Slokam 9

In this slokam. Sage Garga makes a very important statement.  He tells Nandagopa what is really the primary requirement for every one of us who embarks on the spiritual path.

Sage Garga tells Nandagopa that “you will overcome all difficulties with the aid of this child”.  He goes onto say “ Only have full faith in Him steadfast”.  The Paramathma resides within all Bhaktas to resolve all our difficulties.  The key requirement is that we should never drop His hand from our grip.  The faith and trust in Him should be fully steadfast.

The slokam states that although Sage Gargi did not categorically tell Nandagopa that Krishna is Paramathma Himself,  He gives all other indications about His greatness. 

The storms of life should not be allowed to disrupt this hold.  Like waves on the ocean,  our lives will bob up and down from plenty to poverty, from light to darkness, from good health to bad,  from happiness to depression, etc. The only purpose of this alternating swings is to test the resoluteness and firmness of our grip. Many of these situations may make us loosen and drop our hold.  Even if that happens,  we should always revert to holding the ever extended hand of the Parmathma, again and again.  For many of us, this grip will become steady only after many many attempts at holding and dropping the hand.  In any case there should never be a point at which we do not get back to try to hold the Paramathma’s hand. There should never be a situation in which we may be forced to loosen our grip without trying firm it up again.

Sage Garga’s statement in the slokam “only have full faith in Him steadfast”, is an excellent summation of what is expected out of all of us. 

The journey cannot be undertaken without initiation into the teachings of the Paramathma in the Ithihasas and Puranas.  At a minimum, a rudimentary reading and grasping of the principles must occur, as we move on in this journey of life. 

The travails of life will test us to the limit.  Yet may we never waver even one bit in our commitment.