Sutikshna was a disciple of Agastya rishi. As a five-year-old used to
reside in his Guru's ashram and he would do Guru seva. Some children are naturally
attracted to seva by virtue of their past sanskars, you can see it you don't
need to teach them. Sutikshna is one of those so, Guru-ji had faith and
confidence in his five-year-old disciple. One day I Agastya said look I need to
go on a little pilgrimage. Agastya, he used to worship a Shaligram, you know
the round image of God, looks like a very sacred pebble
so Agastya I said beta you take care of the Shaligram like I used to worship
you also do it until I return and Agastya left the Shaligram in
the custody of this five year old disciple. so Sutikshna the next day
he went out for a walk in the morning and he was taking Guru-ji's Shaligram along
he came to a jamun tree, you know the black colored jamun fruit the Indian
jamun. So Sutikshna being a little child got tempted, little children love
to eat jamun, it's got a very intriguing taste to it. So he took a stone and
chucked it. A few jamun fell and he started relishing, it so naturally the
greed got ignited, he took a little more and then there was no stone around
except for guru ji Saligram
Now his devotion took the backseat and the
desire for jamun took the front seat he took the Shaligram and threw it
unfortunately for him the Shaligram went right through the branches of the
tree. It did not contact any jamun it went across and fell into the stream. Now
Sutikshna had the wake-up call. Oh my god I have misplaced my Guru-ji's
Shaligram. He wandered about in the pebbles trying to discover Guru-ji's
Shaligram but that seemed to have gotten washed away. So five-year-old Sutikshna
thought I am in real trouble now. What to do you know the Shaligram
looks black and the jamun also looks black. He said Guru-ji will not discover, he took one
jamun and placed it on the aasan. Now Guru-ji returned, he was not the
wiser of what had transpired and the next morning he was to do a Shaligram
puja and when he did it you know the gutali and the chilka separated, the seed
and the peel separated. Guru-ji said what has happened to Shaligram
Bhagwan, did you play any mischief arre Guru-ji it is all the pratap of your devotion
God is a reciprocating like this. Guru-ji said you nonsense boy what have you done
did you eat jamuns, go and get my Shaligram until you get it don't return to
my ashram. Sutikshna at that time made a resolve he said forget about the
Shaligram I will get God back to his ashram. So he went off and he practiced
austerities for decades. The consequence of his austerities when Rama came he knew
exactly who had done how much sadhna. You know God doesn't come with a deficiency
of computer knowledge he's coming to the world he knows the accounts of everyone
he has direct access. So he knows the devotion of Sutikshna and he
reciprocated, so Sutikshna got news first Ram is coming and the way he
responded his most remarkable "quoting from Ramayan"
Ram is coming Ram is coming he jumped up and jumped down
"quoting from Ramayan" so he's jumping around Ram is coming Ram
is coming he went into devotional ecstasy, finally he sat down in one place
so Ram came and he's in samadhi "quoting from Ramayan"
"quoting from Ramayan" in his meditation he's meeting Rama
so he's getting divine bliss I'm with Ram and Ram is standing in front so
finally what Ram did was withdrew his image from his mind so now Suthikshna
opened his eyes when he sees the Lord is there. He said my Lord can you please
do me a favor I need you to meet my Guru. Ram said all right, Suthikshna
took Ram to Agastya's ashram, say's Guru-dev please open
Agastya said who? Guru dev it is my it was my promise I am bringing God to
you. So Agastya they opened the door and he said really what more can you expect
from a disciple. You have helped me meet God such was this Suthikshna. What did he
do? He lifted his devotion to such a level
that God came to meet him that is why sometimes it is said don't try and see
God, improve yourself to such an extent that God wants to see you
There was one person who was blind but yet every day he would walk three miles
to come to the temple obviously he could not have darshan he was blind but he
would perform that tedious journey on a daily basis. Somebody asked, look you are blind.
You cannot have darshan of the deities then why do you bother to come
all the way on a daily basis? He said I cannot have darshan I cannot see God but
God can see me that's the important thing
God is seeing me, he is seeing my devotion he is seeing my little
strivings, my little strivings are not sufficient to reach the supreme almighty
but I am attracting His grace by it and when that grace comes it will make up
for all my deficiencies and unite me with him, so all we need to do is to
improve the quality of our devotion like I said hold your devotion to a quality
of excellence without compromising not the chalta hai attitude that is what kills
us lifetime after lifetime chalta hai. Hold yourself to a commitment I will do it
I must improve my mind, I must develop these virtues and implement them and
thereby by our own devotion attract the grace of
God!