Radhanath Swami

SB 1.9.17

tasmäd idaà daiva-tantraà

vyavasya bharatarñabha

tasyänuvihito 'näthä

nätha pähi prajäù prabho

SYNONYMS

tasmät—therefore; idam—this; daiva-tantram—enchantment of providence only; vyavasya—ascertaining; bharata-åñabha—O best among the descendants of Bharata; tasya—by Him; anuvihitaù—as desired; anäthäù—helpless; nätha—O master; pähi—just take care of; prajäù—of the subjects; prabho—O Lord.

TRANSLATION

O best among the descendants of Bharata [Yudhiñöhira], I maintain, therefore, that all this is within the plan of the Lord. Accepting the inconceivable plan of the Lord, you must follow it. You are now the appointed administrative head, and, my lord, you should now take care of those subjects who are nowotee. rendered helpless.

PURPORT

The popular saying is that a housewife teaches the daughter-in-law by teaching the daughter. Similarly, the Lord teaches the world by teaching the devotee. The devotee does not have to learn anything new from the Lord because the Lord teaches the sincere devotee always from within. Whenever, therefore, a show is made to teach the devotee, as in the case of the teachings of Bhagavad-gétä, it is for teaching the less intelligent men. A devotee's duty, therefore, is to ungrudgingly accept tribulations from the Lord as a benediction. The Päëòavas were advised by Bhéñmadeva to accept the responsibility of administration without hesitation. The poor subjects were without protection due to the Battle of Kurukñetra, and they were awaiting the assumption of power by Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira. A pure devotee of the Lord accepts tribulations as favors from the Lord. Since the Lord is absolute, there is no mundane difference between the two.

Lecture begins…

Today is, on our Vaisnava calender, Bhismastami, so we decided; we should speak something about Bhismadev today. Today’s verse, Bhisma is speaking to Maharaj Yudhisthirar. And in this purport, Srila Prabhupada is telling how the Lord teaches the world through His devotee. There are many philosophical lessons and very subtle instructions as well in this incredible story.

1. Mind of a Vaisnava – Prahlada pastime in Melkote

I just came yesterday from Melukote, also known as Tirunarayanapur in South India, one of the 4 holiest places for the Sri Vaisnava sampradaya. And everyday, we climbed a mountain, I believe it has 400 stone steps to reach it. And there is a temple of Lord Narasimhadev, very ancient. According to the history of that place, Prahlad maharaj, when he was king, he came there. And he was worshiping a Saligram sila on that hill, praying to Krishna to forgive him, because he was thinking that ‘because of me, my father has to die.’ He was not seeing blame in Hiranyakasipu, he was seeing blame in himself. Why? Just so that I could live, my father had to die. So, he was worsiping Krishna, Lord Narasimhadeva in the form of the Saligram to forgive him for his offense. He was lamenting. He was really seriously lamenting. Then he went on to the Kalyanai, a very ancient kund. And when he came back up, the saligram sila had manifested into the magnificient self manifested form of Yoga Narasimha. And Narasimha spoke, He told Prahlad, “Its not your fault. Actually, your father, it was only due to his own sins, that he has to be removed from this world. Don’t blame yourself anymore. And besides of that, because of your love and devotion, and your prayers for him, I have given him liberation.” So, in this way, Prahlad was pacified. Very inconceivable - The mind of a vaisnava. Even when somebody creates the greatest injustice, as a devotee, he is thinking, ‘because of me.’

2. Glories of Maharaj Yudhisthira

And we have a very similar story here in the Srimad bhagavatam. Maharaj Yudhuisthir was faultless. He was honor and integrity personified. He didn’t want to harm to anyone. But Duryodhana was so envious. And his comrades – Disasana, Sakuni, Karna, they all joined him and he even convinced his own father Dhrtrashtra to join this campaign. Where the innocent Yudhishthira and his brothers who were the rightful heirs to the throne, they were cheated, they were blasphemed. In order to disgrace them they tried to strip Draupadi naked in an assembly of men. They try to burn them alive, horrible horrible death in a house of Lac. They exiled them to the forest for twelve years and while they were there that wasn’t bad enough Duryodhana sent people to humiliate them and disgrace them in the forest. He even made plans to murder them and ultimately when the exile was done, Yudhishthira maharaj was so patient and so kind we are Kshartriyas, we need something to rule over. Give us five villages one each and you can have the rest of the world. Duryodhana, his response I will not give them enough land that you can pierce the head of a needle through. He was so envious. He was living by such a treacherous example. He was the personification of Adharma. And meanwhile Yudhishthira maharaj was always his well wisher. He was kind and finally it was Krishna that decided that decided that the war of Kurukshetra has to happen.  Krishna was a messenger trying to avert this war. Yudhishthira  maharaj was trying by any means for an alternative in this war. But Duryodhana was so egoistic, so obsessed in his hatred that ultimately the war had to be fought. And even during the war there were times when Yudhishthira maharaj was ready to give everything back to Duryodhana if he just gives the slightest concession.

After Kurukshetra so many people died and Yudhishthira maharaj was coroneted as the King and here he is lamenting like Prahlad. Because of me all this people had to die because of me all these women are widows and all these children have no father, all so that, I can sit on the throne.

3. Heart of a devotee

Prahlad maharaj was also sitting on the throne. This may seem illogical, it may seem impractical, but its ‘vaishnaver kriya mudra bige na bhujay’.  It’s the inconceivable nature of the heart of a devotee, true devotee. Just the opposite of material conditioning we are very eager to  blame people, blame people for what they have done against us , blame people for our own shortcomings, blame either other people, or circumstances or material nature or God or anything or anyone for our mistakes for our failures. But a devotee even when, actually for a conditioned soul even when they are completely wrong themselves they want  to blame somebody else. That’s the ego.  But a devotee has no inclination to blame others or to criticize. Rupa Goswami, explains this is one of the qualities of a devotee. That the propensity to criticize others is not in that person’s heart.

4. Krishna gives credit to His devotee

In the case of Prahlad Maharaj, Nrsimha deva had to manifest again just to pacify him. In the case of Yudhishthira maharaj, so many people were trying to tell Yudhishthira it’s not your fault. And Krishna by His own love for His devotee Bhishma deva, He by His own free will was unable to pacify Yudhishthira maharaj. So He brought Yudhishthira maharaj to Hastinapur back to Kurukshetra with the Pandavas. Because Krishna wanted Bhishma to get that credit of speaking the highest truth to pacify the heart of Yudhistir. And also Bhisma who was laying in the bed of arrows, from his neck to his feet, you could not put even a finger between two arrows. There were so many arrows! And what a vaishnava Bhishma was! He was such a powerful warrior, that when Duryodhana incited him to really put his heart and soul in to the fighting, because he previously...actually in his heart he was on the pandava’s side. But due to the inconceivable arrangement of Krishna to teach the world another lesson, he is on the side of the Kurus.

Here is a Mahajan, fighting for the enemies of the devotees. Of course from the external perspective, it is said that because Bhishma was honorable he could not be the king because he made that vow. Just to honor his father, that he would never take the thrown and that he would never marry or have children who could take the throne. So ultimately he was watching as Duryodhana was persecuting and threatening to destroy the Pandavas.

5. Dhrtrastra’s false ego

Actually Bhishma and Vidura were always advising Drtarashtra not to follow his son, because he was going to cause the ruination of everything. But Drtarasthra was so sentimentally attached to his son, in fact sometimes when Drtarashtra would become soft towards the Pandavas, Duryodhana would threaten to kill himself, if his father didn’t strongly stand with him. And Drtarashtra was just not only physically blind but he was spiritually blinded by his attachment and affection for his son. But Vidura and Bhishma, sometimes Dhrona also, they would be giving him good advice, but he couldn’t follow them. And sometimes they would chastise Duryodhana, but he could not hear anything. This is the nature of False ego, even the best advice from the best resource, but cannt hear. Becasue we are clouded over by obsessions. It came to the point where Vidura, the younger brother of Drtarashtra, was telling his brother that, “stop being influenced by your son. He is envy personified, offence personified. Everything will be destroyed if you follow him. And when Duryodhana heard that, outraged he banished Vidura from his home his family and from the kingdom. And Drtarashtra didn’t say a word. He let it happen.

6. Bhisma plays his role in Krishna’s plan

But still Duryodhana was the king and from the perspective of mundane dharma it was the duty of everyone to support the king. Duryodhana was maintaining Bhishma and he asked him to be the commander in chief, so Bhishma had to do it. But actually he didn’t have to do it. According to Srila Prabhupada he was a soul surrendered to Krishna. He knew that the Pandavas would win and the Kurus would die. Why, because he knew that he was on the side of the pandavas. But Krishna had a plan, just to show even the greatest person in the world is going to be defeated if he is against Dharma. He is not on the side of God. So during the war Duryodhana, he really started criticizing Bhishma so bad, because he was sentimental towards the pandavas, so Bhishma said, “Ok, tomorrow I am really going to fight” and he did. He was like a cyclone, nothing could stand before him. He destroyed a major apart of the entire pandava army, single handedly, in one day. And Bhishma with his club, Arjuna with his bow and arrow, Yudhishtir, Nakula and Sahadev, great warriors Drushthadyumna, all they could do was stand in the side and watch. There was no possibility of even fighting against him. He was too much. They tried, but it’s like  throwing a stick into a cyclone. That was the military status of Bhishma. And when the sun set Bhishma honoroably would stop fighting. But it was obvious that the next day when the sun rised no would survive, the pandavas. Bhishma would destroy everything. Now Bhishma told Duryodhana, that I can kill everyone in this field but I cant kill the pandavas because they are personally protected by Krishna. Now Yudhistir Maharaj was thinking all these people who have given their lives to support me they are all being massacared by my grand-father. It was a lost cause. There was nothing they could do. But then Krsna knew the heart of Bhisma. He said, “We should go at night secretly to his tent and ask his permission and ask for instructions to kill him and how to kill him.

Now this is a very different type of battle with honor. So Krsna and the 5 Pandavas went in the dark of night went over the lines where the Kurus were and went right to Bhisma’s tent. Meanwhile Duryodhan was glowing with joy thinking that Pandavas will be finished and I will be victorious. And when they came before Bhisma, the Pandavas began to cry. Bhisma welcomed them with so much joy. They were his favorite grand-children.

He said, “Why are you crying? Why are you looking so disturbed?” Ultimately they had to speak. “We are fighting for Krsna. We can’t fight against you. Please tell us how we could kill you and give us your blessing to do so. Now this was more painful for Arjuna, Yudhistir and Bhima to ask. It was really painful because they loved Bhisma. As far as they were concerned, they had no other well-wisher then Bhisma and Vidura. They personally saved their lives on many occasions. Even though due to various circumstances, they were having to fight for the Kurus. So their hearts were heaving in agony to ask this question.

7. Story of Sikhandi

Just put yourself in the Pandavas position, because we have to understand these stories from the human side. Because Vaishnavas are humans with soft hearts. Even if they are totally transcendental. Think about going to your own father or grand-father and asking for their blessing to kill them. It was very very painful. As soon as they asked the question, Bhisma told them, “I was waiting for the day when you will askthis question.” And ultimately he gave them the instructions how he could be killed. He said, “Arjuna you are the only one who could shoot the arrows through me. So on the battlefield bring Shikandi before me. There is a story of that where he was just trying to honor his vow before God and his father. But he was implicated with all these things. The material world is so complicated that even if you are good, you get implicated and complicated into all kinds of troubles. He had vowed that he would never marry. But then on the request of Satyavati, he tried to get some princesses for the prince. So he helped out and one of those princesses was just about to get married to somebody else. And when she told the prince about that and he sent her back to the person who she wanted to marry. And that prince said, that Bhisma touched you to kidnap you to bring to this other man so I can’t marry And nobody will marry you, because you have been touched by someone else. Its high standards in those days. These were kshatriyas, it was honour. She didn’t want to be a widow. So, the only person in the world was Bhisma. Because he touched her. And all he did was he grabbed her hand and put her on the chariot. It wasn’t anything romantic. So, what to do? So, she went to Satyavati and Satyavati said, “Bhisma, you should do it.” Bhisma said, “I made this vow. I cant do it.” And she went to Prasuram, and Parasuram fought with Bhisma. He said, “you should do it.” And bhisma said, “I can’t. I took a vow.” “Then you have to fight me.” And they fought. And Bhisma was so good at fighting. Prasuram was so proud of his fighting disciple. He went to the lady and said, “I am sorry. There is nothing I could do.” So, she worshiped Siva to become a warrior. She can’t be. She was born specifically to help kill Bhisma.

8. Bhisma falls to the ground

Actually, secretly Bhisma revealed. It was out of his love. Because Bhisma wanted to die. He had this benediction, that no one could kill him until he desire to die himself. And he couldn’t comit suicide. That is sinful. And nobody could kill him. But actually seeing the injustices towards Pandavas, he didn’t want to be in this world. His brothers got to go back to their abode. But somehow or other, he had to stay in this world. He knew he was in this body. He wanted to go back to Godhead. He loved Krishna. So, he took this as the greatest opportunity. “Bring Sikhandi and Arjuna, shoot your arrows.”

So, the next day in the battlefield, everything was exact. And Arjuna was shooting arrows. But Arjuna loved Bhisma too much. He couldn’t shoot him hard. And Bhisma was telling him, “shoot harder.” Because, Bhisma’s body was like a mountain. And Arjuna had to shoot with all of his strength to penetrate his body. And Bhisma laid down in a bed of arrows.

Now Kurukshetra in January is very cold. And he was laying there. In honor of Bhisma, the entire battle stopped right at the moment when he fell to the ground. And all the warriors from both the Pandavas and the Kurus – they all went and personally honored Bhisma for his greatness and glory. And in his honour they stopped fighting that day.

9. Yudhisthira maharaj’s lamentation

And the next day they began again. And Bhisma was lying there. But amazingly he didn’t die. Because his blessing was only at his own will. Even that… Can you imagine, if one arrow pierces our body, we are finished. He had hundreds of them. Can you imagine the pain. But he remained alive through the rest of the battle.

And Krishna went down to Hastinapur, after the last rights of all the warriors who were on the battlefield. He was alive. Then the coronation of Yudhisthir maharaj. Yudhisthir was lamenting. Bhisma knew that Krishna would come back for him. He had that faith. He only wanted to die seeing the beautiful moon like form of Krishna – Syamsundar. He had that faith. He was waiting on the cold dusty ground of Kurukshetra all alone for many days. And Krishna actually brought Yudhisthir back there for these two reasons

1.    To glorify Bhisma, to show his power to inspire and give courage and happiness to Yudhisthir. To instruct the whole world through Yudhisthir.

2.    But on the Highest platform, Krishna wanted to fulfill Bhisma’s heart’s desire to stand before him at the moment of death.

So, here we have Krishna and all the Pandavas bowing down before Bhisma. And Krishna blessed Bhisma, to speak these profound truths to relieve him of all pain so that he could speak. And toward the end of the discussion, in these particular verses that we are reading today, Bhisma who is a mahajan, one of the 12 highest most learned authorities on knowledge is admitting, that no one can understand the plan of the Lord. Why did the Pandavas had to undergo such difficulties? Some of the verses, Bhisma said, “O! what terrible sufferings? And what terrible injustices, you suffered for being the sons of religion personified. You did not deserve to remain alive under those tribulations. Yet, you are protected by the brahmanas, God and religion. As far as my daughter in law Kunti is concerned, upon the great general Pandu’s death, she became a widow with many children. And therefore she suffered greatly. And when you were grown up, she suffered a great deal also, because of your actions. How is it that Kunti who was so absolutely pure in her devotion, in her love and in her piety, she had to suffer more than anyone? Yes! Draupadi suffered when they were trying to strip her away. And she surrendered to Krishna and Krishna protected her. But then, she was exiled to the forest. And the Pandavas, how difficult! There was so much horrible propaganda against them. They were traveling around.

Just 2 days ago, in Melukote, there is a village named after the Pandavas. Because the Pandavas came there. I only went to one place. It took some time to walk there. Very few people go there. There are 5 caves where the Pandavas lived. And considering that Yudhisthir maharaj and his brothers, they were living as kings in Hastinapur, that was their natural right. When you go there and look at these caves, they are really small simple little caves. As far as caves go, they are actually nice caves. But its no place for a king. There is no door. You don’t have a front door on your cave. You can’t lock it. You don’t have any furniture, no kitchen. You just sleep on the rocks. When you go out, search for some berries or fruits from the tree. And you go begging from some house. Yes, I was seeing in the caves, marveling on what the Pandavas had to go through. But multiply that by 100s of times and we can get some glimpse of what Kunti had to go through. Because, she had the love of mother, seeing her children in that condition. Not only unbearable, but inconceivable.

So, Bhisma was very very close, he considered Kunti his daughter in law, and he loved her like a daughter. This is the disciplic succession of suffering. Kunti suffered so bad to see her children, her son suffering and Bhishma is suffering seeing his daughter suffering.  Why? Bhishma is asking this question, why? There is Laws of Karma where you are supposed to get what you deserve. Kunit didn’t deserve this.  The Pandavas didn’t deserve this. Why? Then Bhishma gives his opinion, in my opinion this is all due to inevitable time. Under whose control everyone in every planet is carried just as the clouds are carried by the wind.  Oh! How wonderful is the influence of inevitable time. It is irreversible, Otherwise How can there be reverses in the presence of King Yudhishthira, The son of the demigod controlling religion. Bhima,the great fighter with a club, the great bowman Arjuna with his mighty weapon Gandiva, and above all the Lord the direct well wisher of the Pandavas. Bhishma says to Yudhishthira maharaj ‘Oh! King no one can know the plan of Lord Sri Krishna’.  Even though great philosophers inquire exhaustively they are bewildered. ‘Oh! Best amongst the descendants of Bharat, I maintain therefore that all this is within the plan of the Lord.’ Excepting the inconceivable plan of the Lord you must follow it. You are now the appointed administrative head and my Lord you should now take care of those subjects who are now rendered helpless.

10. Bhisma’s talks with Yudhisthir Maharaja

In this verse today what Bhishma is essentially telling Yudhishthira maharaj is we really just have to have faith in the perfection of Krishna.  We cannot understand the details of why he does what he does.  What to speak of Krishna the controller of all controllers we cant even understand the details of the Laws of Karma, which are just mundane laws. We can understand the principle and we can take the proper medicine.  Just like if you get malaria, and if you stay in Bombay long enough you probably will (everyone laughs).   And it is very high fever, come to give you medicine. I want to know which mosquito bit me, I want to know the date and the time when I was bitten and I want to know the exact location on my body where I was bitten. Now there are very few cases of malaria where anyone can trace out all those details. In fact it is difficult to trace out even one of them. But we understand the principle, if I have this fever and the malaria germs in me. I may not know which mosquito, I may not know where I was when I was bitten, I don’t know where I was bitten, I may not know what date or time.  But I know I was bitten so I should take the medicine. So why we are suffering, what the karmic? We may not understand exactly what the karma was or why am I suffering. But we can understand the principle that I did something and therefore two things when you are sick. You prevent doing the same thing again.  We shouldn’t hurt others, we shouldn’t cause others pain. We shouldn’t engage in immoral activities because if I do I am going to have to suffer and I am suffering and I don’t want ot do this again. I am going to give up this offensiveness and second thing is take the medicine. ‘ anechi aushadhi maya nasi baro lagi, Harinaam mahamantra lao tumi magi ‘ . ‘sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam vraja, aham tvam sarva papebhyo moksha ishyami maa shucha’.  Krishna says I will deliver you from all the sinful reactions, you may not know the details but I will deliver all of them if you just surrender to me. And Krishna himself comes as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to tell us how to surrender, he has appeared in his holy name.’ Golokera prema dhan harinaam sankirtam’ ‘ kali kale naam rupe krishnaavatar’ .  Krishna is in his names. With humility, tolerance, offering all respect to others and not expecting it ourselves, very feelingly we should take shelter by surrendering to the holy names.

‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare!

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!!

Bhishma is telling Yudhishtir, “You may not understand it, but you are a surrendered soul. Whether you understand or don’t understand just carry on with your devotional service. You are the king, it is your responsibility it is your duty to Krishna, go back and rule the kingdom they are helpless.” This is an amazing verse, whether we understand or not our service to Lord is ultimately to be an instrument of compassion to the people who are suffering. Just carry on with your service.

mäträ-sparçäs tu kaunteya çétoñëa-sukha-duùkha-däù

ägamäpäyino 'nityäs täàs titikñasva bhärata

Srila Prabhupada explains that this tolerating the reversal of the summers & the winter seasons, of happiness & distress, of honour & dishonour, of pleasure & pain, and all this the way we tolerate is we just carry on with our devotional service. This is what he is telling Yudhishtir and the greatest service we could render is to help Srila Prabhupada and in our case to give Krishna Consciousness to others. And we find that when the Lord puts the devotees in this type of reversals even for long times, if the devotees juts go on with their service with with humility and faith Krishna makes those reversals into something auspicious. Can I tell you another story of Meukote, (Devotees chant HARIBOL!!!) I am going to miss my airplane but I will take the risk.

11. Pastimes of Ramanujacarya

Ramanujacarya is the great disciple of Yamunacraya, he was the most powerful acarya in all of South India. He was living in Sri Rangam and he had thousands and thousands and thousands of disciples. People loved him. One of his disciples was a grihastha named Kuresh and Kuresh had a disciple named chatugram, who betrayed his own Guru. He rejected his Guru and went to the king of the Cholas who was a fanatical devotee of Shiva and wanted  the whole kingdom to follow his religion. He considered that I am right and everyone else is wrong and I am the king I have power and if they don’t surrender to what I believe in,  then they can’t live. So catugaam, he became a minister and said, “i know what you have to do, just convert Ramanuja and the whole kingdom will become your religion. But if you don’t everyone will become vaishnavas. Becasue he is too powerful.” So its long story and my airplane takes off quite soon, but ultimately it was planned, there was  a conspiracy that Ramanujacarya would be invited to a debate and either he would surrender to the kings region and cause all of his disciple to convert or he would die. So soldiers came to invite Ramanujacarya to this debate. And when they were coming Ramanuja was ready to go, he was detached, he had a very simple beautiful loving heart. But Kuresh understood the situation and he with tears in his eyes begged and pleaded “Let me go on your behalf. Give me your sannnyas robes and you put on my Grihastha robes and you secretly escape form this kingdom. Because they will be hunting to kill you. And let me go and face the king. He will think that I am you.” Ramanuja didn’t want to do this. But Kuresh with such a pure heart was begging to serve in this way. So Ramanuja relented. Can you imagine, he took out his sanyasi clothes. These days if you want to go to a foreign country sanyasis put on pants and shirts and all that. But Sri Vaishnavas, a 1000 years ago sanyasis didn’t do that. When you put on saffron, its forever. Specially danda. But he put on the white robes of a house holder and secretly left Sri Rangam. And Kuresh along with one of Ramanuja’s gurus, Mahapurna, they went to Kanchipuram and they won the debate. But the king was not concerned with justice. He was blinded by ego. When he saw that Kuresh in the guise of Ramanuja had defeated all his biggest scholars, he became so angry and he said, “Sign this document or you die”.

The document was “I am defeated and Shiva is greater than Vishnu.”

So Kuresh he started signing the document and the king was so happy, until he read what he wrote. In south India there are different ways ofweighing things. One particular measurement is called a Drona and another is called Shiva. And  so Kuresh wrote, in all cases,  even Drona is greater than Shiva.

Kuresh was just making a joke. We can laugh, but the king didn’t laugh. He couldn’t kill Ramanuja, because Ramanuja had saved someone in his family before some years from a ghostly spirit. So they took Maharpuna and Kuresh, the guards took them to the forest and burnt their eyes out with burning hot iron rods. And Kuresh after getting his eyes brutally burned out. With great humility , folded palms he bowed down to the guards and from the core of his heart, he thanked them. He said, “Because of you, you have given me the most intimate service to my gurumaharaj of sacrifice my eyes in the service of my guru.” When they heard that, these most hard hearted killers, their heart softened. They apologized. Anyways Mahapurna was very old and having his eyes plucked out in this way was too much and he could not continue traveling like this. So meditating on his dear disciple, Ramanuja and his guru Yamunacarya and meditating on the Supreme Personality of Godhead he gave up his life.

Meanwhile Sripad Ramanujacarya in disguise had to flee the kingdom of the Chola king and he came near the kingdom of Mysore. And there was another king there from another religion. But this king’s daughter was mentally ill. There was some subtle being destroying her mentality and she was just absolutely crazy. The king invited his own priest to treat her, but because of some technicality, they wouldn’t come into his palace because they thought they would get contaminated. So one of Ramanuja’s disciples, he was living in that area. And he told Ramanuja,“If you cure this daughter of this king you can get the favor of the king. So come to the palace. I have already talked to the king.”

Ramanujacarya said, “I am a sanyasi. I cannot go there. How can I go into the palace of a great powerful opulent king?”

This was similar to Lord Caitanya. He would not meet Prataprudra.

But the disciple told his guru, that “It might be a transgression to the etiquette of sanyas. But it will be good for preaching. It will be a higher principle. If you save this man, you will be able to save others.”

Ramanuja said, “If it is to show compassion to others, alright I’ll go into the kings palace.Actually first Ramanuja was strictly business, as soon as he went in he told the king, “Bring your daughter.” Then Nambi washed Ramanuja’s feet and splashed the water on the daughters head. And suddenly the daughter who was delirious became normal. She looked at herself, she was completely disheveled and not dressed properly. So immediately ran out of the room and then came back and surrendered to Ramanuja.

Then the king and especially the queen were completely moved. And then they started asking questions and Ramanuja was preaching to them. And ultimately the king whose name was Vitthala dev took initiation and gave Ramajnuja him the name, Visnu vardhana which means one who expands the glory of Lord Vishnu. And because the king became a devotee, the whole kingdom became devotees. We see, that Ramanuja was in disguise, he looses everything, being hunted down. And he has to escape from his home and goes to a foreign land and met another king and made the whole devotee. Then one day the deity of Thirunarayan revealed himself to Ramanuja and then the deity of Narasingadev revealed himself to Ramanujacarya in the forest.

Then Ramanujacarya sent a messenger and the messenger went and found Kuresh and came back and told Ramanuja that Kuresh has been blinded. And Mahapurna was also blinder and that the pain was so excoriating that he passed away from this world.

When he heard about the passing away of Mahapurna who tried to serve and protect him, he was crying so loud with such feelings that even the stones, the sticks and the trees were melting and crying with him. Then he was thinking about Kuresh, his disciple who was serving him. It was too much to bear.

And then he heard how the Chola king was persecuting vaishnavas and planning to destroy temples. Now Ramanujacarya was a very forgiving and compassionate person. But he prayed to Narasingadev and said that this king is like Hiranyakashipu so do what you think is best. And Narasingadev heard his prayer and the king got this horrible disease in his neck which was causing him excruciating pain and he died.

Ramanujacarya was in exile in Melkote area for 12 years. Sometimes we think that when Krsna tests us it should be only for a few minutes. But the Pandavas were in exile for 12 years. And also Ramanujacarya was in exile for 12 years.

And then Ramanujacarya got the news from his messenger. Those days there was no email or internet. No satellite TV to find out whats happening in Sri Rangam or Kanchipuram. So you had to send somebody, to walk there. So his messenger had to go and search all over the country for Kuresh. And he found him and came back. And he told Ramanujacarya, “Kuresh is so happy that he got to give his eyes to you. What a small price? Through my not being able to see the light of the day,Gurudev is giving light to the whole world.I am so greatful that I could be a part of this.”

Ramanujacarya told Kuresh to ask for any benediction and ask for his eyes back. The Lord said, “Ask for any benediction.” Kuresh said, “If you want to give me anything, give the Chola king elevation to Vaikunta.” Lord told him that “I really don’t want to do that. But if you say so I will send him.”

Ramanuja saw that he is still blind. He told him to ask the Lord again for your eyes back. He went back to the Lord and when the Lord asked him for any benediction, he said, “Catugram who is my disciple. He rejected me, betrayed me and tried to kill me and my guru, he is dead. Give his soul eternal residence in Vaikunta.” Lord said, “He is already there.”

When Ramanujacarya insisted, according to some story, he said to the deities, that I have lost two articles that belong to my guru, please give them back to my guru. And the Lord gave him his eyes back. According to others, even when the Lord is insisted to give him his eyes back, he said, “I don’t want to see this world. The only benediction I want is leave my eyes as they are. I don’t want to see anything of this world. All I want to see is your beautiful form in the form of my guru. Give me the benediction that I will constantly see you.” It is done.

