Govardhana lila reflections

Renunciation of false ego – Indra’s Prayers after Govardhana lila

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Seeing Krishna’s mercy amidst loss – Krishna’s instructions after Govardhana lila

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Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Hare Krishna. Hare Krishna. So I’ll speak today on the topic of how the essence of renunciation is the renunciation of false ego.
That the essence of renunciation is the renunciation of false ego. And I’ll speak this based on the section in the Bhagavatam 10th Canto where Indira offers prayers to Krishna after the Brahma Vimohan Leela. after the Govardhan Leela.
And in these prayers we see a very interesting dynamic. So depending on how we move forward. Actually if we had the projection we could have recited some of the verses also.
But I forgot to mention that before. Maybe in a second we can arrange for it. Okay then.
This is the 25th chapter of the this Till then I’ll give some background. If you see the Srimad Bhagavatam is spoken to Parikshit Maharaj. And Parikshit Maharaj is in a situation where he has been cursed to die unfairly.
For a small infraction, for a small mistake he has got a disproportionate curse. And that curse means he is going to die in 7 days. So there is renunciation and then there is deprivation.
Renunciation means we voluntarily give up something. Deprivation means when we feel I need it but I don’t have it. So for Parikshit Maharaj with death staring him right in the face, renunciation was not an option.
It was a necessity. So anyway everything was going to be lost. Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita that The time I am the destroyer of all the worlds.
Kalosmi verse comes in the 11th chapter, 32nd verse and the 10th verse in chapter Krishna says that Death I am the stealer of everything. And the same Bhagavad Gita also says that for those who have been honoured in 2.34 Krishna says that for those who have been honoured dishonour is worse than death. So the Srimad Bhagavatam time and time depicts the theme of death in different ways.
If you see actually there is one western scholar he has written a book on the Bhagavatam when I was in America I met him. It’s quite a good book he has written. But there he says that he has not seen any other book in the world which is as centred on death as the Srimad Bhagavatam.
There is a book called the Tibetan book of the dead. But that is more about what happens to people after they die, all eerie ideas about this realm and that realm and that realm. So there are many books which talk about how to communicate with the dead people and how authentic they are how just fantastic they are.
That is open to discussion. But a whole book that is focused on death and that gives narratives of different people dying. And the focus of it all is that how we should ourselves prepare for death.
So this focus on death begins right from the first canto itself. Whose death is depicted in the first canto? Bhishma Pitamah. So right, the ideal departure from this world with Deva deva Prateeksha deva devame bhagavan Prateeksha tam So Bhishma Pitamah is saying, oh lord of lords I am waiting for you as I am waiting for my death.
I was waiting all this time so that I could have your darshan and then I would depart from this world. And then after that there is Krishna’s own departure that is described. Dhritarashtra’s departure is described.
If you see even glorious devotees after their glorious things, the Bhagavatam describes eventually their glorious departure. The fourth canto there is Dhruv Maharaj and then there is Prithu Maharaj. Both of them how they eventually depart from the world with absorption in the lord is described.
Now before we can depart from the world and depart to the world of Krishna. Depart from the world, we all have to. But where we will depart that is not decided.
It’s like there are some countries, I was just in America, I was in UK also. UK, lot of from the Middle East refugees are coming. So when the refugees come from the Middle East there is some tension.
The Europe and America may get flooded with refugees. So when these afflicted people are there in the Middle East and they are cause their, Syria and other especially Syria is broken apart by war. So they have to leave Syria.
In Syria they can’t leave. But many of them when they leave Syria, they don’t know which country they are going to land in. So whichever country accepts them, that is the country they will go to.
And depending on the political situation of the country, one country may accept them and again reject them also. So, basically like that, you know, we all have to leave this world. But, so in that sense we are refugees who will be evicted from this world.
But where we will go that is not decided. And where we will go is determined primarily by our consciousness. Whatever we remember in time of death, that is what we attain.
And then after that, what is described is, before we can attain a successful death. Normally for materialistic people, death itself is the ultimate failure. So the idea of a successful death doesn’t make sense.
Of course, nowadays in the western world there is a new style that has come up. Like your lifestyle, there is something called death style. Death style means before you die, you elaborately design what kind of coffin you are going to be putting.
You elaborately design, so there are people who spend elaborate amount of time when my memorial service will be held, who all to invite and who all to not invite. And there are people who also decide during my memorial service who all will be allowed to speak and who all will not be allowed to speak. So people plan everything.
Can you use another computer? I think you may not be able to connect a Mac. You just need the Vedabase. You just need the verses.
So, anyway, so there is actually death of the ego that is required. Death of the ego means that as long as we have the conception that we are independent from Krishna. We have our individuality and in that sense we do have free will.
But as long as we think that we know better than Krishna, the essence of ego is not just, oh, some people just walk with so much pride and arrogance looking down the nose at others. That is not the essence of ego. The essence of ego in the spiritual sense is to think that we know better than Krishna.
That we know better than Krishna what is good for us. We know better than Krishna what is good for the world. And the Bhagavatam especially its tenth canto, it does not describe maybe what we could do just go on with the class now and then is it here? Is that box empty? Is that box empty? What does it contain? I need something.
This is too low for me to see also the verses. Can you just put the box here? No, make it horizontal. Just put it here.
Good. This is 10, 27, 12. So this is canto 10.
Chapter 27 is Lord Indira and Mother Surabhi offer prayers. And text 12. So basically I was talking about this theme of death.
And the Bhagavatam helps us prepare for death. It tells Parikshit Maharaj prepare for death. And we all are going to die but if we die to the ego before our body dies then we can attain liberation.
Die to the ego means that the ego makes us believe that we know better than Krishna what is good for us. So as long as we think that we know better than Krishna then that ego will keep us in this world. So let’s go over some of these verses.
And then I’ll discuss. So here Indira is offering prayers to Krishna. He started his prayers several verses before.
But we’ll recite some of the verses. And then we will discuss his verses, Krishna’s response. And then after that if we get time we’ll discuss some of Surabhi’s prayers also.
So So he says means I had a lot of false ego. I thought I was a great person. I thought I deserved honour.
And my sense of honour was disrupted. I became furious. So at that time he’s saying that when you stop my yajna you disrupted my yajna.
Then I tried to destroy your village. All the cowherd men. To destroy.
By rain. So there were storms and there were rains. Both of them he tried to use to destroy.
But of course nothing happened. So here considered a theme for Indra actually to see that his power was rendered null and void. That was like death.
For somebody who has been honoured, dishonour is worse than death. For somebody who is powerful to be shown to be powerless is like death. And if somebody basically for all of us we have certain material assets with which we function in this world.
And they are our source of security. They are our source of prestige. They are our source of even identity in this world.
And when that is taken away from us at that time what do we do? This is the theme that the Bhagavatam depicts repeatedly. And it depicts everyone. Even Arjuna is the foremost archer of his times.
And he is using his archery in Krishna’s service. But what happened? At one particular point his very archery by which he had defeated everyone in the world, that archery let him down. So the very thing that is the source of our strength, when that is taken away from us, at that time what do we do? So at that time if we can learn to take shelter of Krishna.
I’ll come back to Arjuna’s example a little later. The difference between Arjuna’s example and Indra’s example. We’ll explore it a little later.
But Indra’s example is of the same point. The Bhagavatam shows that actually at one level death means life itself goes away. But apart from life going away there is something with which we live.
Something for which we live. So for say a cricketer, it might be playing cricket. But tomorrow they suddenly get a physical injury by which they just can’t move.
And what do you live for? So for Indra he lived for honour. And somebody who is very proud at that time for that person to be publicly defeated. What happened to him was that he considered himself to be far greater than the Vajivasis.
I am the king of the heavens. And even great great kings of the earth they offer sacrifices to me. And this small village in the earth, Vrindavan, the residents of that village refused to offer sacrifice to me.
What audacity! And he lost sense of proportion. All of these anarthas that we have, lust, anger, greed, envy, pride, illusion, when they dominate our consciousness they make us lose sense of proportion. Lose sense of proportion means what is more important, what is less important.
In the 10th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, verses 4 and 5, buddhir jnanam sammoham, that section. Sri Prabhupada describes Sri Prabhupada describes that actually there is intelligence means to see things I just saw a presentation by a devotee on the theme called Plastikasur. Plastikasur.
So, they had made that presentation on the occasion of the World Environment Day yesterday. So, I am trying to avoid using plastic. So, the world is practically It’s a huge problem of plastic.
So, many temples are going green now. And anyway. So, I was saying that actually for any of these anarthas, when they dominate our consciousness they make us lose sense of proportion.
And Sri Prabhupada says in the 10th chapter that intelligence means to see things in their proper perspective. To see things in their proper perspective. That means this is more important, this is less important.
So, even if it is true that say the Prajvasis had dishonoured Indra. But okay, they do not perform a sacrifice. It’s say a particular small country or a particular small village does not offer the proper tribute to the king.
The king can punish. But there has to be a sense of proportion. One of the basic principles of justice is that the punishment has to be proportional to the crime.
But because Indra was so proud that pride made him lose sense of proportion. So, okay, yajna has been stopped. Imagine somebody, Sri Prabhupada often compares yajna to taxes.
So, imagine if somebody doesn’t pay some taxes. Okay, if they don’t pay taxes, if they don’t pay water tax, cut off the water supply. If they don’t pay electric tax, cut off the electric supply.
If they don’t pay taxes, cut off their facility. But if somebody doesn’t pay taxes and the government goes and drops a nuclear weapon over there. This is ridiculous.
Isn’t it? The magnitude of the crime and the magnitude of the punishment, there is no correlation. So, Indra took it as a personal insult. Then, the Brajwasi stopped his sacrifice.
And when the sacrifice was stopped, because of feeling insulted, at that time, that arrogance when it was triggered, it made him lose sense of proportion. He tried to destroy the Brajwasi himself. And then, what happened? He wanted to use his whole power to destroy the Brajwasis.
And actually, the Brajwasis were in an external sense, a small village. But, what happened? With all his power, he was not able to hurt anyone in Vrindavan. Initially, he sent rains to destroy Vrindavan.
When Krishna lifted Govardhan, he sent winds. He says, have the stormy wind that Govardhan will blow away from Krishna’s hand. But, not only was not a single Brajwasi hurt, not even a single hair on a Brajwasi was hurt, but even Govardhan was not hurt.
Because Krishna touched Govardhan, Krishna empowered Govardhan from below, so there was no damage at all. One of the most devastating storms came and there was no damage. Actually, storms are very powerful.
In America, it’s an area with every storm. I was just coming from America to India. I was in Connecticut and I had to go to the New York airport.
And we were on the way to the airport and suddenly we got a hurricane alert. Hurricane alert and they said, everyone, wherever they are, just stop your cars. So, everybody stopped their cars and the hurricane lasted for 5 minutes.
And those 5 minutes, it was like blinding rains and before the hurricane started, we were waiting at one point and after the hurricane went, it was just blinding rains and after a few moments, we saw all around, trees had fallen down. We were inside the car, so we didn’t feel the impact. Of course, the rains falling, heavy sound was there, but we just, when one storm comes, it can just be so devastating.
And it’s just one tiny hurricane. It was not tiny when it came, but actually, Indira used all his power and there was no damage at all. And that was even more disturbing.
It’s like somebody is a champion boxer, that person, you know, I’ll destroy you. And punches, punches, punches and that person just stays standing as if nothing happened. Imagine, this is happening in a on a TV where the whole world is watching.
This boxer punches, punches, punches, punches and other boxer doesn’t even try to retaliate, he just stands. And this boxer gets tired. It’s total humiliation.
So, for Indira, the whole universe was seeing what was happening. He used all his power to try to destroy the Vrajavasis and nothing happened to them. So, there was, first, he felt insulted.
