The concept of ‘Divine Grace’ is present
in many and varied spiritual traditions. Within our own tradition, ‘Kripā’,
‘Anugraha’, ‘Prasāda’ are some of the words frequently synonymized with or
considered semantically equivalent to ‘Grace’.
Krishna
kathā suni / ānandita muni / kinchita sankita mane |
“Descent of Divine Grace is the
turning point in the spiritual evolution of a bonded soul”. Truly, without
God’s Grace, nothing is achieved. But, the question that naturally arises now
is:-
How can God’s Grace be
achieved?
In His rendering of the
Bhagavata, Sankaradeva makes it clear that Eka-Sarana (Sole-Refuge in Krishna ) is the only way to the Lord’s Grace.
The life of one surrendering to Krishna and taking Sole-Refuge in Him undergoes a total
transformation. Unbounded is the Kripā (Grace) of Krishna
upon such a soul: -
Yadi Govindara / lilā
caritrara / anta napāi ekojane ||
Teve agnajane /
taribe kemane / samsāra dukha nikāra |
Hari hari bidhi /
nabhoileka siddhi / pātakira iyobāra ||
Hāsiyā brahmāi / bole
munirāy / nakaribā mane dukha |
Krishnara kripāta /
milibe sāksāta / lokara samasta sukha ||
Kapata eriyā /
sādhu-sanga loiyā / sāvadhāna kari mana |
Ānadeva chādi / yito
nara-nāri / Krishnata lavoi sarana ||
Teve tāsambāta /
milaya sāksāta / Krishnara kripā apāra |
Māyā dura haya / mile
mahodaya / sukhate tade samsāra ||
[Sankaradeva,
Bhagavata, Skandha II]
Hearing about Lord
Krishna, Nārada was overjoyed. [However,] with a little doubt in mind, [he
asked Brahmā]
“If the deeds and
lilā of Govinda are such that it is impossible for anyone to ever reach their
end,
how can the ignorant
ones then save themselves from the sorrows and afflictions of the world ?
Oh God! This time
also, O Bidhi (Creator), the redemption of sinners did not come about!”
Smiling, Brahmā
replied, “O king among sages! Do not grieve.
By the grace of Krishna , all people will attain complete happiness.
Leaving aside
hypocrisy, taking the company of the devotees, and with a focussed mind
forsaking all other
gods, the man or woman who takes Sarana (Sole-Refuge) in Krishna ,
he or she, from then
on, will receive the infinite grace of Krishna Himself.
māyā (nescience)
vanishes, one obtains liberation and happily survives this world.
[Sankaradeva,
Bhagavata, Canto II]
GV Tagare’s rendering of Sloka 34
from the Ekadasa (11th) Skandha, 29th Adhyaya, of the
Srimad-Bhagavata is reproduced here:-
34. [Krishna says] When a mortal being has renounced all courses of
actions (prescribed in Sastras) and has dedicated his self to me, I select him
as the recipient of my Special Grace. He, then, attains immortality and
certainly becomes eligible to be one with me sharing my divine powers of
omnipresence, omnipotence, etc.
[The Bhagavata Purana, Translated and Annotated by Dr. GV Tagare, Motilal Banarsidass]
[The Bhagavata Purana, Translated and Annotated by Dr. GV Tagare, Motilal Banarsidass]
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