From the grand celebrations marking ISKCON Vrindavan's 50th Anniversary to the heartwarming efforts of Ukraine Food for Life in Kyiv, these stories resonate with compassion and dedication. Delve into enlightening discourses on Lord Ramachandra's glories by H.G. Vaisesika Dasa and immerse yourself in the soul-stirring 'Ayodhya Vasi' musical video by Visvambhar Sheth. Witness the restoration of historical sites like 26 2nd Avenue and the uplifting tales from Western Europe shared by Pandava Sakha Prabhu. Each piece, whether through video, article, or report, invites us deeper into the profound journey of devotion and service. Continue reading "ISKCON Worldwide: Celebrations, Humanitarian Efforts, and Spiritual Insights Unfold Across the Globe! April 7 → Dandavats"
And if we ourselves have done something wrong, can we still see the resulting situation as Krishna’s plan or is that more on us? Again the same answer, it’s achintya veda ved, yes and no. So it is that we can say that if you are driving on the road and the GPS tells us turn right and we turn left, then what does GPS do? It routes. It says, you didn’t obey me, get lost, stay lost.
No, it doesn’t do that. So like that, you know, GPS is God’s positioning system. So sometimes we may not listen to God’s positioning system.
So we may take a wrong turn, then we will go in the wrong direction. But just like GPS has got the territory mapped out, so Krishna has got the entire territory mapped out. So wherever we may have gone, whatever wrong turn we have taken, Krishna can reroute us from there.
So in that sense, we are still within Krishna’s plan. So is our situation Krishna’s plan? Well, our situation is because of our own actions. But that does not mean that our actions are so terrible that Krishna is going to say, you know, you did something so foolish, get lost, I don’t care for you anymore.
So Krishna has a plan to reroute us from there also.
Parasuram das “However, we cannot do this alone. We urgently seek the support of the international devotee community to continue this vital service. Your prayers, donations, and assistance—big or small—can make a significant difference in the lives of those affected. Let us unite in service and compassion, extending Krishna’s mercy to those in distress.” — Read More...
One of HH Janananda das Goswami’s most impactful contributions has been his role in breathing new life into book printing and distribution efforts in France. Recognizing the foundational importance of Srila Prabhupada’s books in spreading Krishna consciousness, he worked with great determination to reestablish this vital aspect of ISKCON’s mission at New Mayapur. His work at New Mayapur goes beyond management-he's been instrumental in breathing new life into this historic property, making sure it continues to serve as a spiritual haven for future generations. One of his most cherished qualities is his ability to connect personally with others. Devotees often speak of how his guidance and presence have helped them through challenges and inspired their own devotional journeys. Continue reading "The Inspiring Journey of HH Janananda das Goswami: A Spiritual Odyssey and Service to Humanity → Dandavats"
Rama Navami Celebrations: Devotees were inspired by a spiritually enriching morning class delivered by HG Bhurijana Prabhu on April 6, 2025, in honor of Lord Rama's appearance day. ISKCON Vrindavan's 50th Anniversary: A grand celebration continued with powerful evening sessions, reflecting on decades of devotion and service in the holy land of Vrindavan. Exciting Book Distribution Updates: The March edition of Good News About Books (GNAB) highlighted the tireless efforts of Sankirtan devotees around the world. Congratulations to all for spreading the transcendental message of Krishna consciousness! Historic Moments: Devotees remembered the powerful 1975 grand opening of the Krishna-Balarama Mandir, where Srila Prabhupada installed the Deities and addressed a jubilant international crowd. Global Festivities: Ram Navami was joyfully celebrated in sacred places like Ayodhya, the holy dham of Mayapur, and even in far-off regions such as Cape Town, showing the worldwide reach of Lord Rama's glories. Continue reading "A Glorious Wave of Krishna Consciousness: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future! April 6 → Dandavats"
Some years ago, Medhavi das from Brisbane, bought a house in the regional town of Toowoomba with the idea of using it as a centre for cultivating new persons interested in Krsna Consciousness.
He is now adding an extension temple room with deity kitchen and guest rooms and it will be finished in a couple of months. There are regular programs here and when there is a big festival like Rama Navami it is celebrated in a nearby school hall.
I was fortunate to be invited for the program, which was attended by a few hundred guests.
Hare Krishna? Okay, so we talked about plans, Prabhu, so when something goes wrong in our life, when something bad happens, is it still Krishna’s plan? Yes and no. Basically, we can say that Prabhupada translated this as Sasyanvito Rajan. In Bhishma’s prayer, he says everything is within Krishna’s plan.
And there’s a big difference between everything is Krishna’s plan and everything is within Krishna’s plan. Now, what is this within Krishna’s plan? What does it make a difference? It’s like if you consider a school. Now, in a school, if a student fails, now is the student failing the school’s plan? If that is the plan, then nobody should go to such a school, isn’t it? So, the school is not intended to fail the student.
But if a student fails, does the school have a plan for such a student? Yeah, you have failed in one subject, you can just go to the next session, next semester, but you can do the subject again. You failed too many subjects, then maybe you need to do this whole semester again. So, now of course, there are some students for which even the school will say, I have no plan for you.
You know, you just leave. But Krishna is not like that. So, the student’s failing is not the school’s plan, but the student’s failing is included within the school’s plan.
So, like that, when some people do bad things, no, it is not that Krishna wants them to do the bad things. But if they do bad things, it is not that they are thrown out of Krishna’s plan. That Krishna still has a plan for them.
ISKCON communities worldwide joyfully celebrated Rama Navami, the divine appearance day of Lord Sri Ramachandra. Temples were adorned with beautiful decorations, devotees engaged in melodious kirtans, dramatic plays, and inspiring discourses. The celebrations reflected deep devotion, honoring Lord Rama’s virtues of righteousness, compassion, and divine leadership. Continue reading "Glories of Rama Echo Worldwide: ISKCON’s Joyful Rama Navami Celebrations! April 5 → Dandavats"
Due to His causeless mercy upon all living entities within the universe, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, along with His plenary extensions, appeared in the family of Maharaja Iksvaku as the Lord of His internal potency, Sita. Under the order of His father, Maharaja Dasaratha, He entered the forest and lived there for considerable years with His wife and younger brother. Ravana, who was very materially powerful, with ten heads on his shoulders, committed a great offense against Him and was thus ultimately vanquished.
PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada
Lord Rama is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and His brothers, namely Bharata, Laksmana, and Satrughna, are His plenary expansions. All four brothers are visnu-tattva and were never ordinary human beings. There are many unscrupulous and ignorant commentators on Ramayana who present the younger brothers of Lord Ramacandra as ordinary living entities. But here in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the most authentic scripture on the science of Godhead, it is clearly stated that His brothers were His plenary expansions. Originally Lord Ramacandra is the incarnation of Vasudeva, Laksmana is the incarnation of Sankarsana, Bharata is the incarnation of Pradyumna, and Satrughna is the incarnation of Aniruddha, expansions of the Personality of Godhead. Laksmiji Sita is the internal potency of the Lord and is neither an ordinary woman nor the external potency incarnation of Durga. Durga is the external potency of the Lord, and she is associated with Lord Siva.
As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (4.7), the Lord appears when there are discrepancies in the discharge of factual religion. Lord Ramacandra also appeared under the same circumstances, accompanied by His brothers, who are expansions of the Lord’s internal potency, and by Laksmiji Sitadevi.
Lord Ramacandra was ordered by His father, Maharaja Dasaratha, to leave home for the forest under awkward circumstances, and the Lord, as the ideal son of His father, carried out the order, even on the occasion of His being declared the king of Ayodhya. One of His younger brothers, Laksmanaji, desired to go with Him, and so also His eternal wife, Sitaji, desired to go with Him. The Lord agreed to both of them, and all together they entered the Dandakaranya Forest, to live there for fourteen years. During their stay in the forest, there was some quarrel between Ramacandra and Ravana, and the latter kidnapped the Lord’s wife, Sita. The quarrel ended in the vanquishing of the greatly powerful Ravana, along with all his kingdom and family.
Sita is Laksmiji, or the goddess of fortune, but she is never to be enjoyed by any living being. She is meant for being worshiped by the living being along with her husband, Sri Ramacandra. A materialistic man like Ravana does not understand this great truth, but on the contrary he wants to snatch Sitadevi from the custody of Rama and thus incurs great miseries. The materialists, who are after opulence and material prosperity, may take lessons from the Ramayana that the policy of exploiting the nature of the Lord without acknowledging the supremacy of the Supreme Lord is the policy of Ravana. Ravana was very advanced materially, so much so that he turned his kingdom, Lanka, into pure gold, or full material wealth. But because he did not recognize the supremacy of Lord Ramacandra and defied Him by stealing His wife, Sita, Ravana was killed, and all his opulence and power were destroyed.
Lord Ramacandra is a full incarnation with six opulences in full, and He is therefore mentioned in this verse as kalesah, or master of all opulence.
COMMENT by Giriraj Swami
Srimad-Bhagavatam is the supreme scripture, or book of knowledge, in the science of God. It explains the Absolute Truth in detail. The Vedanta-sutra says, janmady asya yatah, that the Absolute Truth is that from which everything emanates, and Srimad-Bhagavatam begins with the same words—janmady asya yatah—and proceeds to explain that the Absolute Truth is a person, the Supreme Person, Krishna. Krishna expands Himself into various plenary portions and portions of plenary portions, and the Bhagavatam, after listing so many incarnations of Godhead, says, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam, that all of the abovementioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord but that Lord Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead.
So, Lord Rama is an expansion of Krishna. There are so many expansions of Krishna mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam, but Rama is an expansion of Väsudeva, who is an expansion of Krishna. Laksmana is an expansion of Balarama, who is the first expansion of Krishna. Bharata and Satrughna are also direct expansions in the category of visnu-tattva. They are all God but manifest in different forms. SriBrahma-samhita gives the example that from one candle you can light a second, from the second you can light a third, from the third you can light a fourth, and so on. All the flames are the same fire, and all have the same strength, but still, there is one original candle, and that is Krishna. Still, Rama, Laksmana, Bharata, and Satrughna are all God. They are all the same as Krishna, but they descend into the world for different pastimes. The verse says, avatirya. Avatara means “one who descends.” They descend from the spiritual world into the material world out of mercy—prasada—for the conditioned souls, to deliver the conditioned souls from the quagmire of material existence.
All of us here, from Lord Brahma to the insignificant ant, have somehow or other fallen into the material world and thus are forced to suffer. We are being attacked at every moment by some sort of misery, big or small, gross or subtle. Certain major sufferings, major miseries, afflict all of us, and they are mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita: janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi—birth, death, old age, and disease. None of us wants these miseries, but they are forced upon us. Once we come into the material world and accept a material body, we are forced to suffer repeated birth, disease, old age, and death—and rebirth.
As explained in the Vedic literature, the purpose of life is to become free from this repetition of birth and death. And the way to become free is to become God conscious, Krishna conscious. In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna says, yam yam vapi smaran bhavam, that in whatever state one leaves one’s physical body, one attains the same state in the next life.
yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah
“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kunti, that state he will attain without fail.” (Gita 8.6) The Bhagavad-gita further states that if one thinks of Krishna at the time of death, one will go to Krishna—back home, back to Godhead.
anta-kale ca mam eva smaran muktva kalevaram yah prayati sa mad-bhavam yati nasty atra samsayah
“And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body remembering Me alone at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.” (Gita 8.5)
The Lord descends into the material world to show us who He is. Everyone speculates about God. They know that God is the oldest, so sometimes they imagine that He must be an old man with a beard and gray hair. They know that God is the ruler of the universe, so they imagine that He must sit on a throne. Therefore God Himself descends into the material world to show us who He is, and He does so in His original form as Krishna as well as in the form of Lord Ramachandra, who has the same full potency as Krishna. Thus Ramachandra is described here as kalesa: He is full in all opulence. The Lord displays His pastimes to attract the fallen, conditioned souls to Him to engage in His service. The pastimes of Krishna and those of Rama are very attractive.
The history of Lord Rama, summarized in Srimad-Bhagavatam and elaborated on in the Ramayana (in particular, we accept the authoritative version of the Ramayana by Valmiki), has existed for thousands of years, and people still read it, hear it, recite it, and stage dramatic performances of it. It is ever fresh, as the Lord is ever fresh. We never tire of hearing the pastimes of the Lord. The ordinary news of the conditioned souls is not so attractive or fresh. Once, when a newspaper reporter from TheNew York Times came to meet Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada held up the Bhagavad-gita (it could just as well have been Srimad-Bhagavatam) and said, “Every day your employer prints so many newspapers. Especially on Sunday, the paper is so big that one can hardly carry it. But after reading it an hour, people throw it away. Here is the Bhagavad-gita. People keep it and read it for a lifetime, and in this way it has been read for the past five thousand years.” And the newspaper reporter acknowledged the truth of what Srila Prabhupada had said.
So, these descriptions of the pastimes of the Lord are ever fresh. We relish them year after year, day after day, moment by moment. The pastimes of Lord Ramachandra and Lord Krishna can be discussed eternally, and to cover even the basic history would take many days and hours, so in the limited time we have today we can’t really discuss it in detail. But I will comment on this one point that is mentioned in the verse: that the great demon Ravana, who was very materially powerful, kidnapped Sita, and that in the end he was killed by Lord Ramachandra and his entire dynasty and opulence were destroyed.
Sita is the energy of the Lord. In fact, everything we see is the energy of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna says that He has two energies—the spiritual energy, which includes the living entities, and the material energy, which we experience as earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego.
bhumir apo ’nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca ahankara itiyam me bhinna prakrtir astadha
“Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego—all together these eight constitute My separated material energies.
apareyam itas tv anyam prakrtim viddhi me param jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat
“Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior energy of Mine, which comprises the living entities who are exploiting the resources of this material, inferior nature.” (Gita 7.4–5)
Basically, whatever we see is the energy of the Lord—either the material energy or a combination of the material and spiritual energies. The Lord Himself is fully spiritual (sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah). But until our senses are completely purified and spiritualized, we cannot see Him in His original form. What we can see is the Lord’s energy, which is His property and is meant to be engaged in His service. If you go into someone’s house, whatever is there is meant for the pleasure of the proprietor of the house. Of course, if the proprietor is a devotee, he knows that Krishna is the true proprietor and therefore everything is meant for His pleasure. But in any case, you can’t take the property for yourself or use it for yourself—at least not without permission.
Sita is the internal potency of the Lord, His pleasure potency, and Ravana made the grave mistake of coveting her, lusting after her, to the extent that he abducted her, which was a great insult to not only her chastity but also the dynasty of Lord Ramachandra.
It is a long story, but ultimately Lord Rama, who on the order of His father was in exile in the forest, gathered together a band of monkeys and bears who marched on Lanka armed with trees and boulders; they didn’t have any other weapons. And Ravana had a massive army with very sophisticated weapons. When Rama and His forces reached the southern tip of India, they had to cross the ocean to reach Lanka. And at that stage Rama glanced over Lanka with red-hot angry eyes, as described in the next verse:
“The Personality of Godhead Ramacandra, being aggrieved for His distant intimate friend [Sita], glanced over the city of the enemy Ravana with red-hot eyes like those of Hara [who wanted to burn the kingdom of heaven]. The great ocean, trembling in fear, gave Him His way because its family members, the aquatics like the sharks, snakes, and crocodiles, were being burnt by the heat of the angry red-hot eyes of the Lord.” (SB 2.7.24)
There at the ocean a small incident took place that is very instructive in terms of bhakti. After Rama cast His glance, the ocean personified came before the Lord and said, “You may use my water as You like. Indeed, You may cross it and go to the abode of Ravana, who is a great source of disturbance. Please go kill him and regain Your wife, Sita. Please construct a bridge over my waters and spread Your transcendental fame.” So, Lord Rama’s soldiers, chanting Rama’s name, started to hurl into the ocean great stones, all of which floated, and thus they constructed a bridge over which Rama and His army could pass. There at the shore a small squirrel was putting little grains of sand in the ocean, to contribute to the effort, and Hanuman, the mighty servant of Rama, chastised the squirrel, “What are you accomplishing with your little grains of sand? Can’t you see that I am throwing these huge boulders? Get out of my way.” And the squirrel replied, “But I want to serve Lord Rama, too.”
Lord Rama overheard this exchange and rebuked Hanuman: “This squirrel wants to serve Me, just like you. And he is serving to his capacity, just as you are. In My eyes you both are the same. And besides, I am the one who is making all the boulders float. Ultimately, I am the one who is doing everything.”
This is a very instructive point. The qualification to engage in devotional service is simply one’s sincere desire. One’s material qualifications don’t matter. The Lord doesn’t require anyone’s service; He just wants to see our mood of devotion. If one has the sincere desire to serve, that’s enough. Whether one is an insignificant ant or spider or squirrel—or a great monkey like Hanuman, a powerful human being, or Lord Brahma himself—what the Lord sees is the living entity’s sincere desire to serve. That is what He considers—whether we are sincerely serving to our full capacity, however great or small that capacity may be. It is said that the Lord sees not what we give but what we hold back. If a poor man can afford only ten dollars and he gives ten dollars, the Lord will see that he has given to his capacity. And if a rich man can afford ten million but gives ten thousand, the Lord will see, “Oh, he gave Me ten thousand, but he is keeping 9,990,000 for himself.”
The essence of bhakti is the desire to serve the Lord fully, to one’s capacity, and the opposite of bhakti is the desire to exploit the Lord or the Lord’s energy, as exemplified by Ravana. He didn’t want to serve the Lord. He wanted to steal the Lord’s energy, to enjoy the Lord’s property, in opposition to the Lord, in defiance of the Lord, and that is demonic.
Sita, the Lord’s energy, is Lakshmi, who is associated with wealth, opulence, and good fortune. Generally, conditioned souls, who are materialistic, want Lakshmi—they want to engage Lakshmi in their service. But Lakshmi is meant to be engaged in the service of her husband, the Lord, Narayana. As devotees, we worship the Lord and His energy together as the complete whole—as Radha-Krishna, Sita-Rama, Lakshmi-Narayana, Lakshmi-Nrsimha—and that satisfies both the Lord and us. But if we, like Ravana, try to enjoy the Lord’s energy independent of the Lord, we will never be satisfied, and in the end we will be vanquished and all that we have will be lost.
The pastimes of the Lord are not mythological stories. They are factual—recorded in authentic books such as the Ramayana and Srimad-Bhagavatam—not imaginary or merely symbolic. Although there are lessons to be learned from the pastimes, the persons and events are real. Rama is real, Sita is real, Lakshman is real, Hanuman is real, Ravana is real, Lanka is real—they are all real. And we can learn from these historical accounts. In ordinary affairs, people say that the only thing we learn from history is that people learn nothing from history—and that may be true in material society, where people don’t learn. But in the association of devotees we can learn and improve. By hearing the pastimes of the Lord, we can learn that the Lord’s energy is meant to be engaged in the Lord’s service. We can learn from the example of Hanuman, who jumped over the ocean to Lanka to find Sita and discovered her in an asoka grove. His purpose was not to exploit her, enjoy her, or keep her for himself. His purpose was to find her for the sake of Rama, so that she could be reunited with Him to serve and please Him. The Lord’s energy is meant to be engaged in the Lord’s service.
Once, a devotee told me that Srila Prabhupada had said that all of our service here in the material world is meant to bring Radha and Krishna together in the spiritual world. I wasn’t sure about that statement, so I asked Srila Prabhupada, and he replied that materialists are like Ravana and that they have kidnapped Sita, or Lakshmi. And that we, as devotees, act as Hanuman to get Lakshmi back from Ravana and return her to Rama, or Narayana, by engaging the materialists’ money in the service of the Lord. Of course, Rama is an expansion of Krishna, and Sita, or Lakshmi, is an expansion of Radha. Transcendentally, accepting money from the materialists and engaging it in the Lord’s service is reuniting Radha and Krishna.
Especially in Kali-yuga, everyone has these two tendencies—to serve the Lord and engage the Lord’s energy in the Lord’s service, and to exploit and try to possess the Lord’s energy and enjoy it for ourselves. The process of bhakti-yoga is meant to purify the consciousness, so that the Ravana-like tendency to exploit and enjoy slackens and the devotional tendency to serve becomes more prominent. And the way to purify our hearts, especially in the present age of Kali, is to chant the holy names of the Lord.
The Personality of Godhead appears in different ages. As Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita (4.8),
paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge
“To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.” He says, paritranaya sadhunam: to deliver the devotees, vinasaya ca duskrtam: to destroy the miscreants, and dharma-samsthapanarthaya: to establish the principles of religion, sambhavami yuge yuge: I appear in every millennium. Yuge yuge means “in every age, or millennium.” In Treta-yuga He appeared as Lord Rama, some two million years ago. In Dvapara-yuga He appeared as Lord Krishna, some five thousand years ago. And yuge yuge suggests that He also appears in Kali-yuga; in Kali-yuga He appeared as Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah
“In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krsna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krsna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons, and confidential companions.” (SB 11.5.32) Krsna-varnam means that He is in the same category as Krishna, which means that He is Krishna—because no one else can be in the same category as Krishna other than Krishna—and is always singing the glories of Krishna. Still, tvisakrsnam: His color is not blackish like Krishna’s in Dvapara-yuga; as described in sastra, it is golden. Sangopangastra-parsadam: He is accompanied by His associates. Every incarnation descends with eternal associates—Rama with Sita, Laksmana, Bharata, Satrughna, and others; Krishna with Nanda, Yasoda, Balarama, Radharani, and others; and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with Nityananda Prabhu and others. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair: in Kali-yuga intelligent people (su-medhasah), people who have good intelligence, will worship (yajanti) the Lord by sankirtana-yajna, by the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. And that is the method by which the heart is cleansed (ceto-darpana-marjanam), the demonic mentality of Ravana is vanquished, and the devotional mood of Sita, Laksmana, Bharata, Satrughna, Hanuman, and others—even the squirrel—is manifest.
“Pure love for Krsna is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens.” (Cc Madhya 22.107) Nitya-siddha krsna-prema—pure love of Godhead exists eternally within the heart. ‘Sadhya’ kabhu naya—it is not to be gotten from any other source. Sravanadi-suddha-citte—by hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord our consciousness is purified, and karaye udaya—that eternal love is awakened.
This is our goal. By hearing the pastimes of Rama, the pastimes of Krishna, our love for Them awakens. When we chant the maha-mantra—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—our love for Radha-Krishna, Sita-Rama, and Gaura-Nitai awakens. That is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy.
Two full chapters in the Ninth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam are devoted to summarizing the Ramayana. Srila Prabhupada remarks that everyone wants Rama-rajya, the ideal kingdom that existed during the reign of Lord Ramachandra. Lord Rama cared for the citizens like a father, and the citizens, accepting Him as their father, loved and obeyed Him. Although He became king during Treta-yuga, because of His good government the age was like Satya-yuga, and everyone was fully religious and happy. Srila Prabhupada states that the same conditions can be evoked now by the chanting of the Lord’s holy names, which have been made available to us by Lord Chaitanya—by Lord Ramachandra, who has so kindly appeared in the present age as Chaitanya-chandra.
