SOMEWHERE BETWEEN DEMON AND SAINT

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SURAS AND ASURAS: OF SOMEWHERE BETWEEN DEMON AND SAINT

Reflections on Nrsimha Caturdasi (Part Eight)

 

 

Following Prahlada Maharaja

 

This leads us to the final question for our consideration: how do we

follow in Prahlada Maharaja's footsteps? Clearly, we cannot imitate

him,

practicing meditation in a vat of boiling oil will not necessarily

induce

the Lord to protect us from massive third degree burns and a rather

quick

and stupid death. But we should try to understand the essence of

Prahlada's devotion, visnu smaranam. Prahlada is the emblem of

remembrance of the Lord.

 

Offering humble prayers to Lord Nrsimhadeva, Prahlada Maharaja makes

a

vow that we should emulate. He clearly enunciates the sum and

substance

of the path leading to divine consciousness. This is how we

eradicate

material desires - Hiranyakasipu - from the heart (SB 7.9.18):

 

so 'ham priyasya suhrdah paradevataya

lila-kathas tava nrsimha virinca-gitah

anjas titarmy anugrnan guna-vipramukto

durgani te pada-yugalaya-hamsa-sangah

 

"O my Lord Nrsimhadeva, by engaging in Your transcendental loving

service

in the association of devotees who are liberated souls [hamsas], I

shall

become completely uncontaminated by the association of the three

modes

of

material nature and be able to chant the glories of Your Lordship,

who

are so dear to me. I shall chant Your glories, following exactly in

the

footsteps of Lord Brahma and his disciplic succession. In this way I

shall undoubtedly be able to cross the ocean of nescience."

 

By associating with devotees following in disciplic succession and

glorifying the Lord all roadblocks on the path of spiritual

advancement

are removed. Though Prahlada appeared in Satya-yuga, this method of

spiritual enlightenment still applies. In fact, it is arguably even

more

pertinent now.

 

Two years ago, I spoke on the archetypal spiritual seeker, Lord

Brahma,

and the method by which he achieved enlightenment. Unable to

discern

the

meaning of his existence or his purpose by dint of his own karma

(actions) and jnana (speculative reasoning), he withdrew into

meditation

upon a Krishna mantra given to him by Sarasvati, klim krsnaya

govindaya

gopijana-vallabhaya svaha. Sarasvati said, "O Brahma, do thou

practice

spiritual association by means of this mantra, then all your desires

will

be fulfilled."

 

Sri Caintanya Mahaprabhu has descended in this Kali-yuga to give us

precisely the same method, meditating individually and collectively

upon

the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. As sustained meditation on part of the

gayatri mantra instilled within Lord Brahma the proper conception of

his

self-identity and his purpose in life as the Lord's servant, the Hare

Krishna mantra purifies our hearts of material desires and

misconceptions, ceto-darpana-marjanam.

 

Though we may be inspired by the asuric nature, Lord Caitanya came

specifically to convert the hearts of the demoniac all over the

world.

Prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama, sarvatra pracara haibe mora

nama:

"In

every town and village on this earth the glories of My name will be

chanted."

 

Regular practice of chanting the holy name and associating with

Vaishnavas instills satisfaction in the heart. No amount of material

aggrandizement can ever satisfy the soul's hankering. Though

Hiranyakasipu was emperor of the universe, having immense wealth,

power

and luxury at his command, he became fatally agitated because one

five-year-old boy was devoted to Vishnu. One who progressively

chants

Hare Krishna becomes immune from the defects of this world (SB

11.2.42):

 

bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir

anyatra caisa trika eka-kalah

prapadyamanasya yathasnatah syus

tustih pustih ksud-apayo 'nu-ghasam

 

"Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from

other things-these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken

shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the same way that

pleasure, nourishment and relief from hunger come simultaneously and

increasingly, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating."

 

The holy name nourishes the higher nature and creates simultaneous

detachment from the lower nature. In this way, we can further

understand

the value of the practices of Krishna consciousness. Sometimes, we

think, "Chanting, devotees - been there, seen that, done that.

Let's

go

to the movies or a rock show instead." This only indicates that we

haven't done these things, at least not very deeply. The practices

of

Krishna consciousness are tried and true. They are the same methods

used

and advocated by the mahajanas such as Lord Brahma and Prahlada

Maharaja.

Consequently, they invoke the Lord's protection against the demoniac

forces without and within, and gradually invoke the highest

benediction

of pure devotion.