Ante Narayana Smrti - Part 8

Ante Narayana Smrti - Part 8 Date: 2015-07-28 Author: Sudarshana devi dasi Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva. This is in continuation of the previous offering titled, "Ante Nārāyaṇa Smrti", wherein we saw Sukadeva Goswami narrating the story of the brahmana Ajamila. Now lets us see further. vikarṣato ’ntar hṛdayād dāsī-patim ajāmilam yama-preṣyān viṣṇudūtā vārayām āsur ojasā The order carriers of Yamaraja were snatching the soul from the core of the heart of Ajamila, the husband of the prostitute, but with resounding voices the messengers of Lord Vishnu, the Vishnudutas, forbade them to do so. In the purport to above verse Srila Prabhupada very nicely mentions how with resounding voices the Vishnudutas threatened the Yamadutas and prevented them from snatching the soul from the heart of Ajamila. "The order carriers of Yamaraja have jurisdiction over all sinful living entities, but the messengers of Lord Vishnu, the Vishnudutas, are capable of punishing anyone, including Yamaraja, if he wrongs a Vaishnava." His Divine Grace also mentions how we get solid proof from the above verse that the soul definitely is present within the heart and not anywhere else. So at the time of death, when they say there is heart failure, it is because the soul has left the heart. When the soul leaves the heart, the Super-soul who is the constant companion of the soul, kindly travels along with the soul to the next body, which is created based on one's karma and the superintendence of Supreme Lord. His Divine Grace also nicely explains about the transmigration of the soul as follows. "At the appropriate time, one's next body is immediately chosen, and both the individual soul and the Supersoul transfer to that particular bodily machine. This is the process of transmigration. During transmigration from one body to the next, the soul is taken away by the order carriers of Yamaraja and put into a particular type of hellish life (naraka) in order to become accustomed to the condition in which he will live in his next body." Here in this world, when we go from school to college or college to job or change projects in job, we have a transition phase wherein we are given appropriate training so that we get accustomed to the new environment. Similarly based on the type of sins we perform, we undergo appropriate punishment in various hells, which is like a training period for us to get accustomed to the next body. But all these sufferings can be nullified by will of Supreme Lord. In case of Putana and Ajamila, we find that Lord counted their good intentions or service to Him more than their sinful life and gave the post of mother to Putana and another chance for Ajamila. So it is important for us to engage in Krishna's service to the best of our ability. But since we have this bad attitude of taking His mercy for granted, Srila Prabhupada very nicely clarifies that Ajamila got this mercy only because he chanted without any offences. He did not commit sins on the strength of chanting the Holy Names. If we do sins on the strength of devotional service, then that is the greatest offence and we can never be eligible for Lord's mercy. Krishna willing we shall continue to learn further lessons from the pastime of Ajamila through the pages of Srimad Bhagavatam in the subsequent offerings. Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Sudarshana devi dasi..

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