Question
Because we are conditioned to the modes of nature and there is also karma, is there really benefit when we pray for others who suffer or someone prays for us?
Ys paramesvari dd
Answer
Dear Mataji,
When I read your question I remembered my studies of Aristotle during my youth. He taught something that came to be known as syllogism, which could be called “philosophical mathematics”.
It says:
If A is equal to B and A is equal to C, then B must be equal to C.
Which in our case means:
If A (a devotee) loves B (Krishna), and if A loves C (another person), then B (Krishna) must love C (another person).
However the difference between philosophy and math is that the latter is a semplificacion, and these don’t always apply to the former. Infact while math deals with things, philosophy deal with persons, which are much more complicated than any other material phenomenon.
Now, does Krishna feels obliged if His devotee recommend another person?
It depends, the variables are many. A few cases:
We know that Krishna loves His devotees very much. Let’s enjoy this verse from the Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.16.7).
yat-sevayā caraṇa-padma-pavitra-reṇuṁ
sadyaḥ kṣatākhila-malaṁ pratilabdha-śīlam
na śrīr viraktam api māṁ vijahāti yasyāḥ
prekṣā-lavārtha itare niyamān vahanti
“The Lord continued:
Because I am the servitor of My devotees, My lotus feet have become so sacred that they immediately wipe out all sin and I have acquired such a disposition that the goddess of fortune does not leave Me, even though I have no attachment for her, while others praise her beauty and observe sacred vows to secure from her even a slight favor.”
He says that His lotus feet have become sacred because of the saintliness of His devotees! See how much he loves them.
As a consequence if the devotee is pure and the other person doesn’t have much aprārabdha, kuta or bija karma to pay, there is some possibility that, out of love for his devotee, Krishna may intervene.
If instead the devotee is not a pure devotee and the person has a lot of karma incoming, maybe Krishna could be less inclined to intervene, which doesn’t mean that Krishna doesn’t love his non-devotee but it means that his way of loving him may not be appreciable to us. Infact paying karma may be the one of the item necessary to ultimately achieve liberation.
Maybe the person we love so much is Jack the Ripper incarnate, or Adolf Hitler who has caused death and destruction. If we knew the real story of this person maybe we also would agree that he doesn’t deserve mercy yet, and that is right that he pays for what he did. But Krishna knows, and he is never unjust.
So many variables are possible. We could go on and on.
Ultimately the Supreme Personalities of Godhead is independent, He can do whatever He wants, when He wants, how He wants and there is no mathematical formula or philosophical logic to project what he could do.
janmādy asya yato ‘nvayād
itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.1)
He is sva-rat, independent because He is sarva-karana-karanam, the cause of all causes, and therefore he has not to abide to any laws or someone’s order.
– Manonatha Dasa (ACBSP)
13 jan 2020
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