1. THEMATIC ESSENCE OF UDDHAVA-GÉT Ä Lesson 18: The Song of the Avanté Brähmaëa— Bhikñu-gétä THEMATIC ESSENCE OF UDDHAVA-GÉT Ä Lesson 18: The Song of the Avanté Brähmaëa— Bhikñu-gétä (SB Canto 11, Chapter 23) 1/28/2012Carucandra Dasa 1

2. Chapter Highlights This chapter on the historical account of a mendicant sannyäsé, the Avanté brähmaëa, teaches us how to tolerate insults of others: 1. As a dishonest and miserly person, he lost all his accumulated wealth (1-25) 2. He was then severely insulted by the miscreants (26-41) 3. He could, however, remove the resultant distress with determination and by use of his intelligence—Bhikñu-gétä? (42-61) 1/28/2012Carucandra Dasa 2

3. 1) As a dishonest and miserly person, he lost all his accumulated wealth (1-25)  Krsna responds to Uddhava’s question in the previous chapter (22.60) by recounting an historical account of a mendicant sannyäsé, the Avanté brähmaëa.  “Sharp arrows which pierce one’s chest and reach the heart do not cause as much suffering as the arrows of harsh, insulting words that become lodged within the heart when spoken by uncivilized men.” (3) 1/28/2012Carucandra Dasa 3

4.  The brähmaëa had amassed great wealth out of his farming business. But he was a miserly person—lust, greedy and very prone to anger.  As a result, his wife, children, relatives, and servants were deprived of all necessity and thus lost all affection towards him.  One’s family, who appear previously bound with love, can immediately become unaffectionate due to dispute over even an insignificant sum of money  turn into enemies  However, in due course of time, thieves, family members and providence took away the sum total of his wealth. 1/28/2012Carucandra Dasa 4

5. Artha, or the accumulated wealth, which breeds 15 types of anarthas, or undesirable qualities (18-19)  Theft  Violence  Falsehood  Duplicity  Lust  Anger  Quarrel  Madness  Competition  Enmity  faithlessness  Arrogance  Attachment to women  Gambling  intoxication 1/28/2012Carucandra Dasa 5

6.  There are 5 presiding deities of the 5 family sacrifices.  If the demigods, sages, forefathers, human beings and other living entities do not receive their respective shares of sacrificial performance, they become angry at a materialistic fruitive worker.  As a result, one loses all accumulated piety and soon become bereft of his hard-earned wealth.  The wealth of misers never affords them any happiness  torment, anxiety and, after death, ends up in hell 1/28/2012Carucandra Dasa 6

7.  Being bereft of all his possessions and abandoned by everyone, the brähmaëa began meditating and analyzing on how all these happened. He then became renounced.  “Those who are actually intelligent are able to utilize their money, youth and strength to achieve perfection. Unfortunately, I have squandered these assets in the useless endeavor for accumulating wealth. Now that I have become an old man, it is too late for me to do anything auspicious.” (25) 1/28/2012Carucandra Dasa 7

8. 2) He was then severely insulted by the miscreants (26- 41)  On introspection, the brähmaëa could realize that the Supreme Lord had somehow become satisfied with him.  He concluded that all this apparent misfortune was really the Lord’s mercy upon him so that he could come to the platform of renunciation.  His suffering condition actually enabled him to become detached. 1/28/2012Carucandra Dasa 8

9.  In fact, he became joyful and understood that his so-called misfortune was actually the Lord’s mercy.  He realized that perfection through dharma, artha, käma and mokña is futile. Rather, he must take shelter of ds unto lotus feet of the Lord.  In this condition, he determined to engage the duration of his life in the worship of the Lord and thus accepted the renounced order of tridaëòi-sannyäsa. 1/28/2012Carucandra Dasa 9

10.  H became free from all bad association by remaining aloof from those who desire material enjoyment and liberation. Began to maintain himself by begging alms from door to door.  However, “upon seeing him as an old, dirty beggar, uncultured people taunted and insulted him with many harsh words.” (33)  They tormented him through physical, verbal and mental abuses to the severest possible extent.  “In this way, the brähmaëa repeatedly suffered the threefold material miseries—adhyätmika, adhibhautika, and adhidaivika—understanding them to be allotted to him by providence, and therefore unavoidable.” (40) 1/28/2012Carucandra Dasa 10