A Devotee Is Kind
Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.13
Los Angeles, May 30, 1972
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Take a testLos Angeles, May 30, 1972
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Pradyumna: (leads
chanting)
saunaka uvaca
ity abhivyahrtam raja
nisamya bharatarsabhah
kim anyat prstavan bhuyo
vaiyasakim rsim kavim
Prabhupada: (interrupts the chanting of the verse to correct) It should be pronounced like "it yabhi vyahrtam raja." It yabhi vyahrtam raja. It yabhi vyahrtam raja nisamya bharatarsabhah. Like that. Go on. (chanting continues) That's all. Now, word meaning. (synonyms are read)
Pradyumna: Translation: "Saunaka said: The son of Vyasadeva, Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, was a highly learned sage and was able to describe things in a poetic manner. What did Maharaja Pariksit again inquire from him after hearing all that he said?"
Prabhupada: So Vaisnava, Sukadeva Gosvami, is learned and poet. So these are the qualifications of Vaisnava. As you know, there are twenty-six qualifications mentioned in the Caitanya-caritamrta, and one of the qualifications is kavi, poet. Every Vaisnava in our disciplic succession, all the Vaisnavas... In the later ages, within 200 years... During Caitanya Mahaprabhu's time, there were Vrndavana dasa Thakura, Vaisnava, Locana dasa Thakura, Kavi-karnapura. They were all big poets. Later on, Vidyapati, Candidasa. No, Candidasa before Lord Caitanya. Jayadeva. He also, before Lord Caitanya. All big, big kavis. The Jayadeva kavi's, this pralaya-payodhi-jale dhrtavan asi vedam **. So a Vaisnava devotee of the Lord is expected to have all good qualities. The more you become advanced in Krsna consciousness, all the good qualities that were covered by the cloud of maya will come out. Good qualities are already there. Just like Krsna has got sixty-four good qualities in full, and we are minute particles of Krsna; therefore we have got also those good qualities in minute particles. But these good qualities are now covered. Just like fire is covered by the ashes. So it does not act. Although there is fire, but when it is covered with ashes, it does not act. So we are fire. Krsna is fire; we are also fire, in quality. There is a very... There is a big fire, blazing fire, and the sparks. The sparks are also fire. Therefore we sometimes desire to imitate Krsna. Because we have got these qualities in minute quantity, so we think that "I am God, I have become." But we do not know the quantitative difference. That we forget. We can say we are God, but teeny God, not the Supreme. Spark. Fire, blazing fire, and the spark. Now, this quality, fire, this also becomes almost unseen when we are in this material world. Just like if the fire sparks fall down out of the blazing fire, it becomes extinguished. So in order to ignite again our fiery quality, we must go back to the original fire. Then the fiery quality, the brilliant fiery quality, will again be exhibited.
This is Krsna consciousness movement. So when we are in the process of going back to home, back to Godhead, out of so many qualities, twenty-six qualities becomes very... At least, they become manifest. And out of the twenty-six qualities, one quality is to become a poet. Poet is. Nobody can become poet unless he is poet. So kavi. And rsi. Rsi, muni, rsi, those who are philosophers, learned scholars, they are called muni, rsi. So? Read the purport.
Pradyumna: "A pure devotee of the Lord automatically develops all godly qualities, and some of the prominent features of those qualities are as follows: He is kind, peaceful, truthful, equable, faultless, magnanimous, mild, clean, nonpossessive, a well-wisher to all, satisfied, surrendered to Krsna, without hankering, simple, fixed, self-controlled, a balanced eater, sane, mannerly, prideless, grave, sympathetic, friendly, poetic, expert, and silent. Out of these twenty-six prominent features..."
