SB 9.10.51 – Don’t Criticize Vaishnavas

Giriraj Swami: 

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

Reading from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto Nine, Chapter Ten, “The Pastimes of Lord Ramachandra,”

TEXT 51

tretāyāṁ vartamānāyāṁ
kālaḥ kṛta-samo ‘bhavat
rāme rājani dharma-jñe
sarva-bhūta-sukhāvahe

TRANSLATION

Lord Rāmacandra became King during Tretā-yuga, but because of His good government, the age was like Satya-yuga. Everyone was religious and completely happy.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Among the four yugas — Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali — the Kali-yuga is the worst, but if the process of varṇāśrama-dharma is introduced, even in this Age of Kali, the situation of Satya-yuga can be invoked. The Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is meant for this purpose.

kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann
asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ
kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya
mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet

“My dear King, although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.” (Bhāg. 12.3.51) If people take to this saṅkīrtana movement of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma, they will certainly be freed from the contamination of Kali-yuga, and the people of this age will be happy, as people were in Satya-yuga, the golden age. Anyone, anywhere, can easily take to this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement; one need only chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, observe the rules and regulations, and stay free from the contamination of sinful life. Even if one is sinful and cannot give up sinful life immediately, if he chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra with devotion and faith he will certainly be freed from all sinful activities, and his life will be successful. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. This is the blessing of Lord Rāmacandra, who has appeared in this Age of Kali as Lord Gaurasundara.

COMMENT

We have been discussing how during the rule of Ramachandra, the people followed varnashrama-dharma. But varnashrama-dharma is the shell or the external form of material management. But the life or the internal soul is Krishna consciousness. One man in India is fairly famous for his theories that Vedic culture had been spread throughout the world and various prominent shrines, which are generally considered to belong to other religious and cultures are actually originally Vedic. His name is P. N. Oak, and he has written a number of books and articles. One theory is that in the inner sanctum at Mecca, the rock which is considered sacred to the Muslims is actually a shiva-lingam and he has different types of evidence that he cites.

So one day, when I happened to be in Delhi, Mr. Oak came to visit Srila Prabhupada. And Srila Prabhupada made the point to him that who cares if Vedic culture was spread all over the world? Do you know what is the position of the Vedic culture now? He said people outside India have no care of Vedic culture. The only people who care about Vedic culture outside India are the ones who become Krishna Consciousness. He said the real thing is to make people Krishna conscious. Then automatically, they will care for Vedic culture. So the same principle applies to varnashrama-dharma, that varnashrama-dharma without Krishna consciousness is just an empty shell. Remnants of varnashrama-dharma without Krishna consciousness can be as abusive as any other system of management, where the people in superior positions try to dominate and exploit the people in inferior positions. Consequently, the people in inferior positions revolt against the people in superior positions.

One of the items on the agenda of modern India, the government of modern India, was to overthrow the caste system because the caste system based on birth, which is actually demonic, had caused great distress to many people and intelligent people could see that the caste system based on birth should be overthrown. But they have no idea of the original system created by Krishna. cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ that is one’s position is determined by one’s qualification and one’s work, not by one’s birth. Srila Prabhupada gave the example that someone may be born of a doctor or a lawyer, but just being born of a doctor or a lawyer doesn’t mean that one automatically becomes one. Certainly growing up in the household where the head of the family is a doctor or a lawyer gives one a great opportunity to understand the occupation and to want to follow in the same line of work. But still, one has to be qualified by education and one has to actually work as a doctor or a lawyer. Even if someone is qualified by a degree as a lawyer, but if he doesn’t practice law, no one will say that he is a lawyer. Bhagavad-gītā says, guṇa-karma, that one has to be qualified and also one has to work. And then one can be classified.

The government of India and probably almost everyone in the world had no idea of daivi-varṇāśrama, or the divine system of varnashrama-dharma. They only knew of the demonic system of varnashrama-dharma. Therefore, one of the items of the political rulers was to overthrow the artificial system of caste by birth. So Around 1977, Jayaprakash Narayan, who had been one of the freedom fighters and who was very popular, along with Morarji Desai, actually got together, and their party or coalition defeated Indira Gandhi and formed the government in India so anyway Jayaprakash Narayan organized a big meeting where so many thousands of people came together. The caste Brahmins came together and they took off their sacred threads, put them in a huge pile, and set fire to them to indicate their rejection of the false caste system. When the devotees told Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada remarked, “Good, they are admitting they are all sudras.” But Srila Prabhupada’s mission was different. Srila Prabhupada’s mission was to create a class of actual Brahmins who were qualified as Brahmins and who worked as Brahmins. But again, the purpose of varnashrama-dharma is to please Vishnu. Therefore, the result of varnashrama-dharma should be that the population becomes Vaishnava. In the modern age of Kali-yuga, which is the worst age, the way for people to become Vaishnava or Krishna conscious is saṅkīrtana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana.

So here in the purport, the verse says that because of the presence of Lord Ramachandra, the condition in Treta-yuga became just like the condition in Satya-yuga. The people became completely religious and happy. Srila Prabhupada suggests in the purport that in the same way, by the presence of Lord Ramachandra or Lord Krishna, who are identical with their holy names, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, the conditions of Satya-yuga can be invoked even in the present age of Kali-yuga. Now, some years ago, some devotees noted that Kali had entered ISKCON. We actually witnessed it at a certain stage. ISKCON, which had been very close, like a family, had changed. There was quarrel and strife everywhere. One senior devotee had commented that Kali had entered ISKCON, and I think many of the devotees agreed because of the quarrel. Kali actually means quarrel. It doesn’t mean that Kali ruled ISKCON, but he somehow had entered, and by his mischievous influence, there was kali, quarrel among devotees.

By the logic in the verse and purport here, we can conclude that the solution to become free from the influence of Kali is to chant the holy names of Krishna and Rama. But again, for the holy name to have its full effect, one must chant the holy name without offenses. And of all offenses, the worst, of course, is vaiṣṇava-aparādha. Because of vaiṣṇava-aparādha, even devotees who chant the holy names do not get the same benefit, and they do not become free from the influence of Kali. Therefore, they are the. . . quarrelling continues. But if we chant the holy names and at the same time avoid the offenses, especially the offense of vaiṣṇava-aparādha, and follow the regulative principles and avoid sinful activities, then one will enjoy the full presence of Rama and Krishna. The condition will become just like such a Satya-yuga.

Vaiṣṇava-aparādha or sādhu-nindā can be very subtle. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura discusses the ten offenses in some detail in Harināma-cintāmaṇi. He discusses sādhu-nindā, blaspheming devotees, and he begins first with a discussion of what is a sadhu because to understand sādhu-nindā one must first understand who is a sadhu. With evidence from scriptures, he says that a sadhu is one who has surrendered to the holy name of Krishna. I believe that Srila Prabhupada, understanding what sādhu-nindā is, has translated to blaspheme the devotees who have dedicated their lives for the propagation of the holy names of the Lord. So anyone who has surrendered to the holy name is considered a sadhu.

Then Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura discusses the qualities of a devotee, qualities of a sadhu, and the twenty-six mentioned in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and He says that if one has all twenty-six except one, which is Kṛṣṇāika-śaraṇam surrendered to Krishna surrender to holy name, all the other twenty-five are useless. But if someone has the one qualification of Kṛṣṇāika-śaraṇam, of being surrendered to Krishna, he is considered a sadhu, even if He is found deficient in some of the other qualities. Therefore, Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that the absence of some or any of the other twenty-five qualities does not disqualify one as a sadhu. If one finds fault with a sadhu because he lacks some of the other twenty-five qualities that is sādhu-nindā.

He also mentions varnashrama, that according to one’s position in varnashrama, some of the other twenty-five qualities will be more prominent some will be less according to one’s Nature, but one should not find fault with the devotee if he has the one qualification of being surrendered to Krishna. Then he discusses other grounds that someone may consider justification for criticism of a sadhu. But he says that they are not justified. If one does criticize a sadhu on such grounds, then he is involved in sādhu-nindā. One is the sinful activities that the devotee performed before he came to Krishna consciousness before he surrendered to Krishna. One is traces of sinful activities that remain with him even after he comes to Krishna Consciousness. One is an accidental fall down that the devotee may experience after he comes to Krishna Consciousness. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that if one does criticize a sadhu for such previous sinful activities or traces of sinful activities or accidental fall downs, one is involved in sādhu-nindā.

