“Prahlada Maharaja said: O Supreme Lord, because You are so merciful to the fallen souls, I ask You for only one benediction. I know that my father, at the time of his death, had already been purified by Your glance upon him, but because of his ignorance of Your beautiful power and supremacy, he was unnecessarily angry at You, falsely thinking that You were the killer of his brother. Thus he directly blasphemed Your Lordship, the spiritual master of all living beings, and committed heavily sinful activities directed against me, Your devotee. I wish that he be excused for these sinful activities.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.10.15-17)

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श्रीप्रह्राद उवाच
वरं वरय एतत्ते वरदेशान्महेश्वर
यदनिन्दत्पिता मे त्वामविद्वांस्तेज ऐश्वरम्
विद्धामर्षाशय: साक्षात्सर्वलोकगुरुं प्रभुम्
भ्रातृहेति मृषाद‍ृष्टिस्त्वद्भ‍क्ते मयि चाघवान्
तस्मात्पिता मे पूयेत दुरन्ताद् दुस्तरादघात्
पूतस्तेऽपाङ्गसंद‍ृष्टस्तदा कृपणवत्सल

śrī-prahrāda uvāca
varaṁ varaya etat te
varadeśān maheśvara
yad anindat pitā me
tvām avidvāṁs teja aiśvaram

viddhāmarṣāśayaḥ sākṣāt
sarva-loka-guruṁ prabhum
bhrātṛ-heti mṛṣā-dṛṣṭis
tvad-bhakte mayi cāghavān

tasmāt pitā me pūyeta
durantād dustarād aghāt
pūtas te ’pāṅga-saṁdṛṣṭas
tadā kṛpaṇa-vatsala

“Listen, I get it that the human birth is meant for self-realization. We have the rare opportunity to contemplate the meaning of our existence. A dog does not realize it is a dog. The fish does not know the difference between water and land. The animals essentially operate off instinct. They cannot run scientific experiments to see if certain behaviors are more favorable than others. They can be trained, in some cases. They know where to avoid, for the most part. But even that is from the animal instinct of fearing, which accompanies eating, sleeping, and mating.

“I know that one of the biggest obstacles towards self-realization is distraction. Seeing a shiny new object. Playing with a toy. Taking a break while you are otherwise making progress along the path. We should stay the course. There is a Sanskrit term that beautifully describes the requirement: dridha-vrata. Have a vow. That resolve should be strong. There should be determination. This proves beneficial in ordinary ventures, so why not also in reaching for liberation?

“The issue I have is with some of the distractions. Take, for instance, an offense. I was wronged by someone else. I hold on to that offense. I was so taken aback, so surprised by what transpired, that I have no choice but to characterize it as a betrayal. I would never dream of doing the same to other people. I cannot even relate to what these people were thinking. I would love to apply empathy, but that requires knowledge of the external situation.

“You will tell me to get over it. I should forgive. That makes sense. I agree with the premise. Moving on is the logically appropriate move. But there is another angle to consider. If we keep forgiving and forgetting, how will the offenders learn? Do you see what I am saying? Only recently did the corrupt actors in government and public health lock everyone in their homes for two years, needlessly restricting their breathing while in public spaces, and forcing an experimental and dangerous poison injection on them as a price of entry, to once again participate in the world. If people didn’t stand up, if they didn’t take the risk of imprisonment and losing their jobs, that nonsense would continue to this day. You don’t get to politely ask for your freedom back. You have to take it.

“How, then, does that square with the objective of self-realization? Is not addressing violations of basic etiquette a way to forget the pursuit of purifying the consciousness? In other words, how do you decide when to fight back and when to let it go? When is forgiving and forgetting the wrong way?”

There are a few key principles at play. One is that the living entity is not the doer. No matter how much we try, no matter how much effort we dedicate, there is never a guarantee of the preferred outcome. Material nature, with its three modes, must give prior sanction. If we think we are completely in control, we are under the influence of ahankara, which is the false ego.

प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि
गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः
अहङ्कार-विमूढात्मा
कर्ताहम् इति मन्यते

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate

“The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.27)

The tendency of the saintly person is to forgive offenses committed against them, but to always be on alert for abuses against others. This tends to also be the stance of the highest being of all, as revealed in the avatara of Narasimha. We had the five-year old boy named Prahlada, tortured repeatedly by his inimical father. Prahlada did not necessarily ask for assistance. He certainly was not looking for revenge. He simply remembered Vishnu during every attack. This was a special case, as Prahlada happened to survive everything sent his way.

विष्णुः शस्त्रेषु युष्मासु मयि चासौ यथा स्थितः
दैतेयास् तेन सत्येन मा क्रामन्त्व् आयुधानि वः

viṣṇuḥ śastreṣu yuṣmāsu mayi cāsau yathā sthitaḥ
daiteyās tena satyena mā krāmantv āyudhāni vaḥ

“O Daityas, just as Vishnu is in those weapons and also situated in me, so by that truth your weapons will not be able to overcome me.”  (Prahlada Maharaja, Vishnu Purana, 1.17.33)

When the father was ready to deliver a precision strike with his own hands, Vishnu stepped in and amazingly appeared from a pillar. It was a man and also a lion. It was appropriately named Narasimha. That wonderful being then tore apart Hiranyakashipu. Prahlada’s self-realization was never in danger. Prahlada’s devotion was protected. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, where Shri Krishna, who is the same Vishnu, reveals the special status of the devoted souls, in the assistance that they receive.

तेषाम् एवानुकम्पार्थम्
अहम् अज्ञान-जं तमः
नाशयाम्य् आत्म-भाव-स्थो
ज्ञान-दीपेन भास्वता

teṣām evānukampārtham
aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ
nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho
jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā

“Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.11)

Goswami Tulsidas makes the comparison to the quail and the eagle. The baby eagle is sitting there, inferior to the quail. In this case, the quail is envious. It is inimical. It wants to interfere with the life of the baby eagle. But there is one problem. The parent eagle happens to be standing right there. The eagle is protecting its baby. Therefore, all the quail can do is look. It cannot interfere.

तुलसी रघुबर सेवकहि खल डाटत मन माखि
बाजराज के बालकहि लवा दिखावत आँखि

tulasī raghubara sevakahi khala ḍāṭata mana mākhi
bājarāja ke bālakahi lavā dikhāvata ā~khi

“Tulsi says that bad people with anger in their minds scold the devotees of Rama in the manner of the quail showing the eye to the child of the eagle.” (Dohavali, 144)

This means that it is ultimately my choice. If I want memories of past offenses to steal my time, to distract me from the path forward, I can succumb to the urge. The forces of material nature will handle reactions appropriately. Shri Rama did not forgive and forget the offense of Ravana against the beloved Sita. Shri Hanuman did not forget, either. Prahlada did not have any lingering resentment. In fact, Prahlada immediately asked for pardon, for Narasimha to forgive Hiranyakashipu.

In Closing:

Against what personally done,
Holding animosity none.

Like Prahlada asking to forgive,
After torture father to give.

But Rama never forgetting,
Such that feet in Lanka setting.

And Hanuman remembering the plight,
For Sita always prepared to fight.

Categories: questions

Tags: anger management, dailyprompt, forgiveness, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry