SB 8.12.15 – Transfer Attachment from Maya to Krishna

Giriraj Swami: 

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

Reading from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Eight, Chapter Twelve - “Mohinī-mūrti Bewilders Lord Śiva,”

TEXT 15

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
kautūhalāya daityānāṁ
yoṣid-veṣo mayā dhṛtaḥ
paśyatā sura-kāryāṇi
gate pīyūṣa-bhājane

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: When the demons took away the jug of nectar, I assumed the form of a beautiful woman to bewilder them by directly cheating them and thus to act in the interest of the demigods.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada 

When the Supreme Personality of Godhead assumed the form of the beautiful woman Mohinī-mūrti, the demons were certainly captivated, but the demigods present were not. In other words, those who maintain a demoniac mentality are bewildered by the beauty of a woman, but those who are advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or even those on the platform of goodness, are not bewildered. The Supreme Personality of Godhead knew that because Lord Śiva is not an ordinary person, he cannot be bewildered even by the most beautiful woman. Cupid himself tried to invoke Lord Śiva’s lusty desires in the presence of Pārvatī, but Lord Śiva was never agitated. Rather, the blazing fire from Lord Śiva’s eyes turned Cupid to ashes. Therefore, Lord Viṣṇu had to think twice about what kind of beautiful form would bewilder even Lord Śiva. Consequently He was smiling gravely, as stated in the previous verse (prahasya bhāva-gambhīram). A beautiful woman generally cannot induce Lord Śiva to be lusty, but Lord Viṣṇu was considering whether there was any form of woman who could enchant him.

COMMENT

So, when Lord Shiva heard about the pastime of Lord Vishnu assuming the form of Mohini-murti and cheating the demigods, He became very curious to see the form of Mohini-murti. And thus, he immediately got on his bull carrier and approached Lord Vishnu. When the demons and the demigods were churning the ocean and nectar was produced, the demons took possession of the nectar. But Lord Vishnu assumed the form of Mohini-murti to bewilder the demons, and the demons were so bewildered by Mohini-murti that although She truthfully stated that they should not put their faith in Her, still, because they were so attracted by Her beauty, they did put their faith in Her and they immediately delivered the pot of nectar to Her.

And thus, Lord Vishnu ultimately delivered the nectar to the demigods. Now the demons were agitated, but the demigods were not. The demigods are generally in the mode of goodness and not necessarily pure devotees, but even they were not agitated. And therefore, Srila Prabhupada comments in the purport that one who is advanced in Krishna consciousness is never agitated by lusty desires, and even those in the mode of goodness are not agitated. And therefore, in one purport, Srila Prabhupada comments that brahmans have relations with the opposite sex only for the purpose of producing children, and generally, they do not have relations at all because brahmans are supposed to be in the mode of goodness. And lusty desires are manifest under the influence of the mode of passion, and therefore brahmans in the mode of goodness are not agitated and therefore they avoid the entanglement of such activities.

Now Lord Shiva was not just any demigod; he is the best of the demigods. So, there was no chance that he could be agitated by any woman. And as Srila Prabhupada explains in the purport, although Cupid himself tried to excite lusty desires in Lord Shiva in the presence of Parvati, Lord Shiva was not agitated. Parvati is the material energy, so in other words, Lord Shiva could not be attracted by the material energy. Therefore, the form of Mohini-murti, which ultimately did attract Lord Shiva by the desire of Lord Vishnu, was not any ordinary material form because the personification of the material energy, or Parvati, could not agitate Lord Shiva, even when Cupid himself was trying to induce Lord Shiva to become attracted. And when Lord Shiva looked with his fiery eyes at Cupid, Cupid was burned to ashes.

