They told Kṛṣṇa, "Dear son of Nanda Mahārāja, please do not joke with us in that way. It is completely unjust to us. You are a very respectable boy because You are the son of Nanda Mahārāja, and You are very dear to us, but You should not play this joke on us, because now we are all shivering from the cold water. Kindly deliver our garments immediately; otherwise we shall suffer." They then began to appeal to Kṛṣṇa with great submission. "Dear Śyāmasundara," they said, "we are all Your eternal servitors. Whatever You order us to do, we are obliged to perform without hesitation because we consider it our religious duty. But if You insist on putting this proposal to us, which is impossible to perform, then certainly we will have to go to Nanda Mahārāja and lodge a complaint against You. If Nanda Mahārāja does not take action, then we shall tell King Kaṁsa about Your misbehavior."
Cold water
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
Rantideva: An ancient king prior to the Mahābhārata period, referred to by Nārada Muni while instructing Sañjaya, as mentioned in Mahābhārata (Droṇa-parva 67). He was a great king, liberal for hospitality and distribution of foodstuff. Even Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa praised his acts of charity and hospitality. He was blessed by the great Vasiṣṭha Muni for supplying him cold water, and thus he achieved the heavenly planet. He used to supply fruits, roots and leaves to the ṛṣis, and thus he was blessed by them with fulfillment of his desires. Although a kṣatriya by birth, he never ate flesh in his life. He was especially hospitable to Vasiṣṭha Muni, and by his blessings only he attained the higher planetary residence. He is one of those pious kings whose names are remembered in the morning and evening.
SB Canto 2
Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa inquired from the great saint Jaḍa Bharata as to how he had attained such a liberated stage of a paramahaṁsa, and in answer the great saint replied as follows (SB 5.12.12):
- rahūgaṇaitat tapasā na yāti
- na cejyayā nirvapaṇād gṛhād vā
- na cchandasā naiva jalāgni-sūryair
- vinā mahat-pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam
"O King Rahūgaṇa, the perfectional stage of devotional service, or the paramahaṁsa stage of life, cannot be attained unless one is blessed by the dust of the feet of great devotees. It is never attained by tapasya (austerity), the Vedic worshiping process, acceptance of the renounced order of life, the discharge of the duties of household life, the chanting of the Vedic hymns, or the performance of penances in the hot sun, within cold water or before the blazing fire."
SB Canto 4
These are some of the austerities executed by the jñānīs and yogīs, who cannot accept the process of bhakti-yoga. They must undergo such severe types of austerity in order to become purified from material contamination. pañca-tapāḥ refers to five kinds of heating processes. One is enjoined to sit within a circle of fire, with flames blazing from four sides and the sun blazing directly overhead. This is one kind of pañca-tapāḥ recommended for austerity. Similarly, in the rainy season one is enjoined to expose himself to torrents of rain and in winter to sit in cold water up to the neck. As far as bedding is concerned, the ascetic should be content with simply lying on the floor. The purpose for undergoing such severe austerities is to become a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, as explained in the next verse.
SB Canto 7
My dear mother, in a restaurant or place for drinking cold water, many travelers are brought together, and after drinking water they continue to their respective destinations. Similarly, living entities join together in a family, and later, as a result of their own actions, they are led apart to their destinations.
SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)
As Śrī Govinda spoke to the gopīs in this way, His joking words completely captivated their minds. Submerged up to their necks in the cold water, they began to shiver. Thus they addressed Him as follows.
(The gopīs said:) Dear Kṛṣṇa, don't be unfair! We know that You are the respectable son of Nanda and that You are honored by everyone in Vraja. You are also very dear to us. Please give us back our clothes. We are shivering in the cold water.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
"Please construct a temple on top of that hill," the boy continued, "and install Me in that temple. After this, wash Me with large quantities of cold water so that My body may be cleansed."
On two sides of the stack of food were pitchers filled with scented cold water. The flowers of the tulasī tree were placed atop the mound of rice.
CC Antya-lila
The devotees loudly chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra near Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and washed His body with cold water.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
When after the dense, dark night there is finally sunrise in the morning, it is very pleasant; when there is scorching heat, cold water is very pleasant; and when there is freezing winter, hot water is very pleasant. Similarly, when a devotee, after experiencing the distress of the material world, relishes the spiritual happiness awarded by the Lord, his position is still more pleasant and enjoyable.
Message of Godhead
Sense perception is the cause of feeling all sorts of happiness and distress. Form, taste, odor, sound, and touch are different sense perceptions, which render happiness or distress in cooperation with the mind. In winter, bathing in cold water gives us pain, but in summer, the same cold water gives us pleasure. In winter, fire gives us pleasure and warmth, but in summer, the same fire gives us distress. Thus, neither fire nor water has any intrinsic power to give us happiness or distress, but they appear to us as agents of happiness or distress, according to our mode of sense perception in various circumstances. Therefore, everything that exists in the world is neither an object of happiness nor an object of distress; everything is simply subjective—that is, subject to our sense perceptions as they relate to our processes of thinking, feeling, and willing.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Now, we have discussed all these points. Now, Kṛṣṇa says that if our whole misery... The whole philosophy is that our whole misery is due to this bodily contact. Bodily contact. We feel miseries, distress or happiness at the present stage. It is due to this body. We have already discussed that... Take, for example, the water. Water, in summertime it is very pleasant, and wintertime, oh, it is very distressful. We are afraid. Even a drop of cold water, we are afraid of. Without hot water, we cannot take our bath. Now, water as it is, it is water constitutionally, chemically or whatever it may be, but it is due to the bodily touch of the water we sometimes feel pleasure and sometimes feel distress. Therefore all our feelings of distress and happiness is due to this body. Is due to the body. Body under certain condition, mind under certain condition, feels happiness and feel distress.
Then śaucam, very clean. Everyone must take bath thrice daily and wash the cloth. This is śaucam, external, śaucam. So they are doing that. They are rising early in the morning at half past three and taking bath. In this country they don't even require hot water, in cold water. Śaucam, very cleanse. Śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ kṣāntiḥ, toleration. Kṣāntir ārjavam, simplicity. Kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca jñānam, knowledge. What is that knowledge? Knowledge that "I am not this body." This is knowledge. And if simply I think "I am this body," you may advance in your so-called scientific knowledge; you are a fool. This is called jñānam. And vijñānam, practical application. Jñānaṁ vijñānam, then āstikyam. Āstikyam means to believe in the injunction of the śāstra, āstikyam. That is called theism. One who does not believe in the injunction... Just like Kṛṣṇa is advise in the Bhagavad-gītā. One who believe in the words of Kṛṣṇa, he is āstika. One who does not believe, he is nāstika. This is the āstika and nāstika. So our nāstika definition means one who does not believe in the Vedic instruction. He is called nāstika. So brāhmaṇa must be āstikyam.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So in this age it is very difficult, but this is the meaning of tapasya, voluntarily accepting inconveniences. When there is cold, one has to take the help of heater, fire. No. No heater, no fire, but go deep into the cold water. Of course, it is very difficult in your country because the water is so cold, and if you go deep, immediately finish. (laughter) I have seen in New York. One dog, he jumped over—immediately finished. I have seen it. That is actual fact. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so kind that these people in this age, they will not be able to undergo severe austerity. That is not possible. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). In this age every man is alpāyuṣaḥ. Alpāyuṣaḥ means very short-living. The limit is hundred years, but who is going to live hundred years? Nobody. If one is eighty, seventy years, it is considered... Within sixty, seventy years everyone finished. But the age limit is hundred years. So what tapasya he'll do?
So if there is varṇa-saṅkara population, that means the human civilization is lost. Therefore here is the civilization, how... In this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Nārada Muni is describing how civilization should be advanced. The first proposal is brahmacārī, how to create brahmacārī. Brahmacārī guru-gṛhe vasan dānto guror hitam. What is that? So what is the duty of the brahmacārī, it is now said. The first duty is that sāyaṁ prātar upāsīta: "They should be taught how to worship the Supreme Lord at least twice in a day," sāyaṁ prātaḥ, "in the morning and in the evening." Tri-sandhya. The prescription is for tri-sandhya. One should take bath three times. In India there is no difficulty. Even in Western countries you have got very good arrangement, hot water and cold water. You can arrange and can take bath. This is essential. Not that sleeping up to ten o'clock. This kind of civilization will not help you. This asuric civilization will degrade the human society.
General Lectures
Prabhupāda: Harrison, yes. He paid me nineteen thousand dollars for my publication work, and he is a very good boy. And he is helping in pushing on our record. He is very popular.
Indian man (2): Very popular.
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. And he has got to sing with him. Yes. (break) ...in London I was guest in one of the Beatles' palace. They have got each one a big, big palace. So we shall all take leave, Mahārāja. Thank you. (break)
Yamunā: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: She likes our movement.
Yamunā: Well, she had to.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) And she has seen that house also.
Yamunā: She knows that we're something
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Haṁsadūta: Eight to nine we have engagement.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Haṁsadūta: Tonight we have another engagement, eight to nine.
Prabhupāda: That's nice. So give me cold water. She is countrywoman. She is also American.
Yamunā: Yes.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Karandhara: He's asking how can he be relieved from such sadness when his son has died? How do we evaluate death?
Prabhupāda: Oh. Yes. So our program is that, as I have already explained, the success of everything depends how Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. So if you try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, then whatever you want, He will give you, benedict. I will give you one instance. It is stated in Kṛṣṇa Book. Kṛṣṇa was a student of Sāndīpani Muni. So when Kṛṣṇa finished His education, it is the system that the disciple gives some, I mean to say, reward, presentation to the spiritual master, because he has educated. So the disciple requests his spiritual master, "Now I have finished my education. I am going home." Formerly the student used to live with the spiritual master. "So how can I serve you?" So at that time the spiritual master, whatever he wants, the disciple will supply. So in the case of Kṛṣṇa, the teacher knew that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So when Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma asked his teacher, "How can I satisfy you?" so they requested, "My dear boys, I lost my child very young. If you kindly bring them, then I shall be very much pleased." So Kṛṣṇa went underneath the sea and brought his son back. This incident is there. So my point is that whatever you want, Kṛṣṇa will give you. You try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That's all. (Japanese)
Prabhupāda: (aside:) What is this? Japanese tea? I see. Water? Cold water. Ice water. So you try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, and you will be blessed and your son will be blessed. You pray to Kṛṣṇa. Wherever he may be, he will be happy. You believe in incarnation, next birth? Next birth?
Karandhara: Reincarnation?
Prabhupāda: Reincarnation? Yes. So your son, he must have taken some body somewhere. So if you pray to Kṛṣṇa, wherever he may be, he will be happy. He will be happy. How many sons?
Dai Nippon representative: This is my only son now.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: 1967, yes.
Dr. Kapoor: So it was after the heart attack that you came here?
Prabhupāda: Yes. At that time. Then there was repeated letters, come back, come back. So I returned in 1968. So, in spite of heart weakness, I worked. I suffered that weakness continually for one year.
Dr. Kapoor: Naturally, naturally.
Prabhupāda: Then I was taking Kavirāja's medicine. I took it from here, that Yogendranātha. That gave me good strength, and massage the body. Not taking bath in cold water. In this way, somehow or other, still going on.
Dr. Kapoor: Now I think you would be more useful if you took more rest, spend as little as what Hare Kṛṣṇa...
Prabhupāda: What? Rest, (Hindi)
Dr. Kapoor: No, even then, (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: (Hindi)
Dr. Kapoor: Even if you go by plane.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dr. Kapoor: That means straight. So if you stay at one place that's a different kind of life, you see, it's not so strenuous. You move around from place to place...
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: And this side, they are coming from Europe?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This side, coming from the oil countries, coming down the coast, and also coming… (break)
Prabhupāda: How long they can stay in the water?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: If it's warm weather they can stay all day.
Prabhupāda: Acchā?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In the cold weather, a few hours. They put on these black suits made out of a certain fabric—it's called a wet suit—and they are able to stay in the water much longer. It insulates, insulates the body from the cold water.
Prabhupāda: Going for surfing?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: These gentlemen? No, I don’t think so. These young boys are. (break) …surf, we tell them, "Yes, we surf in the ocean of bhakti-rasa."
Prabhupāda: Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. (break) … karma bandha phasa: one after another. Asate vilāsa: material enjoyment means implicated in unnecessary activities. If people are satisfied, plain living, then these things are not necessary: go into the ocean, find out oil, then bring it in the port, then distribute it, so many, one after another. That, this kind of civilization, they think it is advanced. And to live very plainly, minimizing this unnecessary activity, they think it is not civilization.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (break) ...Americans to live like this is totally impossible. They'd have to commit suicide. If they can't find the bathroom they won't know what to do. They have to pass stool. But water won't concern them because they don't bother bathing. They need a toilet, though.
Prabhupāda: (break) ...for taking bath in the junction of Ganges and the sea. Just see how people are enthusiastic, coming from long, long distance, Gaṅgā-sāgara. Gangā means Ganges, and sāgara means the sea. (break) ...it means they keep their lota, you see. (break) ...bathing in this cold water.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (break) ...they'd be bothered by the boats being here.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't seem to be bothered by these boats.
Prabhupāda: No. No. (break) ...childhood I was taking bath. I used to come with my mother. She took bath; I also took bath.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (laughs) She'd bring you. (break) Madhya Pradesh?
Prabhupāda: (break) Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: We can do that tomorrow. So it has been settled where we are going?
Guru-kṛpā: Well, I have to go to the airport this evening.
Prabhupāda: No, with Vāsudeva.
Guru-kṛpā: Yes. He is.... He thought it was best.
Prabhupāda: Don't do anything...
Guru-kṛpā: No, it was his suggestion because he doesn't want it to be another small program. He feels...
Prabhupāda: This is also cold water?
Hari-śauri: It was. It's still cold.
Prabhupāda: Darwin's theory is body is changing, but why it is changing, he does not explain.
Guru-kṛpā: It's because of nature. You can't explain nature. That's his only answer.
Prabhupāda: Nature.... But we also say, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). So it is to be understood that it is being done under superior control. If nature is doing, so nature is superior control. He cannot explain. So if he does not know how nature is working, then what is the value of his theory? If he says that he cannot explain how nature is doing, that means he is not expert. He may be mistaken. So why his opinion or decision should be taken final? He does not know how nature is working. That is not perfect knowledge. Does he say like that, "Nature is working"?
Vṛṣākapi: Would you like some warm milk, Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: No.
Rūpānuga: This is for your servants. Push the button, they hear in the back.
Vipina: Cold water for you too, Prabhupāda. Cold water here if you want some.
Prabhupāda: Cold water.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This machine? It's a water cooler. Someone donated it to us about two, three years ago.
Prabhupāda: It acts?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.
Hari-śauri: That's where we get all the drinking water from.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Cold water from. We put boiled water into it. Bring boiled water from the kitchen.
Prabhupāda: We have no tap water here?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We have tap water, but it's not drinking water. I mean it needs to be boiled. In Delhi you can drink the tap water, they say it's okay, but in Bombay it's very risky to drink tap water. Especially in monsoon.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) In the morning we shall go to take my milk from the goat. I'll go early so that I may take the first. And come back, then take my bath early in the morning. I did not take hot water. Cold water. Even in severe winter. Then?
Harikeśa: And one boy called Rādhā-Dāmodara dāsa from New... (end)
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu (BG 9.29). God must be equal to everyone.
Dr. Patel: You are right. With that extreme faith, Jesus took to the cross. Huh? (break)
Prabhupāda: That is the greatness of the movement. (break)
Dr. Patel: We will be meeting with all people in the whole world. And you will be...
Prabhupāda: Yes, I am the oldest.
Dr. Patel: (laughing) Keep in my hand and walk. And I would say, sir, that you also should not take bath in cold water.
Prabhupāda: No, I don't take. I... Since 1970, 1966, '67, I am not taking cold bath. Before that, even in America I was taking twice cold water bath.
Dr. Patel: I have never taken cold water in my life.
Prabhupāda: Shower I was taking.
Dr. Patel: All these boys take cold water, required from them.
Prabhupāda: I never used hot water. In India the Delhi is the coldest part. In my business life, in the hotel I was taking cold water. Everyone was surprised. "How you can?" In Saharanpur, in bitter cold, I was taking cold water early in the morning.
Prabhupāda: That is natural. Causing everyone else means the same group. Andhā yathāndhaiḥ. One who is blind, he can be cheated by another blind man. But one who is not blind, if the blind man wants to cheat him, that "I can help you crossing the room," he will laugh, that "This rascal is blind, and he has offered me to help me. We take this, that if a person is... We know that he is defective. His knowledge is imperfect. What knowledge he will give? Immediately reject him.
Harikeśa: He can give good knowledge on how to accelerate death.
Prabhupāda: That is natural. There is no question of his accelerating. It is already going on in this world. (pause) So many things we have to discuss. Is it not? People are in darkness in so many ways. Therefore we have to take the standard knowledge.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Always comes to the...
Prabhupāda: (aside:) Little cold water. And our mission is to deliver them by giving knowledge. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Our mission is not to keep men in darkness. Otherwise "Let them go to hell, śūnyavādi. We don't..." No. They should not remain in that way. They should come to the real light. This is our policy. (pause)
Correspondence
1974 Correspondence
From your report it appears that the transfer of the older Gurukula boys above ten years old has proven successful. I am glad to hear they are housed in a clean building with electricity and hot and cold water and that their teacher from Dallas is with them instructing them just as before. I am always eager to hear that Gurukula is going well so be very vigilant that this program with the older boys in New Vrindaban as well as all levels of teaching at Dallas are just to the standard as I introduced it. There is no more important school in the world, so it requires careful guidance.
| Page Title: | Cold water |
| Compiler: | Rishab, GauraHari, Labangalatika |
| Created: | 17 of Feb, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=6, CC=3, OB=3, Lec=5, Con=10, Let=1 |
| No. of Quotes: | 28 |