20210606 Answer to Bhakti-vaibhava Question

So now I will give a short class as part of my Bhakti Vaibhava essay. After that I will visit the devotees in the UK.

Question for Bhakti Vaibhava essay: Why is Queen Kuntī welcoming calamities? Discuss the relevance of this principle for personal practice and preaching of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Give reference to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.25 verse and purport and at least three appropriate Bhakti-śāstrī verses in your response.

Jayapatākā Swami:

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Queen Kuntī was praying to Kṛṣṇa that by calamities coming to me, if I am able to see Your lotus feet, let the calamities come again and again, because by seeing You I can get liberation. Now, in this prayer, Queen Kuntī was expressing her desire to see Lord Kṛṣṇa again and again. Normally devotees, sakāma-bhaktas, devotees with desires, they pray to the Lord to get their material desires given and they don’t want to suffer. But here Queen Kuntī is expressing that she appreciates seeing Kṛṣṇa so much that if the price for that is suffering, let the suffering come. So we can see from our own personal lives we should be very committed to serving Kṛṣṇa.

In the Nectar of Devotion, it describes that we should rather stay in some hellish condition in some iron place rather than associate with materialists. And there is another verse in the Katyayini-saṁhitā, it is better to stay in a cage of iron or in a blazing fire rather than live with non-devotees who are against the worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa. In the Viṣṇu-rahasya, one should prefer to embrace a snake, a tiger or an alligator, rather than associate with persons who are thinking that the devas are equal or independent of Kṛṣṇa. And thus these people are compelled by material desires. So in other words, it is better to accept suffering rather than things which are against devotional service. And we see that the devotees, they will do anything to please Lord Caitanya.

Like when Nārada Muni was approaching people when Kṛṣṇa said He had a headache. He needs the dust of the devotee to cure His headache. And then Nārada Muni went to different people, brāhmaṇas, Kṛṣṇa’s wives and everyone said how can I give my foot dust I will go to hell. But when he went to the gopīs, they immediately said take, take! Kṛṣṇa has a headache. Aren’t you worried to go to hell? That is alright, let Kṛṣṇa’s headache cure first. So pure devotees are willing to accept difficulties in order to please Kṛṣṇa. So we can see that Kuntī devī she was in that mood. We should be in that mood also, that to please Kṛṣṇa we undertake any difficulties. The book distributors, they distribute books, sometimes it is hot sometimes it is cold, but they accept all these tribulations to please Kṛṣṇa. So this is a very important aspect. What is our priority? We want to have a comfortable life, or we want to please Kṛṣṇa.

In the 10^th canto in the 14^th chapter, the devotee is waiting for the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, and for that they may suffer various tribulations, but they still want the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. so this is the mood of a pure devotee. And we should have this kind of attitude. In the material world, we are suffering due to our previous karma, sometime we enjoy, sometimes suffer. But the devotees can tolerate anything based on getting the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. So, sometimes devotees, they expect by being a devotee I will not have any suffering. But Kuntī devī she is saying, suffering allows us to see You, let there be suffering. If suffering is required to see You, then I prefer suffering. So being in this material world, we are bound to suffer and bound to enjoy, but the devotee doesn’t care for suffering or enjoyment. They want simply to serve Kṛṣṇa. Haribol!

So it is said if you understand the Bhagavad-gītā chapter 4, verse 9. janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so 'rjuna. if one understands that Kṛṣṇa’s birth and active are transcendental, then at the time of death when they leave the body they go back to Kṛṣṇa. So actually remembering Kṛṣṇa is the path for liberation.

In the Īśopaniṣad mantra 14 it states that Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not different from His name, form, qualities and pastimes. And if one can remember these then at the time of death they go back to Godhead. So it is very important to be always surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, His name, pastimes, His qualities, which are not different from Him. So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is very attached to Kṛṣṇa. Although Kuntī devī said all these wonderful prayers, but Yudhiṣṭhira, he lovingly entreated the Lord to delay His departure. So that loving mood of Yudhiṣṭhira, had obliged the Lord. The Lord is independent, but He chooses to be controlled by love. Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, he was treating everyone in his kingdom as his children. Not only human beings but also the animals and other residents of his king were very   the birds the replies, everything. That way we can see how he was so kind to all the living entities.