It is certainly good to recognize and appreciate people for their efforts and good work. It goes a long way in encouraging any individual. A small amount of encouragement for the qualities and work performed should be recognized and eulogized. While we give lot of stress on appreciating and encouraging people for their contributions and hard work, often we fail to recognize the actual doer and the cause behind all the achievements. In the Bhagavad Gita Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna instructs Arjuna to Fight as a matter of duty and be an instrument, since the result of the war was already decided and arranged by the Lord
tasmät tvam uttiñöha yaço labhasva
jitvä çatrün bhuìkñva räjyaà samåddham
mayaivaite nihatäù pürvam eva
nimitta-mätraà bhava savya-säcin [ B.g. 11.33]
“Therefore get up. Prepare to fight and win glory. Conquer your enemies and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by my arrangement, and you, O Savyasäcé, can be but an instrument in the fight.”
In other places in Bhagavad Gita Sri Krsna mentions that as living entities we have the right to perform our duties, but we are not entitled to the fruits of our action, and he warns us that we should not think ourselves to be the cause of our actions.
mä phaleñu kadäcana
mä karma-phala-hetur bhür
mä te saìgo 'stv akarmaëi“You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.”
So it is evident as part and parcels of Lord Sri Krsna we are the instruments in the hands of the Lord and if we understand this constitutional position of our existence we will be in peace. In fact in every activity we perform knowingly or unknowingly we are being helped by Lord and /or his Energies. For Example, with the human intelligence, today we are able to create big airplanes which take us from one place to another within hours, the intelligence to build this plane, the energy and the raw materials used are all Krsna’s energies as mentioned in Bhagavad Gita
bhümir äpo 'nalo väyuù
khaà mano buddhir eva ca
ahaìkära itéyaà me
bhinnä prakåtir añöadhä [ B.g. 7.4]
So the living entities who are parts of his spiritual energy are using these material energies to transform them into a usable form and that much credit we certainly have, that we have become the instruments to create such a nice machine. But if we start claiming that we are the cause of the creation of the aero plane than we are cheating ourselves and incurring sins for stealing God’s property.
It is therefore imperative to always think of ourselves as instruments in the hands of an expert craftsman who can use us in developing magnificent things, just like it will certainly be wrong to praise the saw of a carpenter for making a beautiful closet. Generally we may agree to this fact but we still do not realize it and hence we end up thinking ourselves to be the doer and the cause of all that we do which only increases our false ego and puts us in a gross illusion away from the reality. It should be noted individually and collectively that when people are recognized they should be recognized as instruments in the achievement with the main credit going to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna. Many people think of this as modesty on part of the person who gives credit to the Lord for the achievements which he is credited for, but it is not our modesty towards Krsna, but it is Krsna’s modesty towards the living entity that, he is giving us the credit for the insignificant service we offer him which he really does not require. As seen from the earlier verse 11.33, Krsna tells Arjuna that you take all the glories and enjoy the Kingdom, since the work has already been done and arranged for. Lord is very merciful to his Devotees and loves to give all the credit to the devotee, and the devotees knowing well that without Krsna nothing can take place and they can just become instruments in his hand want to give all the credit to Krsna. This is the sweet relationship between the Lord and His devotees.
Hence it is very important that when there are achievements of any kind of task instead of becoming falsely egoistic about it we recognize the cause of all the causes Lord Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated in Brahma Samhita, Lord Krsna is the cause of all causes that we see in this world.
éçvaraù paramaù kåñëaù
sac-cid-änanda-vigrahaù anädir ädir govindaù
sarva-käraëa-käraëam [ B.s. 5.1]
“Krsna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.”
So let us all try to understand and realize our positions as servants of Krnsa and try to act as instruments instead falsely pretending to be masters. By realizing and recognizing the real master Lord Sri Krsna, there will be peace as stated in Bhagavad Gita by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.
bhoktäraà yajïa-tapasäà
sarva-loka-maheçvaram
suhådaà sarva-bhütänäà
jïätvä mäà çäntim åcchati [ B.g. 5.29]
Krsna also mentions that it takes many many births of speculation and austerities for a person to come to the conclusion that Lord Sri Krsna indeed is everything, but by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and through the grace and valiant efforts of Srila Prabhupada, realizing Godhead has been made easy for this Age of Kali. Simply by chanting the Holy names of the Lord Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare individually and collectively one can realize the Absolute Truth.
