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Krishna cannot be killed, neither His movement cannot be killed

Srimad Bhagavatam 5.5.32 states that the activities of Lord Rishabhadeva were not approved by the general public and so He adopted other means. "When Lord Rishabhadeva saw that the general populace was very antagonistic to His execution of mystic yoga, He accepted the behaviour of a python in order to counteract their opposition. Thus He stayed in one place and lay down. While lying down, He ate and drank, and He passed stool and urine and rolled in it. Indeed, He smeared His whole body with His own stool and urine so that opposing elements might not come and disturb Him." Prabhupada opened his class by explaining ajagara vritti, the mode of the python, and he gave two other examples in our line, Madhavendra Puri and Bilvamangala Thakura, who observed the same practice. "They were doing that. In Vrindavana Bilvamangala Thakura, he was blind. He was sitting in one place, and Krishna used to come and supply him milk." After stating how people in general do not know the real purpose of human life and have no interest in spiritual development, Prabhupada took the opportunity to say a few words about our current problems in America. He is full of confidence about his course of action, and he made it clear that there was no reason why we should not be. "Therefore our movement is being checked in the Western countries that this is a brainwash movement. Brainwash movement, that we are injecting some ideas by psychology, mental control, and our people they are taking to it, and it is spreading like epidemic. How to check it? Therefore they are now taking action how to stop this Hare Krishna movement in Europe and America. They are trying. Of course, we are not afraid of this attempt. They will never be successful, rest assured, because we are pushing Krishna consciousness. "Krishna was attempted to be killed from the very beginning of His life. That is the nature of this material world, 'How to kill God,' 'God is dead.' This is their attempt. So from the life of Krishna we can understand that so many attempts were made by the demons and the rakshasas to kill Krishna, but actually Krishna killed them all. So if you are sincere, if you follow the principles and push on this Krishna consciousness movement, nobody can kill you. You'll go forward, rest assured. We are not going to be killed. That they are perceiving, that this movement is spreading like epidemic, and the young men of Europe and America, they're taking seriously." Referring to the book Hare Krishna and the Counter Culture, which Prabhupada has us carry wherever he goes, he said, "Professor Stillson Judah already has given his conclusion that 'This movement is not going to stop. It will go on.' That's a fact. Krishna cannot be killed, neither His movement cannot be killed. Rather, those who are attempting to kill, they will be killed. But we must be very sincere, serious, follow the regulative principle and chant Hare Krishna mantra as you have been taught. Follow this principle boldly, and there is no fear." 

Following the example in the verse, Prabhupada told us that even if there is no real cause for fear, if things become too troublesome we can always take an alternative approach to our spiritual practice. "So Rishabhadeva is Krishna. So He became disturbed while walking on the street. He is not disturbed, but it is instruction that 'If you are disturbed, you feel disturbed in this way, so you adopt this way. You sit down.' Similarly, if they are disturbing too much, so we can sit down in one place and chant Hare Krishna. There is no difficulty. And Krishna will send you all necessities. Tesham nityabhiyuktanam yoga kshemam vahamy aham [Bg. 9.22]. He promises. Krishna cannot say anything lie. He is perfect. So if there are actually impediments to push on this movement?people disturb too much-never mind. You sit down in one place and still go on preaching. Yare dekha, tare kaha 'krishna' upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. People will come still in India. Why India? In your country also, if saintly person goes, they come. That is the practice in everywhere. So you can sit down and still preach. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission. Amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa. Ei desa means where you are sitting, where you are living, any place. And sit down. Amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa. And try to deliver these innocent persons who are suffering. Everyone is suffering. That should be the motto." He added a cautionary rider to this advice. "Do not sit idly, eat and sleep. No." And he expressed his appreciation for the pain and suffering his disciples sometimes endure in order to preach. "I know, our men in Krishna consciousness, they are bold enough. They have sometimes been beaten in the airport. But still they are so straightforward, suffering from the police, from the public. And Rishabhadeva was sometimes bitten on his body, urine, pass urine on his body, so much. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Rishabhadeva. So He is teaching us that for the ultimate benefit of life you prepare yourself to suffer all kinds of tribulations." As he mentioned yesterday, Prabhupada again cited Srila Haridasa Thakura as the perfect emblem of tolerance and mercy. "He was beaten in twenty one bazaars with cane because he was Muhammadan, and in those days the Muhammadan kingdom was going on, Pathan ruling. So the Kazi, he saw that one Muhammadan, he has become a devotee of Krishna. So he called him so, that 'With great fortune you became a Muhammadan, and now you are taking to Hinduism? You are so unfortunate?' So he could understand that 'Here is a rascal. What I shall talk with him and argue with him?' He simply said, 'sir, what is the fault there? Just like so many Hindus, they sometimes become Muhammadan, and suppose if I have become a Hindu, what is the wrong there?' So the Kazi took it very seriously: 'Oh, you are answering? All right. Order him that you beat this man in twenty one . . . , caning.' So Haridasa Thakura was beaten in public market. The idea was that beating, he would die. But he did not die. Then the men who were given in charge to beat him, they became afraid, that 'If this man is not dead, then the Kazi will take us very seriously that we have not beaten him seriously.' So they began to Flatter him, 'sir, unless you die, we'll be dead. Our life is in great danger.' So Haridasa Thakura made a show of death, and he was brought before the Kazi that 'Here, the body is dead.' "So sometimes this kind of tribulation is there. Jesus Christ, what was his fault? He was preaching about God, or Krishna. That was his fault, and he was crucified. So this is the world. This is the world. As soon as you become . . . This is maya's arrangement. Maya, as soon as she sees that 'This man is going out of my hand,' she'll put so many tribulations, and we have to tolerate them. Trinad api sunicena taror api sahishnuna/ amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31]. But you cannot stop kirtana. That is not possible." 

He advised us to follow the great devotees, the mahajanas, and in an interesting aside he explained the Indian system of identifying different classes of men by particular titles and then gave the real meaning of mahajana. "Mahajana is also addressed in India to the baniers, means the mercantile class, mahajana. The brahmana is addressed as pandita, and the kshatriya is addressed as thakura, and the vaisyas are addressed as mahajana, and the sudras are addressed as chaudhuri. This is Indian etiquette. So we are not talking of this banier mahajana. Mahajanas are described in the sastra, twelve mahajana. So they are twelve mahajanas, and we have to follow these mahajanas. The Rishabhadeva is also mahajana, and the greatest mahajana is Krishna. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam [Katha Upanishad 2.2.13]. Jana, jana means life, and mahajana, the supreme person. So mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [SB 6.3.20]. We have to follow the footprints of great saintly persons, devotees, mahajana." Always practical and realistic, Prabhupada stressed that in referencing Lord Rishabhadeva he did not mean that we should do exactly as He had done. "In the Kali yuga it is not possible to imitate ajagara vritti. It is not possible because we are already so weak. Mandah sumanda matayo manda bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. This is our position. We are very unfortunate. Every one of us, we are very bad, mandah, bad habits. So it is not possible to imitate Rishabhadeva or Haridasa Thakura. Don't imitate but try to follow. Anusarana. Anukarana is not good. Anukarana means false imitation. That is called anukarana. And anusarana means to follow. Try to follow as far as possible. "So we have got good opportunity to follow Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That is intelligence. Yajnaih sankirtana prayair yajanti hi su medhasah [SB 11.5.32]. There is no need of unnecessarily accepting tribulation, which is impossible in this age, when we are so much disturbed. We are already dead, just like animals. Therefore it is a special concession: kaler dosha nidhe rajann hy asti eko mahan gunah/ kirtanad eva krishnasya mukta sangah param . . . [SB 12.3.51]. Simply try to chant Hare Krishna mantra very sincerely, without any offense. It is not possible to imitate or even follow Rishabhadeva's process of self realization. In the Kali yuga it is not possible. But as it is recommended in the sastra, as Rishabhadeva in his another incarnation, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He is teaching, kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam [Cc. Adi 17.21]. Chant Hare Krishna and you will get perfection." It was a great class, full of vigor and brace. Everyone was thoroughly enlivened and gratified. Prabhupada's absolute conviction permeates his every action and word, and his presence and association act as a surety of success for all of us in the execution of our spiritual lives.


Reference: Transcendental Diary Volume 5 by Hari Sauri Dasa