{"id":10743,"date":"2020-08-13T08:41:59","date_gmt":"2020-08-13T12:41:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/?p=10743"},"modified":"2020-08-11T08:55:13","modified_gmt":"2020-08-11T12:55:13","slug":"the-brahmana-and-the-cobbler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/the-brahmana-and-the-cobbler\/","title":{"rendered":"The Brahmana and the Cobbler"},"content":{"rendered":"
Lecture on BG 7.9-10 — Bombay, February 24, 1974<\/a>: <\/span><\/p>\n
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There is a story, I shall… It is not story. Or take it as story, that sometimes N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni was passing, and one very learned scholar, br\u0101hma\u1e47a, he saw N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni, and he asked N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni, “Sir, where you are going?” He said, “I am going to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, yes, Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, to see my Lord.” “Oh, you are going there?” N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni has got free passage to everyone. So, “Will you ask N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a when my liberation will come?” “All right, I shall ask.” Then he met another cobbler<\/span>. He was sewing shoes. So he also asked, “Sir, where you are going?” “Now I am going to Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha to see my Lord.” So, “Will you ask when I shall get salvation?” So N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni noted, “All right, I shall ask.” So when N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni met N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, he, after finishing his business, he asked the two men’s question, that “These two men, one very learned scholar, br\u0101hma\u1e47a, he also asked me this question, and the cobbler<\/span> also asked me.” So N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a said “This cobbler<\/span> will get his salvation after finishing this life, and this br\u0101hma\u1e47a will have to take, wait for many, many births.”<\/span><\/p>\n

So N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni became very much inquisitive, “How is that?” So when he came back, first of all he met the br\u0101hma\u1e47a. He inquired, “Did you inquire, sir, about me?” “Yes, yes. He said that you have to wait many, many births.” No, He did not say many, many births, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a said, N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a said that “When you meet them again, you say that, if they inquire ‘What my Lord was doing at that time?’ you say that ‘He was pulling one elephant from the hole of a nail,’ ” what is called?<\/span><\/p>\n

Devotees: Needle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prabhup\u0101da: Needle. So when he met the br\u0101hma\u1e47a he said… And he inquired, “What N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a was doing when you met Him?” “I saw that He was pulling one elephant through the hole of a needle.” So he immediately said, “All right, sir, namask\u0101ra. Your, all these big, big stories we cannot believe, that an elephant is being drawn through the hole of a needle.” And the same question was raised by the cobbler<\/span>, and he, N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni replied in the same way. And he began to cry, “Oh, my Lord is so powerful. He can do anything.” So N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni inquired that “How do you believe that the elephant is being drawn through the hole of a needle?” “Now, why not? I am seeing daily. I am sitting under this banyan tree and there is fig, banyan fruit, and there are thousands of seeds, and I know that each seed’s containing a big tree like this.”<\/span><\/p>\n

That’s a fact. Everyone knows. B\u012bjo ‘ha\u1e41 sarva-bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101m. (Bg 7.10) Here K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says, b\u012bjo ‘ha\u1e41 sarva-bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101m. Is there any chemist? Just get one small seed like the fig seed. It is very small, but it contains that big tree. Where is that chemistry? Where is that physics? So here is the answer, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says, b\u012bja\u1e41 m\u0101\u1e41 sarva-bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 viddhi. Big, even this big, gigantic universe, that is also b\u012bja\u1e41 m\u0101\u1e41 sarva-bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101m. It is stated in the Vedic literature. Yasyaika-ni\u015bvasita-k\u0101lam ath\u0101valambya j\u012bvanti loma-vilaj\u0101 jagad-a\u1e47\u1e0da-n\u0101th\u0101\u1e25 (Bs. 5.48). There are so many things. Everyone is inquisitive, “Where is the beginning of this thing?” The beginning is the Supreme Lord. That is the Ved\u0101nta-s\u016btra, janm\u0101dy asya yata\u1e25 (SB 1.1.1<\/a>). Beginning is there. So you cannot say that life has come from matter. That is not possible. Because here it is said, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says, that b\u012bja\u1e41 m\u0101\u1e41 sarva-bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101m. Anything which has come into existence, the original source is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. So K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is life. He’s not dead stone. Therefore the conclusion is: from life, life has come and matter has come. Not that matter has come from life. Oh, what is that? Life has come from matter. That is not the conclusion. That is wrong conclusion.<\/span><\/p>\n

