BG 12.13–14 – Entering the New Year

Host: Thank you so much for being here with us again, the Portuguese devotees. We are very, very happy, feel also very grateful for you. . . for your presence with us. Thank you so much. Guru Maharaja, last time we presented you, but I think that this time everyone knows you, apart from other devotees coming from other countries that are participating also in this meeting. What do you think Guru Maharaja?

Giriraj Swami: You are in charge, so I will accept whatever you decide.

Host: Well, so I think that you should. . . if you want to start a program now and once again, I was, also want to ask everyone to be with us here tonight with your presence. Thank you. Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna. So, I will begin by singing the maṅgala-ācaraṇa prayers and leaving a short kirtan and then we will speak these verses from the Bhagavad-gītā.

[Prayers]

Hare Krishna.

Host: Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: So, I would like to request the participants on Zoom to turn on their cameras so I can see their moon like faces.

So, we shall read now from Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Chapter Twelve, Text Thirteen and Fourteen.

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

TEXT 13–14

adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ
maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca
nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ
sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī

santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yogī
yatātmā dṛḍha-niścayaḥ
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ

TRANSLATION

One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me – such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.

COMMENT

Nityananda Prabhu, is this being recorded?

Host: Guru Maharaja, this is live on Facebook and yes, it is recorded. Yes, Christine is doing that.

Giriraj Swami: Okay, good.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Coming again to the point of pure devotional service, the Lord is describing the transcendental qualifications of a pure devotee in these two verses. A pure devotee is never disturbed in any circumstances.

COMMENT

So, this is ‘sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ.’ He is equal in happiness and distress. For two reasons. One reason is, he knows that he is not the body and whatever is happening externally cannot affect him as the soul and another reason is, equal in both happiness and distress, is that he sees that Krishna is the cause of all causes. And that whatever is happening is the Lord’s mercy upon him.

PURPORT (continued)

Nor is he envious of anyone.

COMMENT

Dveṣṭā means envious and ‘adveṣṭā,’ which is the first word in these two verses, adveṣṭā means non-envious. Sarva-bhūtānām,  he is not envious of any living entity. Because he sees that all living entities are part and parcel of Krishna and they are dear to Krishna. In the Bhagavad-gītā Krishna says mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ, that the living entities are my fragmental parts and parcels and they are eternal. So, the devotee sees the soul within everybody and he sees the soul as a part and parcel of Krishna and he doesn’t discriminate on the basis of the body, that this body is good or that body is bad. And he knows that Krishna is the Supreme Father of all living entities and therefore we are all brothers.

People want universal brotherhood. But we cannot be brothers unless we have the same father and we do have the same father, The Supreme Father, Krishna. So, ‘adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ.’ ‘maitraḥ’ means friend. The devotee is the friend of all living entities and how does he exhibit his friendship? Of course, on the negative side, he will not do violence or cause pain to any living entity.

One of the items of devotional service, one of the preliminary items of devotional service mentioned in The Nectar of Devotion, is not to cause any painful action in the mind of any living entity and The Nectar of Devotion quotes a verse that says that the devotee should regard all living entities just like a parent regards his or her own child, with care and love and affection. So, coming back to the purport. So, we already discussed a pure devotee is never disturbed in any circumstances. Nor is he envious of anyone. In fact, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for people who are not envious, nirmatsarāṇāṁ. To be without envy is the primary characteristic of a devotee. In fact, we come into the material world out of envy of Krishna and if we can become free from envy of Krishna, then we will naturally become non-envious of everyone else.

PURPORT (continued)

Nor does a devotee become his enemy’s enemy; he thinks, “This person is acting as my enemy due to my own past misdeeds. So it is better to suffer than to protest.”

COMMENT

There is a similar verse in the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In Lord Kapila’s instructions to His mother Devahuti and there also it is said that the sadhu or devotee has no enemy. Srila Prabhupada read this verse, means spoke on this verse, in Juhu in the midst of great. . .What can I say? Great opposition to his movement and his activities in Bombay. And so, he explained that because. . . So, the verse ends ‘sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ,’ these are the ornaments of a sadhu.

Titikṣavaḥ, this is Text Twenty-One.

TEXT 21

titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ

suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām

ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ

sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ

TRANSLATION

The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities.

COMMENT

Do you have the verse?

Host: No Maharaja, because I don’t know the Chapter.

Giriraj Swami: Oh, it’s 3.25.21.

Host: I’m getting there.

Giriraj Swami: You got it?

Host: Yes.

Giriraj Swami: Okay. So, the word ‘ajāta-śatravaḥ’ means, he has no enemies but apparently, we had so many enemies in Juhu. But Srila Prabhupada explained that, that is because of the enviousness of the enemies.

Yes, in this in this verse 3.25.21, there is also the word ‘suhṛdaḥ’ friendly. ‘suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām,’ friendly to all living entities. The same as is mentioned in the verse we are reading from the Bhagavad-gītā. So, Srila Prabhupada explains that a sadhu does not create enemies but sometimes people become enemies of a sadhu not because of any fault in the sadhu, but out of their own envious nature.

So, Srila Prabhupada related this verse to the devotees in Juhu, who were facing so much opposition. So, I’ll read from this because Srila Prabhupada related it to us in a very, heartfelt and poignant way. So, Srila Prabhupada said,

LECTURE by Srila Prabhpada

Here all the boys and girls, the devotees, they are concerned with Radha-Krishna. That’s all. Their whole business, day and night, is Radha-Krishna. From early morning, three o’clock, to night, ten o’clock, their only business is Radha-Krishna. That’s all. Therefore, they are sadhu.

“And so many people are criticizing. We are not getting the sanction to build, because we have so many enemies. They say we are creating a ‘nuisance.’ We are chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, and that is a ‘nuisance.’ This complaint is going to the police. So that is very difficult.

COMMENT

And then Srila Prabhupada became very emotional and exclaimed,

LECTURE continued

Therefore a sadhu is advised,  titikṣavaḥ, tolerate! Tolerate all this nonsense! What can be done? We have no other alternative but to tolerate. Nobody’s coming to help us. Our business is so thankless. Because we are trying to create one temple, so many enemies are giving hindrance: ‘You cannot do it.’ Therefore titikṣavaḥ, tolerate. You have to remain sadhu. You cannot become asādhu. That means “not sadhu.” You have to tolerate. What can be done?

At the same time, you have to become merciful. You know what has happened in this place, Hare Krishna Land? So much attack by the police, by the municipality: ‘Break this temple.’ We could have gone, concluding, ‘What is the use of taking so much botheration? We have hundreds of temples outside India. If people here do not like us, let us go away.’ But no. Kāruṇikāḥ. We have come to distribute Krishna consciousness. We must tolerate and give this message to the people. Kāruṇikāḥ: very merciful, in spite of all trouble.

These American boys and girls have come to help me—not that they have come because they are hungry. No. My mission is, ‘You Americans, you chant Hare Krishna so the people of India will see, “Oh, Americans are also chanting. Why not we?”’ But unfortunately—such dull brains—that thought is not coming. But still, we have to do it. We have to tolerate, and we have to become kāruṇikāḥ, merciful.

“Why should we be merciful? Para-dukha-dukhī.

COMMENT

That means, a devotee feels unhappy in the unhappiness of others.

LECTURE continued

A Vaishnava understands, ‘These people are engaged like cats and dogs in sense gratification. They are misguided, and in the next life they’ll be punished. Let us do something for them.’ This is kāruṇikāḥ: out of mercy. There is no question of getting something, money. No. We have got sufficient money. But just to become merciful upon these fallen, conditioned souls, who are suffering on account of becoming animalistic, without Krishna consciousness, the preacher, the sadhu. . . (Prabhupada didn’t finish that sentence). These are sadhus—titikṣavaḥ, tolerant: ‘Never mind. Whatever hindrances and tribulations they are offering us, never mind. Tolerate.

And suhṛdaḥ. Suhṛdaḥ means the heart is so nice. . .

COMMENT

The word suhṛdaḥ is translated as friend. But a more literal explanation is ‘su,’ which means ‘nice’ and ‘hṛdaḥ,’ which means ‘heart.’ 

LECTURE continued

The Vaishnava is so kind that suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām: he is kind not only to the human beings but to all embodied souls—cats, dogs, trees, plants, insects. A Vaishnava will hesitate to kill even a mosquito. Sarva-dehinām. Not that ‘I shall take care of my brother only. I am good, and my brother is good.’ No. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām.

COMMENT

And that is very similar to what we are reading in today’s verses from the Bhagavad-gītā. Maitraḥ karuṇa, sarva-bhūtānāṁ, a kind friend to all living entities.

LECTURE continued

And ajāta-śatravaḥ. When one is living in that way, as a sadhu, why will others become his enemy? The sadhu does not create enemies, but people become enemies out of their own character. How can a sadhu create enemies?  We are simply teaching, ‘My dear human being, my dear friend, you become a soul surrendered to Krishna.’ So, what is our fault? So, we don’t create any enemy, but they become enemy. Why shall I create enemy? Suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām. But they become, out of their own nature. . .

So, we are in this society, human society, and because we are spreading Krishna consciousness, the envious, who are more dangerous than snakes, are putting so many impediments. But we have to tolerate. We have no other alternative. You, see? Ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ. Be peaceful. What can be done? Depend on Krishna.

These are the ornaments of a sadhu.  Now, you find a sadhu and associate with him. Then your path of liberation will be open.

COMMENT

And that was stated in the previous verse 3.25.20.

TEXT 20

prasaṅgam ajaraṁ pāśam

ātmanaḥ kavayo viduḥ

sa eva sādhuṣu kṛto

mokṣa-dvāram apāvṛtam

TRANSLATION

Every learned man knows very well that attachment for the material is the greatest entanglement of the spirit soul. But that same attachment, when applied to the self-realized devotees, opens the door of liberation.

COMMENT

So now coming back to the purport to our Bhagavad-gītā verses 12.13–14.

PURPORT (continued)

Nor does a devotee become his enemy’s enemy; he thinks, “This person is acting as my enemy due to my own past misdeeds. So it is better to suffer than to protest.” In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.8) it is stated: tat te ‘nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam. Whenever a devotee is in distress or has fallen into difficulty, he thinks that it is the Lord’s mercy upon him.

COMMENT

That’s okay, you did the Portuguese before I did the English.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

He thinks, “Thanks to my past misdeeds I should suffer far, far greater than I am suffering now. So it is by the mercy of the Supreme Lord that I am not getting all the punishment I am due. I am just getting a little, by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Therefore he is always calm, quiet and patient, despite many distressful conditions. A devotee is also always kind to everyone, even to his enemy.

COMMENT

And we read how Srila Prabhupada exemplified that in Juhu.

PURPORT (continued)

Nirmama means that a devotee does not attach much importance to the pains and trouble pertaining to the body because he knows perfectly well that he is not the material body. 

COMMENT

Nirmama is generally translated and it is translated thus in the synonyms, no sense of proprietorship and that is. . . again I think of Srila Prabhupada in Juhu, that he didn’t consider anything to belong to himself. The devotee practices yukta-vairāgya, which is explained by Srila Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu and the first word of his definition is anāsaktasya viṣayān, that means without attachment. Anāsaktasya means without attachment. Anāsaktasya viṣayān, without attachment to the objects of the senses. He doesn’t reject things like impersonalists. He doesn’t reject things that can be used in Krishna’s service. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate, he uses so-called material things in Krishna’s service seeing that they have relation with Krishna. So therefore, a devotee, although he may have many material things or live in material opulence but he is not attached and therefore nirmama, he has no sense of proprietorship. Srila Prabhupada exhibited that in a very touching incident in Juhu.

Srila Prabhupada had a dear friend and staunch supporter, named Sri P.L. Sethi and Srila Prabhupada kept inviting him to join the temple and stay in the ashram. But Mr. Sethi always said that he is accustomed to a certain standard of living and he wouldn’t be able to adjust to life in the ashram.

So, in 1977, Srila Prabhupada’s new quarters on the top floor of the west tower of the new project were ready and you can see those quarters today. They are very large and spacious. They have marble floors and chandeliers and carved wood furniture. They are beautiful. Srila Prabhupada had all facility there and so he told Mr. Sethi that you always complained that you couldn’t stay in the ashram because it was too austere, so you stay here. I’m a sannyasi, I can stay anywhere but you stay here.

