Srimad Bhagavatam, 7.7.44

[Guest guest]

where does this quote come from, prabhu?

bhaktijan das

"M. Tandy" mpt

Achintya

Tue, 5 Feb 2002 15:40:17 -0800 (PST)

Srimad Bhagavatam, 7.7.44

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"It is said that great personalities almost always accept voluntary

suffering because of the suffering of people in general. This is

considered the highest method of worshiping the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, who is present in everyone's heart."

 

achintya

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[Guest guest]

Re: "It is said that great personalities almost always accept

voluntary suffering because of the suffering of people in general. This is

considered the highest method of worshiping the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, who is present in everyones heart."

 

On Tue, 5 Feb 2002, john kinney wrote:

> where does this quote come from, prabhu?

> bhaktijan das

 

Sorry, this was my typo. The verse is from Srimad-bhagavatam,

8.7.40; Srila Prabhupada would sometimes quote it in his lectures and

purports. It was an expression of Sukadeva Gosvami's wonder at the

compassionate attitude of lord Siva, who drank all the poison that was

produced when the gods and demons churned the milk-ocean. Siva (who

has ever since been known as Nilakantha, "Blue-throat") felt it was his

responsibility, as a leader of the universe, to help those who were

threatened by this pollution of the ocean (Bhagavata 8.7.38):

 

"It is my duty to give protection and safety to all living entities

struggling for existence. Certainly it is the duty of the master to protect

his suffering dependents."

 

He then added (Bhagavata 8.7.40):

 

"My dear gentle wife Bhavani, when one performs benevolent activities

for others, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is very pleased. And

when the Lord is pleased, I am also pleased, along with all other living

creatures. Therefore, let me drink this poison, for all the living entities

may thus become happy because of me."

 

It is largely because Siva has this merciful character that he is regarded

as the best of the Vaisnavas (Bhagavata, 12.13.16).

 

Some other, similar references are Bhagavatam, 6.6.10 and 10.22.35:

 

"This body, which is eatable by jackals and dogs after death, does

not actually do any good for me, the spirit soul. It is usable only for a

short time and may perish at any moment. The body and its possessions, its

riches and relatives, must all be engaged for the benefit of others, or

else they will be sources of tribulation and misery" (6.6.10).

 

"It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities

for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words"

(10.22.35).

 

In particular, all those born in the lands of India have been given the

following instruction by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as Srila Prabhupada

quite often cited (Cc. Adi. 9.41):

 

"One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India

[bharata-varsa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit

of all other people."

 

About his phenomenal preaching achievements, Srila Prabhupada used to say

that he was only *one* Indian trying to take this order seriously; what

would happen if all the other Indians took it seriously too?

 

The essential way to help others is to alleviate the cause of all

their sufferings: forgetful neglect of their eternally innate Krsna

consciousness. Therefore Krsna says (Gita 18.68-9):

 

"For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure

devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.

There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there

ever be one more dear."

 

Again, Lord Caitanya suggested a most simple way for anyone and

everyone to do so (Cc., Madhya-lila, 7.128):

 

"Whomever you meet, simply talk with him about the instructions

given by Krsna or tell him of narrations about Krsna."

 

 

MDd