By: Seetha ‘Priya’
Karma is the prime mover and shaker in our lives. So how can one say, ‘Why bother about karma, when everything is written?’ Your destiny is tied to your karma — the Divine law of cause and effect. But how karma plays out in our lives is beyond our understanding. An integral truth remains, none can escape karma.
In our lifetime, we commit both good and bad deeds. Consequently, we must face the fruit of our actions.
Karma, past and present, collects in our consciousness. There it rests till it fructifies. This accumulated karma is called samskaras. In their flowering stage, mangoes are raw and green. When they ripen to a fulsome sweetness, the fruit is ready to be plucked. Likewise, karma that is ready to fructify is our Prarabdha Karma.
However, karmic timing is a big mystery. You never know when karma comes calling. Your karma may arrive swiftly without mercy at this precise moment; it may catch up with you a few years hence or many lifetimes later! Know that it is not in your hands. You cannot manipulate karmic law according to your whims.
You may want to only enjoy the good fruits and altogether evade bad karma. But that’s wishful thinking. Vishnu Sahasranama molds you to be a ‘Karma Yogi’ wherein you do not look for an expected result.
In life, we will be visited by joy and sorrow in a continuum. So, retain your composure. Unbridled happiness makes one proud and arrogant. Untold sorrow breaks our spirit. Don’t waste precious energy pondering over what lies ahead. Instead, be a karma yogi. The fruits of your actions will appear in their own time. Just focus on the quality of your karma.
The 28th shloka of Vishnu Sahasranama is –
Vrishahi Vrishabhor Vishnur Vrishaparva Vrishodaraha
Vardhano Vardhamanascha Viviktah Shrutisagarah
Lord Vishnu is involved in sacrifice (Vrishahi) and is a showerer of Dharma (Vrishabha). He is all-pervading (Vishnu), having Dharma as steps to reach him (Vrishaparva) and filled with Dharna (Vrishodaraha). He is the evolver (Vardhana), still evolving and continues to evolve (Vardhamana). He is unattached (Vivikta) even though plenty and immense to be heard of him (Shrutisagara).
Sai Baba was a Karma Yogi. He used to beg in five houses and share food with pigs, dogs, crows, etc., “Give me Roti, mother!” was his familiar call for alms in style.
Baija was opposed to Baba’s begging for food. She openly expressed her resentment. She told him – “Baba, you should not beg! I can feed you every day. You are God indeed in human form.”
Baba just smiled at her words, even though he did not like the ‘I’ feeling she had while claiming that she could feed him. He did not listen to her. He would not compromise on his ideas.
One day, she arranged some sweets and savories nicely on a clean brass plate, covered it carefully, and asked her son Tatya to wait till she returned. She went to the mosque. Her son Tatya, though hungry, simply obeyed his mother.
Baba politely refused the food. He said, “Mother, what use is this rich food for me? I am after all a poor fakir. To beg for a roti or two and eat it when desired is my routine! Take this good food and offer it to an uninvited guest in whichever form he appears at your door. Believe me, He is God!”
“No, No!” Baija declined, “You are God yourself! Please eat this food instead of begging for it from door to door and it is already late. You must be hungry – I can see that.”
Baba told her earnestly – “Mother, if you are so particular, feed those two pigs” pointing out two pigs opposite the mosque. He continued – “I am no different from them.” Baba demonstrated himself as a Karma Yogi.
A great truth Baba tried to explain though it was beyond Baija’s understanding. Baba told her – “Go home Mother, do not be unhappy. When I come to your door, do not give me more than one roti. Now go home and feed your son, Tatya. He is hungry and waiting for you. Instead of feeding him first, you came rushing to feed me. Remember God is not only in me. He is at your home, He is in Tatya, he is in you, in all living beings. Feeding a hungry soul brings God’s blessings. Remember this forever!”
On his begging rounds, Baba expressed his happiness, “Allah will be kind to you” after putting
the roti into his shoulder bag and pouring the curry into the tumbler.
“Then why do you beg for food in five houses every day?” Baija Ma asked.
“Mother, do I beg to fill up this small belly?” – Baba queried.
Baija Ma could not understand why he begged! She simply stared at him. Baba himself clarified – “Listen, Mother, by making you give charity, you are achieving merit which will be recorded with God! Uninvited guests, ascetics, sadhus, beggars – all those who come to your doorsteps should be given alms in whatever little measure you can afford. Thereby you achieve ‘Punya’ – merit! Charity reduces your misery and suffering. Bear this always in your mind!”
Baija Ma innocently asked Baba – “Then take full alms from me alone. Let me get full merit myself.” Baba told her – “Mother, to me all are equal.”
“But Baba, you took curry from that house in that tumbler. Now you want me to pour this chutney also into it. How can you enjoy their different tastes?” Baija Ma exclaimed.
“Why should a fakir bother about taste, Mother?” Baba asked. “All the food goes to the same place, gets mixed up, and blood and dirt alike. Why should the palate be tended so much………?”
Without further argument, Baija Ma poured chutney and vegetables into the tumbler and roti into the sack. Baba heartily blessed her.
Baba left for the next house. He visited five houses. That was his rule. Of course, women in all houses awaited his arrival on his begging round. Those mothers from whom Baba accepted charity were very fortunate.
While Baba was on his begging rounds, two or three dogs followed him wagging their tails. The mothers who happily offered food to Baba never even once bothered about these hungry dogs! Baba was aware of this!
On reaching the mosque, Baba would lovingly call the dogs, the birds, and the pigs that watched him from a distance. He would pour the contents of his sack and tumbler into a stone bowl kept at the entrance. The dogs and pigs rushed, and the birds swooped to feast on this free-for-all meal! Baba moved away to light up his ‘chillum’ while these creatures barked, growled, and clamored – but ate together their daily fare which they got without any effort. Baba watched it all as he smoked but never chased them away.
Satisfied with the feast, the animals would move away leaving only a little for Baba. Baba would then come near the bowl and eat the cribbles left for him! With that, he satisfied his hunger! As one recites Vishnu Sahasranama, he should visualize Baba begging for food from five houses and sharing with the crows, pigs, dogs, etc.,
Baba was ‘God in human garb and practiced what he preached. He believed that divinity is present in all creatures. To show disrespect towards them is like disregarding the divinity that existed in each of them!
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