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Speaker: HG Devakinandan Das
Srimad Bhagavatam 4.16.7
Date: 04 February 2018
Mayapur Dhama

titiksaty akramam vainya
upary akramatam api
bhutanam karunah sasvad
artanam ksiti-vrttiman

Synonyms: titiksati — tolerates; akramam — offense; vainyah — the son of King Vena; upari — on his head; akramatam — of those who are trampling; api — also; bhutanam — to all living entities; karunah — very kindhearted; sasvat — always; artanam — to the aggrieved; ksiti-vrtti-man — accepting the profession of the earth.

Translation This King Pṛthu will be very, very kind to all citizens. Even though a poor person may trample over the King’s head by violating the rules and regulations, the King, out of his causeless mercy, will be forgetful and forgiving. As a protector of the world, he will be as tolerant as the earth itself.

Purport King Pṛthu is herein compared to the earthly planet as far as his tolerance is concerned. Although the earth is always trampled upon by men and animals, it still gives food to them by producing grains, fruits and vegetables. As an ideal king, Mahārāja Pṛthu is compared to the earthly planet, for even though some citizens might violate the rules and regulations of the state, he would still be tolerant and maintain them with fruits and grains. In other words, it is the duty of the king to look after the comforts of the citizens, even at the cost of his own personal convenience. This is not the case, however, in Kali-yuga, for in Kali-yuga the kings and heads of state enjoy life at the cost of taxes exacted from the citizens. Such unfair taxation makes the people dishonest, and the people try to hide their income in so many ways. Eventually the state will not be able to collect taxes and consequently will not be able to meet its huge military and administrative expenses. Everything will collapse, and there will be chaos and disturbance all over the state.

HG Devakinandan Das speaks:
So we start ILS today with the qualities of great leaders.  And this verse in Bhagavatam tells us that Prthu Maharaja as you all know is a great example of leadership and He is none other than the plenary portion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.  What better example can we get from Srimad Bhagavatam! 

As the praises by the professional reciters in this chapter describe the qualities of Prthu Maharaja one of the very foundational aspects of a devotee is actually described in this verse.  And the most important quality that Prthu Maharaja possessed is actually the quality of titiksati, the quality of tolerance.  It is actually foundational not just for leaders but for all devotees.  In one way every devotee is a leader because every devotee is inspiring another devotee.  And isn't that the foundation for leadership?  Every time we have come into the movement we have been inspired by some devotee.  All of us have had that experience where some devotee tolerated us so much beyond tolerance.  Somehow they tolerated our inebrities, they tolerated our comments, they tolerated our behaviour.  We must have been very crude and unvaishnava like but somehow or the other they were patient, they were forgetful, they were forgiving and they were tolerant.  And on the foundation of that tolerance we became inspired.  And thats why we are still in the movement.

So titiksati is the basis for all qualities that we can start of as leaders.  And Bhagavatam tells us so nicely that actually when a devotee possesses tolerance then the Lord becomes very satisfied with that devotee.  This example is given in the episode in Bhagavatam when Dhruva Maharaja becomes very upset that his brother Uttama was actually killed by a yaksha.  You all know the episode.  And instead of just vanquishing one yaksha as a point of justice what happens to Dhruv Maharaja is that he does not tolerate the urge to control his anger.  And at that point of time he literally decimates the entire yaksha population.  And as he continues doing that eventually Svayambhuva Manu has to come and has to speak to Dhruva Maharaja.  

In the Fourth Canto, Eleventh Chapter, Thirteenth verse, 4.11.13, there Svayambhuva Manu gives a very nice advise to Dhruv Maharaja which is actually very important for all of us.  He says to him, 

titiksaya karuna
yamaitrya cakhila-jantusu
samatvena ca sarvatma
bhagavan samprasidati

samprasidati is described in the synonyms as ‘satisfied’.  When Bhagavan is samprasidati satisfied, then what happens is yayatma suprasidati (SB 1.2.6) then only our soul ourselves sd can become satisfied.  We cannot become satisfied until Krishna is satisfied with us.  Very often we are running after satisfaction but satisfaction eludes us because the principle in Bhagavatam is that Bhagavan must become samprasidati, then yayatma suprasidati.  

So actually Svayambhuva Manu gave such a nice advise to Dhruv Maharaja and he said to him that - My dear Dhruva! The Lord is very satisfied with His devotee…How? when the devotee greets….this is a nice word that Srila Prabhupada uses.  The word is ‘to greet’.  Today all of you have come for ILS.  It is our duty to greet you.  Greetings is not something which is artificial.  Greeting should never be a ritual.  Sometimes in Krishna consciousness we meet each other we say ‘Hare Krishna Prabhu’, because we have to say it but it should come from the heart.  If something is just said as a matter of course it is a ritual. If it is said with spirit, it become spiritual.  There is a vast difference and the longer we stay in Krishna consciousness as leaders the more challenging it becomes not to take this simple greeting that Bhagavatam speaks about for granted.  

So Svayambhuva Manu gives nice advise.  He says - The Lord is very satisfied with His devotee when the devotee greets other people with tolerance, with mercy, with friendship and with equality.  So the starting point for mercy, friendship and equality to come is actually on the foundation of tolerance.  Nothing in Bhagavatam is accidental.  No sequence is arbitrary.  And no words given by Srila Prabhupada is whimsical.  So if we study Bhagavatam scrutinisingly we will understand that there is great wisdom to how the series of qualities come in all of us.  

So Bhagavatam tells us in 4.11.13 that the fountainhead for mercy, friendship and equality is when we develop the culture of greeting devotees with tolerance.  And this is a very important point.  If you look one verse before that 4.11.12 Prabhupada writes in the purport that what Svayambhuva Manu was trying to tell Dhruva Maharaja -You are a king! Your life is meant to be that of exemplary behaviour! And that is what we are supposed to do as leaders.  Prabhupada writes in that purport “You should always act in such an exemplary way that others may learn from you.” (SB 4.11.12) and this is what Prthu Maharaja is being praised for.  Tolerance is the foundation for all good qualities.  And it becomes the duty and responsibility of all devotees to learn to cultivate tolerance.  

The whole of Bhagavatam is full of individuals who tolerated. The difference between Ambarisa Maharaja and Durvasa Muni in the Ninth Canto was actually on the basis of tolerance.  Durvasa Muni came back and saw that Ambarisa Maharaja had just broken his fast in a very unique way by taking water and he could not tolerate his anger.  And therefore provoked by his own anger he then became agitated.  And the agitation that came because of a lack of tolerance caused Durvasa Muni to travel the world on a world tour almost three times and ultimately the advise that he got from Lord Vishnu was that he shouldn't have taken that tour.  He should have simply fallen at the lotus feet of a pure devotee.  If he had exercised tolerance at that point how much time he would have saved and in that time how many rounds of the Mahamantra he could have chanted.  So actually we waste so much time when we become intolerant.  And we save so much time which is precious because in tolerating and developing that culture of tolerance all that time that is freed can be connected to Krishna.  So its a very practical point.

When we don't tolerate, the opposite is we will fault find and we will criticise.  And that is what Durvasa Muni did.  But look at Ambarisa Maharaja.  When Ambarisa Maharaja was actually being insulted in that way by Durvasa Muni Bhagavatam tells us that his demeanour was completely tolerant.  Why? Because he was tolerating his senses. 

Sometimes when we speak of tolerance the immediate reaction is we must tolerate others.  I remember my spiritual master telling me Devaki while you are thinking that you are tolerating so many people please don't forget how many people are tolerating you.  This is something that is so easy for us to forget because we think I am so vaisnava, I am tolerating!  But only Krishna and the others know how much others are tolerating us.  Its a very sobering thought but its a very important point.  

So actually Ambarisa Maharaja cultivated tolerance by first of all tolerating the urges of his senses.  That is the starting point of tolerance.  Tolerance is not an external matter.  Its an introspective matter.  You find in Bhagavatam all the great personalities always tolerate and introspect and then gain knowledge.  If you read the prayers in the Third Canto, Ninth Chapter Brahma’s prayers for creative energy, you will find there is one point Brahmaji uses the word anusprsatad (SB 3.9.22).  anusprsatad is translated very nicely by Srila Prabhupada as introspection.  

The first starting point of leadership is when a leader introspects upon himself or herself.  Why look to the rest of the world when our own house is not in order.  The best principle of preaching is very simple.  If you want your neighbours garden to look as good as your garden make your garden the best and keep quite.  Eventually your neighbour will look at the garden to the point where one day he will ask you what have you done in your garden that makes it look good.  So actually the principle of tolerance begins with introspection.  In the modern world you call it self assessment, you call all these things but thousands of years ago Bhagavatam has already given the royal road to improving our behaviour.  

So this is why it is very nicely stated that Ambarisa Maharaja is the principle of tolerance because when Durvasa Muni tried to counteract him, Ambarisa Maharaja simply depended on the Lord.  So this is the science of tolerance.  The more we are dependant on Krishna, the more we see Krishna’s hands in all that comes to us the more we become tolerant naturally.  

In the Sixth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam Krishna is described very nicely in the prayers of the devatas.  Its in the Sixth Canto Ninth Chapter.  There is two descriptions of Krishna.  Krishna is described as otam and protam - vertical and horizontal.  Its a very nice description.  Because if you look at the fabric of your kurtas and all your cloth that you are wearing now, actually it is nothing more than fabrics of threads that are running in cross junctions.  And Bhagavatam says every thread that runs, that is Krishna.  A devotee who learns to see the hand of Krishna in difficult situations that devotee learns to become tolerant.  And that is what Ambarisa Maharaja saw.  So because Ambarisa Maharaja totally depended on Krishna he was very peaceful.  He was not agitated and if you read the Ninth Canto of Bhagavatam while Durvasa Muni was doing his world tour, going to Lord Siva, going to Lord Brahma and ultimately going to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and coming back to Ambarisa Maharaja, what was Ambarisa Maharaja doing.  He was actually continuing to observe his fast.  He was waiting for his guest Durvasa Muni to come back at some point so that they can break fast together.  And while he was doing that he was chanting and glorifying the Lord.  

Only on the basis of the control of the senses on the standard of sincere devotional service can tolerance manifest in the heart of a devotee.  So this is very important point.  What are we tolerating?  We are not tolerating others!  We have to tolerate the urges of our own mind, the urges of our senses.  The more we can tolerate that then this tolerance becomes externally manifest in how we greet devotees.

So every living entity is actually part and parcel of Krishna.  And this is the second point of tolerance that is very important.  Prthu Maharaja you can read here was so tolerant that even if a poor person or citizen of His state trampled over His head literally by actually not following rules and regulations He did not fail to maintain them.  It doesn't say that He did not met out justice.  This is an important point.  Meting out justice is one thing.  As leaders we will always be put in a difficult situation, we will be put to the corner where we will have to sometimes be firm.  That is why being tolerant is not a weakness, being humble is not a weakness.  Being tolerant means to be empowered in such a way that when we have to tolerate our senses, if we have to tolerate the onslaughts of other living entities harassing us, we do so in such a way that even then we do not deny them their basic needs.  

As temple leaders, congregational leaders we may have differences with so many devotees and so many different things but that does not mean that the personal considerations that happen will interfere with how we continue to maintain the congregation, with how we continue to inspire the congregation.  This is actually rooted in the principle of unity in diversity.  This is very important.  And its inextricably linked to tolerance and the other word thats given about Prthu Maharaja, ‘very very kind’.  Prabhupada doesn't just say ‘very kind’, he doesn't say ‘kind’, he says ‘very very kind’.  The emphasis is very hard to ignore.  And kindness means, kindness has to be genuine.  In the material world if you say I am just tolerating you, it means I cant stand you actually but what to do I have to work with you.  So somehow or another I have to continue.  

In the spiritual world that is not the case.  In the spiritual world tolerance is coming from another important concept and that concept is that ultimately sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto (BG 15.15).  Krishna is in the hearts of all living entities. Once when Prahlada Maharaja was travelling the world, its Seventh Canto Thirteenth Chapter, he was travelling the world and he came across this avadhuta and he was very fascinated by him.  He observed the actions of the avadhuta because the avadhuta appeared to be always in differing circumstance but he was always very peaceful, always very tolerant, very forgetful of insults thrown at him, very forgetful of praises thrown at him.  Very often we forget insults given to us but we never forget the praises given to us.  But in the avadhutas case he was forgetful of both.  He was very forgiving of people who thought that he was crazy.  He was very accepting of people who thought he was very crazy.  

So Prahlada Maharaja in the Seventh Canto, Thirteenth Chapter goes up to the avadhuta and asks him, Dear sir! What is it that causes you to behave in such a manner? And the avadhuta’s reply is very much in line with understanding the qualities of Prthu Maharaja.  It is in 7.13.42.  Its a very nice verse and its a verse I strongly encourage all of us to read, study, contemplate because it has so much meaning.  

naham ninde na ca staumi
sva-bhava-visamam janam
etesam sreya asase
utaikatmyam mahatmani

The translation is very nice.

The avadhuta says, “Different people are of different mentalities.” 
Thats the staring point.  If as leaders we accept that proposition of Bhagavatam half the problems are solved.  Different people are of different mentalities.  Its so important.  Krishna has made all of us with so much variety and yet when everyone comes together our tendency is you must become like me.  If you are not like me then you are not with me.  But Bhagavatam tells us that different people are of different mentalities.  So if different people are of different mentalities so what does the avadhuta do?  Second point.  He says, “Therefore it is not my business …..”

The word business is very useful.  In material world we are always talking about business but in spiritual world we have a business and this is our business - The business of studying and practicing Bhagavatam.  So avadhuta says, 
“…..it is not my business either to praise them or to blaspheme them…..”

This is very important.  If we can accept that every one is different and has a different mentality then from that logically will flow the idea that it is not our business to praise them or blaspheme them.  If you cannot praise someone and you can't blaspheme someone what do you do with that person?  If you don't praise or you don't blaspheme then the only thing we should be doing is to serve them.  If you serve any living entity in such a way that they are connected to Krishna then what happens? Neither praise nor blasphemy becomes important.  What is more important is the fact that you are serving them and that is what leadership is about in spiritual life.  It is all about service and it is service on the foundation of tolerance, it is service on the foundation of kindness and it is service on the foundation of forgetting and forgiving.  If we keep to our heart every statement that devotees have made to us that  hurts us then everything that as leaders that we do will become personal.  You have been in situations I am sure where you have a difference of opinion with someone.  You can either choose to take it personally, it is an affront to our ego.  Or you can choose this principle - different people are of different mentalities, it is not my business to blaspheme them or criticise them.  

The avadhuta ends by saying
“I only desire their welfare, hoping that they will agree to become one with the Supersoul, …..”
And Prabhupada translates that in the purport as saying that we should all agree, that we should all be aligned to the vision of Supreme Personality of Godhead and the moment you are not aligned to the Supreme Personality of Godhead then Bhagavatam says our minds will become dushtita matih.  So actually a good test of whether we are tolerant, whether we are kind, whether we are actually forgiving and forgetting is how much agitated we are every day.  The less agitated we are then the more encouraged we should be that somehow or another we are aligned with the vision of Bhagavatam.  

This is the beauty of Srimad Bhagavatam.  It is so practical that it can be immediately applied in our daily lives.  It is not something in the air that sounds very good but when we go back we don't know how to apply it.  This is the beauty of Srimad Bhagavatam.  So actually to conclude this very important point tolerance, kindness, forgetfulness and forgiveness they all come from two things.  We should always have this attitude that we should start tolerating our own senses and the best way to tolerate the senses is not to counteract that which comes.  It is stated in 1.18.48 of Srimad Bhagavatam and this is a nice verse

tiraskrta vipralabdhah
saptah ksipta hata api
nasya tat pratikurvanti
tad-bhaktah prabhavo ’pi hi

It is in reference to Pariksit Maharaja.  Pariksit Maharaja was cursed by Srngi brahmana.  He could have counter cursed and maybe Srngi brahmana would have done another counter curse and there would be counter curses back and forth.  And in all the counter cursing Krishna would be forgotten.  And this is how we waste time.  But instead of reacting to the curse Pariksit Maharaja is a true spiritual leader.  He did something very nice.  He decided why to waste time.  He decided to see that where there is smoke there must be some fire.  I have done wrong to Samika Rsi and now Krishna has so nicely arranged I should get this curse.  It is nicely stated you know specifically he says in 1.19.14, its a very nice verse,

tasyaiva me ’ghasya paravareso
vyasakta-cittasya grhesv abhiksnam
nirveda-mulo dvija-sapa-rupo
yatra prasakto bhayam asu dhatte

The translation sums up the mood of a leader.  Pariksit Maharaja says,
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of both the transcendental and mundane worlds, has graciously overtaken me in the form of a brahmana’s curse…..”

So Pariksit Maharaja did not see the curse of Srngi brahmana as anything else.  He did not see this as something that will agitate him.  Because he tolerated it as seeing it as coming as providential arrangement.  The moment a leader accepts things instead of expecting things, when he accepts his congregation as they are and works with them to inspire them, half the battle is won.  The moment he creates expectations then you and I know in expectations in this material world there is always disappointment.  There has never been an expectation in this material world that has ever been met.  And there will never been an expectation in this material world that will fully be met which brings us to the point of mother earth.  That is why Prabhupada takes pains in the purport to say that Prthu Maharaja is compared so much to the quality of earth.  Mother earth is trampled upon, she is abused regularly, nobody thanks her for the shade and everything that she receives but does she stop all that ? No!  As leaders it is sometimes a thankless task because nobody may thank you, nobody may give you an expression of gratitude but it doesn't matter.  If you expect it becomes disturbing.  If you accept you become peaceful.  And that is why the quality of earth is very great.  

11.7.37 that is the exact quality of earth that is given.  

bhutair akramyamano ’pi
dhiro daiva-vasanugaih
tad vidvan na calen margad
anvasiksam ksiter vratam

And what does it mean?
“A sober person, even when harassed by other living beings, should understand that his aggressors are acting helplessly under the material modes of nature……”

This is very important for leaders.  There will always be harassment from all quarters.  T here will be deadlines to meet, there will be expectations from devotees.  That harassment will continue from the day you were born till the day you die.  And if others don't harass you, you will harass other people.  It is very natural.  It is the nature of the world.  But Bhagavatam tells us a sober person, a sober person understands that even those who are harassing him they are also acting helplessly under the control of material nature.  This is where forgetfulness and forgiveness being comes very useful.  When we understand that devotees and living entities they try their best but the challenges of the modes of nature are very strong.  Let us be tolerant because we are also caught in that.  Wouldn't we want someone to be tolerant of us? And in the same mood when we serve devotees it will be very wonderful.  

The best personality that comes to mind who tolerated is Caitanya Mahaprabhu.  If you remember the episode of Amogha lila, Amogha lila was the son in law of Sarvabhauma Bhattcharya.  And Caitanya Mahaprabhu was invited by Bhattcharya to have prasadam at his house and when Mahaprabhu declined at first saying that this is food fit for a king, I am sanyasi!  Bhattacharya said My Lord! I know Your true nature!  You are consuming so much prasadam in Puri. You are being fed all the time in Vrindavana.  You are being fed by 16108 queens in Dwaraka.  So My Lord You are actually consuming plenty of prasadam.  Kindly come to my house and please have some prasadam.  And Mahaprabhu said, Alright! I will come!  So on that day He comes to have prasadam. But Bhattacharya’s son in law Amogha lila he is a fault finder, not very tolerant, not very forgetful, not very forgiving and not very kind.  And he was jut looking for some fault in Caitanya Mahaprabhu.  The moment Mahaprabhu sat down to have the array of dishes that were in front of Him, I don't want to quote the dishes that were put there because then we will think of prasadam and we will forget to hear the class because its half the chapter anyway.  But at that point of time Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya hears his son in law Amogha lila saying very loudly - Is this person befitting to be a sanyasi!  Such an insult! Bhattacharya comes with a stick to hit Amogha lila but he runs away.  The second time Amogha lila comes in to say something to the same effect.  And then at that point he runs away again.  
Sarvabhauma Bhattcharya falls at the lotus feet of Mahaprabhu with tears in his eyes and he says Lord today I have created such an offence in calling you to my house and having You insulted in this way!  Mahaprabhu’s reply is astounding! Mahaprabhu smiles at Sarvabhauma Bhattcharya and tells him Amogha lila is a young man! What is his offence? He is right! I am a sanyasi!  Should I be sitting down with such a wide range of dishes?  And that was Mahaprabhu’s comment.  And right after that you know Amogha lila contracted cholera and he was dying.  And when Mahaprabhu heard from Gopinath Acharya He rushes to the hut and while He is stopped by Amogha lila - Don't come in! Don't come in! because I am infectious! Mahaprabhu walks in and with His hand He puts it on the heart of Amogha lila and reminds him of his true constitutional position.  If Mahaprabhu did not show tolerance, if He did not show kindness, if He did not show forgetfulness and forgiveness He would not be able to touch the heart of this Amogha lila and purify him to the point where Amogha lila was rid of the illness, stood up and danced ecstatically with the Lord.  This simple but deeply significant episode is so so important for us to absorb in our day to day behaviour with all devotees.

So we have come to the conclusion but the start of the ILS and I believe the theme of the ILS this year is to keep the wheels moving.  And actually this term was borrowed by Srila Prabhupada from Indian Railways.  And Prabhupada said, well I am reading what Gopal Bhatta Prabhu had actually stated in the website, “Its the business of every employee, train driver, fireman, or clerk to do their bit so that the wheels don't stop!  If the wheels stop the business stops!”

A parallel can be drawn.  It is the duty of every leader to ensure that this great legacy that Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given us in the holy dhama today continues, that somehow or another we build our spiritual lives on tolerance, we build our spiritual lives on kindness.  We build our spiritual lives such that a leader’s door is never closed to any living entity.  No matter what happens.  The leader should be the last recourse for a pained devotee for an aggrieved devotee.  There must always be a door or a window open because that is the way the wheels will continue.  Jaya Grantharaj Srimad Bhagavatam ki jaya!Srila Prabhuapda ki jaya!Nitai Gaurapremanande Hari Haribol!

Are there reflections, comments? Devotee:  Thank you Prabhu for a wonderful class.  Probably for most of us the most famous verse on tolerance is in Bhagavad Gita where Krishna tells Arjuna matra sparsas tu kaunteya …the difficult part of that verse to often understand is tolerating not just dukha but sukha.  Could you please explain what Krishna is speaking about in terms of pleasure that we must tolerate and why is that so dangerous that we have to learn to tolerate it?

HG Devakinandan: Very nice point Prabhuji.  Thank you.  It is more difficult to tolerate happiness because it is easier to absorb it.  It is more difficult to tolerate happiness because it is very difficult to endure it.  It has the capacity to sweep our senses away and make us forget Krishna.  On the other hand the difficulties, the tragedies and reverses of life though very painful for a devotee, have an interesting way of bringing us back to the lotus feet of the Lordships very quickly.  As an example when I started Krishna consciousness my mother would know when my exams were coming because suddenly I would be chanting extra rounds and when my rounds and when my rounds just dipped because I was happy the exams ended she knew the exams had ended and when two months later when i suddenly picked up on the intensity of chanting she knew the results were coming.  Krishna is so kind that even in the painful situations of material life He has given this consciousness this mercy to go to Krishna at difficult times which is very very much easier.  

But you are right Prabhu the challenge for devotee is when we have a little bit more happiness.  We may translate that happiness in such a way that we become separated from Krishna especially when it has elements of material nature in it.  My understanding from experience is that in order to counter this challenge of sukha it is always important to regularly cultivate the quality of gratitude.  When we have gratitude that whatever is coming which appears sweet is not coming on our own endeavour but the mercy of the Lord. Then that gratitude should be that we share it in the association of vaisnavas.  But if we cant share that then it is material but if we can share it it will be spiritual.  In that way we can minimise the dangers of sukha.  This is my understanding in limited capacity Prabhu. 

Hare Krishna 

Devotee: Everyone’s different.  How should be utilise this principle in light of serving together in this movement in which we are trying to maintain the highest spiritual standards.  Standards simply imply uniformity. Yet we are celebrating diversity. So how to reconcile this?

HG Devakinandan: There is a principle in the material world that says - A good leader is one who hires those who are more qualified than himself.  If as spiritual leaders we can look to the strengths of those devotees who are in our congregations, see how different they are and what they bring to the table and then encourage them and inspire them to put their efforts in it.  Again my personal experience is the other negative qualities that they may that may be disturbing sometimes will reduce automatically because the positive energy everything becomes positive.  And in that way a leader who accepts that there are many others in the congregation who are much more qualified and my duty is only to facilitate. I become the plate on which all these different sweet meats and savouries and subjis are going to be but at least I am plate.  And I keep them together until they are all consumed.  The leader is not agitated and the devotees become inspired.  

In that way Prabhu we celebrate diversity.  We don't condemn it.  Otherwise what happens is the tendency is to either condemn diversity and celebrate unity because it flows with what we want or unleash diversity, celebrate it, bring up goodwill amongst devotees and you will find differences fall.  Good example is Prthu Maharaja and Indra.  After this chapter the 100 sacrifices episode starts and as you all know Indra was the holder of the 100 sacrifice mantle.  And Prthu Maharaja was going to reach there 99.  Indra becomes extremely worried and he comes in different disguises and different sanyas orders to steal the sacrificial horse.  And after a while Prthu Maharaja reacts.  First He says I will destroy Indra and the brahmanas say no let us do it for You! And then Lord Brahma has to come and say no no no You both should not be doing this because the aim of the sacrifice is to please Krishna.  So when unity in diversity is put on the platform of what are we doing here. We are all here for the common aim of pleasing Krishna.  Otherwise tolerance has no value.  Hiranyakasipu tolerated so much in his austerities.  I don't think we can ever do it.   But what was the aim of that tolerance - destruction.  So when leaders have unity in diversity principles in this way then when Prthu Maharaja and Indra finally reconcile in the presence of Visnu they embraced each other.  They recognised that their envy had to be adjusted.  That is the purport in 4.20.18, thats the seminal purport where Prabhupada says when two Vaisnavas have a disagreement it becomes their duty to adjust the cause of their envy and this can be done by the Krishna consciousness moment.  Is that helpful Prabhuji?