A Second Chance | Part [SC.CH8.02]

Everyone in the material world is puzzled about what religion is. Therefore, the Mundaka Upanishad (1.2.12) says, one should approach a guru: tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. "If someone wants to learn the transcendental science, he has to approach a guru." There are no exceptions. One cannot say, "I shall learn the transcendental science without going to a spiritual master." No. That is not possible. The Vaishnava principles enjoin, adau gurv-asrayam: the first step in understanding spiritual knowledge is to take shelter of a bona fide guru. And there are three principles to observe in taking shelter of a guru: tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34]. We must surrender to the spiritual master, we must inquire from him, and we must render service to him. Then we will be able to understand real spiritual knowledge.

When Sanatana Gosvami approached Lord Caitanya to become His disciple, Sanatana surrendered himself and said, "My dear Lord, when I was a minister, people used to address me as a learned man, and so I accepted that I was learned and intelligent. But actually I am neither learned nor intelligent, because I do not know what I am. This is the result of my learning: I know everything except what I am and how to get out of this miserable material condition of life."

We see that modern education fails here also. The professor talks about so many things, but if we ask him what he is, he has no answer. Universities award degrees to the graduates, who think, "I am a Ph.D., a very learned man," but if we ask that Ph.D. to explain what he is and what the purpose of life is, he will refer only to his bodily designations: "I am American, I am male, etc." He can only state his identification with the body, which he is not, and therefore he is fool number one.

At first Arjuna was also thinking in terms of bodily connections: "Krishna, how can I fight? On the other side there are my cousins, my brothers, my uncles, my nephews, and my brothers-in-law. If I kill them, their wives will become widows and be polluted, and there will be unwanted children." Arjuna was a very learned man, but he was perplexed. He said, "My dear Krishna, now I am puzzled. I am a kshatriya, and it is my duty to fight, but I am deviating from this duty because I am bewildered and cannot reason clearly. I know You can explain to me what I should do; therefore I surrender unto You as Your disciple. Please instruct me." (Bhagavad-gita 2.7)

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Written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Teachings of Queen Kunti | Part [TQK.CH4.07]

CHAPTER  FOUR

Approaching Krishna, the All-pervading Truth

(Purport to Chapter Four continued)

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I am very pleased, therefore, when my disciples nicely dress the Deity, offer the Deity nice foodstuffs, and keep the temple very clean. Sri-mandira-marjanadau. Marjana means "cleansing." Whether one dresses Krishna or cleanses the temple, the spiritual benefit one receives is the same. Don't think, "I am only a cleanser, and he is a dresser." No, the person who is dressing the Deity and the person who is cleansing the temple are the same because Krishna is absolute. Therefore, one should engage in Krishna's service in any way, and one's life will be successful. This is the Krishna consciousness movement.

By the grace of Kuntidevi we can understand that Krishna, Vasudeva, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The word vasudeva also indicates that the Lord is understood when one comes to the platform of pure goodness, which is also called vasudeva, or visuddha-sattva. Sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam (SB 4.3.23). To understand the Supreme Lord, we must first come to the platform of sattva, goodness, but goodness here in the material world is sometimes contaminated by the lower qualities ignorance and passion. By hearing about Krishna, however, one comes to the platform of pure goodness. Srinvatam sva-kathah krishnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17]. We should try to hear and chant about Krishna always, twenty-four hours a day, and in this way the dirty things will be cleansed from our hearts. It is not that one should only attend a bhagavata-saptaha, an official reading of Srimad-Bhagavatam for seven days. That is another form of exploitation. In the Bhagavatam it is said, nashta-prayesv abhadreshu nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18]. The word nityam means "daily" or "twenty-four hours a day." One should always read Srimad-Bhagavatam and carry out the order of one's spiritual master. The word bhagavata may refer either to the spiritual master or to the book Srimad-Bhagavatam. So one should always serve the person bhagavata or the book Bhagavata. Bhagavaty uttama-sloke bhaktir bhavati naishthiki. Then one will be fixed immovably (naishthiki) in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In this way, one should realize the benefits of the Krishna consciousness movement by the prescribed spiritual process and try to distribute these benefits to other people. To awaken the dormant Krishna consciousness of others is the greatest welfare activity in the world. We can actually see that devotees who were not Krishna conscious four or five years ago have been awakened and are now Krishna conscious. Similarly, others can be awakened also. There is no difficulty. The process is the same.

By following in the footsteps of devotees like Kunti, we shall be able to understand Krishna's identity. For example, we may ask a person's identity by asking, "What is your father's name?" So Srimad-Bhagavatam presents God with His father's name, His mother's name, and even His address. We are not impersonalists with a vague idea of God. If one takes advantage of the Krishna consciousness movement, one can understand God perfectly and completely.

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Written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

G.M. buys AmeriCredit for USD 3.5 Billion, General Motor will retain Daniel Berce

Giant car manufacturer General Motors revealed on Thursday that company is agreed to buy AmeriCredit for 3.5 Billion US dollars in ready money. After coming out of bankruptcy in year 2009 known as recession year in world's economics, the company reestablished its financial grip.

 It is said that General Motor will remit 24.50 USD per share bases and 24% premium to AmeriCredit's closing share price of 19.70 USD.

Company said that in this purchase, GM will also hold the existing management of AmeriCredit. The overseeing CEO, Daniel Berce also one of vital employee of AmeriCredit, Daniel will be retained by GM to run the company – Market WATCH Sources.

Quick Weight Loss Diet Plan

Weight Loss Diet and Exercise are the only solutions to lose weight.

There are no short cuts for losing weight. There is no magic exercise or any weight loss diet supplement that can reduce our weight. The key for losing our weight is proper weight loss diet along with some exercise techniques.

The secret to losing weight is to eat and drink the right kind of foods until we are satisfied. Skipping of meals is not the answer for weight loss. It can rather deteriorate our health. A healthy weight loss diet plan should include vegetables, fruits, grains, lentils and beans in our diet.

Before starting a weight loss diet plan, decide how much weight we want to lose. Most of the diet plans promote to eat a particular food group and restrict other food groups. Such weight loss diet plans will show temporary results. Following of these restricted weight loss diet plans for a long time, we may develop some health problems at later stage as these weight loss diet plans do not contain all the necessary nutrients needed for our body.

Instead, plan to change our eating habits permanently by making sensible changes that we can live with. They're low in calories and great for snacking. Eat a few pieces a half-hour before we sit down to lunch or dinner to cut our appetite. Prefer climbing the stairs instead of using elevator because climbing stairs burns calories. If we are going up four stories or less, walk.

Walk all the way if we work a mile or less from home. If we live farther from work and take public transportation, get off two stops early and walk the rest of the way. If we drive to work, park half-mile from the job and walk. This is particularly important if we plan to eat a semi frozen entree for our evening meal. Without the salad, we will feel hungry later. Instead of using oil, saute onions in a non-stick pan with a little white wine.

Try using flavored vinegar (tarragon, garlic or raspberry, for example) diluted with water to half-strength. It makes a great dressing for greens and is almost calorie-free. For some unknown reason, whole bags of snacks can disappear this way. Use it instead of mayo for turkey or learn roast beef.

Place thin slices of raw potatoes under the broiler to make "French fries" without oil. Turn once during cooking to brown both sides. Add garlic powder or chilli powder for extra flavor.

Buy fruits canned in juice or water instead of heavy syrup and don't buy artichoke heart or mushrooms marinated in oil. Look for water -packed vegetables and pickle them our self-with vinegar, water and spices.

Make an ordinary hot soup creamy by adding low fat yogurt. Mix into the soup pot just before serving. We can shop for food after a meal so we won't be as tempted by goodies in the super-market. Because they are high in fat and calories, use hard cheese sparingly. If we love the taste of cheese, sprinkle a small amount of sharp cheese on a low-calorie food.

Article Source: articledoctor.com

BRAIN DAMAGING HABITS

 

BRAIN DAMAGING HABITS

1. No Breakfast People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration. 2 . Overeating=2 0 It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power. 3. Smoking It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease. 4. High Sugar consumption Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development. 5. Air Pollution The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our  body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency. 6 . Sleep Deprivation Sleep allows our brain to rest.. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.. 7. Head covered while sleeping Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects. 8. Working your brain during illness Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.. 9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage. 10. Talking Rarely Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain  The main causes of liver damage are: 1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are main cause. 2. Not urinating in the morning. 3 . Too much eating. 4. Skipping breakfast. 5. Consuming too much medication. 6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener. 7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is   very fit. 8. Consuming raw (overly done) foods also add to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store. We should prevent this without necessarily spending more. We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our bodies to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to 'schedule.'  The top five cancer-causing foods are: 1.. Hot Dogs   Because they are high in nitrates, the Cancer Prevention Coalition advises that children eat no more than 12 hot dogs a month. If you can't live without hot dogs, buy those made without sodium nitrate. 2. Processed meats and Bacon     Also high in the same sodium nitrates found in hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats raise the risk of heart disease. The saturated fat in bacon also contributes to cancer. 3. Doughnuts Doughnuts are cancer-causing double trouble. First, they are made with white flour, sugar, and hydrogenated oils, then fried at high temperatures. Doughnuts, says Adams , may be the worst food you can possibly eat to raise your risk of cancer. 4. French fries Like doughnuts, French fries are made with hydrogenated oils and then fried at high temperatures. They also contain cancer- causing acryl amides which occur during the frying process. They should be called cancer fries, not French fries, said Adams . 5. Chips, crackers, and cookies        All are usually made with white flour and sugar. Even the ones whose labels claim to be free of trans-fats generally contain small amounts of trans-fats.

Reminder for Thursday, 22 Jul 2010

Location: Suva [Fiji]

Reminder for Thursday, 22 Jul 2010

Fasting for Sayana Ekadasi

Sayan EkAdasii – Deva Sayani EkAdasii – Padma EkAdasii from the Bhavishya-uttara PurANa.

The saintly king Yudhishthira Maharaj said, "Oh Keshava, what is the name of that EkAdasii that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of AshADha (June – July)? Who is the worshippable Deity for the auspicious day, and what is the process for observing this event?"

Lord Sri Krishna replied, "Oh caretaker of this Earthly planet, I shall gladly tell you a wonderful historical event that the deva lord BrahmA once narrated to his son NArad Muni.

"One day NArad Muni asked his father, 'What is the name of the EkAdasii that comes during the light part of the month of AshADha', much as you did? 'Kindly tell me how I should observe this EkAdasii and thus please the Supreme Lord, Sri Vishnu.'

"Lord BrahmA replied, 'Oh great saintly orator, O best of all sages, Oh purest devotee of Lord Vishnu, your question is as usual excellent for all mankind. There is nothing better than EkAdasii, the day of Lord Sri Hari, in this or any other world. It nullifies even the worst sins if observed properly. For this reason I shall tell you about this AshADha-shukla EkAdasii.

" 'Fasting on this EkAdasii purifies one of all sins and fulfills all ones desires. Therefore, whoever neglects to observe this sacred fast day is a good candidate for entering into hell. AshADha-shukla EkAdasii is also famous as PadmA EkAdasii. Just to please the Supreme Lord Hrishikesha, the master of the senses, one should fast on this day. Listen carefully, Oh NArad, as I relate to you a wonderful historical event that was recorded in the scriptures regarding this EkAdasii. Just hearing this account destroys all kinds of sins, along with all obstacles on the path to spiritual perfection.

