Parsva Ekadasi and Vamana Dvadasi, Part 2

Hari-katha inspired by the Guru-varga Ekadasi-devi prays to Vamanadeva on our behalf, “O Prabhu, please free them from this pasu-vritti (animal nature).” Hearing Her prayer, the Lord takes this away from us with His second step. Then Ekadasi-devi says, “Prabhu, now only the soul remains. Please take this atma with Your third step.” When the time came for Bali Maharaja to fulfill his promise and give the Lord a place to put His third step, he had already lost all his possessions. What else was there to give? Then good intelligence came to him. Once he gave up his wicked and foolish guru, the mind, then good intelligence came to him and he offered prostrated obeisances and said, “Prabhu, You have taken everything else, but You have not yet taken me. Please accept this wretched soul!” It is our great misfortune that we do not surrender ourselves like this. If the Lord Himself says to us, “I will take you. Come with Me,” we will not come. We will say, “No, I will not come now. I will finish my BA, and then my MB. I will have to get a job and then I can do bhajana. Prabhu, just wait quietly. When the right time comes, I will do bhajana.” Saying this, we collect a degree, a wife or husband, a house, and many children. Then we say, “How can I leave my family and do bhajana? Prabhu, You have given so much to me. I can’t just give it all up! But You can sit and watch over my house. Don’t worry. After doing bhajana of my family, then I will worship You. If I leave all this You have given me to worship You alone, who will take the responsibility for my family? Who will accept the burden and sin of renouncing them? O Lord, it is my duty to take care of all my dependents.” The conditioned souls have so many conditions and foolish conceptions. They are all resulting from one thing. The dushta-mana, wicked mind. Oh! We don’t realize that tomorrow we will be forced to leave everything and die. Whether we are ready or not, we must leave everything. We will be dragged away from our bodies and possessions. When you die, your son will break your head open and set you on fire. Or maybe you will simply be thrown in a drain to rot. Why wait for death to force you to surrender to his will? Why not willingly surrender to the Lord and achieve immortal life? Bali Maharaja said, “Prabhu, please take me!” He offered obeisance to Vamanadeva who, being pleased, placed His foot on Bali’s head, thus taking His promised three steps. Bali Maharaja’s head was thus graced with the Lord’s foot. That place on the head of Bali Maharaja and all the devotees is called the sikha. Now we are like heathens. We call ourselves Hindus but we do not keep sikhas due to some prospective embarrassment. We are not worthy of being called Hindus, what to speak of true Vaishnavas. Bhagavan Himself says, “This place on your head is reserved now for Me. By keeping a sikha in this place, you will always have good intelligence and no one else will be able to steal your mind. If you are always with Me, then maya will not be able to control you.” We must all keep sikhas. For ladies, all their hair is a sikha. But now we see that even ladies wear short hair. And for men, the sikha is kept on the back of the head, for that is the place where Lord Vamanadeva placed His lotus feet on Bali’s head. Vamanadeva took Bali Maharaja as His very own. This was His third step. When the Lord takes this third step, Ekadasi-devi rejoices, saying, “Yes. Now I have won. I have completed vishnu-srinkhala-yoga, binding the soul in union with God.” The Lord then bound Bali Maharaja in the coils of Anantadeva. Bali Maharaja’s sister thought, “What is this? My brother gave You everything and now You are binding him with a snake? How cruel You are! Seeing your charming form, I previously longed to show you motherly affection and feed you my breast milk. But now, mark my words, if I was in the position of your mother, I would place poison on my breasts to kill You!” Why did she think in this way? She was a danavi, woman born in a demonic lineage, and she was also a servant of the wicked and uncontrolled mind.

ksane rusta ksane tusta rusta tusta ksane ksane avyavahita cittanam prasado api bhayankarah

