Are You Pacified

By krishnasmercy on November 26, 2023 • ( 0 )

“In spite of achieving the power to control in all directions and in spite of enjoying all types of dear sense gratification as much as possible, Hiranyakashipu was dissatisfied because instead of controlling his senses he remained their servant.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.4.19)

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स इत्थं निर्जितककुबेकराड् विषयान् प्रियान् ।
यथोपजोषं भुञ्जानो नातृप्यदजितेन्द्रिय: ॥

sa itthaṁ nirjita-kakub
eka-rāḍ viṣayān priyān
yathopajoṣaṁ bhuñjāno
nātṛpyad ajitendriyaḥ

“I am familiar with the historical characters named Hiranyakashipu and Ravana. This is from reading Vedic literature such as Shrimad Bhagavatam and Ramayana. The two are also the subject of many lectures, discussions, paintings, festivals, and the like.

“They are kind of the most famous villains within the devotional culture, bhakti-yoga. I understand that if there is a fighting spirit within Vishnu, He cannot exercise it within the Vaikuntha realm. He descends to the land of birth and death, mrityu-loka, in order to participate in conflict.

“He requires combatants. If there is someone representing good, there must be someone on the other side. The villain to the hero. The fall of evil and the triumph of good. The eventual victory of the one who is most powerful, up against someone who appeared to have everything going for them.

“What else can we learn from those characters? Apart from the obvious warning to not be like them, since Hiranyakashipu and Ravana lost everything. Is there relevance to the secular community? I don’t like using that term, but I think you know what I mean. Can people who are not interested in spiritual life take away something valuable from that history that does not involve surrender to God?”

We start with the premise that someone is struggling. They are unhappy. The exact circumstances are not that important. This person can be around today, have lived one hundred years in the past, or is yet to appear on this earth. They could be enjoying the vibrancy of youth or giving attention to responsibility in adulthood. They could be a man or a woman.

Since they are struggling, we are in a position to help. We want to change the situation. We would like to see them happy, at least to the extent that they no longer complain. We want them to live in an atmosphere which resembles Vaikuntha. The absence of anxieties.

We happen to be the kindest and the most benevolent benefactor. To this struggling person, we offer one thing after another. Good health. External beauty. A spacious residence. Servants to cater to every need. Sufficient resources to purchase anything the mind desires. If that mind indeed turns into a chariot that spins out of control, manoratha, there is no risk in the sense of running out of stock.

It is like shopping online and loading up the cart with whatever items come to mind. The gift card pays for everything and the balance never runs out. The shipping is overnight. Someone else picks up the packages. Another person opens them. A different servant gets rid of the waste, and finally another person presents the gift, whenever our struggling person is free and ready to receive guests.

The fear of loss in this lifestyle should be swatted away. That is because there is accompanying power and the ability to exert it. This means that our once-struggling person is now the most influential in the world. Seemingly, no one can bring them down. There is no worry over foreign attack. There is sufficient capability in providing defense.

To this person, who was previously struggling, we now ask a simple question. Are you pacified? Are you happy now? Are you done bothering us? Can you honestly explain to others that you have the best life going? Is there no more worry? Are you free of concern? Are you done complaining?

From the examples of Hiranyakashipu and Ravana, we see that they were nowhere close to this platform of consciousness. If anything, they were more miserable than the average person. Sita Devi described Ravana as ajitendriyah. This means one who has been conquered by their senses. It is not a flattering description.

अवश्यं विनशिष्यन्ति सर्वे रावण राक्षसाः|
येषां त्वं कर्कशो राजा दुर्बुद्धिरजितेन्द्रियः||

avaśyaṃ vinaśiṣyanti sarve rāvaṇa rākṣasāḥ|
yeṣāṃ tvaṃ karkaśo rājā durbuddhirajitendriyaḥ||

“O Ravana, inevitably all of the Rakshasas will be completely destroyed, for they have a person like you, who is stupid, lustful, and unable to control his senses, for their king.” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 48.22)

Hiranyakashipu was so paranoid that he felt the need to try to kill his five-year old son. Prahlada was not interfering. He was not a threat to the father. He was not thwarting any sense enjoyment. Prahlada simply worshiped Vishnu in thought, word, and deed. Prahlada made the mistake of revealing this choice, of sharing his love for Vishnu with any person. Prahlada was honest and unafraid.

The five-year old was more at peace while being attacked by adults than Hiranyakashipu was while enjoying gold and a soft-cushion, in the seat of power where everyone around the world feared him. This is something to contemplate. What exactly did Prahlada have that Hiranyakashipu did not?

A person may claim to hate God. They want nothing to do with religion. They would rather not even contemplate the origins of the universe, the workings of time, the variety in placement of the different living beings, the different conditions of living, good and bad, guaranteed death, and the like.

Within such defiance, what will it take to make them happy? Hiranyakashipu should have been thrilled that dharma was practically invisible during his reign. But simply hearing words from Prahlada about bhagavata-dharma and worshiping Vishnu were too much to take. The father was never at peace, whereas Prahlada was shanti personified.