Shri Bhagvat Patrika

Eastern Direction is not the Mother of the Sun

     The birth giver or the orignator a living being is referred to as its mother or progenitrix. The count of a person's age begins from the moment of its birth. And death refers to the moment when one leaves the material world.

     The sun rises from the east and sets in the west. One boy was studying the defination of the word 'mother' from his textbook. One morning at dawn while strolling on the bank of a river, with his father, the boy saw the sun rising from the east. Seeing this the boy questioned his father, "Respected Father, I have studied in Literature in Gurukula that the birth giver of a being is referred to its 'mother'. The   sun   rises   from   the   east,   therefore   is   the   eastern   direction,   mother   of   the   sun ?".

     The question gladdened his father and he replied, "Haridas !  you have asked a good question, that the birth giver of any being is its mother. Like you have been given birth by your mother. But the eastern direction is not the mother of the sun, because what we see from our eyes, that the sun rises from the east, factually it is not so. You will understand this subject matter when you grow up. The sun is not born today at 6:45 a.m. in the morning of 1^st January 1999, and shall not die at 5:30 p.m. in the evening. In other words the sun has been transmitting radiance like this since time immemorial and shall continue to do so. It is due to the earth's rotation, that the sun is observed to rise and set in particular directions.

     Ignorant people think, that like ordinary men, Hari-Guru-Vaishnava's also take birth an a particular community or family at a particular time. Actually it is not so. Inspite of the sun's rising from the east, the eastern direction is not its mother. Similarly if any Vaishnava has taken birth in a Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, Antyaja, Hindu or Non-Hindu caste etc., seeing this and considering them within a particular community is foolishness. The Lord manifested among the Aquatics, as a Tortoise, a Boar, as a Man-Lion, and also among the Human Beings. But seeing the Lord as an aquatic or an amphibian is stupidity and an offence. Lord Narsimghdeva manifested from a pillar in the palace of Harinyakashipu. This doesn't imply that the pillar is the mother of Lord Narsimghdeva. Therefore Pure Vaishnavas must not be included within a paricular caste, and also do not consider the Lord as a human being or in the class of ordinary living beings.

     The most eminent follower of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Shri Haridas Thakur must not be considered a yavan inspite of appearing in a yavan family. Srila Raghunath Das Goswami was not a kayastha inspite of appearing in the kayastha community. Srila Sanatan Goswami appeared in a Brahaman family and Hindu society, therefore socially calling Him a Brahaman or Hindu is a grave offence. Eminent learned men in this world also make this sort of a mistake."

     The father continued, "As the sun isn't born and die likewise the Lord and His devotees also don't have any birth or death. Therefore, the Lord's and His devotees appearance is termed as manifestation and dissappearance as unmanifestation. The sun rose today, at 6:45 a.m. in the morning of 1^st January 1999, this doesn't mean that the sun was born at this time. The same must be understood in relation to the Lord and Vaishnavas that they appear in front of everyone during a specific period. Those who are not aware of this principle think that Chaitanya was a historical personality. He appeared on a particular date.

     But He was there since time immemorial, at present, and shall remain till eternity. The Lord and His followers are not historical personalities. They gracefully bless history by appearing as a part of it. You must have strong faith in these words and cherish them in your heart. When you will receive the grace of the Lord, you will realize this absolute truth."

[Note: attempted/unapproved translation from original hindi
text, due to translation limitations we are at present
able to publish the briefest articles only]

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