Planet ISKCON

Hare Krishna. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! Devotees long utilized social media platforms like Facebook to share live stream videos of spiritual teachings, kirtans, and events, connecting devotees worldwide with the wisdom of revered Gurus such as HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, HH Gopal Krishna Maharaj, HH Bhakti Charu Swami, and
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Eshant Garg: For years, I adhered to the Ritvik belief system, convinced that it represented the most faithful continuation of Srila Prabhupada’s legacy. Like many others, I was drawn to its simplicity and the comfort it offered — that we could remain connected to Srila Prabhupada without the complexities of formal initiation through living spiritual
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In neighborhoods from Maryland to Manchester, Indian families have found a piece of home in the gleaming towers and quiet farm communities of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Far from India’s bustling streets, these Hare Krishna temples and farm ashrams have blossomed into cultural sanctuaries where immigrants and their children reconnect with the
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ISKCON’s worldwide book distribution program stands as one of the most remarkable spiritual outreach initiatives of modern times. Since its inception in the 1960s under the guidance of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, this devoted effort has placed over half a billion books into the hands of readers across continents, languages, and cultural boundaries. The extraordinary
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Throughout the world, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temples have welcomed countless visitors who have shared their positive experiences. This article compiles genuine testimonials and impressions from people who have interacted with ISKCON centers globally, showcasing the impact these spiritual communities have on outsiders. Temple Aesthetics and Atmosphere Visitors to ISKCON temples often
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Since its founding in 1966, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) – often known as the “Hare Krishna” movement – has grown into a worldwide network of temples and outreach programs. In city squares and remote villages around the globe, ISKCON temples welcome people from all backgrounds to chant the sacred “Hare Krishna” mantra,
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The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, lovingly known as ISKCON, is more than a spiritual organization—it is a movement that embodies the timeless beauty of devotion, community, and divine love. Born from the vision of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1966, ISKCON has blossomed into a global sanctuary for seekers of spiritual truth, drawing hearts
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If some Christians compare Jesus with Krishna and say that our God died for us, has your God died? So how do we reply? Answer, generally the interaction between two faith traditions can fall in three modalities. The technical words used are apologetic, irenic, and polemic. So apologetic is where we try to establish how we are right.

It has nothing to do with apology. Apologetics is a way of rationally establishing one’s own ideas. Apologetic is how we explaining how we are right. Irenic is showing how both of us are having similar interests, similar values, at least we are pursuing something similar, looking at commonalities. And polemic is we’re proving how the other person is wrong.

Now, for example, when interfaith gatherings happen, the primary mood is ironic. When debates happen, the mood will be polemic. When we are giving our talks, explaining our tradition, we are being apologetic. We’re not being apologetic. We are practicing apologetics, the idea.

Yeah. So there’s the apologetic mode of interaction or engagement. Now depending on where a person is coming from, we will need to respond accordingly. Generally, if a person is coming from polemic mode, where they are trying to prove that their God is better than our God, then it depends on our particular nature, how we will engage. Some people, when they’re confronted, they will want to also get into the confrontation.

Some people may feel that I just don’t want to get into it. But from a logical perspective, this idea of God dying, there are many theological problems with it itself. For example, It it does show if you can say principle that god cares so much That God sent his son or God gave himself and God die God, agreed to die. Mhmm. But the problem is that if that is the love of God, then what about all the people who lived before Him?

Did God not love any of them? Did God’s love start at a particular time itself? If that is such a great sign of love, then why doesn’t that happen repeatedly? There are so many people, doing so many wrong things. God could come and sacrifice himself repeatedly.

There are so many people who if we consider that same point that if God is ready to sacrifice his own life or the life of his own son, whoever that has conceived the relationship between the son and the father, then can God not give people more chances? Why have eternal damnation at all? What kind of parent would condemn a child forever for not listening to them during one lifetime. So, basically, there are three ways here what I’m talking about is that question the concept itself, question the context of the concept, question the consequence of the concept. So in general, if the question is, is there a comparison?

This is our god does not need to die to show His love. Our God shows if you really want to have an understanding, our God and your God is ultimately one same God, understood in different ways, conceived in different ways, approached in different ways, But it’s one ultimate reality. And God our understanding is that God stays in our heart always to guide us. God descends repeatedly. God doesn’t just come one time and insist that all of history should turn backward to that particular one time alone to be to gain salvation or deliverance or freedom.

God descends repeatedly And across history and geography. God keeps giving repeated chances where each lifetime the soul gets an opportunity to turn towards God over multiple lifetimes. In our tradition, God does not send people to hell. God goes with people to hell. God is present as a super soul even in the hearts of those who are in hell.

And the universe is like a university. Hell is like a tough classroom, but it’s temporary. Nothing our our God’s love is so great that God’s love is the only enduring reality. Everything else, including hell, including the souls turning away from God, Everything else is temporary. So this could be the polemic way of approaching.

And sometimes that’s what is the best. Sometimes you may have to if the person is actually simply inquiring and is not really polemic, then you could have the ironic way of approaching where yes. God’s dying is a principle of sacrificing for the sake of others. And in our tradition, also, god shows the example of sacrifice that Ram comes as a prince, but he lives in a forest, right, to show how we should face adversity in life, how to respond to adversity with grace, with dignity. Lord Chetanetics, the renounce order, although he had a comfortable and happy family life because he wants to share spiritual wisdom and divine love.

So that particular expressions of sacrifice may vary according to tradition, but the principle of sacrifice is universal. That’s the ironic way of dealing with it. The The principle of sacrifice is so much that in our tradition also that God accompanies his soul in the world, wherever that soul goes. So I would say that’s why there are different ways in which we can respond. This is the apologetic way would not really work in this particular situation because they are not really interested in what our tradition teaches.

They are interested in how whatever it is that our tradition teaches compares with their tradition. So if you’re going to focus more on the the question was what is your conception of God? What is your conception of God’s love for us? Then the apologetics might be more helpful at that particular point.

The post How do we respond to a Christian who argues “Our God died for our sake–such was his love for us. How did your God show his love for you?” appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

In this important and timely podcast, Basu Ghosh Das, Secretary of the ISKCON India Bureau, joins members of the ISKCON India Scholars Board (IISB)—Krishna Kirti Das (IISB Convenor) and Sridhar Srinivasa Das (author) —to discuss the recent Supreme Court proceedings held on 16 May, 2025, concerning the long-standing legal dispute between ISKCON Bangalore and ISKCON
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Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 21, No. 19

By Krishna Kripa Das
(Week 19: May 7–May 13, 2025)
New York City
(Sent from New York City on May 17, 2025)

Where I Went and What I Did

For the nineteenth week of 2025, after flying from Amsterdam to New York via Oslo, I chanted with the NYC Harinam devotees each day they went out, Monday through Saturday. 

They do four hours a day except Saturday when they do six hours. 

When I wasn’t leading the chant, I was distributing Ratha-yatra flyers. 

We shall discuss the conversation between Sri Ramananda Raya and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, ramananda-samvada, recorded in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter Eight: “Talks Between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya.”

TEXT 1

sancarya ramabhidha-bhakta-meghe
  sva-bhakti-siddhanta-cayamrtani
gaurabdhir etair amuna vitirnais
  taj-jnatva-ratnalayatam prayati

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is known as Gauranga, is the ocean of all conclusive knowledge in devotional service. He empowered Sri Ramananda Raya, who may be likened to a cloud of devotional service. This cloud was filled with the water of all the conclusive purports of devotional service and was empowered by the ocean to spread this water over the sea of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. Thus the ocean of Caitanya Mahaprabhu became filled with the jewels of the knowledge of pure devotional service.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

According to revealed scriptures, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna Himself, the origin of all knowledge—perfect knowledge. Here, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the ocean of knowledge of the conclusive purports of devotional service, is taking the part of a student and asking questions, and He has empowered Sri Ramananda Raya to give perfect answers. Thus, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is compared to an ocean and Ramananda Raya to a cloud that draws water from the ocean and then showers the water upon the ocean as rain.

 TEXT 243

anyonye mili’ dunhe nibhrte vasiya
prasnottara-gosthi kahe anandita hana

TRANSLATION

Thus they met time and time again, sitting in a secluded place and jubilantly discussing devotional service by the question-and-answer process.

TEXT 244

prabhu puche, ramananda karena uttara
ei mata sei ratre katha paraspara

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked the questions, and Sri Ramananda Raya gave the answers. In this way they were engaged in discussion throughout the night.

TEXT 245

prabhu kahe,—“kon vidya vidya-madhye sara?”
raya kahe,—“krsna-bhakti vina vidya nahi ara”

TRANSLATION

On one occasion the Lord inquired, “Of all types of education, which is the most important?”
Ramananda Raya replied, “No education is important other than the transcendental devotional service of Krsna.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Texts 245 to 257 are all questions and answers between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya. In these exchanges there is an attempt to show the difference between material and spiritual existence. Education in Krsna consciousness is always transcendental and is the best of all forms of education. Material education aims at increasing the activities of material sense gratification. Beyond material sense gratification is another negative form of knowledge called brahma-vidya, or impersonal transcendental knowledge. But beyond that brahma-vidya, or knowledge of the impersonal Brahman, is knowledge of devotional service to the Supreme Lord, Visnu. This knowledge is higher. And still higher is devotional service to Lord Krsna, which is the topmost form of education. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.29.49), tat karma hari-tosam yat sa vidya tan-matir yaya: “Work meant for pleasing the Supreme Lord is the best, and education that enhances one’s Krsna consciousness is the best.”

Also, according to Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.5.23–24):

sravanam kirtanam visnoh
  smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
  sakhyam atma-nivedanam

 iti pumsarpita visnau
  bhaktis cen nava-laksana
kriyeta bhagavaty addha
  tan manye ’dhitam uttamam

This is a statement given by Prahlada Maharaja in answer to a question raised by his father. Prahlada Maharaja said, “To hear or chant about Lord Visnu, to remember Him, to serve His lotus feet, to worship Him, to offer prayers to Him, to become His servant and His friend, to sacrifice everything for His service—all these are varieties of devotional service. One who is engaged in such activities is understood to be educated to the topmost perfection.”

COMMENT

This is the first in the series of questions and answers, and it seems appropriate in this environment of education, but as Srila Prabhupada says at the beginning of the purport, these questions and answers are meant to highlight the difference between the material and the spiritual. Material existence begins from the basic misconception that “I am the body and everything in relation to the body is mine.” More or less everyone is in this bodily concept of life. They identify with the body and are deeply attached to things related to the body. And because they identify with the body, they think the goal of life is to give pleasure to the senses of the body. Whatever they do is more or less for the sake of the body.

Srila Prabhupada gives the example that if you are performing a mathematical calculation and you make a mistake in the first step, then even if you perform all the other steps perfectly, you will likely stray further and further away from the actual answer or solution. If we begin from the mistaken premise that “I am the body,” even if everything else we do is perfect in terms of the body, because we made the most fundamental error in the very first step, we will end up further and further away from the actual goal.

The body itself is full of miseries. As soon as we accept a material body, we accept the miseries of birth, death, old age, disease (janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi), and so many others (tapa-traya). Everyone wants relief from these miseries, but as long as they are in the body—in the bodily concept of life—although they may adopt some measures that may give some temporary relief, ultimately they cannot escape the miseries of material existence, and often the remedies they accept are more troublesome than the troubles they are meant to address.

That is the basic situation in material life, but because of maya, people are not aware of their actual position. Maya has two potencies: one throws us down, and the other covers us. Because we are covered, we think we are happy, even though any sane or sober person can see that we are not, that we are always subjected to various types of miseries. But because of the covering potency of maya, we think we are happy. Of course, things are getting so bad that it is becoming harder and harder to maintain the illusion of happiness, but even then, if you ask, “How are you doing?” most people will say, “Fine.”

Srila Prabhupada gives the example of a patient in a hospital. The patient has suffered a severe trauma and has tubes attached all over his body; his arm is in a cast, his leg is in traction, and he has contraptions around him to counteract the suffering. But if you ask him how he is, he will say, “I’m okay; I’m doing good.”

That is our position, and when one becomes a little sober and actually realizes his or her position, he or she will try to make a solution, to get out of the material miseries, the bondage of material existence. He or she will inquire, as Sanatana Gosvami inquired of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, ke ami, kene amaya jare tapa-traya?—“Who am I? Why do the threefold miseries always give me trouble? How can I get relief?” That is the beginning of human intelligence. Until we make such inquiry, we are engaged just like animals—eating, sleeping, enjoying sense gratification, and arranging for shelter and defense. When one actually inquires, as Sanatana Gosvami did of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, one is considered to be a human being.

In answer to the question “Who am I?” Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu replied, jivera ‘svarupa’ haya—krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’: “The constitutional position of the living entity is to be an eternal servant of Krishna.” Krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’ means that we are servants of Krishna even after liberation.

Between the karmis, who work to earn money and spend it for gross and subtle enjoyment, and the bhaktas, who understand that they are eternal servants of Krishna and engage in devotional service—in between the karmis and the bhaktas are the jnanis. Because the jnanis recognize the miseries of material existence and want to escape them, they are more elevated than the karmis, but because they do not have knowledge of Krishna or of the living entity as the eternal servant of Krishna, their approach is negative. They think, “I am an individual and am suffering, so if I give up being an individual, I won’t have to suffer. I have desires and by pursuing them I suffer, so I will give up desire. I have thoughts and my thoughts lead to misery, so I will give up thinking. I have feeling and my feeling leads to misery, so I will give up feeling.” They want to negate their individual existence—no more feeling, no more thinking, no more desiring, no more working—and to merge and become one with God.

Ultimately, the principle is the same. The karmis want to become the chief (just like now there is so much competition to see who will become the president), and the jnanis, the impersonalists, also want to become the chief—by merging and becoming one with the Supreme. But the real solution is to become the servant of the Supreme (jivera ‘svarupa’ haya—krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’). That is real knowledge. Therefore Sri Ramananda Raya says that other than knowledge of devotional service, which is the constitutional activity of the living entity, there is no real knowledge. The rest is illusion. And Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that material education makes one more and more foolish, because it is based on the body. To identify with the body is foolish, and mundane education, which reinforces the bodily concept of life and ultimately teaches one how to earn money and enjoy the body, makes one more foolish. The only real knowledge is knowledge of devotional service.

Before I met Srila Prabhupada and the devotees, I had been seeking. And when I met Prabhupada, I understood that he was the teacher for whom I was searching. And I surrendered to him. Without surrender, one cannot get knowledge. We see in the Bhagavad-gita that it was only after Arjuna surrendered that Krishna began to instruct him. Arjuna said,

karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah
  prcchami tvam dharma-sammudha-cetah
yac chreyah syan niscitam bruhi tan me
  sisyas te ’ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam

“Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.” (Gita 2.7)

Krishna immediately assumed the position of teacher and chastised His disciple:

asocyan anvasocas tvam
  prajna-vadams ca bhasase
gatasun agatasums ca
  nanusocanti panditah

“While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor for the dead.” (Gita 2.11)

First is surrender. Without surrendering to an authority, a spiritual master, one cannot get transcendental knowledge.

tad viddhi pranipatena
  pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
  jnaninas tattva-darsinah

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.” (Gita 4.34) Pranipatena means “by offering obeisances”—by surrendering.

So, I surrendered to Srila Prabhupada, and after serving in the Boston temple for some months, I got a letter from him: “I enclose a letter from your father, which will speak for itself. From this letter it appears that you are a good scholar with a good background in your education. So if you wish to make further progress in your educational career, that will be a nice asset for our Krishna consciousness movement.” He continued, “You have a taste for psychology and divinity studies, and this is very nice. Of course, our Krishna consciousness movement is on the line of divinity, and we have got so many books about the science of divinity.” Srila Prabhupada used the word divinity. Religious studies had not yet really become popular, but there were schools of divinity. Finally, he concluded, “I like the idea that you should make a thorough study of all theological schools, and in the future if you can explain our Krishna consciousness movement as the post-graduate presentation of all theological theses, it will be a great accomplishment.”

When I received the letter, I was unsure how to proceed. I did not want to go back to the university, but I knew that the order of the spiritual master was the first and highest consideration. Still, I wasn’t sure if Srila Prabhupada was giving me an order or just offering an option. I consulted my temple president, and he also couldn’t say. So, we concluded that I should write and ask Prabhupada directly. I wrote, “If you are instructing me to pursue my studies, then I will gladly do whatever you say, but if you are giving me the choice, then I would rather stay in the temple with the devotees and worship the Deities and go out for sankirtana.” A week later I heard back. “Yes,” Prabhupada wrote, “there is no need of any further education. . . . When Lord Chaitanya was discussing with Ramananda Raya who is the best-educated man, the answer was that a person who is Krishna conscious is the topmost educated man. Similarly, Prahlada Maharaja stated before his father that one who has taken to Krishna consciousness is the best-educated man. I think therefore that in all circumstances you should steadfastly continue your Krishna conscious engagement, rather than joining any more universities.”

Now we shall proceed to the next question and answer.

TEXT 246

“kirti-gana-madhye jivera kon bada kirti?”
“krsna-bhakta baliya yanhara haya khyati”

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then asked Ramananda Raya, “Out of all glorious activities, which is the most glorious?”
Ramananda Raya replied, “That person who is reputed to be a devotee of Lord Krsna enjoys the utmost fame and glory.”

PURPORT

The greatest reputation a living being can have is to be a devotee of Krsna and to act in Krsna consciousness. In the material world everyone is trying to be famous by accumulating a large bank balance or material opulence. There is a steady competition among karmis attempting to advance in a wealthy society. The whole world is turning in accordance with that competitive mood. But this kind of name and fame is temporary, for it lasts only as long as the temporary material body exists.

COMMENT

It may not even last that long. For years, Bill Gates was reputed to be the richest person in the world, and then one year it was announced that the owner of Ikea was the richest. Then there was a whole confusion—was he or wasn’t he? After a few days, the statement was retracted: “Actually, much of his wealth is in the names of trusts; it is not his.” So, Bill Gates was back on top. Then there was a controversy over which was the tallest building in the world. For years it was the Sears Tower in Chicago. Then someone built one in Kuala Lumpur that, with its tower on top, was higher. In Chicago, however, they continued to advertise the Sears Tower as the tallest building in the world because they did not count the tower on the other building. And in Kuala Lumpur they advertised their building as the tallest in the world. There is always competition for reputation.

People want to be famous. Movies stars, sports heroes, rich people—all are famous. But the fame attached to being rich or glamorous lasts only as long as the body.

One of the founders of industry in the United States was Henry Ford, and he became one of the richest men in the world. Later, his great grandson Alfred Ford came to meet Srila Prabhupada. And the first thing Prabhupada said was, “So, you are the grandson of Henry Ford?” “Yes.” “And where is Henry Ford now?” Prabhupada’s statement immediately took the young man off the bodily platform. Yes, where is he now? That’s a good question. Is he an ant or a worm in stool? We don’t know where he is now.

At best, one’s fame will last only as long as one’s body. And then we don’t know where we will go or what we will be. We are under the stringent laws of material nature.

purusah prakrti-stho hi
  bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan
karanam guna-sango ’sya
  sad-asad-yoni-janmasu

“The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil among various species.” (Gita 13.22)

Srila Prabhupada remarked that people are worrying whether their children and grandchildren will have gas to drive their cars, but parents are not thinking that they may become cockroaches in the back seat of the car. The son may be driving a big car while the father is in the back in the body of a cockroach. The fame that is attached to the body is short-lived—very short-lived. At most it lasts as long as the body, and often not that long.

Therefore Ramananda Raya says that one who is reputed as a devotee enjoys the utmost fame.

PURPORT (continued)

One may become famous as a brahma-jnani, an impersonalist scholar, or one may become a materially opulent person. In either case, such reputations are inferior to the reputation of Krsna’s devotee. In the Garuda Purana it is said:

kalau bhagavatam nama
  durlabham naiva labhyate
brahma-rudra-padotkrstam
  guruna kathitam mama

“In this Age of Kali, the fame of one who is known as a great devotee is very rare. However, such a position is superior to that of the great demigods like Brahma and Mahadeva. This is the opinion of all spiritual masters.” . . .

The Garuda Purana similarly states:

brahmananam sahasrebhyah
  satra-yaji visisyate
satra-yaji-sahasrebhyah
  sarva-vedanta-paragah

sarva-vedanta-vit-kotya
   visnu-bhakto visisyate
vaisnavanam sahasrebhya
  ekanty eko visisyate

“It is said that out of thousands of brahmanas, one is qualified to perform sacrifices, and out of many thousands of such qualified brahmanas expert in sacrificial offerings, one learned brahmana may have passed beyond all Vedic knowledge. He is considered the best among all these brahmanas. And yet, out of thousands of such brahmanas who have surpassed Vedic knowledge, one person may be a visnu-bhakta, and he is most famous. Out of many thousands of such Vaisnavas, one who is completely fixed in the service of Lord Krsna is most famous. Indeed, a person who is completely devoted to the service of the Lord certainly returns home, back to Godhead.”

COMMENT

Because we identify with the body, we identify ourselves as residents of the planet Earth. But actually, we are not the body. We are spirit souls, meant to get out of this material world and return to our real home with Krishna. But we identify with the body and consider the Earth—or the United States, or California, or Los Angeles, or this neighborhood or street—to be our home. And we worry about what people think of us. Sometimes we don’t want to be too open about being devotees, because we don’t know what people will think of us or how what they think might affect our material advancement or the congeniality of our social interactions. So, we are very careful about how we present ourselves, so that people think we are okay, that we are like them, not different.

But the total population of living entities is much greater than the population in our neighborhood or city or state or country or even planet. There are living entities—people—everywhere. And most of them are in the spiritual world. The whole material creation is just one fourth (ekamsa) of the kingdom of God. This one fourth is the prison house. We are the prisoners, and we are desperately trying to impress the other prisoners so that they will think we are like them. “We are as criminal as you are. We are as ignorant as you are. Don’t think we are any different from you.” We want to fit into that society. We are not thinking of the real population—the liberated souls outside the prison—that they are the people whom we should really be trying to impress—not the criminals, the fools and rascals.

The fame of a devotee goes beyond this planet. Narottama dasa Thakura glorifies the spiritual master—that his fame is spread throughout the three worlds (ebe yasa ghusuk tri-bhuvana). That is real fame. It is not dependent on the body or on the recognition of ignorant fools. And it extends beyond the material world to the spiritual planets, to the Lord and the pure souls who live with Him. “But what about the famous people here?” one may question. “The political leaders and intellectual giants—what about them? They are famous.” The Bhagavatam says that people who are not God conscious are like bigger animals that are praised by smaller animals. Such a statement might sound harsh, but if you identify with the body, you are an animal.

yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke
  sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih
yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij
  janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah

“One who identifies his self as the inert body composed of mucus, bile, and air, who assumes his wife and family are permanently his own, who thinks the land of his birth is worshipable, or who sees a place of pilgrimage as merely the water there but who never identifies himself with, feels kinship with, worships, or even visits those who are wise in spiritual truth—such a person is no better than a cow or an ass.” (SB 10.84.13)

Srila Prabhupada used to say that if a dog is thinking, “I am a bulldog,” and if a man is thinking, “I am a British man,” what is the difference? Both are on the bodily platform. So, the famous people of this world, who are praised in this world, if they have no spiritual consciousness, are nothing more than bigger animals being praised by smaller animals.

sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih
  samstutah purusah pasuh
na yat-karna-pathopeto
  jatu nama gadagrajah

“Men who are like dogs, hogs, camels, and asses praise those men who never listen to the transcendental pastimes of Lord Sri Krsna, the deliverer from evils.” (SB 2.3.19)

And after all, what is the significance of an animal? The lion is the king of the jungle, and the other animals are afraid of him—“The lion! The lion!” But what does it amount to? Being king of the animals in the jungle has no significance.

We want to be famous in human society, and actual human society means God-conscious human society. Without religion, without God consciousness, there is no difference between a man and an animal (dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah).

Now we come to the next question and answer.

TEXT 247

“sampattira madhye jivera kon sampatti gani?”
“radha-krsne prema yanra, sei bada dhani”

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked, “Of the many capitalists who possess great riches, who is the topmost?” Ramananda Raya replied, “He who is richest in love for Radha and Krsna is the greatest capitalist.”

PURPORT

Everyone in this material world is attempting to acquire riches to satisfy the senses. Actually no one cares for anything other than acquiring material possessions and maintaining them. The wealthy are generally accepted as the most important personalities in this material world, but when we compare a material man of wealth to one wealthy in devotional service to Radha and Krsna, the latter is found to be the greatest capitalist. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.39.2):

kim alabhyam bhagavati
  prasanne sri-niketane
tathapi tat-para rajan
  na hi vanchanti kincana

“What is difficult for the devotees of Lord Krsna, who is the shelter of the goddess of fortune? Although such devotees can obtain anything, O King, they do not desire anything.”

COMMENT

Sri Bilvamangala Thakura prays,

bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syad
  daivena nah phalati divya-kisora-murtih
muktih svayam mukulitanjali sevate ’sman
  dharmartha-kama-gatayah samaya-pratiksah

“If I am engaged in devotional service unto You, my dear Lord, then very easily can I perceive Your presence everywhere. And as far as liberation is concerned, I think that liberation stands at my door with folded hands, waiting to serve me—and all material conveniences of dharma [religiosity], artha [economic development], and kama [sense gratification] stand with her.” (Krsna-karnamrta 107)

By engaging in devotional service, devotees are offered every facility, including liberation. Yet they are so satisfied in devotional service that they do not desire anything else—only more service.

A devotee is satisfied in the service of the Lord, whereas materialists are never satisfied; they always want to increase their material acquisitions. Some decades ago, John Paul Getty was the richest man in the world. A newspaper reporter interviewed him: “You are the richest man in the world. You have everything you could possibly want. Can you give us your philosophy of life in one word?” He said, “Yes—‘More.’” He always wanted more. That means he never had enough. He was always in want.

“You have everything money can buy,” the reporter continued. “When you are alone—when there is no one around—what do you think about?” And he replied, “I think about how to pay the bills.” The same principle—the big animal and the small animal. The small man is thinking, “How to make the payment on the car? How to make the payment on the house?” and the big man is thinking, “How to make the payment on the multi-billion-dollar acquisition.” The consciousness is the same.

A devotee is satisfied in the service of the Lord, so he is the richest. He has what he wants, whereas others, who always want more, are poor, always in want. The devotee has the treasure of love for Radha and Krishna within his heart, whereas others look for treasures outside of themselves, treasures meager and mundane in comparison.

There is a story about Emperor Akbar. Although a Muslim, he was open to Hindus, and among the Hindus in his court was the great singer Tansen. Akbar thought, “Tansen sings so beautifully, but what about his teacher? I wish I could hear him sing.” Tansen’s teacher was Haridasa, a saintly person who lived in Vrindavan. But he sang only for Krishna; he wouldn’t sing for the king. So the king disguised himself as an ordinary person and accompanied Tansen to Haridasa’s hut. According to one version, when Akbar heard the beauty (both spiritual and material) of Haridasa’s voice, he was overwhelmed and removed a royal pendant that was concealed under his cloth and threw it on the floor in front of Haridasa. Witnessing this, Haridasa knew that Akbar was the emperor.

Akbar wanted to reward Haridasa. “I can never repay you for this,” he said, “yet I want to give you something—whatever you want, whatever is in my power to give.” Haridasa took him a short distance to the Yamuna River and asked him to repair the cracks in the steps of the ghat. The emperor replied, “I could give you anything you want, and you are asking me just to repair some cracks in the steps?” Haridasa said, “Put your face in the water and see what is there.” The emperor put his eyes in the water to look at the steps beneath the surface, but by Haridasa’s mercy he was able to see the actual feature of the Yamuna River and the spiritual Vrindavan. He saw that that ghat was made of cintamani stones, spiritual gems more precious than anything the king had ever seen.

When the king raised his head from the water, he looked at Haridasa and said, “With all the wealth in my treasury, I cannot do what you have asked.”

Our standard of wealth and riches in the material world is so poor. Once, when Srila Prabhupada visited Hong Kong, the devotees arranged to receive him at the airport with a Rolls Royce. At the press conference that followed his arrival, a reporter said, “You are supposed to be a spiritual person. Why are you riding in a Rolls Royce?” In response, Srila Prabhupada cited a verse from the Brahma-samhita (5.29):

cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-
  laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam
laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam
  govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor, who is tending cows, yielding all desires, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, and always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune.” Srila Prabhupada said, “I come from the spiritual world, where everything is made of cintamani gems, which are more precious than gold and diamonds. Even if my disciples had received me in a solid gold car, it would not have been good enough, but because that was the best they could do, I had to accept it.” After Srila Prabhupada related this story to me, he looked at me and remarked, “What else can you say to such people?”

Although what Prabhupada told the reporter was spoken in an ironic way, it illustrates the point that this world of death (martya-loka) is not opulent. Matter is all so gross—even gold, platinum, and diamonds. Diamonds are just coal, compressed coal. All matter is dead. It has no life, and it can never satisfy the soul. Therefore Srila Prabhupada wrote, “One who has tasted the beauty of the Supreme Lord Krsna, in the course of his advancement in Krsna consciousness, no longer has a taste for dead, material things. . . . When one is actually Krsna conscious, he automatically loses his taste for pale things.” (Gita 2.59 purport)

Soon after I joined, I wrote Srila Prabhupada about the great gift that he had given us, the gift of Krishna consciousness. And he replied, “I am so pleased to learn that you have taken Krishna consciousness as the most valuable gift. One who can understand this is not an ordinary living entity but is the most fortunate.”

TEXT 248

“duhkha-madhye kona duhkha haya gurutara?”
“krsna-bhakta-viraha vina duhkha nahi dekhi para”

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked, “Of all kinds of distress, what is the most painful?” Sri Ramananda Raya replied, “Apart from separation from the devotee of Krsna, I know of no unbearable unhappiness.”

PURPORT

Concerning this, the Lord states in the Vedic literature:

mam anaradhya duhkhartah
  kutumbasakta-manasah
sat-sanga-rahito martyo
  vrddha-seva-paricyutah

“A person who does not worship Me, who is unduly attached to family, and who does not stick to devotional service must be considered a most unhappy person. Similarly, one who does not associate with Vaisnavas, or who does not render service to his superior, is also a most unhappy person.”

There is also the following statement in the Brhad-bhagavatamrta (1.5.44):

sva-jivanadhikam prarthyam
  sri-visnu-jana-sangatah
vicchedena ksanam catra
  na sukhamsam labhamahe

“Out of all kinds of desirable things experienced in the life of a living entity, association with the devotees of the Lord is the greatest. When we are separated from a devotee even for a moment, we cannot enjoy happiness.”

COMMENT

The real life of the living entity is devotional service—jivera ‘svarupa’ haya—krsnera ‘nitya-dasa.’ Devotional service can be executed in the association of devotees. Without the association of devotees, there is no happiness, because there is no chance to hear and chant about Krishna. Such a so-called life is worse than death. Therefore Sri Prabodhananda Sarasvati prays, kaivalyam narakayate. Kaivalya, merging into the impersonal Brahman, is worse than hell, because at least in hell you can preach—chant and hear the glories of the Lord—whereas in impersonal Brahman there is no devotional service, and there is no happiness. It is worse than hell.

That is the vision of a devotee. His life is devotional service, and he needs the association of devotees; he is addicted to the association of devotees, and if he doesn’t have it, it becomes very painful. As Srila Prabhupada said, “Instead of thinking, ‘Unless I have a drink, I will go mad,’ one should think, ‘Unless I associate with a sadhu, I will go mad.’ When we can think in this way, we will become liberated.” (TLK 24)

Unfortunately, as the verse in the purport says, in the bodily concept of life one who is unduly attached to family is bound to suffer, because in the end family members are bound to be separated. Death will separate us from all our mundane attachments (mrtyuh sarva-haras caham), and even apart from death we may be separated by other circumstances. Therefore we should transfer our attachment to devotees, sadhus.

prasangam ajaram pasam
  atmanah kavayo viduh
sa eva sadhusu krto
  moksa-dvaram apavrtam

“Every learned man knows very well that attachment for the material is the greatest entanglement of the spirit soul. But that same attachment, when applied to the self-realized devotees, opens the door of liberation.” (SB 3.25.20)

The Lord said, “A person who does not worship Me, who is unduly attached to family, and who does not stick to devotional service must be considered a most unhappy person.” Without the association of devotees, one can neither take to devotional service nor continue in devotional service.

krsna-bhakti-janma-mula haya ‘sadhu-sanga’
krsna-prema janme, tenho punah mukhya anga

“The root cause of devotional service to Lord Krsna is association with advanced devotees. Even when one’s dormant love for Krsna awakens, association with devotees is still most essential.” (Cc Madhya 22.83)

Prahlada Maharaja was born in a family of demons, but because he had the association of Narada Muni while he was in the womb, he became a devotee. And he could not live without the association of devotees, so he preached to his demonic classmates and got them to chant and dance and become devotees. Sometimes Prabhupada’s followers go to a new place where there are no devotees, but they cannot stay there unless they make devotees. They just cannot live without devotees.

Today I received a phone call from a devotee in South Africa, Ajita Krishna dasi. She had been living in one of the South African townships, or ghettos, but it became too oppressive for her. She wanted to move to a community of devotees, but it didn’t work out. Then she met a very pious, very good, wealthy lady who owned a large estate in the Knysna forest, which the lady had developed as a resort with many chalets. The lady is originally from England, and as a youth, as she made her way by land and sea to South Africa, she was robbed in Kenya. In desperation, she went to a Catholic church for help, but she was turned away. Then, by chance, she happened upon the Hare Krishna temple in Nairobi and spent three months there. She got the association of devotees, and although she did not become a proper devotee herself, she came to harbor a dream that the chalet at the bottom of her property would one day be used as a Krishna temple. So, when she met Ajita she offered her a place to stay for free. And now Ajita has a perfect situation—all facilities, natural beauty, and no expenses. Wealthy people own and rent houses in Knysna to be near the beautiful beach and forest. But there is one problem: there are no devotees there. Ajita will have to make them—or meet them.

Even I have my own little story. In Mauritius we had a patron, Mr. Gowtum Teelok, who was actually a friend of Srila Prabhupada’s. His family owned sugar plantations, and they held important positions in the government. Mr. Teelok had a second house on the seaside, and he was always inviting me to come and spend time there. So finally I went, with one other devotee. Although it was on the ocean, with a garden with plants and flowers and palm trees, to me it was like a desert. There were no devotees or Deities, so it was dry, like being in a desert. So I stayed for a few hours and then shifted to the temple.

In general, we need the association of devotees, and in particular we may have special relationships with specific advanced devotees—our spiritual masters and perhaps some dear friends. And when we feel separation from some particular devotee, we feel acute pain. Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was the most advanced devotee, one of the Six Gosvamis, but after Rupa Gosvami left this world, Raghunatha dasa felt so much separation that he wrote in a poem that Govardhana Hill, which he loved so much, had become like a python, and that Radha-kunda, which he loved as Srimati Radharani, had become like the gaping jaws of a tiger. There was no happiness for him, even in his beloved Govardhana Hill and Sri Radha-kunda.

Narottama dasa Thakura also lamented in separation from Lord Chaitanya and His associates. He wrote that, being unable to bear their separation, he would smash his head against the rock and enter into fire.

pasane kutibo matha anale pasibo
gauranga gunera nidhi kotha gele pabo

“I will smash my head against the rock and enter into the fire. Where will I find Lord Gauranga, the reservoir of all wonderful qualities?

se-saba sangira sange je koilo bilas
se-sanga na paiya kande narottama das

“Being unable to obtain the association of Lord Gauranga accompanied by all of these devotees in whose association He performed His pastimes, Narottama dasa simply weeps.” (Prarthana, Saparsada-bhagavad-viraha-janita-vilapa, “Lamentation Due to Separation from the Lord and His Associates,” 4–5)

Such separation cannot be compared to material separation. In time, material separation dulls and one gradually forgets. One may even absorb oneself in other things—another person or some pursuit—to replace or forget the lost loved one. But in devotional service separation is not like that. In devotional service our relationships are based not on the body but on the eternal relation between the soul and the Supreme Soul. The relationships are eternal and continue even after death. Thus Narottama dasa Thakura sings, cakhu-dan dilo yei, janme janme prabhu sei: “He who has opened my eyes with transcendental knowledge is my lord birth after birth.” And in service, that separation becomes blissful.

When Srila Prabhupada established himself in America, he was with the devotees all the time. First he had only one center, in New York City, and there he was always with them. Then some devotees went and opened the second center, in San Francisco, and when Prabhupada went there, it was very hard for the New York devotees, because they were used to seeing him every day. And when Prabhupada went to India, it was even more difficult—for all of them. But he wrote to one disciple, “Please be happy in separation. I am separated from my guru maharaja since 1936, but I am always with him so long I work according to his direction. So we should all work together for satisfying Lord Krishna and in that way the feelings of separation will transform into transcendental bliss.”

This is the mystery of separation in Krishna consciousness. Although externally there is separation and lamentation, internally there is association and bliss. The real thing is the soul, and association on the spiritual platform is based on the soul—and the Supreme Soul—and is not limited by the body or time or space. What Ramananda Raya said is certainly true—the most intense pain is separation from a pure devotee—but at the same time, the pain of separation can serve as an impetus in one’s devotional service, and when one becomes more absorbed in devotional service, the feelings of separation transform into transcendental bliss. One experiences meeting even in separation. Thus Srila Prabhupada often said that although he had been separated from his guru maharaja for so many years, he did not feel that they were apart, because he was connected to his guru maharaja by service, by following his instructions: “I have written in the first publication of Srimad-Bhagavatam, ‘The spiritual master lives forever by his divine instruction and the disciple lives with him.’ Because I have always served my guru maharaja and followed his teachings, I am even now never separated from him. Sometimes maya may come and try to interfere, but we must not falter. We must always follow the chalked-out path laid down by the great acharyas, and in the end you will see.” (Letter to Cidananda, November 25, 1973)

In general, we need the association of devotees to be happy. But among so many devotees, we may have a special relationship with a particular devotee, like Raghunatha dasa Gosvami had with Rupa Gosvami. Then, even in the association of other devotees, we may feel separation from that one particular devotee with whom we have that special relationship. But even that separation can be reconciled through service.

“There are two ways of association—by vani and by vapuh. Vani means words, and vapuh means physical presence. Physical presence is sometimes appreciable and sometimes not, but vani continues to exist eternally. Therefore we must take advantage of the vani.” (Cc “Concluding Words)” Further, by following the instructions of the spiritual master and previous acharyas, we become eligible to go back home, back to Godhead. And in the end we all will meet in the spiritual world, in service to Krishna. As Srila Prabhupada said, “We will have another ISKCON in the spiritual sky.”

Sometimes, because we are still affected by the bodily concept of life, we don’t see each other from the purely spiritual point of view. We identify with the body and have material desires, and naturally we want our desires to be fulfilled by the people around us—who may be devotees. And when our desires are not fulfilled, we may find fault or complain about those devotees, or we may look outside the association of devotees for satisfaction. And our desires may be subtle. We may want affection, appreciation, friendship, fellowship. These are natural human wants. And when we expect these things from devotees and don’t get them, we may feel frustrated and may find fault and complain, and we may even look for society, friendship, and love elsewhere.

In pure devotional service we want only to serve and please Krishna—and His devotees. Although Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, jivera ‘svarupa’ haya—krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’—we are the eternal servants of Krishna—He stated further, gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah: “I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna”—not directly the servant. That is our actual position. We are servants of the servants of Krishna. How, then, can we place demands on our masters? The other devotees are our prabhus, our masters. How can we place demands on them, even in subtle ways, for our own gratification? We are meant to be their servants, and in that mood our relationships become very congenial.

Once, when there was some disagreement among the devotees, a disciple asked Srila Prabhupada, “What can we do to improve our relationships?” And Prabhupada replied, “If each devotee thinks, I am the servant of the servants, there will be no problem.” Unfortunately, to some extent we still have that conditioning that we want to be the master, and we want other devotees to serve us and give us what we want. But gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah; we are servants of the servants of the servants of Krishna. We should not place any demands on our masters—that is not pure devotional service.

After Nrsimhadeva killed Hiranyakasipu, He offered Prahlada, “You take any benediction you want.” And Prahlada replied, “I don’t want anything from You. By constitution You are my master, and by constitution I am Your servant. We have no other relationship. If I wanted something from You in exchange for my service, I would not be a servant; I would be a businessman. I do not want to do business with You, to take some reward from You in return for my service.” He said, “If a servant does service to get something in return, he is not a real servant, and if a master gives something in return in order to maintain his prestigious position as master, he is not a real master.” A real master doesn’t give anything except pure devotional service—more service. And a real servant doesn’t ask for anything except more service. That is the only exchange—nothing else.

Prahlada said to Nrsimhadeva, yas ta asisa asaste na sa bhrtyah sa vai vanik: “One who desires some material benefit in exchange for devotional service cannot be Your pure devotee. Indeed, he is no better than a merchant who wants profit in exchange for service.” (SB 7.10.4)

asasano na vai bhrtyah
  svaminy asisa atmanah
na svami bhrtyatah svamyam
  icchan yo rati casisah

“A servant who desires material profits from his master is certainly not a qualified servant or pure devotee. Similarly, a master who bestows benedictions upon his servant because of a desire to maintain a prestigious position as master is also not a pure master.

aham tv akamas tvad-bhaktas
  tvam ca svamy anapasrayah
nanyathehavayor artho
  raja-sevakayor iva

“O my Lord, I am Your unmotivated servant, and You are my eternal master. There is no need of our being anything other than master and servant. You are naturally my master, and I am naturally Your servant. We have no other relationship.” (SB 7.10.5–6)

In the mood of pure devotional service, our relationships are very congenial, with Krishna in the center. In the bodily concept, each one of us wants to be the center. I keep myself in the center—“I,” “me,” and “mine.” In the spiritual concept of pure devotional service, Krishna is the center and we all are His servants, but not direct servants—servants of the servants. When we serve in that mood of pure devotion, Krishna is pleased and His servants are pleased—everyone is pleased. And each of us automatically becomes happy and satisfied. We just have to keep Krishna in the center; then everything else will follow.

yatra yogesvarah krsno
  yatra partho dhanur-dharah
tatra srir vijayo bhutir
  dhruva nitir matir mama

“Wherever there is Krsna, the master of all mystics, and wherever there is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence, victory, extraordinary power, and morality. That is my opinion.” (Gita 18.78)

Hare Krishna.

Are there any questions or comments?

Maha-sakti dasa: Going back to the earlier part of your lecture, about Prabhupada in the early days, his mission was to destroy impersonalism and voidism (nirvisesa sunyavadi). Back then, many of us were hippies and were into the idea of satiating our senses. And Prabhupada was talking about these impersonalists, who were trying to merge and refrain from desire. We were wondering, “Who is he talking about? Maybe they are in India, but in America we don’t have that experience.” In America back then everyone was into enjoying their senses and sense gratification, especially with free love. And that hasn’t changed much. In the New Age movement there is a big emphasis on not repressing your senses. “Engage your senses. Don’t restrain them, because that is artificial. Engage them, because that is the real path to understanding who you are and attaining happiness.”

I guess the question pertains to some degree to ourselves as devotees, because although there’s no ambiguity about the process, there may be a moment when we start to feel unhappy or unfulfilled—“Devotees are not giving me what I want.” So, how do we live a healthy, happy spiritual life without feeling “I am not getting what I want; I am feeling repressed,” with anger and so many things coming up in the mind—lust, anger, and different things? How do we grow as a society and attract new people, show that this is the right way of life and one can be happy at the same time?

Giriraj Swami: Do you have any ideas? I am sure you must have thought of it.

Maha-sakti dasa: I know that this is the right path. We may just need to learn how to relate to Vaishnavas more in the right way. In a sense, we are very new, and maybe we haven’t yet learned how to be a Vaishnava society. Rupa Gosvami talks about revealing one’s mind and that kind of thing, and I don’t think we are quite there yet, because if we were, maybe our mood would be a little more joyful. We would enjoy the service more than we actually do right now. So, maybe it is a matter of time—and continuing the preaching spirit. I don’t know.

In reality, we are not repressing our senses at all. We are really engaging our senses. With constant festivals, we are constantly glorifying devotees and different incarnations of Krishna, and we are always taking prasada. So, there is no question of repression. But still there is the problem that lies within, as you mentioned. There is the residual karma that seems to bother us, and that is the question—how devotees can deal with that within the society and not feel that they have to go outside in order to take care of that issue.

Giriraj Swami: I think of late 1969 or early ’70 in the Boston temple. Tamal Krishna Goswami had come for the first time. He was a legend from the West Coast, and Brahmananda Prabhu from New York, who was the legend on the East Coast, drove up to meet him. In the evening, after we had a little prasada—perhaps hot milk and puffed rice with peanuts—we were all standing in line to wash our plates in the sink, and Brahmananda Prabhu said to Tamal Krishna Goswami, “Everyone wants love, so if we just love each other, everyone will get what he wants and everyone will be happy.” It sounded logical and sensible—and true.

The only catch is that to really love someone, you have to be pure. Otherwise, what passes as love, as Srila Prabhupada said, is actually lust. For example, a boy tells a girl, “I love you,” and the girl tells the boy, “I love you,” but actually it is not love; it is lust. And if either partner does not get from the other what he or she wants, the relationship breaks. When we become more advanced, more pure in heart, we can actually serve with love. Love isn’t just a sentiment. It is a process that manifests in service. And to cleanse the heart (ceto-darpana-marjanam), we have the chanting of the holy name—offenseless chanting of the holy name. That will cleanse the heart, and that will create the type of relationships that we want.

We want to create a culture of service, vaisnava-seva. Even before deep love develops, we can create a culture of service and follow Vaishnava etiquette. Proper etiquette guides our relationships and makes our interactions more congenial. In Vedic culture people’s roles are defined, as is the behavior appropriate to each role—how to relate to others. It was mentioned in the quotation in the purport that one who does not serve a superior is a most unhappy person. In essence, there are three different relationships—a subordinate to a superior, an equal to an equal, and a superior to a subordinate. A subordinate should sincerely serve a superior, the superior should affectionately guide the subordinate, and equals should be friends. And we should carefully avoid the contaminated forms of those relationships, in which the subordinate is envious of the superior; the superior exploits the subordinate; or the equals, instead of having genuine, open friendship, feel proud of themselves.

So, we want to develop a culture of selfless service and proper etiquette. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that there are different levels of conversion. The first level is spiritual or religious, but the cultural level may take longer. Devotees may quickly grasp the fundamental spiritual principles—“I am the eternal servant of Krishna”—but it may take longer to understand and adopt the culture of service. And it has become even more difficult now, because with so much influence from the West, the sublime culture that existed in India is rapidly deteriorating. And the Indians who come to the West become further influenced by Western ways. So, we do not see the Vedic or Vaishnava culture in practice as much as before.

We are in Kali-yuga, and it is getting worse. But we need that Vaishnava culture, and we need spiritual purity. The main thing is purity of heart, and that comes from the process of devotional service, especially from offenseless chanting and hearing about Krishna and serving Krishna’s devotees.

kaler dosa-nidhe rajann
  asti hy eko mahan gunah
kirtanad eva krsnasya
  mukta-sangah param vrajet

“My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.” (SB 12.3.51)

Maha-sakti dasa: And reading, too, is important. We have been reading today.

Giriraj Swami: Indeed. Reading, which comes in the category of hearing, teaches us who we are, who Krishna is, what the material world is, what the spiritual world is, and what our relationships are. It teaches us what the goal of life is and how to attain it. Reading is most important, and Srila Prabhupada advised that we should read for one or two hours every day.

We are in the age of Kali. Kali means “quarrel.” In the age of Kali people quarrel over the smallest thing. They make such a big thing out of a small thing.

Practically, I always feel that there are two things that can help devotees appreciate other devotees. The first is preaching. When you go out and meet people, you see the difference between the people you meet and the devotees, and you appreciate devotees more. Unfortunately, devotees don’t preach so much anymore. Most are grihasthas who live outside of temples, and not many are actively preaching. But if you go out and meet people and speak to them and see what kind of reactions you get, what kind of people you are dealing with, you come to appreciate devotees more.

The other way is to be separated from devotees for some time. You may end up in the beautiful Knysna forest without devotees. Then you appreciate devotees.

It is very important that we have good relationships. If we have strong sadhana—hearing and chanting—and loving relationships, we will grow and prosper. But if our relationships are poor and our sadhana is weak, we will tend to disintegrate.

Devotees are very nice. Sometimes we have to speak strongly to distinguish between the devotional creeper and the unwanted weeds, so we can grow and flourish. Otherwise, devotees are chanting, and they are serving. They are the best people in the world.

Hare Krishna.

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Ramananda Raya’s disappearance day, June 1, 2008, Camarillo, California]

 

When the holy name is said to be Nama, Chintamani, Krishna, and why do we need to chant the Gayathri Mantra and why do we have a separate initiation for getting the Gayathri Mantra? We can look at it at three levels. At a devotional level, at a cultural level, and at a personal level. At a devotional level, sometimes there is a tendency to reduce the entirety of bhakti to one particular limb of bhakti based on a particular set of verses.

So, while the holy name is extremely important, at the same time, it’s ultimately about developing a relationship with Krishna. Bhagavatam says that, towards the conclusion that, And yet, for the last seven days of Parikshit Maharaj’s life, Shivdev Goswami does not say that we just chant the holy names. They discuss Krishna, which involves a significant level of philosophy and also a number of variated pastimes of various manifestations of the Lord.

Why? Because ultimately it’s a matter of fixing the mind of Krishna and developing a real and a rich relationship with Krishna. The holy name is undoubtedly an extremely important means by which we can develop that relationship. At the same time, it’s about a relationship.

And that relationship with Krishna includes various aspects in the world. If we say the holy name is everything, then why do we need to do deity worship? Why do we need to study Shastra? Why even have other limbs of bhakti at all? So in that sense, the relationship with Krishna can also include elements of the world which we can use in this service. And at an individual level, one person might find a total absorption in Krishna through the chanting of the holy names.

And yet others may not. But when we form a community, we form an institution, we form a tradition, a sampradaya, then many other factors come into play. That tradition also has to be accepted and respected in the broader community within which it belongs.

There needs to be a healthy tension where there are some points of connection and some points of difference. If there is total connection of any particular tradition with the broader culture, then it loses its street identity. If there is complete difference and no points of connection, then that tradition is seen as alien and suspicious and is constantly threatened.

So every tradition tries to create bridges with the broader culture within which it lives. And when the bhakti tradition gains its authority from bhakti texts, those texts themselves are not considered authoritative or not necessarily supremely authoritative by the entire community of Vedic followers. And therefore, every tradition needs to do certain things to gain acceptance and respectability within the broader culture and community and civilization in which it lives.

So one of the things that the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition had to do, for example, was to write a commentary on the Vedanta Sutra although Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said that there is no need for it. Why? Because the very authenticity of our tradition was questioned at the time of Vande Vidya Bhakti. And what was not necessary at one particular time, what was considered a disobedience to Mahaprabhu’s explicit words became necessary to protect and perpetuate the mission that Mahaprabhu came for.

So similarly, within the bhakti tradition, there is always an attempt to differentiate itself from the orthodox brahminical tradition that was there at the time when the Vedanta tradition started gaining prominence. And there is also an attempt to connect with and be respected by, or at least accepted by, the orthodox brahminical tradition. By orthodox, I am talking about not what is orthodox is now, but what was orthodox at that time, what was established in the institute at that time.

So, adopting some of the rituals that were considered important for people who are respected in the Vedic tradition, such as adopting the Gayatri Mantra, was something which the bhakti tradition consistently did to connect with the broader culture. And of course, even by accepting elements of the broader culture, the bhakti tradition often gives certain insights about how we can see even such aspects more devotional. So our tradition may give a more devotional understanding of the Gayatri Mantra.

This understanding may not be accepted by others, but the very fact that we have a process by which we accept people and give them the Gayatri Mantra becomes important. Just like in today’s world, we may equip devotees to answer certain scientific questions about, say, the nature of the soul and the scientific evidence for the existence of the soul or the scientific evidence for the existence of God. This was not done in the tradition and the Hare Krishna Mahamantra is fully coated.

But for one’s own conviction, for one’s capacity to get acceptance and respect, a lot of other things are required. The third point is from a personal perspective, that ultimately, we need as many resources as possible for remembering Krishna and connecting with Krishna. Rather than seeing the Gayatri Mantra as non-devotional, we see it as a part of the various gifts that Krishna has given.

And some devotees can use those gifts. Some may give more emphasis to it, some may give less emphasis to it. That’s okay.

But the idea is that we use those gifts to connect more with Krishna. That’s how we grow in our life. The Gayatri Mantra requires a certain level of Sattva Puna to be chanted in a way that is important.

And the Gayatri Mantra may not take us to Goloka Vrindavan, which is the Guru Gayatri Mantra. But that journey from the beginning of Sattva to the Brahman level, where one becomes free from material craving and anger, that journey can be accelerated by the chanting of the Gayatri Mantra. And thus, it can help us as an aid in achieving the ultimate purpose that the Bhakti tradition considers the highest, which is the real appreciation.

The post When the Hare Krishna mantra is so potent, why do we have second initiation into the Gayatri mantra? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Five hundred years ago in the district of Puri, in the village of Bentapur, there lived a great devotee named Bhavananda Raya. Bhavananda had five sons, the eldest of which was Ramananda.

It is said that Lord Caitanya visited the birth-place of Ramananda in Alalanath every year.

Ramananda became the Governor of East and West Godavari and a minister of King Prataparudra. A great statesman of that period, Ramananda was also a poet and a scholar.

When Bhavananda met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord embraced him and said, “Formerly you appeared as Pandu, and your five sons appeared as the five Pandavas.”

The five sons of Bhavananda Raya were Ramananda Raya, Pattanayaka Gopinatha, Kalanidhi, Sudhanidhi and Nayaka Vaninatha.

The Gauraganoddesa-dipika (120-124) states that Ramananda Raya was Arjuna in his past incarnation. He is also considered to have been an incarnation of the gopi Lalita, although in the opinion of others he was an incarnation of Visakha devi.

He was a most confidential devotee of Lord Caitanya.

Sri Ramananda Raya left this world after the disappearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Jagannatha Puri.

If we don’t like to do something when we are a part of a community organization, just so that we are seen to be doing something valuable or something important, we want to do something which we feel is actually of value. But then those services are not valued in the community and then although we are doing something significant, but it is perceived as if we are not doing anything significant because we are not doing the visible services that are considered valuable by the community leaders. What should we do in such situations? In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna uses the word dharma in multiple senses.

So let’s look at some of the usages in the Gita itself. Arjuna is using it in 2.7. He is talking about what is the right thing for me to do. And then when Krishna says that, there he is using dharma in the sense of establishing the social order.

So, broadly speaking, while the word dharma has many different meanings, in one context it is harmonious belonging. For example, if we are driving on the road, then we following the rules of road traffic is the dharma that we need to follow. So the individual needs to adjust and adapt to the rules of the larger whole that they belong to or seek to belong to or they just are a part of.

At the same time, the larger whole also needs to be reciprocating with the individuals who belong harmoniously. So, for example, the rules need to be applied fairly. People of a particular demographic should not be pulled over more and others pulled over less or some people who are wealthy are allowed to get away and others are targeted because they do not have the influence.

That means we need to do our part for the whole and the whole needs to do its part for us. And when we say dharmasya glani can happen, it can happen in both ways where the individual is no longer doing the part and also the whole is not doing its part. Generally speaking, in any political system, there is the left and the right.

Here by using, I am using the word political, I am not using it in the sense of negative sense of being manipulating and all those things that are associated with politics. I am using it simply in the functional sense of administration. So, in any administrative setup, there will inevitably be the left and the right.

So the left is generally concerned about those who are left out by the existing system. The right is concerned about what is right with the existing system. So in general, the right tends to be conservative.

The system is good. You need to adjust and fit into the system. So the right focuses more on individuals aligning with the system and doing their dharma.

The left focuses more on the society or the larger whole and that reforming itself so that it also does its dharma and fairly reciprocates with and rewards everyone. So therefore, each individual will have to decide how important belonging to a particular larger whole is for them. And accordingly, they may have to choose their actions especially with respect to doing what is expected by the larger whole for them.

We may still be doing something valuable for the tradition but it may not be valued by the institution or it may not be valued by a particular branch of the institution where there is a particular ethos set up. So we may have to decide whether we want to belong to that particular branch or we can choose to belong to some other branch. In general, the individual may often want a certain level of autonomy and the larger whole may want a certain level of harmony.

Who is right? It depends. Autonomy taken too far can lead to anarchy. Harmony taken too far can lead to homogeneity where there is a complete crushing of or erasure of individuality.

In anarchy, there is no order at all and nothing gets done. People may even work at cross purposes sabotaging each other. So if we have a greater need for autonomy, then we need to acknowledge that we may not get a certain level of facility because the facility is available with the leaders of the larger whole and they will give facility to those who exhibit a certain level of harmony with the larger whole.

In general, in no organizational set up will one get total autonomy and total facility together or even a high level of autonomy and a high level of facility together. So, some organizations may facilitate certain maverick researchers and they may be given no structure, no clear tasks and they might just come up with a brainwave that changes the whole industry. Still at the end, something will be expected from them.

They cannot just be doing research on subjects entirely of their own interest which have nothing to do with the organization’s purpose and its bottom line. So my understanding is that if certain kind of facilities say such as initiation, second initiation or something like that is required for us within the institutional structure, then we may have to do one of two things. Either sacrifice on our autonomy and come to a greater level of harmony with the expectations of the leaders or find out some other larger whole where that autonomy is respected and valued and which is also capable of giving us that facility.

