Sri Srimad
Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja
The activities of a Vaisnava, a dear devotee of the
Lord, are very wonderful. vaisnavera kriyä mudrä
vijïeha nä bujhaya — However learned a manmay be, he cannot understand the activities of a
Vaisnava. [Cc. madhya 23.39]
Goswami Tulsidas wrote the book Räma-caritamänasa,
the activities of Lord Rama. His fame
as a great devotee of Lord Rama spread far and
wide. Once, the mogul emperor of Delhi heard
that Tulsidas was displaying many wonderful,
miraculous activities.So the emperor sent his men,
“Bring Tulsidas here!” So Tulsidas came to the court.
Then the emperor asked him, “I have heard that
you are displaying some miraculous activities. Will
you please display some? I’d like to see.”
Tulsidas is a great devotee of Lord Rama. He said,
“I don’t know anything
but Rama. I never display
any miraculous activity. I only chant the name of
Rama. I don’t know anything but Rama.”
‘Then the emperor said, “Oh! This person is
cheating me!” So he ordered, “Put him into prison.
He is not displaying any miraculous activity.” So
Tulsidas was put into prison, where he chanted,
“Rama, Rama, Rama …”
The Supreme Lord always protects his devotees,
because the devotees
are so dear to him. In the ninthcanto of Çrémad Bhägavatam [9.4.63 and 68], the
Supreme Lord told Durvasa Muni:
ahaà bhakta-parädhéno hy asvatantra iva dvija
sädhubhir grasta-hådayo bhaktair bhakta-jana-priyaù
“My devotees are so dear to me, and I am so dear to my
devotees! Although I am omniscient, all powerful, and
supremely independent,
still I have no independence.
I am subordinate to my devotees. The sadhu, bhakta,
has occupied my heart. My heart doesn’t belong to me.”
sädhavo hådayaà mahyaà sädhünäà hådayaà tv aham
mad-anyat te na jänanti nähaà tebhyo manäg api
“Those sadhu devotees are like my heart and I am
the heart of those devotees. I don’t know anyone
other than my devotees and they don’t know anyone
other than me.”
Krishna always protects and keeps the prestige
of his devotees. For example, when Hiranyakasipu,
the great demon
and father of Prahlad Maharaja,
threatened Prahlad, “Is your Lord in this stone pillar?”
Prahlad Maharaja said, “Yes he is there.”
“‘Will he come out? If he won’t come out, then
I’ll chop off your head with this sword!”
He drew his sword, hit the stone pillar with his
fist, and then suddenly Lord Nrsimhadev came out
and tore open the stomach of that Hiranyakasipu.
The Lord always protects his devotees.
Shortly after Tulsidas was put into prison, suddenly
innumerable monkeys came ...
and started breaking
the palace of the emperor. The emperor said, “See
this miracle! Now Tulsidas has displayed a miracle.
Hey! Get him! Set him free from prison now!”
Tulsidas didn’t display any miracle himself. It
was the Lord who protected him. That means that
although it seems that the dear devotee of the
Lord can do such wonderful things, in actuality he
doesn’t do anything. The Lord does it for him. He
is so dear to the Lord.
Therefore it is said, vaiñëavera kriyä mudrä
vijïeha nä bujhaya — however learned or
intelligent a person may be, he cannot understand
the activities of a vaiñëava. [Cc. madhya 23.39] ·
— From a class at New Govardhan, Australia, 1990.
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