Never Accept Defeat

Before 5,000 years ago in the Vedic times the ksatriyas were especially noted for their chivalry and heroism. Even in recent times within the last few centuries the royal order of kings in Rajasthan were also noted in this way. Such royal order would never accept defeat. They would either win the battle or they would die in the battle. They would never flee the battlefield or surrender to the enemy.

This is a historical example in this connection. There was a Rajasthani king named Yasomanta Sena, who was the commander-in-chief of Emperor Aurangzeb. In one fight he was defeated, and he came back to his home. When his wife heard that her husband had been defeated and that he had returned home she asked the caretaker to close the door of the palace. When Yasomanta Sena came there and saw that his palace door was closed he sent a message to the queen, "Why you have closed the door? I have come home." When messenger came to the queen and informed her that the king has come and he is asking for the door to be opened, the queen replied, "Who is the king? Yasomanta Sena. Not this man. Yasomanta Sena cannot come home being defeated. Yasomanta Sena will either be victorious in battle or he will lay down his body there dead. So the man who has come must be an imposter. He is not King Yasomanta Sena." So she refused to open the door. This is the ksatriya spirit.

This same sort of do or die determination has also been many times demonstrated by those who are on the path of bhakti yoga. During the communist era when the Soviet government was trying to destroy the Krishna consciousness movement in the Soviet Union, some or our devotees accepted death at the hands of the demons rather than giving up Krishna consciousness.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Complaint: You Ignore Krishna

Please accept my humble obeisances.

I am not satisfied with your writing and giving lectures about Krishna consciousness. You just talk about everything ignoring Sri Krishna. When Srila Prabhupada lectures every word contains about Krishna. He always refers everything related to Krishna. Your lectures talks about the solutions without explaining and describing about Sri Krishna.

Don't accept this email by any wrong means for disturbing you. Just we like to hear only about Krishna in your every lecture and discussion.

From,
Sidharth, Bangkok

Answer: Real vs. Pseudo Krishna Consciousness

Before you make such complaints you should properly understand what is Krishna. I am surprised that you would write me in such a way. I am have been accused of many times over the last 38 years since I fully dedicated my life to spreading the glories of Lord Sri Krishna all over the world. But it is most surprising to be told that I am ignoring Krishna.

In my writing and in my lectures I directly say the name "Krishna" thousands and thousands of times. For example, in this short email of three paragraphs I am stating Krishna's name more than a dozen times. In addition to this, in each and every word I am presenting the teachings of Krishna. Since the teachings of Krishna and Krishna Himself are one and the same, I am doing nothing except glorifying Krishna in each and every word. So you cannot rightfully say that I am ignoring Krishna. I am connecting my readers with Krishna in each and every word that I write.

We have be very careful to avoid the trap of only wanting to hear about the person Krishna and His pastimes to the exclusion of His teachings. This is known as sahijiyaism, and is very detrimental for our spiritual progress. If we want to factually be connected with Krishna we must fully understand and implement the teachings of Lord Krishna as given in the Bhagavad-gita. This is real Krishna consciousness not the pseudo Krishna consciousness of only wanting to hear about the person Krishna and not taking any interest in His teachings.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari