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gopal
Pushtikul Elite Member - August 2003
1221 Posts
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Posted - 13 December 2004 : 15:39:04
Jai Jai ShriGokulesh,
StoryWhile sages and saints, by virtue of their penance and austerities, were able to determine the path which led them to the doors of heaven, from where there was no chance to come back to this world, a question arises whether there was no scope for ordinary men, who also aspired to avoid the cycle of re-births, to resort to spiritual duties and attain salvation. Sri Krishna, the merciful, is not so unkind ; on the other hand, He wants all men to reach His world and towards this, He has provided two main routes of ``devotion'' and ``surrender'' about which Divine messengers have rendered all details. Of the two, surrender is easier and can be adopted by anyone through instructions given by preceptors.
The efficacy of this royal route, as compared with the other, has been clearly enunciated in epics and other scriptural texts. Sri Krishna, in His incarnations, has unequivocally declared that He will surely safeguard the interests of any devotee who lays his burden at His feet and demonstrates his total dependence and faith on Him. In His manifestation as ``Varaha'', His main duty was to retrieve the world that was kept hidden under the sea and punish the culprit. After this, the Divine Mother requests Him to tell Her about the safe voyage for devotees, when the latter spells out His firm commitment to protect those who approach Him pleading their helplessness. Following this, messengers of Sri Krishna who were deputed to reform the erring mankind, have elaborated the significance of the Vedic directives and of the doctrine of ``saranagati''.
The mind of a human being, apt to give room for impure thoughts, will always yield to worldly pleasures. On the other hand, if it surrenders itself at the feet of Sri Krishna, all base instincts will be driven away. How to achieve this perfection of diverting the mind from the attractive but elusive forces is to abjure pride. Invariably, persons always boast that ``We have done this stupendous task. We have achieved success in our endeavours through our own efforts.'' This ego should be totally given up. Whatever we do is at Sri Krishna's behest and through His guidance. When one sheds the ego, there will be peace of mind.
Persons who have chosen to lead a detached life and who have kept their mind cleansed of impurities may also be seen to suffer. This is because of the operation of the Law of Action and Reaction. Punishment for past deeds cannot be avoided but during such trials, these pious men will hold to Sri Krishna's feet so that in their next births, they will be placed amidst blissful atmosphere. Such godly men will be immersed in deep prayers. Religious duties, performed with detachment, will condition one's mind.
As one gets up in the morning, he should recall what good he had done and whether he had yielded to ego and decide what should be done for the day. Our scriptures declare : ``See Krishna everywhere and in every creation. Your mind will not harbour vicious thoughts''. Many instructive lessons on spiritual life and morality are expounded in the narratives and the hymns dealing with one of the incarnations of Sri Krishna. Before Sri Krishna truly blesses a devotee, He puts him to severe trials to efface his pride, displayed either due to wealth or his position. Bali, a king, who struck terror by virtue of his power, though truthful, was proud of his achievements and generosity, forgetting that all the wealth of the world belongs to the Lord. He scoffed at the Lord, who assumed a diminutive form, for asking a ridiculous pittance of three square feet of land.
The events in Sri Krishna’s incarnation as ``Vamana'' clear the doubt in a few that God with all powers at His command, and why should He go and seek a small gift. In every action of His, there will be reason. He needs nothing and He cannot commit any mistake. Bali realised that before the infinite puissance of the Lord, his own prosperity was insignificant . After he was chastened, he was rewarded . In helping the celestials, the Lord has not shown any partiality . This incarnation of Sri Krishna reveals how a religious rite conducted while one is very young will provide the growing child with memory power and will also enable God's vision being seated within his heart before lust and desire occupy it .
