HH Radhanath Swami: We are reading today from Srimad Bhagavatam Canto
3,
Chapter 1, entitled Questions by Vidura, Text 10 through 12. in this
chapter, we find the essential Vaisnava qualities of Vidura, what
made him
so very dear to Krsna that the Lord was in preference of taking a
simple
banana from Vidura than an elegant feast and royal reception from
Duryodhana. In this chapter, we find what a well-wishing friend and
servant
Vidura was to everyone, even those who hated him.
In the Krsna book there is story of Brghu Muni kicking the chest of
Visnu
and Visnu getting off his throne to massage the feet of Brghu,
apologizing,
"My chest is so hard and your foot is so soft, please let me massage
your
feet." Therein Srila Prabhupada writes:
"One's greatness has to be estimated by one's ability to tolerate
provoking
situations."
I'll repeat: "One's greatness has to be estimated by one's ability
to
tolerate provoking situations."
Krsna tells us in Gita, dukhalaya, this material world is a place of
misery.
He has created it, he maintains it, and ultimately, only he can
destroy it.
He knows supremely how this material world works and why.
Bhaktisiddhanta
Saraswati Thakur said, "This world is no place for a gentleman."
Whoever we
are, we have to suffer.
In one lecture on the first verse of Sri Bhagavad-gita, Srila
Prabhupada
explains why this material world is so miserable: because everyone
who comes
to this world is envious, potentially envious of anyone else. Srila
Prabhupada defines why people are envious: because we want to be the
Lord,
we want to be the proprietor, the controller, and the enjoyer.
Therefore, we
are potentially in conflict with anybody or anyone in our pursuit.
He gives the example of Duryodhana. He had everything--massive
wealth,
tremendous influence and power, he was young, he was handsome, he
was
intelligent. Yudhisthira and his brothers were utterly faultless.
They loved
him, but he was envious because he wanted what they had. He was
envious of
the strength of Bhima, he was envious of the morality of Yudhisthira,
and he
was envious of their rightful heir to the throne. In his envy, he
influenced
others, including his father, to try through so many ways to destroy
the
Pandavas, he tried to murder them again and again.
Bhisma, when he was on his deathbed, he was wondering, "How is it
that
Yudhisthira had to suffer so much? He is religion personified. And
how is it
that Kunti, their noble and pious mother, had to go through such
terrible
trauma throughout her life? It is due to the imperceptible,
inevitable power
of time, which is controlled by the Personality of Godhead, that all
of
these things have taken place." But ultimately, everything is always
perfect
for his devotees.
Vidura, who we are reading about today, he had to witness all of
these
tragedies. A pure devotee in every respect, Vidura was everyone's
well-wisher. He was equally the uncle of the Pnadavas and the Kurus.
And he
was the only surviving brother of Dhrtarastra. His compassion was
not
sentimental. He saw how his brother was not only blind in sight, but
he was
blind spiritually and socially as well due to his association with
the
envious Duryodhana.
Seeing tragedy after tragedy, plot after plot to take the life of
the
Pandavas, he tried in every way to resolve the issues. It was
actually
Vidura who sent the message to Yudhisthira Maharaja, "You are living
in a
house of lac. On this particular day, they are planning to murder
you by
burning it down." Through that message, the Pandavas were rescued.
Then he
saw the Pandavas exiled for thirteen years to the forest after being
cheated, and all the blasphemy and horrible rumors and various plots
to
destroy them.
Here we find in this chapter, Vidura is approaching Dhrtarastra,
"Because of
your attachment to this envious son, who is offense personified,
Duryodhana,
you will not only be destroyed, they will be destroyed, your entire
dynasty
will be destroyed. Don't you see? Yudhisthira is faultless, Bhima is
angry
as a snake, heavily breathing for revenge, and their best
well-wishing
friend is Krsna, the controller of all controllers, the Lord of the
demigods. Don't you see your insanity? Give the Pandavas what they
deserve."
He said all this in the presence of Duryodhana, who was absolutely
outraged.
But Vidura was fearless. Duryodhana screamed out, "Who asked him to
come
here?" He was so swollen with anger, his lips were trembling. "Who
asked him
to come here, this son of a kept mistress? He is so crooked that he
spies in
the interest of the enemy against those on whose support he has
grown up.
