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\u015ar\u012bmad Bhaktived\u0101nta N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a Gosvami Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, Badger, California: May 14, 2003<\/p>\n\u015ar\u012bmad Bhaktived\u0101nta N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a Gosvami Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, Badger, California: May 14, 2003<\/p>\n
Prahl\u0101da and Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja<\/strong><\/p>\n When \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s incarnation, Lord V\u0101mana deva, came to the palace of Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja in the form of a dwarf-br\u0101hma\u1e47a, his feet and legs were naturally very small. He told Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, “I want something from you.”<\/p>\n Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja became happy and said, “Ask for any boon \u2013 a very beautiful wife, a kingdom, heaven, wealth, reputation or a position. I can easily give you this.”<\/p>\n Lord V\u0101mana deva replied, “I am a br\u0101hma\u1e47a boy. I am always satisfied. I don’t want anything unnecessary. I want only three steps of land, so that I may sit there and do bhajana.”<\/p>\n Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja began to laugh and joke with that young br\u0101hma\u1e47a. He said, “You are just a boy \u2013 a child \u2013 and your intelligence is also very small like that of a child. I want to give you everything imaginable, but you do not want that. But alright, I shall give you the three steps of land, as you desire.\u201d<\/p>\n Lord V\u0101mana deva asked Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja to do sa\u1e45kalpa (a ceremony to make a vow) that would consecrate the offering and finalize it.<\/p>\n Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja’s guru \u015aukr\u0101c\u0101rya was actually a materialist, and was thus worried about his own security. He warned Bal\u012b, “Be careful. Don’t make a vow to give him anything. Don’t believe him. He is Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, not a dwarf. He is the imperishable Supreme Personality of Godhead Vi\u1e63\u1e47u. Accepting Ka\u015byapa Muni as his father and Aditi as his mother, He has now appeared to fulfill the interests of the demigods. He is cheating you. Give something that will not be harmful to you. Give something, but not in a way that he can take everything.”<\/p>\n Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja replied, “If he is Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, he will somehow take everything anyway. Everything already belongs to Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, God; so why should I not give what he asks? And, if he is not Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, he will not be able to take anything except the three steps of land.”<\/p>\n Lord V\u0101mana deva then said, “If \u015aukr\u0101c\u0101rya does not assist you in making the vow, I will do so personally. Now take some water from this vessel and do sa\u1e45kalpa.”<\/p>\n While Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja was preparing to do the sa\u1e45kalpa , \u015aukr\u0101c\u0101rya thought, “He did not obey me, and now Vi\u1e63\u1e47u will take everything. I must prevent that water from coming out of the vessel so that the vow will not be completed.”<\/p>\n Because the water was not coming out, Lord V\u0101mana deva took a small stick and pierced a hole in the spout of that vessel, and blood at once began to flow from it. From where had the blood come? \u015aukr\u0101c\u0101rya was a powerful mystic yogi. He had made himself become very small and had entered the vessel to stop the water from pouring from the spout \u2013 and now he had become blind in one eye. Of course, because he always had one eye on worldly things and not transcendental truths, he was actually blind in one eye even before this incident.<\/p>\n Persons who create problems for those who are coming to do bhajana and to accept a guru are blind in one eye. So don’t give any such problems to your husband, children, wife, friends or anyone else. If any associate of yours wants to do bhajana, tell them they are doing very well and say, “I bless you. I will help you.” If your husband or wife is trying to do bhajana, don’t stop him or her. If you do so, you will become blind in one eye.<\/p>\n After the vow was completed, clever Lord V\u0101mana deva at once became so tall that his body extended from the Earth to the sky. By this pastime he became also known as Trivikrama, for he took three giant steps. His first step encompassed the entire lower half of the universe and his second step covered the upper half. Now it seemed that there was nothing remaining for Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja to give. V\u0101mana deva asked, “Where should I put my third step?”<\/p>\n \u015ar\u012b V\u0101mana deva was very clever, and Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja was also clever. Bal\u012b replied, “I am fully surrendering to you. Please take my body; place your foot on my head.” He did \u0101tma-nivedana full surrender of the body, words, mind and heart. But what was the result? V\u0101mana deva arrested him and bound him with the ropes of Varu\u1e47a. There was a great roar of lamentation in all directions, but Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja was nonetheless fixed in his determination to serve and love the Lord.<\/p>\n It appeared that Lord V\u0101mana deva was punishing Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, especially when He ordered that Bal\u012b would now have to go to the lower planetary system to reside. Bal\u012b would lose his usurped kingdom. But it was not an ordinary hellish planet to which the Lord sent Bal\u012b. This planet had been created for Bal\u012b by the Lord\u2019s own desire, and it was more opulent than any heaven. He even had the famous demigod architect, Vi\u015bvakarm\u0101, build Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja a palace that was far more opulent than that of the King of heaven.<\/p>\n \u015ar\u012b Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja at once arrived, along with Lord Brahm\u0101, and asked V\u0101mana deva, “What are you doing Lord? He has given you everything, and you are binding him?\u201d This was an indirect glorification. Tears came in the eyes of Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja out of ecstatic affection for the Lord, and he also had great affection for Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja was the son of Virocana, who was the son of \u015ar\u012b Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja was thus the grandson of Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja.<\/p>\n Lord V\u0101mana deva saw Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja was weeping due to his love for his family member, and he therefore very humbly said, “O Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, you may ask for any benediction.”<\/p>\n Being very clever, Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja replied, “In my palace in Sutala there are 49 gates. There is no certainty by which gate or lane I will go out or in. I request the benediction that you stand at the gate of whatever lane I pass \u2013 all the time, day and night. Thus, he made \u015ar\u012b V\u0101mana deva gatekeeper, and V\u0101mana deva, Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, happily accepted this.<\/p>\n Why did V\u0101mana deva give this benediction to Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja? It was because of the Lord\u2019s affection for Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. Otherwise, Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja hadn’t done anything to deserve it. A donation of only a universe cannot bring this mercy of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u. Do you understand? No one can satisfy the Lord by wealth, position or any other material offering. V\u0101mana deva gave the boon to be always present in Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja’s palace \u2013 due to Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. He told Prahl\u0101da, “Always remain there in Sutala and be happy with your relatives there; and I will also always be here.”<\/p>\n Prahl\u0101da and B\u0101\u1e47\u0101sura<\/strong><\/p>\n Have you heard of King B\u0101\u1e47\u0101sura? He was a devotee of Lord \u015aiva and he had thousands of arms. Aniruddha, the grandson of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, was in love with B\u0101\u1e47\u0101sura’s daughter, \u016a\u1e63\u0101. Aniruddha secretly went to B\u0101\u1e47\u0101sura\u2019s palace to stealthily meet with her. B\u0101\u1e47\u0101sura found out and wanted him arrested. Aniruddha fought to protect himself, but he was finally defeated and arrested by B\u0101\u1e47\u0101sura and his army.<\/p>\n N\u0101rada, who is also a clever personality, brought the news of this to \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and \u015ar\u012b Baladeva. He told them, \u201cB\u0101\u1e47\u0101sura has captured your grandson.\u201d At once, along with His entire army, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a reached there and began to fight with B\u0101\u1e47\u0101sura. B\u0101\u1e47\u0101sura used his thousand arms to fight with many clubs, arrows and other weapons; but during that battle K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a cut off all his arms and hands except for four.<\/p>\n In the meantime, B\u0101\u1e47\u0101sura remembered his Lord, \u015aa\u1e45kara (Lord \u015aiva) who immediately came and began to fight on B\u0101\u1e47\u0101sura\u2019s side. Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a shot a special arrow called Vi\u1e63\u1e47u-jvara and \u015aa\u1e45kara shot his \u015aiva-jv\u0101ra. \u015aa\u1e45kara was defeated and then remembered P\u0101rvat\u012b, who came to that spot.<\/p>\n There was a demigoddess named Ko\u1e6dar\u0101 who was worshiped by B\u0101\u1e47\u0101sura, and their relationship was as mother and son. Mother Ko\u1e6dar\u0101 was upset that B\u0101\u1e47\u0101sura’s life was in danger, so she appeared on the scene. With naked body and scattered hair, she stood before Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a did not like the sight of this naked woman, and to avoid seeing her he turned his face. We see this demigoddess as a manifestation of the power of \u015aa\u1e45kara, P\u0101rvat\u012b devi.<\/p>\n K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a then stopped His fighting and said, “O \u015aa\u1e45kara, O P\u0101rvat\u012b, what do you want?”<\/p>\n They requested, “We want that he be spared. Please don’t kill him.”<\/p>\n K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a then said, “All right. I will bless him that he will be loyal to you, and he will properly worship you.”<\/p>\n Why was all this enacted by the Lord? The reason is that B\u0101\u1e47\u0101sura was also in the dynasty of \u015ar\u012b Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. Ultimately, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a did not favor B\u0101\u1e47\u0101sura because of \u015aa\u1e45kara nor P\u0101rvat\u012b \u2013 nor for any reason other than Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja.<\/p>\n Prahl\u0101da and R\u0101va\u1e47a<\/strong><\/p>\n While Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u was in the palace of Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, as the gatekeeper of his entire palace, R\u0101va\u1e47a came to conquer the world. Conquering almost everywhere, he arrived in Sutala and wanted to fight with Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. He knew that Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja was a very strong personality and so he desired to defeat him. However, when Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u saw R\u0101va\u1e47a coming, He simply kicked him with his toe \u2013 and at once R\u0101va\u1e47a flew very far away to La\u1e45k\u0101. Why did He do this? It was because R\u0101va\u1e47a would have otherwise disturbed Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja and his grandson Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. He threw R\u0101va\u1e47a from there because of affection for Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja.<\/p>\n Prahl\u0101da and Durv\u0101s\u0101 Muni<\/strong><\/p>\n The Puranas relate still another history. Dv\u0101rak\u0101 was once invaded by a demon named Kush, and its residents became afraid. The demon wanted to kill all the inhabitants of Dv\u0101rak\u0101, who thus began to weep. They begged the sage and powerful yog\u012b Durv\u0101s\u0101 Muni, “Please go, like the wind, and find our Lord. You must know where He is. Please ask Him to come at once and save us.”<\/p>\n Durv\u0101s\u0101 went to Sutala and prayed to Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, “The demon Kush has invaded Dv\u0101rak\u0101 and is about to kill all your citizens. Please come and save them.”<\/p>\n Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u told him,<\/p>\n aha\u1e41 bhakta-par\u0101dh\u012bno \u201cI am not independent of My devotees. I am under their control. If you like, you can pray to Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. If he orders Me to go, then I can go; otherwise I cannot.\u201d<\/p>\n Durv\u0101s\u0101 then approached Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja and said, “O Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, please allow Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u to go with me to save the residents of Dv\u0101rak\u0101. Otherwise they will all die.”<\/p>\n Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja replied, \u201cYou are capable of performing great tasks, and you know everything. You should know that it is not for me to say whether this clever and \u201ctricky\u201d personality should go or not. Lord Brahm\u0101 and Lord \u015aa\u1e45kara always offer obeisances to His lotus feet. How can I order him to go? It is not so easy to order the Lord to do something.<\/p>\n I do not know what will happen to the residents of Dv\u0101rak\u0101, but I will not order Him to go. I cannot allow it.”<\/p>\n Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja did not want the Lord to leave him. He knew that the Lord can do anything by His inconceivable power. Thus, the Lord can stay in Sutala and at the same time He can go to Dv\u0101rak\u0101 and save the devotees there.<\/p>\n Why did Bal\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja have such power? It is because Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja was there. What an exalted devotee Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja is.<\/p>\n Prahl\u0101da, the Preacher<\/strong><\/p>\n You may know that Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja accepted the kingdom of the world from Lord N\u1e5bsi\u1e41hadeva. He never accepted the boon of Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, salvation and so on, but he accepted the kingdom of the world. Why? He thought, “In this way I may easily preach devotion to the Lord everywhere.” So if you have money, there is no harm in that. Use it in the service of Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, to preach bhakti everywhere. Then K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will be happy, all the devotees will be happy, Bhakti-devi will be happy and you will also be happy.