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Credit: DH Illustration
I vaguely recall a Phantom comic book story that I read when I was young. This is how the narrative unfolds. A little boy,who is an orphan, gets lost in the jungle. Being rich, he is chased by many bad elements of the society. Before death, his grandfather ties a band around his wrist and instructs him against removing it. That band is nothing but the Phantom’s lucky charm, which means whoever owns the band would be under the Phantom’s protection. The boy, unaware of the lurking dangers around him, gets protected by the Phantom’s confidants, the pygmies in the jungle. Remaining out of sight, they keep protecting him, unknown to the little boy, until he is completely out of danger. All along the innocent child had been enjoying the bliss of ignorance of the hazards surrounding him.
This story is absolutely relateable to Lord Krishna protecting the Gopas when they were in trouble. Starting from his dance over the Kalinga thus taming the huge serpent and protecting the gopas from the venomous snake, to giving them shelter under the huge Govardhana mountain when there were torrential rains due to the fury of Lord Indra, he was always there for them. The Gopas never ever doubted Lord Krishna’s ability to save them from danger. They considered him as a dear friend, and just being in the Lord’s company gave them immense happiness. They absolutely did not want anything in return. So, unknown to them, the Supreme Being took pleasure in protecting them.
Well! All said and done, we are also surrounded by perils at each and every step of our lives. But when we think about the Supreme Being the dangers disappear without our knowledge of their existence. Offering prayers to the Lord or doing activities that may please the almighty are wonderful ways that we can get reminded of him. Each and every action of ours can be done like a offering to God. By doing so, we not only attain perfection in whatever action we do but also, get protected by the Supreme without any knowledge of ours. As the belief goes, Lord Hanuman protects his devotees and stays beside them wherever Lord Ram’s name is chanted.
Ignorance is bliss indeed! As the saying goes, “You are safe not because of the absence of danger but because of the presence of God protecting.” Food for thought!