For the removal of misconceptions growing out of divisive attitude or discrimination apparently shown in different shastras

All glories to Śrī Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga

For the removal of misconceptions growing out of divisive attitude or discrimination apparently shown in different shastras

Date 01.06.2024

By Srila Shyam das Baba

Gauḍīya  Goṣṭhī Pati Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda Paramahaṁsa Jagad Guru said that— “From the feeling of superiority complex the question of insulting others can arise.”

From Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta we can find the absolute humble attitude of Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmīpad—

jagāi mādhāi haite muñi se pāpiṣṭha

purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se laghiṣṭha             (Cc Ādi 5.205)  

"I am more sinful than Jagāi and Mādhāi and even lower than the worms in the stool."

mora nāma śune yei tāra puṇya kṣaya

mora nāma laya yei tāra pāpa haya               (Cc Ādi 5.206)

"Anyone who hears my name loses the results of his pious activities. Anyone who utters my name becomes sinful."

emana nirghṛṇa more kebā kṛpā kare

eka nityānanda vinu jagat bhitare                   (Cc Ādi 5.207)

"Who in this world but Nityānanda could show His mercy to such an abominable person as me?"

So then as a Gauḍīya sādhu how I can feel myself superior to others or how I can develop divisive attitude.

We devotees are always under the strict control of śāstra because we know the instruction of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna on this special issue. I mean whom to follow? Or how to follow? Or why to follow? Etc.? For the identification of our actual duty, I mean what to do and what not to do—we must consult śāstra, that is the advice of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna or to us all.

yah śāstra-vidhim utŚrī jya

vartate kama-karatah

na sa siddhim avapnoti na

sukham na param gatim                        (Bg. 16.23)

"Those who act under the impulse of desire, discarding the injunctions of the scriptures, attain neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme goal in life."

tasmāc chāstraṁ pramāṇaṁ te

kāryākārya-vyavasthitau

jñātvā śāstra-vidhānoktaṁ

karma kartum ihārhasi                               (Bg. 16.24)

"One should therefore understand what is duty and what is not duty by the regulations of the scriptures. Knowing such rules and regulations, one should act so that he may gradually be elevated."

So naturally all our comments or speeches or writings etc. all must be in line with śāstra vichar or śrauta-panthā, if not so—then surely some fallacy must be there. So, we must be very careful about that. From Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we know the following śloka—

rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ

sama-śīlā bhajanti vai

pitṛ-bhūta-prajeśādīn

śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ                          (ŚB 1.2.27)

"Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance worship those in the same category—namely the forefathers, other living beings and the demigods who are in charge of cosmic activities—for they are urged by a desire to be materially benefited with women, wealth, power and progeny."

Birds of same feather flocks together. Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinod Ṭhākura said that— “People approve people of their own stamp, they cannot approve you and me.” So, if somebody appreciates Hitler than it is understood that he is also of the same stamp like Hitler. If somebody like to become Hitler in Gauḍīya bhajana field then he must appreciate Hitler as a good man, who has done a great massacre in the black history of human beings. A man is known by the association he keeps or by watching his likes and dislikes.

Quotes- comments-speeches or writings of a self-realised sādhu are always flawless, but foolish people of this world even they have no conception on this simple issue, that’s why they are always cheated, but when a bonded soul wants to occupy the Vyāsāsana which is strictly reserved for a genuine or authentic śuddha guru-Vaiṣṇava who is strictly in the line of our śrauta guru-paramparā then what we can expect from him except some random talkings and writings!

From Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we know the following śloka—

vittam eva kalau nṝṇāṁ

janmācāra-guṇodayaḥ

dharma-nyāya-vyavasthāyāṁ

kāraṇaṁ balam eva hi                                             (ŚB 12.2.2)

dāmpatye ’bhirucir hetur

māyaiva vyāvahārike

strītve puṁstve ca hi ratir

vipratve sūtram eva hi                                             (ŚB 12.2.3)

"Men and women will live together merely because of superficial attraction, and success in business will depend on deceit. Womanliness and manliness will be judged according to one’s expertise in sex, and a man will be known as a brāhmaṇa just by his wearing a thread."

liṅgam evāśrama-khyātāv

anyonyāpatti-kāraṇam

avṛttyā nyāya-daurbalyaṁ

pāṇḍitye cāpalaṁ vacaḥ                                         (ŚB 12.2.4)

"A person’s spiritual position will be ascertained merely according to external symbols, and on that same basis people will change from one spiritual order to the next. A person’s propriety will be seriously questioned if he does not earn a good living. And one who is very clever at juggling words will be considered a learned scholar."

"In Kali-yuga, wealth alone will be considered the sign of a man’s good birth, proper behaviour and fine qualities. And law and justice will be applied only on the basis of one’s power."

Those who have not achieved even attmo-anattmo jñāna they are bound to differentiate between black and white or poor and rich etc. I mean they are bound to subscribe in favour of discrimination. How they can harmonize themselves with the whole creation to become a real sādhu, that is the main question in front of us. From Upaniṣad we know the following śloka—

yasmin sarvāṇi bhūtāni ātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ

tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka ekatvamanupaśyataḥ                

(Īśopaniṣad 7)

"He in whom the whole creation is felt like existing in himself, in that case where from the question of infatuation and discrimination can arise, because he can feel the oneness in diversity."

Actually their (such preachers those who are in favour of discrimination) lives can come to a death end with this kind of conflicting mood.

According to karma-phal jīvas can take birth as brāhmaṇa or as kṣatriya or vaiśyāḥ or śūdra or antarja (like khol, vhil, sautal etc. tribals) or as yavanāś, mlecchāś etc. or as man or women or can take birth with a white or black body etc. all are the results of the previous karma-phal of jīvas. From Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we know that Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa in his boyhood līlā speaking to His father Nanda Mahārāja that—

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

karmaṇā jāyate jantuḥ

karmaṇaiva pralīyate

sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ bhayaṁ kṣemaṁ

karmaṇaivābhipadyate                                               (ŚB 10.24.13)

"Lord Kṛṣṇa said: It is by the force of karma that a living entity takes birth, and it is by karma alone that he meets his destruction. His happiness, distress, fear and sense of security all arise as the effects of karma."

How it was possible for Śabarī Ma (vhilni bai) to get the kṛpā of Śrī Rāmacandra, or how it was possible for Guhak Chandal to grow deep friendship with Śrī Rāmacandra or even those beasts and birds—how they were successful to get the kṛpā of Śrī  Rāmacandra—this is the most vital question.

From Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we know the following śloka—

janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir

edhamāna-madaḥ pumān

naivārhaty abhidhātuṁ vai

tvām akiñcana-gocaram                                                   (ŚB 1.8.26)

"My Lord, Your Lordship can easily be approached, but only by those who are materially exhausted. One who is on the path of [material] progress, trying to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty, cannot approach You with sincere feeling."

Also from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5th canto we know the comment of Śrī Hanumanji Mahārāja—

na janma nūnaṁ mahato na saubhagaṁ

na vāṅ na buddhir nākṛtis toṣa-hetuḥ

tair yad visṛṣṭān api no vanaukasaś

cakāra sakhye bata lakṣmaṇāgrajaḥ                                          (ŚB 5.19.7)

"One cannot establish a friendship with the Supreme Lord Rāmacandra on the basis of material qualities such as one’s birth in an aristocratic family, one’s personal beauty, one’s eloquence, one’s sharp intelligence or one’s superior race or nation. None of these qualifications is actually a prerequisite for friendship with Lord Śrī Rāmacandra. Otherwise, how is it possible that although we uncivilized inhabitants of the forest have not taken noble births, although we have no physical beauty and although we cannot speak like gentlemen, Lord Rāmacandra has nevertheless accepted us as friends?"

So, what I told in my hari-katha long ago that— “I can embrace a black Nigro devotee from Africa provided he can prove his tremendous pure loveful bhakti yoga." This is completely based on bhagavat-dharma vichar. So irrespective of cast or colour or country I can embrace anyone if he is absolutely established in prema sevā dharma.

Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa speaking to Arjuna in Gītā that—

cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ

guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ

tasya kartāram api māṁ

viddhy akartāram avyayam                                           (Bg. 4.13)

"According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the nondoer, being unchangeable."

To organise the whole social system in a very scientific way He was bound to implement the system of varṇāśrama dharma. This is not at all discrimination. According to karma phal jīvas are bound to follow the reaction out of that. Just like the third law of the scientist Newton—every action has its equal and opposite reaction. We know from śāstra that—

avasyam eva bhoktabya krita karmam subashubam    (From Niti Śāstra)

One has to suffer the reaction of personal karma phal good or bad, it is a must, no other way open. We know from Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā the following ślokas—

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ                                      (Bg. 5.18)

"The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]."

ihaiva tair jitaḥ sargo

yeṣāṁ sāmye sthitaṁ manaḥ

nirdoṣaṁ hi samaṁ brahma

tasmād brahmaṇi te sthitāḥ                                    (Bg. 5.19)

"Those whose minds are established in sameness and equanimity have already conquered the conditions of birth and death. They are flawless like brāhmaṇa, and thus they are already situated in brāhmaṇa."

Actually, sama darśana (equal vision) does not mean that we can break all those rules and restrictions regarding varṇāśrama dharma etc. to come down to a flat level of external equality (?) as is usually shown by any clever political leader to get voting support. Not that the question of all saṁskāra or purities should be thrown away. 

Actually, as per śāstra one can get dignity according to his or her consciousness level— 

acaitanyamidaṁ viśvaṁ yadi caitanyamiśvaram

na viduḥ śarvvaśāstrañāā hyapi bhrāmyanti te janāḥ                 

(Śrī Caitanya candrāmṛtam 37)

"The greatest amongst scholars, though they be adept in numerous scriptures, if unaware of Śrī Caitanya’s position as the Supreme Controller of all universes (material and spiritual), must continue to wander throughout this lifeless, inert world, devoid of consciousness (caitanya)."  

So surely Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī who is only sixteen years old can get more and more honour and respect then all those ages old ṛṣiś like Doumya Muñi, Parasa Muñi, Bharatraj Muñi etc. Because we know that ‘majority must be granted’ or ‘seniority must be given priority’—all those formulas are only applicable in this blind material world, not there in the devotional field at all.

So as per Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we know it very well that to honour all jīvas by realising that Bhagavān is there inside of everybody as Supersoul should be the real darśana of equality.

From Caitanya-caritāmṛta we know the following advice—

jīve sammāna dibe jāni’ ‘kṛṣṇa’-adhiṣṭhāna

All jīvas should be given honour with a direct feeling that Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa is there inside the heart of everybody as Paramātmā.

(from Bhaktivinod Bhasya on the 3rd śloka of Śikṣāṣṭakam, Bhajan Rahasya)

So, the question of black and white or caste and country or man and women or rich and poor etc. all coming from ignorance. A wise man never tries to discriminate between them, rather can honour everyone with the realisation that Bhagavan is there inside the heart of everyone as Supersoul.

Surely, we cannot support them like a blind or ignorant. Vasista Muñi has said that—

āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca

sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām

dharmo hi teṣām adhiko viśeṣo

dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ   (Vaishista vacan--Hitaupadesh)

"Eating, sleeping, sex, and defence—these four principles are common to both human beings and animals. The distinction between human life and animal life is 'dharma'."

A man who is living life like a beast or even more inferior than that how he can expect same right like a gentleman? He can just misuse his freedom of equal right, so he should be under the control of same wise man.

That is why Ekalavya was not at all given approval by guru Droṇācārya, because he can misuse the special power received by him through tremendous austerities and penances because he is not a kṣatriya.

Gaura Hari Hari Bol