SB 1.15.50 – Fix One’s Mind on the Lord’s Lotus Feet

Giriraj Swami:

SB 1.15.50

draupadī ca tadājñāya

patīnām anapekṣatām

vāsudeve bhagavati

hy ekānta-matir āpa tam

TRANSLATION

Draupadī also saw that her husbands, without caring for her, were leaving home. She knew well about Lord Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. Both she and Subhadrā became absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa and attained the same results as their husbands.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

When flying an airplane, one cannot take care of other planes. Everyone has to take care of his own plane, and if there is any danger, no other plane can help another in that condition. Similarly, at the end of life, when one has to go back home, back to Godhead, everyone has to take care of himself without help rendered by another. The help is, however, offered on the ground before flying in space. Similarly, the spiritual master, the father, the mother, the relatives, the husband and others can all render help during one’s lifetime, but while crossing the sea one has to take care of himself and utilize the instructions formerly received. Draupadī had five husbands, and no one asked Draupadī to come; Draupadī had to take care of herself without waiting for her great husbands. And because she was already trained, she at once took to concentration upon the lotus feet of Lord Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. The wives also got the same result as their husbands, in the same manner; that is to say, without changing their bodies they reached the destination of Godhead. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura suggests that both Draupadī and Subhadrā, although her name is not mentioned herein, got the same result. None of them had to quit the body.

COMMENT

The Pandavas along with their great wives, Draupadi set the example how to go back home, back to Godhead at the end of life. According to Vedic civilization, there are four spiritual orders or ashrams: brahmacharya, grihastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasa. The word ashrama is derived from the word āśraya, which means ‘to take shelter’. So in any position, in any ashrama, brahmacharya, grihastha, vanaprastha, or sannyasa, one should take shelter of Krishna. But still in grihastha ashrama, there may be other attachments besides Krishna, almost certainly there will be other attachments besides Krishna. But at the time of death, we want to be focused exclusively in thoughts of Krishna, absorbed completely in thoughts of Krishna. And therefore, the words are used here, ekānta-matir, which means full concentration on one point or absolute concentration on Sri Krishna without one’s attention being diverted to anyone else. So in order to free oneself from family attachment, there are different stages of life. In other words, after grihastha ashrama one should enter vanaprastha ashrama and in some cases sannyasa ashrama. But one should not remain involved in grihastha ashrama to the end. Now, people remain entangled to the end and naturally they won’t be able to think of Krishna at the time of death. And the result is that they will have to take birth again and suffer again in one of the eight million four hundred thousand species of life. And the whole human form of life is specifically meant to permanently solve the problems of life. The problems of life are birth, the repetition of birth, disease, old age, and death.

So if we use the human form of life for the best purpose then we will follow the Vedic injunctions. Because the Vedic injunctions are meant to guide us to the ultimate perfection and goal. But as stated in Bhagavad-gītā, if one neglects the instructions of the scriptures and acts according to his own whims or according to his own desires, na sa siddhim avāpnoti, na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim [Bg. 16.23]. That, if one gives up the Vedic injunctions just to act according to his own whimsical lusts, he cannot attain happiness, nor can he attain perfection, nor can he attain the supreme destination. In other words, he is forced to remain within the material world to suffer and we don’t want to suffer. But as long as we remain in the material world, we are forced to suffer. So to become detached from the material world, we should follow the Vedic system of varnashrama-dharma and not remain in the house up to the point of death. But following the example of the Pandavas, we should leave home. And here we see that even the ladies, Draupadi and Subhadra were able to attain the goal of life. They also became ‘ekānta-matir,’ fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness. And Draupadi is described here as tadājñāya. She had full knowledge of Lord Krishna.

So when her husband left her, she was not distressed because she had full knowledge of Lord Krishna. When she was being insulted in the assembly of the Kurus, no one could protect her, none of her great husbands: Maharaja Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva, none of them could protect her. Even on the side of the Kurus, no one lifted a finger to protect her, not even Bhīṣma, who was expected to have intervened, said a word to protect her. There was no one to protect her except Lord Krishna. So tadājñāya, she had full knowledge of Lord Krishna that He is her best friend and her real protector. And in the moment of greatest difficulty or crisis, the Lord would indeed help her.

So she gave up all other thoughts. She didn’t have any illusions that anyone else in the material world could protect her. But she concentrated her attention wholy and solely on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is one verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam where Śukadeva Gosvami compares taking shelter, even of demigods want to speak of ordinary people like husbands, parents, children, and so on. He compares taking shelter of anyone other than Krishna, even big big demigods, to cross the ocean of birth and death, he compares such an attempt to a person trying to cross the ocean by catching hold of the tail of the dog. Can anyone cross the ocean by catching hold of the tail of a dog? No. You can’t even cross a river because the dog has no such power. As soon as you catch hold of the tail of the dog, you will go down. And if you hold on to the dog’s tail then the dog will go down with you because the dog is not so powerful.

So all living entities within the material world are like dogs, means they are not so powerful that they can actually take us across the ocean of birth and death, or even across the river of death to the other side to the spiritual world. So there is no use being absorbed in thinking of the people within the world who cannot really help us. But due to the illusory influence of maya, generally the conditioned souls think that their family members and their household paraphernalia will save them. But Śukadeva Gosvami describes them, means the family members and the household paraphernalia as fallible soldiers. We are in a war against the material nature. Material nature is always attacking us. So in the war, we want some allies. We want an army. We want some friends. But our husbands, mother, father, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, they are all fallible soldiers in the fight against maya, which is ultimately the effort to avoid death or overcome death in the fight against maya. All the soldiers that we gather around us to help us, will die. Father will die, mother will die, husband will die, brother will die, sister will die, son will die, daughter will die. They will also succumb in the great war against the material energy. Therefore, Lord Krishna advises, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. That, the material energy consisting of the three modes is very difficult to overcome, duratyayā—almost impossible, actually impossible, except by one means, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14], the one who surrenders unto the lotus feet of Krishna, he can easily cross over maya.

So here Draupadi sets the example. The Pandavas also set the example of not trying to take shelter of any fallible soldiers, not trying to cross the river by catching hold of the tail of the dog, but taking exclusive shelter of the Lord Krishna. Srila Prabhupada taught the devotees one verse in the early days of Krishna consciousness. In fact, in Boston we used to sing the verse every morning in the temple; samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ, mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ, bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām [ŚB 10.14.58]. In this verse, Śukadeva Gosvami compares the material world to a great ocean. And he says that there is danger at every step in the material world. But one who takes shelter in the boat of the lotus feet of Krishna, who is famous as Murari, for him the vast ocean of material existence shrinks to the size of a small puddle contained in a calf’s footprint.

Although, there is danger at every step, the devotee crosses right over. Once one devotee in the early days asked Srila Prabhupada. What is the meaning of lotus feet? You always say lotus feet. What is the meaning? And Srila Prabhupada replied by quoting the same verse. And he said that it is just the material world is a great ocean and there is danger at every step but when you take shelter of the lotus feet of Krishna, you become like a passenger in a carriage. And while riding in the carriage you may pass a small puddle of water. But the small puddle of water doesn’t affect you at all because you are riding in the carriage. You just pass over it. So in the same way, if we take shelter of the lotus feet of Krishna, we just pass over the vast ocean, or what to others, is the vast ocean of material existence and as if we were crossing over a small puddle. So we really have nothing else to do except take shelter of the lotus feet of Krishna, fix our attention on the Lord’s lotus feet, and give up all other preoccupations and engagements. And of course, the best way to take shelter of Krishna is to take shelter of His holy name. And therefore, we always practice chanting as we just did so nicely here.

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

The holy name of the Lord is the Lord Himself. So to take shelter of the holy name means to take shelter of Krishna directly. And just as Draupadi was ekānta-matir — absolutely absorbed in Krishna consciousness, in thoughts of Krishna, similarly, we should be absolutely absorbed in Krishna’s name without any other thought of friends, relatives, house, property, and whatnot. And by taking full shelter of the holy name, we can cross over the dangerous ocean of kali. And we have to practice now. The time of death is the final examination. But if we don’t prepare ourselves for the final examination, we may fail. On the other hand, if we prepare, if we attend the classes, study the books, do the homework, do everything we are supposed to do to prepare for the examination. Then when the final examination comes, we will be able to pass very easily. But if we don’t attend the classes, if we don’t read the books, if we don’t do the homework, then when the final examination comes, we may fail.

So Srila Prabhupada has given us the perfect program to prepare ourselves for the time of death. In other words, to practice Krishna consciousness, thinking of Lord Krishna at every stage. Now, someone may raise the argument and people do. That when I am older and I have finished with my other responsibilities then I will take to Krishna consciousness with full concentration. But now I am young, I have other duties to perform and I cannot take to Krishna consciousness so much now. People often say it and sometimes we also think it. But again, Srila Prabhupada has given a wonderful example for us all. He was also in grihastha ashrama, and he had his wife, and sons, and daughters. And in grihastha ashrama, he was dreaming literally at night, he was having dreams that his guru Maharaja was calling him to come out and preach.

So Srila Prabhupada described that when he would awake in the morning or after the dream, he would feel horrified. In his words, he would feel horrified. “How can I leave my wife? How can I leave my children? How can I leave my house?” But the dream would recur and again he would have the same experience. So at one stage, he mentioned to one godbrother about the dream. And the godbrother suggested that yes, guru Maharaja is calling you. He wants you to come out and preach. And unless you take sannyasa, you cannot preach fully. So Srila Prabhupada was considering, what to do? To leave the family, not to leave the family, and so on. Then he considered, what is sannyasa? Of course, his concern was for his family. Who would look after them? So he thought that, Suppose today I die, who will look after my family? Everyone will say, God will look after your family. So Srila Prabhupada reasoned that, if I die and God will look after my family then why not now. Because sannyasa is considered civil suicide. When one takes sannyasa, he is dead as far as the world goes, as far as the society goes. So if I were to die and still God would take care of my family then why not if I take sannyasa, will God not look after my family then? So then Srila Prabhupada decided, yes. Of course, it does not mean that in the mood of irresponsibility we decide, Oh! Let me take sannyasa today. I am sick of my wife. She is always nagging me. She always wants more Lakshmi, this, that. And I am sick of my children also. They never listen to me. They never serve me. They just do what they want. Let me leave them, take sannyasa. Let Krishna take care of them. That is not correct because at the time of marriage, the husband he accepts responsibility for the wife to serve means, to give protection to the wife. And at the time of marriage, also the wife accepts responsibility to serve the husband.

But according to the Vedic system at the final stage, yes when it is time to actually renounce then one should renounce. You shouldn’t worry, who will look after the wife, who will look after the children. But before then when one is in the age or in the stage of grihastha ashrama, he has to take full responsibility and look at the example of the Pandavas just for the sake of Draupadi because of the insult of Draupadi, they declared war on the whole Kuru dynasty. They were ready to fight the bloodiest war in history for Draupadi’s sake. They were so responsible. Even Lord Ramachandra, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. When Rāvaṇa abducted Sita, He also was ready to declare war on the whole dynasty of Rāvaṇa just for the sake of Sita.

So the husband is very responsible. When he is acting as husband, he will go to any extent to protect the wife. But there are different stages. And according to the Vedic system, when one comes to the age of fifty or so, he should think of vanaprastha ashrama. In vanaprastha ashrama, the husband and wife may live together but they live together only for the sake of devotional service and Krishna consciousness. Otherwise, they retire from the material side of family life means, economic development, sense gratification finished, but they live together to serve the Lord. And Srila Prabhupada quotes in Caitanya-caritāmṛta that, “In Kali-yuga, kṣetra-sannyāsa is the preferred type of sannyasa. Kṣetra-sannyāsa means that the husband and wife retire together to some holy place and dedicate themselves fully to the service of the Lord. And of course, every ISKCON temple is a holy place. But there is no material activity. There is only devotional service and Krishna consciousness. So either in vanaprastha ashrama or actually in sannyasa ashrama, one should become detached from the material affairs of life and become fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness. I will conclude with one story of one man named Kailash. Anyway, Kailash was a householder with his wife and sons. And the great sage Narada came to the house of Kailash and said to Kailash, “Oh Kailash, why don’t you come and join me? Now, your sons are sufficiently old. You should come and join me and we will travel and preach the glories of the Lord.” So Kailash said that, “Yes, I would very much like to join you but I feel that my sons are not fully trained yet to take over the family affairs. So let me train them a little more and get them married. Once they are trained and married, I will come with you.”

