Arjuna: O Krishna, I realize that I am more attached to Your two-armed form. I now want to confirm that the path of bhakti is the best path. Therefore who are considered better, those who worship the impersonal Brahman or devotees who worship You?

Krishna: Those who fix their minds on My personal form and are always worshipping Me with great faith are the most perfect, Arjuna. These devotees are the best because bhakti is the quickest process for attaining Me. But those who worship the all-pervading, impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth, by controlling the senses and being equal to everyone, such persons, engaged in the welfare of all at last achieve Me.

Arjuna: Why are they inferior, Krishna, if they will also achieve you?

Krishna: Because those who are attached to My impersonal feature have to experience more difficulty, Arjuna. It also takes them a longer time to obtain their goal. However, whatever one can obtain by karma and jnana is easily and quickly obtained by My devotees. My unalloyed bhaktas do not even think of crossing this material world, therefore I personally uplift them without their desiring it. They make no endeavour to elevate themselves other than devotional service to My lotus feet.

Those unalloyed devotees renounce all activities that are obstacles to My devotion. They only hear about and remember Me and engage in pure devotional service. In this mood they meditate on My pastimes, their minds fully engaged in Me. I quickly uplift such devotees from the ocean of birth and death --- for I cannot tolerate delay. I come on Garuda and personally pick them up and take them away. Other yogis take the path of light or darkness, but I do not care for this process for My pure devotees. Bhakti does not depend on prescribed duties or anything else. Devotees attain Me by nothing more than devotion and chanting.

Arjuna: Then why should I fight, Krishna?

Krishna: Because your fighting is devotional service, Arjuna. How many times must I tell you? Just fix your mind upon Me and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always without a doubt. Not like the misra-bhaktas who gradually come to Me. They only see My aisvarya feature.

Arjuna: Krishna, it's difficult to fix the mind and intelligence on You. What will be the result if I cannot do it?

Krishna: If you are not able to directly remember Me without deviation, Arjuna, then bring your mind back again and again. Fix it on My form. Practising like this is called abhyasa-yoga or sadhana-bhakti. The mind is like a river which flows to filthy areas, but control it with dams. Bring it to the ocean of My form and swim in this ocean of rasa. You are called Dhananjaya because you fought with enemies and obtained wealth. Now, fight with the enemy of your mind and obtain the wealth of meditation.

Arjuna: My mind flickers like the wind, Krishna, I don't have the strength to control it. What should I do?

Krishna: If you cannot perform abhyasa yoga, Arjuna, and your mind is influenced by ignorance then you need to work for Me.

Arjuna: What type of work, Krishna?

Krishna: Build temples, Arjuna, make gardens, clean My temple, hear and chant, pick flowers, or perform puja. All these services are directly related with devotion. By performing these activities for My sake your mind will become attached to My form and glories. Even if you cannot remember Me while working, you will still attain prema. However, if you think you are a famous aristocrat, and you cannot perform menial service for Me, then you can perform yoga and renounce the fruits of whatever activities you perform and give them to Me. Still, if you cannot do this, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action because that will bring peace of mind.

Arjuna: Krishna, what are the qualities of one who has obtained that peace through devotional service?

Krishna: One is not envious but is a kind friend to all living beings. There is no sense of proprietorship or false ego in such a person . One is equal in both happiness and distress, tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination. Such a devotee is very dear to Me. He has these good qualities because his mind is surrendered to Me. That devotee is not disturbed by anyone and never puts others into difficulty. He is equipoised in happiness, distress, in fear or anxiety.

My devotee who is not dependent on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert in philosophy, who does not take sides, and does not feel disturbed even when disrespected by others is very dear to Me. One who does not become elated if he gets a son or a disciple, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things is very dear to Me. One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equi-poised in honour and dishonour, heat and cold, fame and infamy, who is always free from contaminating association, who is always silent and satisfied with anything, who is not attached to his residence, who is fixed in knowledge, and engaged in devotional service, is very dear to Me.

These qualities are born from devotion not from the mode of goodness. If someone has even one of these qualities he is dear to Me. Beginners who are aspiring for these qualities are better than the perfected ones on other paths. Devotees who follow sadhana are dear to Me, but those who have these qualities are very dear to Me. Those who follow this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engage themselves with faith, making Me the supreme goal are very, very dear to Me.

Krsna Book 83:

My dear Queen Draupadī, please take it from us that we are not after any opulence such as a kingdom, an empire or a position of heavenly enjoyment. We do not want to enjoy such material opulences, nor do we desire to achieve the yogic perfections, nor the exalted post of Lord Brahmā. Nor do we want any of the different kinds of liberation—sārūpya, sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya or sāyujya. We are not at all attracted by any of these opulences. Our only ambition is to bear on our heads life after life the dust particles attached to the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The goddess of fortune also desires to keep that dust on her breasts, along with fragrant saffron. We simply desire this dust, which accumulates underneath the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa as He travels on the land of Vṛndāvana as a cowherd boy. The gopīs especially, and also the cowherd men and the aborigine tribeswomen, always desire to become the grass and straw on the streets of Vṛndāvana, to be trampled on by the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 9, 1966:

Prabhupāda: S, A, R, U, P, Y, A. Sārūpya. Yes. Sārūpya. This is called sārūpya-mukti. And...

Woman: Mukti, or mukhi?

Prabhupāda: Mukti, yes.

Woman: And three?

Prabhupāda: And three... The two I have explained, sāyujya and sārūpya. Then sālokya. Sālokya. Sālokya means you can, one can, get habitation, residence, in the same planet where God is there. That is sālokya. And then the next is sārṣṭi. Sārṣṭi. S, A, R, S, T, I, sārṣṭi. Sārṣṭi means to get the same opulence. As I have already explained, opulence, he, he gets all the opulences as the Lord has got. He becomes so..., as good as Lord, becomes so powerful. This is called sārṣṭi. And, and the last is sāmīpya. Sāmīpya means he is always in the company of the Lord. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is always... Whenever Lord takes His incarnation, Arjuna is there. Arjuna is there. Sāmīpya. They are never separated. Just like a husband and wife, never separated. You see. Or the father and the son. Of course, nowadays the question is different, but generally, the family members, they all remain together. Sāmīpya. And the father and the boys and wife and..., they remain together. So there is sāmīpya-mukti. Sāmīpya-mukti means to remain always as associate of the Lord. That is sāmīpya-mukti.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

Vimukti. Mukti means liberation, and, adding the word, vi... Vi means specifically liberation. There are five kinds of liberation. One liberation is to merge into the Supreme. Another liberation is to live with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the same planet. Another liberation is to achieve the status quo of life as good as God. Sārūpya, sāyujya, sālokya, sāmīpya. You can associate yourself with God. That is another liberation. In this way, there are five kinds of liberation. Generally the Māyāvādī philosophers, they want to merge into the existence of God. That also, one of the recommended process of liberation. But so far we are concerned, we don't want even to merge into the existence of God, but we want to become associated with God in friendship, in love, in servitude, in so many ways. We want to keep our existence, individual existence, and associate with God. That is the Vaiṣṇava philosophy.

Lecture on SB 2.9.11 -- Tokyo, April 27, 1972:

If you want to merge in His existence—the Māyāvādīs—all right, you can get it. But that it not real profit. Real profit is here described, in Vaikuṇṭha, how they are face to face seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, having the same body, and same ornaments, same opulence, everything same. Sārūpya, sālokya, sāyujya. Sāyujya is damn rascals. Sāyujya-mukti, never, merging, never, no Vaiṣṇava will take. But sārūpya, so far our Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava is concerned, they do not want even this sārūpya, same bodily feature. They don't want anything. They simply want how to serve Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava vicāra.

SB 9.4.67
My devotees, who are always satisfied to be engaged in My loving service, are not interested even in the four principles of liberation [sālokya, sārūpya, sāmīpya and sārṣṭi], although these are automatically achieved by their service. What then is to be said of such perishable happiness as elevation to the higher planetary systems?

PURPORT
Śrīla Bilvamańgala Ṭhākura has estimated the value of liberation as follows:
Bilvamańgala Ṭhākura realized that if one develops his natural devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, mukti stands before him with folded hands to offer all kinds of service. In other words, the devotee is already liberated. There is no need for him to aspire for different types of liberation. The pure devotee automatically achieves liberation, even without desiring it.

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Ādi 3.18
"These liberations are sārṣṭi [achieving opulences equal to those of the Lord], sārūpya [having a form the same as the Lord's], sāmīpya [living as a personal associate of the Lord] and sālokya [living on a Vaikuṇṭha planet]. Devotees never accept sāyujya, however, since that is oneness with Brahman.

PURPORT
Those engaged in devotional service according to the ritualistic principles mentioned in the scriptures attain these different kinds of liberation. But although such devotees can attain sārṣṭi, sārūpya, sāmīpya and sālokya, they are not concerned with these liberations, for such devotees are satisfied only in rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord. The fifth kind of liberation, sāyujya, is never accepted even by devotees who perform only ritualistic worship. To attain sāyujya, or merging into the Brahman effulgence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the aspiration of the impersonalists. A devotee never cares for sāyujya liberation.

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Ādi 4.204
Furthermore, pure devotees never forsake the loving service of Lord Kṛṣṇa to aspire for their own personal pleasure through the five kinds of liberation.

PURPORT
A pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa who loves Him exclusively will flatly refuse to accept any sort of liberation, beginning from merging with the body of the Lord and extending to the other varieties of liberation, such as equality of form, opulence or abode and the opulence of living near the Lord.

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Ādi 5.30
He delivers the fallen living entities by offering them the four kinds of liberation — sālokya, sāmīpya, sārṣṭi and sārūpya.

PURPORT
There are two kinds of liberated souls — those who are liberated by the favor of the Lord and those who are liberated by their own effort. One who gets liberation by his own effort is called an impersonalist, and he merges into the glaring effulgence of the Lord, the brahmajyoti. But devotees of the Lord who qualify themselves for liberation by devotional service are offered four kinds of liberation, namely sālokya (status equal to that of the Lord), sāmīpya (constant association with the Lord), sārṣṭi (opulence equal to that of the Lord) and sārūpya (features like those of the Lord).

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 6.266
"There are five kinds of liberation: sālokya, sāmīpya, sārūpya, sārṣṭi and sāyujya.
PURPORT
Sālokya means that after material liberation one is promoted to the planet where the Supreme Personality of Godhead resides, sāmīpya means remaining an associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sārūpya means attaining a four-handed form exactly like that of the Lord., sārṣṭi means attaining opulences like those of the Supreme Lord, and sāyujya means merging into the Brahman effulgence of the Lord. These are the five types of liberation.

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 6.270
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya concluded, "'Even though he is offered all kinds of liberation, the pure devotee does not accept them. He is fully satisfied engaging in the service of the Lord.'"

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 6.267
"If there is a chance to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a pure devotee sometimes accepts the sālokya, sārūpya, sāmīpya or sārṣṭi forms of liberation, but never sāyujya.

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 9.268
"'Pure devotees always reject the five kinds of liberation, which include living in the spiritual Vaikuṇṭha planets, possessing the same opulences as those possessed by the Supreme Lord, having the same bodily features as the Lord's, associating with the Lord and merging into the body of the Lord. The pure devotees do not accept these benedictions without the service of the Lord.'

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 19.173
"'My devotees do not accept sālokya, sārṣṭi, sārūpya, sāmīpya or oneness with Me — even if I offer these liberations — in preference to serving Me

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 24.183
"'My devotees, having fulfilled their desires by serving Me, do not accept the four kinds of salvation that are easily earned by such service. Why then should they accept any pleasures that are lost in the course of time?'.

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Antya 3.189
"'My devotees do not accept sālokya, sārṣṭi, sārūpya, sāmīpya or oneness with Me — even if I offer these liberations — in preference to serving Me.'"

Srimad Bhagavatam 3.29.13

salokya-sarsti-samipya-

sarupyaikatvam apy uta

diyamanam na grhnanti

vina mat-sevanam janah

TRANSLATION

A pure devotee does not accept any kind of liberation -- salokya, sarsti, samipya, sarupya or ekatva -- even though they are offered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

Lord Caitanya teaches us how to execute pure devotional service out of spontaneous love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Siksastaka, He prays to the Lord: "O Lord, I do not wish to gain from You any wealth, nor do I wish to have a beautiful wife, nor do I wish to have many followers. All I want from You is that in life after life I may remain a pure devotee at Your lotus feet." There is a similarity between the prayers of Lord Caitanya and the statements of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Lord Caitanya prays, "in life after life," indicating that a devotee does not even desire the cessation of birth and death. The yogis and empiric philosophers desire cessation of the process of birth and death, but a devotee is satisfied to remain even in this material world and execute devotional service.

It is clearly stated herein that a pure devotee does not desire ekatva, oneness with the Supreme Lord, as desired by the impersonalists, the mental speculators and the meditators. To become one with the Supreme Lord is beyond the dream of a pure devotee. Sometimes he may accept promotion to the Vaikuntha planets to serve the Lord there, but he will never accept merging into the Brahman effulgence, which he considers worse than hellish. Such ekatva, or merging into the effulgence of the Supreme Lord, is called kaivalya, but the happiness derived from kaivalya is considered by the pure devotee to be hellish. The devotee is so fond of rendering service to the Supreme Lord that the five kinds of liberation are not important to him. If one is engaged in pure transcendental loving service to the Lord, it is understood that he has already achieved the five kinds of liberation.

When a devotee is promoted to the spiritual world, Vaikuntha, he receives four kinds of facilities. One of these is salokya, living on the same planet as the Supreme Personality. The Supreme Person, in His different plenary expansions, lives on innumerable Vaikuntha planets, and the chief planet is Krsnaloka. Just as within the material universe the chief planet is the sun, in the spiritual world the chief planet is Krsnaloka. From Krsnaloka, the bodily effulgence of Lord Krsna is distributed not only to the spiritual world but to the material world as well; it is covered by matter, however, in the material world. In the spiritual world there are innumerable Vaikuntha planets, and on each one the Lord is the predominating Deity. A devotee can be promoted to one such Vaikuntha planet to live with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In sarsti liberation the opulence of the devotee is equal to the opulence of the Supreme Lord. Samipya means to be a personal associate of the Supreme Lord. In sarupya liberation the bodily features of the devotee are exactly like those of the Supreme Person but for two or three symptoms found exclusively on the transcendental body of the Lord. Srivatsa, for example, the hair on the chest of the Lord, particularly distinguishes Him from His devotees.

A pure devotee does not accept these five kinds of spiritual existence, even if they are offered, and he certainly does not hanker after material benefits, which are all insignificant in comparison with spiritual benefits. When Prahlada Maharaja was offered some material benefit, he stated: "My Lord, I have seen that my father achieved all kinds of material benefits, and even the demigods were afraid of his opulence, but still, in a second, You have finished his life and all his material prosperity." For a devotee there is no question of desiring any material or spiritual prosperity. He simply aspires to serve the Lord. That is his highest happiness.

These qualities of a devotee, twenty-six in number, are listed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu:

1.kind to everyone, 2.does not quarrel with anyone, 3.fixed in the Absolute Truth, 4.equal to everyone, 5.faultless, 6.charitable, 7.mild, 8.clean, 9.simple, without material possession, 10.benevolent, 11.peaceful, 12.completely attached to Krsna, 13.has no material hankering, 14.meek, 15.steady, 16.self-controlled, 17.does not eat more than required, 18.sane, 19.respectful, 20.humble, 21.grave, 22.compassionate, 23.friendly, 24.poetic, 25.silent, 26.expert

The Lord is satisfied by the development of the transcendental qualities of the living entities and not by artificial performance of sacrifices and mystic yoga. In other words, unless one is fully qualified to become a pure devotee of the Lord, one cannot expect to be liberated from material entanglement.

1. KIND TO EVERYONE
The devotee is merciful because he is the well-wishing friend of all living entities. He is not only favorably inclined to the human society but also to plants and animals. He treats all living entities in such a way that they can ultimately become free from material bondage and go back home, back to Godhead.

2. HUMBLE, DOES NOT QUARREL WITH ANYONE
To be humble means that one is not hankering to be worshiped by others. Humility should not be artificial but honest, deep, and natural. It will develop when the conditioned soul admits its wrong attitude towards Krsna and prays to Him for forgiveness and to be allowed to always engage in His devotional service.

3.TRUTHFUL, FIXED IN THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH
The primary truthfulness for a disciple to keep his vow of following the regulative principles and chanting 16 rounds of japa every day. Also, a devotee should not perform any illegal activities and he should always act in Krsna's interest and not in his own in order to remain fixed in the absolute truth.

4.EQUAL TO EVERYONE
A devotee sees the soul and the Supersoul in everyone's heart and treats every living entity according to its position and in a way that is most beneficial for its spiritual progress.

5.FAULTLESS
A devotee, who in words, deeds, and mind is always surrendered to Krsna and who executes Krsna's desire to the best of his ability is considered to be faultless.

6.CHARITABLE
A devotee is charitable because he knows that love for Krsna is the best, and he distributes it without selfish motives. His charity has no limits, just like the happiness someone experiences who got the gift of Krsna consciousness.

7.MILD
A devotee avoids illusory, materialistic happiness, and thus is spared from the suffering which is bound to it. He always remains peaceful, because he is satisfied within Krsna consciousness.

8.CLEAN, PURE
The Krsna conscious movement is meant for purifying the world in a revolutionary way-by hygienic external principles as well as by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra which purifies the heart.

9.SIMPLE, WITHOUT MATERIAL POSSESSION
The highest realization is to see everything as Krsna's property. The sincere devotee is not only satisfied to see everything as Krsna's property, but also to engage everything in a proper way in Krsna's service.

10.BENEVOLENT
Since Krsna-consciousness effects the heart of every living entity, the welfare work of a devotee is not restricted to a specific race, species, etc., but for the benefit of all living entities.

11.PEACEFUL
To be peaceful does not mean to physically maintain idyllic peace but to experience real peace in one's relationship with Krsna. Only someone who has realized that there is nothing beyond Krsna can achieve real peace and fearlessness.

12.COMPLETELY ATTACHED TO KRSNA
Devotion to Krsna is neither sentimental nor whimsical but authorized and scientific. By practicing devotional service we can learn to surrender properly. Complete surrender to Krsna is the goal of every devotee because he wants to become free from material desires in order to serve Krsna more and more. Complete surrender to Krsna is the most important of all qualities to be developed.

13.DESIRELESS
When one is fully engaged in devotional service, one realizes that all one's desires are satisfied. Thus one does not have any material desire anymore. One only desires to serve guru and Krsna.

14.INDIFFERENCE TOWARDS MATERIAL POSSESSIONS
A devotee may use things in Krsna's service but he does not become attached to or dependent on them. He may serve Krsna with millions of dollars by opening temples, printing books, etc. However, he is also satisfied when he does not have any material assets and then simply chants Hare Krsna.

15.STEADY, FIXED
The realizations of a devotee should be so profound that his dedication to his spiritual master and Krsna cannot be influenced anymore by various temptations, suffering or opposing philosophies.

16.SELF-CONTROLLED
There are six bad qualities, namely lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness and envy. A pure devotee controls these bad qualities by engaging in Krsna's service. These qualities cannot be left behind in an artificial way by can be easily counteracted with transcendental knowledge and transcendental taste arising from one's devotional service.

17.DOES NOT EAT MORE THAN REQUIRED
Lord Krsna explains in the Bhagavad-gita that a yogi does not eat too much nor too little. This means practically exactly as much as he can easily digest. According to Ayurveda, one's stomach should be filled with 1/2 food, 1/4 water, and 1/4 air.

18.SANE
A devotee is never intoxicated by material enjoyment. He reduces his requirements to a minimum and offers his whole life to Krsna. In this way he is completely balanced.

19.RESPECTFUL
A devotee offers respect to others without expecting anything in return. He respects everyone as part of Krsna and treats them accordingly.

20.HAS NO MATERIAL HANKERING
A devotee is not attracted by material possessions which help us to gain a prestigious position. He sees everything attractive in this world as a reflection of Krsna, the all-attractive cause of all causes.

21.GRAVE
Although we lead a happy life in Krsna consciousness, we are always conscious that the material existence can be finished at any time and that the way back home, back to Godhead is not cheap. To be grave means that the devotee is constantly thinking of Krsna and the ultimate goal of life.

22.COMPASSIONATE
The essence of compassion is the distribution of transcendental knowledge. The basis of it are Srila Prabhupada's books and the force behind it is our purity.

23.FRIENDLY
A devotee is friendly because he leads everyone to Krsna, who is the best friend of all living entities.

24.POETIC
A devotee is even poetic if he is not literarily active because he is able to connect everything with Krsna's transcendental nature.

25.SILENT
Silence means that one only speaks about Krsna and not about material topics.

26.EXPERT
The essence of the expertise of a devotee is that he can do anything for Krsna. The best expertise is to surrender to Krsna.

The Six Favorable Principles

1. BEING ENTHUSIASTIC
Every endeavor in Krsna consciousness is performed with intelligence. The devotees are expert in engaging everything in Krsna's service. The practice of devotional service has nothing to do with selfish meditation, but means practical activity in spiritual life.

2. ENDEAVORING WITH CONFIDENCE
The devotee thinks "avasya raksibe Krsna": Krsna will certainly help and protect me, so that I can successfully execute my devotional service.

3. PATIENCE
One should not be impatient when executing one's devotional service but accept the orders of the spiritual master, patiently execute them and always feel dependent on the mercy of guru and Krsna. Sometimes Srila Prabhupada used to give the following example in this regard: a newly wed girl naturally may expect a child from her husband, but she cannot hope to get it right after the marriage. In other words, it takes time, until the results are manifested.

4. ACTING ACCORDING TO REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES (such as sravanam kirtanam)
The devotee is expected to enthusiastically follow the 4 regulative principles and observe positive regulations like the chanting of Hare Krsna.

5. ABANDONING ASSOCIATION WITH NON-DEVOTEES
In order to become successful in devotional service one has to give up the association of unwanted persons. This includes karmis, jnanis and other non-devotees. Sri Caitanya defines a Vaisnava as someone who gives up the association with worldly people.

6. FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF PREVIOUS ACARYAS
In Krsna-consciousness we follow a daily program (sadhana) which includes getting up early in the morning, chanting, reading of Srimad Bhagavatam etc., and thus we are following the previous spiritual masters, who were expertly engaged in devotional service every single moment in their lives.

The Six Unfavorable Principles

1.Eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required
Everyone needs possessions like food, money and other things in order to maintain his body, but one should not accumulate more than necessary for one's personal requirement.

2.Over endeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain
Although we are in need of a certain economic development, it is only allowed for essential things in life. The real goal of life is to realize the Absolute Truth. As soon as we don't direct our endeavors in this direction, we will simply increase our artificial demands. Therefore we have to guard ourselves from worldly endeavors.

3.Talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters
Those who are not interested in Krsna-consciousness like to read heaps of newspapers, solve riddles, read novels, etc. They are simply wasting their time with useless activities. In this way materialistic people waste valuable time and energy. Old people spend their days with playing cards, fishing, television and speculations about social and political topics. All these activities belong to the prajalpa category, and should be avoided by intelligent people.

4.Practicing the scriptural rules and regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and working independently or whimsically.
Those who are interested in Krsna-consciousness should not be eager to follow rules and regulations in order to have economic success but they should faithfully follow the rules and regulations given in the scriptures and follow the order of the spiritual master in order to advance in Krsna-consciousness.

5.Associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in Krsna-consciousness
There are two kinds of non-devotees; those who are against Krsna's supremacy and those who are absorbed in material sense gratification. One should strictly avoid such association. We should live only in association with Krsna-conscious devotees and always be engaged in Krsna's service in their association.

6.Being greedy for mundane achievements
Desires for mystic powers, merging into Brahman, whimsically striving for wealth, etc., are all in the category of greed. All attempts for material or pseudo-spiritual achievements are obstacles in devotional service.

The nine stages of Bhakti-yoga are described in the Caitanya Caritamrta, Madhva-lila, by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as follows:

"In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees. Thereafter one is inititated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes finally fixed in devotional service. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of sadhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify, and finally there is an awakening of love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Krsna consciousness."

1. sraddha: faith
2. sadhu-sanga: association with devotees
3. bhajana-kriya: performance of devotional service
4. anartha nivrtti: decreasing of unwanted attachments
5. nistha: steadiness
6. ruci: taste
7. asakti: attachment
8. bhava: love
9. prema: pure love for Krsna

In the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu the science of devotional sevice is explained as follows:

In the beginning stage there must be a preliminary desire for self-realization. This will lead one to the platform of desiring to associate with spiritually advanced persons. The next step is to become initiated by an authorized spiritual master and to perform devotional service under his guidance. Through the execution of devotional service under the guidance of the spiritual master, one will become free from all material attachments, achieves steadiness in self realization and finds taste in hearing about Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This taste leads one to further attachment in Krsna consciousness which is called bhava or the preliminary stage of pure love of Godhead. Pure love to the Lord is called prema or the supreme perfectional stage in life.

They are described by Prahlada Maharaja in the 7th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam as follows:

To hear about Sri Visnu's transcendental name, His form, His characteristics, His possessions and His pastimes and to hear and chant about His pastimes, to remember them, to serve the lotus feet of the Lord, to respectfully offer service to the Lord, to offer prayers to the Lord, to become His servant, to consider the Lord one's best friend and to offer Him everything-these nine processes are recognized as pure devotional service.

1. HEARING (sravanam)
Maharaja Pariksit(the last seven days of his life, he constantly heard the Srimad Bhagavatam).

2. CHANTING (kirtanam)
Sukadeva Goswami(spoke the Bhagavatam to Maharaja Pariksit)

3. REMEMBERING( visnu smaranam)
Prahlada Maharaja(never forgot Krsna despite constant tortures from his father- Hiranyakashipu)

4. SERVING THE LORD'S LOTUS FEET (pada sevanam)
Laxmi, the Goddess of Fortune, is always engaged in serving the lotus feet of the Lord.

5. DEITY-WORSHIP (arcanam)
Maharaja Prthu used all of his royal possessions in order to offer them in pure devotion to the Lord.

6.PRAYING (vandanam)
Akura offered prayers to Krsna when he was traveling to Vrndavana in order to see Krsna.

7. EXECUTING ORDERS (dasyam)
Hanuman, the intimate servant of Ramacandra executed all of Sri Ramacandra's orders despite all kinds of difficulties.

8. SERVING AS A FRIEND (sakhyam)
Arjuna was so close to Krsna, that the Lord offered Himself to become his chariot driver and serve Arjuna and his brothers in various ways.

9. COMPLETE SURRENDER (atma nivedanam)
Bali Maharaja gave Sri Vamanadeva his entire kingdom, his possessions as well as his own body, although his own spiritual master was against it.

ri Caitanyaitotham krta sannyaso'vatarisyami sa-guno nirvedo
niskamo bhu-girvanas tira-atho' lakanandayah kalau
catuh-sahasrabdhopari panca-sahasrabhyantare
gaura-varno dirghangah sarva-laksana-yukta isvara-
prarthito nija-rasasvado bhakta-rupo misrakhyo
vidita-yogah syam

I will descend on the earth after the passage of four thousand years in the Kali-Age, and before the passsage of five thousand years. I will come on the earth on the bank of the Ganges,. I will be a tall and saintly brahmana devotee. I will have all the auspicious symptoms of an exalted person. I will exhibit renunciation. I will have all auspicious signs. I will be a devotee, practicing bhakti-yoga. I will taste the rasa of My own devotional service. (Atharva Veda)

saptame gaura-varna-visnor ity aena sva-saktya
caikyam etya pratar avatirya saha svaih sva-manum siksayati

In the seventh manvantara, in the beginning of the Kali-Yuga, the Supreme Personality of Godhead will, accompanied by His own associates, descend in a golden form to the earth. He will teach the chanting of His own names. (Atharva-Veda Purusa-Bodhini-Upanisad 8)

tathaham krta sannyaso bhu-girvano 'vatarisye
tire'lakanandayah punah punah isvara-prarthitah sa-
parivaro niralambo nirdhuteh kali-kalmasa-kavalita-
janavalambanaya

I shall come to the earth, accompanied by My associates, in a place by the bank of the Ganges. I will advent to save the people who are afflicted and devoured by the sins of the age of Kali. I will manifest as an avadhuta Brahmana sannyasi. (Sama Veda)

mahan prabhur vai purusah
sattvasyaisa pravartakah
su-nirmalam imam praptim
isano jyotir avyayah

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Mahaprabhu, who disseminates transcendental enlightenment. Just to be in touch with Him is to be in contact with the indestructible Brahmajyoti. (Svetasvatara Upanisad 3.12)

yada pasyah pasyate rukma-varnam
kartaram isam purusam brahma-yonim

One who sees that golden-colored Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Lord, the supreme actor, who is the source of the Supreme Brahman, is liberated. (Mundaka Upanisad 3.1.3)

asan varnas trayo hyasya
grhnato’nuygam tanuh
suklo raktastatha pita
idanim krsnatam gatah

"This boy Krsna, has three other colors: white, red and yellow as He appears in different ages. Now, in this Dvapara-yuga, He has appeared in a transcendental blackish color." (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.8.13)

dhyeyam sada paribhava-ghnam abhista-doham
tirthaspadam siva-virinci-nutam saranyam
bhrtyarti-ham pranata-pala bhavabdhi-potam
vande maha-purusa te caranaravindam

We offer our respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Him, the Lord, upon whom one should always meditate. He destroys insults to His devotees. He removes the distresses of His devotees and satisfies their desires. He, the abode of all holy places and the shelter of all sages, is worshipable by Lord Siva and Lord Brahma. He is the boat of the demigods for crossing the ocean of birth and death. (Srimad Bhagavatam. 11.5.33)

tyaktva sudustyaja-surepsita-rajya-laksmim
dharmistha arya-vacasa yad agad aranyam
maya-mrgam dayitayepsitam anvadhavad
vande maha-purusa te caranaravindam

"We offer our respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of the Lord, upon whom one should always meditate. He left His householder life, leaving aside His eternal consort, whom even the denizens of heaven adore. He went into the forest to deliver the fallen souls, who are put into illusion by material energy." (Srimad Bhagavatam. 11.5.34)

krsna varnam tvisa krsnam
sangopangastra parsadam
yajnaih sankirtanam-prayair
yajanti hi sumedhasah

"In the age of Kali, Krsna appears in a golden form, chanting the two syllables krs-na. He descends along with His weapons, saktis, limbs, and eternal confidential associates. Those with intelligence worship Him with the sankirtana yajna. (1) (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.32)

ittham nr-tiryag-rsi-deva-jhasavatarair
lokan vibhavayasi hamsi jagat-pratipan
dharmam maha-purusa pasi yuganuvrttam
channah kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo ’tha sa tvam

"My Lord, You kill all the enemies of the world in Your multifarious incarnations in the families of men, animals, demigods, rsis, aquatics and so on. Thus You illuminate the worlds with transcendental knowledge. In the Age of Kali, O Mahapurusa, You sometimes appear in a covered incarnation. Therefore You are known as Tri-yuga [one who appears in only three yugas]." (Srimad Bhagavatam. 7.9.38)

aham eva dvija-srestha
nityam pracchana-vigrahah
bhagavad-bhakta-rupena
lokan raksami sarvada

"O best of the brahmanas, My disguised form is eternal. In this way, with My own form hidden from ordinary sight I take the form of a devotee and appear among the people in general in order to establish and protect religious principles." (Adi Purana)

aham eva kvacid brahman
sannyasa asramam asritah
hari bhaktim grahayami
kalau papa-hatan naran

‘O Brahmana, I occasionally take the sannyasa asrama in an attempt to bring the fallen people of Kali Yuga to take up the path of bhakti or devotional service to Lord Krsna. (Upa-purana)

kalina dahyamanam
uddhararaya tanu-bhrtam
janma prathama sandhyayam
bhavisyati dvijalaye

The Supreme Person will appear in the first part of the age of Kali. He will appear in the home of a brahmana to save the embodied conditioned souls burning in the troubles of Kali-Yuga. (Kurma-Purana)

kalina dakyamananam
paritranaya tanu-bhrtam
janma prathama sandhyayam
karisyami dvijatisu

aham purno bhavisyami
yuga-sandhyau visesatah
mayapure navadvipe
bhavisyami saci sutah

kaleh prathama sandhyayam
lakshmi- kanto bhavisyati
daru-brahma-samipa-sthah
sannyasi gaura-vigrahah

In the first part of the age of Kali, I will come among the brahmanas to save the fallen souls, who are being burned by the troubles of the age of Kali.

I will take birth as the son of Saci, in Navadvipa-Mayapura.. I will come in my complete spiritual form in the first part of Kali-Yuga.

In the first part of Kali-Yuga, the Supreme Personality of Godhead will come in a gold-like form. First He will become the husband of Laksmi (Srimati Laksmi Devi, Lord Caitanya's first wife). Then He will become a sannyasi, near Lord Jagannatha who will appear in a divine wooden form. (Garuda-Purana)

satye daitya-kuladhi-nasa-samaye
simhordhva-martyakrtis
tretayam dasa-kandharam
paribhavan rameti namakrtih
gopalan paripalayan vraja-pure
bharam haran dvapare
gaurangah priya-kirtanah
kali-yuge caitanya-nama prabhuh

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead who in the Satya-yuga appeared as a half-man, half-lion to cure a terrible disease that had ravaged the daityas, and who in the Treta-yuga appeared as a person named Rama (Lord Ramacandra), a person who defeated the ten- headed Demon Ravana, and who in the Dvapara-yuga removed the earth's burden, and protected the Gopa (cowherd men) people of Vraja-pura, will appear again in the Kali-yuga. His form will be golden, He will delight in chanting the Lord's holy names, and His name will be Caitanya." (Nrsimha Purana)

kirtaneer.gif - 10147 Bytes

yatrayogesvarah saksad
yogi-cintyo janardanah
caitanya vapur aste vai
sandranandatmakah

kaleh prathama-sandhyayam
gaurangotham mahi-tale
bhagirathi-tate ramye
bhavisyami saci-sutah

The Supreme Personality, Janardana, who is the object of the yogis' meditation, who saves the devotees from various sufferings, and who is the master of all yogic practices, who is always full of divine transcendental ecstasy and bliss, will advent in His own divine form of Sri Caitanya.

I shall appear on this earth in the first part of Kali-yuga in a beautiful place on the bank of the Bhagirathi. I shall have a golden form, and I shall take birth as the son of Saci. (Padma-Purana)

nama_right_4-02.gif - 8735 Bytes

aham eva kalau vipra
nityam prachanna-vigrahah
bhavavad-bhakta-rupena
lokan raksami sarvada

divija bhuvi jayadhvam
jayadhvam bhakta rupinah
kalau sankirtana rambhe
bhavisyami saci-sutah

aham eva dvija-srestho
nityam pracchanna-vigrahah
bhagavad-bhakta-rupena
lokam raksami sarvada

O Vipra, in the age of Kali, I will come disguised as a devotee and I will save all the worlds.

O Divija (demigods), please come and advent as devotees on this earth in the age of Kali-yuga. I will incarnate as the son of Saci to inaugurate the congregational chanting of the name of Krsna.

I shall advent in the form of a brahmana devotee and I shall hide my factual identity. I shall deliver all the worlds. (Narada Purana)

kaleh prathama sandhyayam
gaurangotham mahi-tale
bhagirathi-tate bhumni
bhavisyami saci-sutah

I will reveal my eternal golden form in the first part of Kali-yuga. I will advent on the earth on the bank of the Bhagirathi. (Brahma-Purana)

anandasru-kala-roma
harsa-purnam tapo-dhana
sarve mama eva draksyanti
kalau sannyasa-rupinam

O austere sage, you should know that in the age of Kali, everyone will see my transcendental form as a sannyasi. I will be exhibiting symptoms of ecstasy like shedding tears of bliss and hairs standing in ecstasy. (Bhavisya-Purana)

prasantatma lamba-kanthas gaurangas ca suravrtah

The Supreme Personality of Godhead will come in a golden form, full of peace, and a beautiful long neck. He will be surrounded by many saintly devotees. (Agni-Purana)

mundo gaurah su-dirghangas
tri-srotas-tira-sambhavah
dayaluh kirtana-grahi
bhavisyami kalau-yuge

In the age of Kali, I shall advent where the three rivers meet. I shall have a shaven head. I shall have a golden complexion. I will be very kind and always chant the holy name of Krsna. (Matsya-Purana)

golokam ca parityajya
lokanam trana-karanat
kalau gauranga-rupena
lila-lavanya-vigrahah

In the Kali-Yuga, I will leave Goloka and, to save the people of the world, I will become the handsome and playful Lord Gauranga. (Markandeya-Purana)

aham eva dvija-srestho
lila-pracurya-vigrahah
bhagavad-bhakta-rupena
lokan raksami sarvada

I shall come as the best of the brahmanas. I will exhibit many pastimes in the form of a devotee. I shall deliver the people of the world. (Varaha-Purana)

kali-ghora-tamas-channat
sarvan acara varjitan
sacigarbhe ca sambhuya
tarayisyami narada

O Narada Muni, I will take birth in the womb of Saci. I shall save the people, who will give up all proper good conduct, from the terrible darkness of the age of Kali-Yuga. (Vamana-Purana)

paurnamasyam phalgunasya
phalguni-rksa-yogatah
bhavisye gaura-rupena
saci-garbhe purandarat

svarnadi-tiram asthaya
navadvipe janasraye
tatra dvija-kulam prapto
bhavisyami janalaye

bhakti-yoga-pradanaya
lokasyanugrahaya ca
sannyas-rupam asthaya
krsna-caitanya-nama-dhrk

tena lokasya nistaras
tat kurudhvam mamajnaya
dharitri bhavita cabhir
mayaiva dvija-dehina

nama_left_4-02.gif - 4819 Bytes I shall advent in the month of Phalguna, when the star Phalguni is conjoined with the full moon. I shall incarnate in a golden complexion in the womb of Saci and Purandara Misra.

I will be born in the city of Navadvipa, on the Ganges' shore, in a Brahmana's family. I shall take the renounced order of life (sannyasa) and show kindness to the people in general and engage them in bhakti. I will be known as Sri Krsna Chaitanya.

All of you should follow My order and deliver the people of the world. I shall appear as a Brahmana. I shall make this earth fearless. (Vayu-Purana)

suddho gaurah-su-dirghango
ganga-tira-samudbhavah
dayaluh-kirtana-grahi
bhavisyami kalau yuge

In the age of Kali-yuga, I shall come in a place on the bank of the Ganges. I will be very pure, have a fair complexion, and be very tall and chant the holy names of Krsna. (Vayu-Purana)

kalau sankirtanarambhe bhavisyami saci-sutah

"In the Age of Kali when the sankirtana movement is inaugurated, I shall descend as the son of Sacidevi." (Vayu Purana).

suvarna-varno hemango varangas-candanangadi

"He appears in a golden form, His limbs are the complexion of molten gold. His body is extremely beautiful and decorated with sandalwood pulp." (Mahabharata, Visnu Sahasranama)

sannyasa-krcchamah santo nistha santi-parayanah

"He accepts sannyasa and shows equanimity. He is peaceful. His mind is always fixed and He performs chanting." (Mahabharata, Visnu Sahasranama)

svarnadi-tiram asritya
navadvipe dvijalaye
sampradatum bhakti-yogam
lokasyanugrahaya ca

sa eva bhagavan krmo
radhika-prana-vallabhah
srsty-adau sa jagannatho
gaura asin mahesvari

avatirno bhavisyami
kalau-nija-ganaih saha
saci-garbhe navadvipe
svardhuni-parivarite

aprakasyam idam guhyam
na prakasyam bahir mukhe
bhaktavataram bhaktakhyam
bhaktam bhakti-pradam svayam

man-maya-mohitah kecin
na jnasyanto bahir-mokhah
jnasyanti mad-bhakti-yuktah
sadhavo-nyasinotmalah

krmavatara-kale-yah
striyo ye purusah priyah
kalau te'vatarisyanti
sridama-subaladayah

catuh-sasti-mahantas te
gopa dvadasa balakah
caitanyera simhera...

dharma-samsthapanarthay
a viharisyami tair aham

kale nastam bhakti-patham
sthapayisyamy aham punah
gacchantu bhuvi te putrah
jayantam bhakta-rupinah
dharma-samsthapanam kale
kurvantu te mamajnaya

krsnas caitanya-gaurango
gauracandrah saci-sutah
prabhur gauro gaura-harir
namani-bhakti-dani me

kirtaneer.gif - 10147 Bytes To show mercy to the people and give them devotional service, the Supreme Personality of Godhead will appear in a Brahmana's home in Navadvipa by the Ganges's shore. The Supreme Person, Sri Krsna Himself, who is the life of Srimati Radharani, and is the Lord of the universe in creation, rnaintenance, and annihilation, appears as Gaura, O Mahesvari.

In Kali-yuga, I will descend to the earth with My associates. In Navadvipa, which is surrounded by the Ganges, I will take birth in Saci-devi 's womb.

They who are bewildered by My illusory potency will not understand the great secret of the appearance in this world of Me in My personal form, in My form as the incarnation of devotion, in My form as the incarnation of a devotee, in My form bearing the name of a devotee, in My form as a devotee, and in My form as the giver of devotional service.

This secret is not to be revealed to them. Only the saintly, pure, renounced devotees, diligently engaged in My devotional service, will be able to understand Me in these five forms.

My dear male and female associates, headed by Sridama and Subala, who came to this world at the time of My advent as Lord Krsna, will come again during the Kali-yuga.

The Gopas will become the sixty-four mahantas and the twelve gopalas. To establish the truth of religion, I will enjoy many pastimes with them.

In this way I will again reveal the path of devotional service, which has been destroyed in the course of time. My sons should also descend to the earth, assume the forms of devotees, and, by My order, also work to re-establish the principles of true religion.

At this time My names will be: Krsna Chaitanya, Gauranga, Gauracandra, Sacisuta, Mahaprabhu, Gaura and Gaurahari. Chanting these names will bring devotion to Me. (Ananta-Samhita)

punya-ksetre navadvipe bhavisyami saci-sutah.

"I shall appear in the holy land of Navadvipa as the son of Sacidevi." (Krsna-yamala-Tantra)

atha vaham dharadhame
bhutva mad-bhakta-rupa-dhrk
mayayam ca bhavisyami
kalau sankirtanagame

"Sometimes I personally appear on the surface of the world in the garb of a devotee. Specifically, I appear as the son of Saci in Kali-yuga to start the sankirtana movement." (Brahma-yamala Tantra)

_______

The challenging party may question Mahaprabhu's divinity, yet it behooves them to to prove, through unbiased evidence, how they conclude that Sri Jaya Tirtha is the incarnation of Madhvacarya's pack-bull, Sri Raghavendra is the incarnation of Prahlada, Sri Vadiraja is the incarnation of Rukmini's brahmana messenger and Purandara Dasa is the incarnation of Narada.

Bg. 2.10 - O descendant of Bharata, at that time Krsna, smiling, in the midst of both the armies, spoke the following words to the grief-stricken Arjuna.

Bg. 2.11 - The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor for the dead.

Bg. 2.12 - Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.

Bg. 2.13 - As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.

Bg. 2.14 - O son of Kunte, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.

Bg. 2.15 - O best among men [Arjuna], the person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation.

Bg. 2.16 - Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent [the material body] there is no endurance and of the eternal [the soul] there is no change. This they have concluded by studying the nature of both.

Bg. 2.17 - That which pervades the entire body you should know to be indestructible. No one is able to destroy that imperishable soul.

Bg. 2.20 - For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.

Bg. 2.21 - O Pärtha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, eternal, unborn and immutable kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?

Bg. 2.22 - As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.

Bg. 2.23 - The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.

Bg. 2.24 - This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.

Bg. 2.25 - It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body.

Bg. 2.26 - If, however, you think that the soul [or the symptoms of life] is always born and dies forever, you still have no reason to lament, O mighty-armed.

Bg. 2.27 - One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.

Bg. 2.28 - All created beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their interim state, and unmanifest again when annihilated. So what need is there for lamentation?

Bg. 2.29 - Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all.

Bg. 2.30 - O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any living being.

SB 3.31.1 - 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.

Based on the actions taken by Souls in their previous lives (Karma), Lord Krishna arranges for each soul to enter the womb of a mother in a particular universe, on a particular planet, in a particular country, in a particular City, in a particular Street, in a particular house, to a particular mother. Exactly based on what the soul deserves.

Day 1 to 30

SB 3.31.2 - On the first night, the sperm and ovum mix, and on the fifth night the mixture ferments into a bubble. On the tenth night it develops into a form like a plum, and after that, it gradually turns into a lump of flesh or an egg, as the case may be.

Month 1 to 3

SB 3.31.3 - In the course of a month, a head is formed, and at the end of two months the hands, feet and other limbs take shape. By the end of three months, the nails, fingers, toes, body hair, bones and skin appear, as do the organ of generation and the other apertures in the body, namely the eyes, nostrils, ears, mouth and anus.

Month 4 to 6

SB 3.31.4 - Within four months from the date of conception, the seven essential ingredients of the body, namely chyle, blood, flesh, fat, bone, marrow and semen, come into existence. At the end of five months, hunger and thirst make themselves felt, and at the end of six months, the fetus, enclosed by the amnion, begins to move on the right side of the abdomen.

Month 6 and onwards

SB 3.31.5 - Deriving its nutrition from the food and drink taken by the mother, the fetus grows and remains in that abominable residence of stools and urine, which is the breeding place of all kinds of worms.

SB 3.31.6 - Bitten again and again all over the body by the hungry worms in the abdomen itself, the child suffers terrible agony because of his tenderness. He thus becomes unconscious moment after moment because of the terrible condition.

The Food The Mother Eats Affects the Fetus

The food eaten by the mother makes a big difference to the sufferings of the fetus. She should not eat salty, bitter (citric), and pungent (meat) foods. Nor drink alcohol, smoke, and need to be very careful with any medicines.

SB 3.31.7 - Owing to the mother's eating bitter, pungent foodstuffs, or food which is too salty or too sour, the body of the child incessantly suffers pains which are almost intolerable.

SB 3.31.8 - Placed within the amnion and covered outside by the intestines, the child remains lying on one side of the abdomen, his head turned towards his belly and his back and neck arched like a bow.

SB 3.31.9 - The child thus remains just like a bird in a cage, without freedom of movement. At that time, if the child is fortunate, he can remember all the troubles of his past one hundred births, and he grieves wretchedly. What is the possibility of peace of mind in that condition?

SB 3.31.10 - Thus endowed with the development of consciousness from the seventh month after his conception, the child is tossed downward by the airs that press the embryo during the weeks preceding delivery. Like the worms born of the same filthy abdominal cavity, he cannot remain in one place.

SB 3.31.11 - The living entity in this frightful condition of life, bound by seven layers of material ingredients, prays with folded hands, appealing to the Lord, who has put him in that condition.

The Soul Prays

It's due to contact with the material body that the soul forgets his original constitutional postion of being eternal, full of bliss, full of knowledge, and part of the Supreme Lord, Lord Krishna. The knowledgeable soul prays while in the womb.

SB 3.31.12 - The human soul says: I take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who appears in His various eternal forms and walks on the surface of the world. I take shelter of Him only, because He can give me relief from all fear and from Him I have received this condition of life, which is just befitting my impious activities.

