Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das
The following list of obstacles to
Vraja-bhajana comes from Bhaktivinoda Thakura's 'Caitanya Siksastakam'. The
demons manifesting in Vraja Gokula on earth have symbolic significance. They
are not found in the spiritual world. There they appear only as rumors or
impressions.
By reading the namittika (occasional) lilas
of killing the twenty demons mentioned in the tenth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam,
the sadhaka purifies his heart of all the impediments, obstacles, anarthas and
aparadhas. Then one becomes eligible to read, reflect upon and taste the
asta-kaliya lilas of Radha Krsna.
Until one reaches the platform of
bhava-bhakti, it is necessary to cultivate devotion by meditating on both the
naimittika and asta-kaliya lilas. By reading and remembering the asta-kaliya
lilas (Bhavanasara Sangraha, Krsnahnika Kaumudi), one gets a taste of
madhura-rasa. By understanding and appreciating the naimittika lilas, a devotee
will destroy all the obstacles to tasting the bhakti rasa within Radha Krsna's
eternal pastimes. With a sincere desire to become purified of all material
contaminations, one should read all the above pastimes from the tenth canto of
Srimad Bhagavatam. With all humility, one should pray to Krsna and Balarama to
remove the impurities personified by the demons whom they had killed.
The demons killed by Krsna in the tenth
canto of Srimad Bhagavatam represent anarthas (impurities or obstacles) preventing
a devotee from attaining pure love for Radha and Krsna. These undesirable
impurities and demoniac qualities must be completely uprooted from the core of
one's heart. Only cent percent pure devotees of Krsna can live eternally in
Vrndavana blissfully serving the Divine Couple.
If a devotee cries out humbly and sincerely
to Lord Sri Krsna to remove these demoniac qualities which are represented by
the demons killed by Lord Krsna, then Sri Krsna Himself will remove those
evils. But the devotees must personally work to drive out the anarthas
represented by the demons killed by Lord Balarama. This is a mystery of
Vraja-bhajana. The aspirant must personally remove these strong impediments
with his best care and efforts and by obtaining the mercy of Krsna. If the
devotee's humility- becomes very deep and intense, Krsna will be merciful. In
that case, the feeling of Lord Baladeva will arise in his mind and quickly
destroy these demoniac qualities. Then one will gradually improve his
cultivation of bhajana.
|
anarthas
|
|
Remedy – Tenth
Canto Chapter
|
1.
|
Aisvarya—
|
Attachment
to awe and reverence instead of Krsna's sweetness
|
Brahma-vimohana
Lila – Ch.13
|
2.
|
Argument—
|
Attachment
to false arguments
|
Trnavarta
- Ch.7
|
3.
|
Argument—
|
Accepting
arguments as your guru
|
Putana - Ch.6
|
4.
|
Argument—
|
Pointless
|
Forest fire - Ch.17 & 19
|
5.
|
Arrogance—
|
Due to
wealth and high birth
|
Liberation of
yamala-arjuna trees - Ch. 10
|
6.
|
Association—
|
With
atheists believing in chemical evolution
|
Trnavarta
– Ch.7
|
7.
|
Association—
|
With
proud people
|
Trnavarta
– Ch.7
|
8.
|
Association—
|
With dry
logicians
|
Trnavarta
– Ch.7
|
9.
|
Association—
|
Giving up
association of false, deceitful devotees
|
Vyoma -
Ch.37
|
10.
|
Attachment—
|
To
enjoyment and salvation
|
Putana -
Ch.6
|
11.
|
Battles & Conflicts—
|
Fighting
mental enemies or looking for fight with others due to ego
|
Forest
fire - Ch.
17&19
|
12.
|
Buddhist philosophy—
|
Trapped in the whirlwind of
|
Trnavarta
- Ch.7
|
13.
|
Cheating propensity—
|
Tendency
to disobey the instructions of guru & Krsna due to material attachment
|
Bakasura
- Ch.11
|
14.
|
Compassion—
|
Lack of,
for others
|
Aghasura –Ch.12
|
15.
|
Crookedness—
|
Illegal,
dishonest, bent out of shape
|
Kaliya -
Ch.16
|
16.
|
Cruelty—
|
In any form by the actions of one's body, mind or
words
|
Liberation
of yarnala-arjuna trees - Ch.10
|
17.
|
Cruelty & unkindness—
|
Due to
envy of other living entities
|
Kaliya -
Ch.16
|
18.
|
Cunningness—
|
Skilled
at deceiving people
|
Bakasura
- Ch.11
|
19.
|
Debauchery—
|
Indulging
in sex, alcohol and drugs
|
Liberation
of yamala-arjuna trees - Ch.10
|
20.
|
Addiction—
|
To
drinking alcohol
|
Liberation
of yamala-arjuna trees - Ch.10
|
21.
|
Demigods—
|
Attachment
to worshipping different demigods for fruits even after initiation
|
Stopping
Indra-puja - Ch.24& 25
|
22.
|
Doubts—
|
Illusions
about Absolute Truth and position of Krsna
|
Brahma-vimohana
lila – Ch.13
|
23.
|
Fame—
|
Destroying
the desire for name and fame
|
Sankhachuda - Ch.34
|
24.
|
Falsity—
|
Leaving
vaidhi-bhakti to practice raganuga-bhakti; but if one doesn't attain
spiritual attachment to Krsna, he then cultivates perverted material
attachments; becoming a show-bottle devotee.
|
Vyoma - Ch.37
|
25.
|
Fighting—
|
Against
the opinions of others
|
Forest fire-Ch.17& 19
|
26.
|
Greed—
|
For
position, worship and money
|
Pralambasura
– Ch 18
|
27.
|
Greed—
|
Performing
bad activities due to greed
|
Vatsasura
- Ch.11
|
28.
|
Habits—
|
Bad - Old
& new; load bearing down on bhakti
|
Sakatasura - Ch.7
|
29.
|
Hatred—
|
Towards
others; tendency to harass them
|
Aghasura - Ch.12
|
30.
|
Hatred—
|
Towards
others because of pride in one's birth and money
|
Liberation of yamala-arjuna trees - Ch.10
|
31.
|
Hatred —
|
Inner
hatred towards other communities and groups
|
Forest fire - Ch.l7&19
|
32.
|
Honour—
|
Desire
for honour
|
Pralarnbasura
- Ch.18
|
33.
|
Holy Name—
|
Ignorance about the oneness of Krsna, the person and
His Holy Name
|
Dhenukasura
- Ch.15
|
34.
|
Hypocrisy—
|
In
behaviour—Pretending to have higher standards
|
Bakasura - Ch.11
|
35.
|
Ignorance—
|
About
one's relationship with Krsna (sarnbandha-jnana)
|
Dhenukasura - Ch.15
|
36.
|
Illicit Sex—
|
Removing
the desire for illicit sex and attachment to it
|
Pralambasura - Ch.18
|
37.
|
Illusion—
|
Freedom from
the illusion of thinking, "I am a great devotee and acarya"
|
Kesi – Ch. 37
|
38.
|
Intolerance—
|
Inability to tolerate ideas or behaviour different
from yours
|
Aghasura – Ch.12
|
39.
|
Intoxication—
|
Destroying
the idea — "I can increase my bliss by intoxication"
|
Releasing Nanda Maharaja from Varuna – Ch. 28
|
40.
|
Knowledge—
|
Loss of
knowledge concerning one's spiritual identity
|
Dhenukasura – Ch.15
|
41.
|
Karma -kanda—
|
Becoming
indifferent to bhakti due to absorption in karma-kandiya activities
|
Yajnic brahmanas – Ch. 23
|
42.
|
Laziness—
|
Due to
bad habits or attachment to the mode of ignorance
|
Sakatasura – Ch.7
|
43.
|
Lies—
|
Tendency
to speak
|
Vyoma – Ch.37
|
44.
|
Logic—
|
Attachment
to material logic (nyaya)
|
Trnavarta – Ch.7
|
45.
|
Lust—
|
An
external show of devotion while maintaining lust for opposite sex
|
Pralambasura – Ch.18
|
46.
|
Mayavada philosophy—
|
Letting
the truth of bhakti be swallowed by Mayavada philosophy
|
Vidyadhara liberated – Ch.34
|
47.
|
Mentality—
|
Ass-like
neophyte mentality which can't appreciate books of previous acaryas and
forbids others to read them
|
Dhenukasura – Ch.15
|
48.
|
Mind—
|
Immature;
performing sinful activities due to an immature mind
|
Vatsasura – Ch.11
|
49.
|
Misconception—
|
Carrying the load of misconceptions and bad
philosophies
|
Sakatasura – Ch.7
|
50.
|
Neophyte—
|
Strong spirit
to enjoy and tendency to perform illicit activities
|
Vatsasura – Ch.11 & read Krsna
sporting lila with the cowhered boys
|
51.
|
Offenses—
|
Due to
pride, one thinks that he is a great devotee and therefore offensively lords
over others.
|
Kesi – Ch.37
|
52.
|
Philosophies—
|
Other
than bhakti, which try to diminish or destroy bhakti
|
Vidyadhara liberated – Ch.34
|
53.
|
Pride—
|
Pride in
scholarship and material learning
|
Trnavarta – Ch.7
|
54.
|
Pride—
|
Pride
caused by money and worldly attachments.
|
Kesi – Ch.37
|
55.
|
Pride—
|
Thinking
you are more expert in bhakti than other devotees
|
Vyoma – Ch.37
|
56.
|
Religious practices—
|
Disregard for religious practices of
others
|
Forest fire – Ch.17 & 19
|
57.
|
Religious principles—
|
Not understanding the purpose of
religious principles; merely carrying the burden of following them due to
attachment
|
Sakatasura – Ch.7
|
58.
|
Sampradayas—
|
Disagreement
with other sampradayas and mathas
|
Forest fire – Ch.17 & 19
|
59.
|
Sectarianism—
|
Due to
sectarianism, you can't accept anyone outside your group as a vaisnava
|
Forest fire – Ch.17 & 19
|
60.
|
Scepticism—
|
Doubts
regarding the path of bhakti
|
Brahma-vimohana lila – Ch.13
|
61.
|
Shameful behaviour—
|
Breaking
of four religious principles
|
Liberation of yamala-arjuna trees – Ch.10
|
62.
|
Speech—
|
Loose
speech; speaking offensively due to one's birth or money
|
Liberation of yamala-arjuna trees – Ch.10
|
63.
|
Sense gratification—
|
Desiring to attain sense gratification
via bhakti
|
Sankhachuda – Ch.34
|
64.
|
Suddha bhakti—
|
Negligence
or disregard for
|
Aristasura – Ch.36
|
65.
|
Stealing—
|
Others'
property
|
Vyoma – Ch.37
|
66.
|
Varnasrama—
|
Due to
pride and attachment to varnasrama, one neglects Krsna bhakti
|
Yajnic brahmanas – Ch.23
|
67.
|
Vanity—
|
Pride in
one's own appearance or achievements
|
Sakatasura – Ch.7
Kaliya – Ch.16
|
68.
|
Violence—
|
Tendency
of the mind to commit violence to others
|
Aghasura – Ch.12
|
69.
|
Women —
|
Destroying
the desire to associate with women
|
Sankhachuda – Ch.34
|
70.
|
Yajna—
|
Attachment
to vedic homas and yajnas, and therefore becoming indifferent to bhakti.
|
Yajnic brahmanas – Ch.23
|
