Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Work hard - Blog - ISKCON Desire Tree

Work hard

Some devotees have recently informed Prabhupada of B. V. Tirtha Maharaja's condition in his last days. It seems he was taken from Mayapur to a Calcutta hospital, where he spent his last couple of weeks largely comatose. He was given injections and hooked up to all kinds of tubes and devices, which pumped fluids and medicines in, and sucked the wastes out. Although Srila Prabhupada didn't think very highly of Tirtha, he was sympathetic to such suffering of his Godbrother at the time of his death. He even mentioned it in his class this morning, as an example of samsrti, the misery of material life. He told us, "At the time of death nobody knows what will happen. Recently one of our Godbrothers has died. He was suffering that he,some glucose food was being supplied through the nose, and with -- what is called? That also another suffering -- forcibly taking out the urine, cannot speak anything. So this is suffering."

The only thing that can save us from this suffering Prabhupada said, is to take shelter of Krsna. He detailed the whole business of samsrti in terms of pavarga and apavargo, the different stages of suffering in this material world, and used India as an example. "Now our leaders are advertising that 'Work hard. Work hard.'

"'Sir, I am working so hard that I am working like an ass, like an animal; I am tired. Still I have to work hard?'"

"'Yes.'"

"This is samsrti. They are not satisfied that human being, Indians, are working just like an ass, pulling thela, rickshaw, and still they're requesting work hard. So this is called vyarthata. You work hard, hard, hard; still you'll not be successful .... So pa, pha, ba, bha, and at last, ma. Ma means mrtyu. Frustration and die. And again begin with pa [birth]. This is going on. This is called repeatedly, pa, pha, ba, bha, ma; pa, pha, ba, bha, ma.

"So if you take to Krsna consciousness, then this pavarga will be counteracted. Not otherwise."

Citing the example of Maharaja Ambarisa, he described how even though he did not have the mystic power of his attacker, Durvasa Muni, he was able to remain unafraid in the face of imminent death. Rather it was Durvasa who was full of fear. "Because he committed offense at the lotus feet of a Vaisnava, he could not be given any protection. Vaisnava-aparadha is so severe. ... Durvasa Muni, such a great yogi, but he was afraid. 'Oh, now there is no protection.' He fled, here from here, here from there, there, there, then to Brahma, to Lord Siva, and at last to Visnu. Just see how much he is afraid of his life. And the Vaisnava is not afraid of his life; there is no fearfulness."

Having elaborated on the misery of material life, he told us how to become free of it. "Vaisnava means as he makes progress in devotional service, these material lusty desires become vanquished. No more. Finished. This is the sign. This is Vaisnava, when one will spite on sex enjoyment, that means he has attained the Vaisnava stage. Otherwise not yet. That is the test. Yad-avadhi mama cetah krsna-padaravinde nava-nava-rasa-dhamany udyatam rantum asit, tad-avadhi bata nari-sangame. Because nari-sangame, sex with nari [woman], that is the highest pleasure of this material world. Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham. Very abominable happiness, maithunadi. It is kanduyanena karayor iva duhkha-duhkham: it is entailed with so many sufferings. Either illicit or legal, there is suffering. This is the key of samsara, to keep one packed up, compact in these material desires."

He concluded his class by telling us, "Krsna is the only means. When one is attracted by Krsna, Madana-mohana ... madana means lusty desires. And Krsna, Madana-mohana, He is so attractive that one forgets lusty desires. Therefore His name is Madana-mohana. So if you don't contact with Madana-mohana, then you'll be suffering madana-dahana. Dahana means this, dahyamananam, always suffering the blazing fire of lusty desires."

- From "A Transcendental Diary Vol 4" by HG Hari Sauri Prabhu

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