In2-MeC

Kolhapur, Maharastra
22 January, 2003

Big Bertha from Berlin has this to say:

"All this musing here in In2-MeC about the human condition, about the unsteady mind, about melancholic philosophy, about memories of things lost in time. What does this have to do with Krsna consciousness?"

Cc Madhya 20. 102&purport:

`ke ami', `kene amaya jare tapa-traya'
iha nahi jani--`kemane hita haya'

TRANSLATION

"Who am I? Why do the threefold miseries always give me trouble? If I do not know this, how can I be benefited?

PURPORT

The threefold material miseries are miseries arising from the body and the mind, miseries arising from dealings with other living entities, and miseries arising from natural disturbances. Sometimes we suffer bodily when we are attacked by a fever, and sometimes we suffer mentally when a close relative dies. Other living entities also cause us misery. There are living entities born of the human embryo, of eggs, perspiration and vegetation. Miserable conditions brought about by natural catastrophes are controlled by the higher demigods. There may be severe cold or thunderbolts, or a person may be haunted by ghosts. These threefold miseries are always before us, and they entrap us in a dangerous situation. Padam padam yad vipadam. There is danger in every step of life.

SB 7. 6. 16p:

In human society there are attempts to educate the human being, but for animal society there is no such system, nor are animals able to be educated. Therefore animals and unintelligent men are called vimudha, or ignorant, bewildered, whereas an educated person is called vidvan. The real vidvan is one who tries to understand his own position within this material world. For example, when Sanatana Gosvami submitted to the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, his first question was `ke ami', `kene amaya jare tapa-traya'. In other words, he wanted to know his constitutional position and why he was suffering from the threefold miseries of material existence. This is the process of education.

Cc Madhya 20. 4p:

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura informs us that this letter from Rupa Gosvami to Sanatana Gosvami is mentioned by the annotator of Udbhata-candrika. Srila Rupa Gosvami wrote a note to Sanatana Gosvami from Bakla. This note indicated that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was coming to Mathura, and it stated:

yadu-pateh kva gata mathura-puri
raghu-pateh kva gatottara-kosala
iti vicintya kurusva manah sthiram
na sad idam jagad ity avadharaya

"Where has the Mathura Puri of Yadupati gone? Where has the northern Kosala of Raghupati gone? By reflection, make the mind steady, thinking, `This universe is not eternal. "'

But Big Bertha replies:

"No, no, no. We don't accept this. This is old-style preaching, just hammering the negativities, wasting time in idle lamentation. We want the nectar of Krsna's pastimes and we want it NOW. "

From Imperfection, Purity Will Come About by Satsvarupa dasa Gosvami (23-25):

Surrender is austerity when we do it in faith before reaching the spontaneous stage. We are like Lord Brahma who heard Lord Visnu's sound vibration "tapa" and began to meditate, not sure of what he expected. We want to surrender to beautiful, playful Krsna. Surrender means to want to please Him even before we know Him.

Like Bhaktivinoda Thakura's song, we will also have to sing songs before we are spiritually redeemed. "I am wrong, I am unhappy, I am ignorant. . . " We regret our pre-Krsna conscious impressions; they haunt us as we grow older. We regret not having taken full advantage of our spiritual master's association. We regret not having fully studied the words of the maha-bhagavatas to whom our spiritual master introduced us. We aspire to reach the stage Bhaktivinoda Thakura sings of in his last stanza of this self-deprecating lament. He says he has been misled by the so-called jewel of education, but now "I seek no other treasure in this world than Your lotus feet. "

Material knowledge makes an ass out of a man. It makes him forget his soul. He pursues "brilliant thoughts" and material "improvements" which in actuality are mirages and blind alleys. By the time he discovers how lost he is, it's too late. At the end he is broken. An intelligent man at that point accepts humiliation as the only valuable lesson he has learned, but by then he is alone. His friends have deserted him and the pursuits which once seemed important now seem ludicrous.

This is when he decides to dedicate himself to devotional service. With his body embarrassed by dwindling and weakness, he tries to renounce material life.

Krsna is the ever-youthful hero of Vrndavana. When the old man discovers Krsna and tries to surrender to Him, he is liberated from the bonds of his body. People laugh at him, but he says, "I am not obliged to follow those asses and their institutions and slavish duties. I will worship Govinda by chanting and hearing His glories and I won't care for anyone else. "

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says the ass-like man carries the burden of material existence on his back all his life. All kinds of materialists, from the educated to the illiterate, agree that spiritual life should not be pursued. "Here is one such ass" who has followed them and seeks meaning in this world while totally neglecting the call of the soul and the Supreme. It has all been in vain.

This is not an idle song. Try to feel the loss he feels. See yourself in that position. See the whole world like that--the people growing old in quiet desperation, one by one realizing their lives have been wasted. The worst fools, of course, never admit it.

Tatala Saikate by Srila Vidyapati (sung as Kahe visayi mana by Srila Prabhupada):

[Note: Vidyapati is well-known as a rasika poet. His poetry was loved by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Unfortunately mundane people think his poems express sensual ideas--see my Godbrother Yogeshvara's remembrance of discussing Vidyapati's poems with Srila Prabhupada in the Memories video series. But although Vidyapati is known for writing about "very high things," see his mood in this song below. ]

tatala saikate bari bindu sama
suta mita ramani samaje
tohe visari mana tahe samarpala
ab majhu habo kon kaji

O Lord, completely forgetting you, I have offered my mind unto the society of women, children, and friends--but this experience has been just like offering a drop of water unto the burning hot sands of the beach. How can I possibly be relieved of this great misery?

madhava! hama parinam nirasa
tuhun jaga tarana dina doya moy
ataye tohari visoyasa

O Madhava! As a consequence, I am rendered totally despondent. You are the savior of the universe, and are merciful to the helpless souls. Therefore I place my hope only in you.

adha janama hama ninde goyayalun
jara sisu koto dina gela
nidhuvane ramani rasa range matala
tohe bhajabo kon bela

Wandering about in a half-alive condition, I spend my life in utter disgrace. Uncountable days passed as a frivolous child and a useless old man. I have been intoxicated by the pleasure of sharing romantic adventures with beautiful young women. When will I ever get a chance to worship You?

koto caturanana mari mari jaota
na tuya adi avasana
tohe janami puna tohe samaota
sagara lahari samana

Numberless Brahmas have died one after another, whereas You are without beginning or end. All of the them take birth from You and are again and again absorbed into You just like the waves in the ocean.

bhanaye vidyapati sesa samana bhoy
tuya vina gati nahi ara
adi anadika natha kahayasi
bhava tarana bhara tohara

Vidyapati confesses that now, at the end of his life, he is fearful of death. O Lord! There is no shelter other than you. You will always remain celebrated as being the Lord of both the beginning and the beginningless. Now the responsibility for my deliverance from the material world is entirely Yours.

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