vidyä-vinaya-sampanne
brähmaëe gavi hastini
çuni caiva çva-päke ca
paëòitäù sama-darçinaù
(BG 5.18)
Translation
He humble sage by work to his true acknowledges. Sees with equal vision alerted and gentle Brahman a cow and an elephant, a dog, and a dog eater.
Purport :
A Kåñëa conscious person does not make any distinction between species or castes. The brähmaëa and the outcaste may be different from the social point of view, or a dog, a cow, and an elephant may be different from the point of view of species, but these differences of body are meaningless from the viewpoint of a learned transcendentalist. This is due to their relationship to the Supreme, for the Supreme Lord, by His plenary portion as Paramätmä, is present in everyone’s heart. Such an understanding of the Supreme is real knowledge. As far as the bodies are concerned in different castes or different species of life, the Lord is equally kind to everyone because He treats every living being as a friend yet maintains Himself as Paramätmä regardless of the circumstances of the living entities. The Lord as Paramätmä is present both in the outcaste and in the brähmaëa, although the body of a brähmaëa and that of an outcaste are not the same. The bodies are material productions of different modes of material nature, but the soul and the Supersoul within the body are of the same spiritual quality. The similarity in the quality of the soul and the Supersoul, however, does not make them equal in quantity, for the individual soul is present only in that particular body whereas the Paramätmä is present in each and every body. A Kåñëa conscious person has full knowledge of this, and therefore he is truly learned and has equal vision. The similar characteristics of the soul and Supersoul are that they are both conscious, eternal and blissful. But the difference is that the individual soul is conscious within the limited jurisdiction of the body whereas the Supersoul is conscious of all bodies. The Supersoul is present in all bodies without distinction. [As-They-Surrender-Unto-Me ]
This verse that we are reading fff rom 5th chapter of Bhagavad Gita. Tthis you explain true nature of one who knows God. Many people make claim to be religious. Many people may be very proud of the particular spiritual path that they are following. For us, religion means to live by these qualities that are mentioned here. To see every living being with equal vision. For one whose eyes are knit with the serve of love of God. There is no higher, and there is no low. It is describing here that such a Sadhu, he sees by the virtual true knowledge. Suddenly, he does not see in terms of physical body. But he appreciates the existence of the soul with in everyone’s life. There are so many differentiations and the bodily concept of life. And this difference is causing so much hatred, jealousy, and violence in this world. We have high class and low class. We have Pakistanis, Americans, Russians, and Indians. We have people with black bodies, red bodies, yellow bodies, and white bodies. We have man and woman. There are no two living beings that they are the same under the spiritual platform.
And the senses that can compose this body they are never satisfied they are always seeking more and more pleasure. In an order, to satisfy the insatiable senses we become greedy, we become angry. As long, as we are thinking we are this body and as long as we identify anyone else as the body that can be know real peace in this world. This is the beginning, teaching of the Gita that we are not this body, we are internal soul. The body is always changes, but the soul remains the internal witness of all the changes of this body. When we realize the soul within our hearts, we understand that soul is part of God. And we recognize our existence as part of God. We can also perceive that every living being is part of God. We see god partial manifestation in all that lives. That is how we find the great devotee of Lord. They are compassion, they are kindness. He is like rain it falls on everyone.
Story of Maharaj Shivi
There is a story about a king whose name was Maharaj Shivi. He had this vision. He made a wow that he will protect all of his citizens who ever they would be. One time, an insignificant pigeon just the most common and the most we would consider useless of all birds, came and fell of the feed . He said there is vulture that is coming to eat me, please protect me. At that time, the king he put his own body in front of the pigeons body and he said to vulture that I will not allow you to touch even one feather on this bird. The vulture said why you are discriminating you are supposed to protect all your citizens and I am your citizen and it is my food to reproduce. Why are you partial, now I will start because of you. The king said all right, do not harm this pigeon. So whatever is the weight of this pigeon, I will cut off of own flesh and you can eat that. The vulture said all right I will be satisfied by that. So, they put the pigeon on a scale and he began to cut off his own flesh with his sword and placed it on the other side of that scale. However, much he put the pigeon always weights more. Finally, personally sat on the scale and was the just exact weight of the pigeon. Maharaj Shivi prayed to supreme Lord that I have made the wow, but I going to sacrifice my life to protect even the most innocent and the most insignificant of all creature. Now, I am so fortunate my lord that your allowing me the opportunity to be in alive by this vulture for the sake of showing kindness to another being. With this words of gratefulness towards Lord Shri Narayan, he said now my dear vulture please here is your dinner, eat me. At that time, the vulture and the pigeon both transformed into beautiful demigod. And he explained to Maharaj Shivi that we have come just to test the glory of our compassion towards other. We come to show the whole world what type of devotee you are. This is the nature of one who has a pure heart.
Past time of Jarikhanda Jungle
Lord Chaitanya explains, that purifies our heart and brings it back to the natural condition of seeing the presence of god everywhere and in everyone. We simply chant the holy name. The holy name of God has the power to awaken the divine consciousness in all living beings. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was living under this planet. He was the incarnation of God himself and he demonstrated by his own example. Lord Caitanya was living in Jagannath Puri in Orrisa and he decided to walk through the jungles of Jarikhanda with only two associates Balabhadra Bhattacharya and one assistant, all the way to Vrindavan. As he was traveling through the deep dense forest of Jarikhanda, he was completely immersed in love of God thinking that soon I will obtain the Holy Land of Vrindavan. As they were traveling through the jungle pass, he was chanting the holy names Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Ram, Hare Ram, Ram, Ram Hare Hare.
