“ahaà ca gäyaàs tad-vidvän
strébhiù parivåto gataù
jïätvä viçva-såjas tan me
helanaà çepur ojasä
yähi tvaà çüdratäm äçu
nañöa-çréù kåta-helanaù”
Srimad Bhagavatam 7.15.72
SYNONYMS
aham—I myself; ca—and; gäyan—singing the glories of other demigods rather than those of the Lord; tat-vidvän—knowing very well the art of singing; strébhiù—by women; parivåtaù—being surrounded; gataù—went there; jïätvä—knowing well; viçva-såjaù—the prajäpatis, to whom the management of universal affairs was entrusted; tat—the attitude of my singing; me—my; helanam—negligence; çepuù—cursed; ojasä—with great force; yähi—become; tvam—you; çüdratäm—a çüdra; äçu—immediately; nañöa—devoid of; çréù—beauty; kåta-helanaù—because of transgressing the etiquette.
TRANSLATION
Närada Muni continued: Being invited to that festival, I also joined, and, surrounded by women, I began musically singing the glories of the demigods. Because of this, the prajäpatis, the great demigods in charge of the affairs of the universe, forcefully cursed me with these words: “Because you have committed an offense, may you immediately become a çüdra, devoid of beauty.”
PURPORT
As far as kértana is concerned, the çästras say, çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù: [SB 7.5.23] one should chant the glories of the Supreme Lord and the holy name of the Supreme Lord. This is clearly stated. Çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù: one should chant about and glorify Lord Viñëu, not any demigod. Unfortunately, there are foolish persons who invent some process of kértana on the basis of a demigod’s name. This is an offense. Kértana means glorifying the Supreme Lord, not any demigod. Sometimes people invent kälé-kértana or çiva-kértana, and even big sannyäsés in the Mäyäväda school say that one may chant any name and still get the same result. But here we find that millions and millions of years ago, when Närada Muni was a Gandharva, he neglected the order to glorify the Lord, and being mad in the association of women, he began to chant otherwise. Thus he was cursed to become a çüdra. His first offense was that he went to join the saìkértana party in the company of lusty women, and another offense was that he considered ordinary songs, like cinema songs and other such songs, to be equal to saìkértana. For this offense he was punished with becoming a çüdra.
Story Of Sri Narada & relevance in our life.
We are continuing the beautiful story, which is narration of Narada Muni, of how he came to the Krishna Consciousness movement. Generally we conditioned souls, to come to Krishna Consciousness,when the supreme lord, seeing the sincerity in that person’s heart, gradually creates events of advancement in that person’s life, that brings that aspiring devotee to the lotus feet of the lord. In the lives of the great souls, sometimes the supreme lord casts them under the influence of Yoga Maya, to make them appear to be conditioned souls, just to show by their transcendental example, how all classes of men coming from all levels of society can be come perfect in devotional service. Therefore these wonderful stories are most purifying and educating for all sincere seekers of the truth. Generally in our life turns of events take place and we cannot understand why ?
Most of us, who have come to Krishna Consciousness, we are basically very ignorant in our previous days of life, so many serious events of sorrows, catastrophes, bewilderments, and success they all came and went, and really we did not know what was happening or why? But after we come to the lotus feet of the spiritual master and Lord Sri Krishna and we look back,we could see how everything in our life was very carefully orchestrated by the supreme lord Sri Krishna to ultimately bring us to the point of associating with the devotees, approaching a bona fide spiritual master and surrendering to Sri Krishna. How it is happening, we do not know.
Personal story
I remember in my own life, right here in Bombay, I was sincerely seeking out a spiritual master in the spiritual path. In that process I came all the way from Gaya to Bombay just to take a Buddhist Meditation course. I had no other reason to be here. The ten day course ended and there was a ten days break between the next ten days course. So during that ten days break, on the first day, I left the ashram and happened to be walking.This was the first time, I ever walked in the city of Bombay, and I came upon a large billboard advertising,” Hare Krishna festival” , and I asked where the place was ? Cross Maidan, and someone said it is just right here. Please turn right and you go straight. So I walked a few minutes, and that was the first day of the Pandal. The pandal ever performed by Srila Prabhupada in Hare Krishna movement in India, actually in the history of the movement. It was the first pandal program, the first day and that evening Srila Prabhupada was speaking.
How Krishna lead me to the feet of my guru maharaja, I do not understand, and it just happened that, the program was for ten days. Of course it was not planned. In my heart, I did not understand that Srila Prabhupada was my guru, but I thought he was another great saint. But there was something very special. The seed was very deeply planted in my heart, hearing from him morning and evening for ten days, sitting at his lotus feet. Touching his feet getting the dust on my head, I was thinking he is another great sadhu.
After that I went to Himalayas ,and I went to Nepal to live with the other yogis on the bank of Ganges. Then there was a festival at Ambarnath the big pilgrimage that takes place every summer. So I was on a third class train going to Ambarnath. I was just thinking I will go worship Lord Shiva in Ambarnath. In one station there was a large mass of saddhus. So I was thinking so many saddhus, then I was curious what was happening? So I got up, just to ask why there are so many saddhus here, and the train left without me. I was thinking, oh my god, now I have to wait till the next train comes, in one or two days. Well I am here, I should find out where I am, and what all these people are doing here. So I inquired from them, what is the occasion, that there are so many saddhus. They said today is janmastami, Lord Krishna’s birth day. I said where am I? They said this is Mathura, Krishna’s birth place. So then they took me to Krishna’s birth place. I did not know, what was happening, I had no intention. And then after being in Mathura, they told me that Vrindavana is the place where Krishna had Lila, you should go there, it is a very charming place. So I started walking to Vrindavana, after the Janmastami celebration, the Janmasthan, and Dwarakadish mandir at mid night. So then I went to Vrindavana and I decided, I’ll stay here for four or five days and then I will go onto Ambarnath. I have just an off time to make the pilgrimage. So after living in Vrindavana for four days, the next day I was ready to leave in the early morning. I was going to get off, to go to Mathura, to get the train. And what happened in the next morning, I could not stand up because I had typhoid fever, I could not leave Vrindavana, although I wanted so badly to leave Vrindavana, I could not leave Vrindavana. I was so sick. I could not travel for two months, and by the time I got better I was a devotee. You know what happens when you live in Vrindavana for two months. You become Krishna Conscious. So then I decided, I am just going to stay on Vrindavana for the rest of my life. I was thinking, but I have to find out my guru. So I was going to the different babajis, the different missions, visiting the different gurus and sadhus, living in gaudiya matha sampradaya, Ramanuja sampradaya and all the four sampradayas, just meeting the people. One day I was praying to Radharani, please guide me. Here I am living like a vrijavasi, sleeping besides the Yamuna. But according to the sashtra and in my heart I know I need a guru, so I was praying. While I was praying, all of sudden a big bus came by, and I saw all these Hare Krishna devotees in the bus, about 20 of them , and then a car drives by, and Srila Prabhupada was in that car. So I went to visit Srila Prabhupada. After sitting at his lotus feet in Vrindavana, I could understand, what missionary life was to be.
So I had nothing to do with any of these things. While it was happening I did not know what was going on. But now after attaining the shelter of the lotus feet, by the causeless mercy of our guru maharaj, we can look back and see how Krishna arranged disease, disappointment, longings, traveling here and there, missing trains, how he arranged everything just to bring me to the point, of having the opportunity to be His devotee. You see, no one comes to the lotus feet of the spiritual master without the mercy of Krishna. You cannot find your spiritual master. It is said,
“brahmäëòa bhramite kona bhägyavän jéva
guru-kåñëa-prasäde päya bhakti-latä-béja”
Caitanya-caritamrita Madhya 19.151
Which means that after wandering in this material universe for this countless births, when one is most fortunate, one comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master. And the spiritual master plant the seed of devotion in your heart. By the mercy of Krishna, one gets guru and by the mercy of guru one gets Krishna.
“éçvaraù sarva-bhütänäà
håd-deçe ‘rjuna tiñöhati
bhrämayan sarva-bhütäni
yanträrüòhäni mäyayä”
Bhagavad-Gita 18.61
Krishna is in the heart of every living being and He is directing everyone’s wanderings. He is directing you from within your heart and only by his direction and by His causeless mercy, you can meet the great saddhus, His pure devotees. That is the greatest gift, that is the ultimate benediction given by god, and how wonderful it is? That Krishna puts His devotees through so many lessons in life to bring them to the point of accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of His pure devotees. In eleventh canto of Srimad Bhagavatam we read about a brähmaëa from Avanti desh. It is described there, that this brähmaëa was a very wealthy land owner, very materialistic business man. One day thieves came, and stole all of his property and all of his wealth, and in a complete state of poverty, even his own family members rejected him because he could no longer provide for their sense gratification, and he was in complete anxiety. You know the brahmacaries, you do not know what it is like, to really be attached to material wealth and prestige and family life. But it is such a hard knot in the heart, that its just unimaginable how much pain and anxiety one experiences, when those things are separated from our existence.
Story Of Avanti Brahmana.
So that brähmaëa he was practically dead in anxiety, just lying in the ground crying. He was in a critical stage of lamentation, in distress. He had lost his family, he had lost his wealth, he had lost his prestige, he had nothing left yet, he had nothing else in life. It is a pain worse than death. And in that condition, he remembers the paramatma in his heart. And he surrenders to the paramatma in his heart, and he became a pure devotee of the lord. Such a great pure devotee of the lord, that even god himself in the form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would regularly recite his beautiful prayers of devotion to Sri Krishna. So Krishna puts His children in very perfect conditions, to bring us to the point of surrender. And factually we should know that what ever position we are in we have the opportunity to surrender. It is Krishna’s perfect plan that we surrender. The question is whether we take it or not.
Narada Muni’s story.
Here you see the condition of Narada Muni. He is describing in his previous life, he was a beautiful gandharva. A gandharva means he had beautiful bodily features, he had a very strong healthy body. He was very very wealthy and long life. Do you not what it is like to be a gandharva. Such incredible opportunity to enjoy this world. A human being cannot even begin to comprehend, the quantity and quality of enjoyment that is available for a gandharva. The gandharvas are expert at everything they do. They are expert at fighting. They are expert in music. They are expert at dance. They are very very learned. Their consorts are apsharas, who are the most beautiful heavenly damsels in all over the cosmic creation. In gandharva loka there is no question of poverty. There is only wealth and opulence. It is simply a comfortable life of song and dance. And they are also the devotees of the lord, but generally they are not very austere devotees. The devotees should not like to enjoy, but they are thankful to Krishna for all the sense enjoyment that they have. So he was such an exalted position but he committed an offence. He actually did commit a offence. Of course we understand such great soul, this is under the influence of Yoga maya, just to teach us lessons. But still the example is there for us to learn.
He committed the offence, Srila Prabhupada is explaining that he was considering the names of the demigods to be equal to the name of Vishnu. He was chanting Kirtan to the demigods, rather than to the supreme lord of the heart, and, that he was not only doing this but he was also whimsically engaging in Kirtan. He was dancing with women, instead of dancing with the other gandharvas. Because after all when you are very beautiful like this, you have all facilities to enjoy illicit activities. Although he was not engaging directly in illicit activities, he was taking advantage of his position and he was dancing with women and he was chanting the names of the demigods, which means his heart is full of material desires.