Toss him out of this palace immediately and leave him only with his
breath."
This is coming from the words of someone that Vidura loved dearly,
his own
nephew. These words, it describes, pierced Vidura's heart like
arrows
through his ears, afflicted the very core of his heart. And
Dhrtarastra took
the side of his son.
Vidura was not only horribly blasphemed but he was kicked out of his
own
home. He had to leave his family, his wife, his children, his home,
everything, and go to the forest. But Vidura saw it all as the
divine
arrangement of Krsna to free him from all of the horrible politics
of the
palace and allow him to go on a pilgrimage to all the holy places
alone and
seek out the association of holy people. For years and years he
traveled all
over India to the sacred places. During that time the battle of
Kuruksetra
took place, the Pandavas were victorious, Duryodhana, all of his
ninety-nine
brothers were killed by Bhima, Yudhisthira Maharaja was enthroned as
king.
Vidura came out of his wonderful pilgrimage to Hastinapura for one
reason
only--to deliver Dhrtarastra, who was so cruel to him, who banished
him from
his own home, who offended the greatest devotees and the Lord
himself.
Vidura understood Dhrtarastra is going to suffer the worst hell
unless he is
delivered. He came back from the forest only to preach to
Dhrtarastra.
Amazing. . . Dhrtarastra was so covered over by illusion, it took
that much
for him to hear Vidura's words. Vidura was speaking the same thing
to him
year after year after year, but he couldn't hear because of his
attachment
to his sons. But now that everything was lost Vidura understood he
may be
receptive--and he was. "You are being kept by Yudhisthira Maharaja,
who you
tried to destroy in every way. How shameful! How offensive. Come
with me to
the forest and atone for your sins and take shelter of the Supreme
Lord."
After preaching to Dhrtarastra, Vidura went to the forest with him
to show
him the path of self-realization and never came back. Srila
Prabhupada
explains: this is the nature of Vaisnava. Even abused in so many
ways, he is
always the well-wisher, forgiving, and humble.
This is the recurring theme of Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Pandavas,
Prahlada
Maharaja, abused by his father in every way, atrocities, death
threats,
blasphemy, but still, when asked for a benediction from Lord
Nrsimhadeva, he
only wanted his father to be liberated. And he repeatedly went to
his father
and preached to him the truth. Ambarisa Maharaja, he made no
mistake, but
Durvasa Muni tried to murder him. He called him such nasty words. He
said,
"You're not a devotee, you're cruel, you're offensive, you're
attached to
your senses, and you think you're God." That's a heavy offense to
say
against a devotee: "You think you're God." After creating that fiery
demon,
Ambarisa Maharaja spent a whole year only praying for the
deliverance of
Durvasa Muni, and ultimately, delivered him.
And here in Navadvipa, we find the same theme again and again.
Nearby in
Phuliagram, Thakura Haridasa, as he was being blasphemed and beaten
with the
intention of killing him by the executioners, Haridasa was only
praying to
the Lord for one benediction: "Give them love of God. Don't think
that what
they are doing against me is an offense. Forgive them and give them
your
love."
Nityananda Prabhu was attacked with the intention to kill him by
Jagai and
Madhai, who were raping brahmana's daughters and wives, they were
murderers,
they were slaughtering cows, they were drunkards, they were burning
people's
houses together. Nityananda Prabhu prayed to Lord Caitanya, "If I
have done
any good pious activities, if I have done any good service to you,
let all
those credits go to forgiving them and giving them love of God."
And Lord Caitanya himself, at one time, he ordered his devotees, "We
should
give us this sleeping at night, it's a waste of time. We should
perform
nama-sankirtana in Srivasa Angam all night, every night for the next
one
year." And they did it. They locked the doors so that materialistic
people
would not disturb them.
But those materialistic people, how they hated Lord Caitanya and the
devotees. They would bang on the doors, "Let us in! Let us in!" But
they
were not permitted, so they would call out in loud voices amongst
themselves
and for everyone to hear, "We know what they are doing in there.
