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with, a nose to smell fragrances, and many boons like that. Hundreds of mouths cannot describe our obligation to God. Eyes, ears, nose, throat, hands, feet, and other organs are highly useful for us. If even one is lost, how can we compensate for it? Oh benevolent God, I still beg something more."
If you want to learn the art of begging, for what should be begged for, you can learn it from Tulsi Das. Do not ask for worldly pleasure, because it is not permanent. Tulsi Das has explained the art of begging with a fine example. You might have witnessed a fisherman luring a freely moving fish to come into his clutches from unfathomable waters. How does he accomplish this? A string is tied to a small piece of bamboo at the end of which a hook is attached. Covering this hook is some delicious food for the fish. As soon as the fish starts eating the bait, it gets hooked and the fisherman simply draws it very easily into his hand.
The worldly pleasures which we enjoy with the help of the sensory organs are like unfathomable water and our mind is like a fish roaming in the deep oceans of desire. The fish jumps restlessly when it is drawn out of the water and it is the same when we pull ourselves out of the depths of desire. We cannot live even for a moment without worldly desire.
Here, in this school of yoga, you are taught self control. You have to practise silence from six pm until six am, you have to contemplate yourself and the teachings of your guru. The worldly desires are spread far and wide like a vast ocean. "Oh God! Your lotus feet are just like the hook which is tied to the string, and singular devotion to you is like the bait. Please pull me out from the ocean of desire and bring me to your shelter. You are the fisherman and I am attracted towards your lotus feet to eat the bait of absolute devotion. For you, it will be just fun, but for us it will be salvation." Tulsi Das thus prays to God for relief from mental restlessness and anxiety.
You should pray to God like Tulsi Das. You should have just the one aim of pulling your mind away from worldly desire and concentrating it on God, who is sitting in the inner soul of everybody. Yoga teaches the method for this.
When asked what is yoga, Maharishi Patanjali replied, "It is the restraint of mental modifications."
litta vritti nirodhah
(Yogasutras 1:2)
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