Mahesh Raja: YAMARAJA FIXES UP WHAT KIND OF BODY THIS SOUL WILL GET

• 1) Yamaraja is in charge of sinners (fruitive workers) who are in the material modes of goodness(sattva guna), passion(rajo guna) and ignorance(tamo guna). It does not matter what “religion” the sinner is. Karma in modes of material nature goodness (sattva guna), passion (rajo guna) and ignorance (tamo guna) decide pious and impious acts. Man is the architect of his fortune AND his misfortune. Sins are squared off during Initiation from our BONA FIDE Diksa guru Srila Prabhupada BUT this does NOT mean we can go on DELIBRATELY sinning by USING chanting of Hare Krsna maha-mantra expecting to nullify sins. “THEN THE CHANTING OF HARE KRSNA WILL NOT FRUCTIFY IF YOU COMMIT OFFENSE”. Sins EVEN in childhood are considered. (ref. Manduka Muni)
• 2) Offenseless chanting is free from sins. Yamaraja is NOT in charge of offenseless Chanter (ref Ajamila)
• 3) Yamaraja is the Judge who decides – which body the soul of the sinner is awarded after his death be it heaven in demigod body, Brahmana , animal, serpent, worm in stool bodies – all in the material world. By frutive (karma) acts. Both pious AND impious acts are resulted. Hence, there results a body suitable for suffering AND enjoyment (ref King Nrga).
• 4) In hell the soul is trained up TO BE ACCUSTOMED TO THE BODY HE WILL HAVE TO ACCEPT. PRACTICING to be worm in stool, hog etc. There are DIFFERENT HELLS for sins committed by the living entity. Sinner is sent to them. Sukadeva Gosvami describes twenty-eight hells.
• 5) OFFENSELESS CHANTING is the ONLY means to save oneself from the punishment of Yamaraja.

 

SC 21                 Confidential Knowledge

A pure devotee is one whose intelligence is clear; he is truly thoughtful, because he engages in the service of the Lord–not as a matter of show but with love, with his mind, words, and body. NONDEVOTEES MAY MAKE A SHOW OF RELIGION, BUT IT IS NOT VERY EFFECTIVE, BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THEY OSTENTATIOUSLY ATTEND A TEMPLE OR CHURCH, THEY ARE THINKING OF SOMETHING ELSE. SUCH PERSONS ARE NEGLECTING THEIR RELIGIOUS DUTY AND ARE PUNISHABLE BY YAMARAJA. BUT A DEVOTEE WHO COMMITS SINFUL ACTS UNWILLINGLY OR ACCIDENTALLY, BECAUSE OF HIS FORMER HABITS, IS EXCUSED. THAT IS THE VALUE OF THE SANKIRTANA MOVEMENT.

 

760923SB.VRN                 Lectures

That small particle is being carried by the subtle body–mind, intelligence, and ego. And it is pushed through the semina of the father into the womb of the mother, and another body is manufactured in due course of time, and it comes out and works. This is called transmigration of the soul–from one body to another. THAT BODY IS GIVEN BY SUPERIOR EXAMINATION, YAMARAJA. YAMARAJA FIXES UP WHAT KIND OF BODY THIS SOUL WILL GET. KARMANA DAIVA-NETRENA. JUST LIKE IN THE COURT, THERE IS CASE, AND THE MAGISTRATE DECIDES WHAT KIND OF PUNISHMENT THIS CRIMINAL SHOULD BE AWARDED. SO SIMILARLY, HERE IN THIS MATERIAL WORLD, WE ARE SIMPLY ENGAGED IN SINFUL ACTIVITIES. HERE THE SO-CALLED PIOUS AND IMPIOUS, THAT IS SIMPLY IMAGINATION. REALLY, IF I AM ACTUALLY PIOUS, I SHOULD NOT GET THIS MATERIAL BODY. JUST LIKE TO REMAIN IN THE PRISON HOUSE MEANS CRIMINAL. YOU MAY BE A FIRST-CLASS PRISONER, IT DOESN’T MATTER, BUT YOU ARE A PRISONER. YOU ARE A CRIMINAL. SOMETIMES THE BIG, BIG POLITICIANS, THEY ARE PUT INTO THE JAIL AND THEY’RE GIVEN ALL COMFORTS. BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN HE’S NOT A CRIMINAL. HE’S A CRIMINAL. EITHER HE MAY BE GANDHI OR ANYONE, BECAUSE HE’S PUT INTO THE JAIL HE’S A CRIMINAL. SIMILARLY, ANYONE WHO IS ENWRAPPED WITH THIS MATERIAL BODY, HE’S A CRIMINAL. HE’S A CRIMINAL. EITHER HE MAY BE IN THE HEAVENLY PLANET OR IN THIS EARTHLY PLANET OR IN THE CATS’ AND DOGS’ LIFE OR INSECT OR AQUATICS. THERE ARE VARIETIES OF LIFE. EVERY ONE OF US, AS LONG AS WE ARE PUT INTO THIS MATERIAL BODY, IT IS TO BE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE ARE ALL CRIMINAL.

 

750730SB.DAL                 Lectures

Prabhupada:
manasaiva pure devah
purva-rupam vipasyati
anumimamsati apurvam
manasa bhagavan ajah

So now the Yamadutas are describing about Yamaraja, who is as good as Brahma. He is entrusted with the majestical power To Yamaraja not all the living beings are taken to, neither the animals, only the human being and those who are criminals or sinful, not all of them. First of all there are living entities, 8,400,000 forms, or species. So not all of them sinful and subjected to be brought for justice before Yamaraja. Just like magistrate, criminal magistrate. He is… In every city the district magistrate, not all the people are brought there, only the criminals. So he is so powerful that through his mind he can see the past and the future, tri-kala-jna, by mind. And because he is so powerful, he is addressed here as Bhagavan. I have several times explained, Bhagavan means the most powerful, full of opulences. So those who are in charge of departmental affairs within this universal kingdom, they are also sometimes addressed as Bhagavan.

SO THE MIND OF YAMARAJA, HE CAN SEE. IN THE PREVIOUS VERSE IT IS SAID, VARTAMANAH ANYAYOH KALAH GUNABHIJNAPAKO YATHA. WITHIN THIS MATERIAL WORLD WE ARE PASSING THROUGH MANY EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS AND GETTING DIFFERENT TYPES OF BODY ACCORDING TO THE GUNA, QUALITY, MODES OF NATURE, WE ARE ASSOCIATING. SO YAMARAJA CAN SEE. WHEN A LIVING BEING, CRIMINAL, SINFUL LIVING BEING IS BROUGHT BEFORE HIM, HE CAN UNDERSTAND THROUGH HIS MIND. JUST SEE THAT EVERYONE’S MIND IS NOT OF THE SAME CATEGORY. THERE ARE DIFFERENCE OF MIND ALSO, ACCORDING TO THE POSITION. THAT WE HAVE GOT EXPERIENCE. A HIGH COURT JUDGE’S MIND AND ORDINARY PERSON’S MIND–FAR DIFFERENT. THE JUDGES CAN IMMEDIATELY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE POSITION. SO THIS IS ALSO GOD’S GIFT. DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE GOT DIFFERENT POWER OF THE MIND. THAT IS ALSO THROUGH KRSNA. SARVASYA CAHAM HRDI SANNIVISTAH MATTAH SMRTIH JNANAM APOHANAM CA. SO MIND MEANS WHOSE MEMORY IS VERY SHARP, HE IS CALLED GREAT-MINDED. SO THIS GREATNESS OF MIND AND SMALLNESS OF MIND ARE DIFFERENT ACCORDING TO THE DICTATION OF THE SUPERSOUL. MATTAH SMRTIR JNANAM… ONE MAN CAN REMEMBER SMALL THINGS FOR MANY YEARS; ANOTHER MAN FORGETS. IMMEDIATELY HE HEARS AND IMMEDIATELY FORGETS. WHY THIS DIFFERENCE OF MENTAL POSITION? IT IS DUE TO KRSNA. KRSNA HELPS ONE TO MEMORIZE OR TO FORGET. MATTAH SMRTIR JNANAM APOHANAM CA. ONE CAN, ONE HAS… JUST LIKE IN SCHOOL SOME STUDENT HAS GOT VERY SHARP MEMORY. ONCE HEARD FROM THE TEACHER, HE NEVER FORGETS IT. SO THESE DIFFERENT STAGES ARE DUE TO THE ASSOCIATION OF DIFFERENT MODES OF MATERIAL NATURE.

SO YAMARAJA, WHEN A PERSON IS BROUGHT BEFORE HIM, HE CAN IMMEDIATELY UNDERSTAND THAT “HE WAS SINFUL IN THIS WAY.” MANASA PURE DEVAH. OR YAMARAJA IS SITTING IN HIS PLACE, BUT HE IS SEEING EVERYONE, WHAT HE IS DOING THROUGH THE SUN, THROUGH THE MOON. WE HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED, THROUGH FIRE, THROUGH EVENING, THROUGH MORNING–THERE ARE SO MANY WITNESSES. AND ALL THOSE INFORMATION GOES TO HIM, AND BECAUSE HE IS ALMOST AS POWERFUL AS BHAGAVAN, HE CAN REMEMBER. THIS IS SPECIAL POWER. MANASAIVA PURE DEVAH PURVA-RUPAM. BECAUSE AFTER DEATH, ONE IS BROUGHT BEFORE YAMARAJA, SO BEFORE HIS DEATH, WHAT HE WAS DOING SINFULLY, THAT IS ALL RECORDED IN THE MIND OF YAMARAJA. MANASAIVA PURE DEVAH PURVA-RUPAM VIPASYATI. BECAUSE THEY ARE SO RECORDED, HE CAN SEE VIVIDLY WHAT THIS MAN WAS DOING. ANUMIMAMSATE APURVAM. APURVAM MEANS THE NEXT BODY. PURVAM MEANS THE PAST BODY, AND APURVAM THE NEXT BODY. SO HE IMMEDIATELY DECIDES WHAT KIND OF BODY THIS CRIMINAL, THIS SINFUL MAN, SHOULD BE OFFERED. ANUMIMAMSATI APURVAM MANASA. THAT IS ALSO BY HIS MIND. HE IS SO POWERFUL. THEREFORE HE HAS BEEN ADDRESSED AS BHAGAVAN. ANUMIMAMSATI. JUST LIKE THE JUDGE. HE IS HEARING THE CASE. THAT IS EVERYONE. ANYONE WHO IS HEARING SOMETHING, SO HE MAKES A CONCLUSION, “THIS SHOULD BE DONE LIKE THAT.” THE JUDGMENT…

There was one story. It is not story; it is fact, that two pleaders were talking about the activities of a criminal, and the judge was dozing. So his clerk said, “Sir, you are dozing. The two big lawyers, they are arguing, and what they will say?” That means he warned. The judge said, “I have already made my judgment. Let them go on talking.” So actually, it is done. A very important judge, he, by hearing the preliminary points of the case, he makes his judgment. But because the two lawyers want to fight, because they are paid for that, so they go on fighting. But the judge, he has already concluded what judgment should be given. SIMILARLY, YAMARAJA IS JUDGE. HE HAS GOT EVERYTHING RECORDED IN HIS MIND OF A SINFUL MAN’S ACTIVITIES IN THE PAST. SO IMMEDIATELY HE DECIDES THAT “THIS SOUL SHOULD BE GIVEN SUCH AND SUCH BODY.” SO WE ARE GETTING BODY.

