Make your Place in history!

My name is Dayal Mora das, I’m the Temple President of ISKCON London, Soho Street. We are on the edge of making history but some additional seva is required to complete the yajna.

ISKCON London was established by Srila Prabhupada when he installed Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara in 1969 at 7 Bury Place. They were the first full size Radha Krishna deities in ISKCON.

Unfortunately we lost that building in 1978 and moved to the current location on Soho Street. Still devotees would visit and stand outside 7 Bury Place as it’s the temple where so many devotees joined the movement and also where George Harrison would go to meet Srila Prabhupada. It’s a holy place, a tirtha. The history is more meaningful as it’s the place Srila Prabhupada began his conquest of the old British Empire through his Krishna Consciousness movement.

By Krishna’s grace, a few days ago 7 Bury Place came to auction without warning and I bid for £1.6m in an entrepreneurial spirit. In reality I’m not an entrepreneur, I’m a simple brahmacari, but still I feel we got a very good price. It was clearly Krishna’s hand at work.

I didn’t think too much where the money would come from and I never felt I was alone, rather the whole ISKCON world was with me.

I have already committed to emptying the temple account and putting it all into 7 Bury Place, because it is of such high importance to our heritage and identity, as disciples of Srila Prabhupada and members of his divine movement.

By some good fortune we have managed to get together half the required amount, for the remainder we are looking for your support.

We therefore offer this opportunity for everyone to contribute to this yajna, whether it’s a contribution of one pound or one hundred thousand pounds! Any small contribution is of great help and we humbly request your assistance in raising the outstanding balance so we can reach the goal of £1.6m. All those who donate will be recognised and their names will be published, unless desiring to remain anonymous.

We have until Dec 31st to fulfil the full price of purchase. This is a place for every Krishna devotee to come and take shelter and remember the eternal pastimes of the world acharya in the capital of the old Empire.

Let’s fulfil this yajna together!

Please use the form below to donate securely.
https://iskcon.london/7buryplace/
Thank you for your support.

I remain your servant
Dayal Mora Das

Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=116766

By Atma Tattva Das, 

Since 2016, Jagadananda Das has served at the Durban Festival of Chariots, offering guidance and support in the Bhakti Cloud youth tent.

When Jurgen Wolfenden first walked into a Bhakti Yoga Society (BYS) program as a young university student, he wasn’t looking for a dramatic shift in his life. He simply wanted peace. “I didn’t know much at the time,” he said. “But something about the atmosphere held me. The chanting, the sense of family, the care. It stayed with me.”

Today, known in the devotee community as Jagadananda Das, he traces the beginnings of his academic and devotional journey back to those early gatherings. Raised in Zimbabwe and later studying in Pretoria, he spent his undergraduate years navigating the pressures and uncertainties typical of emerging adulthood. BYS offered grounding and direction. “I met people who lived their philosophy,” he said. “For me, as a student of Western philosophy, that was revolutionary.”

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/reimagining-youth-transitions-through-prema-culture/

In Auckland, in the months of November and December, many of the surrounding suburbs arrange to have parades go through the streets. Generally, local businesses put their floats in to advertise the products they sell.

Fortunately, we are able to participate with our Jagannatha Rathayatra “float” and go in the parade as well. On the same day as the Orewa parade, we went to one in the suburb of Manurewa and everyone appreciated the devotees dancing and chanting in front of Lord Jagannatha.

Source: https://ramaiswami.com/manurewa-auckland-rathayatra/

In May 2025, the Supreme Court of India issued a long-awaited judgment in the decades-long dispute between ISKCON Mumbai—the society legally founded and registered by Srila Prabhupada in 1971—and the breakaway Bengaluru group led by Madhu Pandit Dasa. The case, which originated in 2001, concerned who legally controls the Bangalore temple, a property originally established as a branch of ISKCON India. While the Supreme Court’s ruling sided with the Bangalore breakaway group, it dealt only with civil control of the Bengaluru campus and did not address or endorse the theological concept of ritvik initiation. At the time, ISKCON expressed its disappointment in the outcome, it remained committed to pursuingall available legal remedies. 

While acknowledging the court’s decision, ISKCON leaders cautioned that the judgment did not alter Srila Prabhupada’s clearly expressed intention that all Indian temples function under the single ISKCON society registered in Mumbai. They also reiterated that the GBC’s long-standing 1990 resolution rejecting the ritvik theory—as incompatible with the disciplic succession taught by Srila Prabhupada—remains fully in force. 

When the Bengaluru leadership approached the GBC after the ruling with a proposal for affiliation, it was conditioned on rescinding that resolution, a precondition the GBC unanimously rejected after two special meetings convened to consider the matter.

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/indias-supreme-court-sets-new-hearing-in-iskcon-bengaluru-dispute-leaders-urge-global-prayers/

By Atma Tattva Das, 

The ISKCON Justice Ministry will host its first Annual Global Conference online this Sunday, December 7, 2025. The event marks an important milestone in the ministry’s effort to strengthen justice services across the movement and deepen devotees’ understanding of how accountability supports spiritual growth.

Background and Motivation

For Justice Minister Champakalata Dasi, the conference emerges from years of observing how ISKCON’s expanding global community navigates harmony and challenge. She explained that the movement’s growth over six decades naturally brings a variety of interactions. “Most are harmonious,” she said, “yet others may give rise to misunderstanding, grievance, or misconduct.” She believes that spiritual aspiration does not remove human fallibility. Instead, it calls for structures that guide communities toward fairness and protection.

When she stepped into her role, she noticed that many devotees were unclear about where to seek help or how internal mechanisms operate. Her priority became increasing awareness and helping devotees understand the relationship between ISKCON’s systems and the legal requirements of their local countries. A presentation she delivered at the ISKCON Leadership Sanga in Mayapur earlier this year sparked enthusiasm and confirmed that the time was right for a broader, coordinated platform. The conference will create that space.

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/iskcon-justice-ministry-to-host-first-global-conference-on-accountability-and-governance/

By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi,

Nitay Mangala Das and his dedicated team are embarking on an extraordinary cinematic offering titled Chaitanya—a feature film centered on the life and mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This project seeks to move beyond a simple biographical narrative to instead directly connect the audience to the Lord: “This is not just a movie about Him — this movie is Him,” emphasized Nitay Mangala.

The Inspirations

At the heart of this endeavor is a powerful inspiration drawn from Srila Prabhupada’s words: “I came here to make a spiritual revolution against materialistic civilization.” Nitay Mangala explained that these words define the film’s very purpose. Every creative decision and effort is guided by the desire to contribute to that spiritual revolution, offering a medium through which people can encounter Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy and transformative power, just as Srila Prabhupada envisioned.

Another important inspiration comes from Nitay Mangala Das’s deep spiritual connection with his own spiritual master, Chaitanya Chandra Charan Das, a disciple of Jayapataka Swami. His guidance has influenced the film from its earliest conception. “My inspiration is the mercy of my Guru Maharaj. Every idea came from the desire to please him,” he shared. He recalled reading portions of the script to his spiritual master, using the feedback to guide the creative process. “If it makes him feel inspired—if he becomes very active and starts telling different stories about Mahaprabhu—it means this is a good point, and we keep it in the script. But if a part evokes no emotion from him, we simply cut it out.”

As the project developed, Nitay Mangala emphasized the need for a film that reaches beyond a single community. “I was thinking of doing something universal—something for the whole world,” he said. This aspiration shaped Chaitanya into a cinematic offering meant to resonate globally, inviting audiences everywhere to experience the divine mercy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

To bring this vision to reality, a committed team of devotees and professionals has come together,  each contributing their expertise. “Aishwarya Sundaralal is directing the film, with Dharmaraj handling operations and finances. Production is headed by Rasa Gauranga, and distribution and marketing are managed by Bhakta Roman,” explained Nitay Mangala, the film’s General Producer.

The project is further enriched by the guidance of Yadubara Das (ACBSP), who serves as the consulting producer, and strengthened by the valuable insights of Ashwin Kumar, director of the successful Mahavatar Narsimha film.

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/cinematic-project-to-bring-chaitanya-mahaprabhu-to-the-world/

The devotees took Their Lordships, Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi on Their Ratha Chariot in a parade at Orewa, which is a suburb to the north of Auckland.

There were thousands of people lining the street clapping and waving as the devotees had ecstatic kirtan. The route was on the road adjacent to the beach so it was a beautiful setting. A sumptuous picnic prasadam dinner was served in the park afterward.

Source: https://ramaiswami.com/orewa-auckland-rathayatra/

Based on the Teachings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada

Twenty-first century Krsna consciousness is witness to a few new catch phrases. Among them are “inspiration” and “care for devotees,” Unfortunately, by themselves these terms are somewhat vague, so referring to Prabhupada may provide clarity. He used “inspiration” as follows: a motivation coming from paramatma or Sri Krsna,(1) an increasing attachment for Krsna impelled by His mercy,(2) an offering that gives pleasure to the guru,(3) and an artful attempt to urge others to serve and advance in Krsna consciousness.(4)

The final category, attempting to motivate others, includes “caring for devotees.”(5) Superficially, care for devotees implies physical and emotional welfare. However, Prabhupada instructed his brahmanas to provide specific Krsna conscious care.(6) He encouraged them to create structures to maintain the disciplines of Krsna consciousness,(7) set a good example,(8) and artfully urge others to comply with the rules of discipline.(9) Prabhupada emphasized that a brahmana should enforce discipline based on genuine affection toward dependents and junior devotees. He taught that discipline should be introduced not necessarily by rote or injunction, but by artfully blending structure, affection, and occasional chastisement or criticism.(10)

Instead of receiving gentle inspiration, some devotees pray that Krsna will simply force them to surrender, and indeed Krsna might mercifully grant that desire.(11) An advanced devotee finds external inspiration unnecessary since he or she becomes spontaneously attracted to discipline, austerity, and ardent sacrifice for the Lord. Thus, a humble devotee seeks to be inspired by Krsna’s mercy, which is the cause of the devotee’s advancement.

In conclusion, devotees generally rely on their own enthusiasm—sustained effort, not simply fervor–to motivate or inspire others. The brahmana or advanced devotee inspires and cares for others by setting an example, applying structure, and offering discipline based on affectionate relationships.(12)

Compiled by Dayananda dasa

—————————–

1. SB 7.2.47 purport, “the intelligence gets inspiration from the Supersoul (dadami buddhi-yogam tam) [Bg 10.10]. In the synonyms to Cc Madhya 11.117 Prabhupada translates the word “prerana” as inspiration, yanre—in whomever; krpa—mercy; kari’—bestowing; karena—does; hrdaye—in the heart; prerana—inspiration; krsna-asraya—shelter of Lord Krsna; haya—there is. He translates the verse, “The man to whom the Lord shows His mercy by inspiring him within the heart takes shelter only of Lord Krsna…” In classical Sanskrit prerana means “motivation” or “instigation;” in Hindi, and Bengali it means “urge,” or “inspiration.”

2. Cc Antya 1.99, the word rati (attraction or love) indicates how the advanced devotee becomes inspired. Synonyms to this verse are tunde—in the mouth; tandavini—dancing; ratim—the inspiration; vitanute—expands. The translation is “When the holy name of Krsna is chanted, it appears to dance within the mouth.” The following verse, Cc Adi 1.100 elaborates. The synonyms: diya—giving; bhakti-rasa—devotional inspiration. Translation: “the Lord instills the mellows of transcendental loving service into the heart of a living being,” and by implication inspires the devotee. Another, more fundamental inspiration comes in the form of faith. Bg 7.57 synonyms: sah—he; taya—with that; sraddhaya—inspiration; yuktah—endowed; tasya—of that demigod. Translation: “Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod…”

3. In a few letters Prabhupada wrote how he was pleased and inspired by his disciples. One letter to Gunagrahi, June 20, 1973, stated: “You are facilitating sankirtana and book distribution by traveling and going to colleges in a trailer, and you are preparing for a large Ratha-yatra festival. This is all pleasing and inspiring to me.”

4. In a letter to Anuttama, April 12, 1972, Prabhupada wrote, “I am very pleased to know that you are feeling happy in your execution of devotional service. Service of Krishna’s devotees is the highest stage of spiritual perfection, so your desire to render service to the other devotees is very nice. You keep this humble attitude always, and your example will be a source of spiritual inspiration for everyone.” In a letter to Trai dasa, temple president of the Boston temple, on Dec 27, 1972 Prabhupada wrote: “That is the business of leader: He must be himself always enthusiastic and inspire others to be always enthusiastic. Then he is real leader. And that enthusiastic mood is maintained when everyone is always without fail chanting 16 rounds daily, rising early for mangala aratrika, reading books, preaching—in this way, by observing strictly the regulative principles of devotional life, that enthusiasm or great eagerness to have Krishna will come out.”

5. Hayagriva writes in With Srila Prabhupada in Vrindavan, BTG, #53, 1973, “’In the lower stages one simply sees Krsna in the Deity and does not care for the devotees,’ he [Prabhupada] points out. ‘But the fact is that the devotees are always in the service of Krsna, and they should be taken care of. The person who worships the devotees is more important than the person who worships Krsna. An advanced devotee always gives respect to another devotee. Therefore we address one another as prabhu [master]. This should be realized, not just spoken. We should always be ready to offer respects to everyone because everyone is originally a devotee of Krsna.’” Satsvarupa dasa Gosvami writes in You Cannot Leave Boston, chapter 7, July, 1969, “Prabhupada depended on his disciples to help spread the Krsna consciousness movement. If we didn’t care for the devotees, Prabhupada said, the movement would fail. I heard him say once that if the devotees in ISKCON were not sincere, then people would come and remain unaffected. He depended on the devotees to be sincere and to train new people by always setting a good example. That was how he planned to nurture his movement’s growth.”

6. Letter to Balavanta, June 17, 1972, “we must establish qualified brahmanas at the head of the society, and widely distribute Krishna conscious principles.” Also, letter to Bhutatma, Aug 7, 1973, “The qualifications of a Brahmana are listed in the 18th Chapter verse 42 of the Bhagavad-gita. We want to create some men who can give guidance to the human society.”

7. Prabhupada wrote Govinda das, March 23, 1974, “Our whole Krsna Consciousness rests on following the regulative principles, chanting 16 rounds at least, daily and without fail, and avoiding the four sinful activities. Without following the regulative principles, so called devotional service is simply a disturbance. So be sure to always take care of the devotees in your charge in this respect.”

8. Prabhupada wrote in a letter to Amogha, Dec 13, 1973, “Take care of the devotees under your charge by maintaining our standards and always setting the proper example.” He wrote Satsvarupa, July 31, 1970, “I am therefore going to the Eastern hemisphere, beginning from Japan. We are going four in a party and all of us are Sannyasis. In this old age I am going with this party just to set an example to my disciples who have taken recently the Sannyas order.” He wrote Bhagavatananda, July 8, 1972, “If you do not set the example for the younger students and take the responsibility for instructing them in the right line, how will things go on?” He wrote Mukunda on Jan 12, 1974, “So you should set the example and also see that the others are following.” Again he wrote Satsvarupa on Nov 25, 1070, “You are right to say that the example and kindly guidance of our elder members in the Society is the most profound force for motivating our students both new and old towards advanced Krsna Consciousness.”

9. Cc Madhya 22.109, “A child is sent to school by force to receive an education, but when he gets a little taste of education at an advanced age, he automatically participates and becomes a learned scholar. One cannot force a person to become a scholar, but sometimes force is used in the beginning. A child is forced to go to school and read and write according to the instructions of his teachers. Such is the difference between vaidhi bhakti and spontaneous bhakti.” Also, Letter to Giriraja, May 15, 1972, “We [ISKCON brahmanas and administrators] have to deal with so many men with different personalities. So kindly utilize their energies and at the same time keep them satisfied. That is leadership. If one man is appointed as leader, all must follow him and be obedient. ‘Obedience is the first law of discipline.’ They are pointing out irregularities, but they themselves are not doing their duty, so they are pointing out the irregularities in others. They came to serve; now they don’t want to serve so there is some excuse: ‘Oh, irregularity, let me go away.’ The workers should not suggest irregularities. I am pleased you are selling many Krishna Books daily. All our men should go with books.”

10. From Everything Should Be Done on the Basis of Love, BTG, #10-11, 1975, an excerpt from a conversation with Prabhupada: “Everything should be done on the basis of love. Strictness is not very good. The students should act automatically, out of love. That is wanted. [However,] Superficially, strictness may be necessary—some material laws or basic principles—and if they don’t follow they’ll be reprimanded. But they should develop the idea of love. Sometimes you have to [force], but even so, the basic principle should be love. Sometimes, out of love, a father must force his son to do something; that does not mean the father is the enemy of the son. [If the teacher or preacher has not yet cultivated love:] In the meantime our regulated living will teach. Either with your son, your disciple, or your student, you should always strictly enforce the rules. Don’t be lenient. Out of love, shall we let our disciples and sons go to hell? That is foolishness.”

11. Prabhupada’s Nov 13, 1968 letter to Upendra, “Yes, you can pray to Krishna: ‘I am unwilling to become Krishna Conscious, so you can force me to become so. You put me under certain circumstances so that I may be forced to accept Krishna Consciousness.’ You can pray like that. It is Krishna’s special favor and mercy that He sometimes forces a devotee to surrender fully to Him.”

12. Lecture on SB 2.9.4, April 22, 1972, “A spiritual master has the right to chastise. [The] father [and] spiritual master are advised to chastise. Putram ca sisyam ca tadayen na tu lalayet. So father and teacher are advised by Canakya Pandita that ‘You should always chastise your son and disciple. Chastise.’ Tadayet. Tadayet means ‘Simply chastise. Always find out mistake.’ Don’t be angry, but it is the business of the teacher and the father simply to find out your mistakes, not to find out your good things.”

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=1243

From Back to Godhead

A devotee-bookseller explains.

Have you ever met a Hare Krsna devotee in an airport, a parking lot, or on the street distributing books and collecting donations? Many people wonder why we do this. I’ve been distributing books for over six years, and I’d like to tell you something about the origin of book distribution.

Devotees are not ordinary booksellers; their bookselling is transcendental. It is sankirtana, the glorification of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Sankirtana can be executed very easily, without great endeavor or expense. One can simply chant the Hare Krsna mantra by himself or with others. Or one can read about and discuss the pastimes of the Lord and His devotees. When we give someone a book, we allow him to get in touch with the philosophy and pastimes of Krsna. Any donation he gives helps support the book publication and the temples of the Krsna consciousness movement. Temples worldwide distribute prasadam (spiritual food) free of charge and give people the opportunity to come and take part in spiritual activities. And all of this is sankirtana, the glorification of Lord Krsna, which is what Krsna consciousness is all about.

Sankirtana is not new. Five hundred years ago in West Bengal, India, Lord Caitanya Krsna Himself in the role of His own devotee came to establish sankirtana as the process of purification in this age. At that time, many persons believed that one could attain perfection only by intense study of Sanskrit and the Vedas. They would spend their whole lives memorizing and discussing verses. Many also believed that spiritual life was open only to those bom in the families of brahmanas, or intellectuals. Lord Caitanya, however, did not concern Himself with caste distinctions, nor did He require candidates for spiritual life to possess vast amounts of learning. He allowed everyone the opportunity to engage in the service of God simply by chanting the holy names: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Lord Caitanya desired that the chanting of the holy names of God be spread to every town and village in the world. Traveling widely throughout India, He introduced people to the chanting of Hare Krsna and also asked them to give the chanting to others. He directed His most competent disciples to write books elaborating all aspects of devotional service to Krsna, for the benefit of people in the future.

After Lord Caitanya left this world, many persons claiming to be His followers changed the essence of His teachings, until by the 1800s His teachings were no longer respected by intelligent, educated persons. Then, on September 2,1838, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, a pure devotee of Lord Caitanya, was born in India. Although a highly placed government magistrate and the father of ten, Bhaktivinoda Thakura would rise very early every morning to write essays, books, poems, and songs about devotional service to Lord Krsna. Thus, through his writings and personal influence, he reestablished the purity and deep meaning of Lord Caitanya’s teachings.

Bhaktivinoda was very concerned that the message of Lord Caitanya be spread throughout the world, and he prayed to the Lord for a son to help him accomplish this mission. On February 6, 1874, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was born to him in Jagannatha Puri. Even as a young boy, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was an avid scholar of Vedic literature, and his father trained him in proofreading and publishing his magazine, Sajjana-tosani. By age twenty-five, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had established himself as an outstanding author and scholar. He never married, but directed all his attention to the distribution of Krsna consciousness. He initiated many disciples and established the Gaudiya Math, a unified group of devotees, temples, and presses throughout India.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was especially interested in using the printing press to disseminate Krsna consciousness, and he coined the term “brhat mrdanga” (big mrdanga) in relation to the printing press. A mrdanga is a drum used to accompany the chanting of Hare Krsna. This drum can be heard for only a block or two, whereas the “brhat mrdanga” of the printing press can be heard all over the world.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was very eager to see that Lord Caitanya’s teachings be spread worldwide, and he always urged his disciples to take Krsna consciousness to the West, where most people were ignorant of spiritual life. One of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s disciples, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, very successfully carried out this instruction.

Srila Prabhupada was born on September 1, 1896, in Calcutta. An astrologer predicted that the child would be a great devotee of the Lord and in his later years would be a very successful religious leader, opening 108 temples around the world. His father, Gour Mohan De, was a pure devotee and very carefully trained Prabhupada in all the principles of devotional service.

In 1922, Prabhupada met Srila Bhaktisiddhanta. At that time, Bhaktisiddhanta requested Prabhupada to spread Krsna consciousness in the West. From that first meeting, Prabhupada began planning how to carry out this instruction. In 1944, he began to publish a monthly magazine in English called BACK TO GODHEAD, which he would distribute to many people in India as well as abroad. In 1962, after retiring from family life, he began to translate into English and write commentary on the Srimad-Bhagavatam,India’s great spiritual classic, and by January 1965 he had published the first three volumes. With these books he felt confident to travel to America and spread Krsna consciousness.

After one year in America, Prabhupada had gathered a few followers, and in 1966 he officially incorporated the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). He initiated many disciples, some of whom he then sent to various cities to establish more centers. At first additional centers sprang up in America, then in Canada, Europe, India, and eventually all around the world. But the prime means for spreading Krsna consciousness, Prabhupada emphasized, was the distribution of transcendental literature.

Following the instructions of Lord Caitanya and Srila Prabhupada, the devotees in ISKCON are enthusiastically distributing books for the benefit of people everywhere. So, when you meet the devotees collecting donations, remember that they’re not out to exploit you by taking your money to give it to some big man at the top or to keep it for themselves. The members of ISKCON want to give people the opportunity to find out about Krsna consciousness and thus perfect their lives.

Charitable organizations abound, but to give a suffering person free food or medical treatment is incomplete, because it neglects to give a person the knowledge that he is not his body but an eternal spirit soul, servant of Krsna. As long as one does not have transcendental knowledge, he must repeatedly suffer birth, disease, old age, and death. All problems are due simply to a lack of God consciousness.

The books the members of ISKCON are distributing present the science of God consciousness and explain how it can be implemented in society. The devotees who are distributing these books understand the urgency of presenting this message, and therefore they work with great determination. But it’s not easy. Most people are not inclined toward spiritual life, and a devotee has to tolerate a lot of rejection and harsh treatment, just as he tolerates the heat, cold, rain, and snow. You may have seen a devotee untiringly approaching people despite continual rejection, or running up to people in a parking lot for hours on a freezing winter day. Some people think that these devotees get a lot of money for this or that they’re “brainwashed,” because this kind of voluntary enthusiasm and determination isn’t ordinary. But for the devotee, distributing transcendental literature isn’t an ordinary job, and he derives transcendental satisfaction from meeting receptive people and from knowing he’s pleasing his spiritual master and Krsna.

Now hundreds of devotees all over the world are distributing Krsna conscious literature, and the desire of the great spiritual masters and the Supreme Lord is being fulfilled. The “brhat mrdanga” is being heard all over the world, and people are being benefited.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=28777

Srimad-Bhagavatam
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Fifth Canto, Chapter 18, Text 9

svasty astu visvasya khalah prasidatam
dhyayantu bhutani sivam mitho dhiya
manas ca bhadram bhajatad adhoksaje
avesyatam no matir apy ahaituki

svasti—auspiciousness; astu—let there be; visvasya—of the entire universe; khalah—the envious (almost everyone); prasidatam—let them be pacified; dhyayantu—let them consider; bhutani—all the living entities; sivam—auspiciousness; mithah—mutual; dhiya—by their intelligence; manah—the mind; ca—and; bhadram—calmness; bhajatat—let it experience; adhoksaje—in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond the perception of mind. intelligence and senses; avesyatam—let it be absorbed; nah—our; matih—intelligence; api—indeed; ahaituki—without any motive.

TRANSLATION

May there be good fortune throughout the universe, and may all envious persons be pacified. May all living entities become calm by practicing bhakti-yoga, for by accepting devotional service they will think of each other’s welfare. Therefore let us all engage in the service of the supreme transcendence, Lord Sri Krsna, and always remain absorbed in thought of Him.

PURPORT
The following verse describes a Vaisnava:

vascha-kalpa-tarubhyas ca
krpa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo
vaisnavebhyo namo namah

Just like a desire tree, a Vaisnava can fulfill all the desires of anyone who takes shelter of his lotus feet. Prahlada Maharaja is a typical Vaisnava. He prays not for himself, but for all living entities—the gentle, the envious and the mischievous. He always thought of the welfare of mischievous persons like his father, Hiranyakasipu. Prahlada Maharaja did not ask for anything for himself; rather, he prayed for the Lord to excuse his demoniac father. This is the attitude of a Vaisnava, who always thinks of the welfare of the entire universe.

Srimad-Bhagavatam and bhagavata-dharma are meant for persons who are completely free of envy (parama-nirmatsaranam). Therefore Prahlada Maharaja prays in this verse, khalah prasidatam: “May all the envious persons be pacified.” The material world is full of envious persons, but if one frees himself of envy, he becomes liberal in his social dealings and can think of others’ welfare. Anyone who takes up Krsna consciousness and engages himself completely in the service of the Lord cleanses his mind of all envy (manas ca bhadram bhajatad adhoksaje). Therefore we should pray to Lord Nrsimhadeva to sit in our hearts. We should pray, bahir nrsimho hrdaye nrsimhah: “Let Lord Nrsimhadeva sit in the core of my heart, killing all my bad propensities. Let my mind become clean so that I may peacefully worship the Lord and bring peace to the entire world.”

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has given us a very fine purport in this regard. Whenever one offers a prayer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one always requests some benediction from Him. Even pure (niskama) devotees pray for some benediction, as instructed by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His Siksastaka:

ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram
patitam mam visame bhavambudhau
krpaya tava pada-pankaja-
sthita-dhuli-sadrsam vicintaya

“O son of Maharaja Nanda [Krsna], I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and death. Please pick Me up from the ocean of death and place Me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet.” In another prayer Lord Caitanya says, mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi: “Life after life, kindly let Me have unalloyed love and devotion at Your Lordship’s lotus feet.” When Prahlada Maharaja chants om namo bhagavate narasimhaya, he prays for a benediction from the Lord, but because he is also an exalted Vaisnava, he wants nothing for his personal sense gratification. The first desire expressed in his prayer is svasty astu visvasya: “Let there be good fortune throughout the entire universe.” Prahlada Maharaja thus requested the Lord to be merciful to everyone, including his father, a most envious person. According to Canakya Pandita, there are two kinds of envious living entities: one is a snake, and the other is the man like Hiranyakasipu, who is by nature envious of everyone, even of his father or son. Hiranyakasipu was envious of his little son Prahlada, but Prahlada Maharaja asked a benediction for the benefit of his father. Hiranyakasipu was very envious of devotees, but Prahlada wished that his father and other demons like him would give up their envious nature by the grace of the Lord and stop harassing the devotees (khalah prasidatam). The difficulty is that the khala (envious living entity) is rarely pacified. One kind of khala, the snake, can be pacified simply by mantras or by the action of a particular herb (mantrausadhi-vasah sarpah khalakena nivaryate). An envious person, however, cannot be pacified by any means. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja prays that all envious persons may undergo a change of heart and think of the welfare of others.

If the Krsna consciousness movement spreads all over the world, and if by the grace of Krsna everyone accepts it, the thinking of envious people will change. Everyone will think of the welfare of others. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja prays, sivam mitho dhiya. In material activities, everyone is envious of others, but in Krsna consciousness, no one is envious of anyone else; everyone thinks of the welfare of others. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja prays that everyone’s mind may become gentle by being fixed at the lotus feet of Krsna (bhajatad adhoksaje). As indicated elsewhere in Srimad-Bhagavatam (sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh) and as advised by Lord Krsna in Bhagavad-gita (18.65), man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah, one should constantly think of the lotus feet of Lord Krsna. Then one’s mind will certainly be cleansed (ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]). Materialists always think of sense gratification, but Prahlada Maharaja prays that the Lord’s mercy will change their minds and they will stop thinking of sense gratification. If they think of Krsna always, everything will be all right. Some people argue that if everyone thought of Krsna in that way, the whole universe would be vacated because everyone would go back home, back to Godhead. However, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that this is impossible because the living entities are innumerable. If one set of living entities is actually delivered by the Krsna consciousness movement, another set will fill the entire universe.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19260

We’re thrilled to share some amazing…

We’re thrilled to share some amazing news! Thanks to HH Sivarama Swami’s summer Swimathlon Challenge and your generous donations, the Bhagavad-gita is now available in Turkish language!
A huge thank you to everyone who supported this project!

Video: Click here

Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=116743

Gita Jayanti is the day on which Lord Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna.The Gita is also known as the Gitopanisad and is considered one of the Upanishads. The title Bhagavad-gita is sometimes translated as “The Song of God.” Gita means “song.” God, Krishna, is so sublime that whatever He speaks is music and poetry. The word bhagavan has been analyzed by Vedic authorities. Bhaga means “opulence” and is related to the word bhagya: “good fortune.” And van means “one who possesses.” So bhagavan means “He who possesses all opulence in full.”

aisvaryasya samagrasya
  viryasya yasasah sriyah
jnana-vairagyayos caiva
  sannam bhaga itingana

“Full wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge, and renunciation—these are the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Vishnu Purana 6.5.47)

All of us possess some wealth. I may have ten dollars, but if I look further, I will find someone who has a hundred dollars. And if I look still further, I will find someone who has a thousand dollars, and a million, and a billion. But no one can say that he has all the wealth in all creation, that no one is equal to him or greater than him in wealth. When we come to that person who has all wealth—no one is equal to or greater than him—that is Bhagavan, Krishna.

The Bhagavad-gita was spoken by Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. But, as stated in the Gita (4.1),

   sri-bhagavan uvaca
imam vivasvate yogam
  proktavan aham avyayam
vivasvan manave praha
  manuriksvakave ’bravit

“The Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku.” Lord Krishna originally spoke the Gita to Vivasvan, the sun-god, who spoke it to his son Manu, who in turn spoke it to Iksvaku. In this way the knowledge was passed on through disciplic succession from one to the next to the next. But in the course of time, that chain became broken.

evam parampara-praptam
  imam rajarsayo viduh
sa kaleneha mahata
  yogo nastah parantapa

“This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.” (Gita 4.2) Nasta means “spoiled.” You may have a nice plate of prasada, but if you leave it aside and it becomes old and contaminated, it becomes nasta, spoiled. It is food, but you don’t get the benefit. And to get the real benefit of the Bhagavad-gita, one must receive it through parampara (evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh).

Five thousand years ago, Lord Krishna detected that the chain was broken and that, consequently, the knowledge had been lost. So He came again and spoke the Bhagavad-gita again, to Arjuna: “Now, Arjuna, you become the first recipient of this knowledge in the new chain, so that the knowledge is received and presented as it is.” Srila Prabhupada called his translation of the Gita the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. “As it is” means as Krishna spoke it and as Arjuna understood it—five thousand years ago.

How did Arjuna understand it? First, he accepted Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead:

          arjuna uvaca
param brahma param dhama
  pavitram paramam bhavan
purusam sasvatam divyam
  adi-devam ajam vibhum

“Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal, transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest.” (Gita 10.12)

He accepted everything that Krishna said as true: sarvam etad rtam manye yan mam vadasi kesava—“Krishna, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me.” (Gita 10.14) “I accept whatever You say, in toto.” He did not discriminate that he liked some parts of the Gita but not other parts. Sarvam etad rtam manye: “I accept in toto everything that You have said.”

If we begin to discriminate, “I like this portion, but I don’t like that one,” we become implicated in ardha-kukkuti-nyaya, “half-hen” logic. A farmer had a hen that was laying eggs. But the farmer thought that only the hind portion was valuable, because that part was giving eggs—that the neck portion was simply troublesome, because it just ate food. He concluded, “I will cut the neck portion, which is just a botheration, and keep the hind portion, which gives eggs.” And when he did, of course, the hen died and there were no more eggs.

One verse in the Bhagavad-gita that is very popular among some people states, karmany evadhikaras te: “You are entitled to do your duty.” They think, “I can do my duty. I can go to work. I can make and spend money. I can take care of my family, live with my family, enjoy with my family and friends.

That is a precious instruction.” But when they come to sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja—give up all varieties of religiousness and surrender to Krishna—that is a little troublesome, and they want to cut that part: “We don’t really need it. We’ll just keep the really valuable part: I can do my duty.”

In order to get the full benefit of the Bhagavad-gita, it is essential to accept it as it is. Devotees who have accepted it as it is and applied its principles in their lives have undergone extraordinary transformations. This knowledge can really help people. And any genuine person who gets something good will naturally want to share it with others. Anyone who has imbibed the nectar of the Bhagavad-gita, gotten the benefit of the Bhagavad-gita, will want to share the knowledge with others. It is natural. If you are eating a nice plate of prasada and taste something really good, it is natural to say, “You should try this; it’s really good.” Or, “You should try this with this; it’s a really good combination.” Anyone—any child—will do that. So, when you actually experience the benefit of the Bhagavad-gita in your life, you will naturally want to share the knowledge with others so that they too can benefit and become happy.

Now, why did Krishna choose Arjuna to be the first student of the Bhagavad-gita? Arjuna was not a sannyasi; he was a married man. And he was not a brahman; he was a warrior. Why Arjuna? Krishna explains,

sa evayam maya te ’dya
  yogah proktah puratanah
bhakto ’si me sakha ceti
  rahasyam hy etad uttamam

“That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend and can therefore understand the transcendental mystery of this science.” (Gita 4.3) The main qualification for understanding the Gita is bhakto ’si me, to be Lord Krishna’s devotee. And later Krishna says that one should hear the Gita with faith and without envy (sraddhavan anasuyas ca srnuyad api yo narah). (Gita 18.71) This is a most important point: to get the true benefit of the Gita, one must be a devotee.

What does it mean to be a devotee? Sometimes the word devotee is used quite broadly. To begin, let us understand devotee in contrast to karmi, jnani, and yogi. These are all technical (as well as general) terms. A karmi engages in fruitive work. He works for personal gain: “I have worked and earned. Now I have the right to enjoy the fruit.” That is 90 percent of the world. People work, and they feel, “I have earned the money, so I have the right to spend it—on myself, on my family, on my community, on my country” (or whatever limited or extended concept of sense gratification they have). But the Gita says no. Karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadacana: “You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action.” (Gita 2.47) The fruits belong to Krishna.

If you invite a carpenter to your house and give him wood and nails and glue—everything he needs—and say, “I want you to build me a cabinet,” in the end, to whom does the cabinet belong—to the carpenter or to you? It belongs to the proprietor, not to the worker. The worker has assembled the ingredients supplied by the proprietor, but that doesn’t make him the owner.

This entire material creation, this entire cosmic manifestation—the elements are provided by Krishna. The earth we tread; the water we drink; the air we breathe; the fire, or electricity, we use—everything belongs to Him, and we cannot rightly claim any of it for ourselves. We may assemble the elements in different ways, but it all belongs to Him and is meant to be used for His purposes.

A karmi engages in work and wants to keep the fruits for himself. A karma-yogi engages in work but gives the fruits to Krishna. A man may grow a tree that produces fruit. A karmi will keep the fruit for himself, whereas a karma-yogi will give the fruit, or some of the fruit, to Krishna. The sakama-karma-yogi has selfish desires, but he still gives something to Krishna. If the tree produces a hundred mangoes, he may give one or two or ten or twenty to Krishna. And as he becomes purified, as he develops more faith and becomes more attached to Krishna, he will give more to Krishna. And eventually he may give all one hundred mangoes to Krishna, without any selfish desire (niskama-karma-yoga). But he will not be the loser. Krishna will give him His prasada, His mercy.

The jnanis and often the yogis are impersonalists; they believe that God is ultimately impersonal—nameless, formless, without qualities, without activities. They may even go so far as to think that Krishna’s form is material, that just as we have a physical body made of flesh and bones and blood, so does Krishna. And according to them, if Krishna is material, then His name, form, qualities, and activities are also all material. People may chant His name, but ultimately they have to go beyond that. People may worship His form, but they have to go beyond that. People may talk about His qualities and activities, but they have to go beyond that. Ultimately, according to impersonalists, we have to go beyond all these illusory forms and names and come to the all-pervading impersonal light and merge and become one with it. Then there is no you, no me, no Krishna—nothing. Just oneness.In theory, that is also a possibility. But it is very rare to achieve that state, and very difficult. Lord Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-gita (12.2–7):

mayy avesya mano ye mam
  nitya-yukta upasate
sraddhaya parayopetas
  te me yuktatama matah

“Those who fix their minds on My personal form and are always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith are considered by Me to be most perfect.

ye tv aksaram anirdesyam
  avyaktam paryupasate
sarvatra-gam acintyam ca
  kuta-stham acalam dhruvam

sanniyamyendriya-gramam
  sarvatra sama-buddhayah
te prapnuvanti mam eva
  sarva-bhuta-hite ratah

“But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that which lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable, unchanging, fixed and immovable—the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth—by controlling the various senses and being equally disposed to everyone, such persons, engaged in the welfare of all, at last achieve Me.

kleso ’dhikataras tesam
  avyaktasakta-cetasam
avyakta hi gatir duhkham
  dehavadbhir avapyate

“For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.

ye tu sarvani karmani
  mayi sannyasya mat-parah
ananyenaiva yogena
  mam dhyayanta upasate

tesam aham samuddharta
  mrtyu-samsara-sagarat
bhavami na cirat partha
  mayy avesita-cetasam

“But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Prtha—for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.”

Not only is the impersonal path difficult; the result is also not very satisfying, because ultimately everyone wants happiness and love. The two most basic human needs are to love and be loved. We want friends, we want family, and we want community, and we are not happy without them. I

f you were a billionaire but could never see another living being, would you be happy? No. You would be so desperate for company, for relationship, that you would say, “I don’t want this wealth. I just want to be with people I love and who love me.” In a way, this was Arjuna’s thinking at the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita. He considered, “What is the use of winning a kingdom if in the course of the battle all my friends and family die? What’s the use? With whom will I enjoy my kingdom?” The thought of being without family and friends so overwhelmed Arjuna that he said to Krishna,

na hi prapasyami mamapanudyad
  yac chokam ucchosanam indriyanam
avapya bhumav asapatnam rddham
  rajyam suranam api cadhipatyam

“I can find no means to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses. I will not be able to dispel it even if I win a prosperous, unrivaled kingdom on earth with sovereignty like that of the demigods in heaven.” (Gita 2.8)

There is much truth to what Arjuna said at the beginning of the Gita, but that truth is on a lower level. By the mercy of Lord Krishna, after hearing the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna was elevated to a higher, better understanding. He realized that perfect happiness and love were to be realized in relation to Krishna, and so Arjuna surrendered unto Him.

Krishna gave Arjuna the choice. Krishna did not force him, because true surrender, or true love, is voluntary. Krishna gave Arjuna the freedom to deliberate and then decide:

iti te jnanam akhyatam
  guhyad guhyataram maya
vimrsyaitadas asena
  yathecchasi tatha kuru

“Thus I have explained to you knowledge still more confidential. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.” (Gita 18.63) Yathecchasi tatha kuru—“You can do whatever you like.” We all have free will, given to us by God. But after hearing the Bhagavad–gita, Arjuna immediately responded, karisye vacanam tava: “I will do whatever You say.” That is the position of the surrendered devotee.

          arjuna uvaca
nasto mohah smrtir labdha
  tvat-prasadan mayacyuta
sthito ’smi gata-sandehah
  karisye vacanam tava

“Arjuna said: My dear Krsna, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.” (Gita 18.73)

Now we may be a little worried. We are back to that troublesome sloka, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me.” And we may wonder, “What are the implications of karisye vacanam tava: ‘I am prepared to act according to Your instructions’? What if Krishna tells me to give up my wife, my children, my business, my home? Then what?” This is a problematic question, and some people may not want to pursue the course of surrender to Krishna, because they are afraid of the consequences.

But there is some leniency here, some considerateness. Lord Krishna gives us a gradual process to come to the stage of surrender, because surrender is based on faith. When we have faith in someone or something, we can surrender. And if we don’t have faith, we won’t surrender. In this present Age of Kali, faith is very rare. It is very difficult to come by genuine faith. The society is materialistic, and everyone is cultured in the idea that they are independent, free to think and do whatever they like, without restriction. In fact, they are envious. Material life means envy—first of Krishna. People think, “Why should I surrender to Him? I am also intelligent. I also know things. I can also speak and argue. Why should I surrender?” And people find fault with Krishna: “Why did He tell Arjuna to fight? Why did He cause so many people to die?” In particular, people who are envious find fault with Krishna. They can never understand the Bhagavad-gita. Therefore Lord Krishna says,

idam te natapaskaya
  nabhaktaya kadacana
na casusrusave vacyam
  na ca mam yo ’bhyasuyati

“This confidential knowledge may never be explained to those who are not austere, or devoted, or engaged in devotional service, nor to one who is envious of Me.” (Gita 18.67) One must be a devotee, a bhakta. Only devotees are without envy.

Still, like a loving father, Krishna wants to bring all His sons and daughters to the highest perfection, even though He knows that it may take some time. A parent will want his child to grow to be strong and healthy and happy and intelligent and competent, and to take over the family’s business. A genuine, loving parent will want to give everything to the child, but the parent first wants to see that the child is responsible enough.

As I grew up, my father gave me a weekly allowance. My first allowance was five or ten cents. I was just a child, and he wasn’t sure how I would use the money. Eventually he raised my allowance to twenty-five cents. And I felt so proud: “My father really trusts me.” Twenty-five cents was quite a good amount for me then.

So, parents want to give to their children, but they also want to see that their children are responsible enough to take care of what they give them. In a similar way, Krishna wants to give us everything—even Himself—but He wants to see that we are qualified.

Another analogy is a teacher in a classroom. The study of math begins with one plus one equals two. There is much more, but the students proceed step by step: addition, then subtraction, then multiplication, then division—so many processes they have to learn.

In the Bhagavad-gita, the first instruction is that you are not the body but the soul within the body. Aham brahmasmi. That is the beginning, and if we understand even one line of the Bhagavad-gita, from the very beginning, our lives will change.

dehino ’smin yatha dehe
  kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
  dhiras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.” (Gita 2.13) If we just understand that we are not the body but are the atma, the jivatma, within the body, that alone is enough to change our whole life. We will no longer act on the basis of the body, for sense gratification, but on the basis of the soul, for self-realization. In today’s materialistic society one’s whole endeavor is to get things for the body—my body, my wife’s body, my children’s bodies, my parents’ bodies—to make the body comfortable. But the body is just like a dress for the soul. Now, which is more important—the clothes or the person inside the clothes? The person, of course. The body itself is just a dress, which changes. The real person is the soul, who exists always.

vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya
  navani grhnati naro ’parani
tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany
  anyani samyati navani dehi

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Gita 2.22)

If we understand just this one point from early in Krishna’s teaching in the Bhagavad-gita, our entire life will change. We will work for the benefit of the soul, which is our actual self and is part and parcel of the Supreme Self, God, Krishna, knowing that our real relationship is with Him, not with the body. And then, gradually, step by step, we will come to the conclusion of the Bhagavad-gita:

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
  mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te
  pratijane priyo ’si me

“Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me, and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.” (Gita 18.65)

sarva-dharman parityajya
  mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
  moksayisyami ma sucah

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” (Gita 18.66)

Man-mana—always think of Krishna. If you do that, you will naturally become a devotee of Krishna (mad-bhakto). You will worship Him (mad-yaji) and offer obeisance unto Him (mam namaskuru). It is so simple.

The critical point is man-mana, to always think of Krishna. And how can we always think of Him? In the ninth chapter of the Gita Krishna says,

satatam kirtayanto mam
  yatantas ca drdha-vratah
namasyantas ca mam bhaktya
  nitya-yukta upasate

“Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.” (Gita 9.14) Satatam kirtayanto mam—if we always (satatam) engage in glorifying Krishna, chanting His holy name (kirtana), we will always think of Him.

We are Hare Krishna devotees, and we are speaking about the Bhagavad-gita. What is the connection? The chanting of Hare Krishna is the real way to follow the instructions of Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita. Sri Krishna Chaitanya, the incarnation of Krishna for the present Age of Kali, who inaugurated the Hare Krishna movement five hundred years ago, taught, kirtaniyah sada harih: “Always chant the holy name of Hari [Krishna].” And in the Bhagavad-gita, Sri Krishna gives the same instruction: satatam kirtayanto mam—always engage in kirtan, chanting the holy name of Krishna. So, the chanting of Hare Krishna is really the fulfillment of Lord Krishna’s ultimate instruction in the Bhagavad-gita: man-mana—always think of Krishna. And chanting is the best—and easiest—way to think of Him.

Of course, we think of Krishna when we hear about Him from the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, but for that we need a book or a reader. We think of Krishna when we see His deity form, His murti, but for that we need a temple, a mandir, with a murti. There are so many ways of thinking of Krishna, but the beauty of chanting, either kirtan or japa, is that we need only our tongue and ears. In the Bhagavad-gita (10.25) Lord Krishna recommends, yajnanam japa-yajno ’smi: “Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [japa].” This, anyone can do. Young or old, black or white, man or woman, educated or uneducated—anyone and everyone can chant Hare Krishna and fulfill Krishna’s instruction in the Bhagavad-gita.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, the authorized biography of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, relates an instructive story. While touring South India, Sri Chaitanya came to the holy place of Sri Ranga-kshetra, where, in front of the temple, He saw a brahman holding the Bhagavad-gita and crying, surrounded by people who were laughing and criticizing him. Sri Chaitanya asked him, “Why are these people laughing?” And the brahman replied, “I am holding the Bhagavad-gita, but I am more or less illiterate. I don’t know how to pronounce the words properly, and I do not know what they mean. But my guru ordered me to read the Gita, and so I read all eighteen chapters every day.” Chaitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, “Why are you crying?” And the brahman replied, “When I hold the Bhagavad-gita, I see before me Krishna and Arjuna on the chariot. Krishna is acting as Arjuna’s chariot driver. Taking the reins in His hands, He appears very beautiful. While seeing Lord Krishna instructing Arjuna, I weep in ecstatic happiness.” Then Lord Chaitanya told the brahman, “You are the true authority in the reading of the Bhagavad-gita. You know the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita.” And He embraced him.

Proud people may think, “Oh, these Hare Krishna people can’t understand much. They don’t know Sanskrit. They don’t have the samskaras. Let them chant. It is good.” But actually, by chanting the holy name of Krishna, one awakens one’s love for Him, which is the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita. By chanting, one fulfills the Lord’s instructions in the Bhagavad-gita to always think of Him and sing His glories. Although some who chant may not be very learned or knowledgeable in a certain sense, if they are genuine devotees of Krishna, they are fulfilling the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita.

aho bata sva-paco ’to gariyan
  yaj-jihvagre vartate nama tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuh sasnur arya
  brahmanucur nama grnanti ye te

“Oh, how glorious are they whose tongues are chanting Your holy name! Even if born in the families of dog-eaters, such persons are worshipable. Persons who chant the holy name of Your Lordship must have executed all kinds of austerities and fire sacrifices and achieved all the good manners of the Aryans. To be chanting the holy name of Your Lordship, they must have bathed at holy places of pilgrimage, studied the Vedas, and fulfilled everything required.” (SB 3.33.7)

rjuna to fight? Why did He cause so many people to die?” In particular, people who are envious find fault with Krishna. They can never understand the Bhagavad-gita. Therefore Lord Krishna says,

der. In this present Age of Kali, faith is very rare. It is very difficult to come by genuine faith. The society is materialistic, and everyone is cultured in the idea that they are independent, free to think and do whatever they like, without restriction. In fact, they are envious. Material life means envy—first of Krishna. People think, “Why should I surrender to Him? I am also intelligent. I also know things. I can also speak and argue. Why should I surrender?” And people find fault with Krishna: “Why did He tell A

idam te natapaskaya
  nabhaktaya kadacana
na casusrusave vacyam
  na ca mam yo ’bhyasuyati

“Thisconfidential knowledge may never be explained to those who are not austere, or devoted, or engaged in devotional service, nor to one who is envious of Me.” (Gita 18.67) One must be a devotee, a bhakta. Only devotees are without envy.

Still, like a loving father, Krishna wants to bring all His sons and daughters to the highest perfection, even though He knows that it may take some time. A parent will want his child to grow to be strong and healthy and happy and intelligent and competent, and to take over the family’s business. A genuine, loving parent will want to give everything to the child, but the parent first wants to see that the child is responsible enough.

As I grew up, my father gave me a weekly allowance. My first allowance was five or ten cents. I was just a child, and he wasn’t sure how I would use the money. Eventually he raised my allowance to twenty-five cents. And I felt so proud: “My father really trusts me.” Twenty-five cents was quite a good amount for me then.

So, parents want to give to their children, but they also want to see that their children are responsible enough to take care of what they give them. In a similar way, Krishna wants to give us everything—even Himself—but He wants to see that we are qualified.

Another analogy is a teacher in a classroom. The study of math begins with one plus one equals two. There is much more, but the students proceed step by step: addition, then subtraction, then multiplication, then division—so many processes they have to learn.

In the Bhagavad-gita, the first instruction is that you are not the body but the soul within the body. Aham brahmasmi. That is the beginning, and if we understand even one line of the Bhagavad-gita, from the very beginning, our lives will change.

dehino ’smin yatha dehe
  kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
  dhiras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.” (Gita 2.13) If we just understand that we are not the body but are the atma, the jivatma, within the body, that alone is enough to change our whole life. We will no longer act on the basis of the body, for sense gratification, but on the basis of the soul, for self-realization. In today’s materialistic society one’s whole endeavor is to get things for the body—my body, my wife’s body, my children’s bodies, my parents’ bodies—to make the body comfortable. But the body is just like a dress for the soul. Now, which is more important—the clothes or the person inside the clothes? The person, of course. The body itself is just a dress, which changes. The real person is the soul, who exists always.

vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya
  navani grhnati naro ’parani
tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany
  anyani samyati navani dehi

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Gita 2.22)

If we understand just this one point from early in Krishna’s teaching in the Bhagavad-gita, our entire life will change. We will work for the benefit of the soul, which is our actual self and is part and parcel of the Supreme Self, God, Krishna, knowing that our real relationship is with Him, not with the body. And then, gradually, step by step, we will come to the conclusion of the Bhagavad-gita:

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
  mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te
  pratijane priyo ’si me

“Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me, and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.” (Gita 18.65)

sarva-dharman parityajya
  mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
  moksayisyami ma sucah

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” (Gita 18.66)

Man-mana—always think of Krishna. If you do that, you will naturally become a devotee of Krishna (mad-bhakto). You will worship Him (mad-yaji) and offer obeisance unto Him (mam namaskuru). It is so simple.

The critical point is man-mana, to always think of Krishna. And how can we always think of Him? In the ninth chapter of the Gita Krishna says,

satatam kirtayanto mam
  yatantas ca drdha-vratah
namasyantas ca mam bhaktya
  nitya-yukta upasate

“Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.” (Gita 9.14) Satatam kirtayanto mam—if we always (satatam) engage in glorifying Krishna, chanting His holy name (kirtana), we will always think of Him.

We are Hare Krishna devotees, and we are speaking about the Bhagavad-gita. What is the connection? The chanting of Hare Krishna is the real way to follow the instructions of Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita. Sri Krishna Chaitanya, the incarnation of Krishna for the present Age of Kali, who inaugurated the Hare Krishna movement five hundred years ago, taught, kirtaniyah sada harih: “Always chant the holy name of Hari [Krishna].”

And in the Bhagavad-gita, Sri Krishna gives the same instruction: satatam kirtayanto mam—always engage in kirtan, chanting the holy name of Krishna. So, the chanting of Hare Krishna is really the fulfillment of Lord Krishna’s ultimate instruction in the Bhagavad-gita: man-mana—always think of Krishna. And chanting is the best—and easiest—way to think of Him.

Of course, we think of Krishna when we hear about Him from the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, but for that we need a book or a reader. We think of Krishna when we see His deity form, His murti, but for that we need a temple, a mandir, with a murti. There are so many ways of thinking of Krishna, but the beauty of chanting, either kirtan or japa, is that we need only our tongue and ears. In the Bhagavad-gita (10.25) Lord Krishna recommends, yajnanam japa-yajno ’smi: “Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [japa].” This, anyone can do. Young or old, black or white, man or woman, educated or uneducated—anyone and everyone can chant Hare Krishna and fulfill Krishna’s instruction in the Bhagavad-gita.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, the authorized biography of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, relates an instructive story. While touring South India, Sri Chaitanya came to the holy place of Sri Ranga-kshetra, where, in front of the temple, He saw a brahman holding the Bhagavad-gita and crying, surrounded by people who were laughing and criticizing him. Sri Chaitanya asked him, “Why are these people laughing?” And the brahman replied, “I am holding the Bhagavad-gita, but I am more or less illiterate. I don’t know how to pronounce the words properly, and I do not know what they mean. But my guru ordered me to read the Gita, and so I read all eighteen chapters every day.” Chaitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, “Why are you crying?” And the brahman replied, “When I hold the Bhagavad-gita, I see before me Krishna and Arjuna on the chariot. Krishna is acting as Arjuna’s chariot driver. Taking the reins in His hands, He appears very beautiful. While seeing Lord Krishna instructing Arjuna, I weep in ecstatic happiness.” Then Lord Chaitanya told the brahman, “You are the true authority in the reading of the Bhagavad-gita. You know the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita.” And He embraced him.

Proud people may think, “Oh, these Hare Krishna people can’t understand much. They don’t know Sanskrit. They don’t have the samskaras. Let them chant. It is good.” But actually, by chanting the holy name of Krishna, one awakens one’s love for Him, which is the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita. By chanting, one fulfills the Lord’s instructions in the Bhagavad-gita to always think of Him and sing His glories. Although some who chant may not be very learned or knowledgeable in a certain sense, if they are genuine devotees of Krishna, they are fulfilling the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita.

aho bata sva-paco ’to gariyan
  yaj-jihvagre vartate nama tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuh sasnur arya
  brahmanucur nama grnanti ye te

“Oh, how glorious are they whose tongues are chanting Your holy name! Even if born in the families of dog-eaters, such persons are worshipable. Persons who chant the holy name of Your Lordship must have executed all kinds of austerities and fire sacrifices and achieved all the good manners of the Aryans. To be chanting the holy name of Your Lordship, they must have bathed at holy places of pilgrimage, studied the Vedas, and fulfilled everything required.” (SB 3.33.7)

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness not only presents the knowledge of the Bhagavad-gita; it also gives the practical means by which one can fulfill its purport—to become a devotee of Krishna, to always think of Him, to worship Him, to offer homage to Him, and to preach His message. After personally surrendering to Krishna (sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja), one can go further and teach this knowledge. This is Lord Krishna’s last instruction:

ya idam paramam guhyam
  mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyati
bhaktim mayi param krtva
  mam evaisyaty asamsayah

“For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.

na ca tasman manusyesu
  kascin me priya-krttamah
bhavita na ca me tasmad
  anyah priyataro bhuvi

“There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.” (Gita 18.68–69) The real conclusion of the Bhagavad-gita, built upon one’s full surrender to Krishna, is to spread this message and thus become most dear to Krishna.

This is the opportunity we all have. On Gita Jayanti we think of Krishna, recite the Gita, and perform the yajna, but the real essence of the celebration is to bring more people to Krishna, to the wisdom of the Gita. As devotees, we want to bring others to Krishna, and when we do, Krishna is even more pleased. And that is what Gita Jayanti is really meant to do: to please Krishna, to bring the Bhagavad-gita to more people and bring more people to Krishna—and make us dear to Krishna.

It is a wonderful, wonderful opportunity. I have been chanting Hare Krishna and reading the Bhagavad-gita for forty years, and it is ever-fresh. Once, Srila Prabhupada told a New York Times interviewer, “Every day your employer is printing so many newspapers. On Sunday especially the paper is so big that one can hardly carry it. But after reading it for an hour, people throw it away. Here is this book—the Bhagavad-gita—and people keep it and read it for a lifetime, and in this way it has been read for the past five thousand years. Give people such literature that will be taken and kept forever.” And the reporter laughed—and agreed.

I am very grateful to all of you for having come this evening, after what was probably a long, hard day at work, braving the rush-hour traffic. I am grateful that you came and spared your valuable time. And I look forward to working together with all of you on this wonderful project, which will be so beneficial to so many people. Srila Prabhupada’s guru instructed him to preach the message of the Bhagavad-gita in English all over the world, telling him, “This will do much good for you as well as your audience.” So, it is win-win-win: it will be beneficial for you, it will be beneficial for the people in general, and ultimately Krishna will be pleased. And that is our goal—that is what bhakti means—to please Krishna. When Krishna is pleased, our life is successful and we are naturally satisfied and happy.

Thank you very much.

Hare Krishna.

[An address by Giriraj Swami to leaders of Hindu organizations, October 23, 2009, Houston]

Source: https://girirajswami.com/blog/celebrating-gita-jayanti-6

By Giriraj Swami 

Today is the auspicious occasion of Gita Jayanti, the day Lord Krsna spoke the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, the day of Moksada Ekadasi. To begin, we shall read from Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Chapter Nine, “The Most Confidential Knowledge,” two verses that can provide us with guidance for our lives:

TEXT 30

api cet su-duracaro
bhajate mam ananya-bhak
sadhur eva sa mantavyah
samyag vyavasito hi sah

SYNONYMS

api—even; cet—if; su-duracarah—one committing the most abominable actions; bhajate—is engaged in devotional service; mam—unto Me; ananya-bhak—without deviation; sadhuh—a saint; eva—certainly; sah—he; mantavyah—is to be considered; samyak—completely; vyavasitah—situated in determination; hi—certainly; sah—he.

TRANSLATION

Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

The word su-duracarah used in this verse is very significant, and we should understand it properly. When a living entity is conditioned, he has two kinds of activities: one is conditional, and the other is constitutional. As for protecting the body or abiding by the rules of society and state, certainly there are different activities, even for the devotees, in connection with the conditional life, and such activities are called conditional. Besides these, the living entity who is fully conscious of his spiritual nature and is engaged in Krsna consciousness, or the devotional service of the Lord, has activities which are called transcendental. Such activities are performed in his constitutional position, and they are technically called devotional service.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

Following Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Prabhupada is explaining that because devotees are living in the material world, they also have activities that they must perform in relation to material existence, in relation to society, state, and so on. Such activities cannot be avoided, because we are in the material world. We have to live in society. We have to live in a country. In the grhastha-asrama, one has to earn a living and pay taxes. We have to do so many things, and those activities are performed in the material world. When we go to the spiritual world, we won’t have to go to the office, pay taxes, or perform social functions, but for now we must.

There are, of course, constitutional activities that one performs both here and in the spiritual world. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam. We hear about Krsna. We chant about Krsna. We remember Krsna. And when we go to the spiritual world, we will engage in these same activities.

PURPORT (continued)

Now, in the conditioned state, sometimes devotional service and the conditional service in relation to the body will parallel one another. But then again, sometimes these activities become opposed to one another. As far as possible, a devotee is very cautious so that he does not do anything that could disrupt his wholesome condition.

COMMENT

To give an example, a person may be engaged in some work, some business, and to do his business he has to associate with nondevotees. In sastra, associating with nondevotees is discouraged and associating intimately with them is forbidden. But because the person has to earn his livelihood, he has to mix with all sorts of people, and their association is contaminating. This is an example of when conditional activities run opposite to one’s constitution.

If one is fortunate, one’s work can be done in the association of devotees. Srila Prabhupada encouraged the devotees to have businesses that would engage other devotees, so they wouldn’t have to associate extensively with nondevotees. And even better is to live in a self-sufficient community of devotees. Then you don’t have to go to the office or the shop at all. You don’t have to interact so much with the material world. You grow food, keep cows and get milk, and depend on nature and the cows. You don’t have to be involved with materialistic civilization.

So, sometimes the conditional activities run parallel to devotional service and sometimes they run opposite, and a devotee is very careful not to do anything that will disrupt his wholesome condition. He is aware that to some extent he has to interact with materialistic people in the course of his work, but he is careful not to interact with them beyond a certain point, because if he does, their association will affect his Krsna consciousness and disrupt his wholesome condition.

PURPORT (continued)

He knows that perfection in his activities depends on his progressive realization of Krsna consciousness. Sometimes, however, it may be seen that a person in Krsna consciousness commits some act which may be taken as most abominable socially or politically. But such a temporary falldown does not disqualify him. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that if a person falls down but is wholeheartedly engaged in the transcendental service of the Supreme Lord, the Lord, being situated within his heart, purifies him and excuses him from that abomination. The material contamination is so strong that even a yogi fully engaged in the service of the Lord sometimes becomes ensnared; but Krsna consciousness is so strong that such an occasional falldown is at once rectified. Therefore the process of devotional service is always a success. No one should deride a devotee for some accidental falldown from the ideal path, for, as explained in the next verse, such occasional falldowns will be stopped in due course, as soon as a devotee is completely situated in Krsna consciousness.

COMMENT

These two verses give two types of instructions—one is about what happens to a devotee who falls down, and one is about how others should regard a devotee who falls down.

The devotee who falls down, if he is fully engaged in devotional service . . . What is the purport of “fully engaged”? We have already discussed that as long as the devotee is in the material world, he has to perform conditional activities, but otherwise he is fully engaged in devotional service. He uses all his available time for chanting and hearing about Krsna, remembering Him and serving Him in different ways. Such a person is to be considered saintly even if he falls down. Generally, falling down involves lapsing into sinful activity. But to deride a devotee comes in another category, worse than sin. It comes in the category of aparadha—vaisnava-aparadha. Vaisnava-aparadha is much worse than a fall into sinful activity, and by such offenses our devotional service can become severely disturbed.

If we see a fault in a devotee and deride the devotee, or if we talk in a negative way about him or her, those acts come in the category of nama-aparadha, sadhu-ninda, vaisnava-aparadha. That is much more serious and harmful than a lapse into sense gratification. We may think that we are superior and criticize the devotee—“Oh, that devotee fell into sense gratification; that devotee failed to live up to the standard”—but that criticism of a devotee may be much more serious than the failure of the devotee to live up to a certain standard. And we tend to criticize all the time. So we don’t make much progress. We are constantly finding fault with devotees, criticizing devotees, and therefore even though we chant rounds, read the Bhagavad-gita, go to the temple, and do service, because we constantly belittle devotees, even casually—we may not even be conscious that we are doing it—we don’t make progress. In fact, we could be losing our standing in devotional service. So, this is a very important lesson from Srimad Bhagavad-gita.

PURPORT (continued)

Therefore a person who is situated in Krsna consciousness and is engaged with determination in the process of chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare should be considered to be in the transcendental position, even if by chance or accident he is found to have fallen. The words sadhur eva, “he is saintly,” are very emphatic. They are a warning to the nondevotees . . .

COMMENT

Nondevotees are expected to deride devotees. But actual devotees, true Vaisnavas, appreciate other devotees, even if those devotees happen to stumble on the path. Unfortunately, neophyte devotees have some characteristics in common with nondevotees, so they may also criticize. But nondevotees are expected to do it, and therefore Srila Prabhupada says that this warning is meant for them.

PURPORT (continued)

They are a warning to the nondevotees that because of an accidental falldown a devotee should not be derided; he should still be considered saintly even if he has accidentally fallen down.

COMMENT

This term, “neophyte devotee,” is often expressed in Sanskrit as bhakta-praya, “almost a devotee,” because neophytes are on the material platform. They are chanting and trying to make progress, but because they are on the material platform, they are not considered actual devotees in the proper sense. So from my side, as an introspective devotee, when I read this I should think, “Oh, I am like a nondevotee.” But others, from their side, should not fall into the conception that “they are bhakta-prayas, almost devotees; they are not real devotees, so I can criticize them,” because neophytes, although still more or less on the material platform, if engaged in the process of bhakti-yoga are in the category of sadhu. They should be considered saintly. And to deride them is an offense. So we must be careful.

Internally, we should feel that we are not devotees. In fact, it is ironic, but the neophytes are the ones who generally think themselves to be devotees, good devotees, and it is the advanced devotees who feel they are not devotees. Like Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He said that He didn’t have even a drop of love for Krsna. He was crying day and night for Krsna, in the mood of Radharani in separation from Krsna, but He said, “I don’t have a drop of love for Krsna.” “Why?” one could ask. “You are always crying for Krsna.” “That is just a show, to impress others. If I actually had love for Krsna I could not live. The fact that I am living without Him proves that I have no love for Him.” So when one is in the highest stage, maha-bhagavata—of course, Caitanya Mahaprabhu was more than that—he feels that he is not a devotee and sees that everyone else is a devotee. And the neophyte thinks, “Oh, I am a devotee. These others, they are not real devotees.” They think that they are devotees and that others are not. They think that they themselves are up to the standard but that others are not. We have to go beyond that stage. That is why we have the instructions of the Bhagavad-gita, to elevate us.

PURPORT (continued)

They are a warning to the nondevotees that because of an accidental falldown a devotee should not be derided; he should still be considered saintly even if he has accidentally fallen down. And the word mantavyahis still more emphatic. If one does not follow this rule, and derides a devotee for his accidental falldown, then one is disobeying the order of the Supreme Lord. The only qualification of a devotee is to be unflinchingly and exclusively engaged in devotional service.

COMMENT

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, which is based on Srimad-Bhagavatam and Srimad Bhagavad-gita, lists twenty-six qualities of a devotee, one of which is krsna-eka-sarana, “exclusively surrendered to Krsna.” That is what the Bhagavad-gita means here by bhajate mam ananya-bhak, “engaged in devotional service without any deviation.” Srila Prabhupada explains in the purport, “The only qualification of a devotee is to be unflinchingly and exclusively engaged in devotional service.” That is krsna-eka-sarana. That is the only qualification. What about the other twenty-five? If one has the single qualification of krsna-eka-sarana, even if he doesn’t have the other twenty-five, he is still considered a devotee. And if someone has the other twenty-five but not the one of being wholly and solely engaged in devotional service, he is not considered a devotee, even if he has all the other qualities. So we cannot conclude, for example, that because one of the qualities of a devotee is to be humble and we see that some devotee lacks it, that “Oh, this devotee is not humble; this person is not humble, so he is not a devotee.” If he is wholly and solely engaged in the service of the Lord, he is a devotee. He might not have that quality yet—it will develop as he continues with the process—but if we think, “Oh, he is not a devotee. He is not humble. He didn’t offer me respect. He is not a devotee,” then we are committing an offense.

PURPORT (continued)

In the Nrsimha Purana the following statement is given:

bhagavati ca harav ananya-ceta
bhrsa-malino ’pi virajate manusyah
na hi sasa-kalusa-cchabih kadacit
timira-parabhavatam upaiti candrah

The meaning is that even if one fully engaged in the devotional service of the Lord is sometimes found engaged in abominable activities, these activities should be considered to be like the spots that resemble the mark of a rabbit on the moon. Such spots do not become an impediment to the diffusion of moonlight. Similarly, the accidental falldown of a devotee from the path of saintly character does not make him abominable.

COMMENT

We see that the moon has marks that look like a rabbit. But nobody criticizes the moon because it has marks. And the cooling, soothing light of the moon is not hampered by those marks. In the same way, a devotee who is fully engaged in the service of the Lord in transcendental bliss is not impeded in his service by his accidental falldown. He has had a fall, but he remains fully engaged in the service of the Lord. And if we find fault with him, we create obstacles in our own path.

PURPORT (continued)

On the other hand, one should not misunderstand that a devotee in transcendental devotional service can act in all kinds of abominable ways; this verse only refers to an accident due to the strong power of material connections.

COMMENT

In other words, if one thinks, “I am a devotee—I am chanting Hare Krsna—so I can do any nonsense and I won’t have to suffer the reaction,” that is another offense, nama-aparadha, sinning on the strength of chanting (namno balad yasya hi papa-buddhir). A devotee may accidentally fall down, but he repents for it. He repents severely and resolves to be careful in the future. And he does whatever he can to protect himself from falling down again. Even then, he might fall down again, as Srila Prabhupada explains:

PURPORT (concluded)

Devotional service is more or less a declaration of war against the illusory energy. As long as one is not strong enough to fight the illusory energy, there may be accidental falldowns. But when one is strong enough, he is no longer subjected to such falldowns, as previously explained. No one should take advantage of this verse and commit nonsense and think that he is still a devotee. If he does not improve in his character by devotional service, then it is to be understood that he is not a high devotee.

COMMENT

Again, there are two points of view. The devotee who falls down should repent and make every effort to rectify himself and avoid further falldowns. And the person who is viewing him should consider, “He is saintly. He is engaged in devotional service. Krsna Himself says that he should be seen as a sadhu. If I deride him, I am going against Krsna’s instruction and I am spoiling my spiritual life, engaging in sadhu-ninda. To deride him is sadhu-ninda, nama-aparadha. That is worse than falling into sense enjoyment.”

In the purport, Srila Prabhupada referred to the next verse:

TEXT 31

ksipram bhavati dharmatma
sasvac-chantim nigacchati
kaunteya pratijanihi
na me bhaktah pranasyati

TRANSLATION

He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This should not be misunderstood. In the seventh chapter the Lord says that one who is engaged in mischievous activities cannot become a devotee of the Lord. One who is not a devotee of the Lord has no good qualifications whatsoever. The question remains, then, How can a person engaged in abominable activities—either by accident or by intention—be a pure devotee? This question may justly be raised.

COMMENT

Now here is the answer.

PURPORT (continued)

The miscreants, as stated in the seventh chapter, who never come to the devotional service of the Lord, have no good qualifications, as is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

COMMENT

As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.18.12), harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna: one who is not a devotee has no good qualities. Why? Manorathenasati dhavato bahih: he is on the mental platform, not the spiritual platform, and is bound to be attracted to the Lord’s external energy. So he can fall down at any time. Srila Prabhupada compared mental speculators—especially Mayavadis—to vultures. Vultures fly high in the sky, but as soon as they see some rotting flesh on the ground, they swoop down to peck at it. Similarly, Mayavadis may soar very high with their mental speculations, but as soon as they see an opportunity for sense gratification, they swoop down like vultures. So the position of nondevotees, miscreants, is different from that of devotees—even those who fall down.

PURPORT (continued)

Generally, a devotee who is engaged in the nine kinds of devotional activities is engaged in the process of cleansing all material contamination from the heart. He puts the Supreme Personality of Godhead within his heart, and all sinful contaminations are naturally washed away.

COMMENT

How does he put the Supreme Personality of Godhead in his heart? By sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam, chanting and hearing Lord Krsna’s holy names and glories. When one does so, Krsna in the form of transcendental sound enters the heart and cleanses it of material contamination.

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt satam

“Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.” (SB 1.2.17) Hearing krsna-katha (srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah) is itself pious activity (punya-sravana-kirtanah), and by such hearing and chanting, the dirty things (abhadra) within the heart are cleansed (vidhunoti). Krsna Himself acts to cleanse the heart of the eager devotee who hears and chants His messages. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. By sri-krsna-sankirtana, chanting the glories of Lord Krsna, the dust is cleansed from the mirror of the mind. That is the process.

PURPORT (continued)

He puts the Supreme Personality of Godhead within his heart, and all sinful contaminations are naturally washed away. Continuous thinking of the Supreme Lord makes him pure by nature.

COMMENT

That is our process—sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam. And that is Krsna consciousness, to always think of Krsna. Just thinking of Krsna cleanses the heart and purifies the mind, because Krsna is all-pure. He is like the sun; His presence eradicates all darkness.

krsna-surya-sama; maya haya andhakara
yahan krsna, tahan nahi mayara adhikara

“Krsna is compared to sunshine, and maya is compared to darkness. Wherever there is sunshine, there cannot be darkness. As soon as one takes to Krsna consciousness, the darkness of illusion (the influence of the external energy) will immediately vanish.” (Cc Madhya 22.31)

Krsna is light, and maya is darkness. Where there is Krsna—the sunshine of Krsna consciousness—there can be no maya, no darkness. So we don’t have to try to drive away maya by separate endeavor. We just have to bring in Krsna, and maya will automatically go. When the sun rises, the darkness automatically goes away. Similarly, when the sun of Lord Krsna’s holy name rises, the darkness of sinful activities, anarthas, and offenses goes away.

amhah samharad akhilam sakrd
udayad eva sakala-lokasya
taranir iva timira-jaladhim
jayati jagan-mangalam harer nama

“As the rising sun immediately dissipates all the world’s darkness, which is deep like an ocean, so the holy name of the Lord, if chanted once without offenses, dissipates all the reactions of a living being’s sinful life. All glories to that holy name of the Lord, which is auspicious for the entire world.” (Padyavali 16, quoted as Cc Antya 3.181)

PURPORT (continued)

According to the Vedas, there is a certain regulation that if one falls down from his exalted position he has to undergo certain ritualistic processes to purify himself.

COMMENT

This is called prayascitta—for a particular sin there is a particular atonement. If you commit this sin, you must perform this atonement to become free from the reaction.

PURPORT (continued)

But here there is no such condition, because the purifying process is already there in the heart of the devotee, due to his remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead constantly.

COMMENT

Prayascitta, which comes in the category of karma-kanda, is inferior to bhakti-yoga. For a devotee to engage in such ritualistic activity is itself a sort of falldown. The real process of purification is sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam. So the devotee who accidentally falls down has only to continue that process, which cleanses the heart and frees the devotee of all contamination.

PURPORT (conclusion)

Therefore, the chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare should be continued without stoppage. This will protect a devotee from all accidental falldowns. He will thus remain perpetually free from all material contaminations.

COMMENT

This is our process, and if a devotee pursues it, he is to be considered saintly (sadhur eva sa mantavyah). One should not deride him.

A related topic is kutinati, faultfinding, which is sometimes associated with jiva-himsa, envy of other living beings. Envy and faultfinding go together. We are envious of someone, so we find fault. The fault may or may not be there, but out of envy we want to find some fault. We are looking for some excuse to criticize. And the nature of every conditioned soul is to be envious. It is actually envy that brings us into the material world and keeps us here. So envy must be abandoned.

Other things—lust, anger, greed—can be dovetailed in the service of the Lord, but not envy. Envy must be given up. Of course, the hearing and chanting process is meant to cleanse the heart of envy. At the same time, we must understand that faultfinding is forbidden. Although we may have an envious feeling, we should understand that it is our defect; it is our fault that we feel envious. We should consider, “Envy is like an ugly demon that has entered my heart, and I have to somehow subdue it.” We must avoid faultfinding, which is an anartha and can lead to offense.

Sometimes we can’t really tell what’s in the heart of another person, whether the person is actually at fault or not. Once, when there was a lot of faultfinding going on in a temple, some devotees informed Srila Prabhupada, and in response he told the story from scripture about the brahmana and the prostitute. On one side of a lane lived a brahmana, and on the other side a prostitute. The brahmana would always sit in front of his window with the Bhagavad-gita, and the prostitute across the street would do her business as a prostitute. Some calamity took place, and both the brahmana and the prostitute died. And both Yamadutas and Visnudutas came to the scene. The Visnudutas came to claim the soul of the prostitute, and the Yamadutas came to claim the soul of the brahmana. The brahmana protested, “Wait, you are making a mistake. You are supposed to be coming for the prostitute. The Visnudutas should be coming for me.” But the Yamadutas replied, “No, we are not making a mistake. All the time you were sitting with your Bhagavad-gita in front of you, you were looking out the window at the house of the prostitute. You were thinking, ‘Oh, now some customer has come. Now they are doing this; now they are doing that.’ In your mind, you were thinking what she was doing, and by your consciousness you are fit to be taken to Yamaraja to be punished. The prostitute, although she was engaged in her occupation, was looking out the window and thinking, ‘Oh, that pious brahmana, he is reading the Bhagavad-gita. I wish I could spend my time reading the Bhagavad-gita.’ And she would think of Krsna and Arjuna on the battlefield of Kuruksetra and all the wonderful instructions that Krsna gave Arjuna and the loving relationship between them. By her consciousness she is fit to go back to Godhead.”

Srila Prabhupada told this story to illustrate the fact that we may not be able to tell, by external appearances, what is in another person’s heart. Therefore we should not find fault, because we don’t know what the consciousness is. There is a saying that if Lord Nityananda enters a liquor shop, you should understand that He is going for service. Someone may think, “Oh, He went into a liquor shop. Sadhus don’t go into liquor shops.” But if Nityananda Prabhu or the spiritual master goes into a liquor shop, you should understand it is for some spiritual purpose, for some service.

Because we are in Kali-yuga and people are fallen and prone to find fault, we try to act in such a way as to not give them room to find fault. Someone in Bombay related a relevant incident to me. A devotee was seen eating in a restaurant that prepared food with onions. That the devotee was eating in the restaurant was bad enough, but that the food had onions was even worse. And another person eating there, who had some association with ISKCON, challenged the devotee, “Why are you eating food with onions?” The devotee retorted, “But you are too.” The man replied, “True, I am. I know the standard, and I am not up to it. But you are presenting yourself as an authority. You are preaching to others, ‘No onions or garlic.’ So if you do it, it is different.” The point I want to make here is that when one is a preacher one should act in an exemplary way and not give people a chance to criticize—for their sake.

Still, the principle is that if Nityananda Prabhu goes into a liquor shop, it should be understood that He is going for a good purpose. Sometimes Nityananda Prabhu or the spiritual master has a purpose that he can’t allow to be hampered or stopped for fear of neophytes who may find fault or misunderstand. For example, there is a rule that forbids brahmanas from crossing the ocean, because if they cross they will be contaminated. Before Srila Prabhupada, no prominent acarya in our line had ever crossed the ocean, but he did. And orthodox brahmanas criticized. They criticized even Srila Prabhupada. And even now, the pandas at the Jagannatha temple in Puri sometimes prevent ISKCON devotees even of Indian origin from entering the temple. They say that because they have associated with mlecchas and yavanas from outside India—although they are Hindus of Indian origin—they can’t enter, because they have been contaminated by association.

The acarya can’t stop his mission to suit the whims of envious or rigid people—or even neophyte devotees who cannot understand or appreciate what he is doing. Therefore, although we act in exemplary ways—we set a proper example for others to follow, and we don’t want to give them a chance to criticize—when it comes to our mission or service, we may have to forge ahead, even in unorthodox ways. As Srila Prabhupada often said, “The dogs may bark, but the caravan will pass.” We have to go ahead anyway. Let the dogs bark. It doesn’t matter. We are going to push on. Sometimes we may adopt that attitude, but not for sense gratification—only for a higher cause.

Once, in answering a question from me, Srila Prabhupada gave the example of Govinda, Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s personal servant in Puri. As a rule, after His lunch, Caitanya Mahaprabhu would lie down to rest and Govinda would come to massage His legs; then Govinda would go to honor the remnants of food He had left. One time when the Lord lay down, He blocked the entrance to the room and there was no way Govinda could massage Him other than to step over His body. Some time later, when Mahaprabhu awoke, He saw Govinda still sitting there, and He asked, “Why did you stay so long? Why did you not take prasada?” Govinda replied, “You were lying down, blocking the door, and there was no way for me to go.” Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked, “But then how did you come in the room?” Govinda thought, “For the sake of the Lord’s service I could cross, but not for my own sake.” Srila Prabhupada concluded, “For the sake of service we may sometimes transgress a rule, but not for our sense gratification.”

On occasion, we may sacrifice a lesser principle for a greater purpose, but we should not sacrifice any principle, big or small, for our sense gratification. For a mission, for a cause, for a service, we may. And if you believe that someone has transgressed some principle, you should consider that it might have been for a higher cause—and refrain from faultfinding and unnecessary criticism.

Hare Krsna.

Are there any questions or comments?

Somaditya Chakraborty: You were saying that we have got two types of duties: one is conditional and one is constitutional. Sometimes due to our conditional activities, such as working at a job or whatever we do, we are not able to accept things that are favorable for devotional service and reject things that are unfavorable. Does our conditional duty then hamper our surrender to Krsna— because accepting things favorable for devotional service and rejecting things that are unfavorable is part of surrendering to Krsna?

Giriraj Swami: Would you like to introduce yourself?

Somaditya Chakraborty: I am Lieutenant Commander Somaditya Chakraborty. I work in the Indian navy.

Giriraj Swami: Somaditya comes from the sacred city of Calcutta, where Srila Prabhupada appeared, where Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura disappeared, and where all three walked and preached and served.

Life on the ship means that one has to associate with nondevotees, and one may have to take food prepared in a kitchen that is not to the Vaisnava standard. One could say that one should accept what’s favorable and reject what’s unfavorable and that one should therefore reject this association, reject this food, reject this situation. But then again, you have to earn a living, and somehow you got into this line. It happens. Sometimes people get into a career before they know much about Krsna consciousness and only later realize that their career has elements that are unfavorable to their spiritual development. Of course, practically, there are considerations of time, place, and circumstance, whether one should leave one’s particular work or not. On my first visit to Houston, a very nice devotee, not yet initiated, drove me to the airport. He owned a motel and was very concerned because customers would come there and break the regulative principles. He didn’t have a restaurant or sell meat or liquor. But people were coming and using the premises to consume alcohol and flesh and indulge in illicit sex. In his case, he gave it up. He sold the motel and went into the jewelry business. Of course, every endeavor is covered with some fault. But selling jewelry is an accepted occupation that does not directly involve sinful activities.

Sometimes a person in an awkward situation may think, “Somehow I am in this work. It would be hard for me at this stage to start all over again in some other line. Maybe I should just continue and earn enough money and then retire and go to Mayapur.” Then it becomes a question of what is more favorable and what is less unfavorable. In that situation it may be more favorable to stay in the job, earn well, retire early, and go to Mayapur, or travel all over the world and preach. It may be worse to leave the job, have to start all over again, struggle, wonder how the money will come to pay the bills, and in the end just struggle for the rest of your life to pay the bills.

What you say is true in principle—we should accept what is favorable and reject what is unfavorable—but practically we may have to accept the more important principles that are favorable and neglect lesser ones that are also favorable but just less important. In this world no situation is ever completely favorable. For example, to preach is favorable; preaching is the best service. But to preach you have to go out on the street, and then you see billboards and men and women and other things that are unfavorable. But if you decide, “Okay, I am not going to go out because then I will see the billboards,” that may be unfavorable. “I will just stay where I am.” That may be giving more emphasis to a lesser principle as opposed to a greater one. Rather, we give preference to the more important principle—to preaching—even at the expense of less important principles.

At the same time, we must realistically assess how much risk we can take for the higher principle, for preaching. As Srila Prabhupada said, “We must know how to catch the big fish without getting wet.”

Still, preaching is such an important activity that devotees do take risks. Srila Prabhupada said, “When we preach we take risks.” Crossing the ocean and going to the West was taking a risk. Living on the Bowery and staying with hippies was taking a risk. Any time you venture out into the world and approach people, you take a risk, but you have to do it; otherwise you can’t preach.

Before we got the Juhu property, when we had a rented apartment on Warden Road, one of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples who had been serving there went to South Africa to preach. In time, Srila Prabhupada received reports that the devotee was becoming weak for want of association. According to the reports, there were beautiful beaches in South Africa, and nice weather, and the devotee was spending most of his time at the seaside. When Srila Prabhupada received the reports, he was very concerned. He said that whenever he sends out a preacher, he always feels anxiety, because there is always a chance that the preacher will fall down. But preaching is so important, he said, that Krsna Himself comes to the material world to preach.

paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge

[Lord Krsna says:] “To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.” (Bg 4.8)

If we don’t send out preachers, our mission—Krsna’s mission—won’t spread. People won’t get the chance to become Krsna conscious. And Prabhupada explained that because there is such risk in preaching, Krsna considers the preacher to be His dearmost servant. There is none more dear to Him than he, nor will there ever be one more dear. And Krsna guarantees that in the end the preacher will come back home, back to Godhead. That is Krsna’s final instruction in the Bhagavad-gita:

ya idam paramam guhyam
mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyati
bhaktim mayi param krtva
mam evaisyaty asamsayah

“For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.” (Bg 18.68)

na ca tasman manusyesu
kascin me priya-krttamah
bhavita na ca me tasmad
anyah priyataro bhuvi

“There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.” (Bg 18.69)

And what is “this supreme secret”? It is the most confidential knowledge of the entire Bhagavad-gita:

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo ’si me

“Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me, and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.” (Bg 18.65)

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” (Bg 18.66)

Such instructions are most confidential. And Srila Prabhupada said, “Confidential means that people won’t like it.”

So we do take risks when we preach. And when we preach we can’t always follow all the rules and regulations perfectly. Sometimes we can’t even follow our diet when we preach. At home we can follow our diet, but when we preach sometimes we can’t. For the sake of preaching we sometimes have to break our strict diet, but we do it—and depend on Krsna. The ultimate consideration is what is most favorable for devotional service, what pleases Krsna most.

Mahaprabhu dasa: I understand this devotee’s situation and that a devotee, even if he commits a mistake, should not be criticized if he is fixed in devotional service. That is a different point. My point relates to Prabhuji’s question. Prahlada Maharaja says that whatever we are going to get is already destined. Then why should we compromise our spiritual life, which is our opportunity only in this human form of life—which is not available in any other form? Once we understand the Gita and are involved in Krsna consciousness and are working toward initiation, then why should we compromise our spiritual life? Krsna will provide. What we are going to get is already predestined. And Krsna promises, “You surrender to Me and I will take care of you.” Na me bhaktah pranasyati. That is surrender. Once we are devotees, Krsna will take care of us. Then why should we worry?

Giriraj Swami: I agree. First, you spoke about destiny, that we get what we are destined to get. But maybe his destiny is to become a lieutenant commander in the Indian navy and get whatever he is getting there. Even in Vedic culture there are ksatriyas. And this is the point, that every endeavor is covered with some fault. Ksatriyas sometimes go and shoot animals to practice their archery. But someone has to defend the citizens, the nation. He is doing that.

saha-jam karma kaunteya
sa-dosam api na tyajet
sarvarambha hi dosena
dhumenagnir ivavrtah

“Every endeavor is covered by some fault, just as fire is covered by smoke. Therefore one should not give up the work born of his nature, O son of Kunti, even if such work is full of fault.” (Bg 18.48)

As for Krsna taking care of His devotees, He does. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t earn our living. A man may have enough money to retire and live off the income from his savings and investments. He doesn’t have to work. He is free to serve Krsna. Someone could argue, “Why are you keeping the money in the bank and in shares? You should give it to Krsna consciousness and let Krsna take care of you.” But for the man to ask Krsna to take care of him may be seen as him taking service from Krsna—not depending on Krsna but taking service from Him. The Bhagavad-gita says that we should work to the best of our capacity and depend on Krsna for the result—not that we do nothing and just depend on Him. In any case, the main factor is the consciousness, the intention, the mood of service.

Practically, compared with previous times, to live under a tree now and depend on nature or charity is not so easy. Still, it is true that if a devotee is very advanced and always absorbed in Krsna consciousness without deviation, Krsna personally takes care of him.

ananyas cintayanto mam
ye janah paryupasate
tesam nityabhiyuktanam
yoga-ksemam vahamy aham

“But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.” (Bg 9.22)

Mahaprabhu dasa: But what if our work is coming in the way of our following the four regulative principles?

Giriraj Swami: That is something else. When it comes to selling meat or alcohol or something similar, we may give it up—like the example of the motel owner. That is true.

Nityananda dasa: Guru Maharaja, how can we minimize or diminish the mentality of envy?

Giriraj Swami: Once, in the holy city of Surat, where Srila Prabhupada and his devotees got their best reception, I asked him about envy. I was suffering from envy, and it was disturbing me, disturbing my chanting, and disturbing my relationships with devotees. My policy was to never ask Srila Prabhupada a question if I could answer it myself. Unless I had really thought about it deeply and tried to answer it by some other means—by introspection, by reading, by consulting with other devotees—I would not ask. But here I could not get any solution to make the envy go away. I knew that the envy was harmful to me, and I wanted it to go away, but I couldn’t understand how to make it go away.

So I asked Srila Prabhupada. First he said, “Can you think of any reasons not to be envious?” I had thought of many reasons. It was disturbing my chanting and my relationships, and further, I had reasoned that Krsna was unlimited and that His service was unlimited—so why should I be envious if someone had a particular service? It was not going to deprive me of service, because Krsna’s service was unlimited. He could have his service, and I would have mine. Why should I be envious? So when Prabhupada asked, “Can you think of any reasons not to be envious?” I said, “Yes.” He continued, “All right. Being envious means you don’t like someone. Now, that not-liking should be directed against the demons, who create so much havoc in the world. It should be directed toward nondevotees.”

Our problem is that we direct our not-liking toward devotees. Sometimes we even hear people say, “If this is what a Krsna conscious person is like, I don’t want to be Krsna conscious.” “If this is what it means to be a devotee, I don’t want to be a devotee.” It is the reverse. Of course, because we interact more with devotees it may happen that we get hurt more by devotees, and that disturbs us. But really, the tendency to not like or to find fault or to speak against should be directed toward the demons, not the devotees. And if we go out and preach more, and see what the nondevotees are actually like, we will appreciate the devotees more. Faultfinding among devotees, envy among devotees, although it may be anywhere, is more common among neophytes who don’t preach that much. But when you go out and preach and see what people out there are really like, you come to appreciate devotees more. And when you are just with devotees, you may find all these little faults. “They did this; they did that. They didn’t do this; they didn’t do that.” But when you go and see what is out there, when you see what the people are actually like, and then come back, you appreciate the devotees.

Radha-carana dasa: We understand that all qualities originate in Krsna (janma-adi yasya yatah). We have all the qualities of Krsna, and we have envy. Does that mean Krsna has envy?

Giriraj Swami: Krsna has all the qualities that we have but in unlimited quantity and in perfection. So Krsna also has envy. The example given in The Nectar of Devotion is that sometimes when the cowherd boys would play in the forest, Krsna would play on one side and Balarama would play on the other. And when Balarama’s party defeated Krsna’s party, the boys would complain, “If even Balarama’s party can defeat us, then who in the world can be weaker than us?” That is an example of envy in the spiritual world.

