Ante Narayana Smrti - Part 37 Hare Krishna Prabhujis and ...

Ante Narayana Smrti - Part 37

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

This is in continuation of the previous offering titled, "Ante Nārāyaṇa Smrti". In the previous offerings we saw Yamaraj explaining the real religious principles and glories of Holy Name to Yamadutas. Now we shall see further.

Yamaraj clarified to the Yamadutas that devotees are not under their jurisdiction of punishment. In Srimad Bhagavatam 6.3.27, Yamaraj nicely warns them not go even near the devotees. Since the devotees are very dear to the Lord, the Lord cannot tolerate His devotees being troubled.

te deva-siddha-parigīta-pavitra-gāthāye sādhavaḥ samadṛśo bhagavat-prapannāḥ

tān nopasīdata harer gadayābhiguptānnaiṣāṁ vayaṁ na ca vayaḥ prabhavāma daṇḍe

My dear servants, please do not approach such devotees, for they have fully surrendered to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are equal to everyone, and their narrations are sung by the demigods and the inhabitants of Siddhaloka. Please do not even go near them. They are always protected by the club of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore Lord Brahma and I and even the time factor are not competent to chastise them.

Here we find Yamaraj mentions how all the demigods and residents of Siddhaloka also take pleasure in singing their glories. What makes the devotees glorious? That is explained by Yamaraj in the second line of the verse - The devotees are 'sādhavaḥ' - saintly, 'samadṛśo' - have equal vision and 'bhagavat prapannāḥ' - fully surrendered to the lotus feet of Krishna. In his purport to verse 3.25.21 Srila Prabhupada nicely mentions, "A sadhu behaves with all conditioned souls for their ultimate relief from material entanglement. Therefore, no one can be more friendly than a sadhu in relieving a conditioned soul. A sadhu is calm, and he quietly and peacefully follows the principles of scripture. A sadhu means one who follows the principles of scripture and at the same time is a devotee of the Lord."

Since the devotees assist the Lord in His mission of taking back the fallen souls, back to Godhead, the Lord is very pleased with them and He cannot tolerate any offence done against His devotee. In the example of Ambarish Maharaja and Durvasa Muni, we see how neither Lord Brahma, nor Lord Shiva, nor Lord Vishnu was not ready to protect Durvasa Muni from the Sudarshana cakra. Also when Jagai and Madai hurt Nityananda Prabhu, Caitanya Mahaprabhu became very angry and was ready to release the Sudarshana cakra, but they were protected because of mercy of Nityananda prabhu. Yamaraj told the Yamadutas that even time factor is not competent to act on them. So it is better for Yamadutas to just let Krishna handle His devotees and never go near them, even if they apparently appear to have done some mistake.

Krishna willing we shall hear other instructions of Yamaraj, to Yamadutas 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 offering titled, "Ante Nārāyaṇa Smrti". In the previous offerings we saw Yamaraj warning Yamadutas not to disturb devotees of the Lord. Now we shall see further.

Yamaraj then continues to explain to the Yamadutas, the characteristics of persons who are under his jurisdiction. He asks the Yamadutas to bring to him those persons who don't take advantage of the association of pure devotees. We are not qualified to approach the Lord directly. Only by associating with saintly devotees and serving them, we can easily attain love for Godhead. Association with sadhus help us to give up our bad habits. But when one deprives oneself of that golden opportunity, and stays away from devotees, then they are wasting this valuable human birth. So Yamaraj considers them as fools and rascals and fit for punishment. In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 6.3.29 he says,

jihvā na vakti bhagavad-guṇa-nāmadheyaṁcetaś ca na smarati tac-caraṇāravindam

kṛṣṇāya no namati yac-chira ekadāpitān ānayadhvam asato ’kṛta-viṣṇu-kṛtyān

My dear servants, please bring to me only those sinful persons who do not use their tongues to chant the holy name and qualities of Krishna, whose hearts do not remember the lotus feet of Krishna even once, and whose heads do not bow down even once before Lord Krishna. Send me those who do not perform their duties toward Vishnu, which are the only duties in human life. Please bring me all such fools and rascals.

In the purport to above verse Srila Prabhupada says, "The word viṣṇu-kṛtyān is very important in this verse because the purpose of human life is to please Lord Vishnu." His Divine Grace also mentions in one of the lectures as to how we should always be alert and keep checking ourselves as to whether we are serving Krishna or serving maya. Our life, our senses, our mind, all are meaningful only when we use them for pleasure of Lord. Shaunaka muni also says in second canto of Srimad Bhagavatam as to how ears which don't listen to Krishna-katha are like earholes of snake, tongues which don't glorify Krishna are like tongues of frog, upper portion of the body that does not bow down before Lord are just like a burden, hands that don't serve Krishna are like hands of dead body, legs which don't go to Lord's temple are like tree-trunks, eyes which don't take darshan of Lord are like those printed on plumes of peacock.

In essence if we don't engage our life and senses in Krishna's service, we are like living dead. When we keep serving illusory energy, we get more and more entangled in the cycle of birth and death. But when our senses are used in service of Krishna, we are free from all material entanglements. According to Yamaraj, we become free even from Yamadutas also. So when our body is in good working condition itself, we should use our tongue nicely for chanting Krishna's names, glories, mind for remembering Krishna and head to bow down before the Lord. Our spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj says that if we don't voluntarily bow down before the Lord now, then time will come in old-age, when we might get hunch and then automatically our body becomes bent. Instead of bending like that, it is better to bow down voluntarily now.

Krishna willing we shall hear other instructions of Yamaraj, to Yamadutas in the subsequent offerings.


Reinstatement In Our Original Devotional Service


In the Seventh Canto, eighth chapter of Srimad Bhagavatam we see that after Lord Narasimhadeva had killed Hiranyakasipu, all the demigods and the inhabitants of the various planetary systems were feeling so relieved that they were reinstated in their original services to the Lord and thus feeling so much obliged, they offered beautiful prayers with folded hands. In SB 7.8.52 the inhabitants of Yakshaloka offer the following wonderful prayer:

śrī-yakṣā ūcuḥvayam anucara-mukhyāḥ karmabhis te mano-jñais

ta iha diti-sutena prāpitā vāhakatvamsa tu jana-paritāpaṁ tat-kṛtaṁ jānatā te

narahara upanītaḥ pañcatāṁ pañca-viṁśa

The inhabitants of Yakshaloka prayed: "O controller of the twenty-four elements, we are considered the best servants of Your Lordship because of rendering services pleasing to You, yet we engaged as palanquin carriers by the order of Hiranyakashipu, the son of Diti. O Lord in the form of Nrsimhadeva, You know how this demon gave trouble to everyone, but now You have killed him, and his body is mixing with the five material elements."

Here we see how Hiranyakashipu who was so much puffed up with pride, envy and anger, treated the respectful inhabitants of the various planetary systems like dirt. The false ego just drives us mad and this is the effect of being so much absorbed in the bodily conception of life. Here we see that the same body which was being pampered with so much comfort, just mixed with the five material elements, the moment he was killed by Lord Narasimhadeva. This is the end of all our material bodies which is made up of the five material elements and for the whole lifetime we pamper this body, investing all our time, money, efforts, and intelligence.

Recently I came across an article about the condition of the body after death. 3 days after death, nails start to fall off, 4 days after death, hair starts to decay, 5 days after death, brain melts vigorously, 6 days after death, stomach melts out from mouth and private parts, 60 days after death, the whole thing is reduced to nothing but bones. With all this guaranteed for all of our bodies, we have so much pride, ego and envy. That is why our Guru Maharaj, H H Mahavishnu Goswami, insisted that daily we remember the crematorium and daily we remember that, "I have to go!", so that we become serious in our devotional service. This awareness wakes us up to search for the higher eternal reality which is Krishna and all the scriptures again and again remind us of the end of the body so that we can focus on spirituality. Srimad Bhagavatam in 10.10.10 gravely reminds us,

'deva-saṁjñitam apy ante kṛmi-viḍ-bhasma-saṁjñitam'

While living one may be proud of one's body, thinking oneself a very big man, minister, president or even demigod, but whatever one may be, after death this body will turn either into worms, into stool or into ashes.

While living also we go through so many diseases, intolerable pains, the misfortune of depending upon others, because of this body. This body is not only a source of trouble when we are living, but if we use this body in activities not pleasing to the Lord, the consequence is that, it drops down. But by our bad behaviour we have already made sure that we get yet another body to go through the reaction for all the activities we did in that body. Srimad Bhagavatam 11.9.26 says, "A man attached to the body accumulates money with great struggle to expand and protect the position

of his wife, children, property, domestic animals, servants, homes, relatives, friends, and so on. He does all this for the gratification of his own body. As a tree before dying produces the seed of a future tree, the dying body manifests the seed of one's next material body in the form of one's accumulated karma. Thus assuring the continuation of material existence, the material body sinks down and dies."

Contemplating all this we come to understand the necessity of Krishna consciousness, as otherwise our situation is very precarious as all the acharyas warn us repeatedly. The demoniac thoughts in us are like Hiranyakashipus which are misusing our body. So let us pray to Supreme Lord to help us in getting rid of those demons and be reinstated in our original services as eternal servants of the Lord. I pray and seek the blessings of all the Vaishnavas for realizing all this, as for now it is only mere understanding.

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



This is in continuation of the previous offering titled, "Ante Nārāyaṇa Smrti". In the previous offerings we saw Yamaraj informing Yamadutas about the candidates eligible for punishment under his jurisdiction. Now we shall see further.

In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 6.3.30 Yamaraj says to Supreme Lord,

tat kṣamyatāṁ sa bhagavān puruṣaḥ purāṇonārāyaṇaḥ sva-puruṣair yad asat kṛtaṁ naḥ

svānām aho na viduṣāṁ racitāñjalīnāṁkṣāntir garīyasi namaḥ puruṣāya bhūmne

[Then Yamaraja, considering himself and his servants to be offenders, spoke as follows, begging pardon from the Lord.] O my Lord, my servants have surely committed a great offense by arresting a Vaishnava such as Ajamila. O Narayana, O supreme and oldest person, please forgive us. Because of our ignorance, we failed to recognize Ajamila as a servant of Your Lordship, and thus we have certainly committed a great offense. Therefore with folded hands we beg Your pardon. My Lord, since You are supremely merciful and are always full of good qualities, please pardon us. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.

In his wonderful purport to the above verse Srila Prabhupada says, "Although Yamaraja is above offenses, his servants, practically with his permission, went to arrest Ajamila, which was a great offense. The Nyāya-śāstra confirms, bhṛtyāparādhe svāmīno daṇḍah: if a servant makes a mistake, the master is punishable because he is responsible for the offense. Taking this seriously, Yamaraja, along with his servants, prayed with folded hands to be excused by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana."

This is yet another beautiful quality which we can learn from Yamaraj. Normally even when we commit offence, we don't want to accept it or ask "sorry" for it. We somehow try to justify to Krishna that we are not at fault and that either other people or circumstances or even Krishna Himself is at fault. But here we find Yamaraj begging pardon to the Lord for the mistake of his servants. We find in the pastime of Sanat Kumaras entering Vaikuntha also, when the door-keepers Jaya and Vijaya offended them by not allowing entry, the Lord came running to the door entrance, to personally receive the Sanat Kumaras and also to beg pardon on behalf of His sub-ordinates. So we can see how both Lord and His dear devotee, the great Mahajana, Yamaraj is showing us by their practice that we should never cause any kind of disturbance to devotees and if either we or our sub-ordinates commit such offence we should immediately beg pardon from the Vaishnava who was offended and by our personal practice, help our sub-ordinates also to understand how to deal with Vaishnavas.

Krishna willing we shall see the concluding part of this series, in the subsequent offering.


Ultimate Goal of Life

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

Human beings wander hither and thither in search of happiness and to maintain their livelihood. Be it a millionaire or a poor man, everyone wants to works hard like a machine to earn more and more money, not just for maintenance, but also for sense enjoyment. In olden days, villages in India were peaceful and they involved in Hari katha in the evenings. Nowadays, people are engaged in watching television even in villages near the Holy places. People are drowning in ignorance without the knowledge on the ultimate goal of life and are wasting time and precious human life. What is the ultimate goal of life? Srimad Bhagavatam 4.22.21 explains it.

śāstreṣv iyān eva suniścito nṛṇāṁkṣemasya sadhryag-vimṛśeṣu hetuḥ

asaṅga ātma-vyatirikta ātmanidṛḍhā ratir brahmaṇi nirguṇe ca yā

It has been conclusively decided in the scriptures, after due consideration, that the ultimate goal for the welfare of human society is detachment from the bodily concept of life and increased and steadfast attachment for the Supreme Lord, who is transcendental, beyond the modes of material nature.

From the above verse, we understand that the prime factors to achieve the ultimate goal of life are:

1) Detachment from the bodily concept of life.2) Increased and steadfast attachment for the Supreme Lord.

How to come out of the bodily concept of life? Srila Prabhupada explains in the purport that, "In order to get out of the bodily conception, one has to increase attachment to or inquiry about Brahman." To inquire about Brahman, The Lord says to Arjuna, 'tac chṛṇu', or "Hear from Me". No one can be a greater authority than Krishna, and therefore by hearing from Him, we receives the greatest opportunity to become a perfectly Krishna conscious person. So therefore we have to learn from Krishna directly or from a pure devotee of Krishna – and not from a non-devotee upstart, puffed up with academic education. As soon as we try to come out of bodily concept of life, we are declaring war against the material nature, Maya. If we are not sincere, we may be tricked by Maya and cannot come out of the bodily concept of life. Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese military treatise talks about the art of war. He says, "If you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss. If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose. If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself."

Krishna Himself says in Bhagavad-Gita that this material energy is very difficult to overcome.Hearing from Krishna or from a pure devotee of Krishna regularly, helps us to know Maya better and by the grace of Guru and Krishna we will be able to avoid the tricks of Maya. Thus we can get detached from the bodily concept of life.

How to increase attachment for the Supreme Lord? Srila Prabhupada make it clear in the purport that, "To increase attachment for Brahman means to engage in devotional service. One can cease material activities when he actually has the taste for devotional service. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also recommended love of Godhead as the ultimate goal of life (premā pumartho mahān). Without increasing love of Godhead, one cannot achieve the perfectional stage of the transcendental position."

To get the taste for devotional service and get the love of Godhead, we must chant the Mahamantra, "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare" with quality and quantity and

serve the devotees. Sometimes we chant the first few beads very nicely but gradually the quality goes down. Instead, we should chant all the 16 rounds clearly with quality and that would help us to feel the bliss in the heart. Once we have tasted that bliss in the heart, we will feel encouraged and inspired to do more and more service to Krishna and His devotees and finally we achieve the ultimate goal of life.

Let us pray to Lord Krishna, Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva to increase steadfast attachment unto Him to achieve our goal of life.

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



This is in conclusion of previous offering titled, "Ante Nārāyaṇa Smrti". In the previous offerings we saw the life of Ajamila, how he was protected by Vishnudutas and Yamaraj's advice to Yamadutas. Sukadev Goswami after narrating the whole pastime of Ajamila to Parikshit Maharaj says in Srimad Bhagavatam verse 6.3.31,

tasmāt saṅkīrtanaṁ viṣṇor jagan-maṅgalam aṁhasāmmahatām api kauravya viddhy aikāntika-niṣkṛtam

Sukadeva Goswami continued, My dear King, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the sankirtana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe. Please try to understand this so that others will take it seriously.

The chanting of Lord's names is 'jagan maṅgalam' - most auspicious thing in the material world. When we chant loudly, not only are we benefitted by the transcendental sound vibration, it benefits all the living entities around us. In this regard our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj used to narrate the following story.

Once Narada Muni went to Lord Krishna and asked Him, "Lord can you please tell us as to why we should chant Your Names always ?" Krishna smiled at him and said, "Please go to the earth and chant My Names in the ears of the worm that is present there." Narada Muni went and did the same. To his surprise the worm immediately died. Narada Muni came back and told to the Lord - "Narayana ! the worm died." The Lord smiled and said - "No problem. Now please go and chant My Name to butterfly in that garden." Narada Muni chanted and the butterfly died. Narada Muni came running and informed Krishna about it. The Lord continued to smile, "Now go to that forest and chant My Name in the ears of the deer." But when he did that the deer died. Narada Muni became very afraid and he came back running to Lord and this time the Lord asked him to chant the names in cow's ear.

When the cow also died, Narada Muni became very upset. But the Lord instructed him, "Now please go to the kingdom of Kasi - There a child is born to the king. He will be very pleased to meet you. So please go and chant My Names in the ears of the newly born child." Narada Muni replied - "People already call me as mischief-maker. Now do You want them to call me a murderer as well?" Lord Krishna started laughing and said "Don't worry Narada. Just do as I say." Narada Muni entered the palace and the king cordially welcomed him and requested him to bless the new born prince. With great fear, Narada Muni went near the child and uttered the Lord's names. As soon as he uttered the child started speaking. Narada Muni was completely taken aback. Then the child replied - "O great sage, Don't you know the power of Lord's Names? I was a worm in the beginning and when you chanted the Lord's names, I became a butterfly and then a deer and then a cow and now I have got this valuable human birth in which I can perform devotional service unto Supreme Lord and purify my existence." Hearing the child speak Narada Muni said - "Indeed the Lord's name is all powerful and all potent!"

So let us chant the Lord's names always with care and attention. Srila Prabhupada repeatedly warns us in the purports of Ajamila's pastime that, "One should not conclude that one may continue to sin with the intention of chanting Hare Krishna to neutralize the reactions. Rather, one should be very careful to be free from all sins and never think of counteracting sinful activities by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, for this is another offense. If by chance a devotee accidentally performs some sinful activity, the Lord will excuse him, but one should not intentionally perform sinful acts."

Harinam ki Jai! Hare Krishna Mahamantra ki Jai! Srila Prabhupada ki Jai ! Srila Gurudev ki Jai!


Way to Real Happiness - Part 1


The following is a humble effort to transcribe a Hindi Srimad Bhagavatam class given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on verse 3.5.2 in Dwaraka on 23 Jan 2001.

vidura uvācasukhāya karmāṇi karoti loko

na taiḥ sukhaṁ vānyad-upāramaṁ vāvindeta bhūyas tata eva duḥkhaṁ

yad atra yuktaṁ bhagavān vaden naḥ

Vidura said: O great sage, everyone in this world engages in fruitive activities to attain happiness, but one finds neither satiation nor the mitigation of distress. On the contrary, one is only aggravated by such activities. Please, therefore, give us directions on how one should live for real happiness.

(Maharaj in his trademark style humorously and lovingly encouraged all devotees to recite the verse. Maharaj then began with word to word equivalents) vidura uvāca - The name of Vidura itself, the meaning of his name itself depicts his character. So easy to understand Sanskrit. If you understand the meaning of his name, then you get to know what kind of person he is. viduḥ means "to know". So one who knows everything is called viduḥ - There is visarga after 'du' sound. So when that visarga becomes half 'ra', it is vidur. And when 'vidur' combines with 'a' sound, it is 'Vidura'. This 'a' sound is the beginning letter in almost all languages in the world. So one who knows everything from the beginning is called 'Vidura'. So it is complete word - 'Vidura'. It's not just 'Vidur'. Vidura means 'one who knows everything from the beginning'. And we all know that Vidura was Dharmaraj, he was incarnation of Yamaraj. So in his name itself, we can understand his greatness.

So vidura uvāca means, 'Vidura said'. sukhāya - means 'for attaining happiness' and karmāni means fruitive activities. When we do anything with expectation of result, then it is called 'karma'. I am doing bhajan now because my stomach is empty. Stomach wants kichadi. (laughter) Once stomach is full no more bhajan. Then again tomorrow at 12'o clock, again when stomach troubles and then again bhajan. So such devotees are called 'Petu' (In hindi stomach means 'pet') bhaktas. (Maharaj jokingly asks a devotee) Is it not true? (laughter) (The devotee responds - '100% true Maharaj'). Initially even I did bhajan only for pleasing the stomach. So this is called fruitive activity - because we are having expectation of result/fruit.

Krishna willing we shall continue to hear more nectar from Maharaj in the subsequent offering.




This is in continuation of the transcription of Hindi Srimad Bhagavatam class given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on verse 3.5.2 in Dwaraka on 23 Jan 2001. In previous offering we heard from Maharaj about the meaning of Vidura's name and about fruitive activities. Now let us hear further.

2. Don't have any expectation: We always expect something. And when we don't get it we become sad. So the "ABC" of spiritual knowledge is that - don't have any expectations. No expectation is the best. If expectation itself is not there, then there is no misery. But we keep expecting from everyone. So when expectation is there, definitely misery is there. Krishna says to Uddhava very nicely in Bhagavatam verse 11.14.16 - 'nirapekṣaṁ'.

nirapekṣaṁ muniṁ śāntaṁ nirvairaṁ sama-darśanamanuvrajāmy ahaṁ nityaṁ pūyeyety aṅghri-reṇubhiḥ

With the dust of My devotees’ lotus feet I desire to purify the material worlds, which are situated within Me. Thus, I always follow the footsteps of My pure devotees, who are free from all personal desire, rapt in thought of My pastimes, peaceful, without any feelings of enmity, and of equal disposition everywhere.

The first word of that shloka is nirapekṣaṁ - which means 'one who has no expectation'. Next word is muniṁmuniṁ. muniṁ is one who is 'maun' or silent. Srila Prabhupada while explaining about 'maun' says that our nature is we cannot keep quiet. We cannot keep quiet even for 10 minutes. We always want to keep talking something or other. There is no harm in talking. But our subject of talking should be about Krishna. So our talking propensity has to be transformed from mundane topics to Krishna's topics. If you talk about Krishna, then there is no problem. But instead if you keep talking about others, then you will earn their enmity, if they come to know about what you have spoken about them. Then they will come and fight with you, "How dare you say such things about me?" So please, don't have any expectations and just speak about Krishna. There is no need to speak about anything else.

And one who talks about Krishna and is without any expectation, that person is 'śānt'. He is completely peaceful and has no problem at all. And for such a person - there are no enemies - nirvairaṁ. This is the fourth quality. And then he says everything equally - sama darśan. Because he has no expectation from anyone, he is able to see everyone equally. Only when we have expectations, we will have the differential attitude. If the other person is not giving any money to us or is of no use to us, then we become his enemy. So just see how when we start expecting something from others, all other bad qualities come to us. Always remember one thing that we should not keep any expectation from others. Then all other good things will come. All good qualities sprout from this nirapekṣaṁ. So if there is no expectation then there is no problem, no fight or no misunderstanding. So these five qualities we should remember.





This is in continuation of the transcription of Hindi Srimad Bhagavatam class given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on verse 3.5.2 in Dwaraka on 23 Jan 2001. In previous offering we heard from Maharaj about:

1) The meaning of Vidura's name.2) Don't have any expectation.

Now let us continue to hear further on Maharaj's explanation on Bhagavatam 11.14.16.

nirapekṣaṁ muniṁ śāntaṁ nirvairaṁ sama-darśanamanuvrajāmy ahaṁ nityaṁ pūyeyety aṅghri-reṇubhiḥ

With the dust of My devotees' lotus feet I desire to purify the material worlds, which are situated within Me. Thus, I always follow the footsteps of My pure devotees, who are free from all personal desire, rapt in thought of My pastimes, peaceful, without any feelings of enmity, and of equal disposition everywhere.

When engine is moving in a train, all the other coaches need not move. The train might have 10 to 15 coaches. But the coaches need not move separately. So 'nirapekṣaṁ' is the engine. Just like how all the coaches move when the engine moves, if 'nirapekṣaṁ' is there, then all other quality fall in place. Krishna says to Uddhava, anuvrajāmy ahaṁ nityaṁ - vraj means to walk. And anuvrajāmy means to follow. Krishna says, "I always follow such persons." Why is He following such persons? Pūyeyety aṅghri-reṇubhiḥ - "if the dust from the lotus feet of such devotees, if I sprinkle that over My head, then I will become pure." Krishna is saying this. Then we can imagine how much valuable is this quality of nirapekṣaṁ is. Please understand this. If we keep expectations, then it is fruitive work - bandhan. When you have expectations with someone then when he smiles, you have to smile. When he cries, you have to cry. If boss sits at work from 8am t 6pm, then you also have to sit there. It becomes a bandhan. You are bound to do what the other person says. If there is no expectation from your side, then other person comes and requests you, "Please do this for me".

But nowadays, we have to keep expectations because we have responsibilities. We have to maintain flats, eat food, maintain family etc. So in Kaliyugas, our expectations have increased and so we are forced to do karma or work. Without work, we cannot run this life. So we cannot tell everyone that, "You leave everything and come. It is all Maya." No one is alone here. Whoever is doing karma, they have family members to be maintained. Just like how engine does not go alone, but has coaches behind it, similarly people have family members to be supported. Earlier income was called 'naukari' - meaning 'one man earns and nine people can eat'. Then it became 'cākari' - meaning 'one man earns and four people can eat'. Then it became vethan - 'one man earns and two people can eat'. Now it has become 'tankaa' - one man earns and it is not enough even for one man. (loud laughter) So in Kaliyuga, this is a test.

Maharaj goes on to say how this test could be handled and Krishna willing we shall continue to hear about this from Maharaj in the subsequent offering.

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




1) The meaning of Vidura's name.2) Don't have any expectation.

Maharaj was explaining how in Kaliyuga for the sake of maintenance, we somehow or other depend on others. In this offering we shall hear from Maharaj, how we can minimise that dependence or expectation from others.

3. Krishna protects everyone: In Kaliyuga income earned by one person is not enough even for oneself. (Referring to a devotee Maharaj jokes) He earns Rs 1500 and spends Rs 3000. So for him his 'tankaa' (income) is not enough for himself also (laughter). Please, this is test in Kaliyuga. But somehow or other if we, take shelter of scriptures, then we can come out of this problem. This Kaliyuga is really very bad. But there is lot of potency in Lord's names. We don't understand this and that is why we are engaged in fruitive work. We don't have the patience to do service or we don't even want to do service. But we have lot of expectations. And wherever there are expectations, bad qualities crop up. Because when we have expectations, we can't keep quiet. Instead of speaking about Krishna, we keep talking about all other activities. And when we don't speak about Krishna, there is no peace. So when there is no peace, he yells at everyone and people become inimical towards him. So when we have inimical feelings towards others, then we keep differentiating that 'this is my friend', 'this is my enemy'. So all these are bad qualities which come into us when we keep on expecting things from others. But when we are free of expectations, then even Lord keeps following us. Please just follow this one quality at least in your life. Don't have any sort of expectation from anyone.

Krishna's name is bhūta-bhṛt. He is taking care of each and every living entity. As long as He wants to keep you alive, He will definitely make arrangement for your food. Now we are cooking prasād here and you are all having it. But it is not that you are alive, only because of the food being prepared here. So we should not think that we are feeding you and that because of us only you are breathing. No. If you have not come here, then Krishna would have arranged for your food elsewhere. We are supposed to do our service. But Krishna is only fulfilling everything, because He is Vishwambar. Sa devo vishwambara - Lord's name is Vishwambar. He can feed and nourish everyone. So bhaktānām kim upekṣati? So why will He leave the devotees. So please don't be bothered. And always have this quality of 'nirapeksham' at least to some extent.






1) The meaning of Vidura's name.2) Don't have any expectation.3) Krishna protects everyone.

4) Secret of Devotional Service: Even if you do little devotional service, it saves you from the greatest fear. Krishna says in Bhagavad-Gita 2.40, 'svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt'. If we don't have any expectations, then we are free even from the fear of death. The fear of getting entangled in the cycle of birth and death also goes away. This entanglement is the greatest fear. We don't want to take different types of bodies again and again. It is not that if we have human body now, that we will be guaranteed human body again in next life. In between two human births, there are 84 lakhs different bodies. Why should we get into these bodies again? It is better that we just go back to Krishna in this birth itself. Better late than never. Always whenever you try to understand this, you please start. Take the beads in the hand and don't stop. Just start chanting,

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare HareHare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Why are we worried about filling our stomach? Harinam sankirtan can fill up stomachs of thousands of living entities. So why should we worry for one stomach? This is the secret of devotional service. Lord also says in Gita verse 7.16 that four kinds of people come to devotional service.

catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ janāḥ su-kṛtino ’rjunaārto jijñāsur arthārthī jñānī ca bharatarṣabha

O best among the Bharatas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.

Ārtaḥ - refers to people who are in distress. We people come under the category of artha-arti, one who is desirous for material gain - because we always worried about our stomach. (laughter) But for whatever reasons, one may come to devotional service, he becomes bhakta. And the greatest mercy of Krishna is that even if we go to Him with any motives, He accepts us. Whether we go to Him for knowledge or any other desire, He fulfills it once and then makes us desire-less. If we are hungry and go to Him with intention of filling our stomach, He fulfills it. But later we would start regretting, "why did I ask Krishna such insignificant things?" This is what happened in the life of Dhruva Maharaj as well.