He came to an area where so many wild animals were gathered together. There were the lion, and tigers, and rhinoceros, there was wild elephant, cobras, and other, scorpion, deer, rabbit, and when they saw the lord coming, the servant of Lord Gauranga they came very much afraid want happen to master. Because he was such a pure hearted divine soul the chanting of the name of God pacify the hearts of these animals and they all stood aside along the pass with folded hands offering him respects. And when we came upon a tiger was sleeping riding centre of that pass. Lord Gaur sunder he took his lotus feet and placed it on the head of that sleeping tiger. And he called out chant the holy name of Krishna. And the tiger lift up and raise his arm and began to chant Krishna, Krishna. The tears in his eye began to call out. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Ram, Hare Ram, Ram, Ram Hare Hare. And with tears of love he began dance ecstatic love. After sometime, Lord Caitanya came to fresh river that was flowing to the jungle. He went in that river and took his bath. And then he began to chant the Gaytri Mantra. At that time, the most deadly of all animals in the forest wild elephants came to drink water from the river. A lion or a tiger can kill a few man, but wild elephant they can destroy an entire village with in a minutes.
When Balabhadra the assistant of lord Gauranga swami saw these tiger, these elephant he became very fearful for his lord. Lord Caitanya immediately upon seen this tigers and elephant drinking the water, he took water and began to throw it on the body of elephant. As he was throwing the water, he was saying chant Hare Krishna. As soon as even if single drop of water touch one of those elephants they became absorbed in ecstatic love of God. And with warning to much it elephant voices they began to scream out and chant “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”.
We should chant like elephants. Like screaming wild elephants we should chant the holy name. And the elephant began to dance in divine joy and ecstasy as they chanted. “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Ram, Hare Ram, Ram, Ram Hare Hare”
He began to roll in the ground crying. They had the trained the perfection in life. And he was walked along on the path; the deer’s began to follow him. They attracted by his beauty. They all gathered around him and he began to take them. And they followed him where he went. And soon seven tigers also began to walk along the sigh the deer’s.
Now you know, in the jungle the deer and the tigers are bad enemies, because tiger eat deer. Therefore the deer always afraid form the tiger. But on this day, they were walking together side by side fixed in seeing the beauty of the Lord Shri Caitanya. And Lord Caitanya turn to the deer’s and the tigers and his raised his arm then he said chant Hare Krishna and the deer’s and the tigers all raised the arms and began dance together chanting. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Ram, Hare Ram, Ram, Ram, Hare, Hare.
Not only they were dancing, but they showing love each other. The tigers began to embrace the deer and with their mouth they began to kiss. They were in the happiness in the love of God. In the presence of the holy name when hearts become purified even the most better terrible enemies following love with each other. We see in this world there is so violent and hatred in so many people against other people or if we can just learn how to chant the holy names together or we transient go beyond all these difference. “Where there is Bhakti, there is true love for the living beings”. So, Lord Caitanya was very joyfully smiling when saw the tigers and the deer’s chanting and dancing together.
Mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu
As they were dancing and embracing in seen together Lord Chaitanya went on in his journey. He came to a village of uncivilized man. Men who are banished from the cities and the town and the villages because they were so crooked in their behavior. They have no more of standard in the life. So when the Lord came into this village, which is in the middle of the jungle. These very sinful men, they saw him with his beautiful golden form dancing and he was chanting the holy name of Krishna. And they all came out and began to offer gifts of charity to him by the natural feelings of their heart. They were offering him fruits, herbs, and vegetable. And lord Caitanya he beg one charity from them purify your life. Make your life perfect by chanting the holy name. They all raised their arms and in great love they began to chant with Lord. “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Ram, Hare Ram, Ram, Ram Hare Hare”
In this way, they all became pure devotees of the God. This is the glory of the God mercy. Krishna himself in the form of Lord Caitanya taught the process by, which we can bring all classes of man and woman to the highest perfection of life. Of course, lord Caitanya was Bhagawan. He had the power to even transform the elephant, the deer’s, the snake and even the wild animals into pure devotees of the lord. We may think that is an impossible thing and this is just some fairy tale type of the story. But this is factual history, what is it that god can not do? If God can create this entire universe in all specious of life to what is in the universe. Certainly, it is not difficult for him from the hearts of these animals to induce them to chant and dance in the name of Krishna. We may not be God. We may not be able to into the jungles and make the wild animals chant and dance. But at least we can take to the chanting and dancing ourselves and try to induce our fellow human beings to take to the process.
In fact, Mahaprabhu Shri Chaitanya had the power that when he was walking through those jungles and chanting the holy name every plate of grass, every trees, and every plant was enwrapped in ecstatic love as we were hearing the holy name coming from his mouth. He liberated every movable and an immovable living being in that jungle. This is the power of the holy name. So what a wonderful benediction we have. That he has given us this most wonderful subline process. When we chant for holy name regularly and sincerely, gradually it purifies the heart and awakened that natural enlightens state of love from within. Our Guru Maharaj who is divine represented of lord Caitanya. He used to tell us again, again just chant Hare Krishna and be happy. This mahamantra raises our consciousness beyond this bodily concept.
The presence of God was an every person heart. The greatest charity, the greatest active love we can offer to another is by convincing them, how to perfect their lives to transient birth and death by engaging in the service of the lord and chanting this holy name.
So I would like thank you all of you very much for coming this evening. It is really a great honor and fortune to us to be with you to night. This is really a wonderful place. With so many wonderful people, who are anxious to hear the glories of Lord and saying his names.
