Madhudvisa Prabhu

[Guest guest]

Live from Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir!

 

March 17, 2005

Verse: Srimad Bhagavatam 1.13.21

Speaker: HG Madhudvisa Prabhu

__

 

pitr-bhratr-suhrt-putra hatas te vigatam vayam

atma ca jaraya grastah para-geham upasase

 

TRANSLATION: Your father, brother, well-wishers and sons are all dead and

passed away. You yourself have expended the major portion of your life, your

body is now overtaken by invalidity, and you are living in the home of

another.

 

PURPORT: The King is reminded of his precarious condition, influenced by

cruel time, and by his past experience he should have been more intelligent

to see what was going to happen to his own life. His father, Vicitravirya,

died long ago, when he and his younger brothers were all little children,

and it was due to the care and kindness of Bhismadeva that they were

properly brought up. Then again his brother Pandu died also. Then in the

Battlefield of Kuruksetra his one hundred sons and his grandsons all died,

along with all other well-wishers like Bhismadeva, Dronacarya, Karna and

many other kings and friends. So he had lost all men and money, and now he

was living at the mercy of his nephew, whom he had put into troubles of

various types. And despite all these reverses, he thought that he would

prolong his life more and more. Vidura wanted to point out to Dhrtarastra

that everyone has to protect himself by his action and the grace of the

Lord. One has to execute his duty faithfully, depending for the result on

the supreme authority. No friend, no children, no father, no brother, no

state and no one else can protect a person who is not protected by the

Supreme Lord. One should, therefore, seek the protection of the Supreme

Lord, for the human form of life is meant for seeking that protection. He

was warned of his precarious conditions more and more by the following

words.

 

(repeats verse and translation)

 

So here we have the classic case of Vidura being his brother's keeper.

There's a biblical story and the Lord asked one person "Where is your

brother?Oh, I don't know, am I supposed to be my brother's keeper?" And

the answer is yes. Vidura here is showing that he is his brother's keeper.

 

This is what I'd like to talk about today, how Srila Prabhupada is Vidura to

us. Srila Prabhupada came back. Vidura came back, he was insulted, he was

thrown out of the house unceremoniously. And he swallowed his pride, he was

the personification of trnad api sunicena, he had the tolerance of a tree,

he was feeling lower than the straw in the street. And this is the way we

have to also be to be to preach. Srila Prabhupada was Vidura to us, he came

back. He was on the verandah of the spiritual world. Krsna and Radha were

inviting him, they were opening up the pearly gates, and he was going in to

Vaikuntha from Vrndavana, everything was secure. He had already done the

translation of the First Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. He was living in

Vrndavana, he was a renounced sadhu, he was a faithful servant of his Guru

Maharaja. Everything was in place for him to go back to home, back to

Godhead. But he decided at the advanced age to come back to enter into the

turmoils of the material world, the chaos of the western world. Not just

preaching in a local village or preaching in Vrndavana but he came back to

the turmoil and the chaos of the western world to save us. And this is the

case with Vidura he is coming back to save his brother who is an a pathetic

situation, as we all know, he is living in the house of another and he is

old.

 

In the slokas that will follow there are instructions by Vidura to his

brother Dhrtarastra telling him his pathetic situation. His bodily

capacities have been reduced and his eyes are not working, his teeth are not

working, so many things are there and he's living in the house of another.

Not only another, he's living in the house of those who he tried to murder.

Vidura knew this, which added to the pathetic situation. That the people he

was intriguing against for so many years, conniving, just conniving, to

annihilate the Pandavas and now he's living in the house of the Pandavas.

 

Yudhisthira is performing his duty correctly he is taking care of his

elderly uncle, but somehow or other he's hanging on, he's thinking maybe

something will happen, maybe these Pandavas will die and I'll become king at

last. There's some hope. His father had died, his brother had died, all his

hundred sons had died. They're all done and gone, but somehow or other he's

hanging on, hope against hope, trying to connive that somehow or other he

will be king. So Vidura is speaking like that to enlighten his brother.

