By the Prabhupada-anugas.
Srila
Prabhupada explains: Who is Bali maharaja?
Books :
Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 4: "The Creation of the Fourth Order" : SB
4.24: Chanting the Song Sung by Lord Siva : SB 4.24.51 : PURPORT :
Lord Śiva is one
of the twelve great authorities mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.3.20). These authorities are
Svayambhū, Nārada, Śambhu, Kumāra, Kapila, Manu, Prahlāda, Janaka, Bhīṣma,
Bali, Vaiyāsaki, or Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and
Yamarāja.
Books :
Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 1:"Creation" : SB 1.12: Birth of Emperor
Pariksit : SB 1.12.25 : PURPORT :
Bali Mahārāja: One of the twelve authorities in the
devotional service of the Lord. Bali Mahārāja is a great authority in devotional service
because he sacrificed everything to please the Lord and relinquished the
connection of his so-called spiritual master who obstructed him on the path of
risking everything for the service of the Lord. The highest
perfection of religious life is to attain to the stage of unqualified
devotional service of the Lord without any cause or without being obstructed by
any kind of worldly obligation. Bali
Mahārāja was determined to give up everything for the satisfaction of the Lord,
and he did not care for any obstruction whatsoever. He is the grandson of Prahlāda Mahārāja, another authority in the
devotional service of the Lord.
Bali Mahārāja and the history of his
dealings with Viṣṇu Vāmanadeva are described in the Eighth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Chapter 11-24).
As a
Krpa-siddha by the mercy of Lord Vishnu.
Books :
Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 8: "Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations" :
SB 8.20: Bali Maharaja Surrenders the Universe
: SB 8.20.3 : PURPORT :
Bali
Mahārāja had already been blessed by his grandfather Prahlāda Mahārāja.
Therefore, he was a pure devotee, although born in a family of demons. There
are two kinds of highly elevated devotees, called sādhana-siddha and kṛpā-siddha. Sādhana-siddha
refers to one who has become a devotee by regular execution of the regulative
principles mentioned in the śāstras, as
ordered and directed by the spiritual master. If one regularly executes such
devotional service, he will certainly attain perfection in due course of time.
But there are other devotees, who may not have undergone all the required
details of devotional service but who, by the special mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa—the
spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead—have immediately
attained the perfection of pure devotional service. Examples of such devotees
are the yajña-patnīs, Mahārāja Bali and Śukadeva Gosvāmī. The yajña-patnīs were the wives of ordinary brāhmaṇas engaged in fruitive activities. Although the brāhmaṇas were very learned and advanced in Vedic knowledge, they
could not achieve the mercy of Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma,
whereas their wives achieved complete perfection in devotional service, despite
their being women. Similarly, Vairocani, Bali Mahārāja,
received the mercy of Prahlāda Mahārāja, and by Prahlāda Mahārāja’s mercy he
also received the mercy of Lord Viṣṇu,
who appeared before him as a brahmacārī
beggar. Thus Bali Mahārāja became a kṛpā-siddha because of the special mercy of both guru and Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirms this favor: guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (Cc. Madhya
19.151).
Bali Mahārāja, by the grace of
Prahlāda Mahārāja, got the seed of devotional service, and when that seed
developed, he achieved the ultimate fruit of that service, namely love of
Godhead (premā pum-artho mahān),
immediately upon the appearance of Lord Vāmanadeva. Bali Mahārāja regularly maintained devotion
for the Lord, and because he was purified, the Lord appeared before him.
Because of unalloyed love for the Lord, he then immediately decided, “I shall
give this little dwarf brāhmaṇa whatever He asks from me.” This is a sign of love. Thus Bali Mahārāja is understood to
be one who received the highest perfection of devotional service by special
mercy.
Books :
Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 5: "The Creative Impetus" : SB 5.24: The
Subterranean Heavenly Planets : SB 5.24.18 : PURPORT :
The Supreme
Personality of Godhead is described as Uttamaśloka, “He who is worshiped by the
best of selected Sanskrit verses,” and His devotees such as Bali Mahārāja are also worshiped by puṇya-śloka, verses that increase one’s piety. Bali Mahārāja offered everything to the Lord—his wealth, his kingdom and
even his own body (sarvātma-nivedane baliḥ). The Lord appeared before Bali Mahārāja as a brāhmaṇa beggar, and Bali
Mahārāja gave Him everything he had. However, Bali Mahārāja did not become poor; by
donating all his possessions to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he became a
successful devotee and got everything back again with the blessings of the
Lord. Similarly, those who give contributions to expand the activities of the Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement and to accomplish its objectives will never be losers;
they will get their wealth back with the blessings of Lord Kṛṣṇa. On
the other side, those who collect contributions on behalf of the International
Society for Krishna Consciousness should be very careful not to use even a
farthing of the collection for any purpose other than the transcendental loving
service of the Lord.
Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 6:
"Prescribed Duties for Mankind" : SB 6.3: Yamaraja Instructs His
Messengers : SB 6.3 Summary :
Yamarāja continued, “The essence of sanātana-dharma, or eternal religion, is extremely confidential. No one but the
Lord Himself can deliver that confidential religious system to human society. It is by the mercy of the Lord that the
transcendental system of religion can be understood by His pure devotees, and
specifically by the twelve mahājanas—Lord Brahmā, Nārada Muni, Lord Śiva, the
Kumāras, Kapila, Manu, Prahlāda, Janaka, Bhīṣma, Bali, Śukadeva Gosvāmī and me. Other learned scholars, headed by Jaimini, are almost always
covered by the illusory energy, and therefore they are more or less attracted
by the flowery language of the three Vedas, namely Ṛg, Yajur and Sāma, which are called trayī. Instead of becoming pure devotees, people captivated by the
flowery words of these three Vedas are interested in the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. They cannot
understand the glories of chanting the holy name of the Lord. Intelligent
persons, however, take to the devotional service of the Lord. When they chant
the holy name of the Lord without offenses, they are no longer subject to my
rulings. If by chance they commit some sinful act, they are protected by the
holy name of the Lord because that is where their interest lies. The four
weapons of the Lord, especially the club and the Sudarśana cakra, always protect the devotees. One who chants, hears or remembers
the holy name of the Lord without duplicity, or who prays or offers obeisances
to the Lord, becomes perfect, whereas even a learned person may be called to
hell if he is bereft of devotional service.”
Srila
Prabhupada explains how Bali Maharaja attained
perfection. .
Books :
Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 7: "The Science of God" : SB 7.5: Prahlada
Maharaja, the Saintly Son of Hiranyakasipu : SB 7.5.23, SB 7.5.24, SB 7.5.23-24
: PURPORT :
“Parīkṣit
Mahārāja attained salvation simply by hearing, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī attained
salvation simply by chanting. Prahlāda Mahārāja attained salvation by
remembering the Lord. The goddess of fortune, Lakṣmīdevī,
attained perfection by worshiping the Lord’s lotus feet. Pṛthu
Mahārāja attained salvation by worshiping the Deity of the Lord. Akrūra
attained salvation by offering prayers, Hanumān by rendering service, Arjuna by
establishing friendship with the Lord, and
Bali
Mahārāja by offering everything to the service of the Lord.” All these great devotees served the Lord
according to a particular process, but every one of them attained salvation and
became eligible to return home, back to Godhead
Srila
Prabhupada explains under what circumstances Bali
Maharaja rejected his so-called guru.
Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 8: "Withdrawal of the
Cosmic Creations" : SB 8.20: Bali
Maharaja Surrenders the Universe : SB 8.20.1 : PURPORT :
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
remarks that Bali Mahārāja remained silent at a critical point. How could he
disobey the instruction of Śukrācārya,
his spiritual master? It is the duty of such a sober personality as Bali
Mahārāja to abide by the orders of his spiritual master immediately, as his
spiritual master had advised. But Bali Mahārāja also considered that Śukrācārya was no longer to be accepted as
a spiritual master, for he had deviated from the duty of a spiritual master.
According to śāstra, the duty of the guru is to take the disciple back home, back
to Godhead. If he is unable to do so and instead hinders the disciple in going
back to Godhead, he should not be a guru.
Gurur na sa syāt (Bhāg. 5.5.18).
One should not become a guru if he
cannot enable his disciple to advance in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. The goal of life is to become a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa so
that one may be freed from the bondage of material existence (tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mam eti so ’rjuna [Bg. 4.9]). The
spiritual master helps the disciple attain this stage by developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now Śukrācārya
has advised Bali Mahārāja to deny the promise
to Vāmanadeva. Under the circumstances, therefore, Bali Mahārāja thought that there would be no fault if he disobeyed the
order of his spiritual master. He deliberated on this point—should he refuse to
accept the advise of his spiritual master, or should he independently do
everything to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead? He took some time.
Therefore it is said, tūṣṇīṁ bhūtvā kṣaṇaṁ rajann uvācāvahito gurum. After deliberating on
this point, he decided that Lord Viṣṇu should be pleased in
all circumstances, even at the risk of ignoring the guru’s advice to the
contrary,.
Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 5: "The Creative
Impetus" : SB 5.5: Lord Rsabhadeva's Teachings to His Sons : SB 5.5.18 :
PURPORT : “One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated
birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a
mother or a worshipable demigod.
There are many spiritual masters, but Ṛṣabhadeva
advises that one should not become a spiritual master if he is unable to save
his disciple from the path of birth and death. Unless one is a pure devotee of
Kṛṣṇa, he cannot save himself from the path of repeated birth
and death. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so’rjuna [Bg. 4.9]. One can stop birth and death only by
returning home, back to Godhead. However, who can go back to Godhead unless he
understands the Supreme Lord in truth? Janma
karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ [Bg. 4.9].
We have many instances in history
illustrating Ṛṣabhadeva’s instructions. Śukrācārya was rejected by Bali Mahārāja due to his inability to save Bali Mahārāja
from the path of repeated birth and death. Śukrācārya
was not a pure devotee, he was more or less inclined to fruitive activity, and
he objected when Bali
Mahārāja promised to give everything to Lord Viṣṇu. Actually one is supposed to give everything to the Lord
because everything belongs to the Lord. Consequently, the Supreme Lord advises
in Bhagavad-gītā (9.27):
“O son of Kuntī, all that you do, all that
you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you
may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.” This is bhakti. Unless one is devoted, he cannot give
everything to the Supreme Lord. Unless one can do so, he cannot become a
spiritual master, husband, father or mother. Similarly, the wives of the brāhmaṇas who were performing sacrifices gave up their relatives
just to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. This is an example of a wife rejecting a husband who cannot
deliver her from the impending dangers of birth and death. Similarly, Prahlāda
Mahārāja rejected his father, and Bharata Mahārāja rejected his mother (jananī na sā syāt). The word daivam indicates a demigod or one who accepts
worship from a dependent. Ordinarily, the spiritual master, husband, father,
mother or superior relative accepts worship from an inferior relative, but here
Ṛṣabhadeva forbids this. First the father, spiritual
master or husband must be able to release the dependent from repeated birth and
death. If he cannot do this, he plunges himself into the ocean of
reproachment for his unlawful activities. Everyone should be very responsible and take charge of his
dependents just as a spiritual master takes charge of his disciple or a father
takes charge of his son. All these responsibilities cannot be discharged
honestly unless one can save the dependent from repeated birth and death
Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 8: "Withdrawal of the
Cosmic Creations" : SB 8.15: Bali
Maharaja Conquers the Heavenly Planets : SB 8.15.31 : TRANSLATION : Bali Mahārāja has now become extremely
powerful because of the benedictions given him by the brāhmaṇas, but
when he later insults the brāhmaṇas, he
will be vanquished, along with his friends and assistants.
Bali Mahārāja and Indra were enemies.
Therefore, when Bṛhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods, predicted that Bali Mahārāja would be vanquished when he
insulted the brāhmaṇas by whose grace he had become so powerful, Bali Mahārāja’s enemies were naturally
anxious to know when that opportune moment would come. To pacify King Indra, Bṛhaspati
assured him that the time would certainly come, for Bṛhaspati
could see that in the future Bali Mahārāja
would defy the orders of Śukrācārya in order to pacify Lord Viṣṇu,
Vāmanadeva. Of course, to advance in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, one can take all risks. To please Vāmanadeva, Bali
Mahārāja risked defying the orders of his spiritual master, Śukrācārya. Because
of this, he would lose all his property, yet because of devotional service to
the Lord, he would get more than he expected, and in the future, in the eighth manvantara, he would occupy the throne of
Indra again.
Srila Prabhupada explains that Sukracarya was a smarta
brahmana
Books :
Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 8: "Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations" :
SB 8.19: Lord Vamanadeva Begs Charity from Bali
Maharaja : SB 8.19.33 : PURPORT :
Bali Mahārāja might argue that he had promised only three steps
of land. But Śukrācārya, being a very learned brāhmaṇa, immediately understood that this was a
plan of Hari, who had falsely appeared there as a brahmacārī. The words mūḍha vartiṣyase katham reveal that Śukrācārya was a brāhmaṇa of the priestly class. Such priestly brāhmaṇas are mostly interested in receiving
remuneration from their disciples. Therefore when Śukrācārya saw that Bali Mahārāja had risked all of his
possessions, he understood that this would cause havoc not only to the King but
also to the family of Śukrācārya, who was dependent on Mahārāja Bali’s mercy. This is the difference
between a Vaiṣṇava and a smārta-brāhmaṇa. A smārta-brāhmaṇa is always interested in material profit,
whereas a Vaiṣṇava is interested only
in satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. From the statement of
Śukrācārya, it appears that he was in all respects a smārta-brāhmaṇa interested only in
personal gain.
Srila
Prabhupada explains the defect in Sukracarya's mentality
Books :
Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 8: "Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations" :
SB 8.19: Lord Vamanadeva Begs Charity from Bali Maharaja : SB 8.19.34 :
PURPOkramato gāṁ padaikena
kramataḥ—gradually;
gām—the surface of the land; padā ekena—by one step; dvitīyena—by the second step; divam—the whole of outer space; vibhoḥ—of the
universal form; kham ca—the sky also; kāyena—by the expansion of His transcendental
body; mahatā—by the universal form; tārtīyasya—as far as the third step is
concerned; kutaḥ—where
is; gatiḥ—to keep
His step.
Vāmanadeva will
first occupy the three worlds with one step, then He will take His second step
and occupy everything in outer space, and then He will expand His universal
body to occupy everything. Where will you offer Him the third step?
“You have
promised three steps,” he said. “But with only two steps, all your possessions
will be finished. How then will you give Him a place for His third step?” Śukrācārya
did not know how the Lord protects His devotee. The devotee must risk
everything in his possession for the service of the Lord, but he is always
protected and never defeated. By
materialistic calculations, Śukrācārya thought that Bali Mahārāja would under no circumstances
be able to keep his promise to the brahmacārī,
Lord Vāmanadeva
Srila
Prabhupada relates why Bali Maharaja rejected
his spiritual master
Books :
Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 8: "Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations" :
SB 8.20: Bali Maharaja Surrenders the Universe
: SB 8.20.1 : PURPORT :
Śrīla Viśvanātha
Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks that Bali
Mahārāja remained silent at a critical point. How could he disobey the
instruction of Śukrācārya, his spiritual master? It is the duty of such a sober
personality as Bali Mahārāja to abide
by the orders of his spiritual master immediately, as his spiritual master had
advised. But Bali Mahārāja also considered
that Śukrācārya was no longer to be accepted as a spiritual master, for he had
deviated from the duty of a spiritual master. According to śāstra, the duty of the guru is to take the disciple back home, back
to Godhead. If he is unable to do so and instead hinders the disciple in going
back to Godhead, he should not be a guru. Gurur na sa
syāt (Bhāg. 5.5.18).
One should not become a guru if he
cannot enable his disciple to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
The goal of life is to become a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa so
that one may be freed from the bondage of material existence (tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mam eti so ’rjuna [Bg. 4.9]). The
spiritual master helps the disciple attain this stage by developing Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. Now Śukrācārya has advised Bali
Mahārāja to deny the promise to Vāmanadeva. Under the circumstances,
therefore, Bali
Mahārāja thought that there would be no fault if he disobeyed the order of his
spiritual master. He deliberated on this point—should he refuse to
accept the advise of his spiritual master, or should he independently do
everything to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead? He took some time. Therefore it is said, tūṣṇīṁ bhūtvā kṣaṇaṁ rajann uvācāvahito gurum. After deliberating on
this point, he decided that Lord Viṣṇu should be pleased in
all circumstances, even at the risk of ignoring the guru’s advice to the
contrary
Sukracarya
did not know the principles of a devotee
Books :
Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 8: "Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations" :
SB 8.20: Bali Maharaja Surrenders the Universe
: SB 8.20.2 : PURPORT :
Bali
Mahārāja’s grave answer to Śukrācārya is meaningful. Śukrācārya stressed that
one’s material means of livelihood and one’s material reputation, sense
gratification and economic development must continue properly. To see to this
is the first duty of a man who is a householder, especially one who is
interested in material affairs. If a religious principle does not affect one’s
material condition, it is to be accepted. At the present time, in this age of
Kali, this idea is extremely prominent. No one is prepared to accept any
religious principle if it hampers material prosperity. Śukrācārya, being a
person of this material world, did not know the principles of a devotee. A
devotee is determined to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead to His full
satisfaction. Anything that hampers such determination should certainly be
rejected. This is the principle of bhakti.
Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam (Cc. Madhya
22.100).
To perform devotional service, one must accept only that which is favorable and
reject that which is unfavorable. Bali
Mahārāja had the opportunity to contribute everything he possessed to the lotus
feet of Lord Vāmanadeva, but Śukrācārya was
putting forward a material argument to hamper this process of devotional service.
Under the circumstances, Bali
Mahārāja decided that such hindrances should certainly be avoided. In other
words, he decided immediately to reject the advice of Śukrācārya.
Bali Maharaja was never misguided even by his so called-guru.
Books :
Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 8: "Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations" :
SB 8.20: Bali Maharaja Surrenders the Universe
: SB 8.20.11 : PURPORT :
“The Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, is
worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varṇa and āśrama. There
is no other way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 3.8.9) One must ultimately worship Lord Viṣṇu, and
for that purpose the varṇāśrama system organizes society into brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras, brahmacārīs, gṛhasthas, vānaprasthas and sannyāsīs.
Bali Mahārāja, having been perfectly educated in
devotional service by his grandfather Prahlāda Mahārāja, knew how things are to
be done. He was never to be misguided by anyone, even by a person who happened
to be his so-called spiritual master. This is the sign of full
surrender. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
said:
Srila Prabhupada elaborates on how Sukracarya fell down from his
position as a spiritual master
Letters : 1968
Correspondence : July : Letter to: Satsvarupa -- Montreal 3 July, 1968 : 68-07-03 :
Question 3,
answer: Why Bali Maharaja is considered a Mahajana: Bali Maharaja is Mahajana
because he wanted to serve Visnu by disobeying his non-bona fide spiritual
master. As explained above, Sukracarya
was hereditary spiritual master by seminic succession. But Bali Maharaja first
revolted against this stereotyped seminic succession spiritual master, and
therefore he is Mahajana. Srila Jiva Goswami has described in his
Karamasandharvha that one should be anxious to accept a spiritual master who is
bona fide in spiritual knowledge. And if need be one should relinquish the
connection of hereditary spiritual master and accept a real bona fide spiritual
master. So when Sukaracharya advised him
contrary to his previous instructions, specifically, he checked Bali Maharaja in the matter of worshiping Visnu, and thus
Sukaracharya became at once fallen down from the position of becoming a
spiritual master. Nobody can become a spiritual master who is not a
devotee of Visnu. A brahmana may be very expert in the matter of performing
Vedic rituals, accepting charities, and distributing wealth—all these are
exalted qualifications of the brahmanas, but the Vedic injunction is, in spite
of possessing all these qualities, if somebody is against Lord Visnu, he cannot
be a spiritual master. So when Sukaracharya advised Bali Maharaja against
Visnu, he at once became unqualified for becoming a spiritual master. Bali
Maharaja disobeyed such unqualified spiritual master, and therefore, he is
accepted as Mahajana. Mahajana means a personality whose footprints should be
followed. So, his exemplary behavior in rejecting a non-Vaisnava spiritual
master being ideal to the bona fide students, he is considered a Mahajana.
Gurus who
hinder disciples's progress should be rejected.
Books :
Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 8: "Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations" :
SB 8.20: Bali Maharaja Surrenders the Universe
: SB 8.20.1 : PURPORT :
Śrīla Viśvanātha
Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks that Bali
Mahārāja remained silent at a critical point. How could he disobey the
instruction of Śukrācārya, his spiritual master? It is the duty of such a sober
personality as Bali Mahārāja to abide
by the orders of his spiritual master immediately, as his spiritual master had
advised. But Bali
Mahārāja also considered that Śukrācārya was no longer to be accepted as a
spiritual master, for he had deviated from the duty of a spiritual master. According to śāstra,
the duty of the guru is to take the
disciple back home, back to Godhead. If he is unable to do so and instead
hinders the disciple in going back to Godhead, he should not be a guru. Gurur na sa syāt
(Bhāg. 5.5.18).
