"Again You Become a Mouse."

In a class on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Chapter 15, Text 20 given in Los Angeles by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on November 30, 1973 he makes a strong point by telling the following story of the tiger who became a mouse:

You know the story, punar mūṣiko bhava? Anyone knows? Punar mūṣiko bhava means "Again you become a mouse."
A mouse came to a saintly person: "Sir, I am very much troubled."
"What is that?"
(People generally go to saintly persons for some material profit. That is the nature, animalistic nature. Why you should go to a saintly person for some material benefit? No. You go there to learn what is God. That is real business. Anyway, saintly persons sometimes receive.)
"So what do you want?"
(Just like Lord Śiva, his devotees are all like that mouse, want something.)
"Sir, this cat troubles me very much."
"So what you want?"
"Let me become a cat."
"All right, you become a cat."
So he became a cat. Then after few days, he came back.
"Sir, still I am in trouble."
"What is that?"
"The dogs, they trouble us very much."
"So what you want?"
"Now I want to become a dog."
"All right, you become."
Then after few days... One after..., there is nature's arrangement. One is weak, one is strong. That is nature's arrangement. So after all, he wanted to become a tiger. So by the grace of the saintly person, he became a tiger.
And when he became a tiger, he was staring on the saintly person like, oh.
So the saintly person asked him, "You want to eat me?"
"Yes."
"Oh, then you may again become a mouse. If by my grace, by my favor, you have become tiger, so I will again condemn you to become a mouse."

So you American people, you have become tiger now, Nixon tiger. But if you don't behave obligely, if you don't feel obliged, if the tiger feels obliged that "By the grace of the saintly person, I have come to the stage of becoming a tiger, I must be very much obliged to him..."
But instead of becoming obliged, if you want to eat, then again become a mouse. If the saintly person has got the power to make you from mouse to tiger, then he can convert you again from tiger to mouse.
You must always remember this. So by the grace of God, Kṛṣṇa, you have become so powerful nation, rich, beautiful, educated. By grace of Kṛṣṇa you have become, but if you forget Kṛṣṇa, then you are again going to be mouse. Remember that. Nobody will care for you.
Just like Englishmen. Englishmen, they established the British Empire, great, powerful, most powerful nation in the world. Now they are not so. Because they misused their power. So you get power, opulence, by the grace of Lord, Kṛṣṇa. And if you misuse it, then you become again... That is happening. That is the nature's law. Nature's law.

---end of quote from lecture--

When I was a young boy growing up in American every morning there was a public prayer to God broadcast throughout the whole school. But then the government banned the public prayers. It was also illegal to kill an unborn baby within the mother's womb by abortion, but the government made it legal to kill unborn babies. This sinfulness sanctioned by the US government means that the tiger-like nation, the United States of America, is soon going to be reduced to a mouse-like status unless it brings Krishna or God back the center. So this is one of the missions of ISKCON, to convince the leaders of the USA to bring God back to the center of the American society where He belongs. This will solidify the position of the United States of America as the world's leading nation.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom

Question: Good Relationships with Devotees?

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaja.
Dandavat Pranaam 🙏.

How do we maintain a good relationship with devotees when they ignore you when you open up your heart, perspectives and weaknesses to them? I ask this because association is the main business in Krishna Consciousness.

Yours insignificant servant,
Suraj Bhujbal

Answer: Associate Within Your Heart

My Dear Suraj,

Please accept my blessings.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

If some devotees choose to keep you at a distance, respect them from a distance. In this way you will have their association within your heart.

I hope this meets you in the best of health and in an ecstatic mood.

Your ever well-wisher,
Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Sankarshan Das Adhikari is one of the spiritual masters of the worldwide Hare Krishna Movement. He has dedicated the last 50 years of his life for bringing a spiritual revolution to planet earth by spreading the teachings of Lord Sri Krishna all over the world. He is based in Austin, Texas and when there is no pandemic he regularly travels all over the world teaching his audiences how to attain Krishna consciousness, the highest stage of spiritual awakening. He is available for media interviews and to speak to groups and organizations either in person ora the internet.