In your life, what will you consider as God’s grace? Is it when he fills your home with all riches? Or when you get your desired match? Or when he makes you a famous person? Or when He answers your prayers to make your children successful in their careers? Everyone has their different understanding on what is Krishna’s grace.
Let us try to see through the lens of our scriptures and acaryas on what they call as GRACE!
1] When one receives Shelter of devotees:
Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur writes,
kabe śrī caitanya more karibena dayā
kabe āmi paiba vaiṣṇava-pada-chāyā
When will Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu show His causeless mercy to me by allowing me to attain the shade of the lotus feet of all the Vaisnavas?
Real grace of the Lord is when He allows us to take shelter of devotees. His real mercy can also be understood when favorable desires arise in our heart to take shelter of devotees. Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura had all good qualities. He had even attained the love of Lord Caitanya kept solely for him in the Padmavati river. Yet, he considered his life incomplete without the grace of Lokanatha Goswami. His strong desire to take shelter of Lokanatha Goswami melted Lokanatha’s heart thereby accepting Narottama as his disciple.
2] When one considers material achievements to be insignificant!
SB 3.13.49 states,
tasmin prasanne sakalāśiṣāṁ prabhau
kiṁ durlabhaṁ tābhir alaṁ lavātmabhiḥ
ananya-dṛṣṭyā bhajatāṁ guhāśayaḥ
svayaṁ vidhatte sva-gatiṁ paraḥ parām
Nothing remains unachieved when the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased with someone. By transcendental achievement one understands everything else to be insignificant. One who engages in transcendental loving service is elevated to the highest perfectional stage by the Lord Himself, who is seated in everyone’s heart.
We have examples of the six Goswamis who considered their riches, their properties, their erudite learning all to be useless. They didn’t depend on these things to take shelter of Mahaprabhu. Rather, they gave up those things to take shelter of Mahaprabhu understanding Him as the real and only wealth.
3] When one remains humble in spite of many achievements and qualifications:
SB 8.22.26 states,
janma-karma-vayo-rūpa-
vidyaiśvarya-dhanādibhiḥ
yady asya na bhavet stambhas
tatrāyaṁ mad-anugrahaḥ
If a human being is born in an aristocratic family or a higher status of life, if he performs wonderful activities, if he is youthful, if he has personal beauty, a good education and good wealth, and if he is nonetheless not proud of his opulences, it is to be understood that he is especially favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
When Rupa and Sanatana Goswami approached Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they considered themselves to be lower than the straw in the street, to be more fallen than Jagai and Madhai. Being the paramatma in everyone’s heart, Lord Caitanya would have easily understood if they would have spoken this superficially. But Mahaprabhu got extremely pleased seeing their humble demeanor.
These are a few things by which one can understand that Krishna is pleased with a devotee, and He has bestowed His causeless mercy on that devotee.