One should not become a guru if he
cannot enable his disciple to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The goal of life is to become a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa so
that one may be freed from the bondage of material existence (tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mam eti so ’rjuna [Bg. 4.9]). The
spiritual master helps the disciple attain this stage by developing Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. Now Śukrācārya has advised Bali
Mahārāja to deny the promise to Vāmanadeva. Under the circumstances,
therefore, Bali
Mahārāja thought that there would be no fault if he disobeyed the order of his
spiritual master. He deliberated on this point—should he refuse to
accept the advise of his spiritual master, or should he independently do
everything to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead? He took some time. Therefore it is said, tūṣṇīṁ bhūtvā kṣaṇaṁ rajann uvācāvahito gurum. After deliberating on
this point, he decided that Lord Viṣṇu should be pleased in
all circumstances, even at the risk of ignoring the guru’s advice to the contrary
Srila Prabhupada's advice regarding gurus who cannot release the
dependent from birth and death.
Books :
Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 5: "The Creative Impetus" : SB 5.5: Lord
Rsabhadeva's Teachings to His Sons : SB 5.5.18 : PURPORT This is bhakti. Unless one is devoted, he cannot give
everything to the Supreme Lord. Unless one can do so, he cannot become a
spiritual master, husband, father or mother. Similarly, the wives of the brāhmaṇas who were performing sacrifices gave up their relatives
just to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. This is an example of a wife rejecting a husband who cannot
deliver her from the impending dangers of birth and death. Similarly, Prahlāda
Mahārāja rejected his father, and Bharata Mahārāja rejected his mother (jananī na sā syāt). The word daivam indicates a demigod or one who accepts
worship from a dependent. Ordinarily, the spiritual master, husband, father,
mother or superior relative accepts worship from an inferior relative, but here
Ṛṣabhadeva forbids this. First
the father, spiritual master or husband must be able to release the dependent
from repeated birth and death. If
he cannot do this, he plunges himself into the ocean of reproachment for his
unlawful activities. Everyone should be very responsible and take charge of his
dependents just as a spiritual master takes charge of his disciple or a father
takes charge of his son. All these responsibilities cannot be discharged
honestly unless one can save the dependent from repeated birth and death
Books :
Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 1:"Creation" : SB 1.4: The Appearance of
Sri Narada : SB 1.4.1 : PURPORT :
In a meeting of
learned men, when there are congratulations or addresses for the speaker, the
qualifications of the congratulator should be as follows. He must be the leader
of the house and an elderly man. He must be vastly learned also. Śrī Śaunaka Ṛṣi had
all these qualifications, and thus he stood up to congratulate Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī
when he expressed his desire to present Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
exactly as he heard it from Śukadeva Gosvāmī and also realized it personally. Personal
realization does not mean that one should, out of vanity, attempt to show one's
own learning by trying to surpass the previous ācārya.
He must have full confidence in the previous ācārya,
and at the same time he must realize the subject matter so nicely that he can
present the matter for the particular circumstances in a suitable manner. The original purpose of the text must be maintained.
No obscure meaning should be screwed out of it, yet it should be presented in
an interesting manner for the understanding of the audience. This is called
realization. The leader of the assembly, Śaunaka, could estimate the value of
the speaker, Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī, simply by his uttering yathādhītam and yathā-mati, and therefore he was very glad to
congratulate him in ecstasy. No learned man should be willing to hear a
person who does not represent the original ācārya. So the speaker and the audience were bona
fide in this meeting where Bhāgavatam
was being recited for the second time. That should be the standard of
recitation of Bhāgavatam, so that the
real purpose can be served without difficulty. Unless this situation is
created, Bhāgavatam recitation for
extraneous purposes is useless labor both for the speaker and for the audience.
What about those persons who are hindering
the worship of the pure devotee Srila Prabhupada?
In the same way,
those who hinder the worship of Lord Vishnu's pure devotee on this planet
and disobey His instructions, (Krsna-prsthaya bhutale), who is always fixed at
the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu (Nama Om Vishnu Padaya), namely His Divine Grace
Srila Prabhupada, should be neglected, and rejected just as Bali Maharaja
rejected Sukracarya.
Prabhupada: (Ignoring question) Because
that is offense. Guror avajna.
First offense is guror avajna, defying the authority of guru. This is
the first offense. So one who is offensive, how he can make advance in
First offense is guror avajna, defying the authority of guru. This is
the first offense. So one who is offensive, how he can make advance in
chanting? He cannot make. Then everything is finished in
the
beginning. Guror avajna. Everything is there. If one is disobeying the
beginning. Guror avajna. Everything is there. If one is disobeying the
spiritual master, he
cannot remain in the pure status of life. He
cannot be siksa-guru or anything else. He is finished, immediately.
Guror avajna sruti-sastra-nindanam, namno balad yasya hi... You do not
study all these things. You become initiated. There are ten kinds of
offenses. Do you have any regard for these things or not? You must
avoid these ten kinds of offenses. The first offense is to disobey the
orders of guru. That is first offense. So if you are offensive, how
you can become advanced by chanting? That is also not possible.
cannot be siksa-guru or anything else. He is finished, immediately.
Guror avajna sruti-sastra-nindanam, namno balad yasya hi... You do not
study all these things. You become initiated. There are ten kinds of
offenses. Do you have any regard for these things or not? You must
avoid these ten kinds of offenses. The first offense is to disobey the
orders of guru. That is first offense. So if you are offensive, how
you can become advanced by chanting? That is also not possible.
740704BG.HON Lectures 207299/530501
What if the spiritual master does not know
what is to be done and what is not to be done?
Lectures :
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 1: Lectures : SB 1.16: Lectures :
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.36 -- Tokyo,
January 30, 1974 : 740130SB.TOK :
But when one
leaves a spiritual master, the spiritual master, there may be some reason. That reason is also given in the śāstra, gurur
api avaliptasya kāryākāryam ajānataḥ(?). Kārya akārya. If the spiritual
master does not know what is actually to be done, what is actually not to be
done, and he acts against the rules and regulations of the śāstra, then
such spiritual master may be given up. But
so long you do not find the spiritual master is doing against the principles of
śāstra or guru, then if you give up the company of spiritual master,
that is not good for you. That is your downfall. First of all, you must take
sufficient time to study the movements of a spiritual master. Spiritual master
is one—the spiritual master. Because there may be many spiritual master,
but if their business is one—to satisfy Kṛṣṇa—although they're many, they're one. Although they're many, they
are still one. The principle is one: to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Such is the position of spiritual master, that yasya
prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ: **
if you try to please your spiritual master, then God, Kṛṣṇa, becomes pleased. That is natural
What is a spiritual master is not
competent to help the disciple make progress nicely?t
Lectures :
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 6: Lectures : SB 6.3: Lectures :
Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.18-19 -- Gorakhpur,
February 12, 1971 : 710212SB.GOR :
So how they have
become mahājana, that is also described. Mahājana means one who
can sacrifice everything for the sake of the Supreme Lord. Prahlāda Mahārāja,
he personally saw that the father is killed before him. But from material point
of view, this is the most abominable, I mean to say, incident, that a son is
seeing that his father is being killed before him without any protest.
Similarly, Bali Mahārāja, he gave up the connection of his spiritual master. To
give up the connection with spiritual
master, that is also most abominable. So these people became mahājanas
because as soon as they saw that "My father or my spiritual master is
against the Supreme Personality of Godhead, such person immediately should be
given up." Jīva Gosvāmī says... In Indian, according to Indian custom,
there is a family spiritual master, family priest, family spiritual master. So
Jīva Gosvāmī says that for advancement of spiritual life, one should give up
the family spiritual master if he is not competent and accept actually a bona
fide spiritual master. Because people are under impression that... Impression... It is a
fact that one cannot give up the connection of the spiritual
master. That is a great sin. But Jīva
Gosvāmī says that if your family spiritual master does not help you in your
matter of making progress in spiritual life, then you should give up his connection and accept a
bona fide spiritual master. That is their direction. Gurur apy avaliptasya kāryākāryam ajānataḥ, parityāgo vidhīyate: "If a spiritual master is not
competent to help the disciple to make progress nicely, or if he goes
against...
Books :
Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 8: "Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations" :
SB 8.20: Bali Maharaja Surrenders the Universe
: SB 8.20.1
Anyone who
is supposed to be a guru but who goes
against the principle of viṣṇu-bhakti cannot be accepted as guru. If one has falsely accepted such a guru, one should reject him. Such a guru is described as follows (Mahābhārata, Udyoga 179.25):
Śrīla
Jīva Gosvāmī has advised that such a useless guru,
a family priest acting as guru, should
be given up, and that the proper, bona-fide guru
should be accepted.
ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro
mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ
avaiṣṇavo gurur na syād
vaiṣṇavaḥ śvapaco guruḥ
mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ
avaiṣṇavo gurur na syād
vaiṣṇavaḥ śvapaco guruḥ
“A
scholarly brāhmaṇa expert in all subjects of Vedic knowledge is unfit to
become a spiritual master without being a Vaiṣṇava, but if a person born in a family of a lower caste is a Vaiṣṇava, he can become a spiritual master.” (Padma Purāṇa)
EVERYONE SHOULD ACCEPT SRILA PRABHUPADA AS SPIRITUAL MASTER.
As the Vedas underscore, acaryavan puruso veda: to get a bona fide understanding of Lord and His instructions in the scriptures, spiritual seekers must follow a bona fide acarya or spiritual master. Srila Prabhupada affirms this foundational spiritual principle and casts aside the notion that material space and time can somehow prevent followers of the spiritual master from associating with him in the here and now.
"Sri Jiva Gosvami advises that one not accept a spiritual master in terms of hereditary or customary social and ecclesiastical conventions. One should simply try to find a genuinely qualified spiritual master for actual advancement in spiritual understanding." (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 1.35, Purport)
"One should take initiation from a bona fide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession, who is authorized by his predecessor spiritual master. This is called diksa-vidhana. Lord Krishna states in Bhagavad-gita, vyapasrita: one should accept a spiritual master. By this process the entire world can be converted to Krishna consciousness." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.8.54, Purport)
"... acaryavan puruso veda: one who follows the disciplic succession of acaryas knows things as they are." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.22.24, Purport, citing Chandogya Upanisad 6.14.2)
"... the Christians are following Christ, a great personality. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. You follow some mahajana, a great personality.... You follow an acarya. Like the Christians— they follow Christ, an acarya. The Muhammadans—they follow an acarya, Muhammad. That is good. You must follow some acarya.... Evam parampara-praptam." (Conversation, May 20, 1975, Melbourne)
"Regarding the parampara system: there is nothing to wonder for big gaps. We have to pick up the prominent acarya and follow from him." (Letter, April 12,1968)
"This is called guru-parampara, disciplic succession.... This is the perfect process of knowledge. You approach the perfect person and get knowledge, and that is your perfect experience.... We are getting knowledge from Krishna, the most perfect. Or you get knowledge from Jesus Christ. That is also perfect, because the source is perfect." (Conversation, June 19,1974, Germany)
"Actually, one who is guided by Jesus Christ will certainly get liberation." (Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers, Chapter 9)
"... one has to associate with liberated persons not directly, physically, but by understanding, through philosophy and logic..." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.31.48, Purport)
"These are not ordinary books. It is recorded chanting. Anyone who reads-he is hearing." (Letter, October 19, 1974)
Disciple: "I feel so far away from you, you know, when you're not here."
Srila Prabhupada: "Oh—that you should not think. There are two conceptions: the physical conception and the vibration conception. So the physical conception is temporary. The vibration conception is eternal. Just like we are enjoying or we are relishing the vibration of Krishna's teachings. So by vibration He is present. As soon as we chant Hare Krishna or chant Bliagavad-gita or Bhagaimta, He is present immediately by His vibration. He's absolute. Therefore, try to remember His words of instruction—you'll not feel separation. You'll feel that He is with you. So we should associate by the vibration, and not by the physical presence. That is real association." (Questions and answers following a lecture, August 18, 1968, Montreal)
Disciple: Is there any way for a Christian to—without the help of a spiritual master-to reach the spiritual sky through believing in the words of Jesus Christ and trying to follow his teachings?
Srila Prabhupada: When you read the Bible, you follow the spiritual master. How can you say "without"? As soon as you read the Bible, that means you are following the instruction of Lord Jesus Christ—that means you are following the spiritual master. So where is the opportunity of being "without a spiritual master"?
Disciple: I.was referring to a living spiritual master.
Srila Prabhupada: The spiritual master is not the question of ["living"]... The spiritual master is eternal—the spiritual master is eternal. So your question is "without a spiritual master." Without a spiritual master you cannot be—at any stage of your life. You may accept this spiritual master or that spiritual master. That is a different thing. But you have to accept. You say "by reading the Bible." When you read the Bible, that means you are following the spiritual master, represented by some priest or some clergyman in the line of Lord Jesus Christ. So in any case, you have to follow a spiritual master. There cannot be the question "without a spiritual master." Is that clear? (Questions and answers following a lecture, October 2, 1968, Seattle)
"The guru must be situated on the topmost platform of devotional service. There are three classes of devotees, and the guru must be accepted from the topmost class... When one has attained the topmost position of maha-bhagavata, he is to be accepted as guru and worshiped exactly like Hari, the Personality of Godhead. Only such a person is eligible to occupy the post of a guru." (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 24.330, Purport, citing Padma Purana)
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