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For a child, the parents are no refuge. For a drowning man, the boat is no security. For people suffering from diseases, all medicinal cures are but temporary. They are ephemeral. What we always want is a hand of protection from the Supreme.

बालस्य नेह शरणं पितरौ नृसिंह
नार्तस्य चागदमुदन्वति मज्जतो नौ: ।
तप्तस्य तत्प्रतिविधिर्य इहाञ्जसेष्ट-
स्तावद्विभो तनुभृतां त्वदुपेक्षितानाम् ॥
(Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.19)

Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru.

Devotion and religion have always been the backbone of our culture. Devotion is held in such a wholesome and all-enfolding manner, that it becomes potent, a mighty creative force. Just as food and nourishment are to the body, so too devotion, devotional reliance and devotional resignation are to the mind and heart.

Through devotion, we have instances when even physical situations have been redressed. A question may now arise: Is the mind capable of acting on matter? The answer is that the whole material world has come from the mind substance alone.

Matter in different formations may have interactions between themselves. But the mind is far superior to, and transcends the range of materiality. It can act on matter conclusively, with finality. It is this message that is conveyed through various conversations, stories, episodes and examples in our religious and mythological texts.

Prahlaada praises Narasimha and the praise, which is in exquisite poetry, is highly metaphysical, yet very devotional and immensely moving. What I recited is a verse from the Prahlaada stuti in Srimad Bhagavatam, which records the praise of Prahlaada, the little boy with immense Shraddha, standing reverentially before Lord Narasimha.

bālasya neha śaraṇaṃ pitarau nṛsiṃha….

– ‘For the child, parents are no refuge!’ says Prahlaada. When I came across this statement I became deeply reflective and imaginative. What a great and revealing statement! For a child, parents are not the real refuge!

nārtasya cāgadamudanvati majjato nau:

– For a man suffering from diseases, medicines are not the final answer. And for one drowning in water, a boat is not the ultimate redress.

taptasya tatpratividhirya ihāñjaseṣṭa-
stāvadvibho tanubhṛtāṃ tvadupekṣitānām

– For those suffering from any kind of illness or difficulty, whatever measures of redress are thought of, they can only be transitory if they are disowned by You.

So the supreme refuge is in surrender. If the mind can develop this sense of reliance and resignation on the Supreme, then that Supreme comes to redress, protect and support. I think you will do well to reflect repeatedly on the profound statement made by Prahlaada.

How boldly he says that for children, parents are no refuge! In spite of parents being around, have not children sometimes lost their lives? The other day S came here and narrated her sad story. Her child, four and half years old, who used to cling to the mother while crossing roads, wriggled out of her grasp that fateful day, and ran across the road, only to be run over by a speeding truck. How can a mother excuse herself for this? Can she ever remember the scene with any poise? Why did this happen?

It is true that in this material world, we have got material causes and their effects and relationships. All these relationships are within a broad framework, vyavasthaa, of Nature. And the vyavasthaa maker is something or someone, supra-material, divine. Where should your reliance then be? On material resources or on the vyavasthaa maker?

If you rely upon material measures alone, will not the outcome be limited? Were there not numerous instances when your efforts had become ineffective? So the Supreme refuge, the Supreme redress, succour and strength – where will it come from? It is in the reliance that the mind is able to cultivate and preserve on the Supreme. This is a fact. This is an evaluation. This is also a clue.

Will the devotional and pious mind be able to work on this finding, and make it a tower of strength and support? That is where individuals differ widely, unpredictably. Meera drank the poison given by her mother-in-law. It would have been enough to end her life instantly. The poison was a chemical substance, a material. The body is a biophysical, biochemical aggregate. But the chemical effect of the poison got nullified by Meera’s supreme devotion!

You can evade the truth by saying that Krishna came and protected her. But that is only a mythological proposition. Whether he came or not – what happened to the chemical effect of the poison taken by her? That effect was neutralized by the mind, a more powerful presence within the body. All biochemical actions and reactions in the body are governed by the supra-material substance called mind. That mind is indeed the Creator of matter, material causes and their effects.

In this particular case, there sprang a new sequence, as a result of which the chemical effect of the poison was neutralized! Very rarely does this happen, because people always rely on matter, on materiality alone. They don’t depend upon the Supreme or the Divine. But none prevents you from relying upon the Supreme and looking up to Him for protection.

We need the Supreme only when we live in the world. Suppose our body falls, then, nothing further is needed. It is while living that we need the help, strength and support of devotion. Dear children, understand that this devotion is always mind-based. It is always mind-preserved. And when preserved well, pursued properly, loved and honoured in a befitting manner, it will enrich and empower your very being.

Remember this statement of Prahlaada: For a child, the parents are no refuge. For a drowning man, the boat is no security. For people suffering from diseases, all medicinal cures are but temporary. They are ephemeral. What we always want is a hand of protection from the Supreme. When that hand is not there, all other supports are flimsy and fleeting. They are not dependable.

I wonder again and again. How did Prahlaada make this broad declaration, that parents are no refuge to their children?! What a lofty statement it is!

Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru.
– Vicharasethu Dec 2005