They are so
useless and poverty-stricken that they go out begging for food, but
because
they aren't getting enough food, in their starvation, they are
screaming out
all night long."
"They are doing tantric rites to goddess Durga in there. Otherwise,
why will
they not allow noble, learned brahmanas to come in? Because we will
expose
them. They are drinking liquor. They are seducing the five types of
young
girls, bringing them into their house, dressing with ornaments and
costly
garments, drinking intoxicating beverages, and enjoying illicit
affairs all
night, every night. That is what they are doing. Because of them,
the whole
city of Navadvipa is going to be destroyed."
One said, "Nimai used to be a nice boy, but due to his past impious
deeds
and his association with these devotees and due to his not being
trained
properly by a father, he has become mad, crazy, and sinful. We
should take
this Srivasa, capture him, and punish him. We should take his house,
tear it
apart and throw it in the Ganges."
This is what they were saying. Not only that, they would grab
innocent
people and bring them to the kirtan, "You hear that screaming, you
see what
they are doing, do you know why they are not letting us in?" And
they would
repeat these horrible words.
Lord Caitanya and the devotees just carried on with their
nama-sankirtana.
This type of blasphemy was going on continuously through Lord
Caitanya's
nama-sankirtana movement. Those same brahmanas even complained to
Chand
Kazi, who tried to destroy Lord Caitanya and his movement, made laws
against
them. It was due to that difficult situation Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
ordered
the first public harinama-sankirtana procession through the streets
of
Navadvipa. And even though Chand Kazi was so blasphemous and so
violent
towards the Vaisnavas, Mahaprabhu went right to his house and
delivered him.
But it didn't stop.
In our biographies of Lord Caitanya, we read how Lord Caitanya
really took a
mood very similar to Vidura. He had to leave Navadvipa, and
ultimately, come
back to deliver those who were trying to destroy him.
Once in the mood of the gopis, he was chanting the names of the
gopis, and
one arrogant student challenged him, "Why are you saying 'gopi, gopi'?
What
scripture tells you that? This is bogus. You should chant the name
of
Krsna."
Lord Caitanya, in his ecstasy, picked up a stick and chased him
away. "Why
should I chant Krsna's name? He is a cheater. Vali was a good monkey
and he
killed him for no reason. And Bali Maharaja was a very nice man, and
yet, he
took everything from him and sent him down to Patala-loka."
He was in his ecstasy, but the student went to the other students
and
reported it. Due to their arrogance, they were inflamed with anger.
They
were spreading throughout the town of Navadvipa, "Who is this Nimai
Pandit?
Who does he think he is? Not long ago, we were students sitting
right next
to him, and now, he has the right to punish us? All his mad chanting
all
night long? He is going to bring ruination. He is offending the
demigods by
not chanting their names. They are going to withdraw rain, there
will be a
drought, and we are all going to die because of him. He should be
destroyed.
We should punish him. We should beat him."
At that time, Lord Caitanya sat with Nityananda Prabhu and his
devotees and
he said, "I have come with a medicine to reduce the congestion of
mucus, but
I find that the medicine is increasing the disease of excess mucus."
He said to Nityananda Prabhu, "We have to come to deliver the world,
but now
we see that due to our presence, it is being destroyed. Therefore,
because
they are seeing me to be an ordinary man like them as a grhastha, I
will
shave my head, and live my life as a beggar, as a sannyasi. Then
they will
offer obeisances to me and be delivered."
Nityananda Prabhu was devastated. The Lord said, "I will not do it
without
your permission."
Nityananda Prabhu said, "Who am I to tell you what to do? You are
the
independent Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ultimately, you know
what is
best for everyone, but please ask the other devotees."
Lord Caitanya embraced him. Nityananda mediated on the lotus feet of
the
Lord Caitanya's mother, Sacidevi: "What will happen to her? Without
her son
Nimai, as a widow, she will die. She will cry day and night."
Thinking of
Mother Saci, he fell unconscious. Going to a secluded place, he wept
continuously.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had all the innocent and pious people of
Navadvipa
joining his nama-sankirtana movement. His particular reason for
taking
sannyasa was to somehow or other deliver the envious people who were
blaspheming him and blaspheming the Vaisnavas. It is described by
Kaviraja
Goswami, he went to South India, and there, he had such greater
success than
Navadvipa because they were innocent people. Navadvipa was filled
with so
many arrogant, venomous people.
But then Lord Caitanya, like Vidura, returned to the very place of
those who
had offended him. He came to Vidyanagar to the house of
Vidya-vacaspati, the
son of Visarada and the brother of Savrabhauma Bhattacarya. When the
people
of Navadvipa heard that Lord Caitanya, who was now a sannyasi, had
returned,
all these blasphemous sinful people, as well as the pious people,
they all
rushed to his association.
It is explained that so many people, millions and millions, were
running,
the roads were filled. They ran through the jungles where there were
thorns
and thickets, and didn't even care. They made all the jungles into
like
roadways of people just running and running and running. Nothing
could stop
them. They were embracing each other. "I have blasphemed the
devotees
unlimited times, I have blasphemed the Lord himself again and again,
but I
will fall at his feet and I will beg for his forgiveness and I will
surrender to him." This was the mood.
They were all running. They came to the river--a single ferry.
Thousands and
thousands of people jumped on it. The ferryman didn't know what to
do. He
saw his ferry just fall to pieces and disintegrate. This happened to
all the
boats. The people, they were so eager to see Lord Caitanya, they
just gave
some clothes, "Here get a new ferry." Somehow or other, they had to
cross
the Ganges. Most of them did not know swimming. Some of them just
grabbed a
clay pot and used that to float. Others took the trunk of a banana
tree and
floated on that. Others who didn't know how to swim forgot they
didn't know
how to swim and swam across. [laughter] This was the intensity of
their
enthusiasm. There was no obstacle that could stop them.
When they gathered around Vidya-vacaspati's house, there were
millions and
millions of people. All of the agricultural fields were filled.
According to
Caitanya Bhagavata, thousands of people simultaneously tired to
climb a
single tree. They were standing by the thousands on a single rooftop
and yet
nobody died or got injured. Vidya-vacaspati said, "My Lord, they are
all
coming to see you, please come out."
When Lord Caitanya came out, everyone falling at his feet, Sri
Caitanya
Mahaprabhu gave a simple message, "Always remember Krsna, chant the
Holy
Names of Krsna, worship Krsna, and always share Krsna with each
other. In
this way, your lives will be perfect." He raised his arms and
induced
everyone to chant. Soon there were thousands of kirtan parties with
their
arms raised, loudly chanting the Holy Names.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu suddenly disappeared. He went to Kuliya-gram.
The
people couldn't find him. They fell at the feet of Vidya-vacaspati,
"We know
he is hiding in you house. I won't tell anyone else, just let me in
to see
the Lord."
Vidya-vacaspati couldn't find the Lord. He didn't know where he was.
Soon
people were criticizing him, "Why don't you let us in?" Thousands,
millions
of people were just blaspheming Vidya-vacaspati. "He is so cruel. He
is
supposed to be a brahmana, but he is only concerned with his own
deliverance. He doesn't care if the rest of us go to hell. Even a
common,
decent person, if he has an abundance of sweets, he doesn't eat them
all
himself, he distributes them."
He was tormented. On one side he was feeling separation from the
Lord, on
the other side, he was the enemy of everyone. Someone whispered in
his ear,
"The Lord has gone to Kuliya-gram."
He called out, he said, "Kuliya-gram! Let's go!" So all of those
millions of
people had to cross the Ganges again. Now, according to Sri Caitanya
Bhagavat, the crowd was even thousands of times bigger.
At the house of Madhava dasa, Vidya-vacaspati was searching
frantically. If
he didn't find him, he was in big trouble. Finally, he found him. He
said,
"My Lord, please save my life. They hate me. They are saying
horrible things
against me. Come out and give your darsana. Rescue my life."
Lord Caitanya came out. When he came out, everyone was offering
their lives
and their souls to him. It is explained when he was on the roof of
the house
of Madhava Dasa, the devotees saw Lord Caitanya like the gopis saw
Krsna in
Kuruksetra. This is explained by Bhaktivinod Thakur. They were
praying in
their heart of hearts, "You have left Srivasa Angam to become a
great
sannyasi traveling all around, doing all great things. Now you are
here
again in Navadvipa. We do not like to see you with this shaved head.
We want
to see your beautiful flowing, black hair again. We cannot tolerate
seeing
you in the drab robes of a sannyasi. We want to see you again in
your
beautiful golden garments with ornaments. Please, we don't like to
see you
in this way. Return to Srivasa's house where like days before, we
can once
again be in your intimate association, chanting throughout the day
and night
the Holy Names of Lord Krsna."
It was at that time that all of the blasphemers and critics came to
Lord
Caitanya to beg forgiveness and he gave them all love of God. One
brahmana
fell at Lord Caitanya's feet. He said, "For years and years, I
blasphemed
you, I blasphemed your sankirtana, and I blasphemed your devotees. I
used to
say, 'What kind of Vaisnavas are they, screaming out these names all
day.
What's wrong with japa and meditation?' But now I realize my
offense. Please
instruct me how I can be delivered."
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said to that brahmana, "Listen carefully, if
one
drinks poison, it will certainly kill him, but if one drinks nectar,
that
will counteract the effects of poison and deliver him. Criticizing a
devotee
is like poison. It kills our propensity for devotional service.
There is
only one remedy. No prayascita will work if you blaspheme Krsna or
his
devotees. There is no atonement in any of the scriptures that will
counteract it. Only one: you must sincerely and humbly glorify the
names of
God and you must praise the glories of the Vaisnavas. Wiith the same
mouth
you blasphemed, you must praise the Vaisnavas. Then you will not
only be
forgiven, you will attain the perfection of life. Take this
seriously
always. Praise the glories of the devotees."
Devananda Pandit, who had offended Srivasa Thakur, and offended Lord
Caitanya on so many occasions, due to somehow or other getting the
blessings
of Vakresvara Pandit, his heart changed. That is the power of the
association of a devotee. He came and fell at the feet of Lord
Caitanya and
begged, "Please forgive me."
Lord Caitanya instructed him, "You were preaching Srima- Bhagavatam,
but you
were not respecting the persons Bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam only
teaches
one thing from its first verse to the last: pure, unalloyed devotion
to
Krsna. Speak only this and give up your offensive mentality."
Gopal Capala, who tried to destroy Srivasa Thakur by ruining his
reputation,
Gopal Capala put the tantric, ritualistic paraphernalia of
durga-puja in
front of his house, wine, and all kinds of other things just so the
people
would hate him and lose all respect for him. Due to that offense, he
got
leprosy. But at Kuliya-gram, he fell at the feet of Lord Caitanya
and begged
for forgiveness. Lord Caitanya said, "I cannot forgive you unless
Srivasa
Thakur forgives you. He is the one you offended."
He went to Srivasa. Sirvasa, the whole while, was only praying for
his
deliverance. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave Gopal Capala krsna-prema.
Vrindavan dasa Thakur explains that anyone who even hears of the
Lord's
mercy to the blasphemers and sinners in Kuliya-gram, all the bonds
of their
karma will be destroyed and they will attain the mercy of Lord
Caitanya.
Like Vidura, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu left Navadvipa and then
returned only
for the purpose of giving his mercy to those who hated him and tried
to
destroy him.
Dhrtarastra went to the forest along with Vidura and atoned for all
of his
offenses. That is the mercy of a Vaisnava. Srila Prabhupada
explains: "One's
greatness has to be estimated by one's ability to tolerate provoking
situations." Because this world has inevitable miseries, sufferings,
and
such provoking situations will come upon everyone, how we respond,
that is
how Krsna within our heart will see that we are sincere.
Srila Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual maser, how merciful, kind,
and
compassionate he was to all of us. Devotees asked Srila Prabhupada,
"What
was our qualification for getting such a glorious chance of
perfecting our
lives?"
Srila Prabhupada said, "You had no qualifications." And with all
humility,
he said, "I have made your qualifications." It is how much he
tolerated, how
much he forgave us, and factually, that was, and will always be, our
only
qualification to go back home, back to Godhead.
Srila Prabhupada ki jai!
Thank you very much. We must end now. Hare Krsna.
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