Nectar of Instructions from Navayogendras - Part 3

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev!

This is in continuation of the previous offering titled, "Nectar of Instructions from Nava Yogendras". In the previous offering we heard from Sri Kavi, one of the Nava Yogendras, that devotional service to Supreme Lord gives fearlessness. Today, we will see further Nectar from Sri Kavi in Srimad Bhagavatam 11.2.41.

2. Seeing Krishna Everywhere and in Everything:

khaṁ vāyum agniṁ salilaṁ mahīṁ ca
jyotīṁṣi sattvāni diśo drumādīn
sarit-samudrāṁś ca hareḥ śarīraṁ
yat kiṁ ca bhūtaṁ praṇamed ananyaḥ

A devotee should not see anything as being separate from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. Ether, fire, air, water, earth, the sun and other luminaries, all living beings, the directions, trees and other plants, the rivers and oceans — whatever a devotee experiences he should consider to be an expansion of Krishna. Thus seeing everything that exists within creation as the body of the Supreme Lord, Hari, the devotee should offer his sincere respects to the entire expansion of the Lord's body.

In the purport to above verse it is mentioned that 'Srila Jiva Goswami says, "Because of a greedy person's obsession with money, wherever he goes he sees an opportunity for acquiring wealth. Similarly a very lusty man notices women everywhere." In the same way, a pure devotee should see the transcendental form of the Lord within everything, since everything is an expansion of the Lord. Krishna is supremely sacred, being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and since everything that exists expands directly or indirectly from the body of the Lord, everything is sacred when seen through the eyes of a self-realized person.'

Wonderful lesson for all of us from the above verse is that we should have clear understanding that everything that exists is from Krishna and is under His direct control. Whole universe is His body and as such, we should not disrespect anything in this material world. How gloomy and depressed we feel if one day sun does not rise. If there is no rain, then there will be panic all over as water is very much essential for crops. Further, we need plants and rivers to sustain our physical body. Thus, in totality, our life in this planet is made possible and made tolerable due to presence of several matters produced from Krishna's energy. But many a times we fail to realizes that Lord Krishna is the force behind all these natural resources. By being in constant association with guru, sadhu and shastras and following their instructions, by their mercy, we gradually get the vision to see Lord in everyone and in everything and then offer sincere respects to all these energies of Lord Sri Krishna. Arjuna wonderfully glorifies Lord for all His energies in Srimad Bhagavad Gita 11.39,

vāyur yamo ’gnir varuṇaḥ śaśāṅkaḥ
prajāpatis tvaṁ prapitāmahaś ca
namo namas te ’stu sahasra-kṛtvaḥ
punaś ca bhūyo ’pi namo namas te

You are air, and You are the supreme controller! You are fire, You are water, and You are the moon! You are Brahma, the first living creature, and You are the great-grandfather. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You a thousand times, and again and yet again!

Krishna willing, we will ponder over other instruction from Nava Yogendras in the next offering.

Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Manohar Suvarna
Abu Dhabi.