“O son of Pritha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth – women, vaishyas [merchants], as well as shudras [workers]— can approach the supreme destination.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.32)

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मां हि पार्थ व्यपाश्रित्य
ये ऽपि स्युः पाप-योनयः
स्त्रियो वैश्यास् तथा शूद्रास्
ते ऽपि यान्ति परां गतिम्

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye ‘pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
te ‘pi yānti parāṁ gatim

1. They change the books of the acharya

“Seriously, it has been more than fifty years. Move beyond it already. Stop with the nonsense. The changes are never-ending. These people are quietly admitting that the original books are their gold standard. It is like the principal balance deposited into an account to run a foundation. These disciples must really be that impotent if they have not written their own books since that time. Just what is stopping them? If you don’t like something that your teacher wrote, then write your own book. Give an explanation. Just see how many people you can convince.

“The sad thing is, respect for the guru is the only thing they need. They can be full of faults, otherwise. If they show respect for the person who lifted them up out of the worst circumstances, then the guru works overtime to get the disciples over the finish line. But nope, these people are such scum that they cannot leave well enough alone. They hate their guru. They are the worst thieves, if you ask me. I have no respect for them.”

2. They hate children

“Sorry, man, but I have seen enough. These esteemed swamis travelling the world, arriving late to the programs, lecturing on and on from some boring slide presentation – they hate children. You can put the word ‘hate’ in all caps. Who knows why? It is not like these people have ever raised children themselves. No one is bothering them. They don’t have to worry about protecting the innocent.

“Then you have the people who are raising children. They might even be worse. They drag the poor kids up there for these plays and festival presentations. The performances are horrible. I am just being honest. The kids have no interest in them. The parents just want to show off. They want the gurus to be impressed with how the children are being forced into the religion. It is a despicable display, if you ask me.”

3. They go along with the latest fraud from the government

“Excuse me, but didn’t your own guru place heavy emphasis on the four miseries of life? Is disease not included in the list, along with birth, old age, and death? Why, then, are you suddenly terrified by this seasonal respiratory illness? Why do you suddenly feel that covering your face will stop this one disease, when you have never covered your face before? Why do you preach about the four regulative principles and then happily sign up to be injected by a mystery concoction containing dead baby parts and serum derived from slaughtered cows?

“I have a difficult time respecting you, now. I used to consider you intelligent. Why do you go along with whatever the cheating government tells you? Do you think Sanatana Gosvami was foolish? He merely forgot to mention face coverings when describing the rules and regulations of worshiping the deity? Do you think the acharyas before us were fools, that they never heard of disease? You people make me sick, no pun intended.”

4. They are incredibly arrogant

“I tell you, it is every single time. I love devotees of Krishna. I am so glad that there are others in the world who are interested in the same subject. I get so excited meeting such people, only to have that enthusiasm squashed upon the arrival of the esteemed guest speaker. It is usually an officially recognized guru. A swami who travels to the area.

“Well, without fail, this guest is always the biggest jerk in the room. I am talking the most arrogant person you have met in your life. It is like they look down at their own followers. They think we are all dirty and contaminated for working for a living. We are stuck in material life, you see. The guru has come to rescue us. Of course, they always arrive late. They have no respect for other people’s time. Honestly, I can’t stand these people.”

5. They are dishonest in dealings

“Sorry, man, but I have learned my lesson. From now on, my charity will strictly be in the mode of passion. I better be getting something in return, like food or a program of chanting and lecturing. You give these people money, otherwise, and they will steal it. Some new apartment project overseas? You will never get to move in. Some new temple they are building? One day, one of them will sell that temple and run away with millions. This has happened time and time again.

“These people are dishonest at the core. The worst part is they feel they are immune to any of the consequences. They think that their membership in Krishna consciousness gives them license to cheat others. I think used car salesmen are more honest. It should be the other way around. If you are devoted to Krishna, you should hold yourself to a higher standard of conduct. At the very least, don’t be a dirt-bag.”

यत् तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं
फलम् उद्दिश्य वा पुनः
दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं
तद् दानं राजसं स्मृतम्

yat tu pratyupakārārthaṁ
phalam uddiśya vā punaḥ
dīyate ca parikliṣṭaṁ
tad dānaṁ rājasaṁ smṛtam

“But charity performed with the expectation of some return, or with a desire for fruitive results, or in a grudging mood, is said to be charity in the mode of passion.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 17.21)

…

There is a shloka from Bhagavad-gita that might ruffle some feathers upon first read. It may be considered controversial, but that is why bhakti-yoga is a culture more than a quick hit of information. The knowledge is within books, through Sanskrit verses carefully arranged, assembled to make just the right presentation such that the recipient might be uplifted. The recipient has to be honest. They have to be open-minded. Most importantly, they have to be free of envy. Otherwise, why would the teacher take the time to work with the student? The envious are only looking to exploit, after all. Their inimical attitude makes them prone to finding faults when there are none. Enviousness is the greatest stumbling block towards advancement.

श्री-भगवान् उवाच
इदं तु ते गुह्यतमं
प्रवक्ष्याम्य् अनसूयवे
ज्ञानं विज्ञान-सहितं
यज् ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसे ऽशुभात्

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
idaṁ tu te guhyatamaṁ
pravakṣyāmy anasūyave
jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitaṁ
yaj jñātvā mokṣyase ‘śubhāt

“The Supreme Lord said: My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall impart to you this most secret wisdom, knowing which you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence.” (Bhagavad-gita, 9.1)

The verse in question describes a category of individuals known as pāpa-yoni. They have a birth which is sinful, pāpa. Sin in this case refers to activity or conditions which move a person away from transcendence. In the hot and cold game, it would be like getting colder. If taking turn-by-turn directions from a navigation system, it would be like going the wrong way. Every few minutes, the system asks you to make a u-turn. You are not finding your way back unless and until you turn around.

There are specifics provided for the pāpa-yoni category. Women, vaishyas, and shudras, specifically. The underlying blemish, if you will, is focus on material life. That is simply the way of nature. The female birth has a vulnerability to assigning high value to temporary conditions and situations, like the look of the body and the amount of wealth in the home. The vaishya is the merchant or business class. They are always thinking about turning a profit. The shudra is the ordinary laborer. Nothing wrong with earning an honest living, but there tends to be a lack of interest in higher topics, such as philosophy and the meaning to life.

The verse should not be controversial since the speaker specifically highlights the opportunity for reaching the highest destination, param gatim. In other words, despite society considering a birth as sinful, there is just as much opportunity for liberation as if there was a high birth. This is only when the individual in question takes shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Any other path of spiritual life will be more difficult and does not carry the same assurance.

This is why saints like His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, following the lead established by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, look to bring bhakti-yoga to others. Irrespective of class, social standing, language spoken, or culture of a given area, they hope to elevate others into transcendence through taking shelter of Krishna, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this dreaded age of Kali, the method most recommended is sankirtana, which is the chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

There is the saying that old habits die hard. If a person takes to Krishna consciousness but has a background of needless animal killing, dishonesty, and cheating others, it is understandable that some of those tendencies will carry over. If they are still trying in bhakti-yoga, then they are on the path to liberation. If they keep the lotus feet of Krishna as the goal, they are worthy of honor and fame. Goswami Tulsidas compares it to the small trees lining the roads in the heavenly region. Normally, no one would give any attention to such insignificant trees, but since there is association with a higher region, even those trees can fulfill desires.

राम नाम सुमिरत सुजस भाजन भए कुजाति
कुतरूक सुरपुर राजमग लहत भुवन बिख्याति

rāma nāma sumirata sujasa bhājana bhae kujāti
kutarūka surapura rājamaga lahata bhuvana bikhyāti

“By remembering Shri Rama’s holy name, even those who are born into a low caste become worthy of fame, just as the wild trees that line the roads in the heavenly realm are famous throughout the three worlds.” (Dohavali, 16)

If a person is trying to please Krishna, to heed the instructions of their guru, to work towards transcendence, then through that connection they become something special. They may be full of faults, otherwise, but if there is sincerity at the foundation, then the Supreme Lord assures their place in the proper destination, moving forward.

In Closing:

Their behavior too much to bear,
With arrogance standing there.

How every time to cheat,
Punctuality a marvelous feat.

But Krishna to the lowest assuring,
That association blemishes curing.

If surrendering through and through,
Elevated by their service true.

Categories: the five

Tags: bhagavad-gita, bhakti, dailyprompt, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry