Verse: Srimad Bhagvatam 5.9.19-20
Date: May 7th, 2016
Place: ISKCON Ujjain, India
Transcription: Bh. Gauranga Bhattacharya
Edited: HG Anupama Madhavi Dasi and Bh. Priti Sarin
evameva khalu mahat-abhicārā ti-kramah kārtsnyenā atmane phalati
TRANSLATION
When an envious person commits an offense before a great personality, he is always punished in the way mentioned above.
[SB 5.9.20]
na vā etad viṣṇudatta mahad-adbhutaṁ yad asambhramaḥ sva-śiraś-chedana āpatite ’pi vimukta-dehādy-ātma-bhāva-sudṛḍha-hṛdaya-granthīnāṁ sarva-sattva-suhṛd-ātmanāṁ nirvairāṇāṁ sākṣād bhagavatānimiṣāri-varāyudhenāpramattena tais tair bhāvaiḥ parirakṣyamāṇānāṁ tat-pāda-mūlam akutaścid-bhayam upasṛtānāṁ bhāgavata-paramahaṁsānām.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī then said to Mahārāja Parīkṣit: O Viṣṇudatta, those who already know that the soul is separate from the body, who are liberated from the invincible knot in the heart, who are always engaged in welfare activities for all living entities and who never contemplate harming anyone are always protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who carries His disc [the Sudarśanacakra] and acts as supreme time to kill the demons and protect His devotees. The devotees always take shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord. Therefore, at all times, even if threatened by decapitation, they remain unagitated. For them, this is not at all wonderful.
PURPORT
These are some of the great qualities of a pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. First, a devotee is firmly convinced of his spiritual identity. He never identifies with the body; he is firmly convinced that the spirit soul is different from the body. Consequently, he fears nothing. Even though his life may be threatened, he is not at all afraid. He does not even treat an enemy like an enemy. Such are the qualifications of devotees. Devotees are always fully dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the Lord is always eager to give them all protection in all circumstances.
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fifth Canto, Ninth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “The Supreme Character of Jaḍa Bharata.”
KING BHARATA TAKES SANYAAS
In the last few chapters we were discussing about Jada Bharata, the episode of King Bharata actually. He was the ruler of the entire Earth planet and it is after him that this planet has been named as Bharatvarsha which was not just the land with some geographical boundary line. Previously, it was known as Ilavrita-varsha and then it was known as Bharatvarsha, after King Bharata. He was an illustrious king an exalted personality, and therefore the planet was named after him.
One day King Bharata left his kingdom to his eldest son and everything behind him and went to the forest not in his regular clothes but wearing the tree-bark. When Lord Ramachandra was going to the forest, he was also wearing tree barks and that’s how King Bharata went to the forest not taking any money with him, he did not take any chawal, dal, sabji with him. He walked all the way to the Gandaki river where Shaligram Shila appears high up in the Himalayas. He spent his time here constantly thinking, worshipping and serving the Lord.
ATTACHMENT OF KING BHARATA TO A BABY DEER
King Bharata in the forest became attached to a baby deer. Once a pregnant mother deer was on the bank close to the Gandaki river and heard a lion roaring she became afraid and jumped in the river to save herself and when she did that, she fell and had a miscarriage, while giving birth to this baby she died. The baby deer was just being carried by the strong current of the river. King Bharata who was on the bank of the river meditating upon the Lord, saw this new born baby deer being swept away by the strong current of the river. King Bharata rescued the baby deer. And in course of tending to the deer baby, King Bharata became so attached to this deer that he forgot his meditation, service and worship of the Lord.
All the time he kept on thinking and worrying about the deer, if he didn’t see it for long, he would worry if it had fallen prey to some big animal like a lion or a tiger. Seeing the deer returning safe he would be very relieved and delighted. King Bharata became so absorbed in the thoughts and his attachment to the deer that at the time of leaving his body, he thought of the deer and as one leaves his body whatever the thought is, that becomes his next destination. Because he thought of the deer, in his next life he was born as a deer. Although he had a deer body, he was a Jatismarg.
REBIRTH OF KING BHARATA AS BRAHMIN JADA BHARATA
He could remember his past life and he realized what a big mistake he had made, that inspite of taking sanayas, leaving his kingdom, family, wealth, everything, he eventually got attached to this deer and he could see how strong maya is. There is no way of knowing how can maya attack. Just a little access and maya can get you. So, King Bharata learnt his lesson and decided not to develop any attachment even though he was in a body of a deer. Soon after his birth he left his deer family and went to the Pulaha ashram on the bank of river Gandaki. He spent his time, next to the ashram of the sages and when they would do Krishna Katha he would just sit there and listen to them. He was so careful that he did not indulge in any comfort or luxury even as a deer. He would not take soft green grass or juicy leaves. He would just take the dry leaves that had fallen from the trees.
In his next life he was born as a pure devotee in a Brahmin family as Jada Bharata. This time he was extremely careful not to fall into the trap of maya again. From his childhood onwards he started to pretend as if he was deaf and dumb and devoid of any intelligence and behaved like a mad man. Why? Because if he allowed himself to act in a normal way, then his family members would be attached to him and he too would have been attached to them.
As Bhaktivinoda Thakur describes in Bengali:
ādarera chele, sva-janera kole, hāsiyā kāṭānu kāla
ādarera chele: A very fond child of the family; sva-janera kole: on the lap of the dear relatives; hāsiyā kāṭānu kāla: smilingly, joyfully I spent my time.
We spend our youth in this way. Children always receive affection from the members of the family. Therefore, King Bharata didn’t want to take any chance from his childhood. He acted in such a way that nobody would develop any affection for him. Only his father was very affectionate, which is very natural. His father tried to educate him and make him study Sanskrit and get diksha (brahman initiation) because that is the process of purification.
Janmanajaite sudra samskarat bhavati dvija
Janmanajaite sudra: By birth one is sudra; Samskarat bhavati dvija: but by the process of purification, he becomes a dvija, or twice born, the second birth takes place through the initiation.
DETACHMENT OF JADA BHARATA
It was necessary that the brahman boy although born in a brahman family, must be purified through the process of purification. But Jada Bharata did not respond to that also. When his father and mother died his step mother and step brothers started to mistreat him. They deprived him of proper meals, his family inheritance and they made him work from morning till night. Jada Bharata happily did that.
Sukhdev Goswami describes these characteristics to Parikshit Maharaj. Jada Bharata was not in his body consciousness. Whichever way his body was treated he was not affected.
One day he was asked to guard the field at night from the wild animals who would come and destroy the crops/ harvest. Nearby, some dacoits were planning to sacrifice a human being to Goddess Kali, but the person they had caught for the sacrifice had run away. At midnight the sacrifice had to be offered to Kali. Dacoits were searching for that person and they came across Jada Bharata. They caught him to offer him to Kali. Jada Bharata didn’t protest. His attitude was: maaro bhi raakho bhi jo ichaa tomaar- Whether you want to kill me Krishna or keep me it’s upto you. Jada Bharata was taken to Kali in the midst of the forest, away from everything. The dacoits started to offer him to Kali. Suddenly, Goddess Kali pierced through the murti, her murti broke and she came out and picked up the chopper from the hands of the dacoits and she slaughtered them the description was there in the previous verse on what Kali did. When hot blood was coming out from their body, she started to drink that blood as if she was drinking wine. Her associates, the witches and demons also started to drink the blood and becoming intoxicated by drinking blood, they started to sing and dance and play with the decapitated heads of those dacoits.
QUALITIES OF A PURE DEVOTEE
In this verse Sukadeva Goswami is telling, when an envious person commits an offence before a great personality, he always is punished in the way mentioned above. If someone commits an offence to a devotee of the Lord then he is punished in this way by Mother Kali or Mother Nature.
Sukadeva Goswami is concluding this chapter first by describing the qualities of a devotee and how the Lord protects his devotees. The first thing a devotee knows is that the soul is separate from the body. He knows the difference between the body and the soul and he knows that he is a spirit soul. Whereas in the material nature, what does everyone think? Do they think that they are the spirit soul? They think they are the bodies and have bodily consciousness. And this bodily consciousness makes them proud, arrogant and envious. All material attachments are like the knots in the heart meaning if you loosen them it seems that the heart is gone, I lost my heart! People are attached to their loved ones. When their loved ones die, they cry so piteously as if, their heart is coming out of their body. The feeling is how I can live, after he is gone. So, this is what material attachment does. When the parents attached to their children or husband attached to his wife or wife attached to the husband wherever this attachment is, it’s like knots, hridaya granthe -hridaya means heart and granthe means knot.
bhidyate hṛdaya-granthiś chidyante sarva-saṁśayāḥ
So, this is material existence. What happens when you are attached to the money? We don’t want to see the money going out. Sometimes it happens even when someone is dealing with other’s money. He doesn’t want to give the money because of the attachment to it. I often notice it happens. Especially in accounts department, they don’t want to make payments. Why? They get attached to money as a child is attached to his toys. A devotee is free from all these knots of the hearts because he does not have body consciousness. These attachments with material things are due to the body. The devotee is always engaged in welfare activities for all other living entities and never contemplates harming anyone but always wants to benefit everyone. So, these are some of the basic qualifications of a devotee. He is not in his bodily consciousness because he knows that he is a spirit soul and not this body. He is free from all attachments of the heart.
Sarva-bhuta-hite rata. That’s one of the qualifications of a devotee. In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna is telling Sarva-bhuta means all living entities and hite means benefit and rata means engaged. A devotee is always engaged in benefitting others and not harming anyone. And as a result of that he doesn’t see anyone as enemy. He is friendly to everyone. And that’s why he is not in bodily consciousness. He doesn’t want to protect his body. He doesn’t want to take care of it. When Jada Bharata was about to be killed, did he protest? Did Prahlada Maharaja protest when Hiranyakasipu was trying to kill him? No. That’s the attitude of a pure devotee. And from this we learn a lesson how we should react. If somebody comes to kill us, what should we do? If you are a real devotee simply depend on Krishna.
SRILA PRABHUPADA PROTECTED KOLKATA THROUGH SANKIRTANA
When Calcutta was about to be bombed in 1944 during the Second World War by Japan because Fort William in Calcutta was the base of British military power in India and Japanese wanted to cripple the Britishers. Everyone was leaving the city. Even one of Prabhupada’s God-brother who was staying with him prepared to go to Navadwip. He asked Prabhupada, “Aren’t you going?” Prabhupada said, “No.” “You aren’t going, what you will do then?” “I will go out in Harinam.” And Prabhupada said,“If I chant the Holy name of the Lord then either the Lord will protect me or even if I die chanting the Holy name I will achieve the ultimate goal. So either way, there is no loss.” Japan which was all set to bomb Calcutta, stopped all of a sudden. Why did they stop? Why didn’t they bomb Calcutta? We know it is because of Prabhupada’s going out in the city and doing Harinam Sankirtan, the city was saved. This is the attitude of a devotee and this is how the Lord reciprocates to a devotee’s dedication and surrender, Prabhupada was depending upon Krishna fully, and Krishna protected.
What do we learn? If there is a danger, what should we do? If the terrorists come with guns, what will we do? Take mridanga and kartal and do sankirtan and who knows even the terrorist would join us! We should not try to defend ourselves. I used to laugh when I saw some of our devotees were storing grains and some even bought farms far away from everything as they thought they would move out there as in the year 2000 there will be a disaster all over the world. I told them don’t store grains like this. If disaster happens, you will be the first target because people won’t have food to eat and they will have the weapons and as you will have the food, they will come to you first. The best thing is to depend upon Krishna. Can Krishna protect? That is the big test. To have faith in Him you have to read the scriptures. When you read the scriptures what do you get to know? We get to know how Krishna always protects His devotees who take shelter of Him at the time of difficulty.
What to speak about our scriptures, even in the Hebrew Scriptures Moses is taking the Jews from Egypt to Israel. What’s the distance from Egypt to Israel? Well over 1000 miles and on the middle of the way there is a big stretch of desert. So, how did they get the food in the desert? The Pharaoh’s army was behind them. So, where did they get the food? You know what the scriptures says, God provided menah for everyone to eat. Some of them were tired of just eating menah day after day. They wanted to have some meat and that morning they found hordes of birds they caught the birds and ate their flesh. And you know what happened after that? There was an epidemic of plague and those who ate meat they all died.
Therefore, the best thing to do is to just depend upon the Lord. He will take care. He supplied food in the middle of the desert to the Jews who were, naturally surrendered to Him. So, if we are surrendered unto Him won’t he take care of us? Yes, He will!! This faith we have to have.
Thank you very much
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Gaur Premannande Hari Hari bol
QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION
Giriraj Das: How do we develop the consciousness to see everyone as part of Krishna rather seeing only our relatives and friends as part of us? I have received the knowledge but struggling to apply practically in daily life.
HHBCS: Your friends and relatives are related to your body. Those who are related to your body. You got your body from your parents. Those who got their bodies from your parents they are your brothers and sisters. Then you get married. She becomes related to your body therefore you develop attachment to her. In this way all these material relationships are centered around the body. But if you want to develop your spiritual relationship then you have to develop those relationships with Krishna in the center. Those who are related to Krishna and if you are also related to Krishna then they become your relatives. That is how you develop your appreciation and attachment to the devotees.
Alka Radha Devi Dasi: If one remembers their children at the time of death, what would be the value of sravanam kirtanam through one’s lifetime?
HHBCS: Well, there are two ways we can look at it. One way to look at it, is because we have done sravanam kirtanam then Krishna will reward you. As you said, what would be the value of sravanam and kirtanam done through one’s life time? So, if you have done sravanam and kirtanam through your lifetime then Krishna will not forget that and Krishna will reward you. But on the other hand, while you are doing sravanam and kirtanam and you are still maintaining your attachment to your children then yes you run the risk of remembering them at the time of death. If you are doing sravanam and kirtanam and you are thinking that object of your sravanam and kirtanam are your children, then be careful. Rather, you consider that your children are Krishna’s property. Your children are not your children that is the difference between spiritual consciousness and material consciousness. Your children’s body maybe through you but are their souls from you? Where did their souls come from? So, who is their real proprietor? Their real proprietor is Krishna. Therefore, look at your children as Krishna’s property, not your property, not your children and this way you also try to make them devotees of Krishna by offering them to Krishna.
Question: If there is conflict then how to resolve it?
HHBCS: Here we have to remember that in this age Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, did not take up any weapon. Although in other ages he uses his weapons to kill the demons, in this age he did not. And why he did not? Because once you take the weapon, then there won’t be any end to it. Somebody slaps you; you punch him. Then he comes out with a dagger, you come out with a sword. Then he comes with a revolver, you come with a rifle. He comes with a machine gun, and you come with a canon. So, it keeps on increasing. Therefore, in this age Mahaprabhu did not take any weapon, because there will be no end to it. And this age is so treacherous age. First of all, the battles or fights are unfair. In other ages, even in warfare they used to follow certain laws/ rules. But, in this age there is no rule. Such is the treachery. Any way you can see how dangerous the situation is in this age. Therefore, Mahaprabhu showed the way. Like Nityanand Prabhu, actually showed the way through the pastimes. When Jagai and Madhai hit Nityanand Prabhu, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was ready to kill them. But Nityanand Prabhu reminded Him that please Lord, in this age you decided not take any weapon. In this age, you are going to conquer the demonic propensities of living entities through your love. So that is the weapon for this age. Prem. So with love, we will face the enemies with love. As Prabhupada writes in the purport too. A devotee does not treat an enemy as an enemy. So, you want to hit me, fine! You want to kill me, fine! Go ahead! And Nityanand Prabhu demonstrated that. There is a Bengali saying about Nityanand Prabhu’s attitude,
merechhish kolshir kana, tai bole ki prem debona
“You hit me with a broken pot of wine, but does that mean I will not give my love to you? Even though you hit me, still I will give my love to you.” So that is the attitude of a devotee in this age.
Question: Yesterday you told us that Gayatri is a mantra and Hare Krishna is Mahamantra, it is the Supreme mantra- Hare Krishna Mahamantra. Is taking second initiation mandatory or compulsory or absolutely necessary?
HHBCS: So, this point came up yesterday, to mention that Jada Bharata did not take initiation, in that way. So, was he a pure devotee? But of course, his case is different. One must have a spiritual master. That is happening through Hare Krishna Mahamantra. The first initiation that you are taking is Hare Krishna Mahamantra. When you have million dollars in your pocket, do you care for one thousand dollars. No. Because it already includes it. But still why did Srila Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktisidhhanta Saraswati Thakur introduce this Gayatri mantra, the second initiation. Because the Deity worship takes place through Vedic bhakti, Shastravidhi and the scriptural injunction is that to worship the deity one has to be a brahman. Therefore, those who are involved in Deity worship should take second initiation. Second initiation, I noticed, in ISKCON has become a status symbol. Oh, unless I get a second initiation, people will not really respect me. Oh, you are only first initiated. But it shouldn’t be like that. Only those who are involved in deity worship should get second initiation. There is no need otherwise to get second initiation. So, the answer is, it is not mandatory. Once you have got the Hare Krishna mantra, you got everything, you got the highest.
Question: Bharata Maharaja left his body thinking about the deer. Now how as a deer he could remember Krishna?
HHBCS: Although he was in a deer’s body, he was a Jatismar i.e. he could remember his previous life. We can see that throughout his life as a deer he remembered Krishna. He was Krishna conscious. Therefore, naturally at the time of death he left his body that way.
Question: We have implicit faith in Krishna’s protection. But when a disease comes then how should we behave? [Other part is unclear]
HHBCS: It will be depended upon the degree of one’s surrender and advancement. A very advanced devotee will not actually try to take other means of shelter or protection. For example, Prabhupada, he did not want to take any treatment. Devotees become sick and they run to the doctor. Fine, if that is the degree of his faith, let him do that. Let him have a healthy body to cultivate his Krishna Consciousness and become a pure devotee. That is the goal. Like in spiritual life also we are sometimes like a child. Child behaves in one way, grown up behaves in another way. If we are children in our spiritual life, then let’s behave like children, but we must grow up. When one grows up, that will be the attitude. I do not want to depend on anyone but Krishna. We should have the attitude. I do not want to depend upon anyone but Krishna. Prabhupada told me if I become sick, if I become unconscious then don’t let them take me to the hospital. And I was ready. If anybody wanted to take Prabhupada to the hospital then I had my danda in my hand. Prabhupada did not want any needle to pierce his body. No needle should pierce his body. So that is the attitude of a pure devotee.
Thank you everybody!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!