Protection for the Sheltered
Regarding sarvātma-snapanam, Śrīla Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura told a story. One day a cow went to graze in the forest. Despite many dangers in the forest, the cow was fearless because she knew that she had a guardian. She came to a pond, which she entered in order to drink its water. But the ground of the pond consisted of soft clay and she got stuck in the mud. A tiger passed by on a hilltop, and seeing this great opportunity to fill his belly, jumped from the hilltop, but missed the cow and became stuck in the mud as well.In the meantime, the cowherder came in search of his cow. After finding her stuck in the mud, he managed to lasso the cow and bring her to safety. All this time, the tiger was watching and hoping that the farmer would save him, too. But the farmer threw a rope, bound the tiger, beat him to death, and then took his skin and nails. The cow was surrendered to her master, but the tiger was proud and independent. If anyone is very proud, there cannot be sarvātma-snapanam, and therefore they will be unprotected.
By hearing hari-kathā from sādhus, the heart will be cleansed. Therefore never stay alone. Pray to Kṛṣṇa for Him to guide you to the sādhus and to let you always be in sat-saṅga, continuously hearing hari-kathā. If you stay with sādhus, but no hari-kathā is being spoken, then those sādhus are not real sadhus. Always being engaged in hari-kathā and hari-kīrtana are the true symptoms of a saint personality. They are always speaking, singing, and remembering Kṛṣṇa’s glories. Śrī Guru-pāda-padma arranges this sādhu-saṅga, and if we accept it by staying in their association, then automatically the heart becomes cleansed. The sādhu’s hearts are clean and free from jealousy. If the heart is not clean, then jealousy, lust and many other types of fire are present there. However, those who stay with the sādhus will not experience any difficulties.
How the Sādhu Mercifully Cleans the Heart
Once, Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa had gone to the forest. Kṛṣṇa became very hungry and thirsty, and He asked Arjuna to arrange for some water and fruits. While Kṛṣṇa rested, Arjuna went in search of fruits and came across a sādhu’s āśrama. He went inside and saw that the sādhu was there sharpening a very nice sword. There was also a bow and arrow. Arjuna was surprised and asked, “You are a sādhu, so why do you have a sword and a bow and arrow?”
The sādhu said, “Why are you asking me? Who are you and where have you come from?”
“Please, tell me why you possess these weapons,” Arjuna said.
“This sword is meant to cut Draupadī in half and the arrows are for Arjuna, I will kill him too!”
Arjuna started shaking and sat down on the ground like a felled tree, forgetting all about collecting the fruits for Kṛṣṇa. In the meantime, wondering where His friend was, Kṛṣṇa started looking for Arjuna. Eventually, He found Arjuna practically senseless in the sādhu’s āśrama.
“What happened to My friend?” Kṛṣṇa asked the sādhu.
“Nothing happened. He just asked me what my weapons were for and I told him they were to shoot Arjuna and Draupadī.”
“What is the fault of Draupadī?” Kṛṣṇa asked.
“When Draupadī took birth she was naked, and every day she is naked, but still she disturbed Kṛṣṇa and only prayed for Him to protect her chastity. She gave pain to Kṛṣṇa compelling Him to manifest an endless sārī. We are meant to serve Bhagavān, not disturb Him for our own service.”
“And what was the fault of Arjuna,” Kṛṣṇa asked.
The sādhu said, “Oh, he made Kṛṣṇa his chariot driver, told him to massage his horses and give them grass and water. Is this friendship? He has no respect for Bhagavān, so I will kill Him.”
Hearing this, Arjuna said to the sādhu, “O Prabhu, you have deep love for the Lord. I was very proud considering myself to be Kṛṣṇa’s nearest and dearest. I always disturbed Kṛṣṇa, asking Him to do so many things for me. But I do not do anything for Kṛṣṇa’s happiness. And Draupadī only called Kṛṣṇa when there was a problem.” Now Arjuna understood the real meaning of love.
Sādhus are very merciful and thus on Kṛṣṇa’s request, the sādhu forgave both Arjuna and Draupadī. Then Kṛṣṇa gave His darśana to the sādhu and said, “I came here in order to show Arjuna your love and the nature of a sādhu.”
Arjuna offered praṇāma to the sādhu and prayed, “Please give me the power to understand the sādhus.”
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has written:
śuddha-bhakata-caraṇa-reṇu bhajana-anukūla
bhakata-sevā, parama-siddhi prema-latikāra-mūla
Dust from the lotus feet of pure devotees is very favorable for bhajana, and service to the Vaiṣṇavas is the highest perfection and the very root of the creeper of divine love.
The sādhus can clean our hearts of anarthas, and only after our hearts are cleansed is it possible to understand guru. Without their mercy we will always be making offenses.
Once, when I was a child, I met Akiñcana Kṛṣṇadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, a great disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. He had gone to bathe in my village. At that time there were no water pumps or electricity. I had come to the pond for bathing and I carried some water for him, which he used for watering Tulasī.
He asked me, “Do you know me?” I replied, “Everyone is related to Bhagavān, so we are all related.” He then blessed me. To this day I remember that blessing. It brought me to Mahārāja who gave me so much advice for sādhu-sevā. In Gurudeva’s final days, I asked him, “After you have left this world, how can I remain here without you?” Gurudeva replied, “There are many sādhus and followers of our Guru-varga, serve them and then you will be with me.”
sādhu-saṅge kṛṣṇa-nāma ei-mātra cāi
saṁsāra jinite āra kona vastu nāi
Prema-vivarta
The only infallible method to cross this insurmountable material existence is to chant kṛṣṇa-nāma in the association of bhaktas.
By chanting kṛṣṇa-nāma in sādhu-saṅga, you can conquer over everything. Sādhus are guru. Vaiṣṇavas are guru. Anyone who is an ācārya is also a sādhu. Give respect to them. So much love comes from them. Understand that we have nothing, but the sādhu has everything.
yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā
sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ
harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā
manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.18.12
In one who has unflinching devotional faith in Kṛṣṇa, all the good qualities of Kṛṣṇa and the demigods are manifest in that person. However, he who has no devotion to Śrī Bhagavān has no good qualifications because he is engaged by mental concoction in material existence, which is the external feature of the Lord.
All Kṛṣṇa’s qualities are present in minute amounts in the bhaktas. Without having these qualities, it is not possible to serve Kṛṣṇa. What are the special qualities of the sādhus?
kṛpālu, akṛta-droha, satya-sāra śama
nidoṣa, vadānya, mṛdu, śuci, akiñcana
sarvopakāraka, śānta, kṛṣṇaika-śaraṇa
akāma, anīha, sthira, vijita-ṣaḍ-guṇa
mita-bhuk, apramatta, mānada, amānī
gambhīra, karuṇa, maitra, kavi, dakṣa, maunī
Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 22.78-80
Devotees are always merciful, humble, truthful, equal to all, faultless, magnanimous, mild, and clean. They are without material possessions, and they perform welfare work for everyone. They are peaceful, surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, and desireless. They are indifferent to material acquisitions and are fixed in devotional service. They completely control the six bad qualities—lust, anger, greed, and so forth. They eat only as much as required, and they are not inebriated. They are respectful, grave, compassionate, and without false prestige. They are friendly, poetic, expert, and silent. These are the twenty-six symptoms of Vaiṣṇavas.
[CC-by-NDNC Bhakta Bandhav]