SB 3.31.13 - I, the pure soul, appearing now bound by my activities, am lying in the womb of my mother by the arrangement of maya. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Him who is also here with me but who is unaffected and changeless. He is unlimited, but He is perceived in the repentant heart. To Him I offer my respectful obeisances.

SB 3.31.14 - I am separated from the Supreme Lord because of my being in this material body, which is made of five elements, and therefore my qualities and senses are being misused, although I am essentially spiritual. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is transcendental to material nature and the living entities, because He is devoid of such a material body, and because He is always glorious in His spiritual qualities, I offer my obeisances unto Him.

SB 3.31.15 - The human soul further prays: The living entity is put under the influence of material nature and continues a hard struggle for existence on the path of repeated birth and death. This conditional life is due to his forgetfulness of his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, without the Lord's mercy, how can he again engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord?

SB 3.31.16 - No one other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as the localized Paramatma, the partial representation of the Lord, is directing all inanimate and animate objects. He is present in the three phases of time-past, present and future. Therefore, the conditioned soul is engaged in different activities by His direction, and in order to get free from the threefold miseries of this conditional life, we have to surrender unto Him only.

SB 3.31.17 - Fallen into a pool of blood, stool and urine within the abdomen of his mother, his own body scorched by the mother's gastric fire, the embodied soul, anxious to get out, counts his months and prays, "O my Lord, when shall I, a wretched soul, be released from this confinement?"

SB 3.31.18 - My dear Lord, by Your causeless mercy I am awakened to consciousness, although I am only ten months old. For this causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the friend of all fallen souls, there is no way to express my gratitude but to pray with folded hands.

SB 3.31.19 - The living entity in another type of body sees only by instinct; he knows only the agreeable and disagreeable sense perceptions of that particular body. But I have a body in which I can control my senses and can understand my destination; therefore, I offer my respectful obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by whom I have been blessed with this body and by whose grace I can see Him within and without.

SB 3.31.20 - Therefore, my Lord, although I am living in a terrible condition, I do not wish to depart from my mother's abdomen to fall again into the blind well of materialistic life. Your external energy, called deva-maya, at once captures the newly born child, and immediately false identification, which is the beginning of the cycle of continual birth and death, begins.

SB 3.31.21 - Therefore, without being agitated any more, I shall deliver myself from the darkness of nescience with the help of my friend, clear consciousness. Simply by keeping the lotus feet of Lord Visnu in my mind, I shall be saved from entering into the wombs of many mothers for repeated birth and death.

Month 9 and onwards

SB 3.31.22 - Lord Kapila continued: The ten-month-old living entity has these desires even while in the womb. But while he thus extols the Lord, the wind that helps parturition propels him forth with his face turned downward so that he may be born.

SB 3.31.23 - Pushed downward all of a sudden by the wind, the child comes out with great trouble, head downward, breathless and deprived of memory due to severe agony.

SB 3.31.24 - The child thus falls on the ground, smeared with stool and blood, and plays just like a worm germinated from the stool. He loses his superior knowledge and cries under the spell of maya.

Childhood

SB 3.31.25 - After coming out of the abdomen, the child is given to the care of persons who are unable to understand what he wants, and thus he is nursed by such persons. Unable to refuse whatever is given to him, he falls into undesirable circumstances.

 SB 3.31.26 - Laid down on a foul bed infested with sweat and germs, the poor child is incapable of scratching his body to get relief from his itching sensation to say nothing of sitting up, standing or even moving.

SB 3.31.27 - In his helpless condition, gnats, mosquitoes, bugs and other germs bite the baby, whose skin is tender, just as smaller worms bite a big worm. The child, deprived of his wisdom, cries bitterly.

Boyhood

 SB 3.31.28 - In this way, the child passes through his childhood, suffering different kinds of distress, and attains boyhood. In boyhood also he suffers pain over desires to get things he can never achieve. And thus, due to ignorance, he becomes angry and sorry.

 SB 3.31.29 - With the growth of the body, the living entity, in order to vanquish his soul, increases his false prestige and anger and thereby creates enmity towards similarly lusty people.

SB 3.31.30 - By such ignorance the living entity accepts the material body, which is made of five elements, as himself. With this misunderstanding, he accepts nonpermanent things as his own and increases his ignorance in the darkest region.

Adulthood

 SB 3.31.31 - For the sake of the body, which is a source of constant trouble to him and which follows him because he is bound by ties of ignorance and fruitive activities, he performs various actions which cause him to be subjected to repeated birth and death.

What Causes Repeated Birth and Death?

Sinful activities like meat eating, alcohol, drugs, smoking, gambling, lying, hatered, ego, attachments, atheism, bad association, and so on ensures the soul will once again be placed in the hell known as the womb.

 SB 3.31.32 - If, therefore, the living entity again associates with the path of unrighteousness, influenced by sensually minded people engaged in the pursuit of sexual enjoyment and the gratification of the palate, he again goes to hell as before.

 SB 3.31.33 - He becomes devoid of truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, gravity, spiritual intelligence, shyness, austerity, fame, forgiveness, control of the mind, control of the senses, fortune and all such opportunities.

 SB 3.31.34 - One should not associate with a coarse fool who is bereft of the knowledge of self-realization and who is no more than a dancing dog in the hands of a woman.

Treat the Holy Names as Radha and Krsna

It is materially inconceivable that God and His name are identical.
We can realize this truth by relating to (and treating) the holy names as Radha and Krsna.
All kinds of poor or offensive chanting stem from not properly relating to and honoring the holy names as Radha and Krsna.
Prabhupada wouldn’t walk over Krsna’s names because he saw the name as non different and respected the name this way.

Quality, Not Quantity, is the Goal

The goal of japa is not to finish our quota of rounds. The goal is to chant quality rounds .
By chanting quality rounds we will automatically finish our quota (and want to chant more rounds).

The Symptom of Good Japa is Taste

The symptom of good japa is that we like to chant.
The symptom of poor japa is lack of taste and a struggle to complete our rounds.
Lack of taste is reinforced by the mood of, “I have to do chant” rather than in proper mood of “I want to chant, I get to chant, I love to chant.”
I have to chant sends a message to Krsna in the form of Nama Prabhu that we don’t like spending time with Him.

When you Chant, Chant

The most foundational principle for good japa (the paribhasa sutra of japa) is to turn off your life when you chant - and do nothing else but chant.
Chanting is worship of Radha and Krsna; therefore we must be fully present to Their world when we chant.
The more we are able to be present with our japa, the better our chanting will be.
Inattentive chanting results from not honoring japa as a sacred relationship that deserves our full attention and participation and thus not making the sankalpa before chanting to be fully present with the holy name.
Without making this sankalpa, we fight a losing battle with the mind, and often end up doing “Courtesy Japa.”
By making this sankalpa, the mind quiets down.

Inattention – Where is your attention going?

Inattentive chanting is the source of all offences.
All offences are ways of being distracted from Krsna.
Distraction is a result of our eternal conditioning to compete with and envy Krsna.

The Name is More Merciful Than Krsna

We chant in appreciation of Krsna’s kindness, love and mercy for us, and how the holy name personifies this affection.
As our father Krsna cannot but love us. He loves us so much that He makes it possible for us to attain the highest perfection of love for Him by chanting His name.

Chanting is Not Just a Process, It’s a Relationship.

We are repairing a broken relationship with Krsna
When we chant, we are crying to Krsna, begging, “Please accept me, please accept me.”
This kind of chanting makes us aware that we once turned away from Krsna, and that we still have the tendency to turn away from Krsna.
We chant with remorse for having broken this relationship and with a prayerful desire to reestablish this relationship.

Chanting is Service

Don’t just think who is Krsna for me, think who am I for Krsna.
Chanting is done to please Krsna.
Sometimes we may not feel the pleasure we desire from the Name, but we remain sastisfied knowing that chanting is pleasing to Krsna and that we can please Him by our heartfelt and sincere chanting.
Chanting is the highest service.

Feeling Krsna’s Presence

To be present means to “experience what we are experiencing.”
Experience takes place in the present moment.
Our mind takes us out of the present moment.
To be fully present to the holy name, we allow ourselves to be open to feel Krsna’s presence in the vibration of the mantra (vibrating within us and outside of us).
Be a receiver, not an achiever. Be a non achiever.

Chanting is Heart Deep, Not Lip Deep

The essence of prayer is feeling.
What is not expressed by the heart does not communicate.
The maha mantra is not an invocation with a seed in the mantra. It is a prayer and thus it is expressed from the heart.
Feeling is the antidote to mechanical chanting.

You Must Be Out of Your Mind to Chant Hare Krsna.

Mechanical chanting means we are in our mind, not in our heart.
When we go to our heart, we get out of our mind.
When we dwell in our mind (our thoughts of ourselves and our lives) the heart closes.
Prabhupada didn’t advise that we battle with our minds when we chant. Rather he said, “Chant and hear.”
“You chant with your tongue and hear with your ears. There is no question of mind” (Srila Prabhupada)
As we advance in our chanting, Krsna’s form, qualities and pastimes come to our mind (and vision), but not to the material mind, the mind that distracts us from proper chanting.

Sacred Space

Chant in your japa house, not in your house. Your house is the place where your life exists, the place where you are absorbed in thoughts of you (your work, your fears, your bodily pains, your to do list, etc.)
Your japa house is figuratively the place away from your house (your life). It is the place devoted entirely to japa, to going out of your world and into Krsna’s world.
It is the place where you can fully honor your sacred relationship with Him while chanting.
Sacred space is both a physical space (where you chant, what you look at when you chant, etc.) and an internal space (where you go internally when you chant).

Posture

Sastra says a crooked body creates a crooked mind.
Your physiology affects your psychology.
Prabhupada remarked during japa, “Sit properly.” If you sit straight, it helps you concentrate.
Your psychology also affects your physiology. If you are not sitting straight, it is often a sign that you are getting lazy about your chanting, or you are not trying as hard as you could – and should – to chant your rounds.

Aparadha, Nama bhasa, Sudha nama

Aparadha produces no spiritual benefit.
Namabhasa removes anarthas.
Suddha nama gives love of Krsna.
The bridge from anartha to suddha nama is namabhasa.
We enter the bridge through the door of effort, specifically the effort to avoid the ten offences. Nama aparadha is defined as chanting without making the effort to avoid the ten offences.

The Central Role of Japa in Bhakti

Sacinandana Swami quotes Prabhupada as saying that 90% of our advancement is dependent on chanting.
All other processes of bhakti are contained in chanting.
Chanting is the most important of the nine processes.
Chanting is the pole that supports the other processes of bhakti.
The goal is to always remember Krsna. The best way to do this is by chanting.
“Your beads are your connection to Krsna.” (Srila Prabhupada)
“Your beads are your ticket back to Godhead.” (Srila Prabhupada)
“This chanting is the essence of our philosophy.” (Srila Prabhupada)

Appreciation

What you appreciate, appreciates.

Exercise:
The holy name is my … because …

The Meaning of the Mantra

Bhaktivinoda Thakur advises us to meditate on the meaning of the mantra.
Every meaning is a prayer for coming closer to Radha and Krsna.

Exercise.
Chant while meditating on different meanings of the mantra.

If I Surrender to Krsna, What if …?

Confront your fears of surrender.
Realize that such fears are holding your chanting back.
Discuss these fears and realize their illusory nature

Exercise:
If I surrender to Krsna, what if …? (make your list of what if’s).

Aligning Your Life with the Holy Name

We must act outside of our 16 rounds for our 16 rounds.
Everything we do affects our heart.
Our relationship with others affects our chanting.
Resolve any bad relationships.

Exercise:
What, if anything, are you doing in your life, or in your consciousness, that is having a negative effect on your chanting?

Collecting the Gems

Note your realizations, the gems Krsna gave you at the workshop.
Note down practices you wish to incorporate into your japa.
Note down practices you wish to correct/avoid.
Note down obstacles you will face as you try to improve.
Note down how you will deal with these obstacles.

Reference: Collecting the Gems handout.

