What If There Is No Institution

By krishnasmercy on October 4, 2025 • ( 0 )

“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

“I love hearing stories of the good ole days. Back when the acharya was roaming the earth, travelling from place to place. Times were different then. People would hitchhike across the country. Students recently completing high school were known to backpack through Europe in a quest to find themselves. There was no smartphone tied to the pocket. There was no minimum standard required for living, such as in having cable, internet, phone service, and the like. No sophisticated maps to guide you. Just hit the open road and see where it takes you. It seemed that people were more adventurous than they are today.

“For the spiritual leader intent on distributing the message of the bhagavata, which is the science of self-realization, this meant that presence was everything. Just to be available meant so much. The performance was not so important. The way to scale up was to have more people. Essentially, create clones of yourself. This has been the process since time immemorial, in fact. It is how knowledge transfers from a trusted source, reaching to the present day.

“The stories told from those times often relate to logistics. How to maintain the institution. What the residents of the establishment did to generate income. How to get people in the door, to have more ears tuned in to the messages from the spiritual world. So much of the nectar, so to speak, is in the triumphs through difficulty. A government officer harassing devotees. A businessman intent on destroying a building that they had legally transferred over. The general storyline of overcoming cheating and interference.

“How can we relate those lessons to today, though? What if there is no institution to maintain? What are we supposed to do? Just what effect is the message supposed to have? So much of that time during the manifest lila of the acharya relates to personal and direct service. We cannot offer that today, unless we know of someone similar. Much of that service to the guru related to keeping the institution going. When there is no institution, just what work needs to be accomplished? Do you see what I am saying? What is my responsibility today, in devotional service?”

That institution was maintained partially through the distribution of literature. That literature consisted of translations and commentary on sacred texts like Bhagavad-gita, Shrimad Bhagavatam, and Chaitanya Charitamrita. The original content has nothing to do with large institutions. The historical characters described in the books are not necessarily in circumstances favorable to devotion to Bhagavan, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

If we are feeling isolated and alone today, we can consider the situation of Prahlada Maharaja, who was the son of the king of the Daityas. The business during that time was to maintain the kingdom. Prahlada should be taught in such a way that he could keep the powerful position of that race of living beings. Hiranyakashipu was the leader at the time. The family business happened to be the government business.

Prahlada had a different inclination. He was so inclined since the time of birth. He developed that inclination prior to birth. There was no opportunity for serving an acharya directly. Prahlada only heard. He took in the wisdom while in the womb. The teacher was Narada Muni. The interaction, while lacking physical contact, was so powerful that it eventually led to the downfall of those inimical to the message.

That message was devotional service, bhakti-yoga. Prahlada was already an expert, such that he could instruct others. He could teach the other students in school, during lunchtime and recess. Prahlada could counter the innocent questions of the father with words stressing the urgency of perfecting the human birth. The individual should start on that path to perfection as soon as possible. As soon as they learn of the path, that there is a way different from what all others are following, they should be eager to take the chance.

श्रीप्रह्राद उवाच
कौमार आचरेत्प्राज्ञो धर्मान्भागवतानिह
दुर्लभं मानुषं जन्म तदप्यध्रुवमर्थदम्

śrī-prahrāda uvāca
kaumāra ācaret prājño
dharmān bhāgavatān iha
durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam

“Prahlada Maharaja said: One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life—in other words, from the tender age of childhood—to practice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements. The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can give one complete perfection.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.6.1)

The original question eventually falls on priority. Is it more important to maintain the institution or assimilate the knowledge passed along by the institution? Both are important, but we see that the knowledge has the potential to transcend any situation. The knowledge Prahlada received helped him navigate a situation where the institution was actually against self-interest, svartha. The institution wanted Prahlada to become a life member, to push on the message of sense gratification. The leader was already suffering from the condition known as ajitendriyah, so he could not possibly see clearly.

स इत्थं निर्जितककुबेकराड् विषयान् प्रियान्
यथोपजोषं भुञ्जानो नातृप्यदजितेन्द्रिय:

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

“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)

As far as my situation, I can always create the smallest of institutions, right where I live. I can follow the example of Prahlada and write on a slate. I can draw symbols relating to the Supreme Lord. I can write holy names with great adoration. I can also chant those same names, phrased with beautiful melodies synchronized to enchanting rhythms: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The ultimate objective is what matters, as Shrimad Bhagavatam reveals.

एतावान् साङ्ख्य-योगाभ्यां
स्व-धर्म-परिनिष्ठया
जन्म-लाभः परः पुंसाम्
अन्ते नारायण-स्मृतिः

etāvān sāṅkhya-yogābhyāṁ
sva-dharma-pariniṣṭhayā
janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām
ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ

“The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.1.6)

In Closing:

Whether institution or not,
This chance now I’ve got.

Rather than to squander,
And in rebirth to wander.

Prahlada only with a slate in hand,
Heard perfectly to understand.

The purpose and mission in life,
Success even amidst sabotage and strife.