thevaisnava - Tumblr blog

[thevaisnava]

Once, there was a battle between the demigods and the demons in which the demons were defeated. Being driven from their kingdom, the demons went to the planet, Rasatala, and took shelter of the demon Maya. Maya Danava then created a formidable demon named Tripura and gave him three palaces made of iron, silver and gold. Tripura then proceeded to oppress the inhabitants of the three worlds, so that the demigods became full of anxiety and finally took shelter of Lord Shiva. After a fierce battle between Lord Shiva and the demons; Maya, the leader of the demons, by the strength of his mystic power, revived the defeated demons by placing them in a well of nectar. After doing this, Maya induced them to again fight with Lord Shiva. Finally, Lord Shiva took shelter of Sri Krsna, the son of Devaki. Sri Krishna then assumed the form of a cow and Brahma assumed the form of a calf, and they went to Rasatala and drank all the nectar from the well. Shiva then fought with the demon, Tripura. This time, Shiva killed him and thus became famous as Tripurāri. After this incident, the demigods, headed by Indra, glorified Lord Shiva profusely and then returned to heaven with a pacified mind. From Padma Purāna, we understand from a conversation between Lord Shiva and Parvati that, although Shiva is the incarnation of the mode of ignorance, he is a dear associate of the Supreme Lord. Whenever the Supreme Lord appears in this world to perform His pastimes, His associate, Mahādeva, also appears to take charge of protecting the Lord's abode. Still, for the pleasure of his devotee, Lord Shiva sometimes doesn't hesitate to fight with Lord Krsna. Lord Shiva becomes very easily pleased, and that is why he is known as Āshutosha.

[thevaisnava]

I asked many people (non-Hindus) this question and I got the following replies: God cannot be seen (invisible) God is love God is great God is in the sky God has not been seen by anyone God was crucified None of these people have actually answered the question. They obviously have not read the Bhagavad-Gita. Just by looking at the Bhagavad-Gita for one second, you can see the all-beautiful God. By reading a few pages, you will know how merciful, loving, and great, God is. By surrendering unto Lord Krishna, one is guaranteed to return to the spiritual creation (the kingdom of God) at the end of this short life. In the spiritual creation called Vaikuntha, everyone lives eternally in the same body which is completely beautiful, full of bliss/love, full of knowledge, no old age, no disease, and with no misery. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, a full description and history of God is given. His complexion is dark-blue, like that of a rain filled cloud His eyes are like lotus petals He is ever youthful He is full of bliss His beauty excels that of thousands of cupids He likes to play the flute He wears a peacock feather in his crown He wears the Kaustubha jewel around his neck He wears yellow garments If you know God’s name, address, description, qualities, pastimes, history of when He appeared in the past, when He will appear in the future, how He creates and maintains, how He witnesses all our actions. Then you know God, otherwise you don’t know God. You will find all this information, only in the Vedic scriptures like the Bhagavad-Gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam. "His mouth expresses His happiness. His eyes spread like the petals of a lotus, and His garments, yellowish like the saffron of a kadamba flower, are bedecked with valuable jewels. His ornaments are all made of gold, set with jewels, and He wears a glowing head dress and earrings. His lotus feet are placed over the whorls of the lotus like hearts of great mystics. On His chest is the Kaustubha jewel, engraved with a beautiful calf, and there are other jewels on His shoulders. His complete torso is garlanded with fresh flowers. He is well decorated with an ornamental wreath about His waist and rings studded with valuable jewels on His fingers. His leglets, His bangles, His oiled hair, curling with a bluish tint, and His beautiful smiling face are all very pleasing." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.2.9-11)

[thevaisnava]

As mentioned in the previous verse (BG 8.17-8.19), one day of Brahma lasts one thousand cycles of the four yugas. 1000 cycles of the four yugas is: 1000 x (1.728 + 1.296 + 0.864 + 0.432) Million = 1000 x (4.32 Million) = 4320 Million = 4.32 Billion years Thus one day (12 hours) of Brahma is 4.32 Billion Earth years, and one night (12 hours) of Brahma is 4.32 Billion Earth years, and he lives for 100 of his years, which is 311 trillion, 40 billion years for us. 4.32 Billion x (night and day) x (30 days in a month) x (12 months in a year) x 100 years That is: 4.32 Billion x 2 x 30 x 12 x 100 = 311 trillion, 40 billion years Just think how fantastic the life of Brahma is compared to us, but even he has to die one day and he has already lived for 155.522 trillion years, this is his current age and half his long life is over. We live a very short life of at most 100 years and should realize that this material life is meant for spiritual realization and not material accumulation and attachments. We are working like donkeys to accumulate properties, and bank balances, but this is all a complete waste of life. If we don’t use our time, energy, and wealth in the service of Lord Krishna.

[thevaisnava]

Once the world was overburdened by the unnecessary defense force of different kings, who were actually demons but were posing themselves as the royal order. At that time, the whole world became perturbed, and the predominating deity of this earth, known as Bhūmi, went to see Lord Brahmā to tell of her calamities due to the demoniac kings. Bhūmi assumed the shape of a cow and presented herself before Lord Brahmā with tears in her eyes. She was bereaved and was weeping just to invoke the lord’s compassion. She related the calamitous position of the earth, and after hearing this, Lord Brahmā became much aggrieved, and he at once started for the ocean of milk, where Lord Viṣṇu resides. Lord Brahmā was accompanied by all the demigods, headed by Lord Śiva, and Bhūmi also followed. Arriving on the shore of the milk ocean, Lord Brahmā began to pacify Lord Viṣṇu, who had formerly saved the earthly planet by assuming the transcendental form of a boar. In the Vedic mantras, there is a particular type of prayer called Puruṣa-sūkta. Generally, the demigods offer their obeisances unto Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by chanting the Puruṣa-sūkta. It is understood herein that the predominating deity of every planet can see the supreme lord of this universe, Brahmā, whenever there is some disturbance on his planet. And Brahmā can approach the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, not by seeing Him directly but by standing on the shore of the ocean of milk. There is a planet within this universe called Śvetadvīpa, and on that planet there is an ocean of milk. It is understood from various Vedic scriptures that just as there is the ocean of salt water on this planet, there are various kinds of oceans on other planets. Somewhere there is an ocean of milk, somewhere there is an ocean of oil, and somewhere there are oceans of liquor and of many other types of liquids. The Puruṣa-sūkta is the standard prayer which the demigods recite to appease the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Because He is lying on the ocean of milk, He is called Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. He is the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead through whom all the incarnations within this universe appear. After all the demigods offered the Puruṣa-sūkta prayer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they apparently heard no response. Then Lord Brahmā personally sat in meditation, and there was a message-transmission from Lord Viṣṇu to Brahmā. Brahmā then broadcast the message to the demigods. That is the system of receiving Vedic knowledge. The Vedic knowledge is received first by Brahmā from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, through the medium of the heart. As stated in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye: [SB 1.1.1] the transcendental knowledge of the Vedas was transmitted to Lord Brahmā through the heart. Here also, in the same way, only Brahmā could understand the message transmitted by Lord Viṣṇu, and he broadcast it to the demigods for their immediate action. The message was this: The Supreme Personality of Godhead would appear on the earth very soon, along with His supreme powerful potencies, and as long as He remained on the earth planet to execute His mission of annihilating the demons and establishing the devotees, the demigods should also remain there to assist Him. They should all immediately take birth in the family of the Yadu dynasty, wherein the Lord would also appear in due course of time. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, Kṛṣṇa, would personally appear as the son of Vasudeva. Before His appearance, all the demigods, along with their wives, should appear in different pious families in the world just to assist the Lord in executing His mission. The exact word used here is tat-priyārtham, which means the demigods should appear on the earth in order to please the Lord. In other words, any living entity who lives only to satisfy the Lord is a demigod. The demigods were further informed that Ananta, the plenary

portion of Lord Kṛṣṇa who is maintaining the universal planets by extending His millions of hoods, would also appear on earth before Lord Kṛṣṇa’s appearance. They were also informed that the external potency of Viṣṇu (Māyā), with whom all the conditioned souls are enamored, would also appear by the order of the Supreme Lord, just to execute His purpose. After instructing and pacifying all the demigods, as well as Bhūmi, with sweet words, Lord Brahmā, the father of all prajāpatis, or progenitors of the universal population, departed for his own abode, the highest material planet, called Brahmaloka. The leader of the Yadu dynasty, King Śūrasena, was ruling over the country known as Māthura, wherein lies the city of Mathurā, as well as the district known as Śūrasena, which was named after him. On account of the rule of King Śūrasena, Mathurā became the capital city of all the kings of the Yadus. Mathurā was also made the capital of the kings of the Yadu dynasty because the Yadus were a very pious family and knew that Mathurā is the place where Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa lives eternally, just as He also lives in Dvārakā. Once upon a time, Vasudeva, the son of Śūrasena, just after marrying Devakī, was going home on his chariot with his newly wedded wife. The father of Devakī, known as Devaka, had contributed a sufficient dowry because he was very affectionate toward his daughter. He had contributed hundreds of chariots completely decorated with gold equipment. At that time, Kaṁsa, the son of Ugrasena, in order to please his sister, Devakī, had voluntarily taken the reins of the horses of Vasudeva’s chariot and was driving. According to the custom of the Vedic civilization, when a girl is married, the brother takes the sister and brother-in-law to their home. Because the newly married girl may feel too much separation from her father’s family, the brother goes with her until she reaches her father-in-law’s house. The full dowry contributed by Devaka was as follows: 400 elephants fully decorated with golden garlands, 15,000 decorated horses, and 1,800 chariots. He also arranged for 200 beautiful girls to follow his daughter. The kṣatriya system of marriage, still current in India, dictates that when a kṣatriya is married, a few dozen of the bride’s young girlfriends (in addition to the bride) go to the house of the king. The followers of the queen are called maidservants, but actually they act as friends of the queen. This practice is prevalent from time immemorial, traceable at least to the time before the advent of Lord Kṛṣṇa 5,000 years ago. So Vasudeva brought home another 200 beautiful girls along with his wife Devakī. While the bride and bridegroom were passing along on the chariot, there were different kinds of musical instruments playing to indicate the auspicious moment. There were conchshells, bugles, drums and kettledrums; combined together, they were vibrating a nice concert. The procession was passing very pleasingly, and Kaṁsa was driving the chariot, when suddenly there was a miraculous sound vibrated from the sky which especially announced to Kaṁsa: "Kaṁsa, you are such a fool! You are driving the chariot of your sister and your brother-in-law, but you do not know that the eighth child of this sister will kill you." Kaṁsa was the son of Ugrasena, of the Bhoja dynasty. It is said that Kaṁsa was the most demoniac of all the Bhoja dynasty kings. Immediately after hearing the prophecy from the sky, he caught hold of Devakī’s hair and was just about to kill her with his sword. Vasudeva was astonished at Kaṁsa’s behavior, and in order to pacify the cruel, shameless brother-in-law, he began to speak as follows, with great reason and evidence. He said, "My dear brother-in-law Kaṁsa, you are the most famous king of the Bhoja dynasty, and people know that you are the greatest warrior and a valiant king. How is it that you are so infuriated that you are prepared to kill a woman who is your own sister at this auspicious

time of her marriage? Why should you be so much afraid of death? Death is already born along with your birth. From the very day you took your birth, you began to die. Suppose you are twenty-five years old; that means you have already died twenty-five years. Every moment, every second, you are dying. Why then should you be so much afraid of death? Final death is inevitable. You may die either today or in a hundred years; you cannot avoid death. Why should you be so much afraid? Actually, death means annihilation of the present body. As soon as the present body stops functioning and mixes with the five elements of material nature, the living entity within the body accepts another body, according to his present actions and reactions. It is just like when a man walks on the street: he puts forward his foot, and when he is confident that his foot is situated on sound ground, he lifts the other foot. In this way, one after another, the bodies change and the soul transmigrates. See how the plantworms change from one twig to another so carefully! Similarly, the living entity changes his body as soon as the higher authorities decide on his next body. As long as a living entity is conditioned within this material world, he must take material bodies one after another. His next particular body is offered by the laws of nature, according to the actions and reactions of this life. "This body is exactly like one of the bodies which we always see in dreams. During our dream of sleep, we create so many bodies according to mental creation. We have seen gold, and we have also seen a mountain, so in a dream we can see a golden mountain by combining the two ideas. Sometimes in dreams we see that we have a body which is flying in the sky, and at that time we completely forget our present body. Similarly, these bodies are changing. When you have one body, you forget the past body. During a dream, we may make contact with so many new kinds of bodies, but when we are awake we forget them all. And actually these material bodies are the creations of our mental activities. But at the present moment we do not recollect our past bodies. "The nature of the mind is flickering. Sometimes it accepts something, and immediately it rejects the same thing. Accepting and rejecting is the process of the mind in contact with the five objects of sense gratification—form, taste, smell, sound and touch. In its speculative way, the mind comes in touch with the objects of sense gratification, and when the living entity desires a particular type of body, he gets it. Therefore, the body is an offering by the laws of material nature. The living entity accepts a body and comes out again into the material world to enjoy or suffer according to the construction of the body. Unless we have a particular type of body, we cannot enjoy or suffer according to our mental proclivities inherited from the previous life. The particular type of body is actually offered to us according to our mental condition at the time of death. "The luminous planets like the sun, moon or stars reflect themselves in different types of reservoirs, like water, oil or ghee. The reflection moves according to the movement of the reservoir. The reflection of the moon is on the water, and the moving water makes the moon also appear to be moving, but actually the moon is not moving. Similarly, by mental concoction the living entity attains different kinds of bodies, although actually he has no connection with such bodies. But on account of illusion, being enchanted by the influence of māyā, the living entity thinks that he belongs to a particular type of body. That is the way of conditioned life. Suppose a living entity is now in a human form of body. He thinks that he belongs to the human community, or a particular country or particular place. He identifies himself in that way and unnecessarily prepares for another body, which is not required by him. Such desires and mental concoctions are the cause of different types of bodies.

The covering influence of material nature is so strong that the living entity is satisfied in whatever body he gets, and he identifies with that body with great pleasure. Therefore, I beg to request you not to be overwhelmed by the dictation of your mind and body." Vasudeva thus requested Kaṁsa not to be envious of his newly married sister. One should not be envious of anyone, because envy is the cause of fear both in this world and in the next, when one is before Yamarāja (the lord of punishment after death). Vasudeva appealed to Kaṁsa on behalf of Devakī, stating that she was his younger sister. He also appealed at an auspicious moment, at the time of marriage. A younger sister or brother is supposed to be protected as one’s child. "The position is overall so delicate," Vasudeva reasoned, "that if you kill her, it will go against your high reputation." In this way Vasudeva tried to pacify Kaṁsa by good instruction as well as by philosophical discrimination, but Kaṁsa was not to be pacified because his association was demoniac. Because of his demoniac association, he was a demon, although born in a very high royal family. A demon never cares for any good instruction. He is just like a determined thief: one can give him moral instruction, but it will not be effective. Similarly, those who are demoniac or atheistic by nature can hardly assimilate any good instruction, however authorized it may be. That is the difference between demigods and demons. Those who can accept good instruction and try to live their lives in that way are called demigods, and those who are unable to take such good instruction are called demons. Failing in his attempt to pacify Kaṁsa, Vasudeva wondered how he would protect his wife, Devakī. When there is imminent danger, an intelligent person should try to avoid the dangerous position as far as possible. But if, in spite of endeavoring by all intelligence, one fails to avoid the dangerous position, there is no fault on his part. One should try his best to execute his duties, but if the attempt fails, he is not at fault. Vasudeva thought of his wife as follows: "For the present let me save the life of Devakī; then later on, if there are children, I shall see how to save them." He further thought, "If in the future I get a child who can kill Kaṁsa—just as Kaṁsa is thinking—then both Devakī and the child will be saved because the law of Providence is inconceivable. But now, some way or other, let me save the life of Devakī." There is no certainty how a living entity contacts a certain type of body, just as there is no certainty how a blazing fire comes in contact with a certain type of wood in the forest. When there is a forest fire, it is experienced that the blazing fire sometimes leaps over one tree and catches another by the influence of the wind. Similarly, a living entity may be very careful in the matter of executing his duties, but it is still very difficult for him to know what type of body he is going to get in the next life. Mahārāja Bharata was very faithfully executing the duties of self-realization, but by chance he developed temporary affection for a deer, and in his next life he had to accept the body of a deer. Vasudeva, after deliberating on how to save his wife, began to speak to Kaṁsa with great respect, although Kaṁsa was the most sinful man. Sometimes it happens that a most virtuous person like Vasudeva has to flatter a person like Kaṁsa, a most vicious person. That is the way of all diplomatic transactions. Although Vasudeva was deeply aggrieved, he smiled outwardly. He addressed the shameless Kaṁsa in that way because he was so atrocious. Vasudeva said to Kaṁsa, "My dear brother-in-law, please consider that you have no danger from your sister. You are awaiting some danger because you have heard a prophetic voice in the sky. But the danger is to come from the sons of your sister, who are not present now. And who knows? There may or may not be sons in the future.

Considering all this, you are safe for the present. Nor is there cause of fear from your sister. If there are any sons born of her, I promise that I shall present all of them to you for necessary action." Kaṁsa knew the value of Vasudeva’s word of honor, and he was convinced by his argument. For the time being, he desisted from the heinous killing of his sister. Thus Vasudeva was pleased and praised the decision of Kaṁsa. In this way, he returned to his home. Each year thereafter, in due course of time, Devakī gave birth to a child. Thus she gave birth to eight male children, as well as one daughter. When the first son was born, Vasudeva kept his word of honor and immediately brought the child before Kaṁsa. It is said that Vasudeva was very much elevated and famous for his word of honor, and he wanted to maintain this fame. Although it was very painful for Vasudeva to hand over the newly born child, Kaṁsa was very glad to receive him. But he became a little compassionate with the behavior of Vasudeva. This event is very exemplary. For a great soul like Vasudeva, there is nothing considered to be painful in the course of discharging one’s duty. A learned person like Vasudeva carries out his duties without hesitation. On the other hand, a demon like Kaṁsa never hesitates in committing any abominable action. It is said, therefore, that a saintly person can tolerate all kinds of miserable conditions of life, a learned man can discharge his duties without awaiting favorable circumstances, a heinous person like Kaṁsa can act in any sinful way, and a devotee can sacrifice everything to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kaṁsa became satisfied by the action of Vasudeva. He was surprised to see Vasudeva keeping his promise, and being compassionate upon him and pleased, he began to speak as follows: "My dear Vasudeva, you need not present this child to me. I am not in danger from this child. I have heard that the eighth child born of you and Devakī will kill me. Why should I accept this child unnecessarily? You can take him back." When Vasudeva was returning home with his firstborn child, although he was pleased by the behavior of Kaṁsa, he could not believe in him because he knew that Kaṁsa was uncontrolled. An atheistic person cannot be firm in his word of honor. One who cannot control the senses cannot be steady in his determination. The great politician Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, "Never put your trust in a diplomat or in a woman." Those who are addicted to unrestricted sense gratification can never be truthful, nor can they be trusted with any faith. At that time the great sage Nārada came to Kaṁsa. He was informed of Kaṁsa’s becoming compassionate to Vasudeva and returning his firstborn child. Nārada was very eager to accelerate the descent of Lord Kṛṣṇa as soon as possible. He therefore informed Kaṁsa that in Vṛndāvana personalities like Nanda Mahārāja and all the other cowherd men and their wives, and on the other side Vasudeva, his father Śūrasena and all his relatives born in the family of Vṛṣṇi of the Yadu dynasty, along with all their friends and well-wishers, were actually demigods. Nārada warned Kaṁsa to be careful of them, since Kaṁsa and his friends and advisors were all demons. Demons are always afraid of demigods. After being thus informed by Nārada about the appearance of the demigods in different families, Kaṁsa at once became very much alarmed. He understood that since the demigods had already appeared, Lord Viṣṇu must be coming soon. He at once arrested both his brother-in-law Vasudeva and Devakī and put them behind prison bars. Within the prison, shackled in iron chains, Vasudeva and Devakī gave birth to a male child year after year, and Kaṁsa, thinking each of the babies to be the incarnation of Viṣṇu, killed them one after another. He was particularly afraid of the eighth child, but after the visit of Nārada, he came to the conclusion that any child might be Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it was better to kill all the babies who took birth from Devakī and Vasudeva.

This action of Kaṁsa is not very difficult to understand. There are many instances in the history of the world of persons in the royal order who have killed their father, brother or a whole family and friends for the satisfaction of their ambitions. There is nothing astonishing about this, for members of the demoniac, greedy royal order can kill anyone for their nefarious ambitions. Kaṁsa was made aware of his previous birth by the grace of Nārada. He learned that in his previous birth he had been a demon of the name Kālanemi and that he had been killed by Viṣṇu. Having now taken his birth in the Bhoja family, he decided to become the deadly enemy of the Yadu dynasty; Kṛṣṇa was going to take birth in that family, and Kaṁsa was very much afraid that he would be killed by Kṛṣṇa, just as he had been killed in his last birth. He first of all imprisoned his father, Ugrasena, because he was the chief king among the Yadu, Bhoja and Andhaka dynasties, and he also occupied the kingdom of Śūrasena, Vasudeva’s father. He declared himself the king of all such places. Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the First Chapter of Kṛṣṇa, "The Advent of Lord Kṛṣṇa."

