Shrila Prabhupada once asked HH Giriraj Swami Maharaja if he wanted to marry. Maharaja mentioned that the only time he thought to marry was when he saw all the GBC’s were married. Prabhupada said to him – You will never become a GBC! And Prabhupada told him better not to get married. Better is to just tolerate the itch. He also mentioned – not only sex desire, but the urges of sleeping, eating etc. also need to be tolerated.
What does it mean? Rupa Goswami doesn’t say – nidra vegam anytime!! But yes, without even he saying, the vega of nidradevi comes in our life and tries to take us away from Krishna. Rupa Goswami gave us the principle of avyartha kalatvam which Shrila Prabhupada emphasizes a lot in his talks. Avyartha kalatvam in itself means not to sleep more than necessary.
When a person in the renounced order of life cannot tolerate sex desire, he needs to get married. Desires will be there. Prabhupada writes that if one is determined not to live with a woman, one will not be infatuated with the sex desire. The price one has to pay for being unable to tolerate the sexual urge is a huge price!
As regard to eating and sleeping, it may not be such a huge price to pay. But a person who has taken seriously to spiritual life understands the importance of each and every moment.
Sb 2.9.36 P mentions a beautiful verse from Visnu Purana which talks about what is the greatest tragedy.
sa hānis tan mahac chidraṁ
sa mohaḥ sa ca vibhramaḥ
yan-muhūrtaṁ kṣaṇaṁ vāpi
vāsudevaṁ na cintayet
“If even for a moment remembrance of Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is missed, that is the greatest loss, that is the greatest illusion, and that is the greatest anomaly.”
In sleep, where is Krishna’s remembrance, where is Krishna’s name? It is absent. If we are at the level of Madhavendra Puri, then in dream also we will see Krishna and he will give us instructions. But if we are not, then we should try to see how much time is getting wasted in sleep.
About the six goswamis, it is mentioned – nidrahara vihara kadi vijitau – they conquered eating and sleeping. Arjuna is called as gudakesa – he conquered sleep and ignorance. Gopis curse the creator for a momentary blink of their eyelids preventing them from having Krishna’s darshan!
Prabhupada also mentions that a devotee eats only to keep the body and the soul together. He doesn’t eat for the excessive gratification of his body and senses.
If we wish to taste the real nectar of devotion, and if we wish to have constant vision of Krishna, it begins with the basic tolerance of the urges of eating and sleeping. Krishna himself says one who eats too little or too much, sleeps too little or too much cannot attain Him. A regulated schedule of sleep and eating can help a devotee focus more on Krishna and pave a path to perfection.
