Volunteer



oḿ namo bhagavate narasiḿhāya
namas tejas-tejase āvir-āvirbhava
vajra-nakha vajra-daḿṣṭra karmāśayān
randhaya randhaya tamo grasa grasa oḿsvāhā;
abhayam abhayam ātmani bhūyiṣṭhā oḿ kṣraum

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Nṛsiḿhadeva, the source of all power. O my Lord who possesses nails and teeth just like thunderbolts, kindly vanquish our demonlike desires for fruitive activity in this material world. Please appear in our hearts and drive away our ignorance so that by Your mercy we may become fearless in the struggle for existence in this material world.

oḿ hrāḿ hrīḿ hrūḿ oḿ namo bhagavate hṛṣīkeśāya
sarva-guṇa-viśeṣair vilakṣitātmane ākūtīnāḿ
cittīnāḿ cetasāḿ viśeṣāṇāḿ cādhipataye
ṣoḍaśa-kalāyacchando-mayāyānna-mayāyāmṛta-mayāya
sarva-mayāya sahase ojase balāya
kāntāya kāmāya namas te ubhayatra bhūyāt

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Hṛṣīkeśa, the controller of all my senses and the origin of everything. As the supreme master of all bodily, mental and intellectual activities, He is the only enjoyer of their results. The five sense objects and eleven senses, including the mind, are His partial manifestations. He supplies all the necessities of life, which are His energy and thus nondifferent from Him, and He is the cause of everyone's bodily and mental prowess, which is also nondifferent from Him. Indeed, He is the husband and provider of necessities for all living entities. The purpose of all the Vedas is to worship Him. Therefore let us all offer Him our respectful obeisances. May He always be favorable toward us in this life and the next.

oḿ namo bhagavate mukhyatamāya
namaḥ sattvāya prāṇāyaujase
sahase balāya mahā-matsyāya nama iti

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is pure transcendence. He is the origin of all life, bodily strength, mental power and sensory ability. Known as Matsyāvatāra, the gigantic fish incarnation, He appears first among all the incarnations. Again I offer my obeisances unto Him.

oḿ namo bhagavate akūpārāya
sarva-sattva-guṇa-viśeṣaṇāyānu-palakṣita-sthānāya
namo varṣmaṇe namo bhūmne
namo namo 'vasthānāya namas te

O my Lord, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, who have assumed the form of a tortoise. You are the reservoir of all transcendental qualities, and being entirely untinged by matter, You are perfectly situated in pure goodness. You move here and there in the water, but no one can discern Your position. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. Because of Your transcendental position, You are not limited by past, present and future. You are present everywhere as the shelter of all things, and therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto You again and again.

oḿ namo bhagavate mantra-tattva-lińgāya
yajña-kratave mahā-dhvarāvayavāya
mahā-puruṣāya namaḥ karma-śuklāya tri-yugāya namas te

O Lord, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You as the gigantic person. Simply by chanting mantras, we shall be able to understand You fully. You areyajña [sacrifice], and You are the kratu [ritual]. Therefore all the ritualistic ceremonies of sacrifice are part of Your transcendental body, and You are the only enjoyer of all sacrifices. Your form is composed of transcendental goodness. You are known as tri-yuga because in Kali-yuga You appeared as a concealed incarnation and because You always fully possess the three pairs of opulences.

oḿ namo bhagavate uttamaślokāya
nama ārya-lakṣaṇa-śīla-vratāya
nama upaśikṣitātmana upāsita-lokāya
namaḥ sādhu-vāda-nikaṣaṇāya
namo brahmaṇya-devāya
mahā-puruṣāya mahā-rājāya nama iti

Let me please Your Lordship by chanting the bīja-mantra oḿkāra. I wish to offer my respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, who is the best among the most highly elevated personalities. Your Lordship is the reservoir of all the good qualities of Āryans, people who are advanced. Your character and behavior are always consistent, and You always control Your senses and mind. Acting just like an ordinary human being, You exhibit exemplary character to teach others how to behave. There is a touchstone that can be used to examine the quality of gold, but You are like a touchstone that can verify all good qualities. You are worshiped by brāhmaṇas who are the foremost of all devotees. You, the Supreme Person, are the King of kings, and therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

oḿ namo bhagavate upaśama-śīlāyoparatānātmyāya
namo 'kiñcana-vittāya
ṛṣi-ṛṣabhāya nara-nārāyaṇāya
paramahaḿsa-parama-gurave
ātmārāmādhipataye namo nama iti

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Nara-Nārāyaṇa, the best of all saintly persons, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the most self-controlled and self-realized, He is free from false prestige, and He is the asset of persons who have no material possessions. He is the spiritual master of all paramahaḿsas, who are the most exalted human beings, and He is the master of the self-realized. Let me offer my repeated obeisances at His lotus feet.

oḿ namas te 'stu bhagavan
nārāyaṇa vāsudevādi-puruṣa mahā-puruṣa
mahānubhāva parama-mańgala
parama-kalyāṇa parama-kāruṇika
kevalajagad-ādhāra lokaika-nātha
sarveśvara lakṣmī-nātha paramahaḿsa-parivrājakaiḥ
parameṇātma-yoga-samādhinā
paribhāvita-parisphuṭa-pāramahaḿsya
-dharmeṇodghāṭita-tamaḥ-kapāṭa-dvāre citte 'pāvṛta
ātma-loke svayam upalabdha-nija-sukhānubhavo bhavān

O Supreme Personality of Godhead, O Nārāyaṇa, O Vāsudeva, original person! O most exalted person, supreme experience, welfare personified! O supreme benediction, supremely merciful and changeless! O support of the cosmic manifestation, sole proprietor of all planetary systems, master of everything and husband of the goddess of fortune! Your Lordship is realized by the topmost sannyāsīs, who wander about the world to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, fully absorbed in samādhi through bhakti-yoga. Because their minds are concentrated upon You, they can receive the conception of Your personality in their fully purified hearts. When the darkness in their hearts is completely eradicated and You are revealed to them, the transcendental bliss they enjoy is the transcendental form of Your Lordship. No one but such persons can realize You. Therefore we simply offer You our respectful obeisances.

oḿ namas tubhyaḿ bhagavate
vāsudevāya dhīmahi
pradyumnāyāniruddhāya
namaḥ sańkarṣaṇāya ca
namo vijñāna-mātrāya
paramānanda-mūrtaye
ātmārāmāya śāntāya
nivṛtta-dvaita-dṛṣṭaye

O Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, who are addressed by the oḿkāra [praṇava], I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. O Lord Vāsudeva, I meditate upon You. O Lord Pradyumna, Lord Aniruddha and Lord Sańkarṣaṇa, I offer You my respectful obeisances. O reservoir of spiritual potency, O supreme bliss, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, who are self-sufficient and most peaceful. O ultimate truth, one without a second, You are realized as Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān and are therefore the reservoir of all knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

oḿ namo bhagavate mahā-puruṣāya
mahānubhāvāya mahā-vibhūti-pataye
sakala-sātvata-parivṛḍha-nikara-kara-kamala
-kuḍmalopalālita-caraṇāravinda-yugala
parama-parameṣṭhin namas te

O transcendental Lord, who are situated in the topmost planet of the spiritual world, Your two lotus feet are always massaged by a multitude of the best devotees with their lotus-bud hands. You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, complete in six opulences. You are the supreme person mentioned in thePuruṣa-sūkta prayers. You are the most perfect, self-realized master of all mystic power. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

oḿ namo bhagavate tubhyaḿ
puruṣāya mahātmane
haraye 'dbhuta-siḿhāya
brahmaṇe paramātmane

O my Lord, full of six opulences, O Supreme Person! O Supreme Soul, killer of all miseries! O Supreme Person in the form of a wonderful lion and man, let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

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  • Volunteer

    Dandavat Mataji, Hare Krsna, many thanks for all the Srila Prabhupada lectures that you add in this group.

  • Volunteer
    Pranam Dearest Devotee. Hare Krishna.
    Select a few prayers from the list below,
    (which is in the Krishna Consciousness group).
    1. TWO PRAYERS TO SHRIMATI RADHARANI.
    2. ELEVEN OM PRAYERS FROM SHRIMAD BHAGAVATAM.
    3. SHRI GURVASTAKAM. (eight prayers to the Spiritual Master).
    4. TWO PRAYERS FROM SHRI VRINDAVANA MAHIMAMRTA.
    5. TWO PRAYERS FROM MUKUNDA MALA STOTRA.
    6. SIX PRAYERS FROM SHRI BRAHMA SAMHITA.
    7. THE EIGHT YUGALASHTAKAM PRAYERS.
    Everyday read them. 
    But if you can spare more time,
    then I highly recommend that you read all of them.
    At the time of reading these sacred prayers,
    Lord Krishna showers blessings upon you.
    With love and best wishes.
    Take care, bye.
  • Volunteer
  • Volunteer
    Nitai: "My dear King, the order carriers of Visnu, upon hearing the chanting of the holy name of their master, Narayana, being offenselessly chanted by Ajamila, who was in great anxiety at the time of his death, immediately arrived on the scene."

    Prabhupada:


    nisamya mriyamanasya
    mukhato hari-kirtanam
    bhartur nama maharaja
    parsadah sahasapatan
     [SB 6.1.30]


    So he was calling his son, Narayana. So the parsadah, visnu-parsadah-parsadah means associates or attendants -- they immediately came. Just like in your city, the police is wandering in the car, and if somebody calls for police, immediately he is present, similarly, the attendants of Lord Visnu, they are also wandering throughout the universe and searching out somebody who is engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord. So if you chant holy name of the Lord, they are very much pleased and they immediately come. That happened to Ajamila. He did not mean Narayana. Maybe or may not be, but he was calling his son. But the attendants of Hari, or the order carriers, they took notice of the chanting only. That's all. They did not care to know by "Narayana," Ajamila, what he was meaning. No. Because they heard bhartur nama, their master's name, they immediately appeared. This is clear.

    So anyone who is chanting the holy name of the Lord, he is taken care of immediately by the attendants of the Supreme Lord, especially at the time of death, because that is the last moment. The account is taken at the last moment. If you practice Hare Krsna, naturally at the last moment you will be inclined to chant Hare Krsna. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. It is so nice. If we practice in this life chanting Hare Krsna mantra, then gradually my core of heart will be cleansed and everything will be manifest: my position, my duty, what is God. Everything will be manifest. It is so nice. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Because we are filled up with so many rubbish dirty things, we cannot understand the science of God. But if you be practiced to chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra, then your heart will be cleansed and you will see things as they are. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. And as soon as we are able to see things as they are, then our material bondage is over. Because first of all I will see... People are making research work about the bodily cells, how they are working, and so many things, simply on the body. But as soon as you become cleansed of your heart, then immediately you understand, "I am not this body, so what is the use of studying the cells and atoms and this and that? I am not this body." Immediately. "Actually, I am not this body. I am simply wasting my time in studying." The same thing, example, that I am in the car, I am studying the machine only. I forgot my destination, where I have to go. I am busy with studying the car. What is the use? You must know. You have got a good car. You must know where is the destination, where you have to go. That is your business. The business... Of course, it is secondary. If you want to know what is the car, that is secondary; that is not your main business. The main business is how to utilize the car and go to my destination. That is intelligence.

    So we are fallen in this material condition in different forms. So long we are in this bodily concept, "I am this car," that is ignorance. I am not this car, but I have to utilize this car for going to my destination. That is wanted. So I am not this body. I am spirit soul. My destination is how to go to the spiritual world, how to meet the supreme spirit, God, and live with Him in His association. So this life is meant for understanding what is the Supreme Lord, where does He live, what does He do, what is my relationship with Him. This is called brahma-jijnasa. That is actual education. And I am given this machine. If we simply study the machine, then what is the use of it? The sastra says that machine is working, and it will work until it is rotten. So you don't bother with the machine, but you simply appreciate that you have got now a good machine. The dog has got also a machine, and a human being has got a machine. Everyone has got a machine, living entity, but the sastra says, "This machine should not be utilized like the dog's machine." Nayam deho deha-bhajam nr... Everyone has got machine. Even an ant, it has got machine, because according to his desire, he has been given a body. That is also machine. An elephant has got a machine. I am also. I have got also machine. Every one of us, we are spirit soul, and relatively we have got different machine. So that machine is required for going from here. But we should not waste our time simply studying the machine, forgetting our destination. This is human intelligence. God has already given you a type of machine. Now utilize it to go to the destination.

    Nr-deham adyam sulabham sukalpam. This nr-deham, this machine is very carefully made not by me, but by the nature. Nature is the agent of God. I wanted to do something. That means I require a particular type of machine. God orders nature that "This living entity wants something like this. You give him a machine." So the prakrti, or the nature, gives us different types of machine. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. I am neither driving the machine; neither I have made the machine. I have been given as gift to work on or to fulfill my desire. This is the position. So sastra says that "You have got now a very good machine." Nr-deham. The human form of body is very good machine. Nr-deham adyam sulabham sukalpam. It is very rare. With great difficulty, you have got this machine because we have to come through so many machines, the aquatics, the plants, the insects, the trees, and the serpents, reptiles, then birds, then beast, millions and millions of years. Just like you have seen this. The trees are standing there, maybe standing for five thousand years. So if you get that machine, you cannot move. You have to stand in one place. So we had to go through this. Foolish people, they do not know.

    Therefore this machine is sulabham. Sulabham means very fortunately we have got this machine. And sukalpam, "very nicely made." Those who are medical man, they see how nicely made it is, how the nerves are working, the nails are working, the intestines and the heart and everything -- a grand machine. Therefore it is called sukalpam, "very well planned." And what for? Just like a nice boat, well planned. If you have got a nice boat, you get on it and cross over the river or the ocean. Similarly, we are in this material ocean. Life after life we are struggling. So now we have got a nice boat, this human body. Sulabham sudurlabham. And it is specially advantageous because the breeze is very favorable. When you ply your boat, if the breeze is favorable, pushing on, that is another advantage, good boat and good breeze. And guru-karnadharam: "And the captain, steering man, is guru." He is giving instruction, "Row like this. Turn this way, that way." He is turning everything. So we have got this opportunity. If the boat is very nice, the captain is very nice, the breeze is very favorable, and even accepting or getting this nice boat, favorable, if we do not cross over the sea of ignorance, of material existence, then we are committing suicide. Sa atma-ha. You get all the opportunities, and still you remain in this material world, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease? Is that very good intelligence? No. That is not good.

    So we are misled. We are engaged in studying the machine, that's all. Instead of using the machine to cross over the ocean, take the advantage, they are very busy in studying the machine. Is that very good intelligence? Machine is already given to you. You cannot study even. You do not know. Even if you study, you cannot say... I claim, "It is my body," and if somebody asks me, "How many hairs you have got in your body?" I cannot say. How I am eating something, how it is being turned into some secretion, it is going to the heart, it is becoming red and it is again distributed through the nerves and veins -- I do not know anything. I can simply theorize. But the machine is not under your control. The machine is made by God or by nature. It is very subtle machine. If you are very expert, the first thing is that what is the use of simply studying the machine? You got it. You utilize it for going to the destination. That is your intelligent. No, they forgot to use the machine for going to the destination; they are simply studying the machine. And that is going on in the name of science. What is this nonsense science? Simply busy in studying the machine.

    So that is our mistake. Our mistake is that we have got advanced or developed consciousness. We should utilize it for going back to home, back to Godhead. Why should we misuse it unnecessarily? And you are not perfect. Suppose you are studying the machine throughout the whole life. What you will get that? Can you make the machine to your favor that this machine will not be lost, there will be no death? You all scientists, you are studying the machine. Have you found out any means that there will be no death? Where is that knowledge. Death will be there. You study the machine or do not study the machine, in due course, time, the death will come and will take you. The machine will stay. So this is intelligence. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanu... [Bg. 13.9]. You cannot cure even one disease. You are embarrassed with the cancer disease. You find out how the cells are working, how it can be changed, and there will be no cancer. No, that you cannot do. You go on studying simply, waste your time. So sastra says, "Don't waste your valuable time in that way. Try to understand God. Use your intelligence for this purpose." Tapah. Tapo divyam yena suddhyet sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. You have to undergo austerities that you may not be subjected to this machine. That is your business, not to study the machine. How to become independent of the machine. So long you are in this material world, you are desiring differently. Nature is supplying you a different type of machine, and you are busy. Then again, the machine is broken, then you accept another machine. This is going on.

