śrī śrī guru gaurāṅga jayataḥ!

Rays of The Harmonist On-Line Edition

Year 13, Issue 9
Posted: 7 October 2020


Dedicated to
nitya-līlā praviṣṭa oṁ viṣṇupāda

Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja


Inspired by and under the guidance of

Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja


“I Will Gratify My Malice by Stopping the Course of the World”

by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda

SrilaBSSTP

 

If we disregard, or ignore, the devotees of God for elevating ourselves, we will be cast into the prison of three dimensions and spring towards [our materiality’s] inflation instead of contraction. 

“I will be good. I will be cured of my mundane desires. I will have real well-being.” This kind of judgement is proper. But it is not at all laudable to entertain thoughts to the contrary: “I will gratify my malice by stopping the course of the whole world.”

It is by no means proper to establish one’s superiority in opposition to the worshipfulness of God’s devotees. The path of hearing the transcendental word has been rendered devious because the text ahaṁ brahmāsmi has been misinterpreted [to mean, literally, “I am the Supreme Spirit.”]

I have listened to the true interpretation of this text at the lotus feet of my divine master, who said, “It is our eternal duty to chant constantly the name of Śrī Hari by being infinitely more truly humble than the smallest blade of grass, more truly forbearing than even the proverbially patient tree, and honouring others without seeking honour for oneself.”

What persuasive courtesy, what humility, these words express! How great is the benefit? How great is our benefit simply by listening to such words! We have heard from the Tālaba Upaniṣad that those who aspire to be masters of the devotees – the devotees being masters of God Himself – are indeed most culpably arrogant. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam significantly declares, “Let those who profess to know God brag of their knowledge but let me have nothing to do with such fellows.”

This is all I have to say on this matter. 

Adapted from The Gaudiya, Volume 24, Issue 8

By the Rays of The Harmonist Team


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