Shiveti Shoureeti, the Universal Prayer composed by Sri Swamiji, Part 5

[Guest guest]

 Jaya Guru Datta

 

(English translation of the series that is  being published in the Bhakti Mala

magazine in Telugu, written by Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji, beginning

Oct. 2009)

 

part 5 - verse: 7 – baibillu madhyetha ...

 

I seek the protection of the One God whose glory alone is extolled in the Bible

of the Christians, the Quran of the Muslims, and the Vedas, Shastras, and the

Puranas of the Hindus.

 

God is everywhere. The very first name in the one thousand names of Vishnu, the

Vishnu Sahasranama, says just that. It says ‘Vishwam’. That means God is the

Universe. The Universe is God. Taking the shape of an idol, God is seen in idols

such as Venkateshwara. As Lord of the Universe, He is in all. In rituals He is

the Fire. In the sky, He is the Air.

 

The ten incarnations of God, the Dashavatars elucidate that God is in

everything, and that He is everywhere. Gajendra Moksha, the story of the

elephant king who attained salvation is a good example to prove this.

 

Gajendra was caught in the jaws of a crocodile in a lake. In his helpless state,

Gajendra did not think of any particular deity. He deeply contemplated, debated,

and struggled within himself to decide whether the one God who is spoken of as

being eternally present, has in truth any existence at all.

 

Witnessing Gajendra’s plight, Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva stood ready to rescue

him, if called upon. However Gajendra did not call them.

 

Gajendra prayed and appealed to the Supreme Lord, who is the source of all, to

protect him. He called Him. All the other deities were surprised at this.

 

Then Narayana, the one and only God, who protects, preserves, and destroys this

Universe came down and rescued Gajendra.

 

The glory of the one God became quite apparent in the protection of Prahlada,

the foremost among the pious.

 

Sadgurudeva makes it ever clear in all his compositions that there is only one

God. He says, “Unnadi Okade†– There is only One.

 

All the great devout souls and composers who have experienced God reveal this

same truth in their writings, that there is only one God.

 

Since God is in everyone and in everything, through this verse, Swamiji is

directing us to recognize that one God.

 

Although God is referred to having one thousand eyes, He has but one

compassionate glance that He casts upon all. That is why He is also called the

Eye of the Universe.

 

Although God is described as having one thousand hands, He protects all with His

one hand showing the ‘abhaya’ mudra – which means, “Be fearless, I will

protect youâ€.

 

Reading any number of books is futile if this truth is not clearly understood

that the purpose of all great scriptures, such as the Vedas, Shastras, Puranas,

the Bible, the Quran, Guru Granth Sahib, and all others is only to describe and

extol the greatness of the one God.

 

Sri Guru Datta