By Giriraj Swami
Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam4.8.6.
“Dhruva Maharaja was pleasing to everyone. He was pleasing to his brother, who was the threat to his kingdom; to his father; even to his step-mother, who was so mean to him. Srila Prabhupada was like that too. He spoke about the art of criticizing. He quoted a Sanskrit sloka, that instead of saying, ‘The tree is dead and dry,’ one should say, ‘The beautiful tree that is so full of luxuriant foliage and produces so many fruits and flowers and provides so much shade, has lost its juice.’ It’s the same as saying that the tree has dried up, but is says it in a tactful, palatable way.
“On a morning walk in Vardha, Srila Prabhupada said, ‘It is a great art how to criticize—unfortunately, you do not know that art.’ In a way, he was criticizing us, but the way he led into it by saying that it was a great art—not a simple matter—made it more palatable.”
Comments