Nectar of Instruction - Verse One

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna.

 

We will now commence reading verse one of the Nectar of Instruction.

 

I just wanted to mention one clarification before proceeding further.

It was my intention to initiate this study group for the purpose of

studying Srila Prabhupada's translation of Nectar of Instruction. Of

course, there are other translations available, and other devotees

may feel free to initiate programs of study on those books here if

they desire. But this study group is specifically for understanding

Srila Prabhupada's translation and commentary. Hence, I request

participants to focus on his writings first and foremost, and rely on

other translations (if at all) in a supportive manner.

 

As always, if devotees still want to discuss topics brought up from

last week's reading, then they may continue to do so.

 

So far my list of participants in NoI study is as follows:

 

Roneel Naidu

Shanti Rupa Devi Dasi

Shashika Chowdhary

Harish C.V.

mcthaker

Bhaktin Amber

Nina R

Sanjay Dadlani

Dave Johnson

Babhru Das

Jayendran Srinivasan

 

Apologies to anyone whom I have neglected. Also, other interested

devotees can certainly join in.

 

This week's verse is as follows:

 

vaacho vega.m manasaH krodhavega.m jihvaavegam udaropasthavegam |

etaan vegaan yo viShaheta dhiiraH sarvaamapiimaa.m pR^ithivii.m sa

shiShyaat || 1 ||

 

A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's

demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and

genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world (1).

 

 

Please read both the verse, its translation, and Srila Prabhupada's

purport. Please post your thoughts, questions, and notes here.

 

Yours,

 

- K

[Guest guest]

On Mon, 15 Oct 2001, Hari Krishna Susarla wrote:

> This week's verse is as follows:

> A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's

> demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and

> genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world (1).

>

> Please read both the verse, its translation, and Srila Prabhupada's

> purport. Please post your thoughts, questions, and notes here.

 

On 1/16/74, Prabhupada said:

 

"So vaco vega manasa krodha-vegam, krodha-vegam, udara-vegam.

Udara-vegam is the urge of the belly. I shall eat this, I shall eat that,

I shall eat that. Why? Simply you shall eat bhagavat-prasadam. Prasade

sarva-dukhanam. Then udara-vegam, and upastha-vegam, the urge of the

genital. That is the most important. The jihva-vegam, jihva-vegam,

udara-vegam, then genital, the straight line. So if one can control the

urge of these three things... Tara madhye jihva ati, lobhamoy sudurmati.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that out of the urges of the tongue and other

senses, down to the genital, up... There are many urges: urge of the mind,

urge of the anger, urge of the talking, urge of the tongue, then belly,

then genital. In this way, we are driven by so many urges. So out of that,

the strongest enemy is our tongue, is our tongue. Jihva-vegam. If one can

control the urges of the tongue then he will be naturally able to stop the

urges of the belly and the urges of the genital, three straight line.

So these are to be practiced. Etan vegan yo visaheta dhira: One who has

become successful in controlling the urges of all these things, prthivim

sa sisyat, now he's free to make disciples all over the world. And they're

not, that... I cannot control even my tongue and control my genital, and I

become spiritual master? This is nonsense. This is nonsense. You learn first

of all. Try to control. Become first-class controller, dhira. That is

called dhira, not disturbed by any urges. Etan vegan yo visaheta dhira.

Dhiras tatra na muhyati. This word is used, dhira. Dhira means very sober,

fully controlled. That is called dhira. Dhiras tatra na muhyati. Unless

you become dhira, you cannot understand what is spiritual life. That is

not possible. Therefore Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, tatha

dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati. Dhiras tatra na muhyati."

 

MDd

[Guest guest]

achintya, "Hari Krishna Susarla" <krishna@a...> wrote:

 

> vaacho vega.m manasaH krodhavega.m jihvaavegam udaropasthavegam |

> etaan vegaan yo viShaheta dhiiraH sarvaamapiimaa.m pR^ithivii.m sa

> shiShyaat || 1 ||

>

> A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's

> demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly

and

> genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world (1).

 

 

This verse is really describing the qualifications of a guru. He must

be able to:

 

1) Tolerate the urge to speak: that is, he must speak on Krishna-

consciousness and nothing else. He does not speak about politics,

gossip, material affairs, etc.

 

2) Tolerate the mind's demands: he does not speculate over useless

philosophies. His tendency to give personal opinions is under

control. He humbly follows the opinions of scripture.

 

3) Control anger: He does not become angry, except for pure devotees

who can become angry in Krishna-consciousness (i.e. Hanumaan, Bhiima,

etc)

 

4) Controls the tongue and belly: He is not attached to eating

palatable dishes. Instead, he eats whatever is offered to Lord

Krishna. Furthermore, he does not make palatable dishes and offer

them with the mind of enjoying them later. Srila Prabhupada says that

we should be careful about trying to offer very palatable dishes. We

should cook with Krishna's pleasure in mind.

 

5) Control over sex desire: He does not succumb to sexual desires,

except in the context of marriage and then only for the purpose of

procreation according to scriptural injunctions.

 

 

When you think about it, these verses also negate the possiblity of a

post-samadhi ritvik guru. The implicit assumption behind such a

system is that the living guru does not have the qualifications

mentioned above. Hence, he performs the initiations on behalf of a

more qualified guru who is no longer physically present on the mortal

plane.

 

But this verse explicitly states that only one who can control these

demands can make disciples.