Man Manaa – Further Reading

Man-manaa bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaajee maam namaskuru
Maam eva-eshyasi yuktvaivam aatmaanam mat-paraayaanah

(Chap.9, Verse 34)

Fix your thoughts on Me. Be devoted to Me. Worship Me. Do homage to Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, you shall certainly reach Me.

In Brindavan, in the evening, the gopis used to go to Nanda’s house where Krishna grew up, to light their lamps from the lamp first lit in Krishna’s home. They felt that when they lit their lamps from this auspicious lamp, they were taking this auspiciousness into their own homes.

One day, one gopi took very long to light her lamp in Krishna’s home. The other gopis who were waiting got impatient and asked her hurry up. Hearing the noise, Yashoda came out and found that the gopi was standing with her eyes closed and her fingers badly burned in the flame. She was not conscious of her surroundings. When she was brought back into consciousness, she said she had seen Krishna in the flame of the lamp. The vision gave her so much bliss that she did not even know that her fingers were in the flame and were being burnt. She felt no pain at all.

Such was the one pointed devotion of the gopis.

Baba says, God is the inner Atma in the heart of each and every being. If you believe and direct your life on the basis of this belief, that is enough Dhyana for you. See that this belief is not shaken or overthrown; stick to it steadily, practice that belief, apply it in your thoughts, words and deeds.”

We must be mindful of the presence of God in all. Then only, we can follow Baba’s saying ‘Love All and Serve All.”