“If people take to this sankirtana movement of chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Rama, they will certainly be freed from the contamination of Kali-yuga, and the people of this age will be happy, as people were in Satya-yuga, the golden age. Anyone, anywhere, can easily take to this Hare Krsna movement; one need only chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, observe the rules and regulations, and stay free from the contamination of sinful life. Even if one is sinful and cannot give up sinful life immediately, if he chants the Hare Krsna maha-mantra with devotion and faith he will certainly be freed from all sinful activities, and his life will be successful. Param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. This is the blessing of Lord Ramacandra, who has appeared in this age of Kali as Lord Gaurasundara.” (SB 9.10.51 purport)
We should take advantage of the mercy of the Lord. Out of His causeless mercy upon all living entities (asmat-prasada), He appears in every age (yuge yuge)—as Rama, as Krishna, and in the present age as Krishna Chaitanya. And we should take advantage of the special mercy that He gives us in the form of the sankirtana movement, which teaches people to engage in the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and in the entire process of devotional service (bhakti-yoga). Lord Krishna gave the preliminary instructions in the science of God, the science of bhakti-yoga, in the Bhagavad-gita; Lord Chaitanya and His followers, especially the Six Gosvamis, explained the science elaborately; and Srila Prabhupada has presented it to us in a way that we can very easily follow, to cleanse our hearts and awaken our love for God. But those little Ravana-like demons in our hearts keep telling us, “You can enjoy. Why should Krishna have all the fun?” Of course, we want to enjoy—that is natural. The Absolute Truth, Krishna, is by nature full of pleasure (ananda-mayo ’bhyasat), and we, as His parts and parcels, are also meant for pleasure. But we cannot enjoy real, eternal pleasure based on these dead bodies, these bags of blood and stool and other such things. We, as spirit souls, can enjoy true pleasure, ananda, on the spiritual platform, in relationship to the Supreme Soul, in the spiritual energy, in the spiritual world.
The Lord doesn’t want us to suffer. He wants us to be happy, but He knows that we can be truly happy only in relation to Him. Therefore He comes—as the ideal king as Lord Rama, in His original form as Krishna, and most recently in His devotional form as Krishna Chaitanya—to show us the way. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with Nityananda Prabhu came especially to give us this method of chanting Hare Krishna and dancing, hearing the pastimes of the Lord (krsna-katha), worshipping the Deity, and taking krsna-prasada. And this method, as described by one great devotee, is kevala ananda-kanda: simply joyful—just chanting, dancing, hearing about Krishna and His incarnations, and taking prasada.
So, we should take advantage of this wonderful opportunity that has been given to us by Lord Rama, who has appeared as Lord Gaurasundara, and which has been presented to us in the most pleasant and accessible way by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. Even the smallest effort—by anyone—can bring the greatest result, as demonstrated in the pastimes of Lord Ramachandra. He engaged even monkeys and other creatures of the forest in His service, and in the end He took all the residents of Ayodhya back home, back to Godhead.
na janma nunam mahato na saubhagam na van na buddhir nakrtis tosa-hetuh tair yad visrstan api no vanaukasas cakara sakhye bata laksmanagrajah
[Sri Hanuman says:] “One cannot establish a friendship with the Supreme Lord Ramacandra on the basis of material qualities such as one’s birth in an aristocratic family, one’s personal beauty, one’s eloquence, one’s sharp intelligence, or one’s superior race or nation. None of these qualifications is actually a prerequisite for friendship with Lord Sri Ramacandra. Otherwise how is it possible that although we uncivilized inhabitants of the forest have not taken noble births, although we have no physical beauty, and although we cannot speak like gentlemen, Lord Ramacandra has nevertheless accepted us as friends?
“Therefore, whether one is a demigod or a demon, a man or a creature other than man, such as a beast or bird, everyone should worship Lord Ramacandra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who appears on this earth just like a human being. There is no need of great austerities or penances to worship the Lord, for He accepts even a small service offered by His devotee. Thus He is satisfied, and as soon as He is satisfied, the devotee is successful. Indeed, Lord Sri Ramacandra brought all the devotees of Ayodhya back home, back to Godhead.” (SB 5.19.7–8)
Thank you very much.
Guest: I have heard that Lord Rama is green. Do you know anything about how can someone be green?
Giriraj Swami: The Lord’s body is spiritual—sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. Although the scriptures describe the Lord and the spiritual world in terms that correspond to our experience in this world, the reality of the Lord is different from anything we have ever experienced here. Lord Rama is greenish, but His complexion is not a material green as we see in this world but a spiritual hue from which the material color green comes.
Madhusudana dasa: Lord Rama is described as being the color of freshly sprouted grass.
Devotee: How long does it take for a soul to be transferred to another body?
Giriraj Swami: As soon as the next body is ready, one leaves the present body, just as when one’s next step is secure, one gives up the last one.
“Just as a person traveling on the road rests one foot on the ground and then lifts the other, or as a worm on a vegetable transfers itself to one leaf and then gives up the previous one, the conditioned soul takes shelter of another body and then gives up the one he had before.” (SB 10.1.40)
Devotee: So, it varies between each body?
Giriraj Swami: When the next body is ready, one leaves the present body, but depending on the type of body, one may take less or more time to be born. The period of gestation may vary. For example, in the case of a human being, after the soul is placed in the womb of the mother through the semen of the father, it takes nine months for the embryo to grow and develop to the stage when the entity is ready to come out of the womb and be viable. That period will vary according to the species.
Of course, our actual goal is to become free from the repetition of birth and death. And the main process by which we can attain liberation, especially in the present age of Kali, is to chant the holy names:
kaler dosa-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet
“My dear king, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.” (SB 12.3.51)
As mentioned, the chanting cleanses the dirty things from the mirror of the mind, or heart:
“Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Krsna, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Krsna expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.” (Siksastaka 1)
The first of the dirty things within the heart is false identification with the body; that is the first misconception. We think, “I am this body, and everything in relation to this body is mine—to enjoy.” And whatever we do that follows from the premise that “I am the body” takes us further and further from the goal. Srila Prabhupada gave the example that if in a mathematical problem you make a mistake in the first step, even if you perform all the other steps perfectly, you will likely get further and further from the solution—because you made a mistake in the first step. So if from the beginning you think you are the body—given that in fact you are not the body but are the soul—then even if you do everything thereafter perfectly for the sake of the body, you will get further and further away from the actual goal. So, we have to understand from the beginning that we are not the body, that we are the soul within the body, and that to act for the benefit of the soul is in our real self-interest.
Everyone wants his self-interest—that is natural—but people don’t know what their real self-interest is. Unless they know what their real self is, how can they know their real self-interest? Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum: they do not know that their real interest is to serve Vishnu, or Krishna, and go back home, back to Godhead.
na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah andha yathandhair upaniyamanas te ’pisa-tantryam uru-damni baddhah
“Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Visnu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.” (SB 7.5.31)
There is no harm in wanting to pursue one’s self-interest, but we should know what our real self is. The first instruction of the Bhagavad-gita is that we are not this body but are the soul within the body. And our spiritual life proceeds from that understanding.
After we gain theoretical knowledge, we must realize the knowledge, and by faithfully chanting the holy names, we can actually realize that we are not these bodies but are eternal spirit souls, eternal servants of Krishna. First we hear. For example, we hear in theory that rasagullas are sweet, and we want to try one. And when we actually taste one, our knowledge becomes realized. Then we know the sweetness of a rasagulla by practical experience, and we want others to experience that taste. So, by chanting with attention, one can actually realize that he is not this body but is the soul within the body, and one can taste the sweetness of Lord Krishna’s holy name. Thus, Srila Rupa Gosvami, who actually realized the sweet nectar of the holy name, could write,
tunde tandavini ratim vitanute tundavali-labdhaye karna-kroda-kadambini ghatayate karnarbudebhyah sprham cetah-prangana-sangini vijayate sarvendriyanam krtim no jane janita kiyadbhir amrtaih krsneti varna-dvayi
“I do not know how much nectar the two syllables ‘Krs-na’ have produced. When the holy name of Krsna is chanted, it appears to dance within the mouth. We then desire many, many mouths. When that name enters the holes of the ears, we desire many millions of ears. And when the holy name dances in the courtyard of the heart, it conquers the activities of the mind, and therefore all the senses become inert.” (Vidagdha-madhava 1.15)
But first we have to realize that we are not this body, that the body is just a machine that the soul inhabits for some time.
Chanting is a serious practice—although the process is easy. As Srila Prabhupada said, “Chanting is easy, but the determination to chant is not so easy.” Anyone can say “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,” but the determination to chant a prescribed number of rounds daily and to be attentive while chanting—to actually hear every word and every syllable—requires some effort. Still, if we can do that, we can realize that we are not these bodies but are actually parts and parcels of Krishna, eternal servants of Krishna. Then we will act exclusively for the pleasure of Krishna, and that will be our pleasure—greatest pleasure—and satisfaction.
sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje ahaituky apratihata yayatma suprasidati
“The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.” (SB 1.2.6)
The natural function of the part is to serve the whole. Srila Prabhupada gave the example that the hand is part and parcel of the body, so the natural function of the hand is to serve the body, to serve the stomach. If there is a nice rasagulla (we are talking so much about rasagullas, I hope they have some!) and the hand thinks, “Why should I feed the stomach? I will enjoy myself,” and then tries to absorb the rasagulla directly, to enjoy the rasagulla separately, it can’t. The hand is not meant to enjoy apart from the stomach. But if the hand feeds the stomach, then the hand and all the other parts of the body are naturally nourished and satisfied. In the same way, if we try to enjoy independent of Krishna, we can’t. We are not meant for that. We are part of Him and are meant to serve Him. And if we do serve Him, then all of Krishna’s other parts and parcels are satisfied. And if we want to enjoy independent of Krishna, we can try—that is what is going on in the world today: everyone is trying to enjoy independent of Krishna. But they are not successful. They are never satisfied. They always want something more, something new, something better—they are never satisfied. We can be happy and satisfied only when we serve Krishna with love, for His pleasure.
Devotee: People seem to do that very happily—go through the ups and downs of never being satisfied and then forging back into looking for satisfaction without Krishna. They seem to do it happily.
Giriraj Swami: Yes, ordinary people keep doing it over and over again. Punah punas carvita-carvananam: chewing the chewed again and again. You get a piece of sugarcane and chew it to get the juice out. And afterwards, you throw it away. If you come back and start to chew it again—you can chew it, but there is no juice, nothing more to be gotten. Ordinary conditioned souls, in the bodily concept of life, try to squeeze some pleasure out of the body, and after getting whatever little pleasure they can, they keep trying to get more and more out of it. But they are never satisfied.
matir na krsne paratah svato va mitho ’bhipadyeta grha-vratanam adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram punah punas carvita-carvananam
“Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Krsna are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.” (SB 7.5.30)
So, what is the way out? Krishna consciousness—realized by the mercy of pure devotees.
“Unless they smear upon their bodies the dust of the lotus feet of a Vaisnava completely freed from material contamination, persons very much inclined toward materialistic life cannot be attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, who is glorified for His uncommon activities. Only by becoming Krsna conscious and taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord in this way can one be freed from material contamination.” (SB 7.5.32)
Such pure devotees, following the scriptures and previous authorities, induce us to chant the holy names of the Lord.
harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
“In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.” (Brhan-naradiya Purana 38.126)
A vivid example is Valmiki Muni himself. He was a robber and murderer. He would plunder innocent people on the road, kill them, and take everything. But he happened to associate with the great devotee Narada Muni, who requested him to chant the holy name of Rama. Valmiki refused: “I am a murderer—what have I to do with chanting God’s name?” But then Narada asked him to meditate on the meaning of death by repeating the word mara, which means “death.” Valmiki agreed, and by repeating mara, mara, mara, mara he came in effect to chant Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama. Living in a previous age, he was able to meditate on the holy name of Rama for many thousands of years, and when he was liberated, he wrote the Ramayana. By the power of the holy name, his heart became purified, and he became a great devotee and rishi (seer), empowered to glorify and personally serve the Lord. So, anyone, even the greatest sinner, can become the greatest devotee of the Lord by serving the instructions of a pure Vaishnava and chanting the holy name of the Lord.
Sri Sri Sita-Rama-Laksmana-Hanuman ki jaya!
[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Rama-navami, April 14, 2008, San Diego]
Hare Krishna. So I’m grateful to be here with all of you today. And I seek the blessings of all the pro bodh disciples and senior devotees so that I can speak something on the Bhagavatam. I’m especially grateful for the overwhelming participation and appreciation for yesterday’s session. I have been trying to understand and share the Bhagavad Gita in many different ways, and I was not sure about how this particular approach would be received.
So I’m very grateful for your encouragement. I also thank the temple management for facilitating this seminar. Today we’ll have the second part in the evening. So actually I got this verse only yesterday night, or rather today morning, and I was talking with a couple of devotees in the morning, and one devotee, sir, told me that if you’re a politician, this is the kind of topic that could end your career. So the theme so I’ll I’ll try to let’s look at what is going on over here in this context, and I will try to explain this in two with two main points in the session.
So the context here is that this particular verse is coming in the section of the pregnancy of. And here, those who act in reproachable ways, how they are condemned is being described. So so the punishment, whether it be curse or whatever, by the Brahmanas, is among the most feared things in the Vedic tradition. And even the fifth canto, Bharat Maharaj also prays that that when he’s or other Jagannath is speaking to Jagannath, and he’s saying that, I don’t fear even the weapons of the gods as much as I fear the curse by a brahmana. So that is the key principle over here.
And those who are living in ways that terrorize others, they are condemned. They’ll be condemned to hellish conditions in the in the future life as well as in this life. And for that Srila Prabhupada is focusing on this, the principle of being condemned. And he’s giving the example of life of life as a dog as something which is condemned. Now this may seem, you know, why pick on dogs?
What have they done to harm you? Somebody may ask. So I’ll talk about this in two broad principles I’ll talk. Basically, the theme will be like understanding difficult statements in scriptures or difficult statements by. That’s the topic I’ll be discussing.
And I’ll leave some time for, comments and questions also. And it is not that I have a conclusive understanding. I’m also trying to see how this is to be understood and to be explained. So the two main points I’ll be talking about is in terms of two acronyms, arc and cut. The arc by which we can cut through misunderstandings and move toward the deeper understanding.
See, in general, whenever we take any statement in scripture, any scriptural statement is there, There are two extremes that we can go towards. One is that we absolutize the statement. And we can go to the other extreme, and we can relativize the statement. So a r c, that’s the acronym method I said. Absoluteizing is one extreme.
Relativizing is the other extreme. In between is to contextualize. Now there is a huge difference between relativizing and contextualizing, and I’ll explain that gradually. So let’s look at it. What does absolutizing a statement mean?
Absolutizing means that this statement has to be applied now in today’s world in the absolutely same form as it was given at that particular time. So if you consider absolutizing, the Gita is a book that calls Arjuna to fight. So everybody who is following the Gita should take up weapons and start fighting. Now that is not the way the tradition has understood the Gita. It’s only recently just in the pre independence times.
In India, there’s a political party called the Congress. Here, the Congress refers to the it’s the body itself, Indian National Congress. So when it was agitating for independence, some of the political leaders wrote commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita. And they said, the Britishers are like the Kauravas. And you, oh, Indians, have to be like Arjuna.
And we, the Indian National Congress, is like Krishna. And we are giving you the instruction of the Bhagavad Gita, fight against the Britishers. Now this was not the interpretation, that take up literal weapons and fight given by the Acharya. That is not the essential message of the Gita. Vishnu Acharya Thakur lived at a time when Vrindavan had just been devastated by Aurangzeb.
In India recently, hugely popular movie has come about. The atrocities that this Muslim king Aurangzeb did against, Maratha king, Chhatrapati Shivaji, Shastambhaji Maharaj. So this whole issue of Aurangzeb is very much active in India right now. But the point is Chakravartipath was living at a time when Vrindavan that Mahaprabhu and the Goswami had restored had been devastated by Aurangzeb. And Chakravartipath pioneered the restoration of Vrindavan.
And yet, nowhere in his purports to the Bhagavad Gita does he say. To follow the Bhagavad Gita, rise against all these Mughals and destroy them. No. So now, could that be an application? Yes.
In Arjuna’s context, for him, rise and fight was the application. But there is a contextual meaning, and that contextual meaning is not meant to be absolutized. So there is the universal principle is Krishna the point of the Gita is not just to get Arjuna to fight. The point of the Gita is to get Arjuna to rise to a higher consciousness. And in that higher consciousness, the action that he needs to do there in that particular context is fight.
So if you consider the Gita, the Gita has a contextual message and a universal message. So the contextual message is fight. The universal message is raise your consciousness. Learn to act in harmony with God. Don’t just see what I like to do, what I don’t like to do.
See that God has a plan and become a part of God’s plan. And that is what we seek Arjuna’s mood also in 1873. When he says, I’m I I accept what you’re saying. My illusion is dispelled. He does not say I will fight.
He says, I will do your will. Now that will happens to be in that context, fighting. So now this is one example, and we could give many examples of how absolutizing scriptural statements is not only not possible, but that is not what has been done in the scriptural tradition itself. There was one Christian who wrote a book about about something like hundred days of literally living the Bible. And it’s everything in the Bible.
If somebody commits adultery, stone them to death. So can you do that today? So the point is that absolutizing scripture is something which, the tradition itself tells us. This is not the way to do it. We learn from the ex we learn from the tradition itself.
Now when scripture is not to be absolutized, some people go to the other extreme and start relativizing it. Now relativize means what? Oh, you know, those people at that time thought like that. And that has no application in today’s world. It is just that person’s subjective opinion at that time.
Now now relativizing can lead to a lot of devaluation. And nowadays, there is a lot of, moral relativism in today’s world. So this is my truth, and this is your truth. This is the way I want to live, and that is the way you want to live. Now, you know, when we talk about relativism, even from a logical perspective, we cannot relativize everything in the world.
There has to be some universal principles. In the new the Nuremberg trials were held after the second World War. And the Nazis, generals, they said, you know, you can’t hold us responsible for the Holocaust. Why? Because we are in the military.
And the training that we get in military is follow orders. So we’re just following orders. So we are not responsible. But that was not accepted. You know, the idea was that there are there is a absolute moral right and wrong, and that is what we should be following irrespective of whatever context we are in.
So we can’t just context we can’t just absoluteize everything, control or, you know, just because you’re in that situation, you did that. We are human agents. We are responsible. I was giving a talk in Amazon, and there, I was talking about how now I’m not talking specifically about scripture, but I’m talking about how relativism doesn’t work, that complete devising of things. And so I was giving a talk on how on the topic of how we need some compass that is universal.
And then one person said that, you know, but there’s no such universal compass. Everybody has their own sense of right and wrong. So then I asked him, okay. Right now, is there anything in the world that is going on that you think is wrong? He said, yeah.
Of course, there are terrorists. There are religious fanatics. There are child abusers. There are sex sexual molesters. Then I said to him, do you think that those people think that they’re doing something wrong?
Many times, they don’t think like that. So if we use, there will be no such thing as crime at all. We cannot live like that. So after that, one of the user of the top executives at Amazon, he came and told me that, you know, we in our website also, they’re a materialistic company, but they say that we don’t want to promote any kind of child sexual abuse. So when they show apparel, when they show clothes, it’s for men and women.
They will show men and women wearing those clothes. But for children, they don’t show children babies wearing the clothes. So the idea is there also, they have some boundaries, the materialistic company, but there also they have boundaries. It’s not all relative. I was in Dubai, and in Dubai, there are very weird shaped buildings.
The triangular and pentagons and hexagons, all kind of buildings are there. And that’s considered the part of, like, postmodern or cutting edge architecture. Now we can have buildings of all kinds of shapes, but we can’t have foundations of all kinds of shapes. The foundation of a building has to be in a particular way so that we can sustain the building. So like that, yes, there can be something which is relative.
But there is something which is not just relative. Oh, I like this kind of foundation. I’ll have this kind of foundation. No. The foundation has to sustain the building.
So absolutizing is not right. Relativizing is also not right. So most people think only in these two terms. Absolutize or relativize. And what happens when we go into these two terms?
It becomes very polarizing. That, you know, if you absolutize, you’re being so irrational, you’re being fanatical. How can you believe something like this? And your relativize, who do you think you are? You think you are cleverer than scripture?
You think you’re cleverer than the Acharya? You think you know better? So there’s this in between absolutizing and relativizing is contextualizing. Now what does contextualizing mean? So I’ll talk about this in terms of one particular as I said, the second thing I’ll talk about is the cut how to cut through emotions.
So generally, whenever scripture is to be understood, you know, there is okay. Let’s put it this way. Let me put it another way here. There is something which is called as a ladder of abstraction. It’s often used in, literature.
So what is the ladder of abstraction? That whenever we want to understand something, at the top of the ladder let me just repeat this ladder. So this is a ladder. At the bottom of the ladder are specific details. At the top of the ladder are universal principles.
So the idea is for any if you want to actually retain interest and give a meaningful message, then we need to go up and down this ladder of abstraction. So specific details, often they catch interest. They’re interesting. So if I come and say that, okay. Today, I’m going to talk about how the population of bears in Alaska is decreasing.
What has that got to do with the disease? Why are you talking about that in the Bhagavatam? Now there’s a specific deal. It might be interesting, but how is it relevant? Then I say, based on that, I talk about how the climate is changing and how materialism is causing exploitation of nature.
And therefore, even for the survival of species, we humans need a spiritual consciousness. So then it makes it more relevant. So universal principles are what make it sorry. This is universal. That is what makes it more relevant.
So there is they show how it’s relevant. Show relevance. So, you know, we have to do both things, catch interest and show relevance. So for example, we may watch a movie or, read a novel. That may be interesting.
But unless we can relate something with our life, there’s nothing to learn over there. We can read Ramayana and Mahabharata, and that could just be entertaining stories. But then our acharyas give purports, give commentaries in which you learn some lessons. So generally, when anything is to be understood, anything is to be communicated, there is this idea of ladder of abstraction. So abstract is something which is not very, tangible, something that’s more universal.
So there’s a bottom, which is specific, top, which is more abstract or universal. So now when scripture is to be understood also, this idea that scripture is spoken at a particular time, there’s a contextual there’s a contextual statement. A statement is made in a particular context. Now we don’t just say, okay, in that context, and doesn’t apply today. That would be relativizing.
And it’s just those people’s opinion at that time. But from there, we rise upward from the contextual statement. We rise to look at what is the universal principle over here. What is the universal principle? And then from that universal principle, so cut is the acronym, then there is today’s application.
How does it apply today? So this going up and down the ladder of abstraction is what enables us to actually make script or see how scripture is relevant to us. Now Srila Prabhupada may not have specifically mentioned this, but he uses it many times. For example, in prayer prayers, where he’s telling how a person who who is not controlling their senses is pulled in various directions by the senses just like a person who has multiple wives and is pulled by them. And there, so one of the things is that the Sanskrit says that the ears are attracted to tempting music.
Now even in the western tradition, the idea that the siren song and somebody may get caught by that. So now Prabhupada puts that as the ears are attracted to movie songs or radio songs. Now we may say and Prabhupad puts it in translation only, not even the purport. The ears are attracted to radio songs. And now we may say there was no radio at the time of Prahlad as far as we know at least.
So what is Prabhupad doing? Prabhupad is taking that particular concept. And, okay, the ears are attracted to, attracted to attract, to tempting sounds. And is giving a today’s application. Of course, today’s application means the application for him at that time.
Today, it might be the ears are attracted to what? YouTube songs or whatever. We might put it like that. But the idea is that does that. For example, also we have Prabhupa translated the idea of.
When we do, that is like paying tax. Now this is a very contemporary, easily understandable concept. But, you know, that’s not exactly the way the yagna is understood. Yagna is sacrifice. But Prabhupad says, when you’re doing yagna, you’re paying tax.
So Prabhupada this was actually Prabhupada’s expertise. He would take what was given in scripture at one time, and then he would make it relevant to us today. So similarly, we see in the fifteenth chapter when Krishna says that He says that that abode is not illuminated by the sun, moon, or fire. Now puts electricity over there. Now there is no Sanskrit word with.
No electricity over there. Now what is doing by putting electricity over there? Prabhupad is making that particular point relevant. So if you apply that that of abstraction, here is that that sun, moon, and fire. That’s what is mentioned.
That is the specific statement that is there. What is the universal principle over there? That the spiritual world this is 15.6. What is the universal principle? The spiritual world is self luminous.
The spiritual world illuminates itself, And we don’t that it does not need to be illuminated by anything else. And Krishna will contrast us later, six verses, in 15.12, when he says that the material world needs to be illuminated, and he the same three list. That I am the sun, moon, and fire by which this world is illuminated. I manifested those things. So the point is the spiritual world is different from the material world.
The spiritual world is self luminous. It does not need any external source of luminosity. Now for many people today, for them, more than the sun, moon, and fire, the source primary source of luminosity today is electricity. So Srila Prabhupada mentioned sun, moon, and fire, but he also adds electricity. So what is he doing?
He is making that universal principle relevant to us today. He’s showing what is the application in today’s world for us. So let’s now, adopt this approach and see what this particular purport how we can understand this particular purport. So now if you see the if you see Srila Prabhupada’s books. Srila Prabhupada’s books, they have both a timeless aspect to them and a timely aspect to them.
Timeless means they contain principle that are going to guide us for hundreds and thousands of years. At the time, at the same time, Srila Prabhupada wrote those books at a particular time. And he was addressing devotees at that particular time. So, you know, we cannot say that the books are timeless, so there’s nothing timely about them. It’s like, say, now when we give a talk, when initially gave a talk, he was speaking to a particular audience.
So he was he was giving his talks with some people in mind. Now he was not speaking only to those people. He is speaking for all of humanity. But can we say that he was not speaking to those audience at all? No.
He was speaking to those audience. When Srila Prabhupada was in India, he would give classes in Hindi. Because he’s speaking to that audience also. So there is a timeless component, and there’s a timely component. So for example, Srila Prabhupada speaks about generally the spiritual master in singular.
He was writing at a time when he was the spiritual master. Now when we have organization, there are multiple spiritual masters. Now how exactly are those purports to be applied? And how that principle of following the spiritual master will be universal. But how exactly is to be applied?
That has to be contextually considered. So there’s a timeless aspect, and there’s a timely aspect to it. So now keeping this in mind that what is the universal principle over here? If you consider the universal point is that the universal point over here is that, you know, we wrongdoings, especially wrongdoings that involve offenses to Brahmanas, disrespecting of Brahmanas, wrongdoings will lead to a dark place, will lead to a condemned place, will lead us to a condemned place. That is the key principle.
That is a universal principle that we will be punished. Wrong now wrong rules will be condemned. And more specifically, offenses to Brahmanas, disrespecting Brahmanas, that will lead to hell or hellish conditions. This is the universal principle that Shilpa Upadis, that the scripture itself is talking about. That’s the word that’s what the verse is about.
And now within that context, now what does this particular statement about dogs, dogs being condemned species, mean? So, you know, I’ll I’ll talk about this from a philosophical perspective, a scriptural perspective, a historical perspective. And this is how we’ll try to contextualize it. Now from a philosophical perspective, the idea that the word dogs are considered it’s not that there’s a statement of hating dogs in particular. Dogs are often seen as representing, in general, nonhuman species.
Dogs, they represent nonhuman species. And we have, there are many places where the our dogs are taken. And the point over here is that it represents nonhuman species in general. Now there can be many nonhumans. And the point is that in that particular species, a soul who has gone is has lost the human life the opportunity of human life.
And that soul is going to get opportunity after a long time. So that con condemned is certainly not in the religious sense of Christianity or some religions where there’s eternal damnation. It’s not used condemned in that sense. Condemned is also not used in today’s sense where the idea is, you know, I hate you and I condemn you. It is used in a philosophical sense where the opportunity for spiritual life is lost.
And now you see that that that that well known words, that a person who considers a person who considers their own land to be worshipable. A person who goes to a holy place just to bathe. It is said, sir, Such a person is like a cow or a What is a? Ass. A donkey.
Now we may say, cows are considered sacred. Why are cows and donkeys put together in one category? Isn’t this a? So the point is in that context, both of them are representative of animal species. So the key point is that another context, a cow is considered very special.
Cow is dear to Krishna, and we don’t technically worship cows. You know? But cows are also respectable. Now there is a go puja which is contextual. It’s not that we’d consider cows to be gods.
In the western context, worship means considering them to god. That’s not exactly the same. But the point is, in some context, cows may be very elevated. And in some context, the whole idea of a cow may be considered unintelligent, like a donkey. Now cows and donkeys are very different.
Yet so in context, sometimes animals are referred to the whole animal species as a nonhuman species, which lacks philosophical intelligence to pursue spiritual life. So certain beings may be taken as representatives of that. So it is not so much singling out on dogs itself, but it’s more a symbolic reference to dogs. Now when we talk about dogs from a scriptural perspective, So there is a story associated with the Ramayana. It it comes in the Ananda Ramayana.
Now where there is a dog named Sarama. So lord Ram, it is said, this is he he had he was so open to ensure that there’s justice everywhere that he had a big bell in the center of his the center of in a central marketplace, in a central, crossroad. Anybody could ring that bell, and then their case would be taken to lord Ram, and justice would be given to them. So one time it happened that a dog started pulling that bell. And then the dog was brought before Lord Ram.
And the dog said, you know, my life is so miserable. All other dogs are picking on me. You know, all other dogs are hurting me. Why is my life so miserable? And then Lord Ram talked with the Brahmanas, and the Brahmanas gave a vision that this dog in a previous life had been a Matadipati.
So a is like a is like a a managerial head of a religious institution. And as a managerial head of a religious institution, he while managing, he had offended the Brahmanas living in that monastery, in that matter. And because he had offended the Brahmanas, he became a dog. And because he had troubled others, now other dogs are troubling him. So now one devotee who was who was a manager, he told me after I heard this story, I thought I should resign from management.
It’s a difficult service. Prabhupad wanted us to do that service. But I tried to find out whether Prabhupad is referring to the story. There’s no other place where I’ve seen Prabhupad refers to this particular story. But, you know, there are context where the dog’s specie and this particular idea of a dog being condemned.
So this Brahmana was named Sarama in a previous life, and this Sarama was condemned. So now there could be this scriptural context is the story of, of a Matadipati becoming a dog. So now now beyond that, if you consider, as I said, the same cow example of the cow I gave, in some cases, it’s considered very positive. Oh, cows are so dear to Krishna. Another context, it’s considered, that, oh, they are unintelligent.
And it is also there are some places, you know, sometimes you have a imitation calf brought in front of a cow. And that calf seems to start tackling its milk, and the cow starts giving milk. So there are cases where it’s talking about how a cow is not so intelligent. So gentleness, purity, dearness to Krishna, these are positives of a cow. But there are also cases where it’s negative.
So now if we consider dogs okay, before this, I’m going more into psychological perspective before I go into historical with which I’ll conclude. So if we consider dogs from a psychological perspective, so on one side, their loyalty has always been praised. And within our tradition also, we have, Bakhtul Thakur says, Tomar Kukuru. He says that, oh, I want to be like your dog. That is so from the loyalty, it’s considered very positive.
But that same loyalty can lead to territoriality. Territoriality is this is my territory, and you cannot come in over here. And Srila Prabhupad would use this to refer to immigration. You say that, you know, that, you know, we are not criminals. We are not thieves.
Why should we be frisked in security? It’s like a dog saying that this is my territory. You cannot come in. Now from security considerations perspective, we understand that the people who are coming into country, they need to be frisked. But Prabhupada is making a particular point, and he would compare immigration officers to dogs.
Not all the time. He said they are being so territorial. You think everything is Krishna’s property, you think it is my property. So from that perspective of territoriality, dogs can be quite territorial. It’s not only dogs who are territorial.
Tigers and lions can also be territorial. But dogs can be territorial. And when they are territorial oh, I didn’t realize it. Sorry. Oh, okay.
We’ll fix something today. So dogs can be quite territorial, and the territoriality can lead to some severe fighting among dogs also. So when the condemned is being talked about, it is not a blanket condemnation of dogs. That dogs are themselves among all species, they are bad. They represent animal life.
And even among dogs specifically, there are attribute that are good also. And themselves as where we have the story of Shivananda Singh being so compassionate to a dog. And the dog getting elevated, dog getting liberated. So the point is now last point I make it is historical. From a historical perspective, Srila Prabhupada came to the West in his when he was almost, 70.
And it’s remarkable that in the last ten years of his life, he was able to, he was able to do so much in terms of spreading Krishna consciousness all over the world. Now traditionally, dogs, and you could say in pre industrial society, They sold certain functions. They were for guarding. They were for hunting, and they were for herding. These were the main functions.
Guarding is they guard the house. Hunting is, you know, people dogs hunt people who are some people who want to go to hunt. In hunting, partying, they have dogs which will corner the animal, and then the person will shoot them. And herding is if you have cattle, it’ll herd them. So from that perspective, Prabhupada would often say that dogs should always be outdoors.
And so now when they’re outdoors, dogs mark their territory. And sometimes they can be territorial. They can fight over it. Now if you consider, this is how it was traditional even in the West. But in the modern times, after urbanization started, after urbanization led to fragmentation of the extended family, then there was dislocation.
There’s a lot more loneliness. So it is only in modern times that dogs have become more as pets. It’s not that people would have pets so extensively. Queen Victoria, she had a pet and she made a pet dog. And from that time, just to please her, all the British royals started having dogs as pets.
And then that’s how the idea of it is not just like a psychological need, but also become like a status symbol, a prestige symbol. A cool cultural trend to have a dog. So dogs as pets is relatively a modern phenomenon. Now we also have we have dogs as service dogs, the therapy dogs for people with special needs. And those dogs may come indoors.
Some people have psychological needs. So relatively speaking, the cultural context today is different. And the cultural context, Prabhupada was that was different. So the today’s application is, a, the Prabhupada said dogs are condemned. If you don’t agree with that, you are deviating from Prabhupada.
Now that would be absolutizing the statement. Now relativizing the statement would be, you know, that is just Prabhupada’s opinion. No. Contextualizing the statement would be there’s a universal principle over there. Universal principle is there are states of existence that are condemned.
And if we offend Brahmanas, if we offend devotees, we will go to those condemned states. And we have to be careful not to act in ways that will be offensive. And that way, we can avoid going into those condemned states. I’ll just make one last point and conclude this. And now what those condemned states might be, that can be very different.
There was a survey done among Indians who went to America. And Indians come to America, and sometimes they don’t get visa extension. They go back to India. The survey, sometimes people just in their board meetings, they have icebreakers. So they ask different questions, get to know people.
So they asked a question to about it was, like, 500 Indians that all these Indians had gone to America and come back or come to America and gone back to India. So I said, if reincarnation were real, which species would like to be born you to be born in? And out of these 500 Indians, more than hundred Indians, the majority said, we would like to be born as a dog in America. Because the dogs live so comfortably. Now should have proved that worse.
Now normally from the traditional contextual perspective, birth in the West is considered to be a relatively degraded world. The West is materialistic, West is godless. So out birth in Bharat Varsha is considered to be auspicious. Birth outside is considered not so auspicious. But in that particular verse, when Jann Maheshwari Prayers, I mean, Prabhupadhu is a lecture on that, and he talks about the appearance of birth.
And he’s speaking to Americans. He says, all of you are born America. This is such a prosperous country. And you are fortunate to be born over here. Now use your good fortune.
So now is birth in America auspicious or inauspicious? Well, it depends on context. Now if we consider from a traditional cultural context, yes, birth outside India is inauspicious. But if you consider from a contemporary, say, geopolitical or economic context, birth in America, gives a certain level of comfort, a certain level of freedom from at least anxiety for basic survival. But so now the statement of what is auspicious or what is auspicious may also vary according to context.
And that’s why contextualizing is extremely important. And when he is giving us this statement, it’s through his own example also. He is showing how to contextualize. And when we learn to contextualize, we won’t get caught in particular statements and fixate on either trying to defend them or reject them, accept them or absolutize them or relativize them. We’ll understand what is the essential principle over here.
What are the universal principle? Srila Prabhupada did not start the international society for dog condemnation or dog glorification for that matter. His precise international society for Krishna consciousness. And what will further Krishna consciousness in today’s world is what we should be focusing on in order to carry on legacy responsibly. So I summarize, and the topic today was how to understand difficult statements, or statement that seem difficult for whatever reason.
So first I thought is three approaches we discussed. They’re based on the acronym ARC. We simply can absolutize, but that’s a problem. Are we all meant to take up weapons and fight like Arjuna did? We can relate to wise, but that would mean that there is no value in those statements now for us.
It is just those people’s subjective opinions. But what we do is contextualize. And we discuss various examples of how himself does the contextualization. How do we do the contextualization? We discussed this acronym of cut.
There is a contextual statement. Now from that contextual statement, we see what is the universal principle over there. And from that universal principle, we try to see what is today’s application. So takes the contextual statement that in that about, there’s no sun, moon, light. And based on that, he says that there’s no in that about, there’s no electricity also.
So is making it applicable for us today. So with respect to the specific statement about dogs, I talk about contextualizing in multiple ways. Contextualizing is philosophical. The dogs symbolically represent the nonhuman specie where they’re condemned in the sense that they don’t have the opportunity to be elevated. Opportunity to grow spiritually because they don’t have the philosophical intelligence.
And then I give the example of how cows can also be seen negatively, positively. Scriptural contextualization, the story from the Ramayana about how a person who offended a Brahmana became a dog. Then we talked about psychological contextualization that depending on context, a positive or negative attribute may be emphasized. So the dog’s loyalty and also their territoriality. And then lastly, I talked about from a historical perspective that in the past, dog served a particular function, and now they’re serving a different function.
So at that time, mostly, it was their function with outdoors. Now their function they’re serving is different. So our focus should be on the universal principle that that actions which involve offending Brahmanas and Vaishnavas and people that will lead us to a condemned state. And that’s why we try to avoid such offensive actions. Thank you very much.
Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 21, No. 13 By Krishna Kripa Das (Week 13: March 26–April 1, 2025)
Tallahassee, Alachua (Sent from Tallahassee, Florida, on April 5, 2025)
Where I Went and What I Did
For the thirteenth week of 2025, I remained living at ISKCON Tallahassee. I chanted Hare Krishna every day at Landis Green, behind the main Florida State University library. Ananga Mohan Prabhu joined me on Friday as usual and played the drum. In Tallahassee, I distributed a Science of Self-Realization, an “On Chanting Hare Krishna” pamphlets, and fifty-nine little cups of halava to promote our Krishna Lunch at the campus.
I tell about our Tallahassee Ratha-yatra, attended by at least forty devotees, many from Alachua and Gainesville, and a visit to the Alachua Sunday feast.
I share a quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and The Nectar of Devotion. I share quotes from The Delaware Diaries,Renewal, and Sanatoriumby Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share notes on classes in Tallahassee by Pran Govinda and Govinda Kaviraja Prabhus and on a Sunday feast lecture in Alachua by Devaki Devi Dasi. I share an insight from a conversation with Dasaratha Suta Prabhu in Alachua.
Many, many thanks to my sister, Karen Beetle, for paying for my new computer out of our mother’s estate. I was able to get it just in time before my previous computer, which was five years old, died. Thanks to Uddhava Prabhu for the video of me dancing before the Tallahassee Ratha-yatra. Thanks to Ananga Mohan Prabhu for the selfie of us on harinama at FSU and for the use of his phone to take Ratha-yatra videos, as I foolishly forgot to bring mine.
Itinerary
January 6–April 11: Tallahassee harinamas and FSU college outreach April 12: St. Augustine Ratha-yatra April 13: Gainesville harinama April 14–15: USF harinamas in Tampa April 16–20: Washington, D.C., harinamas with Sankarsana Prabhu April 21–22: NYC Harinam April 23: Flight to Brussels April 24: Layover in Oslo April 25: Kadamba Kanana Swami Vyasa-puja at Radhadesh April 26: King’s Day in Amsterdam April 27: Liege harinama April 28–May 1: Paris harinamas May 2: Sarcelles market harinama May 3–4: Amsterdam Kirtan Mela and Sacinandana Swami seminar May 5 and 6: harinama in Amsterdam, Antwerp, or Brussels May 7: Flight from Brussels to New York City May 8–June 15: NYC Harinam mid June–mid August: Paris – June 22: Paris Ratha-yatra – July 11: Amsterdam harinama – July 12: Amsterdam Ratha-yatra – July 13: Netherlands harinama
Chanting Hare Krishna in Tallahassee
This FSU student formerly participated in Krishna Lunch in Gainesville and was happy to hear we have it at FSU.
Ananga Mohan Prabhu came out on Friday to my spot on Landis Green behind the main university library. He played the drum during my kirtan, and I played the drum during his kirtan.
Pran Govinda, along with bhaktas from his ashram in Alachua, came to Tallahassee the evening before Ratha-yatra.
The Tallahassee Ratha-yatra is the Hare Krishna contribution to the Springtime Tallahassee parade, which is either the last Saturday of March or first Saturday of April each year. The parade is so short it is hard for me to do the three hours of public congregational chanting I like to do each day. Formerly, when I came up from Alachua with the Alachua harinama devotees, we would do harinama for a hour at the Downtown Saturday market after the parade to make the whole experience worth the two-hour journey each way. This year I decide to come to the site an hour and a half before the parade as the officials recommend. I brought my harmonium and amplifier and happily chanted for half an hour to Lord Jagannatha, Lord Baladeva, and Lady Subhadra, who patiently waited in their car as the devotees prepared the cart. The first twenty minutes there was no other amplified sound so dozens of parade participants would able to hear the holy names. After I chanted Mayur chanted Hare Krishna to the Jagannatha deities for a while (https://youtu.be/5EqZHqd-jZo):
Next Ananga Mohan Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna there before the Tallahassee Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/HOQYPd6hf3w):
Later Bhakta Max, who stays in Pran Govinda Prabhu’s ashram in Alachua, chanted Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/2hU4KiXVn6M):
Here Kishor Gopal Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the start of the Tallahassee Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/GMmHk9_fqIY):
During the procession I did not want to leave my position in the parade to make a video of our whole kirtan party so I just took videos of people in the crowd who appreciated.
Here Kishor Gopal Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Tallahassee Ratha-yatra, and onlookers appreciate (https://youtu.be/KcJBKqNyr4g):
Kishor Gopal Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Tallahassee Ratha-yatra, Nate dances, and onlookers wave, smile, and dance (https://youtu.be/biQwZMgwsAE):
Kishor Gopal Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the end of the Tallahassee Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/A-jp79jeisc):
As we had only chanted Hare Krishna for two and a half hours and I like to do three, I encouraged Nimai Govinda Prabhu from Alachua and his friends to chant Hare Krishna on the way to their vehicle (https://youtu.be/xBPzLoVhlkE):
Keshava Gopal Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at ISKCON Tallahassee after Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/ETVqd2c_huQ):
After helping to clean the kitchen and taking a nap, in the late afternoon I went to the campus to chant Hare Krishna for an hour and half to promote Krishna Lunch.
One day one of my regular customers for the free halava stopped to get some, despite being late for class. After class, she got some more, on the way to her presentation, saying she hoped it would bring her good fortune. The next day she said her presentation went well, she was relaxed doing it, and many people asked her questions. Then she got some halava both for herself and her supervisor in charge of FSU international programs. She is a Christian from Jamaica majoring in neuroscience.
Chanting Hare Krishna in Alachua
Radhika Ramana Prabhu chant Hare Krishna at ISKCON Alachua first Sunday feast kirtan (https://youtu.be/FHDbvj0CZMc):
During the feast I sat with Arthur from Clearwater, who I originally met at a Krishna House program in Gainesville. He later chanted with me at Depot Park in Gainesville and also at University of South Florida in Tampa. He really appreciated the association of the devotees and relocated to the Alachua area for that reason. He likes to see the truth in the different religious traditions, and he invited two male Mormon missionaries he met in High Springs to come to the Sunday feast. The young Mormons really liked the prasadam and came back for seconds, getting a serious amount on the second time around. They shared with us this quote from the Mormon’s thirteen “Articles of Faith” appreciating worship of God in other traditions: “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.” (11)
Adikarta Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at ISKCON Alachua Sunday feast Gaura Arati kirtan (https://youtu.be/zshMjz_vbVM):
Amala Harinama Prabhu and friends chant Hare Krishna after the ISKCON Alachua Sunday feast (https://youtu.be/8_GslRH_t4k):
“The devotee in Krishna consciousness, although far away from the Lord’s abode, can elevate himself to that abode simply by thinking of Him constantly—by engagement in Krishna consciousness. He does not feel the pangs of material miseries; this state of life is called brahma-nirvana, or the absence of material miseries due to being constantly immersed in the Supreme.”
From Bhagavad-gita 5.29, purport:
“Krishna consciousness, however, brings one into spiritual life even while one is within the jurisdiction of matter, for it is an arousing of spiritual existence by practice in the material world. The more one is advanced, the more he is freed from the clutches of matter. The Lord is not partial toward anyone. Everything depends on one’s practical performance of duties in Krishna consciousness, which in every respect helps one control the senses and conquer the influence of desire and anger. And one who stands fast in Krishna consciousness, controlling the above-mentioned passions, remains factually in the transcendental stage, or brahma-nirvana.”
From Bhagavad-gita 13.34, purport:
“Thus consciousness is the proof of the presence of the soul, as sunshine or light is the proof of the presence of the sun. When the soul is present in the body, there is consciousness all over the body, and as soon as the soul has passed from the body there is no more consciousness.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.8.4:
“Persons who hear Srimad-Bhagavatam regularly and are always taking the matter very seriously will have the Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna manifested in their hearts within a short time.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.6.40:
“Words, mind and ego, with their respective controlling demigods, have failed to achieve success in knowing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, we simply have to offer our respectful obeisances unto Him as a matter of sanity.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 17:
“By the process of executing regulated devotional service, one is actually elevated onto the transcendental stage, beyond the material modes of nature. At that time one’s heart becomes illuminated like the sun. . . . When a devotee is purified like the sun, from his pure heart there is a diffusion of ecstatic love which is more glorious than the sunshine. Only at that time is the attachment to Krishna perfect. Spontaneously, the devotee becomes eager to serve the Lord in his ecstatic love. At this stage the devotee is on the platform of uttama-adhikari, perfect devotion. Such a devotee has no agitation from material affections and is interested only in the service of Radha and Krishna.”
“One should execute devotional service rigidly in the association of devotees so that there will be certainty in raising oneself to that ecstatic position.”
“It is essential, therefore, that one constantly associate with pure devotees who are engaged morning and evening in chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. In this way one will get the chance to purify his heart and develop this ecstatic pure love for Krishna.”
“In the Padma Purana there is the story of a neophyte devotee who, in order to raise herself to the ecstatic platform, danced all night to invoke the Lord’s grace upon her.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 18:
“In the beginning, of course, a neophyte devotee must try to keep himself apart from all kinds of alluring attachments, but the real position of a mature devotee is that even in the presence of all allurements, he is not at all attracted. This is the actual criterion of detachment.”
“The strong conviction that one will certainly receive the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is called in Sanskrit asa-bandha. Asa-bandha means to continue to think, ‘Because I’m trying my best to follow the routine principles of devotional service, I am sure that I will go back to Godhead, back to home.’”
“When one is sufficiently eager to achieve success in devotional service, that eagerness is called samutkantha. This means ‘complete eagerness.’ Actually this eagerness is the price for achieving success in Krishna consciousness. Everything has some value, and one has to pay the value before obtaining or possessing it. It is stated in the Vedic literature that to purchase the most valuable thing, Krishna consciousness, one has to develop intense eagerness for achieving success.”
“The example is given that on the full moon there are some spots that may appear to be pockmarks. Still, the illumination spread by the full moon cannot be checked. Similarly, a little fault in the midst of volumes of devotional service is not at all to be counted as a fault. Attachment for Krishna is transcendental bliss. Amid unlimited volumes of transcendental bliss, a spot of some material defect cannot act in any way.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 19:
“When one’s desire to love Krishna in one’s particular relationship becomes intensified, this is known as pure love of Godhead.”
“In the Narada Pañcaratra it is clearly stated that when lust is completely transferred to the Supreme Godhead and the concept of kinship is completely reposed in Him, such is accepted as pure love of God by great authorities like Bhisma, Prahlada, Uddhava and Narada.”
“Ecstatic love of Godhead can be potently invoked simply by following the rules and regulations of devotional service as they are prescribed in scriptures, under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master.”
“From the example of Candrakanti as found in the Padma Purana and from the example of the gopis as found in Srimad-Bhagavatam, it appears that a devotee who always thinks of Krishna and who always chants His glories in ecstatic love, regardless of his condition, will attain the highest perfection of unalloyed devotional love due to Lord Krishna’s extraordinary mercy.”
“In the Narada Pañcaratra pure, unalloyed devotional service is explained as being without any motive for personal benefit. If a devotee is continuously in love with Lord Krishna and his mind is always fixed upon Him, that devotional attitude will prove to be the only means of attracting the attention of the Lord.”
“There are many societies and associations of pure devotees, and if someone with just a little faith begins to associate with such societies, his advancement to pure devotional service is rapid.”
“In the Narada Pañcaratra Lord Shiva therefore tells Parvati, ‘My dear supreme goddess, you may know from me that any person who has developed the ecstasy of love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and who is always merged in transcendental bliss on account of this love, cannot even perceive the material distress or happiness coming from the body or mind.’”
“Without relishing some sort of mellow, or loving mood, in one’s activities, no one can continue to perform such activities. Similarly, in the transcendental life of Krishna consciousness and devotional service there must be some mellow, or specific taste, from the service. Generally this mellow is experienced by chanting, hearing, worshiping in the temple and being engaged in the service of the Lord. So when a person feels transcendental bliss, that is called ‘relishing the mellow.’ To be more clear, we may understand that the various feelings of happiness derived from discharging devotional service may be termed the ‘mellows’ of devotional service.
“This relishing of transcendental mellow in discharging devotional service cannot be experienced by all classes of men because this sweet loving mood is developed only from one’s previous life’s activities or by the association of unalloyed devotees. As explained above, association with pure devotees is the beginning of faith in devotional service. Only by developing such faith in the association of a pure devotee, or by having in one’s previous life executed devotional activities, can one actually relish the mellow of devotional service. In other words, this transcendental bliss is not to be enjoyed by any common man unless he is so extraordinarily fortunate as to be in association with devotees or to be continuing his previous birth’s devotional activities.”
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 13.312, commentary:
“To attribute on someone faults that are not present is called blasphemy. Being induced by irrelevant goals, those who are unable to tolerate the glorification of others and with a desire to attack them unfairly attribute faults on them continually meet with inauspiciousness day after day.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 13.318, commentary:
“After Sri Gaurasundara accepted the bodies of Jagai and Madhai to be as good as His own, whatever He had them do, whatever He had them speak, however He had them behave, and whatever He had them eat was favorable for the service of Vishnu. In this way, after turning one towards the Lord’s service, the worshipable Lord takes His worshiper servant, who leaves a body made of the five gross elements within the material world, and departs.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 13.319, commentary:
“The proper use of independence is to become inclined towards the service of the Lord, but the senses of persons who are averse to the Lord’s service are induced by three types of false ego to engage in pious and impious activities and more or less identify with material nature.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Renewal:
“Listening to Prabhupada’s dynamic speech, and taking part personally in the singing and then the dancing, I felt completely free. I was with my best friends, although some of them I had only known for a few months. I felt the ecstasy of the Swami’s love for Krishna, and felt we had done a great thing and that it would become popular and widespread. I felt happy to have been a participant of the first recording, of The Happening maha-mantra record. There was a delay in the production and release of the record, but after a few months it finally came out, and quickly became popular, especially among the youth. It was played on the radio frequently, and it sold well in the record stores. Some persons joined the Hare Krishna Movement just on the force of this record and speech.”
From Sanatorium:
“I once heard Radhanatha Swami say that Prabhupada’s books are full of humility, and humility is everything; therefore, you can find everything in Prabhupada’s books.”
“I hear his [Prabhupada’s] lectures still and I am inspired and struggle. Even the struggle is good, like ‘wrestling with God.’”
“Prabhupada is gradually giving raganuga in his books. You’ll find many sections. There’s one section where he compares raganuga to the gradual learning of how to type with a typewriter. He says at first, you’re given lessons and you go slowly, but gradually you learn to type without even looking at the keys. So, he uses that famous word of his, ‘automatically’ you come to your position, and even to your siddha-deha, your eternal relationship with Krishna.”
From The Delaware Diaries, Volume 2 (Tachycardia):
“We’re having a rather large gathering at Thanksgiving, and some of the members won’t be Krishna conscious, so Sastra asked me if I could give a ‘secular’ talk. I don’t think I can. We have to thank God. I believe the first Thanksgiving was observed in the sixteen hundreds by the Pilgrims who sailed to America from England. They endured a bitter winter trying to make a settlement and dealing with the native Indians but somehow managed to survive. They shot some turkeys and had a feast and thanked God. They were a religious sect, the Puritans, who escaped England because of religious persecution.
“So when we give thanks on this day, it must be to our Provider, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We can think of all the ways in which we are grateful. We should express our gratitude that we’re able to eat so amply and not take it for granted, since many people in the world are starving. We should be thankful that we have a family of warm friends and relatives who can gather in harmony on this day and not in bitterness or split up. Children should be thankful to their parents, and parents thankful to their children for their obedience and growing up as good persons who want to make a contribution to the world.
“In the religious field, a spiritual master should be thankful to his disciples for their service and assistance, which he offers to God, or Krishna, and disciples should be thankful for the guidance of the spiritual master. We should be thankful we live in a civilized country where religious freedom is guaranteed.
“Aside from the things I put into a speech at a family gathering on Thanksgiving, I may consider privately the things I’m grateful for. I’m grateful that Srila Prabhupada came to me and saved my life. And especially that I met him in 1966. I’m grateful that I didn’t join him by joining an institution or through his disciples but that he personally handled me in the early days, when it was like a family. I’m grateful that he gave me positions to serve in ISKCON, such as temple president, and that he put me on the GBC when he formed it and that he picked my name to initiate on his behalf. I’m grateful that he called me to be his personal servant in 1974, put me in charge of the library party and that he always seemed to appreciate my service. I’m grateful that he and the GBC asked me to write the Srila Prabhupada-lilamṛta. I’m sorry that I failed him with my falldown, but grateful that I was able to work with Brahmatirtha Prabhu and the GBC committee to retain my position as sannyasi in ISKCON and keep my faithful disciples. I am grateful that I’ve been able to spend my later years in relative peace and quiet and take up renewed interest in chanting and hearing.”
“Society mocks the monks as parasites, but they do great good when they pray for souls and when they go into the world and try to help the fallen.”
“I’m glad I made a decision to keep chanting during the pain. Sometimes you have to choose sadhana over health care. You just want that life so badly.”
“Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I live with Him. I cry for self-realization. I want Him in the center of my life. I will hear of His pastimes and instructions.”
“Trying to get my financial affairs in order. Krishna will take care of me. ‘To those who are devoted to Me with love, I preserve what they have and deliver what they lack.’ One way or another, I will survive. He does it personally, and the pure devotee doesn’t doubt it. He has no financial insecurity.”
“You can rest assured that Krishna will give you food, clothing and shelter because you are sincerely serving Him and His representative.”
“Krishna Kripa is here visiting for a couple of days from Gainesville. He went down to the beach with us wearing a dhoti with long johns underwear. He said he liked it more than he expected because it was so peaceful, and the cold and the walk kept him alert. Baladeva took our picture together, and it looks like a seagull is standing on Krishna Kripa’s head.”
“KK said it must be hard for me to tolerate decades of headaches. I replied that it’s become a part of my life. And I told him what the migraineurs say about the remark that migraine is not a life-threatening disease. They say it is life-threatening because it takes so much away from their quality of life. They can’t play with their children, they get fired from their jobs, they have to stay in bed all day. If that isn’t life-threatening, what is? As they search for a cure, they cry out, ‘I want a life!’”
“KK told me he recently met with a sannyasi Godbrother who came to the U.S.A. to see what preaching was going on and decided nothing was going on. He’s going to try something big himself. He is trying to raise $250 million to build a Krishna conscious theme park in Orlando, Florida. Along with the theme park, he’ll build a self-sufficient community that will supply arts and crafts to the theme park. It really sounds like ‘shooting for the white rhinoceros.’”
“KK said he recently attended the Vyasa-puja of Hridayananda Maharaja in Florida, held in the house of one of his disciples. He said the microphone wasn’t properly balanced, and they had to balance it by hanging a can of beans on one side of the stand. Hridayananda Maharaja joked that whoever gave the best homage would win the can of beans. He said the function was very relaxed because Maharaja is very relaxed and funny.”
“I also received a nice letter from Caitanya-candrodaya from Ireland. He writes,
I often hear Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s quote, ‘I never was, am not, and never will be a spiritual master.’ I would never have understood it in practice until I see how you, while acting and being my spiritual master, never consider it to be your nature and never identify with it as your fixed position in relation to a disciple. You will always be my spiritual master because you do not only quote it but you live by this quote and are my eternal friend.
It could be shocking for a disciple to realize that it is not an eternal goal or a svarupa of his or her spiritual master. For someone, it could be a shock to realize that his or her spiritual master is not perfect and makes mistakes. For someone it could be a revelation that a spiritual master cannot see Krishna all the time. For some it could be a revelation that maya is strong enough to attack anyone in this world. But I know that you are my eternal friend and an associate of Krishna, I know that whatever mistakes you make, you teach us how to rectify them, I know that all the acaryas serve Krishna in separation, and I know that there is not a single soul on this world that is beyond the potential grip of maya, and the fact that one can overcome maya’s attacks is the actual direct mercy of Krishna to be praised.
I was very impersonal towards Prabhupada, I took him for a ‘previous’ great teacher, but it is by your mercy that I am able to relate to him as a person, not just an iconic figure but a real guru....
Your books talk to us, just as we talk to other devotees, it is as easy to read them as it is to talk to a friend. Please continue to write these ‘friendly’ comments on the Bhagavatam, so that thinking and nondogmatic followers of Prabhupada will always have a refuge of the seniormost disciple presenting Prabhupada’s words and answering the questions without pretense. It will take years to appreciate it for others, but that is the way of humility and art of following.
The last kick in the face of Hindu-imitating, pseudo-traditional and formalist religionist follower of a tradition called Gaudiya Vaisnavism, which is actually the activity of the soul and is free from any form of identification that are of this world, is your art. It is not just nice, it is challenging to a formal believer and liberating to a sincere cultural man, who would rather see a nonsectarian approach to Krishna and His philosophy, culture and love.
“Krishna Kripa admired the fact that I, although having difficulty, never gave up on my disciples but kept my promise to work with them and help them to go back to Godhead. I have kept my side of the bargain, he said.”
“Outside the [Philly] restaurant, I was stopped by a young bearded man dressed in a dhoti who had attended the whole [Vyasa-puja] program. He was someone I had never met before. Haryasva told me he comes to the restaurant often. He’s a disciple of Srila Narayana Maharaja. He told me that he has been reading my books for fifteen years and that he loves them more than anything. He told me one time Narayana Maharaja was crying, and when the devotees asked him why he was crying, he said he was thinking of Satsvarupa Maharaja. I was touched by this expression.”
“My dear Lord Krishna, You are always close to me. Thank you for being with me over the Vyasa-puja weekend and allowing me to discharge those duties. I must always be there for those who wish to be my disciples. I must exchange with them in love.”
“Most of all I need to feel love for You, Divine One, and for my spiritual master. That will be the root for all the love I can give to others.”
“On this day after my birthday celebration, I rededicate myself to setting a good example and serving Your dear ones. Some of them are depending on me, and I must not fail. I must find the love in my heart, which You have implanted, and share it with them. I do this first by becoming Your unalloyed devotee and the servant of my Guru Maharaja.”
“You can be simultaneously involved only with Your most intimate devotees in Goloka Vṛndavana, and yet open to touch with aspiring souls who maybe appear to be very distant to You, living in the material world and still distracted by the illusory energy. Whenever they turn to You, You are ready for them.”
“You are my only shelter. And I only know You through my connection with Srila Prabhupada. He has left this world in his manifested form, but he is still present spiritually in his teachings and personal example. His kindness toward me while he was here remains in my heart. My duty to serve him will always be with me.”
“Have faith in the scriptural statements that chanting Hare Krishna constantly is the greatest act of devotion. Do it despite your low taste.”
“I stand face to face with Krishna. I bow down to His lotus feet. Nami (Krishna) and nama (His name) are identical. Each bead chanted on is bowing to Krishna and Radha. Even when you don’t do it perfectly in the offenseless stage, it counts in your favor.”
“When your time is upit will be hard to chant the namesso do it while you canwhile you’re calm and at your ease.”
Dasaratha Suta Prabhu:
From a conversation in Alachua:
“The false ego is such a rascal that it convinces you that it’s the Paramatma.”
Pran Govinda Swami:
A sadhu is relishing spiritual life and eager to share it with others.
What you do not believe, you cannot make others believe.
Varna you are born with, but asrama you are not born with.
These three questions we should ask ourselves every day: Who we are? Whose we are? Where we are?
We cannot do bhakti without happiness.
Brahma-bhuta means free from the three modes of nature.
When we come to Krishna consciousness by engaging in devotional service we become spiritualized. Whenwe stop performing devotional service, we return to our previous state.
We get delivered by the devotee infusing Krishna’s potency from his heart to ours.
The gopis have ten kinds of gossip or jalpa about Krishna, and Krishna likes that. Their gossip keeps them in the spiritual world, but our gossip keeps us in this world.
The false ego binds the spiritual soul to matter.
There are only two choices: you either work for Krishna or you work for maya.
When we see things separate from God then fear will come, so we should practice connecting things with Krishna.
No one cannot live without philosophy, and if you do not accept Krishna consciousness, you have to accept some other philosophy.
Every moment we have a choice to love Krishna or not love Krishna.
Service cannot be taken away from us because it is our nature.
Love is eternally with the soul.
The Mayavadis aspire for cessation of existence, but you can ask them how they know in that state they will be experiencing happiness.
The process of bhakti is one of purification not escape. If you try to escape, you can’t run far.
Faith is essential. Even if you cannot understand Krishna’s words, still have faith in them.
Krishna’s form is the condensed form of bliss, from the tip of hair to the toe nail.
All of Vraja moves by feeling. Sat and cit is subordinate to ananda. Krishna and His devotees are all absorbed in ananda.
Your soul is more beautiful than your body, no matter how well you decorate it.
The Lord is in our heart as Paramatma, a judge, but by our service Krishna Himself with all His mercy will enter our heart and merge with Paramatma.
Dhundhukari, although grossly sinful, attained liberation when he heard the Bhagavatam with faith and engaged in three things: contemplation, reflection, and assimilation.
In Vraja they do not calculate times or days. This is called vivek-sunya-prema.
Higher than that is visramba-prema. When Krishna is absent, they close their eyes and see Krishna within and engage in pastimes with Him.
Higher is utkantha-mayi, in which the devotee cannot be for a moment without Krishna.
There are ten features of a Vedic welcome.
The eclipse at Kurukshetra was exactly 50 years after Krishna left Vrindavan.
Narada was shocked that Krishna invited everyone to Kurukshetra at the time of the solar eclipsis except the residents of Vraja.
Krishna explained that he did not invite residents of Vraja because they love Him so much it would be hard to accommodate them.
Krishna decided to just invite the utkantha-mayi devotees to Kurukshetra.
Nanda, Yasoda, and the cowherd boys and girls went but were detained by the guards outside the Dvaraka pandal at Kurukshetra.
The discussion with the guards continued until it got to the point where Yasoda said, “If I cannot see Krishna, I will die at this spot.”
Yasoda sang, “Gopal!”
Krishna, having taken off his kingly costume, came running.
Uddhava created a special place for Yasoda and Krishna to meet.
Yasoda and Krishna hugged intensely for quite sometime.
Afterward Yasoda told Krishna, pointing to Radha and the gopis, they miss You more than me.
Lover, beloved, and love. Without these things, life has no meaning.
Bringing someone to Krishna gives Him the most pleasure, but to do that we have to give ourselves to Krishna first.
Philosophy, practical, spontaneous.
Krishna is the only manifestion of the Lord who can accommodate all the rasas.
Nitya-siddha means you love Krishna more than yourself.
Comment:
You mentioned that if we do not accept Krishna’s philosophy, then we will accept some other philosophy. That reminded me of this verse:
“Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead, who possesses unlimited transcendental qualities. Acting from within the cores of the hearts of all philosophers, who propagate various views, He causes them to forget their own souls while sometimes agreeing and sometimes disagreeing among themselves. Thus He creates within this material world a situation in which they are unable to come to a conclusion. I offer my obeisances unto Him.” (SB 6.4.31)
Regarding freeing ourselves from our subtle body, this verse comes to mind:
“Bhakti, devotional service, dissolves the subtle body of the living entity without separate effort, just as fire in the stomach digests all that we eat.” (SB 3.25.33)
You mentioned that Krishna isthe condensed form of spiritual bliss. That reminds me that once a girl hearing the harinama in the Times Square subway station said, “That sound is pure joy!” Krishna’s name, which is nondifferent from Krishna, is also pure spiritual bliss.
You were talking about scary verses. Here is another: “There is no stronger obstruction to one’s self-interest than thinking other subject matters to be more pleasing than one’s self-realization.” (SB 4.22.32)
Devaki Devi Dasi:
From a Sunday feast lecture in Alachua on Bhagavad-gita 13.34 on March 29, 2025:
The Alachua is famous all over the world. Everyone has at least heard the glories of Alachua.
Thank God we are not conscious of all bodies. It is challenging enough to be conscious of our own body.
A person who is highly elevated in spiritual consciousness is efflugent.
On a morning walk the devotees overheard two policemen talking about Srila Prabhupada. One was saying to the other, “That man is glowing.”
One man who had kidney failure accepted a kidney transplant from his wife. She loved chocolate, but no one else in the family did. However, after the transplant the man raided his wife’s chocolate stash as he developed a craving for it. They mentioned that to the doctor, who smiled, saying that often happens when they transplant an organ. After a few days, however, the consciousness of the recipient influences the new organ, and his former tastes return.
There was a radio program where I heard of a study done on trees. The consciousness of a tree was expressed in sound. The sound of a peaceful tree and the sound of a tree in anxiety were played. The cause of the tree’s anxiety was that three years ago a person had damaged the tree, and now the same person had returned.
There is a devotee in Germany who built his own house himself over a period of a few years. When you enter that house, you can feel its special energy.
Kirtan is the perfect and sublime love song.
Sacinandana Swami says when we use the kirtan to show off it is like giving people a capsule of poison instead of medicine.
We do not get the full benefit of hearing through the internet as when we hear in person.
I was at an ecstatic kirtan. Someone recorded it and gave the recording to me. When I heard it, I was waiting to experience that same ecstasy I remembered, but it was not there. Then I realized that hearing in person is special.
Gaura Govinda Swami says that still there are two benefits of hearing recorded talks of sadhus: (1) We remember the feeling we had when we were sitting in front of the sadhu. (2) We long for that personal association again.
Comments by me:
You were glorifying the special potency of the speaking of the pure devotee, and that reminded me of this selection from a purport, “Although when a pure devotee speaks the articulation of his voice may resemble the sound of this material sky, the voice is spiritually very powerful because it touches the particles of saffron dust on the lotus feet of the Lord. As soon as a sleeping living entity hears the powerful voice emanating from the mouth of a pure devotee, he immediately remembers his eternal relationship with the Lord, although up until that moment he had forgotten everything.” (SB 4.20.25, purport)
At 26 Second Avenue, I prayed to Srila Prabhupada to be able to chant the same name of Krishna that he brought from India and chanted in that very place back in 1966. My kirtans are not usually very ecstatic, but that one was.
On harinama on a good day I pray to chant the pure name of Krishna so that those who hear get the supreme spiritual benefit.
You mention that Srila Prabhupada wanted that tree in Bombay to be protected. Once in Dallas a tree was damaged by lightning, and devotees were worried that it might fall on one of the buildings so they cut it down. Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami was in charge at the time, and when Srila Prabhupada next visited, Srila Prabhupada criticized him heavily for unnecessarily taking the life of the tree.
Govinda Kaviraja Prabhu:
When people are suffering, and they see it is beyond their control, they pray to God, the person who is in control. That is natural.
There was a time, for a month or so, in the Kyiv temple in Ukraine when we did not have any outreach programs, but the devotees were very absorbed in the morning and evening programs in the temple. One club called us and invited us to do a program, and we did a fire sacrifice in their club. One of the devotee ladies did an Indian dance. A movie was made of it by some nondevotees, and it was shown on TV in Ukraine. Part of the movie compared the devotee’s dance with the dance of the usual club dancer, the divine and the demoniac side by side, and it was very well done.
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This is one of two verses which I am aware of which mention that devotion to Krishna eternally exists within the heart of the every living entity. That is a wonderful concept for me. The love of Krishna is already there. It just has to be awakened. In the beginning, because we are so absorbed with the idea of finding pleasure in materialistic activities, devotion to Krishna may seem artificial, and thus it is reassuring to know that it is something we already have, although in some cases it is very much covered. If we are enthusiastic about the practice, it is only a matter of time before our love of Krishna is uncovered.
krti-sadhya bhavet sadhya-
bhava sa sadhanabhidha nitya-siddhasya bhavasya prakatyam hrdi sadhyata
“When transcendental devotional service, by which love for Krishna is attained, is executed by the senses, it is called sadhana-bhakti, or the regulative discharge of devotional service. Such devotion eternally exists within the heart of every living entity. The awakening of this eternal devotion is the potentiality of devotional service in practice.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 22.105, which is a quoted from Rupa Goswami’s Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu 1.2.2)
The Festival of Colors exemplifies how spirituality can unite people across diverse backgrounds. Thanks to leaders like Caru Das and Vaibhavi Devi Dasi-whose dedication continues Srila Prabhupada's mission-the event has become more than just a celebration; it is a movement promoting peace, harmony, and cultural understanding. As Holi 2025 concludes with smiles on every face and colors on every hand, it leaves behind a legacy of joy that will inspire future generations. Whether you are drawn by spirituality or simply seeking fun-filled moments with loved ones, this festival reminds us all that life is meant to be celebrated-together! Continue reading "Holi in Utah: How the Festival of Colors Brings Vibrancy, Community, and Devotion to Spanish Fork and Salt Lake City → Dandavats"
The section of Bhagavatam, which is basically introducing us to the characters. Bhagavatam, as we know, is a conversation between Parikshit Maharaj and Shukdev Goswami. And this conversation, the Bhagavatam’s conversation actually begins the core conversation begins from the second canto. It goes to the around twelve point four. So that is the conversation.
Now the first canto, basically, the people who are conversing are being introduced. And it’s interesting over here, the way the Bhagavatam does this, for the speaker, there’s a very brief introduction. It’s only five to six verses in the first chapter in seventh chapter of the first canto. Mhmm. That is where how Shrutadeva Swami was the son of Vyasadeva and how he was so detached and how he was so realized as described.
And from there onwards, the listener, his introduction is being given from 1.7 to 1.19. And that is, how great a person was he? So, how great were his poor fa his ancestors? What is the great dynasty he was born in? And what was the adversity in which he appeared?
How the lord protected him at the time of death? And now, specifically, the prophecies that were made at the time of his birth, of what all illustrious qualities he would have, those are being displayed through his actions. So here, he’s vigilantly traveling in his kingdom to see what is going on. When he hears that there is some disturbance, he travels around. It’s like, if a city is, well managed by the police, then they don’t just wait for somebody to report crime.
There are petrol cars, which are constantly going around to see if there’s any crime. So that’s proactive detection and prevention or at least minimization of the crime. So like that, he is not waiting for someone to come to his kingdom, to his court, to tell him there’s a problem. He hears there’s a problem, and he himself goes out to see what is the problem. And now he’s countering the crime that is happening over here.
So, basically, in this section, the character of Parichit Maharaj as a responsible leader is being described. And I’ll talk about this with this initial context. I’ll talk about this session and there are three parts and then we’ll have some questions. First is, so I’ll use the acronym act for this. So is analysis.
We’ll talk about what is going on. The broad topic we’re discussing is the role of government in spirituality. What is the role of the king? What is the role of the ruler in fostering spiritual values or spiritual culture? So we’ll talk about analysis of what was there in the Vedic context.
Then after that, we will talk about the can I have some water? Yes. I have a mic. Okay. So what is the underlying concept?
And lastly, how does it apply today? So nowadays, there is, whenever people talk about, say, any kind of religion and the association of that with the government, there is that fear that are you talking about theocracy? Are you going to impose your faith on everyone else? So in the vedic context, there are two distinct terms. There is dharma and there is shraddha.
Now shraddha can be translated also as bhakti. Now dharma, while sometimes, nowadays it is translated as religion. Dharma actually refers to order. Dharma refers to, basically, law and order. Now, sometimes people say that, you know, religion should never be mixed with politics.
And God and politics keep it all separate. Well, Krishna comes to this world specifically for political purpose. What do you mean by political purpose? Krishna comes to disempower and neutralize those rulers who have become disruptive. Krishna fights and, dethrones Karna to Kamsa.
Ram, he removes Ravan. So now when we use the word politics, there are many meanings to the word politics. But I will first, let’s do this analysis. If you see what Krishna is telling in the Bhagavad Gita, it’s 4.78 are well known verses. Where Krishna says that, He says whenever dharma goes down, dharma comes up.
I descend personally. And what do I do? I establish that, ma’am. Dharmasam sphaapna aartaya. Sambhawami, you gay, you gay.
I come to establish dharma. That is in 04/1978. And then after that, in the next two verses, it is 4.91. This is where he’s talking about Bhakti. Should the proppa would put four general Hindu community often quotes 4.78 quite a lot.
Proppa would put 4.9 much more. Those who understand the transcendental nature of my appearance and activities, they become attracted to me, they become devoted to me, and they attain me. And Krishna says, for this, you need to become free from Become free from anger. Become free from, attachment. Become free from apathy.
And then you’ll come to me. You can take shelter off me and come to me. So in one sense, I’ve drawn this as a as a funnel. See, dharma is mandatory. Dharma is law and order.
Somebody cannot say that I won’t follow the traffic rules. That is mandatory. Shraddha or bhakti is voluntary. Stopped. And then he says, just by seeing me here, by seeing my activities, there will be people who will get attracted to me and they’ll come to me.
So Krishna does want, we could say spirituality in the sense of bhakti. That Krishna wants that. But Krishna does not impose that. That is something which Krishna inspires. So, you know, following the traffic rules is mandatory.
Okay. A, the police say, every morning you have to come to Krishna House for attending the morning class. That would be forcing a faith on someone. You know, where you drive on the road, that is up to you. But following the rules when you’re driving on the road is not up to you.
So dharma, although the word sometimes is translated as religion, dharma is basically, order. Srila Prabhupada would explain dharma as an inherent property of an object. Now that which makes a thing what it is. So another way to understand dharma is it is harmonious belonging. That we all belong to certain larger units.
So when we belong to some larger units, we get something from that and we need to give something to that. Mhmm. See now, all of you sitting for this session and some of you sitting close to other people. Everyone of you is quite confident that the person sitting next to you is not going to suddenly turn on you and punch you in the face. Is that possible?
You could say anything is possible. Isn’t it? But if somebody is coming for a spiritual talk early in the morning, we understand they must have a basic level of discipline, a basic level of culture, a basic level of self restraint by which they won’t do something so disruptive or crazy. Isn’t it? So this is if you’re coming for a class, there’s a way to harmoniously belong to the class.
Now, if somebody sits right in front and sits with the back of the speaker, that would be disharmonious belonging. Or if somebody is sitting and talking loudly on phone with someone. Then that would be disharmonious belonging. So whichever unit we are belonging to, belonging to that is the essence of that. Mhmm.
So if we are going on the traveling or driving on the road, then we are belonging to the road transport system. And then we need to belong harmoniously. If we are part of a family, then we get something from the family, we’re expected to give something to the family. If we are in university, if we are having a job, we’re getting a salary, we’re expected to make a contribution out of it. So dharma is basically harmonious belonging.
And this maintaining basic harmony is essential for the functioning of society itself. And this ensuring that harmonious belonging occurs is the responsibility of the rulers. That ruler if somebody is a ruler of a country, then they have to make sure that the citizens follow the rules of the country, and the citizens are protected while they are within the country. So here Prabhupada is giving the example that even the animals are considered citizens, and they also need to be protected. So we won’t go into that direction of animal killing.
I will focus on this basic principle of dharma that harmonious belonging. So now dharma in that sense has two aspects. So, harmonious belonging, there is an individual level to it, and there is a social level to it. So, at an individual level, we should follow the traffic rules. That’s individual dharma.
But social dharma would be that the cops should not be corrupt. And the cops should not target members of a particular community because they dislike those members. A small a small crime by a small I may say, what are the two kinds of a larceny and felony? A small larceny, a minor crime by people from one demographic is a huge charge against them. And a big crime by someone else from another community, and it’s just overkill.
It’s downplayed. So dhar so so dharma means it is the individual has to belong harmoniously, but the social unit also has to perform perform harmoniously. So both of these together are dharma. And maintaining the order of the larger units that a person belongs to is the responsibility of the head. Whoever the head of the state may be.
Whoever the and this applies not just to kings. The the word as I said, the word politics, it has two different meanings. There is a neutral meaning, and there is a negative meaning. The neutral meaning is politics is basically the art of the science or the system of administration. So every every place will have to have a political system, like political science.
It’s a field where we study. We will study democracy. We will study monarchy. We will study communism. So neutral, it is a system of administration.
So we cannot live without some kind of political system of administration management. The negative sense is manipulation. No. Don’t be bring politics into this, you know. Don’t be don’t do politics over here.
We’re not here for politics, sir. Don’t be angry for power and don’t backstab, don’t manipulate. So when, we are using the word politics here, it is more that neutral sense. That every society or every group, everything, every unit where people belong, every unit that is bigger than an individual will require some managerial system, some administrative system. And that administrative system would be the political system over there.
The political system could be we have democracy. Sometimes we may have, multiple admins, but one person may have veto over there. Now all of you can vote, but I will veto. Again, the UN UN Security Council, there are five members who have the veto power. So this is how things are managed.
So it is both the individuals should be law abiding, and the system should be enforcing the law in a fair way. It should not be discriminatory. It should not be disproportionate. So dharma refers to both these things. Now if you see the war that was fought after the Bhagavad Gita was spoken, that was between two parties.
Who were those two parties? You know the names? Pandavas. Pandavas. Pandavas.
And the? The Kurus. The they know the Kauravas. The Kauravas. Now interestingly, was it that the Pandavas were devotees and the Kauravas were non devotees?
Yes. No. This devote was happening. Yeah. So it is it is not a war between devotees and non devotees.
It is if you see among the Pandavas now, specifically, when we talk about the word devotees, we refer to Vaishnavas. We are in the Vaishnavas tradition where we worship Krishna Krishna. Now it’s interesting that on the Kaurava side, there were Vaishnavas. That who were the Vaishnavas on the Kaurava side? Bhishma.
Bhishma himself was there. Dronacharya was not a Vaishnava. Oh, sorry. Dronacharya was a Shaivite. Yeah.
But there was another king named Bhushrwa. He was a Vaishnava. Now on the Pandava side, there were Shaivites. Shaiwites are those who worship lord Shiva. And so Drupada himself, his family deity was lord Shiva.
So it was not a religious war. It was not that Krishna devotees or Vishnu devotees were imposing Vishnu devotion on everyone else. It was not that when Krishna went as a peace messenger to the Kaurava, he said, you all start chanting Hare Krishna, and there’s no war in there. So it was not for religious imposition. Duryodhan was such a terrible ruler that he tried to dishonor and disrupt Draupadi in public in the royal assembly.
There will always be in the world men who will be predators. It’s an unfortunate reality it is there. But such predatory men generally would prey on some woman in some lonely street where there is no evidence, no eyewitnesses. They have some fear of the law. But if somebody does something like this in public, then that means they have no fear of the law.
But if somebody goes to a police station or somebody goes to a court and commits a crime over there, then that means not only do they have no fear of the law, the law has fear of them. And such people would be brazen and brutal, and they need to be stopped. So Duryodhan’s actions against Duropathy fell in this category. He was not ready to reform at all. So the war was fought to establish dharma.
It was not to impose bhakti. It was not that Yudhishthir told the drashtra, if you don’t chant Hare Krishna, it’s only. After now that I have defeated you, I’ll force my faith on. He did not do that. So dharma is basically the you could say law and order in a broad sense, but it is basically the system by which harmonious belonging is possible.
So for harmonious belonging to be possible, it’s both ways. That at an individual level, the individuals should be responsible to follow the rules that are expected of them, and the administrators should be fair. So when Krishna says, I come to establish dharma, what he means by that is he is changing those who are ruling the system because they are not fair. They are exploitative. They are they’re manipulative.
They’re evil. So that is one aspect. Now so the analysis I talk about here is that that the Gita and our the broad Vedic tradition is that dharma is to be established by the king. It is not that bhakti is to be imposed. There are many kings in history.
There was a famous king, Krishnadevaraya. He held, built a Jainagar empire. It’s one of the most prosperous kingdoms in the medieval times. And, you know, he belonged to a particular faith. He was, he was a Vaishnav.
From the he was following the Madhu Sampradaya. Then one of his descendants, he started following the, Shiri Sampradaya. And one of his successors started following the Advaita Sampradaya. He became a he will follow the impersonal spirit. But it is not that when the when the personal faith of the ruler changed that the king king decided, you know, okay now I’m away because I’m a Vaishnava, I will destroy all my bodies.
Now that or I’m a Mayawadi, I will destroy all Vaishnavas. He didn’t do that. That, it was his personal faith and naturally because it was his personal faith, he would give more donations, he would facilitate, he may build maybe temples or provide educational support for that particular tradition. But he would not impose his faith on others. That’s not a king’s job description.
So that brings me to second part. I said, first of all, about analysis. And now what is the concept? The underlying concept is basically with with with sort of free will. Now, with respect to free will, there are two distinct aspects to it.
On one side, the free will should always be respected. Everybody has freedom. Krishna has given everyone free will. Krishna does not impose his will on everyone. Now Krishna could have if he had wanted, if you are not ready to become my devotee, I’ll destroy.
Krishna does not do that. That on one side, even when Krishna speaks the Gita, not even once does Krishna use his godhood to impose his will on Arjuna in the Gita. If that’s what Krishna wanted to do, he could have finished the whole Bhagavad Gita in six words. What were the six words? I am God.
Obey me. Fight. Bhagavad Gita completed. So Krishna does not do that. Krishna builds a reasoned argument for Arjuna to understand and accept what Krishna is saying.
So the other aspect of free will is needs to be guided. It needs to be refined. We have free will, but that doesn’t mean that we allow that free will always knows what is good for us. So you could put this as a pendulum. At one exit, it is the free will is only respected And not guided at all.
Then, okay. You can do whatever you want. Does that mean that, you know, I wanna kill myself. Let me kill myself. I wanna kill you.
I’ll kill you also. I respect your free will. No. Free will always has to have some boundaries. With respect to free will, it’s only respected.
Then, it can become very destructive. Disruptive and destructive. It has to Now, on the other hand, if it is only restricted. Now when when I say restricted, it’ll be no. You cannot do this.
You cannot do this. You cannot do this. You cannot do this. In in the bible, there are 10 commandments. So there’s a atheist spoof against the bible.
So in the it said that that in the beginning was the word and the word was God. So that is the saying that’s sitting in the bible, but how they it is it. In the beginning was the word and the word was no. The word was no means you cannot do this. You cannot do this.
You cannot do that. You cannot do that. So if religion and spirituality are seen as just no. No. No.
People they’ll they’ll be rebellion. People will become rebellious. And will not be able to sustain it. So, with respect to free will, what has to be done is, at one level, you know, it has to be appreciated. That everyone has free will and we cannot impose anything on anyone.
But at the same time, it also has to be elevated. K. What is really good for you? You can say it’s elevated or educated. So, we need to accommodate the free will has to be accommodated.
We cannot impose anything on anyone. But at the same time, what is the best use of the free will? That also has to be done. Done. So this is the broad way Krishna himself manages the material world.
And how does this what does this mean for in terms of the government? We have the head of state, you have the ruler. Whatever it is. You know? The one extreme would be imposition of one’s faith.
In European history, this happened that there was a hundred year war between the protestants and the Catholics. And both were trying to impose their faith on others. So if the head of state would become in the history of England, it happened that when the when the king was a protestant, the person will persecute the Catholics. And the king became Catholic, then the Catholic would produce to protect would persecute the protestants. So now this the king is not meant to impose faith.
The king is not meant to punish people who who who follow different faith. In India, when there was Islamic rule, apart from the many much destruction of the temples and other things that happened, that was intermittent. It was severe when it happened. But for a large period of Islamic history, there was a tax called jaziah. That was a discriminated task.
Anybody who was not Muslim was had to pay that task. Pay that tax. And if you just became Muslim, that tax will be go up. We would have complete. So now this is discrimination.
It can be at various levels. But one cannot the king cannot impose based on faith. But on, the other side, one is imposition. That cannot be done. But the other side is condemnation.
The king is the head of state is not meant to impose one’s own faith, but the head of state is also not meant to condemn faith. It is not meant to reject faith. So this is what happened, say, in France when the French revolution happened. After that, it went France became aggressively anti religious. They had the Notre Dame was renamed as a as a as a temple of reason.
And they started rejecting religion and they persecuted religious people. That’s what was tried at a mass level in communism in China and Russia. China and Soviet Russia, USSR. So people often say religion is the cause of war. Well, Soviet Russia and China are examples of, states that were administered without any religion, not other official rejection of religion.
And what is the result? The result was a hundred million corpses. The number of people killed during the communist regime was more than world war one and world war two combined and doubled also. And so that was the state persecuted. So the state becoming officially, aggressively atheistic is also not healthy.
So in between is, the state should have provide inspiration. Not imposition, but inspiration. Inspiration to follow a particular set of values, a set of principles. So dharma needs to be established. It needs to be enforced.
But spirituality has to be inspired. It cannot be it cannot be forced for people. So now that brings us to the context today. What do we do today? So now if we look at history of the world, secularism that is prominently there.
Now, sec as the idea of secularism is said to have evolved in Europe and secularism is at one level, humility. Humility in the political domain. What do I mean by humility in the political domain? It is not the business of the head of state to legislate faith. It is it is to a large extent when this humility was accepted.
You know, you each individual can have their own faith. That is accepted. That’s where to some extent peace has been there. Now if this changes, then there will be there’s there’s disruption. There is violence.
So in India, we we did not have, say, Christianity, Islam, and other such such these faiths were not there traditionally in the Vedic time, but still, there were Shaivayat, there were Vaishnavayat. There were different faiths in that sense. And the kings were actually secular. Now so now secularism can mean three different things. It can mean neutrality towards faith, shraddha or bhakti.
Neutrality. But, historically, this was what secularism was intended to be, neutrality. But afterwards, it became apathy. Neutrality means that the state will not impose any particular faith. But if you don’t care about it at all, that is bad.
And over a period of time, in some places at work, it has become hostility. Become hostility or antipathy towards faith. So neutrality is good. Apathy is worse. Hostility is by far the worst.
The state should not be opposed to people in spiritual. So, like, Marxism, their ideas is religion is the opium of the masses. So why so now that’s why he was aggressively against religion. That’s what communism tried to do. And that has not worked at all in history.
It’s not just from a spiritual perspective and from a, as I said, from a law and order perspective. If people do not have some higher purpose for their lives, as a higher sense of meaning, then the craving for worldly things will become excessive and destructive and destructive. So what can we we do at our level today? It is you know, for all of us, when we are individual citizens, most of us, we live in democratic countries. So we have, to some extent, some power, some ends of agency by the votes we give.
So broadly speaking, when we look for a head of state, the first criteria should be dharma, and the second can be shraddha or ba. Say, it is not that just because some head of state is of my faith. That’s why I will vote for you. That’s an important consideration. But that should not be the sole consideration.
Why not? Because politics is serious work. If I got a heart attack, now would I go to a devotee heart surgeon or non devotee heart surgeon? Whichever one’s better. Yeah.
Whichever one’s better. I do only heart surgeon, I promise you that when I will do when I do surgery, I’ll chant Harishna. That’s nice. But will you do the surgery properly? I can’t guarantee that, but I will do I’ll chant Harishna on that.
Because I want to go back to audit, but not so early. So just as in any field when we function, material world, functioning any field is a serious business. And it requires competence. It requires competence to function in that particular field. And if somebody doesn’t have that competence, having that person as a leader will lead to chaos.
Most of the problems that are there, if you consider the African countries, have not progressed so much. And is it because of religion? Actually, among all the continents, you could say Africa is the most religious continent. Half of it is Christian, half of it is Muslim. And both of them are quite aggressive with that.
And you see, most of the problems are not because of religion. They’re, of course, problems because of religion, but it is because of bad leaders. And bad means they’re bad simply in material terms. They are progressive, more than panasic leaders who will just who will just earn a lot of money, who will just aggrandize a lot of money while the people are starving. People are suffering.
So it is not to pile on Africa. I’m just giving this as an example that, you know, religious affiliation is not as important a qualification for a leader as material competence. Now of course, if there is material competence and there is a spiritual inclination, there’s a religious, alignment. That’s even better. So Arjuna succeeded in the Purukshetra war not just because he was a devotee, also because he was a great archer.
His son was a great devotee. But his son was not that great an archer. And Abhimanyu got trapped. And he died. So, in the material world is a harsh place.
And we need competence over here. So when we are exercising our political discretion, we wanna consider both these factors, that the capacity of the leader to establish dharma, and the capacity of the leader to inspire bhakti. However, even if the government is completely non theistic, but if they maintain basic law and order, we can practice our faith and we can inspire others to practice. We can share our faith with others. But if there is complete law and order chaos, then you might be sitting in a class like this and somebody throws a bomb from the window.
You know, a sudden some bomb explodes. We won’t be able to function. How much can we function? So in that sense, we need to be clear. Krishna calls upon Arjuna to do his duty, which in this case was to fight a war to establish that.
And the Gita has spoken so that he would do it in his spiritual consciousness. And in that sense, we for each one of us, there is dharma so I’ll conclude with this point now. There is dharma is we belong harmoniously. Each one of us will belong to various units. So for example, you know, we are in this class.
We belong to this class. Now we are in the city of our Gainesville. So there are some rules of Gainesville. We are in Florida. We’re in America.
So like that, we all belong to larger and larger units. So the ultimate unit that we belong to, that all units are rested in is God. So Krishna is, in that sense, we’re following all of these is dharma. From each of these, we’re getting something, and we need to be giving something. But all of them ultimately culminate in Krishna.
And that’s why bhakti is the highest dharma. Krishna says harvardharma, pririti, jama, and kamisha, namtha cham. So it’s not a Dharmi and Bhakti are unrelated. The highest Dharma is Bhakti, and that’s what is ultimately to be practiced. But that has to be individually practiced because it’s it’s a matter of the heart.
Matters of the heart cannot be imposed by the law, nor can they be legislated by the law. They have to be so all the other dharmas should be arranged in such a way that a person becomes inspired to follow the highest dharma. That so the family the the parent should be in such a way that they inspire children to become devotees. The school should be such that they inspire students to become devotees. The social culture should be such that they inspire people to come to.
But nobody can impose. If our child does not become a devotee, that does not mean to stop loving our child. As a parent, our dharma is there. We should take care of the child. If our parents are not become devotees, no.
They should not be opposing our devotion and crushing our devotion. Then we have to draw some warnings. But just because they are not devotees does not mean that we reject them. We would like to inspire bhakti, but dharma is something which we all need to follow. So I’ll summarize what I discussed.
Broadly, we discussed three points. The topic was the role of the head of state, role of king, or role of politics in spirituality. So or rather, to put it that way, how what is the what is the head of statement to do with respect to spirituality? So I talk about first of all, I give context that this is Parrishit Maharaj’s qualification to describe. So a was the analysis.
The analysis was Krishna comes to to establish dharma and inspire bhakti, not to impose bhakti. So it’s like a funnel. Dharma is something which everybody has to follow. This is 4.78 in the data. And then Bhakti Krishna himself said that very few people, one among thousands will actually practice Bhakti.
This is something which is to be enforced. It’s law and order. This is to be inspired. And we discussed how the Kurukshetra war was not a war between devotees and nondevotees. It’s a the Pandavas.
It’s not that they were all devotees, and the Kauravas were all nondevotees. It is a war over a law and order issue, not a devotional issue. So then we talk about the concept over there. I spent a lot of time in the analysis part itself. The concept was what?
The free will is to be respected. Now free will is to be respected, but if it’s only respected, then there will be a problem. If it’s only restricted only respected, then people will abuse it. Only restricted, it will be cause suffocation. So what it is?
It is to be it is to be refined. Refined means how do you refine it? In one side, it is to be appreciated, but it’s also be elevated or educated. Everybody has freedom, and we wanna and they elevate their freedom. So like that, the head is not meant to imposition of faith is not to be there, but nor is there meant to be the rejection of faith.
So, unfortunately, what has happened with respect to secularism. In in between is inspiration. The faith has to be inspired. Last part I talked about was today. So what has happened is secularism is largely present in most parts of the world.
Secularism originally started as what? Neutrality towards religion. But from neutrality, it became apathy. And in some parts, it has become hostility. Now that is unwanted.
And then when we are trying to select a leader, we would like to see both, you know, material competence, that is the capacity to establish dharma. And we have to we’ll say the spiritual spiritual devotion or spiritual inclination. That would be bhakti. So while both are important, but actually, material competence is much more important. And when we have this, then at a basic level, the king will maintain order.
So the king is not Parikshit is not punishing Kali because he’s a non devotee. Parikshit is Kali punishing Kali because he is being cruel. He’s disrupting law and order. Thank you very much. Hooray, Krishna.
Hooray, Krishna. Do we have time? So my my question is in regard to thank you so much. This is so brilliant. My mind is totally blown.
I’m like, I’m going to just, like, turn this over a thousand times to really understand it. But my question is actually within the context of, of ISKCON and Bakhti. What, I would just love you to speak on this concept of free will and what what to do when those who are your authority restrict free will within with specifically within the ISCOM context and and the fact that there is, like, a clear hierarchical Yeah. See, in general, there are two distinct things. One is autonomy and the other is facility.
Now in general, nowhere in the world, in any institution, will we get both of those together. Now if I come here, if I come here to give a talk, I want a facility. There’s a system over here. There’s a there’s an audience over here. So now if I come here and if I say I’ll I wanna speak with politics directly.
No. We don’t talk politics over. Here, if I say that I want to speak with Vedan Sutra. So now we speak with the Bhagavad. So I might just by using this facility, some of my autonomy is going to be restricted.
Like, if I want the autonomy, if I want to do Vedan Sutra, then I have the facility I have the autonomy to do that, but I cannot demand facility. So if I want a particular facility, that will require me to sacrifice some of my autonomy. So now each one of us has to decide based on our individual needs, our individual needs and our individual inspirations. Now which one do I need more, or which one is more important for me? So when you say the historical authority restricting our free will, at least the way I’m understanding it is that there are certain things within any institutional framework.
There’ll be some restriction of autonomy. If somebody says I want to become a devotee, I want to be initiated in this con, but I don’t wanna chant Hare Krishna. At least you have the free will not to chant, but then if you want to be a part of this community, this is what is required. So I would say, each leader will have a particular vision, and they may insist on certain things. And the advantage of the way the Prabhupada made the Krishna consciousness movement was that he made it like a a nuclear joint family.
What it means to that? It’s a we are all a part of one joint family, but each is a nuclear family. Each center is like a nuclear family. In the sense that if we can’t gel with at one particular place, if we find that the rules are too strict over here or that ambiance atmosphere is not that good, we can always go to some other place. So we may have we have that autonomy.
Now can we change the place itself? Well, it depends. So I would say this is a broad we cannot expect that there won’t be some regulation of our autonomy when we take some facility. Now is the leader becoming exploitative, destructive? If that is happening, then we may have to escalate the matters to the GBC or to SCOND resolve.
We have mediations, forums. We have ombudsmen. And then we can take care of it. So that is, I would say, the exception that can if that can happen. That’s unfortunate.
But, again, the principle is that if we want autonomy, we may have to forward the facility. Okay? Thank you. Yes, please. Yeah.
Yeah. I have a question about dharma. So I understand the dharma as a as a generic thing where lord Krishna has given us some drama for to follow. So that is a generic part. But if you come as a as a Yeah.
The whole of Mahabharata is basically a search for understanding what is dharma, and it’s not easy. That’s right. So it’s not and it doesn’t that doesn’t mean that nobody should we should not care for dharma. It’s like, say, if we have to make a decision that I want to offer the best for my children. But maybe one place, we have a good culture in the school, but maybe the education is not very good over there.
Another place, the education is good, but the overall campus culture, the student college school culture is not very good. Now which is the child which is the place where we should admit a child? Is there a right answer? No. Each person has to deliberate and decide.
So even when Krishna is with Arjuna, after speaking the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna does not microcontue Arjuna. It is not that before every arrow that Arjuna is shooting, Krishna, should I shoot the arrow? Do I have your permission? No. He’s he’s his own person.
So we have to use our best intelligence. Now the more we pray to Krishna, the more we are serious in our spiritual practices, the more it is likely that that we will get guidance from within to make good decisions. But, ultimately, there is a certain level of uncertainty that’s going to be there. And it’s like a the compass will get more and more refined by practice. That’s why talking with senior devotees, having some spiritual guides, and basically, aligning our spiritual compass through purification association is very helpful.
Thank you, professor. Yes, ma’am. You had it. Yeah. I want a second presence.
This was absolutely amazing and mind blowing. Thank you so much. My question is because you talked about how, the qualifications of a leader is first and foremost Dharma and second Shraddha, and that the leader also never, you know, forces forces the faith on someone. So, thank you. That’s so important.
And also we hear, that Srila Prabhupada’s books will become the law books for the next ten thousand years, and that the golden age of Krishna consciousness is is coming. And Srila Prabhupada also, he actually did encourage devotees to run for political office. So I was wondering in the context of is Khan expanding and growing in the golden age, like, what exactly does that golden age look like in terms of your presentation today? And and, although Dharma, you know, is, like, the first qualification of the leader, we also hear in the Srimad Bhagavatam how, when when the ruler is God conscious, you know, and is a devotee, then all good fortune comes. You know, they’re not forcing it on others, but their example, and because they are Krishna, connected to that highest dharma, then everything flows nicely.
Yeah. Good points. So regarding the Prabhupada’s books becoming law books, as far as I have seen, it was one conversation which Prabhupada said that. It’s not something which Prabhupada said repeatedly. And, now when he mentions the word law books, you know, laws are also they’re also amended according to entry circuits.
In the constitution, they’re amended what to speak of law books. So my understanding I’m not saying the power of parts books will be amended. My point is that, you know, you cannot have one frozen book which can be used for all matters at all times. So you got to speak of managing the whole world according to Prabhupada’s books. Are we able to manage this concept literally according to everything that Prabhupada said?
No. We have to adjust things. Prabhupada said in the books we have on the Ladhi at 04:30. Some places we might at five at five, we might later. We have to adjust it on time itself.
So Prabhupada, in his own books, has given the principle of flexibility, deshika la patra, the time based candidate. That’s also a principle to consider. So it’s my understanding is from Prabhupada’s books, we’ll get the principles. And the specific application will have to be combined with circumstances. When during Prabhupada’s times, different discount centers will do many different things.
And what Prabhupada said happened what happened in in Soviet Russia, for example, or in Pakistan, the way devotees, which is very different from in America or India. So that we we cannot the law books they quote cannot be taken out of context. Now with respect to whether if the leader is devoted, if all things follow, I have not seen that happen even in ISKCON. That means, say, just because the leader chants Hare Krishna tentatively every day, is there for the full morning program, does that mean the project will be wonderfully managed? Somebody can be a very serious sadhaka, and that’s wonderful.
That is a good example, a good inspiration. But just by the leader being a good sadhaka, does that mean everything automatically gets managed? There is now definitely if the leader is a good sadhaka, Niraja is a good example, everybody does sadhana nicely, That will lead to a certain decrease in another cause in everyone. Personal ambition. If everybody’s getting the higher taste, personal ambition will not be that much.
The lust and the anger and all the issues that come because of that, they will not be that much. But beyond that, life itself has many challenges to deal with. And we have to we need expertise in dealing with those challenges. So one of the most frustrating exam experiences for a devotee that I have seen is you go to a leader with a practical problem, and the leader gives a philosophical solution. You know, if you want to do that, then be a brahmana.
Don’t be a. That means what? Say now after this program, there is prasad. Now might suppose there is no prasad. Somehow they forgot to cook or they messed up and didn’t cook.
And you go to the hallway, the in charge says, there’s no concern. There’s a channel, a kitchen, and we’re happy. Now if you want to say that, that’s fine. But don’t be the kitchen in charge of that. Isn’t it?
So if you’re going to be a Kshatriya, then you have to give a practical solution. Now along with the practical solution, you can give a philosophical perspective. This is the Kshatriya’s business. So when the manager avoids doing managerial tasks and just gives philosophical solutions, then devotees get very frustrated. It doesn’t work like that.
If there is some devotee who is who is very abusive or is whatever father is abusive, and that devotee is hurting everyone. You go to the manager and the manager says, you know, beyond chant Hare Krishna, I learned to talk great. See it as your own karma. That will only enable the abuser to abuse one thing. Isn’t it?
Is Parikshit Maharaj shilling the bull over here? No. See it as your own past karma. Tolerate it. No.
He’s taking aggressive action. So when so to conclude complete this answer, what I would say is that the leader having spiritual values and spiritual devotion is important. At the same time, the material world is a tough place. And, see, Prabhupada did not think that, oh, just with my purity, if I just chant Hare Krishna, the whole world will become Krishna conscious. Prabhupada traveled to America A Day or so.
It was a material change that he made in his physical location. And if you see one of the last instructions that Prabhupada said, How will Krishna consciousness spread? He said, It is by organization and intelligence. Now if you see, organizing intelligence, is that spirituality? Well, you could say yes.
But, it is if we are to be effective in the material world, the material world has its truths. And we have to respect those truths. The material world functions according to certain principles. And if we neglect those principles, then things are not going to function. And one of the principles is that we need people who are competent to do the corresponding jobs.
That is the base essence of Varnash. Varnash is not about boxing people into certain categories. It’s basically ensuring that competent people are doing the right the jobs at which they are competent. Okay? Thank you.
Can I take the last question? It came really out of Yeah. Sure. Sorry. You can drop one to one if you don’t mind.
The section of Bhagavatam, which is basically introducing us to the characters. Bhagavatam, as we know, is a conversation between Parikshit Maharaj and Shukdev Goswami. And this conversation, the Bhagavatam’s conversation actually begins the core conversation begins from the second canto. It goes to the around twelve point four. So that is the conversation.
Now the first canto, basically, the people who are conversing are being introduced. And it’s interesting over here, the way the Bhagavatam does this, for the speaker, there’s a very brief introduction. It’s only five to six verses in the first chapter in seventh chapter of the first canto. Mhmm. That is where how Shrutadeva Swami was the son of Vyasadeva and how he was so detached and how he was so realized as described.
And from there onwards, the listener, his introduction is being given from 1.7 to 1.19. And that is, how great a person was he? So, how great were his poor fa his ancestors? What is the great dynasty he was born in? And what was the adversity in which he appeared?
How the lord protected him at the time of death? And now, specifically, the prophecies that were made at the time of his birth, of what all illustrious qualities he would have, those are being displayed through his actions. So here, he’s vigilantly traveling in his kingdom to see what is going on. When he hears that there is some disturbance, he travels around. It’s like, if a city is, well managed by the police, then they don’t just wait for somebody to report crime.
There are petrol cars, which are constantly going around to see if there’s any crime. So that’s proactive detection and prevention or at least minimization of the crime. So like that, he is not waiting for someone to come to his kingdom, to his court, to tell him there’s a problem. He hears there’s a problem, and he himself goes out to see what is the problem. And now he’s countering the crime that is happening over here.
So, basically, in this section, the character of Parichit Maharaj as a responsible leader is being described. And I’ll talk about this with this initial context. I’ll talk about this session and there are three parts and then we’ll have some questions. First is, so I’ll use the acronym act for this. So is analysis.
We’ll talk about what is going on. The broad topic we’re discussing is the role of government in spirituality. What is the role of the king? What is the role of the ruler in fostering spiritual values or spiritual culture? So we’ll talk about analysis of what was there in the Vedic context.
Then after that, we will talk about the can I have some water? Yes. I have a mic. Okay. So what is the underlying concept?
And lastly, how does it apply today? So nowadays, there is, whenever people talk about, say, any kind of religion and the association of that with the government, there is that fear that are you talking about theocracy? Are you going to impose your faith on everyone else? So in the vedic context, there are two distinct terms. There is dharma and there is shraddha.
Now shraddha can be translated also as bhakti. Now dharma, while sometimes, nowadays it is translated as religion. Dharma actually refers to order. Dharma refers to, basically, law and order. Now, sometimes people say that, you know, religion should never be mixed with politics.
And God and politics keep it all separate. Well, Krishna comes to this world specifically for political purpose. What do you mean by political purpose? Krishna comes to disempower and neutralize those rulers who have become disruptive. Krishna fights and, dethrones Karna to Kamsa.
Ram, he removes Ravan. So now when we use the word politics, there are many meanings to the word politics. But I will first, let’s do this analysis. If you see what Krishna is telling in the Bhagavad Gita, it’s 4.78 are well known verses. Where Krishna says that, He says whenever dharma goes down, dharma comes up.
I descend personally. And what do I do? I establish that, ma’am. Dharmasam sphaapna aartaya. Sambhawami, you gay, you gay.
I come to establish dharma. That is in 04/1978. And then after that, in the next two verses, it is 4.91. This is where he’s talking about Bhakti. Should the proppa would put four general Hindu community often quotes 4.78 quite a lot.
Proppa would put 4.9 much more. Those who understand the transcendental nature of my appearance and activities, they become attracted to me, they become devoted to me, and they attain me. And Krishna says, for this, you need to become free from Become free from anger. Become free from, attachment. Become free from apathy.
And then you’ll come to me. You can take shelter off me and come to me. So in one sense, I’ve drawn this as a as a funnel. See, dharma is mandatory. Dharma is law and order.
Somebody cannot say that I won’t follow the traffic rules. That is mandatory. Shraddha or bhakti is voluntary. Stopped. And then he says, just by seeing me here, by seeing my activities, there will be people who will get attracted to me and they’ll come to me.
So Krishna does want, we could say spirituality in the sense of bhakti. That Krishna wants that. But Krishna does not impose that. That is something which Krishna inspires. So, you know, following the traffic rules is mandatory.
Okay. A, the police say, every morning you have to come to Krishna House for attending the morning class. That would be forcing a faith on someone. You know, where you drive on the road, that is up to you. But following the rules when you’re driving on the road is not up to you.
So dharma, although the word sometimes is translated as religion, dharma is basically, order. Srila Prabhupada would explain dharma as an inherent property of an object. Now that which makes a thing what it is. So another way to understand dharma is it is harmonious belonging. That we all belong to certain larger units.
So when we belong to some larger units, we get something from that and we need to give something to that. Mhmm. See now, all of you sitting for this session and some of you sitting close to other people. Everyone of you is quite confident that the person sitting next to you is not going to suddenly turn on you and punch you in the face. Is that possible?
You could say anything is possible. Isn’t it? But if somebody is coming for a spiritual talk early in the morning, we understand they must have a basic level of discipline, a basic level of culture, a basic level of self restraint by which they won’t do something so disruptive or crazy. Isn’t it? So this is if you’re coming for a class, there’s a way to harmoniously belong to the class.
Now, if somebody sits right in front and sits with the back of the speaker, that would be disharmonious belonging. Or if somebody is sitting and talking loudly on phone with someone. Then that would be disharmonious belonging. So whichever unit we are belonging to, belonging to that is the essence of that. Mhmm.
So if we are going on the traveling or driving on the road, then we are belonging to the road transport system. And then we need to belong harmoniously. If we are part of a family, then we get something from the family, we’re expected to give something to the family. If we are in university, if we are having a job, we’re getting a salary, we’re expected to make a contribution out of it. So dharma is basically harmonious belonging.
And this maintaining basic harmony is essential for the functioning of society itself. And this ensuring that harmonious belonging occurs is the responsibility of the rulers. That ruler if somebody is a ruler of a country, then they have to make sure that the citizens follow the rules of the country, and the citizens are protected while they are within the country. So here Prabhupada is giving the example that even the animals are considered citizens, and they also need to be protected. So we won’t go into that direction of animal killing.
I will focus on this basic principle of dharma that harmonious belonging. So now dharma in that sense has two aspects. So, harmonious belonging, there is an individual level to it, and there is a social level to it. So, at an individual level, we should follow the traffic rules. That’s individual dharma.
But social dharma would be that the cops should not be corrupt. And the cops should not target members of a particular community because they dislike those members. A small a small crime by a small I may say, what are the two kinds of a larceny and felony? A small larceny, a minor crime by people from one demographic is a huge charge against them. And a big crime by someone else from another community, and it’s just overkill.
It’s downplayed. So dhar so so dharma means it is the individual has to belong harmoniously, but the social unit also has to perform perform harmoniously. So both of these together are dharma. And maintaining the order of the larger units that a person belongs to is the responsibility of the head. Whoever the head of the state may be.
Whoever the and this applies not just to kings. The the word as I said, the word politics, it has two different meanings. There is a neutral meaning, and there is a negative meaning. The neutral meaning is politics is basically the art of the science or the system of administration. So every every place will have to have a political system, like political science.
It’s a field where we study. We will study democracy. We will study monarchy. We will study communism. So neutral, it is a system of administration.
So we cannot live without some kind of political system of administration management. The negative sense is manipulation. No. Don’t be bring politics into this, you know. Don’t be don’t do politics over here.
We’re not here for politics, sir. Don’t be angry for power and don’t backstab, don’t manipulate. So when, we are using the word politics here, it is more that neutral sense. That every society or every group, everything, every unit where people belong, every unit that is bigger than an individual will require some managerial system, some administrative system. And that administrative system would be the political system over there.
The political system could be we have democracy. Sometimes we may have, multiple admins, but one person may have veto over there. Now all of you can vote, but I will veto. Again, the UN UN Security Council, there are five members who have the veto power. So this is how things are managed.
So it is both the individuals should be law abiding, and the system should be enforcing the law in a fair way. It should not be discriminatory. It should not be disproportionate. So dharma refers to both these things. Now if you see the war that was fought after the Bhagavad Gita was spoken, that was between two parties.
Who were those two parties? You know the names? Pandavas. Pandavas. Pandavas.
And the? The Kurus. The they know the Kauravas. The Kauravas. Now interestingly, was it that the Pandavas were devotees and the Kauravas were non devotees?
Yes. No. This devote was happening. Yeah. So it is it is not a war between devotees and non devotees.
It is if you see among the Pandavas now, specifically, when we talk about the word devotees, we refer to Vaishnavas. We are in the Vaishnavas tradition where we worship Krishna Krishna. Now it’s interesting that on the Kaurava side, there were Vaishnavas. That who were the Vaishnavas on the Kaurava side? Bhishma.
Bhishma himself was there. Dronacharya was not a Vaishnava. Oh, sorry. Dronacharya was a Shaivite. Yeah.
But there was another king named Bhushrwa. He was a Vaishnava. Now on the Pandava side, there were Shaivites. Shaiwites are those who worship lord Shiva. And so Drupada himself, his family deity was lord Shiva.
So it was not a religious war. It was not that Krishna devotees or Vishnu devotees were imposing Vishnu devotion on everyone else. It was not that when Krishna went as a peace messenger to the Kaurava, he said, you all start chanting Hare Krishna, and there’s no war in there. So it was not for religious imposition. Duryodhan was such a terrible ruler that he tried to dishonor and disrupt Draupadi in public in the royal assembly.
There will always be in the world men who will be predators. It’s an unfortunate reality it is there. But such predatory men generally would prey on some woman in some lonely street where there is no evidence, no eyewitnesses. They have some fear of the law. But if somebody does something like this in public, then that means they have no fear of the law.
But if somebody goes to a police station or somebody goes to a court and commits a crime over there, then that means not only do they have no fear of the law, the law has fear of them. And such people would be brazen and brutal, and they need to be stopped. So Duryodhan’s actions against Duropathy fell in this category. He was not ready to reform at all. So the war was fought to establish dharma.
It was not to impose bhakti. It was not that Yudhishthir told the drashtra, if you don’t chant Hare Krishna, it’s only. After now that I have defeated you, I’ll force my faith on. He did not do that. So dharma is basically the you could say law and order in a broad sense, but it is basically the system by which harmonious belonging is possible.
So for harmonious belonging to be possible, it’s both ways. That at an individual level, the individuals should be responsible to follow the rules that are expected of them, and the administrators should be fair. So when Krishna says, I come to establish dharma, what he means by that is he is changing those who are ruling the system because they are not fair. They are exploitative. They are they’re manipulative.
They’re evil. So that is one aspect. Now so the analysis I talk about here is that that the Gita and our the broad Vedic tradition is that dharma is to be established by the king. It is not that bhakti is to be imposed. There are many kings in history.
There was a famous king, Krishnadevaraya. He held, built a Jainagar empire. It’s one of the most prosperous kingdoms in the medieval times. And, you know, he belonged to a particular faith. He was, he was a Vaishnav.
From the he was following the Madhu Sampradaya. Then one of his descendants, he started following the, Shiri Sampradaya. And one of his successors started following the Advaita Sampradaya. He became a he will follow the impersonal spirit. But it is not that when the when the personal faith of the ruler changed that the king king decided, you know, okay now I’m away because I’m a Vaishnava, I will destroy all my bodies.
Now that or I’m a Mayawadi, I will destroy all Vaishnavas. He didn’t do that. That, it was his personal faith and naturally because it was his personal faith, he would give more donations, he would facilitate, he may build maybe temples or provide educational support for that particular tradition. But he would not impose his faith on others. That’s not a king’s job description.
So that brings me to second part. I said, first of all, about analysis. And now what is the concept? The underlying concept is basically with with with sort of free will. Now, with respect to free will, there are two distinct aspects to it.
On one side, the free will should always be respected. Everybody has freedom. Krishna has given everyone free will. Krishna does not impose his will on everyone. Now Krishna could have if he had wanted, if you are not ready to become my devotee, I’ll destroy.
Krishna does not do that. That on one side, even when Krishna speaks the Gita, not even once does Krishna use his godhood to impose his will on Arjuna in the Gita. If that’s what Krishna wanted to do, he could have finished the whole Bhagavad Gita in six words. What were the six words? I am God.
Obey me. Fight. Bhagavad Gita completed. So Krishna does not do that. Krishna builds a reasoned argument for Arjuna to understand and accept what Krishna is saying.
So the other aspect of free will is needs to be guided. It needs to be refined. We have free will, but that doesn’t mean that we allow that free will always knows what is good for us. So you could put this as a pendulum. At one exit, it is the free will is only respected And not guided at all.
Then, okay. You can do whatever you want. Does that mean that, you know, I wanna kill myself. Let me kill myself. I wanna kill you.
I’ll kill you also. I respect your free will. No. Free will always has to have some boundaries. With respect to free will, it’s only respected.
Then, it can become very destructive. Disruptive and destructive. It has to Now, on the other hand, if it is only restricted. Now when when I say restricted, it’ll be no. You cannot do this.
You cannot do this. You cannot do this. You cannot do this. In in the bible, there are 10 commandments. So there’s a atheist spoof against the bible.
So in the it said that that in the beginning was the word and the word was God. So that is the saying that’s sitting in the bible, but how they it is it. In the beginning was the word and the word was no. The word was no means you cannot do this. You cannot do this.
You cannot do that. You cannot do that. So if religion and spirituality are seen as just no. No. No.
People they’ll they’ll be rebellion. People will become rebellious. And will not be able to sustain it. So, with respect to free will, what has to be done is, at one level, you know, it has to be appreciated. That everyone has free will and we cannot impose anything on anyone.
But at the same time, it also has to be elevated. K. What is really good for you? You can say it’s elevated or educated. So, we need to accommodate the free will has to be accommodated.
We cannot impose anything on anyone. But at the same time, what is the best use of the free will? That also has to be done. Done. So this is the broad way Krishna himself manages the material world.
And how does this what does this mean for in terms of the government? We have the head of state, you have the ruler. Whatever it is. You know? The one extreme would be imposition of one’s faith.