So, we can test ourselves: How much we are making advancement in Krishna consciousness, given how much we are making advancement toward the mode of goodness, by seeing to what extent we become agitated or attracted by the opposite party. We have the example of Haridasa Thakura. Haridasa Thakura was very advanced in Krishna consciousness, and when Maya-devi herself came to test him, to attract him, to bewilder him, he was not attracted but was simply absorbed in chanting the holy name.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

So, if we are absorbed in Krishna consciousness, if we are absorbed in the chanting of the holy names of the Lord, we cannot be diverted, even if Maya-devi herself comes to attract us. Therefore, Krishna is known as Madan-Mohan. “Madan” means Cupid. Cupid is the demigod in charge of creating lusty desires. And as Srila Prabhupada explains, and as we all know, everyone in the material world is captivated by the opposite number, by lusty desires. So, the whole world is attracted by Madan. In fact, Srila Prabhupada commented that here in Bombay, when someone is pierced by Cupid’s arrows, he will become attracted to someone, even if the person is ugly. In other words, Cupid’s arrows are so powerful that one can become bewildered, and it doesn’t matter who. Therefore, sometimes it is said that love is blind because when one is pierced by the arrow of Cupid, one can become attracted to anyone, one can put his faith in anyone, or put her faith in anyone, and be cheated. And in fact, household life in general is a cheating process. What is actually lust is taken by the family members as love because of the influence of Cupid or the influence of maya. The man actually just wants to exploit the woman, but the woman is so bewildered that she thinks that the man loves her. And the wife also wants to exploit the husband, but the husband is so bewildered he thinks that the wife loves him.

Srila Prabhupada explained that the man has to work so hard to maintain the family, and when he comes home in the evening, all the family members simply harass him with their material desires: “We want this, we want that, give us this, give us that.” They’re actually plundering his hard-earned money. So, Srila Prabhupada quoted some phrases that the family members are “legitimate plunderers.” They plunder the poor fellow’s hard-earned wealth, but it is legitimate because they’re his family members. And by the great influence of maya or Cupid, the poor fellow takes their material demands on him as love: “Oh, they love me so much, they want to plunder all of my hard-earned money.” And he also wants to exploit his wife for his purposes, and she takes it as love that he loves her. So, this is an illusion, and everyone in the material world is under such an illusion. Until they start to come to the mode of goodness, and of course, if they transcend the modes of nature, then certainly they’re not under the influence of such illusion.

So, Madan, everyone in the material world is under the influence of Madan. But even Madan becomes attracted to Krishna. There is one story that once Madan came to Vrindavan to pierce Krishna with his arrows, and he happened to come at the time of the rasa dance. Actually, the incident took place not far from the Krishna-Balarama temple, on the old cowherd boy trail that runs along the bank of the Yamuna.

Sri Sri Radha Rasbihari ki jaya!
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

So, Cupid came with his arrows to shoot Krishna. But when he stood with his bow and arrow and tried to aim his arrow at Krishna, because of the dancing of Krishna and the gopīs in the circle, immediately a gopīs would appear. It was very hard for him to shoot Krishna, because Krishna and the gopīs were dancing in a circle, and wherever there was Krishna, there would be a gopī. Whenever there was a gopī, there would be Krishna. So, seeing the beautiful sight of Krishna and the gopīs, Cupid himself became bewildered, and he dropped his bow and arrow and fainted in the dust of Vrindavan. Therefore, Krishna is known as Madan Mohan. The whole world is enchanted by Madan but when Madan tried to shoot Krishna, he became enchanted by the beauty of Krishna and therefore Krishna is known as Madan Mohan.

So, in the practice of devotional service, the first deity with whom we have to establish our relationship is Madan Mohan, because as long as we remain attracted to the material world, we cannot actually progress in Krishna consciousness. So, we establish our relationship with Krishna in the form of Madan Mohan, and if we become attracted to Madan Mohan, who is the attractor of Cupid, then we ourselves will become free from attraction to the material world, and we will be able to engage in devotional service. The spiritual master is the representative of Madan Mohan Vigraha, and therefore Srila Prabhupada says in The Nectar of Devotion that unless one is initiated by the spiritual master, the connection with devotional service never takes place. So, this is the beginning state, sambandha; we have to establish our connection with Krishna, which is accomplished through the medium of the spiritual master, through the process of initiation.

But to establish our connection with Krishna means to give up our relationship with the material world, or with the desire to enjoy the material world, or exploit material resources. So, therefore, the first deity with whom we have to establish our relationship is Madan Mohan. On the one side, we give up our attraction for maya, and on the other side, we develop our attraction for Krishna. And only when our attraction for Krishna is stronger than our attraction for maya can we make progress in devotional service.