Krsna manifests different types of personalities, and one of them is dhiroddhata. The Nectar of Devotion(Chapter 23) states that a person who is envious, proud, easily angered, restless, and complacent is called dhiroddhata. The same passage continues: “Such qualities were visible in the character of Lord Krsna, because when He was writing a letter to Kalayavana, Krsna addressed him as a sinful frog. In His letter Krsna advised Kalayavana that he should immediately go and find some dark well for his residence, because there was a black snake named Krsna who was very eager to devour all such sinful frogs. Krsna reminded Kalayavana that He could turn all the universes to ashes simply by looking at them.

“The above statement by Krsna seems apparently to be of an envious nature, but according to different pastimes, places, and times this quality is accepted as a great characteristic. Krsna’s dhiroddhata qualities have been accepted as great because Krsna uses them only to protect His devotees. In other words, even undesirable traits may also be used in the exchange of devotional service.”

Kesava dasa: There are nine forms of bhakti, devotional service. If someone says, “I will attain devotional service by doing one of them” and does not chant, is that possible?

Giriraj Swami: Good question. There are nine kinds of devotional service, and one can attain perfection by engaging in any one of them perfectly. The Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.1.11) gives the basic definition of pure devotional service:

anyabhilasita-sunyam
jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu-
silanam bhaktir uttama

Anusilanam means that it must be continuous. For most devotees it is not possible to engage continuously in only one of the nine processes. Maharaja Pariksit attained perfection by hearing. He sat down on the banks of the Ganges and heard Srimad-Bhagavatam for seven days continuously without eating or sleeping. He attained perfection. Can we do that? Sukadeva Gosvami attained perfection by chanting Srimad-Bhagavatam. He recited Srimad-Bhagavatam for seven days continuously without eating or sleeping. So it is true that if one is able to continuously engage and absorb himself in only one of the items, he can attain perfection. But he has to be engaged continuously, because that is the basic qualification. And if we are not able—and very few of us are—then we have to vary our activities so that we keep up our interest, keep up our enthusiasm. Therefore Srila Prabhupada gave us a program that includes all the nine items. We go to the arati, we recite prayers—Nrsimha prayers, tulasi prayers—we water the tulasi plant. These are all different items of devotional service. We chant Hare Krsna. We hear Srimad-Bhagavatam. We take krsna-prasada. Somehow or other we must stay engaged in devotional service. That is the principle. It may be one or two or three or all nine. But in general we require variety, and so Srila Prabhupada gave us a program that includes all different items.

Ajay Jajodia: A relative asked me, “Why is your family so attached to ISKCON? What is so special about it?” Though I was not in a position to reply, I said that we follow one principle, and that is taught by Srila Prabhupada. Then she asked, “What is so special about Srila Prabhupada? Why did you choose to follow only him?” I could only quote one verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam—tava kathamrtam tapta-jivanam. That is why Prabhupada is so special, because he spread hari-nama worldwide. That was all I could say. So, what is so special about Prabhupada and ISKCON?

Giriraj Swami: I think your answers were perfect. The first question was “Why is your family so attached to ISKCON? What is so special about ISKCON?” The answer is Prabhupada. And the second question was “What is so special about Prabhupada?” And the answer is that he spread Krsna consciousness all over the world. Krsna-sakti vina nahe tara pravartana—unless one is especially empowered by Krsna one cannot spread the sankirtana movement all over the world. Kali-kalera dharma—krsna-nama-sankirtana—this sankirtana movement is the yuga-dharma for the present age. You gave the right answer. Now you should go out and preach. You have passed the test. You are qualified.

Ajay Jajodia: I am not at all qualified.

Giriraj Swami: To be able to preach in a sustained way and actually influence people’s hearts, one must chant the holy name and follow the regulative principles. Otherwise, one won’t have the power to preach. Preaching is not some external, mundane activity. It requires spiritual strength. And one gets that strength from chanting sixteen rounds, following the regulative principles, and engaging in devotional service.

Ajay Jajodia: I try to chant, but I cannot chant properly. My mind is always distracted by my problems and environment, and I lose hope.

Giriraj Swami: But if you preach, you will be forced to chant attentively. Srila Prabhupada said our service should be a fresh challenge that we enthusiastically rise to meet; and to meet it we enthusiastically chant and hear and follow the regulative principles. Now your life is too comfortable. Whether you chant with attention or not, it doesn’t matter. You will get your dal and chapatis. Whether or not you chant all your rounds, you will still get your dal and chapatis. But when you are on the front line preaching, you have to be spiritually fit. Preaching is declaring war on maya. You have to be in good shape. Otherwise you will be overwhelmed by the opposing forces. Preaching will impel you to become spiritually strong.

Ramai Pandita dasa: Maharaja, when your guru maharaja is present in the physical world you can come to know whether or not he is happy with your service. He is there to tell you if he is happy with your service or not. You can always go to him and take his advice. But when he is not physically present, how do you come to know whether he is happy or unhappy with your service or whatever you are doing?

Giriraj Swami: There are two ways. If you are pure enough, you can know from within your heart whether he is pleased or not. Or, you can approach devotees who have a sense of what would please or displease him. You can ask them, and they may give you an idea of whether your activities are pleasing or not. Sadhu, sastra, and guru. Basically, like Prabhupada, your guru maharaja wants you to be Krsna conscious and spread Krsna consciousness.

Ramai Pandita dasa: You said that envy results in faultfinding, finding faults in devotees. So should we cultivate the art of forgiving others? If we start forgiving others, then we may not fall into envy and faultfinding.

Giriraj Swami: Yes. Forgiving is most important. Forgiveness (ksama) is one of the qualities of a devotee. We must forgive. If we don’t, it means we have something in our heart, and if we keep it in our heart, it will disturb our Krsna consciousness. Also, if we don’t forgive, it may disturb the person whom we are not forgiving. So it causes distress to the other person, and it causes distress to us. In fact, causing distress to the other person increases our own distress. So we have to forgive. Forgiveness is the main qualification of a brahmana.

ksamaya rocate laksmir
brahmi sauri yatha prabha
ksaminam asu bhagavams
tusyate harir isvarah

“The duty of a brahmana is to culture the quality of forgiveness, which is illuminating like the sun. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is pleased with those who are forgiving.” (SB 9.15.40)

The main fault of a brahmana is pride, and the main virtue of a brahmana is forgiveness. Throughout the Bhagavad-gita, the quality of forgiveness is glorified.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Gita Jayanti ki jaya!

Hare Krsna.

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Gita Jayanti, December 20, 2007, in Juhu, Mumbai]

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=34220

The Advent of Srila Prabhupada's
Bhagavad-gita As It Is 

— Presented by Srimati Dasi and team
     ISKCON, Sri Vrndavana Dhama

Read more: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=92124

As we approach the sacred occasion of Gītā Jayanti on Mokṣadā Ekādaśī, our hearts naturally turn toward the divine moment when Lord Krishna personally spoke the Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna. Srila Prabhupada reminds us:

“Because Bhagavad Gita is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one need not read any other Vedic literature. One need only attentively and regularly hear and read Bhagavad Gita.”

For over 30 years—since 1994—the Bhaktivedanta Gita Academy (Mayapur) has been enriching countless lives through the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Their courses, including the Gita Study Course and others, are carefully designed to benefit everyone—whether a newcomer or a seasoned practitioner. These systematic studies help devotees deepen, mature, and strengthen their Krishna consciousness in a heartfelt way.

We know the Bhagavad-gītā is widely known, yet often misinterpreted. Srila Prabhupada emphasized that his purports are not his own speculation but express the essence given by our previous ācāryas. Around 1970 in Indore, at a grand Gita Jayanti gathering with many speakers, Srila Prabhupada’s clear and authoritative presentation exposed the flaws of the mental speculators present there.

He powerfully instructed us:

“Anyway, print books, distribute profusely, and that will be the best preaching work. What will your three minutes’ preaching do? But if they buy one book, it may turn their life… Make this your important task, to print our books… and distribute widely… our process is slow but sure.”

Here in Sri Mayapur, Gita Jayanti is celebrated joyfully for three days—pandals, bookstands across the campus, harinam, and (especially) book distribution. On the main day, a fire yajña is performed while devotees chant all 700 verses of the Bhagavad-gītā. Visitors, residents, and pilgrims spend the day immersed in transcendental bliss.

This year, if you are not able to personally go out for book distribution, you can still fully participate by sponsoring Bhagavad-gītās for distribution in places where Krishna’s teachings have still not reached strongly. Your sponsorship ensures the Gita goes to villages, schools, remote locations, and receptive hearts waiting for Krishna’s words.

Even one Gita can change a life.

If you feel inspired, you can contribute here:
https://www.mayapur.com/festivals/Gita-Jayanti

Thank you for your kind-hearted support. May Sri Krishna bless you on this sacred Mokṣadā Ekādaśī with wisdom, devotion, and the joy of sharing His message.

Source: https://www.mayapur.com/en/blog/gita-jayanti---even-one-gita-can-change-a-life

For those whose lives have been forever improved by meeting Lord Krishna personally in the pages of the Gita, Gita Jayanti is not only a day of celebration but also a chance to express their gratitude. And the best way to do so is to share the Gita with others. Krishna Himself says, “There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.” (Bg. 18.69)

The Gita teaches the essence of spiritual knowledge, purely and succinctly, in a way that anyone – in any situation of life – can practically apply its instruction and wisdom. And since Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, resides within the heart of every living being, He is always there to help the reader understand the Gita’s profound message.

Many people in the world are innocent; and when they hear the message of the Gita from a devotee, they at once embrace it and attain perfection.

Krishna says, “Again there are those who, although not conversant in spiritual knowledge, begin to worship the Supreme Person upon hearing about Him from others. Because of their tendency to hear from authorities, they also transcend the path of birth and death.” (Bg. 13.26)

More than ever before, people need the common sense and elegance of the Gita. Why? The modern media daily brings us foul rumors, incendiary disputes, and scenes of massacre. And a popular scientist has proclaimed, “The human race is just chemical scum on a moderate sized planet . . .” (Stephen Hawking, interview 1994).

It seems that the public demands these things—at least some studies suggest that they do. And news anchors across the world have come to count on the fact that people have developed an insatiable appetite for calumny and the gory details of tragic events.

As people disclose the acrimony and conflict that trouble their hearts in tens of millions of daily blogs, YouTube clips, Facebook postings, and interviews in the 24-hour news cycle, the resultant din is a toxic outpouring of malignant sound that flows into the ears of the innocent masses, leading the world’s population into anxiety, despair, and mental illness.

The delicate human ear requires Krishna’s soothing voice in the Gita to clarify the heart and fortify the intellect.

Even five thousand years after Lord Krishna’s departure from this world, “the Bhagavad-gita can be consulted in all critical times, not only for solace from all kinds of mental agonies, but also for the way out of great entanglements which may embarrass one in some critical hour.” (SB 1.15.27, purport)

Lord Caitanya exalts the Gita to Srila Sanatana Gosvami: “Kåñëa is so merciful that simply by aiming His instructions at Arjuna, He has given protection to the whole world.” (Cc Madhya 22.56)

The Gita issues from the beautiful lotus mouth of Lord Sri Krishna, our best friend and eternal benefactor. And as that message passes through the pen of Krsna’s empowered representative, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Bhagavad-gita “As It Is” becomes all the more relishable.

As Gita Jayanti approaches, please read the Gita, remember the Gita, give the Gita.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=11086

You are distributing this knowledge, so you become immediately recognized, very dear servant, very confidential servant of Krsna. He says personally. [Bg. 18.69]. “Amongst the human beings those who are doing this preaching, nobody is dearer than these persons to Me”. – Srila Prabhupada

Because Bhagavad-gita is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one need not read any other Vedic literature. One need only attentively and regularly hear and read Bhagavad-gita. In the present age, people are so absorbed in mundane activities that it is not possible for them to read all the Vedic literatures. But this is not necessary. This one book, Bhagavad-gita, will suffice, because it is the essence of all Vedic literatures and especially because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. – Gita Mahatmya

Five things you can actively do on this auspicious day:
• Study the Gita with your friends and family

• Distribute the Gita

• Sponsor a Gita or Box of Gita for distribution

• Gift the Gita to your near and dear ones

• Spread the message of the Gita

For sponsorship of the Gita /or to gift a Gita, please visit us at www.mayapur.com or

 Donation Link: https://www.mayapur.com/serve-mayapur/general-donation/

 To get Tax Free 80G receipt please do

Bank Transfer.Account Name: “International Society For Krishna Consciousness”Bank Name: Kotak BankAccount No: 8512103714RTGS / IFSC Code: KKBK0006570Branch: H. B. Sarani, Kolkata.Bank address: 21, Centre Point Building, Hemanta Basu Sarani, Kolkata: 700001

And send the transaction details, legal name, and address to donorservices@mayapur.comOr pay by Google pay /BHIM UPI at Q35655045@ybl

For more information
contact: +91 95934 00192 or write to info@mayapur.com

HH Radhanath Swami relays the essential message of Bhagavad Gita on Mokshada Ekadasi and the visionary Book Marathon, at ISKCON Chowpatty.



Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=53738