1) The meaning of Vidura's name.2) Don't have any expectations.3) Krishna protects everyone.4) Secret of Devotional Service.

Now we shall continue to hear further.

Dhruva Maharaj wanted to become a great emperor. But as soon as he got the darshan of the Lord then he said, 'svāmin krthārthosmi'. "O Lord, I am so fortunate to have Your darshan. I don't want to get anything else from You." This is the real thing. So please encourage people to come to Krishna with whatever desires they have. Don't separate anyone from Krishna. Already people who come to Krishna are less. And whoever is coming to Him are really demigods in previous lives and they have come now to Krishna here. Otherwise living entities cannot approach Krishna easily. There are so many shops open here. If we you to shop where shoes are being sold, then day and night you just get the leather smell. But here in temple, we get the fragrance of incense sticks. So the choice is yours. This is the main thing.

So whenever some living entities come to Krishna, don't discourage them, because only few living entities come to Krishna. Everyone are after fulfilling the needs of stomach. This temple environment is very pleasing whereas the places where we are engaged in fruitive work, are not very pleasing. But still people want to spend time there. Srila Prabhupada has said that even if you are shopkeeper, then you very well know that you will not be having customers all day. You are the boss in your shop. There is no one to supervise you there. So in free time, just chant. But these people don't want to chant Lord's names even then. Because to chant the Lord's names also, you should have done lots and lots of pious activities in previous janmas. Then that desire comes in heart to chant Lord's names lovingly. So these are the points we should remember when we study karmāni or fruitive activities.

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

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




1) The meaning of Vidura's name.2) Don't have any expectation.3) Krishna protects everyone.4) Secret of Devotional Service.

Now we shall continue to hear further.

5. Attempts to happiness aggravates miseries: Maharaj then continued with word to word meaning for verse 3.5.2 and its translation. So Vidura says in this verse that everyone is working in this world to get some happiness. But when they do that karma, they neither get happiness, nor they get peace of mind. Instead they become more miserable. For example, we didn't want to walk. So we invented the car. But how can car aggravate our distress? We think we are travelling happily in car. But have you ever seen the car-garage in which people work? Their dress is all black. They sleep under the bridges. Then they repair the car. When there is flat tyre, they fix it. And in India always, we face this problem of flat tyre. (laughter) Once when we were travelling from Mumbai to nearby town. One tyre became flat. So that was replaced with the back-up tyre we had. So I was relieved thinking that it was nice that we had back-up. (laughter) But later all the tyres became flat, before we could reach the destination. So this is how car aggravates our miseries.

So likewise the person who manufactures tyres, who manufactures cars, if you see the hands of such people who work in those car-factories, you can see that because of continuously working on nuts and bolts, the skin gets peeled. Really you haven't seen the pathetic condition of the labourers. - This is the meaning of the sentence, "On the contrary, one is only aggravated by such activities." But we don't see this. We fly in flights and happily reach London in 8 hours. But the labourers who are involved in manufacturing aeroplanes and maintaining it, their condition is more worse than the labourers involved in car factory. Please, please, please - this is effect of karma. We do karma for happiness, but it results in so much miseries. Before 50 or 80 years, there was not many cars. And even to see a car, we had to walk for 20 miles. And even then, we can see the car also in the interval of one or two hours. But nowadays we have cars leaving from our kitchen (laughter). Just see the difference. This is the difference which I could see in the past 60 to 70 years. So even if some of our ancestor return back now, they will not accept this as advancement, because there is no peace of mind.





This is in continuation of the transcription of Hindi Srimad Bhagavatam class given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on verse 3.5.2, in Dwaraka, on 23 Jan 2001. In previous offering we heard from Maharaj about 5 points. Now we shall continue to hear further.

6) Impact of artificial standards: Our ancestors didn't even have radio. So there was no other engagement other than going to the temple. And once in a year devotees will come from Vrindavan to share the pastimes of Krishna. Likewise devotees from Ayodhya would visit the village to share the pastimes of Lord Rama. So we used to eagerly look forward for their visits, so that we can hear about the Lord. The devotees used to do drama on Lord's pastimes. Also in the beginning when cinema was introduced, nobody used to go, if it is not about Rama or Krishna. If the cinema is about other topics, no one will go. (laughter) Now if cinemas are taken related to Lord Rama or Lord Krishna no one goes. People crowd only for other cinemas. Just see the difference. See how much we have aggravated our miseries.

Our peace of mind is lost, health is spoilt, there is pollution in water and air. Nothing is working alright and we call this as advancement. No. No. Srila Prabhupada used to say we should adopt the life which people were living 200 years ago, not even 100. Because there was peace at that time. In the fields there were so much produce that there were not enough bags to store the grains. So what they used to do is that in the house itself they used to have rooms in the basement, which were used as storage containers for the grains. Now we have so much bags and no grains to fill. See the difference. When there is change in season, they used to take out the grains from the basement in the odd seasons and sell it. So this was the position. But now we are not able to see the grains. The time is coming when there will be this flats and cement buildings and everything. There won't be rice or wheat, because there is no place for farming.





This is in continuation of the transcription of Hindi Srimad Bhagavatam class given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on verse 3.5.2 in Dwaraka on 23 Jan 2001. In previous offering we heard from Maharaj about impact of artificial standards. Now we shall hear further.

People are using these farming lands and building so many apartments and societies. In Delhi, now we don't have farming land at all. And even if one tries to do farming, it is not economically viable. We spent thousands of rupees to do farming and since there was great loss, we just had to give it up. We bought the land and some machinery also. We spent so much and had sown grass. When it grew, to cut the grass, we had to spend so much money. Then to tie it into bundles we spent 100 Rs and to bring it to the market we had to spend 150 Rs. So we had to spend 400 rs for this itself and then we sold the grass. We rejoiced thinking that we had done good job, but we just got sixty rupees in return. Who will do such kind of business wherein you invest 5 lakhs and get just 500 Rs? It is not viable at all. But may be if everybody from the house labours, then may be it is possible. Otherwise farming is impossible now.

And what they do is, people use some artificial means to grow more and more and more, to make it economically viable. And when they grow crops by artificial means it becomes tasteless. If you eat tomatoes, you wont even feel like you are eating tomatoes. I remember in our childhood how we used to go to the fields and pluck the tomatoes and eat. They used to be so tasty. Now no taste. Even oranges taste like grass now. Please, these things have completely changed the taste of food items. And there is no cure for this. Only one thing we can do is to be simple. Simplicity can bring some improvement. Otherwise it will get more and more worse in Kaliyuga.

Krishna willing, we shall continue to hear more nectar from Maharaj in the subsequent offering.




This is in continuation of the transcription of Hindi Srimad Bhagavatam class given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on verse 3.5.2 in Dwaraka on 23 Jan 2001. So far we have heard 6 points. Now we shall hear further.

7. Harinam is the ONLY way: Vidurji is asking Maitreya as to what is the way to be followed to get real happiness. Vidurji is Yamaraja's incarnation and he knew everything. But on behalf of common people like us, he is asking Maitreya Muni, this very practical question. "People are doing karma to get happiness. But instead of becoming happy they are becoming more miserable." When we were using bullock-carts, for feeding the bullocks, we had to grow grass. The bulls ate grass and we used the bullock power for farming and travel. Now petrol comes from Saudi Arabia. We give them all the money and like fools sit here in the car. We have spoilt our own economy in the name of advancement. Even now cow is referred as 'wealth' or 'dhan'. Nanda Maharaj had lakhs and crores of cows and there was so much enthusiasm in Vrindavan. The cow dung is natural manure and if we put it in the fields, it attracts the rain. But now because of all artificial manures, land has lost its fertility. And there is no regulated season. When it should not rain, it rains. This is the reflection of our sins. So Vidurji is asking very nice question, "Please give us directions as to how we should live to get real happiness." What should we do to get true happiness?

Except Srila Prabhupada no one has given us solution for this. Just see how a sincere soul like Srila Prabhupada can create so many communities. There are so many problems in the outside world, but wherever people are following Srila Prabhupada's instructions, there are no problems in those groups. Even if one is doing devotional service for the sake of prasadam, still it has some effect, because he is engaged in devotional service. So there is no problem. But when you go outside of Srila Prabhupada's instructions, then you have to face all the problems. This is specialty of Srila Prabhupada's process and if we don't take advantage of his process, then what is the point in living? We should remember this truth that,

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalamkalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.





This is in continuation of the transcription of Hindi Srimad Bhagavatam class given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on verse 3.5.2 in Dwaraka on 23 Jan 2001. In previous offering we heard from Maharaj that Harinam is the only way. Now we shall hear further.

8. Way to study Srimad Bhagavatam: (Maharaj then asked the devotees to read from the purport.) We have to understand this point that Srila Prabhupada never wanted us to read about the confidential pastimes of Radha and Krishna. Never. There are thousands of purports which he has written. But never has he asked us to imitate Radha or the gopis. Why? Because this is real Bhagavatam. Uddhava said to Vidurji that, "Now you please go to Maitreya Muni and inquire from him." Because when Krishna was about to depart to Goloka, Uddhava was present with Him and somehow Maitreya Muni was also there. He was fortunate to be present in that final pastime. Uddhava was the last to see Krishna. He did not want to live here after Krishna's departure. In fact he used to look very similar to Krishna. So when people look at him, they used to think that Krishna is coming. Why? Because day and night, he was always meditating on Krishna. Uddhava told Vidurji, "You hear about Krishna from Maitreya Muni. You please take shelter of his lotus feet."

