Ajamila was a reservoir of good qualities and good character.However on seeing a sudra engaged with a prostitute , even though he was a fully qualified brahmana, the dormant lusty desires in his heart were revived and he could not stop himself from pursuing them.
Do not underestimate Maya
Ajamila was only an audience to such a scene probably the first time in his life but it was enough to stimulate his lower nature and cause him to fall from his glorious position of a qualified brahmana.If a firmly established brahmana like Ajamila could fall to pursue his lusty desires how can our devotional service situated on the foundation of inattentiveness help us when we are audience to similar scenes and sensual stimulants over and over again while executing our daily duties.These will only increase our sinful disposition.
Images, prajalpa through association of people and the written word, advertisements, etc bombard us in our day to day lives. Especially if we have certain detrimental habits like surfing the internet, attachment to the television and we do not follow the regulations of sadhana bhakti as explained by the acaryas and our Spiritual master's instructions carefully. Similarly reading books by Mayawada commentators is also as dangerous. It will act as slow poison and surely pull us away from bhakti.
Devotional service is the only way:
A sinful disposition is itself a sinful reaction. The disposition comes with karma or birth. We can stop the desire(kutam) from fructifying (bijam) by increased Krishna Consciousness. As Krishna promises in the Bhagavad Gita "aham tvam sarva-papebhyo mokshayishyami ma sucah" - He will deliver us from all sinful reactions if we surender unto Him completely and engage in devotional service with one pointed determination.This is a guarantee for the removal of sinful reactions in the form of the sinful disposition.
Devotional service that begins with the chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord is very powerful and protects us from pursuing desires born of our sinful disposition.
Srila Prabhupada states in the Ajamila pastime " There are so many dangers in this material world that one may fall down from an exalted position at any time. Yet if one keeps himself always pure and steady by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, he will be safe without a doubt."
The onus is on us
Even if we have the Holy Name, the association of devotees and Srila Prabhupada books unless we use the resources favorably we will leave scope for our dormant material desires to take over.
In the pastime of the Pandavas retiring from the material world, Draupadi saw that her husbands were leaving home without caring for her. But because she had received and followed instructions carefully during her lifetime she took care of herself without waiting for her husbands. She was able to fix her mind on the Lotus feet of Krsna and got the same result as her husbands.
We have to take care of ourselves during our lifetime else we can fall down like Ajamila and not reach the Ultimate goal. Srila Prabhupada writes for the above pastime " When flying an airplane, one cannot take care of other planes. Everyone has to take care of his own plane, and if there is any danger, no other plane can help another in that condition. Similarly, at the end of life, when one has to go back home, back to Godhead, everyone has to take care of himself without help rendered by another. The help is, however, offered on the ground before flying in space. Similarly, the spiritual master, the father, the mother, the relatives, the husband and others can all render help during one's lifetime, but while crossing the sea one has to take care of himself and utilize the instructions formerly received."
Follow the rules and regulations attentively:
Even if we refrain from activities of sense gratification and try to follow the rules and regulations of bhakti there is still a possibility of revival of our dormant desires if we are not attentive in our practice. Kala Krsna Das was Lord Chaitanya's personal servant during His south Indian yatra. He left Mahaprabhu's asssociation to join the Bhattatharis , who enticed him with women.
Srila Prabhupada writes in this regard : "Even though a person may associate with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he can be allured by māyā and leave the Lord's company due to his slight independence..........This is factual evidence showing that it is possible at any time to fall down from the Lord's association. One need only misuse his little independence. Once fallen and separated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead's association, one becomes a candidate for suffering in the material world."
Following the rules and regulations carefully is extremely important to free us from the attack of Maya. The difference between one who falls down even after practicing and one who doesnt is the degreee of their attentiveness in their practice. Attentiveness in our chanting and hearing, while offering services, doing kirtan,controlling the minds demands is our safety net. Attentive devotional service is the only way to protect us from misusing our independence.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Bharata Maharaj : Past karma carried in the subtle body can deviate us
Sukadeva Goswami states in SB 5.8.26 : "..........Due to the fruitive results of his past deeds, he fell down from mystic yoga, austerity and worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If it were not due to his past fruitive activity, how could he have been attracted to the deer after giving up the association of his own son and family, considering them stumbling blocks on the path of spiritual life? How could he show such uncontrollable affection for a deer? This was definitely due to his past karma."
When King Pracinabarhi inquires from Narada Muni about the transmigration of the soul Narada Muni explains how karma is carried by the subtle body during transmigration. In the new body the living entity gets a chance to fulfill his plans by the grace of the Supreme Lord. The living entity also suffers the good and bad reactions of his past life in the new body. The sinful reactions may also manifest in the form of desires not conducive for progress. This has been explained in great detail in this post:Liberation means getting out of the clutches of the subtle body..4.29.61 purport
If past karma could affect Bharat Maharaj in this way, causing him to deviate rom his practices what about all the past karma and desires we have. How powerful can they be? We are not even as pure as Bharata Maharaj who had left his family and kingdom to engage himself in achieveing the Ultimate goal.
When King Pracinabarhi inquires from Narada Muni about the transmigration of the soul Narada Muni explains how karma is carried by the subtle body during transmigration. In the new body the living entity gets a chance to fulfill his plans by the grace of the Supreme Lord. The living entity also suffers the good and bad reactions of his past life in the new body. The sinful reactions may also manifest in the form of desires not conducive for progress. This has been explained in great detail in this post:Liberation means getting out of the clutches of the subtle body..4.29.61 purport
If past karma could affect Bharat Maharaj in this way, causing him to deviate rom his practices what about all the past karma and desires we have. How powerful can they be? We are not even as pure as Bharata Maharaj who had left his family and kingdom to engage himself in achieveing the Ultimate goal.
- We need to be extremely careful of how we allow our desires to guide us. Association of devotees and sadhana is the safety net for this.
- We should also be extremely careful of what we expose ourselves now as that will manifest in the form of fesires or reactions in the future blocking our progress.
Razor's edge : Lessons from Bharat Maharaj
Maharaj Bharat had attained the stage of Bhava and had retired in the forest to attain the perfection of life- love for Krsna.However he got distracted by his compassion towards a deer calf.He got extremely attached to the deer and while caring for it , he negelected his own sadhana and feel to the position of a deer in his next birth.
One can fall even from the stage of bhava (albiet temporarily) if one neglects one's spiritual practices.Spiritual life is like a razor's edge. If we dont practice right we will lose all our spiritual credits and fall down. One small distraction can pull our mind away. The distraction maybe seemingly justified , however if it is taking us away from Krishna it is material.
Importance of association and sadhana:
Practicing great caution is absolutely necessary and sadhana should not be compromised at any cost.Maya came in the form of a deer to distract Bharat Maharaj- it may manifest in different forms for us. Unless we follow rigid sadhana and remain in association we will not be able to make the right judgement.
Material compassion:
Bharat Maharaj felt responsible towards the deer and took great care of it - to the extent that he thought it ok to compromise his spiritual practices to take care of the motherless deer. The compassion transformed to attachment and an eventual fall down from his position.
He states thus:
SB 5.8.10: Even though one is in the renounced order, one who is advanced certainly feels compassion for suffering living entities. One should certainly neglect his own personal interests, although they may be very important, to protect one who has surrendered.
This is how the mind can trick us. The mind can win when sadhana is compromised.
Srila Prabhupada states in this regard:
"by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, we may raise a person to spiritual consciousness if we ourselves follow the rules and regulations. If we give up our own spiritual activities and simply become concerned with the bodily comforts of others, we will fall into a dangerous position."
So many times in the name of preaching or cultivating someone we may find ourself in a situation similar to Bharat Maharaj. We may feel that the person is dependent only on us for their spiritual life and we need to go the extra mile to help them in their practice and personal problems. However we must realize that our time in the material world is at a premium - for services and our own upliftment .
If we have difficulty following SP's statement above then we need to examine our consciousness : Do we really desire to help this devotee ?How much time is needed here?
I cannot sustain myself if I dont do my sadhana right - I will not be able to help anyone.
Am I doing this on the platform of service or is it giving pleasure to my false ego?Am I really helping the devotee take shelter of Krishna- Am I right the person- Maybe I can connect them with a higher authority?
If we help the new devotee take shelter of Krishna through His Holy Names, take shelter of SP books and lectures we would be doing great service. Also if such attachment is cultivated the number of times the new devotee will need our help will reduce.
However we can encourage someone to cultivate such attachment only if we ourselves are similarly attached. This again goes back to SP's statement in bold above.
We should endeavor to raise people to Krishna Consciousness - thats is real compassion. This is possible by raising ourselves.
SP's powerful quotes in this pastime:
"Spiritual salvation and liberation from material bondage must be worked out with great caution, otherwise a little discrepancy will cause one to fall down again into material existence. ......... We should be compassionate by raising one from the material platform to the spiritual platform; otherwise at any moment our spiritual advancement may be spoiled, and we may fall down onto the material platform. Maharaj Bharat's compassion for the deer was the beginning of his falldown into the material world." SB 5.8.7
"we have to be very cautious in executing our spiritual duties by observing the rules and regulations and regularly chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. If we neglect doing this, we will eventually fall down. We must rise early in the morning. bathe, attend mańgala-ārati, worship the Deities, chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, study the Vedic literatures and follow all the rules prescribed by the ācāryas and the spiritual master. If we deviate from this process, we may fall down, even though we may be very highly advanced." SB 5.8.8
Sympathy towards bodily condition:
"if one does not know of the material sufferings of fallen souls and becomes sympathetic because of bodily comforts, as in the case of Bharat Maharaj, such sympathy or compassion is the cause of one's downfall. If one is actually sympathetic to fallen, suffering humanity, he should try to elevate people from material consciousness to spiritual consciousness." SB 5.8.9
Lastly:
"We should be very careful not to be misled by so-called welfare activities conducted in bodily, terms. One should not give up his interest in attaining the favor of Lord Viṣṇu at any cost. Generally people do not know this, or they forget it. " SB 5.8.10
One can fall even from the stage of bhava (albiet temporarily) if one neglects one's spiritual practices.Spiritual life is like a razor's edge. If we dont practice right we will lose all our spiritual credits and fall down. One small distraction can pull our mind away. The distraction maybe seemingly justified , however if it is taking us away from Krishna it is material.
Importance of association and sadhana:
Practicing great caution is absolutely necessary and sadhana should not be compromised at any cost.Maya came in the form of a deer to distract Bharat Maharaj- it may manifest in different forms for us. Unless we follow rigid sadhana and remain in association we will not be able to make the right judgement.
Material compassion:
Bharat Maharaj felt responsible towards the deer and took great care of it - to the extent that he thought it ok to compromise his spiritual practices to take care of the motherless deer. The compassion transformed to attachment and an eventual fall down from his position.
He states thus:
SB 5.8.10: Even though one is in the renounced order, one who is advanced certainly feels compassion for suffering living entities. One should certainly neglect his own personal interests, although they may be very important, to protect one who has surrendered.
This is how the mind can trick us. The mind can win when sadhana is compromised.
Srila Prabhupada states in this regard:
"by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, we may raise a person to spiritual consciousness if we ourselves follow the rules and regulations. If we give up our own spiritual activities and simply become concerned with the bodily comforts of others, we will fall into a dangerous position."
So many times in the name of preaching or cultivating someone we may find ourself in a situation similar to Bharat Maharaj. We may feel that the person is dependent only on us for their spiritual life and we need to go the extra mile to help them in their practice and personal problems. However we must realize that our time in the material world is at a premium - for services and our own upliftment .
If we have difficulty following SP's statement above then we need to examine our consciousness : Do we really desire to help this devotee ?How much time is needed here?
I cannot sustain myself if I dont do my sadhana right - I will not be able to help anyone.
Am I doing this on the platform of service or is it giving pleasure to my false ego?Am I really helping the devotee take shelter of Krishna- Am I right the person- Maybe I can connect them with a higher authority?
If we help the new devotee take shelter of Krishna through His Holy Names, take shelter of SP books and lectures we would be doing great service. Also if such attachment is cultivated the number of times the new devotee will need our help will reduce.
However we can encourage someone to cultivate such attachment only if we ourselves are similarly attached. This again goes back to SP's statement in bold above.
We should endeavor to raise people to Krishna Consciousness - thats is real compassion. This is possible by raising ourselves.
SP's powerful quotes in this pastime:
"Spiritual salvation and liberation from material bondage must be worked out with great caution, otherwise a little discrepancy will cause one to fall down again into material existence. ......... We should be compassionate by raising one from the material platform to the spiritual platform; otherwise at any moment our spiritual advancement may be spoiled, and we may fall down onto the material platform. Maharaj Bharat's compassion for the deer was the beginning of his falldown into the material world." SB 5.8.7
"we have to be very cautious in executing our spiritual duties by observing the rules and regulations and regularly chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. If we neglect doing this, we will eventually fall down. We must rise early in the morning. bathe, attend mańgala-ārati, worship the Deities, chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, study the Vedic literatures and follow all the rules prescribed by the ācāryas and the spiritual master. If we deviate from this process, we may fall down, even though we may be very highly advanced." SB 5.8.8
Sympathy towards bodily condition:
"if one does not know of the material sufferings of fallen souls and becomes sympathetic because of bodily comforts, as in the case of Bharat Maharaj, such sympathy or compassion is the cause of one's downfall. If one is actually sympathetic to fallen, suffering humanity, he should try to elevate people from material consciousness to spiritual consciousness." SB 5.8.9
Lastly:
"We should be very careful not to be misled by so-called welfare activities conducted in bodily, terms. One should not give up his interest in attaining the favor of Lord Viṣṇu at any cost. Generally people do not know this, or they forget it. " SB 5.8.10
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Wife's encouragement necessary for execution of duties in grhastha ashram
From the purport to SB 5.1.23:
Maharaja Priyavrata, strictly maintained varnasrama-dharma by his extraordinary, unparalleled prowess.To maintain such a life of strict vigilance, one needs encouragement from his wife. In the varnasrama-dharma system, certain classes, such as the brahmanas and sannyasis, do not need encouragement from the opposite sex. Ksatriyas and grhasthas, however, actually need the encouragement of their wives in order to execute their duties. Indeed, a grhastha or ksatriya cannot properly execute his responsibilities without the association of his wife. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally admitted that a grhastha must live with a wife. Ksatriyas were even allowed to have many wives to encourage them in discharging the duties of government. The association of a good wife is necessary in a life of karma and political affairs. To execute his duties properly, therefore. Maharaja Priyavrata took advantage of his good wife Barhismati, who was always very expert in pleasing her great husband by properly dressing herself, smiling, and exhibiting her feminine bodily features. Queen Barhismati always kept Maharaja Priyavrata very encouraged, and thus he executed his governmental duty very properly. In this verse iva has twice been used to indicate that Maharaja Priyavrata acted exactly like a henpecked husband and thereby seemed to have lost his sense of human responsibility. Actually, however, he was fully conscious of his position as a spirit soul, although he seemingly behaved like an acquiescent karmi husband.
Maharaja Priyavrata, strictly maintained varnasrama-dharma by his extraordinary, unparalleled prowess.To maintain such a life of strict vigilance, one needs encouragement from his wife. In the varnasrama-dharma system, certain classes, such as the brahmanas and sannyasis, do not need encouragement from the opposite sex. Ksatriyas and grhasthas, however, actually need the encouragement of their wives in order to execute their duties. Indeed, a grhastha or ksatriya cannot properly execute his responsibilities without the association of his wife. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally admitted that a grhastha must live with a wife. Ksatriyas were even allowed to have many wives to encourage them in discharging the duties of government. The association of a good wife is necessary in a life of karma and political affairs. To execute his duties properly, therefore. Maharaja Priyavrata took advantage of his good wife Barhismati, who was always very expert in pleasing her great husband by properly dressing herself, smiling, and exhibiting her feminine bodily features. Queen Barhismati always kept Maharaja Priyavrata very encouraged, and thus he executed his governmental duty very properly. In this verse iva has twice been used to indicate that Maharaja Priyavrata acted exactly like a henpecked husband and thereby seemed to have lost his sense of human responsibility. Actually, however, he was fully conscious of his position as a spirit soul, although he seemingly behaved like an acquiescent karmi husband.
Importance of attachment to Krsna's Lotus feet in grhastha ashram
Maharaj Priyavrata was leading a life in the renounced order. He was instructed by Lord Brahma to take the service of ruling all the planetary systems. For doing so , he would have to leave the renounced order and accept a wife.Maharaj Priyavrata asked Lord Brahma if he will be diverted from the devotional service of the Lord by accepting the responsibility of ruling over of the world. Maharaj Pariksit also asked Sukadeva Maharaj how was it possbile for Priyavrata Maharaj to be in householder life and still achieve the topmost perfection of Krishna Consciousness.
This a plaguing question for most grhasthas as the ashram offers many material distractions.
How can one keep oneself protected when one is completely surrounded by debilitating material attractions?
Following is a summary of the answers provided by Sukadeva Goswami,Lord Brahma and Srila Prabhupada's purports in answer to these pertinent questions from the verses SB 5.1.1 -5.1.23.
SB 5.1.29: After Kavi, Mahavira and Savana were completely trained in the paramahamsa stage of life, Maharaja Priyavrata ruled the universe for eleven arbudas of years. Whenever he was determined to fix his arrow upon his bowstring with his two powerful arms, all opponents of the regulative principles of religious life would flee from his presence in fear of the unparalleled prowess he displayed in ruling the universe. He greatly loved his wife Barhismati, and with the increase of days, their exchange of nuptial love also increased. By her feminine behavior as she dressed herself, walked, got up, smiled, laughed, and glanced about, Queen Barhismati increased his energy. Thus although he was a great soul, he appeared lost in the feminine conduct of his wife. He behaved with her just like an ordinary man, but actually he was a great soul.
This a plaguing question for most grhasthas as the ashram offers many material distractions.
How can one keep oneself protected when one is completely surrounded by debilitating material attractions?
Following is a summary of the answers provided by Sukadeva Goswami,Lord Brahma and Srila Prabhupada's purports in answer to these pertinent questions from the verses SB 5.1.1 -5.1.23.
- Experience bliss in the Lord's shelter : Those who have taken shelter of the Lord's lotus feet are under His cool shade ,experiencing complete bliss and are protected from the anxieties of the material world.They are completely satisfied and blissful. Thus they have no attraction and attachment for the material world.param drstva nivartate: one gives up lower engagements when he experiences a higher taste. Thus one becomes detached from family life as soon as he comes under the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. Ref SB 5.1.4
- Mind and senses automatically conquered in the Lord's shelter:When a bumblebee enters the opening of a lotus flower and drinks its honey, it is fully protected by the petals of the lotus. The bee is undisturbed by sunshine and other external influences. Similarly, one who always seeks shelter at the lotus feet of the personality of Godhead is protected from all dangers - the urges of the mind and senses.Our actual duty is to carry out the supreme order of the Personality of Godhead. If we are fixed in our determination to carry out the supreme order of the Lord, we are always secure, regardless of where we are situated, whether in hell or in heaven.Ref SB 5.1.19
- Following strictly rules and regulations of Sadhana Bhakti: Householder life affords one a chance to either go back to Godhead or get entangled in frutive material enjoyment. If one follows rigid sadhana and the rules and regulations of sadhana bhakti under guidance of Spiritual Master one can use householder life as a vehicle to get blessed with love for Krishna.Lord Brahma indicated that since Maharaj Priyavrata followed a high standard of renunciation, austerity, penance and devotion he would not be deviated from devotional service, even though he would accept household life. Ref SB 5.1.10
- Krpa siddhi:By the blessings of the spiritual master and senior devotees one can achieve anything.Our attitude and following of the practice should be such that it can attract such blessings. By Narada Muni's and Lord Brahma's blessings it will be possible for Maharaj Priyavrata to be in houshold life yet in complete KC. Ref SB 5.1.10
- Yuktam vairagya: SP quotes the sloka anasktasya visyana .... and states "Visayan, material affairs, should be accepted without attachment. and everything should be dovetailed with the service of the Lord. That is real intelligence (manisa). Becoming a family man or king in the material world is not harmful if one accepts everything for Krsna's service. That necessitates clear intelligence. "Ref SB 5.1.12
- Follow instructions of spiritual master:By following the instructions of Lord Brahma and Narada Muni Maharaj Priyavrata performed the worldly affairs but was always engaged in thought of the Lotus Feet of the Lord.He did so to honor the orders of his superiors. If we just follow the instructions of the spiritual master properly we will also be protected from material desires and will be able to constantly think of Krishna's lotus feet. The spiritual master is providing us with so much help and mercy we just have to access it - by following his orders. Ref SB 5.1.23
SB 5.1.29: After Kavi, Mahavira and Savana were completely trained in the paramahamsa stage of life, Maharaja Priyavrata ruled the universe for eleven arbudas of years. Whenever he was determined to fix his arrow upon his bowstring with his two powerful arms, all opponents of the regulative principles of religious life would flee from his presence in fear of the unparalleled prowess he displayed in ruling the universe. He greatly loved his wife Barhismati, and with the increase of days, their exchange of nuptial love also increased. By her feminine behavior as she dressed herself, walked, got up, smiled, laughed, and glanced about, Queen Barhismati increased his energy. Thus although he was a great soul, he appeared lost in the feminine conduct of his wife. He behaved with her just like an ordinary man, but actually he was a great soul.
Svayambhuva Manu's happiness in giving his responsibilities to his son
SB 5.1.22: Svayambhuva Manu, with the assistance of Lord Brahma, thus fulfilled his desires. With the permission of the great sage Narada, he delivered to his son the governmental responsibility for maintaining and protecting all the planets of the universe. He thus achieved relief from the most dangerous, poisonous ocean of material desires.
Svayambhuva Manu took great satisfaction from abnegating the responsibility for ruling all the planetary systems of the universe. King Priyavrata had to be persuaded by Lord Brahma to accept the post of emperor of the entire universe. His father, Svayambhuva Manu, felt relieved to entrust the universal government to Priyavrata.
In the vedic culture one did their duty only for the purpose of satisfying the Supreme.When it was time to accept another duty they could very easily leave their current duty in the hands of someone else as they were not attached to the duty and its fruits , but attached to pleasing the Supreme.
Svayambhuva Manu took great satisfaction from abnegating the responsibility for ruling all the planetary systems of the universe. King Priyavrata had to be persuaded by Lord Brahma to accept the post of emperor of the entire universe. His father, Svayambhuva Manu, felt relieved to entrust the universal government to Priyavrata.
In the vedic culture one did their duty only for the purpose of satisfying the Supreme.When it was time to accept another duty they could very easily leave their current duty in the hands of someone else as they were not attached to the duty and its fruits , but attached to pleasing the Supreme.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Handling disagreements without resentment
Narada Muni had been instructing Maharaj Priyavrata in the details of renounced life. Lord Brahma instructs Maharaj Priyavrata to accept household life and responsibilities of ruling over the planet and give up the renounced order.
Narada Muni and Maharaj Priyavrata did not feel any resentment with this happening as they are not attached to their opinion. They were only attached to what is good for the service of the Lord and thus bore no resentment in their heart and offered due respect to Lord Brahma.They both saw Lord Brahma as their superior and as one who was carrying out the service of the Lord.
SB 5.1.21: Lord Brahmā was then worshiped by Manu, who respectfully satisfied him as well as he could. Priyavrata and Nārada also looked upon Brahmā with no tinges of resentment. Having engaged Priyavrata in accepting his father's request, Lord Brahmā returned to his abode, Satyaloka, which is indescribable by the endeavor of mundane mind or words.
To not feel resentment when being advised by two different authorities especially when one direction maybe different from the longing of our heart:
Narada Muni and Maharaj Priyavrata did not feel any resentment with this happening as they are not attached to their opinion. They were only attached to what is good for the service of the Lord and thus bore no resentment in their heart and offered due respect to Lord Brahma.They both saw Lord Brahma as their superior and as one who was carrying out the service of the Lord.
SB 5.1.21: Lord Brahmā was then worshiped by Manu, who respectfully satisfied him as well as he could. Priyavrata and Nārada also looked upon Brahmā with no tinges of resentment. Having engaged Priyavrata in accepting his father's request, Lord Brahmā returned to his abode, Satyaloka, which is indescribable by the endeavor of mundane mind or words.
