Fire and rain

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> BHAGAVAD-GITA 3:41 PURPORT

>

> The Lord advised Arjuna to regulate the senses from the very beginning

> so that he could curb the greatest sinful enemy, lust, which destroys

> the urge for self-realization and specific knowledge of the self.

 

There is a tremendous difference between self-realization and specific knowledge

of the self. It's notable that despite his unique qualifications and ability,

Srila Prabhupada refrains from explaining the latter in more detail:

 

> Bhagavad-gita gives us that general and specific knowledge

> of the self. The living entities are parts and parcels of the Lord,

> and therefore they are simply meant to serve the Lord. This

> consciousness is called Krsna consciousness.

 

 

 

> But if one is educated in Krsna

> consciousness from the very beginning, that natural love of God cannot

> deteriorate into lust. When love of God deteriorates into lust, it is

> very difficult to return to the normal condition.

 

Anyone who saw India thirty or more years ago may appreciate the sublime truth

in this. It takes only a generation or two to lose the thousands of years of

religious character, cultural refinement, and cumulative spiritual wisdom that

are embedded within and perpetuated by traditional Indian society.

 

 

 

> Nonetheless, Krsna

> consciousness is so powerful that even a late beginner can become a

> lover of God by following the regulative principles of devotional

> service. So, from any stage of life, or from the time of understanding

> its urgency, one can begin regulating the senses in Krsna

> consciousness, devotional service of the Lord, and turn the lust into

> love of Godhead--the highest perfectional stage of human life.

 

The process of Krsna consciousness is infinitely more powerful than any material

considerations, which is encouraging for us. We can directly appeal to the

omniscient, omnipotent, all-merciful Personality of Godhead Krsna, through His

Divine grace, and quickly overcome any disadvantages (cf. Gita 18.58). Of

course, to do this requires absolute humility, which is not different from pure

love of God. Thus Srila Rupa Goswami prays (Cc, Madhyalila, 23.29):

 

“‘O my Lord, I do not have any love for You, nor am I qualified for discharging

devotional service by chanting and hearing. Nor do I possess the mystic power of

a Vaisnava, knowledge or pious activities. Nor do I belong to a very high-caste

family. On the whole, I do not possess anything. Still, O beloved of the

gopis, because You bestow Your mercy on the most fallen, I have an unbreakable

hope that is constantly in my heart. That hope is always giving me pain.’"

 

Similarly again, in his purport on Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.11.26, Srila Prabhupada

cites another song by Srila Rupa Gosvami:

 

"O my Lord Krsna, I beg to offer my prayers unto You. My mind is like the bee,

and it is after some honey. Kindly, therefore, give my bee-mind a place at Your

lotus feet, which are the resources for all transcendental honey. I know that

even big demigods like Brahma do not see the rays of the nails of Your lotus

feet, even though they are engaged in deep meditation for years together.

Still, O infallible one, my ambition is such, for You are very merciful to your

surrendered devotees. O Madhava, I know also that I have no genuine devotion

for the service of Your lotus feet, but because Your Lordship is inconceivably

powerful, You can do what is impossible to be done. Your lotus feet can deride

even the nectar of the heavenly kingdom, and therefore I am very much attracted

by them. O supreme eternal, please, therefore, let my mind be fixed at Your

lotus feet so that eternally I may be able to relish the taste of Your

transcendental service."

 

Finally, Srila Rupa Gosvami prays in full surrender (ibid., purport, 2.4.3-4):

 

"O Lord of the poor, do what you like with me, give me either mercy or

punishment, but in this world I have none to look to except Your Lordship. The

cataka bird always prays for the cloud, regardless of whether it showers rains

or throws a thunderbolt."

 

It is well known that even if it is faced with dehydration, the cataka bird will

never touch anything except the raindrops falling directly from the raincloud.

Similarly, a devotee is in only interested in the mercy Krsna showers upon him

through His Divine grace, the bonafide spiritual master, who distributes

whatever mercy-rain he culls from the ocean of

auspiciousness(karunya-ghanaghanatvam praptasya kalyana-gunarnavasya), Lord

Krsna.

 

MDd