Questions and Answers

The Moment of Truth

एतन् निर्विद्यमानानाम् इच्छताम् अकुतो-भयम्

योगिनां नृप निर्णीतं हरेर् नामानुकीर्तनम्

etan nirvidyamānānām

icchatām akuto-bhayam

yogināṁ nṛpa nirṇītaṁ

harer nāmānukīrtanam

Śrī Kṛṣṇa: Reality the Beautiful

“O King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all, including those who are free from all material desires, those who are desirous of all material enjoyment, and also those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge.”

~Srimad Bhagavatam 2.1.11 translated by A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Prabhupāda

By this system of remembrance, by understanding the Personal conception of Godhead and by fixing oneself in meditation, O King a yogi can very soon achieve success in bhakti.

The King asked, “Can you please explain more about the mind, O saintly one. How can I apply my mind so that I can always see God? And what can I do to avoid negative thinking?”

Now, many will point out that Mahārāja Parīkṣita was no ordinary king. In fact, he was the grandson of Arjuna, an eternal associate of Kṛṣṇa Himself. Indeed he must be a mahā-bhāgavata, an extremely qualified pure devotee. Why would he be in need of instruction? And from a boy, no more than sixteen or seventeen years old?

It is thought that Mahārāja Parīkṣita is an eternally perfect soul. And yet the great souls teach us through their example. And Parīkṣita Mahārāja’s example is listening. Mahārāja Parīkṣita achieves perfection through listening. 

This is confirmed in an oft quoted verse from Caitanya Caritamṛta Madhya 22.136 which also appears in Rupa Goswāmī’s Padyāvalī (53) as well as in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.265). Here, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is explaining the processes of bhakti to Sanātana Goswāmī.

श्री-विष्णोः श्रवणे परीक्षिद् अभवद् वैयासकिः कीर्तने 

प्रह्लादः स्मरणे तद्-अङ्घ्रि-भजने लक्ष्मीः पृथुः पूजने

अक्रूरस् त्व् अभिवन्दने कपि-पतिर् दास्ये ‘थ सख्ये ‘र्जुनः 

सर्व-स्वात्म-निवेदने बलिर् अभूत् कृष्णाप्तिर् एषां परा

śrī-viṣṇoḥ śravaṇe parīkṣid abhavad vaiyāsakiḥ kīrtane

prahlādaḥ smaraṇe tad-aṅghri-bhajane lakṣmīḥ pṛthuḥ pūjane

akrūras tv abhivandane kapi-patir dāsye ‘tha sakhye ‘rjunaḥ

sarva-svātma-nivedane balir abhūt kṛṣṇāptir eṣāṁ parā

Mahārāja Parīkṣit attained the highest perfection, shelter at Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, simply by hearing about Lord Viṣṇu. Śukadeva Gosvāmī attained perfection simply by reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Prahlāda Mahārāja attained perfection by remembering the Lord. 

The goddess of fortune attained perfection by massaging the transcendental legs of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Mahārāja Pṛthu attained perfection by worshiping the Deity, and Akrūra attained perfection by offering prayers unto the Lord. Vajrāṅgajī [Hanumān] attained perfection by rendering service to Lord Rāmacandra, and Arjuna attained perfection simply by being Kṛṣṇa’s friend. Bali Mahārāja attained perfection by dedicating everything to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. (Translation by A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Prabhupāda)

But, if Mahārāja Parīkṣita is no ordinary king, but a highly realized soul, why would he be in need of instruction? Perhaps he had no need to inquire from Śukadeva Goswāmī about where and how to apply the mind in meditation; perhaps he is only inquiring into this matter for our own benefit.

Jesus Christ had no need of personal salvation. He descends as the Son of God to take upon Himself the sin of the worlds out of his divine compassion. In a similar way, Parīkṣita Mahārāja, thousands of years before Christ, shows his compassion to humanity by inquiring into the eternal nature of the soul and Godhead.

And yet, even the great souls have moments of doubt. It may be all a show, a question of divine lila, the pastimes of an eternally liberated soul. Just as a method actor throws himself into his role so much as to forget himself, even an advanced soul may invest himself so deeply into the part he is playing that he forgets himself.

The example is given of Jaya and Vijaya the gatekeepers of Vaikuntha who later took birth as demons: Hiranyakṣa and Hiranyakaṣipu in Satya-yuga, Ravana and Kumbhakarana in Treta-yuta, Shishupala and Dantavakra in Dvapara-yuga, and Jagai and Madhai in Kali-yuga. Eventually they were liberated, but as were key players in the pastimes of the Lord, they identified completely with the role they had to play.

Parīkṣit may have been entirely enlightened at the time of hearing the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and his questions might have merely been asked for our benefit. And yet, it is also instructive if we consider that he himself was experiencing a moment of need.

If such a great soul as Parīkṣit could have fallen under the sway of anger, then we are not alone. Who has not lost his temper? We know that anger leads one on the path to degradation. But who is free from such a sin? Even the great Parīkṣit became enraged.

The Bhagavata tells us as much. After insulting the brahmana, Parīkṣita knew that what he had done was abominable and became depressed. He knew that his anger was wrong. After all it was the cause of the brahmana’s curse.

It may be argued that Parīkṣit, being perfect, never has any doubt. Many believe that Jesus, being divine himself, never has a moment of doubt before his crucifixion; as perfect savior, he merely shows us how to pray. And yet when Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane, he tells his Father in heaven, “Take this cup from me!”

"Take this cup from me!"

This is his final act, before He is arrested, tried, and put to death. Just as King Parīkṣita, who had been cursed three thousand years before him, condemned to die by the snake-bird, Jesus Christ knows that he will be condemned to death and crucified by the Romans.

And in his great moment of peril, Jesus cast Himself to the ground, agonizing in prayer.

The Bible says, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. (Matt 22.6) Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation.’ He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (New Testament, Luke 22:39-44)

Matthew gives a slightly different description with similar details: Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, “Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.” And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.” And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26-41)

My reading of this is that Jesus is sincere in his despair, just as Parikṣita before him.

We may compare Parīkṣit’s moment of doubt and pain to Arjuna’s: Unlike Christ who is condemned to crucifixion for his preaching, Arjuna finds himself forced into fratricidal warfare, confronted by armies headed by his friends, family, teachers, and leaders bent on world destruction.

Arjuna is overwhelmed with despair. He sees no point in warfare when the victory will be empty. He sees no good from any action. Both action and inaction will be sinful. What can he do?

He sees the annihilation of family, the corruption of morals and and the destruction of society. He sits down on his chariot and buries his face in his hands.

Arjuna turns to Kṛṣṇa and says, ”I can find no means to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses. I will not be able to destroy it even if I win an unrivalled kingdom on the earth with sovereignty like that of the demigods in heaven. Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.”

Śrī Caitanya: "Be Thou Humble."

It is in this spirit of humility and surrender that one can receive instruction. Caitanya Mahāprabhu identifies this as tṛṇad api sunicena...or humility. This spirit of despair and helplessness is described in Śaranāgati of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura as dainya, and is found as well as in the teachings of Śridhar Mahārāja:

“...Our progress depends on the favor of the higher side. It must have that connection, so surrender is required. Then the Lord will approach us and take us up to that higher plane. Somehow, we have to persuade the highest authority to favor us. We must invite the higher authority to accept us. It does not depend so much on our own ability, but on our submission and surrender, our hankering for mercy – not our positive capacity but our negative character, our surrender. As a subject, I cannot make the Infinite the object of my discrimination; He is always the super-subject. I cannot make God the object of my discrimination. He is super-subjective. 

My position, my attitude, must invite the higher authority to come down to my level and help me, favor me. Real discrimination or knowledge should take us to self-surrender. Surrender is necessary to attract the attention of the Lord. Everything depends on His sweet will. He is an autocrat: His sweet will is everything. To attract His sweet will, to increase our negative side, our tendency for surrender, to attract His favor, this will be our real problem if we wish to progress in spiritual life. And to attract the Lord’s attention, all our qualifications must be of a negative character: we shall require surrender, submission, humility. And then we can press our position by praying, “O my Lord, I’m in the worst need; without Your grace I can’t stand. I am helpless. I cannot endure without Your favor.” That sort of hankering, earnestness, and necessity for His mercy will help us. In other words, we are to improve our negative character, and in that way we shall attract the positive, Krishna. (http://www.mahamandala.com/en/audios/99)

Mahārāja Parīkṣita was a powerful and wealthy king. And yet his humility is such that he leaves aside everything and listens quietly to the teachings of a sixteen year old boy. His need is great; Śrīla Bhaktivinod Ṭhakur has written that in general, the measurement of a Vaishnava is according to his degree of humility—his natural, real humility. While Parīkṣita Mahārāja demonstrated great arrogance in his treatment of the brahmana, provoking the curse of his son, Śṛṇgi, here he shows real humility by submitting before Śukadeva and accepting him as his guru. 

Śukadeva and Parīkṣita

As Śukadeva has recommended above,  harer nāmānukīrtanam, Parīkṣit Mahārāja understands that proper harer nāmānukīrtanam begins with humility and listening. So, according to Rūpa Goswāmī, in the eternal relationship between the condemned king and the boy sage, Parīkṣita Mahārāja achieves perfection by hearing (śravana) and Śukadeva by speaking and chanting (kīrtana).