What happens when a new devotee is met by an opponent who tries to test him?
By Vijaya dasa
If the devotee can answer him back, he may save himself otherwise the encounter may disturb his faith. Does it mean that one should not preach unless he completely masters the philosophy? Or should he just go ahead and depend on Lord Krishna. Find out what happened in this story told by H.G. Balrama Lila Prabhu of Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari Temple.
We were distributing books on the railway bridge during the December marathon. A new devotee joined us for the day. He was very enthusiastic and would earnestly request all the visitors to buy Srila Prabhupada’s books. His lack of proper understanding of deeper aspects of philosophy was more than compensated by his simple and spontaneous service attitude. Then a young Maharashtrian man came to the stall.
“Please take this Bhagavad-gita, sir,” the new devotee said to him.
The man did not speak at first, but when requested again said, “Bhagavad-gita is flowing in my veins. Why should I buy it from you? I know it inside out.”
Every second Indian will give the same answer to the Hare Krishna devotees. Its nothing new; Indians always consider there knowledge of few verses of Bhagavad-gita as the only teaching of Gita. Generally they think that the Gita’s message is only doing one’s duty and not worrying about the fruit. So we try to help them see the Gita from the devotional angle. So this devotee said, “Bhagavad-gita as it is” gives proper meaning of Gita therefore you should buy it.” The man became little angry and said, “Are you challenging me? I told you that I know Bhagavad-gita inside out. Come on ask me anything you want to know.”
The devotee got scared at this challenge because he himself was anything but a scholar of Bhagavad-gita. Still he mustered some courage and said, “OK you tell me something. What is verse 18.66 of Bhagavad-gita?” This was probably the only shloka of Bhagavad-gita he knew.
The man thought for some moments and then said, “OK I don’t know this. But do you know?”
“Yes,” the cheerful devotee replied and recited the Sarva dharman prarityaja shloka like a parrot learned in Sanskrit.
The man had nothing to say. “OK you defeated me,” he said, “so I have to buy your book. But wait a minute now I will test you.”
The devotee now realized that he will be exposed. “I hardly know anything else in Bhagavad-gita. If this man asks me something complex I am finished. Oh, Lord Krishna! Please save me, You are my only hope.” The devotee started praying earnestly for Lord’s mercy.
The man asked, “Tell me verse number.. ah, let me think, ok tell me 4.34″
The devotee didn’t even think for a second and blurted out, “Tad viddhi pranipatena… and the translation is – Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master…..” this was the only other sloka he knew from Bhagavad-gita.
The man accepted defeat and left with Bhagavad-gita.
This shows that if the devotees sincerely depend upon the mercy of the Lord, they will surely be helped. As the Srila Krsna Dasa Kaviraja says in the Chaitanya Chariamrita that by mercy of the Lord a blind man can see the stars and a lame man can climb the mountain, similarly even an ordinary devotee can be empowered to defend the mission of Lord against agonistic elements.
