View source for This is called unflinching faith. In spite of seeing my respectful superior abominable, not willingly, but by accident, still, I should not withdraw my respect

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[[Category:This is Called...]]
[[Category:Unflinching]]
[[Category:Faith]]
[[Category:In Spite Of]]
[[Category:See]]
[[Category:My]]
[[Category:Superior]]
[[Category:Abominable]]
[[Category:Not Willing]]
[[Category:Accident]]
[[Category:Should Not]]
[[Category:withdraw]]
[[Category:Respectfulness]]
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonBG2110andTalkLosAngelesNovember251968_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="32" link="Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968">
<div class="heading">As Arjuna is showing: "Although they have become avaricious, still, they are my superiors. Still. Still, they are my superiors." This is called unflinching faith. In spite of seeing my respectful superior abominable, not willingly, but by accident, still, I should not withdraw my respect.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968|Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: He's specially addressing, "chastiser of the enemy." Where there is no excuse, you must be chastiser. Not that "Because I have become Kṛṣṇa conscious, I'll be very humble." You must be humble, but in need, if there is need, you shall be thunderbolt. That is Kṛṣṇa instructing.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Arjuna said: O killer of Madhu, Kṛṣṇa, how can I counterattack with arrows in battle personalities like Bhīṣma and Droṇa, who are worthy of my worship ([[Vanisource:BG 2.4 (1972)|BG 2.4]])?"</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Of course, all explanation are not there. Here, these words, Kṛṣṇa addressed Arjuna, "chastiser of enemies." And Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa, "Madhusūdana," or the killer of the demon Madhu. "Yes, You are addressing me as chastiser of enemy, but do You think my grandfather, my teacher, they are my enemies? You killed demon Madhu, therefore Your name is Madhusūdana, but You are asking me to kill my grandfather and teacher." That is the hint. "It is all right that Your name is Madhusūdana. You killed one demon whose name was Madhu, but You are asking me, Bhīṣmasūdana? Bhīṣma is my grandfather. And Droṇasūdana?" Sūdana means killer. "So how can I be that?" That is the answer.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "It is better to live in this world by begging than to live at the cost of the lives of great souls who are my teachers. Even though they are avaricious, they are nonetheless superiors. If they are killed, then our spoils will be tainted with blood ([[Vanisource:BG 2.5 (1972)|BG 2.5]])."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: This is another indication how superiors should be shown respect. Arjuna says, "Although they have become avaricious, still, they are my superior." Avaricious, why? "They have got full affection for me. My grandfather Bhīṣma has got full affection for me. And Droṇācārya, I am his very dear student so he has also my very affection... good affection for me. But because Duryodhana has paid them, he has accepted their service. Paid them. So avaricious. Simply for money, in spite of so much affection and intimate relationship, they have accepted the service of Duryodhana, counting on money. So therefore they are avaricious. But in spite of their being avaricious, they are my respectful." This is respect. This is respect, that the respectful person who is my respectful, even there are some characteristics who does not command respect, still respect should be offered. This is a respectful offering. Yes. Sometimes it may be. The example is given. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, api cet sudarācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 9.30 (1972)|BG 9.30]]). "Even a devotee is sometimes found not acting properly, but because he has got that unflinching faith and devotion upon Me," Kṛṣṇa says, "therefore he is saint." Only for that one qualification—he does not know except Kṛṣṇa. So to such person, even some flaws are found in their character... Just like we have imposed some rules that illicit sex relationship and intoxication, meat-eating, so many things. So... Of course, intentionally one should not break these laws. But even sometimes we may find that there is some flaw in one's part... Suppose if I see somebody smoking, but he is doing Kṛṣṇa consciousness very nicely. So we should not deride. We shall give him concession to reform. It does not mean that because he has accidentally smoked, smoking, that does not mean he has become immediately disqualified. As Arjuna is showing: "Although they have become avaricious, still, they are my superiors. Still. Still, they are my superiors." This is called unflinching faith. In spite of seeing my respectful superior abominable, not willingly, but by accident, still, I should not withdraw my respect. That is the... Hmm.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Nor do we know which is better, conquering them or being conquered by them. The sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, whom if we killed we should not care to live, are now standing before us on this battlefield ([[Vanisource:BG 2.6 (1972)|BG 2.6]])." Purport. "Arjuna became perplexed in this connection, not knowing whether he should execute the fighting with the risk of committing unnecessarily violence, although it is the duty of the kṣatriyas, or whether he should not and prefer instead to live by begging, because if he did not conquer the enemy, begging would be the only means left for his living. There was no certainty of victory because either side might emerge victorious."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: These are his causes of perplexities, how he was thinking, that has been tried to be explained. Yes, go on.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Even if there were victory awaiting them, because their cause was justified, still if the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra should die in battle, it would be very difficult to live in their absence. Under the circumstances that would be another kind of defeat. All these considerations by Arjuna definitely proved that he was not only a great devotee of the Lord but that he was also highly enlightened and had complete control over his mind and senses. His desire to live by begging although he was born in the royal household is another sign of detachment. He was fully in the quality of forbearance as all these qualities combined with his faith in the words of instruction of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, his spiritual master, give evidence. It is concluded that Arjuna was quite fit for liberation. Unless the senses are controlled, there is no chance of elevation to the platform of knowledge, and without knowledge and devotion there is no chance of liberation. Arjuna was competent in all these attributes over and above his enormous attributes in his material relationships."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Go on.</p>
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