präëaiù svaiù präëinaù pänti
sädhavaù kñaëa-bhaìguraiù
baddha-vaireñu bhüteñu
mohiteñv ätma-mäyayä
Synonyms
präëaiù—by lives; svaiù—their own; präëinaù—other living entities; pänti—protect; sädhavaù—devotees; kñaëa-bhaìguraiù—temporary; baddha-vaireñu—unnecessarily engaged in animosity; bhüteñu—unto living entities; mohiteñu—bewildered; ätma-mäyayä—by the external energy of the Lord.
Translation
People in general, being bewildered by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are always engaged in animosity toward one another. But devotees, even at the risk of their own temporary lives, try to save them.
Purport
This is the characteristic of a Vaishnava. Para-dukha-dukhe: a Vaishnava is always unhappy to see the conditioned souls unhappy. Otherwise, he would have no business teaching them how to become happy. In materialistic life, people must certainly engage in activities of animosity. Materialistic life is therefore compared to saàsära-dävänala **, a blazing forest fire that automatically takes place. Lord Shiva and his followers in the paramparä system try to save people from this dangerous condition of materialistic life. This is the duty of devotees following the principles of Lord Shiva and belonging to the Rudra-sampradäya. There are four Vaishnava sampradäyas, and the Rudra-sampradäya is one of them because Lord Shiva (Rudra) is the best of theVaishnava (vaiñëavänäà yathä çambhuù). Indeed, as we shall see, Lord Shiva drank all the poison for the benefit of humanity.
Radhanath Swami on Process Of Peace:
People in general being bewildered by the illusory energy of the supreme personality of godhead are always engaged in animosity toward another. But devotees even at the risk of their own temporary lives try to save them. In this material world the people in general are bewildered by this illusory energy. The basic principle of this bewilderment is that we think that we are this material body and we think that those things in relationship to the body are for our own enjoyment. And due to these misconceptions this world is like a blazing forest fire and everyone is subject sooner or later to be burned by the flames of these fire. In reality we are not these material bodies, we are the eternal soul and the soul is the eternal servant of Krishna and all things in this world are meant for the service of Krishna that is knowledge and that according to Gita is the process of peace.
Bhoktaram yajna tapasam
Sarva loka maheshvaram
Suhrdam sarva bhutanam
Jnatva mam santim rcchati
It is explained here how there is so much animosity amongst human beings. On every level especially in this age of kaliyuga there are so much quarrel so much hypocrisy, which leads to conflict, envy, hatred, violence, and war. Because there is such a war taking place within everyone’s minds naturally what is within is expressed by your actions. People are so dissatisfied. Because as Gita explains however much fuel you put in a fire the fire only becomes more hungry for fuel. Similarly however much satisfaction you give to either your or gross or subtle senses the senses become more inflamed within unquenchable desire for more. We have five senses and these five senses are always looking for pleasure and the more we give them pleasure Krishna says the more we suffer.
ye hi saàsparça-jä bhogä
duùkha-yonaya eva te
ädy-antavantaù kaunteya
na teñu ramate budhaù
Intelligence is defined by Krishna in this way. To understand that by utilizing your senses in god’s service we find ultimate pleasure and by utilizes our senses according to this illusion that I am this body and I am the enjoyer we bring about ultimate misery and destruction. And then we have subtle senses, the mind, the intelligence, and the ahankara, the false ego and even more than the gross senses the subtle senses are looking for enjoyment. And factually the more you give enjoyment to your subtle senses the more they become disturbed and hungry for more. That is why Krishna says in Gita for one who has been honored dishonor is worse than death. For one who has never been honored dishonored is not worse than death. It is painful, but not so bad. Because the more expect the more you are frustrated when you don’t get it. And just like the five senses, the ego is also like fire. The more you try to enjoy, distinction the more you have to have it to survive.
Fear Of Losing Popularity:
If you look at the lives of the most famous people in the world they are in constant fear of losing their reputation of losing their popularity. The politicians who are so highly regarded they are constantly in fear of losing votes. At least losing popularity. And there is no peace, there is no happiness in their lives. It creates so much terrible animosity and cruelty and harsh words amongst themselves just to try to preserve whatever fame or honor they have. And amongst the big, big entertainers whether they be in the movies or in music we have spoken to some of the biggest and they all say the same thing that there is no peace in their lives, because they are always in fear that someone will become more famous than them. They are always in fear and anxiety they are always suffering at the thought that they will lose their popularity or fame. So it is a reality. The more we enjoy through our gross or subtle senses the more we ultimately have to suffer because they can never satisfied. And this creates so much conflict so much competition even in spiritual societies. People become enemies over who will be considered a greater mahatma or a more powerful guru or a pure sadhu. And therefore even in spiritual societies people try to drag each other down this is the influence of ahankar or false ego. And even amongst ordinary god brothers god sisters or just common vaishnava everyone is looking for more recognition distinction from their guru from the other sadhus from the other devotees. This is ahankar, animosity. But it is explained here that this principle which keeps everyone entangled in the cycle of birth and death.
Radhanath Swami on Devotees Teach What Is The Truth:
The are free from that the true devotees. They are aspiring to rise above this. And their only business in this world is to bring people real happiness, which means to teach them what is the truth that we are all the eternal servants of Krishna. To teach people how to unite under the principle of selfless service to Krishna or Bhakti. The devotees of the lord they are so busy trying to help others become happy that they have no time to think whether they are happy or not happy. They are so busy immersed 24 hours in trying to act for the well being of others. That they do not considered what is their own well being. And we see throughout the ages this is the principle in which all the great acharyas have lived. When our own gurumaharaj Shrila Prabhupad came to the west, he had no thought whether he would live or die. He was living in a terrible condition in freezing cold weather without even warm clothes, he was having heart attacks, he was living utter poverty. He did not know where he would get food, he did not know where he would stay. People he was living with were trying to murder him. Because they were crazy drug addicts, alcoholics. He had no where else. And his god brothers and his well wishers in India were praying swamiji come back to India, you have such a nice comfortable place at the Radhadamodar temple in Brindavan. Everything is provided come back. But he did not come back. He was willing to endure suffering or death to try to make others happy. This is real love. And this is the principle that we should all be striving to achieve. It begins by the process of purifying our hearts, by associating with devotees, by praising devotees, never criticizing devotees. If you criticize devotees whatever you see bad in them comes into your heart and even if there is nothing bad in them whatever bad you speak against them you become infected by that. That is a law of nature. So if we want to purify our self if we want to become good we have to see good in others. And in this type of association we hear the glories of the lord as spoken in Bhagavat-Gita Shrimad Bhagavatam, and we chant the holy names. ”Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Hare Hare’.
Krishna’s holy name is Krishna’s divine manifestation in this age of kaliyuga. kali-käle näma-rüpe kåñëa-avatära. Krishna as descended with all of his opulence with all of his power and glory within his name. To transform our hearts into those of pure unalloyed devotees. A devotee does not want anything of this world except service to Krishna. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has prayed,
na dhanaà na janaà na sundaréà
kavitäà vä jagad-éça kämaye
mama janmani janmanéçvare
bhavatäd bhaktir ahaituké tvayi
My lord all the things that everyone is bad after in this world I do not care for them. na dhanaà, I do not want money people go to colleges for so many long years the best years of their lives, their full youth they struggle they strive, they are in terrible misery and anxieties trying to get through their tests and exams, for what? For money with some hope of an economic future and then after they come out of their colleges they go begging looking for jobs and they work most of their lives they are working.
Degradation Of Society:
Srila Prabhupad explained how they work like asses foaming at the mouth. Carrying such a burden on their backs and most of life is simply worrying and struggling for a few paisa, but Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says na dhanaà, I do not want. na dhanaà na janaà na sundaréà, nor do I want beautiful, beautiful company with the opposite sex. This world is Mathunagara. People are shackled by this attraction between the sexes. In fact it is the principle that makes the world revolve. This shackle of desire for sex life is so deeply seeded in the heart and civilized society means the willingness to control the restrict that tendency and to the degree if the society is uncivilized they live and act according to that desire.
And we see in the western countries such degradation, such degradation, which leads to Varëa-saìkara, unwanted population. How things are degrading, we have recently read a survey where in 1950s that was the time I went to school in America. There was a survey at that time what are the biggest problems of the behavior of the students. The problems were talking during class. That was biggest problem. The second biggest problem was putting chewing gum under the desks. That was considered you could be expelled from school for doing that. These were the biggest problems. And in the 1980s they did the same survey and teachers explain that is the biggest problems this is elementary school, not high school. Murders, murders of teachers, this is reality it happens everyday. Murder of classmates, rape in the school premises. Drug addiction taking heroine and cocaine in the bathrooms, alcoholism. In this way with all our wonderful computer technology and all of our wonderful developments of better airports and better shopping centers how is our society progressing. And here in India as we are importing so many of the wonderful inventions we are also importing this culture of immorality.
Radhanath Swami on Unalloyed Devotion To Sri Krishna:
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says I do not want. Whatever one is mad after he does not want. He explains I do not want even great thing and popularity. I do not want many, many disciples to follow me, to worship me, to glorify me. Sometimes people take to spiritual life for this purpose. I do not even want liberation, mukti I kick it out. There is only one thing I desire unconditional loving service to you birth after birth after birth. Because although on a lower understanding of spirituality liberation is something very great to the vaishnavas it is still a selfish egoistic desire. To want to be god, to want to be free from pain is still based on the idea that you are the enjoyer.
muktänäm api siddhänäà
näräyaëa-paräyaëaù
su-durlabhaù praçäntätmä
koöiñv api mahä-mune
The Shrimad Bhagavatam explains only unalloyed devotion to Shri Krishna can bring about prasannatma, real happiness, real joy. Because it is the only state Bhakti is the only process and the only realization that is true natural state of our soul. So such devotees they understand what is that pleases the lord and they are willing to live or die to please Krishna and there is nothing that pleases Krishna more as he explains in the 18th chapter of Gita than preaching his message to others. Because anyone who submissively hears the message of Gita and follows those teachings they will be eternally liberated from the cycle of birth and death and they will be situated in the most blissful condition of his enteral loving service.
Churning The Ocean Of Milk:
Here we have a beautiful example of this in the story that we are reading today from Shrimad Bhagavatam it begins where the demigods devatas and the asuras they are having a great struggle. Actually although we accept that this is certainly a historically story it also is arranged by the supreme lord to give great symbolic lessons to all of us. The demigods and the demons they were at war. So it was the arrangement of the lord that they churn the ocean of milk with the promise that they will get nectar, amrit. Within our own minds, within our own hearts, there is our demoniac side and there is our devotional side. When we come to the path of Bhakti. We have tendencies that we want to enjoy and exploit and we have tendencies to sacrifice and to serve. And these two forces are always at battle. So as they were churning the ocean they somehow or other they made a truce because they each wanted to exploit the other side thinking that we will use them for our own self benefit and this is what goes on in the name of friendship in this material world. We make alliances with people because of what we would benefit from them. And similarly when we take to spiritual life when we begin to chant the holy names of the lord when we begin to associate with devotees and hear from the scriptures it is like a churning that begins to take to take place in our heart. We are churning because we want the nectar of love of god. That is why we have come to this temple and that is why we will continue through out our life to come to this temple, because we are looking for the real amrit of premabhakti, Krishnaprema, there is no other nectar. And by regularly hearing and associating with devotees we must become absolutely convinced that there is no other nectar. There is nothing else that will please the eternal longing of our soul for pleasure, the pleasure of loving service to Krishna. So through the process of Bhakti we begin to churn our hearts and the first thing that starts happening is all the poison starts to come out. We have so much poison and it must be removed. And as it starts coming out it is something very, very ugly. Our envy our pride, our greed, our lust, our anger, all of our illusions we have to see them face to face. And we have to go on chanting. ”Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Hare Hare’.
Gradually it is removed. So this poison called halahala that came out of the ocean of milk was so deadly a single drop of it could destroy everything and so much of this poison start just coming and coming it tilted the entire universe it was scattering everywhere. And both the demigods and demons alike realized that this poison will be the cause of the destruction of all life. No one will survive. So the supreme personality of godhead adhokshaja Vishnu he personally directed all the devatas to Lord Shiva, because it is said Vaishnavanam yatha Shambhu. Shiva is the greatest of all vaishnavas and Krishna more than performing wonderful acts himself is very pleased to see his devotee glorified madbhakta puja abhyadhika.
Radhanath Swami on Nature Of Spiritual Love
Krishna explains in Bhagavat that if you worship my devotee that is the best way of worshiping me. If we glorify Krishna’s devotees Krishna takes more pleasure than we glorify him, why? Because that is the nature of spiritual love. When we chant the mahamantra, ”Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Hare Hare’.
This is what happens hare is the name of Shrimati Radharani, which means that she steals the heart of Krishna and Krishna means the all attractive one. So as we are chanting mahamantra when we say the name Hare Krishna is pleased that we are chanting the name of his best devotee Radharani and when we chant the name, Krishna Radharani is very please that we are chanting the name of her beloved Krishna. So in this way this mahamantra is the mahamantra. It is the greatest of all mantras. Because it is so dear to Krishna and equally dear to Shrimati Radharani. When we chant Krishna’s name sincerely Shrimati Radharani Ah Krishna accept this devotee. And when we chant Hare sincerely Krishna’s heart melts with affection. So the lord is always cachous that we serve prays and love his devotees.
British Saying Love Me Love my Dog:
Shrila Prabhupad use to explain according to the British saying love me love by dog. If you want to love a person you have to love their dog, that is the western idea. I have seen you could offer all respect to somebody, but if you mistreat their dog they will hate you. Because in the west there is the idea people love dogs, why because they are so lonely, because every time they have relationships with human beings are frustrated. So there is no frustration with a dog. They just do what you say, sit they sit. Your wife will not sit like that. Your son or daughter will not sit like that. Your best friend will not sit like that. But your dog sit, he will sit, lay down he will lay down, roll over, they roll over. They will always be there. Why because they want food and you are giving them food. So people become very much loving dogs. In fact god spelled backward is dog. So people who do not love god when they come to the extreme forgetfulness of god they love dogs, it is an apposite life. But Shrila Prabhupad took it in a positive way, love me love by dog. Because the surrendered devotee is like Krishna’s dog.
sarva-dharmän parityajya
mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja
ahaà tväà sarva-päpebhyo
mokñayiñyämi mä çucaù
Krishna says abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender to me. Have faith. I will protect you from all sinful reactions, there is no fear. A devotee like a dog is willing to do anything for Krishna anything for his spiritual master who is the representative of Krishna. When guru says sit, we sit, when guru says lay down, we lay down. When Krishna says speak, we bark. He is confirming that I am barking. So when we become krishna’s dog, when we become guru’s dog we become very dear to Krishna. This person is giving everything for me giving everything for my representative, all. If you can do something for him that is how you win my heart. So Krishna loves to see his devotee glorified and he puts his devotes in incredibly inconceivable circumstances just so they will be glorified.
Why Good People Suffer:
People have read Mahabharat and they wonder why so many injustices took place in the lives of Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakul, Sahadev, Kunti, and Droupadi, the Pandavas, they were so nice. They were pure. They were sinless. Why they suffered. Why they were so much humiliated. Because through those years of terrible circumstances they remained completely faithful to the devotional service of the lord and because of this even today 5000 years later everyday vaishnavas are speaking their glories. Pralhad 5-year-old child he was pure, so noble, and moral, why was he thrown into pits of serpents, in blazing fire, thrown off mountains. Threatened to be crushed under the feet of elephants, fed deadly poison, pierced with swords. Krishna put him in those circumstances so that Pralhad would be glorified. In fact if Hiryanakashipu was a very nice understanding father we would have never heard of Pralhad today. But now it is millions of years later in each day in each of our temples after every arati we are chanting the glories of Pralhad and how Krishna is pleased by that.
Similarly our own spiritual master Shrial Prabhupad Krishna could have arranged an airline ticket for him to America, he could have arranged thousands of people waiting at the airport, multimillionaires to built temple for him. Why he put them on that boat, the jaldoota where had to sit a month through storms in the Atlantic ocean suffering heart attacks. Why he had to live in the ghettoes of New York City completely unknown in poverty. Because now today it is this sacrifice that Shrila Prabhupad made under the most difficult circumstances that most attract our hearts to appreciate and glorify the extent of his mercy and compassion. And when we appreciate the activities of these devotees we win the heart of Krishna.
Srimad Bhagavatam is 12 cantos. The first 9 cantos primarily deals with the activities of Krishna’s devotees. Dhruva Maharaj, Ambarish Maharaj, Pralhad Maharaj, Narada rishi, the Pandavas, the Prachetas. After thoroughly understanding the glories and the surrender of his devotees then in the 10 canto Krishna reveals himself. And it is said that if you try to approach the 10 canto of Shrimad Bhagavatam directly without first very thoroughly and deeply studying and understanding the first 9 cantos it is actually like drinking poison, you will never be able to appreciate who is Krishna. But after becoming thoroughly purified by hearing and chanting the glories of his devotees then we can appreciate his own sweet beautiful divine pastimes, with realization. Anyone can sit and cry when they hear about the Krishna as a little baby. But to actually appreciate the deaths of Krishna in that lila we must have Krishna’s mercy and for this we must have serve and glorified his devotees.
Radhanath Swami on People Treat Devotion As Contract:
So therefore Vishnu directed the devatas and asuras to lord Shiva. And they all approached him helplessly that we are desperate, this poison is going to destroy everything and everyone please save us. The devotees understand that Shiva is a great vaishnava. And they glorify him and worship him in that light. But materialistic people which is the vast majority of society they see him as a demigod. They see him as a person who can fulfill their material demands.
Krishna explains in Gita that those who worship the Demigods are less intelligent because whatever the Demigods give you when you pray to them for material benefits they will ultimately cause you suffering, because they are temporary. These days in Maharashtra there is Ganesh pooja. Ganesh we offer the greatest respect, reverence and glorification to. Because he is a great vaishnva, he is a great personality. He is a divine being, but generally people do not offer their obeisance to him in this way. They treat him in a business like way, we will do our pooja you give me what I want. Contract, we will dance on the streets for you, you give me money, you give me a good degree, you give me a good wife or daughter or husband. You give me good health. We will play instruments we will make a beautiful chariot for you, but the real thing is what will you do for me. That is not Bhakti that is business.
Srila Prabhupad our Gurumaharaj told a story in this regard of the mentality of people who worship demigods with material motive. He explains that there was a person who was worshiping goddess kali and he did so much pooja and Yagya and goddess kali said what do want? I want money, I want fortune, take it, but I will give it you but in return you should offer me one goat. So goddess kali gave him all the wealth that he had desired. Weeks went by he never offer the goat. So he came before to do his pooja. Obviously because he wanted more whatever you have it is never enough if she has given me this much she will give me more. So Kali asked him I have given you so much, where is the goat you are suppose to offer me. He said “oh Kalimata goats are very expensive in the market, no doubt I have lots of money, but I have so many priorities and I just at this time I cannot afford a goat.” So Kali said “all right then you offer a hog, pig.” So weeks went by no pig. She said “why are you not offering me the pig you promised me.” “Well pigs are also very expensive, not as expensive as goats, but they are also very expensive and I just did not keep free my money it is all invested enough to buy this pig. So Kali said “all right, then you offer me a fly, one fly.” And this so called devotee said to Kali “Kalimata there are so many flies flying around you, just grab and take it yourself.” So this is the mentality of people who come to the demigods, simply for their own benefit. There is no love, there is no devotion, and there is only exploitation.
So they approached Shiva because they were all about to die please save us please save us. And Lord Shiva when he heard their prayers beautiful prayers. He turned to Bhavani, his eternal consort and he explained that the whole world in danger and it will be very very painful and difficult experience to save them, but I must. I must be willing to risk my life and risk all my comforts for the welfare of others, because this is the service that will most please the supreme personality of godhead. Parvati gave him permission and he took all of that and he drank it. It had to go somewhere he drank it. And as it went down into his throat, his throat became black, Neelkhantha. And Lord Shiva is glorified as Kalakhantha. It is considered one of the greatest decorations of his body because it symbolize the utmost surrender toward the supreme personality of godhead to be willing to give ones life for the benefit of others.
Die To Live:
Wise people have said that if you do not have something that you are willing to die for you have nothing in this world that is worth living for. Die to live. We should be willing to live or die for the satisfaction of Krishna, for the pleasure of Krishna, for the benefit of other living beings. Throughout all the great religions of the world we have find the greatest saints willing to sacrifice so much for the benefit of others. But we must understand what is the greatest benefit. The greatest benefit is to give people the intelligence and the means by which they can free themselves from the cycle of birth and death. The greatest charity is to give the holy name of god and the path of Bhakti.
If we really want to show our love to our family members to our friends, to our countrymen, to our humanity to all living beings, there is only one real expression of love to connect them to the supreme object of all love for Krishna. By giving them these wonderful books of Shrila Prabhupad, by giving them Krishna’s prasad, by inviting them to have the beautiful darshan of Shri Nitay Gorasundar, Shri Radhakunjabihari. And ultimately to teach them the yugadharma. The proper process in which we can cleanse our hearts and revive our eternal consciousness and chanting Krishna’s name. ”Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Hare Hare’.
Radhanath Swami on Science Of Krishna Consciousness:
Srila Prabhupad told us that you can show your love for me by how you cooperate with one another. And Krishna explains in Gita those who explain the science of Krishna consciousness to my devotees are most dear to me. Because when we.
mac-cittä mad-gata-präëä
bodhayantaù parasparam
kathayantaç ca mäà nityaà
tuñyanti ca ramanti ca
When enlighten one another in discussing the topics of Krishna and having beautiful kirtana of chanting his name then we create an undefeatable all powerful force empowered by Krishna himself of our united efforts to give Krishna to others. This is the essence of life. So let us take very seriously this wonderful opportunity we have to live for the real treasure to live for the real nectar of Krishna prema. After the nectar, I mean after the poison was drunk by Lord Shiva the demigods and the demons continued to churn and so many gifts started coming out. Elephants, Airavata, Suravi cow, so many things. But they kept churning. They were no satisfied with anything until they got that nectar. Similarly in our spiritual lives as we are becoming purified so many opportunities come into our existence. As we become spiritually advanced we start having facilities for mystique powers, siddhis for liberation for heavenly heavenly pleasures. If we take any of them we stop at that point.
Nectar Of Premabhakti:
Therefore Rupagoswami has said,
anyäbhiläñitä-çünyaà
jïäna-karmädy-anävåtam
änukülyena kåñëänu-
çélanaà bhaktir uttamä
We should not stop for anything until we get the nectar of premabhakti. And when that nectar comes. Änandämbudhi-vardhanaà pratipadaà pürëämåtäsvädanaà, it will satisfy all of our desires eternally. We will experience real transcendental ecstasy. Shri Gorangamahaprabhu Ki Jai. Here in this beautiful temple in Pune Shri Shri Goranitay especially very prominent in their beauty and mercy. They have come to attract us to the simple process of chanting dancing and feasting in the association of devotees. There is no greater treasure, there is no greater wealth that you have ever received, protect it, be grateful for it. Chant Hari Krishna and be happy. Thank you very much Hari bol. Is there any questions?
Questions and Answers:
Devotee: so we see that in mahabharat when that Yudhishtira gambled and played dais with Dhyroydhan and as a result he lost his kingdom so what is the explanation for that.
Maharaj: So you are thinking that Yudhishtira was a gampler Hari bol. We must understand Yudhishtira was a great Kshatriya and for such great and noble Kshatriyas, there are no such Kshatriyas today. In fact during the at war between India and Pakistan in 1971, I think the king of Jaipur, the Maharaj of Jaipur he was so courageous that he actually went into Pakistan on a parachute and was fighting with his own hands and when Prabhupad heard this he said he is the last Kshatriya in the age. He is the last Kshatriya that has such fearless mobility to leave his beautiful palace to do that. He was not recruited he volunteer. But then later he was playing polo after the war, after they won the war he was playing polo in London and fell off his horse and he died. So there are not more no real kshatriyas in this age.
So we cannot imitate, but we must know when Kshatriyas were really Kshatriyas they had regulative principles too. We have four regulative principles, but such Kshatriyas also have their own regulative principles and one was a Kshatriya will never refuse a challenge whatever it is. They cannot refuse a challenge or lose their status of fearlessness. However that challenge they have to fight. To Yudhishtira was challenged to this gambling. So he was obliged as a great kshatriya to do it. But you are not a kshatriya. So if someone challenges you to a game of dais or cards for you it is the breaking the regulative principle. But for Yudhishtira it was the fulfillment of his regulative principle. He made a vow that he would never refuse a challenge and he was completely true to his vow. Hari bol. That is why during the battle of Kurukshetra and the Pandavas appeared to be winning, Dhuryodhana was such a cheater he decided that we may not win this war we are fighting so hard, but Bhishma has gone down and Karna has gone down, so what should we do. What we should do is somehow or other I should find Yudhishtira on this battle field and I should challenge him again to a game of dais and then we will cheat him and we will win it and we will banish for 14 years.
So all the Pandavas were guarding Yudhishtira so one can get to him to challenge him. The whole army was guarding him, because they knew he made vow anything on challenge I must accept the challenge as a Kshatriya and he will be willing to give up his kingdom and everything to not go back on his word. How many people in this age are so true to their word as Yudhishtira. So two things is you should not make a vow that will make you so much vulnerable to maya, for him he was a kshatriya, this is honor. But for us we make the vow to follow the four regulative principles. Kalo shudra samvhave we are all like shudra so we should be humble and follow the four regulative principles. The brahmins they will not take such risks.
