Tamala Krishna, Los Angeles, November 25, 1968: “…Arjuna was trying to deviate from his prescribed duties, declining to fight, although he was a ksatriya or warrior. This act of cowardice is described as befitting the non-Aryans.
Such deviation from duty does not help one in the progress of spiritual life, nor does it even give one the opportunity of becoming famous in this world. Lord Krishna did not approve of the so-called compassion of Arjuna for his kinsmen.”
Prabhupada: So-called compassion. He was thinking that by showing that compassion he’ll be, I mean to say, eulogized by Krishna. But Krishna condemned it. Yes. Just the opposite. In other words, Krishna is very strict also.
That is the qualification of Krishna and His associates. Vajrad api kathora and kusumad api kamala. Softer than the flower and harder than the thunderbolt. Two sides. When Krishna is strict He’s harder than the thunderbolt, and when He’s soft, He’s softer than the flower.
These two examples are given. Vajrad api kathora, kusumad api kamala. So Krishna is not lenient to His friend or to His devotee. Because that leniency will not help him, will not help him. Sometimes He appears to be very hard for the devotee, but He’s not hard. Just like father sometimes becomes very strict. That is good.
That will be proved, how Krishna’s hardness will prove his salvation. At the end Arjuna will admit, “By Your mercy, my illusion is now over.” So this sort of stricture by…, from God on the devotee is sometimes misunderstood.
Because we are always accustomed to accept what is immediately very pleasing, but sometimes we’ll find that we are not getting which is immediately very pleasing, but we should not be disappointed. We shall stick to Krishna. That is Arjuna’s position. Go on.
Tamala Krishna: “O son of Prtha, do not yield to this degrading impotence.”
Prabhupada: Hm. Degrading impotence. He doesn’t want to see (chuckling) His devotee a coward and impotent. So this so-called qualification, impotency and niggard, that is not qualification for devotee. He must be very, in every way, very expert and fit. Krishna wants to see. Yes. Go on.
Tamala Krishna: “It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy.” Read More
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