The following is a transcription of a discourse delivered by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja in Hawaii, on January 19, 2002 (Bhakta Bandhav Anthology Volume 79)

 

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: My heartfelt obeisances unto the lotus feet of my dīkṣā-guru (spiritual master), nitya-līlā-praviṣṭa oṁ viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja. And the same unto the lotus feet of my śikṣā-guru, oṁ viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja.

All glories to Svāmījī. I know he has collected all of you. And he has dragged me here and there, so all glories to Svāmījī. But only saying, “All glories to Svāmījī,” will not do. We will have to follow his instructions, not just by saying, “Prabhupāda is glorious and glorious.” This will not do. We will have to follow his deep instructions in our lives. Then any fruit can come. Otherwise, you will only be where you were, making no advancement. That is why Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is giving some instructions. We should try to follow. I am explaining all these things from the beginning.

If you have a little śraddhā, or even if you have niṣṭhā, ruci, but if there is no sādhu-saṅga (higher-class of association) — sādhu-saṅga, sādhu-saṅga — then you will lose that faith, your niṣṭhā, all these things. Even if rati has come, but it is not matured, so many offences and unwanted things will still attack you, like [what happened with] Bharata Mahārāja and others. But I know you are not at the stage of Bharata Mahārāja or anyone else. Whether or not niṣṭhā is there, you can judge yourself by keeping your hand on your heart.

Yet, we are discussing all these things, aiming to understand what our goal is and how to achieve it. We are explaining all these processes. If you are not in the proper process, even if you have so much love and affection, but if it is not approved by śāstra, then everything is in vain.

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-
pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā
aikāntikī harer bhaktir
utpātāyaiva kalpate

Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.101)

[“Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorised Vedic literatures like the Upaniṣads, Purāṇas and Nārada-pañcarātra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society.”]

As your bhakti increases, your humility and the idea, “I am very low”, will come. If bhakti is not increased, then the false ego will act there. If bhakti is gradually developing, the humility discussed in ślokas like tṛṇād api su-nīcena (Śrī Śikṣāṣṭakam, Verse 3) will appear progressively, and you will realise that “Really, we do not have anything. We have no power. We have no bhakti.” Then you can realise how insignificant you are. You will realise this at that time.

tṛṇād api su-nīcena
taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā māna-dena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

[“One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honour yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.”]

Śrīmatī Rādhikā realises this, and she says, “I actually have not even a scent of prema for Kṛṣṇa. I have not served Kṛṣṇa. I have not even seen Kṛṣṇa.” Only She can say this. This is a symptom of mahābhāva. It is very high. So, you should realise that you are nothing. You are only a particle, and it can be covered by māyā at any time. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is saying that even if you have received niṣṭhā, you should still hear from high-class devotees.

There are two kinds of bhāgavata. One is the book Bhāgavata, the transcendental book that Vyāsa received in his trance. This Bhāgavata is the book in which all kinds of very powerful and sweet pastimes of Kṛṣṇa have been given. But it is under lock and key. Who can open that? Only the very high-class bhakta-bhāgavata. They have the key. Only a bhakta who has received rati can unlock it. They can unlock it, those who have received that śuddha-sattva from any eternal parikara (associate) of Kṛṣṇa. They can unlock it.

Like Rūpa, Sanātana, all six Gosvāmīs, Narottama Ṭhākura and others, up to Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura, like this. They can open it. Therefore, don’t miss the opportunity to hear from superiors. Don’t miss it. Even if your entire business is failing, no harm. If you lose your job in a government department, it’s not a loss. What is the actual loss? Losing sādhu-saṅga.

I know many devotees here, especially from India, who don’t attend our classes. Why don’t they come? I know why. They have come to make money. Their money is more important to them. But for you, you have left all these things behind, and come here, so you are most fortunate. Continue like this. To lose any worldly thing is not a loss. But losing these things is very unfortunate. Don’t associate with any friend who is a Māyāvādī, karmī, yogī, or jñānī. Otherwise, you will become a Māyāvādī yourself.

Don’t be in the association of Māyāvādīs, especially lusty persons and the friends of lusty persons. Have friendships with high-class devotees who are superior to you. He should also have some love and affection for you, and he should be svajātīya (like-minded). Like-minded how? He wants that supreme, transcendental wealth (paramārtha), not any worldly thing. What do you want? To serve Kṛṣṇa in a specific way. So, if he’s in the same category, we can be friends with him. Through hearing, the steadiness of bhakti gradually develops.

tat te ’nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo
bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam
hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.8)

[“My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.”]