Please study Bhagavatam carefully like this. Don't skip the purports. Try to understand what Srila Prabhupada is saying. I come across many devotees who come to me and say, "I read whole Bhagavatam." Reading doesn't matter at all. But even if you read one purport, please go through it deeply. Please bifurcate it. Medical students, when they have to study about the human body and its composition, then they cannot cut the body every time. No. So they take the frog, because the constitution of the frog and human body is alike. They bifurcate the frog and then they study as to where the heart is, where the veins go, where the intestines are, where the kidneys are present. And they study like this. So this is called bifurcation. So you please bifurcate the purports and try to understand what is being told. Contemplate on each and every line. Each sentence written by Srila Prabhupada is very important. Whatever comes out of Srila Prabhupada's mouth is not ordinary writing. It is shastra. For years together he had digested the scriptures. And whatever he wrote or spoke is completely shastra.





This is in continuation of the transcription of Hindi Srimad Bhagavatam class given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on verse 3.5.2 in Dwaraka on 23 Jan 2001. In previous offering we heard from Maharaj about the way to study Srimad Bhagavatam. Now we shall hear further.

9. Bhagavatam has the answer: Each sentence in the purport to Srimad Bhagavatam verse 3.5.2 is also very important. Uddhava has instructed Vidura to approach Maitreya and ask more about the Lord. Vidura could have gone and directly asked about Krishna to Maitreya. He could have asked Maitreya Muni questions like, "What does Krishna do? What does He eat or drink, What work does He do? Where does He go?, When does He sleep?" etc. But Vidura did not do like that. He is Dharmaraj, Yamaraj and so He knew about Krishna. He was always meeting Krishna, because he had to sort out the accounts of living entities. When Srila Prabhupada was there in America, Churchill was dying. Before his death, he went in coma for 6 months. He was unconscious for 6 months. So devotees went to Srila Prabhupada and said, "Churchill is sick for 6 months. He is neither dying, nor living." So Prabhupada said, "Yes it is correct. His file with Yamaraj is very big. So Yamaraj is going through the pages and consulting with Krishna as to what body we have to provide him in the next birth." (laughter) Srimad Bhagavatam verse 3.31.1 says,

śrī-bhagavān uvācakarmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye

striyāḥ praviṣṭa udaraṁ puṁso retaḥ-kaṇāśrayaḥ

The Personality of Godhead said: Under the supervision of the Supreme Lord and according to the result of his work, the living entity, the soul, is made to enter into the womb of a woman through the particle of male semen to assume a particular type of body.

'Karmaṇā' means 'by our own activities'; 'daiva netra' means 'under the supervision of Krishna'. This Yamaraj has to consult Krishna every second of his existence, because so many living entities keep dying every day. Even today so many of them would have died till now. And one day we will also go. So without Krishna, he cannot decide the bodies. This means that he should be seeing Krishna daily and he should know what Krishna is doing. So all these devotees we see in the pages of Srimad Bhagavatam, they are not ordinary people. They are as powerful as Krishna.

Instead of inquiring about Krishna as Uddhava had advised him, Vidura went to Maitreya and asked the practical question in which souls like us are getting rotten. Whatever work we do, should result in increase of our devotion to Krishna. But because of fruitive mentality, whatever work we are doing is not resulting in happiness, but aggravating our distress. In this life, we cannot be without work at all. We have to work and we are not getting anything what we want from this work. So Vidura says, "Please give us practical directions as to how we should work in this world. Please give us practical way." This is our question and the same question is kindly being asked by Vidurji to Maitreya Muni, on behalf of us. So the verses following this one are all important. So simply studying this verse alone is not enough. Just by thinking this verse alone will not give you the answer. Bhagavatam has the answer. But this is the secret of Vidura's to question to Maitreya. Instead of asking about Krishna, he asked for our sake, on our behalf, he asked this question to Maitreya. Maiterya's answer is there in Bhagavatam and that is the way to behave.





This is in conclusion of the transcription of Hindi Srimad Bhagavatam class given by our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on verse 3.5.2 in Dwaraka on 23 Jan 2001. In previous offering we heard from Maharaj about how Srimad Bhagavatam has the answer for all problems in life. Now we shall hear further.

10. Never leave Bhagavatam: You must extract these finer points from Bhagavatam and people will be very interested to hear. This is the main thing. (Referring to HG Devakinandan Prabhuji Maharaj said) "Yesterday Viraj was talking about your lectures in Australia. One of the devotees their told him that, "When others speak it is pleasing to hear. But when Devakinandan Prabhu spoke, immediately I went home and opened Srimad Bhagavatam and started studying. Now I have taste to study." This is the way to learn Bhagavatam and dissipate it to general mass. Somebody must genuinely feel that Bhagavatam is the main thing and that we must now go through it. So you please study Bhagavatam very nicely. Try to go through the lines of the purport. Try to understand what Srila Prabhupada is saying and for all these you must have a very peaceful situation. Otherwise without peace, we cannot go through. Peacefulness is required. And how to attain peace? We saw in the beginning of the class itself that the way to attain peace is to have no expectations. Don't expect anything from any living entity. This is the royal road. If you don't expect, then you are not miserable. That is the cure of the miseries. So easy. So easy.

From Bhagavatam every answer is given. This is the key instruction. You are miserable because you are expecting. If you don't expect, then may be Krishna will give your share. But you will not be miserable. So Bhagavatam has the question as well as the answer. So the main instruction is that please don't leave Bhagavatam at any time. We cannot live without breathing. Like that we should not live without Bhagavatam. When breath stops, then people say, "Ram bolo bhai Ram", "Please chant Ram's names" and the last procession starts. So before that, to be alive breath is required. Similarly Bhagavatam is equally important like our breath. As breathing is necessary for life, so is Bhagavatam. And for breathing, we require fresh air. In Dwaraka we get nice fresh air. When you go to Bombay, you are in hell. When you inhale fresh air, your health increases. In the same way when you study Bhagavatam, your spiritual life freshens every moment and you are enlivened. Otherwise what we have? We don't have anything else. May be we are giving the same instructions all the time. But it appears different because it is always connected to Krishna and Krishna is always navam navāyamānam, nityam navam navāyamānam, new, new, new. He never becomes old. We are hearing this 3 year old child reciting shlokas since yesterday. But we again feel like hearing. Again feel like hearing. This is the way. If three year old child can study shlokas, then why 43 year old person can't do? How much more should I insist? Please do this.Never leave Bhagavatam. Jai Srila Prabhupada ki Jai!

Our heartfelt thanks to Maharaj for his simple, sublime, powerful instructions and for showing how to study and relish Bhagavatam. Granthraj Srimad Bhagavatam ki Jai! Srila Prabhupada ki Jai! Srila Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj ki Jai!


Privilege of Serving

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

The one thing that everyone misses very much when they move away from home for higher studies or jobs or any other thing, is the meals being lovingly served by their loved ones like mother or wife or some relative. I specifically remember missing it when I had to serve and eat on my own, when I moved out of India. But to my great delight and pleasure, when by the mercy of a good soul, I started attending the ISKCON programs, I saw that at the end of the program, the devotees were made to sit in rows and prasadam was lovingly served. I was greatly overwhelmed and touched by this. These are the days of buffet system wherein it is all self service and the marriages have lost their old world charm, when relatives used to personally serve each other. Nowadays everyone considers it a menial job to serve food. Even today I watch with great astonishment when my aged mother, never misses to serve all the meals personally to my father.

Recently I was reading how pleasing it is for Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, being served always by millions of Goddesses of fortune, to personally serve prasadam to the devotees. In the wonderful pastime of the passing away of Namacharya Srila Haridas Thakur, we see that after all the ceremonies were finished for Haridas Thakur, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally stood at the main gate entrance of Jagannath temple and begged for prasadam to be served, in the feast honouring Haridas Thakura. Soon there were huge amounts of prasadam. Caitanya Caritamrita Adi lila 11.81 explains that,

saba vaiṣṇave prabhu vasāilā sāri sāriāpane pariveśe prabhu lañā janā cāri

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu made all the devotees sit in rows and personally began to distribute the prasadam, assisted by four other men.

He began to serve each preparation, however Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was so eager to satisfy His devotees that one handful was more than five men could eat. That was his enthusiasm to serve. When He wanted to glorify the devotees, it was as if He had five mouths. When He wanted to serve the devotees, He has so much love and enthusiasm to serve, His hands held more than five people could eat. Srila Svarup Damodara Goswami approached Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and said, "My Lord please let us serve, because no one is going to eat until you eat." So the Lord sat down with Brahmananda Bharati and Paramananda Puri. Svarup Damodara Goswami, the most confidential associate, the Siksha guru of Ragunatha das Goswami, he was serving prasadam to all the devotees, and everyone there. Jagat-anada Puri, the great devotees in conjugal rasa was serving all the devotees and guests. And there was Damodara Pandit, and Sankara Pandit and Kasisvara Pandit all exalted personalities.

This makes us understand that serving prasadam is not a menial job but a most exalted privilege and the most elevated paramahamsas of Mahaprabhu's lila are serving the prasadam to the devotees with love and enthusiasm. In every congregation there are devotees who are so eager to serve prasadam. In every house there are loving mothers and wives serving prasadam for years together without a break and with so much of love and affection. I bow at the feet of all of these Vaishnavas and Vaishnavis. The Lord is extremely pleased with all of them for this service.


Serving The Spiritual Master

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

Once a student challenged a guru saying "I want to see God directly. I don't want anybody to get in the way". The guru patiently asked him, "If you want to study a distant star, how would you do that ?" The student said "Well, I will see through a telescope". The guru asked him, "So, you wouldn't consider the telescope to get in your way, would you?" The student then realized his mistake and understood properly that the guru is someone who only helps us see God better and not obstruct that vision.

A guru (spiritual master) is invariably necessary for everyone. In our childhood, our parents acts as a guru and help us to talk, walk etc. Then in schools and colleges our teachers act as our guru and provide us academical education and moral values. When we later go to jobs we have mentors who train us to adapt ourselves to the work environment. So we can see how much a guru is needed even on the material platform, then what to speak of the absolute necessity of a guru on the spiritual platform? The scriptures insist that we compulsorily need a spiritual master in order to fully realize the AbsoluteTruth. Krishna also says in Bhagavad Gita 4.34 - tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā - "Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him."

We cannot avoid the sufferings inflicted by providence. And we keep lingering between the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. When we are in passion and ignorance, we cannot even think about Supreme Lord. We must at least develop the mode of goodness and then gradually we must become detached even from the mode of goodness and promote ourself to the platform of śuddha-sattva wherein we remain consistently in thought of Supreme Lord. It is not easy for us to overcome the modes of material nature on our own. But when we engage in the service of the spiritual master with faith and devotion, we can conquer the influence of sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna very easily. Narada Muni very nicely says in Srimad Bhagavatam 7.15.26,

yasya sākṣād bhagavati jñāna-dīpa-prade guraumartyāsad-dhīḥ śrutaṁ tasya sarvaṁ kuñjara-śaucavat

The spiritual master should be considered to be directly the Supreme Lord because he gives transcendental knowledge for enlightenment. Consequently, for one who maintains the material conception that the spiritual master is an ordinary human being, everything is frustrated. His enlightenment and his Vedic studies and knowledge are like the bathing of an elephant.

Srila Prabhupada further guides us in his beautiful purports to this verse and the next, "yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasāda. The spiritual master should be considered to be directly the Supreme Lord as he is the confidential assistant to the Absolute Truth, and imparts transcendental knowledge for enlightenment, and if one considers him as an ordinary man, he is doomed and his knowledge in Vedas and his austerities, and penances are all useless. The spiritual master is called sevaka-bhagavan, the servitor Personality of Godhead, and Krishna is called sevya-bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is to be worshiped. The spiritual master is the worshiper God, whereas the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is the worshipable God. This is the difference between the spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

By staunch faith in the spiritual master and Supreme Lord, we can not only control the senses, but also realizes the Supreme Lord. Simply, by rendering service to the spiritual master, we cross the ocean of nescience and return home, back to Godhead.

May we all continue to faithfully serve our spiritual masters and all Vaishnavas for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada, life

after life!

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

Vrindavan is Not Limited

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

The following is a nice story from Mahabharat. Once there was a sage named Galava and he had to go on a urgent and important mission. He spoke to his friend Garuda, the Great Eagle, who offered to fly him to his destination. After they had flown a long distance, Galava said to his friend that he now felt that there was no need to travel to that destination. So he asked Garuda to return. Garuda said, 'There is a hill on the sea coast ahead; we will rest there, have some food, and return.' Descending on the hill, they saw a woman, Shandili, who had on her face the glow of some ineffable energy because of her performing austerities. They saluted her most respectfully; and she offered them food, wholesome and satisfying, and, there on the earth, they both fell into deep sleep. When Garuda awoke, he saw that his wings were severed from his body, and without them he looked like a lump of flesh. It seemed to be some kind of punishment. The sage asked Garuda, 'Did you think anything offensive about the woman?' Garuda said, "I just wondered why should this ascetic woman live in this forsaken place in the midst of a hill performing austerities? There are so many Holy places of pilgrimage and she should be staying there." Then he realized that wherever the saintly persons or Vaishnavas live, that is the place of pilgrimage and we should never think that it is a condemned place and for this offensive thinking, he lost his wings. Later he sought forgiveness from Shandili and got back his wings. In Srimad Bhagavatam 1.13.10, King Yudhistira glorifies Sri Vidura saying:

bhavad-vidhā bhāgavatās tīrtha-bhūtāḥ svayaṁ vibhotīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā

My Lord, devotees like your good self are verily holy places personified. Because you carry the Personality of Godhead within your heart, you turn all places into places of pilgrimage.

Srila Prabhupada in his arrival talk in Aligarh on October 9, 1976 very powerfully says, "A devotee, a pure devotee, can make any hell a tirtha, a holy place. That is devotee. Tirthi-kurvanti tirthaani. That was Bhageeratha. Ganga was hesitating, mother Ganga, that "I shall go to the material world. People will take, all sinful men will take bathing, and I'll be overloaded with sin. Then how I shall get out of this sinful, accumulation of sins?" So Bhageeratha said, "My mother, don't hesitate. When a holy man will take bath in your water, then all the sins he will assimilate." Then she agreed. "Yes. That's..." So if we become holy man, actually, then immune. There is no difference. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu. These are bogus, that "I do not go out of Vrindavana." They are making Vrindavana limited. Vrindavana is not limited. Wherever there is Krishna, wherever there is Radha-Krishna temple, that is Vrindavana. That is Vrindavana. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He, once only, He went to Vrindavana. Does it mean He was not in Vrindavana? So this is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission, that preaching must go on in hell and heaven."

Our beloved Gurudev HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj says, "Wherever you are, it is Vrindavan. Prabhupada says many times. He has written to one bhakta, 'I was staying in Vrindavana already. But I left Vrindavana and I am in America now. But for me, it is Vrindavana because I am always with Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavatam and chanting.' You don't have to run to that patch of land. That should be clear in our mind. I want to die in Vrindavana. So I have created Vrindavan here. Vrindavana is continuous remembrance of Krishna. Please, it is very easy to create Vrindavan anywhere provided you are fully engaged in these things.Don't run after the patch of land. If you can go to Vrindavan, so far so good. But it is not needed. Otherwise Prabhupada will not leave Vrindavan. Please, if we die there, it is much better. But we have to die on the battlefield. Bhishma did not go to Vrindavana to die. He died in Kurukshetra battlefield. Bhishmadev, did he not know that Vrindavan is not far? Why then he died in the battlefield? This is the instruction of Mahabharat. These are our directors or Mahajanas. Mahajana is dying on the battlefield and we go to Vrindavana to die. Inaction is not allowed in the field of devotional service. Not at all. Action is allowed. Continuous action. Ours is a process wherein 24 hours devotional service is going on. These are the activities of the soul. This is

very much according to the instructions of Bhagavad Gita. That will save you. Otherwise nothing will save you. Please have some plan for the study of Prabhupada's books and for preaching and do accordingly."

Now I understand the heart of one of our senior exalted God brothers, who few years ago, told us that he has not visited any holy dhams that time, except the places where our beloved Gurudev resided. I pray to develop the conviction that the pure devotees of the Lord, by their actions, can render any place into a place of pilgrimage, and the holy places are worth the name only on their account.


Take Pleasure in Others' Devotional Service


In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 1.8.36 Kunti Maharani prays,

śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanty abhīkṣṇaśaḥsmaranti nandanti tavehitaṁ janāḥta eva paśyanty acireṇa tāvakaṁ

bhava-pravāhoparamaṁ padāmbujam

O Krishna, those who continuously hear, chant and repeat Your transcendental activities, or take pleasure in others' doing so, certainly see Your lotus feet, which alone can stop the repetition of birth and death.

In the above verse Kunti Maharani is teaching us the ways in which we can see the Lord. One of the ways mentioned in the above verse is 'nandanti' or taking pleasure in others doing devotional service. The best example for this is Srimati Radharani. Inspite of being the dearest devotee of the Lord, She is very very pleased when She sees anyone trying to offer even a small flower to the Lord. She tells Krishna, "Just see Lord. How much devotion this person has. Please accept their offering". By Her personal example, she is teaching us this quality of 'nandanti'. When we develop this attitude, we would get more and more opportunities to serve the Lord, see His lotus feet and there by become free from cycle of birth and death. But instead of appreciating and encouraging others' service, if we keep discouraging and finding faults, then we will be entangled more and more in this material world.

In this regard one of the matajis shared a very nice instructive story. Once there lived a charitable king who used to feed the brahmanas sumptuously. On one of the occasions, when prasadam was being served to the brahmanas in the courtyard of the king's palace, an eagle flew over that area. The eagle was holding its prey, a poisonous snake in it's beak. The snake unable to bear the tight grip of the eagle was spitting poison out of its mouth and accidentally a drop of poison fell in the plate of one of the brahmana. When the brahmana ate that food, he died. The king became very unhappy and regretted very much for this mishap.

In Yamaloka, Yamaraj and his servants while taking account of the sinful reactions, were wondering whom to assign the reaction for the killing of this brahmana. Is it the mistake of king, the eagle or the snake? None of them had the intention of killing the brahmana. While they Yamadutas were trying to find a way for this, there was another group of brahmanas who were passing through that kingdom, wanting to meet the king. They met a woman on the way and requested her to show them the directions of the king's palace. After giving them the directions the woman said, "There lives the king who is famous for killing the brahmanas." As soon as she uttered this statement, Yamaraj decided to assign the sinful reaction of killing the brahmana to this lady. Such is the intricacies of dharma. The king was innocent and he just wanted to do charity to the brahmanas. The eagle was busy catching his prey and did not intend to hurt the brahmana. The snake also had spit the poison out of pain and did not have intentions to kill the brahmana. But since the lady not caring to know the real situation, simply accused the king to be a killer of the brahmanas, she had to take the reaction for killing the brahmana.

So if we are unable to appreciate the service done by others, we should at least refrain from fault-finding, blaming, accusing or passing unnecessary comments about their service. Our life is too short for all these petty things and for our own good it is better for us to judiciously use our time in service of Guru and Krishna.

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

Sudarshana devi dasi.

Power of Chastity

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

Chastity is a very noble quality which we need to imbibe in our spiritual lives. When we are chaste to Guru and Krishna, then our march back home, back to Godhead is secured. Not just in spiritual lives, even in our household life chastity is required. If either husband or wife is unchaste then it has very detrimental impact on the growth and the well-being of the children. In purport to Bhagavad Gita verse 1.40 Srila Prabhupada says, "The varnashrama religion's principles were so designed that the good population would prevail in society for the general spiritual progress of state and community. Such population depends on the chastity and faithfulness of its womanhood." Children learn everything from their parents and so it is important for us to set good examples for them and provide a safe and secure environment.

Our Vedic scriptures very nicely give us idea of how powerful is this quality of chastity. Women like Savitri, Gandhari, Draupadi, Sukanya are all known for the various benedictions and powers which they attained due to their chastity. Savitri was able to bring back her dead husband alive by her chastity. Gandhari, when she heard that her husband Dhrtarashtra is blind, she voluntarily blindfolded her eyes, not wanting to see the world, which her husband could not see. As a result of her chastity, she had the potency to empower Duryodhana's body as strong as iron, just by her glance. Draupadi the wife of Pandavas, by her chastity and devotion pleased Supreme Lord and so she was always protected by Him in times of trouble. In South India, Kannagi by her power of chastity destroyed the city of Madurai when the Pandian king made an unjust judgement against her husband. In Srimad Bhagavatam 9th Canto, Chapter 3, Sukadeva Goswami describes the life of Sukanya, who was given in marriage to old saint Cyavana Muni. In Srimad Bhagavatam 9.3.10 he says,

sukanyā cyavanaṁ prāpya patiṁ parama-kopanamprīṇayām āsa citta-jñā apramattānuvṛttibhiḥ

Cyavana Muni was very irritable, but since Sukanya had gotten him as her husband, she dealt with him carefully, according to his mood. Knowing his mind, she performed service to him without being bewildered.

Since she served her husband faithfully in a chaste manner, the Ashvini kumaras could change Cyavana Muni into a young and handsome person. In purport to above verse Srila Prabhupada says, "Even in the dealings of Lord Krishna with His different queens, it has been seen that although the queens were the daughters of great kings, they placed themselves before Lord Krishna as His maidservants. However great a woman may be, she must place herself before her husband in this way; that is to say, she must be ready to carry out her husband's orders and please him in all circumstances. Then her life will be successful.When the wife becomes as irritable as the husband, their life at home is sure to be disturbed or ultimately completely broken. In the modern day, the wife is never submissive, and therefore home life is broken even by slight incidents."

In Vedic scriptures it is mentioned that a chaste woman never calls for husband by his name and she never mentions the name of another man. When her husband is out of town, a chaste woman dresses very simply without any jewellery or cosmetics. She will not speak to a woman who is critical of her husband. A chaste woman never disobeys her husband. She will never give up her husband even if he is impotent, miserly, ill, senile or invalid.

So when we lead life according to scriptures, then not only are we benefited, but the whole family and society are also benefited. Just like Ganges water purifies one's sins, the home becomes auspicious by the presence of a chaste woman.

Thank you very much.

Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev,Shyamsundar dasVrindavan.

Ways to Regulate Our Sleep - Part 1


When Srila Prabhupada was giving class on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 6.3.18 in Gorakhpur on February 11 1971, few devotees dozed away. Inquiring with concern the reason for sleeping in class, His Divine Grace with right mix of humour and strictness gave many wonderful instructions which on constant hearing would definitely wake us from the deep slumber. The following are few drops of nectar from His Divine Grace's inspiring lecture.

1. Anyone who sleeps more than six or seven hours, he is a Kumbhakarna. Kumbhakarna was the brother of Ravana. He was sleeping six months, and six months he was awake. That means anyone who sleeps half the (day), out of twenty-four hours, anyone, if he sleeps twelve hours, he's a Kumbhakarna. So at least I think that one should not sleep more than seven hours utmost. That is sufficient, sufficient, seven hours. So you can sleep six hours at night and one hour to rest in daytime. That is sufficient. But if you sleep more than that, then you are Kumbhakarna. You should adjust things.

2. We should not take very leniently that we are going back to Godhead. Of course, there is so many concession for the... But at the same time, we should be very much aware of the responsibility that we have decided to go back to Godhead after leaving this body, so we have to perform some austerities.

3. The austerity in our Gaudiya sampradaya is very simple:- following the four principles, restriction, avoiding the offenses, and chanting regular beads. That's all.

4. And hearing. Chanting and hearing, both things. Not only chanting; we have to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam. In this way we should engage twenty-four hours' business. Hear and chanting... When you speak, when you go to a lecture for preaching, that is also chanting, when you speak. And automatically there is hearing. If you chant, there is hearing also.

5. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ [SB 7.5.23]. There is memorizing also. Unless you memorize all the conclusions of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-Gita, you cannot speak.

Krishna willing we shall continue to hear more nectar on this topic in the subsequent offering.




This is in continuation of the previous topic, "Ways to Regulate Sleep", which is based on sublime instructions given by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 6.3.18 in Gorakhpur on February 11 1971. Srila Prabhupada mentions how the nine ways of devotional service (as mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam verse 7.5.23) starting from śravaṇaṁ - hearing can help us to regulate our life. Now we shall continue to hear powerful instructions by His Divine Grace on how we can regulate sleep.

1. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ, offering prayers. Hare Krishna is also prayer. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna: "O Krishna, O the energy of Krishna, please engage me in Your service." This Hare Krishna is simply prayer. So Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ. Always remain engaged as servant, dāsyaṁ. Sakhyam, always think that Krishna is your best friend, ātma-nivedanam, and dedicating everything to Krishna. This is our process.

2. And we have to be utilized under these processes twenty-four hours. Out of that, because we have got this body, it requires eating, sleeping, mating. So the arrangement is there.Eating is there; sleeping is there; mating is there; defending is there—but not excessively.

3. nāma-gāna... Saṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ kālāvasānī-kṛtau nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau. The very word is used, vijita. You should not be conquered by them. Eating, sleeping, mating, defending required, but you should not be conquered by them. You shall conquer them. The maya is forcing me that, "You sleep twenty-four hours." But I have to conquer maya: "No. I shall not sleep more than seven hours." That is your business.

4. And how this maya can be conquered? That is also said. mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: [Bg. 7.14] "Anyone who is fully surrendered, he can conquer the maya." Just like Haridasa Thakura conquered maya. She came at dead of night, beautifully dressed, very young girl, and offered herself. But he conquered. "Yes, I shall do. I shall enjoy with you. Please sit down. Let me finish my regular chanting process. Then we shall enjoy." So he conquered maya. Maya could not conquer.

5. And if we fall flat to be conquered by the maya, then, we have to struggle. This is also another struggle for existence. As the materialists, they are also struggling for existence for a few days or few years only, our struggle is not for few days or few years, but eternally. The same struggle is there. Their process is different, our process is different. So we should be always conscious of our responsibility and that will help us.

6. We must stay awake. uttiṣṭha. Always remain awakened. So regular, seven hours sleep is sufficient. Why it should be more than that? What is the cause? Another cause may be that if we eat more, then sleep more. So in order to reduce the sleeping process, the eating process should be reduced. You can take (less), you fast one day, don't take anything, you will see that there will be less sleep. Is it not? Yes.

Krishna willing we shall continue to hear the sublime instructions from Srila Prabhupada in the next offering.




This is in continuation of the previous topic, "Ways to Regulate Sleep", which is based on sublime instructions given by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 6.3.18 in Gorakhpur on February 11 1971. Now we shall continue to hear from Srila Prabhupada.

1. "Anyway, that you have to adjust, all of you, that "How I shall not sleep more than seven hours." Six hours, from ten to four, that is six hours, complete. And one hour during daytime. Then no more sleeping unless you are sick. But why you young boys and girls, why should you fall sick? There is no question of falling sick. You have got your now blood running on. You are not old. Your stomach is working nice. So you should adjust."

2. Srila Prabhupada then gives us practical examples of six Goswamis of Vrindavan never slept for more than two hours and so it is not impractical thing to reduce sleep. He then gives examples how even materialists like Subhash Chandra Bose, Napoleon and Gandhiji also never slept. Napoleon slept only when he was travelling from one war-field to another and Gandhiji also slept only while travelling. One of the devotees then mentions of how Srila Prabhupada just slept only for five minutes on some days and then remaining time he used for serving Krishna. His Divine Grace then continues to say how regulating our eating habits helps us a lot in regulating our sleep. Taking the example of Gandhiji, His Divine Grace says, "Gandhi was very regular in his eating. He would take simply a cup of goat's milk and few peanuts and some day one or two capatis. Otherwise he will not take anything. And some oranges."

3. "That means when one is engaged in some serious business, he sleeps less. When I was in your country and was not attacked by the heart, so at night I was taping, and I was taping still two tapes. Two tapes. Therefore I was able to write so many books. Yes. So one should be engaged in serious business; then sleeping will be less. If there is no..., if we become lazy, if we have no sufficient engagement, then sleeping will come. And if no sufficient engagement, but sufficient eating, then the next result is sleeping."

4. From medical point of view, they say six hours sleeping is sufficient, six hours.

5. This way, personally we have to adjust things, not that by dictation or by rules and regulations. Personal affairs cannot be adjusted by rules and regulation. It can be adjusted by oneself. And then everything will be all right.





This is in continuation of the previous topic, "Ways to Regulate Sleep", which is based on sublime instructions given by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 6.3.18 in Gorakhpur on February 11 1971.

1. Srila Prabhupada then quotes one of the verses from Sri Sad-Goswami-ashtaka composed by Srinivasa acarya which explains how by properly engaging themselves in service of Krishna, the six Goswamis were able to regulate the eating and sleeping habits.

saṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ kālāvasānī-kṛtaunidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau cātyanta-dīnau ca yau

rādhā-kṛṣṇa-guṇa-smṛter madhurimānandena sammohitauvande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Goswamis, namely Sri Rupa Goswami, Sri Sanatana Goswami, Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami, Sri Raghunatha dasa Goswami, Sri Jiva Goswami, and Sri Gopala Bhatta Goswami, who were engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord and bowing down in a scheduled measurement. In this way they utilized their valuable lives and in executing these devotional activities they conquered over eating and sleeping and were always meek and humble enchanted by remembering the transcendental qualities of the Lord.

2. Devotional service is not a stressful activity, but a joyful one - susukham kartum avyayam. So His Divine Grace says that "the six Goswamis saved time in this way, and radha-krishna-padaaravinda-bhajananandena mattaalikau, be jolly in the service of Radha-Krishna, bhajanananda. That should be the basis of jolly, jollyness. And this should be adjusted or minimized according to... Our real pleasure should be in bhajanaanandena. Radha-Krishna-padaravinda-bhajananandena."

3. "In this way we have taken very serious job. In this life we want to finish this material existence for good. That should be the responsibility, that "We are going to finish this material existence for good. No more coming." tyaktvaa deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. If you take responsibility in that way, then everything will be adjusted. Serious."

4. "My Guru Maharaja (HDG Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarawati Maharaj) used to say like that, that "Finish this business in this life. Don't delay for the next life." He was telling also that "Don't give me trouble again to come here to deliver you." That is the responsibility of spiritual master. Spiritual master responsibility is to take the disciple to Krishna, until he is able to do, to help him, to help him, to help him. That is the verdict of the shastras. Just like Bilvamangala Thakura. His spiritual master delivered him, taking the shape of a prostitute."

5. "We have to take responsibility. The first thing is that we have taken very, very responsible task, to finish this so-called lording over this material nature. The material life means everyone is trying to lord over the material nature, bhoga. And we cannot do that. That is not possible. Therefore we are in trouble...And our business is not to lord it over but to serve Krishna."


Hare Krishna.Thank you very much.

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



This is in conclusion of the previous topic, "Ways to Regulate Our Sleep", which is based on sublime instructions given by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 6.3.18 in Gorakhpur on February 11, 1971.

1. We have to become Vishnudutas. Our preachers are Vishnudutas, just to give protection to any person who is slightly inclined to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is pancaraatra-vidhi. We shall give all help, all assistance, to such persons. That is our business. It is not sleeping business, it is not lazying business. We should be always active. We shall always make plan, think how to protect this miserable condition of the material world.

2. (People in the material world) They cannot understand. They are fools. They are rascals. So you have to give them knowledge. You have to give them help. That is missionary activity. Missionary activity is not laziness or sleeping. His Divine Grace then goes on to share the instructions of his spiritual master HDG Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswathi Maharaj who insisted that one should never become complacent in preaching. If for the sake of getting name and fame, one just simply chants and makes a show of devotional service then such kind of process is very much condemned.

3. Srila Bhakti Siddhantha Saraswati Prabhupada said, "prāṇa āche yāra sei hetu pracāra, that "I have got some dozens of disciples, and I have got a temple, and people are contributing. Now I have got good arrangement for eating and sleeping. Now I am perfect. Because I am getting some food without any work, and honor, then I am perfect." This is not the mentality. Prāṇa āche yāra. You must be engaged continually for these missionary activity."

4. His Divine Grace further says that his Guru Maharaj wanted to see that everyone is engaged in preaching work, some sort of preaching work, either indoor or outdoor. When you are indoor you have to be busy writing articles for a magazine and proofread and so many things indoors. And outdoors you have to go door to door, make them members, make them interested in this movement, collect money for expenses, outdoor.

5. Preaching, you have to meet opposing elements. So many will criticize, so many will attack. Nityananda Prabhu was hurt personally, but still, outdoor. This is missionary work, not that "Whenever I find some opportunity, go to some solitary place and sleep." This is not missionary life.

6. So we should adjust things, not that "All right, it is going on. That's all." You have got very responsible business, this Krishna consciousness. It is genuine, it is authorized, and Lord Caitanya wants us to do it all over the world. The things should be adjusted and keep us always alive to our self responsibility. That is missionary life, not to give away.

Our heartfelt thanks to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada for providing us these inspiring instructions and reminding us of the responsible business which is entrusted to us. Let us pray at the lotus feet of all the Vaishnavas so that we follow these instructions, regulate our lives and properly utilise our lives in Their service.


I am Very Sick - Part 1


It is very important for us to know the exact mood with which we should hear Srimad Bhagavatam and Srimad Bhagavad Gita. Sometimes devotees have the experience that we do not listen to the classes with the same enthusiasm and interest as we did, when we started attending the classes. This may be due to various inebrieties within us, the most important being lack of serious performance of our sadhana. Then we start discriminating and judging the classes, and we develop the feeling that, "I have already listened so much and I know everything and nothing more for me to learn." The mood with which we have to approach every class is very beautifully expressed by Mother Devahuti. Her husband Kardama Muni had already left for the forest for austerities and she was under the care of her transcendental son, Lord Kapiladeva. In Srimad Bhagavatam we see that she approaches her son and speaks so wonderfully in Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.7,

devahūtir uvācanirviṇṇā nitarāṁ bhūmann asad-indriya-tarṣaṇāt

yena sambhāvyamānena prapannāndhaṁ tamaḥ prabho

Devahuti said: I am very sick of the disturbance caused by my material senses, for because of this sense disturbance, my Lord, I have fallen into the abyss of ignorance.

So we should all realize that we are all the time disturbed by our material senses and because of that we are all very very sick. If we are sick, it becomes important that we go to the doctor and get the proper treatment. Each and every Bhagavatam class and Bhagavad Gita class is the medicine and treatment to cure us of our sickness. If we are physically sick, will we allow it to go unattended? We are so very careful and we attend to it first. In the same way, we are all spiritually sick and it becomes very important that we get treated for this sickness, which makes us fall into the abyss of ignorance. The scriptures give us the knowledge and detachment and thus they save us and while chanting we only pray that we be relieved of this disturbance.

Krishna willing we shall continue more on this topic in the subsequent offering.

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

I am Very Sick - Part 2


This is in conclusion of the previous topic, "I am Very Sick", wherein we were seeing how due to disturbance of our material senses and lack of proper sadhana, we lose taste in hearing the scriptures. Now we shall proceed further.

In Bhaktirasamrta sindhu verse 3.2.35, Rupa Goswami offers this wonderful prayer to the Lord.

kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāsteṣāṁ jātā mayi na karuṇā na trapā nopaśāntiḥ

utsṛjyaitān atha yadu-pate sāmprataṁ labdha-buddhistvām āyātaḥ śaraṇam abhayaṁ māṁ niyuṅkṣvātma-dāsye

O my Lord, there is no limit to the unwanted orders of lusty desires. Although I have rendered them so much service, they have not shown any mercy to me. I have not been ashamed to serve them, nor have I even desired to give them up. O my Lord, O head of the Yadu dynasty, recently, however, my intelligence has been awakened, and now I am giving them up. Due to transcendental intelligence, I now refuse to obey the unwanted orders of these desires, and I now come to You to surrender myself at Your fearless lotus feet. Kindly engage me in Your personal service and save me.

Regarding the way we are being harassed and disturbed by our senses, Srila Prabhupada in his Room conversation on January 8, 1977, in Bombay says,

"So now I am so much harassed. Kindly lift me and engage me in Your service. Hare Krishna." This is Hare Krishna. "I have served so many life the dictation of my senses, kāmādī." Katidhā na katidhā pālitā durnideśās: "My lusty desires, my senses, they have dictated me in so many ways which I should not have carried. Still, I have done it." Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās. Nideśāḥ. You are my master. You are asking, "Bring me a glass of water." That's very nice. But sometimes you may say, "You go to that person and speak this lie." I don't want to speak lie, but because I am your servant, I have to do that. Otherwise, my service will be cancelled. So similarly, kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās. Nideshaah is all right, but durnideśās.

So we are doing this life after life, dictated by the senses, which we should not have done. But we have done it. So "All right, you have satisfied your master." No, no. That is also not the fact. Teṣāṁ jātā karuṇā na jātā na trapā : "They are neither satisfied, neither they are kind upon me that 'This man has done so much. Now don't order him.' "Teṣāṁ na karuṇā jātā na trapā. "Then what you do...?" "Now I have rejected him. I have come to Hare Krishna-'Please engage me in Your service.' That is my life. I have done all this nonsense life after life. They are not satisfied. So therefore my business is to serve. 'I have come to You. Please accept me.' "That is Hare Krishna. Because "I have to serve. I have no other business. So I have served these rascals, but they are not satisfied." Na trapā nopasanti. "So why shall I do this business anymore? Yes. You are asking sarva-dharmān parityajya mam ekaṁ [Bg. 18.66]. I do that. That's all."

In his purport to SB 3.25.7 Srila Prabhupada writes that, "Unless one becomes tired of material sense gratification, there is no opportunity to hear transcendental messages from a person like Kapila." We can never be successful in satisfying our senses, no matter how much hard we try. So if we are really intelligent enough to understand that service to Supreme Lord alone can make our soul blissful, we should give up the disgusting endeavours for sense-gratification. In his book "Teachings of Lord Kapila", His Divine Grace explains how inspite of being great scholars, we fail to understand the primary lesson of Gita, that we are all spirit souls and not this body. The reason for our misunderstanding is because we do not study Bhagavad-Gita in the proper way. Consequently we are not fully aware

or convinced that the real person is not the body. This is called darkness, and when one is disgusted with this darkness, human life begins.

So let us remember these beautiful verses spoken by Mother Devahuti and Rupa Goswami for our benefit, surrender unto the lotus feet of Guru and Krishna and thereby come out of this darkness of ignorance. This is the way to overcome our sickness.

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

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Ante Narayana Smrti - Part 37 Hare Krishna Prabhujis and ...

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