Children In Krishna Consciousness

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Children In Krishna Consciousness

 

BY SRILA A. C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA

 

 

— (Veda Base 720601SB.LA)

 

sa vai bhagavato raja

pandaveyo maha-rathah

bala-kridanakaih kridan

krsna-kridam ya adade

[sB 2.3.15]

 

Translation: "Maharaja Pariksit, the grandson of the Pandavas, was from his very childhood a great devotee of the Lord. Even while playing with dolls, he used to worship Lord Krsna by imitating the worship of the family Deity."

 

Prabhupada:

 

Krsna-kridam. Bala-kridanakaih kridan krsna-kridam ya adade. This is the facility of taking birth in a Vaisnava family. Children, simply by playing with Krsna, they become Krsna conscious. Some way or other, if somebody comes in contact with Krsna, then his life becomes successful. So this krsna-yoga, bhakti-yoga, can be practiced even by a child without interfering with his natural propensities. A child naturally wants to play, so he can play with Krsna Deity. We had the opportunity of doing that. My father was worshiping Krsna Deity. So I wanted to imitate him, and he gave me small Deity. That Deity is still worshiped. My sister and myself, whatever we were eating, we were offering exactly the same arcana. And father used to encourage. This Ratha-yatra and Radha-Go.(?) Krsna temple which we are propagating, it was, from the very beginning of our life, was initiated by our parents. So anyone can initiate his child to this Krsna consciousness understanding from th e very beginning.

 

Without any education, without any knowledge. There is no need of high-grade knowledge or education to understand Krsna consciousness. It is already there in everyone's heart. As it is stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta, krsna-bhakti nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha. It is eternally a fact. Krsna-bhakti nitya-siddha. Nitya means eternally, and siddha... It is not to be realized, it is already there. Nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti sadhya kabhu naya. It is not that one has to learn it artificially by some gymnastic. No. Natural. Just like the children here, they are also dancing with their parents. They are offering flower, trying to imitate how to chant. Naturally. And they are very much pleased. So similarly, in our Dallas school, if these things are introduced, krsna-krida ... I have already suggested how they can be engaged in krsna-krida. So some way or other, they should be engaged in krsna-krida. It doesn't matter whether one understands it or not understands it.

 

It is just like touchstone or infection. You know or do not know, it will act. Because kesna-bhakti, love for Krsna, is there in everyone's heart. If it is not so, how you all young boys and girls are taking very seriously? It is a question of two, three years, or less than that, our students are joining, but they are becoming first-class krsna-bhaktas, devotees. Even in India, they also are surprised that how these Europeans and Americans are coming to such nice Krsna consciousness. Not only Europeans, Americans, but Africans also. This is the proof that love for Krsna is there in everyone's heart. That is stated by Caitanya-caritamrta karaca, Krsnadasa Kaviraja. Krsna-bhakti nitya-siddha. Eternally, it is a fact. Simply it has to be awakened. Just like attraction for the opposite sex. A girl or a boy. That is natural. It is not unnatural. It has... Nobody goes to a school and colleges how to love, how to be attracted by young man. No. It doesn't require any education.

 

The natural instinct is already there. When the boy and the girl are grown up, naturally the attraction is there, spontaneous. Similarly, he has to be, they have to be brought up in the proper situation. In India, therefore, early marriage is recommended, according to sastra. According to Vedic civilization, a girl, before attaining puberty, must be married. There are so many injunctions about that. And the responsibility is of the father, or, in the absence of father, the elderly members or brothers. It is called kanya-daya. Kanya-daya means it is the obligation. You cannot avoid it. You can avoid the marriage of your son, but you cannot avoid the marriage of your daughter. That is Vedic injunction. Of course, when the marriage of daughter is there, there must be one boy. That is understood. But special care is taken for daughter's marriage, some way or other. If he has no money, he begs from friends and gets his daughter married. This is system. Because there is time.

 

It will be hankering. There will be hankering for sex. So if there is ready husband, then the girl is sent. That is the psychology. So our point is that as this hankering after sex or the opposite sex is natural, it doesn't require to be educated, similarly, krsna-bhakti is also natural. It is not that because we have established this temple and people are here... Of course, there is practice, but that practice is also very simple. Simply you have to hear. That's all. It doesn't require any gymnastic. Just like in other yogic process, haha-yoga, you have to learn so many things: yama, niyama, dhyana, dharana, asana, pranayama, so many things. But here there is no need. Simply sit down and hear about Krsna. That's all. But that hearing must be from a person who is realized. Then it will act. Krsna-bhakti nitya-siddha sadhya kabhu naya, sravanadi-suddha-citte. By hearing, the more your heart will be cleansed of all material infection, you will understand what is Krsna.

 

In dirty heart you cannot. Therefore to cleanse the heart it is required that you regularly hear. Therefore we are holding this class, chanting Hare Krsna or about Krsna. Kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31]. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that we must hear about Krsna twenty-four hours. Not that a particular time I hear and then stop. Don't stop. Mold your life in such a way that you... Just like Pariksit Maharaja. From the very beginning of life, taught krsna-kridam. Read purport.

 

Pradyumna: "In the Bhagavad-gita (6.41) it is stated that even a person who has failed in the proper discharge of yoga practice is given a chance to take birth in the house of devout brahmaas or in the houses of rich men like ksatriya kings or rich merchants. But Maharaja Pariksit was more than that because he was a great devotee of the Lord since his previous birth, and as such he took his birth in an imperial family of the Kurus, and especially that of the Pandavas. So from the very beginning of his childhood he had the chance of knowing intimately the devotional service of Lord Krsna in his own family. The Pandavas, all being devotees of the Lord, certainly venerated family Deities in the royal palace for worship. Children who appear in such families fortunately..."

 

Prabhupada: People still, in India, those who are rich men, they have got their family temple Deities. One temple is there in Kanpur. The family members, they are very rich. The rule is that if the family members do not come in the temple to offer obeisances to the Deity, they'll be fined. The mother, the head of the family... Mother is still living. She has imposed this law, that "Any of my children or grandchildren, if he or she does not visit the temple, then according to this rule, this fine should be realized from them." So if somebody misses to go in the temple one day, the priest presents the bill: "Sir, you have been fined five rupees." (Laughter) So they pay. Yes. So we should also enforce that rule. Anyone who is not attending ma"gala-rati should be fined. (laughter) And the fine should be that he must sell one Krsna book. (laughter) Is that all right?

 

Devotees: Jaya!

 

Prabhupada: Yes. Go on.

 

Pradyumna: "Children who appear in such families fortunately generally imitate such worship of the Deities, even in the way..." Prabhupada: Children's nature is to imitate, because they have to learn. So nature has given them the propensity to imitate. So the first imitation begins from the parents. So if the parent is nice Krsna devotee, naturally the children become devotees. That is the opportunity of taking birth in a Vaisnava family. So you are all Vaisnavas. If your children do not become Vaisnava in the future, then it is a great, I meant to say, fault on your part. So you should be very cautious, careful, that children are not going astray, they are becoming actually Krsna conscious. That means you have to imitate, er, you have to be devotee, and they will imitate. By imitation, imitation, imitation, they will come to Krsna consciousness. Then they will never give it up. Go on.

 

Pradyumna: "By the grace of Lord Sri Krsna, we had the chance of being born in a Vaisnava family, and in our childhood we imitated the worship of Lord Krsna by imitating our father, and our father encouraged us in all respects to observe all functions such as Ratha-yatra and Dola-yatra ceremonies, and he used to spend money liberally for distributing prasada to us children and our friends. Our spiritual master, who also took his birth in a Vaisnava family, got all inspirations from his great Vaisnava father Thakura Bhaktivinoda. That is the way of all lucky Vaisnava families. The celebrated Mira Bhai was a staunch devotee of Lord Krsna as the great lifter of Govardhana Hill. The life history of many such devotees is almost the same because there is always symmetry between the early lives of all great devotees of the Lord. According to Jiva Gosvami, Maharaja Pariksit must have heard about the childhood pastimes of Lord Krsna in Vrndavana, for he used to imitate the pastimes wi th his young playmates.

 

According to Sridhara Svami, Maharaja Pariksit used to imitate the worship of the family Deity by elderly members. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti also confirms the viewpoint of Jiva Gosvami. So accepting either of them, Maharaja Pariksit was naturally inclined to Lord Krsna from his very childhood, and he might have imitated either of the above-mentioned procedures, and all of them established his great devotion from his very childhood, a symptom of a maha-bhagavata. Such maha-bhagavatas are called nitya-siddhas, or souls liberated from birth. But there are also others who may not be liberated from birth but who develop a tendency for devotional service by association, and they are called sadhana-siddhas. There is no difference between the two in the ultimate issue, and so the conclusion is that everyone can become a sadhana-siddha, a devotee of the Lord, simply by association with the pure devotees. The concrete example is our great spiritual master Sri Narada Muni. In his previous life he was simply a boy of a maidservant, but through association with great devotees he became a devotee of the Lord in his own standard, unique in the history of devotional service."

 

Prabhupada: So this is the difference between sdhana-siddha and nitya-siddha. Gaurangera sangi-gane, nitya-siddha kari' mane, se yaya vrajendra-suta-pasa. Gauda-mandala-bhumi, yeba jane cintamani, tara haya vrajabhume vasa. So nitya-siddha means he has no chance to forget Krsna. That is called nitya-siddha. And sadhana-siddha means by following the regulative principles, the rules and regulations, one revives his Krsna consciousness. Both things are siddha because you cannot revive Krsna consciousness without being Krsna conscious. It may be covered. So nitya-siddha means he does not get covered by the influence of material nature about his natural devotional tendency to serve Krsna. He never becomes covered. This is difference. Krsna gives him chance to get birth in such a family. Just like Pariksit Maharaja, that he never gets the chance of forgetting Krsna. So one who does not get the chance of forgetting Krsna is called nitya-siddha. This is the difference.

 

And sadhana-siddha means one has forgotten Krsna. That is the position of all materialistic men. Every one of us forgotten. But even though forgotten, the thing is there. It has to be awakened only. And the awakening process is hearing. Just like you are out of your family touch for many years. Practically, you have forgotten. Now, if somebody comes to you, some friend, "Do you remember your child, when he came out, he was such little, and now he is grown-up? Now he's this, that, so on." If for some days this topics of the family is... then again he becomes attracted: "Let me go and see." It is natural. Similarly, anyone who has forgotten Krsna somehow or otherthe cause may be so manybut if he is given chance to hear about Krsna... Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah.

 

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah

punya-sravana-kirtanah

hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani

vidhunoti suhrt satam

[sB 1.2.17]

 

As soon as somehow or other one begins to hear about Krsna. Either by his natural inclination or by chance or any way, he comes to hear about Krsna, attempts hearing about Krsna, then... Krsna is within everyone's heart, Paramatma. So Krsna helps him immediately. Krsna helps both ways. If you want to forget Krsna, Krsna will help you with that, so that you will be able to forget Krsna. Similarly, if you want to revive your lost relationship with Krsna again, Krsna will help you.

 

These things are stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Tesam nityabhiyuktanam. Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam [bg. 10.10]. One who is engaged twenty-four hours in rendering service to the Lord with faith and devotion, bhajatam ... Bhajatam, this word is used. Bhaja, seva, service. Bhaja sevaya. Every verbal root has got particular meaning. When this bhajatam, bhajana ... Just we call bhajana. Bhajana means serving the Lord. So bhajatam, one who is engaged always. Tesam nitya, satata-yuktanam. Twenty-four hours he's engaged. In that stage, Krsna is become, Krsna is very pleased upon you: "No, now he has taken to My service. He's engaged twenty-four hours. All right, let Me give some instruction."

 

So Krsna (is) within you. So srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravaa-kirtanah [sB 1.2.17]. One profit is, by hearing about Krsna, he becomes gradually sinless, simply by hearing. Unless we are sinful, we don't come into the material world. So we have to become sinless before going back to home, back to Godhead. Because kingdom of God ... God is pure, the kingdom is pure. No impure living entity can enter there. So one has to become pure. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Yesam anta-gatam papam. "One who has completely been freed from all sinful reaction of his life," yesam tv anta-gatam papam jananam punya-karmanam, "and always engaged in pious activities, no more sinful activities..." So this Krsna consciousness movement is that once he's given chance to erase all the sinful activities and keeping himself intact: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling. If we follow these regulations, then after initiation, all my sins are washed off. And if I keep myself in that washed-off position, then where is the question of becoming sinful again?

 

But once washed off... You take your bath and again take the dust and throw on your bodythat process will not help. If you say, "I take again wash and again throw," then what is the use of washing? Wash off. Once washed off, now keep yourself in that washed-off condition. That is required. So that will be possible if you keep yourself constantly in touch with Krsna by hearing about Him. That's all. You have to remain uncontaminated. And that is punya-sravana-kirtanah. If you hear about Krsna, then punya, you will be always in pious position.

 

Punya-sravana-kirtanah. Either you chant or... Therefore our recommendation is always chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. So we should be careful about our slipping down again into the sinful activity. Everyone should be careful and keep oneself in the chanting process. Then he's all right. So srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [sB 1.2.17]. And gradually, as you go on hearing about Krsna, the all the dirty things within the heart will be cleansed.

 

The dirty things are that "I am a material body; I am American; I am Indian; I am Hindu; I am Muslim; I am this; I am that." These are all different types of covering of the soul. The uncovered soul is fully conscious that "I am eternal servant of God." That's all. One has no other identification. That is called mukti. When one comes to the understanding that "I am eternal servant of Kesna, God, and my only business is to serve Him," that is called mukti. Mukti does not mean that you will have another two hands, another two legs. No. The same thing, simply it is cleansed. Just like a man is suffering from fever. The symptoms are so many, but as soon as the fever is not there, then all the symptoms gone. So our, this fever in this material world is sense gratification. Sense gratification. This is the fever. So when we become engaged in Krsna consciousness, this sense gratification business ceases. That is the difference. That is the test how you are becoming advanced in Krsna consciousness.

 

Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat [sB 11.2.42]. That is the test. So because this disease is called bhava-roga... Bhava-roga means again and again taking birth, bhava-roga. But if we take the medicine, bhavauadhi. Everything is there in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Bhava-roga, the disease of repeated birth and death in the material world, and the chanting of Hare Krsna mantra is bhavausadhi, the medicine to cure this bhava-roga. Bhavausadhac chrotra-mano-'bhiramat ka uttamasloka-gunanuvadat virajyeta puman vina pasughnat [sB 10.1.4]. Nivrtta-tarsair upagiyamanat. There are very nice verses in Bhagavatam. Nivrtta-tarsair upagiyamanat. This chanting of the holy name of Krsna, or God, is possible by a person who is disgusted with all these material activities. They can actually chant. That means mukta-purusa, liberated soul. It is ... The chanting of Hare Krsna mantra is the business of liberated soul, not for the conditioned soul. But even in our conditioned life, we chant , we become gradually purified.

 

Therefore it is recommended that everyone should chant. Never mind. Nama om apavitrah pavitro va yah smaret pundarikaksam. Anyone who remembers the Pundarikaksa. By chanting, you'll remember. So nivrtta-tarsair upagiyamanad bhavausadhat [sB 10.1.4]. It is the medicine for our, this bhava-roga, repeated birth and ... Such a nice thing. Nivrtta-tarsair upagiyamanad bhavausadhac chrotra-mano-'bhiramat. Not only it is medicine ... Medicine is always bitter. But it is not bitter. Mano 'bhiramat. It is very pleasing to the mind, to the senses. Otherwise, how we become ecstatic in chanting unless it is pleasing? It is medicine, but pleasing medicine. Other medicines, they are very bitter. If you practice yoga, oh, you have to take so much labor. And that, you do not know whether you'll be successful or not, hatha-yoga. And if you take to jnana, that also requires much education, much understanding of philosophy. So they actually, although they are medicine, but they are bitter medic ine.

 

Not very palatable. Neither everyone can take it. A child cannot become a jnani. A child cannot become a yogi. But a child can become a bhakta. Therefore this is the easiest process. Pleasing. Everyone is pleased to execute this process. Nivrtta-tarsair upagiyamanad bhavausadhac chrotra-mano-'bhiramat [sB 10.1.4]. Mano-'bhiramat. Even for ordinary men who wants to hear about conjugal love... They read therefore so many novels, fiction, dramas. What is that? The love affairs between one young man, one young girl. But that is also there, Krsna, Radha-Krsna. In that sense also, it is pleasing.

 

Even to the ordinary man. So, mano 'bhiramat, it is very pleasing. Nivrtta-tarsaih... For philosophers it is also pleasing. We are talking all of philosophy in Bhagavata. Nivrtta-tarsair upagiyamanad bhavausadhac chrotra-mano-'bhiramat [sB 10.1.4]. Ka uttamasloka-gunanuvadat. Uttamasloka is Krsna, who is worshiped by offering nice, selected slokas, authorized. Just like we offer prayer, cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa... [bs. 5.29]. Each line is full of poetry, poetic and literary character, grammar. Anything you take, they're all full. All Bhagavata, all Srimad-Bhagavatam. You cannot produce such literature in this day. Such meaningful. Because Vyasadeva was incarnation, he could produce. Therefore it is uttamasloka: by the best selected verses, Krsna is described.

 

So who can be away from such activities, to hear about Uttamasloka through nice verses, philosophy? Who can be bereft? Vina pasughnat [sB 10.1.4]. Only the animal-hunter or the animal-killer. The animal-killer cannot understand. Therefore it is prohibited, no meat-eating, no flesh-eating. This is the greatest disqualification for understanding. One cannot understand. The animal-killer cannot understand. Therefore it has to (be) stopped. Vina pasughnat. Pasughnat means... Ghna means "killer," and pasu means "animal." And another meaning is, pasu means oneself, living entity-ghna. So either one is killing himself or killing animals, such person cannot understand about the glories of the Lord. It is not possible. Pariksit Maharaja said that, ka uttamasloka-gunanuvadat puman virajyeta vina pasughnat. Only the animal-killers. Arati. (end)