Chaitanya charitamrita

Mātsarya (Envy)
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura deliberates upon envy according to the Vaiṣṇava perspective, presenting mātsarya as a direct competitor to divine love (prema) and examining the harm it inflicts upon a practising devotee. First published in Sajjana Toṣaṇī, Vol. 4.

by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
translated by Swami B.V. Giri and Sanātana Dāsa

The word ‘envy’ is applied in many places and is used in connection to various things – envy of another’s good fortune, being disturbed at seeing the wealth of others, displeasure and jealousy etc. are some of the various examples. Wherever the word envy (mātsarya) has been explained in the Vaiṣṇava scriptures, it is fully understood that its influence is the competitor of divine love (prema).

dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo ‘tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām

The path described in the Bhāgavatam is entirely devoid of any dishonest purpose. It is held in adoration by those who are free of the flaw of envy. (Bhāg.1.1.2)

In these words of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, it has been revealed who is eligible to receive the highest conception of dharma. In the scriptures, it is indicated that prema-rasa is the topmost dharma. One who is non-envious is eligible to receive that. The quality of non-enviousness is called nirmatsarata. Although respected commentators have explained mātsarya as feeling miserable at seeing the happiness of others and taking pleasure in the sufferings of others, nevertheless, they have not revealed the broader meaning of this word and the general populace cannot understand it.

The ignorant baddha-jīvas are tightly bound in the material world by six things – lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness and envy. These are said to be the six categories. These are the transformations of the fivefold miseries – ignorance, forgetfulness, self-absorption, attachment and jealousy. Absorption in material objects in relation to the origin of lust has been explained in Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā (2.62-63):

saṅgat sañjayate kāmaḥ
kāmāt krodho’bhijāyate
krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ
sammohāt smṛti-vibhramaḥ
smṛti-bhraṁśād buddhi-nāśo
buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati

In association with material attachment, lust develops; from lust anger arises. From anger, delusion appears. Delusion means unlawful material greed. From material greed, moha or bewilderment of memory appears. From moha, intelligence is destroyed, which means that one becomes mad and bereft of the understanding of what is right and wrong. By madness one is destroyed which means that the living entity becomes ruined by envy.

This instruction has also been mentioned (Gītā 3.43):

evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā
saṁstabhyātmānam ātmanā
jahi śatruṁ mahā-bāho
kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam

O mighty armed Arjuna, knowing that individual unit of consciousness to be superior to the intelligence, steady the mind with firm intelligence and conquer this indomitable enemy in the form of lust.

Considering the jīva as fully spiritual, beyond intelligence, with determination and through proper siddhānta, by subduing the mind, one must conquer the formidable enemy of lust.

From all of these instructions, it can be understood that this sprout of lust, arising due to the misconception of one’s own svarūpa, in due course of its development, becomes transformed into the tree of enviousness, and thereby the dharma of the jīva, which is prema, remains inapproachable. There is lust in anger, and in greed there is anger as well as lust. In illusion there is anger and lust. In madness there is greed, anger and lust. In enviousness there is madness, illusion, greed, anger and lust. We may understand that the word ‘mada’ (insanity) refers to the six types of bewilderment which includes being intoxicated by one’s beauty, one’s caste, one’s education etc.

All sufferings of the jīva arise due to enviousness. Ignorance, the desire to commit sin, the desire to perform pious activities and impious activities – all of these are included within envy. On one side is Vaiṣṇava dharma, which refers to service to the Vaiṣṇavas, mercy to the living entities and a taste for the Holy Name – on the other side, is enviousness. Whoever feels pleasure at the distress of others can never display mercy to the jīvas. The sweet mood of love for the Lord cannot arise within him. He has innate hatred or enmity towards the Vaiṣṇava. Only those who are without envy can fully accept the purport of the tṛṇād api verse. Śrīman Mahāprabhu has spoken (in the third verse of Śikṣāṣṭakam):

tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā
amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

One who is humbler than a blade of grass, more forbearing than a tree who gives due honour to others without desiring it for himself is qualified to always chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. (Śikṣāṣṭakam 3)

One who is devoid of envy cannot have false pride due to wealth, material beauty, caste, education and material strength; therefore, he knows himself to be lower than a blade of grass. A non-envious person cannot be dominated by anger and cannot be envious towards others; therefore, he is more tolerant than a tree. In other words, he is most munificent. Being devoid of all false conceptions due to caste, education etc. a non-envious person becomes endowed with all good qualities and thus has no desire for name and fame. Thus he never expects any respect for himself. A non-envious person finds happiness in the happiness of others and is sad at the miseries of other; therefore he gives proper honour to all living beings. Generally, with mercy he shows respect to all jīvas; with proper honour he respects the brāhmaṇas; he appropriately satisfies those within the cultured section of society who have become somewhat inclined towards Vaisnavism, and he serves the lotus feet of the Vaiṣṇavas. By his very nature, the person who is without envy –

