Widening Activities of
Devotional Service
(Compiled from notes on lectures of H. H. Mahavishnu Goswami)
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Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Mathajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.
In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 1.8.41, Kunti Maharani prays to Krishna
atha vishvesha vishvaatman / vishva-murte svakeshu me
sneha-paasham imam chindhi / drdham paandushu vrshnishu
sneha-paasham imam chindhi / drdham paandushu vrshnishu
"O Lord of the universe, soul of the universe, O personality of the form of the universe, please, therefore, sever my tie of affection for my kinsmen, the Paandavas and the Vrshnis."
The words "drdham sneha paasham" in the above verse means - deep tie of affection. Knots of attachment to family members and kinsmen are so strong that many times, it makes us loose the focus on ultimate goal of our life and plunges us deep into ocean of "my" and "mine". Women by nature are usually very attached to their maternal house as well and so Kuntidevi very humbly prays to the Lord to save her from these knots. In the purport to the above verse Srila Prabhupada says, "Srimati Kuntidevi wished Sri Krishna to remain with her sons the Pandavas, but by His doing so her paternal house would be bereft of the benefit. All these partialities troubled the mind of Kunti, and therefore she desired to cut off the affectionate tie. A pure devotee cuts off the limited ties of affection for his family and widens his activities of devotional service for all forgotten souls."
The phrase "widen the activities of devotional service" is very important. It is important to treat everyone equally as all living entities are parts and parcels of Krishna. But our normal tendency is to narrow mindedly think only about the welfare of our own self, our family etc. To invoke the quality of broad mindedness Kuntidevi very nicely addresses the Lord as "Vishwa-aatman" - Soul of the Universe. Only because great souls like Srila Prabhupada and Gurudeva, widened their activities of devotional service - so many suffering souls in this world are now benefitted. It is because of their renunciation that so many souls are able to take up this sublime path of bhakti. Severing ties of affection means getting detached from material attachments. But Detachment from material world, without attachment to Krishna is of no value.
Today I was listening to one of the conversation of our Gurudev HDG Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj with few devotees in Shree Shree Radha Neel Madhav dham wherein Gurudev says "Krishna has said this is "dhukaalayam and ashaasvatam". It is branded by Krishna. If it is not like that, then it is a surprise. But how can you change it ? As we taught yesterday, there is very nice verse in Bhagavad Gita - karmajam - out of karma - it is born. karmajam buddhi yuktaa hi - As soon as you perform karma it is born. This is the remedy Krishna is recommending this remedy. So this should work. By devotional service whatever is born of karma it is burnt. We have to leave the fruits and again we have to clarify - because leaving the fruits is not possible in kali-yuga. So how to put Bhagavad Gita in practise - that is our duty now. On one hand it is not possible and other hand Bhagavad Gita insists. So this re-conciliation should be there. What should we do ? We are experienced now and we have passed so many years in this planet. So we knew that fruits were coming and how we spent and one thing is clear that whenever we have renounced something, it was always very pleasing. This is my experience. How about you ? Think about this point. When we renounce to some extent we are very pleased. So that way this message must be stressed that atleast part of it must be renounced. Thats why Roopa Goswami is ideal - in front of us. He says 50% - we should renounce. He has done it. He had boat full of golden coins. He divided it and 50% for Krishna consciousness and the remaining 50% was divided for kinsmen and for his emergencies. This is ideal.
But again in Kaliyuga this might not be possible. Krishna has made it very difficult to renounce and at the same time renunciation should be there. So you decide your own percentage. It is upto you - may be 1% or half a percent. Atleast put 1 spoon of sugar to the ants - To that extent Krishna is generous to recognise even that act. This is how the message of Bhagavad Gita must be applied according to time and circumstances. Renunciation should be there. First thing is we don't want to renounce. But if we don't renounce we cannot come in touch with Bhagavad Gita. So we have to see how to apply practically ? Don't worry about big big donations - but atleast give 1 spoon of sugar to the ants ? But that renunciation also is recognised by Krishna. 'svalpam apyasya dharmasya traayate mahato bhayaat' - Very little renunciation or act of devotional service will save you from the greatest dangers. Now more than this how much low we should go for renunciation ? (laughs) I remember my mother - when I was a child, my mother was cleaning the floor applying cow-dung etc. The floor was very clean - but a line of ants wer going. I told her - "Mother take a jaadoo(broom) and clean it." She said "No, no." and she put a spoon of sugar so that the ants can take sugar and go. This is Vedic. I was educated - studying in 3rd class at that time and that education in my mind was making me think that mother is coward (laughs). But she had Bhagavatam with her. Some renunciation should be there. phalam tyaktvaa manishinah -Because you are giving some part of it you become manishinah - tarnscendental philosopher. As soon as you do that, the result is in front of us - janma bandha vinirmuktam -svalapam apyasya dharmasya traayate mahato bhayaat. These boys in school are naturally renounced. As soon as some boy ask for rubber, they immediately give and feel happy that my rubber is being used. So renunciation is part of our nature. How can we not do it ?
We are part and parcel of Krishna and out of six opulences of Krishna, renunciation is the main opulence. He has everything in-toto and He can renounce everything in toto. The more we renounce, the more happier we are. Renunciation in whatever quantity we do makes us happy - be it even for ants or birds. That gives us a satisfying nature. As soon as satisfaction is there, prasannatha is there and in prasannatha word -please remember "pra" is first. So Prabhu is there. Supreme Personality of Godhead is there and He is sat. So eternity is there. So we are eternally connected to Krishna through prasannatha. That is why satisfaction, prasannatha, santosh is the best reward we get whenever we renounce. Nothing belongs to us. That is the fact. So why are you holding. If you are holding you become Dhrtarashtra. He was holding the nation - rashtra and thats why he was known as Dhrtarashta. Dhrta means holding it completely tight you know. We may be Dhrta-Rupya or something. But actually we cant hold anything. Yourself you cant hold on to what to speak of holding anything else.
dhanaani bhumau pashavo hi goshthe
naari grha-dvaari shakha-smashaane
dehashcitaayaam paralokamaarge
dharmaanu go gaccati jiva ekah
naari grha-dvaari shakha-smashaane
dehashcitaayaam paralokamaarge
dharmaanu go gaccati jiva ekah
Body will also not accompany you. Atleast remember the last line. dharmaanu go gaccati jiva ekah - after we leave the body, whatever you have perfomed in the form of renunciation, that will accompany you. So if renunciation is going to accompany us why we should restrict it only to ants ? Increase it to other living entities as well and one more thing renunication doesnt mean only with currency. Don't be please misguided with this. Its not only currency. Your intelligence also you can renounce. (Referring to our godbrother HG Sarvaisharya Prabhuji from Alachua - who is doing very nice service of translating Srimad Bhagavatam, including Srila Prabhupada's transcendental purports in nice poetic form in Hindi, Gurudev lovingly said) How much time you have been renouncing daily - studying Bhagavatam for 3 hours, understanding it and then writing in poetic form - this is greatest renunciation and I am sure you might be working for 9 to 10 hrs every day for material duties. But these 3 hours with Srimad Bhagavatam will give you much more satisfaction than the 10 hrs slogging at work. At work even after slogging for many hours we have only miseries in our lap. Can you think about these things ? We are working for 10 hours to have misery in our hands. Always remember good or bad will happen as per Krishna's sanction. So try to renounce whatever percentage possible for Krishna. "
I pray at the lotus feet of Srila Gurudeva and Krishna that we remember the lessons taught by Gurudev and instead of narrowing our services to our own self, family and community, renounce our time, energy and whatever wealth the Lord has bestowed us in His service.
Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Sudarshana devi dasi.
Chant,
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna
Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama
Hare Hare
and be happy.
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