anartha nivrtti

[Guest guest]

Dear Vraja Kumara Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

I wanted to answer your very intelligent question on anartha-nivrtti on the

basis of the writings of Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura, but could'nt

do so earlier because of a paucity of time.

 

>In an initiation lecture given in 1968, Srila Prabhupada explained, "So by

>following the regulative principles one becomes freed from all these sinful

>activities. He does not any more indulge in illicit sex life, he does not

>indulge in nonvegetarian diet, he does not indulge in intoxication and he

>does not indulge in gambling. That is called

>anartha-nivrtti. Unless one is above these four kinds of anartha, or

>sinful activities, one cannot be fixed up. When one is free from these

>four kinds of sinful activities, then he becomes fixed up. Nistha, fixed

>up, and then ruci. Ruci means he increases the taste. Then asakti. Asakti

>means attachment."

>

>Obviously what Srila Prabhupada has said is final. What I was wondering is

>that if one is said to be on the nistha platform under the qualification as

>described above (ie. he follows the four regs.), then what can we say about

>one in that position who may still be afflicted with lust, anger, greed,

>madness, envy, pride etc.? I find it hard to see that one may be

>manifesting those qualities (me, for instance) and be considered to have

>nistha, ruci or even asakti, the preliminary stage of bhava.

 

Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura explains that the stage of

anartha-nivrtti consists of elimimation of four kinds of anarthas:

 

(1) Duskrtottha

Anarthas coming from one's past sinful activities leading to envy & anger

even while performing devotional service.

 

(2) Sukrtottha

Anarthas coming from one's past pious activities leading to a craving in the

heart for temporary sensual pleasure even while performing devotional

service.

 

(3)Aparadhottha

Anarthas coming from our offenses (basically nama-aparadhas). Most strong

anartha.

 

(4) Bhaktyuttha

Anarthas coming from devotional service like desires for profit, adoration &

distinction.

 

Now these four anarthas are mitigated in different proportions in the

different levels of bhakti. There are five stages for the eradication of

these four anarthas. They are:

 

(a) ekadesavarttini (partially) will be denoted as part

(b) bahu-desavarttini (substantially) will be denoted as subs

© prayiki (almost completely) will be denoted as al com

(d) purna (completely) will be denoted as com

(e) atyantiki (absolutely thoroughly) will be denoted as abs tho

 

Now lets make a chart:

 

Anarthas Bhajana Nistha Asakti Prema Face

Kriya (beginning) to face

 

 

Duskrtottha al com com abs tho --- ---

& Sukrtottha

 

Bhaktyuttha part com abs tho --- ---

 

 

APARADHOTTHA PART SUBS AL COM COM ABS THO

 

 

So after studying the table we can understand the process of anartha-nivrrti

continues upto the highest stages of prema as in the aparadhottha case.

 

>What I was wondering is

>that if one is said to be on the nistha platform under the qualification

>as described above (ie. he follows the four regs.), then what can we say

>about one in that position who may still be afflicted with lust, anger,

>greed, madness, envy, pride etc.? I find it hard to see that one may be

>manifesting those qualities (me, for instance) and be considered to have

>nistha, ruci or even asakti, the preliminary stage of bhava.

 

So being on the nistha, ruci or asakti platforms does not mean that one is

completely free from all anarthas. This lust, anger, greed, madness, envy &

pride are due to Duskrtottha, Sukrtottha & Bhaktyuttha (& even Aparadhottha)

anarthas. And these three are mitigated completely only on the satge of

asakti whereas the aparadhottha anartha even later.

 

So one need not be surprised that one may have anarthas in the heart even if

he is on the stage of nistha etc.

 

In this way we can understand in more depths from the writings of Srila

Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura and this corroborates with the words of Srila

Prabhupada. Prabhupada wanted to translate & comment on the Goswami

literature too.

 

Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai!!!

Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura Mahasaya Ki Jai!!!

Ananta Koti Vaisnava Vrnda Ki Jai!!!