Om Namoh Bhagavate Vasudevaya
Sa tvam vidhatsvakhila-loka-pala
Vayam yad arthas tava pada-mulam
Samagatas te bahir-antar-atman
Kim vanya-vijnapyam asesa-saksinah
My Lord we the various Demi Gods , the directors of this universe have come to your Lotus feet. Please fulfill the purpose for which we have come. You are the witness of everything, from within and without. Nothing is unknown to you and therefore it is unnecessary to inform you again of anything.
Purport by his divine grace AC Bhakti Vedant Swami Prabhupada :
As stated in Bhagavad Gita – ksetra-jnam cap imam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata. The individual souls are proprietors of their individual bodies , but the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the proprietor of all bodies. Since He is the witness of everyone’s body, nothing is unknown to Him. He knows what we need. Our duty therefore is to execute devotional services sincerely under the direction of the spiritual master . Krsna by His grace will supply whatever we need in executing our devotional service. In the Krsna consciousness movement we simply have to execute the order of Krsna and Guru, then all necessities will be supplied by Krsna, even if we do not ask for them.
Translation:
My Lord we the various Demi Gods the directors of the universe have come to your Lotus feet, please fulfill the purpose for which we have come, You are the witness of everything, from within and without, nothing is unknown to you and therefore it is unnecessary to inform You again of anything.
Nature of Material existence
Our sincere devotees of the supreme lord Sri Krsna, some of them are pure devotees and some of them are devotees whose consciousness is mixed with desire to lord it over material nature, to have a material position and to enjoy the facilities that are provided in that position. Of course they are all consciousness that Krsna is the supreme controller and they are all working under His direction. They understand that whatever they have is only by the grace of the supreme controller Sri Krsna . But nevertheless inspite of having such knowledge, such understanding of the truth of life, the tendency is that due to contact with the modes of material nature we become so much entangled in our ordinary daily activities that we forget the real purpose, the real essence of our spiritual life and therefore we develop attachments for the objects of the senses, attachments for the pleasures of this world and in this way our spiritual understanding becomes like a shadow that is hardly even present within the back of our minds, because this is how this material existence is created.
Nature of three gunas :
Ignorance
Whether one is in the mode of goodness or passion or ignorance, the nature of the three gunas is that they are constantly influencing our minds to seek out pleasure from that particular mode of nature. We find those persons in the mode of ignorance, the Asuras. How they are so much obsessed with finding pleasure through intoxication, through violent activities, through trying to conquer and to control, that even though there is some conception of God consciousness, which is ultimately the true understanding of life, it is obscured utterly.
Passion
Those in the mode of passion, they become so greedy to get ahead in this world to become wealthy, to enjoy the pleasures of sex attraction, to make themselves very beautiful, to become very very famous within the world and to control material nature in the way that the real truth of life is obscured by these desires.
Goodness
And those who are in the mode of goodness, the pride and the prestige of helping others, the inner fulfillment of doing good, giving in charity, enjoying the natural conditions of life, this also distracts ones attention away from the real goal which is the surrendered devotion of ones life to the feet of God.
So we find in this story that the demons – they know that Krsna is God, but they are averse to Krsna because they know that they are against Krsna and He will take away their sense gratification unless they fight against the forces that represent Him. And the demigods, they also know Krsna and they are willingly in His service. But because they become so caught up in the externals of their service, the real essence of Krsna consciousness is practically forgotten. So therefore Krsna who is very kind and merciful to the demigods as well as to the demons, He puts them in a situation where their material facilities are being threatened, they can no longer find complacency in comforts within their field of control and thus when everything is beyond their ability to preserve due to higher powers they have no other alternative than to detach themselves and approach Krsna for shelter. So what we see in this story of the demigods, in their being virtually defeated by the demons, is exactly what we find within the lives of practically each and every one of us. Whatever our service maybe in Krsna consciousness our tendency is to become so caught up in the external responsibilities, to become so infatuated by the enjoyments, the pleasures derived from that, we become so much immersed in trying to solve problems on practical levels that the real purpose in which we come to devotional service in the first place remains like a mere shadow in the back of our minds. It is no longer the prominent goal of our life and therefore we become caught up in such things that we become hopelessly and helplessly entangled again by material attachments. It is said in Srimad Bhagvatam that when one engages in devotional service Krsna reciprocates by providing facilities for that service. But Srimad Bhagvatam warns us never become attached to enjoying those facilities; never consider them to be yours. But that is exactly what takes place in the life of demigods and what takes place in the life of most devotees. So therefore Lord Sri Krsna so kindly sent the demons by His divine grace to attack the demigods to defeat them, to take away all of their land, all of their property, all of their power to control. They even took away, apparently, all of their service, because after all the demigods were in charge of a particular service to handle the functions of this material nature. They could not even do that. The demons took their service away and all the facilities for that service. Then of course not a blade of grass can move without the sanction of God. So it is by Krsna’s will that it has ultimately taken place and in this situation the demigods, they could not come back against the powered forces of the demons. Sometimes it is in this world that the demons are given far more power than the devotees, at least on the external platform of consciousness. So the demigods in this story in a completely defeated and frustrated condition of life, they are offering the prayers to the Lord and the Lord is within our hearts and He is also without. He is everywhere. He hears our prayers and He also hears whatever else we say. He sees our devotional activities but He also sees whatever else we do. He knows our hearts, He knows our actions, He knows our thoughts, He knows our words. He is the silent witness reviewing himself according to how we approach Him. So when the Lord hears the helpless cry of his devoted child, then and only then does the Lord appear personally. Just as when a child cries helplessly for the mother or for the father, the mother or the father is obliged to appear personally to protect and help that child. So the Demi-Gods , although they have such such big distinguished, aristocratic positions within the universe and very difficult to not become proud when you are in such a situation . Almost impossible to not think I am the doer and feel that I deserve the credit for what I have done. They have been put in such an embarrassing situation of life that they are like children, they are like helpless children crying out to Krsna ‘save me we have no other shelter, You are the controller, You are the goal of life, You are the provider of everything that we have, we are your eternal servants and without your grace we can do nothing we can be nothing.
Dependence on Krishna
Notice that now the demigods, everything else is a shadow in their minds and only their helpless dependence on Krsna is in the forefront. And as soon as we accept this consciousness Krsna does reveal Himself to us, just as He has revealed Himself to the demigods. And they are praying to Lord Narayan that My Lord ‘we have prayed helplessly for your causeless mercy, now that you have come, we feel embarrassed to ask for anything, because you already know exactly what we require, what we need, why should we ask you for these material necessities of life. Why should we waste our time with these things. You already know and you’ll provide according to what is best for us. Therefore, better we simply pray – Krsna how can I serve you. How can I surrender to your Lotus feet now in the best way possible. This is the only question we have to ask Krsna . If we please Krsna, will he not provide? Why should we even concern ourselves for these things.
Faith of Six Goswamis of Vrindavan
The six Goswamis of Vrindavan, did they concern themselves about these things – Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila Sanathan Goswami, Srila Raghunath Das Goswami, they were all very wealthy men, extravagantly wealthy and they left it all and took nothing with them. They left their palatial palaces, they left their families, they left all their plans for security in the world and they went to live in the jungles of Vrindavan not knowing who would be there, what would be there. Their prayer was simply that my dear Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu you have ordered us to go to Vrindavan, I pray how may we best serve you in this position, because it is your order we have faith we have confidence that there is no need to ask any other question because you already know. How will we eat, how will we sleep, where will we sleep, how will we protect ourselves. These are questions we should not concern ourselves with. Our question is – How may we best serve and ultimately you are the controller, you’ll provide what we need as far as our eating, our sleeping, our protection, our everything. This was their faith.
A devotee does not complain, a devotee does not demand, because a devotee has faith and trust in the divine will of the Lord. If we surrender to the spiritual master’s desire then we have nothing else to even consider in our life, everything else is in Krsna’s hand.
How can I best serve You – ‘O’ Lord.
Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami was living a comfortable life in a village of Bengal . He was an old man. He was over 90 years old. And how much protection and how much assistance a 90 year old person needs in his life. Some of us have parents or grandparents may be in their sixties or seventies. And we see how much they need, how much they require their children to help them. Just like some parents of our devotees they say Oh! our son wants to become a devotee, we are already in our sixties, we are about to retire, who will take care of us. Of course they are living in a modern city like Bombay where there are so many facilities, where it is so easy to get food, where there are so many people, you can just hire a servant and they can do everything for you. Krishna Das Kaviraj was in his nineties and Lord Nityananda the original spiritual master – Balaram Himself – appeared to him and ordered him go to Vrindavan and all things will be attained. He did not give him any details. He did not say Listen you go to Vrindavan and I’ll take care of this and I’ll take care of that and I’ll make sure you’re provided for this and that. He didn’t say any of these things. He just said go to Vrindavan – simple instruction-one line. And Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami had such faith, such trust in the mercy of the Lord that at that age he walked over a thousand miles to get to Vrindavan. He did not know who was there, he did not know where he would find him, he did not know how he would eat, where he would sleep. His only question was My dear Lord Nityananda how can I serve you? I will go and how can I best serve you, what can I offer you when I get there and sure enough everything was provided. He was asked by the Vaishnavas to write an authoritative literature describing the teachings and the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. At that time when he began this work he was in his late nineties, he had arthritis, he could hardly hold a pen , his hands were shaking, he was almost blind – how was it possible ? He was living in a little bhajan kutir on the banks of the Radha kunj near the holy Govardhan hill. He was not asking ‘my Lord what will I get in return, I will do this service but what will you give me, will you give me a servant’, he did not ask for anything. He simply asked ‘my dear Lord please empower me to do this service for your pleasure’. Throughout Chaitanya charitamrita , Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami is revealing his heart to all of his readers . And no where do you hear him asking the Lord for any material facilities. He is simply asking the ‘Lord please I am ignorant, I am low, I am nothing, please empower me to do this service in such a way that it is pleasing to You. Please empower me to inspire and enlighten the readers of this great literature. That is the only question. He is only asking the Lord how can I best serve you, help me to serve you, I cannot do it on my own. Because the Lord, he preserves what we have, he carries what we lack . We lack so much. In order to execute our devotional service we lack so much, we are helpless before the demoniac forces outside of us and even more so the demoniac forces within us that are constantly impelling us to greed and to envy and to anger and to lust, to pride. We have no defense against these powers. Our only defense is Krsna. We have to follow the feet of Krsna and helplessly take shelter and in taking shelter, Krsna how can I best serve you now? How can I best execute the order of my spiritual master now ? That is the only question required. If we approach Krsna with this question, having faith that He knows everything else, we are willing to accept whatever He provides, whatever He takes away in the execution of our service because we have faith that He knows what is best.
Unconditional promise of Krishna
In the Bible, New Testament, the same principle is there.Though Jesus Christ was meeting people who were engaged in very very practical occupational duties in society and He told them leave your family, leave your occupation and follow me. There was nothing gradual, he was asking instantly just leave it, right then and there and follow him. One man said I’ll follow you but what of my relatives, he’s just died, I have to take care of his funeral, because he was obviously the eldest son or whatever and it was his duty. Jesus told him that you follow me. Let the dead bury the dead. And they were wondering if we follow you what will we have, we have one set of clothes, one set of shoes. Its all they had. And he told them ‘do you not think that the Lord will provide, he is providing for the birds , for the bees, for the insects, he is giving them whatever they require to live comfortably . He is providing food for other lower species of life and the lilies in the field see how they are dressed, with more elegance than king Soloman in all his grandeur. So if the Lord is providing for these most insignificant creatures of the earth, do you not think he will provide for one who is surrendering his life and his soul in His service. Why should you even care for these things, why should you even consider these things? It is only due to lack of faith, lack of realization, that Krsna is all merciful, He is all knowing and He is the supreme controller of all controllers and He is perfect and complete in everything He does. So therefore a devotee with this faith, with this trust asks God for nothing except service, aspires for nothing except devotional service. And generally it is the severe crises that come within our life that are required to shake us out of our complacency and bring Krsna back into the forefront of our consciousness, bring the factor of surrender again as the goal of our life, shake us from the complacency which comes about by associating with the three modes of material nature even while engaging in the Lords service. Make us see through the futility of all of our attempts to solve the ordinary problems of this temporary world in the name of devotional service . But sometimes it is our service to solve the practical problems of this world, but that is only external. The reason why we are doing that is to express our willingness to surrender to the will of Guru and Krsna. That is our purpose that is our goal. But as I say sometimes that goal, that essence is in the back and we simply become caught up thinking how will I solve this problem, how will I get this done. That is the tendency of even such great devotees as the devatas, what to speak of ourselves . But the devtas are not thinking like that now in the face of such opposition, in the face of such conflict, in the face of such defeat, they are crying out Krsna how can we serve you? Krsna you know what we have, you know what we’ve lost, you know what we need, how can I best serve you under these conditions. You take care of the rest , my only question is let me serve you. This is Krsna consciousness and we should not be bewildered by the reversals of this world. Not only the reversals which come about socially, but most of all the reversals that take place within our own minds, within our own hearts, from moment to moment . We have to learn to cry out for Krsna. And when we cry out for Krsna it is His guarantee , it is His unconditional promise that He will come. He will rescue us from the illusion of maya .
Are there any questions ?
Complete faith – Ambarish?
Ambarish was naturally crying out for Krsna always.He was crying out for Krsna all day every day. There was no need for him to call out for Krsna to protect him under that particular circumstance. He was simply crying out for Krsna how can I best serve you, whatever you want to do to me Krsna do it , how can I best serve you . He was always in that prayer and always in that meditation, whether everything was just right or whether everything appeared to be totally chaotic. He was undisturbed by all situations of life because he had complete faith in the loving reciprocation of the Lord.
In regard to Draupadi , Krsna wanted to express another message through her act of devotion. She was not simply crying out for Krsna to protect herself, but she was crying out for Krsna also to protect the dignity of His movement, because after all the family of the Pandavas headed by Maharaj Yudhishtra was his devotees . She was crying out for Krsna to protect not only her own chastity but the chastity and image of the devotees of the Lord who had all surrendered to His lotus feet .
The Lord always protects, but you see Ambarish and Draupadi , they were both perfectly calling out for Krsna in their own way. They were both chanting Hey Krsna! Hey Govinda! They both had complete faith in the protection of the Lord , but they were just calling out in their own ways.
This is automatically exhibited in a devotee of the Lord. Its like if you have a million dollars, you automatically have 100 dollars within it. Right. If you have a crore of Rupees you automatically have a lakh of rupees, but a crore of rupees is beyond a lakh of rupees . Is it not ? So if you are on a transcendental platform you are already in the mode of goodness and beyond, other qualities of the mode of goodness are already there, but much more. By acting in the mode of goodness we are concerned with acting according to the order of our spiritual master which is transcendental platform of consciousness. Now before I give the principles are essentially the mode of goodness but because we are doing it in the service of our Guru it becomes transcendental. Even by themselves they’re satgunas, but because we are performing that austerity in the service of the pure devotee it becomes satva, it becomes transcendental. The difference between the mode of goodness and the transcendental platform – they could be the same activity, but what is being offered to the Lord through the spiritual master in service, that gives it its transcendental quality. Vegetarianism is in the mode of goodness. When vegetarian food is offered to Guru and Krsna it becomes transcendental, it becomes Prasad. That is the only difference between vegetarianism and Prasad. As one is offered to God and Guru and one is not, otherwise it is an act in the mode of goodness.
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