Sri Krishna Kathamrita
Bindu Issue 544
Humility and Love of God
www.gopaljiu.org
Sri Krishna Kathamrita
तवकथामृतं तप्तजीवनम्
tava kathāmṛtaṁ tapta-jīvanam
Bindu
Fortnightly email mini-magazine from Gopal Jiu Publications
Issue No. 544 Śrī Pāpavimocanī Ekādaśī 18 March 2023
• The Humble Demeanor of the Saints
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
• Real Versus False Humility
Highlights
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada
• Humility Means Not Concocting
Our Own System of Bhajan
Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode
• The Lord Protects the Surrendered
Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja
• Flight of the Crow
Mahābhārata
The Humble Demeanor
Of the Saints
His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
It is characteristic of advanced vaiṣṇavas following
the principles of bhakti that they think themselves
ordinary human beings. This is not an artificial
exhibition of humility; a vaiṣṇava sincerely thinks this
way and therefore never admits his exalted position.
(Purport to Bhāg. 5.24.26.)
Revatinandan Das: You must be higher than the
paramahaṁsa stage, Prabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada: I am lower than you. I am lower
than you.
Revatinandan Das: You are so beautiful. You are
paramahaṁsa, but still you are preaching to us.
Srila Prabhupada: No, I am lower than you. I am I am very sorry that ________ has assumed such
the lowest of all the creatures. I am simply trying to air of importance. We should always remember
execute the order of my spiritual master. That’s all. that we are on the path of perfection, but we are
That should be the business of everyone. Try best. not perfect. If ________ or anyone thinks that he
Try your best to execute the higher order. That is has attained perfection he will be wrongly directed.
the safest way of progressing. (Lecture in Surat. 19 I have asked you all to address your godbrothers
December 1970.) as prabhu. This prabhu means boss. If everyone of
Cover: “Hanuman, Sugriva, Jambavan and others worshiping Lord Ramachandra”.
Unknown artist.
Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu Issue Five Hundred Forty Four, Page — 2
Painting by Kartika Visvas
Nimai Pandit offers respect to his teacher Gangadas Pandit
us thinks of his fellow worker as boss there is no our cloth or display artificial humility, advertising our
question of misunderstanding. The mistake is that meekness while internally maintaining a desire for name
being addressed as boss or prabhu one thinks himself and fame, or if we want to make a show of vaiṣṇavism, even
as actually prabhu or the boss. One should not forget internally, or if we maintain a sense of “I” and “mine”,
himself as humble servant even though one is or if we accept non-vaiṣṇavas as vaiṣṇavas and consider
addressed as prabhu. The spiritual master is offered vaiṣṇavas non-vaiṣṇavas, or if we commit nāmāparādhas
respects as they are offered to the Supreme Lord. like blaspheming saints, or if we glorify non-devotees
Unfortunately, if the spiritual master thinks that he and encourage the nāmāparādha of committing sinful
has become the Supreme Lord then he is doomed. A activities on the strength of our chanting – certainly we
bona fide spiritual master always think of himself as will be deceived and will not attain the result.
the servant of the Lord. One should never forget to be — Śrī Vaktṛtāvalī. Translated by Bhumipati Das. From a lecture in
Mayapur on 8 November 1925. Touchstone Media. Kolkata. 2014.
humble in dealings. If everyone of us would conduct
our business in that spirit of prabhu and servant then
Humility Means Not
there is very little chance of being misunderstood.
Sometimes misunderstanding may take place, but it Concocting our Own
should be adjusted in a spirit of service attitude to System of Bhajan
the prabhu. (Letter to Nandarani. 28 November 1967.)
Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode
Real Versus The devotee who chants the holy name offenselessly
never rejects the devotional process he received from
False Humility
his guru nor introduces a new method, replacing the
mahā-mantra with some concocted and imaginary
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada
rhyme. A vaiṣṇava’s humility cannot be doubted or
Yet if instead of chanting the holy name we do challenged if he preaches the glories of the holy name
something else – if we keep our bead bag hidden inside and writes books, as long as he strictly adheres to the
Unknown artist. Gita Press. Gorakhpur
Issue Five Hundred Forty Four, Page — 3 श्रीकृष्णकथामृत बिन् दु
Krishna loves his devotees
Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu Issue Five Hundred Forty Four, Page — 4
instructions of his guru. One who tries to cheat and of a king, a kṣatriya. If someone seeks shelter, you
deceive others by making a show of humility although must give him protection. But the advisors of Lord
he lacks it, just to gain cheap adoration, is not truly Rama said, “No! Don’t give him shelter. He’s from the
humble. The mahā-bhāgavata who is constantly chanting enemy’s camp. He has come here as a spy.”
does not see the material world as something for him to Lord Rama then told his advisors a story. Once,
exploit for personal gain, but as diverse paraphernalia a man was passing through a dense jungle. In that
for rendering service to Lord Krishna, his associates, forest were many tigers, lions, and ferocious animals.
and devotees. He does not think that this world is his One tiger came to attack that man, so he climbed a
to enjoy. Although he becomes proficient in chanting tree and saved his life. But the tiger had developed
he never considers giving up the mahā-mantra. He is greed to drink human blood. So the tiger sat down
not interested in propagating new ideas and opinions. underneath the tree to wait. The tiger then noticed
He realizes that to regard oneself as a guru of vaiṣṇava a monkey in the tree. He told that monkey, “You are
devotees strikes the death knell of his humility. my brother. This human is your enemy. When you
— Śrī Śikṣāṣṭaka. English translation by Sarvabhavana Das. From jump from one tree to another to get fruit, the human
Bhaktivinode’s commentary on text three. Rasbihari Lal & Sons.
Vrindavan. 1999. beats you and throws stones at you. And when you
come down to the ground he sends his dog to catch
The Lord Protects you. Also, human beings cut down trees. So they are
your constant enemy. You should understand this.
The Surrendered You are very intelligent; you are my brother and
my friend. Don’t stay with such an enemy. It is very
Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja
dangerous. Push that man down from the tree. I am
The Ramayana describes how Lord Rama built hungry. If you do this then I’ll get food. I’ll satisfy my
a bridge and crossed the ocean to Lanka. Before hunger and our friendship will remain forever. I’ll be
the battle with Ravana began, Ravana’s youngest very, very grateful to you.”
brother, Vibhishan, came to take shelter of Rama. The monkey replied, “O my brother tiger, I
Rama immediately gave him shelter. That is the duty understand what you have said. But the human being
Unknown artist. Gita Press, Gorakhpur.
Vibhishan comes to surrender to Lord Ramachandra
Painting by Balasaheb Pandit Pant Pratinidhi
Issue Five Hundred Forty Four, Page — 5 श्रीकृष्णकथामृत बिन् दु
When Vibhishan came to take shelter of Lord Rama, Sugriva, Angad, and the other vanaras were against it.
Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu Issue Five Hundred Forty Four, Page — 6
It is considered that the human birth is a rarely
achieved, superior birth. But they have a history
of irreligiousness which is not even found in the
society of animals.
Bhagavan Ramachandra told this story, and said,
“This is my mission. I have come to establish ideal
behavior in human society.” Therefore, he is known
as maryādā-puruṣottama, the topmost example of and
enjoyer of Vedic propriety. He never transgressed
veda-maryādā, Vedic regulation and etiquette. Lord
Ramachandra was the ideal king, father, son, friend,
brother, and husband. He was ideal in every respect.
Lord Ramachandra said, “If someone comes to take
Painting by Kshitindranath Majumdar
shelter of me, I never think of his past history. I
immediately give him shelter. Vibhishan has taken
shelter of me. I have given him shelter and he is our
friend. No one should have any doubt about him. He
has been made the commander-in-chief.” This is the
nature of Lord Ramachandra.
— From a class on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Bhubaneswar. 6 February 1995.
Ahalya takes shelter of Lord Ramachandra
Lord Rama's Assurance
has dharma. Although I am an animal with no dharma, Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha-kāṇḍa, chapter 12
still my conscience says that it is wrong to put one
in danger who is trying to save himself.” mitrabhāvena samprāptaṁ na tyajeyaṁ kathaṁ cana
Then the tiger thought of another plan. He gave doṣo yady api tasya syāt satām etad agarhitam
assurance to the man, “O my brother, you have [Lord Ramachandra said:] I cannot refuse to
dharma, you are a human being. Is it not your dharma receive under any circumstances one who has
that you should give food to one who is very hungry? come to me in a friendly spirit. Even if there
I am very hungry now, you must give food to a is wickedness in him, his acceptance is not
hungry jīva. You should push down this monkey, then reprehensible in the eyes of good people. (Text 3)
I’ll get food. The man thought, “Yes, very good”, and
he pushed down the monkey, who fell in front of the sakṛd eva prapannāya tavāsmīti ca yācate
tiger. But the tiger didn’t eat him and the monkey abhayaṁ sarva-bhūtebhyo dadāmy etad vrataṁ mama
climbed back up the tree. The tiger had developed It is my eternal principle that if any living being
greed to drink human blood, so he didn’t eat the takes shelter of me, even once, saying, “I am
monkey. No one eats the flesh of a monkey. yours,” then I award that person freedom from
Then the tiger said, “O my brother monkey! You all fear. (Text 20)
see, we are friends! I didn’t harm you. I spared you — Śrīmad Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa. Gita Press. Gorakhpur, India. 1995.
because we are friends. But see what that irreligious
man did. He pushed you down right in front of me. So
now you should push him down so that I can satisfy
my hunger, and thereby he will get a good lesson.
The monkey said, “This man may be adharmic.
Although I am only an animal, I am not adharmic. I
cannot do this.”
Issue Five Hundred Forty Four, Page — 7 श्रीकृष्णकथामृत बिन् दु
Flight of the Crow
Mahābhārata
The following story told by Salya to Karna from the forty-
first chapter of the Karna-parva of Mahābhārata nicely
illustrates the dangers of pride.
There once lived a wealthy vaiśya by the side
of the ocean. He performed many sacrifices
and gave generously in charity. He was quiet,
observant of the duties of his order, and was pure
in his habits and mind. The vaiśya had a number
of sons all of whom were pious and kind to all
living creatures. Living in a place that was ruled
over by a pious king, the vaiśya was peaceful and
free from anxiety.
Unknown artist.
There was a crow that daily came to the home of
the vaiśya to feast on remnants of the family’s food
that the children gave him. After eating every day
the opulent milk, puddings, yogurt, honey, butter
and other foods, the crow became very arrogant moving with great velocity, I shall display my great
and began to think little of all other birds. strength and expertise in flight.”
One day, some great white swans, who were One of the swans said, “O crow, you may fly in a
hundred and one different ways. I however, shall
practically equal to Garuda in terms of speed and
fly in only one way, which is the way all other birds
range of flight, came to the shore of the ocean.
know. For I do not know any other. O you of red eyes,
When the sons of the vaiśya saw the wonderful
you may fly as you like.”
swans, they jokingly told the crow, “O ranger of
the sky, you are superior to all of these big birds.”
Intoxicated with arrogance and false pride, the crow The Desire for Fame
considered these words to be true. That foolish crow sammānād brāhmaṇo nityam udvijeta viṣād iva
then challenged the leader of the swans, saying, “Let amṛtasyeva cākāṅkṣed avamānasya sarvadā
us have a flying competition to see who is the best.”
sukhaṁ hy avamataḥ śete sukhaṁ ca pratibudhyate
Hearing the words of the arrogant crow, those
sukhaṁ carati loke ‘sminn avamantā vinaśyati
swans began to laugh. Those foremost of birds,
capable of flying anywhere at will, said to the Throughout his life a brāhmaṇa should consider
crow, “We are swans who live on the Manasa material prestige to be like poison and dishonor
Lake. We traverse all over the earth, and amongst to be like nectar. After all, if one learns to tolerate
winged creatures we are always spoken highly of dishonor, then his agitation will subside and he
for the length of distances we fly. How can a crow will happily sleep, happily wake, and happily move
like you hope to compete with a swan?” about. The person who insults him will as a result
The crow replied, “Great as I am, I tell you that of his sin become embarrassed, and his happiness
before your eyes I shall fly for hundreds of yojanas [a in this and the next life will be vanquished.
yojana is eight miles] displaying a hundred and one — Mānu-saṁhitā 2.162-163, quoted by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
varieties of motions in flight. Rising up, swooping Saraswati Thakur in Brāhmaṇa and Vaiṣṇava. English translation
by Bhumipati Das. Vrajaraj Press. Vrindavan. 1999.
down, whirling around, going straight, proceeding
gently, going backwards, darting forward, and
Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu Issue Five Hundred Forty Four, Page — 8
Unknown artist. Gita Press. Gorakhpur
Salya told Karna the story of a proud crow who met a saintly swan
Issue Five Hundred Forty Four, Page — 9 श्रीकृष्णकथामृत बिन् दु
fly in a hundred and one different ways. How is it that
Bhakti and the you have become so tired and have fallen into the water?”
Desire to be Important Overcome with weakness, the crow pleaded with
the swan, “Eating the remnants of the family’s opulent
His Divine Grace
foods, I thought myself equal to Garuda and did not
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
care for the crows or any other birds. I now seek refuge
Anyone who has any desire or aspiration for with you and place my life at your disposal. Please
satisfying his senses by becoming more and more take me to the land and save me from this calamity.”
important, either in the material sense or in the Without a word, the swan picked up the crow,
spiritual sense, cannot actually relish the really placed him on his back and began flying back to the
sweet taste of devotional service. (The Nectar of land. Nearly at the point of death, deprived of his
Devotion, chapter 3.) senses, drenched in water, trembling in fear, and
hideous to look at, the melancholy crow was weeping.
Hearing this, all of the crows that had gathered The swan speedily restored the crow back to the land
there laughed and said, “Now we will see our brother where they had originally started. Placing him gently
crow defeat the swans.” on the ground and comforting him, the swan then
The crow and swan then rose into the sky, the swan quickly flew away to return to Manasa Lake.
flying in a simple straight motion and the crow making Salya then told Karna, “Just as that crow fed
many elaborate movements. Seeing the variety of upon the remnants of the vaiśya children, became
styles of flight he was exhibiting, all of the assembled proud, and thus disrespected his equals and superiors,
crows were filled with delight and began to caw loudly. similarly, living on the remnants of Dhritarashtra’s
For a moment it appeared that the crow had sons you have become proud and now think yourself
defeated the swan, then suddenly, with great fit to fight with Krishna and Arjuna.”
velocity, the swan began to fly westwards towards the Reflections:
ocean. After following him for some time out to sea, Sometimes it is seen that after becoming uplifted by
the crow could no longer see any land or trees and receiving the mercy of great personalities, some kāka-
became afraid. He thought, “When I become tired, janas, crow-like persons, become proud and forget the
where shall I rest on this vast ocean? The water is color of their feathers. After having a little association
immeasurably deep and is inhabited by hundreds of with swan-like parama-haṁsa devotees, they begin to
monsters who will devour me.” consider themselves far superior to their peers and
Covering a great distance in one moment, the swan perhaps even equal to the parama-haṁsas. Instead of
looked back to see how the crow was faring. Seeing him anusāra, following the instructions of the Lord’s dear
far behind, exhausted, and barely able to stay above the devotees, they take up the cheap practice of anukāra,
water, the swan felt pity and went to his aid. The swan
imitation. By taking shelter of swan-like persons we
said, “O crow, what is the name of this special flight
may cross the ocean of birth and death, but if we try
which you are exhibiting now? You are repeatedly
to imitate them we will certainly fall down into the
touching the water with your wings and beak.”
ocean to drown. Bhaktivinode Thakur sings:
Unable to see the limit of the ocean, and greatly
garhita ācāre, rohilāma moji’,
fatigued by having flown so far, the crow replied, “O
nā korinu sādhu-saṅga
revered sir, we are crows. We move about here and lo’ye sādhu-veśa, āne upadeśi,
there crying, ‘Caw! Caw! Caw!’ O swan, I seek refuge e boḍo māyāra raṅga
in you and place my life in your hands. Please take me Remaining absorbed in abominable activities, I never
back to the land.” Speaking thus, the crow suddenly really kept company with sādhus. Now I adopt the dress
fell exhausted into the ocean. of a sādhu and act out the role of instructing others.
Seeing him fallen into the ocean, with a sorry heart the This is māyā’s big joke.
swan addressed the crow who was on the verge of death, Conceit is a great stumbling block on the path
“O crow, how is it that you were previously praising of devotion. In the Bhagavad-gītā (16.4), Krishna
yourself so loudly? Remember, you said that you would describes pride as a demoniac quality:
Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu Issue Five Hundred Forty Four, Page — 10
dambho darpo ‘bhimānaś ca krodhaḥ pāruṣyam eva ca
ajñānaṁ cābhijātasya pārtha sampadam āsurīm Three Causes of Humility
Pride, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness and igno- Srila Rupa Goswami’s
rance—these qualities belong to those of demoniac
nature, O son of Pritha. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 2.4.21
Nārada Purāṇa (1.7.15) describes duḥkha-trāsāparādhādyair anaurjityaṁ tu dīnatā
ahaṅkāro mahān jajñe māsūyo lobha-hetukaḥ Thinking oneself a low creature because of
Pride is the cause of destruction of all wealth, the sorrow, fear or offense is called dainyam or dīnatā.
source of false ego and all types of failure. — Rupa Goswami. Śrī Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. With commentaries of Jiva
Goswami, and Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakur. English translation by
Suffering from the troubles caused by trying to Bhanu Svami. Sri Vaikuntha Enterprises. Chennai. 2006.
compete with the swan, the crow finally had no other
recourse then to give up his pretension and take Srila Sanatan Goswami has advised us of the
shelter of the swan. Similarly, if we find ourselves in benefits of humility:
such a situation our only hope is to take shelter of
the parama-haṁsas. In Vraja-vilāsa-stava, text 1, Srila yenāsādharaṇāśaktādhama-buddhiḥ sadātmani
Raghunath Das Goswami has compared our spiritual sarvotkarṣānvite ‘pi syād buddhais tad dainyam iṣyate
pursuits to travelling on a road where one is beset with Even if one is very exalted, he should be humble
thieves. Like the crow that was nearing death and cried and think himself very incompetent and lowly.
out to the swan, Raghunath Das says that our only hope
yayā vācehayā dainyaṁ matyā ca sthairyam eti tat
is to call out to the swan-like devotees of the Lord.
tāṁ yatnena bhajed vidvāṁs tad-viruddhāni varjayet
pratiṣṭhā-rajjubhir baddhaṁ kāmādyair vartma-pattibhiḥ
chitvā tāḥ saṁharantas tān aghāreḥ pāntu māṁ bhaṭāḥ A wise man should try to be humble in his words,
deeds, and thoughts. He should shun whatever is
The highwaymen lust, greed and anger have captured
me and bound me with the ropes of the desire for fame.
opposed to humility.
I pray that the heroic devotees of Lord Krishna, the dainyaṁ tu paramaṁ premṇaḥ paripākeṇa janyate
enemy of the Agha demon, may defeat my captors and
tāsāṁ gokula-nārīṇām iva kṛṣṇa-viyogataḥ
cut the ropes that bind me.
Humbleness comes from advancement in love for
Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu Krishna, as is seen in the example of the women of
Gokul when they were separated from Krishna.
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Email: [email protected] Bibliography
— Raghunath Das Goswami. Śrī Vraja-vilāsa-stava. English translation
Website: www.gopaljiu.org
by Sri Kusakratha Das. The Krishna Institute. Los Angeles. 1987.
Subscriptions: [email protected] — Sanatan Goswami. Śrī Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta. English translation by
Gopal Jiu Publications is a section of the International Kusakratha Das. Krishna Library. Culver City California. 1990.
Society for Krishna Consciousness, Founder-Acharya: His — Krishna Dvaipayan Vyasadev. Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. English
translation and commentary by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Prabhupada. Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Bombay. 1995.
Quotations from the books, letters, and lectures of His Divine Grace — Krishna Dvaipayan Vyasadev. Mahābhārata. English translation by
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ©Bhaktivedanta Book Manmatha Nath Dutt. Published by HC. Das. Calcutta. 1896.
Trust. All other materials, unless specified, © ISKCON Gopal Jiu — Krishna Dvaipayan Vyasadev. Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇam. Kevalaram
Publications. All rights reserved. Blanket permission is given Chatropadhyaya. 1895. Sanskrit with Bengali translation.
to redistribute Bindu in electronic or print form provided no
changes are made to the contents. — Krishna Dvaipayan Vyasadev. Nārada Purāṇa. English translation.
Motilal Banarshidass. 1995. Delhi.