Does not make offences to sādhus.
Does not consider the demigods to be independent, for his intelligence is absorbed only in Kṛṣṇa, yet he does not disrespect them.
Shows appropriate respect to the spiritual preceptors.
Appropriately honours the bhakti-śāstras which includes the śrutis etc.
Gives up unnecessary arguments and develops the faith that nāma and nāmi are non-different. He considers the Holy Name as the highest worshipable reality.
Does not engage in sinful activities on the strength of the Holy Name.
Does not consider pious activities such as dharma, vows, austerities etc. to be equal to the Holy Name.
Makes an effort to develop faith in the faithless, but does not instruct them about the Holy Name until that faith has awakened.
Has complete faith in the glories of the Holy Name that is described in the śāstras.
Does not identify himself with material conceptions.

O readers! Non-enviousness alone is liberation and enviousness is entanglement. Thus, in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 9. 361) it is said:

caitanya-caritra śuna śraddhā bhakti kari
mātsarya chāḍiyā mukhe bala hari hari

Endowed with full faith and devotion, listen to the lifework of Śrī Caitanya. Cast aside envy and let your mouth sing, Hari, Hari!

(Mātsarya (Envy) is from Sajjana-toṣaṇi, Vol.4 – translated from the original Bengali by Swami B.V. Giri and Sanātana Dāsa)

premāñjana-churita-bhakti-vilocanena
santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti
yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

I worship Govinda, the original Person, who is always seen by those devotees whose devotional eyes are anointed with the salve of divine love. Within their hearts, He is seen by them in His form of Śyāmasundara, along with His inconceivable qualities. (Brahma-saṁhitā 5.38)

https://www.facebook.com/RamanandaSamavada

Join me for spiritual discussions.

Chaitanya charitamrita Gaudiya-Vaishnava Siddanta; Nitai Gauranga Lila; Harinama Sankirtana; Gaudiya Siddanta; Sat Sandharbha; Vedas, Sruiti, Smriti, Puranadi, Pracharatriki Viddhi vina; Spiritual Knowledge in relation to All Secular & Academic Studies, Theology; Philosophy

CC Madhya 11.31

আরাধনানাং সর্বেষাং বিষ্ণোরারাধনং পরম্ ।
তস্মাৎ পরতরং দেবি তদীয়ানাং সমর্চনম্ ॥ ৩১ ॥

ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ
viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param
tasmāt parataraṁ devi
tadīyānāṁ samarcanam

Synonyms
ārādhanānām — of varieties of worship; sarveṣām — all; viṣṇoḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu; ārādhanam — worship; param — the most exalted; tasmāt — and above such worship of Lord Viṣṇu; parataram — of greater value; devi — O goddess; tadīyānām — of persons in relationship with Lord Viṣṇu; samarcanam — rigid and firm worship.

Translation
“[Lord Śiva told the goddess Durgā:] ‘My dear Devī, although the Vedas recommend worship of demigods, the worship of Lord Viṣṇu is topmost. However, above the worship of Lord Viṣṇu is the rendering of service to Vaiṣṇavas, who are related to Lord Viṣṇu.’

Purport
The Vedas are divided into three divisions — karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa and upāsanā-kāṇḍa. These are activities dealing with fruitive work, empiric philosophical speculation and worship. There are recommendations in the Vedas for the worship of various demigods as well as Lord Viṣṇu. In this quotation from the Padma Purāṇa, Lord Śiva answers a question posed to him by goddess Durgā. This verse is also included in the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (2.4), by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. The words viṣṇor ārādhanam refer to the worship of Lord Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa. Thus the supreme form of worship is the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It is further concluded that the worshiper of Lord Viṣṇu renders better service by worshiping the devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. There are different types of devotees — those in śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa and mādhurya-rasa. Although all the rasas are on the transcendental platform, mādhurya-rasa is the supreme transcendental mellow. Consequently it is concluded that the worship of devotees engaged in the Lord’s service in mādhurya-rasa is the supreme spiritual activity. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His followers mainly worship Lord Kṛṣṇa in mādhurya-rasa. Other Vaiṣṇava ācāryas recommended worship up to vātsalya-rasa. Therefore Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Vidagdha-mādhava (1.2) describes Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s cult as supreme:

anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in this Age of Kali to exhibit the superexcellence of mādhurya-rasa, a gift never previously bestowed by any ācārya or incarnation. Consequently Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is accepted as the most magnanimous incarnation. It is He only who distributed love of Kṛṣṇa while exhibiting the superexcellence of loving Kṛṣṇa in the conjugal rasa.