Going Home with the Right Attitude

We should be thinking “I will improve my japa gradually throughout my life,” rather than thinking, “The japa workshop was great, but I won’t be able to maintain such good japa at home.”
Focus on where you are going, where you want to go, not where you are at. It doesn’t matter where you have come from. It only matters where you are going.
Don’t become critical of others if you see they are not chanting well. (The tendency for this can increase after a japa workshop.)
Control the tendency to be critical by simply appreciating that others are trying to chant.
Remember, that although you have attended a japa workshop, you may not always apply the techniques, attitudes and practices for better chanting that you have learned.

Additionally, wherever possible, help those devotees who are willing to hear from you.

Japa Buddies

Partner up with another devotee and help one another commit to better japa practices by calling one another every evening and checking in.
Meet with other japa buddies regularly as a group to discuss what is working, what your challenges are, and how to improve.

Closing Words

Japa is synergistic. Hearing, praying, meditating on the meaning, being in a relationship with Krsna, etc. are not meant to be processes that make you mental about whether or not you are chanting properly, but are meant to nourish the proper mood or your chanting and thus further absorb you in chanting.

Remember chanting is not a mechanical process you are trying to perfect.

“There is nothing but the name to be had in the fourteen worlds.” ~Bhaktivinoda Thakur

MANTRAS FOR DRINKING CHARANAMRTA

One should drink the nectar from the lotus feet of the Lord (the bathwater) and take the used garlands upon one's body. The mantra for drinking the caranamrta (the general mantra) is:

akala-mrtyu-haranam
sarva-vyadhi-vinasanam
visnoh padodakam pitva
sirasa dharayamy aham

"Having drunk the water from the lotus feet of Lord Visnu, which destroys all disease and takes away the chance of dying untimely, I hold that water on my head."

The mantra for taking the spiritual master's caranamrta is:

asesa-klesa-nihsesa-
karanam suddha-bhakti-dam
guroh padodakam pitva
sirasa dharayamy aham

"Having drunk the water from the lotus feet of the spiritual master, which bestows pure devotional service and causes the destruction of unlimited troubles, I take that water on my head."
The mantra for drinking the caranamrta of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is:

asesa-klesa-nihsesa
karanam suddha-bhakti-dam
gaura-padodakam pitva
sirasa dharyamy aham

"Having drunk the water from theeee lotus feeeeet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, which beestows pure devotional servicee and causeeees thee destruction of unlimited troubles and pains, I take that water on my head."

The mantra for drinking Sri Sri Radha-Krsna's caranamrta is:

sri-radha-krsna-padodakam
prema-bhakti-dam muda
bhakti-bharena vai pitva
sirasa dharayamy aham

"The water from the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna gives pure loving to Them. Having drunk that water with great joy and devotion, I hold that water upon my head."

More Nectar:

arcye visnau sila-dhir
gurusu nara-matir
vaisnave jati-buddhir
visnor va vaisnavanam
kali-mala-mathane
.-tirthe 'mbu-buddhih
sri-visnor namni mantre
sakala-kalusa-he
sabda-samanya-buddhir
visnau sarvesvarese
tad-itara-sama-dhir
yasya va naraki sahh

"One who thinks the Deity in the temple to be made of wood or stone, who thinks of the spiritual master in the disciplic succession as an ordinary man, who thinks the Vaisnava in the Acyuta-gotra to belong to a certain caste or creed or who thinks of caranamrta or Ganges water as ordinary water is taken to be a resident of hell." (Padma Purana)

From Padma Purana:

Sri Saunaka asked Suta Gosvami about who had previously drunk this caranamrta, the water which washed the two lotus feet of Lord Visnu, and what happened to him. Previously, in Treta-yuga, there was a sinful brahmana named Sudarsana. He would eat on the day of Lord Hari (Ekadasi) and he would criticize all of the scriptures daily as well as all the people who would fast on the Ekadasi day. He would only think of how to fill his belly. One day in the morning, he died. The Yamadutas came to take him away to Yamaloka. When Yamaraja saw him he asked his secretary to narrate what kinds of sins and merits this person, who had been brought by his messengers, had accumulated. He also said that this person looks like a grievously sinful person.

The secretary, Citragupta, replied, "O Lord (Yamaraja), he has not done any merits, but has only acquired sins. He even ate on the day of Lord Sri Hari (the Ekadasi day). He even ate on the appearance day of the husband of the goddess of fortune (Janmastami). He is the lowest of all mankind because he ate on the birthday of Lord Sri Krsna, Janmastami, therefore he should be put in the greatest hellish planet for millions of years and at last, he should take birth as a worm in stool."

Suta Gosvami then said, "Hearing this, the great messengers of Yamaraja took him to the greatest ferocious hell to suffer for the duration of one hundred Manus. (In one day of Lord Brahma there are fourteen Manus so he was put there to suffer for the period of one hundred Manus) After that he was liberated and he was made as a pig in a village and daily he would eat sufficient stool because he had previously eaten on the day of Lord Sri Hari. After that life, he became a crow who would eat mucus. One day, that crow went to the house of a brahmana where a pot of caranamrta was left outside the door and he drank some and became free from all sins. On the same day, he fell in a hunter's net and was killed, and at last he went to the abode of Lord Sri Hari, carried on a palanquin by two swan-like devotees of the Lord. This is the great merit derived from drinking the water which has emanated from washing the two lotus feet of Lord Sri Visnu, which removes all sins. Whoever even listens to this narration about caranamrta, also becomes free from all sins."

Srila Prabhupada and caranamrta

When sick, Srila Prabhupada himself often used to rely upon caranamrta rather than various medicines, which he generally distrusted and never took very seriously. He said his sister Bhavatarini devi dasi, whom we used to call Pisi Ma (auntie), would always simply depend upon the Lord's caranamrta whenever she was sick. Pisi Ma gave her son Madana caranamrta and the boy was cured of cholera as a result of her firm sraddha (faith). Srila Prabhupada praised this faithful practice of hers. Pisi Ma thought much of the holy Ganga.

Pisi Ma was like an ocean of humility. She always used to carry a small phial of Ganga-jala with her. Bhaktibhrnga Govinda Maharaja said that one morning she was sitting on steps of the Krsna-Balarama Guest House in Vrndavana. At that time he was busy attending to other services, so he could not pay much attention to her. Some time later, he saw her getting up, as if ready to leave. She then took out her phial of Ganga water and began sprinkling it all over the steps. B.B. Govinda Maharaja thought this was a rather curious act, so he approached her cautiously and respectfully asked her why she had done this. She looked up at him with a very grave expression and explained in a voice full of humility, "I have to do this everywhere I go, because I am so, so sinful - I cannot bear the responsibility of my presence contaminating the places I go, so I at least try purify them when I leave with the holy water of Mother Ganges."

"I am unqualified but always take some caranamrta. I advise devotees who are having troubles with their rounds or principles to go to the temple and get some caranamrta." (Pandava Vijaya Das)

The Glories of Taking the Salagram Charan-amrita:

SANKHA STHITANTU YAT TOYAM BHRAMITAM KESAVOPARI
VANDATE SIRASA NITYAM GANGA SNANE TASYA KIM

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/4 from SKANDA PURANA conversation between Brahma and
Narada Muni)

The water which is within the conchshell, which is circled around the head of
Lord Sri Kesava, if anyone puts such water on his head, what is the need for
him to go take bath in the Ganges?

NA DAHO NA KLAMO NARTIR NARAKA AGNI BHAYAM NA HI
YASYA SANKHA UDAKAM MURDHNI KRSNA DRSTYA AVALOKITAM
NA GRAHA NA CA KUSMANDAH PISACA URAGA-RAKSASAH
DRSTVA SANKHODAKAM MURDHNI VIDRAVANI DISO DASA

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/5,6 from SKANDA PURANA about the glories of the
conchshell)

The water within the conchshell, if it is seen by the Supreme Lord Krsna, if
it is touched to one's head, he becomes free the fear of punishment, distress,
degradation and fire, bad planets, black magic, snakes, devils. They run away
in ten directions when they find that he has a drop of water on his head from
the conchshell which is offered to Lord Sri Krsna.

TIRTHADHIKAM YAJNA SATANCA PAVANAM
JALAM SADA KESAVA DRSTI SAMSTHITAM
CHINATTI PAPAM TULASI VIMISRITAM
VISESATAS CAKRA SILA VINIRMITAM

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/12 from BRHAD VISNU PURANA)

The water which is seen by the Supreme Lord Kesava and the water which has
washed the Salagram Sila are always more purifying than any water from the
places of pilgrimage. It is more purifying than one hundred sacrifices and
they remove all kinds of sins from a person.

YE PIVANTI NARA NITYAM SALAGRAMA SILA JALAM
PANCA GAVYA SAHASRAIS TU SEVITAIH KIM PRAYOJANAM

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/20 from PADMA PURANA)

Any person who has drank the water which has bathed Salagram Sila, what is
the need for them to drink thousand and thousands of times pancagavya?
(Pancagavya is made from five auspicious products of a cow offered to the
Lord.)

SALAGRAMA SILA TOYAM YAH PIVET VINDUNA SAMAM
MATUH STANYAM PUNAR NAIVA SAPIVET BHAKTI BHANG NARAH

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/22 from PADMA PURANA)

Any person, if he has even taken one drop of water which has washed Salagram
Sila, he will not have to suck a mother's breast again in the future.

TRIBHIH SARASVATAM TOYAM SAPTAHENA TU NARMADAM
SADYAH PUNATI GANGEYAM DASANAD EVA YAMUNAM
PUNANTI ETANI TOYANI SNANA DARSANA KIRTANAIH
PUNATI SMARANAD EVA KALAU PADODAKAM HAREH
ARCITAI KOTIBHIR LINGAIR NITYAM YAT KRIYATE PHALAM
TAT PHALAM SATA SAHASRAM PITE PADODAKE HAREH
ASUCI VA DURACARO MAHA PATAKA SAMYUTAH
SPRSTVA PADODAKAM VISNOH SADA SUDHYATI MANAVAH

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/27-30 from PADMA PURANA conversation between Pulastya
and Bhagiratha)

Water from the Narmada purifies after one week, but Ganges water immediately
purifies. Just by taking darshan of the Yamuna, one becomes purified. These
rivers all purify one by seeing them, bathing in them or by chanting their
names, but in Kali-yuga, one becomes purified just by remembering the water
which has washed the lotus feet of Lord Sri Hari. Therefore, if someone drinks
the water which has washed the lotus feet of Lord Hari, he gets more than
100,000 times more merit than by worshipping ten million Siva lingas. If a
person is impure, has unlimited bad habits, or is implicated with previous
sins, simply by touching the water which comes from the lotus feet of Lord
Visnu, he becomes purified. If somebody, at the time of death, touches to
their head or other parts of the body, the water which has washed the lotus
feet of Lord Hari, even if he is implicated with millions of sins, he does not
go to the hellish planets, the abode of Yamaraja.

HITVA PADODAKAM VISNOR 'NYATITHANI GACCHATI
ANARGHAM RATNAM UTSRJYA LOSTRAM VANCHATI DURMATH

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/38 from PADMA PURANA conversation between Pulastya and
Bhagiratha)

If a person gives up the water emanated from the lotus feet of Lord Sri Visnu
(caranamrita from the bathing of the Lord), and goes to other places of
pilgrimage, he is like a person who gives up unlimitedly valuable jewels,
desirous of obtaining a lump of mud.

NA ROGASYA BHAYANCAIVA NASTI VIGHNA KRTAM BHAYAM
NA DUSTA NAIVA GHORAKSAH SVAPADOTTHA BHAYAM NA HI
GRAHAH PIDAM NA KURVANTI CAURA NASYANTI DARUNAH
KIM TASYA TIRTHA GAMANE DEVARSINAM CA DARSANE
YASYA PADODAKAM MURDHNI SALAGRAMA SILODBHAVAM
PRITO BHAVATI MARTANDAH PRITO BHAVATI KESAVAH
BRAHMA BHAVATI SU PRITAH PRITO BHAVATI SANKARAH

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/42-44 from PADMA PURANA conversation between Pulastya
and Bhagiratha)

One who drinks caranamrita (water emanated from washing the body of the Lord)
he becomes free from all kinds of diseases, and all kinds of obstacles and the
fear of ferocious cobras and ferocious beasts. He does not have the eyes of
bad planets upon him. He becomes free from the fear of theft. What is the need
for him to go to the places of pilgrimage, seeing the demigods and great sages
(if he has taken the water which has washed the body of the Supreme Lord)? If
he has the water which has washed the Salagram Sila above his head, the sun,
Kesava, Lord Brahma, Sankara (Lord Siva) become greatly happy with him.

PRAYAS CITTAM YADI PRAPTAM KRCCHRAM VA TU AGHAMARSANAM
SO'PI PADODAKAM PITVA SUDDHIM PRAPNOTI TAT KSANAT

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/46 from BRAHMANDA PURANA conversation between Lord
Brahma and Narada Muni)

If somebody has to go through unavoidable abominations, or if it is necessary
for him to chant strong hymns as japa (silent chanting), even to that person,
if he takes the water which has washed the lotus feet of the Lord, he becomes
immediately purified.

APAVITRA YADANNAM SYAT PANIYAN CAPI PAPINAM
BHUKTVA PITVA VISUDDHAH SYAT PITVA PADODAKAM HAREH

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/50 from BRAHMANDA PURANA conversation between Lord
Brahma and Narada Muni)

If someone has eaten impure foods from someone or has drank water left from a
great sinner, the sins which are derived from such eating and drinking, can
become nullified just by drinking the water which has emanated from the lotus
feet of Lord Sri Hari.

SADYAH PHALA PRADAM PUNYAM SARVA PAPA VINASANAM
SARVA MANGALA MANGALYAM SARVA DUHKHA VINASANAM
DUHSVAPNA NASANAM PUNYAM VISNU PADODAKAM SUBHAM
SARVOPADRAVA-HANTARAM SARVA VYADHI-VINASANAM

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/57,58 from VISNU DHARMOTTARA)

Water which has emanated from the lotus feet of Lord Sri Visnu immediately
gives purification, removes all kinds of sins, it is more auspicious than the
most auspicious ingredients, it removes all kinds of miseries, it removes one
from having bad dreams, it helps one become meritorious, it is all auspicious,
it removes all obstacles, and it removes all kinds of diseases from a person.

PADODAKASYA MAHATMYAM DEVO JANATI SANKARA
VISNU PADA CYUTO GANGA SIRASA YENA DHARITA
SNANAM NAIVASTI PAPASYA DEHINAM DEHA MADHYATAH

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/63 from SKANDA PURANA)

Lord Siva, who holds the Ganges on his head, emanated from the lotus feet of
Lord Sri Visnu, knows the glories and importance of the water which has
emanated from His feet. Among all kinds of living entities with gross bodies
in this world, only Lord Siva's body does not have a place for sins.

VILAYAM YANTI PAPANI PITE PADODAKE HAREH
KIM PUNAR VISNU PADODAM SALAGRAMA SILACYUTAM
VISESENA HARET PAPAM BRAHMA HATYADIKAM PRIYE
PITE PADODAKE VISNOR YADI PRANAIR VIMUCYATE
HATVA YAMA BHATAN SARVAN VAISVAVAM LOKAM APNUYAT

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/68,69 from SKANDA PURANA conversation between Siva and
Uma)

Whoever drinks the water emanated from the Deity of Lord Sri Hari, all of his
sins are removed. I say, oh dear wife, what more can I say about the water
emanated from the bathing of Salagram Sila which actually cuts the sin
acquired by killing a brahmana. Anybody who quits his body while drinking the
water which has emanated from the lotus feet of Lord Hari, the messengers of
Yamaraja run away from him and he attains the abode of Lord Sri Visnu.

SA BRAHMACARI SA VRTTI ASRAMI CA SADASUCI
VISNU PADODAKAM YASYA MUKHE SIRASI VIGRAHE
JANMA PRABHRTI PAPANAM PRAYASCITTAM YADICCHAI
SALAGRAMA SILAVARI PAPAHARI NESEVYATAM

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/82,83)

Anybody who has caranamrta on his head, in his mouth or on his body, he is
called the real brahmacari, the real fasting person, and one especially
situated in the spiritual order. If someone wants to perform some kind of
atonement to remove all of his sins, he should certainly drink some water
which has been used to bath Salagram Sila.

SRI VISNOR VAISNAVANANCA PAVANAM CARANO DAKAM
SARVA TIRTHA MAYAM PITVA KURYAD ACAMANAM NA HI

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/91 from AGASTYA SAMHITA)

The water which has washed the feet of Lord Visnu and Vaisnavas (real
devotees) is equal to all the places of pilgrimage together. After drinking
such water, one does not have to take any acamana or to wash his hands or
mouth.

VISNOH PADODAKAM PITVA PASCAD ASUCI SANKAYA
ACAMATI CA YO MOHAD BRAHMAHA SA NIGADYATE

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/92 from SKANDA PURANA spoken by Lord Siva)

Lord Siva says, "Any person, due to bewilderment, after drinking water
emanated from Lord Visnu, thinking that he has become unclean, he washes his
mouth, he becomes the killer of a brahmana."

BHAGAVAN PAVITRAM BHAGAVAT PADAU PAVITRAM, BHAGAVAT
PADODAKAM PAVITRAM, NA TAT PANA ACAMANIYAM. YATHAHI SOMA ITI.

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/93 from SRUTI SASTRA)

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is all pure. His two lotus feet are all
pure and water emanated from them is all pure, therefore, after drinking that
water emanated from Him, one should not take any acamana because it is as best
as a soma.

VISNU PADODAKAM PITVA BHAKTA PADODAKAM TATHA
YA ACAMATI SAMMOHAD BRAHMAHA SA NIGADYATE

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/94 from SAUPARNA SAMHITA)

If due to bewilderment, somebody washes his hands after drinking water which
has emanated from the lotus feet of Lord Visnu or of His devotee, he becomes
the killer of a brahmana.

The Lord ordered Yogamaya: O My potency, who are worshipable for the entire world and whose nature is to bestow good fortune upon all living entities, go to Vraja, where there live many cowherd men and their wives. In that very beautiful land, where many cows reside, Rohini, the wife of Vasudeva, is living at the home of Nanda Maharaja. Other wives of Vasudeva are also living there incognito because of fear of Kamsa. Please go there. (SB10. 2. 7)

O all-auspicious Yogamaya, I shall then appear with My full six opule&711;nces as the son of Devaki, and you will appear as the daughter of mother Yashoda, the queen of Maharaja Nanda. (SB 10. 2. 9)

Thus instructed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Yogamaya immediately agreed. With the Vedic mantra om, she confirmed that she would do what He asked. Thus having accepted the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, she circumambulated Him and started for the place on earth known as Nandagokula. There she did everything just as she had been told. (SB10. 2. 14)

The activities of Yogamaya are distinctly visible in this chapter, in which Devaki and Vasudeva excuse Kamsa for his many devious, atrocious activities and Kamsa becomes repentant and falls at their feet. Before the awakening of the watchmen and the others in the prison house, many other things happened. Krishna was born and transferred to the home of Yashoda in Gokula, the strong doors opened and again closed, and Vasudeva resumed his former condition of being shackled. The watchmen, however, could not understand all this. They awakened only when they heard the crying of the newborn child, Yogamaya. (SB 10. 4. 1p)

The child, Yogamaya-devi, the younger sister of Lord Vishnu, slipped upward from Kamsa's hands and appeared in the sky as Devi, the goddess Durga, with eight arms, completely equipped with weapons. (SB 10. 4. 9)

O Kamsa, you fool, what will be the use of killing me? The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has been your enemy from the very begin&711;ning and who will certainly kill you, has already taken His birth somewhere else. Therefore, do not unnecessarily kill other children. (SB 10. 4. 12)

After speaking to Kamsa in this way, the goddess Durga, Yogamaya, appeared in different places, such as Varanasi, and became celebrated by different names, such as Annapurna, Durga, Kali and Bhadra. (SB 10. 4. 13)

After that night passed, Kamsa summoned his ministers and informed them of all that had been spoken by Yogamaya [who had revealed that He who was to slay Kamsa had already been born somewhere else]. (SB 10. 4. 29)

The Lord is not approachable by everyone because He is curtained by His yogamaya potency. But one should not wrongly conclude that the Lord was formerly unmanifested and has now manifested Himself in the human form. This misconception of the formlessness of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is due to the yogamaya curtain of the Lord and can be removed only by the supreme will, as soon as the conditioned soul surrenders unto Him. (SB 2. 5. 20p)

The reason is that the Lord reserves the right of not exposing Himself to the nondevotee who, even after a thorough study of literature like the Bhagavad-gita, remains an impersonalist simply by obstinacy. This obstinacy is due to the action of yogamaya, a personal energy of the Lord that acts like an aide-de-camp by covering the vision of the obstinate impersonalist. (SB 2. 5. 24p)

In the Bhagavad-gita also, it is said that the Lord reserves the right of not being exposed to everyone, and He keeps Himself concealed from the faithless by His yoga-maya potency. (SB 2. 9. 32p)

The Lord, however, does not disclose Himself to a casual or inauthentic worshiper to be exploited. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (7. 25): naham prakashah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavritah. Rather, by yoga-maya, the Lord remains concealed to the nondevotees or casual devotees who are serving their sense gratification. The Lord is never visible to the pseudodevotees who worship the demigods in charge of universal affairs. The conclusion is that the Lord cannot become the order supplier of a pseudo devotee, but He is always prepared to respond to the desires of a pure, unconditional devotee, who is free from all tinges of material infection. (SB 3. 9. 11p)

For the impersonalists and the so-called yogis, the Lord is always hidden by the curtain of yogamaya. Bhagavad-gita says that even when Lord Krishna was seen by everyone while He was present on the surface of the earth, the impersonalists and the so-called yogis could not see Him because they were devoid of devotional eyesight. (SB 3. 15. 50p)

The real purpose of the yoga system is to achieve the favor and shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but this purpose is covered by the illusory energy of yogamaya. (SB 5. 6. 15p)

The Lord exchanges transcendental relations in five ways, as proprietor, master, friend, son and lover , and in each of these pastimes He plays fully by the potency of yogamaya, the internal potency. (SB 1. 11. 39p)

When the Lord, however, appears in His person as Lord Sri Krishna, His other plenary portions also join in Him by His inconceivable potency called yogamaya, and thus the Lord Krishna of Vrindavana is different from the Lord Krishna of Mathura or the Lord Krishna of Dvaraka. (SB 1. 14. 8p)

Because of her deep affection for Krishna, she could never think that her very son was Narayana, the Personality of Godhead Himself. That is the action of yogamaya, the internal potency of the Supreme Lord, which acts to perfect all the pastimes of the Lord with His different types of devotees. Who could play such wonders without being God? (SB 2. 7. 30p)

O Narada, although the potencies of the Lord are unknowable and immeasurable, still, because we are all surrendered souls, we know how He acts through yogamaya potencies. (SB 2. 7. 43-45)

The Lord is unlimited and, by the grace of the yogamaya, helps the surrendered soul to know Him proportionately with the advance of one's surrender. (SB 2. 7. 43-45p)

The right conclusion of dovetailing everything in relationship with the Lord is called yoga-maya, or the energy of union, and the wrong conception of detaching a thing from its relationship with the Lord is called the Lord's daivi maya, or maha-maya. Both the mayas also have connections with the Lord because nothing can exist without being related to Him. As such, the wrong conception of detaching relationships from the Lord is not false but illusory. (SB 2. 9. 34p)

The Lord appeared in the mortal world by His internal potency, yoga- maya. He came in His eternal form, which is just suitable for His pastimes. (SB 3. 2. 12)

