Q & A

Details

Q:

Dear Guruji,

परित्राणाय साधुनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय संभवामि युगे युगे ।।
                                                                                       Bhagavadgeeta 4.8

When Lord Krishna kills a demon he gets mukti. But (many of ) the so-called saadhus are yet to get that. Raavan got mukti earlier than Vibheeshan, why is that so? Please tell me Swamiji.
 
A :

Mukti is the fruition of the aspiration and effort of the seeker.

Bhakti is the common attitude of the devotees. Passion, hatred, fear, jealousy, competition and the like are more powerful devotional currents. Shrimad Bhagavata says that vaira, hatred, is faster, stronger and deeper in fructifying, than the simple bhakti. 

Shishupala and others are examples of the second kind. 

The question is whether your mind is intensely glued to the Lord? Attitude of hatred rivets the mind to the object of hatred, greatly more than other emotional notes. 

Sadhus may be humble, pious and silent. Are they powerful, intense, fast and relentless? Some time an aged Sadhu came here. He had decades of ascetic life and said: “I had exposure to great Mahatmas and also their tuition. Rare fortune. But I am not much different from where I was in the beginning. The reason is lack of intensity…”

Shrimad Bhagavata clarifies this intriguing question in the 7th skandha, through Narada to Yudhishtira. 

यथा वैरानुबन्धेन मर्त्यस्तन्मयतामियात् ।
न तथा भक्त्तियोगेन इति मे निश्र्चिता मति: ।।

Shreemad Bhaagavatam 7.1.26

I am happy you think on the subject, like this. Very good. Any kind of introspection is welcome. So compliments. 

Love and ashirvad.