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!

Hare Krsna,

In BG 4.6, Lord Krsna says, “Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all living entities, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.”

In BG 4.9, Lord Krsna declares to Arjuna, “One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.”

A devotee, simply by understanding the transcendental nature of the body and activities of the Lord, attains the abode of the Lord after ending this body and does not run the risk of returning to this material world. In the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.33) it is stated that the Lord has many, many forms and incarnations: advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam. Although there are many transcendental forms of the Lord, they are still one and the same Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The point is that we must simply accept that all the forms of the Lord are transcendental. Lots of people have difficulty accept this tattva. The impersonalists do not accept the transcendental form of the Lord. On the contrary, they do not even attribute any form to the Supreme Lord. They claim that when the Supreme Lord appears on the planet, he acquires a temporary body like the jiva. Therefore devotees must accept that the Lord is always transcendental. We do not accept this blindly. We accept this on the basis of the Vedic scriptures. In Brahma Samhita, it is said isvarah paramah Krsna sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. The Supreme Lord is full of eternity, knowledge and bliss.

“He who accepts this truth on the strength of the authority of the Vedas and of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and who does not waste time in philosophical speculations attains the highest perfectional stage of liberation. Simply by accepting this truth on faith, one can, without a doubt, attain liberation.” (BG 4.9 P)

“The Lord says that He appears in His own body. He does not change His body, as the common living entity changes from one body to another. The conditioned soul may have one kind of body in the present birth, but he has a different body in the next birth. In the material world, the living entity has no fixed body but transmigrates from one body to another. The Lord, however, does not do so. Whenever He appears, He does so in the same original body, by His internal potency. In other words, Kṛṣṇa appears in this material world in His original eternal form, with two hands, holding a flute. He appears exactly in His eternal body, uncontaminated by this material world. Although He appears in the same transcendental body and is Lord of the universe, it still appears that He takes His birth like an ordinary living entity. And although His body does not deteriorate like a material body, it still appears that Lord Kṛṣṇa grows from childhood to boyhood and from boyhood to youth. But astonishingly enough He never ages beyond youth… Therefore, it is clear that in spite of His being in the material world, He is the same unborn, eternal form of bliss and knowledge, changeless in His transcendental body and intelligence.” (BG 4.6 P)

The Lord can take any form, be it a fish, hog, half-man, half-lion, human form, etc. But all His forms are transcendental. It may be inconceivable to understand how the body of a stool-eating hog can be transcendental. It is not difficult to understand this if we accept that the form belongs to the Supreme Lord. He is all-powerful; He can do anything. Then why is it not possible for Him to take the form of a hog? It is just His sweet pastime to deliver the earth from the depth of the ocean. He takes on different forms for different purposes and pastimes.

“We should always remember that although the body of a hog is material, the hog form of the Lord was not materially contaminated. It is not possible for an earthly hog to assume a gigantic form spreading throughout the sky, beginning from the Satyaloka. His body is always transcendental in all circumstances; therefore, the assumption of the form of a boar is only His pastime. His body is all Vedas, or transcendental. But since He had assumed the form of a boar, He began to search out the earth by smelling, just like a hog. The Lord can perfectly play the part of any living entity. The gigantic feature of the boar was certainly very fearful for all nondevotees, but to the pure devotees of the Lord He was not at all fearful; on the contrary, He was so pleasingly glancing upon His devotees that all of them felt transcendental happiness.” (SB 3.13.28 P)

Devotees are just pleased to see the Lord in innumerable forms. According to one’s level of surrender and devotion, the Lord reveals Himself in that eternal form.

“O my Lord, Your devotees can see You through the ears by the process of bona fide hearing, and thus their hearts become cleansed, and You take Your seat there. You are so merciful to Your devotees that You manifest Yourself in the particular eternal form of transcendence in which they always think of You.” (SB 3.9.11 – Lord Brahmä to Supreme Personality of Godhead)

 All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

One special quality of bhakti-yoga is that hearing ABOUT pure devotees is as powerful as hearing FROM pure devotees.

“Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is full of the transcendental topics of the Personality of Godhead and His pure devotees. In the absolute world there is no difference in quality between the Supreme Lord and His pure devotee. Therefore, hearing the topics of the Lord and hearing of the character and activities of the pure devotee have the same result, namely, the development of devotional service.” (SB 3.13.3)

Why is hearing about the activities of devotees of the Lord so powerful? This is explained beautifully by Srila Prabhupada.

“A pure devotee of the Lord cannot be separated from the lotus feet of the Lord for even a moment. Undoubtedly the Lord is always within the hearts of all living creatures, but they hardly know about it because they are deluded by the illusory material energy. The devotees, however, realize the presence of the Lord, and therefore they can always see the lotus feet of the Lord within their hearts. Such pure devotees of the Lord are as glorious as the Lord; they are, in fact, recommended by the Lord as more worshipable than He Himself. Worship of the devotee is more potent than worship of the Lord. It is therefore the duty of the transcendental students to hear of pure devotees, as explained by similar devotees of the Lord, because one cannot explain about the Lord or His devotee unless one happens to be a pure devotee himself.” (SB 3.13.5 P)

I personally relish hearing and reading about the pure devotees of the Lord. I enjoy reading their biographies, activities, and pastimes. Reading about Srila Prabhupada is a great way to deepen our relationship with him. I found my initiating spiritual master by first hearing about him, and later, hearing from him. Over the years, I have read some wonderful biographies of pure devotees. Some of my favorites are:

• Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta
• Servant of the Servant by HH Tamal Krishna Goswami
• When Good Fortune Arises, the Life and Teachings of Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Maharaja. This book contains many little-known stories about HH Gour Govinda Swami, including his association with Srila Prabhupada.
• Ocean of Mercy by HH Bhakti Charu Swami
• The Journey Home by HH Radhanath Swami
• Six Goswamis of Vrindavana – HG Satyaraja Das
• Life and Teachings of Srila Narottama Das Thakura – HG Sitala Devi Dasi
• And many more

I love to collect various biographies about our acaryas and early disciples of Srila Prabhupada. Reading about them strengthens my faith in bhakti, enriches my soul, gives me deep philosophical understanding, gratitude for their immense contribution to our sampradaya, gives me taste for sravana and kirtanam, and helps me tide over the struggling days as a sadhaka.

Therefore, I enjoy studying Srimad Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya Caritamrta. These books are full of transcendental descriptions about the pastimes of the Lord and His pure devotees. I realize that simply trying to understand the Supreme Lord but ignoring to understand His pure devotees is neophyte thinking. It is also quite impersonalism.

There are three grades of devotees, as identified in the Nectar of Instruction (Texts 5,6) – the kanishtha adhikari, madhyama adhikari, and uttama adhikari or perfected devotee. The kanistha adhikari or neophyte is one who has developed faith in worshiping Krishna but has not yet developed proper regard for Krishna’s devotees, nor compassion for others. Therefore, unless we develop appreciation for the pure devotees of the Lord, we stay at kanistha level. We must make sincere endeavor to elevate ourselves to madhyama adhikari level.

To set the right example for us, we see that Vidura inquired about the activities of Svayambhuva Manu. He did not directly jump to asking questions about the Supreme Lord. His inquiries gradually moved from the subject of creation to the subject of pure devotees of the Lord. This is the proper way to inquire about the Supreme Lord. Vidura’s line of questioning has a great lesson for us – how to inquire submissively from the bonafide spiritual masters.

If we have not yet developed taste for hearing about the devotees of the Supreme Lord, we must understand that we haven’t made much spiritual progress in bhakti. We must remember that worship of the devotee is more potent than worship of the Lord.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

In BG 14.3, Lord Krsna says: The total material substance, called Brahman, is the source of birth, and it is that Brahman that I impregnate, making possible the births of all living beings, O son of Bharata.

In the purport to the above verse, Srila Prabhupada explains that this combination of material nature and the living entity is made possible by the Supreme God Himself. The mahat-tattva is the total cause of the total cosmic manifestation; and that total substance of the material cause, in which there are three modes of nature, is sometimes called Brahman. The Supreme Personality impregnates that total substance, and thus innumerable universes become possible. This total material substance, the mahat-tattva, is described as Brahman in the Vedic literature (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.1.19): tasmād etad brahma nāma-rūpam annaṁ ca jāyate. The Supreme Person impregnates that Brahman with the seeds of the living entities… Into material nature the superior nature is mixed by the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thereafter all living entities are born of this material nature.

An example is given that the scorpion lays its eggs in piles of rice, and sometimes it is said that the scorpion is born out of rice. But the rice is not the cause of the scorpion. Actually, the eggs were laid by the mother. Similarly, material nature is not the cause of the birth of the living entities. The seed is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they only seem to come out as products of material nature. Thus every living entity, according to his past activities, has a different body, created by this material nature, so that the entity can enjoy or suffer according to his past deeds. The Lord is the cause of all the manifestations of living entities in this material world.

In the next verse (BG 14.4), Lord Krsna again reiterates: It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.

This theme – that the Supreme Lord is the original creator and Lord Brahma is the secondar creator – is again touched upon in this lesson.

SB 3.12.57 Purport: The history of the creation of the population of the universe is given herewith. Brahmā is the original living creature in the universe, from whom were generated the Manu Svāyambhuva and his wife Śatarūpā. From Manu, two sons and three daughters were born, and from them all the population in different planets has sprung up until now. Therefore, Brahmā is known as the grandfather of everyone, and the Personality of Godhead, being the father of Brahmā, is known as the great-grandfather of all living beings. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (11.39) as follows:

vāyur yamo ’gnir varuṇaḥ śaśāṅkaḥ

prajāpatis tvaṁ prapitāmahaś ca

namo namas te ’stu sahasra-kṛtvaḥ

punaś ca bhūyo ’pi namo namas te

“You are the Lord of air, the supreme justice Yama, the fire, and the Lord of rains. You are the moon, and You are the great-grandfather. Therefore, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You again and again.”

This statements conclusively prove how we are connected to both Brahma and the Supreme Lord. It is ludicrous to think that one is independent of the Supreme Lord, and he/she has nothing to do with Him. Even more ludicrous than this is the desire to be same one with the Supreme Lord. As devotees, we must be grateful that the Supreme Lord has expanded each one of us for His pleasure. When we engage in loving devotional service to Him, we also achieve unlimited pleasure. This is the topmost rasa that the Lord wants us to engage with Him. Therefore, our chanting of the mahamantra is just not mundane mechanical chanting but an expression of our love for the all-loving sweet Lord, gratitude for creating us, and expression of our prayer to Him to engage us in His loving service. Thank You, O Krsna, for creating me as Your part and parcel! May You always engage me in Your devotional service.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

In the material world there is an attraction between woman and man. This is the arrangement of conditional life. A man and a woman attract each other, and in that way the scope of material activities, involving house, wealth, children and friendship, increases, and thus instead of decreasing one’s material demands, one becomes entangled in material enjoyment. This attraction between opposite genders is the dominance of the mode of passion.

“The grossest type of anartha which binds the conditioned soul in material existence is sex desire, and this sex desire gradually develops in the union of the male and female. When the male and female are united, the sex desire is further aggravated by the accumulation of buildings, children, friends, relatives and wealth. When all these are acquired, the conditioned soul becomes overwhelmed by such entanglements, and the false sense of egoism, or the sense of “myself” and “mine,” becomes prominent, and the sex desire expands to various political, social, altruistic, philanthropic and many other unwanted engagements, resembling the foam of the sea waves, which becomes very prominent at one time and at the next moment vanishes as quickly as a cloud in the sky.” (SB 2.2.12 Purport)

“The mode of passion is characterized by the attraction between man and woman. Woman has attraction for man, and man has attraction for woman. This is called the mode of passion. And when the mode of passion is increased, one develops the hankering for material enjoyment. He wants to enjoy sense gratification. For sense gratification, a man in the mode of passion wants some honor in society, or in the nation, and he wants to have a happy family, with nice children, wife and house. These are the products of the mode of passion. As long as one is hankering after these things, he has to work very hard. Therefore it is clearly stated here that he becomes associated with the fruits of his activities and thus becomes bound by such activities. In order to please his wife, children and society and to keep up his prestige, one has to work. Therefore, the whole material world is more or less in the mode of passion. Modern civilization is considered to be advanced in the standard of the mode of passion.” (BG 14.7 Purport)

The only remedy to get rid of this lower sexual urge is to develop a higher taste in devotional service to Lord Krsna.

“Bhakti-yoga leads to gradual evaporation of the sex desire, which is summarized in three headings, namely profit, adoration and distinction. All conditioned souls are mad after these different forms of sex desire, and one shall see for himself how much he has been freed from such material hankerings based primarily on the sex desire. As a person feels his hunger satisfied after eating each morsel of foodstuff, he must similarly be able to see the degree to which he has been freed from sex desire. The sex desire is diminished along with its various forms by the process of bhakti-yoga because bhakti-yoga automatically, by the grace of the Lord, effectively results in knowledge and renunciation, even if the devotee is not materially very well educated.” (SB 2.2.12 Purport)

There is a very famous quote from Yamunacarya.

yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-pādāravinde

nava-nava-rasa-dhāmany udyataṁ rantum āsīt

tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne

bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭhu niṣṭhīvanaṁ ca

“Since I have been engaged in the transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa, realizing ever-new pleasure in Him, whenever I think of sex pleasure, I spit at the thought, and my lips curl with distaste.”

Sexual desire can be stopped only when one is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, and not otherwise. As long as one has desires for sex, one must change his body and transmigrate from one body to another to enjoy sex in different species or forms. But although the forms may differ, the business of sex is the same. Therefore, it is said, punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30).

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!