Saphalä Ekādaśī Issue no: 273 16th December 2025

Happiness And Distress

Lord Shiva Saved From Vrikasura How Can We Understand
Srila Sukadeva Goswami The Absolute Truth?
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura
Happiness And Distress
By the disciples of His Divine Grace Why A Devotee Is Put Into Tribulation
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
The Ten-headed Ravana
Srila Sanatana Goswami
 Issue no 273, Page — 2 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
Lord Shiva Saved From Vrikasura become sober fully realizes the Absolute as the
Srila Sukadeva Goswami highest truth, the most subtle and perfect manifes-
tation of spirit, the transcendental existence with-
King Pariksit said: Those demigods, demons out end. In this way realizing that the Supreme
and humans who worship Lord Shiva a strict Truth is the foundation of his own existence, he
renunciant, usually enjoy wealth and sense grat- is freed from the cycle of material life. Because I
ification, while the worshipers of the Supreme am difficult to worship, people generally avoid Me
Lord Hari, the husband of the goddess of fortune, and instead worship other deities, who are quickly
do not. We wish to properly understand this mat- satisfied. When people receive kingly opulences
ter, which greatly puzzles us. Indeed, the results from these deities, they become arrogant, intox-
attained by the worshipers of these two lords icated with pride and neglectful of their duties.
of opposite characters are contrary to what one They dare to offend even the demigods who have
would expect. bestowed benedictions upon them.

Sri Sukadeva said: Lord Shiva is always united Sukadeva Gosvami said: Lord Brahma, Lord
with his personal energy, the material nature. Visnu, Lord Shiva and others are able to curse or
Manifesting himself in three features in response bless one. Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma are very
to the entreaties of nature's three modes, he thus quick to curse or bestow benedictions, my dear
embodies the threefold principle of material ego King, but the infallible Supreme Lord is not. In
in goodness, passion and ignorance. The sixteen this connection, an ancient historical account
elements have evolved as transformations of that is related concerning how the Lord of Kailasa
false ego. When a devotee of Lord Shiva worships Mountain was put into danger by offering a choice
his manifestation in any one of these elements, of benedictions to the demon Vrika. The demon
the devotee obtains all sorts of corresponding named Vrika, a son of Sakuni's, once met Narada
enjoyable opulences. Lord Hari, however, has on the road. The wicked fellow asked him which
no connection with the material modes. He is the of the three chief gods could be pleased most
Supreme Personality of Godhead, the all-seeing quickly. Narada told him: Worship Lord Shiva
eternal witness, who is transcendental to material and you will soon achieve success. He quickly be-
nature. One who worships Him becomes similarly comes pleased by seeing his worshiper's slightest
free from the material modes. Your grandfather, good qualities and quickly angered by seeing his
King Yudhisthira, after completing his Asvamed- slightest fault. He became pleased with ten-head-
ha sacrifices, asked Lord Acyuta this very same ed Ravana, and also with Bana, when they each
question while hearing the Lord's explanation chanted his glories, like bards in a royal court.
of religious principles. This question pleased Sri Lord Shiva then bestowed unprecedented pow-
Krsna, the King's Lord and master, who had de- er upon each of them, but in both cases he was
scended into the family of Yadu for the purpose of consequently beset with great difficulty.
bestowing the highest good on all men. The Lord
replied as follows as the King eagerly listened. [Sukadeva Gosvami continued:] Thus advised,
the demon proceeded to worship Lord Shiva at
The Personality of Godhead said: If I especially Kedaranatha by taking pieces of flesh from his
favor someone, I gradually deprive him of his own body and offering them as oblations into
wealth. Then the relatives and friends of such a the sacred fire, which is Lord Shiva's mouth. Vri-
poverty-stricken man abandon him. In this way kasura became frustrated after failing to obtain
he suffers one distress after another. When he a vision of the lord. Finally, on the seventh day,
becomes frustrated in his attempts to make money after dipping his hair into the holy waters at Ke-
and instead befriends My devotees, I bestow My daranatha and leaving it wet, he took up a hatchet
special mercy upon him. A person who has thus and prepared to cut off his head. But at that very

