The Challenge
Ramachandra Bhagavan needed to cross from South India to Lanka to defeat Ravana and transport the monkey army. He realized that a bridge was necessary for everyone to cross the ocean. He called Hanuman and told him, “We want a bridge ready by tomorrow.”
Hanuman, confident that the Lord’s orders come with the strength to fulfill them, replied, “Alright Bhagavan.”
The Construction
Hanuman started bringing big mountains and stones from all over India and deposited them near the coast of the ocean. He wrote ‘Ram’ on each stone and threw them into the ocean, where they floated.
Lord Ramachandra, observing this, was surprised that the stones floated when ‘Ram’ was written on them. Wanting to try it Himself, He threw a stone into the ocean, but it sank. He repeated this, but each stone sank.
Hanuman’s Insight
Hanuman, watching this, asked, “What are you doing, Bhagavan?” Ram, not wanting to admit His lack of success, remained silent.
Hanuman then explained, “I know what you are doing, Bhagavan. The stones float because I write Your name on them, associating them with You. When You throw the stones, You are rejecting them. Without Your association, how can they float?”
Moral of the Story
We should strive to avoid being rejected by the Lord and Vaishnavas. When we are rejected, there is no hope for us. The only way to avoid rejection is to always chant the Lord’s names and remember Him. The name of Krishna is more powerful than Krishna Himself, as illustrated by this story from the Ramayana.
In Sri Siksastakam, Lord Caitanya says:
Text 2 namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-shaktis tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah etadrishi tava kripa bhagavan mamapi durdaivam idrisham ihajani nanuragaha
“O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benedictions to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names like Krishna and Govinda. In these transcendental names, You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out of kindness, You enable us to easily approach You by Your holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them.”
Lessons to Be Learned
- Power of the Holy Name The name of the Lord carries His full potency and can achieve miraculous feats.
- Divine Association The association of the Lord, through His name, ensures that even the most mundane objects can achieve extraordinary results.
- Humility and Surrender Always approach the Lord with humility and avoid actions that signify rejection of His grace.
- Continuous Remembrance Constantly chant and remember the Lord’s names to stay connected to His divine energy and avoid being rejected by Him.
Prayer
“O Lord Krishna, please grant us the humility to always seek Your association through chanting Your holy names. Help us to remember You constantly and to understand the immense power and grace contained in Your names. May we never be rejected by You and always remain under Your divine protection.”
