the five great elements - part 12 date

The Five Great Elements - Part 12

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

This is in continuation of the transcription of the nectarean class given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Bhagavad Gita verse 7.4 in Singapore on 29th December 2001. In previous offerings we heard about 9 points from Maharaj. Let us continue to hear more nectar from Maharaj.

10. Get Attracted Only to Krishna: Many a times we think, "Oh, I have to go. So let me collect few thousands before I go." Why don't you think, "I must leave few thousands before I go?" (laughter) In death also we have our own concoctions. "Oh, I am going to die. So let me enjoy myself. I don't want to leave anything, otherwise people will be in trouble." Nobody will be in trouble. But he will hang on to the key of the safe. (laughter) Mothers-in-law in particular. I don't mean any of the mother-in-laws here. All of you are very good. (loud laughter) But generally mother-in-law will never leave the key. And daughter-in-law always looks to the key. She knows that she is going to pass away. But she says, "No, no. You are not fit at the moment. Key will be with me." (laughter) Please, please, just get rid of the keys. The less we are attracted to these things, the more we are attracted to the shastras. And then you can guide the future generation. Otherwise it is a suicidal process. If we are not going to do anything for the kids, for their spiritual progress, then they are just going to be royal edition of the animals. Please try to follow these things and just remember this verse. It is very easy to remember now.

bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva caahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā - aṣṭa means eight. These are the eight elements and bhinnā - means they are separated. Because they are separated, we are really completely separated. And as soon as you are separated, you have to suffer your own karmas. These children, so far as they obey the parents, their karmas are covered by the parents. As soon as they stop obeying, they have to fight with their own karmas. This is the case with us also. As soon as we are attached to Krishna, our karmas are under His control. There is no reaction and if there is reaction, it is very mild. But as soon as you go independent, then you have to face the consequences and it is very horrible. We lose our health. We lose our thinking power, in the correct direction. We lose our own existence and we think that, 'I am enjoying' and that is again maya. Please, know the definition of enjoyment. Enjoyment is enjoyment with Krishna. Without Him, it is all miseries. This is simple truth. We must stop here as we are controlled by time. I hope the message is clear to you all.

Krishna willing, we shall hear the concluding part of Maharaj's class in the next offering.

Thank you very much.Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,Kalacakra Krsna das.

The Five Great Elements - Part 13


This is in conclusion of the transcription of the nectarean class given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Bhagavad Gita verse 7.4 in Singapore on 29th December 2001. In previous offerings we heard the below 10 points from Maharaj.

1. The five great elements - bhumi, āpa, anala, vāyu and khaṁ. (earth, water, fire, wind and ether).2. We are kinkarās and not ahankāra.3. Krishna is non-different from Bhagavad Gita.4. Come to the pages of Bhagavad Gita.5. Learn at least one verse.6. Mind has no factual existence.7. Be happy to see each other.8. Shastras keep us sane.9. The three subtle elements.10. Get Attracted Only to Krishna.

After the class one of the devotee asked Maharaj how to control the mind as although it doesn't have gross existence, still it is very powerful. In this concluding part, let us hear from Maharaj about the way for the same.

Maharaj: It is true that we cannot locate the mind as it has subtle existence. But it acts. That is the thing. As soon as we come to this fact, then we try to learn to ignore the mind for the bad activities. And that is what Ambarish Maharaj says, 'Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa padāravindayoḥ' - That is the best use of the non-existent mind, which is very powerful. Whether we accept or don't accept the existence or non-existence of mind, still the truth is that it is very powerful. Mind, doesn't exist at all, but even then it reveals itself in our activities. So those activities, must be dedicated to the Supreme Person. This is the essence. And it should be clear to you. Just sit silently and try to locate your mind and intelligence. It is not possible to locate it. But even then all our activities are pervaded by our mind and intelligence and the result is ahankār - The mind which functions materially will give you the pride. You won't be able to have the humble attitude. Humble attitude is the result of subdueing this mind and trying to convert its activities to please Krishna. This is the thing. Hare Krishna. Jai! Srila Prabhupada ki Jai!

H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj Gurudev ki Jai! Our heartfelt thanks to Maharaj for these sublime and practical instructions. We pray unto his lotus feet to remember these instructions and utilize them in our day to day lives.

Thank you very much.Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,Kalacakra Krsna das.

Brahmanas' Wives - Part 3

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,Please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev!

This is in continuation of the previous topic titled, 'Brahmanas' Wives' wherein we were meditating on the pastime of Lord Krishna with the brahmanas who were performing Angirasa sacrifice and their wives. In the previous offering we learnt that

1. We should be careful not to neglect Krishna (while chanting, listening about Krishna, performing Deity worship) and His devotees.

2. When one extensively and sincerely hears about Krishna and His glories, they become eligible recipients of the Lord's mercy and are blessed with the gift of personal darshan of the Lord.

Today we shall hear from Lord regarding the nature of devotional service performed by His devotees.

3. Serving Consistently without Motives:Upon seeing the brahmanas' wives in the garden, Lord Krishna who witnesses thoughts of all creatures understood their intensity of love and renunciation. He welcomed them lovingly with smile. Lord says wonderful verse in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.23.26,

nanv addhā mayi kurvanti kuśalāḥ svārtha-darśinaḥahaituky avyavahitāṁ bhaktim ātma-priye yathā

Certainly expert personalities, who can see their own true interest, render unmotivated and uninterrupted devotional service directly unto Me, for I am most dear to the soul.

The word kuśalāḥ in the above verse means 'expert people'. Those who take up to devotional service unto the Supreme Lord are not ordinary souls. As the Lord mentions here, they are indeed very expert people. In the first seed verse of Bhagavad Gita (10.8) the Lord mentions that- iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ - the "wise" people who know that Lord is the cause of all causes, engage in His devotional service and worship Him with all their heart. Lord very nicely addresses them as svārtha darśinaḥ in the above verse. Svārtha darśina means those people who foresee/perceive their real self interest. So here it means sva-artha - What is of value to the self. Devotees who know that Krishna alone can give value or artha to our life, engage very expertly in His service.

The words ahaituki and avyavahitām in the above verse are also worth meditating. These two words describe the way in which devotional service has to be performed. ahaituki means unmotivated and avyavahitām means uninterrupted. When we serve without motives, then by the grace of Lord, the service will be uninterrupted. But when we start serving with motives, we lose interest and enthusiasm to continue the service after some time - irrespective of whether our motives are fulfilled or not. Also when we serve with motives, then it is more like a business transaction. There is no room for loving relationship in such service. But when we serve consistently, without expecting anything in return, as a matter of duty, then we will feel very blissful and become very dear to Lord.

Krishna willing, we shall continue to learn more from this nectarean pastime of Krishna and the brahmanas' wives in the subsequent offerings.

Thank you very much.Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,Manohar SuvarnaAbu Dhabi.

Lust Leads to Destruction - Part 2


This is in continuation of the topic, "Lust leads to Destruction" wherein we were meditating on verse 3.14.16 of Srimad Bhagavatam. This verse is spoken by Maitreya Muni to Vidura Mahatma.

iti tāṁ vīra mārīcaḥ kṛpaṇāṁ bahu-bhāṣiṇīmpratyāhānunayan vācā pravṛddhānaṅga-kaśmalām

O hero [Vidura], Diti, being thus afflicted by the contamination of lust, and therefore poor and talkative, was pacified by the son of Marici in suitable words.

The word pravrddha ananga in the above verse means 'highly agitated by lust'. In third Chapter of Bhagavad Gita verse 36, when Arjuna inquires the Lord - "O descendant of Vṛṣṇi, by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force?", Lord Krishna replies, "It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world."

So lust leads to anger and when we are blinded by anger, we end up doing harm to others and our own selves. In verse 3.14.16 of Srimad Bhagavatam, Maitreya Muni mentions two specific effects of being agitated by lust - One is krpana which means poor or miserly and other is bahu bhāṣiṇim which means to be talkative.

When we are krpana, we don't think about the well-being of others. But we would be interested in satisfying our own needs at any cost. Our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj says, "If you act as selfish then you don't care for other living entities. Your mind is engrossed in yourself, your expansion and your name and fame and not on Krishna at all. You think too much about yourself." When we are krpana, we are narrow-minded in our dealings with others. Acharyas like Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva have shown by their personal example as to how we should not be narrow-minded, but should have a wide-heart full of love and compassion for all living entities. How was it possible for them? The secret is that they kept Krishna as the center of all their activities. So instead of being self-centric, praying for the mercy of acharyas like Srila Gurudeva and Srila Prabhupada, if we also make our life Krishna-centric, then we will be able to overcome this quality of being krpana.

Krishna willing we will continue to learn the lessons from the above pastime in the subsequent offerings.

Thank you very much.Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,Sajjana Priya Krishna dasAbu Dhabi.

Instructions of Rshabhadeva - Part 1


This is a humble effort to transcribe one of the nectarean class given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.5.13 on August 2nd, 1998 in Singapore.

sarvatra mad-bhāva-vicakṣaṇenajñānena vijñāna-virājitena

yogena dhṛty-udyama-sattva-yuktoliṅgaṁ vyapohet kuśalo ’ham-ākhyam

Always thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, acquire knowledge from the right source. Thus practicing bhakti-yoga, you will patiently and enthusiastically be elevated in knowledge and will be able to give up the false ego.

Before we proceed with the meaning of the verse, we should know about Rshabhadev. Rshabhadev is teaching His sons, the transcendental realities and giving them advice on how to pass the material life in this planet. That is why this chapter is very practical chapter. This is very important chapter. When you think about a person, we try to know him. So unless we know about Rshabhadev we will not be able to appreciate these verses. In these four verses (SB 5.5.10-13) whole of Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavatam and Vedic culture is very nicely depicted. So we should study these four verses by-heart. And all the prayers should be extracted and recited and this will be a very auspicious recitation. In the satsang programs, if you recite these prayers, then hearers also will enjoy.

Before going to the verse, I shall read from Chapter 3 which will give us nice summary about the appearance of Rshabadev. From the appearance and His activities and how He instructs His sons, many practical instructions could be derived in this age also. We require so many instructions, because around us it is all Kali yuga. Particularly in cities Kali yuga is roaring. So please try to understand. 'In this chapter the spotless character of King Nabhi, the oldest son of Āgnidhra, is described. Wanting to have sons, Maharaja Nabhi underwent severe austerities and penances. He performed many sacrifices along with his wife and worshiped Lord Vishnu, master of all sacrifices. Being very kind to His devotees, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was very pleased with the austerities of Maharaja Nabhi. He personally appeared before the King in His four-handed feature, and the priests, who were performing the sacrifices, began to offer their prayers unto Him. They prayed for a son like the Lord, and Lord Vishnu agreed to take birth in the womb of Merudevi, the wife of King Nabhi, and incarnate as King Rshabhadeva.'

Krishna willing we will continue to hear more nectar from Maharaj in the subsequent offerings.

Thank you very much.Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,Sudarshana devi dasi.



This is in continuation of the previous topic titled, 'Brahmanas' Wives' wherein we were meditating on the pastime of Lord Krishna with the brahmanas who were performing Angirasa sacrifice and their wives. In the previous offering we learnt that

1. We should be careful not to neglect Krishna (while chanting, listening about Krishna, performing Deity worship) and His devotees.2. When one extensively and sincerely hears about Krishna and His glories, they become eligible recipients of the Lord's mercy and are blessed with the gift of personal darshan of the Lord.3. Service should be consistent and without motives.

Today we shall see how Lord is convincing the brahmanas' wives to go home and join their husbands in their sacrifice and how they continue to serve Him in separation.

4. Service in Separation: Lord now tells brahmanas' wives to return to their husband and help them in their sacrifice. Brahmanas' wives refused to go back. They remind Lord that they are His devotees and it is His duty to protect them. They wished to stay in the forest with Lord, serve Him lovingly and are ready to give up all material relationships. Here, we need to note important point that brahmanas' wives are so much absorbed in Krishna that they are ready to give up material relationship. In our material world, relationship is so vital that one is ready to commit any sin for his spouse, children etc. But brahmanas' wives are amazingly different. Their immense love for Krishna has reached the stage of worship. Brahmanas' wives said to Lord that since they left their family, they have no shelter other than Lord Himself. Krishna assured them that their husbands or father would accept them and staying with Krishna in the forest would not please people in the world. Further, Lord says wonderful verse in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.23.33,

śravaṇād darśanād dhyānān mayi bhāvo ’nukīrtanātna tathā sannikarṣeṇa pratiyāta tato gṛhān

It is by hearing about Me, seeing My Deity form, meditating upon Me and chanting My names and glories that love for Me develops, not by physical proximity. Therefore please go back to your homes.

Here, Lord is giving a message that devotional service can be performed anywhere; we need not be physically near Krishna all the time. Devotees are only interested in service of the Lord and don't even worry about whether they are placed in heaven or hell or in Krishnaloka. In this context it is worth remembering Lord Brahma's prayer to Lord in Srimad Bhagavatam in 11.14.30, "My dear Lord, I therefore pray to be so fortunate that in this life as Lord Brahma or in another life, wherever I take my birth, I may be counted as one of Your devotees. I pray that wherever I may be, even among the animal species, I can engage in devotional service to Your lotus feet."

Krishna willing, we shall continue to learn more from this nectarean pastime of Krishna and the brahmanas' wives in the subsequent offerings.




This is in continuation of the transcription of the nectarean class given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.5.13 on August 2nd, 1998 in Singapore. In the previous offering we heard from Maharaj the importance of the 5th Chapter of 5th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam as it contains the instruction of Rshabhadev to his sons on how to pass the material life in this planet. Maharaj also insisted that we should first know about Rshabhadev before we proceed to hear his instruction. Rshabhadev is incarnation of Supreme Lord Himself.

Now let us continue to hear more nectar from Maharaj.

Purity leads to Fearlessness: Rshabhadev appeared as the son of King Nabhi and Merudevi. The root of His appearance is the severe austerities and penances followed by King Nabhi and his wife. And we very well know, the appearance of Supreme Absolute Truth Krishna. When Prajapati Sutapa and Prshni wanted to have children, they also performed austerities in the forests for 12000 years according to demigod's calculations. And eventually the Lord was pleased. Because the first word He gave to Brahma was 'tapa' and He very much relishes the voluntary acceptance of austerities. In this age, we cannot really try to follow the austerities which these great Mahajans have followed. But to the best of our ability our life must be very pure, before we think about these things. Purity of life and purity of existence will give the fearlessness.

Because we are impure, we are afraid always. abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhir jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ - Krishna says in 16th Chapter of Bhagavad Gita that if you want to lead a fearless life in this planet, then this tenet has to be followed - abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhir - sattva - the quality of your existence - abhayam - you can only have abhay, if sattva is purified. saṁśuddhir - śuddhi means purification and saṁśuddhir means thoroughly. As soon as you try to understand these things, you know where to begin. The beginning is very difficult. Once you begin, then you go ahead. But this is how Bhagavad Gita insists. There are so many instances of Krishna's topics in front of us. So many stories of Srimad Bhagavatam are in front of us. Particularly we are discussing the appearance of Rshabhadev. We are seeing the same thing here. So throughout Bhagavatam, throughout Bhagavad Gita, throughout Vedic literature, the same knowledge flows. And there is no higher knowledge than this. Nobody can achieve even a glance of Supreme Absolute Truth or experience a bit of Supreme Absolute without being thoroughly clear of all inebrieties.





This is in continuation of the transcription of the nectarean class given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.5.13 on August 2nd, 1998 in Singapore. In the previous offering we heard from Maharaj.

1. The importance of the 5th Chapter, of 5th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.2. Purity leads to fearlessness.

Now let us continue to hear more nectar from Maharaj.

3. Transcendental knowledge is heart to heart process: It is very difficult to experience Supreme Absolute Truth, in this world, particularly when Kali yuga is roaring. But we are very fortunate to come to the scriptures which are very favourably transliterated with equivalents, translations and purport by Srila Prabhupada. And this is how Prabhupada's supremacy is undeniable in ISKCON and all over the world. We have to recognise the supreme siksha from Srila Prabhupada. There may be problems in life and in fact there will be problems always. But please try to understand this that all the incarnations have the root into austerities and penances. And whatever austerities or penances we are doing, our whole endeavour is to have a bit of experience of Krishna. It is not completely impossible. Even 300 years ago, poets like Narsingh Mehta could have darshan of Krishna. Our legacy is that whoever gives us transcendental life, whoever gives us spiritual life, he is pious. It doesn't matter who they are. That is how we should not neglect the people who preached us. They have sacrificed like anything. And where there is sacrifice, where there is austerity, they are all to be entitled to be as shiksha-gurus. Brahma was instructed this knowledge through his heart by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We should recognise that this is a heart to heart knowledge. Then we don't bring our mind into it. Please, please, please try to relish this and always remember that this knowledge cannot be imparted by mental process. All other knowledge, engineering, medical etc are imparted on mental level.

In the end of 3rd Chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says, indriyāni parāny āhur - our senses are very gross and much more finer than our indriyās is the mind, indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ - mind is finer than the senses. indriyas are gross. We can see our senses. They are gross. But the controller of indriyās is finer than that. Because the controller is finer, we can depend upon it to guide us in right way. It is finer than the gross thing. Whichever is finer, becomes superior to us, because we are unfortunately completely encaged in this gross body. We are not free at all.



Navaratri - Festival of Nights


We see that Navratri festival is being celebrated across various parts of India and also all over the world in glorification of Mother Durga. Brahma samhita verse 5.44 explains who Durga is and what she does

sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekāchāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgāicchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

The external potency Maya who is of the nature of the shadow of the cit potency, is worshiped by all people as Durga, the creating, preserving and destroying agency of this mundane world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in accordance with whose will Durga conducts herself.

To accomplish the task of sṛṣṭi-creation, sthithi-maintenance and pralaya-destruction, Krishna engages eka śakti - one potency. That shakti is called Durga and she is the agency for creation, maintenance and destruction of universe. And she is chāya-iva – shadow potency. But does Durga do the mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, sthithiand pralaya independently? No. sa ceṣṭate – she conducts herself as per icchānurūpam of govindam ādi puruṣaṁ ie:- She conducts herself in accordance with the will of the primeval Lord Govinda - Krishna. If Krishna wishes the universe should be destroyed, then she will destroy. If Krishna says "No", then she will wait for His instructions. So Krishna is the boss. Again and again Brahmaji is reiterating that throughout Brahma Samhita.

Actually Krishna owns the spiritual potency which is classified as different energies. Spiritual potency is Krishna's kāyaie:- Radharani, whereas material energy is that spiritual potency's chāya, Durga devi. Everyone understands that kāya(substance) is important than chāya (shadow). Reason being shadow cannot exist independently. It is only extension or reflection of the substance. But the whole world is after chāya's puja. In fact before coming to Krishna consciousness most of us didn't even knew that there is a festival called as Radhastami. We knew Bhadra (Bhadrakali or Durga). So knowing very well that substance is more important than shadow, and that worshiping substance automatically includes worship of shadow, devotees of Krishna give more importance to worshiping Radharani. This is also supported by Bhagavad Gita verse 9.13 where Krishna says - mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ - the mahātmas take shelter of daivim prakrti – divine nature. Such mahatmas are engaged in - bhajanty ananya manaso - undeviated devotional service because - jnātva bhutādim avyayam - they know Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is the original and inexhaustible.

Even though one is convinced of Krishna's authority, he may still be inclined to worship Durga, fearing that he is committing some sin or some problem may come if one does not do this Durga puja. One need not fear because Krishna clearly says in the famous Bhagavad Gita verse 18.66 (sarva dharmān parityajya) mā śucaḥ – 'Do not fear.' "Surrender only to me. Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear." So one need not fear of not worshiping Durga. In fact we have the famous episode of Jada Bharat Maharaj who was an exalted devotee of Lord Krishna but was taken by a gang of robbers to be offered to Bhadra Kali. Even though the robbers were Kali devotees and were about to behead Jada Bharat Maharaj to please Kali, still Kali Mata was not pleased. On the contrary she became so angry at the robbers for attempting to kill a devotee of the Supreme Lord, that along with her assistants, she killed the robbers, thus saving Jada Bharat Maharaj.

Hence we can use this Navaratri function as an opportunity to spread the glories of the Holy name, Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam and enlighten the public about the glories of devotional service through such beautiful episodes

from the scriptures. There are always sincere souls in all these pujas, so we can invite them to our satsangas in order to understand the real spiritual knowledge.

Thank you very much.Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,ParameshwaranKuala Lumpur.



This is in continuation of the transcription of the nectarean class given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.5.13 on August 2nd, 1998 in Singapore. In the previous offering we heard from Maharaj

1. The importance of the 5th Chapter, of 5th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.2. Purity leads to fearlessness.3. Transcendental knowledge is heart to heart process.

4. Austerity leads to bliss: We may come across finer activities in any other faith. Faiths may be different. But religion is only one. This is very subtle point. Everything is coming from Brahma. Whether one is Christian or Muslim or Hare Krishna, everyone is coming from Brahma and that is only described in Srimad Bhagavatam. Otherwise in all other faiths, a fraction of thing is taken and they interpret in their own way. This is how it happens and that is why, everybody can follow Prabhupada, because Prabhupada is the only person who gives us this realization about our own existence. Otherwise we will be completely roaming about like dogs and cats. We were doing that. We can imagine that how were we, before we took up this process. Yesterday each one of you were telling how much obnoxious life you had before this and now the quality of life has improved. So you have the experience. Otherwise how can you assemble here at 4'o clock in the morning? We were here for last two-three weeks. And you people had to go to work also, attend mangala arati here and then Bhagavatam class also. It is an austerity, because you are working also. (Maharaj humbly said) I am taking rest. But for you people it was torture really. During the working days, we may get up early in the morning. But arranging and attending programs every day is additional austerity. You performed the austerities and I don't know whether you feel are not, but I can see that all of your faces are glowing. Why ? Because we incur the voluntary austerity.






1. The importance of the 5th Chapter, of 5th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.2. Purity leads to fearlessness.3. Transcendental knowledge is heart to heart process.4. Austerity leads to bliss.

5. Respect austerity in everyone: abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhir - As soon as your existence is thoroughly cleansed, that is sattva samshuddir. Please follow Prabhupada's translation for this verse. It is the first three verses in 16th Chapter of Bhagavad Gita. abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhir - As soon as the quality of life is completely pure, what happens is jnāna yoga vyavasthithi - then you are completely situated in jnāna yoga. That is the linking process to Krishna through knowledge and that knowledge is very transcendentally, very nicely described in the pages of Srimad Bhagavatam. Whenever we have time we should very nicely understand the second chapter of 1st Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, which we keep reciting. And we should see how much chapters you are able to recite without looking. And slowly you should be habituated to learn. That is jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ.

But before that stage, you please remember that it is sattva saṁśuddhir. And Krishna is showing that in His incarnations. And as soon as we come to this, then we understand Jainism, Muslim faith and all other faiths very clearly as to why they are austere. Particularly in Jainism the gurus don't take any vehicle. It is highest austerity. We cannot go from one house to another unless we have that 4 wheeler non-sense - our car. But we don't have respect for those who are not using it. It doesn't matter what faith it is. Wherever you see austerity our head must bow down. We cannot do that austerity. But they are doing it. So we should respect that. This is the way to be wide-hearted. And why we are doing this, because we are completely guided by Prabhupada that this is the way to look at things.






1. The importance of the 5th Chapter, of 5th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.2. Purity leads to fearlessness.3. Transcendental knowledge is heart to heart process.4. Austerity leads to bliss.5. Respect austerity in everyone.

Now we shall continue to hear more nectar from Maharaj.

6. Austerity pleases Krishna: As soon as we understand that austerities done for the appearance of Krishna, done by the great sages for 12000 demigod years, then just imagine how long we should wait? After marriage nowadays we see people do so many non-sense things. But we can see that the root of the appearance of Lord Krishna is the austere life. Those great souls were themselves austere and so they were fully entitled to instruct their children about austere life. This is the main thing to be understand. That is why Rshabhadeva says (SB 5.5.18), 'mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum' - if you are not able to deliver your dependents from the vicious circle of material existence, then gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt - we should not become spiritual master. We should not completely dream about anybody to be ours. pitā na sa syāj - we should not become father; jananī na sā syāt - we should not become mother. daivaṁ na tat syān - Deities also, demigods also are not authorized to accept worship, unless they liberate their dependents. If they entangle, then they are also missing their duty. This is the instruction for demigods. Then what to talk of living entities like us? When we consider all these things, the practical instruction is very clear in front of us. This is Rshabhadev.

When we think, 'kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam' - that all these incarnations are flowing from that reservoir, when we think about Krishna's appearance, three times He came, because He promised Sutapā and Pṛśni, being satisfied by their unparalleled austerity in their life. He promised them that, 'I will definitely send somebody who is equal to Me'. They wanted someone who is equal to the Lord Himself to be their son. So when He went back, since there is no one equal to Him, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate - then He repented that, "How I have to correct this mistake, because there is no one else equal to Me?" They were very austere. The thing is as soon as we understand this finer thing in Sutapā and Pṛśni also, then we can understand why Rshabhadeva is austere, why He is instructing His children to be austere. This is not mental concoction. Concoctions are with us. It is no way connected to Krishna. This is the way, as soon as we stop these spiritual activities, then the concoction starts and our relationships stops. Then so many inebrieties come and go, come and go. That is why shastras insist, saints and sages and whatever spiritual masters we have, they are all insisting that, "You please somehow or the other organize your life in any way you like, but don't ignore following the austerities."





This is in conclusion of the previous topic titled, 'Brahmanas' Wives' wherein we were meditating on the pastime of Lord Krishna with the brahmanas who were performing Angirasa sacrifice and their wives. In the previous offering we learnt that

1. We should be careful not to neglect Krishna (while chanting, listening about Krishna, performing Deity worship) and His devotees.2. When one extensively and sincerely hears about Krishna and His glories, they become eligible recipients of the Lord's mercy and are blessed with the gift of personal darshan of the Lord.3. Service should be consistent and without motives.4. Service in separation.

Today we will see concluding part of the offering as to how the brahmanas lament for their offence against Lord Krishna.

5. Qualities of Devotee: The brahmanas wives returned home as per the instructions of Lord Krishna and their husbands did not find fault with them. Bhagavatam says Supreme Personality of Godhead, thus, appeared like human being and imitated human society. He enjoyed pleasing cows, cowherd boys and cowherd girls. In this context it is worth remembering one of the prayers of Akrura to Lord in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.48.22, "Since it has never been demonstrated that You are covered by material, bodily designations, it must be concluded that for You there is neither birth in a literal sense nor any duality. Therefore You never undergo bondage or liberation, and if You appear to, it is only because of Your desire that we see You in that way, or simply because of our lack of discrimination."

Now, brahmanas lamented for their mistakes of ignoring the two Lords. Brahmanas condemned their own threefold birth (physical birth, brahmanical initiation and initiation into performance of Vedic sacrifice), vow of celibacy, extensive learning. They said that as brahmanas they are supposed to be spiritual master of all classes of men, instead, they engrossed in their own real interest. They compared themselves with their wives, and felt sorrowful. Brahmana's lamentation in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.23.43-44 is worth pondering over. "These women have never undergone the purificatory rites of the twice-born classes, nor have they lived as brahmacharis in the ashrama of a spiritual master, nor have they executed austerities, speculated on the nature of the self, followed the formalities of cleanliness or engaged in pious rituals. Nevertheless, they have firm devotion for Lord Krishna, whose glories are chanted by the exalted hymns of the Vedas and who is the supreme master of all masters of mystic power. We, on the other hand, have no such devotion for the Lord, although we have executed all these processes."

The offence of brahmanas resembles our position in this material world. In the course of performing various sadhanas in devotional service also, we forget the purpose of this devotional service is nothing but to become devotee of the Lord. To become devotee is not an easy task. We need to posses several qualities, one of which is compassionate to other living beings. Brahmanas though excelled in all processes, lacked this quality and hence, could not respond to the cowherd boys despite they telling the brahmanas that Lord Krishna sent them and wanted some food. On the contrary, the brahmanas wife, by simply hearing the glories of the Lord and description of His pastimes got themselves absorbed in His bhakti and attained highest position of being dear to Krishna. We conclude this offering by remembering the prayer offered by brahmanas in the end in SB 10.23.50

tasmai namo bhagavate kṛṣṇāyākuṇṭha-medhaseyan-māyā-mohita-dhiyo bhramāmaḥ karma-vartmasu

Let us offer our obeisances unto Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His intelligence is never bewildered, whereas we, confused by His power of illusion, are simply wandering about on the paths of fruitive work.




This is in continuation of the transcription of the nectarean class given by our beloved spiritual master, HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.5.13 on August 2nd, 1998 in Singapore. In the previous offering we heard from Maharaj:

1. The importance of the 5th Chapter, of 5th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.2. Purity leads to fearlessness.3. Transcendental knowledge is heart to heart process.4. Austerity leads to bliss.5. Respect austerity in everyone.6. Austerity pleases Krishna.


7. Don't ignore voluntary austerity: Organize your life in such a way that you don't ignore voluntary austerity. Voluntary austerity means that our quality of life should be such that nobody else should be able to direct us in any other way. If the quality is degraded, then immediately like poison, we should forsake such things and come to the right point. This is the main thing to be understood from Rshabhadev. Unless you relish this finer point and unless you really understand Rshabhadeva through His root, you will not be able to understand the 5th chapter. This is the main thing to be understood. If you want to understand the 5th Chapter, and whatever we have regarding the realization of Krishna, we will never go there unless we come to Krishna's appearance. Sutapa and Pṛśni performed so many austerities and then only He was pleased.

Dhruva Maharaj performed austerities for 6 months in the forest. Slowly he stopped eating. He stopped breathing also. As I told you earlier, we cannot copy these things in the modern age. But we should do to the best of our ability. Whatever austerities we can perform, we should never hesitate to. Otherwise these chapters are completely alien to us. Because we are different species there. Because they are fully austere and you are not at all austere. So how can you understand Jainism also? Srila Prabhupada told many times that we don't want to convert anybody. But we want to make them good in the same faith. That is the thing. The species should be same. In order to understand these facts, should we not try to follow Rshabhadeva's activities and His appearance and how He was qualified to instruct His sons? And if He can instruct His sons, should we not try to follow the same pattern like Rshabhadeva and try to improve ourselves and try to guide our dependents? This is what Prahlad Maharaj also did. How much austerity he had to undergo just to chant Krishna's names?





This is in continuation of the transcription of the nectarean class given by our beloved spiritual master, HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.5.13 on August 2nd, 1998 in Singapore. In the previous offering we heard from Maharaj

1. The importance of the 5th Chapter, of 5th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.2. Purity leads to fearlessness.3. Transcendental knowledge is heart to heart process.4. Austerity leads to bliss.5. Respect austerity in everyone.6. Austerity pleases Krishna.7. Don't ignore voluntary austerity.


8. Austerities cleanses our life: Here also you have to undergo so many austerities to chant Krishna's names. You can't do anything in open. Government does not allow people with saffron clothes here. Then police question as to why are you here, what is your identity etc. This is how the whole world is averse to these austerities. They don't want. They don't want and we also don't want it because we also shirk from these responsibilities. But Krishna is pleased with austerities. He thought He has given false promise to Sutapa and Prshni. So He wanted to correct it. So He said, "Not only will I appear once as Your son, but I will appear 3 times." And this is how again He selected Kashyapa and Aditi. As soon as He selected, then again they had to undergo so many austerities. So this austerity is not coming from Rshabhadeva only. But it is from the root. Otherwise how can He mention in Bhagavad Gita first that sattva samśuddhir is needed.

All our austerities, whatever fasts we do, how we wake up early in the morning at 4'o clock, whatever austerities we do, it is just to cleanse our life and still we are covered by modes in our life. That covering is very difficult to cut through. As soon as we stop going to Bhagavatam, as soon as we stop these activities, you are bound to glide down to the modes. As soon as you are gliding down to the modes, the whole austerity disappears. And we completely forget who we are, we completely ignore why we are in this miserable condition, We completely forget what is our duty even with all the knowledge available, readily available with us. We are daily reciting 2nd chapter of 1st Canto in which it is mentioned sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo. It is very clear and Prabhupada has time and again, time and again insisted that this is the whole Bhagavatam. Your existence should be purified and guided in this way, because the goal of existence is this. As soon as we come to this conclusion, then the modes may vanish for some time from our life. Please, it is very easy for me to say these things. But to put into practice, it is really difficult. If it had been that simple, then everybody would have taken it. But nobody could take it. Which means it appears very simple. Our philosophy appears to be very simple, but application is very difficult. And application requires the austerities again.




Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

This is in continuation of the transcription of the nectarean class given by our beloved spiritual master, HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.5.13 on August 2nd, 1998 in Singapore. In the previous offering we heard from Maharaj

1. The importance of the 5th Chapter, of 5th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.2. Purity leads to fearlessness.3. Transcendental knowledge is heart to heart process.4. Austerity leads to bliss.5. Respect austerity in everyone.6. Austerity pleases Krishna.7. Don't ignore voluntary austerity.8. Austerities cleanses our life.


9. Relish Austerity: Throughout Krishna has selected those people who were very austere as His parents. Otherwise He will not accept any layman as His father and mother. Why should He do that? Unless they are the same species, unless they are very elevated through the austerities, why should He accept? And because Krishna's appearance shows that He is accepting the most austere parents, the third time He came as the son of Devaki and Vasudev and we know how austere they were. In the prison so many times, so many children were killed and they had to face so many unknown difficulties and even then they didn't leave the lotus feet of the Lord. Kunti's example is in front of us. So many other devotees' examples are in front of us.This is how as soon as you understand Rshabhadev's appearance, then you can very well understand His instructions, because He is a powerful. Why is He powerful? Because He is austere. Otherwise, in this age, it is very easy to lose the faith. Very easy. That is like a natural way of life, in this atmosphere of Kaliyuga. It is surcharged with faithlessness. The easiest thing we may have in this world is to lose the faith, because it doesn't fit in our sense-gratificatory ideas. That is why we lose the faith.

What happens to you? You are soul. You are spiritual. This covering is very temporary. Whether you want to make it permanent or not is upto you. That is how these Egyptian rulers, they wanted to be permanent. So in their graves, pyramids, the mummies were kept, medicated and kept for years together. When the ruler was buried, the living servants and maid servants were also buried. To that extent, we love sense-gratification. Anything comes in between our sense-gratification, we throw it away. "Ah, this is not for me. I don't believe." Simply it is very easy to move your tongue. You are under the control of God. But you just forget about everything and simply don't do these things at all. Why? "I don't believe. My life-style does not fit in this". If we invite for these things they say, "Please forgive me. Sunday is for rest." And then they eat like hog, drinks like a pig and then again snore like a hog. Why? Because they relish that instead of relishing the austerities. It is very difficult to relish 4'o clock in the morning. I don't know how you people are relishing it along with your work. (Maharaj says very humbly) If I had been in your place, I would have slept up to midday on Sunday. And we are forcing you to get up early in the morning and again on top of that the whips are there. I am telling you so many things and you are tolerating it. This is the greatest austerity. And that is why we are able to understand Rshabhadev. Otherwise we will never understand Rshabhadeva.


Thank you very much.

Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,Sudarshana devi dasi.



This is in continuation of the transcription of the nectarean class given by our beloved spiritual master, HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.5.13 on August 2nd, 1998 in Singapore. In the previous offering we heard from Maharaj:

1. The importance of the 5th Chapter, of 5th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.2. Purity leads to fearlessness.3. Transcendental knowledge is heart to heart process.4. Austerity leads to bliss.5. Respect austerity in everyone.6. Austerity pleases Krishna.7. Don't ignore voluntary austerity.8. Austerities cleanses our life.9. Relish austerity.

10. Lack of austerity definitely leads to miseries: If you don't understand Nābhi, Rshabhadeva and their descendants, then what is the use of survival? There is no use at all. This is how we should go very submissively to the pages of Bhagavatam. And then only we will understand the equivalents given by Prabhupada, the translations very nicely given by Prabhupada. Unless we are austere we can't understand. On working days we are finishing the class bit early. Immediately after the mangala arati, you had to chant your rounds and later go to work also. But even then I want to hammer on this idea from the scriptures, that these are not our ideas. Nothing belongs to us. Everything belongs to Srila Prabhupada. He has forced open our eyes - cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena. unmīlitaṁ means forceful. I want to close my eyes. But He says, "Come on, come on, wake up". This is forceful opening of the eyes.

And as soon as your eyes are forcefully opened and you are told that, 'this is your way' and this is how you should study the scriptures, then for years together, may be after years of austerity, you may get something out of it. It is not a job that while running you just run through it and later forget about it and say, "I have read Bhagavatam for 10 times. Nothing goes in and I forget everything." Then eventually we forsake everything and completely ignore these things. And then come back from Rshabhadev, such a nice legacy we have, such a nice legacy we have, vedic culture with us, we are the hire-apparent of this Vedic culture and we are completely throwing away this diamond which we have in our hand and run to the glass pieces and then get miserable life in return. And without exception, as soon as you go away from this, you may become drunkard or whatever and you may end up in the trap of police department. I have heard that even here in Singapore big businessmen landed in jail and had to go to the court. Why? Because austerity is absent. Rshabhadev is completely absent from our life. When we come to this knowledge then we can understand these four verses (SB-5.5.10-13) nicely.





This is in continuation of the transcription of the nectarean class given by our beloved spiritual master, HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.5.13 on August 2nd, 1998 in Singapore. In the previous offerings we heard 10 points from Maharaj wherein Maharaj insisted upon the importance of austerity and how austere Rshabhadeva and His parents were. Maharaj then proceeded to meditate on the word to word equivalents of verses (SB 5.5.10-13). Let us continue to hear from Maharaj.

In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.5.10, Rshabhadev gives the following instructions to His sons.

haṁse gurau mayi bhaktyānuvṛtyāvitṛṣṇayā dvandva-titikṣayā casarvatra jantor vyasanāvagatyā

jijñāsayā tapasehā-nivṛttyā

O My sons, you should accept a highly elevated paramahaàsa, a spiritually advanced spiritual master. In this way, you should place your faith and love in Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You should detest sense gratification and tolerate the duality of pleasure and pain, which are like the seasonal changes of summer and winter. Try to realize the miserable condition of living entities, who are miserable even in the higher planetary systems. Philosophically inquire about the truth. Then undergo all kinds of austerities and penances for the sake of devotional service. Give up the endeavor for sense enjoyment and engage in the service of the Lord.

haṁse means swan-like. We have to become paramahaṁsā which means transcendental swan. We just try to understand that the quality of haṁsa is that, when it is given a cup of milk and water, it can sip only milk. And that is the quality to be imbibed by us. And then anuvrtyā means 'by following'. This is the most important thing. By following these haṁsa type of gurus, and what they do? 'bhaktyā mayi - devotional service unto the Supreme Lord'. They insist this to all. Anybody who insists apart from this, then he cannot be guru. That is the main thing to be understood. And that is why we can never commit the third offence. You can never commit the third offence, unless you deny the devotional service. That is when the third offence is there against the spiritual master - avajnā - disobedience of spiritual master. Even Bali Maharaj ignored his guru and Sukracharya was not an ordinary guru. He had the Sanjīvini mantra and he could revive even the dead persons. The demigods were killing all the demons. Then Sukracharya went to the battlefield and started chanting the mantras and the dead bodies started standing again alive as if nothing happened. So Bali Maharaj had such a powerful guru. Even Bali Maharaja was once killed by the demigods and Sukracharya gave him life because he was his guru. But as soon as Sukracharya deviated from 'bhaktyā mayi', then he was rejected by Bali Maharaj. This is the main thing.

As soon as we relish this, then we can proceed to see the three adjectives for those people who follow the devotional life.They are vitṛṣṇayā - meaning detachment from sense gratification, dvandva meaning dualities of the material world and titikṣayā meaning tolerance. And the third line is description of our own existence. It has a very nice word - avagatyā. avagatyā means realising. What are we realising? vyasan - We are realising vyasan. vyasan means miseries of the material world or the miserable condition of life. As soon as we realise this sarvatra - everywhere, then you come to Rshabhadev. Then you come to the devotional platform. Then you are ready to perform the austerities. Then exhaustive inquiries are there. The austerities are there and then comes ihā-nivṛttyā - giving up the endeavours for sense enjoyment. This is Rshabhadeva.



This is in continuation of the transcription of the nectarean class given by our beloved spiritual master, HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.5.13 on August 2nd, 1998 in Singapore. In the previous offerings we heard from Maharaj about the importance of austerity and how austere Rshabhadeva and His parents were. Maharaj also explained the meaning of verse 5.5.10 of Srimad Bhagavatam. Let us continue to hear more nectar about this verse from Maharaj.

Rshabhadeva always insists vitṛṣṇayā - detachment from sense gratification. He mentioned it in the second line of the verse (SB 5.5.10). And then He thought that, 'I didn't really insist on this enough'. So again in fourth line, He mentions, 'iha nivrttya' - that you have to nivṛtta - nivṛtta word means 'retire' and iha means 'sense gratificatory pursuit'. This is our legacy. This is our Vedic culture and whatever you voluntarily accept, it will be beneficial to you. This is the first thing to be understood. In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.5.11 He says,

mat-karmabhir mat-kathayā ca nityaṁmad-deva-saṅgād guṇa-kīrtanān me

nirvaira-sāmyopaśamena putrājihāsayā deha-gehātma-buddheḥ

Engage in the service of the Lord. Listen to discussions about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and always associate with devotees. Chant about and glorify the Supreme Lord, and look upon everyone equally on the spiritual platform. Give up enmity and subdue anger and lamentation. Abandon identifying the self with the body and the home.

Now He directs us how to develop our devotional life. Two things He has given in the first line of the verse. mat-karmabhir means 'working for Me' and mat-kathayā - always kathā - 'always My topics', nityaṁ He says. We have already learnt nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. In the second line He instructs about mad deva sangāt - associate with devotees and then guṇa kirtanāt -chant and glorify the Supreme Lord. The result will be nirvaira. nirvaira means no enmity. So we will be without enmity with everybody. We will be equally disposed with everyone. And then upaśamena. upaśamena means abandoning anger. This is the main thing we have to learn. Please we have to learn this hard. Else we will have to learn it the hard way. We have seen so many angry living entities and they are all left alone in the end. All the sins develop from this anger. Then deha gehātma-buddheḥ - which means abandoning identifying ourselves with body and the home.





This is in continuation of the transcription of the nectarean class given by our beloved spiritual master, HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.5.13 on August 2nd, 1998 in Singapore. In the previous offerings we heard from Maharaj about the importance of austerity and how austere Rshabhadeva and His parents were. Maharaj also explained the meaning of verse 5.5.10 and 11 of Srimad Bhagavatam. Let us continue to hear more nectar about the next verse from Maharaj.

adhyātma-yogena vivikta-sevayāprāṇendriyātmābhijayena sadhryak

sac-chraddhayā brahmacaryeṇa śaśvadasampramādena yamena vācām

Practice reading the revealed scriptures. Live in a secluded place and practice the process by which you can completely control your life air, mind and senses. Have full faith in the revealed scriptures, the Vedic literatures, and always observe celibacy. Perform your prescribed duties and avoid unnecessary talks.

In this verse the word vivikta sevayā is very important. vivikta sevayā means living in a solitary place. Those who perform austerity, they love solitary places because there is less disturbances. They love to go away from the modern metropolis. Modern metropolis is all sense gratification. And our way is completely opposite to this. And that is why always Prabhupada insisted that we are swimming against the current. River is flowing in one direction and we want to go against the current. And if we want to go against the current, then continuous endeavour is required. As soon as you stop, you glide down. This is Rshabhadev. Why vivikta sevayā? Why? To study the revealed scriptures - adhyātma-yogena. This is the main thing and there is no end to study. Nobody can claim that, 'I have studied everything'. We may study very hard and at the end of the day we will feel that, 'Ah, I didn't know anything really'.

It is like examination. You study very hard for the examination. You work very hard. But when you go to the examination hall, whatever you studied completely vanishes from the mind and you think, "What am I going to write?" Somehow or the other Krishna comes to your help and He dictates you, when you write the answer paper. Otherwise, we don't have any capacity. Therein also we have to be very austere. So many austerity is required to learn everything. And when you go to the examination hall, you forget everything. And somehow or the other by Krishna's mercy as if everything is cribbing up, from unconscious thing, we write everything and to our surprise we may get through. This is how, please try to understand these things. And this is adhyātmic study. It is much more powerful than the ordinary studies. Then Rshabhadeva insists on prāṇendriyātmābhijayena sadhryak - controlling life-air, mind and senses. sac-chraddhayā brahmacaryeṇa śaśvad - approaching the scriptures with faith and observing celibacy. Then in the last line He says asampramādena yamena vācām - control your vācā - This is the main thing.





This is in continuation of the transcription of the nectarean class given by our beloved spiritual master, HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.5.13 on August 2nd, 1998 in Singapore. In the previous offerings we heard from Maharaj about the importance of austerity and how austere Rshabhadeva and His parents were. Maharaj also explained the meaning of verse 5.5.10 through 12 of Srimad Bhagavatam. Let us continue to hear more nectar about the next verse from Maharaj.




Again Rshabhadeva says - sarvatra - everywhere; mad bhāva-vicakṣaṇena - mad bhāva means 'thinking of Me' and vicakṣaṇena means 'by observing'. This is same as the Bhagavad Gita verse bahūnāṁ janmanām antejñānavān māṁ prapadyate vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. The same idea is reflected here. Our bhāva at the moment, unnaturally runs towards the material sense gratification. So that bhāva has to be controlled. We should habituate ourselves to vicakshanena - observing Krishna in every situation. Then jñānena - by development of knowledge, vijñāna-virājitena - by practical application of knowledge. This is Srila Prabhupada's gift. Otherwise so many other translations are there. But nobody refers to this by practical application. They may put on tilak and dhoti. Everything they do. But there is no practical application of the knowledge which we have obtained from Srila Prabhupada's books. That is why Srila Prabhupada not only gave the philosophy to the world, but He also established the communities like this. Here you don't have a temple. But even then you are a temple community.

That is the beauty of it. We don't have any place. But we are a temple community. This community is completely different from the ordinary communities. Other people also establish clubs etc. Yesterday one devotee was telling me how thousands and thousands of dollars are wasted to become a member and they have to stand in a queue, and they have to be qualified to join the club. The missing point is the practical application of knowledge.

These verses are very beautiful. You should frame it and put in your bedroom or wherever you are sitting always. We are always taking rest in bed-room. So you should put them there, so that as soon as you get up, you see it there. If you put them outside, then people who are coming to your home will also see and then they will be liberated. If you don't read those verses, then you will be entangled. (laughter) Prabhupada is very genuine. He has beautifully translated virājitena as illumined. We are illuminated by this knowledge. And who does not want to be illuminated? Do you want to have a monkey face? No. Nobody wants. We want a very nice face. But we don't follow these practical applications. That is why, our health is bad and we have so many problems. As soon as we are engaged in these then there is no worry at all, no worry, no worry. Please, please.

Krishna willing we will continue to relish more nectar from Maharaj in the subsequent offerings.

Thank you very much.Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,

Sudarshana devi dasi.



This is in continuation of the transcription of the nectarean class given by our beloved spiritual master, HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.5.13 on August 2nd, 1998 in Singapore. In the previous offerings we heard from Maharaj about the importance of austerity and how austere Rshabhadeva and His parents were. Maharaj also explained the meaning of verse 5.5.10 through 13 of Srimad Bhagavatam. Let us continue to hear more nectar about the verse SB 5.5.13 from Maharaj.

Please forget all your worries and be prasannatma. brahma bhuta prasannatma na shochati na kaankshati. samah sarveshu bhuteshu mad bhaktim labhate paraam. Nice verse from Bhagavad Gita. Just see how many verses from Bhagavatam support this. You should take only these four verses and try to collect all the support from all over Bhagavatam and all over Bhagavad Gita and you will know all the scriptures. And you will know Bhagavatam, you will know Bhagavad Gita, you will study Caitanya Caritamrta, all the upanishads. Please try to touch Prabhupada's books first so that we get habituated to know what it requires. And He really translates it very nice. Development of knowledge, if it is without vijnaana, practical application, then it is useless - mogham paartha sa jivati. Again in Bhagavad Gita, Krishna uses mogham word 4 times in one verse (BG 9.12)

moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥrākṣasīm āsurīṁ caiva prakṛtiṁ mohinīṁ śritāḥ

In first line He uses mogha word 3 times. Our hopes are all backward. Why? We don't come to Rshabhadeva. Austere life is completely absent. And so whatever āśā we cultivate, it is completely gone. Then mogha jñānā - our knowledge is completely backward because knowledge is completely on the mental platform. We don't want to have spiritual touch at all. Because we lose our spiritual touch, wherever we go it is parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ - we become ignorant and parābhava - again and again in material life, we are defeated. The reason of the defeat is the absence of spiritual austerities. That we don't understand. Otherwise, as soon as you go to the austerities, then there cannot be any parābhava. Even the parābhava will be relishable, if we are situated in transcendental platform. Try to understand this line at least - sarvatra mad bhāva vicakṣanena - 'observing Me everywhere and by knowledge'. We don't have blind faith. That is Prabhupada's gift. We were following these things, but blindly. We didn't understand. And we had so many doubts and inquiries and nobody were able to answer it. And here Prabhupada is making everything clear. The verse, word to word equivalents are ready and the whole practical application is also ready. But we hesitate. In English there is a beautiful saying that you can bring horse to the water. But you cannot force him to drink. When are you coming back to austerities through Rshabhadeva? Why are we ignoring Rshabhadev? It is our legacy. We are very fortunate to be in the code of Rshabhadev. This is to be learnt.

Krishna willing, we will continue to relish more nectar from Maharaj in the subsequent offerings.








jñānena vijñāna-virājitena - virājitena is so nicely translated by Prabhupada has illumined. He has given us everything. Please chant these verses daily. But don't make it a ritual to chant. Try to understand the meaning word-to-word. Then we go to the third line of the verse - yogena dhṛty-udyama-sattva-yukto. yogena means by 'practice of bhakti yoga'. We are doing mangala arati, morning program, evening program and that is yogena. Then dhrti means 'patience'. This is the most important thing. You know when we are admitted to the hospital, we are patients. Doctor cuts you and takes your blood and he says, "Hey don't shout. You are patient." (laughter) We don't understand the meaning of the word 'patient'. Whatever doctors do, we have to tolerate. They cut your legs and say 'be patient'. How to tolerate? But there you tolerate. That is why you are called patient. They do anything and everything - changing of intestines and liver and what not? Big intestine goes inside so that food gets digested nicely! Everything we tolerate. But as soon as it comes to spiritual knowledge or voluntary austerity, we don't tolerate. We say, "Ah, you told me like this. How do you expect me to tolerate?" (laughter) And then we have bhūtānāṁ yan mithaḥ kaliḥ - As soon as the bhūtās, they come together, all the ghosts come together, because you are not with Krishna, you are ghost - bhūta. And it is very nice line - bhūtānāṁ yan mithaḥ kaliḥ. When the ghosts meet, what is going to come up? Each other beating and killing and what not? Then again disappearing - this is bhūtās. But dhṛti is needed.

And then next word is udyama - enthusiastic. We are not enthusiastic at all. I don't know in what we are enthusiastic. Anywhere we are not enthusiastic. We do our material activities with half-heart. Therein the boss cries and you scream. And nothing happens, because there is no enthusiasm. You do not know why for he is crying and he doesn't know why for you are screaming and everybody is screaming, because the enthusiasm is completely absent. In house also there are long faces, short faces and what not? There are different styles of hair-styles. Somebody in dhoti and somebody in trousers. So many disparities and when they come together, they blame -"You did this", "You did this" and neighbors also enjoy this music. (laughter).

Krishna willing, we will continue to relish more nectar from Maharaj on the third line of the above verse in the subsequent offerings.








yogena dhṛty-udyama-sattva-yukto - sattva means discretion and yuktaḥ means endowed with. How nicely Prabhupada has translated this word sattva as 'discretion'! We have to have the discretion as to what is to be taken and what is to be forsaken. If you don't come to this platform, then your life is completely gone. How powerful are these words! By practice of bhakti-yoga, be patient. Bhakti yoga cannot give you result. But it can give you one result immediately, that is you are completely satisfied, bliss is there. It is not only satisfaction. But it is complete bliss. In any difficulty, we don't budge and this quality we can see in the eldest person in our family. You know grand-father sees that you are all in difficulties. Even then he doesn't budge, because he knows that these are all āgamāpayino 'nityās and it will go also. This is dhṛti. Otherwise if you are not patient in the difficulties, if the patience is not there, then the difficulties will multiply. But if you are patient, then nothing will come. At least the difficulty will not magnify. In order to try to maintain the difficulty in the same state, we have to cultivate this dhṛti. Then enthusiasm should be there.

In family also when we are in difficult position, we always tell, "What can be done? It is His wish." That's it and the burden goes to Him. Just point up the finger to Him and it is like a electric rod. All the difficulties go to Him and we will be completely free. But we don't want to point up and that is why we suffer. (laughter) This is the main thing to be understood. As soon as we come to Him, there is enthusiasm also, because we have a firm support. We really look for the shelters, different shelters. And till our parents are alive, we are like a kid, because we have somebody to fall on. This is how they support you all the while. They support you all the while. But our modern culture shuns the old people and they suffer. Please, please try to follow these instructions.

Krishna willing, we will continue to relish more nectar from Maharaj in the subsequent offering.




This is in conclusion of the transcription of the nectarean, wonderful, thought provoking class given by our beloved spiritual master, HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 5.5.13 on August 2nd, 1998 in Singapore. In the previous offerings we heard from Maharaj about the importance of austerity and how austere Rshabhadeva and His parents were. Maharaj also explained the meaning of verse 5.5.10 through 13 of Srimad Bhagavatam. Let us continue to hear more nectar about the verse SB 5.5.13 from Maharaj.




Verses like this should be printed. Whichever verse you discuss, please xerox it and try to distribute to the hearers, so that they have something to take home. Every time you should make an impact on the hearers. And how to make impact? Not by artificial means, by your clothes or shaving etc. (laughter) No, no, no. Don't follow the artificial impacts. Follow the genuine impacts. If you understand the verse that you are discussing, then you will be able to explain. Nobody should sit on the Vyasasan without preparation. Never. Bhakti Siddantha Saraswati Maharaj has told us that if you want to preach for 1 hour, you should study for 2 hours. And the leader should see for the papers in their (speaker's) hands, whether they have studied or not. Please, please without study, don't make a mockery of the Vyasasan. Otherwise you will speak completely non-sense. And may be hearers will not feel like hearing and next time they will not be coming. That is the main thing to be understood. You please prepare yourself, go into the verse, realise it yourself, try to learn the verse if possible, the verse which you are discussing and then that verse will instruct you very nicely. Then as soon as you realise, then that realisation will be appreciated by the hearers. Otherwise what we have? We don't have anything. Why should we open our mouth? It is better to keep mum and just eat prasadam. Please, please, please.

So in this line yogena dhṛty-udyama-sattva-yukto - dhrty means tolerance, udyama means enthusiasm, sattva is translated as discretion. sattva means purification. General meaning is purification. But this is how Prabhupada directs us through the equivalents. How nicely he has translated it as 'discretion'. I will never translate this word like this. Please try to see Srila Prabhupada here. And you should have this quality sattva yukto, 'endowed with discretion'. Then we go to the last line, 'liṅgaṁ vyapohet kuśalo ’ham-ākhyam'. lingam means the cause of the material bondage. Lingam originally means the body. And the body is the cause of the material bondage. Because we have body, we are always in ignorance at the time of sleep. Every time you have to forsake it. So as soon as you get up, you must chant Mahamantra. This is how you get out of ignorance immediately. Otherwise like a hog we are sleeping, like a dog we are getting up and we don't know what is happening. This is lingam. vyapohet means 'one can give up'.kuśalaḥ means 'in full auspiciousness'. aham-ākhyam means 'false-ego', 'false identification with the material world'. Please try to meditate on these. And these 4 verses, if you can support them from Bhagavad Gita it will be nice. For example you take the word dhrti - patience. If you search for that in your computers, then you get so many references. So just think how much you can write for one word, how much you can realise for one word! And there are so many words full of these four verses. Please chant these verses nicely. Hare Krishna. Jai Srila Prabhupada ki Jai !

Srila Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj ki Jai! Any amount of thanks will always be less for the priceless, sublime instructions given by Maharaj. We pray at the lotus feet of Srila Gurudeva, Srila Prabhupada and Lord Rshabhadeva that we just not stop with writing, but also remember to put into practice the instructions given by them.


Renunciation in Practice - Part 1

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,Dandavat pranams. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

Few days ago, we listened to one of nectarean Bhagavad Gita class (Gita verse 5.6) given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj. Listening to Maharajji's lecture in the association of devotees is almost identical to listening to Maharajji live and its so inspiring and revealing as the real understanding comes easily. It was as if Maharajji was present, scolding us for not reciting Gita properly, for being supremely lazy, unclean and having obnoxious behavior, and through his class Maharajji was leading us out of miserable material existence towards everlasting happiness.

sannyāsas tu mahā-bāho duḥkham āptum ayogataḥyoga-yukto munir brahma na cireṇādhigacchati

Merely renouncing all activities yet not engaging in the devotional service of the Lord cannot make one happy. But a thoughtful person engaged in devotional service can achieve the Supreme without delay.

Maharajji nicely explained the verse by going through the equivalents, translation and purport. First of all, Maharajji emphasized the importance of reciting the Gita verses properly and being very well versed in Gita. Then he went on to explain what is sannyas. Following is a humble effort to list down few of pearls of wisdom from that class.

1. Sannyas does not just mean the last order of life. Sannyas means being in devotional service.2. Sannyas means leaving the desire for watching TV, partying, acquiring riches to satisfy different lusty desires, etc.3. When we have money wild desires take birth in us and then we run around trying to pursue those desires like eating meat, drinking, etc. We have to uproot these lusty desires because they are sources of misery. Desirable objects should not be unnecessarily pursued. We want money however money leads to misery Money should be utilized in the service of Krishna. Too much pursuit of money destroys our spiritual pursuits. Whatever helps to remember the transcendence is welcome.4. Get up early in the morning. Do NOT listen to the mind. Early to bed, early to rise is the way to be healthy, wealthy and wise.5. Srila Prabhupada has saved us by giving such nice shastra's. Srila Prabhupada woke up at 1 am every day to write these literature for our benefit. He wanted to meditate on each word of the scriptures. Does it not befit us at least read his literature?6. When we leave the association of Krishna disease catches us. Nowadays in cities there are hospitals in every corner. Previously there used to be temples in every corner. Because we have left the association of Krishna, disease catches us.7. We should lead pure life. Then we can be peaceful closer to nature and away from artificial necessities. No electricity, no TV, no remarriage. Life force must be completely clear. The blockages of heart can be cleared by chanting and leading a pure life.

Krishna willing we shall continue to hear other points from Maharaj in the subsequent offering.

Thank you very much.Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,Manohar Krishna dasMinneapolis.

Renunciation in Practice - Part 2

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.

This is in continuation of the topic 'Renunication in Practice' wherein we were listing out few pearls of wisdom from the nectarean Bhagavad Gita class given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on Gita verse 5.6. In this previous offering we saw 7 points. Now we shall continue with the remaining points from the class.

8. Bad health is not because body is wrong, but because our mind is not clean.

9. Control your mind. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18) Just like Ambarish Maharaj, engage all your senses in Krishna's service all the time.

10. Don't try to control other's mind, control your mind first.

11. Please understand sannyasa. Without devotional service, sannyasa is useless. ayogataḥ is useless. Acceptance of service unto Krishna will make our life useful.

12. Why are we hesitating? We are hesitating because we are Supreme Lazy (SL). Our priority should be to get out of Birth, Death, Old age and Disease - (BDOD).

13. Please PRAY so that we are not victimized by the material nature.

14. Again and again we have to wash ourselves. Dirt implies more misery. Cleanliness will lead to happiness.

15. Our behavior should be clean, currently it is very obnoxious.

16. Be genuine. Come and perform service to Krishna.

BG 18.2sri bhagavaan uvaaca

kāmyānāṁ karmaṇāṁ nyāsaṁ sannyāsaṁ kavayo viduḥsarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṁ prāhus tyāgaṁ vicakṣaṇāḥ

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The giving up of activities that are based on material desire is what great learned men call the renounced order of life [sannyāsa]. And giving up the results of all activities is what the wise call renunciation [tyāga].

17. When you come to a devotional satsang program, there is a bit of renouncement in that as well since you are renouncing some of your time for the Lord.

18. Just like we mow the grass, we have to clean our material desires. However the material desires, like grass, keeps growing. So we need to uproot these desires by the intense desire of devotional service.

19. Without understanding sannyasa, you cannot move an inch in devotional service.

I pray unto the lotus feet of my beloved Maharajji, Srila Prabhupada and all the Vaishnavas to kindly engage me in unmotivated, uninterrupted and enthusiastic devotional service and help me curb the material desires that rise like waves in the ocean, high and dangerous enough to drown me in the ocean of miseries.

Thank you very much.Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,Manohar Krishna dasMinneapolis.

Way to Brahma-bhuta stage


When our thoughts, mind, words and action are all engaged in the service of the Lord, then we can attain the perfect stage of realisation of Supreme Absolute Truth, Krishna. That stage is called brahma bhūta stage. In Bhagavad Gita verse 18.53 Lord very nicely gives us the list of qualities which we need to imbibe to attain that stage. He says, "Being purified by his intelligence and controlling the mind with determination, giving up the objects of sense gratification, being freed from attachment and hatred, one who lives in a secluded place, who eats little, who controls his body, mind and power of speech, who is always in trance and who is detached, free from false ego, false strength, false pride, lust, anger, and acceptance of material things, free from false proprietorship, and peaceful - such a person is certainly elevated to the position of self-realization." He further says in verse 18.54,

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣatisamaḥ 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.

So we find three important symptoms for a person in brahma-bhūta stage

1) Fully joyful2) Never laments or desires for anything3) Equally disposed to all

But unfortunately in this material world we are always afflicted by miseries and elated in happiness. It becomes very difficult for us to see everyone equally. How to get rid of these material contaminations? Let us try to meditate on few of the qualities of devotees and Supreme Lord from the pages of Srimad Bhagavatam and learn from them the way to attain this stage.

a. Ambarish Maharaj: Even when Durvasa Muni cursed him for a very very insignificant offence, he didn't get offended. When demon sent by Durvasa was about to kill him, he did not budge even a bit. He did not lament for his position, nor did he become elated and proud when Durvasa Muni later came and asked for forgivance. Secret for his success in devotional service is his unflinching service to the Lord. Inspite of being king of the whole world, he engaged all his senses joyfully in service of the Lord all the time and he treated his well-wishers, the demon and Durvasa Muni everyone equally.

b. Lord Ram: Lord Ram is known as Maryada Purushottama. When Lord appeared on the earth as Rama, by His personal behaviour He showed how a son should behave, how a king should behave. Even when he was deprived of his rightful position of becoming the next king, He remained unmoved. He in fact joyfully abided by the orders of His step-mother Kaikeyi in order to keep the vow of His father. He did not have any bad-feelings for Kaikeyi and showed equal respects to both His mother and step-mother.

c. Samika Rshi and Parikshit Maharaj: When son of Samika Rshi, Shrngi cursed Parikshit Maharaj for putting dead snake on the neck of his father, Pariskhit Maharaj did not counteract. He accepted it as right punishment for his act. When Samika rshi came out of trance and heard that his son Shrngi had cursed Parikshit Maharaj, he did not take any offence on Parikshit Maharaj. Instead he advised his son that he should not have cursed Parikshit Maharaj for that

insignificant act. After the incident both Shamika Muni and Parikshit Maharaj continue to joyfully engage in devotional service to Supreme Lord. They didn't lament for their position and had nice respect for each other.

In all the above cases we find that these great Mahatmas did not take offence when they were troubled by others. They saw the hand of Krishna in everything and engaged in serving the Lord. As a result they were able to be in brahma-bhūta stage. For us most of the time, we waste our time, energy and valuable human life because we get easily offended by anything and everything as our goal is to satisfy our senses and not the Supreme. How to get rid of these impurities? Srila Prabhupada says that "When one hears about the Supreme Lord, automatically the brahma-bhūta stage develops, and material contamination - greediness and lust for sense enjoyment - disappears. As lust and desires disappear from the heart of a devotee, he becomes more attached to the service of the Lord, and by such attachment he becomes free from material contamination. In that state of life he can understand the Supreme Lord."

Hearing is the most important process in devotional service and that is why out of the nine process of devotional service 'śravanaṁ' stands at the front. We cannot understand God just by erudite scholarship or mental speculation or university degree, but only by devotional service. So let us therefore, try to hear and practice devotional service more seriously to attain this wonderful stage of brahma-bhūta by the mercy of Guru, Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha Krishna.

Thank you very much.Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,Shyamsundar dasVrindavan.

Uninterrupted Service to Spiritual Master


In Srimad Bhagavatam 10.80.43, Lord Krishna personally tells His friend Sudama, 'guror anugraheṇaiva pumān pūrṇaḥ praśāntaye' - "Simply by the grace of the spiritual master a person can fulfill life's purpose and attain eternal peace."

In Ramayana we have the classic example of Shabari, who is an embodiment of unassuming devotion at the lotus feet of her spiritual master. Shabari belonged to the forest tribe and she became an ascetic and she served in the ashrama of Matanga muni. Shabari served for long Rishi Matanga in his ashram near Rishyamuka, and when he was ascending to heaven, he bade his disciple to await the advent of Sri Rama who would come to her, bless her, and fulfill her tapas. Shabari continued her tasks at the ashram, keeping it ready for Sri Rama's arrival. She woke up every day, wondering if this would be the day Sri Rama would arrive. After completing her chores, she would make the place ready for Sri Rama's arrival, and collect fruits and berries for Him to eat if He did come. She spent hours removing the thorns from the bushes along the path and the stones on the path, so that her beloved Lord wouldn't be hurt. Thus, Shabari spent many years waiting for her Lord who was on His way to her abode. On being informed about Shabari's long wait for Lord Rama by the Kabandha demon, Sri Rama and Sri Lakshmana, moved towards Mount Rishyamuka.

One look at her made Sri Rama realise that Shabari had attained the highest stage of spiritual ripeness. She honored the guests by bathing Their feet and she offered every form of hospitality. Sri Rama then appropriately made the following enquiries.

Srimad Valmiki Ramayana 3.74.8-9kaccit te nirjitā vighnāḥ kaccit te vardhate tapaḥ

kaccit te niyataḥ kopa āhāraḥ ca tapodhanekaccit te niyamāḥ prāptāḥ kaccit te manasaḥ sukham

kaccit te guru śuśrūṣā saphalā cāru bhāṣiṇi

Sri Rama inquires: Have all impediments to the practice of your austerities been thoroughly overcome by you? Is your austerity steadily growing? Has anger been fully controlled by you as well as your diet, O lady with penance as your wealth? Are all the regulative principles being completely observed and has satisfaction come to your mind? Has your service to your spiritual master borne fruit, O lady of pleasing speech?

These are the right enquiries to be placed before a person who is endeavoring for spiritual perfection. The last question of whether guru śuśrūṣā (service to the instructions of the spiritual master) is being properly executed is the basis for all the other attainments. If we strictly follow the instructions of the spiritual master, then all the regulative principles will be properly observed, thus leading to satisfaction in the mind. This would include regulation in our eating thus leading to control of anger, lust and greed. This enables us to follow the austerities steadily since all the impediments to performing austerities will be automatically mitigated.

To these proper inquiries, Shabari replied that today has the fruition of my austerities been attained by me through Your blessed darshan. Today my birth as a human being has borne fruit and my elders have been duly adored. I have been instructed by my spiritual master that, "Sri Rama will come to this pious hermitage along with Lakshmana. You extend hospitality to the guests and receive Them with due reverence. You will reach the inexhaustible world after meeting Him".

Thus Shabari had been waiting for the Lord, since it was the instruction of her spiritual master. With great patience (dhrti) and without losing enthusiasm (udyama), she had been arranging things everyday to receive the Lord. It is our experience that when some guest tells us that they will come to our place, we make all the arrangements and if they do not turn up, we feel very disappointed. If the second time and a few subsequent times also they do not turn up at the time they were supposed to come, then we become greatly frustrated and we stop making arrangements even if they call and tell us that they are coming. But here we see that every day without fail and without getting frustrated, Shabari was making arrangements to welcome the Lord. That is why Maharaj says that Krishna comes three times in our life and hence we should never disrespect any living entity because we do not know in which form the Lord comes.

After having received all the hospitality, Lord Rama expressed His desire to go around the hermitage where the sages had performed austerities. Shabari showed them the sacrificial altars, the bark clothes worn by them, the flowers they had arranged and the seas where they had taken bath. Lord Rama was so pleased to go around all these places and he felt great auspiciousness. If the Lord feels so much excited to have darshan of the articles used by the sages and the places frequented by them, how much more we should feel blessed to visit the places of our spiritual masters?

Then Shabari said, "With your permission I would like to give up this body. I long to approach my spiritual master and the sages whom I served and to whom this hermitage belongs. Hearing the most pious submission of Shabari, Shri Rama together with Lakshmana experienced incomparable exultation and said, "Wonderful!" With the permission of the lord, she cast herself into fire to leave her body. As the old and emaciated lady wearing rags entered the fire, she was transformed into a beautiful young woman wearing silken cloth and many ornaments. In this form, she gained deliverance at the hands of the lord, as sage Matanga had foretold, and joined her spiritual master to continue her services.

Here we are reminded of Prahlada Maharaja's submission before Lord Narasimha dev in Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.28 "My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, because of my association with material desires, one after another, I was gradually falling into a blind well full of snakes, following the general populace. But Your servant Narada Muni kindly accepted me as his disciple and instructed me how to achieve this transcendental position. Therefore, my first duty is to serve him. How could I leave his service?" Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport, "Even though Prahlada Maharaja was directly offered all the benedictions he might have desired, he refused to accept such offerings from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. On the contrary, he asked the Lord to engage him in the service of His servant Narada Muni. This is the symptom of a pure devotee."

Let us learn from these great souls and pray to develop undeviated love at the lotus feet of our spiritual master because that alone is the perfection of our life.

Thank you very much.Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev,Vaijayantimala devi dasiAbu Dhabi.

Lust Leads to Destruction - Part 3


This is in continuation of the topic, "Lust leads to Destruction" wherein we were meditating on verse 3.14.16 of Srimad Bhagavatam. This verse is spoken by Maitreya Muni to Vidura Mahatma when he is narrating to him about the pastimes which occured before the appearance of Lord Varaha. He says to Vidura how Diti when afflicted by lust insisted her husband Kashyapa Muni to unite with her, though it was inauspicious time for unison.

iti tāṁ vīra mārīcaḥ kṛpaṇāṁ bahu-bhāṣiṇīmpratyāhānunayan vācā pravṛddhānaṅga-kaśmalām

O hero [Vidura], Diti, being thus afflicted by the contamination of lust, and therefore poor and talkative, was pacified by the son of Marici in suitable words.

In the previous offerings on this topic we saw the below points.

1. Lust is the root cause of all our sins and it leads to anger.2. Specifically in the above verse Maitreya Muni describes about two effects of lust.

i) kṛpaṇāii) bahu-bhāṣiṇī

The result of being kṛpaṇā is that we become selfish and we don't think about others. So when we stop keeping ourselves in the center and lead a Krishna-centric life, then we will be able to overcome this kṛpaṇā mentality. In this offering we shall see the next effect of lust.

ii) bahu-bhāṣiṇīm: In Bhagavad Gita verses 2.62 and 63 Krishna very nicely explains us how lust develops and what are the ill-effects caused by it. He says, "While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises. From anger, complete delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool." So lust leads to anger, delusion, bewilderment of memory and intelligence. And in that state, we forget ourselves as servants of the Lord and we tend to think ourselves as master. The result of such kṛpaṇā thinking would lead the intelligence to find out arguments in favour of our mentality. The result of such mentality is that we justify all our actions and behaviour with logical reasoning and understanding and consequence of such behaviour will lead to becoming bahu-bhāṣiṇīm Duryodhana is also another perfect example of this mentality and the result was catastrophic for the entire Kuru dynasty. Similarly the result of Diti Mata's behaviour resulted in two demons Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu. But once she heard from Kashyapa muni that she will have demons in her womb, she sincerely repented for her behaviour and action in the later verses. But we as conditioned souls continue with our kṛpaṇā mentality and we justify our actions with so much of logic in devotional service. This is the reason for our downfall of our bhakti and we cannot blame anyone for our fall down. The biggest challenge in devotional service is that we will not even realize that we have fallen away from devotional service, because our mind will cover our constitutional position of the soul - ātma-moṣam.

When we have krpana mentality and bahu-bhāṣiṇī then the result is that we do third offence of disobeying the spiritual master. Our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj says that only when we deny devotional service, we will commit that offence of disobeying spiritual master. When we deny devotional service, material miseries are waiting at the door to pounce upon us. Instead of being attacked by the material miseries, the best way to

come out of this krpana mentality and bahu-bhāṣiṇī is to realize like Diti mata and sincerely repent for our bad attitude and improve our behaviour. The progress of such sincere repentance will invoke the mercy of spiritual master and the Lord and that is the assurance of our progress in our devotional service. (ātapyamāna-hṛdaye ’vasitaṁ namāmi)

Krishna willing we will continue to learn more lessons from this pastime in the subsequent offerings.

Thank you very much.Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,Sajjana Priya Krishna dasAbu Dhabi.

The Glorious Damodara - Part 1

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Gurudeva.

Now we are in the auspicious month of Kartika when the Lord was bound by His mother Yashoda. This wonderful pastime of the Lord conveys many instructions and glories of the Lord and meditating on this pastime purifies us very much. Because the Lord was bound by Mother Yashoda, He got the name 'Damodara'. In the scriptures we see that the Lord is called Damodara for many reasons. We will try to meditate on the meaning of the name "Damodara" in this series of offerings.

1. dāmnā udare baddha iti dāmodaraḥ - One who was tied around His waist with a rope.2. udare dāmani asya iti dāmodaraḥ - One who has all the worlds in His belly.3. dāmāt dāmodaram viduḥ - One who give happiness (dāma) to the gods.4. dāmāt dāmodaram viduḥ - One who is attained by purification which requires control of the senses (dāma). 5. dāmodara sahaḥ - One who is unlimitedly tolerant.

In this pastime of Damodara lila, once when Lord Krishna was fed by His mother Yashoda, mother Yashoda had to leave Lord Krishna to attend the pot of milk which was boiling in the oven. Lord Krishna became angry because His drinking of milk was disturbed and hence started breaking the pots of butter and started distributing it to the monkeys. Mother Yashoda became upset with this act and hence decided to bind the Lord so that He cannot commit anymore mischief. And the whole pastime talks about how Mother Yashoda was able to bind the Lord who is unbounded in time, space and attributes. Duryodhana wanted to bind the Lord by military power and He failed. Dhrtarashtra wanted to bind the Lord by giving lot of material things and he also failed. But Mother Yashoda was able to bind the Lord by her pure love and not the rope and hence she was successful. This is brought out in the Damodarashtakam prayers as follows.

rudantam muhur netra-yugmam mṛjantamkarāmbhoja-yugmena sātańka-netram

muhuḥ śvāsa-kampa-trirekhāńka-kaṇṭha-sthita-graivam dāmodaram bhakti-baddham

Seeing the whipping stick in His mother's hand, He is crying and rubbing His eyes again and again with His two lotus hands. His eyes are filled with fear, and the necklace of pearls around His neck, which is marked with three lines like a conch shell, is shaking because of His quick breathing due to crying. To this Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara, whose belly is bound not with ropes but with His mother's pure love,I offer my humble obeisances.

This pastime earned the Lord the name 'Damodara' as confirmed in the Hari Vamsa as follows.

sa ca tenaiva nāmnā tu kṛṣṇo vai dāma-bandhanātgoṣṭhe dāmodara iti gopībhiḥ parigīyate

Because of being bound with rope (dāma) (on the belly [udara]), in Vraja, Krishna was called Damodara by cowherd women (Gopi). (Hari Vamsa 2-7-36)

According to Vedanta, one gets result in the same way one worships the Lord. If one meditates on the Lord as abode of all opulence, one becomes blessed with opulence. If one meditates on the Lord as destroyer of evil forces, one's enemies are destroyed. If one worships the Lord as most famous, then he gains reputation. However, when we observe

the Lord's appearance and activities, the whole principle is reversed. By understanding the Lord's many many births, we become free from repeated birth and death. By understanding the pastime where the Lord is bound by Mother Yashoda to the mortar, our bondage in this world by the three modes of nature namely goodness, passion and ignorance is removed. By hearing the Lord's stealing butter, our tendency to grab others' things is removed. By hearing about His amorous pastimes with the gopis from proper sources, our lusty desires are purified. By hearing about the Lord running away in fear from Mother Yashoda, our fear of material existence is removed. This proves that all the lilas of the Lord are enacted for our purification and they are all non-material and Damodara lila is full with all these apparent conflicts.

Krishna willing, we will try to meditate on the other meanings of the word 'Damodara'.

Thank you very much.Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,Narahari Krishna dasChennai.

the five great elements - part 12 date

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