Madhusudan Naidu recounts Swami's teaching on being paid for service to God.
The narrative begins with a translator who upon being asked says that he requires no
compensation for the services he had rendered for Swami. From here Swami goes on to explain
that the opportunity to serve God is an end in itself and is the greatest blessing that can be
achieved. God requires the help of no man, yet he provides mankind with the opportunities to
serve him. The erring man in his ignorance believes that he is doing a favour for God.
Madhusudan Naidu gives us his own personal experience to substantiate this and cautions
against this erroneous thought.
It was during the launch of a particular book which was translated into a regional Indian
language from English, that the translator came upto Swami to offer his labour of love. Swami
asked him playfully, “How much do I need to pay you for your services?”
The overwhelmed devotee sincerely submitted, “Swami, this opportunity to offer this effort to
You, itself is enough.”Madhusudan Naidu Muddenahalli
Swami smiled and, with a chuckle, said, “Oh! then you have been paid well.” Not very often we
realise this great truth that having got an opportunity to do anything for Him itself is a reward
beyond our deservedness. He could get that done in a trice by His mere will but He chooses to
bless us so that we may find fulfilment.
However, many times unable to appreciate this, in our own immaturity, we end up thinking that
we are doing a favour to Him! I wasn’t an exception to this “I am-doing-it” syndrome, when one
day in a fit of frustration, I blurted out, “I have sacrificed so much for You, Swami!”
Thankfully, Swami, the ever compassionate one, was quick to cut me off when He said, “Who
has sacrificed for whom? You, who is a faulty instrument, or I, who is perfection personified. If a
surgeon is able to perform a surgery perfectly despite blunt knives, it is due to His skill alone!”
Now, I feel I have not just been paid well, but actually been overpaid!
compensation for the services he had rendered for Swami. From here Swami goes on to explain
that the opportunity to serve God is an end in itself and is the greatest blessing that can be
achieved. God requires the help of no man, yet he provides mankind with the opportunities to
serve him. The erring man in his ignorance believes that he is doing a favour for God.
Madhusudan Naidu gives us his own personal experience to substantiate this and cautions
against this erroneous thought.
It was during the launch of a particular book which was translated into a regional Indian
language from English, that the translator came upto Swami to offer his labour of love. Swami
asked him playfully, “How much do I need to pay you for your services?”
The overwhelmed devotee sincerely submitted, “Swami, this opportunity to offer this effort to
You, itself is enough.”Madhusudan Naidu Muddenahalli
Swami smiled and, with a chuckle, said, “Oh! then you have been paid well.” Not very often we
realise this great truth that having got an opportunity to do anything for Him itself is a reward
beyond our deservedness. He could get that done in a trice by His mere will but He chooses to
bless us so that we may find fulfilment.
| Madhusudan Naidu |
However, many times unable to appreciate this, in our own immaturity, we end up thinking that
we are doing a favour to Him! I wasn’t an exception to this “I am-doing-it” syndrome, when one
day in a fit of frustration, I blurted out, “I have sacrificed so much for You, Swami!”
Thankfully, Swami, the ever compassionate one, was quick to cut me off when He said, “Who
has sacrificed for whom? You, who is a faulty instrument, or I, who is perfection personified. If a
surgeon is able to perform a surgery perfectly despite blunt knives, it is due to His skill alone!”
Now, I feel I have not just been paid well, but actually been overpaid!
| Madhusudan Naidu |
| Madhusudan Naidu Muddenahalli |
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