I humbly request devotees to clear my doubt and help me fix my mind
sincerly in the service of Vaishnavas.
Why are senior and advanced devotees of the Lord leaving their bodies in
horrible ways(to a materialist eye)?
Dear Sarvajna Krishna Prabhu,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
In regards to your request to answer an important question you posed:
It is a very profound topic. I'm writing just some thoughts based on the
Srimad Bhagavatam and Srila Prabhupada's teachings. The most important
principle in regards to your question is that the Lord is supremely
independent. Sometimes he chooses to give an obviously auspicious death to a
devotee and sometimes he chooses to give a so-called tragic death. In both
cases he is protecting the devotee, according to what is best for the
devotee and for those around his devotee (i.e. mainly other devotees). For
example, the end of the Yadu dynasty is or appears to be a 'horrible' way
the Lord uses to call back His associates. According to Srila Visvanatha
Cakravarti Thakura, however, the Lord decided to create such a 'horrible'
play in order to teach us detachment, in the service of the Lord. Regardless
of who one is, the external miserable conditions of this world will touch
him in one way or another. The glory of the devotees is that they serve the
Lord in any condition and that they accept the plan of the Lord, even when
difficult.
In Srimad Bhagavatam 1.9.12-16 we read (Bhismadeva speaking to Maharaja
Yudhisthira while lying on his bed of arrows):
Bhismadeva said: Oh, what terrible sufferings and what terrible injustices
you good souls suffer for being the sons of religion personified. You did
not deserve to remain alive under those tribulations, yet you were protected
by the brahmanas, God and religion.
As far as my daughter-in-law Kunti is concerned, upon the great General
Pandu's death, she became a widow with many children, and therefore she
suffered greatly. And when you were grown up she suffered a great deal also
because of your actions.
In my opinion, this is all due to inevitable time, under whose control
everyone in every planet is carried, just as the clouds are carried by the
wind.
O how wonderful is the influence of inevitable time. It is
irreversible-otherwise, how can there be reverses in the presence of King
Yudhisthira, the son of the demigod controlling religion; Bhima, the great
fighter with a club; the great bowman Arjuna with his mighty weapon Gandiva;
and above all, the Lord, the direct well-wisher of the Pandavas?
O King, no one can know the plan of the Lord [Sri Krsna]. Even though great
philosophers inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered.
Srila Prabhupada's purports to these verses are very relevant to your
question. I'm abstracting two excerpts:
In purport to verse 14:
..Yudhisthira should not be sorry for the inconceivable action of time.
Everyone has to bear the actions and reactions of time as long as one is
within the conditions of the material world. Yudhisthira should not think
that he had committed sins in his previous birth and is suffering the
consequence. Even the most pious has to suffer the condition of material
nature. But a pious man is faithful to the Lord, for he is guided by the
bona fide brahmana and Vaisnava following the religious principles.
Purport to verse 15:
As far as the material or spiritual resources were required, there was no
scarcity in the case of the Pandavas. Materially they were well equipped
because two great warriors, namely Bhima and Arjuna, were there. Spiritually
the King himself was the symbol of religion, and above all of them the
Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna, was personally concerned with their
affairs as the well-wisher. And yet there were so many reverses on the side
of the Pandavas. Despite the power of pious acts, the power of
personalities, the power of expert management and the power of weapons under
the direct supervision of Lord Krsna, the Pandavas suffered so many
practical reverses, which can only be explained as due to the influence of
kala, inevitable time. Kala is identical with the Lord Himself, and
therefore the influence of kala indicates the inexplicable wish of the Lord
Himself. There is nothing to be lamented when a matter is beyond the control
of any human being.
Purport to verse 16 is also very relevant and re-emphasizes the supremely
independent and inexplicable position of the Lord and our subordinate
ignorant position, which we should accept as good servants.
To end, in regards to the doubts that may arise when we see an advanced
devotee passing away in an externally 'horrible' fashion, we can consider
and apply verse 6 of Srila Rupa Goswami's Upadesamrita:
'Being situated in his original Krsna conscious position, a pure devotee
does not identify with the body. Such a devotee should not be seen from a
materialistic point of view. Indeed, one should overlook a devotee's having
a body born in a low family, a body with a bad complexion, a deformed body,
or a diseased or infirm body. According to ordinary vision, such
imperfections may seem prominent in the body of a pure devotee, but despite
such seeming defects, the body of a pure devotee cannot be polluted. It is
exactly like the waters of the Ganges, which sometimes during the rainy
season are full of bubbles, foam and mud. The Ganges waters do not become
polluted. Those who are advanced in spiritual understanding will bathe in
the Ganges without considering the condition of the water'.
By extension we could add a horrible death to the list of adversities
mentioned by Srila Rupa Goswami.
The fact that an exemplary devotee passes away in an adverse way does not
diminish his glory and the glory of his service. To minimize the service of
a devotee, especially an outstanding glorious servant of the Holy Name like
His Grace Aindra Prabhu on account of a detail in his passing away would be
to commit the first offence to the Holy Name. Aindra Prabhu has shown
symptoms of a most advanced Vaishnava by inspiring innumerable (I mean so
many that we cannot count) people to chant. Without a doubt he has dedicated
his life to spread the glories of the Holy Name in a most amazing way, in
the most amazing place, Sri Vrindavan Dhama, and with a most amazing
intensity.
I hope this reply is useful.
In service to the Vaishnavas,
Yadunandana Swami
