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pranaih svaih praninah panti sadhavah ksana-bhanguraih baddha-vairesu bhutesu mohitesv atma-mayaya
TRANSLATION: People in general, being bewildered by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are always engaged in animosity toward one another. But devotees, even at the risk of their own temporary lives, try to save them.
PURPORT: This is the characteristic of a Vaisnava. Para-duhkha-duhkhi: a Vaisnava is always unhappy to see the conditioned souls unhappy. Otherwise, he would have no business teaching them how to become happy. In materialistic life, people must certainly engage in activities of animosity. Materialistic life is therefore compared to samsara-davanala, a blazing forest fire that automatically takes place. Lord Siva and his followers in the parampara system try to save people from this dangerous condition of materialistic life. This is the duty of devotees following the principles of Lord Siva and belonging to the Rudra-sampradaya. There are four Vaisnava sampradayas, and the Rudra-sampradaya is one of them because Lord Siva
(Rudra) is the best of the Vaisnavas (vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh). Indeed, as we shall see, Lord Siva drank all the poison for the benefit of humanity. [End of Srila Prabhupada’s purport.]
HH Radhanath Swami: People in general being bewildered by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are always engaged in animosity toward one another but devotees even at the risk of their own temporary lives try to save them. I am very grateful for this opportunity to serve all of you today by speaking from Srimad-Bhagavatam. Today is Siva-ratri, the day when we specially worship Lord Siva by recognizing his exalted qualities. And today I was asked to speak on this particular subject by the Mayapur management.
We are reading from the eight canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, chapter seven, entitled - Lord Siva saves the universe text number 39. In this story, which is so deeply instructivethe setting is that the asuras had conquered the devatas. And the demigods in a very helpless state, they have lost their positions, they lost their wealth, they have lost their services, they have lost everything. Krishna tells in Bhagavad-gita,
a-brahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino ‘rjuna mam upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate [Bg 8.16]
From the highest planet within this world to the lowest you have to suffer. In other words there is no possible material arrangement that anyone could make from Lord Brahma to the people of Patala-loka that isn’t free from suffering. It is the nature of the world. But for one who takes shelter of Krishna and attains His abode that is the only place where there is no suffering. Of course Krishna is within the heart of every living being. If we take shelter of Krishna within our hearts it doesn’t mean the world changes. It means like a lotus flower that could be in the most muddy dirty place. The lotus is not affected.
Sometimes devotees think that by taking to Krishna consciousness materially everything will be very nice because after all Krishna is the controller of all controllers but what is really nice is, ye yatha mam prapadyante. [Bg
4.11] As we take shelter of Krishna, Krishna reveals Himself. That is very nice! Even in this material world where there is going to be inevitably all kinds of problems!
Here we find the demigods; they are very big devotees in very big posts but they lost everything. They were humiliated, embarrassed, cheated, wounded and homeless but they turned to Krishna, “What should we do?” Now Krishna could have said, “I am going to save you. Just sit home and wait.” But Krishna wants to teach good lessons in every situation. That you should make a truce with the demons because they are more powerful than you now!
He gave them something that they could all agree on, “Churn the ocean of milk and you will get nectar. The only way you will get it is that you will have to work together.” But despite their differences on a higher principle of getting nectar they were all willing to work together. Amazing! But in every situation Krishna had to be there to help them. And these are demigods!
They had to life the mountain and they couldn’t lift the mountain. They were all getting crushed. Then Krishna came on Garuda and moved the mountain to the ocean. Then they started churning and the mountain started sinking and they did not know what to do. They were trying to hold it up. It kept sinking. Krishna incarnated as Kurma avatar. He went at the bottom of the mountain and held it up to be its base.
