War Against Maya – Mahabharata Days 12 and 13

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Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
All the time. Something to learn.
Some lessons that we can learn from the 12th and 13th days of battle in the Mahabharata. The Mahabharata is undoubtedly a historical reality. And there are places like Kurukshetra, Dwarka, and many others just 1772.
At the same time, through the way the Lord enacts His pastimes, through the way the Lord orchestrates the lives of His devotees, there are other lessons also which you can learn. So the 12th day, till 10 days, who was the commander of the army for the Kauravas? Yeah, Vishwamitama. So 12th day, Vishwamitama fell under the first combined sustained attack of 42 people, Arjuna and Shikhandi.
So now, after that fall of Bhishma, Duryodhana was shell-shocked because he had considered Bhishma his greatest strength. At the same time, he felt in one sense delighted because at the start of the battle, Karna had broken out of the battle field because when Bhishma had been assessing the forces on both sides, Bhishma had said that Arjuna is a Maharatha, Dronacharya is a Maharatha, and I myself am a Maharatha. And when he came to Karna, he said Karna is not a Maharatha, Karna is not Atiratha, he is Ardharatha.
So Karna was incensed. How dare you do me like this? Actually Arjuna is only one-thirteenth of my strength and power. I can crush him and crush all the Pandavas alone, together.
So Vishwamitama said, Oh Karna, you are a senior warrior, only you need war still now. Whenever there has been actual war, Arjuna has humbled your pride. And now you have lost your power in Kundala also, therefore I have rated you as Ardharatha.
So Karna some type of an anger, he said. Whenever a war is won, that time the crate of the war’s victory goes to the commander. If I fight and win the war for Duryodhana, the crate will go to Bhishma because Bhishma has disgraced me like this.
I don’t want the crate for victory brought by me to go to him. Therefore as long as he is on the battlefield, I will not enter the battlefield. He walked out.
Duryodhana was pained by this but immediately his political mind calculated. He said, Bhishma is more important than Karna for me. And he will let Karna go.
By ten days when Bhishma fell, what happened? Immediately he had the commander of crown taken to Karna. He said, O Karna, please become my commander and raise our army to victory. Karna was very grave and said, actually I am a Suta Putra and many other Kshatriyas will revenge if they have to obey my command.
Dronacharya is a Brahmana and he is the oldest. Although he is affectionate to the point of us, he has put affection aside and is ready to fight and has fought diligently till now. Please make him the commander.
He made him the commander. So Dronacharya was already resulting the thought that Karna who he had earlier rejected as his disciple would now become his boss. So when Dronacharya was offered the post, the commander was pleasantly surprised and relieved and he told Duryodhana, O Duryodhana, I am honoured by this position.
I would like to do something to reward for you. What can I do for you? So Duryodhana’s cunning mind was always working. If you would like to do something for me, please have Yudhisthira arrested and brought in front of me alive.
Dronacharya’s eyes opened wide. Oh! Yudhisthira is such an agyar Kshatriya that even he did not wish to kill him but wanted to have him arrested alive. So Duryodhana smiled saradonically.
If we kill Yudhisthira, Bhima and Arjuna who love him more than their lives will go mad and destroy all of us. Therefore my plan is to bring Yudhisthira alive in front of me. I will challenge him to another gambling match and send him to jungle for another 13 years.
Dronacharya shook his head and thought, Duryodhana will never learn. Then he said, I can surely arrest Yudhisthira but you have to put Arjuna out of my way. Because although Arjuna is my disciple, he is such a dedicated student that I have transferred all my skills to him.
And he has further practiced celibacy for the last 13 years and has ascended to heaven and acquired many celestial weapons. So he needs to be kept aside. So there was Susharma, the king of the Trigartas.
He said, Arjuna has humiliated me on many occasions in the past. Now is the time for me to take revenge. I along with the thousands of Amsataka soldiers will challenge him day after day and keep him by the side.
And the next day the war started in dead earnest. And the spies had already informed Arjuna and the Pandavas. So Arjuna said, don’t worry, Satyaki, my student and disciple, who is equal to me in all respects, he will be by your side, Yudhisthira, to protect you.
And he was sidetracked. And seeing that nothing was happening, although on the whole 11th day Dronacharya tried to conquer Yudhisthira. He couldn’t refuse Yudhisthira.
On the other side Arjuna wreaked havoc among the Trigarta soldiers. And Bhima was at his ferocious best destroying soldiers wherever he went. So at that time Duryodhana got very angry.
And then he went and told Dronacharya, it would have been better if I had made Karna my commander, for putting my trust in you. Then he realized what he had said. Dronacharya walked away.
Ashwathama would walk away. Tripacharya would walk away. And he would be in big trouble.
He said, oh Acharya, please forgive me for my words. I am just overcome by grief. At the loss of the Narayana, please save us.
Please do not take offense at my words. He said, your words do not hurt me. Dronacharya shook his head weirdly and said, I have tried my best.
But tomorrow I will make a Chakravyuha. And then again Arjuna was sidetracked. And the Kauravas were very cunning.
So when they started the day, there was no Chakravyuha. It was a normal military formation. Because if Arjuna had seen the Chakravyuha, he would not have gone inside.
And after Arjuna was sidetracked, quickly all soldiers rearranged. They had already been told that he would have to rearrange. And they very quickly rearranged.
And the Chakravyuha was made up here to be like a mountain of warriors marching across the battlefield and they would destroy everyone. Earlier I was telling that the Kurukshetra war is a historical reality. At the same time, there are deeper lessons.
So the Kurukshetra battlefield, it is considered to be like the battlefield of our consciousness. So we understand that maya is just waiting for the opportunity. So maya hits when our defenses are weak.
So what does maya do? Maya is actually examining our consciousness constantly. And whenever and wherever we become weak, that is the point maya attacks. In that sense, maya is a cruel enemy.
So the Kauravas knew that without Arjuna, nobody can break the Chakravyuha. And that was the time when they attacked. Similarly, for us, our main defense against maya is the holy name of Krishna.
So what happens is, now I have chanted for 15 rounds, put the holy name aside. And the remaining day, what happens? Maya just bombards our consciousness. So, actually, now the first time I was going out, I had come to the temple, I was staying in the temple, I had not yet joined.
So I was going out and one devotee from Gopinath temple had come. So I was just going out for a program. He said, how are you going like this? I said, what do you mean? He said, you are going into a battlefield without your machine gun? I said, what do you mean? He said, where is your bead bag? That is your machine gun.
He said, you should never go out anywhere without your bead bag. So of course, not only did you take the bead bag, you chanted also. What happens is, the machine gun and bead bag is here and Maya is hitting here all the time.
This is a V shooting Maya, Maya shoots us. So, actually, we have to be very alert. We should know that Maya is just waiting for the opportunity.
Wherever there is weakness, that is where Maya will hit us. So, especially for those who want to actually tread on the path of renunciation, Maya will try her best to find chunks, chinks in our renunciation, chinks in our armor and weaken us. And every time Maya weakens us, that weakening becomes an impression in our consciousness.
And once that impression is there in the consciousness, the next time they are agitated more. So, actually, we know that we have to fight this war against Maya lifelong. It is not that this war is going to end in a day or two or even a year or a few years.
Till the moment of death, we have to fight this war. That is why Lord Krishna said in 5.23, first 5.23, Krishna tells Arjuna that So, he says that in the womb of material enjoyment is a child of material suffering. In the womb of material enjoyment is a child of suffering.
And no abortion is possible. Delivery is 100% guaranteed. So, suffering is going to come.
Wherever there is enjoyment, after that, there will be suffering. But, the nature of material enjoyment is such that actually it appears that there is pleasure. Actually, the ways in which suffering can come is incomprehensible.
Once, Gaurang Prabhu, I think two years ago, maybe last, this time I was not in the Gaurang Sabha camp, but last year I was telling, sometimes devotees feel afraid. What if I become a brahmachari? In the future, what will happen? This, this, this, this, this. And there are some devotees, they also add fuel to the fears.
This will happen, this will happen, that will happen. What if this temple closes down tomorrow? What if you fall sick? What if the temple quality changes? So, Gaurang Prabhu was telling that if you want to play the frightening game, I can frighten you over the possibilities of grahastha life also. And those are much more horrifying than the possibilities of brahmachari life.
So, recently I was in one particular temple and I heard one story. One devotee got married and after marriage, he couldn’t get a devotee match, so he married a non-devotee girl. And after marrying a non-devotee girl, he found his mother was becoming very gloomy.
Earlier she wanted the marriage, but after that she became very gloomy. And then his mother was asking, what is the problem? He said, he didn’t say anything. And finally his sister came to their house, and his mother told him that his daughter-in-law is constantly insulting and torturing her.
And then he went across to his daughter-in-law and said, I want to stay separately. I don’t want to stay with them. So, he was torn apart.
But they are not obstructing us anyway. Why should we stay separately? When he opposed her, she just went off home. And then almost one month he was waiting.
After one month, when he went home, he reached his home and the police came to arrest him. And instead of reaching his in-laws’ home, he was taken to the jail. He was in jail for three weeks.
And what was the reason? He said that his wife had put dowry torture charges against him. Dowry harassment charges. And because this dowry is a stigma on Indian society, so according to Indian government rules, you don’t need any evidence for pressing charges.
If the wife just complains, immediately her husband is in jail. And only when the husband proves he is innocent, then he will come out of the jail. So, when he went to jail, devotees, you can see by their faces, because they are innocent.
So, when the other prisoners saw him only, he came out of dowry charges. So, of course, Krishna is merciful. So, there that devotee was in the jail.
And the jailer happened to be a favorable person of Hare Krishna. So, the jailer gave him prasad and he chanted and he made the jailer chant rounds. And then they had to bring him from South India to Kolkata.
So, they were coming in a truck. So, he inspired the truck driver and the policeman who was in charge. And they went to Mayapur and had darshan of Narasimha.
And they came to Kolkata. So, that’s it. It was Hare Krishna.
The jailer wrote it. Otherwise, we can purify the darshan of Mayapur. But still, you know, if you want to frighten, you know, the point is not that Brahmacharya should frighten a person about Grahasa ashram or should Grahasa frighten a person about Brahmacharya’s ashram.
No, the decision should be taken based on realistic assessment of our strengths and weaknesses. So, whatever it is, we should observe ourselves and observe the two ashrams and then decide. But frightening game is a childish game.
Anyway, the point is that in the womb of material enjoyment is the womb of material success. How that suffering will come, we may not be able to comprehend right now. We may not even see that suffering.
But that suffering is sure to come. I was at in Mangalore when I had gone about last month. So, there they had organized in one of the management colleges in Mangalore a conference, a panel discussion on values past, present and future.
And there was a leading lawyer from Mangalore. There was one principal of one college. And there was one psychiatrist.
And one VJ was there. And I was there as a philosopher. So, basically after values, we started initially with the idea of boys and girls in the audience.
So, the whole discussion of values came into sexual values. Why there is so much restriction of mixing among boys and girls in Indian society. Video Jockey was a young man.
He was saying, yes, we should change and not have these restrictions and all those things. And then, the psychiatrist spoke. And psychiatrist was telling that when I became a psychiatrist, many people told me how are you going to earn a living? Will you get sufficient patients? So, that was 30 years ago.
So, now if you tell me my son is about to commit suicide, I will tell him if you tell me that my son needs psychiatric counsellor, I will tell, for 3 months I am booked. No, no, he is about to commit suicide. He said, all my patients for the next 3 months are also about to commit suicide.
And he said, this is not just my situation, this is the situation of all efficient psychiatrists, not only in Mangalore, but all over India. And he said, how has this happened? He said, 20-30 years ago, there were hardly any patients coming to psychiatrist. And he said, this is because of he himself was unrestricted material desire.
So, especially, boy he said, that educates the mind too much. And then after he spoke, when I was speaking, I told, I quoted the Bhagavad Gita verse that yatha dagre amrutopamam pariname vishyamiva. In 18.47, 48, 49, Krishna analyses the kinds of happiness in goodness, passion and ignorance.
So, 48 says, that happiness in the mode of passion is, that which tastes like nectar in the beginning, but poison in the end. So, then I told all the students that, actually, what you see in the television, in the media, in the newspapers, that is the poison in the beginning, is the nectar in the beginning. But what the psychiatrist is telling you, is the poison in the end.
So, that will lead to this. We can’t avoid it. That’s why, in the womb of material enjoyment is the child of material suffering.
So, after hearing this, in 5.22, 5.23, Arjuna asks, I know this, but still the desires of material enjoyment don’t go on. So, what should we do? This is a very important verse, which all of us, those who want to be brahmacharis, we should try to remember this verse. You can repeat after me.
Shaknoti, if it is possible, Sodhum, yaha means in this world, sodhum, sodhum means to tolerate. If it is possible for you to tolerate, kama krodho dhavam vegam, the vague, the urge that is born of, firstly of lust, and when lust is frustrated, anger. And, what will happen if we tolerate it? We will stay connected with Krishna, and we will be situated in a way that we can go from back to world.
And further he says, you will stay happy. Happiness will not come by indulgence, but by tolerance. When we tolerate our material desires, we will become happy.
But if we indulge in our material desires, we just become more and more agitated. And how long does this tolerance have to go on? He says, till we drop this body. We will all drop this body at the time of death.
Everybody will drop the body. But, the person who tolerates and drops the body, what will happen? Vimokshanat. Not only I tell moksha, but vimoksha.
Vimoksha means the highest liberation he will attain. So yes, of course, it is not that a lifelong bitter battle has to go on. As we keep saying no and no and no, all of you know the good dog and the bad dog.
When we keep saying no, the bad dog becomes weak. But the bad dog will be there. We have to keep saying no.
But every time we say yes, what happens is, that impression gets reinforced in our consciousness. And then it becomes difficult for us to fight afterwards. That’s why, for the beginning only, we should not allow any wounds to happen in our consciousness.
Because what happens is, you know, in a boxing fight is going on, if opposite boxer sees, you know, that here he has got a wound. What will happen? He will hit there only. And what will happen? And by just hitting there, there, the boxer will be weak, he will get weakened and he will die.
So, you will find that wherever we have succumbed in the past to maya, that’s where maya will attack us. You see, some of us have succumbed to going to nasty internet sites. Then you will find so many places that oppose you even going to internet sites will come.
If you have been reading some nasty magazines, you will find that wherever nasty magazine, nasty poster you see, if we had had some friendly relationships with women before coming to Krishna consciousness, in a much too familiar sense, then you will find the same temptation will keep coming. So, maya will attack because she knows where we are weak. And we have to be extremely cautious.
The moment we let our guard down, maya will be there. So, what happened? So, when Yudhisthira saw the army coming, he just became concerned and he called Abhimanyu. The only persons who knew how to break a chakra were Arjuna, Krishna, Karna and Abhimanyu.
So, he called Abhimanyu and he said, can you enter into this? Can you save us from this Chakravyuh Abhimanyu? You are the great son of a great hero and today is your time to repay your debts to your fathers. So, Abhimanyu looked a little defeated. And Abhimanyu said, actually when I can break into Chakravyuh but I don’t know how to come out.
So, when Subhadra had asked Arjuna about the different techniques of warfare that he had learned, when he came to Chakravyuh, he explained how to penetrate it, but by the time he started explaining how to come out of it, Subhadra was never going to use it. So, he went to sleep. And because she went to sleep, Arjuna stopped speaking.
So, I was inside so I heard only how to penetrate. But I didn’t hear how to come out. So, sleeping in class can be dangerous for life.
Actually, Prabhupada was there one time, Prabhupada made a statement that sleeping in Bhagavatam class is more dangerous than breaking all the four regarded rules. Now, of course, what it means is, if you keep sleeping in Bhagavatam class, then what will happen? That we will not have the spiritual strength to maintain. So, Satsvarupa Maharaj, that one time, he went and told Prabhupada, I feel sleepy in your Bhagavatam class and I sometimes sleep also.
I know, I see you sleeping. I said, Prabhupada became grave and he said, Bhagavatam class is for my advanced devotees. Any of my devotees can sleep.
Satsvarupa Maharaj, Prabhupada, he went and asked, let me become an advanced devotee. I don’t want to change the Bhagavatam. Actually, that is the time when we get spiritual strength, we get spiritual intelligence.
That is the time when we become equipped. Actually, in the 4th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, when Prithu Maharaj meets the Mother Earth, at that time, different personalities come and get their different nourishment. So, the devatas come and take sumaras, that’s what nourishes them.
The asuras come and take wine and then the animals come and take their vegetables and some come and take water. So, there it is described, the transcendentalists come and it is said the transcendentalists are nourished by transcendental sound vibrations. That is our nourishment.
What is our nourishment? It is transcendental sound vibrations. To the extent that sound vibration enters from our ears into our heart, to that extent we become strong. And to the extent that nourishment doesn’t take place, to that extent we become weak.
And that is the entire strategy of Maya. Either she will make us sleepy or busy, lazy or busy. Laziness is due to the mode of ignorance and so-called busyness is due to the mode of passion.
And we say that we don’t have time to hear, we don’t have time to read and then once we become weak, Maya is waiting for that opportunity. You know, Israel is lying right in between the enemy countries. There is Palestine, there is Lebanon, there is Syria.
So, and Israel is mainly made of Jews. So, Jews have one particular day on which, according to their scriptures, everybody has to fast. That is called the day of Sabbath.
And I think Israel was created in 1946 or 49. And what happened next year after that, the day of Sabbath, when all the Israelis were fasting, that was the day when all the four countries attacked together. And at that time America rushed some help and that’s how they were saved.
So, the enemy is going to see when we are weak. And that’s the time they will attack. They were fasting for religious purpose.
But enemies, they are cruel people. They just want to conquer. So, similarly, if we make ourselves weak, now I will be determined to fight.
But if I am not eating food, how long can I go on fighting? Just physically overpower. Similarly, we need to be sincere. Generally, we say sincerity is what we need for spiritual life.
At one time, Prabhupada said. Prabhupada asked all that. So, what do we need for advancement in Krishna consciousness? Sincerity.
So, sincerity and intelligence. Prabhupada said, yes. If we are sincere, naturally Krishna will give us intelligence.
But very often, what does it say? If I sincerely follow the prescription of a bogus doctor, is it going to cure me? Sincerity has to be coupled with intelligence. I have to find out the good doctor and sincerely follow his instructions. Now, of course, we can say that if I am sincere, Krishna will naturally give me the right direction and I will follow.
That is true. But very often, we assume that we are sincere. We are not so sincere actually.
Whenever mayas, apostates come, we don’t know how surely we can say that we will reject maya. You know what happens to a materialistic person when maya comes? Welcome! I was just waiting for you. And then when a fair devotee comes? Get out! Nothing doing.
And a serious devotee comes? No. And a neophyte devotee? Wait. Not no, not just wait.
Wait is the right opportunity to come. So we cannot assume that we are sincere. If we are really sincere, that sincerity should lead to our intelligently following the process of Krishna consciousness.
So, if we are sincerely, I was preaching till one o’clock and that’s why I slept in the morning and I didn’t wake up for the morning program. Sincerity means we should sleep in such a way that we can wake up for the morning program. Occasionally, once a year for Janmashtami, it’s okay.
last year we had this question and answer session at that time. Janmashtami time we have question and answer booth. Question and answer booth run by IITians.
So at that time we didn’t have anything for Matajis. So many Matajis also started coming for question and answers over there. So then this devotee came and asked Adi Shyam Pro, I was also there, because I was also co-annotated, so I also didn’t know what to do.
So many Matajis are coming and they are also very sincere, they are asking sincere questions. So what should we do? So Adi Shyam Pro said, yes, they will ask sincere questions and you sincerely answer them and then you sincerely fall down. So yes, we don’t have to do that.
Adi Shyam Pro said, we don’t have to do this. Then we arranged another booth on the Matajis side. Because they said, you can send them there for answers.
So you know, even if I say, I have sincere intention, I didn’t want to spoil the butter, but I let the butter come near the fire. What is going to happen? In spite of all our sincerity, the butter is going to melt. So, sincerity has to be coupled with intelligence.
And what is that intelligence? Intelligence means we have to intelligently follow the process of Krishna Consciousness. In the name of sincerely preaching, in the name of sincerely doing some service, in the name of sincerely taking care of some people, whatever it may be. If we neglect our basic sadhana, then that alone will not save us from Maya.
But that doesn’t mean that we don’t extend ourselves. Yes, we have to extend ourselves, but it is within the framework. Now we all of us have sadhana cards and it’s very easy to know when we are going out of balance, to take care of ourselves.
I was going to say, that’s why I can penetrate, but I can’t come out. So, Bhima was watching. He said, Krishna said, don’t worry.
Bhima said, we will just be behind you. And if you just break through, we will follow you and we will destroy the Chakra of you from inside. And you will just have great victory.
Otherwise, they can destroy us today. So, Abhimanyu, taking this as an instruction of the seniors, charged forward. And his attack was so sudden and so severe, that the Kaurava army just broke apart and he charged through.
As Bhima, Nakula, Sahadev, all the four Pandavas followed him, suddenly the Sindhu Naresh, Jayadratha, charged forward and challenged them. As he challenged them, Bhima thought he is just like a mosquito. He just wanted to crush him.
But surprisingly, Jayadratha stopped and countered all the assaults of Bhima. And not only Bhima, but all the Pandavas were checked. And Bhima couldn’t believe it.
And neither could the Pandavas believe it. And at the same time, the Kauravas soldiers in general, seeing that, Jayadratha single-handedly stopped them. They cheered up.
And they recovered and sealed up. The breakage that has been created by the attack of Abhimanyu. So this Jayadratha had earlier once been going for Jayadratha was a very lusty person.
And he has you know, he had a fully grown up son, a teenage son. At that time he was going for marrying with another princess. And some others were going with him, in the marriage party.
And while he was growing up, he said they were going to the jungle in the Kamini van, the place where Pandavas were living. And Draupadi was there in the jungle. She was plucking flowers for her worship of the Lord.
And when he saw Draupadi’s beauty, he was already lusty, he forgot about going to the princess to marry. And just reminds him this, he told his son to go and tell, I want to tell that woman that I want to marry you. Can you imagine telling your son that I am carrying a proposal.
Last year, they were completely shameless. So when he went there, Draupadi was disgusted. She said Pandavas are like lions.
And he is like a dog who is coming here. And he is able to be here just because the lions are not there. When the lions come, he will flee.
And his son faithfully came and repeated that to Jayadratha. Jayadratha was enraged. And he took away Jayadratha and caught Draupadi by the hand.
And as he caught Draupadi, Draupadi was like a Kshatrani, just punched him straight in the chest. And he flew back and fell on the ground. He was shocked.
He was in a humility in front of his soldier and his son. And he got up and again, he was just first trying to catch the Kshatriyas. Then he pushed the Kshatriyas and caught her and dragged her away.
And then seeing this, Dhaumya was also, Dhaumya I had heard of, Dhaumya was a Brahmana. And Brahmanas generally don’t fight. He said, Brahmana, Dhaumya was running after him and telling him from Shastra, what happens to you when you kidnap other person’s wife.
Jayadratha Jayadratha Jayadratha was not ready to listen. And then when the Pandavas heard this, Jawaharlal came charging. And Jayadratha was initially infatuated by lust.
But when he looked back and saw formidable warriors coming, trembling and smiling. And then before he could do anything, Bhima Arjuna just charged on him and broke his chariot and arrested him and chained him. Bhima just wanted to kill him immediately.
But Yudhisthira said, he is a fool, we should not kill him. He just surrendered to him at that time. He cannot kill him because he surrendered.
So then they decided to give him a special haircut. And he was humiliated and he was sent away. He was outraged at that time.
And he decided that I will take revenge against this Pandavas. And he went right on top of Himalayas with severe austerity to please Lord Shiva. And finally when Lord Shiva appeared, he said, I want to kill the Pandavas.
Impossible. They are the devotees of Krishna. And nobody can kill them.
So I have performed so much austerity. How can it go in vain? Give me the benediction. He said, Arjuna is the beloved devotee of Krishna and nobody can defeat him in the three worlds.
The only benediction that I can give you is apart from Arjuna, the other four Pandavas, you will be able to stop them, you will be able to repulse them once in your life. And that was how Jayadrath was able to accomplish his astounding feat by the power of Shiva. And Abhimanyu just charged inside and was just wreaking havoc in the cover of camp.
Whoever came forward in front of him was just defeated. Karna, Dushyasana, even Drona. Nobody could counter him.
And of course Abhimanyu realized that there was nobody behind him but he just kept fighting, kept fighting and defeating everyone. And as he was ravaging the cover of camp, Duryodhana became anxious. Warrior after warrior who challenged him.
He was just destroyed. So he went over to Karna. Karna, you said that Arjuna is just one-thirteenth of you.
But you are not able to stop even the son of Arjuna. So Karna became grave and he said, Oh Duryodhana, if it had not been for my friendship with you, after being smitten by the sharp arrows of Abhimanyu, any lesser Kshatriya would already have run away from the battlefield. It is only out of my faithfulness for you that I stay here.
He said, Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu is a formidable war and we can’t defeat him. What shall we do then? Duryodhana became restless. And Karna said, let us go and consult Dronacharya.
He is our commander. He will come up with some way. They went to Dronacharya.
Dronacharya became tensed. He looked down and said, Abhimanyu excels his father in every way and we can’t defeat him. But as your commander it is my duty to protect your army by hook or by crook.
And then he devised a plan. Six warriors attacking Karna simultaneously. Dronacharya, Kripacharya, Ashwatthama, Karna, Duryodhana and Dushasana.
All six of them attacked. Abhimanyu was strong enough to fight with one, two, three even four of them. But all six of them and that too after a whole day’s exhausting battle.
They just attacked and he was shooting arrows but somebody would come and pierce his bow. Before he could take another bow and spread it, somebody would break that bow also, the string of that bow also. His chariot, his charioteer, his armour, his standard, his weapons everything was destroyed.
Then he jumped down and picked up a chariot wheel and he started whirling it around. Nobody could come near him. The ferocity with which he was whirling it.
But their arrows broke their chariot wheel also. And then he picked up a mace and Dushasana’s son Durjaya came forward to challenge him. As they were fighting suddenly both of them, they were normally hitting each other’s maces.
So both of them hit each other and the impact was so great both of them fell down almost in a full unconscious. As both of them regained consciousness Abhimanyu was exhausted and his reflexes were slow. Grabbing that advantage before Abhimanyu could get up Durjaya smashed his mace on the skull of Abhimanyu.
As Abhimanyu fell down dead the Kauravas exploded in joy. They started blowing their conch shells and their bugles and their drums and far away in the Pandava camp their hearts sank as they understood that their dreaded fear had come true. So now the six Maharasahas who attacked and killed Abhimanyu represent the six Anarkas.
Lust, Anger, Greed Envy, Pride and Illusion. And Abhimanyu was certainly a formidable warrior and how the six Anarkas were able to kill him? Six Anarkas because he was alone because he was cut off from from association, from those who could help him. Now of course Abhimanyu’s being alone was not a mistake because he did it on his instruction but still we see that the Lord teaches lesson.
If we are alone then no matter how serious, how sincere we are, maya just cuts us off. And most of the time when we are alone, we are not alone. We are alone with our minds and our mind has all the six Anarkas.
So no matter how serious, no matter how sincere we are in devotional service or we think we are serious and sincere, if we cut ourselves away from devotee association we will find maya will start weakening us, weakening us. And maya will also send Jayadraths in our life. Jayadraths are people who will somehow or the other cut us off from devotee association.
They will create doubts about devotees or they will engage us in such things, activities by which we don’t have time to go in devotee association and what will happen by that is, once we are cut off from devotee association, we become weak. Sangye Shakti Kallav Yuge. In the earlier ages if it is possible for a person to be mistaken the Himalayas, performing solitary meditation and becoming realized.
But in Kali Yuga, Sangye Shakti Kallav Yuge. In Kali Yuga the strength comes in association. So, it’s vital for us that whatever happens we always stay connected with devotees and stay connected physically as much as possible we stay in voice or somewhere where we have devotion and also, not just physically but also in our minds.
Actually, real association is ultimately at the level of the heart. Prabhupada was alone in America. He was alone but not lonely.
Because the spiritual master was always there with him. If we have the spiritual master’s instructions with us then we are never alone. But still the point remains that at our level Prabhupada says in one lecture that unless you are alert you may feel Krishna is in your heart but in one moment maya can replace Krishna’s position in your heart.
In one moment. It can happen at our level. We don’t know when it happens.