 

70-04-26.     Letter: Himavati

Regarding your question, a sinful person, NEVER MIND WHAT KIND OF SINFUL MAN IS HE, IS TAKEN IN SUBTLE BODY TO THE PLACE OF YAMARAJA, AND THERE HE IS TRAINED UP IN A PARTICULAR TYPE OF SUFFERING. AS SOON AS HE IS TRAINED UP, HE IS GIVEN A PARTICULAR BODY BY WHICH HE CAN ENDURE SUCH SUFFERINGS.

 

SB 2.2.7 P             The Lord in the Heart

Intelligent persons who can see properly may look into the general conditions of the living entities who are wandering in the cycle of the It is said that there is an everlasting belt of water called the River Vaitarani at the entrance of the plutonic planet of Yamaraja, who punishes sinners in different manners. AFTER BEING SUBJECTED TO SUCH SUFFERINGS, A SINNER IS AWARDED A PARTICULAR SPECIES OF LIFE ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS IN THE PAST. SUCH LIVING ENTITIES AS ARE PUNISHED BY YAMARAJA ARE SEEN IN DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF CONDITIONED LIFE. SOME OF THEM ARE IN HEAVEN, AND SOME OF THEM ARE IN HELL. SOME OF THEM ARE BRAHMANAS, AND SOME OF THEM ARE MISERS. BUT NO ONE IS HAPPY IN THIS MATERIAL WORLD, AND ALL OF THEM ARE EITHER CLASS A, B OR C PRISONERS SUFFERING BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN DEEDS. The Lord is impartial to all circumstances of the sufferings of the living entities, but to one who takes shelter at His lotus feet, the Lord gives proper protection, and He takes such a living entity back home, back to Himself.

 

SB 3.30.19  Description by Lord Kapila of Adverse Fruitive Activities

AT DEATH, HE SEES the messengers of the lord of death come before him, their eyes full of wrath, AND IN GREAT FEAR HE PASSES STOOL AND URINE.

PURPORT

THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF TRANSMIGRATION OF A LIVING ENTITY AFTER PASSING AWAY FROM THE PRESENT BODY. ONE KIND OF TRANSMIGRATION IS TO GO TO THE CONTROLLER OF SINFUL ACTIVITIES, WHO IS KNOWN AS YAMARAJA, AND THE OTHER IS TO GO TO THE HIGHER PLANETS, UP TO VAIKUNTHA. Here Lord Kapila describes how persons engaged in activities of sense gratification to maintain a family are treated by the messengers of Yamaraja, called Yamadutas. At the time of death the Yamadutas become the custodians of those persons who have strongly gratified their senses. They take charge of the dying man and take him to the planet where Yamaraja resides. The conditions there are described in the following verses.

760526mw.hon              Conversations

Prabhupada: Whatever it may be. Supposing it is good. BUT HE DOES NOT THINK “HOW I SHALL LIVE IN THIS WAY AND NEXT TIME I MAY BE CATS AND DOGS AND COCKROACHES. WHAT I’M DOING FOR THEM?” THEREFORE THEY WILL EVADE: “NO, NO. THERE IS NO NEXT LIFE.” BECAUSE IT IS HORRIBLE FOR THEM.

Devotee (2): Most of the karmis think that if you believe in the law of karma, it applies to you, but if you do not believe…

Prabhupada: Hmm?

Devotee (2): Most of them think that if you believe in the law of karma, it applies to you.

Prabhupada: WHEN IT IS LAW, YOU BELIEVE OR NOT BELIEVE, RASCAL, IT WILL BE EFFECTIVE, IF IT IS A LAW. YOU BELIEVE, I DON’T BELIEVE, IF I COMMIT THEFT I’LL NOT BE PUNISHED. SO WHAT IS YOUR BELIEF? AS SOON AS YOU COMMIT THEFT, YOU’LL BE PUNISHED. YOU BELIEVE OR NOT BELIEVE. THAT IS LAW. WHAT IS THE VALUE OF YOUR BELIEF? RASCAL MAY BELIEVE THAT “I’M NOT GOING TO BE OLD MAN. I SHALL REMAIN YOUNG MAN.” BELIEVE OR NOT BELIEVE, MUST BECOME OLD MAN. WHAT IS THE VALUE OF YOUR BELIEF? Trust no future. You believe or not believe, there is future. What is value of your belief? Where do you…. You have complete control? Here the law is “Keep to the right.” You don’t believe. Now “Why shall I keep to the right? I shall go to the left.” Immediately you’ll be punished. You have to believe. I’ll do wrong way, see the result. Immediately there’s ticket. So what is the value of your belief? The law is law. Ignorance is no excuse for law. You have committed something wrong, and in the court you’re going to be punished. If you say the clerk, “Sir, I did not know that by committing this act how I shall be, I will have to be punished.” That is not excuse. Your ignorance they do not believe; you must go. That is the law. It is called foolishness. “They believe,” “I think,” “It may be.” This is science. This is their proposition: “It may be,” “I think,” “I believe.” What is the value of this? And everywhere you’ll find all these philosophers, scientists,and they’ll talk like this, nonsense: “I believe,” “It may be.” Believe in the words of Krsna. But he believes himself. You see? Krsna says it is this. That he doesn’t believe. But he has become more than Krsna, he’ll believe something is correct. This is his foolishness. Mudha. You believe in the words of Krsna, who is worshiped by everyone. Hm? But you won’t. You believe in your conviction, “I believe.” So what you are? First consider in comparison to Krsna.

 

751005mw.mau              Conversations

Prabhupada: SO THEY ARE FIRST OF ALL TRAINED UP IN THAT HELLISH PLANET AND THEN THEY COME HERE TO SUFFER THE SAME STANDARD OF LIFE.

Indian man (4): When our soul gets out from our body, it goes to the hell or…

Prabhupada: Hellish planet.

Indian: …hemisphere or it take birth immediately afterwards?

Prabhupada: YES. THOSE WHO ARE SINFUL, THEY DO NOT TAKE IMMEDIATELY BIRTH. THEY FIRST OF ALL TRAINED UP IN THE HELLISH PLANET HOW TO SUFFER TO BECOME ACCUSTOMED AND THEN THEY ARE TAKEN BIRTH, THEN SUFFER. Just like you pass I.A.S. Then you become an assistant to the magistrate. You learn. Then you are posted as magistrate. Even if you are fit for going back to home, back to Godhead, you are first of all transferred to the universe where Krsna is now present, and there you become accustomed. Then you go to real Vrndavana.

Indian man (4): Therefore, after our death…

Prabhupada: Every arrangement by God is perfect. Purnam. Purnam adah purnam idam purnat purnam… Whatever is created by God, that is perfect.

 

740407mw.bom              Conversations
Prabhupada: This example is given. Suppose we are walking. This step, when I assure that “This is all right, it is not, it will not go down,” then I take up this. Then again this. This example is given. Similarly, change of body like that. As soon as it is settled up what kind of body he is going to accept or which is being offered to him, daiva-netrena, by higher authority, then this man leaves this body and again enters in the womb of the body which he is destined to get. This is the process of death.Yadubara: Is that immediate, Srila Prabhupada?Prabhupada: Immediate. JUST LIKE IMMEDIATE I AM WALKING. WHEN IT IS FIXED UP, THEN I TAKE UP. THEN WHEN IT IS FIXED UP, THEN I TAKE UP, LIKE THIS. IMMEDIATELY.Yasomatinandana: What about hell? How does the jiva soul go to hell?Prabhupada: Yes. They go. THOSE WHO ARE GOING TO HELL, THAT IS FIXED UP VERY QUICKLY. IT DOESN’T TAKE MUCH TIME. HELL MEANS HE IS GETTING THE NEXT BODY, HELLISH BODY. THAT’S ALL. SUPPOSE HE IS GOING TO GET THE HELLISH BODY TO BECOME THE WORM OF STOOL, SO IN THAT WAY HE ENTERS THE WORM, MOTHER WORM, TO GET THE BODY AND ENJOY THE HELL. THAT’S ALL.Satsvarupa: Don’t they sometimes have to go to Yamaraja first for practice?Prabhupada: YES. THAT IS DAIVA-NETRENA. THESE THINGS ARE FINISHED VERY QUICKLY. AND IF IT TAKES LITTLE TIME, THEN THIS MAN WHO IS DYING, HE REMAINS IN COMA AND DOES NOT DIE. BECAUSE THE JUDGEMENT IS GOING ON, THE DECISION WAITING, COMA. YOU HAVE SEEN SOMETIMES A MAN IS IN COMA FOR SEVEN DAYS, EIGHT DAYS? YES. THAT MEANS HIS JUDGEMENT IS GOING ON, THAT… SUCH KIND OF DEATH MEANS VERY SINFUL DEATH. NOT YET SETTLED UP, VERY COMPLICATED CASE. THEREFORE IT TAKES TIME.Yadubara: What about persons who die in their sleep? Is that a sinful death?Prabhupada: Yes. Dream or awakened, everything is dream, gross dream and subtle dream. That’s all. This is also dream. What do you mean by dream? Dream means existent for a little period. That’s all. So night dream is for two hours and this dream is for twenty-four hours.Yasomatinandana: So in other words when it says that one goes to hell, any lower species is also like hell. If one is going to assume a dog’s body, then does he go to hell before he assumes a dog’s body?Prabhupada: THERE IS STATEMENT LIKE THAT, THAT ONE IS PUT INTO THE HELLISH CONDITION FOR PRACTICING LITTLE, AND THEN HE IS PUT INTO THE WOMB OF SUCH MOTHER.

 

Lectures & Classes                                    740604SB.GEN
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.13.15
Geneva, June 4, 1974

Nitai: “As long as Vidura played the part of a sudra, being cursed by Manduka Muni, Aryama officiated at the post of Yamaraja to punish those who committed sinful acts.”

Prabhupada:
abibhrad aryama dandam
yathavad agha-karisu
yavad dadhara sudratvam
sapad varsa-satam yamah

SO VIDURA IS YAMARAJA, THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DEATH. AFTER OUR DEATH, WE ARE BROUGHT BEFORE THE JUSTICE YAMARAJA, WHAT KIND OF NEXT BIRTH I MAY HAVE. SO YAMARAJA IS NOT SUDRA. HE IS DEVOTEE OF LORD KRSNA, ALTHOUGH HE HAS THE DUTY TO PUNISH THE CRIMINALS. JUST LIKE A MAGISTRATE IS ALWAYS PUNISHING THE CRIMINALS. THAT IS HIS BUSINESS, BUT HE IS NOT CRIMINAL. HE IS GIVING JUDGMENT TO THE CRIMINALS. SIMILARLY, YAMARAJA IS THE APPOINTED MAGISTRATE, SUPERINTENDENT. After death, one has to go before him and take the judgment of his next life. This is the process.

So Vidura was cursed by Manduka Muni, Manduka Muni. He was a great sage, but sometimes in his asrama, some thieves were caught, so police arrested both the Manduka Muni and the thieves, and later on Manduka Muni was chastised to be punished by sula. There was a system of punishment. I do not whether (it is) still existing. The sula means one lance, lancer. Lancer, it is called?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupada: It was to be pierced through the rectum and it will go through the head and the man will die. The pierce was standing, and he was to sit down. What is this punishment? Is there any mention?