But then, after that, he realised, exerted all his power, nothing happened, he felt humiliated. But what happened after that? That describes Indira’s devotion. At this time, he could have just got frustrated and he could just have got angry and walked away.
But he realised, he came to Krishna and he apologised to Krishna and he prayed to Krishna. So, in this way, as I said, everyone is going to die. But how we die will determine where we’ll go.
Similarly, what this pastime depicts is, Indira was humiliated. But what did he do after his humiliation? After his humiliation, rather than just resenting or being angry or just walking away, he went to Krishna. The same thing is depicted even in the 8th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam when Lord Shiva is bewildered by Mohini Murthy.
Lord Shiva is famed for his renunciation. But when he was captivated by Mohini Murthy, at one level, it was humiliating for him. But then, what happened post-humiliation? He offered prayers to Lord Shiva.
Nobody except you could do it. How powerful you are, O Lord! And that shows that he, although he, in a sense, lost his prestige, but in losing his prestige, he gained pure devotion because he came closer to Krishna. Similarly, for Indira over here, he’s lost his prestige.
He’s been humiliating. And he’s admitting. What exactly happened? And he’s telling in his own words over here, I was terribly humiliated.
But, he’s saying, I’m surrendering to you now. So, actually, if we are to go to Krishna, this ego, ego is that which makes us think that we know better than Krishna. That is, I can do what I want to do and I don’t need Krishna for that.
That sense has to go. So, how will that go? That comes when, no matter whatever happens, we keep going towards Krishna. If we get honour in this world, we use it for Krishna’s service.
If we get dishonour in this world, we still keep going towards Krishna. So, if we consider from the point of view of the narrative of the Bhagavatam, we can say, what is this Vardhanila describing? At one level, we can say it’s describing Krishna’s supremacy. How Krishna is greater than all the great gods, even Indra.
But, that’s okay. But, how is it directly serving the purpose of Parikshit Maharaj? Once you remember Krishna at the time of death. So, it’s telling him how Indra, even when he lost his, when he was dishonoured, his ego died.
Now, what happened? He let the ego die and he surrendered to Krishna. So, Indra, although he is the king and he is Bhogaishwarya, filled with enjoyment and prosperity, but the renunciation displays over there, is that he lets that prestige go and moves towards Krishna. So, let’s move to the next verse.
So, now he is saying that this, my dear lord, was your mercy. Dvashtastambho vritodhyamah Ishwaram gurumatmanam Tvam aham sharanam gathah So, Actually, my dear lord, you have favoured me very greatly. What you have done is a great mercy for me.
Dvashtastambho, my stambha, my impudence, my arrogance, has been destroyed. Vritodhyamah, my attempt to challenge your power has been rendered futile. Ishwaram gurumatmanam My dear lord, you are the supreme lord, you are the spiritual master, you are the supreme self.
Tvam aham sharanam gathah I surrender to you. So, here also, Indra comes to the same position which Krishna tells Arjuna to come. Sarva-dharman parityajya mamekam sharanam rajah.
Sharanam, the same word, is sharanam kamdhuram. Tvam aham sharanam gathah So, actually, this is a beautiful prayer that whatever things go wrong in our life, we have a certain plan, this is how things should work in my life. And this plan can even be about our plans for growing in bhakti.
This is what I want to do. This way I can serve Krishna. This is what I want to do.
I want to renounce this thing. I want to give up this bad habit. I want to do this service.
Now, all these things are important to do. Whatever plans we make in Krishna’s service, they are important. And we can serve Krishna in different ways, in different situations.
There are broadly, here it is said, Tvam aham sharanam gathah O my dear lord, I surrender to you. So, there are two ways in which we can surrender. Many ways, but two broad ways.
If you consider, whenever we think of surrender, who is the character whose image comes in our mind whenever we talk about surrender? Sorry? Bali Maharaj is the example of surrender. But if you want a visual image of surrender, who is the example normally we think of? Somebody who raises his hands and surrenders? Yes, Draupadi. Draupadi just surrenders to Krishna.
So, one image of surrender might be that just raise your hands in helpless dependence. Surrender to Krishna. Now, at the end of the Bhagavad Gita, what does Krishna tell Arjuna? Surrender to me.
Isn’t it? Mam ekam sharanam vraja. Now, what is the image of Arjuna at the end of the Bhagavad Gita? Is he raising his hands in surrender? What is Arjuna doing? He is raising his bow in readiness to fight. So, Arjuna’s way of surrendering and Draupadi’s way of surrendering are different.
Both of them are surrendering, but depending on their situation and their service, they surrender differently. So, surrender can be expressed through dependence on Krishna. Krishna, you are the controller, I surrender to you.
But surrender can also be expressed through diligence for Krishna. Dependence on Krishna and diligence for Krishna. Diligence for Krishna means that whatever is our service, we do it with great caution and determination.
Diligence. Basically, in every situation, there are some things which are in our control and some things which are not in our control. Normally, we think of surrender means, oh, nothing is in my control, Krishna, I surrender to you.
Now, those situations can come in our life and we need to have the willingness at that time to surrender to Krishna. But it is not that only when nothing is in our control, we surrender to Krishna. We are meant to be always surrendered to Krishna.
So, if there is a situation in which something is in our control and something is not in our control, then we surrender to Krishna through both things. For the things that are not in our control, we surrender through dependence on Krishna. And for the things that are in our control, we surrender through diligence for Krishna.
For Arjuna, he was a warrior. And at that time, it was his service to fight the war. And he was a diligent, he was an expert archer.
So, he surrendered through diligence for Krishna. Carefully fighting every single war, every single battle and doing his very best. So, about 20 years ago, when I first started giving classes, at that time, my senior devotee gave me 10 guidelines, a paper, 10 guidelines of how to speak in public.
So, I don’t have that paper now. And I don’t remember the other guidelines also, but I remember the 10th one. He says, depend on Krishna.
And then in bracket, but only after you have prepared. So, if I come to skew out Krishna and if I am not prepared, that is not dependence on Krishna. That is simply irresponsibility.
So, before giving a class, I need to prepare myself. And during the preparation, the way I express my surrender to Krishna is through my diligence for Krishna. Work very hard to the best of my capacity.
Shri Prabhupada surrendered to Krishna, but then he would stay awake late at night, would wake up early in the morning, whichever way, and then he would write his books. So, that was diligence for Krishna. So, surrender is seen in both ways.
Through diligence for Krishna with respect to things that are in our control and through dependence on Krishna for the things that are not in our control. So, Indra is not, at the end of this pastime we will see that Krishna does not take away his power. Krishna allows him to stay as Indra, the king of the heavens, but tells him be careful.
That means, actually, we are all meant to express our surrender to Krishna through both diligence and dependence. Sometimes things may not be in our control at all. And that time we express dependence.
But when things are in our control, to the extent we can, we have to do our best. I was in Canada, one devotee asked a question, can we surrender our free will to Krishna? Now, free will is the cause of so much problems. If we surrender our free will to Krishna, then everything will be wonderful.
Just surrender to Krishna, surrender our free will to Krishna. He said, yes, we can surrender our free will to Krishna, but it is not a one-time event. It is a continuous, lifelong choice.
And Krishna doesn’t want us to be like robots, programmed machines who just do what he has told us to do. And even if we become programmed robots like that for Krishna, because we are not exercising our free will, because we have no free will if Krishna has taken away our free will, then we will not be able to express any love, we will not be able to experience any love. So therefore, actually for us, there will be situations when everything will be taken away and there is a time when we have to surrender to Krishna’s dependence.
But most of the times in our life, we have to surrender through diligence for Krishna. That means that in this world there are many resources that we have and sometimes those resources are just taken away. At that time also we need to surrender to Krishna.
But most of the times, whatever resources we have, we have to use them in Krishna’s service. So here, when Indra says, oh I surrender to you, now Krishna will reciprocate by telling him, go back and continue your position. So Krishna, when Indra gives up everything, Krishna doesn’t tell him to just renounce everything and become a renunciate.
So his particular situation is that that is not what is suited for him. But he becomes devoted. Of course, the nature of the position is that he may become intoxicated again.
But at least at this particular point, he has surrendered. And then, let’s look at what Krishna’s response is. Shri Shuka Vacha Evam Sankirtita Krishna Maghona Bhagwanam Megha Gambhiraya Vacha Prahasannidham Abhravit Prahasannidham Abhravit So, the most striking point is Prahasannidham So Krishna is not angry.
Krishna is cheerful. Prahasannidham is actually like cheerful, like smiling. So the same words Krishna Senayorubhayor Madhye Prahasannidham Abhravit So, Prahasannidham Vacha, Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita also says something similar.
When he starts speaking to Arjuna, it’s as if he is smiling. So, Krishna is pleased to see that Arjuna is ready for enlightenment in the Bhagavad Gita. Similarly, Krishna is pleased to hear that Indra has become submissive.
Megha Gambhiraya Vacha So, his words are like the grave rumbling of clouds. It is in a grave rumbling voice he speaks. On one side, his voice is grave, but he is not frowning.
It’s as if he is smiling. That means that sometimes somebody is speaking very gravely, but then they are also looking very grave. Just get scared.
Get scared. I was at one place in America. I gave a class and after that class I made some several humorous points in the course of the class, but nobody laughed.
So, then, after that, I asked the organisers, nobody was laughing. You look so grave. They thought that you are not meant to laugh in your class.
So, sometimes what happens is, we may be speaking something grave, but if our expression is grave, people get scared. So, Krishna doesn’t want Arjuna to be scared over here. It’s a grave subject.
Indra has done a serious wrong. But, Krishna is encouraging. Prahasangiva.
Cheerful. Yes. Actually, yes.
It is a wrong action, but Krishna is not angry with us. Krishna still cares. Krishna is still happy.
Krishna still cares for him. And in that way, what does he do? He will show that even when something as atrocious as what is done by Indra, he is trying to kill Vrajavasis. Trying to kill Krishna’s greatest devotees.
Even when Indra tries something like that, once Krishna sees that Indra’s consciousness has changed, Krishna has no desire to wreak vengeance on Indra. If you see, in this whole pastime, in general, Krishna in Vrindavan does not take any weapons. That is one of the characteristics of Krishna in Vrindavan.
That he… He is just playing sports. And even when he has to kill some demons, it is like a play. A big horse comes to charge at him.
Krishna just takes out a fist. And a fist goes into the mouth. He dies.
There is a demon who comes and carries him into the sky, wants to throw him down. Krishna just has a free aerial ride. And then increases his weight and the demon crashes.
So, Krishna actually never…with no demon does he have a very serious, earnest fight. Even Dhenukasura and his demons come as donkeys. They come and Krishna and Balram nonchalantly pick them up and throw them away.
There is no serious fight. So here also, Krishna does not…Indra is showering his rains and sending the storms. But there is… Krishna does not do anything to retaliate.
Even at that time and even now Krishna doesn’t show any intention of retaliating. So the Bhagavatam depicts a God who is merciful, not vengeful. Vengeful means, you have done such a terrible thing.
Now I am going to punish you. No, that is not the mood of the Bhagavatam. Bhagavatam describes a God who is merciful.
I was in America after a programme and a boy came and said I am an atheist. So I said, okay, which God do you disbelieve? He said, no, I disbelieve all the Gods. I don’t believe in any God.
No, that’s okay. But what is the conception of God that you don’t believe in? So he said, I don’t believe in a God who sends you to hell just because you don’t surrender to him. I said, let’s shake hands.
I also don’t believe in such a God. So they have that idea of a Christian God, you have only one life and if you don’t surrender to God, you are going to go to hell. Now, the Vedic understanding is, there is goodness, passion and ignorance.
And Krishna doesn’t have personally anything against anyone. You live in goodness, you will be elevated. Even if you are not devoted, still if you live in goodness, you will be elevated.
If you live in passion, you will stay over here. If you live in ignorance, you will go down. So Krishna has created a system and Krishna doesn’t get personally involved.
But when Krishna is personally involved, he is not vengeful. He is merciful. So he, his, even when in this taken Indra’s pride away, his purpose is to actually not punish Indra, but to purify Indra.
And Krishna will speak that in the future verses. But when we understand this point that yes, for us, we will be fighting against our anarthas and sometimes when we are fighting against our anarthas, anarthas may knock us down. In a particular, particular way we are practising bhakti.
Yes, I want to be practising bhakti like this. And sometimes with this standard, with this purity, with this, with that, and we are not able to practise that, we just come crashing down. But at that time, bhakti is so subtle that sometimes we may resist temptation and fail in devotion.
And sometimes we may fail with temptation and succeed in devotion. How is that? That sometimes some temptation comes in our lives and we succumb to the temptation. And sometimes the temptation comes in our life and we resist that temptation.
Normally we think that okay, if I resisted the temptation, I succeeded, I passed the exam of But if in passing, in resisting the temptation, if we become proud, if we see how renounced I am, just see how self-controlled I am. And look at all these people, so attached, so fallen. If say, now nirjala ekadashi is coming in a fortnight or so, if suppose nirjala ekadashi is fast, nirjala, and then we go to the kitchen and see who all are eating what.
Sense gratifier. So attached. Useless.
Fallen. So if you think like that, then our body may be fasting, but our ego is feasting. And we may pass the test in the sense that we may resist the temptation of eating food and water throughout the day.
But we pass, we may resist temptation and we may still, we may pass the exam of temptation, but we may fail in the exam of devotion. The two are not necessarily the same. On the other hand, somebody may succumb to temptation.
But if after succumbing to temptation, if somebody, that person cultivates great humility, Krishna, I need you. I have tried a lot without you. I can’t do anything, Krishna.
Please let me surrender to you. Please give me your shelter. Ultimately, we grow in devotion by one factor and one factor alone.
Tatra laulyam api maulyam ekalam. Laulya is greed. Intense desire.
To the extent we feel the desire for Krishna, to that extent we will grow in Krishna Bhakti. And there is desire for Krishna and there is need for Krishna. What is the difference between the two? Desire is Krishna.
I love you. I want to be with you. I want to be devoted to you.
You are so attractive. You are so pleasurable. You are so wonderful.
That is the desire for Krishna. And the more we associate with devotees, the more we will get the desire for Krishna. At our stage, because our desires are so caught in the world, we may not have so much, we may not feel so much of a desire for Krishna.
But sometimes when battling against the world’s problems, that may make us feel the need for Krishna. I don’t have a desire for Krishna. I don’t feel Krishna is so attractive that I want to get attracted to him.
But Krishna, I need you. Without you I can’t survive. This world is filled with temptation.
Krishna, without you I can’t survive. I need you. So if our failure in the battle against temptation makes us feel the need of Krishna more, that means we have succeeded in devotion.
How have we succeeded in devotion? Because we will connect more intensely with Krishna. So basically our spiritual growth depends not on disconnection from the world. That is one thing which is required in some situations.
But more important is, we grow when there is connection with Krishna. And of course, renunciation is meant to aid in the connection. But sometimes if renunciation doesn’t work, we end up feeling humiliated.
I tried this and it’s a terrible mess I made of myself. So at that time, we surrender to Krishna. And even at that time, Krishna is prahasanniva.
Krishna is always cheerful. Krishna always wants us to come closer to him. So we don’t have to become too disheartened when we find giving up temptations very difficult.
Yes, they are difficult and we are all struggling. But we focus primarily not on giving up temptation but on building up our connection with Krishna. And if we do that, and if we see every situation as an opportunity to connect more with Krishna.
So if we succeed in resisting temptation, we think, okay, it is because I tried to stay connected with Krishna, it’s because I was absorbed in Krishna, that’s how I could resist it. And I focus not so much. Imagine somebody is fasting in nirjal.
And they’re fasting in nirjal and then the mind is saying, water, water, water, water. The external chanting, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. Water, water, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna.
Water, water, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. Water, water. Well, what is the use of that chanting? You know, better take some water and then again come back and chant Hare Krishna.
Of course, sometimes the mind may say water, water, water and after a certain time it stops. It’s more of a psychological need than a physical need. But then, sometimes if it is a physical need, the important thing is not just to live without water.
The important thing is to live in Krishna, to be absorbed in Krishna. So, to the extent we can do that, to that extent we are successful. So, whatever happens, sometimes when we are fighting against temptation, there is diligence for Krishna.
I’ll not think about this. I’ll not expose myself to this. I follow this regulation.
I’ll do this. I’ll do this. Diligence for Krishna when you’re fighting against temptation.
But sometimes the temptation overwhelms us. Rather than getting disheartened, dependence on Krishna. Krishna, I surrender to you.
I’m yours. Whatever happens, I’ll stay yours. Please guide me.
Please guide me how I can serve you now. How I can deal with this temptation. How I can continue in this situation.
When we have this mood that Krishna is not a judgemental, vengeful God who is angry with us even if we do something wrong. Krishna is a loving God who is always with us. He wants our good through whatever we do.
Then we can always be enthused in moving forward in our devotion. So, I’ll summarise what I spoke and then we can have few questions. I spoke here about the essence of renunciation is renunciation of the ego, of the false ego.
And in that I spoke about the Bhagavatam centres on the theme of death. So, we all, there can be renunciation. If there is no renunciation, there will be deprivation.
You’re anyway going to lose everything. But just losing everything will not mean that we’ll gain Krishna. It is when we lose our attachment to things that we’ll gain Krishna.
And our attachment can be to sense objects and sense gratification. And our attachment can also be to our prestige and to the things that give us prestige. So, the Bhagavatam describes physical death as in the case of Dhruva Maharaj, Parikshit Maharaj, Bhishma, Pruthu Maharaj.
But also describes situations which are like death. For Indra, for Brahma, just lose their honour. And still they stay perceived in a devotion.
The Bhagavatam depicts how even when we lose the very thing that gives us prestige and power and identity, at that time also we can turn towards Krishna and take shelter of him. And Indra, he gets angry and anger distorts his sense of proportion. Because of which for a small mistake, they’re ready to destroy everyone.
And then, he realises, what a big, big mistake I made. So, Indra, at that time, rather than getting humiliated and staying humiliated, he actually comes closer to Krishna. So, similarly, we may get battered in life’s battles.
But if we come closer to Krishna through them, then that is the success. And here I said, Krishna is smiling. Although Krishna is grave, he’s speaking a grave subject matter, but he’s smiling.
Krishna is a merciful God, not a vengeful God. Even if we commit mistakes, he doesn’t reject or abandon or condemn us. He still stays with us.
And sometimes we may lose in the battle against temptation. But that might help us make a win in the war for devotion if it makes us feel more the need for Krishna. The desire for Krishna, we get by association by understanding how attractive Krishna is.
And need for Krishna, we get by realising how dependent we are, how powerless we are without him. And both ways, we can move forward in our devotion. Sometimes we may resist temptation and yet we may fall to fallen devotion because we may become proud.
Our body may be fasting, but our ego may be feasting. So, rather than being renunciation centred, somehow give this up, be Krishna centred. Try to see in every situation how best can I connect with Krishna.
In fighting against temptation, be diligent and planning how to resist temptation. But somehow if temptation overcomes, be dependent. Krishna, I’m still yours.
Please guide me. So, are there any questions or comments? Yes, please. Yeah, we’ll come.
Yes. After being in devotional service since last one year, just I understand that what is good for my devotional service in my bhakti and what is bad. And to fight with that, just I think I don’t have to do this, I don’t have to do this.
But sometimes basically it comes that just I decided that I don’t have to sleep today. But basically I saw bad and then I thought that I would sleep. For that moment of time, just what was I thinking that I should not do this, that doesn’t come.
And then I sleep. And got long sleep for one and half hour. When I wake up, then I pray to God, what have I done.
And then, sometimes I think that yesterday was sufficient because Ok. So, if we do something such as we resolve I’ll not do something, I’ll not oversleep and then again we oversleep and then we pray to Krishna for help. Ok.
So, if we keep praying and it happens whimsically, what do we do? Somehow, I don’t like the word whimsical. I feel that it is just too judgemental a word. We all have our minds and we all have to deal with our minds.
So, sometimes the mind just misleads us. And we have our conditionings. So, what one person might feel is whimsical for another person it might just be irresistible.
That’s how they are. So, sometimes some body, some mind just need more sleep. And that’s what the need is, that’s what we have to provide.
So, we first of all, we have to acknowledge that this is the mind I have. This is the body I have. Now, this mind, this body may not be the best for my service to Krishna, but this is what I have.
If I don’t acknowledge that only, then I keep fighting a battle that is not winnable. If say, I am trying to if I have a if I have a Fiat and that I am trying to run like a sports car, a racing car and it’s not running and I am getting frustrated. Well, it is not going to run.
So, we just, our body our body and our mind this is the only body and the only mind we have. We can’t change it. Change it means we can’t replace it.
Yes, of course, we can train to make it better, but one important step in attaining transcendence is self-acceptance. Self-acceptance means this is what I am. So, yes, if I find that I have a tendency to oversleep, I know that this is my weakness and in general, negative resolutions are very difficult to keep.
So, actually, it’s no point making resolutions that dead people can keep better than us. If I say, I will not overeat. A dead person will not want to overeat.
They don’t want to eat only. I say, I won’t oversleep. A dead person is not going to do that.
So, generally, any negative resolution we make, all dead people can do it better than us. So, certainly, there are certain things which we have to give up, but our focus cannot be on giving up. It just creates so much negative energy within us.
Our focus has to be on taking up. Rather than thinking, I will not sleep, I think, okay, how can I meaningfully fill my day? If I have many things to do, then, I won’t sleep. Thinking I won’t sleep, as the nature of the mind is, it just doesn’t like, you shouldn’t do this.
It just doesn’t like that. But, if you give the mind something more positive to do, even with respect to renouncing anything in this world, don’t indulge in this. Don’t do this.
I was at Alcoholics Anonymous programme. Some devotees in America are working with them. So, when they have to give up alcohol, there are 12 steps programme.
So, actually, only the first step is about giving up alcohol. All the remaining 11 steps are about understanding who you are and understanding who you want to become. If I want to think, I am alcoholic and I don’t want to be alcoholic.
We are still staying in the same level of consciousness. You understand, you are a child of God. You are a part of God.
You are meant to do something wonderful in this service. And then, that alcohol falls away. So, generally, we may have to make some resolutions to give up something.
But, always complement that with something positive. To the extent we complement the negative with the positive and focus on the positive, to that extent, the resolution will be sustainable. But, if you don’t complement it with the positive, then it won’t be sustainable.
So, if you focus more on, not on I want to sleep, but what will I do? If we have plans, okay, suddenly I find that I have half an hour free now. By that time, I sit in half an hour, okay, what should I do in this half an hour? Then I may think, okay, I can do this, I can do that, I can also take a nap. And then, the mind will choose the path of least resistance.
So, rather than, rather than just focussing on the negative, focus on the positive. Did I answer your question? Any other questions? Okay, there’s something. Yeah.
So, it says that there are four, if we take four factors, they are Atma, Mind, Intelligence and False Ego. So, what is Atma, Mind, Intelligence and False Ego? Where they are located and what are their functions? How do they interact with each other? Okay. How do the soul, false ego, intelligence and mind interact with each other? The soul is spiritual.
The the mind, intelligence and false ego, they are all part of the subtle body. And in general, if you look there, they are differentiated based on function, not based on structure. Like earth, water, fire, any third, you can differentiate, they are made of different structures.
Earth is different from water, from fire. But the subtle elements, if you look in the Bhagavatam, third cantor, principles of fundamental nature, they are described in terms of what the functions they do. So, to give an example, in a computer system, there is hardware, software and user.
So, the hardware is a physical structure that we can see. Software is the interface between us, users and the hardware. The software can be of different types.
The software, you can have the operating system. Then, you can have the pre-installed apps with which your device comes. And then, you can have the user-installed apps.
So, this is a rough example. Similarly, we could say that the basic software with which the soul exists in the world, that is the ego. Then, the intermediate software, which is used for accessing and functioning, the pre-installed apps that come in the device, they are like the intelligence.
User-installed apps are like the mind. It’s a rough example. My point is that now, from the software perspective, whether it is an operating system or whether it is a user-installed app, all of them are just codes.
And you cannot differentiate just codes by their structure. They are just codes. But we differentiate them by their function.
That’s why, in some analysis, Krishna does not talk about the false ego. Sometimes, Krishna talks about the false ego. For example, in the third chapter, when he talks about the hierarchy, in 3.42, he says, He says, above the body is the senses, above the senses is the mind, above the mind is the intelligence, and above the intelligence is the soul proper.
He says, where has the ego gone over here? No, Krishna doesn’t have to talk about that. There, he is talking about simply how lust is situated in senses, mind and intelligence. And we have to understand that we as souls are beyond that.
So, in different frames of analysis, sometimes, these three may be talked about analytically. Usually, if we talk about analysing, we talk about the mind-intelligence dialogue. The mind is saying this, and the intelligence says this.
So, sometimes, we may be able to differentiate, but generally, there is no point in getting too analytical. So, when I talk about the ego over here, ego is basically pride. Now, at one level, we could say ego is the basic tool with which the soul interacts with the body.
That is ahankara. This is a little technical subject. The Bhagavad Gita uses the word ahankara in two ways.
It talks about ahankara as a conception, and also talks about ahankara as an object, as a thing. It says, Because of delusion, the soul thinks, I alone am the doer. Or ungodly people, they have a lot of ahankara.
16.8 Krishna says that ungodly, demonic people are filled with ahankara. Krishna is talking about ahankara as an emotion, as a conception that is present in people. I am so great, I am so powerful.
But then Krishna also talks about ahankara as one element of the subtle body. So, ahankara is one of the elements of the subtle body. Now, when Krishna says, Those who are free from possessiveness and those who are free from ego, they will attain peace.
Does that mean that those who are free from ego, does that mean in their subtle body, suddenly the ahankara will disappear? The ahankara element? Ahankara element is a function. It’s a functional unit in the body. And it is always required.
See, as long as I am in the body, for functional purposes, I need to identify with the body. I don’t want to fully identify with the body. But I do need to, for functional purposes, recognise, okay, what kind of body situation I am in.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu at one time, he heard somebody singing Geet Govinda. He started running towards that person to embrace them. And then, his servant told him, it’s a woman.
I cannot embrace a woman. So, what happened? Although his soul is purely devoted to Krishna, the particular body, and he has to be aware of that also, which body I am particularly in, which ashram I am particularly in. So, the ego itself is not a bad thing.
For functioning in this world, we need to identify with the body. But, we don’t need to fully identify with the body. We don’t think that my identity is restricted only to the body.
So, when this identification becomes excessive, it’s functional, it’s good. But when it becomes excessive, when it becomes a soul identification, then it becomes a problem. So, ego as a functional tool is required.
But ego as a conception, where I think I am so great, I am so powerful, I am this, I am that, that is not required. So, now, from the functional perspective, if I am working on a computer, now, what am I interacting with? Am I interacting with the operating system? Am I interacting with the pre-installed app? Am I interacting with the user-installed app? I can try to find out, okay, I am working on this software, this software, but the important thing is whether with the machine I am doing the work or not. So, in general, to get too much into the analysis of what idea is coming from the ego, what is coming from the mind, what is coming from the intelligence, that will simply paralyse us.
We don’t have any torchlight to look inside our head or inside us, wherever it is. And the mind, intelligence, ego don’t come with convenient labels. I am the mind, I am the intelligence, I am the ego.
So, basically, we function based on phalaena parichayate. That if something takes us towards Krishna, if something takes us towards the right action, we say, okay, this is coming from the intelligence. Something is taking us towards the wrong action, we say, this is coming from the mind.
So, where are they situated? General understanding is that they, because they are subtle, so, you cannot exactly talk about a location for them in the way we talk about a location in precise physical terms. Yes, sometimes we say that our soul is situated in the region of the heart, but the soul is transcendental. So, the soul is actually situated at a point where the five airs, prana, pan, samana, dana, udana, those five airs, they are five forces which move in five different directions.
So, the place where, if you consider these five airs to be like five vectors, where the point where the resultant of the five vectors is neutral, that is where the soul is situated. And for those who do ashtanga yoga, that neutral point rises upward, upward, upwards. So, the soul is normally for most people it is situated in the region of the heart.
But it is not, soul is not bound to the heart. That’s why people can have a heart transplant and they don’t, the soul doesn’t change, they don’t change. So, similarly, so, what I am saying is, to try to apply the framework which we use for dealing with physical reality on subtle or spiritual reality that itself is a, it’s a endeavour fraught with presumptions.
But if we can infer broadly speaking, where are earth, water, fire, air, ether present in the body? Everywhere. They are distributed. So, similarly, we could say mind, intelligence, ego, the soul is here, so, around the soul there is subtle body covering and then there is a gross body covering.
So, all, so, this is subtle body covering is the first layer of covering on the soul and the mind, intelligence, ego are situated over there. Now, because they are not physical elements, so, trying to pinpoint a precise physical location is a hazardous thing. So, wherever the soul is, they are the first layer of covering around the soul.
And they act as the interface with the body. Now, if I look at the software, where is the software present in my computer? I could say, okay, the software is present, okay, there is a RAM over here, there is a ROM over here, there is a, there is a primary memory, secondary memory over here, this is where my software is, this is where this software, this is where the data is. I could say like that.
But from the functional perspective, the software doesn’t just stay over the software functions with particular tools. So, I would say, best not to get into too technical analysis. Let’s focus on what the principle that that which takes us towards Krishna, we consider that is where the software is working positively for us.
Again, where if I have a software, some, a virus is also software, an antivirus programme is also software. But I need to follow the antivirus programme, not the virus. So, similarly, whatever cause, whatever is prathikool, whatever is unfavourable, we avoid that when it comes from inside.
Whatever is favourable, and how do we decide favourable or unfavourable? Based on hearing from Guru Sadhu Shastra, based on our own, using our God-given intelligence. Yeah. Other questions? Okay.
So, if our Arthas make a loose sense of perspective, what can we do at that time? Yes, that’s why we need a safe zone where we cannot act out too much. What does it mean safe zone? See, basically everybody has impulses which arise from their Anarthas. All of us get angry.
It is human nature. But, unfortunately, with respect to technology, what happens? We get far greater power to express our anger. In America, one great concern which children have, I had gone for a college programme, and just before the college programme started, suddenly there was some alarm.
And what happened? Everybody just jumped under their desk. Jumped under the desk. So, I also went under my desk.
They said, there was an alert that some shooter has come in school. Some person with a gun has come. So, then, they said, actually, it has not come.
We just wanted to check how responsive everyone is. So, they said that we want to train you that if somebody with a gun comes into the school, comes into the college, then how you should be very prompt to respond. So, they actually have drills in schools that if a shooter comes, how should you do? How should you protect yourself? Now, the point I am making is that people get angry.
Everybody gets angry. But, if in my anger, I have access to a gun, then I might shoot a dozen people in my anger. Otherwise, if I get angry, I might just shout at some people or some people just become silent and just don’t speak with anyone at that time.
Some people just go away. Some people just have a punching bag and beat up the punching bag. Different people express their anger in different ways.
So, when I said that anarthas will generally cause us to lose perspective. So, what we need is a safe zone where we can process the anarthas. Rather than just expressing whatever we are feeling at that time, we process it.
So, what could be a safe zone? Actually, that safe zone becomes at one level more difficult as technology provides us more and more facility. But, if you could create a safe zone, say for example, I spoke in Google. So, in Google, they had done an experiment that they found that there were a lot of employees are suffering from obesity.
And, this obesity was hampering their performance. They are getting diabetes, they are getting various kinds of problems. So, they got a psychologist and psychologist told them that in your cafeteria, they had various kinds of candies, chocolates and sweets and other things.
So, just and they had all these in transparent containers. So, just cover these with non-transparent paper. And, they did that and in the next 6 months, the consumption of candies among the employees decreased by 33%.
Just by that one step. What happened? You come to a cafeteria, you see, hey, let me have it. You don’t see it, it’s not that it’s not available, but it’s not visible.
It’s still available, but it’s not visible. So, then, what happens? The desire doesn’t come. Sometimes, the desire will come very strongly and somebody will go and ask for it.
But, most times, it’s like, oh, this is available, let me do it. So, what happens? If we find there’s a particular anartha which makes us lose perspective. And, what happens? The mind doesn’t attack us every time with a new weapon.
Usually, for us, there are same old weaknesses which we keep succumbing to again and again. So, once we understand this is the area where I tend to succumb, then it’s best to create a safe zone for ourselves. That safe zone would mean two things.
First is that that is a situation where we don’t give ourselves access to act out. So, for example, if I get angry and in anger I just burst out at people, then what I can do is I make a plan that when I’m angry and a person has made me angry, I just not confront that person at that time. I just walk away from that place.
So, that is one way where I don’t give myself the opportunity to vent it out. And then, I give myself some space where I can process it. So, maybe I talk with someone or maybe I just write things down.
This person is a terrible person. I met one senior Prabhupada disciple. He told me that he journals every day.
So, I asked him, our life is so busy, how do you get time for journaling? He said, I just have to process my anger. He said, so many devotees do so many things which make me angry. And if I yell at them, it will make things worse.
I just process my anger by writing. This person did this, did this. And then, I expressed it, you calmed down.
And after that, you calmed down. The emotion has run its course. You calmed down.
This person did this. It’s not such a big thing. Once you just got, as long as it is inside us, just feel it’s unbearable.
You have to get it out. But if you get it out and send it to the other person, that person will find it unbearable. So, have some intermediate safe zone.
So, basically, based on our conditionings, if we create a safe zone, I use that also. When I get angry with someone, I write a very angry email to them. But then, I have a policy that I will not send that email for 24 hours.
And in 24 hours, I cool down. Sometimes, other person also realise their mistake. They send an apology.
Or they send some clarification which I did not know. Or even if I send the mail after 24 hours, I realise, this is too harsh. I edit it.
I soften it. Most of the times, I have seen that things, they don’t get that aggravated. Things move towards resolution.
So, if I keep that anger within me, it will burn me. But if I let the anger out to them, it will burn them. So, find out a safe zone.
So, for each of us, we will have to find out what is the safe zone where we can process our anartha. It’s not that I can just simply suppress it. If I got a desire, if I got anger, if I got something, I can’t just immediately wish it away.
But that doesn’t mean I have to act on it. We have to find a safe zone where we can process it appropriately. So, should we have a break or what time? So, how many of you have questions? One, two, three.
Okay. So, then I was thinking whether we should have a second part of this discussion or should we just have question-answers? We’ll decide that. So, we’ll have a break.
It’s 4.55 now. 5.10, we can come back and then we’ll continue at that time. Thank you very much.
Shri Prabhupada ki… Kantra Shriman Bhagavatam ki… Raigauru Premanande…