The Friend Within

 

Krsna is within you. He is sitting within your heart as a friend, not as an enemy. Krsna is always your friend. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 5.29]. You are searching out friends to talk with, to joke with, to love. Krsna is sitting there for that purpose. If you love Krsna, if you make friendship with Krsna, if you love Krsna, then your life will be successful. You haven't got to search out any other friend. The friend is already there. Either you are a boy or a girl, you will find a nice friend within yourself. 

 

Srila Prabhupada :: Ref. VedaBase => Lecture — New Vrindaban, June 7, 1969

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The Lord's Grace

 

Dhruva Maharaj: O my master, Lord Brahmā is fully surrendered unto You. In the beginning You gave him knowledge, and thus he could see and understand the entire universe, just as a person awakens from sleep and visualizes his immediate duties. You are the only shelter of all persons who desire liberation, and You are the friend of all who are distressed. How, therefore, can a learned person who has perfect knowledge ever forget You?

PURPORT

The Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be forgotten even for a moment by His surrendered devotees. The devotee understands that the Lord's causeless mercy is beyond his estimation; he cannot know how much he is benefited by the grace of the Lord. The more a devotee engages himself in the devotional service of the Lord, the more encouragement is supplied by the energy of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that to those who are constantly engaged in devotional service with love and affection, the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives intelligence from within, and thus they may make further progress. Being so encouraged, the devotee can never forget, at any moment, the Personality of Godhead. He always feels obliged to Him for having achieved increased power in devotional service by His grace. Saintly persons like Sanaka, Sanātana and Lord Brahmā were able to see the entire universe, by the mercy of the Lord, through knowledge of the Lord. The example is given that a person may apparently abstain from sleep all day, but as long as he is not spiritually enlightened he is actually sleeping. He may sleep at night and perform his duties in the daytime, but as long as he does not come to the platform of working in spiritual enlightenment he is considered to be always sleeping. A devotee, therefore, never forgets the benefit derived from the Lord.

The Lord is addressed here as ārta-bandhu, which means "friend of the distressed." As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, after many, many births of executing severe austerities in search of knowledge, one comes to the point of real knowledge and becomes wise when one surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Māyāvādī philosopher, who does not surrender unto the Supreme Person, is understood to be lacking in real knowledge. The devotee in perfect knowledge cannot forget his obligation to the Lord at any moment.

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.9.8
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Same Energy acts Differently

 

Dhruva Mahārāja realized that the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, acts through His different energies, not that He becomes void or impersonal and thus becomes all-pervading. The Māyāvādī philosopher thinks that the Absolute Truth, being spread throughout the cosmic manifestation, has no personal form. But here Dhruva Mahārāja, upon realization of the Vedic conclusion, says, "You are spread all over the cosmic manifestation by Your energy." This energy is basically spiritual, but because it acts in the material world temporarily, it is called māyā, or illusory energy. In other words, for everyone but the devotees the Lord's energy acts as external energy. Dhruva Mahārāja could understand this fact very nicely, and he could understand also that the energy and the energetic are one and the same. The energy cannot be separated from the energetic.

 

The identity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the feature of Paramātmā, or Supersoul, is admitted herein. His original, spiritual energy enlivens the material energy, and thus the dead body appears to have life force. Voidist philosophers think that under certain material conditions the symptoms of life occur in the material body, but the fact is that the material body cannot act on its own. Even a machine needs separate energy (electricity, steam, etc.). It is stated in this verse that the material energy acts in varieties of material bodies, just as fire burns differently in different wood according to the size and quality of the wood. In the case of devotees the same energy is transformed into spiritual energy; this is possible because the energy is originally spiritual, not material. As it is said, viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā [Cc. Madhya 6.154]. The original energy inspires a devotee, and thus he engages all his bodily limbs in the service of the Lord. The same energy, as external potency, engages the nondevotees in material activities for sense enjoyment. We should mark the difference between māyā and sva-dhāma — for devotees the sva-dhāma acts, whereas in the case of nondevotees the māyā energy acts.

 

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.9.7 Purport

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Protector of the Promise

 

In his death-bed Bhishmadev lovingly recollects the situation in the battlefield when he had made a promise to Duryodhana that he will kill Arjuna until Krishna comes in the way taking the weapon. He also assures Duryodhana that Krishna has also made a promise of not taking weapon in the battle so being truthfulness personified (satya vrata), He will not take weapon and hence there is a chance for Bhishmadev to kill Arjuna. On that day Bhishmadev fought so vigorously that Arjuna could not withstand the barrage of arrows that were flying towards him. There was a point when Arjuna and Bhishmadev were so close face to face and Bhishmadev was about to shoot the arrow to kill Arjuna. At that point, the most merciful Lord, in order to protect His devotees (both Arjuna and Bhishmadev) Himself got down from the chariot, took up the wheel of the chariot and rushed towards Bhishmadev in an angry mood to kill him. Bhishmadev dropped his weapons and was thrilled to see the Lord coming towards him in an angry mood. Bhishmadev thus prays beautifully in SB 1.9.37:

 

sva-nigamam apahaaya mat-pratijnaam

rtam adhikartum avapluto rathasthah

dhrta-ratha-carano 'bhyayaac caladgur

harir iva hantum ibham gatottariyah

 

"Fulfilling my desire and sacrificing His own promise, He got down from the chariot, took up its wheel, and ran towards me hurriedly, just as a lion goes to kill an elephant. He even dropped His outer garment on the way."

 

Srila Prabhupada says beautifully in the purport, "Because Bhishmadeva wanted to see Lord Krishna take up some weapon to save His friend, the Lord created this situation, making Arjuna's death imminent. He stood before Bhishmadeva to show him that his promise was fulfilled and that He had taken up the wheel."

