Dear Lord Krishna,
On this auspicious occasion of Janmashtami, I pray at your lotus feet that I develop deep love to serve your lotus feet. In this world no matter how best we try to please others we always fail not because others are bad but because we do not have the ability to satisfy others.
What to speak about others, we are not able to even please ourselves in this ephemeral world. Here we are taught that we should orchestrate our life in such a way that we attain lots of material success. It is said by mundane scholars that once we attain the coveted goal of our life then all our senses will experience great joy. The problem with material success is that it is very difficult to achieve and even if we achieve it, its pleasure giving potency to our senses is very limited and is temporary.
But in spite of knowing this and experiencing this my attraction to gratify my senses is not going way. To some extent I can say that it has reduced but has not gone completely. I am pulled by my senses here and there and I find no solace anywhere.
Vedic scriptures call you by the name Hrishikesh which means who controls everyone’s senses, one who is the owner of all the senses and one who directs the senses. On this day of your appearance day, I beg you to completely take control of my senses. I have tried multiple times to gratify my senses but each time I have failed miserably.
In Bhagavad Gita, you have already described in detail how sense gratification causes bondage and becomes the cause of suffering.
“An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kuntī, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them.” Bhagavad Gita 5.22
So, you advise that a sane man should not succumb to sense gratification. You describe the benefit of sense control.
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O Pārtha, when a man gives up all varieties of desire for sense gratification, which arise from mental concoction, and when his mind, thus purified, finds satisfaction in the self alone, then he is said to be in pure transcendental consciousness.” Bhagavad Gita 2.55
But unfortunately, in spite of knowing this truth, I am not able to muster courage to say no to the demands of my senses. I am not sure since when, but I have been indulging in sense gratification since several lifetimes. This is the reason that I am not able to now control by uncontrolled senses.
I know that you have given us free will and you do not interfere with anyone’s free will. But I beg you to please take away my free will which is keeping me away from you. What is the use of this free will which is becoming the main cause of bondage and suffering?
Just like maya devi binds a conditioned soul and keeps him in this world. Please bind me with ropes and take me to the spiritual world and keep me there forever. Even if I desire to come to this world seeking pleasure, please do not send me here. Keep me always under your shelter.
If a master gives too much freedom to a dog, then it will run away from the house. So, the master puts a rope around dog’s neck and ties him to a chair or table. The dog may think that the master is cruel but that is for the benefit of the dog only.
I am also like a two-legged animal not aware about my welfare. So, please put a rope around my neck and bind me to your lotus feet. By remaining under the shelter of your lotus feet I will be able to save myself from all the sufferings which keeps on popping in this world. Just like stars are countless, similarly sufferings in this world are countless.
But if I attain permanent residence at your lotus feet then I will never have to suffer. And just by remaining there my senses will also get purified and I will lose all hope and all taste for material sense gratification.
Today in the morning, I was hearing one lecture of Srila Prabhupada. In that lecture Prabhupada was saying that without Krishna Consciousness there can be no peace and no happiness. Also, Prabhupada was saying that Krishna Consciousness will help us to attain immortality. None of us want to die but everyone has to die. None of us want any calamity in life but at any moment disaster strikes us and knocks us down. So, Prabhupada out of compassion for us was again and again pleading us to take your shelter so that we can protect ourselves from all the sufferings.
You appeared on this auspicious day of Janmashtami for us to show us the glimpse of the spiritual world and invite us there. In Bhagavad Gita, you describe your spiritual abode and you assure us that once we go there then we will not have to come back here again.
“That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world.” Bhagavad Gita 15.6
Dear Lord Krishna, on this auspicious day of Janmashtami I again and again beg you to purify my senses and give me strength and determination so that I do not indulge in any sort of sense gratification. I should not succumb to lust, greed and anger which you describe as gateway to hell. I know that these anarthas will torment me, torture me and entice me but please dear Krishna give me strength to not become a victim of these life threatening anarthas. I will be able to fight with these anarthas only by your mercy. Other than you no one can help me.
Please give me sufficient intelligence so that I always remain under your shelter, chant your names daily and serve you every moment of my life.
The purpose of human life is to love and serve you and your dear devotees. This I have understood but because of not being pure I am not able to serve you properly. So, please purify my life so that I dedicate every moment of my life to you. Please do consider my plea, dear Krishna.
Your eternal servitor
Purushottam Nitai Das