The post If we are doing some valuable services but the institution values some other more visible services, do we need to change ourselves to do those institutionally valued services? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Srutakirti Prabhu stands as one of the most revered personalities in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), primarily known for his intimate service as Srila Prabhupada’s personal attendant. His unique position allowed him unprecedented access to the daily life and teachings of ISKCON’s founder, experiences he has generously shared through his writings, lectures, and
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By Suresvara Prabhu When I grew up in Krishna consciousness—in the 1970s—we were very sympathetic to the Vaiṣṇavas in the former Soviet Union. After all, they were persecuted, jailed, and tortured by the KGB. Yet, they remained seemingly indomitable and could not be broken. We would hear their stories and think, “Wow, this is amazing.”
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If a woman who is introduced to bhakti asks, why do I need to get married? And even if I get married, why do I need to have children? How do we answer? I’ll answer in three points. First is, what is our purpose in attracting, in inviting or attracting people to practice Krishna consciousness? So, that will be the spiritual side. Then I’ll talk about the social psychological side.

And then third, I’ll talk about how we act in such situations at a practical level. So, first is at a spiritual level, our purpose is to spread Krishna consciousness. Our purpose is not to get people, whether men or women, to get married or to have children.

So, if somebody is coming to Krishna, they should never be made to feel that if I become a devotee, this is what I’ll have to do. And this is an essential part of being a devotee. It may be an essential part of the social fabric in which bhakti had been practiced in the past.

And not just that social fabric, but the social fabric of the world at large. But somebody may choose not to get married, somebody may choose not to have children. And at one level, that is their individual business.

So, there are things which are non-negotiable in Krishna consciousness and there are things which are negotiable. Sometimes, if we present a very digital version of bhakti, this is bhakti and this is not bhakti, one zero. Then, because of many things which are not centrally important in bhakti, people may go away from the path of bhakti.

They think, I cannot do this. So, just on the male side, sometimes if somebody is introduced to bhakti by a very strong brahmachari preacher, that person may start thinking that if I don’t become a brahmachari, I won’t be a serious devotee. And if they find that they can’t stay a brahmachari, then they don’t become a grahastha.

They think grahasthas are fallen and they just leave bhakti completely. So, no ashram is like a necessary thing for practicing bhakti. So, that’s the first thing.

What people do in their personal lives is not the most important thing for us. Our most important thing is that they learn to practice bhakti by chanting Jani Krishna’s name, by studying the scriptures and drawing their consciousness towards Krishna. Now, having said that Srila Prabhupada didn’t just want Krishna consciousness, he wanted a society for Krishna consciousness.

And that’s why it’s not just a university for Krishna consciousness. It’s not an academy for Krishna consciousness. It’s a society.

And that’s why the social fabric also is important. Now, in general, when women don’t want to get married or have children, there are many reasons for that. And those reasons may at an individual level need to be understood and addressed.

Especially if we are closely connecting with someone and training them or guiding them on the path of bhakti. However, at a broad level, I’ve seen there are three main reasons. One is that women may have had bad experience with men and they feel that no man can be trusted.

Second is that they feel marriage and motherhood are basically going to inhibit them, restrict them from having a full life. Maybe they are very ambitious in their career. They will be constricted in that.

And third is that they feel that that kind of role, that gender role of being a wife and a mother is a part of a patriarchal social structure. And they don’t want to be a part of that. So, it could be more of a personal emotional reason.

It could be a more professional reason. And it could be a more intellectual, philosophical, ideological reason. So, if it’s a personal emotional, if it’s more like an emotional psychological reason, then it’s going to take some time to heal.

Probably, if they see examples of stable marriages in the community, no marriage is without conflicts and problems, but there is also a cultured and dignified way to deal with the conflicts and problems. And maybe they have to practice bhakti for some time and they have to see how there is a possibility for healthy and happy marriages to work. And gradually, maybe by seeing men who are not just out to exploit women, but who are actually God-conscious men, gradually their faith in the male side of humanity will be restored.

We cannot force this process. Second is that they feel it will impede them professionally. And yes, there is truth to that.

At the same time, we have to think what actually brings fulfillment in life. From the Vedic perspective, there is varna and ashram both. So, broadly varna refers to our talents and our career and our contribution accordingly within the career.

And ashram refers to our relationship and what kind of focus we have within our relationships. So, basically, fulfilling human life requires both connection and contribution. Now, biology has designed humanity in such a way that the males focus more on contribution in terms of going out into the world and working.

And women focus more on connecting, keeping the whole family together, having children, connecting with the children. And traditionally, women could also do some varna. The idea that women should not have jobs or that is against Vedic culture is not an idea that is supported by Vedic culture.

The gopis themselves would sell butter and curd and other things. In Krishnalaya, there is the fruit vendor lady. But the point is that in general, for a woman, the ashram is more important than the varna.

In the past, women, whatever jobs they were able to do, whatever work they were able to do, women might have some talents, they might do some things. They were able to do it in a way that they also took care of the family. Of course, in the past, we could say life was tougher.

Much of the work outside was much more physically demanding work. And the male body was more suited for that. But anyway, historically, as things change, especially the post-industrial revolution and everything, jobs started going far away from homes, cottage industries went away.

And women had to basically choose between ashram and varna. And biology forced them to choose ashram. Because once you have children, you have to take care of children.

Then, over a period of time, resentment started coming up. And as feminism, as ideology developed, and as technology developed, through various means, birth control pills, abortion and other things, then women got an opportunity to subordinate biology. So that they could pursue varna while at the cost of ashram.

Over a period of time, now it has been made that women should focus only on varna, and ashram is not at all important. You can be happy on your own. You don’t need a family.

You don’t need anybody else to take care of you. It may well be true that a woman can go through life on its own. But nobody can be fully satisfied with only a career.

Even if you ask most men, even high-performing men who are very professionally successful, why are they doing it? They may say they want prestige in society, they want power, and all that is true. But at the end of it, they are doing it for the family. So, even the male heart cannot be satisfied only with a career.

So, women have been uniquely gifted by nature, by biology, ultimately by God, with a capacity to nurture. Women have a more well-developed emotional side, by which even when small babies who are not at all rational in their behavior can be taken care of very well by a woman much more than a man. Men will be very rational and will just not be able to deal with babies whose behavior is largely irrational.

So, the woman’s greater emotionality is also a gift. And we all have a need to nurture, that take care of someone else. And ultimately the choice is that will we be something for everyone or everything for someone.

What do I mean by something for everyone? Something for everyone means somebody becomes a manager in a company, somebody becomes a career woman. Well, from the corporate perspective, whether it is for your colleagues or whether it is for your clients, you are replaceable. If you are not there, somebody will replace you.

You will become something for everyone. Or you become everything for someone. For a newborn child, a mother is everything.

And that need to nurture is very much there within us. It is there for men, it is there for women. And many times when somebody chooses not to have a baby, they end up adopting a pet and taking care of that pet and lavishing all their affection on the pet.

So, this is not a criticism of pets at all. It is just that the need to nurture cannot be denied. And by the age of 40, 45, 50, one can start feeling extremely lonely and empty in their lives.

Now, is it possible that one can enter into a relationship and the relationship can go south and one may end up in the same place? Yes, that’s also possible. That’s a risk. No, nothing in life comes without risks.

So, one needs to be careful about what kind of relationship one enters into. But the notion that marriage and motherhood will restrict a woman professionally, it’s a very one-sided idea because we are not defined by our profession alone. A holistic life requires various things and relationships are also a very important part of that.

So, many times a woman can pursue her career after her children have grown up a little bit. And maybe the years that were invested, some people will say lost in taking care of children, but invested in taking care of children, maybe that means they will not rise as much in their career as much as they would have. But they will have a more fulfilling life.

A few decades, feminism arose about 200 years ago. A few decades or even a few centuries of ideology cannot overturn the history of humanity. And the idea is that women lose autonomy.

Women come under the control of a man. And that’s not necessary. It depends on how the marriage works out.

And the idea of autonomy itself is highly overrated. It is before say 300, 400, 500 years ago, even men did not have much autonomy. For most people, whether in India or the caste system, in the West it was the class system, whichever family you were born in, that’s what your career would be in future.

If somebody was born a peasant, then they would probably be a peasant. If somebody was born a barber, what we call upward mobility was very much absent in feudal society. So men also did not have much autonomy.

A few men who might be in royalty or aristocracy had power. And sometimes a few women also had power, maybe lesser. So the idea that autonomy is lost, yes, autonomy is lost.

But sometimes the loss of autonomy is what brings intimacy. It is what brings community. It is what actually the human heart doesn’t just want to be free.

We want to be free and we also want to belong. We also want to love and be loved. So that’s more at a professional level.

And the last part is at an ideological level also. Are you joining a patriarchy? And you want to rebel against patriarchy? Well, ultimately we all want to be happy. And has a patriarchal society led to some problems? Yes, it has led to problems.

And are there ways to correct that? I think every family finds their own way of negotiating relationships. Maybe in the past it was more like a top-down kind of thing. The man was in charge and the woman listened to the man.

But even if you look at history, women always had a voice. And in today’s world, it is not that when a woman gets married, she is going to have to enter into some rigidly patriarchal family structure. Each husband and wife will find out the dynamic with which their relationship works the best.

Society today is very different from the way it was in the past. Just as we can’t parent our children the way our parents parented us. So a husband-wife relationship today will also not be the same way it was 30 or 50 years ago.

So now, having said this, the last point to make is that ultimately, we should not force people to make a particular choice. That we can encourage people, we can try to answer their questions, address their reservations. And after that, it’s up to them.

If a woman doesn’t want to get married, she should not be guilted by constant social pressure into marriage. Now, it should not be assumed that she will be a threat to other families, other men in the community. It may be, it may not be also.

So, is our society evolved to that much extent? And some people may not even consider evolution. But we need to be able to accommodate everyone in Krishna Bhakti. And how exactly that will happen? It depends.

Many churches have… Churches, especially the protestant churches, don’t accept the idea of either monks or nuns. Catholics do for both. But protestants, they have neither.

But still they have forums for single women, even single mothers also. And as our society integrates with mainstream society, or at least starts needing to function within the way the mainstream society is, such support structures may also be created. But on one side, we need to… we can’t force somebody to do something because if things go wrong thereafter, then they’ll blame us.

And it’s not just that they’ll blame us. We don’t want to be just… I don’t want to be blamed, that’s why I won’t get married. But it’s that everybody has individual choice.

Having said that, we also need to alert people that we are a traditional society. We are an old tradition. And we are a part of an old tradition that has survived for thousands of years.

And because it’s an old tradition, it’s not going to change quickly. And if you really want to be a part of something time-tested, you wouldn’t want it to change every five minutes. So therefore, there will be certain lack of acceptance or a certain level of lesser acceptance that they may encounter if they choose to stay single consciously.

Maybe there will be some communities which will be more accepting and some communities which will be utterly non-accepting. Each community within the broader Krishna Consciousness movement will have its own ethos. So, Krishna Consciousness doesn’t depend on a person getting married or having children, even a woman getting married or having children.

But one’s role and one’s respectability in a community, in a particular community, may be affected by that. And one may need to be ready to accept that and keep one’s relationship with Krishna as a higher priority and still move on in that path. So, to summarize, three things.

First is, if a woman doesn’t want to marry because she’s been psychologically scarred, then first is that we should not make them think that they can’t practice Krishna Consciousness without getting married or having children. Second is that, if they’ve been psychologically scarred, then they’ve been given time to heal the scars by seeing stable families and trustworthy men who are actually devoted to God and are not simply waiting for a chance to exploit women. If they have some professional reservations, then maybe we need to help them to see what actually makes for a fulfilling life.

It’s not just a career. It’s not just a contribution to our career, but it’s also a connection through family. If they have ideological reservations about feminism, then we need to know that feminism is actually a historically untested ideology, especially radical feminism.

And humanity has worked in a particular way. And while we want autonomy, we also want intimacy and community. And there’s a price for that.

And lastly, we tell them that it’s up to… you can practice Krishna Consciousness in whatever way you want. At the same time, because we are a part of an old tradition and things don’t change rapidly, nor should they in a time-honored tradition. Therefore, they may encounter a certain level of non-appreciation and they need to be ready for that.

Maybe they can find a community where that non-appreciation is lesser. Krishna Consciousness also has many versions based on the ethos of a particular community. They can find a place in Krishna Consciousness, but they may not find a place in a particular community in Krishna Consciousness.

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Today on the sacred of teaching, I will speak on the topic of Krishna’s or God’s love for us and our love for us. Specifically, I talk about the topic of, does God care? There are so many things that go wrong in the world. So many things go wrong in our own lives. And when such things happen, it’s natural to get this question.

That even if we accept that godliness, does god care? And oh, lord. He is god in whatever manifestations, conceptions of god are there across the world. For god Nasimuddin, they are one of the happiest manifestations. So the lord, his anger is actually a demonstration that he cares.

So, generally, we get angry about things that we care about. And his his very anger at every form that is manifesting on the Bible, that indicates that he cares, and he cares deeply. So the Lord in his form of Nasimadev is half man. He’s half loyal. He’s half man, half loyal, and full God.

He’s fully manifesting divinity, especially in the divine manner, matter of divine power and divine, specifically, anger. So I recently written a small book on the Bhagavad Gita. It is praise inspired word. Can all of you see this? Yes.

So we will read something from this book and how it relates to the theme of how the lord cares and what does it mean. So basically, in this book, I have taken verses from the Bhagavad Gita and we use them as inspirations for offering prayers to the lord. The Gita is not just a source of wisdom. The Gita is not different from Krishna. The Gita’s verses are like mantras.

They are also like Krishna. So you can offer prayers inspired by those verses. So I’ll take one such one such verse, and then we talk about the Lord’s so basically, in this book, there’s one beautiful picture of deity of Krishna on each page. Then there is one prayer which is like a spiritual or emotional affirmation. Then there’s the Gita words, and then the translation of the Gita words in a poetic form, so that you can feel a more emotional connect with Krishna and with the words of the Gita.

After all, the Gita is a song. But sometimes the philosophy of the Gita, we may forget it’s a song. And then there is a prayer offered based on that. So I will talk about this. So let’s so I’ll read something out.

Do we have a second mic for any chance? Second mic for people to ask your reader or facilitate it. I’ll need to set one up with you. No. It’s okay.

No. It’s okay. So anyway so you can repeat after me. You just repeat. My dear lord My dear lord.

Let your smiling amid my suffering strengthen my faith, not weaken it, This is the context of the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna is just beginning to speak to Arjuna. Krishna starts speaking from 2.11. This is 2.1. So those of you comfort with Sanskrit can decide the words after me.

The Lord of the senses spoke with a gentle grace. A doming smile playing upon his divine face. Between the eyes, standing calm and bright, he so laced Arjuna was blending his bride. So this is Krishna and Arjuna in the battlefield. And the key point in this verse is that the contrast.

Arjuna is crying. Arjuna is tears. And Krishna is smiling. The different, people are born in your own families unless they have different reason. What what is the reason?

This is, I have so many problems in my life. Whenever I go to temple, Krishna is smiling all the time. So, yes, it can appear that we are facing so many challenges in life. And does Krishna care? Now we may have some challenges.

If you look at the story of Prahlad and Nasim, Prahlad faced far more challenges than what he faced. It was not just challenges, it was threats threats to his life. And if you see, Prahlad could have had the reason to ask this question even more than us in many ways. Because for him, Sikhiweg, our problems may come from many sources. Generally, when we face problems in life, the problems are broadly because of three factors.

The problem will come because of just the nature of the world. Nature of the world means that if we live in a place which is very cold and it complains so cold, it’s so cold, it’s so cold. Now let’s just say what you’re saying is so old, so old, so old. You get used to it. That’s how it is.

Sometimes the problems may come because of the nature or more precisely it could nature or behavior of the Mhmm. So nature of the world that blocks broadly in many contexts is called as Adi Dahi Klish. Just the nature of the world. Then there is Adi Bhauti Klish. Nature of people or the behavior of people.

So there could be mosquitoes which bite us, and there could be human beings who bite. There are mosquitoes, there’s and then there’s mother-in-law. So we have problems coming from people around us. The nature of people or the behavior of people. And then the third source of problem is the nature or behavior of ourselves.

This is sometimes a hard pill to swallow, But many times, if you see the problem that have come in our life, they have come because of our own actions. Sometimes we get angry over trivial things. Sometimes we end up indulging in things we should not be indulging. Sometimes we make some rash moves, and then we get into trouble. So these are broadly they are are the ethnic.

So now when the sufferings come in life, naturally, we may not miss God. Please help me. Please help me, oh lord. So when sufferings come because of the nature of the world, that’s one thing. You just have to okay.

I’ll look with it. It. Now in the case of Prahlad so this boy has talked with him afterwards. I don’t know what it was typical, teenage adolescence is just going through that phase. The hormones are growing, one is trying to deal with peer pressure, trying to find one’s place and buy.

It’s a difficult phase. I once I did I have done some writing seminars, attended some, I have conducted some also. So many times people say that, I would like to write, but I don’t have ideas. Where do you get ideas to go? Some people have too many ideas, but they don’t have the patience to translate the ideas into reality.

So this is a so one of the answers I give is if you have survived image, you have enough stories to tell for a lifetime. Especially if you have survived image in a culture that is radically different from our traditional culture, our family culture. This is a very tough period. But there are just a group of pains that are there. But if you consider the situation of Prahlad, his pains, we could say, among these three which are the category of the pains you said?

Was it because of nature of the world, nature of people, nature of others, his own behavior? Which was it? The nature of the people. People. Sorry.

How the Bhagavad Gita is depicting this or how the story unfolds that his own father is out to kill him. And this is about to happen. It is probably for the child who is growing up. It’s the most psychological scarring thing that can be imagined. The person who’s supposed to be a protector.

Now, sometimes the parents are just negligent. That itself is a problem. But if the parent is violent, now it is violent because of okay. He will drink alcohol, and we are alcohol abuse, these domestic violence, something like that. That’s terrible.

But this is it is not, like, anger that is causing come from somewhere else, and this was the child gets caught in the crossfire. It is anger directed at the child itself. And it’s knowingly it’s not just like a rush of temper. We’ll talk about why it is not. It it can be enormously scarring for a person, for a child who is growing up.

The very person who is supposed to be a protector is out to destroy me. What kind of world is this? What kind of god would be there who would allow such a thing to happen in the world? So he could easily have asked this question. And now, is it now why was his father angry with him?

Because of his devotion. So he could say that Prahlad could have said that it is not because of the nature of the world that the problem is coming my the problems are solely because of my devotion to you. Isn’t it? It’s all not all, but the main thing Hiranyak Kishipu wanted was that, Prahlad, you stop worshiping Vishnu. He considered the one point of Vishnu to plead like a disease.

He says, this is a terrible thing. Stop it right away. See, for us, most of the times, we consider the relationship if we are practicing devotion and our situation in the world. So whatever situation you’re going to do, if you practice devotion, we expect that the devotion should improve our situation. Now that in many ways, we expect it to improve.

We may in the past, it was more of a karma kanda where God, that, oh, father, thou art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, givers are dealing with them. So people in the past will look for physical needs, physical improvement, to all in daily rains so that any harvest is bound in. And now people may turn towards god, not so much for physical needs, but more for psychological needs. Oh, god. Please give me peace of mind.

One of the most common reasons that we ask people, why do you come to a temple? It is not many people come because of the love for god. Nothing wrong with it. It’s to appreciate whatever reason we come. We come for peace of mind.

And that’s also improvement. It’s a big improvement. Now it’s, it’s very you can’t just buy peace of mind with a pen. So we expect that our devotion should improve our worldly situation. Now in the case of Prahlad, his devotion itself is the cause of the worsening of his worldly situation.

Now when this happens, you know, we practice bhakti. Use a very wonderful, definition of Krishna consciousness. It’s how he says he asked, how will you know that we are Krishna conscious? So he says, if you come in from the temple, come in the temple, come in from the deity. And if you feel that deity is asking us, Krishna is asking us, what are you doing for me?

What are you doing for me? We are all meant to be of loving service to the lord. So, naturally, the lord will ask, what what service are you doing? So if you have that mood, if you feel that, that Krishna is asking, what are you doing for me? That is Krishna consciousness.

Now many times when people come to a temple, their question is, God, what are you doing for me? I have this problem. I have this problem, and I did this pooja, and I did this tapas. It’s time for you. It’s time for you to pay up now.

Come on. Do something. So So, normally, we expect our devotion to improve our situation. And if even the situation does not improve, we get agitated. We start thinking, should I be worshiping god?

Okay. Well, I think this is not working for us. So so now but if our situation starts worsening because of our is natural for any person when they practice in bhakti to get the question. So let’s look a little bit at the prayer order. So do we have another mic?

No. It’s gonna take some time. No. I’m not touching one. So maybe someone has a mic in their throat.

Somebody will hear it loudly. Oh, yes, sir. Please. Can you read the first paragraph? Oh my lord.

Many are the times when I feel lost and lonely, confronted with the perplexities of life. At those times when nothing I do seems to be working, I cannot help but wonder, do you, oh lord, know my plight? Yes. So now we will theoretically know if Krishna is commissioned. Krishna knows everything.

But does Krishna know my situation right now? But does Krishna know how to cope with the situation right now? And does Krishna knows that he came for the situation. So Prahlad is being threatened. He he was practicing his devotion, and he was not even trying to impose his devotion with his father.

It was only his father to ask some questions. That’s the time he would speak. He wanted to learn in your school, and he would speak sublimely sweet points, And those sublimely sweet points would drive his father into a wild rage. So and his father, it’s like the the story that he undergoes, we will go over the story and especially focusing on the climax and on the simulated audience. So how things evolve at that particular time.

So essentially, we see the descent into into depravity, into brutality. Redekashiko is a brutal person, but even everybody, no matter how bad they are, they have some boundaries. That, say, if somebody’s a criminal, they say, I want to rob, but, you know, I don’t want to hurt anyone. Or even somebody who’s a Okay? I will kill, but I am not gonna be killed.

You know, so everybody has certain boundaries. So initially, when Hiranyakashipo sees that his son is, is talking about bhakti, He, Hiradevan Shubhas defined his life by being anti God. He’s not just an atheist, he’s a anti theist. Antitheist. His purpose of life is to destroy Vishnu.

He’s teasing that I will perform more and more austerities, and by the power of Tapasya, I will destroy an issue. And he thinks that, okay, he thinks that Vishnu is so scared of him, Vishnu has disappeared. So I can’t find Vishnu anywhere. If I find him, I’ll destroy him. But till I can’t destroy him, I will destroy all signs of worship of him.

And that’s why he sends his demons to destroy all the sacred releases, all the Yedgesthales. Right? Yedgesthales over here. So, watching that again, remembering this past in this past, what he said is, destroy all signs of worship of him. That and, like, eight people he he has a great ego, and people who have a lot of ego, what happens is the one thing they cannot tolerate is being ignored.

You have a person who has a lot of ego and they come to a particular place, and nobody notices them. They are enraged. So he now he has a lot of ego. He wants to throw around this weight and dominate people, so he thinks Vishnu is like that. So he thinks that if I stop the worship of Vishnu, if I completely end the worship of Vishnu, then Vishnu, because of his ego, will come out from where he is.

And then I can catch you and I can kill you. That’s why he stops all worship. And then his situation is he stops the worship of Vishnu practically all over the universe, and then he finds that very worship of Vishnu which is stopped all over the universe, that worship is happening in his own home. So this is infuriating for him. He thinks that so, he thinks, okay, my child is a small child.

So, normally, what we try to do is that if we like someone, then even if they do something bad, we try to give them the benefit of the doubt. And that’s how it should be, that if we like someone and, say, they eat too much food. Maybe we have prepared meal for four people, and they eat the meal of three people. And then one person has to the remaining three people have to share one person’s meal. Or maybe they have a special dessert and they eat two of the dessert.

Then if we dislike that person, we’ll say, so what a clatter? No sense control. But if we like that person, we’ll say, oh, maybe maybe he was very hungry. Maybe he didn’t do little limited food. We’ll try to give them the benefit of the doubt.

So generally, what happens, we try to find the blade somewhere else. So like that, Virani Krishu says, okay, my son is nice, but maybe some of these Vaishnavas have somehow come and infected. So although he has tried to remove all devotion, but he still know that some people still are practicing Magdi. So he first warns his students, his teachers, you should watch out. You should not let my children, my child associate with bad people.

So for him, devotee the bad people. Not associate, not let them associate. And then he let them off with a warning. Second time it happens. Again, Maharaj said the same thing.

This time he’s angry here. This knocks for a lot of time. Oh. And then he again calls his teachers. He says, okay.

Okay. Now we’ll take care of it. So now that the sequence that is described in different narrative, there is a, there is the Mahabharata, there is the there is Simma Purana, there is the Vishnu Purana, there are other Puranas where some is some narrative is the sequence is described slightly differently. This could refer to how different Kalpas things happen. But the point is that slowly, he starts recognizing first he gets he get he blames the Vaishnav also coming.

Then he blames his teachers, his students’ teachers. You are not taking care of him. And then finally, he says the act, this child, this child is the problem. And then, there is a difference between anger and danger. So anger generally is hot headed.

When we are angry about something, it arises from the circumstances and it stays for some time. Anger is hot headed. But what Hiranyakashipu exhibits is not anger, it is hate. Hate is cold blooded. It is not just one moment of anger that is, oh, this Palla needs to be killed.

We always speak like that. I’ll kill you if you do this. One devotees suddenly showed me, that that child had run up run away, and then the child came back. And then I was talking with the child. It was just a small misunderstanding.

The child had just taken too seriously. The parents but the parent, the father showed me a small clipping, and they were laughing. So there’s a there’s a mother. Her daughter has run away. And she’s a Christian.

She’s praying to God. Oh, God. Please let her be please let my child be safe, and let her come home safely so that I can kill her. So the idea here is that sometimes you may use the word and kill you. So that’s in a very nonlitrous sense.

It’s an expression of anger. But in this case, it was real. He said that, you know, if a part of the body gets infected, then we need to cut out the part, otherwise everything will get infected. So he said like that, and therefore, I need to kiss him. So see, here, what he’s doing is, sometimes when we do something bad, we might just do it in a rage.

So when anger comes up, anger just sidelines our intelligence. No? Sidelines means this put pushes aside. But when hate comes, hate doesn’t sideline the intelligence. Hate recruits the intelligence.

Recruit the intelligence means we use our intelligence to make a plan how to do it and how to justify it or stop it. This is where we rationalize. And if you heard the word rationalize? So when we rationalize, what happens? We tell rational lies.

And when we rationalize, we tell rational lies. So he’s justifying the killing of his own son by saying this is like a seizure, the disease has to be removed. So then, it tries to kill I was talking earlier about boundaries. Even bad people have some boundaries. One of my friends is awarded for a jail.

So he says, even more prisoners, if the prisoners come to jail because of some child abuse, even prisoners look like children. Then the child those child abusers are kept in some kept in some they’re kept in seclusion, solid confinement. Otherwise, prisoners will harm the person there. So everybody has boundaries. So even Hirany Kishipu has some boundaries initially.

He thinks this is my son, I cannot kill him. So he tells others to do the dirty work. He says he has assistance. You kill him. Now they all try to kill him, but none of them succeed.

And often, this is seen as a miracle. And yes, it is. That the miracle is he’s thrown down a mountain and nothing happens to him. He’s kept at a burning fire. He is bitten by snakes.

He’s put in the path of trumpeting elephants. And none of those efforts, they were injured. So that is a miracle. However, if you look at Vaishnavacharya’s commentaries, look at the commentary, that is not the biggest miracle. See, miracles are basically broadly, they could be of two kinds.

One is things that happen to us. Things that happen to us. To us means that something as she happens. So here, he’s threatened, and he’s he’s no power, Prahlaj, just a small five year old boy. As a five year old boy, how can he defend against anyone?

He’s cut. He survives. So that’s a miracle. But if you look at the Bhakti tradition’s commentaries, the bigger miracle is not his safety. That his safety is definitely miracle.

But the bigger miracle is the things that happen through us. That the bigger miracle is his his purity, his determination, his devotion. The technical word is fidelity. Fidelity is faithfulness. That despite all this happening, his devotion is not cheap.

And that is the bigger miracle. Srila Prabhupada would sometimes be asked, can you perform some miracles? And Prabhupada would often point to his some of his disciples, and he would say, these are my miracles. But what is the miracle over here? The biggest miracle that matters is the change of the human heart.

There can be many miracles that you can have. Somebody can make somebody can make an object disappear, somebody can make an object appear. Many different kind of miracles can happen, and they have some bad now. But the biggest miracle is the change of the human heart. The change of the heart means what?

A person’s heart is directed towards selfishness, towards ego, towards dominating others, and that person becomes selfless, gentle, caring. That’s the change of heart. That’s the miracle which will actually make bring real happiness in our hearts, and that’s the miracle that will bring happiness in the world. So the miracle from the Bhakti tradition is not just that Prahlad survived all these attacks. That is true.

It’s also that Prahlad’s devotion survived. Prahlad’s fidelity to the Lord, his faithfulness to the Lord was unshaken. Not even once did he have second thoughts that I should worship the Lord a lot. And and that is the glory of Shivrabhu bath also. Shivrabhu Bhat came to America.