We have Madan Mohan; he is visible in the form of the deity, and he is also present in the form of the holy name. In the beginning of devotional service, we actually need to do both: chant the holy name of Krishna and hear about Krishna, and worship the deity of Krishna. The combination of both activities will help to free us from the clutches of maya. Of course, as we have heard, although we feel that we are in the clutches of maya, we may feel that we are in the clutches of maya, actually we are the ones who are clutching at maya. Once, Janaka Raj was in an assembly of great sages, and he had two questions which he wanted answered, but none of the sages could satisfy him. So Astavakra Muni appeared there; they were sitting in the forest and Astavakra Muni appeared there. Asta means eight and vakra means bend, so physically, he was not very beautiful; his body was bent in eight places. So, when he appeared in the assembly of the king, people began to laugh at him because of his crooked features.

But the king was very intelligent. He wasn’t judging by the person’s bodily form; he understood that the person was advanced in spiritual knowledge. So, he welcomed the sage, and he told him, “I have two questions. Can you answer my question?” So, the sage replied, “Yes, but first you have to get down from your throne.” So, the king agreed, and Astavakra himself sat on the throne. And everyone began to laugh, but actually, in order for us to receive transcendental knowledge, we have to understand that our teacher is in a superior position, and we are in an inferior position. If we think that we are very great, then we cannot get transcendental knowledge. But the king understood, “Yes, he should sit in the elevated seat, and I should sit below.”

Once we were arranging for a meeting between Srila Prabhupada and Morarji Desai, who was the Prime Minister of India then, and Srila Prabhupada said that he would meet the Prime Minister only if the Prime Minister came here to meet him. And he said, “I am not proud; I could go to meet him, but unless he has the mood of respecting me, then the meeting will have no value.” And the Prime Minister was very busy; he was only in Bombay for two days, and he couldn’t come to meet Srila Prabhupada. So, in the end, Srila Prabhupada went out to meet him. But here, the king immediately got down from the throne, “Yes, you sit in the elevated position, you are the superior, I am the subordinate, you instruct me.”

So, the king asked his first question, “What is maya?” Astavakra Muni replied that maya is like a dream. In a dream, you imagine that you are something which you are not, that you are having relationships with people who actually do not exist. I mean, they exist, but within a few moments, the whole dream is over. So, we don’t say that the material world is false, but we say that it is temporary. It is like a dream; it has its own reality for a few minutes, but then it is over. And when we come to the real reality, then we say, “Oh, it was just the dream that lasted a few moments. This is reality. This is always here.” So, what we consider to be reality in the conditioned state is itself like a dream compared to the eternal reality of serving Krishna in the spiritual world. bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate-the material world is created and destroyed, for us it may seem like a long time because it lasted for trillions of years. But from the vantage point of eternal time, it just lasts for a few moments, just like a short dream. So, what is maya? Maya is like a dream. We take it as real, but it is not actually real. It exists for a few moments, and then it is gone.

Then the king asked, “How can I get out of the clutches of maya? I don’t want to be in the clutches of maya, but maya is holding on to me, and she won’t let me go.” So, then Astavakra immediately jumped down from the throne and ran up to one of the trees, and he began to tightly hold the tree and scream, “Let me go! Let me go! Let go of me! Let me go!” And of course, everyone started to laugh; it was the funniest thing. Yet, that is the answer. That is the answer; we want maya to let go of us, but actually, we are holding on to maya.

Now, with our mind, we may think we are not holding on to maya. We don’t want to be in maya; maya is holding on to us. But actually, deep down inside, we are attached to maya, and we don’t want to let maya go. And on one morning walk in Juhu beach Srila Prabhupada asked the question, “Why are you attracted by sex, or attracted to sex?” And different devotees gave different answers, but Sheila Prabhupada didn’t accept any of the answers. In the end, Srila Prabhupada himself gave the answer, “Because you want to be.” We don’t want to be, but yes, you want to be, and therefore you are.

So, what is the solution? Obviously, the solution is to become attached to Krishna, to become enchanted by the beauty of Krishna. And when we are enchanted by the beauty of Krishna, we lose our attraction for maya. But it is not so easy, because one of the offenses against the holy name is to maintain material attachment even after hearing so many instructions. So, we chant the holy name, but we are not really chanting the holy name. We are chanting the holy name, but we are thinking of all the material things we are attached to. And that becomes an offense, and therefore the benefit that we should get from chanting, which is to become attached to Krishna and detached from maya, is very slow to come.