Śukadeva Gosvāmī is giving sweet hari-kathā to Parīkṣit, who is dying. He has only three or four days left until he is going to die, and he is hearing these things. Those seeking transcendental bhakti should hear attentively. Those who don’t want bhakti should be involved with their sons and daughters, thinking about other things, no harm. They should do so.

Devotee: Śrīla Gurudeva has quoted this verse many times, as it is essential for the sādhaka who wants to achieve the ultimate goal of life. Su-samīkṣamāṇo means one who is eagerly awaiting the mercy of the Lord. The devotee is performing sādhana and bhajana, always hoping, “When will that day come when I will receive the mercy of the Lord?” Thus, he continues to perform his sādhana and bhajana.

Bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam — due to one’s past activities, so many reactions may come. Reactions come in the form of problems coming from other persons, from the demigods, and from one’s own mind and body. So many different reactions are coming. However, the devotee endures all these situations, understanding that “I have done something in the past and now I am getting only a very token reaction for what I have done.”

Even if the reaction is coming through the agency of someone else, the devotee is not thinking, “This person has done this to me.” Rather, the devotee is thinking, “I have done this to myself and now my reaction is coming.” Through this meditation, one takes responsibility for one’s past actions. He is carrying the load of his reactions on his head and at the same time, hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te. With one’s heart, with one’s words and with one’s body, one increases one’s sādhana-bhajana and devotion to Guru and Gaurāṅga, despite the reactions that come.

He never hesitates or slows down; instead, his determination increases. What will be the result of this type of activity? He is not flinching despite receiving various reactions, which are reactions to his own activities. These reactions are not coming from anybody else, only from what we have done ourselves. Gurudeva gives the example that if you take your hand and you punch yourself, you do not blame your hand. You know you have done it to yourself.

Similarly, the reaction may come from many different agencies, but we don’t look at the agency. We know, “I have done this.” One who takes responsibility for their own past activities, then jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk — the very sweet lotus feet of Śrī Śrī Rādha and Kṛṣṇa, Śacīnandana Gaurahari, and especially Śrīla Gurudeva become enthroned in the lotus of one’s heart.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Can you repeat what he said, in very simple words?

Devotee: Whatever happens to us, we take it as mercy from the Lord that we have earned that, that we deserve that, and that it is favourable for our bhakti. Therefore, we pay obeisances to Kṛṣṇa, we thank Him, and we continue more and more with our bhakti in that mood.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: It is the mercy of Kṛṣṇa that this happiness or distress has come. I will tell a story from the Mahābhārata about this. All kinds of stories are there in the Mahābhārata. You know that there was a big battle, the Mahābhārata battle, between the Pāṇḍavas and the Kauravas. The Pāṇḍavas were fighting only to please Kṛṣṇa, by His order. And the Kauravas were on the side of Kali-yuga, sin. Thus, they were fighting. Duryodhana was not willing to give the Pāṇḍavas even a needle’s tip of land.

The battle began, and Bhīṣma Pitāmaha was the commander-in-chief on the Kauravas’ side. At that time, Bhīṣma Pitāmaha was fighting so furiously that it seemed that in a day or two, all the Pāṇḍavas and their entire army would be finished. However, after ten days of fighting, he was unable to do anything. Then Duryodhana came and accused Bhīṣma Pitāmaha, “You are my grandfather. I have only begun this battle because of you. I know that in a moment you can destroy the whole universe, what to speak of these very weak and small Pāṇḍavas. I think that, from the core of your heart, you are partial to the Pāṇḍavas and not to me.”

Bhīṣma Pitāmaha told him, “Don’t accuse me like this. If you have no belief in me, then at midnight you can come to me along with your wife. I will then give a boon to her that ‘no one can kill your husband, and you will always be victorious.’ ” Duryodhana became very happy and returned to his camp. The next day, at midnight, he was preparing to visit Bhīṣma Pitāmaha along with his wife. At that time, Bhīṣma Pitāmaha would be in a trance, absorbed in prayer.

But by chance, there was heavy rain and a great storm, heavier than yesterday. There was so much heavy rain, so he told his wife, “We should not go. We will get soaked in the rain, and a lot of suffering will follow. It will be better if we go tomorrow.” They decided not to go to Bhīṣma Pitāmaha.

