Jaws of death

Here's another excerpt from the book 

"Sri Guru and His Grace," 

by
Srila Bhakti Rakshak Shridhara deva 
Goswami Maharaja

 

 compiled, edited and published by 

His Holiness Bhakti Sudhir Goswami 

and B. V.  Mahayogi, Editor-in-Chief 

at Guardian of Devotion Press, 1984.

Jaws of death

Everyone is rushing into the jaws of death. This is the sum total of the news of this world; it is the only news. Every second, everyone is entering the jaws of death. This is the real problem—nothing else. The whole problem, if summarised, will come to this, that every second, every atom here is entering into the jaws of death. 

This is the great and only danger in the world. So, all other talks are irrelevant to the real problem of life; try to help them from entering into the jaws of death. This is the only problem in the whole world.

Go forth and tell everyone about Kṛṣṇa. Whatever you do, make them talk about Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa. Save yourself, and prepare yourself for the highest goal. Whenever you meet anyone, wherever you meet anyone, only talk of Kṛṣṇa. All other talks are irrelevant and redundant.

Mahāprabhu says, “It is My command. Don’t think that if you do this and take the position of guru, when the people come to honour you, you will forget your own ordinary position, become puffed up with pride, and go to hell. No, no, no! I order you, ‘Go on!’ The relief work is there. You can’t stand idle as an onlooker. So I say, ‘Jump! Start relief work.’ I order you to do so. And I shall take whatever responsibility is there. The whole world is dying. So, always, at every second, the real need is Kṛṣṇa-kathā. You will get My association only by obeying My orders and discharging the duty that I am entrusting with you. You will find Me there in your obedience of My order, in the discharge of the duty I impose on you.”

Is it reasonable or not? Every one of us can judge. What will be the relief work to save those in the mortal world? What will give real help to the people? Not clothing them or feeding them, nothing of the kind. Everyone is dropping down dead. Once, when I was in the Madras Maṭh, someone came and criticised us saying, “Oh, you are only talking about Kṛṣṇa, and people are dying without food. Don’t you mind?” I said, “No.” He told me, “The Ramakrishna Mission is doing real relief by feeding so many. If a man dies of starvation, how will he hear you? Where will you get a listener if he dies? First make them live, feed them, and then you can tell him about Kṛṣṇa.”

I told him, “Suppose there is a famine. I have some food. I am distributing that to so many people. There is a great crowd before me. If, while I am distributing food, someone from the crowd flees, what should I do? Should I distribute the food, or run to catch him?” He said, “You must distribute the food; that is natural.” I said, “The crowd is always ready to hear from me about Kṛṣṇa. Why should I waste my time running after one man? So many people are coming to hear from me about Kṛṣṇa, and I cannot attend them all. Why should I stop distribution of the nectar, and run to catch one man? This is a foolish attempt.”

We are interested in helping people by distributing Kṛṣṇa-kathā, and we pay no attention to any so-called danger. All are in need of this guidance. You must only engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa-kathā. Go on talking about Kṛṣṇa, and continue with that vibration.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu dancing with the tigers

When Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu was going from Purī to Vṛndāvan through the jungle path, the elephants, deer, and tigers were chanting, “Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!” and dancing. How? His Kṛṣṇa-kathā created such a fine vibration that it entered into the ears of the tigers, deer, and elephants and awakened their hearts. And they began to chant, “Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!” and dance. Mahāprabhu’s vibration of Kṛṣṇa’s Name was so fine and surcharged with force that the sound entered within the animals, and aroused in their hearts the innermost plane which was covered by the elephant’s or tiger’s body. Just like electricity, the finest current of the Holy Name of Kṛṣṇa entered into the hearts of all the animals, and their souls were aroused. And when their souls were awakened, then they began to chant “Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!”

chanting hare krishna in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Everywhere the environment is full of animation, and just as a ray of light penetrates the darkness, in a similar way the vibration of Kṛṣṇa-kathā will strike a chord within the soul and create some inspiration there towards Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So continue preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have no other duty, no other work. Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Prabhupāda went the length and breadth of the world with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The fact that you have all come here is due to his earnestness. He has gone to the upper world, and so, in his name we are going on with some sort of transaction.

"He has gone to the upper world..."