“Realizing that we are not suspended in the uncertainty of uncaring chance, but are enveloped in the certainty of unfailing love is life’s greatest discovery”: Chaitanya Charan Das reminds us in his newly published book The Gita for Daily Enrichment. The book has been released recently.

365 short and crispy articles adorn the book. An article a day for 365 days for a reader to meditate upon. Several meditational books flood the market but this is the first book which offers thought for daily mediation based on a verse from the Bhagavad - Gita.

An electronics engineer by profession, the author has been an ISKCON monk for last fifteen years. The creative and pragmatic presentation of the message of the Gita with several contemporary examples reflects his profound and insightful understanding of this great literature. Each verse of the Gita is explained very succinctly, intelligently and interestingly. The language is lucid and style is contemporary. It nudges the reader to think, reflect and then act.

Today the importance of Gita has not waned, as the skeptics want us to believe. The present day society is marred with several perplexities - relationships are in tatters, insecurity looms large, fear of future and failure keeps us always in anxiety. Today neither the inflation nor the temperature is increasing at a higher rate than the suicide and drug consumption rate. During these troubled times we need wisdom of Gita to skillfully confront any challenge.

The book empowers the reader with spiritual intelligence to take the right decision. The author prods the reader to understand the importance of human life. He strongly argues that the human life is not just meant for seeking material pleasure but is to strive for eternal spiritual pleasure. The daily nuggets explain about the higher dimensions of life. The author constantly reminds the reader to rise from the intellectual level to spiritual level and to engage in practical devotional service to Krishna if they seriously want to relish the spiritual nectar.

The author is fundamentally acquainted with the subject and he knows his audience well. The book does not quote the verse or its translation verbatim but instead it tries to focus on the applicability of each verse in the present context. Sincere practitioners, genuine seekers, academic - scholars, young and old, men and women, all will find something to contemplate upon. The reputed Hinduism author Steven Rosen phrases the appeal of this book succinctly: “Chaitanya Charan das unlocks many of the mysteries of the Bhagavad-gita, allowing contemporary readers access to an otherwise often impenetrable scripture.”

Overall the 365 articles inspire the reader to embark on a spiritual path. One develops deep appreciation for Gita and also feels closer to Krishna, the ultimate object of one’s meditation. In total, there are 365 good reasons to purchase the book.

The book is available on Amazon as a kindle edition. The hard copy of the book can also be ordered from the author’s site www.thespiritualscientist.com and from amazon.com.

(Purushottam Kumar is a member of congregation at ISKCON Kolkata. He works in Tech Mahindra, Kolkata.)

Around 12000 villages of Maharashtra and about 4000 villages of Gujarat are reeling under severe drought which has affected the lives of more than 2 crore people. Is it a natural disaster or manmade disaster?

Our intense greed for self aggrandizement has resulted in massive exploitation of nature. Trees are rampantly cut to pave the way for industrialization, chemical fertilizers are being excessively used to increase the crop yield, industrial wastes are being dumped in the rivers, ground water is getting depleted, water pollution, air pollution, soil erosion, desertification have become the norm.  

Unfortunately today instead of accepting our mistake we are just trying to artificially ward off the crisis. Lots have been written and spoken regarding the misuse of water during Holi festival. True, seeing the plight of the millions of people who are suffering for want of water we should explore all means to prevent the wastage of water. But why those words of wisdom should only be reserved for the Holi festival. The liquor industry, the soft drink industries are known to use thousands of liters of water daily. But why nothing is said, written or discussed about such massive misuse of water. Our exploitative mentality and insatiable desires are the root cause of the calamity which we are facing today.

In fact Srimad – Bhagavatam has already predicted the fate of the people of Kali – yuga: - “In the age of Kali, people's minds will always be agitated. They will become emaciated by famine and taxation, my dear King, and will always be disturbed by fear of drought. They will lack adequate clothing, food and drink, will be unable to properly rest or bathe themselves: - Srimad Bhagavatam (12.3.39 – 40)”.

Nature is our mother, she sustains us. All our basic necessities are provided by her for free – food grains, air and water are (or were) available in abundance.  We have neither invented these vital substances which give us life nor do we manufacture it. If we do not respect Mother Nature then we will have to pay a heavy price for it. The present crisis which we are facing is not a natural crisis but a man made crisis. As it is verily said there is enough for man’s need but not enough for man’s greed.

Bhagavad – Gita recommends that leading a God centered life (Bhagavad – Gita 3.14) is the only way to ensure that there is proper and regular supply of rain and food grains. Adopting artificial means to deal with droughts may temporarily solve the problem but unless we get into the root of it such disasters will knock us down constantly. Choice is ours; if we are really serious about leading a happy life then we need to orchestrate our lives as per the injunctions of Vedic scriptures.

Along with Holi, which fills our life with various shades of colour, today is also the auspicious day of Gaura Purnima. Gaura Purnima is the birth anniversary of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Chiatanya Mahaprabhu appeared in this world around 500 years ago in Mayapur, West Bengal. Kali – yuga, the present age in which we are living, is widely known to be filled with inauspicious phenomenon but very few know that this age has one great benediction. In kali – yuga water of the rivers may dry but the mercy of the Lord will always flow incessantly and abundantly. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu incarnated with the sole motive of distributing the mercy of the Lord to all. Anyone having even a slightest desire to experience the love of God immediately grabs the attention of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Before Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s appearance people were discriminated on various grounds. Some Brahmins in order to maintain their superiority in the society had shamelessly started discriminating people based on their caste and creed. But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu strongly condemned such mindset and gave a clarion call that every individual irrespective of caste, creed, gender or wealth have equal right to practice devotional life. This is why among the followers of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were Haridasa Thakur, a great Vaishnava saint who was born in a Muslim family, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya (a brahmin priest of Jagannath Puri & great Sanskrit scholar), Maharaja Prataparudra, the king of Jagannatha Puri and many millions.

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave a very simple formula to practice devotion; He recommended the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra – Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. If we regularly chant this Mahamntra then our heart will get cleansed of all unwanted desires and soon we will experience the presence of God within our heart. Today is the most merciful day, so let us pray to Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to shower His mercy upon us and help us to tread the path of devotion.

Imagine someone gives us two buckets – one empty and the other filled with water. Now we are asked to pour water from the filled bucket to the empty bucket and once the bucket gets filled up then again we have to pour water back into the first bucket. If suppose we are told to do this for entire day then how would we feel? And if for an entire year or for decades? We would definitely become insane. Shock therapy and psychological counseling would be required to make us forget the boring and senseless activities in which we were engaged.

Our present life is no better than that. We are doing the same monotonous work since our birth. Everyday we get up, brush our teeth, bathe, eat breakfast, don clothes, run to school, college or work place, take lunch, sip tea, munch snacks, come back to house, watch TV, eat dinner and sleep. Again the next day we do the same thing. This we have been doing for several years thinking that a day will come when everything will become perfect in my life and we will be happy. But still we are waiting for that perfect happy moment.

Our activities are summed up in Srimad Bhagavatam – punah punas carvita – carvananam (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.5.30) i.e. chewing the chewed. There is no taste in chewing the same chewed chewing gum again. Similarly, we should not get too engrossed in repeating the same mundane activities again and again. Instead we should focus on something which will always give a new experience. Absorbing ourselves in chanting the holy names of the Lord like the Hare Krishna Mahamantra gives such experience. Revered Vaisnava saint Srila Rupa Goswami says, "I do not know how much nectar the two syllables 'Krish-na' have produced. When the holy name of Krishna is chanted, it appears to dance within the mouth. We then desire many, many mouths. When that name enters the holes of the ears, we desire many millions of ears. And when the holy name dances in the courtyard of the heart, it conquers the activities of the mind, and therefore all the senses become inert." (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 1.99)

So, let us try to bring newness in our life by chanting the names of Krishna and allow our heart to dance with joy.

