protection - Blog - ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT2024-03-28T20:49:26Zhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/protectionKrishna’s Presence Ensures Protectionhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/krishna-s-presence-ensures-protection2023-07-19T07:30:00.000Z2023-07-19T07:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}2515000871,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="2515000871?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="500" /></p>
<p><strong>By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada</strong></p>
<p>Pradyumna: (leads chanting)</p>
<p>sanjaya uvaca<br /> dantva tu pandavanikam<br /> vyudham duryodhanas tada<br /> acharyam upasangamya<br /> raja vacanam abravit<br /> [Gita 1.2]</p>
<p>Translation: “Sanjaya said: O King, after looking over the army gathered by the sons of Pandu, King Duryodhana went to his teacher and began to speak the following words:”</p>
<p>Srila Prabhupada</p>
<p>Prabhupada: Dhatarantra inquired from Sanjaya, kim akurvata: “After my sons and my brother’s sons assembled together for fighting, what did they do?” Dhatarantra wanted the fight to happen and did not want his sons to compromise. That is the kshatriya spirit: “Let my sons and my brother’s sons fight. My sons are one hundred in number and they are only five, so certainly my sons will come out victorious, and then the kingdom will be assured.” Because Sanjaya could understand the feelings of his master, and so in the beginning he says, “Don’t be discouraged. There was no compromise.” And to encourage him, he described Duryodhana as “raja,” so he could at least imagine Duryodhana becoming the king. Of course, in the end he would inform differently. “Yatra yogesvaram harim, my dear sir, do not expect victory. It is not possible. Because Krishna is on the other side. Yatra partho dhanur-dharam, and there is the fighter Arjuna, so it is beyond your expectation of victory.”</p>
<p>So drstva tu pandavanikam [Gita 1.2]. Duryodhana did not expect that the Pandavas would be able to accomplish military strength so nicely because they were bereft of all sources. Their kingdom was taken away, their money was usurped, they were sent into the forest so many tribulations. But the foolish Duryodhana did not know that above all, there was Krishna on their side. That he could not calculate. Therefore when he saw the Pandavas well-equipped with good number of soldiers pandavanikam he was a little surprised: “How they could gather so many soldiers?” So he immediately consulted his commander-inchief, Dronacharya.</p>
<p>Dronacharya was the acharya, or teacher, of both Kauravas and Pandavas. He was the military teacher. When all of them were children, they studied under Dronacharya. Dronacharya was a brahmana, but he knew the military art. Therefore he was appointed teacher for all the boys. But Dronacharya joined with Duryodhana. Bhismadeva joined with Duryodhana. None of them joined with Arjuna. Because Arjuna or Maharaja Yudhinthira was not the king at that time the financial control was not in their hands and these people, the sons of Dhatarantra, controlled government political power. The financial control too was in their hands. So they were giving enough money for maintenance to Dronacharya and Bhismadeva. So both Dronacharya and Bhismadeva felt obliged. Of course, they knew everything. But externally, they felt obligation: “Arjuna, I am getting money from Duryodhana. So in this point of danger, if I do not join him, it does not look well. I am getting financial maintenance.”</p>
<p>Of course, Arjuna did not ask him. Arjuna was satisfied with having Krishna. Krishna also divided Himself. Since it was a family quarrel, He said, “I cannot take part with either side, and even if I side with any of you, I shall not fight. Directly I shall not fight. I may be on your side or that side, but I’ll not fight.” Still, Arjuna was satisfied. So Krishna, in order to satisfy Arjuna, he agreed to become his charioteer. So in this way the battle was arranged, and when Dhatarantra inquired, kim akurvata sanjaya ”What did they do?” Sanjaya said, “Sir, don’t be disappointed. There was no compromise. Your son, immediately upon seeing the military arrangement of the Pandavas, went to Dronacharya to inquire and assess the situation.” Raja vacanam abravit: Duryodhana spoke the next verse.</p>
<p>Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)</p>
<p>pasyaitam pandu-putranam<br /> acharya mahatim camum<br /> vyudham drupada-putrena<br /> tava sinyena dhimata<br /> [Gita 1.3]</p>
<p>Translation: “O my teacher, behold the great army of the sons of Pandu, so expertly arranged by your intelligent disciple, the son of Drupada.”</p>
<p>Prabhupada:The son of Drupada was meant for killing Dronacharya. Drupada Maharaja was not in good terms with Dronacharya. So he performed a yajna to get a son who could kill Dronacharya. That son is Dhantadyumna, whom Duryodhana calls dhimata, “very intelligent. Dronacharya knew that Dhantadyumna is going to kill him. Still, when Dhantadyumna approached Dronacharya to become his disciple, to learn military art, Dronacharya accepted without hesitation. This is the qualification of brahmanas to be liberal: “Never mind, he would kill me in future. But if he has come to me seeking knowledge, I must teach him.” Duryodhana is trying to provoke Dronacharya by pointing out, ”After studying under you, intelligent Dhantadyumna has arranged our enemy’s army just to kill you.” But Dronacharya was duty-bound. After all, everyone must die; nobody will exist forever. So nobody should be afraid of death. Death is inevitable: “As sure as death.” Who can avoid death? So being afraid of death, we should not deviate from our duties, real duty. That is Vedic civilization.</p>
<p>Sanjaya with Dhrtarastra</p>
<p>Pasyaitam pandu-putranam acharya (Gita 1.3): “My dear teacher, just see how many military soldiers are standing there on behalf of the Pandavas, and they have been arranged by your disciple, who is meant for killing you. So just remember.” Duryodhana is trying to say, “You fight so strongly that this boy and the other party may not kill you.” But Duryodhana does not know that death does not depend on military strength or bodily strength. When death will come, nobody can check. Death is God. When Krishna desires that “This man should be killed now,” or “He must die now,” nobody can check. Rakhe Krishna mare ke, mare Krishna rakhe ke: If Krishna desires to kill somebody, nobody can give him protection, no power. And if He wants to save somebody, nobody can kill him. This is Krishna’s protection.</p>
<p>These warriors, like Dronacharya, Bhismadeva and Karna very, very, big, powerful commanders. Arjuna was nothing before them. Parikshit Maharaja compared Arjuna with others in this way: “My grandfather was just like an ordinary fish, and these soldiers, these commanders, were just like timingila.” Timingila is a fish we get information from Vedic literature a very big fish. They swallow up the whales. Timi means whale fish, and timingila means those who swallow whales, just as small fishes get swallowed up. So just imagine how big timingila is. So these commanders Karna, Dronacharya, and Bhisma were compared with the timingila. And Arjuna although very powerful was compared with timi. So Parikshit Maharaja admitted, “It was not possible for my grandfather to win over the battle before these big, big commanders. It is only by the grace of Krishna he was saved.”</p>
<p>So the conclusion is if Krishna saves, nobody can kill; and if Krishna wants to kill, nobody can save. Therefore our conclusion should be that we should always be under the protection of Krishna. Avasya raknibe Krishna this is saranagati, or surrender. Surrender means, “I am surrendering to Krishna with full faith that He is quite competent to give me protection.” This is called surrender. Not that hesitation: “Oh, I will surrender to Krishna, and in case of danger, He may not be able to give me protection.” That is not surrender. With full faith: “Yes, Krishna is so powerful, Krishna is so great, that I am surrendering to Krishna from this day. O Krishna, I have been wandering throughout the universe life after life without knowing my relationship with you. Now, today, I surrender unto you. Kindly accept me and engage me in your service.”</p>
<p>Thank you very much.<br /> <br /> <strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16072">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16072</a></p></div>Kings, Protection, And Commitment by Bhaktimarga Swamihttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/kings-protection-and-commitment-by-bhaktimarga-swami2023-07-18T10:29:43.000Z2023-07-18T10:29:43.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12150314654,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="300" alt="12150314654?profile=RESIZE_400x" /></p>
<p>Our bus for the Krishna Culture Festival Tour is up for some repair, and while that's going on, business is as usual with morning sadhana, a spiritual workout. The local devotees are rather occupied with the Chariot Fest preparations. I am gleefully involved with our bus crew with kirtan and class.</p>
