This is an ancient tale that tells about a king who had four wives. The king went for some days to a foreign land. When it was time for him to return, he wrote a letter to each of his wives. It read as, “My dearest one, this is a beautiful land. My work here is over. I shall be returning soon. What can I get for you from here?”
Each of the wives was very excited to get the letter. The messenger was to return the very next day to the king, so all the four queens set forth to write her wish list.
The youngest queen was very pretty and she loved ornaments and clothes. She wrote, “I would love to have some traditional saris and some bangles. I hear they make lovely diamond studded bangles there. Please bring some for me.”
The second queen was a scholar and quite spiritually inclined too. She wrote, “I do not have the Upanishads. Please get those and also some other scriptures for me to read...”
The third queen was sickly and frail. She wrote, “Do try to meet a good Vaidya there and bring me some medicines, so that my health improves. With each day that passes, my health is deteriorating.”
The eldest queen simply wrote, “I just need you. Come home soon.”
Well, the king got all the letters and collected all the items in the wish lists of his queens and returned back to his kingdom. He went straight to the palace of the eldest queen. From there he deputed his ministers to have the three gift packets delivered to the other three queens.
Some days passed, the other three queens having gotten over the initial delight of having received the much desired gifts, wondered why the king had not bothered to see them. They sent a message to the king, seeking his audience.
The king replied, “I have sent you all that you wanted. The eldest queen just wanted me, so I had to give myself to her!”
The story holds a very deep meaning. Here the king is God. He is like a wish-fulfilling tree. He grants you whatever you ask from Him. If we ask for but tinsel and trash, why would He give anything but that?
It is only the devotee who yearns for God that gets Him. God has to be understood as a part of your life breath. Think of Him as being with you always. Feel His presence, holding your hand all the time. In simple terms we can understand it like this. If your spouse or your child is travelling and you are missing him or her, how do you remember them? Do you sit cross-legged, close your eyes and concentrate on their memory? Or do you just remember them in your heart as you go about your daily routine? Remembering God is like that... His memory is a part of all the thoughts that cross your mind... consciously or unconsciously!
(FROM SUNRAYS FOR THURSDAY BY PRIYA & SANJAY TANDON)
Should any edible prasadam be offered after Bhajans ?
About prasadam (the edible that is usually offered to the Lord after bhajan and distributed as consecrated food to the participants), well, the edible offering is to be avoided. The Name itself is the best consecrated offering to be shared. You can give Vibhuti (holy ash) as prasad, that is enough. This is the most precious and effective prasad.