In many ways, everything that could go wrong went wrong. You know, if some people believe a lot in fate and some people believe in science, you know, okay, this is educated that God wants to do this is educated that God wants to do that. Now, sometimes that’s a science can tell us something, but if you look at the science of what happened, there’s so many signs for Prabhupada. Right on his journey, he got a heart attack. Hey, this is why God doesn’t want me to do this.

And then after that, everywhere he went in Pennsylvania, people the his host treated it like a curiosity object, not a spiritual teacher. He don’t want to give it from me. Then he got to pure heart, and there the person said that, okay, he didn’t say it but he can’t speak, because then his philosophy was different. And finally Prabhupada came to counter culture and just when something good seemed to be happening, there’s one person David Allen who seemed to be about to And then what happened, this person went on he took he had a he used to take drugs before he had a, drug and relapse, and he went crazy and came to attack the robot. And well, is this mission gonna work, ma’am?

These people ever change? No. The fact that Bhopal did not give up his mission, that itself is an error. Even if Prabhupada had not succeeded, the fact that Prabhupada built hundred day temples and all 70 boats inspired millions of people to become devotees, that is definitely miraculous. But the fact that Prabhupada’s devotion survived all their tests, that is also a miracle.

So Pradhalad’s devotion surviving is a miracle. And when the threats come in our life, the question comes, does God care? So when the whole world seems to be screaming to us, no, he doesn’t care. If God had been caring, why would Pranlal be subject to such a danger? Why would Prabhupada have his prospective disciple turn against him and ready to attack him?

So when the world’s world’s evidence seems to be screaming to us, no, God doesn’t care. At that time, are we ready to turn away from the world? Are we ready to hear a source beyond the world? So that is what Purna loves to me. Let’s look at the next paragraph.

Will anyone else like to read? Sure. Yes, please. Yeah. Go on.

If you if you do know is that the one you want me to read it? Yes, please. Yes. If you do know my suffering, then why do you not step forward to stop it? If instead of stepping forward to help me, I came to know that in those moments, you were smiling while I was suffering.

Oh, lord. How would I be able to maintain my devotion to you? Thank you. So basically, here, Arjuna is suffering and Krishna is smiling. So if we come to know that when we are going through something terrible, terrible situation, then the lord is smiling.

Can you even get it? How can you be smiling with this situation? If somebody goes to a therapist and the person is breaking down and the therapist is smiling, you know, probably, the client will sue the therapist for emotional wounds, emotional injury. Isn’t it? How can the child smile, mister Chaim?

So the so at such times, you know, when the world’s evidence doesn’t seem to support our emotion, at the time we need to look beyond the world. We need to look at scriptures. We look at the times in scriptures when there have an interaction between the things in the law. Because Krishna has arranged this world in such a way that the evidence of the world will always be mixed. That sometimes the evidence of the world will strengthen our faith in God.

And sometimes the evidence of the world will question our faith in God. Why? Because this world is made for those souls who do not want to become anything to do with God. Now when I was introduced to Bhakti about thirty years ago, I started, actually, I was introduced to Bhakti my childhood, but I was reintroduced to the philosophical dimension of Bhakti, I’m happy here. So, Satapur, I don’t have anything to do with God.

I don’t need God for anything. So for people that, if this God came Yeah. I don’t care if God cares or not. This we can be apathetic towards it. But for those who are a bit devotionally minded, so so people may come to such conclusions because the world’s evidence will never be completely unambiguous.

So that it’s saying that believers need no reasons, non believers accept no reasons. So the word is such that believers, those who have faith, they will have experiences from within their hearts and confirm their devotion to them. And those are non believers that will come up with some explanations for somehow that actually just takes explanation how this doesn’t go anything. So that’s how things will go on. So that’s why we cannot rely on our eyes alone for the evidence of God’s presence, God’s training, God’s love.

But in history, there are some times when this veil of Maya rings, and then the Lord appears. And the Lord’s love manifests in the world. And those are the times that we need to dwell on. Those are the times which should become the homes for our heart, the homes for our thoughts. And it is by remembering those incidents that we gain strength, we gain perspective.

Now hybrid tradition has such powerful founding stories. So for example, the Jewish tradition, the the journey of the people to the chosen land, that’s the story that they enter it derives straight from. In our tradition, it is the Ramayan, the Mahabal, it is the Mahagotam. Why? Because in daily history, we may not see God’s hands all the time.

But there are some times in history that God’s hand is seen. And those who are to be devoted, they need to be able to remember those times. And that’s how our beings are staying our way. So can we go to the next part? Yes.

Oh, like today? Any other lady? Question, Navees? Yes, please. What is this?

Bless me, darling. Bless me to remember, oh lord, that you are never smiling because I am suffering. It is through my suffering that I’m becoming more open to your calling. So Krishna is not suffering smiling because we are suffering. Krishna is smiling because, say, a a a if there’s a doctor.

And sometimes the doctors, they can they can observe someone, and gaze, you got this disease, you got this disease, but the patient is in denial. I don’t have any disease. So then, the if the disease symptoms are more so slightly, And that’s when the patient comes to doctor. Please, I need your help. So the doctor smiles not because the patient is okay, but because the patient has come to a place where they will get cured.

So it is that when we are going through difficulties, it is not that Krishna doesn’t know our difficulties. We can read this once again. You, my lord. You know my pain. You know my pain.

You feel my pain. You feel my pain. And you want to heal my pain. And you want to heal my pain. So the lord is there, not just somewhere up there, high in the sky, far away.

The lord is in here with us in our own hearts at the bottom. So he knows what we are going through. And if he’s not intervening, then that there’s a reason for that. Now what is that reason? We’ll talk about that, and I’ll conclude.

So this last part will take two hours. So basically, now what we’ll talk about is this one graph which is four quadrant diagram, which explains this concept. That is love and then it’s anger. Now, love and anger, can both of them go together? There are four possibilities.

If there is no love at all and there is no anger, then there is simply apathy. You know, I don’t care for you, and because I don’t care for you, I don’t care what you do also. Once I’ve tried to do mediation between two people, and one of them said, I know you are handling it to other person. No. I’m not handling it.

But if you don’t care for a person at all, it’s apathy. Now if there is no love and there is anger, then that is envy. So there is love no love at all. There is hate. The opposite of love would be hate.

Especially if there’s anger, then that is envy. Now as far as Krishna is concerned, Krishna is never in this category. Krishna always loves everything. So we are talking not from our love perspective. We are talking about the lord’s love.

We are talking about the does the lord care? Does the lord care? So this I can tell you your interpretation. I’m the beneficiary of all many beings. We’ll talk shortly about how.

He’s the beneficiary even of inner. Now now if there is love and there is no end, No. That is sweet expressions of love are there. So when we are someone who cares for us, celebrating these cool sweet ambiance. Now we could talk about romantic love, where there’s a lot of, emotions and hormones and all that.

But when there is not not those hormonal kind of infatuation, but here, there’s a deep sense of ease that is there. We call it serenity. When there is love, and there is nothing to agitate the mother. We’re just being we are happy with being with that person. So that is serenity.

And there are times when there is love and desire. And that actually shows the intensity of the love. So now love can be seen in both ways, through the absence of anger and through the presence of anger. Say, for example, somebody has done something which hurts us a lot. But because we care for that person, we don’t yell at that person.

We try to stay calm. That shows love. Normally, we’ll get very angry and yell at the person, but because that person is very important for us, we try to stay calm. So that’s one aspect. Now suppose somebody is an suppose a child is Mother will give a scolding to the child.

But that scolding is also an expression of love. Now scolding should never be the only expression of love. Then what happened is love is not seen at heart. But the thing is that it is only because I care for you that I’m angry. So sometimes you’ll be angry with the child, you say, for I’m not some mischief or if somebody’s hurting our child.

You know, we will anger that person. That would also be a sign of love. The point is that in the world, that Krishna’s love is there, Krishna when a devotee is going to suffer, it is not that Krishna does not care. So most of the times, that love is seen through the serenity of Krishna. Most of the times what happens is Krishna is severely.

Now now we talk about Krishna and there are a few times in history when Krishna’s anger comes out. That Krishna’s love is expressed through his anger. So now when Krishna is serene, Krishna is peaceful, that doesn’t mean Krishna never cared? Well, not exactly. Krishna cares, and Krishna shows his care by enabling us to also experience serenity even in the middle of the air, even in the middle of the pain.

So this is the amazing thing of bhakti that in bhakti, you will say, what is God doing for me? Does God care? If by bhakti, it’s not just emotion, it’s not how much we dance in khipus. It is not how much we roll in ecstasy. A bhakti is actually how much is our heart centered Krishna.

How much do our thoughts find their own in Krishna? Our thoughts’ own is in Krishna. What does it mean? See, we may for various jobs, we may go to various places, but yeah. You can.

Yeah. Various, jobs, we may go to various places, but as soon as the job is done, we come back home. So like that, we may have to think of various things in the world, but as soon as the things are dilute, our thoughts come back to each other. So for us, when we practice bhakti, what happens is almost mystical, there’s an internal effect of bhakti, and there’s an external effect of bhakti. The internal effect of bhakti will be that we will find that we are peaceful even in chaos.

That if we start practicing bhakti, how do we know Krishna is carrying the external problems are there? But in the past, those problems would have shaken us, shattered us. Now, when you start practicing those problems will seem to affect us so much. And that is Krishna acting from within our heart to calm us. Now Krishna can do that, Krishna will do that, but we need to turn towards him.

We need to fix our memories. We need to remember him. And that’s what I said is the miracle. So was Lord Nrsimhadev not helping Prahlad till all the time when he was being prosecuted? Yes.

Dhanushimade was there. And it was because of the Lord’s presence in Prahlad’s heart that Prahlad would stay calm. Prahlad was not affected. So this is something which I I earlier I said people feel peaceful when they come to the temple. How does that happen?

Actually, we’re coming closer to the presence of Krishna. So essentially, when we grow spiritually, when we habituate ourselves remembering Krishna, Regularly, we practice Bhakti. We come to temple. We do our mantra jamba. We do our kija.

What happens? Initially, for us, the world is very big, and Krishna is very small. And in fact, this is what Indra says in his prayers. He says, we used to worship you before, but this Hriday Kashi was terrorizing us, and that’s why we had to stop worshiping. But as we grow spiritually, as we become advanced devotees, the world becomes small and Krishna becomes big for us.

So this was the situation of Indra, and this was the situation of Prahlad. And so although there was a huge threat for Prahlad, for him the world was small. Krishna was pleased with him and he was worshiping Krishna. So if if the world is big, then what happens? The world’s ups and downs, they also become very big.

Sometimes our mind makes them even more big. But if the world is small, then the world’s ups and downs also become very small. So that’s how, as devotees, if we practice Bakfi regularly, we will find that our resilience will increase, that life will still batter us with problems, but we won’t be that affected by the problems. The problems will not shake and shatter us to that degree because we will have a connection with our lord. And that, the lord is the bigger reality.

The lord has a bigger plan for us. So when we understand Krishna is the bigger reality, Krishna the world is smaller, Krishna will take care of things that the world will do for us. When a devotee if we have the devotional vision, what happens is, I understand that my vision is a finite vision. And this finite vision is not the final vision. The finite vision is not the final vision.

So right now, within my finite experience, I may not be seeing Krishna intervening and helping me, but this is not the final vision. There are times when Krishna is helping the past. There are times when Krishna will help me in the future. Right now, let me not make my present experience the basis of all my decisions. So Krishna, when he doesn’t seem to be active, he doesn’t seem to be doing anything.

He doesn’t seem to be concerned. He’s still active, and he’s giving us strength and certainty from within. Krishna says, if you become conscious of me, you will pass over the obstacles of the world. What does that mean? The world along with its ob along with its obstacles will become smaller.

And by my connection with you, you will become big enough to go over those problems. So Krishna’s love is seen by the peace that we experience when we go through the difficulties. When you you know that I have both here. So in February I was at 11, I was once really chanting in one of the temples in India. And when I was chanting, I didn’t notice, because somewhere, at those times, I I would not use crutches.

I used to wear a brace. My the brace had a walking stick. So I was walking, and I didn’t notice that there was a little water over there somewhere. And my leg went under the water, and I slipped. I slipped, and I completely fell.

And this leg was already very weak because of, polio, and I had osteoporosis and other things. And I felt it was a minor fall, but a severe fracture. Yes. Several hours of surgery had to be done. And I have an old friend who’s named East.

He said to me, he wrote the name and said that he was in, you were in the temple of God. You were chanting the news of God. And at that time, you had an accident. So what is the use of your worship in God? So, actually, that was one of the most transformative spiritual experiences for me.

I I fell out of this terrible pain. I tried to chant, but I just don’t focus on the chanting. See, Bhakti is our mechanic. So, one month, what the way I connect with Krishna the most is through the Bhagavad Gita. Reciting the Bhagavad Gita’s words says, remembering the Bhagavad Gita’s words says, contemplating.

So I thought Gita’s also were not just source of wisdom. They are, like, personal friends for you. So somehow, at that time, I started reciting the Gita’s verses. And I started reciting the verses of the Gita, and I felt as if the pages disappeared. I said, what happened?

Then I stopped chanting, again the pages came back. And initially, we thought it was not a very big fall. We thought it got a problem. But, the pain kept persisting. Then we went to, doctor.

The doctor’s we need his excellency, and he said, hey. This is you’ve almost been severely ill. I said, time. And I found that I was almost lifted above the fever. When I finally I came to the hospital where we have the only hospital in Mumbai, I was chanting the verses, not out of devotion to Krishna, but out of wanting to avoid the pain.

I hope one day I’ll chant my devotion. But the point was, and I told him this, see that same experience which from an atheistic perspective will be, what’s the point of worshiping God? In the temple of God, while chanting the ring of God, you fell down and you had an accident. But that same experience from an external perspective and internal perspective. Is there any doubt?

No. That was one of the experiences that convinced me about the reality of Krishna consciousness to elevate oneself, elevate us above our body situation. That doesn’t mean we get ourselves into pain unnecessarily. It’s not that we put ourselves into pain and see, let us see if I can remember it, so I can go walk. No.

Not like that. But the point is that Krishna may not seem to be intervening, but Krishna is intervening. So, Pabralla, the fact that Krishna was there was what enabled him to stay fixed in his devotion. And there are times when Krishna manifests his anger. So finally, when Hiranyakrishiko decided enough is enough, what happened?

He sent the sun back to school, and he said, let’s see. Maybe this is just a phase that can go through. Some people think when you practice Bakhtin’s satisfaction, they go away. His father said, now I will take matters in my own hands. He wanted to not just kill Prahlad himself, he first wanted to kill Prahlad’s spirit.

And therefore, he said, where is your Vishnu? You claim to worship him, Dimuganar Singh, saying he’s everywhere? Is he here in this pillar? And that’s it. Very noisy, I’m thinking.

Like, almost a matter of yeah. Of course, he’s there. And then, Hiranyakashi was fully confident that he will now prove to Allah to be false. Which the problem with the world is that often the foolish people are super confident. And the bigger problem with the world is that the wise people are super doubtful.

So atheists are confident there is no God. And thieves are worried when God is in the God, really there will God help you. But this sound was so scary. And this time when the Lord manifested, that form that had never been seen before, that form was seen. Namroka Namahamushan.

Not an animal, not a human being. Hiradekashipu had many blessings by which he thought he would never be killed. But in every blessing, there is some room bone. He could have immediately hurt Hiranyakashipu apart. But he was waiting.

He was waiting till it was sunset. And then it was sunset. Hiranyakashipu thought that, you know, see, in this particular battle, Hiranyakashipu was smaller. Normally, the odds are against the devotees. But in the similar way, he manifested it in giant form.

And Hiranyakashipu thought, I’m still winning. But then within a few moments, when the Lord saw the sunset, the twilight, he just grabbed Hiranyakashipu, dragged him to the place between the inside and outside of the room. And there, just now he was dragging an a knock and he was just trying to get out. Now Viranya Kashipu had wanted to break the spirit of her, and the Swindale broke the spirit of Viranya Kashipu. Because for her dedication, she knows, I am so powerful, I can control everyone.

And the Lord came there, but before he came there, he was completely dominated. It’s like, you know, sometimes two boxer, somebody I’m a charpit boxer, And there, one boxer catches the other boxer in one deadly group. Then I’ll go away. I can’t do anything at all. It’s reduced to complete helplessness.

And then Lord, this is what they Europeans go to India for health tourism. They get surgery done over there because it’s cheaper there. So an American came there. He said, what is this? This is the original subject.

So were they successful? Yes. Operation successful? Patient. So now lord Nasimuddin, but he was very angry at Tiranakashipu, but that anger was not towards the soul of Tiranakashipu.

And it was Prahlad also, he he saw his father being killed. He did not he did not feel joy. Oh, you tried to kill me. Now you have been killed. Nor did he feel remorse.

Oh, my father has been killed. Dad, what is his emotion? His emotions concern. Because there could be joy, but you tell it now, you try to challenge me, my devotion, that’s not what happened to me. Sometimes some devotees get pleasure in some bad happening to those who are forced to doubt.

The father was not getting that joy. And the same time, his emotion was said, oh, people will think because of me, my father was killed. His emotion not at all self centered. The emotion was centered around his father’s. He said, he did a pray to him, Narasimhadev.

Please deliver my father. And what did the Lord say? That actually, that 40 generations of a devotee’s family are all amplified because that person becomes a devotee. So for the lord, although he was angry with Rendi Gashibbu, that anger was not a when he was basking and bathing in the Lord’s presence, the Lord smiling joyfully on him, the Lord listening profusely, the Lord seeping him on his lap, the Lord putting his hand on his head, So for him, even after he got the word, the word did not suddenly come big for him. He still remains small, the Lord remains big.

So there are times in our life when we will see Krishna’s end in our life. We’ll see things happen in such a way, yeah, this this good can happen without Krishna. There is synchronicity, there is what we call serendipity. Things do happen. And there are things like that have happened in history.

So when those happen, we gain conviction from those vapes that actually Krishna is there and Krishna cares. And because Krishna cares, that is why he is he it’s not that he cared at that time, he doesn’t care now. He always cares. So let me remember your smile, Amit, I saw to him, as a sign of your confidence and competence that you can tackle in any and every problem no matter how gigantic it seems to be. So last sentence, who would like to read this?

Yes. Not that the Lord doesn’t care. If we are suffering and the Lord seems to be smiling, that doesn’t mean he does not recognize, he doesn’t care. It just means the Lord is having some plan. He’s taking his time.

He is capable. The Lord could have been killed in a negative way. The Lord let this time pass so that the world would know the glory of the beloved. And how glorious is the devotee that Sometimes it is seen through the actions that happen in the world. Many times it is seen through the actual changes that happen within our God.

In how our hearts stay steady in the love of our Lord. So let’s summarize. I talked about three main points. I talked about how we understand that Lord’s love as does Krishna care, does the Lord care? That was the compliment that.

Yes. When we were discussing this, normally, when we practice bhakti, you know, we have a certain expectation. What is God doing for me? When we go through life, we practice devotion, and we expect it to improve our worldly situation. And that’s a reasonable expectation.

But sometimes, instead of improving the worldly situation, what happens is our situation may worsen. And at that time, how do we process? So if we look at the world itself, the world’s evidence can sometimes strengthen our faith, because some things happen which can strengthen our faith. But many things can happen in the world which can weaken our faith. So that’s why we cannot rely on the world for our faith.

Then what what do we do? We turn towards scripture. And there we discuss the divine dynamic that there is the dynamic of love and anger. So the lord is never having apathy that there’s no love and no anger. The Lord never has enmity towards anyone.

So these two are not true at all. And what is true? That the Lord when his love is there, but there doesn’t seem to be any anger, there doesn’t seem to be any concern, that is where the Lord gives us serenity. The Lord helps us to experience an almost mystical calm, even when the world is a permanent place. So this is where what happens, we are here and initially the world is big and God is small for us.

But eventually what happens? The as we grow spiritually Eventually, what happens is that the world becomes for us, the world becomes small, and Krishna becomes big for us. So, this is the situation of Hralal. This is a a serious devotee. This is the situation of Indra who represents more of a materialistic kind of devotee.

So, now this serenity comes because Krishna has become bigger than the world. And we see the last part. So when there is there are times when Krishna experiences expresses intensity. Intensity is where the lord’s love becomes manifested in his word. So the lila that is performed over here, this lila and such lila, not only lila, these should become the home of our hearts.

It is by remembering these things, these past times that the lord intervened, that the lord protected devotees. The lord’s protection became manifest at a material level. Like, the he was Jagra Upadam is Jagra America, is this, like, it is written in the nectarian pastor in Jagra Jedda that is giving me strength, so this becomes the home for our cause. And then, with that, what happens? We accept that my finite vision is not the final vision.

So we, with faith, with patience, we wait. We keep maintaining our devotion to the Lord and that devotion will be vindicated. He said, Prahlad was glorified. The Lord had a bigger plan, but he did not intervene at a particular time. So maybe the Lord will intervene in this time.

And the miracles that the Lord does and miracles can sometimes be external where the situation just changes dramatically. That the miracle can also be internal, where we can be peaceful even amid the chaos. The external miracle is the chaos just disappears, the trouble disappears. The external miracle is that the trouble may remain, but we don’t really trouble. We may have it with trouble, but, you know, we live with pain rather than pain rather than in pain because we now live with our Lord.

So let us pray, you are the simile that, my dear Lord, the day you have demonstrated your Prahlad’s love for you and your love for Prahlad, Let this Ghela become the home for my heart. Let me remember that this historical evidence of your love for for those who are devoted to you, and let that remembrance sustain me In times when I feel the load, when I feel the problems are overwhelming, let me remember you, oh lord, and find serenity and shelter in strength in that remembrance. Let’s recite this once. My dear lord, can you repeat after me? My dear lord, lord.

Let your smile in. Let your smile in. Amid my suffering. Amid my suffering. Strengthen my faith.

Thankyou.

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Before Lord Caitanya appeared He sent His eternal associates like Sri Advaita Acarya, Sri Jagannatha Misra, Saci Mata, Madhavendra Puri, Isvari Puri to earth. Sri Madhavendra Puri took initiation from Sri Laksmipati Tirtha in the Madhvacarya sampradaya. 

He had many but Sri Advaita Acarya and Sri Isvara Puri were the chief disciples of Madhavendra Puri. In one way or another, all the Vaisnavas in Bengal and Ksetra mandala (Jagan­natha Puri) were connected with Sri Madhavendra Puri. After Lord Caitanya came many of his disciples joined Mahaprabhu’s sankirtana movement. 

 “Madhavendra Puri’s body was completely full of divine love; so were his followers. He displayed uncommon love of God. Seeing a dark blue rain cloud, he would fall down unconscious. Day and night he was intoxicated from drinking the ambrosia of Krishna prema.” (Vrndavana Dasa Thakura)

 After making an extensive pilgrimage of Bharata-bhumi (India) he passed his life in Vrndavana and Orissa. He began the restoration work of Vrndavana that Sri Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis continued later. Wandering from grove to grove, remembering Radha-Krishna’s sweet Vrndavana pastimes, Madhavendra Puri would faint in ecstasy.

In a dream, Sri Gopala ordered Madhavendra Puri to uncover a buried Gopala Deity and install Him atop Govardhana Hill. Madhavendra Puri celebrated Gopala’s installation with an annakuta (grand festival offering a mountain of foodstuffs to Krishna). This Annakuta festival, also called Govardhana Puja, is one of the most important Vaisnava festivals in Vrndavana, in India, and around the world. The original Gopala Deity, known as Sri Nathaji, is now worshiped in Nathadvara, Rajasthan. 

Madhavendra Puri introduced the conception of madhurya bhava (conjugal love) in the Madhvacarya sampradaya. Mad­havendra Puri sowed the seed of prema bhakti. And Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became the towering tree dropping honey sweet fruits of prema upon everyone. He also revealed viraha bhava, the mood of love relished in separation from God. His branch of the Madhva sect distinguished itself by this ecstatic love of God. It is known as the Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya.

Perth, Australia — April 2025: With hearts full of gratitude and spirits lifted in devotion, over one hundred devotees from across Perth gathered for the fourth annual Bhakti Vriksha Camp, organised by ISKCON Perth, held from April 19 to 21, 2025, at the scenic Bickley Outdoor Recreation Camp in Perth Hills. The retreat marked another
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By Bhakti-lata Dasi In January 2022, the prison system in the USA started the process of converting all inmate mail to an electronic system. The state of Florida was the first to transition, gradually followed by Texas, then Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. In the near future, the other states will follow this
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Today is a very auspicious day, for many reasons. One reason is that today is Chandana-yatra. It is also Sri Madhavendra Puri’s appearance day. So, I thought to read about Sri Madhavendra Puri’s pure devotional service and how he brought candana for the Deity of Gopala and ultimately offered it to the Deity of Gopinatha, who is not different from Gopala.

 

jaya jaya sri caitanya jaya nityananda
jayadvaitacandra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda

We read from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter 4, “Sri Madhavendra Puri’s Devotional Service”:

In his Amrita-pravaha-bhasya, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura gives the following summary of the Fourth Chapter:

One night while in Govardhana, Madhavendra Puri dreamed that the Gopala Deity was within the forest. The next morning, he invited his neighborhood friends to accompany him to excavate the Deity from the jungle. He then established the Deity of Sri Gopalaji on top of Govardhana Hill with great pomp. Gopala was worshiped, and the Annakuta festival was observed. This festival was known everywhere, and many people from the neighboring villages came to join. One night the Gopala Deity again appeared to Madhavendra Puri in a dream and asked him to go to Jagannatha Puri to collect some sandalwood pulp and smear it on the body of the Deity. Having received this order, Madhavendra Puri immediately started for Orissa. Traveling through Bengal, he reached Remuna village and there received a pot of condensed milk (ksira) offered to the Deity of Gopinathaji. This pot of condensed milk was stolen by Gopinatha and delivered to Madhavendra Puri. Since then, the Gopinatha Deity has been known as Ksira-cora-gopinatha, the Deity who stole the pot of condensed milk. After reaching Jagannatha Puri, Madhavendra Puri received permission from the King to take one “mana” of sandalwood and eight ounces of camphor. Aided by two men, he brought these things to Remuna. Again he saw in a dream that Gopala at Govardhana Hill desired that very sandalwood to be turned into pulp mixed with camphor and smeared over the body of Gopinathaji. Understanding that that would satisfy the Gopala Deity at Govardhana, Madhavendra Puri executed the order and returned to Jagannatha Puri.

TEXT 1

yasmai datum corayan ksira-bhandam
  gopinathah ksira-corabhidho ’bhut
sri-gopalah pradurasid vasah san
  yat-premna tam madhavendram nato ’smi

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Madhavendra Puri, who was given a pot of sweet rice stolen by Sri Gopinatha, celebrated thereafter as ksira-cora. Being pleased by Madhavendra Puri’s love, Sri Gopala, the Deity at Govardhana, appeared to the public vision.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Bhaktivinoda Thakura annotates that this Gopala Deity was originally installed by Vajra, the great-grandson of Krsna. Madhavendra Puri rediscovered Gopala and established Him on top of Govardhana Hill. This Gopala Deity is still situated at Nathadvara and is under the management of descendants of Vallabhacarya. The worship of the Deity is very luxurious, and one who goes there can purchase varieties of prasadam by paying a small price.

TEXT 2

jaya jaya gauracandra jaya nityananda
jayadvaitacandra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda

All glories to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu! All glories to Nityananda Prabhu! All glories to Advaita Prabhu! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya!

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

Now we will skip to Remuna, where Madhavendra Puri received the pot of condensed milk stolen by the Deity Gopinatha. Madhavendra Puri was afraid that when news of the event spread, everyone would want to see him and appreciate him. So he thought he should not remain there any longer but should leave immediately for Jagannatha Puri.

TEXT 143–146

cali’ cali’ aila puri sri-nilacala
jagannatha dekhi’ haila premete vihvala

Walking and walking, Madhavendra Puri finally reached Jagannatha Puri, which is also known as Nilacala. There he saw Lord Jagannatha and was overwhelmed with loving ecstasy.

When Madhavendra Puri was overwhelmed in the ecstasy of love of Godhead, he sometimes stood up and sometimes fell to the ground. Sometimes he laughed, danced and sang. In this way he enjoyed transcendental bliss by seeing the Jagannatha Deity.

When Madhavendra Puri came to Jagannatha Puri, people were aware of his transcendental reputation. Therefore crowds of people came and offered him all sorts of respect in devotion.

Even though one may not like it, reputation, as ordained by providence, comes to him. Indeed, one’s transcendental reputation is known throughout the entire world.

TEXT 147

pratisthara bhaye puri gela palana
krsna-preme pratistha cale sange gadana

Being afraid of his reputation [pratistha], Madhavendra Puri fled from Remuna. But the reputation brought by love of Godhead is so sublime that it goes along with the devotee, as if following him.

