went to visit Sri Sri Thakur. Gurudev immediately as per His habit asked the same question again and that devotee happily with tears in his eyes offered that mango fruit at his holy lotus feet. Gurudev immediately asked the house owner to cut this fruit gave it to him and also to all the devotees sitting there!! Accordingly, the fruit was cut into pieces and given to Sri Sri Thakur  and all the devotees but suddenly everybody started spitting outside that mango saying that this mango is very bitter!! That devotee also tasted it and found it to be very bitter and he immediately pleaded with Sri Sri Thakur to not to eat that fruit but Gurudev was already eating that mango and praising about its sweetness!! Sri Sri Thakur was continuously praising about the mango brought by him and its sweetness as “No No! the mango is very very sweet! You have brought for me! Indeed it is very sweet”!  That devotee fall at his holy feet and cried and Gurudev affectionately put His hand on his head and blessed him!! Years rolled by and that very same devotee became a very rich man living in a big palatial house and one day he happened to meet Sri Sri Thakur and requested Him to put His holy feet into his house to which Gurudev agreed. The season of mangoes was going and the devotee thought inside that one day I was so poor that I could not even offer a single mango of good quality to Sri Sri Thakur now when I am capable I would fulfil my desire! He went to the market and ordered for four big baskets of high and best quality mangos available in the market and bring them home. Next day, he asked to Gurudev whether he would like to eat a mango to which Sri Sri Thakur once looked at the baskets and replied “Not now”! Without first offering to Sri Sri Thakur it cannot be consumed by others so the devotee waited for some more time and again asked Him but again He replied the same answer!! Next day again the devotee asked Him to have a mango but to his astonishment Gurudev didn’t agreed and gave the same reply!! Like this many days went and all the mangoes got rotten and he had to throw them all away without anybody able to eat them!! The devotee asked Sri Sri Thakur about his fault as why he didn’t ate even a single mango and one day He had praised about the bitter mango brought by him for Gurudev.  Sri Sri Thakur said that those all huge baskets of mangoes were actually expression of his Ahankar!! There was absence of surrender or saranagati which was present during that time when he was very poor thats why even the bitter mango brought by him became sweeter for Gurudev but now he is a very rich man and has a feeling of proudness inside that he has got money and can offer anything to God & because of this only these all high quality sweet mangoes became bitter!! In Vedvani Gurudev once said that  God is Bhavgrahi Janardan means God only accepts your feeling or bhav not the items offered to Him!! Once when Sri Sri Thakur was in Chowmuhani a devotee who was very poor had happened to visit Gurudev and had carried alongwith him 2-3 sticks of very thin sugarcanes to offer them at His feet. When he reached there Sri Sri Thakur immediately asked the house owner to keep these sugarcane sticks carefully as He would drink its juice later on. The house owner asked the devotee to keep them in a room meant for this and when he went inside the room he was shocked to see that there were already huge heaps of variety of best quality sugarcanes alongwith many variety of fruits!! The sticks brought by him were looking as odd there!!  He felt very embarrassed at this and decided not to offer juice out these sugarcane sticks to  Sri Sri Thakur !! Later Gurudev asked the house owner to make juice out of those sticks brought by the devotee to which that devotee pleaded with Gurudev that those sticks are not good and are of inferior quality instead there are already good quality sugarcane sticks available here but Sri Sri Thakur didn’t listened & insisted for juice made out of those lean & thin sticks only!! The juice was made and it was not even half a glass but Gurudev praised the sweetness of the juice and told that He was feeling very thirsty and now His thirst is quenched!! The devotee cried & fall at the holy feet of Gurudev and begged for His divine blessings  which Gurudev bestowed on him! Dear Friends! You can now very well understand that what Gurudev expects from us! What He expects is pure Saranagati at His holy feet and leaving everything on to Him only!! All Glory to Sri Sri Ram Thakur!! Jai Ram!!