Was Prabhupada’s renunciation in the mode of passion as it was triggered by frustration with uncooperative family members?
Transcript
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Hare Krishna. Question.
Is Prabhupada’s renunciation in the mode of passion because he was also faced with uncooperative family members and was frustrated by their not only non-cooperation but their creating obstacles in his devotional service. But Krishna says that when one finds a particular duty troublesome and gives it up, then that is renunciation in the mode of passion. So was Prabhupada’s renunciation of his family life in the mode of passion? Answer.
No, not at all. It was transcendental. Several reasons.
First of all, Krishna, when he is speaking about renunciation in the mode of passion, he is talking primarily to Arjuna. Of course, to Arjuna, to everyone. But he is saying that if one is, that if one gives up because something is troublesome to the body and the mind and sometimes one gives it up because it is a source of misery, then that is renunciation in the mode of passion.
But this is Krishna speaking to Arjuna who is young and who has his life’s responsibilities ahead of him. Now in Prabhupada, he renounced the world. He was almost 60 by that time.
So in that sense, he had already done his life’s responsibilities and his sons had been educated. His sons had taken up jobs and they were competent enough to take care of themselves and to take care of his mother also. So in that sense, it was not that Prabhupada was neglecting his responsibility or running away from his responsibility.
Prabhupada had already executed his responsibility. And in fact, he had extended himself far beyond his responsibilities. So by 50, he decided that one should renounce the world.
So Prabhupada had extended himself for his family’s sake because they were also devotees. Although they were not missionary devotees like him, they were more like ritualistic devotees. But he had extended himself for them as much as possible.
And secondly, Prabhupada’s renunciation was motivated not by the misery of material existence, but by the mercy and the instruction of his spiritual master. His spiritual master had given instruction many years ago when he was young. And then he reiterated that instruction by coming in a dream to him.
So Prabhupada’s renunciation was motivated by transcendental instruction coming from his spiritual master. And not at all because of the misery of material existence. Although that might have been an immediate action triggering factor.
But far more important was his spiritual master coming in the dream asking him to take sanyas. And also the fact that he had done his responsibility. And their uncooperativeness was a further impediment.
But that was not the primary spur for his renunciation. And that’s why we should not offend Prabhupada thinking that his renunciation was in the mode of passion or anything like that. Thank you.
This part of the past time, I want to speak another class in future.