Why not take God’s shelter and gain all kinds of benefits, which only he can grant?
A few things only God can do. Yes, it is a fact that all of us should know. The first one is giving ‘vardaan’. The English equivalent is a blessing, which is something good that you are thankful for. Boon is another word for it, which means a thing that is helpful or beneficial. Both of these meanings do not fully convey what vardaan is. Vardaan is what only God or His manifestations can give to deserving persons. Our scriptures have many details of vardaans being given by Lord Krishna to different persons.
Similarly, only God can grant liberation. A famous example is that of Lord Rama liberating Jatayu. Such liberated souls are freed from the painful cycle of birth and death. Lord Krishna speaks about this in many verses of the Bhagavad-Geeta. In verse #8.15, He states, “Those great souls, achievers of the supreme perfection, having attained Me, do not take rebirth in this impermanent place of miseries.” The Lord also guides us about different ways to qualify for liberation.
Only God can forgive our sins. Arjuna was afraid that he would be guilty of many sins if he participated in the Mahabharat War. Lord Krishna assured him in these words, “I will release you from all sins. Do not worry.” (18.66) And we know how knowingly and unknowingly we commit many sins. If we truly take shelter from God, He may forgive our sins. In verse #9.30, Lord Krishna assures, “Even if a person of very bad conduct worships Me with undivided devotion, he should be considered pious only, because he is now engaged properly.”
The next power, which only God has, is about a change of our natures in a substantial way, otherwise, we are stuck with whatever we have been programmed with due to our past ‘karmas’. For example, someone is very lusty, to begin with; he remains lusty for the rest of his life; our natures are so obstinate. Lord Krishna told Arjuna that he would engage in fighting, even though Arjuna was in denial, which ultimately Arjuna did. (18.59) In an earlier verse, the Lord had emphatically stated that people follow their natures. (3.33) One definitely needs help from God to subdue one’s nature. The same is true about the appearance of ‘karmaphalas’ both good and bad. They are forever coming and going. (2.14) Only God can do something about them. He can, but He doesn’t usually prevent them from coming, though we would wish that He stopped the bad ones. What God does is help us negotiate them better by guiding us if we take God’s shelter. (18.58) Only God can do this, otherwise, our bad karmas run through their entire course.
If God is especially merciful on us, He even changes people’s minds in our favour. This favour only God can do and no one else. I get pleasantly surprised when an apparently inimical person becomes favourable. God even appoints His devotees as His ‘nimitta’ (instruments) to carry out specific tasks, just as Arjuna was chosen to play a decisive role in the Mahabharat War. This is a very special privilege because it means that God becomes ‘karta’ in our lives. When God is the doer then nothing is impossible. That is how miracles happen to surprise us. God and only God can guide perfectly because He alone knows the big picture, which includes the past, present and future in their entirety. Very fortunate souls are blessed thus because then they move in the right direction. When the direction is perfect, one is bound to get the best results in one’s life. God surprises me to no end when He informs me about what only He could know about me, about which even I am unaware. Similarly, only God can alert us about impending dangers. God’s powers are unlimited. Why not take His shelter and gain all kinds of benefits, which only God can grant?
(The writer is a spiritual educator)
