Radhanath Swami describes the ‘Power of Grace’

29-power-of-Grace

 

“It is only by that grace that we can be thoroughly forgiven, thoroughly cleansed, thoroughly empowered.” – Radhanath Swami

Sri Radha is the full unlimited supreme power of grace. It is only by that grace that Premabhakti can awaken in our heart. It is only by that grace that we can ultimately be free from the bondage of Maya. It is only by that grace that we can be thoroughly forgiven, thoroughly cleansed, thoroughly empowered.

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te
BG 7.14

In the Gita Krishna explains that this material energy consisting of the three modes of nature is very powerful. It is impossible to overcome for a jiva. But one who surrenders to Krishna can easily cross beyond it. To the degree we surrender, we can access Sri Radha’s grace.

The analogy is given wherein the absolute truth is compared to the sun. In the darkness if you want to find the sun, what could you do? Even if you have multi- PhD’s in technology and science and astronomy and astrology, you can create the most unbelievable lighting systems, the most piercing lasers, the most incredibly powerful telescopes, but can you find the sun? We can only find the sun when the sun rises of his own accord. Similarly, by the power of our knowledge, by the power of our austerities, by the power of our piety, by the power of our philanthrophy, by the power of our yajnas, by the power of our yogas, by the power of our influence over others, we can never find Krishna as He is. It is only by grace.

“When the sun rises we are able to see the sun through the sunlight. Without sunlight, we cannot understand the sun. We see the sun through the sunlight.” – Radhanath Swami

Similarly, we cannot approach Krishna except through His hladini sakti, through Sri Radha. Radha dispels all darkness, and reveals Krishna. And the power of Radha is the power of grace. And there is only one way to access grace, and that’s through Saranagati; through our humility, through our surrender, through our service attitude. This is how we understand the holy dham. This is how we understand the holy name. This is how we understand the truth of the beautiful murti that stands before us in the morning. This is how we understand the Lord within our own hearts—through grace.

– Radhanath Swami 

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