Sri Krishna Kathamrita
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Sri Krishna Kathamrita Tav k QaaMa*Ta& TaáJaqvNaMa( tava kathämåtaà tapta-jévanam Bindu Fortnightly email mini-magazine from Gopal Jiu Publications Issue No. 203 Çré Päëòavä Nirjala Ekädaçé 3 June 2009 Circulation 2,475 • “Co m e t o In d I a ” His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada • Sri Guru Reciprocates in All Rasas Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada • Ho w Kr I s H n a 's me r C y ma n I f e s t s Highlights Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode • tH e st o r y o f ma n d a v y a mu n I humor of the sweetness of divine amour). Realized by “Co m e t o In d I a ” PAGE ONE TOP COLLUMN TWO His Divine Grace A. C. the method of the rasa of parental affection, Sri Gurudev Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada reveals himself as Nanda-Yashoda. In the rasa of friendly I mentioned to His Divine Grace that air fares will affection he is Sridama-Sudama. In the rasa of the devo- be increased next year due to the petrol shortage, and tion of servants to the master, the lotus feet of Sri Guru act this might affect the number of devotees who attend as Chitrak-Patrak. The consideration of all these äçrayas, the Gour Purnima festival. Prabhupada asked me, devotees, about the viñaya, Krishna, rises naturally in the “How much foodstuffs have you eaten in your whole heart as one progresses in the service of Sri Guru. These life?” Quite a lot I had to admit, not understanding subjects do not manifest themselves in the course of any why he asked this question. “And what is the cost of artifi cial process. They are aroused spontaneously in the all these foodstuffs?” That I could not say. “So, do you conscious ness of fortunate souls on the appearance of stop eating because there is so much cost? No. You the disposition for spiritual service of the divinity. We go on eating, and whatever is the cost, you spend. have no other function than the service of Sri Guru. By The principle is that if you have got money, then you means of the adulterated consciousness of the material can spend, but if you do not have money, then you world it is not possible to discuss the eternal pastimes cannot spend.” So as many as possible should surely of Godhead that are inaccessible even to Shesha, Shiva, come if the money is there. · Brahma, and similar great personalities. — Letter to Rameswar. 25 October 1974. From Brahmananda Swami, Personal Secretary. Seen: ACBS (initialed by hand) I have been asked sometimes by different people why we do not give away the realized method of service to all. sr I Gu r u re ci p r o C a t e s I n al l ra s a s As for myself, I cannot understand how the condition of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur self-realized souls and that of novices may be supposed There are different ways in which different persons to be identical. It is beyond our ability to understand how whose faculty of spiritual consciousness has been the service and realization of souls free from all defects aroused judge about their own requirements. Every can be practiced during the period of novitiate, which enlightened person is privileged to have a sight of Sri is full of many defects. If any person happens to belong Gurudev in accordance with his particular mode of to the order of self-realized souls he may kindly intimate judgment. Sri Gurudev is that real entity who thus reveals to me the fact. I can then know about the specific nature himself to the view of enlightened souls in a variety of of his realized self. · ways. Sri Gurudev is realized as the daughter of Vrishab- — Sri Chaitanya’s Teachings. Edited by Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Gos- hanu (Sri Radha) in the mädhurya-rasa (the spiritual wami. Sree Gaudiya Math. Madras. 1989. p 266. next column Issue Two hundred three, Page — 2 é[q k* Z<ak QaaMa*Ta ibNdu top left 2 Top right 2 Ho w Kr I s H n a ’s me r C y ma n I f e s t s who takes charge of the living entities after Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode death. Birth, maintenance and death are three Jaiva Dharma, Chapter 22 conditional states of the living entities who are within the material world. As the appointed A conversation between the Sri Raghunath Das controller after death, Yamaraj once tried Man- Babaji and his student, Vijay Kumar. davya Muni for his childhood profligacy and ordered him to be pierced with a lance. Man- Babaji: Krishna’s mercy is manifested in three davya, being angry at Yamaraj for awarding ways: 1. väcika (by his words), 2. äloka-däna (by him undue punishment, cursed him to become a glance), and 3. härda (by the mercy