Root Cause Analysis

“The Blessed Lord said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material modes of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world.” (Bhagavad-gita, 3.37)

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Friend1: Have you ever heard of an incident response plan?

Friend2: Yes.

Friend1: Really?

Friend2: Yes. They use it in IT.

Friend1: Great. I was hoping to explain it and then bounce off of that for the discussion today.

Friend2: Okay. Pretend that I don’t know what it is.

Friend1: It’s used for when you have some sort of attack on the system.

Friend2: What kind of attack? Like someone goes after the servers with a hammer?

Friend1: Well, you hope it never gets to that level, but I guess the effect is the same. There is an intrusion. An unauthorized person got past your security.

Friend2: I see.

Friend1: The plan is there to limit the damage. It’s a set of procedures for getting back up and running.

Friend2: I’m assuming you want to prevent a repeat in the future.

Friend1: That’s part of it, too. There is also something in IT called root cause analysis.

Friend2: I think that covers a broader range of issues.

Friend1: Exactly. Any problem, really. Don’t just deal with the obvious issue. For example, if a file gets sent late to an FTP server, one way to tackle the problem is to schedule the task a little earlier.

Friend2: So you have some room for error.

Friend1: Right, but that may not be the root cause of the problem. Perhaps the database query that is used to generate the file is taking too long. The query needs to be optimized. That is digging deeper, towards the root.

Friend2: And then maybe the query is fine, but the database server needs more memory.

Friend1: There you go! Analyze until you find the actual cause of the problem.

Friend2: Yeah.

Friend1: So, I was wondering…is there any correlation to spiritual life?

Friend2: What do you mean? As in, can we perform a root cause analysis at the individual level?

Friend1: Yes.

Friend2: Well, what is the problem you are trying to address?

Friend1: That is a very good question. I guess general unhappiness. Malaise.

Friend2: Nice use of the word. I’ve only heard it when people are talking about Jimmy Carter and his famous speech.

Friend1: It’s a real word, you know.

Friend2: I do. Okay, so you want a root cause analysis for unhappiness. I’ve already got the answer for you.

Friend1: That quickly?

Friend2: Birth. Happiness and sadness come on their own subsequent to emerging from the womb. They arrive like the summer and winter seasons.

“O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.14)

Friend1: Hmm. I can’t argue with you, but how do you fix the problem?

Friend2: You mean how do we prevent birth going forward?

Friend1: Or what if you did a root cause analysis for the problem of birth?

Friend2: Oh, that’s easy too. Kama.

Friend1: As in lust?

Friend2: Yes. In the Bhagavad-gita, Shri Krishna declares lust to be the all-devouring enemy of this world, when combined with wrath [krodha]. The Supreme Personality of Godhead was essentially doing root cause analysis for the problem of people following sinful life, even when they apparently know better. Arjuna asked the question and Krishna answered it.

Friend1: I see. So how do you prevent kama? How do you stop it?

Friend2: Kama is also known as desire, which can never be eliminated. The idea is to change the nature. Kama is material desire, and bhakti is spiritual desire. Change your goals. Look for God’s satisfaction instead of your own. At first you’ll think it’s a sacrifice, but later on you’ll realize that His pleasure means your happiness.

In Closing:

Before solving taking a pause,

Digging deeper to find root cause.

Like with our problems know,

Something beneath lying so.

Ball rolling at birth starting,

In wrath from intelligence departing.

Kama instigating factor real,

Bhakti to stop that spinning wheel.

Four People Who Mistook Krishna For An Ordinary Person

“Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.11)

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It’s understandable for a person to not make the proper identification upon first glance. There is all-attractiveness, for sure. That immediately indicates something is special about this Krishna person. He has done amazing things, and everyone closely associated with Him is of the highest character.

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.9)

Knowing His true nature would be quite beneficial, as He describes in the Bhagavad-gita. The birth and activities for Krishna are divyam, or transcendental. During His brief time roaming the earthly realm in the original form, Krishna was misidentified by several people. Even those with discrimination and prior knowledge of the truth were bewildered on occasion.

1. Kamsa

The king of Mathura falls on the side of bad. He was so afraid of death that he would rather kill innocent children just born to save himself. He got word of his impending demise through a helpful voice from the sky. Kamsa couldn’t bear to part with the temporary life and the power amassed within it.

The prediction was for the eighth child of Kamsa’s sister Devaki. This child would spell the king’s doom. He happened to escape everyone’s sight in Mathura and secretly get transferred to the neighboring town of Gokula.

When Kamsa learned what happened, he thought he could simply have the boy killed, like Devaki’s previous children. This was foolish from the start, and became more so as each attempt was foiled. Kamsa sent his most powerful deputies, who worked in disguise, but they all failed. Destiny in this case was unavoidable.

2. Brahma

He is the four-headed one, the creator, the person who works with the three modes of nature to create the different species. He should have known better because he was part of the group that petitioned Lord Vishnu to descend to earth and deal with the asura class, which included people like Kamsa.

The karma, or work, of God is so beyond anything witnessed that even a wise person like Brahma can be fooled. Suffering from a bout of ignorance, Brahma decided one time to steal Krishna’s childhood friends and some cows. How would the small actor react, then? How would Krishna explain to the elders in Vrindavana what had happened?

As Krishna is the supreme mystic, He simply expanded Himself to generate replicas of the cowherd boys and the cows. The ruse went on for an entire year, and no one was the wiser. Brahma finally realized his mistake and returned Krishna’s friends and cows back to Him.

3. Indra

The king of heaven was watching from above. Who wouldn’t take delight in seeing God play the role of an ordinary child, albeit an amazing and powerful one when called upon for help? What caused Indra’s temporary ignorance was envy. He was so jealous because one time the residents of Vrindavana were urged away from worshiping him. They brought their preparations to Govardhana Hill instead. This was at Krishna’s insistence.

Indra thought that God could be overpowered by a devastating rainstorm. The plan was foiled through Krishna holding up the just worshiped Govardhana Hill and using it as an umbrella. Indra saw firsthand that Krishna is not ordinary, that His work is capable of defending against any antagonistic force.

4. Duryodhana

The leader of the Kurus should have been enjoying life. He had a kingdom. He had family around him. His rivals were ousted, and adding insult to injury they had been tortured for so long. The problem was that the sinner’s fruit eventually catches up with them. It arrives at the appropriate time, and in a ghastly form.

“Just as a tree starts to blossom during the proper season, so the doer of sinful deeds inevitably reaps the horrible fruit of their actions at the appropriate time.” (Lord Rama speaking to Khara, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 29.8)

Duryodhana likely understood this in the back of his mind, and it explains why he was so fearful when Shri Krishna paid a visit. This was a mission of peace. The Pandavas were fed up. They wanted the kingdom back, the one that was rightfully theirs. War was imminent, and Krishna made one last effort to avoid it.

Duryodhana simply had to give the land back. He refused, and also developed an ill-conceived plan to have Krishna bound. The thought was that the Pandavas would lose heart by seeing their well-wisher tied up. Krishna laughed at the idea before it could ever be implemented. He showed the virata-rupa, the universal form, and asked Duryodhana to try to bind it. The task would be something like trying to put rope around the entire universe.

As others have made the mistake in identification, there is plenty of material from which to learn. God the person is anything but ordinary. He does not assume the body that supposedly covers Him. Krishna’s true nature is changeless and supreme, and He gives the same properties to the devotees who are liberated in service to Him.

In Closing:

Tricked easily can be,

When quickly body to see.

Making errors even the wise,

Like Brahma fooled by size.

And Indra sending rain devastating,

Power in Krishna’s pinky demonstrating.

Kamsa and Duryodhana too,

Something special about Him knew.

The Three Stages Of Attachment To The Material World

“One has to get rid of all three stages of attachment to the material world: negligence of spiritual life, fear of a spiritual personal identity, and the conception of void that underlies the frustration of life. To get free from these three stages of the material concept of life, one has to take complete shelter of the Lord, guided by the bona fide spiritual master, and follow the disciplines and regulative principles of devotional life.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 4.10 Purport)

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Like trying to walk while in a dark room. There is no light, and this is a new room, so there is no idea of what furniture is around. Is there a light switch? Are there paintings on the walls? In this situation only so much can be learned through experience. Moreover, there is chance of injury and misidentification at every step. Not until the lights turn on will there be an opportunity to ascertain for sure what is going on.

In the same way the living entity in the material world struggles from beginning to end. Birth is the initial cause, and right away attachments are formed. Until these attachments are removed there can be no lasting peace.

It is something like trying to learn a language without help. If you leave a child in a room for years and years, without providing any instruction, they won’t learn how to talk. Formal schooling is not even required; just some association, where questions are asked and sufficient answers are provided.

Attachment in the material world goes through three stages, and the expert spiritual teacher, bona fide through participation in a chain of disciplic succession, is there to help remove the attachment and lead the humble student beyond, into true spiritual bliss.

1. Negligence of spiritual life

“I have too much to enjoy right now. I have my spouse and children to look after. My parents are in failing health. They need help. Though I’m earning a lot of money right now, that is no guarantee of the future situation. I have to stay on top of things; otherwise I could become poor one day.”

These are different material attachments that serve as excuses for avoiding spiritual life. It is seen that in families where the parents are blinded by such attachments, there is great anger and disappointment if one of the children should show a sincere interest in spiritual life. The clearest example is Prahlada Maharaja, who as a five year old boy was harassed by his father, King Hiranyakashipu. Prahlada’s lone crime, if you will, was devotion to God the person.

2. Fear of a spiritual personal identity

In this situation we get a person who was previously very materially absorbed. They had such a bitter experience that they swear off attachment altogether. Renounce everything. Their idea is to merge into the spiritual effulgence known as Brahman.

Brahman is an energy without attributes. Attaining Brahman is equivalent with liberation, which ends the cycle of birth and death. There is still a tinge of material attachment, however, since there is fear of a personal nature to the spiritual side of life. When such persons hear that there is something beyond Brahman, they become afraid, not properly understanding the concept of spiritual attributes.

3. The concept of void that leads to extreme frustration

In this stage of attachment there is frustration at the many philosophies heard. They sound contradictory. One side says to renounce everything, another says to enjoy to the fullest. Throwing their hands up in the air, the last option is to just take skepticism to the extreme. “Everything sucks. Everyone is wrong. Life is a miserable journey.” And so the only resort is to try intoxicants to find a different, albeit temporary, experience. The highs are then mistaken to be spiritual visions.

The truth is that material existence is miserable in a sense, but it is also a kind of mercy. It is the chance for souls competing with God to reform their ways. The transformation focuses on consciousness only. The rest is temporary, as the body won’t stay forever. Consciousness carries forward, from lifetime to lifetime.

“The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries aromas.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.8)

Fortunately, one process is so simple that it takes care of material attachment without requiring a dedicated focus. Just go directly to God the person. Understand and identify Him through the help of the spiritual master, the guru. Stay connected to God through transcendental sound: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Material attachment is best strengthened through four activities: meat eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sex. Avoid these four and stay on the path of bhakti-yoga. The material attachment will then become purified, changing to bhava, or transcendental ecstasy. There will be attachment to God the person, who ensures that a spiritual identity remains going forward.

In Closing:

First spiritual life to neglect,

Then Brahman merging to expect.

Utterly confused, towards void to go,

Since clear understanding not to know.

Material attachment in these stages three,

No peace until finally free.

Help from guru and Krishna required,

Victory when by bhakti inspired.

Four Ways To Understand How Krishna Is Above Birth And Death

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.9)

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Understand the janma and karma of Shri Krishna and you’ll become immune from birth and death. At the time of tyaktva deham [quitting the body], rebirth will not take place. This is an important reward since the source of every trouble is birth. You can only die if you are born at some time. That is the initial catalyst. Death is a manifestation of time, which creates truth in the saying of, “As soon as you are born, you are dying.”

Krishna’s janma, or birth, is transcendental. It is not ordinary. He is in fact above the cycle of birth and death. Only one person has this property, and thus it is no surprise that Krishna is considered God, the personal aspect to the singular Divinity. During His time on earth, the less intelligent could not understand His true nature.

“Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.11)

They figured He was an ordinary person, like everyone else. On one hand it is understandable to have this viewpoint. Just by looking at someone, how are we to know that they are the lone person transcendental to birth and death, that their janma is actually an appearance instead of a birth?

On the other hand so many people testified to Krishna’s unique position. These were respected personalities, like the sage Markandeya, the travelling preacher Narada, and the leader of the Kurus, Bhishmadeva.

What about for us? Krishna’s advent took place a long time ago. We know from the Mahabharata that He soon returned to the spiritual world. How are we to understand with faith and conviction that Krishna does not take birth?

1. We don’t live forever

This truth must be acknowledged at the outset. We don’t live forever; that is the meaning of mortality. By extension, any person who makes the claim of immortality cannot be tested through our own perception. If they say they live forever, we have no way of knowing that for sure, because eventually we must leave the present body and start over in the next life. With that event memory gets erased, like a reformatting of the hard drive.

2. Take the testimony of the sun-god

During Krishna’s time even pious souls had doubt. In the famous conversation known as the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna tells Arjuna that the amazing wisdom shared with him was spoken to the sun-god at the beginning of the creation.

