SB 5.5.18 – Balaram Prasad and Siddhesvari Priya’s Home Program

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotees: Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: I am going to read a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that specifically discusses the responsibilities of teachers, fathers, mothers, husbands, gurus. It covers a lot of us. And indirectly, sons and daughters. So, that covers everyone. So, we read from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Five, Chapter Five: “Lord Ṛṣabhadeva’s Teachings,” Text Eighteen. Please repeat after me.

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

TEXT 18

gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt

pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt

daivaṁ na tat syān na patiś ca sa syān

na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum

TRANSLATION

One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable demigod.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

There are many spiritual masters, but Ṛṣabhadeva advises that one should not become a spiritual master if he is unable to save his disciple from the path of birth and death. Unless one is a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot save himself from the path of repeated birth and death.

COMMENT

So, although at this point in the purport, Srila Prabhupada is referring to spiritual masters, we have to keep in mind that the same principle applies to teachers, fathers, mothers, husbands, and so on. In other words, they all, in order to properly discharge their duties, must be pure devotees.

PURPORT (continued)

Unless one is a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot save himself from the path of repeated birth and death. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ‘rjuna.

COMMENT

That’s a line from the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ, that one who knows the transcendental mystery of Krishna’s appearance and activities, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma, he doesn’t take birth again, mām eti, but he goes to Krishna. But one can understand Krishna only be devotional service, as the Lord Himself says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti, He can be understood only by devotional service, and thus, one can enter into the mysteries of this understanding. So, we have to be pure devotees, and we have to read the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

PURPORT (continued)

One can stop birth and death only by returning home, back to Godhead. However, who can go back to Godhead unless he understands the Supreme Lord in truth? Janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ.

We have many instances in history illustrating Ṛṣabhadeva’s instructions.

COMMENT

Now, at this point, Srila Prabhupada is citing examples of those who are not real gurus, or mothers, or fathers, or husbands, and how they were rejected. I first became aware of this verse in Juhu, the day after a long struggle, Srila Prabhupada got the Juhu Land. And we didn’t have the land, we didn’t have a place for Srila Prabhupada to stay on the land, so he was staying in a small bungalow belonging to an industrialist, whose main residence was on Malabar Hill in Bombay, but who had a weekend cottage on Juhu Beach.

So, the day after the conveyance was signed, I and another devotee named Mahamsa, who came from quite a respectable, wealthy Parsi family, we were sitting in Srila Prabhupada’s room in that hut, and he quoted this verse. He was definitely encouraging us, and he said openly, “If your mother and father cannot deliver you from the path of repeated birth and death, they are not real mothers and fathers. And therefore, you don’t have to listen to them when they tell you not to become devotees, not to become Krishna conscious.” At the time he was speaking to us, he quoted Srila Sridhar Swami, the original commentator on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, who gave examples of different devotees who had rejected their so-called mothers, fathers, gurus, and husbands for not helping them become Krishna consciousness, but to the contrary, advising them against Krishna consciousness, against surrendering to Krishna. So, here in the purport, Srila Prabhupada quotes the very same examples that he cited when he was speaking with us in his room.

PURPORT (continued)

We have many instances in history illustrating Ṛṣabhadeva’s instructions. Śukrācārya was rejected by Bali Mahārāja due to his inability to save Bali Mahārāja from the path of repeated birth and death. Śukrācārya was not a pure devotee, he was more or less inclined to fruitive activity, and he objected when Bali Mahārāja promised to give everything to Lord Viṣṇu. Actually one is supposed to give everything to the Lord because everything belongs to the Lord.

COMMENT

Now, since this is a house warming celebration, I will tell a story that is relevant both to the occasion and to the purport. Where is Balarama Prasadam? Okay, this is for you, I just want to make sure. [laughter] For everyone, actually, but especially for you. So, a sadhu visited a man’s house, and he was very much appreciating the house, like we’re all appreciating your house. So, he said to the householder, “You have such a nice house.” And he said, “It’s not my house, it’s Thakuraji’s.” Thakuraji means the Deity. He said, “You have such a wonderful wife.” He said, “It’s not my wife, it’s Thakuraji’s. And then, he said, “You have such beautiful children.” “They’re not my children, they’re Thakuraji’s.” So, everything was Thakuraji’s. Then, eventually, they came to the Deity, and the man said, “That’s my Thakuraji.” [laughter]

PURPORT (continued)

Actually one is supposed to give everything to the Lord because everything belongs to the Lord. Consequently, the Supreme Lord advises in Bhagavad-gītā (9.27):

yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi

yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat

yat tapasyasi kaunteya

tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam

COMMENT

Listen, this is very significant.

PURPORT (continued)

“O son of Kuntī, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.” This is bhakti. Unless one is devoted, he cannot give everything to the Supreme Lord. Unless one can do so, he cannot become a spiritual master, husband, father or mother. Similarly, the wives of the brāhmaṇas who were performing sacrifices gave up their relatives just to satisfy Kṛṣṇa.

COMMENT

So, this account is given in the Tenth Canto in Kṛṣṇa book, that Krishna and Balarama and Their cowherd boyfriends were in the forest and they were hungry. And some brahmans were performing a Vedic sacrifice. And so, Krishna sent the cowherd boys to beg for some food from the brahmans, but the brahmans refused. So, they came back, and Krishna encouraged them, “That is the way of begging. You cannot expect to be successful every time.” Then He said, “Go to their wives. They are great devotees and they will give.” So, they went to the wives, and in effect, the wives were defying their husbands. Although it’s the duty of the wife to obey the husband, that was not considered a fault because those husbands were not real husbands, because they were not acting in such a way as to deliver their wives from the path of repeated birth and death. They were not helping their wives in Krishna consciousness to be good devotees.

PURPORT (continued)

This is an example of a wife rejecting a husband who cannot deliver her from the impending dangers of birth and death. Similarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja rejected his father.

COMMENT

In other words, it is the duty of the son to defend the father if the father is attacked. When Prahlada’s father, Hiranyakasipu, was attacked by Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, Prahlada did not do anything to defend his father, protect his father. But that was not his fault because Hiranyakasipu was not a real father.

PURPORT (continued)

Prahlāda Mahārāja rejected his father, and Bharata Mahārāja rejected his mother (jananī na sā syāt).

COMMENT

So, Bharata Maharaja was the younger brother of Lord Ramachandra, and his mother devised a plan by which Rama would be sent into exile, so that her son, Bharata, could occupy the throne, but Bharata did not sit on the throne. He remained a humble servant of Lord Ramachandra, and was just very austerely performing penances, and just waiting for the return of Lord Rama. So, Bharata Maharaja is an example of someone who rejected his mother, jananī na sā syāt.

PURPORT (continued)

The word daivam indicates a demigod or one who accepts worship from a dependent. Ordinarily, the spiritual master, husband, father, mother or superior relative accepts worship from an inferior relative, but here Ṛṣabhadeva forbids this. First the father, spiritual master or husband must be able to release the dependent from repeated birth and death. If he cannot do this, he plunges himself into the ocean of reproachment for his unlawful activities.

COMMENT

So, this is the duty of the residents of this house and of every house, to become pure devotees, and to deliver their dependents from the path of repeated birth and death, which is possible only by their dependents becoming pure devotees. And all of the activities in the household should be aimed towards that goal. Otherwise, it’s śrama eva hi kevalam, simply a waste of time.

PURPORT (continued)

Everyone should be very responsible and take charge of his dependents just as a spiritual master takes charge of his disciple or a father takes charge of his son. All these responsibilities cannot be discharged honestly unless one can save the dependent from repeated birth and death.

COMMENT

So, one point here is that the devotee sons and daughters of parents who are not proper mothers or fathers, can deliver their parents. Ordinarily, the parents should deliver the children, but the child can deliver the parents. And we see that in the case of Prahlada Maharaja. His father wasn’t a real father, but Prahlada prayed to Nṛsiṁhadeva to deliver his father, purify his father. And Dhruva Maharaja also. Of course, his mother was a real mother but she guided him to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but when the Vaikuntha airplane came to take him back to Godhead, he thought of his mother, and he desired that she should not be left behind but she should also come back to Godhead with him. And as soon as he had that thought, his desire was fulfilled.

So, devotees are naturally soft-hearted, kind-hearted, they don’t want to give pain to their parents, but sometimes they can’t help it because the parents are opposed to their Krishna consciousness. But the parents are not without benefit. They benefit from the children’s Krishna consciousness.

It’s just an example, but Srila Prabhupada referred to it. He had a disciple named Karikeya. And when Karikeya’s mother was dying, he went to visit his mother in the hospital. And when she saw him, she said, “How is your Krishna?” And just with that statement, she left her body. And Srila Prabhupada said, “This is an example of how a devotee’s son can deliver a non-devotee mother.” So, Krishna consciousness is all auspicious. It’s mentioned in The Nectar of Devotion, the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, one of the generic characteristics of devotional service is that it’s all-auspicious. All-auspicious means it brings benefit to everyone.

So, I feel very fortunate to come in touch with Krishna consciousness by the grace of Srila Prabhupada, and to be supported in Krishna consciousness by all of you. So, it’s like one happy family.

I remember when I first met Srila Prabhupada in Boston, one person asked him, it was sort of challenging, “Are you really happy?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “When I was in India, I had five children, and there were always so many problems. Now that I have surrendered to Krishna and come to Krishna consciousness, I have five hundred children, and there are no problems. I love them and they love me.” So then, the man said, “Well, that’s sort of material.” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “I have many other platforms of happiness, but I am giving you that example because you can relate to it.” [laughter] Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! Gaura-bhakta-vṛnda ki jaya!

Devotee: I would like to ask Giriraj Swami this. You are saying that you cannot be a father, a mother, or a relative. Practically, it’s eliminating everybody out. You can’t do that unless you are a pure devotee. We have discussed this for having students. So, can you please enlighten us as to what is the definition of a pure devotee that can come to this level.

Giriraj Swami: That is a very good question. That should be a question on everyone’s mind.

Devotee: Maharaja, could you repeat the question?

Giriraj Swami: According to this purport, Srila Prabhupada says that you cannot discharge your duties properly as a spiritual master, husband, a father, or mother, unless you are a pure devotee. So, Maharaja is asking the question, “What is the definition of a pure devotee?”

So, there are different definitions, but the basic or the most common definition that Srila Prabhupada gave is that it’s one who is surrendered to the orders of a spiritual master. Srila Prabhupada had a disciple named Tusta Krishna, a very nice devotee, and he was originally a follower of a devotee in Hawaii named Sai, who eventually surrendered to Srila Prabhupada and was given the name Siddha Svarupa.

So, somehow, Tusta Krishna got the idea that Sai, or Siddha Svarupa, was a pure devotee, and that he should be followed, and not others. And Srila Prabhupada wrote back a beautiful letter, in which he said, “Why do you want to go back to Godhead only with Siddha Svarupa?” And he said, “Shyamasundara will go.” I think he was the GBC of Hawaii. So, he said, “Shyamasundara will go, this one will go, that one will go, everyone will go. Only Mr. Nair will stay behind.” [laughter] And it was humorous, but it was significant in the sense that Tusta Krishna was the first one who met Mr. Nair. So, he said, “If you think only Siddha Svarupa is a pure devotee and he should be followed and others should not be followed, then that is nonsense. Siddha Svarupa is a good soul, but anyone who has surrendered to the orders of the spiritual master is a pure devotee.” So, I think that is a workable definition. There may be subjective calculations, but we can’t rely on them because they are subjective. I think in terms of this verse and purport, that will be sufficient. Otherwise, as you were hinting, if a pure devotee means a mahā-bhāgavata, there are not going to be many. [laughter]

Devotee: What are the duties of a husband towards his wife, and vice versa, to help each other towards the supreme goal?

Giriraj Swami: I think the answer is contained in the question, that the husband and wife should help to attain the supreme goal. That could manifest in different ways, such as Nama Shranya Prabhu looking after the children while Sri Gopika attends the satsaṅga, or vice versa. Cooperating to help each other to become Krishna conscious and helping the children to become Krishna conscious.