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Friday, August 26, 2011

Overindulgence mitigates sensual desires

Overindulgence in lusty desires mitigates sensual desires…sounds contradictory but this is what Saint Narada is saying. I was reading this sloka from Srimad Bhagavatam and really surprised me. It says if we indulge in excessive sense gratification, being fed up we will turn to spiritual life. I find it difficult to accept because Maya is so strong that she will keep us within her shackles. However, this sloka is spoken by the saintly Narada rishi…so this is something we have to take into consideration. Below is the translation and purport.

Translation
My dear King, if an agricultural field is cultivated again and again, the power of its production decreases, and whatever seeds are sown there are lost. Just as drops of ghee on a fire never extinguish the fire but a flood of ghee will, similarly, overindulgence in lusty desires mitigates such desires entirely.

Purport
If one continuously sprinkles drops of ghee on a fire, the fire will not be extinguished, but if one suddenly puts a lump of ghee on a fire, the fire may possibly be extinguished entirely. Similarly, those who are too sinful and have thus been born in the lower classes are allowed to enjoy sinful activities fully, for thus there is a chance that these activities will become detestful to them, and they will get the opportunity to be purified.

- SB 7.11.33-34

Hare Krishna

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