Because it takes us away from the real world! We may disagree with this harsh reality but the fact on which every one of us will agree is that none of us are fully satisfied with our present life. Movies take us to the fantasy world, where we instantly identify ourselves with the hero. Movies help us to achieve all those things which we were never able to accomplish in our real life. There we sing, we dance, we romance, we fight and we perform several extraordinary deeds. There we are glorified, loved and praised by all. Sadly the fantasy world does not last forever.  But whenever we get an opportunity to be unreal we immediately grab it. Day dreaming, taking refuge of alcohols and other sedatives are the other options availed to run away from the real world.

However there is no use in running away from the truth. Instead of fretting and fantasizing let us understand the nature of this world. Let us try to understand - Who we are? What is this world? What is the purpose of our life? In fact simply eating, sleeping, working, raising children, increasing bank balance could not be our life’s purpose. Even animals can enjoy such life. We are spiritual beings, currently suffering in this material world which is termed as dukhalayam asasvatam (Bhagavad Gita 8.15), an abode of miseries, and the purpose of our life is to return back to the spiritual world. The human life which we have got should be used to cross the mighty ocean of material discomforts. Let us understand the real problem of this real world and endeavour to get out of it as soon as possible.

What he would have eaten the night before or whether he was able to even eat something? What he might be feeling? How he would have reacted on seeing the noose? How much pain he would have experienced during his last moments? The recent hanging of the terrorists in India may have been celebrated by some and condemned by others - let us not get into the ethical aspect of death sentence. But one thing which everyone discussed and thought about was as how these people would have reacted during their last moments.

We feel for the person who is about to die and this is the human nature. But do we ever think that one day we too will be passively waiting for the inevitable death.  The hangman’s noose is already prepared, the death sentence is already declared. The only solace is that we have not been told about the timeline.

Every moment we move one inch closer to the hangman’s noose. But we hardly think about it. When Yaksha asked Yudhishthira that what is the most surprising thing in this world then Yudhishthira replied, “Everyone sees others are dying everyday but they never think that one day they too would die.” Thinking about this inevitable reality does not imply pessimism. A student needs to constantly remind himself that he has to appear in the final exam and so he should study sincerely. Similarly being cognizant of the fact that one day we have to embrace death makes us serious about our life. Awareness of Janma (birth), mrtyu (death), jara (old age), vyadhi (disease), the 4 primary cause of suffering, is termed as true knowledge in Bhagavad – Gita (13.9).

When we introspect that one day we will lose everything forever – father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, friends, neighbours, relatives, bank balance, house, job, degrees – we become very sober. We realize the temporary nature of this world. We then endeavour to search for something which is not temporary, not flickering and not painful. Thus our journey for self realization begins.

• Meteor shower injures hundreds in Russia.
• Blizzard hits US, normal life disturbed
• Tsunami kills thousands
• Earthquake ravages the city
• An unknown fever kills people

These are not so uncommon news for us.  Nature can stun us any time.  Weather forecast cannot guarantee if tomorrow it will rain or the day will be sunny.

These phenomenons indicate following:

1. We are not the controllers of nature.
2. There is no guarantee to our security.
3. And the scriptures declaration that this world is duhkhalayam asasvatam, an abode of miseries, is indeed true.

With our material intelligence we won’t be able to understand and overpower the nature. Our unnatural desire to be the controllers of the nature will always be frustrated.  We presume that the nature acts independently and all the visible phenomenon occurs due to some random chance theory. Our presumption is presumptuous.  Bhagavad – Gita spoken thousands of years ago by Krishna clearly establishes that the material nature is not independent but is one of the energy of the Lord and it acts under his direction - “This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, producing all moving and non-moving beings (Bhagavad – Gita 9.10).”

Our exploitative mentality & unnatural interference with the nature is the primary cause of natural calamities. So instead of us trying to manipulate the nature, if we live as per the laws of nature then nature’s unwarranted onslaught will not torment us.

Lord Nityananda is non - different from Lord Balarama, He is an eternal associate of Lord Chaitanya. In Treta – yuga He had appeared as Lakshman, the younger brother of Lord Rama.

Lord Nityananda, also known as Nitai, incarnated 500 years ago in Ekachakra, West Bengal, India. His father was Hadai Pandit and mother Padmavati. His childhood pastimes attracted the hearts of all the residents of Ekachakra. As a child He would take great pleasure in enacting the pastimes of Ramayan. He always preferred to play the role of Lakshman. He used to get so engrossed in the role and acted with such finer details, that everyone used to be amazed. When He was about 13 years old then a very prominent sannyasi, Laxmipati Tirtha, came to the house of Hadai Pandit. To the utter disbelief of Hadai Pandit, the sannyasi asked him to allow his son to travel with him. Hadai Pandit and Padmavati could not think of even a moment of separation from their beloved son. But how could they refuse the request of a guest and that too of a sannyasi, such thoughts were uncommon those days. So, with a heavy heart Hadai Pandit agreed to allow his son to accompany Lakshmipati Tirtha. However the father could not bear this separation and left this world shortly.   

Meanwhile Nitai travelled with Lakshmipati tirtha for 20 years. During the Kurushetra war, Balarama had visited all the holy places. As Nityananda in the present incarnation, He again visited all these holy places. He met Lord Chaitanya in 1506 C.E. in Nadia in the house of Nandanacharya.

Lord Nityananda along with Haridas Thakura, a prominent associate of Lord Chaitanya, used to visit every house begging people to chant the names of Krishna.  Lord Nityananda is ever eager to engage all the souls, who are engrossed in this material life, in the service of Krishna. Jagai and Madhai, the two brothers, were the most abominable felons of those days in Nadai, West Bengal, who took great pleasure in inflicting miseries upon others. However Lord Nityananda was so magnanimous that He took the responsibility of transforming the hearts of these two ruffians. Both brothers hurled abuses on Him, threatened Him, attacked Him and even injured Him. Seeing the audacity of these two brothers Lord Chaitanya become very angry and decided to punish them but Lord Nityananda begged Lord Chaitanya to forgive them.  Seeing the magnanimity of Lord Nityananda, the two brothers realized their grievous mistake and finally accepted the path of devotion. Their consciousness completely got changed, their hearts were now filled with love and they started chanting the names of Krishna.

Lord Nityananda’s mission was to spread the congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, which is the yuga – dharma of this age of kali - yuga.  He is Adi – guru, the original spiritual master. Without Lord Nityananda we cannot approach Lord Chaitanya and we can never understand Radha and Krishna.

Lord Nityananda’s life in brief:

• Appearance: 1474 C.E.
• Appeared in: Ekachakra, West Bengal, India
• Parents: Hadai Ojha (Father), Padmavati (mother)
• Leaving home: Left home when he was about 13 years old. Accompanied Lakshmipati Tirtha, a prominent sannyasi, for 20 years as a travelling monk where he visited all the holy places. 
• Meeting with Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: 1506 C.E.
• Mission: To establish the yuga dharma of sankirtana, congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.
• Disappearance: Lord Nityananda disappeared by merging into the Deity of Krishna, called as Bankim Ray, near Ekachakra.

During a game, a player does not focus much on the strength of his opponents but he focuses mostly on his opponent’s weaknesses. The player who effectively capitalizes his opponent’s weak points finally emerges victorious. In our match with maya (Krishna’s illusory energy) we also face similar challenges. Maya does not focus much on our strengths but mostly on our weaknesses. We often find ourselves placed in a situation where we are most vulnerable.

For e.g. if we had the habit of getting angry very often then we may be put in a situation where we get to work with people who are short – tempered. If we had been lusty then sometimes we find ourselves in a surrounding buzzing with people of opposite sex.

We are aiming for the best so we have to be always ready for these tests. Krishna through maya judges our eligibility at each and every moment to ascertain our suitability to be part of the spiritual world. In the spiritual world all the souls are joyfully and selflessly serving Krishna. There is no greed, no pride, no anger, no lust, no envy, no illusion and no false ego.   So unless we cultivate these qualities we won’t be allowed to be part of Krishna’s abode. We need to be extra vigilant at every moment while treading on the path of devotion. Our senses can knock us down at every moment. We need to guard our senses very carefully. Bhagavad – Gita (2.67) warns us “As a strong wind sweeps away a boat on the water, even one of the roaming senses on which mind focuses can carry away a man’s intelligence”.

