Kaitavodharmaḥ nyāyaḥ (cheating religion)
Once an old lady was carrying a heavy load of wood on her head, from forest to home. At an uneven path, she tripped, and the wood fell off and scattered on the ground. Because she was pious she was earnestly calling out for Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa Himself appeared before her in full greatness. “What do you need mother that you are calling my name so earnestly.” She spontaneously answered, “I need this wood for cooking the lunch for my family. Please can you help me put it up on my head?” “Certainly,” answered God. With no strain loaded the heavy wood back on her head, and disappeared His duty fulfilled. The lady then realized what foolish she was to ask God just to give her back on her head the burden of wood.
Any common religious adherent considers God to be an order-supplier of one's multitude of desires. The fact is that Nārāyaṇa does not has to be petitioned to supply everyone's needs. He is doing that for eternity, but He is not obliged to provide for anyone's greed. The word nārāyaṇa means one who shelters (ayaṇa) all beings (nāra). He is supplying needs to plants, animals, human beings, and demigods daily without any exertion. Only the greedy tactics of some create want in others. Atheists attribute this imbalance to God, while they are experts on how to get what they don't need. Thus it is a useless waste of prayer to ask for fulfilling our material desires up to the liberation from them, which are all burdensome without exception, whatever help they may seem to look. That is cheating religion. He gives anything very easily but pure devotional service to Him. That is what we are supposed to ask Him, not whatever desire of burden comes to our mind as first.
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