"Divine Grace"

   Our elders often used to tell us that three important pre-requisites for a good life are: purva punya, elders' blessings, and paramatma's anugraha (divine grace). To these may also be added the blessings of an attained person, a God-sent 'guru' and getting such a real 'guru' is also divine grace. 

   We often hear the words that it is our 'karma' that we enjoy or suffer in life. The term 'karma' has many shades of meaning and it is not very clear what is this karma or whose karma it is that binds us! We do not remember what all actions we have done and what is the end product, fruit (phala), of that action. But, this 'divine grace' can erase all that has accumulated over past lives and liberate us! This is paramatma's anugraha!  Little do we know what this karma is! But, we take refuge in the Almighty, the Lord, with the hope He bestows His grace on us and protect us. Bhagavan Shree Krishna literally assures us that He will protect us when we look to His grace! So, divine grace is very important. We beseech 'bhagavad-anugraha' and pray for His grace.

  Little did we know or clearly understand what this 'Divine Grace' (divyanugraha' or 'divyanugraha') is a decade-and-a-half years ago when we initiated a Foundation (pratishthana) to serve the people at large as a part of 'Jnyan-yajnya' as ordained in the Gita. "Jnyan-yajnya is the highest among all the sacrifices, yajnya, that one could undertake," says Bhagavan Shree Krishna.  We are successfully serving the world at large and have reached almost a hundred thousand persons! This is by divine grace only and we are blessed!

     What is this 'divine grace'? Swami Ranganathananda, President, Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, has dealt with this aspect in great detail in one of his lectures at Beacon Yoga Centre, Shivananda Ashrama, Perth, Australia in 1978. It is available in the form of a small booklet (Ed. Swami Kirtidananda) in Ramakrishna Ashrama Libraries. It is quite a lengthy series of lectures and these dwell upon the teachings of Bhagavan Shree Krishna in the Gita.

      With all these teachings, we are not certain that we ever understand divine grace. Also, it is not certain that we get the blessings after reading this, either! What is the ultimate 'Truth'? It is just the principle of surrender, sharanagatim, 'merger' or becoming one with Him! This may seem to be a little contradictory or ambiguous. Actually, it is like the waves getting back to merge in the sea where it starts! When the Lord's blessings or grace falls on the devotee, the separation, distance, the division, the duality disappears. This is the sheer grace of Lord! It removes the curtain of illusion, ajnyan, avidya that separates the Lord from His creation! It reveals the Self, Atman! This is divine grace!

(to be contd,)