By Shyamananda Dasa
The hordes of demons killed by the Lord during His pastimes on the earthly realm represent the different anarthas we have stock piled in our hearts during our long sojourn in the material world in different species of life. The demon named Vatsasura who took the form of a calf and tried to kill Sri Krishna was killed by the Lord during His boyhood pastimes in Vrndavana. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura in an article titled ‘Vatsaura’ reveals an esoteric meaning of the Lord’s killing of this calf-demon –
V A T S A S U R is one of the demons . slain by the Boy-Krishna. He represents evils that are peculiar to boyhood. The neophyte is extremely susceptible to such evils- They cannot be got rid of except by the Mercy of Krishna. If one engages in the service of Krishna the juvenile vices are completely eradicated at an early stage.
There is an English proverb that sowing of wild oats is inevitable at a young age. The term ‘Puritanism’ was originally coined to express the protest of boys and youngmen against any undue curtailment of the scope of enjoyment that, should be regarded as permissible to them. Boys and young- men claim the right to be merry and frolicsome. There is nothing objectionable and much that is of positive value in the display of these juvenile qualities. If the attempt be made to stifle this innocent play of the boyish nature under the impression that it is an exhibition of sensuousness and for that reason, as being as harmful as similar conduct on the part of grown-up persons, the result is not assurance but discouragement, of juvenile innocence.
There are, indeed, black sheep and these should not be allowed to taint-the whole flock, for this purpose care-takers with full sense of their delicate responsibility arc required to keep watch over them for ensuring the innocence of boy-hood and youth without killing their joys. But with every precaution it has been found impossible to attain this double purpose. The Scriptures say that it is not in the power of man to ensure the immunity of boys and girls from the blight of precocious sensuousness except by means of the service of Krishna.This is declared to be the only effective and natural method. Let the boys be exposed to the attraction of the Cow-Boy of Braja. They will soon learn to pick up His Company. They will easily realise that the Boy-Krishna can alone save, them from every form of danger to which they are exposed by the ‘right’ of their juvenile nature.
Why should this be so ? There is a very simple reason. Krishna does not limit His service only to the middle- aged and old people. The Puritanic ideal of Godhead is a conception which owes its origin to persons who are elderly although honestly enough anxious to establish the ‘Kingdom of God’ on this earth. But if you scratch the thin coating on the surface of their sage and sober scheme as befitting their age you only detect the rotten arrangement for securing the maximum of sensuous enjoyment even for those very children who are to be brought up in this •”virtuous’ way. If the child is allowed to spoil his health in boyhood, think these righteous people, he will not be in a position later on to enjoy the legitimate pleasures of the grown-up man. Unless the youngman husbands his resources of sense-capacity he will also be a victim to premature old age. It is a policy of expediency of post, poning a small present enjoyment for reaping a much larger measure of it through the long tracts of the years to come.
The spurious Brahmacharya ideal as misconceived by its worldly supporters embodies this Puritanic outlook. The Scriptures, indeed, enjoin that every one should serve Godhead from the womb. This is the real meaning of brahmacharya. The ascetic practices that have come to attach themselves to the conception were interpolated into the scriptures in order to ensure worldly values by this form of the – empiric method. The scheme requires that the laws of the growth of the physical and mental bodies should be observed and followed. Nature is regarded as the kind mother who favours only those of her children who cultivate the filial habit of prying into her secrets. Nature is supposed to be unable to avoid divulging her secrets to her inquisitive children although she is well aware that her children will exploit this knowledge for troubling herself by harnessing her to their service. In other words it is also assumed to be the duty of the kind mother to consent to put herself in chains in order to minister to the sensuous appetites of her worthier children. Nature is assumed to be able to do good to her children only by submitting to be the victim of their lust.
The practices of asceticism are really conceived in the epicurian spirit. The ascetic dreams of obtaining the mastery over Nature by the method of controlling his senses. If the senses grow callous to the temptations of the world the ascetic thinks that he will have less chance of falling into the power of Nature. He has an idea that when he will have perfected these defensive arrangements he will have become the real master of the situation. The Brahmacharin, according to the ascetic point of view, is to pass through a period of training in severe abstinence with his guru in order to be fitted to discharge the duties of citizenship, which will make a great demand on his nerves and muscles with greater thoroughness. There is no reference to the service of Godhead or to any spiritual issue. We have had many occasions to explain that the spiritual is transcendental. No mundane consideration can form any part of spiritual training or conduct. It is not a spiritual affair to be even able to control one’s carnal desires. Such self-control is, indeed, automatically produced by the awakening of the soul. But self-control itself is not therefore a function of the soul. The soul has nothing to do with the senses. The soul desires neither sensuality nor sexual purity. The soul is not a mere moral being. If brahmacharya means a method of gaining moral power it is wholly a mundane affair and is as such not only of no concern to the soul but is positively obstructive of spiritual well-being.
Thanking you. Hare Krishna!
your servant,
Shyamananda dasa brahmacari