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Guru Purnima is observed on the full moon day in the month of Ashadha in honour of the sage Vyasadeva by worshipping him for His blessings. Formerly on this day, gurus who were the traditional teachers, were honoured by their pupils.

“When the second millennium (‘Dwarpa Yuga’) overlapped the third (‘Treta Yuga’), the great sage Srila Vyasadeva was born to Parasara Muni in the womb of Satyati, the daughter of Vasu (the fisherman).” (Srimad Bhagavatam 1:4:14.).

In Srila Vyasa’s childhood he was called Krsna, because of his dark complexion, and because he was born on an island at the confluence of the Sati and Mati Rivers he was called Dwaipayana. After dividing the Vedas he got the name Veda Vyasa. 

“The great sage, Srila Vyasa who was fully equipped with knowledge, could see through his transcendental vision the deterioration of everything material, due to the influence of the age.”

“He saw that the sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas were means by which people’s occupations could be purified, and to simplify the process, he divided the one Veda into four, in order to expand them among men. The four divisions of the original sources of knowledge (the Vedas) were made separately, but historical facts and authentic stories mentioned in the Puranas are called the fifth Veda.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 1:4:17-20.).

Srila Sanatana Gosvami, one of the intimate associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, is a well-known personality in Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Mahaprabhu taught the sequence of advancement in devotional service through Sanatana Goswami.

Sanatana Goswami was the oldest and most venerable among the six Goswamis. He propagated the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Sanatana Goswami appeared in 1488 AD and lived for 70 years. He spent 27 years in household life and 43 years in Vrindavan as a renunciate

Srila Kavi Karnapura Goswami described the identity of Sanatana Goswami in Gaura-ganodesa-dipika: “Sanatana Goswami who is non-different from Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is a venerable personality. He was formerly known as Rati Manjari and was very dear to Rupa Manjari in Vrindavan. Scholars call her by the name Lavanga Manjari. The famous sage Sanatana among the Catuh sanah entered his body.”

From his childhood, Sanatana was very fond of Shrimad Bhagavatam. At an early age, a Brahmin gave him Srimad Bhagavatam. Sanatana was immersed in an ocean of joy after receiving the Bhagavatam. At a young age, Sanatana studied all scriptures under the guidance of Vidya Vachaspati, the topmost teacher of that time. He was fond of studying Shrimad Bhagavatam. He used to discuss the conclusions of Bhakti with scholars.

Rupa Goswami received the news that Mahaprabhu would travel to Vrindavana through the forest. He wrote a letter to Sanatana Goswami and gave a hint of his journey. After that, he started his journey to Vrindavana with his younger brother, Anupama. Sanatana Goswami was intensely eager to go to Vrindavan and perform Krishna Bhajana. 

As soon as he received Rupa’s letter, he bribed the jail keeper, freed himself from imprisonment by Nawab Hussein Shah and started for Vrindavan. Along the way he stopped at Varanasi where Lord Chaitanya was staying.

Mahaprabhu taught Sanatana Goswami on various topics and ordered him to perform the following services: 

1. Compilation of Bhakti literature and scriptures and propagation of the unalloyed Bhakti,
2.  Rediscovering the hidden sacred places of the Lord’s pastimes in Vrindavan,
3.  Propagation of the daily worship of the deity of Sri Krishna,
4. Compiling a Vaishnava Smriti (Vaishnava rule book) and introducing Vaishnava etiquettes to establish a Vaishnava society.

One day Sanatana Goswami was going to do madhukari (begging) through the beautiful banks of the Yamuna. He was stumbling, because he was remembering the wonderful glory of the holy Dham. He was thinking “How despicable, lowly, and vile I am! Yet Mahaprabhu is so gracious that He has granted me to reside here.”

Srila Sanatana Goswami was performing intense bhajan in Vrindavana. The deity of Sri Madana Mohana appeared before him. Rupa Goswami, Lokanatha Goswami, Bhugarbha Goswami, Gopala Bhatta Goswami, Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami came from all around. Everyone shed tears of love.

Then the deity was offered Abhisheka (offering milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, etc. to the Deity) and Bhoga (offering foodstuffs to the Deity). The Panda Brahmins came and very happily cooked for the Lord. Gopala Bhatta Goswami himself performed the Abhisheka. Immediately one devotee was sent to Puri to convey the news to Mahaprabhu.

When Sanatana Goswami was in Govardhana, he used to perform Govardhana Parikrama (circumambulation of the holy place) every day. As he grew older, he would get tired going around Govardhana. One day Krishna appeared to him in the form of a cowherd boy. 

That cowherd boy brought him a piece of Govardhana rock that had the footprint of Lord Krishna. Then he said to Sanatana Goswami, “You are old. Why are you working so hard? I am giving you this Govardhan Shila, if you circumambulate it daily, you will get the result of the entire Govardhan parikrama.” After saying this, the boy disappeared.

Sanatana Goswami composed many devotional books and hymns. Among them, four books are particularly notable in Vaishnavism. They are Brihat Bhagavatamrita, Haribhakti Vilasa and its Digdarshini commentary, Lilastava or Dasama Charita & Vaishnavatoshini or commentary on the tenth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.

Srila Sanatana Goswami concluded his pastimes on Asadhi Purnima Tithi in 1480 Sakabda (558 AD). His samadhi is located next to the old Radha Madana Mohana temple.

I was invited to give a talk at the new Bhakti Yoga Studio near downtown Seattle. It is a nicely set up facility and especially meant for young people who are searching after the meaning of life.

When I arrived there was already a blissful kirtan happening that lasted more than an hour. At the end everyone was so ecstatic that they spontaneously got up and danced with their arms in the air.

The young devotees organizing the program told me that they took the lead from similar programs around the world. One of the key factors of the program was to finish with “devastatingly” sumptuous prasadam.

One year, when I was leaving the Dallas/Fort Worth airport on July 4, a large American flag flying in the wind caught my eye, and I was surprised by how happy I felt. I reflected on how fortunate we were to live in a country where we have freedom of religion, and how Srila Prabhupada said, “America has been so good to me to give me money, men—everything. I have no designation that ‘this is my country,’ but because they have given me so much facility, I cannot forget my obligation to them. I want to make them happy and through them the whole world.”

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

 "Where should I put this dish?" my friend Shyamala asked. She held a wet bowl in her hand. 

I groaned. "Over there on the drying mat. Here, let me make some room." I stacked dishes and toddler cups and bowls in my arms and dashed around putting things away while my friends washed plates from our gathering that day. "You know what?" I said. "I've given up on this kitchen. I've given up on this place," 

"How come?" my friend Padma asked. 

"Just look! Nowhere to put dishes. All this mold and mildew around the sink. Everything crammed into the cabinets. I can't cook without getting stressed. I just want to move into my own home," I declared. "But the housing market is so outrageous, and we just can't afford to move on. I feel like my whole life is on pause,"

Both my friends nodded with kind eyes. But I couldn't help feel that my explanations were excuses, hiding my embarrassment at such a cluttered and unkempt kitchen. In fact, if you were to open any of the closet doors or drawers in my apartment, you would probably raise your eyebrows at the chaos. 

A few days later, I went on a japa meditation walk in the evening on my own, the breeze blowing, the sun setting beyond the trees, the stars just beginning to emerge. I looked over at the two-story house where my husband and I rented the ground floor, and a wave of warmth washed over me. I remembered the conversation with my friends, how I had declared that I had given up on this place, but really, I loved living here. Sure, the place needed some upgrades, but if I could, I would live here forever (on both floors). The legalities of ever owning it, however, were beyond complicated. And at the end of the day, we had just outgrown the space of our ground floor a long time ago. We needed a whole house. 

Didn't we? 

I turned my gaze to the sky and found my first star. I had been suffering from this escalating case of  house fever for the past year, and had religiously wished on my first star to move into our dream home soon. More like, ASAP. 

Tonight, though, I found myself walking a new prayer path: Please break this house fever and allow me to be at peace, even if that means staying where we are. 

We soon officially found a real estate agent and I asked hard-hitting questions about all kind of possibilities. I kept getting slammed by the reality of the cost of owning a home in our current situation. I had spoken to many people over the years who were "house poor" - owning a beautiful home but drowning in the upkeep. I began to realize that this was my experience growing up - even as a kid and teenager, I experienced quite clearly the stress over the mortgage, the worry about the utility bills, the anxiety about repair costs. 

One night after my son and husband had gone to bed and all the lights were out, I turned to the glowing screen of my phone and asked Google a nervous, desperate question: How much of my monthly income should I spend on a mortgage? 

I'll never forget the answer that came back to me, so black and white: The 28% Rule. Do not spend more than 28% of your total income on rent/mortgage. 

My house fever broke. 

This is it. This lovely, seemingly cramped place is it, where we can live within our means and be happy and peaceful financially, so that we can focus on loving relationships and on God. 

The next morning, I moved my desk into my room and immediately felt a click that yes - this place could work because I could work. I then targeted the infamous kitchen, the room I had never fully accepted or enjoyed since moving in five years ago. While the house fever went down, the physical chaos went up. Furniture and kitchen utensils and shoes and clothing and toys and paintbrushes... all flushed out into the light of day and analyzed - keep? sell? give away? recycle? 

The weeks wore on, and organization exhaustion began to filter in. I wondered if we would ever reach the end, if we would ever reach peace.  

One day, I was cooking lunch when I realized I could place a dish to dry with ease. In fact, my kitchen had been so thoroughly reorganized and redecorated that I found myself relishing being in the humble little space where I could feed my family with joy. (What's more, new countertops were to be installed soon!)

I then realized that I felt at ease in my entire home. We now had plenty of space because we had made space.  

I had begun to realize that I would find frustrating shortcomings no matter where I lived, even if we found some million dollar home on Zillow.

So while I still long for a house home, the longing has become a quiet murmur, like a cat's purr.  

I often remember that seemingly long-ago evening where I wished upon my first star, and I experience a swelling of gratitude that Krishna answered my prayer. He has granted me peace - right here, right now.

Now my main longing has turned to welcoming deities of Radha and Krishna into our family. Since we have cleansed and organized the temple of our home, maybe Krishna will come join us. He makes every home perfect. 

I can’t maintain bhakti standards amid family obligations—what can I do?

If we are unable to steadily follow the standards of bhakti—such as chanting or reading—due to significant family obligations, we may feel disheartened. We want to serve Krishna earnestly and understand that He is the ultimate purpose of life, but we may struggle to regulate our lifestyle and standardize our devotional practices. What can we do in such a situation?

I’d like to address this by looking at three perspectives:

1. How we see Krishna
2. How we see ourselves
3. How we see our situation

Let’s start with how we see Krishna.

Krishna is not a demanding God—He is an understanding and compassionate God. He knows both the external situations we are in and the internal conditionings we struggle with. His accommodating nature is evident throughout the Bhagavad-gita, especially in verses 12.8–12, where He offers a progression of devotional options based on the capacity of the practitioner.

So, we shouldn’t live in fear or guilt, thinking Krishna is displeased with us. Whatever we do in bhakti, Krishna appreciates it. Yes, He would love for us to do more, but our relationship with Him is not merely about meeting standards—it is about expressing our love. And love is expressed differently depending on the circumstances.

Krishna is not like an unreasonable boss who demands overtime during a family crisis. He is not concerned only with our spiritual practices; He cares about us—which includes every aspect of our lives. Even our difficulties, responsibilities, and obligations are within His compassionate awareness.

We may see our current situation as a test of faith—but it is also an opportunity to deepen our understanding of devotional service. Consider Srila Prabhupada’s example: in Vrindavan, he could engage directly in chanting, writing, and visiting temples. But when he went to America, especially in the early days, he had to focus heavily on logistics. His direct devotional practices reduced, but he was still serving Krishna—and in a way that introduced bhakti to countless souls.

So, ask yourself: Can my family responsibilities also be a way to serve Krishna? Can I create a positive impression of Krishna consciousness among my family and social circle? The exact form this takes will vary based on time, place, and circumstance.

Now let’s look at how we see ourselves.

Each of us has different tendencies—some of us are too hard on ourselves, others too soft. Often, we may be both: strict in some areas, lenient in others.

In Bhagavad-gita 6.5, Krishna says, “Uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ”—we must elevate ourselves with our own efforts. Even Krishna cannot help us if we are not willing to help ourselves.

So, we need a balanced relationship with ourselves. We shouldn’t constantly criticize or condemn ourselves, nor should we indulge ourselves unreasonably. Think of your body-mind as a car. Even if the car is old or dented, you take good care of it—because it’s the only vehicle you have.

Ask: Is my inability to follow bhakti standards due to external obligations, or am I being too lenient with myself? Being too harsh can also be counterproductive. Loving Krishna includes loving His parts—and one such part is ourselves. Encouragement and self-care are essential. Push yourself, but don’t crush yourself.

Now let’s consider how we view our situation.

Here are three practical tips:

1. Make a realistic plan based on your current life situation. Don’t aim for perfection; aim for sincerity and sustainability.
2. Have a flexible range of standards:
   • Aspirational: What you can do on an ideal day.
   • Non-negotiable: The minimum you can do daily (e.g., a few sincere minutes of japa or a short reading).

Bhakti is not digital—it’s not all or nothing. If you can’t chant in the morning, chant later. If daily reading is hard, read once or twice a week for a longer time.

3. Seek feedback and support. Talk to a trusted devotee friend—someone who understands your situation and values bhakti. A fresh pair of eyes can help you spot patterns, make time-saving changes, and stay encouraged.

In summary:
Don’t lose heart. Bhakti is not about rigid performance—it’s about loving connection. If you sincerely do whatever you can, Krishna will be pleased. And gradually, He will empower you to do more.

Thank you.

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This year the Seattle Rathayatra was moved from early September to late June to accommodate more people being able to attend.

Thousands of devotees ecstatically pulled Their Lordships, Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhadra Devi’s cart chanting and dancing for two and half hours.

When Their Lordships arrived back in the park even more people arrived for the festivities. The free prasadam stall served a sumptuous menu to long queues of people that continued all afternoon. There was the usual array of great tents providing various activities and products and of course, wonderful kirtan.

Today is the disappearance day of Sri Vakresvara Pandita, one of Lord Chaitanya’s most dear associates. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi 10.17–20) states, “Vakresvara Pandita, the fifth branch of the [Caitanya] tree, was a very dear servant of Lord Caitanya’s. He could dance with constant ecstasy for seventy-two hours. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally sang while Vakresvara Pandita danced, and thus Vakresvara Pandita fell at the lotus feet of the Lord and spoke as follows. ‘O Candramukha! Please give me ten thousand Gandharvas. Let them sing as I dance, and then I will be greatly happy.’ Lord Caitanya replied, ‘I have only one wing like you, but if I had another, certainly I would fly in the sky!’ ”

In his purport to text 17, Srila Prabhupada writes, “In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (71) it is stated that Vakresvara Pandita was an incarnation of Aniruddha, one of the quadruple expansions of Visnu (Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Aniruddha and Pradyumna). He could dance wonderfully for seventy-two continuous hours. When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu played in dramatic performances in the house of Srivasa Pandita, Vakresvara Pandita was one of the chief dancers, and he danced continuously for that length of time. Sri Govinda dasa, an Oriya devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, has described the life of Vakresvara Pandita in his book Gaura-krsnodaya. There are many disciples of Vakresvara Pandita in Orissa, and they are known as Gaudiya Vaisnavas although they are Oriyas. Among these disciples are Sri Gopalaguru and his disciple Sri Dhyanacandra Gosvami.”

A contemporary of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu named Devananda Pandita had no faith in Mahaprabhu and thus avoided Him, but fortunately, Devananda Pandita developed great faith in Vakresvara Pandita and rendered service to him. And by Vakresvara Pandita’s mercy, Devananda Pandita developed faith in Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and ultimately achieved His shelter.

Concerning this incident, Sri Caitanya-bhagavata (Antya 3.485–487) confirms the efficacy of serving pure devotees and the results one attains by doing so: “The service of Vaishnavas is superior to the service of Krishna. All scriptures, headed by Srimad-Bhagavatam, confirm this. There may be a doubt whether the servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead will attain perfection, but there is absolutely no doubt that those who are attached to serving the Lord’s devotees will attain perfection. Therefore service to the Vaishnavas is the best means of deliverance.”

Hare Krishna.

What is the relationship between spirituality and leadership?

Are spirituality and leadership connected, or are they disconnected? At first glance, they may seem completely different, but the connection depends on how we define both terms. Let’s begin with the Bhagavad Gita, and then we can broaden the discussion to generic spirituality.

The Bhagavad Gita is actually a conversation between two leaders. Krishna is a leader — the chief protector of Dwaraka — even if he is not formally its king. Arjuna is the foremost warrior among the Pandavas. The topic of their discussion is also a matter of leadership. When two nations are on the brink of war or seeking ways to avoid it, those are leadership-level concerns. So, the Gita begins in a setting involving leadership.

However, the Gita’s primary focus is not on war itself but on decision-making — more specifically, on the principles behind righteous or virtuous decision-making. While everyone needs to make decisions, in that sense the Gita is universally relevant.

Still, if we consider its context — a discussion between leaders, on a leadership issue, based not on temporary factors but on timeless principles — then the Gita can certainly be read as a treatise on leadership. Once we explore the principles it offers for leadership, we find that many are rooted in spiritual teachings. That’s why the Gita is also primarily considered a spiritual text.

The core message of the Gita is that before we decide what to do, we must understand who we are — and this identity naturally leads to clarity about our purpose. We don’t exist in isolation. We are placed in a particular context, and that context gives us orientation.

Whether we are in India or Singapore, in business or in employment, each setting shapes how we function. The Gita helps us understand the nature of the world we live in and our place within it.

Now, broadening the scope: What is spirituality?

There are various interpretations. Some see it as a means to feel good, calm, or centered. Others relate it to religious practices. Still others view it as a gateway to otherworldly or supernatural experiences.

Each of these captures part of the picture. In essence, spirituality is the study of what truly matters. We could say:

“Science is the study of matter; spirituality is the study of what matters.”

From that standpoint, spirituality helps us learn what to prioritize and what to deprioritize. This doesn’t mean we always prioritize only the spiritual. While our ultimate priority should be spiritual, circumstantially, material needs must sometimes take precedence so we can function effectively in the world.

Many of the world’s greatest problems arise from leaders with misplaced priorities. The distortion of priorities can take different modes:

• In Tamoguna (the mode of ignorance), a leader may seek to hoard power and suppress dissent, even constructive dissent, leading to catastrophic outcomes.
• In Rajoguna (the mode of passion), a leader may focus on prosperity and power — not only for personal gain but for society — but often with a short-term mindset, where present gain comes at future cost.
• In Sattvaguna (the mode of goodness), priorities are more aligned. Leaders consider long-term welfare, both material and holistic, including mental and spiritual well-being.
• At the transcendental level, one recognizes the Lord as Paramartha — the supreme object of value. With such clarity, priorities become properly ordered, leading to all-round flourishing.

In this way, spirituality is a set of practices and insights that help us set our priorities right. It’s especially important for leaders. When people undergo deep spiritual experiences — even simple religious practices — they often become less materialistic, recognizing that there’s more to life than fame, power, or possessions.

Even if one simply becomes more calm and centered, they can make clearer decisions and better prioritize. Thus, spirituality can help leaders grow not only in capability, but also in character.

In conclusion, we can say there are two types of spirituality:

• Transcendental spirituality, where one turns inward and upward to connect with the Divine and focuses on transcending worldly concerns.
• Transformational spirituality, where one, through spiritual connection, engages with the world to improve it meaningfully.

Both types of spirituality are important, and both have a deep and transformative connection with leadership.

Thank you.

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Question:
I have received an opportunity to take a franchise store that sells shoes, some of which are made of leather. As a devotee, should I go into such a business if it could help me become financially stable faster, allowing me to focus more on Krishna bhakti in the future?

Answer:
This is a personal decision, especially as it relates to one’s profession and family responsibilities. Ultimately, each individual has to decide for themselves. However, scripture can serve as a compass to help us navigate such dilemmas.

From a conservative perspective, Krishna states in Bhagavad-gita 7.28:

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām /
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

“Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated, and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.”

This verse indicates that dṛḍha-vrataḥ (firm determination in bhakti) requires a life that is materially clean. The concern here is whether we want to entangle ourselves in activities that may carry karmic consequences—consequences we may have to face in this life or in a future one. Why take that risk for temporary financial gain?

From a liberal perspective, Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita 18.48:

sarvārambhā hi doṣeṇa dhūmenāgnir ivāvṛtāḥ

“Every endeavor is covered by some fault, just as fire is covered by smoke.”

This verse implies that no work in this world is completely free from fault. Even in modern professions, like technology, a person may create software used in sinful ways, though their own intent may be pure. So, rather than focusing solely on the technicalities of our work, we can focus on staying connected to Krishna and progressing in our bhakti, despite the inevitable imperfections of material life.

However, this doesn’t mean we can use Bhagavad-gita 18.66—“sarva-dharmān parityajya… mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucah”—as a license to deliberately engage in sinful activities. Krishna said this to Arjuna, who was performing his duty in Krishna’s direct service, not for personal gain.

Additionally, the earlier verse says na tyajet, meaning such work should not be given up, only when one is already engaged in it as one’s duty. The Kshatriyas, for example, sometimes had to fight and even kill relatives as part of their occupational duty—but their life was not defined solely by that one aspect. Similarly, fire being covered by smoke means that while faults exist, the core of the activity is still pure, and a skilled person can reduce the smoke over time.

As devotees, we generally aim to:

• Stay away from activities that are directly connected with breaking the four regulative principles.
• Move away from such activities if we are already involved in them, by making a clear plan to gradually disengage.

That said, life is complex, and what constitutes a violation of the four regulative principles may not always be straightforward. For example, many devotees invest in stocks. Some say stock trading is gambling—but when does it become so? How do you define short-term vs long-term investments? These are nuanced questions. Therefore, ISKCON as a movement cannot police individual decisions, but encourages devotees to take personal responsibility.

As for the promise of financial freedom, one must assess this honestly, not sentimentally. Business always involves risk, and profits may take longer to manifest than expected. If you have a clear plan for how long you will stay in such a business, how it will support your devotional goals, and a defined exit strategy, then you may consider such a venture—like a Kabaddi player entering the opponent’s territory: touch and get out.

Even then, there’s no guarantee that things will go according to plan. So make decisions carefully, consult spiritual authorities, and pray sincerely for guidance. Also, if you do enter such a business, it is wise to substantially increase your charity, to help offset potential karmic entanglement.

Conclusion:
This is a complex decision, requiring careful thought, introspection, and consultation. Whatever you decide, try to keep Krishna at the center of your life and move steadily toward Him.

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How to Respond When Pre-devotional Outreach is Publicly Criticized by Senior Devotees

When some highly respected or senior devotees publicly criticize those engaged in pre-devotional outreach, it often creates confusion—especially among newer or younger devotees. Once newcomers develop faith in Srila Prabhupada, they naturally want to be faithful to him. But when they see criticism coming from senior devotees, they may either become critical of the pre-devotional outreach efforts or get caught in polarization. How can we guide such devotees in a healthy, balanced way? I’d like to share three points.

1. Space for Conservatives and Liberals in Every Tradition

Every spiritual tradition typically has conservatives and liberals.

• Conservatives are primarily concerned with preserving the best of the past and staying connected with it through faithfulness.
• Liberals focus on adapting to the present and staying connected with it through resourcefulness.

A living tradition, like ours, exists at the intersection of past and present. We must remain connected to the past (through faithfulness) and also connected to the present (through resourcefulness).

Srila Prabhupada exemplified both. He appreciated and encouraged innovation from his disciples. For example, in A Servant of the Servant, Tamal Krishna Maharaj shares how Prabhupada praised creative festival ideas, book distribution strategies, etc., saying, “Because you are sincerely trying to serve Krishna, Krishna is giving you all these ideas,” and quoting Bhagavad-gita 10.10.

Prabhupada’s own actions—like launching the first Ratha-yatra in the West using a flatbed truck—were highly resourceful. Though different from the traditional Ratha-yatra, this innovation made the festival globally recognizable. So, Prabhupada was both deeply faithful and incredibly resourceful.

If conservatism goes too far, it can become disconnected from the present and reduce the tradition to a museum piece. If liberalism goes too far, it can become mere trend-following, with no grounding. Hence, every tradition benefits from the healthy interplay between the two.

2. Understanding Different Approaches Through “JAM”

When differences of opinion arise, I use the acronym JAM—Judgment, Ability, Motive—to navigate disagreements.

• At the most charitable level, we can attribute someone’s action to a judgment error. For example, if two devotees differ in estimating the number of guests for a festival and prasad gets wasted or falls short, it’s simply a miscalculation, not malice.
• A more hurtful level is to doubt someone’s ability: “You’re incapable, so you should be replaced.” That becomes personal.
• But the most damaging is to question someone’s motive: “You wanted this event to fail,” or “You’re just after popularity.” This leads to deep polarization and resentment.

If a devotee says, “I wouldn’t do outreach that way,” that could be seen as a difference in judgment. But if they say, “You just want to be popular,” that becomes a motive attack, which is much more harmful. It’s important to remember scriptural instructions like apaiśunam (aversion to fault-finding) and anya-nindā-śūnyam (freedom from the tendency to criticize others).

We cannot know someone’s motives. Perhaps a liberal devotee genuinely believes that pre-devotional outreach is a way to bring people one step closer to Krishna. Similarly, a conservative critic may be motivated not by envy but by concern. So, the key is to give each other the benefit of the doubt and engage in respectful dialogue, not public condemnation.

3. Find Like-Minded Association and Co-exist

Each of us has a particular nature, and it’s important to find like-minded association that nourishes our faith and service. Cooperation doesn’t always mean working side-by-side. Sometimes, “cooperate” can mean “co-operate”: I operate here, you operate there.” Live and let live.

If liberals start outright condemning conservatives as out of touch or damaging, or if conservatives label liberal outreach efforts as deviations or offenses, both attitudes become divisive. Instead, we can recognize different moods within one mission.

Srila Prabhupada said he built a house in which the whole world can live. That house is big enough for both conservatives and liberals—even if they can’t live in the same room. While the mission of Srila Prabhupada was one—to raise people’s consciousness—he had many moods.

