Passage 7

Tap any word for its meaning.

In plain words

Only then has a man truly remembered the Name of the Lord. What happens when the essence of digested food reaches the eyes? As the food, so the sight. In the same way, when the power of the Lord's Name remembered in the heart reaches the eyes, the sight becomes sacred; when it reaches the tongue, we speak only sacred words; when it reaches the ears, we hear only sacred things; when it reaches the feet, we walk only to sacred places; when it reaches the hands, we do only worthwhile work. So he who does worthwhile deeds with all his limbs is the true man. Go and see where such a supreme devotee is, and come back,” He told him.

Nārada wandered all over the world. But his Ahaṅkāra, that there was no devotee greater than himself, did not leave him. Then, as he was thinking of going back to Vaikuṇṭha, he came upon a man under a tree in a forest, his eyes closed, doing nāmasmaraṇa. In his hand was a sharp knife. Nārada went up to him: “My son! Who are you?” he asked. “Swami! I am a devotee of the Paramātma,” the man said. Nārada was astonished. “If you are a devotee, why the knife in your hand? Whom have you kept it to kill?” he asked. “Swami! With this knife I must kill four people,” the man said. Who were these four? “First of all I must kill that Draupadī,” he said. Nārada: “What is this? Draupadī remembers only the Name of Kṛṣṇa, without ceasing, does she not! Pleased with her Bhakti, Kṛṣṇa gave her garments without end and saved her honour in the Kaurava court, did He not! Why are you thinking of killing so great a devotee?” he asked. “She may well be a devotee. But just when my Kṛṣṇa was having His meal, she called, ‘Kṛṣṇa!’ At once my Swami left His food and went to save her. That day she left my Kṛṣṇa without His meal, so I must kill her,” he said. “Who is the second?” “That Prahlāda called my Swami again and again and gave Him great trouble.