“Arjuna said: The sun-god Vivasvan is senior by birth to You. How am I to understand that in the beginning You instructed this science to him?” (Bhagavad-gita, 4.4)

Arjuna wondered how that was possible. The sun-god was known to be much older. Krishna explained that both He and Arjuna had appeared many times before, but only Krishna could remember. The testimony of the sun-god gives some proof of the truth, and special souls in the past have been able to communicate with him.

3. Krishna’s words have survived thousands of years

The Bhagavad-gita is still prominent today. Something known as the disciplic succession, parampara, has ensured access to successive generations. The original sound vibration is still alive, in the amazingly potent Sanskrit language. Krishna and the sound that represents Him are identical. The fact that works glorifying Him have stood the test of time provides further evidence of God’s deathless nature.

4. Practicing bhakti-yoga

Take up devotional service. With love, faith and attention chant the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. There is faith in the beginning, but that is true of any endeavor. In first grade we have no way of knowing for sure if the teacher is actually proficient, if they’ve gone to college and proven capability. We extend some faith to the authority figures, and proof arrives later on.

“Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.11)

Through practicing bhakti-yoga under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master everything necessary for escaping the cycle of birth and death is provided. This is because Krishna Himself helps the devotee. He shines the lamp of knowledge from within, to dissipate the darkness of ignorance.

In Closing:

Just one simple thing know,

Of janma and karma so.

That for Krishna of nature divine,

From within torchlight to shine.

So that no more in ignorance to be,

Proof also from Gita to see.

And sun-god testimony giving,

Profound wisdom through time living.

Does The Evil That Men Do Live On

“Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 16.19)

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Friend1: You’ve heard of eternal damnation.

Friend2: Yes.

Friend1: What do you think of it?

Friend2: What does personal sentiment matter? I can think something. You can think something different. We look to authority for understanding these higher topics.

Friend1: Sorry, I guess that’s what I meant. What is your opinion of the concept of suffering forever in hell, based on what authority teaches?

Friend2: Oh, I see. You want to know if it’s real?

Friend1: Yeah, like if a person does something bad, are they forced to suffer forever? If they don’t believe in God, are they doomed?

Friend2: I think you already know the answer to that.

Friend1: I understand the concept of reincarnation. The outside is always changing. The inside is always constant. As a person goes to prison for committing a crime, so the individual can be downgraded in terms of species in a subsequent life.

Friend2: Up, down, or stay the same. With the mode of goodness you rise to the heavenly planets. With the mode of ignorance you get demoted to a lower species. With the mode of passion you stay where you are. The changes occur within a single lifetime, also.

Friend1: How does that work?

Friend2: Consciousness. Improving, staying the same, or getting worse.

Friend1: If there is a horrible deed, the punishment doesn’t last forever, then? Once the next birth comes then the slate is wiped clean?

Friend2: That is why Vedic culture has the death penalty included. The idea is that if the criminal is punished right now, they won’t have to suffer in the future. If they skate, if they escape the justice that is due them, it will arrive eventually.

Friend1: Alright, that makes sense. I guess what confuses me is hearing about the two natures. Some people are divine and others are demoniac.

Friend2: Good and evil. Yes, Krishna discusses this in the Bhagavad-gita. He describes the qualities of each. He tells Arjuna not to worry, as the great bow-warrior is born with the divine qualities.

“The transcendental qualities are conducive to liberation, whereas the demonic qualities make for bondage. Do not worry, O son of Pandu, for you are born with the divine qualities.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 16.5)

Friend1: And then isn’t there something about the demoniac being cast into lower species, lifetime after lifetime, directly by Krishna?

Friend2: Yes.

Friend1: Okay, so wouldn’t that correspond with eternal damnation? Aren’t such people forever shut out from salvation?

Friend2: No, because look at people like Hiranyakashipu and Ravana. They were the worst of the worst. They never changed their ways. They were so bad that they had to die directly at the hands of God, which earns immediate salvation.

Friend1: Okay, but I know they were two gatekeepers in the Vaikuntha spiritual realm originally. They were just playing the role of bad guys in this world.

Friend2: That is the case for every single person. If damnation were ever actually eternal, then Krishna as the Supersoul would not accompany such persons. He would not expand Himself to stay in horrible places. The fact that the Supersoul is always close by means that every person is originally God conscious. Through evil deeds the realization of that original consciousness becomes much more difficult, but the reversal of fortune is always a possibility.