So, even though we chant the holy name, if we commit offenses we won’t get the result. Therefore, we have to be very careful to avoid the offenses and especially the offense of sādhu-nindā has become more Prominent. Then Bhaktivinoda Thakura discusses how to counteract the offenses and Of course, we have heard about sādhu-nindā or vaiṣṇava-aparādha, that the way to counteract it is to approach the person. One is offended and begs forgiveness from the person. But Bhaktivinoda Thakura with all of the ten offences Suggests that if we engage in some positive activity, like to avoid the offense’s negative, but if we engage in some positive activity which is the opposite of the offense, then that is the best counteraction. Therefore, he says that the best counteraction for blaspheming devotees is appreciating devotees, glorifying devotees.

So the other day we were discussing the devotees at Chowpatty in Mumbai, how nice the devotees there are and One of the reasons, or the main reason, is that they have been taught not to criticize devotees. But to the contrary, they have been taught to appreciate, glorify, and serve devotees and they chant a lot. But it’s not just that they chant a lot, but the chanting has an effect because they avoid offenses. Then the result of chanting without offense is that one experiences the pleasure of chanting and then one wants to chant more and more, become more enlivened, more enthused and It becomes like the opposite of a vicious cycle. In a vicious cycle, you commit an offense. So you lose taste. You lose taste, you lose faith. Then you commit more offenses, then you lose more taste, then you lose more faith, you become more offensive. But the opposite can also be true. You avoid offenses, you appreciate Vaishnavas, you serve Vaishnavas and chant the holy name and you get some taste. Then you want to chant more and glorify more and serve more and then you get more taste and it becomes like an upward spiral.

So that is the actual process that Srila Prabhupada gave us, to chant the holy names without offense, and to follow the regulated principles. That is the whole essence of the entire process. If we do it, we will get the result. Devotees who do it get the result, and communities of devotees who do it get the result together. So, Srila Prabhupada has given us everything, but we have to understand it and follow it properly then we get the result. Hare Krishna.

Any Questions or comments.

Devotee 1: [Unintelligible 00:33:00]

Giriraj Swami: Well Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, and we have also experienced, that if we chant in the association of devotees who have taste, it helps us. If we chant in front of the deities or in front of Tulasi-devi, it helps us. If we are distracted by specific thoughts or problems, well, if we are distracted by external forces, the external sense objects. He suggests we chant in a place where we can shut out the external distractions. But internally, if we are disturbed, he suggests that we try to be properly situated in varnashrama-dharma so that we are not disturbed by such things but that it’s not so easy to be properly situated in Kali-yuga. But I think chanting with other devotees, chanting in front of deities, in front of Tulasi-devi. Maybe going to a temple, of course going to Mayapur Vrindavan will certainly help. Even otherwise going to the temple where Atmosphere is more spiritually surcharged. And it’s not just going to the temple, but it’s getting away from the place where one has one’s habitual way of thinking and doing things. Climb a mountain.

Devotee 2: [Unintelligible 00:37:00]

Giriraj Swami: Well, varnashrama-dharma can mean the complete system implemented in the entire society. Or varnashrama-dharma in more simple language means being properly situated. And Srila Prabhupada himself admitted that we wouldn’t really be able to revive varnashrama-dharma throughout the society. I mean, it’s a goal, but in practice. It would be almost impossible, unless the population became very Krishna Consciousness which is also not imminent. Someone should have a job that is congenial. Yeah, I mean, whatever. Just basically being in this situation is congenial. Prahlada told me he went through a very difficult Period. When he was dealing with the music industry. He said that the first CD he did called Atlantis Angelo or something sold five hundred thousand copies. But he did it through Music Company and he just had a terrible time dealing with such materialistic people and after many years of suffering from Bad association. He decided to just produce his own CDs. So now he produces his own CDs. He doesn’t sell five hundred thousand because he doesn’t have the distribution net that big companies have but he is more peaceful, he feels he can make progress in his Krishna consciousness. Dealing with the music industry was very disturbed.

So I think, in simple language, we should be situated in, terms of our personal life, in terms of our work life in such a way that we are not disturbed. So that when we chant we are not disturbed by thinking of all the problems with the people at work or people at home or the problem of not having someone at home and I think that is the idea. And that was Prabhupada’s intention when he spoke about varnashrama-dharma. Without varnashrama-dharma the people are so disturbed they can’t chant the holy name peacefully. Actually all we need to do is chant the holy name. We don’t need varnashrama-dharma, varnashrama-dharma is external but when People are so disturbed from lack of proper situation. They can’t even chant peacefully. They may not even be able to chant at all hardly. So that was Prabhupada’s idea that we introduced varnashrama-dharma so people can become Peaceful enough and secure enough that they can chant, which is a real process and we don’t really need any other process but We are in the material world and we are conditioned, disturbed by certain Condition and therefore, Srila Prabhupada wanted the conditions to be favorable. But it can even work the other way even when Sujan Mataji mentioned chanting more attentively. I actually thought that sometimes it happens when there is a crisis then we chant more attentively, sincerely. So it could work the other way also, but if the disturbed situation becomes too prolonged, habitual. But whatever it is, like Prabhupada said, there is no excuse for forgetting Krishna whatever situation we are in we should go on.

Devotee 3: [Unintelligible 00:43:50]

Giriraj Swami: Another thing one can do is pray to the holy name to enable one to hear or to manifest himself for themselves in our mind and heart and there are devotees who Read prayers before they begin to chant prayers that either glorify the holy name or that just put the devotee in a prayerful mood when the devotee chants.

Devotee 4: [Unintelligible 00:47:28]

Giriraj Swami: If they are all chanting, then you shouldn’t blaspheme any of them. What’s the problem?

Devotee 4: [Unintelligible 00:48:00]

Giriraj Swami: First I would like to go back to your first question because Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura discusses some categories of non-devotees who appear to be devotees. One category is the pretender Dharmadhvajī, someone who waves the flag of dharma like a great devotee. So, like the pretenders, one category I forgot the other categories. And then he says that if one criticizes Oh yes, the impersonalists, the Mayavadis. Yeah, the demigod worshippers. They can also chant, but they are not the same as devotees, although they may appear to be devotees. So To criticize them is not an offense. And if someone criticizes them, like Prabhupada did. Sometimes Prabhupada would criticize Demigod worshippers and impersonalists in India, and people would take offense.

But Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that to criticize a non-devotee who may be mistaken by ignorant people to be a devotee is not an offense. And that if someone criticizes the preacher for criticizing non-devotees, we should avoid the association of the critic. I mean, Dr. Patel was a special category, but I use him as an example because he was quite reputed. But sometimes Prabhupada would criticize some popular religious leaders of India and Dr. Patel would get upset. But actually Prabhupada was not committing an offense because they were not actually devotees. Although someone may not be able to distinguish.

And once Prabhupada criticized someone who Dr. Patel had a lot of sentiment for. Dr. Patel got very upset. He had a big argument with Srila Prabhupada, a major argument, and they were both shouting at each other. And Dr. Patel’s friends were trying to restrain him saying he is an old man, having a heart condition. And Prabhupada’s disciples were trying to restrain Prabhupada, but neither one could be restrained. And then, after walking every day on Juhu Beach with Srila Prabhupada, the next morning Dr. Patel didn’t come. But anyway, they were somehow drawn to each other. Dr. Patel was drawn to Srila Prabhupada. So next day even though Dr. Patel hadn’t come. Somehow they passed. They were walking towards each other on the beach. Dr. Patel came up to Srila Prabhupada and said “I am sorry, I have just been taught from my childhood to respect all the saints of India.” Prabhupada said, “Yes. And I have been taught to say who is a saint and who is not.

So there are categories like that, the pretenders, impersonalist, demi-god worshippers who may be mistaken to be devotees or saints, but who aren’t. And to criticize them is not an offence. Someone becomes critical of a preacher. Of course, the only ones I know of are people who sort of ended up with some relationship with us. There was one man; very intelligent. He took offense because Prabhupada criticized Shankaracharya, or the philosophy of Shankaracharya. He was thinking, Who is he to criticize Shankaracharya? But he kept reading and then he became convinced that Prabhupada was right. I know there are many examples, but that is the idea. If someone criticizes a preacher for criticizing non-devotees who may have the reputation of being devotees or being saints, we should avoid their association.

As far as the idea that we try to please the devotees but we can’t please all of the devotees all of the time. I mean, the main ingredient to an offense is the attitude. In other words, if you don’t have an offensive attitude, but you just do something that happens to displease someone. I mean, still you should go to the person and say, I am sorry I displeased you, I didn’t mean to. Situation: if you didn’t really do anything wrong but the person was just displeased then still, you should go to the person and try to make the person feel better.

Hare Krishna.

Here earlier than we expected. Well, should we stop our discussion here?