“One time, that wicked king of the Daityas saw his son of lotus-like face and beautiful eyes, surrounded by women, having returned from the home of the guru. In his hand, that boy was holding a slate which had the mark of a chakra at the top and the name of Krishna written with great adoration.” (Narasimha Purana, 41.35-36)

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तं पद्मवक्त्रं दैत्येन्द्रः कदाचित् स्त्रीवृतः खलः
बालं गुरुगृहायातं ददर्श स्वायतेक्षणम्
गृहीत्वा तु करे पुत्रं पट्टिका या सुशोभना
मूर्ध्नि चक्राङ्किता पट्टी कृष्णनामाङ्कितादरात्

taṃ padmavaktraṃ daityendraḥ kadācit strīvṛtaḥ khalaḥ
bālaṃ gurugṛhāyātaṃ dadarśa svāyatekṣaṇam
gṛhītvā tu kare putraṃ paṭṭikā yā suśobhanā
mūrdhni cakrāṅkitā paṭṭī kṛṣṇanāmāṅkitādarāt

“Let’s cover a topic that I don’t think gets brought up that much. This relates to logistics, particularly in managing to set up a systematic flow of worship in areas that do not have such a tradition ingrained in the culture. In certain parts of the world, you have these temples that are really old. The worship is ongoing, across hundreds of years. There are priests who show up on a regular basis. I am not sure what they receive in return, other than donations, but the cost of living in the area is not much. In some cases, the people can live ‘off the grid’, so to speak. They are not paying property taxes. There is no utility bill since there are no utilities. Donations from visitors account for the food. Everything is kind of taken care of. The system works.

“We have a different story in more industrialized areas. Everything costs something. You need money simply to hold on to the property. There is a separate monthly bill for heating, cooling, and electricity. There is a steady stream of maintenance issues; something is always breaking. In these cases, the volunteer method is not as ideal. Think of it this way. Who do you know that hitchhikes across the country anymore? Such cross-country journeys are relics of the past. Today, people at a minimum require mobile phone service. They need a mobile phone. They need internet in the building. All of these things cost money.

“What I am getting at is that eventually you have to cross a line. You might consider paying people, the ones who are conducting the worship. I understand this goes against the entire ethos of the volunteer spirit. You want people worshiping without motivation and without interruption. But what is wrong with having a paid spokesperson? At least they will have incentive to work. They will feel some pressure in trying to deliver the message in the best possible manner. Companies hire PR firms for a reason. What is wrong with having a PR representative for the devotional culture, bhakti-yoga, which is timeless?”

“In a perfect human society, perfect knowledge in any science-medical, astrological, ecclesiastical and so on-is available even to the poorest man, with no anxiety over payment. In the present day, however, no one can get justice, medical treatment, astrological help or ecclesiastical enlightenment without money, and since people are generally poor, they are bereft of the benefits of all these great sciences.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 17.104 Purport)

Imagine you see someone endorsing a product. They are already well-known to the public. They are obviously getting paid to pitch this product. At the same time, the company hired this person because of their appeal. The endorsement will mean something. The sales will increase because this person of prominence is vouching for the product.

What should happen if one day the public comes to learn that the pitchman actually hates the product? In their personal life, when the cameras are off, they would rather use a competing brand. They think there is a serious flaw in what they are getting paid to promote. They think the company itself is fraudulent. They continue to do commercials because they are getting paid. In other words, they are only in it for the money.

The message will surely take a hit, in this case. The appeal will not be as strong. There are always nuances and subtleties to consider. It is not that payment is always prohibited in religious circles. In many cases, the strong push for donations from visitors to the houses of worship is more nefarious than if there were an open and transparent process of paying salaries to the priests and speakers at religious events.

To see the potential in the potency of the message when there is a complete lack of corresponding personal gain, we have the very symbol of sacrifice in Prahlada Maharaja. He was only five years of age at the time of his combative dealings with his father, Hiranyakashipu. Prahlada was not combative. Prahlada was peaceful. Prahlada wished only well for others. It was Hiranyakashipu who turned up the temperature. The father dialed up the hostilities, when they were not necessary.

Prahlada was anything but a paid spokesperson. His open confession of devotion towards Vishnu would serve against his personal interests. This devotion would make him a target within the community. The close proximity to the king, in being able to sit on his lap and receive affection from a father, would not protect Prahlada. Simply drawing a chakra on a slate and writing the name of Krishna would raise suspicions. This occurred one time in truth, when the boy returned home from school and was ready to meet his father.

Everything Hiranyakashipu did was essentially sponsored by his personal stake in material opulence. Just see the flaw in the destination. Hiranyakashipu was supported by boons received from Lord Brahma, the creator, but that support provided no insulation from contempt. Hiranyakashipu was triggered by symbols drawn on something like a chalkboard. What kind of hellish condition must that be? How can anyone be considered advanced when an innocent five-year old son causes them to lose their mind?

Prahlada had every justification for withdrawing his support of Vishnu. Personal safety. The approval of his father. An elevated stature within the community. It was almost like nature was in a bidding war. Everyone conspired to try to sign Prahlada to a contract to endorse maya, or illusion, but the connection with Vishnu was too strong. Even if he lost everything, Prahlada would never give up his devotion.

In Closing:

Not paid to endorse,
Following natural course.

Of devotional spirit inside,
Despite with Daityas to reside.

No amount of money to find,
For Prahlada to change his mind.

Despite the father’s approval lacking,
Always Vishnu backing.

Categories: prahlada and his slate, questions

Tags: charity, dailyprompt, endorsements, life, poem, poems, poetry, priests