The classic ISKCON Television Ramayana, with ISKCON devotee actors (the Vaikuntha and Brijbasi Players), filmed at New Vrindaban and Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold in 1980

Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=85328

Hawaii, March 27, 1969

Spoken by His Divine Grace
Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

ramadi murtishu kala-niyamena tishthan
nanavataram akarod bhuvaneshu kintu
krishnah svayam samabhavat paramah puman yo
govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.39]

This is a verse from Brahma-samhita in which the incarnation of Lord Ramacandra is described. Ramadi. Not only Rama, but there are many other, innumerable incarnations. They are compared with the waves of a river. As the waves of the river or the waves of the ocean cannot be counted, similarly, how many incarnations are there of the Supreme Lord it is not possible to count. But out of them, the principal names are mentioned in the sastras. Therefore it is said ramadi. Ramadi means Rama and also other, many incarnations. And they are existing. Not that one incarnation appeared and it is finished. No. Not like that. Just like Lord Ramacandra appeared on this planet, say millions of years before. He appeared in the Treta-yuga. Treta-yuga means… We have passed only five thousand years of this age, Kali-yuga. Before that, there was Dvapara-yuga. Dvapara-yuga means 800,000 years. And before that, there was Treta-yuga, which continued for twelve hundred thousands of years. That means at least two million years before Lord Ramacandra appeared on this planet.

So now Lord Ramacandra appeared in Ayodhya. There is a place in Ayodhya, in northern India. There He appeared. As Krishna appeared in Mathura… That is also northern India. And Mathura is about ninety miles down southward from New Delhi. You have heard the name of New Delhi, the capital of India. So Ayodhya is also situated about five hundred miles northeast of New Delhi. So Lord Ramacandra appeared on this day. Today is called Sri Rama Naumi. On the ninth day of the moon Lord Ramacandra appeared. His father was the king of Ayodhya, and he had three wives. So out of… No. He had two wives. So out of two wives he got four sons. Ramacandra is the eldest son. The life and activities of Lord Ramacandra is… [break] …in a book which is called Ramayana. You have heard the name of Ramayana. Ramayana is also accepted as history. Vedic literatures are histories also.

The Puranas, the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Mahabharata, and Ramayana, they are counted amongst the history. The history of Ramacandra is that His father wanted to retire. Dasaratha, Maharaja Dasaratha. And he decided to enthrone Lord Ramacandra and retire. So everything was settled, but just one day before, his youngest wife turned the whole thing into different way. Sometimes Maharaja Dasaratha was suffering from what is called whitlow, some trouble in the finger? And this queen served him very nicely, and he was pleased. And he said, “My dear Sarmishtha, if you want some benediction from me, I can give you.” And she replied that “I shall ask you for the benediction when I require it. Not now.” So just one day before Lord Ramacandra’s coronation, she approached her husband Maharaja Dasaratha and reminded him, “My dear husband, you promised to give me some benediction, and I told you that I shall ask you when I require it.” Maharaja Dasaratha said,

“Yes, I remember. You want some benediction just now?” She said, “Yes.” “And what is that?” She said that “Ramacandra cannot be seated on the throne. My son should be coronated, Bharata.” He was surprised. It is a big demand. So he said, “All right. That will be done. Your son.” Because formerly, the kings… Not only formerly, even up to date, there are many kshatriya kings in India. They have more than one wife. And they are, naturally, there is rivalry between different wives. So the same thing. Human psychology is the same. Even two million years ago the same mentality was there, and she asked that “My son should be the king, not Ramacandra.” Ramacandra happened to be the son of Kausalya, the elder queen.

So Maharaja Dasaratha agreed and called for Ramacandra. “My dear boy, your…” She asked also that… She was very diplomatic. She wanted that Ramacandra go to forest for fourteen years. The idea was political, that “The king may agree to install my son just now. Now, after a few days, this Ramacandra may come with His army, and there may be some difficulty to continue the kingdom.” So she wanted that Ramacandra should go to the forest and He should not come back till the end of fourteen years from this day. So Maharaja Dasaratha agreed. Because he was kshatriya. Just see the promise.

A kshatriya never goes back from the promise, never refuses any challenge. If a kshatriya is challenged by somebody, that “I want to fight with you,” oh, he cannot refuse. This is kshatriya spirit. He cannot say that “I am now busy.” Suppose somebody comes to you, that “I want to fight with you.” You may say, “What nonsense fight? I have no time. We are in the temple.” But a kshatriya cannot deny that. A kshatriya at once must accept. “Oh, yes. Come on.” And the weapon should be, if he has no sword or weapon, he should be supplied weapon and fight. This is kshatriya spirit. They were highly charitable and chivalrous and keeping promise and with a great tendency for ruling over. They shall rule over. Administrators. Their business is…

There are different prescription for different classes of men for their livelihood. The brahmanas, they can pull on their livelihood by six ways. Pathana pathana yajana yajana dana pratigraha. Six. And they must be qualified with twelve high qualities. We have many times discussed. Out of that qualification, truthfulness is the first item for a brahmana. A kshatriya may speak lies. That is allowed, because he has to be diplomat, politician. But a brahmana, oh, he’s not allowed to speak lie.

This is the system, caste system or varnasrama system. Everyone was trained. Because these four classes of men are required in a society. For proper upkeep of society, one class of men must be very intelligent, highly qualified, with all good qualities. They must be trained in that way, ideal character so that people can see and follow them. Therefore brahmanas were taken to so much respect because they’re ideal character, learned, and godly, knows the science, spiritual science. Therefore they’re held in high estimation and topmost of the society. The next, the administrator, administrative class, kshatriyas.

They are trained how to kill. The kshatriyas were allowed to hunt in the forest to learn the art of killing because that was necessity for the kshatriyas. Kshatriya, if he… If the king, if he finds somebody is doing wrong, he can immediately chop off his head if he likes. The king was so powerful. And it is not that if there was some war, it is not that the president or the king shall sit down comfortably at home and ordinary soldiers will go and lay down their life. No. Formerly, the king or the head of the state, he should first of all go there in the fight. You see in the picture, the chief men of the fighting in the Kurukshetra, both sides, they were arrayed, this side, that side, with their chariot.

Not that the head man, the chief man, or the commander is taking shelter back side, protecting himself, and poor soldiers are (chuckles) thrown into the fighting. No. These were kshatriya spirit. And it is necessary that a class of men should be trained up in that way, kshatriya, fighting men. In India, because this training was there since a very long time, so there is no difficulty in recruiting soldiers there.

There is a class of men, they are very much forward in fighting still. They are called… Just like the Gurkhas, the Nepalese. You have heard the name of Nepal. Still a small state, independent state. They are not within India. Between China and India. The whole Nepal population, they are kshatriyas. Oh, they are very good fighters. Similarly, the Sikhs, the Jatas. There are classes. So they’re always forward for fighting. And you’ll be surprised that the British Empire was voluntarily liquidated because they lost India. The Britishers, they understood that because we are now losing India, there is no more possibility to keep our eastern empire. Therefore they liquidated. Why? Actually, the whole British Empire were being administered or managed by Indian soldiers, these Sikhs and Gurkhas. They extended their empire. After taking their position with India, they extended British Empire in the Middle East and Far East simply by these Sikhs and Gurkha soldiers. They got supremacy on the Burma and everywhere.

So there is necessity of a class of fighting men. You are finding in your country difficulty in recruiting because the recruiting process is wrong. You are recruiting from persons… You are training persons just like sudras, and you want them to fight. How they can fight? It is not possible. So as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, that catur-varnyam maya srishtam guna karma vibhagasah… [Bg. 4.13]. Lord Krishna said that “The four classes or orders of the society, brahmana, kshatriya, vaisya, sudra, is planned by Me according to work and quality.” So this kshatriya quality men is also required, the brahmana quality of men is also required, the mercantile community, they are also required, and the laborer class, they are also required. Of course, laborer class, they do not require any training. Laborer class means one who cannot do anything, neither become brahmana, nor become kshatriya, nor become vaisya. That means the last balance of the population, they are called laborer class, sudra. Sudra means one who has no training. Sudra has no samskara. Samskara means training. Everyone is accepted as sudra by birth. Janmana jayate sudra. Janmana means by birth. By birth, everyone is born a sudra, a fourth-class man. It is to be accepted, and actually so. Just like a child, innocent child, what does he know? He has to be trained. Either you train him as a brahmana or train him as a kshatriya or train him as a vaisya. Or otherwise, he is sudra already, born sudra. Sudra has no training. Everyone, the basic principle, basic foreground, everyone, it is accepted sudra. Now, if you train him as a brahmana, then he becomes a brahmana. If you train him as a kshatriya, then he becomes a kshatriya. If you train him as a vaisya… So I think this is, this system is very scientific so that if you want help of a really intelligent man or God realized man, it is ready, the brahmana class. Just like if you require the help of a lawyer, we have got so many lawyers. If you require the help of medical man… Because there are trained men. Similarly, the society requires to train a certain class of men to become brahmanas. Just like we are training the Krishna conscious. The Krishna consciousness is meant for the brahmanas.

They are not meant for fighting because they are not being trained for fighting. They have been trained for becoming brahmanas. Who is brahmana? Brahma janati iti brahmana. The four divisions are described like this. Janmana jayate sudrah, everyone is born sudra. That is accepted. Samskarad bhaved dvijah. Now if you train him, never mind in which family he’s born, you have to train him. Just like boys are sent to school for being trained. So everyone is accepted as sudra, but you now train him. He goes to the guru-griha.

Guru-griha means teacher’s house. Formerly, for being trained, there was no such big scale school and colleges. Every village… Still, fifty years before in India, in every village there was a small school conducted by the brahmana, and the village children would be trained up there. So he was sent for training. And there was no school fee. The boys will go there, and on behalf of the teacher or spiritual master, they will go, brahmacari, door to door, and beg and bring forth alms, rice, dahl, grains, and everything. That was the system. There was no school fee. There was no problem how to send a boy to the school. Samskara. Now he’s trained up. The teacher sees the psychology of the boy, in which way he should be trained. Either he should be trained as a vaisya or he should be trained as a kshatriya. So everyone was trained like that, but generally, the son of a kshatriya… Just like Maharaja Ramacandra or Arjuna, from the very beginning they were trained as kshatriya.

Naturally, if somebody is the son of a medical man his father trains him to become a medical man in future. That is the natural tendency. If the boy is different altogether that is another question, but naturally, that is the tendency. So a kshatriya’s son was trained as kshatriya. A brahmana’s son was trained as a brahmana and a vaisya’s son was trained as a vaisya, and sudra had no training. So gradually this became a caste system. Brahmana’s son became brahmana. Because formerly, the training was there. But when it is vitiated, although a person born in the family of a brahmana, he is doing the work of a sudra. So according to Vedic scripture, one is classified according to his work and quality, not by birth. That is the classification of sastra. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says catur-varnyam maya srishtam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. Guna means quality and karma means work. One must be qualified for the work and he must actually work. Then he is counted classified into that, I mean to say, category. Just like if you are simply trained or educated as a lawyer, and if you are not practicing in the court, nobody comes to you to consult as a lawyer.

Nobody cares for you. You must be practicing also. Similarly, to become a brahmana means first of all, he must know what is Brahman and he must be actually situated in the activities of Brahman. So devotional service are activities of Brahman. Activities in Krishna consciousness means activities in Brahman. Brahme carati iti brahma brahmacari. Carati means acts. Actually, he acts in life, applies the principles of brahmana in his life, he is called brahmacari. So these were the trainings.
So just see how the training was, that a kshatriya cannot refuse his promise. So Maharaja Dasaratha, he fulfilled the promise of his youngest wife and asked his son, eldest son Ramacandra, “My dear boy, You’ll have to go to forest for fourteen years. That is the desire of Your youngest mother. And I promised that I shall fulfill her promise, uh, request. So please accept.” Ramacandra said, “Yes father, I am ready.” Just see. This is the quality. Out of the six opulences of God, this is one quality.

aisvaryasya samagrasya
viryasya yasasah sriyah
jnana-vairagyayos caiva
shannam bhagam itingana
(Vishnu Purana 6.5.47)

How one becomes God? God is not manufactured by vote. There are definition who is God. God must be the proprietor of all the riches. Aisvaryasya samagrasya. Samagra means all. Nobody can compete with Him. Here, in this world, material world, I am rich man, and there is another rich man who can compete with me. There is another rich man who can compete with him. But nobody can compete with God in richness. That is one qualification of God. Nobody can say that “I am richer than God.” You can say “I am richer than Ford or Rockefeller” or this or that. You can say. But nobody can say that “I am richer than God.” Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said mattah parataram nanyat asti kincid dhananjaya. Mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Dhananjaya is a name of Arjuna, and Krishna said that, “My dear Arjuna, there is nobody greater than Me.” So if anyone claims that he is God, he must prove by practical example that nobody is richer than him. That is the first. But unfortunately, we are accepting so many Gods. A rascal in the street, he also claims that “I am God.”

So similarly, the other qualification, nobody can be stronger than God, nobody can be wiser than God, nobody can be more beautiful than God, and nobody can be more renouncer than God. So here Ramacandra, Lord Ramacandra exhibited the quality how He renounced the whole kingdom simply on the order of His father, His obedience to father. He could have argued with His father, “My dear father, you, simply for keeping your promise and actuated by the dictation of a woman, you are doing this. Let us stop it. Everyone is expecting that tomorrow My coronation will be there, and they love Me so much.” Because He… Just like Krishna was so much loved, similarly, Lord Ramacandra was the life of the people. They were very much expecting that Ramacandra was going to be enthroned tomorrow. So how they were celebrating, how they were decorating the whole city. Everything. He never argued. He accepted immediately: “Yes, father. I am ready.”

So then one of the brothers, Lakshmana, He also requested Ramacandra, “My dear brother, You also take Me. I am Your constant companion. I must go with You.” So He said, “That’s Your wish. Voluntarily, if You want to come, You can come with Me.” Then Sita, His wife, young wife, She also said, “I’ll go with You.” Ramacandra requested His wife, “Oh, you cannot go with Me. It is very difficult. You are a king’s daughter, and you are brought up in so nice way, and you are so beautiful. You cannot go. You cannot take the trouble of living in the forest.” So she said, “Oh, I am Your wife. Married wife. So I must go even if You go to hell.” This is ideal wife. She could have refused: “Oh, Your father has ordered to go to forest. You can go. I shall go to my father’s house or I shall remain here.” No. This is ideal wife. She must be prepared to accept any circumstances of the husband. Not that when the husband is rich the wife is very faithful, and when he has come down to be poor or he’s going to forest the wife gives up his company. No. Wife means better half. She must abide.

Just like, it is said, just like a shadow follows the reality, similarly, the wife is the shadow of the husband. Wherever the husband goes, she must go. Whatever the husband wants, she must carry out. Of course, in this country this interpretation is taken differently, that wife is made a slave. But actually, it is not so. When Sita was kidnapped in the jungle, Ramacandra expected that, that she was beautiful, she was young, and “We shall be in open jungle. It may be some demons may come,” and actually it so happened. So for Sita, Lord Ramacandra massacred the whole family of Ravana. Only for Sita. So as the husband, so the wife. The wife was so faithful that she could not remain alone. She must accompany the husband even in the forest. And the husband was so faithful that, “Oh, my wife has been kidnapped.” So He massacred the whole family of Ravana.

So these are ideal history how… Ramacandra, Lord Ramacandra appeared on this world to educate or to place ideal example of a king. How the king should be. Therefore when there is good government… The example is given, Rama-rajya. Rama- rajya. It is the kingdom of Lord Rama. Because everyone was happy, everyone. There are so many instances in the life of Ramacandra. One brahmana… Not brahmana exactly. Somebody came to Ramacandra. Because at that time there was no court like this, that you have to go to a court and apply with stamp fee. Then your judgment will be delivered after six years. It is not like that. Anyone who has got some complaint, he should… The king used to sit in the open audience, and the citizens were allowed to approach the king and place their complaints. Because there was no complaint practically. Everyone was happy. Very minor complaint. So somebody came to Ramacandra, and he charged Ramacandra, “My dear king, my son has died. How is that, in the presence of his father, son can die? There must be something wrong in Your government.” Just see. The charge is “Why my son has died before my death? This is unnatural.” So there was nothing unnatural. The king was responsible even for severe cold, severe heat. That we get from history of Srimad-Bhagavatam. That is stated. So the kings were so much responsible. They were always thinking of the happiness of the citizens, and the citizens were also so nice.

One citizen approached Lord Ramacandra and His next assistant, His brother, Lakshmana, informed Him that “He is a brahmana. You were absent on Your tour for, I think for a fortnight or a month, and this brahmana has not eaten even a drop of water during Your absence.” Why? “Because he comes here to see You, darsana.” Just like we come here in the temple to see the Deity. So Lord Ramacandra was present personally. So he used to come. After seeing Ramacandra, offering his obeisances, then he would go home and take something, his breakfast. That was his vow. And because he could not see for a fortnight or a month Lord Ramacandra because He was out on political tour, he did not eat even. Just see. The citizens were similar to the king. So at that time, there was a statue of Ramacandra which was being worshiped in the family from Maharaja Ikshvaku. Maharaja Ikshvaku, the son of Manu, happens to be the forefather of the family in which Ramacandra appeared. So he was devotee of Lord Rama, and he was worshiping the statue of Lord Rama. So that statue was being worshiped by the family one after another. But when Ramacandra was actually present He kept that statue in the closet of the room, and when this brahmana approached and Ramacandra was informed by Lakshmana that he is so steady and strong in his vow, so Ramacandra ordered that he may be delivered that statue so that in My absence he can offer respect to the statue and do with this. That form, I mean to say, statue, or arca of Ramacandra is still existing in South India. It is being worshiped from that time.

So these were the dealings of Ramacandra. Then He, His younger brother Lakshmana and His wife went to the forest, and His wife was kidnapped by the diplomacy of the demon Ravana, and there was fight between Rama and Ravana. Ravana was very, materialistically, he was very strong. But the thing is for fighting with Ravana, Ramacandra did not come back to His kingdom and take His army. No. He did not come back because He was ordered to live in the forest. So He organized army with the jungle animals, the monkeys. The monkeys. He fought with Ravana, an organized materialist, with the monkeys. You have seen the picture. And He constructed a bridge between India’s last point to the other side. Ceylon is considered to be the kingdom of Ravana. So there was a bridge, and the stones were floating.

So there are so many historical incidences in the life of Ramacandra, and we should remember, because if we remember why we are observing today fasting for Ramacandra… There were many kings like Ramacandra. Because the kings were trained in that way. Maharaja Yudhishthira was also as good as Ramacandra, and Maharaja Parikshit was as good. There were many such kings. But we are not concerned because He was a king. He is the King of all kings, paramesvara. Because He is God, therefore we are observing today. Ramadi-murtishu kala-niyamena tishthan [Bs. 5.39]. So He is not original form of God. The original form of God is Krishna, and Krishna expands Himself in various other forms. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. Ananta-rupam means millions and millions. The Manu is also incarnation of Krishna. So in one day of Brahma there are fourteen Manus. So Brahma lives for one hundred years. Just see how many incarnation of Manus are there even for one Brahma, and there are innumerable Brahmas also. So, as stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that nobody can count how many incarnations are there, but some of the chief incarnations are mentioned, and Lord Ramacandra is one of them. So Lord Ramacandra, He killed Ravana and He installed his brother.

His brother was devotee, Vibhishana. So He did not go to conquer Ceylon, because He was emperor. He went to punish that culprit Ravana, and He installed his younger brother Vibhishana in that… And He came back with Sita, and again He was installed after fourteen years, and His brother was so faithful that so long His eldest brother was away, Ramacandra requested Him that “Your mother wants that You should be king, and I also wish that in My absence You should be king.” Bharata, He was so faithful brother, He replied, “No. You are king. So long You are living, nobody can be king. So I cannot be king.” Then He requested, “At least You administer.” Because after the departure of Lord Ramacandra, Maharaja Dasaratha died out of the shock because Ramacandra was very pet son, eldest son. He was going to be king, and by his order He was sent to the forest. The father could not tolerate the shock. He died.

So Ramacandra’s life, God’s activities, pastimes, if we hear, that means we are associating with Ramacandra. There is no difference between His form, His name, His pastimes, and Himself. He’s absolute. Therefore either you chant the holy name of Rama or you see the statue of Rama or you talk of His pastimes, transcendental pastimes, everything, that means you are associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So we take advantage of these days when the incarnation of God appears or disappears, and we try to associate with Him. By His association we become purified. Our process is purification. Krishna consciousness means simply we are purifying our consciousness. From the birth, as I have explained, everyone is sudra.

Sudra means one who laments. That is called sudra. For a slight loss or slight inconvenience, one who laments, he is called sudra. And brahmana means one who tolerates. A sudra has no toleration. So kalau sudra sambhava. Kalau means… This age is called Kali. So it is the statement of the sastras that in this age the whole population is sudra. And formerly also, by his birth, everyone was considered sudra, but there was training, samskara. At the present moment, there is no samskara, there is no training. The training is only for earning livelihood. No other training. How one can earn money and enjoy senses—that is the training at the present moment. But actually, to make successful the human life or the mission of human life, the Vedic culture is very nice. And by spreading Krishna consciousness, by adopting the process of Krishna consciousness, you can revive that cultural life, sublime life. If not wholesale, if there are a few people trained up in this line, and they become ideal examples to the society, immense benefit can be derived from their examples of life. What is time? [break] (kirtana) (end)

(A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada 27th March 1969. The Appearance day of Lord Rama – Ramanavami, Hawaii, USA.)

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=85321

From Back to Godhead

Just to attract us to His service, God appeared on earth more than one million years ago as Lord Ramacandra the most benevolent ruler and valiant hero the world has ever known.

The incarnations of Godhead are as numerous as the waves of the sea, yet Krsna, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the source of them all. Just as from one original candle we may light many other candles equal in potency, so Krsna expands Himself in many incarnations, each as powerful as Himself. Each incarnation has the same objective in human society namely, to establish the principles of religion and to destroy demonic, irreligious influences. To accomplish this mission, the Lord once appeared as Sri Ramacandra, the ideal God-conscious king. The poet Valmiki tells the full history of Lord Ramacandra in theRamayana, and the great sage Sukadeva Gosvami summarizes the Ramayana in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. To this day people in India worship Lord Ramacandra in thousands of temples and regard His reign the famous “Rama-rajya” as the model of God-conscious government.

Lord Ramacandra appeared in India more than one million years ago as the son of the great saintly king Maharaja Dasaratha. Early in His life the Lord began ridding the world of unwanted, irreligious elements. In the sacrificial arena of the sage Visvamitra, He killed many Raksasas (demons). Later He married Sita, who is actually the Goddess of Fortune (His eternal consort) and the universal mother. Lord Ramacandra entered the assembly of kings and heroes from whom Sita was to choose her husband. Sita’s father, King Janaka, had declared that whoever could break the bow of Lord Siva would win Sita’s hand in marriage. This bow was so heavy that it took three hundred men to carry, but Lord Ramacandra bent it and strung it and broke it in the middle, just as a baby elephant breaks a stick of sugar cane. In that way He achieved the hand of Sita, who was equal to Him in the transcendental opulences of beauty, behavior, age, and nature.

In Vedic times it was the custom that a man could have more than one wife, and Lord Ramacandra’s father, Maharaja Dasaratha, had three. Since the one named Kaikeyi had served him very pleasingly, King Dasaratha had granted her a benediction. However, the prudent Kaikeyi had said she would ask for this benediction later, and the king had agreed. When the time came for the coronation of Prince Ramacandra, who was the son of one of Kaikeyi’s co-wives, Kaikeyi requested her husband to enthrone her own son, Bharata, instead and to send Ramacandra to the forest. Aggrieved but nonetheless bound by his promise, Maharaja Dasaratha ordered Ramacandra to go to Dandakaranya Forest for fourteen years, and the Lord, as an obedient son, followed the order immediately. He gave up His kingdom, palace, opulence, friends, and everything else. Then He went to the forest with Sita and His brother Laksmana.

While wandering in DandakaranyaForest, Lord Rama and His companions faced many dangers. On one occasion they encountered Surpanakha, the sister of the ten-headed demon Ravana. Because Surpanakha approached Him with lust, Lord Ramacandra cut off her ears and nose. Then he annihilated her fourteen thousand demonic friends with His invincible bow and arrows.

When Ravana heard about the beautiful features of Lord Ramacandra’s wife, Sita, he also became agitated with lust-and he formulated a plan to kidnap her. Ravana ordered the mystic yogi Marica to assume the form of a golden deer, approach Ramacandra’s forest campsite, and in that way distract the Lord. By the Lord’s own arrangement, the ruse worked. When Lord Ramacandra saw that wonderful deer, He followed it for a great distance and finally killed it. Meanwhile, seeing that both Laksmana and Ramacandra were out of the way, Ravana swiftly kidnapped Sita, just as a tiger seizes unprotected sheep when the shepherd is absent.

(In this connection His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada comments, “A woman, however powerful she may be in the material world, must be given protection, for as soon as she is unprotected she will be exploited by Raksasas like Ravana.” According to the Vedic system, a woman must be protected at every stage of life first by her father, then by her husband, and finally by her grown-up sons.)

Although a large bird named Jatayu tried bravely to stop Ravana’s attack, Ravana defeated him and cut one of his wings. When Lord Ramacandra returned and found Sita missing, He behaved as if very much distressed, and He and Laksmana began to search for her. They came upon the dying Jatayu, who told Ramacandra how Ravana had taken Sita Then Lord Ramacandra went on to kill a demon named Kabandha, and afterward He made an alliance with Sugriva, Nila, and Hanuman, the chiefs of the monkeys. They promised to help Him save Sita from Ravana, who had removed her to his island kingdom of Lanka, present-day Ceylon.

Lord Ramacandra proceeded with His monkey allies to the shore of the Indian Ocean, where He fasted for three days, awaiting the appearance of the personified ocean. When the ocean did not come, Lord Ramacandra glanced angrily over the waters with red-hot eyes, and the ocean became so hot that all the sharks, crocodiles, and other aquatic creatures were in great distress. Finally, the personified ocean fearfully approached the Lord, fell at His lotus feet, and began to pray: “O all-pervading Supreme Person, I am dull-minded and did not understand who You were, but now I understand that You are the Supreme Person, the master of the universe, the unchanging and original Personality of Godhead. My Lord, You may use my water as You like. You may cross it and go to the abode of Ravana. Please go kill him and thus regain Your wife, Sita. Please construct a bridge over my waters. Upon seeing this great deed, all the exalted heroes and kings in the future will glorify You.”

Lord Ramacandra thus ordered His mighty monkey soldiers to lop off mountain peaks trees and all and throw them into the water. By the Lord’s supreme will, they began to float. (This is not very remarkable. By the same supreme will, countless planets are floating in the vast ocean of space. The Lord is never limited by the laws of nature, because nature is under His complete control.) Then, to rescue Mother Sita, Lord Ramacandra and the monkey armies headed by Sugriva, Nila, and Hanuman marched across the Indian Ocean on the bridge of floating stones and launched an assault on Lanka, Ravana’s capital. The monkey soldiers immediately occupied all the strategic points, such as the city gates, granaries, treasuries, and assembly houses. The attack was so devastating that the entire city of Lanka appeared like a river disturbed by a herd of elephants.

When Ravana saw what was happening, he summoned his army of Raksasas and led them into a fierce battle with the forces led by Lord Ramacandra. The Raksasas had all kinds of sophisticated weapons and rode proudly on elephants, horses, and chariots. However, condemned by the curse of Mother Sita, the Raksasas had lost all good fortune. Thus, even though Lord Ramacandra’s devoted monkey soldiers were armed with little more than tree trunks, huge boulders, and crude clubs, they were able to kill all of Ravana’s henchmen. Transcendental, spiritual power always defeats the power of materialistic demons. Although the monkeys’ weapons were primitive, the Lord fought on the monkeys’ side-that was the decisive factor.

When Ravana saw that his soldiers had all been killed, he became furious. The ten-headed demon boarded his mystic flower-decorated airplane and steered it toward Lord Ramacandra, who sat on an effulgent chariot. When Ravana began shooting razor-sharp arrows at Ramacandra, the Lord loudly rebuked him: “Ravana, you are an abominable, sinful, and shameless dog, for just as a dog steals food from the kitchen when his master is gone, so in My absence you kidnapped My wife, Sita. Today I shall punish you without fail.”

After rebuking Ravana, Lord Ramacandra shot an arrow that pierced his heart like a thunderbolt. Vomiting blood from each of his ten mouths, Ravana fell down dead from his airplane. Seeing their leader so ignominiously slain, all of Ravana’s followers cried tumultuously, “Alas! Alas! What has happened!” Then Ravana’s wife Mandodari and the other slain Raksasas’ wives came out of Lanka, striking their breasts and crying piteously. Seeing her husband’s corpse, Mandodari said, “My husband, you were always causing others to weep, and thus you were called Ravana. Driven by lust, you could not know Mother Sita’s influence. But now, because of her curse, you have been destroyed by Lord Rama. O delight of the demons, you have made your body fit to be eaten by vultures and your soul fit to go to hell!”

Thereafter, Lord Ramacandra found Sita sitting inside a small cottage deep within a forest of Asoka trees. Seeing how lean and thin she had grown due to her captivity and separation from Him, the Lord felt great compassion for her and came before her. When she saw her beloved husband, her joy knew no bounds. Then Lord Ramacandra raised Sita onto a flower-bedecked airplane and boarded the plane Himself, along with Laksmana, Hanuman, and Sugriva. Together they flew back to Lord Ramacandra’s capital, Ayodhya. The Lord’s fourteen-year exile had ended.

As Lord Ramacandra approached Ayodhya, the princely order greeted Him with showers of beautiful, fragrant flowers, and common citizens offered Him garlands and danced in great jubilation. Women sung poetic prayers and professional reciters chanted His glories. Seated beside Mother Sita on His airplane of flowers, Lord Ramacandra appeared like a beautiful full moon rising amidst glowing stars and planets.

Lord Bharata had been ruling Ayodhya in His brother Ramacandra’s absence. When Bharata heard the news of Ramacandra’s return to the capital, He immediately took Ramacandra’s wooden shoes upon His own head and came forth with His retinue to receive Him. Ministers, musicians, priests, and learned brahmanas joined the royal reception party. The musicians vibrated pleasing music while the brahmanas loudly chanted the Vedic hymns, and beautiful horses with golden harnesses drew gaily decorated chariots. Many soldiers and servants bearing precious gifts followed in the procession. His heart melting with affection and His eyes overflowing with tears, Lord Bharata approached His brother and fell at His feet in deep ecstatic love.

After offering the wooden shoes before Lord Ramacandra, Lord Bharata stood before Him with folded hands. Then Ramacandra embraced Bharata for a long time, all the while bathing Him with tears of joy. Finally, Bharata fervently requested His elder brother to accept the throne, and Ramacandra agreed.

Lord Ramacandra began His reign as emperor by sending His brothers out to conquer the world and establish His authority. Meanwhile, He personally supervised the affairs of His kingdom for the benefit of all the citizens. In fact, He cared for the citizens exactly like a father. He saw to it that everyone observed religious principles, and as a result everyone was completely happy. During the reign of Lord Ramacandra, the bountiful earth freely supplied the necessities of life for all living beings, and all physical and mental suffering disease, old age, bereavement, lamentation, distress, fear, fatigue were completely absent. For those who did not want it, there was even no death.

Lord Ramacandra vowed to accept only one wife and to have no connection with any other woman. He was arajarsi (saintly king) and everything in His character was perfect. Thus He taught the general public by His personal example. Especially exemplary was His behavior towards the brahmanas, the spiritual teachers of society, who in Vedic times held a higher social position than even the ruling kings and princes. Thinking that thebrahmanas’ unselfishness entitled them to possess the entire world, Lord Ramacandra gave them all the land and wealth in His kingdom east, west, north, and south. Upon receiving the gift, the brahmanaswere very pleased and spoke to the Lord with great affection: “O Lord, You are the master of the entire universe. What have You not given us? You have entered the core of our hearts and dissipated the darkness of our ignorance by Your effulgence. This is the supreme gift. We do not need anything else.” So the brahmanas remained satisfied with only the bare necessities of life and returned all the land to Lord Ramacandra for Him to rule, with their blessings.

To ascertain what the citizens of Ayodhya thought of Him, Lord Ramacandra would sometimes walk among them incognito. One night while He was walking about in disguise, He happened to hear a foolish man of heinous character criticize Mother Sita. To his own unchaste wife the man said, “You go to another man’s house, and therefore you are unchaste and polluted. I shall not maintain you anymore. A henpecked husband like Lord Rama may accept a wife like Sita, who went to another man’s house; but I am not henpecked like Him, and therefore I shall not accept you again.” Although such talk was sheer nonsense, Lord Ramacandra nonetheless feared that it might ruin His reputation as a religious ruler. Thus He parted from His wife, who was then with child, and she retired to the hermitage of Valmiki Muni. After giving birth to two sons, Sita absorbed herself in meditation upon the lotus feet of Lord Ramacandra and then entered into the earth, unable to bear the separation from her beloved husband.

Upon hearing of Sita’s fate, Lord Ramacandra was apparently overcome with grief. (Actually, the Lord can never be disturbed by any mundane emotion. In reality He felt the intense spiritual bliss of separation from the beloved, which can be experienced only on the highest transcendental platform.) Thereafter, Lord Ramacandra observed complete celibacy and performed an uninterrupted fire sacrifice for thirteen thousand years. After completing the sacrifice, He returned to His eternal abode in Vaikuntha, the spiritual sky though He remains in the hearts of those who always think of Him. All the citizens of Ayodhya accompanied Lord Ramacandra to His planet, where He reigns eternally with Mother Sita (the Goddess of Fortune), His brother Laksmana, and His faithful monkey servant Hanuman.

Epilogue

Whereas in an age long ago Krsna descended in the form of Ramacandra, in the present age He has descended in the form of His holy names: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. When we chant these transcendental names according to the directions of the bona fide spiritual master, Rama and Krsna are still present in this age. This is because the names of Krsna and Rama are absolute and thus non-different from Krsna and Rama Themselves. So the holy name of Rama has the same power as Rama Himself to defeat the modern Ravanas. As His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada says, “The kingdom of Rama was immensely popular and beneficial, and the spreading of this Hare Krsna movement can immediately introduce a similar situation, even in this Kali-yuga [Age of Quarrel and Hypocrisy].”

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=85322

(These prayers are from the 47th chapter of the Harivamsa Purana which narrates the story of Lord Ramacandra’s visit to the holy place of Ahobalam to see the Deity of Nrisimha, where Lord Nrisimha appeared and saved His devotee Prahlada.)

ahobalam narasimham gatva ramah pratapavan

namaskutya sri nrisimham astaushit kamala patim

The glorious Rama once visited Ahobala where He saw the Deity of Lord Nrisimha. He
offered His obeisances to Lord Kamalapati (husband of the Goddess of Fortune) and
prayed as follows.

1. Govinda keshava janardana vasudeva

vishvesha-vishva madhusudana vishvarupa

shri padmanabha purushottama pushkaraksha

narayanachyuta nrisimho namo namaste

O Govinda, Keshava, Janardana, Vasudeva, Vishvesha (the controller of the universe),
Vishva, Madhusudana, Vishvarupa, Sri Padmanabha, Purushottama, Pushkaraksha,
Narayana, Achyuta. O Lord Narasimha I offer my respectful obeisances unto You again
and again.

2. Devah samastah khalu gopi mukhyaha

gandharva vidyadhara kinnarash cha

yat pada-mulam satatam namanti

tam narasimham sharanam gato shmi

I have taken shelter of Lord Nrisimha unto whose lotus feet demigods, prominent
yogis, gandharvas, vidyadharas and kinnaras are constantly offering their
obeisances.

3. Vedan samastan khalu shastragarbhan

vidyam balam kirtimatim cha lakshmim

yasya prasadat purusha labhante

tam narasimham sharanam gato shmi

I have taken shelter of Lord Nrisimha by whose mercy people receive all the Vedas,
the essence of all scriptures, knowledge, strength, reputation and wealth.

4. Brahma shivas tvam purushottamash cha

narayano ?€?shau marutam patish cha

chandrarka vayvagni marud-ganash cha

tvam eva tam tvam shatatam nato?€?shmi

You are Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva and the best person Lord Narayana. You are the
master of the Marutas and You are the sun, the moon, air and the fire as well as the
Marut-ganas. I offer my obeisances unto You.

5. Snapne?€?pi nitya jagatam ashesam

srashta cha hanta vibhura prabheyaha

trata tvam eka strividho vibinnaha

tam tvam nrisimham satatam nato?€?smi

I offer my obeisances unto Lord Nrisimha who is the creator, the maintainer and the
destroyer of the entire universe. Although You perform all of these three acts
simultaneously, You are completely beyond these activities. You are the
all-pervading, unlimited supreme spirit.

Iti stutva raghushreshthaha

pujayamasa tam harim

pushpa vrishtih papatashu

tasya devasya murdhani

Praying this way, the best of the Raghus, Lord Ramacandra worshipped Lord Hari. At
that time the demigods showered a rain of flowers on the head of Lord Nrisimhadeva.

Raghavena kutam stotram

panchamrita manuktamam

pathanti ye dvijavaraha

tesham svargastu shashvataha

This is the best of prayers, called pancamrita or five nectars compiled by Lord Rama
Himself. One who reads this will be liberated eternally.

Power of Bad Association: It was a known fact in Ayodhya that Kaikeyi loved Lord Rama more than his own son Bharath, then how could she become so evil. It is by her bad association with Mantara.

Attachment to service & not to the position: Lord Ram was willing to become the king as a service to Maharaj Dasarath and He was also willing to go to the forest as a service to His father.

Mission of Life should be to vanquish the demoniac tendencies in our heart: Lord Ram’s purpose to kill the demons was fulfilled by His banishment to the forest.

Even extreme reversals if taken in the proper spirit will help us fulfill our mission in life: For example, Law of gravity is only in effect in the Earth’s sphere and not beyond. So also Laws of material nature act only in material consciousness not in spiritual consciousness.

Ram or Aaram, A test for every seeker: Citizens of Ayodhya wanted to go with Lord Ram to forest and leave behind all the comforts (Aaram) of the City Ayodhya.

Alertness in Spiritual Life: Lord Ram leaves Ayodhyavasis when they were asleep. If one is inattentive or lazy, one will loose taste in Bhakti.

(Sometimes) Saintly persons might cause pain to others not to hurt them but benefit them: Bharat disowns Kaikeyi, or Prahlad disregards Hiranyakashipu, a Doctor may cause pain (operation) to patient to cure him.Goal is to please the Lord: For Bharat, he wanted to stay in the forest which was easier than to return and rule the Kingdom but he did it to please Lord Ram.

Lord is the Proprietor: Bhoktaram Yajna tapasam (Bhagavad Gita 5.29). Bharat was ruling the kingdom on Lord Ram’s behalf by keeping the Paduka’s on the Throne. We are only caretakers, He is the real proprietor, He can give and take away. The Caretaker acts according to the will of the owner.

Anybody can make a show of greatness: The reversals test us who we are. When Lakshmana cuts Surpanaka’s nose, gone was the charming form, gone was the facade and then the real ugly form manifested. One’s greatness is tested by one’s ability to tolerate provoking situations.

Bhakti (Sita) cannot be achieved by Deception: Ravana wanted to kidnap Sitadevi by deception, but he gets Maya-Sita at the end. Greed and lust are never satiated, they lead to arrogance and envy.Attachments can creates traps and make us suffer: Marichi takes up a golden dear form to which Sitadevi developed deep attachment to have it and thus trapped Sitadevi. We should see the substance through the eyes of the scripture. Marichi was all about false promises. For example, spider web is most attractive to the fly but actually it’s a trap.

Maya knows our weaknesses: She can make our strength into weaknesses and take us away from the circle of instructions of great souls. Ravana uses Sitadevi’s jnana attitude to serve great souls to disobey Lakshmana.

Always stand by the Right: Jatayu’s integrity. Real success is to please the Lord. Jatayu lost his life fighting for Lord Ram but achieved the purpose of Life to please the Lord. It is better to lose & win than to win & lose.

Patience, Determination & Enthusiasm: Example of Shabari. Long time ago, Guru had asked her to wait for Lord Ram while all other disciples and Guru himself went back to Godhead. She showed her enthusiasm by working hard everyday to clean the place, plucking flowers & fruits for the Lord. She had complete faith in the words of Guru and patiently waited with determination.

The Lord reveals only when He wants.Honesty, We can’t put a facade before the Lord: Hanumanji disguises when he went to meet Lord Ram. Lord knows within who we are, we have to be honest to receive the mercy of the Lord. Lord Ram didn’t speak to Hanuman for four months.

Obstacles on the path of Bhakti: The demons who came to stop Hanuman during his jumping across the ocean. Mainaka (Gold Mountain) – temptation to seek comfort before achieving our real purpose. Simhika (Shadow catching demoness) – While striving for Bhakti, people will chastise, criticize and misunderstand us, we should have the willingness to tolerate. Surasa (Serpent): Being envious of people in higher position and try to stop their progress. This is jealousy of the mind. By devotional service, we have to devour Simhika who represents Envy.

Arrogance cannot understand wellwishers: The world is a mirror of our own consciousness. Ravana was thinking Mandodari was envious of Sita, but actually he was envious of Lord Ram. Ravana was thinking Vibhisana was disloyal and taking the side of Lord Ram, but he was disloyal to Kubera, his cousin brother. When we think we know, we are not willing to listen to good counsel. Spiritual progress means simplicity and humility. If they are lacking, we won’t listen thinking that we know better, that was Ravana.

Big or Small, we can swim the ocean of Samsara by chanting Lord Ram’s holy name: Big or Small, all the stones floated by writing Lord Ram’s name.Pride or Attachment leads to loss of intelligence: dhyayato visayan pumsah (Bhagavad Gita 2.62). Every stage of this sloka was exhibited by Ravana. Loss of intelligence – Even when all his stalwart warriors including Kumbakarna, Indrajit died but he still didn’t give up.

Hearing about the Lord – Revival of dormant love: Lord Ram being Paramatma in the heart of everyone including Ravana could have killed him just by turning off Ravana’s heart. But the Lord and His pleasure potency Sitadevi went through this whole ordeal so that we can hear about the Lord and revive our dormant love.

Righteousness: Vibhishana comes to take shelter of Lord Ram, all the monkeys were against, except Hanumanji. Vibhishana was willing to be misunderstood or even chastised to surrender to the Lord.

Counsel and Advise in battle against Illusion: In battle against Illusion, at every stage association of devotees to put us straight without which we will fall. Lord Ram doesn’t need but takes the counsel of Vibhishana.

Grace of a Sadhu needed to kill demons within: Agastya muni had given a divine arrow to Lord Ram. That arrow was used by Lord Ram to kill Ravan by piercing his heart.

Welcoming the Lord in hearts with lamps: That is Dipavali festival. Lord Ram is welcomed back into Ayodhya with lamps. Dipavali is not just physical fire but lighting the hearts with light of Lord’s grace and process of devotional service. When heart is fully illuminated, then we can experience Lord Ram within ourself. When our love awakens, in that love, compassion for all living beings awakens. Then Ramrajya is awakened within the heart and then without (i.e. out in the world). Jai Shree Ram!!

Extracted from a talk given by HH Radhanath Swami.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=44782

Festival days such as Rama-navami are a prime opportunity for spiritual advancement and purification. Srila Prabhupada stated in a Rama-navami lecture in Hawaii on the 27th March, 1969: 

“There is no difference between His form, His name, His pastimes, and Himself. He’s absolute. Therefore either you chant the holy name of Rama or you see the statue of Rama or you talk of His pastimes, transcendental pastimes, everything, that means you are associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So we take advantage of these days when the incarnation of God appears or disappears, and we try to associate with Him. By His association we become purified. Our process is purification. Krishna consciousness means simply we are purifying our consciousness.”

Thus by associating with Lord Rama on His appearance day through hearing and speaking about His pastimes, chanting His holy name, and seeing His Deity form, Vaishnavas can become purified and further develop their love for the Lord. 

When the Lord appears as Krishna, He descends in His original form as the enjoyer, and through His sweet pastimes captures the hearts of His devotees. However, many of Lord Krishna’s pastimes are confusing for ordinary persons because He acts in ways that ordinary persons should not. 

Lord Ramachandra appears in a different mood; in this incarnation, the Lord’s activities are such that ordinary and materialistic persons cannot find fault with Him. Rama sets an example of the perfect king, husband, son, friend, and master. 

 

Source: https://ramaiswami.com/lord-ramachandra-appearance/
  

By Shyamasundara Dasa ACBSP

The name of King Kulasekhara Alvar is well known to the followers of Srila Prabhupada. His Divine Grace used to relish with great ecstasy the Mukunda Mala Stotra written by this great saintly king. This stotra is commonly known in ISKCON as the Prayers of King Kulasekhara.

Though his name is well known, for most devotees, very little is known about Maharaja Kulasekhara. We shall now try to remedy this lacuna by presenting a concise synopsis of his life.

But before we start we must briefly answer the question– Who are the Alvars?

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.38-40 states:

“My dear King, the inhabitants of Satya-yuga and other ages eagerly desire to take birth in this age of Kali, since in this age there will be many devotees of the Supreme Lord, Narayana. These devotees will appear in various places but will be especially numerous in South India. O master of men, in the age of Kali those persons who drink the waters of the holy rivers of Dravida-desa, such as the Tamraparni, Krtamala, Payasvini, the extremely pious Kaveri and the Pratici Mahanadi, will almost all be pure hearted devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva.”

The Alvars are 12 especially great devotees who appeared in South India. They are not ordinary jivas but are incarnations of the parshadas (paraphernalia) of Lord Sri Krsna. The Tamil word Alvar has the meaning “Drowned in God-love” or “Sunk deep in divine ecstasy.”[i] The Alvars all composed devotional songs, in praise of Lord Krsna and His Avataras. The vast majority of these compositions are in the Tamil language. They embody the highest philosophical knowledge of the science of God in all its nuances (namely sambhanda, abhideya, and prayojana) and are considered by the followers of the Sri Sampradaya (one of the four Vaisnava Sampradayas) to be as good as the Veda. This Tamil Veda of 4000 compositions is known as the Divya-prabandha. Thus, the acaryas of the Sri Sampradaya such as Natha-muni, Yamunacarya, Ramanujacarya, Vedantadesika, and Viraraghavacarya learnt not only the four Sanskrit Vedas but also the Tamil Veda–the Divya-prabandha. These 12 Alvars are thus of tremendous importance in the Sri Sampradaya.

The 12 Alvars and who they are incarnations of and other birth details are as follows:

Tamil Name Sanskrit Name Incarnation Date of birth

Poygai Saro-yogi Pancajanya(conch) 4202 BC

Pudatt Bhuta-yogi Kaumodaki(club) ”

Peya Bhrantha-yogi Nandaka (sword) ”

Tiru-Mazhisaippiran Bhakti-sara Sudarsan ”

Madhurakavigal Madhurakavi Kumuda-Ganesha[ii] 3103 BC

Nammalvar Parankusa Visvaksena 3102 BC [iii]

Kulasekara Kulasekara Kaustabha-mani 3075 BC

Peri-y-alvar Visnu-chitta Garuda 3056 BC

Andal Goda-devi Bhu-devi 3005 BC

Tondaradipodi Bhaktanghri-renu Vaijayanti-mala 2814 BC

Tiruppani Munivahana Srivatsa mark 2760 BC

Tirumangai Parakala Sarnga (bow) 2706 BC

We note that according to the traditions of the Sri-Vaisnavas the Alvars appeared between 6200-4700 years ago, but modern scholars claim that they appeared around the 7th-9th century AD, about 1300-1100 years ago. We accept the Sri-Vaisnava tradition. After all, these same politically motivated scholars also claim that the Aryans “invaded” India in 1200 BC (1900 years after the events of the Mahabharata took place). That the tradition of Kali-yuga starting in 3102 BC is a myth, and thus the events of the Mahabharata and Ramayana which took place prior to this time are also myths. Thus, Lord Krsna and Lord Rama are also myths if we are to accept the mundane scholars. In general, the mundane scholars view the Vedic tradition as mythical and constantly try to shorten the Vedic time-line. We categorically reject the opinions of these Indologists.

With that very brief introduction into the Alvars let us continue with the description of the life of Kulasekhara Alvar.

Maharaja Kulasekhara was born into the royal family of the kingdom of Travancore (southern half of modern Kerala province in South West India). The rulers of the land did not own the kingdom, they were but vassals and ministers to the Lord, Who was the actual owner. The worshipable Deity of the King and people of Travancore was, and still is, Ananta-Padmanabha Swami[iv] (situated in modern Tiruvanantapuram near the Southern tip of India). The Kings of Travancore would come before the Lord at least twice per day and make obeisances to Sri Ananta-Padmanabha Swami. The King would then make his reports to the Lord of his daily administration of the country, of which he was but the trustee. (This tradition of the Maharaja of Travancore visiting Lord Ananta-Padmanabha Swami goes on to the present day even though the King has no real political power in the modern Republic of India.) Such was the pious and saintly quality of the ancient line of Vedic kings among whom Maharaja Kulasekhara appeared.

The father of Kulasekhara Alvar, Dridha-vrata Maharaja, is said to have been childless, a very serious condition for a monarch. He intensely prayed and worshipped the Lord. After sometime Lord Narayana was pleased and benedicted him to have a saintly son. Shortly there-after in the 27th year of the age of Kali, that is 3075 BC, in the cyclic year of the Brhaspati Samvatsara[v] called Prabhava, in the Tamil month of Masi (equivalent to the Solar Month[vi] of Kumbha when the Sun is in the sign of Aquarius–presently from about Feb 13-March 15.), when the Moon was in the Punarvasu naksatra[vii] (the same as Sri Rama, this has great meaning as the Saint’s life will show), in the city of Tiruvanjikkalam, of the Kolli Land (Kerala), and in the Chera Dynasty, appeared the child Kulasekhara, a spiritual spark of the Kaustuba Gem (Kaustuba-atma) which Lord Sri Krsna wears as a pendant on His neck[viii].

Prince Kulasekhara was educated in all the arts of war and government, as well as all other traditional learning from the four Vedas and Shadvedangas[ix], etc. Thus the child was trained to occupy the high station of King of the Sera dynasty. When his son came of age, Dridha-vrata installed Kulasekhara as the King and then the father retired to the forest to pursue undisturbed spiritual life as is recommended in the sastras for saintly kings.

Kulasekhara was a ksatriya of great prowess and became King not only of the Sera land but also of the neighboring lands of the Pandyas and Cholas. His internal administration was flawless and characterized by virtue, justice, peace and happiness; the weak feeling strong and the strong weak. Under his keen eye (enhanced by an elaborate espionage network) and watchful care he nourished the people and was the personification of magnanimity.

However, while it appeared that the King possessed so many good material qualities in abundance he, unfortunately, was in fact spiritually blind. King Kulasekhara, like every other man of the world, considered himself to be a self-governed, independent being, that is, not dependent or governed by God. Though a plenary portion of the holy Kaustuba-mani, King Kulasekhara played the part of worldly king given over to his senses.

Though completely worldly minded and caught up in the illusion of kingship, Lord Krsna had another plan for His servant Kulasekhara. By the causeless mercy of Lord Krsna, King Kulasekhara began to feel himself gradually transformed in his consciousness as rajas (passion) and tamas (ignorance) gave way completely to sattva (goodness). As a consequence of the predominance of sattva, spiritual perceptions dawned. He began to estimate the world and its concerns at its true value. He began to recognize that it was at best vanity and vexation of spirit. Added to these philosophical ruminations on the ephemeral nature of the world and it pleasures and sufferings the King was blessed with visions of the true nature of the Lord. These blessings made him a reformed and regenerated man. It is recorded in the Sri Vaisnava tradition that the Lord sent His Commander-in-Chief, Visvaksena, to Kulasekhara Alvar to administer on him personally the Panca-Samskara [the five-fold sacrament that constitutes Vaisnava initiation: wearing of urdvapundra (Vaisnava Tilak), dasyanama (spiritual name), mudra dharana (branding with symbols of Visnu–Sankha-Cakra), mantra (chanting of a specific Vaisnava mantra), and yaga (the process of sacrifice and the deity to be worshiped by the disciple)] as well as initiate him into the mysteries of Vaisnavism.[x]

Being so blessed by the causeless mercy of the Lord, Kulasekhara would often go into ecstasies and have spiritual visions and deep realizations which he would record in the form of devotional songs. These songs became part of the divya-prabandha. He now saw everything with purified spiritual vision and developed a very strong sense of detachment. He also desired to travel to Srirangam and have darshan of Lord Ranga-natha Who lies on Ananta-sesa-naga and associate with the Lord’s Bhaktas. He would daily condemn his responsible worldly position as King and languish in spiritual misery crying ever hankering to go to the Holy Tirtha of Srirangam where he would settle down forever. Sometimes he would sigh, hankering to visit the Holy Shrine of Tirumalai and have darshan of Sri Venkatesvara Svami. He would sometimes sigh to go to another Tirtha, and another, and yet another, and at each place would settle down forever. Such was his state of mind, a sort of divine love-sickness had set in.

Since he felt as tightly shackled to the throne as a man strangled on the gallows, he could find no happiness in his royal splendor and wealth. To alleviate his suffering and spiritual thirst he invited learned brahmana pandits, wise men and sages to his capital. With them he scrutinizingly studied all the Vedas, Vedanta, 18 Puranas and 18 Upa-puranas, Itihasas (Mahabharata and Ramayana), and all the Dharma Sastras. Indeed, he and his sagacious companions navigated their way happily through the vast ocean of Vedic literature. And while doing so Kulasekhara plucked out the best pearls of wisdom and strung them into a garland (mala) of poems called the Mukundamala, which is extant to this day. Srila Prabhupada was especially fond of this poem and would often sing one verse in particular:

krsna tvadiya-pada-pankaja-panjarantam

adyaiva me visatu manasa-raja-hamsah

prana-prayana-samaye kapha-vata-pittaih

kanthavarodhana-vidhau smaranam kutas te

“O Lord Krsna, at this moment let the royal swan of my mind enter the tangled stems of the lotus of Your feet. How will it be possible for me to remember You at the time of death, when my throat will be choked up with mucus bile and air?”

From all the sastras Kulasekhara Alvar chose the Valmiki-Ramayana for his daily recital, for it is said that:

“When the object of the Vedas appeared as the son of Dasaraha, the Veda by Valmiki’s inspiration appeared as the Ramayana.”[xi]

Sri Rama was to Kulasekhara Alvar not some legend or mythological allegory, but rather none other than God incarnate on this earth, as the Savior of souls–the very Lord of Whom the scriptures spoke. Kulasekhara was so entranced in spiritual consciousness that he lived and breathed the pastimes of Sri Rama and felt them to be ever fresh and palpably present, as will be shortly seen.

The King’s guru would daily recite to him from the Ramayana. Once in the course of the daily recital, to which he was transfixed with devout attention, there came the following passage:

“There twice seven thousand giants stand

With impious heart and cruel hand:

Here Rama stands, by virtue known:

How can the hero fight alone?”

On hearing the line “How can the hero fight alone?” our Saintly-King’s love and devotion for his Rama exploded in a frenzy. He immediately rose and commanded his army to march with him where Rama was fighting alone and helpless (or so he thought, having been spiritually transported). In an agitated voice he cried:

“My Rama is fighting alone on the battle-field. Brother Laksmana is left to guard my mother Sita. Rama single-handedly goes to face the army of 14,000 demons. My Rama is in peril. Should it go contrary with Him, what dreadful consequences! With our swords and bows well armed, how can He be in need of heroes to aid Him? Shall not I, His Bhakta, go and guard His side, even though He has His fiery Cakra and pealing Conch? Quick, O valiant soldiers, march!”

“What, has our Sovereign gone mad?” anxiously thought Kulasekhara’s men and ministers. “O Fates, how to calm him! How to bring him to his senses! Oh Gods! How to rescue him from his impossible, quixotic crusades, and infuriated course!” They inquired among themselves in great trepidation, and then they hit upon a device–They would secretly send a party in advance of the King, with the instruction to return and meet the King and his army from the opposite side while he was on his way. They should pretend that they were people coming from the battle-field where Rama fought, and deliver to the King the news that Rama had won the battle singlehanded, slaying all the vile army of 14,000 Rakshasas; and returned safe to Sita, and that:

“When Sita looked upon her Lord,

His foemen slain, the saints restored,

In pride and rapture uncontrolled

She clasped Him in her loving hold.”

Ramayana 3.30.39

The secret party accordingly sped in advance unknown, of course, to the spiritually enthralled King, and wheeling round at some distance, met the King marching on at an angry pace, and broke to him the good news of Sri Rama’s glorious victory and happy meeting with His darling Consort. At hearing this the King’s joy was inexpressible. Of course, in his then mood of spiritual delirium, he believed their tale, and returned home with them.

The daily recital of Ramayana to the King went on as usual; and every important event which was read, was celebrated with great ceremony, pomp and rejoicings, and taking the murti of Sri Rama (enshrined in his palace temple-room and elaborately worshipped daily) in procession through the streets of the city with great eclat; ending with sumptuous feasting of Sri Vaisnava brahmanas and spiritual aristocracy and with distribution of charity, etc. Knowing the peculiar temperament of the King, and his keen spiritual susceptibilities, which carried him to the bhava-stage of ecstatic love of God, the reader (King’s guru) of the Ramayana exercised caution. For he enlarged on those events of the life of Rama where Rama was happy; and only slightly touched, or slipped over such passages as treated of distress, fearing lest the King get excited and fired beyond the bounds of ordinary reason.

One day however, the Guru was obliged to be absent, as other business called him elsewhere. He deputed his son to do the recital for him. The son was unaware of the King’s sublime spiritual fervor; and so he read and expatiated on all the passages of the Ramayana alike. And the incident of Sita’s abduction by the vile Ravana came to be read. Instantly, it lit fire to the King’s imagination, his wrath roused, and his enthusiasm burst forth:

“Immediately I must march across the ocean,” he shouted, “reduce Lanka to ashes; slay its ruler, Ravana, with all his friends and kinsmen; rescue my weeping mother Sita; and join Her with my father Sri Rama.”

As he raved in spiritual rapture, he rose, armed himself, bid his army march, and sallying forth to the sea-shore, looking towards Lanka, plunged into the water without a thought of the dire consequences which must follow from such apparently rash and reasonless acts. The ministers and others were overcome with anxiety and dread, and with great wonder in a stunned manner they anxiously watched the King’s movements. They were so dazed and confused that they were unable to even think how to advise him against his head-strong impulses, nor dare to move to prevent him from acting on those impulses. Since they could not think of anything to say or do at this critical juncture, they simply stared. As they stared, the King had already plunged into the sea, and was neck-deep in water, resolved to swim the vast stretch of ocean beyond, to reach the shores of Lanka.

All the while the deity of Sri Rama, installed in King Kulashekara’s home shrine, was watching the whole course of events. Now, that matters had assumed a critical aspect, there was no alternative, He must now appear Himself. Thus, Lord Sri Rama thought, and as the King was about to swim forward in the delirium of his spiritual ecstasy, he saw before him the enchanting sight of Sri Rama approaching him, with His dear consort Sita clinging to His mighty arm. Addressing His devout servant Kulashekara, Sri Rama spoke:

“Oh my faithful servant, listen! We are returning victorious from the battlefield. Our enemies have all perished. Our illustrious consort We have rescued. Your venture for our aid has been precluded, and your wish has been fulfilled. Let us all return to the city. Let me lift and carry you to the shore, just as souls are lifted and carried by us from the ocean of Samsara, to the shores of Viakuntha beyond.”

Thus saying, Sri Rama caught hold of His royal-servant, brought him safe to the shore, and accompanying him as far as the city vanished out of sight.

The poor ministers, who were responsible for advising the king, were deeply troubled and full of anxiety as to how they could fulfill their duty of helping the King to manage the affairs of the state nicely. They thought:

“Our king is God-sick; what is the cure for this divine malady? Let us diagnose. Ah, we find the cause now. It is the association with the Godly and the Saintly–the Sri Vaisnavas–that has brought the king to this mad state. Let us wean him from such association.”

The king who, previously, was daily sighing and pining to go to Srirangam and live there for ever, was now in earnest. He ordered preparations to be made for retiring and leaving his kingdom and join the Kingdom of God.

The ministers thought: “Once the King is there, he will never return. The association with the Godly there is even worse than it is here. Irresistible associations abound there, let us devise a plan to foil the King’s designs. He is so attached to Godly men–the Sri Vaisnavas–that he looks upon them as God’s own; and being so, worthy of first worship, or worthy of worship even before God Himself.”

With these thoughts the ministers hatched the following plan. Whenever the king let it be known that he was about to leave for Sriranga tirtha, the ministers had a group of Sri Vaisnavas come to the city hailing that they had come from one Holy Shrine or another. The king would thus postpone his journey on their account.

In the course of time, the ministers found that their plan proved to be a case of “out of the frying pan into the fire,” for now the King’s court, his palace, his private apartments as well as all the public places were saturated with Sri Vaisnavas, and it was the ministers themselves who had brought this about. The King allowed the devotees free access and familiarity; he literally venerated and adored them according to the Sastric injunction that “a Vaishnava even once worshipped carried as much reward as worshipping the Lord for 60,000 years.”[xii]

The materialistically minded ministers found the saintly devotees to be a nuisance and were in a quandary about what to do. If they tried to wean the King from going to Srirangam, they had to suffer bringing the Godly devotees to the kingdom–but their numbers were becoming unmanageable; and if they tried to eradicate the root of the King’s divine ailment–the association of Viasnavas–the King would simply renounce his kingdom and depart.

While brooding over this problem they struck upon what appeared to be a superb plan. “Supposing we could by some means calumniate these vile people in the King’s eye. Then he would certainly awake from his delusion of believing that these are godly men. If those whom the King thinks to be godly were truly proven to be ungodly then there is a good chance of reclaiming the King from his odd ways.” With these thoughts they contrived the following plan: The ministers would secretly arrange for the theft of a valuable necklace used to decorate the King’s personal beloved deity of Sri Rama. It would be missed and reported to the King. He would hold an inquiry. And who would be the felons? Surely those seemingly Godly folk, who are warders and guarders of the jewelry, the pujaris who daily worship the deity on the King’s behalf and are therefore constantly using the jewelry.

In accordance with their plan the necklace was stolen and a report was made to the King that the Sri Vaisnavas who had management of the deity department were culpable and were to be subject to trial and punishment. The King heard it all but at last loudly exclaimed:

“Listen! Oh you ministers, lovers of God are incapable of stealing. It is impossible that even the notion of vice enter into their thought, what to speak of the act. Behold! I can swear to what I say. To prove this truth of my conviction and prove the falsity of your accusations against these innocent devotees, let a vessel, with a live venomous cobra imprisoned in it be brought to me. I shall thrust my hand into it.” The command was immediately obeyed. Then before the assembled court the King said: “If these bhaktas are straight in thought, word and deed, I cannot be bit by this cobra; but if they are crooked, let it bite and kill me.” So saying he thrust his hand into the vessel of death, but withdrew it unharmed.

The ministers were put to shame. They hung their heads. It was useless, they thought, to dodge and trifle with the King, who was too much for them. They fell at his feet, confessed their trick, brought the necklace and placed it before him in fear and respect. Maharaja Kulashekara pardoned them just as Rama had pardoned the vile Kakasura, the crow who had attacked Sita–for the King was Rama’s disciple–and bid them that from hence forward they be the servants of the Sri Vaisnavas.

“No more will I dwell with these vile and scheming ministers”, the King thought to himself, “I am disgusted with them. Why only them? I am weary of the whole world. I would prefer to leap into fire than keep company with brutes who are turned away from God.” Thus determined, the saintly King Kuleshekara decided from that moment to give up his kingdom. He installed his son Dridhavrata (named after his grand father) onto the throne. Then accompanied by his daughter–who, it is recorded, was a divine amsa of Nila-devi[xiii]–went to his heart’s eternal hunger, the shrine of Srirangam. On arriving there he gave his daughter in marriage to Lord Ranganatha Himself and remained there for many years engaged in the service of the Lord and His devotees. He would, at intervals, undertake pilgrimages to other divya-deshas such as Tirupati, Ayodhya, and Chitrakutam, etc.

In his spiritual rapture he would spontaneously compose songs that come down to us in the Tamil language as the Divya Prabandha called Perumal Tirumozhi, a work containing 103 (105?) compositions. Perumal is a title with which our Saint is distinguished, in particular recognition of his unique disposition of heart–feeling sorrow when Sri Rama was in sorrow, and happiness when Sri Rama was happy. King Kulashekara sang (Perumal Tirumozhi, 10.7):

What makes me king is not the crown

which men set on my head;

But king, when King of kings doth make

His lotus-feet my crown.

In his last days King Kulashekara went to the shrine of Nammalvar at Tirunagari near present day Tinevelli. From there he went to the holy place called Brahmadesa Mannar-Koil and remained there for some time doing services to the presiding Deity, Raja-gopala-swami. There at the age of 67 he returned to the spiritual world.

Your humble servant
Shyamasundara Dasa
www.ShyamasundaraDasa.com

krsne matirastu

southindiacities.png

Reference:

Govindacharya, Alkondavilli, 1982 (reprint), The Holy Lives of the Azhvars or Dravida Saints, Bombay: Anantacharya Indological Research Institute.

[i] Govindacharya, p. 71

[ii] An attendant of Visvaksena. Madhurakavi was the disciple of Nammalvar and was in a similar relationship in the spiritual world.

[iii] The beginning of Kali yuga.

[iv] This deity was visited by Lord Caitanya in His tour of South India, this is described in C.C. Madya-lila 9.241-242.

[v] An approximately, sixty year cycle of time governed by the movement of Brhaspati–Jupiter five times around the zodiac.

[vi] Kerala and Tamil Nadu follow Surya Masa—Solar Months—based on the transit of the Sun through the signs of the zodiac. But they still employ lunar calendar in other respects.

[vii] Naksatra or Lunar Mansion is a division of the ecliptic (path of the Sun) into 27 parts and corresponds to region traversed by the Moon in one day, just a Sign of the zodiac corresponds to the region traversed by the Sun in one month.

[viii] Divya-Suri-Carita 5.6.

[ix] Six (shad) limbs (anga) of the Vedas. They are shiksha (pronunciation of Vedic phonemes), Chandas (prosody), Nirukta (etymology), Vykarana (grammar), Kalpana (rules for rituals and life style), and Jyotisa (astronomy/astrology).

[x] Govindacharya, pp. 120-121.

[xi] Govindacharya, p. 124.

[xii] Govindacharya, p. 130.

[xiii] Nila-devi, along with Sri-devi and Bhu-devi are the divine consorts of Lord Narayana. These Saktis of the Lord are also known as Samvit, Sandhini, and Hladini. 

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=9473

We read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Two, Chapter Seven: “Scheduled Incarnations.”

TEXT 23

asmat-prasada-sumukhah kalaya kalesa
  iksvaku-vamsa avatirya guror nidese
tisthan vanam sa-dayitanuja avivesa
  yasmin virudhya dasa-kandhara artim arcchat

TRANSLATION

Due to His causeless mercy upon all living entities within the universe, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, along with His plenary extensions, appeared in the family of Maharaja Iksvaku as the Lord of His internal potency, Sita. Under the order of His father, Maharaja Dasaratha, He entered the forest and lived there for considerable years with His wife and younger brother. Ravana, who was very materially powerful, with ten heads on his shoulders, committed a great offense against Him and was thus ultimately vanquished.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Lord Rama is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and His brothers, namely Bharata, Laksmana, and Satrughna, are His plenary expansions. All four brothers are visnu-tattva and were never ordinary human beings. There are many unscrupulous and ignorant commentators on Ramayana who present the younger brothers of Lord Ramacandra as ordinary living entities. But here in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the most authentic scripture on the science of Godhead, it is clearly stated that His brothers were His plenary expansions. Originally Lord Ramacandra is the incarnation of Vasudeva, Laksmana is the incarnation of Sankarsana, Bharata is the incarnation of Pradyumna, and Satrughna is the incarnation of Aniruddha, expansions of the Personality of Godhead. Laksmiji Sita is the internal potency of the Lord and is neither an ordinary woman nor the external potency incarnation of Durga. Durga is the external potency of the Lord, and she is associated with Lord Siva.

As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (4.7), the Lord appears when there are discrepancies in the discharge of factual religion. Lord Ramacandra also appeared under the same circumstances, accompanied by His brothers, who are expansions of the Lord’s internal potency, and by Laksmiji Sitadevi.

Lord Ramacandra was ordered by His father, Maharaja Dasaratha, to leave home for the forest under awkward circumstances, and the Lord, as the ideal son of His father, carried out the order, even on the occasion of His being declared the king of Ayodhya. One of His younger brothers, Laksmanaji, desired to go with Him, and so also His eternal wife, Sitaji, desired to go with Him. The Lord agreed to both of them, and all together they entered the Dandakaranya Forest, to live there for fourteen years. During their stay in the forest, there was some quarrel between Ramacandra and Ravana, and the latter kidnapped the Lord’s wife, Sita. The quarrel ended in the vanquishing of the greatly powerful Ravana, along with all his kingdom and family.

Sita is Laksmiji, or the goddess of fortune, but she is never to be enjoyed by any living being. She is meant for being worshiped by the living being along with her husband, Sri Ramacandra. A materialistic man like Ravana does not understand this great truth, but on the contrary he wants to snatch Sitadevi from the custody of Rama and thus incurs great miseries. The materialists, who are after opulence and material prosperity, may take lessons from the Ramayana that the policy of exploiting the nature of the Lord without acknowledging the supremacy of the Supreme Lord is the policy of Ravana. Ravana was very advanced materially, so much so that he turned his kingdom, Lanka, into pure gold, or full material wealth. But because he did not recognize the supremacy of Lord Ramacandra and defied Him by stealing His wife, Sita, Ravana was killed, and all his opulence and power were destroyed.

Lord Ramacandra is a full incarnation with six opulences in full, and He is therefore mentioned in this verse as kalesah, or master of all opulence.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

Srimad-Bhagavatam is the supreme scripture, or book of knowledge, in the science of God. It explains the Absolute Truth in detail. The Vedanta-sutra says, janmady asya yatah, that the Absolute Truth is that from which everything emanates, and Srimad-Bhagavatam begins with the same words—janmady asya yatah—and proceeds to explain that the Absolute Truth is a person, the Supreme Person, Krishna. Krishna expands Himself into various plenary portions and portions of plenary portions, and the Bhagavatam, after listing so many incarnations of Godhead, says, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam, that all of the abovementioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord but that Lord Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So, Lord Rama is an expansion of Krishna. There are so many expansions of Krishna mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam, but Rama is an expansion of Vasudeva, who is an expansion of Krishna. Laksmana is an expansion of Balarama, who is the first expansion of Krishna. Bharata and Satrughna are also direct expansions in the category of visnu-tattva. They are all God but manifest in different forms. Sri Brahma-samhita gives the example that from one candle you can light a second, from the second you can light a third, from the third you can light a fourth, and so on. All the flames are the same fire, and all have the same strength, but still, there is one original candle, and that is Krishna. Still, Rama, Laksmana, Bharata, and Satrughna are all God. They are all the same as Krishna, but they descend into the world for different pastimes. The verse says, avatirya. Avatara means “one who descends.” They descend from the spiritual world into the material world out of mercy—prasada—for the conditioned souls, to deliver the conditioned souls from the quagmire of material existence.

All of us here, from Lord Brahma to the insignificant ant, have somehow or other fallen into the material world and thus are forced to suffer. We are being attacked at every moment by some sort of misery, big or small, gross or subtle. Certain major sufferings, major miseries, afflict all of us, and they are mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita: janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi—birth, death, old age, and disease. None of us wants these miseries, but they are forced upon us. Once we come into the material world and accept a material body, we are forced to suffer repeated birth, disease, old age, and death—and rebirth.

As explained in the Vedic literature, the purpose of life is to become free from this repetition of birth and death. And the way to become free is to become God conscious, Krishna conscious. In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna says, yam yam vapi smaran bhavam, that in whatever state one leaves one’s physical body, one attains the same state in the next life.

yam yam vapi smaran bhavam
  tyajaty ante kalevaram
tam tam evaiti kaunteya
  sada tad-bhava-bhavitah

“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kunti, that state he will attain without fail.” (Gita 8.6) The Bhagavad-gita further states that if one thinks of Krishna at the time of death, one will go to Krishna—back home, back to Godhead.

anta-kale ca mam eva
  smaran muktva kalevaram
yah prayati sa mad-bhavam
  yati nasty atra samsayah

“And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body remembering Me alone at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.” (Gita 8.5)

The Lord descends into the material world to show us who He is. Everyone speculates about God. They know that God is the oldest, so sometimes they imagine that He must be an old man with a beard and gray hair. They know that God is the ruler of the universe, so they imagine that He must sit on a throne. Therefore God Himself descends into the material world to show us who He is, and He does so in His original form as Krishna as well as in the form of Lord Ramachandra, who has the same, full potency as Krishna. Thus Ramachandra is described here as kalesa; He is full in all opulence. The Lord displays His pastimes to attract the fallen, conditioned souls to Him to engage in His service. The pastimes of Krishna and those of Rama are very attractive.

The history of Lord Rama, summarized in Srimad-Bhagavatam and elaborated on in the Ramayana (in particular, we accept the authoritative version of the Ramayana by Valmiki), has existed for thousands of years, and people still read it, hear it, recite it, and stage dramatic performances of it. It is ever fresh, as the Lord is ever fresh. We never tire of hearing pastimes of the Lord. The ordinary news of the conditioned souls is not so attractive or fresh. Once, when a newspaper reporter from The New York Times came to meet Srila Prabhupada, Prabhupada held up the Bhagavad-gita (it could just as well have been Srimad-Bhagavatam) and said, “Every day your employer prints so many newspapers. Especially on Sunday, the paper is so big that one can hardly carry it. But after reading it an hour, people throw it away. Here is the Bhagavad-gita. People keep it and read it for a lifetime, and in this way it has been read for the past five thousand years.” And the newspaper reporter acknowledged the truth of what Srila Prabhupada had said.

So, these descriptions of the pastimes of the Lord are ever fresh. We relish them year after year. We relish them day after day, moment by moment. The pastimes of Lord Ramachandra and Lord Krishna can be discussed eternally, and to cover even the basic history would take many days and hours, so in the limited time we have today we can’t really discuss them in detail. But I will comment on this one point that is mentioned in the verse, that the great demon Ravana, who was very materially powerful, kidnapped Sita and that in the end he was killed by Lord Ramachandra and his entire dynasty and opulence were destroyed.

Sita is the energy of the Lord. In fact, everything we see is the energy of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna says that He has two energies—the spiritual energy, which includes the living entities, and the material energy, which we experience as earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and ego.

bhumir apo ’nalo vayuh
  kham mano buddhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me
  bhinna prakrtir astadha

“Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego—all together these eight constitute My separated material energies.

apareyam itas tv anyam
  prakrtim viddhi me param
jiva-bhutam maha-baho
  yayedam dharyate jagat

“Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior energy of Mine, which comprises the living entities who are exploiting the resources of this material, inferior nature.” (Gita 7.4–5)

Basically, whatever we see is the energy of the Lord—either the material energy or a combination of the material and spiritual energies. The Lord Himself is fully spiritual (sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah). But until our senses are completely purified and spiritualized, we cannot see Him in His original form. What we can see is the Lord’s energy, which is His property and is meant to be engaged in His service. If you go into someone’s house, whatever is there is meant for the pleasure of the proprietor of the house. Of course, if the proprietor is a devotee, he knows that Krishna is the true proprietor and that therefore everything is meant for His pleasure. But in any case, you can’t take the property for yourself or use it for yourself—at least not without permission.

Sita is the internal potency of the Lord, His pleasure potency, and Ravana made the grave mistake of coveting her, lusting after her, to the extent that he abducted her, which was a great insult to not only her chastity but also the dynasty of Lord Ramachandra.

It is a long story, but ultimately Lord Rama, who on the order of His father was in exile in the forest, gathered together a band of monkeys and bears, and they marched on Lanka armed basically with trees and boulders; they didn’t have any other weapons. Ravana had a massive army with very sophisticated weapons. When Rama and His forces reached the southern tip of India, they had to cross the ocean to reach Lanka. And at that stage Rama glanced over Lanka with red-hot angry eyes, as described in the next verse:

yasma adad udadhir udha-bhayanga-vepo
  margam sapady ari-puram haravad didhaksoh
dure suhrn-mathita-rosa-susona-drstya
  tatapyamana-makaroraga-nakra-cakrah

“The Personality of Godhead Ramacandra, being aggrieved for His distant intimate friend [Sita], glanced over the city of the enemy Ravana with red-hot eyes like those of Hara [who wanted to burn the kingdom of heaven]. The great ocean, trembling in fear, gave Him His way because its family members, the aquatics like the sharks, snakes, and crocodiles, were being burnt by the heat of the angry red-hot eyes of the Lord.” (SB 2.7.24)

There at the ocean a small incident took place that is very instructive in terms of bhakti. After Rama cast His glance, the ocean personified came before the Lord and said, “You may use my water as You like. Indeed, You may cross it and go to the abode of Ravana, who is a great source of disturbance. Please go kill him and regain Your wife, Sita. Please construct a bridge over my waters and spread Your transcendental fame.” So Lord Rama’s soldiers, chanting Rama’s name, started to hurl into the ocean great stones, all of which floated, and thus they constructed a bridge over which Rama and His army could pass.

There at the shore a small squirrel was putting little grains of sand in the ocean, to contribute to the effort, and Hanuman, the mighty servant of Rama, chastised the squirrel, “What are you accomplishing with your little grains of sand? Can’t you see that I am throwing these huge boulders? Get out of my way.” And the squirrel replied, “But I want to serve Lord Rama too.” Lord Rama overheard this exchange and rebuked Hanuman: “This squirrel wants to serve Me, just like you. And he is serving to his capacity, just as you are. So in My eyes you both are the same. And besides, I am the one who is making all the boulders float. Ultimately, I am the one who is doing everything.”

This is a very instructive point. The qualification to engage in devotional service is simply one’s sincere desire. One’s material qualifications don’t matter. The Lord does not require anyone’s service; He just wants to see our mood of devotion. If one has the sincere desire to serve, that’s enough. Whether one is an insignificant ant or spider or squirrel—or a great monkey like Hanuman, or a powerful human being, or Lord Brahma himself—what the Lord sees is the living entity’s sincere desire to serve. That is what He considers—whether we are sincerely serving to our full capacity—however great or small that capacity may be. It is said that the Lord sees not what we give but what we hold back. If a poor man can afford only ten dollars and he gives ten dollars, the Lord will see that he has given to his capacity. And if a rich man can afford ten million but gives ten thousand, the Lord will see, “Oh, he gave Me ten thousand, but he is keeping 9,990,000 for himself.”

The essence of bhakti is the desire to serve the Lord fully, to one’s capacity, and the opposite of bhakti is the desire to exploit the Lord or the Lord’s energy, as exemplified by Ravana. He didn’t want to serve the Lord. He wanted to steal the Lord’s energy, to enjoy the Lord’s property, in opposition to the Lord, in defiance of the Lord, and that is demonic.

Sita, the Lord’s energy, is Laksmi, who is associated with wealth, opulence, good fortune. Generally, conditioned souls, who are materialistic, want Laksmi—they want to engage Laksmi in their service. But Laksmi is meant to be engaged in the service of her husband, the Lord, Narayana. As devotees, we worship the Lord and His energy together as the complete whole—as Radha-Krishna, Sita-Rama, Laksmi-Narayana, Laksmi-Nrsimha—and that satisfies both the Lord and us. But if we, like Ravana, try to enjoy the Lord’s energy independent of the Lord, we will never be satisfied, and in the end we will be vanquished and all that we have will be lost.

The pastimes of the Lord are not mythological stories. They are factual—recorded in authentic books such as the Ramayana and Srimad-Bhagavatam—not imaginary or merely symbolic. Although there are lessons to be learned from the pastimes, the persons and events are real. Rama is real, Sita is real, Laksmana is real, Hanuman is real, Ravana is real, Lanka is real—they are all real. And we can learn from these historical accounts. In ordinary affairs, people say that the only thing we learn from history is that people learn nothing from history—and that may be true in material society, where people don’t learn. But in the association of devotees we can learn and improve. By hearing the pastimes of the Lord, we can learn that the Lord’s energy is meant to be engaged in the Lord’s service. We can learn from the example of Hanuman, who jumped over the ocean to Lanka to find Sita and discovered her in an asoka grove. His purpose was not to exploit her, enjoy her, or keep her for himself. His purpose was to find her for the sake of Rama, so that she could be reunited with Him to serve and please Him. The Lord’s energy is meant to be engaged in the Lord’s service.

Once, a devotee told me that Srila Prabhupada had said that all of our service here in the material world is meant to bring Radha and Krishna together in the spiritual world. I wasn’t sure about that statement, so I asked Srila Prabhupada, and he replied that materialists are like Ravana and that they have kidnapped Sita, or Laksmi. And that we, as devotees, act as Hanuman to get Laksmi back from Ravana and return her to Rama, or Narayana, by engaging the materialists’ money in the service of the Lord. Of course, Rama is an expansion of Krishna, and Sita, or Laksmi, is an expansion of Radha. Transcendentally, accepting money from the materialists and engaging it in the Lord’s service is reuniting Radha and Krishna.

Especially in Kali-yuga, everyone has these two tendencies—to serve the Lord and engage the Lord’s energy in the Lord’s service, and to exploit and try to possess the Lord’s energy and enjoy it for ourselves. The process of bhakti-yoga is meant to purify the consciousness, so that the Ravana-like tendency to exploit and enjoy slackens and the devotional tendency to serve becomes more prominent. And the way to purify our hearts, especially in the present age of Kali, is to chant the holy names of the Lord.

The Personality of Godhead appears in different ages. As Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita (4.8),

paritranaya sadhunam
  vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
  sambhavami yuge yuge

“To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.” He says,cparitranaya sadhunam: to deliver the devotees, vinasaya ca duskrtam: to destroy the miscreants, and dharma-samsthapanarthaya: to establish the principles of religion, sambhavami yuge yuge: I appear in every millennium. Yuge yuge means “in every age, or millennium.” In Treta-yuga He appeared as Lord Rama, some two million years ago. In Dvapara-yuga He appeared as Lord Krishna, some five thousand years ago. And yuge yuge suggests that He also appears in Kali-yuga; in Kali-yuga He appeared as Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam
  sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
  yajanti hi su-medhasah

“In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krsna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krsna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons, and confidential companions.” (SB 11.5.32) Krsna-varnam means that He is in the same category as Krishna, which means that He is Krishna—because no one else can be in the same category as Krishna other than Krishna—and is always singing the glories of Krishna. Still, tvisakrsnam: His color is not blackish like Krishna’s in Dvapara-yuga; as described in sastra, it is golden. Sangopangastra-parsadam: He is accompanied by His associates. Every incarnation descends with eternal associates—Rama with Sita, Laksmana, Bharata, Satrughna, and others; Krishna with Nanda, Yasoda, Balarama, Radharani, and others; and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with Nityananda Prabhu and others. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair: in Kali-yuga intelligent people (su-medhasah), people who have good intelligence, will worship (yajanti) the Lord by sankirtana-yajna, by the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. And that is the method by which the heart is cleansed (ceto-darpana-marjanam), the demonic mentality of Ravana is vanquished, and the devotional mood of Sita, Laksmana, Bharata, Satrughna, Hanuman, and others—even the squirrel—is manifest.

nitya-siddha krsna-prema ‘sadhya’ kabhu naya
sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya

“Pure love for Krsna is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens.” (Cc Madhya 22.107) Nitya-siddha krsna-prema—pure love of Godhead exists eternally within the heart. ‘Sadhya’ kabhu naya—it is not to be gotten from any other source. Sravanadi-suddha-citte—by hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord our consciousness is purified, and karaye udaya—that eternal love is awakened.

This is our goal. By hearing the pastimes of Rama, the pastimes of Krishna, our love for Them awakens. When we chant the maha-mantra—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—our love for Radha-Krishna, Sita-Rama, and Gaura-Nitai is awakened. That is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy.

Two full chapters in the Ninth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam are devoted to summarizing the Ramayana. Srila Prabhupada remarks that everyone wants Rama-rajya, the ideal kingdom that existed during the reign of Lord Ramachandra. Lord Rama cared for the citizens exactly like a father, and the citizens, accepting Him as their father, loved and obeyed Him. Although He became king during Treta-yuga, because of His good government the age was like Satya-yuga and everyone was fully religious and happy. Srila Prabhupada states that the same conditions can be evoked now by the chanting of the Lord’s holy names, which have been made available to us by Lord Chaitanya—by Lord Ramachandra, who has so kindly appeared in the present age as Chaitanya-chandra.

“If people take to this sankirtana movement of chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Rama, they will certainly be freed from the contamination of Kali-yuga, and the people of this age will be happy, as people were in Satya-yuga, the golden age. Anyone, anywhere, can easily take to this Hare Krsna movement; one need only chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, observe the rules and regulations, and stay free from the contamination of sinful life. Even if one is sinful and cannot give up sinful life immediately, if he chants the Hare Krsna maha-mantra with devotion and faith he will certainly be freed from all sinful activities, and his life will be successful. Param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. This is the blessing of Lord Ramacandra, who has appeared in this age of Kali as Lord Gaurasundara.” (SB 9.10.51 purport)

We should take advantage of the mercy of the Lord. Out of His causeless mercy upon all living entities (asmat-prasada), He appears in every age (yuge yuge)—as Rama, as Krishna, and in the present age as Krishna Chaitanya. And we should take advantage of the special mercy that They give us in the form of the sankirtana movement, which teaches people to engage in the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and in the entire process of devotional service (bhakti-yoga). Lord Krishna gave the preliminary instructions in the science of God, the science of bhakti-yoga, in the Bhagavad-gita; Lord Chaitanya and His followers, especially the Six Gosvamis, explained the science elaborately; and Srila Prabhupada has presented it to us in a way that we can very easily follow, to cleanse our hearts and awaken our love for God. But those little Ravana-like demons in our hearts keep telling us, “You can enjoy. Why should Krishna have all the fun?” Of course, we want to enjoy—that is natural. The Absolute Truth, Krishna, is by nature full of pleasure (ananda-mayo ’bhyasat), and we, as His parts and parcels, are also meant for pleasure. But we cannot enjoy real, eternal pleasure based on these dead bodies, these bags of blood and stool and other such things. We, as spirit souls, can enjoy true pleasure, ananda, on the spiritual platform, in relationship to the Supreme Soul, in the spiritual energy, in the spiritual world.

The Lord doesn’t want us to suffer. He wants us to be happy, but He knows that we can be truly happy only in relation to Him. Therefore He comes—as the ideal king as Lord Rama, in His original form as Krishna, and most recently in His devotional form as Krishna Chaitanya—to show us the way. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with Nityananda Prabhu came especially to give us this method of chanting Hare Krishna and dancing, hearing the pastimes of the Lord (krsna-katha), worshipping the Deity, and taking krsna-prasada. And this method is kevala ananda-kanda: simply joyful—just chanting, dancing, hearing about Krishna and His incarnations, and taking prasada.

So we should take advantage of this wonderful opportunity that has been given to us by Lord Rama, who has appeared as Lord Gaurasundara, and which has been presented to us in the most pleasant and accessible way by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. Even the smallest effort—by anyone—can bring the greatest result, as demonstrated in the pastimes of Lord Ramachandra. He engaged even monkeys and other creatures of the forest in His service, and in the end He took all the residents of Ayodhya back home, back to Godhead.

na janma nunam mahato na saubhagam
  na van na buddhir nakrtis tosa-hetuh
tair yad visrstan api no vanaukasas
  cakara sakhye bata laksmanagrajah

[Sri Hanuman says:] “One cannot establish a friendship with the Supreme Lord Ramacandra on the basis of material qualities such as one’s birth in an aristocratic family, one’s personal beauty, one’s eloquence, one’s sharp intelligence, or one’s superior race or nation. None of these qualifications is actually a prerequisite for friendship with Lord Sri Ramacandra. Otherwise how is it possible that although we uncivilized inhabitants of the forest have not taken noble births, although we have no physical beauty, and although we cannot speak like gentlemen, Lord Ramacandra has nevertheless accepted us as friends?

suro ’suro vapy atha vanaro narah
  sarvatmana yah sukrtajnam uttamam
bhajeta ramam manujakrtim harim
  ya uttaran anayat kosalan divam iti

“Therefore, whether one is a demigod or a demon, a man or a creature other than man, such as a beast or bird, everyone should worship Lord Ramacandra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who appears on this earth just like a human being. There is no need of great austerities or penances to worship the Lord, for He accepts even a small service offered by His devotee. Thus He is satisfied, and as soon as He is satisfied, the devotee is successful. Indeed, Lord Sri Ramacandra brought all the devotees of Ayodhya back home, back to Godhead.” (SB 5.19.7–8)

Thank you very much.

Guest: I have heard that Lord Rama is green. Do you know anything about how can someone be green?

Giriraj Swami: The Lord’s body is spiritual—sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. Although the scriptures describe the Lord and the spiritual world in terms that correspond to our experience in this world, the reality of the Lord is different from anything we have ever experienced here. Lord Rama is greenish, but His complexion is not a material green as we see in this world but a spiritual hue from which the material color green comes.

Madhusudana dasa: Lord Rama is described as being the color of freshly sprouted grass.

Devotee: How long does it take for a soul to be transferred to another body?

Giriraj Swami: As soon as the next body is ready, one leaves the present body, just as when one’s next step is secure, one gives up the last one.

vrajams tisthan padaikena
  yathaivaikena gacchati
yatha trna-jalaukaivam
  dehi karma-gatim gatah

“Just as a person traveling on the road rests one foot on the ground and then lifts the other, or as a worm on a vegetable transfers itself to one leaf and then gives up the previous one, the conditioned soul takes shelter of another body and then gives up the one he had before.” (SB 10.1.40)

Devotee: So it varies between each body?

Giriraj Swami: When the next body is ready, one leaves the present body, but depending on the type of body, one may take less or more time to be born. The period of gestation may vary. For example, in the case of a human being, after the soul is placed in the womb of the mother through the semen of the father, it takes nine or ten months for the embryo to grow and develop to the stage when the entity is ready to come out of the womb and be viable. That period will vary according to the species.

Of course, our actual goal is to become free from the repetition of birth and death. And the main process by which we can attain liberation, especially in the present age of Kali, is to chant the holy names:

kaler dosa-nidhe rajann
  asti hy eko mahan gunah
kirtanad eva krsnasya
  mukta-sangah param vrajet

“My dear king, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.” (SB 12.3.51)

As mentioned, the chanting cleanses the dirty things from the mirror of the mind, or heart:

ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam
  sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamrtasvadanam
  sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam

“Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Krsna, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Krsna expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.” (Siksastaka 1)

The first of the dirty things within the heart is false identification with the body. That is the first misconception; we think, “I am this body, and everything in relation to this body is mine—to enjoy.” And whatever we do that follows from the premise that “I am the body” takes us further and further from the goal. Srila Prabhupada gave the example that if in a mathematical problem you make a mistake in the first step, even if you perform all the other steps perfectly, you will likely get further and further from the solution—because you made a mistake in the first step. So if from the beginning you think you are the body—given that in fact you are not the body but are the soul—then even if you do everything thereafter perfectly for the sake of the body, you will get further and further away from the actual goal. So we have to understand from the beginning that we are not the body, that we are the soul within the body, and that to act for the benefit of the soul is in our real self-interest.

Everyone wants his self-interest—that is natural—but people don’t know what their real self-interest is. Unless they know what their real self is, how can they know their real self-interest? Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum: they do not know that their real interest is to serve Vishnu, or Krishna, and go back home, back to Godhead.

na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum
  durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah
andha yathandhair upaniyamanas
  te ’pisa-tantryam uru-damni baddhah

“Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Visnu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.” (SB 7.5.31)

There is no harm in wanting to pursue one’s self-interest, but we should know what our real self is. The first instruction of the Bhagavad-gita is that we are not this body but are the soul within the body. And our spiritual life proceeds from that understanding.

After we gain theoretical knowledge, we must realize the knowledge, and by faithfully chanting the holy names we can actually realize that we are not these bodies but are eternal spirit souls, eternal servants of Krishna. First we hear. For example, we hear in theory that rasagullas are sweet, and we want to try one. And when we actually taste one, our knowledge becomes realized. Then we know the sweetness of a rasagulla by practical experience, and we want others to experience that taste. So, by chanting with attention, one can actually realize that he is not this body but is the soul within the body, and one can taste the sweetness of Lord Krishna’s holy name. Thus, Srila Rupa Gosvami, who actually realized the sweet nectar of the holy name, could write,

tunde tandavini ratim vitanute tundavali-labdhaye
  karna-kroda-kadambini ghatayate karnarbudebhyah sprham
cetah-prangana-sangini vijayate sarvendriyanam krtim
  no jane janita kiyadbhir amrtaih krsneti varna-dvayi

“I do not know how much nectar the two syllables ‘Krs-na’ have produced. When the holy name of Krsna is chanted, it appears to dance within the mouth. We then desire many, many mouths. When that name enters the holes of the ears, we desire many millions of ears. And when the holy name dances in the courtyard of the heart, it conquers the activities of the mind, and therefore all the senses become inert.” (Vidagdha-madhava 1.15)

But first we have to realize that we are not this body, that the body is just a machine that the soul inhabits for some time.

Chanting is a serious practice, although the process is easy. As Srila Prabhupada said, “Chanting is easy, but the determination to chant is not so easy.” Anyone can say “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,” but the determination to chant a prescribed number of rounds daily and to be attentive while chanting—to actually hear every word and every syllable—requires some effort. But if we can do that, we can realize that we are not these bodies but are actually parts and parcels of Krishna, eternal servants of Krishna. Then we will act exclusively for the pleasure of Krishna, and that will be our pleasure—our greatest pleasure—and satisfaction.

sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
  yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
  yayatma suprasidati

“The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.” (SB 1.2.6)

The natural function of the part is to serve the whole. Srila Prabhupada gave the example that the hand is part and parcel of the body, so the natural function of the hand is to serve the body, to serve the stomach. If there is a nice rasagulla (we are talking so much about rasagullas; I hope they have some!) and the hand thinks, “Why should I feed the stomach? I will enjoy myself,” and then tries to absorb the rasagulla directly, to enjoy the rasagulla separately, it can’t. The hand is not meant to enjoy apart from the stomach. But if the hand feeds the stomach, then the hand and all the other parts of the body are naturally nourished and satisfied. In the same way, if we try to enjoy independent of Krishna, we can’t. We are not meant for that. We are part of Him and are meant to serve Him. And if we do serve Him, then all of Krishna’s other parts and parcels are satisfied. And if we want to enjoy independent of Krishna, we can try—that is what is going on in the world today: everyone is trying to enjoy independent of Krishna. But they are not successful. They are never satisfied. They always want something more, something new, something better—they are never satisfied. We can be happy and satisfied only when we serve Krishna with love, for His pleasure.

Devotee: People seem to do that very happily—go through the ups and downs of never being satisfied and then forging back into looking for satisfaction without Krishna. They seem to do it happily.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, ordinary people keep doing it over and over again. Punah punas carvita-carvananam: chewing the chewed again and again. You get a piece of sugarcane and chew it to get the juice out. After chewing it and getting all the juice out, you throw it away. If you come back and start to chew it again, you can chew it, but there is no juice in it, nothing to be gotten. Ordinary conditioned souls, in the bodily concept of life, try to squeeze some pleasure out of the body, and after getting whatever little pleasure they can, keep trying to get more and more out of it. But they are never satisfied.

matir na krsne paratah svato va
  mitho ’bhipadyeta grha-vratanam
adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram
  punah punas carvita-carvananam

“Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Krsna are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.” (SB 7.5.30)

Then what is the way out? Krishna consciousness, realized by the mercy of pure devotees.

naisam matis tavad urukramanghrim
  sprsaty anarthapagamo yad-arthah
mahiyasam pada-rajo-’bhisekam
  niskincananam na vrnita yavat

“Unless they smear upon their bodies the dust of the lotus feet of a Vaisnava completely freed from material contamination, persons very much inclined toward materialistic life cannot be attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, who is glorified for His uncommon activities. Only by becoming Krsna conscious and taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord in this way can one be freed from material contamination.” (SB 7.5.32)

Such pure devotees, following the scriptures and previous authorities, induce us to chant the holy names of the Lord.

harer nama harer nama
  harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
  nasty eva gatir anyatha

“In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.” (Brhan-naradiya Purana 38.126)

A vivid example is Valmiki Muni himself. He was a robber and murderer. He would plunder innocent people on the road, kill them, and take everything. But by chance he happened to associate with the great devotee Narada Muni, who requested him to chant the holy name of Rama. Valmiki refused: “I am a murderer—what have I to do with chanting God’s name?” But then Narada asked him to meditate on the meaning of death by repeating the word mara, which means “death.” Valmiki agreed, and by repeating mara, mara, mara, mara he came in effect to chant Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama. Living in a previous age, he was able to meditate on the holy name of Rama for many thousands of years, and when he was liberated he wrote the Ramayana. By the power of the holy name, his heart became purified, and he became a great devotee and rishi (seer), empowered to glorify and personally serve the Lord. So anyone, even the greatest sinner, can become the greatest devotee of the Lord by serving the instructions of a pure Vaishnava and chanting the holy name of the Lord.

Sri Sri Sita-Rama-Laksmana-Hanuman ki jaya!

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Rama-navami, April 14, 2008, San Diego]

Source: https://girirajswami.com/blog/?p=19905

Mukunda Goswami Health Update

6:30 pm Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Mukunda Goswami was admitted to Gold Coast University Hospital and is scheduled to undergo surgery to remove blood that has accumulated around his brain. The procedure is expected to take place on Tuesday, March 24, depending on hospital availability. Devotees close to him report that he is being carefully attended to and remains in good spirits as he prepares for the operation. The global ISKCON community is being encouraged to offer prayers for his recovery so that he may, by the grace of the guru and Gauranga, continue to stay healthy in his service.

In a message sent to devotees, Madana-mohan Dasa shared the events that led up to the surgery: “On February 28, Mukunda Goswami was involved in a serious car accident which, although severe, left him apparently unharmed except for a few bruises on his legs and head,” he continued. “Every day since the accident, Maharaja would rise at 2 a.m., chant his rounds on beads, and read and listen to Srimad-Bhagavatam. He continued to interact with the devotees and give his fortnightly Bhagavatam classes. A few days ago, he even resumed attending mangala-arati at the temple, as he had done for many years. However, in recent days Mukunda Goswami has begun to manifest symptoms consistent with cerebral trauma, which he had apparently sustained in the car crash, and a CT scan confirmed a significant brain hemorrhage.”

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/iskcon-leader-mukunda-goswami-hospitalized-devotees-asked-to-pray/

By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi, 

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) held its 3rd National Cow Protection Conference in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, bringing together leaders, practitioners, and experts from across India to strengthen collaboration, training, and a long-term vision in the area of go-seva. The conference, themed “Integrating Every Farm with Every Goshala in an Abundant Ecosystem,” marked an important step toward building a cohesive and sustainable model for cow protection within ISKCON.

