The Water of Mercy

mukam karoti vachalam

pangum langhayate girim

yat-kripa tam aham vande

shri-gurum dina-taranam

"I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, the deliverer of the fallen souls. His mercy turns the dumb into eloquent speakers and enables the lame to cross mountains." CC Adi Lila 1.15 (Lecture in 1975)

The mercy is often compared to rain because it down pours to every living entity equally and unconditionally for the reason that there is not real cause for it, it is of transcendental origin and Krishna and His pure devotees are the independent bestowers of this mercy.

The reservoir of this water is the spiritual master who makes this mercy reach everyone. The disciple act just as a mere pipe, bound by love to speak. (re-phrased from "The process of Inquiry" pg 71 by Srila Gaur Govinda Goswami.

Gurudev,

A wanderer has come

to the door to ask

and as you told,

I took from your hands

the water to quench

his thirst,

but I’ve faulty hands

and when I cupped them,

inept as I am,

much was lost;

It was an ocean

I could not hold.

He asked for more,

so I prayed silently

to you - this time before,

and compassion in a water form

found a way through

this stony heart

but could not fulfil,

because what I could give 

was but a few sips.

This soul became eager

held out his beaker,

and only then with faith,

as a parrot, I sang

that saffron dust

abiding in my heart

as it came to me

in a chain of love and mercy;

all I did was to repeat

selflessly,

as you did,

what I had I gave,

as I received,

what I drank through my ears

when I became thirsty to hear,

when my good fortune arose

and you passed it on

 to me.