Smash Your Pride

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

In one of the lectures in of Singapore, Maharaj was singing this beautiful bhajan by Surdas in bhairav raag.

hey govind hey gopāl ab to jīvan hāre
hey govind rākho sharan ab to jīvan hāre

nīr piban hetu gayo sindhu ke kināre
sindhu bīch basat grāha carana lei pachāre

char prahar yuddh bhayo lei gayo majhdhāre
nake kān dūb na lāge krishna ko pukāre

dwaraka me shabdh gayo shor bhayo bhāre
shanka chakra gadhā padma garuda lei sidhāre

shur kahe shyam suno sharan hai tihāre
ab ki baer pār karo nanda ke dulāre

Gurudev was explaining this bhajan very nicely. Here it is said that, "My Lord, we need Your shelter, else we are completely lost in this life because nowadays, everywhere in the world there is frustration. And because of the frustration we feel, 'I am losing, I am losing'. Those who are losing are really losing but those who are winning, may think that he is very rich or he has so many cars or he has so many factories. Ultimately they are also losing."

In the next line it is explained how Gajraj went to the shore. Whenever misery comes, it never informs us. It just comes. Misery just comes upon us. Then we look here and there, what to do? What to do? And then if we don't find way out of it then it acts on our health. First mind goes wrong, then health goes wrong. Once the health collapses it is very difficult. No medicine will work as the mind is not there. To keep the mind healthy sa vai manaḥ Krishna padāravindayoḥ it is said in Bhagavatam somehow or the other we have to focus our mind upon the lotus feet of Lord. Medicine is only one - our mind should be focused on the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. It is explained here that the elephant Gajendra went to drink water with many she-elephants around him. In the association of women he was intoxicated and puffed up. He didn't know that his feet will be caught up. This elephant was nothing. As for us, we are more proud than elephant. He was intoxicated. He was proud of having 40 she-elephants around him. We have only one. We should be very careful. We must not be proud of material possessions. This abhimān is very bad. Lord cannot tolerate this at all. He can tolerate anything else.

Once it so happened Satyabhama was proud that 'I am so beautiful. What are these other queens? They are all rubbish'. Krishna came to know about this and thought this has to be set right. Then Sudarshana chakra was also very proud. 'What is Krishna without me? Zero'. Then Krishna thought of treating him too. Next Lord came to know about Garuda that, he was becoming very proud. He was fighting with everyone. 'What do you think of me? I carry Vishnu on my back. Who can compete with me? I am very powerful. Without me Vishnu is lame'. So Krishna recognized this, He is seated in everybody's heart - sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo. He cannot tolerate pride. So then He called for Garuda. Garuda came and asked, "Yes Lord. What can I do for you?" Garuda is Lord's Mercedes car. Lord asked him, "Go to Gandamadana parvat, Hanuman is staying there. Tell him I want him immediately." So Garuda went to bring Hanuman. Then Satyabhama was standing near Krishna. So Krishna said to Satyabhama, "You please go to Rukmini and tell her that She has to sit next to Me and that She should wear sarees of Sita. She should be Sita today because Hanuman is coming". Satyabhama immediately flared up, "Krishna! What are you talking? Am I not beautiful enough? Why I should tell Rukmini?" So Krishna said, See, I have told you what to do. Now you do whatever you like." So anyway Satyabhama thought that she will get ready as Sita and come. She came and sat. Krishna remarked, "It is upto you. I have told what you have to do. Now sit doesn't matter."

Then Krishna called Sudarshana chakra. Bhoom bhoom bhoom he came and asked, "What can I do, my Lord?" Krishna asked him to go to the main gate of the palace and see that nobody enters from there. By this time Garuda had reached Gandamadana parvat and found Hanuman was busy in chanting Lord Ram's names. Garuda said, "Lord Ram is remembering you and just now you have to come? So Hanuman replied, "I will come, I am coming." Garuda said, "Come immediately otherwise I will carry you." Hanuman said politely, "See, you please go I will be there before you." But Garuda started boasting, "No no. You don't know how powerful I am. I can carry your father Vayu also". Hanuman is Vayuputra. He thought there is something wrong. He could understand that Lord has sent him to destroy his abhimaan. So he said, Please, don't agitate me. You just go and I am coming. Again he repeated the same thing. "Please shut up now" said Hanuman and he caught hold the tail of Garuda, swung him around and threw into the ocean of Dwarka. He was disposed off. Now Hanuman was on the Gate to face Sudarshana chakra. Sudarshana said, "Hey monkey? Where are you going?" Hanuman thought, "This is another one, today our Ram wants me to smash all these people." He said to Sudarshana chakra, "In treta yuga I have served Lord Rama very sincerely. So Mother Sita has given me the benediction that I can go anytime to their inner quarters also. And I can see them. So please allow me to go." But Sudarshana was adamant. Hanuman just picked him up and put into his mouth and walked in. Lord Ram was very pleased to see him. Hanumanji paid obeisances and sat down as if he had to say something. Lord Ram asked him, "What is the matter Hanuman Do you have something to ask? Actually Satyabhama was sitting beside Lord Rama, so Hanuman asked, "My Lord, Who is this dasi?" Satyabhama frowned and ran immediately perspiring to Rukmini and told her, "Your son has come. That monkey son. Except You he regards everyone else as dasi. Then Rukhmini came and Satyabhama was disposed off. Then Garuda came with wet body. Krishna asked him the matter and he said, Ask Hanuman. So Krishna looked at Hanuman. He could see his mouth was red . Krishna asked, What is there in your mouth. Did you eat pān?. He opened his mouth and Sudarshan came out with his face hung down. Thus Lord smashed the abhimān of all the three.

In the bhajan we see how Gajendra was draged into the river by the crocodile. He fought for years together until he helplessly surrendered to the Lord. Our lives are full of miseries big or small. It is the way we look at, it helps us to come out of it. In another lecture in Abu Dhabi Gurudev had once told about the distance between the misery and happiness. That is the distance of our knee to touch the ground - SURRENDER. Actually we are all so proud to deal with these miseries ourselves that we don't rely on Lord's mercy. As soon as we surrender to the Lord, then all the miseries disappear.

I pray unto the lotus feet of my beloved spiritual master and all the Vaishnavas to keep me away of all the Pride.

Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Abhirakanya devi dasi
Abu Dhabi.