Nobody is Free from Karma and Curses

Around 21 million years ago is when Ramayan took place in India. During that time there was an incident in which Bali (also known as Vali) had kidnapped Sugriva’s wife. Lord Shri Ram considered kidnapping women as an evil act and said Bali deserves the death penalty to set an example of honoring the respect for females. Lord Shri Ram shot an arrow at Bali to kill him. Before dying, Bali asks Lord Shri Ram for forgiveness and Bali breathes his last breath in the hands of Lord Shri Ram.

After 21 million years, Bali is born as Jara, the hunter. He shoots Lord Krishna in His leg and He satisfies the wishes of Jara by leaving this material world in His original form and His duplicate body is cremated to avoid bewildering the public. Lord Krishna was God in His original form, but only a selected few people knew this, the majority of people thought He was a great prince and human being.

Lord Krishna is NOT subjected to the laws of nature, because He created them, and He is the origin of the material creation. But by His own example He shows us that nobody is free from karma and curses. So that we learn to be good human beings and not take bad actions.

Gandhari lost all her 100 sons in the Mahabharat war and was lamenting over this. She blamed it on Lord Krishna and cursed Him that all His children would also die in battle. To ensure that the words of a truthful person like Gandhri are honored and to set an example for everyone. Lord Krishna arranged it so that all His children would die in battle. One must be very careful not to offend a person who is truthful.

There are many gurus who hype up people with lies by saying things like “Living in Vrindavan guarantees liberation…” They fail to tell people that only if they are sinless, have completed their prescribed duties, and followed the scriptural injunctions. Then they can get liberation, and not merely by living in Vrindavan or any other place. It’s the actions we take that matter and not where we live. If someone is living a pious life in Sudan, they will for sure go back to the spiritual world at the end of this life. If someone is living in Vrindavan and lying, or treating people badly, or not doing their prescribed duties. Then for sure they will go to hell. The master of Vrindvan, Lord Krishna, shows by His own example that by living in Vrindavan, one does not become free from karma and curses.

“The self-effulgent Vaikuṇṭha planets, by whose illumination alone all the illuminating planets within this material world give off reflected light, cannot be reached by those who are not merciful to other living entities. Only persons who constantly engage in welfare activities for other living entities can reach the Vaikuṇṭha planets.” (Shrimad-Bhagavatam 4.12.36)

We should live in the mode of goodness by being truthful, compassionate, charitable, setting good examples, and doing good to others.

“Mind and sense control, tolerance, discrimination, sticking to one’s prescribed duty, truthfulness, mercy, careful study of the past and future, satisfaction in any condition, generosity, renunciation of sense gratification, faith in the spiritual master, being embarrassed at improper action, charity, simplicity, humbleness and satisfaction within oneself are qualities of the mode of goodness. Material desire, great endeavor, audacity, dissatisfaction even in gain, false pride, praying for material advancement, considering oneself different and better than others, sense gratification, rash eagerness to fight, a fondness for hearing oneself praised, the tendency to ridicule others, advertising one’s own prowess and justifying one’s actions by one’s strength are qualities of the mode of passion. Intolerant anger, stinginess, speaking without scriptural authority, violent hatred, living as a parasite, hypocrisy, chronic fatigue, quarrel, lamentation, delusion, unhappiness, depression, sleeping too much, false expectations, fear and laziness constitute the major qualities of the mode of ignorance. Now please hear about the combination of these three modes.”  (Lord Krishna, Shrimad-Bhagavatam 11.25.2-5)