The six excellent opulences which He displayed in the mortal world by the agency of His internal potency, yoga-maya, are rare even in the Vaikunthalokas. All His pastimes were manifested not by the material energy but by His spiritual energy. The excellence of His rasa-lila at Vrindavana and His householder life with sixteen thousand wives is wonderful even for Narayana in Vaikuntha and is certainly so for other living entities within this mortal world. His pastimes are wonderful even for other incarnations of the Lord, such as Sri Rama, Nrisimha and Varaha. His opulence was so superexcellent that His pastimes were adored even by the Lord of Vaikuntha, who is not different from Lord Krishna Himself. (SB 3. 2. 12p)

By His internal potency the Lord can expand Himself into various personalities of svayam-prakasha and again into prabhava and vaibhava forms, and all of them are nondifferent from one another. The forms into which the Lord expanded to marry the princesses in different apartments were all slightly different just to match each and every one of them. They are called vaibhava-vilasa forms of the Lord and are effected by His internal potency, yoga-maya. (SB 3. 3. 8p)

The omnipotent Lord, by His different energies, can perform anything and everything He likes. The creation of the cosmic world is done by His yogamaya energy. (SB 3. 5. 22p)

The transcendental happiness exhibited in the spiritual world and all other spiritual manifestations there are made possible by the influence of yogamaya, the internal potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (SB 3. 15. 26p)

The highest opulence in the material world is called parameshthya, the opulence of Brahma. But that material opulence of Brahma, who lives on the topmost planet within this material world, cannot compare to the opulence of the Supreme Lord because the transcendental opulence in the spiritual world is caused by yogamaya, whereas the opulence in the material world is caused by mahamaya. (SB 3. 16. 15p)

The activities of the Lord's internal potency are inconceivable, but by a slight exhibition of this potency, the Lord, by His grace, can deliver one from nescience. Sucah means "miseries"; the miseries of material existence can be extinguished by the Lord by His potential energy of internal yogamaya. (SB 3. 18. 4p)

The Lord comes to this material world through the agency of His internal potency, and similarly, when a devotee or associate of the Lord descends to this material world, he does so through the action of the spiritual energy. Any pastime conducted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is an arrangement by yogamaya, not mahamaya. Therefore it is to be understood that when Jaya and Vijaya descended to this material world, they came because there was something to be done for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Otherwise it is a fact that no one falls from Vaikuntha. (SB 7. 1. 35p)

Krishna was always living with the Pandavas. Although the Pandavas, because of the influence of Krishna's yogamaya, could not think of their fortunate position, every saintly person, including the great sage Narada, could understand it, and therefore they constantly visited Maharaja Yudhishthira. (SB 7. 10. 48p)

Thus the Lord's potency, visnu-maya, has two features--avaranika and unmukha. When the Lord appeared, His potency came with Him and acted in different ways. She acted as yogamaya with Yashoda, Devaki and other intimate relations of the Lord, and she acted in a different way with Kamsa, Shalva and other asuras. . . . . . (SB 10. 1. 25p)

Therefore the Lord's potency is called yogamaya. Since the Lord is Vishvatma, He immediately ordered Yogamaya to give protection to Devaki. (SB 10. 2. 6p)

Both Yogamaya and Mahamaya act in all material activities (prakriteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvashah), but although the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead acts under the Supreme Lord's direction (mayadhyakshena prakritih suyate sa-caracaram), doglike watchmen such as politicians and diplomats think that they are protecting their neighborhoods from the dangers of the outside world. These are the actions of maya. But one who surrenders to Krishna is relieved of the protection afforded by the dogs and doglike guardians of this material world. (SB 10. 4. 1p)

The Vedic scripture Candi describes maya, the energy of the Supreme Lord, as nidra: durga devi sarva-bhuteshu nidra-rupena samasthitah. The energy of Yogamaya and Mahamaya keeps the living entities sleeping in this material world in the great darkness of ignorance. Yogamaya, the goddess Durga, kept Kamsa in darkness about Krishna's birth and misled him to believe that his enemy Krishna had been born elsewhere. (SB 10. 4. 29p)

Sometimes a beautiful woman is dangerous because everyone, being captivated by external beauty (maya-mohita), is unable to understand what is in her mind. Those who are captivated by the beauty of the external energy are called maya-mohita. Mohitam nabhijanati mam ebhyah param avyayam (Bg 7. 13). Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durashaya ye bahir-artha-maninah (Bhag. 7. 5. 31). Here, of course, the two mothers Rohini and Yashoda were not maya-mohita, deluded by the external energy, but to develop the pastimes of the Lord, they were captivated by yogamaya. Such mayamoha is the action of yogamaya. (SB 10. 6. 9p)

Nanda Maharaja could not understand how the inhabitants of his house had allowed Putana to enter the house, nor could he imagine the gravity of the situation. He did not understand that Krishna had wanted to kill Putana and that His pastimes were performed by yogamaya. Nanda Maharaja simply thought that someone had entered his house and created havoc. This was Nanda Maharaja's simplicity. (SB 10. 6. 43p)

The nearby children saw that actually Krishna had kicked the wheel of the cart and this was how the accident happened. By the arrangement of yogamaya, all the gopis and gopas thought that the accident had taken place because of some bad planet or some ghost, but in fact everything was done by Krishna and enjoyed by Him. (SB 10. 7. 9p)

Just as Shri Krishna had His birth in the mundane Gokula through the agency of Yogamaya who is the primal energy of the Supreme Lord, so with her help He manifests the lila of His birth in the womb of Shaci-devi in Navadvipa on this mundane plane. (BS 5p)

Mayadhyakshena prakritih suyate sa-caracaram: "The mundane energy prakriti gives birth to this universe of animate and inanimate beings by My direction. " The purport of this shloka of the Gita is that Maya, the perverted reflection of spiritual (cit) potency was at first inactive and her extension of matter constituting the material cause was also in the separately dislocated state. In accordance with the will of Krishna this world is manifested as the resultant of the union of the efficient and the material causal principles of Maya. In spite of that, the Supreme Lord Himself remains united with His cit potency, yoganidra. The word yoganidra or yogamaya indicates as follows: The nature of cit potency is manifestive of the Absolute Truth, while the nature of her perverted reflection, Maya, is envelopment in the gloom of ignorance. When Krishna desires to manifest something in the mundane ignorance-wrapt affairs, He does this by the conjunction of His spiri&317;tual potency with His inactive nonspiritual potency. This is known as Yogamaya. It carries a twofold notion, namely. transcen&711;dental notion and mundane inert notion. Krishna Himself, His subjec&711;tive portions and those jivas who are His unalloyed separated par&711;ticles, realize the transcendental notion in that conjunction, while conditioned souls feel the mundane inert notion. The external coating of transcendental knowledge in the conscious activities of conditioned souls, bears the name of Yoganidra. This is also an influence of the cit potency of the Divinity. This principle will be more elaborately considered hereafter. (BS 19p)

There yogamaya acts as His maidservant in the rasa-lila dance. (TLC, "The Opulences of Krsna")

In the spiritual world, there is another energy, the superior spiritual energy, or internal energy, which acts under the direction of yogamaya. Yogamaya is the internal potency of the Supreme Lord; she also works under the Lord's direction, but she works in the spiritual world. When the living entity puts himself under the direction of yogamaya instead of mahamaya, he gradually becomes a devotee of Krishna. Yet those who are after material opulence and material happiness place themselves under the care of the material energy, mahamaya, or under the care of material demigods like Lord Siva and others. In Srimad-Bhagavatam it is found that when the gopis of Vrindavana desired Krishna as their husband, they prayed to the spiritual energy, yogamaya, for the fulfillment of their desire. In the Sapta-sati it is found that King Suratha and a merchant named Samadhi worshiped mahamaya for material opulence. Thus one should not mistakenly equalize yogamaya and mahamaya. (TLC, "The Transcendental Pastimes of Radha and Krsna")

Yogamaya is the name of the internal potency that makes the Lord forget Himself and become an object of love for His pure devotee in different transcendental mellows. This yogamaya potency creates a spiritual sentiment in the minds of the damsels of Vraja by which they think of Lord Krishna as their paramour. This sentiment is never to be compared to mundane illicit sexual love. It has nothing to do with sexual psychology, although the pure love of such devotees seems to be sexual. One should know for certain that nothing can exist in this cosmic manifestation that has no real counterpart in the spiritual field. All material manifestations are emanations of the transcendence. The erotic principles of amorous love reflected in mixed material values are perverted reflections of the reality of spirit, but one cannot understand the reality unless one is sufficiently educated in the spiritual science. (Cc Adi 4. 29p)

In Goloka Vrindavana there is an exchange of love known as parakiya- rasa. It is something like the attraction of a married woman for a man other than her husband. In the material world this sort of relationship is most abominable because it is a perverted reflection of the parakiya- rasa in the spiritual world, where it is the highest kind of loving affair. Such feelings between the devotee and the Lord are presented by the influence of yogamaya. Bhagavad-gita states that devotees of the highest grade are under the care of daiva-maya, or yogamaya. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakritim ashritah (Bg 9. 13). Those who are actually great souls (mahatmas) are fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness, always engaged in the service of the Lord. They are under the care of daivi prakriti, or yogamaya. Yogamaya creates a situation in which the devotee is prepared to transgress all regulative principles simply to love Krsna. A devotee naturally does not like to transgress the laws of reverence for the Supreme Personal&711;ity of Godhead, but by the influence of yogamaya he is prepared to do anything to love the Supreme Lord better. Those under the spell of the material energy cannot at all appreciate the activities of yogamaya, for a conditioned soul can hardly understand the pure reciprocation between the Lord and His devotee. But by executing devotional service under the regulative principles, one can become very highly elevated and then begin to appreciate the dealings of pure love under the management of yogamaya. In the spiritual loving sentiment induced by the yogamaya potency, both Lord Shri Krishna and the damsels of Vraja forget themselves in spiritual rapture. By the influence of such forgetfulness, the attractive beauty of the gopis plays a prominent part in the transcendental satisfaction of the Lord, who has nothing to do with mundane sexology. Because spiritual love of Godhead is above everything mundane, the gopis supeficially seem to transgress the codes of mundane morality. This perpetually puzzles mundane moralists. Therefore yogamaya acts to cover the Lord and His pastimes from the eyes of mundaners, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, where the Lord says that He reserves the right of not being exposed to everyone. The acts of yogamaya make it possible for the Lord and the gopis, in loving ecstasy, to sometimes meet and sometimes separate. These transcenden&711;tal loving affairs of the Lord are unimaginable to empiricists involved in the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth. Therefore the Lord Himself appears before the mundaners to bestow upon them the highest form of spiritual realization and also personally relish its essence. (Cc Adi 4. 30p)

Actually the activities of yogamaya are absent in the spiritual sky and the Vaikuntha planets. She simply works in the supreme planet, Goloka Vrindavana, and she works to manifest the activities of Krishna when He descends to the material universe to please His innumerable devotees within the material world. (Cc Mad 21. 104p)

. . . when the Lord appears it is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita that He does so in His Own Internal Potency. This Internal Potency is called Yogamaya. All pastimes and activities of the Lord are administered by the Yogamaya. Therefore, He is not under the influence of material energy, as the conditioned souls are. By the arrangement of Yogamaya, the devotees sometimes forget the presence of the Omnipotent Lord. Just like Yasoda Mayi treats Krishna as her begotten Son, and forgets Krishna's inconceivable power. Therefore, she asks Krishna to open His mouth to see whether He actually ate some earth. He showed her that He swallowed not only a bit of earth, but the whole cosmic manifestation. Yasoda Mata was astonished to see this miracle, but still she forgot that Krishna is God, that Krishna is the Supreme Lord Himself, and not her ordinary Son. In this way, reciprocation between the Lord and His devotees takes place. The Lord doesn't forget but in order to enthuse the pastimes of the Lord, the action of Yogamaya is prominent. (Letter to Upendra, 1 March 1968)

It is a known fact that Maya is very strong, but one who associates with Krsna in the above mentioned ways, Maya can show no strength or Maya converts herself from Maha Maya to Yoga Maya. (Letter to Upendra, 18 August 1970)