Even the affection or mercy of a restless and unstable person is very dangerous and frightening. At one moment, he is furious, and at the next moment, satisfied—moment by moment his mood changes. Rusta means angry, tusta means satisfied, and ksane means in a moment. At every moment, the moods of materialistic followers of the mind are oscillating. Ekadasi-devi offers us to the Lord and the Lord then binds us, saying, “You are Mine. You cannot go here or there.” Prahlada Maharaja came to free his grandson Bali. He said to Vamanadeva, “Prabhu, that person who merely chants Your name can receive all types of mukti. But today You have bound Bali, Your surrendered devotee. What is the cause of this astonishing pastime, my Lord?” “He is My property,” the Lord said. “I will do whatever I like with My property.” He asked Bali, “Are you unhappy?” “No,” said Bali Maharaja. “I am submerged in an ocean of bliss.” Bhaktivinoda Thakura sings—

sarvasva tomara, carane sampiya, podechi tomara ghare tumi to’ thakura, tomara kukura, boliya janaho more

[Hey Prabhu! I have surrendered everything I possess at Your lotus feet and remain prostrate in Your house. You are my Lord and I am Your dog. Kindly accept me as such.] When we offer everything to Sri Guru, we experience only bliss and peace—

atma nivedana, tuya pade kari, hainu parama sukhi duhkha dure gela, cinta na rahila, caudike ananda dekhi

[By surrendering myself to Your lotus feet I have become supremely happy. All suffering has gone far away and I have no more worries. Now I see happiness in all directions.] When we are at the shelter of the Supreme Lord, we are liberated and experience ultimate peace. The Lord asked, “Bali, do you want anything?” “Yes, of course I want something.” “What do you want?” “I want You!” Bali said. The Lord smiled. “You have made me Your own,” Bali said, “now I want to make You my own. I do not want to ever be separated from You.” The Lord said, “Tathastu, so be it. But where will you keep Me?” “My Lord,” Bali said, “many people come in and out of my abode. Please situate Yourself in the gopuram, the gateway. I will make you a place in the gateway so that whoever comes will have to go underneath Your lotus feet. Your feet will come on the heads of everyone, as they have come on my head. Then their minds will be purified.” Until one receives the dust from the lotus feet of Sri Guru and Bhagavan, one can never be purified in mind and heart. This chance is received by all those who offer respects and walk through the Gopuram. In such an arrangement, how can the intelligence ever become misled by the wicked mind? Every time that Bali Maharaja came in or out of his home, he did pranama and took the footdust of his Lord. That person who does not do pranama to Sri Guru and the Vaishnavas upon seeing them is destined to reside in hell.

vaishnava dekhiya je na noiya munda se munda padi tara narakera kunda

Upon seeing the Vaishnavas, if a person does not respectfully offer obeisances to them, he will fall to a lake in hell. No one will be able to save that person. Today, on Parsva Ekadasi, Bhagavan turns onto His other side. He accepts everyone as His own and gives them bhakti. When Sudama came and took shelter of Krishna, he prayed, “kaha krishna sri niketana, kaha daridra papiyam—You are Lakshmipati and I am such a sinful beggar. O Prabhu, I have come to Your door. Please accept me as Your own.” The Lord came running and embraced Sudama. If we take the shelter of Ekadasi-devi then we will have no reason to worry in this world. So take Her shelter. Follow Suddha Ekadasi. Pray to Ekadasi-devi to engage us in Bhagavan’ service; not for anything material. But do we pray? On the day of Ekadasi, have we ever prayed like this? Have we said, “O Devi! You are the mother of bhakti. You are madhava-tithi and hari-vasara. Please give me Your mercy.” We do not do this. We think, “When will the lemonade come? When will the juice come?” and we eat fistfuls of almonds, cashews and raisins. We dream about French-fries and fruit salad. This is what we think about. We do not think of Bhagavan and we do not pray to Ekadasi-devi. We should pray—

madhava, bahuta minati kori toya dei tulasi tila deho samarpinu, doya jani na chadabi moya

[O Madhava, with this offering of a Tulasi leaf and sesame seeds, I beseech You and pledge my body in Your service. I know Your compassion is such that You will not reject me.] Do we ever cry and pray like this? Have we offered all of our senses in the service of Madhava? If we did so, then why is there still ahankara plaguing our hearts? Maya lati khai pisaci palai—we are the servants of kama, krodha, lust, and anger. Why should we knowingly stay under the whip of maya? Those days that have passed, have passed. But let this not be our future. We should respect our mother, Ekadasi-devi, and surrender ourselves at Her lotus feet. Then She will take care of us and protect us. She will offer us to the lotus feet of Bhagavan and give us the chance to attain Bhagavan’s eternal service. Our mentality should be like this; then our lives will be successful. Otherwise, our live will be destroyed. Asat-sanga tyaga ei vaishnava acara

tato duhsangam utsrijya satsu sajjeta buddhi-man santa evasya chindanti mano-vyasangam uktibhih

Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi, 1.59

[One should avoid bad company and associate only with devotees. With their realized instructions, such saints cut the knot connecting one with activities unfavorable to devotional service.] Our dushta pravritti, wicked nature, and bad qualities—how will these things leave us? Guru-vani and vaishnava-vani will cut this. It will destroy these things from within the heart of the jiva. Then guru-vani will decorate us with pure intelligence and good qualities. And whomever they have done this to, that person becomes pleasing to all others. The vani of the Vaishnavas is like a sharp sword that attacks us. It is painful. But by hearing that vani, our heart will become nirmala, completely pure. We will be freed from sin, illusion, raga, dvesa, abhinivesa—all unwanted things will be cut away. The sadhus have such sakti. Therefore, stay in sadhu-sanga— ‘sadhu-sanga’, ‘sadhu-sanga’—sarva-sastre kaya lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya, 22.54 [The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment’s association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success.]

tulayama lavenapi na svargam napunar-bhavam bhagavat-sangi-sangasya martyanam kim utasishah

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.18.13

[The value of a moment’s association with the devotee of the Lord cannot even be compared to the attainment of heavenly planets or liberation from matter, and what to speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity, which are for those who are meant for death.] It is imperative that we come into the association of the sadhus and hear from them. Sadhus are not ordinary. They have all good qualities, intelligence, and behavior. Giving this, they make the jivas like themselves. They will not allow the jivas to traverse the path of akalyana, inauspiciousness. But if we perceive the sadhus with prakrita-buddhi, a mundane attitude, or think them to be mortal and mundane, like us, then we will not be saved. Ekadasi-devi is Bhakti-Janani. She so mercifully comes every fifteen days. We must be very serious and careful. We must follow Her and respect Her properly. What does it mean to properly follow Ekadasi? By simply refraining from eating is this accomplished? Today, there are many people that lie on the road, starving and unable to get food. There are many babies that drink only the milk of their mothers’ breast. There are many patients in the hospital that are unable to eat, but are they getting the result of following Ekadasi-vrata? No.

sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam hrishikena hrishikesa- sevanam bhaktir ucyate

Narada Pancaratra

[Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.] Fully engaging the eleven senses in Bhagavan’s service is defined as bhakti. Today we pray to Ekadasi-devi, “O mother, I do not have the strength to offer myself fully to Krishna’s service. Please take my senses and offer them in Bhagavan’s service. Please give me the strength to be fully engaged in service. And please give me the necessary training.” Other than Ekadasi Devi, who is there to help us in this world? Fathers make us work, mothers say to work harder, children call us cruel and our spouses abuse us and instruct us in so many ways. But none of them advise us to take the shelter of Ekadasi-devi or offer all our senses in Bhagavan’s service. We have already heard what they will do with us when we die. Ekadasi-devi is not like this. She is very clever. She called Vamanadava, “Come, come. Assume Your form as Trivikrama and steal everything from Bali. Make him Your bhakta.” We are very fortunate. We have come to the shelter of Srila Guru-pada-padma and the Vaishnavas. I am praying to everyone that they do not waste their lives. Do not allow yourself to be the slave of lust and anger and the victim of maya. Our Param Gurudeva has three saktis. One is Vamana, Srimad Bhaktivedanta Vamana Gosvami Maharaja; one is Narayana, Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja; and one is Trivikrama, Srimad Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Gosvami Maharaja. Param Gurudeva has arranged to liberate the whole world with these three saktis. So we should take shelter of them, offer our hearts to them, and follow their instructions and personal practice of bhajana. By doing so, our lives will be successful. Gaura Premanandi! Hari, Hari Bol!   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.