No Enmity, Only Solution – Part 17

All glories to Śrī Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga

This is for the first time in the history of Hari-bhajana, we came to know that even with tobacco addiction one can guide the whole world as Jagat-Guru—

We know that the most intimate Gaura pārṣada Śrī Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda, has given the direct – clear – indication about the exact definition of Jagat-Guru (Gosvāmī) in the following way—

vāco vegam manasaḥ krodha-vegaṃ 

jihvā-vegaṃ udaropastha-vegaṃ

etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīrah 

sarvām apī mām pṛthivīm sa śiṣyāt

“A dhīra or an absolutely self-controlled person, who can control the urge to speak, the agitation of the mind, the onset of anger, the vehemence of the tongue, the urge of the belly and the agitation of the genitals can instruct the entire world. In other words, such a person is a sannyāsī with his body, mind & speech (tridanḍī sannyāsī) and is a Jagat-Guru in true sense.”

Also, from Vāyu Purāṇa, we know the exact definition of an Ācārya in true sense—

ācinoti  yaḥ  śāstrārtham ācāre  sthāpāyātyapi

svayaṁ  acarate yasmād  ācārya stena kīrtitaḥ  

“The ācārya is thus called because he himself is established in ācaraṇa with full realization and who can help others to get established in ācaraṇa. Since all śāstra siddhānta can be found in his life in applied form, so he is called ācārya. He - who is himself completely established in śāstra ācaraṇa to help others to get established in śāstra (sat) ācaraṇa—he is called ācārya, because he is following śāstra ācaraṇa exactly in his own life.”

Gauḍīya Goṣṭhipati Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda Paramahaṃsa Jagat-Guru used to say that— “We Gauḍīya Maṭha devotees have some specialties—I mean aprākṛta specialties.”

As per absolute Gauḍīya Siddhānta vicāra—'siddhānta vicāra’ and ‘sevā ācaraṇa’ almost same, only in the way of thinking there can be some basic conceptional difference.

What do you mean by specialty? Actually, by this word ‘specialty’, Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted to say—specialty regarding sevā and specialty regarding siddhānta vicāra.

When we can find siddhānta vicāra in applied form—then it is called seva, and when sevā-ācaraṇa or sevā-bhāva can be found in written form—then this can be represented as siddhānta vicāra. Gauḍīya Goṣṭhipati Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda Paramahaṃsa Jagat-Guru used to say that— “Slightest deviation from the track of Śrī Guru-caraṇa can throw you away from Hari-bhajana.”

Then what to speak about tobacco addiction in any form by any sadhu or acharya. Many such examples can be found in the aprākṛta-ācārya-līlā of Śrīla Prabhupāda, where we can find heavy reaction shown by Śrīla Prabhupāda regarding any kind of intoxication habit of anyone who came in contact with him with some positive mood like Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Vaikhānasa Gosvāmī Mahārāja (who was a big and famous rāja-paṇḍita) who was habituated to take beetle leaf previously.

Also, one important (as per material estimation) zamindār (landlord) who was in tobacco addiction (in the form of hookkā with water filtered tobacco) very much but later on by the advice of Śrīla Prabhupāda he was successful to leave his bad habit by offering all tobacco to Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

By this word ‘specialty’ Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted to mean—specialty regarding siddhānta vicāra and specialty regarding sevā ācaraṇa. The absolute siddhānta vicāra and the absolute ācaraṇa shown by The Prabhupāda—all are really beyond human comprehension. Exactly what we can expect from Śrīman Mahāprabhu Himself or from Śrīmatī Rādhārānī Herself—exactly that was seen in the aprākṛta acharya līlā of The Prabhupāda.