That’s why it’s very good to always stay in the association of devotees also. And if you have to go out also from the association of devotees Radha Gopinath told you the example. It’s like playing Kabaddi.
Kabaddi, Kabaddi, Kabaddi, Kabaddi. You go back, back and come back. So, Naina does.
We go out from the association of devotees and whatever service we have do that service and come back. Don’t prolong, don’t elongate that service. Don’t expand that activity.
Okay, going for preaching also. Yes, it’s important we go out for preaching, we go out for our jobs. But don’t prolong those things unnecessarily.
Let’s do our services and come back. So, actually now how was Hanuman? Hanuman also went alone into Lanka. Hanuman he was always remembering the instruction of the Lord.
Even when he was seeing those half-naked and naked women in Ravana’s assembly he was remembering the Lord’s instructions. So, actually when we go out of the association, we have to go out very carefully. Cautiously.
We know that we are going into danger zone. We have to come back as soon as possible. Otherwise, if we stay cut off, especially if devotees get jobs far away from the association it’s only a matter of time before they get worn out.
Then if we somehow have to go out from the association, what we have to do? If we cannot get devotees association, we have to create devotees association. If we create devotees association, what will happen? The people whom you are preaching to, they will be around you. And they will make you follow what you preach.
If we are in devotees association and senior devotees, they will make us follow what they are preaching. But if we are a senior person, our juniors will make us also follow. So, we always have to have devotees association.
If we cannot have devotees association, we have to create devotees association. Devotees is not always advisable to hide our spirituality in our company also. If we hide our spirituality in the company, then what happens? The other people will start treating you just like another Karmi.
You may think that I have some advantage for my career, but actually that is detrimental for our spiritual career. So, we do not have to exhibit our Krishna consciousness all the time, but still we can tell them that I am a devotee. And then they will understand it.
This person is a man of principle, we do not have to interfere with him. So, of course, Abhimanyu did not make a mistake. Because he followed the instruction.
But how often do we get an instruction to go away from devotees association? How often? Very rarely. So, we have to be very careful. So, Dixit Maharaj’s heart was sinking in an ocean of sorrow and regret.
He was thinking, because I was so attached to my life, that I sent a 16 year old boy into the jaws of death. And I asked, cry on me. Further he was dreading the thought when Arjuna would come, how will I be able to face Arjuna? What will I say to him? As Arjuna was coming back after another day of defeating and slaughtering the figurative soldiers and warriors, he sensed an uneasy sensation in his heart.
As he looked around, he saw none of the Pandava warriors or soldiers were meeting eyes with him. They were all stealing their glances away. He had heard a rumor that Dronacharya had formed a Chakravyuh.
And if he had seen you, Abhimanyu was the only person who could penetrate and Abhimanyu could not come out. And his heart was throbbing violently because of his thoughts. He entered into the Pandal.
And everyday Abhimanyu would be there to welcome him. There would be musicians playing their instruments to welcome the returning warriors. Today there was no Abhimanyu, there were no musicians.
As he entered the courtyard, the court, his eyes went to the throne of Abhimanyu. It was empty. His heart sank.
In a trembling voice, he asked, O Yudhishthir, where is my son Abhimanyu? Yudhishthir was stealing his glance away from him. Looking at the ground, Yudhishthir walked up to him, put his hand on his shoulder and said, Abhimanyu, after breaking the chakra view formed by Dronacharya and sending scores of warriors to the abode of death, Abhimanyu was unfairly attacked by six maharathas and he has attained the abode of those who lay down their lives in the battlefield. Arjuna collapsed on his knees.
His head fell in his hands. Abhimanyu, Abhimanyu, Abhimanyu. With crying and disbelief and shock and agony, tears and cries of sorrow rang the skies and pierced the hearts of all the Kaurava warriors.
Abhimanyu, though young, had always been very respectful and heroic and he had earned the love of all the Pandava warriors. His death had been a great pain for them and Arjuna’s pain accentuated further. As Yudhishthir narrated, the day’s events culminating in the tragic slaughter of Abhimanyu, slowly Arjuna’s sorrow gave way to rage.
Arjuna suddenly stood up on his feet, picked up his bow and said, Tomorrow, I don’t slay that who has been the cause of the death of my son. Let me never attain the abodes that are attained by all my ancestors. If I do not kill Jaidra’s son, let me not get the pious result of all my pious deeds.
Let me go to the hell which is meant for the wretched warriors who flee from war. This is a warrior who has now attained the greatest vow. If by tomorrow sunset I do not kill Jaidra, I will enter into fire.
As Arjuna spoke these words, his words were emitting from his mouth as if a volcano was erupting. His words brought all the Pandavas to their feet and they all started roaring in joy, blowing their conch shells and bugles and suddenly the mood changed from gloom to enthusiasm, to dynamism. On the other side, the Kauravas were celebrating and Dronacharya was saying, Oh Dronacharya, well done.
Tomorrow we can form another Chakravyuha. And we will get one more warrior. Already Vimanyu is dead and Arjuna is very attached to Vimanyu.
So Arjuna will become weak and he will not be able to fight. Arjuna will make a mistake. At that time, suddenly they heard the conch shells being blown and drums being beaten from the Pandavas The Pandavas were shocked.
The Pandavas should be lamenting. Why are they rejoicing? As they were looking at each other in perplexity, suddenly Jayadrath came running into their camp. His face was a mask of terror and he could barely utter words as he was trembling in utter terror.
What happened to Sindhu Naresh? Duryodhana asked him. Oh Duryodhana, that wretched that wretched Arjuna who was begotten by the Lakshmi Indra in the womb of Kunti that wicked one has taken a vow to kill me by tomorrow’s sunset. Oh Duryodhana, can you assure me of my safety or I am fleeing to the Himalayas right now.
And he turned towards the door. Duryodhana’s wicked mind immediately saw the opportunity. He caught Jayadrath and suited him.
He was thinking, if we can just stop Arjuna tomorrow from reaching Jayadrath, Arjuna will also be finished. Oh Jayadrath, do not worry. Dronacharya will arrange the whole Kaurava army to protect you.
Arjuna will never be able to reach you. Isn’t it Dronacharya? Dronacharya knew Jayadrath was already dead. Surely, Arjuna alone would not be able to cross over all the Kaurava soldiers and reach Jayadrath.
But Arjuna was not alone. Arjuna was with Krishna. And Arjuna and Krishna together, what to speak of crossing the whole Kaurava army? If even the Devas and Kauravas combined their armies together to stop them from reaching the pot of nectar, they would not be able to stop.
Still, to reassure Jayadrath, Oh Jayadrath, do not worry. Tomorrow we will arrange the whole army to protect you. Arjuna will find it very difficult to reach you.
Still, Dronacharya could not resist. Even if Arjuna reaches you, Jayadrath will tell you, what? Even if Arjuna reaches you and kills you, what? For a Kshatriya to lay down his life on a horse will be glorious. Jayadrath looking at Dronacharya, Dronacharya, we will protect you, do not worry.
So, on the other side, the Pandavas made their plans for the next day’s attack and retired. As all the Pandavas were retiring, Krishna came to Arjuna, put his hand on his shoulder. Oh Partha, in the heat of the moment, you have taken a hasty vow.
Tomorrow, Dronacharya will arrange the entire army to stop you. It will be very difficult for you to fulfill your vow. Arjuna smiled.
My dear lord, I cannot understand your anxiety. You know my power and I know your power. So, Jayadrath, Krishna and Arjuna embraced each other and they went off to take rest for the night.
They were sleeping Arjuna could not sleep much. Arjuna was aching for the next day’s war to begin. So here, Manjula Prabhupada asked, Arjuna had heard the whole philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita.
He knew that Abhimanyu is not the body, he is the soul and he knows that life and death are ultimately going to be transient. So, what happened to him? Did he forget the whole philosophy? Prabhupada said, No. He said, It is natural for a person to have emotions.
It is not that a devotee is like a hard-hearted gyani who has no emotions, like a stone. A devotee has emotions. But, a devotee uses everything in Krishna’s service he uses even his emotions in Krishna’s service.
So, Arjuna had the emotions. But, what did he do? He channelized that emotion of sorrow in such a way as to utilize it for Krishna’s service. So, especially for us as devotees, emotions are extremely important.
Of course, there is a difference between sentiment and sentimentalism. That is the entire seminar that Adi Shankar takes. But, as a devotee, he tells the story that once a person came to a sadhu and he said, I want to take sannyas.
He said, You want to take sannyas? He said, Why? He said, My wife passed away and I did not cry a single tear. Therefore, I think I am qualified for sannyas. He said, Go and marry again.
He said, To become a bhakta means you have to cry for Krishna. If you cannot cry for your wife, how will you cry for Krishna? He said, What does this mean? It does not mean that one has to be materially attached to become spiritually attached. But, the point is that a devotee has to have emotions.
What kind of emotions? Bhaktivinoda Thakur says that, Tomara seva ye dukha hoye jato seyo to parama sukha seva sukha dukha parama sampada nasha ye avidya dukha So, seva sukha dukha parama sampada The happiness and distress that comes to me when I perform a service, parama sampada, that is the greatest wealth. Why is that the greatest wealth? Nasha ye avidya dukha It destroys our the misery that arises from ignorance. The misery that arises from material existence and forgetfulness of Krishna.
So, as devotees, all of us are preachers and we become preachers. So, when we are preaching, say, you are arranging a program and you are expecting 25 boys. And only 5 boys come.
So, should we be detached? Should we be detached? Should we be equipoised? Yes. We should not get too disturbed. But we should be very concerned.
What happened? What went wrong? What can we do to improve it? And if the program goes very nicely, we should feel joy. If we don’t feel joy, that means we are not actually advancing in Krishna Consciousness. Prabhupada gives many definitions of Krishna Consciousness.
One of the definitions he says, Krishna Consciousness means to see things the way Krishna sees them. Krishna Consciousness means to see things the way Krishna sees them. So, now, if many people come for the program, will Krishna be happy? Very much.
If hardly anyone comes for the program, will Krishna be happy? No. So, we have to see things in the same way. So, actually a devotee who gets absorbed in preaching, preaching itself creates such wonderful emotions that actually we forget all material emotions by that.
In preaching also we may feel success and failure. But that failure, the emotion of disappointment also is in service of Krishna. Let me do better next time.
And if we get success also, what we say? Thank you Krishna for reciprocating. Let me serve you more. So, actually for us, to have emotions in relationship with our service is very important.
Say, if you are facilitating some boys, and the boy is shining 60 rounds, suddenly he says, I won’t shine any rounds. Okay, it’s your free will. You have said it to Thakur.
That’s what Krishna also says. Is that alright? If you feel concerned, what happens? You go and talk with them and for a devotee what happens is that when we have that spiritual concern, spiritual emotions and there is no time for material emotions at all. In my early days of Krishna consciousness, maybe I was just one or two years, at that time I had this newspaper reporting service.
I am also doing that now also. So, at that time some young reporter had come from Indian Express. So, she was like a typical reporter with scantily dressed and she was asking some questions.
So, I was trying to answer and I was trying to avoid looking at her also and following the different rules. So, then afterwards he said, can I meet your president? He said, yes. And then when he came and met, said I can go talk with her for a good amount of time, I can answer most of her questions.
And then after that he went and Rai Shambhu said, she is a very intelligent girl. She becomes a devotee and marries a devotee boy and she will do a lot of service for Rai Shambhu. And I was trying, you know, I was not thinking anything like this at all.
I was just thinking that this is Maya and I have to protect myself from Maya. But, here Rai Shambhu said that this is not just Maya, this is a soul who is a potential devotee. That means that is a preacher’s vision.
So, of course, in a neophyte stage, we cannot imagine that we have a preacher’s vision. But, a person who is so absorbed in that vision, that actually the material emotions won’t touch you. So, devotees then they will go out of a good institution and that’s how they will do it.
You just see everybody as a potential person who will take a book. And their heart will be so much steeped in those emotions, that there is no time for material emotions. No space left for material emotions.
We cannot artificially develop those emotions, but actually by associating our devotees who are actually dedicated to their service. You will also get that dedication. If we are involved in a preaching project and we have our authorities and we see their concern, from their concern we get some concern ourselves.
It’s very important for a devotee to feel emotionally attached. We have to be spiritually attached also. Our emotions should also be invested in our service.
Krishna gives four points of absorption. We say we have to be absorbed. So, how do we become absorbed? He says in 5th chapter 20th verse First of all, our intelligence has to be fixed.
Our mind has to be fixed. Our faith has to be there. That should be our goal.
Our intelligence should be convinced that Krishna is the goal of my life. But at the time of chanting, not only our intelligence, our mind should also be fixed. And then, what is this? I am chanting, everyday nothing is happening.
You should have faith that this chanting will work and purify me. Ultimately, we are not chanting so that our material life becomes better. We are chanting to develop love for Krishna and to go back to Krishna.
Krishna is our goal. Like a pseudo devotee, loves the things of this world and uses God to attain the things of this world. Whereas a real devotee, he loves Krishna and uses the things of this world to attain Krishna.
So, our goal should be Krishna. To ask Krishna for material things, I am just repeating. I don’t have that realization.
To ask Krishna for material things is stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Krishna is performing pastimes in the spiritual world and he is inviting you to come and assist him with pastimes there. And you are telling Krishna, I want to perform pastimes in the material world and he was a stranger. Stupid.
So, it’s not that we use Krishna for that purpose. It’s just that most people like to serve God in an advisory capacity. Please do like this.
Please do like that. Please do like that. That’s not real absorption.
So, the next morning, or how many of you have taken prasad already? Most of you. I am asking how many of you have taken prasad? Most of them have taken prasad. Please come.
So, actually I have been giving Governance of God meetings for several years, you know, in a row. Probably last 5-6 years, every month. So, now I am planning to introduce the different devotees like Shri Krishna and Prabhu, sometimes probably Balagam Prabhu, you know, I may introduce sometimes Sri Krishna and Punar Prabhu also.
Some month I will give and some month they will give also. And another thing is that also those of you who are joining in 2009, you know, you have to submit your forms as early as possible because we are planning to finalize the list. Almost I got only about 8 or 9 forms only.
Who all sent the forms to me? Those who are joining in 2009? We have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Yeah, I got only 8 or 9 forms only. Who are, apart from these 8 devotees, anybody else who is joining in 2009, you wanted to join? You haven’t submitted, no? 20 questions? That’s all. How many? 1, 2, 3, yeah, 3, 4. Haripri, you have sent already? You have already sent, yeah? I saw your form.
You are searching, no? 3 of you got, yeah? 20 questions. Oh, there are 20 questions forms, you know that? You know that? Ah, that’s all. I am talking about those devotees who are joining in 2009.
That is coming. They are joining ashram now. Yeah.
Those who are joining, coming year, and then 2010, of course, many have sent. Many, many have sent, actually. Anybody joining in 2009, you wanted to join? 2009? And you haven’t, you want to join 2009? You should submit a form also.
You can take from University of Shepherd, questions, frank and so on. Who else? One more hand up. You also have submitted.
So 2 of you haven’t submitted. Anybody else hasn’t submitted? You are joining, you haven’t submitted, no? So 3. Anybody else? Any other devotees? First, I am planning to, you know, I am going, I think on Thursday I am going, and I will be back only after a month or so, you know. I am going on a long tour to some place in India.
So before that, I will finalize it from my side and give it to Murari Prabhu, you know. And Murari Prabhu and Srivatsan Puri, they will see it. And then we will put up the final list.
Within a month or so, we will put it up. Who all will join? Make it more clear. So Balagam, who wants to know the number, you know, so that he can be prepared for the training and everything.
What’s going on now? Please carry on. Sorry to interrupt in between. It’s already 9 o’clock now.
You have completed only 12 days. So 13th whole day is remaining. Maybe next time we will continue that.
Are there any questions still now? I will summarize what we discussed. I see this whole talk, I call it 10 lessons from that 12th and 13th day. So what were the lessons on the 12th day? Do you remember? First lesson? Yes.
That was the main lesson. Surrounded by the six Marathas, we are alone. We are surrounded by our mind which contains six great Anarthas.
How is that related? How is that related? With the past time? From which part of the past time this lesson comes? Arjuna was sidetracked and then immediately Kakraviya was formed and we attacked. So Maya is waiting when we are weak. And that’s the time when Maya will be searching for our weakness and will be attacking on our weakness.
Arjuna is there. Not that at one time we stand and put aside. We have to have chanting always there with us whenever we go anywhere.
Yes. Sleeping in the class can be dangerous. Something all of us need to remember.
Yes. How is that related? It already has emotions but you will have emotions to serve Krishna. Tolerance has to be there till the moment of death.
We have to keep fighting. There will always be people who will disconnect us from association of devotions. We have to pray to them.
Like that. We have to be very careful to not fall prey to them. We should not take further impressions in our consciousness.
How many more were not spoken? Sincerity and intelligence also. Sincerity and intelligence means follow the person intelligently. Sincerity alone.
You should not assume that you are sincere. By associating with devotees who have concern we will also get those spiritual emotions. All the misery of material existence comes from ignorance.
Forgetfulness is destroyed by having spiritual emotions connected with our service. Nobody else is possible. Any questions? Yes.
Questions or points? Last point. Any questions? The principle is not just to carry the veerbhaya. The principle is to remember Krishna.
There are different ways to remember Krishna. Generally, sound takes us towards Krishna. Fight takes us towards Maya.
We have to have some spiritual sounds with us. We can be singing some Hare Krishna song. We can be singing some bhajan.
Reciting some shlokas. Or we can be having some flash player or hearing something. If we just idle, then we are quite prone to the attacks of Maya.
So, we should make some arrangement by which we can protect ourselves from Maya. There are many places. We are not most advisable to have your veerbhaya around your neck when you go to college.
Veerbhaya is not just a show. We have to chant also. So, we can chant in the mind or whenever we are walking along.
See, the point is that a devotee should never be idle. Even if your mind feels bored while chanting, I read a very nice statement. A boring service is better than boredom.
A boring service is better than boredom. Because through that service, we are connected with Krishna. But through boredom, we are completely disconnected from Krishna.
And soon we will go into Maya. So, yes, if the service is boring, then gradually you will think, why am I doing this? Actually, in 64th round of Ekadashi, the mind starts screaming. It screams and screams.
After 16th round only, 17th, 18th, 20th, 30th, 25th, 32th, you go. And the mind feels, this is too much. And actually, the only way we can continue to 64th is we concentrate.
If we concentrate, we will get some higher status. If we don’t concentrate, what will happen is the mind will torture so much, we will just give it up. The same way, if we are doing a service, boring service, either our mind will just give it up or do it properly.
But if we are just bored, then we will go into Maya. So, boring service is better than boredom. And if you keep trying to concentrate, we can’t concentrate fully.
But still some concentration is there. And especially while driving a bike or going through traffic, many devotees, what they do is, the other part of the morning program which you don’t have in your voice, like Guru Puja or sometimes Tulsi Aarti or whatever, some other thing which you don’t have, you can sing those or you can sing Mangalacharan or some prayers, some songs. That way, that is not something which is going to absorb us too much.
But there are some sound vibrations there to keep us connected with Krishna and to protect us from Maya. Any other question? See, you are telling me that Transcendentalist is nourished by Transcendental vibrations. Like other aspects of the world that you have to contemplate.
So, whenever I get time, I am not able to decide whether to hear more lecture or to contemplate on the morning class or something. So, how to decide what is better? It is already what we have heard. There is lots of information stored.
But there is no contemplation on that. So, how to decide what time This depends on how we get strength. The question is, say if we have heard one class in the morning and we have some time in the company, should we try to repeat recollect what we have heard in the morning or try to hear some new lecture? It depends on how we are able to absorb ourselves.
Some devotees have a contemplative nature, so they can recollect and they can contemplate. Otherwise, if they are not able to contemplate, in the name of contemplating they have to contemplate something else. So, we have to see.
Actually, contemplation gives a lot of strength. But it is not possible for everyone. Prabhupada did a very interesting analysis.
He says that there is vichar, achar and prachar. So, achar is behavior. Vichar is contemplation.
And prachar is preaching. So, he says that interesting, vichar may not be possible for everyone, but achar is possible for everyone. That means, everybody cannot deliberate on all the philosophical aspects and understand all the subtleties of philosophy.
But the achar, waking up in the morning, coming for mangalarthi, dancing in kirtan, worshipping the deity, that achar is possible for everyone. So, achar is possible for all the four vayanas. Vichar is possible only for the brahmanas.
Now, of course, all of us are shooters in Kali Yuga. But some of us may have a little more brahmanical intellectual tendency, some of us may have a little less intellectual tendency. So, if we can do the vichar, that is good.
But if we can’t do the vichar, that is not a disqualification of bhakti. Bhakti is possible for everyone. So, we have to see.
If we can absorb ourselves in contemplation, that is wonderful. Generally, if you have some small pocket book or something, where you have important points written down, you take that one point and contemplate on it. Then it is good.
But if we are just in the air trying to contemplate, it is not so easy. Phalena parijata, I would say. The point is, we have to become spiritually strong.
Either by hearing lectures continuously or by recollecting and digesting what we have heard earlier. Whatever works for us. So, Vijay, you were saying that maya, whatever means we have, maya again forces and attacks our wounds and makes us weak.
So, how to get rid of the wounds which many of us have? To begin with, telling the doctor. Sometimes, you know, if you don’t share your fear that maybe what will devotees think about me if I tell this past conditioning or this or that, then the process of Krishna Consciousness is universal and very powerful. But for certain specific wounds, certain specific things will be required more intensely.
So, firstly, we have to share. If the wound is especially deep or severe, we have to share that. And I said that actually a devotee should be shameless with the spiritual authority, the spiritual master.
That shamelessness I can actually put it. Not that we act shamelessly. But we should not let our image come in between our taking shelter of the Vaishnavas.
Not that everyone. We have to find some trustworthy Vaishnava counselor or some other senior Vaishnava. That choice should be done very carefully.
But we can’t say that I can’t trust anyone. So, the first thing and then we have to follow their instructions as per what they say. So, and of course, that generally involves intensifying the process of Krishna Consciousness.
Sometimes when devotees have such things, they chant extra rounds or maybe read some sections of Bhagavatam or sing some bhajans. Some devotees, they find that if they travel the nasty train, they sing one bhajan. Like some Dainabodhika bhajan, or Gopinatha and that really calms the mind down.
And then you sleep, that helps in avoiding further agitation in the mind. Or if you are staying in the temple, you can take darshan more frequently. There are certain activities which we can do more intensely.
Positive activities. And secondly, negative activities, we have to be extremely careful to cut off our connection with that. Because that little connection is there that will become large after some time.
So, whatever is that wound, we have to keep a very very long distance from that. But, actually no wounds are so deep that they can’t be healed. They can all be healed.
But it depends on how strongly we apply ourselves to the healing process. Now, Prabhupada, you know, Prabhupada was in India and the people, they were telling, some Hindus, some Hindu Brahmins were saying, you know, that, what is this Krishna? See, these foreigners, these lekshas, they are chanting Hare Krishna. They are accusing Prabhupada.
You know, these foreign people, you are making them chant. What is this? This is not good. Foreigners, they are chanting Hare Krishna.
Prabhupada said, yes, that’s what I am saying. They are chanting Hare Krishna, why are you not chanting Hare Krishna? Even they answered. So, even they have become elevated.
Certainly, it’s very rare that many of us in India can have such deep wounds that the wounds are much deeper. But there also people are becoming devotees. We have faith in the potency of the process of Krishna consciousness.
But then, we have to apply ourselves to the process. Under guidance of senior devotees. Yes, Param, Parthas, Parthas are people.
You could not achieve the result. And in case of Kalyanapaditya, generally we see the result, not the effort. So, how can we see this situation like earlier? See, this is like Prabhupada, Kanyasa, some devotees.
And they did tremendous service and then they fell away. So, of course, they had some difficulties, they fell away. But whatever service they did is glorious.
And because they did it on Prabhupada’s instruction, they are glorious. Afterwards, they had difficulties, that is certainly unfortunate. And that is because of certain conditionings coming back again and attacking them.
So, if you do something on the instruction of the spiritual master, that is different. But often, we can’t assume that the instruction is there. And even when the instruction is there, it is not that spiritual master gives one instruction.
Like once, during initiation ceremony, one devotee asked, in Pune Yatra, one devotee asked Jai Jyot Maharaj. Now, why did Prabhupada not tell us to read his books every day? That would also have been inefficient. Wow! That would have been so nice.
So, Jai Jyot Maharaj said, you know, how many things more can you take? The next thing you will ask Prabhupada is, you have to take food three times a day, you have to take one, three liters, two liters water every day, you have to sleep this many hours every day. You cannot have everything individually involved. He said, without eating, without taking sufficient rest, without drinking water, we cannot survive.
Similarly, without reading, we cannot survive. That is implicitly understood. So, it’s not that if somebody says, you have to give an instruction to preach, that doesn’t mean that I don’t read, I don’t chant.
So, that’s a sincerity and intelligence has to be there. Now, that’s with respect to our followings. Now, Abhimanyu, the special case where the Lord demonstrates that Mahabharata is generally considered to be a karmakanda scripture.
That’s why, according to the karmakanda understanding, the Pandavas went to heaven. The Pandavas went to heaven, on their way back to God. But, the karmakandas don’t see that.
Yes, they went to heaven, they were happy there. That was their idea. So, yes, overall Mahabharata also talks about that.
How, if you are faithful to God, then, although there will be suffering in your life, ultimately, even materially you will be successful and happy. That’s what is seen there. Even in the Ramayana also that theme is there.
But, in this, the karmakanda conception is called as a material conception of religion. The material conception of religion. That means, dharma, artha, kama, moksha.
By religion, I will get material things comfortable in my life. But, in this narrative also, to jolt people out of that material conception of religion, there are pastimes. There is Abhimanyu pastime in Mahabharata, there is Jatayu pastime in the Ramayana.
Which illustrates that, actually, religion does not necessarily lead to material success all the time. Even if it doesn’t lead to Vyasadev, actually, Yudhishthira Mahabharata is heartbroken. There is no time to describe that.
That’s a long thing. In that book, Energy, I describe this particular pastime in detail. Yudhishthira Mahabharata is heartbroken.
And then, at that time, Vyasadev came over there. And then he asked, why is it that I am heartbroken by the death of Abhimanyu? Vyasadev said that, for one who has fought so heroically and laid his life down in the service of the supreme, in the service of dharma, he has already attained the abode of everlasting bliss. In this world, no matter how exalted a person becomes, he is always within the reach of temptation, within the reach of maya.
But Abhimanyu has now attained the abode which is beyond the reach of temptation. Rather than lamenting for one who has attained his glorious destination, we should lament for all of us who are still in this world of temptation and suffering. So, this is the devotee’s perspective.
That’s why we have to learn to see it this way. In Mayapur, often the floods come. And when the floods come, like last year, I was reading the report.
I was reading the report. So what happened? The devotees are doing Tulsi Aarti in the evening. And then suddenly, Mother Ganga came in to take darshan of Radha Madhava.
And what the devotees do? They just took their Tulsi Aarti paraphernalia and started doing Aarti of Ganga Devi. After that, the devotees made some material arrangements also, but they had spiritual vision. So, the devotees are happy.
In 2004, Panchasattva was installed. After 2004, first time Ganga Devi has come to take darshan of Panchasattva also. She has come to take darshan of Radha Madhava before.
So here, somebody dies. It’s a flood. We don’t want devotees to die.
Somebody dies, you know, it’s getting jealous. Mother Ganga. Wonderful.
Go back home. Back to Godhead. So, we have to have a spiritual vision of these things.
That’s why, when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu comes to Haridasa Thakur, in the final day, and then he asks, Prabhu kahe Haridasa kahe samachara Haridasa kahe Prabhu jo kripa tomara So, he asks, Oh, Haridasa, what is the news? So, what is Haridasa Thakur’s reply? Whatever is your… Whatever is the news, that is your mercy for me. And whatever happens, that we see is the Lord’s mercy. So, this Abhimanyu Pashan joins to the material construction of religiosity and tells, actually, what is spiritual success? Abhimanyu certainly attains spiritual success.
If a devotee has to face a material reversal while serving Krishna, then we certainly don’t want a material reversal to take place. We will do our best to avoid a material reversal because we would like that devotee to keep serving lifelong. But, if the material reversal does take place, despite our best precautions, then we understand that is actually a spiritual elevation.
We should not get disturbed by these things. So, you see that he has gone beyond the abode of temptation. Thank you very much.
Prabhupada ki Parthasarathi Krishna Bhagavan ki Kauranga Sava Vakta Vrinda ki Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai, Jai