Prapanna-jivanāmṛta: Escape from Misery

Prapanna-Jivanāmṛtam


द्वितियो ऽध्याय

Dvitiyo ‘dhyāya

Second Chapter

श्री शास्त्र-वचनामृतम्

द्वितियो ऽध्याय

Dvitiyo ‘dhyāya
Second Chapter

श्री शास्त्र-वचनामृतम्

Śrī Śāstra-Vacanāmṛtam
Holy Scriptural Nectar

CHAPTER II

Bha:3/22/37

शरणागतानाम् अयत्न-सिद्धम् एव परं पदम्—

समाश्रिता ये पद-पल्लव-प्लवं

महत्-पदं पुण्य-यशो मुरारेः

भवाम्भुधिर् वत्स-पदं परं पदं

पदं पदं यद् विपदां न तेषाम् [१८]

भा. १०/१४/५८

śaraṇāgatānām ayatna-siddham eva paraṁ padam—

samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ

mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ

bhavāmbhudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ

padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām [18]

bhā. 10/14/58

Surrendered souls attain the highest perfection in the Supreme Abode: Vaikuṇṭha, Śrī Viṣṇu Paraṁ Padam.

The lotus feet of Mukunda are like a boat that will take one to the ultimate destination. Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate   shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Mukunda, or "one who gives something that makes liberation look awkward."

 For one who surrenders to Kṛṣṣṇa and accepts the boat of his lotus feet, the ocean of the material world is no greater than the water in a calf's footprint. 

The goal of such surrendered souls lies beyond the material world where there is danger at every step: that goal is the  paraṁ madam, Vaikuṇṭha, which is beyond all material miseries.

(18)

Bha: 10/15/58

सर्व्वात्माश्रितानां विवर्त्त-निवृत्तिः--

येषां स एव भगवान् दययेद् अनन्तः

सर्व्वात्मनाश्रित-पदो यदि निर्व्यलीकम्

ते दुस्तराम् अतितरन्ति च देव मायां

नैषां ममाहम् इति धिः श्व-शृगाल-भक्ष्ये [१९]

भा. २/७/४२

sarvvātmāśritānāṃ vivartta-nivṛttiḥ--

yeṣāṁ sa eva bhagavān dayayed anantaḥ

sarvvātmanāśrita-pado yadi nirvyalīkam

te dustarām atitaranti ca deva māyāṁ

naiṣāṁ mamāham iti dhiḥ śva-śṛgāla-bhakṣye [19]

bhā. 2/7/42

Those who are completely self-surrendered souls leave behind the illusion of bodily identity. 

"I, Me, and Mine" is a misconception. Under this false idea, one believes this body to be the same as "I." One thinks of things in terms of  "mine."  

And yet, the body itself is temporary and in the end is nothing more than food for jackals and dogs. One who labosr under the misconception of "I" and "Mine" misunderstands the principles of surrender and fails to receive mercy from the Supreme. He avoids surrender and continues in the world of exploitation. 

But one who is completely self-surrendered and who takes full shelter of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa receives the mercy of the Lord.  Leaving behind the illusion of bodily identity, he transcends the world of misconception. (19)

Bha 2/7/42

तद् उपेक्षितानां दुःख-प्रतिकारः क्षणिक एव—

बालस्य नेह शरणं पितरौ नृसिंह

नार्त्तस्य चागदम् उदन्वति मज्जतो नौः

तप्तस्य तत्-प्रतिविधिर् य इहाञ्नसेष्टस्

तावद् विभो तनु-भृतं त्वद्-उपेक्शितानाम् [२०]

भा.७/९/१९

tad upekṣitānāṁ duḥkha-pratikāraḥ kṣaṇika eva—

bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha

nārttasya cāgadam udanvati majjato nauḥ

taptasya tat-pratividhir ya ihāñnaseṣṭas

tāvad vibho tanu-bhṛtaṁ tvad-upekśitānām [20]

bhā.7/9/19

While those who have no relationship with Kṛṣṇa or Hari go on suffering--

Oh Nṛsiṁha, Oh Lord, the embodied souls subjected to the three-fold miseries get only palliative relief from their suffering when not surrendered to you.  Parents cannot always protect their children and so are not their true shelter. Just as medicine may treats the symptoms but not the underlying cause; Medicine is not true protection against disease. When a man is drowning, his boat is of no use. In the same way the techniques employed by embodied souls to alleviate suffering cannot help them escape birth, disease, old age, and death. These so-called remedies are not true remedies. While surrender will deliver us and take us to the highest plane, those who have no relationship with Hari are unable to free themselves from suffering. 

Śrīla Prabhupāda comments:

Through parental care, through remedies for different kinds of disease, and through means of protection on the water, in the air and on land, there is always an endeavor for relief from various kinds of suffering in the material world, but none of them are guaranteed measures for protection. They may be beneficial temporarily, but they afford no permanent benefit. 

Despite the presence of a father and mother, a child cannot be protected from accidental death, disease and various other miseries. No one can help, including the parents. Ultimately the shelter is the Lord, and one who takes shelter of the Lord is protected. This is guaranteed. 

As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (9.31), kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati: "O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes." Therefore, unless one is protected by the mercy of the Lord, no remedial measure can act effectively. One should consequently depend fully on the causeless mercy of the Lord. Although as a matter of routine duty one must of course accept other remedial measures, no one can protect one who is neglected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (20)

Bha: 7/9/19

anāṣritānām asad avagrahād eva vividartttiḥ

tāvad bhayaṃ drvina-deha-suhṛn-nimittaṁ

śokaḥ spṛā paribhavao vipulaś ca lobhaḥ

tāvan mamety asad-avagraha ārtti-mūlaṁ

yāvan na te ‘ṅghrim abhayaṁ pravṛṇīta lokaḥ

[21]

bhā 3/9/6

Suffering in the material world is caused by misconception. Unsurrendered souls are obsessed with their own imaginary world.

O my Lord, as long as  they refuse to surrender, they are stressed and afraid. Worried about wealth, health, and society, they are filled with fear, longing, and grief. Obsessions and possessions fill their hours. They waste time getting money and spending it. As long as they do not take shelter of Your lotus feet, they are full of anxieties, lamentations and hankerings and waste their time on  “me” and “mine.” (21)

Bha: 3/9/6