Navadwip Mandal Parikrama- Day 3 10th March 2011

Today is the 3rd day of the Navadvip Mandala Parikrama. Our first group to be visited today was the International party in Naimisharanya. When we were about to go out from the Lotus Building through the exit of Caitanya exhibition Hall,we heard the beautiful greeting kirtan for Their Lordship Sri Panca Tattva'Sri Krsna Caitanya Prabhu doya kore moreeee....' was going on in the temple hall. Guru Maharaja told us to wheel him down towards the temple hall for taking darshan of the deities. We left Iskcon Mayapur at 7.30am and drove towards Naimisharanya. While driving down we were told by the manager of the party that Naimisharanya cannot be accessed by car and we should meet them at Pushkar Tirtha. So we changed our plan and drove to Pushkar Tirtha which is just a kilometre by walk before Naimisharanya. We reached Pushkar Tirtha but the International party was yet to reach. Guru Maharaja asked us to give a try to meet them at Naimisharanya. We took a different route which is just enough for a car to pass through and we made it. Upon reaching there, we saw the party was about to leave to Pushkar Tirtha. Yet, His Holiness Lokanath Swami Maharaj welcomed Guru Maharaja and requested everyone to sit back and listen to the speech. Guru Maharaja delivered a short speech. Before the party departed, His Holiness Lokanath Maharaj took over the mic and said that Lord Siva visited Naimisharanya to hear the Gaura Bhagavata Katha being spoken there. While riding on his Nandi on his way here, he was getting frustrated because Nandi was moving slowly. He then borrowed Brahmaji's swan (Hamsa vahana) and cruised to Naimisharanya to reach on time just to listen to Gaura katha. Maharaj continued that Jayapataka Maharaj, though he is having this slow moving body but using this new vahana (pointing at Guru Maharaja's car) he made it on time to Naimisharanya to share the nectarian pastimes of this holy spot. The crowd chanted out loudly Hari Bol!!!! Hari Bol!!!!

Our next group to be visited was Hindi party who were in Pratap Nagar which is about 20 minutes drive from Naimisharanya. Guru Maharaja had his breakfast on the way. When we reached Pratap Nagar, the devotees were having their breakfast. Guru Maharaja waited for them to finish their breakfast and then at 10.35am he started his class. He spoke for 40 minutes. His Holiness Radha Raman Maharaj thanked Guru Maharaja for making His presence in Hindi Party despite of all His physical difficulties. He further said "Over five hundred years ago Lord Nityananda took Sri Jiva Goswami on tour around Navadvip and revealed the holy dham to him. So today we have total of five thousand devotees doing Navadwip Mandala Parikrama and all these credits goes to His Holiness Jayapataka Maharaj because he has played a very important role in revealing the Navadwip Dham to Iskcon Devotees around the world." Devotees thanked Guru Maharaja with loud hari bol!!!

At 11.35am we left from Pratap Nagar to Campahatti to meet the Russian Party. We reached at 12 noon and we saw the other Swamis were narrating pastimes related to Champahatti. Guru Maharaja used this opportunity to take darshan of Lord Gaura Gadadhara(Gaur Gadai) -In His class He mentioned that Srimati Radharani was very dissatisfied being born in female form which was restricting her from associating with Lord Krsna freely especially during the day time. The gopas do not have such restriction on them. So in order to associate with Krsna like how the gopas do, she desired to take birth as Gadadhara (male form) during Caitanya Lila. Here in Champahatti Gaur and Gadai are always together showering their mercy.

At the end of every class of Guru Maharaja, he describes the greatness of other parikrama parties and in this way he creates trancendental competition among them. He also said that matajis are good at doing uludhwani but we have another dhwani for prabhus, yes!! Haridhwaniiiiiii!!!!... Hari bol!!!!!!! Everyone chanted Hari bol!!!!!!!!! His Holiness Kavicandra Swami was the last speaker at Champahatti. After that a nice drama on the pastimes of Jayadeva Goswami was also performed by the Russian devotees. Guru Maharaja also welcomed another well known disciple of Srila Prabhupada, HG Dina Bandu prabhu who is from Vraja Dham and thanked him for his presence. At 1.40pm we left from Champahatti to Bhaktivedanta Arogya Ashram to meet the Bengali group. Here, the Bengali party just reached and most of the devotees gone for shower and to do their laundry. As soon as Guru Maharaja’s car entered the BAA compound, hundreds of devotees swarmed his car to welcome him. We saw some prabhus coming running with wet gamchas and wet body to welcome Guru Maharaja.This was their enthusiasm!!!!! Guru Maharaja had darshan of the presiding deities and then continued with his lunch. After lunch He went to the prasadam tent to address three thousand bengali devotees who were waiting for their lunch to arrive.Since I am not good at Bengali,I took this chance to conclude the diary for the day. While i was typing this diary using Guru Maharaj's Blackberry the prasadam truck arrived. Wondering what would be the lunch menu for the Bengali party? OK! Let me check it out for you all and meanwhile get your plates ready. Hmmmm there are hot rice, dhal, three varities of subjis, paneer mix, tomato chutney, rasa gulla, sweet rice, rice chips and misti dahi(sweet yogurt) Hari Bol!!!!!

Guru Maharaja concluded his class and departed to iskcon mayapur at 4pm.

Your Servant,
Maha Varaha Das

Live From Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir!

Date: March 6th, 2011

Topic: Dhruva Maharaja Goes Back to Godhead

Verse: 4:12: 29

Speaker: HH Bhakti Vidya Purna  Swami

parityabhyarcya dhisnyagryam

parsadav abhivandya ca

iyesa tad adhisthatum

bibhrad rupam hiranmayam

TRANSLATION: Before getting aboard, Dhruva Maharaja worshiped the airplane, circumambulated it, and also offered obeisances to the associates of Visnu.In the meantime he became as brilliant and illuminating as molten gold. He was thus completely prepared to board the transcendental plane.

PURPORT: In the absolute world, the plane, the associates of Lord Visnu and Lord Visnu Himself are all spiritual. There is no material contamination. Inquality, everything there is one. As Lord Visnu is worshipable, so also are  His associates, His paraphernalia, His airplane and His abode, for everything of Visnu's is as good as Lord Visnu. Dhruva Maharaja knew all this very well, as a pure Vaisnava, and he offered his respects to the associates and to the plane before riding in it. But in the meantime, his body changed into spiritual existence, and therefore it was illuminating like molten gold. In this way he also became one with the other paraphernalia of Visnuloka.
Mayavadi philosophers cannot imagine how this oneness can be achieved even in different varieties. Their idea of oneness is that there is no variety. Therefore they have become impersonalists. As Sisumara, Visnuloka or Dhruvaloka are completely different from this material world, so a Visnu temple within this world is also completely different from this material world. As soon as we are in a temple we should know very well that we are situated differently from the material world. In the temple, Lord Visnu, His throne, His room and all other things associated with the temple are transcendental. The three modes, sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna, have no entrance into the temple. It is said, therefore, that to live in the forest is in the mode of goodness, to live in the city is in the mode of passion, and to live in a brothel, liquor shop or slaughterhouse is in the mode of ignorance. But to live in the temple means to live in Vaikunthaloka. Everything in the temple is as worshipable as Lord Visnu, or Krishna. [End of Srila Prabhupada's purport to SB 4.12.29]

HH Bhakti Vidya Purna  Swami: We see there is culture. The philosophy is being connected together with the culture. Very important! Unfortunately much of the time we don't see the two are connected. We think that the philosophy is one thing and it is theoretical of course and the culture itself is something iand it doesn't apply to the modern situation.

In this way then the fine points of the philosophy, the culture and definitely the connection will elude us because anything we don't have faith in we will not gain. The Lord cannot be understood by mundane intelligence no matter how intelligent we are. Lord Brahma, the most intelligent was unable to understand Krishna until Krishna revealed Himself.

So the point being that everything being Krishna there is no separate existence. There is only an illusion that separate existence exists. Actually it doesn't. The soul is always perfect. Always has been and always will be but the soul being a person has a choice to act within that perfect platform or not. So acting in that then we will call that the perfected souls and if not we will call them the souls who's perfection is covered by illusion, but the soul is never other than perfect. That means everything is perfect. The lack of being able to see its connection with the Lord. That is where the imperfection comes in.

Dhruva Maharaja is not influence by this modern way of thinking, that philosophy and the social culture at large is separate. The concept of secular doesn't actually exist because God's law still applies. God is still in control. Things still work the way God says they will. So the concept of secular is not actually attainable. Secular means that we see it from the universal platform, the platform of Vedanta, that the philosophy itself is actually giving the real truth.
Our conditioning - that is what we can consider elements that change according to the time, place and circumstance because our conditioning is under the modes and the modes are changing. So yes, that aspect is there but the philosophy, the culture never changes. So Dhruva Maharaja being such a person who understands this and is therefore qualified does not see a difference between the Lord, the Lord's associates and the chariot that has been sent to take him to Vaikuntha. So he is respecting the associates. He is respecting the chariot and because of this he is situated transcendentally.

If one sees that everything is connected to the Lord one is not within the material world. This material world is actually an illusion. There is inferior energy. There is a material manifestation but its action depends on how we deal with it. We view it as the Lord's creation it acts upon us and deals with us spiritually. We see it materially or separate from the Lord then it acts upon us materially So the fine point is that if one appreciates this then one is able to act upon this platform. Then one is situated in the spiritual world and like Dhruva Maharaja the body will function in a  spiritual way and here then he takes on the spiritual qualities. He comes to the transcendental platform.

This element is very important because if we are saying that this is a spiritual movement and people within it are therefore being devotees are spiritual then we have to perceive them in that way also. So when we see something that is not ideal that is simply the modes of nature. The modes of nature will do what they will do. The soul is not actually involved. So the consideration in dealings is one based on between devotees who are servants of the Lord. What is the best situation in which a particular living entity conditioned in a particular way will be engaged in the best way in Krishna's service.

Other things don't actually have any meaning. We are so used to giving them meaning. The illusion has been so meaningful for so long that we by habitforget that it doesn't really have any meaning. A dream does not have any meaning. It doesn't have any value. So many dreams are there. If there is a dream about Krishna or the spiritual master we consider that yes that dream has some value. Why? Because it is connected to the Lord. Other dreams are not so important. Being chased around blocks; flying in the air - all these are not very important but people feel they are very important so their considerations will be other than this connection to the Lord but that will be a mistake because then we are missing out on actually being situated in Krishna consciousness, actually being associated with the Lord, associated with the devotees on the transcendental platform.

If we see the modes and we act on the modes, we are associating with the modes. Very simple! But if we are seeing with spiritual vision then we are unaffected by these modes. Then we can go beyond these modes and so it is very accessible. And this is not high philosophy. This is Bhagavad-gita. This is what Krishna is recommending, that we act beyond the modes by always seeing the soul, the Supersoul and the material energy. If we see these three then we will not be affected by the modes. Therefore not being affected by the modes we will not be involved in the material entanglement.

The banyan tree of material existence is nourished by the modes of nature.So it is a very simple thing here. So situating oneself in the temple means ideally of course physically to situate yourself in the temple, situate yourself in the dhama, that is always ideal because then whether we are god conscious or not we are situated properly but if by ones consciousness one situates oneself in Krishna then wherever you are then that is a temple.

Wherever Lord Caitanya went that was Vrindavan. Why? Because He was always absorbed in seeing Krishna, seeing everything in relationship to Krishna. Soit is something very practical and very straightforward. Of course the only obstacle is our lack of practice. Since time immemorial we practice that the illusion is important so now the soul and the Supersoul is not actually an important element. Now we are learning that the Supersoul is important and the material world is as important as its ability to be engaged in the Lord's service.

So it is just practice. If we have that faith and we take it up then we can get something done but if the faith is not there we will not accomplish anything. One can only accomplish something and be successful were one has faith. It is very simple! The materialists know this also. If you have faith you are successful if don't you will never be successful. If we have faith in these words given by Srila Prabhupada, given by Sukadev Goswami then we will be able to apply this. Then we can make that endeavor and if we make that endeavor Krishna will reciprocate. If we don't have the faith, if we don't make the endeavor it won't happen. And the faith also Krishna gives. So if we desire that faith Krishna will give it. He is giving everyone else their faith, their material faith. Why won't He give spiritual faith?

This element is very fine because the element of transcendence means not being in the material sphere appears very similar to what they impersonalists discuss but the difference is the personal aspect. The Mayavadis can't believe there is variety in transcendence. That is where their faith falls short. They can't understand that because to them all variety has been a problem. One is trying to enjoy, one is trying to be happy and it hasn't worked. So the idea that variety could give happiness and there can be transcendental variety it just does not come into their perspective. Getting out of the material world, following the proper performance of duties performed without attachment, this is the common ground.

Devotional service is performed beyond the material conditioning. Beyond thematerial conditioning one is liberated from that conditioning. So that pointis common. So we have to be very careful that these fine points are rejected by ourselves. They are thinking that this is impersonal. It is not impersonal. What is impersonal is that thinking transcendence doesn't have variety and that in transcendence there is ever a situation where it does not exists because even the material energy is Brahman. It is inferior Brahman, unconscious Brahman but Brahman none the less.

So material needs are illusion - that is not something connected to the Lord that is the actual definition. Actually the soul is always transcendental but due to its consciousness it evolves itself in the material sphere. So we can appreciate the greatness of the Lord , the specialness of the Lord and that means the specialness of everyone connected because if He is everything that means everything is within the Lord. That means that all living entities and all manifestations are connected to the Lord.

So everything is special. If we see that connection with the Lord we are able to deal nicely. There is no question of improper dealings. If we don't see the connection with the Lord then we are up to our own material qualifications of the modes of nature. If there is more goodness we will behave better. If there is not so much goodness we will behave not so nicely. Any questions or comments?

Hare Krishna: Maharaj you are saying that we should meditate on the soul, the Supersoul and the material energy to always be free from this, so it seems to be pretty easy to meditate on the soul if we are out in the world doing some business or something. How to meditate on the Supersoul?

HH Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami: The platform of the soul, this means the transcendental situation, it means that the soul is transcendental to the body but the workings of the material world, is functioning by the modes. That is how it works. But is a reflection of the spiritual energy. The spiritual energy is then comprised mechanically of samvit, sandhini and hladini. Those reflected into the material world that is your goodness, passion and ignorance. So the point is if you see the connection with the Lord then you are working according to samvit, sandhini and hladini. If you don't see the connection you are based on goodness, passion and ignorance. So that is the importance of seeing the difference.

Being a reflection as far as form goes and obtainment of results, the material energy, or the external energy will do that through the modes of nature. The internal potency will do that through samvit, sandhini and hladini. But as a reflection it works the same way. It's the same function so what is important is our not seeing ourselves connected with the Lord. It is not the modes themselves are incredibly bad. The modes are just how the material world works.
Our being under the influence of the modes, that is the problem but the things are going to function by the modes of nature. Something is being created because of the mode of passion, something is being destroyed because of the mode of ignorance and something is being maintained because of the mode of goodness. If you want to create a new project, build a rath cart the material energy uses the mode of passion for creating. If we think we are the doer we are under that mode. If we think, "I am the servant." Then we are not under that mode. So we are working under the samvit potency, because it is reflection.

Do you think you are the face in the mirror or you know you are the face and that is a reflection? This is what we are being asked to do. You look in the mirror and you will say that is me. No, you look in the mirror and you say that is my reflection. Me is on this side. Being able to see that means that you can situate yourself and understand how things work. Does that make  sense?

What's happening in there is that the Lord and His god qualities are the Brahman. The Brahman is the effulgence of Krishna's qualities so that means Brahman is the Lords qualities. So then the difficulty comes that the quality is generic, connected with person we see that the meeting has some value in relationship with the Lord but it is a generic quality. But Krishna being everything that is not a problem.

So if we see something connected to the Lord then we are seeing Krishna's power. If we don't see it in connection with the Lord we are not seeing the power coming from Krishna. We are seeing the power on its own and give it its own value. This is the illusion. So the Brahman platform is you understand Krishna's quality and the spiritual energy that is taking the forms and the activities in which that equality can be appreciated.

Krishna is great so therefore there is the manifestation or His opulence or some variety of way that we would appreciate God is great. That manifestation is the internal potency. That reflects into the material world. So then instead of the forms and activities being governed by the internal potency it is being managed by the external potency. And if you see yourself as servant on the spiritual platform you see God is there, the internal potency is serving God. We assist the internal potency. Then it is in its natural state.

If you see the material energy as the reflection, as Krishna's potency that is serving Krishna then we become servant in the same process. So then that external potency will act as internal but if we think we are the Lord then we are working under the modes. So that is the Brahman understanding. In that way no matter where one is situated or whatever one is doing one can be transcendentally situated. Does that makes sense? That is why it is in a state. Devotees will say well the form is not important but if they throw out the form that is actually Mayavadi philosophy.
So when devotees say, "All this doesn't matter. We will just do whatever we want that is actually the mode of ignorance. Krishna says doing activity whimsically is in the mode of ignorance. It is not based on sastra. And so thinking that way doesn't have a spiritual content therefore it is not necessary. That means that is also ignorance but that is the ignorance of the Mayavadis.What is the ignorance of the karmi? What is the ignorance of the impersonalists, the jnani? So they are both mundane.

 Spiritual means that it is connected to the Lord. So the activity and why I am doing the activity is because I am looking for that quality of the Lord, if I am in knowledge I am looking for the quality and connection to the Lord, if I am in illusion I look for that quality separate from the Lord. For instance someone looking for power. Power then has its manifestations. You have to have proper administration, proper management. You have to have opulence which you can then manipulate to get the work done.

So you see that this is all Krishna's power and therefore what will the internal potency do with that particular power that you have and how that will be used in the Lord's service? If you assist that you are doing devotional service but if you don't do that, you think, "I am powerful and by my manipulation of the material energy I am therefore manifesting the power. It is me manifesting the power." That means you are thinking that you are the Lord so you are under the modes.

That means it doesn't matter what you are doing if you understand that its function you are not affected by the modes but it is as we said the Brahman platform but the devotee knows the quality comes from Krishna and that is the manipulated or engaged by the Lord's energy. So there is no impersonal element because there is a variety. Impersonal means when there is no variety. Though it is Brahman platform it is not impersonal. Therefore we call it Para-Brahman or the brahma-bhuta platform.

The Paramatma element means you are seeing that and you are seeing that workings. That is the Brahman platform but your involvement in it and actually being involved in the activity that is where Paramatma comes in because He sanctions or not - the activity. So you understand he is the controller. You are qualified. You perform the activity in the proper way. In other words the activity has been given by Laksmi. Then it works nicely. If you want to do it your own way it won't work so nicely.

So you do it according to the original aspect of the reflection. It is called pious. You pervert that, it is called impious. But now Krishna being everything, has entered everything, is in control of everything, that is the Brahman and Paramatma levels. Bhagavan means what is beyond that. He has a person. So Brahman is the omnipotent and omniscient. That is the Brahman platform. The Supreme controller, that is the Paramatma platform. The Supreme Personality or the supreme enjoyer, that is the Bhagavan platform. 

All these function at the same time but for Krishna the only thing that is important is the interaction with the devotees. He is God. He just thinks, it happens. So it is not something special but the interaction with the devotees that is what is special.

Here we see Dhruva Maharaja appreciating that therefore he is respecting the plane and the devotees that are coming for that particular activity. So if one respects all this one can get somewhere. If one doesn't respect one won't get anyway. So the more one can respect at least minimum the devotees and ideally then even all living entities then one will be able to appreciate God consciousness everywhere.

So one should be able to make this distinction between Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. Bhagavan is what we are trying to get to because that is actually the place or what gives Krishna most pleasure. But if one is making that endeavor and separating oneself from material energy, understanding what is not the body, what is Brahman, you are doing that to please Krishna. That is part of the devotional process. If you are simply doing it because the material world is not very nice and you want to get out of it. You are not actually worried if you get out in connection with Krishna or not then that is not very impressive to Krishna. Then you are on your own. You had a  qualification then you will make some advancement. If you don't have the qualification you won't get anywhere.
Prabhu: Thank you very much Maharaj. In the purport Srila Prabhupada mentions how Dhruva Maharaja entered into i actually entered into oneness and he advised how the oneness is different from the oneness in Mayavadi. And in your explanation also you explained how this material world is illusion. Furthermore how this dreaming experience is negative. So in the conception of the Mayavadi for the purpose of the Mayavadis the oneness is denying this material world as a real world. This is a finer point. I would like you to elaborate on this principle of which is a dream. Eventually it will become a dream within a dream because in this material world Srila Prabhupada explains in one purport that the dreams in this material world are a combination of the imaginary things the mind collects during the day and it may not be something logical. Let's say the by-product of reality and the philosophy of Vaisnavism establishes that the material world is real. So could you please elaborate on this principle of how to see this dream?

HH Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami: So how to define the difference between what we say the material world is unreal and the Mayavadis say that that the material world is unreal. The difference is that we will say that the manifestation exists but seeing it not connected to the Lord, that is what is unreal. That is the illusion.
The Mayavadis will say it is just not there. It is our imagination that is there. So they will say that the matter that matter that we are able to perceive with or senses actually isn't there. That's like a dream. We will say, "No. That is real. The dream is what you think about that, how you perceive that."

So this micro phone exists. It is just how you perceive it. You see it in connection with the Lord then it is on the transcendental platform. Then in that way it is real. But if you don't see it in connection with the Lord, though the microphone itself is real you use of it is unreal because it is a dream. Because  something that's not being connected to the Lord is an illusion. There is no such thing. It is only your perception that we will think something is connected or not.

Prabhu: This is perhaps why Srila Prabhupada states also that material and spiritual relationship is spiritual.
HH Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami: A spiritual relationship is spiritual.

Prabhu: Yes. If somebody takes the relationship with the spiritual master is spiritual.

HH Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami: Yes. The relationship with the devotee of the Lord is. It means any paraphernalia connected with the Lord is real. If it is made from the spirit the transcendental element of that will remain. What may be caused by the material manifestation that may change, in other words the situation will change but those concepts don't change because they are a reflection of the original. Like in the mirror you have a nose. That is because there is a real nose.

So the idea that there are families and children and villages and houses and land and cows and money and eating lunch and throwing out the garbage, all that remains because it is there from the spiritual platform. What changes is our situation in it. In the spiritual world one is situated because of one's particular attachment to Krishna. Then you have a particular rasa. In the material world we are situated due to our attachment to the material manifestation. So that situation may change.

Prabhu: What will be the state, we are given so many references in the Bhagavatam of the state of consciousness in the spiritual world, what would you consider that to dream in the spiritual world?

HH Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami: What is a dream in the spiritual world? Dreaming about Krishna. What you have done with Krishna, what you will do.

Prabhu: So that is different from the dreams in the material world?

HH Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami: Yes. In other words the concept of dreams is real. The problem is that the dreams here aren't made of any this that is substance. Therefore dream here means it is unreal but if it is about Krishna then it is real. So then it is just a particular state of existence. One is in a dreaming state. So it will be mentally transitive but physically intransitive. So that is what makes the difference. The activity when they  wake up. Then they are both physically and mentally engaged in activity.

Prabhu: So it means that having a spiritual body you can only dream of spiritual things?
HH Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami: In the spiritual world yes you only dream of spiritual things. That is all you see because that is all that is there and that is all that you are interested in. So anything that is not you are not interested in. In Goloka there is no problem with that because all that is there is completely transcendental but in Gokula all that is there is spiritual and at the same time there is the material manifestation running parallel. So you can see either one, whichever one you want. You can see the real and you can see the reflective.
So if you are interested in the real, you will stay there. If you are interested in the reflection, you will come here. Both look the same.

Prabhu: So although the same existence in Gokula and Golokai

HH Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami: Did you just trick me? [Laughter] You got me on this topic.

Prabhu: it is a itopic. When you were talking about i

HH Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami: No it connects. It is just a matter of being specific.

Prabhu: Thank you Maharaj for such a nice class. The basic thesis that you so nicely took from the text and purport is the Vaisnava oneness experienced y Dhruva Maharaja is another confirmation that culture and philosophy shouldn't be seen as two distinct things. And you mentioned the problem if we do fail to see the Vaisnava oneness between the philosophy and the culture between science and religion, how we want to express it. But someone can say that in our Iskcon Society we have those things covered almost automatically due to the practice of yukta vairagya, using everything in Krishna's service. So how would you respond?

HH Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami: The natural response will be how do they define yukta and how do they define vairagya because otherwise lip service is really cheap. It is one of the cheapest things. We chant Hare Krishna, we don't care and yukta vairagya. These are probably two of the cheapest statements that the devotees use because if you ask them to define it you won't get a scientific answer, you will get an emotional explosion, especially the longer they have been using it the more explosive is the response.

The point is yes it is true but the point here is as we were saying that it's the mechanics that is there. If there is a science that means there is mechanics. So yukta means it is connected to the Lord. You see its connection to the Lord. You see it exists. You don't see it - it is not working. Especially on the Brahman platform Krishna manifests there when you see Him there, if not it is just His energies that are taking care.

Prahlad Maharaja sees Nrsimhadev in the pillar. Therefore He is there. If somebody does not see Nrsimhadev in the pillar, just His energy is called the pillar, holds the roof up. But it is actually Krishna in the form of strength that holds the roof up. So that quality comes from that person. So you can see only one level or you can see it all the way back to the person. The basic transcendentalists are at least seeing that they are seeing back to the quality. If that is there then that is yukta. Then that is connected.

Vairagya means you are not attached to the results. You don't think that you are the doer. That part is generally left out. Why that particular yukta vairagya? Generally if you study it's because of the conditioned nature of the individual who is engaging it. That is basically what is happening, which is not a problem if it is yukta. And one is not attached to the results. If one is attached to the results then it is sakama karma yoga. If one is not attached to the results then it becomes niskama. So that becomes quite beneficial.

Pure devotional service means you are starting with Krishna and then engaging your nature rather than starting with your nature and then connecting it with Krishna. Most of the time when devotees say yukta vairagya they mean what I want to do I connect that to Krishna which is perfectly bona fide but they will say it as if it is synonymous with pure devotional service. Pure devotional service means you start with Krishna and then you engage your nature. There is a difference.

If I serve you food first then I eat or if I serve myself food first and then you eat, there is a difference in culture. If I serve you first I will be called a good host. If I serve myself first then they will say, "What's with this guy?" Because with Krishna if anything that we connect to Him, then He considers that wonderful. So He overlooks the lower element. But pure unalloyed devotional service has a definition in that it doesn't have any of these other elements mixed with it. So we have to be very careful that yukta vairagya means that we connect.

The other thing is that in yukta vairagya we are saying that we don't care for the external and what are we doing? An external! So we are very dismissive of one external and very strong on the point that this external is okay to use. So the view is still external.

The actual point of yukta vairagya means you see what is the principle at work because in any activity in any form there is a principle behind it. As we said Krishna's quality is the first point then Laksmi manifests forms and activities that serve that calling. So that means form follows the quality. That means if you understand the principle, the quality that particular sastric form is using then if that form doesn't apply in that particular situation then you are able to use the principle that is there to apply in some other form that we may consider more modern because all the forms are simply reflections of the spirit. But if we can't see the principle of which we are trying to apply there is every chance we are actually not engaged in yukta vairagya.

Unless some authorities told us to do it then there is a good chance. If we on our own are just making it up there is a good chance we haven't because then we are saying one form won't but one form will. Both forms only work if it is based on the principle. If we don't see the principle it still doesn't work.

The very last sense means all forms whether it is the original or the reflection are working on the same quality, the formal course or the spiritual energy in serving Krishna's quality. And the material energy which is the reflection of that in serving that same quality. They are doing the same thing. It is a matter of which one we want to work under. If we identify with the material energy and we work under her we are in illusion. We don't identify with the material energy, we identify with the soul, servant of Krishna, then we serve the internal potency.

So that means we have to see the quality that is being used. Just like for example we say the traditional clothes won't work in a particular situation. Okay, fine! But that is still a form. What is the reason it won't work? What is the reason we say the modern world. Basically it comes down to I am uncomfortable in this, I will be uncomfortable in this if they are uncomfortable in this. Rather than what is the particular element, what is the quality that you are trying to deal with.

The point is that the Vedic dress is there. This is how a gentleman dresses. If you understand that principle then you can't use traditional dress, you can use some modern dress that obtains the quality of culture, of gentleman. Why would you do that, dress like a gentleman? So that it pleases Krishna. Then it is yukta vairagya. But if that mechanics is not there then there is every chance that you are dressing in modern clothes because you are more comfortable that way.

