English
Date – 8thApril 2014
Speaker - Dharmaraj Prabhu
Theme –Transcendental lamentation of the Lord and His pure devotees
Hare Krishna. I offer my humble obeisances at the lotus feet of Guru Maharaj and all vaishnavas.
So, last Sunday we were discussing about lamentation. We saw that Valmiki Muni saw,Kraunch bird was harmed by the hunter. Valmiki Muni became very angry and sad, and while lamenting one sloka came out of his mouth. Then Brahma told him that I only made this sloka come out of your mouth. In future, Ramayana will be compiled by you. Ramayana will manifest in your heart. So, we saw how from shoka, lamentation, sloka was compiled. And today also on the basis of Ramayana, we are going to see how even Lord laments.
We all know that Guru Maharaj keeps on telling again and again, ‘Sri Rama is Supreme Lord, but Laxman is also Supreme Lord, Bharat and Shatrughna are also Supreme Lords.’ When Lord performs pastimes, in a particular incarnation, He performs one or more particular pastimes. So, in Ramayana more pastimes are performed by Sri Rama and Laxman. There are pastimes of Bharat and Shatrughna also, but their pastimes are lesscompared to Rama and Laxman’s pastimes. They had only that much pastime in that incarnation.
Sub-theme:- Lamentation of Lord Sri Rama
So, when Lord Sri Rama left for the forest with Mother Sita and Lakshman, they reached Chitrakuta, and you know events that took place before that. Till now Bharat was unaware of all incidents, because he was at his maternal uncle's home. Only when he returned from there, he came to know the whole thing. Sri Rama is not here. His wife Sita and Lakshman are also not here. And even father has left his body. Seeing all this, it seems as if a mountain had fallen on him. He was so grief stricken and so angry with his mother, Kaikayi, that he chastised her. And then he said,‘I will not stay here’, and he left Ayodhya. He reached at Chitrakuta.
At first Laxman saw from distance that someone was coming to attack on them. He said, ‘Looks like Bharat is coming to attack.’ Lord Rama said, ‘no, no. I know he is not coming to attack, but he is coming to meet us.’When Bharat saw Sri Rama from distance, tears started falling from his eyes. He had never seen Sri Rama in such a state. Sri Rama was having matted hair and valkal (bark cloth). He said, ‘oh brother Sri Rama, I can see that in forest you are facing painful situations. Seeing this I am feeling deep pain in my heart.’ He started to lament. ‘Actually, all this happened because of me.’ And when he was coming near lamenting like this, he felled down unconscious at the feet of Sri Rama. Lord Rama immediately picked him up and hugged him. He placed him on His lap.
Then Lord Rama met all three mothers and touched their feet. Till now He was not aware that His father Dasarath Maharaj is no more. Bharat was telling again and again to Sri Rama that 'You are the rightful heir. Only You should become the King because only Sri Rama is the King. How Bharat can be King. In Your presence, how can I become a King? This is Your right. You please come.'
And then Sri Rama said, 'no, no. I have ordersfrom the father. I came to forest to obey his orders. How can I violate his orders? This is not right.' Bharat said, 'when eldest prince is there, how can anyone else become king? You must have to come to Ayodhya and after offering water,jalaarpan to father You have to sit on the throne.' Only when Sri Rama heard this, He understood what had happened. Bharat didn't say that father has passed away. When he said that ‘You need to offer water to father’, Lord Sri Rama understood. He could not imagine that father is no more. He heard this in such a situation that He could not even go there. He was lamenting and felt down unconscious. Sita and Lakshman came and sprinkled water on Him. He came back to external consciousness and said, 'father is not there? Father passed away? Now I will never come back. I came here to follow his orders and I would have come to see him, but now he is no more, so I will never come. I will not return backuntil I complete his orders.'
Sub-theme: - Why Lord laments?
People say, 'you call him Lord, then why is he lamenting so much?' This we need to understand. When Lord Sri Krsna came to know that Salva has killed His father Vasudeva, then Sri Krsna also almost felled unconscious.Lord Sri Krsna was not able to accept, ‘Oh, my father will not be with me. I cannot have his darsananymore. I cannot serve him; cannot have his association.’ So, it looks similar tothe lamentation of a conditioned soul on someone's death.And also, at one side Lord says to Arjuna, 'Arjuna why are you lamenting? To lament for a living or dead is not suitable for a Pandit, scholar.' And here Lord Himself is lamenting. What is this? Lord's lamentation is not an ordinary thing.
I remember, many years back, may be around 20 years ago, we went to Jagannath Puri with Guru Maharaj in yatra. Many devotees were there. We went in the Jagannath temple. Guru Maharaj and we few devotees were with him. Others were here and there for darshan. So, we had darsan and then we were sitting outside. One devotee asked, 'Guru Maharaj, Lord does not get old. Advaita Acharya is Lord, Mahavisnu. Then how he is having white beard? How is he old?' Guru Maharaj said, 'See, Lord is complete. Lord wants to show to someone who may say, ‘You do not get old, that means there is something lacking in You. We can get old but You cannot. That means You are lacking in this.’ To show them, Lord said,‘I can even become old.’ This is not difficult for Him.'
There is nothing lacking in Lord and His lamentation is also one opulence out of His Supreme and inconceivableopulences. By lamenting, Lord shows that no one can lament like Me. His lamentation when mother Sita was kidnapped, and when his father passed away, as we are listening now, such lamentation is not possible by an ordinary person. Someone says, ‘when Lord laments, devotees also drown in the ocean of lamentation’, but we need to understand that when we hear about Lord's lamentation, our own lamentation is destroyed. It is not so for others;like, by hearing sorrows of their life, you will become happy,this cannot happen. But when Lord laments, by hearing it, we become free of our lamentation.
Ravana had kept Mother Sita in Ashoka Vatika. Ashoka means where no one can have Shoka, lamentation. But even after living in Ashoka Vatika, Mother Sita was in shoka, lamentation. She was remembering Lord Sri Rama every moment. When Hanuman came to see Her on behalf of Sri Rama, he was glorifying Sri Rama while sitting on the branch of a tall tree. After hearing these glories Mother Sita became free from lamentation. Then She realized, yes this is Ashoka Vatika, because even while lamenting She was remembering Lord.
Sub-theme: -Lord’s army is not ordinary army
Then Sri Rama, and His brothers, Laxman, Bharat and Shatrughna went at the bank of Mandakini river. Sumanta was also with them. They went to offer water to their father. And then returned back to their hut on the top of Chitrakuta. So,these four brothers were holding hands of each other and were lamenting very loudly for their father. Their sound reached everywhere in the mountains and all the soldiers who came with Bharatheard it and they became very sad. They understood that this is not an ordinary grief. These four brothers are lamenting for their father. And this army also ran towards that sound. They reached there and offered their obeisances to the Lord. This army is also not an ordinary army. This is Lord's army. They offered obeisances to the Lord and Lord also saw that even the leaders of the army have arrived there. He also offered His respect to them as per their status. We can understand that hearing Lord's lamentation we feel pain, but this pain is actually a pleasure, because there is no material lamentation in Lord's heart. There is no material desire or material sorrow in the Lord. Like,‘now I do not have this’, ‘this thing has been taken away from me’. There is nothing like this is His life.
Sub-theme: -Bharat requesting Lord Rama again and again to return to Ayodhya
Jabali Muni was seeing that, Bharat is requesting Sri Rama again and again, 'Prabhu, please come back. How can there be Ayodhya without Rama? This is not possible. So,You please come.' He was requesting again and again. But Sri Rama was saying, 'no, no. I cannot go.' So, there was Jabali Muni, a great personality. He said, ‘You should not lament so much for Your father.’ Lord Sri Rama did not like it, He said, ‘what are you talking?’ Then Vasistha Muni came and said, 'no, no. Jabali Muni is talking like this, as he is trying to bring You back to Ayodhya by any means.’ But Sri Rama said, ‘no, I will never come back.’
Bharat was trying to find different ways, so that Sri Rama will go back to Ayodhya. So,Bharat said, 'if You are not coming, then I will also not go. I will sit here in front of Your hut.' And he said to Sumanta, 'you spread some grass in front of the hut and I will close my eyes with a cloth and will sit here without drinking water and eating anything, until Sri Rama gives up His obstinacy and returns to Ayodhya.' Sumanta was not going to do this without the order of Sri Rama. So, Sri Rama said, 'brother why are you doing this? Why are youadamant? Why are you opposing me and not allowing me to follow father's orders?' Bharat said, 'okay, I will not give away water and food, but I will stay in forest and You go to Ayodhya. You go there and I will stay here.'