So when we find ourselves in any provoking situation then instead of falling prey to it, we should immediately use our spiritual intelligence to get out of it. If we pass these tests with flying colours then our chances of being part of the spiritual world will increase significantly.

Do we remember what we did on 20^th Feb 2003 or 20^th Feb 1997? What did we eat on that day? Whether the food had taste or was it tasteless? Were we happy or distressed? At what time did we get up? What exactly we did at 11a.m.? None of us would remember and more importantly would not care to remember. Similarly, what we are doing today will lose significance after 10 years; this day will become history. The years will keep on passing, we will complete our college education, will retire from our job. Slowly we will become less important to the society. Our needs and desires will not have much relevance to the younger generation during that time. We may not even be able to enjoy our life with our accumulated wealth because physically we may be worn out and our senses will not cooperate with our enjoying mentality. And then a day will come when only our picture will hang in the house and after few years that picture will also be removed. We will be completely forgotten, all our traces from this will be completely erased. This is the truth.

In Bhagavad – Gita 11.32 Krishna says to Arjuna “Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people.”

That is the harsh reality of this world, whether we like it or not. While we are engaged in satisfying our material desires there is someone who is also digging our grave meticulously. Because he knows that one day we are going to be buried there.

Does it not behove us to think about our life more seriously, contemplate on what we are doing, why we are doing and most importantly what is the purpose of our life?

Externally we may dress perfectly, speak expertly, recite shlokas scholarly, sing melodiously but these qualities may not attract the attention of the Lord. Maybe we are doing it to seek people’s attention and self glorification. Krishna hardly bothers about our externals instead he directly peeps into our heart to see whether our heart longs for him or it hankers for something else.

When Duryodhana invited Krishna for lunch in his palace then Krishna was not interested because Duryodhana did not have a devotional heart. Duryodhana wanted to make a show of his opulence and gesture. Krishna preferred to eat at Vidura’s house although Vidura did not offer him lavish food because Vidura and his wife had deep love for Krishna. Lord Rama happily chewed the half – eaten fruit offered by Sabari because it was being offered with love. So, we should try to cultivate a devotional heart and deep desire to serve Krishna.  Krishna says in Bhagavad – Gia (10.10), “To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.”

In his previous life, he was the son of a maidservant. He had no educational qualification and neither had any riches. Once he got the opportunity to serve the sages for few months. He associated with these great devotees of the Lord, heard from them about the Supreme Personality of Godhead earnestly and even ate the remnants of the food left by them. Just by associating with these sages he developed immense taste for practicing devotional life. The son of the maidservant in his next life became Narada Muni, an emblem of devotional life and devotional service. Narada Muni, a crest jewel among the devotees, has played a very vital role in preaching the message of the Lord for several generations.  His intense devotion, his enthusiasm, his charm has captivated all.

Narada Muni’s life demonstrates that to advance in spiritual life we need to seek association of the advanced devotees of the Lord. Those devotees who are incessantly chanting the names of Krishna, who only speaks about Krishna and topics related to Krishna and whose life is dovetailed as per Krishna’s instructions given in the scriptures can bring us closer to God. If an iron rod is kept in the fire then in due course of time it acquires the qualities of fire and become fiery. Similarly association of advanced devotees burn all our sins and impregnates our heart with love for Krishna.

We would be plainly asked to “get lost” if we try to seek admission in an institute or apply for a job if we do not possess the requisite qualifications. Many of us would have had the unpleasant experience of being ejected out for want of prerequisite degrees or due to lack of vacancy and the deep pain which accompanies the rejection.

But there is an institute where there is no rejection, there is no restriction on the number of seats and there are no prerequisites. Rich, poor, beautiful, ugly, men, women, young, old, Indians, non – Indian, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Sikhs - all are treated equally, there is no discrimination. And this is “engaging in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna”. Srila Prabhupada explains, “.. advancement in spiritual life does not depend on any kind of previous education or qualification.” Even a sinner who would have committed grievous deeds in the past but if he is repentant then he can also be a part of this wonderful process. Jagai and Madhai, the two felons, who were the symbol of terror and brutality, were accepted by Lord Chaitanya when they regretted their sinful life and agreed to take shelter of the Lord. Once anyone connects to the process then he easily achieves purity. Srila Prabhupada attests this, “The method itself is so pure that by simply engaging in it one becomes pure.”

Almost all the time we complain. Sometimes we may be vocal about it but most of the time we silently complain. Why did it happen to me? Why always bad things happen to good people like me?  We always consider ourselves a victim of an unjust system. Occasionally we console ourselves philosophically that may be its happening because of my some previous bad karma which I might have done unknowingly!

Yes, in our life’s journey we face adversities which either we may foresee or it may fall on us like a summer rain. Previous karma does not necessarily seal our future; our future mostly depends on how we react in a precarious situation. Suppose that someone speaks unpalatable words to us then at that instance we have the opportunity to either aggravate the situation or cool down the tempers. The other person’s insulting words may have fallen on us due to our some previous bad karma but if we react with a spiritual wisdom then the situation and our problems will not conflagrate. During the recession period, a person lost his job and was not able to find one quickly. He became so upset and mentally disturbed that once in a fit of rage he stabbed a person. This not only landed him in prison but completely ruined his life and career. A person with a balanced mindset might have used that period to upgrade his skill or to go for higher studies. 

The altitude which we will reach in our life depends on our attitude.

God has bestowed upon us sufficient intelligence to convert any problems into an opportunity. So, whenever we find ourselves in an unpleasant situation then instead of giving a knee – jerk reaction we should contemplate for a while and then make the next move. During those perilous times, if we judiciously use our spiritual intelligence then that insidious situation may even become a springboard to reach closer to God.

When Vidura was rebuked, humiliated and was practically forced out of the kingdom by Duryodhana then Vidura did not lament and said that why did it happen to me. He did not grumble that although he was on righteous path and on the side of truth then why did miseries impinge him. Instead of getting caught in all these negativities he simply went on a spiritual mission – on his spiritual sojourn he met sages like Maitreyi and devotees like Uddhava; he practically used all his time to remember God. So, when next time we come through any unpleasant situation and circumstances then let us not simply feel like a victim and complain as “Why bad things happen to good people like me?” but instead let us try to do something outstanding and meaningful. And the best is to utilize it to get closer to God.

Our consciousness is imbued by the activities in which we indulge throughout our life. The people with whom we associate, the book which we read, the type of food which we savor, the places which we frequent –all these plays a role in shaping our consciousness. If we believe in living a carefree life, hardly ever bothering about the consequences then future would be bleak for us. However if we are serious about our salvation then we ought to dovetail our activities in accordance with scriptural injunctions. While practicing devotional life we need to be extremely careful because if we allow our senses to deviate even minutely then the result may be too dangerous for us. Bhagavad – Gita (2.67) warns us “As a strong wind sweeps away a boat on the water, even one of the roaming senses on which mind focuses can carry away a man’s intelligence”.

Srimad – Bhagavatam narrates the story of a great king, Bharata, who was marching very confidently and diligently on the path of self realization. Seers, sages and citizens extolled the devotion of King Bharata. He retired timely from his family life to spend more time in practicing Krishna Consciousness. But he committed a mistake, initially it seemed to be a trivial one, but this one gaffe usurped his devotional life. He got attached to a baby deer and instead of meditating on the Lord he started being too much conscious of the animal. As a result when he was about to leave his body he remembered the deer and not the Lord. Now Krishna declares in Bhagavad – Gita (8.6), “Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kunti, that state he will attain without fail.” So, in his next life King Bharata became a deer. So while treading the path of bhakti we need to be extra careful lest we get caught up in the sights and sounds of this material world. Our entire senses should be utilized only for remembering Krishna and for nothing else.