So, that is nirmama, free from false proprietorship. Back to the purport.

PURPORT (continued)

Nirmama means that a devotee does not attach much importance to the pains and trouble pertaining to the body because he knows perfectly well that he is not the material body. He does not identify with the body; therefore he is freed from the conception of false ego and is equipoised in happiness and distress. He is tolerant, and he is satisfied with whatever comes by the grace of the Supreme Lord.

COMMENT

We discussed that quality of tolerance in relation to Srila Prabhupada’s talk on the qualities of a devotee sādhu bhūṣaṇam. How he tolerated the opposition and of course in many ways, he also tolerated physical inconvenience.

PURPORT (continued)

He does not endeavor much to achieve something with great difficulty; therefore he is always joyful. He is a completely perfect mystic because he is fixed in the instructions received from the spiritual master, and because his senses are controlled he is determined. 

COMMENT

So, senses being controlled really means that we engage everything in Krishna’s service, according to the principle of yukta-vairāgya  and this word ‘kṣamī’ means forgiving because Srila Prabhupada actually spoke on these two verses in Juhu and he gave two examples of ‘kṣamī,’ forgiving.

One was Prahlada Maharaja. He was tortured by his father Hiranyakasipu. His only fault was that he was a devotee. But he was tortured by his father and in the end his father was. . . Well, his father was ready to kill him but ‘kṣamī,’ he was forgiving. He did not become his enemies’ enemy. When Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva asked him to take some benediction, he asked that his father be liberated.

And the other example that Srila Prabhupada gave was Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus was being crucified, he prayed to the Lord, please forgive them for they know not what they do. So, Srila Prabhupada gave that as an example of ‘kṣamī,’ being forgiving. Then coming back to the end of the purport.

PURPORT (continued)

He is not swayed by false arguments, because no one can lead him from the fixed determination of devotional service. 

COMMENT

This description relates to the word in the verse ‘dṛḍha-niścayaḥ’ with determination.

PURPORT (continued)

He is not swayed by false arguments, because no one can lead him from the fixed determination of devotional service. He is fully conscious that Kṛṣṇa is the eternal Lord, so no one can disturb him. All these qualifications enable him to fix his mind and intelligence entirely on the Supreme Lord. Such a standard of devotional service is undoubtedly very rare, but a devotee becomes situated in that stage by following the regulative principles of devotional service.

COMMENT

So, our Nityananda dasa wanted to enter the new year with devotees thinking of these two verses. So that they could become the best version of themselves and here in the purport Srila Prabhupada gives us hope that we can become situated in this stage by following the regulative principles of devotional service.

PURPORT (continued)

Furthermore, the Lord says that such a devotee is very dear to Him, for the Lord is always pleased with all his activities in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

COMMENT

So, it is very clear. Our path is chalked out for us and we just have to make progress on the path. Now as we mentioned earlier the living entity is part and parcel of Krishna and just as Krishna has all good qualities, the living entity in his uncovered state also manifests all good qualities. And our original pure spiritual nature can be revealed by purifying ourselves, by chanting the holy names of the Lord.

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Jaya!

Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā ki jaya!

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

So, do we have time for questions and comments?

Host: Well definitely, Maharaja. It’s so rare that you come to our country. So, we can use if you don’t mind if the devotees have questions, please.

Host (translating): He is asking if a sadhu is on the platform of uttama-adhikārī?

Giriraj Swami: He can be but not necessarily. Yeah, we are meant to develop these qualities all along. That was the whole point of Srila Prabhupada’s talk us in Juhu. He was appealing to us to be sadhus and not become asādhu because we face so much opposition and tribulation. Yeah, I will move on to other questions. And again, I request the viewers on Zoom to put on your cameras so we can see your moon-like faces.

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: So, I would like to ask I’m going to try to make myself understandable. So, we tried to use everything for Krishna’s service but there are feelings that may come through relationships with other devotees with or non-devotees that may cause some difficulty for us to be the best version of ourselves. So, I understand envy is really a deviation of some admiration that we may feel for people. So, I understand that we may look in another perspective and overcome that feeling of envy but there are other feelings like some frustration, sadness, and enthusiasm, that we may feel its responsibility from others. But I do understand that we cannot change others and we have to work on ourselves. So, how could I sincerely see that kind of feelings as only my responsibility and work on it and overcome it, without being blaming others for that?

Giriraj Swami: We can take it that Krishna has arranged this situation to teach us something. Maybe Krishna wants us to learn tolerance. In fact, I think your question is addressed very nicely in the purport. He thinks, devotee thinks, this person is acting as my enemy due to my own past misdeeds. So, it is better to suffer than to protest. But there is a special case in which the devotee, who you find to be problematic, may need to be corrected. Now, we would have to consider who would be the most appropriate person to correct the other devotee?

Because as Srila Prabhupada said, when criticism is offered with sympathy it is more likely to be accepted. So, if you want to correct that devotee, depending on your relationship and your mood, you could try to do it yourself or maybe you could refer the situation to someone else; see if they agree that the other person needs to be corrected and see if they are in a position to correct that person.

But as it is said, we have to choose our battles. So, we have to see whether this is a matter that we want to pursue. Whether, as Prabhupada says in the purport it is better to suffer than to protest. Does that answer your question?

Devotee: Yes, thank you Maharaja. I guess, I just have to really feel that part of. . . probably it’s my karma and it’s something that I do have to go through and just tolerate. I really need to work on feeling that really sincerely so it won’t be such a heavy weight.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah.

Devotee: And it’s more like a service to Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, Srila Prabhupada said that we should not blame the agent of our karma.

Host: Guru Maharaja, there is Martha [Unintelligible 01:39:20].

Host [Translating a question by the Devotee]: She wants to pay humble respect to you, Guru Maharaja and sorry, because my camera doesn’t work. So, Guru Maharaja, in the case of some relationships, spontaneous relationships that we cross and then somehow other we have to go through these relationships due to some situations, even bondage and then these people start to criticize, blaspheming Krishna consciousness. So, in that situation what shall we do?

Giriraj Swami: I’m not sure I quite got the question.

Devotee: I will try in English. The case of some relationships we have that we can’t avoid but we have to cross these people and these people do blasphemy against Krishna consciousness, against devotees. What shall we tell tolerate because I remember that The Nectar of Devotion there is a rule that says that we shall defeat or I don’t know run away or because I my question is, how can we tolerate these cases of blasphemy?

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, you are right we are not supposed to tolerate blasphemy. We should try to. . . I mean there are also more extreme options but taking the ones that are most practical for us, we should either try to silence the person by defeating the person in argument or we should just leave that place or leave that topic.

His Holiness, Ṛtadhvaja Swami told me about a deal he struck with his mother. Because his mother was always blaspheming  Krishna consciousness and he was always trying to convert his mother to Krishna consciousness. So, they made a deal that he wouldn’t try to convert her to Krishna consciousness and she wouldn’t blaspheme or criticize Krishna consciousness. Yeah, but it’s an offense to blaspheme devotees but it’s also an offense to hear blasphemy. So somehow, we have to avoid being in that situation.

Devotee: Thank you.

Giriraj Swami: [Unintelligible 01:45:04]

Devotee: Thank you Maharaja.

Host: Any more questions? Yes of course, is it okay Maharaja for one more question?

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, and also Chandani has one. Yes, we can take.

Devotee: Chandani should go first, I’ll go next.

Host: Yes, please.

Devotee: Hare Krishna. Thank you. You can go first. Thank you. Hare Krishna.

Host: Please Mataji, what’s your question please?

Devotee: Guru Maharaja, thank you for beautiful class. I just have a question that in unavoidable situations, tat te ‘nukampāṁ really helps a lot, but then there may be some situations where you can maybe, there may be some out, so is it all right to work towards, knowing oneself not to be an evolved person, is that all right to look for an out?

Giriraj Swami: Can you give an example because it sounds sort of vague to me, what you said.

Devotee: Guru Maharaja, you may have certain individuals, relationships, temple devotees that you ought to serve with, and you can see in due course of time that how those difficulties are actually for the purification, for. . . as you said bringing out the better in you, but then there are those situations or those individuals that you are not forced into a particular situation that it may be. . . there may be an option of taking a side road, taking a bypass.

Giriraj Swami: You can avoid working with or interacting with some devotees. But you should take it as your own limitation and not outright blame the other person but you can avoid some interaction with the person.

Devotee: Thank you Guru Maharaja. Yes.

Host: Guru Maharaja, there is Vrindavan Chandra dasa. He raised up also his hand. He wants to pose a question also. Vrindavan Chandra Prabhu.

Devotee: Chandani will ask before me?

Giriraj Swami: [Laughter] We have a very polite group here.

Devotee: Alright, I’ll ask my question. Guru Maharaja, in my reading, it seems that there are two types of devotee responses to reversals. One type is where the devotee sees it as a reaction to their past karma and they tolerate it, and another response as described in the First Canto, of Maharaja Parīkṣit, who became jubilant when he experienced the reversal. So, one is almost tolerating, bear it and another one is, becoming jubilant. What is the difference in the consciousness between those two?

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, the difference may be due to the circumstance and not necessarily to the person’s consciousness. One envious person cursed Lord Chaitanya that he would be bereft of material happiness and Lord Chaitanya was jubilant. He didn’t want material happiness. But sometimes, yeah, we might not be jubilant but we might just have to tolerate and that is again not necessarily a deficiency in our consciousness but it may be related to these circumstances.

And in the life of a devotee, there is a very close relationship between his interests and Krishna’s interests. So, tolerating a personal reversal maybe a little different than tolerating a reversal in Krishna’s service. Yeah, if it’s for oneself as Prabhupada said, it may be better to suffer than to protest. But if it’s for Krishna’s service, it might be better to protest than suffer.

When the police commissioner denied the permission to build the temple on the grounds that the kirtan was a nuisance, Prabhupada didn’t suffer but. . . well I mean, he didn’t tolerate but he protested. Maharaja Parīkṣit took it as a divine arrangement and it actually was a divine arrangement. So, if we see something as a divine arrangement, then we can embrace it rather than just tolerate it. Hare Krishna.

Host: I think that Martha, there is a hand but I think she forgot to take out the hand. I don’t know Guru Maharaja, if it’s not too late.

Giriraj Swami: It’s not too late for me. It might be later for you. I mean, it is definitely later for you.

Host: It’s nine in Portugal, nine p.m. in Portugal.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:57:56] So, I’ll ask really fast. Maharaja, I understand that most of the times we harm each other by agitating each other minds and sometimes it’s not on purpose, we don’t, we are not conscious of that. Is it okay? Because I also sometimes feel that if we don’t say anything it can be worse. Is it okay to tell devotee, I don’t, I’m not able to speak to you because you agitate my mind or your way of speaking, your way of doing things always agitates me so I prefer to run away from you? Saying this in some, not in a harsh way, but being sincere so the person can understand and maybe try to improve or is it an offense? I should just keep silent.

Giriraj Swami: I would not suggest that you do what you just proposed. But rather you could make a positive suggestion. For example, that you read Srila Prabhupada’s books together or you chant together. I heard this technique from His Holiness, Radhanath Swami. Not because he didn’t like someone but just because he didn’t want to waste time in talking, and maybe he didn’t like the topic that the devotee was going to bring up. So, he would say, I want to spend time with you but I still have to finish my rounds but if you like you can keep me company and we can chant together. Or, I would like to spend time with you but I still have to do my quota of reading for the day but we can read it together.

So, you are not rejecting the person. You are saying that you want to spend time with the person but you want to spend the time in a way that will be beneficial for both of you. Okay. So, now where do we stand on Chandni Joshi.

Devotee: May I ask a question, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah.

Devotee: Thank you. Hare Krishna. Thank you for the wonderful class Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeinsance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to you. I had a question on yukta-vairāgya. What are the things that we cannot use for Krishna’s service?

Giriraj Swami: Well, intoxicants. Although even there Srila Prabhupada said, drug can mean medicine or drug can mean intoxicant but there are people they say God created marijuana. He must have wanted us to smoke it. So yeah, there are things that we that we can’t use in Krishna’s service. Particularly things that go against the four regulative principles.

But yeah, I mean of course our society and our devotees got in a lot of trouble because they took some spiritual principles too far. Everything belongs to Krishna. So yeah, maybe they would pluck flowers from someone’s garden because everything belongs to Krishna, it should be offered to Krishna. So, there is a principle called lōka vichār which means, you could say popular sentiment, that even though something might be acceptable spiritually but if people will take it in a bad way, then we shouldn’t do it.

Devotee: Sorry, can I ask one thing? Actually, I was just wondering regarding the vaccine because, I mean it’s only an emergency vaccine that’s out. But there are a lot of devotees saying that we must not take it because it’s made by materialistic people.

Giriraj Swami: I can read you something that might be relevant because it’s a topic. So, I will read it. It’s an excerpt. So, this is from a talk in New Vrindavan on June 4th 1969. Srila Prabhupada said, “In the medical science, if there is some epidemic disease, they give some vaccinations. I think in Los Angeles you gave me some vaccinations. What is that flu?” Hayagriva said “Hong Kong flu.”

Srila Prabhupada replied, “Oh, Hong Kong flu. Yes.” So, everyone took that vaccination. Our Hayagriva Prabhu took me also. Alright, let us have. So, there was no attack by the disease. Fortunately, there was no attack. So, Srila Prabhupada took vaccination.  

Devotee: Thank you Guru Maharaja. Thanks a lot. Hare Krishna.

Host: Any more questions? Anila Jijodia still have this microphone on. I don’t know if she wants to make another question. Otherwise. . .

Giriraj Swami: Anila devi, do you have more to say or is it just. . .?

Devotee: Do you have time for another question?

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Devotee: Guru Maharaja, you said in your earlier response that one may tolerate difficulties for oneself and protest when Krishna is at the receiving end. So, in my particular situation, I have to work with certain devotees who serve the Deities directly and they have served the Lord longer than me and they serve the Lord much more regularly than me but unfortunately very frequently I see them making mistakes with basics of, very, very basics of cleanliness and things like that. So, what should be my mood in offering corrections, because it’s just almost intolerable to see that basic level of omissions?

Giriraj Swami: Well, is there any reason why you wouldn’t correct them?

Devotee: Guru Maharaja, it’s not received well no matter how politely and appropriately it is explained.

Giriraj Swami: Some people might not respond nicely because of their false egos but even then, they might change. So, when you give them good instruction, do they change?

Devotee: There is little resistance but some changes do happen Guru Maharaja. But I have to involve others in the management and the quality of Krishna’s service does improve but I feel bad because I’m causing them trouble in their minds, they are disturbed and I don’t know Krishna, how to deal with this.

Giriraj Swami: Well, one alternative could be to send them an email rather than confronting them face to face.

Devotee: Yes, Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Okay.

Host: Guru Maharaja, Rasasundri dasi has her hand up. Is it okay?

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Devotee: Hare Krishna Guru Maharaja. Thank you for a wonderful class. I have a question about that the devotee is unhappy when he sees others unhappy. So, up to what sense a devotee should think that it’s the karma of someone, or sometimes should he just interfere. I don’t know do I explain myself he might say, okay, it’s the karma of that person so I don’t interfere but on the other side he feels unhappy because that a person is unhappy. So, should he interfere or should he not? For example, the drowning man. So, should he be saved, or should he not??

Giriraj Swami: Well, the general application of para-dukha-dukhī is yeah, Vaishnava feels sorry in the sorrow of others and therefore he wants to give them Krishna consciousness. But the example of the drowning man is probably referring to a conversation with Srila Prabhupada in Bombay. A devotee asked Srila Prabhupada if we see a man drowning, should we try to save him?

Srila Prabhupada said that actually, we have nothing to do with another person’s karma. But if we, and this is where that concept of lōka vichār comes from, public sentiment. If the devotee doesn’t save the drowning person, then people will criticize, “Oh, he is a devotee and he let the man drown.”

So usually, it’s good to help people if you can. There was an incident in Australia. The devotees were putting up the Ratha-yatra chariot on the street and just near where they were working on the chariot, a building caught on fire and a lady upstairs in the building was caught in the fire, and the only way she could escape was to jump out of the window. So, the devotees took the canvas that they were using to make the dome of the chariot and held it out to catch the lady, who jumped from the window. So, they saved that lady and the story was picked up in the newspaper. They made a big point that the devotees used the sacred cloth from the chariot to save the lady.

So, Srila Prabhupada told his secretary to send me the newspaper clipping and to meet all important men of Bombay and say that Krishna consciousness is rendering the best welfare work to people materially and spiritually. And people make spiritual advancement by appreciating devotees.

I remember, once I was on a very crowded bus in Colombo, Sri Lanka. I had a seat but there was a lady who was standing, she didn’t have a seat. So, I got up and offered her my seat. People appreciated it. So, are we finished?

Devotee: Can I just ask one more question? I promise you last.

Giriraj Swami: Sure.

Devotee: So, I think that when we are dealing with devotees, we may always be attentive to the etiquette, to the best way of speaking things and all that. But when relationships get more close, devotees get really a big friendship or they start working together, in a professional relationship or even when they get married, sometimes that etiquette, that notion that this is a devotee, gets a bit lost in the middle of the intimacy. How can we, when necessary, draw that line and make people remember that we are devotees and we should keep on having that same attention on the way of dealing with each other?

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, this is a very important point that we should try never to forget that we are dealing with devotees. I’ll read a very nice verse. Maybe Nityananda Prabhu will find it. So, its Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto One, Chapter Eight: “Prayers by Queen Kuntī,” Text Forty-Two.

TEXT 42

tvayi me ‘nanya-viṣayā

matir madhu-pate ‘sakṛt

ratim udvahatād addhā

gaṅgevaugham udanvati

TRANSLATION

O Lord of Madhu, as the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You without being diverted to anyone else.

COMMENT

And in the previous verse she prayed. . .

TRANSLATION

O Lord of the universe, soul of the universe, O personality of the form of the universe, please, therefore, sever my tie of affection for my kinsmen, the Pāṇḍavas and the Vṛṣṇis.

COMMENT

And in the last paragraph of the purport, Srila Prabhupada writes that:

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Kuntidevi’s affection for the Pāṇḍavas and the Vṛṣṇis is not out of the range of devotional service because the service of the Lord and the service of the devotees are identical. Sometimes service to the devotee is more valuable than service to the Lord. But here the affection of Kuntīdevī for the Pāṇḍavas and the Vṛṣṇis was due to family relation. This tie of affection in terms of material relation is the relation of māyā because the relations of the body or the mind are due to the influence of the external energy. Relations of the soul, established in relation with the Supreme Soul, are factual relations. When Kuntīdevī wanted to cut off the family relation, she meant to cut off the relation of the skin. The skin relation is the cause of material bondage, but the relation of the soul is the cause of freedom. This relation of the soul to the soul can be established by the medium of the relation with the Supersoul.

COMMENT

So, we have relationships with devotees which are also something like family relationships. We have relationships with them that are not related directly to devotional service or in other words you could say, there is a spiritual dimension to the relationship and a material dimension. So, we want the spiritual dimension to become more prominent and the material dimension to be less important and then when the relationship is soul to soul, more and more soul to soul, then that relationship will be liberating and not the cause of material bondage.

And obviously if the other people involved have the same understanding it will be much easier and much better. You can read this purport and discuss because you are talking about devotees. And this will help keep the relationship more spiritual.

Alright, so I think we are at the end here. So, let us conclude with Vaishnava praṇāma.

[Prayers]

Host: Guru Maharaja, thank you so much for your time, your presence and your class and your answers about different questions, so clear and so inspiring that we really become very hopeful in our situation to increase our Krishna consciousness and we see in you, you are a powerhouse in the, what can I say, this lighthouse in the nearby the sea. You can yeah, sometimes in our problematic living in this ocean, material existence, we forget, because the waves are too strong, the modes are too strong but for us you are our lighthouse. So, thank you so much for being here and for being with us also and as a reference. Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna. Thank you for organizing the program. Alright, so we’ll move on to other service now. Thank you.

Host: Thank you.