19950729 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.35

Following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Maharaj on July 29th

1995 in Ipoh, Malaysia the class begin with reading from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam

first canto, chapter seven, verse thirty-five.             

 

mainaṁ pārthārhasi trātuṁ

brahma-bandhum imaṁ jahi

yo ’sāv anāgasaḥ suptān

avadhīn niśi bālakān

 

mainaṁ pārthārhasi trātuṁ

brahma-bandhum imaṁ jahi

yo ’sāv anāgasaḥ suptān

avadhīn niśi bālakān

 

Purport by His Divine Grace Śrīla  Abhaycharn Bhaktivedant swami Prabhupāda :

 

The word brahma-bandhu is significant. A person who happens to take birth in the

family of a brāhmaṇa but is not qualified to be called a brāhmaṇa is addressed as

the relative of a brāhmaṇa, and not as a brāhmaṇa. The son of a high court judge is

not virtually a high court judge, but there is no harm in addressing a high court

judge’s son as a relative of the honorable justice. Therefore, as by birth only one

does not become a high court judge, so also one does not become a brāhmaṇa

simply by birth right but by acquiring the necessary qualifications of a brāhmaṇa. As

the high court judgeship is a post for the qualified man, so also the post of a

brāhmaṇa is attainable by qualification only. The śāstra enjoins that even if good

qualifications are seen in a person born in a family other than that of a brāhmaṇa,

the qualified man has to be accepted as a brāhmaṇa, and similarly if a person born

in the family of a brāhmaṇa is devoid or void of brahminical qualification, then he

must be treated as a non-brāhmaṇa or, in better terms, a relative of a brāhmaṇa.

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the supreme authority of all religious principles, the Vedas, has

personally pointed out these differences, and He is about to explain the reason for

this in the following ślokas.

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Om Tat Sat

 

Thus, ends Śrīla Prabhupāda’s translation purport to text thirty-five of the seventh -

chapter first canto Śrīmad Bhāgavatam in the matter of the Son of Droṇa punished.

 

So, here is a very climatic situation very… it’s a very emotional situation. Arjuna had

arrested Aśvatthāmā after a big battle because Aśvatthāmā had committed a very

heinous act.

 

He had killed the five sleeping sons of the pāṇḍavas, now he is taking

back, he had bound up Aśvatthāmā as a criminal, was taking him back to the camp

so that he could be judged, he could be punished.

 

Lord Kṛṣṇa is telling him you don’t release him, don’t show mercy this person is really guilty. Kṛṣṇa in the relationship with Arjuna is something very special. Apart from the Bhagavat Gītā we have to remember that Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna’s relationship is of a friend, two friends, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are friends.

 

As friends, Kṛṣṇa would say things very heavy but Arjuna would not accept everything but would think about it.

 

This is the difference between a friend and a guru. The friend may tell you, “you should do this” and you think you know my friend talking to me should I do this or not but if the guru tells you “you should do this” means you should do it, guru has spoken.

 

So, in the Kurukṣetra battle then Arjuna said now we are no longer… now I am accepting you as a guru not as a friend now you instruct me what to do. So, then Kṛṣṇa spoke

Bhagavat Gītā to Arjuna and then he took those instructions. Here although Kṛṣṇa speaking very heavy “Kill him now.” Arjuna didn’t kill.

 

He is taking Aśvatthāmā back to the camp of course he is not also released him he is not disobeying Kṛṣṇa but... We have to understand that these instructions within the relationship between Arjun and Kṛṣṇa.

 

When Kṛṣṇa is going to tell him in the next verse you just kill him now don’t even wait. But Arjuna took him back to the camp to Yudhishthira. Arjuna was very religious he acts in very considerately with his elder brother Yudhishthira who was the emperor.

 

So, in many occasions he would prefer final decision on things to his brother. This is ideal situation, even though there is a team work, all the pāṇḍavas work as a team but they accepted Yudhishthira as a leader.

In our temple situations although everyone all the Godbrothers and God

sisters we sometimes listen.

 

Today It was like that during the time of Prabhupāda we all Godbrothers and God sisters and then Prabhupāda made somebody a temple president. Then immediately after Śrīla  Prabhupāda  left the world even many Prabhupāda  disciples and new devotees coming, they didn’t have any position that was very natural that Prabhupāda  disciples were the president.

 

Now in the world I think there is probably less temple presidents of Prabhupāda disciples than there are grand disciples of Prabhupāda. What happens when we have temple president who is Godbrother and then other Godbrother they may think well why he is president why should Listen to him because of trend in following (not clear)... uncle?

 

We can see from the example of Pāṇḍavas how this is quite natural. If someone is appointed to manage actually what he is doing his serving management is another form of serving in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

 

In Sanskrit many times they call temple president as a mandir rakshak - temple protector. He has to protect the deities, the properties and the devotees who are in the temple.

 

So, that is the actual meaning of Kshatriya also not the temples managers are kshatriyas but a kshatriya actually means one who protects.

 

I recently read there is the whole discussion on the… on this topic I was brought out how even traditionally in the temples brahmans are always in charge of temples and monastery and but they had to manage their own monastic affaires in their own way. If sometimes people come from the business world.

 

There was a Ram Kṛṣṇa das, he was managing five factories thousands of employees in south India. He went to Vṛndāvan for about a week he was a temple president and

he said oh! This is too much I can’t do this. He could manage thousands of people in

a factory but not hundreds of devote not hundred sixty, there were only fifty devotees. Because brāhmaṇas in a temple they don’t work exactly the way the people work in the factory. The different organizations have different way, that they act at different …in the factories said if you don’t work you get fire or give you (not clear….raise) something like fear like basic principle on one hand another hand is praise devotees they work for many many subtle reasons and so many factors are inspired devotees and they may vary even from culture to culture.

 

So, especially in India in northern part Kṛṣṇa consciousness have big temples;

 

In America used to be called northern part but now Māyāpur, Vṛndāvan are like northern part. We had devotees from all over the world not only Indian devotees we have devotes from America, from Australia, from Europe, Africa, and from Asia.

 

So, all kinds of devotees, all kinds of personalities, culture background. So, very complicated how to get everyone to work cooperatively together.

 

Śrīla Prabhupāda, he wanted us to show how we can work together cooperatively. In some other places like [ not audible] they don’t unite all the countries they have the camp for British, camp for the Russians, camp for the French and German. They keep all divided by nation.

 

But Māyāpur, Vṛndāvan we don’t divide by any material distinction, everybody comes

together and works together.

 

So Prabhupāda told that this is a united nation of the spiritual world uniting all the nations and all the cultures, one has to be sensitive. So, in order for the whole situation to work the leader has to one hand be sensitive and in other hand devotees had to be cooperative. Leader cannot be dictatorial at the same time devotees cannot be totally indiscipline, not following any discipline.

Things had to be go on in loving way at the same time we have to follow. So, this

was automatically there in Arjuna and the pāṇḍavas. They just automatically follow

the Yudhishthira.

 

Rishabhadeva when he told his hundred sons the final lesson before he renounced the world, he requested them they follow their elder brother Bharata.

 

Bharata maharaja, he became after that next emperor. Somehow this has

been working in the previous ages although we see that in some culture like this

recently in Qatar the son [ not audible ] against his father, father was visiting some

other country and he took over the country and said now I am the king. My father

now in exile in France. He can’t come back. This is the tradition in some cultures,

some countries; his father had also taken over from his father in the same way so

this kind of like a karma (guru maharaja laughs). Although the basic government

management doesn’t really change much but succession is going on like that. In

Kṛṣṇa consciousness… of course we know what a kind of situation everything is

done in very cooperative way with the leaders. that’s why there are leaders,

governing body commission so on national chairman like maharaja is the national

chairman keep us on a tose because Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted us to cooperate

together but just like Kṛṣṇa was giving advice to Arjuna, those who are responsible

position they also had to give proper advice. Kṛṣṇa said that guru and the teachers

and the parents and the managers and rulers they have to give lessons to their

children’s, their disciples, their followers, their citizens, their students according to his

version so long as we give the instruction according to Kṛṣṇa’s version then we

won’t go wrong.

 

Of course, some time situation is so complicated. It very hard to balance the different advices in the shastra. Now, here is the very critical situation.

 

On one hand brāhmaṇa should never be killed another hand this brāhmaṇa has… he

is a murderer, he is an assessor, he is child murderer, he has done a most heinous,

sinful and the criminal act.  So, someone who does such things should be killed how

to balance the two. He is a brāhmaṇa not only ordinary brāhmaṇa but he is a son of

Arjuna’s own teacher. Arjuna learnt military science from Droṇacharya and although

 

Aśvatthāmā is very what to say (behaved…not clear) … he is like deviant person at

the present time somehow, he is very dear to Droṇa chary. Naturally father loves his

son, Kripi the wife of Droṇa chary her name is Kripi (not clear) anyway the mother of

Aśvatthāmā also she is very much attached to his son. she doesn’t want to see her

son killed.

 

So, this situation…. Kripi, and how the different Pāṇḍavas act, how

Kṛṣṇa acts. Kṛṣṇa puts us in test. He is really putting Arjuna into the test, what he

is going to do. This is something very important.

 

We all put into different kinds of

situations and in that time if we can really use our intelligence and remember, what

did the guru say, what did the scripture say, what should we do in this

circumstances if we don’t really know also asking senior people who may know.

 

Arjuna, he was faced to this, Kṛṣṇa saying kill him. He went back and then

Draupadī she said ‘no’ this is the son of our guru [not audible] I don’t want to see

him killed because (not clear) of course Droṇachary and Kripi is also suffer. I am

already suffering loss of my sons. I don’t want to see them. So, she was moved as a

mother. she was such a saintly person; she is such a great devotee that she didn’t

hold envy in her heart.

 

Seeing Aśvatthāmā she didn’t [ call for …. not audible]

revenge she wasn’t in the mode of ignorance, even passion she was so much in the

mode goodness, she is saying just have mercy. But then Kṛṣṇa said, no it also not

good just only merciful, this person may go on doing bad things.

 

So, then Arjuna

really put to test, he heard from the different people and Yudhishthira. He took the

side of Draupadī, ya this is true, should be little merciful to him. He had to deal with

the whole situation what to do. what did he do then he really thought he meditated on

Kṛṣṇa in his heart to know really what Kṛṣṇa wanted. He is very critic.

 

Kṛṣṇa in

front of one telling one thing but, in his heart, he is meditating on Kṛṣṇa what

Kṛṣṇa really wants me to do in this situation. Of course, that really very difficult

confusing you know Kṛṣṇa is saying one thing in heart Kṛṣṇa want to do

something else. Kṛṣṇa’s līlā are like that.

 

Kṛṣṇa told all the gopi’s go back home,

go back home what are you doing in the night time you are girls you shouldn’t come

out night you should go back home. He was rejecting them but actually Kṛṣṇa was

just testing them to see how determined they were to serve Him.

 

So directly when

we were in Kṛṣṇa’s pastime it’s very different. When we are reading the instructions

of Kṛṣṇa in shastra is different. In Kṛṣṇa’s pastime He is acting according to

relation friend, father, son very complicated. Kṛṣṇa is not always acting as a guru.

He may be acting in various way but he is also teaching he had to see the over all

līlā  to get the understanding not just one verse you see the whole līlā  then you can

understand what Kṛṣṇa was actually doing then something you can understand.

 

So, here Kṛṣṇa by doing this one activity he is doing many things he is showing.

Whatever Kṛṣṇa said is correct but how to apply that may be different.  So, the

whole situation Kṛṣṇa is saying He is explaining what is a brāhmaṇa, what is an

unqualified offendable brāhmaṇa, what are the duty. Whatever Kṛṣṇa said is

correct but how to apply all this.

 

So, finally of course Arjuna he gave a very unique

kind of punishment to Aśvatthāmā which was as good as death at the same time

were didn’t kill him. Other way he really depended on Kṛṣṇa and got higher

intelligence how to do something very creative. In all of your own devotional service,

we have to also depend on Kṛṣṇa in this way. We equipped with the guru’s

instructions, scriptures instruction. Then when we also depend on Kṛṣṇa in the

heart how to apply those instructions in the best way. it’s important to have not only

instructions of the guru, one doesn’t have any instruction, one doesn’t hear the gurus

classes, one doesn’t hear the devotee’s classes, one doesn’t read the scripture then

the fund of knowledge will be less. So, there will be less opportunity to know what to

 

do. We should be always building up our spiritual knowledge. Then when we are in

difficulty this information will help us. We may hear something, we put it back in filing

cabinet of our brain, later when we really need it Kṛṣṇa’s mercy we remember,

think of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa what shall I do now then he makes us remember. He gives

us smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca. He gives memory, he gives knowledge also gives

forgetfulness.

 

So that time (not clear) with the one of the gifts of the devotees

actually, acts also as a instrument in Kṛṣṇa’s hand when we are doing preaching.

We don’t want to give our own ideas we want to just take how to represent Kṛṣṇa’s

ideas and give Lord’s ideas, Lord Chaitanya’s, guru’s teaching to this person and

then Kṛṣṇa act in the heart. we will pray to super soul in the heart of individual

please awaken these persons so they can understand your message.

 

And this way

Kṛṣṇa does open the door in the heart by the mercy on the devotees, then people

take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

 

So, we thank all of you for spreading the Kṛṣṇa

consciousness movement then you all be able to get the mercy of Kṛṣṇa like

Arjuna did, understand exactly under different circumstances how to preach.

Everything cannot be said that under this and that circumstances you should do

exactly this because the so many circumstances which we will never be able to tell

you.

 

How can we imagine all the possible circumstances?

 

That’s why that funny

story about the disciple, said the guru write everything down anything false then I

shall kick out. You know that funny story the guru wrote down every false like this is

the guru tell out You must be on the list.

 

So, the disciple left the guru took all the

faults [not audible]. That’s why devotional service is not like in the other path. Other

path smartas everything all the rules regulations are there. In devotional service

there is always you have to really use intelligence. you given principle and then how

to apply that under the different circumstances is something one has to use their

intelligence with [ not audible] later on even we find many times devotees

sometimes even like a different leading devotee they come and say, under this

circumstances I did this, what you think is that a right thing?

 

How would you do that?

 

You have any... Some time they just you know they don’t, not sure they did the best

thing might be something better something even they discuss it. But we have to do

the best. we can understand circumstances. That’s why in devotional service it’s

more important to know the śāstra because this scripture is giving us this particular

example how Arjuna dealt with his problem.

 

Same way we may have to deal with

different kinds of problems even you will have to deal with then we have to know the

practically the more spiritual knowledge we have to be able to take the right decision.

Whether making a decision ourselves or whether discussing with the guru or

discussing with whoever available at that time whatever decision. we should know

exactly what are the different alternatives are possible and then make… we depend

on Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa please help me, I make right decision now.

 

So, what Kṛṣṇa in

Gītā, he said the fact that Arjuna was considering what is right, what is wrong, what

was the best thing to do.  That was the sign of a devotee that how devotee think and

in material world materialist just, someone is demonic he don’t think like this one I

want and this is what I’m gonna do and they just do they don’t think whether it is right

or wrong or whether it is pleasing to God. They just do it. They’re very tend to

be..impulsive and act according to the material impulse.

 

So, that is the difference

between the devotees, they do act according to sadhu, shastra and guru and not just

according to material impulse. So, we can take instruction from all of this lessons.

Thank you.

 

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare

Hare Ram Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare.

 

How many questions Maharaj …should I take?

 

How many comments?

Maharaj is giving (Not Audible). Laughter…..

 

Another devotee: you know Prabhupad said Movement was growing because of his

intelligence………(not clear).

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: - Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda sometime also when he came to see the

Māyāpur, he just be holding his hand, you don’t know what it is to run worldwide

spiritual movement you don’t know what it is, actually he was taking all of the

headache himself. He was managing all of the problems and gradually he wanted

the devotees to relive him all the headaches and take up the some of the

responsibility.

 

So, he made the Governing Body Commission, president. It very

difficult because Prabhupāda had such a clear intelligence and spiritual vision. we

can never compare anything with that vision he had and some time the situation

happens which are really [not audible] bewildering what should be done in this time it

requires lot of discussion and considering finely become, Prabhupāda he could come

to a solution right away.

 

He knew exactly what to do in all the circumstances but

some situation in the worldwide body happen which really require the collective

intelligence so many leaders together which is what the governing body is and they

are actually not just trying to think their own idea but that trying to think also think

what did Prabhupāda … he really wants under these circumstances.

 

So many people

are trying to think what Prabhupāda wanted and they have that experience, then it’s

quite lightly that they come up with the right idea.

 

Prabhupāda said that he had

trained that they will come up with the right idea. So many 20-30 devotees together

they were all trying to serve him we have Germany, Malaysia, maharaja, general

secretory, (not clear) the local president, branch leaders they have some difficulty

they can speak to the elder devotees they give some idea to know what to do under

those circumstances and now even the GBC is available by electronic mail some

time(laughter) we can also give advice.

 

Prabhupāda, he just gives by the letters you

have to take his advice after about a month very rarely he did phone, he didn’t like

phone so much, preferred to give letters. So, we have so many letters also to see

how prabhupad (not clear) This is mercy on us, if he did by phone we wouldn’t know.

Alright.

 

Matajis any questions?

 

Any more comment by maharaja?

 

We have problem in Vṛndāvan [ not audible] we all went to see Prabhupāda .( not

clear). A person become a devotee, then what happen? Then we think he is a

devotee but become devotee also still the quality is not there. How can a person if

quality is not there become a devotee…….

 

Guru Maharaj: - See In general, thought we say some one joins a temple he

becomes a devotee. This is created some confusion also because then we think

temple devotee then you are devotee, then some time even people living in temple

think I am a devotee but people outside the temple they are not devotee. And in the

congregational preaching, we come with the understanding that this is the big

problem. we somehow need to now change our terminology someone because…

although we haven’t fully figure it out.

 

But like Lord Chaitanya’s time there was no

temple devotee, there is no temple. He never make one temple. Everybody was

devotee who took up Kṛṣṇa consciousness as their life and soul. And the people

who wanted to take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness they all considered as aspiring?

devotees.

 

Actually, even all we can say (not clear) some people may be devotee

and many people may be aspiring devotees that means they are devotees but they

are not yet matured pure devotees. Prabhupāda says just like a mango some time

we get mango here in Malaysia which are green mangos, they are not fully ripe it

soured some time we get a mango which is half and half. Half unripe and half ripe.

Maybe they picked it green and little bit ripen. so sweet is their but some sour is

there also. And some time you get good ripe mango very ripe very sweet like honey

sweeter then honey mango, this you can also get.

 

So, devotees are like that not

everybody is ripe some is half ripe some is still green somebody thinks now I

become mango now I am ripe mango doesn’t mean may be green mango also,(not

clear) if you live it in a tree long enough, like maharaja said being in the Kṛṣṇa

conscious association you become ripe. Now we had to sce our destination of

Kṛṣṇa conscious is a problem, but the brahmacaris, some devotees they are living

in the community in that temple.

 

Others are living in a community they are living as

far as in their home, they have also to make their home Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

They have to associate with the temple and take that with the other devotees, we be

part of the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. They need that association even though

they don’t live in the temple they need their association.

 

Somebody takes up Kṛṣṇa

consciousness even they get initiated doesn’t mean they are already ripe mango.

Even initiation we had discus yesterday how it means new birth spiritual birth,

nobody can say just after being born they know everything or they already fully ripen

they are just growing now.

 

Of course, those who are taken up Brahmanical initiation

we have a hope that they should be at least you know half and half, half ripe and half

sour. And those who are very senior, they should be mainly ripen we hope. But some

time, maya is very strong and someone even very ripe can also go rotten. They

commit offences or they get like a bad association. It said one bad apple in the

basket makes all the basket rotted. So, even a good person if he has very bad

association can go the other way.

 

So that’s why we have to be careful in devotional

service to protect our creeper and then we have to be able to recognize whether

other… what level other devotees are in their ripening process or even someone

might have been ripen but might have gone rotten. It’s very hard to bring rotten back.

Although it can be done but it requires very special devotees to do that. Ripening is

the very natural process. we can ripe and new people up, once they already ripen

then they became rotten that’s more complicated.

 

That’s why also Bhakti Vinod

Thakur said when a person gets off the tracks to bring him back on require special

technique special loving and the also different kind of special care. Some devotees

have that ability they actually firstly recognize but everybody can’t do that. So, we

have to be a little… he is devotee she is devotee, why is he acting like that. you have

to differentiate there are levels of devotee, there is neophyte, kanista, Madhyam

and uttam. Not everyone is the same and so different kinds of devotee’s level they

are acting in different way. If somebody is acting out of their level then we can [not

audible] that this is something unusual and we can try to [ not audible] we expect

younger devotees they make more mistakes, (not clear) act in māyā. This is too

much to expect one act in maya, we should teach to them so that they know that

they are in maya, get back on the track.

 

Hare Kṛṣṇa

 

Thank you very much.