 

This is the beauty of the Supreme Lord. To save His devotees, He will go to any extent. However this is not the only time He broke His own promise against Bhishmadev. From HH Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj's transcendental diaries we found another occasion where the Supreme Lord broke His own promise to save the promise of Bhishmadev. Maharaj has written this in hindi but we will try to paraphrase within our capacity:

 

"When Bhishmadev did not agree to marry Amba, Amba went to his spiritual master Lord Parashurama and asked him to order his disciple to accept her. However Bhishmadev was not willing to accept. So a tremendous fight ensued between Parashurama and Bhishmadev. Bhishmadev made a promise that if he loses this battle, then he is not the son of Shantanu and Ganga. When the terrific fight was going on, at one point Parashurama was about to release His axe weapon at Bhishmadev, the weapon which He used to kill so many generations of kings. But realizing that Bhishmadev's promise will be broken if He killed him, He refrained from using His axe weapon."

 

Relishing Nectar at Every Step

Bhagavad-Gita 10.18, Translation and Purport:

O Janārdana, again please describe in detail the mystic power of Your
opulences. I am never satiated in hearing about You, for the more I
hear the more I want to taste the nectar of Your words.

A similar statement was made to Sūta Gosvāmī by the ṛṣis of
Naimiṣāraṇya, headed by Śaunaka. That statement is:

vayaṁ tu na vitṛpyāma
uttama-śloka-vikrame
yac chṛṇvatāṁ rasa-jñānāṁ
svādu svādu pade pade

"One can never be satiated even though one continuously hears the
transcendental pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, who is glorified by excellent
prayers. Those who have entered into a transcendental relationship
with Kṛṣṇa relish at every step the descriptions of the pastimes of
the Lord." (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.19)

Thus Arjuna is interested in hearing about Kṛṣṇa, and specifically how
He remains as the all-pervading Supreme Lord.

Now as far as amṛtam, nectar, is concerned, any narration or statement
concerning Kṛṣṇa is just like nectar. And this nectar can be perceived
by practical experience. Modern stories, fiction and histories are
different from the transcendental pastimes of the Lord in that one
will tire of hearing mundane stories but one never tires of hearing
about Kṛṣṇa. It is for this reason only that the history of the whole
universe is replete with references to the pastimes of the
incarnations of Godhead. The Purāṇas are histories of bygone ages that
relate the pastimes of the various incarnations of the Lord. In this
way the reading matter remains forever fresh, despite repeated
readings.

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Consciousness

 

After a great deal of telephoning the various colleges in Perth, Amogha had finally encountered some success at the University of Western Australia. Kim Cornish, a tall, blonde, blue-eyed young man, was a student of philosophy there and had agreed to come and speak with Srila Prabhupada at 10am. Soft-spoken Kim, who was working on his Master's degree in philosophy, inquired submissively about the soul.

"What is the nature of the atman?" he asked politely.

"The nature of the atman," Prabhupada replied, "is eternal -- eternity, knowledge and blissfulness. Anandamayo bhyasat: atma is joy, ananda, blissful."

Prabhupada expertly gave evidence of these three qualities of the soul -- eternity, knowledge and blissfulness -- by means of crystal-clear examples. Indicating a fragrant rose on his desk, Prabhupada asked Kim: "Why have I placed this flower here? Why do I like this flower? What is the reason?"

"Because it's beautiful, perhaps?" Kim replied.

"Yes, therefore you want to enjoy. This is the nature of atma. I want to enjoy, this is blissfulness."

Similarly, Prabhupada explained, the fact that Kim was trying to be a philosopher indicated that the desire of the soul was to attain knowledge. "And why do you not like to die? Because you are eternal. Therefore atma's nature is eternal, full of knowledge, and full of bliss. Sat cit ananda." Kim wondered about the connection between the soul and consciousness.

Prabhupada expounded further. "Consciousness is the symptom of atma. Because the atma is within your body, therefore your consciousness is there. Now, because the atma is within your body, if I pinch it, or if you pinch my body, I feel pains and pleasures. As soon as the atma is not there, even it will be cut with a chopper, still there is no protest. So that atma is present within this body, that is understood by the presence of consciousness."

He gave another example: "Just like we are here in this room, but this light is the reflection of the sunshine. We understand there is sun in the sky because we are experiencing its light and heat. Similarly, because our consciousness and knowledge are there, that means that the atma is there. The same atma, when it will go out of this body, there will be no more consciousness, no more knowledge and no more feelings of pains and pleasures."

Prabhupada asked Amogha for a copy of Sri Isopanisad and requested Kim to read aloud from the invocatory verse and purport. Kim read: "The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete. And because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as a complete whole. Whatever is produced of the complete whole is also complete by itself. And because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance."

Kim read on, but, scarcely through the first paragraph, he paused. "I don't understand that. I read the words but..."

Prabhupada was reassuring. "That requires elucidation," he said, and proceeded to give a clear explanation of the term "Complete Whole", by way of another practical analogy. Prabhupada pointed to a goblet of water on his desk: "Here is a glass of water; I am drinking. Drinking part by part. And when it is finished, the water is finished. No more complete."

On the other hand, Prabhupada explained, the Complete Whole could be compared to a glass of water that, after emptying, is still full. "A glass of water, I throw, and water again is coming. Again I throw, again it is coming. Incessantly coming, all the energies. This is the idea of God.

purnam adah purnam idam purnat purnam udacyate
purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate

One minus one equals one, not zero. One plus one equals one, not two. This is the Complete Whole. This is the idea of God."

Prabhupada further expanded his water analogy: "Just like the ocean. You take many thousands of buckets of water out, still it is complete. And again you put back many buckets, thousands, millions of buckets of water, it is the same depth. This is a material example. Try to understand God's completeness. You take millions of buckets of water from the ocean, you'll find not a drop is lost. And if you put millions of buckets of water again, not a drop is increased. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate. If you try to take out the complete ocean, still it will remain the ocean. This is the idea of complete."


- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu


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What is Bhakti?

 

Dhruva Mahārāja could understand very easily the difference between his condition before and after attaining spiritual realization and seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. He could understand that his life force and activities had been sleeping. Unless one comes to the spiritual platform, his bodily limbs, mind and other facilities within the body are understood to be sleeping. Unless one is spiritually situated, all his activities are taken as a dead man's activities or ghostly activities. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has composed a song in which he addresses himself: "O living entity, get up! How long shall you sleep on the lap of māyā? Now you have the opportunity of possessing a human form of body; now try to get up and realize yourself." The Vedas also declare, "Get up! Get up! You have the opportunity, the boon of the human form of life — now realize yourself." These are the Vedic injunctions.

Dhruva Mahārāja actually experienced that upon enlightenment of his senses on the spiritual platform he could understand the essence of Vedic instruction — that the Supreme Godhead is the Supreme Person; He is not impersonal. Dhruva Mahārāja could immediately understand this fact. He was aware that for a very long time he was practically sleeping, and he felt the impetus to glorify the Lord according to the Vedic conclusion. A mundane person cannot offer any prayer or glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because he has no realization of the Vedic conclusion.

When Dhruva Mahārāja, therefore, found this difference within himself, he could immediately understand that it was because of the causeless mercy of the Lord. He offered obeisances to the Lord with great respect and reverence, completely understanding that the Lord's favor was upon him. This spiritual enlivenment of Dhruva Mahārāja's senses and mind was due to the action of the internal potency of the Lord. In this verse, therefore, the word sva-dhāmnā means "by spiritual energy." Spiritual enlightenment is possible by the mercy of the spiritual energy of the Lord. The chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is first addressed to the spiritual energy of the Lord, Hare. This spiritual energy acts when a living entity fully surrenders and accepts his position as an eternal servitor. When a person places himself at the disposal or order of the Supreme Lord, that is called sevonmukha; at that time the spiritual energy gradually reveals the Lord to him.

Without revelation by the spiritual energy, one is unable to offer prayers glorifying the Lord. Any amount of philosophical speculation or poetic expression by mundane persons is still considered to be the action and reaction of the material energy. When one is actually enlivened by the spiritual energy, all his senses become purified, and he engages only in the service of the Lord. Such an enlightened devotee no longer has any material activities, nor has he any interest in being materially engaged. This process of purifying the senses and engaging them in the service of the Lord is known as bhakti, or devotional service. In the beginning, the senses are engaged by the direction of the spiritual master and śāstra, and after realization, when the same senses are purified, the engagement continues.

 

The difference is that in the beginning the senses are engaged in a mechanical way, but after realization they are engaged in spiritual understanding.

 

- Srimad Bhagavatam 4.9.6 Purport

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Narada Muni on Liberation

If one is very serious about liberation, he must stick to the process
of transcendental loving service, engaging twenty-four hours a day in
the highest stage of ecstasy, and he must certainly be aloof from all
activities of sense gratification.

PURPORT

There are different stages of perfection according to different
persons' objectives. Generally people are karmīs, for they engage in
activities of sense gratification. Above the karmīs are the jñānīs,
who are trying to become liberated from material entanglement. Yogīs
are still more advanced because they meditate on the lotus feet of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. And above all these are the devotees,
who simply engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord;
they are situated seriously on the topmost platform of ecstasy.

Here Dhruva Mahārāja is advised that if he has no desire for sense
gratification, then he should directly engage himself in the
transcendental loving service of the Lord. The path of apavarga, or
liberation, begins from the stage called mokṣa. ln this verse the
word vimuktaye, "for liberation," is especially mentioned. If one
wants to he happy within this material world, he may aspire to go to
the different material planetary systems where there is a higher
standard of sense gratification, but real mokṣa, or liberation, is
performed without any such desire. This is explained in the
Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu by the term anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Madhya
19.167], "without desire for material sense gratification." For
persons who are still inclined to enjoy material life in different
stages or on different planets, the stage of liberation in bhakti-yoga
is not recommended. Only persons who are completely free from the
contamination of sense gratification can execute bhakti-yoga, or the
process of devotional service, very purely. The activities on the path
of apavarga up to the stages of dharma, artha and kāma are meant for
sense gratification, but when one comes to the stage of mokṣa, the
impersonalist liberation, the practitioner wants to merge into the
existence of the Supreme. But that is also sense gratification. When
one goes above the stage of liberation, however, he at once becomes
one of the associates of the Lord to render transcendental loving
service. That is technically called vimukti. For this specific vimukti
liberation, Nārada Muni recommends that one directly engage himself in
devotional service.

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.8.61

O Gopinatha!

(1)

gopīnāth, mama nivedana śuno
viṣayī durjana, sadā kāma-rata,
kichu nāhi mora guṇa

(2)
gopīnāth, āmāra bharasā tumi
tomāra caraṇe, loinu śaraṇa,
tomāra kińkora āmi

(3)
gopīnāth, kemone śodhibe more
nā jāni bhakati, karme jaḍa-mati,
porechi soḿsāra-ghore

(4)
gopīnāth, sakali tomāra māyā
nāhi mama bala, jñāna sunirmala,
swādīna nahe e kāyā

(5)
gopīnāth, niyata caraṇe sthāna
māge e pāmara, kāndiyā kāndiyā,
korohe karuṇā dāna

(6)
gopīnāth, tumi to' sakali pāro
durjane tārite, tomāra śakati,
ke āche pāpīra āro

(7)
gopīnāth, tumi kṛpā-pārābāra
jīvera kāraṇe, āsiyā prapañce,
līlā koile subistāra

(8)
gopīnāth, āmi ki doṣe doṣī
asura sakala, pāilo caraṇa,
vinodá thākilo bosi'

TRANSLATION

1) O Gopinatha, Lord of the gopis, please hear my request. I am a wicked materialist, always addicted to worldly desires, and no good qualities do I possess.

2) O Gopinatha, You are my only hope, and therefore I have taken shelter at Your lotus feet. I am now Your eternal servant.

3) O Gopinatha, how will You purify me? I do not know what devotion is, and my materialistic mind is absorbed in fruitive work. I have fallen into this dark and perilous worldly existence.

4) O Gopinatha, everything here is Your illusory energy. I have no strength or transcendental knowledge, and this body of mine is not independent and free from the control of material nature.

5) O Gopinatha, this sinner, who is weeping and weeping, begs for an eternal place at Your divine feet. Please give him Your mercy.

6) O Gopinatha, You are able to do anything, and therefore You have the power to deliver all sinners. Who is there that is more of a sinner than myself?

7) O Gopinatha, You are the ocean of mercy. Having come into this phenomenal world, You expand Your divine pastimes for the sake of the fallen souls.

8) O Gopinatha, I am so sinful that although all the demons attained Your lotus feet, Bhaktivinoda has remained in worldly existence.

Glories of Vrindavan

Selected Verses By Prabhodananda Sarasvati

Offering Dandavats

In Vrindavan the effulgent ground is fashioned with many very wonderful colorful cintamani jewels. The trees and vines are full of blissful spiritual fruits and flowers. Birds make a great tumult by reciting the hymns of the Sama Veda, and the lakes and streams are filled with transcendental nectar. 

May my heart meditate on Vrindavana in this way.

Vrindavan is illuminated by numberless moons of spiritual bliss. It is cooled by the sweet nectar of spiritual love, and it is filled with desire trees and many hosts of madly cooing birds. Whose heart will not run to Sri Sri Radha and Krishna, who enjoy eternal transcendental pastimes in that Vrindavan?

 

In this beginning-less world of repeated birth and death, how many times have you not suffered in hell and how many times have you not relished the pleasure that eclipses the happiness of Brahma, Indra and the other demigods? My friend, in this one body, do not consider happiness or distress but simply worship the supreme transcendental abode, Sri Vrindavan.

A person absorbed in the most wicked sordid deeds, who once bows down to offer respect to a blade of grass in Vrindavana, at once becomes a very pious person. At the end of his body, by the mercy of the Supreme Lord, who has all power to unshackle one from the bond of karma, he certainly attains the otherwise unattainable lotus feet of Lord Krishna.

Selected Verses by Visvanatha Cakravarti
Let me glorify Vrajabhumi, the place where Sri Krishna enjoyes transcendental pastimes. Simply by drinking with their ears the nectarian description of Brajabhumi, the liberated souls abandon the bliss of impersonal brahman and yearn to attain the land of Vraja.

With a pure heart, let me worship Vrajabhumi, which is the from of sweetness of meditaiton on Sri Krishna, which is eternal, transcendental, blissful, peerless, and which, although it cannot be understood by ordinary people, is easily understood by its residents.

Some portion of transcendental Vrindavan becomes visible in this world at the time of Lord Krishna's manifest pastimes. Conditioned souls think Vrindavan is material, although actually it is spiritual and beyond their ability to understand or describe it.

The peerless and supremely sweet land of Vrindavan is the blissful abode where the Supreme Personality of Godhead enjoys pastimes. It is the incarnation of the Lord's form and is non-different from Him.

Vrajavasi praying to the holy land of Vrindavan

God's Mercy

 

A devotee always accepts his distress as minimized by God's Mercy, although he would have to suffer many more times the suffering. Any one who accepts this philosophy of God's Mercy in suffering conditions, and still makes progress in Krishna Consciousness, it is said that he is sure to go back to Home, Back to Godhead.
- Srila Prabhupada Letter to Gurudasa, Los Angeles, February 13, 1968 

HH Radhanath Swami on Superficial Living

How many friends do you have who can honestly, sincerely, confidentially reveal their minds to you? Not many. People in this world have a tendency for very superficial relationships with one another because it is a superficial society. The natural surroundings that bring about a natural lifestyle are so hard to find. We are living in a society of concrete, oil and plastic and exhaust fumes, and so much quarrelling for unnecessary paraphernalia and sense enjoyment. Where do you find natural water? You have to buy it in a bottle, imported from 100 miles away. Where do you find natural air? The basic ingredients of our life - natural air and water - they are nowhere to be found. We have to go great distances just to breathe properly. And, of course, we are a product of our environment, we become like what we associate with. Therefore we become very artificial, very superficial, very unnatural. And therefore our relationships with one another are of the same quality, unfortunately. In these circumstances, how wonderful it is that God reveals His mind to us in the scriptures, and that He loves each one of His children intimately!

Self-Realization becomes easy!

Accepting the thoughts of exalted authorities through disciplic succession is certainly much easier than the method of mental speculation, by which one
tries to invent some means to understand the Absolute Truth. The best process is to accept the instructions of the previous acaryas and follow them. Then God realization and self-realization become extremely easy. By following this easy method, one is liberated from the contamination of the material modes of nature, and thus one can certainly cross the ocean of nescience, in which there are many miserable conditions. By following in the footsteps of the great acaryas, one associates with the hamsas or paramahamsas, those who are completely freed from material contamination. Indeed, by following the instructions of the acaryas one is always freed from all material contamination, and thus one's life becomes successful, for one reaches the goal of life.

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 7.9.18

Divine Darshan from Sri Vrindavan Dhaam

 

 

 

 

Darshan From Sri Vrindavan Dhaam on 21.02.2012

 

Glories of Chanting the Holy Name

The ananda which floods the heart comes from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. We are very fortunate that we got this chanting of Hare Krishna but often we take it for granted as we got it very easily.  

 

Srila Prabhupada has given the following definition of the chanting of Hare Krishna:

This transcendental vibration--by chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare--is the sublime method for reviving our Krsna consciousness. As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krsna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by material atmosphere. In this polluted concept of life, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in our complexities. This illusion is called maya, or hard struggle for existence over the stringent laws of material nature. This illusory struggle against the material nature can at once be stopped by revival of our Krsna consciousness.

We will try to understand the deep meaning of these words:-  

1. Sublime – Beautiful and Transcendental:- Something that is transcendental is beautiful but all that is beautiful is not transcendental. These 16 words are not ordinary material words. These words are spiritual from beginning to the end – Golokera Prema Dhan Harinama Sankirtan. Since we are so conditioned, we don't realize the potency so it is on our ability to come to that point.

2. Reviving of our Krsna Consciousness:-

Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 22.107  

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema 'sādhya' kabhu naya

śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

"Pure love for Kṛṣṇa is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens.

It is said in the Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 3.79

koṭi aśvamedha eka kṛṣṇa nāma sama

yei kahe, se pāṣaṇḍī, daṇḍe tāre yama

One who says that ten million aśvamedha sacrifices are equal to the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa is undoubtedly an atheist. He is sure to be punished by Yamarāja.

 

The Vedic scriptures say:

go-koṭi-dānaḿ grahaṇe khagasya

prayāga-gańgodaka-kalpa-̣vasah

yajñāyutaḿ meru-suvarṇa-dānaḿ

govinda-kīrter na samaḿ śatāḿśaiḥ

"Even if one distributes ten million cows in charity during an eclipse of the sun, lives at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamunā for millions of years, or gives a mountain of gold in sacrifice to the brāhmaṇas, he does not earn one hundredth part of the merit derived from chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa."

To be able to revive Krsna Consciousness means it is there but dormant i.e it is not active. That absolutely pure Krsna Consciousness is there and some mechanical process cannot awaken it but it can be revived by sravanam – listening to the Nama, Rupa, Guna and Lila of the Lord. For  example, if it is night time then we cannot see the sun, but the sun is always present and it's position remains unaffected. Similarly, this Krsna Consciousness is always present, but due to our polluted consciousness, we are unable to perceive this. This can be awakened by reading Srimad Bhagavatam, having Prasadam with devotees etc.

  3. Living Spirit Souls:- We are all living because we have a soul which is spiritual in nature. When Krsna talks to Arjuna about the living entity, he is talking about the soul. We are always Krsna Conscious, but some realize it and some do not realize it.

4. Association with matter since time immemorial:- This means that we are associating with matter not in this life but life after life. So Srila Prabhupada is saying that we have to finish this cycle of birth and death in this life itself. Sometimes, we find it difficult to change our nature because this nature has been with us since time immemorial. As the air carries the aroma, so the person carries with itself the nature and because this svabhava is so deep rooted in our consciousness, lot of continuous practice is required to bring a change.

5. Our Consciousness is polluted by material atmosphere:- This pollution happens due to our desire to enjoy separate from Krsna. As we try to enjoy this material world, the more we get pulled into it. The advertisements that we see in the Media, are done for fulfilling the material ends of the advertisers but they make the people feel that they can enjoy this material world. 'I am the Lord of all that I survery' - This very enjoying spirit is the cause of our falldown and suffering. If we can come together and enjoy in the loving devotional service of the Lord, then perverted enjoyment becomes real enjoyment. For example, the rain is pure but when it comes in touch with air, dust or mud it becomes dirty and muddy. Similarly, the soul is by nature pure but by being in contact with the material contamination, the consciousness becomes polluted.

6. Trying to exploit the resources of Material Nature:- Our material education has been directed towards exploitation of the natural resources as ultimately all the wealth comes from nature. As the greed is increasing, the exploitation is also increasing. Srila Prabhupada calls this civilization as polishing the cage civilization - The golden cage is nicely polished but the bird inside the cage is not fed. Similarly, the real spiritual need of the soul is ignored and satisfaction is trying to be obtained by fulfilling the material need's. So,that's why the civilization is falling and deep inside there is no tripti. The satisfaction is only external.

It is said in the Bhagavad-Gita 7.5 The spirit souls are higher and they are exploiting the inferior resources of this material nature.

7.More and more entangled in our complexities:- These complexities are created by us. We often blame God that why there are so many difficulties but actually these complexities are created by us. For example, a silk worm weaves nicely but does not know how to come out of it and finally dies. So our position is like that. Everyone gets absorbed in this gigantic material creation.

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya

śītoṣṇa-sukha-duhkha-dāḥ

āgamāpāyino 'nityās

tāḿs titiksasva bhārata

O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed. (Bhagavad Gita 2.14)

 

We have made this whole world for our comfort; if there is little heat we want AC – all these demands cause the complexities. So Krishna tells Arjuna not to be perturbed by all this happiness and distress and if we can tolerate that then we will not create so many complexities. These problems will come and go, so we should increase the capacity to tolerate.

 

8. This illusion is called Maya:- Maya means that which is not.

krsna -- surya-sama; maya haya andhakara

yahan krsna, tahan nahi mayara adhikara

"Krsna is compared to sunshine, and maya is compared to darkness. Wherever there is sunshine, there cannot be darkness. As soon as one takes to Krsna consciousness, the darkness of illusion (the influence of the external energy) will immediately vanish. (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 22.31)

 

Maya is also Krishna 's energy and is the superintendent of this world. Maya is performing a thankless task and can be compared to a police officer. If we are not following the laws of Krishna , then Maya's job is to bring us on the right path. Srila Prabhupada comments that 'Krsna bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha kare pasate maya tare japatiya dhare' - Maya means to give sufficient punishment to the living entities who have forgotten Krsna and want to enjoy material life independently.  

9. Stringent Laws of Material Nature:- Though we think we are independent, the nature will act. The Laws of Karma are so strict that there is no laxity. Maya is Krishna 's energy so it will act so we have to beaware of the laws of nature which are very stringent.

Krishna also confirms this in the Bhagavad-Gita 9.10:

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakrtih

sūyate sa-carācaram

hetunānena kaunteya

jagad viparivartate

This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again. 
 

10. Illusory Struggle against Material Nature:- A fight can only happen between two equals but this fight is one-sided because we never win against maya so best would be to surrender to Krishna.

11. This struggle can at once be stopped by revival of Krishna Consciousness:- Just like the electric fan, it is moving. When we put the switch off, we will find it still moving. But it will stop moving very soon, because the switch is off. Similarly, this struggle can at once be stopped but we do not know how to do it. In the outside world, we will find many cheaters and many who want to be cheated. But if we come to Hare Krishna, it is one place where we will get everything. So, we should take care of our sadhana because this is the only thing that will go with us while leaving this body.  

It is said in the Srimad Bhagavatam 12.3.51:

kaler dosha-nidhe rajann

asti hy eko mahan gunah

kirtanad eva krishnasya

mukta-sangah param vrajet

My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.

For example, during college times if the question paper is very tough, the teacher reduces the passing marks so that everyone gets through. Similarly, because Kali-yuga is so difficult and full of faults, Krishna made reductions in the standard.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a Vedanta Pandit; That great Nimai Pandit could defeat any big Vedanta scholar in argument, but when He took initiation, His spiritual master told Him that you are a big fool and you should only chant Hare Krishna. So are we bigger than Chaitanya Mahaprabhu? Therefore, our conviction and faith in the Holy Name should be unshakeable.

- HG Indra Krsna Prabhu (Damodardesh :: 24.02.2012)

Deity of Hari-Nama

Death is as sure as Death.

Therefore fall at the Lotus Feet of the Lord begging for always remaining in the divine nectar of the Holy Name as the Holy Name is non-different from Krishna. If we ask the Lord for material benedictions like wealth, beauty, power, knowledge, followers, opulence - out of His kindness He will fulfill all our desires but what good will it do for us? Can it save us from the clutches of death which is approaching us with every passing second? Can it wake us up to our true glory as spirit souls who are eternally servants of God? Can it help us experience the pleasure obtained by engaging in devotional service to the Lord? These desires can surely help us to forget the Lord and get more entangled in our own complexities.

It is repeated again and again in the scriptures that even the highest amount of charity, sacred baths, renunciation, sacrifices are not even one-hundreth of the merit one gets by chanting Hare Krishna. This merit does not refer to any ordinary pious merit achieved by performing any material activity but this merit refers to awakening of the already existing pure love of Krishna which is deep rooted in our heart and overcoming the illusory state of consciousness in which we are accustomed to only think of 'I and Mine' as the all in all reality, which is the sole cause of our suffering.

So, let's try to awaken that pure love already existing in our heart by sincerely worshiping the deity of Hari-Nama. Chant Hare Krishna and discover real happiness in the company of the Lord. 

Try to Satisfy Krishna

We expect some benediction or some profit from the friend and enemy means we expect some harmful activities by the enemy. But Krsna is so perfect that nobody can do any harm to Krsna, neither anybody can give anything to Krsna. So where is the necessity of friend and enemy? There is no necessity. Therefore it is stated here: na yasya kascid dayito 'sti. He doesn't require anyone's favor. He's complete. I may be very poor man. I expect some friend's favor, somebody's favor. But that is my expectation because I am perfect. I am not full. I am deficient in so many ways. So I am in needy always. Therefore I want to create some friend, and similarly I hate the enemy. So Krsna, His being the Supreme nobody can do any harm to Krsna, nobody can give anything to Krsna. So why we are offering Krsna so much comforts? We are dressing Krsna, we are decorating Krsna, we are giving nice food to Krsna.

So the idea is... Try to understand this fact. Krsna does not require your nice dress or nice flower or nice food. Krsna does not require. But if you give Him, then you become benefited. It is Krsna's favor that He's accepting. The example is given: Just like if you decorate the original person the reflection of the person in the mirror, it also appears decorated. So we are reflections. In the Bible also it is said that man is made after the image of God. So our, as Krsna is transcendental, we... He has got two hands, two legs, one head. So man is made after God means we are reflections of the image of God. Not that we manufacture, imagine some form according to our form. That is mistake.

The Mayavadi philosophy is like that. It is called anthropomorphism. They say that: "Because the... The Absolute Truth is imperson, but because we are persons, we imagine that Absolute Truth also person." Just the opposite. Actually that is not the fact. We have got this personal form as reflection of God. So in the reflection, if the original person is benefited, the reflection is also benefited. That is the philosophy. The reflection is also benefited.

So if you decorate Krsna, so you become decorated. If you satisfy Krsna, then you become satisfied. If you offer nice foodstuff Krsna, then you eat them. Perhaps those who are outside the temple, they have never imagined such nice foodstuff. But because it is being offered to Krsna, we have got the opportunity to take it. This is the philosophy. So you try to satisfy Krsna in all respects. Then you'll be satisfied in all respects. This is...

Krsna does not require your service. But He kindly accepts. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Krsna is asking you that: "You surrender unto Me." It does not mean that Krsna is lacking one servant, and if you surrender then He'll be profited. Krsna can create millions of servants by His only desires. So that is no point. But if you surrender to Krsna, you becomes saved. You become saved. That is your business.

Krsna says: aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami. You are suffering here. Just like without any shelter. You see so many people loiter in the street, no aim, no life. We go in the beach side. We see so many boys and girls, without an aim, loitering, do not know what to do, all confused. So... But if you take shelter of Krsna, then you'll know: Oh, I have got now shelter." There is no more confusions. There is no more hopelessness. You can understand it very well. And I receive so many letters daily, how they are hopeful in Krsna consciousness.

So Krsna has come here, has descended, to collect some servant, that is not the fact. If we agree... Instead of becoming Krsna's servant, we are servant of so many things. We are servant of our senses, and sense activities. Kama, krodha, lobha, moha. Actually the whole world is serving the senses, servant of the senses. Godasa. But if we engage the senses in the service of Krsna, then we shall no longer remain the servant of the senses. We shall be the master of the senses. Because we, we, we shall not allow our senses to be engaged otherwise. That strength we shall get. Then we shall be safe.

Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.29 -- Los Angeles, April 21, 1973

Why God Comes?

So the Lord says in the Bhagavad-gita: paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. So two purposes. When God incarnates, He has got two mission. One mission is paritranaya sadhunam and vinasaya dus... One mission is to deliver the faithful devotees, sadhu. Sadhu means saintly persons.

The sadhu... I have explained several times. Sadhu means devotee. Sadhu does not mean the worldly honesty or dishonest, morality or immorality. It has nothing to do with material activities. It is simply spiritual, sadhu. But sometimes we derive, "sadhu," a person's material goodness, morality. but actually "sadhu" means in the transcendental platform. Those who are engaged in devotional service. Sa gunan samatityaitan [Bg. 14.26]. Sadhu is transcendental to the material qualities. So paritranaya sadhunam. The paritranaya means to deliver.

Now if a sadhu is already delivered, he is on the transcendental platform, then where is the necessity of delivering him? This is the question. Therefore this word is used, vidambanam. It is bewildering. It is contradictory. It appears to be contradictory. If a sadhu is already delivered... Transcendental position means he's no longer under the control of the three material modes of nature, goodness, passion and ignorance. Because it is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gita: sa gunan samatityaitan [Bg. 14.26]. He transcends the material qualities. A sadhu, devotee, Then where is the question of deliverance? The deliverance... He does not require deliverance, a sadhu, but because he is very much anxious to see the Supreme Lord eye to eye, that is his inner desire, therefore Krsna comes. Not for deliverance. He's already delivered. He's already delivered from the material clutches. But to satisfy Him, Krsna is always...

Just like a devotee wants to satisfy the Lord in all respects, similarly more than the devotee, the Lord wants to satisfy the devotee. This is the exchange of loving affairs. Just like in your, in our ordinary dealings also, if you love somebody, you want to satisfy him or her. Similarly, she or he also wants to reciprocate. So if that reciprocation of loving affairs is there in this material world, how much it is greatly elevated in the spiritual world? So there is a verse that: "Sadhu is My heart, and I am also the sadhu's heart." The sadhu is always thinking of Krsna and Krsna is always thinking of His devotee, sadhu.

So the appearance and disappearance of Lord within this material world, that is called cikirsitam. Pastimes.

It is Krsna's pastime that He comes. He... When He comes, of course, He works something. The The work is to give protection to the sadhu and to kill the asadhu. But both the activities are His pastimes. He's not envious. He cannot be envious. The killing of the demons, that is also His affection. Just like sometimes we punish our children, we give him a very strong slap. That is not out of love. There is love. So when Krsna kills a demon, the, the business is not on the platform of material jealousy or enviousness. No.

Therefore it is mentioned in the sastras that even the demons, who were killed by Lord, they also get immediate salvation. The result is the same. Just like Putana. Putana was killed. Putana wanted to kill Krsna, but who can kill Krsna? That is not possible. She was killed. But she was killed, but what was the result? The result was that she got the position of Krsna's mother. Krsna accepted her as His mother. 

These are explained in the Bhagavatam, Uddhava explained to Vidura that Krsna is so kind, God is so kind, even the person who wanted to kill Him with poison, she was accepted as mother. Such a kind God, Krsna, that "Whom shall I worship others, except Krsna?" This example is given. So actually Krsna has no enemy. Here it is said: na yasya kascid dayitah. Dayitah means favor. Nobody is favored. Na yasya kascid dayito 'sti karhicid dvesyas ca. And nobody is His enemy. But who can be His enemy, who can be His friend?

Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.29 -- Los Angeles, April 21, 1973

Krishna's Loving Impartiality

The devotees can understand. So Krishna has no partiality. Nobody should misunderstand that Krsna has got partiality, no. This partiality and enmity, friendliness, these are material, duality. Here we cannot understand good unless there is bad. Therefore it is called relative world. We cannot understand father unless there is son. We cannot understand good man unless there is bad man. So these things, duality or relative world, they should exist in this material world. Therefore in order to approach to the spiritual world one should become above this duality, above this duality. This duality means the intermixture of the modes of material nature, traigunya. The Sanskrit word is traigunya. So Krsna advised Arjuna, nistraigunyo bhavarjuna. Traigunya-visaya veda nistraigunyo bhavarjuna. So how one can become above these nistraigunya, er, traigunya? You... Simply by devotional service, unalloyed devotional service. Anyone who is...

mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
 [Bg. 14.26]

So we should be Krsna conscious. 

Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.29 -- Mayapura, October 9, 1974

A Vaisnava feels for others ..

This is the moral instruction by Canakya Pandita.

matrvat para-daresu
para-dravyesu lostravat
atmavat sarva-bhutesu
yah pasyati sa panditah

He is giving the description of pandita in three ways: "One who sees all women except his wife as mother -- he is pandita One who takes others' money as garbage on the street -- he is pandita. And one who sees everyone, even to the ant, like himself, that ‘If I, if somebody pin, pricks pin on my body, I get, I suffer. I feel pain. So why shall I give pain even to an ant?' " Atmavat sarva-bhutesu. In a higher sense...

 

Just like Vaisnava. Vaisnava, Prahlada Maharaja. He is feeling for... Para-duhkha-duhkhi. This is Vaisnava's business, because a Vaisnava, when he comes to become Krsna conscious, he can understand that "What I was previously and what I am now." Actually one is... He's happy. He feels that... Yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah. "So why these people should suffer without Krsna consciousness?" That is samah sarvesu bhutesu. Therefore preaching required. He preaches. 

So atmavat sarva-bhutesu. A Vaisnava feels for others. A Vaisnava understands that "Those who are not Krsna conscious, those who have forgotten Krsna, they are rotting under the spell of maya. Let us do something for them." That is Vaisnava. Just like Prahlada Maharaja said, naivodvije para duratyaya, duratyaya-vaitaranyah: "I am not afraid of the indefatigable vaitarani." It is said in the sastra that you have to cross the vaitarani before going to the spiritual world. So Prahlada Maharaja said that "I am not afraid of this vaitarani. It is very easy." Tvad-virya-gayana-mahamrta-magna-cittah: "Because I know simply by glorifying Your Lordship, I am..., I can do that." Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam [Adi 17.21]. That is quite possible. Param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. So a pure Vaisnava like Haridasa Thakura can simply chant. Caitanya Mahaprabhu advised anyone, especially His confidential devotees... Just like Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. He was advised that "You chant and don't eat very palatable food. Don't dress yourself very gorgeously." This instruction... But the chanting. Everyone was advised, whoever went to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that "You chant."

So Prahlada Maharaja said that "I know..." Tvad-virya-gayana-mahamrta-magna-cittah. "I can... I have no problem because I have understood what is the value of chanting Your holy name. But I have got another business." What is that? Soce tato vimukha-cetasah: "I am simply concerned with these rascals who are not Krsna conscious." Soce tato vimukha-cetasah: "They are busy that maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan [SB 7.9.43]. for maya-sukha, temporary material happiness, they have made very, very gorgeous arrangement," very, very big, big skyscraper building and very, very nice road, very, very nice car, and nice dress, nice this, nice nightclub, this club -- simply for maya-sukhaya. "This happiness is temporary. Still, they have forgotten Krsna, which will make their life successful and happy. They do not know." Maya-sukhaya bharam. Bharam means humbug, humbugism. Maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan [SB 7.9.43]. "Those who have arranged like that," soce, "I am lamenting for them." This is Vaisnava. Para-duhkha-duhkhi krpambudhir yas tam aham prapadye.

Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.29 -- Mayapura, October 9, 1974

Krishna understood by a Devotee

"O Lord, no one can understand Your transcendental pastimes, which appear to be human and are so misleading. You have no specific object of favor, nor do You have any object of envy. People only imagine that You are partial."

Prabhupada:

na veda kascid bhagavams cikirsitam
tavehamanasya nrnam vidambanam
na yasya kascid dayito 'sti karhicid
dvesyas ca yasmin visama matir nrnam

So Kuntidevi is clarifying the matter that people may think that Krsna was partial to the Pandava family and He was envious to the Kurus because He always took part on behalf of the Pandavas. That has been described. So just like worldly men, we, we make some friends, and we make some enemies. To somebody we are envious, and to somebody we are very friendly. This is material nature. The material nature means to become envious, generally. And if somebody satisfies my sense gratification, then he's friend. That is also temporary. As soon as the sense gratification process is disturbed, then again envious. The real nature is enviousness. So Kuntidevi says that "Because You are playing the part of human being, and it appears that You are partial to somebody and You are envious to somebody, this is vidambanam; this is Your misleading. Actually You are not like that. Actual... But because You are playing the part of the ordinary human being, not ordinary, but as human being, so Your dealing like that appears that You are, to some, to somebody You are very partial and somebody You are inimical."

But that is not the fact. People cannot understand Krsna because Krsna can be understood by the devotee only.

naham prakasah sarvasya
yogamaya-samavrtah
mudho 'yam nabhijanati
loko mam ajam avyayam
 [Bg. 7.25]

Those who are mudhas, they cannot understand Krsna. Krsna is playing, although like that, ordinary human being. The mudhas cannot understand. Just like Krsna killed Putana, but she got elevation to the position of His mother. Superficially it appeared that Krsna killed the Putana, but Putana, Krsna took her as her (His) mother. Although she came to kill Krsna with poison on her breast, but Krsna thought that "This woman has come to kill Me, but because I have sucked her breast, she is My mother." So any way, the service side, Krsna always accepts, a little service. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. Svalpam asya. 

A little service to Krsna is feasible, is helpful to save a man from the greatest danger.

- Excerpt from a lecture by Srila Prabhupada on SB 1.18.29 :: 1974

Hare Krishna is not any ordinary Pious activity

koṭi aśvamedha eka kṛṣṇa nāma sama

yei kahe, se pāṣaṇḍī, daṇḍe tāre yama

TRANSLATION

One who says that ten million aśvamedha sacrifices are equal to the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa is undoubtedly an atheist. He is sure to be punished by Yamarāja.

PURPORT

In the list of the ten kinds of offenses in chanting the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hare Kṛṣṇa, the eighth offense is dharma-vrata-tyāga-hutādi-sarva-śubha-kriyā-sāmyam api pramādaḥ. One should never consider the chanting of the holy name of Godhead equal to pious activities like giving charity to brāhmaṇas or saintly persons, opening charitable educational institutions, distributing free food and so on. The results of pious activities do not equal the results of chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.

The Vedic scriptures say:
go-koṭi-dānaḿ grahaṇe khagasya

prayāga-gańgodaka-kalpa-vāsaḥ

yajñāyutaḿ meru-suvarṇa-dānaḿ

govinda-kīrter na samaḿ śatāḿśaiḥ

"Even if one distributes ten million cows in charity during an eclipse of the sun, lives at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamunā for millions of years, or gives a mountain of gold in sacrifice to the brāhmaṇas, he does not earn one hundredth part of the merit derived from chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." In other words, one who accepts the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa to be some kind of pious activity is completely misled. Of course, it is pious; but the real fact is that Kṛṣṇa and His name, being transcendental, are far above all mundane pious activity. Pious activity is on the material platform, but chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa is completely on the spiritual plane. Therefore, although pāsaṇḍīs do not understand this, pious activity can never compare to the chanting of the holy name.

- Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 3.71

Chanting Hare Krishna

This transcendental vibration--by chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare--is the sublime method for reviving our Krsna consciousness. As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krsna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by material atmosphere. In this polluted concept of life, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in our complexities. This illusion is called maya, or hard struggle for existence over the stringent laws of material nature. This illusory struggle against the material nature can at once be stopped by revival of our Krsna consciousness.
- Srila Prabhupada

Leaders must have Transcendental Knowledge

[Above: Maharaj Pariksit punishing the Personality of Kali for spreading Irreligion]

In Bhagavad-Gita it is mentioned that transcendental knowledge or, the science of relationship of an individual soul with the supreme was first given to Vivasvan (The demigod presiding over the Sun planet) about 120 million years ago. Vivasvan then gave this knowledge to Vaivasvata Manu, and he in turn gave it to Iksvaku, who bought the knowledge down to earth. Iksvaku belongs to a kingly order known as Raghu dynasty in which Lord Ramacandra appeared.

An important point to understand from this is that knowledge of Bhagavad-Gita was generally meant for kings and leaders so that they could rule the kingdom with spiritual conceptions and considerations of life and guide the citizens to connect with the Supreme Lord. Today, unfortunately the situation is completely opposite. Modern leaders who have no scruple are occupying political posts without transcendental knowledge, and this is resulting into all kinds of problems. There is so much sectarianism and lack of cooperation everywhere. Even among personal relationships we find so much sectarianism. There is no cooperation among countries, friends, families, religion and so on. Even husband-wife relationships are filled with all kinds of quarrels. The root cause of all this is people are working with material conceptions of life.
Therefore in order to avoid the situation as we face today, it was crucial for kings in Vedic times to be thoroughly educated in the science of Bhagavad-Gita so that they could effectively rule and guide the different members of the society to achieve the ultimate goal of life. Unless we see things with spiritual conceptions, our vision is certainly going to be defective.

There is a great need for the leaders to be educated in the science of Bhagavad-Gita if at all they want to bring about sanity in this world.

Source: www.theisticscience.wordpress.com