Those In Lower Modes Must Improve Themselves (That Means Me)

[Guest guest]

Venerable Prabhus,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

(not for politically 'correct' eyes/ears lest we disturb)

 

SB 5.26.23:

 

ye tv iha vai vrishali-patayo nashta-saucacara-niyamas tyakta-lajjah

pasu-caryam caranti te capi pretya puya-vin-mutra-sleshma-mala-purnarnave

nipatanti tad evatibibhatsitam asnanti

 

The shameless husbands of lowborn sudra women live exactly like animals, and

therefore they have no good behavior, cleanliness or regulated life. After

death, such persons are thrown into the hell called Puyoda, where they are

put into an ocean filled with pus, stool, urine, mucus, saliva and similar

things. Sudras who could not improve themselves fall into that ocean and are

forced to eat those disgusting things.

 

PURPORT

 

Srila Narottama dasa Thakura has sung,

 

karma-kanda, jnana-kanda, kevala vishera banda,

amrita baliya yeba khaya

nana yoni sada phire, kadarya bhakshana kare,

tara janma adah-pate yaya

 

He says that persons following the paths of karma-kanda and jnana-kanda

(fruitive activities and speculative thinking) are missing the opportunities

for human birth and gliding down into the cycle of birth and death. Thus

there is always the chance that he may be put into the Puyoda Naraka, the

hell named Puyoda, where one is forced to eat stool, urine, pus, mucus,

saliva and other abominable things. It is significant that this verse is

spoken especially about sudras. If one is born a sudra, he must continually

return to the ocean of Puyoda to eat horrible things. Thus even a born sudra

is expected to become a brahmana; that is the meaning of human life.

Everyone should improve himself.

 

Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita (4.13), catur-varnyam maya srishtam

guna-karma-vibhagasah: "According to the three modes of material nature and

the work ascribed to them, four divisions of human society were created by

Me." Even if one is by qualification a sudra, he must try to improve his

position and become a brahmana. No one should try to check a person, no

matter what his present position is, from coming to the platform of a

brahmana or a Vaishnava. Actually, one must come to the platform of a

Vaishnava. Then he automatically becomes a brahmana. This can be done only

if the Krishna consciousness movement is spread, for we are trying to

elevate everyone to the platform of Vaishnava. As Krishna says in

Bhagavad-gita (18.66), sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja:

"Abandon all other duties and simply surrender unto Me." One must give up

the occupational duties of a sudra, kshatriya or vaisya and adopt the

occupational duties of a Vaishnava, which include the activities of a

brahmana.

 

Krishna explains this in Bhagavad-gita (9.32):

 

mam hi partha vyapasritya

ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah

striyo vaisyas tatha sudras

te 'pi yanti param gatim

 

"O son of Pritha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower

birth - women, vaisyas [mercahnts], as well as sudras [workers] - can

approach the supreme destination." Human life is specifically meant for

going back home, back to Godhead. That facility should be given to everyone,

whether one be a sudra, a vaisya, a woman or a kshatriya. This is the

purpose of the Krishna consciousness movement. However, if one is satisfied

to remain a sudra, he must suffer as described in this verse: tad

evatibibhatsitam asnanti.

 

SB 5.17.11 purport:

 

Brahmanas are supposed to acquire six kinds of auspicious qualifications:

they become very learned scholars (pathana) and very qualified teachers

(pathana); they become expert in worshiping the Lord or the demigods

(yajana), and they teach others how to execute this worship (yajana); they

qualify themselves as bona fide persons to receive alms from others

(pratigraha), and they distribute the wealth in charity (dana).

 

--------------------

 

Nice conference! Maybe I'll fit in here with my heavy Srila Prabhupada

quotes? (Sadly many devotees can get upset with them - mabye its in my

delivery? Isn't that a secondary consideration though?)

 

Also some anumana pramana from my feeble intelligence:

 

Conversely, wouldn't it stand to reason that degregation could not take

place individually/collectively if one's association with the modes were not

deteriorative? We have an abundance of instruction from Srila Prabhupada

regarding this tendency as well as direct experience so I think it can be

safely concluded that in this lifetime one's nature can change according to

association with the modes in terms of degredation. Couldn't we also then

accept that in this lifetime our nature can improve through the method of

proper living and acting (as in BG 3.37 Purport) ? :

 

"Wrath is the manifestation of the mode of ignorance; these modes exhibit

themselves as wrath and other corollaries. If, therefore, the mode of

passion, instead of being degraded into the mode of ignorance, is elevated

to the mode of goodness by the prescribed method of living and acting, then

one can be saved from the degradation of wrath by spiritual attachment."

 

Srila Prabhupada Saviour Of The Most Fallen ki jaya!

 

(Please don't kick me out of this conference - I need this kind of

association badly.)

 

Your servant,

Ekendra das

http://www.gopala.org/

---------------------------

shriman-mauktikadama-baddha-chikuram susmera-chandrananam

shri-khandaguru-charu-chitra-vasanam srag-divya-bhashanchitam

nrityavesha-rasanumoda-madhuram kandarpa-veshojjvalam

caitanyam kanaka-dyutim nija-janaih samsevyamanam bhaje

 

I worship Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is being served by all His devotees

and associates; whose hair is bound with strings of pearls; on whose

moonlike face is the nectar of His gentle smile. His beautiful golden body

is covered with lovely garments and various shining ornaments. He is so

charming, being absorbed as He is in the enjoyment of sweet mellows in

dancing, and is more splendid in His dress than even Cupid himself."

 

 

 

 

>

> Mithila (das) PVS (London - UK) [Mithila.PVS (AT) pamho (DOT) net]

> Tuesday, 7 June 2005 10:27 AM

> Mahadyuti (das) ACBSP (TP Soho St. London - UK); Yogindra (das) ACBSP

> (Stockholm - SE); Prabhupada Said

> Can "nature" change?

>

> The association of the living entity with the different modes of nature

> has

> been going on perpetually; since the living entity is in contact with

> material nature, he acquires different types of mentality according to his

> association with the material modes. But this nature can be changed if one

> associates with a bona fide spiritual master and abides by his rules and

> the

> scriptures. Gradually, one can change his position from ignorance to

> goodness, or from passion to goodness. The conclusion is that blind faith

> in

> a particular mode of nature cannot help a person become elevated to the

> perfectional stage. One has to consider things carefully, with

> intelligence,

> in the association of a bona fide spiritual master. Thus one can change

> his

> position to a higher mode of nature.

> Bg 17.2

>

> -----------------------

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