(Kadamba Kanana Swami, June 2011)
'Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī, sakali 'aśānta.'
The sense enjoyer, the karmi or 'mukti' – the one who looks for liberation. ….or the 'siddhi' – the yogi who looks for mystic power – They're all selfish. Still selfish…..still driven by self interest!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, June 2011)
"How can there be a God? Who is the creator of the material world?"
And they speak out against the designed argument that there is an intelligent design behind this world! For example, a philosopher like Yeung would speak out against this and would say:
"How can it be when there are imperfections in this world. Floods, earthquakes and so on It shows that it's not going on perfectly".
A somewhat shallow understanding. Not understanding that first of all, the whole material world is not going on by Krishna's desire. Not at all! It is not going by Krishna's desire, it is Krishna's design! But it is going on in response to the desires of the living beings of the conditioned souls, and it's a perfect response to those desire less of the conditioned souls. Sometimes frustrating the desires, and sometimes fulfilling the desire, and that's the design. But it is not Krishna's desires. Krishna's doesn't desire the whole material world! And still He comes into the material world to tolerate it!
The material world is just a bit too much, and therefore this is not going on by Krishna's desires but our desires! We are the ones who provide the fuel for the spinning of the planets. It's us….it's our desire to enjoy this material energy, that keeps it going and not Krishna's desire! It's Krishna's will and energy that keeps everything going but it's not his desire!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, June 2011)
"I have been purchased by the wealth of Duryodhana".
That was not a fact. Others maybe – yes. Others may have joined him because Duryodhana made them offers. This whole battle of Kuruksetra had different warriors who would take sides, and not only out of ideological reasons. No, there were often times when those who came first and proposed good offers:
"I'll give you all this?"
"Okay, I'm on your side!"
A lot was simply based on monetary gain, and Bhisma referred to himself like that. The fact of the matter was that Bhisma was not interested in material enjoyment, and he proved that with his vow. Previously his name was 'Devavratha', which was given to him by birth. The name 'Bhisma' was given to him by a celestial voice, at the time when he made that vow to never get married. Devavratha, the great vowed that impossible vow of celibacy. When he made that vow, the demigods showered flowers upon him, and there was a celestial voice calling out:
"Bhisma – the terrible vow! He's taking the terrible vow!"
So one cannot take that terrible vow, and simultaneously on another level be inclined towards enjoying the material energy, because then celibacy becomes impossible! One must give up the enjoying propensity. One must thoroughly give it up, if one actually wants to give up sex life, because otherwise, many types of enjoying mentality locks us in a train of emotions and thoughts, in the train of thinking feeling and willing, which will ultimately end in the final station called 'sex'. And the train halts here and all passengers are meant to leave the train and:
"Don't forget to take your belongings and get off here!"
That is the nature of the mind!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, June 2011)
Bhisma Dev said:
"Okay, no problem".
It wasn't even like:
"Well, you know……….well this is very painful, what you are asking here".
No, there was nothing in his heart like that. It wasn't painful for him to give up the throne. And that was not just a throne, since that was like unlimited opulence….inconceivable opulence. But he was not interested. Therefore, Bhisma Dev was thoroughly free from the enjoying propensities. He was thoroughly free from the material energy, and had no desire to be in this world.
Whilst he was here, he was simply serving Krishna. That was his meditation. Not only was Bhisma not just desiring to be in this world and enjoy the material energy, Bhisma Dev was also not desiring to get out of this material world. He also did not think about liberation as his meditation!
One mood is the mood to enjoy, and the other mood is:
"Oh god, this world is too much! It's just a world of frustration; it's a world of pain; it's a world of suffering; it's a world of misery. We got to get out of here, if we can do anything to get out of here, and out of this world!"
That meditation was also not Bhisma Dev's daily or constant meditation. His meditation simply was:
"Let me serve Krishna!"
So that is vaisnava. Bhisma Dev was beyond karma and beyond jñānī. He was on the level of:
'sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam', [Cc. Madhya 19.170].
As mentioned in the 'Pancaratras', he was only interested in satisfying the senses of Krishna!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, June 2011)
"Who am I? Contaminated as I am with all the vices of the world – lust, greed, anger and envy. All these qualities are in me. Who am I to go before the Supreme Lord? Therefore I will serve His devotees who are very pure and fully dedicated to His pleasure. If they pray for me to the Lord, then surely the Lord will bestow His blessings upon me! Will He hear my prayer? I don't know. Maybe if He hears it, then will He answer it with what I have done?"
And everyone for himself knows the truth about himself – yes he knows, since we all know about our shortcomings! Therefore, it is quite natural to turn to the devotees of the Lord(who give their life in service to the Lord) and then please these devotees, somehow or other. And if we please them somehow or other, then surely they will, pray, they will invoke the blessing of the Lord!
The Lord will say:
"Oh they pleased My devotees, so nicely!"
Then the Lord will certainly give me His blessings! So this is the way to really get the blessings of the Lord by serving His devotees!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Stockholm, June 2011)
'balavan indiya-gramo vidvamsam api karsati', (S.B 9.19.17).
Even if we have knowledge, then we will still struggle, since that's how strong the senses are. So the struggle continues and then we look for the purification, 'atmendriya-priti' the removal of the stumbling blocks in the heart. By fixing ourselves in the regulated process of devotional service:
'vihārasya yukta-ceṣṭasya karmasu' ( B.G 6.17).
A regulated process of devotional service will be purified and still uphill! It's still uphill and the process of 'anartha-nivrttih', the stumbling blocks from the heart will be removed, and it's since it's still a uphill struggle…..struggle, until we get to the peak of the hill, and on the peak of the hill is the stage of 'nistha'.
The stage of 'nistha' is the stage where material desires have diminished somewhat and spiritual attraction has become strong. In 'nistha' one has strong faith – firm faith, and not the weak faith, that one initially has. In 'nistha' one has strong conviction. In that stage one says:
"I'm going to put all my energy and all my endeavours simply in following whatever Krishna desires. Whatever way Krishna has given towards happiness, that's my way, and no other way".
And all other ideas and all other desires in 'nistha' one can let them go! Before it was difficult to let them go and it was a struggle, since these desires come and harass us on the path and make it a struggle, but in 'nistha' we can let them go! It maybe that some material desires are lurking on the horizon, but they are not so strong anymore!
After 'nistha' the path becomes easy. It is now gently sloping down and it's not such a struggle anymore, because it is then that spiritual life really begins, with experiencing great taste, happiness and absorption becomes the whole essence of spiritual life!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Nama Tattva Lecture, part 3, Japa Workshop, Helsinki 2011)
Life is short and we don't want to miss the boat, also… So, Lord Caitanya was not just in the mood of a psychotherapist, and it's not that it says in Caitanya Cartitamrita: … and then Lo
It's sort of like: "Jiv jago, jiv jago, Goracadra bolo"… "Wake up, sleeping soul, you're sleeping in the lap of the witch Maya." That's there… "Chant, chant!" There is some element of urgency. "You're drowning in the ocean of nescience. Take the rope!" It's not like: "Well, ok. You can first put one hand on the rope and then…" No! "You're drowning! Take that pole before the sharks eat you, take it!"
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, 2011)
In kirtan we are feeling that somehow or other we are being swept up together. Together we are chanting, and together the energy of the chanting carries us and we somehow or other become absorbed and uplifted! That is the potency of sankirtan……of congregational chanting, where together we share our mood and enthusiasm!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, 2011)
For getting a result of an alteration of consciousness, but the chanting is already there, because the darshan of the Lord is there…..the Lord is present while we are chanting!
Therefore, we have already attained in the chanting, which is to be understood. So the process is actually more direct, and we see that Krishna is manifesting His name, and therefore, this chanting is a special process!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Melbourne, Australia, 2011) Lecture – Become a champion chanter
"Oh, Lord Siva. How are you? I was just looking for you! There are so many intruders who try to sneak into this rasa dance. I just needed someone to stand guard, and you are the perfect person!
In this way Lord Siva became Gopīśvara. In Vrindavan we see this liṅgas called Gopīśvara of Lord Siva, who is guarding the rasa dance. In some days they are dressing up this liṅgas as a gopi, to remind them of how Lord Siva was trying to sneak in to this pastime.
