Hare Krsna,

It is the greatness and humility of Lord Krsna that He thinks His transcendental glories have increased because of His devotion to His servitors. Lord Krsna is full in six kinds of opulences – fame, beauty, wealth, power, knowledge, and renunciation. He is the reservoir and source of all qualities. He is the cause of everything. Everything comes from Him. And still to think that His has obtained these qualities because of His devotion to His devotees makes Him the Supreme Lord. The devotee thinks that he is elevated in all good qualities due to his being a devotee of the Lord. The Lord thinks He is the reservoir of all good qualities due to His being a servitor to His devotees. This is mutual appreciation.

“”The relationship between the Lord and His devotee is transcendentally beautiful. As the devotee thinks that it is due to being a devotee of the Lord that he is elevated in all good qualities, so the Lord also thinks that it is because of His devotion to the servitor that all His transcendental glories have increased.” (SB 3.16.7 Purport)

In the spiritual world, there is always a transcendental competition going on between the Lord and His devotees. The devotees want to serve and glorify the Lord more and more. In return, the Lord also wants to glorify His devotees.

“The Lord is situated as Himself, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is accompanied by His expansions like Lord Rāma, Baladeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Mahā-Viṣṇu and so forth. The devotees worship all these forms according to their liking, and the Lord, out of His affection, presents Himself as arcā-vigraha. He sometimes presents Himself personally before the devotee out of reciprocation or affection. A devotee is always fully surrendered to the loving service of the Lord, and the Lord is visible to the devotee according to the devotee’s desires. He may be present in the form of Lord Rāma, Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva and so on. Such is the exchange of love between the Lord and His devotees.” (SB 5.7.9 P)

If we reflect deeply, the reasoning behind the advent of Lord Caitanya is a deeper meaning and example of mutual appreciation. In Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta introduction, Srila Prabhupada explains:

“Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are one, and when Kṛṣṇa desires to enjoy pleasure, He manifests Himself as Rādhārāṇī. The spiritual exchange of love between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa is the actual display of Kṛṣṇa’s internal pleasure potency. Although we speak of “when” Kṛṣṇa desires, just when He did desire we cannot say. We only speak in this way because in conditioned life we take it that everything has a beginning; however, in spiritual life everything is absolute, and so there is neither beginning nor end. Yet in order to understand that Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are one and that They also become divided, the question “When?” automatically comes to mind. When Kṛṣṇa desired to enjoy His pleasure potency, He manifested Himself in the separate form of Rādhārāṇī, and when He wanted to understand Himself through the agency of Rādhā, He united with Rādhārāṇī, and that unification is called Lord Caitanya. This is all explained by Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja in the fifth verse of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.”

“Viṣaya and āśraya are two very significant words relating to the reciprocation between Kṛṣṇa and His devotee. The devotee is called the āśraya, and his beloved, Kṛṣṇa, is the viṣaya…In the loving affairs of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, Rādhārāṇī is the āśraya feature and Kṛṣṇa the viṣaya. The transcendental consciousness of the Lord tells Him, “I am Kṛṣṇa, and I experience pleasure as the viṣaya. The pleasure enjoyed by Rādhārāṇī, the āśraya, is many times greater than the pleasure I feel.” Therefore, to feel the pleasure of the āśraya category, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” (CC Adi 4.135 Purport)

“The relation, the natural relation between God and ourselves, is so sweet that a pure living entity is always trying to render service to the Lord without any material profit and the Lord is trying to serve the devotee. He’s also finding out the opportunity, how to serve His devotee. So, this is spiritual exchange of love.” (SP Lecture on BG 4.6-8)

Therefore, Krsna consciousness means that we are trying to reach that platform of real love, exchange of love, a platform of mutual appreciation with the Lord. By chanting the Holy Name of the Lord lovingly and attentively, we express our appreciation for the Divine Couple Radha and Krsna. By this the Lord is pleased and thus there is an exchange of love and mutual appreciation between the Lord and His devotees. The particular loving mood or attitude relished in the exchange of love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead is called rasa, or mellow. This is the same mood of the Lord that is reflected in the pastime of the four Kumaras and Jaya/Vijaya. The Lord

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

It is encouraging to hear that when one is in a Vaikuntha planet, even if by chance one commits an offense, he is protected by the Lord. I do not accept that any devotee can commit an offense in the spiritual world. This is because in spiritual world (Vaikuntha), everything is suddha-sattva or pure goodness. There cannot be any lust, anger, greed, offense, envy, etc. This episode of the offenses committed by the four Kumaras and Jaya/Vijaya against each other is another inconceivable pastime of the Lord to prove that the personal form of the Lord is more confidential, complete, and full of bliss as compared to the impersonal conception of the Lord.

This pastime also shows the Lord’s love and care for His devotees such as Jaya and Vijaya.

“By mistake the doormen held the sages from entering Vaikuṇṭhaloka, but because they were engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord, their annihilation was not expected by advanced devotees. The Lord’s presence on the spot was very pleasing to the hearts of the devotees. The Lord understood that the trouble was due to His lotus feet not being seen by the sages, and therefore He wanted to please them by personally going there. The Lord is so merciful that even if there is some impediment for the devotee, He Himself manages matters in such a way that the devotee is not bereft of having audience at His lotus feet.” (SB 3.16.2 P)

I can recollect several examples where the Lord came to help His devotees even if He was not summoned directly. Draupadi’s protection by Krsna during the gambling match is a case in point. When she was being disrobed by Dushasana, Lord Krsna protected her even though He was not personally present in the gambling match. The Lord extended an unlimited length of saree to protect Draupadi’s chastity and honor.

Another example is the beautiful pastime of Lord Nrsimhadeva and little Prahlada Maharaja. Prahlada Maharaja was tortured by his atheist father, Hirankasipu, for worshipping the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Hiranyakasipu tried various means to have Prahlada killed such as throwing him in a snake pit, throwing him from a mountain, have him sit on a burning pyre, poisoning, and various other means. But the merciful Lord appeared from the pillars to protect His dear devotee Prahlada.

One of my favorite pastimes from Srimad Bhagavatam is the protection of the elephant Gajendra from a crocodile. This story is about elephant Gajendra who was King Indradyumna in his past life and was cursed by Agastya rishi to become an elephant. Once, Gajendra, the leader of the elephants frolicked in a lake near Trikuta Mountain with his female elephants. A crocodile in the lake caught Gajendra’s leg. Gajendra struggled for many years to free himself. Finally, he prayed to Lord Vishnu for help. Gajendra offered a lotus flower to Lord Vishnu and offered many prayers. Pleased with Gajendra’s prayers, Lord Visnu appeared on the back of Garuda. Lord Visnu, immediately cut the crocodile’s head with His disc and pulled Gajendra out of the lake. Gajendra then received a spiritual body and returned back to Godhead. The interesting thing about this pastime is that when Gajendra was offering praying to the Lord, he did not know exactly who the Supreme Personality of Godhead is. He just remembered the prayer from his past life. By the Lord’s extraordinary mercy, he remembered the prayer at the right time. Even though Gajendra offered the prayer without knowing who the Supreme Lord was, the Lord nevertheless appeared instantly to protect Gajendra.

Gajendra Moksham (the liberation of Gajendra) is one of the most famous exploits of Lord Vishnu in Srimad Bhagavatam. A recitation of this episode early in the morning has great immortal powers like the recitation of the sacred hymn Sri Vishnu Sahasranama. There is no disaster from which, the mighty and the compassionate Lord would not protect the devotees, that with faith and devotion remember His feet as their refuge.

At the end of Gajendra’s prayers to the Lord, the Lord gave a benediction to everyone.

“”My dear devotee, unto those who rise from bed at the end of night and offer Me the prayers offered by you, I give an eternal residence in the spiritual world at the end of their lives.” (8.4.25)

The verses SB 8.3.2 through 29 are Gajendra’s prayers of surrender to Lord Vishnu and are worth memorizing.

“The conclusion is that if one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness with all seriousness, he is to be understood as already purified, and Kṛṣṇa is ready to give him protection by all means. The Lord assures herein that He is ready to give protection to His devotee even if there is need to cut off part of His own body.” (SB 3.16.6 P)

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

In the sixth chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krsna explains the process of meditation and dhyana-yoga to Arjuna.  In this chapter, Krsna describes astanga-yoga in greater detail as a means to control the mind and the senses. The word “yoga” means linking with the Supreme. When the linking process is predominantly in fruitive activities it is called karma-yoga, when it is predominantly empirical and analytical it is called jnana-yoga, and when it is predominantly in a devotional relationship with the Supreme Lord and service to Him it is called bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga, or Krsna consciousness, is the ultimate perfection of all yogas. Then in BG 6.47, Krsna gives the conclusion of the process of meditation and yoga.

yoginam api sarvesam

mad-gatenantar-atmana

sraddhavan bhajate yo mam

sa me yuktatamo matah

“And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.”

The culmination of all kinds of yoga practices lies in bhakti-yoga. All other yogas are but means to come to the point of bhakti in bhakti-yoga. Yoga actually means bhakti-yoga; all other yogas are progressions toward the destination of bhakti-yoga.

In this chapter (SB 3.15), we see that the four Kumaras attained the final goal of meditation and yoga by (a) inhaling the sweet fragrance of the Tulasi leaves emanating from the toes of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, and (b) viewing the transcendental form of the Lord again and again. The effect of this is that they immediately got transformed from the impersonal conception of the Lord to the personal conception of the Lord. This is a rare transformation not easily achieved. It is possible only by the causeless mercy and grace of the Supreme Lord Himself.

My understanding of this transformation of the Kumaras is that they got elevated from other yogic processes to the bhakti-yoga process immediately by seeing the personal form of the Lord. Real yoga is to search out the four-handed Supersoul within one’s heart and see Him perpetually in meditation. Such continued meditation is called samādhi, and the object of this meditation is the four-handed Nārāyaṇa who is sitting in everyone’s heart.

A conditioned jiva like me is not qualified and eligible to experience such a dramatic transformation of my heart like the Kumaras. In our cases, our transformation is affected by the grace of a bonafide spiritual master like Srila Prabhupada. Our transformation starts by reading the books on Krsna consciousness, chanting the Holy Name of Krsna, tasting prasadam, hearing about the Lord’s name, form, qualities, pastimes, etc., and associating with devotees. In this age, this is the best process of practicing Krsna Consciousness.

“In the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, dictation is received through the transparent medium of the spiritual master. When one is sufficiently trained and acts in submissive faith and love for Kṛṣṇa under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master, the dovetailing process becomes more firm and accurate. This stage of devotional service by the devotee in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the most perfect stage of the yoga system.” (SB 3.15.45 P)

It is not true that we are not bereft of the opportunity for transformation that the Kumaras underwent. Srila Prabhupada came from Vaikuntha and created that opportunity for us, by the mercy of Lord Caitanya.

“The only way to realize the perfect stage of yoga is to follow the principles of Bhagavad-gītā as practiced by Lord Caitanya. This is the simplest and highest perfection of yoga practice. Lord Caitanya demonstrated this Kṛṣṇa consciousness yoga system in a practical manner simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, as prescribed in the Vedānta, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā and many important Purāṇas.” (SB 3.15.45 P)

In this age, the process of intense meditation and astanga-yoga is not possible. “The meditation process was possible in the golden age, Satya-yuga, because people in that age used to live for hundreds of thousands of years. If one wants success in practical yoga practice, it is advised that he take to the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and he will actually feel himself making progress. In Bhagavad-gītā this practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is prescribed as rāja-vidyā, or the king of all erudition.” (SB 3.15.45 P)

“Those who have taken to this most sublime bhakti-yoga system, who practice devotional service in transcendental love of Kṛṣṇa, can testify to its happy and easy execution. The four sages Sanaka, Sanātana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumāra also became attracted by the features of the Lord and the transcendental aroma of the dust of His lotus feet.” (SB 3.15.45 P)

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

At first, I was hesitant to write on this forum topic because of my ignorance of life in the spiritual world. It is impossible for a materially imprisoned person like me to say something about the spiritual world for the simple reason that I have never seen that transcendental abode of the Lord. I have no idea what that place looks like. But later I realized that we do not see transcendental things through our eyes – we see them through our ears by the process of hearing and reading from bonafide sources.

Srila Prabhupada also eluded to this fact. He writes, “Generally a human being has no idea of what the constitutional position is in the higher material planets, which are far better constituted in regard to all paraphernalia, yet the Vaikuṇṭha planet is so pleasing and so celestial that it is compared to the middle jewel or locket in a necklace of jewels.” (SB 3.15.39 P)

From the lesson, we could understand that the key difference between life in the material world vs, the spiritual world is that of harmony. In Vaikuntha, everything and everyone is in harmony with the Supreme Lord. On the contrary, everything is pretty much in disharmony. There is disharmony even within us. Our interests are in disharmony; our desires are in disharmony; our love for others is in disharmony; our goal of life is also conflicted. This disharmony within us extends to our family, to the realm of our friendship, to society, to our country, and eventually to the whole world. Because of so much disharmony, the world is in a mess today. The disharmony is related to the interests of the Supreme Lord. We do not act in accordance with the interests of Krsna. We fail to ask, “What will please Krsna the most?” We fail to ask, “How can I serve Krsna? How can I please Krsna?” Since we do not ask, we do not act on them either. Thus the result is that of disharmony.

But things are different in the spiritual world. Everything is done keeping Lord Krsna at the center. In the previous lesson, we studied that even though the women of Vaikunthas are as beautiful as Lakshmi, the men are not aroused because they are absorbed in Krsna consciousness. The couples in Vaikuntha fly in beautiful airplanes made of gold while constantly glorifying the faultless Lord. They even deride the fragrance of honey laden madhavi flowers as distraction. The birds in Vaikuntha temporarily stop their own singing to hear the humming sound of the king of bees that resemble hari-katha. Although transcendentally fragrant, the plants in Vaikuntha greatly respect Tulasi for her austerities that made her leaves attain a position in the Lord’s garland. The forest in Vaikuntha bear flowers and fruits of all seasons, because there everything is spiritual and personal. In the Vaikuṇṭha world there is no question of enmity between the Lord and the residents.

“The external energy of the Lord is called the material world, and the kingdom of the internal energy of the Lord is called Vaikuṇṭha, or the kingdom of God. In the Vaikuṇṭha world there is no disharmony between the Lord and the residents. Therefore God’s creation in the Vaikuṇṭha world is perfect. There is no cause of fear. The entire kingdom of God is such a completely harmonious unit that there is no possibility of enmity. Everything there is absolute. Just as there are many physiological constructions within the body yet they work in one order for the satisfaction of the stomach, and just as in a machine there are hundreds and thousands of parts yet they run in harmony to fulfill the function of the machine, in the Vaikuṇṭha planets the Lord is perfect, and the inhabitants also perfectly engage in the service of the Lord.” (SB 3.15. 33 P)

In Vaikuntha, real religion exists in the form of devotional service to the Lord or pure Krsna consciousness. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6) In the spiritual world this religious principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is maintained in harmony, and therefore that world is called Vaikuṇṭha.

In the spiritual world, there is no question about the existence of lust, anger, and greed because of the absence of the three modes of material nature. It is stated that as long as a living entity is pure, he is in complete harmony with the desires of the Supreme Lord, but as soon as he becomes impure he is in disharmony with the desires of the Lord. By contamination he is forced to transfer to this material world, where the living entities have three enemies, namely desire, anger and lust. These three enemies force the living entities to continue material existence, and when one is free from them he is eligible to enter the kingdom of God. (SB 3.15.34 P)

Srila Prabhupada says that we can turn this material world into Vaikuntha. If the same principles of pure devotional service that exists in Vaikuntha can be adopted here, wholly or partially, then it is also Vaikuṇṭha. So it is with any society, such as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness: If the members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, putting faith in Kṛṣṇa as the center, live in harmony according to the order and principles of Bhagavad-gītā, then they are living in Vaikuṇṭha, not in this material world. (SB 3.15.33 P)

Therefore, the key remedy is to take shelter of and chant the holy name of the Lord. Gradually we will become completely purified and attain pure harmony with the Supreme Lord. Our hearts will be purified and become an abode of the Lord. Wherever the Lord resides, that place is Vaikuntha. It was Sri Advaita who told Lord Caitanya, “Wherever You are, O Lord—there is Vrndavana.”

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

Anger is not absent in the spiritual world. Everything that exists in the material world exists in the spiritual world but in a purest form. The perverted reflection of such things exists in the material realm being contaminated by the three modes of material nature.

Even though Bhagavad Gita 18.54 says:

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

“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.”

Here this verse says that one who is transcendentally situated does not lament. If this is the case, how was Mahaprabhu (Lord Caitanya who is none other than Lord Krsna – the Supreme Personality of Godhead), in the mood of Srimati Radharani,  lamenting in separation from Krsna? How is it possible that the pure devotees of the Lord lament in separation from their Lord? How is it possible that Lord Damodara was crying when His mother Yasoda tied Him to the wooden grinding mortar? Didn’t Srila Prabhupada ever get angry?

The anger displayed by pure and self-realized souls situated in transcendence is also transcendental. Such pure emotions do not have any material tinge or duality such as hatred for the offending party. I am sure the anger displayed by the Kumaras is also transcendental. Their anger at Jaya and Vijaya is not mixed with the three gunas and thus their curse didn’t have any negative effect. Yes, Jaya and Vijaya, as a result, were cursed to go the material world. But this is not a curse but a blessing. It is done and planned inconceivably by the Supreme Lord for His pleasure (as we will see in later chapters).

“Therefore the theory that in the perfectional stage one should not have anger is not supported in this verse. Anger will continue even in the liberated stage. These four mendicant brothers, the Kumāras, were considered liberated persons, but still they were angry because they were restricted in their service to the Lord. The difference between the anger of an ordinary person and that of a liberated person is that an ordinary person becomes angry because his sense desires are not being fulfilled, whereas a liberated person like the Kumāras becomes angry when restricted in the discharge of duties for serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (SB 3.15.31 purport)

Hare Krsna,

To hear about the abode of the Lord gives me immense pleasure. Just to know that there is another world, away from this material world, that is completely pure, transcendental, 100% Krsna consciousness, full of eternity, knowledge and bliss, where is there full of love and devotion for the sweet Lord uplifts my mood and consciousness. In Vaukuntha, the Lord is situated in His suddha-sattva position; the residents have the same form as the Supreme Lord. The forests are full of desire trees that give fruits and flowers of all seasons. The inhabitants fly in airplanes while always singing the glories of the Lord. Even the birds and animals are Krsna consciousness. The birds are eager to hear Krsna katha and rejoice the sweet humming sound of the king of bees.

What really attracted my attention about the description of Vaikuntha is the exalted position the Tulasi plant holds. The best of flowers are full of transcendental fragrance but still they worship the Tulasi plant because they respect her austerities that made her attain a special position at the lotus feet of the Lord. The Lord also garlands Himself with Tulasi leaves.

Srila Prabhupada reveals his heart in the purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 4.8.55, expressing the disappointment he felt upon arriving in the West where Tulasi Devi was nowhere to be found. Thereafter, in the same purport His Divine Grace expresses consequent delight in the service of Srimati Govinda Dasi for successfully cultivating Tulasi in Hawaii. There are various components to this achievement. Everyone knows that an offering to Lord Krsna requires a Tulasi leaf to be complete. Truly, Tulasi leaves and flowers, amongst the emblems of bhakti, are highly significant.

Tulasī leaves are very important in the method of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Srila Prabhupada says in SB 4.8.55 that Tulasī leaves are very important for satisfying the Lord, so as far as possible an arrangement should be made for growing tulasī leaves.

The additional feature to consider is how Srila Prabhupada, in preparing his disciples and followers (as his offering through Guru Parampara and ultimately to Krsna), made the offering intimately appealing to Lord Krsna by placing Tulasi mala in our hands, Tulasi kantimala around our necks, and the emblem of Tulasi as the tilak mark adorning our foreheads.

It was Sri Advaita Archarya’s pure-hearted worship of Saligrama with Tulasi leaves, combined with His chanting of the Holy Name, that inspired the appearance of Sri Gauranga in the holy land of Navadipa Dham.

It is Tulasi devi’s immense mercy on fallen conditioned souls like us that she has appeared in this material world to facilitate our worship of Lord Krsna. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu sets the example by His personal behavior, the importance of serving those who are near and dear to Krsna, such as the Vaishnavas, Ganga Devi and Tulasi Maharani. When Lord Chaitanya chanted japa while walking, His Vaishnava servant would carry Tulasi Devi before Him. When He sat down, His servant would place Tulasi beside Him and He would gaze upon Her with tender affection. Lord Gauranga personally, with His own lotus hands, filled a clay pot with the most rich and fertile soil from in which He planted Tulasi seeds and cultivated them to Her flowering stage. His words, recorded in Chaitanya Bhagavat, reveals His heart in this service; “bereft of the sight of Tulasi Devi, I feel uninspired like a fish deprived of water.”

It is Srila Prabhupada’s causeless mercy that he introduced the worship of Tulasi devi at our temples and home. He has so mercifully paved our way to go back to Vaikuntha by having us take shelter of Tulasi maharani – the same personality who holds a very special place in Vaikuntha and in the intimate pastimes of the Divine Couple. I take shelter of Tulasi Maharani!

All glories to Tulasi maharani! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

Srimad Bhagavatam is replete with pastimes related to chastisement and benediction. In this chapter we have seen how Kasyapa first chastises Diti for interrupting her husband’s evening duties. He curses her that she will give birth to two demoniac sons who will cause constant lamentation to all the three worlds.

SB 3.14.38-41: The learned Kaśyapa said: Because of your mind’s being polluted, because of defilement of the particular time, because of your negligence of my directions, and because of your being apathetic to the demigods, everything was inauspicious. O haughty one, you will have two contemptuous sons born of your condemned womb. Unlucky woman, they will cause constant lamentation to all the three worlds!  They will kill poor, faultless living entities, torture women and enrage the great souls. 

It is said that the curse of the sages carries hidden benedictions. Even though Kasyapa cursed Diti, he also blessed Diti with the benediction that one of her grandsons (Prahlada Maharaja) will be a great devotee of the Lord. Kasyapa gave this benediction seeing Diti’s lamentation, penitence, and proper deliberation. The mountain of sins is fired in the fire of repentance.

SB 3.14.44-48: The learned Kaśyapa said: Because of your lamentation, penitence and proper deliberation, and also because of your unflinching faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead and your adoration for Lord Śiva and me, one of the sons [Prahlāda] of your son [Hiraṇyakaśipu] will be an approved devotee of the Lord, and his fame will be broadcast equally with that of the Personality of Godhead. 

Another famous pastime in SB is the pastime related to sons of Kuvera – Nalakuvera and Manigriva. The two great demigods Nalakuvara and Manigriva were sons of the treasurer of the demigods, Kuvera, who was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. Once Narada Muni, who was passing by, caught them naked while enjoying with beautiful women in the water in a garden.  They  were so much intoxicated that they could not appreciate the presence of the sage Narada and therefore did not cover their bodies. On seeing the two demigods so degraded by intoxication, Narada desired their welfare, and therefore he exhibited his causeless mercy by cursing them. Sage Narada cursed that the two demigods Nalakuvara and Manigriva should remain for one hundred years, in the time of demigods, in the form of trees, and after that they would be fortunate enough to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, by His causeless mercy. And thus they would be again promoted to the life of the demigods and become great devotees of the Lord.

Another great example is that of Vrtrasura who was born as a demon. The Srimad-Bhagavatam explains that Vritrasura was a king named Chitraketu in his previous life. After his infant son died, King Chitraketu, in extreme despair, was enlightened with spiritual knowledge by the two sages Narada and Angira. Chitraketu then took to the process of bhakti-yoga. Shortly afterwards, he became overwhelmed with spiritual ecstasy and saw God face to face. Awarded the power to travel throughout the universe, he once spoke about Lord Shiva in a way that Parvati, Shiva’s wife, considered offensive. She cursed Chitraketu to become a demon in his next life. But even though born a demon, he did not lose any of his spiritual knowledge or progress. Even though Vritrasura was a demon, he was still an exalted bhakti-yogi able to propound deep transcendental knowledge even in the midst of a fight for his life. The four verse prayers of Vrtrasura are worth memorizing for every serious devotee. These prayers reveal his pure heart and devotion.

Therefore it is a blessing to be chastised by pure devotees and spiritual masters. In material realm, chastisement is frowned upon. But in spiritual realm, sincere devotees welcome chastisement because they come with hidden benedictions.

The curse of such a personality, however, is in fact a benediction. Both the crocodile, who had been a Gandharva in his previous life, and Gajendra, who had been a king named Indradyumna, were cursed, but both of them benefited. Indradyumna, in his birth as an elephant, attained salvation and became a personal associate of the Lord in Vaikuṇṭha, and the crocodile regained his status as a Gandharva. We find evidence in many places that the curse of a great saint or devotee is not a curse but a benediction. (SB 8.4.1 Purport)

In conclusion, chastisement and benediction in transcendental realm have the same weightage. Both are blessings to devotees if they accept them in the right spirit and mood. The exchange between Kasyapa and Diti indicate that all is not lost if one makes a mistake or becomes overwhelmed by the modes of nature as long as one is sincere in repentance and seeks forgiveness.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

We have been taught that there is a proper time, place and circumstances for everything. This principle even applies to cultivating good grhastha-asrama and giving birth to good progeny. Insanity is acting according to one’s own whims and fantasies disregarding scriptural injunctions and still expecting good results. The Vedic literatures are the laws of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One cannot violate the injunctions given in the Vedic literatures any more than one can violate the state laws. Any living creature who wants real benefit in life must act according to the direction of the Vedic literature. The conditioned souls who have come to this material world for material sense gratification are regulated by the injunctions of the Vedic literature.

The Supreme Lord has provided us clear instructions on the grhastha-asrama as well as appropriate and appropriate times for begetting children. The result of negligence is extremely severe. We can see two contrasting examples in this very Canto 3. Devahuti and Kardama Muni followed the proper codes of conduct of Grhastha-asrama and the result is they achieved the good fortune of becoming the parent of Lord Kapila – an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. On the contrary, Diti and Kasyapa Muni did not strictly follow the Vedic instructions regarding proper time for sexual intercourse and as a result, they were punished with two demoniac sons (Hiranyakasipu and Hiranyaksa, as we will see in later chapters).

Sexual indulgence is not contrary to religious principles. Lord Krsna says in Bhagavad Gita 7.11 that He is sex life which is not contrary to religious principles.

To have a good grhastha-asrama, it is important (and a matter of great fortune) that both the husband and wife are properly trained to discharge spiritual duties; they should cooperate with each other. A faithful wife and spiritually trained brahmacārī are a good combination for advancement of the human mission. I am amazed when I see excellent devotee couples who are advanced in Krsna consciousness and are able to beget excellent Krsna conscious children. I had been to India recently and visited Sridham Mayapur. There are many devotee families from across the world who live there; some have even settled there for many years. I know a few of them who took Indian citizenship. They live in perfect devotee communities; they bring up their children perfectly. Almost all the children go to the gurukulas where they are trained to become first-class brahmacaris and brahmacarinis. I hope I may get such a high birth in my next life.

For those unfortunate souls with patriarchal mindset who diminish the value of a woman, here is Srila Prabhupada’s excellent counter argument, “…husbands as a class cannot repay their debt to women either in this life or in the next. Even if they engage themselves in repaying the women throughout their whole lives, it is still not possible. Not all husbands are as able to appreciate the good qualities of their wives, but even though one is able to appreciate these qualities, it is still not possible to repay the debt to the wife.” (SB 3.14.21 P)

The proper and improper time for begetting children is also quite instructive and eye-opening. Even if a married grhastha follows all the proper rules and regulations for begetting Krsna conscious children, they must still respect the injunctions of time. Sexual indulgence at a wrong time may invite birth to a child of ghostly character or a godless impersonalist. Why is this so? This is because Lord Siva is looking out for such errant couples who will be instruments in his mission of giving gross bodies to subtle ghostly characters.

“Lord Śiva, being very kind to the ghosts, sees that although they are condemned, they get physical bodies. He places them into the wombs of women who indulge in sexual intercourse regardless of the restrictions on time and circumstance.” (SB 3.14.24 P)

“The forbidden time for sexual intercourse would be noted by Lord Śiva, and Diti would meet with proper punishment by giving birth to a child of ghostly character or a godless impersonalist.” (SB 3.14.25 P)

There are great practical lessons to learn from the conduct of Diti and Kasyapa.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

In one of the earlier lessons, we studied that the forms of the Lord are all transcendental. In this lesson, we have learned that all the activities of the Lord are transcendental too – be they His childhood pastimes, His boar like pastimes, or His war pastimes.

Nowdays people are engaged in discussing the Ukraine-Russia war. These kind of discussions on man-made wars will not help conditioned souls cross over the ocean of material nescience. Only wars where the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna, is involved, directly or indirectly, will the jivas get relief from material miseries. Hearers of such war pastimes of the Lord will be delivered.

Critics of Krsna consciousness movement accuse Krsna of being violent. They accuse Him of perpetrating the Kurukshetra war where millions of soldiers were killed. This is their gross ignorance. They do not know what Lord Krsna says in BG 4.8: To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.

Another interesting fact is that those who were killed on the battlefield of Kurukshetra also attained liberation. There is a beautiful verse in SB 3.2 that we had studied. It says:

SB 3.2.20: Certainly others who were fighters on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra were purified by the onslaught of Arjuna’s arrows, and while seeing the lotuslike face of Kṛṣṇa, so pleasing to the eyes, they achieved the abode of the Lord.

In the purport, Srila Prabhupada explains: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, appears in this world for two missionary purposes: to deliver the faithful and to annihilate the miscreants. But because the Lord is absolute, His two different kinds of actions, although apparently different, are ultimately one and the same. His annihilation of a person like Śiśupāla is as auspicious as His actions for the protection of the faithful. All the warriors who fought against Arjuna but who were able to see the lotuslike face of the Lord on the battlefront achieved the abode of the Lord, exactly as the devotees of the Lord do. The words “pleasing to the eyes of the seer” are very significant. When the warriors from the other side of the battlefield saw Lord Kṛṣṇa at the front, they appreciated His beauty, and their dormant instinct of love of God was awakened. Śiśupāla saw the Lord also, but he saw Him as his enemy, and his love was not awakened. Therefore Śiśupāla achieved oneness with the Lord by merging in the impersonal glare of His body, called the brahmajyoti. Others, who were in the marginal position, being neither friends nor enemies but slightly in love of Godhead by appreciating the beauty of His face, were at once promoted to the spiritual planets, the Vaikuṇṭhas.

This, therefore, proves that the war pastimes of the Lord are completely transcendental. Simply by repeated hearing of them will awaken one’s dormant love for Krsna consciousness. Devotees relish hearing about the war pastimes of the Lord such as the fight with Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakasipu, the Kurukshetra war, etc. Come to think of it. The nectarian and eternal message of Bhagavad Gita were spoken by the Lord on the battlefield. Therefore, devotees should not make the mistake of thinking that the Lord’s war pastimes are mundane topic. They are as relishable and liberating as the other non-war pastimes of the Lord.

The sankirtana movement of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is also a war pastime of the Lord. The war is against maya and Godlessness. The only difference is that the enemies are within each of us in the form of lust, anger, greed, etc. and the weapon is the Holy Name of the Lord. Simply by chanting and hearing the Holy Name of the Lord, we can win over maya and establish true Krsna consciousness all over the world. Then there will no longer be mundane wars such as Russia-Ukraine war. There will actually be peace and harmony everywhere.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada who is the commander (Senapati bhakta) of this war against Maya!

Hare Krsna,                    

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is as sentient as we are. The Lord is satisfied if someone offers a nice prayer, and similarly, He is dissatisfied if someone decries His existence or calls Him ill names. The Lord is situated at the core of everyone’s hearts; he knows our motives and intentions. To those who are sincere in their purpose, the Lord guides them from within as Paramatma and externally as the spiritual masters. As Lord Krsna tells Arjuna in BG 10.10: To those who constantly devoted to serving me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.

Sincere devotees always engage in sincerely chanting the Holy Name of the Lord, and hearing about His pastimes and activities. They do not discriminate between the boar incarnation of the Lord and the two-handed beautiful form of the Lord. They do not directly jump to the 10^th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam while ignoring the previous Cantos. Therefore, we are studying SB systematically in this sadhusangaonline forum beginning from the first canto exactly as per the instructions of Srila Prabhupada.

What caught my attention in this lesson is that one must serve the Lord faithfully and sincerely. “If one serves faithfully, there is no possibility of frustration because the Lord Himself takes charge of the devotee’s advancement. The Lord is seated in everyone’s heart, and He knows the devotee’s motive and arranges everything achievable. In other words, the pseudo devotee, who is anxious to achieve material gains, cannot attain the highest perfectional stage because the Lord is in knowledge of his motive. One merely has to become sincere in his purpose, and then the Lord is there to help in every way.” (SB 3.13.48-49 P)

As clearly stated by the Lord Himself in BG 9.3, “Those who are not faithful on the path of devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of foes, but return to birth and death in this material world.” It is also said in the Bhagavad-Gita that a person who is engaged in devotional service with love and faith is guided from within by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord Himself as Paramātmā, or the spiritual master sitting within one’s heart, gives the devotee exact directions by which he can gradually go back to Godhead.

In one of his lectures, Srila Prabhupada requested the devotees to continue in devotional service faithfully. “So my request is that you continue your devotional service very faithfully and rigidly, then in this life you will be able to see Kṛṣṇa face to face. That is a fact.” (Departure Lecture — Caracas, February 25, 1975)

Faith is developed through good association. In BG 12.20, it is explained that through good association, one develops attachment for pure devotional service and thereby accepts a bona fide spiritual master and from him begins to hear and chant and observe the regulative principles of devotional service with faith, attachment and devotion and thus becomes engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord.

SB 3.13.48-49: If one hears and describes in a devotional service attitude this auspicious narration of Lord Boar, which is worthy of description, the Lord, who is within the heart of everyone, is very pleased. Nothing remains unachieved when the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased with someone. By transcendental achievement one understands everything else to be insignificant. One who engages in transcendental loving service is elevated to the highest perfectional stage by the Lord Himself, who is seated in everyone’s heart.

Therefore, devotees of the Lord are naturally enthusiastic to perform service which pleases the Lord.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!