Pusta-krsna: I never heard of anything.

Guru-gauranga: Arabians have this. It is called pala(?).

Prabhupada: Sula punishment. So when he was condemned to the sula punishment, then the king heard that “Manduka Muni, the great sage, he is punished like that?” Immediately he stopped. “What is this nonsense that Manduka Muni has been punished? He is a great sage.” So the king stopped the punishment and immediately came to see what has happened. Then he was immediately released. But he was very sorry, that “Why the judge Yamaraja punished him like that?” So he asked Yamaraja, “Why you have punished me like this?” “Now, in your childhood you pierced the rectum of an ant with a…,” what is called?

Devotees: Pin, straw.

Prabhupada: No, not straw. Prick, pricking?

Devotee: Pin.

Prabhupada: Kanta, kanta. We say kanta, that pricks. What is called?

Devotees: Thorn.

Prabhupada: Ah, thorn, yes. So therefore he was punished. NOW JUST SEE. IN HIS CHILDHOOD HE WAS PLAYING WITH AN ANT, PIERCING THE RECTUM WITH A THORN. THAT IS ALSO TAKEN ACCOUNT, “ALL RIGHT. YOU WILL BE PUNISHED.” JUST SEE HOW FINER LAWS ARE THERE IN NATURE. SO THE MANDUKA MUNI DID THAT. THEREFORE IT WAS RECORDED HE SHOULD BE PUNISHED LIKE THAT.

THIS IS OUR POSITION. ANYTHING… IF YOU ARE WALKING ON THE STREET, IF YOU KILL AN ANT BY WALKING, YOU WILL BE PUNISHED. THIS IS NATURE’S LAW. WE ARE IN SUCH A DANGEROUS POSITION. IN EVERY MOVEMENT THERE IS PUNISHMENT. NOW, IF YOU BELIEVE THE SASTRAS, THAT IS DIFFERENT THING. IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE, THEN DO ANYTHING YOU LIKE. BUT FROM SASTRA WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE LAWS OF NATURE, OR GOD, IS VERY, VERY STRICT, VERY, VERY STRICT. So Manduka Muni also chastised Yamaraja, that “In my childhood, without any knowledge I did something and for which you have given me so great punishment. So you are not fit for becoming a brahmana or ksatriya. You become sudra.” So he was cursed to become sudra. Therefore Yamaraja took his birth as Vidura and was born in the womb of a sudra mother. This is the history of Vidura’s birth.

SO IN HIS ABSENCE, ARYAMA, ONE OF THE DEMIGODS, HE OFFICIATED YAMARAJA. THEREFORE IT IS SAID, ABIBHRAD ARYAMA DANDAM. THE OFFICE MUST GO ON, THE MAGISTRATE POST CANNOT BE VACANT. SOMEBODY MUST COME AND ACT. SO ARYAMA WAS ACTING. Yathavad agha-karisu. Agha-karisu. Agha-kari means… Agha means sinful activities, and karisu. Karisu means those who commit sinful acts. And yathavat. Yathavat means exactly to the point, how he should be punished. Yathavad agha-karisu. Yavad dadhara sudratvam. So long Yamaraja continued as a sudra, Aryama was officiating in his place as Yamaraja. This is the purport. (reads purport:) “Vidura, born in the womb of a sudra mother, was forbidden even to be a party of royal heritage along with his brothers Dhrtarastra and Pandu. Then how could he occupy the post of a preacher to instruct such learned…? Answer is that even though it is accepted that he was a sudra by birth, because he renounced the world for spiritual enlightenment by the authority of Rsi Maitreya and was thoroughly educated by him in transcendental knowledge, he was quite competent to occupy the post of an acarya or spiritual preceptor.” Vidura was a sudra, born sudra. Then how he became a preacher?

So the reason is… “According to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, anyone who is conversant in the transcendental knowledge or the science of Godhead, be he a brahmana or sudra, a householder or a sannyasi, is eligible to become a spiritual master.” Not that because he was born a sudra, he cannot preach, he cannot take the post of acarya or spiritual master. That is not Caitanya philosophy. Caitanya philosophy has nothing to do with this body, external body. Caitanya philosophy is concerned with the soul. This movement is the movement of elevating the soul, saving the soul from degradation. Therefore people sometimes are surprised. The bodily concept of life, the same activities will be karma. And on the platform of spiritual life, the same karma will be bhakti. Same karma will be bhakti. So bhakti is not inactivity. Bhakti is all active. Yat karosi yaj juhosi yad asnasi yat tapasyasi kurusva tad mad-arpanam. This is bhakti, bhakti-yoga. Krsna says to everyone, “If you cannot give up your karma, then that’s all right. But the result of your karma, give to Me. Then it will be bhakti.”

So Vidura was Yamaraja. Not only he was Yamaraja, ordinary, but he is one of the great authorities. There are twelve authorities mentioned in the sastra. One of them is Yamaraja. Balir vaiyasakir vayam. This is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Yamaraja is one of the GBC of Krsna. Yes. As we have got twelve GBC’s, similarly Krsna has got GBC’s. Now,
svayambhur naradah sambhuh
kumarah kapilo manuh
prahlado janako bhismo
balir vaiyasakir vayam

That twelve men are authorized to preach Krsna consciousness. So we have to follow. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. Therefore we have created these GBC. So they should be very responsible men. Otherwise, they will be punished. They will be punished to become a sudra. ALTHOUGH YAMARAJA IS A GBC, BUT HE MADE A LITTLE MISTAKE. HE WAS PUNISHED TO BECOME A SUDRA. SO THOSE WHO ARE GBC’S, THEY SHOULD BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL TO ADMINISTER THE BUSINESS OF ISKCON. OTHERWISE THEY WILL BE PUNISHED. AS THE POST IS VERY GREAT, SIMILARLY, THE PUNISHMENT IS ALSO VERY GREAT. THAT IS THE DIFFICULTY. You can see from this example, Vidura. He was immediately punished. He did little mistake at Manduka… Because the rsis, the munis, they will curse. Dealing is very… Even Yamaraja is not taking.

(reads:) “He was to play the part of so-called sudra for years, being cursed by Manduka Muni. He was the incarnation of Yamaraja, one of the twelve mahajanas, on the level with such exalted personalities as Bhisma, Narada, Brahma, Narada, Siva, Kapila, Bhisma, Prahlada, etc. Being a mahajana, it is the duty of Yamaraja to preach the cult of devotion to the people of the world as Narada, Brahma and other mahajanas do. But Yamaraja is always busy in his plutonic kingdom, punishing the doers of sinful acts. Yamaraja is deputed by the Lord to a particular planet some hundreds of thousands of miles away from this planet.” That is mentioned. He has got a different planet, where the criminals are taken away after death, and he gives the judgment, what kind of body he will have. And not like the theosophists’ thinking, “Now I have got human body. It is permanent settlement.” No, that is not permanent settlement. According to one’s work… Work means all sinful acts. Without Krsna consciousness, anyone who acts, he acts sinfully. There is no doubt of it. Because he is acting for sense gratification, and sense gratification means almost 99.9% all sinful activities. Duskrtinah. It is very risky job. Unless you act in Krsna consciousness… Yajnarthe karmano ‘nyatra loko ‘yam karma-bandhanah. This is the stringent law of the nature, that you have to act only for Yajna, for satisfaction of Krsna or Visnu. Otherwise, you will be entangled. And who is serving Krsna? Nobody is serving Krsna. So everyone is being entangled. This is the material world.

(reads:) “Yamaraja is deputed by the Lord to a particular planet, some hundreds of thousands of miles away from the planet of earth, to take away the corrupt souls after death and convict them in accordance with their respective sinful activities. Thus, Yamaraja has very little time to take leave from his responsible office of punishing the wrongdoers. There are more wrongdoers than righteous men. Therefore Yamaraja has to do (more) work than other demigods who are also authorized agents of the Supreme Lord. But he wanted to preach the glories of the Lord, and therefore, by the will of the Lord, he was cursed by Manduka Muni to come into the world in the incarnation of Vidura and work very hard as a great devotee.”

The punishment was also reward. Those who are servants of Krsna, even they are so-called punished, there is some motive behind this. Just like Jaya and Vijaya. They were also punished to come down and…, just to become enemy of Krsna. Krsna, when they were very much perturbed that “We are going to the material world from Vaikuntha. So what will be our fate, Sir? There is some little mistake on our part. What we shall do?” So Krsna gave him that “If you become My enemy, then you will be relieved in three births, and if you become My friend, then seven births.” So the Jaya and Vijaya agreed, “Sir, we shall become Your enemy.” So what is the purport? Krsna wanted some enemy to fight. Just like we sometimes want to fight. So this desire is there, Krsna. Otherwise, where we get this desire? So actually, it was Krsna’s service, this Jaya and Vijaya. Krsna wanted to have some fight. In the spiritual world there cannot be fight. There is no fight. There is only service. Therefore some of His devotees, this Jaya and Vijaya, agreed to become His enemy, come to this material world and to…, Krsna fought with the Jaya and Vijaya. As Ramacandra, He fought with Ravana, and as Nrsimhadeva, He fought with Hiranyakasipu, and as Krsna, He fought with Yamara…, er, Kamsa.

So similarly, Vidura also, he thought that “I am always busy in this magisterial work, simply to punish. I have no chance to preach.” So Krsna is very kind to His devotee. So He gave the chance to preach. So this was the arrangement, that he was cursed by Manduka Muni, came down to this material world. That is also material. Yamaraja’s planet is also in the material world. Therefore he was given the chance of preaching. (reads:) “He is transcendental to such divisions of mundane society, just as the Personality of Godhead assumes His incarnation as a hog, but He is not hog.” If somebody thinks that He has come as a hog, playing the part of a hog, that is not the fact. Even though assumes the… (reads:) “The Lord and His different authorized devotees sometimes have to play the role of many lower creatures to claim the conditioned souls, but both the Lord and His pure devotees are always in the transcendental position.” Etad isanam isasya. That is the authority of God, that even though He accepts some lower position, He is never in the lower position. He is always in the transcendental position. I have given the example yesterday. Just like the sun is sometimes evaporating the urine. This is not very good business. But still, sun is sun. He is never polluted. Similarly, Krsna or His devotee, if sometimes apparently does something which is not befitting their position, still, they are in their position. This is the conclusion. Krsna has given this concession to His devotee.

It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita,
api cet su-duracaro
bhajate mam ananya-bhak
sadhur eva sa mantavyah
samyag vyavasito hi sah

Even sometimes, not by willing, sometimes accidentally, a devotee… Just like the other day in the meeting, somebody was giving the example, “Lord Christ, he ate fish.” So he can do that. There was some necessity. But you cannot do that. So even though it is sometimes done, abominable, but still they are in exalted position. This is to be understood. Tejiyasam na dosaya. Tejiyasam, those who are very, very powerful, anything abominable done by them, it does not contaminate. This is to be understood. But you cannot do that. You cannot imitate.

(reads:) “WHEN YAMARAJA THUS INCARNATED HIMSELF AS VIDURA, HIS POST WAS OFFICIATED BY ARYAMA, ONE OF THE MANY SONS OF KASYAPA AND ADITI, THE ADITYAS, OR SONS OF ADITI, AND THERE ARE TWELVE ADITYAS. ARYAMA IS ONE OF THE TWELVE ADITYAS, AND THEREFORE IT WAS QUITE POSSIBLE FOR HIM TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE OFFICE OF YAMARAJA DURING HIS ONE HUNDRED YEARS’ ABSENCE IN THE FORM OF VIDURA. THE CONCLUSION IS THAT VIDURA WAS NEVER A SUDRA, BUT WAS GREATER THAN THE PUREST TYPE OF BRAHMANA.”

Now, have kirtana. (end)

 

SB 5.26 Summary

Chapter Twenty-six

A Description of the Hellish Planets

 

The Twenty-sixth Chapter describes how a sinful man goes to different hells, where he is punished in various ways by the assistants of Yamaraja. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (3.27):

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate

“The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.” The foolish person thinks he is independent of any law. He thinks there is no God or regulative principle and that he can do whatever he likes. Thus he engages in different sinful activities, and as a result, he is put into different hellish conditions life after life, to be punished by the laws of nature. The basic principle of his suffering is that he foolishly thinks himself independent, although he is strictly under the control of the laws of material nature. These laws act due to the influence of the three modes of nature, and therefore each human being also works under three different types of influence. According to how he acts, he suffers different reactions in his next life or in this life. Religious persons act differently from atheists, and therefore they suffer different reactions.

SUKADEVA GOSVAMI DESCRIBES THE FOLLOWING TWENTY-EIGHT HELLS: TAMISRA, ANDHATAMISRA, RAURAVA, MAHARAURAVA, KUMBHIPAKA. KALASUTRA, ASI-PATRAVANA, SUKARAMUKHA, ANDHAKUPA, KRMIBHOJANA. SANDAMSA, TAPTASURMI, VAJRAKANTAKA-SALMALI, VAITARANI, PUYODA, PRANARODHA, VISASANA, LALABHAKSA, SARAMEYADANA, AVICI, AYAHPANA. KSARAKARDAMA, RAKSOGANA-BHOJANA, SULAPROTA, DANDASUKA. AVATA-NIRODHANA, PARYAVARTANA AND SUCIMUKHA.

A person who steals another’s money, wife or possessions is put into the hell known as Tamisra. A man who tricks someone and enjoys his wife is put into the extremely hellish condition known as Andhatamisra. A foolish person absorbed in the bodily concept of life, who on the basis of this principle maintains himself or his wife and children by committing violence against other living entities, is put into the hell known as Raurava. There the animals he killed take birth as creatures called rurus and cause great suffering for him. Those who kill different animals and birds and then cook them are put by the agents of Yamaraja into the hell known as Kumbhipaka, where they are boiled in oil. A person who kills a brahmana is put into the hell known as Kalasutra, where the land, perfectly level and made of copper, is as hot as an oven. The killer of a brahmana burns in that land for many years. One who does not follow scriptural injunctions but who does everything whimsically or follows some rascal is put into the hell known as Asi-patravana. A government official who poorly administers justice, or who punishes an innocent man, is taken by the assistants of Yamaraja to the hell known as Sukaramukha, where he is mercilessly beaten.

God has given advanced consciousness to the human being. Therefore he can feel the suffering and happiness of other living beings. The human being bereft of his conscience, however, is prone to cause suffering for other living beings. The assistants of Yamaraja put such a person into the hell known as Andhakupa, where he receives proper punishment from his victims. Any person who does not receive or feed a guest properly but who personally enjoys eating is put into the hell known as Krmibhojana. There an unlimited number of worms and insects continuously bite him.

A thief is put into the hell known as Sandamsa. A person who has sexual relations with a woman who is not to be enjoyed is put into the hell known as Taptasurmi. A person who enjoys sexual relations with animals is put into the hell known as Vajrakantaka-salmali. A person born into an aristocratic or highly placed family but who does not act accordingly is put into the hellish trench of blood, pus and urine called the Vaitarani River. One who lives like an animal is put into the hell called Puyoda. A person who mercilessly kills animals in the forest without sanction is put into the hell called Pranarodha. A person who kills animals in the name of religious sacrifice is put into the hell named Visasana. A man who forces his wife to drink his semen is put into the hell called Lalabhaksa. One who sets a fire or administers poison to kill someone is put into the hell known as Sarameyadana. A man who earns his livelihood by bearing false witness is put into the hell known as Avici.

A person addicted to drinking wine is put into the hell named Ayahpana. One who violates etiquette by not showing proper respect to superiors is put into the hell known as Ksarakardama. A person who sacrifices human beings to Bhairava is put into the hell called Raksogana-bhojana. A person who kills pet animals is put into the hell called Sulaprota. A person who gives trouble to others is put into the hell known as Dandasuka. One who imprisons a living entity within a cave is put into the hell known as Avata-nirodhana. A person who shows unwarranted wrath toward a guest in his house is put into the hell called Paryavartana. A person maddened by possessing riches and thus deeply absorbed in thinking of how to collect money is put into the hell known as Sucimukha.

After describing the hellish planets, Sukadeva Gosvami describes how pious persons are elevated to the highest planetary system, where the demigods live, and how they then come back again to this earth when the results of their pious activities are finished. Finally he describes the universal form of the Lord and glorifies the Lord’s activities.

 

Note: Vidura(Yamaraja) is MAHABHAGAVATA

 

SB 3.20.2 T  Conversation Between Maitreya and Vidura

ksatta maha-bhagavatah
krsnasyaikantikah suhrt
yas tatyajagrajam krsne
sapatyam aghavan iti

SYNONYMS

KSATTA–VIDURA; MAHA-BHAGAVATAH–A GREAT DEVOTEE OF THE LORD; krsnasya–of Lord Krsna; ekantikah–unalloyed devotee; suhrt–intimate friend; yah–he who; tatyaja–abandoned; agra-jam–his elder brother (King Dhrtarastra); krsne–toward Krsna; sa-apatyam–along with his one hundred sons; agha-van–offender; iti—thus.

 

SB 1.13.10 P          Dhrtarastra Quits Home

The Personality of Godhead is omnipresent by His diverse potencies everywhere, just as the power of electricity is distributed everywhere within space. Similarly, the Lord’s omnipresence is perceived and manifested by His unalloyed devotees like Vidura, just as electricity is manifested in an electric bulb. A PURE DEVOTEE LIKE VIDURA ALWAYS FEELS THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD EVERYWHERE. HE SEES EVERYTHING IN THE POTENCY OF THE LORD AND THE LORD IN EVERYTHING.

 

Note: Sometimes they complain that “This man is committing so many sinful activities, but he’s happy.” But actually he’s enjoying the effects of his past something pious. Now he’s happy, but that effect of the impious activities, that is in stock. It will come out in due course of time. That is called kuta-stha.

 

721106ND.VRN                 Lectures

Pradyumna: “It is stated in the Padma-Purana that there are four kinds of effects to sinful activities, which are listed as follows: (1) the effect which is not yet fructified, (2) the effect which is lying as seed, (3) the effect which is already mature, and (4) the effect which is almost mature. It is also stated that all these four effects…”

Prabhupada: Kuta-stha-bija, prarabdha… Like that. This is, these are the… Our effects. Just like we can understand in the modern… Just like if you infect some disease, it becomes immediately kuta-stha. Kuta-stha means stocked. In due course of time, it will come out, manifest. Similarly, we are acting so many sinful activities. SOMETIMES THEY COMPLAIN THAT “THIS MAN IS COMMITTING SO MANY SINFUL ACTIVITIES, BUT HE’S HAPPY.” BUT ACTUALLY HE’S ENJOYING THE EFFECTS OF HIS PAST SOMETHING PIOUS. NOW HE’S HAPPY, BUT THAT EFFECT OF THE IMPIOUS ACTIVITIES, THAT IS IN STOCK. IT WILL COME OUT IN DUE COURSE OF TIME. THAT IS CALLED KUTA-STHA. KUTA-STHA PHALONMUKHA, PRARABDHA. These are the Sanskrit language. That is being explained here. Go on.

 

SB 7.8.27 P Lord Nrsimhadeva Slays the King of the Demons

WHEN A SINFUL MAN ENJOYS MATERIAL FACILITIES, FOOLISH PEOPLE SOMETIMES THINK, “HOW IS IT THAT THIS SINFUL MAN IS ENJOYING WHEREAS A PIOUS MAN IS SUFFERING?” BY THE WILL OF THE SUPREME, A SINFUL MAN IS SOMETIMES GIVEN THE CHANCE TO ENJOY THE MATERIAL WORLD AS IF HE WERE NOT UNDER THE CLUTCHES OF MATERIAL NATURE, JUST SO THAT HE MAY BE FOOLED. A sinful man who acts against the laws of nature must be punished, but sometimes he is given a chance to play, exactly like Hiranyakasipu when he was released from the hands of Nrsimhadeva. Hiranyakasipu was destined to be ultimately killed by Nrsimhadeva, but just to see the fun, the Lord gave him a chance to slip from His hands.

 

SB 6.1.42 T     The History of the Life of Ajamila

suryo ‘gnih kham marud devah
somah sandhyahani disah
kam kuh svayam dharma iti
hy ete daihyasya saksinah

SYNONYMS

suryah–the sun-god; agnih–the fire; kham–the sky; marut–the air; devah–the demigods; somah–the moon; sandhya–evening; ahani–the day and night; disah–the directions; kam–the water; kuh–the land; svayam–personally; dharmah–Yamaraja or the Supersoul; iti–thus; hi–indeed; ete–all of these; daihyasya–of a living entity embodied in the material elements; saksinah–witnesses.

TRANSLATION

The sun, fire, sky, air, demigods, moon, evening, day, night, directions, water, land and Supersoul Himself all WITNESS the activities of the living entity.

PURPORT

The members of some religious sects, especially Christians, do not believe in the reactions of karma. We once had a discussion with a learned Christian professor who argued that although people are generally punished after the witnesses of their misdeeds are examined, where are the witnesses responsible for one’s suffering the reactions of past karma? To such a person the answer by the Yamadutas is given here. A CONDITIONED SOUL THINKS THAT HE IS WORKING STEALTHILY AND THAT NO ONE CAN SEE HIS SINFUL ACTIVITIES, BUT WE CAN UNDERSTAND FROM THE SASTRAS THAT THERE ARE MANY WITNESSES, INCLUDING THE SUN, FIRE, SKY, AIR, MOON, DEMIGODS, EVENING, DAY, NIGHT, DIRECTIONS, WATER, LAND AND THE SUPERSOUL HIMSELF, WHO SITS WITH THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL WITHIN HIS HEART. WHERE IS THE DEARTH OF WITNESSES? THE WITNESSES AND THE SUPREME LORD BOTH EXIST, AND THEREFORE SO MANY LIVING ENTITIES ARE ELEVATED TO HIGHER PLANETARY SYSTEMS OR DEGRADED TO LOWER PLANETARY SYSTEMS, INCLUDING THE HELLISH PLANETS.

 

SB 6.1.43 T     The History of the Life of Ajamila

The candidates for punishment are those who are confirmed by these many witnesses to have deviated from their prescribed regulative duties. EVERYONE ENGAGED IN FRUITIVE ACTIVITIES IS SUITABLE TO BE SUBJECTED TO PUNISHMENT ACCORDING TO HIS SINFUL ACTS.

