LORD ACCEPTS YOUR HUMBLE CONTRIBUTION
Respected Bhagavatha Shri Shankarapillai told one real life story during his Naaraayaneeyam discourse. This happened about few years ago and I feel it is worth sharing with all of you.
There is a small town near Guruvayur by the name Chaavakkad. I have heard that in Chavakkad, there is no household without at least one member of the family employed in the Gulf countries. Anyway, there is no importance for that aspect in this story.
There was a woman in that village or town who made her living by making and selling sweets like Jilebis, Laddus, Mysore pak, etc. In addition to her excellent cooking skills, she was a very sincere devotee of Guruvayurappan. Every time she made sweets for her clients, she would offer a few to Guruvayurappan before she packed everything for them. To put it differently, she offered the sweets to Bhagavan and made it a prasadam before delivering to the customers.
One day, one customer who had to fly to Dubai the next afternoon gave emergency order for some jilebis and laddus. Poor "maami" accepted the order and she had to get the necessary ingredients in the late evening. Somehow she managed to make all the sweets by next day morning. She had to hurry up to pack the whole thing and in that hurry, for the first time in her life, she forgot to offer a few sweets for her Lord Guruvayurappan.
Customer came on time and picked up the sweets and "maami" went to Guruvayur for the daily darshan. When she was about to enter the inner praakaram of the temple, a beautiful boy about 8-10 years old came and asked her " Maami, can I have a few jalebis and laddus?'
She told the boy that she did not have any left at home, but will make some and bring for him when she comes for evening darshan. The boy agreed. Maami went home made some more sweets and brought with her when she came to the temple in the evening. The same boy was standing near the inner praakaaram (naalambalam) and waiting for the sweets. Maami gave him and they were talking about something.
Then the security guards asked Maami why she was talking to herself. Maami said: "I am talking to this boy who asked me for some sweets in the morning and I could give him only now. I was explaining to him how I got a late order and how I had to work almost all night."
Security guards told her that they could not see any boy near her and they were wondering why Maami was talking to herself. They said: Maami, may be you did not sleep well and you are confused.
Maami looked again to show the guards, the boy holding the sweets she just now gave, but unfortunately the boy had disappeared from her eyes also!
Then Maami realized along with others around her that the boy who asked for sweets and accepted sweets from her was none other than Guruvayurappan Himself! She sat there and cried calling "Kanna, come again near me, I will give you more sweets." All the eyes of devotees watching this incident welled up and they did namaskaar to Maami who could see her Lord Kannan and treat Him with sweets made exclusively for Him with her own hands!
When Respected Shankara Pillai narrated this story with utmost Bhakthi and bhaavam, tears rolled down my cheeks and I am sure all the devotees felt the presence of Krishna in that room. It was an experience!
True devotion really pays, what more would one ask for in life than having the darshan of the Lord! How blessed are such devotees who are so pure hearted that the Lord Himself comes down in search of them to give His darshan!
Sreekrishnaarpanamasthu.
