Q. What is Grace (Kripa)? Can Grace be gained by effort?

A: Grace is like rain. It’s something that comes from above. It descends like rain and it’s always there. Yes, grace is always there. But we are not always ready. Our effort lies in tilling the field and keeping it ready. All it needs is rain. If the field is not kept ready, then the rain of grace is wasted. You may ask: I have put in efforts, but there’s no grace in view? Well, it’s there... it is coming, you will have to wait. It is well worth heeding Shirdi Sai Baba’s mantra in this regard: SHRADDHA & SABURI (Faith and Patience). Grace is there, we have to have faith and be patient to see it.

Q.In spiritual action, is prayer or separate austerity really necessary? Can life itself not take anyone to God by Grace or Guru Kripa?

A. I’ll give you an example. A devotee recently initiated by satguru, Sri Sri Vijayakrishna Goswami, asked him respectfully: ‘Goswami ji, all those who get siddha yoga from you don’t belong to the same category. Some good souls must practice in the right earnest all the disciplines prescribed by you, but there are of course so many ‘bad boys’ who would refuse to do what you tell them in toto. Now, what is the ultimate destination they are likely to reach…I suppose, it would definitely be different?’

‘Oh, no! They too will reach the very same destination undoubtedly!’

‘Well, if that is so, what is the necessity of so much discipline?’ argued the disciple.

Now Goswami ji explained.

‘Here’s a story for you. In the olden days, palanquin was in vogue to carry the bride and bridegroom to their destination after the marriage ceremony. The palanquin bearers had to trudge a long way with great difficulty while the two sitting in it cosy, were safe and secure. Now, think of this situation. A wedding is supposed to take place. And the groom is taken in a palanquin by the palanquin-bearers to the place of wedding. With great difficulty, stopping the night in a village en route, breaking journey for food and rest, finally they would reach the destination. When they reached, people received the groom immediately, offered them water and something to eat. The palanquin-bearers, on the other hand, had to wait outside the house.

They would be exhausted, they needed water, but the lady of the house said, ‘Wait! I’ll attend to the groom and come back to you.’ They were of course served water, but after a long wait. Their lunch came not in the afternoon, but in the evening. So, you see, both the parties have reached. How you reach and when you reach is the question. Grace too is linked to action in a mysterious way. The sphere in which you exert is the sphere in which you gain the fruit. Spiritual effort brings spiritual gain! Like every other action, one learns this from practice.”

Tears of Grace

“Our job is to love all and see God in all,” said Maharaj.

By now the eyes of the devotee had welled up. Maharaj pretended as though he had not noticed, and said, “Tears are dear to God. Thakur has written about this again and again. There are two books by Thakur – ‘Ashru Badal’ and ‘Chokher Jole Maayer Puja’– both these books celebrate tears.

भगत के वश में है भगवान

Vitthal Maharaj was busy arranging barricade stands and chains. He put a fence between the disciples and the table against which he sat on the other side. The disciple was surprised. Gurudeva guessed his sentiment and explained. “Arey bhai!! What to do? These people come and touch my feet repeatedly; they just grab and hold my feet even if I withdraw them number of times. I ask them to offer their Pranaam from a distance but no one is paying any heed to my instructions. They’re going to do what they want. But, now I have found the solution. Here’s the Lakshman Rekha! This barricade will keep them away.”

He proudly displayed his contraption to the disciples.

The band of disciples went to Sai Bona in the afternoon as advised by him, and returned to Mahamilan Math in the evening. They offered him some rasogullas; Maharaj had the packet sent to his room. The disciple noticed the table had been moved, the chains of the barricade and metal stand were all thrown in a corner. A devotee couple now came, lay prostrate before him, and held his feet.

After they left, the disciple asked, “Maharaj, what happened to the Lakshman Rekha?”

“Gone, it’s gone! I can’t help it. After you people left, some disciples came to see me. Finding the passage cordoned off, they offered Pranaam from a distance and stood there with long faces in anticipation. They just stood there for a long time looking at my feet. I could see they were suffering. So, I removed the barricade and let them in. क्या करें? You see, even God’s doors are wide open to all. No matter how much the Lord persists, He cannot stop the devotee from getting to His holy feet. When these people got a clear access, they were moved to tears, I said no more bars and barricades.” Maharaj put on his glasses and went back to his work, he was writing something.

Realizing how vulnerable can a Guru be, when he is moved by the love of his disciples, the disciple couldn’t stop humming this beautiful song:

भगत के वश में है भगवान,
भक्त बिना ये कुछ भी नहीं है,
भक्त है इसकी जान,
भगत के वश में है भगवान।।
Lord is in the sole custody of the devotee
He ceases to exist without the love of devotee
Lord’s life is is it solein the hands of devotees
Lord is in the sole custody of devotees.

“A generous woman has donated a big plot of land in the central part of Ujjain for building an ashram. The architectural plan has just been drawn out, the site is inaugurated, and the construction work will begin soon. A guesthouse needs to be built there. I have been asking people for funds. But somehow people don’t seem to be really serious about donations to religious causes. I had been to Rajasthan recently. There, people took me to their houses. I was shown around. They told me, “This is newly constructed, Guruji. It’s all your grace. This house is yours. Everything belongs to you.”

I was taken to all their new properties. “We have expanded this. It’s all your grace.” I told them, “You people seem to be favourites of God and Gurudeva. So much grace has been overflowing here. I seem to have no grace whatever. Look at the state of the ashram in Pushkar in your own state. Rather bad! The other ashrams too are in the need regularly. Where’s the grace, I say.”