So, we have to give up our attachment. The same point: one disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura asked him, “We are all trying hard to make advancement in Krishna consciousness. We are all getting up early in the morning, we are all attending ārati, we are all chanting Hare Krishna, we are all hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we are all engaged in the same activities. But some disciples are making rapid progress and other disciples are hardly advancing at all. What is the reason?”

Then Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura told the story of the marriage party, which you might have heard. That one marriage party came to cross the river. So, they got on the boat, and the boatman said, “Yes, I will.” It was at night. He said, “Yes, you take rest, and I will row to the other side, and by morning you will reach.” So, the members of the marriage party took a rest, and in the morning, when they got up, they expected to be at their destination. But they saw they were not at the desired destination; they were in the same place where they began. So, they became very upset with the boatman, “That you didn’t do your duty. You didn’t row the boat.” He said, “No, I did row the boat. I was rowing all night long.” “Then why are we stuck in the same place? We haven’t gone anywhere.” Then they were searching, what could be the answer? And then they found that the boatman had neglected to take out the anchor. The anchor was still lodged in the earth, and in spite of so many efforts, rowing the boat didn’t go anywhere. It remained in the same place.

So, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was making the point that if we keep the anchor of material attachment, lodged in the material thing that we are attached to, in spite of the fact that we try hard to practice spiritual life, we won’t make progress. We’ll remain stuck in the same place. So, we have to give up our material attachment. If we don’t give up our material attachment, we can work hard day and night to make progress in Krishna consciousness, but we won’t get anywhere, practically. So, we have to cut the attachment. And therefore, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura described sadhu. That sadhu means one who cuts. Because unless we cut our material attachments, we can’t make any spiritual progress. So, sometimes people are afraid to come close to sadhus because they’re harboring material attachments, and they’re not really ready to let them go.

But in the Bhāgavatam, Kapiladeva says to Devahuti that everyone knows that attachment to the material is the greatest cause of bondage but the same attachment, when transferred to the self-realized devotees, opens the door to liberation. So, attachment is there. We cannot live without attachment. We cannot become stone; we are living beings. So, attachment is there, but we have to transfer the attachments from maya to Krishna and Krishna’s devotees. Because attachment to the material is the greatest cause of bondage, whereas attachment to the self-realized devotees opens the door to liberation. So, attachment is there, but according to what we are attached to, we are either bound to suffer in the material world, or we are liberating. And becoming attached to the devotee means that the devotee will cut—our material attachments. So, people who want to hold on to their material attachments are afraid of becoming close to pure devotees because they think if they come close to the pure devotee, they will have to give up their secret attachments.

So, sometimes people say, “Well, yes, but how do we transfer our attachment? I don’t understand how it works.” Well, Srila Rupa Gosvami gives the answer in Sri Upadeśāmṛta (4).

dadāti pratigṛhṇāti
guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati
bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva
ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti-lakṣaṇam

This is how we develop a relationship with someone, especially guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati the central point: revealing one’s mind in confidence. If we reveal our mind and confidence to people who are materially interested, we become attached to them. But the basis of the attachment will be material. And if we reveal our mind to self-realized souls who have no material interest in us, they just want to help us in Krishna consciousness, then we can be liberated. That is how we transfer our attachment. If we give gifts and receive gifts from materialistic persons, we become attached. That is why we, at least in the West—although what I hear is that India is becoming like the West in the younger generation, what goes on in the colleges—but anyway, the stereotype in the West is that the lusty man who wants to attract the lusty woman, or not lusty woman, he will give her gifts, flowers, candy according to their culture. Because the dadāti, this is the principle of dāna, that you give someone a gift, and the person becomes attached to you. It is a natural phenomenon.