 

SB 6.1.44      The History of the Life of Ajamila

O inhabitants of Vaikuntha, you are sinless, but those within this material world are all karmis, whether acting piously or impiously. BOTH KINDS OF ACTION ARE POSSIBLE FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE CONTAMINATED BY THE THREE MODES OF NATURE AND MUST ACT ACCORDINGLY. ONE WHO HAS ACCEPTED A MATERIAL BODY CANNOT BE INACTIVE, AND SINFUL ACTION IS INEVITABLE FOR ONE ACTING UNDER THE MODES OF MATERIAL NATURE. THEREFORE ALL THE LIVING ENTITIES WITHIN THIS MATERIAL WORLD ARE PUNISHABLE.

PURPORT

The difference between human beings and nonhuman beings is that a human is supposed to act according to the direction of the Vedas. UNFORTUNATELY, MEN MANUFACTURE THEIR OWN WAYS OF ACTING, WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE VEDAS. THEREFORE ALL OF THEM COMMIT SINFUL ACTIONS AND ARE PUNISHABLE.

 

SB 6.1.45 T     The History of the Life of Ajamila

In proportion to the extent of one’s religious or irreligious actions in this life, one must enjoy or suffer the corresponding reactions of his karma in the next.

PURPORT

As stated in Bhagavad-gita (14.18):

urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha
madhye tisthanti rajasah
jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha
adho gacchanti tamasah

THOSE WHO ACT IN THE MODE OF GOODNESS ARE PROMOTED TO HIGHER PLANETARY SYSTEMS TO BECOME DEMIGODS, THOSE WHO ACT IN AN ORDINARY WAY AND DO NOT COMMIT EXCESSIVELY SINFUL ACTS REMAIN WITHIN THIS MIDDLE PLANETARY SYSTEM, AND THOSE WHO PERFORM ABOMINABLE SINFUL ACTIONS MUST GO DOWN TO HELLISH LIFE.

 

SB 5.5.5 T   Lord Rsabhadeva’ s Teachings to His Sons

parabhavas tavad abodha-jato
yavan na jijnasata atma-tattvam
yavat kriyas tavad idam mano vai
karmatmakam yena sarira-bandhah

 

As long as one does not inquire about the spiritual values of life, one is defeated and subjected to miseries arising from ignorance. Be it sinful or pious, karma has its resultant actions. IF A PERSON IS ENGAGED IN ANY KIND OF KARMA, HIS MIND IS CALLED KARMATMAKA, COLORED WITH FRUITIVE ACTIVITY. AS LONG AS THE MIND IS IMPURE, CONSCIOUSNESS IS UNCLEAR, AND AS LONG AS ONE IS ABSORBED IN FRUITIVE ACTIVITY, HE HAS TO ACCEPT A MATERIAL BODY.

 

Bg 7.20 P            Knowledge of the Absolute

Those who are freed from all material contaminations surrender unto the Supreme Lord and engage in His devotional service. AS LONG AS THE MATERIAL CONTAMINATION IS NOT COMPLETELY WASHED OFF, THEY ARE BY NATURE NONDEVOTEES

 

SB 3.15.24 P Description of the Kingdom of God
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO GO BACK TO GODHEAD IN ONE LIFE, but in the human form one should at least understand the goal of life and begin Krsna consciousness.

 

Note: material contamination is NOT washed off therefore we are NOT on (PURE GOODNESS) Suddha Sattva platform where Krsna can TALK with us. As we are still under three modes of nature goodness (sattva guna), passion(rajo guna), ignorance(tamo guna) we STILL act on platform of Karma so we get another MATERIAL body.

 

 

DWT 16     When the Krsna Sun Rises in the Heart

You can be promoted to the post of Indra, the King of heaven, provided you have performed sufficient pious activities, just as you can become a high court judge if you have sufficient education. All the great demigods–Indra, Candra, Surya, Brahma–have achieved their posts on account of their great pious activities, called punya-karma. Similarly, the hogs, dogs, and other animals are suffering in their respective bodies due to papa-karma, impious activities. So, everyone is suffering or enjoying the reactions of his karma and in this way remaining bound up in this material world. It is very easy to understand. BUT, KARMANI NIRDAHATI KINTU CA BHAKTI-BHAJAM: [BS. 5.54] THE KARMA OF THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN TO KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS IN DEVOTIONAL SERVICE IS BURNED UP. IN OTHER WORDS, FOR THE DEVOTEES OF KRSNA THERE ARE NO KARMIC REACTIONS. IF YOU SOW A CHICKPEA IN THE GROUND, IT WILL GROW INTO A PLANT, BUT IF YOU FRY A CHICKPEA AND THEN SOW IT IN THE GROUND, IT WILL NOT GROW. SO WE SHOULD FRY OUR KARMA BY DEVOTIONAL SERVICE. THEN OUR ACTIVITIES WILL NOT PRODUCE ANY KARMIC REACTION.

UNLESS YOU HAVE COMPLETELY ERADICATED YOUR KARMIC REACTIONS, YOU CANNOT BE PROMOTED TO THE SPIRITUAL WORLD. IN OTHER WORDS, AS LONG AS YOU CONTINUE TO PERFORM FRUITIVE ACTIVITIES, YOU’LL HAVE TO ACCEPT SOME TYPE OF MATERIAL BODY, BIRTH AFTER BIRTH. Therefore Lord Rsabhadeva says in the Fifth Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.5.4),

 

nunam pramattah kurute vikarma
yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti
na sadhu manye yata atmano ‘yam
asann api klesada asa dehah

 

“Those without knowledge of the spirit soul are mad after materialistic activities, and they perform all kinds of sinful activities simply for sense gratification. Such activities are inauspicious because they force one to accept an abominable body in the next life.”

FOR A DEVOTEE, HOWEVER, THERE IS NO MORE KARMA, AND SO THERE IS NO MORE MATERIAL BODY. Krsna confirms this in the Bhagavad-gita (4.9): tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti. After giving up his present body, a devotee does not get another material body, but rather in his spiritual body he goes back home, back to Godhead.

The same idea is expressed in the present verse of the Bhagavatam: ksiyante casya karmani drsta evatmanisvare. FREED OF ALL KARMIC REACTIONS, THE DEVOTEE FULLY REALIZES HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, THINKING “I AM AN ETERNAL SERVANT OF GOD, OR KRSNA.” AND BECAUSE HE REALIZES HIS ACTUAL IDENTITY, HE ALWAYS ENGAGES IN PURE DEVOTIONAL SERVICE. THAT IS THE PERFECTION OF LIFE.

 

 

SB 4.29.73 P Talks Between Narada and King Pracinabarhi

It is sometimes said that because a child is innocent he is completely pure. Actually this is not the fact. THE EFFECTS OF FRUITIVE ACTIVITIES RESERVED IN THE SUBTLE BODY APPEAR IN THREE CONCURRENT STAGES. ONE IS CALLED BIJA (THE ROOT), ANOTHER IS CALLED KUTA-STHA (THE DESIRE), AND ANOTHER IS CALLED PHALONMUKHA (ABOUT TO FRUCTIFY). The manifest stage is called prarabdha (already in action). In a conscious or unconscious state, the actions of the subtle or gross bodies may not be manifest, but such states cannot be called the liberated state. A child may be innocent, but this does not mean that he is a liberated soul. Everything is held in reservation, and everything will become manifest in due course of time. Even in the absence of certain manifestations in the subtle body, the objects of sense enjoyment may act. The example has been given of a nocturnal emission, in which the physical senses act even when the physical objects are not manifest. The three modes of material nature may not be manifest in the subtle body, but the contamination of the three modes remains conserved, and in due course of time, it becomes manifest. Even if the reactions of the subtle and gross bodies are not manifest, one does not become free from the material conditions. Therefore it is wrong to say that a child is as good as a liberated soul.

 

740927SB.CAL                 Lectures

But people are doing that. Without being followed by the acarya, without being followed by the sastras, they become guru, they become swami, they become yogi. It is useless. You cannot get… Here are the process, process is given: tada rajas-tamo-bhavah kama… Tada means when you are fixed up in devotional service, then you can get out of these infections. These are infections. In… It is so dangerous infection. Infection, anyone can understand nowadays, scientific days. IF YOU INFECT SOME DISEASE, YOU HAVE TO SUFFER. YOU CANNOT ESCAPE. YOU INFECT TODAY SOMEHOW OR OTHER. NOT TODAY, NOT TOMORROW, BUT SOME DAY IT WILL COME OUT. IT IS CALLED KUTASTHA, PHALONMUKHA, PRARABDHA, PAPA-BIJA. PAPA-BIJA, REMAINS AS SEED, KUTASTHA. THEN IT IS FRUCTIFYING, PHALONMUKHA. THEN YOU SUFFER, PRARABDHA. THIS IS CALLED PRARABDHA-KARMA, INFECTION.

YOU ARE UNDER THE COMPLETE SUBJUGATION OF NATURE. PRAKRTEH KRIYAMANANI GUNAIH KARMANI SARVASAH. These gunaih. The prakrti is forcing you to work because you have infected a kind of guna. Karanam guna-sango ‘sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu. Karanam. Why one man is born, one living entity is born as a very rich man and one is born as a dog? Sad-asad-yoni. Yoni means mother, and bija means father. Yatha yoni yatha bijah. So the every living entity is born–bija and yoni, father and mother. SO WHY THERE ARE VARIETIES? Nature is working. Why not one, one kind of living entities? No. Sad-asad-janma-yonisu. THERE ARE 8,400,000 OF SPECIES. ONE HAS TO TAKE. TATHA DEHANTARA-PRAPTIH. YOU HAVE TO CHANGE. But why one is in the lower grade birth, why in the higher grade? Now, karanam guna-sango ‘sya. These guna. These guna, sattva-guna, rajo-guna.

 

721106ND.VRN                 Lectures

Pradyumna: “It is stated in the Padma-Purana that there are four kinds of effects to sinful activities, which are listed as follows: (1) the effect which is not yet fructified, (2) the effect which is lying as seed, (3) the effect which is already mature, and (4) the effect which is almost mature. It is also stated that all these four effects…”

Prabhupada: Kuta-stha-bija, prarabdha… Like that. This is, these are the… Our effects. Just like we can understand in the modern… Just like if you infect some disease, it becomes immediately kuta-stha. Kuta-stha means stocked. In due course of time, it will come out, manifest. Similarly, we are acting so many sinful activities. SOMETIMES THEY COMPLAIN THAT “THIS MAN IS COMMITTING SO MANY SINFUL ACTIVITIES, BUT HE’S HAPPY.” BUT ACTUALLY HE’S ENJOYING THE EFFECTS OF HIS PAST SOMETHING PIOUS. NOW HE’S HAPPY, BUT THAT EFFECT OF THE IMPIOUS ACTIVITIES, THAT IS IN STOCK. IT WILL COME OUT IN DUE COURSE OF TIME. THAT IS CALLED KUTA-STHA. KUTA-STHA PHALONMUKHA, PRARABDHA. These are the Sanskrit language. That is being explained here.

