Unbaked Clay Pots

Date: 2006-11-05 Author: Sudarshana devi dasi

Hare Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.

Wisdom is knowing when to speak and when to shut our mouths. Useless talk always leads to troublesome situations and our entire focus of life would be lost. When we misuse our senses in worthless talks, we glide down from the path of progress and invite trouble on our own just like frogs inviting their enemies (serpents) by their croaking sounds.

In Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 11, Chapter 16, Lord Krishna, while explaining about the process of - to His dearest devotee Uddhava, very nicely warns how one could glide down in the path of devotional service by engaging in loose-talk.

SB 11.16.43 yo vai vāṅ-manasī saṁyag asaṁyacchan dhiyā yatiḥ tasya vrataṁ tapo dānaṁ sravaty āma-ghaṭāmbu-vat

A transcendentalist who does not completely control his words and mind by superior intelligence will find that his spiritual vows, austerities and charity flow away just as water flows out of an unbaked clay pot.

In the above verse Lord Krishna very nicely gives us the example of un-baked clay pot. A baked clay-pot is capable of holding water without leakage. If a clay pot is not properly baked, however, water or any other liquid within it will seep out and be lost. Similarly, a transcendentalist who does not control his speech and mind will find that his spiritual discipline and austerity gradually seep away and are lost. In the purport the real meaning for dana used in the above verse is very nicely explained. Dana, or "charity," refers to work performed for the welfare of others. Those who are trying to give the highest charity by preaching Krishna consciousness should not engage in speaking cleverly for the satisfaction of beautiful women, nor should they attempt to become artificially intellectual simply for the sake of mundane academic prestige.

When we consider the life of great like Rupa and Sanatana , they were very particular about not engaging in useless talk - so much so that when a proud travelling scholar, RupaNarayan Saraswathi provoked them for a debate to prove his excellence, they humbly accepted defeat and immediately signed of certificate of victory, without wasting their time in debating with him. When their disciple, came to know about RupaNarayan's behaviour, he felt very upset and unable to tolerate the insults done to his , he accepted RupaNarayan's challenge and debated with him for 7 full days and defeated him. When heard this, he chastised Jiva Goswami for wasting his valuable time in mundane debates and even condemned him to leave Vrndavan. In oder to atone for his misconduct, Jiva Goswami left for Mathura and lived in the hollow of a tree, ate simple food (and only once a day), and took a vow of silence for almost a year. Later moved by his sincerity, Sanatana Goswami and Rupa Goswami invited him back to Vrndavan.

Both Rupa and Sanatana were very highly qualified and could have easily won over the travelling scholar when he provoked them for debate. But they chose to spend every precious moment of theirs in the service of Mahaprabhu. Nowadays even when no-one provokes us for conversation, we are so fallen that we choose to engage ourselves in useless talks and liked unbaked pots loose focus of our sadhana.

I pray at the lotus feet of Gurudev and Lord Damodara that I remember His words and refrain from useless talks.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev, Sudarshana devi dasi.