Inquiries Into the Absolute: Digest 174, How can eternal associates ofLord Krsna have past pious activities?

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Digest 174, June 26th, 2006. Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja

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How can eternal associates of Lord Krsna have past pious activities?

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Q: In the purport to SB 1.15.46, Srila Prabhupada mentions that Pandavas

performed supreme pious work in this life and also in their previous lives. But

we have the understanding from Srila Prabhupad's books that when Krishna

appears in this material world to perform His pastimes, His eternal associates

also appear along with Him to assist in His pastimes. So, can you kindly

explain how the Pandavas, who are eternal associates of the Lord, have a

previous life sukriti?

 

I have similar doubt with respect to the life of Sri Narada Muni.

 

Answer: As eternal associates of the Lord, the Pandavas accompany the Lord

wherever the Lord appears within the material universes to participate in His

pastimes. Krishna reminds Arjuna that both Arjuna and He have passed many, many

lives which Arjuna has forgotten but the Lord has not. (Bg 4.5) In all such

births, the Pandavas remain liberated associates of the Lord, uncontaminated by

matter. Thus all their activities were supreme pious work, being on the

transcendental platform.

 

Bhaktivinoda Thakura identifies different categories of sukriti, viz. pious

work aimed at fruitive enjoyment (bhoga-unmukhi-sukriti); aimed towards

liberation (moksa-unmukhi-sukriti) and finally, pious action that awaken one's

devotion (bhakti-unmukhi-sukriti) which is the highest. Devotional activities

such as hearing & chanting about Krishna, serving His devotees etc constitute

this third type and are thus supreme pious work. [see Cc Madhya 22.45 purport]

 

One may mistakenly infer that although the Pandavas were very virtuous, their

tribulations might have been the consequence of sins in a previous life, but

this is refuted here by the above statement.

 

In the case of Sri Narada Muni, we understand from his personal account of his

past life how his association with the bhaktivedantas elevated him from the

position of an ordinary and obscure son of a maidservant to that of a

perfected, pure devotee. He offers this as a personal testimony to the fact

that anyone from any position in life can attain the perfection of pure

devotion. Once having attained spiritual perfection, past pious / impious

background becomes inconsequential. For further discussion on this topic, see

http://vcal.iskcondc.org/cgi-in/renderphilo.pl?digestname=digest138

 

There are many such examples in Bhagavatam which make it adequately clear that

perfection in devotion is not simply exclusive to eternal associates or

something to be admired but never to be achieved by common people.

 

 

Is Brahma-Samhita sruti?

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Q: Can you explain where in our Vedic Scriptures does Brahma Samhita comes

under? Does it come under pancaratra, or directly under Shruti?

 

Answer: The different Samhitas, like the Upanishads, are part of the 4 Vedas,

and thus come under Shruti. They form the portion of the Vedas that comprise

the mantras.

 

 

Factors of Karma and Free-will

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Question: As it said in Bhagawad geeta Ch 3 Text 27 everything is under the

control of three modes of nature or the Supreme Lord we under the false ego

think that we are the doers. not even a blade of grass move without His will.

Bg. Ch 18 Text 14 also says in 5 things are require for any action to be done

and in that the doer is one of them. my question is that than how the free will

works? if any thing good or bad happens how is the doer responsible for that

particuler act since everything is controlled by Krsna. second question is that

do we get our modes according to our previous karma and that mode forces us to

do particular kind of karma.

 

i understand that devotees are under direct control of spiritual energy of the

Lord whereas maya devi acts on non devotee that means always we are under

control of our previous Karma and we have to act accordingly. so how does a

person is reponsible for any act in this life.

 

Answer: We have discussed similar questions on karma and free-will and

predestination in previous issues, digests 4, 70, 78. Please see the following

link: http://vcal.iskcondc.org/cgi-bin/renderphilo.pl?ndx=132

 

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Responses to some very frequently asked questions (Karma, free-will, demigods,

Lord Siva, why are we here, how to control the mind, Deity worship, marriage,

Jesus Christ, spiritual and material relationships and morality of Lord Krsna's

conjugal pastimes, spiritual master, spirit soul/jiva/living entity):

http://vcal.iskcondc.org/cgi-bin/renderphilo.pl?digestname=digest999_faq

 

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