Verse: Srimad Bhagvatam 8.8.38
Date: October 5th, 2017
Place: ISKCON Juhu, India
Transcription: Bhakta Dhruva
Edited: HG Shyamsundar Krishna Das, Bh. Priti Sarin
mithaḥ kalir abhūt teṣāṁ
tad-arthe tarṣa-cetasām
ahaṁ pūrvam ahaṁ pūrvaṁ
na tvaṁ na tvam iti prabho
TRANSLATION
O King, a quarrel then arose among the demons over who would get the nectar first. Each of them said, “You cannot drink it first. I must drink it first. Me first, not you!”
PURPORT
This is the symptom of demons. The first concern of a non-devotee is how to enjoy his personal sense gratification at once, whereas the devotee’s first concern is to satisfy the Lord. This is the distinction between the non-devotee and the devotee. In this material world, since most people are non-devotees, they regularly compete, fight, disagree and war among themselves, for everyone wants to enjoy and satisfy his own senses. Therefore, unless such demons become Krishna conscious and are trained to satisfy the senses of the Lord, there can be no question of peace in human society or any society, even that of the demigods. The demigods and devotees, however, always surrender to the lotus feet of the Lord, and thus the Lord is always anxious to satisfy their ambitions. While the demons fight to satisfy their own senses, devotees engage in devotional service to satisfy the senses of the Lord. The members of the Krishna consciousness movement must be alert in regard to this point, and then their preaching of the Krishna consciousness movement will be successful.
CHURNING THE MILK OCEAN - REVEALING QUALITIES OF DEMONS AND DEMIGODS
Here is the brief history of this past time- Lakshmi Devi left demigods due to Durvasa’s curse and when Lakshmi Devi disappears, then there is no prosperity, no opulence, everything becomes very distressful and ominous. The demigods wondered what to do. They approached the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who suggested that they churn the milk ocean. But the problem was, “How to churn the milk ocean and get the nectar?” Krishna advised, “Join hands with the demons and accomplish the mission jointly.”
Indra approached the king of the demons, Bali Maharaj. After consulting amongst themselves, demons agreed to get into this unusual joint venture with the demigods. However, the demons had a hidden agenda of enjoying the milk nectar, by taking it away from the demigods after the ocean churning. This is one of the first symptoms of the demons- they always have a hidden agenda. They agree to do something but they always have a hidden agenda for their sense gratification.
They jointly decide to churn the milk ocean but churning the milk ocean was not an easy job. Churning means you need a churning rod and a rope to make it go back and forth and twirl. This mission could be accomplished only with a very special arrangement of making Mandar Mountain the churning rod, Nagaraj Vasuki, the king of the snakes to be made into a churning rope. The demons and the demigods collectively tried to carry the Mandar Mountain. They uprooted the heavy Mandar Mountain, though they were carrying it together, they could not hold onto the mountain and dropped it. Many of them died. Seeing the situation, the Lord came to their rescue. Riding on his Garuda with his left hand He picked up the Mandar Mountain and placed it on Garuda and carried it to the milk ocean.
The demigods and the demons were extremely powerful but they collectively still couldn’t do it. Garuda carried the mountain on his back, not only the mountain but the Lord as well! This is the potency of the devotees of the Lord. They are empowered by the potency of the Lord, so that they can perform some inconceivable acts. Mandar Mountain was placed to churn the milk ocean but the Mandar Mountain started to sink because the milk ocean was very deep. Lord again came to the rescue by assuming the form of a tortoise and placing the mountain on his back. This is how the demigods and the demons began the churning of the milk ocean.
When they began churning, the first thing that came out was Halahal, the deadliest poison that could destroy the world. Lord Vishnu told Lord Shiva (Mahesh), “You do something about it.” Lord Shiva took the deadly poison and drank it. This is another symptom of a devotee- No matter how dangerous the act may be, whenever the Lord wants him to do something, the devotee just does it. Lord Shiva drank the entire poison, which remained in his neck. Due to the effect of poison, His neck became blue, therefore He is also known as Neela Kantha, one whose neck is blue.
Then one after the other things started coming up from the milk ocean due to the churning. Airavata came, Uccaiḥśravā came and Indra took them. Some things were taken by the demons, some things were taken by the demigods and finally Lakshmi Devi came. She approached Vishnu and finally Dhanvantari came with the nectar and the demons took it away. The demigods become morose. What to do now? Another wonderful lesson that we see here is what does a devotee do when he is in distress? He takes the shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord assures them, “Don’t worry, I will take care of you”. Lord said, “Do not grieve or worry. My own energy will bewilder the demons by creating a quarrel amongst them.” The Lord bewilders the demons by His illusory energy.
Demons quarrel amongst themselves and destroy each other. What was the cause of their fight? It was, who will be the first one to drink the nectar. This is another symptom of the demons. They want to enjoy themselves depriving everybody else. Natvam natvam, not you, not you, aham purvam aham purvam, I will be the first one to drink, in this way they started to fight. Then the Lord came in His illusory form of Mohini Murti, an extremely beautiful woman.
SURRENDERING TO THE ALL-ATTRACTIVE KRISHNA
When Krishna becomes a woman, no one can imagine how beautiful He can be. In this respect, Rupa Goswami narrates an incident from the drama, Lalita Madhava. When Rani Satyabhama was brought to Dwaraka palace, Krishna desires to see her. In the vedic culture women have the inner region of the palace and the male member don’t enter the inner region of the palace during the day time. As it was the day time, He couldn’t go in. Krishna then assumed a female form to go in. Uddhava seeing him in the female form feels attracted but he starts to wonder, I am not attracted to any woman. How am I attracted to this woman? I am not attracted towards anyone, other than Krishna, so how come I am feeling attraction to this woman? Then he considers if this is the form that bewildered Lord Shiva. This is how a devotee like Uddhava, who has no attraction for any female form ever, becomes attracted to the female form of Krishna.
Mohini Murti is the worshipable form of Maya Devi. In the final region of the universe, the region of Maya Devi, Durga Devi, Mahamaya, the Lord is worshipped as Mohini Murti. So, this is how the demons were bewildered. They forgot about the nectar. This is another symptom of the demons; their sex impulse is so strong that they forget everything else. They just got enchanted by the form and when the lady said, “Give me the pot of the nectar.”, the demons said, “Please take it.” Mohini Murti said, “Don’t worry, I will distribute it. You all sit in a queue.” Demigods sat on one side and the demons sat on the other side. Then the Lord started to distribute nectar to the demigods.
Demons were so bewildered by His beautiful form that they even forgot the purpose of the nectar. Only one demon, Rahu could see what was going on. He came and sat in the line of the demigods and got the nectar and as he was about to drink it, Surya and Chandra reported to the Lord about Rahu being a demon. Lord threw his Sudarshan and cut off his head. Although the nectar didn’t go below his neck still Rahu became immortal. Since Surya and Chandra complained, Rahu developed eternal animosity with the demigods. He swallows them resulting in solar and lunar eclipse. As he doesn’t have the body, when Rahu swallows Surya and Chandra, they again come out. We must learn from all these episodes that in all the past times of the Supreme Personality of the Godhead, the scriptures make one point time and again, surrender to the Lord and you will be successful. No matter how difficult it is, surrender to the Lord and the Lord will come to your rescue.
On the other hand, we get to see no matter how powerful, capable, famous, influential the demons were, eventually they didn’t succeed. All the demons were very powerful personalities but ultimately, they did not succeed, they failed.
This presents a very wonderful option in front of us, what should we be? Should we become a devotee or should we become a demon. “Ntiyam Bhagavata sevaya”. By studying Srimad Bhagvatam this is the lesson we are reminded of time and again, surrender to Krishna and never go against Krishna’s arrangements.
This is what distinguishes demons from demigods. Demigods are those who surrender to Krishna. Vishnu bhaktas are devas. Tad aviparjaya asura - the demons are opposite to that. The devas, the divine personality are those who surrender to the Supreme Personality of the Godhead and the demons are those who don’t want to accept the Supreme Personality of the Godhead’s arrangements. It is due to Krishna’s arrangement that the demigods are given the responsibility to take care of different universal affairs and as a result they get some facilities but the demon’s consideration is that we are from the same families, we are the cousins, then why demigods are getting so much benefits and others are not. They get heaven and we have the lower planetary system.