So no one can enter, If Lord Siva cannot enter, than can we enter? It's not so simple…..it's not so easy!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Helsinki, Finland, 2011) Lecture – Nama Tattva Part IV
Sometimes we see that people chant the names of Krishna, and they mix it all up:
'Govinda, Gopal, Morari, Hari'.
And we are hearing that all these names 'Govinda, Gopal' and so on are primary names that Krishna is having in his eternal spiritual activities and those names are equally powerful, than the name of Krishna!
One may have secondary names, such as where Krishna is described as the one who is doing something in this world -'Jagat-pati', the father of the universe or 'Srstikarta' – the one who is the ultimate doer behind the creation. So these are the secondary names of Krishna, who is doing some temporary work. But the eternal names like 'Gopal' and 'Govinda', are the primary names and those one must chant!
So if someone chants:
'Gopal, Govinda, Krishna, Hare, Morari'.
Isn't that nice? It is nice, but it is not as nice as the maha mantra. Because in the maha mantra there is a relationship – 'Hare' or the pleasure potency of Krishna is engaging in the service of the attractive Supreme Lord. And the result:
'ramante yogino 'nante
satyānande cid-ātmani
iti rāma-padenāsau
paraṁ brahmābhidhīyate' (Cc.Madhya 9.29)
The result is that we are experiencing transcendental happiness. So like that, the maha mantra is revealing a relationship. It is revealing the entire process of devotional service……everything is there! Therefore it cannot be changed! Some are thinking:
"Well, if we chant 'Radhe Krishna, Radhe Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Radhe Radhe', then that is even more intimate, than chanting Hare Krishna".
Actually everything is there, because 'Hare' is referring to devotional service, and how that devotional service can capture Krishna! Because 'Hare' means to steal or to capture, so that devotional service can attract even the all attractive Krishna or in particularly the personality who is the personification of devotional service – is Srimati Radharani and is able to steal away Krishna. So therefore, the highest rasa is all there in the maha mantra! So the maha mantra is including the whole relationship!
"The fortunate town of Navadvipa remains on the earth. The seashore remains. The city of Jagannatha Puri remains. The holy names of Krsna remain. But alas! I do not see anywhere the same kind of festival of pure love for Lord Hari. O Lord Caitanya, O ocean of mercy, will I ever see Your transcendental glory again?"
[ Srila Prabodhananada Sarasvati, Sri Caitanya-candramrta, verse 40 ]
"I am not in agreement with Mr. Altman that we are expanding very thinly. In my opinion a single sincere soul can maintain a center. You know, I started the center at 26 2nd Ave. alone. I took the risk of $200. rent. At that time there were no assistants. Mukunda was a friend, but there was no responsibility for him for maintaining center. Gradually Kirtanananda, Hayagriva joined but they did not take any responsibility. Still, I was maintaining the establishment simply depending on Krishna and then Krishna sent me everything; men & money. Similarly, if a sincere soul goes out and opens a center in any part of the part, Krishna will help him in all respects. Without being empowered by Krishna nobody can preach Krishna Consciousness. It is not academic qualification or financial strength which helps in the matter, but it is sincerity of purpose which helps us always. Therefore I wish that you will remain in charge of Boston. Let Mukunda be in charge of San Francisco. Let Janardana be in charge of Montreal, Nandarani and Dayananda be in charge of Los Angeles. And let Subala das be in charge of Santa Fe. In this way, you will follow my example as I did in the beginning at 26 2nd Ave. That is preaching, cooking, writing, talking, chanting, everything one man's show. I never thought about the audience. I was prepared to chant even if there were no men present to hear me. The principle of chanting is to glorify the Lord & not to attract a crowd. If Krishna hears nicely then he will ask some sincere devotee to gather in such place. Therefore be advised that thousands of centers may be started if we find out a sincere soul for each & every center.''
Srila Prabhupada letter to Subala, November 12, 1967
The fly is living happily in the box of manure.
He is becoming fat, enjoying the opulence.
The bee comes by and the fly invites him to see the opulence of the fly.
"I do not wish to offend you, but this place is not very nice, my dear fly.
The place where I come from is full of fragrant flowers, the trees are tall and they are swinging in the autumn wind.
There is a lot of space to fly, and many flowers prduce a lot of pollen for our food."
"What is so special about that? This is a box of manure and is perfect, I can't imagine better place than this. The gardens of flowers and trees and grasses... sounds unusual, I have never seen such thing before and because I like my home I don't wish to go anywhere else."
"I invite you only this one time to see my home, warm and bright."
"But it is so far away from my home."
"It will take us very short time to fly there and back, just come with me, this is the chance of your life."
The fly and the bee flew out of the manure box
and entered the flower garden.
"My dear fly, can you see this wonderful place?
Can you smell this fragrance coming from the blossoming flowers?"
"No, the place seems nothing special,
it smells exactly like at home."
The bee suspects that fly's perception is disturbed.
He takes the fly to the river and they both take bath.
When fly's senses are pure, he can see the beauty.
"This is such a nice place, it smells so nice, I will never go to that box of manure again!"
Dearest Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my most humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.
Thirty four years ago today you departed from our material vision. Although the departures of pure devotees are celebrated as glorious in the vaisnava tradition, I honestly have never felt this to be a day of festivities. Instead of celebrating, I feel more comfortable spending time alone remembering your pastimes amongst us and reflecting on my service to your divine mission.
Of course, it was natural that you would leave one day. My godbrother Pita dasa relates in his memoirs how, a few days before your departure, he heard you ask a group of devotees at your bedside, "Why are you all crying?"
"Because you are so sick, Srila Prabhupada," one of the devotees replied. "We are afraid you may leave."
It was then that you made a statement that has become famous.
"I will never die," you said. "I will live forever in my books."
Some moments passed; the only sound was soft chanting from some of the devotees. Then you began speaking again.
"Old people die. That is natural," you said. "When a young person dies that is a mistake because young persons should live until they are old. But I am old. So don't cry."
"But Srila Prabhupada," one devotee said. "We are crying because we can't live without you and when you leave we won't know how to communicate with you."
"I will communicate with you through your heart," you said. "And I will come to you in your dreams."
When I heard Pita dasa relate this memory of you, I felt very happy because sometimes I do dream about you. Only a few nights ago, after a particularly wonderful public festival we held here in Brazil, I dreamed that you called me to your room. When I entered, you were lying on your bed about to take rest. You gestured towards your desk.
"Please read my mail to me," you said.
On the desk was a small pile of aerogram letters from your disciples around the world. I opened the letters and began reading them aloud. Letter after letter related the success of your mission in different countries. One of them caught my attention. The devotee described the suffering of the people in the country in which he was preaching, how they were afflicted by poverty, hunger and civil war. As I read that letter to you I heard you make a sound. I looked up and I saw tears streaming down your cheeks.
"Only Krsna consciousness will save them," you said in a soft broken voice.
Touched by your deep empathy for the fallen souls, I also began crying. I felt that by your mercy, you had allowed me to share your sentiments for a brief moment. I woke up and I was shocked to find my face wet with tears.
Srila Prabhupada, that dream was very significant for me because it reconfirmed the importance of your mission. It helped me to understand that your compassion for the suffering people in this world is one of your very deep spiritual emotions.
My dear spiritual master, although I have dedicated over forty years of my life to this mission, I am still an aspiring bhakta. Anyone can see that. I do not understand prema bhakti, love of God, nor do I know the intricacies of pure devotional service. But I do know something of your deep, unlimited compassion. I understand this compassion because I am a recipient of it. I also understand that you desire for others to experience it, and therefore I would like to continue delivering your compassion to the fallen souls for as long as I may live. As for deeper realizations, I am confident that by following your instruction to preach Krsna consciousness, you will be pleased and will bestow the secrets of devotional service to me.
bruyuh snigdhasya sisasya
guravo guyam apy-uta
"The guru should speak the secret to the disciple who has affection for the guru."
[Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti's translation of Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.8]
In a far distant corner of Vrindavan, in a place known as Badrinath, there is a large mysterious stone called Sugandhi-sila. It gives off a very beautiful, heavenly fragrance. My dear spiritual master, I pray that your mercy will transform my stone-like heart into something divine like that Sugandhi-sila. Then perhaps I too will cry tears of compassion as you did when hearing of the miseries of others; and like you I will go out to preach the divine command with unswerving determination.
Srila Prabhupada, I am now old and thus my departure is also imminent. As you said, because of my age, there will be nothing to lament when the time comes. My only lamentation will be that your work in this world remains unfinished. Therefore I want you to know that I am prepared to take birth as many times as it takes to dry your tears of compassion for those bereft of Krsna's mercy. Let me take birth in heaven or hell, or anywhere in between, for wherever I am, I am truly happy serving you.
Your servant,
Indradyumna Swami
When Mother Yasoda saw that her son had used his might to turn over a mortar and then sit on it and give away butter to the monkey, she was surprised and smiled mildly.
In order to catch her son who had acted like a thief, she sneaked towards him. However, he saw her coming from a distance and quickly ran away. It is a well known fact that a thief has hundreds of eyes whereas a custodian has only two.
The proud monkey, who by now was fully satisfied by the butter he had received, suddenly saw Mother Yasoda coming towards him with a stick wrapped in a cloth in her hand, so he quickly climbed up on a tree branch.
Seeing her son also running away, Mother Yasoda started chasing him, and the flowers bound in her hair scattered everywhere. "Where do you think you're running away to, O king of thieves?" Hearing this, Krishna simultaneously cried mildly while displaying a beautiful smile.
Although she was running close to him, she could not catch him, just as a huge mass of clouds in the west blown eastward by the winds cannot catch up to a small cloud situated in the east.
Looking at a particular gate and thinking that this is not a gate used by Mother Yasoda, Krishna ran swiftly in that direction. Mother Yasoda too followed him, into places where no one was present. When Krishna ran without looking behind, he could not be caught by his mother. However, when he fearfully looked behind, she quickly caught him by the hand.
As soon as this happened, the two eyes of Krishna became moist and thus assisted him in trying to find a way out of the situation by attempting to mitigate the anger of Mother Yasoda. He also manifested trembling in his body in order to protect his misbehavior.
Whenever Mother Yasoda tried to forcibly pull his face towards her, he hid it, concealing the butter there, so that she would think his face was clean.
Thereafter, she instilled fear in him by saying, "Before you steal in your own home, take a look at this!", and showed him the stick. However, seeing that her lotus-eyed son was terrified, the queen of Vraja then gave up the stick.
Their conversation thereafter was as follows:
"Mother! Please do not beat me with that stick."
"You're a thief! You're a thief! Not only that, you're the king of all thieves!"
"Thieves are born in the family of your father, not mine!"
Hearing her son speak in such a clever way, Yasoda smiled.
Thereafter:
"How did the pot containing the yogurt break?"
"It's a punishment inflicted by the Supreme Lord."
"Who gave the ghee to that monkey?" "He who created the monkey!"
While chastising him like this, Mother Yasoda said, "I have a doubt about why it is that you always take away and eat this butter, which is an important part of all sacrifices," and then became choked with emotion.
Thereafter, she smiled in an angry way and told Krishna, "Give up all your secrecy, and tell me the truth!"
Krishna then started crying and replied, "O Mother! When you ran for protecting the milk from boiling over, your foot pushed over one of the pots and broke it. What mischief have I done in that? Moreover, that monkey, who was inspired by the Supreme Lord himself, started stealing butter from our home. When I was taking back the butter from him, you saw me. Now tell me, what mischief have I done in that? Seeing that you were carrying that heavy stick in your hands, I had no option but to run away. However, you still continued running after me like a heartless person."
Thereafter, Mother Yasoda, lamenting her actions a little, said sincerely to her son, "O most expert logician! O best amongst all thieves! Although you are the son of Vrajaraj Nanda Maharaja, you still show affection for the monkeys. Your nature is just like a monkey. Maybe you should stay in the forest."
Krishna replied, "If you think that I am like a monkey, then so be it! From today I shall go to the forest and live with them."
Hearing this, Mother Yasoda thought "He might end up doing exactly that. In order to prevent him from escaping to the forest, it is better to tie him up." In this way, Mother Yasoda tied her son to the mortar. ·
[ Srila Jiva Goswami's Gopal Champu, eighth purana. Translated by Hari Parshad Das, from the Sanskrit available at http://www.granthamandira.com ]
"Having missed a rendezvous with Srimati Radhika, He was passionately frowned upon by Her and was subsequently bound up by Her golden waistband. He then proceeded to offer the explanation that His delay was due to the great festival of the Kartika month that was being celebrated by His mother. I meditate on Him, who thus became known as Damodara, who in this bound condition offered many excellent words of flattery with goose bumps on His body."
[ Bhavisyottara Purana ]
[Cited in the commentary on Krsna-Karëamrta by Srila Krisnadas Kaviraj Goswami, verse 110. Translated by Hari Parshad Das from the Sanskrit available at http://www. granthamandira.com
Sanskrit:
sanketavasare cyute pranayatah samrabdhaya radhaya
prarabhya bhru kutim hiranya rasana damna nibaddhodaram
karttikyam janani krtotsava vara prastavana purvakam
catuni prathayantam atma pulakam dhyayema damodaram
According to the William Glasser institute, the best way to learn something is
to teach it. Their research shows that we learn as follows::
10% of what we read
20% of what we hear
30% of what we see
50% of what we see and hear
70% of what we discuss
80% of what we experience
95% of what we teach
Conclusion? Give Bhagavad Gita class
Thought-a-Week
The sun is naturally warm, the moon is naturally cool, the earth naturally tolerant, the wind naturally restless, the saints naturally grave, and the ocean naturally deep. Similarly, Krishna is naturally controlled by love
--Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami
Sri Govinda-lilamrita
Read a short summary on Krishna's divine nature by clicking here: http://www.krishna.com/content/krishnas-nature and to learn a little about Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami click here: http://www.krishna.com/krishnadasa-kaviraja-goswami
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com
Bhagavad-gita As It Is | Part [BG.12.15]
TEXTS 13-14:
adveshta sarva-bhutanam
maitrah karuna eva ca
nirmamo nirahankarah
sama-duhkha-sukhah kshami
santushtah satatam yogi
yatatma dridha-niscayah
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
yo mad-bhaktah sa me priyah
TRANSLATION:
One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me—such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.
PURPORT:
Coming again to the point of pure devotional service, the Lord is describing the transcendental qualifications of a pure devotee in these two verses. A pure devotee is never disturbed in any circumstances. Nor is he envious of anyone. Nor does a devotee become his enemy's enemy; he thinks, "This person is acting as my enemy due to my own past misdeeds. So it is better to suffer than to protest." In the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.8) it is stated: tat te 'nukampam su-samikshamano bhunjana evatma-kritam vipakam. Whenever a devotee is in distress or has fallen into difficulty, he thinks that it is the Lord's mercy upon him. He thinks, "Thanks to my past misdeeds I should suffer far, far greater than I am suffering now. So it is by the mercy of the Supreme Lord that I am not getting all the punishment I am due. I am just getting a little, by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Therefore he is always calm, quiet and patient, despite many distressful conditions. A devotee is also always kind to everyone, even to his enemy. Nirmama means that a devotee does not attach much importance to the pains and trouble pertaining to the body because he knows perfectly well that he is not the material body. He does not identify with the body; therefore he is freed from the conception of false ego and is equipoised in happiness and distress. He is tolerant, and he is satisfied with whatever comes by the grace of the Supreme Lord. He does not endeavor much to achieve something with great difficulty; therefore he is always joyful. He is a completely perfect mystic because he is fixed in the instructions received from the spiritual master, and because his senses are controlled he is determined. He is not swayed by false arguments, because no one can lead him from the fixed determination of devotional service. He is fully conscious that Krishna is the eternal Lord, so no one can disturb him. All these qualifications enable him to fix his mind and intelligence entirely on the Supreme Lord. Such a standard of devotional service is undoubtedly very rare, but a devotee becomes situated in that stage by following the regulative principles of devotional service. Furthermore, the Lord says that such a devotee is very dear to Him, for the Lord is always pleased with all his activities in full Krishna consciousness.
Translation and commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com
Bhagavad-gita As It Is | Part [BG.12.14]
TEXT 12:
sreyo hi jnanam abhyasaj
jnanad dhyanam visishyate
dhyanat karma-phala-tyagas
tyagac chantir anantaram
TRANSLATION:
If you cannot take to this practice, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation, and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action, for by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind.
PURPORT:
As mentioned in the previous verses, there are two kinds of devotional service: the way of regulative principles and the way of full attachment in love to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For those who are actually not able to follow the principles of Krishna consciousness it is better to cultivate knowledge, because by knowledge one can be able to understand his real position. Gradually knowledge will develop to the point of meditation. By meditation one can be able to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by a gradual process. There are processes which make one understand that one himself is the Supreme, and that sort of meditation is preferred if one is unable to engage in devotional service. If one is not able to meditate in such a way, then there are prescribed duties, as enjoined in the Vedic literature, for the brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaisyas and sudras, which we shall find in the last chapter of Bhagavad-gita. But in all cases, one should give up the result or fruits of labor; this means to employ the result of karma for some good cause.
In summary, to reach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the highest goal, there are two processes: one process is by gradual development, and the other process is direct. Devotional service in Krishna consciousness is the direct method, and the other method involves renouncing the fruits of one's activities. Then one can come to the stage of knowledge, then to the stage of meditation, then to the stage of understanding the Supersoul, and then to the stage of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One may take either the step-by-step process or the direct path. The direct process is not possible for everyone; therefore the indirect process is also good. It is, however, to be understood that the indirect process is not recommended for Arjuna, because he is already at the stage of loving devotional service to the Supreme Lord. It is for others, who are not at this stage; for them the gradual process of renunciation, knowledge, meditation and realization of the Supersoul and Brahman should be followed. But as far as Bhagavad-gita is concerned, it is the direct method that is stressed. Everyone is advised to take to the direct method and surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna.
Translation and commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
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Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com
Even in the matter of evacuating stool,the refuse is controlled by
it's controlling demi-god,so How can the living entity claim to be
independent? SB#2.10.27
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Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com
Bhagavad-gita As It Is | Part [BG.12.13]
TEXT 11:
athaitad apy asakto 'si
kartum mad-yogam asritah
sarva-karma-phala-tyagam
tatah kuru yatatmavan
TRANSLATION:
If, however, you are unable to work in this consciousness of Me, then try to act giving up all results of your work and try to be self-situated.
PURPORT:
It may be that one is unable even to sympathize with the activities of Krishna consciousness because of social, familial or religious considerations or because of some other impediments. If one attaches himself directly to the activities of Krishna consciousness, there may be objections from family members, or so many other difficulties. For one who has such a problem, it is advised that he sacrifice the accumulated result of his activities to some good cause. Such procedures are described in the Vedic rules. There are many descriptions of sacrifices and special functions of punya, or special work in which the result of one's previous action may be applied. Thus one may gradually become elevated to the state of knowledge. It is also found that when one who is not even interested in the activities of Krishna consciousness gives charity to some hospital or some other social institution, he gives up the hard-earned results of his activities. That is also recommended here because by the practice of giving up the fruits of one's activities one is sure to purify his mind gradually, and in that purified stage of mind one becomes able to understand Krishna consciousness. Of course, Krishna consciousness is not dependent on any other experience, because Krishna consciousness itself can purify one's mind, but if there are impediments to accepting Krishna consciousness, one may try to give up the results of his actions. In that respect, social service, community service, national service, sacrifice for one's country, etc., may be accepted so that some day one may come to the stage of pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord. In Bhagavad-gita (18.46) we find it is stated, yatah pravrittir bhutanam: if one decides to sacrifice for the supreme cause, even if he does not know that the supreme cause is Krishna, he will come gradually to understand that Krishna is the supreme cause by the sacrificial method.
Translation and commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
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Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada !
Please accept my humble obeisances.
Please find the attachment of Govindji slideshow :)
Radha Govindji ki Jai !
Your servant in service of Srila Prabhupada,
Sulochana Devi Dasi
"Gopi bhartur pada kamalayor dasa dasanudasa"
[Cc.Madhya 13.80]
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.7.22
aṣṭau prakṛtayaḥ proktās
traya eva hi tad-guṇāḥ
vikārāḥ ṣoḍaśācāryaiḥ
pumān ekaḥ samanvayāt
SYNONYMS
aṣṭau — eight; prakṛtayaḥ — material energies; proktāḥ — it is said; trayaḥ — three; eva — certainly; hi — indeed; tat-guṇāḥ — the modes of material energy; vikārāḥ — transformations; ṣoḍaśa — sixteen; ācāryaiḥ — by the authorities; pumān — the living entity; ekaḥ — one; samanvayāt — from conjunction.
TRANSLATION
The Lord's eight separated material energies, the three modes of material nature and the sixteen transformations [the eleven senses and the five gross material elements like earth and water] — within all these, the one spiritual soul exists as the observer. Therefore all the great ācāryas have concluded that the individual soul is conditioned by these material elements.
PURPORT
As explained in the previous verse, kṣetreṣu deheṣu tathātma-yogair adhyātma-vid brahma-gatiḿ labheta: "A spiritually advanced person can understand how the spiritual particle exists within the body, and thus by cultivating spiritual knowledge he can attain perfection in spiritual life." The intelligent person who is expert in finding the self within the body must understand the eight external energies, which are listed in Bhagavad-gītā (7.4):
bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ
khaḿ mano buddhir eva ca
ahańkāra itīyaḿ me
bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā
"Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego — all together these eight comprise My separated material energies." Bhūmi, earth, includes all the objects of sense perception — rūpa (form), rasa (taste), gandha (smell), śabda (sound) and sparśa (touch). Within the earth are the fragrance of roses, the taste of sweet fruit, and whatever else we want. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.10.4), sarva-kāma-dughā mahī: the earth (mahī) contains all our requirements. Thus the objects of sense perception are all present in bhūmi, or the earth. The gross material elements and subtle material elements (mind, intelligence and ahańkāra, false ego) constitute the total material energy.
Within the total material energy are the three material modes or qualities. These qualities — sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa — belong not to the soul but to the material energy. It is because of the interaction of these three material modes of nature that the five knowledge-gathering senses, the five working senses and their controller, the mind, are manifested. Then, according to these modes, the living entity gets the opportunity to perform different types of karma with different types of knowledge, thinking, feeling and willing. Thus the bodily machine begins to work.
This has all been properly analyzed in sāńkhya-yoga by the great ācāryas, especially by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, in His incarnation as Devahūti-putra Kapila. This is indicated here by the word ācāryaiḥ. We need not follow anyone who is not an authorized ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: one can understand the truth fully when he has taken shelter of an expert ācārya.
The living entity is individual, but the body is a composition of many material elements. This is proved by the fact that as soon as the living entity quits this combination of material elements, it becomes a mere conglomeration of matter. The matter is qualitatively one, and the spiritual soul is qualitatively one with the Supreme. The Supreme is one, and the individual soul is one, but the individual soul is understood to be the master of the individual combination of material energy, whereas the Supreme Lord is the controller of the total material energy. The living entity is the master of his particular body, and according to his activities he is subjected to different types of pains and pleasures. However, although the Supreme Person, the Paramātmā, is also one, He is present as an individual in all the different bodies.
The material energy is in fact divided into twenty-four elements. The individual soul, the owner of the individual body, is a twenty-fifth subject, and above everything is Lord Viṣṇu as Paramātmā, the supreme controller, who is the twenty-sixth subject. When one understands all of these twenty-six subjects, he becomes adhyātma-vit, an expert in understanding the distinction between matter and spirit. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (13.3), kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānam: understanding of the kṣetra (the constitution of the body) and of the individual soul and the Supersoul constitutes real jñāna, or knowledge. Unless one ultimately understands that the Supreme Lord is eternally related with the individual soul, one's knowledge is imperfect. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (7.19):
bahūnāḿ janmanām ante
jñānavān māḿ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ
"After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare." Everything, material and spiritual, consists of various energies of Vāsudeva, to whom the individual soul, the spiritual part of the Supreme Lord, is subordinate. Upon understanding this perfect knowledge, one surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead (vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]).
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Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com
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