Failure is the pillar of success

Expressions researched:
"failure is the pillar of success"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

As we have sometimes the proverb, that "Failure is the pillar of success," so especially in the spiritual life, this failure is not discouraging.

Lecture on BG 6.40-43 -- New York, September 18, 1966: Now, there is a story. There are many stories. One of them I am citing. It is very interesting. Viśvāmitra Muni. Viśvāmitra Muni, he was a great king, kṣatriya, but his priest, Vasiṣṭha Muni, he had great spiritual power. So he renounced his kingdom. He wanted to advance. He was kingly, royal order, but still, he wanted to advance in the spiritual orders. So he adopted yoga process, meditation. That time it was possible for adopting this process, yoga process. So he was meditating in such a way that the Indra, who was the king of heaven, he thought that "This man is trying to occupy my post." As there is competition... This is also... Heaven means that is also material world. So this competition—no businessman wants an another businessman go ahead. He wants to cut down. Competition of price, quality. Similarly, that Indra, he thought that "This man is so strongly meditating, it may be that I may be deposed and he come to my seat." Then he arranged one of his society girls, Menakā, to go there and allure this muni. So when Menakā approached that ṛṣi, Viśvāmitra Ṛṣi, he was meditating. And simply by the sound of her bangles, he could understand, "There is some woman." And as soon as he saw there was heavenly, celestial beauty, he was captivated. Then there was a result, that a great... Śakuntalā. Perhaps some of you may know. There is a book made by Kālidāsa, Śakuntalā. This Śakuntalā is supposed to be the most beautiful girl in the world, and she was born by this combination of Viśvāmitra Muni and Menakā.

So when this girl was born, then Viśvāmitra thought, "Oh, I was advancing in my spiritual culture, and again I have been entrapped." So he was going out. At the same time his wife Menakā brought this girl before her, and little child is always attractive. She showed that "Oh, you have got such a nice girl, such beautiful girl, and you are going away? No, no. You should take care." So there is a picture, very nice. That is a very famous picture. That Menakā is showing Viśvāmitra Muni the girl, and the muni is like that, "No more show me." Yes. There is a picture. That is... Then he went away. So there are chances of failure. There are chances of failure. Just like a great sage like Viśvāmitra Muni, he also failed, failed for the time being. But Kṛṣṇa says that this failure is not, I mean to say, unsuccessful. As we have sometimes the proverb, that "Failure is the pillar of success," so especially in the spiritual life, this failure is not discouraging. This failure is not discouraging. So Kṛṣṇa says that "Even one fails in completing his spiritual course, still, there is no loss on his part." Pārtha naiva iha. Iha means in this world. Na amutra. Amutra means next world. Vināśas tasya vidyate: "He will never vanquish." Vināśas tasya vidyate, na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt: "Anyone who takes this auspicious line of spiritual culture," kaścid durgatiṁ tāta gacchati, "he'll never fall down." Yes. And why? Now,

prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān

uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ

śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe

yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate

[Bg. 6.41] Abhijāyate. He says that this failure yogi... One who is successful, he enters into the kingdom of God. That is a different thing. But one who is a failed student, what happens to him? Now, prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān: [Bg. 6.41] "He enters into the planets where pious living entities are allowed to enter." That means he gets into the higher planets. There are many planets within the universe, and the higher planets, there are more comforts, more duration of life, persons are more pious, religious, godly. As you make progress to the higher planets, these facilities are there, thousand times better than this planet. So Kṛṣṇa says that "Even if he is failure, still, he goes to such planets where pious men are elevated." Prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān, and uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ [Bg. 6.41]. And he remains there for a long duration of time.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Failure is the pillar of success.

Room Conversation With Madhudvisa and others -- August 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: It doesn't matter. Live like gṛhastha, but don't leave. So where you are staying now?

Madhudviṣa: I just came from Hawaii.

Prabhupāda: Where is your wife?

Madhudviṣa: She's there. I just had a baby boy.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Madhudviṣa: I just had a son.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Madhudviṣa: I called him Abhay. I hope that's all right.

Prabhupāda: So remain as gṛhastha and render your service. There is no harm. If one could not proceed, it doesn't matter. Failure is the pillar of success. Then try. Again you shall try.