Talk:Profession

By Vishal Agarwal

In the path of Bhakti, divine favor is not reserved for those in traditionally "honorable" or "noble" professions such as priesthood or soldiery. The beauty of Bhakti lies in its inclusivity, celebrating the devotion and faith of individuals from all walks of life. Hindu tradition reveres numerous examples of Bhakta-s—potters, cobblers, barbers, janitors, woodcutters, hunters—who achieved spiritual greatness through their unwavering devotion.

The Bhagavad Gītā exemplifies this principle, where Kṛṣṇa humbly assumes the role of a charioteer to guide His devotee, Arjuna. Similarly, in Madhubanī (Bihāra), Bhagavān Śiva served the poet Vidyāpati (1352–1448 CE) and his wife as their devoted servant for several years. These stories remind us that Bhakti transcends societal roles, focusing solely on the purity of one’s heart and unwavering connection with the Divine.

Story: Bhakta Sena, the Barber

Sena, a humble barber, was a devoted Vaiṣṇava whose life revolved around his worship of Bhagavān Viṣṇu. Each morning, he would rise early to perform his daily prayers with unwavering devotion before heading to the palace of the Mahārāja of Revā, where he served as the royal barber. Despite his prestigious role, Sena valued his Bhakti to Viṣṇu far more than his royal appointment.

One day, the King sent a messenger to summon Sena earlier than usual. However, when the messenger arrived, Sena was deeply engrossed in his morning worship. Knowing that nothing could interrupt Sena’s prayers, his wife cleverly told the messenger that Sena was not at home and assured him that he would come once he returned.

To everyone’s surprise, Sena still appeared at the palace on time. He began his usual work of shaving and shampooing the King. After shampooing, he prepared for the oil massage and placed a bowl of oil nearby. As the King glanced into the bowl, he was astounded to see the reflection of a four-armed Viṣṇu, radiant and divine. Shocked, he looked up at Sena, but saw only his usual self. Puzzled, the King repeatedly looked into the bowl, and each time, he saw the luminous form of Viṣṇu reflected back at him.

The King, overwhelmed by this divine vision, discreetly placed several gold coins into Sena’s bag instead of his usual payment. Sena, unaware of this miraculous incident, finished his work and left the palace. Meanwhile, the King, mesmerized by the darśana of Viṣṇu, remained seated in a trance until his attendants gently shook him, reminding him to proceed with his bath.

Later that day, the King summoned Sena to the royal court. Sena, assuming the King was angry at him for not coming in the morning, entered with an apology ready. To his astonishment, the King rose from his throne, bowed before Sena, and welcomed him with deep respect. The courtiers were stunned to see their sovereign bowing to a humble barber.

The King then asked Sena to check his bag. Sena was surprised to find it filled with gold coins. It didn’t take long for Sena and the King to realize the truth—Bhagavān Viṣṇu Himself had appeared in Sena’s form that morning to serve the King, protecting His devotee from any potential anger.

Moved by this divine intervention, the King bowed to Sena and touched his feet. He proclaimed, “Truly, the śāstra-s speak of the greatness of satsanga, the companionship of saints. Today, through you, I was blessed with the darśana of Bhagavān Viṣṇu, whom countless souls seek but seldom see!”

Inspired by this profound experience, Sena composed several hymns in praise of Bhakti. These hymns, filled with devotion and love, continue to be sung by countless devotees, carrying forward the timeless legacy of his faith and surrender to Bhagavān Viṣṇu.

Story: Govindadeva and the Gardener’s Pomegranate

During the reign of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (1658–1717 CE), many Hindu temples across India were destroyed, and their sacred mūrti-s desecrated. Devotees and sants took extraordinary measures to protect these divine images, relocating them to safer places where they could be worshipped.

One such mūrti was that of Govindadeva from Vṛndāvana, once revered by the great sant Rūpa Gosvāmin (1489–1564 CE). To protect this cherished deity, the mūrti was transported to Jayapura, a Hindu kingdom. King Jai Siṃha II built a grand temple near his palace to house the mūrti and appointed a saintly Gosvāmin priest to serve as the pūjārī.

In the vicinity of the temple lived a humble gardener who was a devout worshipper of Govindadeva. Every day, he visited the temple for the darśana of his beloved Lord. In his garden, he planted several pomegranate trees, nurturing them with utmost care. His sole desire was to offer the first fruits of these trees to Govindadeva.

As the trees grew, they began to flower, and soon, small green pomegranates appeared on the branches. The gardener was overjoyed, eagerly anticipating the moment when he could present the fruits as an offering to the Lord.

One night, as the gardener tended to his garden, he noticed a young and handsome couple plucking unripe pomegranates and eating them. Outraged, he shouted, “Shame on you! I have grown these pomegranates to offer to the Lord, and you are stealing them!” Startled, the couple fled under the cover of darkness. As they ran, their garments caught on the bushes, leaving them torn.

The following morning, when the Gosvāmin priest opened the temple doors, he was astonished to find the clothing of the mūrti-s torn and pomegranate seeds scattered on the floor. Rather than suspect vandalism, the priest entered a deep meditative state to seek answers.

In his meditation, Rādhā appeared and said, “We are enchanted by the devotion of the humble gardener who comes for our darśana without fail. He has been lovingly growing pomegranates to offer to us. But we could not wait for them to ripen, so Kṛṣṇa and I visited his garden last night. We plucked some unripe fruit, but when he noticed us, we ran away in haste, and our garments were torn in the bushes.”

Overwhelmed by this divine revelation, the Gosvāmin summoned the gardener to the temple. Falling at his feet, the priest said, “You are truly blessed, for the Lord and Rādhā themselves came to your garden and gave you darśana. Tell me what happened last night.”

The gardener narrated the incident with tears of regret, lamenting that he had not recognized Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā. Yet, he expressed his gratitude for their divine visit and for accepting his humble offering.

When King Jai Siṃha heard of the incident, he was deeply moved. He honored the gardener by gifting him a plot of land as a token of respect. To this day, the gardener’s descendants continue to own that land, a testament to the power of pure devotion and the boundless grace of Bhagavān.