Five Questions The Retail Outlet Typically Will Not Ask You

“Lord Brahma said: O son of Kashyapa Muni, please get up, please get up. All good fortune unto you. You are now perfect in the performance of your austerities, and therefore I may give you a benediction. You may now ask from me whatever you desire, and I shall try to fulfill your wish.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.3.17)

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श्री-ब्रह्मोवाच
उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भद्रं ते
तपः-सिद्धो ’सि काश्यप
वरदो ’हम् अनुप्राप्तो
व्रियताम् ईप्सितो वरः

śrī-brahmovāca
uttiṣṭhottiṣṭha bhadraṁ te
tapaḥ-siddho ’si kāśyapa
varado ’ham anuprāpto
vriyatām īpsito varaḥ

1. How do you intend to use these knives?

“These are the best on the market. Think I am bluffing? Watch me cut through this empty soda can. Why would someone want to do that? Don’t worry about the why; just see the sharpness. Chopping vegetables will be a breeze. You will save so much time in the kitchen.

“By the way, you do intend to follow the law, right? I hope you will not use these knives for illegal purposes. Just how often do you think you will be pulling them out of the drawer? How many other people live in the house, who might come in contact with these? Please fill out this form; it is to comply with safety regulations.”

2. What use did you get out of those sneakers?

“Hello, sorry to bother you. I am calling from the online shoe store. I was hoping you had some time to give feedback on your recent purchase. How do you like those sneakers? Did our online measurement guide provide the proper fit? Was everything included in the shipping package? Is this your first purchase with us?

“If you don’t mind my asking, what exactly did you use the sneakers for? Are you an athlete? Are you training for a marathon? There wasn’t any illegal activity, I presume. I hope you aren’t on the radar of any crime-stopping agency within the federal government.”

3. With whom will you communicate on this new phone?

“Some bad news for you. We cannot repair this battery. It is basically dead. You can get maybe one hour of use, but then the phone will automatically power down. The model is so old that we no longer manufacture the replacement batteries.

“For some good news, since you have been a loyal customer we can get you upgraded to a newer model for a significant discount. It has all the latest features; you will love it. Just one thing before we proceed. How exactly are you going to use this phone? Do you intend to communicate with friends and family? Will the camera only be used for legal purposes? Which political party did you support in the most recent election?”

4. What kind of information will you publish on this computer?

“Yes, we can include additional RAM on this purchase. I see you have chosen the SSD option for the hard-drive. Great choice. The battery life is tremendous. The screen size is the largest we have available. You are going to love this notebook computer.

“Just one thing before we proceed. What is the intended use for this device? Do you plan on publishing information online? Will you be using the included word processing software? Will you be printing any materials to be distributed to the public? If so, do you agree to not publish anything that would be deemed hateful, especially by a politician sitting on an important committee in Congress?”

5. What will be recorded on this new camera?

“People think that the camera business has died because of the rise of smartphones, but actually we are doing okay. The professionals know that a standalone device delivers superior performance. Many people like the versions that are made for live-action, where you can strap it on your shoulder while exercising or travelling down a mountain while on a snowboard.

“Real quick, you will not use this camera for illegal activity, correct? You don’t intend to film important public officials in secret. You will not expose their wrongdoing through the assistance of this camera. I know these seem like odd questions, but we have to fill out our forms in order to process the order. I hope you understand.”

…

As crazy as the world seems, including in the terrible direction it is headed, a customer typically does not hear these kinds of questions. These are business transactions, after all. One person has a good or service to sell. The other person has the requisite payment, and then an exchange takes place.

The interactions with demigods, which are described in Vedic literature and still take place even today, are practically identical. Though you are approaching a person of prominence, who is important enough to reside in the heavenly region, there is no concern on the personal side.

We see that Hiranyakashipu, the Daitya leader, did not care for Lord Brahma. The intense austerity and penance was for getting the attention of the creator, but that had nothing to do with a knowledge transfer or any meaningful interaction.

Hiranyakashipu wanted boons. Brahma could offer them. The payment, in this case austerity, was sufficient. The customer had saved up enough money to meet the price tag. Brahma did not ask further questions. Whatever was in stock was available for purchase.

The interaction with the real God, the Supreme Lord, is different. He is not obliged to sell anything to anyone. For this reason many people avoid His association. On the other hand, the devotees seek His shelter precisely because of the kind of person He is.

Vishnu has my best interests at heart. He always has and He always will. Devotion to Him meets my self-interest, svartha, even if I don’t see it that way. Vishnu is known as Hari, since sometimes He takes away what I consider dear. He puts me into difficulty so that I will better remember Him, and for that kindness I can never properly repay Him.

In Closing:

Demigod not future considering,
Proper worship then delivering.

Vishnu watching out for me,
Who clearly cannot see.

Since snake for rope mistaking,
This life as only one taking.

Oversight like parent giving,
His pleasure my reason for living.

Five Things You Don't Have To Do In A Tapo-Vana

“Then I, resembling a cloud and having molten-golden earrings, made my way into Vishvamitra’s ashrama, for I was very proud of my strength due to the boon given to me by Lord Brahma. As soon as I entered, Rama quickly noticed me and raised His weapon. Though He saw me, Rama strung His bow without any fear.” (Maricha speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 38.16-17)

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ततोऽहं मेघसङ्काशस्तप्तकाञ्चनकुण्डलः।
बली दत्तवरोदर्पादाजगाम तदाश्रमम्।।
तेन दृष्टः प्रविष्टोऽहं सहसैवोद्यतायुधः।
मां तु दृष्ट्वा धनुस्सज्यमसम्भ्रान्तश्चकार सः।।

tato’haṃ meghasaṅkāśastaptakāñcanakuṇḍalaḥ।
balī dattavarodarpādājagāma tadāśramam।।
tena dṛṣṭaḥ praviṣṭo’haṃ sahasaivodyatāyudhaḥ।
māṃ tu dṛṣṭvā dhanussajyamasambhrāntaścakāra saḥ।।

“You quite often reference the story of Shri Rama, the warrior avatara of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, successfully defending the ashrama of Vishvamitra Muni. This is against the attacks of two Rakshasas in particular, Maricha and Subahu.

“There are many lessons to draw, with the obvious one being the victory of light over darkness. You turn on the light in a dark cellar, and suddenly the insects start to scamper. They don’t know what to do. They never want to risk exposure. They would rather carry out their activities when no one is looking.

“This is the same with Maricha and Subahu. They were known as nishachara, or night-ranger. They preferred to attack at night, just as Vishvamitra’s yajna was nearing completion. He, of course, had little recourse. He could not defend against what he could not see.

“Shri Rama, being the personification of light, also taking birth in the solar dynasty, dissipated the darkness that was the mode of ignorance on display from the attacking side. He rose to the occasion, relying on sound to defeat the enemy. This proves another important truth, that God can see and hear everything.

“What I find particularly interesting is the setting; where this stuff went down. Vishvamitra was in a place known as tapo-vana. The literal translation is a forest conducive to austerity and penance. My question is how and why someone would go there? I don’t think any person in the modern day would be able to survive.”

The key is the lack of distractions. Someone like Vishvamitra is especially prominent within society, so they are bound to attract others. This request and that.

“Please bless me so that I will do well in the future. Please help me out in this situation.”

The transition to the tapo-vana location is not accidental. Comparing to modern times, we see that there are many distractions absent within that place of residence.

1. Shovel snow

“This is the absolute worst. People often ask me how much snow we typically get in my area during the winter months. There is no accurate number, since the totals vary from year to year. For instance, the last two seasons we barely had any snowfall.

“Then this year it is coming like every week. Usually a few inches cause a minor inconvenience, but these blizzards are the worst. I have to worry about digging my car out, just to be able to make it to the store. The shoveling is not easy; you get tired. You have to go out in a series of trips to fully complete the cleaning. Some people are lucky and have neighbors willing to help. I would pay so much money for someone else to do this, but no one is around.”

2. Deal with crying babies

“Literally, morning until night. I think I have the worst child in the world. No one is as unfortunate as me. I am willing to do everything else. I will play. I will drive them to places. I will sit and watch television programming for children.

“Yet I don’t even get to work. As soon as I start, I hear the screaming. It is beyond irritating. Sometimes I want to run away and never come back. If there was a boarding school for toddlers, I would send my child there in an instant.”

3. Check the latest news

“It is almost like a different universe. A false reality, though with some connection to the truth. Checking the news doesn’t really do anything for me. Most of the outlets are straight-up liars. They distort the truth to further their agenda. I used to think it was limited to politics, but actually they are dishonest about practically everything.

“Nevertheless, I still end up checking. It is like an addiction. I wish I could get rid of our television and smartphones. Just live peacefully, without the noise. I think the entire human society would benefit from the same.”

4. Prepare meals

“Work, take care of children, shovel the snow, get upset over the latest fraud carried out by public officials in broad daylight, and then worry about what to eat for dinner. There is no one around to help. You are too exhausted to even think of stepping foot in the kitchen. No choice but to rely on prepared meals, which are unhealthy.”

5. Take out the garbage

“The rubbish piles up rather quickly. You have to separate the recyclable items from the regular trash. Place everything into bags or containers and then drag them out to the curb on the appropriate days. Make sure to pick up the empty containers later in the day; otherwise the wind will carry them away.”

…

Modern day living actually carries a mountain of responsibilities, which renew on a daily basis. The tapo-vana is like the ultimate form of roughing it, but there is a tremendous benefit. If you are someone like Vishvamitra Muni, you can directly call for the Supreme Lord and His association. Rama and Lakshmana, the protectors of the universe, then roam that wonderful area, bringing fruit to the time spent in isolated devotion.

कन्द-मूल-फलाहारः
शुष्क-पर्णाशनः क्वचित्
अब्-भक्षः कतिचित् पक्षान्
वायु-भक्षस् ततः परम्

kanda-mūla-phalāhāraḥ
śuṣka-parṇāśanaḥ kvacit
ab-bhakṣaḥ katicit pakṣān
vāyu-bhakṣas tataḥ param

“In the tapo-vana, Maharaja Prithu sometimes ate the trunks and roots of trees, and sometimes he ate fruit and dried leaves, and for some weeks he drank only water. Finally he lived simply by breathing air.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.23.5)

Taking up a similar residence is not practical in the modern day, but the spirit of the endeavor can still be carried out. We can be renounced in spirit, living simply and thinking of the higher goal of purification of consciousness. In any corner of the world, we can dedicate some time to the chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Like dhama at home making,
Through chanting process taking.

Not like eras before,
Which tapo-vanas for.

Like Vishvamitra ashrama setting,
Protection of Shri Rama getting.

Difficult today to follow the same,
But through bhakti spirit attain.

Can You Assemble Immortality Through Individual Pieces

“Lord Brahma said: O son of Kashyapa Muni, please get up, please get up. All good fortune unto you. You are now perfect in the performance of your austerities, and therefore I may give you a benediction. You may now ask from me whatever you desire, and I shall try to fulfill your wish.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.3.17)

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श्री-ब्रह्मोवाच
उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भद्रं ते
तपः-सिद्धो ’सि काश्यप
वरदो ’हम् अनुप्राप्तो
व्रियताम् ईप्सितो वरः

śrī-brahmovāca
uttiṣṭhottiṣṭha bhadraṁ te
tapaḥ-siddho ’si kāśyapa
varado ’ham anuprāpto
vriyatām īpsito varaḥ

Friend1: I know the answer to this question, but I thought it would make for a worthwhile discussion.

Friend2: What is the question?

Friend1: It relates to immortality.

Friend2: You are already immortal.

Friend1: Yes; in the spiritual sense. The individual is spirit soul, and soul never dies. Atma never takes birth, it can never be created or destroyed by anyone. This is the meaning to sanatana.

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतो ऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे

na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ‘yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

“For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.20)

Friend2: Notice that this is the starting point of Vedanta study. It is the anchor upon which the entire system of dharma is based.

Friend1: Which is interesting considering that other popularly practiced faiths never reach this conclusion. If they lack this vital understanding, no wonder they are left searching for a purpose in life.

Friend2: To which they will speculate, finding different activities in svartha to which they then ascribe a noble purpose.

“God wants me to do this. It is my calling. I am serving the Lord through this work.”

Friend1: I was always left scratching my head, since so many people do the same kind of work but without any attachment to God. Where does that leave them? Are they not in the same category?

Friend2: Those are good questions. That is why consciousness is the key. Do you see properly? Do you understand your true nature? Do you know God’s standing in juxtaposition?

जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यम्
एवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर् जन्म
नैति माम् एति सो ऽर्जुन

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ‘rjuna

“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)

Friend1: My original question relates to immortality in the sense of maintaining body and spirit together.

Friend2: Indefinitely? Not possible. Even if you survived for three hundred years like a tortoise, eventually the time expires.

Friend1: I am well aware of that, but do you think it is possible to create immortality through individual pieces?

Friend2: What do you mean?

Friend1: Finding a loophole in the system. Going around the laws of nature.

Friend2: How would you do that?

Friend1: Sort of like if the local dealer decides not to sell you a car. They learn of your political affiliation, that you speak openly about the last election being stolen, since it was. They place you on a blacklist, and so there is no option for purchasing a vehicle.

Friend2: That seems to be the direction the world is headed.

Friend1: Not giving up, you decide to buy the individual pieces. You find someone who can put the car together for you.

Friend2: That is not an easy task.

Friend1: Difficult, but not impossible. After all, the car manufacturer essentially does the same thing.

Friend2: True.

Friend1: Couldn’t you do the same with immortality? Every disease there is - find a cure. You stay away from danger. You try to eat healthy.

Friend2: Hiranyakashipu already tried this. He asked for boons of protection against every kind of situation causing lethal harm. He was pretty clever, I might add.

Friend1: Lord Brahma agreed to the requests, right?

Friend2: Absolutely. It was essentially ninety-nine percent immortality. The flaw is that even one percent is enough to bring about the end. It takes a smarter person on the other side to expose the vulnerability.

Friend1: Narasimhadeva.

Friend2: The half-man/half-lion avatara of Vishnu. The better option is to seek eternal life in the form of devotion. To wherever I go, in whichever form I end up, I will get to continue in the engagement that matches my essential characteristic, dharma. I will get to glorify the Almighty and spend the time in complete bliss, immune to debilitating time: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Like task on the challenge show,
With different parts to go.

And asked immortality to assemble,
Longevity even if closely to resemble.

Truth that no possible way,
Body not forever to stay.

Hiranya already with Brahma tried,
But nails of Narasimha denied.

Two Outcomes To Approaching A Demigod

“Lord Brahma said: O son of Kashyapa Muni, please get up, please get up. All good fortune unto you. You are now perfect in the performance of your austerities, and therefore I may give you a benediction. You may now ask from me whatever you desire, and I shall try to fulfill your wish.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.3.17)

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श्री-ब्रह्मोवाच
उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भद्रं ते
तपः-सिद्धो ’सि काश्यप
वरदो ’हम् अनुप्राप्तो
व्रियताम् ईप्सितो वरः

śrī-brahmovāca
uttiṣṭhottiṣṭha bhadraṁ te
tapaḥ-siddho ’si kāśyapa
varado ’ham anuprāpto
vriyatām īpsito varaḥ

1. You go away upset

The initial impetus could be for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you desperately want to score in the top percentile on the upcoming standardized test. In the place where you live, financial contributions don’t help very much in getting around the rules. This is with respect to college admission.

If you want to attend the top schools, you need high scores on the exams. It’s as simple as that. Well, so many factors go into success. You could be the smartest person in the world but not show it when measured. Perhaps you get nervous when confronted with written questions and a set time-limit. Maybe you didn’t eat well the night before or have other things distracting your attention.

To help the chances of success, you approach a demigod. Known as a deva in Sanskrit, the literal translation is “god.” Further refining the meaning, we have someone with extraordinary abilities, who resides in the heavenly region. From Vedic understanding, dying and going to heaven means transitioning to a higher planetary system and receiving a godly body.

You pray to the respective deva assigned for learning. They have the power to help you. The problem is the reward sought is finite. Only a certain number of people fit into the top percentile. What if all the test takers make the same plea? What if they all ask for the same thing?

Then it comes down to proper worship. Is the standard met? Is every rule followed? Is there sufficient purification beforehand? Is the deva impressed enough to care?

Suppose everyone meets the standard. By definition, some people must be turned away. This is where you will leave upset. You worshiped for nothing. You did not make it to the top. The endeavor was basically a waste of time. Why believe in a higher power when they don’t come through for you, especially when you desperately need it?

2. You win the reward

We can look to the example of Hiranyakashipu, as described in Shrimad Bhagavatam. That Daitya leader approached Lord Brahma, the creator, whose attention is not easy to catch. Hiranyakashipu underwent tremendous austerities. He was on the verge of self-destruction, as there was barely anything left to offer.

Brahma arrived on the scene and agreed to give the leader practically anything he asked for. The limit was immortality, as Brahma does not enjoy that benefit himself. He can’t very well offer it to one of his worshipers. Hiranyakashipu decided to work around the restriction; assemble immortality through individual pieces.

Hiranyakashipu won. He took the boons of protection and used them to dominate the world. Everyone lived in fear of him, including other devas. Brahma was a distant memory; no further attention necessary. Why worship again when you are practically immortal?

…

It may not be obvious upon initial review, but the two aforementioned outcomes are identical. Whether you get the reward or not, you really haven’t gained anything. If you fail, you lose faith in a truth relating to nature, that the individual is not the doer.

प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि
गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः
अहङ्कार-विमूढात्मा
कर्ताहम् इति मन्यते

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate

“The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.27)

If you succeed, you will either forget the deva or return for another benefit in the future. Like an infinite loop of behavior, there is no advancement of the consciousness. You haven’t really learned anything about life, and the human being is best equipped for learning through such pattern recognition.

On the other hand, if you approach Vishnu, you are always a winner. There is a benefit, no matter the outcome. He may deny my request. Not just because of a limitation in stock, but because what I am asking for may end up harming me in the future. Sort of like the toddler asking the parent to play with scissors or climb that bookshelf in the living room.

If I get what I want, it is okay in the short-term, and I may return in the future. Either way, I have had association with the Almighty. This is purifying. This is the real meaning to dharma. This association matches my essential characteristic. Hopefully, with enough interaction I will return to the proper position of servant and look to meet Vishnu’s interests instead, which will always make me happy.

In Closing:

Going there no more,
Benefit what for?

Either in outcome to succeed,
Or as scorned worshiper to proceed.

Now with Vishnu going through,
Who my requests to review.

Purification guaranteed,
A better choice indeed.

Five Places I Can Wander To

“Every living entity is wandering within the universe, subjected to the law of karma and transmigrating from one body to another and from one planet to another. Therefore the whole Vedic process is meant to save the wandering living entities from the clutches of maya - birth, death, disease and old age. This means stopping the cycle of birth and death. This cycle can be stopped only if one worships Krishna.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 3.181 Purport)

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1. Downstairs

“You might find this silly, but to some people moving even this far is a chore. It is like they need a visa in order to properly enter. They are otherwise content where they are. Upstairs, in the bedroom. There is a television, a computer set up on a desk, a lounging chair, and of course the smartphone.

“Sometimes, they even get delivery people to bring food upstairs. No need to move. But on this day they feel like trying something. They get ready to visit the lower level of the house. They haven’t been there in a long time, and the change of scenery is refreshing.”

2. The backyard

“One of the worst things about snowstorms is the limitation on travel. You literally can’t go anywhere. If you try, your car will get stuck. Some people have the large vehicles that are made for such inclement weather, but I haven’t gone so far as to make such an investment.

“Well, after this last wintry blast, I decided to step outside, in the backyard. I must say, it was beautiful. Seeing the snow covering the trees in the daytime, the quiet sound of the snow-falling, the lack of cars on the roads. It was pretty cool; I gained an appreciation for life.”

3. To a friend’s house

“It is almost a daily routine. I have no problem intruding. If they don’t want me coming over, they shouldn’t be my friend. They can tell me to find something better to do. Otherwise, I will maintain the routine.

“At least in someone else’s home I don’t feel the pressure to do anything. No garbage to take out. No worrying about the thermostat. If the curtain rod should fall from atop the window, it’s not my problem to fix.”

4. To a foreign country

“There is the saying that travel is as good as rest. If you simply change the setting for a few days, that is enough to relax the mind. It certainly works. Every time I visit a foreign country I end up reassessing my priorities on the return trip home.

“I think about those things to which I am attached. I identify the bad habits that I want to get rid of. I also plan my next excursion, when I will be able to get away again. Every person should fit such travel into their schedule at least once a year.”

5. To outer-space

“If you have had enough of earth, water and sky, try outer-space. Leave the planet altogether. I know that only the wealthy can invest in such an adventure, but at least the opportunity is there. You can fly away to another planet, where no one has yet claimed property. There is no struggle for existence precisely because no one else is there to serve as competition.”

…

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada describes that the living entity constantly wanders from place to place. The frame of time is not limited to the human birth. I could find myself in the nest of a tree, at the bottom of the ocean, or even standing as the tree itself in the subsequent lifetime.

While everyone is wandering here and there looking for a purpose, no one is trying to get out. That is the benefit of bhakti-yoga, which is also known as sanatana-dharma. This endeavor is meant for the human species. Dharma is for everyone, but it takes a higher standard of intelligence to identify the distinction in way of living.

Shri Krishna is the beneficiary in bhakti-yoga. He is the object of service. His name means “all-attractive," so there is nothing lacking in that devotion. Knowing Him in truth translates to release from the cycle of birth and death.

If I know Krishna, I won’t have to return here. I won’t have to keep wandering. Some people choose to do so, such as Narada Muni, but he is not compelled. He is not in a desperate search for meaning in life. He has already found it and wants to share it with others, in the chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Wander here and thereabout,
Since real purpose without.

Through many lifetimes spanning,
In different species scanning.

With bhakti finally found,
Rescued now through sound.

That for Krishna’s service meant,
Blessed to this life sent.

What Kind Of Consort Is Ideal For The Supreme Lord

“Once Narada took a parijata flower and presented it to Krishna's senior wife, Shri Rukminidevi. On account of this, Satyabhama developed an inferiority complex; she also wanted a flower from Krishna.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 2, Ch 4)

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“I know that His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada would often counsel females interested in bhakti-yoga to think of Shri Krishna as their husband. This is relevant both in the symbolic and literal sense. We know from the stories in Bhagavata Purana that during His earthly pastimes the son of Yashoda had over sixteen thousand wives.

“This was not a sign of excessive lust. Krishna’s primary business was not to go around looking for more queens to place in Dvaraka. Rather, each princess had exceptional qualifications and came into His sphere during the basic sequence of events. The large majority, sixteen thousand, were accepted at a single time. They had been held captive by a demon, and so after the ordeal they desired to be married to their rescuer, the Supreme Lord.

“In the symbolic sense, God is unlimited. We see two hands, a smiling face, a peacock feather in the hair, a garland of lotus flowers around the neck, a yellow garment around the waist, and so forth. Yet that is simply the manifest version. The nature of the individual aspects is transcendental. As exhibited on the battlefield of Kurukshetra to Arjuna, Krishna is the entire universe and more.

“In that sense, of course He can accept any person as an eternal consort. My issue is the kind of nature expected. We know of the ideal qualities in a wife based on the varnashrama-dharma system. Chastity. Support. Submissiveness. Help the husband in his devotional efforts and then the couple shares in the benefits. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says that it is the woman who makes the home.

“Yet in Krishna’s pastimes we see different natures; almost contradictory. Rukmini Devi barely raises an objection. She dreads the dawn each day since it signals the time that her husband will leave her side and take care of the business of the day. She is not envious of the other queens in Dvaraka, as noticed by Narada Muni.

“Then you have Satyabhama. She is not embarrassed in asking for gifts from her husband. She does get envious of others who are related to Krishna. This doesn’t seem ideal, but people can’t help themselves. It is how they are. In the face of these competing tendencies, how should we behave towards the Almighty?”

The wide variety in natures corresponding with the omnipresence of Supersoul explains everything. God is the greatest well-wisher to every living entity. He actually does not make a distinction between friend and foe, saint and sinner. Only material nature, with its duality, draws such distinctions, with accompanying reactions.

समो ऽहं सर्व-भूतेषु
न मे द्वेष्यो ऽस्ति न प्रियः
ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या
मयि ते तेषु चाप्य् अहम्

samo ‘haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu
na me dveṣyo ‘sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā
mayi te teṣu cāpy aham

“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.29)

One person may think it beneath them to be jealous. Even if they are insecure based on the supposed favoritism the Supreme Lord shows to someone else, they will not raise an objection. They will not do anything to make God’s life any more difficult than it already is.

Another person understands that Krishna has unlimited hands. He can carry out the work of the world with minimal effort. It is almost impossible for a human being to lift a car, and yet the Supreme Lord maintains the heaviest objects in the form of planets. Those massive collections of land remain suspended in space, not deviating from the assigned orbit.

What is the harm, then, in asking for something? Why should Satyabhama feel ashamed in requesting a parijata plant from the heavenly region? The suras might get upset. They may even attack Krishna in retaliation, but as Ajita that leader in Dvaraka cannot be conquered.

Lakshmi Devi is always massaging the feet of Narayana, but even she becomes envious from time to time. The single qualifying factor is pure devotion. Nothing else mixed in. No desire for personal fame. No insistence on great wealth or external beauty. If you simply desire the association of the Almighty, who is attractive in every feature, you are worthy of His time.

In Closing:

One wife not hoarding his time,
Another constantly bothering to find.

Such as requesting a plant,
That wish immediately grant.

No single way ideal considered,
Any person by Krishna delivered.

When His association desiring,
To dedicated servant aspiring.

Was There No Shame About The Draupadi Incident

“My dear Krishna, Your Lordship has protected us from a poisoned cake, from a great fire, from cannibals, from the vicious assembly, from sufferings during our exile in the forest and from the battle where great generals fought. And now You have saved us from the weapon of Ashvatthama.” (Queen Kunti, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.8.24)

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विषान् महाग्नेः पुरुषाद-दर्शनाद्
असत्-सभाया वन-वास-कृच्छ्रतः
मृधे मृधे ऽनेक-महारथास्त्रतो
द्रौण्य्-अस्त्रतश् चास्म हरे ऽभिरक्षिताः

viṣān mahāgneḥ puruṣāda-darśanād
asat-sabhāyā vana-vāsa-kṛcchrataḥ
mṛdhe mṛdhe ‘neka-mahārathāstrato
drauṇy-astrataś cāsma hare ‘bhirakṣitāḥ

“In life I try to maintain proper perspective. When I hear about incidents well-known to the public, I try to consider what each side is thinking. I guess it is a mental exercise of sorts, to prepare myself for possibly facing similar situations in the future.

“I carry this mentality over to reading shastra. When I reach the incident of Draupadi being disrobed in the assembly by the Kauravas, I cannot possibly fathom the intent from the perpetrators. I understand there was a rivalry. The Kauravas illegally took land that belonged to the Pandavas. Thieves never like it when you call them out on their crimes. The burglar scampers away if the spotlight shines on them.

“In the modern day, one response is to apply censorship. Make sure the public doesn’t find out. Shut down social media accounts. Remove apps from the store for the popular smartphone devices. Control the news media.

“With the Pandavas, there was unthinkable torture. Duryodhana and clan tried to kill the five brothers several times. I guess that is wicked enough, but disrobing a chaste princess in front of respectable people? That crosses the line. Did the Kauravas not feel any shame? How would they justify the incident?”

When someone is caught in a crime, the easiest defense is to simply deny. Even if you are caught in the act, by eyewitnesses or camera recording, just continue to deny:

“That’s not me. You are crazy. You are still talking about that video? It’s been widely debunked. We weren’t taking off her robe. We were just spinning Draupadi around a few times. She was enjoying it. You could actually hear her cries of jubilation. You think we would actually go through with making her naked? You really believe these crackpot conspiracy theories, don’t you?”

We see the same spinning in the form of entertainment from televised professional wrestling. You typically have the main announcer, who is the straight man. Then the commentator alongside him is the villain, or bad-guy. He always tries to defend the heel, even if they should cheat out in the open, such as by using a steel chair while the referee isn’t looking.

“What kind of accusation are you making here? I didn’t see anything wrong. Draupadi was being overly dramatic, as women tend to do. The Kauravas didn’t do anything wrong. They were saving the honor of the Pandavas, who lost a wager in the game of dice. You should be thanking the Kauravas. They went through with the terms of the wager, even though they didn’t have to. Draupadi was faking the entire time, anyway. You see how long her sari turned out to be. She was prepared for it. She played all of us.”

In truth, when someone turns towards evil, they are trapped in a giant web of lies. One illegal act after another. Anything to satisfy the desires, which in this case was ruling over a kingdom unobstructed. The Kauravas were something like foreign occupiers of a land illegally obtained.

As dharma came to the rescue for Draupadi as the unending garment, so the rightful leaders of Hastinapura, and by extension the world, would soon assume the seat of power. The Pandavas were aligned with pure goodness, through their devotion to Shri Krishna. Despite their hardships, they patiently awaited the day of judgment, which occurred on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

In Closing:

Brothers of Pandava fame,
On battlefield justice came.

The many wrongs correcting,
With arrows proper directing.

Like after against wager to win,
And princess Draupadi to spin.

So that sari eventually to fall,
But saved when Krishna to call.