Post by Jagannāth Miśra Dās on Apr 5, 2022 11:03:07 GMT -6
The Denuka Ass Syndrome. (DAS)
Śrīla Bhaktivinode Ṭhākura notes in his Śrī Kṛṣṇa Saṁhita that all the demons Govinda slew or vanquished in Vraja (Kṛṣṇa subdued 21 Asuras in Vraja, and Balarāma disposed of two) represent a particular anartha in Kṛṣṇa-bhakti-sādana. Denukāsura, according to Kṛṣṇa Saṁhita, represents the anartha of not relishing the scripture oneself, and actively barring others from doing so. The cowherd boys tell Kṛṣṇa of a fragrant aroma springing from the tāla fruits which awakens their keen appetite to savour the ripened juice, yet a braying ass, known as Denuka, forbids them to do so. Denuka aggressively obstructs anyone from tasting the mellow fruit, and neither does this ass relish the sweet fruit himself. Perhaps some are, or have been to various degrees, afflicted by DAS; in as much as they never relish the nectar of the Bhagavatam themselves, and frown most disapprovingly, and actively discourage by their own example and precept, the independent study of the nectar in the Bhagavatam; not neglecting to add that neither they, or you, are “qualified” to read the Bhagavatam, although precisely what our disqualification is, remains a mystery. The Bhagavatam (first canto, Ch. 3. verse 3) says that Sukadeva, out of karuṇa (compassion) spoke this purāna-guhyaṁ (secret or confidential Purāna) for those who are tamo’ndham saṁsāriṇāṁ (note the grammar, “saṁsāriṇā” refering to everyone in this samsara who is tamo’ndham, blinded by the darkness of ignorance) yet the braying ass retorts that we cannot possibly comprehend and savour the nectar by reading ourselves. Yet how else are we supposed to hear the Bhagavatam? In fact the only way to hear the Bhagavatam these days (or any book for that matter which was written in our sampradaya) is to actually pick it up and read it yourself. The ideal and coveted atmosphere of congenial sādhu sanga is not unfortunately always available, hence let’s read in the meantime, turning a deaf ear to the braying ass, who may not want us to, just because he cannot taste the ambrosia himself. Most “classes” are overflowing with encouraging exhortations to always think, remember and hear Krsna’s pastimes, but they never, or rarely, actually get round to actually talking about Krsna. That’s why devotees leave institutions, chased away by the boring braying ass. Bhaktivinode advises us to “slay this ass.”