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Simile

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Chapters 1 - 6

The simile used here is appropriate: one cannot capture the blowing wind. And it is even more difficult to capture the turbulent mind. The easiest way to control the mind, as suggested by Lord Caitanya, is chanting "Hare Kṛṣṇa," the great mantra for deliverance, in all humility.
BG 6.34, Purport:

"The individual is the passenger in the car of the material body, and intelligence is the driver. Mind is the driving instrument, and the senses are the horses. The self is thus the enjoyer or sufferer in the association of the mind and senses. So it is understood by great thinkers." Intelligence is supposed to direct the mind, but the mind is so strong and obstinate that it often overcomes even one's own intelligence, as an acute infection may surpass the efficacy of medicine. Such a strong mind is supposed to be controlled by the practice of yoga, but such practice is never practical for a worldly person like Arjuna. And what can we say of modern man? The simile used here is appropriate: one cannot capture the blowing wind. And it is even more difficult to capture the turbulent mind. The easiest way to control the mind, as suggested by Lord Caitanya, is chanting "Hare Kṛṣṇa," the great mantra for deliverance, in all humility. The method prescribed is sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-pādāravindayoḥ: (SB 9.4.18) one must engage one's mind fully in Kṛṣṇa. Only then will there remain no other engagements to agitate the mind.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

They are full of subject matter described in decorative language full of mundane similes and metaphorical arrangements.
SB 1.5.10, Purport:

Similarly, there are different kinds of literature for different types of men of different mentality. Mostly the market literatures which attract men of the crow's categories are literatures containing refused remnants of sensuous topics. They are generally known as mundane talks in relation with the gross body and subtle mind. They are full of subject matter described in decorative language full of mundane similes and metaphorical arrangements. Yet with all that, they do not glorify the Lord. Such poetry and prose, on any subject matter, is considered decoration of a dead body. Spiritually advanced men who are compared to the swans do not take pleasure in such dead literatures, which are sources of pleasure for men who are spiritually dead. These literatures in the modes of passion and ignorance are distributed under different labels, but they can hardly help the spiritual urge of the human being, and thus the swanlike spiritually advanced men have nothing to do with them. Such spiritually advanced men are called also mānasa because they always keep up the standard of transcendental voluntary service to the Lord on the spiritual plane.

SB Canto 3

At that time the seer was there, but the external energy, over which the glance of the Lord is cast, was not present. He felt somewhat insufficient, like a husband feeling lonely in the absence of his wife. This is a poetic simile.
SB 3.5.24, Purport:

The Lord is the supreme seer because only by His glance did the material energy become active for cosmic manifestation. At that time the seer was there, but the external energy, over which the glance of the Lord is cast, was not present. He felt somewhat insufficient, like a husband feeling lonely in the absence of his wife. This is a poetic simile. The Lord wanted to create the cosmic manifestation to give another chance to the conditioned souls who were dormant in forgetfulness. The cosmic manifestation gives the conditioned souls a chance to go back home, back to Godhead, and that is its main purpose. The Lord is so kind that in the absence of such a manifestation He feels something wanting, and thus the creation takes place. Although the creation of the internal potency was manifested, the other potency appeared to be sleeping, and the Lord wanted to awaken her to activity, just as a husband wants to awaken his wife from the sleeping state for enjoyment. It is the compassion of the Lord for the sleeping energy that He wants to see her awaken for enjoyment like the other wives who are awake. The whole process is to enliven the sleeping conditioned souls to the real life of spiritual consciousness so that they may thus become as perfect as the ever-liberated souls in the Vaikuṇṭhalokas. Since the Lord is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), He likes every part and parcel of His different potencies to take part in the blissful rasa because participation with the Lord in His eternal rāsa-līlā is the highest living condition, perfect in spiritual bliss and eternal knowledge.

SB Canto 4

In this way he could reject their advice and make accusations against them, comparing them to a woman who does not care for her husband who maintains her but goes to satisfy a paramour who does not maintain her. The purpose of this simile is apparent.
SB 4.14.23, Translation and Purport:

King Vena replied: You are not at all experienced. It is very much regrettable that you are maintaining something which is not religious and are accepting it as religious. Indeed, I think you are giving up your real husband, who maintains you, and are searching after some paramour to worship.

