SB 8.7 – Pleasing the Lord

Giriraj Swami:

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Reading from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Eight, Chapter Seven, “Lord Śiva Saves the Universe by Drinking Poison.”

CHAPTER 7

The summary of the Seventh Chapter is as follows. As described in this chapter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appearing in His incarnation as a tortoise, dove deep into the ocean to carry Mandara Mountain on His back. At first the churning of the ocean produced kālakūṭa poison. Everyone feared this poison, but Lord Śiva satisfied them by drinking it.

With the understanding that when the nectar was generated from the churning they would share it equally, the demigods and the demons brought Vāsuki to be used as the rope for the churning rod. By the expert arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the demons held the snake near the mouth, whereas the demigods held the tail of the great snake. Then, with great endeavor, they began pulling the snake in both directions. Because the churning rod, Mandara Mountain, was very heavy and was not held by any support in the water, it sank into the ocean, and in this way the prowess of both the demons and the demigods was vanquished. The Supreme Personality of Godhead then appeared in the form of a tortoise and supported Mandara Mountain on His back. Then the churning resumed with great force. As a result of the churning, a huge amount of poison was produced. The prajāpatis, seeing no one else to save them, approached Lord Śiva and offered him prayers full of truth. Lord Śiva is called Āśutoṣa because he is very pleased if one is a devotee. Therefore he easily agreed to drink all the poison generated by the churning. The goddess Durgā, Bhavānī, the wife of Lord Śiva, was not at all disturbed when Lord Śiva agreed to drink the poison, for she knew Lord Śiva’s prowess. Indeed, she expressed her pleasure at this agreement. Then Lord Śiva gathered the devastating poison, which was everywhere. He took it in his hand and drank it. After he drank the poison, his neck became bluish. A small quantity of the poison dropped from his hands to the ground, and it is because of this poison that there are poisonous snakes, scorpions, toxic plants and other poisonous things in this world.

COMMENT

So, now we will skip ahead to Text Thirty-Three to the end of the prayers to Lord Shiva, and we will read how Lord Shiva responded to the prayers. Canto Eight, Chapter Seven, Text Thirty-Three.

TEXT 33

ye tv ātma-rāma-gurubhir hṛdi cintitāṅghri-
dvandvaṁ carantam umayā tapasābhitaptam
katthanta ugra-paruṣaṁ nirataṁ śmaśāne
te nūnam ūtim avidaṁs tava hāta-lajjāḥ

TRANSLATION

Exalted, self-satisfied persons who preach to the entire world think of your lotus feet constantly within their hearts. However, when persons who do not know your austerity see you moving with Umā, they misunderstand you to be lusty, or when they see you wandering in the crematorium they mistakenly think that you are ferocious and envious. Certainly they are shameless. They cannot understand your activities.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Lord Śiva is the topmost Vaiṣṇava (vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ). It is therefore said, vaiṣṇavera kriyā-mudrā vijñe nā bujhaya. Even the most intelligent person cannot understand what a Vaiṣṇava like Lord Śiva is doing or how he is acting. Those who are conquered by lusty desires and anger cannot estimate the glories of Lord Śiva, whose position is always transcendental. In all the activities associated with lusty desires, Lord Śiva is an implement of ātma-rāma. Ordinary persons, therefore, should not try to understand Lord Śiva and his activities. One who tries to criticize the activities of Lord Śiva is shameless.

TEXT 34

tat tasya te sad-asatoḥ parataḥ parasya
nāñjaḥ svarūpa-gamane prabhavanti bhūmnaḥ
brahmādayaḥ kim uta saṁstavane vayaṁ tu
tat-sarga-sarga-viṣayā api śakti-mātram

TRANSLATION

Even personalities like Lord Brahmā and other demigods cannot understand your position, for you are beyond the moving and nonmoving creation. Since no one can understand you in truth, how can one offer you prayers? It is impossible. As far as we are concerned, we are creatures of Lord Brahmā’s creation. Under the circumstances, therefore, we cannot offer you adequate prayers, but as far as our ability allows, we have expressed our feelings.

TEXT 35

etat paraṁ prapaśyāmo
na paraṁ te maheśvara
mṛḍanāya hi lokasya
vyaktis te ’vyakta-karmaṇaḥ

TRANSLATION

O greatest of all rulers, your actual identity is impossible for us to understand. As far as we can see, your presence brings flourishing happiness to everyone. Beyond this, no one can appreciate your activities. We can see this much, and nothing more.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

When the demigods offered these prayers to Lord Śiva, their inner purpose was to please him so that he would rectify the disturbing situation created by the hālahala poison. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.20), kāmais tais tair hṛta jñānāḥ prapadyante ’nya-devatāḥ: when one worships demigods, this is certainly because of deep-rooted desires he wants fulfilled by the mercy of those demigods. People are generally attached to the worship of demigods for some motive.

TEXT 36

śrī-śuka uvāca
tad-vīkṣya vyasanaṁ tāsāṁ
kṛpayā bhṛśa-pīḍitaḥ
sarva-bhūta-suhṛd deva
idam āha satīṁ priyām

TRANSLATION

Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Lord Śiva is always benevolent toward all living entities. When he saw that the living entities were very much disturbed by the poison, which was spreading everywhere, he was very compassionate. Thus he spoke to his eternal consort, Satī, as follows.

TEXT 37

śrī-śiva uvāca
aho bata bhavāny etat
prajānāṁ paśya vaiśasam
kṣīroda-mathanodbhūtāt
kālakūṭād upasthitam

TRANSLATION

Lord Śiva said: My dear Bhavānī, just see how all these living entities have been placed in danger because of the poison produced from the churning of the Ocean of Milk.

TEXT 38

āsāṁ prāṇa-parīpsūnāṁ
vidheyam abhayaṁ hi me
etāvān hi prabhor artho
yad dīna-paripālanam

TRANSLATION

It is my duty to give protection and safety to all living entities struggling for existence. Certainly it is the duty of the master to protect his suffering dependents.

TEXT 39

prāṇaiḥ svaiḥ prāṇinaḥ pānti
sādhavaḥ kṣaṇa-bhaṅguraiḥ
baddha-vaireṣu bhūteṣu
mohiteṣv ātma-māyayā

TRANSLATION

People in general, being bewildered by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are always engaged in animosity toward one another. But devotees, even at the risk of their own temporary lives, try to save them.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This is the characteristic of a Vaiṣṇava. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī: a Vaiṣṇava is always unhappy to see the conditioned souls unhappy. Otherwise, he would have no business teaching them how to become happy. In materialistic life, people must certainly engage in activities of animosity. Materialistic life is therefore compared to saṁsāra-dāvānala, a blazing forest fire that automatically takes place. Lord Śiva and his followers in the paramparā system try to save people from this dangerous condition of materialistic life. This is the duty of devotees following the principles of Lord Śiva and belonging to the Rudra sampradāya. There are four Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas, and the Rudra sampradāya is one of them because Lord Śiva (Rudra) is the best of the Vaiṣṇavas (vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ). Indeed, as we shall see, Lord Śiva drank all the poison for the benefit of humanity.

TEXT 40

puṁsaḥ kṛpayato bhadre
sarvātmā prīyate hariḥ
prīte harau bhagavati
prīye ’haṁ sacarācaraḥ
tasmād idaṁ garaṁ bhuñje
prajānāṁ svastir astu me

TRANSLATION

My dear gentle wife Bhavānī, when one performs benevolent activities for others, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is very pleased. And when the Lord is pleased, I am also pleased, along with all other living creatures. Therefore, let me drink this poison, for all the living entities may thus become happy because of me.

TEXT 41

śrī-śuka uvāca
evam āmantrya bhagavān
bhavānīṁ viśva-bhāvanaḥ
tad viṣaṁ jagdhum ārebhe
prabhāva-jñānvamodata

TRANSLATION

Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: After informing Bhavānī in this way, Lord Śiva began to drink the poison, and Bhavānī, who knew perfectly well the capabilities of Lord Śiva, gave him her permission to do so.

TEXT 42

tataḥ karatalī-kṛtya
vyāpi hālāhalaṁ viṣam
abhakṣayan mahā-devaḥ
kṛpayā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, Lord Śiva, who is dedicated to auspicious, benevolent work for humanity, compassionately took the whole quantity of poison in his palm and drank it.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Although there was such a great quantity of poison that it spread all over the universe, Lord Śiva had such great power that he reduced the poison to a small quantity so that he could hold it in his palm. One should not try to imitate Lord Śiva. Lord Śiva can do whatever he likes, but those who try to imitate Lord Śiva by smoking ganja and other poisonous things will certainly be killed because of such activities.

