0 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,504 Story 43 Visvamitra Muni 1 00:00:00,505 --> 00:00:02,570 PRABHUPĀDA: Now, there is a story. 2 00:00:02,571 --> 00:00:03,790 There are many stories. 3 00:00:03,791 --> 00:00:07,950 One of them I am citing is very interesting. 4 00:00:07,951 --> 00:00:10,633 Viśvāmitra Muni. 5 00:00:10,634 --> 00:00:14,409 Viśvāmitra Muni, he was a great king, 6 00:00:14,410 --> 00:00:25,039 kṣatriya, but his priest, Vasiṣṭha Muni, he had great spiritual power. 7 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:27,582 So he renounced his kingdom. 8 00:00:27,583 --> 00:00:30,656 He wanted to advance. 9 00:00:30,657 --> 00:00:37,362 He was kingly, royal order, but still, he wanted to advance in the spiritual orders. 10 00:00:37,363 --> 00:00:42,363 So he adopted yoga process: meditation. 11 00:00:42,364 --> 00:00:46,824 That time it was possible for adopting this process. 12 00:00:46,825 --> 00:00:48,756 Yoga process. 13 00:00:48,757 --> 00:00:56,180 So he was meditating in such a way that the Indra, 14 00:00:56,181 --> 00:00:59,625 who was the king of heaven, 15 00:00:59,626 --> 00:01:04,214 he thought that “This man is trying to occupy my post.” 16 00:01:04,215 --> 00:01:11,244 As there is competition… This is also… Heaven means that is also material world. 17 00:01:11,245 --> 00:01:12,977 So this competition… 18 00:01:12,978 --> 00:01:17,693 No businessman wants and another businessman [to] go ahead. 19 00:01:17,694 --> 00:01:19,631 He wants to cut down. 20 00:01:19,632 --> 00:01:22,480 Competition of price, quality. 21 00:01:22,481 --> 00:01:31,417 Similarly, that Indra, he thought that, “This man is so strongly meditating, 22 00:01:31,418 --> 00:01:37,386 it may be that I may be deposed and he come to my seat.” 23 00:01:37,387 --> 00:01:47,750 Then he arranged one of his society girls, Menakā, to go there and allure this muni. 24 00:01:47,751 --> 00:01:55,590 So when Menakā approached that ṛṣi, Viśvāmitra Ṛṣi, he was meditating. 25 00:01:55,591 --> 00:02:00,305 And simply by the sound of her bangles, 26 00:02:00,306 --> 00:02:03,806 [he] could understand, “There is some woman.” 27 00:02:03,807 --> 00:02:09,157 And as soon as he saw there was heavenly, 28 00:02:09,158 --> 00:02:14,231 celestial beauty, he was captivated. 29 00:02:14,232 --> 00:02:19,297 Then there was a result, that… Hmm… And… A Śakuntalā. 30 00:02:19,298 --> 00:02:22,547 Perhaps some of you may know. 31 00:02:22,548 --> 00:02:27,996 There is a book made by Kālidāsa, Śakuntalā. 32 00:02:27,997 --> 00:02:33,666 This Śakuntalā is supposed to be the most beautiful girl in the world, 33 00:02:33,667 --> 00:02:40,245 and she was born by this combination of Viśvāmitra Muni and Menakā. 34 00:02:40,246 --> 00:02:43,458 So when this girl was born, 35 00:02:43,459 --> 00:02:46,093 then Viśvāmitra thought, 36 00:02:46,094 --> 00:02:50,605 “Oh, I was advancing in my spiritual culture, 37 00:02:50,606 --> 00:02:53,048 and again I have been entrapped.” 38 00:02:53,049 --> 00:02:55,038 So he was going out. 39 00:02:55,039 --> 00:03:01,176 At the same time his wife Menakā brought this girl before [him], 40 00:03:01,177 --> 00:03:04,342 and little child is always attractive. 41 00:03:04,343 --> 00:03:08,519 She showed that “Oh, you have got such a nice girl. Huh? 42 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,265 Such beautiful girl, and you are going away? 43 00:03:11,266 --> 00:03:13,489 No, no, you should take care.” 44 00:03:13,490 --> 00:03:15,929 So there is a picture. 45 00:03:15,930 --> 00:03:18,480 Very nice; that is a very famous picture. 46 00:03:18,481 --> 00:03:22,010 That Menakā is showing Viśvāmitra Muni the girl, 47 00:03:22,011 --> 00:03:25,418 and the muni is like that, “No more show me.” 48 00:03:25,419 --> 00:03:27,174 Yes, there is a picture. 49 00:03:27,175 --> 00:03:29,898 That is… Then he went away. 50 00:03:29,899 --> 00:03:33,710 So there are chances of failure. [splice] 51 00:03:33,711 --> 00:03:42,845 Just like a great sage like Viśvāmitra Muni, he also failed, failed for the time being. 52 00:03:42,846 --> 00:03:52,098 But Kṛṣṇa says that this failure is not, I mean to say, unsuccessful. 53 00:03:52,099 --> 00:03:57,983 As we have sometimes the proverb, that “Failure is the pillar of success,” 54 00:03:57,984 --> 00:04:04,240 so especially in the spiritual life, this failure is not discouraging. 55 00:04:04,241 --> 00:04:06,787 This failure is not discouraging. 56 00:04:06,788 --> 00:04:15,639 So Kṛṣṇa says that “Even one fails in completing his spiritual course, 57 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:26,686 still, there is no loss on his part.” 58 00:04:26,687 --> 00:04:26,688 Subtitles by Pratyatoṣa Dāsa, Causelessmercy.com