Audio Record
Harikhatha of Srila Bhakti Prapanna Tirtha Goswami Maharaj and Sripad Bhakti Kamal Tyagi Maharaj
Lord Brahma Prayers.
2020-09-27
India, SREE CAITANYA SRIDHAR SEVA ASHRAM, Nabadwip.
tat te ‘nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo,
bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam
hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidhadhan namas te,
jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya bhāk
“One who, in the hope of achieving Your grace, goes on enduring the inauspicious fruit of his own karma, and passes his days practicing devotion unto You in every thought, word, and deed – such a person is heir to the land of freedom: he attains to the plane of positive immortality.” (Lord Brahmā) (S-B, 10.14.8) + (SSPJ, p 41)
With the help of the guru, the scriptures, and the previous experienced persons (the saints), I shall try to stand the test, that “Yes, because I am afflicted with the bile of materialism, everything tastes bitter to me. But this process will remove that bile. I shall have to wait for some time, and when the bile is gone, I shall taste the sugar candy as sweet. (C, # 1, Spr. ’91, p 5) + (see also śloka 24)
“One who, praying for Your compassion, tolerates all kinds of adverse conditions due to the karma of his past deeds, who engages always in Your devotional service with his mind, words and body, and who always offers obeisances unto You, is certainly a bona fide candidate for becoming Your unalloyed devotee.” (SS, v 3, # 1, ’85, p 2)
The cause is within and not in any external place. If we can understand that the cause of our problems is within us then we will be able to get out of that very quickly. It is difficult as we are accustomed to complain. According to our suffering, we complain against others, that they are responsible for my misery, but this is misunderstanding. When we are able to realise that misery comes from within, sometimes individually, sometimes collectively; when we see that it comes from within and not from the outside, then we will get relief very quickly. The experts are of such opinion.
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said: “When misery comes to visit you, you should know it is the grace of the Lord, not only the negative side – to tolerate the misery that I am experiencing, the result of my past bad actions; not only that but with some positive tinge of nectar – it is the grace of the Lord. His sanction is connected with this particular incident and He is the All-good, the Unquestionable-good, so there must be some good object in this.” tat te ‘nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo.
It is His grace. He wants me to be purified as soon as possible, to release me as soon as possible from the results of my own actions. This is His grace. If you can feel this to be so then very quickly and easily you can get out of the misery which comes from within us. Nothing can come without His sanction and when His sanction is there He is connected there, and His connection means His grace. He is all gracious and we are to look for that. We are to invite that element from the great world above and thereby promote our fortune, our fate to be connected with that wave of daya (kindness). No chaos; everything is cosmos, and the cosmos is connected with the All-good.” (C, # 4, Win., 92-3, p10-11) + (see also śloka 282)
Sincerity is invincible. Even obstacles may improve our position if we can take them in the right way. From a higher angle of vision it may be seen that everything is coming to help us. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.8) gives us a most hopeful suggestion for all stages of life: blame yourself and no one else. Maintain your appreciation for the Lord, seeing everything as His grace. At present we think our circumstances undesirable because they do not suit our present taste. But medicine may not always suit the taste of the patient. Still it is conducive to health. This verse is the highest type of regulation given by the śāstra. If you can follow this law, then in no time you will have a very good position. We must be careful not to blame the circumstances, but to appreciate that Kṛṣṇa is behind everything. Kṛṣṇa is my best friend; He is in the background of everything. Everything is passing through His attentive eyes. So there cannot be any defect there. (LSFTLS, p 18)
Be optimistic, don’t be pessimistic. You are good and all around you is bad, and withdrawal from everything and everyone will give you real bliss? Don’t be so selfish thinking.
That is your environment; they should be relied on – they also have goodness in them. So try to adjust yourself with them. tat te ‘nukampāṁ. All our situations in life occur by His grace. Especially try to adjust with the Guardian who is at the bottom of all movement and all creation. Have faith in Him, and through Him, approach your environment. Then everything will be properly adjusted. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 173) + (see also śloka 433)
According to the result of our karma we shall be placed in a particular environment, and we must start our spiritual life from wherever we are placed; we must begin our work of conquering all those saṁskāras that comprise the mental encasement we are living in. Tat te ‘nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo. We should not only live in our present position without complaint, but moreover, we shall have to consider it as really necessary for our upliftment. In this way, we have to accept whatever adversities that come to us as the Grace of the Lord. We must cope, with this positive angle of vision of goodness:
“This is my real necessity. There is no error in the calculation of the Lord. This test has been extended to me for my benefit. To stand, to face and cross this opposition is my chance to have my progress in life. The test has been given by Kṛṣṇa to facilitate my progressive life.”
In the Bhāgavatam we are advised to face all adverse circumstances in such an optimistic way. Then very easily and swiftly we shall cross these walls of misunderstanding, this Māyā, and we will be liberated, and more – we will have participation in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the life of dedication. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 143-4)
When the environment comes to attack us we shall try to find out the Supreme Will there. We should feel: “I have done something wrong, so this is coming to control me and to exact the reaction for my offenses. Tat te ‘nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo. In the perfect vision, we are not to quarrel with the environment. “Not even a straw can move without the Supreme Will, without the order of the Supreme Will. So, whatever is coming to attack me is my necessity. Just that is necessary for me, to correct me.”
Just as when the mother is punishing the child, she does so only with the good will to correct the child. Similarly, the Absolute has got no vindictive nature to punish me, but His dealings are only for my correction. We shall have to see and approach in that way.
Whatever undesirable I find here is the result of my previous karma, and by the good will of the Supreme, that previous karma is going to be finished. I will be relieved. I will be made fit for higher service to Him, so this has come.” That is the advice in Bhāgavatam. Don’t quarrel with the environment. Try to be adjusted with it; correct your own ego. Everything is all right.
Your ego is demanding some sort of comfort from the environment. That is the cause of this hitch. There’s no hitch in the outside, no ailment; but within, your ego creates the problem. That false ego should be dissolved, and the liquid nectar will flow and place you within the highest plane, the plane where there is no complaint. The smooth movement, affectionate movement of the most fundamental plane: your soul will find yourself standing and walking in that plane. And the false friends – the circumstances we think to be friends but which are really all false – those false friends will be withdrawn. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 189-90) + (see also śloka 476)
