People often question, why Sadhana, how much should I do and why don't I get everything free of cost, just like that?
Ans : To get things for free of cost, such a process doesn't exist in the complete existence. Kindly go through the references below to understand more.
We get what we need and deserve, what we ask and work for. If we are ready to burn midnight oil, out time, our energy, 100% attention. While we continuously put all required efforts, we wait and watch for the right things to happen.
References:
- Jaganmata, Mahashakti : To marry Lord Shiva, Mata worshiped Lord Shiva as Sati in 1st Janma. Once for her father not respecting Lord Shiva she chose to perform agnipravesham. Shiva was not ready to release her body and started unendingly going round in all the space. Lord Vishnu had to instruct Sri Sudarshana to cut the body into pieces. The pieces fell all over everywhere. The power in her body due to tapasya was so much that all the places are still known as Shaktipeethas over several Mahayugas (51 shakti peethas exist on earth).
She was born again as Parvati and performed tapasya again to marry Lord Shiva again.
Do you see the extent of efforts put in? Tapasya and Sadhana !!!!
Then why is she called Jaganmata? She died by taking all the pain while still giving boons to everyone through shaktipeethas.
That is why it is said : Kuputro Jayeta Quachidapi Kumata N Bhavati (Ref : Devyaparadha Kshamapana Stotram by Adishankaracharya)
Meaning : Maybe a bad son can be born, but a bad mother no.. never... A bad mother just cannot be born.
This is in reference to the Jaganmata Mahashakti who is all set to give boons to everyone (us) by bearing all the pain herself.
Nothing in this world is available for free. She gives the boons by bearing the pain herself.
Lord Shiva : Devon Ke Dev Mahadev : is worshiped for improving husband-wife relationship. Why so?
As you see above while Sati died, Lord Shiva could not get her back to life in physical form.
He loved her so much that he stayed in each Shaktipeetham as a form of Shiva. He did not marry anyone else. He chose to go mad but waited forever ... how long ? A full mahayuga .. i.e. 4 yugas for the same soul to be born as Parvati. He again waited till she performed tapasya and married him.
It is for this reason he is worshiped for improving husband-wife relationships.
Any idea how much he waited? Like no other. Do you still think you can get things for free?Lord Ganesha : is worshiped for Intelligence.
Do you know just after his birth his mother (Parvati) assigned him a security task. While performing his duty, his father (Lord Shiva) beheaded him.
On Devi Parvati's request he attached elephant's head and brought him to life.
Do you think he ever questioned his father for killing him at will and then bringing him to life again and attaching an elephant's head?
He accepted his life as it came to him, no questions asked. He later earned the crown for intelligence by winning a competition among all Gods.
Nothing is available in this universe for free. We need to earn what we need.Lord Brahma : He was born on a lotus. After birth he got up and started exploring the unending lotus. He was all alone and nobody else there. He thought he was the supreme. Immediately an akashvani happened you are not alone. I have created you. He got afraid but couldn't see anything. Lot of time passed in thinking while another akashvani happened “Ta.. Pa..” It took him a lot of time and contemplation to understand that he has been instructed to perform tapasya by his unknown creator. Without even knowing how to perform it, he still went within and started contemplation. After this contemplation (tapasya : surrender, not knowing what to do) completed over a long period of time, Lord Vishnu appeared in front of him.
Lord Vishnu told : I have created you for a task, you are not alone. Lord Brahma asked him why did you take so long to appear and guide me?
Lord Vishnu said : I guided you saying “Ta... Pa..”. He asked but why did you not give me darshan? Lord Vishnu said : you were not ready then.
Only through tapasya(sadhana) you could get ready. I came immediately after your task got completed. Not even a second later.
Lord Brahma asked : What do I need to do next?
Lord Vishnu said : You need to start creation and build the universe on your own.
Lord Brahma asked : I do not know what to do. How do I start? Please help me.
Lord Vishnu dropped 4 huge mountains of books. He said these are 4 Vedas.
These are your reference books, everything is explained.. what to do, how and when.
You just need to learn and start experimenting with prototypes. You can learn from mistakes and use the knowledge to improve in the next iteration.
Lord Brahma asked : How do I learn all this? These mountains of books are so huge. Please help me.
Lord Vishnu : Please perform a new tapasya. Now you have seen me. Contemplate on my form and chant my name.
Once your tapasya is about to complete, all knowledge in these vedas would just be yours.
Then you can begin.
Do you see the importance of tapasya, sadhana, learning from mistakes, improvement over iterations?
This is an inevitable process. None of the Gods : Our creator himself could not escape from tapasya.
No guidance or even darshan was available till he got ready for it.
This is the story of our creator.
There is no shortcut to Tapasya. What you sow is what you earn.
There is no question of how much sadhana. Keep doing the right thing, have perseverance, repeat right things with patience and faith in the process of life. Once you are ready, and the milestone is complete, the universe (Divine) just rewards you with the boon.
Nothing is available for free, but all the success comes through intention + efforts + grace.
The fruit (knowledge and creation power) which you earn through hard work, you value it so much that it stays with you all along through life as yours.Lord Rama : He had to walk on foot from Ayodhya all the way to Srilanka. He met Jatayu, Sugreeva, Jambuvanta on the way who all helped.
He got some clues, but complete clarity came much later. Yes, he had a Pushpaka Vimana flight back to Ayodhya, however no shortcut until having it.
We need to earn what we need. Efforts, patience, being focused on results is the key. Do the right things, wait and watch for the right divine time.Lord Krishna : Kamsa was all prepared to kill his parents, then Lord Krishna even before he was born. After his birth, he had to leave his parents to stay in Gokulam. Even there he tried all different methods to kill him. Just for being Lord Krishna's parents, they had to stay in Jail for 12 years after which Lord Krishna killed Kamsa and relieved them. Don't ask how much tapasya they did in previous birth, as Rishi Atri and Devi Anusuya for being born again as Lord's parents.
Nothing.. is available for free. It's all Lord's grace whatever you are today. Thank you for reading till here.Do you know what happens if you try to open an egg manually, before it opens naturally?
The bird can never grow to its full size. There are certain growth chemicals which get generated only while the bird exerts pressure against the shell. The shortcut of helping a bird take birth can be deadly. The growth process just cannot start and the bird can die without getting its full feathers.
Thus all the success is through the hard work.Same is true with child birth. It is said a mother undergoes a pain of approx 41-48 times gravity during childbirth. The pain is like crushing all the bones in the body. It is this stress that converts into motherly bond and the creative power in both of them.
Is there a shortcut for the 9 months of growth and maturity inside the womb?
There is none, in nature.Can a 5th standard student answer a 10th standard examination? Not possible.
There are no shortcuts to right actions. The stress and ever changing life is all but natural, is part and parcel of life. It is all for our good.
Without coping with the so called stress in each and every action, we just can't cope up with the continuously changing life.
Change is natural and is constant. Resistance to change is death.
All these stories say a lot. There is no shortcut to success.
All hard work, intention + efforts + grace is the way.