Once Lord Shiva was explaining one fact about the people in the material world to his wife Parvati. He said to her: "No matter what you do, people always criticize." Parvati became bewildered by hearing this. So to demonstrate this, he came on earth along with his wife, son and his bull by changing their identities. His wife and son were leading the bull and he was riding on the bull. When they passed through a small village, some of the townspeople yelled abuse, "Look at this selfish man taking advantage of his poor wife and young boy! What a rascal!" After they had passed through the village, Lord Shiva said to his wife, "We better swap over, otherwise they will abuse me in the next village too." So then they swapped with Lord Shiva leading and Parvati riding. But in the next village also they got criticized, "Look at this selfish women, taking advantage of her husband and son." So then they both got off and led the bull, and asked their son to ride the bull. But in the next village also they got criticized, "Look at this selfish boy, taking advantage of his parents". So then they all got off and led the bull" but in the next village the people laughed, "Look at these three stupid people! They have a bull, but they are choosing to walk instead!" So in the next village, they all sat on the bull and the villagers yelled out: "Look at these three rascals, they have put so much burden on the poor bull."
Monday, August 23, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Reminder for Friday, 20 Aug 2010
Location: Suva [Fiji]
Reminder for Friday, 20 Aug 2010
Fasting for Pavitropana Ekadasi
Shri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, "Oh Madhusudana, Oh killer of the Madhu demon, please be merciful to me and describe to me the EkAdasii that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana (July-August)." The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, replied, "Yes, Oh king, I shall happily narrate its glories to you, for just by hearing about this sacred EkAdasii one attains the merit of performing a horse sacrifice.
"At the dawn of DvArpara-yuga there lived a king by the name of Mahijita, who ruled the kingdom of Mahismati-puri. Because he had no son, his entire kingdom seemed utterly cheerless to him. A married man who has no son gains no happiness in this life or the next.
The Sanskrit word for 'son' is putra. Pu is the name of a particular hell, and tra means 'to deliver.' Thus the word putra means 'a person who delivers one from the hell named Pu.' Therefore every married man should produce at least one son and train him properly; then the father will be delivered from a hellish condition of life. But this injunction does not apply to the serious devotees of Lord Vishnu or Krishna, for the Lord becomes their son, father, and mother.
Furthermore, ChANakya Pandita says,
satyam mata pita jnanam
dharmo bhrata daya sakha
santih patni ksama putrah
sadete mama vandhavah
"The truth is my mother, knowledge is my father, my occupational duty is my brother, kindness is my friend, tranquillity is my wife, and forgiveness is my son. These six are my family members." Among the twenty-six leading qualities of a devotee of the Lord, forgiveness is the topmost. Therefore devotees should make an extra endeavour to develop this quality. Here ChANakya says "forgiveness is my son," and thus a devotee of the Lord, even though he may be on the path of renunciation, may observe PutradA EkAdasii and pray to attain this kind of "son."
For a long time this king tried very hard to obtain an heir, but to no avail. Seeing his years advancing ever onwards, King Mahijita became increasingly anxious. One day he told an assembly of his advisers: 'I have committed no sin in this life, and there is no ill-gotten wealth in my treasury. I have never usurped the offerings to the demigods or brahmanas. When I waged war and conquered kingdoms, I followed the rules and regulations of the military art, and I have protected my subjects as if they were my own children. I punished even my own relatives if they broke the law, and if my enemy was gentle and religious I welcomed him. Oh twice-born souls, although I am a religious and faithful follower of the Vedik standards, still my home is without a son. Kindly tell me the reason for this.'
"Hearing this, the king's brahmana advisers discussed the subject among themselves, and with the aim of benefiting the king they visited the various ashrams of the great sages. At last they came upon a sage who was austere, pure, and self-satisfied, and who was strictly observing a vow of fasting. His senses were completely under control, he had conquered his anger, and he was expert at performing his occupational duty. Indeed, this great sage was expert in all the conclusions of the Vedas, and he had extended his life span to that of Lord Brahma himself. His name was Lomasa Rishi, and he knew part, present, and future. After each kalpa passed, one hair would fall out of his body ( One kalpa, or twelve hours of Lord Brahma, equals 4,320,000,000 years.) All the king's brahmana advisers very happily approached him one by one to offer their humble respects.
"Captivated by this great soul, King Mahijita's advisers offered obeisances to him and said very respectfully, 'Only because of our great good fortune, Oh sage, have we been allowed to see you.'
"Lomasa Rishi saw them bowing down to him and replied, 'Kindly let me know why you have come here. Why are you praising me? I must do all I can to solve your problems, for sages like me have only one interest: to help others. Do not doubt this.'
Lomasa Rishi had all good qualities because he was a devotee of the Lord. As stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (5:18:12),
yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akinchana
sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah
harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna
manorathenasati dhavato bahih
"In one who has unflinching devotional service to Krishna, all the good qualities of Krishna and the demigods are consistently manifest. However, he who has no devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no good qualifications because he is engaged by mental concoction in material existence, which is the external feature of the Lord."
"The king's representatives said, 'We have come to you, Oh exalted sage, to ask for your help in solving a very serious problem. Oh sage, you are like Lord Brahma. Indeed, there is no better sage in the entire world. Our king, Mahijita, is without a son, though he has sustained and protected us as if we were his sons. Seeing him so unhappy on account of being sonless, we have become very sad, Oh sage, and therefore we have entered the forest to perform severe austerities. By our good fortune we happened upon you. Everyone's desires and activities become successful just by your darshana. Thus we humble ask that you tell us how our kind king can obtain a son.'
"Hearing their sincere plea, Lomasa Rishi absorbed himself in deep meditation for a moment and at once understood the king's previous life. Then he said, 'Your ruler was a merchant in his past life, and feeling his wealth insufficient, he committed sinful deeds. He traveled to many villages to trade his goods. Once, at noon on the day after the EkAdasii that comes during the light fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha (Trivikrama – May-June), he became thirsty while traveling from place to place. He came upon a beautiful pond on the outskirts of a village, but just as he was about to drink at the pond a cow arrived there with her new-born calf. These two creatures were also very thirsty because of the heat, but when the cow and calf started to drink, the merchant rudely shoved them aside and selfishly slaked his own thirst. This offense against a cow and her calf has resulted in your king's being without a son now. But the good deeds he performed in his previous life have given him rulership over an undisturbed kingdom.'
"Hearing this, the king's advisers replied, 'Oh renowned rishi, we have heard that the Vedas say one can nullify the effects of one's past sins by acquiring merit. Be so kind as to give us some instruction by which our king's sins can be destroyed; please give him your mercy so that a prince will take birth in his family.'
"Lomasa Rishi said, 'There is an EkAdasii called PutradA, which comes during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana. On this day all of you, including your king, should fast and stay awake all night, strictly following the rules and regulations. Then you should give the king whatever merit you gain by this fast. If you follow these instructions of mine, he will surely be blessed with a fine son.'
"All the king's advisers became very pleased to hear these words from Lomasa Rishi, and they all offered him their grateful obeisances. Then, their eyes bright with happiness, they returned home.
"When the month of Shravana arrived, the king's advisers remembered the advice of Lomasa Rishi, and under their direction all the citizens of Mahismati-puri, as well as the king, fasted on EkAdasii. And on the next day, DvAdasi, the citizens dutifully offered their accrued merit to him. By the strengthpregnant and eventually gave birth to a most beautiful son.
"O Yudhisthira," Lord Krishna concluded, "the EkAdasii that comes during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana has thus rightfully become famous as PutradA ["bestower of a son"]. Whoever desires happiness in this world and the next should certainly fast from all grains and legumes on this holy day. Indeed, whoever simply hears the glories of PutradA EkAdasii becomes completely free of all sins, is blessed with a good son, and surely ascends to heaven after death."
Thus ends the narration of the glories of Shravana-sukla EkAdasii, or PutradA EkAdasii, from the Bhavishya Purana.
These stories have been summarised and slightly changed or abbreviated from how they are found in the celebrated book, "Ekadasi: The Day of Lord Hari" 1986. HH Krishna Balaram Swami. Bhaktivedanta Institute Press, Pages 109-112.
of all this merit, the queen became
Fasting for Pavitropana Ekadasi
Shri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, "Oh Madhusudana, Oh killer of the Madhu demon, please be merciful to me and describe to me the EkAdasii that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana (July-August)." The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, replied, "Yes, Oh king, I shall happily narrate its glories to you, for just by hearing about this sacred EkAdasii one attains the merit of performing a horse sacrifice.
"At the dawn of DvArpara-yuga there lived a king by the name of Mahijita, who ruled the kingdom of Mahismati-puri. Because he had no son, his entire kingdom seemed utterly cheerless to him. A married man who has no son gains no happiness in this life or the next.
The Sanskrit word for 'son' is putra. Pu is the name of a particular hell, and tra means 'to deliver.' Thus the word putra means 'a person who delivers one from the hell named Pu.' Therefore every married man should produce at least one son and train him properly; then the father will be delivered from a hellish condition of life. But this injunction does not apply to the serious devotees of Lord Vishnu or Krishna, for the Lord becomes their son, father, and mother.
Furthermore, ChANakya Pandita says,
satyam mata pita jnanam
dharmo bhrata daya sakha
santih patni ksama putrah
sadete mama vandhavah
"The truth is my mother, knowledge is my father, my occupational duty is my brother, kindness is my friend, tranquillity is my wife, and forgiveness is my son. These six are my family members." Among the twenty-six leading qualities of a devotee of the Lord, forgiveness is the topmost. Therefore devotees should make an extra endeavour to develop this quality. Here ChANakya says "forgiveness is my son," and thus a devotee of the Lord, even though he may be on the path of renunciation, may observe PutradA EkAdasii and pray to attain this kind of "son."
For a long time this king tried very hard to obtain an heir, but to no avail. Seeing his years advancing ever onwards, King Mahijita became increasingly anxious. One day he told an assembly of his advisers: 'I have committed no sin in this life, and there is no ill-gotten wealth in my treasury. I have never usurped the offerings to the demigods or brahmanas. When I waged war and conquered kingdoms, I followed the rules and regulations of the military art, and I have protected my subjects as if they were my own children. I punished even my own relatives if they broke the law, and if my enemy was gentle and religious I welcomed him. Oh twice-born souls, although I am a religious and faithful follower of the Vedik standards, still my home is without a son. Kindly tell me the reason for this.'
"Hearing this, the king's brahmana advisers discussed the subject among themselves, and with the aim of benefiting the king they visited the various ashrams of the great sages. At last they came upon a sage who was austere, pure, and self-satisfied, and who was strictly observing a vow of fasting. His senses were completely under control, he had conquered his anger, and he was expert at performing his occupational duty. Indeed, this great sage was expert in all the conclusions of the Vedas, and he had extended his life span to that of Lord Brahma himself. His name was Lomasa Rishi, and he knew part, present, and future. After each kalpa passed, one hair would fall out of his body ( One kalpa, or twelve hours of Lord Brahma, equals 4,320,000,000 years.) All the king's brahmana advisers very happily approached him one by one to offer their humble respects.
"Captivated by this great soul, King Mahijita's advisers offered obeisances to him and said very respectfully, 'Only because of our great good fortune, Oh sage, have we been allowed to see you.'
"Lomasa Rishi saw them bowing down to him and replied, 'Kindly let me know why you have come here. Why are you praising me? I must do all I can to solve your problems, for sages like me have only one interest: to help others. Do not doubt this.'
Lomasa Rishi had all good qualities because he was a devotee of the Lord. As stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (5:18:12),
yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akinchana
sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah
harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna
manorathenasati dhavato bahih
"In one who has unflinching devotional service to Krishna, all the good qualities of Krishna and the demigods are consistently manifest. However, he who has no devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no good qualifications because he is engaged by mental concoction in material existence, which is the external feature of the Lord."
"The king's representatives said, 'We have come to you, Oh exalted sage, to ask for your help in solving a very serious problem. Oh sage, you are like Lord Brahma. Indeed, there is no better sage in the entire world. Our king, Mahijita, is without a son, though he has sustained and protected us as if we were his sons. Seeing him so unhappy on account of being sonless, we have become very sad, Oh sage, and therefore we have entered the forest to perform severe austerities. By our good fortune we happened upon you. Everyone's desires and activities become successful just by your darshana. Thus we humble ask that you tell us how our kind king can obtain a son.'
"Hearing their sincere plea, Lomasa Rishi absorbed himself in deep meditation for a moment and at once understood the king's previous life. Then he said, 'Your ruler was a merchant in his past life, and feeling his wealth insufficient, he committed sinful deeds. He traveled to many villages to trade his goods. Once, at noon on the day after the EkAdasii that comes during the light fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha (Trivikrama – May-June), he became thirsty while traveling from place to place. He came upon a beautiful pond on the outskirts of a village, but just as he was about to drink at the pond a cow arrived there with her new-born calf. These two creatures were also very thirsty because of the heat, but when the cow and calf started to drink, the merchant rudely shoved them aside and selfishly slaked his own thirst. This offense against a cow and her calf has resulted in your king's being without a son now. But the good deeds he performed in his previous life have given him rulership over an undisturbed kingdom.'
"Hearing this, the king's advisers replied, 'Oh renowned rishi, we have heard that the Vedas say one can nullify the effects of one's past sins by acquiring merit. Be so kind as to give us some instruction by which our king's sins can be destroyed; please give him your mercy so that a prince will take birth in his family.'
"Lomasa Rishi said, 'There is an EkAdasii called PutradA, which comes during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana. On this day all of you, including your king, should fast and stay awake all night, strictly following the rules and regulations. Then you should give the king whatever merit you gain by this fast. If you follow these instructions of mine, he will surely be blessed with a fine son.'
"All the king's advisers became very pleased to hear these words from Lomasa Rishi, and they all offered him their grateful obeisances. Then, their eyes bright with happiness, they returned home.
"When the month of Shravana arrived, the king's advisers remembered the advice of Lomasa Rishi, and under their direction all the citizens of Mahismati-puri, as well as the king, fasted on EkAdasii. And on the next day, DvAdasi, the citizens dutifully offered their accrued merit to him. By the strengthpregnant and eventually gave birth to a most beautiful son.
"O Yudhisthira," Lord Krishna concluded, "the EkAdasii that comes during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana has thus rightfully become famous as PutradA ["bestower of a son"]. Whoever desires happiness in this world and the next should certainly fast from all grains and legumes on this holy day. Indeed, whoever simply hears the glories of PutradA EkAdasii becomes completely free of all sins, is blessed with a good son, and surely ascends to heaven after death."
Thus ends the narration of the glories of Shravana-sukla EkAdasii, or PutradA EkAdasii, from the Bhavishya Purana.
These stories have been summarised and slightly changed or abbreviated from how they are found in the celebrated book, "Ekadasi: The Day of Lord Hari" 1986. HH Krishna Balaram Swami. Bhaktivedanta Institute Press, Pages 109-112.
of all this merit, the queen became
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Teachings of Queen Kunti | Part [TQK.CH8.06]
CHAPTER EIGHT
Written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Let There Be Calamities
In court an important man is sometimes found to be a culprit, and the judge may be able to fine him a hundred thousand dollars and know that the man can pay it. But he may tell the man, "You just give one cent." That is also punishment, but it is greatly minimized. Similarly, we have to suffer for our past deeds. That is a fact, and we cannot avoid it. But karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam (Bs. 5.54): the sufferings of those who engage in devotional service in Krishna consciousness are minimized. For example, one may have been destined to be killed, but instead of being killed with a knife, he may instead get some little cut on his finger. In this way, for those who engage in devotional service, the reactions of past activities are minimized. Lord Krishna assures His devotees, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo mokshayishyami: [Bg. 18.66] "I shall give you protection from the reactions of sinful life." So even if a devotee has a history of very grievous criminal activities behind him, instead of being killed he may only get a little cut on his finger. Why then should a devotee fear danger?
We should simply depend on Krishna consciousness, because if we live Krishna consciously under all circumstances, we shall not return to this material world (apunar bhava-darsanam [SB 1.8.25]). If we repeatedly think of Krishna, see Krishna, read of Krishna, work for Krishna, and somehow or other remain in Krishna consciousness, we benefit in such a way that we shall be saved from taking birth again in the material world. That is true benefit. But if we become a little comfortable because of other, materialistic engagements and we forget Krishna and have to take birth again, then what is our benefit? We should be very careful about this. We should act in such a way that our Krishna consciousness can under no circumstances be disturbed, even if there is heavy suffering. That is the instruction of Kuntidevi.
Before winning the Battle of Kurukshetra, all the Pandavas were put into many dangers, as already described in the previous verses. They were given poison, they were put into a house of lac that was later set afire, and sometimes they were even confronted with great man-eating demons. They lost their kingdom, they lost their wife, they lost their prestige, and they were exiled to the forest. But throughout all those dangers, Krishna was there. When the Kauravas were trying to strip Draupadi naked, Krishna was there supplying cloth to protect her honor. Krishna was always there.
-----------------------------------------------Written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Krishna Book | Part [KB.CH39.03]
The gopis then began to condemn the activities of Akrura. They stated that he was taking Krishna, who was more dear than the dearest to them and who was the pleasure of their eyes. He was being taken from their sight without their being informed or solaced by Akrura. Akrura should not have been so merciless but should have taken compassion on them. The gopis went on to say, "The most astonishing feature is that Krishna, the son of Nanda, without consideration, has already seated Himself on the chariot. From this it appears that Krishna is not very intelligent. Yet He may be very intelligent—but He is not very merciful. Not only Krishna but all the cowherd men are so callous that they are already yoking the bulls and calves for the journey to Mathura. The elderly persons in Vrindavana are also merciless; they do not take our plight into consideration and stop Krishna's journey to Mathura. Even the demigods are very unkind to us; they are also not impeding His going to Mathura."
The gopis prayed to the demigods to create some natural disturbance, such as a hurricane, storm or heavy rainfall, so that Krishna could not go to Mathura. They then began to consider, "Despite our parents and guardians, we shall personally stop Krishna from going to Mathura. We have no alternative but to take this direct action. Everyone has gone against us to take away Krishna from our sight. Without Him we cannot live for a moment." The gopis thus decided to obstruct the passage through which the chariot of Krishna was supposed to pass. They began to talk among themselves: "We have passed a very long night—which seemed only a moment—engaged in the rasa dance with Krishna. We looked at His sweet smile and embraced Him and talked with Him. Now, how shall we live even for a moment if He goes away from us? At the end of the day, in the evening, along with His elder brother Balarama, Krishna would return home with His friends. His face would be smeared with the dust raised by the hooves of the cows, and He would smile and play on His flute and look upon us so kindly. How shall we be able to forget Him? How shall we be able to forget Krishna, who is our life and soul? He has already taken away our hearts in so many ways throughout our days and nights, and if He goes away, there is no possibility of our continuing to live." Thinking like this, the gopis became more and more grief-stricken at Krishna's leaving Vrindavana. They could not check their minds, and they began to cry loudly, calling the different names of Krishna, "O dear Damodara! Dear Madhava!"
The gopis cried all night before the departure of Krishna. As soon as the sun rose, Akrura finished his morning bath, got on the chariot and started for Mathura with Krishna and Balarama. Nanda Maharaja and the cowherd men got up on bullock carts after loading them with big earthen pots filled with yogurt, milk, ghee and other milk products, and then they began to follow the chariot of Krishna and Balarama. In spite of Krishna's asking the gopis not to obstruct Their way, they all surrounded the chariot and stood up to see Krishna with pitiable eyes. Krishna was very much affected upon seeing the plight of the gopis, but His duty was to start for Mathura, for this was foretold by Narada. Krishna therefore consoled the gopis. He told them that they should not be aggrieved: He was coming back very soon after finishing His business. But they could not be persuaded to disperse. The chariot, however, began to head west, and as it proceeded, the minds of the gopis followed it as far as possible. They watched the flag on the chariot as long as it was visible; finally they could see only the dust of the chariot in the distance. The gopis did not move from their places but stood until the chariot could not be seen at all. They remained standing still, as if they were painted pictures. All the gopis decided that Krishna was not returning immediately, and with greatly disappointed hearts they returned to their respective homes. Being greatly disturbed by the absence of Krishna, they simply thought all day and night about His pastimes and thus derived some consolation.
----------------------------
Written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It Is | Part [BG.CH1.28]
Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra
Translation and commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 46:
sanjaya uvaca
evam uktvarjunah sankhye
rathopastha upavisat
visrijya sa-saram capam
soka-samvigna-manasah
TRANSLATION:
Sanjaya said: Arjuna, having thus spoken on the battlefield, cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot, his mind overwhelmed with grief.
PURPORT:
While observing the situation of his enemy, Arjuna stood up on the chariot, but he was so afflicted with lamentation that he sat down again, setting aside his bow and arrows. Such a kind and soft-hearted person, in the devotional service of the Lord, is fit to receive self-knowledge.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the First Chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita in the matter of Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra.
----------------------------
Translation and commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
A Second Chance | Part [SC.CH11.07]
A Special Concession for All People
Written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
In the present age, for all people the best path to achieve self-realization is to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The conditioned souls in this Age of Kali are so engrossed in sinful activities that it is impossible for them to follow the Vedic injunctions in a systematic way. The chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra is the special concession of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu—Krishna Himself—who appeared five hundred years ago just to deliver the fallen souls by inaugurating the sankirtana movement, the movement of the congregational chanting of the Lord's holy names. Lord Caitanya would often quote the following verse from the Brihan-naradiya Purana (3.8.126):
harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
[Cc. Adi 17.21]
"In this age the only way to attain salvation is to chant the holy name, chant the holy name, chant the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way, no other way, no other way."
We can see the power of chanting the holy name of Krishna by studying the Krishna consciousness movement. In this movement all kinds of sinful activities are being given up by persons who have been addicted to bad habits ever since they were living in the wombs of their mothers. This is their good fortune. As Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says in the Caitanya-caritamrita (Madhya-lila 19.151),
brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krishna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija
"The living entity is rotating in different lives and in different bodies, transmigrating from one situation to another throughout the universe, but if he is fortunate and gets the mercy of Krishna, he will get a bona fide spiritual master, from whom he will receive the seed of the creeper of bhakti, devotional service."
If he is truly intelligent, he will sow that seed in his heart and water it. If you sow a seed in the earth, you must water it so that it will fructify. Similarly, once the seed of bhakti has been sown in the heart, it has to be watered properly. What is that water? Sravanam kirtanam: [SB 7.5.23] hearing and chanting the glories of Krishna is the watering process that will make the seed of devotional service grow.
By cultivating devotional service to Krishna, we can get out of our unfortunate position in the material world, which Krishna has certified in the Bhagavad-gita as duhkhalayam, a place full of miseries. In other words, by taking shelter of the lotus feet of Krishna in the shape of chanting and hearing His holy name, we will not have to undergo repeated birth and death in this miserable material world.
----------------------------
Written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It Is | Part [BG.CH4.37]
TEXT 30:
sarve 'py ete yajna-vido
yajna-kshapita-kalmashah
yajna-sishtamrita-bhujo
yanti brahma sanatanam
TRANSLATION:
All these performers who know the meaning of sacrifice become cleansed of sinful reactions, and, having tasted the nectar of the results of sacrifices, they advance toward the supreme eternal atmosphere.
PURPORT:
From the foregoing explanation of different types of sacrifice (namely sacrifice of one's possessions, study of the Vedas or philosophical doctrines, and performance of the yoga system), it is found that the common aim of all is to control the senses. Sense gratification is the root cause of material existence; therefore, unless and until one is situated on a platform apart from sense gratification, there is no chance of being elevated to the eternal platform of full knowledge, full bliss and full life. This platform is in the eternal atmosphere, or Brahman atmosphere. All the above-mentioned sacrifices help one to become cleansed of the sinful reactions of material existence. By this advancement in life, not only does one become happy and opulent in this life, but also, at the end, he enters into the eternal kingdom of God, either merging into the impersonal Brahman or associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna.
----------------------------
Translation and commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
A Second Chance | Part [SC.CH11.06]
Spiritual Senses
Real knowledge is attained by applying the senses in the service of Krishna. At present, our mind and senses are absorbed in bodily designations, such as "I am American," "I am Indian," or "I am English." In this consciousness we think that we should apply our senses in the service of our relatives, our society, our nation, etc. But these are temporary circumstances. Our real position is that we are Brahman, pure spirit soul. As long as we think of ourselves as belonging to some temporary designation, we cannot become a devotee of Krishna.
