The Mood of A Devotee

(Below is another excerpt of the class given by Sripad Bhaktivedanta Siddhanti Maharaja during his tour to Malaysia.)

The Mood of a Devotee

Once Arjun was thinking, “Who can be better than me?”

When Krsna saw this mood in Arjun, He invited Arjun to the forest. Krsna said, “There is someone more superior than you. I will take you to him. Come, let’s go to the forest.”

Arjun was surprised but he was just as curious to know who it was. 

Krsna and Arjun travelled for some time in a chariot into a forest.  Soon, Krsna told Arjun to stop the chariot and walk to see this superior devotee. 

“The devotee will be doing austerities,” said Krsna to Arjun. 

Arjun did as he was told. He walked some distance and saw a yogi doing tapasya, austerities. When Arjun looked at this devotee, he thought, “O, he is not like me.”

Then, Arjun wanted to know the mood of that devotee. He saw that the devotee had 3 tridents instead of mala, chanting beads.  Arjun was perplexed and wondered why.

Arjun very carefully paid his obeisance to the devotee. The devotee blessed Arjun. 

Very politely, Arjun started to ask questions, “Dear sir, usually devotees carry mala, but you are carrying 3 tridents. And you are not Shiva.”

The devotee answered, “Yes, I am not Shiva. I have a purpose in my life. And that is to kill 3 persons!”

Naturally, this piqued Arjun’s curiosity.  He asked, “Who are they?”

The devotee replied, “The first person will be Arjun!”

Now Arjun was shocked. Luckily he introduced himself as the son of Kuntidevi. If he had said he was Arjun, he would have been killed, he thought. 

“Why do you want to kill Arjun,” asked Arjun cautiously. 

“Why? He has made my worshipable Lord Krsna a chariot driver! You know, Krsna has such soft hands which are only meant to play the flute and give blessings. Arjun ordered my Krsna to drive the chariot here and there!”

Arjun thought, “O such good mood!”

“Who is the second person,” asked Arjun. 

The devotee said, “It’s Draupadi!”

“Why her?” asked Arjun.

“She spoiled the mood of my Krsna. When she was being disrobed, Krsna was about to eat one morsel of food. At that time she called out for Krsna. My Lord did not take His food, forgot His shoes and ran towards Draupadi. If it was me, I don’t care to be disrobed. I will not disturb my Lord!”

What high mood this devotee has, Arjun thought to himself.

“Who is the third person?” asked Arjun.

“The third person is Prahlad! He spoiled the beauty of my Krsna! My Krsna is so beautiful and the gopis are glorifying His beauty. Krsna wears vaijayanti mala that has *5 different types of colours. 

*(the 5 different types of colours represent the 5 different types of devotees, that is santa (neutral), dasya (servitorship),  vatsalya (parental mood), sakha (friendship) and madhurya (conjugal mood).

Krsna’s beauty is always increasing. His beauty is the arena of Kamsa. Everyone was mesmerized by His beauty.

Therefore, Prahlad has spoiled the beauty and Krsna had to come as Nrsimhadeva.

When Arjun heard all this, he did not know what to say. He humbly took his leave from the devotee and returned to Krsna who was smiling. Arjun’s pride was crushed.

The mood of a devotee is superior and it is not measured by close proximity. Lord Rama is full of maryada, awe and reverence, while Krsna is Lila Purushottam (the Lord of Sweet Pastimes).

Rama took a vow that he will never give up those who come to Him. Vibhisan gave up Ravana, who was his brother. Hanuman and Sugriva said not to accept him. But Rama said that they were all His well wishers and whatever they were saying was for His well being. But Vibhisan came under Rama’s shelter,  and He will protect him. Besides, for leaving his brother, Vibhisan got a bad name in his own country.

Krsna never kept any maryada. He is not bound in maryada. Krsna is the source of all maryada. Prema, transcendental love,  has no maryada. In the beginning of Mahabarata war, Krsna said He will not take any weapons. He said, “I will be alone and I will not fight.”

Duryodhana thought what was the use of having Krsna alone without His armies? So, he chose Krsna’s armies instead.

In many circumstances we act like Duryodhana. We take the material energy and to try to worship Krsna later. Devotees only want Krsna, whether helping or not. Practically it is not easy to follow. Devotees have nothing to do with the material energy.

Kanishta adhikari (neophyte) devotee has so much faith. They have faith in the deity but not giving proper respect to devotees.

Madhyama adhikari (intermediate) devotee has complete surrender. Once Srila Gurudeva said one person completely surrended to Krsna while another devotee only giving ingredients. In Srila Gurudeva’s case whatever he touches becomes prasadam. Madhyama maintains 4 relationships. He has prema, love, for Bhagavan. He has friendship with those of equal standing. He rejects those who are against bhakti, devotion, and to those who are superior, he serves them.

Uttama adhikari (topmost) devotees are totally different from this material world. Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaj used to pay obeisance to his own disciples. We never saw him asleep. The symptoms show what qualification we are in.

If someone is performing akincana bhakti, (devotion without any motives) all qualities of associates of Krsna will come to him. We say we are master of our body but really we are servant of our mind. Bhisma Pitamaha is one of the 12 mahajans. Krsna is bhakta vatsalya. Krsna cannot tolerate that His devotee should get a bad name. So why did Bhisma say that Krsna will take weapons? He felt that Krsna is only the chariot driver of Arjun. His Krsna is Supreme. The impressions will be bad to the kings.

So that’s why Bhisma took vow that the real identity of his Lord is a ksatriya with cakra in Hand.

Why Bhisma took the side of all demons? This is to have darshan of Krsna all the time. If he was with Krsna, then his back will be on Krsna. Instead, Bhisma chose the demons so that he will be having darshan of Krsna all the time.

  

2