Most Merciful Lord Balaji!

July 09, 2006.

I'll tell you a wonderful story that will make you very very happy and jubilant. Its a pastime of Lord Balaji (Lord Venkateshwara of Tirupathi). Kindly go through the following.
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One day a devotee was going to go home early from work and do some material activity to which he was attached. It was not any offensive activity but still, for a devotee to really approach the Supreme Lord, all material attachments must be severed. But this devotee was fortunate to have some great Vaishnav association and that senior devotee asked him to not go home just for sense gratification, instead he suggested that they should read some Hari Katha. The junior devotee agreed to sacrifice his material enjoyments for listening to Hari Katha in devotee association.

That evening, the two devotees after coming back from work, decided to go to the bank of a nearby river. While on the way to the bank, they came across a quite old and serene Lord Shiva temple. Overjoyed with the tranquility of the Shiva temple, the devotees decided to chant the Holy names of Hari -- Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Raam Hare Raam Raam Raam Hare Hare. They offered their obeisances to the Shiva Linga and then sat beneath the beautiful shady canopy of one of the trees which had together formed an umbrella over the Shiva Temple. Cool breeze was blowing and an old man was playing melodiously on a flute. The whole atmosphere was surcharged with serenity and peace. After some time the devotees decided to continue on their way to the banks of the river. They paid their obeisances to Lord Ganesh and then left the temple.

The atmosphere at the 'ghat' (bank of the river) was equally refreshing. Cool breeze blowing, the river flowing from left to right, and the sun was setting. Kids were playing and their moms were washing clothes at the ghat. The whole scene was a picture of a typical rural evening. Full of simplicity and life.

In such a setting, the two devotees started doing what they do best! Chanting the Holy Names of Hari!! Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Raam Hare Raam Raam Raam Hare Hare. The chanting was especially more beautiful to them because they were chanting just because they love to. Their prescribed number of rounds were already over in the morning. Very soon, these two devotees, with bead bag in their hands, and Hari Naam on their tongues, attracted a couple of 10-12 year old kids. They stood their blatantly watching these two devotees of the Supreme Lord, who were chanting this mystical mantra from Vaikuntha.

One of the devotees asked the boys to sit down and repeat the mantra after them. And they did! For a few minutes the boys listened and once in a while chanted the Holy Names of Hari! Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Raam Hare Raam Raam Raam Hare Hare. Then the kids got up and busied themselves in playing. These kids had also come to the Lord Shiva temple which the two devotees had visited earlier.

The senior of the two devotees then took out the Bhagvad Gita and started reading from Chapter Nine. After finishing reading, the devotees were about to leave. Just then one of the two kids came to the devotees and excitedly offered them a small circular Balaji badge that seemed to have come from Tirupathi itself! The kid told that he had just found the badge lying on the ground near the river and thought that the devotees would be interested in having the badge. The devotees very very eagerly accepted the Balaji badge and thanked the kid for giving it to them. The devotees couldn't believe what was happening. They were overjoyed. This story seemed right out of the Bhagvatam!! Lord Balaji had a played a pastime and included these two devotees in it. What mercy? Such is the way of the most munificiient Supreme Personality of Godhead!

The devotees could see for themselves that just by sacrificing a little material sense enjoyment, and by chanting the Holy Names of Hari -- Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Raam Hare Raam Raam Raam Hare Hare, they had got the great mercy of the Lord. Lord Balaji had appearred before them in the form of that badge! What mercy!
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And now to the spcial part of this story. This pastime of Lord Balaji happened day before yestereday! The two devotees involved were Amol Katkar Prabhu (senior devotee) and I. And that material sense enjoyment that I had sacrificed was Wimbledon Men's Singles SemiFinals.

I hope this story exilerates all who read it and most importantly encourages everyone to chant the Holy Names of Hari!! Hari Bol! Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Raam Hare Raam Raam Raam Hare Hare.

Your servant,
Abhijit.