Because of this the prajapatis, they cursed him. They cursed him to become a sudra, which means, he lost all his bodily beauty, he lost all his wealth, he lost his big strong healthy body, which had a life span of millions of years. He lost all of his fame and distinction. A sudra does not have nice looking bodily features, he has a very short life, he is not very expert in anything, and he is looked upon as being the lowest in the society. Can you imagine? What a blow that must have been? From a gandharva in the heavenly planets to a sudra on the earth, living in the jungles. Sometimes we think, why Krishna is doing this to me. He took away all his distinction, all his wealth, all his beauty, all of his physical health, everything he took away. But in the body of a sudra in that completely fallen condition, he was very humble, because he had nothing to be proud of.
Of course, even if you have nothing to be proud of, the nature of the false ego is to find something to be proud of, but it is not easy, “Janma aiswarya shruta shrivih edhamana madah puman” Kunti devi explains that the greatest spiritual disqualifications are high birth, physical beauty, wealth, and a good education. So Narada Muni had all these things in his gandharva body. And in a sudra body, he had no wealth, he had no bodily beauty, he had no education, and he had no distinction. In that situation, you really have to use your imagination to become proud. So he was basically in very humble condition of life. In that humble condition of life, in the association of great saints and sages, he could understand their glory. He could understand their divine position and he was fully aware of how he was so dependent on their mercy in his life. Generally a person, who is affluent , takes for granted the association of saintly persons.
They associate with sadhus, either as a fashion, just to show people that they are very religious or just to make sure they are covered from all sides, just to make sure that by my own expertise and opulence in making my life very great but if i do have my limitations, and to make sure, beyond my limitations everything goes alright, I’ll get the the blessings of the sadhus, that is generally the condition of why a rich man approaches a sadhu? But when you approach a sadhu, you should feel that I have nothing, I have no one but for god and His representative, then one should fall at these great souls feet, and hear from them , what is the goal of life and how to attain it?
So Narada Muni although he had to experienced such a painful downfall. In that downfall he was perfectly situated to take full shelter of the lotus feet of the great saints. The great devotees of the lord and thus everyday he would take remnants of those great souls and he would render menial service to them and hear their message. This is the process of self realization.
“nañöa-präyeñv abhadreñu
nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
bhagavaty uttama-çloke
bhaktir bhavati naiñöhiké”
Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.18
By hearing Srimad Bhagavatam regularly and by rendering service to the great souls then Krishna who is within our heart cleanses us of all the impurities and directed us to His lotus feet. So we should no ever complain, when things go wrong in our life. We should never complain, when things go wrong in our life. We should never blame this person or that person, we should see that everything is happening by the sweet will of the lord to give me the perfect opportunity to become His pure devotee. And it is the reverse in our life. There are the greatest acts of mercy in our life. A foolish devotee, a neophyte devotee, He thinks Krishna when everything is very nice. When everything is going on his way, when he is in good health, when people are properly respecting him, he is thinking oh, yes Krishna you are very kind upon me. But a really intelligent devotee, when he disrespected, when he misunderstood, when things has been taken away form him, when he is loosing everything, when he has being battered and smashed and kicked by the modes of the material nature. He thinks ah, Krishna it is very nice, you are giving me. This is just the opportunity that I have been waiting for to surrender. In that condition the devotee takes the opportunity and increases his humble devotion to the supreme Lord. And this is the qualification of a sincere devotee. One who, even in the most negative conditions of life can see the divine merciful hand of Krishna, behind the whole scene. Seeing this is the opportunity I need to become the humble servant of the servant of the Krishna and His devotees. This is the very glorious lesson that is being illustrated by Krishna through His most magnificent devotee.
So Narada Muni in his gandharva body he was a sense enjoyer,and then he came to a body of a sudra, been taken away of sense gratification really having no sense enjoyment. There is nothing. In that condition he took shelter of the great souls and he understood the goal of life. But even throughout his life he was striving for Krishna Consciousness, he never attained it. He never gave up,even after going through all these falling situations from his position, being put in a completely humiliating condition of a sudra, taking shelter of the great souls,worshiping their lotus feet, serving them, eating their mahaprasad. You would think ,alright Krishna “I felt enough to make me your pure devotee”.
He strived, he struggled his whole life,his mother was bitten by a serpent,she was a widow,he had no parents. He was on his own. He was a young boy, living in the jungles. He was striving for Krishna and Krishna only.
Krishna gave him one glimpse. It is explained that after he left home, just wandering through the cities, through the villages, through the towns, through the agricultural fields, forests, and into the deepest jungles,he was just looking for Krishna, everywhere trying to experience him.
What is the goal of life? Moving everywhere in that spirit. But he could not find it,but the words of the great sages were constantly echoing within his heart. He was keeping going on and on with that faith. The words of the great souls give us faith and direction in our lives. Then, at last Narada Muni after drinking some clear water, he sat in meditation and Vishnu appeared to him. He was so much captivated by the beauty of this beautiful form,then Vishnu disappeared and he was in very great anxiety and he began to perform the same process of meditation, but Krishna does not appear by any mechanical process. He only appears by His own sweet will,when He feels that His devotee is ready to see Him. But he could not find that beautiful form again. Then Narayan spoke to him from within the heart that in this life you will never see me again. You must strive and struggle throughout the rest of your life to purify yourself.
So this sudra, he began to just strive and struggle to purify his life. He never gave up. Because of the words of the great souls, he maintained great faith and determination, enthusiasm and patience and then he lived his whole life just struggling and striving but not finding,and Krishna was so pleased by his sincere endeavour,then in his next birth he took birth in the form of Narada Muni. And Narada Muni never for a second from the time of his birth was not experiencing the divine mercy of Sri Krishna in his life. Never, he was not experiencing the sweetness of pure bhakti and he became the intimate associate of the Lord, why? ,because his only business was preaching the glories of the Lord throughout the universe playing upon his Veena. So this is very very great lesson that we must learn.
The Journey of our lives.
Unless we hear very strictly with great faith to the order of our spiritual master, we will not understand what the mercy of Krishna is and how it is coming upon us. Therefore Viswanath Chakrbarti Thakur has said,
“vyavasäyätmikä buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana”
Bhagavad-Gita 2.41
That this verse from Gita means we must make the order of our guru our life and soul. There is no access to Krishna outside of the order of the spiritual master. And if we are executing the order of the spiritual master, we should know that, whatever comes into our life, we should welcome it with gratitude and we should see that it is an opportunity for me to purify my consciousness. Especially the things that we will act the least, especially the things that disturb our minds the most,these are the most special loving gifts of god. Because in the face of that experience, we have the greatest opportunity to become Krishna Conscious. If we simply remain fixed in our service. If we remain fixed in our service in this condition of humility. We should always be looking for our own faults. We should never ever look for the faults on others. In looking for the faults in others, you simply become further incriminated in your false ego and whims. Thus you become further incriminated in forgetfulness of Krishna. When we look for our own faults and see how Krishna is revealing to me my own faults. Krishna is revealing to me my own lack of Krishna Consciousness, my own lack of humility, my own lack of faith. By his mercy then you can take advantage of this glorious situation and pray to the lord for help, pray to the spiritual master for strength, pray to the lord for the real humility which is the only means of overcoming this attack in our life. And god helps those who help themselves. If we are sincere, if we are prayerful and if we are determine to remain faithful to our service to the lord under all circumstances, then Krishna will give you the power. He will give you the strength. He will take you back to godhead. We should not worry, that we have to be drag through on the process of going back to godhead. On the journey from material life to spiritual life, we should know that Krishna will drag you through all various experiences of life. Sometimes he will drag you through mud, sometimes he will put you on a golden chariot,through long roads, Krishna puts you through, to qualify you to become His eternal associate. We have to be perfectly purified to be offered to the god by our spiritual master. Just like when we offer food to the lord, we only offer the best food in mode of goodness, we don’t really offer ,we offer it to our spiritual and he offers it Krishna. So similarly the spiritual master is very apt to make each devotee an offering to Krishna. But Krishna is so kind, that He helps spiritual master,to make us a worthy offering. And how does he do that? Just like rice, when rice comes out of the crude field it is just a big shell around it, nobody can eat it except the animals. We never offer that as rajaboga to lord Krishna. So they take the rice and they beat it many times. Sometimes in India they put it on the road and they just have trucks run over it and trucks are running over it and people beating it with sticks, rickshaws are running over it, and buffalos and cows are stepping on it and people are stepping on it and cars running over it. Its not an easy thing as the rice is just getting smashed and brutally beaten by all classes of men animals, the wind, sitting in a hot sun all day and finally after all this experience throughout the day,then the husk is broken and once that husk is completely broken to pieces to such an extent that they no longer exist on the rice, then the rice can be offered to Krishna. So we have this husk of ahankara or false ego because after all we are coming like out of the dirty ground or coming out of a materialistic society and coming out of the road, we have this very hard casing of the false ego that is covering our divine quality. Therefore Krishna is so kind. The spiritual master is like the farmer, he just puts all the rice on the ground, then Krishna takes it from there,and He sends rickshaws to run over us. Who is this rickshaw wala, how has he right to run me over. I am a high class man. Who is this? Then He sends cows to step on us. Thinking my god ,what are these cows stepping on me, why? Then buffalos start big stamp feet, hundreds of them start stepping on me. Passing urine on me, stool on me. I was thinking, why me? What have I done? I am just the piece of rice. What I have done? Then He sends ambassadors, Mercediz benz, Marutis, run you over,that horse. Horse is very bad. He is thinking, I have had enough. Take me back out of here. I want to go back to the ground. And then it is just too much, then one of these big TATA trucks, inter state truck comes and just completely smashes you down. It is the completely crunched down, by these dirty tires. Alright now I really had enough,then the farmer starts beating you with sticks and after all and finally when every last trace of this husk of false ego is completely separated from your existence,then at that time you come to the market place, purchases you and presents you on the altars of Radhagopinath and offers you. Then Krishna, tastes the sweetness of your qualities of bhakti. This is what we have to go through,if we are eligible, to be offered to Krishna.We should accept all experience is in life, this is the perfect opportunity, to help us to advance in Krishna Consciousness,and always see everything this way in life,then there will be no impediments to our spiritual progress. Thank you very much.
Q :If our destiny & life are fixed, what is the role of our free will?
AM: It is not fixed, but is Krishna so great,he even knows what is not fixed. You all know, what is fixed. But Krishna knows ,even what is not fixed. You can act any way you like. It is not fixed. But Krishna knows how will act. He will give you the opportunity to go up or down. And he does not interfere with your independent choice. But He knows how you will act. But He has to give you the chance. Even if He knows, you can fall down. But even in falling down ultimately that will help people go up. But this is the longer road. Just like Narada Muni in his gandharva body, he made a mistake. He was committing an offence. But even the reaction to that an offence was the perfect arrangement for him to be Krishna Consciousness. Whether you do the right thing or the wrong thing, you can get a result. In either case, you can have the perfect opportunity to be Krishna Conscious. But you have to in order, to actually become Krishna Conscious, you have to give up doing the wrong thing once and for all. Sometimes you make mistakes, the result shatters you and your sense of security in this world so badly. It is the perfect opportunity to give up making mistakes. Sometimes you need that,it is said experiences is the best teacher, but a fool learns by no other way. An intelligent man hears the sashtra, hears from the devotees, understands what is right, what is wrong and follows and goes to back to godhead. Another person even he believes it,he is not willing to do it,he is not willing to follow. And therefore he has to become smashed by Krishna. Ruddily smashed, mental or physical, whatever it takes. In that condition finally he comes to the realization “I am going to stop, making these mistakes”. I am going to live according to guru’s words.
Q: What is the role of astrology and Karma?
