Bilvamangala Thakura

This is the experience of Bilvamaṅgala Thakura. He was a South Indian brahmana, very rich brahmana. But by bad association or something like that, he became a very staunch prostitute hunter. So he engaged all his income, money, everything after one prostitute. Her name was Cintamani. So it is a very nice story. I am briefly describing. So one night... Every night he was to go to that prostitute, and one night it was very terribly raining. So the prostitute thought, "Now this night Bilvamaṅgala is not coming. It is terribly raining." But Bilvamaṅgala went there, crossing the river, and the door was closed. He jumped over the door, catching a snake. In this way, very dangerously, he reached the prostitute's house. And the prostitute was astonished, that "How in this condition you could come here? Oh, you are so much attracted by this skin. If this much attraction you would have to Krsna, how it would have been nice for you." So immediately he left the prostitute's house and went to Vrndavana.    (More...)

When Bilvamaṅgala Thakura was in Vrndavana, he voluntarily plucked out his eyes. Because he was very much fond of seeing beauty of woman, so he thought, "These eyes are my enemies." So he personally plucked out his eyes. He was... When he was going to Vrndavana, still he became attracted by a woman, and therefore... That woman, of course, was a very rich merchant's wife. So she told her husband that "This man is coming after me. What to do?" So that merchant received him. "Oh, he's saintly person. All right, you serve her..., serve him." So Bilvamaṅgala Thakura came to his senses. He said, "Mother, you give me the pins of your hair. So I am so much after the beauty of woman, so let me pluck out the eyes." So he made voluntarily blind. So he could not see, but still, Krsna was coming in Vrndavana. Krsna is always in Vrndavana. So He was supplying milk. So divya-kisora-murtih, he practically realized through bhakti. Therefore he wrote by his personal experience, bhaktis tvayi sthiratara yadi bhagavan syad daivena phalati divya-kisora-murtih. And so far dharmartha-kama-moksa [SB 4.8.41], moksa, muktih mukulitanjali sevate asman: "Mukti is not very important thing. She is always standing at my service," mukulitanjali, "with folded hands, Mukti: 'My dear sir, what can I do for you?' " This is mukti's position.    (More...)