My Heartfelt Effusion Chapter Five

A devotee may ask the Lord to appear as her son. The Lord is already sitting within the heart, and if He comes out from the body of a devotee it does not mean that the particular woman becomes His mother in the material sense. He is always there, but in order to please His devotee, He appears as her son.[182]

In other words, when the demigods become distressed by the sufferings of the conditioned souls, they approach the Lord to remedy the suffering, and the Personality of Godhead descends.[183]

When we say “Krishna” we refer to all forms of the Lord — not only Krishna, but Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Nārāyaṇa, etc. The varieties of transcendental forms exist simultaneously. That is also stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: rāmādi-mūrtiṣu … nānāvatāram. He already exists in multiforms, but none of the forms are material.[184]

ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan

nanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintu

räma-ädi—the incarnation of Lord Räma, etc.; mürtiñu—in different forms; kalä-

niyamena—by the order of plenary portions; tiñöhan—existing; nänä—various;

avatäram—incarnations; akarot—executed; bhuvaneñu—within the worlds; kintu—but

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself personally as Krishna

and the different avatäras in the world in the forms of Räma, Nåsiàha, Vämana, etc.,

as His subjective portions.[185]

That ends Canto Three Chapter Twenty-Four of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Lord Kapila explained the path of the transcendentalists to His mother as she had uncontaminated desire for transcendental realization. The symptoms of a sadhu are to be tolerant, merciful, friendly, peaceful, sublime, and abides by the scriptures. Sankhya philosophy is a combination of devotional service and mystic realization. When the devotees accept Lord as their Friend, Relative, Son, Preceptor, Benefactor, or Supreme Deity, they are not deprived of their possessions. The only means of attaining perfection of life is to engage in intensive practice of devotional service. Śrī Śaunaka said: Although He is unborn, the Supreme Personality of Godhead took birth as Kapila Muni by His internal potency. He descended to disseminate transcendental knowledge for the benefit of the whole human race.[186]

Devahūti said: I am very sick of the disturbance caused by my material senses, for because of this sense disturbance, my Lord, I have fallen into the abyss of ignorance.[187] Devahūti has stated that false identification of the body with the self and attachment for possessions in relation to the body are also under the direction of the Lord. Does this mean that the Lord discriminates by engaging one in His devotional service and another in sense gratification? If that were true, it would be an incongruity on the part of the Supreme Lord, but that is not the actual fact. As soon as the living entity forgets his real, constitutional position of eternal servitorship to the Lord and wants instead to enjoy himself by sense gratification, he is captured by māyā. This capture by māyā is the consciousness of false identification with the body and attachment for the possessions of the body. These are the activities of māyā, and since māyā is also an agent of the Lord, it is indirectly the action of the Lord. The Lord is merciful; if anyone wants to forget Him and enjoy this material world, He gives him full facility, not directly but through the agency of His material potency. Therefore, since the material potency is the Lord’s energy, indirectly it is the Lord who gives the facility to forget Him. Devahūti therefore said, “My engagement in sense gratification was also due to You. Now kindly get me free from this entanglement.”[188]

Rendering service to the materialists has the opposite effect. If anyone offers service to a gross materialist, or a person engaged only in sense enjoyment, then by association with such a person the door to hell is opened.[189]

Question? I often help my neighbors cook and clean thinking I am doing so to please Krishna. Should I stop rendering service and helping them?

It is almost 2:30 p.m. Only five hours until Srimad-Bhagavatam zoom class!

The text for today is;

vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane

vacāṁsi — his words; vaikuṇṭha-guṇa-anuvarṇane — describing the glories of Krishna

Mahārāja Ambarīṣa always engaged his mind in meditating upon the lotus feet of Krishna. He engaged his legs in walking to the holy places and temples of the Lord, his head in bowing down before the Lord, and all his desires in serving the Lord, twenty-four hours a day.[190][195] Always engage your voice in chanting or speaking about Krishna. The mind is engaged automatically. Then arms, the hands, is engaged in cleansing the temple.[193] Then the legs should be used for going to the temple. Hands should be used for cleansing the temple. Nose should be used for smelling the flowers offered to Krishna. Ears should be used for hearing about Krishna. In this way if we engage our senses in different activities relating to Krishna, that is success of life.[194] All the activities of their senses are engaged in the service of the Lord.[199] “King Ambarīṣa always fixed his mind on the lotus feet of the Lord and talked of Him only.” [190][200]  He engaged his words only in glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.[201]

asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ

yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu

asaṁśayam — without doubt; samagram — completely; mām — Me; yathā — how; jñāsyasi — you can know; tat — that; śṛṇu — try to hear.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Now hear, O son of Pṛthā, how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.[192] In other words, if one wants to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead in completeness, one must follow the prescriptions given by Krishna by following in the footsteps of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa.[191] And unless one is Krishna conscious it is not at all possible to control the senses.[196] Unless the mind is fixed on the lotus feet of the Lord by constant remembrance, such transcendental engagements are not practical. In the devotional service of the Lord, therefore, these prescribed activities are called arcana, or engaging all the senses in the service of the Lord.[197] If all our desires are for Krishna, there is no scope for material desire. All material desire is automatically finished.[198]   

