Story 04 Arjunacarya
PRABHUPĀDA: Now this Arjunācārya…that’s a very nice story.
When he was writing commentaries,
oh, he thought, “How is that Lord will come Himself and deliver the goods?
Oh, it is not possible.
He might be sending through some agent.”
So he wanted to cut vahāmy aham, “I bear the burden and deliver.”
He wrote in a way that “I send some agent who delivers.”
So that Arjunācārya went to take bath,
and in the meantime two boys, very beautiful boys,
they brought some very nice foodstuff in large quantity.
And in India there is a process to taking two sides burden on the bamboo.
Just like a scale it is balanced.
So these two boys brought some very highly valuable foodstuff
and grains and ghee,
and his wife was there.
And the boys said, “My dear mother, Arjunācārya has sent these goods to you.
Please take delivery.”
And ah… “Oh, you are so nice boy, you are so beautiful boys, and he has given.
And Ācārya is not so cruel.
How is that?
He has given so much burden to you, and he is not kind…?”
“Oh, I was not taking, and just see, he has beaten me.
Here is cane mark; oh, see.”
His wife became very much astonished, that “Ācārya is not so cruel.
How he has become so cruel?”
So she was thinking in that way.
Then “All right, my dear boys; you come on.”
And gave him shelter.
And ah… “No; I shall go because Arjunācārya again comes.
He will chastise us.”
“No, no, you sit down, take foodstuff.”
[She] prepared foodstuff, and then they went away.
And when Arjunācārya came back, then he saw that his wife is eating.
Because it is the system of Indian families that after the husband has taken the food,
the wife will take.
So, they don’t take together.
After the family members—
the boys and the husband is sumptuously fed—then the housewife takes.
So Arjunācārya, “No, you are taking food?
Why is… What is that?”
No.
No! He did not; I am mistaken; sorry, sir.
Wife said, “Ācārya, you have become so much cruel nowadays?”
“Oh, what is that?”
“Two boys, very nice boys, they have brought so many foodstuff.
You loaded on their head,
and they denied to take it, and you have beaten them, chastised?
No; I have never done this; why shall I do it?”
Then she described, “Oh, such a nice beautiful boy.”
Then Arjunācārya understood,
that “Because I wanted that God does not deliver, so He has delivered these goods,
and because I cut these alphabets that He does not give personally,
so He has shown that beating mark.”
There is an incident in southern India of Yāmunācārya.
That story is there, of course,
you may believe or not believe; that’s a different thing.
But here the Lord says that “I personally deliver.”
So, those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness,
those who are actually busy in the matter of discharging their duties
as a Kṛṣṇa conscious person,
they may be assured that so far their living condition is concerned,
or their comforts of life is concerned,
that is assured by the Lord; there will be no hampering.
Thank you very much.
Subtitles by Pratyatoṣa Dāsa, Causelessmercy.com