Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.
In order to progress in spiritual life, we must always be submissive to Guru and Krishna. It is not that we remain submissive until we get initiation and then behave as per our own whims. In order to show us how we should behave to elders and Guru, Lord has personally taught through His example whenever He appeared in the world. The Supreme Lord Krishna who is fully cognizant (past, present and future), and fully independent is so submissive to His spiritual master, elders. The Lord is called adbhuta karmana. His activities are always wonderful and bewildering to us. As a Paramatma, He knows everything but still he consults his ministers and elders. This is completely bewildering to our tiny mind and intelligence.
In Srimad Bhagavatam 10th Canto 70th chapter, once a messenger came to Dwaraka and addressed the Lord that 20000 kings were jailed by Jarasandha and they are suffering heavily. They wanted relief from Jarasandha. The Lord heard it patiently. The Lord consulted with the subjects on how to attack Jarasandha and his kingdom. At that point of time, Narada Muni came to the palace of the Lord and the Lord welcomed and glorified Him wonderfully with full submission to him. Then the Lord enquired from Narada Muni about the welfare of the Pandavas and what they are doing. It appeared as if the Lord was diverting the palace subjects of Dwaraka from Jarasandha problems to Pandavas. But it is not so as we can see the pastime ahead. Narada Muni stated that Yudhishtir Maharaj has decided to perform Rajasuya Yajna and he wanted the Lord to be the chief guest and requested the Lord to be present for the Yajna. Before the arrival of Narada muni, the subjects, ministers were thinking about how to attack jarasandha and kill him. But now the subject matter is changed by Narada muni by stating about the Pandavas' Raja suya sacrifice and the Lord should be present in the sacrifice as the chief guest. How the Lord handled the situation is excellent. He consulted with Uddhava who was the chief Minister of the kingdom. The Lord addressed a beautiful verse in submission to Uddhava, His minister, SB 10.70.46,
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
tvaṁ hi naḥ paramaṁ cakṣuḥ suhṛn mantrārtha-tattva-vit
athātra brūhy anuṣṭheyaṁ śraddadhmaḥ karavāma tat
The Personality of Godhead said: You are indeed Our best eye and closest friend, for you know perfectly the relative value of various kinds of counsel. Therefore please tell Us what should be done in this situation. We trust your judgment and shall do as you say.
The Supreme Lord says that, "I shall do as you say", to Uddhava. How much of submission to his own minister. Why we are hankering to submit to our ego, mind and intelligence instead of the good Lord. It is our foolishness and nothing else. We want things to happen according to our plan, our wishes, as per our tiny mind and intelligence and our sense gratification. So we don't want to submit to Guru and elders.
How Uddhava, a pure devotee of the Lord, responded to Him is also wonderful to ponder. After that Uddhava understood the Lord's mind and submitted as follows. "O Lord, as the sage advised, You should help Your cousin fulfill his plan for performing the Rajasuya sacrifice, and You should also protect the kings who are begging for Your shelter. Only one who has conquered all opponents in every direction can perform the Rajasuya sacrifice, O almighty one. Thus, in my opinion, conquering Jarasandha will serve both purposes. By this decision there will be great gain for us, and You will save the kings. Thus, Govinda, You will be glorified. The invincible King Jarasandha is as strong as ten thousand elephants. Indeed, other powerful warriors cannot defeat him. Only Bhima is equal to him in strength. He will be defeated in a match of single chariots, not when he is with his hundred military divisions. Now, Jarasandha is so devoted to brahminical culture that he never refuses requests from brahmanas. Bhima should go to him disguised as a brahmana and beg charity. Thus he will obtain single combat with Jarasandha, and in Your presence Bhima will no doubt kill him."
Does the Supreme omniscient Lord not know all these above? But still He consults his minister. This is the lesson we have to learn from the good Lord. Irrespective of who we are it is always wise to consult devotees and take their confidence and thereby win the hearts. But demoniac people like Ravana and Duryodhana were dictators and they don't want to hear anything from anybody. Ravana told his subjects that, "I will never listen to anybody especially regarding release of Sita." In the end he was destructed. Destruction is waiting for us if we are not willing to submit to our Spiritual master and Krishna.
The more submissive one is, more the fruits of ripened devotional service will manifest. The more we are submissive, the more we become gentle and the more we become gentle, the more we are favoured by the spiritual masters in all respects.
I therefore pray to the Supremely wonderful Lord, my spiritual master and Srila Prabhupada to give me the mercy that I will always submit myself at their lotus feet and their plan and obtain the mercy of Krishna consciousness.
Thank you very much.
Your humble servant,
Sajjanapriya Krishna das
Abu Dhabi.
Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.