MAKING THE UNFORTUNATE FORTUNATE

SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM CHAPTER 9 TEXT 7 (1)

daivena te hata-dhiyo bhavataḥ prasaṅgāt

sarvāśubhopaśamanād vimukhendriyā ye

kurvanti kāma-sukha-leśa-lavāya dīnā

lobhābhibhūta-manaso ’kuśalāni śaśvat

TRANSLATION

O my Lord, persons who are bereft of the all-auspicious performance of chanting and hearing about Your transcendental activities are certainly unfortunate and are also bereft of good sense. They engage in inauspicious activities, enjoying sense gratification for a very little while.

PURPORT

(A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)

The next question is why people are against such auspicious activities as chanting and hearing the glories and pastimes of the Lord, which can bring total freedom from the cares and anxieties of material existence. The only answer to this question is that they are unfortunate because of supernatural control due to their offensive activities performed simply for the sake of sense gratification. The Lord’s pure devotees, however, take compassion upon such unfortunate persons and, in a missionary spirit, try to persuade them into the line of devotional service. Only by the grace of pure devotees can such unfortunate men be elevated to the position of transcendental service.

OUR DISCUSSION

In a previous blog (2) we cited the story of Parvati, Siva and the beggar. How the beggar was unfortunate and so was not able to access the large amount of money Lord Siva had hidden in the watermelon.

The deep meaning of that story is illuminated in this verse. This is one of a series of prayers Lord Brahma in his darshan of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is offering for creative energy. Lord Brahma very nicely cites the unfortunate position of those who have access to chanting and hearing about the Lord but who are distracted by temporary material sense gratification.

In his commentary A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami further elaborates by questioning why such persons are unfortunate and cannot take advantage even though they may have access. The answer is given. They are not allowed to due to their sinful activity.

This is where we see the super excellent position of the pure devotees of the Lord. The pure devotees try to make the unfortunate fortunate by aligning their activities in devotional service.  How fortunate is this!! How valuable is such association!! That they make an effort to reach out to those who are blocked from access. It is simply by their mercy.

Although many people have access to study and read scripture the meaning remains hidden from them. Krishna says, I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.(3) 

By the mercy of the pure devotee of Krishna the path of devotion is revealed. And it is only by undivided devotional service that the Lord can known as He is.(4)

Without the mercy of pure devotion the real meaning of the Vedas and all scriptures remains a mystery. 

(1) SB 3.9.7
(2) SIMPLY UNFORTUNATE
(3) BG 15.15
(4) BG 11.54