Chant Your Rounds

It was a fine and hot day in Chennai.  I was leaving for Srirangam Dham,  added to the excitement was the book called "Salted Bread"a true and painful story which will encourage everyone of us to take devotional service more seriously - I was excited to read it.
I gave the book a shot,  a mind blowing book and I couldn't keep it down for 6 hours. . . the whole journey. . . little did I realize, I was on the train and in the next 20 minutes I would be in Srirangam. I had a terrible feeling as I had chanted only 2 rounds that day but I continued reading. Immediately the lady next to me said "its Srirangam,  get down". I jumped out of the train with all my baggage. Little did I realize,  it was not Srirangam, a place 40 kms away from Srirangam! It was pitch dark. There were only 2 people who got down at the station. I got a call, little did I realize it was not Srirangam! I took my luggage, tried to remain calm, at that time,  I could remember the Lord. I thought the Lord was punishing me for not chanting my rounds. I chanted the Nrsimha Prayers and started chanting. The Lord was helping and guiding me. There was one last bus to Srirangam Dham���by Krishna's mercy,  I boarded it and reached Srirangam in an hour and a half.
In that journey, filled with fear at night, I chanted 18 rounds of the Maha Mantra and then I reached Srirangam. I thanked the Lord profusely. Without chanting I would have nearly died of fear. In the whole journey I was chanting, begging for the Lords mercy. I realized only one thing that only the Lords Holy names can save us from this Samsara.
I remembered a lecture of H.G. Govinda prabhu, where he was sharing his experience in a place where there were only scorpions and snakes and how he chanted with fear and hence could chant wonderfully. He used to concentrate on the Lotus feet of Krishna and his rounds were wonderful. When I get reminded of this - I sometimes think Krishna is being too merciful, hence, we tend to take chanting lightly. When we are placed in a difficult situation we tend to remember Him without fail because he is our only refuge as well as His Holy names. We have to believe that every moment in this Samsara is we are placed in prison and only chanting can help and deliver us and is our only refuge. This incident has helped me a lot in taking refuge only in the Holy names, whereas everything material is just temporary. I pray to the Lord, that he always makes me realize, that only the Holy Names are the only refuge! May all the Vaishnavas bless me!

Chanting Lila ki Jaya.

Gaura Premanande Hari Hari Bol.

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