Sharanagati

Question of Kripadham: Is there some means to deal with pride? Because usually when I have problem with my pride I don’t perceive it and I need somebody from the outside to show it to me.

Tirtha Maharaj: Therefore Krishna sends you your brothers and sisters – to help you to understand your limits, to face yourself. But as an educated vaishnava you know: ‘Ah! I clashed again, this was my false egotism.’ Yet still from time to time we repeat the same mistake. Therefore I believe in the overall purification of a vaishnava. Not simply ‘fighting my egoistic mentality’; because you fight your egoistic mentality, but you cannot win your, let’s say, kama. You fight your ego, you don’t fight your kama; then you fight your kama, you forget about your pride. Always focused on something and you miss the whole picture. But if generally, in an overall way, you just simply come closer to Krishna, then what can you get except dance in ecstasy? Like the dragon with twelve heads – you cut one head and immediately three new heads are grown! You cut one mistake and immediately three new mistakes are revealed, and then you fight with the other, and then again… To fight all your mistakes – it’s a very long list. Better we make one step closer to God. Then all your troubles finally, ultimately are gone. Once Shrila Prabhupada said: “Instead of discussing, and talking, and training, and analyzing – instead of all this stupidity just chant the holy names and you will reach a better result.”

So, overall purification. Cut the heads of your egoistic dragon! Or – dragonistic ego…

And this pride is described in many, many stories. There is one story for Narada Muni, from the many. Narada Muni has many stories. Narada Muni was visiting Krishna and Krishna was hearing a prayer of one very simple person, who said: “Ah, my Lord, I am so fallen because I have to work a lot. But in the mornings and in the evenings I just come to Your lotus feet, I say a few prayers and please, be satisfied with this little that I can offer to You, though my service is very insignificant, because I am engaged all day long… Please, accept my prayers!” And then Narada Muni said: “Ha, what is this? It’s a miserable practice! Thinking of You only twice a day? What is this guy! This is Your servant? Why don’t You kick this guy out? Chastise him a little bit, show his mistakes!” Krishna said: “Ah… can you help Me with something?” Narada said: “Yes, of course! I can serve You, this guy cannot, but I can serve You. What can I do for You?” “Here is this cup full of water. Can you carry it around the city of Mathura?” “Yes, of course I can do that!” “But please, be careful – not any drop should spill out!” “Just leave it up to me! I will do it.” He started to move and, you know, when a cup is up to the brim, even a small little movement will bring half of the water out. Narada had to focus very much on this cup and of course going around the whole city is quite complicated. So he started the journey and he was focusing more and more on the cup of water, and it’s a long trip… In the evening he came back and Krishna said: “Ah welcome, Narada! Welcome back home back to Godhead!” Narada was sweating, he said: “Finally I am here.” Krishna asked: “Have you accomplished?” “Ah, it was very difficult, but I have accomplished – not even a drop has spilled out.” Krishna said: “And did you think of Me meanwhile?” “Think of You? I had to take all my care and attention to the glass of water, because it was so difficult not to spill it out!”

What you can accomplish very easily, it can bring very small results. Do you agree?

So, if Krishna will tell you: “Can you please help Me? Here is this cup of water.” Don’t be overjoyed: “Krishna is paying some attention to me!” Maybe this is His test: how much you can think of Him while you carry the water. And usually He doesn’t ask you to carry the water. But maybe your master can tell you: “Can you help me a little bit?” Then he will check and see, and you can see also what your mood in the service is.