{"id":9298,"date":"2011-02-19T12:01:08","date_gmt":"2011-02-19T11:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=9298"},"modified":"2011-02-20T16:39:26","modified_gmt":"2011-02-20T15:39:26","slug":"live-from-sri-mayapur-candrodaya-mandir-hh-romapada-swami","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=9298","title":{"rendered":"Live From Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir! HH Romapada Swami"},"content":{"rendered":"

Date: February 17th, 2011
\nTopic: Dhruva Maharaj Goes Back to Godhead
\nVerse: SB 4.12.12 Speaker: HH Romapada Swami<\/p>\n

___________________________________________<\/p>\n

tam evam sila-sampannam brahmanyam dina-vatsalam goptaram dharma-setunam menire pitaram prajah<\/p>\n

TRANSLATION: Dhruva Maharaja was endowed with all godly qualities; he was very respectful to the devotees of the Supreme Lord and very kind to the poor and innocent, and he protected religious principles. With all these qualifications, he was considered to be the direct father of all the citizens.<\/p>\n

PURPORT: The personal qualities of Dhruva Maharaja described herein are the exemplary qualities of a saintly king. Not only a king but also the leaders of a modern democratic or impersonal government must be qualified with all these godly characteristics. Then the citizens of the state can be happy. It is clearly stated here that the citizens thought of Dhruva Maharaja as their father; as a child, depending on his able father, is completely satisfied, so the citizens of the state, being protected by the state or the king, should remain satisfied in every respect. At the present moment, however, there is no guarantee by the government of even the primary necessities of life in the state, namely, the protection of the lives and property of the citizens.<\/p>\n

One word is very significant in this connection: brahmanyam. Dhruva Maharaja was very devoted to the brahmanas, who engage in the study of the Vedas and thereby know the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are always busy propagating Krsna consciousness. The state should be very respectful to societies that distribute God consciousness all over the world, but, unfortunately, at the present moment there is no state or government support given to such movements. As for good qualities, it is very difficult to find anyone in state administration with any good qualities. The administrators simply sit in their administrative posts and say no to every request, as if they were paid to say no to the citizens.<\/p>\n

Another word, dina-vatsalam, is very significant also. The state head should be very kind to the innocent. Unfortunately, in this age the state agents and the presidents draw good salaries from the state, and they pose themselves as very pious, but they allow the running of slaughterhouses, where innocent animals are killed. If we try to compare the godly qualities of Dhruva Maharaja to the qualities of modern statesmen, we can see that there is no actual comparison. Dhruva Maharaja was present in the Satya-yuga, as will be clear from the next verses. He was the ideal king in Satya-yuga. The government administration in the present age (Kali-yuga) is bereft of all godly qualities. Considering all these points, the people today have no alternative but to take to Krsna consciousness for protection of religion, life and property. [End of Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB
\n4.12.13]\n

HH Romapada Swami: This chapter is entitled ‘Dhruva Maharaj Goes Back to Godhead’. The series of verses we are reading from is before he goes back to Godhead, yet it is also after he achieves spiritual perfection. In between are the thirty-six thousands of years in which Dhruva Maharaja was ruling as a king. This vast number of years he was ruling indicates that this all took place during Satya-yuga.<\/p>\n

This section of verses is specifically presenting what Dhruva Maharaja’s reigning as king for thirty-six thousand years was like. Visvanatha Cakravati Thakura’s commentary expresses that Dhruva Maharaj was showing by example the proper execution of a king’s duties through karma-yoga, and then later how Dhruva left those duties and performed dhyana-yoga. Actually Dhruva Maharaja is transcendental to both karma-yoga and dhyana-yoga – or for that matter any other type of sadhana. Dhruva Maharaja is on the perfectional platform. This was dramatically demonstrated when he was just a small boy.<\/p>\n

This is the context of today’s verse.<\/p>\n

When he was just a small boy Dhruva achieved spiritual perfection. He went from sakama-bhakti to niskama-bhakti, then to suddha bhakti. In that condition Dhruva experienced Lord Visnu’s very special mercy, just like Prahlad Maharaj did when he was touched by the lotus hand or paw of Lord Nrsimhadev. Such a display of mercy even the Goddess of fortune herself had never experienced! Prahlad Maharaj was a recipient of such mercy. Similarly, Dhruva Maharaj received very similar mercy when the incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu, touched his forehead with his conch shell, allowing him to overcome his stunned-in-ecstasy and speechless condition, so that he could recite such beautiful prayers.<\/p>\n

When Dhruva was reciting those prayers he wasn’t situated in stage of sadhana-bhakti, he was in the perfectional stage, the prema-bhakti stage.<\/p>\n

Let us compare this with the discussion of Ramananda Raya where Lord Caitanya was asking him to identify both the sadhya and the sadhana, the goal of life and the means to achieve it. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu hears some of our most famous verse, our favorite verse of Bhagavad-gita, Lord Caitanya says “This is external”.<\/p>\n

yat karosi yad asnasi, yaj juhosi dadasi yat [Bg 9.27]\n

External!<\/p>\n

sarva-dharman parityajya, mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66]\n

External!<\/p>\n

brahma-bhutah prasannatma, na socati na kanksati [Bg 18.54]\n

External!<\/p>\n

In contrast to that which is external, in the previous verse, texts 11 of this chapter, the *internal* position of the Dhruva Maharaj is demonstrated.<\/p>\n

“Dhruva Maharaja rendered devotional service unto the Supreme, the reservoir of everything, with unrelenting force. While carrying out his devotional service to the Lord, he could see that everything is situated in Him only and that He is situated in all living entities.” [SB 1.12.11]\n

The internal position of Dhruva Maharaj was also demonstrated even as a small child. After Lord Visnu left Dhruva was torn with two conflicting internal emotions – joy in complete ecstasy on the one hand, trajedy in complete devastation on the other. The ecstasy was that he saw the Personality of Godhead face-to-face and conversed with Him! Dhruva’s whole body was in this state of ecstasy. He was exhibiting such symptoms of ecstasy that he couldn’t even speak until the Lord helped him by touching him with His conch.<\/p>\n

Dhruva offered beautiful words, beautiful prayers! The Lord then assured Dhruva that after he ruled the kingdom of Uttanapada for thirty-six thousand years, he would then go to the Lord’s own residence in Dhruvaloka. Then, as abruptly as the Lord appeared before Dhruva, He left. And when the Lord left, Dhruva was sobbing, heartbroken. “I could have gone with the Lord! Instead I had this stupid material desire that said, ‘I want a kingdom. I want a BIG kingdom!’ And because of that material desire, the Lord is now making the arrangement that I rule my father’s kingdom. I could have gone with Him! I just didn’t have the proper desire.”<\/p>\n

He was not just embarrassed. He was devastated!<\/p>\n

What did he do, after that? Dhruva gathered himself up and went back to the palace. And when he came back to the palace Uttanapada was in a similar devastated condition. Imagine if your six or seven year old son just left home because he felt abandoned by you. Knowing Uttanapada’s condition, Narada had gone to the palace to inform Uttanapada, “Don’t worry. Your son is going to achieve spiritual perfection and when he comes back you will become purified by his association.” In fact that is what happened.<\/p>\n

Because Narada had come to somehow pacify him in this way, Uttanapada was somehow sustaining his life.<\/p>\n

When Dhruva returned, Uttanapada became so inspired by the association of his uttama-bhakta son that he left the kingdom and he followed Dhruva’s footsteps. He went to the forest and tried to find Visnu instead of the happiness with his kingdom, his treasury and his co-wives.<\/p>\n

When Uttanapada left the kingdom, Dhruva became king and ruled.<\/p>\n

In the immediate previous section of Srimad Bhagavatam, Dhruva’s battle with the Yaksas is described. Svayambhuva Manu had to come and pacify Dhruva. “In avenging the death of your brother, you have done your duty. However, you were trying to destroy the whole population of Yaksas. The whole population of Yaksas didn’t kill your brother. You successfully defended the honor of your brother. Now stop.” Svayambhuva Manu was Dhruva’s grandfather. Just one word from Svayambhuva Manu and Dhruva’s mind became steady.<\/p>\n

Because the Yaksas are worshippers of Kuvera, Kuvera was very pleased that Dhruva had stopped his battle with them. Kuvera personally came and expressed his pleasure to Dhruva. “Your submissiveness to Svayambhuva Manu, and your consciousness being so fixed upon the Personality of Godhead, you have pleased me very much. I would like to offer you some benediction.”<\/p>\n