Sometimes a child becomes too adamant and wants to run away from house to be all alone. But his concerned mother does not leave him alone. She hides and keeps a vigil to ensure that nothing wrong happens to his little kid. Similarly when we rebel against the Lord in the spiritual world and decide to leave him to lead an independent life then Lord reluctantly allows us to have our way. However he is too concerned about our well – being, so he accompanies us in this material world.

As a Paramatma, he always resides within our heart. Srila Prabhupada explains that there are two kinds of soul – the minute particle soul (anu – atma) and the Supersoul (vibhu – atma): (Bhagavad – Gita purport 2.20). Katha Upanisad (1.2.20) explains: "Both the Supersoul [Paramatma] and the atomic soul [jivatma] are situated on the same tree of the body within the same heart of the living being, and only one who has become free from all material desires as well as lamentations can, by the grace of the Supreme, understand the glories of the soul.

In this world the Supersoul (Paramatma) does not interfere with our free will and allows us to have our own way but through various means he reminds us that this world is not our real home and we should immediately return back to our original home which is the spiritual world. He sometimes descends personally as Lord Krishna & Lord Rama to call us back and at other times through scriptures and his devotees he remind us of our original home which we have abandoned. He is our closest, oldest and true friend who always thinks of our happiness.  When we leave this body and enter into a new body based on our own karma then he again accompanies us. He is always with us whether we are in a human body, a fish body, a dog body, a bird’s body etc. He never abandons us. 

In this world we face so many difficulties but due to our insatiable material desires and ego we refuse to turn towards God.  Lord as Paramatma is residing within our heart and is eagerly waiting for our loving reciprocation. Once we turn towards him then all our miseries will vanish just as darkness disappears the moment the sun appears.

He did not even think twice while unleashing atrocities on his five month old daughter. The man who hails from Bikaner bit his daughter’s lip, cheek and nose in fit of rage. The multiple injuries were too much for the innocent child to bear. After hard struggle she succumbed to her injuries. Her murderous father was under the influence of alcohol when he committed this horrendous act. This isn’t just one of the incidents. Innumerable acts of violence occur throughout the world because of the influence of alcohol and other seductive.

Our thoughts are not just the mirror image of our surroundings but it also gets influenced by what we eat and drink. This is why the Vedic literatures vividly speak on what should be consumed and what should be avoided. The contemporary world’s clarion call for “Just eat, drink and be merry” is not celebrated by the revealed Vedic literatures. These scriptures graphically classify the different varieties of food in goodness, passion and ignorance.

• Foods which increases the duration of life, purifies one’s existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction is in the mode of goodness. Such foods are juicy, fatty, wholesome and pleasing to the heart. (Bhagavad – Gita 17.8)
• Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are dear to those in the mode of passion. Such foods cause distress, misery and disease. (Bhagavad – Gita 17.9.)
• Food prepared more than three hours before being eaten, food that is tasteless, decomposed and putrid, and food consisting of remnants and untouchable things is dear to those in the mode of darkness. (Bhagavad – Gita 17.10).

So, if we want to purify our conscience then we ought to focus on our diet. It’s true that we cannot live without food and if we start consuming the right food then our mind will get cleansed of all wrong thoughts and desires. If we take food which is in the mode of goodness then slowly we too will cultivate qualities of goodness.

However scriptures further assert that the best food is that which has been offered to Krishna. And Krishna specifies what to be offered to him - patram puspam phalam toyam. He likes grains, vegetables, fruits, milk and their derivatives. So, whatever we eat if we offer it to Krishna before consuming then it will wash off our impurities.

Food is a great benediction. If we just regulate our diet by eating what Vedic literatures recommends then our lives will witness remarkable transformation.

Our actions are determined by the modes of nature which we acquire. Those who are in the modes of goodness are positive in their life and believe doing things righteously. Those in passion often try to achieve things by any means. Those in ignorance are too lethargic to even think about themselves.

