Bhagavad-gītā 14.13

aprakāśo ’pravṛttiś ca

pramādo moha eva ca

tamasy etāni jāyante

vivṛddhe kurunandana

 

No light of truth, no urge to act.

Intoxication and illusion keep excuses intact.

From tamas arise these shadows, dark and deadly,

Blinding us to all that is good and godly.

 

My dear Lord, feeling helpless is hard. Feeling helpless about feeling helpless is harder still. Hating the feeling of helplessness makes it the hardest of all.

O all-powerful Lord, life may place me in helplessness. But my mind magnifies misery by making me hate that helplessness. The first may be beyond me to avoid. The second is within my power to avoid—by Your grace.

My Lord, help me remember this when I am trapped. In traffic or in trouble, when time is slipping and plans are collapsing, remind me—You still hold the reins. You still have a way to create a path for me. Help me be open to Your path, even when it is a slight alteration, a sharp shift, or a potent reshape of what I had planned.

O merciful Lord, save me from staring and glaring at what the world has done wrong. Save me from dreading and damning the wrong that may come. Lift my eyes to see what You may do right. Teach me to look up instead of looking around. For looking up is the first step to seeing what You will do right—and how You will do it.

***

14.13 When there is an increase in the mode of ignorance, O son of Kuru, darkness, inertia, madness and illusion are manifested.