For a person who becomes a devotee of God, how long does the force of karmas performed in past lives remain?
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For a person who becomes a devotee of God, how long does the force of karmas performed in past lives remain?
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All glories to sri guru & gauranga , All glories to Vaishnav devotees.
Dear Prabhu,
Your query is indeed an excellent one for it is beneficial to devotees aspiring on the path of devotional service. Though i have realized that i am a grossly foolish being. Yet because of mercy of vaishnavas i have been able to gather some content from the books to share in discussion, with a hope that senior devotees shall guide us to resolve the query.
amhah samharad akhilam, sakrd udyad eva sakala-lokasya
taranir iva timira jaldhim , jayati jagan-mangalam harer nama (padyavali 16)
As the rising sun immediately dissipates all the worlds's darkness, which is deep like an ocean, so the holy name of the lord, if chanted once without offences, can dissipate all the reactions of a living being's sinful life. All glories to the holy name of the lord, which is auspicious for the entire world!
The above verse lays emphasis on offence less chanting as the key to dissipation of sinful reactions. The book Harinam Chintamani by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur illustrates in detail the process to avoid nama-aparadhas and attain Shudh-Nama.
However some times from material point of view we see pure devotees (those mentioned in scriptures and those before present us today) in material distress. This creates some confusion in our minds.
Pure devotees like Maharani Kunti welcomed the regular arrival of distress, for it helps us in the constant remembrance of Krishna. Externally pure devotees may appear to be in distress, but they are constantly remembering krishna and are internally blissful. As per BG 18.54 pure devotees attain the stage brahmabhuta prasannatma and they neither lament nor hanker and become fully joyful.
A devotee sees everything happening as per the perfect plan of Krishna, because whatever Krishna does is all good. we are in duality till we see the things happening in our life as good or bad. Surrender means we accept and thank Krishna for whatever he does. And we aspire to do things for krishna's pleasure alone.
The holy name of the lord is unimaginably powerful, it shall get rid of everything that is troublesome to our heart. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur says,
"All glories to the chanting of the holy name of Krsna! It is glorious, as it causes the ocean of ecstatic bliss to swell and overflow, This chanting is an inundation of love of Godhead."
Thus offense less, attentive chanting needs to be our goal and all the rest will follow.
Thank you prabhu ji for giving the opportunity say something about the glories of the holy name,
your lowly servant,
dhananjay
Yes, it is very much true that "Whatever happened, is happening and will happen in the future, its all Raghubeer's will. We should not question. Just enjoy the unlimited love He is showering."
In this connection, let me tell you one nice story :
Once upon a time, a king was cutting a sugarcane stick with a knife. While cutting the stick, his fingers got badly severed so that blood started oozing out. On this, his diwan commented, " Whatever God does, does for good." On hearng this, the King angrily said to the diwan, "What good will I beget by severing my fingers?", "Get out of my Kingdom and never show your face again." The diwan left the court before telling to the king that "Even my removal might be the will of God and whatever He does is for our betterment."
After a few days of this incident, the king went for hunting in the forest. While he was busy hunting, few Bhils (forest dwelling tribals) captured him and tied him up for sacrificing him to their deity. While they were busy bathing him before the sacrifice, they noticed that his fingers were badly severed. Seeing this,they talked among themselves that "Only a human being who is perfect in bodily features be offered to the deity, so let us abandon this person." Heaving a sigh of relief, the king returned to his kingdom. Sleeping on his bed, the words of his diwan ringed in his mind " Whatever God does, does for good." The next morning, he ordered his servants to send the diwan back to the court.
The king gave diwan a warm reception. He related to the diwan, as to what happened the previous day. He later asked the diwan, "But what good did you beget when I dismissed you ?" The diwan replied wittily, "If you had not dismissed me then, being a diwan, I would have gone hunting with you in the forest. Since your fingers were badly severed, the Bhils would have allowed you to go, but leaving me for the sacrifice." "Thus, I got saved because of my dismissal by you..." Hearing these words of wisdom of his diwan, the king rewarded him generously.
When I am faced by harsh dualities of life, I always remember this story. It immediately energises me.
Dear Apurv Prabhuji,
Jay Shri Ram !
You are a very good Bhakta of Lord Ram and you have provided an explanation befitting a good devotee. You have also provided very beautiful choupais from Shri Ramcharitmanas.
I liked it when you said :
"Jisne ek baar bhaav se bol diya 'Hey Ram , mein aapka hun, uske saare kasht gayab ho gaye'."
However, In the Back To Godhead Magazine #27-03, 1993, Srila Prabhupada was quoted as saying "Krishna will still give us a token reaction as a reminder of the dangers of the material world and as an impetus to greater surrender."
Due to this reason, my query had arisen. I think that the understanding (samajh) may differ from devotee to devotee. These understandings may either provide devotees a mechanism to deal with worldly miseries or to increase faith in the power of God than factors like karmas. Whatever, I thank you for your beautiful explanation.
Hare Krishna !
Your servant
I think that a person suffers when he ignores the commands of God and begins to stray away from them. On the other hand, if he acts according to those commands, he will experience the true bliss of God. So, a person suffers only to the extent that he disobeys the commands of God. Therefore, renunciants should live according to the commands that have been prescribed for renunciants, and grihasthas should live according to the commands that have been prescribed for grihasthas.
A person suffers to the extent that he lapses in following these commands. Only when a renunciant follows the eight types of brahmacharya, is his vow of brahmacharya considered complete. He suffers to the extent that he deviates from this. Brahmacharya has also been prescribed for grihasthas. For them, brahmacharya constitutes shunning all women except their wives, abstinence from sexual relations with his wife on days of religious occasions, and engaging in sexual relations only during appropriate times. Whoever deviates from these and other regulations that have been prescribed for renunciants and grihasthas, will suffer accordingly.
Therefore, the happiness and misery experienced by a non-devotee is determined by his own karmas. As for a bhakta of God, whatever misery he suffers is due to the negligence in following God's commands for the sake of worthless objects. Whatever happiness he does experience, is a result of following the commands of God and His Sant.
in the Nishtha stage - firm faith one's karma is washed away for 70%.
Mataji, when does the karma diminish till NIL, so that we get freed from birth and death cycle ? Further, can you kindly provide the reference source of 70% figure ?
Your servant,
Hare Krishna !
oh that is not known because Krishna is a Person and He can change His idea any time.
He may remove ones karma within few seconds or keep it for millions of life times. So it depends on Krishna's will.
about 70% karma i heard very long back in Russian lecture.
Your servant,
Jay Shri Ram Apurv Prabhuji !
Dandavat Pranam !
Thank you very much for this wonderful quote. I would also like to know the scripture and it's reference number.
It's true that when a person surrenders his soul unto the Supreme God, the Lord destroys his all past karmas. But there are also references in Shrimad Bhagwatam that a devotees' miseries are partly ascribed to his past karmas thus he should tolerate them. How should we harmonize this apparent contradiction ?
Hare Krishna !