    So your problem is to stop this repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. Come to your spiritual life. That is your business. That is the instruction of the sastra. The machine maintaining, everyone knows it. The dog knows how to maintain the machine. He eats according to the necessity of his doggish body. So we also know, human body. So that is natural. That is... The supplies are already there. You cannot manufacture supplies. That is the Vedic instruction: eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman, nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). There are many millions and trillions of living entities, and there is another living entity: that is God. So this another, one, singular number. There is no second, duplicate, of this one. But we ordinary living entities, we have got many millions of duplicates. Therefore two things are used: nitya, nityanam. Nityanam means plural number. Many, many, innumerable. You cannot count. Asankhya. The jiva is. Asankhya means nobody can count. And above this asankhya innumerable living entities, there is one prime living entity. God is also a living entity. He is also like us. In your Bible there is there: "Man is made after God." Is it not? So God is living entity, and we have got this form after the form... God is two-handed; we have got two hands. So that is a fact. This human form of life is made according to the form of Lord. It is imitation; that is real. Sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah, isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. But we are thinking that God has no form. Why? Wherefrom you got your form? You are daily praying, "O God, O Father, give us our daily bread," and we accept God as the supreme father. So if I have got form, the father must have got form. It is reasonable. How you say, "There is no form"? This is all not very reasonable argument. God is also a living entity, but what is the difference between God and all these living entities? They are all dependent on God. That's all. God is great; we are small. Just like father maintains all the children, so we are all children, and the supreme father maintains. So if the children have got forms, so it is naturally concluded the father has got, even though you have not seen the father. Suppose a posthumous child, a child is born after the death or disappearance of the father. So that does not mean because he has not seen the father, he will conclude that "My father had no form." This is not conclusion. He should know from the mother that "Yes, my child, your father had form." So this is intelligence.

    So difference between this prime, or the Supreme Person, and these... Difference is that eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. We different living entities, we are planning differently. Just like children. Somebody is playing with the motorcar toy, somebody is something, somebody is..., a doll, and the parents are supplying, "All right, you take this doll. You take this. You take this. You take this." So we are playing like that, making plan. So God is supplying all the... But He wants that "My dear child, you are now grown up. You have got this human form of body. You don't play like this and waste your time. You take education and know things as they are." That is called athato brahma jijnasa. The Vedanta-sutra: "Now you have got human form of life. You try to understand what is God." That is the main business. Unfortunately, we are misled by blind leaders. We have been engaged in studying the body, that's all.

    So here it is said, nisamya mriyamanasya mukhato hari-kirtanam. So God very much appreciates when we use our tongue and mouth in glorifying or chanting the holy name. He very much appreciates. Because the name of God and God is not different, so immediately he becomes in touch with God. As soon you chant Hare Krsna, immediately we are in touch. So He very much appreciated. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah. Punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17]. Sravana means hearing, and kirtana means chanting. So anyone who is chanting God's name and one who is hearing God's name, both of them are becoming purified, punya. Punya means piety. So simply by chanting... This is the example, that this man was addicted to so many sinful activities, and out of fear or out of his good luck, he chanted "Narayana." Immediately the attendants of Narayana has come to deliver him. And now there will be talk between the order carriers, attendants of Yamaraja and Visnuduta, and that we shall discuss later on.

    Thank you very much. (end)
    Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.30 -- Philadelphia, July 14, 1975
  • Volunteer

    "Prasadam-Krishna's Mercy"  BY SRILA PRABHUPADA.

    Nitai: "Those persons who are performing many processes of atonement cannot become purified by such atonement due to their being nondevotees, just as a pot containing liquor cannot be purified even if it is washed by all the rivers combined together."

    Prabhupada:


    prayascittani cirnani
    narayana-paranmukham
    na nispunanti rajendra
    sura-kumbham ivapagah
     [SB 6.1.18]


    Ivapagah. So here is one significant word, sura-kumbham. Everything is washed very nicely. If you go to the river, you can wash very nicely. But just see how much infectious is liquor that the any pot or any bottle which was filled up with liquor, they cannot be purified. This is Vedic civilization. How much condemned is liquor! Because a pot was filled up with liquor, you cannot use it for any other purpose. It is lost. Even if you wash it very nicely, no, it will not be accepted. Finished. Similarly, there are many processes of purification; they cannot be as useful as bhagavad-bhakti. Bhagavad-bhakti is so nice that Krsna says that "You surrender to Me," sarva-dharman parityajya, "and immediately you become immune from all reaction of sinful activity, immediately."


    sarva-dharman parityajya
    mam ekam saranam vraja
    aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
    moksayisyami ma sucah
     [Bg. 18.66]


    Bhagavad-bhakti is so strong. In many places it is stated in the sastra.


    dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
    visvaksena-kathasu yah
    notpadayed yadi ratim
    srama eva hi kevalam
     [SB 1.2.8]


    So there are different varieties of religious system, but if you execute your particular type of religious system very perfectly but the result, if you do not become attached to Krsna, your love for Krsna is not awakened, then simply by performing such ritualistic ceremony or rules and regulation of your religious system, if you do not become develop yourself to love God, then it is all useless waste of time. It has no meaning. That is the test, how to become, how to advance in loving service of the Lord. That is the... Then you are religious, you are philosopher, you are great man, you are everything. Otherwise, if you do not awaken your dormant love for Krsna, or God, then all such labor is useless. Srama eva hi kevalam. Dharmah svanusthitah pumsam visvaksena-kathasu yah, notpadayed yadi [SB 1.2.8]. By performing religious ceremonies or following the religious principle, the test is how one has become advanced in the loving service of the Lord. This is required. And his example is very strong, that sura-kumbham ivapagah. Sura-kumbha, the pot which contained liquor, it cannot be purified. Therefore it is so strictly prohibited about liquor.


    So,


    sakrn manah krsna-padaravindayor
    nivesitam tad-guna-ragi yair iha
    na te yamam pasa-bhrtas ca tad-bhatan
    svapne 'pi pasyanti hi cirna-niskrtah


    Therefore Rupa Gosvami has recommended that "Somehow or other, you become Krsna conscious." Yena tena prakarena manah krsne nivesayet. That is the recommendation of Rupa Gosvami: "Somehow or other, you engage your mind in Krsna." Then your life will be successful. Somehow or other. Do anything, but you remember Krsna. That is the instruction in the Bhagavad-gita also. Yudhyasva mam anusmara: [Bg. 8.7] "You fight; at the same time, you remember Me." "How it is possible? I am busy, and I have to remember Krsna?" Sometimes this argument is put forward. But that argument is not strong. Rupa Gosvami has given a very nice example that a woman, if she is attached to some man and she has a fixed up time to meet the man at some place or at some hour, so she may be engaged in household affairs very busily, but she is expecting, "When that hour will come?" This is very factual example. The mind is there, "When that meeting will take place?" Similarly, you can remember Krsna. The... It is a crude example, but it is possible that you be busy in so many ways, but at the same time you can remember Krsna. That is wanted. That is Krsna conscious. We have no objection. You do business, you do this, you do that. But if you can always remember Krsna, then your life is successful. It doesn't matter. Yena tena prakarena manah krsne nivesayet. And if you remember always Krsna, that means you are becoming purified. You are purified immediately.

    So that is required. Prayascitta and other things, they may be temporarily... That is... We are discussing this point. The real point is that narayana-paranmukham. Without thinking of Narayana or Krsna or Visnu, no other method will be able to purify you. There are many places... Vita-raga-bhaya-krodha man-maya... [Bg. 4.10]. What is that verse? Vita-raga-bhaya-krodha man-maya mam upasritah... [Bg. 4.10]. The simple process to become purified. And that simple process is this chanting. Chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, this name "Krsna" is reminding me. I must hear and I must chant with the tongue. Then you keep yourself always in Krsna consciousness. Our method is very simple. It doesn't require much education or to become rich or become beautiful or become..., to take birth in high family. No. In any condition. Ahaituky apratihata. If you want to chant Hare Krsna mantra, there is no impediment in the world. You can, walking on the street, you can chant Hare Krsna. That will keep you purified. No other method. This is the purport of this verse.


    prayascittani cirnani
    narayana-paranmukham
    na nispunanti rajendra
    sura-kumbham ivapagah


    So this purificatory process... Bhakti means purificatory process. We are impure. Because we are impure, therefore we are undergoing so many tribulations, so many miserable condition of life. Otherwise we are spirit soul, anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). Our position is anandamaya. Anandamaya, the Vedanta-sutra says, anandamaya..., "By nature, spirit soul is anandamaya, always full of jolly." You see Krsna. Krsna is full of jolly. Always you see pictures of Krsna, either He is playing with the cowherds boy or either He is killing some demon, He is laughing, very sportively He is killing. And what to speak of with the gopis and Radharani? Because He is sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1], always full of happiness and bliss. And we are also part and parcel of Krsna. Therefore our position is the same, maybe in small scale. The position is the same, anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). Anandamaya. So why should we be morose? Why should we be unhappy? Because we are now at the present moment covered with the sinful reaction of our life. So if we purify ourself... Tapasa brahmacaryena [SB 6.1.13]. We have already discussed, or that will be discussed later. The human life is meant for that. Purify. Don't keep yourself unclean. Purify. Then you regain your original, spiritual life. That is the only business.

    But unfortunately, we are not interested in purifying, but we are interested to be more implicated by being impure. A diseased man, if he is to be cured, he must follow the rules and regulation as prescribed by the physician. And if he does not follow the rules and regulation -- whatever he likes, he does -- then the disease will increase. Disease will increase. We shall be careful to follow the rules and regulation. And another complaint I was hearing that we are not taking prasadam, especially the grhasthas. No. That is not good. You should take prasadam. Krsna baro doyamoy, koribare jihwa jay, swa-prasad-anna dilo bhai, sei annamrta pao, radha-krsna-guna gao, preme dako caitanya-nitai. Krsna baro doya... Our tongue is the greatest enemy. Ta 'ra madhye jihwa ati, lobhamoy sudurmati. The tongue is the greatest enemy, and if you can control the tongue, then you can control all the senses. Otherwise tongue will dictate, "Give me this kind of food, give me this kind of food." And if you don't take prasadam in the temple, then our tongue will dictate, "Now you can prepare some nice food. Let us take it." That will not help us in our Krsna consciousness. Whatever Krsna..., krsna baro doyamoy, koribare jihwa jay. Krsna-prasada means to control the tongue. Our main enemy is the tongue. In another place it is said, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah: [Brs. 1.2.234] "God realization becomes by keeping the tongue engaged in the service of the Lord." Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. The tongue has to be first of all engaged, not the hands and legs. "I have to serve Krsna. So yes, I am ready. I am expanding my hands. I am going there." But sastra says, "No, no, no. Not your hands and legs but your tongue. This is the one. First of all engage your tongue." This is astonish: "How can I serve with tongue? If I have to serve, I have got my hands and legs, my eyes and I..." No. Sastra says tongue. This is very peculiar. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. If you engage your tongue... So how to engage my tongue? What is the business of my tongue? Two business only: to taste, or eat, and chant. Chant Hare Krsna with tongue and take krsna-prasadam -- you will conquer Krsna. This is the program. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. So if you do not control your tongue, if you feel inconvenient in taking prasadam, that means you are not making progress. This is the... This is the formula. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah.

     So in our other branches, all the devotees, they take together prasadam. That is nice. Why one should be not liking to take prasadam in the temple? What is the fault? No, this is not good. We should... Everyone should take prasadam. You see still if you go to Jagannatha Puri. Even outsiders who go there, they do not cook. Strictly, they do not cook. They purchase prasadam. And if you go there, one thousand men -- because there are pilgrims, they are coming, there is no -- you will get immediately ready prasadam, purchased from the the market, the Jagannatha Puri, still. And there is no such thing as infection. I am taking your prasadam remnants. Whatever you left, I am... He is taking. Even if you are outcaste, if you are not brahmana, still there is. Because prasada is transcendental. It is not material thing. So one must have faith that it is not material. It cannot be infected by any material things. In this way prasada should be taken. It is called prasada-seva, not "prasada enjoyment." Seva means giving service. Prasada is as good as Krsna; therefore prasada should be respected as good as Krsna. As soon as one gets prasadam, immediately he touches on the head because it is Krsna, absolute. In this way we have to be trained up as it is prescribed in the sastras.

    So those who are attached to Krsna consciousness movement and those who are attached to the service, they should take prasadam, first-class prasadam. Everyone likes the taste of the prasadam. I used to go in my household life to take prasadam in the temples and pay them. I used to do that. And I used to go... Especially in Sri Ramapur, there are two temples, one of Jagannatha and one of Radha-Vallabhaji. So it was very nice. On Sunday I used to go to take prasadam. So you should be habituated to prasadam as far as possible unless you are very sick, you cannot take. That is different. Otherwise you should take it. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau [Brs. 1.2.234]. Then we will remember Krsna, and that will keep us fit and immune from all infection of material miserable condition.

    So prayascittani, because one, if he, one is not narayana-paranmukha... Narayana-paranmukha and narayana-parayana -- just the opposite. One is Narayana..., attached to Narayana, and one is detached to Narayana. So Narayana detached cannot be purified simply by performing or executing the ritualistic ceremony. That is the verdict of this verse.

    Thank you very much. (end)
    Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.18 -- Denver, July 1, 1975

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    "ABC's of Degradation & Elevation"  BY SRILA PRABHUPADA.

    Prabhupada:


    sri-badarayanir uvaca
    evam te bhagavad-duta
    yamadutabhibhasitam
    upadharyatha tan rajan
    pratyahur naya-kovidah
     [SB 6.2.1]


    So two parties, Yamaduta and the Bhagavad-duta. So this human life is the junction, which way to go, to the Yamadutas or to the Bhagavad-dutas. There is no three. Two alternative. In the Bible also it is said, "Either you go to hell or go to heaven." Is it not? This is right. Yamaduta means go to hell, and Bhagavad-duta means go to Vaikuntha. This is the junction.


    yanti deva-vrata devan
    pitrn yanti pitr-vratah
    bhutejya yanti bhutani
    mad-yajino 'pi yanti mam
     [Bg. 9.25]


    Now make your selection. So long we are in the lower animal life, nature is giving chance. Prakrteh kriyamanani [Bg. 3.27]. Then nature brings you in the platform of human life, developed consciousness, and you can take advantage of the sastra. Anadi bahirmukha krsna bhuli gela, ataeva krsna veda purana karila. Veda-Purana, why they have been made? It is made for the human being. This is the chance. Veda-Purana is not made for the cats and dogs. They are not supposed to read Veda and Puranas. Similarly, if the human being does not take care of the Veda Puranas, then he is no better than the cats and dogs. Ataeva krsna veda purana karila. To revive our Krsna consciousness. Uttisthata jagrata prapta-varan nibodhata. This is the Vedic injunction. So long you were in the lower grade of life it was not possible for you to take the path of Vedas and Puranas. That was not possible. But now, even if getting the human form of life, if you live for sense gratification like cats and dogs, then the Yamaduta... Yamaduta. Krsna nama kara bhai ara saba miche, palaye bara katha naya yo mache piche.(?) These are very easily understandable. You cannot avoid Krsna consciousness. That is not possible. If you avoid, then yo mache piche -- the Yamadutas will carry you. You can say, "I can do whatever I like. Why you are forcing me to become Krsna conscious? I can do whatever I like. There is no need of your preaching Krsna consciousness. I am independent. I don't believe in the next life." That is the general statement of the rascals and fools. But the fact is different. If you don't take to Krsna consciousness, then Yamadutas Then you'll be punished. You cannot avoid. You are completely dependent on Krsna. Krsna is the Supreme, and you are the servant. You have declined to serve Krsna; therefore you must be punished. This is the nature's way. Daivi hy esa gunamayi [Bg. 7.14]. You cannot escape. You can not escape the mundane, man-made laws, but you cannot the God-made laws. That is not possible.

    So Yamadutas, they came to take him. Now the Visnuduta... Evam te bhagavad-duta. So Bhagavad-duta... Bhagavan is not alone, without any followers. In the Vaikunthaloka Bhagavan is there in His innumerable forms. There are innumerable Vaikunthalokas, and in each and every planet there is innumerable devotees. He is not alone. Advaitam acyutam anantam ananta-rupam adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca [Bs. 5.33]. So Yamadutas As the Yamaraja has got his adherent order-carriers, similarly, in the Vaikunthaloka there are so many order-carriers. In the Vaikunthaloka there is no a single person who is not a devotee. That is Vaikuntha. Vaikuntha means... Kuntha means anxiety, and vigata-kuntha iti vaikuntha. There is no anxiety. And the material world means anxiety: "What will happen? What will happen." Even the sparrow, you will see. You give them some grain, they are eating, but they are looking this way, that way: "If somebody is not coming to kill me?" Everyone -- full of anxiety. That we are forgetting, that we are trying to remain in this material world very happy, but that is not possible. Anxiety, full of anxiety.

    Therefore Prahlada Maharaja said, hitvatma-ghatam grham andha-kupam vanam gato yad dharim asyrayeta. He was asked by his father what was the best thing he had learned. So he said, "I have learned this best thing." What is that? Hitvatma-ghatam grham andha-kupam vanam gato yad dharim asrayeta: [SB 7.5.5] "This is the first-class thing." What is that? "Now, giving up this grha andha-kupam, grhastha life." They are thinking very happy, husband, wife, living together, enjoying. But that is grha andha-kupam. Andha-kupam means if you are thrown into the dark well, it is like that. Of course, those who are Krsna conscious, that is different thing. But ordinarily, the so-called household life means to be in the darkness, in the dark well. Grhanda-ku..., hitva: "One should give up." Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, when one is fifty years old, above that, he must give up family life. No more. Then sannyasa. Not that up to the point of death one should remain a grhastha. No. If he wants to become free from anxiety, that is... Otherwise anxiety. Tat sadhu maye asura-varya dehinam sada samudvigna-dhiyam. Dehinam, one who has accepted this material body, he must be always restless with anxiety. This is the... Duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. You cannot avoid it.

    So this Krsna consciousness movement, you can take it as a religious movement, bhagavata-dharma. This is the only dharma, bhagavata-dharma. Except bhagavata-dharma, any other dharma, so-called dharma, is cheating. That is not dharma. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Bhagavat-pranitam, therefore called Bhagavatam. The word Bhagavatam comes from the word bhagavat. Bhavarthe sipan.(?) Bhagavad-bhava iti bhagavata. So religion means what is given by God. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. You cannot manufacture religion, nonsense, give this dharma, that dharma, that dharma. No. Dharma is only one. That is bhagavata-dharma. Otherwise there is no dharma. They are all cheating. Aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. The fight between different religious principles, religious followers -- "I am Hindu," "You are Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Buddhist," "My religion is better," "Your religion is bad" -- these are all not religion. Real religion is bhagavata-dharma. In any other religion there is para-himsa. Para-himsa. In the history you will find many instances. In our country I have seen fight between Hindus and Muslims. And in the history you will find Europe, the Prostestants, and the Roman Catholics, and the Crusades. So this kind of religion has no value. Religion means when one understands Krsna, or God, he understands automatically that all living entities are Krsna's part and parcels. Some way or other, they have been put into this maya. Anadi bahirmukha jiva krsna bhuli gela. They have forgotten. Therefore a devotee tries to bring them back to Krsna consciousness, back to home, back to Godhead. This is vision. He has no discrimination that "Here is a Hindu. Here is a Muslim. Here is a Christian. Here is an African. Here is a white. Here is a black." No. "Everyone is Krsna's part and parcel. Let them revive their Krsna consciousness and be happy." That is religion. All others cheating.

    So this Krsna consciousness movement we are pushing on. We have no such distinction. Samah sarvesu bhutesu. Not that "They are Europeans. They cannot take to this religion." This is in the andha-kupa, andha. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanas te 'pisa-tantrya uru-damni baddhah [SB 7.5.31]. Such class of men are subjected to the punishment by the Yamaduta. Otherwise, panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. Pandita, they should be equal. Krsna says,


    mam hi partha vyapasritya
    ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah
    striya sudras tatra vaisyas
    te 'pi yanti param gatim
     [Bg. 9.32]


    Everyone has got the right to go back to home, back to Godhead. Krsna says, ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah: "Never mind he is born in the sinful family. That's all right, but he has got the right to go back to home, back to Godhead." And who will take up the work? If everyone has got the right to go back to home, back to Godhead, and by taking to Krsna consciousness, mam hi partha vyapasritya. Krsna says, "Everyone has got the right." Then who will teach them how to go back to home, back to Godhead? Who is the man? If you say, "No, no, they are untouchable, papa-yoni. They are untouchable. They cannot," so that is not the duty.


    The duty is, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu said,


    bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila jara
    janma sarthaka kari' kara para upakara
     [Cc. Adi 9.41]


    Anyone who has taken birth in India, if he's a man... If he's a dog, if he's a cat, that is another. If he's a man... Manusya janma haila jara. So what is his duty? Janma sarthaka kari. First of all awaken your own Krsna consciousness, you understand Krsna, and then go out, kara para upakara. Because people are in darkness. People are in darkness. They have forgotten Krsna. This is Krsna consciousness meant, not that "I have understood Krsna. Now pack it up in the box and see sometimes: 'Oh, I have become Krsna conscious.' " My Guru Maharaja condemned this. He said, mana tumi kisera vaisnava: "My dear mind, you are thinking that you have become a very good Vaisnava and chanting Hare Krsna, imitating Haridasa Thakura, and smoking bidi." This imitation has no value. My Guru Maharaja condemned it. He said, mana tumi kisera vaisnava: "What a rascal you are. You are thinking that you are Vaisnava." Nirjanera ghare... What is that? I forget now. Tava hari-nama kevala kaitava. Pratisthara tare, nirjanera ghare, tava hari-nama kevala kaitava: "My dear mind, you are very much proud of becoming Vaisnava. In a solitary place you are imitating Haridasa Thakura." Nirjanera ghare, pratisthara tare: "Your this solitary chanting of Hare Krsna means that you want cheap popularity -- 'Oh, he is chanting Hare Krsna.' " That is not possible. You cannot imitate Haridasa Thakura. So by imitating Haridasa Thakura, keeping connection with woman and doing all nonsense, you cannot imitate Haridasa Thakura. You must work. You must go out for chanting, for preaching. This is the real chanting. Yare dekha, tare kaha 'krsna' upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. This is wanted, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has never said that "You may imitate Haridasa Thakura, and in a solitary place, 'Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna... Bidi, bidi, bidi.' " Not like that. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "Go out."


    yare dekha, tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa
    amara ajnaya guru haya tara' ei desa
     [Cc. Madhya 7.128]


    So our request is, you all foreigners, so you have learned something about Krsna consciousness. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's order. Although He expected that every Indian should go out for parupakara, but anyway, some of the Indians, at least one... But you take this mission and go everywhere, in every corner. I am thankful to you. You are already doing that, in Europe and America, (people are) deep asleep. Because people are sleeping under misguidance, and they are becoming candidate for being carried away by the Yamaduta. This is the position of the whole world, Yamaduta. Palaye bara katha naya yo mache piche.(?) Yamaduta will not excuse you, however you may be very proud of becoming independent. This is not possible. To save the human civilization, the rascal civilization, that "There is no life after death, and you go on enjoying as much as you like," this wrong civilization is killing civilization. So you save them. You save them. Otherwise the Yamaduta is there.

    Evam te bhagavad-duta yamadutabhibhasitam, upadharya. They listened to the words of Yamaduta very carefully, upadharya, not that haphazardously they heard, no. Their reason, their everything, that "This man was like this, and he must be carried to Yamaraja for punishment..." Why punishment? No, to make him purified, it is said. Punishment required. This is nature's law. Just like if you have infected some disease, the punishment is you must suffer for it. The punishment is good. If you have infected some disease, and when you suffer, that means you become purified from the disease. Suffering is not bad, to become purified. Therefore when a devotee suffers, he does not take it illy. He thinks that "I am being purified. I am being purified."


    tat te 'nukampam su-samiksamano
    bhunjana evatma-krtam vipakam
    hrd-vag-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
    jiveta yo mukti-pade sa daya-bhak
     [SB 10.14.8]


    A devotee, when he is in troubled condition, he thinks, "My Lord is so kind that He is purifying me. I am suffering from my past misdeeds. So Krsna is so kind that He is purifying me, giving me little suffering. That's all right. Therefore I must be obliged to Him." And he offers more respectful obeisances to the Lord: "My Lord, You are purifying me." If one lives like this, mukti-pade sa daya-bhak, his liberation is guaranteed.

    Daya-bhak. Daya-bhak means just like the son inherits the father's property without any check. Nobody can check. Law is there -- "The father's property must be inherited by the son." Similarly, those who are strictly in Krsna consciousness despite all kinds of hindrances, his liberation is guaranteed. His liberation is guaranteed. And if he becomes little, immediately disturbed with little inconvenience, and "What is this nonsense, Krsna con...? Give it up. Let me enjoy," then he is again in the clutches of maya. But if one sticks to Krsna consciousness in spite of all difficulties, then his liberation, going back to home, back to Godhead, is guaranteed. Mukti-pade sa daya-bhak. This is the statement of the sastra. Daya-bhak means nobody can check him.

    So we should be very careful to stick to Krsna consciousness without being agitated or deviated in any circumstances of life. Then we will not be liable to the punishment of Yamadata. That is the incident happening here. Slightly he became Krsna conscious at the end of life and chanted "Narayana" -- immediately the Visnu, Bhagavad-duta came: "Oh, he has chanted Hare Krsna mantra. That's all right. Let him take back home, back to Godhead."

    Thank you very much. (end)
    Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.1 -- Vrndavana, September 5, 1975

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    "Don't Infect Yourself with the Material Qualities"  BY SRILA PRABHUPADA.

    Prabhupada:


    tata enam danda-paneh
    sakasam krta-kilbisam
    nesyamo 'krta-nirvesam
    yatra dandena suddhyati
     [SB 6.1.68]


    So without obeying the instruction of the sastra, he has fallen down. Although he was born in the brahmana family and educated nicely, but on account of bad association he fell down from the standard of human ideal life. Therefore he is punishable. Not only he, every one of us. The human fom of life is specially meant for going back to home, back to Godhead. The animal life... By progressive evolution, they come to the human form of life, and when one is, the living entity is on the platform of human form of life, he has got his responsibility. Therefore sastra says,


    nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke
    kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye
    tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet
    sattvam yasmad brahma-saukhyam anantam
     [SB 5.5.1]


    This is the responsibility of human life. This human life is not meant for working day and night like the dogs and hogs for sense gratification. At the present moment it is going on all over the world. Simply for sense gratification, they are working so hard. From hundred miles they are going to the working place, hanging on the Delhi passenger train. Sometimes there is accident. These things are going on, very hard labor like the asses. So this is also another punishment. The more punishment is awaiting, Yama-danda, at the court of Yamaraja. Not only they are suffering here, but they will be taken to the Yamaraja. And there, according to his work, abominable work, he will be punished. Therefore the Yamadutas said, tata enam danda-paneh sakasam krta-kilbisam nesyamah. "Now it is our duty." Just like police force, they are engaged to arrest the criminals and take him to the court or to the police officer for necessary action, so these Yamadutas, they have given sufficient reason that "This man has committed sinful life; therefore he is punishable."

    So, the fact is, this is nature's law. Nature's law is that if the human being does not follow the injunction of the sastra and he acts whimsically, independently, then he becomes punishable, exactly in the state laws, if you violate the laws... You are not independent. If you violate the laws, you'll be punished. Similarly, dharma means the laws of God. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. So if you violate the laws of God, the principles of dharma, then you will be punished. What is that principle of dharma? This Krsna consciousness. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. We have manufactured so many different types of religious faith, but they are man-manufactured. They are not laws. And now it is being supported by many so-called swamis, that "You can manufacture your own religion. It doesn't matter. Whatever nonsense type of religion you follow, you get the same result." This is going on. But that is not the fact. Dharma is that, only one. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. To surrender unto Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is real dharma. And what of others? They are cheating. That is stated in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2]. Kaitava means cheating. Cheating type of religion is rejected.

    So we cannot violate the laws of God, or dharma. Then we'll be punished. The punishment is there, awaiting, by the laws of nature. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. The laws of nature is to punish you. So long you are not Krsna conscious, the laws of nature will go on punishing you -- three kinds of miserable conditions: adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. This is the law. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. You are thinking independent, but that is not the fact. We are dependent, completely dependent on the laws of nature. And laws of nature means laws of God. What is prakrti? Prakrti is acting under the direction of Krsna. Just like a police constable is working under the direction of magistrate or superior office, similarly, prakrti is giving us various types of miserable condition of life directed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. Krsna says, "Under My superintendence the laws of nature is working." And what is the laws of nature? That in the human form of life, if you do not endeavor to understand what is God, what you are, what is your relationship with God, what is your duty -- these things, if you do not learn, then you are punishable immediately.


    krsna bhuliya jiva bhoga vavcha kare
    pasate mayara tare japatiya dhare


    As soon as you forget Krsna and you want to act independently, then immediately you are captured by maya and you are punished.

    So when you come to this senses, that "I am punished by maya on account of my forgetting Krsna consciousness; therefore my duty is to come back again to Krsna consciousness and be saved from the punishment of the material nature," that is human duty. You cannot say that "I don't want Krsna consciousness." If you don't want, then you must suffer. If you want to save yourself from suffering, then you must take to Krsna. It is a question of "must." It is not your option. Your option is there. Because you are part and parcel of Krsna, you have got little independence. But if you misuse that independence, then you are punishable. You cannot. Just like everyone has got little independence to violate the laws of the state. You can do that, but that is punishable. So if we take the risk of being punished, then we can violate the laws of nature or laws of God. The laws of God is very simple thing. It is not very difficult. God personally says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru: [Bg. 18.65] "Just always think of Me." So it is not at all difficult. Krsna is here. You see the Deity of Krsna. Have impression in your heart how Krsna and Balarama is standing, how Radha-Krsna is standing, how Gaura-Nitai is standing. So you can think always. Man-mana. Or you can think of Him by chanting Hare Krsna. Where is the difficulty? Man-mana. You become devotee, come here in the temple, offer your respect. So to become Krsna conscious is not at all difficult. But people will not take to it; therefore they must suffer. This is the law.

    So here the same thing is stated, tata enam danda-paneh sakasam krta-kilbisam: "He has acted sinfully; therefore he is punishable, and he must be taken to the Yamaraja." Nesyamo akrta-nirvesam. Nirvesam means... Suppose I have committed some sins. I must be arrested. Sometimes a great criminal voluntarily goes to the police and surrenders because he knows, "I will be arrested, and if I surrender immediately, my punishment may be lesser." So you cannot escape the punishment. So punishment... Suppose you have stolen something. You must be punished for six months' imprisonment. That is the law. If you have killed somebody, then you must be killed. You must be hanged. This is the law. So that is called nirvisesam, to counteract. If I have stolen some property, then I must suffer imprisonment. This is counteracting, prayascitta. If you have infected some disease, then you must suffer for some time from that disease. So akrta-nirvesam: "So he has not neutralized his sinful activities." Yatra dandena suddhyati: "Because he has not nullified his sinful activities by atonement or other measures, then he must be punsihed. Then he will be purified."

    So punishment is also purification. Purification. Same law: If you infect some disease, then you must get that disease and you must suffer from that disease. That is your punishment. Therefore you should be very much careful not to infect any disease. Similarly, don't infect the material qualities, rajo-guna and tamo-guna. Remain in sattva-guna and try to elevate yourself from sattva-guna to transcendental stage, brahma-bhutah. Then life is successful. Otherwise we shall be repeatedly punished so long we have got the tendency to enjoy material happiness and get another body, one after another. We shall be punishable by the Ya mache piche. It is the Bengali poetry. It is said, krsna nama koro bhai (end)
    Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.68 -- Vrndavana, September 4, 1975

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    "Life Is Very Risky"  BY SRILA PRABHUPADA.

    Prabhupada:


    yad asau sastram ullanghya
    svaira-cary-ati-garhitah
    avartata ciram kalam
    aghayur asucir malat
     [SB 6.1.67]


    Degradation. The first degradation is undesirable association, the first degradation; then no more respect for scriptural injunction, second degradation; and then the third step, aghayur asucih, you become infected with the low-grade quality. Jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah. The first grade qualification is sattva-guna, second rajo-guna, and the third, tamo-guna. So they believe in the evolution. Now, in this human form of life, what is further evolution? The further evolution is that if you are keeping in sattva-guna, in goodness, then you can be promoted, elevated, to the higher planetary system. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah [Bg. 14.18]. And if you keep yourself in the rajo-guna, then you will keep within this Bhurloka. And if you are infected with the tamo-guna, then you again go to lower grade life, again animal life, plant life. This is the nature's process. You cannot avoid it. You may be very much proud falsely, but after death, after giving up this body, you are completely... You are already completely under the regulative principle of nature. You cannot violate even. But if you foolishly violate, then you are preparing your next life according to your karma. Karmana daiva-netrena [SB 3.31.1].

    So this man, Ajamila, by his association with the prostitute, he degraded. Therefore it is the duty of the guardians, of the government, of the father, to protect the civilization from degradation. But nobody cares for that. Therefore, at the present moment, everything is chaotic. They are degraded. Prostitution is allowed freely, bad association, and they are encouraging by opening liquor shop, brothel, restaurant, meat-eating. So how you can expect a very nice civilization? That is not possible. We are suffering the consequence of our own degraded life. So how we can protect ourself from degradation? The sastra is there. Sastra, the scriptures, are there. Never mind whatever scriptures you have got -- Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddha, or any. Every religion has got scripture. Just like the Christians have got Bible, the Muslims have got Koran, and Hindus, they have got Vedas. They should abide by the injunction of the sastra. Lord Krsna also recommends that you must follow the sastric injunction.

