Why does God keep his Own Devotees in Misery?
The God is Devotee-Loving:
God keeps His devotees into misery, it is His introduction of loving His devotees affectionately. The question is how he can be the devotee loving if He keeps them in misery? If it is investigated, we can see mainly two reasons which are –
- Fast suspension of the undertaken deeds:
The being is subject to the result of deeds, as its present religion is to being rotating in the circle of deeds, there is no other way to get rid of that except devotion to God.
‘’Karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti bhajam’’
This devotion to God is able to reduce all the worldly activities and results of deeds of the being into ashes. All these undertaken and non undertaken works used to reside in a beehive-like house. The meaning of beginning Hari Bhajana is to put fire to that beehive. For this though in the first state the restlessness of the bees may increase ( restlessness of the organs) very soon that restlessness can come to control and that beehive can be turned into ashes. At that time that being i.e. the Sadhaka can perform hari bhajans perfectly.
- God takes the test:
The test taken by God is another reason for misery. This reason comes from the compassion given by God.
Regarding this the master of the universe, Srila Prabhupada says-
That physical and mental agony which are seen due to former deeds, thinking them as the compassion of the God all the time being unmoved you should think of the lotus feet of Hari and Guru. Gradually by the wish of Krishna all the agonies being removed the heart will get the strength of serving God and all the time tendency for singing the glory of Hari will arise in mind. Srila Prabhupada Patravali 30th March 1932.