Persons in the mode of passion and ignorance do not have concept of who is God and who should be the object of their worship. Srila Prabhupada explains that during World War 2, a man in Kolkata worshipped Hitler because he was able to amass huge wealth because of the war. These people propagate that one can worship anyone, eat anything and do anything because all path leads to same destination. However scriptures abhor this mindset. Srimad Bhagavatam (4.3.23) states that those in pure goodness worship only Krishna, sattvam visuddham vasudeva – sabditam: “When a man is situated in pure goodness, he worships Vasudeva.”

We should try to rise from the mode of ignorance -> to mode of passion -> to mode of goodness. We cultivate a particular mode depending on with whom we associate. For e.g. if we associate with a sadist then we too will become hard - hearted gradually whereas if we associate with devotees who enthusiastically practice Krishna consciousness then soon we will imbibe those qualities.

When Srila Prabhupada went to west then he infused spirituality in the lives of the western youths. The young western devotees got so much enthused by Srila Prabhupada’s godly qualities that they immediately started practicing devotional life with great eagerness. So we should always try to associate with those who are leading meaningful lives and are sincere seekers of divine love. This will help us to rise even beyond the mode of goodness and thus we would develop love for God. Spiritual association is the best way to achieve salvation.

How many of us would not be tempted when someone offers us a Mercedes Benz car as a gift? We will be floored by the honour. However there is a small catch. The car contains a bomb which can explode any time. How many of us will be delighted to be the proud owner of such a car now? We would think that no sane men will ever think to own such a car. But is it so? We daily ride in a vehicle which has the same destination as that of the car with a bomb. And the vehicle is our ‘body’. Death can come at any moment and at any time. But we hardly bother about it.

The manufacturer of this body has already warned us that the physical bodies which we are occupying constantly changes. Material body passes through six stages – they are born, they grow, they remain for some duration, they produce some by –products, they dwindle, and they vanish (Bhagavad – Gita 8.4 purport). So why to be enamoured by this decaying body? Why to waste our time decorating and delighting in it. The temporary body which we possess should only be used as a tool to reach the final destination.

While travelling on a train our focus is to reach our destination, we do not get so overwhelmed by the pains and pleasure because we realize that the travelling period is temporary. Similarly we should not be obsessed with our bodily demands; instead we should constantly contemplate on the fact that this body is perishable and this life is temporary. So, our focus should be on our final destination which is the spiritual world. Krishna assures us (Bhagavad – Gita 8.15) that those who attain the supreme abode never again return back to this miserable material world. So why not utilize every moment of our life to attain eligibility to migrate to the spiritual abode.

This material world in which we live is too strong to deal with. As a soul we have a unique ability to adapt ourselves to any situation, however unpleasant it might be. Once Indra, the king of heaven, committed some grievous mistake and as a result he was cursed by sage Narada to take birth on earthly planet as a hog. So, Indra became a hog and started living on earth. In due course of time he grew, got married and became the proud father of dozens of piglets. He even became the leader of the hog clan. Seeing his friends and family gave him deep pleasure.

As time passed by the duration of the curse on Indra came to an end, but to the utter amazement of the denizens of heavenly planet Indra was not returning back. Since the throne of the heavenly kingdom could not be empty for a long time so the situation became too serious. Finally Narada personally decided to come and take Indra back. Indra was enjoying his hoggish life – playing with his wife and piglets, joking with his friends and enjoying the stool. Narada felt too bad for the king of the heaven, he immediately approached Indra and reminded him of his heavenly designation. Indra wasn’t impressed.  He argued with Narada, “I am happy here with my friends and family members. My wife, my cute piglets all are dependent on me. If I leave then who will care for them.”

Narada was shocked to hear that Indra was ready to forego the heavenly comfort and was contended to live as a hog. Out of compassion he severed his head and dragged him out of the wretched life which Indra thought was blissful.

This illusory material energy is too powerful; it forces us to believe that the life which we are leading is permanent and more enjoyable than anything else. This is why we do not take the words of the scriptures seriously when it asks us to abandon our materialistic life and focus on spiritual salvation. Let us not follow the footsteps of Indra and try relishing hoggish pleasure instead we should heed the advice of sages and scriptures and make a determined endeavour towards our spiritual destination.