SB 7.9.19 Prahladha Maharaja.
manye dhanābhijana-rūpa-tapaḥ-śrutaujas-
tejaḥ-prabhāva-bala-pauruṣa-buddhi-yogāḥ
nārādhanāya hi bhavanti parasya puṁso
bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja-yūtha-pāya
Prahlāda Mahārāja continued: One may possess wealth, an aristocratic family, beauty, austerity, education, sensory expertise, luster, influence, physical strength, diligence, intelligence and mystic yogic power, but I think that even by all these qualifications one cannot satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, one can satisfy the Lord simply by devotional service. Gajendra did this, and thus the Lord was satisfied with him.
It appears that we get into trouble and make offense due to attachment. For if we renounce attachment and hatred then we are free.
SB 2.1.11
etan nirvidyamānānām
icchatām akuto-bhayam
yogināṁ nṛpa nirṇītaṁ
harer nāmānukīrtanam
O King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all, including those who are free from all material desires, those who are desirous of all material enjoyment, and also those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge.
People may do kirtan but we do not quit attachment and hatred, and discard the ‘discriminative mentality’, but we go to all lengths to keep it alive.
In a village a dog died by drowning in a well. Then the well became contaminated, and the entire village was distressed. They said, “What can be done about this?” They called some pandits and said, “Now purify this well.” The pandits decided the best way to purify would be to do a fire sacrifice. It is said that by doing a sacrifice there will be purification.
On the side of the well a great fire sacrifice was performed but the bad smell remained. Then the villagers asked the pandits, “Even though your fire sacrifice has been completed the bad smell still comes from the well, it is not gone.” Then an old man said, “Did you take that rotten dog out of the well before the sacrifice?” They said, “No we did not.” The old man said, “First take the dog out of the well, then perform the sacrifice.” When the dog was removed, the yajna was performed then there was sanctification.
In the same way raga and dvesa, attachment and hatred can be compared to a dog, it is dead, remaining in our mind, and is just rotting there; we have not taken it out. We may be chanting on the beads or applying tilak on the forehead, following the external rules and regulations, but by this there is no real benefit.
In the 6th canto it is declared that if one does not give up these aversions, one is doing irreligion, one is not true Vaisnava or a devotee. We have to understand these things, until we are free from attachment and hatred, no miracles will manifest from our bhajan. ‘Raga’ and ‘dvesa’, mutual attachment and hatred cannot be there.
We will make offense within our own camp, we will not be able honor the other sampradayas.
One reason to this day that places like Vrindaban and Braja is degenerating(all this has been predicted) is due to pride and lack of any unity between the camps of practicing spiritualists. As a result of this weakness, Kali-yuga makes a foothold.
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