Varta 6 - Bhagwan Sarva Rakshaka - God, the Protector of All

Shridharswami was a spiritual soul. The commentary he had written on the Bhagavad Gita was praised among scholars.

He had a deep wish to take up sannyasa (renunciation). But he was troubled by a worry: "If I become a sannyasi, what will happen to my wife and my young son?"

Then, one day, his wife passed away. "One bond has freed itself on its own," he thought. But the worry of how to raise his young son still remained.

One day, lost in these worries, he sat in his room. Just then, a lizard's egg fell from above and broke. A baby lizard came out of the broken egg. Hungry, it kept opening and closing its mouth again and again. "This baby lizard is about to die," thought Shridharswami.

Just then, a fly happened to come by. Drawn by the smell of the meal nearby, it landed right there — and found itself stuck. Try as it might, it simply could not fly away. At that very moment, the baby lizard slowly stretched out its tiny tongue and ate the fly.

Watching all this unfold, Shridharswami gained a new outlook on life. "The one who provides for and nurtures this entire universe — He is God Himself," he thought. "So who will raise my son? This worry is pointless. God Himself has said, 'My devotee never perishes.' There is no need to worry so much about my son's upbringing."

With this conviction, Shridharswami took the vow of sannyasa. At that very time, a wealthy man happily and joyfully took on the responsibility of raising his young son. And with that, all his worries about his son vanished.

-Balmodini Feb, 2025