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

The Story of King Nrga

 

Once the family members of Lord Krsna, such as Samba, Pradyumna, Carubhanu and Gada, all princes of the Yadu dynasty, went for a long picnic in the forest near Dvaraka. In the course of their excursion, all of them became thirsty, and so they began to try to find out where water was available in the forest. When they approached a well, they found that there was no water in it, but on the contrary, within the well was a wonderful living entity. It was a large lizard, and all of them became astonished to see such a wonderful animal. They could understand that the animal was trapped and could not escape by its own effort, so out of compassion they tried to take the large lizard out of the well. Unfortunately, they could not get the lizard out, even though they tried to do so in many ways.

When the princes returned home, their story was narrated before Lord Krsna. Lord Krsna is the friend of all living entities. Therefore, after hearing the appeal from His sons, He personally went to the well and easily got the great lizard out simply by extending His left hand. Immediately upon being touched by the hand of Lord Krsna, that great lizard gave up its former shape and appeared as a beautiful demigod, an inhabitant of the heavenly planets. His bodily complexion glittered like molten gold. He was decorated with fine garments, and he wore costly ornaments around his neck.

How the demigod had been obliged to accept the body of a lizard was not a secret to Lord Krsna, but still, for others’ information, the Lord inquired, “My dear fortunate demigod, now I see that your body is so beautiful and lustrous. Who are you? We can guess that you are one of the best demigods in the heavenly planets. All good fortune to you. I think that you are not meant to be in this situation. It must be due to the results of your past activities that you have been put into the species of lizard life. Still, I want to hear from you how you were put in this position. If you think that you can disclose this secret, then please tell us your identity.”

Actually this large lizard was King Nrga, and when he was questioned by the Supreme Personality of Godhead he immediately bowed down before the Lord, touching to the ground the helmet on his head, which was as dazzling as the sunshine. In this way, he first of all offered his respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord. He then said, “My dear Lord, I am the son of King Iksvaku, and am King Nrga. If you have ever taken account of all charitably disposed men, I am sure You must have heard my name. My Lord, You are the witness. You are aware of every bit of work done by the living entities–past, present and future. Nothing can be hidden from Your eternal cognizance. Still, You have ordered me to explain my history, and I shall therefore narrate the full story.”

King Nrga proceeded to narrate the history of his degradation, caused by his karma-kanda activities. He was very charitably disposed and had given away so many cows that he said the number was equal to the amount of dust on the earth, the stars in the sky  and the rainfall. According to the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies, a man who is charitably disposed is commanded to give cows to the brahmanas. From King Nrga’s statement, it appears that he followed this principle earnestly; however, as a result of a slight discrepancy in his action, he was forced to take birth as a lizard. Therefore it is recommended by the Lord in the Bhagavad-gita that one who is charitably disposed and desires to derive the benefit of his charity should offer his gifts to please Krsna. To give in charity means to perform pious activities. As a result of pious activities one may be elevated to the higher planetary systems; but promotion to the heavenly planets is no guarantee that one will never fall down. Rather, from the example of King Nrga, it is definitely proved that fruitive activities, even if they are very pious, cannot give us eternal blissful life. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, the result of work, either pious or impious, is sure to bind a man unless it is discharged as yajna on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

King Nrga continued to say that the cows given in charity were not ordinary cows. Each one was very young and had given birth to only one calf. They were full of milk, very peaceful and healthy. All the cows were purchased with money that had been earned legally. Furthermore, their horns were gold-plated, their hooves were bedecked with silver plates, and they were covered with silken wrappers which were embroidered with pearls and necklaces. He stated that these valuably decorated cows were not given to any worthless person, but were distributed to the first-class brahmanas, whom he had also decorated with nice garments and gold ornaments. The brahmanas were well qualified, none of them were rich, and their family members were always in want for the necessities of life. A real brahmana never hoards money for a luxurious life, like the ksatriyas or the vaisyas, but always keeps himself in a poverty-stricken condition, knowing that money diverts the mind to materialistic ways of life. To live in this way is the vow of a qualified brahmana, and all of these brahmanas were well situated in that exalted vow. They were well learned in Vedic knowledge. They executed the required austerities and penances in their lives, and were liberal, meeting the standard of qualified brahmanas. They were equally friendly to everyone; above all, they were young and quite fit to act as qualified brahmanas. Besides the cows, they were also given land, gold, houses, horses and elephants. Those who were not married were given wives, maidservants, grains, silver, utensils, garments, jewels, household furniture, chariots, etc. This charity was nicely performed as a sacrifice according to the Vedic rituals. The King also stated that not only had he bestowed gifts on the brahmanas, but he had performed other pious activities, such as digging a well, planting trees on the roadside and installing ponds on the highways.

The King continued, “In spite of all this, unfortunately one of the brahmana’s cows chanced to enter amongst my other cows. Not knowing this, I again gave it in charity to another brahmana. As the cow was being taken away by the brahmana, its former master claimed it as his own, stating, ‘This cow was formerly given to me, so how is it that you are taking it away?’ Thus there was arguing and fighting between the two brahmanas, and they came before me and charged that I had taken back a cow that I had previously given in charity.” To give something to someone and then to take it away is considered a great sin, especially in dealing with a brahmana. When both the brahmanas charged the King with the same complaint, he was simply puzzled as to how it had happened. Thereafter, with great humility, the King offered each of them 100,000 cows in exchange for the one cow that was causing the fight between them. He prayed to them that he was their servant and that there had been some mistake. Thus, in order to rectify it, he prayed that they would be very kind upon him and accept his offer in exchange for the cow. The King fervently appealed to the brahmanas not to cause his downfall into hell because of this mistake. A brahmana’s property is called brahma-sva, and according to Manu’s law, it cannot be acquired even by the government. Both brahmanas insisted that the cow was theirs and could not be taken back under any condition; neither of them agreed to exchange it for the 100,000 cows. Thus disagreeing with the King’s proposal, both brahmanas left the place in anger, thinking that their lawful position had been usurped.

After this incident, when the time came for the King to give up his body, he was taken before Yamaraja, the superintendent of death. YAMARAJA ASKED HIM WHETHER HE WANTED TO FIRST ENJOY THE RESULTS OF HIS PIOUS ACTIVITIES OR FIRST SUFFER THE RESULTS OF HIS IMPIOUS ACTIVITIES. Yamaraja also hinted that since the King had executed so many pious activities and charities, the limit of Nrga’s enjoyment would be unknown to him. There was practically no end to the King’s material happiness, but in spite of this hint, he was bewildered. He decided to first suffer the results of his impious activities and then to accept the results of his pious activities; therefore Yamaraja immediately turned him into a lizard.

King Nrga had remained in the well as a big lizard for a very long time. He told Lord Krsna: “In spite of being put into that degraded condition of life, I simply thought of You, my dear Lord, and my memory was never vanquished.” It appears from these statements of King Nrga that persons who follow the principles of fruitive activities and derive some material benefits are not very intelligent. Being given the choice by the superintendent of death, Yamaraja, King Nrga could have first accepted the results of his pious activities. INSTEAD HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO FIRST RECEIVE THE EFFECTS OF HIS IMPIOUS ACTIVITIES AND THEN ENJOY THE EFFECTS OF HIS PIOUS ACTIVITIES WITHOUT DISTURBANCE. ON THE WHOLE, HE HAD NOT DEVELOPED KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS. THE KRSNA CONSCIOUS PERSON DEVELOPS LOVE OF GOD, KRSNA, NOT LOVE FOR PIOUS OR IMPIOUS ACTIVITIES; THEREFORE HE IS NOT SUBJECTED TO THE RESULTS OF SUCH ACTION. As stated in the Brahma-samhita, a devotee, by the grace of the Lord, does not become subjected to the resultant reactions of fruitive activities.

Somehow or other, as a result of his pious activities, King Nrga had aspired to see the Lord. He continued to say: “My dear Lord, I had a great desire that someday I might be able to see You personally. I think that my tendency to perform ritualistic and charitable activities, combined with this great desire to see You personally, has enabled me to retain the memory of who I was in my former life, even though I became a lizard.” (Such a person, who remembers his past life, is called jati-smara.) “My dear Lord, You are the Supersoul seated in everyone’s heart. There are many great mystic yogis who have eyes to see You through the Vedas and Upanisads. In order to achieve the elevated position of being equal in quality with You, they always meditate on You within their hearts. Although such exalted saintly persons may see You constantly within their hearts, they still cannot see You eye to eye; therefore I am very much surprised that I am able to see You personally. I know that I was engaged in so many activities, especially as a king. Although I was in the midst of luxury and opulence and was subjected to so much of the happiness and misery of material existence, I am so fortunate to be seeing You personally. As far as I know, when one becomes liberated from material existence, he can see You in this way.”

When King Nrga elected to receive the results of his impious activities, he was given the body of a lizard because of the mistake in his pious activities; thus he could not be directly converted to a higher status of life like a great demigod. However, along with his pious activities, he thought of Krsna, so he was quickly released from the body of a lizard and given the body of a demigod. By worshiping the Supreme Lord, those who desire material opulences are given the bodies of powerful demigods. Sometimes these demigods can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead eye to eye, but they are still not yet eligible to enter into the spiritual kingdom, the Vaikuntha planets. HOWEVER, IF THE DEMIGODS CONTINUE TO BECOME DEVOTEES OF THE LORD, THE NEXT CHANCE THEY GET THEY WILL ENTER INTO THE VAIKUNTHA PLANETS.

Having attained the body of a demigod, King Nrga, continuing to remember everything, said, “My dear Lord, You are the Supreme Lord and are worshiped by all the demigods. You are not one of the living entities, but You are the Supreme Person, Purusottama. You are the source of all happiness to all living entities; therefore You are known as Govinda. You are the Lord of those living entities who have accepted a material body and those who have not yet accepted a material body.” (Among the living entities who have not accepted a material body are those who are hovering in the material world as evil spirits or living in the ghostly atmosphere. However, those who live in the spiritual kingdom, the Vaikunthalokas, have bodies that are not made of material elements.) “You are, my Lord, infallible. You are the Supreme, the purest of all living entities. You are living in everyone’s heart. You are the shelter of all living entities, Narayana. Being seated in the heart of all living entities, You are the supreme director of everyone’s sensual activities; therefore, You are called Hrsikesa.

“My dear Supreme Lord Krsna, because You have given me this body of a demigod, I will have to go to some heavenly planet; so I am taking this opportunity to beg for Your mercy, that I may have the benediction of never forgetting Your lotus feet, no matter to which form of life or planet I may be transferred. You are all-pervading, present everywhere as cause and effect. You are the cause of all causes, and Your potency and power are unlimited. You are the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the Supreme Brahman. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You again and again. My dear Lord, Your body is full of transcendental bliss and knowledge, and You are eternal. You are the master of all mystic powers; therefore You are known as Yogesvara. Kindly accept me as insignificant dust at Your lotus feet.”

BEFORE ENTERING THE HEAVENLY PLANETS, KING NRGA CIRCUMAMBULATED THE LORD. HE TOUCHED HIS HELMET TO THE LOTUS FEET OF THE LORD AND BOWED BEFORE HIM. SEEING THE AIRPLANE FROM THE HEAVENLY PLANETS PRESENT BEFORE HIM, HE WAS GIVEN PERMISSION BY THE LORD TO BOARD IT. After the departure of King Nrga, Lord Krsna expressed His appreciation for the King’s devotion to the brahmanas as well as his charitable disposition and his performance of Vedic rituals. Therefore, it is recommended that if one cannot directly become a devotee of the Lord, one should follow the Vedic principles of life. This will enable him, one day, to see the Lord by being promoted either directly to the spiritual kingdom or indirectly to the heavenly kingdom, where he has hope of being transferred to the spiritual planets.

At this time, Lord Krsna was present among His relatives who were members of the ksatriya class. To teach them through the exemplary character of King Nrga, He said: “Even though a ksatriya king may be as powerful as fire, it is not possible for him to usurp the property of a brahmana and utilize it for his own purpose. If this is so, how can ordinary kings, who falsely think of themselves the most powerful beings within the material world, usurp a brahmana’s property? I do not think that taking poison is as dangerous as taking a brahmana’s property. For ordinary poison there is treatment–one can be relieved from its effects; BUT IF ONE DRINKS THE POISON OF TAKING A BRAHMANA’S PROPERTY, THERE IS NO REMEDY FOR THE MISTAKE. The perfect example was King Nrga. He was very powerful and very pious, but due to the small mistake of unknowingly usurping a brahmana’s cow, he was condemned to the abominable life of a lizard. Ordinary poison affects only those who drink it, and ordinary fire can be extinguished simply by pouring water on it; but the arani fire ignited by the spiritual potency of a brahmana can burn to ashes the whole family of a person who provokes such a brahmana.” (Formerly, the brahmanas used to ignite the fire of sacrifice not with matches or any other external fire but with their powerful mantras, called arani.) “IF SOMEONE EVEN TOUCHES A BRAHMANA’S PROPERTY, HE IS RUINED FOR THREE GENERATIONS. HOWEVER, IF A BRAHMANA’S PROPERTY IS FORCIBLY TAKEN AWAY, THE TAKER’S FAMILY FOR TEN GENERATIONS BEFORE HIM AND FOR TEN GENERATIONS AFTER HIM WILL BE SUBJECT TO RUINATION. On the other hand, if someone becomes a Vaisnava or devotee of the Lord, ten generations of his family before his birth and ten generations after will become liberated.”

Lord Krsna continued: “If some foolish king who is puffed up by his wealth, prestige and power wants to usurp a brahmana’s property, it should be understood that such a king is clearing his path to hell; he does not know how much he has to suffer for such unwise action. If someone takes away the property of a very liberal brahmana who is encumbered by a large dependent family, then such a usurper is put into the hell known as Kumbhipaka; not only is he put into this hell, but his family members also have to accept such a miserable condition of life. A PERSON WHO TAKES AWAY PROPERTY WHICH HAS EITHER BEEN AWARDED TO A BRAHMANA OR GIVEN AWAY BY HIM IS CONDEMNED TO LIVE FOR AT LEAST 60,000 YEARS AS MISERABLY AS AN INSECT IN STOOL. Therefore I instruct you, all My boys and relatives present here, do not, even by mistake, take the possession of a brahmana and thereby pollute your whole family. IF SOMEONE EVEN WISHES TO POSSESS SUCH PROPERTY, LET ALONE ATTEMPTS TO TAKE IT AWAY BY FORCE, THE DURATION OF HIS LIFE WILL BE REDUCED. HE WILL BE DEFEATED BY HIS ENEMIES, AND AFTER BEING BEREFT OF HIS ROYAL POSITION, WHEN HE GIVES UP HIS BODY HE WILL BECOME A SERPENT. A serpant gives trouble to all other living entities. My dear boys and relatives, I therefore advise you that even if a brahmana becomes angry with you and calls you by ill names or cuts you, still you should not retaliate. On the contrary, you should smile, tolerate him and offer your respects to the brahmana. You know very well that even I Myself offer My obeisances to the brahmanas with great respect three times daily. You should therefore follow My instruction and example. I shall not forgive anyone who does not follow them, and I shall punish him. You should learn from the example of King Nrga that even if someone unknowingly usurps the property of a brahmana, he is put into a miserable condition of life.”

Thus Lord Krsna, who is always engaged in purifying the conditioned living entities, gave instruction not only to His family members and the inhabitants of Dvaraka, but to all the members of human society. After this the Lord entered His palace.

 

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Sixty-fourth Chapter of Krsna, “The Story of King Nrga.”

 

 

SB 6.3 Summary   Yamaraja Instructs His Messengers

Yamaraja continued, “The essence of sanatana-dharma, or eternal religion, is extremely confidential. No one but the Lord Himself can deliver that confidential religious system to human society. It is by the mercy of the Lord that the transcendental system of religion can be understood by His pure devotees, and specifically by the twelve mahajanas–Lord Brahma, Narada Muni, Lord Siva, the Kumaras, Kapila, Manu, Prahlada, Janaka, Bhisma, Bali, Sukadeva Gosvami and me. Other learned scholars, headed by Jaimini, are almost always covered by the illusory energy, and therefore they are more or less attracted by the flowery language of the three Vedas, namely Rg, Yajur and Sama, which are called trayi. Instead of becoming pure devotees, people captivated by the flowery words of these three Vedas are interested in the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. They cannot understand the glories of chanting the holy name of the Lord. Intelligent persons, however, take to the devotional service of the Lord. WHEN THEY CHANT THE HOLY NAME OF THE LORD WITHOUT OFFENSES, THEY ARE NO LONGER SUBJECT TO MY RULINGS. IF BY CHANCE THEY COMMIT SOME SINFUL ACT, THEY ARE PROTECTED BY THE HOLY NAME OF THE LORD BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THEIR INTEREST LIES.

 

SB 2.2.30 P            The Lord in the Heart

Lord Sri Caitanya, therefore, made it easier for the prospective devotee of the present age in the following specific manner. Ultimately there is no difference in the result. The first and foremost point is that one must understand the prime importance of bhakti-yoga. The living beings in different species of life are undergoing different terms of encagement according to their fruitive actions and reactions. But in the execution of different activities, one who secures some resources in bhakti-yoga can understand the importance of service to the Lord through the causeless mercy of the Lord, as well as that of the spiritual master. A sincere soul is helped by the Lord through meeting a bona fide spiritual master, the representative of the Lord. By the instruction of such a spiritual master, one gets the seed of bhakti-yoga. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends that the devotee sow the seed of bhakti-yoga in his heart and nurture it by the watering of hearing and chanting the holy name, fame, etc., of the Lord. THE SIMPLE PROCESS OF OFFENSELESSLY CHANTING AND HEARING THE HOLY NAME OF THE LORD WILL GRADUALLY PROMOTE ONE VERY SOON TO THE STAGE OF EMANCIPATION. THERE ARE THREE STAGES IN CHANTING THE HOLY NAME OF THE LORD. THE FIRST STAGE IS THE OFFENSIVE CHANTING OF THE HOLY NAME, AND THE SECOND IS THE REFLECTIVE STAGE OF CHANTING THE HOLY NAME. THE THIRD STAGE IS THE OFFENSELESS CHANTING OF THE HOLY NAME OF THE LORD. IN THE SECOND STAGE ONLY, THE STAGE OF REFLECTION, BETWEEN THE OFFENSIVE AND OFFENSELESS STAGES, ONE AUTOMATICALLY ATTAINS THE STAGE OF EMANCIPATION. AND IN THE OFFENSELESS STAGE, ONE ACTUALLY ENTERS INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD, ALTHOUGH PHYSICALLY HE MAY APPARENTLY BE WITHIN THE MATERIAL WORLD.

 

SB 6.2.8 P      Ajamila Delivered by the Visnudutas

PREVIOUSLY, WHEN ENGAGED IN SINFUL ACTIVITIES TO MAINTAIN HIS FAMILY, AJAMILA CHANTED THE NAME OF NARAYANA WITHOUT OFFENSES. TO CHANT THE HOLY NAME OF THE LORD JUST TO COUNTERACT ONE’S SINFUL ACTIVITIES, OR TO COMMIT SINFUL ACTIVITIES ON THE STRENGTH OF CHANTING THE HOLY NAME, IS OFFENSIVE (NAMNO BALAD YASYA HI PAPA-BUDDHIH). BUT ALTHOUGH AJAMILA ENGAGED IN SINFUL ACTIVITIES, HE NEVER CHANTED THE HOLY NAME OF NARAYANA TO COUNTERACT THEM; HE SIMPLY CHANTED THE NAME NARAYANA TO CALL HIS SON. THEREFORE HIS CHANTING WAS EFFECTIVE. BECAUSE OF CHANTING THE HOLY NAME OF NARAYANA IN THIS WAY, HE HAD ALREADY VANQUISHED THE ACCUMULATED SINFUL REACTIONS OF MANY, MANY LIVES. IN THE BEGINNING HE WAS PURE, BUT ALTHOUGH HE LATER COMMITTED MANY SINFUL ACTS, HE WAS OFFENSELESS BECAUSE HE DID NOT CHANT THE HOLY NAME OF NARAYANA TO COUNTERACT THEM. One who always chants the holy name of the Lord without offenses is always pure. As confirmed in this verse Ajamila was already sinless, and because he chanted the name of Narayana he remained sinless. It did not matter that he was calling his son; the name itself was effective.

 

Note: in the case of those who are denying Srila Prabhupada’s Ritvik System he ORDERED as per July 9^th 1977 they are OFFENSIVE chanters. They have REJECTED Srila Prabhupada as Diksa Guru for their sense gratification. They want Srila Prabhupada REPLACED with their bogus conditioned soul “gurus” for MONEY and free SLAVES (so-called disciples).   These Anti Ritvks are OFFENSIVE chanters, “SUCH NEGLIGENT UTTERANCE FOR THE SENSE GRATIFICATION OF MATERIALISTIC PERSONS IS NOT A VIBRATION OF TRANSCENDENTAL SOUND”.

 

 

 

Antya 3.59 T   The Glories of Srila Haridasa Thakura

namera aksara-sabera ei ta’ svabhava
vyavahita haile na chade apana-prabhava

TRANSLATION

“The letters of the holy name have so much spiritual potency that they act even when uttered improperly.

PURPORT

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura states that the word vyavahita (“improperly uttered”) is not used here to refer to the mundane vibration of the letters of the alphabet. SUCH NEGLIGENT UTTERANCE FOR THE SENSE GRATIFICATION OF MATERIALISTIC PERSONS IS NOT A VIBRATION OF TRANSCENDENTAL SOUND. UTTERANCE OF THE HOLY NAME WHILE ONE ENGAGES IN SENSE GRATIFICATION IS AN IMPEDIMENT ON THE PATH TOWARD ACHIEVING ECSTATIC LOVE FOR KRSNA. On the other hand, if one who is eager for devotional service utters the holy name even partially or improperly, the holy name, who is identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, exhibits its spiritual potency because of that person’s offenseless utterance. Thus one is relieved from all unwanted practices, and one gradually awakens his dormant love for Krsna.

 

Note: this is a case of NEGLIGENT utterance but it is NOT offensive hence result is liberation:

Antya 3.56     The Glories of Srila Haridasa Thakura

“EVEN A MLECCHA WHO IS BEING KILLED BY THE TUSK OF A BOAR AND WHO CRIES IN DISTRESS AGAIN AND AGAIN, “HA RAMA, HA RAMA” ATTAINS LIBERATION. What then to speak of those who chant the holy name with veneration and faith?”

