Srila Prabhupada is Shastra

By: Praghosa dasa

Srila Prabhupada condemned any so-called painting of Lord Krishna - where He was portrayed as "alone" with no devotee present. One of Krishna's features (expressed in the Nectar of Devotion) is that He is PERPETUALLY ACCOMPANIED by at least one devotee at all times. The Devotee is the Boss - not even Krishna is the Boss. The Love of His pure devotee - perfectly personified in Sri Radha and HER servants - IS THE BOSS OF KRISHNA. THIS IS THE VERDICT OF BONAFIDE SHASTRA.

The "shastra" is not the Lord of the above-mentioned 3 features of the Lord's Reality. The "shastra" is NOT DICTATOR.

 

Just like one can read all about the step-by-step biological "occurrences" - incorporating principles of attraction, then selection by the female and then coupling by the parties - then insemination - then growth and finally the birth of a child - in one of many many books that are available that detail down to the minutest discussion of chromosomes etc etc etc - BUT - none of this "INFORMATION" ON ITS OWN HAS ONE THING TO DO WITH THE ACTUAL PROCREATION OF A LIVING HUMAN BEING. The child is a result NOT of the information on the process - but of the process and its actuators themselves.

 

The shastra merely illustrates the reality of Lord Krishna and His devotees and THEIR LOVING EXCHANGES. Within all of that - the Spiritual World and the Material World - are given full and elaborate exposure.

 

But the exposure of this temporary world - or the spiritual world - DOES NOT DICTATE FOR A SECOND WHAT THE ETERNAL DEVOTEE OF LORD KRISHNA CAN OR CANNOT DO IN HIS LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS ETERNAL LORD KRISHNA!!

 

NOT FOR A SECOND. AND - WHAT IS MORE - THE SHASTRA - TO BE PRECISE - CAN AND DOES ONLY SUPPORT THIS PREMISE.

 

KRISHNA IS NOT BOUND BY THE SHASTRA. NOT FOR A SECOND. THE SHASTRA IS SHASTRA - IF AND ONLY IF - IT ASSERTS THIS INDEPENDENCE OF LORD KRISHNA AND HIS ETERNAL PURE SERVANTS.

 

The shastra thus elaborates and describes the fully free and liberated devotee. This is in fact the meaning of liberated devotee. He is NOT BOUND BY THE LIMITED CAPACITY OF THE MUNDANE MIND in its understanding of his "freedom". Just as Sri Prahlada was incapable of being "poisoned" by his father or killed by anyone - despite the fact that all known science(shastra) would DICTATE that the known body of information on poison and its EFFECTS cannot be avoided by anyone.

 

These men - who faithlessly rail AGAINST the power and authority of Srila Prabhupada - employing THEIR SO-CALLED faith or trust IN "SHASTRA" - literally cannot see the forest through the trees!

 

Srila Prabhupada - THE ETERNAL ASSOCIATE OF LORD KRISHNA - A DIVINE RESIDENT OF KRISHNA LOKA - IS THE QUINTESSENCE OF ALL THAT IS TO BE FOUND - EXPRESSED, REVEALED OR PROMOTED - IN ANY SO-CALLED SHASTRA!

 

HE IS THE SHASTRA. THE SHASTRA IS ONLY RELEVANT IF IT AUTHENTICATES THE REALITY OF THE FULL INDEPENDENCE OF THE LORD AND HIS PURE LOVING DEVOTEES!!

 

IF THE SHASTRA IS PRESENTED AS BEING SUPERIOR OR DIFFERENT FROM THE PURE ASSOCIATE OF THE DIVINE COUPLE - IT IS TO BE REJECTED FASTER THAN AN UNCHASTE WOMAN! FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET! FASTER THAN A CUP OF TURNED DHAL!!

 

THESE MEN - LIKE THE JEWS OF THE ANCIENT ISRAEL - REJECTED CHRIST - BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT ACCEPT THAT HE WAS PREACHING THE VERY PURPOSE OF THEIR "SCRIPTURES" - LOVE - PURE LOVE FOR GOD! HE PREACHED THAT ALLLLL SHOULD JUST IMMEDIATELY SURRENDER THEIR WHOLE LIFE TO LEARNING TO LOVE GOD - AND LOVE AND SERVE HIS DEVOTEES! THE JEWS SAID "WHAT ABOUT THE SCRIPTURE? HE IS NOT AUTHORIZED BY OUR SCRIPTURE!'

 

FOR DARING TO THREATEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF AND '"FAITH" IN THEIR SCRIPTURES - THEY FIRST BEAT HIM TO WITHIN AN INCH OF HIS LIFE - MOCKINGLY CROWNED HIM WITH THORNS - OBLIGED HIM TO CARRY HIS OWN CROSS - THEN THREW HIM TO THE GROUND - AND POUNDED NAILS INTO HIS HANDS AND FEET AND THEN SUSPENDED THIS "OFFENDER" IN THE AIR - BETWEEN TWO CRIMINALS - FOR THE GRAVE SIN OF CHALLENGING THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF "SHASTRA"!!!

 

Reliance upon the "shastra" to deny the loving relationship between the Pure Spiritual Master and Lord Krishna - and the actual submission of the Divine Couple to the  "dictation" of this PERFECTLY PURE AND COMPLETE love that comprises the heart of  the Pure Devotee for the Divine Couple - and the "effect" this dictation has upon the conduct of the Lord Himself - belies a complete ignorance of what is DEVOTEE, WHAT IS GURU, WHAT IS SADHU AND MOST IMPORTANTLY - WHAT IS SHASTRA.

 

These men prove first off that they do not know what they were given. Subsequently, they lack the natural gratitude that would result in such recognition.

 

Srila Prabhupada did not claim to be authority. He just delivered the Holy Name - purely - and those who "got it" - knew - without any "PROOF" from shastra or anyone else - that this Chanting of the Holy Name, dancing and feasting on prasadam was simply better than anything they had ever had in their short and insiginficant lives!! Just as Mahaprabhu feigned simplicity and ignorance - "My spiritual master considered Me as a fool...." We were all IN FACT FOOLS. Yet like Mahaprabhu - "I don't understand this mantra my guru has given me. I laugh... I cry.... I dance.... there is no apparent cause but still I do this.... Most amaziing!!!!" - we also took to Srila Prabhupada's service with no other "ASSURANCE" OF HIS SO -CALLED "SHASTRIC BONAFIDES" THAN OUR OWN PROFOUND EXPERIENCE!

 

THAT was our actual confirmation!

 

As Srila Prabhupada used to say when preaching to crowds - "So kindly chant and dance and take prasadam with us, and you will become fully Krishna Conscious. And for anyone a little philosophically inclined ...we also have over 40 books - 400 pages - to satisfy your philosophical inquiries!"

 

The shastra is to be studied then - in the spirit of a submissive and grateful individual - who has been duly rescued from the pit of ignorance and hell - realizes it fully - and seeks to be able to more fully explain to all others THE AUTHORITY OF THE PURE DEVOTEE to meet the simple regulations of the shastra IN EXACTLY AND PRECISELY AS HE HAS BEEN TOLD TO DO BY LORD KRISHNA AND HIS ETERNAL CONSORT SRIMATI RADHARANI.

 

THIS IS THE CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF SHASTRA.

 

ANTHING LESS THAN THIS - IS "LESS THAN ADORABLE" AT BEST AND ATHEISTIC AND DEMONIC AT THE VERY WORST.

 

WE DON'T ESTIMATE THE AUTHORITY OF SRILA PRABHUPADA - IN ANY WAY - AGAINST WHAT WE THINK WE FIND IN THE SHASTRA.

 

MEN LIKE Krishna Kirti HAVE BEEN SPOON-FED ATHEISM IN THE GUISE OF DEVOTION - BY A VERY CONFUSED GROUP OF MUNDANE WRANGLERS AND ATHEISTS.

 

THEY WANT KRISHNA - WITHOUT HIS PURE DEVOTEE.

 

LIKE THE PAINTINGS THAT WERE REJECTED BY HIS DIVINE GRACE,  FOR THEIR DEPICTING KRISHNA WITHOUT HIS PURE DEVOTEE AND ITS REVELATION OF PURE DEVOTION - THIS MISPREPRESENTATION OF LORD KRISHNA AND HIS "SHASTRA" (HIS REVELATION OF DEVOTEES AND THEIR DEVOTION) HAS NO PLACE IN KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS.