Living in Kuliya during Sri Chaitanya’s pastimes, Sri Devananda Pandit gave professional readings of Srimad Bhagavatam tainted with Mayavada philosophy. One day Shrivasa Pandit heard his Bhagavata-katha, began crying, and fell to the ground. 

Becoming disturbed by this display, the foolish disciples of Devananda threw Shrivasa out of the assembly. By silently observing this misbehaviour of his disciples Devananda committed the hati-mata aparadha, the mad elephant offence of blaspheming a pure devotee of Lord Chaitanya.

Later, by the mercy of Vakreshvara Pandit, an intimate devotee of Sri Gaura Raya, Devananda understood the divinity of Sri Krishna Chaitanya and surrendered to Him in the place known today as the aparadha-bhanjanam, or the place of amnesty. 

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu granted forgiveness to all who gathered there and instructed them in the science of devotion. The Lord pardoned his offence and blessed him with bhakti. He serves in Krishna lila as Bhaguri Muni. 

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With HH Mukunda Goswami, HG Guru Das, HG Shyamasundara Das, HG Malati Devi Dasi, HG Jyotirmayi Devi Dasi, HG Mandakini Devi Dasi and man other disciples of Srila Prabhupada (Rebatinandana Prabhu, Ranchor Prabhu etc) # Reunion at Bhaktivedanta Manor 1993 – Part 1 A warm welcome to all visiting devotees and guests attending the PR
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Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master, is my grand spiritual master, but I feel that I never really knew him very well until I read his biography Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava, by my godbrother Bhakti Vikasa Swami. Many of the quotes and references below come from that work.

We are all here by the mercy of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. There’s a line through which the mercy descends upon us, beginning with Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and passing, one teacher after the other, through parampara, disciplic succession. Five thousand years ago, Krishna came in His original form and instructed in the Bhagavad-gita (9.34, 18.65), man-mana bhava mad-bhakto: “Always think of Me and become My devotee.” Five hundred years ago, Lord Krishna came again, in the devotional form of Sri Krishna Chaitanya, to explain and personally show how to be a devotee and always think of Krishna. Lord Chaitanya quoted a verse from the Brhan-naradiya Purana (38.126):

harer nama harer nama
  harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
  nasty eva gatir anyatha

“One should chant the holy name, chant the holy name, chant the holy name of Hari, Krishna. There is no other way, no other way, no other way for success in the present age of Kali.” He also desired and predicted:

prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama

“In as many towns and villages as there are on the surface of the earth, My holy name will be propagated.” (Cb 3.4.126) This desire and prediction were expressed at a time when it was almost impossible to imagine or believe that it could happen.

In the 1800s, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura began the effort to spread the holy name of Krishna to countries outside India. He wrote a small book in English called Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: His Life and Precepts and dispatched copies to libraries around the world. In recent years, Srila Prabhupada’s disciples have discovered copies in libraries from Canada (McGill University) to Australia. Bhaktivinoda Thakura yearned for the day when devotees from all over the world would unite in harinama-sankirtana and wrote, “Very soon the unparalleled path of harinama-sankirtana will be propagated all over the planet. . . . Oh, for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German, and American people will take up banners, mridangas, and kartals and perform kirtan through their streets and towns. When will that day come? Oh, for the day when the fair-skinned men from their side will raise up the chanting of ‘Jaya Sacinandana, jaya Sacinandana ki jaya!’ and join with the Bengali devotees. When will that day be?” (Sajjana-tosani)

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was a powerful spiritual master, an acharya. After the disappearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates, many unscrupulous people claiming to be Mahaprabhu’s followers introduced concocted philosophies and practices—even illicit activities—to the point that if an educated Bengali heard the word Vaishnava, he would immediately think the worst. In educated circles Vaishnava had come to mean a sentimental, ignorant person of loose character who, in the guise of religion, engaged in all sorts of questionable activities. In this precarious situation, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura came forward and presented the true understanding of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, speaking strongly against the deviant groups that had distorted and perverted His pure teachings and practices.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura held a high position in the British rule of India—the highest an Indian could hold, and then only very rarely. He had important responsibilities in the government and had a large family, but his main interest was Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the sankirtana movement. He would sleep little and rise early. He did so much—wrote books, traveled, preached, established centers—and had a tremendous effect, especially on the people of Bengal and Orissa, including the intellectual elite, who were just then coming in touch with modern ideas from the West. He revived the true mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, inspiring hosts of people to join him, and pushed back the deviant groups, who lost much of their influence.

Having undertaken such a tremendous task and executed it so successfully but still being surrounded by so many parties with vested interests in covering the true intention of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was at a loss as to who would carry on his mission. He prayed to Krishna to send someone—one of His own associates from the spiritual realm—to continue the work. It is understood that the appearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was the answer to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s prayers.

There are many incidents from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s early life that indicate that he was that person sent by Krishna. When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta was five months old, the Ratha-yatra cart halted in front of Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s home in Puri, and the Thakura directed his wife, Bhagavati Devi, to carry the baby to the chariot. When the infant was placed at the lotus feet of Lord Jagannatha, he extended his tiny arms to touch the Deity’s feet, and Lord Jagannatha dropped one of His garlands around him—a blessing and a confirmation of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s divine descent.

Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati understood his father’s mission and worked with him to fulfill it. His father initiated him into the chanting of the holy name (hari-nama), the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, but according to etiquette, a father does not give actual diksa to his son. So Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura instructed him to approach Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji, a great maha-bhagavata—a fully self-realized, liberated soul—for diksa. But Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was a renounced bhajananandi and was not inclined to accept disciples; he preferred simply to immerse himself in chanting the holy names and hearing scripture.

When Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati approached Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, Babaji Maharaja told him directly that he would not accept him or anyone else as a disciple. Still, Siddhanta Sarasvati persisted, so Babaji Maharaja told him, “I will ask Mahaprabhu.” A few days later, when Siddhanta Sarasvati returned and inquired, “What was Mahaprabhu’s order?” Babaji Maharaja replied, “I forgot to ask.” And when Siddhanta Sarasvati came for the third time, Babaji Maharaja directly refused him: “Mahaprabhu has not given permission.” Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was devastated. He stood up and quoted a line by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, addressed to the guru—karuna na hoile, kandiya kandiya, prana na rakhibo ara: “If you are not merciful to me, I will simply weep and weep and will not be able to maintain my life.” Finally, when Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja understood how sincere and serious Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was, he accepted him as his disciple and initiated him.

Five years later, in 1905, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati undertook a vow to chant at least three lakh holy names daily—ten million monthly—until he had chanted one billion holy names. For his disciples, Srila Prabhupada fixed the minimum number of sixteen rounds per day, which takes most devotees about two hours. Four times sixteen is sixty-four rounds, or one lakh names. And three times sixty-four rounds equal three hundred thousand names, which would take us, even at a good rate, at least sixteen hours a day. In Mayapur, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati constructed a grass hut, where he lived very simply and chanted day and night. If rain came and leaked through the thatched roof, he would just hold up an umbrella and continue chanting: “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”

To complete his vow took more than nine years, but even then, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati would write, preach, and serve the dhama. One program he attended was especially significant. In Bengal the caste brahmans held a stranglehold on people’s religious practices. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura had spoken openly against them and their false claim, based on their supposed high birth, that they possessed exclusive rights to be gurus and perform brahminical functions. Naturally, when Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati challenged them, the brahmans reacted. An assembly of smarta-brahmanas and jata-gosanis (caste Gosvamis) came together to try to refute the arguments of the pure Vaishnavas and published a tract against them. In response, the Vaishnavas called a three-day public meeting to discuss the relative positions of brahmans and Vaishnavas. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was expected to be the main speaker, but severe rheumatism rendered him bedridden.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura himself was not born in a brahman family, and obviously, neither was his son. Now, the question may be raised that since Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was a ray of Vishnu, an eternal associate of Krishna’s sent from the spiritual realm to the material world to preach, Krishna could have arranged for him to take birth in the highest class of brahman family, with all the brahminical qualifications. But He didn’t. Why not? Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati explains that the Lord does not arrange for pure devotees to take birth only in high-class families, with all the advantages of good health, education, culture, wealth, strength, and so on, because ordinary people would feel discouraged. They would think, “Oh, I didn’t take birth in a high-class family; I didn’t have this or that advantage. What is the hope for me?” So, great souls take birth in various kinds of families to show us the example that anyone in any condition—even if not born in a brahman family—can become Krishna conscious, and to give us hope that we too can be Krishna conscious.

So, after the publication of the caste brahmans’ tract, on the eve of the public meeting to be convened by the Vaishnavas, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was incapacitated, and he cried out in desperation, “Is there no one in the Vaishnava world who can reply to these people and, by presenting scriptural evidence and logic, put a stop to their base activities?” Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati took up the challenge, wrote an essay called “Conclusion Regarding the Comparison of Brahmans and Vaishnavas,” and went to attend the meeting.

Many caste brahmans, although not invited, also went to the meeting. Understanding that Bhaktivinoda Thakura was indisposed and unable to attend, they swaggered about, confident that they would easily triumph over the Vaishnavas.

Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was the first speaker. He began by quoting various statements from scripture about the exalted position of brahmans, and the caste brahmans in the audience were delighted. He was so brilliant that he could speak better about the high position of brahmans than the brahmans themselves. But then he began quoting verses from scripture about the position of Vaishnavas, establishing that Vaishnavas were higher than even brahmans and that irrespective of one’s birth, if one accepted the Vaishnava principles, he would attain a position more exalted than that of a brahman. The brahmans in the audience were completely overwhelmed. Seeing no way to counter Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati’s arguments, the smarta-brahmanas and jata-gosanis slinked away.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura felt assured that his mission was in capable hands, that Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was a worthy successor to carry on his cause. And Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati began to preach far and wide. He was fearless and open in his criticism of anything false. And his example and instructions remain relevant to us today.

Srila Sarasvati Thakura was a prodigious writer and speaker on various topics, including how to present the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He noted that there were people who thought that you should say only positive—not negative—things. I experienced that when I was in Madras. I was preaching as I had heard Srila Prabhupada preach, and people reacted. Even friends, people who were hosting me and supporting me, advised me, “Don’t criticize others. Just say what you want about your philosophy and activities.” Srila Sarasvati Thakura averred that it was imperative not only to elucidate the truth but also to criticize anything false, because in Kali-yuga there is so much false propaganda that we have to be very clear; there cannot be any ambiguity in our message:

“The positive method by itself is not the most effective method of propaganda in a controversial age like the present. The negative method, which seeks to differentiate the truth from non-truth in all its forms, is even better calculated to convey the directly inconceivable significance of the Absolute. It is a necessity which cannot be conscientiously avoided by the dedicated preacher of the truth if he wants to be a loyal servant of Godhead. The method is sure to create an atmosphere of controversy in which it is quite easy to lose one’s balance of judgment. But the ways of the deluding energy are so intricate that unless their mischievous nature is fully exposed, it is not possible for the soul in the conditioned state to avoid the snares spread by the enchantress [Maya] for encompassing the ruin of her only too willing victims. It is a duty which shall be sacred to all who have been enabled to attain even a distant glimpse of the Absolute.”

Srila Prabhupada also demonstrated this approach. He had a friend named Dr. Patel, who would accompany him on his morning walks on Juhu Beach. Dr. Patel was highly literate, he knew Sanskrit, and he was quite sharp. So, one morning, Dr. Patel started praising a revered popular religious figure of India, and Srila Prabhupada, in turn, began to criticize the figure. Dr. Patel protested, “You cannot criticize like this.” But Srila Prabhupada replied, “I am not saying; Krishna is saying—na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah, mayayapahrta-jnana asuram bhavam asritah: If you are not surrendered to Krishna, you are a miscreant in one of these categories—fool, rascal, demon.”

Dr. Patel became agitated and raised his voice, and Srila Prabhupada raised his. The whole situation became both tense and intense. Finally, Dr. Patel’s friends dragged him away. It was like in a boxing ring when the bell rings to signal the end of the fight and the two opponents just keep going at each other and the referee has to tear them apart.

For the first time, Dr. Patel stopped coming for the morning walks, and Srila Prabhupada also said, “Now no more discussion; we will only read Krsna book.” But after a couple of days, Dr. Patel was walking in one direction on the beach and Prabhupada was walking in the other, and, as Dr. Patel described it, something in his heart just drew him to Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet. He offered obeisance and said, “Prabhupada, I am sorry, but we are trained to respect all the accredited saints of India.” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Yes, and our business is to point out who is not a saint.” He had learned from his guru maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, that we not only tell who is a saint; we also explain who is not a saint. And that is the mercy of the Vaishnava, so people know clearly what is what. Otherwise, they can be misled and, as a result, suffer.

Srila Sarasvati Thakura was a tremendously powerful and successful preacher who fearlessly spoke the truth. And his pure preaching inspired hundreds of thousands of people to follow. But he also had enemies. He was the enemy of falsehood, and consequently, people who were thriving on falsehood sometimes became his enemies. Once, when he and his party were performing navadvipa-parikrama, the caste brahmans hired goondas, thugs, who let loose with a volley of stones and boulders on the party, aiming to take Srila Sarasvati Thakura’s life. (There were attempts on other occasions as well.) But one of his disciples cleverly exchanged his white dress for Sarasvati Thakura’s saffron robes, so Sarasvati Thakura emerged disguised and escaped. But it was a terrible scene. It looked like a massacre, with the streets of Navadvipa stained with the blood of the Vaishnavas. Some devotees suffered gashes and fractures, but by Krishna’s grace none were killed.

It was a dark moment, but when it came to light that the attack had been perpetrated by the caste Gosvamis, the public sided with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and the Gaudiya Matha, and the caste Gosvamis’ opposition to him lost whatever credibility it had. As news of the event spread, those in learned circles protested in newspapers and magazines. The chief police inspector in Navadvipa was sacked, and the parikrama continued under full police protection. Later, when urged to press charges against the culprits, Srila Sarasvati Thakura declined, saying that the goondas had done a yeoman’s service—otherwise how could the Gaudiya Matha have been featured on the front pages of all the newspapers? Srila Sarasvati Thakura was the enemy of falsehood, but he was the well-wisher of everyone, even of people who were inimical to him.

Although Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was so austere and rigid, so strict with himself, when it came to preaching he was ready to spend any amount of money and do anything. When I was first serving in India, in 1970, only affluent people could afford cars, mainly the locally manufactured Fiats and Ambassadors. But Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura had a limousine—back in the 1930s. And he dressed nicely. He would typically wear a dhoti, but on occasion, as required, he would don a double-breasted coat, stockings, and shoes. He had fine furniture for receiving special guests. Thus, referring to the elite, he said, “We are preaching by approaching the people of the world dressed even somewhat better than they, showing knowledge even somewhat greater than theirs, being even somewhat more stylish than they—without which they would think us worthless and not listen to our hari-katha. . . . I have to go to various places for propagating hari-katha, so I must present myself as a learned and decent gentleman; otherwise nondevotees will not give me their time.”

He used all means to broadcast the message of Krishna. Employing the latest technologies, he directed the construction of dioramas and other exhibits and staged huge theistic exhibitions. He built a grand marble temple on the bank of the Ganges at Bag-bazar in Calcutta. The procession that brought the Deities on a beautiful ratha, chariot, from the matha at Ultadangi to the new temple was enormous. Millions of people lined the streets along the two-mile route, which took four hours to traverse, and twenty-five thousand men, divided into forty-three groups, accompanied the Deities with loud harinama-sankirtana. For its work, the Gaudiya Matha owned four cars, a horse and buggy, an elephant, and a camel. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati would treat prominent guests to excursions on the Ganges in one of the Matha’s launches and expound hari-katha to them.

In January of 1935 the governor of Bengal, Sir John Anderson, visited Mayapur. This was a major event, because the Britishers were the rulers, and Srila Sarasvati Thakura was one of their subjects, their vassals. But the governor, accompanied by many other dignitaries, came all the way to Mayapur to meet Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and see his work.

Despite Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s tremendous purity and potency and success as a preacher, however, within his own institution there were disconcerting signs that some of his leading disciples were becoming materially infected. With so much opulence, fame, and respect, some of them had become distracted. Instead of realizing that all the facility was meant for the service of the Lord, to bring people to the Lord’s unalloyed service, they were enjoying it, and all the adulation. In an effort to reform his followers, Srila Sarasvati Thakura spoke strongly, and he restricted the use of certain facilities—only for service, only for preaching—to curb the devotees’ materialistic tendencies. (Of course, he also had many sincere disciples, who did not become materially affected.) At the same time, Srila Sarasvati Thakura continued his propaganda activities—writing, publishing, traveling, and preaching—and was successful wherever he went. Still, he was disturbed that some of his disciples had become so mundane.

When he reached the age of sixty-two, Srila Sarasvati Thakura experienced a decline in health, and he made statements indicating that he would soon be leaving. In late October 1936 he traveled to Puri, a holy place that was also warmer than Calcutta, but in December, though he was in a weakened condition, he wanted to return to Calcutta, and the disciples arranged for his travel by train.

In Calcutta Srila Sarasvati Thakura’s disciples called in some of the city’s most renowned physicians. When one advised him, “You have to rest more. You can’t speak so much,” Sarasvati Thakura proceeded to preach for hours about the purpose of human life—that the physical body was temporary and that the soul’s absolute necessity was to serve the Lord. He felt that if he couldn’t speak about Krishna, what would be the use of living?

On December 23 he instructed the devotees gathered at his bedside: “I have upset many persons’ minds. Many might have considered me their enemy, because I was obliged to speak the plain truth of service and devotion towards the Absolute Godhead. I have given them all those troubles only so they might turn their face toward the Personality of Godhead without any desire for gain and with unalloyed devotion. Surely some day they will be able to understand that.

“I advise all to preach the teachings of Rupa-Raghunatha [two of the Six Gosvamis, direct disciples of Lord Chaitanya] with all energy and resources. Our ultimate goal shall be to become the dust of the lotus feet of Sri Sri Rupa and Raghunatha Gosvamis. You should all work conjointly under the guidance of your spiritual master with a view to serve the Absolute Knowledge, the Personality of Godhead. You should live somehow or other without any quarrel in this mortal world only for the service of Godhead. Do not, please, give up the service of Godhead, in spite of all dangers, all criticisms, and all discomforts. Do not be disappointed, for most people in the world do not serve the Personality of Godhead; do not give up your own service, which is your everything and all, neither reject the process of chanting and hearing of the transcendental holy name of Godhead. You should always chant the transcendental name of Godhead with patience and forbearance like a tree and humbleness like a straw . . . There are many amongst you who are well qualified and able workers. We have no other desire whatsoever.”

After midnight on December 31, Srila Sarasvati Thakura left this world. His disciples took his body to Mayapur and established his samadhi there.

News of his departure was broadcast on All-India Radio, and an official day of mourning was observed in Bengal. The Corporation of Calcutta held a special meeting in tribute to his memory and issued a resolution expressing its members’ deep sorrow. The mayor addressed the assembly:

“I rise to condole the passing away of His Divine Grace Paramahamsa Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, the president-acharya of the Gaudiya Matha of Calcutta and the great leader of the Gaudiya movement throughout the world. This melancholy event happened on the first day of this New Year.

“Born in 1874, he dedicated his whole life to religious pursuits and dissemination of the cultural wealth of this great and ancient land of ours. An intellectual giant, he elicited the admiration of all for his unique scholarship, high and varied attainments, original thinking, and wonderful exposition of many difficult branches of knowledge.

“With invaluable contributions, he enriched many journals. He was the author of some devotional literature of repute. He was one of the most powerful and brightest exponents of the cult of Vaishnavism, his utterances and writings displaying a deep study of comparative philosophy and theology. Catholicity of his views, soundness of his teachings, and, above all, his dynamic personality and the irresistible force of the pure and simple life, had attracted thousands of followers of his message of love and service to the Absolute as propagated by Sri Krishna Chaitanya.

“He was the founder and guiding spirit of the Sri Chaitanya Matha at Sri Mayapur (Nadia) and the Gaudiya Matha of Calcutta. The Gaudiya movement, to which his contribution is no small one, has received a setback at the passing away of such a great soul. His departure has created a void in the spiritual horizon of India, which is difficult to be filled up.”

That void was a big one—Srila Sarasvati Thakura was a monumental personality, and there was no one else like him. Practically, there had never been anyone like him before, and nobody could imagine anyone like him coming afterwards.

But in 1965, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s humble servant, a grihastha disciple named Abhay Caranaravinda dasa, who after his guru maharaja’s disappearance had been awarded sannyasa and the name “A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami” by Sripada Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, boarded a steamer from Calcutta, traveled to New York, and began the Krishna consciousness movement, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, in the West. Bhaktivedanta Swami—Srila Prabhupada, as he became known—embodied the spirit and teachings and potency of his guru maharaja and fulfilled the desire and prediction of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and Srila Sarasvati Thakura that the holy names of Sri Krishna, of Sri Krishna Chaitanya, would be propagated in every town and village of the world.

Srila Prabhupada made adjustments, because he had his own audience and particular circumstances. Like his guru maharaja, he was ready to use anything and everything in the service of the mission. He engaged modern technology—tape recorders, Dictaphones, electric typewriters, printing presses, computers, airplanes—in the service of the Lord. He sent disciples to Bengal to learn the traditional art of doll making and also used modern technology to create diorama exhibits illustrating the principles of Krishna consciousness and the pastimes of the Lord. Adopting Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s idea of theistic exhibitions, he created the FATE (First American Theistic Exhibition) museum in Los Angeles.

So, the line of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is continuing, by his divine grace.

But it is not easy to preach in Kali-yuga. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had many enemies, and Srila Prabhupada did too. As Srila Prabhupada said, “Big preaching means big enemies.” If we just stay at home, or tell people, “I’m okay, you’re okay—everything is okay,” we’re not going to make many enemies, but neither are we going to have much effect. In fact, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati sarcastically remarked, mein bhi chup, tum bhi chup: “I’ll be quiet, you be quiet,” meaning, “I won’t disturb you, you don’t disturb me.” But that was not his mood, and that was not Srila Prabhupada’s mood, and that should not be our mood either.

And of course, the holy name: the essence of everything is the chanting of the holy name. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati advised, “Krishna and krsna-nama are not two entities. Krishna is His holy name, and the holy name is Krishna. Krsna-nama is the son of Nanda, Shyamasundara. Our only devotional service and duty is sri-krsna-nama-sankirtana. This understanding is auspicious.”

And to one disciple, he wrote, “I am overjoyed to hear that your enthusiasm for chanting is increasing. As our contaminations are removed by chanting, the Lord’s form, qualities, and pastimes will be revealed to us in the holy name. There is no point in making a separate effort to artificially remember the Lord’s form, qualities, and pastimes. The Lord and His name are one and the same. This will be understood clearly when the coverings in your heart are removed. By chanting without offenses you will personally realize that all perfections come from the holy name. Through chanting, the distinction that exists between the self, and the gross and subtle bodies, is gradually effaced and one realizes one’s own spiritual form. Once aware of the spiritual body, as one continues to chant, one sees the transcendental nature of the Lord’s form. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual form of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krishna’s form. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual qualities of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krishna’s qualities. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual activities of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krishna’s pastimes. By service to the holy name we do not mean only the chanting of the holy name; it also includes the other duties of the chanter. If we serve the holy name with the body, mind, and soul, then the direction of that service spontaneously manifests like the sun in the clear sky of the chanter’s heart. What is the nature of the holy name? Eventually all these understandings spontaneously appear in the heart of one who chants the holy name. The true nature of hari-nama is revealed by listening to, reading, and studying the scriptures. It is unnecessary to write anything further on this subject. All these things will be revealed to you through chanting.”

So, let us all chant: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Thank you very much.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura ki jaya!
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s disappearance day, December 24, 2010, Ventura, California]

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We are delighted to share the highlights and accomplishments of the Russian-speaking yatra in London over the past month. By the mercy of Sri Guru and Gauranga, our devotees have been engaged in various devotional activities, spreading Krishna consciousness and deepening their spiritual practices. 1. Cooking the Sunday Love Feast at the Temple Our dedicated
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Hare Krishna. I’m grateful to be here with all of you today. Thank you for joining. If at any time you’re not able to hear me, please let me know.

Today, we are assembled on the occasion of the festival commemorating the sacred union of Sita and Ram. I will talk about this from three different perspectives, broadly. I’ll talk about the philosophical perspective in terms of what is actually happening. Then, we’ll talk about the historical perspective of how the event happened. And finally, I’ll talk about the human perspective—what it means for us when we celebrate such festivals.

From the philosophical perspective, to give a broader context of what is happening, there are broadly two extremes in approaching God. One is to consider God to be so great, so sacred, and so sublime that God becomes almost inaccessible, in the sense of being too otherworldly. The other extreme is… so, when we talk about the conception of God, one extreme would be too divine to be humanly acceptable. Here, we focus on the principle of divinity so much that the personhood of divinity is lost.

Sri Prabhupada gives the example of how, if we consider God to be great, the sky is great. The sky extends as far as our eyes can see, and just beholding the sky can fill us with a sense of awe and insignificance about our own existence. But how do we really surrender to the sky? How do we develop a personal relationship with the sky? It doesn’t happen very easily.

So that’s why, if we perceive God as too divine, then God becomes reduced in the very attempt to make Him so great. In emphasizing God’s greatness, we end up making God inaccessible and unrelatable.

The other extreme is to make Him too human to be divine. That means, if we focus only on the personhood of God and start thinking of God as just another person like us—just a little more powerful than us or maybe much more powerful—then that’s all there is to it.

Here, there is the danger of sahajiyaism. When we make God too divine, there is the danger of impersonalism. Even if we don’t accept the impersonal philosophy, we may end up having a very formal, almost impersonal relationship with God. On the other extreme, we can have sahajiyaism, wherein we connect with God but take Him very cheaply. That is a challenge.

So, we want to avoid both these challenges. In between lies the understanding where there is both God’s greatness—His Aishwarya—and His sweetness—His Madhurya.

Now, generally, the words Aishwarya and Madhurya are used frequently in relationship with Krishna, but they apply to all manifestations of divinity. Especially in the Bhagavata Amrita, the Sanatana Goswami explains that there is a greater manifestation of intimacy in Ram and Narasimha avatars as compared to other manifestations of divinity.

And thus, there is the greatness that arises from remembering that God is not just a person—He is a principle. And the sweetness arises from remembering that He is a person.

When the Lord descends to this world, there is a higher spiritual level of reality and there is our material level of reality. Intermittently throughout history, the Lord descends to this world. He stays here for some time, and then He departs. His descent is the avatar.

When the Lord descends as an avatar, what happens is that His descent is, at one level, like a trailer. A trailer of a movie is meant to trigger desire within people. If this trailer is so good, we want to watch the full movie. In the trailer, the Lord reveals a beautiful, exquisite, mesmerizing form of His pastimes. Through that panoramic revelation, He inspires our heart to move towards it.

But that is not all the avatar, especially the avatar and leela, does. The second is that it sets up a dream. The Lord doesn’t just give us a glimpse, but He also tells us: “Okay, this is what you can do to come to Me.” Just like when a movie trailer comes, after it, there is information that says when and where it will be released—on an OTT platform, in theaters, in a country, or so on. Similarly, the Lord gives us much more than just information. The Lord outlines a path by which we can come toward Him.

This trailer is what is described in Bhagavad Gita 4.7 and 4.8. Krishna says that “I come and I perform; I establish dharma.” Those who become attracted to His pastimes can actually attain Him.

In one sense, the trailer is displayed for everyone. But, say, a trailer is released to the public—that doesn’t necessarily mean everybody is going to go and watch the movie. Relatively, a very small number of people will go and watch the movie. So, the trailer is for the select. Not everybody who hears about Krishna will necessarily want to become His devotee.

Still, Krishna gives that path to everyone.

Now, when the Lord descends to this world, one of the fascinating aspects of the avatar is the mysterious nature of the very concept of His descent. The Lord is infinite, and an infinite Lord comes into the finite domain. How does He manifest?

The Lord is unlimited, and this world is limited. The mystery of the avatar lies in how the unlimited manifests in the limited. How can the Lord, who transcends space and time—indeed, the Lord from whom space and time come, the Lord within whom space and time exist—how does that Lord, who is the container of space and time, who is the source of space and time, the source of everything, and the sustainer of everything… how does that Lord become contained within space and time, appearing to be just like another human being?

That is the mystery of the avatar, and that’s how the Lord descends to fill our hearts with wonder and spiritual desire.

Among the various pastimes that He performs, there are some pastimes that are clearly divine, and there are some pastimes that are almost like human ones. He is always divine in the sense that He is the Supreme Lord, but He sometimes acts divine and sometimes acts human.

That means when Ram is chasing after Maricha in the form of a deer, at that time, He doesn’t act divine. If He were divine everywhere—in hands and legs—He could just extend His arm unlimitedly and catch the deer. But He does not do that. At that time, He is just a human.

However, there are moments when He acts divine. For example, when the ocean does not give Him a way, even after He acts as a human and performs austerities diligently, the Lord becomes angry. He starts glancing with anger at the sea, and the vast ocean begins churning and burning because of the heat. The Lord of the ocean immediately rushes out, seeking Lord Ram’s mercy.

So, there are times when the Lord acts human, and there are times when the Lord acts divine. There are pastimes in which, at different phases, He manifests both these abilities—both these sides. For instance, He acts human while chasing Maricha, as I mentioned. But then, He acts divine when He scorches the ocean.

Let’s now see how this human-divine dynamic within the avatar manifests in the pastime we are going to discuss: His first encounter with Sita, His subsequent winning of her hand, and His marriage to her.

In the manifest leela of the Lord, He appears to Dashrath as the son of Dashrath in Ayodhya. He lives in Ayodhya until He is about 14 years old. He hasn’t even reached the age of 16—16 or 18 generally being considered the age of adulthood. Nowadays, the legal age of adulthood is 18.

This is one of the reasons Dashrath gives when objecting to sending Ram to fight demons. Dashrath argues that Ram is too young and cannot fight demons. He offers to accompany Ram with his army if demons need to be fought. But Vishwamitra insists that he wants Ram, and since Lakshman has never been separated from Ram, Lakshman also goes along.

So, Ram and Lakshman leave Ayodhya and, for a brief while, they stay in the forest at Vishwamitra’s ashram. It is here that we first witness Ram’s phenomenal promise. Before this, Vishwamitra blesses them with celestial weapons. He teaches them the mantras by which they can invoke the higher powers within the universe and be blessed with weapons from those higher beings.

Thus equipped, Ram exhibits extraordinary valor in protecting Vishwamitra’s sacrificial arena. The sacrificial arena is primarily meant to bring auspiciousness. It is said that when we perform Sankirtan Yajna, it brings auspiciousness into the world. Similarly, sages perform sacrifices to bring auspiciousness, but demons try to prevent such auspiciousness. That is why they desecrate and even attempt to devastate the sacrifices.

And here, Lord Ram takes the responsibility of protecting the sacrifice.

And thus, he manifests how he is the protector of dharma. Vishwamitra is pleased, as he has a particular plan for him.

Until this point in his childhood, Ram has shown extraordinary virtue and skills, but he has never had such phenomenal feats of promise. Krishna, right from his childhood in Vrindavan, faced demons attacking him, which he playfully dismissed. In the case of Ram, there is no description of demons coming to Ayodhya and attacking. Ayodhya itself, by name, indicates a place that was unconquerable (Ayodhya). It was a formidable and powerful kingdom. Therefore, there were no such dangers, and Ram did not face any threats as a child.

But now, through a series of heroic activities, one after another, Lord Ram displays his valor. He destroys those demons who have been terrorizing the earth and desecrating the hermitages of the sages. At this point, Vishwamitra says, “I have something else for you to do.”

Now, princesses often live in luxury, being constantly served by others. Yet, they know that their lives are also meant to be lives of service. Sometimes, we may find ourselves in roles where we receive service. And yes, sometimes it may even be our service to receive service. But that should never make us forget that, at our core, we are still servitors.

Sometimes, we may need to perform a particular service in a specific way. And to do that service, others may offer us some service in turn. But we remain servants. The princesses, accustomed to being served, suddenly find themselves plunged into a life of austerity. There are no servants accompanying them.

Vishwamitra insists that he only wants Ram and Lakshman for this mission. In truth, he wants only Ram, but since Ram and Lakshman are inseparable, they go together. There are no guards, no servants accompanying them. They are all alone. Not only do they take care of themselves, but after the sacrificial ceremony is completed and everyone celebrates and rests, Ram and Lakshman wake up the next morning, offer their respects to Vishwamitra, and ask him, “What service can we do for you today?”

Vishwamitra replies, “The King of Janaka is performing a great sacrifice. I would like you to come with me there.”

Service can sometimes mean to give service, and at other times, to receive service. But even receiving service can contribute to a greater service. Here, Ram and Lakshman are not taking on the roles of princes but of servitors of the sages. As servitors of the sages, they agree to the mission.

Vishwamitra then leads them. They cross the Son River, come to the Ganga River, and follow the Ganga until they finally reach Mithila.

Mithila purajanmoha kara, videhi maana saranjakarama.
In the Ramayana, it is described how, when they arrive in Mithila, the emperor is captivated. Vishwamitra is a well-known sage, a celebrity in that region.

It is fascinating to note that although Ram and Lakshman are princes and, by worldly standards, might be considered far more illustrious and famous than sages, the culture at that time revered the sages. We might imagine a wealthy, influential person being constantly in the media, with their children also gaining fame by association. On the other hand, sages, unless they were actively involved in societal affairs, might not have been as well-known.

Yet here, Vishwamitra is a celebrity. The culture of the time placed brahmanas and sages as role models. In our lives, there are different kinds of role models. Some inspire us, while others provide us with a pathway. Inspiration comes from seeing something great and respecting it. But not everyone who inspires us is someone we can immediately follow.

Like we cannot always follow the great austerities of Vrindavan, or at least not at the same level as the sages or great spiritual personalities. We need role models who are similar to us—people who have careers, families, and social lives, but who are still very serious about their spiritual lives.

In those times, sages were like celebrities high up in the sky. Not everyone could become like them, but they were respected immensely. Unlike today, where social media makes everyone’s face and identity easily recognizable, that was not the case back then. Painters were also not very common. Unless someone had personally seen another, it was difficult to recognize them.

This is how, during the Pandavas’ Ajnaatvas (period of incognito exile) in the palace of Virata, no one could recognize them. Normally, we think that if someone is a celebrity, their face is known to everyone, making them instantly recognizable. But that wasn’t true in those times.

When Ram and Lakshman arrived in Mithila with Vishwamitra, the citizens were curious and began speculating. Visitors entering the city caught their attention. The people lined up, peering at the young men accompanying Vishwamitra.

Vishwamitra had not brought many of his disciples or followers; he came alone with Ram and Lakshman. The princes offered their respects to Vishwamitra, and the citizens began whispering among themselves, wondering who these two were.

“They look like princes, but they aren’t dressed in royal opulence. Yet, they look so illustrious. Could they be the princes of Ayodhya?”

When the news spread that the great sage Vishwamitra had arrived, King Janaka personally came to greet him. He fell at Vishwamitra’s feet, offered his respects, and invited him into his palace. After washing the sage’s feet, he allowed him to rest, served him a sumptuous feast, and ensured he was refreshed.

Once Vishwamitra had rested and eaten, King Janaka approached him with great reverence.

“O blessed sage, it is an honor that you have come to my kingdom. Please instruct me—how may I serve you? What is your desire?”

He then asked, “Who are these two powerful and majestic young princes?”

Janaka was already impressed by their physical strength and personal beauty. Vishwamitra replied, “These are the princes of Ayodhya. They have come to see the special bow of Lord Shiva that you have.”

Just hearing this filled King Janaka’s heart with excitement and anticipation. Could they string the mighty bow? Could one of them become his son-in-law?

Janaka looked at Ram with fresh eyes. He had heard of Dasharath’s son Ram before—Dasharath was a close friend of his—but now seeing Ram grown into such a majestic and regal figure, Janaka was filled with admiration.

With great joy, Janaka said, “Rest today, and tomorrow, I will fulfill all your desires. I will take you to see the bow of Lord Shiva and honor your request.”

Now, to provide some context, Janaka is a dynastic title. Just as we refer to a pharaoh in Egypt or an emperor in Rome, the king of Mithila was referred to as Janaka. This title was passed down through the dynasty. The particular Janaka in this context was named Siradhvaja.

Siradhvaja had a brother named Kusadhvaja, and he had two daughters: Yonija and Ayonija. Yonija means “one who is born from a womb,” i.e., born naturally. Ayonija refers to someone not born in the usual way. Sita, the divine princess, was Ayonija.

Sita’s birth was miraculous. While Siradhvaja was performing a royal sacrifice, the plow being used in the ritual struck something hard beneath the earth. Stopping the ritual, he looked down and saw a beautiful baby girl emerging from the earth. This baby was Sita.

Sita’s name comes from a Sanskrit term related to her miraculous origin. Sita means “furrow,” as she was discovered during the plowing ritual. It is also derived from the Sanskrit phrase Sheela Jata, where Sheela means “stone” or the hard earth from which she emerged.

The origins of the name Sita have many interpretations, but the central idea is that she was not born in the usual way. She was Ayonija, not born from a womb, but discovered during King Siradhvaja’s sacred plowing ritual. His other daughter, Urmila, was born naturally through his wife.

Now, in this dynasty, there was a great legacy inherited from the gods—a divine artifact known as the Shiva Chapa. Chapa means “bow.” This bow carried a fascinating history connected to Lord Shiva.

Among the devatas (celestial beings), Lord Shiva is quite an outlier. Unlike Indra and other devatas who live in regal majesty and partake in elaborate ceremonies, Shiva lives a more austere and unconventional life on Mount Kailash. He is indifferent to the social and ceremonial norms that other devatas observe. This unconventional nature of Shiva is one reason why Daksha Prajapati disapproved of his daughter Sati marrying Shiva.

At one point, the devatas, thinking Shiva was not fully one of them, neglected to offer him a portion of the sacrificial offerings during a yajna (sacrifice). Lord Shiva was deeply displeased by this offense, not merely for personal reasons, but because it indicated the devatas’ pride and their disregard for the universal order. Such arrogance, Shiva knew, could lead to their downfall.

In his anger, Lord Shiva appeared before the devatas wielding a formidable bow. He chastised them, saying, “You impudent devatas! Do you understand the offense you have committed? With this bow, I will destroy all of you. If any among you has the courage, stand and fight!”

The devatas, terrified and humbled by Lord Shiva’s fury, realized they could neither confront him nor escape his wrath. They fell at his feet and begged for forgiveness. True to his nature as Ashutosh (the easily pleased), Lord Shiva was quickly pacified by their remorse.

It’s interesting to note that while Shiva is often referred to as Yogiraj (the great yogi), embodying qualities like equanimity and detachment, his personality also reflects volatility. He can get angry very quickly but is also easily pacified. However, this apparent contradiction is part of how Lord Shiva serves the Supreme Lord—acting as both a protector and a purifier in the universal order.

After forgiving the devatas, Shiva, in his satisfaction, gifted them his personal bow as a symbol of his mercy. Later, this bow came into the possession of King Devarata, an ancestor in the dynasty of Janaka. Devarata had performed great sacrifices to please the gods, and as a result, he was entrusted with the Shiva Chapa.

This divine bow was not an ordinary weapon. Its size, power, and celestial origin made it practically unusable by any human being. It became a symbol of divine legacy, kept not for practical use but as a sacred relic representing immense power.

When King Janaka came into possession of this bow, he had already been told by Narada Muni about the divine identity of Sita. Narada informed him, “The daughter who has appeared to you mystically is the eternal consort of Lord Vishnu. In the future, she will marry Vishnu.”

Taking this to heart, Janaka decided that Sita’s hand in marriage would only be granted to someone who could fulfill an extraordinary task—a feat that only Lord Vishnu could accomplish. The challenge he set was to lift and string the Shiva Chapa. This ensured that only the Supreme Lord, in his human form as Lord Ram, would be able to claim Sita as his consort.

This extraordinary condition had been set. So in this way, it’s almost like, while the Lord is performing His pastime, the stage is being set for Him to manifest His divinity. Now, in some later retellings of the Ramayan, there are descriptions of Ram doing some wonderful and even miraculous activities in His childhood, but in the main retellings of the Ramayan, that is not so much the case. Ram’s killing of Tataka and Subahu is extraordinary. At the same time, that’s a feat of heroism. That’s not necessarily a feat that establishes His divinity. There could be kings who were extremely valorous and skilled, and they could achieve extraordinary things. Arjuna was a spectacular warrior. Arjuna had defeated all the devatas combined together, and that made him extraordinary, but that didn’t still mean that he was divine. So this is one of the first incidents in which Lord Ram’s divinity will become manifest, and as we move forward, there are more such incidents.

Janak Maharaj, sorry, King Janaka tells the sage, as well as especially the princess. He knows that the sage already knows, but still, they are going to see something wonderful. If we have some guests coming, we have a grand temple, and when we show them the temple, we like to give them some background. We explain, “This temple was built in this way, it has this kind of stone, this kind of marble.” You want to give them the context, explain the glory of what is going to be seen. Similarly, Janaka is giving this context, and then they come into a part of the palace where the Shiva Chapa is kept. It’s bedecked with jewels, and several hundred people are required just to move that trunk itself into visibility for everyone to see. Then that trunk is opened, and both the princes, Ram and Lakshman, gasp with admiration. As I told before, it is a massive bow, bedecked with gems and bells around it. This is more of a ceremonial bow rather than a practical bow for fighting.

Holding it, Ram turns toward Vishwamitra with inquiry on His face, and a smile gently spreads across Vishwamitra’s face. He nods; he knows what Ram is going to do, and he is eager for Ram to display His divinity. He knows that he has a role to play in Ram’s pastimes, and this is going to be the most significant thing he will do. Vishwamitra has the role of being a king who renounces his kingdom to become a sage, but now, as a sage, he has been given the role to reveal the divinity of one who has manifested in royalty.

So first, this divinity is displayed, and now, again, it’s heroism, but heroism of such a superlative nature that it amounts to almost divinity. Ram then comes forward and nonchalantly places His hand on the bow. Before Him, many of the greatest kings of the earth had come, and they had to lift this bow. They hadn’t even been able to shrink it out of the casket, let alone lift it, much less bend it so they could string it. Each of these acts required great strength—first lifting, then moving it, and even after lifting it, they had to bend the bow. When you string a bow, the string has to be tight enough, so the tension in the string allows the arrow to fly properly. The bow has to be firm enough so that it is not easy to bend, and once bent, it needs a substantial amount of tension.

Most of the kings hadn’t been able to lift the bow, let alone bend it or string it. But Lord Ram just nonchalantly picked up the bow, bent it silently, and everyone watched in anticipation, wondering what He would do. Lord Ram kept one end of the bow on the ground. It was a huge bow, and as He bent the bow downward, He was going to string it, but the force with which He bent the bow caused it to break. When it broke, the sound was like the crash of thunder falling on the palace. It felt as if the whole earth was shaking, as if in an earthquake. Everyone who was beholding it was stunned and became temporarily senseless and speechless. Just this was what had happened. Their sense of peace was diminished, and then erupted celebrations and glorifications. They all started cheering and praising the spectacular feat of Lord Ram. The celestials assembled overhead, cheering for Lord Ram and showering flowers upon Him.

All this had been happening in a part of the palace, and there was a terrace nearby. In that upper floor, Sita was watching. She was very devout. From her childhood, she had an innate attraction toward Lord Vishnu and had prayed that, “May Lord Vishnu be my husband.” Until then, many great kings had come to seek her hand, but none of them had charmed her heart. She found them too arrogant, too boastful. But when she saw Ram move forward toward the bow, her heart suddenly filled with excitement, joy, and affection. When Ram broke the bow, she became so elated that she was almost bursting with happiness. But due to chastity and feminine shyness, she restrained her emotions and waited.

Then Janak Maharaj looked at her, took a step forward, and she came down the stairway. At the time when Lord Ram beheld her, and both of them beheld each other, their hearts filled with love for each other. Sita came forward and offered the garland to Lord Ram. This matrimonial garland was offered by Sita. Now, this itself was not the wedding ceremony; it was her accepting or congratulating the person who had won the contest, the person who had stood up to match the target, the criteria that had been set.

And then Janak Maharaj turned to Vishwamitra and said, “You will see Ram and Sita’s wedding to be held as soon as possible.” He said, “For such a wedding to happen, naturally Ram’s parents must be informed, they must give their consent, and they need to come immediately. Send the messengers immediately.” He sent the messengers—though not just messengers, he sent his ministers. They rushed from Mithila to Ayodhya, and it took them three days to reach there. When they arrived, there was anxiety; Dashrath was concerned, “My son has gone out, and I don’t know what is happening. Where is he? Has the battle with the asuras been going on for such a long time?” But then, after he was informed, he calmed. When he heard that messengers from Mithila had come, he wondered, “Why are they here?” Though there was some anxiety in his heart, he welcomed them with a benign expression. Janak was his great friend, and when he heard the news, it brought him joy. Not only had Ram been saved, not only had he been victorious in killing the demons and fulfilling Vishwamitra’s desires, but beyond that, he had broken the bow—the Shiva bow—that no one could move, and he had won the hand of Sita. In great joy, Dashrath immediately planned to go to Janak Maharaj’s kingdom. Janak Maharaj welcomed him, and Dashrath came with his entire family.

Then Janak Maharaj said, “Let there be a bond between our families that runs across many individuals.” Lakshmana had also come there, so Janak said, “Let Lakshmana marry Urmila.” “Thus,” he continued, “both my daughters will be married to your sons.” He also said, “Ushant Vajay has two daughters; let them be present as well.” In this way, four marriages were performed. Now, Janak had his royal priest, Shatananda, and Vishwamitra, and Dashrath had his priest, Vashistha. The two priests conferred and decided that the next day itself was an auspicious day for the marriage ceremony. Normally, these ceremonies take weeks or months of planning, especially if royalty is involved, and kings from other lands need to be invited, with many arrangements to be made. But Janak Maharaj had been so eager for the wedding of Sita that he had already made arrangements. He had already set up the pandal and was waiting for a suitor who met the criteria. A standing invitation had been issued: when news came that the bow had been broken, the wedding would happen soon.

Many kings had already gathered out of respect for Janak Maharaj and their eagerness to witness the majestic event—the wedding of Janak’s daughter, Sita, with the person who had broken that phenomenal bow. Under the supervision of Vashistha Muni and in the presence of Vishwamitra, the wedding ceremony took place. Then Janak came and brought the princes, who were already sitting around the fire, and he placed his daughter next to Ram. Janak placed Sita’s hand in Ram’s hand, and together they offered the offerings to the fire. They circumambulated the fire and sought the blessings of the elders. This way, after the wedding of Ram and Sita was performed, the weddings of his brothers were also performed with the sisters and cousins of Sita. All four young couples would be married and return together to Ayodhya. Of course, while they were returning to Ayodhya, they met Parashuram.

Parashuram had become quite proud of his Brahminical promise, and he realized that now his time was over, except for his official discount. So, this event of the wedding, in one sense, is the trajectory through which Ram demonstrates His heroism and, indeed, His divinity. While His divinity is manifested by His breaking of the Shiva bow, it becomes even more evident when Parashuram tries to attack Him. Lord Ram doesn’t want to attack Parashuram because he is a Brahmin, but through His mystic powers, He disarms Parashuram. Parashuram is unable to shoot his arrows, and he understands that Ram is the Supreme Lord.

So, this trajectory is extraordinarily manifested, with divinity coming forth in the union with His eternal consort, Sita. Now, what can we learn from this? Probably three distinct things. First, I started by talking about how the Lord may not be easily relatable to us if we focus only on the principle.

There are certain events of great significance in our lives. For example, when we get married, it is a time of great significance—one of the most consequential decisions we will make. Traditionally, in India, when a couple would get married, there would always be comparisons such as, “Oh, the couple looks like Sita and Ram,” or “They look like Parvati and Shiva,” or “Lakshmi and Narayan.” The idea is that two things are being reflected here: one is that the Lord, when He descends and goes through the ceremonies of life—the typical rites of passage—demonstrates how we seem to go through them. The Lord gives us sacred memories through these rituals.

When we say, “The couple looks like Sita and Ram,” this does not mean that our relationship should mirror theirs in every way. Ideally, by being reminded of that divine love, we are encouraged to recognize that, although love in this world is temporary, it can point toward the eternal. The temporary can be an ear toward the eternal. As Prabhupada said, one of the purposes of the scriptures is to bring all people closer to each other and closer to Krishna, the supreme entity. So when we form a bond here on earth, we should remember how the Lord descended and formed a bond. It is not that we look at the Lord’s wedding and simply remember our own wedding day, or participate in the ceremony for our own enjoyment. We remember that this relationship is not just for us to come together and enjoy, but to come closer to the Lord through this relationship. We come together so that we can strengthen our eternal relationship with Him. This is the eternal enjoyment.

When the eternal Lord manifests as earthly love, particularly when He and His consort get married, it is a spiritual stimulus for us to enhance our remembrance of the Lord. The Lord’s wedding, or Sita Kalyanam, can serve as a reminder for us—whether it is our own wedding or someone else’s. At that time, instead of just focusing on the two people involved, we can see it as a spiritual reminder. Krishna tells us in the Bhagavad Gita (10.41) that everything in this world can become a stimulus for us to remember Him.

The second point is that when the Lord descends into this world, as I mentioned earlier, it’s like a trailer. The beauty, sweetness, potency, and majesty of the Lord, by which He wins the heart of Sita, are not just about the criteria He meets to win her hand. It is by His personality, His nature, and His sweet, loving disposition that He wins Sita’s heart. So much so that Sita insists on going with Ram, and she is excited when He is excited. Even though He doesn’t have to go, she insists on accompanying Him. This shows how the Lord exhibits extraordinary virtues.

Then, some of His extraordinary virtues are manifested. His promise, however, does not lead Him to pride. Even when He wins the hand of Sita, He does so under the guidance of His elders. Vishwamitra asked Him to break the bow, and He does it. But even then, He doesn’t rush into marriage; He waits for His parents’ approval. It is only when His father gives His blessing that He proceeds with the marriage. So, the power that Lord Ram has is accompanied by respect. His individual power doesn’t go to His head; He maintains His respect for the elders.

The final point is that through the loving union between Ram and Sita, and in this particular instance, the eternal love between them is manifested in this world. They are the ultimate “power couple”—Sita-Ram, Lakshmi-Narayan, Radha-Krishna. All the power in this world comes from them. They are the divine couple, but when they manifest and develop their relationship, it’s not just a demonstration of the sweetness of divine love; it’s also a model for how relationships in this world should be formed—with humility, respect, and a gradual opening of the heart.

Lord Ram is Maryada Purushottam—He always respects the boundaries (Maryada), follows dharma, and maintains the proper etiquette. His life is a model of respect and Maryada.

Finally, Lord Ram unites with Sita. This union is an example of true love and devotion. Ram’s heart is conquered by Sita to such an extent that He vows never to marry again and remains in pati-vrata (faithful to one wife). Though it was common for kings to have many queens, Sita completely conquers His heart. Their bond becomes sealed, and what is eternal is manifested and fulfilled in this world.

For us, the relationship between us and Krishna is different from relationships in the material world. But the principles of relationship-building are the same. In any relationship, there must be virtue and valor on both sides for a glorious relationship to form. Sita and Ram each had their set of virtues, and from these virtues, a beautiful relationship was born. What was eternal in them was manifested on earth.

Just as Ram and Sita had their virtues, their example inspires us to develop similar virtues so that we can form deep, fulfilling relationships in this world. By doing so, we move toward our eternal relationship with the Lord, which is more hidden in this world but will be revealed and fulfilled in its fullest in the Lord’s eternal love.

To summarize what we discussed today:

1. Philosophical Perspective of the Lord: Our conception of the Lord should not be overly focused on His divinity to the point where He becomes depersonalized, nor should it be reduced to just human characteristics. There needs to be a balance of appreciating both His greatness (Aishwarya) and sweetness (Madhuriya). The Lord’s avatar lila is like a trailer for those who want to follow Him, guiding them toward higher pastimes.
2. Lord Ram’s Glory: Through incidents like killing demons, breaking the bow, and confronting Parashuram’s pride, Lord Ram’s heroism and divinity are revealed. His glory is manifested not only through human actions but through the divine powers He possesses. In defeating Parashuram, His divinity is made evident.
3. Lessons for Us: We can see the Lord’s wedding ceremony as a reminder to cultivate our remembrance of Him. Any wedding we are a part of can serve as a spiritual stimulus, encouraging us to recall the divine wedding of Ram and Sita. The relationship between Ram and Sita was built on virtues, and their example teaches us how to form relationships with respect, valor, and humility. Ram’s power did not make Him arrogant; He remained humble and respectful of His elders. Similarly, relationships in this world should be based not just on physical attraction but on virtues. The ultimate purpose of any relationship is to come closer to Krishna and to each other.

In conclusion, the way Ram and Sita manifested their eternal relationship in this world provides us with inspiration for developing fulfilling relationships in our lives. By cultivating virtues and devotion, we can draw closer to Krishna and experience deeper, more meaningful connections with those around us.

Thank you very much.

The post Approximate transcript – Rama-Sita wedding How their eternal love can guide our earthly love appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, the guru of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, appeared in Sri Ksetra Dhama.(Jagannatha Puri) on 6 February 1874 as the son of Srila Sacidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

In his childhood he quickly mastered the Vedas, memorized the Bhdgavad-gita, and relished his father’s philosophical works. He became known as “The Living Encyclopaedia” for his vast knowledge.

He preached convincingly against casteism and philosophical deviations from Gaudiya Vaisnavism. He tried to unite the four Vaisnava sampradayas by publishing their teachings. Srila Sarasvati Thakura earned the title Nrsimha Guru for his fearless and powerful delivery of the Vaisnava siddhanta.

Besides being a courageous preacher, he was ornamented with all divine qualities and full of ecstatic love of God. He established 64 Gaudiya Math temples in India and centers in Burma, England, Germany.

Following Srila Thakura Bhaktivinoda’s footsteps, he preached daivi varnashrama to harmonize society and provide spiritual fulfillment for all. Advocating the teachings of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha Dasa Goswamis, he taught the science of devotional service, and showed thousands how to attain pure love for Sri-Sri Gandharvika-Giridhari (Radha-Krishna). 

When Srila Prabhupada was asked to describe his spiritual master Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, he said, “What can I say? He was a Vaikuntha man.”

In Radha-Govinda’s eternal pastimes in Goloka Vrndavana, Srila Sarasvati Thakura serves as Nayana-mani manjari. His pushpa samadhis are at Radha-kunda and Radha Damodara.

A devotee of Krsna sees that people have fallen into a life of suffering. His only thought is how to deliver them. A lecture by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness Today I shall speak to you about being saved from the laws of nature. This
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The suicide of a 34-year-old techie Atul Subhash in Bangalore at his home has alarmed and angered the entire country. It is shocking that a man would feel so persecuted, tormented, and hopeless due to the actions of his ex-spouse, which, if allegations are to be believed, involve domestic violence. However, without delving into specifics or blaming anyone prematurely without a proper investigation, let us examine this incident from four perspectives to better understand what happened and how such tragedies can be prevented. These perspectives are psychological, historical, legal, and philosophical.

From a psychological perspective, what stands out about this suicide is the meticulous planning that went into it. Suicide, in general, is an act that stems from feelings of despair and defeat. Such emotions are often impulsive and overwhelming, leading to a rash decision to end one’s life. However, in this case, there was considerable contemplation and preparation, as evidenced by the elaborate checklists, a 24-page suicide note, and an hour long video uploaded by the individual.

It appears that he viewed his act not just as a means to escape personal torment but also as a way to free his family from the distress they were enduring. Believing that justice could not be achieved through the current legal framework, he saw his actions as a form of sacrifice to highlight his cause. Although his act was steeped in hopelessness, he seemed to ascribe to it a higher purpose.

This can be analyzed through the lens of the three modes of material nature described in philosophical traditions: sattvic (goodness), rajasic (passion), and tamasic (ignorance). The motivations and consciousness behind an action determine its nature. For example, even an activity like performing austerities, generally seen as positive, can become tamasic if done with a destructive intent. Conversely, an act like fasting to death, under certain circumstances, may be considered a graceful and purposeful way to end one’s life.

Through this incident, and the calm, calculated contemplation that preceded it, we can see that the suicide was not merely an act of impulsive frustration. Instead, it seems to have been a deliberate sacrifice for what the individual perceived as a failed cause for himself but a potentially meaningful cause for others in the future.

From a historical perspective, the prevailing narrative in the West—and increasingly adopted in India—is that the history of humanity is largely a history of patriarchy, where men systematically dominated, exploited, and abused women. This narrative asserts that with the rise of feminism and successive waves of feminist movements, these historical wrongs are now being corrected, granting women their rights and enabling them to assert themselves. However, this understanding of history is a significant oversimplification.

If we examine history, particularly in pre-modern times, life was extremely challenging. Without the technological supports we have today, mere survival required immense effort. Men and women collaborated as families to confront life’s challenges, build a home, and pass on the legacy of life to future generations. Life was too harsh for one gender to systematically exploit the other. Exploitation, when it occurred, was more often by those with power—such as royalty, aristocracy, or landlords—over those without power, regardless of gender.

For example, men were often the victims of exploitation by other men. Historical accounts reveal the harsh conditions faced by farmers, miners, and factory workers, where men were subjected to grueling labor. This observation does not diminish the reality of domestic violence or other gender-based issues but challenges the overly simplistic narrative of historical male exploitation of women.

Moreover, in the past, it was not the case that men had autonomy while women lacked it. Societies were far more rigidly structured than today, and the concept of upward mobility was almost non-existent. A person’s birth determined their role in life. Women were often confined to domestic roles, while men had professional roles, but even those roles were usually dictated by birth.

For example, a person born into aristocracy remained an aristocrat, regardless of their abilities, while a person born a peasant was confined to that role, no matter their potential. Men, too, lacked autonomy in many aspects of life, including marriage. Most marriages were arranged, and men had little choice but to accept their partners due to practical necessities, political alliances, or other considerations.

It was only after the Industrial Revolution, with the subsequent migration and restructuring of society, that men began to gain significant autonomy. Within two or three centuries, women also started experiencing greater autonomy. The key point here is that, historically, life has been tough for everyone. The notion that women have always been exploited by men is itself a historical misconception that requires correction. Unfortunately, this very idea is being perpetuated in the name of addressing a historical wrong.

Reducing history to a simplistic power struggle between men and women, without considering the complex dynamics of society, reflects what the Bhagavad Gita describes as knowledge in the mode of ignorance. Such reductionism, where one aspect is taken as the whole, not only misrepresents the past but can also lead to harmful or even toxic consequences in the present, as seen in the structure of modern laws.

Such a reductionistic vision of history is not merely an idle or harmless misconception about the past; it can have harmful, even toxic, consequences today. This is evident in the structure of laws increasingly enacted in modern times. This brings us to the third point: the legal dimension.

In the past, society was structured in ways that reflected existing patriarchal norms. Women subjected to problems or violence at home often lacked legal recourse. The reality of domestic violence, both past and present, should neither be denied nor downplayed. However, two things can simultaneously be true: addressing historical injustices and redressing power imbalances should not lead to a new imbalance in the legal framework. Unfortunately, this has occurred in some cases.

For example, in India, the law for protection against domestic violence explicitly defines domestic violence as violence against women. Within the legal framework, there is no provision for men to seek redress when they are victims of domestic violence. While it may be argued that men are generally stronger and more likely to threaten or harm women, this does not mean that men cannot be victims of abuse.

The Bhagavad Gita explains in its 16th chapter that all humans have both divine and demonic qualities, existing on a spectrum within each individual. The chapter emphasizes that no one is immune to corruption. Whoever gains power also gains the temptation and opportunity to abuse it.

In the current legal framework, the pendulum has swung to an extreme where, practically speaking, men are often presumed guilty unless proven innocent. While the presumption of innocence is upheld legally, the mere accusation can have severe and sometimes devastating consequences for a man. Individuals with exploitative, manipulative, or abusive tendencies—regardless of their gender—are likely to cynically exploit these imbalances for personal gain.

The same patriarchal norms that once inhibited women or subjected them to domestic violence now also make it difficult for men to come forward as victims. Men are socially conditioned to be perceived as tough, and admitting to being victims of abuse might lead to their being seen as weak or inadequate. This stigma compounds the challenges faced by male victims in reporting violence against them.

As the patriarchal structures of society loosen in some parts of the world, statistics about male victims of domestic violence are becoming increasingly documented. These figures are concerning, if not alarming. For instance, in the United States, the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (2016–2017) reported that nearly 44% of men had been victims of intimate partner violence at least once in their lifetime. Of those, 1 in 13 reported sexual violence, 2 in 5 reported physical violence, and 1 in 20 reported being stalked by an intimate partner.

Even in Finland, a country regularly ranked as the happiest country in the world, significant instances of male victimization are documented. A survey conducted from 2010 to 2022 found 11,819 cases of domestic violence, of which 3,669—roughly 31%—involved male victims. This is far from an insignificant percentage.

Given these realities, the law must be balanced. Both male-to-female violence and female-to-male violence are significant issues. Measures to address female-to-male violence should not be viewed as diminishing the rights or protections of women. Instead, we must understand that this is not a gendered conflict but a human struggle against our lower nature.

Society must support everyone by helping individuals rise above their lower nature through culture and discipline and by protecting them from the harmful actions of others through laws and appropriate legal structures.

This brings us to the legal perspective. In the past, society was structured in ways that reflected existing patriarchal norms. Women who faced problems or violence at home often lacked legal recourse. This reality of domestic violence, both past and present, should neither be denied nor downplayed. However, two things can be true simultaneously: efforts to address female-to-male violence do not inherently undermine the importance of protecting women’s rights.

The issue is not about a gendered battle between men and women. It is about humanity’s collective struggle against our lower nature. Society must support everyone in two ways: first, by helping individuals rise above their lower nature through culture and discipline, and second, by protecting individuals from the harmful actions of others through laws and an appropriate legal framework.

Finally, from a philosophical perspective, wisdom is not measured by the amount of information we accumulate or the number of practical skills we possess. As explained in Bhagavad Gita 13.8–12, true wisdom is recognized through the virtues we cultivate in our lives.

In the case of the legal system, legal wisdom cannot be achieved merely by implementing laws. There is a need to cultivate an ethos that prioritizes justice. This means moving beyond framing issues as gender battles or ideological conflicts between liberal (left) and conservative (right) perspectives. Instead, if we collectively value justice, we can recognize that unnecessary and unfair violence and pain inflicted on anyone should be avoided.

For this to happen, our legal professionals—lawyers, judges, and individuals—must develop a culture of valuing justice rather than relying solely on the protective power of laws. Laws are indeed important, but it is virtuous individuals who enforce them in ways that are constructive and just. Without this ethos, opportunistic and malicious individuals will continue to exploit the very laws designed to ensure fairness, thereby defying justice and perpetuating unfairness.

The Bhagavad Gita offers a comprehensive vision of life where knowledge and wisdom are rooted in virtues. By adopting a virtue-based approach to life, wisdom, and law, we can hope to effectively counter tragic incidents of domestic violence—whether perpetrated by males against females or females against males.

To summarize:

1. From a psychological perspective, this tragic incident seems to have stemmed not from impulsive frustration but from a mood of sacrifice aimed at highlighting a perceived injustice.

2. From a historical perspective, interpreting the entire history of humanity as a narrative of men exploiting women is reductionistic to the point of being erroneous.

3. From a legal perspective, the current legal structure has gone too far in protecting women, often leaving men vulnerable, and this imbalance needs to be addressed.

4. From a philosophical perspective, solutions require more than just new laws. They demand the infusion of virtues and the cultivation of an ethos of justice, ensuring that the exploitative, regardless of gender, are held accountable.

The post Male Suicide Due to Domestic Violence? A Multidimensional Analysis appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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The article found here was published 6 December 2024 on a famous international site and has garnered 640 comments so far, with even some celebrities engaging in the discussion. Below find summary of the content and the comments. In 1983, a U.S. Army intelligence report, later declassified by the CIA, explored the groundbreaking concept that
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‘Srila Prabhupada’s Kirtana Standards: A Handbook’ by Jayadvaita Swami A review by Krsna-katha das Whether you are a kirtana leader and / or an Iskcon leader, this is a useful and interesting book to read. As the title suggests, it shows us how Srila Prabhupada wanted us to engage in kirtan. Jayadvaita Swami lets us
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Gita Jayanti is the day on which Lord Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna.The Gita is also known as the Gitopanisad and is considered one of the Upanishads. The title Bhagavad-gita is sometimes translated as “The Song of God.” Gita means “song.” God, Krishna, is so sublime that whatever He speaks is music and poetry. The word bhagavan has been analyzed by Vedic authorities. Bhaga means “opulence” and is related to the word bhagya: “good fortune.” And van means “one who possesses.” So bhagavan means “He who possesses all opulence in full.”

aisvaryasya samagrasya
  viryasya yasasah sriyah
jnana-vairagyayos caiva
  sannam bhaga itingana

“Full wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge, and renunciation—these are the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Vishnu Purana 6.5.47)

All of us possess some wealth. I may have ten dollars, but if I look further, I will find someone who has a hundred dollars. And if I look still further, I will find someone who has a thousand dollars, and a million, and a billion. But no one can say that he has all the wealth in all creation, that no one is equal to him or greater than him in wealth. When we come to that person who has all wealth—no one is equal to or greater than him—that is Bhagavan, Krishna.

The Bhagavad-gita was spoken by Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. But, as stated in the Gita (4.1),

   sri-bhagavan uvaca
imam vivasvate yogam
  proktavan aham avyayam
vivasvan manave praha
  manuriksvakave ’bravit

“The Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku.” Lord Krishna originally spoke the Gita to Vivasvan, the sun-god, who spoke it to his son Manu, who in turn spoke it to Iksvaku. In this way the knowledge was passed on through disciplic succession from one to the next to the next. But in the course of time, that chain became broken.

evam parampara-praptam
  imam rajarsayo viduh
sa kaleneha mahata
  yogo nastah parantapa

“This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.” (Gita 4.2) Nasta means “spoiled.” You may have a nice plate of prasada, but if you leave it aside and it becomes old and contaminated, it becomes nasta, spoiled. It is food, but you don’t get the benefit. And to get the real benefit of the Bhagavad-gita, one must receive it through parampara (evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh).

Five thousand years ago, Lord Krishna detected that the chain was broken and that, consequently, the knowledge had been lost. So He came again and spoke the Bhagavad-gita again, to Arjuna: “Now, Arjuna, you become the first recipient of this knowledge in the new chain, so that the knowledge is received and presented as it is.” Srila Prabhupada called his translation of the Gita the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. “As it is” means as Krishna spoke it and as Arjuna understood it—five thousand years ago.

How did Arjuna understand it? First, he accepted Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead:

          arjuna uvaca
param brahma param dhama
  pavitram paramam bhavan
purusam sasvatam divyam
  adi-devam ajam vibhum

“Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal, transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest.” (Gita 10.12)

He accepted everything that Krishna said as true: sarvam etad rtam manye yan mam vadasi kesava—“Krishna, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me.” (Gita 10.14) “I accept whatever You say, in toto.” He did not discriminate that he liked some parts of the Gita but not other parts. Sarvam etad rtam manye: “I accept in toto everything that You have said.”

If we begin to discriminate, “I like this portion, but I don’t like that one,” we become implicated in ardha-kukkuti-nyaya, “half-hen” logic. A farmer had a hen that was laying eggs. But the farmer thought that only the hind portion was valuable, because that part was giving eggs—that the neck portion was simply troublesome, because it just ate food. He concluded, “I will cut the neck portion, which is just a botheration, and keep the hind portion, which gives eggs.” And when he did, of course, the hen died and there were no more eggs.

One verse in the Bhagavad-gita that is very popular among some people states, karmany evadhikaras te: “You are entitled to do your duty.” They think, “I can do my duty. I can go to work. I can make and spend money. I can take care of my family, live with my family, enjoy with my family and friends.

That is a precious instruction.” But when they come to sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja—give up all varieties of religiousness and surrender to Krishna—that is a little troublesome, and they want to cut that part: “We don’t really need it. We’ll just keep the really valuable part: I can do my duty.”

In order to get the full benefit of the Bhagavad-gita, it is essential to accept it as it is. Devotees who have accepted it as it is and applied its principles in their lives have undergone extraordinary transformations. This knowledge can really help people. And any genuine person who gets something good will naturally want to share it with others. Anyone who has imbibed the nectar of the Bhagavad-gita, gotten the benefit of the Bhagavad-gita, will want to share the knowledge with others. It is natural. If you are eating a nice plate of prasada and taste something really good, it is natural to say, “You should try this; it’s really good.” Or, “You should try this with this; it’s a really good combination.” Anyone—any child—will do that. So, when you actually experience the benefit of the Bhagavad-gita in your life, you will naturally want to share the knowledge with others so that they too can benefit and become happy.

Now, why did Krishna choose Arjuna to be the first student of the Bhagavad-gita? Arjuna was not a sannyasi; he was a married man. And he was not a brahman; he was a warrior. Why Arjuna? Krishna explains,

sa evayam maya te ’dya
  yogah proktah puratanah
bhakto ’si me sakha ceti
  rahasyam hy etad uttamam

“That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend and can therefore understand the transcendental mystery of this science.” (Gita 4.3) The main qualification for understanding the Gita is bhakto ’si me, to be Lord Krishna’s devotee. And later Krishna says that one should hear the Gita with faith and without envy (sraddhavan anasuyas ca srnuyad api yo narah). (Gita 18.71) This is a most important point: to get the true benefit of the Gita, one must be a devotee.

What does it mean to be a devotee? Sometimes the word devotee is used quite broadly. To begin, let us understand devotee in contrast to karmi, jnani, and yogi. These are all technical (as well as general) terms. A karmi engages in fruitive work. He works for personal gain: “I have worked and earned. Now I have the right to enjoy the fruit.” That is 90 percent of the world. People work, and they feel, “I have earned the money, so I have the right to spend it—on myself, on my family, on my community, on my country” (or whatever limited or extended concept of sense gratification they have). But the Gita says no. Karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadacana: “You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action.” (Gita 2.47) The fruits belong to Krishna.

If you invite a carpenter to your house and give him wood and nails and glue—everything he needs—and say, “I want you to build me a cabinet,” in the end, to whom does the cabinet belong—to the carpenter or to you? It belongs to the proprietor, not to the worker. The worker has assembled the ingredients supplied by the proprietor, but that doesn’t make him the owner.

This entire material creation, this entire cosmic manifestation—the elements are provided by Krishna. The earth we tread; the water we drink; the air we breathe; the fire, or electricity, we use—everything belongs to Him, and we cannot rightly claim any of it for ourselves. We may assemble the elements in different ways, but it all belongs to Him and is meant to be used for His purposes.

A karmi engages in work and wants to keep the fruits for himself. A karma-yogi engages in work but gives the fruits to Krishna. A man may grow a tree that produces fruit. A karmi will keep the fruit for himself, whereas a karma-yogi will give the fruit, or some of the fruit, to Krishna. The sakama-karma-yogi has selfish desires, but he still gives something to Krishna. If the tree produces a hundred mangoes, he may give one or two or ten or twenty to Krishna. And as he becomes purified, as he develops more faith and becomes more attached to Krishna, he will give more to Krishna. And eventually he may give all one hundred mangoes to Krishna, without any selfish desire (niskama-karma-yoga). But he will not be the loser. Krishna will give him His prasada, His mercy.

The jnanis and often the yogis are impersonalists; they believe that God is ultimately impersonal—nameless, formless, without qualities, without activities. They may even go so far as to think that Krishna’s form is material, that just as we have a physical body made of flesh and bones and blood, so does Krishna. And according to them, if Krishna is material, then His name, form, qualities, and activities are also all material. People may chant His name, but ultimately they have to go beyond that. People may worship His form, but they have to go beyond that. People may talk about His qualities and activities, but they have to go beyond that. Ultimately, according to impersonalists, we have to go beyond all these illusory forms and names and come to the all-pervading impersonal light and merge and become one with it. Then there is no you, no me, no Krishna—nothing. Just oneness.In theory, that is also a possibility. But it is very rare to achieve that state, and very difficult. Lord Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-gita (12.2–7):

mayy avesya mano ye mam
  nitya-yukta upasate
sraddhaya parayopetas
  te me yuktatama matah

“Those who fix their minds on My personal form and are always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith are considered by Me to be most perfect.

ye tv aksaram anirdesyam
  avyaktam paryupasate
sarvatra-gam acintyam ca
  kuta-stham acalam dhruvam

sanniyamyendriya-gramam
  sarvatra sama-buddhayah
te prapnuvanti mam eva
  sarva-bhuta-hite ratah

“But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that which lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable, unchanging, fixed and immovable—the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth—by controlling the various senses and being equally disposed to everyone, such persons, engaged in the welfare of all, at last achieve Me.

kleso ’dhikataras tesam
  avyaktasakta-cetasam
avyakta hi gatir duhkham
  dehavadbhir avapyate

“For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.

ye tu sarvani karmani
  mayi sannyasya mat-parah
ananyenaiva yogena
  mam dhyayanta upasate

tesam aham samuddharta
  mrtyu-samsara-sagarat
bhavami na cirat partha
  mayy avesita-cetasam

“But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Prtha—for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.”

Not only is the impersonal path difficult; the result is also not very satisfying, because ultimately everyone wants happiness and love. The two most basic human needs are to love and be loved. We want friends, we want family, and we want community, and we are not happy without them. I

f you were a billionaire but could never see another living being, would you be happy? No. You would be so desperate for company, for relationship, that you would say, “I don’t want this wealth. I just want to be with people I love and who love me.” In a way, this was Arjuna’s thinking at the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita. He considered, “What is the use of winning a kingdom if in the course of the battle all my friends and family die? What’s the use? With whom will I enjoy my kingdom?” The thought of being without family and friends so overwhelmed Arjuna that he said to Krishna,

na hi prapasyami mamapanudyad
  yac chokam ucchosanam indriyanam
avapya bhumav asapatnam rddham
  rajyam suranam api cadhipatyam

“I can find no means to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses. I will not be able to dispel it even if I win a prosperous, unrivaled kingdom on earth with sovereignty like that of the demigods in heaven.” (Gita 2.8)

There is much truth to what Arjuna said at the beginning of the Gita, but that truth is on a lower level. By the mercy of Lord Krishna, after hearing the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna was elevated to a higher, better understanding. He realized that perfect happiness and love were to be realized in relation to Krishna, and so Arjuna surrendered unto Him.

Krishna gave Arjuna the choice. Krishna did not force him, because true surrender, or true love, is voluntary. Krishna gave Arjuna the freedom to deliberate and then decide:

iti te jnanam akhyatam
  guhyad guhyataram maya
vimrsyaitadas asena
  yathecchasi tatha kuru

“Thus I have explained to you knowledge still more confidential. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.” (Gita 18.63) Yathecchasi tatha kuru—“You can do whatever you like.” We all have free will, given to us by God. But after hearing the Bhagavad–gita, Arjuna immediately responded, karisye vacanam tava: “I will do whatever You say.” That is the position of the surrendered devotee.

          arjuna uvaca
nasto mohah smrtir labdha
  tvat-prasadan mayacyuta
sthito ’smi gata-sandehah
  karisye vacanam tava

“Arjuna said: My dear Krsna, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.” (Gita 18.73)

Now we may be a little worried. We are back to that troublesome sloka, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me.” And we may wonder, “What are the implications of karisye vacanam tava: ‘I am prepared to act according to Your instructions’? What if Krishna tells me to give up my wife, my children, my business, my home? Then what?” This is a problematic question, and some people may not want to pursue the course of surrender to Krishna, because they are afraid of the consequences.

But there is some leniency here, some considerateness. Lord Krishna gives us a gradual process to come to the stage of surrender, because surrender is based on faith. When we have faith in someone or something, we can surrender. And if we don’t have faith, we won’t surrender. In this present Age of Kali, faith is very rare. It is very difficult to come by genuine faith. The society is materialistic, and everyone is cultured in the idea that they are independent, free to think and do whatever they like, without restriction. In fact, they are envious. Material life means envy—first of Krishna. People think, “Why should I surrender to Him? I am also intelligent. I also know things. I can also speak and argue. Why should I surrender?” And people find fault with Krishna: “Why did He tell Arjuna to fight? Why did He cause so many people to die?” In particular, people who are envious find fault with Krishna. They can never understand the Bhagavad-gita. Therefore Lord Krishna says,

idam te natapaskaya
  nabhaktaya kadacana
na casusrusave vacyam
  na ca mam yo ’bhyasuyati

“This confidential knowledge may never be explained to those who are not austere, or devoted, or engaged in devotional service, nor to one who is envious of Me.” (Gita 18.67) One must be a devotee, a bhakta. Only devotees are without envy.

Still, like a loving father, Krishna wants to bring all His sons and daughters to the highest perfection, even though He knows that it may take some time. A parent will want his child to grow to be strong and healthy and happy and intelligent and competent, and to take over the family’s business. A genuine, loving parent will want to give everything to the child, but the parent first wants to see that the child is responsible enough.

As I grew up, my father gave me a weekly allowance. My first allowance was five or ten cents. I was just a child, and he wasn’t sure how I would use the money. Eventually he raised my allowance to twenty-five cents. And I felt so proud: “My father really trusts me.” Twenty-five cents was quite a good amount for me then.

So, parents want to give to their children, but they also want to see that their children are responsible enough to take care of what they give them. In a similar way, Krishna wants to give us everything—even Himself—but He wants to see that we are qualified.

Another analogy is a teacher in a classroom. The study of math begins with one plus one equals two. There is much more, but the students proceed step by step: addition, then subtraction, then multiplication, then division—so many processes they have to learn.

In the Bhagavad-gita, the first instruction is that you are not the body but the soul within the body. Aham brahmasmi. That is the beginning, and if we understand even one line of the Bhagavad-gita, from the very beginning, our lives will change.

dehino ’smin yatha dehe
  kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
  dhiras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.” (Gita 2.13) If we just understand that we are not the body but are the atma, the jivatma, within the body, that alone is enough to change our whole life. We will no longer act on the basis of the body, for sense gratification, but on the basis of the soul, for self-realization. In today’s materialistic society one’s whole endeavor is to get things for the body—my body, my wife’s body, my children’s bodies, my parents’ bodies—to make the body comfortable. But the body is just like a dress for the soul. Now, which is more important—the clothes or the person inside the clothes? The person, of course. The body itself is just a dress, which changes. The real person is the soul, who exists always.

vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya
  navani grhnati naro ’parani
tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany
  anyani samyati navani dehi

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Gita 2.22)

If we understand just this one point from early in Krishna’s teaching in the Bhagavad-gita, our entire life will change. We will work for the benefit of the soul, which is our actual self and is part and parcel of the Supreme Self, God, Krishna, knowing that our real relationship is with Him, not with the body. And then, gradually, step by step, we will come to the conclusion of the Bhagavad-gita:

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
  mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te
  pratijane priyo ’si me

“Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me, and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.” (Gita 18.65)

sarva-dharman parityajya
  mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
  moksayisyami ma sucah

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” (Gita 18.66)

Man-mana—always think of Krishna. If you do that, you will naturally become a devotee of Krishna (mad-bhakto). You will worship Him (mad-yaji) and offer obeisance unto Him (mam namaskuru). It is so simple.

The critical point is man-mana, to always think of Krishna. And how can we always think of Him? In the ninth chapter of the Gita Krishna says,

satatam kirtayanto mam
  yatantas ca drdha-vratah
namasyantas ca mam bhaktya
  nitya-yukta upasate

“Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.” (Gita 9.14) Satatam kirtayanto mam—if we always (satatam) engage in glorifying Krishna, chanting His holy name (kirtana), we will always think of Him.

We are Hare Krishna devotees, and we are speaking about the Bhagavad-gita. What is the connection? The chanting of Hare Krishna is the real way to follow the instructions of Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita. Sri Krishna Chaitanya, the incarnation of Krishna for the present Age of Kali, who inaugurated the Hare Krishna movement five hundred years ago, taught, kirtaniyah sada harih: “Always chant the holy name of Hari [Krishna].” And in the Bhagavad-gita, Sri Krishna gives the same instruction: satatam kirtayanto mam—always engage in kirtan, chanting the holy name of Krishna. So, the chanting of Hare Krishna is really the fulfillment of Lord Krishna’s ultimate instruction in the Bhagavad-gita: man-mana—always think of Krishna. And chanting is the best—and easiest—way to think of Him.

Of course, we think of Krishna when we hear about Him from the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, but for that we need a book or a reader. We think of Krishna when we see His deity form, His murti, but for that we need a temple, a mandir, with a murti. There are so many ways of thinking of Krishna, but the beauty of chanting, either kirtan or japa, is that we need only our tongue and ears. In the Bhagavad-gita (10.25) Lord Krishna recommends, yajnanam japa-yajno ’smi: “Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [japa].” This, anyone can do. Young or old, black or white, man or woman, educated or uneducated—anyone and everyone can chant Hare Krishna and fulfill Krishna’s instruction in the Bhagavad-gita.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, the authorized biography of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, relates an instructive story. While touring South India, Sri Chaitanya came to the holy place of Sri Ranga-kshetra, where, in front of the temple, He saw a brahman holding the Bhagavad-gita and crying, surrounded by people who were laughing and criticizing him. Sri Chaitanya asked him, “Why are these people laughing?” And the brahman replied, “I am holding the Bhagavad-gita, but I am more or less illiterate. I don’t know how to pronounce the words properly, and I do not know what they mean. But my guru ordered me to read the Gita, and so I read all eighteen chapters every day.” Chaitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, “Why are you crying?” And the brahman replied, “When I hold the Bhagavad-gita, I see before me Krishna and Arjuna on the chariot. Krishna is acting as Arjuna’s chariot driver. Taking the reins in His hands, He appears very beautiful. While seeing Lord Krishna instructing Arjuna, I weep in ecstatic happiness.” Then Lord Chaitanya told the brahman, “You are the true authority in the reading of the Bhagavad-gita. You know the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita.” And He embraced him.

Proud people may think, “Oh, these Hare Krishna people can’t understand much. They don’t know Sanskrit. They don’t have the samskaras. Let them chant. It is good.” But actually, by chanting the holy name of Krishna, one awakens one’s love for Him, which is the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita. By chanting, one fulfills the Lord’s instructions in the Bhagavad-gita to always think of Him and sing His glories. Although some who chant may not be very learned or knowledgeable in a certain sense, if they are genuine devotees of Krishna, they are fulfilling the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita.

aho bata sva-paco ’to gariyan
  yaj-jihvagre vartate nama tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuh sasnur arya
  brahmanucur nama grnanti ye te

“Oh, how glorious are they whose tongues are chanting Your holy name! Even if born in the families of dog-eaters, such persons are worshipable. Persons who chant the holy name of Your Lordship must have executed all kinds of austerities and fire sacrifices and achieved all the good manners of the Aryans. To be chanting the holy name of Your Lordship, they must have bathed at holy places of pilgrimage, studied the Vedas, and fulfilled everything required.” (SB 3.33.7)

 

 

rjuna to fight? Why did He cause so many people to die?” In particular, people who are envious find fault with Krishna. They can never understand the Bhagavad-gita. Therefore Lord Krishna says,

der. In this present Age of Kali, faith is very rare. It is very difficult to come by genuine faith. The society is materialistic, and everyone is cultured in the idea that they are independent, free to think and do whatever they like, without restriction. In fact, they are envious. Material life means envy—first of Krishna. People think, “Why should I surrender to Him? I am also intelligent. I also know things. I can also speak and argue. Why should I surrender?” And people find fault with Krishna: “Why did He tell A

idam te natapaskaya
  nabhaktaya kadacana
na casusrusave vacyam
  na ca mam yo ’bhyasuyati

“Thisconfidential knowledge may never be explained to those who are not austere, or devoted, or engaged in devotional service, nor to one who is envious of Me.” (Gita 18.67) One must be a devotee, a bhakta. Only devotees are without envy.

Still, like a loving father, Krishna wants to bring all His sons and daughters to the highest perfection, even though He knows that it may take some time. A parent will want his child to grow to be strong and healthy and happy and intelligent and competent, and to take over the family’s business. A genuine, loving parent will want to give everything to the child, but the parent first wants to see that the child is responsible enough.

As I grew up, my father gave me a weekly allowance. My first allowance was five or ten cents. I was just a child, and he wasn’t sure how I would use the money. Eventually he raised my allowance to twenty-five cents. And I felt so proud: “My father really trusts me.” Twenty-five cents was quite a good amount for me then.

So, parents want to give to their children, but they also want to see that their children are responsible enough to take care of what they give them. In a similar way, Krishna wants to give us everything—even Himself—but He wants to see that we are qualified.

Another analogy is a teacher in a classroom. The study of math begins with one plus one equals two. There is much more, but the students proceed step by step: addition, then subtraction, then multiplication, then division—so many processes they have to learn.

In the Bhagavad-gita, the first instruction is that you are not the body but the soul within the body. Aham brahmasmi. That is the beginning, and if we understand even one line of the Bhagavad-gita, from the very beginning, our lives will change.

dehino ’smin yatha dehe
  kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
  dhiras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.” (Gita 2.13) If we just understand that we are not the body but are the atma, the jivatma, within the body, that alone is enough to change our whole life. We will no longer act on the basis of the body, for sense gratification, but on the basis of the soul, for self-realization. In today’s materialistic society one’s whole endeavor is to get things for the body—my body, my wife’s body, my children’s bodies, my parents’ bodies—to make the body comfortable. But the body is just like a dress for the soul. Now, which is more important—the clothes or the person inside the clothes? The person, of course. The body itself is just a dress, which changes. The real person is the soul, who exists always.

vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya
  navani grhnati naro ’parani
tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany
  anyani samyati navani dehi

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Gita 2.22)

If we understand just this one point from early in Krishna’s teaching in the Bhagavad-gita, our entire life will change. We will work for the benefit of the soul, which is our actual self and is part and parcel of the Supreme Self, God, Krishna, knowing that our real relationship is with Him, not with the body. And then, gradually, step by step, we will come to the conclusion of the Bhagavad-gita:

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
  mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te
  pratijane priyo ’si me

“Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me, and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.” (Gita 18.65)

sarva-dharman parityajya
  mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
  moksayisyami ma sucah

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” (Gita 18.66)

Man-mana—always think of Krishna. If you do that, you will naturally become a devotee of Krishna (mad-bhakto). You will worship Him (mad-yaji) and offer obeisance unto Him (mam namaskuru). It is so simple.

The critical point is man-mana, to always think of Krishna. And how can we always think of Him? In the ninth chapter of the Gita Krishna says,

satatam kirtayanto mam
  yatantas ca drdha-vratah
namasyantas ca mam bhaktya
  nitya-yukta upasate

“Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.” (Gita 9.14) Satatam kirtayanto mam—if we always (satatam) engage in glorifying Krishna, chanting His holy name (kirtana), we will always think of Him.