The most pure or absolute ācaraṇa of The Prabhupāda can never be contaminated by any of his genuine disciples. We can remember that how exclusive was Śrīla Prabhupāda regarding his absolute siddhānta vicāra and ācaraṇa. At any cost he was not at all ready to sacrifice his own apprakrita idealism. After the Bālighāi assembly (at East Medinipore District, West Bengal) was over very successfully in favour of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Siddhānta Vicāra under the absolute leadership of The Prabhupāda on the issue of Brahmaṇa-Vaiṣṇava contradiction, then all different kind of unexpected offers (or unusual offers) came to him like—'thousands of people like to accept you as their guru, provided you can excuse them for some of their bad habits like bidi, cigarette, snuff, tea, coffee, etc. etc.’, but Śrīla Prabhupāda then said that— “I cannot accept even any one of them as my disciple, then what to speak about thousands of such people. I only pray unto the lotus feet of Śrī Gaurasundara for their absolute maṅgala, not even partial maṅgala or general material maṅgala.”

From Śrīmad Bhāgavatam we can find the following ślokas—

abhyarthitas tadā tasmai

sthānāni kalaye dadau

dyūtaṁ pānaṁ striyaḥ sūnā

yatrādharmaś catur-vidhaḥ                         (Śrimad Bhāgavatam 1.17.38)

By the request of Kali, the king allowed four places to him, like gambling, drinking, illicit connection with women and killing animals – where these four activities are going on.

punaś ca yācamānāya

jāta-rūpam adāt prabhuḥ

tato’nṛtaṁ madaṁ kāmaṁ

rajo vairaṁ ca pañcamam                           (Śrimad Bhāgavatam 1.17.39)

Again when he requested for such a place where all these things like dishonest, intoxication, enmity, etc. can be found at a time, then the king also allowed his access in gold, where all those following places can be found.

Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhakti Vinoda Ṭhākura has written in the commentary of all those ślokas in the book named ‘Bhāgavata Arka Marīchi Mālā’ in the 8th Ray, 27 and 29 above mentioned ślokas in the following way— “Bonded soul always wants to live with Kali (or the places where Kali is staying). On being requested by Kali, Mahārāja Parikśit allowed him to stay at those four places like gambling, wine, smoking, or snuff taking, etc etc, or sense gratificational association with women, or killing beasts, etc., where usually adharma always supporting Kali very freely. Again, on being requested for some more flexible movement place (so that Kali can feel more comfortable to stay), then he (Parikśit Mahārāja) allowed him (Kali) to stay in gold (or jewelry items), so naturally this can open his field of movement around falsity, false ego, kāma (lust), rajaḥ guna and enmity (or cruelty) etc.”

So, from the abovementioned authentic scriptural evidences like Śrīmad Bhāgavatam etc. this is very clear that A.C. Bhakti Vedānta Svāmī Mahārāja was surely in a negative position or false position with his tobacco addicted personality, because he can safely be pointed out as the follower of Kali (or adharma)—no doubt in it. A true idealism of a world class preacher (Jagat-Guru) should be or must be known (or can be known) from the absolute ācara-ādarśa of The Prabhupāda by some analytical survey mood with full patience, because in him we can see the complete reflection of the teachings and idealism of Śrīman Mahāprabhu Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Deva.

From the book ‘Prema Vivartta’ written by the most intimate Gaura pārṣada – Śrī Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, we can show you very very clear conception about a real follower (sādhu) of Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu, of course if you can digest all such absolute truth. If you are less interested to go through all such scriptural evidences where any kind of addiction is strictly prohibited, then you can discover yourself in darkness for whole life. Not even a single evidence you can point out where any Jagat-Guru Ācārya—who has taken the responsibility of guiding the whole world by maintaining this kind of bad habit of tobacco addiction (be it in the form of bidi, cigarette, snuff, beetle leaf with tobacco, etc.), so no way we can support this point, though Śrīla Svāmī Mahārāja wanted to defend himself regarding this matter to find some excuse in some or other way in front of common public or in front of us.

Please refer also to the article written by Srila Bhaktī Siddhānta Saraswati Ṭhākura Prabhupada—‘Kali-Panchaka—The places where the Lord does not reside’. Translated from the Bengali article written by Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada (the text closely resembles his commentary Vivṛtti on Srimad Bhagavatam 1.17.38).

Pānam: ‘Drinking’ refers to alcohol. Drinking is also seen in many forms. Paan, betel net, snuff, tobacco, ganja, opium, wine, and so on should also counted as drinking. By chewing paan, the desire to enjoy increases, and by chewing betel nut, the mind becomes restless. By smoking tobacco, mental aberration, stupor, and aversion to the Lord develop. By smoking ganja, the intelligence is destroyed. Opium, bhānga (hemp leaves and flower heads), hemlock, tobacco, dhatura, date liquor, arrack (palm or rice liquor), and gānja—these eight so-called ‘siddhi’ substances make men animal-like. Sridhar Swamipad has given the word pāna (‘drinking’) in his commentary as madyādi. Therefore, be it produced from mahuā, sugar, grapes, breadfruits, dates, jackfruit, cowplant, honey, wood apple, liqourice, coconut, or rice—these twelve types of wine should also be counted as forms of drinking. Those who want to adhere to dharma should know that Kali resides in all these substances and stay away from them.

*Because paan can be offered to the Lord and the exalted devotee Pundarika Vidyānidhi consumed it, some so-called devotees think that they can consume paan as prasadam. The answer to this is as follows:

tejiyasām na dośaya vahneḥ sarva-bhujo yathā

(Śrīmad Bhagavatam: 10.33.29)

“A powerful person is not implicated in sin under any circumstances just as fire can consume any substance.”

The Lord is the one and only enjoyer. The behaviour of Pundarik Vidyanidhi and other realised souls (paramahamsas) should never be imitated by conditioned souls. Wise devotees consider themselves unfit to accept the remnants of the Lord’s pāna and honour it from a distance. Pure devotees, considering themselves servants of the servants of the embodiment of separation Sri Gaurasundar, take to heart the advice of Srila Rupapada and give up all designations and desires for enjoyment:

yāvata syalāt svanirvahah svikuryāt tāvad artha-vit

adhikye nyūnatayan cha chyavate paramarthatah

(Śrī Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu: 1.2.106)

[“The sensible accept as much as is necessary for their maintenance. By accepting more or less, one fails to attain the highest goal.”]

Please also see the following written by Henry Doktorski who is well known as the Hare Krishna historian. He published twelve books about the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Swami Bhaktipada and the New Vrindaban Krishna Community.

(…)Yes, Prabhupada snorted snuff daily. Some say that daily imbibing indicates addiction, but others disagree. As noted in "Gold, Guns and God," Vol. 9:

Regarding intoxicants, Gaudiya Vaishnavas vow to refrain from using products that contain intoxicating substances, such as alcohol, caffeine and nicotine, yet Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada daily snorted snuff. Snuff is a smokeless tobacco made from finely ground tobacco leaves. It is inhaled or “sniffed” through the nose, delivering a swift hit of nicotine. Prabhupada wrote to Revatinandan in 1974, “Regarding taking snuff, I myself take it sometimes at night because I am working at night on my books, and sometimes I become dizzy. But it is not for you to take. You should not imitate this, neither you work like me at night.”

Hari Sauri (Dennis Harrison), who served as Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s personal servant for a year, noted, “We carried a couple of small tins [of snuff] with us at all times.” Prabhupada told several disciples he used snuff to “gain relief from high blood pressure.”

However, this explanation appears to have been simply a poor excuse to justify taking snuff, as nicotine is a stimulant which raises blood pressure, not lowers it. Nicotine is also highly addictive. Considering that references to the word “snuff” appear in the Vedabase at least twelve times from 1968 until 1977, it appears that Prabhupada enjoyed the nicotine “high” and often used snuff as a stimulant to help keep him awake at night while writing his “Bhaktivedanta purports.”

For a man who liked to criticize the Indian swamis who chewed betel nuts (the seed of the areca palm which provides a burst of energy), and who was terribly disappointed that his wife liked to drink tea, the fact that Prabhupada daily snorted an addictive nicotine product may come as a surprise to many(…)

Evidence from Vanipedia:

Regarding taking snuff, I myself take it sometimes at night because I am working at night [handwritten] on my books, and sometimes I become dizzy. But it is not for you to take. You should not imitate this, neither you work like me at night. [handwritten]

https://vanisource.org/wiki/740109_-_Letter_to_Revatinandana_written_from_Los_Angeles