Who is Actually Hearing? by HH Gour Govinda Swami
There was a village where Bhagavatparayana was going on, recitation of
Srimad Bhagavatam for seven days,saptaha. Many people from neighboring
villages came to hear the recitation from seven o 'clock to nine o 'clock
each evening. There were two women who were regularly coming. One was an old
woman about seventy years old with gray hair. The other was a young girl
sixteen years old. She was the daughter-in-law of the elderly woman.
One day in his lecture the speaker sang in Oriya,ananda bolo hari hari,hari
karibe upaya- "Chant the name of Lord Hari with pleasure! Hari! Hari! Hari!
Hari! That Lord Hari will enable you to cross over the dreadful ocean of
material existence." Both the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law heard the
speaker, but from that very moment the daughter-in-law started chanting,
"Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari!" She put complete faith in those words. Although
both of them heard, the mother-in-law did not sing the song.
Why is it that the daughter-in-law was able to put full faith in the words
of Srimad Bhagavatam and start chanting,"Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari!" from that
very moment while the old experienced mother-in-law could not do so? Because
the old lady was not simple, she was crooked. She had no faith in what she
heard. This is a question of sa sayatma, doubt. She was a doubtful person.
The young girl was very simple. She was not crooked, so immediately she put
faith in what she heard and started chanting, "Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari!"
When the recitation finished, the ladies had to return to their home. On the
way there was a tidal river that they had to cross. When they had first come
the water was knee-deep, but when they were returning it was neck-deep. The read more »