Then they started churning again and the mountain started going back and forth and they couldn’t keep it steady so the Lord appeared in a magnificent form and went on the top of it to hold it steady. So they were churning again and they had this Vasuki. There was a big debate. The asuras said, “We want the front side of Vasuki. Why are you giving us the backside?” So prestige issues! The demigods said, “You take the backside, the tail. We will take the head.” They couldn’t tolerate this. “You are putting us in a lower position than you!” They went on strike. They wouldn’t do. So finally they said, “Okay. You take the head. We will take the tail.” But it is always safer to take a lower position in this world.
As they started churning, Vasuki got hot and flames started pouring out of his mouth. The demigods were safe. They were in the back. (Laughter.) The demons were getting scorched. So now what are they going to do? Nobody could control those flames. Then Krishna came to their rescue again. They turned to Him, “Krishna save us!” and he sent nice cooling winds and rains to make everything nice. Vasuki was happy. And then they were churning and churning and nothing happened. They were really becoming, “Krishna please help us!”
Then Krishna appeared as Ajita and with the demigods started churning with them. And when he started churning the whole ocean was really becoming turbulent. And the first thing that came out - halahala, poison! Serious poison! It was deadly poison. It was spreading instantly all over the entire universe. It was on the verge of extinguishing all life.
We can compare this - there is nectar within our hearts and Krishna consciousness is like churning our heart. We need Krishna at every step. Without the grace of Krishna can’t churn our heart. As we are churning looking for nectar - some of us have this experience! We come to this movement, take to the path of bhakti, expecting nectar but what starts coming out of our hearts? Poison! All the anarthas! They all have to be removed. Poison starts flowing and we are thinking, “What’s happening? I never had these thoughts before.” It is coming out. We just have to keep taking shelter and keep churning.
In this story the poison was going everywhere and everybody was really in distress. So Lord Visnu brought all the devatas and everyone else to Lord Siva for shelter. They all went to Kailasa where Sankar was sitting resplendidly on the top of Kailasa Mountain with his wife Bhavani.
One naturally asks if Visnu is there why didn’t He save them? Why did He go with them to approach Lord Siva? And in this regard Srila Prabhupada explains very simply but very beautifully the tattva of Lord Siva. He quotes Madhvacarya the great acarya explaining how Visnu could have done it. He already did everything else. He was Kurma at the bottom. He was Ajita on the side. He was with a thousand arms on the top, but He wanted to glorify His devotee.
Just like Krishna in His universal form He showed how he could destroy the entire Kuru army but he wanted Arjuna to do it, to give the glory to Arjuna, His devotee. So when they all approached Lord Siva, they were offering beautiful prayers to him. And if you read Srimad-Bhagavatam, they are prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are calling him the Supreme Brahman, the controller of everything. Srila Prabhupada and our acaryas are explaining that this is not a contradiction because Krishna, Visnu is always beyond the modes of material nature.
When the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna enters into this material world, He accepts the feature of Siva and in this way He also becomes connected to the material modes of nature. Brahma-samita explains the difference between Lord Sankar, Siva and Lord Visnu is like milk and yogurt. And Srila Prabhupada explains what is the difference and what is the oneness of milk and yogurt. It is another aspect of acintya bheda abheda tattva. Siva tattva! Yogurt is nothing but milk but it serves a different purpose because yogurt is tainted with a particular element it is very different than milk but it is the same as milk. In the same way when Visnu enters into material creation and voluntarily accepts a connection to the modes of material nature He takes on His feature of Lord Siva.
Now there is a common instruction that we have - not to accept - it is one of the offences to the holy name - the names of Siva and Brahma or others to be equal to or independent to the names of Visnu. Because Siva acts in the role of a demigod! Although he is an expansion of Visnu when he acts in this role of a demigod, he is a demigod. And generally people worship him for material prosperity and as a demigod he voluntarily assumes the role that when you do the proper puja he is obliged to give you whatever you want.
