By Hari Sannidhya Dasa (Pujari, Maharashtra Padayatra)
I would like to share a very touching and wonderful realisation from our ISKCON Maharashtra Padayatra. While travelling through a village, we stayed there for just one night. In the evening, during the blissful nagar sankirtan, a dog quietly started following us. At first, we did not notice anything special, but that night it came and stayed near our chariot as if it had found shelter.
The next morning, when we began our padayatra and started moving with the chariot, something amazing happened: the dog also got up to walk with us. It did not turn back. It walked nearly 7km along with the chariot.
From that day onward, it has not left us even for a single day. It continues to travel daily with the padayatra, faithfully walking along with the devotees. What is truly astonishing is its nature and behaviour. It only accepts prasadam and completely avoids any outside food. Even if other food is available, it will not touch it. It honours prasadam with such respect and never wastes even a small portion.
The dog always stays close to the chariot, which protects it from other dogs. During the night, it carefully guards our oxen, remaining alert and attentive like a sincere servant. At the same time, it never disturbs the chariot or enters the kitchen area. It behaves with such discipline, as if it understands devotional etiquette.
Every single day it attends all the aratis, from mangala arati early in the morning to the evening programmes. It peacefully sits during kirtan and listens, appearing fully absorbed in the holy names.
Seeing all this, our hearts become filled with devotion and wonder. This is no ordinary animal. By the causeless mercy of Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundar, this living entity has received the rare opportunity of sadhu-sanga and devotional service.
This beautiful incident reminds us of the dog of Sivananda Sen who went back to Godhead by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu mentioned in the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta:
prasāda nārikela-śasya dena phelāñā
‘rāma’ ‘kṛṣṇa’ ‘hari’ kaha’ — balena hāsiyā
Furthermore, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was throwing remnants of green coconut pulp to the dog. Smiling in His own way, He was saying to the dog, “Chant the holy names ‘Rāma,’ ‘Kṛṣṇa’ and ‘Hari.’ ”
śasya khāya kukkura, ‘kṛṣṇa’ kahe bāra bāra
dekhiyā lokera mane haila camatkāra
Seeing the dog eating the green coconut pulp and chanting “Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa” again and again, all the devotees present were very surprised.
āra dina keha tāra dekhā nā pāilā
siddha-deha pāñā kukkura vaikuṇṭhete gelā
The next day, no-one saw that dog, for it had obtained its spiritual body and departed for Vaikuṇṭha, the spiritual kingdom.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Antya-lila 1.29-31
This is all the magic of sadhu-sanga; even a simple dog can become most fortunate by associating with devotees and participating in sankirtan.
This result is possible even for a dog, by the mercy of the Vaiṣṇava. Therefore, everyone in the human form of life should be induced to associate with devotees. By rendering a little service, even by eating prasādam, what to speak of chanting and dancing, everyone can be promoted to Vaikuṇṭhaloka. It is therefore requested that all our devotees in the ISKCON community become pure Vaiṣṇavas, so that by their mercy all the people of the world will be transferred to Vaikuṇṭhaloka, even without their knowledge. Everyone should be given a chance to take prasādam and thus be induced to chant the holy names Hare Kṛiṣhṇa and dance in ecstasy. Through these three processes, although performed without knowledge or education, even an animal went back to Godhead.
All glories to Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundar.
All glories to ISKCON Maharashtra Padayatra.
