Om Namoh Bhagavate Vasudevaya
The pure devotee is always within the core of my heart and I am always in the heart of the pure devotee. My devotees do not know anything else but Me and I do not know anyone else but them.
Purport by his divine grace AC Bhakti Vedant Swami Prabhupada:
Since Durvasa Muni wanted to chastise Maharaj Ambarish it is to be understood that he wanted to give pain to the heart of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But the Lord says sadhvo hridaya mayam – The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart. The Lord’s feelings are like those of a father who feels pain when his child is in pain. Therefore offences at the lotus feet of the devotee are serious. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has very strongly recommended that one must not commit any offence at the lotus feet of a devotee. Such offences are compared to a mad elephant because when a mad elephant enters a garden it causes devastation. Therefore one should be extremely careful not to commit offences at the lotus feet of a pure devotee. Actually Maharaj Ambarish was not at all at fault, Durvasa Muni unnecessarily wanted to chastise him on flimsy grounds. Maharaj Ambarish wanted to complete the Ekadasi parana as part of devotional service to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead and therefore he drank a little water. But although Durvasa Muni was a great mystic Brahmin he did know what is what . That is the difference between a pure devotee and a so called learned scholar of vedic knowledge. The devotees being always situated in the core of the Lord’s heart surely get all instructions directly from the Lord as confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad Gita.
“tesam evanukampartham
aham ajnana-jam tamah
nasayamy atma-bhava-stho
jnana-dipena bhasvata”
(Bg.10.11)
A pure vaisnava
Out of compassion for them, I am dwelling in their hearts to destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance. The devotee does not do anything not sanctioned by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As it is said Vaishnave ….na bhujaye. Even the most learned or experienced person cannot understand the movements of a vaishnavic pure devotee. No one therefore should criticize a pure vaishnav. A vaishnav know his own business, Whatever he does is precisely right because he is always guided by the Supreme Personality of Godhead .
Translation:
The pure devotee is always within the core of my heart and I am always in the heart of the pure devotees. My devotees do not know anything else but Me and I do not know anyone else but them.
Today I have been given the 9th. Canto of the Srimad Bhagvatam and we happen to turn to this page which is one of the very great persons of the Srimad Bhagvatam . It is spoken by Lord Narayan, the Lord of Vaikunta.
Watering the root of a tree
Ambarish Maharaj was instructed by his Guru Maharaj to go to the bank of the Jamuna at the forest of Madhuban and perform the Ekadasi Parana in order to give pleasure to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krsna says in the 9th. Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita : Yat karosi yad asnasi yaj juhosi dadasi yat, Yat tapasyasi kaunteya, tat kurusva mad arpanam. That all that you do, all that you eat, all austerities or penances you may perform, all charity you may give, it should all be done as an offering to give pleasure to the supreme Lord. Notice that Ambarish Maharaj, he performed a very very difficult sacrifice, a sacrifice where he was depriving his body of all sense enjoyment, he was living in a secluded holy place, his mind was fixed in meditation for one complete year. He was not doing it for any other reason than to please Lord Narayan. He was not doing it for elevation, for heavenly pleasures in life, he was not doing it for fame in this world of names and forms, he was not doing it to gain great powers, but he was performing this great sacrifice simply to please Narayan because he was a king and he was a responsible king. He was fully understanding that if Narayan is pleased by the king’s service, just like watering the root of the tree Lord Narayan will provide the needs and the wants for everyone within the kingdom.
The foolishness of modern society is people are working very very hard to try to provide the responsibilities they have for their families for their students, politicians for their citizens. But Ambarish was more intelligent, he understood that simply by pleasing Krsna everything would be provided. Therefore although he was the king of the whole planet earth at the time, he took one year simply and exclusively to be in that secluded place to please Krsna knowing that it was the greatest service he could do for his kingdom and for every citizen within.
How to please the Lord
Srimad Bhagvatam explains Athapu ……varanashram…dharmasya…hari….
Whether you are a brahmin, a kstriya, a vaishya or a shudra , whatever your occupation is in life, the success of the performance of your duty is only when the supreme Lord is pleased by the sentiment in which you are offering your service.
It is also said in Bhagvatam : Sramaive….kewalam . That means whatever occupation you have if you do not please Narayan by that service, it is all a useless, futile waste of your life’s time.
The society follows the great men
Arjuna was also a great warrior and he performed his duty well but his consciousness was to please Krsna. So Ambarish Maharaj was setting the perfect example . Yad yad acarati sresthas, tat tad evetare janahm sa yat prananam kurute, lokas tad anuvartate’. What the great men do the common men follow. Therefore, the leaders on every level of society must set the proper example of God consciousness for others to follow.
Role of the Leaders towards society
Gurur na sa syat sva-jano na sa syat. daivam na tat syan na patis ca sa syan, na mocayed yah samupeta mrtyum’, That is why Lord Vishabdev says whatever position of leadership you take, you must set the example of how to perfect your life. And who are the leaders: the Guru is a leader. If the Guru is not setting proper example of how to perfect ones life, he has no business being a guru. The demigod is a guru, is a leader, plus the demigod is acting in such a way that his followers can follow him properly. He has no right being proper demigod. Pita na sa syat jananu na sa syat, the parent, the father and the mother, the father and mother is a leader, especially father is a leader , he is the leader of the family , mother is also one of the leaders of the family. If the father and mother are not living exemplary God consciousness lives by the authority of God, they have no right to be a father or mother, they’re cheaters.
Responsibility of each one of us
So Maharaj Ambarish is setting by his example. He was a father, he was also a king. It says in Bhagvatam- King has no right in being a king; a politician has no right leading his people unless he is setting a perfect example of God conscious life for others to follow. This is the first responsibility each one of us has in our life, to set an example for those who are depending on us. This responsibility is more important than feeding the bellies of our dependants, because the animals are doing that too, the atheists are doing that too, that’s not such a great thing. Even the demons are feeding the bellies and clothing and giving nice house to their dependants. These things are required, that is a responsibility but is very much secondary. The first responsibility is our example, our leadership, how we are guiding our dependants, how we are setting an example for the world to be influenced by, our devotion to God. So Ambarish Maharaj was very humbly accepting this responsibility.
If devotee is offended even Lord will not protect him
And of course you read about the great sage Durvasa Muni who became very angry at Ambarish and tried to kill him. At that time Narayan sent his sudarshan chakra to destroy the fiery demon created by Durvasa Muni and then that same sudarshan chakra was chasing after Durvasa Muni. If Krsna wants to kill you nothing can protect you and if Krsna wants to protect you nothing can kill you. Krsna wanted to protect Ambarish, he did not even raise a finger to protect himself . And even the most mighty fiery demon that was capable of devouring the entire earth planet could not even touch one hair on his head because Krsna was protecting him. And although Durvasa Muni was the most powerful mystic yogi who simply by the chanting of an incantation can create entire bombs more powerful than any nuclear bomb today, within a second, such a powerful mystic. But when Krsna wanted to kill him, he could not protect himself. Lord Brahma could not protect him, Lord Indra could not protect him, Varuna could not protect him . Even Lord Shankar could not protect him. Finally he fell at the feet of Lord Narayan , then Lord Narayan said “even I cannot protect you because you have offended my devotee”. And then he began to explain his own heart.
We are what we associate with.
How wonderful it is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead reveals His mind to us in the scriptures? How intimately loving the Lord is to all of His children? Just imagine how many friends do you have that can honestly, sincerely, confidentially reveal their minds to you. Not so many are there? People in this world have a tendency for very superficial relationships with one another because it is a superficial society. The natural surroundings that bring about a natural lifestyle are so hard to find. We are living in a society of concrete, oil and plastic and exhaust fumes and so much quarrelling for unnecessary paraphernalia and sense enjoyment. Where do you find natural water. You have to buy it in a bottle, imported from 100 miles away. Where do you find natural air. The basic ingredients of our life natural air natural water, its no where to be found. We have to go great great distances just to breathe properly. And of course we are very much a product of our environment, we become like what we associate with. Therefore we become very artificial, very superficial, very unnatural. And therefore our relationships with one another are of the same quality unfortunately.