<\/p>\n Prahl\u0101da, the Warrior<\/strong><\/p>\n Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja once visited Naimi\u1e63\u0101ra\u1e47ya, and there he saw a sage with matted locks, who had with him a bow and arrows and a sword. It is the duty of the Vedic king to maintain the proper religious and social system of var\u1e47\u0101\u015brama-dharma, and therefore Prahl\u0101da asked him, “Why do you have weapons? You wear garments of a renunciate performing austerities, and at the same time you have a sword and bow and arrows. Why? I cannot allow you to do so. Either be a sage, or a k\u1e63atriya warrior.” If you don\u2019t agree to follow my instruction, if you like you can fight with me and try to defeat me; but I will not allow you to do this. That person said, “I accept your challenge,” and he became ready to fight.<\/p>\n They were fighting for one day, two days, three days, four days \u2013 and Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja could not defeat him. He began to wonder, “Who is he? Why am I not able to defeat Him?” He then entered a trance of meditation. In that meditation he at once saw that the same garland he had made with his own hands and given that morning to his deity of Lord N\u1e5bsi\u1e41hadeva, was on the neck of the person he was fighting. Prahl\u0101da then realized, “Oh, He is a very big trickster!” and he began to laugh. He dropped his bow and arrow and exclaimed, \u201cLord!” The Supreme Lord then gave him dar\u015bana as N\u1e5bsi\u1e41hadeva.<\/p>\n Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja asked him, “I have promised to defeat you, but I could not. What should I do?” Lord N\u1e5bsi\u1e41hadeva wanted to test him, otherwise who could fight against Him?<\/p>\n The Lord answered, “I am always defeated by you. Not only today, but always. You always defeat Me \u2013 by your devotion.” How exalted a devotee is Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja.<\/p>\n Prahl\u0101da and N\u0101rada<\/strong><\/p>\n N\u0101rada Muni was once traveling, from the places of one devotee to another, telling each one, “You are the greatest recipient of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s mercy. He had gone from worldly devotees to Lord Brahm\u0101 to Lord \u015aiva. Then he came to \u015ar\u012b Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja and glorified him in many ways.<\/p>\n In another instance \u015ar\u012b N\u0101rada Muni prayed to Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, “I once received a curse from Dak\u1e63a, who told me, \u201cYou will not be able to stay anywhere for more than a moment \u2013 for as long as it takes to milk a cow.'” Jar\u0101, (old age personified) had previously come to N\u0101rada and told him, “I want to marry you.” He at once fled, on his way to Goloka V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, and Jar\u0101, also cursed him in the same way.<\/p>\n Now N\u0101rada begged Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, “I don’t care about these curses. I want to remain always in Sutala and serve you there.” Why did this incident take place? Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja is there, and due to this Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u always remains there.<\/p>\n Prahl\u0101da and \u015ar\u012bla Sarasvat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura Prabhup\u0101da<\/p>\n There are so many more teachings and glorifications of \u015ar\u012b Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, and that is why \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura Prabhup\u0101da said that everyone should read about the life of Prahl\u0101da at least 108 times. He personally also gave at least 108 lectures about Prahl\u0101da.<\/p>\n If you really want to be happy, don’t try to gallop over Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja to be in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. Don’t be mad for “goopi-prema.” First be like Prahl\u0101da, gradually be like Hanuman, then the Pandavas, then Uddhava and then any servant of the gopas and gop\u012bs. You cannot attain gop\u012b-prema before doing this. Try to follow all the instructions of Prahl\u0101da:<\/p>\n \u015brava\u1e47a\u1e41 k\u012brtana\u1e41 vi\u1e63\u1e47o\u1e25 [Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one’s best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)\u2014these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service.”]<\/p>\n Try to follow Prahl\u0101da, and also follow your guru. Don\u2019t disobey him. Always perform vi\u015brambhe\u1e47a guro\u1e25 sev\u0101, intimate service to gurudeva. Follow all the instructions of the Gosvamis and be happy forever. My benediction to you: Today I will pray to Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and Lord N\u1e5bsi\u1e41hadeva for you all.<\/p>\n Now we will see a drama about Lord N\u1e5bsi\u1e41hadeva. It must be completed before dark. At once, take the mic.<\/p>\n Gaura Premanandi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\nhy asvatantra iva dvija
\ns\u0101dhubhir grasta-h\u1e5bdayo
\nbhaktair bhakta-jana-priya\u1e25
\n\u015ar\u012bmad Bhagavatam (9.4.63)
\n[\u015ar\u012b Bhagav\u0101n said to Durv\u0101s\u0101 Muni: \u201cI am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent. Because My devotees are completely devoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of their hearts. What to speak of My devotee, even those who are devotees of My devotee are very dear to Me.\u201d]<\/p>\n
\nsmara\u1e47a\u1e41 p\u0101da-sevanam
\narcana\u1e41 vandana\u1e41 d\u0101sya\u1e41
\nsakhyam \u0101tma-nivedanam
\n\u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam 7.5.23<\/p>\n