HEROES OF COMPASSION

"To show compassion to others in this world is the greatest way of pleasing the Supreme Lord." - Radhanath Swami.

Compassion is one of the core quality of a civilized and a refined person. And for a spiritual practitioner who wants to experience higher levels of consciousness and please the Supreme Consciousness, the quality of compassion is of utmost importance. Compassion is defined in the Oxford dictionary as "a strong feeling of sympathy for people who are suffering and a desire to help them." In the Sanskrit language, compassion is denoted by several words - daya, karuna, kripa.

Chankaya Pandit, one of the greatest scholars of India mentions that "the ability to see other's suffering as one's own" (aatmavat manyate jagat) as one of the main characteristics of one in knowledge. In the same mood, the Vaishnava acharyas define a devotee as "one who becomes sad seeing the sadness of others" (para dukha dukhi). If we study the Vedic literatures, we will find many classic examples of devotees who exemplified this great virtue of compassion in their lives. These towering personalities and their lives will ever remain as benchmarks for all devotees to follow for generations to come. Here are few stories of compassion from the life of few greatly compassionate souls.

HARIDAS THAKUR - Wishing best for one's worst enemies
Haridas was born in a Muslim family in Bengal but somehow he developed great attachment to chanting the Holynames of Krishna. He would continuously and incessantly chant Krishna's names. It was as if chanting was an addiction for him, he just couldn't stop chanting. Some of the ritualistic Hindus went and complained to the Nawab, the local Muslim magistrate that Haridas is offending the Hindus by chanting the names of thier Gods. The Nawab rebuked Haridas, saying, “Chant the names of God as they are found in your own religion and stop practicing other peoples’ religion. If you don’t, you will have to face a very severe punishment.” Haridas Thakur answered with conviction:

khanda khanda haï
deha jay jadi prana
tabu ami vadane
na chari hari-nama

”You may cut my body to pieces, and the life may leave it. But I will never abandon the Holyname which my tongue will ever continue to chant.” (Chaitanya Bhagavat 16.91)

This statement demonstrated Haridas’s unswerving determination in his worship of the Holynames. The ordinary living entity is bound up in Maya and so considers the well-being of the body to be more important than worshiping the Lord but those who are transcendentalists recognize that the body and its interests are fleeting, and so they put them aside and concentrate on their real self interest - that of the soul, and worship of the Lord. When the Nawab saw that Haridas Thakur’s determination to continue chanting the names of Krishna was unbreakable, he asked the Kazi, the Muslim ruler what should be done. The Kazi answered, “He should be given such a severe punishment that other Muslims will be afraid to convert. He should be flogged publicly in 22 market places until he is dead. If after being beaten in 22 market places he is still alive, then we will know that he really has some kind of spiritual power and that he has been telling the truth!”

The Nawab gave the order and several infantry men took Haridas Thakur from marketplace to marketplace, giving him a cruel flogging with a cane in each one. Even then, he did not die. Krishna’s mercy protected his body and kept him conscious only of the joys of the Holyname, and so he did not feel the slightest discomfiture. In spite of being ruthlessly flogged by these sinful people, he did not stop praying to the Lord for the well being of his torturers. That was the deep compassion of his heart.

Normally, the type of beating that was being given to Haridas would have killed an ordinary man after only two or three marketplaces. When his torturers saw that he was still alive after 22 marketplaces, they began to worry. The Kazi would not believe that they had really flogged Haridas if he remained alive, and he would surely punish them by ordering them to be killed. When Haridas saw that his torturers were inconvenienced by his remaining alive, he went into a deep trance of meditation on Krishna, appearing to everyone as though dead. He just didn't want to inconvenience anyone for his convenience.

The infantry men took the body of Haridas to the Nawab and he ordered it to be buried. But the Kazi objected, saying that because Haridas had engaged in such reprehensible activities, he should not be buried but thrown in the water. So on the Kazi’s order, Haridas’s body was flung into the Ganges. To everyone’s surprise, Haridas floated to the other shore where he climbed onto dry land and started chanting the Holynames in a loud voice. Both the Nawab and the Kazi realized that he was a real saint or pir and they fell to the ground in obeisances and begged him for forgiveness. By his grace, they were able to become free of their offences. The Nawab gave Haridas official permission to continue to chant the Holynames of Krishna. This story among many things highlights the deep sense of compassion of Haridas Thakur. His soft heartedness won the heart of both the gentle and the ruffians. Personalities like Haridas are the true heroes of humanity.

EMPEROR PARIKSIT - Deliverance from hell
The Srimad Bhagvatam mentions the example of King Pariksit as another classic example of compassion. Pariksit was a Emperor of the world who was cursed to die in seven days. He at once relinquished his opulent kingdom, went to the forest and humbly sought shelter at the feet of Sukadev Goswami and begged him for enlightenment in spiritual matters. During the course of the discourse that Sukadev Goswami was delivering, he explains the different hellish planets and the various kinds of sufferings inflicted upon the residents there. Hearing this description, Pariksit interrupted Sukadev and asked him -

adhuneha mahā-bhāga
yathaiva narakān naraḥ
nānogra-yātanān neyāt
tan me vyākhyātum arhasi

"O greatly fortunate and opulent Sukadeva Gosvami, now kindly tell me how human beings may be saved from having to enter hellish conditions in which they suffer terrible pains." (Srimad Bhagvatam 6.1.6)

Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport to this verse - "A Vaishnava is para-duhkha-duhkhi; in other words, he has no personal troubles, but he is very unhappy to see others in trouble. Prahlada Maharaja said, "My Lord, I have no personal problems, for I have learned how to glorify Your transcendental qualities and thus enter a trance of ecstasy. I do have a problem, however, for I am simply thinking of these rascals and fools who are busy with maya-sukha, temporary happiness, without knowledge of devotional service unto You." This is the problem faced by a Vaishnava. Because a Vaishnava fully takes shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he personally has no problems, but because he is compassionate toward the fallen, conditioned souls, he is always thinking of plans to save them from their hellish life in this body and the next. Parikshit Maharaja, therefore, anxiously wanted to know from Sukadeva Gosvami how humanity can be saved from gliding down to hell."

This is the mood of Pariksit. He is not bothered that he is going to die in a few days, he is more concerned with relieving the suffering of those in the hellish planets and saving others from entering there. He is concerned about people whom he has not met and no connection with. No one can understand the depth of a Vaishnava's heart. It can accommodate the whole world.

VASUDEV DUTTA - Personification of compassion
While speaking of compassion, how can we not mention the name of one of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's most intimate associate - Vasudev Dutta. Whenever Lord Chaitanya spoke about Vasudev Dutta, He would praise him as if he had one thousand mouths. Once in Jagannath Puri, the Lord was glorifying Vasudev Dutta in this spirit in the presence of all the devotees. Vasudev Dutta was very embarrassed. Some how or other he spoke and said, "My Lord, I have one request for you. For long time I have been waiting to ask you for this. You have descended to show your mercy to the most fallen. You have descended in to this world to alleviate the suffering of the conditioned souls and You are the Supreme Lord who is completely independent. Whatever You desire, no one can stop You from accomplishing. Please hear my one appeal. My heart breaks when I see the conditioned souls in this universe suffering due to forgetfulness of You. I beg You to let all of their sins, all of the karma of every living being in this universe fall on my head. Allow me to suffer hellish conditions perpetually and give everyone else liberation." Not only did the Vasudev Dutta say this but from the very core of his heart he meant it.

It affected Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu so deeply that Lord Caitanya’s body trembled and tears poured from his eyes and with choked up voice Lord Caitanya said, "It is not surprising that you have said this because you are Prahlada Maharaj. You are the personification of compassion." Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu declared Himself to be a prisoner in the heart of Vasudev Dutta because such kind of compassion conquers the Lord's heart. The unconquerable is conquered by the compassion of His devotee.

KING RANTI DEV - Gracefully embracing suffering
The ninth canto of Srimad Bhagvatam extolls the glories of another supremely compassionate King named Ranti dev. This is an unbelievable story. Ranti dev fasted for over 40 days with his family to purify his heart and for the welfare of all society. At the end of that fast he was brought food and water to break his fast. He offered his prayers and was about to break the fast. He was literally on the verge of death because of the fast. Just at that time a Brahman appeared and said "O Ranti dev, I am very hungry do you have any food?" So Ranti dev gave a whole portion and fed him to his full satisfaction. The Brahman left. As Rantidev was about to take Prasad, a Shudra appeared and said "O King, I am so hungry. Do you have anything to eat?" Ranti dev fed that person to his satisfaction as well as to rest of his family. Whatever little was left he was about to eat. His hands were trembling and somebody came with a pack of dogs and said, "My dogs are hungry, so am I. Do you have any food for us?" Ranti dev distributed all the food that was left to these dogs. All that was left was one little cup of water, just enough to keep him alive. As he was about to drink the water, a Chandala appeared and in a piteous voice he said "Oh, I am so thirsty. Do you have any water?"

At this point Ranti dev offered a deep and an exalted prayer with folded palms to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He said "My dear Lord, I do not beg from You all the eight mystic siddhis. I do not want from You liberation from all suffering nor liberation from the repetition of birth and death. I do not desire from You any heavenly pleasures. I only have one request. Let me remain here with the living entities of this material world and in every birth I take, give me the benediction that I could suffer on their behalf so that they could be liberated." Then Ranti dev gave the water to the Chandala in ecstasy. Suddenly Brahma, Shiva and other demigods appeared. They reveal to him that actually the Brahmana and the dogs and everybody who came to him were demigods who wanted to test him. Ranti dev had passed the left successfully. How can the true devotees of the Lord fail in the test of compassion? Not possible.

RAMANUJA - Mantra for deliverance
My favorite story of compassion is from the life of Sri Ramanujacharya, the greatest propounder of Vaishnavism. The story starts like this. In order to complete Ramanuja's education in Vaishnavism, Maha-purna, one of the spiritual masters of Ramanuja  advised him to go to Gosthi-purna, the most pre-eminent of  the Vaishnava acharyas of those times, to be initiated into the Vaishnava  Mantra with its full import. Ramanuja did so, but was asked by Gosthi-purna to come on another day. In this way, Ramanuja was refused eighteen times. At last, Ramanuja in despair laid down at the doorway  to Gosthi-purna's house and announced that he would fast to death  unless he was given the Mantra. Gosthi-purna relented being satisfied  with the earnestness and sincerity of Ramanuja. He imparted the Mantra with the special instruction that it should never be imparted  to anyone else. The Mantra was so potent that whoever heard it  would attain liberation after death, but the giver would be consigned to hell.

Full of gratitude, Ramanuja left. As he passed the temple of Vishnu in the village of Gosthi-pura, a strange feeling arose in his heart. He called all the townsfolk to come to the main gate where he would give them a priceless gem. Within a short time, the word spread like wildfire and all the people of the village assembled at the main gate of the temple. Ramanuja climbed up on the temple tower and in a loud voice called out to the assembly - "Brothers and sisters, all of you  are dearer to me than life itself. If you wish to be liberated from the  sufferings and afflictions of material existence and the repeated cycle of birth and death then  please recite this gem of a mantra with me three times." He then pronounced the sacred mantra "Om Namo Narayanaya". All the assembled crowd responded three times in unison. They chanted it and then became silent - the earth appeared like Vaikunta! All the men, women and children were enraptured, thier faces flushed with joy of sort that they never experienced before. They all prostrated themselves at the feet of Ramanuja and profusely thanked him.

News of this outrageous transgression of his order soon reached Gosthi-purna and when Ramanuja returned to salute him, Gosthi-purna  cursed him to burn in hell because of this gross and wilful transgression of his commandment. Clasping his Guru's feet in utter humility, Ramanuja said, "If so many people will go to Vaikuntha by chanting the Mantra and be liberated from so much suffering, it doesn't make a big difference if an insignificant creature like me goes to hell for enternality. This is my greatest honour. Let hell be mine and Vaikuntha be thiers. I am happy." Gosthi-purna was dumbfounded. This total self-abnegation and loving compassion of Ramanuja melted the heart of Gosthi-purna. He immediately prostrated himself before Ramanuja and  accepted him as his Guru declaring that from now onwards Ramanuja would be known by the title Emberumanar - Our Master.

These are just few stories from the life of few great souls who walked on this planet. These are our true heroes and they are our role models to follow. If we can be blessed with an iota of compassion that they had, our lives will be blessed and we can be a via medium of blessings in the lives of others. The world is in dire need to more compassionate people, people who care and feel for others. I will end this blog with a prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. This is a prayer that I have always cherished. May this prayer be our goal and our reason to live.

"O Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."
- Achyut Gopal Das