SB 3.1.25 – Humility—The Mercy of Srila Prabhupada and the Disciplic Succession

Giriraj Swami: 

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Reading from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Three, Chapter One, “The Question by Vidura,” 

TEXT 25

sa vāsudevānucaraṁ praśāntaṁ
bṛhaspateḥ prāk tanayaṁ pratītam
āliṅgya gāḍhaṁ praṇayena bhadraṁ
svānām apṛcchad bhagavat-prajānām

TRANSLATION

Then, due to his great love and feeling, Vidura embraced him [Uddhava], who was a constant companion of Lord Kṛṣṇa and formerly a great student of Bṛhaspati’s. Vidura then asked him for news of the family of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Vidura was older than Uddhava, like a father, and therefore when the two met, Uddhava bowed down before Vidura, and Vidura embraced him because Uddhava was younger, like a son. Vidura’s brother Pāṇḍu was Lord Kṛṣṇa’s uncle, and Uddhava was a cousin to Lord Kṛṣṇa. According to social custom, therefore, Vidura was to be respected by Uddhava on the level of his father. Uddhava was a great scholar in logic, and he was known to be a son or disciple of Bṛhaspati, the greatly learned priest and spiritual master of the demigods. Vidura asked Uddhava about the welfare of his relatives, although he already knew that they were no longer in the world. This inquiry appears to be very queer, but Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī states that the news was shocking to Vidura, who therefore inquired again due to great curiosity. Thus his inquiry was psychological and not practical.

COMMENT

So, we have to learn from the dealing of Vidura and Uddhava, who are great devotees of Lord Krishna. We can see the love between them, how Vidura embraced Uddhava knowing that he was close to Lord Krishna. So, as devotees, we also have relationships with each other based on the central point of Krishna or specifically in ISKCON, central point is Srila Prabhupada. Thus, our relationships with each other are also meant to be very peaceful. Once one lady disciple of Srila Prabhupada who was married asked Srila Prabhupada that, “What should be my relationship with my husband?” At the time we were new devotee and ask Srila Prabhupada everything in detail. So, Srila Prabhupada said that the [Unintelligible 00:05:20] Through the central point of Krishna. As the right has the relationship with left hand through the [Unintelligible 00:05:40]. So, we are meant to have floating relationships based on the central point is Krishna. And Srila Rupa Gosvami has given the advice that how we can develop relationship with devotees and he mentions. [Unintelligible 00:06:00]. guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati, that one should disclose one’s mind by inquiring in confidence, and the other devotee also should disclose his mind in confidence. guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati, the less experience devotee inquires and more experienced devotee explains.

So, here Vidura, although he was senior by age, was ready to inquire from Uddhava because he was very humble. He wasn’t thinking that I am old enough to like his father, why should I inquire from him. But he was thinking that Uddhava is very confidential friend of Krishna and he is the main student of Bṛhaspati. And therefore he was ready to submit his inquiry. Lord Chaitanya also showed the same example when he met Ramananda Raya. Lord Chaitanya was playing the part of brahman, as a sannyasi and Ramananda Raya was playing the part of a grihastha. But still Lord Chaitanya took the position of a student before Ramananda Raya and inquired from him. So, in our spiritual dealings, we should be completely free from bodily identification and false pride. In fact, in the Thirteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Krishna explains the process of knowledge, and the first item is amānitvam adambhitvam, which means humility. Unless we are humble, we cannot make progress in spiritual knowledge. Lord Chaitanya also recommended,

tṛṇād api su-nīcena
taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā māna-dena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

Now, we have heard the verse of Lord Chaitanya many times. What is the application? So, Srila Prabhupada has given two applications which may be very relevant for us now. One application is that we have to accept knowledge through paramparā. That is humility. If we think that we can get transcendental knowledge without accepting the system of paramparā, we are misled. Because not only is humbleness the first requirement to the process of knowledge, but anything outside of the process of knowledge is deemed by Lord Krishna to be ignorance. Lord Krishna further states, ācāryopāsanaṁ, that one must approach the spiritual master in order to receive the transcendental knowledge. Again, if you don’t approach the spiritual master to receive transcendental knowledge, we are not at all engage in the process of knowledge, but it actually engages in the process of nescience.

Another application of the verse, tṛṇād api su-nīcena, Srila Prabhupada gave that we address each other as Prabhu, the master, with the idea that we are servants. Of course, we can’t be directly the servants of Krishna, therefore we become the servant of the spiritual master. Srila Prabhupada has further instructed us that we should also be the servants of the other devotee and that is the tṛṇād api su-nīcena. So, in the family of ISKCON, we have many relationships just like the relationship of Vidura and Uddhava, Lord Krishna, Lord Chaitanya. They actually showed that how to reciprocate properly among devotees. So, even though that Vidhura had heard in Prabhasa-kshetra about the disappearance of the Lord and the Lord’s family, still he asked about the same subject again to Uddhava because he was so shocked by the news that he wanted to hear more about it. And actually, Uddhava was personally instructed by the Lord specifically about his disappearance and his whole plan. Therefore, by discussing the same subject, Vidura also gets more knowledge and more solace.

