Fwd: [granthraj] Fire of Repentance

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

 

The chapter titled, "Maharaj Parikshit Cursed by a Brahmana Boy" gives us some very significant lessons to learn in our life. We all know the story of Parikshit Maharaj being cursed by the brahmana boy to die in 7 days being bitten by a snake. When Parikshit Maharaj went to the Shamika Rshi's ashram, the Rshi was in trance and could not heed the request of the King for water. So being given a cold reception by the Rshi, the King also rewarded the Rshi coldly by garlanding him with a dead snake. This is a very minor offence committed by the King for which the Brahmana boy cursed him to die.

 

Now a question may arise here. Why did Parikshit Maharaj did not counteract the boy's curse? He had all the capability to counter-curse him or at least neutralize the curse. He was powerful enough to even kill the boy who cursed him or even better, could have prayed to the Lord to save him - after all the Lord protected him when he was attacked by the Brahmastra in the womb. So the Lord could have protected him this time as well!! But he did not take any of these remedies. Why? The answer is given beautfiully in the pages of Srimad Bhagavatam.

 

Actually, when Maharaj Parikshit was returning from the forest after this incident, even before he heard about the Brahmana boy's curse, he himself was repenting for his offensive action. He thinks to himself in SB 1.19.2 and 3:

 

dhruvam tato me krta-deva helanaad
duratyayam vyasanam naati-deerghaat
duratyayam kaamam hy agha nishkrtaaya me
yathaa na kuryaam punar evam addhaa

 

[King Parikshit thought:] "Due to my neglecting the injunctions of the Supreme Lord I must certainly expect some difficulty to overcome me in the near future. I now desire without reservation that the calamity come now, for in this way I may be freed of the sinful action and not commit such an offense again."

 

adyaiva raajyam balam rddha-kosham
prakopita-brahma-kulaanalo me
dahatv abhadrasya punar na me 'bhut
paapiyasi dheer dvija deva gobhyah

 

"I am uncivilized and sinful due to my neglect of brahminical culture, God consciousness and cow protection. Therefore I wish that my kingdom, strength and riches burn up immediately by the fire of the brahmana's wrath so that in the future I may not be guided by such inauspicious attitudes."

 

We can see from the above verses that Parikshit Maharaj being inspired by the Supersoul, is repenting sincerely for his offence. This is the primary reason why he did not counteract the curse. Otherwise he had all the capability to counteract the curse. This is the greatness of Parikshit Maharaj. Whenever we genuinely accept our mistakes, we won't counteract or justify our actions, rather we will simply accept the reactions and bear the pain. The fire of repentance will burn the impurities in our heart. However, just like we are afraid of touching the fire for the fear of being burnt, we almost always do not want to repent because we fear that the fire of repentance will burn our impurities (when we are covered by illusion, we are actually attached to our impurities).

 

Secondly, the greatness of a devotee is that he will not justify the gravity of his offence. That is to say, he will not justify that his offence was small so the reaction should also be small. He will accept without any reservation whatever the punishment that was offered. Here we see that even though everyone of us including Shamika Rshi (the one who was actually offended) agree that the King's offence is very insignificant, the King felt that it was a very grave offence. That is why he even prays to the Lord that all his wealth, strength, kingdom etc be burnt to ashes for his offence. On the other hand, if we are put into a situation of facing the reaction of any of our past offences, we will blame the Lord or the devotees for their injustice in bestowing the punishment for our offence. This is not the nature of a sincere devotee. A sincere devotee will accept the punishment, whatever the severity of that

punishment may be. Because of this exalted nature, Parikshit Maharaj was bestowed the supreme benediction of hearing Srimad Bhagavatam from Sri Sukadeva Goswami.

 

In his purport to SB 1.18.31, Srila Prabhupada beautifully explains the hallmark of a devotee in such situations thus:"The King, being a devotee of the Lord, did not approve of his own action, and thus he began to wonder whether the sage was really in a trance or was just pretending in order to avoid receiving the King, who was a kshatriya and therefore lower in rank. Repentance comes in the mind of a good soul as soon as he commits something wrong."

 

If we are really good devotees, we will sincerely repent for our offensive action, even if the other party is the worst of our enemies. In such repentance we can perceive the Lord as the child in the womb prays, aatapyamaana hrdaya avasitam - The Lord is perceived in the repentant's heart.

 

Last but not the least, the aim of the devotee's accepting the punishment is not to simply get rid of the reactions of our sins and become free. Rather he wants the maximum punishment so that he will get rid of the sinful attitude and won't repeat the mistake again in the future. Parikshit Maharaj reveals this crown jewel of the devotee's character through his unparalleled thought: "so that in the future I may not be guided by such inauspicious attitudes."

 

Let us learn this most important lesson of repentance for our actions from the great soul Maharaj Parikshit, burn the impurities, perceive the Lord and seat Him in the lotus of our hearts.

 

Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Kalacakra Krsna das

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