In Closing:

Sinful souls through world dispersed,

But always opportunity to be reversed.

Since Supersoul accompanying inside,

Even within demoniac to reside.

Who repeatedly into worst species cast,

From time’s factor not forever to last.

Like Ravana and Hiranya liberation attaining,

Original consciousness eventually gaining.

Four Good Excuses Arjuna Gave To Krishna At Kurukshetra

“The Supreme Person [Bhagavan] said: My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life. They do not lead to higher planets, but to infamy.” (Bhagavad-gita, 2.2)

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Though admonished by the teacher for showing signs of not knowing the progressive values of life, Arjuna actually put forward decent arguments. His inquiries made the subsequent discussion all the more important.

It is one thing for a teacher to impose his will. “Do this. Do that. Don’t ever do this. Just follow and you’ll be fine.” It is another for a strong case to be squashed with logic, reasoning, and more importantly, authority. Shri Krishna is the ultimate authority figure in this regard, as He is the adi-guru. The Bhagavad-gita spoken to Arjuna is actually timeless; it was uttered many years prior as well.

Arjuna and his brothers had every justification to commence the hostilities. No more Mr. Nice Guy. No more letting the other side bend the rules. It was time for justice, which was to be delivered in a ghastly manner, through the amazing arrows released by Arjuna, the greatest bow-warrior at the time. Despite having dharma on his side, Arjuna was a reluctant participant.

1. I don’t need to enjoy a kingdom

The winner of the war would get the kingdom. The conflicts during that time period were to the death. Those were the stakes. Arjuna looked into the future and saw the result of victory. He and his brothers, known as the Pandavas, would take over Hastinapura and essentially rule the world.

Arjuna had no need for such enjoyment or prestige. He was renounced in spirit, having once lived in the forest for many years. More importantly, the source of that vairagya, or detachment, was his devotion to Shri Krishna, who happened to be right there on the same chariot, steering the ship so to speak.

2. Why am I going to kill respected people on the other side

Politics is complicated. Issues don’t always fall comfortably into right and wrong. Sometimes you get good people opposing you. This was the case with the Bharata War. On the opposite side were respected teachers and members of the family. Arjuna knew that to succeed in war you have to break things and kill people. He didn’t want to kill people he respected. By avoiding war, their lives would be spared.

3. Why should family traditions be destroyed

The Sanskrit term here is varna-sankara. This is a mixing of the occupations, or classes. In the time period in question such intermingling would only take place through kama, or lust. Since unions should take place in dharma instead of kama, varna-sankara can also be translated as “unwanted population.”

With children born from lust, the family traditions eventually die. When that occurs, society goes to hell. People essentially turn into animals, concerning themselves only with eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Arjuna wanted to avoid creating such a situation. He figured if the other side remained alive, the family traditions would as well.

4. Doesn’t killing equate to sin

There would be tremendous violence. Krishna gave a glimpse into the future by showing the virata-rupa, which is the universal form. This was a three-dimensional image that also featured the time factor. At one point Arjuna saw practically all the soldiers assembled rushing into Krishna’s many mouths. This indicated that death was guaranteed, regardless of the choice made.

Arjuna worried that so much papa, or sin, would accumulate as a result. They were on the side of piety, so why should they risk inviting negative consequences? Just drop the weapons, retreat to the forest, let the other side continue to rule, and everything would be fine.

But it was Arjuna’s duty to uphold righteousness. His arguments reflected kama. They were a way to hold on to the sentiment of bodily attachment to the other side. Additionally, there was a false prestige factor. By voluntarily giving up his weapons, Arjuna hoped to earn some acclaim.

As Krishna would clarify, for a warrior by occupation it is a high honor to die valiantly on the battlefield. Arjuna would win heaven either way, by winning or losing, provided that he fought. Giving up would actually be more sinful.

Moreover, the result of the war was already slated. Destruction was the Divine will, and Arjuna had the choice to act as the instrument of delivery. Insulation from all sinful reaction was available only through following Krishna, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the ultimate lesson to take from their discussion.

In Closing:

From careful study of Gita to make,

One lesson most important to take.

That partially sinful is every path,

Something negative in the aftermath.

Even if family traditions ending,

Misplaced the compassion extending.

Proper with devotion to fight,

Krishna’s cause always right.

Three People Who Were Harassed By Family Members Because Of Their Devotion

“The demon harasses the devotee, even though the latter may happen to be his kin. Although Prahlada Maharaja was the son of Hiranyakashipu, he was nonetheless persecuted by his father; although Devaki, the mother of Krishna, was the sister of Kamsa, she and her husband Vasudeva were persecuted only because Krishna was to be born of them.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 4.8)

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There is the saying, “Blood is thicker than water.” However close you are with a friend, there is just something different about a close relative. Even if you haven’t talked to them in a while, you are there for them. At a moment’s notice you are ready to do whatever is necessary to help them. They are your family, after all.

Which makes the situation quite peculiar when there is devotional service involved. Bhakti-yoga is a way of life, and it is more than just blind faith or a means of avoiding punishment in the afterlife. Those who follow it swear that bhakti-yoga is the constitutional engagement, something each of us yearns for but doesn’t find unless and until made aware by an authority on the matter, the spiritual teacher.

Bhakti-yoga is so important to the people that practice it, and yet there have been instances where family members turned into strong aggressors because of it. They couldn’t stand that someone so close to them would be devoted to the sworn enemy, the Supreme Lord. These characters were demonic in nature, so preservation of the materialistic way of life took precedence over family ties.

1. Devaki

Her brother was the king of Mathura. He followed tradition and accompanied her home on the day of her marriage to Vasudeva. Everything was going well until a voice from the sky arrived. It foretold that Devaki’s eighth child would spell doom for Kamsa.

What to do in such a situation? The sober person understands that the body is constantly changing. From boyhood to youth to old age, the only way to get a static picture is to take a snapshot, a moment frozen in time. This is because even seconds after a picture is taken the body changes.

Kamsa could have taken the news as good fortune. Not everyone knows when or what will cause their eventual demise. Upon receiving the news the king instead tried to nullify destiny. He eventually had Devaki and her husband imprisoned. After each child was born Kamsa immediately killed it. He turned violent criminal in a futile attempt to prolong life, a life that was soon to end through a swift punch delivered by Devaki’s eighth child, the Supreme Lord Krishna. For her association with God, Devaki found violent aggression close to home.

2. Vibhishana

Ravana was sinful from birth. Though his father was a brahmana, Ravana took on the qualities of a Rakshasa. This is a kind of ogre-like creature who eats human beings, among other things. Ravana ruled over the kingdom of Lanka, and he was feared throughout the world.

Within that kingdom was the younger brother Vibhishana. He didn’t interfere much. He was a gentle and pious soul, a well-wisher to everyone. When he saw Ravana make a terrible mistake, Vibhishana stepped in to offer some sound words of advice. He urged Ravana to return the princess of Videha, Sita, to Shri Rama, her dear husband to whom she was wedded in all righteousness.

Ravana did not accept the advice. Nor did he appreciate it. The insults hurled Vibhishana’s way were so intense that the brother left Ravana’s side in favor of Rama’s. The incarnation of the Supreme Lord was preparing to attack Lanka to rescue Sita. Vibhishana essentially turned into a traitor, but there was no sinful reaction since he was associated with God. Indeed, material life means turning one’s back on the Divine, and spiritual life is when the bad is renounced in favor of the good.

3. Prahlada

Devaki and Vibhishana faced aggression for their devotion from their brothers. Prahlada was just a small child. He couldn’t really do much. He was firmly devoted to Shri Krishna, exercised through meditation and teaching the principles of spiritual life to anyone willing to listen.

Children are known to be chanchala, or restless. This is especially true of their interests. If parents see that their child is into a particular toy or game, they don’t mind any obsessive tendencies. They understand that the child will likely move on to a different interest fairly soon.

If the child should take to devotional service, that is a wonderful sign. After all, even adults who have succeeded in material life aren’t guaranteed the fortune of seeking the shelter of the lotus feet of God.

“Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.3)

To King Hiranyakashipu, God was the enemy. There was so much hatred that the sight of devotion practiced in the royal home could not be tolerated. Prahlada faced deadly force if he continued along the path. The boy refused to be intimidated, and so the father tried so many times to kill the son.

As is always the case, the devotion of the devotee was protected. There is no reason to fear, even if the aggression comes from powerful forces. It is tragic that family should turn against someone that way, but the favor of Krishna is the superior reward, as family bonds aren’t sure to last beyond the present lifetime.

In Closing:

Family a special place holding,

There when trouble unfolding.

So when turning enemy unfortunate choice,

Like Kamsa after from sky hearing voice.

Vibhishana’s words on deaf ears falling,

The son worst enemy Hiranyakashipu calling.

Krishna there with friends or with foes,

Protecting from aggressor’s blows.