Tolerate the dualities.

Thought For the Day

The Ultimate Self Realization Course

"Godhead is light. Nescience is darkness. Where there is Godhead there is no nescience."

Tolerate the Dualities

Things often do not go well here in this material world. Therefore Krishna instructs us to tolerate these dualities. Here is a wonderful verse from the Bhagavad-gita in this connection:

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino 'nityās
tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata

O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.

And here is Srila Prabhupada's wonderful purport;

In the proper discharge of duty, one has to learn to tolerate nonpermanent appearances and disappearances of happiness and distress. According to Vedic injunction, one has to take his bath early in the morning even during the month of Māgha (January-February). It is very cold at that time, but in spite of that a man who abides by the religious principles does not hesitate to take his bath. Similarly, a woman does not hesitate to cook in the kitchen in the months of May and June, the hottest part of the summer season. One has to execute his duty in spite of climatic inconveniences. Similarly, to fight is the religious principle of the kṣatriyas, and although one has to fight with some friend or relative, one should not deviate from his prescribed duty. One has to follow the prescribed rules and regulations of religious principles in order to rise up to the platform of knowledge, because by knowledge and devotion only can one liberate himself from the clutches of māyā (illusion).
The two different names of address given to Arjuna are also significant. To address him as Kaunteya signifies his great blood relations from his mother's side; and to address him as Bhārata signifies his greatness from his father's side. From both sides he is supposed to have a great heritage. A great heritage brings responsibility in the matter of proper discharge of duties; therefore, he cannot avoid fighting.

If we take full advantage of these teachings our lives will be unlimitedly sublime!

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Krishna Instructs Arjuna

Urgent! Please Help Us Make the World Krishna Conscious.

Donate Now by Clicking Here

Questions and Answers

Hare Krishna Srila Gurudeva,

Please accept my humble obeisances,
All glories to Your Divine Grace and Srimati Gurumataji,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Dear Gurudev,

I hope you are recovering from your medical issues. I would like to know that a pure devotee should not desire for liberation as it is a selfish motive. What happens after for a pure devotee upon leaving his body; he goes to Krsna world (liberation) or he may come again but still stays pure devotee?

Your eternal servant,
Nityakrsna das.

Answer

From: Mumbai, India

My Dear Nityakrishna,

Please accept my blessings.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

A pure devotee does not have to think about a liberation because he is already liberated even if he is still in this material world.

Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita 8.16:

ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ
punar āvartino 'rjuna
mām upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate

"From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again."


I hope this meets you in the best of health.
Your ever well-wisher,

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

For ecstatic lectures click here.

Have You Gotten My Memoir Yet?

In it I tell the amazing story of how I came to consciousness.
You can order a copy right now by clicking on the photo