The Snake Who Speaks Softly

By krishnasmercy on January 24, 2024 • ( 0 )

“If a person has the dress of a sadhu and speaks sweet words but is bitter and unclean in their mind and deeds, then Tulsi says they have no prayer of attaining Shri Rama, as they are like the fish stuck in the dark ocean of material sense objects.” (Dohavali, 153)

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बेष बिसद बोलनि मधुर मन कटु करम मलीन।
तुलसी राम न पाइऐ भएँ बिषय जल मीन ॥

beṣa bisada bolani madhura mana kaṭu karama malīna।
tulasī rāma na pāiai bhae~ biṣaya jala mīna ॥

“How do we tell the difference between an accidental fall from grace and the sign of something much more serious? This is with respect to spiritual life and especially those identified as saintly people.

“I am excluding the rank and file from this analysis. They are trying. They might be completely saintly in character, but they do not specifically wear the dress. They are bound to material life by occupation. Some might consider them to be what I playfully refer to as the ‘eww-dirty karmis.’

“It is the people who wear the dress of a sadhu and speak in the appropriate soft tones. Their lectures almost put you to sleep. It is like they have mastered the art of the performance. They give the appropriate visual to fit the part.

“But we see that it is these people who do terrible things behind closed doors. Then there is a rush to judgment. The mob wants to go after them, but there is another side which stands in staunch defense. They reference the verse from Bhagavad-gita about the person who falls down and how they eventually correct themselves.

“Which one is it? Should we be lenient or should we be tolerant? These sadhus are under enormous pressure, I would think. It is not easy to live up to the hype, to withstand the constant scrutiny. At the same time, the things some of them have done are inexcusable.”

Goswami Tulsidas references this very issue in his Dohavali. This must mean that the problem is not exclusive to the modern day. For as long as there have been genuine saintly people, there have been pretenders. In the same way that there have always been people falsely claiming to be God. This is something that took place even during the manifest lila of Shri Krishna.

“The story of King Paundraka is very interesting because there have always been many rascals and fools who have considered themselves to be God. Even in the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, there was such a foolish person. His name was Paundraka, and he wanted to declare himself to be God. While Lord Balarama was absent in Vrindavana, this King Paundraka, the King of the Karusha province, being foolish and puffed up, sent a messenger to Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and King Paundraka directly challenged Krishna through the messenger, who stated that Paundraka, and not Krishna, was Vasudeva.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 2, Ch 11)

Consciousness is what matters. Consciousness is the determining factor of the nature of living. It also signals the desire for the future, i.e. where to end up after this life draws to a close.

यं यं वापि स्मरन् भावं
त्यजत्य् अन्ते कलेवरम्
तं तम् एवैति कौन्तेय
सदा तद्-भाव-भावितः

yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ

“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.6)

Tulsidas says that if the thoughts are impure, if there is bitterness playing out in wicked deeds, then the outward appearance does not matter. That person will be like a fish stuck in an ocean of sensual pursuits.

There is always the option. I can follow maya or I can follow Shri Rama. I can enjoy the performance in illusion or I can stay firmly established in the Absolute Truth. I can pretend to be the greatest enjoyer or I can live only for the enjoyment and pleasure of the Supreme Person, Purushottama.

An accidental fall from grace does not necessarily indict character. It may not indicate a corrupted consciousness. The conditions in Kali Yuga are not exactly ideal. To simply strive to follow the four regulative principles of bhakti-yoga represents a significant achievement.

With gambling, intoxication, illicit sex, and animal flesh available around the clock, as quickly as you can swipe up on an app in the smartphone, who will be able to maintain a clean record? They will fall one time after another. This is the reality of the matter. The person judging has to be practical in their assessment.

The saintly person may not be perfect, but if their goal is to please Shri Rama, if they are always trying to work for His interests, then it is like they are already liberated. The moment of triumph is but a future event, set to arrive either soon or after a lengthy interval.