Prabhupada: So with the advancement of our spiritual consciousness, Krsna consciousness, we should verify "Whether these qualifications are becoming manifest in my person." Just like when you eat, you understand that you are getting strength, or your appetite is being satisfied. Nobody can... Nobody requires to ask certificate. You can understand, yourself. Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat [SB 11.2.42]. If we are advancing in Krsna consciousness, then our detachment for material things will, attachment for material things will decrease. This is one side. Viraktir anyatra syat. Just like our students, they have become averse to so many things. You are all young boys and girls. So many young boys and girls are going to restaurant, to cinema, and so many other things, but you have become detached; you have no more attraction. So one side... Progress of bhakti means one side we shall be detached and another side we shall increase our attachment. So these are the qualifications.
The first qualification is kind. Just like these sannyasis. Our Rupanuga Gosvami. He has got a nice child, wife, nice wife. But, being kind to the humanity, he has accepted sannyasa. This is kindness. No homely comfort. This is kindness. Lokanam hita-karinau. Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tuccha-vat bhutva dina-ganesakau karunaya kaupina-kanthasritau. Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, they were ministers. Ministers. Not ordinary men. And therefore their association was most aristocratic. Mandala-pati-srenim. Mandala-pati means big, big man, who have got many followers, leaders of the society. So, he gave up that association, tuccha-vat, "Eh, what is this nonsense?" Gave up, Rupa Gosvami. Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tuccha-vat. Tuccha means very insignificant, "What is this?" Then what did they do? What he became? Bhutva dina-ganesakau karunaya kaupina-kanthasritau. You have seen Rupa Gosvami's picture. Only a little cloth. Kantha. Kantha means handmade quilt. All rejected cloth, they are put together and sewn; it is called kantha. They utilize even rejected cloth. That is called kantha.
So this Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, accepted this mendicant life although they were ministers, very rich men. Not only Rupa Gosvami, all the Gosvamis. Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was the only son of his father and uncle, and in those days the income was twelve lakhs, twelve hundred thousands of rupees. Almost king. So for being compassionate with these poor fellows, who have forgotten Krsna and working simply unnecessarily so hard to get some bread... That's all. Mudha. So by becoming kind upon them, they took this mendicant order. Therefore kindness. And peaceful. Vaisnava is never turbulent. But the demons, they create disturbance. Vaisnava is peaceful. Peaceful, truthful. Truthful. A Vaisnava knows the ultimate truth, Krsna. Therefore he's truthful. And equable. He has no distinction "Oh, here is a man, here is an animal. The animal has no soul, the man has soul."
They have no such conclusion. Every living entity has soul. As Krsna says, sarva-yonisu kaunteya [Bg. 14.4]. So he's kind not only to the human society. These philanthropists, altruists, nationalists, "this-ists, that-ists." This... They are partial. First of all, they may be kind... They are not kind. They are all selfish. But even though they are kind, they are kind to their own men. Not even outsiders. Not to the outsiders. In your country, they'll throw away grains. But there are so many hungry people; why they should not give? Produce more, if you have got land. You have got men. And they are not producing, they are (not?) engaging. The men are becoming hippies and they're lying idle, without any production. God has given so much land. Produce. Distribute prasadam. This is kindness.
But because they are not Krsna conscious, they cannot be kind. Faultless. You cannot find any fault of the devotee. Faultless. Magnanimous. Thinking of all living entities. There is no distinction, "Oh, I am American, I shall think for the Americans." "I am Indian, I shall think for..." No. Magnanimous. And the most magnanimous is Lord Caitanya. Namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te [Madhya 19.53]. Magnanimous. Giving krsna-prema, which is very rare. Krsna says, manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. It is very difficult to understand what is Krsna, and Lord Caitanya is distributing Krsna like anything. Therefore maha-vadanyaya, magnanimous. Mild. Mild and meek. Clean. Always cleanliness. Because you have surpassed the stage of brahminical life. Therefore, must be very clean. By taking bath, by washing cloth, keeping the kitchen very clean, everything clean. Temple... Tan-mandira-marjanadau. Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-
Just like we don't keep any furniture in our hou... What is the use of furniture? We can lie down on the floor. So many things, materialistic persons they possess. But we try to simplify matters, plain living. Well-wisher to all. Well-wisher. Just like we are advising our all students that "Save your country. They are becoming hippies. It is not... Future is very gloom. Try to save them." So Vaisnava will always think like that, how people will be happy. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. Vaisnava desire is not exploitation. Vaisnava desire is that "How others will be happy, how they will understand Krsna, how they will get happiness in this life and next life." This is Vaisnava. Satisfied, in any condition. Not that "I must have all these things; then I'll be satisfied. Otherwise, I'm going from the temple." (laughter.) No, this is not Vaisnava qualification. You must live with the devotees, even if you are not satisfied. Any condition, you should be satisfied. Because as soon as you leave the company, you become again rogues, again demons.
At least you'll be saved if you keep with the company of the devotees. Satam prasangan mama virya-samvidah. If you give up the company, then you again become rogues and demons. Therefore you must be satisfied, in whatever condition. "Whatever Krsna has given, that's all right." Satisfied. Surrendered to Krsna. And that satisfaction can be achieved only when one is fully surrendered to Krsna. If I have surrendered to Krsna, Krsna has taken my charge, Krsna says, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami, then why shall I bother myself? If I am thinking, "I am suffering," it is also Krsna's grace. We should take like that. Even in my consideration, I am in a position which is apparently suffering, we must accept as Krsna's grace: "All right, I have surrendered to Krsna. If Krsna is giving me suffering, that's all right." That is surrender. "Oh, I have surrendered to Krsna, and now Krsna is giving me suffering? Oh, leave Krsna consciousness." That is not surrender.
Surrender means in any condition you'll remain surrendered. That is surrender. Not that I put my own condition, and if you satisfy me, then I shall... That is business. That is not surrender. Surrender means in any condition, fully surrendered to Krsna. Without hankering. What is hankering? Why shall I be hankering? I know, Krsna will give me all protection. So then why shall I hanker? Without hankering. Simple. No duplicity. Simple. The worldly men, they are duplicatous (?), speaking something, cheater. That is the, one of the qualification of the materialistic man. He must be cheater. There are four defects: commit mistakes, to be illusioned, to become cheater, and imperfect senses. This is called material life, conditioned life. He must commit mistakes. However a great philosopher... We are talking about the philosophers. So many contradictory things they say. Because he's an ordinary man. How he can say the right thing? It is not possible. The right thing can be said only by liberated person.
Therefore we take advice from the liberated person. Just like we are understanding all this from Vyasadeva, from Sukadeva Gosvami. They are liberated. We are not reading some Mr. John R. Mead's (?) book. No. Liberated soul. So that should be our source of knowledge. Mannerly, prideless, grave. Grave means don't talk nonsense. Don't talk nonsense. Don't waste time. If you have got time, chant Hare Krsna, but don't talk nonsense. Grave, that is called gravity. Grave, sympathetic. We should be very much sympathetic. If some of our fellow men fall sick, we must take care of him, give help him. Because, after all, we have got this body. Sometimes we may fall sick. So one, we should be sympathetic. And friendly. Everyone friend. As Krsna is friend of everyone, suhrdam sarva-bhutanam, so if we are Krsna's representative, how I can be enemy of anyone else? I must be friendly. Friendly. Poet. And expert. And silent. Silent worker, not advertising. Silent. These are the qualifications of Vaisnava. So we must try to follow; not imitate, but follow. Follow, that is nice. Then?
Pradyumna: "Out of these twenty-six prominent features of a devotee, as described by Krsnadasa Kaviraja in his Caitanya-caritamrta, the qualification of being poetic is especially mentioned herein in relation to Sukadeva Gosvami. The presentation of Srimad-Bhagavatam by his recitation is the highest poetic contribution. He was a self-realized learned sage. In other words, he was a poet amongst the sages. "
Prabhupada: So? Next verse?
Pradyumna: (leads chanting)
etac chusrusatam vidvan
suta no 'rhasi bhasitum
katha hari-kathodarkah
satam syuh sadasi dhruvam
Prabhupada: That's all. Have kirtana. ( devotees offer obeisances) Begin... (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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