The Proper Master, Friend And Shelter

Posted on May 23, 2009  
Filed under BVKS Sanga

…only Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, is a proper master, friend
and shelter for the conditioned souls. We may be attracted by the good
qualities of a particular man or demigod, but we may later discover
discrepancies in that person’s behavior. Therefore Krsna is described as
anavadyam. There are no discrepancies in the personal conduct or character
of the Personality of Godhead; He is eternally faultless.

We may faithfully serve a master, father or demigod, but when it is time for
us to receive our reward for faithful service, the master may die. Therefore
Lord Krsna is here described as ananta-param, which indicates that He is not
limited by time or space. The word anta indicates the termination of time,
and para indicates a spatial termination; therefore ananta-param means that
Lord Krsna is not limited by time or space and thus will always dutifully
reward His faithful servants.

If we serve someone other than the Personality of Godhead, our so-called
master may forget our service or become ungrateful. Therefore Lord Krsna is
described here as sarva-jnam, omniscient. He can never forget the service of
His devotee, and therefore He is never ungrateful. In fact, it is said that
Lord Krsna does not remember the faults of His devotees but only the sincere
service they have rendered.

A further disadvantage in serving anyone besides Krsna is that when we are
in danger our master may not be able to protect us. If we take shelter of
our nation, that nation may be destroyed in war. If we take shelter of our
family, they may also die. And as described in the Vedic literature, even
the demigods are sometimes defeated by the demons. But since Lord Krsna is
described here as isvara, or the supreme controller, there is no danger of
His being overcome or even impeded by any other power. Thus Lord Krsna’s
promise of protection to His devotee is eternally valid.

If we do not serve the Personality of Godhead, we will not know the ultimate
result of our service. But here Lord Krsna is described as
akuntha-vikuntha-dhisnyam. Lord Krsna has an eternal abode called Vaikuntha,
and that abode is never disturbed by anything. The faithful servants of Lord
Krsna will certainly go back to Godhead, back home, for an eternal life of
bliss and knowledge in the personal abode of the Lord. However, since even
the demigods, and what to speak of insignificant human beings, are subject
sooner or later to annihilation, what ultimate benefit can be derived from
serving them?

Uddhava describes his personal situation as nirvinna-dhih and
vrjinabhitaptah. In other words, Sri Uddhava states that he is exhausted and
discouraged by the contradictions and anguish of material life. He has been
forced, therefore, to become humble and surrender to the lotus feet of
Krsna, the personal friend of every living entity. In the material world a
great man does not have time for insignificant men. But although the Lord is
the greatest person, He sits in the heart of every living entity; thus He is
the most merciful. Lord Krsna is the ultimate shelter of even Nara, or the
Lord’s purusa expansion who creates the material world. The living entity is
called nara, and the source of his material situation is Nara, or
Maha-Visnu. The word narayana indicates that even Maha-Visnu finds His
shelter in Krsna, who is certainly supreme. Although our consciousness is
presently contaminated by sinful propensities, if we follow the example of
Sri Uddhava and take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna,
everything can be rectified. Taking shelter of Krsna means taking shelter of
devotional service to Krsna and obeying Him. Lord Krsna demands this in
Bhagavad-gita, and if we comply with the order of the Lord our life can
become fully auspicious and successful. Sooner than we expect, we may, by
Krsna’s mercy, enter the kingdom of God for an eternal life of bliss and
knowledge.

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 11.7.19

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