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RAMACHARITAMANAS DISCOURSE
Srimati Krishna Devi
The accumulation of virtuous actions of many births brings about a moment in our life when everything is covered, enveloped in the thoughts of God. That is why today is a very auspiscious day. The Vaishnava acharyas and the saints have said, “Do not relate the ups and downs of life as good luck and bad luck." We have created a way of social thinking such that when things move the way we want them to, it is good luck and when things happen against our wishes it is considered bad luck. But the saints have said, "No Sir. It is not so." The favorable and unfavorable aspects of life are the two hands which may look different, but are certainly appendages of the same body.
These are the parts of Narayan's (the supreme God) Chariot. So, why call them good luck and ill luck? There is a nice verse:
Vipado naiv vipadah sampado naiv sampadah
Vipado vismaranam vishnu sampadah narayan smritti. The greatest catastrophe of life is to forget God and the greatest prosperity lies in remembering him. And in whose life has there been a misfortune or calamity greater than Mother Janaki's? When Lord Hanuman returned from Lanka and Lord Rama said, “How great is the misfortune that has befallen Mother Janaki. Tell me one thing, is Janaki crestfallen due to this adversity?" "No", Lord Hanuman said, "O Lord I really am not sure because there is only one thing that comes to mind.
Kaha Hanumant vipadh prabhu soi, jab jap sumiran bhajan na hoi. I really am not sure because wherever your name is being chanted continuously how can calamity abide? Mother Janaki remembers you continually. She is totally immersed in thoughts of you. She is continually repeating your name."
This celebration of our Gurudev's renunciation is a very auspicious moment in our life. When I arrived yesterday I was
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