Hare Krsna,

The personality of Subhadra devi is truly an enigma in the scriptures. Even though she is very well-known as the sister of Lord Jagannath and Lord Baladeva, not much is written or mentioned explicitly about her in the scriptures. Therefore, it is hard to reconcile various versions that exist about her.

SB 10.1.56: Each year thereafter, in due course of time, Devakī, the mother of God and all the demigods, gave birth to a child. Thus she bore eight sons, one after another, and a daughter named Subhadrā.

My research is based on the following premise. We know Subhadra as Krsna’s sister who is born simultaneously with Krsna in Gokula in the house of Nanda Maharaja. There is Krsna’s sister who marries Arjuna in Dvaraka. There is also Krsna’s sister who stands between Krsna and Balarama on the altar in Jagannatha Puri. Finally, there is Subhadra popularly known as yoga-maya. Are all these the same personality?

Question 1: Is Subhadra yoga-maya?

Subhadra is yoga-maya is mentioned at couple of places.

In SB 10.2 (Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Womb), there is the following conversation between the Personality of Godhead, Viśvātmā, the Supreme Soul of everyone and Yoga-maya:

SB 10.2.7-9: O My potency, who are worshipable for the entire world and whose nature is to bestow good fortune upon all living entities, go to Vraja, where there live many cowherd men and their wives. In that very beautiful land, where many cows reside, Rohiṇī, the wife of Vasudeva, is living at the home of Nanda Mahārāja. Other wives of Vasudeva are also living there incognito because of fear of Kaṁsa. Please go there. Within the womb of Devakī is My partial plenary expansion known as Saṅkarṣaṇa or Śeṣa. Without difficulty, transfer Him into the womb of Rohiṇī. O all-auspicious Yoga-māyā, I shall then appear with My full six opulences as the son of Devakī, and you will appear as the daughter of mother Yaśodā, the queen of Mahārāja Nanda.”

Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport: “By the blessings of Kṛṣṇa, Yoga-māyā became the daughter of mother Yaśodā, but by the supreme will she was not able to enjoy the parental love of her father and mother…By the blessings of Kṛṣṇa, Yoga-māyā was able to achieve the reputation of being the daughter of mother Yaśodā, who also became famous by the blessings of Kṛṣṇa. Yaśodā means “one who gives fame.”

At least this is confirmed that Subhadra devi is indeed Yoga-maya.

Question 2: If Subhadra is Yoga-maya, who is Maha-maya?

In one of the letters, Srila Prabhupada wrote: “Subhadra is yogamaya. The spiritual energy is called yogamaya. And she has 16 different expansions. Out of these 16 expansions, Subhadra is one. The mahamaya of the material energy is also expansion of the energy of yogamaya; and both yogamaya and mahamaya are equally important to Krishna as much as any government department is equally important for functioning of the government.” (Letter to Madhusudana – Montreal 29th July 1968)

Yoga-maya turns into Maha-maya is confirmed in the following commentary by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura in his Sarartha-Darsini commentary on SB 10.2.10:

“Your aàça, material mäyä, will be taken by Vasudeva to cheat Kaàsa. You will be worshiped in various forms in Vindhyäcala and other places. All men will worship these forms because you are the supreme (varam) goddess (éçvarém) of those who have all types of material desires.”

When Subhadra reaches Mathura and lands up in Kamsa’s hands, she turns into Maha-maya.

Question 3: Is Subhadra the daughter of Yasoda and Nanda, or Devaki and Vasudeva?

Both Srila Prabhupada and Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura confirm in their commentaries on SB 10.1.56 that Subhadra is the daughter of Yasoda and Nanda.

“kanyäà: daughter; Subhadrä is the daughter.” – Sarartha-Darsini SVT commentary on SB 10.1.56

It seems clear that the daughter born to Yasoda was indeed Yogamaya, but that the female child that Vasudeva took to the palace dungeon of Kamsa was Mahamaya, the external potency of Krsna.

Now here is a contradiction. There are other places where Subhadra is considered to be born of Vasudeva and Rohini.

Hari-vamsa says as follows: Vasudeva begot his eldest son Rama (Balarama) in Rohini; and their other sons are: Sarana, Satha, Durdama, Damana, Svabhra, Pindaraka, and Usinara; O descendant of Kuru, they also had a daughter by the name of Citra, who is renowned by the name of Subhadra. (1.35.5-6)

Mahabharata says as follows: This is my sister, O Partha, and born of the same mother as Sarana (this refers to Rohini, the mother of Sarana). May you be blessed. She is the favorite daughter of my father. (Adi-parva 221.17)

Hari-vamsa mentions Krsna’s sister as being Subhadra and Mahabharata mentions Krsna’s sister as being born of Rohini. Both these references are to Krsna’s sister born in Mathura to Vasudeva and Rohini who later married Arjuna in Dvaraka, not to the twin of Krsna born to Yasoda and later taken to the dungeon of Kamsa.

Therefore it is unclear whose daughter is Subhadra.

Question 4: What’s the final conclusion on Subhadra?

From previous acaryas we have quotes regarding Subhadra, some stating that she is Yogamaya, some that she is Mahamaya and some that she is bhakti-svarupa. The exercise is in how to harmonize the statements of different acaryas. Some quotes from A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada are as follows:

Subhadra is Yogamaya, The spiritual energy is called Yogamaya. And she had 16 different expansions. Out of these 16 expansions, Subhadra is one. The Mahamaya of the material energy is also expansion of the energy of Yogamaya; and both Yogamaya and Mahamaya are equally important to Krsna as much as any government department is equally important for functioning the government. (Letter to Madhusudana – Montreal 29th July 1968)

Regarding your question about Subhadra and Durga, they are not at all the same. Durga’s other name is Bhadra, not Subhadra, and Durga’s activities are within the material world. Subhadra does not work as Durga. Subhadra is internal energy, and Durga is external energy. As energy they have a relationship as much as we are energies of Krsna, but the energies are working in different capacities. (Letter to Hamsaduta – LA, 9th Feb.1969)

“Regarding your question, ‘Is Subhadra, Lord Krsna’s sister, the same as Durga or Maya?’ the answer is that originally Krsna’s energy is one; that is spiritual energy. But according to different functions, the Maya is represented differently. In the material world the energy is called Bhadra, and in the spiritual world the same Maya is called Subhadra. The only distinction is ‘su’ and without ‘su’. ‘Su’ means auspicious. So in the spiritual world the same Maya works auspiciously, and in the material world the same Maya works inauspiciously. (Letter to Upendra – LA, 5th July 1969)

In Sri Brhad Bhagavatamrta of Srila Sanatana Goswami, Gopīpāranadhana prabhu says that the daughter of Yasoda is Subhadra – this is not in Sanatan Goswami’s commentary. It should be Maya instead. Subhadra is the only daughter of Vasudeva and Rohini instead.

SBB 2.3.28: “Or if you want devotion to Visnu, still you should be kind and worship me, the giver of devotion, for I am His maid-servant, His sister, and the embodiment of His energy.”

Gopīpāranadhana prabhu: Pure devotees do not care for liberation, but still they respect Prakrti for other reasons. She is Lord Visnu’s humble servant and sister, born as Subhadra from the womb of Yasoda, and she helps Lord Visnu’s devotees make progress in devotional service. Although Maya is not identical with Lord Visnu’s internal energy, she is the expansion of that energy, embodied in the external elements. Thus she is non-different from the original energy, just as a person’s shadow is non-different from the person.

In 1872 Sri Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote an essay for a newspaper in Cuttack, Orissa about the Deities of Jagannatha, Subhadra and Baladeva as they are manifest in the temple at Jagannatha Puri. The essay is titled, “The Temple of Jagannath at Puri”.

Link: https://www.bvmlu.org/SBTP/ttojap.html

He wrote: “We have several times entered the shrine of Jagannatha, and, approaching the sandal bolts, have observed in the middle room an elevated seat on which stand four different forms viz. Jagannatha, Balaram, Subhadra and Sudarsan. According to the Vedanta, God is without a second, but He has infinite energies and attributes which are not fully known to man. But then man perceives only three energies in God, because he has no other corresponding sides to understand the other powers. From one of the energies proceeds matter in all its different forms and properties and this energy is styled Maya Shakti of God. From the second energy proceeds all spiritual creation, in all its relations and phases. This power is entitled the Jiva Shakti of God. The third energy perceivable by man is the energy of Will, which is called Cit Shakti. God moving in creation is what is meant by this infinite energy.

Jagannatha is the emblem of God having no other form than the eyes and the hands. They mean to show that God sees and knows and creates. Balarama is the source of Jiva Shakti of God; Subhudra, the Maya Shakti; and Sudarshana is the energy of Will.”

In summary, there are various opinions on the ontological position of Subhadra. Srila Prabhupada says she is Yogamaya. Srila Bhaktivinoda says she is Mahamaya. Regardless of the ontological position of Subhadra, the key takeaway is that she is nourisher of our bhakti. I would go with Srila Sanatana Goswami’s commentary as the final conclusion.

Srila Sanatana Goswami says in SBB 2.3.28: “You should worship me, considering me to be the maidservant of Visnu and subservient to Him. Or, worship me because I am His sister, having taken birth from the womb of Yasoda. Or, worship me as the embodiment of His energy. In these ways, I alone grant and nourish bhakti to Visnu. Although the illusory potency Mäyä and the potency of Visnu that increases bhakti are mutually exclusive, nevertheless, because the illusory potency is the shadow of Visnu’s energy, the two have been described as one.”

Final conclusion is ultimately the internal energy of Krsna is one, which manifests as many according to the Lord’s will and the requirement of His lila (acintya-bhedabheda). It has also been noted that the use of the word ’yoga-maya’ in the vocabulary of the acaryas is interchangeable with the word ‘maha-maya’. Accordingly, the sister of Krsna is one-energy manifesting as different personalities (Yogamaya, Mahamaya and bhakti-svarupa) according to the required service.

Question 5: Who did she marry? Did she have children?

Regarding the question about who Subhadra married and whether she had children, I will go with what is well-known as mentioned in the 86 chapter of 10^th Canto. Arjuna kidnapped Subhadra (with Krsna’s approval and Balarama’s disapproval) and eventually married her. They had a son Abhimanyu who married Uttara. They gave birth to Pariksit Maharaja by whose mercy we are relishing Srimad Bhagavatam today.

I eagerly look forward to the findings of other devotees in this forum. Thank you!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

I would say there are two main factors why different people react after hearing transcendental wisdom. One factor is the particular mode of material nature that binds the people. Another factor is envy. There could be other factors too.

In Bhagavad Gita Lord Krsna tells Arjuna: My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall impart to you this most confidential knowledge and realization, knowing which you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence. (BG 9.1)

Because Arjuna is not envious, Kṛṣṇa spoke the special knowledge to him. Arjuna was able to receive the transcendental wisdom in right mood, spirit, and surrender.

Kamsa, on the other hand, was very envious of Krsna. Kaṁsa was a condemned personality in the Bhoja dynasty because he was envious and sinful (SB 10.1.35). He was so cruel and envious that he was shamelessly ready to kill his sister Devaki. (SB 10.1.36)

Because such envious people are averse to Krsna and His instructions, the Lord perpetually cast them into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life. Krsna also says in BG: Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto Me. (BG 7.15)

On the other hand, the devotees who have faith in Krsna and His teachings reach to the transcendental wisdom differently. They are willing to surrender immediately; Ktsna also reciprocates with them lovingly.

BG 9.13: O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.

Similarly, the three modes of material nature also play a big part in how different people react to transcendental wisdom. The mode of ignorance covers one’s knowledge and binds him to madness. For such people, knowledge means the satisfaction of bodily demands. It is more or less like the knowledge of the ordinary animals: the knowledge of eating, sleeping, defending, and mating. Such knowledge is described here as the product of the mode of darkness. Kamsa was more interested in protecting his body and its bodily possessions such as kingdom, power, wealth, fame, control, etc. As such people are not open to receiving transcendental knowledge.

Reflecting deeply, the difference is the understanding the difference between body and soul. Those who are in mode of goodness, who accept that they are spiritual souls – eternal part and parcel of Krsna – are more favorable to react positively to transcendental wisdom. On the other hand, those people like Kamsa, Duryodhana, etc. who are grossly under the illusory bodily consciousness react negatively to transcendental wisdom because they feel threatened by the apparent lose of ‘I’ and ‘Mine.

Therefore, when both Vasudeva and Krsna presented the philosophy that ‘For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain (BG 2.28)’ to Kamsa and Arjuna respectively, each one of them reacted differently. Arjuna was willing to surrender to Krsna and be an instrument in the Lord’s mission. Kamsa, on the other hand, was revolting and ready to kill his own sister.

BG 17.18: Bewildered by false ego, strength, pride, lust and anger, the demons become envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in their own bodies and in the bodies of others, and blaspheme against the real religion.

BG 17.24: One should therefore understand what is duty and what is not duty by the regulations of the scriptures. Knowing such rules and regulations, one should act so that he may gradually be elevated.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

The Supreme Lord speaks through His pure devotees. The living entities hear the instructions of the Lord through His pure devotees.

The Lord’s pure devotees are the transparent via medium between the Lord and the conditioned souls like us whose senses are still not purified enough to hear or see the Lord.

Those who engage in Deity worship chant a beautiful prayer for purification, blessing and invocation. om tad visno paramam padam sada pasyanti suraya diviva caksuratatam:

“Just as the sun’s rays in the sky are extended to the mundane vision, so in the same way the wise and learned devotees always see the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu. Because those highly praiseworthy and spiritually awake brahmanas are able to see the spiritual world, they are also able to reveal that supreme abode of Lord Vishnu.” (Rig Veda 1.22.20)

If we extend this principle, the pure devotees not only reveal the supreme abode of the Lord to us but also reveal the Lord’s instructions to us. In this chapter (SB 10.1), we see how the Supreme Lord reveals His orders to Brahma. Two beautiful things stand out in the conduct of the Lord. First, He is already aware of the distress on earth. Secondly, He already has a plan how to rectify the disturbing situation on earth. Thirdly, even though He is supremely independent, He still orders the demigods, through Brahma, to appear through His plenary portions as sons and grandsons in the family of the Yadus so that they could act as instruments and associates in His mission on earth. How merciful the Lord is! Even in Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krsna asked Arjuna to be an instrument in the fight.

“Therefore get up. Prepare to fight and win glory. Conquer your enemies and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasācī, can be but an instrument in the fight.” (BG 11.33)

Not only that, Krsna also clearly tells Arjuna that He is making him the first receiver of a new paramparā (disciplic succession) because the old succession was broken. It was the Lord’s wish, therefore, to establish another paramparā in the same line of thought that was coming down from the sun-god to others, and it was His wish that His teaching be distributed anew by Arjuna. Lord informs Arjuna that this system of yoga, the Bhagavad-gītā, was first spoken to the sun-god, and the sun-god explained it to Manu, and Manu explained it to Ikṣvāku, and in that way, by disciplic succession, one speaker after another, this yoga system has been coming down. But in the course of time it has become lost. Consequently the Lord has to speak it again, this time to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. (BG 4.1-3)

The sweet Lord wants all of us to return home, back to Godhead through the process of devotional service – the chief limb of which is to chant the Holy Name of the Lord. The Lord revealed this through His pure devotees such as the Six Goswamis, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur and our very dear Srila Prabhupada. These bonafide acaryas know the desire of the Supreme Lord and therefore are empowered to guide us correctly.

Therefore, it is important that we strictly follow the disciplic succession we belong to. Just as we need GPS to drive somewhere unfamiliar, similarly we need GPS to go back to Krsna. Here GPS means Guru Parampara System. Gurus’ instructions for us are non-different than Krsna’s because they do not concoct anything. Like sincere and honest postmen, they deliver the Lord’s message and blessings to us ‘AS IT IS’.

It must also be noted that hearing the Lord’s instructions is more important than seeing Him directly. In material realm, we give a great importance to seeing. As they say, seeing is believing. But in transcendental realm, hearing IS seeing. Brahma did not personally see Lord Visnu but could hear His orders. Srila Prabhupada gives a relevant example of this age: telephones. Modern science gives us telephones and cellphones by which one can hear sound vibrations from a distant place. In fact, we derive great joy from speaking to a loved one over phone even though we are physically a great distance apart. Imagine how much joy and bliss we will derive when we hear the Lord’s words through his telephones – His bonafide representatives.

It is my personal realization that whenever I submitted very pressing questions or decision choices to the Lord, I got His confirmation or answers through His devotees. I would pray to the Lord with some doubts or queries. Out of nowhere some devotee would bring up that topic (either in a group setting or directly to me) and answer my question. It even happened when I wanted confirmation about choosing a spiritual master. The Lord revealed through one of His devotees. There were so many such instances. Of course, there were moments when I received chastisement (or punishment) for some mistakes through the devotees. I see all this as the Lord’s desire to correct me like a loving father does to his child.

This is why faith is very important. Faith that the Lord hears our distress and desires our well-being; faith in the Lord’s plan for us; Faith in His devotee. Hence the first stage of devotional service is sraddha – faith. Adau sraddha. It all starts with faith.

All we have to do is surrender to the sweet Lord and His devotees with the faith that they will decide or instruct the best for us.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

The word “purification” is a deep subject matter. The mundane understanding of purification is at a gross bodily level, and therefore cleanliness is considered the same as purification. However for devotees on the path of attaining complete Krsna consciousness, purification is a journey and not just an activity that we perform each day (like taking a bath).

Srila Prabhupada in his purport to SB 3.6.34 brilliantly explains the essence of purification.

“All the conditioned souls are impure due to contact with the material energy in three modes of nature. Therefore it is necessary that they purify themselves under the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master, who not only is a brāhmaṇa by qualification but must also be a Vaiṣṇava. The only self-purifying process mentioned herein is to worship the Lord under the recognized method — under the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master. That is the natural way of purification, and no other method is recommended as bona fide. The other methods of purification may be helpful to come to this stage of life, but ultimately one has to come to this last point before he attains actual perfection.”

Purification of existence means, and includes purification of body and senses (eating, sleeping, mating and defending), mind, intelligence, speech and consciousness. Therefore, the whole process of devotional service is to accelerate the process of purification.

I could write an essay on purification. But to get to the essence, my realization of perfect purification is a state where one can engage in hearing Krsna-katha with perfect attention. Undeviated attention to such an extent that nothing can disturb our concentration. Taking my personal example, I can hardly concentrate for more than a few minutes. My body and mind are just too restless. I am unable to sit in a place for a long time; the body and mind keep throwing distractions at me; the body disturbs me with thirst, hunger, and lethargy; the mind brings up unwanted thoughts, worries, memories, desires, and mental speculation. The intelligence keeps disturbing with discriminating thoughts of what is right and what is wrong. Pure consciousness is covered with material desires, unwanted desires for liberation from pains and worldly miseries; and past karmic impressions. These are all symptoms of gross and subtle contaminations due to which we are unable to hear in rapt attention.

I remember a particular purport of Srila Prabhupada even today since I first read it. It is imprinted permanently in my mind and heart. Here it goes:

“Simple hearing is not all; one must realize the text with proper attention. The word niviṣṭa means that Sūta Gosvāmī drank the juice of Bhāgavatam through his ears. That is the real process of receiving Bhāgavatam. One should hear with rapt attention from the real person, and then he can at once realize the presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa in every page. The secret of knowing Bhāgavatam is mentioned here. No one can give rapt attention who is not pure in mind. No one can be pure in mind who is not pure in action. No one can be pure in action who is not pure in eating, sleeping, fearing, and mating. But somehow or other if someone hears with rapt attention from the right person, at the very beginning one can assuredly see Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in person in the pages of Bhāgavatam.” (SB 1.3.44 Purport).

Simply brilliant!! In one stroke, Srila Prabhupada gave us a clue how to become perfectly purified. Knowing it will be too much of a struggle to tackle purification at multiple levels (gross body, subtle body, consciousness, etc.) when we are too materially conditioned, he sums up the purificatory process in just one step – just hear from a self-realized bonafide source.

This is perfectly emulated by Pariksit Maharaja when he tell Sukadeva Goswami:

SB 10.1.13: Because of my vow on the verge of death, I have given up even drinking water, yet because I am drinking the nectar of topics about Kṛṣṇa, which is flowing from the lotus mouth of your Lordship, my hunger and thirst, which are extremely difficult to bear, cannot hinder me.

This, is to, is the characteristic and symptom of one who is completely purified. A completely purified person acts perfectly on the platform of the spirit soul. The best food for the soul is hari-katha because conszitutionally the soul is an eternal servant of Lord Hari. Therefore only the name, form, qualities, and pastimes of Lord Hari can satisfy the spiritual thirst and hunger of the soul.

“But unless one hears kṛṣṇa-kathā from a realized soul like Śukadeva Gosvāmī, one cannot relish the nectar of kṛṣṇa-kathā, which puts an end to all material fatigue, and enjoy the blissful life of transcendental existence. In relation to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we actually see that those who have tasted the nectar of kṛṣṇa-kathā lose all material desires…” (SB 10.1.13 Purport)

In this Age of Kali, the process of purification withing bringing in the chanting of the Holy Name of the Lord. Chanting of the Holy Name is the perfect purification process suggested by none other than the Supreme Lord in His form as Lord Caitanya.

“Let there be all victory for the chanting of the Holy Name of Lord Hari, Lord Krishna, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon which spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the Holy Name of Krishna expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.” (Siksastaka 1)

Chanting of the Holy Name is both cause and effect. It is the cause of all purification, and it is the result of all purification. The Holy Name is the best method of purification and once purified, one can chant the Holy Name without offenses ultimately leading to Krsna-prema.

Therefore, using our ears and tongue to hear Krsna-katha and chant the Holy Name respectively, we can achieve all purification. And once completely purified, we can engage in Hari-katha in rapt attention like Pariksit Maharaja.

SB 10.1.16: The Ganges, emanating from the toe of Lord Viṣṇu, purifies the three worlds, the upper, middle and lower planetary systems. Similarly, when one asks questions about the pastimes and characteristics of Lord Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, three varieties of men are purified: the speaker or preacher, he who inquires, and the people in general who listen.

The topics of Hari purify the speaker, the inquirer, and the listener in descending order. Hari-katha is most purifying for the speaker, then the inquirer and then the listener.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

It is exciting to be back to the regular study of Srimad Bhagavatam in the association of sincere, dedicated, and like-minded devotees and teachers.

This is it! After hearing about the Supreme Lord’s greatness through the previous nine subject matters of Srimad Bhagavatam (sarga, visarga, sthana, posana, uti, manvantara, isanukatha, nirodha and mukti), Sukadeva Goswami and Pariksit Maharaja finally takes us into the 10^th topic – Asraya (the Transcendence, the summum bonum, the supreme shelter – Lord Sri Krsna). Its like climbing nine peaks on the path to finally conquer the highest peak of Srimad Bhagavatam. Srimad Bhagavatam accepts Sri Krsna as the shelter of all manifestations because Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the ultimate source of everything, the supreme goal of all.

SB 1.1.3: “O expert and thoughtful men, relish Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Therefore, this fruit has become even more tasteful, although its nectarian juice was already relishable for all, including liberated souls.”

We are finally blessed to taste the sweet fruit of Lord Krsna’s pastimes. Sukadeva Goswami and Pariksit Maharaja have made the fruit more tasteful for all of us by churning the ocean of Lord Krsna’s opulence and greatness in the previous nine cantos. We cannot appreciate Krsna’s sweetness without fully understanding His greatness and supreme position. The most merciful Sukadeva Goswami churned Pariksit Maharaja’s heart to such a degree that he (Pariksit Maharaja) can no longer wait to take us into the sweetest (and most confidential) pastimes of Lord Krsna, beginning from His birth.

“The First and Second Cantos of the Bhagavatam are Sri Krsna’s lotus feet. The Third and Fourth Cantos are His thighs. The Fifth Canto is His navel. The Sixth Canto is His chest. The Seventh and Eighth Cantos are His arms. The Ninth Canto is His throat. The Tenth Canto is His beautiful lotus-face. The Eleventh Canto is His forehead. The Twelfth Canto is His head. I bow down to that Lord, the ocean of mercy whose colour is like that of a tamala tree and who appears in this world for the welfare of all. I worship Him as the bridge for crossing the unfathomable ocean of material existence. The Bhagavatam has appeared as His very Self.” (Padma Purana)

We are finally blessed to see the beautiful lotus-face of Krsna through the eyes (narration) of Sukadeva Goswami and intelligent questions by Pariksit Maharaja.

How are we supposed to taste the nectarian beauty and sweetness of Lord Krsna’s pastimes? This is provided in the famous verse of SB 10.1.4:

“Glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is performed in the paramparā system, that is, it is conveyed from the spiritual master to disciple. Such glorification is relished by those no longer interested in the false, temporary glorification of this cosmic manifestation. Descriptions of the Lord are the right medicine for the conditioned soul undergoing repeated birth and death. Therefore, who will cease hearing such glorification of the Lord except a butcher or one who is killing his own self”?

Even the gopis of Vraja recommend this. One of the songs of Gopi-geet is:

“The nectar of Your words and the descriptions of Your activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned sages, eradicate one’s sinful reactions and bestow good fortune upon whoever hears them. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Certainly, those who spread the message of Godhead are most munificent.” (SB 10.31.9)

The Lord mercifully incarnated in this material world and performed innumerable pastimes for the benefit of suffering conditioned souls. Hearing of such pastimes produced the medicine that cures the material disease of forgetfulness of God.

Let us all open our hearts to invite Lord Krsna into our hearts. Our dear teachers are kindly guiding us how to do that through a reminder post this morning.

“Recollection, absorption, meditation, constant remembrance and trance are the five items of progressive At first, remembrance of Kṛṣṇa may be interrupted at intervals, but later remembrance proceeds uninterrupted. When remembrance is uninterrupted, it becomes concentrated and is called meditation. kṛṣṇa-smaraṇa. “When meditation expands and becomes constant, it is called By uninterrupted and unceasing one enters the stage of or spiritual trance. After sor has fully developed, the soul comes to understand his original constitutional position. At that time he can perfectly and clearly understand his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is called , the perfection of life.” (NOI 8, purport)

anusmṛti. anusmṛti samādhi, maraṇa-daśā samādhisampatti-daśā

SB 1.2.17: Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

Chapter 8 explains the manifestation of Lord Brahma from Garbhodakasayi Visnu. The highlight of the chapter is Brahma’s beautiful darshan of Lord Garbhodakasayi Visnu. Visnu was looking splendorous with His shining bodily luster, ornaments, moonlike toenails, yellow cloth, Srivatsa mark on the chest and so on. He acknowledged the service of His devotees with His enchanting smile that vanquished their distress.

In the next chapter, Brahma began to offer heartfelt prayers to the Lord seeking empowerment to carry out his service of creation from the ingredients created by the Lord already. In brief, Brahma prayed, “O Lord, You are the supreme knowable object having the most auspicious form. You dwell in the hearts of those devotees who smell the aroma of Your lotus feet and see You in their favorite forms, through their ears (i.e., by hearing the scriptures). Please protect me from the false pride of being the creator. May I not get deviated from the Vedic injunctions. You are unlimitedly merciful. Please bestow Your benedictions upon me by opening Your lotus eyes.” (SB 3.9.1-5)

Lesson: We must pray for empowerment to serve the Lord and be fearful of maya in the form of false pride and deviation from transcendental teachings.

Brahma then explained the predicament of the conditioned souls (how misidentification with ‘I’ and ‘Mine’ causes anxiety). He offers obeisances to the merciful holy name.

“Let me take shelter of the lotus feet of Him whose incarnations, qualities and activities are mysterious imitations of worldly affairs. One who invokes His transcendental names, even unconsciously, at the time he quits this life, is certainly washed immediately of the sins of many, many births and attains Him without fail.” (SB 3.9.15)

Lord Visnu speaks to Brahma, “Do not be anxious and depressed about the execution of creation. By performing austerity, you will receive My favor and thus understand within your heart, everything you need to know about creating all the universal manifestations. Since your mind is fixed on Me, passion with not bind you. I quickly fulfill all the desires of one who prays regularly like you. Following My instructions, you may now generate the living beings as they had existed before in various bodily forms.

Lesson: All we need is willingness and sincerity to serve the Lord. We must pray for empowerment. The Lord gives us the necessary empowerment to serve.

Chapters 10 and 11 are quite technical in nature and talk about the sequence of creation beginning from the fourteen worlds, characteristics and division of time, ten types of creation and so on.

Chapter 12 explains Brahma’s creation of five features of ignorance, creation of the four Kumaras, creation of Rudra, and so on. One special episode in this chapter is the Vak episode when during his creative affairs, Brahma once got attracted to his daughter Vak, though she wasn’t welcoming of his advances. Seeing Brahma deluded in this way, his sons headed by Marici, prayed to the Supreme Lord. Eventually Brahma came to his senses and felt ashamed of delusional state. He gave up this shameful mentality and felt remorseful.

This has an important lesson for us. The above incident demonstrates the strength of sexual impulse and emphasizes the need to be prayerful to the Lord for protection from lust. Despite this episode, one shouldn’t minimize the position of Lord Brahma or disrespect him. Brahma’s power of creation in the service of the Supreme Lord did not diminish due to his momentary distraction. He was a soul surrendered to Krsna and engaged in His service.

Lesson: The status of exalted personalities is not diminished by apparent transgression of morality. The Lord sometimes imparts important lessons to us through them. It teaches us that one could be victimized by the attraction to opposite gender at any time in this world, so one needs to be extremely cautious and take shelter of the Lord at all times.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

Realizations from Chapters 5 through 7:

1. Without the Lord’s empowerment and intervention, no action or transformation in the universe is possible.

In the 5^th chapter, Maitreya first elaborately described the creation of the material universe. In the course of creation, the gross and subtle material elements once formed were meant to combine together to form the universe and different bodies within it. But the elements couldn’t do so without the Lord’s help.

SB 3.5.23 & 26: The Personality of Godhead, the master of all living entities, existed prior to the creation as one without a second. It is by His will only that creation is made possible and again everything merges in Him. This Supreme Self is symptomized by different names. The Supreme Living Being in His feature as the transcendental puruṣa incarnation, who is the Lord’s plenary expansion, impregnates the material nature of three modes, and thus by the influence of eternal time the living entities appear.

• Eagerness to serve Krsna and willingness to cooperate with Krsna’s devotees attract the mercy of Krsna.

During the process of creation, the presiding deities of various material elements began to offer prayers to Lord Maha Visnu:

“O Lord, Your lotus feet are like an umbrella for the surrendered souls, protecting them from all the miseries of material existence. All the sages under that shelter throw off all material miseries. We therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto Your lotus feet.  (SB 3.5.39)

O Father, O Lord, O Personality of Godhead, the living entities in the material world can never have any happiness because they are overwhelmed by the three kinds of miseries. Therefore, they take shelter of the shade of Your lotus feet, which are full of knowledge, and we also thus take shelter of them. (SB 3.5.40)

The lotus feet of the Lord are by themselves the shelter of all places of pilgrimage. The great clear-minded sages, carried by the wings of the Vedas, always search after the nest of Your lotus-like face. Some of them surrender to Your lotus feet at every step by taking shelter of the best of rivers [the Ganges], which can deliver one from all sinful reactions. (SB 3.5.41)

Simply by hearing about Your lotus feet with eagerness and devotion and by meditating upon them within the heart, one at once becomes enlightened with knowledge, and on the strength of detachment one becomes pacified. We must therefore take shelter of the sanctuary of Your lotus feet. (SB 3.5.42)

O Lord, persons who, because of their serious attitude, attain the stage of enlightened devotional service achieve the complete meaning of renunciation and knowledge and attain the Vaikuṇṭhaloka in the spiritual sky simply by drinking the nectar of Your topics. (SB 3.5.46)

• Krsna bhakti mitigates all miseries:

In SB 3.5.10-16, Vidura expresses the power of Krsna-katha. He says that being devoid of the nectar of Krsna’s pastimes, the lesser topics like the higher and lower status of human society have not satisfied him. Who in human society can be fully satiated with hearing the talks of the Lord who is worshipped by great devotees? Such topics can cut off one’s bondage simply by entering the holes of one’s ears. Krsna-katha increases indifference to all other things and such remembrance of the lotus feet vanquishes all miseries without delay.

SB 3.5.13: For one who is anxious to engage constantly in hearing such topics, kṛṣṇa-kathā gradually increases his indifference towards all other things. Such constant remembrance of the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa by the devotee who has achieved transcendental bliss vanquishes all his miseries without delay.

SB 3.5.15: O Maitreya, O friend of the distressed, the glories of the Supreme Lord can alone do good for people all over the world. Therefore, just as bees collect honey from flowers, kindly describe the essence of all topics — the topics of the Lord.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

Chapters 1 through 4 have a number of important lessons for us.

1. Conversation with great souls is always beneficial for our spiritual progress and for the welfare of humanity. Pariksit Maharaja earnestly asked Sukadeva Goswami about the discussion between Maitreya and Vidura. This shows that conversations between great men (Vidura and Maitreya) are a subject of deep interest for other men.

SB 3.1.3-4: Text 3: The King asked Śukadeva Gosvāmī: Where and when did the meeting and discussion take place between Saint Vidura and His Grace Maitreya Muni? Kindly oblige, my lord, and describe this to us. Saint Vidura was a great and pure devotee of the Lord, and therefore his questions to His Grace Ṛṣi Maitreya must have been very purposeful, on the highest level, and approved by learned circles.

• Turning disappointment into inspiration to become absorbed in bhakti. Vidura was insulted by Duryodhana and driven away from the palace. Shockingly even Dhrtarastra did not stop Duryodhana. Pierced by the sharp words of Duryodhana, Vidura left his brother’s palace. He understood the influence of maya on arrogant Duryodhana who was heading towards his own ruination. At the same time, Vidura saw how the Lord was availing him the opportunity to absorb himself exclusively in bhakti. Great people convert causes of distress into opportunities to seek God’s shelter and purify themselves.

SB 3.1.19: While so traversing the earth, he (Vidura) simply performed duties to please the Supreme Lord Hari. His occupation was pure and independent. He was constantly sanctified by taking his bath in holy places, although he was in the dress of a mendicant and had no hair dressing nor a bed on which to lie. Thus he was always unseen by his various relatives.

• Remembrance in separation: Even in separation from Krsna, a devotee is in union with Krsna through remembrance and service. During his pilgrimage, Vidura met Uddhava and inquired about the wellbeing of the Yadus. Uddhava, lost in loving remembrance of Krsna in separation, remained silent. After coming back to external consciousness, he recollected the apparent contradictory behavior of Krsna. He briefly narrated all the enchanting pastimes of Krsna in Vrndavana, Mathura, Dvaraka, Hastinapure and so on.

SB 3.2.1: When the great devotee Uddhava was asked by Vidura to speak on the messages of the dearest [Lord Kṛṣṇa], Uddhava was unable to answer immediately due to excessive anxiety at the remembrance of the Lord.

SB 3.2.5: It was so observed by Vidura that Uddhava had all the transcendental bodily changes due to total ecstasy, and he was trying to wipe away tears of separation from his eyes. Thus Vidura could understand that Uddhava had completely assimilated extensive love for the Lord.

• Power of ajnata-sukrti: Sometimes we accumulate pious credits even unknowingly and thus become fortunate to see and hear from great souls, as was the case with Maitreya Rsi.

SB 3.4.9: At that time, after traveling in many parts of the world, Maitreya, a great devotee of the Lord and a friend and well-wisher of the great sage Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa, reached that spot out of his own perfect accord.

Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport that “To meet the Lord is not an ordinary incident. Maitreya was a great sage and a learned scholar-philosopher but not a pure devotee of the Lord, and therefore his meeting with the Lord at that time may have been due to ajñāta-sukṛti, or some unknown devotional service. Pure devotees always engage in pure devotional activities, and therefore their meeting with the Lord is natural. But when those who are not up to that standard meet the Lord, it is due to the unforeseen fortune of accidental devotional service.”

Therefore, performance of bhakti never goes to waste, even if performed unknowingly or meagerly.

• Etiquette of seeking and giving knowledge: Vidura expressed this desire to hear from Uddhava the self-knowledge that he had received from Krsna. But Uddhava, although competent, couldn’t accept elderly Vidura as a disciple, especially when Maitreya was nearby. He was careful about maryada-vyatikrama or the offense of surpassing a greater personality. Uddhava guided Vidura to elderly Maitreya who was also directly instructed by Krsna. A sincere seeker is eager to receive spiritual knowledge even from younger persons if they are well qualified. A humble person does not consider one’s ability to be one’s eligibility. He or she does not become greedy to instruct an elder, especially in the presence of another qualified senior.
  
  

SB 3.4.25-26: Vidura said: O Uddhava, because the servants of Viṣṇu, the Lord, wander in the interest of serving others, it is quite fit that you kindly describe the self-knowledge with which you have been enlightened by the Lord Himself. Śrī Uddhava said: You may take lessons from the great learned sage Maitreya, who is nearby and who is worshipable for reception of transcendental knowledge. He was directly instructed by the Personality of Godhead while He was about to quit this mortal world.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

The ultimate goal of life is to always remember Krsna and never forget Him for even a moment.

“The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life.” (SB 2.1.6)

“At the ultimate issue, when one is fully absorbed in thought of the Supreme Lord and meditates on Him constantly, that is the highest perfection.” (SB 3.33.24-26 P)

This state of consciousness is only possible by serious execution of devotional service. Therefore, we have the nine types of devotional service (hearing, chanting, remembering, etc.) that help us to progressively remember the Supreme Lord to the point that one is able to remember Him at every moment – just like Mother Devahuti did. Srila Prabhupada once said to his disciples, “There was never a moment when I forgot Krishna.” (Srila Prabhupada Nectar by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami)

To reach such a platform of constant remembrance of the Lord, we have to follow the instructions of Lord Kapila as He taught Mother Devahuti. Firstly, one must be free from material entanglement through proper understanding of the distinction between matter and spirit (Sankhya philosophy). Secondly, one must follow the prescribed rules and regulations; our eating, sleeping, mating, and defending must be regulated.  I liked what Srila Prabhupada said, “Nothing is prohibited, but everything is made yukta, regulated, with the higher purpose always in mind.”

Life should be molded in such a manner that one is able to progressively remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead in every step of life.

This is a weird realization. Not to sound offensive or outlandish, I must say it was easier for Mother Devahuti to achieve the ultimate goal and final perfection because the conditions were in her favor. She was born in a glorious dynasty of Svayambhuva Manu; she had a great yogic husband in Kardama Muni, and had a Supreme Personality of Godhead as her son. Moreover she lived in Satya Yuga – the age of truth and pure goodness and complete Godliness. It was easy for her to meditate on her son, Kapiladeva who is also the Supreme Lord. She was not a sadhaka like me who is still trying to establish my sambandha with Krsna. Since time immemorial, I have forgotten Krsna due to my bad choices and enjoying mentality. She didn’t have to go through the struggles like I do.  Not to mention the fact I am dealing with the insurmountable influences of Kali-yuga. Long story short, conditions are stacked against me. Therefore, expecting us to attain the same perfection as Devahuti under totally different conditions and age is unfair.

We have to do what is recommended for this age of Kali-yuga. The teachings of Lord Kapiladeva are perfect and applicable for all ages. If I can follow His instructions along with the yuga-dharma of this age, I can aspire to attaining the ultimate perfection. There is no way I can do this with my own endeavor. I need the mercy of the Lord and His devotees. I must take shelter of the Holy Name. This is my only hope.

“My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.” (SB 12.3.51)

“It is impossible to overestimate the importance of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, especially in this fallen age.” (SB 12.3.51 P) All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

To understand Devahuti’s later life, it is important to revisit Lord Kapila’s key instructions. I would like to highlight a few verses that summarize His teachings.

SB 3.25.20: “Every learned man knows very well that attachment for the material is the greatest entanglement of the spirit soul. But that same attachment, when applied to the self-realized devotees, opens the door of liberation.”

SB 3.25.40: “Therefore persons whose minds are fixed on the Lord engage in the intensive practice of devotional service. That is the only means for attainment of the final perfection of life.”

SB 3.27.21-20: One can get liberation by seriously discharging devotional service unto Me and thereby hearing for a long time about Me or from Me. By thus executing one’s prescribed duties, there will be no reaction, and one will be freed from the contamination of matter. This devotional service has to be performed strongly in perfect knowledge and with transcendental vision. One must be strongly renounced and must engage in austerity and perform mystic yoga in order to be firmly fixed in self-absorption.”

SB 3.31.48: 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.

In essence, Lord Kapiladeva recommends detachment and attachment. Detachment from material things and activities and intense attachment to the Supreme Lord through the process of devotional service (namely hearing, chanting and remembering).

In this chapter, we see that Devahuti accomplished all. She performed austerity, detachment, and attachment. Among the eight limbs of astanga-yoga taught by her son Lord Kapila, the stage of samadhi is the highest. This is the state where the mind is completely attached to the Lord. She practices samadhi in the opulent house of Kardama Muni. Due to intense austerity performed by her, her body gradually became thin, and she wore old garments.

She was also totally unattached to material comforts. The opulence of the house of Kardama Muni is unparalleled in this material world. It is mentioned that Kardama Muni’s household affairs were envied even by persons who travel in outer space refers to the denizens of heaven. Devahuti, being the daughter of Svayambhuva Manu, grew up in material opulence. Later her husband Kardama Muni built her an opulent palatial house by dint of his mystic yogic perfection and austerity. But she was completely detached from such material comforts. Material opulence meant nothing to her because of the intense separation she felt – first for her husband, and now for her illustrious son Lord Kapila. We also see in our lives that when we are in distress, material surroundings are not able to cheer us up. Devahuti was not at all sorry at giving up her material comforts, but she was very much aggrieved at the separation of her son. This shows that Devahuti got detached from material comforts and became attached to her son who was none other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

“One can give up material attachment, therefore, only when one has attachment for the Supreme Person. This is explained in Bhagavad-gītā. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. Only when one actually has some taste for spiritual existence can he be reluctant to follow the materialistic way of life.” (SB 3.33.20 P)

This is a great lesson for us. Attachment for a material relation obliges one to remain in material existence, but the same attachment, when transferred to the Supreme Lord, brings one elevation to the spiritual world in the association of the Lord (SB 3.33.21 P). Because Devahūti was always absorbed in thought of Him, she was always Kṛṣṇa conscious. Her constant situation in Kṛṣṇa consciousness enabled her to be detached from hearth and home.

Similarly, unless we are able to transfer our attachment to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no possibility of becoming freed from material attachment. All the empiric philosophical speculation, mystic yoga or astanga-yoga are useless if they do not lead to attachment to the Supreme Lord. Mere knowledge of matter and spirit is not enough. One must have right knowledge about the Supreme Lord, our relationship with Him (sambandha), our duties towards Him (abhideya), and the ultimate goal of life (prayojana). Therefore, both jnana and vairagya are equally important. Simply by performing bhakti-yoga, we can attain knowledge and detachment.

“The devotees adopt the devotional process: hearing about the Supreme Lord’s pastimes and glorifying His activities and thereby always remembering His beautiful eternal form. By rendering service, becoming His friend or His servant and offering Him everything that one possesses, one is able to enter into the kingdom of God. As it is said in Bhagavad-gītā, tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā: after discharging pure devotional service, one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead in fact, and thus one becomes eligible to enter into His association in one of the spiritual planets.” (SB 3.33.22 P)

Therefore, we need to perform intense bhakti for a long time, without desire for fruitive results, and nourished by hearing, chanting, and remembering about the Lord.

SB 3.27.28-29: My devotee actually becomes self-realized by My unlimited causeless mercy, and thus, when freed from all doubts, he steadily progresses towards his destined abode, which is directly under the protection of My spiritual energy of unadulterated bliss. That is the ultimate perfectional goal of the living entity. After giving up the present material body, the mystic devotee goes to that transcendental abode and never comes back.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!