So, Ramanuja went and he heard about this and he asked Kuresh, “What is the deity wearing today?” and Kuresh, he had no eyes. But he explained every detail of every flower and garland, nature of His cro wn and His pose and the color of His clothes. And then Ramanuja said, “what am I wearing today?” and he explained every flower in his garland and how he was standing. And Ramanujacarya understood that that was his benediction. He was always seeing Krishna and his guru. He wasn’t interested in anything else.

Now, in the story, Ramanujacarya was being begged by all his devotees. And even Ranganath, the deity of Sri Rangam was appearing in the dreams of Ramanujacarya and saying, “Now, come back to Sri Rangam. Everyone is waiting for you.” And the people in Melukote were so attached to being with him for 12 years continuously. They didn’t want to leave him even.

So, he went back to Sri Rangam. The Chola king’s son met Ramanuja and became a devotee, and made the whole kingdom vaisnavas. So, it may have seen like a reversal, he is humiliated, he was exiled, his guru died. His disciple was blinded. He was exiled with nothing. But in the process, he came back, the Chola king’s son who would become the king, he became a devotee. So blessings upon million and millions of souls, that could never have happened was the result of the most serious most inconceivable paininful tribulation of being hunted, rejected and exiled. And Srila Prabhupada, we often  give the example, Prabhupada was living in Vrindavan with Jiva Goswami and Rupa Goswami in Krishna’s Rasa lila place.Seventy years old and his Guru asked him to go to America to be an instrument of Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu’s compassion. Now Krishna’s in control, Krishna’s Lakshminath, the husband of the goddess of fortune, Krishna could have just sent...Krishna could do anything, he could exhale and create millions of universes as Mahavishnu. He could do that he could send Prabhupada a first class ticket on Air India to New York. Why the Jaladuta? Why not an ocean liner, why a cargo ship? And why in the arabain sea Prabhupada had several heart attacks and horrible sea sickness. And he had no money, he came to New York and didn’t know anybody or anything. And later on he was in the bowery a ghetto, stuggling. Why is that Krishna arranged...Prabhupada was asking his Godbrothers and other supporters in India come and help send some funds, send some brahamacharis or you come here and help. But nothing, nobody nohelp what so ever. They sent couple of sets of kartals and mrdangas and beads but no help, why? These were great souls. And then Prabhupada got a little tiny room in the bowery and he was typing, somebody gave him a type writer to type his books and somebody broke in and stole his books, stole his manuscripts, stole his typewriter, stole evryting he had and he had nothing. Then he ended living with a person who was favourable, but then the person decided to kill Prabhupada and kept him out of his house.  Prabhupada was nothing. Why did Krishna put him through that, then Prabhupada had a stroke. Bhishma tells us why, “Oh king! No one can know the plan of Krishna, even though great philosophers  inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered. It is all with in the plan of the Lord. Why Prahalad Maharaj was persecuted, why the Pandavas had to go through so much difficulties,  why ramanujacarya went through so much difficulty, why in Caitanya Mahaprabhu lila when the Lord asked the common people  to chat the holy names the kazi was beating them, plundering them and imprisoning them because the Lord wants to show the world through  the devotees, as Prabhupada says, like how the house wife teaches the dauther in law by teaching the daughter,  that if we just remain faithful everything remains supremely auspicious. And Srila Prabhupada has glorified millions of times more within the core of our hearts for all time to come, because of the difficulties he had underwent for us. What is real compassion, Krishna revealed it through Prabhupada that by the difficulties he went through. And he persevered for us. So on this precious day of Bhishmashtami, after Bhishma shared his realizations with Yudhistir Maharaj, he started glorifying Krishna and he saw the sun enter into the northern hemisphere. Makara Sankranti time and he realized it is an auspicious time and he stopped speaking. First he praised Krishna, glorified Krishna, and then just gazed with his eyes on the beautiful form of the Lord and surrendered his heart. And Krishna standing over him released his soul to return back home, back to Godhead.

Srila Prabhupada ki Jai.

Thank you very much.