suddhabhakti: 03/16/21

Tuesday 16 March 2021

Again become a mouse. ( Punar mūṣiko bhava)

Again become a mouse. ( Punar mūṣiko bhava)

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.22-34 -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

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Darkest region means that we are going to become animals next life. Because this is animalistic civilization. Nature gave us the opportunity to realize God, but God-realization is meant for human being. The human being, if he does not realize God, he's simply engaged in animalistic way of life—eating, sleeping, mating—then nature will call, "All right, sir, again become animal." Punar mūṣiko bhava: "Again become a mouse." You know this story? Punar mūṣiko bhava. There is a story. There is a very nice story. One rat, mouse, he came to a saintly person. Everyone comes to saintly person for some blessing, you see. Real blessing they don't want. Some material blessing. Real blessing, Kṛṣṇa, they don't want. If you give him some blessing that "You become very rich man and..." These... they'll be very much pleased. are all very well, this. So this mouse also came and begged the saintly person, "Sir, I am in difficulty. If you give me some blessing?"

"What is that?"

"The cat chases after me always. I'm very unhappy."

"So what do you want?"

"Now, if you make me a cat, then I can get relief from this."

"All right, you become cat." So he became cat.

So after few days, again he comes. "Sir, again I am in trouble."

"What is that?"

"The dog is chasing me." (laughter) Don't laugh, hear seriously. "Dog is chasing me."

"All right, then, what do you want?"

"Now, make me a tiger."

"All right, you become a tiger."

So when he became a tiger he was staring on the saintly person like this.

So he asked, "Why you are staring upon me? You want to eat me?"

"Yes."

So he again curses, punar mūṣiko bhava: "Again you become mouse. Again you become mouse."

So that is our position. We are advanced in civilization. Now we want to kill God. So we are again going to be uncivilized, to remain in the forest and to remain naked. Actually, they are practicing that: nature's life. So again they are going to be aborigines. And that is being practiced. They are going to the forest, they remain naked. So actually, punar mūṣiko bhava: "Again become mouse."

Gaura Purnima,

Gaura Purnima, the Holy Appearance Day of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) will be celebrating this festival all over the world, especially at ISKCON Mayapur, near the Lord’s birth-place.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is known as the ‘channa avatara’ or ‘hidden incarnation’ of the Lord. He appears in this world to experience the sweet love of Radha for Krishna. As Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Lord appears in the mood of His devotee – not in the mood of the Supreme Enjoyer, Krishna. His eternal associates like Rupa and Sanatana Goswamis, however, understood His secret identity.

Here are Sanatana Goswami’s prayers to the Lord on first meeting Chaitanya Mahaprabhu at Dasasvamheda Ghata in Prayaga, India. The first of these prayers is often recited when devotees perform worship, initiation ceremonies and food offerings to the Lord. The second is not as well known, but equally important. Lord Chaitanya is also known as ‘karuna avatara’ or the ‘avatara of compassion’:

namo maha-vadanyaya/krsna-prema-pradyate/

krsnaya krsna-caitanya-/namne guara-tvise namah

‘O most munificent incarnation! You are Krsna Himself appearing as Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You have assumed the golden colour of Srimati Radharani, and You are widely distributing pure love of Krsna. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.’

This is Sanatana Goswami’s next verse:

yo jnanam-mattam bhuvanam dayalur/

ullaghayann apy akarot pramattam /

svaprema-sampat-sudayadbhuteham /

sri-krsna-caitanyam amum prapadye

‘Let me surrender unto the lotus feet of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the most merciful Personality Of Godhead. He delivers those souls who are merged in ignorance and offers them the highest gift, love of Krsna, and thus makes them mad after Krsna consciousness’ [Sri Rupa Goswami, Govinda Lilamrita 1.1-2]

Here is another beautiful verse from Sanatana Goswami:

na prema sravanadi-bhaktir api va yogo thava vaisnavo

/jnanam va subha-karma va kiyad aho saj-jatir api astiva /

hin arthadhika-sadhake tvayi tathapy acchedya-mula sati /

he gopijanavallabha vyathayate ha ha madasaiva mam

‘I am poor in love of Godhead, and I have no asset for hearing about devotional service. Nor do I have any understanding of the science of devotional service, nor any cultivation of knowledge, nor any righteous activities to my credit. I am not even born in a high family. Nonetheless, O darling of the damsels of Vraja, I still maintain hopes of achieving You, and these hopes are always disturbing me’

‘Such a devotee, being touched deeply by such strong desires, always chants Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare’ [Teachings Of Lord Caitanya, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, p.139]