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 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 273, Page—3
moment the supremely merciful Lord Shiva rose one, please tell Us what you intend to do, if We are
up out of the sacrificial fire, looking like the god of qualified to hear it. Usually one accomplishes his
fire himself, and grabbed both arms of the demon purposes by taking help from others.
to stop him from killing himself, just as we would
do. By Lord Shiva's touch, Vrikasura once again Sukadeva Gosvami said: Thus questioned by the
became whole. Lord Shiva said to him: My friend, Personality of Godhead in language that poured
please stop, stop! Ask from me whatever you want, down upon him like sweet nectar, Vrika felt
and I will bestow that boon upon you. Alas, you relieved of his fatigue. He described to the Lord
have subjected your body to great torment for no everything he had done.
reason, since I am pleased with a simple offering
of water from those who approach me for shelter. The Supreme Lord said: If this is the case, We
[Sukadeva Gosvami continued:] The benediction cannot believe what Shiva says. Shiva is the same
sinful Vrika chose from the lord would terrify all lord of the Pretas and Pisacas whom Daksa cursed
living beings. Vrika said, "May death come to to become like a carnivorous hobgoblin. O best of
whomever I touch upon the head with my hand." the demons, if you have any faith in him because he
Upon hearing this, Lord Rudra seemed somewhat is the spiritual master of the universe, then without
disturbed. Nonetheless, O descendant of Bharata, delay put your hand on your head and see what
he vibrated om to signify his assent, granting Vrika happens. If the words of Lord Sambhu prove un-
the benediction with an ironic smile, as if giving true in any way, O best of the demons, then kill the
milk to a poisonous snake. liar so he may never lie again. [Sukadeva Gosvami
continued:] Thus bewildered by the Personality of
To test Lord Sambhu's benediction, the demon Godhead's enchanting, artful words, foolish Vrika,
then tried to put his hand on the Lord's head. Thus without realizing what he was doing, placed his
Shiva was frightened because of what he himself hand on his head. Instantly his head shattered as if
had done. As the demon pursued him, Lord Shiva struck by a lightning bolt, and the demon fell down
fled swiftly from his abode in the north, shaking dead. From the sky were heard cries of "Victory!"
with terror. He ran as far as the limits of the earth, "Obeisances!" and "Well done!" The celestial sag-
the sky and the corners of the universe. The great es, Pitas and Gandharvas rained down flowers to
demigods could only remain silent, not knowing celebrate the killing of sinful Vrikasura. Now Lord
how to counteract the benediction. Then Lord
Shiva reached the luminous realm of Vaikuntha, Shiva was out of danger. The Supreme Personality
beyond all darkness, where the Supreme Lord of Godhead then addressed Lord Girisa, who was
Narayana is manifest. That realm is the destina- now out of danger: "Just see, O Mahadeva, My
tion of renunciants who have attained peace and lord, how this wicked man has been killed by his
given up all violence against other creatures. Go- own sinful reactions. Indeed, what living being can
ing there, one never returns. The Supreme Lord, hope for good fortune if he offends exalted saints,
who relieves His devotees' distress, had seen from what to speak of offending the lord and spiritual
afar that Lord Shiva was in danger. Thus by His master of the universe?"
mystic Yoga-maya potency He assumed the form
of a brahmacari student, with the appropriate belt, Lord Hari is the directly manifest Absolute Truth,
deerskin, rod and prayer beads, and came before the Supreme Soul and unlimited ocean of incon-
Vrikasura. The Lord's effulgence glowed brilliantly ceivable energies. Anyone who recites or hears this
like fire. Holding kusa grass in His hand, He hum- pastime of His saving Lord Shiva will be freed from
bly greeted the demon. all enemies and the repetition of birth and death.

The Supreme Lord said: My dear son of Sakuni, —Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 10: The Summum Bonum
you appear tired. Why have you come such a great » Chapter 87 » Verses 1-40 » Translations by the Disciples of His Divine Grace A.
distance? Please rest for a minute. After all, it is C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada.
one's body that fulfills all one's desires. O mighty

