In the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Lord Sri Krsna is telling Uddhava about the discussion between Avadhuta Dattatreya and Maharaja Yadu. Dattatreya has been explaining his 24 natural siksa-gurus, and in that regard we have explained up to the pigeon.
Those who want to perform bhajana should remember how the pigeon was absorbed in his engagement with his wife and children. What happened to him because of this? He could not see his death before him, and he himself thus fell into the trap of the hunter and lost his life. Always remember this. As for the hunter, he became very happy. He collected the he-pigeon’s children and wife, along with the he-pigeon in his net, threw the net over his shoulder, went home and cooked them all. Remember this: Don’t be attached; don’t be attached.
All living beings want happiness and they want to stop suffering, but still suffering comes. Suffering comes and does not leave us, so that we may taste it. We will have to suffer, wherever we live. Those who know what is happiness and suffering should not exert any effort for them. If happiness is there in one’s destiny from previous lives, it will come automatically.
yata āyur-vyayaḥ param
na tathā vindate kṣemaṁ
mukunda-caraṇāmbujam
Endeavors merely for sense gratification or material happiness through economic development are not to be performed, for they result only in a loss of time and energy, with no actual profit. If one’s endeavors are directed toward Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can surely attain the spiritual platform of self-realization. There is no such benefit from engaging oneself in economic development.
You should not do anything for sense gratification. All kinds of happiness will come automatically, as it is destined. In this regard, Dattatreya has given an example of a python.
The python lives only in one place. Even if he does not eat for so many days, he will not try to obtain food. If any animal automatically comes in front of him without any effort on his part, he will eat it and be satisfied. A sadhu should be like that – always engaging his senses in Krsna consciousness.
tad-bhāvair ajitendriyaḥ
pralobhitaḥ pataty andhe
tamasy agnau pataṅga-vat
One who has failed to control his senses immediately feels attraction upon seeing a woman’s form, which is created by the illusory energy of the Supreme Lord. Indeed, when the woman speaks with enticing words, smiles coquettishly and moves her body sensuously, his mind is immediately captured, and thus he falls blindly into the darkness of material existence, just as the moth maddened by the fire rushes blindly into its flames.
Sannyasis, brahmacaris and brahmacarinis should all be very careful. The moth sees the flame of a fire, and at once becomes attached. He goes circling and then jumps into it. What is the meaning? You must be careful. Be aware that ladies are daivi-maya (the bodies of ladies are manifestations of God’s illusory energy). They are even more beautiful than gentlemen. And for women, men are maya. So always be very, very careful.
There are two kinds of varna-asrama: smarta and daivi. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja tried to establish daivi varna-asrama dharma. If you are married, you should be satisfied with one husband or wife. You should not change or divorce your husband or wife for your entire life. This is varna-asrama. We should accept what is favorable for us and reject what is unfavorable. This will be helpful in our Krsna consciousness.
Persons who are attached to gold and ornaments and other perishable things, and always want to relish them, are foolish. They should not do so.
deho varteta yāvatā
gṛhān ahiṁsann ātiṣṭhed
vṛttiṁ mādhukarīṁ muniḥ
A saintly person should accept only enough food to keep his body and soul together. He should go from door to door accepting just a little bit of food from each family. Thus he should practice the occupation of the honeybee.
Renounced-order sannyasis should be like bumblebees. They should go to the householders’ homes, after the householder has taken his lunch. They should not be a burden on any householders. They should take a little from each of so many houses – as bumblebees take just a little honey from each of many flowers. Sannyasis should be like that. They should not be a burden on anyone.
Dattatreya said, “I have learned from the bumblebees that sannyasis should not collect for the evening or the next day. They should collect enough foodstuffs for taking one time, and they should be satisfied. If the bumblebees collect extra, the honey collector will come and take their beehive, place it in his cloth and squeeze it (squashing the bees inside) to get out the honey.” Don’t be like those bees.
na spṛśed dāravīm api
spṛśan karīva badhyeta
kariṇyā aṅga-saṅgataḥ
A saintly person should never touch a young girl. In fact, he should not even let his foot touch a wooden doll in the shape of a woman. By bodily contact with a woman he will surely be captured by illusion, just as the elephant is captured by the she-elephant due to his desire to touch her body.
Sannyasis and brahmacaris should be very careful – otherwise they will be like the he-elephant who is captured by a she-elephant. Ladies may come and attract a sannyasi, and thus he falls down. Due to his attachment he thinks, “What I have done is okay. I have left sannyasa – no harm. It is okay – we should be householders.” If such a thing is okay, then why did Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Nimbaditya and Visnusvami and their generations create hundreds of thousands of sannyasis?
In our sampraydaya, Madhavendra Puripada, Isvara Puripada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu were sannyasis, and so many sannyasis are still coming in our sampradaya. Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura made tridandi sannyasis, and they are still coming. Renunciation is very good, and it comes after some time.
Try to conquer your senses – especially the tongue. The tongue has no backbone. It is not controlled; it can tell anything to anyone. We should try to control it. If your tongue is controlled, all other senses will be controlled.
The fish cannot control his tongue. Fish are found in ponds, rivers and oceans. Fishermen go there and try to catch the fish by using a fishing rod and attaching some flesh as the bait. The fish at once jumps and takes the bait, and it is caught. Then, the fisherman takes the fish home and cooks it.
We should try to control our tongue. Don’t speak anything wrong. Vaco vegam – if the tongue is controlled, there will be no offense to Vaisnavas, to the holy names or to anyone in general.
Dattatreya continued speaking to King Yadu, and now he told him about his siksa-guru named Pingala. In ancient times, in Videha-nagari where King Janaka used to live, there was a prostitute named Pingala. A sadhaka should always remember this history of Pingala.
nairāśyaṁ paramaṁ sukham
yathā sañchidya kāntāśāṁ
sukhaṁ suṣvāpa piṅgalā
Material desire is undoubtedly the cause of the greatest unhappiness, and freedom from such desire is the cause of the greatest happiness. Therefore, completely cutting off her desire to enjoy so-called lovers, Piṅgalā very happily went to sleep.
After experiencing miseries and frustration in her profession, she gave up her worldly desires and began to think, “Lord Krsna is very dear to my heart, but I have not tried to please Him. Regarding these persons who will die one day – what happiness have they given to me? No happiness at all. They enjoyed my body, I became theirs, and I lost everything. Somehow, by the mercy of Krsna, I have now renounced them, and this renunciation will take me to Krsna.”
Pingala then closed the door of her house, lied down to sleep and slept very well. And afterwards she became a good devotee. We should always remember this history, and try to be very careful.
The avadhuta named Dattatreya explained all this to King Yadu, and Lord Krsna repeated that explanation to Uddhava. Why did He tell this history? He did this to teach you that you must detach yourself from this world. Don’t have any attachment to this world; give your whole heart to please Krsna. Life is short, but it can give the highest goal – even service to Srimati Radhika. We do not know when death will come, so we should give our entire effort and energy to Krsna consciousness.
Gaura premanande.