[thevaisnava]

Sri Krsnacandra, the son of the King of Braja, is directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the source of all incarnations. During every yuga, the Supreme Lord’s incarnations appear within this world. They are plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of Sri Krsna, and They incarnate to annihilate the demons and protect the devotees. There are six classifications of incarnations. These are: lila-avataras, purusa-avataras, manvantara-avataras, yuga-avataras, guna-avataras and saktyavesa-avataras. There are three purusa-avataras namely Karanadakasayi Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu. Brahma was born from the lotus that sprouted from the navel of Garbhodakasayi Visnu. Brahma is known as the grandfather of everyone and the original progenitor. Birth of Lord Brahma When the material world was submerged within water during the Sveta-varaha kalpa, Brahma was created from the navel of Lord Visnu. After Brahma was born, he could not see or understand anything. He wondered, “Who am I? Who is the original creator? From where have I come?” Being unable to find the answer to these questions, Brahma spent one thousand years in meditation. Finally, he heard the two syllables, “ta” and “pa” being vibrated, and so he decided that to realize the original Personality of Godhead, he much perform austerity. Thus, he underwent severe austerities for one thousand years. Being pleased by the penance of Brahma, the Lord appeared before him and entrusted him with the responsibility of creating the material universe. Thereafter, Brahma created many sages, introspective personalities, and the progenitors, and he engaged them in carrying out the universal affairs. He also instructed them to meditate and perform austerities. After some time, Brahma desired that there should be further creation by the combination of man and woman. Immediately, Manu and his wife, Satarupa, were created from his mind. Gradually, by the combined effort of Manu and Satarupa, two sons, Priyavrta and Utthanapada, as well as three daughters, Akuti, Prasuti and Devahuti were born. In due course of time these sons and daughters were married to suitable partners. In this way, the act of creation gradually progressed, by the direction of Brahma. Lord Brahma steals the cows and cowherd boys Being situated in such a high position, Brahma gradually began to forget the Supreme Lord, because of his false ego. He became puffed-up by material pride and considered himself to be the doer, the enjoyer, and the creator. When Krsna appeared in this world, at the end of Dvapara-yuga, Brahma considered Krsna to be an ordinary human being, the son of a cowherd. Thinking in this way, he came to Braja, to test Him. On that day, Krsna, along with His friends, had gone to the pasturing ground to tend the cows. After leaving the cows to graze, Krsna and His friends began to enjoy a picnic in the forest and in this way, they forgot about the cows. Suddenly, while eating rice mixed with yogurt, one of the cowherd boys said, “O Krsna!Where are our cows? I can’t see them. Let us go and find them.” Krsna replied, “You all wait here while I go and bring the cows. You all enjoy your lunch in the meantime.” After saying this, Krsna began to look for the cows. At this time, Brahma kidnapped all of the cows and cowherd boys. After keeping them within a cave, he returned to his abode. Krsna soon realized that this was an act of Brahma, and so He instantly created the same number of cows, calves and cowherd boys, and then returned home. On that particular day, Krsna’s elder brother, Balarama, was not with Him. All of the cows, calves and cowherd boys then returned to their respective homes. Normally, when Krsna returned home from the forest in the evening, all of the inhabitants of Braja would rush to the house of Nanda Maharaja, just to have a glimpse of Krsna. But, on that day, no one came, because they were all busy with their own cows and sons.

One day, Balarama asked, “Tell me Krsna, for the last few days, I am noticing something new. Have you created some kind of illusion? Why does no one come running to see You any more? Everyone seems to be happily engaged with their own children and cows. Has something happened in the forest? It appears to Me that all these cowherd boys and calves are non-different from You.” After hearing this, Krsna revealed the entire incident to Balarama. In this way, one full year passed. Meanwhile, a doubt appeared in Brahma’s mind and so he returned to Earth and saw that all the cowherd boys and cows were with Krsna as before. He then went to the cave to see what had happened to the hidden cows, calves and cowherd boys. He thus became struck with wonder when he saw them all there. He thought, “All these cows and calves are still here, and yet Krsna regularly goes to the pasturing ground with these same cows, calves and cowherd boys. Is this some kind of illusion or magic?” After contemplating in this way, Brahma could finally realize that Sri Krsna is directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and that whatever had happened was because of the influence of His external energy. Lord Brahma Begs for Pardon Brahma thought to himself, “I have committed an offense at the Lord’s lotus feet, and I have been suitably punished. Now, it is my duty to fall at His lotus feet and beg for pardon.” Thinking in this way, Brahma traveled through the sky and arrived at Braja. He fell flat, like a stick, at the lotus feet of Sri Krsna and began to offer wonderful prayers. The Supreme Lord became very pleased by his prayers, and after blessing Brahma, He returned to His residence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoK6ryp82h4 The False Ego of Lord Brahma This was not the first time that Brahma had committed such a mistake. He does so, again and again. Once, when Brahma was puffed-up with false ego because of being the creator, the Supreme Lord, desiring to smash his pride, invited this four-headed Brahma to a huge assembly. Brahma always thinks that he is the proprietor of this universe. By his will, all moving and nonmoving living entities are created. In this universe, there is no second creator like him. So, to remove this mundane mentality of Brahma, Lord Krsna invited many Brahmas, from innumerable universes, having six heads, ten heads, twenty heads, one hundred heads and even one thousand heads. Among all the universes, this one with only fourteen planetary systems is the smallest. The fourheaded Brahma is the creator of this smallest universe. Brahmas with hundreds and thousands of heads arrived there and began offering obeisances at the lotus feet of the Lord. Each Brahma thought that he alone was summond by the Lord. The four-headed Brahma began to think, “From where have all these Brahmas come? I am the creator of this universe. Besides this one, are there many more universes?" After inquiring about the well being of all the Brahmas, Lord Krsna said to the four-headed Brahma, who felt himself to be most insignificant, “O Brahma, what are you thinking? Please tell me everything.” Brahma replied, “My dear Lord, my illusion has been dispelled. I am very proud. I could not understand that there are many persons superior to me. Now, I have realized that there are millions of universes besides this universe, consisting of fourteen planetary systems. Since I dwell in the smallest of them, my mentality is also tiny and abominable. Kindly take away all my pride and award me pure devotional service at Your lotus feet.” The Supreme Lord said, “O unborn one, just to remove your false ego, I had invited all of these Brahmas. May you attain all auspiciousness.” Brahma then returned to his own abode,Satyaloka, while thinking about his offense to the Lord. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoK6ryp82h4&feature=youtu.be&t=971&ab_channel=BigAnimation Time: 16:09, Lord Krishna reveals Himself to Brahma Lord Brahma gets cursed by the Brahmanas

Brahma has two wives- Savitri and Gayatri. There is a nice story in the Padma Purana about Brahma’s marriage to Gayatri. One day, Brahma decided to perform a sacrifice. It was the custom that a sacrifice should be performed along with one’s wife. But, in spite of receiving repeated messages, Brahma’s first wife, Savitri, did not come on time to the sacrificial arena. She was very busy with household duties. The auspicious time for performing the sacrifice was passing and so the priest reminded Brahma about I he necessity for his wife’s presence. Being unhappy with Savitri, Brahma ordered Indra, the King of heaven, to find a new wife for him. Indra wandered over the Earth, looking for a new bride for Brahma, when suddenly he saw a cowherd girl of great beauty. By making inquiries, King Indra learned that the girl was the daughter of a cowherd, and that her duty was to sell milk, yogurt and butter. Indra then brought the girl and offered her to Brahma. This cowherd girl, Gayatri, was exquisitely beautiful. Her complexion was golden and she was as effulgent as the goddess of fortune. Her eyes resembled lotus flowers and her toenails shone brightly. As soon as Brahma saw her, he became attracted, desiring to enjoy her intimate association. The girl was also attracted and she expressed the desire to offer herself in his service.Brahma then requested Lord Visnu to quickly conduct the sacrifice. According to the advice of Lord Visnu, Brahma married Gayatri in the Gandharva style (simply by agreement). After the sacrifice was completed, Brahma was cursed that the brahmanas would never worship him, except once a year, during the month of Karttika. After this curse had been pronounced, Lord Visnu and Siva took over the performance of the sacrifice. Lord Brahma Curses Narada Muni When Brahma was engaged in creating progeny, he ordered the Prajapatis to assist him. At that time, the great sage, Narada muni, convinced the children born of these Prajapatis to renounce the household ashrama and go to the forest. This made Brahma very angry, and so he cursed Narada. Narada took the curse of Brahma as a blessing, and began to travel throughout the universe. In exchange, Narada also cursed Brahma, saying, “Even though you are the grandfather of all the inhabitants within this universe, no one will worship you.” After speaking these words, Narada disappeared from view. Since then, except at Puskara, the deity of Brahma is not worshiped anywhere.

[thevaisnava]

Letter to: Hamsaduta - Seattle 10 October, 1968 Diwali ceremony can be observed in the temple by illuminating 100's of candles, in different parts of the temple, and offering special Prasad to the Deity. This ceremony was observed by the inhabitants of Ayodhya, the Kingdom of Lord Ramacandra, while Lord Ramacandra was out of His Kingdom due to His 14 years banishment by the order of His father. His younger step-brother Bharata, took charge of the Kingdom and the day on which Lord Ramacandra took back the charge again from His brother, and seated on the throne, this is observed as Diwali function. This is the original idea of Diwali, and Dipabali. Dipabali means the same thing—Dipa means candles, and bali means numerous. When numerous candles are lighted it is called Dipabali. In India, this Dipabali function is celebrated in a special auspicious occasion. This Dipabali function can be observed on 21st October, and Prasad can be distributed on the 22nd October, during daytime, which is known as Govardhana Puja and Annakuta Ceremony. In India, in all Vaisnava temples, this ceremony is observed and 100's of people are given Prasad according to the capacity of the temple. So I understand that last year the Dipabali Ceremony was held in the temple, and there was collection of $130.00. So you can do the needful. - Srila Prabhupada

[thevaisnava]

October 28. Today begins my second week in Vrindaban, and a most auspicious day it is: Anna Kuta, Festival of Grain, a harvest celebration, the most joyous day of Govardhan Puja. This morning, all the temples are decorated with long strips of neern branches and wreaths of mango and tamarind. Flower garlands are strung throughout the temple courtyards. The Deities are dressed in Their best clothes, and huge quantities of food will be offered to Lord Krishna and then freely distributed to everyone. Today, thousands of pilgrims will circumambulate Govardhan Hill. In Chaitanya Charitamrita, Krishnadas Kaviraj writes: Of all the devotees, this Govardhan Hill is the best. O my friends, this hill supplies Krishna and Balarama, as well as Their calves, cows, and cowherd friends, with all kinds of necessities: water for drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers, and vegetables. In this way, the hill offers respect to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Krishna and Balarama, Govardhan Hill appears very jubilant. Govardhan Puja was established by Lord Krishna Himself in order to humble the demigod Indra. Being devotees, demigods do not usually forget Krishna’s supremacy, but somehow, as chief of the demigods, Indra had become mad with power. Therefore Krishna decided to rectify him. The Supreme Lord Krishna ultimately supplies everything to everyone. As long as He’s worshiped, there’s no need to worship the demigods or anyone else. To discourage demigod worship, Krishna argued in various philosophical ways, and the Brijbasis finally agreed to replace the sacrifice to Indra with a harvest festival, called Anna Kuta (anna=grain), in honor of Govardhan Hill and the brahmins. “Prepare delicious food from all the grains and ghee collected for Indra’s sacrifice,” Krishna told them. “Prepare rice, dhal, halavah, pakora, puri, and milk dishes like sweet rice, sweetballs, sandesh, rasagulla, and laddhu. Then invite all the brahmins to eat their fill. After this, give them some money. Also give sumptuous prasadam to the dog-eaters and untouchables. Then give some to the animals, and give fresh grass to the cows. This Govardhan Puja will satisfy Me very much.” The Brijbasis, led by Krishna’s foster father, Nanda Maharaj, began to worship Govardhan Hill by chanting Vedic hymns and offering enormous quantities of food. They gave the cows fresh grass, and, keeping the cows in front, began to circumambulate Govardhan Hill. The gopis rode in bullock carts and chanted Krishna’s glories, and the brahmins blessed the cowherd men and their wives. Krishna was pleased to see that all His instructions were being followed. He assumed a great transcendental form and told the Brijbasis, “Govardhan Hill and I are identical.” Then, in the form of Govardhan Hill, He devoured the offered food, and thus favored His devotees. Of course, this infuriated Indra. He mounted his elephant Airavata and stormed across the sky, leading the dangerous samvartaka clouds. These clouds poured water incessantly, icy winds blew, and lightning flashed. The terrified Brijbasis sought shelter at Lord Krishna’s lotus feet. “As My devotees, you always depend on My mercy,” Krishna told them. “Now I will save you with My mystic power.” Krishna picked up Govardhan Hill with one hand, just as a child plucks a mushroom, and held it over all the Brijbasis. like a great umbrella. Thus they were shielded from the torrents of Indra, and Indra himself, being humbled, returned to his abode. We sit in Srila Prabhupada’s room while he answers letters read to him by Sruta Kirti. It appears that the situation in Bombay will warrant Prabhupada’s personal supervision. The owner of the land in (Bombay) Juhu is stalling. The Society has already given him 50,000 rupees deposit, but he’s claiming that some of his kinsmen oppose the deal. Never before has he mentioned the involvement of other family members. Moreover, the devotees living in the straw huts have fallen sick with malaria.

“What to do?” Prabhupada asks. “As soon as you Western boys and girls come to India, you let yourselves be cheated. Then you get sick. Either stomach sickness or malaria. You don’t know how to take proper care. What can be done? I’m an old man, and now our Society has become too big for me to manage personally. If I’ve committed some offense, it’s that I’ve taken on too many disciples.” “That’s your compassion, Srila Prabhupada,” Pradyumna says. “You’re too compassionate to let others suffer.” “It is my Guru Maharaj who is taking care. And he’s under the guidance of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Let us go to hell, if necessary, but let others be saved. That is the Vaishnava attitude.” After breakfast prasadam, Achyutananda, two European brahmacharis—Sukadeva das and Vasudeva—and I hire a taxi to Govardhan. By leaving early, we hope to avoid the crowds along the twenty-eight-kilometer road. Srila Prabhupada tells us that instead of walking the whole fourteen-kilometer parikrama—difficult for tender-footed Westerners—we can walk just a little distance around the Govardhan Deities, who reside near the hill on the road between Kusum Sarovar and the town of Govardhan. “It would be nice to walk the whole parikrama,” he says, “‘but whatever you do, Krishna will appreciate. Just walk the right direction, what do you call—?” “Clockwise?” “Yes. You cannot go backwards. When you stop, you must leave the parikrama.” On the way, we pass only a few pilgrims. The long, flat plain gives no indication of a hill’s existence. Then, just after Kusum Sarovar, we see reddish brown rocks abruptly rising about twenty or thirty feet above the flat expanse. Some cactuses grow between the rocks. “It’s not very high,” I say. “It looks more like a big quarry than a hill.” “Every day, the hill sinks into the ground to the measurement of one mustard seed,” Achyutananda replies. In Braja, it’s not uncommon for great personalities to manifest themselves as hills. Balarama, in the form of Sesha Naga, manifests as Charanpari, Shiva as Nandisvara, and Lord Brahma as Barsana. Millions of years ago, during Satya Yuga, King Dronachal appeared as a mountain in Salmali, eastern India. He had a son, whom he named Govardhan. At Govardhan’s birth, all the demigods showered flowers from the sky. When the sage Pulastya Muni saw Govardhan’s lustrous beauty, he asked for the mountain-son as a gift. King Dronachal, weeping and trembling at the thought of separation from Govardhan, informed the sage that he could never part with him. Pulastya Muni raised his hand to curse the king in anger, but Govardhan suddenly announced that he would follow the sage on one condition: that he be allowed to remain wherever he was set down. Pulastya Muni agreed and carried Govardhan away in his right hand. As soon as the sage reached Braja, he set Govardhan down and went off to take his evening bath. Govardhan was overjoyed to be in Braja Bhumi. When Pulastya returned and tried to pick him up, he found that Govardhan had become so heavy that he couldn’t be budged. It was then that the sage cursed Govardhan to sink into the ground to the measure of one mustardseed a day. At the time, Govardhan was twenty-four miles high. Today, he’s only eighty feet tall at his highest point. This great sinkage gives some indication of Govardhan’s immense age. The mountain was transformed at the first Govardhan Puja five thousand years ago. According to the Govinda Lilamrita, Govardhan is shaped like a peacock. This can actually be seen when one consults a map. Radha Kund and Shyama Kund in the northeast indeed serve as the eyes of a gigantic peacock. The tip of its tail is at Punchari. Jatipur—currently the highest point and the place where Krishna stood to lift the hill—lies across from Aniyora, about one-third up the tail. Manasi Ganga is located midway up the body, and Kusum Sarovar is at the heart. We leave our taxi just past the bathing tank at Kusum Sarovar. Many pilgrims are surprised to see Westerners at Govardhan Puja.

They crowd around us, and there’s no shaking them. We walk to a pandal that has a bright yellow canvas roof shading the Govardhan Deity. Sheets are spread on the ground, and pilgrims sit around a harmonium and chant. When we take off our shoes and enter, all eyes turn our way, but the chanting goes on. We offer dandavats to the Deity, stretching out on the ground and reciting the mantras of obeisances to guru and Saraswati, the goddess of learning. The Deity is formed from a stone rising out of the hill. Eyes and mouth have been painted on, and clothing draped over Him. Being the embodiment of the hill, the Deity is considered nondifferent from Lord Krishna Himself. We offer some rupees. The pujari, smiling, gives us chanori, those little white sugar balls. The pilgrims seem friendly enough. I take some photos of the Deity, and the pujari requests to get in the picture. Before long, I’m photographing dozens of giggling pilgrims and their wide-eyed kids. “This is getting out of hand,” I tell Achyutananda. “Tell them I’ve no more film.” Achyutananda translates, but no one believes him. “One photo, one photo,” they insist. I detach the flash and pack the camera away. Across the road, a herd of cows passes, led around Govardhan by proud herdsmen. The cows are covered with bright orange sindhur handprints, and spots, and the holy names of Vishnu. Today, they receive extra fodder. Now the road is crowding up with pilgrims who have finished their morning bath at Manasi Ganga. Govardhan Puja attracts people from all over India. Caste and economic status are irrelevant. Maharajas, goatherds, knife sharpeners, fishermen, untouchables, industrialists, teachers, students, beggars, merchants, mango peelers, incense dippers, garbage pickers, peasant farmers, whatever—all walk barefoot around Govardhan Hill, equal in God’s eyes, members of the world’s largest democracy, Krishna’s immense family. Today, the maharajas, brahmins, teachers, and other upper class gentlemen are the disadvantaged ones. They survey the ground before walking, trying to avoid pebbles, thorns, and sizzling hot rocks. Others—the barefoot echelons of ricksha-wallas, cowherds, and peasants—walk merrily along, chanting and offering obeisances before the little shrines along the way, bowing down to the ground and touching a particularly holy stone reminding them of Krishna and Balarama. According to Krishna’s original directions, food is prepared and distributed liberally. Everyone is fed as much as he can eat: raita (chopped cucumber with yoghurt), milk sweets, potato kachoris, samosas, and cauliflower pakoras. Some temples even invite people to sit before plates made of leaves while boys serve big helpings of halavah (farina with sugar, ghee, and nuts), sweet rice, various saffron-flavored sweets—from those purple-flowered saffron fields of Kashmir—dhal soup, rice, chapatis, curried squash, crispy peppery papadams (which look like big potato chips), spinach with curds swimming in ghee, clay cups of watermelon juice and limeade, big white rasagullas (sweet rose-scented cheeseballs that squeak when you bite into them), gulabjamuns, and jelebis, pretzel-shaped sweets of flour, pure sugar, and ghee, congealed on the outside but still hot and liquid inside. What a variety of physiognomies now crowd the road! The tall, hawk-nosed, mustachioed Rajasthanis lead their families to the parikrama. These were the Rajput warrior clans that controlled northwest India for thousands of years and served as a formidable buffer against the Persians. The men wear turbans—usually pastel colored, sometimes bright orange—and the women wear the traditional mirror-skirts, embroidered and studded with tiny bits of reflecting glass, complemented with big chunky necklaces of jade, ivory, and garnet, enormous silver earrings, and thick silver bracelets and anklets weighing 100-200 grams each. There are also many Bengalis, golden complexioned, with refined features. The women are dressed in pastel saris and tend to be chubby.

Bengali men, lean and handsome, prefer pencil-thin mustaches, in contrast to the Rajasthani soup-strainer. Gujaratis also abound, often identifiable by their stainless-steel, multi-tiered tiffin lunch containers. Since their vegetarian cuisine is the best in India, they bring it along. Even a few Nepalis—short, muscular, round-faced Mongoloids—walk around Govardhan, observing everything with tiny smiles, and giggling when they see us. Yes, what a wonderful celebration is Govardhan Puja! “So, where should we leave our shoes?” I ask Achyutananda. “Carry them,” he says. “Can we trust these kids to watch them?” I ask. “No.” “Shoes, shoes, shoes,” one of the kids starts chanting, understanding our dilemma. “One rupee, watching.” If I lose my shoes, I’ll never find replacements. Size ten is the limit in India. I open the camera kit, take out the camera, and put our shoes inside. “Photo, photo,” the kids chant, jumping up and down. They follow us to the parikrama, a narrow dirt path through cactus and big red stones. In my entire life, I’ve never walked very far barefoot, except on a beach. As I start along the path, the kids point at my feet and laugh. Kids the world over are natural sadists. The parikrama offers no relief. The tiny pebbles are sheer torture. “I’m not going to last very long,” I tell Achyutananda. “It’s a long way to Aniyora,” he says. “No. I mean, I’m not going to make two kilometers. Maybe not even a hundred yards.” When I try walking, my toes crumple up to relieve the pressure. The body will do anything to avoid pain. Suddenly, I’m holding my foot and stifling a cry of anguish: I’ve stepped on a thorn. It won’t be the last, judging by all the cactus. The kids laugh as I extricate the thorn. At least I’m amusing someone. But how will I ever get the spiritual benefit of going on the parikrama? The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. “Go on ahead,” I tell Achyutananda. “I’ll just sit around here and chant japa. Krishna understands.” “Then I’ll meet you back at the pandal,” he says. “We’ll go into town later.” Agreeing, I head back. I offer namaskars to a bearded, long-haired sadhu performing the dandabat parikrama. Between prostrations, he chants Hare Krishna on 108 beads while standing on one leg, one foot placed behind the opposite knee. Then he moves forward one body length and stretches out on the ground. How wonderful to be able to perform such an austerity! I find myself envying him and wishing for such a birth next lifetime. After putting my shoes back on, I sit on the roadside beside the pandal, chant japa, and wait for Achyutananda. He returns sooner than expected. Obviously, his feet are killing him. “Those pebbles are torture,” he says. “Even old ladies passed us by,” I say. “What’s wrong with us?” “We’re Yavanas; they’re yogis,” he says. “And what happened to Sukadeva and Vasudeva?” “They’re walking a little further, then taking another taxi back. Let’s go into town.” The same taxi drives us about three kilometers into the town of Govardhan. On the way, we pass the Maharaj of Bharatpur’s summer palace, one of the finest examples of Mathura carving in existence. Today, no artist can be found to carve sandstone lattice windows, peacocks, or any of the other designs adorning the two-hundred-year-old palace and cenotaphs. The art is lost. Still, the buildings stand, neglected yet magnificent. The town of Govardhan itself is a one-street village centered around Manasi Ganga. Leading to the Manasi Devi Temple are numerous restaurants and scores of pan, cigaret, soda, and chai stands, all catering to pilgrims. At the entrance to Manasi Ganga, we check in our shoes. Within an open-sided pavilion are the holy bathing tanks, crowded with pilgrims. We push through them to the water, sprinkle a few drops on our head, then push our way back out. “Actually, we’re supposed to bathe here before going on parikrama,” Achyutananda reminds me.

Outside, we hire another taxi. From the town of Govardhan to the Radha Kund turnoff, we creep along, the taxi’s horn blaring for the people and herds of cows to make way. As they do so, I think of the first Govardhan Puja. Basically, little has changed: Lord Krishna is here, the cows are here, and the Lord’s devotees are here. Thanks to my pampered Western body, I could not walk very far on parikrama, but I feel blessed by just seeing the hill and the great flow of devotion around it. The enormous tank at Kusum Sarovar is now filled with bathers. We stop for a glass of sugar cane juice mixed with ice and a pinch of lime—delicious and cooling. After Radha Kund, the traffic begins to thin out, and soon we’re racing across the plain to Vrindaban.

[thevaisnava]

Once in Bombay you ordered me to sit in your room while you were preaching to some Life Members. I sat there and listened for almost an hour. When they left you asked me how I would learn to preach if I did not listen to you preach. You then asked me and the other devotee whom you ordered there if we knew a certain verse from the Bhagavad-gītā, but we did not. Then you inquired from us if we were reading your books every day and we admitted our neglect. You first scolded, then you instructed us that we must read your books every day; otherwise how could we learn anything? Then to our surprise you informed us that you read your own books every day, and you inquired if we knew why. Feeling extremely foolish at this point, we did not offer any answer but waited patiently for your explanation and instructions. When you told us that even you learn something every time you read your own books, we were of course stunned, but when you asked us if we knew why you learned something every time you read your own books, we were even more bewildered. Personally I was totally amazed at what transpired next. You were looking at us with great intensity, and your voice expressed both authority and mysticism. As you moved your hands gracefully through the air, your eyes opened wide and you spoke as follows: Every morning when I sit down to write these books, Kṛṣṇa personally comes and dictates every word; therefore every time I read these books, even I learn something. And if you read them every day, then you will also learn something every time you read them.” His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada You were the original channeler, and you had the Supreme Personality of Godhead as your personal guide. Even by material standards, to write one hundred books in ten years is inconceivable. When you add to this the transcendental potency of these books, it transcends material comprehension altogether. The glory of your service to the entire sampradāya is expressed through your purports by your giving the commentaries of all the great ācāryas along with your own. For hundreds and even thousands of years these great personalities—Vyāsa, Madhva, Jayatīrtha, Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Śrīdhara Swami, and many others—have waited for their transcendental glorification of the Supreme Lord to reach the multitudes of conditioned souls. What satisfaction they must be deriving from seeing the millions of books distributed all over the world to benefit the fallen conditioned souls! You have glorified the Supreme Personality of Godhead and his pure devotees by your service of writing and distributing these books, and you are therefore worthy to be worshiped by all fallen conditioned souls. Excerpt from "Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā 1996 Centennial ,Vyāsa-Pūjā Homages from ISKCON Centers, The devotees in Bhubaneshwar, India; (written by Bhāgavat dāsa)"

[thevaisnava]

No. One of the differences between the Bhagavad-Gita and the Non-Vedic scriptures is that the God of the Bhagavad-Gita is a responsible, mature, loving, and caring person. He is not a bully, hater, curser, nor childish. “I hate no one. I am equal to all living beings…"Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 9.29 “…One who has no enemies among all living beings comes to Me.”Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 11.55 “One who is compassionate to all living beings … - These are some of the qualities of those born with divine nature.”Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 16.1-3 The fact that the people of various religions exist is the simple proof that it is God’s will that they exist. God is the creator of all living beings. I have come across many in my life who say that I will go to hell because I don’t follow their religion. They think that God made a mistake by creating those who don’t follow their religion. They clearly don’t understand that God is in full control, infallible, and thus all living beings have the right to exist by the will of God. Some people think that God is testing us by creating people of various religions to see who converts. This is a non-sense ideology because the eternal God has been creating people eternally on this planet in this universe and on other planets in millions of other universes. It is foolish to think that God has only recently created His religion. God is eternal and His religion is also eternal, Sanatan-Dharma. “I am transcendental, beyond the fallible and infallible, and because I am the greatest, I am celebrated as the Supreme person, on the material, and spiritual planets, and in the Vedas.”Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 15.18

[thevaisnava]

TEXTS 11-12 śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ nāty-ucchritaṁ nāti-nīcaṁ cailājina-kuśottaram tatraikāgraṁ manaḥ kṛtvā yata-cittendriya-kriyaḥ upaviśyāsane yuñjyād yogam ātma-viśuddhaye SYNONYMS śucau—in a sanctified; deśe—land; pratiṣṭhāpya—placing; sthiram—firm; āsanam—seat; ātmanaḥ—his own; na—not; ati—too; ucchritam—high; na—nor; ati—too; nīcam—low; caila—ajina—of soft cloth and deerskin; kuśa—and kuśa grass; uttaram—covering; tatra—thereupon; eka—agram—with one attention; manaḥ—mind; kṛtvā—making; yata-citta—controlling the mind; indriya—senses; kriyaḥ—and activities; upaviśya—sitting; āsane—on the seat; yuñjyāt—should execute; yogam-yoga practice; ātma—the heart; viśuddhaye—for clarifying. TRANSLATION To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place and should lay kuśa grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should be neither too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogī should then sit on it very firmly and practice yoga to purify the heart by controlling his mind, senses and activities and fixing the mind on one point. PURPORT "Sacred place" refers to places of pilgrimage. In India the yogīs, the transcendentalists or the devotees, all leave home and reside in sacred places such as Prayāga, Mathurā, Vṛndāvana, Hṛṣīkeśa and Hardwar and in solitude practice yoga where the sacred rivers like the Yamunā and the Ganges flow. But often this is not possible, especially for Westerners. The so-called yoga societies in big cities may be successful in earning material benefit, but they are not at all suitable for the actual practice of yoga. One who is not self-controlled and whose mind is not undisturbed cannot practice meditation. Therefore, in the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa it is said that in Kali-yuga (the present yuga, or age), when people in general are short-lived, slow in spiritual realization and always disturbed by various anxieties, the best means of spiritual realization is chanting the holy name of the Lord. harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā [Cc. Ādi 17.21] "In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way." TEXTS 13-14 samaṁ kāya-śiro-grīvaṁ dhārayann acalaṁ sthiraḥ samprekṣya nāsikāgraṁ svaṁ diśaś cānavalokayan praśāntātmā vigata-bhīr brahmacāri-vrate sthitaḥ manaḥ saṁyamya mac-citto yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ SYNONYMS samam—straight; kāya—body; śiraḥ—head; grīvam—and neck; dhārayan—holding; acalam—unmoving; sthiraḥ—still; samprekṣya—looking; nāsikā—of the nose; agram—at the tip; svam—own; diśaḥ—on all sides; ca—also; anavalokayan—not looking; praśānta—unagitated; ātmā—mind; vigata—bhīḥ—devoid of fear; brahmacāri—vrate—in the vow of celibacy; sthitaḥ—situated; manaḥ—mind; saṁyamya—completely subduing; mat—upon Me (Kṛṣṇa); cittaḥ—concentrating the mind; yuktaḥ—the actual yogi; āsīta—should sit; mat—Me; paraḥ—the ultimate goal. TRANSLATION One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life. PURPORT The goal of life is to know Kṛṣṇa, who is situated within the heart of every living being as Paramātmā, the four-handed Viṣṇu form. The yoga process is practiced in order to discover and see this localized form of Viṣṇu, and not for any other purpose. The localized viṣṇu-mūrti is the plenary representation of Kṛṣṇa dwelling within one's heart. One who has no program to realize this viṣṇu-mūrti is uselessly engaged in mock yoga practice and is certainly wasting his time. Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate goal of life, and the viṣṇu-mūrti situated in one's heart is the object of yoga practice. To realize this viṣṇu-mūrti

within the heart, one has to observe complete abstinence from sex life; therefore one has to leave home and live alone in a secluded place, remaining seated as mentioned above. One cannot enjoy sex life daily at home or elsewhere and attend a so-called yoga class and thus become a yogī. One has to practice controlling the mind and avoiding all kinds of sense gratification, of which sex life is the chief. In the rules of celibacy written by the great sage Yājñavalkya it is said: karmaṇā manasā vācā sarvāvasthāsu sarvadā sarvatra maithuna-tyāgo brahmacaryaṁ pracakṣate "The vow of brahmacarya is meant to help one completely abstain from sex indulgence in work, words and mind-at all times, under all circumstances, and in all places." No one can perform correct yoga practice through sex indulgence. Brahmacarya is taught, therefore, from childhood, when one has no knowledge of sex life. Children at the age of five are sent to the guru-kula, or the place of the spiritual master, and the master trains the young boys in the strict discipline of becoming brahmacārīs. Without such practice, no one can make advancement in any yoga, whether it be dhyāna, jñāna or bhakti. One who, however, follows the rules and regulations of married life, having a sexual relationship only with his wife (and that also under regulation), is also called a brahmacārī. Such a restrained householder brahmacārī may be accepted in the bhakti school, but the jñāna and dhyāna schools do not even admit householder brahmacārīs. They require complete abstinence without compromise. In the bhakti school, a householder brahmacārī is allowed controlled sex life because the cult of bhakti-yoga is so powerful that one automatically loses sexual attraction, being engaged in the superior service of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā (2.59) it is said: viṣayā vinivartante nirāhārasya dehinaḥ rasa-varjaṁ raso 'py asya paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate Whereas others are forced to restrain themselves from sense gratification, a devotee of the Lord automatically refrains because of superior taste. Other than the devotee, no one has any information of that superior taste. Vigata-bhīḥ. One cannot be fearless unless one is fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A conditioned soul is fearful due to his perverted memory, his forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. The Bhāgavatam (11.2.37) says, bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād īśād apetasya viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the only basis for fearlessness. Therefore, perfect practice is possible for a person who is Kṛṣṇa conscious. And since the ultimate goal of yoga practice is to see the Lord within, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person is already the best of all yogīs. The principles of the yoga system mentioned herein are different from those of the popular so-called yoga societies. TEXT 15 yuñjann evaṁ sadātmānaṁ yogī niyata-mānasaḥ śāntiṁ nirvāṇa-paramāṁ mat-saṁsthām adhigacchati SYNONYMS yuñjan—practicing; evam—as mentioned above; sadā—constantly; ātmānam—body, mind and soul; yogī—the mystic transcendentalist; niyata-mānasaḥ—with a regulated mind; śāntim—peace; nirvāṇa-paramām—cessation of material existence; mat—saṁsthām—the spiritual sky (the kingdom of God); adhigacchati—does attain. TRANSLATION Thus practicing constant control of the body, mind and activities, the mystic transcendentalist, his mind regulated, attains to the kingdom of God [or the abode of Kṛṣṇa] by cessation of material existence. PURPORT The ultimate goal in practicing yoga is now clearly explained. Yoga practice is not meant for attaining any kind of material facility; it is to enable the cessation of all material existence. One who seeks an improvement in health or aspires after material perfection is no yogī according to Bhagavad-gītā. Nor does cessation of material existence entail one's entering into "the void," which is only a myth. There is no void anywhere within the creation of the Lord. Rather, the cessation of material existence enables one to enter into the spiritual sky, the abode of the Lord.

The abode of the Lord is also clearly described in the Bhagavad-gītā as that place where there is no need of sun, moon or electricity. All the planets in the spiritual kingdom are self-illuminated like the sun in the material sky. The kingdom of God is everywhere, but the spiritual sky and the planets thereof are called paraṁ dhāma, or superior abodes. A consummate yogī, who is perfect in understanding Lord Kṛṣṇa, as is clearly stated herein by the Lord Himself (mat-cittaḥ, mat-paraḥ, mat-sthānam), can attain real peace and can ultimately reach His supreme abode, Kṛṣṇaloka, known as Goloka Vṛndāvana. In the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.37) it is clearly stated, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ: the Lord, although residing always in His abode called Goloka, is the all-pervading Brahman and the localized Paramātmā as well by dint of His superior spiritual energies. No one can reach the spiritual sky (Vaikuṇṭha) or enter into the Lord's eternal abode (Goloka Vṛndāvana) without the proper understanding of Kṛṣṇa and His plenary expansion Viṣṇu. Therefore a person working in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the perfect yogī, because his mind is always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa's activities (sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-pādāravindayoḥ [SB 9.4.18]). In the Vedas also (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.8) we learn, tam eva viditvāti mṛtyum eti: "One can overcome the path of birth and death only by understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa." In other words, perfection of the yoga system is the attainment of freedom from material existence and not some magical jugglery or gymnastic feats to befool innocent people. TEXT 16 nāty-aśnatas 'tu yogo 'sti na caikāntam anaśnataḥ na cāti-svapna-śīlasya jāgrato naiva cārjuna SYNONYMS na—never; ati—too much; aśnataḥ—of one who eats; tu—but; yogaḥ—linking with the Supreme; asti—there is; na—nor; ca—also; ekāntam—overly; anaśnataḥ—abstaining from eating; na—nor; ca—also; ati—too much; svapna-śīlasya—of one who sleeps; jāgrataḥ—or one who keeps night watch too much; na—not; eva—ever; ca—and; arjuna—O Arjuna. TRANSLATION There is no possibility of one's becoming a yogī, O Arjuna, if one eats too much or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough. PURPORT Regulation of diet and sleep is recommended herein for the yogīs. Too much eating means eating more than is required to keep the body and soul together. There is no need for men to eat animals, because there is an ample supply of grains, vegetables, fruits and milk. Such simple foodstuff is considered to be in the mode of goodness according to the Bhagavad-gītā. Animal food is for those in the mode of ignorance. Therefore, those who indulge in animal food, drinking, smoking and eating food which is not first offered to Kṛṣṇa will suffer sinful reactions because of eating only polluted things. Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt. Anyone who eats for sense pleasure, or cooks for himself, not offering his food to Kṛṣṇa, eats only sin. One who eats sin and eats more than is allotted to him cannot execute perfect yoga. It is best that one eat only the remnants of foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not eat anything which is not first offered to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, only the Kṛṣṇa conscious person can attain perfection in yoga practice. Nor can one who artificially abstains from eating, manufacturing his own personal process of fasting, practice yoga. The Kṛṣṇa conscious person observes fasting as it is recommended in the scriptures. He does not fast or eat more than is required, and he is thus competent to perform yoga practice. One who eats more than required will dream very much while sleeping, and he must consequently sleep more than is required. One should not sleep more than six hours daily. One who sleeps more than six hours out of twenty-four is certainly influenced by the mode of ignorance. A person in the mode of ignorance is lazy and prone to sleep a great deal. Such a person cannot perform yoga. TEXT 17

yuktāhāra-vihārasya yukta-ceṣṭasya karmasu yukta-svapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā SYNONYMS yukta—regulated; āhāra—eating; vihārasya—recreation; yukta—regulated; ceṣṭasya—of one who works for maintenance; karmasu—in discharging duties; yukta—regulated; svapna-avabodhasya—sleep and wakefulness; yogaḥ—practice of yoga; bhavati—becomes; duḥkha—hā—diminishing pains. TRANSLATION He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system. PURPORT Extravagance in the matter of eating, sleeping, defending and mating—which are demands of the body—can block advancement in the practice of yoga. As far as eating is concerned, it can be regulated only when one is practiced to take and accept prasādam, sanctified food. Lord Kṛṣṇa is offered, according to the Bhagavad-gītā (9.26), vegetables, flowers, fruits, grains, milk, etc. In this way, a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness becomes automatically trained not to accept food not meant for human consumption, or not in the category of goodness. As far as sleeping is concerned, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always alert in the discharge of his duties in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and therefore any unnecessary time spent sleeping is considered a great loss. Avyartha-kālatvam: [Cc. Madhya 23.18-19] a Kṛṣṇa conscious person cannot bear to pass a minute of his life without being engaged in the service of the Lord. Therefore, his sleeping is kept to a minimum. His ideal in this respect is Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, who was always engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa and who could not sleep more than two hours a day, and sometimes not even that. Ṭhākura Haridāsa would not even accept prasādam nor even sleep for a moment without finishing his daily routine of chanting with his beads three hundred thousand names. As far as work is concerned, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not do anything which is not connected with Kṛṣṇa's interest, and thus his work is always regulated and is untainted by sense gratification. Since there is no question of sense gratification, there is no material leisure for a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And because he is regulated in all his work, speech, sleep, wakefulness and all other bodily activities, there is no material misery for him. TEXT 18 yadā viniyataṁ cittam ātmany evāvatiṣṭhate nispṛhaḥ sarva-kāmebhyo yukta ity ucyate tadā SYNONYMS yadā—when; viniyatam—particularly disciplined; cittam—the mind and its activities; ātmani—in the transcendence; eva—certainly; avatiṣṭhate—becomes situated; nispṛhaḥ—devoid of desire; sarva—for all kinds of; kāmebhyaḥ—material sense gratification; yuktaḥ—well situated in yoga; iti—thus; ucyate—is said to be; tadā—at that time. TRANSLATION When the yogī, by practice of yoga, disciplines his mental activities and becomes situated in transcendence—devoid of all material desires—he is said to be well established in yoga. PURPORT The activities of the yogī are distinguished from those of an ordinary person by his characteristic cessation from all kinds of material desires—of which sex is the chief. A perfect yogī is so well disciplined in the activities of the mind that he can no longer be disturbed by any kind of material desire. This perfectional stage can automatically be attained by persons in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (9.4.18-20): sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane karau harer mandira-mārjanādiṣu śrutiṁ cakārācyuta-sat-kathodaye mukunda-liṅgālaya-darśane dṛśau tad-bhṛtya-gātra-sparśe 'ṅga-saṅgamam ghrāṇaṁ ca tat-pāda-saroja-saurabhe śrīmat-tulasyā rasanāṁ tad-arpite pādau hareḥ kṣetra-padānusarpaṇe śiro hṛṣīkeśa-padābhivandane kāmaṁ ca dāsye na tu kāma-kāmyayā yathottama-śloka-janāśrayā ratiḥ "King Ambarīṣa first of all engaged his mind on the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa; then, one after another, he engaged his words in describing the transcendental qualities of the Lord, his hands in mopping

the temple of the Lord, his ears in hearing of the activities of the Lord, his eyes in seeing the transcendental forms of the Lord, his body in touching the bodies of the devotees, his sense of smell in smelling the scents of the lotus flowers offered to the Lord, his tongue in tasting the tulasī leaf offered at the lotus feet of the Lord, his legs in going to places of pilgrimage and the temple of the Lord, his head in offering obeisances unto the Lord, and his desires in executing the mission of the Lord. All these transcendental activities are quite befitting a pure devotee." This transcendental stage may be inexpressible subjectively by the followers of the impersonalist path, but it becomes very easy and practical for a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as is apparent in the above description of the engagements of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. Unless the mind is fixed on the lotus feet of the Lord by constant remembrance, such transcendental engagements are not practical. In the devotional service of the Lord, therefore, these prescribed activities are called arcana, or engaging all the senses in the service of the Lord. The senses and the mind require engagements. Simple abnegation is not practical. Therefore, for people in general—especially those who are not in the renounced order of life—transcendental engagement of the senses and the mind as described above is the perfect process for transcendental achievement, which is called yukta in the Bhagavad-gītā. TEXT 19 yathā dīpo nivāta-stho neṅgate sopamā smṛtā yogino yata-cittasya yuñjato yogam ātmanaḥ SYNONYMS yathā—as; dīpaḥ—a lamp; nivāta-sthaḥ—in a place without wind; na—does not; iṅgate—waver; sā—this; upamā—comparison; smṛtā—is considered; yoginaḥ—of the yogī; yata-cittasya—whose mind is controlled; yuñjataḥ—constantly engaged; yogam—in meditation; ātmanaḥ—on transcendence. TRANSLATION As a lamp in a windless place does not waver, so the transcendentalist, whose mind is controlled, remains always steady in his meditation on the transcendent self. PURPORT A truly Kṛṣṇa conscious person, always absorbed in transcendence, in constant undisturbed meditation on his worshipable Lord, is as steady as a lamp in a windless place. TEXTS 20-23 yatroparamate cittaṁ niruddhaṁ yoga-sevayā yatra caivātmanātmānaṁ paśyann ātmani tuṣyati sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam vetti yatra na caivāyaṁ sthitaś calati tattvataḥ yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ yasmin sthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi vicālyate taṁ vidyād duḥkha-saṁyoga- viyogaṁ yoga-saṁjñitam SYNONYMS yatra—in that state of affairs where; uparamate—cease (because one feels transcendental happiness); cittam—mental activities; niruddham—being restrained from matter; yoga-sevayā—by performance of yoga; yatra—in which; ca—also; eva—certainly; ātmanā—by the pure mind; ātmānam—the self; paśyan—realizing the position of; ātmani—in the self; tuṣyati—one becomes satisfied; sukham—happiness; ātyantikam—supreme; yat—which; tat—that; buddhi—by intelligence; grāhyam—accessible; atīndriyam—transcendental; vetti—one knows; yatra—wherein; na—never; ca—also; eva—certainly; ayam—he; sthitaḥ—situated; calati—moves; tattvataḥ—from the truth; yam—that which; labdhvā—by attainment; ca—also; aparam—any other; lābham—gain; manyate—considers; na—never; adhikam—more; tataḥ—than that; yasmin—in which; sthitaḥ—being situated; na—never; duḥkhena—by miseries; guruṇā api—even though very difficult; vicālyate—becomes shaken; tam—that; vidyāt—you must know; duḥkha-saṁyoga—of the miseries of material contact; viyogam—extermination; yoga-saṁjñitam—called trance in yoga. TRANSLATION In the stage of perfection called trance, or samādhi, one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This perfection is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness, realized through transcendental senses.

Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact. PURPORT By practice of yoga one becomes gradually detached from material concepts. This is the primary characteristic of the yoga principle. And after this, one becomes situated in trance, or samādhi, which means that the yogī realizes the Supersoul through transcendental mind and intelligence, without any of the misgivings of identifying the self with the Superself. Yoga practice is more or less based on the principles of the Patañjali system. Some unauthorized commentators try to identify the individual soul with the Supersoul, and the monists think this to be liberation, but they do not understand the real purpose of the Patañjali system of yoga. There is an acceptance of transcendental pleasure in the Patañjali system, but the monists do not accept this transcendental pleasure, out of fear of jeopardizing the theory of oneness. The duality of knowledge and knower is not accepted by the nondualist, but in this verse transcendental pleasure—realized through transcendental senses—is accepted. And this is corroborated by Patañjali Muni, the famous exponent of the yoga system. The great sage declares in his Yoga-sūtras (3.34): puruṣārtha-śūnyānāṁ guṇānāṁ pratiprasavaḥ kaivalyaṁ svarūpa-pratiṣṭhā vā citi-śaktir iti. This citi-śakti, or internal potency, is transcendental. Puruṣārtha means material religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and, at the end, the attempt to become one with the Supreme. This "oneness with the Supreme" is called kaivalyam by the monist. But according to Patañjali, this kaivalyam is an internal, or transcendental, potency by which the living entity becomes aware of his constitutional position. In the words of Lord Caitanya, this state of affairs is called ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], or clearance of the impure mirror of the mind. This "clearance" is actually liberation, or bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. The theory of nirvāṇa—also preliminary—corresponds with this principle. In the Bhāgavatam (2.10.6) this is called svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. The Bhagavad-gītā also confirms this situation in this verse. After nirvāṇa, or material cessation, there is the manifestation of spiritual activities, or devotional service to the Lord, known as Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the words of the Bhāgavatam, svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ: this is the "real life of the living entity." Māyā, or illusion, is the condition of spiritual life contaminated by material infection. Liberation from this material infection does not mean destruction of the original eternal position of the living entity. Patañjali also accepts this by his words kaivalyaṁ svarūpa-pratiṣṭhā vā citi-śaktir iti. This citi-śakti, or transcendental pleasure, is real life. This is confirmed in the Vedānta-sūtra (1.1.12) as ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. This natural transcendental pleasure is the ultimate goal of yoga and is easily achieved by execution of devotional service, or bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga will be vividly described in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. In the yoga system, as described in this chapter, there are two kinds of samādhi, called samprajñāta-samādhi and asamprajñāta-samādhi. When one becomes situated in the transcendental position by various philosophical researches, he is said to have achieved samprajñāta-samādhi. In the asamprajñāta-samādhi there is no longer any connection with mundane pleasure, for one is then transcendental to all sorts of happiness derived from the senses. When the yogī is once situated in that transcendental position, he is never shaken from it. Unless the yogī is able to reach this position, he is unsuccessful. Today's so-called yoga practice, which involves various sense pleasures, is contradictory. A yogī indulging in sex and intoxication is a mockery.

Even those yogīs who are attracted by the siddhis (perfections) in the process of yoga are not perfectly situated. If yogīs are attracted by the by-products of yoga, then they cannot attain the stage of perfection, as is stated in this verse. Persons, therefore, indulging in the make-show practice of gymnastic feats or siddhis should know that the aim of yoga is lost in that way. The best practice of yoga in this age is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which is not baffling. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is so happy in his occupation that he does not aspire after any other happiness. There are many impediments, especially in this age of hypocrisy, to practicing haṭha-yoga, dhyāna-yoga and jñāna-yoga, but there is no such problem in executing karma-yoga or bhakti-yoga. As long as the material body exists, one has to meet the demands of the body, namely eating, sleeping, defending and mating. But a person who is in pure bhakti-yoga, or in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, does not arouse the senses while meeting the demands of the body. Rather, he accepts the bare necessities of life, making the best use of a bad bargain, and enjoys transcendental happiness in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He is callous toward incidental occurrences—such as accidents, disease, scarcity and even the death of a most dear relative—but he is always alert to execute his duties in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or bhakti-yoga. Accidents never deviate him from his duty. As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.14), āgamāpāyino 'nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. He endures all such incidental occurrences because he knows that they come and go and do not affect his duties. In this way he achieves the highest perfection in yoga practice.

[thevaisnava]

You can follow the recently created man-made scriptures, which have limited knowledge and do not describe God. Or you can follow the eternal Vedic scriptures, which have vast knowledge and completely describe God. The choice is yours. Lord Krishna gave the Vedic knowledge to Brahma, the first living being created in the universe, at the beginning of each cycle. In the current cycle, this was 155.522 trillion years ago. Thus the Vedic knowledge is eternal and comes directly from God (Lord Krishna). I am telling you this ancient science of linking with the Supreme [Yoga], because you are My friend and devotee. Therefore you can understand the mystery of this highest science.” Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 4.3 The Vedic knowledge can be understood by those who are open minded and willing to accept the truth. My devotees become righteous, attain lasting peace, and never perish. Lord Krishna Bhagavad-Gita 9.31 The genuine devotees of Lord Krishna are truthful, charitable, and friendly to all living beings. When the devotees of Lord Krishna decrease in the world, there will be degradation and humans will become killers, haters, and ignorant. There is nothing superior to Me. Everything is resting upon me. Just like pearls are strung on a thread.” Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 7.7 Those who are willing to accept the truth will realize that Lord Krishna is the one true God, because He has appeared and proved Himself to be the Supreme, not just once but millions of times. This is the purest knowledge, the king of education, the king of the most confidential knowledge. It is the highest knowledge, most righteous, and everlasting.” Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 9.2 The Bhagavad-Gita provides the best spiritual education and those who follow it will become righteous in this life and benefit eternally by being transferred to the spiritual creation at the end of this short life. All other so-called knowledge may bring temporary benefits, but is completely useless at the time of death. We cannot take our degrees in Medicine/Engineering/Law with us when we die.

[thevaisnava]

The Personality of Godhead said: Under the supervision of the Supreme Lord and according to the result of his work, the living entity, the soul, is made to enter into the womb of a woman through the particle of male semen to assume a particular type of body. On the first night, the sperm and ovum mix, and on the fifth night the mixture ferments into a bubble. On the tenth night it develops into a form like a plum, and after that, it gradually turns into a lump of flesh or an egg, as the case may be. In the course of a month, a head is formed, and at the end of two months the hands, feet and other limbs take shape. By the end of three months, the nails, fingers, toes, body hair, bones and skin appear, as do the organ of generation and the other apertures in the body, namely the eyes, nostrils, ears, mouth and anus. Within four months from the date of conception, the seven essential ingredients of the body, namely chyle, blood, flesh, fat, bone, marrow and semen, come into existence. At the end of five months, hunger and thirst make themselves felt, and at the end of six months, the fetus, enclosed by the amnion, begins to move on the right side of the abdomen. Deriving its nutrition from the food and drink taken by the mother, the fetus grows and remains in that abominable residence of stools and urine, which is the breeding place of all kinds of worms. Bitten again and again all over the body by the hungry worms in the abdomen itself, the child suffers terrible agony because of his tenderness. He thus becomes unconscious moment after moment because of the terrible condition. Owing to the mother's eating bitter, pungent foodstuffs, or food which is too salty or too sour, the body of the child incessantly suffers pains which are almost intolerable. Placed within the amnion and covered outside by the intestines, the child remains lying on one side of the abdomen, his head turned towards his belly and his back and neck arched like a bow. The child thus remains just like a bird in a cage, without freedom of movement. At that time, if the child is fortunate, he can remember all the troubles of his past one hundred births, and he grieves wretchedly. What is the possibility of peace of mind in that condition? Thus endowed with the development of consciousness from the seventh month after his conception, the child is tossed downward by the airs that press the embryo during the weeks preceding delivery. Like the worms born of the same filthy abdominal cavity, he cannot remain in one place. The living entity in this frightful condition of life, bound by seven layers of material ingredients, prays with folded hands, appealing to the Lord, who has put him in that condition. The human soul says: I take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who appears in His various eternal forms and walks on the surface of the world. I take shelter of Him only, because He can give me relief from all fear and from Him I have received this condition of life, which is just befitting my impious activities. Death and Birth I, the pure soul, appearing now bound by my activities, am lying in the womb of my mother by the arrangement of māyā. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Him who is also here with me but who is unaffected and changeless. He is unlimited, but He is perceived in the repentant heart. To Him I offer my respectful obeisances. I am separated from the Supreme Lord because of my being in this material body, which is made of five elements, and therefore my qualities and senses are being misused, although I am essentially spiritual. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is transcendental to material nature and the living entities, because He is devoid of such a material body, and because He is always glorious in His spiritual qualities, I offer my obeisances unto Him. The human soul further prays: The living entity is put under the influence of material nature and continues a hard struggle for existence on the path of repeated birth and death.

This conditional life is due to his forgetfulness of his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, without the Lord's mercy, how can he again engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord? No one other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as the localized Paramātmā, the partial representation of the Lord, is directing all inanimate and animate objects. He is present in the three phases of time-past, present and future. Therefore, the conditioned soul is engaged in different activities by His direction, and in order to get free from the threefold miseries of this conditional life, we have to surrender unto Him only. Fallen into a pool of blood, stool and urine within the abdomen of his mother, his own body scorched by the mother's gastric fire, the embodied soul, anxious to get out, counts his months and prays, "O my Lord, when shall I, a wretched soul, be released from this confinement?" My dear Lord, by Your causeless mercy I am awakened to consciousness, although I am only ten months old. For this causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the friend of all fallen souls, there is no way to express my gratitude but to pray with folded hands. The living entity in another type of body sees only by instinct; he knows only the agreeable and disagreeable sense perceptions of that particular body. But I have a body in which I can control my senses and can understand my destination; therefore, I offer my respectful obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by whom I have been blessed with this body and by whose grace I can see Him within and without. Therefore, my Lord, although I am living in a terrible condition, I do not wish to depart from my mother's abdomen to fall again into the blind well of materialistic life. Your external energy, called deva-māyā, at once captures the newly born child, and immediately false identification, which is the beginning of the cycle of continual birth and death, begins. Therefore, without being agitated any more, I shall deliver myself from the darkness of nescience with the help of my friend, clear consciousness. Simply by keeping the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu in my mind, I shall be saved from entering into the wombs of many mothers for repeated birth and death. Lord Kapila continued: The ten-month-old living entity has these desires even while in the womb. But while he thus extols the Lord, the wind that helps parturition propels him forth with his face turned downward so that he may be born. Pushed downward all of a sudden by the wind, the child comes out with great trouble, head downward, breathless and deprived of memory due to severe agony. The child thus falls on the ground, smeared with stool and blood, and plays just like a worm germinated from the stool. He loses his superior knowledge and cries under the spell of māyā. After coming out of the abdomen, the child is given to the care of persons who are unable to understand what he wants, and thus he is nursed by such persons. Unable to refuse whatever is given to him, he falls into undesirable circumstances. Laid down on a foul bed infested with sweat and germs, the poor child is incapable of scratching his body to get relief from his itching sensation to say nothing of sitting up, standing or even moving. In his helpless condition, gnats, mosquitoes, bugs and other germs bite the baby, whose skin is tender, just as smaller worms bite a big worm. The child, deprived of his wisdom, cries bitterly. In this way, the child passes through his childhood, suffering different kinds of distress, and attains boyhood. In boyhood also he suffers pain over desires to get things he can never achieve. And thus, due to ignorance, he becomes angry and sorry. With the growth of the body, the living entity, in order to vanquish his soul, increases his false prestige and anger and thereby creates enmity towards similarly lusty people. By such ignorance the living entity accepts the material body, which is made of five elements, as himself.

With this misunderstanding, he accepts nonpermanent things as his own and increases his ignorance in the darkest region. For the sake of the body, which is a source of constant trouble to him and which follows him because he is bound by ties of ignorance and fruitive activities, he performs various actions which cause him to be subjected to repeated birth and death. If, therefore, the living entity again associates with the path of unrighteousness, influenced by sensually minded people engaged in the pursuit of sexual enjoyment and the gratification of the palate, he again goes to hell as before. He becomes devoid of truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, gravity, spiritual intelligence, shyness, austerity, fame, forgiveness, control of the mind, control of the senses, fortune and all such opportunities. One should not associate with a coarse fool who is bereft of the knowledge of self-realization and who is no more than a dancing dog in the hands of a woman. The infatuation and bondage which accrue to a man from attachment to any other object is not as complete as that resulting from attachment to a woman or to the fellowship of men who are fond of women. At the sight of his own daughter, Brahmā was bewildered by her charms and shamelessly ran up to her in the form of a stag when she took the form of a hind. Amongst all kinds of living entities begotten by Brahmā, namely men, demigods and animals, none but the sage Nārāyaṇa is immune to the attraction of māyā in the form of woman. Just try to understand the mighty strength of My māyā in the shape of woman, who by the mere movement of her eyebrows can keep even the greatest conquerors of the world under her grip. One who aspires to reach the culmination of yoga and has realized his self by rendering service unto Me should never associate with an attractive woman, for such a woman is declared in the scripture to be the gateway to hell for the advancing devotee. The woman, created by the Lord, is the representation of māyā, and one who associates with such māyā by accepting services must certainly know that this is the way of death, just like a blind well covered with grass. A living entity who, as a result of attachment to a woman in his previous life, has been endowed with the form of a woman, foolishly looks upon māyā in the form of a man, her husband, as the bestower of wealth, progeny, house and other material assets. A woman, therefore, should consider her husband, her house and her children to be the arrangement of the external energy of the Lord for her death, just as the sweet singing of the hunter is death for the deer. Due to his particular type of body, the materialistic living entity wanders from one planet to another, following fruitive activities. In this way, he involves himself in fruitive activities and enjoys the result incessantly. In this way the living entity gets a suitable body with a material mind and senses, according to his fruitive activities. When the reaction of his particular activity comes to an end, that end is called death, and when a particular type of reaction begins, that beginning is called birth. When the eyes lose their power to see color or form due to morbid affliction of the optic nerve, the sense of sight becomes deadened. The living entity, who is the seer of both the eyes and the sight, loses his power of vision. In the same way, when the physical body, the place where perception of objects occurs, is rendered incapable of perceiving, that is known as death. When one begins to view the physical body as one's very self, that is called birth. Therefore, one should not view death with horror, nor have recourse to defining the body as soul, nor give way to exaggeration in enjoying the bodily necessities of life. Realizing the true nature of the living entity, one should move about in the world free from attachment and steadfast in purpose. Endowed with right vision and strengthened by devotional

service and a pessimistic attitude towards material identity, one should relegate his body to this illusory world through his reason. Thus one can be unconcerned with this material world. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Third Canto, Thirty-first Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "Lord Kapila's Instructions on the Movements of the Living Entities."

[thevaisnava]

By Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (from Kalyāṇa-kalpataru) Text One vibhāvarī śeṣa, āloka-praveśa, nidrā chāri' uṭho jīva bolo hari hari, mukunda murāri, rāma kṛṣṇa hayagrīva The night has come to an end and the light of dawn is entering. O jīva soul, arise and give up your sleep. Chant the holy names of Lord Hari, who is the giver of liberation; the enemy of the Mura demon; the supreme enjoyer; the all-attractive one; and the horse-headed incarnation, Hayagrīva. Text Two nṛsiṁha vāmana, śrī-madhusūdana, brajendra-nandana śyāma pūtanā-ghātana, kaiṭabha-śātana, jaya dāśarathi-rāma Lord Hari [Kṛṣṇa] incarnated as the half-man, half-lion, Nṛsiṁha. He appeared as a dwarf brāhmaṇa named Upendra and is the killer of the Madhu demon. He is the beloved son of the King of Vraja, Nanda Mahārāja, and is blackish in complexion. He is the slayer of the Pūtanā witch and s the destroyer of the demon Kaiṭabha. All glories to Lord Hari, who appeared as Lord Rāma, the son of King Daśaratha! Text Three yaśodā dulāla, govinda-gopāla, vṛndāvana purandara gopī-priya-jana, rādhikā-ramaṇa, bhuvana -sundara-bara He is the darling of mother Yaśodā, the giver of pleasure to the cows, land, and spiritual senses, and the protector of the cows. He is the Lord of the Vṛndāvana forest, the gopīs' beloved, the lover of Rādhikā, and the most beautiful personality in all the worlds. Text Four rāvaṇāntakara, mākhana-taskara, gopī-jana-vastra-hārī brajera rākhāla, gopa-vṛnda-pāla, citta-hārī baṁśī-dhārī As Rāmacandra He put an end to the demoniac King Rāvaṇa. As Kṛṣṇa, in His childhood He stole butter from the elder gopīs, and in His youth He stole the clothes of the younger gopīs while they bathed in the Yamunā. He is a cowherd boy of Vraja and the protector of the cowherd boys. He steals the hearts of all and always holds a flute. Text Five yogīndra-bandana, śrī-nanda-nandana, braja-jana-bhaya-hārī navīna nīrada, rūpa manohara, mohana-baṁśī-bihārī Lord Kṛṣṇa is worshiped by the best of yogīs, He is the son of Nanda, He removes all the fears of the inhabitants of Vraja, He is the color of a fresh rain cloud, and His form is enchanting. When He wanders about, playing His flute, He looks very charming. Text Six yaśodā-nandana, kaṁsa-nisūdana, nikuñja-rāsa-vilāsī kadamba-kānana, rāsa-parāyaṇa, bṛnda-vipina-nivāsī He is the son of Yaśodā and the killer of King Kaṁsa, and He sports in the rāsa dance among the groves of Vraja. Kṛṣṇa engages in the rāsa dance beneath the kadamba trees, and He resides in the forest of Vṛndāvana. Text Seven ānanda-vardhana, prema-niketana, phula-śara-jojaka kāma gopāṅganā-gaṇa, citta-vinodana, samasta-guṇa-gaṇa-dhāma He increases the ecstasy of His devotees. He is the reservoir of all love and is the transcendental Cupid who uses His flower arrows to increase the loving desires of the gopīs. He is the pleasure of the gopīs' hearts and the abode of all wonderful qualities. Text Eight jāmuna-jīvana, keli-parāyaṇa, mānasa-candra-cakora nāma-sudhā-rasa, gāo kṛṣṇa-jaśa rākho vacana mana mora Lord Kṛṣṇa is the life of the river Yamunā. He is always absorbed in amorous pastimes, and He is the moon for the cakora birds of the gopīs' minds. O mind, obey these words of mine and sing the glories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the form of these holy names, which are full of nectarean mellows.

[thevaisnava]

No. Lord Krishna is very merciful and forgiving to those who want to stop sinning and change their lives for the better. “Even if you are the greatest sinner, when you are on the boat of spiritual knowledge, you will be able to cross over the river of miseries, caused by reactions to sinful activities.” Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 4.36 This is yet another proof that Lord Krishna is God. He doesn’t send people to eternal hell or burn people in fires. He is so nice that even the sinners can be saved simply by stopping all sinful activities and surrendering unto Him. The main sinful activities are lying, animal killing (meat eating), intoxicating (drugs, alcohol, tobacco smoking/chewing), having relationships outside marriage, hatred, violence, anger, and greed. One should give up these sinful activities.