Wednesday, April 3, 2019

1255. The Relentless Service....!



For any kind of work be it menial or preeminent job you have undertaken, there must always be the feeling that you want to serve. If this is the feeling, immediately the mind gets concentrated and connected with what you do. With mind connected the quality of the work done is efficient. The efficiency in work done automatically brings success.  If you are successful in rendering selfless service to the society, certainly you will make progress in the spiritual life. There is a saying in Kannada “Janara Seveye Janardhanana Seve” (Serving People is like serving Janardhana). One can never stop those who have practiced the “Art of Relentless Service”

A few days after Shri Rama’s coronation, Sitadevi and her three brothers-in-law Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrugna met. They were discussing about the Sevas (Service) to be done to Shri Rama. Sitadevi thought that Hanuman had taken care of Shri Rama for a long time and he should be given a break. They made a timetable as to who have to serve Shri Rama at which time. This planning excluded Hanuman from the service of Shri Rama. All the four divided the responsibility of rendering the various services to Shri Rama only among themselves. And so, they drew up a list, as exhaustive as they could make it, of the many services from dawn till dusk, down to the smallest detail and assigned each part to one among themselves.
They presented the list of services and its assignees to Shri Rama at the presence of Hanuman. Shri Rama smiled looking at the new protocol. He then read out the list of service so that Hanuman can hear. Not believing what he had just heard, Hanuman prayed to Shri Rama that the list be read once before him. Sadly he left as his name was not mentioned in the service list.

Next day, Hanuman innocently went to Shri Rama’s room to massage legs. Immediately Lakshmana told Hanuman that it is not his service and it was allotted to Shatrugna. Then Hanuman found that no service was allotted to him. He started feeling left out and was depressed. After some time he consoled himself and asked Lakshmana if he could do any service which is not mentioned in the list.

Lakshmana also agreed to that because he was confident that there was no service unmentioned. After thinking for a while, Hanuman said that he had an opportunity and would wish do that service. Hanuman said, “Our ancients have said that if you yawn, snapping fingers is a must to protect from evil effects. And so being a Chakravarthi Shri Rama can hire anyone to snap fingers whenever He yawns”.

Lakshmana thought that little service should not bother any of the three, so he told Hanuman to do finger snapping service to Shri Rama. He did not know the seriousness of this service. Nobody can predict when one will yawn so Hanuman was always required to stay with Shri Rama. He was always keeping his fingers ready to snap. He took his food with his left hand and kept his right hand ready to snap when Shri Rama yawns. That much he was determined in his service. 

Sitadevi, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrugna were completely bewildered at this turn of the situation.

Shri Rama smiled and thought that all of their intelligence put together cannot equal Hanuman intelligence. Then at night, Shri Rama went inside the bedroom to sleep, Hanuman followed. Sitadevi stopped him, reminded Hanuman about her domain. But Hanuman was so determined in his service that he said this yawning service is most required at night time and he has to be with the His master and it is very much essential. Looking at the plea of Sitadevi, Shri Rama asked Hanuman to go and take rest. Having received the order from his master, Hanuman left.

No comments:

Post a Comment