Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

"Putana"
(Published in "The Harmonist", circa 1932)

Sri Krsna manifests His eternal birth in the pure cognitive essence of the serving soul who is located above all mundane limitations. King Kamsa, the typical aggressive empiricist, is ever on the lookout for the appearance of the truth for the purpose of suppressing Him before He has time to develop. This is no exaggeration of the real connotation of the consistent empiric position. The materialist has a natural repugnance for the

transcendent. He is disposed to link that faith in the incomprehensible is the parent of dogmatism and hypocrisy in the guise of religion. He is also equally under the delusion that there is no real dividing line between the material and the spiritual, he is strengthened in his delusion by the interpretation of scriptures by persons who are like-minded with himself This includes all the lexicographic interpreters.

     The lexicographical interpretation is upheld by Kamsa as the real scientific explanation of the scriptures, and is perfectly in keeping with his dread of and aversion for the transcendental, These lexicographical interpreters are employed by Kamsa in putting down the first suspected appearance of any genuine faith in the transcendental. King Kamsa knows very well that if the faith in the transcendental is once allowed to grow it is sure to upset all his empiric prospects.

    There is historical ground for such misgivings. Accordingly if the empiric domination is to be preserved in tact it would be necessary not to lose a moment to put down the transcendental heresy the instant it threatens to make its appearance in earnest. King Kamsa, acting on this traditional fear is never slow to take the scientific precaution of deputing empiric teachers of the scriptures, backed by the resources of dictionary and grammar and all empiric subtleties to put down, by the show of specious arguments based on hypothetical principles, the true interpretation of the eternal religion revealed by the scriptures.

     Kamsa is strongly persuaded that faith in the transcendental can be effectively put down by empiricism if prompt and decisive measures are adopted at the very outset. He attributes the failure of atheism in the past to the neglect of the adoption of such measures before the theistic fallacy has had time to spread among the fanatical masses.

     But Kamsa is found to count without his host. When Krsna is born He is found to be able to upset all sinister designs against those who are apprised by Himself of His advent, the apparently causeless faith displayed by persons irrespective of age, sex and condition may confound all rabid empiricist who are on principle adverse to the Absolute Truth Whose appearance is utterly incompatible with the domination of empiricism.

     But no adverse efforts of the empiricists, whose rule seems till then to be perfectly well-established over the minds of the deluded souls of this world can dissuade any person from exclusively in following the Truth when He actually manifests His birth in the pure cognitive essence of the soul.

     Putana is the slayer of all infants. The baby, when he or she comes out of the mother’s womb, falls at once into the hands of the pseudo-teachers of religion. These teachers are successful in forestalling the attempts of the good preceptor whose help is never sought by the atheists of this world at the baptisms of their babies. This is ensured by the arrangements of all established churches of the world. They have been successful only in supplying watchful Putanas for effecting the spiritual destruction of persons from the moment of their birth with the cooperation of their worldly parents. No human contrivance can prevent these Putanas from obtaining possession of the pulpits. This is due to the general prevalence of atheistic disposition in the people of this world.

     The church that has the best chance of survival in this damned world is that of atheism under the convenient guise of theism. The churches have always proved the staunchest upholders of the grossest form of worldliness from which even the worst of non-ecclesiastical criminals are found to recoil.

     It is not from any deliberate opposition to the ordained clergy that these observations are made. The original purpose of the established churches of the world may not always be objectionable. But no stable religious arrangement for instructing the masses has yet been successful. The Supreme Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in pursuance of the teachings of the scriptures enjoins all absence of conventionalism for the teachers of the eternal religion. It does not follow that the mechanical adoption of the unconventional life by any person will make him a fit teacher of religion. Regulation is necessary for controlling the inherent worldliness of conditional souls.

     But no mechanical regulation has any value, even for such a purpose. The bona-fide teacher of religion is neither any product of nor the favourer of, any mechanical system. In his hands no system has likewise, the chance of degenerating into a lifeless arrangement. The mere pursuit of fixed doctrines and fixed liturgies cannot hold a person to the true spirit of doctrine or liturgy.

      The idea of an organized church in an intelligible form, indeed, marks the close of the living spiritual movement. The great ecclesiastical establishments are the dikes and the dams to retain the current that cannot be held by any such contrivances. They, indeed, indicate a desire on the part of the masses to exploit a spiritual movement for their own purpose. They also unmistakably indicate the end of the absolute and unconventional guidance of the bona-fide spiritual teacher. The people of this world understand preventive systems, they have no idea at all of the un-prevented positive eternal life, Neither can there be any earthy contrivance for the permanent preservation of the life eternal on this mundane plane on the popular scale.

     Those are, therefore, greatly mistaken who are disposed to look forward to the amelioration of the worldly state in any worldly sense from the worldly success of any really spiritual movement. It is these worldly expectants who become the patrons of the mischievous race of the pseudo-teachers of religion, the Putanas, whose congenial function is to stifle the theistic disposition at the very moment of its suspected appearance. But the real theistic disposition can never be stifled by the efforts of those Putanas. The Putanas have power only over the atheist. It is a thankless but salutary task which they perform for the benefit of their willing victims.

       But as soon as theistic disposition proper makes its appearance in the pure cognitive essence, of the awakened soul, the Putanas are decisively silenced at the very earliest stage of their encounter with new-born Krsna. The would-be slayer is herself slain. This is the reward of the negative services that the Putanas unwittingly render to the cause of theism by strangling all hypocritical demonstrations against their own hypocrisy.

     But Putana does not at all like to receive her reward in only form which involves the total destruction of her wrong personality. King Kamsa also does not like to lose the services of the most trusted of his agents. The effective silencing of the whole race of pseudo-teachers of religion is the first clear indication of the appearance of the Absolute on the mundane plane. The bona-fide teacher of the Absolute, heralds the Advent of Krsna by his uncompromising campaign against the pseudo-teachers of religion.

Regarding the challenging reading of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, the following exchange took place with the BTG staff, December 24, 1969 in Boston.

“Devotee: I have though of doing Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s Brahma-samhita. Do you think we could serialize it maybe in three or four Back to Godheads? Or could we print it ourselves in a little pamphlet? Or which do you think would be better?

”Prabhupada: If you publish it in Back to Godhead, then by portion, three or four pages. When the articles will be sorted, first Guru Maharaja Bhaktisiddhanta’s, then mine. If you write something  from Bhaktivinode Thakura, that should be first. We offer our respect first to our own spiritual master, then his spiritual master, then his spiritual master. But when putting articles, it should be the opposite. First Bhaktivinode, then Bhaktisiddhanta, then me, then my disciples, like that.

”Devotee: Why don’t you write some purports to Brahma-samhita? Some of us have difficulty understanding Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.

”Prabhupada: Yes. If I get time… My time is very limited. So even there is difficulty, let them read over and over and again. Then they will understand. Why should we change it? Let it be presented as Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati has given. Then don’t give more than one or two pages at a time. Their brain will be puzzled. (laughter) Yes. When Guru Maharaja was speaking, at least my brain was puzzled. (laughter) Even he would speak in Bengali, it was very difficult to understand. He was speaking from a very, very high platform. But I wanted to hear him. That’s all. Even I did not understand it. That he appreciated, (laughs) that “This boy does not go away. He hears.” Actually that was my position. In the beginning I could not understand what he was speaking, but I wanted to hear him. That’s all. I was very much anxious to hear him. That he marked. And he was kindly pleased on me, that “He wants to hear. He does not go away.” That was my policy, that “let me hear. Even I do not understand, let me hear.” That’s all. Yes. Actually I did not understand in the beginning what he was speaking. So Bhaktisiddhanta's writing is not very easy to understand. But we should try, read and read again, and simply that vibration will help us. That’s all. It is transcendental vibration, not that everyone will understand. But if you simply give aural reception to the vibration, that will make him advanced, not exactly that anyone has to understand it. Just like a man is sleeping and somebody is calling him. In his sleeping condition he does not understand. By calling, calling, calling, he gets up because that vibration is there. Not that in his sleeping condition he is understanding what is this sound. So similarly, we should give reception to the transcendental vibrations made by Krsna and His bona fide representatives. That will make us awakened. Not that we understand everything”

However, for those who still cannot understand Srila Bhaktisiddhanta the following is the same essay edited slightly to simplify the language:

Lord Sri Krishna manifests Himself as pure cognitive essence within the surrendered souls who are thus raised above mundane limitations of understanding, i.e., such a person is always able to discern the truth by unerring cognition.

It is no exaggeration to say that King Kamsa is the typical atheist (i.e., empiricist as one who places faith in the material energy and sciences only) and that he is intent on immediately and aggressively suppressing the Truth (i.e., appearance of the Lord) wherever it (He) may manifest. The atheist has a natural repugnance for transcendence and is ever on the lookout for the appearance of Truth in this world.

Human beings have a natural inclination toward faith in a power that is greater than themselves and beyond their comprehension. Kamsa takes advantage of this by causing such faith to be linked to dogmatism and hypocrisy, which is presented as religious mystery and accepted as such by those having only limited discernment and discrimination.

Kamsa’s delusion that there is no difference between the material and so-called spiritual is strengthened by similar interpretations of the scriptures by others who share his atheistic understanding of life. Those who interpret the scriptures according to their own manufactured ideas, and manipulate the resulting conclusions are called word-jugglers (lexicographic interpreters).

Their word-jugglery is accepted by the rulers of the world as the genuine explanation of the scriptures, because the interpretations figure only a material understanding, ruling out any idea of transcendence beyond matter.

Kamsa and his contemporary counterparts are fully aware that if human society should develop an understanding of the transcendental, his plans of exploitation and control of people and material resources would be upset. Therefore he employs word-juggling intellectual agents (academics) to place their materialistic interpretation on any manifestation of the Truth the moment appears.

Historical precedent provides justification for his opinions. Therefore, if his materialistic domination is to be maintained he must be careful to demean and disparage any understanding of the transcendent truth the instant it makes it appearance. King Kamsa (read: Asura rulers) acting on his fear is quick to engage academic scholars, who make a “neutral, unbiased and scholarly” assessments of scripture that are “value neutral”, and their interpretations are given the highest credence due to their respectable academic standing. King Kamsa employs his academic serfs to make interpretations based on specious arguments and all manners of hypothetical possibilities, making use of high-sounding specialist vocabulary; all in order to obfuscate the true understanding of the eternal religious principles revealed in scripture.

He knows that this course of action is necessary because atheism failed to maintain its dominant position due to the neglect of such measures, allowing a theistic understanding to become established among the fanatical masses. However, this faith in the transcendent can be circumvented and made to yield to an empiric understanding if prompt and decisive measures are adopted at the outset.

Nonetheless, Kamsa’s conclusions are premature, due to his underestimating the potencies of The Almighty Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. When the Lord decides to manifest His presence, as pure cognitive essence to His devotees (see the opening sentence) they become immune to the sinister designs Kamsa had laid for them. Those devotees, regardless of their age, sex and physical or mental condition, display an apparently causeless faith despite Kamsa’s efforts, frustrating Kamsa’s intentions to mislead them to an atheistic understanding. The manifestation of the uncompromised Truth within those protected souls is utterly incompatible with, and thwarts, the monopolization of the atheistic agenda.

When the Lord establishes Himself as Truth in the cognitive understanding and discernment of His devotees, they are immune to the adverse effects of Kamsa’s atheistic propaganda. In contrast this result is as astonishing as it is unforeseen, because among the deluded souls Kamsa’s atheistic program is absolutely effective.

The Atheistic Agenda Begins at Birth

As soon as a child comes from its mother’s womb it is at once prey for the pseudo-teachers of religion. These imposters are employed by all established churches of the world and they effect the spiritual destruction of all children even with the cooperation of their parents. Such parents do not seek after the help of an able preceptor, not understanding the difference. This is due to the general atheistic disposition of the people in the world, which allows the pseudo-teachers of religion, the Putanas, to possess all the pulpits of the world. No human contrivance can avert this situation.

The Subversion of the Churches

The church that has the best chance of survival in this damned world is that of atheism under the convenient guise of theism. Churches have always proved to be the staunchest upholders of the grossest form of worldliness from which even the worst of non-ecclesiastical criminals are found to recoil.

It is not from any deliberate opposition to the ordained clergy that these observations are made. The original purpose of the established churches of the world may not always be objectionable, but no stable religious arrangement for instructing the masses has yet been successful. Therefore, the Supreme Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in pursuance of the teachings of the scriptures, makes allowance for the use of unconventional proselytizing methods for the teachers of the eternal religion. The corollary however, does not hold. It does not follow that the mechanical adoption of the unconventional life by any person will make him a fit teacher of religion. The acarya may abandon convention, but for conditioned souls, regulation is necessary for reigning in their inherent worldliness. Nonetheless, even for such a purpose, mechanical regulation has no value, because mechanical activity is not what imparts understanding of the Absolute Truth. The mere pursuit of fixed doctrines or liturgies cannot bend an unqualified person to the true spirit of the doctrine or liturgy. The bona fide teacher of the eternal religion is therefore neither a product of, nor favorer of, any mechanical system, yet in his hands whatever system he arranges has no possibility of degeneration or losing its potency.

So uniquely appropriate are his conventions that the very idea of an organized church in an intelligible form, instead of signaling unbounded success, marks the close of the living spiritual movement. The great ecclesiastical institutions are in fact established to act as dikes and the dams for the purpose of controlling a spiritual current that cannot possibly be limited by any such contrivances. Indeed, such institutions are created and followed because of a desire on the part of the mundane masses to exploit a spiritual movement for their own material purposes.

They also unmistakably indicate the end of the absolute and unconventional guidance of the bona fide spiritual teacher. These institutions incorporate preventive systems, for the purpose of control. However, they have no idea that the true spiritual life is an unrestricted positive eternal life, directed internally by love, and externally always free. Self-realization is always an individual process which will never be attained by the following of a crowd, nor can it be institutionalized to create ‘self-realized’ graduates.

It is a greatly mistaken understanding therefore, for anyone to believe that the apparently worldly successes of any truly spiritual movement will ameliorate the ills of the world. It is those expectants who, coveting such worldly results, become the misled patrons of the mischievous pseudo-teachers of religion, the Putanas, whose function is to stifle the theistic inclination at the very moment of its expected appearance. But the real theistic disposition can never be stifled by the efforts of those Putanas, who have power only over the atheist. It is a thankless but salutary task that they perform for the benefit of their willing victims.

When Krishna manifests Himself as the discriminating intelligence of the awakened soul, the Putanas are immediately and decisively silenced, unable to foist their crippled understanding against the discerning devotee. The potent conclusions put forth by the awakened soul effects the total destruction of Putana’s crooked personality, and the would -be slayer is herself slain. This is the reward for the negative services the Putanas unwittingly render—that of protecting theism by misdirecting worldly-minded hypocrites toward the pseudo-religion. Of course neither she, nor the Kamsas, are pleased by their loss. Such however, is the outcome at the appearance of the agent of the Absolute Truth.

The effective silencing of the whole race of pseudo-teachers of religion is the first clear indication of the appearance of the Absolute on the mundane plane. The bona-fide teacher of the Absolute, heralds the Advent of Krsna by his uncompromising campaign against the pseudo-teachers of religion. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura