My Bhakta Never Perishes
BY: MAHESH RAJA
Feb 10, UK (SUN) — na me **bhaktah** pranasyati, Bhagavad gita 9.31 - A reply to Srimati Pundarikaksa dasi prabhu.
"O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that **My devotee** never perishes."
It clearly says MY BHAKTA never perishes. How did we get here?
740606BG.GEN Lectures:
"Just like father gives some capital to the son: "You do some business." Now, you lose the money or increase it hundred times; that depends on you. Similarly, Krsna has given us. We wanted to enjoy this material world, and Krsna has given us. THE FIRST BEGINNING BODY IS BRAHMA, VERY EXALTED BODY. BUT ON ACCOUNT OF OUR ABOMINABLE ACTIVITIES, FROM BRAHMA, WE COME DOWN TO BECOME THE WORM OF STOOL. This is called karma, ksetra."
In Brahma’s body one CAN decide IF one wants to be BHAKTA (Devotee) or NOT. Krishna states clearly, na me **bhaktah** pranasyati . My **devotee** never perishes. This means EVERY Brahma is subject to the laws of Karma. ONLY when Brahma becomes a DEVOTEE Karma has no effect. There are many many many Brahmas (please read Krsna Book). SO IT IS BY CHOICE THAT ONE -GRADULLY FROM FIRST POST OF BRAHMA- GIVES UP BHAKTI TO KRSNA AND BECOMES WORM OF STOOL. A Brahma CAN choose to be NON-devotee.
IF ONE IS NOT A DEVOTEE: KRSNA DOES NOT PROTECT.
Lets take the example of OUR Brahma:
Brahma: as the acarya of our disciplic succession cannot fall down.
This fall down occurred when he was not the acarya (he was blessed by the Lord -- "he would never be bewildered in any kalpa" when he heard Srimad-Bhagavatam from the Lord).
This extraordinary immortality on the part of Brahma was heard to have occurred in some particular kalpa, but it could not have happened in the kalpa in which Brahma heard directly from the Lord the four essential verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam because the Lord blessed Brahma, after giving him lessons on the Bhagavatam, that he would never be bewildered in any kalpa whatsoever. This indicates that before the hearing of Srimad-Bhagavatam he might have fallen a victim to such sensuality, but after hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam directly from the Lord, there was no possibility of such failures.
SB 3.12.28
"O Vidura, we have heard that Brahma had a daughter named Vak who was born from his body and who attracted his mind toward sex, although she was not sexually inclined towards him.
PURPORT:
Balavan indriya-gramo vidvamsam api karsati (Bhag. 9.19.17). It is said
that the senses are so mad and strong that they can bewilder even the most sensible and learned man. Therefore it is advised that one should not indulge in living alone even with one's mother, sister or daughter."
Vidvamsam api karsati means that even the most learned also become victims of the sensuous urge. Maitreya hesitated to state this anomaly on the part of Brahma, who was sexually inclined to his own daughter, but still he mentioned it because sometimes it so happens, and the living example is Brahma himself, although he is the primeval living being and the most learned within the whole universe. If Brahma could be a victim of the sexual urge, then what of others, who are prone to so many mundane frailties?
This extraordinary immortality on the part of Brahma was heard to have occurred in some particular kalpa, but it could not have happened in the kalpa in which Brahma heard directly from the Lord the four essential verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam because the Lord blessed Brahma, after giving him lessons on the Bhagavatam, that he would never be bewildered in any kalpa whatsoever. This indicates that before the hearing of Srimad-Bhagavatam he might have fallen a victim to such sensuality, but after hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam directly from the Lord, there was no possibility of such failures.
Crow And Tal-Fruit Logic
Srimati Pundarikaksa dasi said:
Lila in spiritual world does NOT mean HALO, neither does it mean BRAHMASAYUJYA. To say that means word jugglery/mental speculation.
JIVERA 'SVARUPA' HAYA--KRSNERA 'NITYA-DASA': "Every living entity is BY CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION AN ETERNAL SERVANT OF KRSNA." Engagement of that constitutional service there means ONE CAN CHANGE HIS FORM - VOLUNTARILY to accommodate that Lila.
Read below:
750520SB.MEL Lectures:
Devotee (1): "Srila Prabhupada, you were saying that because the body has arms and legs, then the coat has a similar shape. Then does the spirit soul that's within our body have arms and legs like that?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Devotee (1): Would the spirit soul that is within, say, a cow's body, is in a different shape?
Prabhupada: Yes. It has got also legs. But the shape has taken according to his desire. Every animal has got these four things. Just like bird, it has got two wings, two legs. The animal has got four legs. And the man has got two hands, two legs. So the same parts of the body, they are appearing in a different type. But the four limbs of the body are there. Hm?
Devotee (2): Is the original body of the spirit soul a human form?
Madhudvisa: The question is that whether the eternal form of the spirit soul is a human form or is it...
Prabhupada: Yes, human form. God is also human form. "Man is made after the shape of God." I think there is in the Bible. Is it not? So God is also like human form. Here you see Krsna, two hands, two legs.
Hari-sauri: How do we understand, then, that there are peacocks and flowers and trees in the spiritual world? Are these not eternal forms?
Prabhupada: Yes. They are more covered. Just like if you cover your body with blanket, the hands and legs are invisible. But you are not the blanket. So the trees and plants, they are more covered. They are not in full manifestation. The human form is the full manifestation of the soul.
Hari-sauri: They are covered in the spiritual world?
Madhudvisa: He is asking if they were actually covered in the spiritual world as well.
Prabhupada: Not in the spiritual world. There that is voluntary. Some devotee wants to serve Krsna as flower; they become flower there. If I want that "As a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna," he becomes flower, voluntarily. And he can change his..., from flower to human body. That is spiritual life. There is no restriction. If some devotee wants to serve Krsna as cow, he serves Krsna as cow, as calf, as flower, as plant, as water, as ground, field, or as father, as mother, as friend, as beloved, anything. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham. That is Krsna's all-powerfulness, spiritual life."
Bhagavad-gita Introduction:
"Arjuna was in a relationship with the Lord as friend. Of course there is a gulf of difference between this friendship and the friendship found in the material world. This is transcendental friendship which cannot be had by everyone. Of course everyone has a particular relationship with the Lord, and that relationship is evoked by the perfection of devotional service. But in the present status of our life, we have not only forgotten the Supreme Lord, but we have FORGOTTEN OUR ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP with the Lord. Every living being, out of many, many billions and trillions of living beings, has a particular relationship with the Lord eternally. That is called SVARUPA. By the process of devotional service, one can REVIVE THAT SVARUPA, and that stage is called svarupa-siddhi--perfection of one's constitutional position. So Arjuna was a devotee, and he was in touch with the Supreme Lord in friendship."
Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.29.36-37 Purport - Talks Between Narada and King Pracinabarhi:
"Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, JIVERA 'SVARUPA' HAYA--KRSNERA 'NITYA-DASA': "Every living entity is BY CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION AN ETERNAL SERVANT OF KRSNA." As soon as one engages in the service of Lord Vasudeva, he attains his normal constitutional position. This position is called the liberated stage. Muktir hitvanyatha-rupam svarupena vyavasthitih: in the liberated stage, one is situated in his original Krsna conscious position. He gives up all engagements in the service of matter, engagements concocted under the names of social service, national service, community service, dog service, automobile service and so many other services conducted under the illusion of "I" and mine.
69-06-07 Letter to Uttamasloka:
"Please accept my blessings. I am very glad to receive your letter (undated), and I have noted the contents that you had left the temple but now you have returned again. This is most encouraging, because it means that Krishna is very kind upon you. Although you left Him, He did not allow you to go away. It is His special favor upon you. As individuals there may be disagreement sometimes, but that is quite natural. Even in ordinary family affairs there is sometimes disagreement, but that does not mean immediately the disagreeing members shall leave the family. Similarly our Krishna Consciousness Movement means we are all gathering together in families of Krishna. ACTUALLY WE ARE ETERNAL FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE LORD, BUT DUE TO OUR MISUSE OF INDEPENDENCE WE HAVE NOW FORGOTTEN OUR ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH KRISHNA, EXACTLY LIKE A MAN WHO IS MAD FORGETS HIS FAMILY RELATIONSHIP AND LOITERS IN THE STREET."
730806BG.LON Lectures:
"Because we have also come down from Vaikuntha some millions and millions of years ago. Anadi karama-phale. Anadi means before the creation. We living entities, we are eternal. Even the creation is annihilated after millions and trillions of years, the living entities, they are not annihilated. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire. They remain. So when this whole cosmic manifestation will be annihilated, the living entities will remain in the body of Visnu. Then when again another creation will take place, they will come out again to fulfill their desires. The real desire is how to go to home, back to Godhead.
So this chance is given. So if this chance is misused, this life, human form of life, it is very, very risky. Again we will have to accept the cycle of birth and death. And not only that, if we do not fulfill the mission of life, then again there will be annihilation of the whole creation and we will have to stay within the body of Visnu for millions and trillions of years. Again we will have to come. So therefore it is called anadi karama-phale. Anadi means "before the creation." This is going on. And to teach the befooled living entities, Krsna personally comes. Krsna is very much anxious to take us back to home, back to Godhead. Because we are part and parcel of Krsna. Suppose if your son is loitering in the street, are you not anxious, "Oh, there may be some accident, and the poor boy will be killed." So you go, try to find out. Similarly, Krsna's position is like that. We are in this material world simply suffering life after life. Duhkhalayam asasvatam. This place is miserable. But maya's illusion, we are taking this miserable condition of life as happiness. This is called maya."
70-02-2 Letter to Jagadisa:
"Regarding your questions concerning the spirit souls falling into Maya's influence, it is not that those who have developed a passive relationship with Krsna are more likely to fall into nescient activities. Usually anyone who has developed his relationship with Krsna does not fall down in any circumstance, but because the independence is always there, THE SOUL MAY FALL DOWN FROM ANY POSITION OR ANY RELATIONSHIP BY MISUSING HIS INDEPENDENCE. BUT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH KRSNA IS NEVER LOST, SIMPLY IT IS FORGOTTEN BY THE INFLUENCE OF MAYA, SO IT MAY BE REGAINED OR REVIVED BY THE PROCESS OF HEARING THE HOLY NAME OF KRSNA AND THEN THE DEVOTEE ENGAGES HIMSELF IN THE SERVICE OF THE LORD WHICH IS HIS ORIGINAL OR CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION. THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE LIVING ENTITY WITH KRSNA IS ETERNAL AS BOTH KRSNA AND THE LIVING ENTITY ARE ETERNAL; THE PROCESS IS ONE OF REVIVAL ONLY, NOTHING NEW."
73-05-09 Letter to Caturbhuja:
"Your last question, "How is the sould degraded (by lust, anger and greed) when it is transcendental to the body? Doesn't that imply that the sould has changed?" No. The soul never changes, BUT DUE TO HIS TINYNESS HE MAY BECOME FORGETFUL OF HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH KRSNA. THE SPIRITUAL QUALITY OF THE SPIRITUAL SPARK HAS NOT CHANGED BUT HE HAS FORGOTTEN HIS SPIRITUAL NATURE, BEWILDERED BY THE IMPERFECT DESIRE TO BECOME EQUAL OR GREATER THAN KRSNA."
760805BG.PAR Lectures:
"Translator: The question is: did we fall in this material world to find some highest pleasure? His question is: did we fall in the material world to experience something which is higher?
Prabhupada: I do not follow.
Yogesvara: I think his question is the husband will leave the wife because he is dissatisfied. But if our love for Krsna originally is perfect why should we have left?
Prabhupada: YOU HAVE LEFT... JUST LIKE SOMEBODY IS DAILY EATING PURIS AND HALAVA, AND HE WANTS TO EAT PUFFED RICE. SO THAT TENDENCY IS THERE. THAT IS ALSO A SIDE OF ENJOYMENT. "I am eating daily this, let me eat this." What is the difficulty? That tendency is there. That is also enjoyment. After all, we are hankering after enjoyment, anandamayo 'bhyasat. So different taste we desire, that "Let me taste this, let me taste that, let me taste that." So the real basic principle is enjoyment, sense enjoyment. That's all."
Problems with devotees reading the other acaryas books means they sometimes get confused when they see Srila Prabhupada’s opposite statements. They want to believe in their own mind-set they therefore choose instead of quoting Srila Prabhupada the other books they read. We do not know if the previous acaryas were preaching according to time place and circumstances or interpretations. BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS SRILA PRABHUPADA KNEW THESE PREVIOUS ACARYAS FAR BETTER THEN US CONDITIONED SOULS. We consequently have to accept Srila Prabhupada’s words as FINAL.
731208SB.LA Lectures:
"You cannot imagine what my spiritual master said. Or even if you read some books, you cannot understand unless you understand it from me. This is called parampara system. You cannot jump over to the superior guru, neglecting the next acarya, immediate next acarya."
74-11-22 Letter to Bahurupa:
"I am pleased to hear that you are chanting 16 rounds daily and reading my books regularly and following the four rules. In my books the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness is explained fully so if there is anything which you do not understand, then you simply have to read again and again. By reading daily the knowledge will be revealed to you and by this process your spiritual life will develop."