Swarga Loka has been assigned to the demigods and for demons it is Sutala Loka, Atal Loka, Patal Loka, why? Demons are fighting on this issue. But they don’t recognize that this is the arrangement of the Lord because of their attitude. When one surrenders to Krishna, Krishna gives him all facilities and when we don’t surrender to Krishna, then Krishna says, “Ok suffer or enjoy your karmic reactions.” But the karmic reaction will automatically lead you to intense suffering condition.
The lesson to learn is mām ekaṁśaraṇaṁ vraja, never ever become averse to Krishna."Krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare" |"nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare" When one becomes averse to Krishna then the maya grabs him, imprisons him and subjects him to all kinds of punishments.
SPIRITUAL LIFE: AN ETERNALLY JOYFUL EXPERIENCE
The devotees, which ever situations they may be in, they enjoy. Apparently, it may seem, “Oh devotees are suffering!”, but the devotees are never suffering. The real devotees never suffer. It seemed Pandavas were suffering when they went to the forest but they were enjoying in the forest as they were having the association of the saintly personalities. They were warriors and they loved the many opportunities that came, to fight and kill the many demons in the forest. This is how the Pandavas enjoyed.
Sometimes devotee’s parents, even rich devotee’s parents, when they visit, they are surprised to see how their son or daughter are living in the temple. In one room, four or five devotees are adjusting and there are two toilets for twenty or thirty devotees. They are shocked to see the situation. They want to take their son or daughter back home, but nobody wants to go. Although at home they have luxurious arrangements they don’t want to go home. That shows where they are enjoying. Spiritual life is full of enjoyments irrespective of wherever we are.
Thank you very much.
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. Gaur Premananda…Hari Hari Bol!
QUESTION/ ANSWER
Revati Raman Pr: Can you explain about Indra, being a devotee commits so many offenses again and again and mistakes again and again and is pardoned by the Lord?
BCS: Indra, despite being a devotee, why is he committing so many mistakes, so many wrong doings? Indra is a devotee but Indra is not a pure devotee. Indra is a karma mishra bhakta, that means he is a devotee but he wants to enjoy. That’s why he is not promoted to Vaikuntha; he is in the heavenly planets. Ok you want material enjoyment, have material enjoyment. In this respect one example can be given - the demigods are like the employees and the pure devotees are like the children of the father. The father is a big man and his employees are having a wonderful life, high salaries, lots of perks, lots of facilities but after all they are employees however the son of the same person - he enjoys in a unique way. This is the difference between the demigods and the devotees.
Devotee: Samudra manthan happened after Bali Maharaj gave land to Vaman Deva or before?
BCS: I am stuck here I don’t remember. Does anybody remember?
Another devotee: After samudra manthan, when Mohini Murti came and gave the nectar to demigods, she disappears. That’s why sangram happens and Bali was defeated.
BCS: No No. Actually, Bali took over Indra’s kingdom. And Indra was driven out along with demigods. Then Aditi performed Payo-vrata and then Vaman Deva came. Bali Maharaj Vaman Deva came afterwards.
Sita Thakurani devi dasi: When we are not averse to Krishna, we feel maya is still attacking us repeatedly, we are attached to Krishna but maya’s attacks comes again and again. So, what should we do?
BCS: Surrender even more. You see if Maya is attacking then it is due to our own lacking in our devotion. We must recognize that if we are becoming subjected to Maya’s onslaught, it is our fault because we did not submit to the Lord enough. We are not fully surrendered therefore Lord’s illusory energy is bewildering us. But when you have fully surrendered then Maya comes to test our devotion. However, by the mercy of the Lord, the devotee always passes all the tests and moves forward. Therefore, when Maya comes then we must say that Krishna is testing us, Maya is testing us and we should evaluate how serious we have become in our devotion.
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. Gaur Premanande! Hari Hari Bol!