Need more clarity on the instructions in SB 4.19.34

Hare Krishna,

SB 4.19.34: My dear King, do not be agitated and anxious because your sacrifices have not been properly executed due to providential impediments. Kindly take my words with great respect. We should always remember that if something happens by providential arrangement, we should not be very sorry. The more we try to rectify such reversals, the more we enter into the darkest region of materialistic thought.

Purport: Sometimes the saintly or very religious person also has to meet with reversals in life. Such incidents should be taken as providential. Although there may be sufficient cause for being unhappy, one should avoid counteracting such reversals, for the more we become implicated in rectifying such reversals, the more we enter into the darkest regions of material anxiety. Lord Krsna has also advised us in this connection. We should tolerate things instead of becoming agitated.

My Question:

I am not understanding this sloka - SB 4.19.34 . What all happens by providential arrangement in our life ? What is meant by counteracting such reversals - from a general person's point of view ? Can you please elaborate little more with your noble views/examples ?

Hari Bol !!

To me the last sentence of the sloka is an answer to your question. We should tolerate things instead of becoming agitated

this sloka refers to king prithu, whos horse was stolen by Indra due to envy. here the king is remembered, that everything happens by the will of the supreme even those events that may be classified as unpleasing.

It appears to me everybody has such experiences. whether our horses get stolen, a mug with sweet rice falls down to the ground and it bursts, we get hurt in some way or catch a cold we are simply allowed to see everything as providential arrangement in our life. it is for us. it benefits us in some way or another. even if we can't get in what way that can be useful. everything happens for our spiritual growth and ultimately in the service of sri krishna :) therefore counteracting in terms of becoming angry, harden the heart and assign guilt to some person is a non-sufficient strategy in order to make the most out of these unconfortable situations. we can be patient. it is also about forgiveness and gratitude. simply being grateful for what ever happens.

from a general point of view, in every situation we can ask ourselves: how can this be useful for krishna? why is this happening to me? what does he want to show me? does he want me to change something? have i maybe attracted that thing by my own behavior? Goin through these questions i most likely find a very fitting answer to them. however the certitude remains: everything is happening for the supreme will. so we can simply let go, by taking shelter of krishna and all his arrangements. we are the servant of his servant in every respect, so we need not to take too much responsability for things that obviously occured vastly out of our range of influence.

In my humble opinion, Haribol!

Replies

Felix Künneke May 5, 2017 at 8:31pm

To me the last sentence of the sloka is an answer to your question. We should tolerate things instead of becoming agitated

this sloka refers to king prithu, whos horse was stolen by Indra due to envy. here the king is remembered, that everything happens by the will of the supreme even those events that may be classified as unpleasing.

It appears to me everybody has such experiences. whether our horses get stolen, a mug with sweet rice falls down to the ground and it bursts, we get hurt in some way or catch a cold we are simply allowed to see everything as providential arrangement in our life. it is for us. it benefits us in some way or another. even if we can't get in what way that can be useful. everything happens for our spiritual growth and ultimately in the service of sri krishna :) therefore counteracting in terms of becoming angry, harden the heart and assign guilt to some person is a non-sufficient strategy in order to make the most out of these unconfortable situations. we can be patient. it is also about forgiveness and gratitude. simply being grateful for what ever happens.

from a general point of view, in every situation we can ask ourselves: how can this be useful for krishna? why is this happening to me? what does he want to show me? does he want me to change something? have i maybe attracted that thing by my own behavior? Goin through these questions i most likely find a very fitting answer to them. however the certitude remains: everything is happening for the supreme will. so we can simply let go, by taking shelter of krishna and all his arrangements. we are the servant of his servant in every respect, so we need not to take too much responsability for things that obviously occured vastly out of our range of influence.

In my humble opinion, Haribol!
- Prakash > Felix Künneke May 5, 2017 at 11:49pm
  
  Thanks a lot for that insightful opinion. I can vividly remember so many instances in my everyday life where I counteract immediately.. by becoming angry, harden the heart...
  
  So I pray to Him and the devotees to help giving me the right check at those moments from within.
  
  - Hare Krsna !!

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