Because a devotee is freed from all contaminated material association, he is not affected by the miseries of material existence. Even though he appears to be in the material world, he is not affected by the miseries of the material world. How is it possible? There is a very good example in the activities of the cat. The cat carries her kittens in her mouth, and when she kills a rat she also carries the booty in her mouth. Thus both are carried in the mouth of the cat, but they are in different conditions. The kitten feels comfort in the mouth of the mother, whereas when the rat is carried in the mouth of the cat, the rat feels the blows of death. Similarly, those who are sādhavaḥ, or devotees engaged in Krishna consciousness in the transcendental service of the Lord, do not feel the contamination of material miseries, whereas those who are not devotees in Krishna consciousness actually feel the miseries of material existence. One should therefore give up the association of materialistic persons and seek the association of persons engaged in Krishna consciousness, and by such association he will benefit in spiritual advancement. By their words and instructions, he will be able to cut off his attachment to material existence.[202]

Thus by not engaging in the service of the modes of material nature but by developing Krishna consciousness, knowledge in renunciation, and by practicing yoga, in which the mind is always fixed in devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one achieves My association in this very life, for I am the Supreme Personality, the Absolute Truth.[203]

Question? Did I read that right? "one achieves My association in this very life, for I am the Supreme Personality, the Absolute Truth." Reminder to self, Parshva Ekadashi in ISKCON on Thursday, September 16, 2021. On 17th Sep, Parana Time - 07:23 to 11:29

Śrī Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, a great devotee of Lord Caitanya, said, kaivalyaṁ narakāyate: “The happiness of becoming one with the Supreme Lord, which is aspired for by the Māyāvādīs, is considered hellish.” That oneness is not for pure devotees.[204] In the year 1433 Śakābda (A.D. 1511) during the period of Cāturmāsya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu resided at the abode of Śrī Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī and his brothers Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa and Tirumalaya Bhaṭṭa in Śrī Raṅgam. Our revered Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī was the son of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa. During His time there, Mahāprabhu daily spoke hari-kathā with His associates. Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda took up residence at Kāliya-hrada near the Yamunā and would regularly meet with the Six Gosvāmīs. He began composing numerous works in which he described how the Śrutis, Smṛtis, and Upaniṣads are devoted to the moods of the Vraja-devīs and aspire to have their service and company.* Unsourced online research.

[Someone may say that aside from devotees, who always seek shelter at the Lord’s lotus feet, there are those who are not devotees but who have accepted different processes for attaining salvation. What happens to them? In answer to this question, Lord Brahmā and the other demigods said:] O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet.[204] Those who are not faithful in this devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of enemies. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in this material world.[205] Modern society is involved in various types of philanthropic works, humanitarian works and so on, but people do not know that these activities will never be successful unless Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is brought into the center.[206] The Bhāgavatam says that because nondevotees neglect the transcendental loving service of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, their intelligence is not sufficient, and therefore these persons fall down.[207] The conclusion is that by serving Krishna (Krishna-sevā), everything is complete.

kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya:   

If one is engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, everything is automatically accomplished.[208]   

That ends Canto Three Chapter Twenty-Five of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

The following is just brief notes and a short overview of what I have read. Kindly correct me if anything is wrong. Pradhana means material nature in its subtle stage, the stage where cause and effect are not clearly manifested, condition of the material nature immediately previous to its manifestation. When time agitates the neutral state of material nature, it begins to produce varieties of manifestations. The living force is a component of the Spiritual world. In the beginning, from clear consciousness, the first contamination sprang up. This is called false ego. This is also represented as different senses and sense organs and gives us an illusion of advancement of civilization. However advanced a man is, if he is not fixed in Krishna Consciousness, he will simply accept and reject and will never be able to fix his mind on a particular subject matter. Intelligence is the discriminating power to understand an object and it helps the senses to make choices. The False ego of the living entity is known by the name of Lord Sankarsana. The Mind of the living entity is known by the name of Lord Aniruddha. It is stated in Vedanta Sutra that sound is the origin of all objects of material possession and by that one can dissolve this material existence. In the fire there is sound, touch and form. The planetary systems are considered to form different bodily parts of the Universal form of the Lord . In this, the Patala is considered as sole of the Supreme Lord, Earth as belly and Brahmaloka as head. The Sun is considered as the eyes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The presiding deity of mind is the moon, of intelligence is Brahma, of false ego is Siva. The analytical study of the elements of material nature and the concentration of the mind upon the Supersoul are the sum and substance of the Sankhya philosophical system.