So after some time Narada returned, “Oh Kailash, I see now that your sons are married. Are you ready to come with me?” He said, “Well, I wanted to come with you but my eldest son’s wife is carrying a child and I want to see my grandchild first. As soon as I see my grandchild, I will come with you.” So Narada left and after some time he returned, when the grandson was born. He said, “So Kailash are you ready to come?” “Yes, I very much want to come with you but I want to see that my grandson is properly educated. Let me just see that he is educated nicely and I will come with you.” So it went on and on. I won’t mention all the details. But I am sure from your own experience with householders, you know what their excuses are? So finally Narada returned and Kailash had died. He wanted to see everything just right before he left and in the meantime he died. But Narada noticed that in the front of the house, there was a dog barking. And he just had some doubt, whether the dog is Kailash. So he went and met the dog. And he said, “Kailash is that you?” He said yes. He said, “You were supposed to come with me.” He said, “I know but these boys are not responsible. I have to stay here in the form of a dog to protect the house. Otherwise, if I don’t stand in front of the house and bark at night, they will sleep and the thieves will come and take away everything.”

So let them get a little bit more responsible then I will come with you. So after some time, Narada returned again and the dog had died. Then he said, “Where is Kailash? He must be here somewhere. I know him very well by now. He must be here somewhere.” He started looking around the yard of the house and he found a snake. He said, “Kailash, is that you?” He said yes. He said, “What are you doing here now?” He said, “Well, I buried some golden jewels in the grounds here and these boys, even though they are old by now and their children are running the affairs, they are even worse. So I have to guard the treasure here. So somehow, I have taken birth as a snake.” So Narada said, “But what about coming with me?” He said, “Yes, I want to come with you, believe me, I really do. But I just want to make sure that they are responsible to take care of all that I worked so hard to give them.” So then Narada thought that he is too attached. So he went in the house and he told the sons that there is a snake in the yard, very dangerous snake. “You better come and kill it.” So Kailash’s sons came out with their sticks and they smashed the snake until it was completely finished. Then everything was complete and Narada asked Kailash, “Are you ready to come now?” He said, “Yes, I am ready,” and he came out.

So the purport, that maya is so strong, that material attachment is so strong, there will never be any end to it. So either we have to decide with our intelligence like Srila Prabhupada and leave it for the higher cause. Otherwise, yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ.

Lord Krishna also says that if you want to be merciful to some devotee, mean some devotee wants to serve Him. But at the same time, he has some material attachments. So he is not really ready to serve the Lord fully. So then the Lord out of His mercy, takes away the attachments of the devotee so that the devotee can fully surrender to the service of the Lord and preach Krishna consciousness all over the world. So Srila Prabhupada even considered himself to be in that position. That gradually Krishna took away his business, took away his family members, took away his family members means, removed his illusions about his family members, allowed him to see his family members as they were, like Kailash, his illusions about his family members removed. And when he could see his family members for what they were, he was able to leave them. What they were means impediments in Krishna consciousness but not all family members are impediments. Some can help up to a stage. But in the end, as Srila Prabhupada mentions here, in the end only Krishna can save us. And therefore, we have nothing to do but take full shelter of Him. Hare Krishna.

Are there any questions or comments?

Devotee: Even the spiritual master can’t help you. He was talking about all the people who can’t help you at the time of death. And then we take shelter of Krishna by taking shelter at the spiritual master. So what is the difference between taking shelter of Krishna’s lotus feet and taking shelter by spiritual master?

Giriraj Swami: The shelter of the spiritual master means, to follow the instructions of the spiritual master. So at the time of death, if we take shelter of the spiritual master’s instructions, we will take shelter of Krishna and we will go back to Godhead. Srila Prabhupada says that at the time of death, we can utilize the instructions formally received.

Devotee: So is that how the spiritual master takes you back to Godhead, by the instructions he gave you during your life?

Giriraj Swami: Yes. There is something more which Srila Prabhupada has not mentioned in the purport here, which he has mentioned on other occasions. But here because he is speaking on the verse and the verse is making the point that Draupadi’s husbands left her behind without caring for her, and therefore, she had to care for herself and take shelter of Krishna. That is the basic point. Otherwise, as I remember Tamal Krishna, he was a sannyasi then, but Tamal Krishna was serving Srila Prabhupada’s secretary and he was working very hard for Srila Prabhupada in India. He was typing letters, running here, running there, and doing so many things. So he said to Srila Prabhupada that, “We are supposed to remember Krishna at the time of death. But we are so busy doing work for you, suppose at the time of death, I am typing a letter for you. What will happen to me then?” So Srila Prabhupada replied that, “Because you are serving me so nicely, at the time of death, Lord Chaitanya will enter your mind. He will forcibly enter your mind and make you think of Him at the time of death. That is also possible.

Srila Prabhupada, ki jaya!