<p>The class was based on Canto 10 to do with the cruel King Kamsa Driving the chariot of his newly married sister and brother-in-law. He had just heard an ethereal voice that prophesized his death. He was extremely defensive, and the story goes on. Somehow or other, my theme on this story was about protection. I spoke about how an actual Vedic king's responsibility was to protect all citizens which included women, children, the elderly, animals, even trees, plants, grass.</p>
<p id="viewer-9173g">“To offer protection to various sectors of society, it requires real commitment on the part of the protectors.”</p>
<p id="viewer-6bnsh">In my delivery I stuck by that word ‘commitment’ – about setting goals, starting a worthy project and follow through, and seeing to its completion. The result of the talk was that one of the listeners came to see me, so this person and I indulged in what that actually looks like. It was a reinforcement of what our guru taught us.</p>
<p id="viewer-er2jp">I had to cancel one of my Gita Chat Zoom calls but was able to preserve my Friday night commitment. The verse we discussed from the Gita, chapter 2, was about being aware that anyone of our senses can carry away our intelligence like a boat being swept away by the wind. A great image really!</p>
<p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.thewalkingmonk.net/post/kings-protection-and-commitment">https://www.thewalkingmonk.net/post/kings-protection-and-commitment</a></p></div>Devotees Are Protected by the Vishnudutas!https://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/devotees-are-protected-by-the-vishnudutas2021-06-12T10:21:40.000Z2021-06-12T10:21:40.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9082417064,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="450" alt="9082417064?profile=RESIZE_584x" /></p>
<p>Prabhupāda: So the devotees are protected by the Viṣṇudūtas always, constantly. They are invisibly wandering all over the universe. We may see or not see, because we cannot see spiritual body with these material eyes. So even we do not see, the Viṣṇudūta is always protecting the devotees from the enemies.</p>
<p>As I have explained yesterday, devotees will have enemies. Kṛṣṇa had enemies. This world is such: envious. Ordinarily, they are envious. The whole world is full of enviousness. Even the greatest personalities like Indra, he is also envious. If somebody is undergoing great austerities, the Indra becomes envious. Just like Viśvāmitra. Viśvāmitra was meditating by the yoga process. Immediately Indra became disturbed, "Oh, this man is practicing so much severe austerities. He may capture my post some day. So this man must be curbed down immediately." Just like in political party, everyone is thinking, "Oh, this man is becoming greater than me. So he should be curbed down, he should be checked. Otherwise, some day he may occupy my ministership." This is the position of the world. Everyone is envious.</p>
<p>So the devotees have, I mean to say, enemies. But the Viṣṇudūta protects, as Kṛṣṇa says, that kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31): "My dear Arjuna, you can declare on My behalf that a devotee will never be... A pure devotee." Always remember—a pure devotee. Devotee means a pure devotee. Contaminated devotee is different. Dvidha-bhakta and śuddha-bhakta. Those who are contaminated with material desires, with fruitive activities and mental speculation, they are contaminated devotees. They are not pure devotees. Pure devotees means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), no material desire, no action and fruitive activities, no mental speculation. So he is pure devotee.</p>
<p>So that pure devotee in transcendental position is always protected by the Lord. And His Viṣṇudūta is wandering everywhere. Just like Ajāmila. As soon as he was arrested by the Yamadūtas, immediately they approached. So as there are different police department—military police department, civil police department—similarly, there is transcendental police department. Don't be afraid. Yes. Here it is stated. So simply we have to be sincere devotee, and all protection will be given by Kṛṣṇa.</p>
<p>So rakṣanti bhakti, tad-bhaktimataḥ parebhyo mattaś ca. Now, Yamarāja says mattaś ca. Not only from the enemies, but mattaḥ, means "My men," the Yamadūtas. Because they were surprised. The Yamadūtas were surprised, "How is that? Some four-handed, very good looking persons came and checked our duty." So therefore Yamarāja said that "The devotees are protected from the Yamadūtas, by the men of Yamarāja." Mattaś ca, martyān atha sarvataś ca. Therefore a devotee has nothing to fear. He is protected from the attack of enemies, from the attack of Yamadūtas. How is that? There are many hundreds and thousands of instances—Prahlāda Mahārāja, Haridāsa Ṭhākura...</p>
<p>But don't think that a devotee will not have enemies. A devotee may have anything. Oh, he may be attacked by enemies. He may be attacked with severe type of diseases and so many things. But he will be protected. That is the difference between a devotee and a nondevotee. A nondevotee is neglected. That is stated by Prahlāda Mahārāja, that people may discover so many antibiotics or antiseptics for giving protection, or "anti" measures, but unless he is given protection by Kṛṣṇa, all those "anti" devices will not protect, help him. That is certain.</p>
<p>Therefore we should take protection only of Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, our all protective measures will fail. Rāvaṇa... when Rāvaṇa was attacked by Rāmacandra... he was a great devotee of Lord Śiva, so he began to pray. Because life and death question, he was praying to Lord Śiva, "Please save me. I have served you so much." Rāvaṇa was so great devotee of Lord Śiva that he sometimes cut his head and offered to Lord Śiva. So... and Śiva was thinking very deeply what to do.</p>
<p>And Pārvatī was requesting that, "Your such a great devotee, he is in danger, and he is asking your help, and you are sitting idly? You are doing nothing? How is that?" Lord Śiva replied that, "It is not possible to protect him. It is not possible for me." So as a woman, sympathetic, she came out, and that, "If you cannot protect, then I shall go and protect Rāvaṇa." But she also could not protect. Therefore there is a... it is a verse, māre kṛṣṇa rākhe ke: "If Kṛṣṇa desires to kill somebody, nobody can protect." And rākhe kṛṣṇa māre ke: "And if Kṛṣṇa protects somebody, nobody can kill." This is the process.</p>
<p>(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Gorakhpur, February 12, 1971)<br /> <br /> <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://bit.ly/3gtmFlx">https://bit.ly/3gtmFlx</a></p></div>Daily Nrsimha Yajna for Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja’s protection and recoveryhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/daily-nrsimha-yajna-for-bhakti-charu-swami-maharaja-s-protection-2020-06-19T12:07:32.000Z2020-06-19T12:07:32.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}6110320070,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="600" alt="6110320070?profile=RESIZE_710x" />Dear Maharajas and Devotees,</p>
<p>Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.</p>
<p>We are all distressed to hear the news that His Holiness Bhakti Charu Maharaja has recently contracted the Corona Virus and is in critical condition in the ICU unit of a hospital in the U.S. We therefore immediately made arrangements to carry on a daily Nrsimha Yajna for Maharaja’s protection and recovery. We are requesting all devotees to please keep Maharaja in your hearts and pray that he may quickly revive his health and completely recover from this virulent disease.</p>
<p>Maharaja has selflessly been one of the strongest supporters of the TOVP. Under his GBC Chairmanship he inaugurated the installation of the Chakras in 2018, traveled with us to personally preach in Bangladesh, spoke on many of our TOVP international videos, helped greatly with the opening ceremony of the Pujari Floor, and was scheduled to travel with us during our 2020 North American Tour, which had to be canceled. We shall always remain indebted to him for his constant support.</p>
<p>H.H. Bhakti Charu Maharaja is a uniquely qualified devotee, a real transcendental gentleman and erudite scholar, and a very intimate disciple who has received tremendous mercy from Srila Prabhupada. Please pray fervently for Maharaja’s well being so he can remain with us and continue his wonderful preaching activities for many more years. We will continue with our Yajnas and Kirtans on a daily basis at the Lotus Feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Sri Prahalada Narasimhadev.</p>
<p>Thank you all so very much.</p>
<p>Your servants,</p>
<p>Ambarisa das</p>
<p>Braja Vilasa das<br /> <br /> <strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=86555">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=86555</a></p></div>