FAITH FULL FAITH

FAITH FULL FAITH

 

Baba said, "There will never be any dearth or scarcity, regarding food and clothes, in any devotees' homes. It is my special characteristic, that I always look to, and provide, for the welfare of those devotees, who worship Me whole-heartedly with their minds ever fixed on Me." – Sri Sai Satcharita, Ch. 6.

 

We should completely depend on the will of Krishna. Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita that he will take up the responsibility to maintain a surrendered devotee. "Whatever the devoteelacks," Krishna says, vahamy aham — "I personally carry it."

 

Srivas Pandit was not doing any business or going out to earn money. Day and night, twenty-four hours, he was engaged in sravana-kirtana and bhajana with all his family members.

 

Once, to test Srivas, Mahaprabhu asked him, "Srivas, you are a householder. You have a big family to maintain. Why don't you go earn some money? Otherwise, how will you maintain your big family?" 

 

Srivas did not say anything. He only clapped three times. Mahaprabhu asked, "What does that mean?" Srivas said, "I have complete faith in your words — yoga ksemam vahamy aham. [Bg. 9.22] You have taken up the responsibility to maintain a surrendered soul, and whatever such a person lacks you personally carry. I and all my family members are engaged day and night in your service. We have no other business. Hari-seva is our only business." Srivas had firm faith that Krishna will maintain, that supplies would definitely come. If you become fully dependent on Krishna, engaged day and night, twenty-four hours, in Krishna's service, then the supplies will definitely come.

 

Then he explained the meaning of his clapping three times. "If supplies will not come on one day, we will fast. We will think that it is Krishna's will and we will fast for the day. If supplies do not come on the second and third day, still we will fast. And if on the fourth day no supplies come, then all of our family will go and drown ourselves in the Ganges and be finished. If Krishna becomes a liar, then how is he Bhagavan? And why will people do his bhajana?" 

 

Hearing this, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu became very happy. Mahaprabhu said, "Srivas! The supplies will definitely come! Why should you think of anything else?" Such a devotee is Srivas Pandit. He is niskama, completely desireless. ·

— Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja, Lecture in Bali, Indonesia, 6 October 1995.