Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.
This is in continuation of the previous offering - "The Open Secret for Spiritual Success" wherein we were meditating on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 2.1.12. We saw in the previous offering about how Khatvanga Maharaj made use of his available life span of one moment. Now we shall see further.
If we consider the example of Bhishmadev, his departure was very glorious as Lord came in person at the time of his death and he could offer very nice prayers to the Lord, glorify Him through Vishnu sahasranama etc. It is not that Bhishmadev did that only at that time. Bhishmadev was a devotee through out his life and was daily offering his prayers, praying to the Lord privately in his residence throughout his life even though he was living with Kauravas who were inimical to Lord and His devotees. Since he practised devotional service throughout his life, doing his duties remembering Krishna, Krishna arranged for a glorious departure in the end. Similar manner we can see that Khatvanga Maharaj's life is also very glorious.
There is a very nice connection between our thoughts, words and deeds. If we think good, we speak good and do good. But when our thoughts are not pure, no matter how we try to sweet-coat our words or try to act superficially, somehow or the other our bad thoughts gets reflected in our words and actions. Now we can see what Khatvanga Maharaj thought after he knew that he had only one moment left. Srimad Bhagavatam 9.9.44 says
na me brahma-kulāt prāṇāḥ kula-daivān na cātmajāḥ
na śriyo na mahī rājyaṁ na dārāś cātivallabhāḥ
Mahārāja Khaṭvāṅga thought: Not even my life is dearer to me than the brahminical culture and the brāhmaṇas, who are worshiped by my family. What then is to be said of my kingdom, land, wife, children and opulence? Nothing is dearer to me than the brāhmaṇas.
Brahmanas are actually dear to Supreme Lord and here we find Khatvanga Maharaj also considering them as dearmost. Srila Prabhupada very nicely mentions in the purport to the above verse, Mahārāja Khaṭvāṅga, being in favor of the brahminical culture, wanted to utilize one moment’s time by fully surrendering unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.The Lord is worshiped with this prayer:
namo brāhmaṇya-devāya go brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca
jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya govindāya namo namaḥ
“I offer my respectful obeisances to the Supreme Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa, who is the well-wisher of the cows and the brāhmaṇas as well as the living entities in general. I offer my repeated obeisances to Govinda, who is the pleasure reservoir for all the senses.” A devotee of Kṛṣṇa is very much attached to brahminical culture. Indeed, an expert personality who knows who Kṛṣṇa is and what He wants is a real brāhmaṇa. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is the Parabrahman, and therefore all Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, or devotees of Kṛṣṇa, are exalted brāhmaṇas. Khaṭvāṅga Mahārāja regarded the devotees of Kṛṣṇa as the real brāhmaṇas and the real light for human society. One who desires to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and spiritual understanding must give the utmost importance to brahminical culture and must understand Kṛṣṇa (kṛṣṇāya govindāya). Then his life will be successful.
Khatvanga Maharaj, Parikshit Maharaj, Bhishmadev all died. But still their lives are all successful because they did what Krishna wanted them to do. People of this world might have their own definition for success/failure. Attaining lot of wealth, power, fame, long-life, having a big group of followers might be the criteria for definition of success in this material world. But real success is to simply do what Guru and Krishna wants to do. It doesn't matter if others consider us as pauper or failure.
Krishna willing we shall continue to meditate more on this topic in the subsequent offering.
Hare Krishna.
Thank you very much
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Sudarshana devi dasi.
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