 "Every Dog Has His Pride"   

A dog is also thinking he's in a prestigious position = "I am dog. I can bark very loudly. Gow! Gow!" He's also thinking that.[209]

So, we must give up false pride.

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate   

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍha — bewildered by false ego

The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.[210]   

manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārtha

manye — I consider; tat-arpita — surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord; manaḥ — his mind; vacana — words; īhita — every endeavor

If a brāhmaṇa has all twelve of the brahminical qualifications [as they are stated in the book called Sanat-sujāta] but is not a devotee and is averse to the lotus feet of the Lord, he is certainly lower than a devotee who is a dog-eater but who has dedicated everything — mind, words, activities, wealth and life — to the Supreme Lord. Such a devotee is better than such a brāhmaṇa because the devotee can purify his whole family, whereas the so-called brāhmaṇa in a position of false prestige cannot purify even himself.[211]

jagāi mādhāi haite muñi se pāpiṣṭha

purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se laghiṣṭha

jagāi mādhāi — the two brothers Jagāi and Mādhāi; haite — than; muñi — I; se — that; pāpiṣṭha — more sinful; purīṣera — in stool; kīṭa — the worms; haite — than; muñi — I am; se — that; laghiṣṭha — lower

I am more sinful than Jagāi and Mādhāi and even lower than the worms in the stool.[212]

Back in the third Canto it is said. Similarly, although the supreme light is situated in His personal abode, Vaikuṇṭha or Vṛndāvana, His light is diffused not only in the spiritual world but beyond that. In the material world also, that light is reflected by the sun globe, and the sunlight is reflected by the moon globe. Thus although He is situated in His own abode, His light is distributed all over the spiritual and material worlds.[213] Does that mean the Sun Globe is not the source of light?

Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ

goloke—in Goloka Våndävana; eva—certainly; nivasati—resides; akhila-ätma—as the

soul of all; bhütaù—who exists

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rädhä, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhés], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.[214]

"Remember the Titanic"

We have got science, medicine, and relief arrangement. They are all useless?" Yes. They are useful so long, as long as Krishna says "Yes." If Krishna says "No," then in spite of all this relief, nothing will be done. This is the answer. You can open many hospitals, but if Krishna says that "This patient must die," you cannot give any protection. That is not possible. In spite of your hospital, good medicine, good physician, the patient must die. "The human life means if somebody is being killed, so he should be immediately warned, taking warning, "Oh, my turn is coming. Let me go away."

There is one story in this connection. Not story; these are facts. A hunter spread his net. So some little birds, they fell down in the net and they are crying. They are crying. So the father, mother, when they came, they saw that their children are in danger = "It is caught by the net of the hunter." So mother immediately jumped over it to save the children, and she was also captured. Then the father saw, "Now if I go to save them, I'll be captured. Let me go away. Let me take sannyāsa. That's all." [laughter] That is intelligence.[215]

One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable demigod.[216]

So in spite of all scientific protection, in spite of all good brains behind the manufacture of this Titanic ship, it was drowned.[217]

Just like a man, a man is suffering from some disease, and you have employed first-class physician, first-class medicine, first-class everything, but still the man dies. What is the cause? The cause is daiva. That in spite of all your endeavors, because God does not like that he should live, you cannot save him.[218]

Taptasya tat-pratividhir ya ihāñjaseṣṭas

 taptasya — of a person suffering from a condition of material misery; tat-pratividhiḥ — the counteraction (invented for stopping the suffering of material existence); yaḥ — that which; iha — in this material world; añjasā — very easily; iṣṭaḥ — accepted (as a remedy)

 My Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, O Supreme, because of a bodily conception of life, embodied souls neglected and not cared for by You cannot do anything for their betterment. Whatever remedies they accept, although perhaps temporarily beneficial, are certainly impermanent. For example, a father and mother cannot protect their child, a physician and medicine cannot relieve a suffering patient, and a boat on the ocean cannot protect a drowning man.[219]

 Reminder to self Vamana Dvadashi on Friday, September 17, 2021

 Lord Vishnu incarnated as Vamana to restore the reign of God Indra on Swarga Loka. King Bali, a great devotee of Lord Vishnu, overthrew Indra and established himself as the king of Swarga Loka. Despite being the Vishnu devotee and a munificent king, Bali was cruel and proud. He wielded his powers to threaten the Gods and Brahmins. By abusing his powers on Gods and Humans alike, the invincible king Bali expanded his kingdom and became the king of Swarga Loka, Bhu Loka and Patala Loka.[220]

 "Rascal! Surrender!", "End This Hog Civilization!" by Srila Prabhupada   

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

teṣām — unto them; satata-yuktānām — always engaged; bhajatām — in rendering devotional service; prīti-pūrvakam — in loving ecstasy; dadāmi — I give; buddhi-yogam — real intelligence; tam — that; yena — by which; mām — unto Me; upayānti — come; te — they.

To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me. Krishna from within gives him instructions so that he may ultimately come to Him without difficulty.[221]

So Brahmā was also educated. That means beginning from Brahmā down to the small insect, they are all in ignorance, all fools and rascals. That is the constitutional position. Nobody should be proud of his knowledge. Everyone is a rascal. Everyone. And the small insects, it is also thinking like that---"If I can create a small hole within the room, then I can live very peacefully and eat." The same propensity. As Brahmā is thinking to create an universe, you are thinking to create an skyscraper building, the ant is thinking to create a hole within the room---the quality of the work is the same.[222]

Lokasya sadyo vidhunoti kalmaṣam

lokasya — of all people; sadyaḥ — forthwith; vidhunoti — specifically cleanses; kalmaṣam — effects of sins

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the all-auspicious Lord Śrī Krishna, about whom glorification, remembrances, audience, prayers, hearing and worship can at once cleanse the effects of all sins of the performer.[223]

Lord Ṛṣabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one’s heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.

Animals like dogs and hogs enjoy sense gratification by eating stool. Human life means voluntarily practicing suffering for the advancement of spiritual life. Without Krishna consciousness a person is no better than a hog or dog.[224]

Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham

yat — that which (is meant for material sense gratification); maithuna-ādi — represented by talking of sex, reading sexual literature or enjoying sex life (at home or outside, as in a club); gṛhamedhi-sukham — all types of material happiness based on attachment to family, society, friendship, etc.; hi — indeed; tuccham — insignificant

Sex life is compared to the rubbing of two hands to relieve an itch. Gṛhamedhis, so-called gṛhasthas who have no spiritual knowledge, think that this itching is the greatest platform of happiness, although actually it is a source of distress. The kṛpaṇas, the fools who are just the opposite of brāhmaṇas, are not satisfied by repeated sensuous enjoyment. Those who are dhīra, however, who are sober and who tolerate this itching, are not subjected to the sufferings of fools and rascals.[225]

In reference to the low-grade happiness of sex life, Yāmunācārya says in this connection:

yadāvadhi mama cetaḥ Krishna-padāravinde

nava-nava-rasa-dhāmanudyata rantum āsīt

tadāvadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne

bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭu niṣṭhīvanaṁ ca

“Since I have been engaged in the transcendental loving service of Krishna, realizing ever-new pleasure in Him, whenever I think of sex pleasure, I spit at the thought, and my lips curl with distaste.” Yāmunācārya had formerly been a great king who enjoyed sexual happiness in various ways, but since he later engaged himself in the service of the Lord, he enjoyed spiritual bliss and hated to think of sex life. If sexual thoughts came to him, he would spit with disgust.[225][226][227]

So in any conception of this material world if we live, then you are living like cats and dogs. You are not living as human being. Otherwise where is the difference? When we see on the street two dogs are fighting, one dog is thinking, "This neighborhood is my jurisdiction, and why you have come from other jurisdiction in this neighborhood?" They are fighting, so the bodily concept of life. Or he is thinking, "This neighborhood belongs to me. Why you have come from other neighborhood here?" I say sometimes to my student, "This is immigration department. One dog is barking on other dog, 'Why you have come here?' " It is dog conception of life. If there is no God realization, simply working hard day and night for sense gratification, it is accepted as hog civilization, dog civilization[228]

The path of spiritual realization is just like the sharp edge of a razor. The example is very appropriate. One shaves his cheeks with a sharp razor very nicely, but as soon as his attention is diverted from the activity, he immediately cuts his cheek because he mishandles the razor.[229]

That ends Canto Three Chapter Twenty-Six of Srimad-Bhagavatam.