Test of Attachment

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Translated into English from Bengali
15 February 2020, part 6

The Lord tests us in many ways. You have read Srimad Bhagavad-gita. When the war was about to start, Krishna told Arjuna many things—karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, etc. Lastly Arjuna said, "I have now become Your disciple, please instruct me," then Krishna spoke the highest conception:

সর্ব্বধর্ম্মান্ পরিত্যজ্য মামেকং শরণং ব্রজ ।
অহং ত্বাং সর্ব্বপাপেভ্যো মোক্ষয়িষ্যামি মা শুচঃ ॥

sarva-dharman parityajya, mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo, moksayisyami ma suchah

"Give up all kinds of religion and surrender to Me alone. I will liberate you from all sins, do not despair."

(Srimad Bhagavad-gita, 18.66)

When the war finished and Yudhisthir, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadev returned their kingdom, Krishna said to their mother Kunti Devi, "Aunt, your sons have got the kingdom back, My job is finished now. I am leaving, there is no need for Me to stay here now. I am going to Dvaraka." The Lord tests us in many ways—He was testing Kunti Devi, and she understood it. She said, "I do not care for the kingdom, I do not care for anything—Prabhu, if You are not with us, all is empty. We do not need this kingdom. If we have You, we have everything."

There are so many things in Bhagavatam. Krishna tested Kunti Devi, "If they get their kingdom back, will they forget Me?" but she understood it. We, on the other hand, get all kinds of wealth and forget the Lord. When we get austerity, when we get sick, or we get into trouble, then an inspiration comes from within, "O Lord, save me!" Before they say there is no God, there is nothing, but when some trouble comes, then people say, "O Lord, where are you? Why am I suffering?"

In this world, people do not understand that nothing can exist without the Lord. People have no knowledge—they only eat soil like babies. What is said in Chaitanya-charitamrita?

কৃষ্ণ যদি ছুটে ভক্তে ভুক্তি মুক্তি দিয়া ।
কভু ভক্তি না দেন রাখেন লুকাইয়া ॥

krsna yadi chhute bhakte bhukti mukti diya
kabhu prema-bhakti na dena rakhena lukaiya

"If you ask Krishna for anything except devotion, He can give you those things—bhukti, mukti, liberation, and so on—but He will hide devotion from you. You will not get devotion."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, 8.18)

If, instead of devotion, you want enjoyment (money, house, car, etc.) or liberation from the Lord, the Lord will give it to you thinking, "They are just small children." If a mother or a father want to go somewhere, the child will cry and want to go with them, but then the parents give the child a lollypop or some toy, the child forgets them and they can go. The Lord gives us money, cars, houses—he makes us forget Him and goes away. The Lord says, "I will not give you devotion. I will give you all these things and make you forget Me."

On the other hand, Krishna also says,

কৃষ্ণ কহে,—আমা ভজে, মাগে বিষয়-সুখ ।
অমৃত ছাড়ি’ বিষ মাগে,—এই বড় মূর্খ ॥

krsna kahe,—ama bhaje, mage visaya-sukha
amrta chhadi' visa mage,—ei bada murkha

"Krishna says, 'They worship Me, desiring material happiness—leaving aside nectar, they ask for poison. They are great fools.'"

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 22.38)

Krishna says, "I am not a fool—he is a fool! Why must I give him material happiness? I will give him My feet instead and make him forget all about material world."

These are the two expressions made by the Lord. When Dhruva Maharaj went to the forest to practise meditation, he spent five years in mediation. Why did he do it? For his own happiness—to get the kingdom of his father. Krishna became pleased with him, but He did not come to him Himself—He sent Narad Goswami, "Narad, go and explained it to him." Narad came to Dhruva Maharaj, explained the process to him, and gave him initiation. After that, Dhruva Maharaj started practising properly and he got devotion for Lord Krishna. Then, Krishna Himself came to him saying, "Here, Dhruva, take your kingdom!" Dhruva Maharaj replied, "O Lord, please do not embarrass me, I do not want any kingdom. I have got You, I do not need any kingdom now.

When you get the Lord, you will not want anything else—at that time, you will not like all the trifle things, whatever you enjoyed before will taste like mud. For example, you like rasagullas, I give you ten rasagullas, you eat them. I give you twenty rasagullas, you eat them too, and if I offer you more, you will say, "I do not like it any more." Such is this world. People enjoy and enjoy. Some say that if you enjoy and enjoy, this desire for enjoyment will go away, and it is true to some extent—if you enjoy something too much, you will not like it anymore, but your overall desire to enjoy will increase even more, your attachment will grow even more. However, the attachment must be for the Lord, it should be directed in the opposite direction. Always remember this, you will get spiritual benefit.

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