The event grew out of an extensive nationwide effort led by the ISKCON Ministry of Cow Protection and Agriculture in India, which has been systematically visiting goshalas across the country. “What began as roughly 60 mapped ISKCON goshala projects in India has now grown to nearly 100, stretching from Assam to Kerala,” Kalakanta Das, the ISKCON Minister of Cow Protection and Agriculture, shared. These regular visits provide training, assessment, and recommendations to improve standards of care and management. 

The entire event was sponsored by the ISKCON Kathwada farm team, and it received complete backing from leadership at every level—from the GBC to the highest managerial positions within the Indian Yatra, including zonal representatives—all of whom were present, significantly enhancing the gathering’s credibility and importance.

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/iskcon-hosts-national-cow-protection-conference-in-ahmedabad/

By Chaitanya Charan das

Question: Is the Ramayana, comprising as it does stories from ancient times, practically relevant today?

Answer: Yes, it is relevant because the stories, though from an ancient setting, embody timeless values.

From “me” to “we”

One of the primary values that it conveys – selfless sacrifice – is especially relevant in our present times that are characterized by obsessive selfishness. Contemporary culture largely glamorizes the “me” paradigm, which impels people to seek their personal gratification without caring about its cost for others. When the same inconsiderate individualism causes us to neglect or manipulate the people around us – our family members, our neighbors and colleagues, then it boomerangs to wound our heart, afflicting it with emotional ruptures and gnawing loneliness. Thus, the “me” paradigm, despite its instinctive appeal to our ego, is disastrously myopic.

If we wish to have more satisfying and sustainable relationships, we need to rise from this myopic “me” paradigm to the holistic “we” paradigm. As this paradigm shift can be challenging, it is helpful, even essential, to have inspiring role models and narratives to draw from. For mining such inspiration, the Ramayana serves as an inexhaustible mother lode; it offers us a panorama of jewel-like personalities who embody the spirit of sacrifice in various poignant real-life situations:

1.      The example of Rama’s sacrifice in accepting the sentence of exile despite having committed no fault just to preserve the word of honor of his father, king Dasharatha, points the way to bridging the ever-expanding parent-children generation gaps.

2.      The example of Sita’s sacrifice in preferring the dangers of the forest to the security of the palace offers a stirring example of valuing the marital bond that has become much devalued due to an increasingly casual approach to sexuality and matrimony.

3.      The example of Lakshmana’s sacrifice in choosing to stand unflinchingly by the side of his elder brother during the latter’s hour of crisis and thereby gaining a profound mutually enriching bond can serve as an antidote for the superficial relationships that characterize today’s siblings. 

4.      The example of Bharata’s sacrifice in resolutely refusing the kingdom meant for Rama can offer a signal lesson for the many succession battles among children that break open after the death of a wealthy parent – and sometimes even before the death.

Inspiration, not imitation

At this point, we may object, “If we sacrifice like this in today’s self-centered culture, we will be exploited.” That’s possible – and that’s why the Ramayana tradition offers the examples of its protagonists not for imitation, but for inspiration: not for duplication of the particulars of their sacrifices, but for appreciation of the principle of sacrifice. As our relationships and interactions occur in real life, we need to consider the various contexts and their implications before we decide how to apply the spirit of sacrifice in our lives.

Lest we feel that the spirit of sacrifice is entirely inapplicable today, we need to look no further than popular team sports like cricket or soccer which throws up both jarring incidents when a self-seeking player chases after a personal milestone at the cost of the team’s success and uplifting instances when a sacrificing player puts aside individual glory for the sake of the team’s victory. If sacrifice plays a valuable, even critical, role in a relatively frivolous activity like team-sports, then how much more indispensable will be its role in real life relationships which are also like teams, but teams that last much longer and mean much more to us?

Shades of black

The Ramayana complements these examples of heroic selflessness with examples of tragic selfishness and its unfortunate consequences. Significantly, it demonstrates these ramifications of selfishness through characters with varying shades of blackness:

1.      At the pitch dark end of the spectrum is the epitome of ungodliness, the demon-king Ravana, who due to his selfish lust, commits innumerable atrocities and finally meets his nemesis when his evil eye extends to Sita, the goddess of fortune.

2.      Toward the middle of the spectrum is the monkey-king Vali, who lets himself be misled by a hasty and nasty misjudgment about his brother Sugriva’s mentality and so selfishly dispossesses the latter of home, wealth and family, and eventually meets his own end in a heart-rending fratricidal showdown.

3.      At the bright end of the spectrum is the queen Kaikeyi, whose temporary spell of selfishness perverts her from her normal kindness, gentleness and wisdom to an uncharacteristic cruelty, harshness and folly that causes agony to her family members, brings about the anguished death of her husband and subjects her to a lifelong regret for her insane self-obsession.

Thus, the Ramayana by illustrating its caveats about selfishness not just through outright ungodly characters but also through godly persons who succumb temporarily to selfishness inspires all of us to keep up our guard against selfishness and thereby prevent it from sabotaging our relationships.

Redefining the “we”

If this message of sacrifice as a means to deep fulfilling human relationships was all that the Ramayana offered to the world today, then that message in and of itself would be valuable. But the Ramayana’s gifts are much greater and deeper.

The central hero of the Ramayana is not a human being, but the Supreme Being. Rama is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord playing the role of a human being. So the bonds of all the associates of Rama with him are examples of the human-divine relationship that is far more lasting than the best human-human relationship. All human-human relationships, even if fulfilling, are ultimately distressing due to the inevitability of rupture at death. But the human-divine relationship, when understood as a spiritual relationship between the eternal soul and the eternal Supreme, is eternal – and eternally fulfilling.

The Supreme Lord possesses fully and forever the six opulences – beauty, wisdom, strength, wealth, fame and renunciation – whose fractional and fleeting presence in worldly people attracts our heart to them. Lord Krishna indicates that the attractive features that worldly people possess ultimately originate from him when he states in the Bhagavad-gita (10.41), “Know that all beautiful, opulent and glorious creations spring from but a spark of my splendor.” Just as the complete fire can provide far greater warmth than a tiny spark, the Supreme Lord can provide far greater warmth of love for our hearts than any worldly person.

In fact, the Lord descends as his various avataras to offer us this supreme warmth and ultimate fulfillment. The Bhagavad-gita (4.9) indicates that when we understand the true transcendental nature of the Lord’s pastimes – the incredible loving exchanges between the Lord and his devotees that comprise their heart, then the desire to have a similar loving relationship gets kindled in our heart and that desire when fully developed helps us attain the Lord’s eternal abode, where we eternally rejoice in love with him.

But developing our relationship with the Lord, like developing any other relationship, requires commitment and sacrifice. If we miss this essential point, then we end up conflating authentic spiritual life with the inanity of ritual religiosity or the “feel-good” sentimentality of new-age spirituality or any other similar form of shallow or shadow spirituality. The Ramayana conveys the necessity and the glory of sacrifice in the service of God through its refreshing portraits of extraordinary – and ordinary persons – who achieved deep devotional relationships with the Lord by activating their individual spirit of sacrifice.

Present-day reenactments of Ramayana principles

Srila Prabhupada embodied an unprecedented and unparalleled example of the same spirit of sacrifice in our times, when he at the advanced age of 69 went singlehandedly across the ocean to fulfill the mission of the Lord to share spiritual wisdom with the world. Thus he demonstrated how Hanuman’s example of leaping to Lanka in service of Lord Rama can be followed today. Just as Hanuman searched zealously to find Sita in a Lanka that was densely populated with ungodly elements, Srila Prabhupada searched industriously for spiritually inclined individuals in a world that was densely populated with ungodly materialistic crowds.

The advanced age of Srila Prabhupada and the logical improbability of the success of his mission are evocative of the sacrifice of Jatayu, the aged bird who fought gallantly and became a martyr while trying to stop Ravana from abducting Sita. Srila Prabhupada’s mission was as imposing and impossible as Jatayu’s: to stop the rampaging advance of materialism and hedonism, symbolized by Ravana, from carrying sincere souls, symbolized by Sita, away from the devotional service of the Lord. But, by the miraculous mercy of the Lord, Srila Prabhupada succeeded on multiple fronts in his mission impossible.

Most of us may not be called upon to perform such herculean sacrifices, but we can sacrifice and contribute to the Lord’s cause by rendering services according to our individual capacities, as did the monkeys to Lord Rama’s cause. If we strive to serve the Lord sincerely, some of us may even discover hitherto unknown abilities within ourselves, as did Hanuman just before his stupendous leap to Lanka. Some of us may even become empowered to do extraordinary feats in the Lord’s service, as was Hanuman.

Perhaps the most relevant example for us as spiritual seekers is that of Sita when separated from Lord Rama and held in captivity in Ravana’s Lanka. All of us are also separated from the Lord of our hearts and are held in captivity in material existence which is the arena of Ravana-reminiscent materialism.  Sita demonstrated her unfailing and unflinching devotion to Lord Rama by rigidly rejecting all the overtures of Ravana for ungodly indulgence and intensely absorbing herself in the remembrance of the Lord. We too can demonstrate our unflagging devotion to the Lord by firmly rejecting all the overtures for ungodly indulgence in meat-eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sex, no matter how much the pressure from our social circle. We can gain strength to withstand such pressure by contemplating on the extremity of Sita’s predicament. She was threatened with death if she refused to indulge – and yet she refused. Surely the pressure on us from our social circle is not that bad, then why should we give in to it? We can further strengthen ourselves by following in Sita’s footsteps in attentively absorbing ourselves in the remembrance of the Lord – at least for the time of our mantra meditation.

When we understand these timeless devotional principles that underlie the stories of the Ramayana, then we no longer fall prey to the misconceptions that these stories are just outdated historical tales or mythological ethical parables; we recognize them to be authentic and dramatic demonstrations of eternal spiritual principles, principles that have inspired enterprising individuals to the highest human attainment throughout history and that beckon us to the same supreme adventure and accomplishment. Therein lies the ultimate, unfading relevance of the Ramayana. No wonder eminent literary historian A. A. MacDonnell noted about this timeless classic: “Probably no other work of world literature has produced so profound an influence in the life and thought of a people as the Ramayana.”

To summarize, the Ramayana’s perennial relevance lies in its power to inspire us to broaden our consciousness from “me” to “we” and to momentously expand the definition of “we” from the human-human paradigm to the human-divine paradigm.  

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=12495

[The following history from the Valmiki Ramaya is full of import for anyone who wants to be a guru, GBC, temple president or leader in ISKCON or any spiritual institution.]

The incident of Lord Rama and the Dog

From Valmiki’s Ramayana Uttara Khandha between chapters 59-60

Part one

Thereafter in the bright morning Sri Rama, of lotus-like eye having performed forenoon rites, took his seat in the Royal Council-chamber along with the Brahmanas, who were masters of the Vedas the priest Vasistha and the sage Kasyapa in order to look into the royal business.(1-2) The royal council (assembly) consisted of ministers, knowers of common practices, legal procedures and other teachers of laws who recite scriptures, diplomats (statesmen), kings and other members of the council.(3) The assembly of Sri Rama, the chief of kings and unwearied in actions looked graceful like the assembly of Indra, Yama and Varuna.(4)

Then Sri Rama said to Laksmana who was seated there and who was characterized by auspicious marks, ‘O Long-armed Laksmana! Go out and call by turn those, who have come with some business’. Having listened to Sri Rama’s order, Laksmana endowed with auspicious marks, going to the palace-gate himself called those who had come with some request. None there came forward saying that he had some request (to make). (5-7)

During the reign of Sri Rama no one was offended by either physical or mental ailment. The earth abounded in all kinds of plants and fully ripe agricultural produce. Thus in His kingdom neither any child nor any young man nor any middle-aged person died. Everything was administered according to ‘Dharma’ (moral law). No hindrance was ever put, While Sri Rama ruled over the kingdom no one was seen coming with any request with folded hands, Laksmana communicated Him all this. (8-10)

Then the gracious-minded Sri Rama addressed the following words to Laksmana, “Go again and find out about those who have come with some request. When the state policy is formulated properly (and executed well), unrighteousness does not obtain anywhere. Therefore all persons protect one another due to the fear from the king (due to the apprehension of royal punishment). My officers protect the subjects like arrows shot by Me. Even then, O long-armed one! Protect the subjects righteously. (11-13)

Thus told (by Sri Rama) Laksmana went out of the royal palace and saw a dog at the gate, which stood there looking at him and repeatedly barking. On seeing him, then the valiant Laksmana asked – ‘O Illustrious one! Tell me fearlessly your problem.’ On hearing Laksmana’s words the dog replied thus. (14-16)

“I can dare tell Sri Rama, who is a refuge to all living beings, who is ever unwearied in action and ensures protection whenever there is occasion for fear.’ (17) On hearing the dog’s speech, Laksmana entered the auspicious royal palace in order to communicate the same to Sri Rama and after informing Him Laksmana came out of the royal palace and said to the dog, “If you have to say some thing, then tell the king about it. (18-19)

Having heard laksmana’s speech the dog said, “Agni (the Fire-god), Indra, Surya (the sun-god) and Vayu (the wind-god) are present in the temples, the royal abode and the houses of Brahmanas. O Laksmana! We, of the lowest origin, are unfit to go there. (20-21) I shall not be able to enter there (the royal palace). King Sri Rama is ‘Dharma.’ He speaks the truth, He is adept in battle-fighting and is devoted to doing good to all the people. (22) Sri Rama knows the appropriate time for the applicators – practice of the six Gunas. He dispenses Justice. He is omniscient, He sees all things. Sri Rama is foremost among those who delight others. (23) He is Soma, He is Death. He is Yama (God of Death). He is Kubera, Agni and Indra, and He is Surya (the sun) and Varuna. (24) Sri Rama is the protector of the subjects. O Laksmana! tell Him, “Without permission, I do not want to enter (the royal palace).’ (25)

(On hearing this) The illustrious and glorious Laksmana having entered the royal abode out of compassion said the following words: (26) ‘O Sri Rama! listen to what I have to say. O delighter of Kausalya! O long-armed one! O lord! According to what you had commanded, I called on those who have come with some business. A dog, which has come with a request is standing at your palace-gate.’ After hearing Laksmana’s speech Sri Rama said: “Let it enter quickly, which is standing there with some requests.’ (27-28)

Part Two

On hearing Sri Rama’s speech, the wise Laksmana, after hurriedly calling the dog, informed Sri Rama about its (the dog’s) arrival, and presented him before Sri Rama, Having seen the dog that had come, Sri Rama said to him, “O dog! Tell me what you have to say, you need not fear at all.’ (1-2)
Thereafter the dog whose skull was shattered saw Sri Rama seated there. Having seen the king, the dog addressed the following speech. (3)

“The king is the creator of all living beings and the king is the leader (of men). The king remains awake, when others are asleep. The king protects the subjects. (4) The king, who is the protector (of all), protects Dharma by pursuing right policy. When the king does not protect, the subjects perish soon. (5) The king is the creator, protector and father of the entire world. The king is the time (sets the trend of the times) and the ‘Yuga’ (a particular age of the world). The king is the whole world. (6) They call it ‘Dharma’, for it sustains (the world). The created beings are sustained by ‘Dharma’. Since it supports the three worlds together with all the movable and immovable things. (7) He sustains (even) his enemies, puts them on the right path and delights his subjects by ‘Dharma’. Therefore he (his rule) is known as ‘Dharma’. (8) This act of ‘Dharana’ or sustaining is ‘Dharma’ – this is the conclusion. O king Sri Rama, this is the highest ‘Dharma’, which yields reward after death. My view is that nothing is unattainable by ‘Dharma’. (9) Charity, compassion, honoring noble man, straight-forwardness in behavior. O Rama! This is the ‘Dharma’ in this life and the life hereafter that accrues from protecting the subjects. (10)

O Rama, strict observer of vows! You are the authority par-excellence. You are conversant with the ‘Dharma’, which is practiced by good people. You are the supreme abode of ‘Dharmas’(Duties) and an ocean of virtues, as it were. I spoke out of my ignorance. Bowing my head I pray. You should not get angry on this account.’ (11-13)

On this Sri Rama told the dog:- “Tell me fearlessly what I should do for you. Do not delay, On hearing Rama’s speech the dog addressed the following words: “The king should acquire territory by ‘Dharma’ and should protect it by ‘Dharma’. The king comes to be recognized as a refuge and dispels all fear. (14-15) Having realized this, O Rama! listen what you have to do for me. There is a mendicant, named Sarvarthasiddha, who lives in the house of a Brahmana. Without any cause he struck at me! sinless though I was. (16) On hearing this, Sri Rama sent the gatekeeper, who brought the learned Brahmana Sarvarthasiddha by name. Thus the eminent Brahmana, endowed with splendor seeing Sri Rama there asked him, “O sinless Sri Rama! Tell me what do you want me to do for you? (17-18)

Thus told by the Brahmana, Sri Rama addressed the following words, “O Brahmana! You hurt the dog. What ill did it do to you, for which you struck it with a stick? Anger is a deadly enemy, anger is a friend-faced enemy. Anger is a highly sharp sword. Anger takes away everything (destroys all virtues). Whichever sacrifices a person performs and whatever in charity he gives, all that he destroys by anger. Therefore one should give up anger and control like a charioteer, one’s senses, running forth towards their objects like very wicked horses, after turning them away from their objects (19-23) A man should do good to the people around himself by thought, by action and by speech. He should not hurt anybody. No sin, therefore, will attach to him. The harm, which is wrought by evil thoughts, are not done by a sharp sword or a serpent trampled by foot or an ever wrathful enemy. One who has learnt discipline, even his temperament can not be changed. Even if some one conceals his (evil) nature, it is surely betrayed by his action. (24-26)

Thus asked by Sri Rama, who was unwearied in actions, the Brahmana Sarvarthasiddha said this in Sri Rama’s presence. (27) ‘While I was going about for begging food the appropriate time for begging had passed, I was overpowered by anger, so I beat the dog. The dog, which was standing on the road (blocking my way) was asked by me to move away. Not moving at all it stood in the middle of the road in an odd manner. (28-29) Overtaken by hunger, O Rama! I beat it angrily. O King of kings! Punish me, a guilty person. O chief of kings! Having been punished by you, I would not be afraid of hell. Thereafter Sri Rama asked all the members of the assembly, ‘What should be done to him, and what punishment should be meted out to him? For if proper punishment is given (to the guilty), the subjects are protected. (30-31) Bhrgu, Angira, Kutsa and others, Vasistha along with Kasyapa, eminent teachers of laws, ministers and interpreters of the Vedas – these and many other scholars were present there. All of them – the masters of scriptures and those who were well-versed in state affairs told Sri Rama that a Brahmana is not to be awarded capital punishment, it is declared by experts in scriptures. (32-34)

Then all the hermits addressed Sri Rama in following words, “A King holds sway over everyone. O Sri Rama! Specially You, who is eternal god Visnu, are the ruler of the three worlds. (35-36) When all of them had addressed thus, the dog said as follows “If you are pleased with me, O Rama, and if you are to bestow on me a boon (then listen to me) O Valiant One! You asked me what you should do for me, and promised (to do what I would request you to do). So make him O King! a ‘Kulapati’ as promised by you. Your Majesty! make him ‘Kulapati’ of Kalanjara Matha. On hearing this Sri Rama consecrated him as Kulapati. (37-39)

Thus honored, the happy Brahmana went away riding an elephant-back. Then the ministers smilingly with astonishment, said to Sri Rama, “He has been given a boon. O resplendent one. This is not a curse. Thus told by the ministers Sri Rama said “You do not know the truth about the course of actions. The dog knows the reason (and will tell why the Brahmana had been made Kulapati).

On being asked thus by Sri Rama the dog addressed the following speech. “I (In my previous birth) was the Kulapati of the same place (Kalanjara Matha). Partaking of the remains of sacrificial food, O Rama! I would be engaged in worshipping gods and Brahmanas and gave to the male and maid-servants their due. I had a love for good things I would protect the property dedicated to gods. I was modest and well-behaved and was engaged in doing good to all living beings. Even then I have been reduced to this wretched state and lowest position. O Rama! therefore such a Brahmana, who is irascible, who has given up his ‘Dharma’ and who is engaged in harming others, who is hot-tempered, ruthless, harsh, foolish (ignorant) and irreligious will lead to the downfall of fourteen generations. (40-46)

“Therefore, one should not in any circumstances become a Kulapati. Only, he should be made to look after gods, cows and Brahmanas, whom one would wish to condemn to go to hell along with sons, cattle and relatives. (47) One who takes away the property of the Brahmanas, gods, women and children and takes back again what has been given away in charity, perishes along with one’s all dear ones. O Sri Rama! One who takes away the property belonging to the Brahmanas and the gods, soon goes to the fearful hell known as ‘Avici’ one who takes away even mentally the property belonging to the gods and the Brahmanas, goes down from one hell to another. On hearing the speech (of the dog) the eyes of Sri Rama opened widely due to wonder, the dog, too possessed of luster, went to place from where it had come. It was a high minded soul in its former birth but on being born (as a dog) it has been spoiled. The illustrious one sought death by abstaining from taking food in Varanasi. (48-52)

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=8753

According to Madhvacarya’s Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya 2.3-4 the original Mula Ramayana was a massive work consisting of 100 crore slokas (1 billion) while the currently available Valmiki Ramayana consists of only 24,000 slokas. The greatest repository of Rāma līlā in the Purāṇas is the Padma Purana wherein much of the fifth canto is devoted to Lord Rama. It even includes a narration of the Ramayana that took place in a earlier Kalpa and is different (Kalpa Bheda) in some respects to the more recent Ramayana. This canto is entitled “Patala khaṇḍa” in it the assemble sages ask Suta to give an account of Lord Rama’s activities. Suta in turn narrates a conversation between Vatsyayana Ṛṣi and Ananta Sesanāg. The 57th chapter in the 5th canto reveals the secret of why Rama exiled Sita to the forest: Traditionally, Rama would send spies to find out the opinion of general public in Ayodhya. One time five of the six spies heard the citizens glorifying Lord Rama with great love and affection. However, the sixth spy going to the quarters of the artisans overheard the following conversation of a washer man: A washer man, with his eyes red due to anger and full of anger kicked his wife who had stayed at another’s house. Nevertheless, his mother said, “Do not abandon her who has come (back) to (our) house,” The angry washer man said to his mother, “I am not Rama who accept his wife who stayed in another’s house. I am not king Rama who protected Sita that had stayed in another’s house.” (Padma Purana 5.55.68-73) Next morning when spies met with Rama, all mentioned that citizens were glorifying Lord Rama but one spy was hiding something and not giving his report because a washer man made derogatory comment about Rama. Therefore, everyone including Rama persistently asked what was his story. Thus, that sixth spy very reluctantly retold what he had heard. The words fell on Rama like a thunderbolt and He fainted. On regaining His senses, He asked for his brother Bharata and explained to Him that He (Rama) had now brought infamy to His lineage because of the insults of the washer man regarding Sita. He asked Bharata “should I abandon my (pregnant) wife or commit suicide?” Bharat tried to dissuade Rama by reminding that even Lord Brahma declared Sita to be pure. Rama replied that He knew that but He was afraid of a public scandal and again ordered Bharata to either exile Sita or cut off His (Rama’s) head. On hearing such unpleasant words, Bharata also fainted. Up to now, the narration is familiar to those acquainted with the Ramayana. The next chapter reveals the secret of why Sita was exiled by revealing the previous birth of Krodhana, the washer man – the only person in Ayodhya who criticized Sita, bringing infamy to Rama. At this point we turn to the Padma Purana canto 5, chapter 57.

The Washer Man’s Former Birth: Vatsyayana said, O Sesa tell me how the Lord received the utterance of the censure of Janaki having pure, excellent fame in the world. Sesa said, in Mithila, a great city, there lived a king righteous ruler by name Janaka. When that Siradhvaja (i.e. Janaka) was ploughing the field, an extremely beautiful girl came out from the long, first furrow. Then king Siraketu (i.e. Janaka) became extremely glad. He named her, the glory of the world, Sita. Once when she was playing in the grove of the garden, she saw a pair of a male and a female parrot that delighted her mind. The parrots were extremely delighted and lustful, and affectionately talking to each other in pleasant words. That pair, enjoying each other’s company, quickly flew in the sky, settled on the lap of a mountain, and spoke to each other, “On the earth, charming Rama will be the king. His wife will be a woman by name Sita. That intelligent, powerful king, will rule over the earth along with her for eleven thousand years.” When the couple of parrots was conversing in this way, Maithili (Sita), realized that this was a divine couple. Thinking, “This couple of parrots is telling charming tales about me, therefore I shall catch the couple, and will ask further”. She told to her friends to catch this charming pair of the birds and bring to her. The friends just then went to the mountain, and caught the excellent pair of the birds and brought to Sita. She said to them, “Do not be scared. Who are you two, the charming ones? Where have you come from? Who is Rama, and who is Sita? Wherefrom did you have the information about them? Tell me all that quickly”. The pair of birds said, there is a very great sage Valmiki who is the best among those who know dharma. Both of us heard that sage made his disciples sing the future adventures of Rama. Being sung repeatedly, they were mastered by us due to repetition. Listen to them. In the end we shall tell who that Rama is and who that Janaki is and what will happen to her with Rama. Glorious Viṣṇu having divided Himself into four, come up at the sacrifice performed by Ṛṣyaśṛṅga. He, having a bow in his hand, will come along with Visvāmitra and His own brothers to Mithila. Then there seeing a bow difficult to be lifted by other mighty kings, He will break it, and will obtain the very charming daughter of Janaka. O excellent one, we have heard that with her He will rule over a large kingdom. O you of a beautiful body, we who had flown there, heard this and other (things) about you, told by those who lived there. Release us who desire to go. Hearing these words very pleasant to the ears, she again asked pair of birds, “Where would that Rama be? Whose son will he be? In what way will He marry her? What form will the excellent man have? Tell me exactly all this that I have asked you. Later I will do all good things liked by you.” Hearing those words, the female parrot , seeing Janaki and realizing in her heart that she was oppressed by love, then said to her, “There will be an intelligent mighty king the scion of the solar dynasty, he will have three wives, having forms that will fascinate (even) Indra. From them four children (sons) will be born. Rama will be the eldest of all. Bharata, Laksmana and Satrughna, will be born one after another. Rama will go by the name Raghunātha. They will have endless names. Rama possesses a beautiful form. Who am I to describe Him? Even one having a hundred mouths cannot describe Him. Lucky is that queen Janaki (Sita), having a very attractive form, who will gladly enjoy with him for a myriad years. O beautiful lady, who are you? What is your name that you cleverly and respectfully ask me to narrate (the account) of Rama?” Hearing these words, Janaki, telling story of her birth, said to them, “I am that Janaki, the daughter of Janaka, whom you mentioned. I shall truly release you when that very charming Rama comes to me not otherwise. Hearing these words, they trembled and were frightened. They were mutually afraid; and said this to Janaki: “O good lady, we are birds, living in forests and resorting to trees. We wander everywhere. We would not get happiness merely by staying at home. I am pregnant. Having gone to my place and having given birth to young ones I shall come back. I have told you the truth.” However, thus addressed by the female parrot, Sita did not release her. Then her husband the male parrot, eager, and with his face hung down spoke to her, “Sita, release my wife. How can you keep this my beautiful wife? We shall go to the forest and shall happily move in the forest. My charming wife is pregnant. Having performed her after her delivery I shall come to you, O lovely one?” Thus, addressed, Sita said to him, “O you very intelligent one, you can gladly go. I shall keep this happy one near me.” Thus addressed, the bird was unhappy; and full of tenderness, he said to her, “Those words which are uttered by the meditating saints are true, ‘One should not speak, one should not speak. One should remain by resorting to silence. Otherwise, due to the blemish in one’s utterance, the mad one would be fettered.’ Had we not talked (to each other) on this tree, how would we have been bound? Therefore, one should resort to silence.” Saying so, he spoke to her: “O beautiful lady, O Sita, I shall not live without this wife of mine. Therefore, O you charming one, leave her.” Though admonished with various words, Sita did not release her. The parrot’s wife, who was angry, and miserable, then cursed Janaka’s daughter: “As you are separating me from my husband, in the same way you will be, when pregnant, separated from Rama.” Repeatedly saying like this, her life departed due to misery, full of the distress of her husband. For her who was repeatedly remembering Rama and uttering (the name) Rama, a divine chariot arrived. The female parrot became luminous when she had gone to heaven. When she died, her husband was extremely angry, and being distressed, fell into Ganga saying, “In Rama’s city, full of people, I will be born as a śūdra and due to my words she will be dejected, and extremely unhappy due to separation from her husband.” Due to his being angry, due to his being distressed, and due to his having insulted Sita, he obtained very mean śūdrahood and was born as washer man named Krodhana. Anyone doing ill to the great, abandons his life through anger, obtains śūdrahood after he dies. That took place. Due to the words of the washer man, she was censured and separated, and she went to the forest.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=95469

Hare Krsna dear devotees,
Please offer your prayers for His Holiness Mukunda Goswami.
He is at Gold Coast University hospital, planning to undergo surgery to remove some blood around his brain.
They are planning to operate today (Tuesday 24th March 2026). They are not calling it an emergency as thankfully he is still well overall and communicative, however there is still some certain risk involved. This operation will hopefully prevent future complications.
He is being taken care of and is in good spirits. Please keep him in your prayers so by the grace of guru and Gauranga, he can continue to stay healthy in their service.

Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=117599

The Honorable President of India, Droupadi Murmu, visited the Krishna Balaram Mandir in Vrindavan on March 19, 2026 as part of a three-day spiritual tour of Uttar Pradesh. She was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and other officials during the visit to the temple.

Upon arriving at the temple, the President and Governor were received by Temple President Panchgauda Das, Janardan Das, Bhakti Anugrana Janardana Swami, Srutakirti Das, Ravi Lochan Das, and others. The dignitaries first visited the Samadhi of ISKCON Founder-Acharya A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, where they offered respects and performed parikrama.

They then proceeded to the main temple for darshan of Sri Sri Krishna-Balaram and the other deities of the temple complex. During the visit, the President participated in the evening arati and offered prayers at the Krishna-Balaram and Radha-Shyamasundar altars. 

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/president-of-india-visits-iskcons-krishna-balaram-mandir-in-vrindavan/

By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi, 

Govardhan Ayurveda Hospital, located at Govardhan EcoVillage (GEV) in Maharashtra and operated in association with Bhaktivedanta Hospital & Research Institute, has been named Best Wellness Centre of the Year 2026 during the FICCI International Medical Value Travel Awards — one of Asia’s most prestigious recognitions in the healthcare and medical tourism sector.

The award was presented at Advantage Healthcare India, a summit organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), where more than 100 institutions competed across categories. In the Wellness Centre category alone, nearly 35 nominations were submitted. The selection process was conducted by Ernst & Young (EY), which required participating institutions to submit detailed documentation and then give a formal presentation before a grand jury panel.

“Receiving this recognition is not only about the hospital,” said Sarvagya Krsna Das of the Bhaktivedanta Hospital  & Research Institute, “but also about highlighting the unique ecosystem of Govardhan Eco Village, which is based on the spiritual principles of ISKCON.” He added that the team views the award as “an offering at the lotus feet of Śrīla Prabhupāda.”

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/govardhan-ayurveda-hospital-wins-best-wellness-centre-award/

On a recent episode of The Namarasa Podcast, Sukhavaha Devi Dasi, a disciple of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, reflects on her experiences joining the Hare Krishna movement in the early 1970s and the spiritual journey that followed. First encountering Bhagavad-gītā As It Is while a college student at Penn State in 1971, she recalls being immediately captivated by its teachings. That discovery led her to begin chanting, adopt a vegetarian lifestyle, and eventually travel to the rural West Virginia community of New Vrindaban, where she became deeply involved in devotional life during ISKCON’s formative years.

The podcast conversation with host Venkata Bhatta Dasa explores both the inspiration and the challenges of those early days. Sukhavaha describes the intense zeal of many young converts, including her own youthful fanaticism, and how the movement’s rapid growth sometimes emphasized expansion over personal care for devotees. 

She also recounts a dramatic episode in which her parents arranged for her to be forcibly “deprogrammed,” a controversial practice used in the 1970s to remove young people from new, overzealous “religious movements.” These groups were referred to as dangerous cults because members often sacrificed their thoughtful discernment to follow a strong leader. Her experience, though traumatic, later became part of her broader spiritual understanding of identity, faith, and the complexities of religious commitment.

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/kidnapped-for-deprogramming-a-vaishnavis-early-iskcon-story/

There are four prominent Sampradayas of the Vaishnavas, out of which the Sri Sampradaya was commenced by Sri Maha Laxmi Devi and whose Acharya is the great Sri Ramunjacharya.

When the Lord desires to re-establish Dharma, he either appears himself or sends his close associates. These Acharyas, battling lots of difficulties for the sake of all living entities, re-establish Dharma

Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=117588

In the year 1017 A.D. Sripad Ramanujacarya, a partial incarnation of Lord Ananta Shesha and Laxman appeared on the ‘sasthi’, sixth lunar mansion of the light fortnight in the month of Chaitra, (April-May). He made his appearance in South India, Tundiradesha, at Sriperumbudur, about half way between Kancipuram and Madras. His fathers’ name was Asuri Keshava Somayaji, also known as Sarvakratu Diksitar, who it is believed was either an advaitin, or a smarta. His mother was Kantimati, the grand daughter of the great Vaisnavacarya Yamunacarya.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=94751