Kill The Snake
"Translation: There are two kinds of envious living entities, the snake and the man-snake, or the man habituated to snake-like qualities. Of the two, the man-snake is more dangerous because while a serpent can be subdued by mantra or herbs, the man-snake cannot be subdued.
"Commentary: This sloka points out the ugliness of human envy and how it can consume a person to such an extent that it is impossible to control. An envious person attacks even the most wonderful and saintly persons he meets. Reading this sloka makes me resolve not to become a victim of envy. I pray to Lord Nsringhadeva to please enter my heart and destroy my anarthas, particularly my envy. I want to seriously practice Krishna consciousness and become free of this disease.
"Using the example of the example of the snake, Srila Prabhupada explains that the cruel and the envious are the first to suffer. In the forest fire, all the animals try to escape, but because snakes crawl on the ground and the dry leaves quickly catch fire, they are the first to die. 'Similarly, when there is a catastrophe in the world, persons who are like snakes, cruel and envious, suffer first.'
"Srila Prabhupada characterized a snake as a creature that would bite other living entities without provocation. 'Why is a snake called so cruel? Because unnecessarily they bite. If somebody commits offense unto you, if you bite me, that is reasonable. But if I have no fault, still you are biting me. Vrscika, scorpion, snake, they do that without any offense.' No one has to become a snake's enemy; snakes are everyone's enemy by nature.
"An envious man is more dangerous than a snake. A human being has developed consciousness. If he uses his consciousness to practice envy and jealousy, there is no way to change his heart. Although in India snake charmers can control snakes by music or mantra, there's no way to control a snake-like man. 'A person who has become jealous and envious cannot be controlled either by mantra or by bribe or this or that.'
"Even the devotees are not spared from the bite of an envious person. Nondevotees often appear civilized. 'Here is a very nice, educated man. He is very nice.' But we say, 'No!' Because he has no Krishna consciousness, he is as dangerous as if he is an ordinary man.
"Srila Prabhupada refers us to another Canakya sloka: 'If you give good advice, a person will become angry.' And he also cited the example of Jesus Christ: 'Jesus Christ was crucified by some envious persons. Even the Roman judge denied that this man should not be .… there is no fault. Because they were envious, they were persistent, "Yes, he should be crucified."'
"In a similar context, the Srimad-Bhagavatam compares the nondevotees to poisonous snakes. On the contrary, even though full of all opulence and material prosperity, any householder's house where the devotees are never allowed to come in, and where there is no water for washing their feet, is to be considered a tree in which all venomous serpents live.
"Srila Prabhupada himself experienced this envy against a sadhu. 'We are preaching Krishna consciousness. So what is our fault? That we are trying to teach people—"no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, no intoxication," but they take it otherwise. They take: 'it is very dangerous … ' No fault, but still faultfinding and giving us trouble.
"In the face of envy, a sadhu tolerates. That is one of his ornaments. A sadhu is merciful, tolerant and a friend to all. Therefore, the preacher is favored by Krishna.
"Sadhus also strictly follow the principles of nonviolence. They don't want to kill even an ant. Srila Prabhiupada describes how he was therefore surprised when his Guru Maharaja ordered a snake killed:
"'Long ago, in the year 1933, in this Caitanya Matha, there was a big snake that came out of my front. I was taking bath, so everyone was looking what to do. Guru Maharaja was on the upstairs. He immediately ordered, 'Kill him.' So it was killed. At that time, 1933, I was a newcomer. I thought, 'How is that? Guru Maharaja ordered a snake to be killed.' I was a little surprised. But later on, when I saw this verse [in Srimad Bhagavatam] I was very glad. Modeta sadhur api vrscika sarpa-hatya. It had remained a doubt, "How Guru Maharaja ordered a snake to be killed?" But when I read this verse I was very much pleased, that these creatures, or creatures like the snake, should not be shown any mercy.'
"What Srila Prabhupada refers to is a statement in the Seventh Canto by Prahlada Maharaja (SB 7.9.14) after Lord Nsrimhadeva killed Prahlada's father Hiranyakasipu. At that time Prahlada Maharaja said,
'My Lord Nsrimhadeva, please, therefore, cease your anger now that my father, the great demon Hiranyakasipu, has been killed. Since even saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of a scorpion or snake, all the worlds have achieved great satisfaction because of the death of this demon. Now they are confident of their happiness and they will always remember Your auspicious incarnation in order to be free from fear.'"
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Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com
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