What is this, a demigod offering a pure devotee a benediction? What benediction could a pure devotee want from a demigod? Dhruva requested “One benediction is all that I would like. Please let my dedication be undeviatingly fixed on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”<\/p>\n

How can a demigod offer such a benediction? He actually can’t. The clue to the mystery of Dhruva’s request was that although Kuvera had expressed his pleasure with Dhruva, Dhruva wanted to make sure that there was no lingering aparadha from his destruction of so many Yaksas. Kuvera is the object of worship of the Yaksas, so naturally the Yaksas being put into difficulty was a big concern for Kuvera. Dhruva wanted to be sure of Kuvera’s forgiveness, thus relieving Dhruva from reactions to his offense.<\/p>\n

When there is offense, aparadha, ones capacity to fix one’s mind on the Supreme is blocked. Anarthas are compared to clouds or mist that block the sun; similarly, anarthas do not permit one to become absorbed in unalloyed concentration of the mind in devotion to the Personality of Godhead. Dhruva was seeking Kuvera’s forgiveness but he did not express that directly. Instead he said, “Please benedict me with the capacity to remain always fixed on the Personality of Godhead.”<\/p>\n

Mercifully, Kuvera fully excused him from that mistake.<\/p>\n

This incident is one of the proper applications of api cet su-duracaro [Bg
\n9.30] Dhruva’s anger with the Yaksas was not ordinary worldly anger, but sadhur eva sa mantavyah [Bg 9.30] Such a person as Dhuva Maharaj should be considered saintly. Krishna considers him saintly. We should know that the Bhagavatam considers him an uttama adhikari vaisnava.<\/p>\n

Due to the fact that Dhruva had a strong material desire, now he is king. For this period of time, not just externally but internally he is fixed in Krishna consciousness. He was directly given the service by Lord Visnu, “You become king for thirty-six thousand years.”<\/p>\n

Here is the message we are to receive: although we are presented in this section of verses how we are to perform our duties in life and our sadhana, we should remember that the actual position of Dhruva is that he is at the perfectional stage exhibiting how we can practice the service on giving shelter and protection to others.<\/p>\n

Dhruva is exhibiting all godly qualities, just as the first line of the verse indicates, tam evam sila-sampannam.<\/p>\n

Because we are not on the perfectional stage, the sadhana stage is something that we can relate to more. A common question is “How do we perform our worldly duties while always remaining fixed in Krishna consciousness? How do we practice that?”<\/p>\n

In this connection, there is a very nice instruction given by Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Raghunath dasa Goswami. Before Raghunath dasa Goswami became a Goswami, he was Raghunath Majumadara. He was the son of Govardhan Majumadhara. They were two brothers, Hiranya, the older brother and Govardhan, the younger brother and Raghunath was his son. And of these two, this is directly described in Caitanya-caritamrta, their income was 1,200,
\n000 rupees per year. I don’t even know if they had rupees that time but that is what Prabhupada writes in the purport.<\/p>\n

When Prabhupada first came to America it was something like seven rupees to a dollar. Then it quickly became fourteen, and so on. So Prabhupada said “multiply by one hundred, and that is their annual income”. Whatever it is, they were fabulously wealthy, amongst the wealthiest of all families in all of India. And they were not miserly. They were Vaisnavas and they were very liberal in giving charity. Just as it is cited about Dhruva, he was so charitable that practically he would empty his treasury by giving in charity. However, because he was so spiritually qualified, his treasury would fill again, and he would empty it again. The Majumadara’s would similarly maintain all of the brahmanas and Vaisnavas in their whole area. So they were very popular and they were respected. But they were not just highly respected. It is described that the place where they came from was Krishnapura which wasn’t so far from Navadvip. They had an intimate relationship with Jagannath Misra and they practically worshipped Jagannath Misra. Jaganath Misra, Lord Caitanya’s father was so qualified amongst all the Vaisnavas in Navadvip. He was so qualified and respected by everyone. Even from distant places this Majumadar family worshipped him.<\/p>\n

Although Jagannath Misra was so qualified, Caitanya-caritamrta describes that he was such a humble Vaisnava brahmana that he treated the Majumadar family just like friends. While were worshipping him, he was treating them as friends.<\/p>\n

The Majumadars would go and serve Advaita Acarya in Santipura, because he was also such an elevated Vaisnava. Advait Acarya was very pleased with the Majumadars, so much so that when Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed at his home in Shantipur, Advaita Acarya gave the maha-prasad taken directly from the plate of Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Raghunath, for seven straight days.<\/p>\n

When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was making His pilgrimage to India, He made a little detour first through Bengal and after going through Vidya-nagara, where hundreds and thousands of people came to see Him, it was too crowded so he went to hide in Kuliya. There He stayed in the house of Madhava dasa.<\/p>\n

And for seven days thousands and thousands of people will gather around to receive forgiveness from Him for their offenses.<\/p>\n

Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Santipur and stayed there for ten days. While He was in Santipura Raghunath came to know that Lord Caitanya was there, very near to where his family lived. Raghunath pleaded with his father, “Please let me go there. If I cannot go, I don’t know if I will be able to maintain my life.” He was so eager for Lord Caitanya’s association! With some reservation and ten guards to accompany him, Raghunatha was allowed to go.<\/p>\n

For seven days Raghunath was receiving the remnants of Lord Caitanya’s prasadam. It was arranged by Advaita Acarya for him to have Lord Caitanya’s maha prasad, received byh the mercy of Advaita Acarya. How fortunate! Before Lord Caitanya left Santipur, Raghunath did not say anything but in his mind he was praying to Lord Caitanya, “Somehow please deliver me from the clutches of material existence and allow me to be in Your association.” He didn’t say anything aloud, but Lord Caitanya knew his mind.<\/p>\n

Lord Caitanya then spoke very instructive words which were very appropriate for this situation which Dhruva Maharaj was also facing. Caitanya Mahaprabhu emphasized three things: “Be patient. Go back home. Don’t be a crazy fellow. In due course of time you will cross the ocean of material existence.” Then He gave him this internal and external instruction. “Don’t be a show-bottle devotee or a false renunciate. For now enjoy the material world, the external world in a fitting way – but don’t be attached to it. Caitanya Mahaprabhu concluded: “Within your heart remain faithful. Externally behave like an ordinary man. By doing like that very soon Krishna will deliver you. He will provide you with the means. He will clearly provide you with the means to escape your worldly existence.”<\/p>\n

Very instructive! In my experiance as a sannyasi, many questions which arise are the ‘how to’ questions. Here one essential ‘how to’ answer.<\/p>\n

In executing the duties of life it seems that by so doing one can easily become very entangled. Worldly duties are very time consuming. Plus one becomes attached. Just like Priyavrata, whose reign as king will be described very soon in the Bhagavatam, became attached, even he had attained an extremely elevated state of spiritual consciousness.<\/p>\n

Here is the history. When the lineage of kings from Uttanapada was broken, there was no qualified successor king to carry on the line. Svayambhuva Manu therefore went to Uttanapada’s elder brother, Priyavrata and requested Priyavrata, “My dear son, please become the emperor of the material world.” Priyavrata did not want to say, “No, I refuse.” But he did not want to become king, either, because his understanding was that by so doing he would become attached.<\/p>\n

“To become an emperor, I will have to have a queen and I will also have to have a substantial treasury. For each and everyone who comes in to contact with the opposite sex and money, it is very easy to become attached. I do not want to become attached!”<\/p>\n

On the other hand, here we find Raghunath dasa Goswami, who is renunciation personified and here Lord Caitanya is saying to him, “Go back to your family life. Go perform your duty externally. But very carefully remain internally connected.”<\/p>\n

So this is the clue. “Externally, as required to properly carry out whatever needs to be done, do all worldly duties in a very responsible way. Internally be very faithful and do not become attached. Don’t allow yourself or your mind to become attached but perform all of your duties in a very responsible way. In due course of time Krishna will help you cross the ocean of material existence.”<\/p>\n

In the sadhana stage, to achieve this requires cultivation. In the course of doing that cultivation, let us look at the verse Lord Caitanya accepted as the goal of life.<\/p>\n

jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva [Madhya 8.67]\n

Stay in your position –<\/p>\n

sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir [Madhya 8.67]\n

You stay in your position and hear the topics of the Personality of Godhead through the proper sources and don’t involve yourself in endeavoring for knowledge by mental speculation. That is on the jnana-yoga side. On the material duties side, we are to perform our duties without attachment, and preach the message of Bhagava-gita.<\/p>\n

This exchange between Lord Caitanya and Raghunath provides such a nice example of ‘how to’ live.<\/p>\n

Dhruva Maharaj is not functioning on the external platform. He *is* doing his duties, he is dedicating these duties to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But internally his mind is completely fixed.<\/p>\n

The Bhagavatam is so great in that it gives us such close, intimate examples of consciousness and heart both external and internal of the perfected devotees!<\/p>\n

For example, Srimad Bhagavatam provides us with the example of Ambarisa Maharaj’s opulence which was surpassing that of the heavenly realm, yet he didn’t care have the slightest attachment. He did not value it more than a pebble or small stone. Imagine if after class we walked out the temple room door and we saw a small stone laying in the courtyard. How exciting is that? Who is ever going to pay any attention? Ambarisa Maharaja didn’t consider his enormous treasury any more significant than that. Totally indifferent! And yet he used it fully, just as the previous verses about Dhruva described about Dhruva Maharaja’s charitable spirit. Dhruva engaged the brahmanas in the performances of yajnas and he gave in charity to the brahmanas and to all of the citizens he was distributing all of the fruits of piety because that was the platform on which they were on. Yet internally he was completely absorbed in thought of Krishna.<\/p>\n

Again, looking at the example of Ambarisa Maharaj, it is described there was a drought in his kingdom. Ambarisa was so pious that when he heard that there was a drought, what did he do? He engaged the brahmanas who were very expert in yajnas, requesting them to perform yajna to invoke rain, while he remained in the temple worshipping his Krishna deity. He was engaging the citizens in his kingdom appropriate to their position and according to the faith of the citizens. While doing his kingly duties, his consciousness did not stray one fraction from Krishna, sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor. [SB 9.4.18] Externally Ambarisa Maharaja was doing duties as they were to be done, as appropriate for the circumstance and time and so forth, while internally he was fully absorbed in thought of Krishna.<\/p>\n

Likewise, we are now reading about Dhruva Maharaj’s example. In the verse it describes that he was decorated with all good qualities, tam evam sila-sampannam. In the twelfth chapter of Bhagavad-gita Krishna describes the relative position of worshipping Him in the personal feature versus the impersonal feature. One who worships the personal feature he becomes fixed in saintly qualities, that is to say, Krishna decorates His devotees with good qualities.<\/p>\n

There are twenty six qualities of a devotee mentioned in out scripture and of those twenty six qualities one is svarup-laksana while the others are tatasta-laksana — principle characteristics and marginal. Marginal characteristics develop wherever we find the principle characteristic. This principle characteristic, krsna-eka-saranam, is something that pleases Krishna very much. Krishna then begins to decorate such a devotee with nice qualities. And when Krishna sees the devotee come before Him with nice qualities, He is further pleased. Consequently, Krishna decorates these devotees with additional nice qualities. From what other source are we to get good qualities? They come from Krishna only. He decorates His devotees with good qualities.<\/p>\n

When the devotees see that Krishna is very pleased, they become fully satisfied. And when they are fully satisfied, the mind doesn’t dwell on other things. Their protection is this one thing, their exclusive shelter and devotion to Krishna.<\/p>\n

This verse says that Dhruva had all godly qualities. Three of his godly qualities are mentioned. He was brahmanya. Just like we say, namo brahmanya devaya. He had a quality like Krishna’s. He was very kind, very respectful to the brahmanas. He was very affectionate to the brahmanas. As described here, he engaged them expertly. As described here, he obeyed them and being liberal he gave in charity to the brahmanas. He saw to their protection and to their well being. And because they were protected, a state of well-being in the whole kingdom was present. All citizens were benefitted by the proper execution of the religious duties which the brahmanas were doing. Everyone was prosperous and everyone was very happy.<\/p>\n

Another quality mentioned was dina-vatsalam, being kind to innocent persons. A great personality does not make a distinction due to somebody being small or worldly insignificance. A saintly person considers in terms of the degree of innocence of each person. They are very kind to the innocent, naturally so. It is part of the character of a Vaisnava.<\/p>\n

Let me share an anecdote with you to illustrate an example of doing duties of life with sensitivity to the worldly position of others.<\/p>\n

Particularly those who are sannyasis or on the renounced path of life, it can be a little difficult. As a sannyasi everyone wants to serve you, carry this or help you with that. You can’t do anything because people want serve and this can be difficult. At least in the assembly of devotees, it can become the norm of social exchange. But different rules and expectations apply when interacting with non-devotees.<\/p>\n

I was recently travelling in America going to the North American Temple President and GBC meeting in Dallas towards the end of January. The flight on the way back goes from Houston to Dallas passed through the Dallas Fort Worth Airport. I don’t know who designed this airport, but the gates are very far apart! There are terminals A, B, C and D. Our arrival was in terminal A and the departure was from Terminal C. To get from the arrival gate to the departure gate would take about half an hour. They have a Sky Train to shuttle passengers those long distances, but it was broken.<\/p>\n

So I didn’t know what to do. So I went to one of the guys with these little golf-carts for wheelchair passenger. I asked him where is gate C-26. He said, “Oh it is way down there. If you like, I can take you there. Hop on.”<\/p>\n

He took the wheelchair passengers to terminal B, and then headed off to terminal C. When we got to the departure gate we reached there on time. The flight was just getting ready to board and I was thinking, Wow!” I said to the man, “You do this for a living? You just like help people make their flights. I am not even disabled. This is disable vehicle and you showed compassion on me. Thank you very much.” With folded palms, showing him my pranams with a most grateful smile, I warmly thanked him.<\/p>\n

The next thing that happened I didn’t get it right away. He reached into his pocket and started moving his hand around, as if he was searching for some object. That was intended to be a signal, “I want money.” That is how these people earn a living; I don’t know how it works exactly, but they receive gratuitous tips from those who they assist. That is what they call it in America. I didn’t give him any tip, mainly due to my devotee conditioning that persons who assist a sannyasi do these things out of service. Being conditioned by that standard, I just didn’t click on what this man wanted from me.<\/p>\n

Then I was getting onto the plane and then somehow Supersoul brought this understanding to me like, “Hello! This man isn’t a Vaisnava. He is a worker and his livelihood, his family, his everything depends on his receiving a tip.”<\/p>\n

Although I told him, “Thank you very much”, he did not want a ‘thank you very much.’ He wanted a tip. He had his family.<\/p>\n

His assisting my reaching the departure gate on time wasn’t devotional service.<\/p>\n

Now I was in this very difficult spot because I had boarded this departing airplane. I wanted to go back and find him, but I did not even know if he would still be there. I asked the airplane attendants if I could deplane, but they said, “I am sorry we can’t let you exit the plane due to security reasons.” I was thinking “How do I contact this man and give him something.” This anecdote is very personal. I am just sharing this with you in the context that we all have worldly duties, and we should execute them with care.<\/p>\n

There is a related incident involving Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, in Vrindavan at Radhakund. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and some disciples were doing circumambulation around Radha-kund and there were sadhus with little begging bowls. Some of those in his entourage were wealthy industrialists from Delhi, who were just passing by the persons who were receiving contributions. As his wealthy disciples walked past the sadhus without offering contributions, Bhaktisiddhanta stopped and said, “Do you think that now because you are Vaisnavas you have passed beyond the karma kandha rituals of helping sadhus? It is actually the duty of a grhastha, as a Vaisnava grhastha to help those who are poor.” Dina vatsala.<\/p>\n

Of course we have to be discriminating unto who but the principle that we have duties to abide and duties to the world. Ideally to deliver people the message of Krishna consciousness and suddha bhakti, not just helping this poor person and that poor person.<\/p>\n

Grhasthas in particular commonly ask “How are we to interact with the world without being entangled?” Just like it is shown here, with Dhruva, that the proper discrimination and maintaining godly qualities even when in material contact are built upon krsnaika saranam. This is Krishna consciousness, and our Krishna consciousness is built upon hearing and chanting and receiving the mercy of Krishna through that process of hearing and chanting.<\/p>\n

We should always be ready in whatever position we find ourselves to fine- tune executing our duties of life, certainly among the Vaisnavas as well as duties executed within the world.<\/p>\n

I felt terrible about neglecting to help this airport employee! I began to think “You are trying to be a vaisnava, but when are you going to become a human being! Tune in to this person who has a need. Help this person. He has a need.” It is important. Krishna consciousness is not devoid of social awareness. It is not inconsequential. Vaisnava compassion is an essential part of our Krishna consciousness.<\/p>\n

The final quality mentioned is Goptaram dharma-setunam. Dhruva was the protector of all citizens. A king or a person who is taking charge of others has to give protection to religious principles, which in turn extend protection to those who observe religious principles.<\/p>\n

Protection is not just an external thing. It is part of your absorption in Radha and Krishna, protecting religious principles particularly for those who is in a position of giving protection to others. Because Dhruva had this quality, plus because his Krishna consciousness was there, his citizens felt completely protected. They felt like he was their original father. He was protecting them. They were feeling protected.<\/p>\n

While religious activities were being protected, most importantly for him he was absorbed in Krishna all the time.<\/p>\n

For Dhruva there was no opportunity lost to carry out his duties as an ideal king. Our vaisnava lives should be similarly cultivated.<\/p>\n

We will end there Hare Krishna. Srila Prabhupada Ki. Jai!<\/p>\n

Suresvara Prabhu: In a little role play Maharaj, say I am your disciple and I just heard you give class and I want to say to you “Maharaj, Sriman Bhagavatam states – devar_i-bhTt_pta-n_S_^ pitZS_^ na ki%karo n_yam _S. ca r_jan sarv_tman_ ya\u0192 _araSa^ _araSya^ gato mukunda^ parih_tya kartam. You shouldn’t have felt bad after that incident in the airport because that person, the Bhagavata says that you have given your life to Krishna and you are serving Krishna so nicely. There is no need for you to have any other obligations.”<\/p>\n

HH Romapada Swami: That is right.<\/p>\n

HG Suresvara Prabhu: Don’t feel bad Maharaj.<\/p>\n

HH Romapada Swami: No obligation. So what you just expreessed, that it is not an obligation or a debt to be repaid, because that is material. You are correct, my dear disciple. [Laughter.] Rather, service to others is part of our Krishna consciousness. Helping others, serving others, is part of our Krishna consciousness. Just like Bhaktisiddhanta said to his grhastha disciples. It is part of your Vaisnava duty. Material duty is based upon our desire to get free from the sin of neglecting duty, to prosper by proper performance of duty. Those are material. This is transcendental. We have to act in the society in a transcendental way. And there are different situations of life that call for transcendental action.<\/p>\n

HG Janmastami Prabhu: In that regard, in the exchange that you had with the golf-cart operator, isn’t there also a principle called loka vicara? If you were dressed in Vaisnava clothes and you don’t give them money then that creates an unfavorable impression for him making it difficult for him to advance further?<\/p>\n

HH Romapada Swami: Yes I was thinking that this gentleman will probably never again give assistance to another Vaisnava. [Laughter.] Is that your point?<\/p>\n

HG Janmastami Prabhu: Yah! [Laughter.]\n

HH Romapada Swami: Besides that, a higher purpose is our duty to Krishna.<\/p>\n

HG Janmastami Prabhu: We already have a bad reputation in the airports from book distribution days. Another question that I had is that we understand that if we give ourselves heart and soul to following the order of the spiritual master, pushing on his mission, sometimes devotees tend to see that as part of their internal meditation.<\/p>\n

HH Romapada Swami: Yes. Of course!<\/p>\n

HG Janmastami Prabhu: and there are external duties to go with that.<\/p>\n

HH Romapada Swami: Yes. That’s the point.<\/p>\n

HG Janmastami Prabhu: It seems that there is a tendency to be attached like, “This is my service. This is an important pastime of this service, some of its external features.” So I question who has that discrimination?<\/p>\n

HH Romapada Swami: Krishna.<\/p>\n

HG Janmastami Prabhu: For sure. One last question Maharaj: In the studies that we have done of the verse, sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir [Madhya 8.67] this dedication to hearing and chanting, making this one’s main activity in life sometimes that is included in one’s external responsibilities. So that seems to be in conflict sometimes with our worldly responsibilities.<\/p>\n

HH Romapada Swami: There are priorities. If the higher priority activity is done while that which is of the lower priority is sometimes not acted upon, that is not a transgression. Now, how do we know that we have our priorities straight? We must follow guidance from those who are qualified.<\/p>\n

We must end class because of time. Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Romapada Swami<\/strong><\/p>\n

In those prayers it is said that he is a king there. He wasn’t in the sadhana stage, he was in that perfectional stage. In the discussion of Ramananda Raya were Lord Caitanya is asking him to identify the sadhya sadhana, the goal of life and the means to achieve it. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu hears some of our most famous verse, our favorite verse of Bhagavad-gita, He says external<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-classes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9298"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9298\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}