So if you actually require perfect knowledge, then we have to accept knowledge this, like this way. It is called avaroha-panth\u0101. Avaroha-panth\u0101 means a descendence or deductive process. So our K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness movement, we claim that we have got perfect knowledge of everything because we are taking knowledge from the perfect person\u2014K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Eva\u1e41 parampar\u0101-pr\u0101ptam ima\u1e41 r\u0101jar\u1e63ayo vidu\u1e25 (BG 4.2<\/a>). And that is the real process.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Lecture on BG 9.2-5 — New York, November 23, 1966<\/a>: <\/span><\/p>\n
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Prabhup\u0101da: So for a devotee these informations of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, oh, become so… “My K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is so God. Oh, my God is so powerful.” And, I think, sometimes I recited one story. This is for very instructive, that N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni, he used to visit N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a every day. So when he was passing on the road, so one very learned br\u0101hma\u1e47a and taking thrice bath and everything very nicely, he asked N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni, “Oh, you are going to Lord. Will you inquire when I shall get my salvation?” “All right. I shall ask.” And then another cobbler<\/span>, he was under the tree, sewing the shoes, old shoes. He also saw N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni. He also inquired, “Will you kindly inquire from God when my salvation is…?” Now, when he inquired K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a… N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni goes generally to N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, in another planet. So “Yes, two, one br\u0101hma\u1e47a and one cobbler<\/span>, they inquired like this. So may I know what is their destination?” So N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a said, “Well, yes, the cobbler<\/span>, this after giving up this body, he’s coming here at Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha.” “And what about that br\u0101hma\u1e47a?” “Oh, he has to remain there still so many births, or I do not know when he’s coming.” So N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni was astonished, that “I saw that he’s very nice br\u0101hma\u1e47a, and he’s a cobbler<\/span>. Why is that?” So he inquired that “I could not, cannot understand the mystery. Why You say that cobbler<\/span> is coming this, after this body, and why not this br\u0101hma\u1e47a?” “Oh, that will, you’ll understand. If they inquire that ‘What K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, or N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, was doing in the, in His abode,’ so just explain that He was taking one elephant from the holes of a,” I mean to say, what is called…?<\/span><\/p>\n

Devotee (1): The eye of a needle. Eye…<\/span><\/p>\n

Prabhup\u0101da: Eh? No, no…<\/span><\/p>\n

Devotee (1): The eye of a needle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Devotee (2): Needle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prabhup\u0101da: Needle. Yes. “Through the hole of a needle, He’s pulling an elephant this side and this side.” “All right.” So when he again approached the br\u0101hma\u1e47a, the br\u0101hma\u1e47a said, “Oh, you have seen Lord?” “Yes.” “So what was the Lord doing?” “He was doing this: through the point of a needle He was pushing one elephant this way and that way.” “Oh, therefore I have no faith in your… I, I, I have got all respect for your garb, but we don’t believe all this nonsense.” Then N\u0101rada<\/span> could understand, “Oh, this man has no faith. He simply reads book. That’s all.” And when he went to the cobbler<\/span>, he also asked, “Oh, you have seen? What N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a was doing?” He also said that “He was doing like this…” Oh, he began to cry, “Oh, my Lord is wonderful. He can do anything.” So N\u0101rada<\/span> inquired, “So do you believe that Lord can push one elephant through the holes of a needle?” “Oh, why not? I must believe.” “Then what is your reason?” “Oh, my reason? I am sitting under this banyan tree, and so many fruits are falling daily, and in each fruit there are thousands of seeds, and each seed there is a tree. If in a small seed there can be big tree like that, is it very impossible to accept that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is putting one elephant through the, I mean, the holes of a needle? He has kept such a nice tree in the seed.” So this is called belief. So unbelievers and believer means the believers, they are not blind believers. They have reason. If by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s process, by God’s process, or nature’s process, such a big tree can be put within the small seed, is it very impossible for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a to keep all these planets floating in His energy? So we have to believe. We have no other explanation. But we have to understand in this way. Our reasoning, our argument, our logic should go in this way.<\/span><\/p>\n

So those who are devotee… Just like the cobbler<\/span>. He may be a cobbler<\/span>. They believe everything. And those who are not devotee, they’ll say, “Oh, these are all bluffs. It is all bluff.” But they are not bluff. It is simply meant for the devotees. They can understand. The nondevotees, they cannot understand. Yes.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Nectar of Devotion Lectures<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
The Nectar of Devotion — Vrndavana, November 13, 1972<\/a>: <\/span><\/p>\n
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There is a story, it is very instructive story, that N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni was passing to go to Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, and on the way one very learned scholar, br\u0101hma\u1e47a, met him, and he inquired from Narada<\/span> Muni where he was going. N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni said that “I am going to see N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, my Lord.” So the br\u0101hma\u1e47a asked him, “Oh, you are going to meet N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a. Will you kindly inquire for me when my…, when I shall be liberated.” N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni said, “Yes, I shall inquire.” Similarly, on the way, he met one cobbler<\/span>. He also inquired N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni where he was going, and he said, will you kindly inquire from Lord N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a when he would be liberated? So when N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni met N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, so he inquired\u2014because he’s saintly person; he promised\u2014that “Such and such br\u0101hma\u1e47a inquired like this, and the, and a cobbler<\/span> also inquired like this.” So N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a said, “The, this cobbler<\/span> will be liberated in this life, and that br\u0101hma\u1e47a will take some time, some many births.”<\/span><\/p>\n

So N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni became astonished that he, he was a learned scholar and br\u0101hma\u1e47a, and he would take so much time, and the cobbler<\/span> would be liberated in this life. “Oh, what is the reason, Sir?” So N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a gave him one needle, and He requested him that “When they inquire what N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a was doing, you can say that N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a was pulling one elephant through the hole of the needle, this side and that side,” in this way. So when he came back, the br\u0101hma\u1e47a said, “Sir, you are… I offer my respectful obeisances unto you and N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a. We cannot believe this, that through the needle or through the hole of a needle, a elephant is being passed, this side and that side.” And when it was informed to the cobbler<\/span>, he began to cry. He said, “Oh, my N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a is so powerful that He can do everything.” He believed immediately that “Yes, for N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a it is possible to pull the elephant through the hole of the needle, this side and that.” So N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni inquired, “How do you believe this? The other person, the br\u0101hma\u1e47a, he’s learned person. He did not believe. How do you believe it? What is your conviction?” He said, “Sir, I believe in this way, because I am sitting under this tree. This is a banyan tree. And so many,” what is called, “figs are falling down. And each fig there are thousands of small seeds, and in each seed there is a banyan tree. So if N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a can keep thousands of banyan trees within this fig fruit, how it is not possible for Him to pull an elephant through the hole of a needle?”<\/span><\/p>\n

So this is called faith. The faith is not blind. There is proof. He, the cobbler<\/span> was not blindly believing that N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a was pulling an elephant through the hole of an needle, but he sees practically the potency, the power of the Lord, b\u012bjo ‘ha\u1e41 sarva-bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101m (Bg 7.10), how He keeps all the potencies of the banyan tree within the seed. So otherwise there is no meaning, “all-powerful.” He can do whatever He likes. Inconceivable. \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosv\u0101m\u012b therefore explains that unless we believe (in the) inconceivable potency of the Lord, then we cannot understand that activities… Par\u0101sya \u015baktir vividhaiva \u015br\u016byate, sv\u0101bh\u0101vik\u012b-j\u00f1\u0101na-bala-kriy\u0101 ca (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). We cannot judge how things are happening, but we have to believe. Therefore Vedic knowledge is so important. We cannot make research. We cannot judge. Simply if we take the Vedic truths…<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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1976 Conversations and Morning Walks<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
Morning Walk Conversation — June 20, 1976, Toronto<\/a>: <\/span><\/p>\n
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Prabhup\u0101da: Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara challenged one scientist in California that “If I give you the chemicals, can you manufacture life?” He said, “That I cannot say.” What you have spoken all this nonsense? Matta\u1e25 kore he\u1e6d. And when there is challenge, matta\u1e25 kore he\u1e6d. Otherwise, baro baro bagara, baro baro phet, big, big monkey, big, big belly. And when the real question is there, matta\u1e25 kore het. Ceylon jumping, melancholy. Hanum\u0101n jumped over the ocean, so other monkeys, they also become very proud: “I am…, Hanum\u0101n is our leader, we can…,” “Can you jump over Ceylon?” Matta\u1e25 het. (break) …speak all these things, Indian villagers, they will immediately believe. One cobbler<\/span>…. I think I narrated this story. N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni was going to Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha. Did I say that?<\/span><\/p>\n

Hari-\u015bauri: I think this story’s in R\u0101ja-vidy\u0101, that small book. The one about the br\u0101hma\u1e47a and the cobbler<\/span>?<\/span><\/p>\n

Prabhup\u0101da: (laughs) Yes. Cobbler<\/span> immediately believed when he was informed by N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni that “I saw God is pulling one elephant through the hole of a needle, this side and again this side.” The br\u0101hma\u1e47a did not believe it. And as soon as the cobbler<\/span>, he was also devotee, oh, he began to pray, “Oh, my Lord can do anything.” N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni, “You believed it?” “Yes, why not?” “How do you believe it?” “I am daily seeing. I am underneath the tree, and so many figs are dropping, and each fig has got thousands of seeds, and in each seed there is another tree. Why should I not believe it?” He did not believe it blindly. With reason, and he gave immediately reason: “When I see this fig tree, big fig tree, and there are millions of figs dropping, and in each fig there are millions of seeds, and each seed there is…. Why shall I not believe it?” God, nothing is impossible by God, everything.<\/span><\/p>\n

Satsvar\u016bpa: The br\u0101hma\u1e47a was supposed to be learned in the Vedas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prabhup\u0101da: Ah, yes. And he said, “These are all…,” what is called? Mythology. Why mythology? Why do you think God like you? God is all-powerful; He can do anything. That is real faith. That means you have no faith. “If God can do which tallies with my activities, then I shall believe.” What you are? Nonsense. This is their general argument. How we can believe this? And why not believe this? You are seeing so many wonderful things. I gave this example to another man, that there is a coconut tree. Now find out where is the pipe and pumping so that the water is pushed. Show me. You have no idea that such a high height, how water is going there. And full of water. How the water is transferred there? Show me the pipe and pump. You have got the idea, that with pipe and pump we can raise the water. Where is that pipe and pump? Show me. Every day, every moment, we are seeing so many wonderful things. How you are thinking….<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Garden Conversation — June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban<\/a>: <\/span><\/p>\n
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Prabhup\u0101da: So one learned br\u0101hma\u1e47a, he said, “All right sir, namask\u0101r your K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. I cannot believe all these things.” And the cobbler<\/span>, he began to cry, “Ah, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is so great, He can do anything.” So he, N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni asked, he saw the learned br\u0101hma\u1e47a refused to accept, and this cobbler<\/span> is so absorbed that he’s crying, “Ah, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a can do anything.” So he asked him, “Do you believe this?” “Yes, why not?” “So how do you believe it?” “Now I’m sitting under this banyan tree, and so many banyan fruits are falling down, and I can see there are hundreds and thousands of seeds within the fig, and each seed contains a banyan tree. So why can I not believe? If within this seed a big banyan tree can be kept, what is the difficulty for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a to pull the elephant through the hole of a needle?” He has got reason. He is not blindly believing. How the scientist who does not believe in God, he can explain that within the small seed there is a big banyan tree? Let them do that. By chemical composition make little seed. As I told, make little egg. They cannot do anything. Still they are so proud.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Room Conversations — February 20, 1977, Mayapura<\/a>: <\/span><\/p>\n

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Prabhup\u0101da: Guru-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-pras\u0101de p\u0101ya bhakti-lat\u0101-b\u012bja (CC Madhya 19.151<\/a>). It is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a’s wonderful mercy that one can get guru. Guru-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-pras\u0101de p\u0101ya. Don’t forget for a moment, that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is insignificant. He’s always the most wonderful. He can do anything, whatever He likes. They have no such belief. They have no such idea. They are different. “We believe in this.” Not believe. This is a fact! You believe or not believe, who cares for you? Fact is fact. So arrange. We shall go. (break) “…K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is wonderful,” that makes one perfect. You know that story? The cobbler<\/span> and N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni? Hm? The cobbler<\/span> believed, “Yes, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is wonderful.” And N\u0101rada<\/span> Muni immediately certified, “Yes, your salvation, this life guaranteed.” The cobbler<\/span> has his conviction, “Yes, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is wonderful. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a can do anything. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a can draw an elephant through the hole of a needle. Why not? It’s possible.” That faith made him perfect. If K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is not wonderful, is it possible for me to do all these things? What I am?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Discussion about Bhu-mandala — July 5, 1977, Vrndavana<\/a>: <\/span><\/p>\n

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Prabhup\u0101da: Tasyaite kathit\u0101 hy arth\u0101\u1e25 prak\u0101\u015bante. The author is revealed to him. Yasya deve par\u0101 bhaktir yath\u0101 deve (\u015aU 6.23). Otherwise not. So do it as far as possible to your capacity. But things are inconceivable. You cannot adjust within the limitation of your understanding. That is not…<\/span><\/p>\n

Tam\u0101la K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: That’s… We’re trying to impose some preconceived idea onto this. As soon as that happens, this knowledge is blocked. Because the whole attitude shouldn’t be like that. One should come out of service and devotion, not with some mental, materialistic speculations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prabhup\u0101da: Did you know that story, the N\u0101rada<\/span> was going to Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha? N\u0101rada<\/span> came back and replied to a cobbler<\/span>… Cobbler<\/span> asked him what N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a is doing. “He has taken one elephant and He’s drawing through the hole of a needle like this and again taking.” The learned br\u0101hma\u1e47a, he began to laugh. “These are all stories.” And the cobbler<\/span> began to cry, “Oh, N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, can…” N\u0101rada<\/span> inquired, “How do you believe that elephant is being drawn through the hole of needle?” “No, why not? I’m daily seeing by sitting under this banyan tree, and within a fruit there are thousands of seeds. And each seed contains the big tree.” Can the scientists make such small seed contain a big banyan tree? So it is acintya. That’s a fact. (break) …thing is inconceivable. And these rascals want to bring them as conceivable. He’s conditioned, and he’s trying to bring inconceivable thing to his conception. Useless, futile attempt. How the scientist will answer? We take a fruit. There are hundreds of seeds, and each seed contains a big tree. How you can explain? Is it not inconceivable?<\/span><\/p>\n

Tam\u0101la K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: Yes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prabhup\u0101da: So what is the use of arguing?<\/span><\/p>\n

Tam\u0101la K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: It’s better to take the fruit and offer it to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prabhup\u0101da: That’s right.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bhakti-prema: (indistinct conversation with Tam\u0101la K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a)<\/span><\/p>\n

Prabhup\u0101da: We take it as accepted, mah\u0101-muni k\u1e5bte. Dharma\u1e25 projjhita-kaitavo ‘tra paramo nirmatsar\u0101\u1e47\u0101\u1e41 sat\u0101m (SB 1.1.2<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2014 \u00a0 \u2014 \u00a0 \u2014 \u00a0 \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n

Once on a sunny day near the Ganges, a Brahmin priest, who had just finished his oblations, came across Narada, the messenger of the Gods. After bowing deeply in respect, the Brahmin took the liberty of asking the divine sage for a favor:<\/span><\/p>\n

Brahmin priest:<\/strong> \u201cCould you be so kind as to ask the supreme Lord, Narayan, when I\u2019m going to be liberated from this world and joined with him in holy bliss? I know it will be soon because of my station, and all, but I would just like to know, all the same.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

#Narada:<\/strong> \u201cNo problem, my sir. I\u2019ll ask when I see him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Further along down the river, a lowly cobbler, fixing shoes by the wayside, also stopped Narada, as he was passing through, and chanced to approach the great emissary:<\/span><\/p>\n

Cobbler:<\/strong> \u201cCould I appeal to your kindness by asking you to speak to the great God on my behalf?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Narada:<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019d be happy to.\u201d\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Cobbler:<\/strong> \u201cYou see, I\u2019m growing more weary each year, and I\u2019d just like to know how many more lifetimes I am doomed to suffer in this material world?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Narada:<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019ll be sure to pass on your message.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And Narada continued on, passing seamlessly through to the spiritual world. When he saw the great Lord Narayan, he bowed to his feet, as is the custom in approaching great spiritual masters. The Lord then asked if there was anything he could do for Narada, who proceeded to put forth the concerns of both the priest and the cobbler.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Lord Narayan can see through the barriers of time, and into eternity, he thus knows all. With a brief pause, he informed Narada of the destiny of his supplicants:<\/span><\/p>\n

Lord Narayan:<\/strong> \u201cThe cobbler will come to me at the end of this present lifetime. But the Brahmin will live through at least 100 more lifetimes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Seeing the confused look on Narada\u2019s face, the Lord only smiled and gave these instructions:<\/span><\/p>\n

Lord Narayan:<\/strong> \u201cNext time you see the cobbler and the priest, they will ask you what I was doing when you saw me. Tell them I was threading an elephant through the eye of a needle. When you see their reactions to this, you will then understand everything.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So, Narada went on his way. The first man he saw was the Brahmin, who was shocked and insulted by the news:<\/span><\/p>\n

Brahmin priest:<\/strong> \u201cA hundred rebirths in this hell! I don\u2019t believe it! You probably didn\u2019t even see the Lord! Tell me, what he doing when you saw him?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Narada:<\/strong> \u201cThreading an elephant through the eye of a needle.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Brahmin Priest:<\/strong> \u201cThreading an elephant through the eye of a needle? That\u2019s totally absurd! You must be lying about everything!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So, Narada excused himself and pressed on until he found the cobbler. He gave him the news that he would soon be liberated and would be joining the realm of the Lord at the end of this lifetime, at which point the peasant exclaimed in joy:<\/span><\/p>\n

Cobbler:<\/strong> \u201cOh, what blessed and glorious news! But, alas, tell me my good sir, what was the Lord doing when you saw him?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Narada:<\/strong> \u201cHe was threading an elephant through the eye of a needle.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Cobbler:<\/strong> \u201cLovely. Absolutely lovely.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Narada:<\/strong> \u201cYou mean, you believe that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Cobbler:<\/strong> \u201cWhy, sure! You see that huge old oak tree up the hill? It grew from a tiny acorn. So, if the Lord can squeeze a gigantic oak tree into a little seed like that, He can just as easily thread an elephant through the eye of a needle.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And with that, Narada understood the difference between the priest and the cobbler, as well as why the priest was not yet ready for liberation.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lecture on BG 7.9-10 — Bombay, February 24, 1974: There is a story, I shall… It is not story. Or take it as story, that sometimes N\u0101rada Muni was passing, and one very learned scholar, br\u0101hma\u1e47a, … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10744,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-21 08:44:55","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10743"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10743\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}