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Chapter 9
THE SOVEREIGN SCIENCE OF SERVICE TO HUMANITY: YOGA OF SURRENDER
43. No Problem Of Eligibility
11. The Mahabharata narrates such stories about women and men of humble occupations specifically to make it abundantly clear that the doors of moksha are open to all. The Ninth Chapter affirms the same point. The joy in serving the Lord can be found in that hunter’s life. Tukaram was a votary of non-violence, but he has fondly described in appreciating terms the story of Sajan who attained moksha through his work as a butcher. Elsewhere he has exclaimed with distress, “O God! What could be the fate of those who kill animals?”, but he has also described how the Lord helped Sajan: ‘सजन कसाया विकूं लागे मांस’—The Lord helped Sajan the butcher in selling meat. Tukaram is telling that The Lord who honoured Narsi Mehta’s[1] hundi, who fetched water for Eknath’s household, who became an untouchable servant for Damaji[2], who helped Janabai, the maidservant, in household work, helped Sajan the butcher too with the same love. The moral is that all our activities should be linked to Him, dedicated to Him. Acts of service done with pure heart and noble thoughts are essentially a form of yajna. |
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References and Context
- ↑ Narsi Mehta was a poet-saint of Gujarat in the mediaeval period. In those days, people on pilgrimage used to deposit excess money with some merchant and get from him a hundi (a sort of demand draft) in the name of a merchant of another place, which the latter would honour. Once some mischievous persons suggested Narsi's name for the purpose to some pilgrims. Narsi gave them a hundi on Dwarka in the name of Lord Krishna.
- ↑ Damaji, a devotee of Lord Pandurang, was a government official. Once, during a famine, he threw open the doors of the government granary to the people. Sultan, on knowing it, got furious and ordered Damaji to deposit the necessary amount. It is said that the Lord thereupon took the form of an untouchable servant, went to the Sultan's court and deposited the money.