PURPORT

This refers to an instance in which a meat-eater being killed by a boar uttered the words “ha rama, ha rama”again and again at the time of his death. Since this is a quotation from the Nrsimha Purana, this indicates that in the puranic age there must also have been mlecchas and yavanas (meateaters), and the words “ha rama,, meaning “condemned,” were also uttered in those days. THUS HARIDASA THAKURA GIVES EVIDENCE THAT EVEN A MEAT-EATER WHO CONDEMNS SOMETHING BY UTTERING THE WORDS “HA RAMA” GETS THE BENEFIT OF CHANTING THE HOLY NAME THAT THE DEVOTEE CHANTS TO MEAN “O MY LORD RAMA.”

 

740104SB.LA                  Lectures

There is one statement in the Nrsimha-Purana that a Muhammadan was attacked by a white boar. They kill by the tusk of the nose. So while the boar was killing that Muhammadan, he uttered, “Harama, harama.” HARAMA IS AN URDU WORD, BUT THIS WORD IS FOUND IN PURANAS ALSO, HA RAMA. HARAMA MEANS CONDEMNED, CONDEMNED. SO THE MUHAMMADANS, THEY DO NOT EAT, I MEAN, THE FLESH OF PIG. JUST LIKE THE HINDUS, THEY DO NOT EAT THE FLESH OF COW, SIMILARLY, THIS FLESH OF PIG IS HARAMA. SO HE DID NOT MEAN RAMA. HE WANTED TO SAY, “CONDEMNED. THIS BOAR IS CONDEMNED, HARAMA.” BUT HE GOT THE RESULT OF CHANTING HA RAMA, HA RAMA, “O MY LORD RAMACANDRA.” HE GOT THE RESULT.

 

Note: here is yet another example of NEGLIGENT utterance of the holy name – but Kartikeya’s mother is NOT offensive chanter. She is NOT using the Holy name to counter her sinful acts like manipulative money screwing slavery making Anti Ritvik bogus gurus and accomplice misleaders who want bonafide Diksa Guru Srila Prabhupada REPLACED for their sense gratification:

750705rc.chi              Conversations

Devotee (2): We are giving these books to so many common men. Then the books will attract them to perhaps chanting and following the regulative principles.

Prabhupada: Yes, if they read. Even if they touch. That is the difference between this book and ordinary book. Even they touch and they read one line and says, “Oh, it is very nice,” he makes a step forward. If he simply says this word, “Oh, it is very nice,” that is sufficient to bring him. Therefore I am trying to push. He has paid some money. He will then say, “What these nonsense have written. Let me see.” (laughter) And if he sees and says, “Oh, it is very nice,” then the beginning is immediately. Therefore we are trying to push. At least let him say, “It is very nice.” The Kartikeya’s mother, the practical experience… THE KARTIKEYA, WHEN HE USED TO GO TO SEE HIS MOTHER, THE MOTHER WAS GOING TO DANCE, BALL DANCE, AND SHE WOULD NOT SPEAK: “ALL RIGHT, SIT DOWN. I AM COMING.” SHE USED TO GO OUT. THE SAME MOTHER GRADUALLY, IN THE ASSOCIATION OF HER SON, BECAME KRSNA CONSCIOUS. SO AT THE TIME OF DEATH SHE ASKED KARTIKEYA, “IS YOUR KRSNA HERE?” AND SHE DIED IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS THE EFFECT. SO ANTA-KALE, SHE REMEMBERED KRSNA, SO HER LIFE WAS SUCCESSFUL. SHE INQUIRED LIKE THIS, “IS YOUR KRSNA HERE?” AND IMMEDIATELY DIED. SO SHE GOT THE BENEFIT OF HER SON’S KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS. You can ask Kartikeya also. She said that.

Jayatirtha: Yes, he told me that story.

Prabhupada: YES. SO ALL THE MOTHERS OF MY DISCIPLES, THEY WILL GET SALVATION BECAUSE SHE HAS GOT NICE SON LIKE…

Jayatirtha: All the mothers will get salvation.

Prabhupada: Oh, yes.

Mrs. Wax: Oh, good. (laughter)

Devotee (3): What about the fathers.

Prabhupada: FATHER ALSO. BOTH THE FATHER AND MOTHER. BECAUSE THEY ARE FATHER AND MOTHER OF A VAISNAVA DEVOTEE, SO THEY WILL BE TAKEN SPECIAL CARE. You’ll find from the Prahlada Maharaja’s description. Even a father like Hiranyakasipu, he got salvation because Prahlada was son.

Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, it seems strange that so many parents who are engaged in meat-eating and illicit sex and intoxication and gambling, could have a son who would become a Vaisnava.

Prabhupada: Therefore they will get the advantage of the son. Somehow or other, they have produced a son, Vaisnava, so the son’s activities will react upon the life of the parents. Because naturally the sons think of the father and mother, that is beneficial for them. However one may be renounced, he cannot get rid of family affection. That is natural. So the Vaisnava son sometimes thinks of the father and mother. So they are getting the benefit.

 

 

Note: Karma is burned off when you have your constitutional position REVEALED you SEE Krsna and your relationship is established:

Bg 8.14 P              Attaining the Supreme

A pure devotee constantly remembers Krsna and meditates upon Him. These are qualifications of the pure devotee for whom the Lord is most easily attainable. Bhakti-yoga is the system that the Gita recommends above all others. Generally, the bhakti-yogis are engaged in five different ways: 1) santa-bhakta, engaged in devotional service in neutrality; 2) dasya-bhakta, engaged in devotional service as servant; 3) sakhya-bhakta, engaged as friend; 4) vatsalya-bhakta, engaged as parent; and 5) madhurya-bhakta, engaged as conjugal lover of the Supreme Lord

 

Bg 4.37 T            Transcendental Knowledge

yathaidhamsi samiddho ‘gnir
bhasmasat kurute ‘rjuna
jnanagnih sarva-karmani
bhasmasat kurute tatha

TRANSLATION
As the blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.

PURPORT
PERFECT KNOWLEDGE OF SELF AND SUPERSELF AND OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS COMPARED HEREIN TO FIRE. THIS FIRE NOT ONLY BURNS UP ALL REACTIONS TO IMPIOUS ACTIVITIES, BUT ALSO ALL REACTIONS TO PIOUS ACTIVITIES, TURNING THEM TO ASHES. There are many stages of reaction: reaction in the making, reaction fructifying, reaction already achieved, and reaction a priori. But knowledge of the constitutional position of the living entity burns everything to ashes. When one is in complete knowledge, all reactions, both a priori and a posteriori, are consumed. In the Vedas it is stated, ubhe uhaivaisa ete taraty amrtah sadhv-asadhuni: “One overcomes both the pious and impious interactions of work.”

 

Note: to die in a Dhama is NOT necessarily a guarantee for going back to Godhead:

771025rc.vrn                                         ConversationsHari-sauri: You saw him in Bombay last year. He had just done some drawings for the development of Bhubaneshwar, and you asked him if he would like… Oh, Haridaspur. At that time he was working on some plans for Haridaspur, and you asked him if he would like to stay there. He’s… Bhagavata put that he had died of some brain virus.Prabhupada: In Bhubaneshwar?Hari-sauri: Yes. That is part of Jagannatha Puri dhama?Prabhupada: Oh, yes.Hari-sauri: IS THAT A GUARANTEE FOR GOING HOME, IF SOMEONE LEAVES THEIR BODY IN THE DHAMA?Prabhupada: AT LEAST, HE GETS HIGH STANDARD OF LIFE FOR MANY YEARS. THAT IS STATED IN THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. Find out in Bhagavad-gita.

Hari-sauri: (pause) Prapya punya-krtam lokan?

Prabhupada: Hm.

Hari-sauri:                       usitva sasvatih samah                      sucinam srimatam gehe                     yoga-bhrasto ‘bhijayate

Prabhupada: Read the whole verse.

Hari-sauri: The English?

Prabhupada: Or Sanskrit.

Hari-sauri: That was text 41. “The unsuccessful yogi, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people or into a family of rich aristocracy.” Then the next verse,                         athava yoginam eva                      kule bhavati dhimatam                      etad dhi durlabhataram                      loke janma yad idrsam    “Or he takes his birth in a family of transcendentalists, who are surely great in wisdom. Verily, such a birth is rare in this world.”                     tatra tam buddhi-samyogam                      labhate paurva-dehikam                      yatate ca tato bhuyah                     samsiddhau kuru-nandana    “On taking such a birth, he again revives the divine consciousness of his previous life, and he tries to make further progress in order to achieve complete success, O son of Kuru.” (break) …telegram came today. It didn’t give the exact time, but it came from Bhubaneshwar.Prabhupada: He was there?Hari-sauri: Yes. He was working with Gaura-Govinda Maharaja.Prabhupada: He is… He was coming from Australia.

Hari-sauri: Yes. He was from Melbourne. He gave up his family when he was fifty-one and joined the temple, and then he came here to work with Saurabha.

 

72-09-04.  Letter: Jadurani
THE SPIRITUAL MASTER ACCEPTS THE SINFUL ACTIVITIES OF HIS DISCIPLES FROM THE FIRST INITIATION. I may give initiation very easily, but what can I do? I am prepared to go to hell for service of Lord Caitanya.

 

681020IN.SEA                 Lectures
Prabhupada: YES. NOW THIS INITIATION, FROM THIS DAY YOUR ACCOUNT, PAST LIFE, ALL SINFUL ACTIVITIES, IS NOW WHAT IS CALLED, ADJUSTED. CLOSED. IT IS FINISHED. NOW BECAUSE BY CHANTING HARE KRSNA YOU CAN FINISH YOUR SINFUL ACTIVITIES’ REACTION, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU WILL REPEAT: “OH, I SHALL COMMIT SINFUL ACTIVITIES AND I SHALL CHANT. IT WILL BE ADJUSTED. The balance will be nil.” No. Not like that. Don’t commit that. Whatever is done is done. No more. Now there should be pure life. No illicit sex life, no intoxication, no gambling, and no meat-eating. Finished now. It is not that “Oh, I am chanting Hare Krsna. Let me go to the hotel and take some meat.” No. Then it will be a great sin. Don’t do that. THEN THE CHANTING OF HARE KRSNA WILL NOT FRUCTIFY IF YOU COMMIT OFFENSE.

 

Adi 7.73          Lord Caitanya in Five Features

THE TEN OFFENSES AGAINST THE HOLY NAME ARE AS FOLLOWS: (1) TO BLASPHEME A DEVOTEE OF THE LORD, (2) TO CONSIDER THE LORD AND THE DEMIGODS TO BE ON THE SAME LEVEL OR TO THINK THAT THERE ARE MANY GODS, (3) TO NEGLECT THE ORDERS OF THE SPIRITUAL MASTER, (4) TO MINIMIZE THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURES (VEDAS), (5) TO INTERPRET THE HOLY NAME OF GOD, (6) TO COMMIT SINS ON THE STRENGTH OF CHANTING, (7) TO INSTRUCT THE GLORIES OF THE LORD’S NAME TO THE UNFAITHFUL, (8) TO COMPARE THE CHANTING OF THE HOLY NAME WITH MATERIAL PIETY, (9) TO BE INATTENTIVE WHILE CHANTING THE HOLY NAME, AND (10) TO BE ATTACHED TO MATERIAL THINGS IN SPITE OF CHANTING THE HOLY NAME.

 

(by Mahesh Raja)