Utsaha Camp - God helps those who help themselves!

Character Description
SCENE 1
Abhakta (Non devotee You are going to these Hare Krishna's programs? But look at your academics. You are not even
friend) getting first class! You got 6 points in the last exams! What is the use of you going there for those
programs??? Look at me! I got 8.5 points in the exams! I never go to these Hare Krishnas!!!
(Without any confidence, morose) Yes. Actually may be somehow Krishna didn't favour me this
Bhakta (Devotee
time. Actually He should favour me as I am chanting Hare Krishna. But He didn't do it. May be next
student)
time He will favour me…
Abhakta (Non devotee That's why I am telling you, leave all this nonsense and be like me. Free and happy in the life…
friend)
(Non devotee friend goes away and the Devotee student approaches his senior who is very good
SCENE 2 at studies)
Bhakta (Devotee Prabhu, my friend came and asked me that although I am chanting why Krishna didn’t give me
student) marks? I am chanting prabhu from last many months. Why Krishna didn't favour me? Why is this
happening with me prbahuji???
Senior (Bhakta) My dear prabhu, I understand your concern. Please tell me how were your studies in this
Bhakta (Devotee semester?
Prabhu, I went home 5-6 times in this semester and 2 of my sisters' marriages were there. I went
student) home and couldn't study anytime. When I was here in college, that time also I didn't use my time
properly for studies. At the end when exam came near, I somehow completed my syllabus and
Senior (Bhakta) appeared for the exams.
Why you couldn't study in the whole semester? Is it because you are practicing devotional service
very seroiusly? Is it because of this reason?
Bhakta (Devotee No prabhuji, exactly I don't remember how time went in the whole semester. Little gossiping here.
student) Little gossiping there. Neither I did devotional service properly nor I did studies well. Suddenly on
one day end of the semester came and next day was exam. When i opened my book i was not
knowing which topic to study. i knew practically nothing from many of the subjects.
Senior (Bhakta) See prabhu, we can’t blame Krishna for our poor grades unless we have given our best
performance. Krishna doesn’t say you do THE best. Krishna says you do YOUR best. Everyone can't
do THE best. But Krishna assures us in Bhagavad Gita, you do your best and combine it with a
prayer for Me. mam anusmara yudhya ca- you remember me and do your part.
I will tell you 3 stories now. Please listen them very carefully.
Once there was a farmer and one day he was cmplaining to God...

SCENE 3
Farmer O God ! Look how hard I am working to get the mangoes from the trees…
God O farmer, do you think you are working hard? Ok. What are you doing? Tell me who gave you
Farmer You my God!
God Who gave the potency to the mongo to grow?
Farmer You my God!
God Who gave you the soil?
Farmer You my God!
God Who poured the rains from the sky?
Farmer You my God!
God Then what are you doing? Are you really doing anything? You are just sowing the seed.
Farmer Yes my dear Lord, I am just doing this one thing of sowing the seed.
God Yes. I am doing 90% and you are doing just 10%. But at least you should do this 10% very properly.
If you are lazy to even sow a seed also then how can you expect the tree to grow and give you the
Farmer mangoes?
Yes my dear Lord, today I learnt a good lesson that at least from my side I should do my part vey
Senior (Bhakta) well.
Please hear the next story my dear prabhu. Once there was a person who had fallen in a dark well
of material sufferings and God came to help him…
SCENE 4
Man in the well Oh God! Please help me! I am fallen in this well of sufferings! Please help!
God (sends rope down in the well) My dear son, please hold this rope and then I will pull you out from
this suffering condition.
Man in the well No God, I am too lazy to catch it. You just take me out from this place.
God Yes my dear son, please try to understand that I have come here to help you. You only make this
endeavour of holding this rope and I will pull you out. If you don’t hold it, how can I help you??
Aham tvam sarvapapebhyo mokshayisyami ma sucah… I will devliver you but before that you
have to surrender to me sarvadharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja... It's easy, you
surrender and i will help you...
Man in the well Ohh now I understand… it's not so difficult to hold it… I will hold it…
(God pulls him out and they go away from stage)
Senior (Bhakta) Now hear attentively the third story… Once there was a sparrow whose eggs were stolen by the
SCENE 5
Sparrow O Ocean, you have taken all my eggs. Please give them back.
Ocean Ha ha ha ha….. You can't get your eggs back... you tiny sparrow…
Sparrow But they are all my very dear offsprings… just wait and watch, I will dry you up completely…
Ocean Hahaha you tiny sparrow, how will you dry me up? You can't dry even a drop of my water… try
your best…
(Sparrow is trying drop by drop)(Garuda enters and sees that the sparrow is working hard for
something and very much tired)
Garuda Oh… this small sparrow, what a great determination she has… she is working so hard…
(goes to sparrow and asks) My dear sparrow, are you confident that you can dry up this ocean on
Sparrow your
Whatown??
can I do? How else can I get my eggs back? I am trying my best.
Garuda Don't worry, I will get your eggs back.
O ocean, how can you trouble this tiny creature? Give her eggs back. This is my order to you!
Ocean O Garuda! You are pure devotee of the Lord Narayan and no doubt you are very powerful. I can't
disobey you.
O sparrow, please take your eggs back…
SCENE 6
Senior (Bhakta) My dear prabhu, the sparrow made the best of her endeavor and that attracted the grace of
Garuda similar to the sparrow's eggs, in this world, our Krishna consciousness is lost and who has
stolen it? The material world, the maya. Can we dry away the maya? No not possible but when we
struggle aginst maya and put our endeavours, Krishna gets pleased and only He can keep maya
away from us.
Just see after hearing these 3 stories we understand that we have to do our best and then depend
upon the Lord's grace. In Ramayan, the squirrel did her best and Hanuman did his best but Lord
Rama was pleased with both of them.
So, now you say that your non-devotee friend is crtiticizing you. But neither he nor you know the
truth in a proper way. You didn't do your best during the preparation. if you did your best, then
there is some point on depending on Krishna. First we should learn that i have to put my best
endeavours in my studies and then after giving MY best, the results are in Krishna's hands.
Bhakta (Devotee Yes prabhuji, now I understand my responsibility. But I was just passing the bug onto Krishna. Now I
student) understand why I was so much fearful while going for exam. Because I didn’t prepare myself
properly.
But now I have learnt a very important lesson prabhuji. We have to sow the seed and then look at
the sky for rains. We should do our part and then pray to Krishna for grace. We should not tell
Krishna, You only sow the seeds and You only pour the rains. Krishna sends the rope for us, but we
have to hold. If we hold, Krishna will pull us out of the well but if we don't hold, how can we expect
Krishna to bring us out of the well???
Narrator So, God helps those who help themselves! Without our efforts we can not attract Krishna's grace.
Characters

Devotee Role 1 Role 2 Role 3

Devotee 1 Bhakta (Devotee student) …. ….
Devotee 2 Senior(Non
Abhakta (Bhakta)
devotee …. ….
Devotee 3 friend) Ocean ….
Devotee 4 God Sparrow ….
Devotee 5 Farmer Man in the well Garuda