In European history, this happened that there was a hundred year war between the protestants and the Catholics. And both were trying to impose their faith on others. So if the head of state would become in the history of England, it happened that when the when the king was a protestant, the person will persecute the Catholics. And the king became Catholic, then the Catholic would produce to protect would persecute the protestants. So now this the king is not meant to impose faith.
The king is not meant to punish people who who who follow different faith. In India, when there was Islamic rule, apart from the many much destruction of the temples and other things that happened, that was intermittent. It was severe when it happened. But for a large period of Islamic history, there was a tax called jaziah. That was a discriminated task.
Anybody who was not Muslim was had to pay that task. Pay that tax. And if you just became Muslim, that tax will be go up. We would have complete. So now this is discrimination.
It can be at various levels. But one cannot the king cannot impose based on faith. But on, the other side, one is imposition. That cannot be done. But the other side is condemnation.
The king is the head of state is not meant to impose one’s own faith, but the head of state is also not meant to condemn faith. It is not meant to reject faith. So this is what happened, say, in France when the French revolution happened. After that, it went France became aggressively anti religious. They had the Notre Dame was renamed as a as a as a temple of reason.
And they started rejecting religion and they persecuted religious people. That’s what was tried at a mass level in communism in China and Russia. China and Soviet Russia, USSR. So people often say religion is the cause of war. Well, Soviet Russia and China are examples of, states that were administered without any religion, not other official rejection of religion.
And what is the result? The result was a hundred million corpses. The number of people killed during the communist regime was more than world war one and world war two combined and doubled also. And so that was the state persecuted. So the state becoming officially, aggressively atheistic is also not healthy.
So in between is, the state should have provide inspiration. Not imposition, but inspiration. Inspiration to follow a particular set of values, a set of principles. So dharma needs to be established. It needs to be enforced.
But spirituality has to be inspired. It cannot be it cannot be forced for people. So now that brings us to the context today. What do we do today? So now if we look at history of the world, secularism that is prominently there.
Now, sec as the idea of secularism is said to have evolved in Europe and secularism is at one level, humility. Humility in the political domain. What do I mean by humility in the political domain? It is not the business of the head of state to legislate faith. It is it is to a large extent when this humility was accepted.
You know, you each individual can have their own faith. That is accepted. That’s where to some extent peace has been there. Now if this changes, then there will be there’s there’s disruption. There is violence.
So in India, we we did not have, say, Christianity, Islam, and other such such these faiths were not there traditionally in the Vedic time, but still, there were Shaivayat, there were Vaishnavayat. There were different faiths in that sense. And the kings were actually secular. Now so now secularism can mean three different things. It can mean neutrality towards faith, shraddha or bhakti.
Neutrality. But, historically, this was what secularism was intended to be, neutrality. But afterwards, it became apathy. Neutrality means that the state will not impose any particular faith. But if you don’t care about it at all, that is bad.
And over a period of time, in some places at work, it has become hostility. Become hostility or antipathy towards faith. So neutrality is good. Apathy is worse. Hostility is by far the worst.
The state should not be opposed to people in spiritual. So, like, Marxism, their ideas is religion is the opium of the masses. So why so now that’s why he was aggressively against religion. That’s what communism tried to do. And that has not worked at all in history.
It’s not just from a spiritual perspective and from a, as I said, from a law and order perspective. If people do not have some higher purpose for their lives, as a higher sense of meaning, then the craving for worldly things will become excessive and destructive and destructive. So what can we we do at our level today? It is you know, for all of us, when we are individual citizens, most of us, we live in democratic countries. So we have, to some extent, some power, some ends of agency by the votes we give.
So broadly speaking, when we look for a head of state, the first criteria should be dharma, and the second can be shraddha or ba. Say, it is not that just because some head of state is of my faith. That’s why I will vote for you. That’s an important consideration. But that should not be the sole consideration.
Why not? Because politics is serious work. If I got a heart attack, now would I go to a devotee heart surgeon or non devotee heart surgeon? Whichever one’s better. Yeah.
Whichever one’s better. I do only heart surgeon, I promise you that when I will do when I do surgery, I’ll chant Harishna. That’s nice. But will you do the surgery properly? I can’t guarantee that, but I will do I’ll chant Harishna on that.
Because I want to go back to audit, but not so early. So just as in any field when we function, material world, functioning any field is a serious business. And it requires competence. It requires competence to function in that particular field. And if somebody doesn’t have that competence, having that person as a leader will lead to chaos.
Most of the problems that are there, if you consider the African countries, have not progressed so much. And is it because of religion? Actually, among all the continents, you could say Africa is the most religious continent. Half of it is Christian, half of it is Muslim. And both of them are quite aggressive with that.
And you see, most of the problems are not because of religion. They’re, of course, problems because of religion, but it is because of bad leaders. And bad means they’re bad simply in material terms. They are progressive, more than panasic leaders who will just who will just earn a lot of money, who will just aggrandize a lot of money while the people are starving. People are suffering.
So it is not to pile on Africa. I’m just giving this as an example that, you know, religious affiliation is not as important a qualification for a leader as material competence. Now of course, if there is material competence and there is a spiritual inclination, there’s a religious, alignment. That’s even better. So Arjuna succeeded in the Purukshetra war not just because he was a devotee, also because he was a great archer.
His son was a great devotee. But his son was not that great an archer. And Abhimanyu got trapped. And he died. So, in the material world is a harsh place.
And we need competence over here. So when we are exercising our political discretion, we wanna consider both these factors, that the capacity of the leader to establish dharma, and the capacity of the leader to inspire bhakti. However, even if the government is completely non theistic, but if they maintain basic law and order, we can practice our faith and we can inspire others to practice. We can share our faith with others. But if there is complete law and order chaos, then you might be sitting in a class like this and somebody throws a bomb from the window.
You know, a sudden some bomb explodes. We won’t be able to function. How much can we function? So in that sense, we need to be clear. Krishna calls upon Arjuna to do his duty, which in this case was to fight a war to establish that.
And the Gita has spoken so that he would do it in his spiritual consciousness. And in that sense, we for each one of us, there is dharma so I’ll conclude with this point now. There is dharma is we belong harmoniously. Each one of us will belong to various units. So for example, you know, we are in this class.
We belong to this class. Now we are in the city of our Gainesville. So there are some rules of Gainesville. We are in Florida. We’re in America.
So like that, we all belong to larger and larger units. So the ultimate unit that we belong to, that all units are rested in is God. So Krishna is, in that sense, we’re following all of these is dharma. From each of these, we’re getting something, and we need to be giving something. But all of them ultimately culminate in Krishna.
And that’s why bhakti is the highest dharma. Krishna says harvardharma, pririti, jama, and kamisha, namtha cham. So it’s not a Dharmi and Bhakti are unrelated. The highest Dharma is Bhakti, and that’s what is ultimately to be practiced. But that has to be individually practiced because it’s it’s a matter of the heart.
Matters of the heart cannot be imposed by the law, nor can they be legislated by the law. They have to be so all the other dharmas should be arranged in such a way that a person becomes inspired to follow the highest dharma. That so the family the the parent should be in such a way that they inspire children to become devotees. The school should be such that they inspire students to become devotees. The social culture should be such that they inspire people to come to.
But nobody can impose. If our child does not become a devotee, that does not mean to stop loving our child. As a parent, our dharma is there. We should take care of the child. If our parents are not become devotees, no.
They should not be opposing our devotion and crushing our devotion. Then we have to draw some warnings. But just because they are not devotees does not mean that we reject them. We would like to inspire bhakti, but dharma is something which we all need to follow. So I’ll summarize what I discussed.
Broadly, we discussed three points. The topic was the role of the head of state, role of king, or role of politics in spirituality. So or rather, to put it that way, how what is the what is the head of statement to do with respect to spirituality? So I talk about first of all, I give context that this is Parrishit Maharaj’s qualification to describe. So a was the analysis.
The analysis was Krishna comes to to establish dharma and inspire bhakti, not to impose bhakti. So it’s like a funnel. Dharma is something which everybody has to follow. This is 4.78 in the data. And then Bhakti Krishna himself said that very few people, one among thousands will actually practice Bhakti.
This is something which is to be enforced. It’s law and order. This is to be inspired. And we discussed how the Kurukshetra war was not a war between devotees and nondevotees. It’s a the Pandavas.
It’s not that they were all devotees, and the Kauravas were all nondevotees. It is a war over a law and order issue, not a devotional issue. So then we talk about the concept over there. I spent a lot of time in the analysis part itself. The concept was what?
The free will is to be respected. Now free will is to be respected, but if it’s only respected, then there will be a problem. If it’s only restricted only respected, then people will abuse it. Only restricted, it will be cause suffocation. So what it is?
It is to be it is to be refined. Refined means how do you refine it? In one side, it is to be appreciated, but it’s also be elevated or educated. Everybody has freedom, and we wanna and they elevate their freedom. So like that, the head is not meant to imposition of faith is not to be there, but nor is there meant to be the rejection of faith.
So, unfortunately, what has happened with respect to secularism. In in between is inspiration. The faith has to be inspired. Last part I talked about was today. So what has happened is secularism is largely present in most parts of the world.
Secularism originally started as what? Neutrality towards religion. But from neutrality, it became apathy. And in some parts, it has become hostility. Now that is unwanted.
And then when we are trying to select a leader, we would like to see both, you know, material competence, that is the capacity to establish dharma. And we have to we’ll say the spiritual spiritual devotion or spiritual inclination. That would be bhakti. So while both are important, but actually, material competence is much more important. And when we have this, then at a basic level, the king will maintain order.
So the king is not Parikshit is not punishing Kali because he’s a non devotee. Parikshit is Kali punishing Kali because he is being cruel. He’s disrupting law and order. Thank you very much. Hooray, Krishna.
Hooray, Krishna. Do we have time? So my my question is in regard to thank you so much. This is so brilliant. My mind is totally blown.
I’m like, I’m going to just, like, turn this over a thousand times to really understand it. But my question is actually within the context of, of ISKCON and Bakhti. What, I would just love you to speak on this concept of free will and what what to do when those who are your authority restrict free will within with specifically within the ISCOM context and and the fact that there is, like, a clear hierarchical Yeah. See, in general, there are two distinct things. One is autonomy and the other is facility.
Now in general, nowhere in the world, in any institution, will we get both of those together. Now if I come here, if I come here to give a talk, I want a facility. There’s a system over here. There’s a there’s an audience over here. So now if I come here and if I say I’ll I wanna speak with politics directly.
No. We don’t talk politics over. Here, if I say that I want to speak with Vedan Sutra. So now we speak with the Bhagavad. So I might just by using this facility, some of my autonomy is going to be restricted.
Like, if I want the autonomy, if I want to do Vedan Sutra, then I have the facility I have the autonomy to do that, but I cannot demand facility. So if I want a particular facility, that will require me to sacrifice some of my autonomy. So now each one of us has to decide based on our individual needs, our individual needs and our individual inspirations. Now which one do I need more, or which one is more important for me? So when you say the historical authority restricting our free will, at least the way I’m understanding it is that there are certain things within any institutional framework.
There’ll be some restriction of autonomy. If somebody says I want to become a devotee, I want to be initiated in this con, but I don’t wanna chant Hare Krishna. At least you have the free will not to chant, but then if you want to be a part of this community, this is what is required. So I would say, each leader will have a particular vision, and they may insist on certain things. And the advantage of the way the Prabhupada made the Krishna consciousness movement was that he made it like a a nuclear joint family.
What it means to that? It’s a we are all a part of one joint family, but each is a nuclear family. Each center is like a nuclear family. In the sense that if we can’t gel with at one particular place, if we find that the rules are too strict over here or that ambiance atmosphere is not that good, we can always go to some other place. So we may have we have that autonomy.
Now can we change the place itself? Well, it depends. So I would say this is a broad we cannot expect that there won’t be some regulation of our autonomy when we take some facility. Now is the leader becoming exploitative, destructive? If that is happening, then we may have to escalate the matters to the GBC or to SCOND resolve.
We have mediations, forums. We have ombudsmen. And then we can take care of it. So that is, I would say, the exception that can if that can happen. That’s unfortunate.
But, again, the principle is that if we want autonomy, we may have to forward the facility. Okay? Thank you. Yes, please. Yeah.
Yeah. I have a question about dharma. So I understand the dharma as a as a generic thing where lord Krishna has given us some drama for to follow. So that is a generic part. But if you come as a as a Yeah.
The whole of Mahabharata is basically a search for understanding what is dharma, and it’s not easy. That’s right. So it’s not and it doesn’t that doesn’t mean that nobody should we should not care for dharma. It’s like, say, if we have to make a decision that I want to offer the best for my children. But maybe one place, we have a good culture in the school, but maybe the education is not very good over there.
Another place, the education is good, but the overall campus culture, the student college school culture is not very good. Now which is the child which is the place where we should admit a child? Is there a right answer? No. Each person has to deliberate and decide.
So even when Krishna is with Arjuna, after speaking the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna does not microcontue Arjuna. It is not that before every arrow that Arjuna is shooting, Krishna, should I shoot the arrow? Do I have your permission? No. He’s he’s his own person.
So we have to use our best intelligence. Now the more we pray to Krishna, the more we are serious in our spiritual practices, the more it is likely that that we will get guidance from within to make good decisions. But, ultimately, there is a certain level of uncertainty that’s going to be there. And it’s like a the compass will get more and more refined by practice. That’s why talking with senior devotees, having some spiritual guides, and basically, aligning our spiritual compass through purification association is very helpful.
Thank you, professor. Yes, ma’am. You had it. Yeah. I want a second presence.
This was absolutely amazing and mind blowing. Thank you so much. My question is because you talked about how, the qualifications of a leader is first and foremost Dharma and second Shraddha, and that the leader also never, you know, forces forces the faith on someone. So, thank you. That’s so important.
And also we hear, that Srila Prabhupada’s books will become the law books for the next ten thousand years, and that the golden age of Krishna consciousness is is coming. And Srila Prabhupada also, he actually did encourage devotees to run for political office. So I was wondering in the context of is Khan expanding and growing in the golden age, like, what exactly does that golden age look like in terms of your presentation today? And and, although Dharma, you know, is, like, the first qualification of the leader, we also hear in the Srimad Bhagavatam how, when when the ruler is God conscious, you know, and is a devotee, then all good fortune comes. You know, they’re not forcing it on others, but their example, and because they are Krishna, connected to that highest dharma, then everything flows nicely.
Yeah. Good points. So regarding the Prabhupada’s books becoming law books, as far as I have seen, it was one conversation which Prabhupada said that. It’s not something which Prabhupada said repeatedly. And, now when he mentions the word law books, you know, laws are also they’re also amended according to entry circuits.
In the constitution, they’re amended what to speak of law books. So my understanding I’m not saying the power of parts books will be amended. My point is that, you know, you cannot have one frozen book which can be used for all matters at all times. So you got to speak of managing the whole world according to Prabhupada’s books. Are we able to manage this concept literally according to everything that Prabhupada said?
No. We have to adjust things. Prabhupada said in the books we have on the Ladhi at 04:30. Some places we might at five at five, we might later. We have to adjust it on time itself.
So Prabhupada, in his own books, has given the principle of flexibility, deshika la patra, the time based candidate. That’s also a principle to consider. So it’s my understanding is from Prabhupada’s books, we’ll get the principles. And the specific application will have to be combined with circumstances. When during Prabhupada’s times, different discount centers will do many different things.
And what Prabhupada said happened what happened in in Soviet Russia, for example, or in Pakistan, the way devotees, which is very different from in America or India. So that we we cannot the law books they quote cannot be taken out of context. Now with respect to whether if the leader is devoted, if all things follow, I have not seen that happen even in ISKCON. That means, say, just because the leader chants Hare Krishna tentatively every day, is there for the full morning program, does that mean the project will be wonderfully managed? Somebody can be a very serious sadhaka, and that’s wonderful.
That is a good example, a good inspiration. But just by the leader being a good sadhaka, does that mean everything automatically gets managed? There is now definitely if the leader is a good sadhaka, Niraja is a good example, everybody does sadhana nicely, That will lead to a certain decrease in another cause in everyone. Personal ambition. If everybody’s getting the higher taste, personal ambition will not be that much.
The lust and the anger and all the issues that come because of that, they will not be that much. But beyond that, life itself has many challenges to deal with. And we have to we need expertise in dealing with those challenges. So one of the most frustrating exam experiences for a devotee that I have seen is you go to a leader with a practical problem, and the leader gives a philosophical solution. You know, if you want to do that, then be a brahmana.
Don’t be a. That means what? Say now after this program, there is prasad. Now might suppose there is no prasad. Somehow they forgot to cook or they messed up and didn’t cook.
And you go to the hallway, the in charge says, there’s no concern. There’s a channel, a kitchen, and we’re happy. Now if you want to say that, that’s fine. But don’t be the kitchen in charge of that. Isn’t it?
So if you’re going to be a Kshatriya, then you have to give a practical solution. Now along with the practical solution, you can give a philosophical perspective. This is the Kshatriya’s business. So when the manager avoids doing managerial tasks and just gives philosophical solutions, then devotees get very frustrated. It doesn’t work like that.
If there is some devotee who is who is very abusive or is whatever father is abusive, and that devotee is hurting everyone. You go to the manager and the manager says, you know, beyond chant Hare Krishna, I learned to talk great. See it as your own karma. That will only enable the abuser to abuse one thing. Isn’t it?
Is Parikshit Maharaj shilling the bull over here? No. See it as your own past karma. Tolerate it. No.
He’s taking aggressive action. So when so to conclude complete this answer, what I would say is that the leader having spiritual values and spiritual devotion is important. At the same time, the material world is a tough place. And, see, Prabhupada did not think that, oh, just with my purity, if I just chant Hare Krishna, the whole world will become Krishna conscious. Prabhupada traveled to America A Day or so.
It was a material change that he made in his physical location. And if you see one of the last instructions that Prabhupada said, How will Krishna consciousness spread? He said, It is by organization and intelligence. Now if you see, organizing intelligence, is that spirituality? Well, you could say yes.
But, it is if we are to be effective in the material world, the material world has its truths. And we have to respect those truths. The material world functions according to certain principles. And if we neglect those principles, then things are not going to function. And one of the principles is that we need people who are competent to do the corresponding jobs.
That is the base essence of Varnash. Varnash is not about boxing people into certain categories. It’s basically ensuring that competent people are doing the right the jobs at which they are competent. Okay? Thank you.
Can I take the last question? It came really out of Yeah. Sure. Sorry. You can drop one to one if you don’t mind.
Explore a vibrant tapestry of devotion and celebration across Iskcon communities worldwide on Dandavats. Delve into the profound spirituality of Śivarāma Swami's "Praising Gaurāṅga" series and enrich your understanding with insightful articles on heritage and devotion. Witness the grandeur of ISKCON Vrindavan's 50th Anniversary, where history and culture converge in tribute to Srila Prabhupada's legacy. From spiritual dramas and cultural showcases to global engagements with leaders like PM Modi, every story resonates with deep reverence and the spirit of service. Join us in embracing timeless wisdom and joyous festivities at every turn. Continue reading "Echoes of Devotion: Celebrating ISKCON’s Legacy Across the World! April 3 → Dandavats"
His Holiness Kavicandra Swami exemplifies devotion, leadership, and service within ISKCON. From managing temples to preaching Krishna consciousness across diverse regions and engaging with devotees through social media platforms, his life is a testament to his dedication to Srila Prabhupada's mission. By nurturing devotees and spreading the glories of Lord Krishna worldwide, Kavicandra Swami continues to inspire countless individuals on their spiritual journeys. Continue reading "HH Kavicandra Swami: A Global Spiritual Leader Spreading Unity and Devotion Across Cultures → Dandavats"
Due to His causeless mercy upon all living entities within the universe, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, along with His plenary extensions, appeared in the family of Maharaja Iksvaku as the Lord of His internal potency, Sita. Under the order of His father, Maharaja Dasaratha, He entered the forest and lived there for considerable years with His wife and younger brother. Ravana, who was very materially powerful, with ten heads on his shoulders, committed a great offense against Him and was thus ultimately vanquished.
PURPORT
Lord Rama is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and His brothers, namely Bharata, Laksmana, and Satrughna, are His plenary expansions. All four brothers are visnu-tattva and were never ordinary human beings. There are many unscrupulous and ignorant commentators on Ramayana who present the younger brothers of Lord Ramacandra as ordinary living entities.
But here in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the most authentic scripture on the science of Godhead, it is clearly stated that His brothers were His plenary expansions. Originally Lord Ramacandra is the incarnation of Vasudeva, Laksmana is the incarnation of Sankarsana, Bharata is the incarnation of Pradyumna, and Satrughna is the incarnation of Aniruddha, expansions of the Personality of Godhead.
Laksmiji Sita is the internal potency of the Lord and is neither an ordinary woman nor the external potency incarnation of Durga. Durga is the external potency of the Lord, and she is associated with Lord Siva.
As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (4.7), the Lord appears when there are discrepancies in the discharge of factual religion. Lord Ramacandra also appeared under the same circumstances, accompanied by His brothers, who are expansions of the Lord’s internal potency, and by Laksmiji Sitadevi.
Lord Ramacandra was ordered by His father, Maharaja Dasaratha, to leave home for the forest under awkward circumstances, and the Lord, as the ideal son of His father, carried out the order, even on the occasion of His being declared the king of Ayodhya.
One of His younger brothers, Laksmanaji, desired to go with Him, and so also His eternal wife, Sitaji, desired to go with Him. The Lord agreed to both of them, and all together they entered the Dandakaranya Forest, to live there for fourteen years.
During their stay in the forest, there was some quarrel between Ramacandra and Ravana, and the latter kidnapped the Lord’s wife, Sita. The quarrel ended in the vanquishing of the greatly powerful Ravana, along with all his kingdom and family.
Sita is Laksmiji, or the goddess of fortune, but she is never to be enjoyed by any living being. She is meant for being worshiped by the living being along with her husband, Sri Ramacandra. A materialistic man like Ravana does not understand this great truth, but on the contrary he wants to snatch Sitadevi from the custody of Rama and thus incurs great miseries.
The materialists, who are after opulence and material prosperity, may take lessons from the Ramayana that the policy of exploiting the nature of the Lord without acknowledging the supremacy of the Supreme Lord is the policy of Ravana. Ravana was very advanced materially, so much so that he turned his kingdom, Lanka, into pure gold, or full material wealth. But because he did not recognize the supremacy of Lord Ramacandra and defied Him by stealing His wife, Sita, Ravana was killed, and all his opulence and power were destroyed.
Lord Ramacandra is a full incarnation with six opulences in full, and He is therefore mentioned in this verse as kalesah, or master of all opulence.
In 1999, for ISKCON TV, Shyamasundar Prabhu recorded a series of experiences he had with George Harrison and with Srila Prabhupada:
“Srila Prabhupada treated George Harrison like an old, old friend. I spent some time with George this summer. . . . [He] has reached a very high level of spiritual development, I am happy to say. He chants Hare Krishna every day. And he is totally serene, as he has accepted life as it is. He has actually achieved a much higher level of self-realization than I can ever hope to achieve. He is peaceful and serene to a degree that is rare in a person, and at such a young age . . . Prabhupada benefited him so much. Prabhupada knew the buttons to push and not to push because of [the Beatles’] natural hesitancy to have anything public to do with Prabhupada, because they would see us then as just going after their money or their fame and not giving them the real thing. So, I tried, and Prabhupada, by his example, showed me the way to treat them: ‘Always, just keep giving them stuff. Never ask them for anything.’
“One time, though, Prabhupada did call me into his room and said, ‘You know we only have one book. We have Bhagavad-gita—that’s it.’ And maybe there was Nectar of Devotion. He said, ‘Krsna book has been finished for some time, and I got news today that it is ready for publication. How can we publish? We need this book.’ He said, ‘I want you to go and ask George for the money for this book.’ So, then I said, ‘Aww, no, Prabhupada. You know the reason that we have gotten this far with George and he has helped us so much to date is that I’ve never asked him for anything. I always wait until he offers.’ And Prabhupada said, ‘Yes, but we really need this.’ And I asked, ‘Well, how much is it?’ He said, ‘$19,000.’ In those days that was like saying $100,000. Whew. So, I said, ‘I don’t really think it is a good idea, Prabhupada.’ And he said, ‘Yes, yes it is. You’ll see. Krishna will help you. Watch this.’
“So, we had made arrangements for the next day to go look at marble. George had said that he would donate a new slab of marble for the altar. To help us select this marble, he had called on his friend David Wynn, a very famous sculptor who had designed the coinage and who had done the famous busts of Queen Elizabeth and the Beatles too. So, we went with David Wynn to the marble yards, and afterwards we went to his house for dinner. And all this time I was trying to screw up my courage. Because I had one mission that day, How am I going to ask George for this money? Here he has given us this three- or four-thousand-pound slab of marble. How can I ask him for something more on top of that today?
“We had dinner, and we were all finished eating, and it was getting late at night. It was dark. It was a long way from where I had to go in London, and George had to go all the way out someplace in the suburbs. So, finally I just did it. I said, ‘George, Srila Prabhupada asked me to ask you if you would donate money to print the Krsna book.’ I explained what the Krsna book was, and his face just got increasingly grimmer and grimmer. I could see the whole thing passing through his face, with him thinking, Oh, man, they are just another one of these groups. Here it comes. Then the room went quiet for a moment while he thought about it and fixed me with this really belligerent stare.
“And suddenly all the lights in the house went out! And BAM! A bolt of lightning hit the house. True story. The whole house shook. The sound and the light were simultaneous. After that, we sat for some minutes in silence, stunned. And when the lights came back on, I looked over at George, and he had this huge grin on his face and said, ‘Well, how much is it, then? And I told him, and he said, ‘Well, what can I do after that?’ And he came the next day and talked to Prabhupada about it.
As things turned out, George not only gave the money to print the Krsna book, but he also penned some “Words from Apple,” which was like a foreword, concluding with “All you need is love (Krishna).”
Question: When we do some activity repeatedly, like drinking or taking drugs, we get addicted to it. But as students, we study for 20, 15, 20 years, why do we never get addicted to studying?
Answer Addiction or even for that matter, it’s milder version attachment, is not just a result of repetition. Repetition is one important factor in forming the impressions inside our mind, which impel us to do that same thing again.
But while the mind is sometimes compared to a software, say a computer browser, where the sites we have visited come as auto-completes, but the mind is much more sophisticated than just a software, the history record, the history in a browser does not reflect how enthusiastic we were about visiting a particular site, whereas the mind’s impressions record that. So to understand the strength of the impressions formed in the mind, we need to consider three factors. I prefer the acronym FIT for this, frequency, intensity and time duration.
How often we do something is important, how long we do a thing is important, but probably the most important thing in forming impressions in the mind is how much is our interest, how much is our involvement at the level of emotions, at the level of absorption, basically how much is the intensity, how much are our, how much is our, how much are our emotions and desires involved in the activity. So, because activities such as drinking or doing drugs give us a quick dopamine hit and some of them are designed to give us that quick intoxicating or even irresistible pleasure. However, because of that, the problem that happens is our getting intensely involved in it is much more probable, we could say even inevitable and that is how addiction happens, attachment and addiction happens for these activities, whereas with respect to studying, it doesn’t happen because we do it because we need to do it.
It’s not because we like to do it, let alone love doing it. So because we don’t get so emotionally involved, that’s why the impressions that are formed are not that strong. Of course, there are people who love to read and they can get addicted to reading also.
Generally, the word addiction is used for strong or compulsive behavioural patterns that are destructive. So we may not use the word reading addiction generally speaking, but the principle is that along with how long or how often we do it, it’s how intensely we do it which is a critical component in determining the strength of the impressions formed.
You may recall "I Just Called to Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder, a global hit and his best-selling single, topping charts in 28 countries. The song’s message of love without reason mirrors how a devotee calls out to Krishna through the Hare Krishna mantra—purely out of devotion. Here are adapted lyrics reflecting this sentiment, set to the original melody, produced by HG Nirantara Prabhu. Continue reading "“I just called to say I love you” → Dandavats"
HG Nirantara Prabhu ACBSP is a shining example of how devotion, talent, and dedication can come together to inspire countless lives. His contributions to the Hare Krishna movement serve as a testament to the enduring power of spirituality and music in transforming individuals and communities worldwide. As he continues on his journey, his legacy as a spiritual musician and leader will undoubtedly continue to grow, touching hearts and inspiring souls for generations to come. Continue reading "A Melody of Devotion: Nirantara Prabhu’s Enduring Legacy → Dandavats"
Discover a tapestry of spiritual journeys and community achievements with Dandavats. From celebrating ISKCON Vrindavan's 50th Anniversary, rekindling Srila Prabhupada's legacy at Krishna Balaram Mandir, to insightful sessions at the Bhakti Yoga Conference at Harvard, each article and video shares profound wisdom and devotion. Witness initiatives like Prem Sarovar's Rain Water Harvesting Pond and ISKCON Greece's impactful year, embodying the essence of service and spiritual growth. Join us in exploring these enriching narratives that inspire unity, compassion, and deep spiritual connection worldwide. Continue reading "Unity in Bhakti: Heartwarming Tales from ISKCON Communities Worldwide! April 1 → Dandavats"
Why did mother Sita enter into the earth rather than be united? Be united with Ram when he finally called her back? Answer, ultimately these are pastimes that are meant to function at two levels, their loving reciprocations between the Lord and His devotees, which work according to the Lord’s divine desire for His pleasure and they are meant to teach us some lessons in this world. So, the Ramayana broadly teaches the mood of sacrifice and Sita lives a, there are two kinds of sacrifice, there is a life of sacrifice and the sacrifice of life. In general, the life of sacrifice is actually far more demanding than the sacrifice of life.
And Sita could have ended her life when Ram let her send her to the forest. But she felt she had a responsibility to take care of her children and she did that diligently and that was her life or her life of sacrifice. And then finally, when her sons were reunited with Ram, then she demonstrated the sacrifice of life by re-entering into the earth.
Ultimately, when the Lord descends, He teaches us many lessons and while He teaches us how to do Adharma in this world, He also teaches how we are to face the end. And there is always a happy ending for the soul and the soul unites with God. But in this world, there is not always a happy ending.
In fact, the ending is there is separation in this world at this level. So, the whole of Ramayana is with its various characters diligently demonstrating their dutifulness and she is, they do that diligently in their particular ways. So, that’s how she enters into the earth and they are reunited ultimately in the higher spiritual abode.
April Fools’ Day is celebrated yearly on April 1, and today I thought of Srila Prabhupada’s instruction that we remain fools before the spiritual master, as stated in a room conversation in Bombay, August 16, 1976.
A devotee asked, “Even nitya-siddha has guru . . . Even the liberated soul, nitya-siddha?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Liberated soul never says that ‘I am liberated.’ As soon as he says ‘liberated,’ he’s a rascal. A liberated soul will never say that ‘I am liberated.’ That is liberation. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, He is God—guru more murkha dekhi’ karila sasan [Cc Adi 7.71]: ‘My Guru Maharaja saw Me fool number one, and he has chastised Me.’ He’s God. This is the example. If one remains always a servant, everlastingly, of guru, then he is liberated. And as soon as he thinks that he is liberated, he’s a rascal. That is the teaching of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Guru more murkha dekhi’. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is murkha? Why He is posing Himself that murkha, ‘I am fool number one’? That means that is liberation. You must be ready always to be chastised by guru. Then he’s liberated. And as soon as he thinks that ‘I am beyond this chastisement. I am liberated,’ he’s a rascal. Why Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says guru more murkha dekhi’ karila sasan? This is sahajiya-vada, thinking, ‘Oh, I have become liberated. I don’t require any direction of my guru. I’m liberated.’ Then he’s rascal. . . . So better remain a foolish person perpetually to be directed by Guru Maharaja. That is perfection.”
I pray to be directed by Srila Prabhupada eternally, as his everlastingly humble servant, or servants’ servants’ servant.
Iskcon communities worldwide are vibrant with spiritual enthusiasm and impactful initiatives. Highlights include HG Daivi Shakti Mataji's profound discourse on Srimad Bhagavatam, Radhika Das's uplifting kirtan on BBC One, and Turkey's thriving Krishna Consciousness movement, marked by educational outreach and compassionate service. Additionally, there are insightful discussions by HG Atul Krishna Das on Lord Krishna's divine acts, HH Romapada Swami's illuminating insights on Lord Ramachandra's appearance, and the joyous celebrations like Ratha Yatra in Melbourne and the colorful Holi festival at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple. The launch of the MySadhana App and other significant events further showcase Iskcon's commitment to spiritual growth and community engagement. These endeavors collectively inspire a deeper connection with spirituality and a brighter future for all involved. Continue reading "Uniting Hearts Through Devotion: Inspiring Stories from Iskcon Communities Worldwide! March 31 → Dandavats"
Should we aspire for the ecstatic symptoms that are described as characteristics of pure love for Krishna at our stage, or should we aspire just for the removal of anarthas that are troubling us right now? As devotees, we certainly want to develop love for Krishna, and whatever is obstructing us in developing that love for Krishna, we want that to be removed, no doubt, and all of us will have our individual inspiration or vision about what love for Krishna means and how it can be developed. That is, that for some devotees, it may mean a deep immersion in Shastra. For some devotees, it may mean going to a holy dham like Mayapur and or singing the names of the Lord in the holy places over there.
For some devotees, it may mean worshipping the Deities in the temple. For some devotees, it may mean discussing exalted subjects of intimate Krishna pastimes with other devotees. So because it’s a personal relationship with Krishna, we cannot legislate it too much.
It’s a bond of the heart. So the most important thing in our bhakti is Anukulyasya Sankalpa Pratikulyasya Varjanam at operational level. Whatever is favorable for our devotional growth, we accept that, and whatever is unfavorable, we try to keep a distance from that.
So if it is favorable for us to move toward Krishna, that we have a vision of certain ecstatic symptoms or certain expressions of love for Krishna, then having that vision, having that aspiration, that’s wonderful. And the Artha Pravrutti and Anartha Nirrutti are both important. If we focus only on Artha Pravrutti without Anartha Nirrutti, then the danger is that we may become more Sahajiya-ik, that it’s just we are becoming sentient, we are trying to get our head to the spiritual world while our legs are still sinking on the ground in the material world.
We have not even got them out of the material world till now. On the other hand, if we get too caught only on Artha Nirrutti and don’t try for Artha Pravrutti, then we will become, we may tend to become like Mayavadis, for whom the focus is more on simply on freedom and liberation, not so much on positive attraction to Krishna. So, both are required and at different times in our life, we may feel inspired by different things.
So, whatever it is that we feel inspired by, we take that and move forward. And it’s good to have some other devotees who know our situation, whom we can consult, some seniors, either our spiritual masters, spiritual guides or some equals who know us well, so that they can guide us whether we are going too much in one direction. In general, each one of us may have our particular natural inclination for some devotees becoming very mindful and self-aware, to understand their motivations and to evaluate why particular kinds of moods or desires or hurts are rising within them because of what happened in the past, is very important as a part of their spiritual growth.
For others, all this may seem too analytical and they may feel more inspired to immerse themselves in hearing Krishna Katha and relishing Krishna Katha. Each of these modalities can help us grow, but we can go too far. Sometimes, our so-called immersing asana in Krishna Katha may be our way of running away from the hard issues that we need to deal with.
Let’s say the person may be physically wounded and they may start hearing Krishna Katha and they transcend the pain of the wound, but that doesn’t mean the wound itself is going to get cured. So, it may happen to physical, psychological level also. Similarly, it may happen that somebody may get so caught in psychological self-understanding that Krishna and Krishna’s mercy may become like a background, may become relegated to the background and that’s also not healthy.
So, we need a balance and we may need to understand what is our natural inclination so that we can take shelter of Krishna in that way. At the same time, we don’t neglect the other side by having some guide-route balances.
Question, how much should devotees read non-devotional books? Answer, there is no should over here. Sri Prabhupada didn’t really present Krishna Consciousness as a rigid set of do’s and don’ts. He focused more on helping us develop Krishna Consciousness.
And our primary reading should be reading of Shastra, so that we can become convinced about the practices of Bhakti and also learn how to practice Bhakti better, so that we can develop love for Krishna. That is what should be our focus in terms of reading. Now apart from that, we could say other reading could fall in three different categories.
One is that we may need to read some other things for our particular services. If somebody wants to start a school and they want to get a school for devotee kids and they want to get some certification, they may need to learn certain things about educational policies, they may need to get some certification for themselves as teachers or as teaching administrators. Similarly, if you want to build a temple, you may need to learn something about architecture apart from hiring architects, you need to know something basic.
So we may need to learn some principles for our particular services. If somebody wants to learn writing, they may want to read some books on writing. So first is for our services.
And second is that sometimes for our own self-understanding. We can, through the principles of Ananashram, we can understand our Varna. And that’s one valuable psychological or psychophysical categorization for self-understanding.
But there are many other frameworks available. And sometimes these could be helpful for us to understand ourselves better. So, especially if one is finding oneself in a very incompatible or uncomfortable situation, then we need to know ourselves ultimately in terms of the soul that we are.
But also we need to know ourselves in terms of the body-mind machine that we presently have, so that we can use it properly in Krishna service. So if someone is more of an introvert or someone is more of an extrovert, they need to see what services they can take up, or what kind of situation they can find shelter and strength in, so that they can practice their bhakti best. So for certain self-understanding, at the level of our nature or the level of the kind of mind that we have, some people may need to read something for that.
So, in the first category of our service, if we are living in the world and we are interacting with the world, a certain level of awareness of the world may be required as a matter of service. So, if you are living in a particular part of the world, what is the geopolitical situation in the vicinity? What is the religious undercurrents or tensions? Whether we need to read books for that? It’s not as important as that we need to be aware of those situations. So, beyond our service and our self-understanding, a third could be that some people may just have an intellectual nature and they may have a lot of intellectual curiosity.
So, for them, reading is just their nature. And they read on diverse subjects. And their reading on those subjects does not adversely affect their scriptural reading.
They were voracious readers before they came to Bhakti. And we cannot suddenly expect them to rigidly reduce their reading to only scriptural or devotional books. They will read that and they will read that voraciously.
But they may sometimes have an appetite for reading other things. It’s like somebody was very much into music before they came to Bhakti. And now they come to Bhakti.
They will naturally want to enthusiastically participate in any musical events or musical service associated with Bhakti. But just because they have become devotees now, doesn’t necessarily mean that they will be musically satisfied only with the kind of tunes and the kind of singing and the kind of instruments that are used in Bhakti, traditionally or contemporarily in the moment. They may want to see what kind of music is currently trending and whether they could compose something based on that, which is devotionally compatible.
So, everybody, based on their particular nature, will have a particular kind of appetite. And that appetite needs to be fulfilled. It cannot be artificially restricted.
So, for such people, based on the particular areas of interest or curiosity they have, they may read in those areas. And based on that, they can learn and they can grow. So, that would mean that they may become more, in future, public intellectuals where they can offer scriptural commentary on current issues or they may themselves be able to connect Krishna Conscious Wisdom with many different areas of life.
And depending on the particular intellectual nature of that person, either they may be very diverse in reading a wide variety of things or they may be very specific in going deep into one field or there may well be a combination of both where they are widely read in many fields and deeply read in one field. So, that’s how it’s not a matter of should. Should one read or not read? It’s more a matter of what helps one to best achieve the ultimate purpose of life which is to develop our love for Krishna and progress towards Him while making the best contribution during our journey in this world, in this life.
The TOVP Fundraising Team is pleased to announce the upcoming TOVP Marathon 2025 Euro Tour from April 10 – May 13. Led by Lord Nityananda’s Padukas and Lord Nrsimha’s Satari, the team consisting of Jananivas, Praghosa, Braja Vilasa and UK/Euro Coordinator Sukanti Radha prabhus will be visiting multiple locations in ten countries to increase awareness and fundraise for the completion of the project.
According to Braja Vilasa, “This monumental project is opening at the end of 2026 and the celebrations will extend for three months until Gaura Purnima. The marathon continues until then, and our efforts now are to get the final support from all devotees to achieve this important goal and relocate our beloved Mayapur Deities into Their new home without fail.”
Devotees in the countries being visited are encouraged to attend and become inspired by experiencing the massive worldwide influence the TOVP will have when it hits the world stage in 2026, thus fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s dearmost desire to build this temple in Sridham Mayapur and bring the people of the whole world there.
The accomplishments of Turkey's Krishna Consciousness movement in 2024 highlight its unwavering dedication to spiritual enlightenment and social service. Through innovative outreach strategies, compassionate food distribution programs, and a strong focus on education, the movement continues to inspire individuals across Turkey while making a tangible difference in their lives. As they look forward to an even brighter future in 2025, their efforts serve as a shining example of devotion and service. Continue reading "A Year of Growth and Service: Turkey’s Krishna Consciousness Movement in 2024 → Dandavats"
Discover a vibrant tapestry of spiritual wisdom and community achievements in the latest updates from ISKCON. From enlightening discourses by revered speakers like H.G. Bhima Prabhu and H.G. Kalakantha Prabhu on the profound teachings of Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad Gita, to inspiring events like the Rishikesh Kirtan Fest 2025 drawing thousands to the banks of the Ganges. Celebrate the growth and service milestones of ISKCON communities worldwide, highlighted by significant meetings and projects such as the Sri Sri Krishna Arjuna Mandir in Kurukshetra. Stay tuned for the upcoming VedaBaseTM 2025 update, promising enriched spiritual resources on Lord Nrisimha-caturdasi day. Experience these stories and more, resonating with devotion and the legacy of Śrīla Prabhupāda. Continue reading "Celebrating Bhakti: Teachings, Festivals, and Milestones in ISKCON’s Global Community! March 30 → Dandavats"
ISKCON Hungary has experienced remarkable progress and accomplishments in 2024, showcasing its dedication to spreading Krishna Consciousness, promoting sustainability, and serving communities across the nation. From book distribution milestones to self-sufficiency initiatives, the organization has made significant strides in various areas. Continue reading "GBC REPORT – A Year of Growth and Service: ISKCON Hungary’s Achievements in 2024 → Dandavats"
Introduction Nestled in the tranquil foothills of the Sahyadri mountains near Mumbai, India, the Govardhan Eco Village (GEV) stands as a remarkable testament to the seamless blend of sustainability and spirituality. An initiative of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), GEV has emerged as a model eco-community that embodies the principles of environmental conservation, Read More...
Sajjani dd and Daksa das had their wedding at New Govardhana in front of the Deities, Srila Prabhupada, their families and the assembled devotees.
I remember when they were both new devotees and I was always enthused to see them settling into the devotee community so wonderfully. It was a very happy occasion.
The TOVP Fundraising Team is most happy to announce the upcoming Gopal Krishna Goswami 13 Day Matching Fundraiser, from April 29 (Akshaya Tritiya – U.S.) until May 11 (Nrsimha Caturdasi – India).
On May 5, 2024, His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami departed this world to join Srila Prabhupada in eternal loving service to Lord Sri Krishna. To honor this dedicated and loving servant of our Founder-Acharya, and one of the greatest supporters of the TOVP, as well as to fulfill the instruction to him from Srila Prabhupada to “construct a temple at the birthplace of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu”, we are dedicating this year’s TOVP Matching Fundraiser to his memory through a beautiful 3” wide Bhakti Ratna (Jewel of Devotion) medallion. And if you sponsor one during the 13 day fundraiser, every donation will be matched by Ambarisa prabhu!
This is yet another opportunity to help complete the magnificent Temple of the Vedic Planetarium and prepare for the historic 3-month-long Grand Opening starting December, 2026 until Gaura Purnima, 2027, when our beloved Mayapur Deities will be relocated into Their new home and palace.
Sponsor a Bhakti Ratna medallion during the thirteen days of the matching fundraiser or give a donation of any amount. Every actual monetary donation (not pledges) will be matched by Ambarisa prabhu. Medallions will be shipped worldwide.
The latest from the ISKCON world on Dandavats! H.G. Kamalini Mataji's profound discourse on Srimad Bhagavatam (10.77.03-09) highlighted Lord Keśava's vigilant defense of Dvārakā against adversities, emphasizing divine protection and strategic planning. Additionally, the community shared heartfelt reflections on spiritual events like the Golden Jubilee Vraj Mandal Parikrama, celebrating traditions and memories of Srila Prabhupada. Meanwhile, Dr. H.D. Goswami explored the philosophical depths of spiritual science, challenging conventional perspectives and highlighting the metaphysical underpinnings of existence.
Moreover, the commemoration of Ramanujacharya's legacy underscored his profound influence on the bhakti tradition in South India, a testament to enduring spiritual teachings over centuries.
These endeavors continue to enrich the spiritual discourse and foster community engagement through insightful articles, reports, and inspirational videos, reflecting the vibrant spirit of ISKCON's teachings and community life. Continue reading "Ancient Teachings, Modern Reflections: ISKCON News & Events! March 29 → Dandavats"
HH Bhakti Chaitanya Swami embodies the successful integration of traditional Vaishnava principles with contemporary outreach methods. From his early days distributing Srila Prabhupada's books to his current role utilizing digital platforms for global spiritual education, he has consistently demonstrated commitment to spreading Krishna consciousness through whatever means most effectively reach people in their current circumstances. Continue reading "HH Bhakti Chaitanya Swami: A Digital Ambassador of Krishna Consciousness in the Modern Era → Dandavats"
QUEST Saṁvāda Podcast News QUEST Saṁvāda Podcast News 1. What is the podcast? The Institute of Science and Spirituality (ISS) presents the QUEST Saṁvāda Podcast: Questioning the Universe with Exploratory Science and Spiritual Thought, which planned to dive deep into the realms of knowledge, curiosity, and critical thinking. The QUEST Saṁvāda podcast aims to engage Read More...
Dear Maharajs and Prabhujis, please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Very sad to share this devastating news, yesterday in the earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar(Burma) we lost a dear devotee named Ravi prabhuji, he is the son-in-law of late H. G. Madhavanand prabhuji and Nistha Rani Radha mataji, who are the pioneers Read More...
By Dandavats Staff Writer
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We read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Two, Chapter Seven: “Scheduled Incarnations.”
By Dandavats Staff Writer
By Dandavats Staff Writer
By Dandavats Staff Writer
By Dandavats Staff Writer
In 1999, for ISKCON TV, Shyamasundar Prabhu recorded a series of experiences he had with George Harrison and with Srila Prabhupada:
By Dandavats Staff Writer
By Dandavats Staff Writer
By Dandavats Staff Writer
By Dandavats Staff Writer
April Fools’ Day is celebrated yearly on April 1, and today I thought of Srila Prabhupada’s instruction that we remain fools before the spiritual master, as stated in a room conversation in Bombay, August 16, 1976.
By Dandavats Staff Writer
By the GBC
By Dandavats Staff Writer
By the GBC
By Dandavats Staff Writer
By Dandavats Staff Writer