And then everyone saw that in the sky many demigods and Rsis appeared. They started to praise the discussion between these two brothers. 'Ahaha, brothers should be like this only. There is no desire of enjoyment in them. People pull legs of others to become King, but here, one brother is saying something and other one is refusing. They are fighting not to become King.' Rsis knew that Ravana must be killed. So, the Rsis said, 'Bharata! Sri Rama is your elder brother. You must listen him. You go back to Ayodhya and Sri Rama will stay here in forest.' Hearing this Bharat thought, 'now I have to go. I do not have any choice.' So, he started to leave. Lord Sri Rama had wooden shoes, with design made with gold. Bharat placed them in front of Sri Rama and said, 'You wear them.' Sri Rama placed His feet on them. Then Bharat took the shoes and placed them on his head and said, 'I will place them on the throne. They will represent You on the throne. And I will not go to Ayodhya. I will remain in the outskirts of Ayodhya. And until You come back, I will live the same way as You are living, by eating roots and wearing valkal. And after fourteen years if You will not come back, the day when fourteen years will complete, on that day, if You will not come back then You will never again see this face of Bharat. I will enter in fire.' So, Sri Rama said, 'okay, I will definitely come. When fourteen years will complete, you will see Me there.'
Then placing Sri Rama's shoes on the head, Bharat set out riding on the chariot. When he returned, he saw that Ayodhya is baffled. Where there is no Rama, how can there be arama, pleasure? They cannot live without Rama. Guru Maharaj says, 'jina to kyajina Rama kebina', how to live if there is no Rama. People say, 'we do not have time for bhakti.' 'Jindangi jab takrahegifursatnahogikam se, kuchsamayaisanikalo prem karalo Sri Rama bhagavan se', till the last moment of the life, you will not have free time from your works, so take out some time to love Sri Rama. If you will not love Sri Rama, then time is passing by. No one works for 24 hours.
Sub-theme: -Vibhisan’s meeting with Sri Rama
Vibhisan came to meet Sri Rama. Sri Rama said, 'welcome Lankesa, the king of Lanka.' Others were saying, ‘he is not Lankesa. Ravana is Lankesa.’ Lord said, 'I know that Ravana is Lankesa, but he is Lankesa only for few more days. After that Vibhisan will be the king.' Others said, 'When one king kills another king, he himself becomes king of the defeated king's territory. But after killing Ravana You are going to make Vibhisan the king. Suppose if Ravana will come to take your shelter, then what You will give him?' Sri Rama said, 'I will give my Ayodhya to him.' 'Okay, then where you will live?' 'I will stay in the hearts of My devotees. My devotees always remember My lotus feet, therefore I will stay there.'
By this we can understand that Lord's lamentation is transcendental and not ordinary. Like Lord says in Bhagavad Gita
namāṁkarmāṇilimpanti
na me karma-phalespṛhā
itimāṁyo ’bhijānāti
karmabhirnasabadhyate
Translation-
There is no work that affects Me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work. [Bg. 4.14]
Lord also says
janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁyovettitattvataḥ
tyaktvādehaṁpunarjanma
naitimāmeti so ’rjuna
Translation-
One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna. [Bg. 4.9]
‘Those who understand that my birth and activities are transcendental, do not take birth again in this material world because they come back to My abode.’ When Lord laments for a pure devotee, His lamentation, shoka is actually ashoka.
Sub-theme: -Lamentation of Madhavendra Puri
When Madhavenra Puri was lamenting, Oh Lord, I could not have Your darshan.
ayidīna-dayārdranātha he
mathurā-nāthakadāvalokyase
hṛdayaṁtvad-aloka-kātaraṁ
dayitabhrāmyatikiṁkaromyaham
Translation-
“O My Lord! O most merciful master! O master of Mathurā! When shall I see You again? Because of My not seeing You, My agitated heart has become unsteady. O most beloved one, what shall I do now?” [CC Madhya 4.197]
He was talking in the mood of Radharani, 'Oh Mathuranath, You left for Mathura, but You do not know what is our condition. Don't know when will we meet again.' See, everyone cannot understand the mood of a pure devotee. Ramachandra Puri was sannyasi, but he was saying, 'why are you lamenting?' Actually, Madhavendra Puri was having pleasure in this lamentation. But his disciple said, 'Guruji, you are stuck in the personal form of the Lord. You should have meditated on impersonal Lord.' Madhavendra Puri said, 'get out of here. If I will leave my body while seeing your face, then I will get durgati, miseries and not sadgati, salvation.' And then Isvara Puri started to serve his spiritual master, Madhavenra Puri. He understood the mind of Madhavenra Puri, that how his lamentation is? He is actually getting pleasure in this lamentation. Then he used to narrate Lord's pastimes to Madhavenra Puri. Madhavenra Puri understood that Isvara Puri is my real disciple. He is understanding my lamentation. He said, 'you are pleasing me. I bless you that Lord Sri Krsna Himself will become your disciple.' So
vaiṣṇaverakriyā-mudrāvijñenābujhāya
Translation-
No one can understand the mind and activities of a Vaiṣṇava. [Caitanya-bhāgavata]
Just as it is not easy to understand Lord's pastimes, similarly it is not easy to understand devotees' activities. In fact, it is more difficult. Like, Sad-gosvamis, they never said that we saw Krsna. They always used to lament, 'Oh Krsna, where are you?' They used to call everywhere-
he rādhevraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūnokutaḥ
śrī-govardhana-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥ
ghoṣantāvitisarvatovraja-pure khedairmahā-vihvalau
vanderūpa-sanātanauraghu-yugauśrī-jīva-gopālakau
Translation-
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, namely ŚrīRūpaGosvāmī, ŚrīSanātanaGosvāmī, ŚrīRaghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, ŚrīRaghunāthadāsaGosvāmī, ŚrīJīvaGosvāmī, and ŚrīGopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who were chanting very loudly everywhere in Vṛndāvana, shouting, "Queen of Vṛndāvana, Rādhārāṇī! O Lalita! O son of Nanda Mahārāja! Where are you all now? Are you just on the hill of Govardhana, or are you under the trees on the bank of the Yamunā? Where are you?" These were their moods in executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness.[ŚrīŚrīṢaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 8]
It was not that they never had darsan of the Lord. They used to have darshan of the Lord all the time, because they had such an ointment in their eyes, the ointment of Krsna prema-
premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santaḥsadaivahṛdayeṣuvilokayanti
yaṁśyāmasundaramacintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ
govindamādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁbhajāmi
Translation-
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṇa Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love. [Brahma Samhita. 5.38]
They used to have darshan of Krsna all the time, yet they never expressed that ‘now we had Krsna's darsan. That's it.’ No, not that's it. Devotee never thinks that I have achieved bhakti, devotion. He always thinks that I have so much to do to get pure devotion.
Sub-theme: -Namacharya Haridas Thakur’s lamentation
When Mahaprabhu said to Namacharya Haridas Thakur, 'you have done lot of Harinama chanting. Now you do not have to chant.' Haridas Thakur said, 'how You are saying like this Mahaprabhu? I am very fallen. I am from lower birth. I have not yet chanted pure name.' He was Namacharya, how much more pure Name he should have chanted? Yet he was saying like this. The lamentation of Lord's devotees is always transcendental. There is not a tinge of materialism. There lamentation is nothing but love for Lord.
From few days we are hearing, this lamentation is not material.This is transcendental lamentation. Their love for Lord is at such a high level that lamentation also becomes part of love for Lord. When we lament, we lament because of material things. Immediately we reach at mode of ignorance. But Lord does not get affected by mode of goodness, passion or ignorance. Therefore, Lord is Sachidananda, sat-chit-anandamaya. And Lord always remains in pure goodness. When we hear or narrates about such Lord and such pure devotees, then Lord says
māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa
bhakti-yogenasevate
saguṇānsamatītyaitān
brahma-bhūyāyakalpate
Translation-
One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman. [Bg. 14.26]
That means, when one is situated above the three modes, then it is said that brahma-bhūyāyakalpate, he has reached at brahman stage. He has achieved pure devotion.
Thank you very much.
Question and answer-
Question by Lalita Prabhu- Hare Krishna Prabhuji,dandavat pranam. As it is told that Rama, Laxman, Bharat and Shatrughna are Supreme Lords. Can you please tell more about this? How they are Lords?
Answer- Thank you very much for the question. Lord Himself said that I will appear with my amsas. So, the bhagavatta, divinity present in Sri Rama is equally present in Laxman, Bharat and Shatrughna, but They have not manifested it. Like, Sri Rama is Lord and Sri Krsna is also Lord, but there is difference, as Sri Krsna is Purna Purushottam, but when that same Lord comes as Sri Rama, He covers that Purna Purushottam quality and becomes Maryada Purushottam. It can be explained as, when there is a multi-stared movie, many actors are there; so, in that more importance is given to main actor and others get less roles. Similarly, Bharat and Shatrughna are Lords, but Their Bhagavatta is not completely manifested in Ramayana. That was the desire of the Lord. Just imagine, when all four had manifested Their Bhagavatta then it would be difficult to understand who is Supreme Lord. Lord Krsna came with Lord Balarama; yet we say, Sri Krsna is Purna Purushottam. Balarama is not less; He is also Supreme Lord. Prabhupada says, there is no difference between Krsna and Balarama; only difference is of their complexion. One is fare and one is black. Yet we see that in Krsna Lila Lord Krishna's Bhagavatta is expressed more than Lord Balarama's. Balarama also did rasalila, but it is not mentioned much in sastras.
