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Nrsimha Caturdasi Kirtan in Porto Alegre, Brazil (Album of photos)
When Prabhupada first came to India and traveled with his disciples in a group from one home to another. When they arrived in one place, Acyutananda asked Prabhupada, “What will our program be here?” Prabhupada replied, “Our program is to cry for Krsna.” From Prabhupada Meditations by SDG
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The annual Brisbane Rathayatra is becoming a more popular festival every year. There were probably a thousand devotees and friends chanting and dancing in front of Lord Jagannatha as His cart was pulled through the streets of the city.

Kalasamvara from Auckland was invited to lead the kirtan and everyone enthusiastically followed. The parade finished at Town Hall Square, where there was a main stage and many other tents set up. Needless to say, the free prasadam tent was packed out all afternoon.

Two days after I first saw Srila Prabhupada and the devotees at Brandeis University in Boston, on Nrsimha-caturdasi, May 1, 1969, he gave a beautiful talk about the nature of a Vaishnava, how a devotee is an ocean of mercy:

“This atheist is so unkind, cruel, that he is prepared to kill his own son, beloved son, five years old. That is atheism. And theism, the father who tortured him so much—after the death of his father, he’s praying to Nrsimhadeva, ‘Please excuse my father.’ This is theism. So that is the difference between Krishna consciousness and ordinary consciousness. Vaishnavas are very kind to everyone. Vancha kalpatarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca. You utter this prayer, krpa-sindhubhya eva ca. Vaishnava is an ocean of mercy. There is no end. As you cannot draw all the water from the ocean—it is not possible—similarly, a Vaishnava, a devotee, is an ocean of mercy. You can draw from it as much mercy as you like; still, it is full.

“So, Prahlada Maharaja is the symbolic representation of Vaishnava. Try to be not imitator, but follower. Don’t try to imitate: ‘Oh, Prahlada Maharaja was thrown into boiling oil. Let me try, fall into the boiling oil.’ No. That is imitation. First you become like Prahlada Maharaja, then that will be possible. Don’t try to make experiment. That is not good. But try to follow. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. Follow mahajanas, great personalities, what they have done. You cannot imitate them. You have to follow them. You have to follow the instructions of Krishna or His representative, but not imitate them. Then you’ll fall down. Anusarana, not anukarana. Anukarana means imitation; but anusarana, following. So what Prahlada Maharaja did, we have to follow his example. His example was that in spite of continuous torturing by his father, he never forgot Krishna. This we have to follow. In spite of all kinds of inconveniences and torture by the atheist class of men, we shall never forget Krishna consciousness. There are many examples. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he was tortured, he was crucified, but he never agreed that there is no God. So that should be our motto. This is following. Either you be Christian or Hindu or any, but be God conscious. Krishna conscious means God conscious. And in any circumstances, do not forget. That is called saranagati. That is surrender.”

I pray to follow in the footsteps of Sri Prahlada Maharaja, Srila Prabhupada, and all pure Vaishnavas in their line.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

Today is Nrsimha-caturdasi, the appearance day of Lord Nrsimhadeva. The appearance and activities of the Lord in the world are a great mystery. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita (4.9) Lord Krishna says:

janma karma ca me divyam
   evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
   naiti mam eti so ’rjuna

“One who understands the transcendental appearance and activities of the Lord does not have to take birth again within the material world but he goes back home, back to Godhead.”

To understand the appearance and activities of the Lord is not so easy for ordinary people. Or, as Srila Prabhupada said, “It is simple for the simple but difficult for the crooked.” If one is a simple devotee and hears submissively from Vedic authorities, he or she can understand the transcendental science. Therefore the Vedic literature enjoins, tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigaccet: In order to understand the transcendental science, one must approach a spiritual master. No matter the subject, we require a teacher. If we want to learn how to play harmonium, we require a teacher. If we want to learn how to make a puri, we require a teacher. If we want to learn how to program a computer, we need a teacher. For every field of activity, we need a teacher. Why, then, should we not need a teacher for the most important subject: how to understand, to realize, God.

The Sanskrit word jnana can be translated as “knowledge,” and the word vijnana can be translated as “applied knowledge” or “science” or “realization.” Thus jnana may be called “theoretical knowledge” and vijnana “realized knowledge.” In the process of spiritual realization we learn by hearing. Lord Krishna begins His instructions in the Bhagavad-gita by telling Arjuna, “Tac chrnu: Hear from Me.”

Krishna is the supreme authority. In explaining the spiritual science in the Bhagavad-gita, He advised, evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh: to understand the transcendental science one must receive the knowledge through disciplic succession. If we try to understand the knowledge by our own independent study of the books, we will fail. So Krishna advises that we receive the knowledge through parampara. Parampara means “one after another.” In the context of Vedic knowledge, it refers to the chain of masters and disciples that follow one after the other, through which the knowledge is passed down.

The original speaker of the Bhagavad-gita is Krishna. He taught the knowledge to Arjuna and others. One of the others was Lord Brahma, and Lord Brahma instructed Narada, Narada instructed Vyasa, and Vyasa instructed Madhvacarya, and so the knowledge was passed down from master to disciple in an unbroken chain. In more recent times, after Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the Six Gosvamis, the same knowledge has been passed to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and then our spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada.

