Author Archives: Vraja Kishor

“My child,” Svāyambhuva continued, “these followers of the god of wealth are not really your brother’s killers. It is destiny that creates a person, and destiny that destroys him. That is what creates everything, and what destroys everything, too.” Dhruva would ask, “Why has the Supreme created so much destruction and death?” Svāyambhuva replied, “No, … Continue reading Anger Kills, Destiny is Impartial

Svāyambhuva Manu told Dhruva: [15] “The five physical elements evolve into female and male life forms. Through intercourse, those life forms then fill this world with more female and male bodies. This is how people are created, and it is also how they are maintained and destroyed. All of it is just an interaction of … Continue reading Answers to Very Important Questions

When the bowman Dhruva heard the sage’s advice, he purified himself with drops of water and invoked the Nārāyaṇa Arrow upon his bow. As soon as it appeared that weapon dispelled all the magic cast by the mysterious foe, just as the dawn of knowledge dispels the illusion of suffering. That arrow was pure gold, … Continue reading Love is the Sadhu’s Path; Hate is the Fool’s

Let’s review the essential principles about Ekādaśī, from the Twelfth and Thirteenth Chapter of Hari Bhakti Vilāsa. What does “Fasting” mean? “Fasting” means not eating. At the very least, do not eat as much as you usually do. (HBV 12.6,91). The best fast means not eating or drinking [or sleeping] at all from one sunrise … Continue reading All About Ekadashi

All of them fled into the city and left the vast battlefield without warriors. The supreme human, Dhruva, wanted to chase his enemies into their city. “Should we follow them?” Asked the chariot driver. “No,” Dhruva explained, “who knows what plans those magicians might have laid. They must have set some trap.” Soon there was … Continue reading Ancient Mystic Warfare

Dhruva’s brother Uttama was unmarried when a powerful god from the mountains killed him while he was hunting. His mother searched after him and met a similar fate. When Dhruva heard that his brother had been killed, he gave himself up completely to revengeful anger and grief. On his victorious chariot, he went to the … Continue reading Dhruva Wages War – Part One

Dear Friends, Please allow me to beg for whatever financial assistance you would kindly provide. Many of you know that I have written the book A Simple Gītā, and it has been very warmly recieved. I live in Japan and am now working with a Japanese lady who is a longtime devotee (Tapasvinī devī dāsī) … Continue reading Please Donate to Translate A Simple Gītā into Japanese

Dhruva’s Life as a Prince Everywhere the city was decorated to welcome Dhruva. The houses adorned their arches with glittering dolphin-shark Makaras, and pillars of banana trees bedecked with bunches of fruits and flowers, and fresh betel nuts – all collected from the nearby groves. Lamps were lit at each door, alongside fresh pots of … Continue reading Wealth is but a Side-Effect

Someone sent me this question:  I just finished the 3rd canto of the bhagavatam. Why does it say women/family life are maya? I want to find the girl who is right for me, as you did. But I also want to avoid maya. I don’t understand. If you could answer that’d be awesome. My reply: I … Continue reading Is Love Māyā?

When Nārada told the king that his son was returning, the kind could not believe it. “How can a bad person like me get such good fortune?” He thought it was like hearing that someone was coming back from death. But how could he not believe Nārada, the sage of gods? So, he became overwhelmed … Continue reading Dhruva’s Return

After offering his own place, Dhruva’s adored All-Attractive returned to his own abode, riding like a flag atop Garuḍa, as the boy looked on with regrets. Dhruva vows to worship Viṣṇu’s feet had borne fruit and he was now relieved of those difficult strictures, yet he was not very happy as he returned home. When … Continue reading Spiritual Regrets and Medicine for the Dead

Wonderfully praised by the brilliant and resolutely determined boy, the All-Attractive, who is the devotee of his devotees, reciprocated the child’s affections and spoke. “Royal little boy,” he said, “I know what you are striving for with all your wonderful vows, and I will grant it to you with all my blessings, though it is … Continue reading Dhruva and the Polestar

“Those who strive to create close companionship with people whose hearts covet the lotus-fragrance of your feet don’t have inordinately excessive affection for mortal things like children, friends, property, money, or spouse. Before I met your dear devotee, Nārada, my concept of life was limited to the myriad mortal panorama of causality. I saw only … Continue reading Dhruva’s Amazing Realizations

Dhruva said, “You are the self-energized source of all energies. Entering into me, you energize my latent capacities. Now your internal energy enters me, awakening my capacity to speak about you. My hands awaken and want to touch you. My legs awaken and want to run to you. My ears awaken and want to hear … Continue reading Dhruva Attains Bhāva-Bhakti