In the Krishna book there is the story of Vrkasura. Vrkasura was worshipping Siva, serious devotee of Siva. He was doing pujas and that didn’t work so he started cutting out his own flesh, big lumps of it and putting it in the fire, chanting Siva’s names. So finally Siva said, “All right! I am here. What do you want?” He asked for the benediction, “Whoever head I touch will crack into a thousand pieces.” Now why would Siva give that benediction? Because in His role as a demigod that is His duty! You pay the price I give you! So he gave.
Then Vrkasuras wanted to touch Siva’s head because he wanted to enjoy with Parvati. Now Siva gave the benediction and it had to come true so what could he do except run away. He was running. Vrkasura was chasing him. The Krishna appeared as a little Brahman boy and He said to Vrkasura, “Actually Siva he gives blessings but they don’t work. You are going to touch his head, nothing is going to happen and everyone is going to laugh at you. So better you test it. Touch your own head and see if it works.” (Laughter.) Krishna was so expert. So he said, “Yes. I should do that.” It worked. (Laughter.) So this is one of many examples how Siva in a compromised position of a demigod by his own free will gives material benedictions according to what you order. But Visnu?
yasyaham anugrhnami harisye tad-dhanam sanaih [SB 10.88.8]
He is independent. You can worship Him. You can ask Him for material things but He can take everything away instead. Visnu will do what is good for His devotee. As Siva will do for his devotee, so many demons! Ravan was a devotee of Siva. So many benedictions! Banasura got power from Siva to fight Krishna. Lord Siva is the greatest Vaisnava. He is accepting this role. Like milk and yogurt.
Jiva Goswami gives the example of the difference between Siva and Visnu as a light in a lantern. The flame is giving off light but when the light is covered by carbon, that black, the same light but it is not coming through in the same way. So when the demigods, Prabhupada explains specifically, that when Siva is worshipped as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in a very similar way that the demigods are offering prayers, as the Supreme. They are actually, it is Visnu in His feature of Siva, but they are understanding the essence.
Now Siva we worship as the greatest Vaisnava, vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh [SB
2.13.16] In this part of the story Srila Prabhupada especially magnifies why Siva is the greatest Vaisnava. He is personally worshipping. Although he is an expansion of Krishna, he is worshipping Krishna. He is a servant of Krishna. He saw this horrible poison spreading in all directions, which has already made the entire universe immensely unhappy and was about to destroy them and he felt compassion and he told his consort, Bhavani, “I must save them!” It is the duty of one to accept whatever inconvenience to protect those who are subordinate to him.
One may ask from the perspective of how things are generally explained why are the demigods approaching Siva for protection because his special role is that he is the destroyer. Visnu is the protector. Why are they approaching the destroyer for protection? Same reason.
Prabhupada explains Visnu the protector is manifested to Lord Siva. Then Lord Siva by his own powers he collected all this poison. It was a massive ocean of poison that had already been created. He collected all of it and concentrated it to fit in the palm of his hand. Today it is very common to get concentrated juices, even like these computers, to make everything smaller and smaller. Lord Siva he was the original technology expert in this regard. He took the entire ocean of poison and concentrated it to fit in the palm of his hand. Can you imagine the potency of that poison? A drop of it even from the ocean was enough to destroy practically all life. It was vibrant with poison.
Then he took the permission of his wife Bhavani because this is a major decision. (Laughter.) Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Cc Madhya 17.186] That the perfection is to follow in the footsteps of the mahajans and Lord Siva is one of the twelve mahajans - as a Vaisnava, as a grhasta. So this is an example that husbands should ask permission from their wives sometimes!
(Laughter.) Serious things!
Bhavani understood. Parvati understood fully Lord Siva’s potency and she gave her blessings and permission, “Yes, drink it.” He took all that poison and out it right into his mouth and drank it. When it entered his throat it was so powerful that it turned his whole throat blackish - Nilakantha. The Bhagavatam explains like deformation - deformation can discolor create on a persons image. When a person is criticized, blasphemed or defamed it is like a discoloration - something very unsightly on a person’s image. But for Lord Siva because he did it in a spirit of love and compassion to all living beings it is seen as an ornament. It further glorifies Lord Siva.