" 'Oh son, there was once a saintly king in the Surya Vamsha (Sun dynasty) whose name was MAndhAtA. Because he always stood up for the truth, he was appointed emperor. He took care of his subjects as though they were his very own family members and children. On account of his piety and great religiosity, there was no pestilence, drought, or disease of any kind in his entire kingdom. All his subjects were not only free of all kinds of disturbances but also were very wealthy. The king's own treasury was free of any ill-gotten moneys, and thus he ruled happily for many years.

" 'Once, however, because of some sin in his kingdom, there was a drought for three years. The subjects found themselves beset by famine also. The lack of food grains made it impossible for them to perform the prescribed Vedik sacrifices, offer oblations of grita (ghee) to their forefathers and to the devas, engage in any ritualistic worship, or even study the Vedik literatures. Finally, they all came before their beloved king in a great assembly and addressed him thus, 'Oh king, you always see to our welfare, so we humbly beg your assistance now. Everyone and everything in this world needs water. Without water, almost everything is rendered useless or dead. The Vedas call water nAra, and because the Supreme Personality of Godhead sleeps upon water, His another name is NArAyana. God makes His own abode on water and takes His rest there.

It is said that three things cannot exist without water; pearls, human beings, and flour. The essential quality of a pearl is its luster, and that is due to water. The essence of a man is his semen, whose main constituent is water. And without water, flour cannot be made into dough and then be cooked into various forms of bread, offered and eaten. Sometimes water is called jala-nArAyaNa, the Supreme Lord in the form of this life sustaining substance – water.

In His form as the clouds, the Supreme Lord is present throughout the sky and pours forth rains, from which grow the grains that maintain every living entity.

" ' "Oh king, the severe drought has caused a great lack of valuable grains; thus we are all miserable, and the population is decreasing as people die off or leave your kingdom. Oh best ruler on Earth, please find some solutions to this problem and bring us to peace and prosperity once again."

" 'The king replied, "You speak the truth, for grains are like Brahman, the Absolute Truth, who lives within grains and thereby sustains all beings. Indeed, it is because of grains that the entire world lives. Now, why is there a terrible drought in our kingdom? The Holy Scriptures discuss this subject very thoroughly. If a king (or head of the country) is irreligious, both he and his subjects suffer. I have meditated upon the cause of our problem for a long time, but after searching my past and present character I can honestly say that I find no sin. Still, for the good of all your subjects, I shall try to remedy the situation."
Thinking in this way, King MAndhAtA assembled his army and entourage. Paid his obeisances to me, and then entered the forest. He wandered here and there, seeking great sages in their Ashrams and inquiring about how to resolve the crisis in his kingdom. At last he came upon the ashram of one of my other sons, AngirA Muni, whose effulgence lit up all directions. Seated in his hermitage, AngirA looked like a second BrahmA. King MAndhAtA was very pleased to see that exalted sages, whose senses were completely under control.

" 'The king immediately dismounted his horse and offered his respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of AngirA Muni. Then the king joined his palms and prayed for the Muni's blessings. That saintly person reciprocated by blessing the king with sacred mantras; then he asked him about the welfare of the seven limbs of his kingdom. The seven limbs of a king's domain are the king himself; the ministers; his treasury; his military forces; his allies; the brahmins; the sacrificial performances performed in the kingdom and the needs of the subjects under his care.

" 'After telling the sage how the seven limbs of his kingdom were situated, King MAndhAtA asked the sage about his own situation, and if he was happy. Then AngirA Muni asked the king why he had undertaken such a difficult journey into the forest, and the king told him of the affliction his kingdom was suffering. The king said, "Oh great sage, I am ruling and maintaining my kingdom while following the Vedik injunctions, and thus I do not know the reason for the drought. To solve this mystery, I have approached you for help. Please help me relieve the suffering of my subjects."

" 'ANgira Rishi said tot he king, 'The present age, Satya yuga, is the best of all ages, for in this age Dharma stands on all four legs (Truthfulness, Austerity, Mercy, and Cleanliness). In this age everyone respects Brahmins as the topmost members of society. Also, everyone fulfills his occupational duties, and only twice-born Brahmins are allowed to perform Vedik austerities and penances. Although this is a standard, Oh lion among kings, there is one shudra (uninitiated, untrained person) who is thus unlawfully performing the rites of austerity and penance in your kingdom. This is why there is no rain in your land. You should therefore punish this labourer with death, for by so doing you will remove the contamination inflicted by his actions and restore peace to your subjects."

" 'The king then replied, "How can I kill an offenseless performer of austerity and sacrifice? Please give me some spiritual solution."

" 'The great sage ANgirA Muni then said, "Oh king, you should observe a fast on the EkAdasii that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of AshADha. This auspicious day is named PadmA EkAdasii, and by its influence plentiful rains and thus grains and other foodstuffs will surely return to your kingdom. This EkAdasii bestows perfection upon its faithful observers, removes all kinds of bad elements, and destroys all obstacles on the path to perfection. Oh king, you, your relatives, and your subjects should all observe this sacred EkAdasii fast. Then everything in your kingdom will undoubtedly return to normal."
" 'Upon hearing these words, the king offered his obeisances and then returned to his palace. When the PadmA EkAdasii arrived, King MAndhAtA assembled all the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and shudras in his kingdom and instructed them to strictly observe this important fast day. After they had observed it, the rains fell, just as the sage had predicted, and in due course of time there were abundant crops and a rich harvest of grain. By the mercy of the Supreme Lord Hrishikesha, the master of the senses, all the subjects of King MAndhAtA became extremely happy and prosperous.

" 'Therefore, Oh Narada, everyone should observe this EkAdasii fast very strictly, for it bestows all kinds of happiness, as well as ultimate liberation, upon the faithful devotee'

Lord Sri Krishna concluded, "My dear Yudhishthira, PadmA Ekadasi is so powerful that one who simply reads or hears its glories becomes completely sinless. Oh PANDava, one who wishes to please Me should strictly observe this EkAdasii, which is also known as Deva-sayani EkAdasii

Deva-sayani, or Vishnu-sayani, indicates the day when Lord Vishnu goes to sleep with all the devas (demigods). It is said that after this day one should not perform any new auspicious ceremonies until DevotthAni EkAdasii (Haribodhini (Probodhini) Devotthaani (Uttana) EkAdasii), which occurs during the month of KArtika (October – November), because the devas (demigods), being asleep, cannot be invited to the sacrificial arena and because the Sun is travelling along its Southern course (Dakshinayanam).

"Lord Sri Krishna continued, "Oh lion among kings, Yudhishthira Maharaj, whoever wants liberation should regularly observe a fast on this EkAdasi which is also the day when the Chaturmasya fast begins."

Thus ends the narration of the glories of the AshADha-shukla EkAdasii –
also known as PadmA EkAdasii or Deva-sayani EkAdasii – from the Bhavishya-uttara PurANa.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is | Part [BG.CH4.15]

(purport to 4.9 continued)

"The one Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternally engaged in many, many transcendental forms in relationships with His unalloyed devotees." This Vedic version is confirmed in this verse of the Gita personally by the Lord. He who accepts this truth on the strength of the authority of the Vedas and of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and who does not waste time in philosophical speculations attains the highest perfectional stage of liberation. Simply by accepting this truth on faith, one can, without a doubt, attain liberation. The Vedic version tat tvam asi is actually applied in this case. Anyone who understands Lord Krishna to be the Supreme, or who says unto the Lord "You are the same Supreme Brahman, the Personality of Godhead," is certainly liberated instantly, and consequently his entrance into the transcendental association of the Lord is guaranteed. In other words, such a faithful devotee of the Lord attains perfection, and this is confirmed by the following Vedic assertion:

tam eva viditvati mrityum eti

nanyah pantha vidyate 'yanaya

"One can attain the perfect stage of liberation from birth and death simply by knowing the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and there is no other way to achieve this perfection." (Svetasvatara Upanishad 3.8) That there is no alternative means that anyone who does not understand Lord Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is surely in the mode of ignorance and consequently he will not attain salvation simply, so to speak, by licking the outer surface of the bottle of honey, or by interpreting the Bhagavad-gita according to mundane scholarship. Such empiric philosophers may assume very important roles in the material world, but they are not necessarily eligible for liberation. Such puffed-up mundane scholars have to wait for the causeless mercy of the devotee of the Lord. One should therefore cultivate Krishna consciousness with faith and knowledge, and in this way attain perfection.  