As we have pointed out, Brahman realization is not the end of spiritual knowledge. There are three stages of self-realization: Brahman, or the realization that one is not this body but a spirit soul; Paramatma realization, or understanding the Lord within the heart; and Bhagavan realization, realizing the Lord in His personal form as Sri Krishna.
Beyond Brahman is Paramatma realization, realizing Krishna in the heart as Supersoul. Brahman is like the sunlight, but Paramatma realization is like seeing the sun globe itself, the source of the sun's rays. Going still further, one can enter into the spiritual planets of Vaikuntha and see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. This is the ultimate stage of self-realization and is like meeting the sun-god himself. The sunlight, the sun globe, and the sun-god are one and inseparable, yet they are simultaneously different. The sunlight is the impersonal effulgence of the sun, the sun globe is its localized aspect, and the sun-god is the personal source of both the sun globe and the sunlight. In the Bhagavad-gita (4.27) Krishna confirms that He is the source of the Brahman effulgence: brahmano hi pratishthaham. "I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman." And in the Isopanishad (15) a devotee prays,
hiranmayena patrena
satyasyapihitam mukham
tat tvam pushann apavrinu
satya-dharmaya drishtaye
"O my Lord, sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is covered by Your dazzling effulgence. Please remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee." So Brahman realization is not enough. A sick man's fever may go down, but he may not yet be cured. He is finally cured when he is not only safe from fever but fully recovered and back to his normal, active life. Otherwise there is danger of relapse. Likewise, understanding "I am a spirit soul, not the body" does not mean one is cured of illusion. Only when a person fully understands that he is the eternal servant of Krishna and he acts on that understanding is he truly self-realized.
----------------------------
Written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It Is | Part [BG.CH1.27]
Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra
TEXT 44:
aho bata mahat papam
kartum vyavasita vayam
yad rajya-sukha-lobhena
hantum sva-janam udyatah
TRANSLATION:
Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit greatly sinful acts. Driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness, we are intent on killing our own kinsmen.
PURPORT:
Driven by selfish motives, one may be inclined to such sinful acts as the killing of one's own brother, father or mother. There are many such instances in the history of the world. But Arjuna, being a saintly devotee of the Lord, is always conscious of moral principles and therefore takes care to avoid such activities.
TEXT 45:
yadi mam apratikaram
asastram sastra-panayah
dhartarashtra rane hanyus
tan me kshemataram bhavet
TRANSLATION:
Better for me if the sons of Dhritarashtra, weapons in hand, were to kill me unarmed and unresisting on the battlefield.
PURPORT:
It is the custom—according to kshatriya fighting principles—that an unarmed and unwilling foe should not be attacked. Arjuna, however, decided that even if attacked by the enemy in such an awkward position, he would not fight. He did not consider how much the other party was bent upon fighting. All these symptoms are due to soft-heartedness resulting from his being a great devotee of the Lord.
----------------------------
Translation and commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Teachings of Queen Kunti | Part [TQK.CH8.05]
CHAPTER EIGHT
Let There Be Calamities
When a devotee is in danger, he thinks, "Now Krishna has appeared before me as danger." In His form of Nrisimhadeva, the Lord was dangerous to the demon Hiranyakasipu, but the same Nrisimhadeva was the supreme friend to the devoted Prahlada Maharaja. God is never dangerous to the devotee, and the devotee is never afraid of dangers, because he is confident that the danger is but another feature of God. "Why should I be afraid?" the devotee thinks. "I am surrendered to Him."
Therefore Kuntidevi says, vipadah santu: "Let there be calamities." Vipadah santu tah sasvat: "Let all those calamities happen again and again." Because she knows how to remember Krishna at times of danger, she is welcoming danger. "My dear Lord," she says, "I welcome dangers, because when dangers come I can remember You." When Prahlada Maharaja's father was putting him into dangerous predicaments, Prahlada was always thinking of Krishna. So if we are put into a dangerous position and that danger gives us an impetus to remember Krishna, that is welcome: "Oh, I am getting this opportunity to remember Krishna." Why is this welcome? It is welcome because seeing Krishna or remembering Krishna means advancing in spiritual life so that we will not have to suffer any more of these dangers. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so 'rjuna (Bg. 4.9). If one becomes advanced in Krishna consciousness, the result will be that after giving up the body (tyaktva deham) one will not have to take birth again in this material world (punar janma naiti). This is to be desired.
Suppose I am very comfortable at the present moment. My body may be comfortable, but there will be death, and then another birth. After giving up my present body, if I get the body of a cat or a dog, what is the meaning of my comfortable position? Death is sure, and after death one must surely accept another body. We may not know what kind of body we shall get, but we can know from the sastra, the Vedic literature. The sastra says that according to our particular mentality, we will get a particular kind of body. Although I may be in a comfortable position, if I keep myself in the mentality of a dog, I shall get my next life as a dog. Therefore, what is the value of this comfortable position? I may be in a comfortable position for twenty years, thirty years, fifty years, or at the utmost one hundred years. Yet if, when I give up this body, my mentality causes me to become a cat, a dog, or a mouse, what is the benefit of this comfortable position? But people do not consider this. They think, especially in the present age, "I am now in a comfortable position. I have enough money and a good estate. I have ample comforts and enough food. When this body is finished, I am not going to take birth again, so as long as I am living, let me enjoy life." This is the modern philosophy of hedonism, but it does not correspond to the facts.
Kunti, however, is aware of birth and death, and she is anxious not to repeat this process. This is indicated by the words apunar bhava-darsanam [SB 1.8.25]. If one always sees Krishna, one is in Krishna consciousness, for Krishna consciousness means always thinking of Krishna. One's consciousness should be absorbed in Krishna thought. Therefore the spiritual master gives different varieties of engagements to devotees in Krishna consciousness. For example, under the direction of the spiritual master the devotees may sell books in Krishna consciousness. But if the devotees think that the energy invested in selling books should be diverted into selling jewelry, that is not a very good idea. Then they would become nothing more than jewelers. We should be very much careful not to be diverted from Krishna consciousness. Even if there is danger or suffering in Krishna consciousness, we should tolerate it. We should even welcome such danger, and we should pray in appreciation to Krishna.
How should we pray? Tat te 'nukampam susamikshamanah: [SB 10.14.8] "My dear Lord, it is Your great mercy that I have been put into this dangerous position." That is the viewpoint of a devotee. He doesn't regard danger as danger. Rather, he thinks, "It is Krishna's mercy." What kind of mercy? Bhunjana evatma-kritam vipakam: "Because of my past activities, I was meant to suffer very much. But You are mitigating that suffering and giving me only a little." In other words, by the grace of Krishna a devotee may receive only token punishment.
-----------------------------------------------
Therefore Kuntidevi says, vipadah santu: "Let there be calamities." Vipadah santu tah sasvat: "Let all those calamities happen again and again." Because she knows how to remember Krishna at times of danger, she is welcoming danger. "My dear Lord," she says, "I welcome dangers, because when dangers come I can remember You." When Prahlada Maharaja's father was putting him into dangerous predicaments, Prahlada was always thinking of Krishna. So if we are put into a dangerous position and that danger gives us an impetus to remember Krishna, that is welcome: "Oh, I am getting this opportunity to remember Krishna." Why is this welcome? It is welcome because seeing Krishna or remembering Krishna means advancing in spiritual life so that we will not have to suffer any more of these dangers. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so 'rjuna (Bg. 4.9). If one becomes advanced in Krishna consciousness, the result will be that after giving up the body (tyaktva deham) one will not have to take birth again in this material world (punar janma naiti). This is to be desired.
Suppose I am very comfortable at the present moment. My body may be comfortable, but there will be death, and then another birth. After giving up my present body, if I get the body of a cat or a dog, what is the meaning of my comfortable position? Death is sure, and after death one must surely accept another body. We may not know what kind of body we shall get, but we can know from the sastra, the Vedic literature. The sastra says that according to our particular mentality, we will get a particular kind of body. Although I may be in a comfortable position, if I keep myself in the mentality of a dog, I shall get my next life as a dog. Therefore, what is the value of this comfortable position? I may be in a comfortable position for twenty years, thirty years, fifty years, or at the utmost one hundred years. Yet if, when I give up this body, my mentality causes me to become a cat, a dog, or a mouse, what is the benefit of this comfortable position? But people do not consider this. They think, especially in the present age, "I am now in a comfortable position. I have enough money and a good estate. I have ample comforts and enough food. When this body is finished, I am not going to take birth again, so as long as I am living, let me enjoy life." This is the modern philosophy of hedonism, but it does not correspond to the facts.
Kunti, however, is aware of birth and death, and she is anxious not to repeat this process. This is indicated by the words apunar bhava-darsanam [SB 1.8.25]. If one always sees Krishna, one is in Krishna consciousness, for Krishna consciousness means always thinking of Krishna. One's consciousness should be absorbed in Krishna thought. Therefore the spiritual master gives different varieties of engagements to devotees in Krishna consciousness. For example, under the direction of the spiritual master the devotees may sell books in Krishna consciousness. But if the devotees think that the energy invested in selling books should be diverted into selling jewelry, that is not a very good idea. Then they would become nothing more than jewelers. We should be very much careful not to be diverted from Krishna consciousness. Even if there is danger or suffering in Krishna consciousness, we should tolerate it. We should even welcome such danger, and we should pray in appreciation to Krishna.
How should we pray? Tat te 'nukampam susamikshamanah: [SB 10.14.8] "My dear Lord, it is Your great mercy that I have been put into this dangerous position." That is the viewpoint of a devotee. He doesn't regard danger as danger. Rather, he thinks, "It is Krishna's mercy." What kind of mercy? Bhunjana evatma-kritam vipakam: "Because of my past activities, I was meant to suffer very much. But You are mitigating that suffering and giving me only a little." In other words, by the grace of Krishna a devotee may receive only token punishment.
-----------------------------------------------
Written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Krishna Book | Part [KB.CH39.02]
When the gopis heard that Akrura had come to take Krishna and Balarama away to Mathura, they became overwhelmed with anxiety. Some of them became so aggrieved that their faces turned black and they began to breathe warmly and had palpitations of the heart. They discovered that their hair and clothes immediately loosened. Hearing the news that Krishna and Balarama were leaving for Mathura, others, who were engaged in household duties, stopped working, as if they had forgotten everything, like a person who is called forth to die and leave this world at once. Others immediately fainted due to separation from Krishna. Remembering His attractive smile and His talks with them, the gopis became overwhelmed with grief. They all remembered the characteristics of the Personality of Godhead, how He moved within the area of Vrindavana and how, with joking words, He attracted all their hearts. Thinking of Krishna and of their imminent separation from Him, the gopis assembled together with heavily beating hearts. They were completely absorbed in thought of Krishna, and with tears falling from their eyes, they spoke as follows.
"O Providence, you are so cruel! It appears that you do not know how to show mercy to others. By your arrangement, friends contact one another, but without fulfilling their desires you separate them. This is exactly like a child's game that has no meaning. It is very abominable that you arrange to show us beautiful Krishna, whose bluish curling hair beautifies His broad forehead and sharp nose, and who is always smiling to minimize all grief in this material world, and then arrange to separate Him from us. O Providence, you are so cruel! But most astonishingly you appear now as Akrura, which means 'not cruel.' In the beginning we appreciated your workmanship in giving us these eyes to see the beautiful face of Krishna, but now, just like a foolish creature, you are taking away our eyes by not letting us see Krishna here anymore. Krishna, the son of Nanda Maharaja, is also very cruel! He must always have new friends; He does not like to keep friendship for a long time with anyone. We gopis of Vrindavana, having left our homes, friends and relatives, have become Krishna's maidservants, but He is neglecting us and going away. He does not even look upon us, although we are completely surrendered unto Him. Now all the young girls in Mathura will have the opportunity. They are expecting Krishna's arrival, and they will enjoy His sweet smiling face and will drink its honey. Although we know that Krishna is very steady and determined, we are afraid that as soon as He sees the beautiful faces of the young girls in Mathura, He will forget Himself. We fear He will become controlled by them and will forget us, for we are simple village girls. He will no longer be kind to us. We therefore do not expect Krishna to return to Vrindavana. He will not leave the company of the girls in Mathura."
The gopis began to imagine the great functions in the city of Mathura. Krishna would pass through the streets, and the ladies and young girls of the city would see Him from the balconies of their respective houses. Mathura City contained different communities, known then as Dasarha, Bhoja, Andhaka and Satvata. All these communities were different branches of the same family in which Krishna appeared, namely the Yadu dynasty. They were all expecting the arrival of Krishna. It had already been ascertained that Krishna, who is the resting place of the goddess of fortune and the reservoir of all pleasure and transcendental qualities, was going to visit Mathura City.
----------------------------
Written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It Is | Part [BG.CH4.36]
TEXT 29:
apane juhvati pranam
prane 'panam tathapare
pranapana-gati ruddhva
pranayama-parayanah
apare niyataharah
pranan praneshu juhvati
TRANSLATION:
Still others, who are inclined to the process of breath restraint to remain in trance, practice by offering the movement of the outgoing breath into the incoming, and the incoming breath into the outgoing, and thus at last remain in trance, stopping all breathing. Others, curtailing the eating process, offer the outgoing breath into itself as a sacrifice.
PURPORT:
This system of yoga for controlling the breathing process is called pranayama, and in the beginning it is practiced in the hatha-yoga system through different sitting postures. All of these processes are recommended for controlling the senses and for advancement in spiritual realization. This practice involves controlling the airs within the body so as to reverse the directions of their passage. The apana air goes downward, and the prana air goes up. The pranayama-yogi practices breathing the opposite way until the currents are neutralized into puraka equilibrium. Offering the exhaled breath into the inhaled breath is called recaka. When both air currents are completely stopped, one is said to be in kumbhaka-yoga. By practice of kumbhaka-yoga. one can increase the duration of life for perfection in spiritual realization. The intelligent yogi is interested in attaining perfection in one life, without waiting for the next. For by practicing kumbhaka-yoga. the yogis increase the duration of life by many, many years. A Krishna conscious person, however, being always situated in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, automatically becomes the controller of the senses. His senses, being always engaged in the service of Krishna, have no chance of becoming otherwise engaged. So at the end of life, he is naturally transferred to the transcendental plane of Lord Krishna; consequently he makes no attempt to increase his longevity. He is at once raised to the platform of liberation, as stated in Bhagavad-gita
(14.26):
mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
"One who engages in unalloyed devotional service to the Lord transcends the modes of material nature and is immediately elevated to the spiritual platform." A Krishna conscious person begins from the transcendental stage, and he is constantly in that consciousness. Therefore, there is no falling down, and ultimately he enters into the abode of the Lord without delay. The practice of reduced eating is automatically done when one eats only krishna-prasadam, or food which is offered first to the Lord. Reducing the eating process is very helpful in the matter of sense control. And without sense control there is no possibility of getting out of the material entanglement.
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Translation and commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Sunday, August 15, 2010
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