So, the pure devotees, they also give gifts, but they don’t give chocolate. They might give kṛṣṇa-prasāda, but we don’t take chocolate. But the real gift that the devotee gives is the gift of Krishna consciousness. He gives the holy name of Krishna. He gives the transcendental science of Krishna consciousness. That is the greatest gift. So, if we accept that gift, then we will become attached to the devotees. But if we are afraid to accept the gift fully, then we won’t become so attached. If we want to maintain both, like our material interest and our spiritual interest, we won’t really develop our attachments for the pure devotees. And therefore, Srila Prabhupada gave the example of the person who is like floundering in the ocean, and there are two boards or two rafts. One is material development, and the other is spiritual progress. So, he really doesn’t have enough faith in Krishna consciousness; He put both feet on that raft. But at the same time, he has enough knowledge of Krishna consciousness that He can’t put both feet in material development. So, he puts one foot on one board and the other foot on the other board. And what’s the result? He goes back down. He can’t get up. You can’t because he is trying to put one foot on one board and the other foot on the other board.

So, anyway, we know what happens if we take shelter of sense gratification. We just get punished. So, we should just give up the hope that we can be happy in the material world and get completely on the raft of Krishna consciousness. Then we can pick ourselves up from the ocean of birth and death and stand safely on the platform of devotional service and ultimately go back home, back to Godhead. So, this is the sublime process that Srila Prabhupada has given us. It comes ultimately from Krishna, from Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, but it has come to us through Him. And if we just take it seriously, we will get the results. Otherwise, half-heartedly, we will remain floundering.

Maharaja, and then Vakeshvara pandit, and then Atmarama.

Devotee 1: [Unintelligible 00:44:37]

Giriraj Swami: He says that we say that maya is not holding on to us; we are holding on to maya. But at the same time, we say that Madan is piercing us with his arrows, and therefore he is actually attracting us. But we are allowing Madan to pierce us with his arrow. If we took shelter behind Krishna, Madan could never shoot us with his arrow because Madan when he looks at Krishna, He also gets bewildered. So, we are in the party of Krishna; Madan will not be able to shoot us. So, if we allow ourselves to stray from the party of Krishna, or if we don’t take care to enter into the party of Krishna, we are open to be attacked by Madan. That means we are inviting him to attack us. So, we have to decide where to place ourselves. And if we place ourselves at the lotus feet of Madan Mohan, Madan will not be able to pierce us.

Devotee 2: [Unintelligible 00:46:25]

Giriraj Swami: So Vakreshvara pandit asked a very good question: what is the actual position of Kamadeva? Because Kamadeva, in some places, said to be Krishna. Well, there are two Kamadeva. One is aprakrita Kamadeva that is Krishna spiritual Cupid, transcendental Cupid, who attracts the hearts of the gopīs and all living entities with his beauty. But there is also a material Kamadeva, who we have mentioned. He is the demigod in charge of lusty desires, of piercing people with his arrows and making them lusty. You see, just like there is yoga-maya in the spiritual world and mahā-maya in the material world, so there is the transcendental Cupid, Krishna, in the spiritual world who attracts all living entities. And then there is the material cupid who attracts the conditioned souls to become more and more bound in material existence. Hare Krishna

Devotee 3: [Unintelligible 00:48:08]

Giriraj Swami: Yes, he says that persons in the mode of goodness are not attractive, but the demigods often do become attractive. But the answer is that in the material world, the mode of goodness does not exist alone. The mode of goodness is mixed with some passion and some ignorance. But the demigods are predominantly in the mode of goodness, therefore they are demigods. But much of what we hear about dancing, heavenly dancing, society girls, is on the heavenly planet in Indraloka or Svargaloka, which is at the bottom of the higher planets. Above Svargaloka, there is Janaloka, Tapaloka, Maharloka, where the living beings are more highly evolved. And we, these stories we don’t hear in those places. But it is true, unless one becomes a pure devotee, there will be some influence of the other modes. And therefore, even though someone may be predominantly in the mode of goodness, under certain circumstances, as described in Bhagavad-gītā, the mode of passion may become prominent. There is a competition between the modes. So sometimes the mode of goodness is prominent, sometimes the mode of passion is prominent, sometimes the mode of ignorance is prominent. It defeats the other modes.

So, most of the time, they are in the mode of goodness. They, but they, and therefore they remember Krishna, because we can remember Krishna in the mode of goodness. But sometimes the mode of passion becomes prominent. Sometimes even the mode of ignorance, they get intoxicated Nalakuvara and Manigriva, they become intoxicated and when Narada Muni comes, they couldn’t recognize him and therefore they were cursed to take birth as a tree and stand naked. So, there is competition, and sometimes one mode becomes more prominent, but generally they are in the mode of goodness, more or less. Yes, can I talk.

Devotee 4: [Unintelligible 00:51:08]

Giriraj Swami: Kanahi Thakura Prabhu says that the business of the sadhu is to cut. One approaches the spiritual master so the spiritual master can cut and liberate us. But he says that, practically, what did you say? Practically, he is not able to approach the spiritual master to get the material attachments cut. He is too weak for that. So, what is the question? What to do? Well, yes, weakness of heart, durbalya weaknesses. So, we have to strengthen ourselves. We have to strengthen our intelligence because intelligence is higher than the mind and the senses. And the mind and the senses are always getting materially attached.

So how to strengthen the intelligence? Srila Prabhupada said there are two methods. One is by using one’s intelligence or exercising one’s intelligence. It is a struggle. The senses and the mind are just after material comforts or material solutions. We have to control the mind and the senses by intelligence. It is a struggle. So that is that. Compare exercising intelligence to exercising muscles. If we want to build up our physical strength, we lift weights. So, at the end of the session, we may feel exhausted. At the beginning we could lift the weight, but at the end we can’t lift it anymore. So apparently, we are becoming weaker, but actually, we are not becoming weaker. But by exercise, although initially we become exhausted, but in the end, we build up our strength gradually. And then the next time, we can lift more weights or do more repetitions. So, in the same way, when we exercise our intelligence, trying to control the mind and the senses or just trying to find some superior solution, our intelligence may become tired. But it doesn’t mean that our intelligence is becoming weaker. But we are exercising it, and gradually it will become stronger.

And the other way to develop intelligence, according to Srila Prabhupada, is to hear. By hearing about Krishna, about the science of Krishna, our intelligence becomes stronger. Before the class, our intelligence might be weaker. We are not in the mood to fight. We are ready just to give in to our mind and senses. But by hearing about the illusion of material happiness, by hearing about the beauty of Krishna consciousness, we get strength. Because I am not really trying hard, we might become hopeless. So, it is the same thing. I have been rowing so hard, but because the anchor is there, I haven’t made progress. So, we might become helpless. “Oh, I have been trying for so many years. I am not getting anywhere. Hopeless.” But by hearing the science, why you are not getting anywhere, and how you can go somewhere, to get strength. Yes, I can do it. So, by hearing also, we get strength.

Devotee 5: [Unintelligible 00:55:27]

Giriraj Swami: Vamanadeva, he looks small, but he expands Himself and takes over everything.

Devotee 6: [Unintelligible 00:55:40]

Giriraj Swami: He is saying that in Bhagavad-gītā Krishna says He is the sex life according to religious principles. And then, what did you say after that? Oh, no, no. When Krishna says that I am sex life according to religious principles, that doesn’t mean the same Krishna, transcendental Cupid, who is attracting the gopīs and every living entity in the spiritual world. No, no, it does not. There are so many things which Krishna is. He is the light of the sun and the moon. He is the strength of the strong. He is sound in the ether. His ability in man. That is not the original Krishna. It is Krishna because it is Krishna’s energy. It is Krishna’s material energy. But because, in one sense, the energy and the energetic are the same, so we say Krishna.

Once Srila Prabhupada was walking on the Juhu beach with Panchdravida and other devotees, Srila Prabhupada pointed to the ocean and he said, “What is this?” So Panchdravida said, “That is the Arabian Sea.” Srila Prabhupada said, “I know that is the Arabian Sea. I am asking philosophically what it is.” So, then Panchdravida said, “That it is Krishna.” Because in Bhagavad-gītā, Krishna says that of bodies of water, He is the ocean and Srila Prabhupada says “No, that is not scientific. It is the energy of Krishna.” So, when Krishna says, “I am the light of the sun and the moon, I am the taste of water, I am sex which is not contrary to religious principles,” it doesn’t mean that that is the original Krishna that lives eternally in Goloka. It is a representation of Krishna.

