KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.7.33:
- Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and the damsels were so much absorbed in the Rasa dance, almost in madness, a demoniac associate of Kuvera (the treasurer of the heavenly planets) appeared on the scene.
- The demon’s name was Śaṅkhacūḍa because on his head there was a valuable jewel resembling a conch shell. He was very puffed up over material opulence.
- He thought that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were two ordinary cowherd boys enjoying the company of many beautiful girls.
- Generally, in the material world, a person with riches thinks that all beautiful women should be enjoyed by him. Śaṅkhacūḍa also thought that since he belonged to the rich community of Kuvera, he, not Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, should enjoy the company of so many beautiful girls.
- He therefore decided to take charge of them. He appeared before Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and the damsels of Vraja and began to lead the girls away to the north. He commanded them as if he were their proprietor and husband, despite the presence of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.
- Being forcibly taken away by Śaṅkhacūḍa, the damsels of Vraja called out the names of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma for protection. The two brothers immediately began to follow them, taking up big logs of śāla wood in Their hands. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid,” They called to the gopīs. “We are coming at once to chastise this demon.”
- Very quickly They reached Śaṅkhacūḍa. Thinking the brothers too powerful, Śaṅkhacūḍa left the company of the gopīs and ran in fear for his life.
- But Kṛṣṇa would not let him go. After following him a very short distance, Kṛṣṇa caught him, struck his head with His fist and killed him. He then took the valuable jewel and returned. In the presence of all the damsels of Vraja, He presented the valuable jewel to His elder brother, Balarāma.
- Lust is only the perverted reflection of the love of God which is natural for every living entity. But if one is educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning, that natural love of God cannot deteriorate into lust.
- When love of God deteriorates into lust, it is very difficult to return to the normal condition.
- Lust is the greatest enemy of the living entity, and it is lust only which induces the pure living entity to remain entangled in the material world.
- Advancement of material civilization on the basis of sense gratification means increasing the duration of the material existence of a living entity. Therefore, this lust is the symbol of ignorance by which the living entity is kept within the material world.
- As for the demoniac, they are perpetually put into the wombs of demons, and thus they continue to be envious, the lowest of mankind. Such demoniac species of men are held to be always full of lust, always violent and hateful and always unclean.
- Living entities have partial independence, but by misuse of their independence, when the service attitude is transformed into the propensity for sense enjoyment, they come under the sway of lust.
- This material creation is created by the Lord to give facility to the conditioned souls to fulfill these lustful propensities, and when completely baffled by prolonged lustful activities, the living entities begin to inquire about their real position.
- “The origin of everything is the Supreme Brahman.” Therefore the origin of lust is also in the Supreme. If, therefore, lust is transformed into love for the Supreme, or transformed into Kṛṣṇa consciousness – or, in other words, desiring everything for Kṛṣṇa – then both lust and wrath can be spiritualized.
- Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so powerful that even a late beginner can become a lover of God by following the regulative principles of devotional service.
- So, from any stage of life, or from the time of understanding its urgency, one can begin regulating the senses in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service of the Lord, and turn the lust into love of Godhead – the highest perfectional stage of human life.
SB 2.7.33 TRANSLATION:
When the Lord was engaged in His pastimes of the rāsa dance in the forest of Vṛndāvana, enlivening the sexual desires of the wives of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana by sweet and melodious songs, a demon of the name Śaṅkhacūḍa, a rich follower of the treasurer of heaven [Kuvera], kidnapped the damsels, and the Lord severed his head from his trunk.
We should carefully note that the statements described herein are the statements of Brahmājī to Nārada, and he was speaking to Nārada of events that would happen in the future, during the advent of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The pastimes of the Lord are known to the experts who are able to see past, present and future, and Brahmājī, being one of them, foretold what would happen in the future. The killing of Śaṅkhacūḍa by the Lord is a more recent incident, after the rāsa-līlā, and not exactly a simultaneous affair. In the previous verses we have seen also that the Lord’s engagement in the affairs of the forest fire was described along with His pastimes of punishing the Kāliya snake, and similarly the pastimes of the rāsa dance and the killing of Śaṅkhacūḍa are also described herein. The adjustment is that all these incidents would take place in the future, after the time when it was being foretold by Brahmājī to Nārada. The demon Śaṅkhacūḍa was killed by the Lord during His pastimes at Horikā in the month of Phālguna, and the same ceremony is still observed in India by the burning of the effigy of Śaṅkhacūḍa one day prior to the Lord’s pastimes at Horikā, generally known as Holi.
Generally the future appearance and the activities of the Lord or His incarnations are foretold in the scriptures, and thus the pseudo incarnations are unable to cheat persons who are in knowledge of the events as they are described in the authoritative scriptures.
Here we see the difference between pure devotees and the demons. The demons are very lusty and always are entrapped by mayam even if they are looking at Krsna and the Gopis.. Śaṅkhacūḍa sees Krsna singing the sweet songs.. And becomes lusty..
There is a major difference between the sexual desire of Gopis and the Sankchuda.
The word Sexual desire used in the context of Gopis is pure love and in the material world it is lust. Only devotees can understand this. When the materialist hears this.. They project their own contaminated view on the pastimes of the Lord. The difference between love and lust is described in BG chapter 3.
BG 3.41 (Diff between lust and love)
Lust is only the perverted reflection of the love of God which is natural for every living entity. But if one is educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning, that natural love of God cannot deteriorate into lust. When love of God deteriorates into lust, it is very difficult to return to the normal condition. Nonetheless, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so powerful that even a late beginner can become a lover of God by following the regulative principles of devotional service. So, from any stage of life, or from the time of understanding its urgency, one can begin regulating the senses in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service of the Lord, and turn the lust into love of Godhead – the highest perfectional stage of human life.
In the spiritual world everything is eternal. There is no need for procreation. In the spiritual world if something is described as sexual – sweet singing, gestures, they are not not based on procreation or sense gratification, but they based on exhilarating transcendental emotions that are triggered by eyebrows, facial looks, gestures, singing, dancing, one feels transcendental ecstasies in the association of the lord. but in the material world it is a very gross thing, 2 bodies flapping together.. intercourse.. It is a very distorted, perverted reflection of the spiritual world. Example – house of mirrors.. That perverted vision and understanding can be purified through dev service and association of devotees, following rules and regulations..
Shankachuda was very wealthy, he was a follower of Kubera. Too much money is actually a curse. We are not supposed to collect more than we need. If we have too much money we should use it in the service of Krsna if not we become entrapped in the cycle of birth and death for innumerable life times..
Napolean once said money is a good servant and bad master. When we have lot of money we should not use for Sense gratification, we should use it only for the service of Krsna. We see many rich people — getting engaged in the illicit activities and getting caught. Example – Prince Andrew, Bill Gates,
If we read SB we shall know what is going to happen in future.. In that you will not be cheated by cheaters. In Kaliyuga there are many cheaters claiming to be incrtanations. If we know by reading SB what the scheduled incarnations we cannot get cheated..
KRSNA BOOK – CHAPTER 34 – ABOUT SHANKACHUDA
At that time, while Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and the damsels were so much absorbed, almost in madness, a demoniac associate of Kuvera (the treasurer of the heavenly planets) appeared on the scene. The demon’s name was Śaṅkhacūḍa because on his head there was a valuable jewel resembling a conch shell. Just as the two sons of Kuvera had been puffed up over their wealth and opulence and did not care for Nārada Muni’s presence, this Śaṅkhacūḍa was also puffed up over material opulence. He thought that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were two ordinary cowherd boys enjoying the company of many beautiful girls. Generally, in the material world, a person with riches thinks that all beautiful women should be enjoyed by him. Śaṅkhacūḍa also thought that since he belonged to the rich community of Kuvera, he, not Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, should enjoy the company of so many beautiful girls. He therefore decided to take charge of them. He appeared before Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and the damsels of Vraja and began to lead the girls away to the north. He commanded them as if he were their proprietor and husband, despite the presence of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. Being forcibly taken away by Śaṅkhacūḍa, the damsels of Vraja called out the names of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma for protection. The two brothers immediately began to follow them, taking up big logs of śāla wood in Their hands. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid,” They called to the gopīs. “We are coming at once to chastise this demon.” Very quickly They reached Śaṅkhacūḍa. Thinking the brothers too powerful, Śaṅkhacūḍa left the company of the gopīs and ran in fear for his life. But Kṛṣṇa would not let him go. He entrusted the gopīs to the care of Balarāma and followed Śaṅkhacūḍa wherever he fled. Kṛṣṇa wanted to take the valuable jewel resembling a conch shell from the head of the demon. After following him a very short distance, Kṛṣṇa caught him, struck his head with His fist and killed him. He then took the valuable jewel and returned. In the presence of all the damsels of Vraja, He presented the valuable jewel to His elder brother, Balarāma.
Because of their riches they think that they can have as much sense gratification as they want..
BG 3.37 (LUST IS THE ALL DEVOURING SINFUL ENEMY)
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.
When the child is born it is not lusty.. But as they grow up and begin to associate with modes of material nature and t people in different modes the natural love which is normal transforms into lust and they become crazy always seeking lusty relationships. When love is transformed to lust it is very very difficult to come back..
When a living entity comes in contact with the material creation, his eternal love for Kṛṣṇa is transformed into lust, in association with the mode of passion. Or, in other words, the sense of love of God becomes transformed into lust, as milk in contact with sour tamarind is transformed into yogurt. Then again, when lust is unsatisfied, it turns into wrath; wrath is transformed into illusion, and illusion continues the material existence. Therefore, lust is the greatest enemy of the living entity, and it is lust only which induces the pure living entity to remain entangled in the material world. Wrath is the manifestation of the mode of ignorance; these modes exhibit themselves as wrath and other corollaries. If, therefore, the mode of passion, instead of being degraded into the mode of ignorance, is elevated to the mode of goodness by the prescribed method of living and acting, then one can be saved from the degradation of wrath by spiritual attachment.
When a person gets angry.. The child gets angry..(When you take away a cell phone from the child or ask them not to watch TV….) They develop a terrible mode of ignorance .. imagine when they go to schools and they are taught all kinds of things.. In MSFT Xbox has the highest sales. Xbox is intoxicating. Spiritual world there are no demons,, they only hear about the demons. The whole theme of material education is based on transforming love of God to lust. Even parents contribute to it – they buy xbox, computer, cell phones.. When a child gets hold of these devices.. They are in contact with the lowest class people on this earth, All kinds of filthy things pop up on these cell phones.. The children as young as 3 years old is given the
The Supreme Personality of Godhead expanded Himself into many for His ever-increasing spiritual bliss, and the living entities are parts and parcels of this spiritual bliss. They also have partial independence, but by misuse of their independence, when the service attitude is transformed into the propensity for sense enjoyment, they come under the sway of lust. This material creation is created by the Lord to give facility to the conditioned souls to fulfill these lustful propensities, and when completely baffled by prolonged lustful activities, the living entities begin to inquire about their real position.
The 3 things in this small pragarph will help us get out of the cycle of birth and death..
- We should always bring our children to the temple and do service with them..
- The cell phone is a dangerous instrument. It is like giving a gun that is loaded. It kills people’s desire to serve Krsna..
- Steve Jobs predicts that the iPhone can replace everything TV, Radio..
- Even in the hands of Kids and adults it is lethal.
- The richest persons in this world are now getting caught doing all illicit activities. Bill Gates, Bezos, Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew.. This is all pervasive in society today. Unless we understand this we are going to unwittingly subject our children to it and the natural love for Krsna transforms to lust.
- If we become lusty Krsna permits you to try and satisfy the insatiable lust that is never satisfied.. Until you are completely baffled.. Example – Harvey Weinstein, Epstein,. And then they may begin inquiring..
- Why go through this? why kids should go through that..?
“The origin of everything is the Supreme Brahman.” Therefore the origin of lust is also in the Supreme. If, therefore, lust is transformed into love for the Supreme, or transformed into Kṛṣṇa consciousness – or, in other words, desiring everything for Kṛṣṇa – then both lust and wrath can be spiritualized. Hanumān, the great servitor of Lord Rāma, exhibited his wrath by burning the golden city of Rāvaṇa, but by doing so he became the greatest devotee of the Lord. Here also, in Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord induces Arjuna to engage his wrath upon his enemies for the satisfaction of the Lord. Therefore, lust and wrath, when they are employed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, become our friends instead of our enemies.
How can you engage lust in the service of Krsna. You become lusty to know Krsna and serve Krsna.
BG 3.39 (LUST CAN NEVER BE SATISFIED)
Thus the wise living entity’s pure consciousness becomes covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire.
It is said in the Manu-smṛti that lust cannot be satisfied by any amount of sense enjoyment, just as fire is never extinguished by a constant supply of fuel. In the material world, the center of all activities is sex, and thus this material world is called maithunya-āgāra, or the shackles of sex life. In the ordinary prison house, criminals are kept within bars; similarly, the criminals who are disobedient to the laws of the Lord are shackled by sex life. Advancement of material civilization on the basis of sense gratification means increasing the duration of the material existence of a living entity. Therefore, this lust is the symbol of ignorance by which the living entity is kept within the material world. While one enjoys sense gratification, it may be that there is some feeling of happiness, but actually that so-called feeling of happiness is the ultimate enemy of the sense enjoyer.
The whole society is planned to make people lusty.. So they can by nice clothes, boats, big homes, yachts.. Vyasadeva, Gautama, .. they all lived very simply..
When love becomes lust … it is very difficult to come..
We can choose to be eternally a nonsense.. We will continue in this material world forever. Atheists pray that there be nothing after I die.. They do not want to be responsible for all the sins they did.
Being eternal has its dangers – you can be eternally a nonsense..
BG 16.19 (YOU CAN BE ETERNALLY DEMONIAC)
Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, I perpetually cast into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.
In this verse it is clearly indicated that the placing of a particular individual soul in a particular body is the prerogative of the supreme will.
Krishna decides what body you will get …
The demoniac person may not agree to accept the supremacy of the Lord, and it is a fact that he may act according to his own whims, but his next birth will depend upon the decision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and not on himself. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Third Canto, it is stated that an individual soul, after his death, is put into the womb of a mother where he gets a particular type of body under the supervision of superior power. Therefore in the material existence we find so many species of life – animals, insects, men, and so on. All are arranged by the superior power. They are not accidental. As for the demoniac, it is clearly said here that they are perpetually put into the wombs of demons, and thus they continue to be envious, the lowest of mankind. Such demoniac species of men are held to be always full of lust, always violent and hateful and always unclean. The many kinds of hunters in the jungle are considered to belong to the demoniac species of life.