Letter No. 10

To, Nrisingha Prasad Mukherji:

     In a secular state, sons and daughters are but banners of error. Those who seek happiness in objects which are the products of error, fall into greater error, but clever men of refined tastes planting the banner of defeat before them, go on doing their work so that they may not fall into error a second time.

     Trifling with the female energy, I went to play with Her and the time has now come when I should reap the fruits of my folly. That energy, which has been imperceptibly swallowing the entire universe, we consider as common weak women. We do not pause for a moment to consider what they are and what their action is. They are all consciousness. They derive great pleasure in seeing us floundering. They are ever ready to strengthen our bonds; unloosening them is a remote contingency. They are always busy in forging fresh fetters of a new type. We, their pet beasts, without murmur put forward our hands and neck and they, by putting gently additional ties round our entire bodies, turn us into inert objects. Merciful as they are, they are equally cruel. All beings come into existence with the avowed object of seeking their kindness; but as they grow and gain in strength, they forget their mission and considering themselves either their equals or even their superiors, proceed to play with them and in no time realize their mistake and find themselves absolutely helpless and carry their loads with tears in their eyes and receive lashes at times. It is much better therefore not to attempt to play with such serpents as they are and if any one is plucky enough to do so, he must first thoroughly master the art of perfectly subduing them. As ill luck would have it, we rush into their service before understanding the first two alphabets and consequently we are bound to spend our days in agony, with kicks and cuffs in the bargain. Not to speak of advancement in the service of our own choice, showers of kicks are our only lot. The beauty of this is that if the kicks were bone-breaking, they would no doubt one day produce aversion to their service, but kicks from the tender feet are so very fascinating that they create a hankering for them. This is clearly manifest in the life of each individual. Their this unique quality is the principal cover which screens Krishna from view. If one attempts to approach Him, he is bound to fall into the hands of those who are guarding Him from view. They are double-edged saws. To move them to mercy or to rouse their ire is equally dreadful. Only the clever men of refined taste can escape their hands for they are well aware how to shape their course. One such person has said, “You bathe in the tankful of stains or infamy without wetting the hair of your head.”

     Neither force nor flattery is of any avail. A moderate course is needed. Perhaps with this in his view Nilakanta said in one of his songs, “O Mother of Universe, please once remove the cover from my eyes so that I may, by your grace, cross over the vast ocean of worldliness.”

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