Devotee 7: [Unintelligible 00:58:09]

Giriraj Swami: He said that the devotees are trying to become Krishna conscious, but because of material attachments, they may not make much progress. So doesn’t Krishna sometimes. The devotee is so much in illusion that he doesn’t even realize that he is in illusion. The devotee is a devotee, but the devotee is so much in illusion from material attachments that he can’t, so then doesn’t Krishna. Can Krishna intervene and help the devotee to cross over the ocean of nescience. Yes, and therefore Krishna says – yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ.

If Krishna sees that a devotee is sincere, but at the same time He has material attachments, Krishna may show special mercy to the devotee and take away the attachments. And then, when the attachments are taken away, the devotee has no recourse except to surrender to Krishna. And then the devotee’s real desire, which was to become Krishna conscious, is fulfilled by the special arrangement of Krishna. Yes, that is true. Just like Srila Prabhupada, he has said that his guru Maharaja ordered him to preach, but he was reluctant to take up the order fully because of family attachment. So gradually, everything started to go wrong. His business started to fail, his wife, his relationships with his children, they all started to go bad. And then he read the verse, yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi “When I am especially inclined to show mercy to some devotee, the first installment of the special mercy is I take everything away from him.” So, Srila Prabhupada, thinking maybe that is what’s happening to me. So gradually, otherwise, one astrologer had predicted that Srila Prabhupada would be the richest man in India, which of course, spiritually, he did become the richest man of India, but anyway, materially somehow other things started to go wrong with his business. His employees plundered his shop. Krishna was taking everything away. He couldn’t build it up again. Then he surrendered and took fully to the order of his spiritual master to preach.

So, yes, it is true. If, in spite of hearing and in spite of practicing, we are not able to give up our material attachments, then Krishna will say, “Oh, the poor devotee is struggling, suffering. Let me help him.” So then, He takes everything away. So initially, the devotee may feel that the devotee is suffering more, but it is for the ultimate benefit of Krishna consciousness.

Devotee 8: [Unintelligible 01:02:00]

Giriraj Swami: Prabhu says there are six enemies of the living entities lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride, and envy and as Srila Prabhupada explained in Bhagavad-gītā originally we have pure love for Krishna. But when we come in contact with material association, the pure love for Krishna becomes perverted into lust. But the lust, when it is dovetailed in Krishna’s service, becomes reconverted into pure love for Krishna.

So therefore, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains that all of these six—lust, anger, greed, and so on—can be dovetailed in Krishna consciousness. And then, instead of being our enemies, they become our friends. So instead of desiring for personal sense gratification, we desire for Krishna’s sense gratification, which means for Krishna’s happiness. So, Krishna is happy when people become Krishna conscious. So, we try to spread Krishna consciousness. And anger— Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that we should become angry with those who are envious of the devotees, those who are against the devotees. And greed—instead of wanting to acquire things for our sense gratification, we should try to acquire things to offer to Krishna. So, all of the six enemies can be engaged in Krishna’s service, and then they become friends. They become our friends, except envy. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that the five can be dovetailed in Krishna’s service, but the one, envy, we have to leave. We have to leave.

Devotee 9: [Unintelligible 01:04:32]

Giriraj Swami: Okay, this will be the last question. Others can ask after as time is out but he is saying that we can overcome attraction to maya by attraction to Krishna. But sometimes the attraction is so strong to maya that to counteract the attraction for Krishna would have to be very strong. But we don’t have such strong attractions. True, but we can gradually increase our attachment to Krishna and reduce our attraction to maya. It is a gradual process.

Srila Prabhupada said, if we want, we can become Krishna conscious in one moment. And if we don’t want to, we may take millions of lifetimes to become Krishna conscious. So how quickly we become Krishna conscious depends on us. But still, if we make gradual progress, eventually we will become Krishna conscious. And as we do make progress, our rate of advancement accelerates. It is like the car starts at zero. Then gradually goes up to five, ten, fifteen, twenty, and after some time, it goes quite quickly. So, we may start slow, it is true, but if we make steady progress, the rate of advancement will accelerate. So, it is not that we should be discouraged that things are going so slow now. They will always go equally slow. As we become free from anarthas, as we pass through anartha-nivṛtti, then things go faster. So, whatever it is, we have no choice. I mean, we don’t have any good choices. And therefore, Prabhupada said that yes, spiritual life is difficult, but material life is impossible. So, we should choose spiritually

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Nitai-Gaura premānande