Transcribed by Madhumati Devi Dasi(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Chowpatty 2010)
This is a very gruesome situation where a pious brahamana couple engaged in the activities of garbhadhana samskara are becoming harassed by a rakshasha who goes as far as eating the brahamana just at the time in the middle of this samskara - an awkward time and the most cruel and gruesome act has been performed by this king.
Back tracking in the chapter we find that it is due to the fact that he had offended Vaishista and he was been cursed by him and therefore the king became a rakshasha. The curse of such a powerful sage is so great that an otherwise qualified person can become degraded. Therefore one must be careful in dealing with saintly persons...
'One is respectful that is an important theme,' that we serve the saintly person respectfully we pray at the dust of their feet which means that we are prepared to accept them as our superior and accept them as those who are more capable in devotional service than we are, who are more capable in pleasing Krishna than we are.
So, our service is not so significant and there are others who are making a much greater sacrifice than we do therefore we are always in this mood to recognise the service of others…
One may inadvertently overlook a saintly person and one might inadvertently forget to offer due respect to a saintly person.
If we think: “I am very qualified, I am aristocratic, I am learned, and I am wealthy and good looking as well. All these wonderful qualities I have and people know it and therefore they are respecting me” - then therefore it will be more difficult to give respect.
Transcribed by Madhumati Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Chowpatty 2010)
