THE PRABHUPADA CONNECTION
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Utilizing Anger in Krishna's Service
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"One who has developed love for Viṣṇu must develop love and respect for Viṣṇu's devotees. Lord Śiva is considered the foremost personality amongst the Vaiṣṇavas. Vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ. Thus when Satī saw that her father was performing great sacrifices but had no respect for the greatest devotee, Lord Śiva, she was very angry. This is fitting; when Viṣṇu or a Vaiṣṇava is insulted, one should be angry. Lord Caitanya, who always preached nonviolence, meekness and humility, also became angry when Nityānanda was offended by Jagāi and Mādhāi, and He wanted to kill them. When Viṣṇu or a Vaiṣṇava is blasphemed or dishonored, one should be very angry. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said, krodha bhakta-dveṣi jane. We have anger, and that anger can be a great quality when directed against a person who is envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His devotee. One should not be tolerant when a person is offensive towards Viṣṇu or a Vaiṣṇava. The anger of Satī towards her father was not objectionable, for although he was her father, he was trying to insult the greatest Vaiṣṇava. Thus Satī's anger against her father was quite applaudable."

(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.4.10, Purport)

"There is a short story in this connection about a snake who became a devotee upon instruction by Nārada, who instructed him not to bite anymore. Since ordinarily a snake's business is to fatally bite other living entities, as a devotee he was forbidden to do so. Unfortunately, people took advantage of this nonviolence on the part of the snake, especially the children, who began to throw stones at him. He did not bite anyone, however, because it was the instruction of his spiritual master. After a while, when the snake met his spiritual master, Nārada, he complained, 'I have given up the bad habit of biting innocent living entities, but they are mistreating me by throwing stones at me.' Upon hearing this, Nārada Muni instructed him, 'Don't bite, but do not forget to expand your hood as if you were going to bite. Then they will go away.' Similarly, a devotee is always nonviolent; he is qualified with all good characteristics. But, in the common world, when there is mischief made by others, he should not forget to become angry, at least for the time being, in order to drive away the miscreants."

(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.11.31, Purport)

"Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung in his prema-bhakti-candrikā, 'krodha' bhakta-dveṣi jane: anger should be used to punish a demon who is envious of devotees. Kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mada and mātsarya—lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride and envy—all have their proper use for the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotee. A devotee of the Lord cannot tolerate blasphemy of the Lord or His other devotees, and the Lord also cannot tolerate blasphemy of a devotee. Thus Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva was so very angry that the great demigods like Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva and even the goddess of fortune, who is the Lord's constant companion, could not pacify Him, even after offering prayers of glorification and praise. No one was able to pacify the Lord in His anger, but because the Lord was willing to exhibit His affection for Prahlāda Mahārāja, all the demigods and the others present before the Lord pushed Prahlāda Mahārāja forward to pacify Him."

(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.1, Purport)

"Anger... A devotee should not be angry. But that does not mean that he has lost his capacity of anger. No. Everything is there. Just like a person does not have illicit sex. That does not mean he has no sexual capacity. He has full sexual capacity, but he does not want to do it unless it is required for certain purpose. That example is given: just like the tortoise. The tortoise, as soon as he likes, he opens his different limbs from the body, and as soon as he does not like, immediately winds within the body. So we should be like that. That is real control.

So vimanyavaḥ means that devotee does not generally become angry. But that does not mean that he has lost his power of becoming angry. No. He can become angry at any time, when it is required. And he should be angry? He is angry, krodha bhakta-dveṣi janam. He'll be angry when there is somebody who's against God and God's devotee. He'll be angry. As soon as one says, blasphemes, that 'I am God. There is no God,' immediately he should be very angry because he is preaching false things. He's blaspheming against the Supreme Lord, that he is making God as very cheap. He should be angry. Bhakta-dveṣi. Just like our student Govinda dāsī in Hawaii. In a meeting she became very angry when the so-called incarnation of God and God... Perhaps you know this incident. And the people did not say, of course, Govinda dāsī, but they heard her husband, Gaurasundara. But she became very angry, that 'These rascals,' and so many things she spoke. (laughs) So she did right, like a heroine. I very much liked it.

So we should be very much angry. When? When there is anything against God and God's devotee. But generally, for my personal interest, I should not be angry. 'All right, if you like to call me by ill names, I don't mind. You go on with your business.' I do not become angry. So just like Hanumānjī, Vajrāṅgajī. Vajrāṅgajī, he set fire in the kingdom of Rāvaṇa. A very beautiful kingdom, almost made of gold, but he set fire in that capital of Laṅka. He became very angry. But why he became angry? Not for his personal interest. But he was angry for the interest of Lord Rāma. Sītā, the Lakṣmī, wife of Lord Rāma, was kidnapped by this man Rāvaṇa, and he was very angry that 'He has kidnapped my Lord's spiritual energy, Sītā. I shall set fire in his very valuable capital.' So this anger, this demonstration of anger and setting fire was accepted as service. So we should know when to be angry. Not that for our personal interest we shall be. Generally, those who are devotees, they are not angry."

(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, London, September 14, 1969)

"So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that we can utilize these enemies, kāma, krodha, lobha—lust, anger, greediness. They can be utilized also for Kṛṣṇa's service. Kāma means lusty. One should be so much lusty to serve Kṛṣṇa. Just like we become lusty to have our desired object, similarly, we should be lusty to work for Kṛṣṇa as a madman: 'I must do it.' That is the utilization of lustiness.

Kāma, krodha. 'Krodha' bhakta-dveṣi-jane (Prema-bhakti-candrikā). One should be very much angry upon a person who is envious of the devotees. Yes. A pure devotee, satāṁ nindā, a pure devotee who is trying to spread the holy name of God, if somebody becomes envious upon him, that person is a great offender. So another devotee should be very much angry upon such person. 'Krodha' bhakta-dveṣi-jane. Bhakta-dveṣi means one who is envious of a pure devotee. And who is a pure devotee? Who is trying to spread the holy name of the Lord all over the world. Satāṁ nindā. This is offense.

So a devotee can utilize all these elements—lustiness, anger, kāma, krodha, greediness, and moha. Illusion also can be utilized. Just like illusion... Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me (CC Antya 20.39): 'I see everything vacant, being separated from Govinda.' So when one is bewildered, illusioned, that can be also there. You become bewildered, illusioned, being separated from Govinda."

(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Allahabad, January 15, 1971)

"You have got the fighting spirit. How to utilize it? Yes. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura recommends, krodha bhakta-dveṣī-jane: 'Those who are envious of God or God's devotee, you can utilize your anger upon them.' You can utilize. The anger you cannot give up. Our business is how to utilize it. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, London, August 6, 1973)

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