Ans: Astrology can predict according to your Karma,what you have been through or what you go through in your life? That is the science. But I know one of the greatest astrologer in all of India, he is in Bangalore. He is very genuine astrologer. And when a Vaisnava comes into this room, he frankly tells one first thing, I can tell you according to your guna and karma, what is your destination. But because you are a devotee and you have surrendered to Krishna. Nothing I say, necessarily will affect your life. Because when you surrender to Krishna “daivi prakrit”,
“mahätmänas tu mäà pärtha
daivéà prakåtim äçritäù”
Bhagavad-Gita 9.13
You come out of the influence of the material energy. Although you have due to your past activities, have a destiny, due to your karma. When you surrender to Krishna,you no longer are under the laws of karma. Krishna can let you go through, the reactions of your karma,and if he likes then everything, will act according to your horoscope. He could intervene at any time, he can separate you from that condition. Just like our guru maharaja Srila Prabhupada in 1966, he had a very major heart attack. They took him to the hospital. Srila Prabhupada said, get me out of the hospital, as soon as he gained his consciousness, that I cannot tolerate the doctors in hospital. Bring me to the temple. Then Srila Prabhupada says, that was my destined moment to die. But Krishna told me, at that time that He has more work for me in His mission.So when you become a devotee, Krishna could intervene in your destiny in any way he wants. Even if your destiny is to be prosperous and successful, Krishna can bring complete calamity in your life and take everything away. And even if you are supposed to be diseased and die young, Krishna can give you a healthy body to preach through old age, if he wants. But unless you utilize our independence to surrender to Krishna, then we are simply victimized by the results of our previous activities.
Q:How does system of action, reaction work?
Ans : The system has been created by the divine. But within the system you create your destiny. The divine hand of lord has created the laws of Karma. And then the divine hand of god,has cast you, into the material existence, by your own sweet will. Because you want to come here, and while you are here you have choice. If you act sinfully then your destiny will be to suffer. If you act piously then your destiny will be to enjoy. Now what we have done in our previous life is what we are experiencing now. Nothing is by chance. This is the divine arrangement. Everything that comes into our life, is what we deserved due to our past activities, and what we are doing now will determine what are our future will be. So in this way our destiny has been set by our own previous lives and our own life at this time. But if you surrender to Krishna, Krishna says
“sarva-dharmän parityajya
mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja”
Bhagavad-Gita 18.66
then you will no longer under the imprisonment of the laws of Karma. Then Krishna will simply do whatever,He wants to do, to help you to become a pure devotee. It may appear like karma, he may give you happiness, he may give you distress,this is just like a person, who is experiencing happiness and distress by the laws of Karma. But it is not because ,necessarily you deserve it. You may deserve it or you may not deserve it. But you need it. If you act sinfuly, if Krishna feels that the sinful reaction is not good for your spiritual progress, He can take it away. And if you acted very piously and Krishna sees that the affluence, that you deserve according to your karma is not good for your spiritual life, He will not give it to you. A karmi, one who is fruitive worker in this world, he gets what he deserves and nothing else. He gets the reaction of his own activities. But a devotee, he or she gets, what Krishna knows that devotee needs to make spiritual advancement. There is maya prakriti and there is daivi prakriti. Maya prakriti is this material nature, which is three modes of material natures, directed by maya,where you are simply enjoying or suffering the fruits of your actions,that is going on in this material world. But daivi prakriti means the divine energy of the lord, where you are directly under the merciful hand of Krishna’s mercy and he is just orchestrating your life in such a way that give you every opportunity to surrender. But even with those opportunities ,he never interferes with your independence. You can accept the opportunity or you can reject.
Q:How do we know of the opportunity sent by Krishna?
AM: It is the will of Krishna to give you the best opportunity. How to give the opportunity? First he sends the spiritual master and great sadhus just speak to you, to give you knowledge. That is His gift. And then the next gift is, he puts in a predicament of life, where you have the opportunity to live according to that knowledge. To apply that knowledge to your life. First you hear and then you are put just in a situation, where you apply what you have learned from your spiritual master and hear to his instructions. You can make such great spiritual advancement. God is very great. We are very small. Always remember this.