COMMENT

“Being afraid of his reputation [pratistha], Madhavendra Puri fled from Remuna. But the reputation brought by love of Godhead is so sublime that it goes along with the devotee, as if following him.” Actually, Chanakya Pandit makes the same statement, which Srila Prabhupada sometimes quoted: “A rich man is famous only in his own place, but a learned man—a pure devotee—is famous all over the world.” Someone may be a rich man in India, but if he goes to America, he’s nobody. A rich man from America wouldn’t be a complete nobody in India, because the beggars would see that he’s a foreigner and this would give him importance. But a rich man is really known and served and worshipped only in his own place, whereas a learned man is known and served and worshipped throughout the world. Just like Srila Prabhupada: wherever he went, he was loved and served and worshipped.

Madhavendra Puri was a great devotee. When the Deity stole condensed milk for him in Remuna, he thought people would come and honor him, and so, to avoid them, he went to Jagannatha Puri. But when he arrived in Puri, people knew that the great devotee Madhavendra Puri had come, so they came to honor him. Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami states, “Being afraid of his reputation [pratistha], Madhavendra Puri fled from Remuna. But the reputation brought by love of Godhead is so sublime that it goes along with the devotee, as if following him.”

PURPORT

Almost all the conditioned souls within the material world are envious. Jealous people generally turn against one who automatically attains some reputation.  Consequently, when a devotee is fit to receive worldly reputation, he is envied by many people. This is quite natural. When a person, out of humility, does not desire fame, people generally think him quite humble and consequently give him all kinds of fame. Actually a Vaisnava does not hanker after fame or a great reputation. Madhavendra Puri, the king of Vaisnavas, bore his reputation, but he wanted to keep himself outside the vision of the general populace. He wanted to cover his real identity as a great devotee of the Lord, but when people saw him overwhelmed in ecstasy in love of Godhead, they naturally gave credit to him. Actually a first-class reputation is due Madhavendra Puri because he was a most confidential devotee of the Lord. Sometimes a sahajiya presents himself as being void of desires for reputation (pratistha) in order to become famous as a humble man. Such people cannot actually attain the platform of celebrated Vaisnavas.

COMMENT

Once, when Srila Prabhupada was in Los Angeles, my parents came to visit. I was there, and so many people—old and young, male and female—were also there with Srila Prabhupada on his morning walk in a park, and he was dealing with each and every person in such a way that everyone was pleased, even though they were so different. For example, my mother was fifty-five or so years of age, but Srila Prabhupada told her, “Mrs. Teton, you look so young.” And she was very pleased. Everyone was pleased. At the end of the walk we came to where the cars were parked. Perhaps Karandhar Prabhu had arranged a Rolls Royce for Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada knew the heart of everyone, and even otherwise he might have seen my father glancing at the car. So, he and my father and some devotees were standing around the Rolls Royce, and Srila Prabhupada said to my father, “You should come and ride with me.” “No, no. I cannot.” “No, no, you should come and ride with me.” Then, very humbly and in a very shy way, Srila Prabhupada said, “Actually, my disciples got this for me.” My father immediately said, “No, no. You deserve it.” Afterwards, Srila Prabhupada’s servant Hari Sauri Prabhu commented to him, “Srila Prabhupada, everyone likes you so much.” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Yes, because I like everyone.”

TEXT 148

yadyapi udvega haila palaite mana
thakurera candana-sadhana ha-ila bandhana

Madhavendra Puri wanted to leave Jagannatha Puri because the people were honoring him as a great devotee; however, this threatened to hinder his collecting sandalwood for the Gopala Deity.

COMMENT

Madhavendra Puri came to Jagannatha Puri for service, but when he got there, he found fame, which he did not like. So, he wanted to run away from Puri to escape the reputation there. But if he had run away, he would not have been able to do his service to the Deity of Gopala. So, he gave more importance to Gopala’s service than to his own likes or dislikes. This is the quality of a pure devotee. The pure devotee does whatever is favorable for the service of the master, even if it is not favorable for his own personal happiness. And, of course, in serving the master and giving happiness to the master, he enjoys the greatest happiness.

TEXT 149–151

Sri Madhavendra Puri told all the servants of Lord Jagannatha and all the great devotees there the story of the appearance of Sri Gopala.

When all the devotees at Jagannatha Puri heard that the Gopala Deity wanted sandalwood, in great pleasure they all endeavored to collect it.

Those who were acquainted with government officers met with them and begged for camphor and sandalwood, which they collected.

PURPORT

It appears that malayaja-candana (sandalwood) and camphor were used for the Jagannatha Deity. The camphor was used in His aratrika, and the sandalwood was used to smear His body. Both these items were under government control; therefore the devotees had to meet with the government officials. Informing them of all the details, they attained permission to take the sandalwood and camphor outside Jagannatha Puri.

TEXT 152

eka vipra, eka sevaka, candana vahite
puri-gosanira sange dila sambala-sahite

One brahmana and one servant were given to Madhavendra Puri just to carry the sandalwood. He was also given the necessary traveling expenses.

COMMENT

Madhavendra Puri had no material assets. He would not even ask for food. He would just chant the holy name, and whatever food Krishna sent he would accept. He himself had nothing. But when the people of Puri saw his exalted devotional position, they automatically offered to collect candana and camphor, get permission from the government, and even give him money for expenses on the way.

TEXT 153–157

To get past the toll collectors along the way, Madhavendra Puri was supplied with the necessary release papers from government officers. The papers were placed in his hand.

In this way Madhavendra Puri started for Vrndavana with the burden of sandalwood, and after some days he again reached the village of Remuna and the Gopinatha temple there.

When Madhavendra Puri reached the temple of Gopinatha, he offered his respectful obeisances many times at the lotus feet of the Lord. In the ecstasy of love, he began to dance and sing without cessation.

When the priest of Gopinatha saw Madhavendra Puri again, he offered all respects to him and, giving him the sweet rice prasadam, made him eat.

Madhavendra Puri took rest that night in the temple, but toward the end of the night he had another dream.

TEXT 158

gopala asiya kahe,—suna he madhava
karpura-candana ami pailama saba

Madhavendra Puri dreamed that Gopala came before him and said, “O Madhavendra Puri, I have already received all the sandalwood and camphor.

TEXT 159

karpura-sahita ghasi’ e-saba candana
gopinathera ange nitya karaha lepana

“Now just grind all the sandalwood together with the camphor and then smear the pulp on the body of Gopinatha daily until it is finished.

TEXT 160

gopinatha amara se eka-i anga haya
inhake candana dile habe mora tapa-ksaya

“There is no difference between My body and Gopinatha’s body. They are one and the same. Therefore if you smear the sandalwood pulp on the body of Gopinatha, you will naturally also smear it on My body. Thus the temperature of My body will be reduced.”

PURPORT

Gopala was situated in Vrndavana, which was far from Remuna. In those days, one had to pass through provinces governed by the Mohammedans, who sometimes hindered travelers. Considering the trouble of His devotee, Lord Gopala, the greatest well-wisher of His devotees, ordered Madhavendra Puri to smear the sandalwood pulp on the body of Gopinatha, which was nondifferent from the body of Gopala. In this way the Lord relieved Madhavendra Puri from trouble and inconvenience.

COMMENT

A devotee always wants to serve the Lord—without any personal consideration. But the Lord also wants to help the devotee—and reciprocates. Madhavendra Puri was ready to carry the sandalwood and camphor all the way from Jagannatha Puri to Vrindavan—on foot, in the heat of summer—to please Gopala. And Gopala was pleased by Madhavendra Puri’s pure, devotional service attitude and felt compassion for him. He didn’t want him to take the trouble to carry the sandalwood all the way from Jagannatha Puri to Vrindavan by foot in the heat. So He appeared to Madhavendra Puri in a dream and told him to “smear the sandalwood pulp mixed with camphor on the Deity of Gopinatha, and because the Deity of Gopinatha and I are the same I will feel relieved.”

TEXT 161–168

dvidha na bhaviha, na kariha kichu mane
visvasa kari’ candana deha amara vacane

“You should not hesitate to act according to My order. Believing in Me, just do what is needed.”

After giving these instructions, Gopala disappeared, and Madhavendra Puri awoke. He immediately called for all the servants of Gopinatha, and they came before him.

Madhavendra Puri said, “Smear the body of Gopinatha with this camphor and sandalwood I have brought for Gopala in Vrndavana. Do this regularly every day.

“If the sandalwood pulp is smeared over the body of Gopinatha, then Gopala will be cooled. After all, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is completely independent; His order is all-powerful.”

The servants of Gopinatha became very pleased to hear that in the summer all the sandalwood pulp would be used to anoint the body of Gopinatha.

Madhavendra Puri said, “These two assistants will regularly grind the sandalwood, and you should also get two other people to help. I shall pay their salary.”

In this way Gopinathaji was supplied ground sandalwood pulp daily. The servants of Gopinatha were very pleased with this.

In this way the sandalwood pulp was smeared over the body of Gopinatha until the whole stock was finished. Madhavendra Puri stayed there until that time.

TEXT 169

grisma-kala-ante punah nilacale gela
nilacale caturmasya anande rahila

At the end of summer Madhavendra Puri returned to Jagannatha Puri, where he remained with great pleasure during the whole period of Caturmasya.

PURPORT

The Caturmasya period begins in the month of Asadha (June-July) from the day of Ekadasi called Sayana-ekadasi, in the fortnight of the waxing moon.

COMMENT

In Maharashtra many people go to Pandharpur to celebrate Asadhi-ekadasi, and they do kirtan on the way, chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, or Jaya Jaya Rama Krishna Hari. With great jubilation, they walk in dindi parties until they reach Pandharpur. Then they do parikrama, take darshan of Vitthala, and hear the ISKCON devotees chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. And if they are lucky enough, they will purchase some of Srila Prabhupada’s books and take some prasada.

PURPORT (concluded)

The Caturmasya period begins in the month of Asadha (June-July) from the day of Ekadasi called Sayana-ekadasi, in the fortnight of the waxing moon. The period ends in the month of Karttika (October-November) on the Ekadasi day known as Utthana-ekadasi in the fortnight of the waxing moon. This four-month period is known as Caturmasya. Some Vaisnavas also observe it from the full-moon day of Asadha until the full-moon day of Karttika. That is also a period of four months. This period, calculated by the lunar months, is called Caturmasya, but others also observe Caturmasya according to the solar month from Sravana to Karttika. The whole period, either lunar or solar, takes place during the rainy season. Caturmasya should be observed by all sections of the population. It does not matter whether one is a grhastha or a sannyasi. The observance is obligatory for all asramas. The real purpose behind the vow taken during these four months is to minimize the quantity of sense gratification. This is not very difficult. In the month of Sravana one should not eat spinach, in the month of Bhadra one should not eat yogurt, and in the month of Asvina one should not drink milk. One should not eat fish or other non-vegetarian food during the month of Karttika. A non-vegetarian diet means fish and meat. Similarly, masura dhal and urad dhal are also considered non-vegetarian. These two dhals contain a great amount of protein, and food rich in protein is considered non-vegetarian. On the whole, during the four-month period of Caturmasya, one should practice giving up all food intended for sense enjoyment.

COMMENT

The story we just read was spoken by Lord Chaitanya when He visited Remuna on the way from Bengal to Jagannatha Puri in Orissa. He told the story of Madhavendra Puri to all the devotees with Him, including Nityananda Prabhu.

Now we shall read a short summary of the glories of Madhavendra Puri and pray for his mercy to bless us with the tiniest fraction of his devotion to Krishna:

TEXT 170

sri-mukhe madhava-purira amrta-carita
bhakta-gane sunana prabhu kare asvadita

Thus Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally praised the nectarean characteristics of Madhavendra Puri, and while He related all this to the devotees, He personally relished it.

COMMENT

Devotees take pleasure in speaking and hearing the glories of other devotees. And Lord Chaitanya set the example. He personally relished remembering and discussing the glories of Madhavendra Puri.

TEXT 171

prabhu kahe,—nityananda, karaha vicara
puri-sama bhagyavan jagate nahi ara

Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked Nityananda Prabhu to judge whether there was anyone within the world as fortunate as Madhavendra Puri.

TEXT 172

dugdha-dana-chale krsna yanre dekha dila
tina-bare svapne asi’ yanre ajna kaila

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “Madhavendra Puri was so fortunate that Krsna personally appeared before him on the plea of delivering milk. Three times the Lord gave orders to Madhavendra Puri in dreams.”

COMMENT

What were the three orders the Lord gave Madhavendra Puri? First, at Govardhana, Gopala appeared in Madhavendra Puri’s dream and told him, “I’m hidden in the bushes; please take Me out and install Me on top of Govardhana Hill.”

The second time was also at Govardhana. The Deity appeared to Madhavendra Puri and told him, “I’m feeling very hot. Please bring sandalwood pulp to cool Me.”

And the third time was at Remuna, where Gopala appeared to Madhavendra Puri and told him, “The Deity of Gopinatha and I are the same, so you can smear the sandalwood on the body of Gopinatha and I will feel relieved.”

TEXT 173

yanra preme vasa hana prakata ha-ila
seva angikara kari’ jagata tarila

“Being obliged because of the loving affairs of Madhavendra Puri, Lord Krsna Himself appeared as the Gopala Deity, and, accepting his service, He liberated the whole world.

COMMENT

In other words, the Deity of Gopala was so obliged by Madhavendra Puri’s service that He appeared to Madhavendra Puri just to accept it. And thus the Deity of Gopala delivered the whole world. Even now, an expansion of the Gopala Deity is here, and He is delivering the world.

TEXT 174

yanra lagi’ gopinatha ksira kaila curi
ataeva nama haila ‘ksira-cora’ kari’

 “On account of Madhavendra Puri, Lord Gopinatha stole the pot of sweet rice. Thus He became famous as Ksira-cora [the thief who stole the sweet rice].

COMMENT

Generally, stealing is considered bad. And definitely, stealing is bad. But here we see that the Deity stole. Is the Deity at fault? No. God is absolute, Krishna is absolute, so whatever He does is good. God is good, so whatever Krishna does is all-good, absolutely. Even in Vrindavan, Krishna used to steal butter and yogurt. Of course, the residents of Vrindavan did not think of Krishna as the Lord. They thought of Him as the son of Yasoda and Nanda. The elderly gopis complained to Mother Yasoda, “Your son comes to our houses and does mischief. Sometimes He steals butter and yogurt, and He feeds them to His friends and to monkeys. Sometimes He pinches the babies and makes them cry. Sometimes He passes urine on the floor. What kind of a boy is this? And what kind of a mother are you? You’re not controlling Him. He is becoming a nuisance, and He’ll be spoiled. You should control Him. Keep Him with you and don’t let Him go into other people’s houses and make trouble.”

 Mother Yasoda also did not think that Krishna was the Supreme Personality of Godhead. She thought, “He is my son, and I’m His mother, and if I don’t take care He will be spoiled.” So, she took it very seriously and kept Krishna at home. But after some time the elderly gopis came and complained, “Krishna is not coming to our houses anymore. He’s not coming to tease our children or steal our butter, and we’re so unhappy.”

This is the absolute nature of Krishna: whatever He does is all pleasing to everyone. Even His stealing gives pleasure. If someone in the ashram steals something, we won’t feel pleasure. In fact, we will want to beat him with a stick and chase him out the door. Our stealing doesn’t give pleasure, because we are conditioned souls in the duality of material nature. So we should not steal. Even Rupa Gosvami has advised devotees to be straightforward in ordinary dealings and to act in the mode of goodness, in the way of brahmans, whose first quality is satyam, truthfulness. But Krishna is on the absolute platform. When He steals, people take pleasure and glorify Him as Makhana-chora, or Ksira-chora, because His stealing and our stealing are not on the same level. We should not imitate. People may think, “Krishna stole; I will also steal.” Whatever Krishna does is all-good, absolutely. But we, in the material world, who are trying to become devotees (and even those who actually are devotees) act according to religious principles. And according to religious principles, one should not steal, one should not lie, and so on.

We should follow—that is our duty. And Krishna’s duty is to give pleasure to His devotees by any means. And sometimes, to give pleasure to His devotees, He steals. But there is another lesson for us: we should not stock or hoard things. When Srila Prabhupada first had the devotees print BTG in large quantities in America, he said, “Don’t keep the magazines stocked. Distribute them. Otherwise, if you keep them stocked, Krishna may come and steal them, just like the gopis used to keep butter and yogurt and Krishna used to come and steal. So if you keep the transcendental literature stocked, Krishna may come and steal it.”

Krishna’s pastimes can be understood on many levels and in many ways, and we should be sure to understand them properly from Srila Prabhupada. Now Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu explains the reciprocation between Madhavendra Puri and Gopala.

TEXT 176

mleccha-dese karpura-candana anite janjala
puri duhkha pabe iha janiya gopala

“In the provinces of India governed by the Mohammedans, there was much inconvenience in traveling with sandalwood and camphor. Because of this, Madhavendra Puri might have gotten into trouble. This became known to the Gopala Deity.

TEXT 177

maha-daya-maya prabhu—bhakata-vatsala
candana pari’ bhakta-srama karila saphala

“The Lord is very merciful and attached to His devotees, so when Gopinatha was covered with sandalwood pulp, Madhavendra Puri’s labor became successful.”

TEXT 178

purira prema-parakastha karaha vicara
alaukika prema citte lage camatkara

 Caitanya Mahaprabhu placed the standard of Madhavendra Puri’s intense love before Nityananda Prabhu for judgment. “All his loving activities are uncommon,” Caitanya Mahaprabhu said. “Indeed, one is struck with wonder to hear of his activities.”

PURPORT

When the living entity feels spiritual separation from Krsna (krsna-viraha), he has achieved the prime success of life.

COMMENT

Here Srila Prabhupada is analyzing what is the actual wonder of Sri Madhavendra Puri’s devotional ecstasy.

PURPORT (continued)

When one becomes disinterested in material things, he is simply experiencing the other side of attraction for material things.

COMMENT

Attachment and aversion. In material life we feel attracted to material things. We want to possess them and enjoy them. And when we try to possess and enjoy them, we suffer. On a morning walk in Juhu, Srila Prabhupada spoke about money, and he said that getting money is a problem, keeping the money is a problem, and when you lose the money, that is also a problem. At every stage there is simply trouble. So, when someone has experienced all the troubles of material life, he may think, “Why shall I bother for all these things? Let me renounce. Let me leave.” But that is not bhakti. That is just the other side of attachment. “First I wanted to get it, and now I want to leave it. I wanted to get it to become happy, but when I actually got it I didn’t become happy. I had more trouble. So, let me leave it.” But the basic principle is one’s personal happiness. The karmi’s idea is to enjoy, but instead of enjoying he suffers. And the idea of the jnani, impersonalist, is that by trying to enjoy he suffered, so now he won’t try to enjoy anymore so he won’t have to suffer anymore. Then: zero. When he was a karmi he wanted plus—enjoyment—but instead of plus he got minus—suffering. Now he thinks, “I don’t want minus. Though I wanted plus, I got minus instead, so now I want zero, because at least zero is better than minus.”

So, both the karmis and jnanis are selfish. And:

bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami—sakali ‘asanta’
krsna-bhakta—niskama, ataeva ‘santa’

“Fruitive workers desire material enjoyment, jnanis desire liberation, and yogis desire material opulence; therefore they are all lusty and cannot be peaceful. Because a devotee of Lord Krsna is desireless, only he is peaceful.” (Cc Madhya 19.149)

Thus the real glory of Madhavendra Puri, as described by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu here, is not his renunciation, but rather his intense love for Krishna in the mood of separation.

PURPORT (continued)

When one becomes disinterested in material things, he is simply experiencing the other side of attraction for material things. However, feeling separation from Krsna and engaging in the service of the Lord to fulfill His mission constitute the best example of love of Krsna.

COMMENT

Someone might say that the devotee is crying in separation, suffering. But actually he is not suffering; he is enjoying transcendental ecstasy on the spiritual platform. Someone may see that the devotee is laboring—going to Jagannatha Puri, meeting the government officers, getting permits, getting the sandalwood and camphor, carrying everything with him by foot—and think, “Oh, he is laboring, he is suffering.” But he is not suffering; he is enjoying transcendental ecstasy on the spiritual platform, because the central point is Krishna.

PURPORT (concluded)

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to point out this intense love of Krsna exhibited by Madhavendra Puri. All Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s devotees later followed in the footsteps of Madhavendra Puri, serving the Lord without personal considerations.

COMMENT

This is the standard of the followers of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who follow Sri Madhavendra Puri: they serve the Lord without any personal considerations.

TEXT 186

pragadha-premera ei svabhava-acara
nija-duhkha-vighnadira na kare vicara

“This is the natural result of intense love of Godhead. The devotee does not consider personal inconveniences or impediments. In all circumstances he wants to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

It is natural for those who have developed intense love for Krsna not to care for personal inconvenience and impediments. Such devotees are simply determined to execute the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative, the spiritual master. In all circumstances, even amidst the greatest dangers, they undeviatingly carry on with the greatest determination. This definitely proves the intense love of the servitor.

COMMENT

Their love is shown by their being undeviating and unfaltering in serving the order of the spiritual master in the face of all difficulties—not by a show of tears.

PURPORT (continued)

As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam, tat te ’nukampam su-samiksamanah: those who seriously desire to get free from the clutches of material existence, who have developed intense love for Krsna, are worthy candidates for going back home, back to Godhead. An intense lover of Krsna does not care for any number of material discomforts, scarcity, impediments or unhappiness. It is said that when one sees apparent unhappiness or distress in a perfect Vaisnava, it is not at all unhappiness for him; rather, it is transcendental bliss.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada’s disciple Jadurani was one of the first artists in ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada used to give her photos as subjects to paint. Once, she looked at one and commented, “Oh, Srila Prabhupada, you look so sad in this picture!” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “That was a moment of ecstasy.” Thus it is said that “when one sees apparent unhappiness or distress in a perfect Vaishnava, it is not at all unhappiness for him. Rather, it is transcendental bliss.”

Once, in New York, the devotees arranged a big program for Srila Prabhupada. Although they had very little money, they rented an expensive hall, but in the end hardly two or three people came. The devotees might have felt discouraged, but Srila Prabhupada said, “Don’t be discouraged. We have prepared a big feast to distribute to the guests, and if guests come, we will distribute the prasada and be happy, and if they don’t come we will eat the prasada and be happy. So, in every case we are happy.”

PURPORT (concluded)

In the Siksastaka, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has also instructed, aslisya va pada-ratam. The intense lover of Krsna is never deviated from his service, despite all difficulties and impediments brought before him.

 

Sri Madhavendra Puri Prabhu ki jaya!
Sri Gopalaji ki jaya!
Sri Gopinathaji ki jaya!
Sri Candana-yatra ki jaya!
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Nitai-gaura-premanande hari-haribol!

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Chandana-yatra and Madhavendra Puri’s appearance day, May 4, 1995, Chowpatty, Mumbai]

 

We shall read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Five, Chapter Eighteen: “The Residents of Jambudvipa Offer Prayers,” from the series of prayers recited by Prahlada Maharaja to Lord Nrsimhadeva. Text 8 is a very important prayer, or mantra, and in it many words are repeated, which gives them great emphasis.

TEXT 8

om namo bhagavate narasimhaya namas tejas-tejase avir-avirbhava vajra-nakha vajra-damstra karmasayan randhaya randhaya tamo grasa grasa om svaha; abhayam abhayam atmani bhuyistha om ksraum.

TRANSLATION

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Nrsimhadeva, the source of all power. O my Lord who possess nails and teeth just like thunderbolts, kindly vanquish our demonlike desires for fruitive activity in this material world. Please appear in our hearts and drive away our ignorance so that by Your mercy we may become fearless in the struggle for existence in this material world.

TEXT 9

svasty astu visvasya khalah prasidatam
   dhyayantu bhutani sivam mitho dhiya
manas ca bhadram bhajatad adhoksaje
   avesyatam no matir apy ahaituki

TRANSLATION

May there be good fortune throughout the universe, and may all envious persons be pacified. May all living entities become calm by practicing bhakti-yoga, for by accepting devotional service they will think of each other’s welfare. Therefore let us all engage in the service of the supreme transcendence, Lord Sri Krsna, and always remain absorbed in thought of Him.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

The following verse describes a Vaisnava:

vancha-kalpa-tarubhyas ca
   krpa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo
   vaisnavebhyo namo namah

Just like a desire tree, a Vaisnava can fulfill all the desires of anyone who takes shelter of his lotus feet. Prahlada Maharaja is a typical Vaisnava. He prays not for himself, but for all living entities—the gentle, the envious, and the mischievous. He always thought of the welfare of mischievous persons like his father, Hiranyakasipu. Prahlada Maharaja did not ask for anything for himself; rather, he prayed for the Lord to excuse his demoniac father. This is the attitude of a Vaisnava, who always thinks of the welfare of the entire universe.

Srimad-Bhagavatam and bhagavata-dharma are meant for persons who are completely free of envy (parama-nirmatsaranam). Therefore Prahlada Maharaja prays in this verse, khalah prasidatam: “May all the envious persons be pacified.” The material world is full of envious persons, but if one frees himself of envy, he becomes liberal in his social dealings and can think of others’ welfare. Anyone who takes up Krsna consciousness and engages himself completely in the service of the Lord cleanses his mind of all envy (manas ca bhadram bhajatad adhoksaje). Therefore we should pray to Lord Nrsimhadeva to sit in our hearts. We should pray, bahir nrsimho hrdaye nrsimhah: “Let Lord Nrsimhadeva sit in the core of my heart, killing all my bad propensities. Let my mind become clean so that I may peacefully worship the Lord and bring peace to the entire world.”

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has given us a very fine purport in this regard. Whenever one offers a prayer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one always requests some benediction from Him. Even pure (niskama) devotees pray for some benediction, as instructed by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His Siksastaka:

ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram
   patitam mam visame bhavambudhau
krpaya tava pada-pankaja-
   sthita-dhuli-sadrsam vicintaya

“O son of Maharaja Nanda [Krsna], I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and death. Please pick Me up from the ocean of death and place Me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet.” In another prayer Lord Caitanya says, mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi: “Life after life, kindly let Me have unalloyed love and devotion at Your Lordship’s lotus feet.” When Prahlada Maharaja chants om namo bhagavate narasimhaya, he prays for a benediction from the Lord, but because he is also an exalted Vaisnava, he wants nothing for his personal sense gratification. The first desire expressed in his prayer is svasty astu visvasya: “Let there be good fortune throughout the entire universe.” Prahlada Maharaja thus requested the Lord to be merciful to everyone, including his father, a most envious person. According to Canakya Pandita, there are two kinds of envious living entities: one is a snake, and the other is the man like Hiranyakasipu, who is by nature envious of everyone, even of his father or son. Hiranyakasipu was envious of his little son Prahlada, but Prahlada Maharaja asked a benediction for the benefit of his father. Hiranyakasipu was very envious of devotees, but Prahlada wished that his father and other demons like him would give up their envious nature by the grace of the Lord and stop harassing the devotees (khalah prasidatam). The difficulty is that the khala (envious living entity) is rarely pacified. One kind of khala, the snake, can be pacified simply by mantras or by the action of a particular herb (mantrausadhi-vasah sarpah khalakena nivaryate). An envious person, however, cannot be pacified by any means. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja prays that all envious persons may undergo a change of heart and think of the welfare of others.

If the Krsna consciousness movement spreads all over the world, and if by the grace of Krsna everyone accepts it, the thinking of envious people will change. Everyone will think of the welfare of others. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja prays, sivam mitho dhiya. In material activities, everyone is envious of others, but in Krsna consciousness, no one is envious of anyone else; everyone thinks of the welfare of others. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja prays that everyone’s mind may become gentle by being fixed at the lotus feet of Krsna (bhajatad adhoksaje). As indicated elsewhere in Srimad-Bhagavatam (sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh) and as advised by Lord Krsna in Bhagavad-gita (18.65), man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah, one should constantly think of the lotus feet of Lord Krsna. Then one’s mind will certainly be cleansed (ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc Antya 20.12]). Materialists always think of sense gratification, but Prahlada Maharaja prays that the Lord’s mercy will change their minds and they will stop thinking of sense gratification. If they think of Krsna always, everything will be all right. Some people argue that if everyone thought of Krsna in that way, the whole universe would be vacated because everyone would go back home, back to Godhead. However, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that this is impossible because the living entities are innumerable. If one set of living entities is actually delivered by the Krsna consciousness movement, another set will fill the entire universe.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

Srila Prabhupada quoted this verse in the purport because it describes a Vaishnava and because Prahlada Maharaja, who recited the prayers that we are reading and discussing, is an excellent example of a Vaishnava.

Hiranyakasipu, the father of Prahlada, was a great demon, and he performed such severe austerities that the entire universe became disturbed. Eventually Lord Brahma went to Hiranyakasipu personally to ask him what benediction he wanted, so that he would cease his austerities and stop the disturbance within the universe. Hiranyakasipu asked for the benediction to become immortal, but Lord Brahma replied, “I myself am not immortal.” So Hiranyakasipu asked for various boons that he thought would indirectly make him immortal. He asked that he not be killed inside a building or outside; that he not be killed in the day or at night; that he not be killed on the land or in the sky; that he not be killed by any human being or animal, demigod or demon, or any other creature; and that he not be killed by any weapon. He asked for such benedictions that he thought would make him immortal and give him absolute supremacy in the universe. And Lord Brahma agreed to all of the requests: “So be it.”