In the meantime, Kṛṣṇa came to Draupadī and said, “O sakhī, at once you should be ready to come with Me to Bhīṣma Pitāmaha. You should hide your face with your veil and come with Me. When we get there, your veil should hide your face so that he will not recognise you.” The rain became heavier and heavier. A great storm was there. But somehow Kṛṣṇa took an umbrella, and He took Draupadī on His chariot and went there. Kṛṣṇa sent Draupadī to Bhīṣma Pitāmaha alone. Kṛṣṇa was on the chariot, and He sent Draupadī to go inside.

At that time, Bhīṣma Pitāmaha was in a trance, praying to the Lord (meditating). When she came, Bhīṣma knew, “Duryodhana has come with his wife Bhanumati.” He opened his eyes and said, “Bhanumati, you have come, so I am giving a boon to you.” He pointed to Draupadī and said, “No one will ever defeat your husband, and you will be victorious in the battle. Your opposing party will be finished.”

Then Draupadī lifted her veil and smiled. Bhīṣma Pitāmaha said, “O Draupadī, how did you come here? Who brought you? How did you get here? Oh, my sakhā, where is He?”

“He is on the chariot.” At once Kṛṣṇa came and Bhīṣma Pitāmaha did praṇāma and said, “O Prabhu, I know that those who have completely taken Your shelter, no one in this world can do anything against them. How did You know all these things? You are the Supreme Lord. No one can do anything to the person who has fully taken your shelter.”

Those who have fully surrendered at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and Gurudeva cannot be disturbed. No problem, can check them. Be like this and take shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. You can do so, but you are not doing it. This is a fact. You think, “We are the doers.” Don’t think that you are the doer. Don’t think that “I am so intelligent, more intelligent than anyone. I am even more intelligent than Svāmījī.” Many people thought that way, including Kīrtanānanda and others. Thus, they committed so many offences. Don’t do this.

Be humble and wholly surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Then this bhakti will come. Otherwise, how will it come? If any problem comes, whether there is happiness or any suffering, see that this is due to the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. You should welcome this thing, the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Don’t be ready to shoot a mosquito with a bomb. Don’t do this. Everything that is coming is a result of your past activities. Or, like here, who made that problem for the Pāṇḍavas? Kṛṣṇa did.

Kṛṣṇa introduced them to gambling, and thus Draupadī was given to the Kauravas, and so many things were done. Why? To show that “I am always protecting My devotees.” The Pāṇḍavas were given to fire, like Prahlāda Mahārāja, but Kṛṣṇa saved them. Duryodhana poisoned them, but Kṛṣṇa saved them. If you are like that and always doing bhakti, Kṛṣṇa will bring His own umbrella and save you, as He has saved all others everywhere.

Be very bold in bhakti. Don’t be weak, don’t be weak, and practice bhakti-yoga and be happy forever. Where bhakti is received, that is sādhu-saṅga. And among sādhus, who is supreme? Gurudeva, if he is bona fide. We must associate. We should not wait even a moment for this. Don’t wait. Where there is sādhu-saṅga, we must attend and we must follow, doing praṇāma to that Gurudeva. We should also do praṇāma to the devotee who is arranging all these things, and the place where hari-kathā is being spoken. We should do praṇāma to the hari-kathā itself, and thus go on. Then bhakti will come. Even mukti is always praying at the lotus feet of bhakti — mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk.

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.5.23)

[“(Prahlāda Mahārāja said:) ‘Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one’s best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words) — these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service.’ ”]

I want to tell you that Prahlāda Mahārāja was among the four sons of Hiraṇyakaśipu. His father was very powerful. His body was as hard as a thunderbolt. He had a boon from Brahmā that “No one in your creation can kill me. I cannot be killed inside or outside of a house, during the day or night, in the sky or on the land or anywhere. No person can kill me, nor any animal or insect, or anything. I cannot be killed in a month or any year, or with any weapon.” But what happened to him? He was so powerful.

His last son, Prahlāda Mahārāja, was sent to the Gurukula of the sons of Śukrācārya. After a few days of studying in school, he returned home, where his mother decorated him and sent him to his father, Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇyakaśipu saw him as a very beautiful son, like a demigod. He picked up Prahlāda Mahārāja in his lap and said, “O Prahlāda, what have you studied in your school? Can you tell me about that thing?” What did he say?

śrī-prahlāda uvāca
tat sādhu manye ’sura-varya dehināṁ
sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt
hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ
vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.5.5)

[“(Prahlāda Mahārāja replied:) ‘O best of the asuras, King of the demons, as far as I have learned from my spiritual master, any person who has accepted a temporary body and temporary household life is certainly embarrassed by anxiety because of having fallen in a dark well where there is no water but only suffering. One should give up this position and go to the forest (vana). More clearly, one should go to Vṛndāvana, where only Kṛṣṇa consciousness is prevalent, and should thus take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’ ”]

Hearing this, he became very furious, and again Prahlāda Mahārāja was sent to school. After some time, Prahlāda Mahārāja was called again, and Hiraṇyakaśipu asked him, “What have you learned from your Gurudeva?” What did he say this time? Whatever they are giving or whatever I am giving myself, try to be open to that and take it very seriously. Otherwise, you will come under the grip of māyā.

iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau
bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā
kriyeta bhagavaty addhā
tan manye ’dhītam uttamam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.5.24)

[“One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.”]

Devotee: Prahlāda Mahārāja is saying that those people who are intelligent, who are very wise, they offer themselves unto the lotus feet of Lord Hari. They perform unconditional surrender at His lotus feet, and then what do they do? They hear about His pastimes, śravaṇam. This is the very first step. This is how the process of bhakti begins. One must carefully hear the transcendental sound vibration that emanates from the mouth of realised souls, and one should try to understand the goal of life and the essence of all the śāstras.

Then, gradually, as he continues to hear attentively, what happens? Kīrtana. He will now be able and qualified to speak about the pastimes of the Lord. As his realisation becomes deeper and deeper, his kīrtana and his remembrance will also intensify, and all these activities will become more natural for him to perform. This is also important for those who are not able to perform it naturally, as it is the only way to purify these propensities.

We all have the urge to speak, and we often contemplate numerous material objects meant for our sense gratification or selfish purposes. However, if we try to meditate on the Supreme Lord and the pastimes and wonderful activities of the devotees, we can gradually surrender ourselves and purify ourselves.

What is next? Pāda-sevanam. We should try to serve the Lord by visiting His temples and also circumambulating the dhāma. We should then strive to serve His devotees in as many ways as possible.

Then there is arcana. One should try to perform ārati with sixteen kinds of paraphernalia, or five, or even more elaborate, if one can. Then, one should try to offer prayers with a deep sense of remorse in one’s heart. Realising his grief-stricken and insignificant position, he should try to beg for the Lord’s mercy, so that he may be allowed and empowered to follow the practice of bhakti in this difficult time of Kali-yuga.

Then one should try to become the servant, which is our true nature, the eternal nature or constitutional position of all the living entities. But, because of our forgetfulness of the Supreme Lord and our sweet relationship with Him, we think ourselves to be the masters. We should try to become His servants. How can we become His servants? By serving His devotees. This is the only way we can become His servants. He is repeatedly saying, “Those who try to serve Me, I may not receive their service. But those who are serving My devotees, I am eternally indebted to them, or I am sold to them.” This is the easiest way we can please the Lord. And finally, we should try, with every atom of our energy, through all our activities of the body, mind and words, to surrender ourselves to the Supreme Lord. Only then will this process be regarded as bhakti. If one has not surrendered and is trying to do śravaṇa and kīrtana, it is not bhakti.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Surrender is the first stage, the gateway to bhakti. If you are not surrendered, you cannot enter into the realm of bhakti in lakhs and lakhs (thousands) of births. First, you should surrender — iti puṁsārpitā. But we are not seeing Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If your Guru is bona fide, then first try to learn śaraṇāgati from him. You should offer yourself at his lotus feet, saying, “Oh, I don’t know anything, right or wrong. What you will say, what you will advise or what you will order, I must follow that.” This is the first thing. When Gurudeva gives harināma and dīkṣā, dīkṣā means that, through that process, divya-jñāna will come.

So many devotees fear, “Should I not take dīkṣā, or should I take dīkṣā? I am unqualified.” The whole world is unqualified. This is not important. What is important? That, “Without this, I cannot be happy.” What is the goal of our lives? Through the process of dīkṣā, anyone can enter the realm of bhakti. But without dīkṣā, it is absurd, quite absurd. Through that process, a guru gives a transcendental mood to serve Kṛṣṇa. Without that, how can we enter bhakti? Never and never.

Therefore, no hesitation should be there. No doubt should be there. At once, in a moment, they should try to come into the process of dīkṣā. Through this process — dī–kṣā — There are two things. ‘Dī’ means divya-jñāna (transcendental knowledge) will come. If transcendental knowledge is not coming, then how can you serve, and how can you be happy? First Guru gives divya-jñāna. Then ‘kṣā’ means that all kinds of unwanted things (anarthas), even the endless chain of birth and death, all types of attachment to this world and sense gratification, will very easily be removed.

Then, why do we fear entering this process? I don’t know. They are like what? Rascals or what? What should I say? They are most unfortunate, and they have no intelligence. They are more wretched than animals. They cannot decide about these things. We should decide and act accordingly. The word ‘puṁsām’ is mentioned here for this purpose.

Hearing this, what happened? Hiraṇyakaśipu became more furious and tried to kill Prahlāda Mahārāja. He gave him so much high-class poison. He used serpents, attempted to crush him with elephants, and even threw him into the fire. He did everything he could, but he couldn’t do anything.

Then Hiraṇyakaśipu thought, “Oh, this boy is very dangerous. Perhaps he can kill me.” Hiraṇyakaśipu became afraid. Then the sons of Śukrācārya took Prahlāda Mahārāja back and said, “Our father Śukrācārya is coming back very soon. When he comes, he will be reformed. You should again put this child in Gurukula.” Then they took him back to Gurukula. There are so many things. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says:

ahaṁ hare tava pādaika-mūla-
dāsānudāso bhavitāsmi bhūyaḥ
manaḥ smaretāsu-pater guṇāṁs te
gṛṇīta vāk karma karotu kāyaḥ

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.11.24)

[“O my Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, will I again be able to be a servant of Your eternal servants who find shelter only at Your lotus feet? O Lord of my life, may I again become their servant so that my mind may always think of Your transcendental attributes, my words always glorify those attributes, and my body always engage in the loving service of Your Lordship?”]

A devotee, a pure devotee, a surrendered devotee — whether they are in this world or whether they are liberated — they may be anywhere, but they will not give up their bhakti because they are a surrendered soul. There was a bhakta, a high-class devotee. First, he was in a family life, but he was not satisfied with it. He was a very big king. He had unlimited wealth, a large army, and everything else. He had very nice palaces. But he was not happy because he had no son. He thought, “If there is no son after me, then who will look after all these things? Also, who will liberate me by offering oblations?” Do you understand? In Indian culture, I cannot say if this happens elsewhere, but in India, when the father or mother dies, the child performs a ceremony and offers something so that they will be liberated.

This king thought, “Who will do this for me? I have no son. If I have no son, then it is due to my past activities.” He was very worried about this. In the meantime, one Ṛṣi came, Aṅgirā Ṛṣi. He was a liberated soul, like Nārada Ṛṣi. He came there and said, “O king, I see you are very worried. Why are you worried? Don’t you have a good, beautiful, qualified wife?”

“I have so many wives.”

“Do you have wealth?”

“Yes, I have excessive wealth.”

“Then why are you worried?”

“I have everything, but I have no child, no son. Who will look after this kingdom after me? I also will not be liberated. So please give me one son.”

Aṅgirā Ṛṣi told him, “I vividly see on your forehead that for so many lives you will have no son.”

“I know, but I also know that you are a powerful personality and you can do anything. If you say that ’A son must come to you,’ then a son will come to me.” Aṅgirā Ṛṣi tried his level best to teach him, “Through this, no one can be happy in this world. Only through bhakti-yoga can anyone be satisfied and happy.”

But he was persistent. “I only want a son. Anyhow, give me a son.” Then what did Aṅgirā Ṛṣi do? He somehow became his own son. He hid his body somewhere, and through his mystic power, he became his son. He told the king, “I will give you a son, but that son will be the cause of your happiness and distress.” But that king could not understand. He was attacked by māyā, so he could not understand the inner meaning or the deep meaning of his words. He thought, “Oh, he will be against me, no harm. I will then go to the forest and do bhajana. I still want a son.”

Then very quickly, he had a son from the womb of his most beloved wife, a woman of the highest class. That boy was developing day by day, much like the moon transitions from a new moon to a full moon. After five years, he had become a very beautiful and qualified son. That king had so many wives, one lakh wives. Don’t disbelieve this. At that time, it was common to have that many wives.

But they became envious and thought, “Now the king has so much love and affection for only that one queen who has had this son. Now he no longer looks after us for anything, not even like a maidservant. He never talks to us. Better, we should remove the cause of this problem.” They thus gave a potent poison to that boy, and in a moment, he died.

Everyone wept. There was no one to console them. At that time, Aṅgirā Ṛṣi came there along with Nārada Ṛṣi. They tried to console them, but were not successful. At that time, Nārada kept his hand on the heart of that boy and said, “O boy, get up, get up! Where have you been?” At once, the boy sat up. Nārada asked, “Where have you been? Your father and mother and all others are weeping bitterly for you.”

That boy replied, “Wherever I went, I was very happy. There was no chance to do bhajana here; I was very happy there. I don’t want to be here with them. I don’t know in what birth they were my father and mother. Sometimes, I have also become their father and mother. You should allow me to go there, where I have a chance to do bhajana.”

Then Nārada asked, “Do you want him to be your son again?”

They said, “No, he should be wherever he is happy. Now we have realised that without bhakti we cannot be happy.” Then that king fell flat at the feet of Nārada Ṛṣi and Aṅgirā Ṛṣi and said, “You should help me, so that I may be happy.”

They instructed him, “You should at once take dīkṣā. Don’t delay.” He took dīkṣā, and Nārada Ṛṣi and Aṅgirā Ṛṣi gave him a mantra. They inspired him, and after that, he became realised, liberated. Then he was going here and there. By chance, one day, he came to Kailāsa and Śaṅkara and Pārvatī were there. Śaṅkara was completely naked, and his wife was very beautiful, more beautiful than Miss Universe, more beautiful than that. Śaṅkara was completely naked, and she was seated on his lap. At that time, Citraketu Mahārāja came there with his aeroplane, which was not like the aeroplanes in this world.

There may be accidents with aeroplanes in this world. But with that kind of plane, there are no accidents. It is controlled only by the mind, “Come down, come down. You should go there, you should be bigger, you should be cold, you should be hot.” The mind controls everything.

So Citraketu Mahārāja came there and saw, “Oh, my friend, my godbrother Śaṅkara is there.” He came down and joked with him, “O Śaṅkara, you are naked and you have seated your beautiful wife on your lap in front of so many ṛṣis and maharṣis and all others. Try to control yourself. Otherwise, they will not be able to digest your activities.”

Pārvatī became very furious and said, “Brahmā and Nārada and Sanaka and Sanandana and so many others are here, but they are not so bold as to speak like you have spoken. You think you are the Guru of Śaṅkara, but you are not the Guru of Śaṅkara. I am cursing you. At once, you should be a demon.”

Then what happened to him? He turned into a demon. Śaṅkara was very angry with Pārvatī. He told her, “You are beautiful, and that is why you have some false ego. You don’t recognise how high-class a devotee he is. You told him to be like so, but he could have countered your curse. He did not do so because he is satisfied. Whether he will be a demon, a demigod, or anywhere in between, he will be happy. But you didn’t recognise him, and you have done wrong. If he had given you a curse in return, then what would you have done? He is more advanced than you.”

Citraketu Mahārāja was not unhappy upon hearing that curse. Then he became Vṛtrāsura and began fighting with Indra. He was telling Indra, “O bogus Indra, I don’t want to keep this body because it is a demon body, and in this body, I cannot have so much love and affection and bhakti for Kṛṣṇa. Please kill me.” Indra had his thunderbolt in his hand, but he could not kill Vṛtrāsura. At the time, Vṛtrāsura was telling this śloka, Indra was hearing these ślokas from the mouth of Citraketu Mahārāja, and he was thinking, “He is a high-class devotee, a thousand times better than me. How can I kill him? I cannot.”

Take something into your heart from me and be happy. Follow these processes and try to break free from the endless chain of birth and death. This is not your first human form, and it may be lost if you are not following. You should follow that process and be happy. Gaura premānande!

Source(s): Purebhakti.com, Serve Love – Bhakta Bandhav (Bhakta Bandhav Anthology transcribed and edited by the Bhakta Bandhav Team)

Image(s) made possible by Pixabay.com, Krishnapath.org.in, Keystone Press / Alamy Stock Photo and / or Bhaktiart.net

Unless indicated otherwise, all verse translations and quotes are from the books by Śrīla Prabhupāda (Vedabase.com)