To not feel resentment when being advised by two different authorities especially when one direction maybe different from the longing of our heart:
- When we are being guided by two different devotees , who are both representatives of the Lord our attitude should be to neglect neither of them and to use our intelligence to follow the advise of both. Apparently Maharaj Priyavrata was being inspired in different ways by Narada Muni and Lord Brahma. SP write in the purport to SB 5.1.12 that "Priyavrata should neglect neither of them but should use his intelligence to follow the advice of both".
- He then elaborates to explains "material affairs, should be accepted without attachment. and everything should be dovetailed with the service of the Lord."
- Thus our goal should be service in KC, if that is in place we will not have any resentment with following authority.
- Maharaj Priyavrata as an ideal disciple left his personal desires aside at the call of service.
- However if we do feel resentment, a thorough examination of our consciousness will reveal to us our attachments and that are services are still on the material platform.
- This can be learned from Narada Muni's example.
- He did not feel any resentment in his heart as he saw Lord Brahma's instruction in line with service to the Lord.
- The instruction maybe apparently different but at the core it is in line with service to the Lord - the goal of all instructions.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Vaikuntha atmosphere: Hearing and chanting in association of devotees
Lord Vishnu being pleased with the austerities of the Pracetas comes before them and blessed them with His beautiful darshan.He expressed His pleasure with the Pracetas and requested them to ask for a benediction in SB4.30.8. The Pracetas offer their prayers glorifying the Lord and state that association of pure devotees in the only benediction they ask for and it is the highest benediction. They then glorify the benefits of hearing and chanting in the association of devotees in verses SB 4.30.35-37.
"Whenever pure topics of the transcendental world are discussed, the members of the audience forget all kinds of material hankerings, at least for the time being. Not only that, but they are no longer envious of one another, nor do they suffer from anxiety or fear."
Srila Prabhupada says "The living entities who have accepted this material world as a residence are full of anxiety. A place immediately becomes Vaikuntha whenever the holy topics of the Personality of Godhead are discussed by pure devotees. "
And from SB 3.25.25
"Whenever pure topics of the transcendental world are discussed, the members of the audience forget all kinds of material hankerings, at least for the time being. Not only that, but they are no longer envious of one another, nor do they suffer from anxiety or fear."
- Audience forget material hankerings
- No longer envious of each other:By vibrating or discussing the Holy Name of the Lord, one becomes non-envious and devoid of material hankering.
- Free from anxiety and fear
- Lord Narayana Himself is present
Srila Prabhupada says "The living entities who have accepted this material world as a residence are full of anxiety. A place immediately becomes Vaikuntha whenever the holy topics of the Personality of Godhead are discussed by pure devotees. "
And from SB 3.25.25
- Pastimes of the Lord are pleasing and satisfying to the mind and heart
- One can become free from material attraction
- Attraction to Krsna becomes fixed
- Real devotion and devotional service begins
Association with pure devotees: The highest benediction
Lord Vishnu being pleased with the austerities of the Pracetas comes before them and blesses them with His beautiful darshan.He expressed His pleasure with the Pracetas and requested them to ask for a benediction in SB4.30.8. The Pracetas offer their prayers glorifying the Lord and then state in SB 4.30.33:
"As long as we have to remain in the material world and take up different bodies in different planets, they pray that they associate with those who are engaged in discussing Your Pastimes" and " A moment's association with a pure devotee cannot be compared with liberation.Association with pure devotees is the highest benediction."
Similar benedictions were sought after by Jaya-Vijaya, the 4 kumaras and Prthu Maharaj:
Association of devotees is the topmost benediction.In the Siksastaka Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu states "Mam janmani janmani ishware bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi". How will we always be continuously engaged in devotional service birth after birth?
This is possible only if we are always in the association of devotees.
"As long as we have to remain in the material world and take up different bodies in different planets, they pray that they associate with those who are engaged in discussing Your Pastimes" and " A moment's association with a pure devotee cannot be compared with liberation.Association with pure devotees is the highest benediction."
Similar benedictions were sought after by Jaya-Vijaya, the 4 kumaras and Prthu Maharaj:
- When Jaya and Vijaya were being cursed they said they were ready to accept any condition save and except the condition where they are under the illusion of forgetting the SPG.
- The Kumaras also thinking they maybe forced to fall into the material world because they cursed Jaya and Vjaya also request for the benediction that they maybe born in any condition but they should also be engaged in the Lord's service and in hearing the glories of the Lord.
- When Prthu Maharaj is asked for a benediction he only desires the benediction of hearing the glories of the Lord from the mouths of the pure devotees.
Association of devotees is the topmost benediction.In the Siksastaka Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu states "Mam janmani janmani ishware bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi". How will we always be continuously engaged in devotional service birth after birth?
This is possible only if we are always in the association of devotees.
- The most important thing for a devotee is getting a chance to hear about the pastimes and glories of the Lord.
- By associating with devotees who are very attached to Krishna's Lotus feet we will also develop the same attachment.
- We will be protected from becoming non-devotees only if we are in strong association.
- Activities of hearing and chanting in the association of devotees are very purifying and full of transcendental pleasure.All miseries are vanquished and the atmosphere is thus a Vaikuntha atmosphere. More on the benefits of hearing and chanting in association can be read here.
- A moment's association with a pure devotee is the highest benediction.Even in a moment we can receive all their mercy and grace to develop love for Krishna.The Pracetas got the association of Lord Siva and through that association they were able to get the darshan of Lord Narayana.
- It is therefore the duty of everyone to associate with a pure devotee and thus attain freedom from material contamination. Everyone should take advantage of the wandering devotees, whose only business is to deliver conditioned souls from the clutches of māyā.
- SB 4.22.19: When there is a congregation of devotees, their discussions, questions and answers become conclusive to both the speaker and the audience. Thus such a meeting is beneficial for everyone's real happiness.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Results of Envy
Lord Indra becomes envious of the horse sacrifices performed by Prthu Maharaj as Prthu Maharaj was performing his 100th horse sacrifice and would get the same fame as him for performing 100 horse sacrifices.
Reacting on the platform of envy Lord Indra then performs various activities to disrupt the 100th sacrifice.
Envy is the inability to tolerate another person's success:
Following is a synopsis of the ill effects of envy based on the example of Lord Indra's attempts to stop the 100th sacrifice. SB 4.19
Envy:
Reacting on the platform of envy Lord Indra then performs various activities to disrupt the 100th sacrifice.
Envy is the inability to tolerate another person's success:
- Essence of the material experience.
- Essence of all bad qualities that our present in our heart.
Following is a synopsis of the ill effects of envy based on the example of Lord Indra's attempts to stop the 100th sacrifice. SB 4.19
Envy:
- Leads to Pain :Pain that someones possess something we lack
- Leads to Fear:Someone may possess something more than what we have and surpass us.Lord Indra feared that Prthu Maharaj's piety would exceed his own and thus he felt threatened
- Bewilderment of intelligence(vinash kale viprit buddhi) :One performs actions against injunctions of Guru and Shastra. e.g Indra stole the horse, decieved everyone as a sanyasi, ran from the battlefield out of cowardice
- Repeatedly perform the same mistakes: To relieve his envy Lord Indra repeatedly kept stealing the horse
- Deepening of bad qualities: Owing to his envy Lord Indra's bad qualities started magnifying
- Perform irreligious acts: Lord Indra started different pseudo sanyasa orders. Out of envy we may hurt someone through our words, we may criticise them openly, degrade their reputation, one may also kill or one may start parallel lines of authority.
- Purity reduces: One's purity and potency to perform devotional service reduces.Lord Indra's powers and credibility both reduced.
- Reflects badly on Krishna: An envious devotee's activities reflect badly on our dearmost Lord Sri Krsna.
Friendly Relationships between devotees pleases Krishna
Pleased by the austerities of the Pracetas (sons of King Pracinabarhi) Lord Vishnu appears before them in His eight handed form and blesses them.
Lord Vishnu speaks the verse SB 4.30.8 "My dear sons of the King, I am very much pleased by the friendly relationships among you. All of you are engaged in one occupation — devotional service. I am so pleased with your mutual friendship that I wish you all good fortune. Now you may ask a benediction of Me."
Notes:
The result is that Krishna will be extremely pleased and willing to award all kinds of benedictions on living beings
Lord Vishnu speaks the verse SB 4.30.8 "My dear sons of the King, I am very much pleased by the friendly relationships among you. All of you are engaged in one occupation — devotional service. I am so pleased with your mutual friendship that I wish you all good fortune. Now you may ask a benediction of Me."
Notes:
- The Lord is extremely pleased when He sees devotees cooperating in service to Krishna.
- Disunity exists when DS is carried out on the bodily platform for the satisfaction of one's need for fame, prestige, envy,etc- that is in the mood of serving oneself and not Krishna.
- Thus one must rise above material desires and keep questioning oneself " What is the purpose of doing this service. For whose pleasure?
- If there is some disagreement over service, such disagreement is to be taken as spiritual.
- There is variegatedness in Krsna's creation and everyone will have their own way of serving the Lord.We should be able to perceive this and accept different viewpoints as the ultimate goal is to serve Krishna.
- If we ourselves try to follow this mood and see someone else not doing the same, instead of looking down upon them we must be compassionate and encourage them to come to this platform through our love and care for them. We must refrain from being judgmental as that is detrimental to pleasing Krishna.
- If we see someone not doing service correctly , instead of discouraging them we must help them improve their service by our love and care.
- We must humbly meditate on how best we can serve the Lord and not find faults with one another.
The result is that Krishna will be extremely pleased and willing to award all kinds of benedictions on living beings
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Liberation means getting out of the clutches of the subtle body..4.29.61 purport
In 4.29 King Pracinabarhisat inquires from Narada Muni about the transmigration of the soul.
Narada Muni replies to this question:
My Notes:
One must train the subtle body to be constantly engaged in thoughts about Krishna.This is possible by constant devotional service and chanting the Holy Names of the Lord with full attention.Service on the bodily platform increases identification with matter. True service is anyabhilasita sunyam.... Thus one must be constantly watchful of their consciousness throughout the day in order that the subtle body does not carry material impressions and does not force the gross body to act on the material platform.Cultivation of an attitude of accountability towards Guru in every action will be very helpful in this regard.
References:
Narada Muni replies to this question:
- Karma is carried in the subtle body, and as the soul transfers to a new body along with the subtle body and the soul's karma , the living entity feels a sense of continuity
- Although the gross bodies apparently change, the real root of the gross body — the subtle body of mind, intelligence and ego — is always there
- When the gross body is finished, the plans of the living entity are taken by the mind, and by the grace of the Lord, the living entity gets a chance to give these plans shape in the next life.
- By the grace of the Supersoul, the living entity gets remembrance and begins to execute plans begun in the previous life
My Notes:
One must train the subtle body to be constantly engaged in thoughts about Krishna.This is possible by constant devotional service and chanting the Holy Names of the Lord with full attention.Service on the bodily platform increases identification with matter. True service is anyabhilasita sunyam.... Thus one must be constantly watchful of their consciousness throughout the day in order that the subtle body does not carry material impressions and does not force the gross body to act on the material platform.Cultivation of an attitude of accountability towards Guru in every action will be very helpful in this regard.
References:
- It is far easier to engage the gross body in service than to control the mind,and therefore the early stages of learning to practice devotional service are centered on engaging the body. Yet aspiring devotees should note that they must ultimately shift their service from merely physical engagement to deep , mental,intellectual and emotional involvement.True devotion means to replace self centeredness with Krsna centeredness. When desire to please Krishna becomes natural, continuous and full of love, one is no longer a part of this world. - Excerpt "Unveiling His Lotus Feet" Pg 946
- When one is fully absorbed in Krishna Consciousness, in one stroke he is freed of past and future mental desires.By the grace of Lord Krishna motther Yashoda saw all the universes and planets within the mouth of Krishna .Similarly by the grace of Krsna, a Krsna Conscious person can see all his dormant desires at one one time and finish all his future transmigrations. This facility is especially given to the devotee to make his path clear for returning home, BTG.SB 4.29.69
- One of the goals of Krsna Consciousness is to break the connection between the soul and both the gross and subtle bodies. Pure devotional service effects the break.-Excerpt "Unveiling His Lotus Feet" Pg 949
- After understanding Krsna as He is, one can become eligible to enter Kṛṣṇaloka and associate with Him. The mind is the cause of such an exalted position. The mind can also get one a body like those of dogs and hogs. To absorb the mind always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is therefore the greatest perfection of human life.SB 4.29.76-77
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Vanaprastha:Example of King Malayadhvaja and Queen Vaidarbhi
Reference Post for context: Activities of a Disciple in Separation from Spiritual Master
Srila Prabhupada's purport on vanaprastha life SB 4.28.45:
Srila Prabhupada's purport on vanaprastha life SB 4.28.45:
- The wife especially should remain austere, not desiring luxurious dresses and living standards. She should accept only the bare necessities of life and minimize her eating and sleeping.
- There should be no question of mating. Simply by engaging in the service of her exalted husband, who must be a pure devotee, the wife will never be agitated by sex impulses. The vānaprastha stage is exactly like this. Although the wife remains with the husband, she undergoes severe austerities and penances so that although both husband and wife live together, there is no question of sex. In this way both husband and wife can live together perpetually.
- Nonetheless, the wife is expected to give up all luxurious habits. She should not even dress nicely or comb her hair. Hair combing is one of the main businesses of women. In the vānaprastha stage the wife should not take care of her hair. Thus her hair will become tangled in knots. Consequently the wife will no longer be attractive to the husband, and she herself will no longer be agitated by sex impulses.
- In this way both husband and wife can advance in spiritual consciousness. This advanced stage is called the paramahaḿsa stage, and once it is obtained, both husband and wife can be actually liberated from bodily consciousness. If the disciple remains steady in the service of the spiritual master, he need no longer fear falling down into the clutches of māyā.
- He was a powerful king and great devotee.
- He was not attached when retiring from family life as we can see he divided his kingdom amongst his sons and then engaged in worship,executing austerities and following regulative principles in a solitary place(nirjana bhajan).SB 4.28.33
- Practiced austerities and became equipoised in dualities.Austerities prescribed in the sastras help one transcend the material body.Sense control can be achieved automatically by engaging in the Lord's service. SB 4.28.37
- He became fixed by following these principles for 36000 years.
- He attained the perfection of life: Not only did he come to the conclusion that Krsna is everything but he also remained fixed in that realization.
- She gave up all sensual enjoyment and in complete renunciation followed the principles of her husband, who was so advanced. Thus she remained engaged in his service.SB 4.28.43
- Srila Prabhupada says in this regard:"If a woman is fortunate enough to be the wife of a pure devotee, she can serve her husband without any desire for sense gratification. If she remains engaged in the service of her exalted husband, she will automatically attain the spiritual perfections of her husband."
- She remained austere, accepted only bare necessities of life, minimized her eating and sleeping and dressed in old garments.
- While serving her husband the Queen did not even talk to her husband while serving.he would simply perform her prescribed duties without talk.This is evident from text SB 4.28.45
- When she discovered her husband had left his body, she cried out of affection for him and she then prepared a blazing fire with firewood and placed the dead body of her husband upon it. When this was finished, she lamented severely and prepared herself to perish in the fire with her husband.SB 4.28.50
Activities of a Disciple in Separation from Spiritual Master
In SB 4.28 "Puranjana Becomes a Woman in the Next Life" -King Puranjana owing to excessive attachment to his wife and being engrossed in thoughts of worrying about her at the time of death, he is born as a woman in his next life. He takes birth as the daughter Vaidarbhi of King Vidarbha.
Vaidarbhi gets married to King Malayadhvaja and during vanaprastha follows her husband and serves him and performs austerities herself. Her relationship with her husband is compared with the relationship of the disciple with his Spiritual Master. The example and comparison teaches us at two levels:
Synopsis:
Making the order and mood of the spiritual master as one's life and soul is extremely important.
If one is successful in doing that one can imbibe the spiritual master's teachings and thus serve as an instrument in the mission of the spiritual master and Krishna.
If one fails to do that one will not be able to fulfill his duty as a disciple as enunciated below.
thus one should use one's life in training as per the guidance of the spiritual master and eventually fulfilling the spiritual masters preaching mission/desires in the process.
References from purports:
Vaidarbhi gets married to King Malayadhvaja and during vanaprastha follows her husband and serves him and performs austerities herself. Her relationship with her husband is compared with the relationship of the disciple with his Spiritual Master. The example and comparison teaches us at two levels:
- Vanaprastha duties for wife and husband
- Relationship of disciple with spiritual master
Synopsis:
Making the order and mood of the spiritual master as one's life and soul is extremely important.
If one is successful in doing that one can imbibe the spiritual master's teachings and thus serve as an instrument in the mission of the spiritual master and Krishna.
If one fails to do that one will not be able to fulfill his duty as a disciple as enunciated below.
thus one should use one's life in training as per the guidance of the spiritual master and eventually fulfilling the spiritual masters preaching mission/desires in the process.
References from purports:
- When one is trained by the spiritual master in devotional service, the disciple should allow the spiritual master to retire from active preaching work and engage in nirjana- bhajan. The disciple should take preaching activities in their own hands. SB 4.28.33
- The disciple and spiritual master are never separated because the spiritual master always keeps company with the disciple as long as the disciple follows strictly the instructions of the spiritual master. When the spiritual master is no longer present one should serve his instructions just like when he is present one serves his physical body. SB 4.28.47
- When an acarya disappears rogues and non-devotees take advantage and immediately introduce unauthorized principles. However the perfect disciples of the acarya try to relieve the situation by sincerely following the instructions of the spiritual master.SB 4.28.48
- A devoted disciple of the spiritual master would rather die with the spiritual master than fail to execute the spiritual master's mission.To execute the will of the spiritual master , the disciple should be prepared to lay down his life and abandon all personal considerations.SB 4.28.51
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Chaste wife: Srila Prabhupada's comments from the pastime of Arci
Refer synopsis and verses from Arci's dedication and devotion to Prthu Maharaj
- Follows the husband in every situation:Being the wives of great personalities like Pṛthu, Lord Rāmacandra and Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Arci,mother Sita and Gandhari were ideal chaste women. Such queens also instructed the general people by showing them how to become a chaste wife and follow the husband in every stage of life. When the husband is king, she sits beside him as the queen, and when he goes to the forest, she also follows, despite having to tolerate all kinds of difficulties in living in the forest.4.23.19
- Duty in householder life:The words bhartur vrata-dharma-niṣṭhayā indicate that a woman's duty, or religious principle, is to serve her husband in all conditions. In Vedic civilization a man is taught from the beginning of his life to become a brahmacārī, then an ideal gṛhastha, then vānaprastha, then sannyāsī, and the wife is taught just to follow the husband strictly in all conditions of life. After the period of brahmacarya, a man accepts a householder's life, and the woman is also taught by her parents to be a chaste wife. Thus when a girl and boy are united, both are trained for a life dedicated to a higher purpose. The boy is trained to execute his duty in accordance with the higher purpose of life, and the girl is trained to follow him. The chaste wife's duty is to keep her husband pleased in householder life in all respects, and when the husband retires from family life, she is to go to the forest and adopt the life of vānaprastha, or vana-vāsī. At that time the wife is to follow her husband and take care of him, just as she took care of him in householder life. But when the husband takes the renounced order of life, namely sannyāsa, the wife is to return home and become a saintly woman, setting an example for her children and daughters-in-law and showing them how to live a life of austerity.
- Simply follow in footsteps of husband who is a devotee:A woman does not need to attain high qualifications, but if she simply follows in the footsteps of her husband, who must be a devotee, then both husband and wife attain liberation and are promoted to the Vaikuṇṭhalokas. This is evinced by the inconceivable activities of Mahārāja Pṛthu and his wife.
Arci's dedication and devotion to Prthu Maharaj
Prthu Maharaj retired from family life and entered the forest and strictly followed the regulations of retired life.His wife Arci also followed her husband to the forest as a chaste wife.
Synopsis:
Reference texts:
Synopsis:
- She was a daughter of a king and was not accustomed to walking barefoot and living outside of the palace.
- She tolerated all difficulties of living in the wilderness and followed the regulative principles of living in the forest like great sages.
- Her body became very frail and thin by eating only fruits and leaves.
- She did not feel any difficulties because she derived pleasure in the honor of serving her great husband
- She lamented only for a little while, when her husband no longer displayed any symptoms of life( -dehino smin- sober person is not bewildered by such a change) .
- She prepared his funeral pyre following all regulations and herself entered its flames
- She thus served her husband just like the goddess of fortune serves Lord vishnu.
- By dint of her chastity and pious activities she followed her great husband to vaikuntha.
Reference texts:
SB 4.23.20: Although she was not accustomed to such difficulties, Queen Arci followed her husband in the regulative principles of living in the forest like great sages. She lay down on the ground and ate only fruits, flowers and leaves, and because she was not fit for these activities, she became frail and thin. Yet because of the pleasure she derived in serving her husband, she did not feel any difficulties.
SB 4.23.21: When Queen Arci saw that her husband, who had been so merciful to her and the earth, no longer showed symptoms of life, she lamented for a little while and then built a fiery pyre on top of a hill and placed the body of her husband on it.
SB 4.23.22: After this, the Queen executed the necessary funerary functions and offered oblations of water. After bathing in the river, she offered obeisances to various demigods situated in the sky in the different planetary systems. She then circumambulated the fire and, while thinking of the lotus feet of her husband, entered its flames.
SB 4.23.23: After observing this brave act performed by the chaste wife Arci, the wife of the great King Pṛthu, many thousands of the wives of the demigods, along with their husbands, offered prayers to the Queen, for they were very much satisfied.
SB 4.23.24: At that time the demigods were situated on the top of Mandara Hill, and all their wives began to shower flowers on the funeral pyre and began to talk amongst themselves as follows.
SB 4.23.25: The wives of the demigods said: All glories to Queen Arci! We can see that this queen of the great King Pṛthu, the emperor of all the kings of the world, has served her husband with mind, speech and body exactly as the goddess of fortune serves the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Yajñeśa, or Viṣṇu.
Wife is adorned with fine garments and ornaments
Synopsis:
Its a wife's responsibility to be an inspiration and keep the husband's intelligence in good order so that they can carry on duties of grhastha asrama together peacefully.
SP's purport:
A woman is generally accustomed to dress herself nicely with fine garments and decorative ornaments. She may even sometimes wear flowers in her hair. Women especially dress themselves up in the evening because the husband comes home in the evening after working hard all day. It is the duty of the wife to dress herself up very nicely so that when her husband returns home he becomes attracted by her dress and cleanliness and thus becomes satisfied. In other words, the wife is the inspiration of all good intelligence. Upon seeing one's wife dressed nicely, one can think very soberly about family business. When a person is too anxious about family affairs, he cannot discharge his family duties nicely. A wife is therefore supposed to be an inspiration and should keep the husband's intelligence in good order so that they can combinedly prosecute the affairs of family life without impediment.
Reference text:
SB 4.27.2: The Queen took her bath and dressed herself nicely with all auspicious garments and ornaments. After taking food and becoming completely satisfied, she returned to the King. Upon seeing her beautifully decorated attractive face, the King welcomed her with all devotion.
Its a wife's responsibility to be an inspiration and keep the husband's intelligence in good order so that they can carry on duties of grhastha asrama together peacefully.
SP's purport:
A woman is generally accustomed to dress herself nicely with fine garments and decorative ornaments. She may even sometimes wear flowers in her hair. Women especially dress themselves up in the evening because the husband comes home in the evening after working hard all day. It is the duty of the wife to dress herself up very nicely so that when her husband returns home he becomes attracted by her dress and cleanliness and thus becomes satisfied. In other words, the wife is the inspiration of all good intelligence. Upon seeing one's wife dressed nicely, one can think very soberly about family business. When a person is too anxious about family affairs, he cannot discharge his family duties nicely. A wife is therefore supposed to be an inspiration and should keep the husband's intelligence in good order so that they can combinedly prosecute the affairs of family life without impediment.
Reference text:
SB 4.27.2: The Queen took her bath and dressed herself nicely with all auspicious garments and ornaments. After taking food and becoming completely satisfied, she returned to the King. Upon seeing her beautifully decorated attractive face, the King welcomed her with all devotion.
Wife should not be neglected
King Puranjana neglected his wife and went for hunting. When he returned he found she was lying on the ground because she was neglected by her husband.
Srila Prabhupada writes in this regard:
"The wife of King Purañjana was lying on the ground because she was neglected by her husband. Actually the woman must always be protected by her husband. We always speak of the goddess of fortune as being placed on the chest of Nārāyaṇa. In other words, the wife must remain embraced by her husband. Thus she becomes beloved and well protected. Just as one saves his money and places it under his own personal protection, one should similarly protect his wife by his own personal supervision. Just as intelligence is always within the heart, so a beloved chaste wife should always have her place on the chest of a good husband. This is the proper relationship between husband and wife. A wife is therefore called ardhāńganī, or half of the body. One cannot remain with only one leg, one hand or only one side of the body. He must have two sides. Similarly, according to nature's way, husband and wife should live together. In the lower species of life, among birds and animals, it is seen that by nature's arrangement the husband and wife live together. It is similarly ideal in human life for the husband and wife to live together. The home should be a place for devotional service, and the wife should be chaste and accepted by a ritualistic ceremony. In this way one can become happy at home."
Reference verse and purport:
SB 4.26.17: All the women addressed the King: O master of the citizens, we do not know why your dear wife has taken on this sort of existence. O killer of enemies, kindly look! She is lying on the ground without bedding. We cannot understand why she is acting this way.
Srila Prabhupada writes in this regard:
"The wife of King Purañjana was lying on the ground because she was neglected by her husband. Actually the woman must always be protected by her husband. We always speak of the goddess of fortune as being placed on the chest of Nārāyaṇa. In other words, the wife must remain embraced by her husband. Thus she becomes beloved and well protected. Just as one saves his money and places it under his own personal protection, one should similarly protect his wife by his own personal supervision. Just as intelligence is always within the heart, so a beloved chaste wife should always have her place on the chest of a good husband. This is the proper relationship between husband and wife. A wife is therefore called ardhāńganī, or half of the body. One cannot remain with only one leg, one hand or only one side of the body. He must have two sides. Similarly, according to nature's way, husband and wife should live together. In the lower species of life, among birds and animals, it is seen that by nature's arrangement the husband and wife live together. It is similarly ideal in human life for the husband and wife to live together. The home should be a place for devotional service, and the wife should be chaste and accepted by a ritualistic ceremony. In this way one can become happy at home."
Reference verse and purport:
SB 4.26.17: All the women addressed the King: O master of the citizens, we do not know why your dear wife has taken on this sort of existence. O killer of enemies, kindly look! She is lying on the ground without bedding. We cannot understand why she is acting this way.
Good wife increases family's engagement in devotional service
Synopsis:
SB 4.26.15: King Purañjana said: I do not understand why my household paraphernalia does not attract me as before. I think that if there is neither a mother nor devoted wife at home, the home is like a chariot without wheels. Where is the fool who will sit down on such an unworkable chariot?
Purport:
Actually, a woman is supposed to be the energy of the man. Historically, in the background of every great man there is either a mother or a wife. One’s household life is very successful if he has both a good wife and mother. In such a case, everything about household affairs and all the paraphernalia in the house becomes very pleasing. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu had both a good mother and pleasing wife, and He was very happy at home. Nonetheless, for the benefit of the whole human race, He took sannyāsa and left both His mother and wife. In other words, it is essential that one have both a good mother and wife in order to become perfectly happy at home. Otherwise home life has no meaning. Unless one is religiously guided by intelligence and renders devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his home can never become very pleasing to a saintly person. In other words, if a man has a good mother or a good wife, there is no need of his taking sannyāsa — that is, unless it is absolutely necessary, as it was for Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
SB 4.26.16: Kindly let me know the whereabouts of that beautiful woman who always saves me when I am drowning in the ocean of danger. By giving me good intelligence at every step, she always saves me.
Purport
Herein we see that King Purañjana was searching after his good wife, who always helped him out of the dangerous situations that always occur in material existence. As already explained, a real wife is dharma-patnī. That is, a woman accepted in marriage by ritualistic ceremony is called dharma-patnī, which signifies that she is accepted in terms of religious principles. Children born of a dharma-patnī inherit the property of the father, but children born of a woman who is not properly married do not inherit the father’s property. The word dharma-patnī also refers to a chaste wife. A chaste wife is one who never had any connection with men before her marriage. Once a woman is given the freedom to mingle with all kinds of men in her youth, it is very difficult for her to keep chaste. When butter is brought into the proximity of fire, it melts. The woman is like fire, and man is like the butter. But if one gets a chaste wife, accepted through a religious marriage ritual, she can be of great help when one is threatened by the many dangerous situations of life. Actually such a wife can become the source of all good intelligence. With such a good wife, the family’s engagement in the devotional service of the Lord actually makes a home a gṛhastha-āśrama, or household dedicated to spiritual cultivation.
SB 4.27.6: Purport for Point 5 in synopsis.
If a man is in good consciousness, he consults with his religious wife, and as a result of this consultation, with intelligence, one advances in his ability to estimate the value of life. In other words, if one is fortunate enough to have a good, conscientious wife, he can decide by mutual consultation that human life is meant for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and not for begetting a large number of children. Children are calledpariṇāma, or by-products, and when one consults his good intelligence he can see that his by-products should be the expansion of his Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Also from purport to 4.26.15:
- Success in household life is measured by how well husband and wife are executing Krishna Consciousness.
- A good wife is one who can help her husband in executing Krishna Consciousness and save him from dangers offered by material existence.
- There is no difference between good intelligence and a good wife as both help a person on the path of devotional service.
- With such a good wife the family's engagement in devotional service of the Lord actually makes the home a grahastha-asrama or household dedicated spiritual cultivation.
- If one is fortunate to have a good wife, he can decide by mutual consultation that human life is meant for advancing in Krishna Consciousness and the children should also be expansion of their Krishna Consciousness.
SB 4.26.15: King Purañjana said: I do not understand why my household paraphernalia does not attract me as before. I think that if there is neither a mother nor devoted wife at home, the home is like a chariot without wheels. Where is the fool who will sit down on such an unworkable chariot?
Purport:
Actually, a woman is supposed to be the energy of the man. Historically, in the background of every great man there is either a mother or a wife. One’s household life is very successful if he has both a good wife and mother. In such a case, everything about household affairs and all the paraphernalia in the house becomes very pleasing. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu had both a good mother and pleasing wife, and He was very happy at home. Nonetheless, for the benefit of the whole human race, He took sannyāsa and left both His mother and wife. In other words, it is essential that one have both a good mother and wife in order to become perfectly happy at home. Otherwise home life has no meaning. Unless one is religiously guided by intelligence and renders devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his home can never become very pleasing to a saintly person. In other words, if a man has a good mother or a good wife, there is no need of his taking sannyāsa — that is, unless it is absolutely necessary, as it was for Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
SB 4.26.16: Kindly let me know the whereabouts of that beautiful woman who always saves me when I am drowning in the ocean of danger. By giving me good intelligence at every step, she always saves me.
Purport
Herein we see that King Purañjana was searching after his good wife, who always helped him out of the dangerous situations that always occur in material existence. As already explained, a real wife is dharma-patnī. That is, a woman accepted in marriage by ritualistic ceremony is called dharma-patnī, which signifies that she is accepted in terms of religious principles. Children born of a dharma-patnī inherit the property of the father, but children born of a woman who is not properly married do not inherit the father’s property. The word dharma-patnī also refers to a chaste wife. A chaste wife is one who never had any connection with men before her marriage. Once a woman is given the freedom to mingle with all kinds of men in her youth, it is very difficult for her to keep chaste. When butter is brought into the proximity of fire, it melts. The woman is like fire, and man is like the butter. But if one gets a chaste wife, accepted through a religious marriage ritual, she can be of great help when one is threatened by the many dangerous situations of life. Actually such a wife can become the source of all good intelligence. With such a good wife, the family’s engagement in the devotional service of the Lord actually makes a home a gṛhastha-āśrama, or household dedicated to spiritual cultivation.
SB 4.27.6: Purport for Point 5 in synopsis.
If a man is in good consciousness, he consults with his religious wife, and as a result of this consultation, with intelligence, one advances in his ability to estimate the value of life. In other words, if one is fortunate enough to have a good, conscientious wife, he can decide by mutual consultation that human life is meant for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and not for begetting a large number of children. Children are calledpariṇāma, or by-products, and when one consults his good intelligence he can see that his by-products should be the expansion of his Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Also from purport to 4.26.15:
The great politician Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said:
mātā yasya gṛhe nāsti
bhāryā cāpriya-vādinī
araṇyaṁ tena gantavyaṁ
yathāraṇyaṁ tathā gṛham
bhāryā cāpriya-vādinī
araṇyaṁ tena gantavyaṁ
yathāraṇyaṁ tathā gṛham
“If a person has neither a mother nor a pleasing wife at home, he should leave home and go to the forest, because for him there is no difference between the forest and home.” The real mātā, or mother, is devotional service to the Lord, and the real patnī, or devoted wife, is a wife who helps her husband execute religious principles in devotional service. These two things are required for a happy home.
Actually, a woman is supposed to be the energy of the man. Historically, in the background of every great man there is either a mother or a wife. One’s household life is very successful if he has both a good wife and mother. In such a case, everything about household affairs and all the paraphernalia in the house becomes very pleasing. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu had both a good mother and pleasing wife, and He was very happy at home. Nonetheless, for the benefit of the whole human race, He took sannyāsa and left both His mother and wife. In other words, it is essential that one have both a good mother and wife in order to become perfectly happy at home. Otherwise home life has no meaning. Unless one is religiously guided by intelligence and renders devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his home can never become very pleasing to a saintly person. In other words, if a man has a good mother or a good wife, there is no need of his taking sannyāsa — that is, unless it is absolutely necessary, as it was for Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Transcendental benefit of serving Vaishnavas
After getting blessings from Lord Vishnu, Prthu Maharaj instructed his citizens after performing another yagna. He instructed them on various aspects like following varnashrama duies,etc and also speficially talked about respecting and serving the brahamans and the vaishnavas.
The following verses spoken by him are wonderful in how they inspire one to serve the brahamana and the vaishnavas and also set the expectation that the Supreme Lord has from us.
Synopsis:
The following verses spoken by him are wonderful in how they inspire one to serve the brahamana and the vaishnavas and also set the expectation that the Supreme Lord has from us.
Synopsis:
- The Supreme Lord Himself engages in the service of brahamanas and vaishnavas
- The Lord is pleased if we engage in their service as He is dear to them and they are dear to Him.
- Be regular service one's heart becomes cleaned and one can get liberation from material attachment and still be very blissful and satisfied.
- One is relieved from sinful reactions
- One develops all good and desirable qualities.
- It is more superior that any fruitive activity.
- It is pleasing to the demigods who one tries to please by performing sacrifices
SB 4.21.39: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is everlastingly independent and who exists in everyone's heart, is very pleased with those who follow in His footsteps and engage without reservation in the service of the descendants of brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, for He is always dear to brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas and they are always dear to Him.
SB 4.21.40: By regular service to the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, one can clear the dirt from his heart and thus enjoy supreme peace and liberation from material attachment and be satisfied. In this world there is no fruitive activity superior to serving the brāhmaṇa class, for this can bring pleasure to the demigods, for whom the many sacrifices are recommended.
SB 4.21.41: Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Ananta, eats through the fire sacrifices offered in the names of the different demigods, He does not take as much pleasure in eating through fire as He does in accepting offerings through the mouths of learned sages and devotees, for then He does not leave the association of devotees.
SB 4.21.42: In brahminical culture a brāhmaṇa's transcendental position is eternally maintained because the injunctions of the Vedas are accepted with faith, austerity, scriptural conclusions, full sense and mind control, and meditation. In this way the real goal of life is illuminated, just as one's face is fully reflected in a clear mirror.
SB 4.21.43: O respectable personalities present here, I beg the blessings of all of you that I may perpetually carry on my crown the dust of the lotus feet of such brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas until the end of my life. He who can carry such dust on his head is very soon relieved of all the reactions which arise from sinful life, and eventually he develops all good and desirable qualities.
SB 4.21.44: Whoever acquires the brahminical qualifications — whose only wealth is good behavior, who is grateful and who takes shelter of experienced persons — gets all the opulence of the world. I therefore wish that the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His associates be pleased with the brāhmaṇa class, with the cows and with me.
Lord vishnu asks Prthu Maharaj to forgive Indra
Lord Indra disturbs Prthu Maharaj's 100th ashvamedha yagna as he doesnt want Prithu Maharaj to surpass him in being known as one who has performed 100 horse sacrifices.
However later he comes with Lord Vishnu to Prthu Maharaj to ask for forgiveness.
Lord Vishnu says the following powerful words asking Prthu Maharaj to forgive Indra.
Synopsis:
Whenever we feel offended we must realize that it arises from the bodily conception of life.For one who is advanced in spiritual life situated in the real ego, does not feel offended as He discovers that pleasure and pain as well as their interactions, which he attributed to his own self, are actually due to the false ego, which is a product of ignorance.
However later he comes with Lord Vishnu to Prthu Maharaj to ask for forgiveness.
Lord Vishnu says the following powerful words asking Prthu Maharaj to forgive Indra.
Synopsis:
Whenever we feel offended we must realize that it arises from the bodily conception of life.For one who is advanced in spiritual life situated in the real ego, does not feel offended as He discovers that pleasure and pain as well as their interactions, which he attributed to his own self, are actually due to the false ego, which is a product of ignorance.
Knowing that the Lord's position as the ultimate giver of sanction and the condition soul's position as always empowered by Maya, saintly persons do not take seriously the offenses of the materialists - Ref:Unveiling His Lotus feet SB 4.6.47
Reference verses:
SB 4.20.3: O King, one who is advanced in intelligence and eager to perform welfare activities for others is considered best amongst human beings. An advanced human being is never malicious to others. Those with advanced intelligence are always conscious that this material body is different from the soul.
SB 4.20.4: If a personality like you, who are so much advanced because of executing the instructions of the previous ācāryas, is carried away by the influence of My material energy, then all your advancement may be considered simply a waste of time.
SB 4.20.5: Those who are in full knowledge of the bodily conception of life, who know that this body is composed of nescience, desires and activities resulting from illusion, do not become addicted to the body.
4 kumaras advocate process of hearing
The 4 kumaras visit Prthu Maharaj and he asks them 2 questions:
He then states how the process of hearing helps increase attachment to the Lord and detachment from material life.
- How can those who are entangled in material existence, such as householders be blessed with good fortune?
- How can one make quick advancement in spiritual life?
He then states how the process of hearing helps increase attachment to the Lord and detachment from material life.
SB 4.22.25: The devotee should gradually increase the culture of devotional service by constant hearing of the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These pastimes are like ornamental decorations on the ears of devotees. By rendering devotional service and transcending the material qualities, one can easily be fixed in transcendence in the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
SB 4.22.26: Upon becoming fixed in his attachment to the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the grace of the spiritual master and by awakening knowledge and detachment, the living entity, situated within the heart of the body and covered by the five elements, burns up his material surroundings exactly as fire, arising from wood, burns the wood itself.
Prthu Maharaj requests benediction of one million ears
The Lord appears at the fire sacrifice arena and offers a benediction to Prithu Maharaj being extremely pleased with his qualities to which Prithu Maharaj says that he doesnt want liberation as he will not be able to hear the glories of the Lord and he says he only wants to hear the glories of the Lord from the mouths of pure devotees -that is the only benediction he desires.
SB 4.20.24: My dear Lord, I therefore do not wish to have the benediction of merging into Your existence, a benediction in which there is no existence of the nectarean beverage of Your lotus feet. I want the benediction of at least one million ears, for thus I may be able to hear about the glories of Your lotus feet from the mouths of Your pure devotees.
SB 4.20.25: My dear Lord, You are glorified by the selected verses uttered by great personalities. Such glorification of Your lotus feet is just like saffron particles. When the transcendental vibration from the mouths of great devotees carries the aroma of the saffron dust of Your lotus feet, the forgetful living entity gradually remembers his eternal relationship with You. Devotees thus gradually come to the right conclusion about the value of life. My dear Lord, I therefore do not need any other benediction but the opportunity to hear from the mouth of Your pure devotee.
SB 4.20.26: My dear highly glorified Lord, if one, in the association of pure devotees, hears even once the glories of Your activities, he does not, unless he is nothing but an animal, give up the association of devotees, for no intelligent person would be so careless as to leave their association. The perfection of chanting and hearing about Your glories was accepted even by the goddess of fortune, who desired to hear of Your unlimited activities and transcendental glories.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)