The Deity is real

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna Prabhu,

The following is a Story told by Srila Prabhupada in Sweden during Srimad

Bhagavatam class

Çrémad-Bhägavatam 5.5.1-8

Stockholm, September 8, 1973

 

.........When you come to the temple, don't think that "Here is a picture of Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu or Radha-Krsna." They are not picture. You should know

that personally they are present. You'll realize the personal presence by

the quality of your devotional service. If your devotional service quality

is not first class, then it will take time to realize that here is

personally Krsna or Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu or the acaryas are present

here. It is a question of realization. The more you strictly follow the

regulative principles, chant sixteen rounds regularly, the more you'll

realize.

 

Because God, Krsna, is omnipotent. He can accept your service. He can bless

you even from the picture. That is God's potency. If you think that this

is just like ordinary picture... Ye yatha mam prapadyante [bg. 4.11]. You

know the story of Saksi-gopala in the Caitanya-caritamrta. The..., a

atheist is thinking that "Here is a stone statue." And the devotee is

thinking that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." It is a

question of quality of advancement. The story, I may recite, that two

brahmanas, one young and one old, went to Vrndavana. So the younger

brahmana, young man, he served this old man on the way. It is the duty,

still in India, if there is any old man... It is not now decreasing. And

if there is young man, the young man is always ready to help the old man.

So at Vrndavana, after reaching, the young man and the old man, the old

man felt very much obliged... (aside:) Why this sound? Huh? Felt obliged

to the young man, and he said, "My dear boy, you have served me so nicely;

without your help, I could not come. So I have got some obligation to you.

I want to reward you." (aside:) Stop that sound. So (the) young man said,

"Sir, why you are thinking like that? It is my duty. You are just like my

father; whatever service possible, I have given you. There is no question

of rewarding me." Actually, that is not service. If we serve somebody and

with expectation of some reward, that is not service, that is business.

 

So the old man said, "No, I feel myself." So he said that "My youngest

daughter I'll give you." So he said, "Sir, don't say like that, because

you are rich man. I am poor man." Because in India, still, the father,

parents, they arrange for marriage. So they want equal status. If the

father of the girl is rich man, then he must find out a son-in-law who is

coming also from rich family. If he's educated, he wants a son-in-law who

must be educated. So this young man was neither very much educated, nor at

all rich. But this old man was aristocrat, rich man, and educated,

complete different. The young man said that "Why you are promising like

this? You do not know you are talking before the Deity. You should not

talk like that. Because it will not be possible. Even though you agree,

your sons, your wife will not agree. So it will be failure and you are

talking before the Deity, you should be careful." So the old insisted,

"No, maybe they protest, but it is my daughter, I shall give you. Who can

protest? I promise." So the young man said, "Now, it is up to you, but you

are promising before the Deity. Mind that."

 

So in this way, when they returned home, one day the old man, before his

wife and son, said, "My dear son, my dear wife, this girl should be

offered to that young man." He was same village. "What is this? How this

daughter can be offered to such poor man? He's not very educated." The old

man said: "No, it doesn't matter. I have promised." The boy, his eldest

son, said, "No, no, it cannot be." And the wife said that "If you give my

daughter to that boy, then I shall commit suicide." He was perplexed. Now

what to do? So he was thinking and praying to Krsna, "Sir, I have promised

before You. You kindly help me so that they may not commit suicide and I

may also offer my daughter to that boy. You have to arrange for that." And

Krsna has got such contradictory duties. He has to protect the thief, as

well as the man where theft is being done. You see. Because everyone is

praying, "Sir, my things may not be stolen." And the thief is also

praying, "Please give me some opportunity so that I can steal." And Krsna

has to satisfy both.

 

So in this way, the young man, he saw that this old man promised before

Lord Krsna, Gopalaji, and he's now silent. So one day he came, and the son

of the old man, he was very politician, atheist class. So when the father

said, "I have promised. How can I deny?No, when there will be some talk

about this you simply say, 'I don't remember what I said,' that's all.

Then I shall manage. I shall manage." So what can be done? Although he did

not like to say like that, but he has to see both sides. So one day the

young man came, "Sir, you promised, now you are silent, you do not do

anything. What is in your mind?" So when he was talking with the old man

like that, his son came out, "You rascal, you want to marry my sister? Are

you fit for that?" So all ill names. And he brought a stick: "Get out;

otherwise I shall beat you like that."

 

Then other neighborhood men said, "What is the trouble?" So he said that

"This man, this young man, went with my father to Vrndavana. He took all

his money by giving him intoxication. And now he's talking that my father

has promised to give my sister to him. Do you think it is possible?" So

all the neighborhood men said, "Yes, he's very rich man, How this poor man

can be...? Maybe he has taken his money." So the young man said, "No, sir!

He has promised before... I am not very much anxious to marry his daug

hter. But I'm simply anxious that he promised before the Deity. So how is

that he can withdraw the promise? It is a great offense." He's thinking in

that way. So in the meantime his son came out, "All right, if the Deity

has become witness, if you can bring the Deity here and He gives witness:

'Yes, my father promised,' then I also promise that my sister will be

married with you." Because he's atheist, he's thinking that "Deity is not

going to come here. How He can come and from such a long distant place? T

his is impossible. This crazy man may say that Deity has become witness,

but it is not possible." So he said, "All right, I'm going to Vrndavana to

bring the witness."

 

So he went there again and... He knows that He is Supreme Personality of

Godhead personally. He does not know that He is Deity. He's Deity, but

He's Supreme Personality of Godhead. "Sir, if Your devotee... I know that

old man is Your devotee, but he is now perplexed on account of his son and

wife. So You have to go with me and say yes, this promise was made before

You, to become witness." So Gopalaji said, "How I can go? Do you think a

marble Deity can go anywhere?" So he was devotee, he said, "Yes, marble

Deity, if He can speak, He can go also." Then He could not say anything. By

logic, Krsna was defeated. Yes. "Sir, if You can speak You can go also. So

You have to go.All right. So I'll go with you, but don't see back. I'll

go, rest assured. And you'll hear the tinkling sound of My ankle bell, so

you'll know I am coming. Daily you offer Me one kilo rice on the way. I

shall go."

 

So when the Deity reached almost, say, one mile away from the village, the

ankle bell, tinkling of the ankle bell was not heard. So he was very much

anxious, whether He has not come. He saw backside, he saw Deity is there.

So he said, "Sir..." Now the Deity said, "Now I shall not go. Because I

told you that don't see back side. So you have seen now backside. I am

here, of course. But I cannot go any further." So he informed in the

village that "My Gopalaji witness has come. You come here." So all the

village people immediately came there and saw the big Deity, Gopalaji's

there. So they could understand that it is not possible to carry this

Deity from such a long distance. He has brought it. It was hundreds of, at

least thousand miles. So they accepted: "Yes, Deity has come." And the

marriage was performed. Then a temple was constructed by the king of that

country. So again the maharaja, king of Jagannatha Puri, conquered that

country, and he was a devotee. He took away the Deity. The Deity is still

there near Jagannatha Puri. He is known as Saksi-gopala, the witness

Gopala. Still people go and see.

 

So the atheist class man will always think that Deity is a doll: "These

people, crazy fellow, they are worshiping doll." But not for a devotee.

For a devotee, the Deity is prepared to talk, and offer His blessings. So

therefore, we should consider either the picture or the Deity not as such,

 

*****

 

Your humble servant,

Hrimati dasi