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 Issue no 273, Page — 4 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
Top left 4
restricting his children's play and making them
Happiness And Distress go to school. He knows that this is a genuine ex-
By the disciples of His Divine Grace pression of his love for them, even if the children
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada fail to understand. Similarly, the Supreme Lord
Vishnu is mercifully strict with all His dependents,
Devotees of the Supreme Lord experience both not only with immature devotees struggling
happiness and distress—not as consequences of to become qualified. Even perfect saints like
material work but as incidental effects of their Prahlada, Dhruva and Yudhisthira were subject-
loving reciprocation with the Lord. Srila Rupa ed to great tribulations, all for their glorification.
Goswami, in Çré Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu, his defin- After the Battle of Kurukñetra, Sri Bhismadeva
itive treatise on the process of devotional service, described to King Yudhisthira his wonder at this:
explains how a Vaishnava is relieved of all karmic
reactions, including those that have not yet begun yatra dharma-suto räjä
to manifest (aprärabdha), those that are just about g a d ä - p ä ë i r v å k o d a r a ù
to manifest (küöa), those that are barely manifest- kåñëo 'stré gäëòivaà cäpaà
ing (béja) and those that have manifested fully suhåt kåñëas tato vipat
(prärabdha). As a lotus gradually loses its many na hy asya karhicid räjan
petals, so a person who takes shelter of devotional pumän vetti vidhitsitam
service has all his karmic reactions destroyed. y a d - v i j i j ï ä s a y ä y u k t ä
That devotional service to Lord Krishna eradicates muhyanti kavayo 'pi hi
all karmic reactions is confirmed in this passage
of the Gopäla-täpané çruti (Pürva 15): bhaktir asya
bhajanaà tad ihämutropädhi-nairäsyenämuñmin "Oh, how wonderful is the influence of inev-
manaù-kalpanam etad eva naiñkarmyam. "De- itable time! It is irreversible—otherwise, how
votional service is the process of worshiping the can there be reverses in the presence of King
Supreme Lord. It consists of fixing the mind upon Yudhisthira, the son of the demigod controlling
Him by becoming disinterested in all material religion; Bhima, the great fighter with a club; the
designations, both in this life and the next. It re- great bowman Arjuna with his mighty weapon
sults in the dissolution of all karma." While it is Gandiva; and above all, the Lord, the direct
certainly true that those who practice devotional well-wisher of the Pandavas? O King, no one
service remain in material bodies and apparently can know the plan of the Lord [Sri Krishna].
material situations for some time, this is simply Even though great philosophers inquire ex-
an expression of the inconceivable mercy of haustively, they are bewildered." (SB 1.9.15-16)
the Lord, who bestows the fruits of devotion Although a Vaishnava's happiness and distress
only when it has become pure. In every stage of are felt as pleasure and pain, just like ordinary
devotion, however, the Lord watches over His karmic reactions, they are different in a significant
devotee and sees to the gradual elimination of his sense. Material happiness and distress, arising
karma. Thus despite the fact that the happiness from karma, leave a subtle residue—the seed
and distress devotees experience resemble ordi- of future entanglement. Such enjoyment and
nary karmic reactions, they are in fact given by suffering tend toward degradation and increase
the Lord Himself. As the Bhägavatam (10.87.40) the danger of falling into hellish oblivion. Hap-
states, bhavad-uttha-çubhäçubhayoù: A mature piness and distress generated from the Supreme
devotee recognizes the superficially good and Lord's desires, however, leave no trace after their
bad conditions he encounters as signs of the immediate purpose has been served. Moreover,
direct guidance of his ever well-wishing Lord. the Vaishnava who enjoys such reciprocation
But if the Lord is so compassionate to His dev- with the Lord is in no danger of falling down
otees, why does He expose them to special suf- into nescience. As Yamaraja, the lord of death
fering? This is answered by an analogy: A very and the judge of all departed souls, declares,
affectionate father takes the responsibility of jihvä na vakti bhagavad-guëa-nämadheyaà

