SB 4.3.22 – A Devotee Does Not Desire Respect and Honor

Giriraj Swami: 

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Reading from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Four, Chapter Three, “Talks Between Lord Śiva and Sati,” 

TEXT 22

pratyudgama-praśrayaṇābhivādanaṁ
vidhīyate sādhu mithaḥ sumadhyame
prājñaiḥ parasmai puruṣāya cetasā
guhā-śayāyaiva na deha-mānine

TRANSLATION

My dear young wife, certainly friends and relatives offer mutual greetings by standing up, welcoming one another and offering obeisances. But those who are elevated to the transcendental platform, being intelligent, offer such respects to the Supersoul, who is sitting within the body, not to the person who identifies with the body.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

It may be argued that since Dakṣa was the father-in-law of Lord Śiva, it was certainly the duty of Lord Śiva to offer him respect. In answer to that argument it is explained here that when a learned person stands up or offers obeisances in welcome, he offers respect to the Supersoul, who is sitting within everyone’s heart. Among Vaiṣṇavas, therefore, it is seen that even when a disciple offers obeisances to his spiritual master, the spiritual master immediately returns the obeisances because they are mutually offered not to the body but to the Supersoul. Therefore the spiritual master also offers respect to the Supersoul situated in the body of the disciple. The Lord says in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that offering respect to His devotee is more valuable than offering respect to Him. Devotees do not identify with the body, so offering respect to a Vaiṣṇava means offering respect to Viṣṇu. It is stated also that, as a matter of etiquette, as soon as one sees a Vaiṣṇava one must immediately offer him respect, indicating the Supersoul sitting within. A Vaiṣṇava sees the body as a temple of Viṣṇu. Since Lord Śiva had already offered respect to the Supersoul in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, offering respect to Dakṣa, who identified with his body, was already performed. There was no need to offer respect to his body, for that is not directed by any Vedic injunction.

COMMENT

So here, the word deha-mānine means to the person identifying with the body. There are two classes of persons: those who identify with the body and those who do not identify with the body. Vaishnavas do not identify with the body, and therefore offering respects to Vaishnavas is indicated in the scriptures. In fact, the benefit of offering respects to Vaishnavas is greater than the benefit of offering respect to Vishnu because the Vaishnavas do not identify with the body. But those who identify with the body, although we may offer respect to the body of such a person, we do not actually offer respect to the person himself. We actually offer respect to the Supersoul within the body of the person.

Vaishnavas are by nature humble, and Srila Prabhupada has often stated that a Vaishnava is prepared to offer respects even to an ant, but what he really offers respects to is the Supersoul within the body of the ant. He doesn’t offer respect to the entity who identifies with the body. One of the items mentioned in The Nectar of Devotion is that one should offer respects to demigods. Demigods are also servants and devotees of the Supreme Lord Krishna, and although we do not worship them as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we still respect them as devotees or servants of Lord Krishna. So, amāninā māna-dena, devotees have no desire to receive respect or honor, but they are ready to offer all respects and honor to others. Thus, they can continue in Krishna consciousness without any disturbance. But as soon as we identify with the body, we want respect, just like Dakṣa unfortunately identified with the body, so he wanted respect even from Lord Shiva, who was much more spiritually exalted than Dakṣa. But because he identified with the body, he wanted respect, and when he did not get the respect he wanted, he became agitated and angry. Therefore, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has advised all devotees that if you want to chant the holy names without disturbance, amāninā māna-dena, you should be ready to offer all respects to others and not expect any respect for yourself. In fact, one of the symptoms of ecstatic love of Godhead is that the devotee, although possessing all spiritual qualities and opulences, is free from false pride, free from any desire for respect, and therefore can always remain absorbed in chanting,

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare

Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

But as soon as we identify with the body, we want so many things for the body, including honor and respect. So such a person who identifies with the body, sa eva go-kharaḥ, he is compared to animals. So we don’t really, we are not really obliged to offer respects to animals, but still, we can offer respects to the Supersoul within the body of the animal. Devotees are always conscious of the presence of the Supersoul, and they are conscious of the fact that every living entity is the property of the Supersoul or Lord Krishna, and therefore they do not try to exploit anyone. When we identify with the body, we think that the goal of life is to gratify the senses, and we see all other persons and objects as objects of personal sense gratification. We don’t really see the soul and the Supersoul, but vaiṣṇavas have no desire to exploit others, to enjoy others. They want to serve others and therefore, being conscious of the relationship between the individual souls and the supreme soul, they try to engage the individual souls in the service of the supreme soul or help the individual souls in their service to the supreme soul.

Therefore, the Vaishnava does not identify with the body, as Lord Chaitanya has prayed: I am not a brahman, I am not a kshatriya, I am not a vaishya, I am not a sudra, I am not a brahmachari, I am not a grihastha, I am not a vanaprastha, I am not a sannyasi. Then what are you? Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ, I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna. And because everyone is ultimately the servant of Krishna, the Vaishnava is the servant of everyone, although he deals with them in different ways. Those who are not conscious of their relationship with Krishna, he serves them by trying to help them become aware of their relationship with Krishna. And those who are aware of their relationship with Krishna and who are engaged in Krishna’s service, he tries to help them in their service to Krishna. So in any case, the Vaishnava is the servant of the servants of Lord Krishna.

Although Lord Chaitanya declared that he is not a brahmachari, grihastha, vanaprastha, or sannyasi, brahman, vaishya, or sudra, one cannot actually identify himself as the servant of the servant of Krishna unless he is liberated from material contamination. When he is liberated from material contamination, he can see himself as the eternal servant of the Supreme Lord and the Lord’s servants. But as long as we are contaminated by the bodily concept of life, we will not see ourselves as the eternal servants of Krishna. We will see ourselves in terms of some bodily identification, and instead of being engaged purely in the service of the Lord and the devotees, we will be engaged in some bodily activities as well. And to help the conditioned souls who do have some attachment to the body and some identification with the body, the Vedic scriptures have given the system of varnashrama-dharma because it helps to regulate the activities of the conditioned souls so that they can make gradual advancement in Krishna consciousness. If we were liberated, if we were actually pure devotees, and if we were liberated, we could chant and hear day and night without any need for any other activity.

But when we are not actually liberated, we cannot chant so long. In fact, the little time prescribed for us for the morning program and chanting our rounds, even that seems like a lot of time. We don’t want to be in the temple for so long; we don’t want to go to the class. Because of bodily identification, we are not able to relish the sweetness of hearing and chanting about Krishna. So, because we are materially affected and we are not so attracted to hearing and chanting about Krishna, we need other engagements for the senses and the mind, which will also help us gradually to become purified and qualified to hear and chant. The activities which have been prescribed for the conditioned souls who are not on the platform of pure devotional service are called varnashrama-dharma, and the conditioned souls are advised to follow varnashrama-dharma so they can come to the spiritual platform gradually. And then, of course, they can hear, chant, and serve day and night. Of course sometimes, Srila Prabhupada would speak about devotees in such a way that we would think that we are devotees and he is talking about us. But sometimes. . .I heard one tape maybe yesterday or the day before, where Srila Prabhupada was encouraging the householders by saying that the householders are all meant to be paramahamsa. He gave the example of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who did so much service for the cause of the Lord although he was a householder.

Then Srila Prabhupada explained the four stages of sannyasa. The first stage is called kuṭīcaka. In the stage of kuṭīcaka, a sannyasi who has just left home resides on the outskirts of the village. Again, the whole process is gradual detachment. So he resides on the outskirts of the village, and his people from home send him food every day. Then, in the next stage, which is called bahūdaka, the sannyasi goes from door to door and begs a little charity from each home, and thus he is able to maintain his body and soul together. The next stage called Parivrājakācārya. In this Parivrājakācārya stage, a sannyasi travels all over the world and preaches the message of Krishna. Generally, Srila Prabhupada wanted sannyasi act as Parivrājakācārya. And then the highest stage, or the last stage is paramahamsa. Paramahaṁsa means completely liberated and absorbed in hearing and chanting and remembering in relation to Krishna.

So, Srila Prabhupada said that, in ISKCON, the householders are meant to be paramahamsa, so he was encouraging the householders that there is no limit to how far they can advance; there is no restriction. But still, we should be intelligent enough to understand what our actual position is and progress in the appropriate way for us. Just like Raghunatha dasa was very advanced in Krishna consciousness at home, but when he wanted to leave home and join Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he sent him back. He said, “Don’t be a crazy fellow and try to run away from home. Rather, you should stay at home and externally appear just like an ordinary son, an ordinary husband, an ordinary businessman, and internally you should remain faithful and committed to Krishna consciousness.” So, through Raghunatha dasa, Lord Chaitanya showed the example of how one can live in grihastha ashrama, being detached from material affairs and attached to Krishna internally, and externally acting just like any ordinary household. Lord Chaitanya advised him that when the time comes, Krishna Himself will arrange for you to be released from the bondage of family life. In other words, he did not want him to make any artificial effort to become free from family life. Because sometimes, if someone gives up family life prematurely, they may actually want to again return to family life, which is not so good. So it’s better to remain in family life, and when one is actually and naturally attached to Krishna and detached from family affairs, then he can take to Krishna consciousness fully without turning back or going back.

Spiritual development is a gradual process, and in different positions, we have different duties. We have different relationships, and we have different duties in terms of those relationships. Lord Shiva was actually paramahamsa; he was actually liberated and fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness and meditation on the Supersoul. So there was no need for him to offer obeisances to the body of Dakṣa, who identified with the body. Rather, he was indicated to offer obeisance to the Supersoul within the body of Dakṣa, but he was already absorbed in meditation on the Supersoul. He was already offering obeisance to the Supersoul within himself, so there was no need for him to offer obeisances to the Supersoul separately. But Dakṣa, because he identified with the body, took offense and cursed Lord Shiva. He could not appreciate the exalted position of Lord Shiva, and actually, he was envious. As we read yesterday, he was envious of Lord Shiva’s spiritual opulences, and because of his offense against Lord Shiva, as we will see, he was destined to glide down to hell.

We should be careful not to identify with the body. And again, because we do tend to identify with the body at some time and sometimes to identify as Krishna’s servants or the servant of Krishna’s servants, sometimes we are able to chant and hear, and sometimes we are not. Sometimes we need to be engaged in other activities. So when we are engaged in other activities, we need to be regulated according to varnashrama-dharma, and we should offer respects to others and render service to others as indicated by varnashrama-dharma. Then there will be order in the social system, and when we live according to the principles of varnashrama-dharma, we feel peaceful, and we can make gradual advancement. And when we are peaceful, we can chant the holy names of Lord Krishna. But if we are not advanced enough to chant and hear peacefully, amāninā māna-dena, if we do identify with the body and we don’t follow the principles of varnashrama, then we will become disturbed, and it will become difficult even to chant Hare Krishna.

Do you have any idea?

Well, namaste. Nama means obeisances, and aste means to you, I suppose. So on the basis of the understanding from the verse today, we would understand that namaste means we are offering obeisances to the Supersoul. Like the impersonalists have the slogan, tat tvam asi, which means “you are that.” So they take it wrongly. “You are that” means that you individuals are that Supreme Lord, that supreme soul. But Srila Prabhupada explains that the real meaning of “you,” meaning the various incarnations of Krishna, are that Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna. So namaste, yes, we offer obeisances to the Supersoul within, and we can offer obeisances in any way.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:32:35]

Giriraj Swami: Well, yeah, I mean, the basic occupational duties are described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and we should try to follow whatever we can from it. The brahmans have six occupations: studying the scripture, teaching the scripture, worshiping the Lord, engaging others in the worship of the Lord, accepting charity, and giving charity. So these are the brahminical activities and Srila Prabhupada have established ISKCON to collectively engage in the same six activities. There may be many details which we may not be able to follow in the present age, but the basic principles we can follow.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:34:00]

Giriraj Swami: At the time of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the system of varnashrama-dharma was followed, and if someone did not follow the system, he would be criticized. So in whatever society we find ourselves, there may be some rituals for the deceased which we are obliged to perform, especially the first sons, and if we did not perform them, people would criticize. So we can perform whatever is accepted in this society, not that we need to for the sake of Krishna consciousness in a personal sense, but in a general sense because we don’t want people to criticize devotees, so we may follow. And we ourselves are not so advanced in Krishna consciousness, so free from material contamination, and we should follow.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:36:20]

Giriraj Swami: No, in devotional service, there is no question of high or low, but in the material world, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in a time of emergency, one who is a brahman can adopt the profession of a kshatriya or a vaishya, but under no circumstances should we accept the profession of the sudra.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:37:20]

Giriraj Swami: Within ISKCON, all the activities are for Krishna, but still, for practicality, there may be division of labor, but there is no question of higher or lower. It’s not that the person who does the ārati should not clean the floor because they are both for Krishna, so they are both the same. But practically, we may divide up the service because some people can do particular services better than others, but it’s not that one is higher than another. One would be degraded if he did it. But if he gives up his duty to do another’s duty, it won’t be bad; it won’t be good. And it works both ways. If someone isn’t really qualified to speak on the subject of Krishna but he wants to imitate the devotee who is qualified, then he may create problems by speaking when he is not really qualified to speak. And the other way is that, I have some responsible duty, but instead of doing the responsible duty, I want to polish the brass because there is less anxiety. So, that is also. We should do our duty as prescribed by Krishna and Krishna’s representatives.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:39:38]

Giriraj Swami: Well, as we advance in Krishna consciousness, we become free from false prestige, and we can see ourselves more objectively, and we can consult others who may see us more objectively than we see ourselves, and they can help us, determine what position or service is appropriate for us. It sort of depends on our sincerity. If we have other motives, then we may want to do a particular service or be in a particular position because we will get something material from it, name and fame, power, prestige, or even physical facilities and money. But if we really have no other desire except to serve Krishna, then we will just accept whatever position is most favorable for Krishna’s service, and we won’t worry about the material aspects associated with the service, like prestige or other material facilities. Srila Prabhupada used to criticize the caste system in India because people would claim that they are something that they weren’t, and they would be unengaged. Often, they would be unengaged because they wouldn’t really be qualified for the work that they considered they were meant to do because of birth. They were brahman or kshatriya, and they wouldn’t want to do the work that they were actually fit to do because they thought it was beneath their caste.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:42:50]

Question: By chanting Hare Krishna, can one become free from the material body, from identifying with the material body?

Giriraj Swami: Yes, if you chant offenselessly. Even otherwise, you can, but it takes a long time. But if you chant offenselessly, then very quickly you become free from false identification. Hare Krishna.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.