Blog

Gopi Gita Devi Dasi: There are times in all of our lives, as progressing spiritualists, where no matter how hard we work/surrender/strive for the highest level of purity and love, we fall flat and feel not enough; unable to be enough; ready to give up.
We may feel the challenges we face outwardly and inside our hearts to be insurmountable. We may feel that we are making no progress as to the lessening of material desire, attachments, lust, anger, greed and so much more.
This most incredible purport of Srimad Bhagavad Gita 9.30 by Srila Prabhupada and Srila Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakur shows that we are never to despair. How amazing it is that Krishna continues to fight for us; continues to call us to Him and will accept us NO MATTER WHAT. Please read and let me know your thoughts. Thank you dear Nityananda Chandra prabhu and Vṛnda Priya for the discussion.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura commentary.
30. Even if the most sinful person worships me with no other desire than to please me, I consider that person to be my devotee, as he has fixed himself completely in me.
My attachment to my devotee is my very nature. That attachment does not decrease even if the devotee commits wrong, for I make him come up to the highest standard. If someone with bad conduct, addicted to violence, thievery, or adultery (sudurācāraḥ), worships me, and worships no one except me, and does not follow any other process like karma or jñāna, and has no other desire than my desire (ananya bhak), he is my devotee (sādhuḥ).
“But, considering his bad conduct, how is he a devotee?”
“He is to be respected (mantavyaḥ as a devotee because of his devotee qualities. It is a command. Not doing so is offense. My order is the authority.”
“So he should be considered a devotee in that portion where he worship you, and as a non-devotee in that portion where he commits adultery?”
“No, he should be considered as a devotee (eva) in all his parts. You should not see his bad qualities at all. He is completely convinced (samyak vyavasitaḥ). He makes a splendid resolution: ‘I will go to hell for my sinful actions which are hard to give up, but I will not give up dedicated worship of Kṛṣṇa.‘”
kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvacchāntiṁ nigacchati | kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati ||31||
31. Very quickly he becomes a righteous person, and becomes completely devoid of contamination. O son of Kuntī, you declare that my devotee never perishes.
“How can you accept the worship of such a sinful person? How can you eat the food and drink offered by a heart contaminated with lust and anger?”
“Very quickly he becomes righteous.” The present is used and not the future to express the fact that having committed sin, by remembering me, he becomes repentant, and very quickly becomes righteous. “O how unfortunate I am! There is no one as low as I, bringing bad name to the devotees.” Repeatedly (śaśvat), he feels completely (ni) disgust (śāntim).
Or, the use of the present tense can indicate that in the future he will develop righteousness fully, but even right now it exists in a subtle form. After taking medicine, though the destructive effects of fever or poison remains for some time, that is not considered seriously. Thus, with the entrance of bhakti in his mind, the sinful actions are not taken seriously. And the traces of sin such as lust and anger should be considered insignificant, like the biting of a toothless snake. Thus he attains (nigacchati) complete cessation of lust and anger (śāntim) permanently (śaśvat). In nigacchati, ni stands for n itarām, completely. This means that even during the stage of having tendency to commit sin, he has a pure heart.
“If he eventually becomes righteous there would be no argument. However, if a devotee is sinful right up till his death, what is his position?”
The Lord, affectionate to his devotees, then speaks loudly with a little anger. “O son of Kunti, My devotee is not destroyed. At the time of death, he does not fall.”
“But arguers with harsh tongues will not respect this.”
Kṛṣṇa then encourages the worried, lamenting Arjuna. “O Kaunteya, going to the squabbling assembly with a tumultuous sound of drums, throwing your hands in the air, you should fearless declare this.”
“What?”
“Declare that my devotee, the devotee of the Supreme Lord, though committing sin, does not perish, but rather reaches success. Arguments defeated, pride deflated, they should undoubtedly respect you as a guru.” This is Śrīdhara Svāmī’s explanation.
But why does the Lord order Arjuna to declare this, when he could do it himself? As he will say later, mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te pratijāne priyo’si me: I declare to you that you will truly come to me. You are very dear to me.” (BG 18.65) In the same way, why does he not now say, “I declare, Kaunteya, that my devotee does not perish.”?
This is explained here. The Lord considered as follows. Being affectionate to my devotee and not tolerating even a slight degradation of my devotee, I will under all circumstances uphold the declaration made by my devotee, whereas I can break my own promise and accept criticism of myself. Just as, in breaking my own promise in fighting with Bhīṣma, I fulfilled Bhīṣma’s promise. Thus, hearing a declaration from my mouth, the materialistic disputers will laugh, but they will accept Arjuna’s declaration as written on stone. Therefore, I will make Arjuna make the declaration.
And thus, after hearing about ananya bhakti and the descriptions of the ananya bhakta, one should not accept the statements of the unlearned who think that this declaration does not apply in cases where attachment to others wives and children, sinful acts, lamentation, illusion, lust, anger and other despicable qualities manifest.