OFFEND GURU, AND LOSE THE HOLY NAME Bhagavat Saptāha Mathura, India: 1994 [Part 2]
Oṁ viṣṇupāda paramahaṁsa parivrājakācārya aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam reveals an account of the demigods and demons. When the demons offended their gurudeva, the demigods were able to defeat the demons and rule the Earth. Later, when the demigods neglected their guru, the demons defeated them, taking all their power. When the demigods were defeated, they understood the glory of their guru and superiors. When the Supreme Lord sent Bali Mahārāja (the king of the demons) to Sutala, Lord Indra (the king of the demigods) attacked and defeated him. This was possible because Bali Mahārāja had offended his guru, Śukrācārya. Seeing their chance the demigods attacked the demons and thoroughly beat them up. Seizing the power, the demigods ruled the three worlds. Now Indra had all the opulence. He became the king of heaven and, enjoying his position and his great luxury, he was passing his life.
Why is Indra fighting?
Why are the demons fighting?
Why are we speaking about those who are not following anything in their lives, but are speaking Bhāgavatam and giving others instruction but not following themselves?
They keep envy in their hearts and so many other things.
Why are these things going on?
Only for viṣayā, only for things which belong to this material world, nothing for bhakti, nothing for a higher purpose, only for a lower purpose. Even though one becomes like Indra, what to speak of a person who knows a few Ślokas—Indra knows everything.
Still, why is he fighting?
He is fighting for very insignificant things which have no value in spiritual life at all. We must be careful not to fight for all these kinds of things. Our sole purpose should be only bhakti
Is there anyone in this world who, by getting some small amount of wealth, will not lose their intelligence and be attacked by pride?
Prabhūta pāya tāra matta nāi.
Is there anyone who will not become maddened upon acquiring some wealth?
Only persons like Haridāsa Ṭhākura and Prahlāda Mahārāja will not go mad.
If someone becomes Maṭha commander or president of the country, what happens to him?
He thinks he is so important. If someone learns a few Ślokas, he will think:
“Who is more learned than me?”
If someone has a little beauty, he thinks he is really something wonderful. In this way, if someone has some small distinction, pride comes in the heart.
Who in the world will not be subject to pride?
If you have a little intelligence in any subject, you will become very proud.
So, Indra felt very proud to have taken over all the three worlds. Pavan and the other demigods were coming and serving him now that he was king of heaven. One day he was meeting in a large assembly. Big, big ṛṣis and mahāṛṣis were reciting stava-stutis, and people were coming and giving him many big, thick garlands. At that time Bṛhaspati came in the assembly. Indra saw him approaching but did not acknowledge his arrival. Indra thought to himself,
“Why has he come here now?
It would have been better if he had not come.”
Thinking like this, he did not stand up to respect his Guru. Bṛhaspati understood that his disciple’s heart was overcome with pride, because he was thinking that he had achieved this position by his own endeavour. Seeing that Indra was covered with false ego, Bṛhaspati left the assembly. Indra realised his mistake:
“Alas, alas.
What have I done?
I have disrespected my Gurudeva. This is an offense.”
He lamented:
“It was very difficult to defeat the demons. It is by his power that I became king, and thanks to him I am now enjoying all the comforts of heaven. My Guru just came and I have disrespected him.”
At least Indra was able to recognise his bad behaviour right away, but devotees nowadays never even think that they may have done something wrong. Instead, they think that they have acted properly:
“He deserved my treatment.”
This is our nature nowadays.
Now Indra, lamenting, wanted to ask for forgiveness. He walked to Bṛhaspati’s home. Seeing him coming, Bṛhaspati disappeared, and Indra was not able to beg forgiveness. Śukrācārya, the guru of the demons, saw this incident taking place in a vision. He told the demons:
“Immediately attack them. This is a good chance.”
The demons killed all the demigods effortlessly, just as a farmer goes to his field and easily pulls out carrots and radishes. All the demigods, who had been relishing nectar, started running—someone’s arm was broken, another’s leg was broken, someone else’s nose was broken. Indra also ran and hid in Māna-sarovara. So in this way, he lost his kingdom. Then with the demigods he went to Brahma.
Brahmājī said:
“You have committed a big offense. Now I advise you to go to Tvaṣṭā Ṛṣi’s son Viśvarūpa. They are demigods, but Tvaṣṭā Ṛṣi’s wife, is a demon, who happens to be very beautiful.”
Indra asked Brahma:
“Viśvarūpa’s father is a demigod and his mother is a demon, so how can I trust him?”
Brahma replied:
“Do not worry about that. He is very qualified to perform yajña. Go to him and offer your praṇāma. Engage him in your yajña and follow his instruction.”
Indra and the demigods went to Viśvarūpa and asked him to become their priest and perform their yajña. Viśvarūpa told them:
“The brāhmaṇa who becomes a prohit (priest) takes all the sins of the world, and thus he is completely destroyed. Therefore I do not act as a prohit. I maintain myself by collecting the grains which the farmers leave behind after cutting the crops. I cook them and offer them to Bhagavān and then I accept it. I don’t stretch my hand to anybody or I don’t do any bikṣa and I don’t work as a priest because this is very sinful. I rather do something else. By doing this yajña, what little remembrance I have of Bhagavān will be lost.”
Indra pressured him:
“We came to you upon Brahma’s instruction and we are your seniors. It is not proper to ignore your elders. You belong to our dynasty and you are like our child. So you must follow my orders.”
Not seeing any way out, Viśvarūpa prepared for the yajña. As the yajña was progressing, Indra was getting so much power that he was defeating the demons, but at the same time his offense to Bṛhaspati was not completely annulled. As Viśvarūpa was offering oblations to the demigods, he was chanting their names very loudly:
“Indrāya svāhā, Varuṇāya svāhā.”
But because his mother was a demon, he also felt obliged to offer oblations to her dynasty. So very softly he was chanting “svāhā” for the demons. Though the demigods were getting a lot of power, the demons were also gaining strength. Therefore the demigods were not able to completely defeat the demons.
Indra wondered why he was not able to crush the demons. So he went to the sacrificial arena and carefully listened to the reciting of the oblations. He heard Viśvarūpa offering loudly to the demigods and in an undertone also offering to his mother’s dynasty. Viśvarūpa had three heads. With one he used to drink surā (liquor), with another he took soma-rasa (heavenly nectar), and with the third he ate grains. He was reciting the mantras with all three heads. He was so powerful that whatever mantra he would recite would come true. Indra immediately took his sword, cut off his three heads and then ran off to Brahma.
When Tvaṣṭā Ṛṣi came to know that Indra had killed his son, he performed a yajña to get a son who could destroy Indra. He gave his oblations. In a yajña it is necessary to pronounce the vowels properly when chanting the mantras. Tvaṣṭā Ṛṣi meant to say: indra-śatro (with a short a) vivardhasva (Indra’s enemy), but instead he recited Indra-saatru (with a long a). This changed the meaning to:
“Indra’s enemy will be killed by Indra.”
At that time an enormous Rākṣasa appeared from the fire. Vṛtrāsura was so huge that it seemed he would swallow the sky and the earth. When the demigods saw this demon, they became fearful and ran away. He defeated the demigods and forced them to abandon Svarga.
The demigods rallied and worshiped Lord Nārāyaṇa with many prayers. The Lord was pleased with their prayers and appeared before them. He told Indra to go to Dadhīci Ṛṣi.
“His body is stronger than a thunderbolt from performing yajña and bhajana.”
The demigods went to him and told him:
“We are your elders and we have come to ask you something.”
He laughed:
“I know why you have come. You are so selfish and fallen that for protecting yourselves you don’t care for the value of the life of others.”
Somehow the demigods pleased him and he agreed to help them. He covered his body with yogurt and sugar, a cow started licking his body until all the flesh and everything was licked away; only the bones were left. These became a thunderbolt. Now the demigods fought with this thunderbolt. Being threatened by this invincible weapon, Vṛtrāsura offered his prayers, which are among the jewels of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.
Many of us think that Citraketu Mahārāja had committed some offence and that is why he became a demon. This is not so. Citraketu Mahārāja is a completely liberated soul and is the disciple of Saṅkarṣaṇa. He performed his pastime as Vṛtrāsura to teach the world. The story goes like this. Śaṅkara was his friend and god-brother. This liberated mahā-puruṣa once came to Kailāśa. At that time Śaṅkarajī was speaking Hari kathā. The beautiful Pārvatī was sitting on his lap and Lord Śiva had his arm around her neck. He was wearing a dor-kaupīn of snakes. He also ornaments himself with snakes.
Why does he do this?
Because Saṅkarṣaṇa (Ananta Śeṣa-Nāga, the Lord’s bed of snakes) is his ārādhya deva. Therefore Śaṅkarajī keeps snakes on his head. For him wearing these ornaments is like worshiping and remembering Saṅkarṣaṇa. He wraps snakes around his arms like bangles, and drapes them around his neck, keeping their mouths near his ears so that he is always hearing Ananta Deva’s endless glorification of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. And if Sankaraji does anything wrong, then the snakes can bite him.
Citraketu Mahārāja came, and seeing his friend Śaṅkarajī like this, he laughed:
“Why are you sitting with Pārvatī on your lap while speaking Hari kathā?
Why are you doing this?
Does anybody act like this?
In front of this assembly of so many ṛṣis and munis you are making your wife look like a sense enjoyer. This is not proper.”
Saying this, Citraketu Mahārāja laughed. Sankaraji also smiled but Pārvatī was perturbed. Unable to tolerate Citraketu’s words she cursed him:
“You should become a demon.
Are you trying to be the guru of Lord Śiva?
Brahma and so many other demigods accept his authority and now you are giving him instructions?
By this you are insulting him.”
Śaṅkarajī did not feel affronted, but Pārvatī took Citraketu Mahārāja’s words as an insult. As Citraketu Mahārāja was his friend, Śivajī understood why he had spoken in that way. To show that one should not insult a Vaiṣṇava, Pārvatī cursed her husband’s friend. Citraketu Mahārāja was highly qualified and powerful enough that he could have counteracted her curse, if he had wanted. But to keep the word of Lord Śiva’s dearmost beloved Pārvatī Devī, he accepted her curse without any complaint. Sankaraji then said to her:
“O Pārvatī, what have you done?
You don’t know that mahā-puruṣas like Citraketu Mahārāja may stay in hell or in heaven, they may become a demigod or a demon, they may accept any kind of form! For them it does not make any difference, because wherever they stay, they always perform harināma saṅkīrtana and bhakti for the lotus feet of Śrī Hari. But by your giving this curse, now I can understand what your mentality is.”
When Pārvatī Devī cursed Citraketu Mahārāja he became a demon but only briefly—just to respect the word of Pārvatī Devī. There is a similar example involving Hanumān. He kept the words of Brahmājī, who had given a weapon to Rāvaṇa. Brahmājī assured that this weapon, once released, would not go in vain.
When Meganātha shot that weapon, what happened?
It grazed Hanumān’s chin and left just a little mark. A mahā-bhagavat like Citraketu Mahārāja and a premī bhakta like Hanumān are not bound by anything, but they respect the words of higher authorities to set an example for the general people.
So, then Vṛtrāsura and Indra began their battle. At that time Vṛtrāsura started offering pure stava-stuti to Bhagavān. Up to now the Bhāgavatam does not mention such a high-class devotee who can speak such prayers and hymns. Before this you have heard about Dhruvajī’s character and others but their prayers are not like Citraketu Mahārāja’s. He is saying;
“O Indra, why are you not killing me?
I want to quickly remove Sati’s curse so I can again perform my bhajana as Citraketu Mahārāja. With this body of ignorance I cannot perform any bhajana.”
Despite his demoniac body, by the prayers he is offering we can understand what high-class consciousness he has.
During the battle Indra threw a great club. It flew through the air and Vṛtrāsura easily caught it. Using that club he struck Indra’s elephant Airāvata on the head with so much force that it threw him 14 yards away. Indra was left stunned. He did not get up and attack Vṛtrāsura straight away, so Vṛtrāsura taunted him:
“O foolish person, O Indra, why are you not coming to kill me?
Come on, come on. Quickly come and kill me.”
When Vṛtrāsura realised that Indra was not responding, the fearsome demon started praying to Śrī Hari. Those prayers which he uttered—only four Ślokas—give the complete essence and the real sentiments of a pure Vaiṣṇava, demonstrating how one’s consciousness must be.
He prayed to the lotus feet of devotees and to the lotus feet of Lord Hari:
ahaṁ hare tava pādaika-mūla-
dāsānudāso bhavitāsmi bhūyaḥ
manaḥ smaretāsu-pater guṇāṁs te
gṛṇīta vāk karma karotu kāyah
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.11.24)
I can take birth anywhere and in any species. It doesn’t bother me where I take my birth. For that I am not praying. The baddha jīva has only three things which can be used in Your sevā—tan (body), mana (mind), vacana (intelligence).
Ahaṁ hare tava pādaika-mūla-
dāsānudāso bhavitāsmi bhūyaḥ
I don’t want anything; I don’t even want to become Your servant. I only want to be the servant of the servant of the servant of those devotees who have taken shelter of Your lotus feet—forever. If I stay with them, my tongue, my body, my senses, everything will be automatically engaged in Your service. My tongue will always be glorifying Your Rūpa, Guṇa and Līlās. My senses will always be engaged in the service of Your devotees and Yourself. This is my prayer: I can take birth anywhere and everywhere but I should always become the servant of the servant of the servant of Your devotees. Only by taking shelter of such persons can I become pleasing to You. There is no other way.”
This was the first verse spoken by Vṛtrāsura.
na nāka-pṛṣṭhaṁ na ca pārameṣṭhyaṁ
na sārva-bhaumaṁ na rasādhipatyam
na yoga-siddhīr apunar-bhavaṁ vā
samañjasa tvā virahayya kāṅkṣe
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.11.25)
In the second verse Vṛtrāsura is saying:
“I don’t want Svarga-loka or Brahma-loka. I don’t want the kingdom of Rasātala (the lower planets), where persons like Balī Mahārāja are king. I don’t want liberation from the cycle of birth and death. I don’t care whether I take birth or I die, but wherever I go I want the association of Your pure devotees. I don’t want any kind of yogic perfections. I don’t even want mukti and other such things that do not offer Your sevā. I only want Your sevā.”
Bhagavān is telling him:
“Take mukti. You can become emperor of the world, and at the same time you can do bhakti also.
What is the problem in doing bhakti while having all these opulences—like Dhruva Mahārāja and others?”
Vṛtrāsura replied:
“No, no, Prabhu, I don’t want this. You can say that this is possible, but for me it is not possible.”
Vṛtrāsura ends with the words:
Virahayya kāṅkṣe
“I always want to relish this mood of separation from You.”
Before Vṛtrāsura asked for the sevā performed with body, mind and words. By the words one performs harināma and kīrtana, stava-stuti, and describes Bhagavā’s līlā-kathā. Now Vṛtrāsura is giving examples how he wants to serve with body, mind and words:
ajāta-pakṣā iva mātaraṁ khagāḥ
stanyaṁ yathā vatsatarāḥ kṣudh-ārtāḥ
priyaṁ priyeva vyuṣitaṁ viṣaṇṇā
mano ’ravindākṣa didṛkṣate tvām
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.11.26)
Ajāta-pakṣā iva mātaram khagāh:
Like a small baby bird. The mother gives birth to the baby bird and keeps it in the nest. Then it goes out to collect some food for the baby bird. Waiting in the nest the baby bird becomes restless.
“When will my mother come?
When will my mother come?”
If he hears some slight sound, like a dry leaf falling on the ground, he thinks,
“Oh, my mother has come.”
But why is he remembering the mother so much?
Because he is afraid that if his mother does not come, a crow or an owl or any other type of bird may come and eat him. This is the fear in his heart.
“When my mother comes, I will be safe.”
Yogis and ordinary people call out:
“Brahmāsmi, brahmāsmi,”
Asking Bhagavān to remove their sufferings. Most of us are like that, praying to Bhagavān to remove our miseries; we do not call on Him for pleasing Him. So this tiny baby, which has no wings, is remembering its mother just to remove his anxieties.
“Mother will come. She will protect me and give me some food.”
When the mother comes, she satisfies her baby, but then he does not even think about his mother any more. So like this, there are people who remember Bhagavān just to remove their difficulties, and when He fulfils their prayer they become happy. In this type of bhakti one has only one’s own benefit in mind, so I do not want to be like this.
Stanyaṁ yathā vatsatarāḥ kṣudh-ārtāḥ:
So I pray like a tiny young calf who is tied to a stake in the ground and who is waiting for the mother to come in the evening. The calf is very hungry and as soon as he sees his mother, he wants to take milk from her udder. He is calling:
“Hamba, hamba,”
But still he is tied and cannot go to her.
[Seeing people in the audience falling asleep, Gurudeva interjected: We are just like that—bound in the rope of sleep. We try hard to untie this rope of sleep to hear Hari-kathā but we cannot. Only to take you people out of your slumber I am narrating this story of Citraketu Mahārāja.]
The calf starts crying and calls out:
“Hamba, hamba,”
But it is actually:
“Amba! Amba!”
That he is calling:
“Mother! Mother!”
After a while the owner comes and warns his son not to untie the rope until he tells him to. The son brings a rope and a pot for milking the cow. The cow will not give milk unless and until the calf takes milk first. The calf has become very restless. The father tells the son to untie the calf. This calf is standing on his two hind legs and is straining on the rope so the boy cannot untie it. The father says:
“Open the rope.
Quickly.
Why not, why not?”
The boy replies:
“The calf is not letting me.”
Then the father comes and pulls the calf down and lets it lose. The rope is very long; the owner wants to tie it properly around the calf’s neck, but the calf is so impatient that it does not give the owner a chance to do that. He immediately jumps to the mother and starts drinking her milk.
Like this calf one should call out for Bhagavān. The calf is restless and its mind is nowhere except for its mother. One should be similarly restless and one-pointed; then one can attain Bhagavān.
Vṛtrāsura is saying:
“Externally, one can see how much this calf is feeling deep separation for its mother and at the same time with how much deep love and affection he is running to the mother—just by seeing her—with so much enthusiasm.
But still, for what?
For the milk, because he is hungry. Only for the milk he was calling out for his mother like this.”
So Vṛtrāsura is saying:
“I don’t want this kind of enthusiasm and this kind of selfish desire in my heart.”
In the first two instances the baby bird is calling for its mother to remove its anxiety and hunger and the calf is also calling its mother to feed him. So if we call Bhagavān for fulfilling our desire, then he may give us what we are asking for but He will not give us Vraja-prema.
Therefore Vṛtrāsura prays:
Priyaṁ priyeva vyuṣitaṁ viṣaṇṇā:
A woman who is separated from her beloved remembers him day and night. She calls for her lover like the bird and the calf but without any selfish motive. Hankering for his return she meditates on how she will make so many nice arrangements for his comfort and pleasure. As soon as she hears him coming, she does not think about how he will fulfil her selfish motives like the calf who wants its mother for milk and the bird who wants its mother to remove its suffering. The chaste woman does not want anything from her lover. In his absence she meditates on how she will serve him upon his return. When he comes in the house, first she will give him a seat and some cool drinks. Then she will cook for him and fan him.
If this woman is a real lover, like the gopīs, she will not worry for her own desires. The gopīs think only of Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure.
Priyaṁ priyeva:
Does not refer to husband and wife; it means lover and beloved. So in this verse we see a little vision of the gopīs’ bhāvas and therefore this is the first instance in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam that is accepted as ideal bhakti. When Śukadeva Gosvāmī spoke this verse, a mood of gopī bhāva started appearing in his heart. Here is a preview of what is coming in the Tenth Canto. From this portion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam one can reach gopī-bhāva if one will follow all the subsequent instructions.
If one wants to attain Bhagavān, then one must pray, remember and cultivate a sevā mood like Citraketu Mahārāja, who even in a demon’s body was able to do all this. Citraketu Mahārāja realised that he was not capable of performing selfless bhakti like the chaste lover. Therefore, he prayed:
mamottamaśloka-janeṣu sakhyaṁ
saṁsāra-cakre bhramataḥ sva-karmabhiḥ
tvan-māyayātmātmaja-dāra-geheṣv
āsakta-cittasya na nātha bhūyāt
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.11.27)
This will only be possible when I become the servant of the servant of your servant and serve him with feelings that:
“He is mine” (mamatva).
Therefore Vṛtrāsura says:
Mamottamaśloka-janeṣu sakhyam
Uttamaśloka is Bhagavān and His jana are the Vrajavāsīs, His devotees. Here Vṛtrāsura is saying:
“I want to have friendship with those devotees who have taken shelter of Uttamaśloka Bhagavān.”
Why is he not asking to become their servant?
He is asking for sakhyam because without coming to this platform of awareness, one cannot perform viśrambha sevā. To understand the glories of one’s Guru and to be able to serve him in a real sense, one must become like his Guru. One has to understand Gurudeva’s internal mood.
One will not please Guru by giving him big, delicious laḍḍūs. Some disciples think:
“I will please Gurudeva and whatever is in his pocket, I will take it out.”
For this motive they do Guru-sevā. So many people think that by offering him many very good foodstuffs, he will be happy.
But how will Gurudeva be pleased?
He can be pleased only if one serves his arādhya-deva in the same way that Guru himself is serving. This requires a deep understanding from the heart who the Guru’s arādhya-deva is and how the Guru is serving. Before this, whatever the disciple is doing is for himself, but when one comes to this level of realisation, then he is doing real service. Before that, whatever he is doing may be karma or jñāna, karma-miśra or some other thing, but it is not pure bhakti or pure sevā. When one understands how the Lord’s devotees are serving Him, then it is possible to give pleasure to Kṛṣṇa also.
We hear that it is very rare to meet with this kind of Guru and Vaiṣṇava—who is completely selfless, who is always serving the Lord for His pleasure, and who does not have any worldly desire. Still, there is no need to become hopeless. It is not there are no Vaiṣṇavas in this world—there are some to be found. Otherwise the world cannot exist. Surely there are such Vaiṣṇavas.
Why?
Because when we are seeing that everything in the universe—the earth, the sun, all the planets—is existing, that means that these kinds of Vaiṣṇavas are also here. If these kinds of Vaiṣṇavas are not present in the world, then all these other things cannot exist. The fact all these things are existing means that pure Vaiṣṇavas are there for sure.
When a Guru sees that his disciples are making offense, the Guru himself goes to a person whom their disciple offended and asks for forgiveness.
“Oh, my disciple does not know proper behaviour. So I am asking for forgiveness.”
We know that there are many instances of disciples offending Vaiṣṇavas. Be very careful to guard against doing this. Gurudeva wants his disciples to respect all the Vaiṣṇavas appropriately. This is the deep and heartfelt desire of a pure Guru. All Vaiṣṇavas are to be considered as Guru, so respect them properly. If one cultivates this attitude, Guru, Vaiṣṇavas, Bhagavān and everybody in the whole universe becomes pleased with that person. That’s why Vṛtrāsura is praying to the Lord:
“I want to become the friend of Your devotees—those who have realised how to serve You.”
Therefore it is:
Mamottamaśloka-janeṣu sakhyaṁ,
saṁsāra-cakre bhramataḥ sva-karmabhiḥ.
Due to my own karma I am roaming in this cycle of birth and death. It may be that I am born as a human, as a Gandharva or an insect. My only request is that I may always get the association of:
Uttamaśloka janeṣu,
Your pure devotees.
By getting this association, what will happen?
All the attachment for the material world will go away from the heart, and then Guru will offer the purified heart to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.
“Other than this I don’t want anything.”
Therefore Vṛtrāsura says:
Tvan-māyayātmātmaja-dāra-geheṣv
āsakta-cittasya na nātha bhūyāt.
“If I have the association of Your pure devotees, I can easily come out from attachment to wealth, home, heaven, liberation, husband, wife.”
Many people give up material life—they even give up their wife, sons and all other related attachments—and come to the maṭha. But after coming to live with us, they develop such deep attachment to their own bodies that they cannot serve Bhagavān, Guru and Vaiṣṇavas.
Why?
“Because if I do something with my body, I will lose strength.
Why should I serve?”
They think:
“If I listen to everybody, then sometimes they may ask me to wash the pots. I have not left my house for washing pots.”
But they don’t understand the meaning of sevā. They fear:
“If I serve these people, then they may ask me to get up early in the morning.”
If one thinks like this, what is the use of giving up all those attachments?
When we call the devotees:
“Come for kīrtana, come for kīrtana,”
They turn their noses up in the air.
So then what do they do?
They immediately take off their clothes and say they have to go to the toilet or they sit down for ahnika. If someone asks them to clean the pots, they say that they have some fever or bad stomach ache. Sometimes somebody says:
“O prabhu, nobody is here. Everybody has gone outside. Please come and help me wash the pots.”
This person will reply:
“Oh, don’t you know?
I am so sick. I have such a terrible stomach ache. I cannot do anything.” “
Oh, then you will not take prasāda?”
And to avoid washing pots, he is ready to fast for the whole day!
They are ready to give up eating but they will not do Bhagavān sevā, for which Bhagavān has given this human birth. The human body is meant for pleasing Bhagavān and Guru-Vaiṣṇava by serving them. Even Kṛṣṇa Himself sometimes accepts all these kinds of services. Such people are most unfortunate because they have attained such a nice human form of life with which they can easily serve Guru, Vaiṣṇava and Bhagavān, but they refuse to do this. They refuse to come to āratī and class. They do not see small services as sevā. So I request you to come for āratī darśana. All of you together do kīrtana. After that do your ahnika. Come on time for classes. And if everyone will do the other small sevās together, then they will be finished very quickly.
mamottamaśloka-janeṣu sakhyaṁ
saṁsāra-cakre bhramataḥ sva-karmabhiḥ
tvan-māyayātmātmaja-dāra-geheṣv
āsakta-cittasya na nātha bhūyāt
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.11.27)
All our possessiveness, all our tendency to do sevā should be in the association of Vaiṣṇavas, who perform Kṛṣṇa sevā with their body, mind and words. And hear Hari kathā from their mouths. This Hari kathā is the sharp sword that cuts worldly attachment and that same attachment becomes fixed at the lotus feet of Hari, Guru, Vaiṣṇava. The pure Vaiṣṇavas, who are following everything in their lives, are like expert surgeons, cutting in one place and joining in another place. If someone’s heart is not working, they do by-pass surgery. They transfer your attachments from worldly affairs to the lotus feet of Guru and Bhagavān. We should always hanker for their association. Let the pure Vaiṣṇavas do this work. Don’t you try to do all these transplants for others. Don’t think about what others are doing. Don’t worry about others’ material attachments. Don’t think that you can place their attachment at the lotus feet of Guru and Vaiṣṇava. You cannot do this because you are not an expert doctor. Don’t take this responsibility on your head. If you will attempt to do this, you will hurt yourself as well as the person you are trying to help. As long as you are not a skilled doctor, you are going to cut someone’s body and that person will die and you will end up in jail. Don’t play doctor until you are qualified.
These four verses spoken by Vṛtrāsura are very beautiful prayers with many important teachings. If you want to do bhajana, start with these verses. Bring yourself to this platform:
Na nāka-pṛṣṭhaṁ na ca pārameṣṭhyaṁ
“I don’t want anything from this world. I don’t want to become king. I don’t want to become Śiva. I don’t want to become Brahma. I don’t want any post in this material world. I just want to become the servant of the servant of the servant of Your devotees.”
You must perform Guru-Vaiṣṇava-sevā. With body, mind and words serve Bhagavān and glorify His Rūpa, Guṇa and Līlā all the time. If one does not do sevā, when he dies still his body burns or is eaten by insects.
So what is the final difference between serving and not serving?
If the result is the same, then why not serve?
Understanding this one will derive great benefit. That’s why everybody should become determined, as much as possible according to the topmost capacity of their body, to engage in the service of Guru and Vaiṣṇavas.
Day and night perform very serious bhajana, as Prahlāda Mahārāja has done. Hear Bhāgavatam in such a way that each and every word, each and every instruction goes in your ear. Understand hari-kathā to be non-different from the Supreme Lord, who wants to enter your heart through your ears. Understand that hari-kathā is rasa (the nectar of transcendental mellows), and always drink that nectar. The Lord Himself appears in the form of līlā-kathā, the pure devotee’s discussion of His pastimes. Therefore, do not neglect hari-kathā.
Sometimes we see that someone is called for class, and he comes with great reluctance. Then, even before it begins he runs away. Don’t do this; you are missing a valuable opportunity. We would like you to sit here and listen to hari-kathā, just as Śrīla Vyāsadeva, Śrī Nārada Muni, Parāśara Ṛṣi, Śāṇḍilya Ṛṣi and others were hearing from Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī. All of them were very senior to Śukadeva Gosvāmī and were like his Gurus, but when he spoke, all of them sat down in front of him to hear his words. They had so much faith in hari-kathā. The speaker and the audience must be like this. The disciple must also be like Śukadeva Gosvāmī – completely detached from this world and attached only to the lotus feet of Śrī Hari. We therefore pray that the Supreme Lord gives us the great fortune that we can become attached to the pure Vaiṣṇavas, and that we get the opportunity to hear their hari-kathā.
Gaura premānande
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