Jai Jai ShriGokulesh Parivaar, Baroda
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gopal
Pushtikul Elite Member - August 2003
1221 Posts
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Posted - 15 December 2004 : 15:17:19
Jai Jai ShriGokulesh,
story continued
Story
Anger is so detrimental that even a great personality like Daksha, out of
anger, left the arena where BrahmA was presiding and all the great sages and
pious and saintly persons were assembled. All of them requested him not to
leave, but, infuriated, he left, thinking that the auspicious place was not fit
for him. Puffed up by his exalted position, he thought that no one was greater
than he in argument. It appears that all the members of the assembly, including
Lord BrahmA, requested him not to be angry and leave their company, but in
spite of all these requests, he left. That is the effect of cruel anger. In
Bhagavad-gItA, therefore, it is advised that one who desires to make tangible
advancement in spiritual consciousness must avoid three things — lust, anger
and the mode of passion. Actually we can see that lust, anger and passion make
a man crazy, even though he be as great as Daksha. The very name Daksha
suggests that he was expert in all material activities, but still, because of
his aversion towards such a saintly personality as Shiva, he was attacked by
these three enemies — anger, lust and passion. Lord Caitanya, therefore,
advised that one be very careful not to offend VaishNavas. He compared offenses
toward a VaishNava to a mad elephant. As a mad elephant can do anything
horrible, so when a person offends a VaishNava he can perform any abominable
action.
Upon understanding that Lord Shiva had been cursed, NandIshvara, one of Lord
Shiva's principal associates, became greatly angry. His eyes became red, and he
prepared to curse Daksha and all the brAhmaNas present there who had tolerated
Daksha's cursing Shiva in such harsh words. When Daksha cursed Lord Shiva in
harsh words, some of the brAhmaNas present might have enjoyed it because some
brAhmaNas do not very much admire Lord Shiva. This is due to their ignorance of
Lord Shiva's position. NandIshvara was affected by the cursing, but he did not
follow the example of Lord Shiva, who was also present there. Although Lord
Shiva could also have cursed Daksha in a similar way, he was silent and
tolerant. We may just recall at this stage all the qualities mentioned in the
message subject "Who is he?"
NandIshvara cursed "Anyone who has accepted Daksha as the most important
personality and neglected Lord Shiva because of envy is less intelligent and,
because of visualizing in duality, will be bereft of transcendental knowledge".
The first curse by NandIshvara was that anyone supporting Daksha was foolishly
identifying himself with the body, and therefore, because Daksha had no
transcendental knowledge, supporting him would deprive one of transcendental
knowledge - knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He continued
"Pretentiously religious householder life, in which one is attracted to
material happiness and thus also attracted to the superficial explanation of
the Vedas, robs one of all intelligence and attaches one to fruitive activities
as all in all. Daksha has accepted the body as all in all. Therefore, since he
has forgotten the vishNu-pAda, or vishNu-gati, and is attached to sex life
only, within a short time he will have the face of a goat. Those who have
become as dull as matter by cultivating materialistic education and
intelligence are nesciently involved in fruitive activities. Such men have
purposely insulted Lord Shiva. May they continue in the cycle of repeated birth
and death. May those who are envious of Lord Shiva, being attracted by the
flowery language of the enchanting Vedic promises, and who have thus become
dull, always remain attached to fruitive activities. These brAhmaNas take to
education, austerity and vows only for the purpose of maintaining the body.
They shall be devoid of discrimination between what to eat and what not to eat.
They will acquire money, begging from door to door, simply for the satisfaction
of the body".
When all the hereditary brAhmaNas were thus cursed by NandIshvara, the sage
Bhrgu, as a reaction, condemned the followers of Lord Shiva with a very strong
brahminical curse. The word duratyaya is particularly used here in reference to
a brahmadanDa, or curse by a brAhmaNa. A curse by a brAhmaNa is very strong;
therefore it is called duratyaya, or insurmountable. We may also recall in this
context that personally The Supreme Lord supported the curse of Sanaka and
others to Jaya and Vijaya.
to be continued ...
Jai Jai ShriGokulesh Parivaar, Baroda
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kaveeru
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Posted - 13 April 2007 : 04:01:20
Jai Shree Krishna Gopalji,
Very nice stories please continue it.....
Thanks Jai Shree Krishna
Kavita
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