Is this a better way?

Have you wondered what causes pain? While problems are in everyone's life. There is not a single person who doesn't have any problem, yet only few people go through pain. Why is it so? You must have heard this saying: Problem is inevitable, suffering is optional. Why. Why suffering is optional?

There is only 1 word that causes pain in your life. Only because of this 6 letter word, you go through the suffering. Want to know what that word is. Its EXPECT. Suffering/Pain is what? When you lose your composure, when you are not centered, that means you are suffering. Why does this happen? You expect things to be in a certain way. You expect a person to behave in a manner, you expect things to happen your way... you expect this.. you expect that; and when it doesn't happen the way you want, you suffer!

Now what to do if you don't want to suffer? Its very simple. Just change the 6 letter word with another 6 letter word - ACCEPT. Instead of expecting, start Accepting! You lose your composure, because you are not ready to accept things/people/situations as they are! Once you accept, you are free. You should say: Ok this is how I wanted it to be, it didn't happen. Its ok! Then work towards it. This way you will be in the right frame of mind, centered and will be able to deal things well.
If you ask me what is the magical word in our life. I would say its Accept. If you ask me what is the other name of GOD, I would say its 'accept!'

There are 2 ways to stop the suffering in your life:
First is: Don't expect at all. Don't expect a surrounding to be quiet. Don't expect someone to love as much as you love them. Don't expect a person to behave in the manner you want! Once you don't expect, everything comes to you as a surprise! But once it comes, accept that too. If joy comes as a surprise, accept. If problems come by surprise, accept. Accept and move ahead.

Second is: Expect, but Accept too. I expected this to happen as I wanted. It didn't. ok. Now what. Accept and move ahead.

Any method is fine. But only Accepting can remove your problem of expecting!
Once you have accepted this piece of knowledge, your life will be free from suffering! :)


I came across this very nice write up probably from a friend’s forwarded email. It is very well written but it made me think. Life would indeed be simple if we do not EXPECT but ACCEPT whatever comes our way.
I would like to tweak it a little bit and say EXPECT GOOD THINGS for yourself. EXPECT that you will get that promotion, EXPECT that your spouse will always understand you, EXPECT that your children will be obedient and ‘model’ citizens and EXPECT that you should have no enemies, only friends and well-wishers surrounding you; simply EXPECT that all good things will reach you automatically! You only need to ‘simply EXPECT’ that means EXPECTING wholeheartedly, without even a shred of doubt.
Try this out as an experiment; you will find that your enthusiasm soars and the contentment you feel will be inexplicably high!
Of course at every point of life we learn to ACCEPT the people and situations around us; most of the time we do ACCEPT things/people after a long internal battle and after pondering over the evasive question WHY ME? This phase of ACCEPTANCE involuntarily lures us to a wrong sense of fatalistic attitude, albeit even temporarily.
For those situations which seem insurmountable in terms of people who may behave incorrigibly we need to take clues from the ‘divine’. Just remember the golden words of Sri Krishna:
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
“you only have the right to do your duty, never on the results”
Just execute your part in the situation and forget about the result. It is not your job to get exasperated about ‘how incorrigible’ someone may be. Such type of thinking only leads to frustration. Instead do your bit, with a clear heart and mind, fully anticipating good things to accrue to you. That way you win over the fatalistic attitude, your mind and heart will brim over with enthusiasm which is the single most pertinent thing for a human being.

॥अगस्त्यकृतगणेशस्तोत्रम्॥

नमस्ते गणनाथाय सर्वविघ्नहराय च।
सर्वदा सुरसेव्याय सर्वाभीष्टप्रदाय च ॥
ब्रह्मरूपाय देवाय नमस्ते ब्रह्मचारिणे ।
प्रज्ञां विद्यां देहि मेध्यं(?)सर्वसंशयवर्जिताम्॥
पार्षदाय च विष्णोश्च विष्वक्सेनाय ते नमः।
नमस्ते विष्णुरूपाय चाष्टलक्ष्मीप्रदाय च॥
नमस्ते रुद्ररूपाय सर्वभूतगणाधिप।
सर्वपापविनाशाय पापं मे नाशय प्रभो॥
प्रणवाकारवक्त्राय भक्तवत्सल ते नमः।
प्रसीद परमेशाय पार्वतीनन्दन प्रभो॥
नमो मोदकहस्ताय नागयज्ञोपवीतिने।
नारायणप्रियायास्तु वारं वारं नमो नमः॥
नमस्ते शुक्लवर्णाय शुक्लाम्बरधराय च।
सुमुखाय नमस्तेऽस्तु सुन्दराङ्गाय ते नमः॥
नमो गणपते तुभ्यं नमस्ते ब्रह्मणस्पते।
सर्वसिद्धिकरोऽसि त्वं नमो मूषिकवाहन॥
विघ्नं कुरु सदा देव लोकेऽस्मिन् पापकर्मणाम्।
अविघ्नं कुरु विघ्नेश लोकेऽस्मिन् पुण्यकर्मणाम्॥
_+_+_+
एकदन्तं गजमुखं शूर्पकर्णं कृपानिधिम्।
लम्बोदरं पद्मपीठे निषण्णं मोदकप्रियम्॥
गौरीपुत्रं गणेशं तं प्रसन्नं ब्रह्मचारिणम्।
विष्णुप्रियं च वरदं सर्वदेवनमस्कृतम्॥
विनायकं नमस्कृत्य मुष्टीकृत्य करं तदा।
अपराधं क्षमस्वेते बाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणः॥

श्रीमद्भागवतम्-ध्रुवस्तुतिः

Prince Dhruva was the son of King Uttanapada. One day, he wanted to climb in his father’s lap, as his half-brother Prince Uttama had. It was afterall a big desire for a small child. When he was turned down by his step mother Suruchi, his disappointment was too much to bear. His own mother Sunithi, the first queen of Uttanapada too was helpless in reinstating that right. Hence she, a devout person advised Dhruva to seek to please Srimannarayana, the Universal father, by penance.
Even though Prince Dhruva was but five years old he decided to follow his mother’s advice in earnest and proceeded towards the forest. Sage Narada, met him on the way and knowing him to be determined to meditate upon Lord Vishnu, blessed and initiated him.
His joy when the Lord appeared before him was beyond bounds -”दृग्भ्यां प्रपश्यन् प्रपिबन्निवार्भकः” “as if drinking in the sight with his eyes”.
He fell flat in the feet of the Lord and proceeded to praise Him:
योऽन्तः प्रविश्य मम वाचमिदं प्रसुप्तां सञ्जीवयत्यखिलशक्तिधरः स्वधाम्ना ।
अन्यांश्च हस्तचरणश्रवणत्वगादीन् प्राणान्नमो भगवते पुरुषाय तुभ्यम् ॥4.9.6
यः — the Supreme Lord who
अखिलशक्तिधरः — possessing universal energy
प्रविश्य — entering
अन्तः — within
मम — my
वाचम् — words
सञ्जीवयति — rejuvenates
इमाम् — all these
प्रसुप्ताम् — which are all inactive or dead
स्वधाम्ना — by His internal potency
अन्यान् च — other limbs also
हस्त-चरण-श्रवण-त्वक्-आदीन् — like hands-legs-ears-skin, and so on
प्राणान् — life force
नमः— let me offer my obeisances
भगवते — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead
पुरुषाय — the Supreme Person
तुभ्यम् — unto You.

भक्तिं मुहुः प्रवहतां त्वयि मे प्रसङ्गो भूयादनन्तमहताम् अमलाशयानाम् ।
येनाञ्जनसोल्बणमुरुव्यसनं भवाब्धिं नेष्ये भवद्गुणकथामृतपानमत्तः ॥ 4.9.11
अनन्त — O unlimited
मे — my
भूयात् — may it become
प्रसङ्गः — intimate association
महताम् — of the great devotees
प्रवहताम् — of those who perform
भक्तिं — devotional service
मुहुः — constantly
त्वयि — unto You
अमलाशयानाम् — whose hearts are freed from material contamination
येन — by which
नेष्ये — I shall cross
अञ्जसा — easily
उल्बणम् — terrible
भवाब्धिम् — the ocean of material existence
उरु — great
व्यसनम् — full of dangers
पान — by drinking
भवत् — Your
अमृत — nectar, eternal
गुण — transcendental qualities
कथा — pastimes

सत्याशिषो हि भगवंस्तव पादपद्मम् आशीस्तथानुभजतः पुरुषार्थमूर्तेः|
अप्येवम् आर्य भगवान् परिपाति दीनान् वाश्रेव वत्सकमनुग्रहकातरोऽस्मान्। 4.9.17
भगवन् — my Lord
तव — Your
पादपद्मम् — lotus feet
हि — certainly
सत्याशीः — real benediction
आशिषः — compared with other benedictions
तथा — in that way
अनुभजतः — for the devotees
पुरुषार्थमूर्तेः — the personification of the real goal of life
आर्य— O Lord
अनुग्रहकातरः — eager to bestow mercy
अस्मान् — upon me
परिपाति — maintains
दीनान् — the poor in heart
इव — like
वाश्रा — a cow
वत्सकम् — unto the calf
The अन्तर्यामी resides in each and every being and rejuvenates the beings with life – sight, hearing, taste and feelings. If the God within were absent, merely the body would become useless. Prince Dhruva firstly thanks the Lord for granting him the things which are “basic” and so taken for granted by many.
His anger and frustration at his younger brother and step mother was long gone or non-existent. After having seen the Lord, Dhruva expressed his gratitude for being and prayed in earnest that he may cross over the dangerous भवाब्धि: by his associations with people devout in His feet. He entreats the Merciful Lord who takes care of all his creations with kindness and thoughtfulness just as a cow would look after her new born calf.

गोप्याददे त्वयि कृतागसि दाम तावद्
या ते दशाश्रुकलिलाञ्जनसम्भ्रमाक्षम् ।
वक्त्रं निनीय भवभावनया स्थिततस्य
सा माम् विमोहयति भीरपि यद्बिभेति ॥1.8.31
गोपी — the cowherd lady (Yasoda)
आददे — took up
दाम — rope
त्वयि — on You
कृतागसि — creating disturbances (by breaking the butter pot)
तावत् — at that time
ते — Your
या दशा — that situation
अक्षम् — eye
अञ्जन — ointment (disturbed)
अश्रुकलिल — being flooded with tears
सम्भ्रम — perturbed
वक्त्रम् — face
निनीय — downwards
भयभावनया — by pretentions of fear
स्थितस्य — standing
भीः अपि — (and ) even ‘fear’ personified
बिभेति — is afraid.
यत् — of whom
सा— that (plight of yours)
विमोहयति — bewilders
माम् — me
Krishna pretends to be afraid when his mother threatens with punishment after upsetting all the butter pots. In this aspect of being afraid, He can only pretend to be overcome with fear since He knows not what fear may actually feel like… Isn’t he the Lord who grants ‘अभयम्’ to all those surrender unto Him? Kunti is very amused by Krishna’s display of fear, all the more, because even fear personified is afraid of Him and his devotees.

कुन्तीस्तुतिः - श्रीमद्भागवतम्

Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas was one of Krishna’s aunts.Needless to say she loved Krishna, as Devaki or Yashoda might love Him. Apart from her मातृभावः, she had, early on in her life, begun to look up to Sri Krishna as the savior of her sons, Pandavas and Draupadi and their progeny. The Lord was with them, at all major instances, as the story unfolded. Here it was, after the war when Yudhishtira was proclaimed king. Just as the Lord was preparing to leave for Dwaraka after the Mahabharata war, He yet again, saved the unborn son of Uttarakumari, daughter-in-law of Arjuna, on whom the powerful brahmamissile was released by Ashwattama. Kunti , overcome by emotion on hearing that their savior Sri Krishna had saved the unborn offspring of the Kuru dynasty, praises him with words of gratitude.

विपदः सन्तु ताः शश्वत्तत्र तत्र जगद्गुरो ।

भवतो दर्शनम् यत्स्यादपुनर्भवदर्शनम् ॥ 1.8.25

जगद्गुरो O lord of the Universe

सन्तु let there be

विपदः calamities

शश्वत् again and again

तत्र तत्र here and there

भवतः your

दर्शनम् meeting

यत् that

स्यात् which is

अपुनः not again

भवदर्शनम् seeing the repetition of birth and death

In this verse, which is a part of Kunti’s stuti of Sri Krishna in Canto 1, Chapter 8 of श्रीमद्भागवतम्, she asks the Lord for more calamities in her life, since calamities give her the opportunity to see the Lord more often.

It may seem a contradiction that Kunti asks for more calamities in her life, since every being wishes for happiness in his/her life, but in Kunti’s case, she who has tasted the bliss of the Lord’s presence through each and every calamity, the word calamity loses its bitterness and implies that SriKrishna’s sweet presence would instead take its place.

जन्मैश्वर्यश्रुतश्रीभिर्एधमानमदः पुमान् ।

नैवार्हत्यभिधातुं वै त्वामकिञ्चनगोचरम् ॥1.8.26

पुमान् the person

जन्म-ऎश्वर्य-श्रुत-श्रीभिः (who) by the possession of birth, opulence, education and beauty

एधमानः (and) progressively increasing

मदः intoxication

वै certainly

न एव never

अर्हति deserves

अभिधातुं to address

त्वां You

अकिञ्चनगोचरम् who is easily approachable for the materialistically famished

Says Kunti, It is not possible for the self-important person, who is materially satiated, to remember the lord with as feeling and sincerity as the impoverished and suffering. Hence Kunti prays for calamities to beset her so that she may always remember the lord with total sincerity and a feeling of helplessness.

गजेन्द्रस्तुतिः - श्रीमद्भागवतम्

Gajendra, the king of elephants lived in the mountain Trikuta. He wandered its peaks along with his herd. There was a lake and one day, he entered its cool fragrant waters to quench his thirst when he was caught by a crocodile. Gajendra’s herd tried to help him out but were unable to, and they walked away leaving him to face death alone. After a long time, being thus caught, even though being stout, he weakened in strength. However the crocodile being aquatic was going on strong. Gajendra pondered a while over his situation and decided to surrender to the Supreme soul whose devotees do not have any peril from Death.

He thought of the Supreme Godhead, about whom he had learnt in his previous birth. “I surrender unto You, O lord, who is all-pervading, who protects this Universe taking many avatars. Let that lord, who resides within all beings, protect me. I offer my respectful obeisance unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by whose illusory energy the jiva, who is part and parcel of God, forgets his real identity. I take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose glories are difficult to understand.”

Says Gajendra:

न यस्य देवा ऋषयः पदं विदुर्जन्तुः पुनः कोऽर्हति गन्तुमीरितुम् |
यथा नटस्याकृतिभिर्विचेष्टतो दुरत्ययानुक्रमणः स मावतु ||

na yasya devā åñayaù padam vidurjantuù punaù ko.arhati gantuméritum

yathä naöasyäkåtibhirviceñöato duratyayäkramaṇaù sa mävatu

यस्य — of whom
न — neither
देवाः — the demigods
ऋषयः — great sages
विदुः — can understand
पदं — position
जन्तुः — (unintelligent) living beings like animals
पुनः — again
कः — who
अर्हति — is able
गन्तुं — to enter (into the knowledge)
ईरितुं — or to express by words
यथा — just as
आकृतिभिः — by bodily features
नटस्य — of the artist
विचेष्टतः — dancing in different ways
दुरत्यय — very difficult
अनुक्रमणः — His movements
सः— may that Supreme Personality of Godhead
अवतु — may give His protection.
मा — unto me

The actions and movements of the Supreme God cannot be understood even by demigods and sages. What to say of mere animals like me!

मादृक्प्रपन्नपशुपाशविमोक्षणाय मुक्ताय भूरिकरुणाय नमोsलयाय |
स्वांशेन सर्वतनुभृन्मनसि प्रतीत प्रत्यक्दृशे भगवते बृहते नमस्ते |
मादृक् — like me
प्रपन्न — surrendered
पशु — an animal
पाश — from entanglement
विमोक्षणाय — unto He who releases
मुक्ताय — unto the Supreme, who is untouched by the contamination of material nature
भूरिकरुणाय — who is unlimitedly merciful
नमः — I offer my respectful obeisance
अलयाय — who is never inattentive or idle (for the purpose of my deliverance)
स्वांशेन — by Paramatma
सर्व — of all
तनुभृत् — the living entities embodied in material nature
मनसि — in the mind
प्रतीत — who are acknowledged
प्रत्यक्दृशे — as the direct observer (of all activities)
भगवते — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead
बृहते — who is unlimited
नमः — I offer my respectful obeisance
ते — unto You.


Gajendra appeals to His mercy in relieving his (and of others similar to him) bondage in this mundane world. He reiterates that the Lord resides in all beings (including himself and the crocodile) and who is witness to all that happens. Most importantly, only he who is free from bondage himself can offer that to his others. Only the Lord can be called as a mukta. Luckily for Gajendra, (and for all of us) He is verily the ocean of mercy.

सोऽन्तःसरस्युरुबलेन गृहीत आर्तो
दृष्ट्वा गरुत्मति हरिं ख उपात्तचक्रम् ।
उत्क्षिप्य साम्बुजकरं गिरमाह कृच्छ्रान्
नारायणाखिलगुरो भगवन्नमस्ते ॥
सः – He (Gajendra)
अन्तःसरसि – in the water
उरुबलेन – with great force
गृहीतः – who was captured (by the crocodile)
आर्तः - severely suffering
दृष्ट्वा - on seeing
हरिं – Lord Vishnu
गरुत्मति – on the back of Garuda
उपात्तचक्रम् – with his discus ready
उत्क्षिप्य - raising
साम्बुजकरम् – his trunk along with a lotus flower
गिरमाह – uttered the words
कृच्छ्रात् – with great difficulty
नारायण – O Lord Narayana
अखिलगुरो – O Universal Lord
भगवन् – O Supreme person
नमस्ते – salutations to you

Gajendra, even though being an animal cried out to the Supreme Lord when he was mortally captured by the crocodile in the lake. His plea was to relieve him from his current pain and all future bondages. His stuti in the 8^th canto 3^rd chapter of Srimadbhagavatam, brims with Advaita philosophy. What also strikes the reader is his lack of anger towards his visible mortal enemy, the crocodile. Instead he directs his thoughts to relieving himself from bondage of births and deaths and surrenders to the Supreme Being, the Lord of the Universe, who treats all alike, who alone is capable of granting his wishes. This being said, Gajendra, even in his pain, offers a lotus flower to the Lord who has appeared to save him. Perhaps nothing more is reachable to him, it is truly moving that he thought of offering something very simple yet demonstrating his trust and affection to the Lord. Likewise, we are all small in stature, but no offering of love of ours to the Supreme being is too small. Guess that proves Its magnanimity all over again.

Hi smiling grass,

I see you smiling always

whether you look up at the setting sun

or are drenched by rain

the day goes by so fast

it seems as if just a moment

between sunrise

and sunset

are you the same blade

who was there when we just came here?

or did that unthinking moron

mow you down for that so called landscape?

I know not the difference

coz you're always smiling

and gently dancing in the breeze

even if it is a gust.

my mood instantly lightens up

when i see you dancing and smiling

and I also wonder at how tiny

yet how great you are

I try to be more like you

to smile no matter what

but in my small world

things are not that simple

something comes up to bother me

unfinished errands

or someone who quite willingly

would like to upset me

and pondering, I look out at you

and then it dawns on me

that nothing else matters

that I am here today and alive

sane and safe under the wide wide sky

and on the reassuring ground

in that both of us are similar

but the difference is our outlook

hence dear grass,

I have made up my mind

to be like you, with a smile like yours

that brightens the wide blue sky.