Bhagavatam-daily 109 – 11.08.25 – The best charity is different from our conceptions about charity

Thank you shrimadbhagavatam 11 8 25 so the brahmana is continuing narration of the story of Pingala so Pingala is waiting outside the brothel for a customer and she’s observing apayateshu this person is come apayateshu oh this person is gone they have come they have gone saw that woman that prostitute she is the source of some sustenance so for her the source of sustenance was was prostitution but oh if this this man has come this man has gone but oh someone else will come someone who is will approach will approach for enjoyment is a generous giver one who will give lots of money so here the word bhurida is significant because this word is also used in the bhagavatam in the gopi gita and there it is stated that bhurida janah tavakathamritam tapta jeevanam kavidhiriditam kalmashapaham shravanamangalam shreemadatatam huvikrinanti jai bhurida janah so it is described who are the bhurida janah those who are bhuri is good da is givers those who are good givers those who give good things and lots of good things so she is saying that the gopis are singing over here that those who speak you speak your katha kathamritam the nectar of your katha which is which is like the which burns the fire that is that is scorching the hearts of people because this katha is like the rain shower of nectar and extinguishes that fire tapta jeevanam kavidhiriditam kalmashapaham there are great kavis learned people who transmit this katha all the darkness all the impurities the dirt of the heart gets destroyed with apaham and hearing it brings great auspiciousness shreemadatatam it’s filled with great power and huvikrinanti jai those who go around on the earth speaking such katha just like a cloud if it goes to places which are having drought and pours water the cloud will be considered all generous similarly people who go to different places and speak krishna katha they are considered bhurida janah they are very considered generous givers so now the gopis are living for krishna and the if they cannot have krishna’s presence then they at least want krishna’s remembrance and therefore they are saying that anyone who gives us krishna’s remembrance that person is also very generous and now this gopi gita is sung when and when krishna has disappeared from the rasa arena and the gopis have become maddened by their disappearance they frantically search for krishna and have become completely exhausted by exhausted physically and emotionally by their inability to find krishna they come to the banks of the jamuna and they have there started singing these prayers in separation from krishna begging him to return so they are trying they are remembering krishna and they are reminding each other of krishna and this way they are getting some solace from the agony of separation from krishna and so they are saying that anyone who based on their own experience of what causes agony and what gives solace they are saying that those who give solace give the solace of the remembrance of krishna by speaking about him they are so for the gopis who are hungering and thirsting and living for krishna the remembrance of krishna and the givers of remembrance of krishna are comprised the greatest charity and the greatest charitable people now that is of course such a high level of realization and purification but the point is that what we consider as charity or whom we consider who will consider charitable depends on our conceptions so for a person who is desperate for a drink but has no money for drinking then if a friend comes along and says oh i’ll give you a drink share my drink and he pours out a glass for him i will think oh you’re so kind you’re so charitable now is that charity actually doing good and should we consider that charitable person to be a really good person who’s done a good deed by giving a drink to somebody else the bhagavad gita talks about charity in the three modes and it says that charity in ignorance then it is all given done wrongly at wrong person at wrong place at wrong time and it doesn’t do any good so it recommends charity in the mode of goodness not charity in the mode of ignorance but still depending on our needs we conceive whoever is going to provide those needs as charitable so pingala it was described in the previous verse that she was she was desperate for wealth and therefore she is thinking that if anybody can give me wealth that person will be will be a profuse giver and she’s looking for such a person there will be someone there are people in this world who are wealthy surely someone will come and give me money you’ll come and accept my services and give me money now the bhoorida and earlier it was earlier previously it was on shulka so just like in hotels there is a bill which is to be paid to the hotel for the food that we take but along with that sometimes customers give tips to the waiters so like that even with respect to prostitutes she has a the prostitutes have a price but if a man is for whatever reasons very pleased then the man may give a tip also so like that she’s thinking that bhoorida somebody will come who will give me a lot of money not only pay my price but maybe more than that also he will give me money and in that way in a hope for getting such a person vittavan kopi there will be someone who will be wealthy she is looking for such a she’s labeling this hypothetical person who has not yet come whom she’s hoping will come she’s labeling him as bhoorida oh he missed a charitable person so based on our conceptions we will consider who is charitable and while the our conceptions may seem right for us but we have to understand that our scriptural conceptions have to be harmonized with scripture if we are to become elevated in life so a true giver is not just one who gives what we what we want now what now we may feel that we need it but it may be our want a true giver a true true donor a truly charitable person not only just gives but gives what will actually benefit people and that’s why the sharing of krishna consciousness which may not seem to provide anything for the body in terms of food clothing shelter which may not seem to fulfill any of the desires that are burning in our mind but still the krishna consciousness actually satisfies our heart completely because it connects us with krishna who is all attractive who is the embodiment and fulfillment of everything attractive that we find in everyone and in this way when we learn to love krishna we get lasting fulfillment and that’s why those who are the givers of krishna those who are the givers of krishna bhakti those are the givers of the opportunity for krishna bhakti they are they are in the character character actually in the category of bhoorida they are the true givers thank you