Prabhuji, if bhakti is the soul’s intrinsic nature (svarūpa), why do we struggle so much with anarthas (unwanted habits)? Does Krishna’s will overpower our free will when He desires to liberate a jīva, or must we fully ‘surrender’ first?
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Hare Krishna,
Soul's intrinsic nature is to serve Krishna.
These qualities of a devotee, twenty-six in number, are listed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
1.kind to everyone, 2.does not quarrel with anyone, 3.fixed in the Absolute Truth, 4.equal to everyone, 5.faultless, 6.charitable, 7.mild, 8.clean, 9.simple, without material possession, 10.benevolent, 11.peaceful, 12.completely attached to Krsna, 13.has no material hankering, 14.meek, 15.steady, 16.self-controlled, 17.does not eat more than required, 18.sane, 19.respectful, 20.humble, 21.grave, 22.compassionate, 23.friendly, 24.poetic, 25.silent, 26.expert
Krishna never wants to dominate and interfere with devotees freewill .
There was this Putna demoness.. she was granted the abode of Lord even though she was a demoness and tried to Kill Baby Krishna.
Brahma ji asked Lord Sri Krishna. Lord you are granting Ur personal abode to this demoness who indeed came to kill you .. are you not doing partiality?
You are giving not only liberation to her but also you are giving her highest position that is ur own abode and giving her the position of mother.
Then Lord says-- You are only seeing the demoness who tried to kill me. But in her past life when I was in my Vamana avatara she was Ratnamala the daugther of Raja Bali. She wished to breastfeed me as a mother. As per her wish I am granting her motherly position.
Lord knows the intrinsic swaroopa of the soul. Even though we maybe doing anarthas with the body. But Lord will give us time to purify ourselves and get back to original nature.
Like what He did to Putana sucked her life out of body sucking her breast milk... and also removed all the anarthas in her and made her qualified to be able to get back to her Original swaroopa.
When the mortal coil was burned .. it smelled of Sandal wood. It means all the ANARTHAS have been sucked away and removed and what left was a pure uncontaminated Jiva or soul and its intrinsic swabhaava is to server Krishna.
Hare Krishna.
Hare Krsna
why do we struggle so much with anarthas (unwanted habits)?
arjuna uvāca
atha kena prayukto ’yaṁ
pāpaṁ carati pūruṣaḥ
anicchann api vārṣṇeya
balād iva niyojitaḥ
Arjuna said: O descendant of Vṛṣṇi, by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force? (BG 3.36)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
kāma eṣa krodha eṣa
rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ
mahāśano mahā-pāpmā
viddhy enam iha vairiṇam
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world. (BG 3.37)
āvṛtaṁ jñānam etena
jñānino nitya-vairiṇā
kāma-rūpeṇa kaunteya
duṣpūreṇānalena ca
Thus the wise living entity’s pure consciousness becomes covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire.(BG 3.39)
Does Krishna’s will overpower our free will when He desires to liberate a jīva, or must we fully ‘surrender’ first?
Sri Krsna is fully capable of liberating any jiva. Any jiva is capable of fully surrendering to Sri Krsna or better to Sri Krsna's dear devotee.
Jiva must fully edeavour to surrender but only surrender is not sufficient. Sri Krsna's mercy is also required.
ananyāś cintayanto māṁ
ye janāḥ paryupāsate
teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ
yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham
But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form – to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have. Bg 9.22
Hare Krsna
Hare Krishna! Thank you for sharing these profound verses from the Bhagavad Gita and your insightful explanation.
Indeed, our struggle with anarthas (unwanted habits) arises from lust (kāma), which is born of rajo-guṇa and later transforms into anger (krodha). As Krishna also explains this.
Thus, the path requires both our earnest effort (free will) and His divine grace. True surrender means aligning our will with His, recognizing that His mercy is the ultimate catalyst for liberation. Hari Hari.
a pure golden object which has been put in muddy environment has to be cleared of mud to restore it to its original position,the clearing part is the struggle with anarthas.Krishna's will never ever overpowers jiva's free will.
What is the use of calling it free will if it can be overpowered?