Life of Mahätmä Ajamila (Part-1) Features
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Çré Aparä Ekadäsé Issue no:86 11th April 2018 LIFE OF MAHÄTMÄ AJAMILA (PART-1) Features WHEN SUKADEVA GoswAMI TESTED MAHARAJA PARIKSIT Sriman Krishna Dharma Das LIFE OF MAHÄTMÄ AJAMILA Srila Sukadeva Goswami DHARMA EXISTS ETERNAllY AloNgsIDE LORD NARAYANA. His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada WHAT IS THE AUTHENTIC RELIGIOUS PRINCIplE? Srila Bhaktisiddhanata Saraswati Thakura ETERNAL RELIGIOUS PRINCIplES Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Issue no 86, Page — 2 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä WHEN SUKADEVA GoswAMI on this point. It is true that I have punished TESTED MAHARAJA PARIKSIT many wrongdoers. When sentencing them Sriman Krishna Dharma Das I have even clearly explained why they are being chastised. Furthermore, when eventually Hearing of the miseries of the fallen souls released from their sentence I warn them about in the hellish planets, many of the sages in the severe consequences they will have to face if Naimisharanya wept. In the upcoming age of they re-offend. Nevertheless, impelled by strong Kali, everyone would be sinful and consequently desires, they frequently commit further crimes.” would all have to suffer the horrors of hell. This Sukadeva smiled at Pariksit’s astute reply. is why the compassionate sages had undertaken “Yes, O king, this is true.” Sukadeva explained this sacrifice. They implored the Lord for a way that people sin because they misidentify with to save the pitiable conditioned souls. Speaking the body and mistakenly think that sensual on behalf of the sages, Saunaka disconsolately indulgence equates to happiness. Thus they addressed Suta Goswami, “Dear Suta, pray tell sacrifice all morality to secure sensual pleasures. us how these poor people can be rescued? It is To give up such sinfulness they must be trained the duty of every man to help others with his to properly understand that they are not this body, mind and words.” material body, that they are eternal spirit souls, Suta Goswami spoke reassuringly. “My parts of the supreme spirit. This transcendental dear Saunaka, please take heart. Pariksit also knowledge is known as Vedanta. lamented upon hearing of the conditioned Describing the path of jïäna, or the cultivation souls’ torments. Wanting to benefit them he of such knowledge, Sukadeva continued. “To intelligently questioned Sukadeva. I will now tell realise one’s spiritual nature, one must observe both his question and Sukadeva’s illuminating a life of strict celibacy. Voluntarily giving up answer.” sense enjoyment, one must control the mind Pariksit sat in silence for some moments, his and senses, give charity, be truthful, clean, heart deeply moved by pity for the fallen souls non-violent, follow regulative principles and suffering in their ignorance. Wiping away regularly chant mantras and the like.” tears he asked Sukadeva, “Great sage, you Sukadeva explained that such training in have described how living beings can achieve the practise of yoga destroys sinful tendencies liberation and how they can attain heaven. to some degree, but was insufficient to ensure Those who are sinful, who do not strictly material desires never again arise in one’s heart. adhere to the rules and regulations you have set Therefore, he cautioned, a person could still be out, descend into the darkest regions to endure victimised by sinful desires and go to hell. unimaginable suffering. Pray tell me how such Pariksit listened attentively. He knew of this unfortunate persons can be saved.” path also. The king himself had been trained Sukadeva looked thoughtfully at his disciple. from childhood in spiritual knowledge, and in He had already spoken many spiritual truths. control of the senses and worship of the Lord. Here was an opportunity for him to help Pariksit Despite all this, when plagued by thirst and assimilate the deeper import of those truths. fatigue he had lost control of his mind and “My dear Pariksit, you are a king. Surely you uncharacteristically insulted Sage Samika. All know that a sinful person must be punished in his learning and training had been insufficient order to atone for sins in this life. Such atonement to stop him from such a sinful act. Sukadeva saves him from going to hell in his next life and was right, it was not sufficient. How then could having to suffer even worse punishments at the one be sure of being saved from hell? hands of the Yamadutas. It also deters the sinner Sukadeva said, “If by rare good fortune one from committing further sins and thereby awakens attachment to serving the Lord then by becoming even more degraded.” his grace all material desires will be eradicated, Pariksit looked doubtful. “My lord, forgive even those lying as seeds in the heart.” my impudence, but I cannot agree with you Pariksit asked, “How does one receive such Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.nbsmag.com nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 86, Page—3 good fortune?” he thus spent his time in abominable, sinful Sukadeva immediately replied, “Only by activities, eighty eight years of his life passed by. serving a pure devotee who has an established The now elderly Ajamila had ten sons, of whom relationship with Krishna. This means carefully the youngest was a baby named Narayana. Since hearing from him, repeating what one has heard, Narayana was the youngest of all the sons, he learning from him how to chant the Lord’s was naturally very dear to both his father and his names without offence, learning how to worship mother. Because of the child’s broken language the Lord’s Deity form, as well as how to offer him and awkward movements, Ajamila was very prayers and engage in other such services.” much attached to him. He always took care of the Sukadeva stressed that service to an elevated child and enjoyed watching the child’s activities. devotee of Krishna is the only certain method When Ajamila chewed food and ate it, he called to get release from material entanglement, for it the child to chew and eat, and when he drank awakens a desire to surrender to the Lord. This he called the child to drink also. Always engaged manifests in the heart when genuine attraction in taking care of the child and calling his name, for the Lord’s name, form, qualities and pastimes Narayana, Ajamila could not understand that his has developed. life span was now exhausted and that death was “Although not having fully realized Krishna, upon him. such surrendered souls do not see Yamaraja or When the time of death arrived, the foolish his fierce order carriers, even in dreams.” Ajamila began thinking intensely of his son Pariksit was unsure. He had served pure Narayana. At that time he saw three hideous devotees of the Lord and heard them speak persons with deformed bodily features, fierce, many times. He had developed his attraction twisted faces, and horripulated bodily hair. for the Lord, but still he became victimized by With ropes in their hands, they had come to sinful tendencies and insulted Samika. How then take him away to the abode of Yamaraja. Seeing did service to the pure devotee give any more them Ajamila was extremely bewildered, and protection than cultivating knowledge? because of attachment to his child, who was Sukadeva saw the king’s doubt. After a little playing a short distance away, he loudly called thought, he decided that instead of trying to out his name. Thus with tears in his eyes he explain philosophically, he would instead repeat somehow chanted the holy name of Narayana. an ancient history. The attendants of Lord Vishnu, the Vishnudutas, — An excerpt from the upcoming book ‘Brilliant as the Sun’ A retelling of Srimad immediately went there when they heard the Bhagavatam, Canto Six by Sriman Krishna Dharma Das. holy name of their master being calledout by the dying Ajamila. Because of his calling out LIFE OF MAHÄTMÄ AJAMILA in great anxity Ajamila, had certainly chanted Srila Sukadeva Goswami without offense. As the attendants of Yamaraja were snatching the soul from the core of the Learned scholars and saintly persons explain heart of Ajamila, the husband of the prostitute, the following very old historical incident with resounding voices the attendants of Lord involving a discussion between the attendants of Vishnu, the Vishnudutas, forbade them to do so. Lord Vishnu and those of Yamaraja. In the city When the attendants of Yamaraja, the son of known as Kanyakubja there was a brähmaëa the sun-god, were thus forbidden, they replied: named Ajamila who married a maid-servant and Who are you, sirs, that have the audacity to lost all his brahminical qualities because of her challenge the jurisdiction of Yamaraja? Dear sirs, association. This fallen brähmaëa, Ajamila, gave whose servants are you, where have you come trouble to others by arresting them, by cheating from, and why are you forbidding us to touch them in gambling or by directly stealing from the body of Ajamila? Are you demigods from the them. This was the way he had maintained heavenly planets, are you sub-demigods, or are himself and his wife and many children. While you the best of devotees? Your eyes are strongly resemble the petals of lotus flowers. Dressed in www.nbsmag.com Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya Issue no 86, Page — 4 Top left 4 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä the entire cosmic manifestation according to the three modes of material nature- sattva-guëa, rajo- guëa and tamo-guëa. In this way all living entities are awarded different qualities, different names, different duties [according to the varëäçrama institution], and different forms. Thus Lord Narayana is the cause of the entire cosmic manifestation. The sun, fire, sky, air, demigods, moon, evening, day, night, directions, water, land and the Supersoul Himself all witness the activities of the living entity.