(11/11) Unbending Stance

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Preaching programme, Basirhat, noon programme,
14 December 2020, part 11

[Addressing the mother of a brahmachari who joined the temple full-time.] Where is **'s mother? Why are you now taking back the alms that you have given me? When a sannyasi came to Nityananda Prabhu's house, he told Padmavati Devi, 'I want to ask you for some alms. Will you give it to me?'

'Yes, we will give you whatever you want,' she replied.

'But tell me the truth – will you give it to me?' the sannyasi asked again.

'Yes, yes. We will give you whatever you want.'

'All right, then give me your son.'

You have two sons, but Hadai Pandit and Padmavati Devi had only one son, Nityananda Prabhu. When Padmavati Devi heard the sannyasi's request, she was astonished, 'Disaster! I have given you my word, and I cannot take it back. What am I to do now?' Then, she said slowly, 'All right, I need to speak to my husband...' When Hadai Pandit heard the news, he told his wife, 'We live a family life, and there are always some good things and bad things that can happen. When a sannyasi comes to our home and asks us for something, how can we not give it to him? You promised to fulfil his request, then what is there to do? We have to give our son to him...' After that, Hadai Pandit could not eat for three months – he managed to carry on his life somehow... Even thought Nityananda Prabhu was the Lord, His parents let Him go.

Nityananda Prabhu is avadhut. Nobody can understand Him. Offensive people often ask me, 'What is the proof that Mahaprabhu and Krishna are the Supreme Lord? Can you give this proof to us?' Easily. There are children born in every house, but are any of your children born with Tulasi neckbeads, tilaks, clothes, crown on their head? They are not. But Krishna was born like that. When He was born, He appeared as four-armed Narayan holding a conch, disk, club and lotus flower. When Krishna's father saw his son in this form, he immediately offered his obeisance to Him, closing his eyes in reverence. But when he opened his eyes, he saw Krishna's two-armed form.

There is also something I want to say for those who worship Lord Rama. There are many Rama-bhaktas in Ayodhya. The BJP people also always say, 'Jay Sri Ram! Jay Sri Ram!' They pose as Hindus but they do not worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We do not support all this Hinduism. People get offended, saying, 'You do not worship Lord Rama! Lord Rama is the Supreme Lord!' Well, yes, Lord Rama is the Lord, He is one of the ten incarnations of the Lord. There is Matsya avatar, Kurma avatar, Varaha avatar, Parasuram avatar, Buddha avatar, Rama avatar, Nrisingha avatar, Vaman avatar, Baladev avatar and Kalki avatar. I wrote very nicely what the difference between all these incarnations and the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. Read it.

Lord Rama is a maryada-purush: He follows all rules and regulations ('Whatever rules there, I will follow everything to a T'). This actually started from His father, Dasarath. He promised Kaikeyi, 'I will give you any boon you will ask me for.' A maidservant Manthara advised Kaikeyi, 'Do not ask for anything now. I will tell you when the right time comes.' After some time, she again advised Kaikeyi, 'Now is the right time. King Dasarath has gone old, so he has decided to enthrone Ramachandra, his eldest son. If this happens, your son will be the third baby goat in line. Ramachandra's mother, Kausalya, will get all power, and you will be nowhere. Come to the King and ask him for this boon: let Ramachandra be exiled for fourteen years, and your son Bharath will be enthroned instead of Him!' So, Kaikeyi went to Dasarath and asked him for this boon. Dasarath was very upset and fell even more sick, worrying, 'What am I to do?' He had to keep his word and give Kaikeyi what she wanted, so he sent Ramachandra to live in the forest. Now, Ramachandra is maryada-purush, so He thought, 'I have to follow My father's order, so I will go to live in the forest.' He never told Sita Devi or Laksman to come with Him, but Laksman went with Him of his own accord because He was younger, so He thought, 'I must serve My elder brother, He is My Lord.' This is Dasarath's situation. On the other hand, Vasudev did not shrink from telling a lie. He lied to his brother-in-law that he had got a daughter, not a son. Kamsa heard the prediction that the eighth son of Devaki would kill him, but Vasudev said that they had had a daughter. Kamsa hurled the baby girl against a stone, and the girl, showing her Mahamaya form, went up and vanished. There was a very strong storm that day – Krishna appeared in the month of Bhadra, which is the rainy season. Vasudev struggled and carried baby Krishna amidst all storm to the house of Nanda Maharaj. But Dasarath, to keep his righteousness and promise, did not shrink from sending his very son to live in the forest. This is the difference in vatsalya-rasa. In Rama-lila, there is almost no vatsalya-rasa. Dasarath was mortified at the loss of his son and died. In Rama-lila, there is mostly dasya-rasa (Hanuman is the example of dasya-rasa). There is virtually no sakhya-rasa, what to speak of madhura-rasa. There is no madhura-rasa whatsoever. Krishna performed many conjugal pastimes with gopis, but in Rama-lila, common people said that Ravan had kidnapped Sita Devi, so she had become impure. Common people can say such things, but it is said in the scriptures that Ramachandra worshipped Sita Devi. He knew everything – He knew who He was and who Sita was, He knew the whole story of Jay and Vijay. What to speak of doing anything wrong to Sita Devi, Ravan could not even touch her – he kidnapped Maya-Sita (illusory Sita). Rama worshipped Sita Devi – He actually offered worship to her. But when His subjects said that Sita Devi had become impure after coming in contact with Ravan, they insisted that Sivt Devi had to be thrown into fire. She passed the test of fire and emerged unharmed. But even that was not enough. After that, Lord Rama ordered to send her into Valmiki's ashram. She gave birth to Lava and Kush there. So, is there any madhura-rasa in Rama's pastimes? There is no. So, if you happen to speak to devotees of Lord Rama, you must explain these things to them. We do not disrespect Lord Rama, we do not deny that He is the Lord. Rama is the Lord, but Krishna is the Supreme Lord: He is the Lord of all Lords. Even Lord Brahma says:

ঈশ্বরঃ পরমঃ কৃষ্ণঃ সচ্চিদানন্দবিগ্রহঃ ।
অনাদিরাদির্গোবিন্দঃ সর্ব্বকারণকারণম্ ॥

isvarah paramah krsnah sach-chid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam

'Krishna, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes.'

(Sri Brahma-samhita, 5.1)

If you conceive of some limit (adi), Krishna is beyond that limit (anadir adi) – He is the primeval Lord. He is embodiment of eternity, bliss and consciousness. He cannot be compared to anyone else. So, if somebody says that Rama and Krishna are the same, we will not accept that. You can say that Krishna and Balaram are One, but to perform Their pastimes, They assume two separate forms.

Anyhow, much has been said. I will chant some kirtan now. I will speak again in the evening. I know I have taken a lot of time, but it is necessary to say these things as they are – I cannot bend the truth.

[His Divine Grace chants 'Sri Guru-charana-padma', 'E-bara karuna kari', 'Kabe Sri Chaitanya more', 'Emana durmati', 'Jaya Radha Madhava' and the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.]

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Grave Warning
2) Pull of Material Life
3) Awakening Inner Longing
4) Private Service Stays Private
5) Universal Religion
6) On Others' Offences
7) Unburden Yourself
8) Benefactor's Gift
9) Exclusive Path
10) Behind Closed Doors
11) Unbending Stance