The disciplic succession helps us to understand the original teachings of the Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literatures. In the Bhagavad-gita (9.11) Lord Krishna explains that less intelligent persons—He uses the word mudha, which means less intelligent, foolish rascal. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam—such people think that in the beginning Krishna is impersonal and that for some time He assumes what they believe to be a physical body as Krishna. This, of course, is the impersonal theory, that ultimately God is impersonal and that he assumes various shapes and forms for temporary manifestation, but that ultimately God is impersonal and that our goal is to merge and become one with God, one with the impersonal light. Krishna says that such people are mudhas because they do not know His eternal nature, which is changeless and supreme. In other words, Krishna is eternally Krishna. Krishna is eternally the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is not some impersonal light that comes in the form of Krishna and then goes back and becomes light again; He is always the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

We living entities are also, eternally, individuals. A prisoner is an individual while he is incarcerated, and when he is released he remains an individual. The only difference is that in prison he was bound by so many restrictions and punished in so many ways, and when he is released from the prison he is free. He is no longer subject to the rigors and punishments administered by the prison. But he is still an individual. In the same way, as conditioned souls in bondage we are individuals, and when we are liberated we will continue to be individuals. It is just that then we will be free.

Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always an individual, and when He comes into the material world He is the same Supreme Person. Srila Prabhupada gives the example that sometimes the governor may visit the prison. He may come to inspect the prison; he may come to show mercy to the prisoners. But although he is in the prison, he is not subjected to the same rules as the prisoners. He is always free. Similarly, when Lord Krishna, or any of His incarnations, comes into the material world, although He may appear to be like a conditioned soul, He is not. He is not bound by the laws of material nature but is always free.

Now, Krishna is the original form of Godhead (krsnas tu bhagavan svayam). He comes to the material world and speaks the Bhagavad-gita and engages in various pastimes with His devotees. And He comes in many other forms as well, for specific purposes, of which one is Nrsimha avatar. The Sanskrit word avatar means “one who descends.” All of Krishna’s forms are eternal and liberated, not different from Krishna. They are actually Krishna Himself manifest in different features. The example is given of a gem, which has many facets that reflect the light differently and therefore appear to be of different colors—red or green or yellow or whatever—but the gem is one. Similarly, God is one; Krishna is one. Krishna is the complete manifestation of Godhead, but He also appears in other forms that are basically the same as Him, although some of His qualities as Krishna are not manifest in His other incarnations.

Lord Nrsimhadeva, according to scripture, is one of the fullest manifestations of Godhead. He has almost the same opulences as Krishna. Krishna is the most complete—He is completely complete—but after Him, Lord Ramachandra and Lord Nrsimhadeva are the fullest manifestations of the opulence of Godhead.

The story of Lord Nrsimhadeva is most interesting and instructive. The history dates back millions of years, to a previous age in which a great demon named Hiranyakasipu performed severe austerities. He stood on his toes with his hands upstretched, tolerating the heat and cold, the scorching sun, torrential rains, and severe wind—all the disturbances of nature—for more than a hundred years. I don’t think many of us could last more than fifteen minutes. To perform such a feat of austerity required tremendous willpower and strength and determination. And as a result of austerity, one gets power. That is always the result of austerity: one gets power—which one may use for good or bad purposes. Hiranyakasipu’s austerities were so severe that he had the power to disturb the universe, and the universe was in fact disturbed.

Lord Brahma, the chief of the demigods, the devas, came to the earth to induce Hiranyakasipu to give up his austerities, and to do so he offered him a boon. Hiranyakasipu was pleased and asked to become deathless. But Lord Brahma informed him, “I cannot make you immortal, because I myself am mortal.” Still, Hiranyakasipu was very intelligent, and he was very proud of his intelligence, so he thought that he could become immortal indirectly, by obtaining so many other boons. He asked that he should not be killed by any created being. And Lord Brahma agreed: “Granted.” He asked that he should not die inside a building or outside, during the day or at night, on the ground or in the sky. And again, “Granted.” And he asked, “Let me not be killed by any weapon, or by any demigod, demon, man, or beast.” And again Lord Brahma agreed: “Granted.” So, in various ways, Hiranyakasipu thought that he could eliminate all the logical possibilities for his death. He thought that indirectly he could be assured of immortality.

After receiving the boons from Brahma, Hiranyakasipu was confident of his invincibility, and he declared war on the demigods. He was so powerful that he actually captured the heavenly planet, Indraloka, Svargaloka. He occupied the throne of King Indra and was being served by all of the demigods except for Brahma and Shiva. The demigods were in a very distressed condition, and they prayed to the Supreme Lord—Vishnu, Krishna—for relief.

Earlier, when Hiranyakasipu had left his palace to perform his austerities, in the fighting between the demigods and the demons, the demigods had become successful, and King Indra arrested Kayadhu, Hiranyakasipu’s pregnant wife. He intended to take her to his heavenly kingdom, and thinking that she bore another demon, another Hiranyakasipu, within her womb, he planned to kill the child at birth. But just then, the great sage Narada Muni appeared on the scene, and he stopped Indra and the other demigods. He said, “No, the child within the womb is a great devotee, a maha-bhagavata,” and escorted Kayadhu to his ashram and gave her shelter there. And while she was there, with her unborn child in her womb, Narada instructed her in Krishna consciousness, and her child, within the womb, heard the instructions.

In due course, Kayadhu was  returned to Hiranyakasipu, who raised their son Prahlada, arranging for him to study under two so-called brahmans.

One day, Hiranyakasipu called for Prahlada and asked him, “What is the best of all the subjects that you have studied from your teachers?” And Prahlada replied:

tat sadhu manye ’sura-varya dehinam
   sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat
hitvatma-patam grham andha-kupam
   vanam gato yad dharim asrayeta

“O best of the asuras, King of the demons, as far as I have learned from my spiritual master, any person who has accepted a temporary body and temporary household life is certainly embarrassed by anxiety because of having fallen in a dark well where there is no water but only suffering. One should give up this position and go to the forest [vana]. More clearly, one should go to Vrndavana, where only Krishna consciousness is prevalent, and should thus take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (SB 7.5.5)

When Hiranyakasipu heard Prahlada’s words, which were faithful to Lord Vishnu, he laughed and sent Prahlada back to be properly educated by his teachers. Hiranyakasipu considered Vishnu to be his enemy, and he thought that Prahlada’s intelligence had been spoiled by Vaishnavas, who may have infiltrated the school in disguise.

When after some time, Prahlada’s teachers were satisfied that he was sufficiently educated in politics and diplomacy, they presented him again before his father.

“For so long you have been hearing so many subjects from your teachers,” Hiranyakasipu said to his son. “What is the best of the knowledge you have learned from them?”

And Prahlada replied (SB 7.5.23):

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

He said that the best thing he had learned was devotional service—the nine processes of devotional service—and that one who engages in pure devotional service to the Lord is the most learned person.

Hiranyakasipu thought that Vishnu was a demigod who had mystic powers but that He still could be killed—and he was determined to kill Him, to avenge the death of his twin brother, Hiranyaksa, who had previously been killed by Varahadeva, Vishnu’s boar incarnation, after himself having created great disturbance in the universe. So when Prahlada answered, “The best thing that I have learned is to serve Lord Vishnu,” Hiranyakasipu became furious. He blamed Prahlada’s teachers: “You have taught him devotional service to Vishnu.”

But the teachers replied, “No, we haven’t. And we haven’t allowed anyone else to teach him, either.”

“Then how did the boy become Krishna conscious?” Hiranyakasipu demanded.

“We don’t know,” they replied. “He seems to be naturally Krishna conscious. If you want to know, you better ask him.”

When Hiranyakasipu asked Prahlada, Prahlada replied in three famous verses. In effect, he said, “My dear father, one cannot become Krishna consciousness by one’s own efforts, by the efforts of others, or by the combined efforts of oneself and others.”

Now, logically one might think that there is no other way to become Krishna conscious; it would have to be through one’s own efforts or the efforts of others or the combined efforts of oneself with others. But here, all these possibilities were excluded. But then Prahlada added (SB 7.5.32):

naisam matis tavad urukramamgrim
   sprsaty anarthapagamo yad-arthah
mahiyasam pada-rajo-’bhisekam
   niskicananam na vrnita yavat

The only way one could become Krishna consciousness, he said, was by being blessed by the dust of lotus feet of a pure devotee who was completely free from material contamination

As Srila Prabhupada has commented, Sri Prahlada was indirectly telling his father, “My dear father, you don’t need to worry about becoming Krishna consciousness, because only someone who bows down to the lotus feet of a pure devotee can become Krishna conscious, and you are so puffed up, you will never bow down to anyone. So you don’t have to worry about becoming Krishna conscious. That is not a possibility for you.”

Of course, Hiranyakasipu was no happier with Prahlada’s explanation of how he became Krishna conscious than he was by Prahlada’s statement that devotional service to Vishnu was the best thing that he had ever learned. Indignant and angry, he ordered his servants to kill his son. He was prepared to kill his own son, an innocent child of five years. And he tried in so many ways. He had his servants try to pierce and chop Prahlada’s tender body with their tridents, but they couldn’t; he had them hurl Prahlada from a mountain, but Krishna saved him; he had them poison him, but Krishna saved him; he had them throw boulders to crush him, but Krishna protected him. Whatever methods Hiranyakasipu adopted failed, even though he had subdued the most powerful demigods in the universe. Except for Brahma and Shiva, all the demigods had come under his control. And yet he could not touch this five-year-old boy. . . . Prahlada was just five years old, and Hiranyakasipu such a powerful tyrant, but still, Hiranyakasipu could not touch him.

Finally, Hiranyakasipu asked Prahlada, “Where do you get your strength? You know that when I am angry, the three worlds tremble. By whose power do you defy me?”

“My strength comes from the same source as yours,” Prahlada replied. “From God.”

Hiranyakasipu resolved to kill Prahlada himself. “Oh, from God?” he challenged. He thought that he was the source of all his strength and austerities. “Well, then, where is this God of yours?”

“He is everywhere,” Prahlada replied.

“Oh, He is everywhere?” Hiranyakasipu challenged. “Then is He in this pillar?”

“Yes,” Prahlada replied.

Enraged, Hiranyakasipu took up his sword struck his fist against the column. And from the pillar emerged a great roar—and the half-man, half-lion incarnation of the Lord, Nrsimhadeva.

Lord Nrsimha played with the demon. He fought with him, but He was just really playing with him. And when He’d had enough, He captured him, placed him on His lap, and in the doorway of the assembly hall, tore the demon to pieces with the nails of his hand. The body of Hiranyakasipu was so strong that it could not be pierced even by the thunderbolt of Indra, but it was pierced by the nails of the Lord. He was so powerful from his austerities that his body was like stone. But Lord Nrsimhadeva’s nails were like chisels that cracked it open. Then the Lord pulled out his heart, and draped his intestines around His neck as a garland, and let out a great roar.

This is also one of the rasas, or mellows—vibhatsa-rasa—in English called the “ghastly” rasa. But because the Lord is absolute, everything about Him is beautiful—every feature. When Krishna would return from the pasturing grounds in the evening, accompanied by Balarama and the cowherd boys, He would be playing on His flute; beads of perspiration would decorate His forehead, and dust raised by the cows’ hooves would adorn His hair. When the gopis would see this image of Krishna in their mind, they would be stunned by His beauty. In the same way, Lord Nrsimhadeva also looked beautiful, with drops of blood sprinkled on His face and mane, His eyes gleaming like fire, and the garland of Hiranyakasipu’s intestines around His neck.

So, what happened to Brahma’s boons? Well, the Lord is so intelligent that He kept all the boons intact and still killed the demon. He killed him at twilight, not during the day or at night. He placed him on His lap, which was neither on the earth nor in the sky. He killed him at the doorway to the palace, not inside or outside. He pierced him with his nails, not with any weapon. And He assumed a unique form that was half-man and half-lion, neither man nor demigod nor beast.

We may think that we are so clever that we can cheat God, but we should know that God is always more intelligent than we. Hiranyakasipu was extraordinarily intelligent, but still, God was more intelligent. Srila Prabhupada remarked that Hiranyakasipu wanted to protect himself from the bomb. He made all these arrangements to protect himself from the bomb, but he forgot about the nails. He never thought that he may be killed by Krishna’s nails. So, no matter how clever we are, how intelligent we are, God is more intelligent than we are. And mrtyuh sarva-haras caham: Krishna manifests Himself as death for those who deny Him, and no one can defy death. When death comes, you have to surrender—“as sure as death.”

So Krishna gives us the choice. At the end of the Bhagavad-gita He says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: “Surrender to Me. Give up all varieties of religiousness, all extraneous duties, and just surrender to Me.” And that is our choice. We can surrender to Krishna in His beautiful form of Syamasundara, His threefold bending form, playing on His flute. And if you don’t want to surrender to Krishna, or Lord Nrsimhadeva, voluntarily, then Krishna will come as death (mrtyuh sarva-haras caham) and take everything away. All right, we do not want to give this to Krishna; we do not want to give that to Krishna. We want to hold on: “What will happen if I give this away?” But if you don’t give it voluntarily to Krishna, mrtyuh sarva-haras caham: He will come as death and take away everything. That is what happened to Hiranyakasipu.

Then Krishna offered everything to Prahlada, who wanted nothing. In fact, when Lord Nrsimhadeva asked Prahlada to accept a benediction, Prahlada refused. “Why are You tempting me?” he asked. “I have not come to do business with You, to render service to You so that You would give me something in return. I just want to serve You for Your pleasure. So don’t tempt me with material things.”

But Lord Nrsimhadeva insisted: “No, I want you to accept something.”

Then Prahlada replied, “All right, I pray that my father be liberated.” Just see the kindness of a Vaishnava. His father was so envious of him that he tried to kill him, his own son, an innocent child of five years; he tried to kill him brutally. But Prahlada did not become Hiranyakasipu’s enemy. He remained his friend. Devotees are always the friends of every living entity. So Prahlada prayed for his demonic father’s deliverance.

Then Lord Nrsimhadeva said, “You are the heir to the demons’ opulence. I order you to occupy the throne and rule the kingdom.”

“I don’t want material opulence,” Prahlada said. “If I accept it, I might become puffed up like my father and forget You. To the contrary, I desire to be liberated from materialistic life.”

“It does not matter that you are in the material world,” Lord Nrsimhadeva assured him. “Just always engage in hearing and chanting and remembering Me, and being fully free from material bondage, you will come to Me”—back home, back to Godhead. And so Prahlada became Prahlada Maharaja.

After Hiranyakasipu was killed by Lord Nrsimhadeva, the Lord remained sitting on the throne, furious. No one could pacify the Lord; no one could get Him to give up His anger. Even the great demigods were afraid. Finally, Lord Brahma requested Prahlada, “You go forward and appease the Lord.”

Prahlada was not afraid. He was a pure devotee. He thought Lord Nrsimhadeva looked beautiful. He recited many beautiful prayers, and in one he said, “My dear Lord, even saintly persons take pleasure when a snake or a scorpion is killed.”

tad yaccha manyum asuras ca hatas tvayadya
   modeta sadhur api vrscika-sarpa-hatya
lokas ca nirvrtim itah pratiyanti sarve
   rupam nrsimha vibhayaya janah smaranti

“My Lord Nrsimhadeva, please, therefore, cease Your anger now that my father, the great demon Hiranyakasipu, has been killed. Since even saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of a scorpion or a snake, all the worlds have achieved great satisfaction because of the death of this demon. Now they are confident of their happiness, and they will always remember Your auspicious incarnation in order to be free from fear.” (SB 7.9.14)

What is the purport of this verse? Lord Nrsimhadeva was angry. Although He had killed Hiranyakasipu, still, as Srila Prabhupada explains, He was concerned that people might blame Him, that Prahlada’s relatives might blame Him: “You killed Prahlada’s father. He is just a five-year-old boy, and You killed his father.”

So, to assure the Lord that no one would blame Him for His action, Prahlada said, “Don’t worry, my Lord. You have killed him, it is true. But he was like a snake or a scorpion.” Snakes and scorpions are very envious and dangerous. So Prahlada was saying, “Even saintly persons, who are known to be nonviolent and friendly toward everyone, take pleasure when a snake or a scorpion is killed. Because snakes and scorpions are so envious that they will attack and kill even innocent persons, they should be killed—to save them from committing further sinful activities. So we bear no animosity towards You. We feel no ill will. No one will consider that You have done anything wrong. In fact, everyone is pleased.”

Devotees take pleasure in hearing how the Lord kills the demons and how He delivers the devotees, and both pastimes are recounted wonderfully in the story of Lord Nrsimhadeva.

There is much to learn from this story, and there is much to relish in hearing the glories of the Lord and the deliverance of devotees and the destruction of the demons. And among other lessons, we learn that not only should we adults be educated in Krishna consciousness, but we should educate our children in Krishna consciousness as well.

Hare Krishna.

Devotee: There are many stories of worshipers of demigods who get boons from Brahma or Shiva and then actually turn against their worshipable deity. So, Was it the acquisition of these great powers that turned their recipients demoniac or were they so demonic from the start with that even austerities didn’t do anything to benefit them? Instead of turning to spiritual life, they turn into demons.

Giriraj Swami: So, the first question is, Do they become demons after they get their boons? And the next is, How is it that they perform austerities and don’t make spiritual advancement?

In principle, the answer is the same for both questions. Nothing in the material world is good or bad; it all depends on how we use it. Austerities can be used for spiritual advancement, and they can also be used to gain material power.

No one can be successful in any endeavor without making sacrifices and performing austerities—not even a businessman. One of our friends came to visit recently, and he had lost weight. So I asked, “What happened? You seem to have lost weight.

“Well, my business has been doing very well,” he replied.

“You have lost weight because your business is doing well?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said. “I have doing such good business that I have not been coming home for lunch. I prefer to keep making money, so I have lost weight.”

Any activity requires austerity for success. If you want to do well in school, you have to study; you have to make sacrifices. You could be out playing, but you have to attend classes, read books, and prepare for your exams.

Still, the fruit of austerities can be used either for spiritual or material purposes. Devotees perform austerities to make spiritual advancement. Materialists also perform austerities, but for material development. It is not that they become demons. They may have been demons from the beginning, and when they got what they wanted, their demoniac propensities became manifest.

But is also true that ordinary persons or even devotees, if they are weak and come in contact with too much opulence, may fall down. In one case, an ordinary family won the lottery, and the family became completely disturbed. Until then, they had been relatively peaceful and happy, but after they got the lottery money, there was so much tension. What to do with the money? How to save the money? How to protect it? How to spend it? And in the end, the wife was saying that they had been happier before they had won the lottery.

It can happen that even a devotee who is not strong enough can become bewildered by material opulence. Therefore, in general, devotees live simply. They do not want to become confused or bewildered or agitated by material facilities. When Lord Nrsimhadeva offered Prahalada material benedictions, Prahlada considered them impediments on the path of devotional service. He prayed:

ma mam pralobhayotpattya
   saktamkamesu tair varaih
tat-sanga-bhito nirvinno
   mumuksus tvam upasritah

“My dear Lord, because I was born in an atheistic family I am naturally attached to material enjoyment. Therefore, kindly do not tempt me with these illusions. I am very much afraid of material conditions, and I desire to be liberated from materialistic life. It is for this reason that I have taken shelter of Your lotus feet.” (SB 7.10.2)

And if devotees do get some opulence, they give it to Krishna. There is a saying that Prabhupada used to quote: If you give a brahman a lakh of rupees, he will still be a beggar—because he won’t save that lakh of rupees, but he will spend it for others. He will spend it for God, and so the next day he will still be a beggar. Or, as Srila Prabhupada told us, “Make a million dollars for Krishna one day, and spend a million dollars for Krishna the next day.” So we don’t hoard. If we do, there is a chance that we will become preoccupied with our wealth, at least to some degree, and forget Krishna.

Devotee: All the forms of Krishna are eternal. So is the form of Lord Nrsimhadeva also eternal, and did it exist even before He appeared before Hiranyakasipu?

Giriraj Swami: Yes. All the forms of Krishna are eternal, but They have appearance pastimes. Krishna appeared as the son of Vasudeva and Devaki in Kamsa’s prison, but that was just a play. He exists eternally, but as a pastime He seemed to take birth. All the incarnations of Godhead have appearance pastimes. Just like in tonight’s play: an actor will play the part of Lord Nrsimhadeva and appear from a pillar. But the actor existed before the play began. Someone may appear on the stage, but he existed before the dramatic performance began. Similarly, the Lord enacts appearance pastimes, but He always exists.

Devotee: You mentioned that Hiranyakasipu was told that he could not become a devotee because he would not take the dust of a pure devotee, but before that there was a verse matir na krsne paratah svato va. Prahlada was saying that because you are too attached to material opulence, you cannot become a devotee.

Giriraj Swami: Very good point. Of those three important verses, matir na krsne paratah svato va is one.

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)

Prahlada is saying that people who are too entrapped in the bodily concept of life and too attached to material opulence cannot bow down to the pure devotee and become Krishna consciousness. And Queen Kunti says the same thing in her prayers to Lord Krishna:

janmaisvarya-sruta-sribhir
   edhamana-madah puman
naivarhaty abhidhatum vai
   tvam akincana-gocaram

“My Lord, Your Lordship can easily be approached, but only by those who are materially exhausted. One who is on the path of [material] progress, trying to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty, cannot approach You with sincere feeling.” (SB 1.8.26)

To be Akincana—materially exhausted, or materially impoverished—means either that we have no possessions and live very simply or that we have no sense of false proprietorship and dedicate everything to Krishna’s service. For example, if we think, “I am the proprietor of this temple,” we cannot get Krishna. But if we think, “This temple is not mine; it is Krishna’s,” then we can get Him. Still, we have to be responsible—not that we think, “Oh, this is Krishna’s temple; let Krishna worry about it.” No, we are Krishna’s servants. We should think, “Yes, it is Krishna’s temple; it is not mine to enjoy. But I am Krishna’s servant, so I have to make sure that everything goes well—for Krishna.”

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Nrsimha-caturdasi, May 22, 2005, in San Diego]



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Narasimha Caturdasi 2018 celebrated at Radhadesh (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Only fools are ungrateful to their benefactors. The Lord, however, does not require benefit from anyone besides Himself because He is full in Himself; still He feels benefited by the unalloyed services of His devotees. The Lord feels grateful to His devotees for such unsophisticated, unconditional service and tries to reciprocate it by rendering service, although the devotee also has no such desire in his heart. The transcendental service of the Lord is itself a transcendental benefit for the devotee, and therefore the devotee has nothing to expect from the Lord. >>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 1.16.26-30 ppt
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The Place Where Lord Nrsimhadeva Came To Take Rest And Wash The Blood From His Hands After Killing Hiranyakasipu. Sri Nrsimhapalli is located on the eastern and southern boundaries of Navadvipa Dhama and is known by the names Nrsimha Puri and Devapalli (neighbourhood of the Devas). This temple is famous since Satya-yuga when Lord Nrsimhadeva came here to take rest and wash the blood from His hands after bestowing His mercy on Prahlada by killing his demoniac father Hiranyakasipu. Next to the temple is a lake left behind by the Mandakini River that flowed here at that time. When Lord Nrsimhadeva arrived here, He drank the sweet water of this river to refresh Himself and also washed the blood of Hiranyakasipu from His hands. Knowing that Lord Nrsimhadeva had come to take rest here, all the demigods followed Him, constructed large palaces and worshipped Him with great opulence. The changing course of the Mandakini River covered the demigod palaces and destroyed them and all that remains of them now are the hills that surround this area. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates used to come here regularly to discuss Lord Nrsimha-katha and perform Harinam Sankirtana. The Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust built the kirtana hall here. Continue reading "“Sri Nrsimhapalli” Or Devapalli
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Kings Day Harinam, Amsterdam - 27th April 2018 (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Although not having fully realized Krsna, ...

Although the tour is nearing completion in a few days, already over $1 million U.S. has been pledged from only 7 temples, many of them very small and having only 20-30 devotees and congregation! This is a total reverse of expectations and a sign that the Lord in everyone's heart is giving inspiration and intelligence for His service, and He is eager to see this great Temple of the Vedic Planetarium manifest and benedict the world with the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu: “An astounding temple will appear and will engage the entire world in the eternal service of Lord Caitanya.” (Lord Nityananda, Sri Navadvipa-Mahatmya, Parikrama Khanda, Chapter 4) Continue reading "TOVP Euro Tour Making History
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“It’s an opportunity to bring positive attention to the topic of child protection,” Lilasuka Dasi said. “As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And research shows that one adult who is trained in child protection can protect an average of ten children from sexual abuse.” To this end, the North American Child Protection Office is conducting more trainings in the US and Canada this year than ever before. So far Lilasuka has already visited Towaco, New Jersey; Central New Jersey; Philadelphia; and Gita Nagari, and done online training for Ottowa, Canada. In May, she’ll be going to New Vrindaban; Seattle; Vancouver; and Farmington Hills, Michigan. Continue reading "ISKCON Highlights Child Protection on Nrsimha Chaturdasi
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[Bhagavatam class on 5.18.13 at ISKCON, Denver, USA]

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[Talk at Colorado State University, Denver, USA]

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In honor of Jayananda Prabhu’s disappearance anniversary today, we submit the following account, derived from a letter by Kalindi Dasi to her spiritual master, Candramauli Swami. — GS

In mid-July I started wearing tilak to my work at the hospice. I thought that since many other spiritual practitioners were expressing their faith by wearing crosses, doves, silk threads, pentacles, and other items, I would wear my tilak, which tells the world that I am a devotee of the Lord. And I have found that wearing tilak at work has opened the door for spiritual questions and conversations.

On the morning of Monday, August 6, 2007, after our daily report and medical-staff checks, we began doing our usual tasks of caring for the patients. As ours is only a ten-bed facility, we are able to give loving care to each patient individually. Often, while I care for or bathe patients who are unable to do such tasks for themselves, I chant or sing the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. On this particular morning I was caring for a woman named Jane Kohr, who had been with us for almost a week. She was a kind and polite person, and I enjoyed the time

I spent with her. Around 8 a.m. on August 6, I entered her room and found that she was getting closer to leaving her body. She was unresponsive to verbal cues, and her body was limp. I sang the maha-mantra one last time, while she received her final bath. Hospice staff called her family, who were always friendly and appreciative for her care. When I was finished, I spoke with some of the family members in the hall. Jane’s grandson approached me to thank me and then pointed to his forehead and to my tilak and asked if I was a Hare Krishna. I smiled and said that yes, I was a devotee of Krishna. “Well,” he said, “then maybe you know of my uncle Jayananda.”

“The Jayananda?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said. And he told me how his uncle had built the Ratha-yatra carts. He then went in to inform his mother that I was a Hare Krishna.

Gaynelle, Jayananda Prabhu’s sister, came out of the room and said that she was so happy that a Krishna devotee had cared for her mother. The whole family expressed that it meant so much to them. Gaynelle kept saying that she couldn’t believe that I was a Hare Krishna. She said that she told her mother but wasn’t sure that her mom could hear her. I said that I had a feeling she already knew, and I laughed.

Jane, a granddaughter, mentioned that she remembered her uncle making really great Indian food and offering it to God and then the family sitting on the floor and eating it. She remembered his robes and how happy he was. Jane said that he had been pretty depressed before meeting devotees.

I let Jayananda Prabhu’s family know that during the Ratha-yatra festival we hang a nice photo of him next to Srila Prabhupada’s photo. They told me that an old friend of Jayananda’s (who is not a devotee) happened to be in Durban, South Africa, several years ago and saw his first Ratha-yatra festival there, and to his astonishment there was a huge photo of Jayananda Prabhu on the front of the cart. He had called Gaynelle to share the news.

They told me that Jayananda was always very kind, even as a child, and never spoke badly of others. From the many stories they told me, his saintly qualities shone through even in his childhood. Gaynelle told me that her brother once spent hours on a family vacation at the beach picking ticks and fleas off a homeless dog. He couldn’t stand to watch it suffering. Jayananda’s nephew told me about running around the kitchen table as a small child with his uncle, who was laughing and chanting Hare Krishna.

When I went back

into Jane’s room, the family was gathered around her bed holding her hand. Her breaths were faint, and she was about to leave her body. I stepped out to give the family some space, and about five minutes later they came to the front desk and asked for me to look at her. When I opened the door, I saw that her body had turned yellow and waxy. It was apparent that the soul had left and that the physical body was all that remained. The nurse reported that she had passed, and the family, though sad, also felt relief.

Gaynelle told me that she had asked her brother for support. Since he couldn’t physically be at their mother’s passing, she had been looking for a sign that he was supporting her. She felt that a devotee’s being present and caring for her mother was not a mere coincidence. It was, I believe, Krishna’s endless mercy!

I thanked the relatives for allowing me to serve their family, offered my pranamas, and said, “Hare Krishna.”



The post Daily Darshan: April 27,2018 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

This year, Sriman Jayananda Thakura’s disappearance day anniversary falls on 28th April. Jayananda Thakura is lovingly called as ISKCON’s first Saint. “My Dear Jayananda, Please accept my blessings. I am feeling very intensely your separation. In 1967 you joined me in San Francisco. You were driving my car and chanting Hare Krsna. You were the […]

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The Hungary temple in Budapest and farm have been personally overseen by GBC member, His Holiness Sivarama Maharaja for over thirty years. Through his guidance and care for his disciples, followers and friends He has created a sweet devotional atmosphere of dedicated ISKCON devotees who are well taken care of spiritually and materially. Anyone who has visited these two communities has appreciated that.

We stopped over first at the New Vrajadhama farm after driving from Slovakia without any plans for a fundraising event, especially knowing that these devotees have little to no financial means, but serve the community as full-time dedicated devotees. The temple was so ornate and beautiful and we were overwhelmed by the love and devotion that the devotees exhibited.

To our surprise (again!), after the wonderful greeting of Lord Nityananda’s Padukas and Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Sitari with kirtan and abhisheka, and talks by Jananivas and Braja Vilas prabhus we were overwhelmed with the mood of giving from the 40+ devotees in attendance. Without our even asking devotees started making pledges and within a short time over $30,000 U.S. was pledged! Another miracle for the TOVP Tour.

All glories to Lord Nityananda! All glories to Lord Nrsimhadeva! All glories to all the devotees of the Lord!

The main temple in Budapest will be our next stop. The complete Euro Tour schedule is below.

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The post TOVP Euro Tour Day 7: New Vrajadhama Farm, Hungary appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Receiving the mercy of Lord Narasimha
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has written five beautiful prayers in “Sri Navadvipa Bhava Taranga” for receiving the mercy of Lord Narasimha. These prayers are certainly assurance to all sincere devotees that the worship of Lord Narasimha is purely in the line of aspiring love and devotion to Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. Those prayers are as follows.

Harinama at Burleigh Heads - 22 April 2018 (Album of photos) Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura: Krsna as the source of love ...

Mohini Ekadasi Kirtan at Iskcon Nepal (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Caitanya Mahaprabhu is very practical, that “I want to give krsna-prema. One should be ecstatic, emotional in krsna-prema. One shall cry for Krsna.” And He taught everyone by His practical example how He was mad after Krsna. Govinda-virahena me. Sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me. This is krsna-prema: without Krsna, one should see everything vacant. This is Radharani’s prema. But that is not possible for ordinary human being. It might be possible for Caitanya Mahaprabhu and few devotees. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.30 – Bombay, November 30, 1974
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Giriraj Swami: Today is Rukmini-dvadasi, the appearance day of Srimati Rukmini-devi.
“The beloved consorts of Lord Krishna are of three kinds: the goddesses of fortune, the queens, and the milkmaids of Vraja, who are the foremost of all. These consorts all proceed from Radhika.” (Cc Adi 4.74–75) Of all Krishna’s queens in Dvaraka, Rukmini-devi is the principal. Ultimately, she is an expansion of Srimati Radharani.
Many of Rukmini and Krishna’s pastimes are described in Srimad-Bhagavatam, and they are relishable and instructive. When I first read the story of Rukmini and Krishna in the Krsna book, I thought that it was the most wonderful story—one that could make a fabulous movie, with romance, suspense, chivalry, adventure, and a truly happy ending. I thought, “This is amazing. You get everything in Krishna consciousness—but completely pure and spiritual.”
If we worship Rukmini-Dvarakadisa and make them the center of our lives, we may enjoy some of their opulence. But material opulence is incidental, because material things without Krishna will not make us happy. The real thing is Krishna. Only Krishna can make us happy, and with Krishna we will be happy—with or without material things.

Rukmini-dvadasi is super-excellent because it is meant to infuse us with thoughts of Krishna, inspire our attraction for Krishna. That is why Srila Prabhupada wrote books, established temples, installed Deities, and trained devotees, so that they could always be busy with Krishna, busy for Krishna, and by association inspire and teach others also how to be absorbed in Krishna. Among the main processes in the present age of Kali, the foremost is the chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. So let us chant Hare Krishna, dance, feast on krsna-prasada, and be happy in Krishna consciousness.

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Soon after posting an interview with a devotee (recorded a year earlier)I received an email informing me that  the devotee I had interviewed had left Krishna consciousness. To verify this I checked out his Facebook Page and I was sad to see this post… I was even more sad to see this post… even a […]

The post How do we treat devotees when they leave Krishna consciousness? appeared first on Successful Vaisnavas - Personal Development for Hare Krishnas.

Soon after posting an interview with a devotee (recorded a year earlier)I received an email informing me that  the devotee I had interviewed had left Krishna consciousness. To verify this I checked out his Facebook Page and I was sad to see this post… I was even more sad to see this post… even a […]

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[Talk at University of Colorado, Boulder, USA]

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[Narasimha Chaturdashi series on Prahlada’s prayers to Narasimhadeva 5.8.8-14]
[Bhagavatam class on 5.8.12 at ISKCON, Denver, USA ]

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

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

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

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

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

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

krsna-kanta-gana dekhi tri-vidha prakara
eka laksmi-gana, pure mahisi-gana ara

vrajangana-rupa, ara kanta-gana-sara
sri-radhika haite kanta-ganera vistara

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other than Rukmi, all Rukmini’s family members and well-wishers, including her father, favored her match with Krishna. And Rukmini, Krishna’s eternal consort, could not think of marrying anyone else. Later, she told Krishna that only a woman who had not relished the fragrance of the honey of His lotus feet could accept someone else as her husband or lover. Any other suitor would be a “living corpse”—a bag covered with skin, whiskers, nails, and hair and filled with flesh, bones, blood, stool, mucus, bile, and air. “What woman,” she averred, “who has once heard Your glories from saintly persons and relished the nectarean fragrance of Your lotus feet would take shelter of some mortal who is always afraid of death?” She insisted that she would depend only on Krishna, who has an eternal, blissful, spiritual form.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hare Krishna.

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