in his heart). a çüdra (a member of the less-intelligent laborer Krishna may give his mercy to someone by saying, class). Thus Yamaraj took birth in the womb of “O king of the brahmins, may devotion to me, devo- the kept wife of Vicitravirya from the semen of tion that brings all transcendental bliss and is the crest Vicitravirya’s brother, Vyasadeva. jewel of all auspicious things, appear within you.” This story is elaborately told in the following sec- Simply by the Lord’s speaking these words, bhäva tion of Mahäbhärata: suddenly appears in that brahmin. The aborigines There was a celebrated brahmin named Man- residing in the jungle had never seen Krishna before. davya who was determined on the spiritual path. However, simply by seeing him they at once attained Steady in truthfulness and austerity, he knew all bhäva because of the compassion in Krishna’s heart. the religious law. Mandavya was a mighty yogi This is called äloka-dänaja-bhäva (bhäva created capable of great asceticism. Beneath a tree at the from a glance). When feelings of compassion arise in entrance to his äçrama, he stood unmoving with Lord Krishna’s heart, they produce the bhäva called upraised arms and observed a religious vow of härda. This bhäva is seen in Sukadev Goswami and silence. Much time passed, until one day, as the other devotees. When he descended to this world, sage dutifully performed his penances, a band Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu granted these three kinds of thieves rushed into his äçrama carrying sto- of bhäva from mercy on many occasions. Simply by len valuables. Being followed closely by a large seeing the Lord, many people attained bhäva. Jagai, group of police, the frightened thieves quickly Madhai, and many others attained bhäva because of concealed their booty in the sage’s cottage and the Lord’s words. Srila Jiva Goswami attained bhäva then hid themselves in the same spot, just as the because of the mercy in Lord Krishna’s heart. heavily-armed policemen arrived there. Vijaya Kumar: What is the nature of bhäva cre- Seeing the sage, who stood silently with up- ated by the mercy of a devotee of Krishna? raised arms, the police captain anxiously ques- Babaji: Because of the mercy of Sri Narada Muni, tioned him, “Brahmin, which road did the thieves auspicious desires appeared in the hearts of Dhruva take? Whichever way they went, we have to fol- and Prahlad. By the mercy of Srila Rupa Goswami, low them immediately!” Srila Sanatan Goswami, and their associates, the Even when thus questioned, the sage main- desire to perform devotional service appeared in tained his religious vow of silence and spoke the hearts of numberless persons. · not a word, true or false, to the police. At — Jaiva Dharma. Translated by Sri Sarvabhavana Das. Published by Brhat Mrdanga Press. Vrindavan. 2003. that point the king’s men searched the sage’s äçrama and quickly discovered the thieves, tH e st o r y o f ma n d a v y a mu n I together with the stolen property. The police Mahābhārata, Ādi Parva, Chapters 107-108 then suspected the sage of complicity in the In his purport to Çrémad Bhägavatam 3.5.20, His crime. They arrested him and delivered him Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhu- with the thieves to the king. pada mentions the sage Mandavya Muni: The king then sentenced the sage and the actual Mandavya Muni was a great sage (cf. SB 1.13.1), thieves: “Let them be put to death!” The government and Vidura was formerly the controller, Yamaraj, executioners, not realizing that Mandavya was a Sri Krishna-kathamrita Bindu top right 3 Issue Two hundred three, Page — 3 Top left 3 his religious austerities even though suffering on a stake, the assembled sages were mortified and could hardly bear the sight. Grief-stricken, they said, “O brahmin, we want to hear it directly from you. What sin have you com- mitted to be punished in this terrible way?” That tiger of a sage replied, “It would be wrong to blame others for my suffering.” the sage replied to his fellow as- cetics. “I do not know what I have done, but surely I and no one else am the cause of my suffering.” Shortly thereafter, the po- lice happened upon the sage Mandavya and were aston- ished to see that after so many days he was still alive. They told the king exactly what they had seen, and the monarch instantly under- stood that Mandavya was a true and powerful ascetic. Gita Press The king and his ministers Yamaraj had Mandavya Muni impalled on rushed to the spot, fell at the çüla for a childhood offense against an insect Mandavya’s feet, and begged the sage, who was still fixed holy ascetic, impaled him on a lance and left him on the lance, for mercy and forgiveness.