In the founding purposes of ISKCON, Krishna and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu are mentioned in only one point. Other purposes are broad: to propagate spiritual knowledge, promote cultural values, publish books and magazines, etc. These broader purposes also represent Prabhupada’s vision and were never retracted or modified.

Historical and Scriptural Precedents

Even in ISKCON’s early days, this conservative-liberal dynamic was present. New York was relatively conservative; San Francisco, led by adventurous devotees like Shyamasundar Prabhu and Mukunda Maharaj, was more liberal. Yet Prabhupada accepted service from both.

Going further back, in Gaudiya history, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was more conservative, while Nityananda Prabhu was more liberal—even going to taverns and associating with outcastes. Mahaprabhu insisted on eating only in brahmana homes; Nityananda had no such concerns. That balance is literally present on our altars today.

So, both approaches have scriptural and historical precedent. The important thing is to avoid polarization and recognize that different services attract different devotees. The key is respectful dialogue, sincere intention, and willingness to learn from one another.

Conclusion

To summarize:

• There is room within Prabhupada’s house for both conservative and liberal approaches.
• Disagreements should be seen first as differences in judgment, not as flaws in ability or motives.
• We should seek like-minded association and embrace co-existence, not condemnation.

Let us all be faithful in our own ways while remaining respectful of others who serve Krishna differently. Unity in diversity is not just a slogan—it is a necessity for a global movement founded on compassion, wisdom, and Krishna consciousness.

The post When some senior leaders publicly criticize younger people who are doing pre-devotional outreach, how can we see such unpleasant situations constructively? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Let’s understand the glory of Ratha-yatra by contemplating four aspects, centered on the acronym RATH: 

– R – Reach 
– A – Attractiveness 
– T – Transcendence 
– H – Happiness 

R – Reach of the Festival 

There are many festivals across the religious landscape of the world—and even across the landscape of Sanatana Dharma. But very few festivals attract such an enormous number of people, with almost an entire metropolitan city descending onto the town of Jagannath Puri for one day. 
 
Over the last half-century, by the vision and vigor of Srila Prabhupada and his followers, the reach of this festival has expanded far beyond India—to all corners of the world. From Boston to Belgrade, from Brisbane to Dublin, from Dubai to Durban, Ratha-yatra has inspired and infused spiritual devotion in the hearts of millions. 

A – Attractiveness of the Lord 

The Lord’s attractiveness arises not just from His six divine opulences—strength, wealth, knowledge, fame, beauty, and renunciation—but from a seventh, supremely lovable opulence: His untiring, unwavering love. 
 
It is this inexhaustible and infallible love that shines through Ratha-yatra, where the Lord comes out onto the streets—not just to bless His devotees, but to offer mercy to everyone, including those who may never come to the temple. 

We need Him, yet often don’t want Him. 
He doesn’t need us, yet always wants us. 

Although He is full in Himself, His longing to share that fullness brings Him into public view. His attractiveness is further revealed through: 
– The majesty of the chariots 
– The beauty of the ambience created by dancing and singing devotees 
– The graceful gliding of the Lord’s chariot 
– And the merciful glance He casts on one and all 

T – Transcendence Made Accessible 

The Lord, though transcendental, makes Himself eminently accessible during Ratha-yatra. 
 
When we pull His chariot, we are not just participating in a cultural ritual or celebrating a symbolic gesture of inviting God into our hearts. We are re-enacting a sacred, esoteric pastime—where the gopis of Vrindavan pulled Krishna from Kurukshetra back to Vrindavan, with the love of their hearts and the labor of their hands. 
 
Their sublimely selfless and stainless love becomes perceivable—if only in flickers—even for us, when we sing and dance in the Ratha-yatra festival. Even if we are unaware of the exalted reciprocations unfolding spiritually, we are still part of it. 
 
Participation in such a transcendental event helps awaken the soul and brings everlasting auspiciousness. 

H – Happiness That Heals and Elevates 

Ratha-yatra floods the streets—streets that are usually filled with people chasing draconian desires and paltry pleasures. 
 
Instead, this festival offers anyone with an open mind and heart a glimpse and a taste of otherworldly happiness. 
 
It beckons us to a better life— 
A richer life. 
A sweeter life. 
 
A life of the soul, 
in eternal, ecstatic love for the Lord of the Universe, 
who offers us this sacred opening… 
so we may one day make Him the Lord of our heart. 

The post The Glory of Ratha-yatra: A Journey of the Soul appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

It is a great honor, privilege, and pleasure to be here in New Jagannath Puri. The first deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra in ISKCON were discovered in San Francisco in 1967. One of Srila Prabhupada’s early disciples, Malati dasi, saw a small figure in an import store, Cost Plus, and brought it to him. When Prabhupada saw the figure, his eyes opened wide. He folded his palms and bowed his head in respect. Then he said, “You have brought Lord Jagannatha, the Lord of the universe. He is Krishna.” He said that Lord Jagannatha was worshipped with two other deities: His brother, Balarama, and His sister, Subhadra. Malati confirmed that there were other, similar figures at the store, and Prabhupada asked her to go and buy them. So, she and her husband, Shyamasundar, immediately went and brought the other two figures. Srila Prabhupada placed them with Lord Jagannatha on his desk and told the devotees about Jagannatha’s appearance in India thousands of years ago, and how He was still worshipped in a great temple in Puri and taken on an annual procession with His brother and sister, each in a huge chariot, in the Ratha-yatra festival. Prabhupada chanted, jagannatha-svami nayana-patha-gami bhavatu me: “O Lord of the universe, kindly be visible unto me.” And he said that henceforth San Francisco should be called New Jagannatha Puri.

Srila Prabhupada asked if any of the devotees knew how to carve, and Shyamasundar said that he did. So Prabhupada requested him to carve three-foot-high replicas of the small Jagannatha, Balarama, and Subhadra. Shyamasundar got three large blocks of wood and, following sketches and directions that Prabhupada gave him, carved the first large deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra in the West.

Then Prabhupada said that the devotees should hold a Ratha-yatra festival. So, following Prabhupada’s instructions, Shyamasundar and the others arranged a flatbed truck on which they erected five tall columns and covered them with cloth to serve as a canopy over the deities. And then they decorated the “chariot” with flowers. The devotees didn’t have many vehicles then, and those they did have were pretty old and dilapidated—unpredictable in their performance.

At the time, Srila Prabhupada was unwell, and the devotees had rented a place for him to recuperate in nearby Stinson Beach. Although he was unable to attend the festival, the devotees—along with the Ratha-yatra truck, the deities, and some hippies—came to visit him the next day. They were excited and eager to report. Shyamasundar explained that while he had been driving the truck up a steep hill, the truck had stalled and that although he had tried to start the engine, he hadn’t been able to. Then the brakes had failed, and the truck had begun to roll backwards down the hill. Finally he had been able to stop it, but when he had tried to move forward, again the engine had stalled and the truck had rolled backwards. Again and again he would get it started, the truck would go forward, the engine would stall, and the truck would roll backwards. The situation had seemed hopeless, and the devotees had wondered if they would be able to finish the parade.

But somehow they had, and when they came to Srila Prabhupada to give him the report, Srila Prabhupada told them the story of how Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had celebrated the Ratha-yatra in Puri. He said that in Puri too the chariot would stop, even with thousands of people pulling the ropes. The king would order powerful wrestlers and elephants to push the chariot, but still it wouldn’t move. Finally, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would put His head on the back of the chariot and push, and only then would the chariot move. “Now that Ratha-yatra has come to the West,” Srila Prabhupada said, “this pastime has come too.” And from that first Ratha-yatra, the festival has been celebrated yearly, not only in San Francisco but also in many other major cities throughout the world.

According to the Skanda Purana, the history of the installation of the Jagannatha deities in Puri goes back about a hundred and fifty-three million years. Although there is a history of how the deities came to be carved in the shapes in which they now appear, actually Lord Jagannatha and His associates are eternal. His being carved is just a pastime to facilitate His manifestation on earth. As Srila Prabhupada explains, “Fire is already present in wood, but by a certain process, fire is kindled. Similarly, God is all-pervading. He is everywhere, and since He may come out from everything, He appeared . . . Lord Nrsimha appeared from the pillar of Hiranyakasipu’s palace, Lord Varaha appeared from the nostril of Brahma, and Lord Kapila appeared from the semen of Kardama, but this does not mean that the nostril of Brahma or the pillar of Hiranyakasipu’s palace or the semen of Kardama Muni is the source of the appearance of the Lord. The Lord is always the Lord.” (SB 3.24.6 purport)

So, Lord Jagannatha is eternal, just as Krishna is eternal. Although Krishna had His appearance pastime in the prison house of Kamsa, He resides eternally on His spiritual planet, Goloka Vrindavan, and He eternally manifests His pastimes within the material world. Lord Jagannatha also has an eternal planet in the spiritual sky. He is the source of all incarnations, and He appears in whatever form His devotee wants to see Him. Sometimes in Puri the pujaris dress Him as a demigod—such as Ganesh, with an elephant’s trunk. That is also to confirm the philosophical principle that by worshipping Lord Jagannatha—Krishna—one worships all the demigods automatically. All the demigods are included in Jagannatha, and all the expansions of Godhead are included. But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers, Gaudiya Vaishnavas, see Lord Jagannatha as Krishna. When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu saw Jagannatha in Puri, He would see Krishna, Syamasundara.

The appearance of Lord Jagannatha is also mentioned in the Skanda Purana. As recounted there, Lord Jagannatha tells King Indradyumna, who had the first Jagannatha deities carved and who built the first, great temple for Lord Jagannatha in Puri, that He appeared on the full-moon day of the month of Jyestha, being pleased with the king’s devotion and sacrifices. It is on this date every year that Snana-yatra, the public bathing of Lord Jagannatha, is held.

For the Snana-yatra in Puri, Lord Jagannatha is brought into public view on a rooftop, or terrace, of the great temple and bathed. Then, as it is said, the Lord catches a cold and is removed to His private quarters—the quarters of Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, who for two weeks serves Him hand and foot.

Of course, that is another question, about His hands and feet. A disciple once asked Srila Prabhupada, “We are told to meditate on the Deity beginning with the lotus feet, but how do we begin our meditation on Lord Jagannatha? He doesn’t have feet.” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “You can meditate on whatever you can see.” (Advanced devotees can see Lord Jagannatha’s lotus feet.) There are philosophical principles and specific pastimes that account for why He has no feet or hands—or why they are not visible. The Upanishads say that the Lord has no legs but that He can overcome all others running. “No hands or feet” really means that He has no material hands or feet. He has spiritual hands and feet. Still, in ecstasy, He sometimes withdraws His limbs and widens His eyes.

Krishna had so much love for the residents of Vrindavan that even in Dvaraka, in the middle of the night, He would sometimes call the names of the cowherd boys and cows, or of Srimati Radharani and the gopis, or of His mother and father, Nanda and Yashoda. Sometimes He would be so overwhelmed with ecstatic love for the residents of Vrindavan that He would not eat or sleep. It was a mystery to the residents of Dvaraka: “Who are these special people? And what is this special place, Vrindavan? What happened when Krishna was there in His childhood that makes Him so attached to them and Vrindavan?”

One person in Dvaraka had been present in Vrindavan for Krishna’s childhood pastimes—Rohini-devi, the mother of Balarama. Like Devaki, she was a wife of Vasudeva, but with all the atrocities being committed by King Kamsa, Vasudeva had arranged for her to stay in Vraja with Nanda and Yashoda, who were relatives and family friends. By the arrangement of Yogamaya, Balarama had been transferred from the womb of Devaki in Mathura to the womb of Rohini in Vrindavan, and Rohini had been present for all of Balarama and Krishna’s childhood pastimes there. Wanting to hear about Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavan, the residents of Dvaraka asked her, “Who are these special people? What is this special place?” She said, “I will tell you, but no one should disturb me while I am speaking.”

So, they all assembled in a large hall in Dvaraka, and Subhadra was posted at the door to make sure that no one entered. But she too wanted to hear about Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavan, so she put her ear to the door. Hearing the pastimes, she became ecstatic, and in her ecstasy her eyes opened wide, her mouth smiled broadly, and her limbs withdrew into her body. She assumed the features that we see today in the deity of Subhadra.

Then Krishna and Balarama came and saw Subhadra with her ear to the door and with those ecstatic features. And They thought, “Let Us also hear what is being said inside.” So They put Their ears to the door, and when They heard the pastimes, They too became ecstatic and assumed Their own particular features, with Their limbs withdrawn and Their eyes open wide and Their mouths in broad smiles. So, that is how Their Lordships came to assume these special forms.

After the Snana-yatra, Lord Jagannatha retires for fifteen days, during which time Lakshmi serves Him day and night. In particular, she prepares various medicinal beverages, represented by fruit juices, to help Him recover from His illness. After two weeks, Lord Jagannatha feels better, and He feels separation from His other devotees. And so, taking permission from the goddess of fortune, He embarks on a journey (yatra) in a chariot (ratha) to see them. When He doesn’t come back after three or four days—especially since He had indicated that He would be gone for only one—she becomes restless and impatient. Just imagine: Lakshmi serves Him hand and foot for two weeks, He says that He wants to go out for the afternoon to see His other devotees, and days pass and He doesn’t come home. So, she exhibits an extraordinary type of transcendental jealous pride and anger (mana), and with all opulence she proceeds with her maidservants in a procession to Sundarachala to bring back Lord Jagannatha.

The Ratha-yatra begins at the Jagannatha temple in Nilachala and proceeds to the Gundicha temple in Sundarachala. Nilachala represents Dvaraka, where Krishna lives as a king and is worshipped in opulence, and Sundarachala represents Vrindavan, where Krishna is loved simply as a cowherd boy, the son of Nanda and Yashoda. [[I am unsure about these.]]

During the year, the Gundicha temple (named after the wife of King Indradyumna) is empty, and naturally dust and dirt accumulate. (In India most temples have an open style of architecture.) The day before Ratha-yatra is Gundicha-marjana, and on that day Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates would thoroughly clean the Gundicha temple. As described in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Mahaprabhu would gather thousands of men, and together they would clean the temple. First, with thousands of brooms, they would sweep it—twice—and then they would wash it with thousands of pots of water. They didn’t have hoses then—only pots. They would fill thousands of pots with water and wash the temple inside and out, just to make the temple fit for the Lord.

Metaphorically, the cleansing of the Gundicha temple is the cleansing of the heart to make it a fit place for the Lord. Such cleansing is effected by hearing and chanting about Krishna (srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah).

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
  punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani
  vidhunoti suhrt satam
         (SB 1.2.17)

When a sincere devotee (satam) hears the messages of Krishna, his or her heart (hrdyantah) is cleansed (vidhunoti) of all dirty, inauspicious things (abhadrani). Similarly, by attentive chanting and hearing of the holy names of the Lord—sankirtana—one’s consciousness is also purified (ceto-darpana-marjanam). Thus Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers cleaned the Gundicha temple to make it a fit place for the Lord to reside. And, as Srila Prabhupada often said, “When you clean the temple, you clean your heart.”

Five days after the Ratha-yatra, when Lord Jagannatha does not return, the goddess of fortune comes out in full force and, with her maidservants, marches on the Gundicha temple. Her maidservants arrest the servants of Lord Jagannatha and bring them before her. They beat the Ratha car with sticks and treat the servants like thieves, ridiculing and abusing them. They say, “What is wrong with your master? He abandoned the opulence of the goddess of fortune for the sake of a flower garden—a few leaves and fruits and flowers. What is wrong with Him? Now bring Him before the goddess of fortune.” “Okay, okay,” they reply. “Whatever you say. Tomorrow we shall bring Him.”

Thus pacified, Lakshmi returns to her abode. And Lord Jagannatha eventually comes—not the next day, but four days later, in the return Ratha-yatra. All this is very nice, but for Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who was in the mood of Srimati Radharani in separation from Krishna—the highest level of ecstatic love in separation—to not see Lord Jagannatha for two weeks was unbearable, and He almost went mad. When He had first arrived in Puri and entered the temple and seen the Deity of Jagannatha, He had thought, “Here is My Lord, for whom I’ve been searching.” He had run to embrace Jagannatha—Krishna—and fainted in the ecstasy of pure love. So, for Him to have achieved the Lord of His life and then lost Him (when Jagannatha went into seclusion) was intolerable. He could not remain in Puri. And so He walked fourteen miles west by foot to Alalanatha (Alarnath), in an area called Brahmagiri, which is named after Lord Brahma because Brahma is said to have come to earth and installed the Deity of Lord Narayana worshipped there.

But how could Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who was in the mood of Radharani—who knows no one other than Krishna—find solace by going to Alarnath to see a four-handed Deity of Lord Narayana? Further, when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu first saw the Deity and offered prostrated obeisances, the stone slab on the temple floor beneath Him melted. In the Jagannatha temple there is a pillar called the Garuda-stambha, where Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to stand to have darshan of Jagannatha. There are imprints of His fingers on the pillar and of His lotus feet on the floor where, in great ecstasy, He would behold Lord Jagannatha. But in Alarnath we find the unique impression of His entire body, which melted the stone when He prostrated Himself in extreme ecstasy. This is all very mysterious.

Once, during His springtime rasa-lila at Govardhana Hill, Sri Krishna disappeared from the scene, suggesting that He wanted to be alone with Sri Radha. He hid in a secluded bush, waiting for Her to pass by, but in the meantime the other gopis came looking for Him. They all were in the mood of separation—mad in separation from Krishna, mad in love for Krishna—having been attracted by His transcendental beauty, His charming gestures, and His loving words. They were searching all over Govardhana for Him, and finally they sighted Him in the bush. When He saw them, Krishna became struck with emotion. He could not hide Himself, and so He assumed His four-armed Narayana form. When the gopis saw Lord Narayana, they said, “Oh, He is not Krishna; He is Lord Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” They had no interest in Lord Narayana; they were interested only in Krishna. So they offered Him respects and prayed, “Please bless us with Krishna’s association.” Otherwise, they had no use for Him. They went on searching for Krishna. Then, when Srimati Radharani came, Krishna wanted to maintain His four-armed form to joke with Her, but although He tried His best, He was unable to do so. The influence of Her ecstatic love forced Him to return to His original two-armed form. He couldn’t maintain His feature as Lord Narayana. He was conquered by Srimati Radharani’s love, and so He revealed His original form as Krishna.

rasarambha-vidhau niliya vasata kunje mrgaksi-ganair
  drstam gopayitum svam uddhura-dhiya ya susthu sandarsita
radhayah pranayasya hanta mahima yasya sriya raksitum
  sa sakya prabhavisnunapi harina nasic catur-bahuta

“Prior to the rasa dance, Lord Krsna hid Himself in a grove just to have fun. When the gopis came, their eyes resembling those of deer, by His sharp intelligence He exhibited His beautiful four-armed form to hide Himself. But when Srimati Radharani came there, Krsna could not maintain His four arms in Her presence. This is the wonderful glory of Her love.” (Ujjvala-nilamani, Nayika-bheda 7)

Transcendentally, Alarnath in Lord Chaitanya’s lila in Puri is compared to Paitha at Govardhana. It is a place of intense separation. The gopis, in separation from Krishna, roamed the forest there, looking for Him. And Paitha is the place where Lord Narayana wasn’t really Lord Narayana. He was actually Krishna assuming the form of Narayana to play a joke on the gopis—and to bring out their exclusive love for Him. Thus, although the external form of the Deity of Lord Alarnath is that of four-armed Narayana, internally He is Krishna. And the pujaris of Alarnath admit that in their worship they recite very confidential mantras to Krishna, the lover of Srimati Radharani.

During those fourteen days, called anavasara, when Lord Jagannatha retires to His private quarters and receives service from Lakshmi, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, in separation, stays in Alarnath.

So, there are many deep feelings connected to Ratha-yatra. This whole pastime—like all the pastimes of Jagannatha in Puri—is very deep and full of separation. Jagannatha Puri is vipralambha-dhama. Vipralambha means “separation.” Lord Jagannatha, in His opulent temple, feels separation from Srimati Radharani and His other pure devotees in Vrindavan. And Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, in the mood of Srimati Radharani after Krishna left Vrindavan for Mathura and Dvaraka, also feels separation. So, Jagannatha Puri is a place of crying. But that crying is ecstasy. That separation is ecstasy. It is not what we experience in the material world.

After this period of separation, when Lord Jagannatha finally leaves His private quarters, He emerges from the temple and mounts His chariot; and for the first time in two weeks Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the other devotees are able to see Him. So they become ecstatic. And in the Ratha-yatra, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is in the mood of Radharani bringing Krishna back to Vrindavan.

As described in Srimad-Bhagavatam, after Krishna had been living as a king in Dvaraka for many years, He was informed that there was going to be a solar eclipse. To observe the eclipse, Krishna announced that He would go to Kurukshetra, a holy place (dharma-ksetra kuru-ksetra) in North India. The Vedas recommend that one go to Kurukshetra to perform the various rituals associated with eclipses—to bathe in the sacred waters, perform sacrifices, give charity, and so on. When the news reached the residents of Vrindavan that Krishna was going to Kurukshetra, they thought, “Let us go, too.” They weren’t interested in the ritual baths or ceremonies. They were interested in Krishna. Since He had left Vrindavan, they had been feeling intense separation. Their only business had been crying for Krishna. So, they decided, “We shall also go.” And they went.

It was a very touching scene when Krishna met the residents of Vrindavan—heart rending. Although He first met the elders, beginning with Nanda and Yashoda and their associates, within His heart He was thinking of Radharani and the gopis. So, He took an opportunity to steal away from the others to meet them. Yet although Radha was seeing Krishna, it wasn’t the same. She said, “You’re the same Krishna, and I am the same Radha, but it’s not the same here. Please come back to Vrindavan. Here there are crowds of people, elephants, and horses, and the rattling of chariots. In Vrindavan there are flower gardens and the chirping of birds and the humming of bees. Here You are dressed like a royal prince with all sorts of opulent paraphernalia, accompanied by great warriors. In Vrindavan You appeared just like a cowherd boy, dressed in Your yellow dhoti (pitambara) and decorated with a peacock feather, accompanied only by Your flute. Here in Kurukshetra there is not even a drop of the ocean of transcendental happiness that I enjoyed with You in Vrindavan. So please come back to Vrindavan and let Us relish pastimes as We did in Our youth.”

In that mood of Srimati Radharani, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, dancing in front of Lord Jagannatha in the Ratha-yatra, would recite a verse from a romantic poem:

yah kaumara-harah sa eva hi varas ta eva caitra-ksapas
  te conmilita-malati-surabhayah praudhah kadambanilah
sa caivasmi tathapi tatra surata-vyapara-lila-vidhau
  reva-rodhasi vetasi-taru-tale cetah samutkanthate

“That very personality who stole away my heart during my youth is now again my master. These are the same moonlit nights of the month of Caitra. The same fragrance of malati flowers is there, and the same sweet breezes are blowing from the kadamba forest. In our intimate relationship, I am also the same lover, yet still my mind is not happy here. I am eager to go back to that place on the bank of the Reva under the Vetasi tree. That is my desire.” (Padyavali 386; Cc Madhya 1.58, 13.121)

That emotional pulling of Krishna from Kurukshetra to Vrindavan is the mood of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the Ratha-yatra. There is so much reciprocation between Lord Chaitanya and Lord Jagannatha based on Srimati Radharani and the gopis pulling Krishna back to Vrindavan. Sometimes Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would go ahead and Lord Jagannatha, astonished by the dancing of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, would stop His chariot to watch. Sometimes Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would stay behind the chariot and eventually Lord Jagannatha would stop. Then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would come forward, and then Lord Jagannatha would move forward, too.

ei-mata gaura-syame, donhe thelatheli
svarathe syamere rakhe gaura maha-bali

“Thus there was a sort of competition between Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Jagannatha in seeing who would lead, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu was so strong that He made Lord Jagannatha wait in His car.” (Cc Madhya 13.119)

Srila Prabhupada, citing Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s commentary, explains that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s leading Lord Jagannatha toward the Gundicha temple corresponded to Srimati Radharani’s leading Krishna toward Vrindavan. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s following at the rear of the chariot indicated that Lord Jagannatha, Krishna, was forgetting the inhabitants of Vrindavan. In the role of Srimati Radharani, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was examining whether the Lord still remembered the inhabitants of Vrindavan. “When Caitanya Mahaprabhu fell behind the Ratha car, Jagannatha-deva, Krsna Himself, understood the mind of Srimati Radharani. Therefore, Jagannatha sometimes fell behind the dancing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to indicate to Srimati Radharani that He had not forgotten. Thus Lord Jagannatha would stop the forward march of the ratha and wait at a standstill. . . . While Jagannatha was thus waiting, Gaurasundara, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in His ecstasy of Srimati Radharani, immediately came forward to Krsna. At such times, Lord Jagannatha would proceed ahead very slowly. These competitive exchanges were all part of the love affair between Krsna and Srimati Radharani.” (Cc Madhya 13.119 purport)

Ultimately Jagannatha reaches Vrindavan, the Gundicha temple. There is so much feeling in these festivals.

Now we shall read about Snana-yatra from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, both to hear directly from Srila Prabhupada about Snana-yatra, and also to realize what an unlimited wealth of knowledge—of nectar—exists in Prabhupada’s books. I am going to read four or five verses—out of hundreds and thousands—and yet in just these few verses there is so much nectar.

jaya jaya sri-caitanya jaya nityananda
jayadvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda

We shall read from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter One: “The Later Pastimes of Lord Caitanya.” In verse 121, the author, Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, mentions that Lord Chaitanya witnessed the Snana-yatra festival. He then continues:

TEXT 122

anavasare jagannathera na pana darasana
virahe alalanatha karila gamana

TRANSLATION

When Jagannatha was absent from the temple, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who could not see Him, felt separation and left Jagannatha Puri to go to a place known as Alalanatha.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Alalanatha is also known as Brahmagiri. This place is about fourteen miles from Jagannatha Puri and is also on the beach. There is a temple of Jagannatha there. At the present moment a police station and post office are situated there because so many people come to see the temple.

The word anavasara is used when Sri Jagannathaji cannot be seen in the temple. After the bathing ceremony (snana-yatra), Lord Jagannatha apparently becomes sick. He is therefore removed to His private apartment, where no one can see Him. Actually, during this period renovations are made on the body of the Jagannatha Deity. This is called nava-yauvana.

COMMENT

Nava-yauvana means “ever fresh,” or “always youthful.” At this time the Jagannatha Deity is fully restored to youth.

PURPORT (concluded)

During the Ratha-yatra ceremony, Lord Jagannatha once again comes before the public. Thus for fifteen days after the bathing ceremony, Lord Jagannatha is not visible to any visitors.

TEXT 123

bhakta-sane dina kata tahani rahila
gaudera bhakta aise, samacara paila

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu remained for some days at Alalanatha. In the meantime, He received news that all the devotees from Bengal were coming to Jagannatha Puri.

COMMENT

Every year, the devotees from Bengal would travel by foot to Jagannatha Puri for the Ratha-yatra and the four months of the rainy season called Chaturmasya.

TEXTS 124–125

When the devotees from Bengal arrived at Jagannatha Puri, both Nityananda Prabhu and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya greatly endeavored to take Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu back to Jagannatha Puri.

When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu finally left Alalanatha to return to Jagannatha Puri, He was overwhelmed both day and night due to separation from Jagannatha. His lamentation knew no bounds. During this time, all the devotees from different parts of Bengal, and especially from Navadvipa, arrived in Jagannatha Puri.

TEXT 126

sabe mili’ yukti kari’ kirtana arambhila
kirtana-avese prabhura mana sthira haila

TRANSLATION

After due consideration, all the devotees began chanting the holy name congregationally. Lord Caitanya’s mind was thus pacified by the ecstasy of the chanting.

PURPORT

Being absolute in all circumstances, Lord Jagannatha’s person, form, picture, and kirtana are all identical. Therefore when Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, He was pacified. Previously, He had been feeling very morose due to separation from Jagannatha. The conclusion is that whenever a kirtana of pure devotees takes place, the Lord is immediately present. By chanting the holy names of the Lord, we associate with the Lord personally.

COMMENT

This is a very important lesson. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was in such deep separation from Lord Jagannatha that He could not do anything or think of anything else. Finally, the devotees decided to perform kirtan. By chanting the holy names of Krishna, who is Lord Jagannatha, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu felt pacified, because He was experiencing the association of Jagannatha through the holy name.

As Prabhupada mentions here in the purport, the holy name of Krishna—the holy name of Jagannatha—is the same as Krishna. Seeing the form of Lord Jagannatha and hearing the name of Lord Krishna—the name of Lord Jagannatha—are the same. In one sense, all service is absolute; there is no difference between worshipping the form of the Lord and chanting the name of the Lord. But to engage in Deity worship, there are so many requirements. You need deities, you must be clean, you must be initiated, you must know the mantras, you must have the paraphernalia, the sixteen different types of items to offer—you require so many things. But with chanting you don’t require anything. As Srila Prabhupada said, all you require is your tongue and your ears. You don’t even need your mind. In fact, it is better to leave your mind out of it. Once, a disciple asked Srila Prabhupada, “What do I do with my mind when I chant?” And Prabhupada said, “Your mind? What is the question of mind? With your tongue you chant and with your ears you hear.” With our tongue we chant, with our ears we hear, and with our intelligence we remain fixed.

By kirtan, by chanting and hearing, we associate with Krishna. And all of our feelings of separation can be mitigated. The holy names of Krishna include everything. His names, His forms, His qualities, His pastimes, His paraphernalia, His entourage—all are included. Srila Prabhupada and his parampara are also included. The whole spiritual world is included. Everything is revealed when we chant and hear with attention, chant and hear with love.

Now the devotees here will be suffering in separation from Lord Jagannatha for fifteen days. But we can take shelter of the holy names of Lord Jagannatha and read the pastimes of Lord Jagannatha and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. And we can read about Srila Prabhupada and Ratha-yatra in Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta. We should read these books; they are important. Prabhupada stayed up all night to write his books. He would take rest at ten o’clock and get up at twelve to write these books, not just for us to sell—of course, it is good that we sell them—but for us to read; we should also read them. As Prabhupada said, “Distributing my books will keep them [devotees] happy, and reading my books will keep them.” Reading will keep us fixed. So we need to do all these things. We can’t afford to waste a moment. As Prabhupada said, “Don’t talk nonsense. Don’t waste time. If you’ve got time, chant Hare Krishna.”

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on July 13, 2008, Berkeley, California]

As those engaged in outreach today, we often find ourselves working within contemporary frameworks — such as corporate outreach — where we may be constrained and unable to directly mention Krishna. However, Srila Prabhupada was very direct in speaking about Krishna and in exposing or critiquing thought systems that diverged from bhakti. This brings up a crucial question: How do we reach specific audiences while staying faithful to Srila Prabhupada’s example?

I’ve reflected on three key factors: the subject, the audience, and the speaker. You can think of this as SAS (though admittedly, not the most elegant acronym — some might say it’s a bit “sassy”!).

Srila Prabhupada’s Guideline

Prabhupada, in the Narada-Vyasa Samvad, speaks about realization. He says we should speak the scriptural subject in a way that is interesting to the audience — but without extracting unscrupulous meanings. So while we stay true to the scripture, the presentation must resonate with the audience.

The Venn Diagram of Communication

Imagine two intersecting ellipses:

• One vertical — representing scripture, deeply rooted in the past.
• One horizontal — representing contemporary audiences and their interests.

There are topics the audience is interested in that aren’t directly addressed in scripture. And there are topics from scripture — like the meaning of Vedanta Sutras or distinctions between Vaishnava sampradayas — which may not be relevant for most people today. Realization, then, is the ability to find the intersection of these two spheres — the point where the scriptural message connects with the audience’s interest.

Not Just Bhakti — Sattvic and Rajasic Wisdom Too

Scripture contains more than just pure devotional content. It includes sattvic wisdom, and even aspects of rajasic (e.g., karmakanda) guidance. Prabhupada himself sometimes used motivational, materially relevant language.

For instance, when speaking to Indian businessmen, he once said, “I went to America with ₹40 and now I have ₹40 crores worth of temples. Doing business with Krishna is great.” This isn’t karmakanda — it’s Krishna-centered encouragement, using language the audience can relate to.

Prabhupada’s Adaptability

Although the International Society for Krishna Consciousness uses Krishna’s name explicitly, in books like Ishopanishad, Prabhupada rarely uses the name “Krishna.” He uses more general terms like “the Lord” or “the Supreme.” Why? Because Upanishadic texts often attract those from impersonal or monistic backgrounds, and using overtly sectarian language could alienate them.

Similarly, in Easy Journey to Other Planets, Prabhupada used the term “antimatter” — a then-contemporary scientific term — to describe the soul, although this is not its meaning in mainstream science.

This shows that Prabhupada’s presentation was flexible and strategic, without compromising core principles.

Prabhupada Was Bigger Than Our Conceptions

I’ve come to realize that Prabhupada was far bigger than our mental image of him. Yes, there is a version of “hardline Prabhupada” that some focus on — but that is not the only Prabhupada.

Consider the life members who helped Prabhupada in India. Many of them were followers of Mayavadi gurus. Some even had large pictures of their gurus at home. Senior devotees have told me that Prabhupada didn’t make it a point to criticize their gurus while interacting with them. He remained principled but not impractical.

Prabhupada focused not on changing their core philosophical beliefs but on engaging them in Krishna’s service. That was his priority.

Multiple Forums, Multiple Strategies

So to say that a particular modern approach is “deviant” from Prabhupada’s mood might actually limit Prabhupada. He worked with diverse audiences and used multiple strategies.

For example, when instructing scientists working in the Bhaktivedanta Institute, Prabhupada didn’t say, “Convert them to chant Hare Krishna.” He said the purpose of the Institute was to increase ISKCON’s prestige. If they become devotees, wonderful — but the immediate aim was outreach and reputation-building.

In contrast, if a preacher on a Vyasasana in a Bhagavatam class speaks with no reference to Krishna, that would be deeply concerning. That platform is meant for direct Krishna-katha. But not all platforms are the same.

Strategic Preaching in Today’s World

We live in a spiritual marketplace. If we don’t reach out to certain demographics, others — including impersonalists, Buddhists, and Christians — will. Christians have been very successful in the self-help space, starting with Norman Vincent Peale’s Power of Positive Thinking. If we ignore this space, we miss a huge demographic that is open to sattvic wisdom, though not ready for bhakti wisdom.

In fact, having devotee monks speaking in such forums boosts ISKCON’s public image. Over the past decade, the image of monks in India has changed. Publishers now want monks on book covers because it sells — and some devotee authors have contributed significantly to this shift.

Risks and Safeguards

That said, there are dangers, which I group into three categories:

1. Dilution in Devotional Forums
   If satsangs or Bhagavatam classes start featuring only pre-devotional or motivational content, it’s a problem.
2. Imitation by Other Preachers
   Popularity may tempt others to follow this model. But in my experience, this hasn’t been widespread. Not everyone has the skills — or the calling — for this kind of outreach.
3. Public Misconception
   There’s a risk that the public may think ISKCON only offers humorous or motivational speakers. But most now recognize that certain speakers represent certain styles, and ISKCON stands for something deeper.

Financial and Strategic Considerations

Interestingly, many such talks are also a means for fundraising. A common principle followed is:

• The less devotional the talk, the higher the honorarium.
• The more devotional, the lower (often zero).

Some devotee speakers earn significant funds — ₹5 to ₹15 lakhs per talk — which support temple and outreach efforts.

After all, fundraising too involves relationship building, just like this form of outreach. And how many of those we raise funds from become devotees? Very few — yet their support is valuable.

My Personal Experience

When I speak to corporate audiences — e.g., at Google or Intel — I always try to mention the concept of consciousness, if not directly the soul. I focus on the mind because it’s relatable. For instance, I use the metaphor:

• Body = hardware
• Mind = software
• Soul = user

This helps people grasp the idea of a deeper identity beyond body and mind. But I don’t mention Krishna directly — unless the forum allows for it, like in interfaith or Hindu gatherings.

I’ve even written a book called “You Are Not Your Mind, You Are Better”, to help make this connection more accessible.

Final Thought:

This is just one part of outreach — not a complete spiritual path in itself. But it plays a role in bringing people to Shraddha, the first step. And we must remember: not all devotees serve in the same way. Some plant the seed, others nurture it, and some help it blossom.

As long as devotional integrity is preserved in devotional forums, and outreach stays connected with Prabhupada’s mission, there is space for diversity in service.

The post While reaching out to contemporary audiences who may be receptive only to a pre-devotional message how can we stay faithful to Srila Prabhupada’s direct devotional approach to outreach? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

In the year 1908 Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura took the external ‘vesa’ dress of a ‘babaji’ at Satasana in Puri technically which is called his accepting ‘paramahamsa-sannyasa’, among the ‘Gaudiya sampradaya’; until 1910 he would move between Calcutta and Puri, and was still writing books; but during that year he shut himself up and entered ‘samadhi’, ‘claiming paralysis’.

It was on June 23rd, 1914, just before noon at Jagannatha Puri, that Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Prabhupada left his body; on the Gaudiya Panjika this day was also the disappearance day of Sri Gadadhara Pandita. But from Orissa his bodily remains were taken back to his beloved Godruma, in the land of Nadia. Amidst ‘sankirtana’ his remains were interred in Godruma after the next solstice; the summer solstice had just begun when Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Prabhupada had left his body.

Remembering His Divine Character.
In an obiturary about Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Sarada Carana Mitra, Calcutta High Court Judge, wrote: “I knew Thakur Bhaktivinode intimately as a friend and a relation. Even under the pressure of official work as a magistrate in charge of a heavy subdivision he could always find time for devotional contemplation and work, and whenever I met him, our talk would turn in a few moments to the subject of ‘bhakti’ and ‘achintya bheda abheda’, ‘dvaitadvaita-vada’ etc., and the saintly work that lay before him. Service of God is the only thing he longed for and service under the government, however honorable, was to him a clog.”

The observance of Gundicha-marjana, the washing and cleansing of the Gundicha temple, takes place on the day before Ratha-yatra, in preparation for the arrival of the Lord.

The history of Ratha-yatra goes back thousands of years, to a previous age, but for us, the specific significance of the Ratha-yatra and the cleaning of the Gundicha temple was shown by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu when He was residing in Jagannatha Puri five hundred years ago. In His transcendental mind, the temple of Lord Jagannatha in Nilachala represented Dvakara, or sometimes Kurukshetra, and the Gundicha temple in Sundarachala represented Vrindavan. And for Him, the Ratha-yatra was the process of the residents of Vrindavan meeting Krishna at Kurukshetra and bringing Him back to Vrindavan after a long separation.

Gundicha is the name of the wife of King Indradyumna, the great devotee who wanted to have darshan of Nila-Madhava and who, in separation from Nila-Madhava, arranged to have a deity carved—ultimately resulting in the appearance of Lord Jagannatha, along with Baladeva and Subhadra. Marjana means “cleaning,” as we sing daily in the Gurvastakam: mandira-marjanadau. The spiritual master engages the disciples in cleaning the Lord’s temple (tan-mandira-marjanadau yuktasya bhaktams ca niyunjato ’pi).

In Jagannatha Puri, eight days after the Ratha-yatra is the return Ratha-yatra. Thus, for eight days Lord Jagannatha (Krishna), along with His brother, Baladeva, and sister, Subhadra, stay in the Gundicha temple.

