Bhakti Vikasa Swami

[Guest guest]

Live from Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir!

 

March 21, 2005

Verse: Srimad Bhagavatam 1.13.24

Speaker: HH Bhaktivikasa Swami

__

 

 

tasyapi tava deho 'yam krpanasya jijivisoh

paraity anicchato jirno jaraya vasasi iva

 

TRANSLATION: Despite your unwillingness to die and your desire to live even

at the cost of honor and prestige, your miserly body will certainly dwindle

and deteriorate like an old garment.

 

PURPORT: The words krpanasya jijivisoh are significant. There are two

classes of men. One is called the krpana, and the other is called the

brahmana. The krpana, or the miserly man, has no estimation of his material

body, but the brahmana has a true estimation of himself and the material

body. The krpana, having a wrong estimation of his material body, wants to

enjoy sense gratification with his utmost strength, and even in old age he

wants to become a young man by medical treatment or otherwise. Dhrtarastra

is addressed herein as a krpana because without any estimation of his

material body he wants to live at any cost. Vidura is trying to open his

eyes to see that he cannot live more than his term and that he must prepare

for death. Since death is inevitable, why should he accept such a

humiliating position for living? It is better to take the right path, even

at the risk of death. Human life is meant for finishing all kinds of

miseries of material existence, and life should be so regulated that one can

achieve the desired goal. Dhrtarastra, due to his wrong conception of life,

had already spoiled eighty percent of his achieved energy, so it behooved

him to utilize the remaining days of his miserly life for the ultimate good.

Such a life is called miserly because one cannot properly utilize the assets

of the human form of life. Only by good luck does such a miserly man meet a

self-realized soul like Vidura and by his instruction gets rid of the

nescience of material existence.

 

(invocatory prayers)

 

Vedic culture is based on learning, sastra, especically these three major

literatures: Srimad Bhagavatam, Mahabharata and Ramayana. And a common

pastime within the Vedic culture is to discuss topics of sastra, discuss

about the different characters depicted in sastra. . . not who are depicted

in sastra, whose actual activities are recorded in sastra. So the most

wonderful prominent person in sastra is Krsna Himself, who takes many forms,

displays His pastimes. Discussing them, "srnu sukhadam subhadam bhavasaram"

discussing the activities of Krsna in His various incarnations is very

pleasing and auspicious within this displeasing and inauspicious material

world.

 

And discussing all these personalities. . . Dhrtarastra is also a great

personality. His greatness may not be fully in the right direction; he's

definitely a great personality. He's intimately connected with Krsna's

pastimes. So discussing about the character of these different persons,

especially Dhrtarastra, Karna also, it's very interesting. It's difficult to

actually place them, Dhrtarastra, is he a good guy or a bad guy, in modern

parlance. Is he on the right side or the wrong side? Karna had so many good

qualities but then he was avowedly on the wrong side, even when he came to

know just before the battle, that actually you should be with the Pandavas,

you should be the head of them. But was it a good quality? He said, "No, my

friendship is already there with Duryodhana." So it's a good quality placed

in the wrong person. So is it good or bad that he supported Duryodhana? All

these intricate questions come up.

 

Is Dhrtarastra good or bad? He knows Krsna is the Supreme Lord, he accepts,

he has great respect for Krsna, he doesn't have any bad feelings towards

Krsna. But at the same time his full attachment is not for Krsna. He's more

attached to Duryodhana which is his great misfortune because Duryodhana, the

first part of his name is "dur" which means difficult or bad, which is good

for a ksatriya, he's difficult to fight with. Sometimes he's called

Suyodhana, which means he's a good fighter. But he's a difficult

personality.

 

So by attachment to Duryodhana, Dhrtarastra, even though advised by Krsna,

not only by Krsna, so many from the very beginning. Vidura's coming at the

end of Dhrtarastra's life saying now "I gave you good advice all throughout

your life, you avoided it, you didn't take it. You accepted it was right but

due to "hrdaya daurbalyam" weakness of heart". . . he himself admitted "I

know what you are saying is right, but due to weakness of heart, attachment,

I know it's wrong but I cannot follow your advice." He got good advice from

Vidura, all the greatest advisors in the universe, Vidura, one mahajana;

Bhismadeva, another mahajana; constantly advising him. And he would agree,

"Yes, yes, what you are saying is right, I will do as you say." And then

Duryodhana would come with Sakuni and Karna and Duhsasana and all the gang

and turn him around and he would do the wrong thing. Again and again knowing

what was right, he did the wrong thing. But still his inclination was

towards dharma, towards doing that which is correct. In his heart that

inclination was there but due to bad association he did the wrong thing.

 

So by discussing all these activities, especially in Mahabharat--it's very

complex and intricate--and life is like that, life is complex and intricate.

We find that even those who are dedicated to the right cause, their life

becomes very complex and intricate just due to the nature of this material

world. The Pandavas were dedicated to doing the right thing; even they

wouldn't adopt foul means to achieve the right goal, unless Krsna told them

to. Even at the time of the gambling match, they were, especially Bhima,

immediately ready to crush the Kauravas. Bhima said "Just give me permission

and I'll immediately smash this Duryodhana and turn him into powder right on

the spot." But Yudhisthira restrained him, "No, no, we have to do what is

right, we have given our word." Even though they were being cheated, but

still we have given our word. They were fully dedicated to dharma, which is

often translated as righteousness.

 

The ksatriyas were dedicated to dharma. They could remain ksatriyas as long

as they were dedicated to dharma, to righteousness. When the ksatriyas

simply became bhoga-vilasis, taking up their position just to exploit the

citizens, then the ksatriya race came to an end all over the world. But as

long as they acted, "naranam ca naradhipam", "We are here in our post by the

grace of God and we shall execute it in His service." As long as they

thought like that they remained strong. Because they knew that our strength.

.. . .

 

Of course in Niti Sastra it also advises that the kings should keep spies

and. . . raja-niti, it's not so straightforward like a brahmana, they have

to adopt different means, politics. But the basic understanding is that we

have to act not for our own self-aggrandizement, not for our own sense

gratification, but we're here as servants, to serve the people and serve the

Supreme Lord by helping them to execute their activities in the service of

the Lord. Helping by force, if necessary. If you're not executing your duty,

then the ksatriyas duty is to enforce: "Perform your duty."

 

So they understood that "dharmo raksati raksitah", those who protect dharma

will be protected by dharma. They were very much aware of this principle and

would hear constanty from the brahmanas. They had to hear from the brahmanas

because life is so complex, in any situation what to do, because dharma

gives, rules of sastra "You should do this, you should do that". Often rules

of dharma conflict with each other and therefore they have to approach the

brahmanas and the brahmanas will give direction: "In this situation, you

should do this." They understand what is the ultimate principle so, in any

situation if there are two conflicting dharmas, they can give what is the

highest dharma, what should one actually do in this situation.

 

In Caitanya Mahaprabhu's lila we find Vallabha Bhatta, he was always trying

to find some fault in Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His devotees. So he came one

day to Caitanya Mahaprabhu and said that "Actually you are all chanting Hare

Krsna, this is very wrong, you shouldn't do this. It's against dharma.

Because Krsna, He is the Supreme Lord, He's Purusa, and all the jivas are

like prakrti so it's just like wife and husband. And the rule of dharma is

that one should never say the husband's name. So you're doing very wrong,

always chanting Hare Krsna."

 

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said "That's true what you're saying, but there's a

higher rule of dharma also, that the wife has to follow the order of the

husband. . ." it's not very popular to say these things these days, but it

is what's stated in sastra. . . "Krsna's own injunction in sastra is that we

should always chant His name. We have to follow, this is dharma, we have to

chant His name."

 

So always like this, there is some conflicting. . . the whole Mahabharat is

full of conflicting dharma, what is the right thing to do in any

circumstance. What is right and what is wrong. So this can be ultimately

understood in terms of what is satisfying to Krsna, one of whose names is

Dharma. He's Dharma-setu, He is the bridge of Dharma. He is the upholder of

Dharma, and all these worldly dharmas are meant ultimately to help us live

in this world so that we can come to the actual standard of dharma which is

to satisfy Krsna.

 

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam visvaksena-kathasu yah

notpadayed yadi ratim srama eva hi kevalam

 

One may be following dharma very nicely, but if one doesn't have a taste for

hearing about Krsna, if one is not interested in serving Krsna, then at best

his activities are a waste of time. Usually it's worse than that. Just like

Jarasandha was strictly following all the rules of dharma, except one, which

was he didn't like Krsna. Even he was serving Visnu in the form of

salagrama-sila, but when Lord Visnu personally came in front of he thought

"I don't like you." So he followed all the rules except the main rule.

 

The ksatriyas upheld dharma. Dhrtarastra was also from a great lineage, the

same lineage as Pandu. But there was rift because of Dhrtarastra's improper

partiality to his own sons. He knew what is right and what is wrong, he knew

it wasn't right to be partial to his own sons, but he gave the excuse again

and again when he was advised, especially by Vidura. . . Vidura was his

great well-wisher because throughout his life Vidura spoke the truth to him.

Mostly people do not like to hear the truth, the bitter truth. In this

material world the truth is bitter. Actually the truth is very sweet. The

truth is Krsna, Krsna is very sweet, but the facts of this world are very

bitter because we want to enjoy this material world and the fact is there is

no enjoyment here, and as much as we try to enjoy, that much we have to

suffer.

 

Generally people don't like to hear this. They like to hear the tidings of

happiness in this material world. Vidura was a real sadhu because he advised

his brother, his half-brother Dhrtarastra, in such a manner that he could

actually be benefitted. He didn't advise him in a manner in which he could

be superficially benefitted. That's why Duryodhana never liked Vidura. He

was always very insulting to Vidura. He said "He's always acting against our

interest. Why do you listen, Father, why do you listen to the advice of

Vidura, he's on the side of the enemy." Actually Vidura wasn't on the side

of the enemy because Vidura didn't see any enemies. He didn't even think of

Duryodhana as an enemy. But he was dedicated to the welfare of all. He saw

that the welfare of all lies in following dharma. And the Pandavas are the

very embodiments of dharma, whereas Duryodhana is the embodiment of

vidharma, anti-dharma, or adharma, non-dharma. Duryodhana is a manifestation

of the personality of Kali. He's a pretty nasty kind of fellow.

 

Vidura wasn't against anyone, even Duryodhana, but Duryodhana saw it like

that, because he saw "My self-interest is in dominating and enjoying the

kingdom. Sakuni, Karna, these are my friends, they also don't like the

Pandavas, they're with me, we're all allies." Even among the demons, there

is friendship, self-serving friendship. Kamsa also did the same thing, he

made friendship, allies. "We're all allied together and together we shall

kill all the supporters of the demigods and enjoy the planet."

 

But of course if they had succeeded in their endeavour then they would have

fought among themselves. Because a demon, he may make friends with others,

but it's self-serving friendship, that we are good friends because we have a

common enemy. And when there's no common enemy then we ourselves become

enemies. Because a demon is never satisfied, he always wants to see I'm on

top, "isvaro ham" I shall be the ruler, "aham bhogi" You don't enjoy, I

shall enjoy. This is the attitude of the demons.

 

Duryodhana was thinking that Vidura is acting against our interest, he's an

enemy, he's partial. Vidura wasn't partial. Superficially he was partial

towards the Pandavas, but we can see from his instructions here that he is

actually the true well-wisher of Dhrtarastra by giving him this advice. Now

there's no Duryodhana to give bad advice. At this point Duryodhana has

perished, struck by the club of Bhima. As Vidura was pointing out to

Dhrtarastra "You're living in this palace at the mercy of Bhima, who has

killed all your sons, except one. All of your sons by Gandhari are killed

and you're living at his mercy. This is not proper, this is humiliating.

 

Dhrtarastra, throughout his life, was in a humiliating situation for a

ksatriya. He was phsyically very strong, so strong that he wanted to crush

Bhima who had the strength of hundreds of thousands of elephants. But

Dhrtarastra, even in his old age, had the strength to crush him. Krsna saved

Bhima, as usual. Very physically strong, mentally not strong, spiritually

not strong, but ksatriya body.

 

But he's in a humiliating situation because he's blind. A blind person

always has to be led here and there by the hand. He couldn't be the king.

The desire was there to be the king, but he couldn't so throughout his whole

life he was in a humiliating situation. Noone exacerbated that, they didn't

insulted him. Everyone gave him respect and called him King. But actually he

couldn't be the king. It is the law of sastra a blind man cannot be the

king, because how can he fight? He has to fight, he has to protect. How can

he fight if he's blind?

 

Throughout life he was in a humiliating situation, but Vidura is pointing

that "You are in a more humiliating situation. You are sitting here eating,

just like a dog." He was so kind to Dhrtarastra that he called him like a

dog. So this is not very complimentary. In any country of the world, if you

someone calls you a dog, it's considered an insult. "Just like a dog you are

eating the scraps of food left over by Bhimasena." He specifically mentions

Bhimasena. "And even if you weren't, then just to remain at home all these

days attached to home comforts, then you can't. . . anyway you're blind from

birth, you can't digest properly, your teeth are falling out and you can't

hear properly and you are still attached to home. This is pathetic. You come

in a good dynasty, you're supposed to dedicate your life for the highest

cause, but you are still trying to enjoy sense gratification. You couldn't

properly enjoy sense gratification all your life. Now you have no strength.

You couldn't see properly at any time, you can't taste properly, you can't

digest properly, you can't hear properly, what are you trying to enjoy? You

are such a fool." He told him directly.

 

This time his words had effect. Throughout his life Dhrtarastra was hearing

these words, with an intermission of 36 years while Vidura was out. And he

came back and the same thing he said that he had been saying all his life.

"You're simply a fool, you're a krpana, you're a rascal. Why don't you

accept what is the proper advice?" But he couldn't due to "karpanya-doso",

due to being a miser. He had the karpanya-dosa, the fault of miserliness.

Miserliness means very narrow way of seeing, not seeing the broad picture,

not seeing that I am eternal spirit soul, I'm meant for serving Krsna, I'm

meant for acting in a manner that is beneficial to myself and others in

terms of eternality. But due to miserliness, narrow vision, he could only

think what is beneficial to me now in terms of this body.

 

But Vidura is pointing out. . . this body. Imagine. Poking him in his ribs.

"You're attached to this body, it's going to die soon. You are not going to

be in that body. Why are you attached to that body, smelly body. Don't be a

fool." He is telling him straightforwardly very mercifully. People don't

like to hear. We should hear. It's going to drop down dead soon.

 

What was the cause of all of the battle, so much distress again and again?

Sanjaya also told Dhrtarastra every day of the battle. Sanjaya was narrating

it to Dhrtarastra. Dhrtarasta was saying "Oh, now Bhisma has fallen, Drona

has fallen, Karna has fallen, Salya has fallen", one after another and he

would be lamenting "Oh, Abhimanyu has fallen, I'm so sorry to hear, this

young boy." And again and again Sanjaya would say "That's your fault, why

you are lamenting now? This is caused because you allowed this gambling

match to take place, because you allowed your son to insult the Pandavas, to

plot against them. It's all your fault, Don't be sorry now." Again and again

and again, "It's your fault." Very harsh but true.

 

Dhrarastra, at the end of life, what did he have to do but lament, but still

he's trying to enjoy. He himself was the cause of so much distress and still

he's thinking "Anyway, what to do? I will sit here and eat something and

listen to some music and live here." Still trying to enjoy, so much attached

to enjoyment, trying to enjoy this material situation. Just see how strong

is maya. There's nothing left for him to enjoy physically, socially, he's

humiliated. Still he is thinking "Let me try to enjoy this world".

 

Prabhupada explained that everyone is so much attached to his material

situation that if you take the worm out of stool, he won't think "Thank you

very much." He'll think "Why are you doing? It's my stool, I live here. It

is my home, it's my right. I can live here all my life, it's very nice

stool, tastes very nice, the best stool. What are you doing?" Organise a

protest immediately. He's attached. Everyone is attached. We are all

attached to our own stool. We are all attached to our body, a bag of stool.

 

"Today is my birthday!" (laughter) I told to my Temple President when I was

20 years old. "Oh, How many years old is your bag of stool?" he said. Very

kindly cut my illusion. But still we are attached to our bags of stool. Very

nice bag. But even the bag, at age 20, it might look a little bit nice, but

as it gets older it doesn't even look nice. But still we try, put some

colour in the hair, or if there's no hair, go to some quack who will tell

you that you can rub this oil on and get some new hair. And then put on

lipstick and makeup and so many different things. Do yoga, stay young.

Vitaman E tablets. Stay young, enjoy.

 

It's all going to be finished soon. Dhrtarastra is being advised, we are all

being advised. It's not going to last long. Whatever we think we have got is

not going to last long, whatever we're attached to. Prabhupada writes that

even a sannyasi can be attached to his waterpot. Material attachments, we

can be attached to our dhotis, our underwear. That story is there,

Ramanujacarya. All his big renounced sannyasis, and Ramanuja arranged for

all their kaupinas to be stolen. They were all upset, "Who stole our

kaupinas?" It's only a piece of cloth. They were all upset.

 

We all have our attachments. When are we going to give them up? We are all

ageing Dhrtarastras. Dhrtarastra knew Krsna is the Supreme Personality of

Godhead. He knew what is right. But he had no strength to do. He was so weak

he couldn't even think what is the right thing to do. He was just simply

living in the palace and he didn't think that I should get out of here, this

is the place of my attachment, I should go away, cut my attachments. He

didn't even think till Vidura came. And Vidura knew that it's not just a

matter of telling Dhrtarastra, "Well, why don't you just go to the forest?"

He had to cut, cut, his attachments with strong words.

 

kota nidra yao maya-pisacira kole

 

How long are we going to go on maintaining and nourishing our attachments,

pouring water on the material attachments? We do it all the time, nourishing

the plant of attachment that strangles the bhakti-lata, the creeper of

devotion, that cannot grow properly if we have material attachments. We

cannot be attached to Krsna if we are attached to "krsnetara", everything

that's conceived of, of not having a relationship with Krsna. There's

nothing but Krsna, but we think of something separate from Krsna. "I'll just

have a little enjoyment on the side, we are thinking. But that little

enjoyment, Prabhupada said, if we are attached to even eating one sweetball,

then we have to come back to this material world to eat it.

 

How is it possible to get rid of all these attachments. . . ? For most

people, it's advised that to give up our attachments we should also

cultivate them. That sounds contradictory, but if one is prematurely trying

to cut all attachments, then it may be that he will become more attached. If

one prematurely tries to renounce everything, "Now I'll give up all my

attachments," then usually what happens is they try for a short time and

then again fall into more degradation. So generally it's advised that one

should recognize the attachments and live with them in a manner that the

attachments can gradually be cut.

 

That means to adopt grhastha-asrama in which recognizing attachments are

there but at the same time cultivating detachment, especially this means

following the rules and regulations of devotional life and especially hear

from sadhus, whose only duty, as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarsavati Thakur

said, the only duty of sadhus is to cut the attachments by their sharp

words, unpleasant words. Actually it should be pleasant, but because we are

thinking this material world is pleasant, when we hear it's not pleasant, it

seems unpleasant to us. It actually should be very pleasant to hear, but we

are taking pleasure in that which is unpleasant, not having information of

or attachment to that which is our self-interest. We are

apasvartha-parayana, attached to that which is contradictory to our real

self-interest. We should go on hearing, hear Bhagavatam. In Bhagavatam there

are so many unpleasant informations. It should be pleasant, but if we

consider, it's very unpleasant to hear:

 

ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair

janasya moho 'yam aham mameti

 

We are tied up in this material world, the hard knot in the heart,

hrdaya-granthi. Tied up by the concept of I me and mine considered in terms

of home, family, wife, children, friends. Dhrtarastra is an example. So many

examples. Prabhupada said there was only one Dhrtarastra, now in every home

there are at least a few of them, so many Dhrtarastras in the sense of being

materially attached, but they're not so fortunate as Dhrtarastra that they

know who is Krsna. They didn't have association with Krsna, they're not

interested in Krsna. They are not fortunate that they have Vidura to come

and tell them why are you so attached, give it up, come to Krsna. So

devotees' duty is to be Vidura, not Dhrtarastra. Duty of devotees is to take

the role of Vidura. He's also grhastha, but he wasn't bewildered as a

Dhrtarastra. The devotees have the duty to go door to door, house to house

and tell people "Why are you so attached, get out of this home, surrender to

Krsna." Not a very easy task. You might even get arrested for trying.

 

Of course, we can give these books door to door. Extraordinary books, not

ordinary books. Prabhupada wanted that in these books the Sanskrit will be

inside, devanagari script. Why? To show this is original sastra, it's not an

ordinary book. We tell people this is a nice book and they'll open up the

book and find I am Dhrtarastra, I'm attached to this material world.

 

Every devotee should follow in the footsteps of Vidura. . . time up, please

finish. All right. Let us all finish our material attachments, it's easy to

say. It's easy to sit here and say give up material attachments. But unless

I say it how am I going to give up my own material attachments? So let us at

least cultivate giving up material attachments. Cultivate means some

practical activity has to be there, not, for instance in indulging in

"apasvartha": watching TV, listening to karmi music, even dovetailing our

Krsna consciousness with material things. There are so many things, that's

another subject. Anyway, time is up. Time is up for Dhrtarastra, it's now or

never. It's up for us to. We don't have much time. So Hare Krsna. (Haribols,

applause).

 

I'm looking for YSHSD, asking him if I can take a question or two. He signed

this YSHSD, means Hari Sauri Prabhu. Well, if he's gone then he can't tell

me off for going overtime. So if there's any question I can take, if anyone

wants. All right, can we get the mike to the lady in the back.

 

Mataji: Maharaja, I would like to express my feelings when I hear you

talking that we are all attached to our bag of stool. I just feel like going

to the Ganga and drowning, committing suicide. I'm sorry but I wanted to

express this. Every morning when I take a shower and prepare myself to come

here to the temple, I put tilaka on my body and what I'm thinking is I'm

decorating my body because it is a temple. Because I heard, it is not my own

concoction, I heard from my Guru Maharaja or Srila Prabhupada. So I just

want to express that for me it's such a contradiction, my body. . . .

 

Maharaja: Your body is fully engaged in Krsna service, so it's fully

spiritual. It's not a bag of stool. (cheers, applause) I'm speaking for my

own self-purification. Sorry if I offended anyone. My body is simply full of

stool. When I said we I should have said I. Sorry.

 

Mataji 2: Maharaja, what is the source of hrdaya-daurbalyam, and how to

overcome it.

 

Maharaja: The source of hrdaya-daurbalyam--the source of everything

inauspicious--is forgetfulness of Krsna. Actually we should have

hrdaya-sabalyam, full of strength. So to overcome it, well, that Krsna tells

in Bhagavad Gita that by getting knowledge we get strength:

 

jahi satrum maha-baho

 

We can get strength by understanding what is our actual situation. By

knowledge we get strength. By sat-sanga, and by. . . . sat-sanga means the

sadhus will give the knowledge what is correct and by their personal example

you'll get the inspiration to overcome weakness of heart.

 

Hare Krsna. Srimad Bhagavatam ki jai! His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada ki

jai! Hare Krsna.