In due course, Hiranyakasipu had a son named Prahlada, and Prahlada was a devotee. Earlier, the Lord in the form of Varahadeva had killed Hiranyakasipu’s brother Hiranyaksa, and Hiranyakasipu was determined to avenge his brother’s death—he actually thought that he could kill Vishnu. He knew that Vishnu had appeared as Varaha and killed Hiranyaksa. Later, Diti, the mother of Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakasipu, desired a son who would kill Indra, because she thought that Indra, with the help of Vishnu, was responsible for the death of her sons.

We know from scripture—sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya—that Vishnu is God. So we might consider, “How could anyone imagine that they could kill God?” But if God came into this room and we didn’t recognize Him by the features that are described in the scriptures, we wouldn’t know He was God, because God looks like a human being. As the Bible says, “God created man in His own image.” God has arms and legs and hands and feet and eyes and ears and a nose and mouth and all the different bodily features we have. His body looks like ours. What distinguishes Him from us is that He has immeasurable potencies. For example, the president of the United States looks like a human being like the rest of us, but he has immense power. If he wants, he can order the army to invade a country or send the police to arrest a citizen. He looks like us, but we don’t have that power. We might want to do certain things, but we don’t have the power. He has the power. Still, he looks like one of us.

When someone performs great austerities, he can get great powers. Even demons, if they perform the required austerities, can become very powerful and attain various mystic perfections. So, although Lord Vishnu has all power and mystic potency, demons can also get powers. And Hiranyakasipu thought that by his austerities and the powers he derived from them and the benedictions he got from Lord Brahma, he could become immortal and conquer the universe. He had created a great disturbance in the universe by performing severe austerities; now he did so by waging war against the demigods and conquering their territories.

Although he was a demon, Hiranyakasipu had natural affection for his son, and he wanted him to be like his father, a great materialist, and had him educated accordingly. He engaged teachers to instruct the boy to be expert in politics and diplomacy. And as parents sometimes ask their children, “What did you learn in school today? What is your favorite subject?” Hiranyakasipu asked Prahlada, “What is the best thing you have learned?” He thought Prahlada would say something cute, something sweet. But Prahlada gave what was for Hiranyakasipu the worst answer imaginable. He said, “The best thing I have learned is sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam/ arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam”—to hear about and glorify Vishnu. Vishnu, whom Hiranyakasipu considered to be his worst enemy. So, Hiranyakasipu became furious, and when nothing else worked, he resolved to kill Prahlada. He applied the logic that if a part of your body becomes infected, the disease may spread throughout the body and kill you, so even though it is part of your body, you must amputate it, for the sake of the rest of the body. He thought, “Although Prahlada is my son, he has been infected by the disease of Vaishnavism and we have to cut him out before the disease spreads and finishes us.”

Hiranyakasipu tried to kill Prahlada in so many ways. He had conquered the demigods, and he occupied the throne of King Indra and ruled over the inhabitants of all the other planets. Except for Brahma and Shiva, all the demigods were engaged in his service, offering him obeisances and praise. He was so powerful. But he could not kill Prahlada. He had horrible demons try to pierce Prahlada’s body with tridents. He threw Prahlada beneath the feet of elephants and into a pit of venomous snakes. But no matter what he did, he could not kill him. He hurled him from a mountain top, gave him poison, starved him, and threw heavy stones on him to crush him. Nothing worked—nothing affected Prahlada in the least. Hiranyakasipu was astonished. He had triumphed over the armies of the demigods, but he could not subdue his five-year-old son.

Finally, after all his efforts had failed, Hiranyakasipu asked Prahlada, “From where do you get your power? You know that when I am angry all the planets of the three worlds, along with their rulers, tremble. But you have no fear, and you have exceeded my power to control you. From where do you get your strength?” And Prahlada replied, “I get my strength from the same source as you, from the source of all strength—from God.” Now, that really infuriated Hiranyakasipu, because he thought that he was the source of his own power. That is the demoniac mentality: we think we are the doers—kartaham iti manyate. We think, isvaro ’ham aham bhogi siddho ’ham balavan sukhi: “I am the controller. I am the enjoyer. I am perfect and powerful and happy.” Hiranyakasipu didn’t want to hear that he got his power from someone else—least of all from the person to whom Prahlada referred: the unlimited Supreme Lord.

Thus Hiranyakasipu became even more infuriated and more defiant. He said to Prahlada, “If this God of yours is everywhere, why is He not present before me in this pillar? I am going to kill you now; let us see this God of yours protect you!” Filled with rage, Hiranyakasipu rose from his throne and with great anger struck his fist against the column. And out of the pillar emerged the wonderful form of Nrsimhadeva. Nrsimha Bhagavan ki jaya!

Nrsimhadeva is unique. He is neither a man nor an animal but has a form that is half man, half lion. And His appearance fulfilled all the conditions of Lord Brahma. He isn’t a demigod or a human being or an animal—He isn’t any creature. Ultimately He picked up Hiranyakasipu and placed him on His lap and with His long, sharp nails ripped apart his chest. Hiranyakasipu was extraordinarily powerful, and his chest could withstand the thunderbolt of Indra; no one could pierce it. One could throw arrows and all types of weapons at him, and they would bounce off him like nothing. He was so powerful. So, it was no mean feat to tear open his chest. Yet Nrsimhadeva ripped open his chest with His nails, tore out his heart, and thus killed this great demon.

We glorify Lord Nrsimha daily with the prayer (a line of which Srila Prabhupada quoted in his purport):

ito nrsimhah parato nrsimho
   yato yato yami tato nrsimhah
bahir nrsimho hrdaye nrsimho
   nrsimham adim saranam prapadye

Ito nrsimhah means “Nrsimha is here”; parato nrsimho means “Nrismha is also there.” Yato yato yami tato nrsimhah: “Wherever I go, there is Nrsimha.” Bahir nrsimho: “Nrimsha is outside”; hrdaye nrsimho: “Nrsimha is in my heart.” Nrsimham adim saranam prapadye: “I surrender to Lord Nrsimha, the origin of all and the supreme shelter.” He is everywhere.

We also sing:

namas te nara-simhaya
   prahladahlada-dayine
hiranyakasipor vaksah-
   sila-tanka-nakhalaye

Sila-tanka-nakhalaye. Sila means “stone,” as in saligrama-sila; nakha means “fingernails”; and tanka means “chisel.” If you want to break a hard stone, you have to chisel it. And Lord Nrsimha’s nails were like chisels that cut the chest of Hiranyakasipu—his stonelike heart and chest.

Hiranyakasipu thought that he could become immortal by his own power and intelligence. But his intelligence was not as great as that of Lord Nrsimha, who kept all of Brahma’s boons intact and still was able to kill the demon. Nrsimhadeva assumed this wonderful form—adbhuta means “wonderful”—that was half man and half lion. He sat at the threshold of the palace, which wasn’t inside or outside. He appeared at twilight, which was neither day nor night. And He killed Hiranyakasipu on His lap—not in the sky or on the land. And not with any weapon but with His nails. He kept all the benedictions intact and still killed him.

Srila Prabhupada explains that however intelligent we are, Krishna is always more intelligent. Mother Yasoda tried to bind Krishna with ropes, but no matter how many ropes she tied together, He was always two fingers bigger and she was always just a little short. In the same way, if we try to compete with God—try to outwit God, try to cheat God—we will always fall short. Srila Prabhupada says, “Hiranyakasipu was thinking only of the atomic bomb, how to protect himself from the bomb, but he forgot about the nails.” He made so many arrangements to protect himself, but he neglected to consider the nails. So, the conclusion should be “If you can’t fight Him, join Him.” Nrsimham adim saranam prapadye. Just surrender to Nrsimhadeva. Don’t try to compete with Him or fight with Him. That is the background of Prahlada’s prayers.

After Nrsimhadeva killed Hiranyakasipu, He asked Prahlada to request a benediction, but Prahlada was a pure devotee—he didn’t want any material benediction. In today’s verse we find the word ahaituki: without any motive. Prahlada had no material motive, so when Lord Nrsimhadeva asked him to request a benediction, he refused. He said, “Why are You trying to tempt me with material allurements? If I were to desire material benefit in exchange for devotional service, I wouldn’t be a servant. I would be like a businessman who wants profit in exchange for service. Lord, I am Your eternal servant, and You are my eternal master. We have no other relationship.” Prahlada asked only that there be no material desires within his heart.

But Nrsimhadeva insisted that Prahlada request a benediction, and in the end Prahlada agreed: “If You really want me to ask something of You, then I ask that You purify my father.” This shows the exemplary character of Prahlada, who, as Srila Prabhupada said, is a typical Vaishnava. A Vaishnava is the friend of everyone, of all living entities (suhrdah sarva-dehinam). He never becomes the enemy of his enemy. He remains ever the friend of everyone—even his enemies. So even though Hiranyakasipu was so envious—even of his own son—that he tried in so many ways to kill him, Prahlada remained true to his character as a Vaishnava. He thought of his father’s welfare, and he wished his father well.

In this prayer to Lord Nrsimha, Prahlada is praying for his father and for all envious people, that they may be pacified. Khalah prasidatam: “May all envious persons be pacified.” As Srila Prabhupada notes, almost everyone is envious. In fact, we come into this material world because we are envious of Krishna. That is why we are here. Thus Srila Prabhupada says, “Almost everyone.” The only exceptions are pure devotees. Everyone else has some envy. It is like saying, “Almost everyone in the prison is a criminal.” Yes, in principle, all the prisoners are criminals. There may be some staff members who are not, who are there to minister to the inmates, but the prisoners themselves are criminals. So, other than the devotees who are working for the welfare of the fallen souls, everyone is envious. And no one is spared their envy. Hiranyakasipu was envious of his five-year-old son, a pure devotee. Diti was envious of her nephew Indra. She wanted to kill him, or get him killed. No one is spared.

If we want to get out of the bondage of material existence, we have to become free from envy. And how do we become free from envy? By the process of Krishna consciousness. And that is Prahlada’s prayer: bhajatad adhoksaje. Bhaja means to worship and serve. The word bhakti comes from the verbal root bhaj: to serve with devotion. Serve whom? Adhoksaja: Krishna, who is beyond material sense perception. Hiranyakasipu couldn’t see Vishnu; the Lord was beyond his sense perception. It was only when He chose to appear to him by emerging from the pillar as Nrsimhadeva that Hiranyakasipu could see Him. Otherwise, only pure devotees can see Krishna—no one else. He is beyond the perception of the materially contaminated senses, mind, and intelligence of the conditioned souls.

The process is Krishna consciousness (bhajatad adhoksaje), and as Prahlada has explained, we engage in devotional service in Krishna consciousness by sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam: hearing and chanting about Vishnu and remembering Him. As Srila Prabhupada quoted from the Siksastaka, ceto-darpana-marjanam: sankirtana, the chanting of the holy names of the Lord, cleanses the heart. That is the process. And when the heart is cleansed, we become peaceful and calm (bhadram).

This process is described in two important verses from the second chapter of Srimad-Bhagavatam:

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
   punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani
   vidhunoti suhrt satam

“Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.” (SB 1.2.17)

 Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah. When we hear krsna-katha, all the abhadrani—all the material desires, all the disturbances within the heart—are cleansed by the Lord Himself, who is sitting within the heart as the well-wishing friend of the truthful devotee (vidhunoti suhrt satam).

And the transcendental sound itself is Krishna. Krishna enters the ear in the form of transcendental sound, and when we are hearing properly, the sound will enter the heart and cleanse it. Krishna in the form of transcendental sound will cleanse the dirty things in the heart (ceto-darpana-marjanam).

The next verse explains further:

nasta-prayesv abhadresu
   nityam bhagavata-sevaya
bhagavaty uttama-sloke
   bhaktir bhavati naisthiki

“By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.” (SB 1.2.18)

Bhagavata-sevaya: by serving the person Bhagavata or by serving the book Bhagavata, all that is troublesome to the heart—the same word, abhadrani (abhadra, nasta-prayesv abhadresu)—all that is troublesome, all that is disturbing to the heart, becomes destroyed almost to nil. So, when Prahlada prays that envious persons be pacified (bhadram), he is praying that all the abhadra, the disturbing things, the material desires within the heart, be removed. And the way they can be removed is by Krishna consciousness, by absorbing the mind in Krishna. That process is recommended in the Bhagavad-gita (man-mana bhava mad-bhakto) and in Srimad-Bhagavatam (sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh)—to absorb the mind in Krishna. That is Krishna consciousness, and that will cleanse the heart and make us calm and peaceful. Then, instead of being envious of others and wanting to exploit and dominate them, we will think of their welfare. We want to help them and encourage them in Krishna consciousness.

Our main process, specially given to us in Kali-yuga by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, is sankirtana, the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. But we have to do it in such a way that our minds are absorbed. That is Prahlada’s prayer, that our minds be absorbed in Krishna. So, when we chant, we want to hear—we want our minds to be absorbed in the sound of Lord Krishna’s holy name. But when we try practically, what do we find? Is our mind peaceful? Is it absorbed in Krishna’s holy name? Or is it wandering here and there, thinking of different things to control and enjoy, which suggests the mentality described in the Bhagavad-gita and ascribed to demons: isvaro ’ham aham bhogi—“I am the controller; I am the enjoyer”? When we analyze the thoughts we have even while we are chanting—while we are supposed to be chanting and hearing—we find that the underlying principles are “I am the enjoyer; I am the controller.” We are chanting, but we are distracted, thinking, “Oh, I have to do this. I have to do that.” What does that imply? That I think I am the controller. “I have to control all these things. I can’t hear Krishna’s name. I have to control all these things.” And why do we want to control them? Though we may also want to control for Krishna’s service, the tendency is to control for sense gratification. We want to control people and events in certain ways as to make our lives more pleasurable. We want to make arrangements to make our lives more pleasant.

This demoniac tendency that we discussed in relation to Hiranyakasipu is there in us too. As our godbrother Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu often quotes, “We have seen the enemy, and he is us.” We are the enemy. It is not out there. We are the enemy—our own bad propensities, our own uncontrolled minds and senses. The problem is not out there; it is right here inside us.

So, we have to work hard. We have to endeavor to chant and hear with attention, with feeling. Whenever the mind wanders, we have to bring it back to the sound of Lord Krishna’s holy name. And that is a difficult job. In fact, it is a futile exercise on our own strength alone. We need help. We need mercy. We need mercy from Krishna. And Prahlada is helping us. We should be praying, but he is leading us in the prayer. In Text 8 he prayed to Lord Nrsimhadeva in the heart, “Kindly vanquish my demonlike desires. Just as You destroyed Hiranyakasipu, kindly destroy my demonlike desires, kill my bad propensities, and sit on the throne of my heart.”

So, we do both: we make our own effort, and we pray for mercy. And when the Lord sees that we are making an honest effort, He is inclined to give His mercy. We don’t just sit back and do nothing and pray for mercy. We have to make an effort. But at the same time, we understand that we cannot be successful by our effort alone; we need the Lord’s help. And when the Lord sees our genuine, sincere, tireless effort, He will be merciful. Mother Yasoda couldn’t bind Krishna with all the ropes in Vraja, but when Krishna saw her tireless effort to bind Him, He felt compassion for her and allowed her to bind Him. Our acharyas explain that that gap of two fingers by which the ropes were always too short can be covered (1) by our endeavor, our hard labor (parisrama), and (2) by Krishna’s mercy (krsna-krpa). These two elements can cover that distance and make our efforts successful—by Krishna’s grace.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, as quoted by Prabhupada in the purport, explains that whenever a devotee offers a prayer to the Lord, he asks for some benediction. Om namo bhagavate narasimhaya is a prayer, and implicit in the prayer is a request for a benediction. But a devotee will not ask for a material benediction like Hiranyakasipu’s: “Let me become immortal so I can conquer the universe and make everyone my servant.” He will ask for a benediction related to devotional service. And that is not wrong. He just won’t ask for something for his sense gratification; he will ask for something for Krishna consciousness—for his own Krishna consciousness and for the Krishna consciousness of others.

We find the example in the Siksastaka (5):

ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram
   patitam mam visame bhavambudhau
krpaya tava pada-pankaja-
   sthita-dhuli-sadrsam vicintaya

“O son of Maharaja Nanda [Krsna], I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into this horrible ocean of birth and death. Please pick me up from this ocean of death and place me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet.”

This is a very significant verse. Ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram: “I am Your eternal servant.” We are Krishna’s servants—specifically Krishna’s, the son of Nanda. Nanda-tanuja is an intimate term. Tanu means “body” and ja means “born.” Although the Lord is aja, unborn, for the sake of His pastimes in Vrindavan, He appears as nanda-tanuja, He who was “born from the body of Nanda.” It is very intimate. “Yet although I am Your servant [kinkaram], somehow or the other I have fallen into this terrible ocean of birth and death [patitam mam visame bhavambudhau].” Bhava means “to exist” or “to come into being and then to cease to exist.” And visame Prabhupada translates as “horrible.” Literally, visa means “poison.” This material existence is like an ocean of poison. And within this ocean are ferocious aquatics like sharks, who are ready to devour us. These deadly creatures are compared to lust, anger, and greed—always ready to devour us, to finish us. And there are waves in the ocean, terrible waves that are compared to false hopes and anxieties. They are always tossing us around. And there are strong winds—gales and storms—which are compared to bad association.

The ocean is bad enough, but it becomes even worse when we are subjected to bad association. Such association acts like strong winds that push us in the wrong direction and may cause us to fall over. And while we are floundering in the ocean, drowning in the sea, we may come across some small pieces of wood and think, “Oh, here is a little piece of wood. Let me grab onto it.” Those insignificant pieces of wood are compared to the processes of karma, jnana, yoga, and so on. They can’t save us.

The only thing that can save us is mercy (tava krpa). Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who uttered these verses called the Siksastaka, prays, “By Your mercy, please pick Me up from this horrible ocean of birth and death and place Me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet.” It is divine mercy that can save us. And He prays to be an atom at the lotus feet of Krishna. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura remarks that this indicates that we are all originally part and parcel of Krishna.  Dhuli means “dust.” Pada-dhuli: “dust of the lotus feet.” Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu prays, “Please be causelessly merciful to Me. Consider Me, Your eternal servant, a particle of dust at Your lotus feet.”

Someone might question, “Is it proper for a devotee who has taken shelter of the holy name of Krishna to discuss the miseries of material existence?” Well, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu does. So it is not wrong to discuss the miseries of material existence, and it is not wrong to pray for mercy to be reestablished in one’s constitutional relationship with Krishna. Those are things devotees do. And that should be our mood when we chant: that the holy name is Krishna and that we want to reestablish our lost relationship with Him. Thus we want to reestablish our relationship with the holy name—Krishna as the holy name. And our chanting is personal reciprocation with the holy name. When our mind wanders and all these anarthas come up, as they are prone to do, we pray for mercy: “Please save me. I think I am God, the controller, the enjoyer. Please save me from these anarthas.” That is one side of the prayer. The other side is, “Please engage me in Your service. Please accept me as Your eternal servant. Please consider me an atom at Your lotus feet, a particle of dust at Your lotus feet.”

And we have another example from Sri Siksastaka (4):

 na dhanam na janam na sundarim
   kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye
mama janmani janmanisvare
   bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi

“O Lord of the universe, I do not desire material wealth, materialistic followers, a beautiful wife, or fruitive activities described in flowery language. All I want, life after life, is unmotivated devotional service to You.”

Ahaituki. Again the word ahaituki: “causeless, without any motive for personal gain of any sort.” Pure devotional service is anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam. Anyabhilasita-sunyam: without any ulterior motive. Jnana-karmady-anavrtam: not covered by karma, jnana, or any other process. In His Siksastaka, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu prays in the mood of pure devotion: na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam. Dhanam means “wealth.” Janam means “followers.” Sundarim means “beautiful women, beautiful wife.” And kavitam means “poetry” or “the flowery words of the Vedas.” Sometimes sundarim is placed with kavitam to mean “beautiful poetry.” Some people think they can realize God through poetry, music, or art, and they are attached to such subtle, almost heavenly pleasures. They say they can experience God through hearing a symphony, for instance. So sundarim kavitam: beautiful poetry. And when sundarim is considered with janam, then beautiful women, beautiful wife, children, relatives, and friends are included in janam. And all of these gains are achieved by pious material activities—in other words, karma. So, when Lord Chaitanya says na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam, He means that He doesn’t want anything that can be achieved by karma. And when He says mama janmani janmanisvare, that birth after birth He wants to be engaged in pure devotional service, He tells us that He does not want even liberation, which is the goal of jnana. In other words, He is not praying for the results of karma or jnana but is asking only for pure devotional service. Such is a pure devotee. And that is what we should be praying for.

But Prahlada is asking not just for himself. He is praying for all living entities. And the same principle applies: we pray, but we also have to work. It is not enough to sit back and pray, “Please deliver all the living entities in the universe” while we keep busy in eating and sleeping, or even chanting for our own personal benefit. We also have to work for the deliverance of the fallen souls. And that combination of endeavor and prayer will be effective. We find later, in Prahlada’s prayers to Nrsimhadeva in the Seventh Canto (SB 7.9.44):

prayena deva munayah sva-vimukti-kama
   maunam caranti vijane na parartha-nisthah
naitan vihaya krpanan vimumuksa eko
   nanyam tvad asya saranam bhramato ’nupasye

“O my Lord, I see that most saintly persons are interested only in their own deliverance. Not caring for the big cities and towns, they roam in solitary places with vows of silence. They are not interested in delivering others. As for me, however, I do not wish to be liberated alone, leaving aside all these poor fools and rascals. I know that without Krsna consciousness, without taking shelter of Your lotus feet, one cannot be happy. Therefore I wish to bring them back to shelter at Your lotus feet.”

Prahlada does not have to be concerned about his own liberation, because, as a pure devotee, he is already liberated. Wherever he is, he can always immerse himself in the nectarean ocean of the Lord’s holy names and glories, and feel transcendental bliss. He explains, “For myself I have no anxiety, but I do have one concern. My lamentation (soce) is that people are suffering without Krishna consciousness, and so I am always making plans how to engage them in devotional service.”

naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaranyas
   tvad-virya-gayana-mahamrta-magna-cittah
soce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyartha-
   maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan

“O best of the great personalities, I am not at all afraid of material existence, for wherever I stay I am fully absorbed in thoughts of Your glories and activities. I am quite satisfied to chant Your holy name, because whenever I chant I immediately merge in an ocean of transcendental bliss. My concern is only for the fools and rascals who are making elaborate plans for material happiness and maintaining their families, societies, and countries. I am simply lamenting for them and devising various plans to deliver them from the clutches of maya.” (SB 7.9.43)

Prahlada Maharaja is one of our acharyas—one of the twelve mahajanas—and he is teaching us by his example. He is thinking how he can deliver the fallen souls, how he can induce the fallen souls to take to Krishna consciousness. At the same time, he is praying to his worshipable Deity, Lord Nrsimhadeva, to be merciful to them and deliver them, because he knows that on his own he can’t deliver them—and that on their own they can’t deliver themselves. So, to preach we need the Lord’s mercy. And to practice Krishna consciousness we also need the Lord’s mercy. At every stage, we need the Lord’s mercy. And at the same time, we have to make our own efforts.

In conclusion, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura raises the question, “What if Prahlada Maharaja’s prayer is accepted and everyone becomes Krishna conscious? They all will leave the material universe and go back to Godhead, so what will happen to the universe?”

At the Ardha-kumbha-mela in 1971, I had a rare opportunity to be with Srila Prabhupada in his tent when he was giving darshan, meeting visitors in the afternoon. A man asked him, “What if everyone becomes a devotee—how will the world go on?” And Prabhupada asked me to answer. I don’t remember exactly what I said, maybe something about how will the prison go on if all the prisoners are reformed and released, but I was very attentive to what Prabhupada said after I made my attempt. He replied, “It is like asking, ‘What if everyone becomes rich? Who will be the chauffeur?’ Everyone wants to be rich. You can’t argue, ‘What if everyone becomes rich?’ to say that people should not try to become rich.” And he continued, “The problem is not that too many people will become Krishna conscious; the problem is that not enough will become Krishna conscious. Do you think that is a problem—that too many people will become Krishna conscious? That is not the problem. The problem is that not enough will become Krishna conscious.”

In this mood of thinking of the welfare of every living entity, one of our godsisters, Jahnava devi dasi, once asked Srila Prabhupada, “When we chant, should we think of the welfare of all living entities?” And Prabhupada replied, “Oh, you can think of all living entities? You just think of Lord Chaitanya, and He will think of all living entities.” We may desire the welfare of all living entities, but it is not in our capacity to think of all living entities. Even in a family of four, it is hard to think of the welfare of all four at once. So, we can’t think of all living entities. But we can think of Lord Chaitanya, and He will think of all living entities. We can pray to Lord Nrsimhadeva, and He will think of all living entities. And we can pray to be a little particle of dust in Their service—a small instrument in Their mission—by Their divine grace.

Hare Krishna.

Nrsimha Bhagavan ki jaya!
Prahlada Maharaja ki jaya!
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Nitai-gaura-premanande hari-haribol!

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Nrsimha-caturdasi, April 30, 2007, Dallas]

Sri Narasimha Jayanti is the auspicious appearance day of Lord Narasimha, the half-man, half-lion incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Narasimha appeared at dusk on the Shukla Chaturdashi (the fourteenth day of the bright fortnight) in the month of Vaishakha.

The Supreme Lord appeared as Narasimha to protect His dear devotee Prahlada from the persecutions of his demoniac father, Hiranyakashipu. By performing severe penances, Hiranyakashipu had received a benediction from Lord Brahma that he could not be killed by any living entity created by Brahma (whether demigod, demon, human being, or animal), within or outside a residence, during the day or at night, on the land or in the sky, by any weapon and from any entity – dead or alive.

Endowed with this special benediction, Hiranyakashipu became extremely powerful. He conquered all directions and established his supremacy over everyone else. He was inimical towards Lord Vishnu and His devotees. On the contrary, his son Prahlada was a great devotee of the Lord Vishnu from the beginning of his life. Hence, Hiranyakashipu made several attempts to kill his son in different ways, but every time, the Lord rescued him.

Finally, the Lord assumed a unique half-man half-lion form (this form is neither a human being nor an animal) by emerging from a pillar. He killed Hiranyakashipu in the evening (neither day nor night), in the doorway of the assembly hall (neither within nor outside any residence), keeping the demon on His lap (neither land nor sky) and tearing the demon’s body to pieces with His nails (neither by a weapon nor by any entity – dead or alive). Thus, the Lord effortlessly killed Hiranyakashipu while satisfying all the conditions of Brahma’s boon.

Through this wonderful pastime, the Supreme Lord showed that no one can surpass His intelligence and cheat Him. If the Lord wants to kill someone, nobody can save him, however intelligent and powerful he may be. Similarly, if the Lord wants to save someone, nobody can kill him.

Devotees observe fasting till dusk and offer prayers to Lord Narasimha to seek His mercy and protection from all kinds of dangers and disturbances in their spiritual path. An elaborate abhisheka is performed to the Lord in the early morning and the evening. 

Sri Narasimha Jayanti is the auspicious appearance day of Lord Narasimha, the half-man, half-lion incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Narasimha appeared at dusk on the Shukla Chaturdashi (the fourteenth day of the bright fortnight) in the month of Vaishakha.

The Supreme Lord appeared as Narasimha to protect His dear devotee Prahlada from the persecutions of his demoniac father, Hiranyakashipu. By performing severe penances, Hiranyakashipu had received a benediction from Lord Brahma that he could not be killed by any living entity created by Brahma (whether demigod, demon, human being, or animal), within or outside a residence, during the day or at night, on the land or in the sky, by any weapon and from any entity – dead or alive.

Endowed with this special benediction, Hiranyakashipu became extremely powerful. He conquered all directions and established his supremacy over everyone else. He was inimical towards Lord Vishnu and His devotees. On the contrary, his son Prahlada was a great devotee of the Lord Vishnu from the beginning of his life. Hence, Hiranyakashipu made several attempts to kill his son in different ways, but every time, the Lord rescued him.

Finally, the Lord assumed a unique half-man half-lion form (this form is neither a human being nor an animal) by emerging from a pillar. He killed Hiranyakashipu in the evening (neither day nor night), in the doorway of the assembly hall (neither within nor outside any residence), keeping the demon on His lap (neither land nor sky) and tearing the demon’s body to pieces with His nails (neither by a weapon nor by any entity – dead or alive). Thus, the Lord effortlessly killed Hiranyakashipu while satisfying all the conditions of Brahma’s boon.

Through this wonderful pastime, the Supreme Lord showed that no one can surpass His intelligence and cheat Him. If the Lord wants to kill someone, nobody can save him, however intelligent and powerful he may be. Similarly, if the Lord wants to save someone, nobody can kill him.

Devotees observe fasting till dusk and offer prayers to Lord Narasimha to seek His mercy and protection from all kinds of dangers and disturbances in their spiritual path. An elaborate abhisheka is performed to the Lord in the early morning and the evening. 

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According to the Vaishnava calendar, today is Jayananda Prabhu’s disappearance anniversary. Below you can read what Srila Prabhupada wrote to him, and about him, around the time of Jayananda Prabhu’s death death on May 1, 1977.

 

 

To Jayananda dasa, February 26, 1977:

This body is today or tomorrow finished. We should not be very much bothered about the body. Trees also live for thousands of years, but that does not mean a successful life. A successful life is one of Krishna consciousness. By the grace of Krishna, from the very beginning you are a devotee, and that is the real profit of your life.

About a sadhu it is said, jiva va mara va—a sadhu may live or die, it doesn’t matter. While living he is engaged in Krishna conscious business, and when dying he goes back home, back to Godhead.

 

To Jayananda dasa, May 5, 1977:

I am feeling very intensely your separation. In 1967 you joined me in San Francisco. You were driving my car and chanting Hare Krishna. You were the first man to give me some contribution ($5,000) for printing my Bhagavad-gita. After that, you have rendered very favorable service to Krishna in different ways. I so hope at the time of your death you were remembering Krishna and as such, you have been promoted to the eternal association of Krishna. If not, if you had any tinge of material desire, you have gone to the celestial kingdom to live with the demigods for many thousands of years and enjoy the most opulent life of material existence. From there you can promote yourself to the spiritual world. But even if one fails to promote himself to the spiritual world, at that time he comes down again on the surface of this globe and takes birth in a big family like a yogi’s or a brahman’s or an aristocratic family, where there is again chance of reviving Krishna consciousness. But as you were hearing krishna-kirtan, I am sure that you were directly promoted to Krishna-loka.

janma karma ca me divyam
  evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
  naiti man eti so ’rjuna
        [Gita 4.9]

Krishna has done a great favor to you, not to continue your diseased body, and has given you a suitable place for your service. Thank you very much.

 

To Ramesvara dasa, May 11, 1977:

Jayananda’s death is glorious. It is very good that he had stated, “What is the use of such a useless body? Better to give it up.” He has left his body very wonderfully, and he has been transferred to Vaikuntha. I have already sent a condolence letter for publication in Back to Godhead. Everyone should follow the example of Jayananda. I am very proud that I had such a nice disciple. If possible, Jayananda’s picture should be hung in the ratha of Lord Jagannatha, and in all of our temples a day may be set aside for holding a festival in his honor, just as we do on the disappearance day of the other great Vaishnavas.

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 21, No. 18

By Krishna Kripa Das
(Week 18: April 30–May 6, 2025)

Paris, Brussels, Ghent, Amsterdam, Rotterdam

(Sent from New York City on May 10, 2025)

Where I Went and What I Did

For the eighteenth week of 2025, I continued chanting Hare Krishna in the Paris area for three days. The third day I took the train to Brussels Midi and chanted outside that train station until I did three hours of harinama altogether. The last hour I was joined by Govardhan Prabhu, a devotee from Ukraine who coincidentally happened by and who later invited me for dinner. On Saturday I did harinama in Ghent with Radhadesh devotees in the afteroon, and then took a couple of trains to Amsterdam to catch the last two hours of the Amsterdam Kirtan Mela. Sunday I attended a holy name seminar in an Amstel Park with Sacinandana Swami, and then chanted Hare Krishna with four devotees from there through the streets to the Amsterdam temple for the Sunday feast program, where Sacinandana Swami gave the lecture. Monday was a holiday in the Netherlands, and Rati Manjari Devi Dasi organized a two-hour harinama throughout the city that was attended my about fifteen devotees.

Ananda Vrindavan Devi Dasi organized a two-hour harinama in Rotterdam the next day, also attended by about fifteen enthusiastic devotees. Those last two days I would chant before and after those harinamas by myself to and from the harinama spots as to do three hours each day.

I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s The Nectar of Devotion and a quote from a lecture of his. I share some verses from the latter cantos of Srimad-Bhagavatam with translations and purports by his humble servants. I share quotes from Sri Caitanya-bhagavata by Vrindavana Dasa Thakura and its commentary by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. I share notes on classes by Janananda Goswami, Sacinandana Swami, and Mandakini Devi Dasi. I share quotes from Mukunda Goswami’s Miracle on Second Avenue. I share notes from the Bhaktivedanta Institute legacy talks by Ramesvara and Ranjit Prabhus.

Thanks to the Rotterdam temple congregation, to Ananda Vrindavan Devi Dasi, and another devotee lady of that congregation, whose name begins with “S” for their very generous donations. Thanks to Rati Manjari Devi Dasi for organizing the Liberation Day harinama in Amsterdam and to Ananda Vrindavan Devi Dasi for organizing the Rotterdam harinama, and thanks to them also for the photos and videos. Thanks to Vivek of Lelystad for his transportation, accommodation, and prasadam during my Amsterdam visit. Thanks to Toshan Krishna Prabhu, also of Lelystad, for the rides to and from Amsterdam. Thanks to Vrindaranya Priya Prabhu for allowing me to stay in the Brussels temple. Thanks to Govardhan Prabhu of Ukraine, living in Brussels, for chanting with me for an hour, for the nice dinner, and for assistance in getting to the temple. Thanks to Asta-sakhi Devi Dasi for finding my shoes which disappeared from vision for the week between King’s Day and the Amsterdam Kirtan Mela. Thanks to Rasa Parayana Prabhu of Paris for allowing me to borrow his old phone when I lost mine. Thanks to Murli Gopal Prabhu and Bhaktan Deva for offering replacements phones.

Itinerary

May 7–June 15: NYC Harinam 
– May 27–29: Washington, D.C., harinamas with Sankarsana Prabhu
– May 29–30: Baltimore harinamas to promote Ratha-yatra 
–May 31: Baltimore Ratha-yatra 
mid June–mid August: Paris? 
– June 22: Paris Ratha-yatra? 
– July 11: Amsterdam harinama? 
– July 12: Amsterdam Ratha-yatra? 
– July 13: Holland harinama?

Chanting Hare Krishna in Paris

I gave a Srimad-Bhagavatam class in Paris on April 29, the last day of the previous week, and more people liked it than usual, so I am sharing it here (https://www.youtube.com/live/X3_EuEXCDgs):

Revatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Place de la République in Paris (https://youtu.be/7wnZ36nM0H8):

Krishna Kumar Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Place de la République in Paris (https://youtu.be/U1VoQ-iVqMI):

Vidjai chants Hare Krishna at Saint-Michel in Paris (https://youtu.be/-qizAmbUZk0):

Rohininandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Saint-Michel, and devotee ladies dance (https://youtu.be/ZAH_XclQp8Q):

Rohininandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Saint-Michel, and onlookers play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/Q1X3zuXsxA4):

Param Karuna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Saint-Michel in Paris (https://youtu.be/Y_GQnD3KU-U):

Harini Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Saint-Michel in Paris (https://youtu.be/Irp_pAwrwmc):

Anapurna Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Saint-Michel in Paris (https://youtu.be/BHZAG8eGnKg):

The next day, I planned to chant Hare Krishna for an hour at the Sarcelles market, a place that we would chant at with a party of a few devotees several times a year. Unfortunately, no one joined me, so I just chanted at the Garges Sarcelles train station. It is always austere there as there are people just hanging out, intoxicated to different degrees. One who may have been from an Indian or Bangladeshi background glanced through the French “On Chanting Hare Krishna,” taking out the page with the picture of Krishna on it to keep, before returning it to me.

He kissed the picture of Krishna before putting it in his pocket. He and some friends also took invitations to the temple with its Sunday feast, just fifteen minutes away by bus. Later I chanted another half hour at Gare du Nord, as I waited for my budget train to Brussels.

Chanting Hare Krishna in Belgium

I only chanted Hare Krishna an hour and a half in the Paris area before my train to Brussels, so I decided to chant for another hour and a half outside Brussels Midi, between the train station and the buses and trams. Govardhan Prabhu of Ukraine, who was passing by, joined me for the last hour (https://youtu.be/xYi7XJCUcH4):

I decided to collect donations in my hat, which I positioned upside down on the pavement in front of me, and give them to the temple. Within a minute I got my first donation, and within three minutes two young women played the shakers. Both groups accepted the French “On Chanting Hare Krishna,” as did three other people that day.

I was starving since in my hurry to leave, I left my lunch in Paris, and Govardhan Prabhu offered me a very nice dinner after harinama. Then he went with me to the Brussels temple.

I took the train to Ghent and wandered around the city for half an hour until I found the harinama party, which was said to consist of half Radhadesh devotees and the other half from elsewhere in Belgium. Ghent is said by Janananda Goswami to be the best city in the Benelux for harinama because of the alternative people there.

Here Amita Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at St. Michael’s Church in Ghent (https://youtu.be/e_LHWkN8aZ4):

Amita Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna along a street in Ghent (https://youtu.be/Vuv0RNneQG8):

Here Sandipani Muni Krishna Prabhu, attending a youth retreat at Radhadesh, chants Hare Krishna in Ghent (https://youtu.be/B3-t7C_vd4M):

Sandipani Muni Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in a square (https://youtu.be/U1fL5qQXWBw):

In another square in Ghent, as Sandipani sang, onlookers danced with devotees (https://youtu.be/xDAdZZ25Q8Q):

At one point, devotees and onlookers danced in a circle (https://youtu.be/rbe5xRQ-IsM):

Later Sandipani engaged some people who had danced with us in chanting the Hare Krishna responsively (https://youtu.be/1xaOecFbY0Y):

Gopinath Prabhu of Radhadesh chants Hare Krishna in Ghent (https://youtu.be/hKq5Cw-Tbcs):

Many people in Ghent were happy to see the harinama, to take photos of it, and to accept the prasadam, invitations, and books the devotees distributed.

After an hour and a half, I had to leave to catch my trains to Amsterdam for their kirtan mela.

Chanting Hare Krishna in Amsterdam

Here Sacinandana Swami chants Hare Krishna at the Amsterdam Kirtan Mela (https://youtu.be/ocBxa8UUleo):

Toward the end of his kirtan, devotees got up and danced (https://youtu.be/5SdC-KRO6uI):

Tarana Caitanya Prabhu chants the final Hare Krishna kirtan at Amsterdam Kirtan Mela (https://youtu.be/F-bM7fz2SiA):

Sacinandana Swami chants Hare Krishna at Amsterdam Holy Name Retreat (https://youtu.be/z8kbxlqfyN0):

On Sunday I was happy that I found four devotees to do harinama between Sacinandana Swami’s holy name seminar in Amstel Park and the Amsterdam temple where we had a Sunday feast program. Here Mantrini Devi Dasi leads the Hare Krishna chant (https://youtu.be/cwK7ijKjHto):

In Amsterdam so many more people take invitations than in New York and Paris, three just in this short video.

Sacinandana Swami chants Hare Krishna at Amsterdam Sunday feast program (https://youtu.be/Eo7OBu_eHhw):

Because our Monday harinama was scheduled for two hours and I like to do three, I decided to chant on the way to the harinama and on the way home. As I was walking through Amsterdam Zuid train station playing the shakers and chanting Hare Krishna, a young woman asked if I could sing her a song. I said I only know Hare Krishna, and I gave her some shakers, and her friend filmed her playing the shakers with me as I chanted Hare Krishna. I got to the harinama site twenty-one minutes early. One man chanted Hare Krishna upon encountering me. He was regular customer for prasadam at our temple’s previous address and was happy to learn of the new location. Later two young women moved to the music, so I offered them shakers and they played along. Then another devotee arrived, and I encouraged the women to chant the response along with that devotee, and they did. As they left I gave them an invitation to the Sunday feast program and an “On Chanting Hare Krishna.”

Transcript:

So, during, it was one to two weeks ago, and we mentioned that everyone should have a service, and not having service is an issue. So, in our temple community, we find that devotees are naturally attracted towards different types of services, and for my sake of understanding and realization, I have categorized them into intellectual and physical services.

And I see there is a phenomenon that sometimes some devotees are naturally enthusiastic about intellectual engagements, such as kirtan, preaching, studying, discussing scriptures, when others take up physically demanding some devotees, like teaching, healing, deity worship, and maintenance and so forth, and so on. But there is sometimes imbalance, like physical services are often undervalued or neglected, leading to disorganization, payouts, some mismanagement, and sometimes even uncleanliness in the temple. And also it leads to unfair distribution of services, like some devotees have a heavy burden of physically demanding services, and I am not saying that intellectual services are not demanding physically as well as intellectually, but I feel there is unfair distribution.

And also, there is also limited opportunities for mutual growth in both categories of services. So I feel how can we, my question is how can we cultivate a more balanced and respectful culture, where all types of services are valued equally, and where devotees are given great opportunities to participate in both physical and intellectual services for the holistic growth and smooth functioning of the temple. Sorry, I just asked Chaitra to make it better, whatever I want to talk.

That’s all I am getting at. So, I don’t know how much I am qualified to answer this question because I have not done many physical services, there are few physical services I can do physically because of the situation. But, I would say that, I don’t know whether kirtan can be called as an intellectual service, but I appreciate the broad classification.

See, there are some services which are more visible and even glamorous. There are some services which will be less visible and less glamorous. Now of course there are some services which are more intellectual, intellectual can be glamorous also.

Now some intellectual services are not very glamorous also. Somebody becomes a preacher who is a crowd puller, that is much more glamorous. But somebody is a preacher who becomes a shastra teacher, you know, that person doesn’t really get new people to come, that person is cultivating devotees.

Then that’s also glamorous to some extent. But it also depends if somebody is a nice krishna katha, then that person is a crowd puller, but somebody is going to siddhanta, teaching bhakti shastra, bhakti vaibhav, there is not so much glamour in that kind of service. But broadly I appreciate the question that there are certain services which people may want to do, devotees may want to do more.

Other services devotees may not want to do. So what do we do in such situations? See there is at one side the individual and the other side is the institution. So now one principle of dharma, the word dharma has many different meanings, but one simple meaning of dharma is that harmonious belonging, that we all belong to the larger roles.

If you are travelling, if you are driving a car on the road, then we belong to the road transport system, we are participating in that. So then we are taking the facility from the road transport system and we have to do something for that road transport system, that is follow the rules, pay the taxes, whatever it is, follow the rules. So dharma essentially is harmonious belonging.

So if you are sitting for this class, if somebody sits right in front, then they are back towards the speaker. So that is just harmonious belonging. Let me disrupt you for a second.

So this harmonious belonging is dharma. So when we belong to an institution, then we also need to learn to belong harmoniously to the institution. Now harmonious belonging has to happen in both ways.

And Krishna uses the word dharma, he uses it both at the individual level and the institutional level. At the individual level Arjuna is asking, vichamiton dharmasamudhichitah, see what is the right thing for me to do? And Krishna says, dharmasamsthapanarthaya sambhavani. At that time he says, I come to establish dharma.

What does that mean? I come to establish the social order. That is virtues, that is guru. So for example, now when we are being a part of the road transport system, say if the road transport system is also just and fair, that means whoever follows the rules, they are allowed to go peacefully.

Those who break the rules, they are pulled over. They are penalized, they are fined or whatever. But if the road transport system, the legal system in this case, the law and order system is personal and partial.

Say people from one community are allowed to go free even if they break the rules. People from other community are pulled over more. Then what happens is the dharma has to work both ways.

The collective has to take care of the individual and the individual has to contribute to the collective. That’s the ideal way to practice dharma. But then it’s a dharmic society with dharmic individuals in the society.

Now from our perspective, what happens is that we are individuals, some of us may also be leaders. Then we have to play our role in contributing to the community. But then we may also be leaders who are upholding the community.

So it depends a lot on the community leaders. If the community leaders show favor or especially praise certain services, then what happens? Everybody wants to be appreciated, recognized. And that’s not a part of the ego.

That’s just a human need. The world is so big and our existence can seem so tiny even within the movement. We all want to be valued.

So whatever is the ethos that is built in the community, then that is what everyone else will want to do. So if some communities are focused very much on say, fundraising for building a temple. And then fundraisers are constantly glorifying.

Or some communities focus only on food distribution. Then food distributors are glorifying. Some communities focus on youth outreach.

Then only those who do youth outreach are glorifying. Others are not. Then what will happen is, it’s like the rewards from the community are coming especially for one group.

And everybody will want to belong to that group. And other services will get neglected. And I’ve seen this happen in almost every community.

Now naturally, the leader of the community or the leaders of the community will have certain inspiration themselves. And they’ll prioritize some things. But the challenge is when prioritizing some things, other things should not be devalued.

All of this is valuable. This is what is most valuable for us right now. So that is one big aspect that what is the dharma of the community that is being followed.

So if all these services aren’t recognized, there will be appropriate forums for recognizing those services. Say sometimes, after the Super Marathon, there may be some, or after fundraising or whatever, there’s a celebration. And there’s a, for everyone, not just for the big fundraisers, but all those who contributed to the service.

Then what happens is everybody feels valued. So that harmonious belonging requires that the harmony also come from top to the bottom. That’s one side.

The other side is from the bottom, the individual towards the institution. Within that, there is a, there is, you call it dharma and then apad dharma. Apad dharma is emergency duty, emergency emergency.

So in general, one principle of foreign ashram is everybody serve according to their nature. Now, of course, what is whose nature? That’s also, it takes some time to figure out. And if we leave it completely to individual, individuals leave it to their mind.

So what is your nature? The mind will say, whatever service you are doing right now, that is not according to the nature. But the mind always keeps us dissatisfied. There will always be some, even in the services that we like to do, there is something which we don’t like.

Isn’t it? So there’s never an ideal situation in the world. Even if somebody likes to preach, but then along with preaching, you have to make sure the logistics are right. I don’t want to arrange the logistics.

I only want to preach. Okay, then you can become a travelling preacher and others will arrange the logistics for you. But then you have to arrange the travelling.

Isn’t it? So now, even in the services, if somebody thinks I’ll only do whatever I like, then that is not the spirit of dharma. What Krishna says to Arjuna is that, sarvaarambhahi doshena dhume naagme. That every endeavour is covered by thought.

So individuals also need to recognize that we cannot just be doing what we like to do with advantage. Because even in what we like to do, there is something which we don’t like to do. And we are belonging to a community.

So sometimes we may need to do things which we may not like to do. So which we may feel is not our nature. So in general, in the initial stages of a community, devotees need to be trained or in the initial stages of spiritual life also, devotees need to be trained to do whatever service they are called to do.

And that way, that mood of service attitude is inculcated. However, as time progresses, each devotee, because we don’t just want devotees to serve, we want devotees to sustain themselves in service. And for that purpose, if a devotee can understand that sabhaav and serve according to sabhaav, then that ethos is healthy.

Because if we are serving according to our nature, we will be self-motivated in that service. Nobody else needs to push us. If somebody likes to study shastra, they will study shastra.

Nobody is watching them, so they will be studying shastra. Somebody likes kirtan, even though nobody is watching them, they will be learning new tools, they will be learning new things, they will be improving their kirtan skills. Somebody likes to keep.

Even if there is no big service, no senior devotee coming to college, they will be honing their skills. So for the purpose of longevity of a devotee, we need to eventually engage devotees in services according to their nature. What they feel naturally drawn to do, whatever they feel inspired, whatever they are talented in doing.

So one system that I have seen work in certain communities is that for the first five years, for the first three years, for the first ten years, whatever, for the first few years, the devotees are trained to do whatever services. And then after some time, by mutual discussion between the authorities and the subordinates, the devotees move towards the service of their own. And that becomes an understanding within the community.

That initially you learn service attitude, and as you grow senior, then you also understand your subhava better. And then you move towards the services that you naturally feel inspired to do. So if that principle is applied fairly, then what happens is everybody accepts that principle.

And then afterwards it moves forward. So then what happens is we give room for individuality. So like I was in Radha Gopinath community, we asked Radha Gopinath Maharaj.

Some devotees are introvert. For them to be together with people is very exhausting. Three, four of us had gone to Radha Gopinath.

Coming for the morning program, it’s like emotionally draining. It’s spiritually energizing, it’s emotionally completely draining. Just meeting people, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna.

So we asked Maharaj. Maharaj said that if that is really the case, you have been practicing bhakti for 15-20 years, you have to assess what gives you spiritual strength. Because if you don’t want to come for the morning program, you know, I trust you.

We won’t go enforcing it for those who are practicing. But if we don’t enforce it for anyone, then nobody will be trained. So there has to be some accommodation for people according to their nature.

Nature is not just permanent. Nature can be made in different ways. So the thing is that, but that cannot be made the norm right from the beginning.

So in the Radha Gopinath temple, for the first 5-10 years, devotees should be very serious about their morning program attendance. For the first 3-4 years, I am talking about the Brahmacharya Ashram family, they do whatever service they are told to do. And as they move forward then, they find themselves according to their Swabhava and they engage accordingly.

So that’s one system that has over collapsed. So the other way is that, some way, the other thing is that, when we are talking about Artha, that was the theme over here. See either the devotee has to find Artha naturally in a particular service.

For some devotees, visible services are overwhelming for them. I would much rather be in the background. That could be humility, but that could also be their nature.

They just naturally like to be in the background and do some services. Some devotees may like to do physical services and that’s great. So either the Artha comes naturally for them or the Artha has to be created.

Created means what? You have to show them the Artha. That what is the Artha over here? This is how this is. So maybe in the classes, those themes are emphasized.

Or there are some other ways in which those devotees are recognized and valued. So when that is taken care of, then it happens that both the individual and the collective. The individual training has to be there and the collective managerial vigilance also has to be there.

So that then, there are different kinds of Artha that will take us towards Paramartha. So it’s like, we can say this is Paramartha and this is Artha. So if people start thinking that there is only one path from here, that say for example, during Prabhupada’s time there was a notion that who distributes for peace, Prabhupada not.

That is true. When Prabhupada was asked, what pleases you the most? He said, Love Krishna. So it is not that there is one path from here to here.

And then everybody, whichever service and only then you can grow towards Krishna. That’s not the understanding. We have had some very moving stories of devotees who were never visible and very prominent features and then the last moment they had some extraordinary experience of Krishna and they were all in the background doing some small services.

So the idea is, it is from wherever you are, wherever we find Artha, from there we can move towards Paramartha. So there is a story of Prabhupada’s in Vrindavan and there was one widow. Prabhupada would see from her window that every morning she would go and pluck flowers even if it was cold and she would go and sometimes she would wake up the Pujari and tell these are the flowers for the ladies.

And Prabhupada said that because she is doing this service, she will go back to Krishna. So it is not, if we create that ethos that every service can actually take you closer to Krishna and that we value you for the service. Naturally based on the phase in which the community is, some services will be glorified more than others.

So generally in the morning program we glorify the book distributions. That itself leads to that book distribution being glorified as a very important service. We don’t mention any other services.

Now other services are also quantified. In some temples they don’t just glorify the book distribution, they also add fundraisers. They say this person raised this much funds, this much funds.

Now okay, that was not the tradition but maybe that is required at that particular time. But then we can’t make a list of all the services that are done throughout the day and make it less glorified. Within the existing system, some services may be glorified.

But then it is important to create the system for appreciating and valuing other services also. So it’s like that Artha has to be going back to this particular diagram. So it is that individual should feel the Artha in that thing and the collective should also create that sense of Artha.

When both happen, then it will move forward very nicely. So I was once a judge with Maharaj and we were talking various things. I said Maharaj, what has given you faith in Krishna Consciousness? We often ask questions, what brought you to Krishna Consciousness? So once I was trying to start a podcast, what kept you in Krishna Consciousness? I am going to talk about all the skeletons in our closet for that.

So I often ask this to devotee at an individual level. So Maharaj was amazing. He said that there is a Pujari in Vrindavan.

He first departed. He said that Pujari whenever I go to Vrindavan, I see him. He is an elderly devotee.

Sometimes he does Pujari service. He is there Sarvanchana. So he said that he has been there for years.

He is not a very well-known devotee. He is not a world-famous devotee. That the devotee has been able to do this service year after year after year is the proof that Krishna Consciousness is there.

That without any recognition by the world that he is getting some satisfaction. That’s why he is doing the service. And now that is a remarkable level of recognition.

There is no recognition in the institutional apparatus. But one particular institution is recognizing this is important. So we need to have that system of Artha.

Infusing Artha or infusing value and meaning to his services. And of course devotees need to be encouraged to see the Artha in the service. So both may happen.

It is possible that the community can be properly taken care of. And so the temples or the organizations needs, the devotees needs and the community needs. Both can be harmonized.

So tension, it needs continuous monitoring and discussion and negotiation. But it is possible.

The post How to ensure that devotees in a community do all services as required, not just intellectual services? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

By Vijaya Das

March was a great month for book distribution. Four hundred and seventy-nine thousand nine hundred and two books were distributed to the people on this planet, giving them the opportunity to connect with Krsna, stop their suffering, and begin their journey back to Godhead. The most important moment in a person's life is when they get one of Prabhupada's books, hear the holy name, or take krsna-prasada. Continue reading "WSN May 2025 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
→ Dandavats"

Today is Rukmini-dvadasi, the appearance day of Srimati Rukmini-devi. There have been wonderful festivities all day, beginning with the special darshan of the Deities in Their flower outfits, and just now a wonderful abhiseka. During the abhiseka I really felt like I was in Vrindavan. There was so much devotion, spontaneous devotion—every time the pujaris poured another substance on the Deities, there would be gasps and cries of ecstasy and approval. It was wonderful. And that is life in Krishna consciousness: somehow being captivated by Krishna, the beauty of Krishna, manifest in His deity forms, His holy names, and His words and descriptions, the revealed scriptures. We want, somehow or other, to be absorbed in Krishna, and that absorption, encouraged by all these different activities, will cleanse the heart naturally and make us happy.

In terms of tattva (ontology), Krishna is the Absolute Truth. From Him everything emanates. He is the cause of all causes.

isvarah paramah krsnah
 sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
  sarva-karana-karanam

“Krishna, who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, and He is the prime cause of all causes.” (Brahma-samhita 5.1)

Once, on a morning walk here at Cheviot Hills Park, I asked Srila Prabhupada, “We say that Krishna is the origin of all, but sometimes people question us, ‘You say Krishna is the origin, but what is Krishna’s origin?’ What should we answer?” And Prabhupada replied, “You should tell them that according to our information, Krishna is the origin of everything and has no origin, but if you find someone or something that is the origin of Krishna, we will worship that person or thing—but until then you should worship Krishna.”

So, Krishna is the origin, but in terms of tattva, there are two basic categories: vishnu-tattva and shakti-tattva. Krishna is the source of all Vishnu forms, beginning with Balarama (Krishna’s first expansion), Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha—so many expansions on the side of the energetic (Vishnu). Similarly, there are so many expansions on the side of the energy (shakti), and the first is Srimati Radharani. From Her expand so many gopis in Vrindavan, so many queens in Dvaraka, and so many Lakshmis in Vaikuntha.

krsna-kanta-gana dekhi tri-vidha prakara
  eka laksmi-gana, pure mahisi-gana ara
vrajangana-rupa, ara kanta-gana-sara
  sri-radhika haite kanta-ganera vistara

“The beloved consorts of Lord Krsna are of three kinds: the goddesses of fortune, the queens, and the milkmaids of Vraja, who are the foremost of all. These consorts all proceed from Radhika.” (Cc Adi 4.74–75)

Of all Krishna’s queens in Dvaraka, Rukmini-devi is the principal. Ultimately, she is an expansion of Srimati Radharani. All of Rukmini’s qualities are present in Radharani, though Radharani manifests some qualities that Rukmini doesn’t.

Many of Rukmini and Krishna’s pastimes are described in Srimad-Bhagavatam, and they are all relishable and instructive. When I first read the story of Rukmini and Krishna in the Krsna book, I thought that it was the most wonderful story—one that could make a fabulous movie, with romance, suspense, chivalry, adventure, and a truly happy ending. I thought, This is amazing. You get everything in Krishna consciousness—but completely pure and spiritual.

Rukmini was the daughter of the king of Vidarbha, and when sages and saintly persons visited the royal palace, they would glorify the transcendental beauty, prowess, and character of Krishna. Sages knew Krishna to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and so they were pleased to glorify Him. And because He was acting as a ruler, kshatriyas were also pleased to speak about Him. By hearing about Krishna, Princess Rukmini became attached to Him (we could say she fell in love). She had never met Him, but just by hearing about Him she developed great faith, attraction, and love for Him and decided that He would be the perfect husband for her.

This is instructive for all of us—that if we hear about Krishna without envy, we will also become attracted to Him. Of course, Rukmini was a very pious, religious, pure-hearted girl. In fact, she was an expansion of Srimati Radharani. And because she was pure and religious and cultured, hearing about Krishna had an especially powerful effect on her heart. In the same way, if we lead pure lives as ordained by scripture, as taught by Srila Prabhupada, when we hear about the beauty and qualities and pastimes of Krishna, we will also become attracted.

