Heroes

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Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.25.25 purport

 

Every living entity is a hero in two ways. When he is a victim of

the illusory energy, he works as a great hero in the material world, as a

great leader, politician, businessman, industrialist, etc., and his heroic

activities contribute to the material advancement of civilization. One can

also become a hero by being master of the senses, a gosvami. Material

activities are false heroic activities, whereas restraining the senses from

material engagement is great heroism.

 

However great a hero one may be in the material world, he can be

immediately conquered by the lumps of flesh and blood known as the breasts

of women. In the history of material activities there are many examples,

like the Roman hero Antony, who became captivated by the beauty of

Cleopatra. Similarly, a great hero in India named Baji Rao became a victim

of a woman during the time of Maharashtrian politics, and he was defeated.

 

From history we understand that formerly politicians used to employ

beautiful girls who were trained as visha-kanya. These girls had poison

injected into their bodies from the beginning of their lives so that in due

course of time they would become so immune to the poison and so poisonous

themselves that simply by kissing a person they could kill him. These

poisonous girls were engaged to see an enemy and kill him with a kiss. Thus

there are many instances in human history of heroes who have been curbed

simply by women. Being part and parcel of KŠa, the living entity is

certainly a great hero, but due to his own weakness he becomes attracted to

the material features.

 

It is said in the Prema-vivarta that when a living entity wants to

enjoy material nature, he is immediately victimized by the material energy.

A living entity is not forced to come into the material world. He makes his

own choice, being attracted by beautiful women. Every living entity has the

freedom to be attracted by material nature or to stand as a hero and resist

that attraction. It is simply a question of the living entity’s being

attracted or not being attracted. There is no question of his being forced

to come into contact with material energy.

 

One who can keep himself steady and resist the attraction of

material nature is certainly a hero and deserves to be called a gosvami.

Unless one is master of the senses, he cannot become a gosvami. The living

entity can take one of two positions in this world. He may become a servant

of his senses, or he may become master of them. By becoming a servant of the

senses, one becomes a great material hero, and by becoming master of the

senses, he becomes a gosvami, or spiritual hero.