19920113 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.4.13 Ratha-yātrā Festival

The following is the lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on January 13th 1992 at Madras/Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The class begins with the reading from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4th canto, 4th chapter 13th verse

ŚB 4.4.13 (śloka with repetition)

nāścaryam etad yad asatsu sarvadā
mahad-vinindā kuṇapātma-vādiṣu 
serṣyaṁ mahāpūruṣa-pāda-pāṁsubhir
nirasta-tejaḥsu tad eva śobhanam

Translation: It is not wonderful for persons who have accepted the transient material body as the self to engage always in deriding great souls. Such envy on the part of materialistic persons is very good because that is the way they fall down. They are diminished by the dust of the feet of great personalities.

Purport: Everything depends on the strength of the recipient. For example, due to the scorching sunshine many vegetables and flowers dry up, and many grow luxuriantly. Thus it is the recipient that causes growth and dwindling. Similarly, mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-’bhiṣekam: the dust of the lotus feet of great personalities offers all good to the recipient, but the same dust can also do harm. Those who are offenders at the lotus feet of a great personality dry up; their godly qualities diminish. A great soul may forgive offenses, but Kṛṣṇa does not excuse offenses to the dust of that great soul’s feet, just as one can tolerate the scorching sunshine on one’s head but cannot tolerate the scorching sunshine on one’s feet. An offender glides down more and more; therefore, he naturally continues to commit offenses at the feet of the great soul. Offenses are generally committed by persons who falsely identify with the impermanent body. King Dakṣa was deeply engrossed in a misconception because he identified the body with the soul. He offended the lotus feet of Lord Śiva because he thought that his body, being the father of the body of Satī, was superior to Lord Śiva’s. Generally, less intelligent men misidentify in that way, and they act in the bodily concept of life. Thus, they are subject to commit more and more offenses at the lotus feet of great souls. One who has such a concept of life is considered to be in the class of animals like cows and asses.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Swami translation and purport to text 13, chapter 4, canto 4 of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam in the matter of Satī quits her body, spoken on 13th day of January 1992 on the 550^th year of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Satī is speaking in great anger. She is speaking, being very offended, very disturbed at the offensive mentality of her father toward Lord Śiva.

Because he has offended Lord Śiva who is a great devotee of the Lord. Therefore, he will fall down. She is saying that it is not wonderful or not something very unusual that people with materialistic consciousness are envious against great souls. It is a standard thing.

The materialistic people will always deride the great souls and consider them to be   according to their own map and yardstick. They think according their own deficiency and even put the faults which are completely speculative. So, by doing that, they are committing offenses. That envy is very good according to her because these materialistic people are better situated when they fall down into material suffering and stress, then they become humble, they get purified. This way also in the material world, the materialistic people create a lot of disturbance when their power is diminished. It is good for the devotees because then the godly influence can increase.

So, the fact that the materialistic people also are generally envious of the saintly people. This is one way of cutting down them. Cutting them down. She is saying very good, but saying very good in a kind of... it is so bad or good that you die.

For the snake. The snake is so low that when the snake is killed, it only takes a higher birth. So, it is good for the snake to die anyway. For that kind of attitude, she is saying that you are so envious which is not very wonderful. It is expected that someone like you who is a complete gross materialist who doesn’t know spiritual understanding. It is good for you because of your envy, you will be destroyed and it is good for you because you are so low anyway and everything happens only for your good. She is speaking in a very angry way, but whatever she is saying is actually true. This is nature. Sometimes people are just envious.

There is a story told by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.  That, there was one time a very respectable man in the village. Although he was a very good person. There were people just envious for no reason. When he had a small child, a boy, they also became envious against that boy. When that boy was running around in the village up to 5 years of age, he used to like going around without any clothes. He got a nickname, actually his karmic name was Pancharatna but he got a nickname, Ningi pancho or naked Panco. He was running around. But that was when he was 4 years old.

So, when he grew up, when he was around 14, he got number 1 in matriculation. He was a very good student. He got praise that Pancharatna was the best student in the school. But envious people will say, what, how can that child be the best student?

Arrey!! He was running around in our village naked. He is a ningi pancho, naked pancho. What study he can do? Later on, he got the highest qualification, graduated in the bachelor of law, with the law degree. He became a very successful lawyer. People are saying now that Pancharatna is one of the best lawyers in the city. People say how did he became a lawyer? Arrey! He was running around village [naked], like that.

Actually, he must have cheated in his exam. He can't be a good lawyer. But he was winning all the cases. He got in to the bench, he was made the high court judge, then he became the chief justice when he was a little older. Then these people said, what Chief Justice?? How could he be the chief justice?

He was Nangi Pancho, naked pancho, he was running around the village you know, when he was 4 years old. How can he be chief justice? Even if he is chief justice, he won't get paid his monthly wage. So envious people, they don’t listen to people. They go on criticizing and criticizing.

Someone may be naked four years old. But later on, he can’t be considered for what he was before, for what he was now.  He is a good student or he is a lawyer or chief justice. When he was 3 years old, he was running naked, that’s nothing. But for the envious people, they will feel like that.

Oh, this person was a śūdra, this person was this or that, how can he become Advaita Ācārya? How can he be a great devotee?

Ramanujācārya, he uplifted many people from various castes and he made them great preachers. Some of them he also made ācāryas not considering what they were before. Because according to the pañcarātrika system, the Vedic system, by saṁskāra one is purified. Everyone is born as śūdra, only by saṁskāra they can become a brāhmaṇa.  If a brāhmaṇa does not go through saṁskāra, he is considered a brahma-bandhu, or friend or relative of a brāhmaṇa. But envious people they look to the back and not see the person, what the person actually is. Or they see according to such superficial thing which are very envious. 

So Dakṣa was falling under that category. He was superficially judging Śiva that He is going to unholy and dirty places like the crematorium. He did not think that He was there to deliver those fallen souls and give them some upliftment. He is the person to go to the hopeless places and give those people some hope. Actually, he is not affected.

Besides, he can drink the ocean of poison but not die. If we drink one drop of poison, we will be instantly dead. So, he was not seeing Śiva’s real qualifications, instead he was considering thinking, he is my son-in-law, he is inferior to me, Oh, why did I get such a lousy son-in-law deciding to hang around in these dirty places. Like this he made so many offensive statements without actually knowing the real nature of Lord Śiva.

He is the personal expansion of Lord Viṣṇu that he has got so many power, far more powerful than Dakṣa. Everybody’s mother was one time naked. When she was little baby coming out of the womb.  Everybody was born naked except for Kṛṣṇa, Only Kṛṣṇa was born with clothes.

Everybody else is born naked. If you say, my mother was one time naked, that doesn’t make any sense. We have to see the mother for what she is now and not what she was when she was a 6 months baby. This is the Vedic system actually and is very well accepted by the logicians, paṇḍitas, śāstras. Someone has to be judged by their guṇa and karma, according to their present nature, activities.  Someone very exalted, but he is doing some horrible activities, then he would be done.

When Kṛṣṇa arrested Aśvatthāmā with Arjuna because he has committed heinous act not suitable for a brāhmaṇa or a brāhmaṇa's son to perform. Killing sleeping children.

Even Duryodhana could not appreciate the killing the sleeping children, the 5 sons of Pandu. Aśvatthāmā was so envious against the Pāṇḍavas that even he killed sleeping children. How is this to be accepted? This is unacceptable by anyone.

Even Duryodhana with all his enmity against the Pāṇḍavas could not appreciate that act. So, the Vedas are not just for simply keeping some title or anything, but they guard according to the actions. But Dakṣa is not acting Śiva by any real yardstick or any real understanding. This sort of envy is pulling out all useless arguments. So, this is our problem.

So now Satī is going to renounce connection with Daksha and burn herself up in mystic fire. But before she goes, she is just giving her an explanation of why she is doing it and what she thinks about her father and his activities. But the materialists are envious of great souls and will fall down. It's good that they fall down because they are falsely situated in false ego.

There was also another example given in the Vedas, there is this Guru and Kṛṣṇa’s mercy is coming down like the sun. And         that bhakti is like the water in the Sarovar, in the lake.

Bhakti is like the lotus. Guru’s mercy is like the water in the lake. If someone doesn’t surrender to the Guru and wants to do bhakti directly to Kṛṣṇa, without Guru, without mercy of Guru, then it is said that the sun, if the lotus is just there and lake dries up, there is no water, then the same sun burns up the lotus and will dry it. 

Kṛṣṇa service without mercy of Guru, without shelter of Guru, becomes offensive in nature and that actually dries up one’s own devotional attitude and one develops various kind of anarthas and improper mentality.

But if one serves Kṛṣṇa through the Guru, taking shelter of Guru, that’s when the lotus floating in the water. So that same sun makes the lotus very beautiful and blossoming because it is floating in the water.

So, we want to approach Kṛṣṇa, we have to go through the Guru. So, one thing can cause a good portion or it caused a destruction.

Great soul’s association if we take it for serving the great souls, we could get all blessings. But great soul’s association if we take for offending the great soul, we could get all destruction. So, the association is the same, but depending on how you relate.

Dakṣa was associated with Śiva as son-in-law. He could have also taken advantage and served Lord Śiva and got many benefits. But instead, he became envious of Lord Śiva and as a result had to face so many difficulties. 

Some of them have a bona fide Guru, if they serve that Guru, they may get so much benefit. But instead if they offend the Guru, criticize the Guru, reject the Guru, then they get all destruction.  It is said that giving up the services of the devotee, who has ever achieved deliverance?

chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā

So, these are all very genuine instructions by Mother Satī   but then spoken in great anger, at the same time she is speaking exactly the truth. It is understood that she is saying so in a very highly intense state. She was so angry that her own bodily heat is going to increase to the point that she self immolates. Without petrol, without kerosene, or anything, simply because of her anger and her mystic power.

So, these are the lessons today from this verse. Of course, we also have the opportunity here. We have the Deities. There is Vaiṣṇavas.

So, the little care, of course Gaura-Nitāi are very merciful, they don’t take offence very easily. They hardly take any offence. So, this way, serving Gaura-Nitāi is very beneficial for those beginning in devotional service.

Rukmiṇī-Kṛṣṇa-Satyabhāma, Rādhā Kṛṣṇa are little more difficult.  If you offend Kṛṣṇa, Lakṣmī is not very pleased by that. She has a sometime, a short temper. But of course you humbly approach and serve in devotion, beg for their forgiveness and also very soft hearted. We have to be always be very humble.

Lord Caitanya says that devotional service must be practiced in a humble state of mind.

tṛṇād api sunīcena taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyā sadā hari

One should perform without any false prestige, not thinking that I am a vidvāna, paṇḍita. Not thinking that I am very learned, I am very qualified, I am very intelligent, but if we go before Guru and Kṛṣṇa in a very humble state of mind that I need the blessings of Kṛṣṇa, I need the blessings of Guru.

Actually, whatever is going right is because of their causeless mercy. Whether I even serve properly or not, they are still giving that mercy to me. How much grateful I should be? This way, we should consider ourselves more fallen that the straw in the street, humbler than a blade of grass, that is more tolerant than a tree we should be. We feel that very heavily.

We are still in original position of devotional service; we don’t get frustrated or despondent. When you think I should have a big position. Otherwise, I cannot serve. This is also a type of false ego pratiṣṭhā, desire for position. We should try to be servitor. If Kṛṣṇa wants, He would recognize us for serving, engaging us, we are basically a servitor, a servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa’s devotee. Dāsānudāsa. That is an attitude how we can serve better.

So whatever services we take it up, in a humble state of mind, by begging for the blessings of Guru and Kṛṣṇa. If we think that I don’t need any blessings, I don’t need any devotion or any devotee or I should have.…All these kinds of mentality, what happens is that, we put ourselves in a position where māyā can cut us down.

Māyādevī herself says, people are too proud, it's good for them so that I can cut them down. She is actually the material energy herself. She herself appeared as a līlā appeared as the daughter of Dakṣa. Now she is leaving Dakṣa.

Actually, Dakṣa was very fortunate to have Durgā as his daughter. Now when she is leaving him, we can see how is good fortune is also going to be leaving him.  Durgā is also the expansion of the goddess of fortune. So she brings material fortune for people. Lakṣmī actually gives spiritual fortune which is the ability to serve Kṛṣṇa in pure devotion and that is the real blessing of Lakṣmī.

So, people are worshipping Lakṣmī in her material form or material money. Now that Lakṣmī is called Cañcalā. She is very flickering. But the Lakṣmī who is at the side of Nārāyaṇa is very fixed.  She never leaves. So, if you want Lakṣmī to be fixed, you need to have devotion to Nārāyaṇa and then She will always be there.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Today we have many other programs so there is only time for one question. Anyone have any questions?

Devotee: [Not clear 21.34]

Jayapatākā Swami: Here in south India, some other writings are there about Lord Śiva. We don’t know about the origin of those. I know one devotee. There are some followers of Śiva who don’t accept the Vedas. There are some groups in Hawaii, they say that we don’t accept the Vedas because, the Vedas keep saying Viṣṇu is Supreme. So, at some point in time, some people make their own śāstra. concept, a separate purport, śāstra that don’t touch the Vedas. Although Śiva himself was the most expert in Vedas, he is one of the gurus of the Vedas. He always based on the teaching from the Vedas. I don’t know where these teachings come from. But then we don’t accept unless it is given in the Vedas. So, whatever we speak something we should say what shastras say, what verse. What actually it says. Whether they are accepted, best I know is Vedas, and how can I give my interpretation.  

Like a lawyer, has to see where the law is coming from, in what sect, what precedence is there. Like that we see the śāstra, what is it saying. where it came from. If you want a drama, every dramatic writer.

That, the Supreme Lord is the enjoyer of all the religious worship in the whole world, in the whole universe. All the tapasyā, the austerity, penances, prayers, everything is going to the Supreme Lord. He is known as Kṛṣṇa, Allah, Jehovah, father of Jesus.

Kṛṣṇa is explaining this science. That the Lord, He is the Lord of all the universes. He is the best.  Īśvara sarva bhūtānām, of all the living entities. If we know this, if we know the Lord that He is the proprietor, He is the owner. Then, where is the question of anything but this bhakti.

Because we are thinking, this is mine, this is others’ and we are fighting over the possession. Therefore, we are having struggle. Because we are thinking, mine is the only way or this is the only idea of God. We are having misunderstanding. But if you know that there is one Lord, He is the best friend of everyone, He is our well-wisher, He wants our best interest to be served. Then

jñātvā māḿ śāntim ṛcchati

Then, by knowing that you will be in peace. So, this is called peace formula. You should know, the science of God. We should have our faith in His Kindness, in His all-powerful nature and in this way there would be peace in the world. As we are all brothers and sisters under one common father. We want international universal brotherhood, sisterhood, without a common father, how is it possible? When we understand that there is only one absolute Lord, one Supreme truth. And we all parts of that we are all brothers and sisters under the one Supreme father, then where is the difficulty?

Host: We are indeed greatly blessed by the great presence of Swamiji and equally blessed [Not Clear  ] the message that both of you have delivered  is more relevant to today, peace, unity, and both of you have rightly emphasized, all religions are leading to the same place. That is exactly what is being demonstrated in practice to a very ordinary man by our great leader.

All the religions of the world are presented, whether Christianity or Islam or Hindu, all the religions of the world are represented. Not only represented or respected, and the man who is visiting this place, learnt a lesson in the mood of preaching, nothing like actually seeing it, visualizing it. That is the thing, It is like a kind of tourist attraction. In the days of tourist attraction. Great religion of the world. We are really fortunate. We are grateful to all of you present. We are happy, Message of peace, Message of unity, thank you Swamji. 

Second Level Proofer: Karuṇāpati Keśava das

Second Level Proofed on: 20-Jan-2021