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manava seva and Madhava Seva
In article <3g8mdq$990@ucunix.san.uc.edu>,
K. Sadananda <sadananda@anvil.nrl.navy.mil> wrote:
>******Manava Seva is indeed Madhava Seva****
This is the buzzword of 20th Century Indian politico-religious
thought. The statement represents what many view as the culmination
of Hindu dharma, the realization that service to people is the best
means to serve the Lord. All people will find some value in this
understanding of Hinduism. However, I counter that such a view
is untenable within the contexts of scripture. This essay shall first
argue that manava seva alone is _not_ Madhava Seva. Then I will address
the issue of "sarva-bhuta-hita" and "pandita-sama-darsanam". I will
conclude by showing how to dovetail one's tendency toward manava seva
with the greater goal, Madhava Seva.
To begin with, let us agree that this issue is indeed orthogonal to the
question of whether or not the Gita requires us to act. Clearly Krishna
does require Arjuna to act, but reminds him "mam anusmara yuddhya ca" --
remember Krishna and fight. Fighting alone is useless, and doesn't
distinguish one from the criminal masses. But that same fighting, done
as part of Krishna's will, becomes the key to life and enlightenment.
Now we can look at the claim "manava seva is Madhava Seva". Such thoughts
may seem pleasing, but are ruled out by verses like BG 17.22
adesa-kale yad danam apatrebhyas ca diyate
asat-krtam avajnatam tat tamasam udahrtam
"And charity performed at an impure place, at an improper time, to
unworthy persons, or without proper attention and respect is said to be
in the mode of ignorance."
Looking around, we see that the majority of places in this Kali Yuga
are impure (filled with materialistic consciousness), as are the
majority of people. Krishna instructs, "na mam duskrtino mudhah ..."
(BG 7.15), and looking around we see that most people fit this definition
of miscreants and fools. These unworthies do not deserve charity,
according to Vedic injunction. For example, it is a very pious act to donate
a cow in charity. However, this cow shouldn't be given to, say meat-eaters,
but rather to brahmanas, Vaisnavas, a nice temple, etc. This will be
beneficial for the giver, the cow, and society in general. Similarly, one
shouldn't give a dollar to a bum if one knows that that dollar will be
spent on alcohol -- you have then become the "enabler" for that person's
bad habits. This is the understanding of "ignorant charity".
Nevertheless, the Bhagavad Gita also speaks of "pandita-sama-darsanah",
by which the greatly learned one is supposed to see the cow, the elephant,
the brahmin, the dog, and the dog-eater as all being spirit soul.
Similarly, the enlightened one is supposed to work in "sarva-bhuta-hita",
for the sake of all living entities. This realization is very difficult
and only belongs to the mahatmas, whom we should all strive to follow.
Once a guest at an ISKCON center asked Srila Prabhupada, "Do you have
this pandita-sama-darsanah?" To which Prabhupada responded that he felt
that all people need to be given Krishna consciousness. This idea follows
in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who freely distributed the Holy
Name of Krishna to all, including women, "sudras", and "Muslims". This
process, then, is the sublime means of manava seva, since this will
give eternal results, not just temporary charity.
Clearly the goal of "manava seva", then cannot be temporary notions of
bodily justice (you vs. me), or even extended bodily justice (India
vs. Pakistan, Hindus vs. Muslims, etc). The only valuable manava
seva is to _liberate_ all those whom you serve. The instruction in
Bhagavatam is: Do not become a mother, father, guru, or demigod unless
you can deliver your dependents from the cycle of birth and death.
Therefore, one must strive to engage his desire for manava seva in the
process of Madhava Seva. As Lord Siva says in Padma Purana, the best form
of worship is worship of the Supreme Lord [visnor aradhanam], and greater
still is service to His devotees, the Vaisnavas. Lord Krishna makes the
same statement in the Adi Purana. This is correlated with Bhagavad Gita
17.20, which defines charity in the mode of goodness, to worthy persons.
Here the understanding is that one should give charity to brahmins and
to those who are spiritual people.
However, one must, in keeping with "pandita-sama-darsanah", also seek
to serve (in the eternal sense) those who are not yet greatly liberated
personalities. It is explained in the Padma Purana that one who regularly
eats prasadam (food offered to Lord Krishna) will, even if not a perfect
devotee, will achieve great pious successes. These ideas are confirmed
in the Bhagavad Gita, at points like verse 9.26, 9.27, and 3.13.
Giving prasadam to an ordinary person will help that person become an
extraordinary person, as it causes the person to become engaged in a
"higher taste", losing the desire for mundane sense gratification.
This process is far superior to just simple vegetarianism, which is
only a series of "don'ts". One will still desire to have those items
which one is avoiding, unless one has a better option.
visaya vinivartante niraharasya dehinah
rasa-varjam raso 'py asya param drstva nivartate
"The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though
the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by
experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness." (BG 2.59)
Giving people this higher taste, then, is the necessary step in
manava-seva. Srila Prabhupada used to call gulab jamuns "ISKCON bullets"
because they were the most effective weapon in the war against
maya. The war to deliver the fallen from maya is part of Madhava Seva
since we know that the Lord ultimately wants all of his "lost children"
to return to him. Therefore, let us defy the buzzwords and be prepared
to render _real service_ unto man, real service which is pleasing to God
(Madhava Seva). This is the challenge to all of us.
Yours,
Vijay
For more information, refer to http://webcom.com/~ara
(Bhakti Yoga WWW Home Page)
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