Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.
This is in continuation of the series titled, "Obedience is the Key to Goloka" wherein we were discussing on the nature and characteristics of obedience, based on Srimad Bhagavatam verses 3.13.9 and3.13.10. In previous offering we saw that we should obey without reservation. Let us try to meditate on the next characteristic of obedience.
2. Beyond the limit of envy - (gata matsaraih): Srimad Bhagavatam tells us that constitutionally we are envious in nature (because of bodily conception of life). It requires a tremendous effort to change this position. Our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj says that the main symptom of envy is the lack of following. Maharaj says that when we are envious, then we don't hear the spiritual master or the Lord which means we are envious of him. Such a powerful point Maharaj made. But on the contrary we can see Manu's non envious attitude from this verse 3.13.7
tvam ekaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ janma-kṛd vṛttidaḥ pitā
tathāpi naḥ prajānāṁ te śuśrūṣā kena vā bhavet
You are the father of all living entities and the source of their subsistence because they are all born of you. Please order us how we may be able to render service unto you.
Manu is requesting Lord Brahma humbly to order him to execute the service to him. Instead of following the mood of Manu what we do is that we force our requests to Guru and make him agree to our proposal and therefore we don't give opportunity to hear him. 99.9% of the time, we interpret the spiritual master instructions according to our convenience and thereby we do not follow him. On the other hand if we hear and follow the instructions of spiritual master the result is wonderful as confirmed by Lord Himself in Bhagavad Gita 3.31,
ye me matam idaṁ nityam anutiṣṭhanti mānavāḥ
śraddhāvanto ’nasūyanto mucyante te ’pi karmabhiḥ
Those persons who execute their duties according to My injunctions and who follow this teaching faithfully, without envy, become free from the bondage of fruitive actions.
But if we do not hear then the result is given in 3.32 of Bhagavad Gita,
ye tv etad abhyasūyanto nānutiṣṭhanti me matam
sarva-jñāna-vimūḍhāṁs tān viddhi naṣṭān acetasaḥ
But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not follow them are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and ruined in their endeavors for perfection.
So with non-envious attitude, if we obey and serve then we are free from all fruitive actions. But when we are envious and disobedient, we are completely ruined. In one of the Bhagavad Gita classes Maharaj clarifies this point very nicely. "As soon as you try to disobey the Supreme Person, in other words the shastras, then you are thrown out. Thrown out means you are left at the mercy of the illusory energy. And then all miseries are there. In this position of obeying Krishna, obeying shastras, the miseries are also very nice. Because we think that we are separate from Krishna, as soon as we separate ourselves from Him, then we have to depend upon our own karmas. These children so far as they obey their parents, their karmas are covered by the parents. As soon as they stop obeying the parents, they have to fight with their own karmas. This is the case with us also. As soon as we are attached to Krishna, our karmas are under His control. There is no reaction. And if there is any reaction also, it is very mild. But as soon as we disobey, we become independent of Him, then we have to face the consequences. We lose our health and our thinking power in the right direction. We lose our whole existence and we falsely think that we are enjoying. That is again maya. This is not enjoyment. Enjoyment is with Krishna. Without Krishna it is all miseries."
Krishna willing we will see the other characteristics of obedience in the ensuing offering.
Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Sajjana Priya Krishna das
Abu Dhabi.
Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.