Those who strive to emulate the mahātmās never fall prey to passivity and regression. Their eagerness and determination to serve the Lord steadily increase. Such followers observe spiritual occasions like Janmāṣṭamī and Ekādaśī for the pleasure of the Lord, in the way that the previous ācāryas and mahātmās have recommended. This is devotional service proper. Because the mahātmās are more humble than a blade of grass, they worship Lord Kṛṣṇa and everything in relation to Him. Atheists, however, exhibit a different mentality altogether: they want to flaunt their abilities and charitable disposition. They may pretend to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa, but their aim is "to sit on the Lord's head" once they attain perfection. In other words, they want to usurp His position. Therefore they do not really serve Lord Kṛṣṇa, nor is He their real object of worship. The mahātmās never associate with these demoniac people. They are fixed in their resolve to serve the Lord, and thus they always remain connected to Him through devotional service.
Regress
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 7 - 12
t is a great offense, therefore, to consider Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to be an ordinary man. Those who do so are certainly deluded because they cannot understand the eternal form of Kṛṣṇa. The Bṛhad-viṣṇu-smṛti clearly states:
- yo vetti bhautikaṁ dehaṁ
- kṛṣṇasya paramātmanaḥ
- sa sarvasmād bahiṣ-kāryaḥ
- śrauta-smārta-vidhānataḥ
- mukhaṁ tasyāvalokyāpi
- sa-celaṁ snānam ācaret
"One who considers the body of Kṛṣṇa to be material should be driven out from all rituals and activities of the śruti and the smṛti. And if one by chance sees his face, one should at once take bath in the Ganges to rid himself of infection." People jeer at Kṛṣṇa because they are envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Their destiny is certainly to take birth after birth in the species of atheistic and demoniac life. Perpetually, their real knowledge will remain under delusion, and gradually they will regress to the darkest region of creation.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)
Until one's mind is fixed in spiritual satisfaction, one should analytically study the temporary nature of all material objects, whether cosmic, earthly or atomic. One should constantly observe the process of creation through the natural progressive function and the process of annihilation through the regressive function.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Renunciation Through Wisdom
Page Title: | Regress |
Compiler: | Labangalatika |
Created: | 17 of Feb, 2011 |
Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=1, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=6, Con=4, Let=0 |
No. of Quotes: | 13 |