Sanyassi

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Isvara Prabhu, for the nice quotation. Here is another one on the

same topic, in which Kamadeva and along with other demigods reveals

something significant:

 

SB 11.4.9

 

"The demigods place many obstacles on the path of those who worship You to

transcend the temporary abodes of the demigods and reach Your supreme abode.

Those who offer the demigods their assigned shares in sacrificial

performances encounter no such obstacles. But because You are the direct

protector of Your devotee, he is able to step over the head of whatever

obstacle the demigods place before him."

 

PURPORT: The demigods, headed by Kamadeva, or Cupid, recognizing their

offense at the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, Nara-Narayana Rsi,

here point out the insignificant position of the demigods in relation to the

Supreme Lord. Just as a farmer must pay a specific percentage of his

agricultural profit to the king or political head as tax money, all human

beings must offer a percentage of their material wealth to the demigods in

sacrifice. In Bhagavad-gita, however, the Lord explains that the demigods

are also His servants and it is He Himself who awards all benedictions,

through the agency of the demigods. Mayaiva vihitan hi tan. Although a

Vaisnava, or devotee of the Lord, has no need to worship the demigods, the

demigods, being proud of their exalted material position, sometimes resent

the exclusive devotion of the Vaisnava to the Lord and thus try to cause the

devotee to fall down, as described in this verse (sura-krta bahavo

'ntarayah). But the demigods here point out that Krsna is directly the

protector of His devotees. Therefore, so-called impediments become stimuli

for further spiritual advancement for a sincere devotee.

 

The demigods here state, "We thought, our dear Lord, that we could disturb

Your consciousness by our foolish tricks. But by Your mercy even Your

devotees pay little regard to us, so why should You take our foolish

behavior seriously?" The word yadi here is used to indicate the certainty

that Krsna is always the protector of His surrendered devotees. Although

there may be many obstacles on the path of the sincere devotee who is

preaching the glories of the Lord, such obstacles increase the determination

of the devotee. Therefore, according to Srila Jiva Gosvami, the continuous

obstacles presented by the demigods form a kind of ladder or stairway upon

which the devotee steadily progresses back to the kingdom of God. A similar

verse appears in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.2.33):

 

tatha na te madhava tavakah kvacid

bhrasyanti margat tvayi baddha-sauhrdah

tvayabhigupta vicaranti nirbhaya

vinayakanikapa-murdhasu prabho

 

"O Madhava, Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord of the goddess of fortune,

if devotees completely in love with You sometimes fall from the path of

devotion, they do not fall like nondevotees, for You still protect them.

Thus they fearlessly traverse the heads of their opponents and continue to

progress in devotional service."