Nimittamaatra - Kaakataaleeya (Just a Tool in God's Hands - like The Crow and The Palm Leaf)

निमित्तमात्र - काकातालतीत
(Just a Tool in God's Hands, like The Crow and The Palm Leaf)

Nimittamatra is a well-known word in the Geetaa. You are just a tool in God's hands, used by Him for keeping the show on to keep the world going. You are only a facade for actions to be done. You may like it or not, it may please you or not, you may do anything to stop it or not, the planned action will be done. Nature will force it on you. And somthing that is not meant to happen will not happend even if you do sheershaasana to try to make it happen.

When a crow sat on a palm leaf, it fell off. Coincidence, you say. The crow did not sit to dislodge the leaf nor the leaf was waiting for the crow to come and sit and trigger the falling off. The leaves have ben falling off even before Newton thought of gravity.

As you progress in spiritual life or even as life teaches you by knocks on the head, you come to realise that your separate individuality is a phantom. You begin to come face to face with your own intristic being. You realise you are part of a bigger family where every living being, human or animal or plant, river or mountain has a role. When this Jnaana dawns, surrender is imminent and inevitable.

You come to see the seeming co-incidences are all pre-planned and there need be no surprise over them. Do you call it a coincidence when a newborn drinks when the mother takes it to her breast? Do you call it a coincidence when a rainbow appears in the sky after rains? Can love at first sight be termed a coincidence?

Is breathing voluntary or a series of coincidences?

RamanA says even miracles just happen. He denies his involvement in miracles in his presence or attributed to him.

Every single action, however mundane and insignificant it be, is preplanned - eating, walking, fighting, etc. The Lord has made it clear - Naiva Kurvan Na Kaarayan. You do nothing nor is any action caused by you.

NOTE;
BAAPPAMMAA TOLD US OF THIS ANECDOTE. Arjun was proud when the war was won. i have won ,killing many brave warriors, he told Krushna. Hanuman ,sitting on the flag laughed and said- I have seen a CHAKRA going round and killing warrios .Your arrows were nimittamaatra.

Once you are convinced of nimittamaatra significance , you see HIS CHAKRA moving about making all people act this way or that way. You stop finding faults in others, much less envy and hate others. God is teaching you a lesson by actions of others, good or bad actions.