TEXT 43

tasyāpi darśayām āsa
sva-vīryaṁ jala-kalmaṣaḥ
yac cakāra gale nīlaṁ
tac ca sādhor vibhūṣaṇam

TRANSLATION

As if in defamation, the poison born from the Ocean of Milk manifested its potency by marking Lord Śiva’s neck with a bluish line. That line, however, is now accepted as an ornament of the Lord.

TEXT 44

tapyante loka-tāpena
sādhavaḥ prāyaśo janāḥ
paramārādhanaṁ tad dhi
puruṣasyākhilātmanaḥ

TRANSLATION

It is said that great personalities almost always accept voluntary suffering because of the suffering of people in general. This is considered the highest method of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present in everyone’s heart.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Here is an explanation of how those engaged in activities for the welfare of others are very quickly recognized by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (18.68–69), ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati … na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ: “One who preaches the message of Bhagavad-gītā to My devotees is most dear to Me. No one can excel him in satisfying Me by worship.” There are different kinds of welfare activities in this material world, but the supreme welfare activity is the spreading of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Other welfare activities cannot be effective, for the laws of nature and the results of karma cannot be checked. It is by destiny, or the laws of karma, that one must suffer or enjoy. For instance, if one is given a court order, he must accept it, whether it brings suffering or profit. Similarly, everyone is under obligations to karma and it reactions. No one can change this. Therefore the śāstra says:

tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido
na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ

One should endeavor for that which is never obtained by wandering up and down the universe as a result of the reactions of karma. What is that? One should endeavor to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. If one tries to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, he should be understood to be performing the best welfare activity. The Lord is automatically very pleased with him. If the Lord is pleased with him, what is left for him to achieve? If one has been recognized by the Lord, even if he does not ask the Lord for anything, the Lord, who is within everyone, supplies him whatever he wants. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham). Again, as stated here, tapyante loka-tāpena sādhavaḥ prāyaśo janāḥ. The best welfare activity is raising people to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, since the conditioned souls are suffering only for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Lord Himself also comes to mitigate the suffering of humanity.

yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi yuge yuge

“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion — at that time I descend Myself. To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear millennium after millennium.” (Bg. 4.7–8) All the śāstras conclude, therefore, that spreading the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the best welfare activity in the world. Because of the ultimate benefit this bestows upon people in general, the Lord very quickly recognizes such service performed by a devotee.

TEXT 45

niśamya karma tac chambhor
deva-devasya mīḍhuṣaḥ
prajā dākṣāyaṇī brahmā
vaikuṇṭhaś ca śaśaṁsire

TRANSLATION

Upon hearing of this act, everyone, including Bhavānī [the daughter of Mahārāja Dakṣa], Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu, and the people in general, very highly praised this deed performed by Lord Śiva, who is worshiped by the demigods and who bestows benedictions upon the people.

TEXT 46

praskannaṁ pibataḥ pāṇer
yat kiñcij jagṛhuḥ sma tat
vṛścikāhi-viṣauṣadhyo
dandaśūkāś ca ye ’pare

TRANSLATION

Scorpions, cobras, poisonous drugs and other animals whose bites are poisonous took the opportunity to drink whatever little poison had fallen and scattered from Lord Śiva’s hand while he was drinking.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Mosquitoes, jackals, dogs and other varieties of dandaśūka, or animals whose bites are poisonous, drank the poison of the samudra-manthana, the churned ocean, since it was available after it fell from the palms of Lord Śiva.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Eighth Canto, Seventh Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Lord Śiva Saves the Universe by Drinking Poison.”

Giriraj Swami: Are there any questions or comments?

Devotee: Is there any description why Lord Shiva did that?

Giriraj Swami: Well, we just read the explanation.

Devotee: Just because he is among the best of the Vaishnavas.

Giriraj Swami: I mean, ultimately, he wanted to please the Lord. The Lord is pleased when people sacrifice for the sake of others to make others happy. So, he knew that if he drank the poison and thus made others happy, the Lord would be pleased. And he said, “When the Lord is pleased, I am pleased, and all living entities are pleased.” So, he ultimately did it to please the Lord. And in the same way, the preacher endeavors to spread Krishna consciousness so that others can become happy. By doing so, the Lord is pleased and the preacher and all others are also pleased by the activity of preaching and spreading Krishna consciousness.

Devotee: There are so many Hindus in Mauritius, they never [Unintelligible 00:26:15] addressed or spoke about Lord Shiva as the best among the Vaishnavas. The concept doesn’t even come that he is a Vaishnava.

