14/11/2023

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A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Brahmacharini Shripriya Chaitanya The Festival of Govardhan Puja Good morning. Today marks a festival known as Govardhan Puja. The story of Govardhan Puja is narrated in the Shrimad Bhagavat Mahapurana and is dear to many as the story revolves around one of the most beloved deities in Hinduism, Shri Krishna. As a young boy, Shri Krishna comes to the rescue of his entire village by lifting up a mountain on his little finger. Why? Because Indra, the deity of rain, had become arrogant and accustomed to receiving offerings from the farmers of the town. The villagers needed the climate and the environment to be conducive to work for their livelihoods and thus they appealed to Indra so that he would bless them. Shri Krishna saw that Indra had to be corrected. A team leader is responsible for his team’s welfare and productivity; Shri Krishna saw that Indra’s attitude showed some room for improvement. He convinced the villagers to stop their offerings to Indra and instead to pray to God. Feeling provoked, Indra proceeded to send a torrential downpour to the village. When it became apparent that all the villages and their homes were in danger, Shri Krishna picked up a nearby mountain and holding it high above his head, provided shelter and refuge for all the villagers. We often pray to God for help without taking the time to see what assistance we already receive. God’s help is not intangible in our life; God’s support, if we care to notice, is with us at every moment of every day. I pray that God's grace allows us to recognise the myriad ways in which he shelters us as we walk through life. Hari Om.