Hare Krsna,

I want to share something about my life to give a better context of the tribulations faced by a living entity within the womb of the mother and outside in the material world.

I grew up in a beautiful mountainous town in Northeast India. It is a very small town nested in the mountains. Life was very peaceful and quiet. There was no pollution, noise, and crowd. The weather was cool. We had no experience of hot weather. The air was clean, the water from the springs sweet. Everything was within walking distance – the stores, the schools, post office, hospitals, temples, and churches, etc. We would walk to school in the morning, come back home during lunch break, and go back to school again. Life was not busy. We had ample time after school to play and enjoy. At night I would spend time looking up at the clear sky and counting the stars. We always had family dinner. The entire town would shut down after dark. People went home to their families after the day. There would hardly be anyone outside on the streets. People would go to bed by 8:30 or 9:00 PM. Life was just perfect and blissful. We had time for each other. However there was a lurking desire to ‘explore the world.’ I think that was the calling of maya.

Fast forward to 15-20 years. I had to move out of the town for college and later on for employment opportunities. My friends and I in college wanted to live in a big city like Mumbai or Delhi for our jobs. Krishna fulfilled our desire. I landed in Mumbai to work for a reputable IT firm. Life seemed to be good initially. Mumbai is the financial city of India – something like New York City of India. The city is completely opposite to where I grew up. Life is extremely fast paced. It is extremely populated, noisy, and polluted. But still life seemed to be good in the beginning. We found what we were missing growing up. We had ample opportunities for sense enjoyment. There are malls, movie theaters, bars, fancy restaurants, big architectural buildings, etc. Life seemed to be perfect.

Krsna says in BG 18.38: That happiness which is derived from contact of the senses with their objects and which appears like nectar at first but poison at the end is said to be of the nature of passion.

In line with Krsna’s teachings above, my initial nectarian experience slowly turned into poison. Being a small-town person, the big city environment took its toll on my mental peace. I was not able to adjust to the crowd, constant noise, pollution, and fast paced life. I dreaded going to work in the morning. The trains and buses were always extremely crowded. I couldn’t handle the heat. I didn’t enjoy the restaurant food anymore. I missed my family. I couldn’t deal with people’s duplicity and propensity to cheat. I didn’t know how to handle corporate politics. I didn’t know how to deal with intense competition at work. I just didn’t fit it. Then I desired to move out of Mumbai to a ‘better’ place.

Again, Krsna showed his mercy. He removed me from India and sent me to the USA. The quality of life is much better here. I thought I knew why people wanted to move to America and Europe – for a better life. This blissful experience continued for many years. But now I have started to see the realities of the material world. Even though I am in the most progressive country in the world, I was still not happy. Something was missing. Finally, Srila Prabhupada showed his mercy through his books. Life took a different turn from then on.

Why did I share this experience above? Just to show that the baby’s prayer in the womb for deliverance is similar to my current prayer to the Lord to give me relief from material distress and unhappiness. I am at a stage now where I can see that there is no perfect place in this world. Every place is a place of birth, death, old age and disease. It is not designed to be a happy place. Be in Mumbai, New York or Amsterdam, life is just distress. Every so-called happiness here has a hidden side-effect – misery and distress.

Whatever Srila Bhaktivinoda said in his prayers is so true and relevant to me. I gave up the happiness of my birth place (and home) to come to the bigger world of pain and sorrow. While growing up in the loving care of my parents, I passed my time smiling and laughing. My parents’ affection helped me to forget the pangs of birth, and I thought the world was very nice. Day by day I grew and soon began playing with other boys. Shortly my powers of understanding emerged. I read and studied my lessons incessantly. I travelled from place to place, city to city. I got a good education. People respected me for my education and material accomplishment. I started to earn money and support my family. I bought my first house and my first car. Materially I felt satisfied.

But now I feel miserable. I feel miserable because I forgot my eternal friend Krsna. Through the process of bhakti, I am trying to revive that lost relationship with Krsna. I am unable to handle this world of pain and sorrow. No matter wherever I go, the chains of three modes of nature do not leave me. Due to the misuse of my little independence, maya has bound me.

Now I am anxious to get out of the influence of material clutches. I want to be reinstated in my constitutional position as eternal servant of Krsna. I have served my bodily attachments for many lifetimes and their expectations never end. I cannot make them happy; neither do my service to them can make me happy. Like the child in the womb of the mother, I too, situated in the womb of the material world, pray to the Supreme Lord for deliverance. I beg for His mercy because without the Lord’s mercy, how can one again engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord? Like the child, I also pray “O my Lord, when shall I, a wretched soul, be released from this confinement?” (SB 3.31.17)

“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.” (SB 3.31.21)

“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.” (SB 3.31.19)

By the grace of the Supreme Lord and His bonafide representative like Srila Prabhupada, I know the process to engage in devotional service and become free from the clutches of maya. May I earnestly repent for my past sins and engage in loving service to the Lord. May I never take birth in the womb of another mother again to suffer in this world. May I take birth only to serve the Supreme Lord and His mission in this material world.

“Absorption of intelligence in the personal service of Kṛṣṇa and full consciousness of Kṛṣṇa always are the path of self-realization and liberation. Without being unnecessarily agitated, if we take to the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness by constantly chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, the cycle of birth and death can be stopped for good.

One can cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness anywhere and everywhere, provided he can always think of Kṛṣṇa. The mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, can be chanted even within the abdomen of one’s mother. One can chant while sleeping, while working, while imprisoned in the womb or while outside. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be checked in any circumstance. The conclusion of the child’s prayer is: “Let me remain in this condition; although it is very miserable, it is better not to fall a victim to māyā again by going outside.” (SB 3.31.21 Purport)

Similarly let me remain in whatever condition I am in. But let me not fall victim to maya again by trying to go outside of Krsna’s association and service.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

Janma-mrtyu jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam (BG 13.9). The body is subject to its own principles of birth, death, old age and disease, but one who is situated in spiritual life (yato bhaktir adhoksaje) has no birth, no death, no old age and no disease. Whenever we explain to a layman these four defects of human life – birth, death, old age and disease – most of them agree that death, old age and disease are understandable defects of human body. But why is birth considered a defect? Isn’t birth a beautiful thing that brings life, joy, and happiness to this world and to the family? We usually do not associate misery with birth. Yes, the process of giving birth is a painful experience to the mother but that same experience is a matter of joy to her. But if one reads this chapter and how Lord Kaplideva is giving a graphic description of the suffering of a child in the womb of the mother, all the pre-conceived notions about birth not being a defect will go out of the window. How painful it is for the child to stay in a fixed position in the mother’s womb, being bitten by worms and germs, being fed pungent food, being in great pain always, not being able to communicate to anyone what he is going through, and desperately waiting for some kind of relief! It seems the baby is somewhat conscious all the while and is aware of his suffering. That is the benediction of māyā, who endows the suffering body with the qualifications for tolerating such terrible tortures. (SB 3.31.7 P). And this is the working of praksepatmika potency of maya – throwing the living entity into material darkness with a material body. Miserable life begins from the moment the living entity begins to contact his material body. (SB 3.31.6 P). And then avaranatmika makes the living entity forget this experience of painful birth as soon as he comes out.

“One has to transmigrate from one body to another, and the transmigration into the bodies of dogs and hogs is especially miserable. But despite such miserable conditions, due to the spell of māyā we forget everything and become enamored by the present so-called happiness, which is described as actually no more than a counteraction to distress.” (SB 3.31.6 P). This is the work of avaranatmika.

In the Zoom review session today, I shared my realization that I too have gone through the hellish experience at some point in my previous lifetimes. I too have gone through the painful existence in the womb of a mother (be it in human body or animal body) life after life. Of course due to avaranatmika, I do not remember any of it and continue to live with a false illusory hope that this material world can also give me happiness (even though it is not designed to be so).

“Unfortunately, we forget all these sufferings and try to be happy in this life, not caring for the liberation of the soul from the entanglement of birth and death. It is an unfortunate civilization in which these matters are not plainly discussed to make people understand the precarious condition of material existence.” (SB 3.31.8 P) Thanks to Srila Prabhupada, we are aware of our precarious condition of our births and material existence.

I liked what Mother Samapriya said in the session yesterday. She said ‘urgent devotional service’. It really caught my attention. Just performing mundane devotional service is not enough. We have to perform ‘urgent’ and ‘desperate’ devotional service with a sincere mood of repentance (for committing so many sins life after life), gratitude (that we have been given this human body to practice devotional service and get out of the repeated cycle of birth and death), forgiveness (seeking forgiveness from the Lord for our sins and mistakes), and urgency (that I no longer want to suffer in this human body). Enough is enough! If after  hearing all these graphic descriptions of painful life in the womb and punishments in hell do not wake us up from our illusory slumber in the lap of maya with her praksepatmika and avaranatmika potency , I am not sure what else will!

Thanks to Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Lord Caitanya. We have the Vedic knowledge in the form of Srimad Bhagavatam that is trying to remove us from darkness of ignorance. I love what Srila Prabhupada wrote in this purport. He hit the nail of the head.

“After birth the child may forget about the difficulties of his past lives, but when we are grown-up we can at least understand the grievous tortures undergone at birth and death by reading the authorized scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If we do not believe in the scriptures, that is a different question, but if we have faith in the authority of such descriptions, then we must prepare for our freedom in the next life; that is possible in this human form of life. One who does not take heed of these indications of suffering in human existence is said to be undoubtedly committing suicide. It is said that this human form of life is the only means for crossing over the nescience of māyā, or material existence. We have a very efficient boat in this human form of body, and there is a very expert captain, the spiritual master; the scriptural injunctions are like favorable winds. If we do not cross over the ocean of the nescience of material existence in spite of all these facilities, then certainly we are all intentionally committing suicide.” (SB 3.31.9 P)

Just as a child prays in the womb to the Lord for relief and deliverance, may I pray to the Lord, while out of the womb now, that I practice devotional service with utmost sincerity and promise that I will never again commit sinful activities and have to be put into the womb for repeated birth and death. May I surrender fully to my spiritual master, to Srila Prabhupada and to Lord Krsna. Only they can save us.

“As the Supreme Lord puts the living entity into the condition of horrible existence, He can also deliver him, and therefore one should seek shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa demands, “Give up everything and surrender unto Me.” And it is also said in Bhagavad-gītā that anyone who approaches Him does not come back again to accept a form in material existence, but goes back to Godhead, back home, never to return.” (SB 3.31.12 P)

May I always remember that constitutionally, I am the subordinate servitor of the Supreme Soul and may I not try to become one with the Lord and lord it over material nature. This is the root cause of my material existence and hellish sufferings.

“The entire process of devotional service is to purify oneself of this contamination of material nature and put oneself on the spiritual platform, where he is qualitatively one with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Vedas it is said that the living entity is always free. Asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ. The living entity is liberated. His material contamination is temporary, and his actual position is that he is liberated. This liberation is achieved by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which begins from the point of surrender. Therefore, it is said here, “I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Person.” (SB 3.31.14 P)

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

Upon reflecting on this chapter deeply, I am quite alarmed at the way Lord Kapiladeva is unraveling the perils of unregulated family life. Typically, what we consider to be a safe comfort zone turns out to be a gateway to hell if handled carelessly.  Family household life is a source of great joy and happiness to millions across the world. But the same family life can lead us to hell if there is no Krsna consciousness or God consciousness in it. The sad part is that in the name of family, we have normalized abnormal practices. Just as Mother Chatamayi so graciously shared in her last post, drinking was normalized in her family. While growing up, my family normalized meat and fish eating. Millions in the USA normalize possession of guns and commit violence in the name of self-defense. Schools normalize free intermingling of opposite sex; the prom culture is nothing but subtle sexuality. Treating women as objects of enjoyment is normalized through advertisement and marketing. Unfortunately, millions do not realize how dangerous this situation is. When families, directly or indirectly, encourage sinful behavior, the end result will be nothing but descend to lower forms and planets. Even the popular culture of keeping pets is quite dangerous. Didn’t Bharata Maharaja, who was situated in the stage if bhava, fall down from human platform because he developed too much attachment for a fawn? Srimad Bhagavatam is filled with teachings on how to lead a sinless, pious, and regulated life. Unfortunately, the abnormalities have become so normal in today’s world that we dare not even speak about them. Try telling someone that keeping pets and developing too much attachment for them is dangerous for the progression of the soul? Try telling someone that maintaining slaughterhouses and possessing guns will always lead to negative consequences?

In this chapter, Lord Kapiladeva is gradually enlightening us how the path to hell is quite open if we are careless, even in household life. He explains the pains in youth, old age and death for person agitated by attachment to family and children. The root cause of bondage is sexual desire. Sex life is the cause of bondage of the conditioned soul to remain in the material world. From sexual desire, one gradually develops attachment to one’s partner, family, children, relatives, property, etc. When one develops sexual bondage, prakṣepātmikā and āvaraṇātmikā subtly takes over. Praksepatmika makes us forget our eternal relationship with the Lord and throws us into a household life.  Avaraṇātmikā keeps us in ignorance and gives us a false impression that a peaceful happy family life is ultimate happiness. Gradually this avaranatmika potency makes us commit all sorts of sinful actions. We end up working crazy long hours for our livelihood, we have mounting expenses, our health is compromised, we are stressed and always disturbed, we worry about our future, we worry about retirement, and so on. But still, we think we are happy. This is how avaranatmika works.

I want to share a strong purport by Srila Prabhupada from Second Canto. I happened to read it recently during SB study with another group. I think it is relevant to this forum topic.

SB 2.6.8 Purport: The genitals and the pleasure of begetting counteract the distresses of family encumbrances. One would cease to generate altogether if there were not, by the grace of the Lord, a coating, a pleasure-giving substance, on the surface of the generative organs. This substance gives a pleasure so intense that it counteracts fully the distress of family encumbrances. A person is so captivated by this pleasure-giving substance that he is not satisfied by begetting a single child, but increases the number of children, with great risk in regard to maintaining them, simply for this pleasure-giving substance. This pleasure-giving substance is not false, however, because it originates from the transcendental body of the Lord. In other words, the pleasure-giving substance is a reality, but it has taken on an aspect of pervertedness on account of material contamination. In the material world, sex life is the cause of many distresses on account of material contact. Therefore, the sex life in the material world should not be encouraged beyond the necessity. There is a necessity for generating progeny even in the material world, but such generation of children must be carried out with full responsibility for spiritual values. The spiritual values of life can be realized in the human form of material existence, and the human being must adopt family planning with reference to the context of spiritual values, and not otherwise. The degraded form of family restriction by use of contraceptives, etc., is the grossest type of material contamination. Materialists who use these devices want to fully utilize the pleasure potency of the coating on the genitals by artificial means, without knowing the spiritual importance. And without knowledge of spiritual values, the less intelligent man tries to utilize only the material sense pleasure of the genitals.

The theme of household life being a gateway to hell comes up repeatedly in Srimad Bhagavatam. Prahlada Maharaja says to his father, “O best of the asuras, King of the demons, as far as I have learned from my spiritual master, any person who has accepted a temporary body and temporary household life is certainly embarrassed by anxiety because of having fallen in a dark well where there is no water but only suffering. One should give up this position and go to the forest [vana]. More clearly, one should go to Vṛndāvana, where only Kṛṣṇa consciousness is prevalent, and should thus take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.“ (SB 7.5.5)

Similarly, Lord Kapiladeva says, “After leaving this body, the man who maintained himself and his family members by sinful activities suffers a hellish life, and his relatives suffer also. He goes alone to the darkest regions of hell after quitting the present body, and the money he acquired by envying other living entities is the passage money with which he leaves this world. Thus, by the arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the maintainer of kinsmen is put into a hellish condition to suffer for his sinful activities, like a man who has lost his wealth.” (SB 3.30-32)

It is therefore a time for re-awakening and realizing that we need to keep Krsna consciousness at the center of everything and stay away from sinful habits. It is time to revisit as a family what we are doing wrong and that needs correction. Otherwise, we run the risk of falling into hell.

However, there is always hope. The fact that we have a human body is a thing of rare privilege and should not be wasted. After going through all the miserable hellish conditions, and then many births in the lower forms, we became purified and reborn as human beings. It is, therefore, important that we practice bhakti intensely and try diligently to stay away from sinful actions.

“Just as a prisoner, who has undergone troublesome prison life, is set free again, the person who has always engaged in impious and mischievous activities is put into hellish conditions, and when he has undergone different hellish lives, namely those of lower animals like cats, dogs and hogs, by the gradual process of evolution he again comes back as a human being… It can be concluded that if someone is not willing to enter into hellish life, as in Tāmisra or Andha-tāmisra, then he must take to the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which is the first-class yoga system, because even if one is unable to attain complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this life, he is guaranteed at least to take his next birth in a human family. He cannot be sent into a hellish condition. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the purest life, and it protects all human beings from gliding down to hell to take birth in a family of dogs or hogs.” (SB 3.30.34 Purport)

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

“Māyā has two phases of activities. One is called prakṣepātmikā, and the other is called āvaraṇātmikā. Āvaraṇātmikā means “covering,” and prakṣepātmikā means “pulling down.” In any condition of life, the materialistic person or animal will be satisfied because his knowledge is covered by the influence of māyā.” (SB 3.30.4 Purport)

We are witness to the subtle workings of prakṣepātmikā and āvaraṇātmikā in our everyday lives. One place where we see the application of them is with respect to the atheists. In BG 7.15, Lord Krsna declares that four kinds of people do not surrender unto Him.

“Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.”

The atheistic class of people are called mayayapahrta-jnana, or those persons whose erudite knowledge has been nullified by the influence of illusory material energy. They are the impersonalists of Mayavadis who are very proud of exhibiting their Vedanta knowledge through grammatical jugglery. Therefore, they are bereft of real spiritual knowledge being covered by the avaranatmika potency of maya. These people deride the Personality of the Supreme Lord and consider Him merely another human being. They do not know that the blessed form of human life is designed after the eternal and transcendental feature of the Supreme Lord.

prakṣepātmikā and āvaraṇātmikā also applies to conditioned souls like me. Because of my desire to enjoy in this material world, praksepatmika threw me into this material world and avaranatmika keeps me covered by ignorance that I am enjoying here despite all the miseries I go through. This human body is a punishment if we do not practice bhakti. But we go on craving for sense gratification living in ignorance that this material body can give us unlimited material happiness. Srila Prabhupada gives us a beautiful example of Indra in SB 3.30.5. Due to avaranatmika potency, Indra, in the form of a hog, forgot everything of his royal position in the heavenly kingdom, and he refused to go back when invited by Lord Brahma. Similarly, we are also so attached to our bodily relationships that we do not want to give them up. Krsna declares in BG to surrender unto Him and abandon everything else. But still, we are so stubborn that we do not want to do so. This is how maya cruelly binds us in this material world through her two energies – prakṣepātmikā and āvaraṇātmikā.

We need to be careful of these two potencies of maya. Sometimes when performing bhakti and struggling to reach our spiritual goals, maya may dictate, “why are you trying so hard? You have been chanting the Holy Name for so many years but still you are struggling in this material world with the three-fold miseries. Give them up and go back to your early sense gratificatory life.” This is how maya may try to distract us from our true goals. This is called prakṣepātmikā. Maya is dragging and distracting us.

Therefore, we need to be extremely careful of maya and her tendency to distract us from bhakti and keep us entangled in ignorance. We must take shelter of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda who are just like the sun and moon who have arisen on the horizon of Gauḍa to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all. (CC Adi 1.2) This material world is a dark well of ignorance. The fallen soul in this dark well must take shelter of the lotus feet of Gaura-Nitāi, for thus he can easily emerge from material existence. Without Their strength, simply attempting to get out of the clutches of matter by speculative knowledge will be insufficient.

“Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu drive away the five kinds of ignorance of the conditioned souls. In the Mahābhārata, Udyoga-parva, Forty-third Chapter, these five kinds of ignorance are described. They are (1) accepting the body to be the self, (2) making material sense gratification one’s standard of enjoyment, (3) being anxious due to material identification, (4) lamenting and (5) thinking that there is anything beyond the Absolute Truth. The teachings of Lord Caitanya eradicate these five kinds of ignorance. Whatever one sees or otherwise experiences one should know to be simply an exhibition of the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s energy. Everything is a manifestation of Kṛṣṇa.” (CC Adi 1.102 Purport)

“Therefore, this knot is very difficult to cut, but here is suggested, “If you take this sword…” What is that sword? Yad anudhyāsinā. Always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Take this sword. This sword is only remedy. Yad anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ. If you take this sword, then karma-granthi-nibandhanam, this hard knot of karma (can be cut).” (SP lecture on SB 1.2.15)

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

SB 3.29.37-45

The time factor, who causes the transformation of the various material manifestations, is another feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Anyone who does not know that time is the same Supreme Personality is afraid of the time factor.

Out of fear of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the wind blows, out of fear of Him the sun shines, out of fear of Him the rain pours forth showers, and out of fear of Him the host of heavenly bodies shed their luster. Out of fear of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the trees, creepers, herbs and seasonal plants and flowers blossom and fructify, each in its own season. Out of fear of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the rivers flow, and the ocean never overflows. Out of fear of Him only does fire burn and does the earth, with its mountains, not sink in the water of the universe.

The eternal time factor has no beginning and no end. It is the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the maker of the criminal world. It brings about the end of the phenomenal world, it carries on the work of creation by bringing one individual into existence from another, and likewise it dissolves the universe by destroying even the lord of death, Yamarāja.

I have been meditating on the lotus feet of Lord Krsna while chanting my japa. One of the symbols on Sri Krsna’s lotus feet is a disc. It is said that the disc on Krsna’s foot represents the time factor. One who always meditates on Krsna’s lotus feet will never be destroyed by time; he will live eternally in the blissful world of Vraja Gokula. (Radha-Govinda Meditation Techniques – Mahanidhi Swami)

Therefore, for a devotee who always meditates on Krsna’s name, form, qualities, pastimes, abode, paraphernalia, associates, etc., there is nothing to fear from the influence of time factor which is another representation or manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the material world. I am saying ‘in the material world’ because there is no time factor in the spiritual world. We do not realize how time devours us every moment. It is such an irony that popular culture is to celebrate one’s birthday. The bitter truth is that we are actually celebrating our state of being closer to death. I say, “I am 30 years old.” In essence, what I am saying is that 30 years of my present lifetime has died. But such is the inscrutable working of time that we do not realize its deathly influence upon us. The time factor is as illusory as maya. Therefore, it is important for us to take shelter of Krsna and be protected from the cruel time factor.

Another realization I had on the time factor is how each culture respects time. The modern Western civilization is generally considered to be lacking in God consciousness, whereas the Indian civilization is still predominantly God consciousness. If we treat time as a representative of the Supreme Lord, it means that we should respect time in the same manner as we treat the Lord. Ironically, Indians are considered to be less punctual whereas the Western culture is known for its punctuality. What a paradox and contradiction! I wonder whether the Western culture’s respect for time originated from the knowledge that time is a manifestation of the Lord.

As for me, I am very conscious of being respectful of other’s time. I am hardly ever late to appointments. Even at work, I do not schedule meetings for more than 30 minutes while the convention is to schedule 45-60 minutes meetings. My idea is that if we cannot communicate something within 30 minutes, it is less likely that we would be able to do so in an hour. A popular proverb says that ‘Brevity is a great charm of eloquence.’

The key takeaway for me from this lesson is these statements from Srila Prabhupada, “Therefore a devotee does not desire anything in this material world. A devotee desires only to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This servitude exists eternally; the Lord exists eternally, His servitor exists eternally, and the service exists eternally.” (SB 3.29.45 Purport). How uplifting and hope-giving!!

The Supreme Lord is eternal. As spirit souls parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, we are eternal too. When both these eternal entities meet with love and devotion, the result is bound to be eternal. Two positives always make a positive. Therefore, bhakti is eternal. The servitude exists eternally; it is never vanquished by the time factor. Just as a typewriter will type whether it is used in the material or spiritual world, the servitude will continue to be transcendental whether the servitor and served are in the material or spiritual world. A pure devotee does not desire anything except to serve the Supreme Lord eternally. Eternity factor and influence of time factor cannot go together. The only way to overcome the fearful time factor is to always engage in devotional service to the Supreme Lord.

“It is therefore said, hariṁ vinā na mṛtiṁ taranti: no one can be saved from the repetition of birth and death without the help of the Supreme Lord. It is therefore the duty of all living entities to take shelter of the lotus feet of Viṣṇu and thus save themselves from the cycle of birth and death.” (SB 3.29.39 Purport)

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

This was a nice coincidence. As I was reading through the gradation of the living entities, I was thinking how Srila Prabhupada is beyond each of the stages. When the forum topic suggested that we meditate on the unique position of His Divine Grace, I couldn’t help smiling at this sweet coincidence.

As Mother Chatamayi mentioned, the last seven stages beyond varsnasrama are quite unique in themselves. Even though Brahmana stage is a desired platform, it is not the end of the story. Even study of the Vedas and knowing its purport is not enough. Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya knew studied all the Vedas but still he didn’t know that by all the Vedas Lord Krsna is to be known – vedas sa sarvair aham eva vedya (BG 15.15). Higher than realizing the essence of the Vedas is to deliver the suffering living entities from nescience and situating them in the highest platform of pure devotional service.

I am reminded of a very nice conversation between Sanatana Goswami and Haridasa Thakura. Sanatana Goswami was praising Haridasa Thakura. He said, “O Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who is equal to you? You are one of the associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore you are the most fortunate. The mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, for which He has descended as an incarnation, is to spread the importance of chanting the holy name of the Lord. Now instead of personally doing so, He is spreading it through you. My dear sir, you are chanting the holy name 300,000 times daily and informing everyone of the importance of such chanting. Some behave very well but do not preach the cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whereas others preach but do not behave properly. You simultaneously perform both duties in relation to the holy name by your personal behavior and by your preaching. Therefore you are the spiritual master of the entire world, for you are the most advanced devotee in the world.” (CC Antya 4.99-103)

These statements perfectly applied to our Srila Prabhupada as well. There are many pure devotees in Sri Vrndavana dhama. They practice pure bhakti but do not preach; they do not step out of the dhama. But our Srila Prabhupada is so merciful and compassionate. He not only practiced pure devotional service but also preached the cult of Krsna consciousness all over the world. He gave us the highest ‘matchless gift’ of pure Krsna bhakti. He was not only satisfied by being a pure devotee himself but also desired that the whole world become pure devotees. Like Haridasa Thakura, he simultaneously performed his duties in relation to the holy name by his personal behavior and by his preaching. Therefore he is ‘jagad guru’ – the spiritual master of the entire world.

How fortunate are we to come under his loving shelter! How fortunate are we to study his books in each other’s association! How fortunate are we to be able to follow his instructions and footsteps. While meditating on Srila Prabhupada’s extreme compassion and mercy on all of us, I am filled with immense gratitude. I feel very disqualified to perform pure bhakti. But I have faith that if I sincerely and faithfully follow the process and instructions given by him, he will hold my hands and take us to our desired destination of attaining pure love and devotion for Krsna.

Srila Prabhupada has given us all the love of Krsna, a rare gift that cannot be obtained even by practicing austerities or offering sacrifices or following Vedic rituals or performing any other practices for millions and millions of years. But Srila Prabhupada has given us a few very simple practices that are so easy and practical to perform and the result of performing them is that anyone can get the love of God in just one lifetime.

Many years ago, I read a strong rebuttal by HH Bhakti Charu Maharaja to people who falsely claimed that Srila Prabhupada did not give us everything. Maharaja said that Srila Prabhupada gave everything. He not only gave us pure bhakti but also created the good fortune for the living entities for the age of Kali to have access or entrance to Våndavana. Srila Prabhupada gave the way Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu arranged, the way Kåñëa arranged. This is the divine arrangement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and that is what Srila Prabhupada gave. Therefore, Srila Prabhupada’s presentation is perfect and complete.

“If anybody says that Prabhupada did not give everything I will very clearly say that he is in Maya and he is not following Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is hurting Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement.” (HH Bhakti Charu Swami – Class on CC Adi 3.5-6, Gitanagri, 2017)

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

SB 3.29.21-24

In BG 5.29, Lord Krsna gave the world a famous ‘peace formula’.

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.

In this lesson, Lord Kapiladeva gives us another extension of the same peace formula – if we see that the Supreme Lord, as Paramatma, is situated in every living entity’s heart and therefore treat the person with due respect and compassion, true peace can prevail on this planet. If we sincerely acknowledge that every person we meet has the same Supreme Lord in his/her heart, where is the scope for disrespect, envy, and ill-treatment? This is a matter of deep realization. We often treat the Deity form of the Lord and the devotees with deep respect and adoration. But when we meet regular people on the street, we try to avoid them thinking that we need not associate with them. Treating people with indifference may still be alright. But to harm the people, in whose heart the Supreme Lord resides, is a great sin. This is why every scripture of every faith teaches us to be kind to others.

The Holy Bible (Matthew 7:12) says “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. Confucius said, “What you do not wish upon yourself, extend not to others.” Epicurus said, “Neither to harm, nor be harmed.” All of these tenets are based on the premise that the Lord resides in everyone’s heart.

If we truly see the Lord within every living entity, there will be no unnecessary killing of animals for human consumption. There will be no slaughterhouses. There will be no distrust and ill-treatment of illegal immigrants and minorities. There will be no wars across the borders. There will be no immigration systems. There will be no inter-religious conflicts. There will be no ‘Black Lives Matter’ and white supremacy movement. We all are created equal because we all are equally parts and parcels of the same Supreme Lord. There is no cause for discrimination.

We devotees should also take these instructions very seriously. We tend to forget them when dealing with others. I want to share a personal observation in this regard. This is common observation that lots of guests visit our temples during regular days, Sunday Feast program or during major festivals such as Sri Krsna Janmashtami, Diwali, etc.) The prasadam in our temples are very popular. Guests and devotees queue up during prasadam distribution. Very regularly we see a few devotees jump the line for prasadam plates. Their regular excuse is they are busy and need to get back to their services; they cannot afford to stand in the long line. This transgression increases in proportion to the seniority (by age or experience). No one says anything to them. It’s mostly the junior devotees who serve prasadam; they prefer to stay silent and get on with their service. I have always wondered where does this attitude of disrespecting the guests and jumping the line come from? Don’t they remember that every guest visiting the temple is a guest of Sri Sri Radha Krsna? What if Srila Prabhupada or Lord Caitanya or Lord Krsna or Srimati Radharani visits the temples in the guise of guests? Would these people have the audacity to behave similarly? Would they say, ‘O Prabhupada! I have an important service to do. Do you mind if I get ahead of you in the line’?

This attitude stems from the simple fact that they do not see guests as manifestation of the same worshipable Supreme Lord.  They do not see that our dear Lord resides in every guest. If we can remember this simple fact, then we will never think of showing disrespect to anyone. The Supreme Lord is not pleased when we worship His Deities but do not show kindness to His children.

As devotees it is extremely important that we remember, realize, and practically apply these teachings of Lord Kapiladeva. We cannot become a pure devotee if we do not develop in us kindness, love, compassion, gratitude, and respect to every living entity. Pure devotional service means pleasing the Lord by all means. And this includes pleasing the Lord by pleasing His parts and parcels in whom the Lord resides.

SB 3.29.21-24: I am present in every living entity as the Supersoul. If someone neglects or disregards that Supersoul everywhere and engages himself in the worship of the Deity in the temple, that is simply imitation. One who worships the Deity of Godhead in the temples but does not know that the Supreme Lord, as Paramātmā, is situated in every living entity’s heart, must be in ignorance and is compared to one who offers oblations into ashes. One who offers Me respect but is envious of the bodies of others and is therefore a separatist never attains peace of mind, because of his inimical behavior towards other living entities. My dear mother, even if he worships with proper rituals and paraphernalia, a person who is ignorant of My presence in all living entities never pleases Me by the worship of My Deities in the temple.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

In Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu (1.3.1), Srila Rupa Goswami gave nine symptoms of bhava bhakti or devotees who are situated in pure devotional service:

1. Perseverance: remaining tolerant and patient, even amid disturbance.
2. Utilization of time: Constant engagement in devotional service.
3. Detachment: Completely indifferent to the objects of sense gratification.
4. Absence of false prestige or pridelessness: To feel humble, free from the longing for being shown respect.
5. Hope: To be always certain that Krishna will bestow His mercy on oneself.
6. Intense Eagerness: An intense eagerness to achieve one’s desired supreme object.
7. Nama-gane sada ruci: Thirst arising out of affection for constantly chanting the Lord’s holy names.
8. Attachment to God’s qualities: A natural attachment to describe Lord’s qualities, pastimes and so on.
9. Desire to Live in Dhama: The desire to reside in the places of the Lord’s pastimes such as Vrndavana.

Srila Prabhupada has touched upon a few of these characteristics in his purports of the lesson. He writes that pure devotees are completely detached from any tinge of sense gratification that appears in the form of material or spiritual desires, or liberation in the form of salokya, sarsti, sarupya, samipya, or ekatva. “A pure devotee does not render loving service to the Personality of Godhead for any cause or for any benefit, material or spiritual. This is the first symptom of unalloyed devotion.” (SB 3.29.11-13 Purport)

He also writes that “A pure devotee must engage in the service of the Lord twenty-four hours a day, without cessation; his life is so molded that at every minute and every second he engages in some sort of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (SB 3.29.11-13 Purport)

As far my situation is concerned, I do not even have the courage to think that I will ever reach the level of pure devotional service anytime soon. This is because the mountain of anartas (unwanted bad habits), conditioning from past and present lives, and lack of any good qualification is so high and insurmountable. Therefore the only hope is hope as Srila Rupa Goswami has mentioned above –  hope that Krsna will certainly bestow His mercy in me and on all of us.

However, I need to do my part. In meditating on areas that I need to improve upon to attain the stage of pure devotional service, a few stand out.

1. Controlling my mind: I need to absorb my mind more intensely in Krsna consciousness. Lord Kapila mentioned that one’s mind should be at once attracted to hearing the transcendental name and qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I have difficulty controlling my mind and dovetailing it to Krsna’s service always. My mind is all over the place; it is hard for me to focus on any one thing for a long time. Like a restless monkey, my mind constantly jumps from thoughts of bhakti, to work, to bodily maintenance, to recreation, and so on. Unless I train my mind to fully devote to Krsna consciousness, my spiritual progress will be slow.
2. Using my time always for Krsna: Unless I engage my time fully in the service of the Lord twenty-four hours a day, there is no possibility of attaining the stage of pure devotion. I have increased my chanting rounds and other sadhana practices. But I get tired after a while and resort to other non-devotional activities. Performing bhakti seriously is an extremely intense matter. My body, mind, and senses are not able to cope with that level of intensity yet. I cannot chant 24 hours a day. I cannot read or hear 24 hours a day. I cannot do menial services for a long time due to bodily limitation. I hope with gradually with sustained practice, I will be able to devote more time to Krsna.
3. Getting rid of unwanted bad habits: Some of my anarthas are so deep-rooted that they are hard to get rid of. I have realized that I cannot uproot them on my own endeavors. Only Krsna can uproot them just as He killed the demons who represented different anarthas. Therefore, I need to surrender to Krsna more.
4. Improving the quality of my chanting: Chanting is my only hope and something that we all have some control over. I need to improve my quality of chanting. As I mentioned in my previous forum post, I was not guided properly during my early days in ISKCON. There was too much push to increase the number of rounds rather than increase the quality of chanting. I still carry that baggage. As soon as I think of the desire to improve my quality of chanting, my mind tells me that it is going to take a long time to complete my 16 rounds. Then I fall back on speed to finish my rounds, and thus hamper the quality of chanting. Basically what I am doing is chanting in the mode of ignorance or passion. This is the result of bad association and bad guidance as mentioned above. Srila Prabhupada said in the previous lesson that we should not keep company with a Vaisnava who is in the mode of ignorance. I wish I had known this when I started in ISKCON. I wish I had the right knowledge to discriminate between the various types of Vaisnavas. On the positive side, it’s not too late to correct the wrongs and bad practices.

Thankfully, I do not have any desire for any of the five kinds of liberation. I honestly don’t know what they mean or what their experience is like. Thank God! I also do not have many material desires except the desire that somehow my material life is not too disturbed that it will hamper my bhakti.

As we discussed agreed in today’s Zoom session, let’s keep going on this journey. There is no cause for disappointment, hopelessness, or giving up. We may not have any qualification. Krsna and His pure devotees are our only hope, shelter, and lighthouse of bhakti. We are all in this together. Let us keep marching forward holding each other’s hands for support, encouragement, guidance, understanding, compassion, and love. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

In my personal bhakti journey, I have gone through all the three categories of devotional service.

Phase 1: Devotional service in the mode of goodness

Before I came into the association of devotees in ISKCON, I had the good fortune of receiving Bhagavad Gita As It Is from a sankirtana devotee here in USA. Of course, I read many versions of Bhagavad Gita in India but none of them left a lasting impression. But Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita As It Is changed everything – not immediately but gradually over the course of many years. When I read BG As It Is for the first time, I did not understand everything. The only two things I took away from that book are – (a) Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, (b) I must serve Him. Since I had no proper guidance from anyone on how to serve Krsna, I used to offer everything to Krsna based on the instructions in BG 9.27:

O son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.

I hadn’t started hearing and chanting yet. I guess I would call this the phase of devotional service in the mood of goodness. I didn’t know fully what I was doing but at least I was trying to please Krsna even though I had material desires then.

BG 3.29.10 Purport: But if this offering process is in the mode of goodness rather than in pure devotion, then the interest is different. The four āśramas and the four varṇas act for some benefit in accordance with their personal interests. Therefore such activities are in the mode of goodness; they cannot be counted in the category of pure devotion.

Phase 2: Devotional service in the mode of ignorance

This would come as a shocker to many. As soon as I came into close association of devotees in one of the temples in USA, I had to undergo tremendous pressures. They would try to make me a pure devotee in one day. I was forced to buy lots of books (even though I neither had time nor proper philosophical grounding to understand these books). I was forced to start chanting as many rounds as possible immediately. If I started with one round, I was asked to jump to 4 rounds, then 8 rounds, and so on. As a show of their accomplishment, they would issue me a certificate that certifies that I am chanting number of fixed rounds every day. The devotee who encouraged (aka pressurized me) to chant would get the credits from his superiors. Of course, there was also pressure to donate monthly to the temple. All these happened within first couple of months of joining ISKCON. I was also cheated of my money by a particular devotee. On top of this, my family was not supportive of me joining ISKCON because they heard stories of bad experiences from other people. I was very angry and vengeful. I would call this devotional service in the mode of ignorance. It is unbelievable that I fell from devotional service from the mode of goodness (pre-ISKCON days) to devotional service in the mode of ignorance (ISKCON days). I do not appreciate nor understand these kinds of preaching strategies. Therefore, whenever new devotees come in my association, I never pressurize them to do anything. They are like flower buds. We need to give them time and space to bloom fully. Let them do whatever they like to do for Krsna joyfully.

SB 3.29.8 Purport: One who approaches the Supreme Lord to render devotional service but who is proud of his personality, envious of others or vengeful is in the mode of anger. He thinks that he is the best devotee. Devotional service executed in this way is not pure; it is mixed and is of the lowest grade, tāmasaḥ.

Phase 3: Devotional service on the mode of passion

I would say I fall into this category from time to time. I do not have any desire for material enjoyment, fame and opulence. But I do execute devotional service to Krsna from time to time to get relief from immediate material distress -such as sickness in the family, financial/job crisis, etc. I am not sure whether praying to Krsna for such relief can be considered pure devotional service because there is an element of self-interest in my service. I am basically treating the kind Lord as my order supplier. There is an element of separatist mentality.

SB 3.29.9 Purport: Mixed devotees, or devotees in the modes of passion and ignorance, think that the interest of the Supreme Lord is supplying the orders of the devotee; the interest of such devotees is to draw from the Lord as much as possible for their sense gratification. This is the separatist mentality. Actually, pure devotion is explained in the previous chapter: the mind of the Supreme Lord and the mind of the devotee should be dovetailed. A devotee should not wish anything but to execute the desire of the Supreme. However I do not have the Mayavadi mentality where I think myself one with the Supreme Lord. I am an eternal servant of Krsna, and I must serve Him favorably always.

Phase 4: Pure Devotional Service

My desire and ultimate goal are to reach the stage of pure devotional service. I want to serve Krsna without any material desire, fruitive goals, and mental speculation. I want to please Krsna without any tinge of selfishness and sense-gratification, and under the guidance of my spiritual master and the scriptures.

BRS 1.1.11: ‘When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṇa favorably, as Kṛṣṇa desires.’

SB 3.29.10 Purport: Pure devotional service as described by Rūpa Gosvāmī is free from all material desires. Anyābhilāṣitā–śūnyam. There can be no excuse for personal or material interest. Devotional activities should be transcendental to fruitive activities and empiric philosophical speculation. Pure devotional service is transcendental to all material qualities.

SB 3.29.8 Purport: In pure devotional service, the only motive should be to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is not actually a motive; that is the pure condition of the living entity. In the conditioned stage, when one engages in devotional service he should follow the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master in full surrender. The spiritual master is the manifested representation of the Supreme Lord because he receives and presents the instructions of the Lord, as they are, by disciplic succession…To act under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master with a motive to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pure devotional service.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

Having gone through a few chapters of Lord Kapiladeva’s teachings to His mother Devahuti, I could see a pattern in His instructions on detachment and devotional service to the Supreme Lord. He arrives at the path of liberation from material bondage and bhakti through different angles.

In chapter 25 (The Glories of Devotional Service), Lord Kapiladeva recommends that bhakti performed without material desires consisting  of (i) senses that serve the Supreme Lord as confirmed by the scriptures and guru and (ii) mind that is exclusively dedicated to the Lord on a spontaneous level (bhava) is superior to liberation. Such bhakti quickly destroys the subtle body as the digestive fire consumes food. He concludes by saying that the greatest benefit can be achieved only by offering one’s mind in intense bhakti to the Lord. (SB 3.25.32, 33, 44)

In chapter 26 (Fundamental Principles of Material Nature), Lord Kapiladeva explains the different features of material elements, knowing which one (i) is freed from influence of material modes, (ii) attains perfection of self-realization, and (iii) cuts the knot of attachment to material world. (SB 3.26.1-2). He concludes by saying that the goal of understanding the material elements is to contemplate the Supersoul through devotion, detachment and spiritual knowledge. (SB 3.26.72)

In chapter 27 (Understanding Material Nature), Lord Kapiladeva explains that one can get liberation by intense practice of devotional service. By such serious practice, the influence of prakrti over jiva can be removed, just as wooden sticks that cause a fire are themselves consumed by it. Prakrti cannot harm one who knows the absolute truth or the elements, has fixed his mind on the Supreme Lord, and rejoices in the self. When his heart is no longer attracted to the by-products of yoga, he can attain liberation, where death cannot overcome him. (SB 3.26.21-22, 26, 30)

Now in chapter 28, Lord Kapiladeva talks about different limbs of astanga-yoga but stresses on dhyana/meditation on the individual limbs of the Lord as perfect way to attain liberation. By such meditation, one gradually develops love for the Lord, exhibiting symptoms like the hairs standing and tears rolling. Gradually, one withdraws his hook-like mind from all material activity. Once the mind is fully detached from material contamination, the body of such a liberated yogi is taken charge of by the Lord. Such liberated yogi sees the presence of the Supersoul in all beings and all beings in the Supersoul. The yogi knows the oneness and difference between the Supreme Lord and the tiny living entities (acintya-bheda-abhedha tattva). Lord Kapiladeva wants us to fully understand the distinction between the body and the spirit. Our children, wealth, etc. are not really ours; they are related to the body. As long as the body exists, such false relationships also exist. There is a difference between the body and the soul just as there is a difference between blazing firewood, sparks, the flame and smoke from the fire. Similarly, the Supersoul is different from the individual soul, who is combined with the senses, the five elements and consciousness. That Supersoul quantitatively different from the small individual soul.

One who understands the distinction between the Supersoul and the individual soul is above lamentation and is in a peaceful position. The living entity knows that he can never become quantitatively as big as the Supersoul; he will always be subservient to the Supersoul. The small living entities are eternally part and parcel, and therefore it is not possible for them to be quantitatively as great as the Supersoul. The small living entity is eternally a servant of the Supreme Lord. Once when is firmly fixed in this understanding and therefore surrenders to the Supreme Soul, he can become free from the spell of maya. Krsna, being the Lord of the illusory energy, can order the insurmountable energy to release the conditioned soul. He orders this release out of His causeless mercy on the surrendered soul and out of His paternal affection for the living entity, who is originally a beloved son of the lord. Therefore surrender unto the lotus feet of the Lord is the only means to get free from the clutches of the stringent material nature.

However things do not end with surrender. The real activity – pure devotional service – begins from the point of complete surrender to the Lord. Before full surrender and release from maya, one engages in activities based on false identification with the body. When one is situated in his real self, then the activities of Brahman realization begin. Activity never stops. It just gets purer and more blissful with the level of surrender.

BG 18.54: One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.

Perfect devotional service means completely free from the spell of maya, and this stage is attainable only at the stage of brahman.

How fortunate are we to be able to engage in devotional service to the Lord beginning with hearing and chanting. Our devotional service may not be pure and perfect yet; but we are on the path of attaining complete liberation from the spell of maya on our way to achieving self-realization and pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord. The journey is long, and the destination seems very far away. But we are getting closer to Krsna’s lotus feet each day by practicing bhakti sincerely. Lord Kapiladeva gives us the assurance that

“For those who engage in devotional service there is no spell of māyā, and their situation is all-perfect. The duty of the living entity, as a part and parcel of the whole, is to render devotional service to the whole. That is the ultimate perfection of life.” (SB 3.28. 44 Purport)

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!