Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus - Part 22

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

In continuation of our discussion on the topic "Lessons from the Twenty-four Gurus", let us learn from the next spiritual master of the avadhuta brahmana - the elephant. After the spiritual master moth, the avadhuta brahmana is listing the lessons that he learnt from honey-bee. But since we found that the lessons to be learnt from elephant are similar to the ones we learnt from moth, we thought of discussing on verses 11.8.13 and 14, wherein the avadhuta brahamana is explaining to us the important lessons we need to learn from elephant.

padāpi yuvatīṁ bhikṣur na spṛśed dāravīm api
spṛśan karīva badhyeta kariṇyā aṅga-saṅgataḥ

A saintly person should never touch a young girl. In fact, he should not even let his foot touch a wooden doll in the shape of a woman. By bodily contact with a woman he will surely be captured by illusion, just as the elephant is captured by the she-elephant due to his desire to touch her body.

Elephants are known for their strength, eye-sight and memory power. But in spite of all these assets, the he-elephant easily falls into the hunter's trap in the forest, when it is provoked at the sight of she-elephant.  In purport to verse 1.9.27 Srila Prabhupada mentions that - "As far as the women class are concerned, they are accepted as a power of inspiration for men. As such, women are more powerful than men. Mighty Julius Caesar was controlled by a Cleopatra. Such powerful women are controlled by shyness. Therefore, shyness is important for women. Once this control valve is loosened, women can create havoc in society by adultery. Adultery means production of unwanted children known as varna-sankara, who disturb the world."  Unfortunately in today's world, Vedic life style is becoming a dream. There is not a single advertisement, irrespective of whether it has relevance to woman or not, has the picture of  woman in it.  For eyes are the entry points of sin and even if we simply walk on the roads the big banners of advertisements pollute our mind. To save ourselves from these rubbish, we should remember the golden words of Maharaj that even while walking on the road, we should keep our eyes only half open, just enough to see the path and not anything else. In verse 11.8.14 the avadhuta brahmana says

nādhigacchet striyaṁ prājñaḥ karhicin mṛtyum ātmanaḥ
balādhikaiḥ sa hanyeta gajair anyair gajo yathā

A man possessing intelligent discrimination should not under any circumstances try to exploit the beautiful form of a woman for his sense gratification. Just as an elephant trying to enjoy a she-elephant is killed by other bull elephants also enjoying her company, one trying to enjoy a lady's company can at any moment be killed by her other lovers who are stronger than he.

By the process of marriage and varnashrama dharma, scriptures have regulated our life and we have to be satisfied with the spouse whom we are blessed  by the Lord. Instead if one tries to enjoy others' wives we are bound to suffer. In case of Kauravas we saw that because of their dirty wish to enjoy Draupadi, they had to face miserable death in the battle-field of Kurukshetra. Ravana also faced his end at the hands of Lord Ram as he had the illicit desire of enjoying Mother Sita who was Ram's wife. So for our own well-being, we should not indulge in illicit sense-gratification activities and waste this rare human birth. But by following the scriptural injunctions, we should lead a life pleasing to Guru and Krishna.

Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Kalacakra Krsna das and Sudarshana devi dasi.