After doing this Srila Prabhupada is explaining in this particular purport of today’s verse, these are the words of Siva, “People in general, being bewildered by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are always engaged in animosity toward one another. But devotees, even at the risk of their own temporary lives, try to save them.”
Srila Prabhupada explains that the basic principle of material existence is envy. We want to be controllers. We want to be proprietors. We want to be enjoyers. The reality is that Krishna is the only controller and proprietor and enjoyer. These tendencies within us are a symptom of our envy towards God. mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah [Bg 15.7] If one is envious toward Krishna, which every conditioned soul of this creation is to some extent or the other, that means that we are potentially envious of every living being. We are all part of Krishna and we should understand this in truth. If we are jealous or envious of anyone, the reality is that it is our envy toward God. And the real problem is within our hearts. The real problem is not in whom we are envious of.
Srila Prabhupada explains in one Bhagavad-gita lecture that jealousy is when someone has something that you want, whether it is a quality, characteristic or a thing and were there is that quality there is naturally animosity and the whole history of this material world is - as far back as you go - the predominant feature of history is always animosity. Wars. Out of little animosity between husbands and wives and between different castes and different races and of people of different categories, so much animosity! But when it escalates to very, very large proportions there is war. You read the Ramayana and it is about war. Mahabaharat is about war. Srimad-Bhagavatam is about so many wars.
When I was a boy in school studying American history it was all categorized by wars: The Revolutionary War; The French-American War; The Spanish and African War; The Civil war; World War One; World War Two; Korean War! At the time when I was a student there was the Vietnam War - all these wars! Animosity! And study the history of any religious movement, even in the name of God so much animosity, so much division, so much splinters! Different branches of Islam killing each other; different branches of Christianity killing each other; different branches of Buddhism fighting each other; different branches of Hinduism fighting against each other. Same relations. This is the material quality of false ego. It is so powerful
Seeing this Lord Siva is explaining in this verse, “But devotees, even at the risk of their own temporary lives, try to save these people.” Srila Prabhupada explains this is a quality of a devotee, para-dukha-dukhi - that the unhappiness of another person is my unhappiness and the happiness of another person is my happiness. In other words Vaisnava means cannot be selfish, to not be egotistic. This is what it really means to be the servant of the servant of the servant, without ulterior motives to be even willing to endure difficulties to help others to be happy.
Srila Prabhupada writes that ones greatness has to be estimated by ones willingness to tolerate provoking situations, to be forgiving, to make things work. It is easy to give up but to make things work. In another place Lord Siva - the story is the Pracetas, the sons of King Pracinabarhi went out to perform tapasya to get Gods grace before coming back and being Kings. They came to a beautiful lake - because they were so sincere, there were ten Pracetas, brothers, so sincere - they came to this beautiful lake and Lord Siva came out of this lake and he saw their sincerity and he gave them a song that he composed worshiping Lord Krishna and told them, “Chant this and you will see Krishna and He will fulfill all your desires.”
So they chanted the song of Lord Siva and what was the effect of that song? Very interesting because Krishna appeared to them - Visnu, beautifully and the first thing He said is, “Because of your loving and friendly relationships with each other I am very pleased with you and I have come and I will grant any benediction you like.” Because they were actually following Lord Siva they were really following parampara they were able to overcome all envy and animosity toward each other on the basis of a higher principle and because of this because they had friendly loving relationships with each other, by the grace of Lord Siva because they followed his instructions they seriously accepted his song Krishna was very pleased. He was willing to do anything they wanted for them.
Prabhupada said, “You can show your love for me by how you cooperate.” This is Vaisnava. But sometimes and I think we all have this experience cooperation is something like drinking and ocean of poison, not very comfortable. Cooperation means in Vaisnava life it means you actually have to be unselfish. You actually have to become a selfless servant and you have to put aside you own ulterior motives. You have to recognize then and out them aside otherwise it is not possible to really cooperate in this world from a Vaisnava perspective. The grace of Lord Siva!
So here Lord Siva has drunk the ocean of poison and there is a beautiful verse in the Bhagavatam in the same chapter, forty-fourth verse. I would like to read it. “It is said that great personalities almost always accept voluntary suffering because of the suffering of people in general. This is considered the highest method of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present in everyone’s heart” [SB 8.7.44]
There is no greater service that pleases the Lord than to be willing to accept inconvenience and suffering for the benefit of others. And it is for this reason, vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh [SB 12.13.16] that Lord Siva is the greatest Vaisnava. According to our Vaisnava sastras, Caitanya-bhagavata especially explains how Sri Advaita Acarya was an avatar of Maha Visnu, Karanadaksayi as well as Sadasiva, the original form of Lord Siva in the spiritual world, expansion of Sankarsana. And in this mood similar to what we are reading here he saw poison spreading throughout this world, the poison of the influence of Kali-yuga. It was going everywhere. And this poison was more dangerous than the poison that Lord Siva drank because that poison - all it could do was destroy peoples physical lives, but the poison spreading throughout the earth in this age of Kali is killing the propensity of the souls loving devotion to the lord, to Krishna. He saw the poison in the form of materialism, of impersonalism, crooked religions, of selfishness; of envy and Advaita Acarya similar to Lord Siva felt deep compassion.
Now please understand Siva was on top of Kailasa. There was no problem for him. Advaita Acaraya had the association of Thakur Haridasa and Srivasa. For them they were in the spiritual world doing kirtan but he could not tolerate seeing what was happening to the world. He cried in compassion. And right hear in Sri Navadwip dhama, close by in Santipura on the banks of the Ganga he was worshipping Krishna - offering Ganges water and Tulasi leaf and crying from the core of his heart very loudly, “Krishna come to this world and save these people. The poison is spreading. There has to be some shelter. Only you can do it.”
Time and time again here in Navadvip dhama Lord Caitanya would say, “It was because of Avaita’s compassion, because of his prayers that I appeared within this world to neutralize the effects of the poison by giving nectar - the nectar of the holy names. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”
This same spirit, which is the very essence of a Vaisnava in this world, was so much personified by our own beloved Srila Prabhupada. Siva was happily on Kailasa. Advaita Acarya was doing kirtan with his most intimate associates. Srila Prabhupada was living in Radha Damodara temple, the place of the rasa-lila in Sri Vrindavan dhama but that burning compassion in his heart, he saw the poison of Kali-yuga spreading and his Gurudev gave him that instruction, “Spread this philosophy of bhakti of Mahaprabhu in the English language all over the world.”
Krishna could have sent Prabhupada an Air India ticket to New York. He is the husband of the goddess of fortune. He has connections. In the heart of some wealthy man in Delhi He could have just told that person to give Prabhupada a ticket. He had to go to Bombay and beg for days and days and plead. From Sumati Morarjee’s perspective, which was true from a material, not a material, she’s a great devotee but from an ordinary perspective he is begging to suffer! (Laughter.) “Stay in Vrindavan or come here and we will all come to your lectures.” He crossed over two oceans and three continents, heart attacks, seasickness, strokes, poverty, danger, living in the Bowry - the Ghetto of New York, rough place - his life was threatened, everything he had was practically stolen but he didn’t give up. He pursued. Why? What happened to Prabhupada - anybody would have said, “I tried and it is not possible!” He never gave up.
Then he started our society and that is when the real tests and troubles started. (Laughter.) He had to deal with all these people who had such backgrounds, He traveled around the world distributing pure bhakti. This verse from the Bhagavatam that, “There is no service that pleases the Supreme Lord more than one who is willing to voluntarily accept suffering for the sake of others.” And in this purport Srila Prabhupada there is various kinds of welfare work to relieve suffering but Krishna consciousness or spreading pure love of God is the only true welfare work that solves the problem of suffering.
Materialistic welfare work temporarily makes things better but destiny is destiny. And in the material world ultimately we have to grow old, diseased and die no matter what anybody does for you and there is so many unpredictable situations that can happen at any moment. We can be feeding people in a place of poverty but then if an earthquake comes you don’t want to feed anymore. Of course devotees are humble in heart. They want to help people on every level but a Vaisnava even while helping people physically and helping people emotionally, which is necessary for people to be stable to accept Krishna consciousness, but our real purpose is the deepest compassion of trying to rescue the soul from the repetition of birth and death and the threefold miseries. One who is willing to do that, Prabhupada is explaining here and in order to do that in this material world you have to accept a large burden on your life.
Prabhupada quotes that Jesus tried. He was crucified. Haridasa Thakura tried and he was beaten in twenty-two market places and blasphemed like anything. Vasudeva Datta he was willing to suffer everyone’s miseries in the entire universe to just let them be happy. When he prayed like that Caitanya Mahaprabhu wept. He was choked up. He was so overwhelmed by that compassion. This was the spirit of Srila Prabhupada embodied.
As our founder acarya - founder means this worldwide movement of Iskcon was through his empowered Divine Grace. And acarya means that e is the ultimate example for all of us. He wants us to study his books. He wants us to learn the philosophy carefully but if we really understand what he is saying, what that means is that we will follow in his footsteps of being willing to endure even sufferings and difficulties and great burdens to show compassion to others.
Sometimes I look around the table at the GBC meetings and look at my GBC godbrothers and godsisters and I think, “What an immense burden these people have taken up. Who wants to do this? Only someone who is willing to suffer to assist Prabhupada.” Prabhupada is the acarya. He endured so many complications, difficulties! Sometimes when leaders would be suffering, Prabhupada would say that, “It is giving me headaches.” He never gave up. That was his love. That was his compassion. That suffering is actually a form of ecstasy. When we going through it we may not even recognize it as ecstasy. Because it is pleasing to Krishna!
Whether as grhastas we are trying to make our marriages work with Krishna in the center. Whether as book distributors out enduring all kinds of difficulties of weather and antagonistic people. Whether we are temple presidents trying to somehow or the other maintain situations were there is not enough money. Whether there is animosity around us. Whether we are teachers. Whether we are in the congregation just trying to follow the regulative principles and do our sadhana and help with our movement. Whatever situation there is going to be problems, there is going to be animosity, there is going to be criticisms or there is going to be problems.
On order to remain faithful it is really our duty to focus on Srila Prabhupada’s example. In order for us to receive the gift of bhakti what he went through. Onetime they asked Srila Prabhupada, “What can we do to repay you?” And he said, “Do what I am doing. Do as I am doing. Just accept what I am giving you and share with others.” It sounded simple but this is really what it means.
We have to give up our own selfish interests and be willing to take on a burden of difficulties for the welfare of others. That is Prabhupada’s example to the highest extent. And why? Because the Srimad-Bhagavatam explains here in this beautiful verse that there is nothing else you can ever do in your life that will please Krishna more. There is no better way of worshipping Krishna than being instrument of Prabhupada’s compassion. That is what Iskcon at its core really means, to cooperate with each other on small levels, on large levels. It is very difficult. It is easier to go our own way. It is easier to give up our responsibilities and do our own thing.
Prabhupada is giving us a chance to attain the highest perfection. That was his example. The only shortage of anything Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur said is Krishna consciousness - the core of all problems - the development of the awakening of love of God.
Vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh. Lord Siva showed so many examples on so many levels. Daksa was blaspheming him Actually historically it is like this. He was pointing out things about Lord Siva but putting them in the wrong context. “You associate with ghosts and demons and frequent crematoriums and you have skulls all over your body.” The great Vaisnavas understand that these are the great ornaments of Lord Siva. He was explaining it in such a way to blaspheme. He was saying the most horrible things. He cursed Lord Siva, “Because you are such an abominable rascal who shows no respect to his superior like me I curse you, you will not be given any share with the rest of the demigods of sacrifices.”
Lord Siva is a great Vaisnava he was not disturbed. He was being blasphemed like anything he was just sitting there calmly. He was taking it in a positive way. “Now I don’t have to associate with all these materialistic demigods to get shares of the yajnas.” He was taking a curse as a blessing. Tolerance! trinad api sunicena, [3rd stanza of Mahaprabhu’s Sri Siksastakam] Siva is the embodiment of gentleness.
In Vrindavan he is Gopivara Mahadeva. He is the guardian of the rasa-lila in the form of a gopi. He wanted to be in the rasa-lila so he was told by one of Radharani’s associates, “You go to Mana-sarovara and bathe.” In speartion from Krishna Radharani filled these kunds with the tears of Her love in separation and Lord Siva bathed in the tears of Srimati Radharani in Mana-sarovara and came out in the form of the gopi and was given the role of guarding the rasa-lila. What and intimate Vaisnava! Gopi Siva!
At Govardhana he showed a beautiful example of how he loved the association of devotees Cakalesvara Mahadev. Sanatan Goswami was living right next to him at Manasi-ganga. At that time so many mosquitoes were eating up Sanatan Goswami day and night. It was disturbing his service because he was trying to write books, do his bhajan and there were swarms of mosquitoes. So he was thinking, “I can better do my service somewhere else. I will leave this place.
When Lord Siva understood he was thinking like this and he was his next-door neighbor as Cakalesvara Mahadev deity he couldn’t bare the thought of separation from Sanatan Goswami. So he appeared in a beautiful brahmana form and told Sanatan Goswami to stay one more night and see. Sanatan Goswami said, “I will stay one more night.” And then Lord Siva went to the demigod in charge of mosquitoes (Laughter.) and said tell your mosquitoes not to bother Sanatan at all. So not a single mosquito came that way after that. So in so many ways - vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh!
Lord Siva is a majana teaching us how to follow by his example. Prabhupada warns that as far as his smoking ganja and that stuff you cannot imitate. You can follow but you cannot imitate. If you can drink poison ocean then you can do this. The spirit of his love and attachment to the devotees, the spirit of his humility and tolerance and most of all his spirit of his compassion, this is what we must be cultivating if we actually want to make spiritual advancement, if we actually want to please Krishna.
Srila Prabhupada who walked among us he showed these principles in such a divine extraordinary way and it is that example of Srila Prabhupada that is the divine power that can help us to remain together on the basis of the higher principle of bhakti despite all inevitable reasons to fight and disagree. It is that divine power of Srila Prabhupada’s example that can empower any of us to do extraordinary things in this world.
Onetime Srila Prabhupada said, he was talking about Rama fighting Ravan in Sri Lanka and he said that how Ravana had the most highly trained and equipped army in the world. Rama just had monkeys. Sita is the goddess of devotion. To rescue Sita from our hearts Prabhupada also crossed oceans and he said all Krishna gave me was an army of few monkeys. (Laughter.) But if we just take Srila Prabhupada’s divine grace, his compassion in the core of our hearts and understand what he is telling us in these words of the Bhagavatam today then by his grace alone we can all become Hanuman and do wonderful things. We can never take credit. Whatever good any of us are doing or any of us could ever do is by Prabhupada’s mercy. To give all glories to Prabhupada that will be the real happiness and fulfillment of our hearts. On this holy day of Siva-ratri let us meditate on this spirit of compassion, which is the very essence of Krishna consciousness. Thank you very much. [Appluase.] Srila Prabhupada ki jai. Ananta koti Vaisnava-vrnde ki jai. [End]
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