Inquiries into the Absolute: Digest 55

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Digest 55, March 25, 2003

 

Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja

 

*** You are welcome to send in your questions to HH Romapada Swami at

iskcondc (AT) prastha (DOT) com with the word "Question" in the subject. ***

 

Karma

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Q.1) Is it a sin to kill a living entity like ant, mosquito, cockroach or

spider etc? They harm human beings by some means and because of this only one

would kill them. It is written in purport of BG 14.16 that one should not kill

any living entity. But, microorganisms (bacteria, virus) are always killed by

us and plants are also living entities. While I accept that one should not kill

animals for eating, but what about plants and bacteria and vermins? Does that

incur sin? Please clarify.

 

Answer:

Yes, killing any living entity knowingly, or even unknowingly, incurs sinful

reactions. The Supreme Lord is the supreme Father of all beings and every

living entity has the right to live in this world, just as we humans do. We do

not have the right, because of being in a superior life form, to needlessly

take the life of or even cause pain to any other living entity; rather as human

beings we are expected to show compassion to these innocent creatures. In fact,

Srimad Bhagavatam describes that it is the duty of a grihastha (householder) to

protect and maintain even the insects, lizards and other lower life forms as if

they were one's own children, what to speak of killing them! (Please refer SB

7.14.9)

 

We also hear of great saintly persons taking the trouble to not kill even some

insignificant ants crossing their path. It is the nature of a sadhu to be

compassionate and not harm anyone even if it meant bearing personal

inconvenience; and if there is an option to get rid of a troublesome living

entity without killing that should be preferred. Only when a living entity

poses a dangerous threat, then they may be killed. For instance, scriptures

sanction the killing of a snake or scorpion because these living entities are

very envious and will thus be relieved of their sinful bodies.

 

As you have indicated, it is impossible for an embodied living entity in the

material world to exist without unavoidably inflicting some difficulty upon

other embodied living entities. Just by one's very existence one kills many

micro-organisms even while harmlessly walking or just by breathing. Does this

mean that we should opt instead to go out of existence so as to escape these

sins, as some impersonlist schools propose? No. The solution is to purify our

existence. These unavoidable sinful reactions can be counteracted only by

dedicating our lives unto God's service and performing yajna (such as

sankirtana yajna, chanting the Lord's Holy Names). If one's very existence is

completey dedicated to the Lord, and one is not envious towards any living

entity but a well-wisher of all, then whatever one does becomes beneficial even

to the unseen microorganisms.

 

You cited the example of killing plants for food. Such an activity also incurs

sin, albeit relatively less sinful compared to killing of animals. But when a

devotee prepares food items and cooks for Krishna, offers the food to the Lord

and then partakes the prasadam, there is no sin incured for the devotees.

Conversely, the plants derive great spiritual benefit because of being offered

to the Lord's in devotion, and are thus promoted to higher forms of life than

would have been the case had natural death taken place instead.

 

Forms of God

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Q.2) Who is Hyagriva avatar? Are there more than one?

 

Answer:

There is not much detail about the Hayagriva Avatara in the Bhagavatam. He

killed Madhu and Kaitabha when they tried to steal the Vedas from Brahma. The

story is told differently in different Puranas. In the Matsya Purana Madhu and

Kaitabha confront Brahma and tell him that they are supreme and that they would

cover the entire universe with passion and ignorance. Brahma replies that

Visnu would kill them. Visnu then just grabs them by extending His arms right

from the place on His couch, has a short talk with them and then squeezes them

to death. In the Matsya this Visnu form is not described as Hayagriva. The

Bhagavatam, however, mentions Hayagriva or Hayasirsa at least twice in

connection with the killing of Madhu and Kaitabha. One recension of the

Ramayana tells that Madhu and Kaitabha were born from the ear-wax of

Maha-Visnu.

 

While the Bhagavatam does not mention the killing of Madhu and Kaitabha in

connection with Hayagriva described in SB 2.7.11, this is nevertheless the

passage that Rupa Gosvami chose for his description of the Hayagriva Avatara in

his Laghubhagavatamrta: "He (Hayagraiva), having appeared from the sacrificial

fire, killed the two Danavas Madhu and Kaitabha. Thereafter He returned the

Vedas to the lord of the goddess of speech (Vagisvari)."

 

There seems to be only one Hayagriva Avatara.

 

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----- Festivals over the next week ------

Mar 25 2003, Tuesday Appearance Sri Srivasa Pandita

Mar 28 2003, Friday Ekadasi Papamocani (Break fast 05:58-09:17) (Fast)

Mar 29 2003, Saturday Disappearance Sri Govinda Ghosh

 

*** NOTE: All times are for Washington D.C, USA, EST ***

For festival information for your city please go to http://www.iskcondc.org and

click on 'Calendar'

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