 

And we have to understand that this is the crux of spiritual life if we can

get the association of a sadhu. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu instructed Sanatana

Goswami by saying:

 

sadhu-sanga sadhu-sanga sarva-sastre kaya,

lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi.

 

In other words, the translation is that the revealed scriptures are telling

us that even lava-matra, even the smallest momentary association with a

sadhu, can give us all perfection. Even a small minute association with a

sadhu can do that. So this is very important, our spiritual life depends on

association with the sadhu, association with the pure devotee.

 

Now the classic example we have of someone having a minute assocation with a

great sadhu and attaing perfection is our own Srila Prabhupada. If you add

up all the time that he had association with Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati it's

a matter of days, maybe not even a day. If you add up all the hours that he

spent it may be a few days at the very most. Some time at Radha-Kund some

time in Allahabad, some time in Calcutta in the beginning, like that, a few

instances, a relatively small amount of assocation with a pure devotee, but

we can see that Srila Prabhupada attained perfection. Perfection was

attained by just a few small hours. So like this we have to seek out the

association of a sadhu, seeking out the association of a pure devotee.

 

So the question may be asked, well, where to find such a pure devotee? Where

to find the pure devotee? Where is another Srila Prabhupada, the

senapati-bhakta. Where is he? Has anyone found another one? No. We are

seeking the association of the sadhu, of the perfect sadhu, so we can attain

perfection, but where is it to be found? Unfortunately throughout the years,

people have put their faith in various different sadhus and have been

disappointed. But there is no need to be disapointed because Srila

Prabhupada has left behind his mission. And if you associate with Srila

Prabhupada's mission, if you serve Srila Prabhupada's mission, it is the

same as serving Srila Prabhupada directly. You must be convinced of that.

 

Throughout the years I have come in contact with so many devotees who are a

little disheartened because they have put their faith in some sadhu and they

have been let down. So much so that maybe they have even left ISKCON and

gone to some other Math. But we must tell all those people, anybody you come

into contact, and even some of you sitting in the audience right now may

have a little trepidation, a little feeling of being let down. You should

understand that Srila Prabhupada is fully invested in his mission, fully

invested in his mission, and his instructions. We are just mortal men. To

err is human--we all make mistakes--but to forgive is divine.

 

We must forgive all the mistakes that were made, don't forget. But don't go

away from Prabhupada's mission. And encourage all those who have, to come

and get involved in Srila Prabhupada's mission, serving Srila Prabhupada's

mission. Anybody who says "I am serving Srila Prabhupada but I am part of

another mission". No, Prabhupada is right here in his mission, in his

ISKCON. And by serving Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON then you will be protected.

 

So Vidura is coming back and trying to give his brother some protection. And

we should all be thinking like that, that we need the protection of Srila

Prabhupada. There is no time where we are beyond the grips of material

nature.

 

I had an incident the other day, a small insignificant incident, but it

brought home to me how vunerable we are. During the abhiseka I went out

after a few hours and took a little walk to stretch my legs and I drank a

dob. And somehow there was an adverse reaction, and it was like a big

sledgehammer pounded into my stommach. And I began to vomit everything that

was in my stomach and I went on vomiting and vomiting. And I couldn't catch

my breath, and I was sweating and perspiring, and I was falling down. I had

to sit down, I was getting faint. And I didn't think of Krsna, honestly

speaking. I couldn't think of Krsna, I could hardly breathe. But it was a

kind of mini-death. It was a preview of coming attractions. At the end of

life our breaths are finished, there are no more breaths. No more. You take

that last breath, remember, take your final breath. Where's Dravida?

Dravida's poetry:

 

Remember that your final breath may come at any time,

No matter if you're old and grey, or in your youthful prime

 

Dravida has versified all these great prayers. So remember that your final

breathe may come at any time.

 

So when I ate that dob, it was like my final breath, boom, hit me in the

stomach, ahh, hit me in the back. What did I do? Like this I was vomiting

all day long. That's how it is at the time of death.

 

So we need the protection of the pure devotee. And if we have the protection

of a pure devotee, no one can harm us. What is the saying? The unknown

source, Rakhe krsna mare ke mare krsna rakhe ke. If Krsna wants rakhe, wants

to protect you, then there's no force on earth that can harm you. But if

Krsna wants to kill you, there's no getting away. You can't weasel out of

it. So like that, we have to seek the protection of the Lord. And this is

done through the mercy of his pure devotee.

 

So by serving Srila Prabhupada's mission, you are serving Srila Prabhupada

directly, you are associating with Srila Prabhupada directly. By reading his

books, and distributing his books, and cleaning the floor, cooking for the

deities, doing so many different activities, bringing up your family in

Krsna consciousness according to the precepts that Srila Prabhupada gave

us--this is all associating with Srila Prabhupada. This is the sadhu-sanga,

this is the way to attain perfection.

 

Now some may say "I may go to another place, some other association, some

other Math." Well, you're taking your chances. By thinking that you will

attain the perfection of life by going somewhere else, you are taking your

chances. But by serving Srila Prabhupada, through ISKCON, then you are not

taking any chance. Srila Prabhupada was perfect, his preaching was perfect.

We are imperfect. If there are some inebrieties that you see in ISKCON, it

is coming from us, from us, from me. Because I have not understood the

instructions of Srila Prabhupada properly. So therefore I am creating the

disturbance, I am commiting the offences. Prabhupada did not commit any

offences. He was pure, he was with Krsna. He spoke with Krsna. Krsna and

Srila Prabhupada had direct association. So Srila Prabhupada is our

sure-fire saviour, and we pray that we have the protection of Krsna.

 

Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Raksha Mam. Right? We want the protection

of Krsna. We want the maintenance of Krsna. Rama Raghava, Rama Raghava, Rama

Raghava, raksa mam. Krsna Kesava, Krsna Kesava, Krsna Kesava, pahi mam. The

maintenance of the Lord, the maintenance of Krsna, the protection of Krsna,

and this is obtained through the medium of the spiritual master.

 

So in this way Vidura is performing the highest welfare work, by coming back

to save his brother, showing that compassion. Srila Prabhupada came from the

brink of Vaikuntha to save us. To give us so many supremely beautiful

precious books to associate with him through. So if you want to associate

with Srila Prabhupada then read his books. If you want to be part of Srila

Prabhupada's service, serve ISKCON. And if there is some difficulty, don't

say the institution is wrong, it's the people who are administering the

institution that have to be called to task. And we shouldn't hesitate to

call them to task because Srila Prabhupada has given us the standard. He has

given us the standard. I am not speaking as a revolutionary to try to get

some people to stand up and depose some leader. Srila Prabhupada also

believed that we have to maintain order in our society so we can continue

our preaching. But at the same time we should hold to a high standard our

leaders. And we should hold to a higher standard ourselves. We should be

very critical of ourselves. We should be very loving and forgiving of

others. So, Srila Prabhupada spoke to his spiritual master a very loving

few sentences that I'd like to close with.

 

Prabhupada said, "Personally I have no hope for any direct service for the

coming crores of births of the sojourn of my life, but I am confident that

some day or other I shall be delivered from this mire of delusion in which I

am at present so deeply sunk. Therefore let me with all earnestness pray at

the lotus feet of my divine master to allow me to suffer the lot for which I

am destined due to my past misdoings, but to let me have this power of

recollection: that I am nothing but a tiny servant of the Almighty Absolute

Godhead, realized through the unflinching mercy of my divine master. Let me

therefore bow down at his lotus feet with all the humility at my command."

Jai Srila Prabhupada!

 

So there are a couple of minutes here, if there are any questions, we'll try

to. . . yes?

 

 

Question by Visala Prabhu: So Madhudvisa Prabhu, there were two questions I

had in mind. One was you mentioned you almost died by taking a dob. Did you

offer it? (laughter)

 

Answer: I held it to my head before I drank it. I said "Jai Prabhupada". I

didn't bow down and offer it no, that was my problem. Leaving the abhiseka

was the first problem. If I'd just stayed put in the abhiseka I would have

been all right. I would have saved myself a whole day of suffering.

 

Visala Prabhu: Thank you, that's a nice answer. The other question, you

quoted from sastra "sadhu-sanga sarva sastre kay" that even a moment's

association from a pure devotee, one can attain all perfection. Now we

understand that Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur states that a person would appear

and he would build a house, at a certain time, he foretold the time also,

and he would build a house in which everyone could live in. And Srila

Prabhupada also said "There was never a time that I remember forgetting

Krsna." You're saying that Srila Prabhupada only had a couple of days with

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, in other words you're indicating that without the

mercy, before he met Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, he was not a liberated soul.

Could you clarify your statement.

 

Answer: No, not that Srila Prabhupada was not a liberated soul. But he was

showing us by example that we have to take a spiritual master. He was

showing us by example that the sadhus are so potent that even a moment's

association with a sadhu can lead to perfection. It's not to say that "I'm

not going to look for a sadhu because I really only need a moment and I'm

going to find a moment some time in my lifetime and then I'll attain

perfection." No. The point is being made that the sadhu is so potent that

even a momement's association can deliver one. Srila Prabhupada showed us by

example that even though he was liberated from birth. Rightfully so,

Prabhupada said "There was never a time when I did not remember Krsna." But

just to show us the importance of accepting a spiritual master, even Srila

Prabhupada accepted a spiritual master and served him.

 

Are there any other questions, way back there. I can't hear you, you have to

wait for the mike to come.

 

 

Mataji: You mentioned that we should be forgiving to others and be critical

of ourselves. I wanted to ask you, where's the line when devotees get very

low confidence, they get into that self-indulgence and lose their

self-esteem and go on "I'm so fallen, I'm so useless, I can't do anything"

and all those sort of things. So where would you say is the line that we

shouldn't cross where we just like. . . I hope you know what I mean.

Basically, about ourselves, that we don't go too low about ourselves and at

the same time be also critical. . . ? Do I make myself clear, or. . . ?

 

(Danavir Maharaja conveys the question for Madhudvisa Prabhu)

 

Answer: One of the qualities of devotional service is we have to be

enthusiastic, about the execution of devotional service. At the same time we

have to be critical, not in a negative sense that "I'm so fallen, I can't

engage in serving my spiritual master". We should be enthusiastic about the

execution of devotional service and at the same time we should feel

ourselves to be lowly and fallen.

 

Just like you read the poetry of Bhaktivinoda Thakur. He's taking the

position of a conniving, envoius person, saying that when someone is

suffering, I become happy. But we know that Bhaktivinoda is not thinking

like that, but he takes that position just so he can be instructive for us.

We should feel like that, like we are the lowest, only by the fortune of

Srila Prabhupada's mercy are we able to engage in devotional service. That's

how we should feel. There's no qualification that I have that enables me or

makes me eligible for devotional service. It's all because of Srila

Prabhupada's mercy that I can engage in devotional service.

 

We should always feel that the other devotees are more qualified than me.

Nobody should feel puffed up. We're all here in the material world. We're

all imprisoned. Can anybody feel better that I'm in prison but I didn't

commit such a great crime. No, this material world is prison. Look around at

each other, you're a prisoner, I'm a prisoner, we're all prisoners. Don't

feel that I'm a better prisoner. "Oh, I'm a better prisoner, I'm a trustee

prisoner." No, when they close the gates at night you have to stay in the

jail. We're all prisoners so we should never feel puffed up thinking that

I'm more qualified than someone else. We're here in the material world,

we're struggling with our senses, but if we pray to Srila Prabhupada then he

will help us. He will help us at the time of death, he will give us the

enlightenment to, instead of being fearful, we will have the enlightenment

to call Yamaraja to the kirtana. When Yamaraja comes to the kirtana and

we're all chanting:

 

hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare

hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

 

When Yamaraja is there in the kirtana noone's going to hurt you. No

Yamadutas are going to come. Yamaraja is there in the kirtana. So that's

being pro-active at the time of death. Don't think "Oh, I'm trying to

remember Krsna", no. Call Yamaraja, "Come Yamaraja, let's have kirtana, Hare

Krsna!" And if Yamaraja is there there's no question of any fear. We can

have kirtana on the way up. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (applause)