We are Hare Krishna devotees, and we are speaking about the Bhagavad-gita. What is the connection? The chanting of Hare Krishna is the real way to follow the instructions of Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita. Sri Krishna Chaitanya, the incarnation of Krishna for the present Age of Kali, who inaugurated the Hare Krishna movement five hundred years ago, taught, kirtaniyah sada harih: “Always chant the holy name of Hari [Krishna].”

And in the Bhagavad-gita, Sri Krishna gives the same instruction: satatam kirtayanto mam—always engage in kirtan, chanting the holy name of Krishna. So, the chanting of Hare Krishna is really the fulfillment of Lord Krishna’s ultimate instruction in the Bhagavad-gita: man-mana—always think of Krishna. And chanting is the best—and easiest—way to think of Him.

Of course, we think of Krishna when we hear about Him from the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, but for that we need a book or a reader. We think of Krishna when we see His deity form, His murti, but for that we need a temple, a mandir, with a murti. There are so many ways of thinking of Krishna, but the beauty of chanting, either kirtan or japa, is that we need only our tongue and ears. In the Bhagavad-gita (10.25) Lord Krishna recommends, yajnanam japa-yajno ’smi: “Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [japa].” This, anyone can do. Young or old, black or white, man or woman, educated or uneducated—anyone and everyone can chant Hare Krishna and fulfill Krishna’s instruction in the Bhagavad-gita.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, the authorized biography of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, relates an instructive story. While touring South India, Sri Chaitanya came to the holy place of Sri Ranga-kshetra, where, in front of the temple, He saw a brahman holding the Bhagavad-gita and crying, surrounded by people who were laughing and criticizing him. Sri Chaitanya asked him, “Why are these people laughing?” And the brahman replied, “I am holding the Bhagavad-gita, but I am more or less illiterate. I don’t know how to pronounce the words properly, and I do not know what they mean. But my guru ordered me to read the Gita, and so I read all eighteen chapters every day.” Chaitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, “Why are you crying?” And the brahman replied, “When I hold the Bhagavad-gita, I see before me Krishna and Arjuna on the chariot. Krishna is acting as Arjuna’s chariot driver. Taking the reins in His hands, He appears very beautiful. While seeing Lord Krishna instructing Arjuna, I weep in ecstatic happiness.” Then Lord Chaitanya told the brahman, “You are the true authority in the reading of the Bhagavad-gita. You know the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita.” And He embraced him.

Proud people may think, “Oh, these Hare Krishna people can’t understand much. They don’t know Sanskrit. They don’t have the samskaras. Let them chant. It is good.” But actually, by chanting the holy name of Krishna, one awakens one’s love for Him, which is the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita. By chanting, one fulfills the Lord’s instructions in the Bhagavad-gita to always think of Him and sing His glories. Although some who chant may not be very learned or knowledgeable in a certain sense, if they are genuine devotees of Krishna, they are fulfilling the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita.

aho bata sva-paco ’to gariyan
  yaj-jihvagre vartate nama tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuh sasnur arya
  brahmanucur nama grnanti ye te

“Oh, how glorious are they whose tongues are chanting Your holy name! Even if born in the families of dog-eaters, such persons are worshipable. Persons who chant the holy name of Your Lordship must have executed all kinds of austerities and fire sacrifices and achieved all the good manners of the Aryans. To be chanting the holy name of Your Lordship, they must have bathed at holy places of pilgrimage, studied the Vedas, and fulfilled everything required.” (SB 3.33.7)

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness not only presents the knowledge of the Bhagavad-gita; it also gives the practical means by which one can fulfill its purport—to become a devotee of Krishna, to always think of Him, to worship Him, to offer homage to Him, and to preach His message. After personally surrendering to Krishna (sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja), one can go further and teach this knowledge. This is Lord Krishna’s last instruction:

ya idam paramam guhyam
  mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyati
bhaktim mayi param krtva
  mam evaisyaty asamsayah

“For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.

na ca tasman manusyesu
  kascin me priya-krttamah
bhavita na ca me tasmad
  anyah priyataro bhuvi

“There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.” (Gita 18.68–69) The real conclusion of the Bhagavad-gita, built upon one’s full surrender to Krishna, is to spread this message and thus become most dear to Krishna.

This is the opportunity we all have. On Gita Jayanti we think of Krishna, recite the Gita, and perform the yajna, but the real essence of the celebration is to bring more people to Krishna, to the wisdom of the Gita. As devotees, we want to bring others to Krishna, and when we do, Krishna is even more pleased. And that is what Gita Jayanti is really meant to do: to please Krishna, to bring the Bhagavad-gita to more people and bring more people to Krishna—and make us dear to Krishna.

It is a wonderful, wonderful opportunity. I have been chanting Hare Krishna and reading the Bhagavad-gita for forty years, and it is ever-fresh. Once, Srila Prabhupada told a New York Times interviewer, “Every day your employer is printing so many newspapers. On Sunday especially the paper is so big that one can hardly carry it. But after reading it for an hour, people throw it away. Here is this book—the Bhagavad-gita—and people keep it and read it for a lifetime, and in this way it has been read for the past five thousand years. Give people such literature that will be taken and kept forever.” And the reporter laughed—and agreed.

I am very grateful to all of you for having come this evening, after what was probably a long, hard day at work, braving the rush-hour traffic. I am grateful that you came and spared your valuable time. And I look forward to working together with all of you on this wonderful project, which will be so beneficial to so many people. Srila Prabhupada’s guru instructed him to preach the message of the Bhagavad-gita in English all over the world, telling him, “This will do much good for you as well as your audience.” So, it is win-win-win: it will be beneficial for you, it will be beneficial for the people in general, and ultimately Krishna will be pleased. And that is our goal—that is what bhakti means—to please Krishna. When Krishna is pleased, our life is successful and we are naturally satisfied and happy.

Thank you very much.

Hare Krishna.

[An address by Giriraj Swami to leaders of Hindu organizations, October 23, 2009, Houston]

 

 

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Gita Jayanti is the auspicious day of the advent of Srimad Bhagavad-gita. This is the day on which Lord Krishna imparted the essence of Vedic knowledge to Arjuna over 5000 years ago and enlightened him about the ultimate goal of life.

As stated in the Gita-mahatmya, if one properly follows the instructions of Bhagavad-gita, one can be freed from all miseries and anxieties in this life, and one’s next life will be spiritual. Bhagavad-gita literally means the song of the Supreme Lord. It is the most widely known Vedic literature in the world.

The Bhagavad Gita is the essence of Vedic wisdom given by Lord Sri Krishna. His message holds the key to ending all of life’s misgivings and the secret to a life of happiness, satisfaction, fulfilment and self-discovery. Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON, has presented the Bhagavad Gita As It Is in a scholarly yet simple language. This is the best–selling version of the Gita in the world.

My dear Lord Krishna, please guide us so that we can understand the depth of your wisdom and, most importantly, the depth of the love of your infinite heart, which is revealed to us in the concluding chapter of your immortal song. Today we come to the conclusion of the journey of the Gita. And here, in the 17th chapter and its ending, Krishna has described how one can understand the level of a person’s faith by looking at the actions they do, the kind of food they take, and the type of yajña, dana, and tapa they perform. He then says that the om tatsat—the ultimate—has to be invoked if any activity is to have enduring meaning.

At this point, Arjuna asks a question. On one level, this question seems similar to what he has asked earlier, but he phrases it differently. Earlier, Arjuna, in one sense, asked the same question in the starting question itself. So, 2.7 asks, “What is dharma?” 3.1 asks, “Which is better, action or renunciation?” 5.1 is also similar. Now, we have 18.1. This question is basically about the difference between renunciation (sannyasa) and detachment. He is using the word renunciation, generally speaking, in the sense of the renounced order. Basically, he wants to clearly understand the difference between external and internal renunciation.

At the start, we had discussed the theme of how being engaged does not mean being attached, and being disengaged does not mean being detached. If we consider the renounced order of life, it does not necessarily mean giving up work and going to the forest. That is not true renunciation; that is a practice of bhakti. There is also detachment. So, Arjuna wants to know the relationship between these two—are they completely identical, or are they separate? This is his essential question.

The question, of course, is related to his battlefield context: Should I fight, or should I not fight? Fighting is not just a physical activity. We generally reach the point of fighting only when we are emotionally invested in something. It’s very difficult to be detached while fighting, as fighting is a matter of life or death. One either loses one’s life or takes someone else’s life. Or, at the very least, if it doesn’t result in death, the fighting won’t stop unless one person is severely beaten or injured. So fighting involves external aggression, but at the very least, it involves strong internal emotion. Without this emotional investment, fighting is very difficult. So, what would detachment mean in the context of fighting?

Of course, someone may fight for money, considering it just a job. They don’t necessarily hate the other person, but they must have some attachment to money. After all, there are many ways to earn money. But even in such cases, a strong emotional attachment to money is required.

Let’s now look at the words Krishna uses. It’s interesting that throughout the Gita, it is generally Krishna who refers to Arjuna as “Mahabhava.” Here, however, Arjuna is returning the favor, offering Krishna a compliment. “You are also mighty-armed,” he says. He is acknowledging Krishna’s power to dissipate his illusions. Mahabhava is a general glorifying epithet for describing warriors. The word tatva has been used repeatedly in the Bhagavad Gita to refer to the essence or truth. “Those who know me in truth”—tatva, the truth of it. “I desire to know it,” says Arjuna.

So, he says: “Sannyasasya mahabaho tatvamicchami veditum.” Then he says, “Not only do I want to understand this tatva, but I also want to understand tyagasya (renunciation).” Tyaga is similar to sannyasa, but it is also something different. He is using the two words in different contexts. Sannyasa here refers to the renounced order, while tyaga refers to detachment. Arjuna does not fully specify what he means by these words, but he is using them to point out the differences between external renunciation and internal detachment.

At the start of the Gita, Arjuna’s senses were going wild; he was unable to hold on to the bow. He said, “O Lord, you can bring my senses under control.” Here, he says, “O Krishna, help me understand the difference between these two.” Tyagasya cha Rishikesha—the renunciation of actions performed for desires. Pruthak Kaishinishudhana—”You are the killer of the Kaishin demon; please destroy my misconception.”

This is the only verse in the Gita where three epithets are used to address Krishna. Pruthak Kaishinishudhana—”O destroyer of the Kaishin demon.” Krishna sometimes uses two epithets but rarely three. So here, Arjuna is asking about the difference between these two concepts, seeking to understand how he can fight with detachment. He has more or less understood that Krishna does not want him to renounce the world but to engage in it with detachment.

Now, Krishna’s answer unfolds in several steps. But before we go there, let’s recite the verse together:
“Sannyasya sya maha baho, tatvamicchami veditum, tyagasya cha rishikesha, pruthak kaishinishudhana.”

The Gita’s approach generally avoids getting into technicalities of terms, even while discussing many levels of practice. Krishna does not delve into a hair-splitting definition of each term. Instead, he focuses on the essential principles and purposes. In the 8th chapter, for example, Arjuna asks about the meanings of Adi Uda, Adi Daiva, and in the 13th chapter, he asks about Kshetrak Kshetrakya. Krishna doesn’t get bogged down in technicalities but gives concise replies. In this case, Krishna says: “Kamyanam karmanam nyasam, sannyasam kavayovidhu.” This means: “When one gives up work performed to fulfill desires, that is called sannyasa.”

Generally speaking, when someone is in the householder stage, they need material things—necessities or wants—and may work to obtain them. Even sannyasis cannot give up all work; they must perform their prayers, sadhana, and so on.

So, when one gives up kamyanam karma, that is sannyasa.
Sannyasam kavayovidhu.
Then Krishna says, sarva karma falatyagam. On one side, when someone gives up a certain category of work or a major category of work, that is sannyasa. That is sannyasa.
Whereas, in all work, if one gives up attachment to the fruits of the work, prahus tyagam vichakshana. This, Arjuna, is called tyaga.
Sarva karma falatyagam. Prahus tyagam vichakshana.

Now, when Krishna answers Arjuna’s question, we discussed earlier how the same question asked repeatedly should not be given the same answer repeatedly. So, one answer can come from different perspectives. This is a good approach, and Krishna has done that before in the fifth chapter. But another expert way to answer is when the same question is asked, say for example, “Why is there tension between India and Pakistan?”
At the start of a history course, somebody might say, “Okay, because there are religious differences, because there is regional conflict, because one country feels insecure,” and so on. We might use these reasons.
Now, if someone takes a history course for three months, six months, and then the question comes again, “Why is there tension between India and Pakistan?” The answer now includes everything learned in that course. So, the answer doesn’t just come from another perspective, but rather integrates the new knowledge.

Similarly, Krishna will answer the question of the difference between tyaga and sannyasa, renounced action and the mood of renunciation. The precise difference is that sannyasa is renunciation of work, while tyaga is renunciation in work. We are still working, but renunciation is there within our work. Krishna will answer this difference by integrating something he taught in the previous chapters: the modes of nature.

The modes are a concept Krishna specifically elaborated on in the 14th chapter and also uses in the 17th chapter. So now, Krishna will answer Arjuna’s question using the idea of the modes. This not only illuminates the answer further, but also integrates the new concept of the modes.
In 5.1, there is an answer. Then, in chapter 14, we learn about the modes. And now, in 18.1, the answer is given using the modes.

The first thing Krishna says is that when we talk about renunciation, the action of renouncing is there. You can also talk about the action of renunciation, when we renounce something. The underlying motivation—what conception, with what understanding—is what will determine whether the renunciation falls in sattva, rajas, or tamas. If renunciation is in the mode of ignorance, it is of no use. Similarly, in the mode of passion (rajas), it is not really of great use either.

Let’s quickly look at what Krishna says because there is a lot of territory to cover in this chapter. But I don’t want to just answer the question; I also want to outline the chapter. Krishna says:
“Our karma should never be given up, but if one does, when they are in illusion and without proper understanding, and renounce it, that is in the mode of ignorance.”
Krishna does not elaborate much on ignorance, because ignorance is so harmful that it is not even an option for Arjuna. The elaboration on ignorance is ignored by Krishna, always. It’s like if somebody wants to buy gold and mistakes some other metal, polished to look like gold, for gold. We must tell the person, “Look for this, this, and this,” but when somebody is asking for gold, we don’t have to tell them not to buy potatoes. Ignorance is so different from knowledge that if someone mistakes a potato for gold, it indicates they have a lack of understanding.

Now, Krishna moves on to rajasic renunciation:
“This is so troublesome, so I won’t do it.”
“Kaya” means body, “klesha” means distress, “bhaya” means fear. The idea is that the only consideration for renunciation is that it is troublesome, difficult, or fearful. Should this be one consideration? Of course. But if the only consideration is avoiding trouble, that’s not the right basis.

If life decisions are based only on which path will cause the least trouble, we miss the point of life. We are not meant to seek a problem-free life; we want a purposeful life. For the sake of a higher purpose, we may even be willing to face difficulties.

Anything worthwhile in life involves challenges. We want our lives to be problem-free, but we must ask ourselves: Should being problem-free be the sole basis for decision-making? Krishna says, no, we should live with purpose.

It’s like asking, “Do we want to be pain-free?” Yes, of course, we want to be pain-free, but is that the purpose of life? No, many times, for a greater purpose, such as getting fitter, people go to the gym, lift weights, and endure some pain. If someone’s purpose is only to avoid pain, they won’t get fitter.

So Krishna says that if renunciation is simply because “this is too difficult,” it’s not going to work. If someone thinks they will become a brahmachari because “this material world is too complicated,” they are mistaken. The brahmachari ashram is still in the material world.

If we run away from the world because it has problems, and then join the renounced order, expecting there won’t be problems there, where will we go? If we want to renounce the world, there must be a higher purpose, such as serving Guru and Krishna, sharing Krishna’s message, focusing on Krishna, and absorbing ourselves in him. But the primary focus must not be simply avoiding problems.

Krishna says, detachment is not just about avoiding difficulties; it must come from a higher purpose. The mode of rajas leads us to avoid things just because they are troublesome, but it doesn’t lead to true renunciation.

So, Krishna says, why should we be detached from the results?
Because multiple factors are involved in the action that leads to a result.
This is where Krishna talks about the five factors of action.
We tend to think that we do an action and we get the result, and it’s that simple.
But Krishna says, it’s not that simple. So, he explains the five factors of action.

Krishna analyzes karma and emphasizes that we must understand how karma works.
Let me recite the verse and explain:

Panchaitani Mahabhaha. Panchaitani means five.
Karanani Nibodhame. Arjuna, understand this properly.
Sankhye Krutan Te Toktani. By Sankhya, this I talk about.
Siddhaye Sarvakarmana. For the success of work, these five factors are involved.

Let’s break down these five factors. The 14th verse outlines:

• Adhishthanam – the place where we are at work, the venue of action.
• Tatha Karta – the doer.
• Karanam – the senses, the instruments with which we do our action.
• Karanam Chaprutha Vidham – there are various kinds of senses that may be involved at different times.
• Vividhash Chaprutha Cheshta – the different kinds of endeavors required.
• Daivam – the fifth factor, destiny.

Let’s recite this together:
Adhishthanam Tatha Karta.
Karanam Chaprutha Vidham.
Vividhash Chaprutha Cheshta.
Daivam Chayvatra Panchamam.

Now, to understand this, think of action on one side and result on the other.
Between them is a bridge with five planks. These planks are the five factors Krishna mentions.
Let’s look at these five planks. You know the meaning of the word planks? They are logs of wood that link together. In this analogy, the five factors are the planks in the bridge that connect action to result.

The first factor is self-evident: the Karta (the soul).
If someone is a great musician but is dead, they cannot perform music. So the doer must be there for the action to happen. If someone is asleep, they cannot act. The doer has to be present.

Next, we have Karanam, which refers to not just the physical senses, but something more.
Consider that right now we are having a session on the Bhagavad Gita. I, as the speaker, need to be here, and you, as the hearers, need to be present. All of us are Kartas.

For me to give the class, my throat needs to be functional. If I’m sick and can’t speak, the action of teaching cannot happen. Each activity requires a particular set of senses. If one of you has hearing issues, you won’t be able to hear the class properly, and the action of learning will be incomplete.

But it’s not just about senses; skills are also involved.
Everybody speaks, but not everyone speaks fluently or attractively. There is the voice itself, the vocabulary, the delivery method—all of these are important. For example, in cricket, everyone has hands and legs, but a batsman or bowler needs strong muscles to hit or throw the ball properly. So, senses must be associated with the right skills.

The next factor is Adhishthanam, the place where the action takes place.
If we are in a crowded vegetable market, it will be hard to have a focused session on the Bhagavad Gita. The right place is crucial for the action to unfold. In cricket, you need a proper ground with the right dimensions, and a pitch that is suitable for the game. So, Adhishthanam refers to a venue that is suitable for the action.

Then comes Cheshta, which refers to effort or endeavor.
Once we have the right place, the right venue, we need to put in the right effort. This is where practice, discipline, and dedication come in. A musician, for instance, might practice hours daily to improve their skills. The more effort you put into refining your abilities, the more successful the action will be.

Finally, there is Daiva—destiny or luck.
Sometimes, even with all the right effort, things may not work out. A sports player may be in top form, in a good venue, and prepared, but something beyond their control can affect the outcome. For example, a spectacular catch by a fielder might end their innings, or a match might be canceled due to unforeseen events like a pandemic.

This is the aspect of destiny or luck. While we can control some factors, destiny plays a role, too. People may call this “luck,” but it’s more about forces beyond our control.

If we look at these five factors when something doesn’t go right, we can analyze why it happened.
If you are studying engineering and not achieving your desired results, or if I’m teaching and not having the desired impact, we can look at these factors.

Destiny is something we cannot control, but we can control other factors, like practice, discipline, and effort. If we simply blame destiny every time something doesn’t work, we are being irresponsible. We must take action, practice, and continue striving.

This segment delves into the factors that influence success and failure, emphasizing the importance of effort, compatibility, and external conditions. Here’s a simplified explanation:

Krishna discusses the five factors of action—Karta (the doer), Karanam (the instruments or senses), Adhishthanam (the place or environment), Cheshta (endeavor or effort), and Daiva (destiny or divine will)—to explain that success depends on more than just the individual. Each factor plays a role in determining the outcome of an action.

Key Points:

1. Talent and Practice: Arjuna is an example of someone with great natural talent who also practiced tirelessly. His diligence was essential in developing his skills. This shows that talent alone is not enough—dedicated effort and practice are also crucial.
2. Reasons for Lack of Success: There are three main reasons why someone might not achieve success:
   • Incompatibility of Work: The work may not align with the person’s natural abilities or skills. For example, someone with a musical talent trying to become a businessperson might struggle if they focus too much on the commercial side and neglect their talent.
   • Inhospitable Place: Success can be hindered if one is in the wrong environment. For instance, someone interested in cricket in a place where no one knows the sport may not have the opportunity to develop their talent.
   • Insufficient Endeavor: Even in the right environment with the right skills, a person might not succeed if they don’t put in enough effort.
3. Srila Prabhupada’s Example: Srila Prabhupada, a renowned spiritual leader, faced many challenges in his life. Despite having the right skills, his initial attempts to spread his teachings in India were unsuccessful due to factors like the political climate and the general focus on materialism. However, when he moved to America, his persistence paid off as he found an audience that was receptive to his message.
4. The Role of Daiva (Destiny): Sometimes, despite all efforts, things don’t go as planned due to factors beyond our control. These include external circumstances or “luck” that can affect the outcome. For example, a talented author may die unknown, only for their work to gain fame posthumously.
5. Rational vs. Mystical Explanations: Krishna advises not to jump to mystical or irrational explanations when things go wrong. Instead, analyze the situation rationally—consider whether the work is suitable, the environment is right, and the effort is sufficient.
6. Illusions of Doership: Krishna warns against the illusion of being the sole doer. While we play an active role in our actions, there are many factors at play—skill, environment, effort, and destiny. If we become overly proud of our success or overly discouraged by failure, we lose sight of the bigger picture.

Krishna’s point is to help Arjuna understand that success and failure are not solely in one’s control and to avoid attachment to results, as there are many factors influencing the outcome.

So we see that I am one factor among the actions. Tatra evam sati kartaram. Atmanam kevalam tuyah. Pasyatya akrta buddhitvan. Nasapashyati durmati.

So basically, what happens is if I think I am the sole doer, then I will have these super extremes. I am a champion. I am the greatest, and otherwise, I am worthless. I am just good for nothing at all.

We all will experience loss in life. Now, loss is the event. And then we all ascribe some meaning to the event. So, an objective sense of meaning could be: I have lost. Okay, I gave this interview. I applied for this particular internship. I tried to do this. It didn’t work. I have lost. That’s one level.

Now, far more damaging is “I am lost.” So it’s not just about this; it’s more of a situation. “I have lost” is more of a situation. In this particular situation, it didn’t work out. “I am lost” means it’s about direction. I just don’t know where to go. I’m lost.

But the most damaging meaning would be: “I am a loser.” Now, this goes to the level of self-definition itself. If we go to that level, “I am a loser.” This is where depression comes in. This is where low self-esteem comes in. And ultimately, this is where suicidal ideation, suicidal thoughts, and suicide come in. So this is toxic. This is a very dark path. This is where many of the mental health problems arise because we ascribe wrong meanings to our life’s events. “All this didn’t work out. Therefore, I’m a loser.”

Now, this can also be applied to our attempts at sense control. We all may take some time. So if I am trying to control my senses, first of all, Karanam: What is the capacity of my senses? If somebody tries to fast, according to Ayurveda, there’s Kapha, Vata, and Pitta Prakriti. And each Prakriti doesn’t find it equally easy to fast. For some people, especially Kapha Prakriti, it is relatively easy to fast. For those with Vata Prakriti, it is almost impossible to fast. Sorry, with Pitta Prakriti, it’s almost impossible to fast.

But the point is, do I have the necessary skill sets? Are my senses suitable for that? If my body is suitable for that, then am I in the right place if I am trying to control my senses? So if I am fasting and working in Govinda’s restaurant, where either I am cooking food or serving food and seeing all the delicacies that everybody is eating, well, that’s not the right place for fasting, is it? It’s like if somebody wants to torture themselves, then maybe that is the place to go for fasting. But that’s not the best place.

And thirdly, have I endeavored properly? That means maybe I need to… Fasting cannot just be a one-time event. We need to overall regulate our diet and our body’s digestive patterns to become proper. Maybe I have to plan properly, I have to endeavor properly. So that endeavor could mean talking with those who fast regularly: What all do you do? What can be done about this? We learn things.

So with sense control, it’s like that. Maybe we try to fast once, it works. First it doesn’t work, second time it doesn’t work, third time it doesn’t work. Gradually we learn, okay, this is what I can do, these are my capacities, it grows. So this applies to everything in life.

So Krishna says, don’t claim sole-doership. Don’t think that it is because of you the war is happening. You are not the sole doer. At the same time, you are not the non-doer either. There is a bigger set of factors happening, and you are going to play one part in it.

Then after this, Krishna will analyze the various components of action. So he will say that we try to keep the various components of action in the mode of goodness. So this is a bit of a technical section. I won’t go too much into the technicalities. But Krishna explains that when we do action, there are certain factors involved. So these two verses talk about these factors, 18 to 19. But each word has a technical meaning, and then Krishna shows how that meaning relates to the specific list that he is going to give.

But without going into this technical part, let’s look at one verse over here. Gyanam karmach karta cha Tridhaiva gunabhed taha.

So when we are acting, there are various components involved in action. So first of all, we perceive things. Without perception, nothing can happen. So for example, if you are sitting here and suddenly the door opens and a tiger is seen over there, so that gyan will lead to the karma: run away from here. So there is perception and there is action. And then there is the karta, the doer. So basically, the components of action you want to see.

So Krishna will broadly say that we can try to be able to act with detachment. We try to get as many of the components of action as possible towards the mode of goodness. So in action, the first stage is gyanam. Gyanam is not so much knowledge here as perception. Gyanam is what is acquired with the karmindriya. And there is karma, the action that we do. Now there is, of course, the karta. Gyan, karma, and karta are there.

Now, along with that, when an action is to be done, there is a motive for the action. The motive generally is sukha. We all want happiness in life.

So, for example, if the door opens and we say, “Hey, there is a table with a nice large cake over there.” “Oh, I want to eat it. It is enjoyable.” We want to go there. So sukha is the motive for us.

Now, when we are trying to integrate this diagram later, let me first broadly explain. So gyanam is what we take in as information. Then Krishna says there is also buddhi and there is druti. I’ll explain how these three work. Buddhi is what? Intelligence. And druti is determination. So, how does Krishna explain buddhi and druti over here?

First of all, buddhi is different from gyanam. Gyanam is the information that we take in. Buddhi is how we decide to translate intention into action. When I see a snake slithering in from there, I have to run away. Maybe that door is further, and this door is closer. But there are too many people over here. They all are going to run through this door, so maybe I should run through that door. That’s intelligence. Intelligence is by which we decide how to translate intention into action. Intelligence is how we translate. This is the specific definition in this context. Intelligence can have many definitions, but when I have a particular thing to do, what should I do in this situation? How should I go about doing it?

Then, determination is what helps persist in this translation. I may have intelligence, for example, if someone feels that they are overweight and want to lose weight. The intelligence may be that, okay, maybe I have to do more exercise, or maybe I have to avoid certain foods. That intelligence might be there, okay. But after that, determination must be there to keep doing it.

Now it’s interesting, Krishna will say, all these three can be in the three modes: gyanam, buddhi, and druti can be in the three modes. So let’s try to look at these to put it all together now. When we act, gyanam comes into the karta. And then the karta is going to do the karma. So if we consider this to be the self, information is coming to the self, and action has come out of the self. Here you could say there are broadly, there is the buddhi. Okay, I’ve got this information, what should I do now? Then there is druti, the determination, and then there is sukha.

So why am I putting all these before karma? In one sense, these drive our action. Okay, we all are going to act, but we use our intelligence to decide how to act. We have our determination by which we decide how long we are going to act. And then we have a certain conception of pleasure based on which we act.

Let’s just take one example of these three things to illustrate how these three work. I’ll talk about druti, how the buddhi and druti work. Druti is determination, and how determination can also be in the three modes. Krishna talks about each of these in the three modes, but let’s focus on one of them.

So Krishna says right at the beginning, “Yaya dharmam adharmam ca, that which is right a person thinks to be wrong.” “Karyam ca,” sorry, not this one, “Adharmam dharmamitya,” that which is wrong, one thinks to be right. “Manyate tamasavrita,” the person who is covered by ignorance. “Adharmam dharmamitya, manyate tamasavrita, sarva arthaan, in all purposes, viparitamstha.” The person comes to the exact opposite conclusion.

“Sarva arthaan viparitamsa.” Buddhi sa partha, what happened? I didn’t go to buddhi. Okay, let’s take buddhi only. Any of these is fine. “Buddhi sa partha tamasi.” Now intelligence can be used to arrive at a proper understanding of things, and then that understanding is the basis of action. Different people can take in the same facts, and they may arrive at completely different understandings. So, when the intelligence is in the mode of ignorance, a person’s realization is the exact opposite of what it is.

Once, an anti-alcohol campaigner gave a talk to a set of alcoholics in the audience. He told them how dangerous alcohol is. They said, “Now I will demonstrate to you.” He had a small beaker in which there was some alcohol, half of it full and transparent. He also had a small box in which he had an insect. He opened that box and just hurled the insect into the beaker. The insect fluttered around, struggling, and within moments, it just signed out, dead.

Just to demonstrate how dangerous alcohol is—kill you. So you look at everyone, so what do you learn from this? Everybody was looking down. One person, very cheerful with a bright smile, says, “Yes, what do you learn?” He says, “When I drink alcohol, all the germs and worms in my intestine will die.”

So, sarva artha viparitamsa. You arrive at the conclusion that is the exact opposite of what should be arrived at. That is buddhi sa sarva artha tamasi. That, with respect to cigarettes, when they started demonstrating, the companies were forced by the regulatory agencies to put that cigarette smoke is injurious to health. At least initially, what happened was they marketed in such a way that actually, people who are courageous, people who are adventurous, they all smoke cigarettes. So, when they put this warning signal, it triggered the rebellious instincts in people, and for some time, cigarette sales increased.

So, that is sarva artha viparitamsa. What is right, what is wrong? What is to be done, what is not to be done? If one is not able to understand clearly, it is confusing. This is stupid, and that is stupid.

Now, what happens is a person has many desires, and they are pulled in different directions. “I want to work hard and become famous.” “I want to enjoy right now, I want to party.” So, okay, do you want to work or do you want to party? “I want to do both.” You can’t do both, isn’t it? There are desires which pull people in different directions, and then intelligence is not able to figure out. It just doesn’t have a clear understanding of what is really important.

Now, this is not blind. Tamasik is just completely distorted. But here, ayathaavat. So rajoguna is not the same as tamoguna. Sometimes we equate rajoguna and tamoguna, but rajoguna enables people to work hard, and sometimes they work constructively. They can do extraordinary things in rajoguna, but often their priorities are not clear.

Now, this goes forward. We don’t have time right now. Then Krishna will talk about sukha, how that which tastes like poison in the beginning will taste like nectar in the end, and that which tastes like nectar in the beginning will taste like poison in the end. That’s exactly what he talks about, the various modes.

And why is he talking about all this? He says that by understanding all this, we try to put our buddhi in goodness. We try to understand how a definition of happiness is in goodness. Then it’s relatively easier for us to situate ourselves in goodness. And then our actions will naturally be in goodness.

Then Krishna says, okay, goodness is good, but it’s not good enough. We have to rise above goodness. While being in goodness, we need to function. We need to function for a higher purpose. So Krishna talks about the system of varnashram, where different people have their roles in life. After describing the typical characteristics of people in each of the varanas, Krishna explains how people in each of the varanas should function appropriately.

Then he says how to function in life. Let’s look at these few verses that are quite important. One of these verses is often mistranslated as “work is worship,” so we will see what is missed in the mistranslation. Krishna starts with:
“From whom all of existence is manifested, by whom all of this world is pervaded, Abhyarcha is worship.”

So, through your work, worship that Lord, and by this, one can attain perfection. If you look at the verse 18.46C (which is the line before), Swakarmana tam abhyarcha. So literally, if you look at it, it’s straightforwardly translated as:
Swakarmana: by your work,
Tam abhyarcha: worship that Lord.

So what this verse is saying is, through your work, worship the Lord. It is not “work is worship.” That’s all. Through your work, worship the Lord. Krishna is not saying that simply work is worship.

Now, work is worship may be defined as an ethical principle. This means, if there is a lot of discrimination against some people who do certain kinds of work, then there is no need to look down upon those people. All work and all workers should have some dignity. The idea of untouchability, whatever extent it had, was more of a hygienic concern, not a casteist one. Certain people doing specific types of work were considered more likely to be infected, so they needed extra care. But this is not meant to be a socially imposed way of discriminating against people. Of course, it became that way, which is horrendous.

But the idea is, if we consider “work is worship” to mean that all work and all workers should have a basic level of dignity, that’s definitely true. Krishna is also implying this. If through your work, you can worship the Lord, it means that the work is not profane, it is not sinful, and it’s not so dark and disconnected from God.

But the key difference is that “work is worship” means there is no need for any other object of worship. Essentially, work becomes a replacement for God. Krishna is saying that this is not the case. He is saying, basically, the understanding is: God is up here in the spiritual world, and we are down here in the material world. If I have to become liberated, I have to go to God. This is true, but it’s only partially true.

Why? Because Krishna exists everywhere. Krishna doesn’t just exist in the spiritual world, He exists in this world as well. So when we are doing this, this is worship. When we come in the morning, we chant the holy names, we do Aarti, this is worship. Then, after that, once we have infused that mood of worship into our heart, we remember that this Lord whom I am worshipping right now is everywhere.

This Lord is in my office, in my college, in my home, in the road I travel to get to work. So then we can work as worship. It’s not “work is worship,” it’s “work as a form of worship.” That Lord I can serve through my work too.

Now, somebody might say, “But this world has so many problems. There are so many things wrong in this world.” Sometimes we have to do things that are not proper spiritually or morally. That’s the nature of the world. Krishna says, yes, that’s true, but don’t fixate on that. The Gita is a very, in my sense, a realist book.

See, in education, there is always this tension. So, what is the tension in education? It’s not just how will I pass the exam. That may be the tension for students. But for educators, when they are giving education about the world, how much should it be about describing the world as it should be, and how much should we be teaching the world as it is? The tension between that.

For example, when parents are raising their children, they should tell them to speak the truth. Everybody should speak the truth. But should parents also tell their children that sometimes people lie? Sometimes not lying is good, but sometimes we have to acknowledge that people lie. Speaking the full truth may not always be the best course of action. How much do we speak about the world as it is versus as it should be?

This is idealism and realism. The best education is a blend of both. If it’s only idealism, it becomes impractical, and the person won’t be able to function. If it’s only realism, then soon the person will become immoral, unprincipled. Krishna says that we should work with good intentions, but acknowledge that sometimes there will be faults in life.

Let’s look at this verse. Krishna says, “Just as fire is considered sacred, but smoke covers the fire…”

So similarly, Krishna says that everything in this world, meaning everything born with, is inborn, born with karma, Arjuna. Faults are present in every activity that we do. Don’t give up because of that. And here’s an example: all endeavors are covered by faults, just as fire is covered by smoke. Let’s recite the verse together:

So, just as fire is covered by smoke, Krishna says, yes, it’s going to be difficult for you to fight against Bhishma and Drona, but life never offers us straightforward choices. Sometimes, but very rarely, is it this side that is all good and the other side all bad. There are often times when there is some good on one side and some bad on the other side. We cannot expect a utopia.

So, what is Krishna describing here? This is where he is describing Karma Yoga. Now, this last chapter is like a summary of the Gita. Krishna is drawing His message to the end. In the first few verses (from 41 to 48), Krishna will talk about Karma Yoga. Then, from verses 49 to 54, he talks about Karma Yoga which culminates in Bhakti Yoga. In verse 54, there is a famous verse:
“So through Gyaan Yoga, one attains perfection. And when one attains perfection, what happens next? That person attains Bhakti. Bhakti is the highest.”

After this, Krishna will say, “Actually, you don’t have to go all the way through all these paths. You can directly practice Bhakti from wherever you are.” He will discuss this broadly from 56 to 62. Verse 63 is the last verse where he speaks. He summarizes everything by saying, “Yes, the modes are there, and material nature exists, but above material nature is the Lord. So if you serve the Lord, you will be able to engage material nature in a way that will bring you closer to the Lord.”

Then, in verse 63, Krishna stops and says, “Now, Arjuna, I have given you the message. Now you contemplate and do as you desire.” He says, “Vimrishya itathā, as long as required, and then yathay shasi athaad kuru—do as you desire.”

Here, the Gita reveals a God who respects human intelligence and appeals to human independence. One of my friends, who lives in the southern part of America, which is quite Christian evangelical, wanted to write a book on the Gita. He said, “I am thinking of writing a book called ‘The Ten Commandments of the Bhagavad Gita.'”

I told him, “Please don’t write such a book, at least not with that title.” He asked, “Why?” I said, “The Gita’s mood is not the mood of commandments. The Gita is giving choices and consequences. If you do this, this will happen. If you do that, that will happen. Now you decide what you want to do.”

While the idea of appealing to a Christian demographic is nice, we want to convey the mood of the Gita as well. Krishna’s mood is that of a guide by the side. He is with us. Krishna is not like a deity far away in the sky. He is a guide by the side, speaking reasonably with Arjuna.

When Arjuna hears this, he becomes deep in thought. He starts thinking, “What does Krishna want me to do?” He remembers what Krishna said in the second, sixth, twelfth, and thirteenth chapters. He doesn’t think about it literally in terms of chapters, but rather reflects on Krishna’s messages over time: “Krishna said this then, Krishna said that there. What should I do?”

It’s like a doctor telling a parent whose child has cancer, “This is the disease, these are the options, and these are the factors involved in each option. Now you do as you desire.” It’s a serious decision.

When two people are very close to each other, they can communicate a lot without speaking. Just by a glance, they can speak volumes. Sometimes, when people are not close, they can shout a lot, but nothing is communicated. So, Arjuna is thinking, “What does Krishna want me to do?” and Krishna has told him, “Do as you desire.” But Arjuna wants to know Krishna’s desire.

Therefore, Krishna starts speaking. Krishna will say, “I will speak the most confidential knowledge.” In English, there are intensifiers. You may say something is very important, but repeating the intensifier does not make it more important. It’s like saying, “This is very, very, very important,” but it’s not really emphasizing anything.

Krishna uses intensifiers in verses 64–66 to convey that what he is about to speak is very special. Let’s look at these intensifiers:

• Guhiya: Among all knowledge, this is the most confidential. It’s not just private but deeply intimate.
• Paramam: This is the highest of all the words I have spoken.
• Dhridham: Krishna is determined to love Arjuna. He is committed to this relationship for the long haul.
• Ishta: Krishna cares for Arjuna and is speaking this for Arjuna’s benefit. Krishna is determined to care for him.
• Te hitam: Krishna speaks these words for Arjuna’s benefit.

These intensifiers convey that Krishna’s message is not just important, but is deeply personal and committed to Arjuna’s well-being.

Earlier, Krishna told us that a devotee should be dṛḍha (determined) in worshipping Him. But here, Krishna is saying that what He is asking for in this relationship, He is also going to give in return. He wants Arjuna to be determined, but He Himself is also determined. Dṛḍham—because Krishna is determined.

This is similar to a doctor telling a patient, “Yes, now I will tell you something private. There are many treatments, each with side effects. But these are the most important things I want to share with you. I care for you, and I want your child to be healthy.” Krishna will speak the same words He has spoken before, but with a different emphasis.

Let’s recite this together. The difference is in the mood of urgency. Imagine a patient is admitted to the hospital. The doctor says, “You pay your bills, follow this exercise, do this and this, and you will be cured.” The emphasis here is on what the patient must do.

But if the doctor really cares about the patient, they will say, “Once you take care of these things, I will make sure you get cured.” While the responsibility lies with the patient, the doctor reassures them, “I will make sure you are taken care of.”

In verse 9.34, Krishna emphasizes what Arjuna must do, but in 18.65, Krishna emphasizes what He will do. Why is that? Because Krishna’s heart, as described by Chakravarthi Pali, is overflowing with compassion. Krishna wants Arjuna to do the right thing, but He is also saying, “I will do everything for you.”

This is why Krishna declares, “I will do all this for you. I declare it for your benefit.” And then, finally, Krishna speaks the Charam Shloka of the Gita, which Ramanacharya calls the crest jewel of all the words of the Gita. Let’s recite it together.

Krishna says, “Moksha is shami…” This is like a doctor saying, “Forget all the other treatments. Just do this one thing. Even if there are side effects or complications, I guarantee I will take care of everything.”

See, no doctor wants to take on liability. In fact, when a surgery is performed, the patient or their guardian must sign a form that disclaims liability—if anything goes wrong, it’s not the doctor’s fault. But Krishna is saying, “I will take the liability. I am telling you this is the right thing to do. Even if complications arise, I will protect you.”

You had different ideas about what your dharma is—kula dharma, kshatriya dharma—and I’ve given you broad paths to determine what to do: Karma Yoga, Gyaan Yoga, Dhyana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga. Krishna says, “Forget all that. Just do what I tell you, and I will free you from the reactions.”

This is the heart of Krishna’s eagerness and compassion. Previously, in the seventh chapter, Krishna explained how one must become free from all sinful reactions to practice Bhakti:
“Yei shaam tvantakaṁ pāpam janānāṁ gunya-karmanām te dvandva-moha-nirmukta bhajante māṁ dhradarvṛtāḥ.”
One must be free from sinful reactions to practice Bhakti. But here, Krishna says, “However you are, just practice Bhakti, and I will purify you. I will free you from sinful reactions.”

It’s like a mother training her child in Bhakti. She says, “Don’t make a mess with your clothes. Go to the restroom to do your business.” But the child makes a mess, and the mother says, “Don’t come to me until you clean yourself.” The child, helpless, says, “I don’t know how to do that.” And the mother replies, “Don’t worry, I’ll clean you up.”

In 7.28, Krishna says, “Clean yourself first, then come to me.” But in 18.66, He says, “Come to me, and I’ll clean you up.” This is the love of Krishna’s heart.

Then, Krishna says, “This is a confidential message. This is not to be given to everyone.” He talks about how He will free Arjuna from all sinful reactions. People might misunderstand this, thinking, “I can do anything in Krishna’s name, and Krishna will purify me.” But Krishna says, “No. Only those who have love for me and act with loving intention are protected.”

This message should be shared appropriately with others, Krishna adds. He provides three levels through which one can connect with Him, illustrating this with the example of a person stuck in a well.

Imagine someone trapped in a well who can’t get out. Someone from outside throws a rope and says, “Hold on to the rope, and I’ll pull you out.” The person responds, “No, my arms will hurt if I hold the rope.” The person outside then ties a loop at the end of the rope and says, “Just put this around your waist, and I’ll pull you up.” The person protests, “If I tie it around my waist, it will squeeze me and cause pain.” Finally, the person outside ties a tub at the end of the rope and says, “Sit in this tub, and I’ll pull you out.”

Krishna says, “First of all, you should preach this message. You will become very dear to me.” Arjuna might think, “Preach? Who can do that? The message is so complicated!” Krishna replies, “If you can’t preach it, at least study the message.” Arjuna might respond, “I can’t study it either, it’s too complicated.” Krishna then says, “Fine, just hear the message. Just sit inside the tub, and I will pull you out.” Krishna is extending the rope of grace more and more, urging Arjuna to connect with Him in whatever way possible.

Finally, Krishna asks, “Arjuna, have you heard attentively? Has your illusion been dispelled?” This is the only question Krishna asks Arjuna in the entire Gita. Normally, if a speaker asks, “Have you heard attentively?” it could seem like an insult, implying that the listener wasn’t paying attention. But in Arjuna’s context, this question has a different meaning. Krishna is aware that Arjuna’s mind was disturbed by his emotions, and they were in the middle of a battlefield, even though it seemed quiet externally. The very awareness of the battlefield itself could cause distraction.

Krishna is asking, “If you weren’t able to hear something, tell me, and I will repeat it for you.” Arjuna, overwhelmed with joy and gratitude, responds, “Krishna, I have understood. My illusion is dispelled, and I will do your will.” This is the essence of the Gita. Arjuna does not say, “I will fight the war.” The focus of the Gita has risen beyond the circumstances of the battlefield. At the universal level, the Gita’s purpose is not just about fighting; it’s about harmonizing with the divine will, recognizing that each person has a role in a greater plan.

Sometimes, that role may be difficult. Sometimes it may be easy. Sometimes it may bring glory, and sometimes it may require us to remain anonymous. But the key is to do our part and align with Krishna’s will. As Arjuna says, “I will do your will.” This could have been the end of the Gita, but from verses 74 to 78, Sanjay speaks, and these verses are important because they demonstrate the teachings of the Gita itself.

When Krishna speaks to Arjuna, the message is successful because Arjuna’s heart changes. But when Sanjay speaks the same message to Dhritarashtra, there is no change in Dhritarashtra’s heart. However, the message is still successful, because Sanjay’s heart changes. Sanjay becomes filled with remembrance of Krishna and joy in hearing Krishna’s words. In this way, the teachings of the Gita go from Karma Yoga to Bhakti Yoga.

At the level of Karma Yoga, the teaching is to be detached from the results of our actions. Sanjay demonstrates this detachment, as he remains steady despite Dhritarashtra’s lack of response. In Bhakti Yoga, while still detached from results, there is an added element of attachment to Krishna. This is the internal result that we seek: becoming attached to Krishna.

In our lives, success is often measured by the world’s standards, but happiness comes from our internal experience. It is possible to experience both success and happiness, but in Arjuna’s case, he will experience both. Sanjay, on the other hand, experiences happiness even though the success of his message isn’t evident in Dhritarashtra’s heart. Both Arjuna and Sanjay have become Krishna-conscious, and this is the true success.

The duality of the world is that being Krishna-conscious doesn’t guarantee worldly success. We may still face failure and difficulty, but even in failure, we can experience the success of our inner connection with Krishna and the joy it brings. The Gita concludes with a verse that summarizes this message.

Let’s recite the final verse together:
“Yatra Yogeshwara Krishna Yatra Parthodhanurdhara
Tatra Sri Vijayobhutir Dhruvani Tirmah.ama”
This means, “Wherever there is Krishna and wherever there is Arjuna, there is victory, glory, and opulence.”

Now, why is Arjuna necessary here? Why not just Krishna? The point is that the Gita’s purpose is not only to proclaim God’s position but to transform the human disposition. Yes, wherever Krishna is, there is success and victory. But we are invited to be with Krishna. Arjuna’s faith is expressed through his words, “I am with you, O Krishna.” This shows Arjuna’s commitment to doing Krishna’s will.

When Arjuna lifts his bow, it signifies that he has decided to act according to Krishna’s will. The significance here is that victory is not just about divine presence but also about aligning our disposition with God’s will. Krishna’s will has transformed Arjuna’s heart, and this is why the Pandavas will succeed in the battle.

The Gita began with Dhritarashtra asking, “What happened in the battlefield?” Sanjay’s response is essentially, “Your side will not be successful.” But he doesn’t say this directly. He says that where Krishna and Arjuna are, there is success. This has both a literal meaning (the Pandavas will win the war) and a universal meaning: if we align ourselves with Krishna, we too can succeed in life, overcoming dualities of success and failure.

With that, the Gita concludes. To summarize, we discussed the difference between Tyaga (renunciation) and Sannyasa (renunciation of the fruits of action), and the teachings of the Gita about aligning with the divine will, practicing detachment, and ultimately becoming Krishna-conscious.

In this discussion, we talked about the distinction between external renunciation and the internal disposition of renunciation. Krishna emphasizes the importance of focusing on the modes of nature. He explains that renunciation driven by Rajas (passion) is not healthy. For example, a person might avoid something because they perceive it as troublesome, but this avoidance doesn’t stem from a pure state of renunciation.

We also discussed the five factors of action. These factors serve as five planks between action and result, illustrating that we should not think of ourselves as the sole doers, nor should we see ourselves as non-doers. Instead, we should recognize that we have a part to play, and we must do it carefully. If success does not come, we should evaluate three key factors:

1. Is the work incompatible? – Perhaps the task at hand doesn’t align with our skills or circumstances.
2. Is the place inhospitable? – Some environments may not be conducive to the success of certain actions.
3. Is my endeavor insufficient? – It could be that the effort put forth is not enough to achieve the desired result.

By considering these factors, we avoid blaming destiny for failures and instead learn and grow from the experience. We then moved on to discuss how action is translated into result, considering the roles of Jnana (knowledge), Karta (doer), and Karma (action). Between them, there is Buddhi (intelligence), Dhriti (determination), and Sukha (happiness). Krishna explains how, through the three modes of nature, being in Sattva (goodness) can help us avoid bandhan (bondage).

Krishna further explains that we can progress through different paths: Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga. He reveals that Bhakti (devotion) is the highest and most important path, offering a direct connection to the divine. Krishna emphasizes in verse 64 that He is giving the most confidential knowledge. He says, “I want to know your desire,” and in verse 65, He assures us, “I will take responsibility.” In verse 66, He promises protection, much like a doctor taking unlimited liability for their patient.

We then discussed Krishna’s grace: He invites us to preach if we can, study if we can’t preach, or simply listen if we can’t study. Krishna is offering His help in any form that we can take. When Arjuna hears Krishna’s words, he is moved and says, “I will do your will.” This is the universal conclusion we can all come to: Krishna, you have a plan for me, and I am ready to follow it.

The last part of our discussion focused on how Sanjay demonstrates both Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. Bhakti Yoga teaches that even without worldly success, we can find happiness through our connection with Krishna. Sometimes we will experience both success and happiness, but other times, we might only experience happiness, yet that will be enough. Ultimately, through this connection with Krishna, we will find fulfillment.

The Gita’s focus is to glorify Krishna, but also to transform Arjuna’s disposition and decision. The Gita’s purpose is not only to explain divine truths but also to guide us in making the right choices in life. Arjuna’s Gandiva (bow) symbolizes our determination. In life, when circumstances become tough, we may feel like giving up. But by hearing the Gita’s message, understanding Krishna’s love for us, and connecting with Him, we too can lift up our “bows” and face the challenges that life presents.

Thank you very much for participating in this Gita Yajna. Over 18 days, with more than 36-40 hours of study, your eagerness, enthusiasm, and thoughtful questions have been inspiring. I pray that Krishna’s message stays alive in your hearts and continues to guide your lives. May the same guidance reach me as well.

Shreemad Bhagavad Gita Ki Jai!
Shreemad Prabhupada Ki Jai!
Gaur Bhakta Vrindaki Jai!
Gaur Priyamanand Ji Jai!

The post Bhagavad Gita Overview Chapter 18 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Hare Krishna! So now we begin the 17th chapter of the Gita.
This chapter is maybe not a very long chapter, so we will not read about it for long today.
In the 16th chapter, Krishna ends by contrasting the divine and the demoniac creatures.
He says that the divine, those who have divinity, follow the shastra, have faith, and follow the shastra. Now, shastra can refer to scripture, but, as discussed yesterday, shastra also refers to discipline and regulation. The demoniac, on the other hand, lack faith and do not follow shastra. These are the two extremes.
Immediately, you see, the 16th chapter seems to present a very black-and-white picture of human nature. There are divine people and demoniac people—it’s like a one-zero depiction. But much of reality actually exists in shades of gray, and Krishna gives this very serious black-and-white picture, which raises a question. A “question-begging” statement is one that raises a question in the audience’s mind. If I say, “I want to speak on three points” and only speak two, nobody will ask about the third point, but I’ll be left wondering, “What is the point of speaking only two?”
So Krishna speaks in a very black-and-white way, and immediately Arjuna asks, “What about the people in between?” because most of humanity exists in between these extremes.
Krishna replies that those in between have some kind of faith.

Now, what is the nature of their faith?
For example, across the world, we will see that someone might worship a devata, someone might worship a baba who claims to be God or whose followers believe them to be God. It’s possible that someone worships nature, a tree, or even a movie star or a sports player. These people aren’t literally worshiping physical temples, but they can worship anything and everything. Sometimes, they worship literally, by doing puja, but worship can also mean making something the center of your life.

This analysis can also apply to various religious traditions because in the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna doesn’t always talk specifically about other religions, but the Gita provides a framework for understanding this. Krishna says we can understand the nature of someone’s faith by their actions. How do I know the nature of someone’s faith? By looking at their actions.

Faith depends on the mode of the object of worship. Krishna is not that simple. Someone might worship a person who claims to be God or who is considered to be God by their followers. There is a difference between those who claim to be God and those who are considered to be God by their followers. But either way, how do we know the nature of their faith? Because faith is seen through actions.

One way to understand faith is through actions like the food people eat, the sacrifices they make, and the charity they give. These things reveal the nature of someone’s faith.

Why these specific things? Because food represents what we take from the world. The most important thing we take is food. Other things might be space to live, entertainment, or interactions with people, but the primary thing we take from the world is food. The Vedic tradition of dharma, yajna, teaches that there should always be some kind of reciprocation: If I’m taking something from the world, I must give something back.

The primary thing we take is food, and Krishna classifies the types of food based on their impact on the world. Food is classified as sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic based on how disruptive it is.

For example, if someone considers all of existence to be potential food, this reflects their understanding of the universe. The most evolved food is prasad, and we will discuss why prasad is the most evolved kind of food.

Food represents the level of faith a person has. The least disruptive food is sattvic food, which causes the least harm to other life forms. Rajasic food causes more disruption, and tamasic food causes the most. Based on the food we consume, we can understand the level of faith a person has.

For example, if someone is so hungry for food that they disrupt others to get it, like pushing people aside in a queue or spilling food, that shows a lack of understanding of harmony. But if someone consumes sattvic food, it reflects their understanding that the universe is arranged in a way that allows them to get food without harming others.

This principle applies to the entire system of life, and it helps us understand the level of faith in someone’s actions. Faith is seen in their actions, like the food they eat, the sacrifices they perform, and the charity they give. These are key elements of religious virtue—tapa (austerity), dana (charity), and yajna (sacrifice).

So why these three particular activities? What is their significance in the majority of the remaining chapter? Krishna will talk about how these three activities can be used as parameters for judging the level of faith of a person—what kind of sacrifices they perform, what kind of charity they give, and what kind of austerities they do.

Now, to understand the significance of these three activities, one of the fundamental teachings of the Vedic tradition is that we humans are situated in three circles. These three circles are: first, the body (adhiatmik), second, society (adhibhautik), and third, nature (adhidaivik).

Practically speaking, the soul is in the body, the body is situated in some society, and we exist within the earth and the ecosystem—this is the adhidai mik. So, this is a fundamental understanding, and we need each of these circles for sustenance. If our body collapses, we can’t function. If society is filled with violence or crime, we can’t function. If nature leads to earthquakes, tornadoes, extreme heat, or extreme cold, we can’t function. All three circles are needed for our basic survival.

Not only that, but all these circles provide us sustenance. The body is our basic tool for functioning in society. We go about our activity as social creatures, needing to learn from the community, and nature provides us with universal utilities. So, these three circles are required for our survival and for our functioning. From a positive perspective, they are needed.

Now, from a negative perspective, all three can give us closure. The body can develop diseases, society can have terrorism, robbery, or dishonesty—these are the adhyatmik, adhibhautik, and adhidai mik closures. In many traditional Vedic ceremonies, at the end of the ceremony, especially the chandamantra, we chant “Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.” The reason for the three shantis is that it is an invocation of these three circles:
Om adhyatmik le shanti
Om adhibhautik le shanti
Om adhidai mik le shanti

These three circles can cause disturbance, and all of these require pacification. These three activities—tapa, dana, and yajna—are our way of harmonizing with each circle.

Tapa is how we return what we take from the body. We take from the body, we have desires, and the body is our tool for getting energy and things by which we do things. We return to the body through tapa. For instance, when we do regulation or austerity, the body gets rest. For example, fasting on Ekadashi allows the digestive system to rest. While it may feel unpleasant for the mind, there is actually a lot of research showing that intermittent fasting is one of the best ways to improve health and lose weight.

As an old Egyptian proverb says, “You live on 25% of what you eat, and the remaining 75% of what you eat lives your doctor.” This idea highlights that most people eat too much, which leads to diseases, and that’s how doctors survive. Of course, the exact percentage isn’t true, but the point is that fasting is actually very good for health. When the body is constantly working, it doesn’t get the time to clean itself or rest. A machine needs time to clean, revamp, and restore itself. So, fasting gives the body time to do that. Tapa is the way we harmonize with the body, and it can be compared to yoga or asanas—many yogis perform austerities, and sitting in a particular pose can also be seen as tapa.

Dana (charity) is how we harmonize with society. We take many things from society, and we are meant to return them. Now, of course, you might say, “I pay taxes,” but taxes are more or less mandatory. Austerity and charity are meant to be voluntary. You could say, “I work for my survival and my family’s survival,” and while that is a form of duty, it is not voluntary austerity.

Charity, on the other hand, is voluntary. For example, one devotee was saying that we should give 50% of our wealth to charity. If someone says, “I give my entire wealth to my family,” that is not charity—it’s a responsibility. Taking care of your family is mandatory, not voluntary.

And then we return to the environment, and that is through yajna. Yajna is not just a simple ritual of fire sacrifice; it is a way of offering. In the Rigveda, it is said that agni (fire) is the lowest in terms of accessibility. This doesn’t mean it is the least powerful; it means that it is the most accessible. Agni is the medium through which our offerings go to the devatas. Vishnu is the highest and most transcendental, and in one sense, Vishnu is the least accessible for everyone. When the devatas are in trouble, they go to Brahma, who prays to Vishnu, and we know the story. At that time, Brahmaji doesn’t see Vishnu directly but hears a voice, often from his own heart. Vishnu is very powerful, but agni is the means by which sacrifices go to all the devatas, ultimately to Vishnu.

In modern times, most people find fire sacrifices either sensational or silly. “Sensational” means that the idea of a fire sacrifice with chanting mantras and the sight of the fire spreading might seem bizarre or strange. When Prabhupada first did an initiation, they performed a fire sacrifice, and the neighbors called the fire alarm, thinking the house was on fire. Firefighters came and told them they couldn’t continue the ritual, as it was considered a risk.

So, we just need to comprehend it. Fire sacrifice can seem very sensational, or to some people, they might say, “What is this? You’re taking nice food, nice ghee, fruits, and putting them in the fire?” Once, when Prabhupada was performing a fire sacrifice for initiation, he gave all the devotees bananas. They sat through the rituals, and Prabhupada gave a lecture while they were thinking, “When can we eat the bananas?” They were holding the bananas, waiting eagerly, and then Prabhupada put the bananas into the fire. “What? You’re not supposed to do that!” they thought. The bananas were so delicious, and they had been holding them for so long. They were wondering, “When will we eat them?”

So, from a material perspective, it might seem like a waste. Yes, the material vision might see it that way, but the thing is, if we consider that fire is a deity, then fire acts as a means of exchange. Through fire, our offerings go up, and blessings come down. The blessings might not be seen immediately. Traditionally, when fire sacrifices were performed, there were three levels of success in the ceremony:

1. Completion of the Fire Sacrifice: Just completing the fire sacrifice itself is considered an auspicious activity. Its mere completion is seen as a form of success. For example, when Vishwamitra Muni performed a sacrifice and demons tried to interfere, Lord Ram and Lakshman were asked to guard it. The idea is that demons know that if a sacrifice is completed, auspicious forces gain strength, which could threaten them, so they try to prevent it.
2. Appearance of Celestial Beings: The second level of success is that higher beings or celestial beings may appear to the priests. These beings may give offerings like payasam or simply smile upon the sacrifice.
3. Visible Appearance of Celestial Beings: The highest level of success is when everyone can see these celestial beings. This was extremely rare, but it signifies the ultimate blessing from the sacrifice.

The idea is that the celestial beings, the universe, and the gods don’t need the physical offerings. These material things are just symbols, but when we offer them, the intent behind the offering satisfies the higher beings. They get satisfaction from our offerings, and this is analogous to how we pay taxes.

Prabhupada compares yajna to paying a tax. Normally, we pay taxes to the state, but yajna is paid to the cosmic state, where the “state” refers to the cosmic order. So, when yajna is performed, it pleases the devatas (gods). Sometimes, just like with taxes, the devatas might notice the offering. If a substantial offering is made, the devatas might reveal themselves, acknowledging the sincerity of the offering.

Now, some may question this form of exchange, thinking it is bizarre. But in today’s world, we can understand it better through digital economy systems. For example, when someone deposits money at a bank and receives a credit or debit card, it might seem strange to someone unfamiliar with banking. The person may wonder, “You gave so much money, and you got just a card?” But the point is that, even though the exchange might seem unbelievable, it works. Similarly, yajna is a form of exchange, and the principle of exchange is universal, even if the form seems strange to us.

Now, Krishna explains how yajna, dana (charity), and tapa (austerity) can be performed in the three modes of nature—sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic. Let’s break it down:

• Sattvic Yajna: This is where the yajna is performed as a duty, as prescribed by the scriptures. One does it with a sense of responsibility, knowing that it is ordained by nature and the higher powers.
• Rajasic Yajna: In this case, the yajna might be performed to gain material benefits or for power, and it could be considered self-serving.
• Tamasic Yajna: This is where yajna is performed incorrectly or inauspiciously, such as animal sacrifices performed without proper rituals. In such cases, the priests may not chant the mantras properly, or the sacrifice may not be done in a pure way. This type of yajna would be considered tamasic (impure or inappropriate).

In Kaliyuga, it is asked whether Kaliyuga exists only on Earth or throughout the universe. The answer here is more nuanced: while Kaliyuga is traditionally described as being on Earth, it can be interpreted as part of a larger cosmic cycle. The cycle of ages exists throughout the universe, but the specific experiences of different yugas (ages) may vary depending on the context.

Where does this exist? Earth, isn’t it? The time flows differently in other places, doesn’t it? So, Kaliyuga exists only on Earth, and not in heaven or other places. In the past, interplanetary travel was common in the sense that the devatas (gods) would come to Earth, asuras (demons) would sometimes come here, and humans would travel to other planets. But in Kaliyuga, because Kali is a very destructive force, Kaliyuga is considered a dangerous age. That’s why, in this age, Earth is somewhat quarantined, like a red zone during a pandemic. People are not allowed to enter or leave. The exchanges between Earth and other planetary systems become very rare to prevent the toxic influence of Kaliyuga from spreading elsewhere.

Why am I talking about this? Because yajnas (sacrifices) are very difficult to perform in Kaliyuga due to a lack of resources. Furthermore, the results of those yajnas, in terms of fire sacrifices, are not easily attained. In Kaliyuga, the devatas will never be visible. So, yajnas are not performed as much. However, the principle of sacrifice is still there. Even when we chant the holy names, our consciousness can be focused on many things, but when we choose to focus on Krishna, that is a sacrifice. So, the principle of sacrifice is still present, but the specific act of fire sacrifice is not as common.

Remember in the fourth chapter, we discussed how sacrifice can take many forms. Krishna told Arjuna that even the act of fighting on the battlefield is a form of sacrifice. The battlefield is like the yajna kunda (the fire altar), and the Kauravas are like the offerings being sacrificed. The specific act of sacrifice, such as a fire sacrifice, is just one way to perform a sacrifice. But the principle is that we give something for a higher cause, and that is what we need to do. If we do not perform sacrifices at all, or if we do them improperly, it causes disruption.

Now, let’s focus on tapa (austerity) and dana (charity). We’ll look at these verses briefly. Bodily austerity is relatively simple. For example, the austerity of the mind involves showing respect to deities, teachers, and wise people. This includes being straightforward and truthful. Why is this considered austerity? Because it’s easy to become angry or violent. Men generally become physically violent, while women tend to become verbally violent. Both can exhibit violence in different forms, but the tendency is there in everyone.

Violence can also appear in other ways, such as gossip or body-shaming. Women, for example, can be very judgmental of each other when it comes to body image, often criticizing each other for being overweight or not fitting societal standards. The tendency to harm others, whether physically or verbally, is part of human nature, but we train ourselves to show respect instead.

Shari ram tapa uchchate: This means that bodily austerity refers to controlling our physical tendencies, such as avoiding violence. Psychology and sociology have observed many differences between men and women. For example, women attempt suicide more often than men, but men are more likely to commit suicide successfully. This might seem paradoxical, but it’s due to emotional tendencies in women and the physical strength of men. In the case of suicide attempts, failure to commit suicide is a success because survival is the true success.

Now, let’s talk about austerity of speech. Our words should not agitate others. They should be truthful (satyam), pleasing (priya), and beneficial (hitam).

Self-study can basically mean studying in your mind. It’s interesting because, in the past, books were not easily available. Before the invention of the printing press, reading was never an individual activity. It was a social activity: one person would read aloud, and others would listen. Even now, you might see this—someone reads aloud, and everyone listens. The idea of reading silently in your mind is a modern concept. In the past, reading meant reading aloud, and this is still evident in group reading sessions, where everyone reads aloud together.

Reading aloud is similar to chanting aloud—it’s often more calming and absorbing. It’s slower, but if you find yourself struggling to concentrate while reading silently, try reading aloud (of course, not too loud to disturb others). This is why reciting scripture aloud can be beneficial. So, this is the austerity of speech—swadhyaya, or self-study, through recitation. Austerity of speech could involve reading aloud, remembering and reciting, or using the tongue to recite scripture. These all fall under the category of vanmayam (related to speech) and are considered an austerity of speech.

Now, what does austerity do? If you consider austerity as a form of discipline, discipline makes things more effective. If we exercise our body, it becomes stronger. Similarly, when we practice austerity in speech, our speech becomes more effective. It communicates better and can transform others more powerfully. Krishna describes two essential qualities of speech: sensible and sensitive. Sensible speech appeals to the intellect, and sensitive speech appeals to the emotions.

Krishna emphasizes four qualities of speech: it should be truthful (satyam), helpful (hitam), non-agitating (anudvega karam), and pleasing (priyam). The best speech combines all these qualities. At the very least, our speech should be non-agitating. Sometimes we may have to speak the truth, but even the harsh truth can be spoken in a respectful and polite manner. Speaking the truth does not require being harsh.

The goal is to speak in a way that respects the dignity of others. For instance, if someone has done something wrong and needs to be corrected, it’s better to do it privately rather than publicly shaming them. We should always respect others’ dignity, as every individual is a part of Krishna.

Now, moving on to austerity of the mind. Austerity means voluntary restraint—choosing to restrain oneself from certain actions or desires. For example, fasting means voluntarily choosing not to eat certain foods, or in some cases, not eating at all. Similarly, austerity of speech means voluntarily choosing not to speak hurtfully, even though we have the power to do so.

Austerity of the mind involves keeping the mind cheerful and calm. The mind can be very restless, but with practice, we can learn to calm it. For example, Mauna (silence) is often considered an austerity of speech, but Krishna links it to the mind. It’s easier to silence our mouth, but the mind can still be noisy. We may not speak, but our mind may be filled with thoughts of anger or dissatisfaction. To silence the mind is the true austerity.

Most people struggle to silence their minds, and in response, they seek external distractions like watching TV or other noise. However, the goal is to control the mind and resist the urge to indulge in distracting thoughts or fantasies. Instead, we focus on things that purify us. This is the true austerity of the mind.

Cheerfulness (prasada) is the key to mental austerity. The key to being cheerful is gratitude. In life, there are always two categories of things: things we have and things we don’t have. The things we don’t have will always seem to be more than the things we do have. If we focus on what we don’t have, we will feel dissatisfied. However, if we focus on what we do have, we can be content and cheerful.

Consider this example: After this program, there might be prasada (blessed food) available. But let’s say there’s a special feast where everyone gets different sweets. In your plate, there’s gulab jamun, jalebi, peda, barfi, and so on, while in my plate, there might be a sandesh (sweet). As I eat the sandesh, I enjoy it, but at the same time, I start looking at what’s on your plate. I wonder, “What’s on his plate? What’s in his plate?” While I’m eating, my attention is distracted, and suddenly, my sandesh feels like chalk. Why? Because my consciousness is elsewhere.

It seems ridiculous when we talk about food—why not just enjoy your own sandesh? But we all do this in life. We have things that are good and right in our lives, but we focus on what we don’t have, letting our minds become agitated. In a sense, keeping our mind satisfied is an austerity of the mind. We must consciously choose to look at what we have, not at what we don’t have. The more we focus on what we lack, the more dissatisfied we become. This creates a cycle of increasing dissatisfaction.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where advertising amplifies this by constantly showing us things we don’t have, and even making us feel dissatisfied with what we do have. For example, I have a phone, but then I see there’s a newer model. The advertising industry thrives on creating dissatisfaction. They say the fuel of the consumer economy is consumer dissatisfaction. We never see ads for basic things like rice, dal, or chapati because those are necessities that people already have. But the more we focus on what we lack, the more dissatisfied we become.

Consciously making an effort to focus on what we have can be very helpful. One way to do this is by practicing gratitude. A simple saying is to “count your blessings,” but it’s not just about counting them—it’s about making those blessings count. Write down what you’re grateful for, and think about why each item on your list is valuable to you. When you feel dissatisfied, consciously refer to this list, and don’t just read the list—read the descriptions of why each item is meaningful. This practice helps our minds become satisfied.

Gratitude increases our mental energy. So much of our energy is drained by craving things we don’t have and resenting what others have. But if we practice gratitude, we conserve and even multiply our mental energy. This helps us focus on what we need to do. For example, if we enter a class and see our friend with the latest phone we want, we might become agitated, which makes it hard to concentrate. Gratitude helps conserve our energy and keeps our minds focused. That’s why it’s the first austerity of the mind.

Now, moving on to charity. Charity can also be performed in three modes: goodness, passion, and ignorance. Krishna explains that charity can be given at the wrong time or to unworthy recipients. If charity is given without considering the time, place, or circumstance, or is done disrespectfully, it’s considered tamasic (in the mode of ignorance).

For example, if you give charity to someone in a way that makes them feel bad, such as insulting them by saying, “You’re a beggar, you need this,” it’s not charitable—it’s disrespectful. This is called asatkrutam (disrespectful charity) and is tamasic.

Krishna also explains that charity can be done with the right intention, at the right time, and to the right person. The action itself can be good, but to truly evaluate its goodness, we need to consider the intent behind it and the consequences it causes. This is known as contextual ethics.

For instance, charity is generally seen as a good act, but if it’s given to someone who will only use it for harmful purposes, it can cause more harm than good. If someone is a drug addict, giving them money might just enable their addiction and lead to greater harm. So, when giving charity, we need to consider not just the action, but also the intent and the outcome.

Broadly speaking, we have two political ideologies: the right and the left. Have you heard of these terms? What do they mean to you?

Yes, the right is conservative, and the left is liberal. But what does that mean practically?

In any society, there’s always some hierarchy—people at the top and people at the bottom. And the number of people at the bottom is usually greater than those at the top. So, the right and left are concerned with this hierarchy. The right is concerned with maintaining the existing systems, especially those that have worked in the past. They argue that these systems have allowed society to survive, and therefore, we should respect and preserve them.

For example, many criticize the caste system in India, claiming it’s discriminatory. And yes, it has its flaws. But if the caste system were truly so terrible, why is India still one of the most resilient civilizations in human history, while others like the Egyptian or Aztec civilizations have vanished? We’re not saying the caste system is perfect, but there must be something about it that contributed to India’s survival.

On the other hand, the left focuses on those who are left out by the existing system. While the right may argue that the current system works, the left points out that it may be discriminatory, and some people are being harmed or sidelined by it. Ideally, both the right and the left should coexist in society. The right helps preserve what’s good from the past, while the left looks for ways to rectify the harms caused by the system.

The right believes that traditions and systems are experiments that have worked over time and should be respected. If some people are struggling, the solution is for them to work harder and adapt. The left, on the other hand, believes the system itself is flawed and needs to be changed. The right emphasizes individual responsibility, while the left focuses on social justice—correcting societal inequities.

Why am I talking about this? The leftist ideology has become influential worldwide, even though communism, a more extreme form of leftism, collapsed. The left believes those with less power are often discriminated against and need support. For example, in many Western countries, there are welfare states where the government helps those who can’t find work. It’s believed that if someone is unemployed, it’s society’s fault, and the state should provide maintenance for them.

However, there’s a downside. If people are supported without any expectations of work, they may become lazy and stop looking for jobs. This was evident during the pandemic when the American government gave large sums of money to people to stay at home. As a result, many didn’t want to return to work, leading to economic problems. Support is necessary for those who genuinely cannot work, but if someone is capable of working but chooses not to, then supporting them only encourages their laziness.

This concept highlights the idea that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” After World War II, the U.S. was geographically fortunate, with oceans protecting it and weaker countries surrounding it. America was the most geopolitically secure country, and it was successful in the aftermath of the war. Many of the soldiers returning home were wounded, so the government decided to create veteran homes to take care of them. However, this decision broke the intergenerational family link—traditionally, in India, it’s the children’s responsibility to take care of elderly parents, but in the West, this was largely replaced by government programs.

Afterward, with the sexual revolution, a similar shift happened. In the leftist ideology, women who became pregnant outside of marriage were seen as victims of toxic men who didn’t take responsibility. As a result, society began to support these women, providing for single mothers without expecting them to work. Over time, this led to an unintended incentive for single women to have children without getting married, as the state would support them.

In some U.S. states, for example, single mothers get a complete fee waiver for their college education. While the intention is to help, this creates a distortion of social values. The result is that the state becomes the caretaker of the family, rather than the family unit itself. This breaks the family bond, leading to long-term societal consequences.

The charitable instinct behind this welfare system is not inherently bad, but it can cause harm if it’s not properly implemented. The same goes for charity: it’s important to consider who receives charity and the effects it has. Should women and children be protected? Absolutely. But the proper way to protect them is through a strong family unit. When charity undermines family bonds and encourages dependency, it can lead to chaos, rather than welfare. In some cases, charity may end up causing more harm than good.

Krishna talks about a concept called “harm-causing charity,” using the example of drug addiction. In some liberal states in America, individuals who are drug addicts can get a certificate from a doctor stating they are addicts. With this certificate, they can go to a hospital where doctors will legally give them drugs.

At first glance, this might seem like a way to help addicts, but it’s actually enabling their addiction. The argument is that if addicts aren’t given legal drugs, they’ll resort to crime or take dangerous, unregulated drugs, which would lead to health problems and increase emergency healthcare costs. While this may seem cost-effective in the short term, the real issue lies in the long-term consequences. By giving addicts drugs, society removes the incentive for them to stop using and seek recovery.

This is an example of harm-causing charity. The intention is charitable—helping people who are suffering—but the result is ultimately harmful. Charitable actions must be guided properly, with a clear understanding of their consequences. Krishna points out that charity, like any sacrifice, must be connected to the higher truth (the absolute truth) for it to be truly beneficial. Without this connection, any sacrifice is futile.

In this chapter, Krishna stresses that faith can be understood through the actions we take, particularly in terms of what we receive and what we give. What we take is the food we consume, and what we give is through yajna (sacrificial acts). We are part of three circles: the body, society, and nature. For the body, we provide nourishment (through food); for society, we give through charity (dana); and for nature, we give through yajna.

Yajna is a cosmic tax, where the exchange between us and the universe is important. Even though the traditional forms of yajna (rituals) are not recommended in the current age (Kali Yuga), the principle of exchange remains. The universe gives us something, and we need to return something in kind.

We also discussed tapa (austerity), focusing on how the body, speech, and mind can be purified. For the mind, gratitude is key—choosing to focus on what we have, not on what we lack. Speech should be both sensible and sensitive, while the body should be disciplined through various practices.

Then, we explored the concept of charity. While charity is important, it can cause harm if it is not properly thought through. Charity should not enable irresponsibility. For example, facilitating single motherhood or encouraging irresponsible behavior can lead to the disintegration of the family, which is a harmful consequence. The intention may be good, but the result can be destructive.

I’ll share one final example of harm-causing charity. I once stayed with a couple in the U.S. who were planning to divorce. They had a son with a severe heart condition, and they couldn’t afford the medical expenses, as their insurance didn’t cover it. A doctor suggested that the wife divorce her husband, gain custody of the child, and become a single mother to qualify for government assistance. In order to get the necessary medical care for their child, they had to consider destroying their family unit. This is an extreme example of harm-causing charity, where the intention is to help but the consequences are devastating.

So, when we practice charity or help others, it’s important to consider not just the action but also its intent and consequences. Charity should support responsibility and strengthen, not weaken, the family or social fabric.

So, of course, they brutalized, they didn’t civilize, they exploited, but the point is that sometimes, when we value what we don’t have, we don’t value others. So if we can actually value what we have and value others, then our gratitude does not lead to pride. But then, after that, we share what we have with others because we value others also. That is the greatest thing. Somebody who has wealth, they can just give charity, that’s good, but if they have wealth and they create something, they will build a company where they can employ other people. They’re not giving charity, but they’re sharing the gifts that they have.

So, if I have speaking ability, singing ability, or any other gifts, I’m going to use that for good. That’s where the gratitude will stay on.

Yes, please.

Being satisfied with what we have, does it lead to lethargy? Yes, it can definitely lead to lethargy if it’s not connected with a higher purpose. See, if my pleasure comes from service, then I will want to use what I have in service. Some people can sing with the intention of gaining fame, while others can sing to spread joy. See, a gift in one person can be a gift for everyone. If one person has a beautiful singing voice, hearing that voice is a joy for them. If one person has artistic ability, the art they make brings joy to everyone. If one person has engineering ability, they can create something that brings comfort or relief to everyone.

So the idea is that whatever ability I have, if I’m using it for my own fame, prestige, or power, then that is unhealthy. I’ll never be satisfied, and I’ll always crave more and more. But if I truly value what I have, and it’s not just, “Okay, I’ll be satisfied,” I want to use it in the mood of service. Then we won’t become complacent; we won’t become lethargic. So gratitude does not take away our ambition. Gratitude elevates the motivation for our ambition.

Somebody who is a grateful singer, or somebody grateful for whatever they have, will still produce good content, but they will produce it so that others benefit.

So that is gratitude. Yes, it is a common notion that gratitude will take away our ambition. It won’t take away our ambition, but that is a possibility. But actually, in bhakti, we understand all gifts come from Krishna, and all gifts are going to be useful in the service of Krishna. It elevates the motivation for our ambition.

So, I want to compose songs; I want to sing songs not to become the most famous singer in the world, but to sing songs about Krishna or uplifting things, so that people can find joy, people can find contentment, and their consciousness can rise afterward.

So, gratitude can change our motivation.

Okay, thank you very much.

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UMANG 3.0 Mega Youth Festival Date: November 30, 2024 Venue: ISKCON Youth Forum, Kudupu Katte, Mangalore ISKCON Mangalore hosted the UMANG 3.0 Mega Youth Festival with the inspiring theme: “Making India Addiction-Free.” The event marked the inauguration of the Deaddiction Campaign 2025 and was held at the Town Hall in the heart of Mangalore city.
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We are pleased to present the 13 November and 27 November 2024 GBC Meeting Highlights Report. This combined report presents the highlights of two consecutive GBC meetings: the 13 November online meeting and the 27 November 2024 online meeting. This report aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the online GBC meeting highlighting the key
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To see the notes, click here

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Today is Odana-sasti, the date on which Lord Jagannatha is given a winter shawl. One year when Lord Chaitanya and His associates celebrated this festival in Puri, Pundarika Vidyanidhi, who is Vrsabhanu Maharaja, Srimati Radharani’s father in krsna-lila, received some special mercy. His experience is instructive for us all.

Srila Prabhupada explains, “At the beginning of winter, there is a ceremony known as the Odana-sasthi. This ceremony indicates that from that day forward, a winter covering should be given to Lord Jagannatha. That covering is directly purchased from a weaver. According to the arcana-marga, a cloth should first be washed to remove all the starch, and then it can be used to cover the Lord. Pundarika Vidyanidhi saw that the priest neglected to wash the cloth before covering Lord Jagannatha. Since he wanted to find some fault in the devotees, he became indignant.” (Cc Madhya 16.78 purport)

And Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 16.78–81) describes the event: “Pundarika Vidyanidhi initiated Gadadhara Pandita for the second time, and on the day of Odana-sasthi Pundarika Vidyanidhi saw the festival. (78) When Pundarika Vidyanidhi saw that Lord Jagannatha was given a starched garment, he became a little hateful. In this way his mind was polluted. (79) That night the brothers Lord Jagannatha and Balarama came to Pundarika Vidyanidhi and, smiling, began to slap him. (80) Although his cheeks were swollen from the slapping, Pundarika Vidyanidhi was very happy within. This incident has been elaborately described by Thakura Vrndavana dasa. (81)”

From this incident we can learn that the Lord does not tolerate offenses against His servants, even from an advanced devotee, and that He chastises any devotee who commits such an offense even within the mind. We can also learn that a pure devotee accepts such chastisement from the Lord with great happiness, as a manifestation of the Lord’s mercy, of His love and care for His devotees—both for those who may commit such an offense and for those who may be objects of such an offense. A pure devotee thanks the Lord for rectifying him and preventing him from committing further offenses, and he feels great jubilation within his heart.

Hare Krishna.

The new Adelaide temple extension, with its beautiful deity room, high ceilings, chandeliers and artwork, is a wonderful addition to the temple complex. Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundara, Gaura Nitai and Prahlada Nrsimha were graciously bestowing Their mercy to one and all.

There was a big crowd in attendance for the opening festival, including the federal and state members of parliament , HH Devamrta Maharaja and local temple presidents, Adi Purusa Krsna and Sita Rama Laksman. Everyone gave wonderful speeches of appreciation for the new temple and the contribution of ISKCON in Adelaide.

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By Jaganmohini dd

Today, many intellectual Indians are leading the Hare Krishna preaching movement in India and around the world. Thus, Maharaj’s achievement as the leader of Srila Prabhupada’s scientific mission cannot be quantified. The prestige he brought to ISKCON and his influence in inspiring the scholarly community to embrace the movement is unparalleled. His significant contribution lies in planting the seeds that motivated India’s intellectual/scholarly community to respect the Hare Krishna movement as scientific—a feat that defies numerical measurement. Continue reading "The Leader who showed us the Bhagavata Path
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By Vijaya Das

Among Large Temples Mumbai-Chowpatty, famous as the simple temple, netted 39,002 book points and had the largest increase in that category with 287%. Among Medium Temples, London-Soho had a 30% increase for 7,782 book points. The London temple is uniquely situated. You walk out the front door and-- presto-- you're at a sankirtan spot, and a good one. Indeed, quite often I've walked out the front door and met so many nice people who've taken Srila Prabhupada's books. Continue reading "WSN October 2024 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
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I will never forget the moment when I heard that George Harrison had passed away, one week after Thanksgiving in 2001. My strong feelings of separation surprised me—and made me think how important and dear George must have been to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Krishna. And I remembered my own little experience with him.

In 1974 George came to visit Srila Prabhupada at Hare Krishna Land, in Juhu, a suburb of Bombay. He was wearing a white kurta and white yogi pants and had a plain bead bag. I took him around the property, and he expressed his appreciation for our work and encouraged us in our efforts. When at twelve-thirty we heard the conch shell blow for raja-bhoga arati, we proceeded to the temple, which was then simply a shed, and George chose a pair of kartals and sang with the other devotees. Puri dasa, originally from Scotland, was doing the arati, and when he turned to offer the ghee lamp to the devotees and saw George, his hand started trembling so much that he thought he might drop the lamp.

After the arati, I arranged a full plate of maha-prasada for George and accompanied him to meet Srila Prabhupada in his apartment. Prabhupada greeted him warmly, and I left them together and returned to my office.

“Prabhupada was behind his desk, with George in front of him,” Kishor das later described. “I barely remember what was said, but I remember the feeling of love that went back and forth between them. It was tangible. I didn’t really understand what this relationship was. I was young, and here was a big rock star, and a pure devotee of Krishna, and there was I somewhere. But I could just feel this feeling of love that went back and forth between Prabhupada and George.”

About two hours later, a pudgy twelve-year-old boy with glasses—the son of our friend and supporter Pranjivan G. Valia of the Hare Krishna house in the Juhu Vile Parle Development—came to my small office at the back of the property. “I heard George Harrison is here,” he said.

“Yes,” I replied, “he is.”

“I want to see him,” he stated.

“Well, you can’t. He’s meeting with Srila Prabhupada.”

He looked me straight in the eye, sizing me up, and, concluding that he wasn’t going to get anywhere with me, turned, dashed to the stairs, and bolted down the steps.

 Oh my God, I thought. He’s going to try to find him. I bounded down the stairs in hot pursuit.

I ran across to the next building, and when I reached the second landing, in front of Prabhupada’s flat, I found the door ajar. The boy stood just inside, and beyond him George sat cross-legged with his back erect, like a yogi—a perfect disciple listening attentively at the feet of his master.

With the boy’s abrupt appearance, Prabhupada and George ended their meeting, exchanging some final words. George was gracious and appreciative, Prabhupada affectionate and kind. I was upset that the boy had interrupted them, but they took it as a matter of course. Maybe it was time for the meeting to end; maybe they took it as Krishna’s arrangement.

Shyamasundar and I accompanied George back to the temple shed for darshan of the Deities. He paid full dandavats, lying completely flat on the floor before Them for a long time, and then left.

The next year, on a morning walk in Sanand, Gujarat, Prabhupada recalled the meeting: “He is very nice boy, George. I have studied. Very good boy. He showed me in Bombay. He came to see me in Bombay, last year. He is keeping Jagannatha within his bead bag and chanting.”

I and many thousands—perhaps millions—of people are thankful to George for all the service he rendered to Srila Prabhupada and the Krishna consciousness movement, for making the holy name of Lord Krishna—the Hare Krishna maha-mantra—and the principles of Krishna consciousness so accessible to people all over the world and for attracting so many souls to the all-attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

 

 

 

 

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Sri  Caitanya Caritamrita – Madhya 16.78 -81

gadadhara-pandite tenho punah mantra dila

odana-shashthira dine yatra ye dekhila

TRANSLATION

Pundarika Vidyanidhi initiated Gadadhara Pandita for the second time, and on the day of Odana-shashthi he saw the festival.

PURPORT

At the beginning of winter, there is a ceremony known as the Odana-shashthi. This ceremony indicates that from that day forward, a winter covering should be given to Lord Jagannatha. That covering is directly purchased from a weaver. According to the arcana-marga, a cloth should first be washed to remove all the starch, and then it can be used to cover the Lord. Pundarika Vidyanidhi saw that the priest neglected to wash the cloth before covering Lord Jagannatha. Since he wanted to find some fault in the devotees, he became indignant.

jagannatha parena tatha ’maduya’ vasana

dekhiya saghrna haila vidyanidhira mana

When Pundarika Vidyanidhi saw that Lord Jagannatha was given a starched garment, he became a little hateful. In this way his mind was polluted.

sei ratrye jagannatha-balai asiya

dui-bhai cada’na tanre hasiya hasiya

That night the brothers Lord Jagannatha and Balarama came to Pundarika Vidyanidhi and, smiling, began to slap him.

gala phulila, acarya antare ullasa

vistari’ varniyachena vrndavana-dasa

Although his cheeks were swollen from the slapping, Pundarika Vidyanidhi was very happy within. This incident has been elaborately described by Thakura Vrndavana dasa.

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