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 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 273, Page—5
cetaç ca na smarati tac-caraëäravindam the hot summer that cold water gives comfort,
kåñëäya no namati yac-chira ekadäpi and during the cold winter months that warm
tän änayadhvam asato 'kåta-Vishnu-kåtyän water is pleasing. Lamplight appears attractive
in darkness, not in the glaring light of day, and
"My dear servants, please bring to me only those when one is distressed by hunger, food tastes
sinful persons who do not use their tongues to especially good." In other words, to strengthen
chant the holy name and qualities of Krishna, his devotees' mood of dependence on Him and
whose hearts do not remember the lotus feet of longing for Him, the Lord arranges for His dev-
Krishna even once, and whose heads do not bow otees to go through some suffering, and when
down even once before Lord Krishna. Send me He appears in order to deliver them, their grati-
those who do not perform their duties toward Vish- tude and transcendental pleasure are boundless.
nu, which are the only duties in human life. Please
bring me all such fools and rascals." (SB 6.3.29) —Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 10: The Summum Bo-
The beloved devotees of the Lord do not regard num » Chapter 88 » Verse: 9 » Purport by the Disciples of His Divine Grace A. C.
as very troublesome the suffering He imposes on Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada.
them. Indeed, they find that in the end it gives rise
to unlimited pleasure, just as a stinging ointment
applied by a physician cures his patient's infected How Can We Understand
eye. In addition, suffering helps protect the con- The Absolute Truth?
fidentiality of devotional service by discouraging Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura
intrusions by the faithless, and it also increases
the eagerness with which the devotees call upon The Absolute Truth is the Supreme Person-
the Lord to appear. If the devotees of Lord Vishnu ality of Godhead. He is the cause of all causes.
were complacently happy all the time, He would The Absolute Truth is self-manifest. He is not
never have a reason to appear in this world as dead matter. He is fully cognizant. He manifests
Krishna, Ramachandra, Nrsiàha and so on. As before us out of His own sweet will. It is im-
Krishna Himself says in the Bhagavad-gétä (4.8), possible to know Him by mundane experience
or the ascending path. The Absolute is not an
p a r i t r ä ë ä y a s ä d h ü n ä à object belonging to the third dimension. We can
v i n ä ç ä y a c a d u ñ k å t ä m measure objects belonging to the third dimen-
dharma-saàsthäpanärthäya sion. Anything that can be measured with our
sambhavämi yuge yuge material senses belongs to the world of Maya.
As we have to open our eyes if we wish to see the
"To deliver the pious and annihilate the miscre- sun, we have to wait until our internal spiritual
ants, as well as to reestablish the principles of
religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millen- !! Sri Sri Nitai Gaurchandra Jayati !!
nium." And without the Lord's showing Himself
on earth in His original form of Krishna and in Nityaà Bhägavata-sevayä E-magazine
the forms of various incarnations, His faithful is a part of
servants in this world would have no opportu-
nity to enjoy His räsa-lélä and other pastimes. In Service of Srimad Bhagavatam™
Çrila Vishvanätha Chakravarté here counters a
Quotations from the books, letters, and lectures of
possible objection: "What fault would there be His Divine Grace
in God's incarnating for some other reason than A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada
to deliver saintly persons from suffering?" The
learned äcärya responds, "Yes, my dear brother, ©Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
this makes good sense, but you are not expert in ©All the paintings are copyrights of their respective
understanding spiritual moods. Please listen: It is artists.
at night that the sunrise becomes attractive, during

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 Issue no 273, Page — 6 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
consciousness is revived before we can realize and distressful conditions—the devotee by the
the Absolute. As we cannot see the sun at night arrangement of the Personality of Godhead, and
even if we illuminate the sky with thousands of the common man as a result of his past deeds?
electric lights—and as there is no need of artificial How is the devotee any better than the ordinary
lighting once the sun rises in the morning—so karmé? The answer is that the karmis and the
the Absolute Truth cannot be illuminated by devotees are not on the same level. In whatever
sensually acquired knowledge. As long as we are condition of life the karmé may be, he continues
materially conditioned, we cannot understand in the cycle of birth and death because the seed of
the Absolute Truth’s identity. We must hear karma, or fruitive activity, is there, and it fructifies
about Him from our spiritual master. Thus there whenever there is an opportunity. By the law of
is no way to know the Absolute Truth except karma a common man is perpetually entangled
to surrender at our spiritual master’s lotus feet. in repeated birth and death, whereas a devotee’s
distress and happiness, not being under the laws
. ——Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 10: The of karma, are part of a temporary arrangement
Summum Bonum » Chapter 87 » Verses 1-40 » Translations by the by the Supreme Lord which does not entangle
Disciples of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada. the devotee. Such an arrangement is made by
the Lord only to serve a temporary purpose. If
Why A Devotee Is Put Into Tribulation a karmé performs auspicious acts he is elevated
His Divine Grace to the heavenly planets, and if he acts impiously
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada he is put into a hellish condition. But whether
a devotee acts in a so-called pious or impious
manner, he is neither elevated nor degraded but
It may be questioned why a devotee is put into is transferred to the spiritual kingdom. Therefore
such tribulation by the Personality of Godhead. a devotee’s happiness and distress and a karmé’s
The answer is that this kind of arrangement by happiness and distress are not on the same level.
the Lord is just like a father’s sometimes becom- This fact is corroborated by a speech by Yamaraja
ing unkind to his sons. Because the devotee is a to his servants in connection with the liberation
surrendered soul and is taken charge of by the of Ajämila. Yamaraja advised his followers that
Supreme Lord, whatever condition of life the they should approach only those persons who
Lord puts him in—whether one of distress or of have never uttered the holy name of the Lord or
happiness—it is to be understood that behind this remembered the form, qualities and pastimes of
arrangement is a large plan designed by the Per- the Lord. Yamaraja also advised his servants never
sonality of Godhead. For example, Lord Krishna to approach the devotees. On the contrary, he in-
put the Pandavas into a distressed condition so structed his messengers that if they meet a devotee
acute that even grandfather Bhisma could not they should offer their respectful obeisances. So
comprehend how such distress could occur. He there is no question of a devotee’s being promoted
lamented that although the whole Paëdava family or degraded within this material world. As there
was headed by King Yudhiñöhira, the most pious is a gulf of difference between the punishment
king, and protected by the two great warriors awarded by the mother and the punishment
Bhéma and Arjuna, and although, above all, the awarded by an enemy, so a devotee’s distress is
Pandavas were all intimate friends and relatives of not the same as the distress of a common karmé.
Lord Krishna, they still had to undergo such trib- Here another question may be raised: If the Su-
ulations. Later, however, it was proved that this preme Lord is all-powerful, why should He try
was planned by the Supreme Personality of God- to reform His devotee by putting him in distress?
head, Krishna, as part of His great mission to an- The answer is that when the Supreme Personality
nihilate the miscreants and protect the devotees. of Godhead puts His devotee in distress, it is not
Another question may be raised: What is the dif- without purpose. Sometimes the purpose is that in
ference between a devotee and a common man, distress a devotee’s feelings of attachment to Krish-
since both are put into different kinds of happy

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 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 273, Page—7
na are magnified. For example, when Krishna, Lord of Shiva. Since this fact did not enter the
before leaving the capital of the Pandavas for ten heads of Ravana, Rudradeva did not actual-
His home, asked Kuntédevé for permission to ly accept his service. Those who are capable of
leave, she said, “My dear Krishna, in our distress pleasing Lord Shiva through service achieve
You were always present with us. Now, because auspiciousness. But since Rudra was not pleased
we have been elevated to a royal position, You by the worship and service offered by Ravana, he
are leaving us. I would therefore prefer to live and his entire family were killed. In the same way,
in distress than to lose You.” When a devotee since the service propensity of Advaita's descen-
is put into a situation of distress, his devotional dants and their followers was misdirected, they
activities are accelerated. Therefore, to show have become envious of Vishnu and the Vaiñëavas
special favor to a devotee, the Lord sometimes and cut off forever from the Vaiñëava society like
puts him into distress. Besides that, it is stated the atibäòés. Those descendants of Advaita and
that the sweetness of happiness is sweeter to their followers who blaspheme Sri Chaitanya
those who have tasted bitterness. The Supreme and cannot understand Advaita Prabhu's service
Lord descends to this material world just to pro- propensity towards Sri Chaitanya cannot remain
tect His devotees from distress. In other words, on the platform of devotional service to Vishnu.
if devotees were not in a distressed condition, Some people say that Vrkasura received the
the Lord would not have come down. As for benediction from Mahadeva that anyone whose
His killing the demons, or miscreants, this can head he touched would be burnt to ashes. This
be easily done by His various energies, just as demon created anxiety for Rudra when he went
many asuras are killed by His external energy, to test the efficacy of the received benediction by
Goddess Durgä. Therefore the Lord does not first touching the head of Sri Rudra. When by
need to come down personally to kill such the advice of Lord Vishnu the demon touched
demons, but when His devotee is in distress his own head to test the efficacy of the boon, he
He must come. Lord Nåsiàhadeva appeared was at once destroyed. Since Ravana, who was a
not in order to kill Hiraëyakaçipu but to save staunch devotee of Lord Shiva, fell into similar
Prahlada and to give him blessings. In other circumstances, he, like the prakata-sahajiyas, also
words, because Prahlada Mahäräja was put welcomed material enjoyment on the pretext of
into very great distress, the Lord appeared. devotional service rather than serve Ramachandra,
the worshipable Lord of Shiva. This was Ravana's
—Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead own head-severing devotion to Shiva. Since Rav-
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. ana envied Ramachandra and became averse to
the service of Sitadevi, the worshipable goddess
of Shiva, his worshipable Lord Shiva became
The Ten-headed Ravana displeased with him. All those Advaita descen-
Srila Sanatana Goswami dants and their so-called Vaiñëava followers who
display the expertise of their devotional service
while maintaining envy of Sri Chaitanya and His
The ten-headed Ravana was a renowned devotees also fall into such miserable conditions.
“devotee of Shiva.” Although he was a devo-
tee of Shiva, he did not serve Ramachandra, —Çréla Våndävana däsa Öhäkura The vyäsa-avatära of Caitanya-lélä With
the worshipable Lord of Shiva, rather he ex- English Translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya Commentary and Chapter Sum-
hibited his sinful propensity by kidnapping maries of His Divine Grace Oà Vishnupäda Paramahaàsa Parivräjakäcärya
Ramachandra's consort, Sita. That ten-headed Çré Çrémad Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämé Mahäräja
devotee of Rudra committed the sin of envying Translated by Bhumipati Däsa.
Ramachandra, and as a result of his perverted
mentality he lost all his heads. Ramachandra
alone is the original cause and worshipable

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