Obedience is the Key to Goloka - Part 6

Date: 2013-02-03 Author: Sajjana Priya das

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

This is in continuation of the series titled, "Obedience is the Key to Goloka" wherein we were discussing on the nature and characteristics of obedience, based on Srimad Bhagavatam verses 3.13.9 and 3.13.10. In previous offering we saw that we should

1. We should simply obey the superiors without reservation (nirvyalīka) 2. We should stay beyond the limit of envy (gata-matsaraiḥ) 3. We should surrender with our heart for instructions from superiors (hṛdā ātmana arpitam) 4. Accept order of the Spiritual master with great delight (gṛhyeta sādaraṁ)

5. Execute it with full capacity (kāryā śaktyā): We don't have to go to the scriptures to look for the examples. We have our wonderful HDG Bhaktivedanta Srila Prabhupada who has created a revolution in the history of Vedic literature and has executed it with full capacity. More than 300 temples and centres all over the world manifested just from Rs.40 (within a span of 12 years). Srila Prabhupada is a personification of these qualities as we can see that he took the instructions of the spiritual master to his heart and executed so wonderfully that is a common name all over the planet. He was just obedient to the instructions of his spiritual master and he is the one and only spiritual acharya of all times to whom a ghee lamp is offered 24 hours round the globe, in every latitude and longtitude, without any holiday even after 35 years of disappearance. But the leaders and kings of world, after the departure are neither remembered nor are they being worshiped by people daily. The statues raised in their memory may perhaps get a garland on their birthdays, but throughout the year they remain uncared and simply are decorated by residue of crows and pigeons.

What did Srila Prabhupada do to achieve this eternal position in the world? He simply depended on his spiritual master and Holy name of Krishna as he expressed it wonderfully in his song Markine Bhagavat . Srila Prabhupada reveals his humility, complete surrender and faith in and Krishna through this wonderful poem written by him while landing at Boston on Sep 18 1965.

nāi veda nāi nāme khub daro "bhaktivedānta" nām ebe sārthak koro

I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the holy name of Krishna. I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta, and now if You like You can fufill the real purport of Bhakti .

He signs off as "most unfortunate and insignificant beggar". By the causeless mercy of Krishna and his Guru Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Maharaj, Srila Prabhupada has become an eternally glorious acharya in the world. Like Srila Prabhupada, we should also pray to our Gurudev, so that by their mercy we will also try to become an instrument in a miniscule way in executing their mission. Implicit obedience of Suta endowed him with all mercy to speak Srimad Bhagavatam to the sages of Naimisharanya. This is confirmed by the verse spoken by the sage in Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.8,

vettha tvaṁ saumya tat sarvaṁ tattvatas tad-anugrahāt brūyuḥ snigdhasya śiṣyasya guravo guhyam apy uta

And because you are submissive, your spiritual masters have endowed you with all the favors bestowed upon a gentle disciple. Therefore you can tell us all that you have scientifically learned from them .

Krishna willing we will conclude with the last characteristic of obedience in the ensuing offering.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Sajjana Priya Krishna das Abu Dhabi.