20241207 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.12.10-11

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram
hariḥ oṁ tat sa

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.12.10

yad arodīḥ sura-śreṣṭha
sodvega iva bālakaḥ
tatas tvām abhidhāsyanti
nāmnā rudra iti prajāḥ

Translation: Thereafter Brahmā said: O chief of the demigods, you shall be called by the name Rudra by all people because you have so anxiously cried.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.12.11

hṛd indriyāṇy asur vyoma
vāyur agnir jalaṁ mahī
sūryaś candras tapaś caiva
sthānāny agre kṛtāni te

Translation: My dear boy, I have already selected the following places for your residence: the heart, the senses, the air of life, the sky, the air, the fire, the water, the earth, the sun, the moon and austerity.

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: The creation of Rudra from between the eyebrows of Brahmā as the result of his anger, generated from the mode of passion partly touched by ignorance, is very significant. In Bhagavad-gītā (3.37) the principle of Rudra is described. Krodha (anger) is the product of kāma (lust), which is the result of the mode of passion. When lust and hankering are unsatisfied, the element of krodha appears, which is the formidable enemy of the conditioned soul. This most sinful and inimical passion is represented as ahaṅkāra, or the false egocentric attitude of thinking oneself to be all in all. Such an egocentric attitude on the part of the conditioned soul, who is completely under the control of material nature, is described in Bhagavad-gītā as foolish. The egocentric attitude is a manifestation of the Rudra principle in the heart, wherein krodha (anger) is generated. This anger develops in the heart and is further manifested through various senses, like the eyes, hands and legs. When a man is angry, he expresses such anger with red-hot eyes and sometimes makes a display of clenching his fists or kicking his legs. This exhibition of the Rudra principle is the proof of Rudra’s presence in such places. When a man is angry, he breathes very rapidly, and thus Rudra is represented in the air of life, or in the activities of breathing. When the sky is overcast with dense clouds and roars in anger, and when the wind blows very fiercely, the Rudra principle is manifested, and so also when the sea water is infuriated by the wind it appears in a gloomy feature of Rudra, which is very fearful to the common man. When fire is ablaze, we can also experience the presence of Rudra, and when there is an inundation over the earth, we can understand that this is also the representation of Rudra.

There are many earthly creatures who constantly represent the Rudra element. The snake, tiger and lion are always representations of Rudra. Sometimes, because of the extreme heat of the sun, there are cases of heatstroke, and due to the extreme coldness created by the moon there are cases of collapse. There are many sages empowered with the influence of austerity and many yogīs, philosophers and renouncers who sometimes exhibit their acquired power under the influence of the Rudra principle of anger and passion. The great yogī Durvāsā, under the influence of this Rudra principle, picked a quarrel with Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, and a brāhmaṇa boy exhibited the Rudra principle by cursing the great King Parīkṣit. When the Rudra principle is exhibited by persons, who are not engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the angry person falls down from the peak of his improved position. This is confirmed as follows:

ye ’nye ’ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas
tvayy aṣṭa-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ
āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ
patanty adho ’nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ

(Bhāg. 10.2.32)

The most lamentable fall-down of the impersonalist is due to his false and unreasonable claim of being one with the Supreme.

* * *

Jayapatākā Swami: Today there are two things. This verse is one and today is also Oḍana-ṣaṣṭhī. So, I will talk about this verse first. This verse tells us about Rudra, how Lord Śiva came to be. Lord Brahmā, he was angry and from the place in between his eyebrows, Rudra came! We heard that Rudra has 55 qualities and Brahmā has 50 qualities. But Rudra came into this universe through Lord Brahmā. Now, this anger is belonging to the sinful category. So, sometimes people get angry and that is a manifestation of the Rudra principle. Now, this anger for the wrong thing is a sinful activity. Sometimes a person is angry because Kṛṣṇa is being offended or His devotee is being offended. If someone gets angry because someone is offending Kṛṣṇa, that is alright. If some pure devotee like Śrīla Prabhupāda, if someone criticizes and you get angry, that is alright.

So this day of Oḍana-ṣaṣṭhī shows that kind of anger. I will tell you the pastime where they offer starched clothes to Lord Jagannātha. Lord Caitanya and Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi, Svarūpa Dāmodara and other devotees were all present while they were taking darśana of Lord Jagannātha in starched clothes. So all these drums, whompers and many other musical instruments were being played and there was a tumultuous sound from them. Haridhvani! Ulu-dhvani! Haribol! Haribol! Haribol! Gaurāṅga! Jagannātha, Baladeva, Subhadrā, Sudarśana cakra! Then Lord Caitanya told everybody to go home, but He stayed, Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi stayed and Svarūpa Dāmodara stayed. So Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi said, “Why did they offer starched cloth to Lord Jagannātha? Lord Jagannātha, He is Parabrahma, He can wear anything. But the devotees, they should know that the starched cloth is not pure, and we wash it and give to the Lord.” Svarūpa Dāmodara said, “I think it is alright. In this place, in Nīlācala, they serve Him like this. And if this is happening here then it is certainly the desire of Lord Jagannātha and that is the reason they offer this starched cloth.” Still, Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was criticizing the servants of Lord Jagannātha, not Lord Jagannātha. Then they both went home to their respective houses. That night Lord Jagannātha and Lord Balarāma, They appeared in the dream of Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi. And They started to slap him on his face. “What offence have I done?” “You have committed innumerable offences.” And after that the discussion which took place, I don’t remember all the details. But one of the things was that he was criticizing the servants of Lord Jagannātha. “It is My desire to have this starched cloth given to Me. So you should not criticize My servants.” They kept slapping his face for about two daṇḍas. That means, 48 minutes. Then Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi, he finally fell at the feet of Lord Jagannātha crying and said, “Please forgive me for my offences, I am a sinful person, I am foolish!” So then the two brothers, Lord Jagannātha and Lord Baladeva returned to the temple. Then Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi woke up from his sleep, but he saw that his cheeks were swollen! And the finger impressions of Lord Jagannātha and Lord Baladeva were there on his cheeks! Then Svarūpa Dāmodara arrived. Svarūpa Dāmodara said, “What did you do? Everyday you come with me to take darśana of Lord Jagannātha, Baladeva and Subhadrā. Why did you not come today?” Puṇḍarīka Vidyanidhi said, “Come in and I will tell you.” He came into the room, and he saw that Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi’s face was swollen! So then Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi told Svarūpa Dāmodara what happened. Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi said that, “I feel very happy within myself because the Lord punished me immediately for my offence.” Svarūpa Dāmodara, he said that, “I never heard anything like this! You got special mercy from Jagannātha and Baladeva.” Haribol! So Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi said, “I don’t think I will tell everybody until my cheeks’ swelling goes down to normal, I will not go in public.” Lord Jagannātha told him that, “I consider you My servant that is why I am teaching you.” So we see here how Lord Jagannātha showed anger because His servants were being criticized. But if any of you get angry for some other reason, then it is very sinful. Even if something is interrupting or impeding, you get angry, oh! Hiraṇyakaśipu, he got angry because his son was a devotee of Lord Viṣṇu, whom he considered to be his enemy.

So the principle of destruction is the Rudra principle. So if you get angry, you fall down from the good grace that you are in. Sometimes, wife gets angry at the husband or husband gets angry at the wife. But Śrīla Prabhupāda said these things should not be taken very seriously. So, we should know why we should get angry, and when we should tolerate. As I said before that when Kṛṣṇa is being offended or His devotees then it is not good to tolerate. So, at that time one can shut the person up by strong argument. The śāstras, scriptures, says that if Kṛṣṇa is being offended then one should immediately leave that place. Also, if we cannot leave the place, we can die. In Montreal, I went into a college dormitory. I was selling books, distributing books, and I went into this one room and the person said you are cheaters, Kṛṣṇa is not real, and he said so many offensive things. I just turned around and left the place. And when I looked back, the boy, the student was shocked! In Montreal, I was a new devotee, and I did not have the ability to pick up a fight with him.

So, today we heard how Rudra came into the universe. And we also heard about the Oḍana-ṣaṣṭhī. I want to go and see the Deities in Rājāpur. I don’t know if our Jagannātha Deities in our different kitchens, whether they offer starched clothes! But, in Rājāpur, they offer starched clothes. So, this pastime occurred in Nīlācala with Lord Caitanya. He is Lord Jagannātha, He is Lord Caitanya. Haribol! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Nityānanda! Alright!