So, this is another feature of the association of the devotees that when the devotees feel separation, they meet with each other to discuss unless their feelings of separation become mitigated because in the discussions of the Lord, the Lord becomes manifest, and then one can actually appreciate the presence of the Lord. So, here in Vrindavan also, the Six Gosvamis used to meet and discuss, especially after the disappearance of Lord Chaitanya, and thus their feelings of separation were mitigated by discussion of the Lord and remembrance of the Lord. Similarly, Lord Krishna instructed Uddhava to go to Badrikashrama so that he could discuss more about the devotees there. It is further described that Lord Krishna, being the knower of the Vedas, or the source of the Vedas, He gave instructions and the knowledge to Uddhava that were not to be found even in the Vedas. And therefore, for some subjects, we cannot get knowledge directly from Vedas. In any case, even the knowledge of Vedas has to be explained to us by the spiritual master, and we have no ability to approach the Vedic knowledge directly. So, Uddhava was directly instructed by the Lord and he was empowered to reveal things that were not even normal to the pages of the Vedas.

Similarly, five hundred years ago, Lord Krishna had instructed Arjuna and then again instructed to Uddhava, there were still things left, which He had not disclosed to the world. The Lord thought, I have given so much knowledge, but I haven’t given the most confidential or the most meaningful knowledge of pure love of Godhead. So, the Lord appeared again as Lord Chaitanya to give the knowledge which He hadn’t given before. Again, Lord Chaitanya personally only left eight verses, but he gave his most important instructions to Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, Ramananda Raya. He especially favors and empowered Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami to give the confidential knowledge to the world that he wanted to give, which he didn’t give as Lord Krishna. He especially empowered Rupa and Sanatana because they were so humble. When they first met Lord Chaitanya, they approached him straw to their mouth, which is the sign of humble devotee. And although Lord Chaitanya returned to Jagannatha Puri, and talked about Rupa and Sanatana, he expressed how humble they were, and because they were so humble, they became recipients for the Lord’s mercy. Therefore, the confidential knowledge that Lord Chaitanya wanted to impart was imparted in the heart of Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami. And through them the knowledge is given to the world.

So, we followers or inspiring followers of Lord Chaitanya or especially followers of Rupa Gosvami because Lord Chaitanya directly empowered to broadcast to the world the things that He, God Himself, wanted to say and all the acharyas of the line, which known as rūpānugas, the followers of Rupa Gosvami. And especially Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura glorified as, madhuryojjvala-premadhya-sri-rupanuga-bhaktida, that he is delivering the highest love of Radha and Krishna exactly following the Rupa Gosvami. And rupanuga-viruddhapasiddhanta-dhvanta-harine, he never tolerates any statement that against the conclusions of Rupa Gosvami. So, this is paramparā. And our Srila Prabhupada follow the same line of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Rupa Gosvami. Without the mercy of spiritual master, one has no position in spiritual life, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ‘pi. By the grace of the spiritual master, one receives the mercy of Krishna and without the mercy of spiritual master, no one can make any advancement. Actually, na gatiḥ kuto ‘pi, sometimes, it is explained that without the spiritual master one does not have any position in spiritual life at all. And that is the connected between spiritual master and the disciple to Krishna through disciplic succession. [Unintelligible 00:21:10]. Therefore, the first item is ādau guru-pāda-āśraya, that one surrenders to lotus feet of spiritual master, take initiation from him and serve him. and that is the basic of spiritual life.

Now, sometimes someone might think that in the beginning, I surrendered to guru and take the initiation and render service to spiritual master and I become more advanced and don’t need the spiritual master. This is stand taken by the Mayavada. That they want to use the spiritual master to reach God, and when they reach God, they don’t need spiritual master. But the Vaishnava philosophy is different. Vaishnava philosophy accept eternal position of spiritual master; cakṣu-dāna dila yei, janme janme prabhu sei, we are the servant of spiritual master life after life. Even in the spiritual world, the principle of the guidance of the spiritual master is there. That shows the principle of spiritual master is eternal. And if one does make advancement in spiritual life by the mercy of the spiritual master, and then he later thinks he doesn’t need the spiritual master, then whatever advancement he made is blocked. Srila Prabhupada gave the example of the yogi and a mouse. The mouse approached the yogi that he was being harassed by a cat, so the yogi made him became into a cat. And the cat came back to yogi and said he is being harassed by dog, and the yogi said, okay you become the dog. Then the dog came back and said he was being harassed by a wolf. So, yogi said, you become the wolf. And after some time, the wolf came back and said that he is harassed by a tiger. And yogi said that you become tiger. And when he became the tiger, he started to look at yogi to paunch upon him and devour him. Then yogi said, punar mūṣiko bhava, again become a mouse.

So, by the mercy of spiritual master one make advancement in devotional service. But at some stage, if one thinks that he can take the place of the spiritual master but without the mercy of the spiritual master, one become the spiritual masters, then he becomes mouse again. Even Srila Prabhupada’s disciples, some of them became so unfortunate that they thought that they didn’t need Srila Prabhupada’s mercy anymore, and especially some of the [Unintelligible 00:25:25]. Some of them were in Vrindavan and Mayapur with Srila Prabhupada and they thought they can get knowledge independent of Srila Prabhupada. One of them even wrote to Srila Prabhupada, saying that they want more knowledge outside of Srila Prabhupada. And Srila Prabhupada blessed them and he replied, “I give my blessing to go to hell.” So, we should be very, very careful, whatever advancement we have made is by mercy of Srila Prabhupada and whatever advancement will be made by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and disciplic succession. And if we remain in connection with Srila Prabhupada then we will get everything. And of course [Unintelligible 00:27:40]. Our relationship with spiritual master continues in spiritual world.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:28:00].

Question: Krishna Prabhu says that is there any purport of Bhagavad-gītā, where Srila Prabhupada says the relationship with disciple is eternal?

Giriraj Swami: Well, I can quote statement by Srila Prabhupada where he says that the relationship of spiritual master is eternal. Just like one day that the father introduces the daughter to the husband, so the relationship of the father continues in presence of her husband. In the same way, the spiritual master introduces the disciple to Krishna but at same time, relationship with the spiritual master continues. The discussion on the guru-tattva, in the Ādi-līlā of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Srila Prabhupada quotes that spiritual master should be seen as a manifest representation of Nityananda Prabhu, the most confidential servant of Srimati Radharani. So, when we go to the spiritual world, we don’t aspire to serve Krishna directly like Radharani. But we serve their confidential servants. So, if we see the spiritual master as most confidential servant of Srimati Radharani, that even in the spiritual world, we will serve spiritual master and he serves Srimati Radharani and Krishna.

So the principle enunciated by Lord Chaitanya, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ, to be the servant of the servant of Krishna, who is the maintainer of the gopīs, it continues both in the material world in the practice of sadhana, and it also continues in the spiritual world.

Devotee: You are speaking about the importance of the relationship with the spiritual master and how if one thinks himself to be superior to the spiritual master or rejects the spiritual master, that you can lose everything. But at the same time, we know there is the śikṣā-gurus, and sometimes one may, or we have even seen within our society, devotees who take shelter of other individuals to seek spiritual knowledge from them. But they may not necessarily reject their spiritual master, but at the same time, they are seeking knowledge in other places. So how do we know when that kind of situation becomes dangerous or when one crosses over the line where he is minimizing his relationship with his own spiritual master?

Giriraj Swami: Very good question. So, the relationship says that if the disciples can approach a śikṣā-guru for instruction with the permission of the dīkṣā-guru. And then he should come back to the dīkṣā-guru with the knowledge that you receive from the śikṣā-guru for confirmation. One should not independently accept someone as śikṣā-guru without the permission of the dīkṣā-guru. Otherwise, it will be against the etiquette.

Now the question could be raised that one of the dīkṣā-guru is no longer personally present, how does one get the confirmation of knowledge of the śikṣā-guru and impeding the desire of dīkṣā-guru? dīkṣā-guru and śikṣā-guru have same function of sending disciple back to Godhead. Srila Prabhupada says that śikṣā-guru is one who teach the teaching of dīkṣā-guru to disciple. And they have complementary functions. [Unintelligible 00:25:00]. He is actually strengthening my relationship with Srila Prabhupada. Then again, we also have the association of other devotees, and we should accept three principles in that: guru, sadhu, shastra. So, actually in the physical absence of spiritual master, the association of one’s seniors is most important. Association of Vaishnavas, especially god-brothers, because they could understand what is the necessity of śikṣā-guru’s help. One understanding relationship with spiritual master. That why we should be always remain humble and always open to understanding the role of Krishna as guru, sadhu, shastra. And we shouldn’t try to succeed independently without it. [Unintelligible 00:37:00].

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:37:05].

Giriraj Swami: Srila Prabhupada said that we cannot read the books of previous acharyas but firstly, we should thoroughly study all of his books. So until we read the Srila Prabhupada’s books seriously, and study them and discuss that with other people nicely, we shouldn’t attempt to read other books. Now, once we study the Srila Prabhupada’s books, and develop the association with Vaishnavas, understand them then we read other books of previous acharyas and see how it relate to Srila Prabhupada has taught us. We can always discuss with other devotees to see any contradictory. Because sometimes, there are apparent contradiction, which can be resolved in association other devotees. So, sometimes even among the liberated souls, there are difference of opinions. [Unintelligible 00:39:05].