BG 8.7 A SHORT STORY
Once upon a time—— no, no, no, this is not the story of a Rajakumari of olden times. This is very much the story of a Miss Krishna Kumari of the current times. She may very well be called a mis(chief) Krishna Kumari, because she was doing mischief all the time. The mother was of a patient type. She used to punish her, but most of the times, she used to tell her corrective instructions, linking Bhagavad Gita and Krishna. If she just hit her or scolded her just as other mothers do, that would just remain as a bad memory, mostly painful, but this method was better and making her live in Krishna’s mood & mode. This made the child fondly remember such stories, linkages and the underlying instructions for proper future behaviour. One such popular instruction was to remember Krishna all the time, in every activity, whatever she does any time.
She quoted 8.7 of the Gita:
तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च ।
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयः ॥
tasmaat sarvaeShu kaaleShu
maam anusmara yudhya cha
mayy arpitamanObuddhir maam
aevaiShyasy asamshayam
Translation: Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Krishna and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.
Miss chief immediately asked, “That means, whenever I fight with neighbouring boys and girls, I should remember Krishna’s fight with Kamsa?”
Mother laughed and said, ‘fighting’ word was used for Arjuna in the battlefield in that sense, but for all of us, Krishna meant it as any and all of our day-to-day activities. One day Krishna Kumari did a big mischief that called for hitting (she used to hit her symbolically-only lightly).
Mother chased her with a stick to hit her. Being younger, Krishna Kumari was able to run faster than her mother. Mother got tired and stopped. Taking this as an opportunity and also for the purpose of diverting her mother’s mind from the instant mischief of the day, she cornered her, “Mother, you used to tell me that in all activities, I have to think of Krishna, but when you were running to hit me, did you remember Krishna?”
Mother took some breath, dropped the stick and said, “It is a good question that you have asked. Yes, I was remembering the day when Krishna did a big mischief. I was recalling that leela when I chased you. Mother Yashoda was exactly chasing Krishna with a stick in hand and the creator of the whole universe, whom fear itself fears, was running with face and eyes full of fear for getting beaten by His mother!”
Krishna Kumari told her mother, “I am convinced mother, that you are following whatever you are teaching me. For my side, I have decided that whenever I do mischief also, I will remember Krishna!”
Krishnarpanamastu