Negligence

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble pranams. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.

In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 1.19.3 Parikshit Maharaj regrets for his action of throwing a dead snake around the sage's neck - when the sage's son cursed him that he would die due to snake bite after 7 days. He realized his mistake and said,

adyaiva rājyaṁ balam ṛddha-kośaṁ
prakopita-brahma-kulānalo me
dahatv abhadrasya punar na me ’bhūt
pāpīyasī dhīr dvija-deva-gobhyaḥ

I am uncivilized and sinful due to my neglect of brahminical culture, God-consciousness and cow protection. Therefore I wish that my kingdom, strength and riches burn up immediately by the fire of the brahmana's wrath so that in the future I may not be guided by such inauspicious attitudes.

Through his personal example Maharaj Parikshit is teaching us the following..

1) Negligence of brahminical culture, God-consciousness and cow-protection is a sin
2) If we commit a mistake, then we should atone ourselves and refrain from doing the mistake again.

In his transcendental purport, Srila Prabhupada has gracefully warned us as follows,"Where wealth and strength are not engaged in the advancement of brahminical culture, God consciousness and cow protection, the state and home are surely doomed by Providence. If we want peace and prosperity in the world, we should take lessons from this verse; every state and every home must endeavor to advance the cause of brahminical culture for self-purification, God consciousness for self-realization and cow protection for getting sufficient milk and the best food to continue a perfect civilization."

Familiarity breeds contempt. So at times there is a danger that we may become neglectful in our duties - both spiritual as well as material, when we keep doing it for a long time. By repeated recitation of scriptures and Srila Prabhupada's word we need to keep reminding our forgetful mind, that unless we are sincere in performing our sadhana and prescribed duties, without any negligence, cannot save ourselves from Providence. If we neglect Krishna, then we do not deserve to be protected by Krishna.

Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev,
Sudarshana devi dasi.