Four days after the first journey (yatra), Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, the eternal consort of Lord Jagannatha, comes to see the Lord. Srila Prabhupada explains, “Lord Jagannatha has left His wife, the goddess of fortune, and gone to Vrndavana, which is the Gundica temple. Due to separation from the Lord, the goddess of fortune decides to come to see the Lord at Gun[d]ic[h]a. [[maybe she meant to use the brackets around the h]] The coming of the goddess of fortune to Gundic[h]a is celebrated as Hera-pancami.” (Cc Madhya 14.107 purport) Hera means “to see” and refers to the goddess of fortune going to see Lord Jagannatha. Pancami means “the fifth day,” referring to this pastime taking place on the fifth day of the lunar cycle.

The goddess of fortune, jealous and angry because her husband has been away for so long and thus has neglected her, comes with her maidservants to the Gundicha temple to force the servants of Lord Jagannatha to bring Him back to Nilachala. “When Lord Jagannatha starts His car festival, He gives assurance to the goddess of fortune that He will return the next day. When He does not return, the goddess of fortune, after waiting two or three days, begins to feel that her husband has neglected her. She naturally becomes quite angry. Gorgeously decorating herself and her associates, she comes out of the temple and stands before the main gate. All the principal servants of Lord Jagannatha are then arrested by her maidservants, brought before her, and forced to fall down at her lotus feet.” (Cc Madhya 14.133 purport) Finally, they promise to bring their master, Lord Jagannatha, back to Nilachala.

Once, on the day of the Hera-panchami festival, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, and Srivasa Thakura had a deep and intricate discussion about different types of mana—transcendental egoistic pride and jealous anger manifested in different consorts of the Lord—because the mana exhibited by the goddess of fortune in bringing her maidservants to subjugate her husband’s servants and oblige them to bring Him back was unprecedented.

Other than the eight days between the first procession and the return procession, the Gundicha temple remains empty, and as you can imagine, during the rest of the year it accumulates all sorts of dust and dirt. Especially with the open style of architecture in India, in which the temples are exposed to the outdoors, they can become very dusty and dirty. So, in preparation for the Lord’s arrival at the Gundicha temple, Lord Chaitanya asked permission from the authorities for Him and His devotees to clean the temple. The authorities were most respectful to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers, most obedient, and they replied, “Yes, whatever You like we will arrange. Cleaning the temple is not a fit service for You, but if it is Your desire, we shall supply whatever You require—waterpots and brooms.”

The superintendent of the temple delivered a hundred waterpots and a hundred brooms, and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu engaged hundreds of devotees in cleaning, and He personally took part Himself. He swept straw, dust, and grains of sand into one place, gathered it all in His cloth, and threw it outside the temple. Following His example, all the devotees also gathered piles of dust and straw and sand and threw them outside. Thus He and His associates removed all the debris that had accumulated in the temple complex over the previous year.

During the process, Lord Chaitanya would observe each devotee—how well each was cleaning—and if someone was cleaning well, He would praise him, and if someone wasn’t cleaning so well, He would correct him. Srila Prabhupada remarks that Lord Chaitanya was showing how an acharya must train devotees, correcting and encouraging them as appropriate. Mahaprabhu also instructed the devotees by example. He collected so much debris from the temple that His pile was larger than all of theirs put together.

After throwing out all the debris, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates cleaned the temple a second time, looking for finer grains of sand and dust that they might have missed. Then they thoroughly washed the temple. With hundreds of devotees throwing hundreds of pots of water, they cleansed the ceiling, the walls, the floor, and everything else. Sri Chaitanya Himself personally washed the sitting place of Lord Jagannatha with His own two hands.

 Even then, Lord Chaitanya was concerned that dust would again come into the temple, and so He had His devotees clean the area outside the temple as well, so that no new dust would come in.

In the course of the cleaning, Lord Chaitanya took off His own garment, the top piece of His sannyasa dress, to clean the temple. Srila Prabhupada remarks that this shows how serious He was to clean, so much so that He even used His own clothing to mop the rooms and polish the Lord’s throne. And Sri Caitanya-caritamrta says that in the end the temple was so clean and pure and cool and pleasing that it was just like the pure mind of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself—and the minds of the devotees were similarly purified.

Srila Prabhupada has commented that if you clean the temple, you clean your heart; if you polish the Deity’s paraphernalia, you polish your heart. And the activity of cleansing the Gundicha temple is taken as not only a process for cleaning a temple complex, but also as a metaphor for how we should go about cleaning our hearts. The temple was cleansed to make it a fit place for the Lord to reside. Similarly, each of us has to clean his or her own heart to make it a fit place for the Lord. Of course, the Lord always resides in the hearts of the living entities (isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati), but we want our hearts to be worthy places for Him to stay and enjoy His pastimes.

Srila Prabhupada has discussed elaborately, with reference to his own spiritual master’s comments, how the cleansing of the Gundicha temple is a metaphor for cleaning the heart. We read from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter Twelve, “The Cleansing of the Gundica Temple”:

TEXT 135

ei-mata puradvara-age patha yata
sakala sodhila, taha ke varnibe kata

TRANSLATION

Outside the gateway of the temple, all the roads were also cleansed, and no one could tell exactly how this was done.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

In commenting on the cleansing of the Gundica temple, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as the world leader, was personally giving instructions on how one should receive Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, within one’s cleansed and pacified heart. If one wants to see Krsna seated in his heart, he must first cleanse the heart, as prescribed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His Siksastaka: ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc Antya 20.12]. In this age, everyone’s heart is especially unclean, as confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam: hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani. To wash away all dirty things accumulated within the heart, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu advised everyone to chant the Hare Krsna mantra. The first result will be that the heart is cleansed (ceto-darpana-marjanam). Similarly, Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.17) confirms this statement:

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 relishes His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.”

If a devotee at all wants to cleanse his heart, he must chant and hear the glories of the Lord, Sri Krsna (srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah). This is a simple process. Krsna Himself will help cleanse the heart because He is already seated there. Krsna wants to continue living within the heart, and the Lord wants to give directions, but one has to keep his heart as clean as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu kept the Gundica temple. The devotee therefore has to cleanse his heart just as the Lord cleansed the Gundica temple. In this way one can be pacified and enriched in devotional service. If the heart is filled with straw, grains of sand, weeds, or dust (in other words, anyabhilasa-purna), one cannot enthrone the Supreme Personality of Godhead there. The heart must be cleansed of all material motives brought about through fruitive work, speculative knowledge, the mystic yoga system, and so many other forms of so-called meditation. The heart must be cleansed without ulterior motive. As Srila Rupa Gosvami says, anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11]. In other words, there should not be any external motive. One should not attempt material upliftment, understanding the Supreme by speculative knowledge, fruitive activity, severe austerity and penance, and so on. All these activities are against the natural growth of spontaneous love of Godhead. As soon as these are present within the heart, the heart should be understood to be unclean and therefore unfit to serve as Krsna’s sitting place. We cannot perceive the Lord’s presence in our hearts unless our hearts are cleansed.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

We have just read the general part of the purport; the rest contains a detailed analysis of the specific types of dirt that may sully the heart and which we must detect and remove. But the main process by which the heart is cleansed (ceto-darpana-marjanam) is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord (sri-krsna-sankirtanam). And the chanting should be done in a proper mood, in the mood to cleanse the heart and purify it of material desires. A material desire is a desire for anything other than to serve and please Krishna. Any other desire should be thrown out. But to throw out these other desires, we require a process, and the process is hearing and chanting about Krishna. Although material desires are there, we should have the intention to remove them. In other words, it is not an offense to have material attachments; it is an offense to maintain them. Although attachments are there, as devotees we have the intent to free ourselves from them, and we adopt the method by which we can be freed: hearing and chanting about Krishna (srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah).

If we are sincere in our intention, the Lord within the heart will help us. He is suhrt satam, the well-wishing friend of what Srila Prabhupada calls “the truthful devotee.” Sat means “truth,” and the truthful devotee is without duplicity. He chants and hears with a sincere intention to cleanse the heart and make it fit for the Lord. He has no duplicity. He does not make a show of being a devotee in order to achieve some selfish purpose—to get money or followers or adoration or anything else for himself—but he sincerely tries to cleanse the heart, and he works hard at it. We read in the description of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His devotees just how hard they worked. They did a lot of cleaning—sweeping out dust and dirt and sand and straw—and a lot of carrying and throwing water.

When we first come to associate with devotees and hear their instructions and read Srila Prabhupada’s books and develop faith in the process of pure devotional service to Krishna (uttama-bhakti), we may have bad habits. Nowadays almost everyone has bad habits—even in India. And the main sinful activities, the pillars of sinful life, are eating meat, fish, and eggs; taking intoxicants; engaging in illicit sex; and gambling. So we have to give those up. And we do.

But even after following the standard practices of devotional service, there may be subtle contaminations in the heart that we also have to cleanse. And so, in the pastime of cleaning the Gundicha temple, Lord Chaitanya cleaned a second time, so that the finer pieces of dust and sand missed the first time were finally removed. In the same way, we may have bad habits, attachments to gross sinful activities, that we have to work hard to overcome, and we may actually become free from them. But even then, there may be more subtle bad habits with which we must contend.

Let us take the case of a new person who first begins to engage in temple activities. He will come to the Sunday feast, to various festivals, and take prasada, hear, chant, and start to work on his bad habits. He will want to become like the other devotees, a serious practitioner. He will work on his gross bad habits, and he will give up smoking, drinking, eating meat, and associating with women in an irreligious way. Eventually he will be ready to move into the temple and live with the devotees, chanting sixteen rounds, following the regulative principles, and attending the temple programs. But then his authority will say, “It is very nice that you are staying with us and engaging in the practices of Krishna consciousness, but you should also develop a healthy service attitude. I notice that at the Sunday feast you are very eager to sit and take prasada but that after the feast, when it is time to clean up, you are nowhere to be found. You must also develop a proper service attitude.” The devotee will take the instructions to heart, and then after the Sunday feasts he will always be there, ready to clean. And he will be very energetic and enthusiastic in his work.

But then his authority may notice something else—that the person is cleaning but making a big show of it. He wants others to see him so that he will get recognition and honor and praise. So, the authority will say, “Prabhuji, it is very good that now you are staying after the feast to clean up, but we see that you do it in such a way as to call attention to yourself, so that people will see that you are working hard and give you recognition and praise for being such a good devotee. You should work on that.”

As we progress in devotional service, we find more and more subtle contamination, and we have to keep cleaning. Lord Chaitanya, after that tremendous effort in cleaning the temple the first time, cleaned the temple a second time, to take out the finer dirt. So, we have to constantly be cleaning, because until we are completely liberated, there is always some contamination. We progress through the different stages—sraddha, sadhu-sanga, bhajana-kriya—but there are taints that remain all the way up to the stage of bhava. Of course, the disturbance is much less after anartha-nivrtti—much less—but still it is there, and we have to keep chanting and hearing.

In His instructions to Srila Rupa Gosvami, Lord Chaitanya used the metaphor of the seed of devotional service, the bhakti-lata-bija. He said that after you receive the seed you must become a gardener and plant the seed and water it by hearing and chanting, and you have to make sure that no weeds grow alongside the creeper, because if weeds come, they will drink the water meant for the plant, and they may become so strong that they can actually choke the creeper of devotion. Sri Chaitanya further instructed that you have to surround the creeper with a fence so that no mad elephant can enter. If a maddened elephant enters a garden, it can trample and uproot all the plants, and then all the effort put into carefully cultivating the garden will be lost.

The weeds are the material desires in the heart. We have to remove the weeds so that the creeper of devotion can flourish—and ultimately attain shelter under the lotus feet of the Lord. The mad elephant is vaisnava-aparadha, offenses against devotees, which destroy everything, all of our spiritual progress. And the fence that we construct around the creeper to protect it is the circle of pure devotees. We have to stay within the circle of pure devotees.

We find the same process in the cleansing of the Gundicha temple. Not only did Chaitanya Mahaprabhu clean the temple twice, but He cleaned the roads outside the temple, so that no new dust would enter. In other words, we must act to keep maya—bad association—at a distance. Otherwise, even though we have received the bhakti-lata-bija, the seed of pure devotion, and planted it and watered it by hearing and chanting, there is still a chance that weeds will come and grow and make the creeper weak. Then, in a weakened state, if we commit vaisnava-aparadha, through bad association, everything will be spoiled.

The weeds are material desires, and there are many varieties. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta discusses some of the different kinds of weeds, and we have to be able to identify them. Lord Chaitanya states that the weeds may look just like the creeper, and we must recognize them and keep them apart from the creeper. So, the discussion of the different types of weeds—the different types of dirt—is important. We must be able to distinguish pure devotional service from mixed service and from other processes altogether. And because we are conditioned and our consciousness is not completely cleansed, we may not be able to see things clearly, and we may make mistakes—we may take a weed for the creeper. But actually, the weed is unwanted; we want only pure devotion. Artha means some desirable gain, and anartha means the opposite: something that is undesirable, or unwanted.

Under all circumstances, we must continue the process of hearing and chanting—the process of cleansing the heart—which in Lord Chaitanya’s discussion with Rupa Gosvami is compared to the watering. Lord Chaitanya informs us that if we water the seed, it will sprout and become a creeper that grows stronger and stronger and taller and taller, until it pierces the coverings of the universe, penetrates the impersonal Brahman effulgence, and ultimately attains the shelter of the desire tree of the lotus feet of Krishna—because every creeper needs shelter, and the shelter for the creeper of pure devotion is the lotus feet of Krishna in Goloka Vrindavan.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu instructs that even after the creeper attains ultimate shelter in the spiritual world, Goloka Vrindavan, still one must continue the process of watering, the process of hearing and chanting. Thus we learn that even while living in the material world, by one’s consciousness, by one’s devotion, one can be in the spiritual world. That is a very advanced stage, but it is possible that even while living in the material world, one can reach the lotus feet of Krishna in Vrindavan. And we further learn that even after attaining that exalted position, one continues the process of hearing and chanting. One never stops. Therefore Srila Prabhupada often said that in Krishna consciousness the means and the end are the same. The means is hearing and chanting about Krishna (sravanam kirtanam visnoh) and serving Him, and the end is also hearing and chanting about Krishna—and serving Him with love. It is not that we adopt the means of hearing and chanting to achieve some end and then when the goal is reached we abandon the process. The whole process is eternal.

The service of the spiritual master is also eternal. It continues even after liberation, even in the spiritual world. Srila Prabhupada was once walking with some disciples in Mayapur, and they came to an embankment. One of the disciples climbed up on the embankment and then reached out his hand to help Srila Prabhupada climb up and walk over it. But when Srila Prabhupada got to the top, he abruptly withdrew his hand from the disciple’s hand and walked ahead, completely ignoring him. Then Srila Prabhupada said, “That is what the Mayavadis do. They take help from the spiritual master to become liberated, and then when they think they are liberated, they think they don’t need the guru anymore.” Someone may think that he needs to hear and chant to attain liberation—which is true—and that he needs to serve the instructions of the guru to become liberated—which is also true—but that when he is liberated he will stop hearing and chanting and the entire process of devotional service. But it doesn’t work like that. In fact, the process is such that the devotee wants to hear and chant more and more—and all the more after liberation.

Srila Prabhupada remarked, “When you are completely liberated (paramahamsa), you can do anything and you won’t be affected by it.” So a disciple said to Srila Prabhupada, “Well, then when we are liberated, we can have sex and it won’t affect us.” And in response, Prabhupada told a story. A king liked to ride in a boat along the bank of a river. He liked to stay near the riverbank, and he engaged a servant on the bank who would pull the boat, sometimes dragging it through the reeds and other plants and things that might come in the way. The king became so pleased with this humble, attentive service that he offered, “Now you can ask from me whatever you want.” The servant replied, “I would like to have cushions along the riverbank, so when I pull the boat I will have a soft surface under my feet.” This, of course, was a foolish request, because the man didn’t have to pull the boat anymore. He could have had anything, but he was so used to thinking in terms of pulling the boat that he asked for a facility to pull the boat. So, the disciple who said, “Wow, when we are liberated, we can have sex” had such a limited (and base) conception of happiness that he could think of nothing beyond material sense-gratification—like the boatman could think of nothing beyond pulling the boat. That disciple hadn’t realized that there is another, higher standard of pleasure in Krishna consciousness. Thus Srila Prabhupada concluded, “When you are liberated, you will relish a spiritual pleasure that far exceeds any pleasure of this material world, and you will no longer care to experience sex life.” In other words, when we are liberated we will relish that pleasure of hearing and chanting about Krishna and remembering and serving Him even more.

Bhaktya sanjataya bhaktya: bhakti comes from bhakti. The means and the end are the same. The means is chanting and the end is chanting. The means is bhakti, sadhana-bhakti, and the end is bhakti, prema-bhakti. It is not that we adopt the means to achieve some end and then when we reach the goal we abandon the means. Bhakti means to serve Krishna, and the whole process of devotional service, the whole process of sadhana-bhakti, is meant to purify the service. We do not want to give up the service. We want to please Krishna, and we want to purify our service so we can please Krishna more. We want to purify it more and more so we can please Krishna more and more, and the desire to serve and please Krishna never ends. It just increases. And so, our effort to serve Krishna better ever increases, and it continues even in the spiritual world. There are no anarthas then—only pure bhakti and pure pleasure.

As the acharya, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu showed us through the example of cleaning the Gundicha temple how to clean the heart and make it a fit place for the Lord to reside. The Lord is already there, but because of the material contamination, we cannot fully appreciate His presence. We can’t see Him, and we have difficulty hearing Him. But He is there, and He wants to reciprocate with us. He wants to give us direction from within. But to be able to receive His direction, we have to cleanse the heart (ceto-darpana-marjanam), to remove the contamination. Then we will see that He is there—and He will speak with us.

Once, a devotee told Srila Prabhupada that some people were saying that God instructed them from within and that therefore they didn’t need a guru. Srila Prabhupada replied, “God will talk with him? What is the condition? That is stated:

 tesam satata-yuktanam
  bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
  yena mam upayanti te

‘To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.’ [Gita 10.10] So first of all see whether he’s twenty-four hours engaged in God’s service with love and faith. Then you can understand, ‘Yes, God is talking with him.’ But if he has no preliminary qualification and if he says, ‘I can talk with God,’ he is a nonsense. God talks with devotees, sincere devotees who are engaged in God’s service.”

Srila Prabhupada continued, “And the person who is constantly engaged in God’s service, unless he’s trained up by a spiritual master, how can he be engaged? Without a spiritual master, one cannot be engaged in devotional service, and without devotional service, nobody is eligible to talk with God.”

So, Krishna can talk to us—and He wants to talk to us—but we have to be qualified. We have to cleanse the heart so that He will talk to us, to give us direction and guidance. And so we have to be constantly engaged in His service, beginning with chanting and hearing and remembering. That process will cleanse the heart and make it a fit place for the Lord to reside, and create the condition in which the Lord can guide us—back home, back to Godhead—to the ultimate shelter of His lotus feet in Vrindavan.

Hare Krishna. Are there any questions or comments?

Dharma dasa: When I first started to try to perform devotional service, it seemed easier, and things came easier. It seemed to feel better, or the atmosphere seemed better. Then it seemed that as time went on, it got harder. You would think it would get easier, but instead it seems to have gotten more difficult. The level of feeling I had before doesn’t seem to be there. Is that because the anarthas are coming out? Is it because weeds are growing and we are watering the weeds and that is inhibiting our receptiveness or our feeling?

Giriraj Swami: Dharma Prabhu has asked a very good question, that in the beginning, when we first come to the association of devotees, we seem to relish Krishna consciousness more, and it seems so easy and natural, and then later we don’t relish as much, and the process seems more difficult. Is it because of anarthas that were there that are coming to light, or is it because we have cultivated weeds along with the creeper?

The answer could be either—or both. But one thing is that when we first come to the association of devotees, we tend to have great respect for them. When I first joined I thought all the devotees in the temple were very advanced. I took them as pure devotees. That attitude of respect and appreciation for devotees is very congenial for spiritual advancement. But then “familiarity breeds contempt.” You get to know them better, and you see things in them that you didn’t see before. And you see the things as faults, and you get disturbed. Eventually, you may even think, “If this is what being a devotee means, I don’t know if I want to be a devotee.” Of course, that is common to all traditions and groups. Christians have told me that they say the same thing: “If this is what being a Christian means, I don’t want to be a Christian.”

The process of finding faults in devotees and becoming absorbed in the faults—whether they are real or not—is very harmful for spiritual life. It creates a serious disturbance in the heart. And when we are disturbed, we can’t chant and hear and remember properly—so we don’t relish.

But the other is also possible, that there are anarthas of which we are unaware and that through the process of purification we become conscious of them. His Holiness Sacinandana Swami discussed with me once that we tend to have a linear conception of progress in Krishna consciousness. We think that we start here and go straight there and end up at the lotus feet of Krishna in Vrindavan. He told me that he has a dear friend who is a Christian priest or monk, who said that within their tradition they see progress not as a straight line but as a spiral. You are going forward, but in the process there are ups and downs. And it is not as easy as we might have imagined.

Maharaja gave the example that you are walking on the path back to Godhead, chanting your rounds and enjoying the journey, and suddenly you come to a fork in the road. Now, you didn’t know there would be a fork, and you don’t know which way to go. You have to consider, “Should I go to the left or to the right?” Anyway, you make a decision, and you go on chanting, and then suddenly there is a landslide. Boulders and rocks cascade down the mountain, and suddenly you find yourself buried. “Oh my God! How did I get into this position?” With great diligence and effort and care, you have to remove all those rocks and stones and you have to get out from under them. “Thank God!” You walk a little further, and you are chanting, and then suddenly the natives who had been hiding in the bushes come out to attack with arrows and spears. “Oh my God. I didn’t know they were going to be here.” And then you have to retreat. You have to find some shelter. You have to get some weapon. You have to defend yourself from the attacks. So you are making progress, but things happen along the way that you didn’t expect.

In the early days, devotees would chant down the street and call out, “We’re going back home, back to Godhead! Going back home, back to Godhead!” The idea was “Just join us, chant with us, be happy—and you will go back to Godhead.” And that is true. But there may be obstacles along the way. And depending on our purity, depending on our diligence and vigilance in our practice, it may be more or less difficult to overcome them. But there will be ups and downs, and in the end we will be successful—as long as we remain faithful in our practice of pure devotional service. It is like climbing a mountain: Your goal is to reach the top of Mount Everest, but there are so many peaks and valleys along the way. So, you go up, and you come down, and you go up . . . but the general trend is you are going up, and finally you will reach the top—you will reach the goal.

So, under all circumstances, we have to keep association with pure devotees. The association of pure devotees will help us in any condition. There is a verse in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta that states that the association of devotees is the root cause of devotional service (mula haya) and that even after one develops love for Krishna, the association of devotees is still essential.

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)

The association of pure devotees is a constant factor. If we stay in the association of more advanced devotees, we will continue to be associated with the process of hearing and chanting, the process of devotional service, and that will see us through whatever may happen, and we will reach the final goal. And even in the spiritual world, in Goloka Vrindavan, we will be in the association of pure devotees. And we will be hearing and chanting about Krishna.

Hare Krishna.

Nityananda dasa: One thing that I personally feel encouraged by . . .  I feel the way Dharma felt, that there are times when you feel discouraged in your Krishna consciousness. In my case, I found that when I preach and reach out to people and see the excitement in them . . . because when I first joined there was real excitement. There is no doubt about it. I was ecstatic. My hairs were standing on end. I didn’t know anything about the process, but it excited me because I saw an opportunity, a great opportunity that was well beyond me, something that I was going to get that I didn’t deserve. It was going to be really great, and I was looking forward to it.

And then engaging in it, you find the difficulties that you have to cross over. They can become distractions, but then when we preach we find that others are getting so much excitement and we realize that it is simply because we are losing sight of the opportunity that we lose our enthusiasm. But when we see the opportunity clearly in front of our eyes every day as we walk . . . Like it is said, the process is ever fresh; every time you should see something new. If I walk into this temple, it is not like I should see the same things I saw the last time I came. I notice something new whenever I see the Deities. I feel They look more beautiful than ever. I have never seen Them so beautiful. Like that, we feel this ever-freshness in what we are doing. And in my case it is the preaching that helps me keep that. It is like Srila Prabhupada said, “Preaching is life.” If you feel alive, then you preach. And if you preach, you feel alive. That is our process.

Giriraj Swami: Excellent. Nityananda Prabhu says that when he joined he had the same experience as Dharma Prabhu: everything was so full of life; everything was fresh and exciting. As Srila Prabhupada says in a purport to the Bhagavad-gita, “One enjoys life with a thrill at every moment.” And then after a while one has difficulties, and you don’t feel the same. But the one thing Nityananda Prabhu does that really keeps him enlivened and enthusiastic is preaching, because when you meet people in the world and you see how they are suffering, how they are looking for something, and then you give them Krishna consciousness and you see how they respond—that they feel they are getting what they were looking for—in that dynamic there is great encouragement, great enlivenment, and then everything is fresh.

The experience of preaching is always fresh, because there is no stereotypical way to preach. You can’t do it mechanically, because you are dealing with another person, an individual. You might think you know what to say, but the person may respond in an unexpected way, and then you have to respond. So, you have to be alive and alert and conscious; it can’t be scripted. There can be some basic idea of how to introduce the topic, but once you start to interact with people, you have to be prepared for any reaction, and then you have to respond. So, you have to be alive. You have to be alert. You have to be conscious—Krishna conscious.

Srila Prabhupada once said in a lecture, “Preaching is the best way to be Krishna conscious, because when you preach, people will ask questions, and to answer, you will have to think of Krishna.” So, you have to be Krishna conscious. Nityananda Prabhu has given the best answer: one who has life will preach, and conversely, one who preaches will have life. Thank you, Nityananda Prabhu, for that answer, and thank you, Dharma Prabhu, for your question—perfect question, perfect answer.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Gundicha-marjana in Dallas, April 28, 2007]

So I’m grateful to be here with all of you today. This section of the Bhagavatam is one of the most challenging—not just because of the complexity of what’s happening, but also because of how closely it relates to our own lives.

Whenever I’m speaking at a new place and have limited time, I like to use a framework I call the CIT framework for approaching the Bhagavatam. C stands for Context, I for Implication, and T for Takeaway.

So I’ll speak on three points:

1. What is the context—what’s going on in the story?
2. What is the implication—what does it mean for us?
3. And finally, what is the takeaway—what can we learn and apply?

This approach helps us connect the Bhagavatam’s timeless teachings to our everyday experiences.

Let’s start with the context. I’ll be writing and drawing a little as we go along.

In the Bhagavatam, the material world is described as a place of ups and downs. But sometimes the “downs” go way down—that’s what is referred to as dharmasya glāni, a severe decline in righteousness. At such times, it’s not just a problem; it becomes a crisis.

In our own lives, we often try to deal with problems ourselves. If it’s too big, we escalate—to our authorities, our seniors. But when it’s a huge crisis, we go straight to the top. Something similar is happening in this section: the demigods are facing an extraordinary threat from the demons—Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu. These aren’t just ordinary demons; they’re causing devastation on an unimaginable scale.

So the devatas approach Brahma, expecting him to take the issue to Vishnu. But Brahma tells them something unexpected: There is no need to go to Vishnu right now. This whole situation is actually orchestrated by Vishnu Himself.

He then narrates the backstory of Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu—that they are, in fact, the gatekeepers Jaya and Vijaya who have descended into the material world due to a curse. So the destruction being caused is part of the Lord’s divine plan.

Now, let’s come to the implication.

For most of us, when we face adversity, we naturally try to solve the problem. But for devotees—those who believe in God—a deeper question often arises: Where is God in all this?

Let’s think of it this way: our existence can be viewed as being within three overlapping circles:

1. The body-mind level (Adhyātmika klesha) – problems arising from within.
2. The social level (Adhibhautika klesha) – problems caused by other people or beings.
3. The natural/environmental level (Adhidaivika klesha) – problems from natural or cosmic forces.

Now, from all these levels, we experience distress. We try to counter these in various ways: medical help, therapy, technology, policy. But sometimes, distress becomes absolutely unmanageable. When suffering seems disproportionate to any known cause, we naturally ask: Why is this happening? What did I do to deserve this?

At such times, when regular causes and explanations don’t satisfy, we begin to look upwards—toward a higher cause, toward God.

So in this story, the devatas, unable to handle the threat, go to Brahma. Brahma gives a spiritual explanation: This is the will of the Lord. The implication? Some problems are not meant to be fought—they are meant to be accepted.

If it’s the Lord’s will, then resisting it may be futile. That’s not to say all suffering is God’s will. But some exceptional circumstances may be part of a divine plan. This introduces the idea of acceptance, which is very important.

But let’s be honest. If Krishna Himself told us, “This is my will,” it would be easier to accept. But when someone else hurts us—an exploitative boss, a malicious neighbor—we struggle. Is this person’s action Krishna’s will? Or just their own malice?

That’s where things get complicated. And that’s why scriptures use various terms—daiva (destiny), kāla (time), karma, and so on. These help convey the sense of a higher order or arrangement, without directly blaming the Lord for painful events.

Let’s now turn to the takeaway—what can we learn?

I’ll share three scriptural examples and one from Srila Prabhupada’s life.

1. Bali Maharaj and Kāla

When Bali Maharaj is arrested by Vamana’s associates, the demons with him want to fight back. But he says, “No. This is kāla, an unfavorable time. Don’t resist it.” The idea is: when a force becomes unstoppable and incomprehensible, it is often best understood as a manifestation of time or destiny.

2. Rama’s Exile and Daiva

When Lord Rama is exiled, Lakshmana gets furious. He accuses Dasharatha of being blinded by attachment to Kaikeyi. Rama calmly responds, “No. Our father was simply fulfilling a vow.” When Lakshmana still argues, Rama says, “This sudden change in Kaikeyi’s heart—so unnatural—must be the will of destiny. Let us accept it.”

3. Bhishma and the Will of the Lord

When Bhishma speaks to Yudhishthira after the war, he analyses many possible causes for the devastation—greed, misjudgment, politics—but concludes: Ultimately, it was the will of the Lord. He initially refers to Krishna indirectly—as “He”—not because he doubts, but because devotees often hesitate to directly associate the Lord with painful events.

Similarly, in the Ramayana, when Draupadi is dishonored, Krishna protects her with an unending cloth. But we do not say Krishna became Dushasana. There’s a difference between Krishna’s will and Krishna’s sanction. Nothing can happen without Krishna’s sanction, but not everything that happens is Krishna’s will in the sense of desire.

Now, what can we practically take from this?

Let’s use the acronym ACD:

• A – Accept what cannot be changed.
  • Our minds often get trapped in the “what ifs”—What if I had done this? What if they had said that? These can become endless and pointless.
• C – Change what can be changed.
  • Sometimes acceptance doesn’t mean passivity. If something can be changed, we must do our duty and act.
• D – Discern between the two.
  • And this is the real challenge. When do we act, and when do we surrender?

Srila Prabhupada beautifully exemplified this. When so many challenges came—poverty, resistance, ill health—he didn’t just accept passively. He discerned: What is Krishna’s will here? And then he acted powerfully, establishing the Hare Krishna movement worldwide.

So in summary:

• The context of this Bhagavatam section is divine upheaval and the search for meaning.
• The implication is that not all problems are meant to be fought; some are meant to be accepted as Krishna’s will.
• The takeaway is to develop discernment—to know when to fight and when to surrender—and to remember that even in adversity, Krishna is with us, guiding us.

When we accept that what has happened is the will of the Lord, that acceptance stops the endless “what ifs.”
Okay, it has happened. It is the Lord’s will.
That acceptance brings closure. It enables us to move forward.

However, does that mean everything bad that happens should be accepted as the will of the Lord?
Should we never try to counter it?

It’s not that simple.

The same Lord Rama who accepted his exile as the will of destiny—daiva—did not accept Sita’s abduction in the same way. He didn’t say, “Oh, this too is destiny, let me just tolerate it.” No. He took action. He worked tirelessly to find Sita—despite being in exile, with no army or resources. He built alliances, searched across the land, and eventually fought and defeated Ravana.

He could have said, “Well, I had a wife, I lost my wife. This must be the Lord’s will.” But he didn’t. Why?

Because in that situation, his sense of dharma told him: “It is my duty to protect my wife.”

So yes, acceptance is one aspect of being aligned with God’s will—but it’s not the only aspect. Why not?

Let’s consider this carefully.

If we picture ourselves here in the world, and God above us, then one form of God’s will is what happens to us. But Krishna’s will is not meant to function only around us or upon us. It is also meant to function through us.

It is not just that what happens to us is God’s will, but sometimes what happens through us is also God’s will.

That means: sometimes, Krishna may want us to accept a situation.
But sometimes, Krishna may want us to resist or change that situation.

So just because something has come into our life as the result of destiny doesn’t automatically mean we’re meant to passively accept it. We may accept that “this is the current situation,” but how we respond to it is a different matter altogether.

Here’s another way to look at it:
We are here. Behind us is the past, and ahead of us is the future. But the human mind often operates in the most unhealthy way.

We treat the past as if it was the domain of free will—
“If only I had done this… if only she hadn’t done that…”
And we treat the future as if it is the domain of destiny—
“What if I get cancer? What if I lose my job? What if something terrible happens?”

This is an inverted and disempowering way to live.

Instead, we need to flip it:

• See the past as the domain of destiny—it has already happened, it cannot be changed.
• See the future as the domain of free will—it is open, and our actions can shape it.

Let’s understand this with an example from the Mahabharata.

Before the war begins, Vyasa comes to Dhritarashtra, along with many other sages, and pleads:
“Stop your son. Make peace with the Pandavas. Or your whole dynasty will be destroyed.”

Dhritarashtra, unwilling to act, takes shelter of a so-called spiritual excuse. He says:
“If it is the will of destiny that my dynasty be destroyed, who am I, a mere mortal, to stop it?”

Have you heard the term rationalize?

It means: telling rational lies—we use logic and philosophy not to seek the truth, but to justify our inaction or errors.

For example:
A husband promises his wife to quit smoking. She walks into his office and sees smoke everywhere. He says, “Oh no, I wasn’t smoking. I just wanted to warm up the room for you.”

That’s rationalization.

Or say, someone forgets to bring prasadam for a friend. When asked, they reply, “Actually, I think Krishna wants you to fast today.”

That’s not realization—that’s rationalization.

So Dhritarashtra was rationalizing:
“What can I do? It’s destiny.”

At that point, Vyasa becomes very serious and says:
“O King, it is very difficult to know what destiny is. But what is within our reach is our duty. Focus on your dharma.”

Vyasa doesn’t deny that destiny exists—but emphasizes that our focus should be on what is our responsibility now.

Interestingly, after the war, the same two characters—Vyasa and Dhritarashtra—have another conversation. Dhritarashtra is overwhelmed with grief: all hundred of his sons are dead.

Now Vyasa tells him:
“Don’t lament. This war was destiny. The Pandavas are demigods. Duryodhana and others were demonic beings who had descended to earth. This was a cosmic arrangement.”

So the question is—was the war destiny or not?

We don’t know. Even Krishna tried to avoid the war. He went as a peace messenger. But war still happened.

What does this mean for us?

When we are in the middle of a crisis, we don’t know if it is destiny or not. So our focus should not be: “Is this destiny?”
Instead, our focus should be: “What is my duty right now?”

That’s a powerful and practical principle.

Let’s say a king has authority and power to prevent war, but he doesn’t use it. The war happens, and later he says, “Oh, it was destiny.”
That’s not philosophy—that’s negligence.

If we’re careless or irresponsible, and something bad happens, we cannot cover it up with, “Well, maybe it was meant to be.”

Philosophy must be used not to escape responsibility, but to understand it.

Let’s also remember: philosophy is not just about knowledge (jñānam)—it’s also about purpose (jñeya – what we aim to know, and jñāna-gamya – what knowledge should lead us to).

In the Bhagavatam, Hiranyakashipu performs austerities with the aim of becoming powerful enough to kill Vishnu.

The soul is eternal—that’s correct philosophy. But he misuses that truth to pursue eternal enmity, not eternal love.

That’s a complete misuse of philosophy.

The correct use of spiritual knowledge is not to fuel our ego, justify our vengeance, or excuse our inaction—but to help us grow in love for Krishna, and act according to dharma.

So in summary:

• Accepting the will of the Lord is not the same as being passive.
• Sometimes the Lord’s will is that we fight, not freeze.
• We may not always know what destiny is, but we can always ask: What is my dharma in this moment?
• Don’t use spirituality to rationalize failure or neglect.
• Use it to find strength, clarity, and responsibility.

So the point is: we cannot separate philosophy from the purpose of philosophy.

Ultimately, what is the purpose of philosophy? It is to help us:

• do dharma,
• do seva,
• practice bhakti,
• and ultimately move closer to Krishna.

Yes, anyone can take any philosophical concept and use it to justify anything. But the question is:
“Is this philosophy taking me closer to Krishna?”
“Is it helping others come closer to Krishna?”

That is the real test. That’s why, for us, the principle is to accept what is favorable and reject what is unfavorable for bhakti.

Let me share a practical example.

I wrote a book titled Demystifying Reincarnation. Once, after giving a seminar on reincarnation in America—which was a more scientific kind of talk—a young man came up to me and said, “Can you pray for me?”

I was a bit surprised. I said, “What do you want me to pray for?”

He said, “I’m in love with a girl. We’ve been trying for 2–3 years, but neither my parents nor hers are agreeing. So… can you please pray that I can marry her in my next life?”

Now, see what happened here. The knowledge of the soul, which is meant to raise us to the spiritual platform, is being used to extend a material attachment into the next life. Instead of thinking about our eternal relationship with Krishna, we are reinforcing temporary relationships at the bodily level.

This is what happens when knowledge is used to defeat the purpose of knowledge.

So yes, we can speak about destiny, daiva, Krishna’s will, etc. But what truly matters is:
“What is my duty in this situation?”
“Is this decision taking me closer to Krishna, or away from Him?”

Let’s consider Srila Prabhupada’s example.

Before he went to America, Prabhupada tried preaching in India for decades. People weren’t taking his words seriously. He wasn’t getting followers or support.

His spiritual master had told him: “Even if no one comes to hear you, speak to the walls.” Prabhupada could have thought, “Maybe this is Krishna’s will—that I just speak to the walls for the rest of my life.”

He could have resigned himself to that.
But did he? No.

Prabhupada accepted the past—yes—but he didn’t stop pursuing the future. He remained peaceful about the past, but purposeful about the future.

So for us, as devotees, this is a crucial lesson:

• With respect to the past, we need to be peaceful.
  “Whatever happened—people did this, I did that—it’s done. It was Krishna’s will or destiny.”
  If we don’t make peace with the past, then there will always be a worthless war going on within us.

Yes, there are worthwhile wars to be fought, but if we are constantly fighting with the past—“They said this… I did that… they didn’t support me…”—then that war becomes pointless.

I’ve been traveling and meeting devotees around the world for many years now. I’ve seen something again and again:
So many sincere devotees are doing wonderful services with enthusiasm, creativity, and dedication—by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, their gurus, and our sampradaya.

But here’s the tragic pattern I often observe:

The more energy a devotee has to do something wonderful for Krishna, the more likely they also carry resentment or bitterness toward those who didn’t support them.

• “I wanted to do this service, but my temple president didn’t support me…”
• “That leader didn’t understand my vision…”
• “This devotee blocked me…”