So like in America, New York city, I go there often I visit so many people , I know people who lived in apartment building for 26 years, the same little apartment . They are on a floor in the apartment building with about 30 other apartments and of the 30 other apartments practically everybody has been there for 25, 26, 30 years and not a single one knows any of the others. They just, they get back from work, they go in the house, they lock the door, they watch television. This is not an unordinary situation. People are afraid of each other. And people are very afraid to open their minds and confidentially speak to another because there is a good chance that eventually that person will use that information against you. He is my friend today but how do I know whether he will be my friend tomorrow. If I reveal my mind in confidence today, tomorrow if he’s not my friend what will he say, he will ruin me. Or even if he is my friend, all friends naturally, they like to gossip, so how can I reveal my mind.
Six exchanges of friendship in Krishna Conciousness
So Srila Prabhupada Swami in updesh amrita which is a great guide under fundamental principles of Krsna consciousness he explains there are 6 symptoms of love between devotees , 6 exchanges of love – one is to give a gift, That gift is not necessarily something material but it is a gesture of affection, could be in our words, our encouragement, could be an invitation, could also be a gift. It is not the gift itself but it’s the thought that has meaning. So to give gift and to accept gift, to give Prasad and to accept Prasad, to reveal ones mind in confidence and to hear ones mind in confidence, these are the 6 exchanges of friends in Krsna consciousness. So it is very difficult to find a real friend.
Krishna – the supreme friend
(a friend in need is a friend indeed)
But Krsna says in Gita: Suradam sarva bhutanam. That I am the supreme friend of all the living beings. He is the supreme friend because he never abandons us. The real quality of a friend is when you are most in need he will not abandon you. That’s when you really know who your friends are, when you are most in need. Most people, they only want you when you assist them in their sense gratification. At the time of death who is there to stand by your side. I’m talking not about standing by the side of your body, but the standby the side of your soul. your mother, your father, your grandmother, your children, your grand children, whatever your age bracket is. You may have so many people standing around the bed crying OH don’t leave us, don’t leave us, don’t leave us. We enjoy you too much please don’t leave us. But how many of them are standing by the side of your soul to take your soul to a better place, to save your soul from a worse place. Can they do like that. There is only one person that is your friend at the time of your death – That is Krsna. So therefore, he is the supreme friend and of course any devotee who is acting as a representative of Krsna in your life is also your real friend because he is representing your supreme friend. So as the supreme friend, as the most confidential and intimate friend of the soul of every living being, Krsna reveals his mind in confidence to us in the revealed scriptures. And in our prayers we are meant to reveal our minds to Him in confidence with faith with trust. So this loving exchange is meant to take place between the sincere devotee and between the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Relationship between Krishna and His pure devotees
So here in this beautiful and most illuminating verse Lord Narayan, the supreme friend of all living beings, the master of the universe, the super soul within the heart of every living creature, is confidentially revealing the inner most thoughts of his heart . Saath bodh kalam mayam, sadhanam hridayam….. marana ….. The pure devotee is always within the core of my heart and I am always in the heart of the pure devotee. My devotees do not know anything else besides Me and I do not know anyone else but them. Those devotees who sacrifice everything for the pleasure of God, such souls they are always within the core of the heart of the supreme Lord Sri Hari. Therefore any insult, any pain that we inflict upon his devotee, we are inflicting upon the heart of Lord Narayan. Just try to understand how serious this is. If someone comes and pushes you in the face
you do not like that. If someone comes and kicks you in the leg, it hurts you do not like that but if someone comes and stabs your heart what is more worse than that . Therefore great demons who come to attack God, we see, like there are many battles between the Lord and His various incarnations and asuras, where sometimes they are shooting the Lord with arrows and hitting Him with clubs, they are hitting Him on the head , they are shooting arrows in His body, they are insulting Him with words in His ears. But those things; are they as bad? Do those demons actually pierce His heart ? But when you cause pain, when you insult the Lord, when you go against the Lord, you are going against His body, the body of God, the form of God. But Lord Narayan is revealing a very secrete piece of information to us. When you cause pain to his devotee, you are directly inflicting pain to the very inner core of his heart and there is nothing that is more painful than that. Therefore one must be very cautious. We should always give the devotee the benefit of doubt because if we are wrong we are defeating the entire purpose of our human existence. The purpose of human life sam … hari doshanam is to please God.
Mystic powers have no value
Patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhakta prayacchati, tad aham bhakty-upahrtam asnami prayatatmanah. Krsna says offer me a little water, a flower, a fruit. If you offer with love I would be pleased and I will accept it. That is the goal of life to please God. And what is the most contrary of all activities to our purpose in life? To cause pain to God by inflicting pain upon His devotee, that defeats the purpose of human life more than anything else we can do, because it is inflicting pain to the core of the heart of Narayan . Therefore Narayan is telling Durvasa Muni aahaa! you think you have caused this pain to my devotee, you have harassed and insulted and tried to harm my devotee and now you are coming to me for forgiveness – impossible. The only possibility is that you must go to that devotee and please him, only then will My heart feel relieved of the pain. By coming to Me and offering all your prayers, its sweet to My ears but my heart is still suffering. If you want to relieve this pain of My heart you must go and you must satisfy My devotee because he is within the core of My heart . So Durvasa Muni ran back to Ambarish Maharaj understanding the confidential mind of the Lord and with a heart of genuine sentiment he apologized and he said “Ambarish I am your servant”. And then Lord Narayan was happy, then he was pleased.
So try to understand that becoming a great mystic yogi is not a very important thing in life. Durvasa Muni, he was able to perform miraculous activities which contained all the eight mystic siddhis. Durvasa Muni had the power to create a planet simply by chanting mantra. He had the power to destroy planets simply by chanting mantras. He had the power to accumulate massive, massive, massive wealth within a second to enjoy or to give to others simply by chanting mantra. Did you imagine if you had these powers you would not have to be working 9 to 5, Just chant a mantra you have your home you have your gardens you have your money you have your food you have everything. He had that prapti siddhi that he could obtain anything from anywhere instantly. He also had the power to read other’s mind. Sometimes we are thinking what is he thinking, should I trust him should I not trust him. He never had these doubts, he would just go right into your mind and know what exactly your motive was, what you wanted to do or what you didn’t want to do .No anxiety- right? You know exactly who your friends are and who is not your friend. Such powers. But all these powers have no value and Durvasa Muni realized that all these powers have no value.
By pleasing the devotee the Lord is pleased
Because if you are not pleasing Lord Narayan then whatever you do and whatever you have is automatically simply meant for your condemnation, for your defeat in life, for whatever you have or whatever you don’t have, if you are sincere to offer your respects to the devotees of Lord Narayan. Try to understand the opposite of what I have just been explaining. If you give satisfaction to the devotee that means you are giving pleasure to the core of the heart of Narayan . Now in our own life if someone massages our body , little pleasure, very nice, thank you very much. If someone fans you with a peacock fan to relieve you from the heat- very nice, little pleasure. This is nice fan, this is only nice, these fans I don’t know if I like them or not. My body likes them but my ears do not like them. Half is pleasure and half is pain from the point of view of materialistic dualities. From the transcendental platform its all a matter of perception . So pleasing the body, we like it. If someone gives pleasure to your mind by saying Oh! You know you are a very good man, you’re very great, the whole world will soon learn about this. You’ll think ah! yes yes – such pleasure. But for someone to give pleasure to your heart is there any greater pleasure than that. Someone who actually gives you love, that pleasure goes right to your heart, that’s beyond the physical or mental pleasure. That is what we are all looking for, that is what we are striving for – the pleasure of the heart. By pleasing the devotee, by pleasing God by offering Him some food, by pleasing God by fanning Him, by pleasing God by offering Him some nice ornaments, you are pleasing his transcendental form. But by pleasing His devotee you are directly giving the highest pleasure to his heart, to the core of His heart.
Dasa anu Das
Krsna says Mad bhagta pujavid adhikar – If you really really want to be My devotee you have to become the devotee of My devotee and please My devotee. That is why Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu prayed for only one position because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu being God, in the role of a devotee knew as the supreme authority how to please God. Who knows better how to please God than God. Anybody? So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who is God Himself taking the role of a devotee was showing us according to His supreme authority how to please Krsna . Gopi baratu…kamal…das das das. My aspiration he said is to become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant- anu, the tiny most insignificant servant of all of those servants of the Lord of the gopis – Sri Krsna .That is how to give pleasure to the core of the heart of Narayan. And this most confidential information is being revealed in the pages of Srimad Bhagvatam and by following this very simple principle we will never have any serious problems in our spiritual life. Even if problems do come they will very quickly be rectified by the Lord.
Humble servant of servants lives in the core of the heart of Lord
In the 9th. Chapter of Gita Krsna says Api chet sudracharo bhajate mamanya bhak sadhu reva saman tavya samya gavyavasatohi sa, Shipram bhavati dharmatma . He says that even if my devotee commits the most abominable activity, if he is rightly situated – rightly situated means humble servant of the servant, I consider him saintly. Shipram bhavati dharmatma, which means that very quickly I will rectify his situation because he is under My divine protection. So if we simply keep ourselves as the humble servant of the devotees, if we simply keep ourselves from offending the sadhus, the great souls, and factually according to Caitanya Mahaprabhu anyone who is chanting the holy name is a great soul, there will be no serious problems in your spiritual life. Even if there is, Krsna will personally rectify. We should not look for the faults, we should simply try to strive for that position of humble servant of the great souls and then we could know that we will also be living within the core of the heart of Lord Narayan and that is the greatest greatest attainment, that is the greatest benediction, when by our humble service to the Vaishnavas the Lord welcomes us to live within the core of His heart .
Is there any questions?
Janamashtmi – the day Krishna appears in pure hearts
In just a few days from now we will be celebrating Janamashtmi . What does Janamashtmi mean? It means the day that Krsna appears, it means the day that Krsna appears on this earth, it also means the day that Krsna appears in our lives . When does Krsna appear? He appears – but actually does He appear? He’s always everywhere, is He not? He is in your heart right now. Ishwar sarva bhutanam hridaya ………. Krsna says I am seated in the heart of every living being . He says that a learned soul sees me within the heart of every living creature even the animals even the immovable vegetation . It is also said the paramatma who is Krsna is in and between every atom . So what does it mean when Krsna descends into this world. He is everywhere in this world. We cannot see Him in our hearts, we cannot see Him in the hearts of others, we cannot see Him although he is everywhere and in everything. Therefore when our hearts are pure, when they are free from lust, from envy, from greed, from deceit, from pride, when they are free from the desire to lord it over material nature, when their hearts are softened to be the humble servant of the Lord, at that time the Lord reveals His identity to their transcendental vision.
The real celebration of Janamashtmi is to pure our hearts
When the sun rises on the eastern horizon, the sun is not born, the sun simply reveals itself to our eyes. Krsna is everywhere …. Bhakti vilochane… But unless our hearts are softened by bhakti, unless our eyes are decorated with the shadow of love, we cannot see Him although He is before us everywhere and in everything. So the real way of celebrating Janamashtmi is not simply celebrating the historical appearance of Krsna five thousands years ago that took place under these particular constellations, but the real celebration of Janamashtmi is making a vow and striving according to that vow to purify our hearts so that Krsna will take his birth within our life. So that He can appear and reveal Himself in truth within our very life and then we can personally worship Him, adore Him and serve Him through all eternity. We should approach Janamashtmi in this consciousness . And what is the greatest benediction upon all humanity within kalyuga. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given this benediction ‘Vijayate Sri Krsna sankirtanam’. He has given us the simple and sublime means by which we can purify our hearts, by which we can facilitate the invitation by which Krsna reveals Himself and takes birth within our lives and that great benediction comes in the form of Naam sankirtan- the chanting of the holy name. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna , Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Ram, Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare .
Not only on this particular day but on everyday, let us invite Krsna to appear in our life everyday by sincerely chanting the holy name and by sincerely accepting the position by which we give pleasure to His devotees.
Any questions?
One should atone for one’s offenses to get the mercy of the Lord
But what did he do to Chota Haridas. Chota Haridas atoned for his activity and what was the result. He immediately was given by the divine grace of Lord Caitanya his original spiritual body and he also facilitated to fulfill all the innermost desires of Chota Haridas. Chota Haridas’ only desire was to please Mahaprabhu Sri Caitanya. So as soon as Chota Haridas made his gesture to atone for his offence he was immediately given an eternal spiritual body which is undying, full of knowledge , full of bliss, and day and night he was allowed to be in the presence of Lord Caitanya to sing beautiful songs for the pleasure of the Lord.
Suicide is most sinful of all sins
This present body will be destroyed today or tomorrow anyways. He didn’t commit suicide. There’s a difference between committing suicide and doing the will of God. It was Lord Caitanya’s instruction to him to do that to atone for his offense. Committing suicide means destroying another man’s property. Your body does not belong to you. If you commit suicide you become a ghost in your next life. You have no choice, you suffer because you have destroyed the property of God. God has given you a body you have no right to destroy it. But if God specifically and directly tells you to destroy it, is there anything sinful about that? Its Gods body, you do it under His direction, perfectly according to the principles. Lord Caitanya said this is the proper atonement. If you do not have that order from God and then prepare to be in a suffering condition of a ghost for a thousands of years, because it is the most sinful of all activities.
Any other questions?
offense and the conscious behind the offense
They will have to suffer but not as much as someone who knowingly with envy does. So its not the offence but the conscious behind the offence that is considered by Krsna. If you accidentally break some principle of etiquette, Krsna is not going to take it very seriously. Sometimes devotees would be on morning walks with Prabhpad and sometimes they would be walking behind him because they wanted to hear what he said and they’d accidentally step on his foot, so do you think they’re going to go to hell for that? Completely not proper to put your foot on the body of the guru-correct? They were actually very interested to serve him and hear him. That is a little offence, you know maybe they’ll step on a thorn and have to pull it out of their foot. Krsna will not take it very seriously. But if someone maliciously with ill intent deals with the Lords devotee, the Lord, according to the degree of maliciousness of your heart, to that degree the Lord will reprimand your offense.
Definition of a devotee
Essentially one who accepts the position of the servant of God . One who accepts God as the master of his life and accepts the position of His servant. One who is accepting God as the supreme master of his life and is aspiring honestly to follow his instructions.That is devotee.
Even if you are not so expert but are honestly striving to follow His instructions, the Lord accepts you as His devotee. It is the honesty and sincerity of our hearts that Krsna accepts. In the Caitanya charitamrita Prabhpad explains, sometimes demons come in the disguise of devotees. That means maybe accepting the external forms of devotees but within their hearts they do not have that honesty, that sincerity that desire to serve the Lord and His devotees . By the definition of Krsna, ‘he calls himself my devotee is not my devotee, but he calls himself a devotee of My devotee is my devotee’. So by this definition which is Gods Definition, one who honestly and sincerely is striving to be the servant of the servant of the Lord, he is a devotee. Even if he is in the most fallen condition of life he still must be considered a devotee.
Any other questions?
Principle of serving the devotees
By striving to please every devotee, whether it is difficult or easy that is your service . You will have to learn from a spiritual master. Without a spiritual master you cannot learn, you cannot understand these principles. You must be trained by a bonafide spiritual master how to be the servant of a servant of a servant. Every devotee you see, every devotee you come in contact with, how can you best help that person’s Krsna consciousness. How can you best assist that person in his Krsna consciousness or even assist that devotee’s service to his Guru maharaj to your Guru maharaj. That should be how you’re thinking through out the day. Yes it is difficult but nothing great is easy.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna
