Hare Krishna dear devotees!!!
In Bhagavatam, should we consider the demons as metaphors representing certain vices. This is beacause when I hear the Bhagavatam lectures in Aastha, many preachers describe the demons as symbols representing certain vices rather than asserting the factuality of their existence.
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Hare Krishna Zola preetam prabhu.....
To doubt one part of the scripture and believe in another will lead you nowhere//
As conditioned souls, doubts are frequent guests who knock the doors of our mind. Doubting is not an offense. Even Parikshit Maharaj had so many doubts. He even doubted Krishna's sense of morality and asked Sukhadeva Goswami that how can He dance with wives of others. But Sukhadeva Maharaj calrified his doubt that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and made him aware of His transcendental nature. Simply putting forward questions doesn't make us mayavadis and offenders. Srila Prabhupada said that one should question but not to challenge but he should question in a hunble state of mind. After every lecture in ISKCON, there is a question answer session. The devotees question and the preacher clarifies the doubt. Does it make them offenders or mayavadis? You can call me anything, but plz not a mayavadi. You can go through my blogs and my replies in discussion panel and I bet you will never get a tinge of mayavadi element.
Why are you hearing lectures from professional reciters?//
It's not that I deliberately hear them. But I like to hear anything about Krishna and whenever there is a lecture on Bhagavatam, I never miss it. The lectureres are not mayavadis, they are vaishnavas from other sampradays. Only they interpret things in a different way. But none deny the supremacy of Krishna.
Somewhere you are influenced by Mayavada//
See, let me make a clean breast of myself. I was once a thorough materialist. I thought of nothing but money. I was even committed to a girl and both of us promised each other that we would marry in future. We had dreams of having a strong romantic relationship and having children, a peaceful family. Now when I think of them, I laugh at myself and at the same time get angry. Then someone gave me a book of Ramakrishna and I felt an inclination towards spiritual life. We eventually broke up and a new journey began. Life now became a quest for truth, but truth was far off. Because it was a mayavadi mission. The philosophy was vague and the questions that were perturbing me never got satisfactory answers. My spiritual progress was hampered at each single step. The jealous maya started bogging me down and I was groping like a helpless child in darkness. I was so shaken,so diffident, so anxious. The bogus saints advised,' Concentrate on bramhan'. But how long can you concentrate on nothing?? Every time I tried to evacuate my mind, fresh materialistic thoughts entered. They said, the world is false, bramhan is true. But the world appeared to be more true than their bramhan and even though I tried my best to transcend what they call illusion, Maya dragged me more and more to lower levels. Then I got Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad Gita As It is. It was like a light at the end of tunnel. The philosophy was so complete, so true, so convincing that there was a sudden surge of spiritual zeal and through many ups and downs, I have been satisfactorily making progress by the mercy of Prabhupada and all the devotees here. So how can I be influenced by something which has been the very cause of my distress. Had I been influenced by mayavada, I would have chosen to stay in that bogus mission that preaches mayavad. It was due to Krishna's mercy that I got Srila Prabhupada's book. If God Himself doesn't want that I remain a mayavadi, how can I be influenced by mayavad.
You may fight the battle of Kurukshetra within yourself and it will never lead you to surrender//
Seems you are pointing at my reference to the mayavadi philospher's description of Kurukshetra as body, but I got this information from Srila Prabhupada's book where he was confuting the principles of Mayavada. My intention to refer to it was to support Sudipta Prabhu's view that Mayavadis are basically impostors. And why only Kesi demon? There are so many anarthas in me. But I have faith in the mercy of Krishna, Prabhupada and the devotees here and by their mercy, I have NO DOUBT that the demons will be subdued.
Your servant
Devotee is always respectful to others what to speak of those who carry Holy Names on their tongue. Because of that respect Devotee calls everyone even a dog as "Prabhu" - "Master".
That who do not do so thinks himself/herself a god.
And it is very offensive. :(
He thinks that demons are there in others' hearts not in mine...
please let's be respectful to each other!
Your servant,
Hare Krishna Siddhartha prabhu!!
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Sri Caitanya Siksamrita describes the demons Krishna killed in His Vrndavana pastimes and the anarthas (unwanted things) with which they may be associated.
Putana (the witch) - the pseudo guru.
Sakatasura (the cart demon) - carrying the burden of a cart-load of old and new bad habits, lethargy and vanity.
Trinavarta (the whirlwind demon) - false pride which comes from material scholarship, which leads to bogus philosophies.
Deliverance of Nalakuvara and Manigriva (breaking the twin arjuna trees) - Arrogant pride which comes from puffed-up prestige, which is rooted in a madness for wealth.
Vatsasura (the calf demon) - a childish type of mentality which gives rise to a type of greediness which results in a wicked type of mischievousness.
Bakasura (stork demon) - Cunning duplicity, deceptiveness and false types of behavior.
Aghasura (the snake demon) - Cruelty and violence.
Brahma-vimohana Pastime (Lord Brahma steals the cowherd boys and calves) - mundane activities and speculative scholasticism.
Dhenukasura (the ass demon) - gross materialistic intelligence, ignorance of spiritual knowledge.
Kaliya (chastising the Kaliya serpent) - brutality and treachery.
Extinguishing the Forest Fire - inter-communal discord among Vaishnavas.
Pralambasura (killing the Pralamba demon) - lusty inclinations; desire for personal gain and honor.
Second Forest Fire - disturbance of religious principles and interference with religious people by those who are atheist.
Brahmanas Performing Sacrifice - indifference toward Krishna caused by pride because of one's status (position) in varnasrama.
Overcoming the Pride of Indra - demigod worship, and the tendency to think "I am Supreme."
Nanda Maharaja Captured by Varuna - thinking that spiritual life can be enhanced by intoxication.
Nanda Maharaja Swallowed by Vidyadhara (the snake) - rescuing the truth of Krishna consciousness from being swallowed by the impersonalists.
Sankhacuda (killing the conch-shell demon and getting the jewel that was stolen by him) - proneness toward acquiring name and fame, and desire for sensuous enjoyment, under the plea of devotion.
Aristasura (the bull demon) - pride arising from indulging in false religions invented by cheaters which causes neglect of devotional service (bhakti).
Kesi (the horse demon) - The feeling that "I am a great devotee and spiritual master."
Vyomasura (the demon in the sky) - associating with thieves and other rascals, and with people who put themselves forward as avataras.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura says: "The devotee who worships the holy name should first petition the Lord for the strength to cast out all these unfavorable tendencies and should pray thus before Lord Hari on a daily basis. By doing this regularly, the devotee's heart will eventually become purified. Sri Krishna has killed a number of demons which may arise in the kingdom of the heart, so in order to destroy these problems, a devotee must cry very humbly before the Lord and admit defeat then the Lord will nullify all contaminations."
Hare Krishna Sudipta prabhu !!! This reminds me of a mayavadi philosopher's description of Kurukshetra as body and pandavas as five senses. Thnkx to all of you for clarification.
Hare Krishna Gaurab Prabhu. Dandavat Pranam. All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Bhagavatam talks about historical incidents of those pastimes where Lord and devotees are glorified. All the four Vaishnava Sampradaya accepted these descriptions as real occurence , there is no need to have any doubt, when heavy weight Acharaya are there to back it up. Generally mayavadis are imposter so they impose their own thinking on scriptures, The world is full of mayavadi so we need not listen to there bogus concoction. We can consults Vaishnava sampradayas.
Your aspiring Servant
Hari Bol
yes, Demons were real demons. If Bhagavatam says that Agasura's mouth reached the sky then it was so. But performing such like lilas Krishna at the same time does many things. Demons which were sent are not random demons but arranged only by Krishna Himself.
Each demon represents one of our demonlike quality. And only Personality who can destroy them is Krishna. But also Balaram-Supreme Guru killed two demons. Proud monkey and another demon becoming too heavy.
In this way by serving to Guru who gives heavy instructions we can get attention of Krishna who entering into our heart kills all other demons.
Your servant,