Veda, Upanishad, Purana, Mahabharata, Vedanta-Sutra and… Srimad Bhagavatam?
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Veda, Upanishad, Purana, Mahabharata, Vedanta-Sutra and… Srimad Bhagavatam?

A friend kindly asked me, “Srimad Bhagvatam is what? Veda or Purana or Upanishad?”

In reply, I wrote this:

The Veda is a unified body of knowledge with billions of verses worth of content. In every kalpa, however, humans, sages, and even the gods gradually lose their ability to comprehend the Veda, and by the end of each Dvāpara Yuga there is a great, great deal of confusion. So at that time a “Vyāsa” always comes forward to edit, organize, and restructure the Veda so that it becomes clear once again.

The general editing strategy is always similar: the Veda is mainly about “sacrifice” (i.e. how to live in such a way that one fulfills ones ambitions without causing undue harm and without degrading oneself entirely by unrestricted selfishness). There are four parts to sacrifice (preparation, ritual, song, and consummation), so the editor, Vyāsa, always separates these four themes into four distinct books (Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma, and Atharva respectively). Then he edits the material describing the philosophical significance of the sacrifices, and uses this to produce the Upaniṣads and similar appendices to the Four Veda.

After this edit, one billion verses remained unincluded and unsummarized in the four Vedas. What is the content of these verses? These are the sections of the original Veda which do not deal with sacrifices (karma) nor with the philosophical meanings of sacrifices (jñāna) but directly with material that inspires loving devotion towards divinity, and ultimately towards the Supreme Bhagavān.

Vyāsa summarizes them into 500,000. He takes 100,000 of these verses to create the Mahābhārata. The remaining 400,000 he divides into 18 Purāṇas. [It should be noted that the verse-counts given above represent the Veda as it exists in Satya-loka. Human beings currently have access to only a fragment of this content.]

Still Vyāsa feels less than perfectly satisfied with his work. This is often the case for an editor, it almost always takes several passes at a text before one achieves a really successful edit. So, Vyāsa was not satisfied with his first edit. Primarily he felt he failed to condense it sufficiently and present only the relevant material. So, to make amends, he created the Brahma-Sūtra (aka Vedānta Sūtra), in which the entire gist of all of the original unified Veda is given in a very short, direct series of concise codes.

But even after forming these Sūtra he wasn’t perfectly satisfied, mainly because the Sūtra were too difficult to understand and too open to interpretive manipulation. He did not know what to do, so Nārada advised him that he not only needs to make everything concise, he needs to make it very clear and only focus on the truly essential topics.

We should note at this point that not every Dvāpara Yuga is the same. Specifically there is one Dvāpara Yuga in every day of Brahma (every 1000 kalpas) in which Krishna appears in our world, in Vrindavana, with Radharani and the gopis. That is a very special Yuga. The Vyāsa in charge of editing the Vedas at this very important yuga is an avatāra of Viṣṇu who appeared as the son of Satyavatī and Parāśara by the name Kṛṣṇa-Dvaipayana. When speaking of the conversation between Nārada and Vyāsa we are specifically speaking about this Kṛṣṇa-Dvaipayana-Vyāsa. He was specifically advised by Nārada that he has to make the nature of Vrindavana Krishna very clear.

Receiving this instruction, Vyāsa re-compiled the Bhāgavata Purāṇa by explaining the Gāyatrī, Mahābhārata and Brahma-Sūtra with a very clear focus on Krishna-bhakti. He instructed the essence of this Purāṇa to his son, Śuka.

So the Bhāgavatam is a Purāṇa, but in this kalpa it is a unique Purāṇa. In every kalpa it is a sattvika purāṇa (6 of the 18 are sattvik, 6 are rajasik, and 6 are tamasik), and in every kalpa it is based on the narration of Bhagavān to Brahmā. (One of the reasons it is called Bhāgavata is because the original speaker is Bhagavān). But in this Kalpa the 10th canto is vastly elaborated and it is delivered through the narrations of Śuka to Parikṣit and Sūta to Śaunaka (all of them very ecstatic Krishna-bhaktas), so that the pure vision of Krishna bhakti becomes exceedingly clear throughout all 12 divisions.

The uniqueness of the Bhāgavatam, which make it more than an ordinary Purāṇa:

(1) It elaborates upon the meaning of Ṛg Veda and all the Veda, which is encapsulated into the Brahma-gāyatrī. The Bhāgavatam is Vyāsa’s explanation of the full meaning of Brahma-gāyatrī.

(2) It elaborates on the essence of Mahābhārata, which is Krishna-kathā.

(3) It expands and explains the meaning of the terse Brahma-sūtra, and is superior to other commentaries on Brahma-sūtra because it is written by the same author.

(4) It is the most purely sattvik of all the sattvik purāṇa.

Purāṇa are called Purāṇa because they make the Veda “Pūrṇa” (complete). Therefore when we identify the Bhāgavatam as the cream of the Purāṇas we simultaneously identify it as the cream of the Upaniṣads and Vedas.

Purāṇa are very similar to Upaniṣads, which seek to complete and explain the Veda. The specialty of the Purāṇa however, is that their linguistic structure is simple and flexible (unlike the Veda), and they deliver their message with more drama and flair, so they are very accessible to anyone and everyone.

For a more careful and detailed study of this, with elaborate references from śāstra, I advise a study of Śrī Jīva’s Tattva-Sandarbha. I am putting together notes on the Tattva-Sandarbha currently, very likely I will release or publish them sooner or later. Śrī Satyanārāyaṇa dās has translated and explained it super-excellently (published by JIVA). It is already published and a revised edition will be published soon.

Tattva-Sandarbha thoroughly explains why the Gauḍiya Vaiṣṇava school of thought distinguishes itself from other schools by wholeheartedly accepting the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam as the ultimate authority in Veda.


Kartik vows
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 October 2009, Durban, South Africa, Lecture)

yashoda_damodara

So, Kartik is the time to tighten up the loose screws, of all the loose ends, and to bring it back to the real standard. Kartik, is our chance! It is only one month but of course, after that month, it becomes a habit! Habits are like that. If you do something for one month then it is easy to keep on doing it. So in this way, we can take so much advantage.

I thought my main objective in this month would be meditation, to increase my remembrance of Krsna and to increase my service, both in quantity and quality. I thought I will focus on quality especially because quantity is not so easy. Already there is so much to do in a day, already such a hectic life, how much more can I physically manage? And I do not want Kartik to become a total stress situation where I am just doing these very intense vows, the kind of vows that drive me to the edge and that at the end of the month, if I make it till the end, I just hate Kartik and may be even Krsna!

Not like that! No, I will not make it a month full of stress. Therefore, I thought, this year I will not do something huge, I will not take one really big vow. I have a different strategy; I will take many little vows! Also, Krsna gave me some ideas about chanting. I thought, I am going to chant extra rounds but I am not going to fix it that every day I must chant so many extra rounds but I will just fix a number for the whole month and then I can adjust it. I will have my busy days when I may chant less and on days that I have the opportunity, I will chant more; and in this way, it averages out. In this way, I will survive and I will still be chanting extra rounds. I thought it was a good idea, really!

Then I thought…Yes, I’ll read something! I thought, every night I will read for five minutes something about Krsna. I will read Krsna Book for five minutes a night. That is nice. It is not a big Kartik vow but it is something that you know is nice but that you just get slack in! It is one thing that you do not always do! But I said, in this month of Kartik, I will do it.

So, many such things… I will not tell you everything that I am going to do but I told you this much just to kind of inspire everyone of how we can do something. It is still early enough! After this lecture, you can quickly jot down a few things that you are going to do this month. Just a few things. And if we do that, if we really do it… then you will be surprised! You will surprise yourself! Really! You will find that your Krsna consciousness would have so much increased just from one month of practising, in the month of Kartik. 

Digging Deeper – The Cleaning of Shyama Kunda at New Vrindaban
→ New Vrindaban

Getting the mercy while cleaning out New Vrindaban's Shyama Kunda, the devotees literally dug their hands into the mud, scooping it up and out of the kunda.  They filled up buckets after bucket of mud, formed a bucket brigade and emptied first Lalita Kunda and then Shyama Kunda.

Varsana Maharaja had to come to the rescue with his back hoe at one crucial point  to help scoop out some huge rocks.

At first, the devotees were under the impression that Shyama Kunda was only three and a half feet deep, but after discovering an additional three and a half feet of mud to sludge through, the hard work was finally completed.

Maharaja's comment was, "Yes, this is a practice in going deeper! And this is what we are here for -  the service of beautifying the Dhamas and purifying our hearts."

Cleaning the Transcendental Kundas in New Vrindaban
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Radha Kunda, the crest jewel of Govardhan, is now beautifully shining, and freshly lined.

New Vrindaban’s replica Radha Kunda up on the replica Govardhan Hill got a fresh lining at the end of this summer of 2014. It’s called “Rhino”, a type of cement which hardens into enamel, and is guaranteed for 30 years not to leak. This took two weeks, and lots of time and energy to shovel all the muck at the bottom. After seeing the beauty of Radha Kunda, and understanding that Lalita Kunda is also leaking, Gopisa Prabhu suggested that we also line Lalita Kunda and Shyama Kunda.

Sukhavaha dasi relates the story:

“We had the rare opportunity of immersing ourselves (literally) in the sacred mud of those kundas, thus  receiving  some very special mercy.  There was only two days to clean out the other two kundas. Tilak  das and I worked along with some help from Lalita Gopi  dasi, Ananda Vidya das, Madri dasi and Gaura Shakti, and some extra help from Venkatta das, TK das, Navin das, Daivata das and Bhaktin Autumn as we all  proceeded to clean out Shyama Kunda, which was going to be really simple, because it was only 3 and ½ feet deep, according to Varsana Maharaj. No big deal. “We will have this done in no time”, we thought. As the mud and muck was being taking out of the kundas, a lot of mercy was flowing into our hearts.  

by Sukhavaha dasi &  Madri  dasi

Visiting beautiful Vrindavana (Album 189 photos)
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Indradyumna Swami: "Oh my beloved Giriraj, I will take bath in all the holy rivers and bathing places near you. I will quench my thirst by drinking the ambrosial waters adorning your foothills and I will walk eternally in this holy dust of Vraja. I beg you Giriraj, kindly give me birth again and again in this sacred land of Vraja. I have no other longing in my heart apart from this." [ "Life in Vraja," - a traditional Vrindavan bhajan - Stanza two ] All photos by Ananta Vrindavan das. Read more ›

The Science of Happiness, October 1, Houston
Giriraj Swami

KrishnaPriya1Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Bhagavad-gita 4.2 at a program at Krishna Priya dasi’s home.

“The impersonal speculators say that in Sanskrit ‘Krishna’ means black, that black means unknown, and that unknown means unknowable—and then there is no Krishna: He’s gone; He’s completely disappeared! We want to avoid that. We want Krishna. Especially in Kali-yuga, this whole material world is constructed in such a way as to make us forget Krishna. Either through gross materialism or subtle speculation, everything works to make us forget Krishna, which really means that we forget our own self interest and are deprived of the only means to achieve true, enduring happiness and satisfaction in this world. So we should stick to the association of devotees who are fixed in Krishna consciousness and don’t waste time in frivolous pursuits, who will help us to spend our time talking and hearing about Krishna, chanting, serving—somehow or other being in touch with Krishna.”

Kirtan
Talk

New Vrindaban Daily darsan @ October 6, 2014.
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

01

As I continually gaze at Sri Sri Radha-Krsna’s splendid transcendental forms and transcendental amorous pastimes, and as I continually hear Their conversation like cooling nectar, I wonder:
Am I diving into an ocean of nectar in this forest of Vrndavana.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, Sataka-3, Text-12 Translation.]

Please click here for more photos …

Wednesday, October 1st, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario
 
The Topics Are Tops
 
It is always a pleasure to go for that evening walk with a good man whose initials are KK.  (Take note there isn’t a third ‘K’.)  When we go for that stretch it’s also chat time.
 
As of late his passion is veganism.  Dairy is out of the question for him.  Animals, particularly cows and bulls, need our protection and to be spared from the gruesome slaughter industry.
 
KK, my friend, is also passionate about stereotype attitudes from amongst the spiritual ranks towards gays and women.  We talked that one out, in my opinion.  My take on it is that everyone, regardless of gender and orientation, has the equal opportunity to advance spiritually.  You may call it political-correctness.  It’s what I actually firmly believe.
 
He also argued that not enough is being done to share Krishna Consciousness in an integrated way.  Monks of the order insist on the exotic look and behaviour.  “There will continue to be so little positive input on society at large due to our more traditional approach regarding dress code and overall way of promoting.”  It is K.K.’s general feeling as this is also shared with others.
 
Despite our orthodox ways, one journalist, a Brendan O’Connor, from the Independent newspaper, expressed that impact is taking place.  In an article that just came out on Sunday, O’Connor says, “I was reading somewhere recently that while we might think of Hare Krishna as a marginal cult, their influence on the world we live in now is enormous.  The view seems to be that while the religion has not succeeded in the mainstream as such, the ideas have.  Everywhere you look there is watered down Hare Krishna-ism, from the kinds of food we eat, to the notion of sustainable, community-based living, to the whole mindfulness thing.”
 
I picked up this article only after K.K. left and our walk terminated.  It might be good food-for-thought.  Read his article entitled, “We are all Hare Krishnas now. Meditation goes mainstream.” It’s great!
 
May the Source be with you!
 
7 KM

Kartik 2014 – Bhagavad Gita – CHAD Challenge
→ Dandavats.com

When the Indian President Narendra Modi presented Bhagavad Gita to Japanese Emperor, he mentioned, “I don't think that I have anything more to give and the world also does not have anything more to get than this." That remark triggered a big round of applause from the assembled gathering. Yes, Bhagavad-Gita is Lord Krishna’s greatest gift to humanity! Bhagavad-Gita CHAD (CHapter A Day) is an amazingly easy way to practically apply this gift of timeless wisdom to our daily life and integrate it into our real-world, modern-day existence. Read more ›

Prabhupada Letters :: Anthology 2014-10-06 09:49:00 →

1975 October 6: "Our principle is to simply repeat what is there in my books. We need not give up the association of devotees simply because there is a difference of opinion how to preach. If your conviction is strong, convince the others. But living outside the association of devotees will not be beneficial to your Krsna consciousness."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1975