[Advaita-l] The role of Ahimsa in Moksha sadhana

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

--- On Tue, 5/27/08, Dr. Yadu Moharir <ymoharir at yahoo.com> wrote:

Yaduji - PraNAms 

I agree with you in essence.  

There are several stthutiis and sthavaas - where one can have a lot-lot meaning with devotion overwhelming.  There the bhaavana is more important - Bhavana with meaning of course will be even great. 

I read a story in Saptagiri several years ago - I think it is a TTD publication.  

There was once a devoted lady and she used to chant Kulashekara Alwar’s Mukundamaala daily with full of devotion.  In that there is a statement (I am not sure where exactly it is) that says - Oh Lord! I surrender at your feet. In her chanting she learned to chant in away that gave the meaning -Oh! Lord please surrender at my feet - Of course, she did not mean that since in her mind she was surrendering to the Lord with full devotion, even though her chanting was meaning something opposite.

One day a great Sanskrit scholar visited her and heard her chanting.  He could not stand her wrong chanting and went to her and told her that she is committing a great sin as she is asking the Lord to surrender himself at her feet, instead of the other way.  She was devastated and could not contain herself as she felt that she has been committing great sin, perhaps from her childhood, since that is the way she learned to chant. The Sanskrit scholar thought he has done great service to her and left that place.  Next night, Lord Krishna came to his dreams and gave him good beating left and right and scolded him - saying that he did a great disservice to that devoted lady.  Lord said he is happy to surrender to her.  The lady is now devastated and Lord asked him to run back to her right away and tell her that you made a mistake and that her chanting was correct and ask here to do it with full devotion and Lord is pleased with her chanting.  He has to run
 back in the middle of the night to inform the lady who has been crying for her blunder. He apologized for his mistake and that he was wrong on his part and ask for her forgiveness and what she was chanting was correct.  The lady was very happy and she was glad that he could come even in the middle of the night just to inform her, the poor soul.  She thanked him profusely and thanked the Lord for his kindness. 

Devotion covers the blunders that we commit that includes the ones we do during chanting.  In the end of puja, we ask for forgiveness for all the mistakes or errors that we commit and things we omit including the ones we make during puja – mantra lopa, kriya loopa etc. 

This is not to undermine that mantra is more effective, if one knows the meaning and then chant with devotion.


Hari Om!
Sadananda