King Vena was so foolish that he accused the saintly sages of being inexperienced like small children. In other words, he was accusing them of not having perfect knowledge. In this way he could reject their advice and make accusations against them, comparing them to a woman who does not care for her husband who maintains her but goes to satisfy a paramour who does not maintain her. The purpose of this simile is apparent. It is the duty of the kṣatriyas to engage the brāhmaṇas in different types of religious activities, and the king is supposed to be the maintainer of the brāhmaṇas. If the brāhmaṇas do not worship the king but instead go to the demigods, they are as polluted as unchaste women.

The point of this simile is that the living entity wants to enjoy different types of material opulences, and to this end nature has given him various holes in his body that he can utilize for sense enjoyment.
SB 4.25.45, Translation and Purport:

Of the nine gates in that city, seven were on the surface, and two were subterranean. A total of nine doors were constructed, and these led to different places. All the gates were used by the city's governor.

The seven gates of the body that are situated upward are the two eyes, two nostrils, two ears and one mouth. The two subterranean gates are the rectum and the genitals. The king, or the ruler of the body, who is the living entity, uses all these doors to enjoy different types of material pleasures. The system of opening different gates to different places is still evident in old Indian cities. Formerly a capital was surrounded by walls, and one passed through various gates to go to various cities or toward specific directions. In Old Delhi there are still remnants of surrounding walls and various gates known as the Kashmiri Gate, the Lahori Gate, etc. Similarly, in Ahmadabad there is a Delhi Gate. The point of this simile is that the living entity wants to enjoy different types of material opulences, and to this end nature has given him various holes in his body that he can utilize for sense enjoyment.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Adi-lila

The brāhmaṇa replied, "There is not a tinge of fault in that verse. Rather, it has the good qualities of similes and alliteration."
CC Adi 16.46, Translation and Purport:

The brāhmaṇa replied, "There is not a tinge of fault in that verse. Rather, it has the good qualities of similes and alliteration."

In the last line of the verse quoted by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the letter bha is repeated many times, as in the words bhavānī, bhartur, vibhavati and adbhuta. Such repetition is called anuprāsa, or alliteration. The words lakṣmīr iva and viṣṇoś caraṇa-kamalotpatti are instances of upamā-alaṅkāra, for they exhibit metaphorical beauty. The Ganges is water, and Lakṣmī is the goddess of fortune. Since water and a person are not actually similar, the comparison is metaphorical.

CC Adi 16.71, Translation:

“"As one"s body, although well-decorated with ornaments, is made unfortunate by even one spot of white leprosy, so an entire poem is made useless by a fault, despite alliteration, similes and metaphors.’

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Tapas tapīyān. So in Bhāgavata, it is not that whimsically written. There is literary beauty, metaphor, simile, and what is called, symmetry, reason(?). Everything is complete.
Lecture on SB 2.9.4-8 -- Tokyo, April 23, 1972:

This is called anuprāsa. It is literary beauty. Everything "ta." Tapas tapīyāṁs tapatāṁ samāhitaḥ. Anuprāsa. So many t's in one line. Tapas tapīyān. So in Bhāgavata, it is not that whimsically written. There is literary beauty, metaphor, simile, and what is called, symmetry, reason(?). Everything is complete. Not that whimsically a line, three lines, one line, and two lines, and it becomes a poetry. In Sanskrit poetry writing is not so easy. You have to follow so many rules and regulations. How many words in the beginning, first line, how many words in the second line. Sāhitya-darpaṇa. There is a book, Sāhitya-darpaṇa. Therefore it is called Sanskrit. Sanskrit, everything is reformed. It is not like that "Beauty but, peuty put." If you say "u," "aḥ," then you must say "beauty but" and "peuty put." But not that sometimes "pute," sometimes "but." No. That will not be allowed in Sanskrit. The pronunciation must be regular. You cannot change. Saṁskṛta. Saṁskṛta means reformed, Sanskrit language. Devanāgarī. This language is spoken in the higher planetary system, even in Vaikuṇṭha. This language is spoken. Devanāgarī. Deva-nagara. Just like Tokyo is Japan-nagara, similarly... Nagara means city. And the citizens are called nāgarī. One who lives in the city, they are called nāgarī. So devanāgarī. These alphabets, letters, are called devanāgarī. But in the cities of the demigods, this language is spoken. Devanāgarī.