Relieved of their fear, the gods offered their grateful thanks to Urukrama, the Far Striding Viṣṇu, before returning to their places in the three dimensions. Thousand-Headed Viṣṇu mounted Garuḍa and went to Madhuvana, to see his devotee. Dhruva’s fiercely intense yogic meditation had revealed Viṣṇu manifest within the lotus of his heart with the brilliance … Continue reading Absence of Distance from God

Dhruva soon arrived in Madhuvan, where he completely gave himself to fully worshipping The Personality, as the sage had instructed. On the first day, he purified himself by bathing in the river and fasting. For the first month, he would eat only wood apple and jujube fruit every third day, just enough to keep his … Continue reading How to Suffocate the World – Dhruva’s Sādhana

After Nārada had spoken, Dhruva showed his respect and gratitude by circumambulating him before departing to Madhuvana, the sacred place decorated with Hari’s footprints. Comment: Krishna had not yet appeared in Madhuvana at this point in history, so how could Madhuvana bear his footprints? VCT explains that Vṛndāvana is eternal and not destroyed at dissolution or … Continue reading “Instigated by that woman…”

When we ask a non-flattering question (or even a flattering question) about something happening ISKCON, we are very likely to soon hear, “Prabhupāda wanted this!” followed by a series of quotes from his recorded conversations and collected letters. I am a dad. That’s something somewhat like being a guru and head of an institution, on a very … Continue reading Prabhupāda Wanted…

Recently I did something unusual and made a Facebook post about a super-huge project in ISKCON. One of the responses was basically, “Why do you care?” The lady who made that comment is right, I shouldn’t care. In fact most of the time, maybe even “99%” of the time, I don’t. Why not? Because it … Continue reading Why Should I Care?

Now the boy would want to know how to coronate this All-Attractive form in his heart. So Nārada explained, “Prince, now hear me tell you the most confidential japa. Anyone who carefully recites it for seven nights will directly realize its sound vibration. Comment 1: Nārada previous defined the rūpa (form) of Hari, but said that … Continue reading Rāgānugā-sādhana, as Explained by Nārada to Dhruva

Hearing this, blessed Nārada was pleased. He compassionately replies to the boy with good words. “The path your mother set before you will certainly bring you the highest goal, so follow her advice and completely engross yourself in devotion for the All-Attractive Son of Vasudeva. Those who seek the goals of morality, prosperity, pleasure, and … Continue reading Nārada’s Advice on Meditation

“Okay,” Nārada said, “Your mother instructed you to strive for divine mercy, but I personally think it is very difficult for anyone to properly worship that Supreme Person. Great sages try to walk that path, giving up everything to search for him with severe determination and absolute concentration. Even after many lifetimes they still don’t … Continue reading Give Up, It’s Too Difficult

Nārada heard about what had happened and went to see what the boy was doing. Amazed by what he saw, Nārada thought, “Aho! Powerful royalty cannot forget an insult. He is just a little boy, but his heart is obsessed with the ill-words of his co-mother.” Then he spoke, “Little child, why are you already … Continue reading Dealing with Distress

Maitreya now turned his attention to describing the children of Bhramā’s son, Svāyambhuva Manu, whose children were fragments of Hari’s fragments. Śatarūpā gave her husband two sons empowered by Vāsudeva’s to protect the existence of the world: Priyavrata, whose promises are dearly kept, and Uttānapāda, who strides far. Uttānapāda had two wives: Sunīti, whose morals … Continue reading Inspiration from Evil

Śrī Bhāgavata 4.8.1 ~ 5: Having finished his explanation of why Satī bore Śiva no children, Maitreya continued to describe the decedents of Brahmā. Several did not develop families, because they preferred to direct their energies to higher things. These were the Sanaka quadruplets, Nārada, Ṛbhu, Haṁsa, Aruṇi, and Yati. One line of Brahmā’s decedents … Continue reading A Dynasty of Destruction

First lets get the color straight. He’s not “blue.” He is śyāma / nīla.   The color śyāma is “Dark (black), with slight blue-green coloration.” A really heavy monsoon cloud, for example, is śyāma. The color nīla is “Dark, black, bluish/greenish-black.” A sapphire (nīla-maṇi) is a common example of this color. So, basically, Krishna is black with a sapphire-blue luster. OK, now let’s get to … Continue reading Why is Krishna Blue? Why is Krishna Black?

Hari Replies Hṛṣīkeśa is the most essential object of worship. After he was honorably glorified, the learned and wise Dakṣa again began the ceremonial worship Rudra had ruined. The All-Attractive is the soul of everyone, and thus the enjoyer of everyone’s portions, but he seemed to be pleased by receiving his own portion of worship … Continue reading Vishnu’s Oneness

The first goal, kāma, is not just “pleasure,” but it is happiness itself. It is  the underlying motivation for everything we do, and the ultimate objective of all the other goals. Consciousness itself has direct access to such kāma pleasure, described as ānanda, but since we are enamored with external existence we neglect to seek this kāma within our natural being, and … Continue reading The Four Goals are Unnecessary

The gods said, “When the previous epoch came to a close, you took within your belly the creation you had created. You are the origin of it all, the personality reclining on Śeṣa – the king of snakes, who floats in cosmic water. Perfected people constantly contemplate you in their hearts, for you can only … Continue reading You Can See Him Only When You Use Your Heart Before Your Eyes…

The Guardians of the Directions said, “You see everything in the world, but our worldly senses cannot see you. They see only our own delusions. You can be seen, but only when we observe you directly, soul to soul, without interference from external senses. When we look at you with our deluded senses you seem … Continue reading Transcendent Godhead

I recently answered a questionaire for a study about how modern people deal with some of the more socially challenging aspects of Prabhupāda’s books and, especially, how they are represented in ISKCON. I thought I might as well share my answers. 1. How and when did you encounter Vaishnavism for the first time? Dad was … Continue reading Questions about Prabhupāda and ISKCON

śrī-rādhā-muralī-manohara-padāmbhojaṁ sadābhāvayan Always enrapt in thoughts of Śrī Rādhā Muralī-manohara’s lotus-feet… śrī-caitanya-mahāprabhoḥ pada-rajaḥ svātmānaṁ evārpayan Completely giving my very self to the dust of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s feet… śrīmad-bhāgavatottamān guṇa-nidhīṇ aty-ādarād ānaman With utmost adoration for the topmost Veda, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and the topmost devotees Both of which are oceans of goodness… śrī-vṛṇdāvana-divya-vaibhavam ahaṁ stotuṁ mudā prārabhe I delightfully prepare … Continue reading Vrindavana Mahimamrita (Of Prabhodānanda Sārasvatī) 1.1

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.7.34: The sages said, “O All-Attractive, you alone know how to truly perform sacrifice, for you perform your endeavors without the least bit of interest in the happiness or distress they may cause you.” Gesturing towards Lakṣmī as an example, they continued, “We all worship this Goddess to get her powerful blessings, but … Continue reading The Truth About Hari’s Love for Lakṣmī

Dakṣa said, “Consciousness is pristine, self-manifesting, beyond the grasp of anyone’s intellect, unified, carefree, and impervious to externalism (māyā). Yet it becomes the husband of the external world by entering into her. You only appear to be here in this non-pristine external world with us, in truth you are always situated within your conscious self.” … Continue reading People try to Explain God…

Śrī Bhāgavata 4.7.13 ~ 15: “Aho! What great affection you have shown to me, despite my insults,” Dakṣa exclaimed to Śiva. “Your punishment has corrected me. “I am not truly a brāhmaṇa, I merely claim the title by some formality. Yet, Your blessed self and Hari never neglect to show affection to anyone related to … Continue reading Daksha’s Apology – Some Intricacies of Vaiṣṇava-aparādhā

Śrīmad Bhāgavata 4.7.1 ~ 12: Now hear how Śiva replied, smiling and wholly satisfied with Unborn Brahmā’s advice. The greatest of gods said, “I will not speak, or even think, of the wrongs done by childish people who are simply creatures of divine illusion. I will no longer punish them. “The Progenitor’s head has been burnt, … Continue reading Shiva’s Forgiveness

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.6.42 ~ 53 [end]: With a happy face, Brahmā offered his respectful praṇām to Moon-Crowned Śiva, and then began to speak. “I know you as the Master of the Universe, the womb and the seed of everything, Śakti and Śiva. And beyond this I know you as Supreme Eternal Spirit. Your intrinstic form, the … Continue reading Brahma Glorifies Shiva

The Nandā River flowed all around. It’s water was sacred because Satī used to bathe there. The gods were awestruck to see the beautiful Mountain of the Lord of Monsters. A delightful city named Alakā was tucked away in a forest where the most fragrant lotus flowers grew. The Nandā and Alakanandā bordered that city, … Continue reading The Beautiful Home of the Lord of Monsters

All the inhabitants of Kailāsa constantly purify their births by perfectly disciplined mantra-yoga augmented by the most talented singers (kinnara), musicians (gandharva), and dancers (apsarā). Myriad jewels and colorful minerals ornament the mountain. Myriad trees, vines and shrubs shelter myriad herds of forest creatures. Myriad pure springs flow amidst myriad summits and grottos, where perfected … Continue reading Description of Kailāsa, Part 1