The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : Of grace abounding

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Thursday, Jul 29, 2004

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

Of grace abounding

CHENNAI, JULY 29 . The most overwhelming emotion that a human being can ever experience and express is gratitude to God when he becomes aware of the descent of His grace. This experience is the turning point in spiritual life. Everyone whether consciously or unconsciously performs all actions for realising the state of eternal bliss. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says that although there is nothing for Him to attain, yet He continues to work and if He ceased to act the worlds would perish. But there is a great difference between human actions and that of God's. Man's propensity to act is in the interest of his welfare. However altruistic his actions may appear— acting in the interest of his family or society— there is an underlying trace of ego or self-interest in them.

In his discourse, Sri T.V.Venkataraman said when man became aware that his well-being was due to divine grace, he reciprocated with gratitude, which can be seen from the hymns of saints. Gratitude is thus the recognition of the operation of divine grace in human destiny with a sense of humility and only a transformed soul is capable of expressing this. When Lord Krishna could tell Arjuna that He acted for the sake of His creation, it becomes man's bounden duty to reciprocate it by remaining in His service, discharging his duties in life, which are his Karmic liabilities. He should also grow into Him spiritually remembering that the Almighty is always impartial and dispenses according to one's deserts. Because of ignorance the bonded soul is limited by the sense of ego but with the descent of grace begins to see the light of truth.

Saint Manikkavachakar in his hymn, the Tiruvachakam (Adaikalapattu) acknowledges the torrent of His grace thus, "As You liberally poured Your grace-abounding nectar I quaffed it greedily. Alas, I, the Karma-ridden suffered hiccough, lacking good fortune. Be pleased to supply me with water, sweet as rare honey that will gently flow gurgling down my throat." In another context the saint says he received His grace when he least deserved it. After the transformation is wrought man remains only to express his gratitude. Another palpable emotion is a sense of wonder that God had chosen to grace him. Manikkavachakar expresses this in the Koil Tiruppathikam, "You gave Yourself to me and received from me myself Sankara! Who is the cleverer one? From You I received unending bliss; what did You receive from me? How can I recompense You for this?"

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