Peril of Being Overly Compassionate for the Material Body
Spiritual life requires a clear distinction between the eternal soul and the temporary physical form. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that even a virtue like being compassionate can lead to a falldown if it is based on a material conception of life. Through historical narratives, we see that when a devotee becomes preoccupied with the material distress of others to the exclusion of their spiritual duty, they risk becoming entangled in the very energy they are trying to transcend. This article discusses the historical background of the Bhagavad-gītā and the caution required to maintain spiritual progress.
Arjuna’s Compassion as a Catalyst
The entire Bhagavad-gītā was spoken because of a specific instance of material compassion. On the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Arjuna was overwhelmed by a desire to avoid the fight because he did not wish to kill his cousin brothers and kinsmen. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that Arjuna took compassion on them, choosing to forgo victory for the sake of the empire. However, Kṛṣṇa pointed out that this was not a sign of spiritual depth but of material lamentation. If Arjuna had left the battlefield, his contemporaries would have thought he did so out of fear rather than a compassionate heart.
- Arjuna took compassion that, "I don't want victory. Better not to fight." So that is the cause of describing the science of Bhagavad-gita before Arjuna, just to induce him to act as a dutiful soldier. This is the background of Bhagavad-gita.
- Compassionately, he (Arjuna) said to Krsna, "My dear Krsna, I don't wish to fight. Let my cousin brothers enjoy the kingdom. I cannot kill them in this fight." This is the subject matter of Bhagavad-gita.
- Krsna said that, You (Arjuna) are recognized, one of the maha-rathas. So what the other maha-rathas will think of you? They will not consider that out of compassion you did not fight. They will think that out of fear you have left the battlefield.
- Sanjaya said: Seeing Arjuna full of compassion and very sorrowful, his eyes brimming with tears, Madhusudana, Krsna, spoke the following words.
The Lesson of Bharata Mahārāja
The danger of becoming overly compassionate for a material body is most vividly illustrated in the life of Bharata Mahārāja. Although he was a highly advanced devotee, his intense affection for an infant deer caused his mind to deviate from the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that this compassion for the deer was the beginning of his falldown into the material world. Because his final thoughts were fixed on the welfare of the animal rather than God, he was forced to accept the body of a deer in his next life. This historical lesson serves as a stern warning that material attachment, even when disguised as compassion, can spoil one's spiritual advancement.
- Bharata Maharaja had to accept the body of a deer due to being overly compassionate for this infant deer.
- Maharaja Bharata's compassion for the deer was the beginning of his falldown into the material world.
- We should be compassionate by raising one from the material platform to the spiritual platform; otherwise at any moment our spiritual advancement may be spoiled, and we may fall down onto the material platform.
Compassion and the Stringency of Nature
While compassion is listed as one of the indirect rasas, it remains a relative activity within the material world. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights that the laws of nature are very stringent and operate without compassion. For example, if a child touches fire, he will be burned regardless of his innocence. In the same way, if a human being forgets the soul and focuses only on material mercy, they remain trapped in the cycle of birth and death. To avoid this peril, one must practice compassion by raising others to the spiritual platform, thereby ensuring that their own devotional service remains unadulterated and safe from falldown.
- Five of these rasas are direct, and they are listed as neutrality, servitude, fraternal love, parental love and conjugal love. Seven of the rasas are indirect, and they are listed as humor, astonishment, chivalry, compassion, anger, dread and ghastliness.
- The laws of nature are very stringent. If a child touches fire without knowing the effect, he must be burned, even though he is only a child. If a child violates the law of nature, there is no compassion.
Conclusion
The true application of being compassionate is to rescue the living entity from the material conception of life. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teachings remind us that material sentiment, if not channeled through Kṛṣṇa consciousness, can lead to lamentation like Arjuna’s or a falldown like Bharata Mahārāja’s. By understanding that we are eternal spiritual beings, we can exercise compassion in a way that truly benefits others without risking our own spiritual safety. By focusing on the soul and following the divine instructions of the Bhagavad-gītā, we transcend the perils of material attachment and move steadily toward our eternal home.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Compassion. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.