Bhagavad Gita 9.9

na ca māṁ tāni karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanañ-jaya

udāsīna-vad āsīnam asaktaṁ teṣu karmasu

 

By none of the world’s mess or stress,

Am I bound or put in distress.

I see it all—neutral and peaceful,

Craving nothing, divinely purposeful.

 

My dear Lord, life can be maddening. People can act in crazy ways. Situations can unravel in insane ways. I myself can act irrationally and nonsensically.

O all-powerful Lord, let me never feel mad at You. You are not responsible for all the craziness that goes on in this world. It is I who subject myself to such infuriating situations—either by my present choices or by the reactions to my past choices.

My Lord, help me to see that often it is through such situations that You create a crack in my plans, in my worldview, so that the light of Your presence and wisdom can enter authentically—as happens when I go through the motions of some rituals cursorily or perfunctorily. Indeed, it is often the madness of the world that makes me feel the need to turn to You, to make sense of the things I simply cannot make sense of.

O merciful Lord, let me remember that turning to You is the only choice that can make some sense in a world where nothing makes sense. Let me cherish every opportunity to shelter my consciousness in You and to strengthen my heart through You. Therefore, O Lord, if I have to be mad, let me be mad for You, not mad at You.

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09.09 O Dhanañjaya, all this work cannot bind Me. I am ever detached from all these material activities, seated as though neutral.