Giriraj Swami: Ordinary Hindus are ignorant of Lord Shiva’s natural identity. Most of them are impersonalists and they think that God is nameless and formless and He comes in different forms and accepts different names for ignorant people to worship, but then when they become enlightened, they go beyond the different forms and merge and become one with God. Less developed people just think that there are different Gods who bestow material boons upon their worshipers, and therefore, they worship them and they think that Brahma, Shiva, Durga, Ganesh, Vishnu; they are all just independent Gods and they are all equal.

They don’t distinguish between viṣṇu-tattva and siva-tattva and śakti-tattva. They think they are all Gods and Goddesses. They are all the same. One is as good as the other. They don’t realize that viṣṇu-tattva is the Supreme, that all others including Shiva and Durga are meant to serve Vishnu, and that by serving Vishnu, all the demigods are automatically satisfied and one need not worship the demigods separately.

Once, I went to visit one temple of Durga upon the hill. [Unintelligible 00:29:42]. The devotees told me that the view was very nice there, it was very nice to chant, and at the same time, it was a known temple and I thought I would just see what the temple is like and people who go there.

So, I walked all the way up, but when I got to the top, the verse just came in my mind where Lord Krishna says, [Unintelligible 00:30:31] serving a spiritual master is as good as serving Krishna, and that the spiritual master is the sum total of all the demigods. So, I understood after the verse came in my mind that I got the message that just by serving Srila Prabhupada, we didn’t have to worship the other demigods because serving him is equal to serving all the demigods.

Devotee: Do you have a pastime of when you visited [Unintelligible 00:31:32] in Mauritius, the lake? Can you say one of your pastimes of going there?

Giriraj Swami: I would mainly go there to distribute books. That was the main reason. Although once, when [Unintelligible 00:32:02]. Was he the one from the SMF? Who was the one?

Devotee: Daya.

Giriraj Swami: Yes. He had some plan to build a temple at Grand Bazaar to improve the area, so he invited us for the first ceremony, and his brother had spent time in Juhu. He became friends with Haridasa Prabhu in Juhu. So, he also further influenced his brother in our favor. So, we went, and I believe His Holiness Lokanatha Swami was in Mauritius at the time, so the idea was that representatives of different religious organizations should all plant some tree or something. So, I believe Lokanatha Swami planted a tulasi.

Devotees: [Unintelligible 00:33:24].

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, that one was new.

Devotee: Also, once, they invited you for the installation ceremony of [Unintelligible 00:33:50].

Giriraj Swami: Yes, that’s right. They wrote a small message.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:33:57]?

Giriraj Swami: No, at [Unintelligible 00:34:00].

Devotee: We have pictures there of the installation ceremony, and Guru Maharaja is also there in one of the pictures.

Giriraj Swami: You don’t know who you are sitting with.

Devotee: Yeah, I just spoke to my assistant, she was at the festival. She went and got prasāda from the devotees. They were distributing.

Devotee: Guru Maharaja, you should come for the [Unintelligible 00:34:54]. Sometimes you kind of develop a disregard for him. Because we shouldn’t worship the demigods, and then we go into Hindus’ homes and oftentimes, it’s quite a dark energy. It’s almost scary. One time, we actually had to eat at their house and [Unintelligible 00:35:28]. So, it’s kind of scary and we don’t have the initial respect for Lord Shiva that someone may have if they come from a Hindu background.

Giriraj Swami: Well, we respect him as a Vaishnava, but they may worship him as a demigod. They may be, as you said, in the lower modes, and that’s why Caitanya-caritāmṛta says we shouldn’t accept food from demigod worshipers. I mean, the purport of Prabhupada specifically says, as far as I recall, preachers should not accept invitations from demigod worshipers because they don’t know that they are Vaishnavas. They don’t know that the demigods are devotees of Vishnu, they just think there are separate Gods. That’s one of the offenses against the holy name, to think that the demigods are equal to or independent of Lord Vishnu.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:37:03].

Giriraj Swami: I remember the first time I visited Ramananda Sagar’s house in the Juhu scheme. He is a movie producer and he is actually a big worshiper of Shiva. I mean, he had quite an opulent temple room with marble and so many little statues. But the whole mood was, like you said, quite dark. It’s funny because he was sort of a devotee of Krishna. He was one of the first from the Indian film elite to visit any of the temples in America or Europe, and he was very impressed when he came back to India. Now people go back and forth all the time, but then a very few people.