Flying Popcorn - “Govindaya Namah”

 

Harakanta Cakravati happened to be a famous Vaishnava in some village. People would say, “Cakravati Thakura never enjoys anything without offering it to the Lord first.”  At the Pausa Sankranti festival, the Cakravati bought some popcorn from the market for his wife’s lunch. By chance there was a strong gale and the popcorn started blowing out of his paper-bag .

   At that time some of his acquaintances came to see him and feeling somehow awkward in that situation, Cakravati let the rest of the popcorn fly from his bag as if offering it to the Lord while chanting, “Govindaya Namah!” On the other hand, the wife of Cakravati became anxious because Cakravati was late  and she asked her son to find his whereabouts.

   The innocent boy found his father on the way, among other persons and started telling him, “Father, mother has been waiting for a long time for the popcorn. Where is the popcorn?” Thus Cakravati was put to shame as the true fact was disclosed in front of several gentlemen.

 

PURPORT

Those who are anxious for their sense gratification but outwardly pretend to be pious for earning name and fame, are just pretending to be pious. In fact, the popcorn was bought for self-satisfaction, but when it could not be enjoyed properly, offering it to the Lord was not real devotional service.

   When a materialistic person fails to protect his material gains in spite of all efforts, he may start saying, “O Lord, You are the Lord of keeping as well as killing” - that is not true surrender.