Swami Vivekananda, a famous Saint of India is world renowned. His childhood name was ‘Narendra’. One of the games Narendra and his friends played was to sit with eyes closed and see who meditates the longest. All the children would sit with their eyes closed and each one would think of his favourite deity.
One day, when they were playing this game, one of them heard a soft sound. As he opened his eyes, he saw a big cobra slithering towards them. The boy started shouting, “Snake! Snake!” On hearing that, all of them except Narendra, got up and ran away. Even as they ran, they shouted warnings, “Narendra, come away! Hurry up; there is a big cobra approaching. It will bite you, Run! Run!” But Narendra did not hear their shouts. He was sitting with his eyes closed, thinking only of God. He was enjoying Bliss, completely unaware of the racket around him.
And what do you think the cobra did? The cobra reared up, spread its hood and watched Narendra for some time. Then slowly it bowed to Narendra and slithered away without touching or disturbing him. The story about the cobra leaving Narendra alone spread rapidly, with Narendra’s friends narrating it excitedly to his parents as well as his neighbours. They were awed by the divine protection Narendra had acquired through his Intense Concentration and Love for God.
Moral : If we develop a love for God as intense as Swami Vivekananda’s and are so focused on God that nothing distracts us from our devotion to Him; then surely God will look after us and protect us in any situation. Regular chanting (repeating God’s name) is a sure and easy way to develop such concentration and devotion.
