A boat carrying passengers was calmly crossing the Ganges. All were enjoying the ride. As the boat reached deep water the boatman sounded a precautionary warning: “Keep your hands off the river. The place is filled with crocodiles.” Everyone obliged but a child. And soon a ferocious crocodile grabbed the hand of the child. His parents and the co passengers immediately tried to pull back the child but did not succeed. The grip of the giant water monster was tightening and the child was getting pulled in the river. Desperate mother, devastated father and others were trying their best to save the child; they were pulling hard to free the little child from the crocodile’s clutches. But in the water the water animal is extremely powerful more than even an elephant. Due to the melee soon the boat started losing balance. The boatman shouted that if we do not do something soon then the boat will sink. The passengers looked in the eyes of the frightened parents. The unspoken message was: “Leave the child else we will die.” The parents looked in the eyes of their beloved child for the last time. And finally seeing no other option they loosened the grip and soon the kid was dragged away in the deep water by the cruel crocodile.
The scripture says padam padam yad vipadam -there is danger at every step in this world (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.58). What may happen to us the next moment we do not know. Were the passengers of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 while saying goodbye to their dear ones ever thought that their meeting is going to be the last meeting? No. Because none of us know the future. Uncertainty is the characteristic of this world. In fact we are so helpless in this world that no one can save us. Even a mother cannot guarantee the life of a child. Krishna in Gita informs us that this world is full of miseries (Bhagavad Gita 8.15). This is why he asks us to return back to the spiritual world which is our original home. If Krishna, the Supreme God, has given us a better option then why not to avail it then to rot in this rotten world. He even assures us that once we reach to his kingdom then we would never return again to this temporary world (Bhagavad Gita 8.15).