It is not that because one does not know Sanskrit or a particular type of language and he cannot pray very nicely with poetic simile, metaphors... These things are not required.
Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja, therefore, taking courage, that the material qualifications are not assets to approach God, but it is only devotional service, service attitude. "Kṛṣṇa, or God, I love You. I can sacrifice You... I can sacrifice everything for You." Just like Lord Jesus Christ. He sacrificed even his life. The gopīs, they also sacrificed everything for Kṛṣṇa. This is wanted. The degree of sacrifice, the degree of attachment is taken into consideration by God, not any material opulence. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is encouraged. Tasmād ahaṁ vigata-viklava īśvarasya sarvātmanā mahi gṛṇāmi yathā manīṣam: "Therefore I shall try to offer my prayers according to my capacity." It is not that because one does not know Sanskrit or a particular type of language and he cannot pray very nicely with poetic simile, metaphors... These things are not required. Simply you have to open your feelings of love of Godhead. Then He's pleased. It does not depend on the particular type of language or poetic ideas.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lord Caitanya explained to the poverty-stricken man that simile. The astrologer is foretelling about the poverty-stricken man that "You are a very rich man's son. Your father has got so much wealth, but you do not know. Therefore you are suffering."
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137 -- New York, November 28, 1966:

So Lord Caitanya explained to the poverty-stricken man that simile. The astrologer is foretelling about the poverty-stricken man that "You are a very rich man's son. Your father has got so much wealth, but you do not know. Therefore you are suffering." To be poor man in this world, material world, is a curse for ordinary, general people. Those who are spiritually enriched, they have nothing to do with this poverty or richness of this material world. But those who are under the concept of material life, poverty is a curse for them. So living entities, they are not meant for being poverty-stricken because they are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, the supreme proprietor. Therefore he has, by his birthright, to enjoy the God's property. That is the law. But under spell of illusion, we have forgotten our relationship with the supreme father; therefore we are suffering. This is the diagnosis. Now we have to find out how to go home, back to go, back to home, back to Godhead. That should be the mission of human life. Never mind under what circumstances and why we are in contact with this material world, but we should come to this point by the instruction of the astrologer-like Vedic literatures. Just like the astrologer is giving hint to the poor man, similarly, the Vedic literature is also giving us hint, astrological instructions, that we can become the richest by reviving our lost relationship with our father.

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

As darkness and light exist eternally, similarly, Maya and Krishna exist eternally, but Maya has no existence in the presence of Krishna. Try to understand this simile.
Letter to Balai -- Los Angeles 25 January, 1968:

Maya and living entities are different energies of Krishna and all of them are eternal. Maya is acting under the direction of Krishna but her task is to punish the revolted living entities; therefore, she has to business in the spiritual platform. Maya cannot go to Krishna means that Maya's influence cannot be active in the presence of Krishna. The example of darkness can be given herein. The darkness has no existence in the presence of sunlight, similarly Maya cannot exist in the presence of Krishna. As darkness and light exist eternally, similarly, Maya and Krishna exist eternally, but Maya has no existence in the presence of Krishna. Try to understand this simile.

The material body has got heart and Krishna is seated there with the jiva in His Paramatma feature. Krishna is so powerful that He can become smaller than the smallest and greater than the greatest. He can keep millions of skies within His Belly and at the same time He can enter within the existence of the smallest atom. He can enjoy eternally in Vrindaban with His Associates, at the same time He can present Himself in every nook and corner of His Creation. These are some of the inconceivable potencies of Krishna and as such living entity can never be equal with Krishna. The Mayavadi philosophers try to keep Krishna and living entities on equal level and that is proof of their less intelligence.

1970 Correspondence

If there is one tree in whose cavity there is a little fire, that one tree can burn into ashes the whole forest. So this simile is applicable anywhere.
Letter to Bali-mardana -- Tokyo 25 August, 1970:

There are two verses in the Canakya Sloka how a family or an institution can be glorified or burned into ashes by one person. The Canakya Pandit says that if there is one tree in the forest producing nice aromatic flower, that one tree can glorify the whole forest by the flavor of its flower. Similarly if there is one tree in whose cavity there is a little fire, that one tree can burn into ashes the whole forest. So this simile is applicable anywhere. In a family if there is one good boy, he can glorify the whole family and similarly if there is bad boy he can turn the whole family into ashes. Similarly in this institution if there is a bad disciple he can burn the whole institution into ashes. The Governing Body Commission's duty is therefore to see that every member is following the rules and regulations and chanting sixteen round regularly on the beads. I hope the GBC in cooperation with the Sannyasis in their touring program will be able to keep vigilance systematically in order to keep the Society as pure as possible.

Page Title:Simile
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Matea
Created:23 of Jul, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=1, SB=4, CC=2, OB=0, Lec=3, Con=0, Let=2
No. of Quotes:12