Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.
In scriptures we find many instances wherein demons provoke the demigods to fight. But demigods may choose not to fight in return. In such situations, demons foolishly think that the demigods are afraid of their power and that's why due to cowardice, they are disappearing from the scene without retaliating to their fight. Whenever the demigods choose not to fight back, it is not due to their cowardice, but it actually shows their dependence on Supreme Lord and their obedient nature of not interfering in Lord's plans, but to patiently wait for the Lord to do the needful. Our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj also says, "No counteraction is the best counteraction."
In Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 3 Chapter 17 we find that Hiranyaksha with great pride approaches Lord Varuna and sarcastically praises him and provokes him to fight. In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 3.16.29 we find Lord Varuna very nicely responsding to Hiranyaksha.
sa evam utsikta-madena vidviṣā
dṛḍhaṁ pralabdho bhagavān apāṁ patiḥ
roṣaṁ samutthaṁ śamayan svayā dhiyā
vyavocad aṅgopaśamaṁ gatā vayam
"Thus mocked by an enemy whose vanity knew no bounds, the worshipful lord of the waters waxed angry, but by dint of his reason he managed to curb the anger that had sprung up in him, and he replied: O dear one, we have now desisted from warfare, having grown too old for combat."
The word svayā dhiyā in the above verse means, 'by dint of his reason' and is worth meditating. In provoking situations, instead of falling prey to anger and losing our intelligence, we should try to see Krishna's hands and then respond instead of reacting. Lord Varuna was definitely not pleased with behaviour of Hiranyaksha. But instead of reacting he responded very intelligently by saying that he is not willing to fight anymore with anyone. Srila Prabhupada in the purport to the above verse says very nicely how demoniac tendency is to create fight without any reason. In fact Lord Varuna takes this as an opportunity to glorify the Supreme Lord and says nicely in verse 3.16.30
paśyāmi nānyaṁ puruṣāt purātanād
yaḥ saṁyuge tvāṁ raṇa-mārga-kovidam
ārādhayiṣyaty asurarṣabhehi taṁ
manasvino yaṁ gṛṇate bhavādṛśāḥ
"You are so skilled in war that I do not see anyone else but the most ancient person, Lord Viṣṇu, who can give satisfaction in battle to you. Therefore, O chief of the asuras, approach Him, whom even heroes like you mention with praise."
Addressing him very nicely as 'asura-ṛṣabha' - 'chief of asuras', kovidam - 'very much skilled' and 'manasvinah' - 'hero', Lord Varuna says that Lord Vishnu is 'puruṣāt purātanāt' - 'most ancient person' and that no one else other than Him can give satisfaction to Hiranyakasha in battle. Although Lord Varuna proceeds to say that Hiranyaksha's pride and very life would be put to eternal sleep by the Lord, Hiranyaksha turned a deaf ear to Lord Varuna's advice and simply rushed to find out the whereabouts of Lord Vishnu.
In one of the Bhagavatam classes Maharaj was recollecting a very interesting incident that happened in his childhood. When Maharaj was about 10 or 12 years old, there was a tenant who was cheating Maharaj's father by neither paying them rent, nor vacating the house. Even as a child, when Maharaj heard about this, he became very upset and was suggesting to his father that he should take some strict action against the tenant. Maharaj's father was a very surrendered soul and so he replied to Maharaj, "Don't worry. Krishna will take care." At that time, unable to understand his father's words, Maharaj was wondering, "How will Krishna take care of this problematic tenant?" But interestingly by divine will, the tenant died within a month. As Maharaj's father told, Krishna did take care of the problem by making the tenant vacate this world itself, not just their house!
So all these instances teach us that in provoking situations, if we surrender to Supreme Lord and remain silent without fighting back, then that is also victory.
Hare Krishna.
Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev,
Sudarshana devi dasi.
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