Actually you would dress that way whether it has anything to do with Krishna consciousness or not. It becomes very, very loosely connected as yukta vairagya. It is not a powerful position. So the devotees have the knowledge by which they can make it very powerful. That is what we are discussing - how to make any situation connected. But that is the lower levels of Brahman and Paramatma. Then there is connecting it to Krishna as a person. So actually would he be pleased with this particular way that we are connecting. So here is variety within Brahman.

So I can have some sort of crazy street dress or something that will be seen as more gentlemanly. So you could see the connection with either of them butthere is going to be a difference in the quality that it manifests. So there is still variety within Brahman. If we can see that then we are actually seeing with a spiritual i If not then we tend to work same as the Mayavadis do. They can't see the variety. Because one of the first symptom is that the spiritual won't work, the traditional won't work. Only the modern will work  because then we are only seeing form as so we are not actually seeing spiritual variety, we are not seeing why anything works. We are just seeing, "Oh people won't like it." Why do people like and not like? Who has given  that concept that people like and not like? In every culture of the world there is an acceptable dress. Even amidst the aboriginal there is an  acceptable dress and there is not. Where did that come from? It came from God. It did not come from modern man. The proper way to interact came from God not from modern man.

Prabhu: So you seem to be saying that 2.46 in Bhagavad-gita that one who knows the purpose behind the Vedas all the purposes of the Vedas are fulfilled. That seems to be implying that although there is an ultimate goal but that word purpose can also mean purposes. Like you mentioned dress in terms of gentlemen.

HH Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami: That is application. The point is what is the situation? It means that you are dressed this way or that way, that is the situation. Situation is not where you define something is good or bad. It is what you do with the situation.

I have a fabulous kitchen - five-star kitchen! One would say, "This is great." But it is only great if you are going to cook. What happens if the kids come in and they bring their cricket bat and ball and start a game? Is that good? No. A situation does not define good or bad. It is what you do with the situation that defines. So that you are wearing devotional clothes or karmi clothes, that is not the problem. What is the mentality behind it?  That is what defines it.

Devotees look at situations. Why do they do that? They are conditioned to that. Why? Because that is the material consciousness. If I have this situation I have my opportunities for sense gratification. And in the consumer society the whole focus is exclusively on situation. They don't tell you what to do with it. They just say if you have this car, if you have this phone, if you have this watch then you are going to be great. No. It is what you do with them that makes you great. That is the problem. We become conditioned and due to our conditioning we make the same mistakes. To do something you have to know what the goal is. To know the goal you have to know what the actual quality of Krishna you are trying to take and what aspect of Krishna are you serving.

If a devotee says, "Oh we don't follow the rules." How do you not follow the rules? Not following a rule is a rule. "We don't follow the rules." That is there rule. So you are not going to get away from rules. You are not going to get away from the apparent nature of something. That is our philosophy. If you think you can. That is illusion. But the point is to have the intelligence to be able to see the difference that the Mayavadis can't see. Remember in the verse it is nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine. It doesn't say that all the i discussing sense gratification that the westerners are into. That is not the actual problem. The problem is the hard core impersonalism and voidism. That is the problem because they can't see variety and spiritual - only material. So as soon as it becomes spiritual, variety is gone. So if you want to be practical you have to work with a variety therefore it is all spiritual. Very dangerous! It is 9 o'clock. We should end. Srila Prabhupada Ki! Jai! [Applause]

On the first day of the 2011 sankirtan seminars in Mayapur, Navina Nirada Prabhu related a nice story about a Russian sankirtan devotee. While distributing books he met another devotee distributing, so he asked him, "Which temple are you from?"The other devotee asked, "Temples? There are temples?"

It turned out that the young man had received a book from someone and had become very inspired by reading it. And when he read in the book how important it is that this knowledge be distributed to others, he went to a print shop and had a hundred copies of the book printed so he could distribute them! It was those books he was distributing when the sankirtan devotee met him. The young man had never met a devotee before and didn't know there were devotees and temples, but he became a devotee and a book distributor just by reading one of Prabhupada books.

Navina Nirada then said he had heard that Vaisesika Prabhu recently gave a Sunday Feast lecture at a temple in the USA in which he emphasized the importance of the Srimad-Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrta. Vaisesika ended up selling forty sets to the guests and collecting over $6,000.

Anakadundubhi Prabhu from Italy spoke about contact sankirtan, saying we should keep in touch with people who are interested in Krsna consciousness.Once a year he contacts the hundred or so people on his list who he knows are favorable. He calls them, writes them, and visits them. About thirteen years ago he began visiting a family with a young boy about five years old. Every year he would visit this family, so he saw the boy grow into a young man. Last year when Anakadundubhi visited, the young man said that this time he was eagerly waiting for him to visit because he had been reading the books Anakadundubhi would bring and was very interested. He said his parents weren't reading them so much, but that he found them fascinating, and that he was now chanting japa also. All glories to contact sankirtan!

Paramesvara Prabhu from the USA spoke next. He said, "Once I distributed books inside a WalMart because it was too cold outside. Later I learned that one of the young men I had distributed a book to had liked the book so much that when he read in the address list where the nearest temple was he would walk for an hour to the temple while reading the book, and then when he went back home he would do the same thing -- walking and reading. This was when it was 10 degrees Fahrenheit outside! When the devotees at the temple heard what he was doing, they let him move into the temple. Now he's a full-time devotee."

Paramesvara continued: "I had an interesting dream when I was taking a fifteen-minute nap/break while on book distribution at a concert. I dreamt I was in a temple somewhere, and I saw the murti of Prabhupada on the vyasasana. Out of affection I touched Prabhupada's shoulder, and the murti moved. It came to life! It was of course very moving for me to see this. So I thought the best thing to do was to ask Prabhupada if there was anything I could do for him. All of the sudden in the temple room there were a lot of people moving about, so Prabhupada asked me, 'Could you stop someone and bring him here? I want to preach.' "I tried to stop someone but I couldn't, so I said to Prabhupada: 'Prabhupada, I'm not able to stop anyone. Maybe we could find someone who is standing still.'
"So he got up from the vyasasana, and we were walking together to find someone for him to preach to. One fellow saw me and said, 'Oh, you're the book guy. I want that "Science of Self Realization."'

"So I said 'OK' and gave him the SSR, and he gave three dollars for it. Then I told him, 'There's this amazing spiritual master who wants to speak to you. He's the author of the book.' Prabhupada was right there. Then the fellow opened the book, and Prabhupada was gone in an instant, and the dream broke and I woke up.

"I learned from this dream the truth of Prabhupada's statement that 'I am in my books.' I really realized it after this dream. Prabhupada and I were looking for someone for him to preach to, but as soon as the guy opened the book, Prabhupada disappeared, indicating that he is preaching to people through his books."

 Another story from Paramesvara: "Recently I was distributing in Texas when I approached a group of young people, and as soon as I showed the SSR one guysaid excitedly, 'Get that book! Oh my God!' He was totally lit up. He said, 'I got that book yesterday and started reading it in class. I was up all night long talking to my friend about it.' He said to me, 'Dude, I was an atheist before I read that book; I hated people. Now I know there's a God and I love people. And now I know there is a way to fix the world.' He was glowing. His hair was even standing on end. Then sure enough, all his  friends around him took books. Then he pulled out his wallet and gave me fifty dollars and didn't ask for anything in return. Of course I gave him more books. It was so amazing. I started crying right on the spot, he inspired me so much. It was unbelievable. This is the power of Prabhupada's books."

your servant,

Vijaya das

As we all know, Prabhupada gave a lot of emphasis to book production and distribution. Before '75 most of our books were being imported, but then westarted our own book production around June of '75. So we had arranged...we had a member called Mr. Gupta, I believe, he had a very big bookstore in downtown at Floral(?) Fountain. So we had arranged a very big book display for Srila Prabhupada's books. We had Prabhupada's books in the shop in thewindow, we had a rack with Prabhupada's books, we had posters designed advertising Prabhupada's books, it was a real big promotion. So we ran this promotion for one month. Now, even after one month it was discovered that not many books were sold, not as many as we had hoped would be sold. So Iwent to Prabhupada and gave the report. So Prabhupada said, "My books are sold because of the enthusiasm of my disciples, and in these bookstores naturally the salesman are not enthusiastic." Prabhupada was not discouraged, but he made it clear that his books get sold because of the enthusiasm of his disciples.

KARWAR: Charlie Chaplin's grandson Mark Joplin (60) married Terra Tiffany at Karnataka's Gokarna according to Hindu rituals. Both are from the US.

Mark has been visiting India, especially Gokarna, for the last 40 years. Both are deeply interested in Hindu culture and art. In the last two decades, they have conducted seminars on Indian classical music, mythology, the Ramayana, Harikatha, Samkeertana and Sanathana lifestyle in the US. While Mark is a good tabla and mridangam player, Terra plays the harmonium. ''I like Indian ragas and also sing Dasara Pada and Krishna bhajans in Kannada,'' she says.

Mark speaks Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and Bengali. He has studied Sant Tukaram, Jnanadeva, Samartha Ramdas and brought out several cassettes and CDs of kirtanas and bhajans. Both are disciples of Swami Ramadas and Swami Sachidanand.

Dear Devotees,

Please accept our most humble obeisances.  All glories to SrilaPrabhupada.

It is with great pleasure that we invite you to our post Gaura Purnima festival 2011 in Sri Vrindavan Dham.  The festival includes parikramas to the pastime places of Krsna and the most loved boat festival ever.  A special yatra to Jaipur and Karoli, for the darshan of the main deities of our sampradaya, Sri Madan Mohan, Sri Gopinath and Sri Govinda Deva is also part of the schedule.

The parikramas will be led by His Holiness Janananada Goswami, His Holiness Prabhodhananada Saraswati Swami and His Holiness Bhakti Rasamrita Swami.

We look forward to serving you all in Sri Vrindavan Dham.

Thank you and for more information please contact 91-9897476111.  Parikrama schedule is attached.

Hare Krsna.

Your humble servant, 
Krishna Balaram Das+91 9897476111
ISKCON, Vrindavan

Live From Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir!
Date: March 5th, 2011
Topic: Dhruva Maharaja Goes Back to Godhead
Verse: 4.12.28
Speaker: HH Bhaktivaibhava Swami

maitreya uvaca

nisamya vaikuntha-niyojya-mukhyayor

madhu-cyutam vacam urukrama-priyah

krtabhisekah krta-nitya-mangalo

munin pranamyasisam abhyavadayat

TRANSLATION: The great sage Maitreya continued: Maharaja Dhruva was very dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When he heard the sweet speeches of the Lord's chief associates in the Vaikuntha planet, he immediately took his sacred bath, dressed himself with suitable ornaments, and performed his daily spiritual duties. Thereafter he offered his respectful obeisances to the great sages present there and accepted their blessings.

PURPORT: We should mark how dutiful Dhruva Maharaja was in his devotional service, even at the time he left this material world. He was constantly alert in the performance of devotional duties. Every devotee should take his bath early in the morning and decorate his body with tilaka. In Kali-yuga one can hardly acquire gold or jeweled ornaments, but the twelve tilaka marks on the body are sufficient as auspicious decorations to purify the body. Since Dhruva Maharaja was living at that time at Badrikasrama, there were other great sages there. He did not become puffed up because theairplane sent by Lord Visnu was waiting for him; as a humble Vaisnava, he accepted blessings from all the sages before riding on the plane brought by the chief of the Vaikuntha associates. [End of Srila Prabhupada's purport to SB 4.12.28]

HH Bhaktivaibhava Swami: The Sanskrit word madhu-cyutam means flowing with honey. The speeches of the inhabitants of Vaikunthaloka, spiritual world are just like that, so sweet just like flowing with honey. And another version is madhu-cyutam - the long 'a' which means words having drops of honey, same meaning. In other words the words spoken by the inhabitants of Vaikuntha areas sweet as honey. That is the nature of transcendental sound. It sounds very sweet and pleasing to the ear.

We also find one verse in the Bhagavad-gita, there it is also stated, related to the austerities of speech in the mode of sattva-guna, mode of goodness. Such speech or words should sound very  pleasant to the ear - anudvega-karam [Bg 17.15 - agitating. Satyam means truthfulness; priya - very dear and hitam - beneficial. The words should be beneficial for the listeners.

In the purport Srila Prabhupada explains that one should not speak words that agitate the minds of others. Then Prabhupada also makes the point that in the case of the teacher, of course  sometimes the words may not sound so pleasant for the student but that also has a particular purpose for benefitting the student. Although at times it maybe not so pleasant to hear but still they are beneficial - hitam.

However Srila Prabhupada also explains in the same purport that is the position of the teacher. The teacher can agitate the students. That is his duty but he should not speak to others in such a way as if everybody is his students. That would not be correct. Otherwise such words if someone talks to others thinking "They are all my sisyas, all my students," then such sound, such speeches become agitating to the mind.

Srila Prabhupada further explains in that purport to that verse that in the spiritual circles whatever one speaks that should be supported by sastra, sastra evidence immediately Prabhupada explains. And still he makes the point in spiritual circles such speeches should sound very pleasing to the ear. I think this is a very important instruction for our Vaisnava and brahmanical culture. As far as possible when in the association of Vaisnavas, devotees choose our words, speeches very carefully so that it would not agitate the mind of others, what to speak of insulting others. That is completely out of question. Passion means the mind becomes agitated; the mode of goodness is very pleasant for the mind and ignorance that means insulting.

Srila Prabhupada writes in one purport in the third canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam that if the leaders or authorities of society do not give special respect to the brahmanas and the Vaisnavas, they do not offer them not only sweet words but all facilities then the path of progress will be lost to human civilization. The Lord personally wanted to teach this. Therefore He offered so much praise to the Kumaras. The Lord Himself is an example of always speaking very pleasant words, sweet words to His devotees.

If the speech is not meant to benefit others, not pleasant then often such a person doesn't really talk to people but rather at people. That is a significant difference between talking to someone or talking at someone. If you talk to someone then you respect the opinion of the other person. You always give a chance that the other person can respond and also express his opinion, open his mind. You invite the other person to have a conversation. But if you talk at someone then there is no scope for that. You are not interested in the opinion of others. You are not interested in conversation.You simply attempt to instruct others. That naturally is very agitating for the mind.
Long ago I took a course in rhetoric and it was quite interesting to learn about the principles of having a conversation, the rules of a debate. I thought it was very interesting. Debates of course are very often accompanied by emotional issues or emotional talks but even on the level of a debate, I learnt it is strictly prohibited to personally insult the opponent. That is one basic rule of  participating in a debate.

Discussions are of a more mild nature. We can discuss something. Debates are a little more heated because I have an opinion and you have an opposite opinion and then let us have a debate. But you should never ever insult the opponent. That is the rule. So I wish that we could apply this rule much more often in our debates that we sometimes have. Our discussions turn into debate. That is a very important rule what to speak of having a debate in spiritual circles. How much more this rule must be applied, to never insult a person.

We can give a very practical example for instance with a liberal, to directly insult him you just say, "You are liberal and therefore you are an idiot." - Direct insult. But often people insult others indirectly. You are insulting but you don't do it directly. In this case you will say that all liberals are idiots. Of course in the audience there might be someone or your opponent. He might be liberal and immediately he is insulted. Such kind of speeches or tactics in order to downplay the opinion of your opponent or somebody, discredit his opinion by personally insulting the person. That ishighly improper. Such technique should never be used. In the karmi, non devotee society even hey adhere to such a rule then what to speak of us.

Then we have one purport were Srila Prabhupada gives a very nice definition of truthfulness. Prabhupada explains, "Truthfulness means that facts should be presented as they are, for the benefit of others. Facts should not be misrepresented. According to social conventions, it is said that one can speak the truth only when it is palatable to others. But that is not truthfulness. The truth should be spoken in a straightforward way, so that others will understand actually what the facts are. If a man is a thief and if people are warned that he is a thief, that is truth. Although sometimes the truth is unpalatable, one should not refrain from speaking it. Truthfulness demands that the facts be presented as they are for the benefit of others. That is the definition of truth." [Excerpt from SrilaPrabhupada's purport to Bg 10.4-5]

That is a fact, that in the name of pleasing other we cannot compromise truth. That is true but still according to the time place and circumstance and the people involved we also even in speaking the truth use our good sense of discrimination. We can't just blast the truth in any way we like but we have to still consider time, place and circumstances and the persons we are talking to. Often it is not precisely what you say that makes you wrong but how you say it that makes you wrong.

Then it is further explained in the verse today that Dhruva Maharaja was constantly alert in the performance of devotional duties. When an advance devotee approaches the perfection of his spiritual life, spiritual practices then related to practicing saddhana-bhakti, spiritual devotional duties, he should not develop a carefree, free willing attitude. He still has to be very, very particular in the performance of his saddhana bhakti. Therefore Srila Prabhupada explained in the purport today that even at the time when Dhruva Maharaja left this material world his devotional career was beingcompleted. He had perfected his spiritual life. Even at that point when he was just about to leave this world still he performed his devotional duties very, very nicely.Then you may argue, what about Srila Madhavendra Puri. He gives us a very nice verse:

sandhya-vandana bhadram astu bhavato bhoh snana tubhyam namo [Quoted in purport to Bg 2.52]
Then he says, smaram smaram - he emphasizes the remembrance of the Lord. He took full shelter in simply remembering the lotus feet of the Lord and he thought, "That is sufficient for me." He prays in this sloka that related to his evening prayers he says, "All good unto you. Regarding this morning bath, I bid you goodbye." What about the demigods and the forefathers/ "Please excuse me." He says. "Now I have decided to free myself from all  sinful reactions simply by remembering the lotus feet of the Lord." Sometime our young devotees may be very inspired by these words. [Laughter] "Yes I also would like to say my morning bath goodbye sometimes."

That is not the actual meaning. It is not related to the sadhanna bhakti, the performance of devotional duties. This is relating to karma-khanda activities. The duties of performing fruitive activities in order to be elevated to the heavenly planets etc. enjoy material life in the higher planets, naturally the advanced devote is not interested in that. Just to emphasize the importance by surrendering to Krishna by always remembering Him and never forgetting Him, he might speak in this way. That does not mean that from that sloka on Madhavendra Puri never took his bath. He followed very nicely, very strictly.

So, on the advanced platform that is a fact of devotional service the devotee does not depend any longer on following these rules and regulations (These are dependant) because he already took shelter of the lotus feet of Krishna by always remembering Him. In the 'Nectar of Devotion' Srila Prabhupada writes, "A devotee who is actually advanced in Krishna consciousness, who is constantly engaged in devotional service, should not manifest himself, even though he has attained perfection. The idea is that he should always continue to act as a neophyte devotee as long as his material body is there. Activities in devotional service under regulative principles must be followed even by the pure devotee." [Eligibility for Spontaneous Devotional Service]

Srila Prabhupada refers to one verse we find in the Caitanya-caritamrta there it is explained
bahya, antara, -- ihara dui ta' sadhana, 'bahye' sadhaka-dehe karesravana-kirtana'mane' nija-siddha-deha kariya bhavana, ratri-dine kare vraje krsnera sevana [Madhya 22.156-157]

That verse explains that there are two processes of executing raganuga bhakti, spontaneous devotional service - one is internal and the other one s external. Externally the very advance devotee always follows. He just behaves just like a neophyte in the sense of following the injunctions or the sastras very strictly, always chanting his rounds nicely and attentively, taking his early bath in the morning etc. but internally he renders service to Lord Krishna. That verse explains twenty four hours a day, day and night he is always rendering service to Lord Krishna in Vrindavan in his own perfectional stage in his eternal relationship with the Lord but externally he always behave in such a way that others benefit and follow his example.

Srila Prabhupada taught us to not prematurely talk about such elevated platforms of eternally liberated souls referring to owns own rasa or eternal relationship with the Lord. He taught us very strictly that we should not indulge in such discussions but rather always follow very strictly the rules and regulations of Krishna consciousness. That is the process of purification. Prematurely the heart and the mind cannot be purified. It is not possible. Often Srila Prabhupada was being asked to say something about the techniques of chanting Hare Krishna and Srila Prabhupada again and again explains, "Simply hear. What's the problem? Simply hear."That is the process, not imagining, thinking all kinds of things. Just to hear, that process in itself purifies the mind. Then when the mind is purified everything will be revealed in a natural way.

There is one example of a young girl imitating the sound of a pregnant woman in order to get some attention. So those of us who actually don't know that the girl is pregnant, she is imitating when she makes the sound you may think, "Oh what is happening. Maybe we have to take her to the hospital immediately to give birth to a child." But she is just imitating to get some attention. So once she is discovered it is not very nice. [Laughter]
Everything is contained, all perfections are contained. It is simply by chanting Hare Krishna then the holy name - I give a quotation by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur's, Saranagati:

6) The holy name is the bud of the flower of divine love, and is the very abode of astonishing mellows. Such is the power He manifests that when His holy name starts to blossom a little further, it then reveals His own divine form and qualities. Thus my heart is abducted and taken directly to Krishna. [SNG: Sri Nama-Mahatmya: The Glories of the Holy Name]

7) Blossoming fully, the flower of the holy name takes me to Vraja and  reveals to me His own love-dalliance. This name gives to me my own eternal spiritual body, keeps me right by Krishna's side, and completely destroys everything related to this mortal frame of mine. [SNG: Sri Nama-Mahatmya: The Glories of the Holy Name]

8) The name of Krishna is a transcendental touchstone; a mine of all devotional mellows. It is eternally liberated, and the embodiment of pure rasa. When all impediments to the pure chanting of the holy name are taken away and destroyed, then my happiness will know its true awakening. [SNG: Sri Nama-Mahatmya: The Glories of the Holy Name]

Hare Krishna! Siksastakam explains everything. All the perfections are there in the holy name, everything. We simply have to surrender to that simple process of hearing attentively. Sometimes we hear that the different aspects of Krishna consciousness are being emphasized. This is most important, that is most important or this pleases Srila Prabhupada or that pleases Srila Prabhupada. One does not exclude the other. It is all true, correct but still the most essential, most important or the point of the devotee's success is to develop his love for Krishna. That is the most essential.

Nothing can be more pleasing to Srila Prabhupada, to the spiritual master save and except developing our love for Krishna because that will include all other perfections. That doesn't mean that I should wait and do nothing until I develop my love for Krishna. No. In order to develop that love for Krishna first we have to chant Hare Krishna and also please guru. That is important, to please guru by following his instructions by trying to please him, trying to develop love for him because he loves Krishna and if he is pleased then Krishna is automatically pleased.
In one letter Srila Prabhupada wrote, "If you love Krishna then your love will be distributed. And if you don't love Krishna, you love somebody else instead then somebody will cry that, 'You do not love me.'" It is such a nice point. That is the nature of mundane love. You endeavor so sincerely to love someone but always at the expense of somebody else. Then somebody else will cry, "Why don't you love me? Why do you love him or her?" But if you love Krishna then that includes everything.

Srila Prabhupada gave the example of the food, that we give food to the stomach then all the other parts of the body benefit automatically. Once one disciple asked Srila Prabhupada, he made the point, "Can you love you wife and not love Krishna?" Prabhupada replied that your love has to be applied at the right place. You have to invest your love at the right place and then Prabhupada gave the example of the carrots - that we know that carrots are very beneficial to the eyes but that doesn't mean that you try to push the carrot into your eyes. You give it to the stomach. So just by giving our love to Krishna everything else will automatically benefit, just like giving food to the stomach. There is also one verse in the Bhagavatam:

yatha taror mula-nisecanena, trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah [SB 4.31.14]
That verse explains this example of the root of a tree. If you apply water to the root of the tree, the branches, the leaves and the flowers will all be nourished and automatically benefit. That is the first half of the verse. You could argue, just like my mother did - she always watered the plants in her living room but she also sprayed water (muci - at that time they didn't have this spraying machine) so she would put the water in her mouth and then spray it over the plants because it gives an impression, nice looking. So what is wrong about that? You can do both.

The second half of the verse gives another example: giving food to the stomach. Here you cannot argue if one gives food to the stomach. You can also try to push the food through your ear holes, through your nose and eyes. That is completely bogus. So that is the important point that you simply have to love Krishna, serve Krishna. That would take care of everything. No need to apply our love somewhere else or serve something else or somebody else. Simply by serving Krishna everything is accomplished. Therefore we find this verse,

srimad-bhagavatam pramanam amalam prema pum-artho mahansri-caitanya-mahaprabhor matam idam tatradarah na parah[Caitanya-manjusa (a commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam)] That this is the opinion of Caitanya Mahaprabhu that this love for Krishna, that is the highest goal attainable for anyone. There is nothing higher than that,

nitya-siddha krsna-prema 'sadhya' kabhu nayasravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya [Madhya 22.107]

It is not in some artificial process. It is already there eternally established in the hearts of all living beings - krsna-prema, love for Krishna. That is our prime duty to develop that, to uncover, to remove the covering of loving Krishna. And it is not difficult to love Krishna. I remember in one class Srila Prabhupada stated that what is the difficulty to love Krishna because Krishna is so attractive. All of His qualities are so attractive. There are six in number:

aisvaryasya samagrasya, viryasya yasasah sriyahjnana-vairagyayos caiva, sannam bhaga itingana  (Visnu Purana 6.5.47)

That makes them more attractive. It is further explained that amongst these six qualities there is one prime quality, the most essential quality and that is Lord Krishna's beauty. Everything rests on that quality. All the other qualities are expansions of that one quality. Krishna's transcendental beauty is like the trunk of a tree or the torso of a human body. And the hands and legs are extensions of the body, expansions of the tree, twigs, branches etc.
The first three qualities of Krishna, aisvarya - the opulence, the power and the fame are the three main branches emanating from the beauty of Krishna. And from the yasasah, the fame there are two  sun branches emanating and that is knowledge and renunciation. These sub branches, knowledge and renunciation are the basis of the effulgence of the Lord, the jyoti of the Lord. That is why those who worship the jyoti of the Lord, Brahman they always feel very attracted to knowledge and renunciation but those who further advance they feel especially attracted to Lord Krishna'stranscendental beauty.

Just like the other day I was reading a very beautiful passage related to Lord Krishna's pastimes when Lord Krishna is leaving the palace of Nanda Maharaj in order to take the cows into the pasturing grounds to tend the cows. There it is described that Mother Yasoda and Nanda Maharaj are so attracted to Krishna's beauty. Of course they don't just want to let Him go, "Okay go to the forest. Haribol. See You in the evening." They don't want to let Him go. They are just beholding Lord Krishna's beauty as He walks away. They just follow Krishna. After some time Krishna tells i "It is time we want to continue and you can go home." "Yes, yes." And they still follow. Again He comes around. "My dear mother you have to prepare My lunch otherwise it will be too late. If lunch is not coming on time I will not return home."

It is also mentioned to Nanda Maharaj, "See My dear father the top of My ball bat is broken. Could you kindly fix it and make six very strong ones? I know what our Indian brahmacaris think of this. It is i cricket or something. This is a very interesting point that the parents of Lord Krishna, they could not let Krishna go. They were so attracted to Krishna's beauty that they would just follow, follow, follow but as soon as Krishna mentioned how to please Him, that He desired the lunch to be prepared. At that point Mother Yasoda immediately stopped and she was not interested any longer in displaying her attraction to Krishna. This is natural. This is so strong love. But she wasn't even interested in that at this particular point. Before she could not let Krishna go she was so attached to Krishna but as soon as there was a chance for rendering service to Krishna immediately she renounced everything and she ran back and started immediately to prepare the Lunch for Krishna because Krishna was making the point that otherwise He will not return. That would mean death for Mother Yasoda.

The last point before we greet the deities, in this verse it had been mentioned that, abhyavadayat. That means that Dhruva Maharaja made them, the sages give them blessings. This is a very important point in our Vaisnava culture that Vaisnavas are always eager to receive the blessings of superiors, of other Vaisnavas, especially of the Superiors. It is a very important point.

In a mundane society it is exactly the opposite. They juniors want to overthrow the seniors. They want to put them down. They want to demonstrate, "We know better than these old folks." Revolution, overthrow them. This doesn't find any scope in spiritual empowerment. Spiritual empowerment means to receive the blessings, then you become empowered, then you can do something significant.

This is why Srila Prabhupada wanted this Mayapur festival, this Vrindavan festival to that we can cultivate the association of as many devotees, Vaisnavas as possible and receive their blessings. Then there is great hope that we can do something wonderful when we co-operate with each other. We can then do something wonderful for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada, Sri Sri Radha Madhava, the Panca-tattva and Lord Nrsimhadev. Gaurapremanande. Hari, haribol! Srimad bhagavatam Ki! Jai! Srila Prabhupada Ki! Jai! Gaurapremanande. Hare Krishna. So we only have three minutes left. No time for questions. We can prepare to greet Sri Sri Radha Madhava. Hare Krishna. [Applause]

Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja was respected by all the Vaisnava community and was thus known as Vaisnava Sarvabhauma, or chief amongst the Vaisnavas. There are some nice stories connecting him with the finding of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's birthplace recorded in Sri Navadwipa Dhama Mahatmya. Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja was born around the year 1800 AD. He spent many years in Vrndavana where he became famous as a perfect devotee, though more than this is not known of his early years and pastimes. What we do know, however, is that he was particularly enthusiastic in serving the Lord's devotees and performing 'kirtan'. In later life his servant, Bihari Lal, used to carry him on his shoulders in a basket, though when he would hear a 'kirtan' or himself be engaged in 'kirtan', his body would extend itself out of the basket like a beautiful banyan tree and he would loudly shout, "Nitai ki nam eneche re! Nitai, ki nam diteche re!" "O Lord Nityananda, what a wonderful name you have brought! O Nitai, what a wonderful name you have given!"

The stories which I will now relate are at the time when he was more than 120 years old. Living in a tent at Sri Navadwipa with Bihari Lal, his servant, he would eat 'prasadam' from a large brass plate which someone had given as a donation. A litter of puppies which had taken birth nearby began to come and eat off Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja's plate, but he did not object. After a few days however, Bihari Lal saw what was happening, and disgusted to see the dogs eat from his 'gurus' plate, he drove them away. Jagannatha dasa Babaji chastised Bihari Lal angrily saying, "If the dogs can't eat I won't eat!" His servant had to search out and bring back the puppies, and as they joined Babaji Maharaja again over his plate he exclaimed, "All glories to the 'dhama' dogs!" Thus he always displayed hisgreat respect for all the residents of the holy 'dhamas'. On another occasion he had his servant purchase two hundred rupees worth of 'rasagulas' and instructed him, "Feed them to all the 'dhamas' cows, but don't give one to those rascal 'sahajiya babajis' (pretenders)."

Srila Jagannath dasa Babaji Maharaj was such a great devotee that the famous Bhaktivinoda Thakura (Kedarnath Datta) called him the commanding chief of the devotees. When Srila Bhaktivinoda was looking for the actual place where Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's birthplace was, he asked Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja to go with him. During the many changes in the course of flow of the mighty Ganges River, some parts of the sacred 'dhama' of Navadwipa (nine islands) had changed. The Ganges had revealed old and lost places and reclaimed new ones. To his surprise Bhaktivinoda Thakura discovered that the modern day city called Navadwipa was not more than 100 years old and therefore wasn't the Navadwipa of Sri Caitanya. Some said the birth site was on a place now in the Ganges, while some said it was in the city of Navadwipa. Dissatisfied, Bhaktivinoda pushed on looking. He found some antiquarian maps and government records, and authentic books written at the time of Lord Caitanya, all of  which agreed that Mayapur Navadwipa Dhama is situated on the east bank of the Ganges. To  Bhaktivinoda's amazement he found several large mounds covered with sacred Tulasi plants on land owned by Mohammedans. It was shrouded with local rumours of strange lights and sounds, so the owner, believing it to be haunted, would not go there. Many old babajis of the time, however, believed this to be the actual birthplace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Convinced it was true, Bhaktivinoda, inspired by Jagannatha dasa Babaji, went there to the spot, with  Jagannatha dasa Babaji being carried in his basket. Due to his old age, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji couldn't open his eyes, but had to forcibly open them with his fingers, what to speak of walk. If he went anywhere he was carried in his basket by Bihari Lal, but upon arriving at the transcendental site, he leapt out of the basket and danced in ecstasy shouting, "Haribol!" and "Gauranga!", definitely establishing it to be the very same birthplace of Lord Caitanya.

gauravirbhava bhumes twam nirdesta sajjana priyahvaisnava sarvabhauma sri jagannathaya te namah
"I offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, who is respected by the entire Vaisnava community and who discovered the place where Lord Caitanya appeared."

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja had a disciple named Bhagavat dasa Babaji Maharaja, and Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji was his disciple. However at this time there was another great exponent of Vaisnava teachings that, on passing, we have already mentioned. His name is Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. And so the line again divides like this:

JAGANNATHA DASA BABAJI MAHARAJA I IBHAGAVAT DASA BABAJI SRILA BHAKTIVINODA THAKURAGAURA KISORA DASA BABAJI

Sri Rasikananda Deva Goswami

In the Christian year 1590 (Sakabda 1512), on the first day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kartik, during the night of the festival Dipamalika, when the houses are decorated with rows of lamps, Sri Rasikananda Deva made his appearance in this world. His father was Sri Acyuta Deva, the king of Rohini. After passing many years without having a male issue, Sri Acyuta Deva, by the mercy of Sri Jagadisa (Jagannath), wasblessed with this jewel of a son. The village of Rohini or Royni was situated within the country known as Mallabhumi, encompassed on one side by the Suvarnarekha River (Suvarna meaning golden and rekha, a line). This Suvarnarekha River cleansed the sins of all the local people. Near Royni was another village of the name Barayita, by the side of which flowed the Dolanganadi River, whose banks were adorned with beautiful gardens. Raja Acyuta Deva very affectionately maintained his subjects and was famous for impeccably observing the rites attendant upon kings. In the village of Royni the son of King Acyuta appeared as the sun appears in the eastern sky andbecame dearly beloved by the people. He was known as Rasikananda and also Murari. As he grew up, shining qualities appeared by degrees in his person that caused the further exaltation of his family, just as the waxing moon gradually expands its influence in the night sky and causes the sea to rise. At a very young age he became quite proficient in all of the scriptures. He was very devoted to his parents, especially his mother, whose name was Bhavani. His father married him at very young age. Murari's wife Syamadasi was a mine of good character who hailed from the village of Ghonta Sila, not far from Royni on the banks of the Suvarna Rekha, where in days of old the Pandavas had lived in exile. One day, Murari was sitting in a lonely place, wondering when and where he might become so fortunate as to get shelter at the lotus feet of a spiritual preceptor. Just then a voice from the sky addressed him, "Don't be in anxiety, you will become the disciple of Sri Syamananda." Having heard this proclamation, Rasik Murari became very jubilant, and began to repeatedly murmur the name Syamananda, as though chanting japa. From moment to moment his eagerness increased without diminition, as tears flowed from his eyes by his chanting of the name of Syamananda. He was in such a state that he spend most of the night sleeplessly, calling to his master Syamananda. Finally, towards the early morning, he drifted off to the land of dreams, where he saw his spiritual master, the very figure of charm and grace. Smilingly, Syamananda informed  him, "When tomorrow the eastern sky becomes tinged with pink, you will obtain me." Saying this, Syamananda disappeared. Rasikananda's heart began to swell in ecstatic bliss. Then, with the first rays of morning which dispel the dense darkness of the world, the wise Murari sat silently watching the path. After some time Syamananda approached from the distance, looking as beautifully effulgent as the sun and surrounded by his disciples like Sri Kishora dasa and others. His smiling face was like the lotus flower that opens to greet its friend the sun, and his chest was as broad as a door. His captivating appearance was made all the more irresistable by the sweet sounds of 'Sri Krsna Caitanya-Nityananda' emanating from his lotus mouth. Absorbed in intense love he moved along the path like the clouds move in the sky. When Rasika caught sight of this divine form, he fell down in front of him to touch his lotus feet. In great ecstasy Shyamananda embraced him and began to bathe him with his tears of ecstatic love. Sri Rasika Murari then felt himself to be one of the most fortunate living beings within this universe. On an auspicious day Syamananda initiated Rasika and his wife in Radha-Krsna mantra. After that, Rasikananda began to travel with his guru, during which time he became a very intimate disciple. Syamananda then bestowed upon him the service of Sri Radha- Govinda Deva at SriGopiballabhapur. Rasikananda became totally engaged in their Lordships service, and the devotees were charmed by his excellent services. At Gopiballabhpur and other places he began to seriously take up the preachingof the message of Sri Gaura-Nityananda. By his influence many atheists and unbelievers were transformed into devotees of Sri Gaura-Nityananda. "By the tremendous influence of Rasikananda's preaching, many rogues, robbers and atheists were delivered from their sinful activities and received his mercy. He distributed the jewel of devotion even to the infidel Mohammedans, as he travelled from village to village, in the company of his disciples. He even converted the wild elephant which was sent for his destruction into his disciple and engaged him in the service of Krsna and the Vaisnavas. That wicked miscreant who sent the elephant, a Mohammedan, bowed at his feet when he realised his mistake. It is not possible to count the number of living entities that were extricated from the ocean of material existence by Rasikananda Deva's association. He was always intoxicated with the chanting of the Holy Name. Who cannot but be overwhelmed by hearing about his uncommon qualities?" [B.R. 15.86] By Sri Rasikananda's mercy many Mohammedans, who were actually just impious and wicked atheists, became worshipers of the Supreme Lord. Also many virtuous kings and zamindars such as the king of Mayurbhanj named Vaidyanatha Bhanj, the king of Patashpur known as Gajapati and Candrabhanu, the king of Moyna, took shelter at hislotus feet. What to speak of those pious and noble gentlemen, even the sinful zamindar Bhima, the Mohammedan Suba Ahmadbeg and the wicked atheist Srikar also surrendered themselves at his lotus feet. A vicious, wild elephant was tamed by Rasikananda's transcendental influence and henceforward was known as Gopala das. Later, two jungle tigers likewise gave up their ferocious nature.

Accepting the order of his guru, Sri Syamananda, on his head, Rasikananda preached the message of Sri Gaursundar in the world for approximately 16 years. Thereafter he entered into his eternal pastimes through the lotus feet of Gopinatha at Remuna. On the first day of the bright fortnight in the month of Phalguna, Sakabda 1574 (Christian year 1652), Rasikananda quietly slipped out of the village Santa without anyone's notice and walked to Remuna. Arriving there, he discussed Krsna-katha with the devotees there for a while and instructed everyone to serve Sri Krsna with devotion. Then, after requesting them to begin sankirtana, he entered the temple of Sri Gopinatha, and after touching Kshira-chora Gopinatha's lotus feet, which bestow complete fearlessness, he entered into their ultimate shelter.
Rasikananda prabhu’s samadhi is at the Temple of Kshira-chora Gopinath at Remuna just in front and to the right as you go in the main gate, with the temple to the left, and admin’ offices straight ahead.

Sri Rasikananda had three sons: Sri Radhananda, Sri Krsna-Govinda and Sri Radha-Krsna. The present servants of Sri Sri Radha-Govindadeva at Gopiballabhapur are their descendents. He composed Sri Shyamananda-sataka, Srimad Bhagavatastaka as well as other hymns and songs. His Sripat Gopiballabhpur can be reached from Calcutta by taking a train to Khavagpur, and a bus to Gopiballabhpur from there. There is also a temple of Rasikananda at Puri. One year, during Lord Jagannatha's Ratha-yatra festival, Rasikananda Deva was preaching somewhere in the country, but when he realised that it was time for Ratha-yatra he dropped everything and rushed like the wind in order to come to Nilacala in time for the festival. But in the meantime the festival had already begun. Lord  jagannath, Who felt reciprocal separation from His dear devotee Rasikananda, caused the Rath to stop. Though the king summoned his elephants to push the Ratha, under no circumstances could they budge it, not even an inch. Then Lord Jagannatha, seeing that the king was becoming frustrated, informed him that he was waiting for His devotee Rasika. Finally Rasikananda Deva arrived, carrying with him many offerings of silk clothes and other presents. He fell down tooffer his dandavats before Lord Jagannatha, and the king requested him to pull the rope at which the cart began to easily move along the road, just as the clouds move in the sky. Later the king requested Rasikananda to accept gift of land so he might establish a temple there. Rasikananda requested the place known as Fultota Math, which is now known as Kunja Math. There he installed the Deity of Sri Bat Krsna. The Deity is now known as Sri Sri Radha-Rasika Raya.

Following is an excerpt of a beautiful letter of H.H Jayapataka Maharaj to one doubting devotee who had stopped visiting Iskcon temple.

.... I am very sorry that you do not like to visit ISKCON temples.  Srila Prabhupada has described that the temples are like Hospitals.  If you go to Hospital, you find disease if you are looking for it.  If you go to Hospital, you also find hope of getting a cure for someone who is suffering. If you go to the temple looking for anxiety and unhappiness, certainly you will find that amongst neophyte devotees in the Temple.  If you go to the Temples looking for Krishna Conciousness and hope  expanding this spiritual right of realisation of Krishna, I am sure you  also find that.

Certainly such and such... devotee is in real substandard situation, yet at the same time we have to hand it to them that somehow or the other they arestill keeping the service to Lord Nitai Gaurachandra going on.In India you find many temples, thousands of years old,with very low standard of  service, and devotees would criticise them. BUt Srila Prabhupada would  say"Well you have to hand it to them that still after this time,they are  still serving Krishna. will you be able to keep the service going in all  the temples after I Leave?".

we see after Srila Prabhupada left,many devotees are trying to find excuses why not be attached to Srila Prabhupad's mission, not trying to work  together to keep his temples going.  Who is responsible? every one of us is responsible. I am trying to do  something in this regard, although i feel a lot more needs to be done.  What we really need is positive suggestions and positive input. Some one  like yourself who is attached to Srila Prabhupad's Vision should not be pre occupied with whatever are the deficiencies. There will be always  deficiencies.

Srila Prabhupada had to work very hard under so many deficiencies. when the devotees asked him how it was in the god old days, referring to the 60's  and the early 70's. Srila Prabhupada said,"Those were not good old days, those were the difficult days.Now are the Good days."Srila Prabhupada had  to work under so many deficiencies, teaching devotees how to wear saris and  dhoties and go to Bathroom, and so many things.

Still we have to deal with so many problems at the present time, to keep  things upto Srila Prabhupada's vision and upto the standard he wanted. So any  positive input,service that you can do,Srila Prabhupada will certainly  give you all blessings for that.Whether you are successful in this life  time or not,in achieving completely,Srila prabhupada's dream , let it go  down in history that we tried our level's best. Inspite of all obstacles, we have simply served, trying to achieve srila prabhupada's vision ...................................................

You are seeing many incongruities in ISKCON. In this regard, Srila Prabhupada used to preach to devotees who also saw such incongruities, that  ISKCON was his body. During other times in a more light tone he said the  English Slogan,"Oh, England with all her Faults! still i love thee."

ISKCON is the boat to take us back to Krishna,with the association of  devotees,with the teachings of Krishna conciousness. one can practise those  principles in his house, but practically speaking,  without association it's  very difficult......

We want to make ISKCON the ideal place that Srila Prabhupada has envisioned. Let us all work together as brothers or as Family Members with the same objective.

We are in the common BOAT crossing over the ocean of birth and death, even if the boat has a hole in it and water is rushing in,does it make sense tojump off the boat and try to swim across the ocean? obviously let us plug the hole and keep rowing. we are better off in the boat than swimming in the ocean filled with sharks and other predators......

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Brahmatirtha a Rutgers University graduate explains  reincarnation in common sense terms. Srila Prabhupada expounds  about who is the operator of life. Apeanut butter sandwich is offered to God and becomes prasadam. The viewer is shown how offer his food at home and make it sanctified. George Harrison plays the harmonium and leads his Krishna friends in chanting the Lord's name.

149d.Cooking for flavor and health with George Harrison,Nityananda rama George Harrison explains that the person is the soul. The chef of a vegetarian cooking class explains how she cooks for both flavor and health. The concept of karma is explained according  to the Vedas of India.The viewer visits Kalachandji's Garden Restaurant and Palace.The host of a TV show is blown away by the taste of the food at Kalachandji's restaurant. Nikunja  shows theviewer how to do mantra meditation  and invites the viewer to chant with her.

148d. what happens at the time of death with Tamal Krishna Goswami,George Harrison, Kalachandji complex Tamal Krisna Goswami explains the vedic conception of what happens at the time of death. Krista explains that the soul is according to the Hare Krishna philosophy. George Harrison sings My Sweet Lord. Anandini gives a tour of the Resturant, temple of the Kalachandji complex in Dallas Texas.

Live From Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir!
Date: March 1st, 2011
Topic: Dhruva Maharaja Goes Back To Godhead
Verse: 4. 12. 24
Speaker: HH Devamrta Swami

tasyakhila-jagad-dhatur
avam devasya sarnginah
parsadav iha sampraptau
netum tvam bhagavat-padam

TRANSLATION: We are representatives of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the creator of the whole universe, who carries in His hand the bow named Sarnga. We have been specifically deputed to take you to the spiritual world.

PURPORT: In Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that simply by knowing His transcendental pastimes (whether within this material world or in the spiritual world), anyone who understands factually who He is, how He appears and how He acts can be immediately fit for transfer to the spiritual world. This principle stated in the Bhagavad-gita operated in the case of King Dhruva. Throughout his life he tried to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by austerity and penances. Now, the mature result was that Dhruva Maharaja became fit to be carried to the spiritual world, accompanied by the confidential associates of the Lord. [End of Srila Prabhupada's purport to SB 4.12.24]

HH Devamrta Swami: In this section of Srimad Bhagavatam we are again presented with the transcendental system and how it interacts with the material world. We see the transformation of Dhruva Maharaja. In spite of an inferior motivation due to his superior service he attains the supreme destination. We also are understanding a situation that is sort of a death when Dhruva Maharaj as a result of his following the instructions of Narada Muni attained the darsan of The Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The Lord touched His conch shell to the head of Dhruva. In that way Dhruva became free from all material contamination and was able to offer choice prayers to the Lord. You may remember how the Lord took effort to persuade Dhruva, "Don't worry that you first approached Me with material desires. You are a child. You have childish ambitions to have the greatest kingdom. I am not holding this against you." Just see how the Supreme Personality of Godhead is so sensitive in interpersonal relationships.

In some religious theologies it is stated, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." That is true. It is the beginning of wisdom but it is not the end of wisdom. First we must accept the supreme authority of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We become aware of His system for maintaining this material world, His system for instructing living entities how they can reform but once we acknowledge the authority of the Lord there is no need to continue fearing.

The example often given is that who fears the police? Ideally speaking no one fears police except criminals. Law abiding citizens are very happy to see the police in their neighborhood. In fact they complain if there is not enough presence of the police but it is the criminals who become fearful and disturbed by police presence. Similarly when we advance beyond our criminal activities of material existence then we are happy to accept the authority of the Supreme Lord and we can begin to progress towards love of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So again even though the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom it is not the end of wisdom.

Dhruva Maharaja in his going to the spiritual world is showing what is the end of all wisdom. He received the service from the Lord to rule for thirty six thousand years in opulence. That opulence was because the Lord trusted him. "You service will not be compromised by opulence." Although usually the sastra explains that the Lord does not like to give His pure devotees opulence because they can become swayed by it but in the case of Dhruva,which is considered a special case something else was in operation.

He also received a benediction that his senses would not grow old. In looking at Dhruva Maharaj's understanding of his sensory situation at the time of his attaining darsan of the Supreme Lord we can take note of his self analysis. He presented himself to the Lord that, "Basically I realized now that was asleep. All my senses were asleep." Under the influence of may we consider our material activities performed in material existence to be vibrant, meaningful and very important. We consider our senses to be reliable instruments for interacting with reality but Dhruva is telling us something different. He presents himself as being asleep, all his senses were asleep but upon attaining the darsan of the Supreme Personality of Godhead he now is awakened.

After ruling in this world for thirty six thousand years with undiminished strength and sensory capacity it is time for him to go back to Godhead. Actually this is like a death but because his spiritual acumen is so powerful death becomes overshadowed. He is leaving behind his body, which was free of all material contamination and he is transforming into a spiritual body. As he approaches the Vaikuntha aircraft his body becomes a golden hue indicating that it is no longer material. It is no longer the iron rod in the fire that acts like fire. His body is now going to become like fire. It is going to become  spiritual. Although previously his body was fully engaged in the Lord's service now he is going a step further in his spiritual development.

We don't see this as death because we are focused on Dhruva's glories. We are focused on Dhruva's being invited by the representatives of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to board the Vaikuntha craft and go to Vaikuntha. But just to let us know how things operate in the complete picture of the spiritual, material realities death does show up and Dhruva is not afraid of death personified. For a materialist death is the most frightening experience and here, death personified is coming to meet Dhruva but instead Dhruva utilizes even death in the lord's service by stepping on the head of death to climb up into the Vaikuntha aircraft. This is a Vaisnava, utilizing everything in the service of the Lord. Of course death recognizing that this devotee is not in my jurisdiction offers obeisances providing that convenient stepping stone so to speak for Dhruva Maharaj.

The circumstances of death and a devotee can often be a little puzzling. That is why when death personified approaches Dhruva Srila Prabhupada gives us some in depth understanding that the death of a devotee and the death of a non devotee are never the same. Internally they are completely different experiences although externally they look the same. Because of Dhruva's spiritual stature we don't so much pay attention to death showing up. We don't consider that his death is death. We just see how his body becomes spiritual and he boards the Vaikuntha aircraft. Any death of a devotee is not the same experience as conventually understood.

In preceding days we heard discussion about the great devotee Jayananda Prabhu and how he wanted to leave this world before Srila Prabhupada left the vision of this world. Just after his passing Srila Prabhupada wrote him a letter and expressed feelings of separation, expressed gratitude, expressed hope and also Srila Prabhupada gave a lesson in the next life options of a devotee if the devotee finishes his business, if a devotee doesn't finish his business. But first we can note in this letter that was published in the 'Back to Godhead Magazine' in 1976.

Srila Prabhupada expressed his feelings of separation from his disciple showing that the guru and disciple relationship is not just some kind of formality or ritual. The depths of reciprocation become more and more visible as the relationship matures. Based on teamwork in serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead the guru and disciple develop a firm bond of friendship, the sastras say, but the friendship is not like mundane friendship or casual relationship. It is friendship based on being friendly to the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So Srila Prabhupada expressed, "I am feeling great separation from you."Then he recited a bit of the devotional service done by Jayananda Prabhu. "You gave me five thousand dollars for printing in the early days of Iskcon." Obviously Srila Prabhupada was very touched by that. And then he expressed his hope. "I hope that you went to Krishna's association." Still it is the job of the acarya to instruct his disciples.

So for the benefit of his disciples Prabhupada explained the various options, "I hope you went back to Godhead but if you have the slightest tinge of material desire then here is what's happened, you have gone to the heavenly planets where you will enjoy unsurpassable material enjoyment for thousands of years. In the heavenly planets after enjoying for such thousands of years you can go back to Godhead."

We see in the Bhagavatam that there is a system presented for going back to Godhead via the heavenly planets. Then Prabhupada explains another option,"If that doesn't work in terms of your going back to Godhead, if you don't go back to Godhead from the heavenly planets then you come back down to earth and then you take birth in a big yogis family or a big brahmanas family and then you get the chance to go back to Godhead again."

In this way we can see the whole cosmological system. We see the universe in both the middle and upper planetary systems as a chance for going back to Godhead. That is the purpose of the universe to reform. Then Srila Prabhupada added his confirmation, "But because you were hearing Krishna kirtana I am sure you went back to Godhead." And he explained that anyone who understands Krishna,

janma karma ca me divyam, evam yo vetti tattvatah [Bg 4.9]

At the time of relinquishing this body they won't take another body. Jayananda Prabhu when he left this world he had devotees screaming the holy names in both ears. [Haribol] he had a tape recorder that he would always keep with him that would play - back then in the seventies they had these tape cassettes that were endless, that they would just repeat over and over again. He didn't have to rewind.

So he had one of those tapes in the tape recorder and he would just play the Hare Krishna mantra of Prabhupada chanting, constantly. In his final moments he kept trying to press that tape recorder to his ear. Then the devotees saw that he was leaving and because they read in the Srimad Bhagavatam that at the time of death gradually the sense of hearing will go so one devotee got on each ear and started screaming the holy name into his ear. In that way he left this world.

Srila Prabhupada ended his letter to the departed soul, Jayananda by saying, at least it cause me to think, "Krishna has done you a great favor by ending your life in that diseased body." From a material point of view we think if Krishna is going to do me a favor He should heal my body [Laughter] so I could live longer. Who wants to leave this world prematurely? Jayananda was thirty eight. Krishna should hear my prayer, heal my body and let me live a few more years but Prabhupada is giving us a different way of looking at the situation.

Krishna did him a favor by riding him of a problematic material body. Then he concluded by saying, "Krishna is giving you a place in His service. I thank you very much." In this way we see what is normally the greatest disaster, from the material point of view - to give up the material body, instead, just like we see in the case of Dhruva Maharaja, it is the greatest victory.

When we read accounts in Bhagavatam we are presented with so much cosmological information that it can be mind boggling. We hear how Dhruva Maharaja in going back to Vaikuntha he could see all the higher planets what to speak of what we are dealing with in terms of the representatives of the Supreme Personality of Godhead coming to escort Dhruva to his special planet.

Srimad-Bhagavatam has always been a problem for mundane scholars. From the first time that they laid eyes on it during the days of early British colonialism in India they had a problem with Srimad-Bhagavatam because of what they considered stupendous or just totally out of the ordinary, beyond material conception. Even the information given about the material world in the Bhagavatam was so contrary that many British scholars considered Bhagavatam to be very primitive. It had to be primitive because its concepts were so defying.

Therefore they started giving most of their attention to the study of the four Vedas and arbitrarily made a decision that the Bhagavatam and other Puranas were something very recent. One of the foremost Purana experts in western scholarship was very honest and said, "One reason why the Puranas have such a bad name and no one pays much attention to them is because they are too vast and they require too much work from scholars." He said, "Most of your life will be spent trying to devise some methodology of approaching the Puranas, to analyze it what to speak of trying to make sense of it. Therefore the Puranas including Srimad Bhagavatam were considered some type of lower status."

Even in the history of India, even to this day you have a group, various groups but particularly the Arya-samaj who consider that the Bhagavatam and other Puranas are inferior texts and that Hindus should focus on the four Vedas. This is a political calculation done at the beginning of the twentieth century by various Hindu leaders that if you want to unite all the Hindus you got a problem with Bhagavatam. Out there it is just too mind-boggling. Better to look for Vedic texts that are more sedate and more conducive for material consciousness. So even in this way amongst Hindus in India what to speak of amongst western scholars Srimad-Bhagavatam got a bad name.

As followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who instructed us before you are liberated read Srimad-Bhagavatam and after you are liberated go on reading Srimad-Bhagavatam. We don't run away from the Mayavadi presentation of Bhagavatam. In fact Bhagavatam will lead the way into a new understanding of the universe, new for western society in that Bhagavatam is not geocentric. It is not an earth focused sastra. It presents the vision of life everywhere in the universe what to speak of pure spiritual existence beyond the universe.

As we get deeper into the twenty first century more and more the topic of 'Is there Life on Other Planets?' the question is becoming more and more i There is fear - political fear, religious fear. Polls have shown that the majority of people in western countries, North America, Europe accept that there is life on other planets and they feel that particularly the US Government is covering up. Government leaders have come right out and said this. Former defense minister of Canada recently has said, "I know it is all true. In my capacity as defense minister of Canada I have talked to top American military leaders. It is all true. Things are being covered up. Why don't they just come out with it?" The former defense minister of the UK has asked, "Why doesn't the American military come clean? Top generals in France have also said the same thing.

The question is what is the fear? You can see sort of the same mentality manifested when persons read Srimad Bhagavatam from a mundane point of view. If this is true everything about our life is true. Not only spiritually, materially too! Some say this is the reason why some major governments are holding back on information. They don't want the people to become disturbed. They don't want everything we know about life today to be fractured. There has to be stability and understanding for continued economic development and weapons manufacture. And even that disturbsiis a very threat to human development. But if we leave aside the world of government reactions to extra terrestrial life you got something even probably more monumental to deal with and that is religions that took their birth in the near east, synergic religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam. They are extraordinarily earth bound, geocentric.

Some religious leaders are saying that the greatest challenge to Islam, Christianity and Judaism will be how their religions handle life on other planets. What if there are some other people on another planet that turn out to be the chosen people of God. How does Jesus Christ's crucifixion and his offering atonement for people on earth how does that apply to residents of other planets?

In the UK in the Anglican Church a survey was taken and ninety five percent of the Bishops agreed that life on other planets is a possibility and if it turns out to be true Christianity and its doctrines have to be heavily modified. Some scientists come straight out and say it that the coup of extraterrestrial life means the death of Christianity as we know it. It call into question too many basic fundamentals or lacks of metaphysical understanding. What is the status of people on other planets? How will they be saved if they seem to be outside the jurisdiction of the mercy of the son of God just because they are not on a planet where the mercy of the crucifixion holds forth?

Certainly Srimad-Bhagavatam, Caitanya-caritamrta, Bhagavad-gita are not phased off by any revelation by life on other planets. We are not dealing with geocentric texts and we are not dealing with a geocentric Krishna consciousness movement. Krishna dasa Kaviraj Goswami explains that Krishna delivered everyone in the universe by coming as Lord Caitanya and mostly that was done by direct contact.

So things during Caitanya lila were happening on different levels. You know how when Lord Caitanya was in Jagannath Puri every year for the most part the residents of Navadwip would come to see Him there. Beyond that though persons from all over India would come to see Lord Caitanya but beyond that residents of planets throughout the universe would disguise themselves as human beings and come and see Lord Caitanya and in that way predominantly by direct contact Lord Caitanya, His sankirtana movement affected the whole universe. For the small number of those who did not have a chance to directly contact Lord Caitanya He empowered pure devotees by manifesting in them such a great presence of Himself that people recognized the Lord Caitanya is present in this devotee and they got the same benefit in that way.

Another way of course was by His avirbhava manifestation, showing up in special places such as in Saci Mata's home temple, wherever Nityananda Prabhu danced, during kirtan at Srivas Thakur's house and when Raghava Pandit will offer food. So in this way we certainly are not restricted to an earthly understanding of bhakti. We are not restricted to an earthly understanding to a scope of Srimad-Bhagavatam or the Krishna consciousness movement.

Let us consider Dhruva Maharaja's selfish motives, how he started out. Because of the brilliant arrangement of Narada Muni, Dhruva's selfish desires were channeled in such a way that he became purified to the point that he could see the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Upon Dhruva's going back to Godhead, Narada Muni will express his appreciation showing the gratitude that the spiritual father feels for the spiritual progress of his son.

Srila Prabhupada once gave a very brilliantly transcendental definition of management. Usually we think management means dollars and cents and logistics. Srila Prabhupada explained that management means to create a desire to be Krishna conscious in people who have no desire. That is management. So this is what Narada Muni did. He got hold of that drive of Dhruva to have a better kingdom than anyone in his family had and that meant not just better than Uttanapada, his father. It also meant better than Manu, his grandfather and better than Brahma, his great grandfather.

Narada Muni captured that selfish spirit and converted it into service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Dhruva to his extraordinary credit took the instructions, as you now, of Narada Muni and Narada Muni will celebrate that fact as Dhruva is going back to Godhead. Because of Narada Muni's expertise someone who had ferocious material desires ends up a different way - so much so that when Dhruva saw the Personality of Godhead he lamented,"What a fool I was!" Never the less as we said the Lord assures Dhruva. "I am not taking seriously your childish ambitions." It was the service of Dhruva and his dedication to the instructions of his spiritual master that totally changed the situation and therefore the Lord overlooked his motives.

Material life means selfish motives. Krishna conscious management means how to take something that is originally selfish and change it to something pure. We find in one purport in Caitanya-caritamrta the statement that this Krishna conscious movement is meant to attract all kinds of persons, not simply those who are free of material desires but it is also meant to attract persons with all kinds of material desires. By their association with devotees they change.

There are other examples in Bhagavatam about selfish motives being utilized skillfully. They are managed expertly. Kasyapa Muni had to deal with this situation on two occasions from two of his wives. First we read that he had to deal with Diti, the mother of the demons, the daityas. She was extremely angry with Indra. She blamed Indra for Lord Varaha and Lord Nrsimhadev's killing of her sons. She was quite fortunate in that she didn't blame the Lord but someone had to get her wrath. [Laughter] You may be able to sympathize with her. She lost two sons.

In her mind as expressed in the Bhagavatam she is thinking, "Only when Indra is killed can my mind rest in peace." This is the epitome of materialism. Only when some material objective is achieved will my mind be peaceful. She wanted Indra dead. She considered that Indra just to preserve his temporary material body, even though he's the king of heaven, still his body is material. Just to preserve that temporary body he had manipulated such a great offense as to have her sons killed by Visnu.

Therefore figuring Indra as the culprit, the one who is behind the whole scene, she wanted Indra dead. So she came up with a plan. She began to serve Kasyapa Muni so gorgeously, so submissively, so sweetly. In this way the Bhagavatam says she captured his mind and brought it under her control - by this artificial behavior. Artificial behavior because she had a nefarious plan!

Kasyapa Muni fell for it hook, line and sinker! And you can read several verses in the Bhagavatam in which he begins to express to her. "You have served your husband who is the source of the demigods; you have served your husband the representative of the Supreme Lord, any benediction you like will be yours. I am so pleased by you." He was ivery profusely and then when he asked her, "What benediction do you want?" She flaws it, "I want Indra dead." [Laughter] "I want a son who will kill Indra."

Instantly Kasyapa Muni's jubilation turns to the greatest lamentation, "What have I done?!! Indra doesn't deserve to die. I can't be an instrument in Indra's death." Then he begins to condemn himself. "I lost control of my senses. I was not acting in a way in which I could give proper spiritual guidance. It is my fault." So what to do? He then showed some brilliant manageriall skills. He takes advantage of Diti's selfish drive for her to become purified. "Here's a way you can kill Indra. You have to follow these practices for one year."

He gives a whole list of do not do this; do not do that in such a way that all these negatives back her to the door of bhakti. And he tells her to worship the cows, the brahmanas and the Supreme Lord. "If you do this process perfectly for one year you will have a son who can kill Indra. If there is a slightest slip up you get a son who is Indra's friend." Just see how he is correcting the situation. As proper guru for his wife he is channeling her desires in a way that something else will happen.

So she is very happy to hear this and she assures him, "Just tell me what I have to do. There will be no problem. I am going to do everything perfectly. I want Indra dead. [Laughter] Thank you so much for giving me this Vaisnava process so that Indra will die. The sastra describes she duly became pregnant by Kasyapa. She can't kill Indra but as a woman she can have a child who can kill Indra. So she duly became pregnant and Indra knew what was going on. He also had selfish desires. Self preservation is the first principle of existence. So what did Indra do? He came to serve his pregnant aunt as a menial servant, waiting on her hand and foot.

The Bhagavatam describes that just like a hunter of a deer covers himself with the deer skin to mix with the deer and achieve his goal Indra did the same thing. He was just waiting and watching, "As soon as she makes a slip up in her sadhana then I have the opening to terminate her pregnancy." So he was waiting and watching but she does everything flawlessly and Indra is becoming in complete anxiety, "How can I save my skin?" But as the time and the year and her vrata was going on Diti became weak and she slipped up. She went to sleep without washing her hands after eating and that was a deviation from the vow.

Indra then took advantage for his own purposes. He was able to enter her womb and he cut the embryo into seven pieces and then these seven pieces to another seven pieces but the children didn't die. Forty nine Maruts took birth and they expressed to Indra, "What are you doing. We are your friends." Then Indra had the realization, "These are actually my friends.What do I have to fear from them?" Then Diti after delivering the forty nine sons when she expected only one son - A mother of forty nine sons! [Laughter] She was very happy because of that. Then she saw all these forty nine sons were friends of Indra she didn't mind. Why didn't she mind?

She had become purified by Kasyapa Muni's instructions. She had become a Vaisnava which was Kasyapa Muni's intent. She confessed to Indra, she became straightforward. "I just want a son who would kill you." And then Indra, because she was straightforward he decided to be straightforward. "Well you know," [Laughter] (That was putting the cards on the table.) "I was rendering you menial service but I have to confess I wasn't exactly selfless. I had a particular motivation" So they both came clean and both had become purified. Diti had become purified because of following Kasyapa's instructions. She forgot about her desire to have a son to kill Indra. And Indra became purified also because he was serving Diti who was practicing Vaisnava sadhana and because Indra although serving her with his own motivation he also became purified.

So in the end everyone forgot their enmity and Indra took the forty nine Maruts with him to the heavenly planets. The forty nine sons of Diti instead of becoming demons because Diti is the mother of demons, they became demigods. In this way because of skilful management although there were extremely selfish motivations something else happened.

Then the other wife of Kasyapa, Aditi, the mother of the demigods, she was lamenting at one point that the demons have chased her sons including Indra from the heavenly planets. She was missing her sons and in such extreme lamentation she appealed to Kasyapa Muni, "Can you do something so that I can be with my sons again? Can you do something so that my sons will come back?" First Kasyapa Muni expressed that this was the power of sneha bada, bondage due to affection.

It is amazing how we think we are the body. But then he gave her a process for using that selfish motivation, benign selfish motivation and in that way the supreme good resulted by Aditi following the payo vrata, a particular vrata that Kasyapa gave her. She got the darsan of the Supreme Lord who agreed to become her son. He appeared as Lord Vamana. Lord Vamana achieved the purpose of returning the demigods to the heavenly planets by taking the universe back from Bali Maharaja.

In this way we can see skilful management at work and we should not feel that my life is hopeless because how will we ever render meaningful service to the Lord because of tinges of material desire. When Srila Prabhupada wrote to Jayananda, "If you have the slightest tinge of material desire you didn't go back to Godhead, you went to the heavenly planets." What's the hope for us? But because you were hearing krsna-kirtan I know you went back to Godhead.

Our management centers upon hearing krsna-kirtana which purifies selfish motivation and allows...in this age of kali and you can go back to Godhead in one lifetime. Are there any questions?

Prabhu: Hare Krishna Maharaja, thank you for your wonderful presentation. Earlier in the class you were speaking about, you were saying you service would not be compromised by opulence and the Lord usually doesn't like to give opulence because one can be swayed by such opulence. So my question is what are the dynamics by which one can be swayed by opulence and how can a devotee safe guard against this?

HH Devamrta Swami: Simply by remembering that everything belongs to Krishna, using everything in Krishna's service and don't have connections with things that are not engaged in Krishna's service. Usually Prabhupada explains in one purport in this section of Druva Maharaja's Krishna like to take away the opulence of pure devotees. In describing about himself Prabhupada said,"I know all about this." yasyaham anugrhnami, harisye tad-dhanam sanaih [SB 10.88.8] Lord Hari takes away all the impediments to pure devotion and He gives the ecstatic devotion. We may be fearful about the taking away part but the giving part is the greatest benediction, giving that pure devotion.

Prabhupada once explained that, "There was no doubt about my executing the order of my Guru Maharaja to spread Krishna consciousness in the west. I took that from the very beginning as my heart and soul but I wanted to do that as a rich man. I thought no one would be impressed by a poor mendicant from India but if I have wealth then the world will listen." His plan was to become wealthy and in that way carry out the order of his Guru Maharaja. And he said that so strologers had analyzed that he was meant to become one of the richest men in India's history. He said, "I wanted to do it as a rich man. Krishna wanted me to do it as a poor man." So he said, "We had an argument. [Laughter] We had an argument and Krishna won. Go to the US as a penniless beggar."

Prabhu: A very brief and simple question, Maharaj. I understood and I appreciate the point you made that many of the western religions tend to be very earth bound. Geocentric is the word you used a couple of times but just for a clarification, cosmologically I understand that the Vedic paradigm, the Puranic paradigm is also geocentric. We are on Jambudvip which is on the centre of Bhumandala. Could you clarify that?

HH Devamrta Swami: Geocentric means earth is the only place that anything is happening. In fact only human beings have souls and there is no concept of life on other planets and how that relates to salvation. There is no concept of how life on other planets gets the mercy of the Lord. That is what I meant. Therefore that is why we recognize that the reality of life on other planets will cause severe doctrinal problems and therefore ninety five percent of the Bishops of the Anglican Church have agreed that will be the case. So I think we are getting late. Thank you very much! Hare Krishna.
[Applause]

Live From Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir!

Date: February 28th, 2011

Topic: Dhruva Maharaja Goes Back To Godhead

SB: 4. 12. 23

Speaker: HG Urmila Mataji
sunanda-nandav ucatuh

bho bho rajan subhadram te

vacam no 'vahitah srnu

yahpanca-varsas tapasa

bhavan devam atitrpat

TRANSLATION: Nanda and Sunanda, the two confidential associates of Lord Visnu, said: Dear King, let there be all good fortune unto you. Please attentively hear what we shall say. When you were only five years old, you underwent severe austerities, and you thereby greatly satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT: What was possible for Dhruva Maharaja is possible for anyone. Any five-year-old child can be trained, and within a very short time his life will become successful by realization of Krishna consciousness. Unfortunately, this training is lacking all over the world. It is necessary for the leaders of the Krishna consciousness movement to start educational institutions in different parts of the world to train children, starting at the age of five years. Thus such children will not become hippies or spoiled children of society; rather, they can all become devotees of the Lord. The face of the world will then change automatically. [End of Srila Prabhupada's purport to SB 4.12.24]

HG Urmila Mataji: This is the airplane coming to see Dhruva Maharaj. When I looked in advance at the verse and purport that Krishna somehow arranged for me to speak on I was very astonished. I will read Srila Prabhupada's  translation and purport. [Reads] I promise you I did not choose this purport [Laughter] It is just in order. I was thinking how the leaders of the Krishna Consciousness Movement who are all meeting now in Mayapur, of course most of them are now in meetings. We will read the verse again. [Reads]

Prabhupada says here that if we start institutions all over the world, in different places of the world to train children the face of the world will then change automatically. So what kind of face will we like to have on our world? Imagine if anywhere you could go in the world there was a prasadam restaurant; if all the milk we drank in the world was from protected cows; if all the music was glorifying the Lord; if all the drama was glorifying the Lord; if all of the fruits, vegetable, the water, the air, the land was pure and sanctified; if the governments were full of raja-rsis; if it waseasy to maintain yourself in such a way that you could naturally think of Krishna!
Prabhupada in his purport to,

yat karosi yad asnasi, yaj juhosi dadasi yatyat tapasyasi kaunteya, tat kurusva mad-arpanam [Bg 9.27]
He said everyone has to maintain their body but you should mould your life in such a way that you cannot help but remember Krishna at every moment. To do that in the present world is very difficult. Very difficult to get an education, get a livelihood in such a way you can remember Krishna! If the face of the world would change then everywhere you would be able to remember Krishna. 

We may say, "Okay but the leaders of this Krishna consciousness Movement are not going to start these educational institutions in different parts of the world tomorrow and even if they did it would take at least twenty or thirty years before the face of the world would change and by that time I may be in another body." Well from that consideration also we want to have educational institutions.

Twenty verse later Srila Prabhupada quoting Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati makes the point that if one is as serious and sincere as Dhruva Maharaja one can go back to Godhead in one life. Are we as serious and sincere as Dhruva Maharaja? Anybody feels, "I am as serious and sincere as Dhruva Maharaja?" Five year old boy went to the forest with wild beasts and did such tapasya. After a while he was only breathing every few days.
We are working on a drama, 'The Three Lives of Bharat Maharaja' Bharat was the son of? Who is his father? Rsabdeva - incarnation of God was his father. He attained the stage of bhava and he became a deer. Then again took birth in a family of brahmanas. It took him at least three lives.

bahunam janmanam ante, jnanavan mam prapadyatevasudevah sarvam iti, sa mahatma su-durlabhah [Bg 7.19]
My god brother Sridhara Swami once asked a meeting of the leaders, "How many of you are hundred percent certain that at the end of this life you will go to Goloka Vrindavan?" So then where will we go if there are no institutions in different parts of the world to train children? We might be one of the children and then we might have to go to a school where just being a vegetarian is a reason for the other children to tease you, "Oh what's that funny food you are eating? You don't go to restaurants? You don't know what the latest movie is? What's wrong with you?
And if you talk as I have to as many members of our second generation how much they suffer in such schools where either hey have to give up their Krishna consciousness in order to be socially accepted or if they wanted to keep their Krishna consciousness they were social outcastes. Where will we go? Would we like to be in such schools where there is such a struggle even to eat vegetarian food what to speak of anything else?

So it is the duty of all of us to have such educational institutions. But you may say, "Well why is that so important? Why are we focusing on this?' Sometimes we focus on other things. We have to establish varnasrama. Of course this is part of varnasrama, the brahmacari part. But we always have to do harinam sankirtan. Of course this is also part of that. But if we want to ask, "Why schools? Why training for children?"

First I am going to look at a mundane reason. There are a couple of researches, Roger Finke, who is a professor of sociology and religious studies at Pennsylvania State University and he did research over a decade as to what where the factors in common for a religious organization to continue to exists. He says most religious institutions last less than a hundred years. Out of thousands and thousands and thousands of religious movements that start hardly any last for a hundred years and get at least a hundred thousand followers. Of course that is not our primary interest. Our  primary interest is in purity, in bhakti, in change of heart, not in numbers and years but I think all of us, would we all like the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to still be functioning on thousands of years. Would we like more and more people to join our society?

So he lists ten factors which are found in common and two of them have to do with children that are found in religious institutions that remain and grow. One of them is having lots of children. I am sure you all know that the fastest growing religion in the world is Islam. Do you know why? They have a lot of children.

Somehow in our Hare Krishna Movement we have adopted the materialistic view of children. The materialistic view is that life is for sense gratification. If life is for sense gratification children are a major impediment. It is very hard to go out to parties all day long and make a lot of money if you have ten children. You have to be responsible. Somehow we brought in the name of renunciation we brought this mentality into our Hare Krishna Movement. That is not a Vedic mentality. Bhaktivinode Thakur had twelve children. Srila Prabhupada had five children. He had more children than that!

Srila Prabhupada writes in Caitanya-caritamrta that every woman desires at least half a dozen children. So modern society is get married late. If you get married late then naturally you will not have very many children. Prabhupada taught us to get married early. So if you are going to marry do it before thirty. Not that you get married at forty five and then you have to try to renounce when you are eighty. We do it backwards you know! So get married early and have wonderful children. Prabhupada said if you can have Krishna conscious children have one hundred children.

There is no religious system in history of the world that has gone on past one or two generations if no one has children. The religious systems were everyone is celibate; they don't get enough converts to keep going. And if we look at what is one of the main sources of people coming into our Krishna consciousness movement, it is the children of the Hindus. Of course now the Hindus too are buying into the modern secular demoniac philosophy. When I was recently in South India everywhere I saw a sign, 'One is best.' Then it will become like China, one child policy. No one has a brother, sister, aunt, uncle or cousin anymore. So that is one thing - that there should be a lot of children. And not just a lot of children like a pig litter.

Roger Finke also found that the other thing related to children is that the children be, what he called properly socialized and that is what Srila Prabhupada is speaking about here. Because he says there are two problems with children born into a religion. This first is that if they are not properly trained they are likely to leave because they did not consciously choose that path in this life. (Of course he doesn't say 'in this life.')
The other is that the children born into a religion are more likely to lower the strictness. They have a tendency to want lesser degrees of strictness - again we have to say because they haven't made that fervent, fanatic conversion experience that people not born in that system went through. Therefore he says without proper socialization the children will not add to the society. So that is one reason why we want schools, a sociological reason.

Then Srila Prabhupada is giving a transcendent reason - that the children will become devotees of the Lord. So a devotee has all good qualities. And the wonderful thing in this verse about the devotees of the Lord - I am not anywhere close to a Sanskrit scholar but one Sanskrit scholar, Dwijamani Prabhu, disciple of Ravindra Svarupa, he was noting in this verse that this word vacam no which is vacam na is the plural of our.

In Sanskrit grammar there is singular, dual and plural. And you notice it is just Nanda and Sunanda talking - just two. But yet the 'we' is in a plural form. And he said that one commentator in the line of Vallabacarya - Girdhari Vallabh. He comments that the reason the plural is used here is that these devotees of the Lord are so glorious that you just don't think of them as two.

There is also an interesting word - atitrpat. Atitrpat is an unusual verb form. He said it was the root of a nick verb. I don't understand that but if you are a scholar you may take note. He says it is a very unusual verb form which is hardly ever seen. It means to cause to become. That Dhruva caused the Lord to become happy. isvarah paramah krsnah, sarva-karana-karanam  [Bs 5.1] The Lord is the cause of all causes.

There is that wonderful purport in the thirteen chapter of the tenth canto when all of the cowherd boys and calves turned into Visnu forms and the Lord is looking at the devotees, it says with  passion. And Srila Prabhupada says as do all the acaryas that the original form of this passion is affection. And this affection of the Lord develops desires in the devotee who are otherwise desireless. It causes them to be happy. But here we see that Dhruva is causing the Lord to be happy.

The Lord is unlimitedly happy. He is caused to be happy by His devotee. Therefore schools that produce devotees bring happiness to everyone.

mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena, bhakti-yogena sevatesa gunan samatityaitan, brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg 14.26]
As soon as one becomes a devotee he is above the modes of nature. It is the modes of nature that cause us to be selfish, cheating or we can say that it is our desire to be in the modes of nature. All the bad qualities! As soon as one as one is above the modes of nature one's original good qualities, because we are all part of Krishna, that means we have most of the qualities of Krishna to a small extent and when one becomes a devotee that is awakened.

So a school that would create devotees would change - as Prabhupada say here, the face of the world. You can say, "Well all the schools of the world teach values, honesty, responsibility, morality." But if you are not a devotee you are ultimately selfish. And if you are ultimately selfish how can you have any good qualities? You have good qualities up to a point. There will be a tipping point.

We are all honest people right? Everyone here is an honest person? We are all honest? Are we honest? Can anyone here say they are absolutely honest? And if you think when do we give up our   honesty, it is when we become afraid that if I am honest in this situation I will suffer. If you have no fear. The first quality of the divine listed in the sixteenth chapter of Bhagavad-gita is  fearlessness. How can you become fearless unless you are a devotee. Abhay Caranaravinda. You're at Krishna's lotus feet. Like Srila Prabhupada says the child holding on to the hand of their father or older brother, they are fearless. Let the bullies come. It doesn't matter. I have my father here to protect me. I am the soul, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg 2.20] I cannot be harmed. And when one is fearless, then and only then can one manifest all good qualities.

No system of values training however much developed by the most intelligent educators and psychologists will ever bring people to a real state of morality and ethics. This is why schools are so important to change the face of the world. Prabhupada said the children are like soft dough. He was speaking with Syamasundara. He said you can mould them in any way like soft dough. However you put them in the mould they will come out - like chapattis or katchories. Therefore to give children good association they will develop nicely. If you put them in bad association they will develop poorly. They have no independent psychology.

karanam guna-sango 'sya,sad-asad-yoni-janmasu [Bg 13.22]

Whatever modes we associate with that will determine our character. Have you ever wondered why there is death? Why didn't Krishna make a material world without death? One reason is that not all of our desires can be fulfilled in one body. And you have to forget one body before you can really get into the next one. But another reason especially for the human being is to allow us fresh slate were we don't have obliviously all these samskaras all the impressions of our previous lives.

One devotee talked about how he was bathing in Ganga here. He started to drown and he started to think of a chewing gum commercial. When you have a fresh start you can be molded to be a devotee of Krishna.
What will we do in these schools? First when I saw this purport I was very excited. I thought somehow or the other Krishna has engaged me for the last thirty years or so in trying to establish schools for children in different parts of the world. And then when I meditated on it further I thought this is kind of a political topic because people will say that the school has to be like this or it has to be like this, you have to have it this way or it is not bona fide. And I am sorry to say but even among those few - and there are very few, we only have as far as I know about fifteen schools all overthe world.

The majority of them are in India. In North America right now we have four - two of them in the same place. In Europe we have three - two of them in the same place. Most of our schools related to Srila Prabhupada are in India. Prabhupada says here 'in different parts of the world.' And even amongst those few there is often not cohesion. "Our school is better than your school. We are the only bona fide school." And of them the leaders, I am not just talking of leaders with the title - but often the leaders instead of encouraging the creation of more schools fight about what is the standardfor schools. We only have so much energy and we spend our energy fighting with each other what will be the point.

So I thought we could look at one of the principles. Those of you involved in education the first thing you have to decide is what are your principles. To determine this I went through a series of lectures Srila Prabhupada gave in Mumbai in 1976. He lectured on the verses from the Bhagavatam seventh canto, chapter twelve, texts one to six.
brahmacari guru-kule, vasan danto guror hitam [SB 7.12.1]

That series of verses about gurukula. Srila Prabhupada wanted to establish a school in Mumbai. If you are really interested in the subject of children's education I strongly recommend that you read and listen to those lectures. What is particularly interesting is that Srila Prabhupada would go back and forth between talking about the brahmacari asrama for adults and the gurukula school for children. Sometimes he would talk just about one or about the other. He would mix them. I always thought that our temple asramas were kind of gurukulas for adults. He talked about devotee training in general.

So I went through those lectures and picked up the principles that Srila Prabhupada gave as well as looking at some other sources when Srila Prabhupada talked about gurukula. Of course the first is as is said in this purport that the children become devotees. That is the point. And sometimes Prabhupada would say things like we don't need so much grammar. Just become  a devotee. Of course Prabhupada wanted the children to know grammar. He did not want them to speak improperly. But the point to become a devotee and Prabhupada would especially quote,
man-mana bhava mad-bhakto, mad-yaji mam namaskurumam evaisyasi yuktvaivam, atmanam mat-parayanah [Bg 9.34]

Teach the children to do these four things - to think about Krishna, to absorb their consciousness in Krishna. My dear friends Krishna consciousness is not just a series of external behavior. It is a change in consciousness. The beginning devotee thinks, "I move my fingers over the beads so many times, I show up at this time in the morning, I do this job." And a little higher one understands it is a mood, it is a mentality and higher than that one enters to be eternal service.

Prabhupada also talking about gurukula in relationship to Prahlad Maharaja saying from the very beginning emphasis that the purpose is to come under the shelter of the internal energy,
mahatmanas tu mam partha, daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg 9.13]

Who is this daivim prakrtim? Srimati Radharani. That the goal of the educational institution is to take us away from being pierced by the trident of Durga who is digging her claws on a tiger we come to the sweet, sweet smile and tenderness of the loving care of Srimati Radharani. So that is the essence of an institution to train children. If that isn't there then you cannot say that is an institution to train children in Krishna consciousness.

Then Prabhupada talks about the love between guru and disciple. I thought I would read this. This is from his lecture on verse one. "Therefore brahmacari means living under direction of guru, guror hitam. And guror hitam... How he can be simply thinking of benefiting the spiritual master? Unless that position comes, nobody can serve guru. It is not an artificial thing. The brahmacari, the disciple, must have genuine love for guru. Then he can be under his control. Otherwise why one should be under the control of another person?" Srila Prabhupada lecture - Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.12.2 --Bombay, April 13, 1976]

So the first thing is this genuine love between the teachers and the students, not just something official, not something with a title, "Okay you have to obey." But the whole foundation is love. Prabhupada also talks a lot about control over the senses, especially the sex desire. This is trained from a young age. There is not just free mixing between men and women. One cannot live like an animal.

Worshipping the Lord and the guru every day, several times a day, rising early and attending mangal arati. I would say that I haven't made a detail scientific study but that this instruction of Srila Prabhupada in relationship to children schools is probably the most if not one of the most often repeated. The children should be taught to rise early and attend mangal arati.

No nonsense talk. Especially Prabhupada says politic. As if our gurukula teachers are talking politics how would the children give up politics. Politics doesn't just mean, who is the present president of America, what war is going on. Actually a little bit of that you have to know or you will be thought of as a fool. Prabhupada always knew who was the president of America or what war was going on in the world. But politics, especially gramya-katha prajalpa - did you hear about this person's fall down, this person's lie, this person's this and that person's that. No politics, no nonsense. When Rupa Goswami defines the uttanma bhakta what does he say? Someone who has undeviating devotional service and is devoid of the propensity to criticize others - not just devoid of criticism but devoid of the propensity.

Studying the Vedas especially the Bhagavatam. I recently visited a school in Chennai where they are trying to teach Vedic studies along with modern education. They claim to be the only such school in the world. They take boys and girls but they said the boys study the Vedas - they are Sri Vaisnavas, and the girls study the Puranas. So I mentioned that to one of our Iskcon sannyasis. He said, "Lucky girls." Of course we are interested in studying especially Amala Purana.

pibanti ye bhagavata atmanah satamkathamrtam sravana-putesu sambhrtampunanti te visaya-vidusitasayamvrajanti tac-carana-saroruhantikam [SB 2.2.37]

Jiva Goswami says that this verse although it is in the second canto is actually the concluding verse of Bhagavatam. Pibanti - you know what is pibanti? To drink. To drink this Bhagavatam. Vrajantitac-carana-saroruhantikam, this will bring you to the lotus of Krishna's feet.

So we must say that in this regard our devotee's Aruna is the 'exempla par excel lance' in the world. She has educated her two sons almost exclusively on Bhagavatam. Mathematics course  -Bhagavatam. And she is now developing a system where dozens or hundreds of devotees are educating their children just based on Bhagavatam. You may say, "How is that possible?"  Prabhupada talks about so much geography, history and science in the purports of the Bhagavatam. Everything is there. And have you met those children that she educated? She has two sons and if we had a thousand children like that the face of the world will change automatically. Perfect Vaisnavas and gentleman, scholars.

To offer obeisances. Sastra say that the student should offer obeisances when seeing the guru and when walking away from the guru. In one lecture Prabhupada said, "My students even if they see me one hundred times they will offer obeisances at the beginning and at the end."

Simplicity: Simple dress, simple food, simple furniture. Please remember that this applies to the brahmacari adults in the asrama also according to Srila Prabhupada. I don't know, something seems to have happened in Iskcon. We are more into furniture now. When I was in the grhasta asrama we never had a bed in our house. Now that I am in the varnaprasta asrama I am always being given beds. We used to have nothing - practically no chairs, no bed.Very simple! Just what you need.

Begging and giving to the guru. Prabhupada said at one point this institute of gurukula should teach the children to go out twice a day for begging. This shows the ideal way that gurukula is financed.

We were speaking in the GBC meeting about finance and education. Gopal Batta Prabhu was saying how twelve to seventy percent of every countries finance is put into education. And in Vedic times this was done in two ways. The government from taxation gave money to the brahmanas and also the students went in the village, "Biksham dehi, biksham dehi." Everyone understood themaintaining education was the responsibility of everyone.

Years ago I asked devotees, "Who's responsibility is it o maintain the education of the children?" and most people said, "The grhastas." You ask the grhasta and they will say, "The grhastas with children." You ask the grhastas with children and they would say, "The the grhastas with children who are currently in the school." But there is no society that is marinating the schools just like that. It is for the whole society, therefore the whole society contributes.
Prabhupada says, "It is necessary for the leaders of the Krishna consciousness movement to start educational institutions in different parts of the world," Not only in India. And I assume Prabhupada did not want them only started. I assumed he also wanted them maintained and nourished and flourishing.

Then eating only whentcold. So the prasadam is ready but if your guru  forgets. "Krishna das come eat, Ram das come eat, Jiva das come eat." You fast. Of course Madhavendra Puri followed a vow like this. He didn't even beg. Caitanya Mahaprabhu when he travelled in South India He begged. Madhavendra Puri didn't even beg. Only if somebody came and said, "Here there is something to eat." So Krishna came and He said, "In My village no one fasts." And gave him some milk.

There are even devotees in our Krishna consciousness movement who follow principles like this - that unless somebody personally invites them for prasadam they don't eat even if it is prasadam time and the prasadam is in front of them. Srila Prabhupada says that this should be voluntary tapasya. Not that we take the children in the schools, "Okay, you have got to do this tapasya." No. Voluntary! Be careful not to kill the spirit of enthusiastic service which is individual, spontaneous and voluntary.

And what is the main principle Prabhupada said for the gurukula? To chant the hare Krishna mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. That is the yajna for this age. Other yajnas they are common without doubt but the main yajna is to be chanting japa, kirtana, sankirtana, going out on the street.

Next principle Prabhupada talks about is very interesting. In the verse that Srila Prabhupada is commenting on 7.12.6 it has the word daksa - that a student should become daksa. What doe daksa mean? Expert! So this is Srila Prabhupada speaking in relationship to the training of children in our schools and in relationship of training of the brahmacaris in our asramas. That is the context. Here is what Srila Prabhupada says. "Not that because he has become Krishna conscious, and Vaisnava, he is unable to do anything of this material world. No. One who is Krishna conscious, he is  conscious of everything and he knows how to deal with them. That is called daksa. Not that "Because I have become Krishna conscious I have no knowledge in other things." No. Every ... You must have, if not complete, to know something of everything. That is intelligence, to know something of everything and to know everything of something. That is wanted. You may be expert, a devotee.You know everything of devotional service, but you should not be callous. You know something of everything. That is called daksa." [Srila Prabhupada lecture - Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.12.6 -- Bombay, April 17, 1976]

Next principle Srila Prabhupada talks about, (the last I am going to look at here) is practical training for a livelihood. This Srila Prabhupada talks about in his purport in Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.7.6. "The brahmacari, or a boy from the age of five years, especially from the higher castes, namely from the scholarly parents (the brahmanas), the administrative parents (the ksatriyas), or the mercantile or productive parents (the vaisyas), is trained until twenty-five years of age under the care of a bona fide guru or teacher, and under strict observance of discipline he comes to understand the values of life along with taking specific training for a livelihood."

 Now that we have gone through the principles we might ask, "Is there only one type of institution that can teach these principles?" If we look at the school where Krishna and Balaram attended, it was an asrama school. They were away from the village. Do you remember what they learnt from their asrama school? Sixty four arts! Anybody can name some of them? The art of playing on an x-shaped drum, like Lord Siva's drum! The art of knowing what is in your hand that you can't see. [Member of audience, HH Prahladananda Swami responded with these two] He has the whole Krishna book memorized. [Reference to HH Prahladananda Swami.]

We were once in Russia. At our preaching program we were all taking prasadam. Prahladananda Swami said, "Would you like to hear Krishna book?" I thought he was going to pull out a book. He started reciting the whole chapter.
Anybody else - what Krishna and Balarama learnt? [Member of audience responds.] they learnt how to put wires or strings on musical instruments. Somebody else? [Member of audience responds.] All kinds of languages, even that of the birds, dogs and cats. [Member of audience responds.] They learnt how to use pots filled with water as musical instruments. [Member of audience responds.] How o make flower airplanes. Could you imaging if we had a school here and one of their curriculum items was manufacturing flower airplanes!

Lord Caitanya Mahprabhu also went to a school and He was a teacher in a school. He attended the school of Gauri dasa Pandita which was not an asrama school. It was a day school. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu at the age of fourteen also started a day school and there what kind of things was he teaching? We don't hear about flower airplanes in Caitanya Mahaprabhu's school. He was teaching logic, rhetoric, grammar also debate. In one place Prabhupada says Caitanya Mahaprabhu could defeat Keshava Kashmiri because all the children were trained in debate from a young age. So in debate, logic, rhetoric.

So my point is that there are different schools. The Pandavas went to the school of Dronacarya and I don't think that they learnt flower airplanes, maybe, but what they especially learnt was how to fight, military arts.
So different teachers would have their specialty in the ways of teaching, even in Vedic times, even in Caitanya Mahaprabhu's time. Prabhupada talked about unity in diversity. Prabhupada even talks about in his class on SB 7.12.4, he says in those days the gurukul was not palacial buildings but now if you haven't got palatial building nobody will come. So if we said, especially in the west but even in India if we said our temple asrama, our gurkulas, everybody draws water from the well and sleeps on the floor on a mat who will come? Prabhupada said therefore he wants some hot runningwater. Why are we building this whole complex? Why don't we just go sit under a tree? Because as soon as we build this people come. Why are we building the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium?
So same principle in our schools, in our asramas. We have to put them in such a way that people will come. And then you may say, "Well what can I do about all this anyway? What does this class have to do with me?" many, many years ago, it must be thirty two years ago I heard one sannyasi say whenever we go to Bhagavatam class we should think, "How can I apply this to myself?"Someday I will tell you a funny story in relation to that. "But what does this have to do with me?"

First of all we can encourage children. And we were having a special year - oldest child in the Hare Krishna Movement. We went to the temple and the devotees were saying, "Eeew! Get that school bag out of here!" Everywhere we went people were going, "Get this i out, get this i out." And if the child used that for eighteen years someday they may say, "Okay. I am leaving." Children are disturbing. That is their dharma to disturb you. They are noisy, they are dirty, they don't have so much control over their senses. It's their nature. Make them feel welcome. Everyone can make the children feel welcome. We see the children coming into the temple we smile at them, give them a flower, give them some facility.

You don't know twenty years from now or thirty years from now they maybe us, that maybe me there and you. Treat them the way we would want to be treated if we are a child in the Hare Krishna Movement. Encourage people to have children. Encourage people who have a lot of children. If someone says, "Oh I have four children or six children." "You have six children!"

One of my children is expecting their eight child. So whenever I tell people that the reaction I get is, "Eight children?!" Encourage, "Yes have wonderful children." Encourage the schools. That means visiting the schools,knowing what is happening in the schools, caring about the schools. Not to find fault. Not visiting the schools, "Let me see what faults I can find." But you encourage them. Look at what curriculum they are teaching. If you can then get involved, help to find solutions to create Krishna conscious education, become part of some educational initiative somewhere.

Prabhupada wrote a letter in 1973, he said, "Gurukula is our most important project." And so very similar to this purport, "If the children are given a Krishna conscious education from early childhood then there is great hope for the future of the world." And for all of us we can follow what Srila Prabhupada said in his purport to Bhagavad-gita 3.41. There Arjuna asked what causes a person to deviate from the right path and Krishna says it is lust and lust only. "Therefore from the very beginning curb this great sin lust by regulation of the senses."

Prabhupada says in that purport, "from the very beginning of life" but then he says from the very beginning of life or from the time one first understands its importance. So no one here in this room is at the very beginning of life anymore and probably most of us didn't have the benefit of getting proper education. In our movement when we were in the soft dough stage, most of us were molded wrongly and then we were baked. Now if you want to change us you will have to break us. You can mould bread and then you put it in the oven and then afterwards to change is very difficult.

So most of us in this room are past the molding stage, I only see a few moldable ones left, haven't been baked yet but still we can understand the importance of these principles. Be a devotee, come under the shelter of the internal energy, love with the guru, sense control, worshipping the Lord and the guru, rising early, attending mangal arati, no politics i, study the Vedas especially the Bhagavatam and offer obeisances to guru, simplicity, giving everything to the guru, some tapasya in eating, chanting, becoming expert. Even if we are a little old we can still apply and then at least the face of our world will change. At least we will be in Goloka Vrindavan. And as we have these educational institutions the face of the world will then change automatically.

I want to thank you very much. I was request to say something by one of the members of the community so I just want to say that I am very happy that I was invited to speak. There is on letter where Prabhupada is very much, many but one particular where he is very much encouraging the women to be preachers. And he says in regard to women preaching prove it by practical example that there is no bar to preaching Krishna consciousness. So I hope that in all of our centers our preachers of Krishna consciousness will be young like Dhruva or old, black, white, purple, green, Indian, American or Australian, Russian, Brazilian. Portuguese and both men and women, not that there is just women guest that comes once a year and gives class.

There are so many women in each community who have studied Bhakti Sastri and Bhakti Vaibhava. Mother Narayani is visiting here. She is only one of two people in the world who is teaching Bhagavatam at the level of Bhaktivedanta. Somehow by the grace of Prabhupada, he said, show by practical example that there is no bar in the preaching of Krishna consciousness and this is part of our International Society for Krishna Consciousness. So I think I have gone too late for questions. Thank you all very much. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. [Applause]

Dear Prabhus

Please accept my Humble obeissances unto your Lotus Feet._/\ò_ 

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Yesterday 2nd march 2011,H.G Rohini Tanay pr, Brahmachari disciple of H.H Radhanath Maharaj left his Body . Aged 31, his body was ravaging with a terrible cancer. Around last year june-july he was diagnosed with Terminal Cancer.

In his Last days of painful condition, Rohini Tanaya pr's Krishna consciousness stood out more brightly.
some incidents i want to share.

Monday 28th feb he almost had left us,but he survived.Tuesday i got an opportunity to meet and say him Good bye. Even in his semi conscious state and drowsiness, when he saw me he was happy - he smiled and put out both of his hands to welcome me. Haribol style.He called his attender friend Bhima prabhu and indicated that i should feed him watermelon juice.i am thankful for this service. How can 1 have such clear thought process at this stage, considering just 1 day back he was about to leave.

Vamsivihari pr who was with Rohini tanay p told me "He would ask whenever some thing would be fed to him- is it offered to Gaur Nitai."  That was so great so conscious of intricate details in K.C even at this stage.
Vamsivihari prabhus Gaur nitai deities were always near his hospital bed. when 2 senior vaishnavas came to meet him in his last days. he said i am so fortunate that 3 great personalities are meeting me (including vamsi vihari P) and then he corrected "oh , 5 personalities - including Gaura Nitai".

 As His spiritual master was talking from mayapur on Mobile to him in his very last difficult stage.. he would constantly murmur "Maharaj", " Maharaj".... yes outwardly he looked to be unconcious yet he was internally fully aware and intune with. His Gurumahraj told him to be very grateful and indeed he exactly followed the orders till end.

Rohini Tanay p expressed his desire if possible if he could go back to Nigadi temple (The new big temple is shortly opening on 21st march).

Finally all devotees decided to take him back.wednesday 2nd march he left Bhaktivedanta hospital in the late afternoon to go to nigadi. He was unconcious. Devotees were not sure whether he could even reach Nigadi (4 Hrs journey).yes he made it. and then in his internal conciousness he saw the new temple, saw the new Radha Govinda deities which are going to be installed and then in the small temple hall while attending the sandhya arati of Gaur Nitai gazing at them , Rohini Tanay pr triumphantly left us to serve their Lordships eternally. The conch shell of arati blew to confirm this.

Short yet sweet life of Rohini Tanay pr will be ever etched in the deepest core of all of our hearts.while taking treatment year back in cancer hospital based on cow therapy at baruch-GUjarat, Rohini tanay pr would give classes to other terminal patients and also innovatively arrange dramas for them. No one there ever thought that the speaker is also a terminally ill patient like them.

 Later he had kept in touch with many of these patients even when he was in Bhaktivedanta hopsital in his last days. He would call them and they would also call him and he gave hope to many of them and even encouraged them to chant.3 yrs back i used met him regularly on my travels to NIgadi temple.

He was serving in kitchen at that time. Once he gave a short class (as part of brahmachari class schedule for new devotees) and i was there to listen to it.when i heard him speak,i remembered the story of dasharathi - (disciple of ramanujacharya) who also served in kitchen but when given chance to speak had amazed all , i could see him as an Upcoming preacher in The Nigadi ashram. he spoke exactly in the style of Gaura gopal pr. He liked hearing Gaur Gopal pr's youth classes and often used examples from his classes.we thank all devotees who wonderfully got opportunity to serve him and we feel proud to have got his valuable association.

Srila prabhupada speaks in one of his class that " any one who leaves his body dedicating his life for krishna will surely go back to Krishna"So while i am mourning for his early departure , i am sure that he is mourning for me for i have to stay more in this material world and experience more miseries , while he is smiling and definitely praying for all of us to join him in the evergoing party in the spiritual world.

Your Servant

Baladev Das

"G u r u     m u k h     p a d m a     v a k y a"

Srila Prabhupada: embodiment of simplicity……………….Nectarean Mellows 

Being simple is a very very great opulence in this age of Kali. Srila Prabhupada was so simple. He really didn’t want anything for himself. He just wanted to serve. He just wanted to speak the truth. Recently I was reading Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa Puja offering in 1973 in London. There were hundreds and hundreds of devotees from all of the European continent and the UK coming to surrender to him, to glorify him on the day of his appearance. This is the day after the installation of Sri Radha Gokulananda in Bhaktivedanta Manor. So it is an especially big big festival. It was a glorious festival. And Prabhupada’s Vyasa Puja address was absolutely amazing. First of all he explains how this worship is not for a man, this worship is for Ved Vyasa and the guru is the representative of Ved Vyasa. His qualification is - he is speaking the words of Ved Vyasa. He is not giving what he has. He is giving what Ved Vyasa has given. He is simply the medium in whatever worship is through the guru going to parampara, to Krishna. And then he was explaining the principle of parampara. He quoted Caitanya Caritamrita and he said you will be happy to know that our Pradyumna has just helped me to complete Sri Caitanya Caritamrita. And everyone said ”Jai Jai Jai”. ‘Actually Pradyumna did all the work. That’s why I called him Pandit Mahashoy. Mahashoy is the name that jiva Goswami gave to Narottamdas Thakur. It’s a very very elevated name. I have given him the name Pandit Mahashoy because so much of my literatures are based on the Sanskrit language and he used to help me to edit the Sanskrit’. In fact he said that it is because of Pradyumna’s hardwork that Caitanya Caritamrita is now available to all of you’. He was praising his disciple. And then he started praising Pradyumna’s wife Arundhati because she helped in the proofreading and other things. And then he started praising other grihastas who were doing so much service.

And then Srila Prabhupada said ‘actually I am an old man’. He said ‘my Guru Maharaj when I was twenty five years old he ordered me to take the message of Lord Caitanya to the western world. He said that. I did it. When I was seventy years old I really took up this mission. He said, I should have done it then at twenty five but better late than never. I’m seventy years old. I’m very old man. How much can I do? It is because of all of you, it is because of all of my disciples who are working so hard, who are so dedicated that this movement is spreading throughout the world. And Srila Prabhupada was explaining what the qualification of a guru is? He said, ‘You could all be gurus. Just selflessly repeat the words of the previous acaryas and you will be empowered to do great things’.

I found this great and very amazing. The world is coming to glorify him and he’s taking no credit at all. He’s giving all credit to his Guru. He’s giving all credit to his disciples. He’s speaking about himself in such a simple way and by doing so he’s teaching us what is actual simplicity? - To be humble, to give all respects to others.  Of course we understand about Srila Prabhupada. Who he really was? Who are these disciples who were helping him? How did he lift them up? How did he take them from a derelict condition of material attachment and sinful culture and bring them to the platform of very very sincere dedicated Vaishnavas. It was by his love, by his compassion, by his knowledge, by his empowered spiritual energies. He saved people’s lives. Prabhupada said he shed buckets of blood to make each devotee Krishna Conscious. And after shedding buckets of bloods, heart attacks, strokes, sea sickness, all this poverty, all kinds of difficulty to make each person a devotee, - he gives all credit to the devotees. So simple!

Live From Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir!

Date: February 27th, 2011

Topic: Dhruva Maharaja Goes Back To Godhead

SB: 4. 12. 22

Speaker: HH Lokanath Swami

tam krsna-padabhinivista-cetasam

baddhanjalim prasraya-namra-kandharam

sunanda-nandav upasrtya sasmitam

pratyucatuh puskaranabha-sammatau

TRANSLATION: Dhruva Maharaja was always absorbed in thinking of the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. His heart was full with Krishna. When the two confidential servants of the Supreme Lord, who were named Nanda and Sunanda, approached him, smiling happily, Dhruva stood with folded hands, bowing humbly. They then addressed him as follows.

PURPORT: In this verse the word puskaranabha-sammatau is significant. Krishna, or Lord Visnu, is known for His lotus eyes, lotus navel, lotus feet and lotus palms. Here He is called puskara-nabha, which means "the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has a lotus navel," and sammatau means "two confidential or very obedient servants." The materialistic way of life differs from the spiritual way of life in that one is disobedience and the other is obedience to the will of the Supreme Lord. All living entities are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and they are supposed to be alwaysagreeable to the order of the Supreme person; that is perfect oneness.

In the Vaikuntha world all the living entities are in oneness with the Supreme Godhead because they never defy His orders. Here in the material world, however, they are not sammata, agreeable, but always asammata, disagreeable. This human form of life is a chance to be trained to be agreeable to the orders of the Supreme Lord. To bring about this training in society is the mission of the Krishna consciousness movement. (One of the mission statements of the Krishna consciousness movement) As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, the laws of material nature are very strict; no one canovercome the stringent laws of material nature. But one who becomes a surrendered soul and agrees to the order of the Supreme Lord can easily overcome those stringent laws. The example of Dhruva Maharaja is very fitting. Simply by becoming agreeable to the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and by developing love of Godhead, Dhruva got the chance to personally meet the confidential servants of Lord Visnu face to face. What was possible for Dhruva Maharaja is possible for everyone. Anyone who very seriously engages in devotional service can obtain, in due courseof time, the same perfection of the human form of life. [End of Srila Prabhupada's purport to SB 4.12.22]

HH Lokanath Swami: I will try to say something. I was blessed and now will try to say something. Vrajendra Nandan Prabhu was praying for me.This must have been in his kingdom, his capital, I don't know were. The vimana has appeared, descended and in there is Nanda and Sunanda the confidential servants of the Lord. They are coming down the aircraft and they are described, and their beauty is described. 

Deva-pravarau catur-bhujau [SB 4.12.20] how many hands; syamau - their complexion; and kisorav - they are young, not old folks and they also have lotus eyes and they have club in their hands and beautiful clothing and they have crown and kundalau - earrings.

Beautiful personalities - out of this world! They are coming from another world. No one like them! They were seen. Dhruva Maharaja saw such personalities. Vijnaya [SB 4.12.21] soon he realized, tavuttamagaya-kinkarav - oh these are the kinkarav, servants of uttamagaya, Uttamasloka - Supreme Lord's servants are here. Abhyutthitah - immediately Dhruva Maharaja stood up. Sadhvasa-vismrta-kramah - but he is bewildered also, not sure what to do now, what next. Nanama - this couldn't go wrong. He goes forward and offers his obeisances. Whatever happens next, offering obeisances, namani grnan madhudvisah - chanting the holy names of Madhudvisah, not Madhuvisa - madhu and visa. Visa just like you have visa for this country. Madhudvisah. This is the name of our God brother but he is always incorrectly addressed, mispronounced - Madhudvisah. Madhu - dvisah - enemy of Madhu. He is chanting the Lord's names. While this is all happeningimmediately by seeing those two uttamagaya-kinkarav - these two servants he is immediately remembering the Lord.

Today's verse: tam krsna-padabhinivista-cetasam - tam is Dhruva. He started remembering the lotus feet of the Lord. Starting with the lotus feet of the ord he begins remembrance. We need total absorption on that person.

Cetasam, mac-cittah. Krishna says like that mac-cittah.
mac-citta mad-gata-prana, bodhayantah parasparam [Bg 10.9]

Lord Krishna introduces His devotee. What kind of devotee? Mac-citta - his cetana, his consciousness is mac-citta is 'glued onto Me.'So abhinivista-cetasam - this is his consciousness internally. He is absorbed as he remembers the lotus feet of the Lord baddhanjalim - natural manifestation of what is inside, what he is thinking about for anybody. He is thinking about this external manifestation. Immediately his hands are baddhanjalim, folded hands. Prasraya-namra-kandharam, his shoulders, he is bowing down, namra - with humility he bows down. Asraya, As he is now taken shelter of the Lord, thinking of the Lord and taking shelter of the Lord he is bowing down.

sunanda-nandav upasrtya - he is noticing those two, kinkaro, servants of upasrtya. They are gradually coming towards him. And he also noticed sasmitam they are smiling. They look very happy. These two personalities are described as pratyucatuh puskaranabha-sammatau. Puskaranabha - Lord with the otus navel and seven parts of His body are lotus like. Four or five of them have already been mentioned in the purport. Seven parts are lotus- like, seven parts are pinkish in complexion.

There are in total thirty two symptoms of a personality who is maha purusa- the great personality or Personality of Godhead: long arms reaching the knees; broad shoulder; raised nose etc. Dhruva Maharaja was informed in advance by Narada Muni, "As you follow this process, chant om namo bhagavate vasudevaya, you will be seeing the Lord and in advance I tell you when you see the Lord He is going to look like this." No one could come and cheat, "I am Bhagavan!" he did not know what Bhagavan looked like. He may go for that Bhagavan. 'No. No." He was given a whole description of the Lord.

In the first dialogue there are several verses Narada Muni goes on and on like this. His nose will be raised nose. Not like this. Somehow having a raised nose is considered a sign of beauty. When the match making goes on in India they look at the nose of the bride. So unknowingly they know the standard of beauty. No one has raised nose if you look for such kind of nose!

The Lord has a deep voice. When He talks it is like the rumbling of the clouds This voice, deep, loud and clear could go all over the universe without a microphone it reaches everywhere. When Lord Nrsimha was roaring, the whole world was trembling. They were hearing, "Lion coming, lion coming! Duck. I am scared." When Krishna play His flute the sound goes all over but the Lord has complete control over that sound also. The sound of Krishna's flute goes all over Vraj but it is not that everybody is listening.

Two persons are sitting next to each other one of them listens. The gopis are listening and they get up and run. "Hey! What happened, what happened?" They know what happened. They run away. So the Lord has complete control on who hears and who is not allowed to hear. It is not that He just throws like a free cookie, wherever it lands. He has a whole planet. He listens, she listens, doesn't listen. His intelligence is very deep. Navel is also deep. Some parts of His body are deep and some parts are raised. The grand total is thirty two. So Narada Muni says that the Lord will be looking like puskaranabha-sammatau.

Dhruva Maharaj had seen this puskaranabha-sammatau. Sammatau is authorized persons or confidential servants of the Lord. He was in fact momentarily bewildered not knowing what to do next or what does this mean. Sadhvasa-vismrta-kramah [SB 4.12.21] But the same thing also happened to him.

I was looking at the beginning of Dhruva Maharaja's pastimes when he had darsan of the Lord, now here he is getting ready to go back to Godhead, but when he had darsan of the Lord for the first time in Madhuvan, he had been hearing, "Madhuvan, Madhuvan" I don't know how many of you know where Madhuvan is. InVrindavan. He went to the forest. Which forest did he go to?  Vrindavan forest. There are twelve forest of Vrindavan. Radha Raman Maharaj knows. And Madhuvan is the forest not far from Mathura, Vrindavan. Next time you are in Mathura or Vrindavan you can go to Madhuvan. It is in fact a few kilometers outside Mathura. When we go on Vrajamandala Parikrama that is an easy way. Don't go alone. Go with us.

This year - could I do a little commercial here? [Laughter] 2011 Vrajamandala Parikrama is our the 25th year, silver jubilee Ki! [Applause and Haribol] So we have a very special parikrama coming up. You go with us. So when we start our parikrama the very first is Madhuvan, just outside Mathura and we spend one whole day and night also in the place where Dhruva Maharaja meditated. He met Narada Muni in Mathura on the banks of the Yamuna called Dhruva-ghat. "You go to Madhuvan." And then he went to Madhuvan. So we spend a whole day there in a little tapasya program. Don't be scared! The first place we go to is the place where Dhruva Maharaja performed tapasya. So we pray and pray for his mercy so that we are also able to perform some austerities, some tapasya during Vrajamandala Parikrama.

So you have some idea now were Madhuvan is. That is where he had darsan of the Lord in Satya yuga. Madhuvan is also very special because in all the four yugas The Lord appeared there - in Satya, Dvarpa, Treta and Kali. That is a very significant thing about this Madhuvan.

In Satya yuga He appeared to give darsan. He is always there, not that He isn't, but then He appeared when this pastime took place, right there in Madhuvan where Dhruva Maharaja was performing austerities called yoga-vipaka-tivraya [SB 4.9.2] mentioned in the beginning of the pastimes of Dhruva Maharaja. He had a very intense program going on. Vipaka, and when there was a fruit of that, tivrena bhakti-yogena [SB 2.3.10] Dhruva Maharaj is known for this. He is very serious, dead serious! Very intense! tivrena bhakti-yogena [SB 2.3.10] or
satatam kirtayanto mam, yatantas ca drdha-vratah [Bg 9.14]

Drdha-vratah - vows. Dhruva means fixed. How many of you would like to be fixed up devotees? He is fixed up. I would like to be fixed up too. So it is very befitting that we are here. By hearing about the fixed up devotees or by being with or around the fixed up devotees, "Okay, okay!" Dhruva means  fixed or immovable or unstoppable. Nothing could stop him. "Oh you are just a child!" "No. No. I want to meet the Lord. I have to have the Lord." Then he was in that forest.

Just the other day we went to Bhaktivedanta National School. They did a very wonderful drama. The topic was Dhruva Maharaja. There were lights and sound effects. It was like walking through the pages of Bhagavatam or the life of Dhruva Maharaja. Especially this scene, were Nanda and Sunanda are coming down to bring him back home. Very mystical! The colors and vibes and sound like the real thing being seen face to face.

Dhruva Maharaja has already spent six months in Madhuvan. Within six months he managed to have darsan of the Lord. He broke all the records within six months. It took six years for Buddha to become enlightened. In Gaya he spent six years then some enlightenment came in his direction. But Dhruva Maharaja, just six months! When I was not even six months in the movement in Bombay, I had the service of going door to door and begging for rice for Food for Life. During that time I was a new bhakta and people would ask, "Have you seen God?" [Laughter] Yes and he would bring. "I had just started. At least Dhruva Maharaja was six months; I am just a few months old bhakta. Give me some more time!" Then six months past, six years past and I am still waiting.

So within six months he managed. First month he did this, eating fruit only then leaves only, then water only, then air only and then no air - only the Lord. Then the Lord appeared. The Lord  appeared but Dhruva Maharaja was so much absorbed.

sa vai dhiya yoga-vipaka-tivraya [SB 4.9.2]

The perfection of all he was doing, austerities, yoga and meditation, chanting, he was so absorbed and he was seeing the Lord inside and the Lord had come personally and was standing before him but because he was so much absorbed he did not even take note of the Lord standing before him. The Lord was wondering what happened, "Hey! Dhruva, I am here." He was trying to get his attention but Dhruva was just absorbed seeing the Lord within with his spiritual vision, not with this caksus but with divya cakus.

The Lord soon realized, "He is taking My darsan within." So the Lord turned off that screen inside. Immediately Dhruva Maharaja, "Hey what happened? Did I lose Him?" As he opened his eyes the Lord that was within was now in front of him. [Haribol] And now as he was seeing the Lord, tad-darsanenagata-sadhvasah [SB 4.9.3] same word sadhvasah, which was in yesterdays verse.

When Dhruva Maharaja perceived the Lord he was temporarily bewildered. He did not know what to do. What next? Again the same symptoms! He starts offering prayers. It is very similar to when he had first darsan. Ultimately he is going back to home. Two times he is going through the very similar emotions, dealing with the Lord and here dealing with the confidentialservants of the Lord.

He was offering prayers as he saw the Lord in Madhuvan, dandavats - very humbly bowed down. As he saw the Lord in front of him he is drinking the beauty of the form of the Lord with his eyes. Of course the gopis are very expert in drinking the beauty than of their drink. The drink the form of the Lord with their eyes and drink and drink and as soon as the Lord is inside they close these windows or eyes. They take Him into the heart, make Him sit down on the throne of their hearts and then they deal with Him, communicate, reciprocate with Him. They couldn't do that outside due to so many social pressures and customs and etiquettes to be followed.

They couldn't meet outside in public so they would drink the Lord's form, beauty and contemplate. So Dhruva Maharaja was doing something similar. He was drinking the beauty of the Lord with his eyes and with his mouth he was kissing the feet of the Lord. There is talk of feet when he had first darsan and as he is now getting ready to go He is remembering the same lotus feet of the Lord, padabhinivista-cetasam, absorbed in the same lotus feet of which he had darsan before he is now remembering and is taking darsan of the Lord.

With his arms he is trying to embrace the Lord. Practicing remembering the Lord's form, beauty, trained like that and being in total agreement with the Lord he is now remembering the Lord in the final moments of his life.
Just recently some of our devotees were in Haridwara and they noticed that there were so many truck loads of Coco Cola bottles that were being distributed freely. Free Coco Cola distribution was going on. Right on the bank of Ganga you are distributing different kinds of junk - Coco Cola junk, not Ganaga junk.

When our father was about to leave his body we knew he was a devotee of Siva so we were reminding him, "Please Daddy, please Daddy remember Bhola." Bhola, one of the names of Siva is Bhola, Bholainath, Bhola. But this father was saying Coco-Cola [Laughter] "No Daddy only few more breaths to go. Please say Bhola." "No. no get me Coco Cola!" "Now you have only one more breath to go please Daddy make attempt to say Bhola at least." "No get me Coco Cola." "No get me Coco Cola." And he probably went to Coco Cola loka! [Laughter] So the foolish sons they thought the last will of our father was Coco Cola. He willed Coco Cola. So they came to Haridwar and were distributing thousands and thousands of bottles of Coco Cola.

Srila Prabhupada on a more significant word in this verse Prabhupada pointed out, puskaranabha-sammatau. Puskaranabha, lotus naveled Lord and sammatau, one who agrees. I was looking at this sammatau. Sammatau means recognize, approved by the Supreme Personality of Godhead or agreed upon by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sanctioned, severed by. This word appears inBhagavatam in so many states everywhere or entry for sammatau word.

So agreeing with the puskaranabha-sammatau agreeing with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then sadhu - sammatau - approved by the sadhus; sastra-sammatau, approved by the satras; acarya-sammatau - approved by the acaryas. So all theses sanctions are spiritual and desirable all these approvals and acceptances, this type of agreement - the Lord, sadhus, sastra, acaryas or Prabhupada-sammatau - approved by Srila Prabhupada, sanctioned by Srila Prabhupada, authorized by Srila Prabhupada and our whole parampara. Parampara-sammatau - approved by the disciplic succession.

So that is one whole set of approvals, sanctions or agreements. Then there is a whole world out there and they have their sanctions and approvals and agreements. That is how you get on, by agreeing with their sanctions, with their approval, with their authorizations. That is how the brainwashing goes on in this world life after life after life - bahunam janmanam ante [Bg 7.19] Then comes jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg 7.19] By the Lord's causeless mercy a person becomes bhagyavan and he goes for vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg 7.19] he has jnan now. His knowledge is vasudevah sarvam iti. Vasudeva is all in all - how much knowledge? Vasudeva is all in all. This much knowledge, sa mahatma su-durlabhah [Bg 7.19] That mahatma soul is rare.

Srila Prabhupada is pointing out in the purport this Hare Krishna Movement's program is to train the souls in another kind of agreement. Get rid of that, agreeing with the people like camel, asses and stool eaters. They are agreeing with different things and praising each other and what not. So get out of that, kick all that, sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg 18.66 and go for mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66] Train ourselves to agree with the Lord, Radha Madhava sammatau. The root word of sammatau is mat which means obedient, eing obedient to the Lord and things authorized by Him.

This is the Hare Krishna Movement with this mission to learning to agree with the Lord and to disagree with the Lord's external energy, disagree with maya and agree with Krishna. If we do that then we are in business then same thing happens as Prabhupada says could happen to everybody. Everyone has a chance. Anyone who very seriously engages in devotional service can obtain in due course of time the same perfection of human form of life as was attained by Dhruva Maharaja Ki! Jai. We will stop here. I am over time. Okay. No questions. Nitai Gaura Premanande.

Live From Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir!

Date: February 26th, 2011

Topic: Dhruva Maharaja Goes Back To Godhead

Verse: SB 4.12.20

Speaker: HG Harivilas Prabhu

vijnaya tav uttamagaya-kinkarav

abhyutthitah sadhvasa-vismrta-kramah

nanama namani grnan madhudvisah

parsat-pradhanav iti samhatanjalih

TRANSLATION: Dhruva Maharaja, seeing that these uncommon personalities were direct servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, immediately stood up.  But, being puzzled, in hastiness he forgot how to receive them in the proper way. Therefore he simply offered obeisances with folded hands and chanted and glorified the holy names of the Lord.

PURPORT: Chanting of the holy names of the Lord is perfect in every way.When Dhruva Maharaja saw the Visnudutas, the direct associates of Lord Visnu, four-handed and nicely decorated, he could understand who they were, but for the time being he was puzzled. But simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord, the Hare Krsna mantra, he could satisfy the uncommon guests whohad all of a sudden arrived before him. The chanting of the holy name of the Lord is perfect; even though one does not know how to please Lord Visnu or His associates, simply by sincerely chanting the holy name of the Lord, everything becomes perfect. A devotee, therefore, either in danger or in happiness, constantly chants the Hare Krsna mantra. When he is in danger he is immediately relieved, and when he is in a position to see Lord Visnu or His associates directly, by chanting this maha-mantra he can please the Lord. This is the absolute nature of the maha-mantra. Either in danger or in happiness, it can be chanted without limitation. [End of Srila Prabhupada's purport to SB 4.12.22]

HG Harivilas Prabhu: So sitting in the chair that is the chair of Vyasadeva and before our Srila Prabhupada it is very humbling because being in front of the deities, Srila Prabhupada and the sincere Vaisnavas. It is very difficult to speak because we are not qualified but by your mercy and the mercy of Srila Prabhupada we are going to say a few words today.

The whole purpose of the class is to build up enthusiasm, inspiration and to give many reasons why we love Srila Prabhupada and Radha and Krishna. Without that love we will be lost in a desert of trouble and confusion. If you ask anyone what they are looking for in life after some time they will come to the conclusion, "I am looking for peace, happiness and love but no one ever taught me how to find this." There is no course in any school in the world 'Love 101.' They don't teach it. People pick it up in pieces from their families, from Bollywood movies, from songs but that it not the way or place to learn.

One must learn from a pure devotee of Krishna how to love. This whole society Srila Prabhupada says is based on the six exchanges of love. Today I am going to read about these things from Prabhupada's books because the best preacher I know is His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada explains in the 'Nectar of Instruction' in the verse, 

dadati pratigrhnati, guhyam akhyati prcchatib

hunkte bhojayate caiva, sad-vidham priti-laksanam [Upadesamrta/ NoI (4)]

"The International Society for Krishna Consciousness has been established to facilitate these six kinds of loving exchanges between devotees. This Society was started single-handedly, but because people are coming forward and dealing with the give -- and -- take policy, the Society is now expanding all over the world. We are glad that people are donating very liberally to the development of the Society's activities, and people are also eagerly accepting whatever humble contribution we are giving them in the shape of books and magazines dealing strictly with the subject matter ofKrishna consciousness. We sometimes hold Hare Krishna festivals and invite life members and friends to participate in the feasting by accepting prasada. Although most of our members come from the higher rungs of society, they nonetheless come and take whatever little prasada we are able to offer them. Sometimes the members and supporters inquire very confidentially about the methods of performing devotional service, and we try to explain this. In this way our Society is successfully spreading all over the world and the intelligentsia of all countries is gradually appreciating our Krishna conscious activities. The life of the Krishna conscious society is nourished by these six types of loving exchange among the members; therefore people must be given the chance to associate with the devotees of ISKCON because simply by reciprocating in the six ways mentioned above an ordinary man can fully revive his dormant Krishna consciousness. In Bhagavad-gita (2.62) it is stated, sangat sanjayate kamah: one's desires and ambitions develop according to the company one keeps. It is often said that a man is known by his company, and if an ordinary man associates with devotees, he will certainly develop his dormant Krishna consciousness. The understanding of Krishna consciousness is innate in every living entity, and it is already developed to some extent when the living entity takes a human body. It is said in Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 22.107):

nitya-siddha krsna-prema 'sadhya' kabhu naya

sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya

"Pure love for Krishna is eternally established in the hearts of living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, the living entity naturally awakens." Since Krishna consciousness is inherent in every living entity, everyone should be given a chance to hear about Krishna. Simply by hearing and chanting -- sravanam kirtanam [SB 7.5.23] -- one's heart is directly purified, and one's original Krishna consciousness is immediately awakened." [NoI: verse 4]

So when I was living in Berkley, California I would take prasadam out every day to a park named People's Park where the strangest people of the world  were living [Laughter] and on the way to the park I would pass vendors on the street. There was one Muslim vendor. H had his Muslim hat on and he had the calama written on his table. Everday I would walk by and say Hare Krishna and he would say, "Huh! Go away! Not Krishna! Allah!" As I would go I would say that and as I would come back I would say, "Hare Krishna."  He would say, "Go away."

This went on for two years. [Laughter] to my greatest amazement one day I saw him come to the temple. When he walked into the door I happened to greet him. I said, "Hare Krishna." He said, "Stop it. Just stop it! You are killing me with this Hare Krishna!" [Laughter] That was the first time he said Hare Krishna. [Laughter] I said, "Okay I am sorry." I said, "I am very happy you are here. Please come in." He said, "Yes I will come in. I have to tell you something." I said, "What is it?" he said, "Your Hare Krishna is very powerful." I said, "What happened?" He said, "You know I am on thestreetiAvenue and the bloody shatan people (shatan means satan) sometimes they come with rings in their nose and ears and in their eyes and their hair like this and they have black clothes on and tattoos. One stands here and one stand s here and one stands here and ther and one says, 'How much is this?' and when I look there the other one steals something." [Laughter]

He said, "Shatan people are very bad. But then one day everything was Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna like crazy. One day I looked at them and said 'Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna' and they started walking away and they went away. So this hare Krishna is very powerful." [Applause and laughter] Now I am telling you the truth. This man started coming everyday to the temple and he would take prasadam, he would wash dishes, he would take the trash out. He became a devotee. [Haribol and applause]

Every day I would take the food out, the prasadam and I would serve at People's Park and like I said, the strangest people in the world live there, virtually live in the park. They eat there and they pass stool. There was one boy that never waited in line and never got prasadam. He was too crazy. He couldn't even speak. He never took a bath. So I thought, "Let me leave a plate, maybe he will take it." Day after day I would come by and I would notice the plate empty. Then I felt happy in my heart that even though I couldn't serve him directly he was getting some Prasad.

One day to my amazement he was in line waiting for prasadam and he came. I said, "Hare Krishna." And he just looked at me because he couldn't speak and he took it. Now every day he would wait in line and take prasadam and one day he said something to me. He said, "I want to live in your temple." I said, "You can't." "Why not?" I said, "You are not clean. You don't know, you will not be able to follow the rules." "Tell me what to do."  So I gave him the address of a place where he could take a shower. I said, "You go take a shower, cut your fingernails, wash and cut your hair then we willtalk some more."

Next day he had done that. He cleaned himself up and he came and got prasadam. Then he said, "I want to live in your temple." I said, "No you can't." He said, "Why not?" I said, "you are clean but you are not ready but you can come to the temple and help me bring the Prasad." Then he used to come o the temple. I wouldn't let him come in. He would wait outside and we would bring the Prasad and we would serve it out to the people and then he would help me take it back to the temple. Then I let him wash the dishes, pots outside. After sometime, he kept doing this regularly and he kept getting better and better then again he asked me, 'I want to live in your temple. Why not? Why not?" I said, "Okay on one condition." "What?" "You have to listen to everything I say." "Okay. I do what you say."

So he started to live in the temple. He would get up every morning and take shower. He would wash his clothes, take part in the program. He started to chant Hare Krishna. Then one day I said, "Prabhu, you have to stop getting money from the government." He said, "Why? I give money to temple." I said, "No, that money is not good for you.' He said, "Okay. Anything you say." He stopped taking the money and then he started to distribute books. 

One day he said to me, "I don't want to live here anymore.' I said, "Why?" "I want to go Vrindavan." [Laughter] "I want to see real Krishna." I said, "Okay. You keep distributing books and you can keep some of the money." He said, "That take long time." I said, "That is all right. You just chant Hare Krishna and be patient."  He collected the money. It took him six months. He bought a ticket, came to Vrindavan and he is still there. [Haribol and applause]

So Lord Caitanya gave us two things, harinam sankirtan and mahaprasad. We do not realize how powerful these two things are but if we simply give these two things sincerely people will take and they will change. You don't even have to preach. You preach by the way you give. I have seen people refuse prasadam from devotees because they didn't like the attitude of the devotee when he was giving. One must give with the idea of sama-darsan, that is equal vision.

We are worshipping the deity and we should see the same deity in the heart of every person, every hand, every insect, every fish and every cow because they are all Krishnas' prajas, all Krishna's children. He is the Supreme father,

sarva-yonisu kaunteya, murtayah sambhavanti yah

tasam brahma mahad yonir, aham bija-pradah pita [Bg 14.4]

He is the seed giving father to all living entities. That means we are all the same family. It is called the Acyuta-gotra. It is not that your father is different from my father or your God is different from my God. There is one God, one sastra and one mantra. We have to realize that,

ekam sastram devaki-putra-gitam [Bg Introduction - (Gita-mahatmya 7)]

When we have that firm conviction that is fixed in our hearts then we are ready to preach, when we see people equally. This is the basis of faith. We believe that simply with the holy name and with prasadam we can convert the whole world.

'sraddha'-sabde -- visvasa kahe sudrdha niscayakrsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya [Madhya 22.62]
sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya  [Madhya 22.107]

This means that if a person has sraddha, because if we believe that the holy name has all potency,
namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis

 tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah

etadrsi tava krpa bhagavan mamapi

 durdaivam idrsam ihajani nanuragah[Siksastaka 2] or [Antya 20.16]

"O Krishna You have invested in your holy name all potencies and You have many names like Krishna and Govinda, Hare, Murari and each of these names are potent." And Lord Caitanya says, "But I am so unfortunate that I do not have faith in these holy names."

Lord Caitanya has great faith in the holy names but He is speaking for us. We have to build up faith in the holy names through practical experience by seeing the change in ourselves and seeing the change in others. We see the change. When you read sastra you see the change. In Jesus Christ, he sacrificed his life for others.

In Haridas Thakura because he wouldn't stop chanting Hare Krishna in Moslem villages right here in Bengal he was beaten in twenty one market places. "Stop chanting." They kept on beating and beating him and the more they were beating the more he chanted. They couldn't stop him. Finally the guards that were beating him became afraid because they were told if they don't kill himthey will be killed. So they said, "Sir we are sorry to beat you but you must die otherwise we will die. Haridas Thakura said, "Well I don't want to cause you any pain at all." See the heart of a devotee. He said, "Therefore I will die." And he died.

Then the Muslim leader came and looked. He said, "Is the kabir dead?" He pushed him a little bit to see if he moved at all. They said, "No, Sir he is dead." So they took his body and threw it in the Ganga. Then later on Haridas Thakura went down the river and then he came out on the bank of the river. He had a doubt in his mind. It seemed so be hurting him but his mind was fixed in chanting Hare Krishna so he didn't actually notice it. And he was wondering why. Later on he went to see Lord Caitanya and he saw the Lord was in ecstasy but he also saw that the Lord had things that looked like wounds on the back of His back. Then he understood the Lord protected him by taking his pain. This is real Krishna consciousness. We have to understand that by putting ourselves within the brink of Krishna conscious preaching in harm's way how the Lord is so kind to us and merciful.

samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu, na me dvesyo 'sti na priyahye

bhajanti tu mam bhaktya, mayi te tesu capy aham [Bg 9.29]

The Lord is equal to everyone but He is very especially kind to His devotees and He gives special treatment to His devotees even though He is equal to everybody. He is equal to everybody because He gives everyone a chance. The Lord came out in the world on the calling of Advaita Acarya

Live From Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir!

Date: February 25th, 2011

Topic: Dhruva Maharaja Goes Back To Godhead

Verse: SB 4.12. 19

Speaker: HH Bhanu Swami
dadarsa vimanagryam

nabhaso 'vatarad dhruvah

vibhrajayad dasa diso

rakapatim ivoditam

TRANSLATION: As soon as the symptoms of his liberation were manifest, he saw a very beautiful airplane coming down from the sky, as if the brilliant fullmoon were coming down, illuminating all the ten directions.

PURPORT: There are different levels of acquired knowledge -- direct knowledge, knowledge received from authorities, transcendental knowledge,knowledge beyond the senses, and finally spiritual knowledge. When one surpasses the stage of acquiring knowledge by the descending process, he isimmediately situated on the transcendental platform. Dhruva Maharaja, being liberated from the material concept of life, was situated in transcendentalknowledge and could perceive the presence of a transcendental airplane which was as brilliant as the full moonlight. This is not possible in the stagesof direct or indirect perception of knowledge. Such knowledge is a special favour of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One can, however, rise to thisplatform of knowledge by the gradual process of advancing in devotional service, or Krishna consciousness. [End of Srila Prabhupada's purport to SB4.12.19]

HH Bhanu Swami:  So this verse and purport is describing the culmination of Dhruva Maharaja's life. Of course when he was a young child he saw theSupreme Lord directly after he followed the instructions of Narada Muni and worshipped the Supreme Lord in the forest. Then he was instructed to rulethe kingdom for thousands of years. He did so. Finally this section describes how he left. He left and in one sense he didn't leave because heis still within the universe. The body was the same in one sense but it was spiritualized. He had the same body but suddenly it became spiritual, turnedgolden and became spiritual. So it is described how the Visnuduttas came and took him to the pole star, Dhruvaloka which was equivalent to the spiritualworld.

So here it is described how this vimana airplane came down and delivered him to the spiritual planet within this material world. So of course we havemany different types of transportation these days. Vimana in Sanskrit also means airplane or whatever and even today the use of an airplane, BangladeshAirlines for instances, vimana also.
So there are both material and spiritual means of air travel. We know about the material ones. Actually before this there was walking on foot and wehear of Lord Caitanya walking throughout India on foot. He didn't even use a car or a horse or anything He walked with His feet all over India. So thatis the most immediate means of going from one place to another.

Then of course we have other means. When people got wheels on their carts then they started going on carts, chariots or whatever. We find also in theBhagavatam etc. where people travel around on ox carts. Nanda Maharaja put everything on the carts when he moved from Mahavan to Vrindavan on manycarts and of course Krishna riding around on His chariot with Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. So vehicles were quite common.

Historically speaking in terms of what we call modern view of history this type of transport went on for quite a while even though in the bhagavat wehave other means to travel like airplanes and spaceships, etc. This was the mode of travel for thousands and thousands of years along with the walkingprocess because we want to go from one place to the other. And eventually they got onto the more modern type of things were steam engines and bigmachines etc. like that and they started to develop in that direction, modern technology of course. You get modern trains like the Japanese train.[Laughs] That was on direction.

Then of course things got more developed then they started making airplanes, another type of vimanan, material vimana and this has become very common inthe modern world. This of course still confines us to this earth. We go from one place on earth to another. So this is material travel. That is moreefficient or quicker we can say than walking on your feet. But man of course is very ambitious so he wants to do something more than that. Then theystart to try to go beyond earth. We are stuck here more or less like this but they want to get beyond that so then they start going upwards withrocket ships etc. conquer space or whatever the universe, go to the moon, go to Mars or go to other planets like this.

This has been their endeavour in the last half century or so, sixty years or so, shooting rockets off to space and all of that in an attempt to discoverwhat is there and try to conquer. We are very, very limited in what we can do still we make this attempt to go beyond our limits on this earth'ssurface. In this way we get a feeling of our powers. So this has been the attempt and no matter what we do of course we are always limited. Our meansare limited and our machines are material.

So if we get the most advanced Starwars machine however [Laughter] then we can go across the universe still it is within the universe. They don't gobeyond the universe. They are still going from planet to planet, galaxy to galaxy within this universe. They are not going beyond it. This of coursethey think is fantastic. "We can go somewhere." A billion miles across the universe in three seconds or whatever! Maybe we can do that in the future.So still it is limited because it is within this material universe. Material means with material results. So we can keep trying to do this but it is alllimited.

Of course in the scriptures like the Bhagavatam we have the vimana. There are two types. One is the devatas have vimanas and they can go fromSvargaloka to down here or somewhere else in the universe very quickly. That is one type but we know that the devatas are also limited. They stay withinthe material universe. They can't go beyond it. So that type of vimana even if it sounds fantastic in the Bhagavatam it is also limited vehicle like arocket ship or the Starwars-ship or whatever. It is limited. You can go within the universe only.

Then of course you have the other vimana which is described here. This is the vehicle that takes you beyond the material world, beyond birth anddeath, beyond karma. This is a very special vehicle, something quite different from that. It may look like it but it is actually quite special.Interesting to know that the vimanas are described as temples.  This is also a vimana but it is a temple actually but it is called vimana.

The South Indian Temple actually is technically a vehicle also. Of course it is modern and it is a real vehicle going to the spiritual world also. Ofcourse we have other vehicles like this. Anyway this vehicle was described to be like the full moon. It was illuminating like the full moon, very, verybeautiful a vehicle but as I said different vehicles go to different places. It is based on our knowledge. If we get material knowledge we can domaterial thing and with spiritual knowledge we can do spiritual things. If we have material knowledge we can get material destinations and if we getspiritual knowledge we can get spiritual destinations.

So Prabhupada mentions here the different types of knowledge. One of course is the everyday knowledge that we have using our eyes, ears and senses, alsotouch - direct sense knowledge, which is convenient for us. By this we can live in the material world, support our body and infer so many things. Thenwe get the next one, using that observation we can infer this or whatever. Anuman we get inference we get indirect knowledge. So these are very usefulfor us and it helps us in many aspects - we can read books and so many things - that is inference.
There are common types of knowledge by again it is limited because our senses are material, mind and intelligence are material so all is limited.How far can we get with material knowledge? This is what the scientists are doing. They have pratyaksa and anuman and we get material results. It may befantastic but it is limited by material means. It is all material. Material knowledge is limited to within the material realm.

Then we have sabda or spiritual knowledge - knowledge coming down from authorities, authorized knowledge, eternal knowledge. By hearing that we canget a different result. So this gives us the opportunity to get spiritual knowledge and therefore get a spiritual destination and of course throughthat we get direct perception of the Supreme Lord. So we get perception but it is a different perception. Here we get perception now and it is material.Through spiritual knowledge we develop a different type of perception by which we get a different destination and perceive the Supreme Lord.

So that is the result of spiritual knowledge. This is what Dhruva got. Of course he was very fortunate that even without scripture but simply themercy of Narada Muni and his teachings on devotion this is how the Lord became merciful to him and showed Himself to him at a very young age. Theknowledge is necessary. The practice is necessary. Narada Muni gave the knowledge. Dhruva practiced bhakti and the Lord was merciful and showedHimself. Obviously he had a very, very special vision, spiritual vision. Later on at the end of his life again he was able to see the Lord finallyand this describes how he saw the Lord. The vimana came down. He got on and it took him to Dhruvaloka and there the Supreme Lord was standing. So he gotdirect perception again after so many thousands of years. So what is that authoritative knowledge or sabda?

What we accept as authoritative knowledge is of a different source. We have the Vedas or the sruti. Sruti means heard, not composed, eternal. Vyasadevwrites it down. He doesn't compose it. It is eternal. And at the beginning of Kali-yuga Vedavyasa appears and divides it up into four parts. Asdescribed in the Bhagavatam he gives it to his students to pass on in the future. So we have got the rg, the sama, yajur and atharva and of coursefrom the Vedas you get the Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanisads and the Samhitas. Brahmanas are .. This is karma kanda, uttar-mimansa. The Upanisada, jnanakanda all about Brahman and atma. The Samhitas deal with upasana ultimately the worship of Visnu.

Vedavyasa also found that it was rather difficult for people to access the Vedas in Kali yuga and of course the Vedas are only taught to people of thehigher classes. Sudras or outcastes cannot read the Vedas. In Kali-yuga everybody is sudra or less, how are they going to access the Vedas at all.Therefore he wrote the Mahabharata which is Itihasa or history or epic for the common people. Outcastes and sudras can also read. They did not have tohave qualification. In the Mahabharat we have the philosophical essence in the Bhagavad-gita. So that is one way to give it.

Another way to give it was to write the Puranas. We know there are eighteen maha puranas or major puranas. They are divided according to who they areaimed at, who is the audience. The tamasic Puranas for people in tama-guna, worship of Siva. Rajarsic Puranas or worship of Brahman for people inraja-guna. There are sattvic Puranas for people in sattva-guna who worship Visnu. So Vedasvyasa thought, "Okay now my work is complete." But asdescribed in the first canto of the Bhagavatam he was sitting by the river in the Himalayas. He wasn't feeling quite satisfied after he did all this. 

Then Narada Muni came. He said, "You have made a mistake. Don't do this. Don't present many types of worship, many processes for different people indifferent gunas. Present only one process, one object of worship."  Based on this Vedasvyasa then devised one of the Puranas and this became theSrimad-Bhagavatam with one process, bhakti and one object of worship, Krishna. "Don't confuse everybody, just write one."

So basically we have the Vedas which are eternal but then we have the Mahabharat written by Vedavyasa and you have the Puranas written byVedavyasa. Vedavyasa also wrote the Brahma-sutras to explain Upanisads, the jnana. So he wrote three things but all of these are summarized or concludedin the Bhagavatam.

As we know Lord Caitanya said that the natural commentary of the Brahma-sutras is the Bhagavatam. In the Bhagavatam we have an hint of thatin the first verse, janmad yasya yatah. So these are the Brahma-sutras in the Bhagavatam and this is some of it. As for the Puranas we know thatVedvyasa wrote the Puranas and then Narada said, "Get rid of this. Just write the essence of everything." So he wrote the Bhagavatam and theMahabharat. The Mahabharat is ... So therefore everything culminates in the Srimad Bhagavatam. So if we are looking for sabda or a process of spiritualknowledge we go to the Bhagavatam. This opens the final conclusion without any discrepencies.

Therefore it is said that Srimad Bhagavatam is the highest fruit on the desire tree of the Vedas. We all want different things from scripture, wehave some motive. We want something out of the Vedas. What do we want? So there are many results you can get from the Vedas. So what does Bhagavatamgive? It is the highest truth, highest result. And what is the highest result? Of course it is prema. So there are many, many results that you canget and it is the Bhagavatam which gives prema. Other scriptures also give. There are other bhakti scriptures but this gives the highest prema which wewill explain.

We get all sorts of prema in relation to God but there are many conceptions of God, many perceptions of God. Kapila as is explained in the section onKapiladev's teachings, just as one object has many qualities and is perceived by the senses in various ways so too Bhagavan is perceiveddifferently by various scriptural practices. So different parts of the scriptures will give different practices and as a result you see a differentform of the Lord. They may appear completely different. "This is the Lord." "That is the Lord." We have an argument. It is all the Lord but is perceiveddifferently according to the different ...

So just as we would have a glass of milk - this example is given by Srila Visvanath Cakravati Thakur. If you perceive it only with the eye, what doyou see? Something white! If you perceive it with the tongue then it is something sweet. You only know it is sweet. If you touch it, it is cool orwarm or whatever the texture of it is. Through the ear all we hear is the word milk. So we get a little bit of knowledge from all the different sensesbut we don't get complete knowledge.

Mind takes what we get from all the different senses, puts it all together and we get a complete understanding of what milk is as far as materialknowledge is concerned and we get a complete understanding of what milk is, the colour and the taste, and the texture and the liquidity etc.

In the same way different scriptures will reveal different aspects of the Supreme Lord. One section of the Vedas dealing with karma kanda will tellyou to do sacrifices, karma yoga and all of that. This gives one aspect, the material aspect - Svargaloka, Brahmaloka and all these things in thematerial world. Material desires! If you go to the jnana section, the Upanisads and you get Brahman, some abstract understanding of God as light,God is something!

If we go to the Bhagavatam we understand that God is Bhagavan Who includes everything else through the process of bhakti. So if we follow all thedifferent scriptures we will get the Supreme Lord but in different ways or different aspects. Of course the first one, that is actually not directlythe Supreme Lord. Brahman is also the Supreme Lord because we say that the Supreme Lord is Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. But it is a lesser aspectof the Lord, a lesser realization.

So we have all of these different perceptions of the Lord from the vaguest perception, then we get a little more form, a little more qualities and thenmore and more qualities until finally we get full manifestation of qualities in Bhagavan. This is actually were we understand the personal aspect of theLord.

Paramatma knowledge, some personality is there but mainly it is power - power to direct the material world, power to know everything. When we get toBhagavan then we get to know the loving aspect of the Supreme Lord, His relationship with His devotees, how He interacts with His devotees. So thatis realization of Bhagavan. So different scriptures give different process and different realizations of the Lord. Not wrong but not complete. The mostcomplete realization covers everything just as $100 also has $2 or $5 in it. So realization of Bhagavan gives the complete realization.

So from scriptures we get foundational knowledge of where to go, what to do and everything, we get a process and then it also tells us about a result.If we follow the process we get that certain result. So based on the type of scripture we chose obviously we get different results.

Therefore as I said the highest scripture is the Bhagavatam can give us a particular result. So we have the karma scriptures which give materialresults, we have a jnana scripture which gives liberation and realization of Brahman. We get bhakti scriptures that will give us higher than that -bhakti and prema. And we have Bhagavatam at the top which gives us special prema. Or there are different destinations. You get Svarga if you do karmayoga or whatever. You get Brahman through jnana yoga and we get Vaikuntha through bhakti yoga. Or we get material enjoyment through karma yoga. We getBrahmananda or the bliss of Brahman through jnana and we get prema through bhakti.
So we get different destination, different experience by different scriptures. This gives us a triangle. Usually we put the triangle the otherway. We put the topmost but I put it the other way around. It shows that the best results are the biggest, the most complete. Otherwise it looks likesmallest on the top but it is the biggest, the most complete of all.

This we know from Bhagavatam verse in canto one that this Absolute Truth is of three phases, three perceptions but ultimately it is all one. So nothingis incorrect but Bhagavan is complete. This is actually a very principle part of our philosophy along with another verse. When we come to Bhagavanthen there is a little problem there because we also got support of Bhagavan. Bhagavan is only one, even Brahman, Bhagavan and Paramatma, it isall one and yet Bhagavan also is one. But mysteriously He takes many forms also. These are described in the Bhagavatam also.
In fact the sages of Naimisaranya asked, "Tell us about all the different avataras of the Lord." Then there is a whole description given by Suta andlater by Sukadev Goswami of all the different avataras. Many, many avataras are there.

The avataras can be classed according to Their powers and the qualities that They manifest. Even if we say They are one sometimes the Lord will manifesta few qualities and in a different form He will manifest more qualities; like for instance the sage Kapila doesn't manifest all the qualities whereasVaraha manifests more power. So we get various manifestations of qualities even though it is all the Supreme Lord. So, why the Lord does this? He doesbecause He is infinite and He has infinite desires to do infinite number of things in different ways. So He takes different forms and does different things.

We have performance of Bhagavan. At the bottom we have the avesa forms, the saktyaves-avatara forms. These are actually not Bhagavan at all. They arejivas but they are endowed especially by the Lord eternally with that special sakti. So they have a very special position more than other jivas.Devatas also have power but that is in a lesser category. Here these have eternal endowment of power. For instance Narada Muni has the power of bhaktiand the Kumaras have the power or sakti of jnana eternally. They are in the spiritual world. They come in the material world.

 So we have these fixed avesa avataras of the Lord and which are jivas with special powers. Above that we have the full forms of the Lord but even Theyhave various manifestations of powers so we have this prabhava. They have lesser powers. They show a very impermanent form. They appear and disappearvery quickly like Mohini or Hamsa. Then we have those which are a little more important and have more powers, like Kurma; Matsya; Nara-narayana. Andwe have those which are even more power than Them - Varaha; Vamana; Hayagriva etc. 

These classifications are according to Rupa Goswami in Lagu Bhagavatamrta. And above that we have purnat purna, They manifest more qualities, morepowers. Who are the punar ones? We have Nrsimhadeva, Ramacandra and Krishna.Krishna is the power. That is the final form and the complete manifestationof qualities and powers and mercy etc. This of course is indicated very clearly at the beginning of the Bhagavatam in this particular famous versekrsnas tu bhagavan svayam. [SB 1.3.28] This is the other principle of Gaudiya philosophy and the Bhagavatam - that Krishna is the final form, thecomplete form, complete manifestation of all qualities of the Supreme Lord.

We have Nrsimhadev of course and then we have Rama and then we have Krishna. What is special about Krishna? I said He manifests more qualities and morepowers; more compassion etc. The special qualities of course are enumerated by Rupa Goswami in the 'Nectar of Devotion' as four special qualities. Thereare sixty four qualities of the Supreme Lord and the other forms have sixty and Krishna will have sixty four. He has four special things that Hemanifests that the other forms of Bhagavan don't manifest. One of that is rupa-madhurya which means the sweetness of His form.

All forms of the Lord are beautiful. They are all spiritual. They are not material. And they are all spiritually attractive but according to Theirpastimes and according to Their form They are attractive in different ways. So Krishna contains all the other attractions of all the other forms likeKurma, Matsya, Hayagriva and everyone else but something extra special - madhurya, some very sweet feeling upon seeing that form. So it means a veryintimate type of love, very natural because what is that form? It is a human like form with which you can relate very nicely more than with the pig formor the lion form or whatever. And it is not just a human form. It is a young form. Sometimes even baby, young boy, not older person but a very youngperson.

Also He is a cowherd boy. He is not a king or a prince. He is actually a cowherd boy, a very common type of person. So this particular form ofKrishna involves a very intimate type of, informal type of love. This is madhurya-rupa. And because He has that very intimate type of form Hedevelops intimate types of devotees of all sorts.

So we get a full manifestation of all types of love manifesting in Krishna which we won't find even in Nrsimha or Visnu or whatever other forms of theLord. They are all prema of course but it is not manifest to the same degree because here we have all types of devotees. Other ones it is all servants,dasya rasa but with Krishna we get dasya, sakya, vatsala and madhurya or all sorts of varities - not only that. It is very intense and very intimate. Ofcourse we have madhurya rasa with Laxmi Narayan. It does not have the same intimacy as with Krishna. So all types of devotees have a very intimaterelationship with Krishna and consequently that pastimes are very sweet and intimate with Krishna compared to the other forms. Krishna would notmanifest pastimes like Krishna with Yasoda. Krishna gets tied up by Mother Yasoda. Rama will not get tied up. Visnu will not get tied up but Krishnagets tied up.

We have many pastimes of Krishna that would not manifest in the other forms.And of course we have the venu madhurya. Krishna particularly plays theflute. What is so special about the flute is that the sound of the flute is non-different from Krishna's prema, that sweet prema. When anyone hears thatthey begin melting with prema. The rocks will melt and the trees will be oozing honey, the flowers blossom and the river becomes petrified. Every body become completely bewildered by prema on hear that flute, that sweet prema of Vrindavan.

So it is a very, very intense type of love that allured by Krishna. But even in Krishna we have different forms. We have Dvaraka Krishna, then we haveMadhurya Krishna and we have a Vraja Krishna. It is explained in the 'Nectar of Devotion' that the Dvaraka form is punar which is complete but theMathura form is purna-tara which means more complete. And the Vrindavan form is purna-tamah which means most complete. Even though it is all Krishna andKrishna is the Svayam Bhagavan, Svayam Bhagavan will manifest different amounts in intensities in these different places. He is the same personactually. He is kaishore in all three. He doesn't age after he leaves Vrindavan. He is the same age or the same form but the sweetness manifest inVrindavan is the most; little less in Mathura and lesser in Dvaraka.

Therefore the inhabitants in these different places have different experiences with Krishna.  So both the places are categorized as purna,purnatara and purna-tamah.  So this is the Krishna in Vrindavan, the highest one. Even in Vrindavan we have various degrees. There is santa rasa which isthe bottom. It is quite neutral. Then we have dasya rasa and above that we have more intensity, sakhya rasa and more intensity in vatsalya rasa andthen the most intensity in madhurya rasa. We can measure it all in terms of the intensity of the relationship of the devotee with Krishna. That isgreater. Everything is spiritual, everything is wonderful and it is eternal. Everything is perfect and satisfying for everybody but objectively speakingthe intensity in madhurya rasa is much greater than any other.

That is because even in prema we have various levels. In 'The Nectar of Devotion' it says that we get bhava and then we get prema but in UjjvalaNilamani Rupa Goswami is saying prema actually has many levels. So in prema you get rati then we get prema and then more intense you get sneha and inconjugal rasa you get mana and you get pranaya. Then you get raga, anuraga and then the topmost or most intense is mahabhava. So we get various levels.For instance the vatsalya rasa goes up in raga level. That is its limit, constant raga whereas sakhya rasa may go up to sneha and little pranaya.

In this way in Vrindavam most of the various intensities of love are manifested. And topmost we get with madhurya rasa which is the maha bhavamanifesting. So anuraga and mahabhava only manifest with madhurya rasa and not with the other rasas at all. Then even in madhurya rasa we get differentgroups. [Laughter] So Ujjvala Nilamani explains the different gopis and how they interact with Krishna and we have many, many different levels, sublevels and whatever. Ultimately at the top we get Candravali and Radha and of the two Radha is the topmost. Radha of course includes her whole group ofthe astasakhis and other sakhis who are in Her group. Spiritually they are all different main gopis but they all have their groups with them.

When we talk about one sakhi we talk about the whole group and not just one person. At the very top we find Radha and Her group of sakhis. Again this isthe intensity of the love and because of the intensity of their love it is the most pleasing to Krishna. Although Candrvali is very co-operative andgentle and whatever, Radha's love is the most intense therefore Krishna chooses Radha over Candravali. Therefore we get Radha at the very top andall the gopis with Her.

So therefore the topmost from is Krishna with Radha and the sakhis. [Audience say Haribol] In our theology we have Radha and Krishna at the topof everything. And how is that presented? It comes through the knowledge. That is our vehicle, that is the Bhagavatam. Through the Bhagavatam weperform our bhakti and we get our knowledge, our bhakti, our goal of Krishna and all of those wonderful pastimes in the tenth canto etc. Through thatthen we can begin to realize Krishna in Vrindavan, all the different rasas especially the highest one of Radha and Krishna. That is what we have -Radha Krishna and of course we have Radha and Krishna combined as Gauranga. This way we have a complete form in Lord Caitanya where Radha and Krishnacombine.

Therefore we have vimanas and how to go to different places. So if we want to go to the spiritual world definitely we have to use the scripture and ifwe are using the scripture then we have to see which scripture gives the best result. The highest result is given through the Srimad Bhagavatam andwhat is that? Worship of Krishna! Then we have all the different rasas culminating in worship of Radha and Krishna in Vrindavan. So that is ourfinal goal. It is the goal therefore it is the object of our worship. Hare Krishna. [Applause]

Prabhu: Hare Krishna. Maharaj you spoke about the gradation and the basis of intensity of the relationship. One understanding that I heard from GirirajSwami that the intensity is the pleasure that Krishna derives from the relationship. As it becomes more intense Krishna derives more pleasure.

HH Bhanu Swami: It is obvious that the more intense the love the more attracted Krishna is to that, the more satisfied He is with that. ThereforeKrishna is more attracted to Radha because of the intensity of Her love.What is the intensity of Her love? What does it feel like? He then becomesCaitanya Mahaprabhu to taste that and understand what is the taste and intensity of Her love. So He understands that is the greatest love. Radha'slove is the greatest. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to taste the greatness of that love.

Prabhu: Maharaj in the purport Srila Prabhupada explains about the different stages of knowledge. Can you kindly elaborate how to understand each ofthese stages more clearly?

HH Bhanu Swami: It seems to develop out of order because the indirect knowledge comes later than the direct. Direct is pratyaksa and indirect willbe anumana.

Prabhu: So the five stages and this indirect perception...

HH Bhanu Swami: As I was saying the indirect is anumana, direct is pratyaksa and authorized or coming from authority is sabda. Then the other two thingsare a little vague what they stand for. Whether spiritual knowledge....Spiritual knowledge and transcendental knowledge, I supposesyou can say that these three levels are direct perception, spiritual perception after we get sabda. As I said we get sabda then we getrealization and perception of God which could be Brahman or can be Bhagavan. There are two different levels or spiritual knowledge. I am not the body, Iam Brahman and the other one is you realize the Supreme Lord also. That would be the second level of knowledge. They definitely explain these terms.

Prabhu: Hare Krishna Maharaj. Thank you for your wonderful presentation. Can we please hear something more about the vimana of the South Indian Temples?What have they achieved? And is ...really a vimana a temple or a temple a vimana and who is the driver and what is the ... [Laughter]

HH Bhanu Swami: Well a vimana is an expensive...in South India for instance the Venketeswara Temple will have to get a roundish one and the ... templehas a long type square one. There are various shapes that of course are derived from certain sastra, the South India scriptures on architecture. Sothere are various sorts. Whether they actually represent the same vimana I don't actually know but obviously it is the temple of the Supreme Lord so itis a vehicle also. You see the Lord and you see the vehicle - you can go anyway in this house. Yes a vimana itself is an airplane but it is generallycalled His house, the house of the Lord, the dwelling place of the Lord. We can also....why is that different shape...sastras.

Prabhu:  Sri Rangam Temple, the central sactorium, thats the vimana temple that came from Dhruvaloka.

HH Bhanu Swami: ...descended from Brahmaloka.

Prabhu: Maharaj we see how Narada is witnessing all these relationships so is he also able to experience then by witnessing them?

HH Bhanu swami: Narada?

Prabhu Yes. He goes to different lilas and sees Krishna so can he also taste them also?
HH Bhanu Swami: Narada Muni is a saktyavesa avatara and the Lord is eternal so obviously he is not like us. He can perceive everything and watcheverything. He has much more knowledge you can say than us. But there is also limitation according to the will of the Lord. So generally he is dasyarasa so therefore he can't really appreciate higher rasa. Even in Vrindavan those who are in dasya rasa or vatsalya rasa never see the madhurya rasa. Itis a contradiction to their rasa so they don't get involved in that at all. What to speak of NradaMuni, he is not even a resident there.Prabhu: We see that somehow he is attracted to that means there must be some taste otherwise why will he be attracted?

HH Bhanu Swami: Yes. Obviously even Siva or Latchmi became attracted but she couldn't get in also. So according to your qualification you can have theexperience. You may have attraction for it just like Akrura. Uddhava admired the people of Vrindavan but he was in Mathura. He was in a totally differentbhava. Then aiswarya is also associated with Krishna in a very intimate way but he had aisvarya so he is in a lower category. But he could appreciate,he said, "I pray that I could have devotion like them, like the gopis." But he is in dasya rasa but he could appreciate but not get into it.

Prabhu: Maharaj when the sat-darsan of the Lord, the real darsan of the Lord, my understanding when I read Prabhupada's books is when a person ontransference of his body, when he leaves his body he goes Gokul Vrindavan and then from Gokul Vrindavan he goes to Goloka Vrindavan.

HH Bhanu Swami: That is one process. The one process is described in the Brhad-bhagavatamrta by Visvanath Cakravati. He says that some people saythat first you are born in a universe were Krishna is performing His pastimes and you get born into a family of that particular gopi forinstance. You are born in a particular family with a mother and a father cowherd and you grow up but then when you are a certain age you participatewith Krishna in those pastimes. Then you go to the spiritual world and then you get to know who your mother and father are there. So you get someidentity while you are in the material world in the prakrta pastimes and then you go there.

He says some people say this and he has no disagreement with them but in Madhurya Kadambini he describes how when you get to the prema stage yousuddenly just walk into the spiritual world and you just merge into your spiritual body. You give up this body and you go to the spiritual world.That is another way. Then we have this way were you get on an airplane and go off to some loka. There are various ways according to your desire,Krishna's desire and the mood you have, I suppose.

Prabhu: One more question. You have three categories of sastra. You have the karma-kanda, the jnana-kanda and the upasanas. Do we utilize the karma kandaand the jnana kanda sastras or are they interrelated?
HH Bhanu Swami: They all have their purpose, like we have our aparadha - don't criticize the sruti. Sruti ninda is an aparadha. Don't criticize thesruti. Sruti means the Vedas and one portion of the Vedas is the karma kanda portion. Karma kanda is nonsense! No. It is part of the Vedas. VisvanathCakravati said therefore we don't criticize. We understand that the Vedas have different types of processes for different types of people.

So people who are materially attached let them at least follow rules and regulations, let them do some worship. It will give them some sensegratification but let them at least respect the Lord and they can worship devatas and whatever according to some process and control their senses andget their sense gratification. Let them do that. That is the lowest level.

Higher than that karma kanda is the jnana kanda. And jnana kanda says okay when you get tired of all that material enjoyment then you renounce it all.My understanding is that you can get liberation from material world. So that is jnana kanda. So we have various types of processes for different people.It is said in the Kapila section that according to the scripture you see God in different ways. So you can Him in Svargaloka or you can see Him in muktiin Brahman or you can see Him as Bhagavan.

However in Kali yuga as Narada Muni told Vyasa don't recommend all these different process. It would confuse the people. Recommend one process foreverybody - for the materially attached, for the materially unattached and for the devotees, one process, only krsna-bhakti. That is all. Why? BecauseKrishna is the most attractive form and the people of Kali yuga are the most fallen. So they need the most attractive form. Therefore just tell them toworship Krishna and that would cover everything.

Prabhu: Does it include the knowledge of the karma kanda and upasanas, the bhagavat , is it interrelated?
HH Bhanu Swami: Well no. We see in the Bhagavatam karma is explained in terms of varnasrama. In the section on Prahlad there is a section onvarnasrama; eleventh canto again there is a section on varnas and asramas.And we have jnana. Kapila explains jnana also. In the eleventh canto againKrishna explains to Uddhava a few chapters on jnana and Brahman etc. And even yoga is explained by Kapila in the third canto and again by Krishna inthe eleventh canto. There is a very detailed description of the cities you can get etc.

So these are all explained, why? One reason is because it is scripture so it should explain everything. But as we know from the very beginning thedirection of Narada Muni was show that bhakti is supreme. Everything else should not be encouraged. So of course the other aspect is to attract otherpeople and by becoming attracted maybe they will get association with devotees and develop attraction for Krishna.

Prabhu: Maharaj you mention Narada Muni, Uddhava and even the Vrajavasis they don't have access although they may have appreciation. Even theVrajavasis may not see madhurya of Krishna with the gopis but then we also know there is Narada kund here. In Goloka is there Narada kund? That is theplace where Narada had taken a gopis form on the basis of the fact that he was attracted. So therefore the desire was augmented. My question is does itapply to everyone including Uddhava that potentially and in time that we will attain a form that corresponds with our desire and attraction? Once theattraction is there doesn't it mean that automatically we will - following the principle that Krishna fulfils all desires?

HH Bhanu Swami: well logically of course everyone will desire to be a gopi. In that logic everyone will end up as a gopi. There will be no other rasa inthe spiritual world accept gopis. Temporarily I think they can assume forms like this but that wouldn't be their permanent bhava. We still see NaradaMuni travelling around the universe. He is not a gopi. So temporarily by the mercy of Krishna he can experience it but it is not a permanent rasa.
Prabhu: Hare Krishna Maharaj. Thank you for your wonderful presentation. I have a couple of questions regarding rasas. First one is we have the fivemain rasas which are santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhurya. We find in Caitanya-caritamrta Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu discouraged santa. He said thatHe will give only four processes so my question is why? 

My second question is we see in the associates of the Lord those in different incarnations are dasya or sakhya or some brahman sakhya orvisvambara sakhya. When they come with Caitanya Mahaprabhu do they all get madhurya because Mahaprabhu came to give madhurya rasa? So those associateswho in previous pastimes of the Lord were in dasya or sakhya did they get madhurya rasa in Mahaprabhu's lila?

HH Bhanu Swami: Okay. First one, yes. Santa is generally accepted on the same level as dasya except because there is a perception of the Lord butvery, very little service. So it is described that rsis or sages in the spiritual world. The sages who saw Krishna coming into the arena of Kamsa.They saw this feast, santa personified. So they don't have a very developed relationship. As dasya they should serve Him and therefore the intimacy ofservice gives a certain level of prema. That isn't developed in santa. So it is very limited so therefore it is para rasa but it is a very lowest sectionof rasa. It is even said that those who have jnana misra bhakti and never give that up will get santa rasa in the spiritual world. They have littlejnana mixed with bhakti, jnana misra bhakti so they will have santa rasa to serve the Lord.

The other question about Mahaprabhu's lila. When we use the word madhurya it is everything Krishna, like in Vrindavan also is madhurya in one sense butthat doesn't mean it is madhurya rasa. Madhurya in that sense means sweet, intimate. So everything is intimate there but vatsalya is always vatsalyabut everything has that intimacy. So of course Caitanya Mahaprabhu is non-different from Krishna so it is like that but actually it is change. Soit is not called madhurya it is call audarya in Lord Caitanya's pastimes rather than madhurya.  Audarya means very generous, very munificent. So LordCaitanya is most merciful to all the fallen souls. He wants to give out Radha Krishna prema to even the aparadhis.

That is the dominant mood of Lord Caitanya but in the lila we will find people in dasya. Srivas Pandit is like that in dasya rasa. And vatsalya rasais there with the parents of Lord Caitanya, Saci Mata and Jagannath Misra. We have sakya rasa there with Balarama, Lord Nityananda and the dvadasagopas, the associates of Nityananda Prabhu. So they are in sakhya rasa. Then we find others in conjugal rasa, manjari bhava etc. in Vrindavan.Prabhu: All the devotees in Iskcon are followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu so does it mean that we don't go back to Radha Krishna's pastimes?

HH Bhanu Swami: That is the general but we see that even in Lord Caitanya's pastimes some people weren't. So we have the sakhya rasa there. Rather thanbe a gopi they would be sakha. We have Balarama and we have Sridama. So some people want to be in that and some of Caitanya Mahaprabhu's associates like Murari Gupta were worshippers of Rama. Different quorum there, little strange but never the less so! No everybody but as a general idea on goes to Krishna in Vrindavana but again that is according to our worship.

So if you worship like this and you concentrate on this as you know from the eight chapter of Bhagava-gita, what you think of at the time you are dyingyou attain. So life after life if you are concentrating on Krishna you are not going to end up with Nrsingadev or Rama in the spiritual world aftermany births of worshipping Radha and Krishna. It depends on who you worship and how you worship, that is how you get your perfection in the spiritualworld. I think we have to end there. Hare Krishna. [Applause]

Live From Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir!

Date: February 21st, 2011

Topic: Dhruva Maharaj Goes Back To Godhead

Verse: SB 4.12.16

Speaker: HH Bhakti Dhira Damodara Swami

atma-stry-apatya-suhrdo balam rddha-kosamantah-puram parivihara-bhuvas ca ramyahbhu-mandalam jaladhi-mekhalam akalayyakalopasrstam iti sa prayayau visalam

TRANSLATION: Thus Dhruva Maharaja, at the end, left his kingdom, which extended all over the earth and was bounded by the great oceans. Heconsidered his body, his wives, his children, his friends, his army, his rich treasury, his very comfortable palaces and his many enjoyablepleasure-grounds to be creations of the illusory energy. Thus in due course of time he retired to the forest in the Himalayas known as Badarikasrama.

PURPORT: In the beginning of his life, when he went to the forest in search of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Dhruva Maharaja realized that allbodily conceptions of pleasure are products of the illusory energy. In the very beginning, of course, he was after the kingdom of his father, and inorder to get it he went to search for the Supreme Lord. But he later realized that everything is the creation of the illusory energy. From theacts of Srila Dhruva Maharaja we can understand that somehow or other if one becomes Krsna conscious -- it does not matter what his motivation is in thebeginning -- he will eventually realize the real truth by the grace of the Lord. In the beginning, Dhruva Maharaja was interested in the kingdom of hisfather, but later he became a great devotee, maha-bhagavata, and had no interest in material enjoyment. The perfection of life can be achieved onlyby devotees. Even if one completes only a minute percentage of devotional service and then falls down from his immature position, he is better than aperson who fully engages in the fruitive activities of this material world. [End of Srila Prabhupada's purport to SB 4.12.16] HH Bhakti Dhira Damodara Swami: Hare Krishna. I beg to humbly.iwonderful devotees of Lord Krishna. And also I beg for your permission so thatsomething can be said. So Dhruva Maharaja wanted the kingdom as a facility for sense gratification. For that reason he went to the forest because hewas told that only Krishna can satisfy all desires. So he wanted to know where he can get Krishna. He was told those who are looking for Krishna cango to the Hare Krishna Temple. So he went.
His interest was not for Krishna. His interest was for facility for sense gratification but because his desire was committed with Krishna heeventually became Krishna conscious. As is the advice given in the Srimad Bhagavatam,
akamah sarva-kamo va, moksa-kama udara-dhih [SB 2.3.10]

When an intelligent person, udara-dhih, is looking for material desires or wants liberation or it is for Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,he should go to Krishna. And when he is in Krishna, tivrena bhakti-yogena [SB 2.3.10] Dhruva Maharaja's devotional service was not disturbed byanything else. Even though he had material desire when he was practicing his austerity he completely forgot about the desire to get a kingdom. He wascompletely fixed in Krishna consciousness. As a result of that Lord Krishna appeared before him. And he regretted it. A pursuit he regretted. What isthe meaning of this? Material desires are very dangerous. Senses gratification is very dangerous.
Prahlad Maharaja explains how dangerous are material desires, sense gratification.

na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]

matir na krsne paratah svato va, mitho 'bhipadyeta grha-vratanamadanta-gobhir visatam tamisram, punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]

Matir na krsne paratah svato va - sense gratification will never give one Krishna because sense gratification means removing Krishna from the centreand placing oneself in the centre, which is not possible for a conditioned soul, even for a liberated soul. Not possible because you have never beenKrishna before and you will never be Krishna at any time. We are part and parcel of Krishna but not Krishna.

So Prahlad Maharaja said that those who are after sense gratification will never be Krishna conscious even if they speculate or understand Krishna bythemselves or they ask for i by themselves. i that is the danger of sense gratification.

How can a sick person enjoy? One who is sick, you have a severe headache and if you see food it is very irritating. Isn't it? A sick person cannot enjoy.Therefore the conditioned soul is not an enjoyer. Enjoyment is for the greater souls. Enjoyment is for pure devotees. Those who are completely purecan enjoy. So the greatest sense gratifiers are devotees of Krishna. Look at their Prasad, look at the devotees.  This one is going to be consideredinferior when His Grace Ambarisha Prabhu will complete his planetarium. Look at what is Krishna consciousness! No other process can give you this exceptthe process of devotional service.

So devotees are the greatest sense gratifiers. Even although we are not going to Vaikuntha we are already enjoying all the facilities of Vaikuntha,living in the same place as Krishna; enjoying all the opulence's of Krishna. It has already taken place right here what to speak of after here! Puredevotees can enjoy. Conditioned souls cannot enjoy because they are sick. And a sick person cannot enjoy life.

Dhruva Maharaja wanted a kingdom and he got it because his activities have coalition with Lord Krishna. And he regretted, "I don't want this again. Iwant only You. The piousness influence of demigods affected my intelligence and my intelligence became polluted that I couldn't ask for something whichis wonderful. But somehow or the other by Your causeless mercy was looking for something impure but I have gotten the best. Therefore I don't want a kingdom."

Lord Krishna says, "Don't worry I will still give it to you but as I am giving it to you will never be entangled. Enjoy it for thirty six thousandyears. You will never be entangled." He gratified his senses without impediments. Even with that he realized all the activities of the senses inassociation with the body it is all Krishna's illusion. Enjoying separate from Krishna - maya. Our activity to enjoy this material body is a greatillusion. Dhruva Maharaja realized this. Now he has given it up and taken to Krishna consciousness fully. They are going to Badrikasrama to prepare forgoing back home, back to Godhead.

Srila Prabhupada said here that maha-bhagavata. He is a maha-bhagavata. And our acaryas have explained maha-bhagavata in three categories. The lowest isNarada Muni. Narada Muni served the pure devotees. He said that, "In their association although I was a boy I was very, very attentive. I had completefaith in them and my service to them was not in Duplicity. I was  straight forward in my dealings with them. And because of that sincere service theyembraced me and the very nature of the Bhaktivedantas became attractive to me." The Bhaktivedantas carry Krishna in their hearts without firesacrifice. He got bhakti and he started to practice full devotional service. Krishna appeared to him and told him, "My dear boy in this lifetime you willnot see Me again. The person who is not completely fixed in service will not see Me. I just want to encourage you to continue. After this you won't seeMe."
Jiva Goswami explains that Narada Muni was so in the mode of goodness. He was enjoying the mode of goodness. He had not transcended the mode ofgoodness. He was still within the modes and he lost everything.Second level is Sukadev Goswami. That level one has transcended the modes of nature but have not realized their relationship with the Supreme Personalityof Godhead..

Highest level Narada Muni after he has transcended the three modes of material nature and has fully realized the process of going back to Godhead.And beyond this there is also bhagavat-pradan. Devotee' s heart that is stolen by Lord Krishna. The devotees are self forgetful in their devotionalservice. They don't see themselves. They only see Lord Krishna in their lives.

So when the gopis in the forest go to the river to fetch water, they went in the morning, they go to the bank of the river, they sit down and discussabout Lord Krishna for the whole day, even though they go back to the house without water - self forgetful, bhagavat pradan.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to give this process. The result of chanting the holy name is krsna-prema. So Prema Purusottama Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to give that process. He came with a iaround the world but who was going to wear this iThey had disturbance i Krsnadasa Kaviraj Goswami gaveparama, the essence. The process of entering the parama vesa, the pure chanting is given not by our chanting sixty-four rounds, not by keeping thefour regulative principles. It is given by the representative of Krishna who has it to those who are really sincere. They are following sincerely. Theyare finished with material desires and are looking for only Krishna. Krishna sitting in his heart will see those who hankering after this pure love andHe would directiIt is the process.

We have to understand the process of devotional service to Krishna. Like Dhruva Maharaja was very fixed, completely having forgotten everythingexternal. He knows nothing but Krishna. He was fixed in Krishna with no distraction. In this way he was identified and Krishna gave him theblessings that prepare to go back home, back to Godhead. So let us practice our Krishna consciousness in that same way and we will follow Dhruva Maharajback home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much. Hare Krishna. Are there comments or questions?

Prabhu: Thank you Maharaj for this class. I like the point you made about how devotees are really enjoying the most, just looking at our temples, ourassociation you can say they are not i.accept for devotees. Even though the karmis may see us with this paint, robes and funny haircut it appears as ifwe suffer so greatly but actually we are enjoying the most. So I wanted to add the point of the example that Prabhupada I believe it was an airportscene, you can imagine seeing Prabupada, big kirtana. Devotees must be in bliss. Their faces must be showing so much happiness that this reporter thenasked, "What do you all do for recreation?"

So Srila Prabhupada answers, "We dance, we chant, we take prasadam. Our process is nothing but recreation." So I just wanted to bring that point up.Externally devotional service may appear to be more than that but actually it is the greatest fun. Thank you Maharaj.

Prabhu: Thank you very much Maharaj. I didn't quite understand the difference between Narada Muni. He was in the mode of goodness then herealized the Supreme Lord, then you said Suta Goswami did he transcending the modes and realized? You mind elaborating just a little bit?

HH Bhakti Dhira Damodara Swami: Okay. Yes I was explaining that there are three categories of mahatmas, not just one. And I said it from the lowestlevel. Lowest level in relation to Narada Muni. Narada Muni two times - first and also the last. In the beginning he had not transcended the modes.He was still dealing with the mode of goodness iMode of goodness is not pure so we have to transcend that. In the beginning he had not transcended that.He couldn't go back home back to Godhead. So that was basically the lowest level. He was still within the modes.Those on the second level of mahatma like Sukadev Goswami have transcended the modes completely but have not fully realized relationship with Krishna.And then after Narada Muni had perfected his life he came to the topmost level also. In that level he had transcended the three modes. I mentionedabout blessings from Lord Krishna fully.Then I mentioned bhagavat pradan. So there are different levels. So by practicing Krishna consciousness it should bring you to that level.

Prabhu: Hare Krishna Maharaj. Thank you for that beautiful lecture especially when you said that the desire to get connected to Krishna somehowwe should become Krishna conscious. By question is regarding when you said that all bodily concepts of pleasure are a product of the illusory energy ofthe Lord. How do we on a practical level keep checking ourselves that when the mind wanders or the intelligence wanders, that this is sort of sensegratification is a product of illusory energy and stop ourselves?

HH Bhakti Dhira Damodara Swami: In the beginning we should practice under the expert guidance of a spiritual master who is self realized. So by thedirection we practice Krishna consciousness by engaging our senses. By engaging our senses in Krishna consciousness we become purified eg. We aretaking prasadam. You cannot stop eating. We have to eat so we eat remnants of Krishna. So the sense of eating is engaged but in Krishna consciousness.So in that way the sense will become purified. The sense of eating will become purified.
Similarly the sense of seeing and all of our senses if engaged in Krishna consciousness will become purified. We should engage our sense under thedirection of a pure devotee because without direction we may think that sense gratification is also devotional service. We will mix it. Eg. We maythink that if I attend my family party where they gratifying their senses and I may think that by attending in that way I am encouraging them tobecome devotees. That is an illusion. We don't gratify our senses. It is very subtle but it is dangerous.

Prabhu: hare Krishna. This is simply from my own edification. Usually when I give class I always let people know that whatever I say they can test mewhere my statements are verified in Prabhupada's books. So maybe for my own edification can you tell me where that explanation where Narada Muni is?

HH Bhakti Dhira Damodara Swami: From Jiva Goswami.

Prabhu: Where?

HH Bhakti Dhira Damodara Swami: It is by Jiva Goswami.

Prabhu: Which book?

HH Bhakti Dhira Damodara Swami: Satsandarba.

I think that we are iworks very closely. Because it is very wonderful for old devotees. I would like to suggest that we also follow Srila Prabhupadawho is our i because if we follow Srila Prabhupada i we will connect with him more and we will be empowered by Srila Prabhupada to represent him ipowerful than what we are doing now. Let the power come from i and not just limited to what he said but to understand his wisdom. And when he sees thesincerity of the devotees we will be empowered by him. Nothing is more powerful than what i Hare Krishna! Iskcon founder acarya Srila PrabhupadaKi.Jai!

It's called Mindset

As I was passing by the elephants, I suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg.

No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not. I saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

"Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.

"I was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

Wise say, "Your attempt may fail, but never fail to make an attempt

Live From Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir!

Date: February 19th, 2011

Topic: Dhruva Maharaj Goes Back To Godhead

Verse: SB 4.12.14

Speaker: HH Ramai Swami

evam bahu-savam kalammahatmavicalendriyahtri-vargaupayikam nitvaputrayadan nrpasanam

TRANSLATION: The self-controlled great soul Dhruva Maharaja thus passed many, many years favorably executing three kinds of worldly activities,namely religiosity, economic development and satisfaction of all material desires. Thereafter he handed over the charge of the royal throne to hisson.

PURPORT: Perfection of materialistic life is suitably attained by the process of observing religious principles. This leads automatically tosuccessful economic development, and thus there is no difficulty in satisfying all material desires. Since Dhruva Maharaja, as a king, had tokeep up his status quo or it would not have been possible to rule over the people in general, he did it perfectly. But as soon as he saw that his sonwas grown up and could take charge of the royal throne, he immediately handed over the charge and retired from all material engagements.

One word used here is very significant -- avicalendriyah, which means that he was not disturbed by the agitation of the senses nor was his sensorypower diminished, although in years he was a very old man. Since he ruled over the world for thirty-six thousand years, naturally one may concludethat he became very, very old, but factually his senses were very young and yet he was not interested in sense gratification. In other words, heremained self-controlled. He performed his duties perfectly according to the materialistic way. That is the way of behavior of great devotees. SrilaRaghunatha dasa Gosvami, one of the direct disciples of Lord Caitanya, was the son of a very rich man. Although he had no interest in enjoying materialhappiness, when he was entrusted with doing something in managing the state, he did it perfectly. Srila Gaurasundara advised him, "From within, keepyourself and your mind completely aloof, but externally execute the material duties just as they need to be done." This transcendental position can beachieved by devotees only, as described in the Bhagavad-gita: while others, such as yogis, try to control their senses by force, devotees, even thoughpossessing full sensory powers, do not use them because they engage in higher, transcendental activities. [End of Srila Prabhupada's purport to SB4.12.14]

HH Ramai Swami: Here the word mahatma is used, the great soul. Earlier on Prabhupada described Dhruva Maharaj as maha bhagavata. So not only mahatmabut he was a maha bhagavata, first class devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And we heard yesterday from Ajamila how even as a small child hewent to the forest with great determination to get a kingdom greater than his father, greater even than Lord Brahma. When Narada Muni came andinstructed him with the mantra - om namo bhagavate vasudevaya, he chanted that and he developed love of God and  was able to get darsan of the SupremePersonality of Godhead.

Then he became a changed person and became full of love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead from a young age. So throughout his whole life he wastotally devoted, so much so that Prabhupada writes, not only mahatma, mahabhagavata. As a maha bhagavata he still performed his duties as the king.

Prabhupada gives the example here of Raghunatha das Goswami who was born in a very rich family and at an early age one of the sadhus of the villagewhich was Krishnapura, Balarama Acarya had invited Haridasa Thakura to come to that village. Haridasa Thakura was preaching about the glories ofchanting the Hare Krishna mantra and he also told about Lord Caitanya.

When Raghunatha dasa heard about Lord Caitanya and by the association of Haridasa Thakura he became very infatuated. Of course he is an eternalassociate of the Lord. That awakened his love for Krishna and his attraction for Lord Caitanya. He was always thinking, "When can I meet Lord Caitanya."

Later on he had heard that Lord Caitanya had taken sannyasa and was on His way to Vrindavan but Nityananda Prabhu and the other devotees had trickedHim and taken Him to Santipura, to the house of Advaita Acarya instead. So Raghunath dasa had heard that and he asked his parents (at that time he wasfifteen years old) if he could go and see Lord Caitanya. They were a little reluctant because they knew that Raghunath had a mood to renounce everythingand be a devotee and not stay in the family.

Nevertheless they sent him with an entourage and he stayed there. He went there and he stayed with Lord Caitanya for ten days. He became infatuatedand was crying in the presence of Lord Caitanya. He again came back home but he was always thinking of Lord Caitanya and always thinking of renouncingthe world.

He went back to Santipura again. This time, Lord Caitanya after travelling on tour in South India and came back again to Santipura to the house ofAdvaita Acaraya. This was some time later, four or five years later because Raghunath was nineteen or twenty years old. He again went to see LordCaitanya. He wanted to just run away from home and go with Lord Caitanya to Jagannath Puri. But Lord Caitanya told him, "No. It will be revealed to youwhen the proper time of renunciation will come. Krishna will reveal that to you. For now you go back home and you do your duties just like an ordinaryman of the world. And do your duties to the best of your ability. In due course of time it will be revealed to you when you can come and join Me atJagannath Puri." Lord Caitanya also told him, "You do that but within your own heart you always think of Krishna. You always engage in devotionalservice and in your heart you think of Krishna."

So he did that. He went home and he got married to a very beautiful wife and he helped his father and his uncle manage the affairs of state. He did thatvery, very well. That was only to last a few years because after that time it just built up in him so much to be with Lord Caitanya that finally hefound some way to run away via a secret passage through a jungle. He ended up meeting with Lord Caitanya in Jagannath Puri.

He lived a very austere life and after the departure of Lord Caitanya he stayed a little while longer until the departure of his siksa guru, Swarup Damodar Goswami. He then went to Vrindavan and was under the shelter of Rupa and Sanatana Goswami. We know that Raghunath dasa Goswami followed the orderof Lord Caitanya.
So Dhruva Maharaj was also following the order to be the king. Prabhupada uses Raghunath dasa Goswami as an example of thinking of Krishna within butdoing your duty. Here Prabhupada explains how Dhruva Maharaj followed this perfectly. He was a maha bhagavata and he was always thinking of Krishna buthe followed just perfectly the dharma, artha, kama. Moksa of course is generally but it is not mentioned here because Dhruva Maharaj being adevotee was not so much interested in moksa but he was interested in devotional service.

He performed all the religious principles and Ajamila yesterday mentioned that in following this you have to follow properly religious duties,economic development and sense gratification - not sinfully. Don't engage in sinful activities. Really one has to follow dharma, artha, kama according tovarnasrama. In other words in religiosity you follow the general procedures but specifically one follows dharma according to whether one is a brahmana,ksatriya, vaisya or sudra. Even in the economic development one will follow it according to whether you are a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra. Andeven in the sense gratification you would follow according to whether you are a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra. So dharma, artha, kama will beaccording to varnasrama.

So Dhruva Maharaj was in the order of ksatriya king so he was following perfectly. As it was mentioned previously that he would see so many yajnaswere going on. He would follow himself all the religious principles and he would make sure that others were following. He would do yajnas. He wouldmake sure that temples were being built, just like here we are building a very nice temple. Ambarish is building a very nice temple. He asked me notto mention his name. I am going to do it anyway.

I was just reading in the Agni Purana if one even thinks of building a temple then the sins of one hundred lives are forgiven. Someone who actuallybuilds a temple, but not only that all their ancestors are freed from hell! If they are in hell they are freed from hell.

Furthermore if one builds one temple one attains Svargaloka. If one builds two temples you attain Brahmaloka. If you build five temples you attainSivaloka and if you build ten temples you attain Visnuloka. Further more if you build a gold temple that is better than building a stone temple and ifyou build a stone temple that is better than building a wooden temple. If you build a wooden temple it is better than building an earthen temple. Sosuch are the benefits.

Of course someone who is a devotee, if they become perfected devotees is already on the path back home. So this will be extra. [Laughs]  That is theway I look at it. You are already on the path going back to Godhead and this is something extra that Krishna will consider. A healthy reward! Butordinarily these are the results.

So Dhruva Maharaj was following all these things and Prabhupada mentions here that this is the formula if you want to live in the world very nicely,peacefully and prosperously, you follow this formula of dharma and proper religiosity. Then you go to the artha. Here he says, "This leadsautomatically to successful economic development.

These days we see more and more that they want economic development but they want to cut out the dharma. There is some dharma but it is not according tobona fide religious principles. They are following some sort of religiosity. Therefore the economic development is patchy. It is not proper. But if oneproperly follows dharma according to varnasrama then there is as Srila Prabhupada says here automatically successful economic development. So thisis the formula. Unfortunately these days people in Kali yuga know nothing of these things and so we have so many problems in the world. Some places havestrong economic development and other places are very weak. There is no prosperity for all.

Some people have so much money. Other people have nothing. But where there is proper dharma there will be good artha, economic development and prosperity. And then when you got prosperity then you can have your kana, your sense gratification. But the sense gratification also has to beaccording to religious principles otherwise it will be taken away. Just like we heard from Ajamila yesterday, if you don't enjoy properly, you try toenjoy in a sinful way then you will get so many reactions.

Dhruva Maharaj followed all these things so in the kingdom there was all prosperity. There was good facility for gratification but people werefollowing in a very religious way.  Another point mentioned here is that Dhruva Maharaj lived a very long time. This was Satya yuga so people lived100 000 years. And his sensory powers never diminished. He never got old.

I read in the Agni Purana that the people of the Satya yuga never got old. They always stayed young, just like the devas. They never get old. They arealways young. I also read in the Agni Purana that during Satya yuga from the bowels of the earth a certain juice flowed. That juice was drunk by thepeople of the Satya yuga and it gave the people vitality, health, strength and long life and practically eternal youth. Their whole lives they would beyouthful! They would never get old by drinking this juice that came from the earth. [Is there some juice around? (Laughs)]
So anyway whether Dhruva drank the juice or not the people of the Satya yuga would drink this juice and so they would stay youthful. So Dhruva Maharadrank this juice and so he was always young and so his senses were strong. Prabhupada actually mentions here that the word - avicalendriyah is verysignificant. "He was not was not disturbed by the agitation of the senses nor was his sensory power diminished." He was not interested I sensegratification. This is an important point.

Generally speaking when you are young and healthy and when you have as Ajamila Prabhu mentioned yesterday, health, wealth, -janmaisvarya-sruta-sribhir [SB 1.8.26] It is mentioned if you have high birth or you are very healthy or you have a lot of money or you are verylearned, janmaisvarya-sruta, very learned; sribhir you are very beautiful the tendency is to enjoy in the world. You have got everything. You have gotmoney, you are handsome, you are beautiful or you are learned. Imagine if you have got all these things. Immediately the tendency would be to enjoy.But not so with Dhruva Maharaj!

He had all these things yet he was not interested in sense gratification. In other words he remained self controlled. This is very, very important. Heremained self controlled because he was maha bhagavata. This is another point Srila Prabhupada says here. He says yogis try to control their sensesby vigorous practice of astanga yoga or some other type of yoga. They go to the Himalaya or they go deep in the forest and they shut themselves off andthey do their meditation and they withdraw their senses. It is very difficult.

There is a story that I heard some time ago that one time a man came to India. He wanted to find a guru to teach him yoga. So the guru said, "Okay,I will accept you but first you have to go into this cave and you just have to be there and not come back. Just meditate. After one week you can comeback." So he did it and he came back and the guru said actually, "When you come back you can only say two words."

So he came back and the guru said, "Yes? What are your two words?" He said, "More food."[Laughter] He said, "All right you can have food. But you haveto go back again for another week. And when you come back, two words." So he did it and he came back. "What are your two words?" "More blankets." Inother words he was cold. "All right you can have some blankets but you have to go back again for another week. And then come back, only two words! Hedid it and he came back. "What are your two words?" He said, "Give up."[Laughter]

So it is very difficult especially in the Kali yuga to do this type of austerity but the devotee being fixed in Krishna consciousness very easilyhe is not thinking of hardships. He is in ecstasy in Krishna consciousness. Prabhupada actually mentions that only the devotees actually can have fullcontrol. Dhruva Maharaj had everything yet he had full control of the senses and he was not disturbed and he was humble.

In the Mahabharata it s mentioned by Narada Muni to Yudhisthira Maharaj that if one wants to be successful in transcendental knowledge one has to behumble. And to be humble you need to be self controlled then you will be successful in transcendental knowledge. Furthermore he said that when youare in transcendental knowledge there can be one thousand grief's a day, there can be one thousand fears a day but the person in transcendentalknowledge is unaffected by either of those things. He is not overwhelmed. But someone who is not in transcendental knowledge will be overwhelmed andso affected by so many things of the material world. So this was Dhruva Maharaj. Dhruva Maharaj was in the position of transcendental knowledge andin this way he could rule very, very nicely.

There is another story in relation to the position of devotional service and the position of transcendental knowledge. This is mentioned also in theMarkendeya Purana. In the Markendeya Purana there is a story of Lord Dattatreya speaking to King Alark. Lord Dattatreya said that if someone hasthe ahankara, false ego, he said that one small shoot of ahankara can grow into a huge tree of ignorance. And the trunk of that tree is affection forthe material world and the branches of the tree attachment to home and family, the leaves of the tree - attachment to wife and children; theflowers to the tree are attachment to the fruits and cereals and the canopy of the tree is all the relationships we have in the material world.

So this tree from a small shoot of ahankara can grow very, very big and one who lives under the leaves of this tree is forever in ignorance but it isthe duty of someone seeking transcendental knowledge to fell this tree, cut down this tree. Only when this tree is cut down can you attain the positionof transcendental knowledge.

Dhruva Maharaj throughout his whole life at least after he met Narada Muni and had darsan of the Supreme Lord, he was never in ignorance - mahabhagavata. And because of the position of transcendental knowledge when he saw that his son was ready to take over the kingdom he immediately handedover to his son. He was unattached. Actually this is the secret of success of life in the world - you do your duty in life to the best of your abilitybut remain unattached. It is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita. You remain unattached to the outcome. You leave the results to the Supreme Personalityof Godhead. Whatever the results you leave to Krishna and you accept that.Whatever duties you have you do that to the best of your ability.

So when see that when the time came Dhruva Maharaj was able to just immediately give up. Normally people would become very, very attached. It iseasy to give up something when you have nothing. When you have all of those things, how hard is it to give up? We see in recent history leaders who are eighty or ninety.

In Indonesia we had President Suharto who was eighty or ninety years old. He had to be dragged down. Amassed millions of dollars, overseas accounts wesaw with Ferdinand Marcos and recently with Hosni Mubarak in Egypt - eighty two or eighty three years old and clinging to power to the very end. We readthat now he and his family - there was one article I read, 'Is This The Richest Man In The World?' They estimate that he is worth seventy billiondollars. Seventy billion! He didn't have seventy billion when he came to office. How he got the seventy billion? How have any of them? And even whenhe had all that still he wanted i One might think that, "Well I have got so much money. They want me to go, I will go. I have got seventy billion.Thanks! I will see you later." [Laughter] You can have the kingdom. I have got the seventy billion." But no still!
I read a survey was done of the richest people of the world and what do they want the most? The richest people want more money. And getting to youranswer people who have power what do they want? More power! So none of these things actually satisfy! Only Krishna consciousness can satisfy. We see inthe case of Dhruva Maharaj how he was satisfied. He was not attached to it all. He was doing so many things. The time came and he took the opportunity.He left home and handed over to his son and he went for full renunciation and engagement in Krishna consciousness. Hare Krishna! Thank you. Doesanyone have any question or comment?

Prabhu: I actually have two. You can pick which one you want to answer!

HH Ramai Swami: Can I have them one at a time?

HG Badri Narayana Prabhu: I will give you both and you can pick which one you want. Whichever way you want to do it Maharaj, you are the boss.One could argue, "I am a young man. I am on the cusp of beginning my adult life. I want to join Krishna consciousness and become a full time devoteebut all my parents, everyone else is advising me to go to college, get a career. Take the gradual path of religiosity, material development and enjoysome sense gratification. Evolve and then when it s all over in due course later on when you are old and dried up then fall for devotional service. Noproblem." And they will quote this as an example. So that is question one.The other question, pick which one you like. You said humility depends on detachment.

HH Ramai Swami: Sense control.

HG Badri Narayana Prabhu: No you said in order to be humble you have to be detached from sense gratification. So could you elaborate on that dynamics?So either one Maharaj!

HH Ramai Swami: In regard to someone who is thinking which path to choose. In other words you are saying, "Shall I become like a full time devotee orshall I just pursue my career/" That would depend on the circumstances. I saw Prabhupada deal differently with different devotees.

In the early days we had two devotees who were studying and they were in the middle of their degree course and they went to Srila Prabhupada, "What shallwe do, should we give up and become full time devotees and live in the temple or should we continue our studies?" So Prabhupada said to them that,"You should move in the temple and you continue your studies.' But on another occasion I saw another student go to Prabhupada and ask the samething and Prabhupada said, "Give it up immediately and move into the temple" So I say it would depend on the circumstances and the nature of the personand you have to consider all different facts.

Regarding your second question on humility and sense gratification: When one is engaged in sense gratification, especially if one becomes very attached,the thing is that the nature of sense gratification is that you are never satisfied. So one is going to be frustrated; one is going to be angry; oneis going to be envious. And as mentioned by Srila Prabhupada in the Srimad Bhagavatam that were there is envy there has got to be pride and where thereis pride you will insult someone. Therefore due to sense gratification you cannot remain humble. You have got to become envious and you have got tobecome proud. The only way to really be humble is to be detached. Then you will actually be humble. When you are humble then you can truly developtranscendental knowledge. Otherwise as Narada Muni said to Yudhisthira Maharaj you will not be successful in transcendental knowledge if you arenot humble.

Chennai, S MurariiWhether humility is a born quality and if not how to develop humility?

HH Ramai Swami: Well it can be a born quality. If someone from their previous life had developed detachment, developed humility or if someone isnitya siddha and comes into the world then automatically they are humble.But other than those types of people then you have to develop it and youhave to develop it in the way I just said. You have to develop sense control and all these things have to be done guided by the spiritual master. He willguide you, kala, patra, desa - according to the time place and circumstance.He will guide you. Because what was good five hundred years to follow maybenot so appropriate today.

Just like for sannyasis five hundred years ago they would walk around in their kaupin with nothing else on. Imagine if we all did like that today?[Laughter] we couldn't walk around. They would immediately arrest us and take us to jail. In other words it is just an example. You have to followyour guru, how he says to do these things, your tapasya, your development of knowledge, you engagement in devotional service. He would give you just theright instruction according to the time place and circumstance.

One last question. Yes?

Prabhu: Hare Krishna Maharaja. Excuse me I have a very bad cough. I have a comment and question. The comment is you said rich people wanted to becomericher and the powerful people want more power so the comment is that the Hare Krishna chanters they want more chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Here is my question: Maharaj how great is great. We have the mahatma, we have the maha bhagavata. So I was hearing class from Srila Prabhupada. Hewas talking about fighters. There is like the rati, there is the maharati -they can wipe out a thousand chariots he said. Some can wipe out tenthousand chariots and they have different terminologies.

HH Ramai Swami: There is always higher level. Maha bhagavata - Jiva Goswami in his Satsandarbha describes three levels of maha bhagavatas - first class,second class and third class. And he gives examples of those. Narada Muni - first clas; Sukadeva Goswami - second class; Narada Muni when he was in theasram he was like on the third level. He gives examples. So you go higher and higher and higher until you go to the gopis 'til you go to SrimatiRadharani. She is the highest. But even Her love is always increasing. So there is never a limit on the level of love of God. And with that I willend. Thank you very much. Jai, all glories to Srila Prabhupada ki!