    So Krsna says,


    yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya
    vartate kama-karatah
    na siddhim avapnoti
    na sukham na param gatim
     [Bg. 16.23]


    If you do not follow the injunction of the sastra, then your human life is unsuccessful. Na siddhim. Human life means that you stop the process of transmigration from one body to another. That is human life mission. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. One should endeavor in such a way that you do not take again birth in this material world. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. Because as soon as you accept any material body, either the material body of Lord Brahma or the material body of an ant, most inignificant, the trouble is there. You will have to suffer. You cannot escape it. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Irresponsibly, we, if we act, pramattah, like madman, without following the sastric injunction... That is a madman. Just like a madman does not care for any instruction. He acts according to his own whim. That is described here: svaira-cari. Svaira-cari. Svaira-cari means "I will act according to my whims. I don't care for any authority." That is called svaira-cari. No. The laws are meant for human beings. Even on the street, as soon as you go out on the street, immediately the law is there: "Keep to the right. Keep to the left." And if you violate, immediately you'll be punished, immediately become criminal. Similarly... This is government law. Similarly, law given by the Supreme Lord.

    So we must follow the rules and regulations as given by God. That is religion. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Religion means the law which is given by God, and if you follow, then your life is successful. This is religion. Religion is not that concocted, you manufacture some religion. That is not religion. Just like you cannot manufacture law. The law is given by the state, by the government. That is law. Similarly, religion means the law given by God. So therefore in the Bhagavad-gita the real religion means sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Don't manufacture concocted religion, this samaj, this religion, that, all nonsense. The only religion is how to surrender to Krsna, or God. That is religion. But nobody will surrender to God, and they will manufacture religion. So what is the meaning? Therefore Bhagavata has rejected all this cheating type of religion. Dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmataranam [SB 1.1.2]. Religion means for the paramhamsa. Paramo nirmataranam. Nirmatsara. Matsarata means envious. Everyone is envious of his friend, of his neighbor, even of his father or son. This is material nature. So this bhagavata-dharma is meant for the first-class nonenvious person, because everyone is envious, and the enviousness begins by envying Krsna or God. Then other enviousness begins. And he becomes svaira-cari, living whimsically. This kind of living is condemned herewith. Aghayuh. Aghayuh means sinful life. Ayuh means life; agha means sinful life. Aghayur asucih, impure. Malat. Malat means material infection, especially rajo-guna, tamo-guna, dirty things. So one is expected to go above these dirty things. Dirty things means greediness and lusty desires. These are dirty. Tato rajas-tamo-bhavah kama-lobhadayas ca ye [SB 1.2.19]. Rajas-tamah, these are the dirty qualities, and sattva-guna is pure quality, and you have to go above sattva-guna. Then your life is perfect. Even if you rise, elevate yourself to sattva-guna, means a pure brahminical stage -- sama dama satam saucam titiksa arjavam, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.42] -- still, you have to go further, suddha-sattva. Sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam. Then you can understand what is Krsna.

    So this devotional service means to go above sattva-guna. Sa gunn samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. You have to transcend all the material qualities, even sattva-guna. Therefore a Vaisnava is above sattva-guna. So his brahminical qualities is supposed to be included. A Vaisnava is already a brahmana. We give a Vaisnava the sacred thread, the mark of becoming a brahmana, because without becoming a brahmana, nobody can come to the platform of Vaisnava. That is the idea. Nobody should come to the platform of suddha-sattva without being elevated to the sattva-guna platform. So this man... Sattva-guna... He was already sattva-guna. He was son of a brahmana. He was being trained up very nicely. But because it was not suddha-sattvata, therefore he fell down, even on the sattva-guna platform. But when one is on the suddha-sattva... Just like Haridasa Thakura. This man was brahminically qualified, but as soon as he saw that a sudrani and sudra were engaged in lusty affairs, he fell down. But see the behavior of Haridasa Thakura. Because he was situated on the suddha-sattva-guna and... Although he was young man, one, another young prostitute came to deviate him, and he remained in his position. Rather, he converted the prostitute to become a devotee. This is the difference between sattva-guna and suddha-sattva-guna. If you keep yourself on the suddha-sattva-guna, then you will be able to convert others to become devotees. Therefore it is not difficult. It is very easy also.

    Krsna says,


    mam cavyabhicarini
    bhakti-yogena yah sevate
    sa gunan samatityaitan
    brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
     [Bg. 14.26]


    This brahma-bhuyaya means suddha-sattva. Suddha-sattva. That is also, in suddha-sattva-guna, that is liberated stage. If you do not stick to devotional service, then there is chance of fall down also. So without taking to the devotional service, life is very, very risky. Risky means now we can dance and laugh because we have got this human form of life. But after death we do not know. We do not know unless we are very much cautious. That is... Here it is said aghayuh. Aghayuh. This Ajamila lived for more than eighty-eight years, but what is the use of prolonged life? Aghayuh. Just like trees, they are standing for thousands of years. Taravah kim na jivanti [SB 2.3.18] . You are trying to prolong your life by scientific method, but what is the use of such life? This material life, there is suffering. Just like the tree. It does not do any harm to anyone. Rather, it is very hospitable. It gives shelter to the people. They are taking fruits, they are taking branches, leaves, sometimes cutting. They are very harmless, but still, there is harm, suffering. Must stand there for five thousand years and scorching heat and pinching winter, storm, and sometimes fall down. The suffering is there. Even we become a nonviolent... Even Gandhi. He was nonviolent, very moralist. Still he was killed. Just see. This is material world. He was killed by bullet. So the material world means suffering. So what is the use of making a prolonged life? Prolonged suffering. Therefore it is said, aghayuh. If you live for a moment as a devotee, your life is successful. And if you live for many thousands of years without any Krsna consciousness -- aghayuh, useless life, useless. Aghayur asucir malat, because the desire is there, kama and lobha, greediness and lusty desire.

    So this Krsna consciousness movement is very important, scientific movement. Take to it. Stick to the principles. Don't live uselessly like a tree or cats and dogs. They have also sense pleasure. It is not that because in human life we have got full opportunity for sense pleasures... Well, sense pleasure is offered to the monkeys and pigs and dogs more leniently. So that is means that is life? No. That is not life. This has been discussed in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Bhastrah kim na svasanty uta, taravo kim na jivanti. They have been analyzed. No, the real life is Krsna conscious life. That is success of life. So some way or other, you have come to this platform of Krsna conscious life. Stick to the principle carefully. Don't fall down. Then try to understand Krsna. Then life is successful.

    Thank you very much. (end)
    Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.67 -- Vrndavana, September 3, 1975

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    Prabhupada:


    yatas tatas copaninye
    nyayato 'nyayato dhanam
    babharasyah kutumbinyah
    kutumbam manda-dhir ayam
     [SB 6.1.66]

    So this is the beginning of samsara. So there is attraction between man and woman, and as soon as the attraction becomes little intimate, they unite. Then they have children. Then they require money, apartment, so many things. This man became sinful. He gave up his real wife, married wife, coming from very good family, but he became attracted with that sudrani, fourth class. Sudra means fourth class, worker class. Brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. So sudra women, they are not chaste. Some of them are practically professional prostitute. But that is not in higher caste family -- brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya. But at the present moment it is very difficult to distinguish who is brahmana and who is sudra. But formerly this is the system of Vedic civilization -- ideal character, ideal behavior of the brahmana; less, little less, ksatriya; little less, vaisya; and less than the vaisya, the sudra; and less than the sudras are called candalas. First class, second class, third class, fourth class, and then fifth class.

    So this man, being attracted with the sudrani, naturally there was children. So he began to maintain them. This is natural affection. Even cats and dogs, they maintain their children. The birds also, they maintain their kiddies. So although children were born of sudrani, natural, there was affection. So he required money. But he became sinful; he could not earn money honestly. A sinful man cannot earn money honestly. Just like a thief: because he has adopted the means of earning money by sinful activities, he cannot take to honest work. He can work, but he is accustomed to steal. He knows that "This work is not good." If he is arrested, he will be punished. He has seen that one thief arrested and punished, and he has heard also that if one steals, he will be punished. And he has heard also from the sastra, either law book or Vedic literature, that "Stealing is not good. It is punishable." But still, he does it. That means a sinful man cannot restrain himself from sinful activity. He has to do it. Karanam guna-sango asya sad-asad-janma-yonisu [Bg. 13.22]. Unless you give up the particular situation with the modes of nature, it is not possible for him to restrain himself from committing sinful activities.

    So he became sinful because he left his married wife and he became attracted with a sudrani immediately. That has been described in the previous verse. Visasarjacirat papah. Papah means sinful man. He became sinful immediately. Therefore we stress on marriage. They cannot understand why this association stresses so much for marriage, not to live... They live as friend. That is sudra. There is no legal marrige. Sudra and sudrani. Just like he was living with the sudrani -- he was not married -- as friend. So even sudra's marriage there is. For the sudra there is one asrama -- that is grhastha asrama. And for the brahmanas, four asramas: brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa. This is for the brahmanas. For the ksatriya: brahmacari, grhastha, and vanaprastha. For the vaisyas: brahmacari and grhastha. And for the sudras: no brahmacari, only family life, and that also sometimes without marriage. This is the low-grade, first-grade, second-grade. So now to live as friend, a sudra, that is now current all over the world. Now marriage is being forgotten. That is also written the sastra, that "There will be no more marriage. One man and woman should live together by agreement." That is going on now in Kali-yuga. Svikaram eva hy udvahe, it is stated. Simply agree: "Yes, you become my bedfellow; I become your bedfellow." That's all. Finished. Svikaram eva hy udvahe. That is marriage. No more that ceremonial marriage. That is being forgotten. This is Kali-yuga now. Dampatyam eva hi... Ratim eva hi dampatye: "And their so-called unity, man and woman, means sex." There is no other meaning. Dampatye, union of man and woman, means sex. There is no other religious system, that husband, wife, live together; they should cooperate for advancing in Krsna consciousness. These things are being forgotten.

    So Kali-yuga, these things are very common, but in the previous yuga, Satya-yuga, they were not very common, but rare. This combination of the brahmana and the sudrani, this is accidental. It is not common. So anyway, accidental or organized, it doesn't matter. One who violates the rules and regulation, immediately he comes to the category of such classification. So he became a sudra. Although he was born in a brahmana family, he was being trained up, but on account of the association of a sudrani, prostitute, he fell down and he became a papah, most sinful man. So as a papah, he did not know how to earn money honestly. He is neither brahmana, nor ksatriya, nor vaisya. He is now not even sudra, less than that. Therefore it is said, yatas tatas ca upaninye: "Somehow or other..." According to classification, a brahmana has got specific function for earning his livelihood, a ksatriya has got a specific action for livelihood, a vaisya has got specific action for livelihood, and a sudra has got a specific action for livelihood. But he became less than sudra. Therefore yatas tatas ca -- "Somehow or other, bring money, bring money." This is called yatas tatas ca, no fixed up.

    A brahmana... Everyone has to earn livelihood. That is a fact. Without working, you cannot live. So there are specific... Just like brahmana-yajan yajan pathan pathan danah pratigrahah. He must be very good worshiper of the Lord, and he must induce his yajamana, his dependent. Brahmana is the head, and the ksatriya, vaisya, they are yajamana. So they should induce, just like we are inducing all over the world, "Open temple. Worship Krsna." This is brahmana's business.

    sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana
    srngara-tan-mandira-marjanadau
    yuktasya bhaktams ca niyunjato 'pi
    vande guroh sri-caranaravindam

    This is the duty of the guru. He worships himself. Unless he knows how to worship, how he will teach them? So he acts himself as brahmana, and he teaches the disciple how to work as a brahmana. Sri-vigraha. This is called yajana yajana. Pathana pathana. He must be a learned brahmana, and he must teach others how to become learned brahmana, pandita. Pathana pathana yajana yajana dana pratigraha. He can accept charity from others, and he will distribute it by temple worship, distribute. All that you have collected, worship the Deity and distribute prasadam. Distribute this. Distribute. Danah pratigrahah. This is brahmana's business. Pathana pathana yajana yajana. And ksatriya, they will be governor of certain villages or little extended, and they will give protection. Ksatriya means giving protection. If somebody is coming outside to attack you, the ksatriya kings will immediately come out and with sword they will give you protection. And because the ksatriya gives you protection, therefore you give him some tax. Unless the governor or the government does not give you protection, they have no place to tax. That is not. That is illegal. Therefore ksatriya can levy tax because he gives protection. And a brahmana, he elevates the society to spiritual standard. Then simply protection and advancing in spiritual life will not do. We must have food also. So that is vaisya's business. Krsi-goraksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg 18.44]. The vaisyas should produce food. Annad bhavanti bhutani [Bg. 3.14]. Unless people eat, how they will live? Simply becoming king for levying tax and simply becoming brahmana to teach how to worship, but if you have no food, then what you will do? There must be arrangement for food. That is entrusted to the vaisyas. In this way this is classification. Not by birth one becomes brahmana, and working less than a sudra, and he is still brahmana. This is nonsense. One must be Guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. The society is divided. According to the quality, he is working accordingly.

    So this is the Vedic society. Now it is all lost. But if you revive it, people will be happy, if you can revive it. There is no difficulty. But unfortunately, in this age everyone has become sudra, so it is little difficult to raise them again. But if everyone is engaged in chanting Hare Krsna mantra, then everything is possible. Without chanting Hare Krsna mantra they are all fallen. Artificially you cannot raise them to the standard of living. That is not possible. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. They must be cleansed of the dirty things within the heart, and then it will. That is the instruction we are going... This man is falling down, and how he will be elevated by chanting the holy name of Narayana. That is the narration we are going to have. Now, how he is fallen down, now, that is now being described. And how he'll be raised, that will be also described.

    So now it is falling down. His business... He has got family, wife, children, and he requires money because the economic development, economic impetus, begins from this family affection. It is fact. Nobody would earn money. Therefore, if one is not married, he does not like to earn money. This is natural. And if he has got family, wife and children, then he will try to earn money. So this man is a rogue, he is sinful, but because still he has got children and wife, therefore he has to earn money. But because he is sinful, he cannot earn money honestly. Yatas tatas ca upaninye. Yena tena prakarena: "Bring money. Somehow or other, bring money." Yatas tatas ca upaninye nyayatah anyayatah. Nyayatah means legally, lawfully. Nyaya means law. Anyayatah, "without legal..." Just like we can earn money by stealing, but that is anyayatah. You cannot touch others' property. Tena tyaktena bhunjithah ma grdhah kasya svid dhanam [Iso mantra 1]. This is Vedic instruction. Whatever you are allotted you can "A brahmana, you can earn like this. A ksatriya, you can earn like this. A vaisya, you can earn like this." But don't encroach upon others' property. But he became sinful, yena tena prakarena. Nyayatah anyayatah. Nyayatah is finished because he was a brahmana. No more he is brahmana. So anyayatah, simply unlawfully. Anyaya. Why? Babhara, maintaining, asyah kutumbinyah, the family members, wife and children. Kutumbam manda-dhir ayam. Manda-dhih. Manda means very bad, very bad intelligence. In this way he began to earn his money and gradually he degraded and that will be described, how he became degraded.

    So beginning, his degradation, is the association. He was a brahmana, but by chance he became associated with a prostitute. So this association is very, very important. By association... Sangat sanjayate kamah. If you associate with good association, then you become good. And if you associate with bad association, then you become bad. Therefore we are establishing Krsna conscious society. A Krsna conscious man cannot be bad. Therefore, if people are given chance to associate with this society, automatically he'll become good. Otherwise there is no need of opening so many centers all over the world. But the idea is that to give the chance of good association. Therefore, those who are members of this society, they should be ideal. Simply by their association people will become good, very good responsibility. And if they become bad themselves, there is no possibility because we are giving instruction. We are behaving like that. Still, one becomes bad -- oh, that is very great misfortune. Therefore all our members, the members of the Krsna consciousness society, should be ideal. At least people may see that "Here is a class of men -- ideal character, ideal behavior, spiritual advanced, and very frugal and very nice." That is... Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah [SB 5.18.12]. That is natural. If one becomes a devotee... That is the certificate, that how one has achieved good qualities. That is the test of becoming a devotee. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah. A devotee means he has, what is called, awakened all the good qualities. The good qualities are there. Because we are part and parcel of God, there is no bad quality in our constitutional position. We are godly. We may be small, but the same quality. So there cannot be originally. Asango 'yam purusah. This is Vedic instruction. A living entity means spiritually part and parcel of God. There cannot be any bad quality. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. Arjuna said to Krsna that pavitram paramam bhavan: "You are the most pure." So how His part and parcel can be impure? Gold may be a small particle, gold, but it is gold. It cannot be otherwise. Similarly, we, being Mamaivamsah. Krsna says that "They are My living beings. They are My part and parcel." So there cannot be any bad thing. The bad thing is because we have accepted this material body.

    So in order to come back to our original position -- completely good, no bad thing -- we must come to Krsna consciousness. Otherwise we are gone; we are condemned. This is the purpose of Krsna consciousness movement, to bring him again to the platform of complete goodness.


    Thank you very much. (end)
    Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.66 -- Vrndavana, September 2, 1975
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