Thus Rukmini, a most qualified princess, became attached to Krishna, the most qualified prince, and decided to marry Him. But her eldest brother, Rukmi, was envious of Krishna and forbade her marriage with Him. Instead, he arranged her marriage to his friend Sisupala, who was practically from birth envious of and antagonistic toward Krishna.

Other than Rukmi, all Rukmini’s family members and well-wishers, including her father, favored her match with Krishna. And Rukmini, Krishna’s eternal consort, could not think of marrying anyone else. Later, she told Krishna that only a woman who had not relished the fragrance of the honey of His lotus feet could accept someone else as her husband or lover. Any other suitor would be a “living corpse”—a bag covered with skin, whiskers, nails, and hair and filled with flesh, bones, blood, stool, mucus, bile, and air. She averred, “The aroma of Your lotus feet, which is glorified by great saints, awards people liberation and is the abode of Goddess Laksmi. What woman would take shelter of any other man after savoring that aroma? Since You are the abode of transcendental qualities, what mortal woman with the insight to distinguish her own true interest would disregard that fragrance and depend instead on someone who is always subject to terrible fear?” She insisted that she would depend only on Krishna, who has an eternal, blissful, spiritual form.

Understanding the situation, Rukmini, in a bold move, sent a message to Krishna through a trustworthy brahman, expressing her heart’s desire to have only Him as her husband and suggesting how He could steal her away from the assembly at her proposed marriage the following day.

Rukmini was so beautiful and attractive that not only Sisupala but also many kings and princes desired her. That is what we experience in the material world: Pretty much everyone looks at everyone else as objects to exploit and enjoy, however sweetly they may act or speak. For example, at the end of almost any phone call to a large business, the company’s rep will ask, “Is there anything else I can do for you?” It’s all scripted. The ultimate purpose is to get your money, but they ask ever so politely, “Is there anything else I can do for you today?” Underneath it all, people want to get something from you for themselves. They want to exploit your body, your mind, or your resources. They are just like the lusty kings and princes hovering around Rukmini.

In that delicate predicament, that awkward situation, Rukmini reached out to Krishna, cried out to Him to save her. That was the only recourse she had, and ultimately that is the only recourse any of us has. We are in an ocean surrounded by sharks ready to devour us, and the only one who can save us is Krishna.

 daivi hy esa guna-mayi
  mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
  mayam etam taranti te

[Lord Krishna says,] “This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who surrender unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” (Gita 7.14)

Rukmini surrendered herself to Lord Krishna with utter, complete sincerity, and the Lord reciprocated and delivered her. Sometimes we also pray to Krishna, but with some duplicity. We want Krishna’s help but at the same time still desire to enjoy materially, without Him. There is a saying about soldiers in combat: “There are no atheists in foxholes [pits dug for cover from enemy fire].” There are no atheists in foxholes because someone in extreme danger will naturally pray to God, knowing intuitively that only God can save him. But after he has been saved from his immediate danger, the person will tend to forget God and again think, “I’m the controller, I’m the enjoyer, I’m the proprietor,” and return to his ordinary, self-centered, inauspicious way of life.

Princess Rukmini was completely sincere. She wanted only to serve Krishna, and nothing else. Nothing else would satisfy her. And so she concluded her message to Krishna:

yasyanghri-pankaja-rajah-snapanam mahanto
  vanchanty uma-patir ivatma-tamo-’pahatyai
yarhy ambujaksa na labheya bhavat-prasadam
  jahyam asun vrata-krsan chata-janmabhih syat

“O lotus-eyed one, great souls like Lord Siva hanker to bathe in the dust of Your lotus feet and thereby destroy their ignorance. If I cannot obtain Your mercy, I shall simply give up my vital force, which will have become weak from the severe penances I will perform. Then, after hundreds of lifetimes of endeavor, I may obtain Your mercy.” (SB 10.52.43)

Now, one could argue that yes, Rukmini wanted Krishna, but along with Krishna she got a beautiful palace—there are descriptions in the Bhagavatam of the extraordinary opulence of Dvaraka—and so many nice children and servants and maidservants, and so much affluence. Actually, there is no harm in opulence, as long as Krishna is in the center. That is the main thing—that Krishna should be in the center. A chaste and faithful wife—this is another instruction from the narration of Rukmini and Krishna in the Bhagavatam—will follow her husband. If he is in an opulent position, so be it; if by circumstances he falls into a poor condition, still she will stay with him. And sometimes it happens that, by the grace of Krishna, the poor husband becomes opulent.

One example is Sudama Vipra. He was Krishna’s friend from when they were students in gurukula, in the ashram of Sandipani Muni. Sudama was a peaceful and learned brahman, detached from sense enjoyment, and he ended up being very poor. Krishna was a prince, the husband of the goddess of fortune, and He naturally ended up being supremely opulent. One day, Sudama’s wife, weak from hunger and distressed (more for her husband’s sake than for her own), implored him, “The Supreme Lord Krishna is nearby in Dvaraka. He is a personal friend and is compassionate to brahmans. Please approach Him, and He will surely give you, a suffering householder, abundant wealth.”

Sudama was not very keen on asking for something material from Krishna, but he did like the idea of seeing Him. In accordance with proper etiquette, he wanted to bring some gift, and he asked his wife if there was anything in the house he could take. They had nothing, so she begged four handfuls of flat rice from neighboring brahmans, tied it in a torn piece of cloth, and gave it to her husband as a present for Lord Krishna. Thus Sudama set out to Dvaraka, constantly thinking of Krishna.

When Lord Krishna caught sight of the brahman, He immediately stood up, went forward to meet him, and embraced him with great pleasure. He seated him very nicely on His own bedstead and washed his feet, while Queen Rukmini, the divine goddess of fortune herself, personally fanned the poor brahman. After some affectionate, philosophical talks about their times in service to their guru, Krishna asked His friend, “What gift have you brought Me?” Sudama felt so ashamed and embarrassed, he simply remained silent and bowed his head. Then the Lord, who knew everything, snatched the flakes of chipped rice tied in the old cloth and exclaimed, “What is this?” He ate a palmful of the rice, but when He was about to eat a second, Queen Rukmini caught hold of His hand and said, “One palmful is enough.” According to Vishvanatha Chakravarti, she was thinking, “If You eat all of this wonderful treat Yourself, what will be left for my friends and servants and me?”

Rukmini told Krishna, “This is more than enough to satisfy You. Your pleasure alone assures Your devotee of opulence in this life and the next.” In Krsna (Ch. 81), Srila Prabhupada comments, “This indicates that when food is offered to Lord Krsna with love and devotion and He is pleased and accepts it from the devotee, Rukmini-devi, the goddess of fortune, becomes so greatly obliged to the devotee that she has to go personally to the devotee’s home to turn it into the most opulent home in the world.”

Sudama spent the night in Lord Krishna’s palace, and the next day, after being duly honored by the Lord, without having asked Him for any material benefit, he set off for his home. Walking along the road, he felt blissful, satisfied just by the Lord’s darshan. And he thought that the merciful Lord, considering that if he suddenly became rich, he would become intoxicated with material happiness and forget Him, had not granted him even the slightest wealth.

Thus the brahman eventually reached home. In place of his former meager residence, however, he found a celestial palace with beautiful gardens and servants and maidservants. And when Sudama’s wife came forward to greet him, she looked just like the goddess of fortune herself. Without Sudama’s having asked Krishna for anything, and without Krishna’s having told Sudama that He would give him anything, He gave him more than Sudama or his wife could ever have imagined. And Sudama never forgot Lord Krishna. He concluded:

kincit karoty urv api yat sva-dattam
  suhrt-krtam phalgv api bhuri-kari
mayopanitam prthukaika-mustim
  pratyagrahit priti-yuto mahatma

“The Lord considers even His greatest benedictions to be insignificant, while He magnifies even a small service rendered to Him by His well-wishing devotee. Thus with pleasure the Supreme Soul accepted a single palmful of the flat rice I brought Him.”

tasyaiva me sauhrda-sakhya-maitri-
  dasyam punar janmani janmani syat
mahanubhavena gunalayena
  visajjatas tat-purusa-prasangah

“The Lord is the supremely compassionate reservoir of all transcendental qualities. Life after life may I serve Him with love, friendship, and sympathy, and may I cultivate such firm attachment for Him by the precious association of His devotees.”

bhaktaya citra bhagavan hi sampado
  rajyam vibhutir na samarthayaty ajah
adirgha-bodhaya vicaksanah svayam
  pasyan nipatam dhaninam madodbhavam

“To a devotee who lacks spiritual insight, the Supreme Lord will not grant the wonderful opulences of this world—kingly power and material assets. Indeed, in His infinite wisdom the unborn Lord well knows how the intoxication of pride can cause the downfall of the wealthy.” (SB 10.81.35–37)

Firmly fixed in his determination by his spiritual intelligence, Sudama remained absolutely devoted to Krishna, and without avarice, he, with his wife, remained in the opulent position awarded them by Him. Being completely purified by constant remembrance of the merciful, affectionate Lord Krishna, Sudama attained the Lord’s supreme abode.

So, we are not against opulence, and we are not for poverty—we are for Krishna. Sometimes, however, opulence can be an impediment. We may be tested: “Do I want Krishna more or maya more?” And sometimes poverty, in a way, can be an impediment. But whatever is destined for us will come to us. We don’t have to bother about it. It is ordained. Some people are rich automatically, and some people are poor. It is ordained. Whatever happiness is due to us will come, and whatever distress is due to us will come, but the main thing is Krishna, to have Krishna, to make Krishna—the Deity of Krishna, the holy name of Krishna, the pastimes of Krishna, the philosophy of Krishna, everything Krishna—the center of our lives. And if Krishna, the husband of the goddess of fortune (and Rukmini, the goddess of fortune herself) wants, He will give us more facility to serve Him. That is what He did with Sudama Brahman. Knowing that the brahman would not misuse the facility, that he would remain a humble, devoted servant, Krishna gave him everything.

So, if we worship Rukmini-Dvarakadisa and make Them the center of our lives, we may enjoy some of Their opulence. New Dvaraka itself is quite opulent, so we are already enjoying some of Their opulence. But material opulence is incidental, because material things without Krishna will not make us happy. The real thing is Krishna. Only Krishna can make us happy, and with Krishna we will be happy—with or without material things.

Today’s festival is wonderful because it infuses us with thoughts of Krishna, inspires our attraction for Krishna. That is why Srila Prabhupada established this temple, installed the Deities, and trained the devotees, so that they could always be busy with Krishna, busy for Krishna, and by association inspire and teach others also how to be absorbed in Krishna. Among the main processes in the present age of Kali, the foremost is the chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. So let us chant Hare Krishna, dance, feast on krsna-prasada, and be happy in Krishna consciousness.

Hare Krishna.

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Rukmini-dvadasi, May 14, 2011, New Dvaraka, Los Angeles]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On May 1, 1977, the day before the festival honoring the appearance of Lord Nrisimha, Srila Prabhupada’s dear disciple Jayananda Dasa passed from this world. 

Shortly thereafter, Srila Prabhupada wrote in a letter, “Jayananda’s death is glorious. . . . He has left his body very wonderfully, and he has been transferred to Vaikuntha. . . . Everyone should follow the example of Jayananda. I am very proud that I had such a nice disciple. If possible Jayananda’s picture should be hung in the ratha [festival chariot] of Lord Jagannatha, and in all of our temples a day may be set aside for holding a festival in his honor, just as we do on the disappearance day of the other great Vaisnavas.”

Jayananda Prabhu was one of Prabhupada’s first disciples in San Francisco, the site of ISKCON’s second temple. During his years of dedicated service to Srila Prabhupada, he inspired many, many people, devotees and non-devotees alike.

Jayananda was the all-American boy. Handsome, strong, intelligent, born in a more than middle-class family, Jayananda (Jim Kohr) took a degree in mechanical engineering from Ohio State University. With a background like that, it is surprising that Jayananda ended up as a cab driver in San Francisco. Karandhara once asked him why he didn’t get a better-paying job. “I didn’t fit in with the upper class crowd,” he said.

Always introspective in nature, Jayananda felt empty and unsatisfied within himself during his college years. He would often say that he was “never happy” before joining Krishna consciousness. His depression was almost suicidal when, in 1967, he read a small article in a San Francisco paper, about an Indian Swami who had come to the Bay Area to propagate the chanting of the names of God. Jayananda recalled feeling a “ray of hope” when he read that article. Thinking the Swami may have something to offer, Jayananda made up his mind to attend the Swami’s lectures. 

Srila Prabhupada’s early lectures in the Bay Area were mostly attended by hippies, and Jayananda was one of the only “straight” people there. Jayananda later recalled that, “I wasn’t much of a religionist, but I was attracted to Srila Prabhupada.” He was especially fond of attending the early morning lectures because at that hour, most of the hippies would be in bed. On some occasions Jayananda would be the only guest listening to Srila Prabhupada speak from the Bhagavatam.

Srila Prabhupada was always fond of Jayananda, and sometimes he would invite his budding disciple to take prasad with him in his room. “Srila Prabhupada would cook prasad and serve me,” Jayananda recalled. “He didn’t say anything – he just kept feeding me, and I kept eating.” Jayananda soon donated his life savings of $5,000 to Srila Prabhupada to help His Divine Grace print the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. As more and more devotees joined ISKCON in the Bay Area, Jayananda continued to work as a cab driver and supported the Temple by contributing all of his earnings.

Jayananda knew how to attract people to Krishna consciousness with the prasadam weapon. When a new devotee came, for example, Jayananda would see to it that he was sumptuously fed with prasadam. When Jambavan Das was just becoming a devotee, Jayananda would bring him a plate of prasadam so big that he thought he could never eat it all. When he finally did finish the plate, Jayananda immediately put an identical plate down before him. “I can’t eat that,” said Jambavan. “Srila Prabhupada said that we should eat ’til we waddle like a duck,” said Jayananda. Jambavan would finish the second plate.

Another example of his attachment to Krishna consciousness is Jayananda’s love for kirtan (chanting). Jayananda was always eager to take the whole Temple out on hari-nama chanting parties. He had a special attraction for chanting in the streets. Whether kirtan was held in the temple or in the street, Jayananda could always be seen dancing and chanting enthusiastically.

Of all the processes of Krishna consciousness, Jayananda was most attached to preaching. Whether it was during the Sunday feast, while making incense runs, or while building Ratha-yatra carts, Jayananda was always trying to find some person with whom he could share his ecstasy in Krishna consciousness. His preaching was very simple and easy to listen to. “We just have to keep chanting and have faith in the Name.” “We just have to chant and take prasadam. Srila Prabhupada is so kind to give us such a simple process.”

Humility was certainly Jayananda’s most prominent quality. He treated everyone as his superior, even new devotees. He avoided praise like the plague. Devotees got to know that if they wanted to be around him, they’d better not praise Jayananda. Otherwise he would simply leave. He was very special, and yet no one paid any special attention to him. That was just the way he liked things.

Jayananda would use his personal charm with people to get them to give everything free or at a discount for Krishna. Without spending huge sums of money, he would personally collect nearly all the bhoga, flowers, lumber, paint, and everything else needed to put on Ratha-yatra each year.

Although he was a senior devotee and could have had anything he wanted, he always dressed in old dhotis and work clothes which he’d buy for one dollar per set at the Salvation Army thrift store.

Jayananda’s final meeting with Srila Prabhupada took place in New York City at the 1976 Ratha-yatra. When Prabhupada arrived at the airport, Jayananda drove the car to pick him up. Prabhupada was sitting in the back seat and he asked, “Who is driving?”

The devotees said, “This is Jayananda.” “Oh, I know Jayananda,” said Prabhupada. “He gave me $5,000 to print my Bhagavad-Gita.”

The ultimate expression of Jayananda’s fearlessness came at the end of his life when he was diagnosed with leukemia and cancer of the lymph glands. Even in his last few months in L.A. temple, Jayananda never succumbed to fear or self-pity.

The festival managers will readily admit that, without Jayananda’s presence, the first Ratha-yatra festival in L.A. would not have taken place in 1977. Thus he proved that by engaging in devotional service, one transcends even the fear of death.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has established and maintained exceptional standards of deity worship across its global network of temples, creating a profound spiritual atmosphere for devotees and visitors alike. This commitment to excellence in deity worship represents one of the organization’s most distinctive features, embodying the vision of its founder, Srila Prabhupada,
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*Srimad Bhagavatam* Class by HH Bhakti Prabhava Swami(SB 1.13.8), focusing on the life and teachings of Mahātma Vidura. It discusses Vidura’s return after a long pilgrimage and his role in guiding his elder brother, Dhritarashtra. The lecture highlights Vidura’s wisdom, his impartiality, and how he protected the Pandavas from political intrigues within the royal family.
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So, I was trying to understand how in Lord Rama’s pastime, his Altha was to be a king, but he, his role was, I mean he was Lord himself, so his Parmartha also is like, it’s like kind of serving his own self, right? He’s the Lord. And in that context, I want to understand when Mother Sita was, when he told Lakshmana to meet Mother Sita in the ashram, when she was carrying the avankur. So, would you like to elaborate like in this context, like what was played out in his mind and it was, what was his priority, you know, in terms of his Altha and Parmartha? Would I like to elaborate? No.

Some pastimes are very difficult to understand and sometimes you cannot get, to get a satisfactory understanding of this. All that you can get is the least unsatisfactory understanding. So, I will share with you the understanding that I find least unsatisfactory.

I have written books on the Ramayana and I’m trying to write future also and this is, I have many scholars in the Ramayana, in our tradition, outside the tradition, I have talked with them, tried to read the traditional commentaries, whatever are available, but it is a very difficult pastime to go through all of it. So, we talked about it. The key point is that there is context.

Generally speaking, the principle is that if an action does not make sense, if I do good, if I am polite with you and you are rude with me, I can say that you are a terrible person or I’m a, I’m a worthless person. Or I can say maybe we have some history from behind, because of which this is happening. So, there are, that way, the world makes sense, but it doesn’t make sense in this context.

So, in the immediate context, there is no way you can make sense. If a man abandons his pregnant wife over an unproven allegation or rather an allegation that has been proven to be false, that man would not be considered even an ordinarily responsible person, what to speak of an ideal person. And if a civilization or a culture considers such a person to be ideal, that civilization should be condemned.

So, the point is that in the immediate context, there is no denying that it does not make any sense. So, if we consider only the dynamic of the husband-wife relationship, the context of the husband-wife relationship. So, then, so this is the immediate context, the husband and wife relationship.

So, in this context, it’s no sense at all. So, then sometimes we may have to put it in a bigger context. Lakshana Prabhupada says that sometimes in a family, the mother-in-law may chastise her own daughter to instruct her daughter.

So, that daughter may say, I am not doing anything wrong, but I am being chastised and she also understands, this is not meant for the daughter. So, like that, sometimes you speak one thing to one person, but somebody else is hearing. That thing is not meant for that person, that thing is meant for the other person.

But this person can become indignant. Why are you speaking this to me? I never did this. Understand, I have a purpose.

I’ll tell you later. It’s like that. So, in the context, it does not make any sense.

So, now we can broaden the context. So, there are four levels of broadening that are possible. The first level of broadening is that Lord Ram is a husband, but he’s also a king.

Now, he has a relationship with the healer. And in one sense, in that cultural context, for Lord Ram to be with his wife, who was suspected of something inappropriate, that would have reflected that he was attached to her. And he was excessively attached to her.

And because of that Rajdharma, he had to choose between Rajdharma and pati. And he chose the Rajdharma at that particular time. And that is a sacrifice.

It is. Now, if you see, so one context is Rajdharma, he has chosen as more important than the patidharma. So, it is clear that he is not rejecting her as a person.

And how do we know that? Three things. First is he does not remarry. He’s a king, he could easily remarry.

Now, he maintains her word to him. His word to him that I’ll be a king. Apart from that, not only does not he maintain his word to her, he also does not think it’s a royal duty.

When he has to perform yajna, the brahmanas say you need to have your wife with you. So, he actually creates a golden effigy of her. And he puts that golden effigy next to her.

So, now, which person do you even like? If you keep the photo of a person in your home, we keep the photo of people whom we love and respect. Now, if somebody has disgraced our family, sometimes some cultures are very reputation conscious or honor conscious. And if some person has disgraced that family, they will actually like deny the existence of that person.

They will not keep any photo in public. Even if there are albums, they will delete that person’s photo from there. Like erase that person’s existence.

Far from erasing her existence, Lord Ram actually makes an effigy of her and puts that in the yajna. Yajna is a place where he is putting that there itself is an indication that he has not rejected her. So, not only has he not rejected her, he does not even believe that accusation.

Because if he considers her impure for a pure activity like a yajna, he will not put her there. And even the brahmanas don’t object to it. So, it is not her purity that is being asked.

And the third thing is, and although the word banishment can be used, that he banished her, it’s not in the same sense in which Ram himself was banished. Because he sent her to Valmiki’s ashram. And Valmiki’s ashram was in Lord Ram’s yajna.

So, it is not that Valmiki’s ashram was being troubled by Rakshasas or being predators and she wasn’t physically there. So, in one sense, she was indirectly in his protection. So, now, what exactly about the Raja Dharma? This is where Indian culture, American culture are different.

The idea of a person renouncing his family for the sake of the larger good. That’s something in Indian culture it’s understood. The current Indian Prime Minister, he has a wife but he doesn’t, he has never spent much time with his wife.

He doesn’t have children. So, even Gandhiji was materially renounced. Some killers were not.

But in the Indian ethos, like giving up the family for the sake of a larger cause is something which is accepted, even respected. But I’ve seen in America, people just don’t understand this. Because America, they have a culture of the first lady.

That, you know, it’s like you cannot be the president unless you have a, every politician generally, especially top politicians, they have to go with their family. And often they will put, they’ll proudly say, although I am the president, my family comes first. And so that, that is a very different value system.

So, to some extent, the idea of Lord Ram sacrificing pati dharma for raja dharma, it’s understandable for Indians. For Americans, it becomes much more difficult to understand. But this, in the bigger context, now how would it have affected his being a king? It’s a very cultural, contextual thing.

So, at that particular time, there was a particular time when purity of women was considered extremely important. Anyone, even in Europe, in the European tradition, the Caesar’s wife should be above suspicion. So, that was, you could say, it’s an unfair standard of purity that is expected of a woman.

And especially in her case, she was not consenting at all. And all that is true. But every culture has its own ways of functioning.

Now, what is that in the first context? That the raja dharma is prioritized over the pati dharma. Having said this, none of the acharyas who have commented on the Ramayana, or even the tradition of the Ramayana, considers this as the behavior to be normalized and adopted by everyone. India has one of the strongest family structures.

In the West, families are falling apart. In India also, it’s happening, unfortunately. But it’s much lesser.

The family structure is very resilient. And no book has inspired the Indian mind as much as the Ramayana. So, if a core teaching of this book is that reject your wife over an unsubstantial allegation, then that culture would not have been so family-friendly, or family support would be so family-emphasizing.

So, within the tradition itself, from the story of the Ramayana, certain teachings are emphasized, certain teachings are not emphasized. And the Ramayana commentators of Sri Vaishnava tradition, they say that even Lakshman’s following Ram is not to be imitated. That Sita is going with Ram, then they are a family unit.

That is to be imitated. Lakshman’s following Ram is glorious because Ram is God. But Lakshman’s following Ram is actually unfair for Ramayana.

So, he’ll take her with him. So, even that is not to be imitated. So, that’s why one of the key principles in understanding a text is to see how the tradition that has emerged from the text understands the text.

So, this is certainly not something to be imitated. Now, the second context you could put it in is the context of previous life. Like I said, the Lord does not have a previous life and that is true.

But there is a story given in the Ramayana itself of a case where I won’t go into the full story, but Bhrigu Muni, his wife, I think her name is Kirti. So, there is a demon who has been chased by, who has been terrorizing the universe and that demon has been chased by, finally at a particular opportune time, Lord Vishnu borders him, is about to kill him. The demon flees and takes shelter in the ashram of Bhrigu Muni, where Khyati is there.

He says, please save me. And Khyati says, I will protect you. And Vishnu says, no, this is a terrible demon, I have to kill him.

Vishnu’s Khyati says, no, he has taken shelter of me, I am not going to kill him. Lord Vishnu says that this is a terrible demon. If we don’t kill him at this time, he will continue terrorizing and destroying the universe.

I have to kill him right now, this is the only time available. He says, no, I cannot let him, he has taken shelter of me. Then he says, for the sake of the universe, I have to kill you to kill him.

He says, whatever you do, I am not going to let you. Then Lord Vishnu kills Khyati and then he comes back. He is aghast.

Lord Vishnu says, this is what happened and I can revive Khyati right now for you. He says, how could you have killed a woman, you were meant to protect her. He says, just as you have caused me to suffer separation from my wife, I curse you, that you will suffer separation from your wife.

So, now the Lord is beyond all curses, but the Lord of Greece fully accepts that curse. So, that curse later comes back. So, when a curse from previous life acts, it may seem to have no rationale in this life.

So, that is another bigger context. So, Sita herself was blameless, but it was something from the previous life that was blamed. And the third is, so that is the context of the book itself and the mood of the book or the mood of the larger leela.

See, in general, the Ramayana’s mood is the mood of sacrifice. That, you see, Ram did not have to go on exile. Ram could have rebelled against his father and father.

But Ram did not do that. So, you know, Dasharatha is not a victimizer and Ram is not a victim. Both of them are caught in a circumstance.

Now, to some extent, we can understand this circumstance, but at least even now, the idea of honoring one’s word is something which people do respect. Although I have seen young people ask the question, just clearly, why did Ram even have to go to the forest? He said, you know, Dasharatha had given a word at a particular time. He said, this is blind obedience to somebody else’s word.

So, we could say that, we could question that also. But at least it’s understandable. Now, what happens is this is seen as noble, Ram’s nobility, Ram’s selflessness.

But Ram doesn’t become bitter towards Dasharatha and Dasharatha does not, is not angry with Ram. There is no fault on Ram’s side. So, that same spirit of sacrifice that Ram and Dasharatha, when Sita goes with Ram, Sita is giving up, Sita is giving up the kingdom, Lakshman is giving up the kingdom, that mood of sacrifice is the consistent theme of the Ramayana.

And finally, what Dasharatha does to Ram, Ram has to do to Sita. So, it is not that Ram is the victimizer and Sita is the victim. Just that Dasharatha is not the victimizer and Sita is not, Ram is not the victim.

Both Ram and Sita are caught in a circumstance. That circumstance is an unfortunate circumstance. And both of them have to participate in a sacrifice.

It’s a painful sacrifice. Just that Dasharatha does not celebrate when Ram goes away. Ram does not celebrate, oh this impure woman in my life, I got rid of her.

There is absolutely no celebration. And just as Ram is not bitter towards Dasharatha, Sita is heartbroken when Ram rejects her. Ram rejects also is a strong word, but Ram abandons her, whatever you want to say.

But she understands, she is heartbroken. At a level of emotion, she is completely shattered. But I understand why he has done this.

And the test that she accepts is that she does not poison her children’s mind about her. If there is a messy divorce in which, say one person feels that the other person has betrayed me, has manipulated me, has wronged me, and quite often the children are poisoned by it. So she does not do that.

So is she pained by it? Is she heartbroken by it? Definitely. But is she bitter? Is she vindictive? Not at all. So the mood of sacrifice, of putting a larger principle above one’s personal pleasure, that is the consistent mood of Ram.

This is Jata. You could have said that, why should I fight against Raavan? He is clearly younger than me, faster than me. Sita does not fight against him.

She is like, how can I just stand by and let him be abducted? Whatever it means by that, I have to try to fight it. So it is a sacrifice. The sacrifice can come in many different forms.

The broader principle of sacrifice is what has been discussed. So these three contexts, the context of a larger dharma, the context of the previous life, and the context of the purpose of the Leela, can help us make sense of that pastime to some extent. Still, the problem comes with twofold.

One is that this pastime is often seen through the feminist lens, that Ram is a man, and he is a male authority figure, and Sita is a woman, and she is victimized. Unfortunately, there have been many instances of patriarchal abuse of power, and then that all becomes very messy. But it does not have to be seen through that lens.

So when we see through that lens, then it becomes outrageous, unacceptable and outrageous. But that is not the lens that the Ramayan is seen through. That is not the lens in which the Ramayan tradition is encouraging us to So as I said, it has never become the norm in Indian society that a woman should be abandoned or rejected because of some unsuspecting actions.

So that is one problem. And the second is that quite often there are some traditions, some commentators who say that this pastime is interpolation. Now, even there are some scholars who go in that favor, and they say it’s interpolation by some people.

Now, no one would be happier than me if this were interpolation in one sense. It would be a big relief. But it’s difficult to make that argument because the traditional Uttarkhand, sometimes people say the whole Uttarkhand is interpolation.

But our prominent Acharyas have not spoken like that. In the Srivastava tradition, they have written commentaries on this. And there are songs about Sita’s agony, Ram’s agony.

So this is definitely an inconvenient part of our tradition. But then, convenience is not necessarily the way we learn about lessons of transcendence. So if somebody wants to take that interpolation argument, I mean, it’s up to them.

But generally in the tradition, that’s not what has been taken.

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