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Translation and commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Krishna Book | Part [KB.CH33.07]

It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that Krishna is present in everyone's heart and that from Him come all knowledge, remembrance and forgetfulness. He is the original person to be known by Vedic knowledge. He is the author of the Vedanta philosophy, and He knows the Vedanta philosophy perfectly well. The so-called Vedantists and Mayavadis cannot understand Krishna as He is; they simply mislead their followers by imitating the actions of Krishna in an unauthorized way. Krishna, the Supersoul of everyone, is already within the body of everyone; therefore if He sees someone or embraces someone there is no question of impropriety.

Some ask that if Krishna is self-sufficient, why did He at all manifest the pastimes with the gopis, which are disturbing to the so-called moralists of the world? The answer is that such activities show special mercy to the fallen, conditioned souls. The gopis are expansions of His internal energy, but because Krishna wanted to exhibit the rasa-lila, they appeared as ordinary human beings. In the material world, pleasure is ultimately manifested in the sex attraction between man and woman. The man lives simply to be attracted by women, and the woman lives simply to be attracted by men. That is the basic principle of material life. As soon as these attractions are combined, people become more and more implicated in material existence. In order to show them special favor, Krishna exhibited this rasa-lila dance. It is just to captivate the conditioned soul. Since they are very much attracted by sex, they can enjoy the same life with Krishna and thus become liberated from the material condition. In the Second Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Maharaja Parikshit also explains that the pastimes and activities of Lord Krishna are medicine for the conditioned souls. If they simply hear about Krishna, they become relieved of the material disease. They are addicted to material enjoyment and are accustomed to reading sex literature, but by hearing these transcendental pastimes of Krishna with the gopis, they will be relieved of material contamination.

How they should hear and from whom is also explained by Sukadeva Gosvami. The difficulty is that the whole world is full of Mayavadis, and when they become professional reciters of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and when people, without knowing the effect of the Mayavada philosophy, hear from such persons, they become confused. Discussion of the rasa-lila among people in general is discouraged because they are affected by the Mayavada philosophy, but if one who is advanced explains and people hear from him, certainly the hearers will be gradually elevated to the position of Krishna consciousness and liberated from materially contaminated life.

Another important point is that none of the gopis who danced with Krishna were in their material bodies. They danced with Krishna in their spiritual bodies. All their husbands thought that their wives were sleeping by their sides. The so-called husbands of the gopis were already enamored with the influence of the external energy of Krishna; so by dint of this very energy they could not understand that their wives had gone to dance with Krishna. What then is the basis of accusing Krishna of dancing with others' wives? The bodies of the gopis, which were their husbands', were lying in bed, but the spiritual parts and parcels of Krishna were dancing with Him. Krishna is the supreme person, the whole spirit, and He danced with the spiritual bodies of the gopis. There is therefore no reason to accuse Krishna in any way.

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Written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Bhagavad-gita As It Is | Part [BG.CH1.06]

Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra

 

Text 8:

bhavan bhishmas ca karnas ca

kripas ca samitim-jayah

asvatthama vikarnas ca

saumadattis tathaiva ca

 

 

TRANSLATION:

There are personalities like you, Bhishma, Karna, Kripa, Asvatthama, Vikarna and the son of Somadatta called Bhurisrava, who are always victorious in battle.

 

 

PURPORT:

Duryodhana mentions the exceptional heroes in the battle, all of whom are ever victorious. Vikarna is the brother of Duryodhana, Asvatthama is the son of Dronacarya, and Saumadatti, or Bhurisrava, is the son of the King of the Bahlikas. Karna is the half brother of Arjuna, as he was born of Kunti before her marriage with King Pandu. Kripacarya's twin sister married Dronacarya.

 

 

Text 9:

anye ca bahavah sura

mad-arthe tyakta-jivitah

nana-sastra-praharanah

sarve yuddha-visaradah

 

 

TRANSLATION:

There are many other heroes who are prepared to lay down their lives for my sake. All of them are well equipped with different kinds of weapons, and all are experienced in military science.

 

 

PURPORT:

As far as the others are concerned—like Jayadratha, Kritavarma and Salya—all are determined to lay down their lives for Duryodhana's sake. In other words, it is already concluded that all of them would die in the Battle of Kurukshetra for joining the party of the sinful Duryodhana. Duryodhana was, of course, confident of his victory on account of the above-mentioned combined strength of his friends.

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Translation and commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

A Second Chance | Part [SC.CH7.02]

The question posed by the Vishnudutas was very suitable. One who represents someone else must fully know that person's mission. The devotees in the Krishna consciousness movement must therefore be fully aware of the mission of Krishna and Lord Caitanya and the philosophy of Krishna consciousness; otherwise they will be considered foolish. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said, yei krishna-tattva-vetta, sei 'guru' haya: [Cc. Madhya 8.128] "One must know Krishna—then he can become a guru." Not just anyone can become a guru. Thus the Vishnudutas challenged the Yamadutas: "If you are truly representatives of Dharmaraja, then you must explain what is religion and what is irreligion." That should be the criterion for determining who is actually representative of religion. It is not that everyone should be accepted as religious or as a guru. Widespread ignorance has given rise to many persons calling themselves God, representing so much nonsense in the name of dharma. When someone says, "I am God," or "I have become God by mystic yoga," one should challenge him. In America a man claimed, "I am God, everyone is God," and thus gathered disciples. One day he was suffering from a toothache, and I asked him, "What kind of God are you that you are suffering so much from a toothache?" Only a lunatic or a cheater claims, "I am God."

 

Officers of Law Enforcement

One who has the power to punish others should not punish everyone. There are innumerable living entities, most of whom are in the spiritual world and are nitya-mukta, everlastingly liberated. There is no question of judging these liberated living beings. Only a small fraction of the living entities, perhaps one fourth, are in the material world. And the major portion of the living entities in the material world—8,000,000 of the 8,400,000 forms of life—are lower than human beings. They are not punishable, for under the laws of material nature they are automatically evolving. Human beings, who are advanced in consciousness, are responsible for their actions, but not all humans are punishable. Those engaged in advanced pious activities are beyond punishment. Only those who engage in sinful activities are punishable. Therefore the Vishnudutas particularly inquired about the criteria Yamaraja uses to determine who is punishable and who is not. How is one to be judged? What is the basic principle of authority? These are the questions raised by the Vishnudutas.

The Yamadutas felt that they were faultless because they were following the orders of Yamaraja, who himself is faultless. Just because a magistrate has to direct the punishment of those who transgress the law does not mean the magistrate is a criminal. He is a representative of the government. Similarly, although Yamaraja has jurisdiction over the regions of hell and deals with all sinful persons, he is a pure representative of Krishna and simply executes the order of his master.

A police constable is supposed to know the law and whom to arrest for breaking the law. If he arrests anyone and everyone, then he himself is a criminal. He may not arrest the law-abiding citizens. Similarly, the Yamadutas cannot take away just anyone and everyone to the court of Yamaraja. They can take only the nondevotees to be punished for their sinful acts. Yamaraja has especially cautioned the Yamadutas not to approach Vaishnavas.

However, because Ajamila had been very sinful, the Yamadutas could not understand why he should not be considered a criminal and be brought to Yamaraja for punishment.

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Written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada