Victory Over Death

Chapter 1
Your Thoughts Create

Your Next Body

Victory Over Death

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ya ya vpi smaran bhva tyajaty ante kalevaram
ta tam evaiti kaunteya sad tad-bhva-bhvita

Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body,
O son of Kunti, that state he will attain without fail. (BG 8.6)
Flowering Of Consciousness
What Separates A Human From Any Other Animal?
Nowadays, man imagines that we are the pinnacle of evolution
and the greatest creatures in the universe. We are sometimes even
more animalistic than other animals who, given a chance, would
probably view us with hatred. We would never find an army of
geese going about in bands to murder others of their own blood.
We human beings tend to display more irrational cruelty and a
more destructive nature than our fellow creatures. And if we think
ourselves different from, or better than animals, because of an
impressive manipulation of material energy in the form of atomic
power, inventing innumerable electronic gadgets like mobile, TV,
etc. for enjoyment, or our ability to pen a few lines of decorative
poetry, Hitopadesha tells us: If a persons essential motivation
includes the four functions of eating, sleeping, mating and
defending, what separates him from any other animal?
Eating
When we eat, our dog eats. We experience pleasure and the
dog too experiences the same pleasure. Your nose may recoil
when you see a dog eating a stinking fish. But remember, one
mans food is another mans poison. In one sense, an animal
experiences more pleasure than a human. An animals mind is less
cluttered by distractions. Have you ever noticed how peacefully
and joyfully the mother cow chews her food all day long? To test
her absorption in eating, I once quietly crept behind a cow
chewing her food, with a blown-up paper bag in my hand. A few
Your Thoughts Create Your Next Body

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men were also gulping down food without noticing me. Bang! I
blew the paper bag. The humans jumped, What was that? Our
cow, with full attention on her cow feed, nodding her head with
closed eyes, happily continued eating without any distraction.
A sophisticated array of shopping centres, restaurants,
kitchenettes, kitchen machines and decorations, shipping methods,
agro-businesses, silverware and fashionable advertisingwe are
involved in the same business as any other animaleating.
Sleeping
Whether we sleep on a waterbed, on the floor, or in a tree, a
sleeper, man or animal, undergoes the same metabolic functions
and rejuvenation of tired limbs and organs. Once asleep, the
particular place ceases to have any relevance. Like healthy, happy
children, animals usually have no trouble sleeping. Sometimes,
unhappy insomniac humans wish they could sleep like a polar
bear, and if they do happen to get a good nights sleep they feel
very pleased. Thus, the sleeping-pill-eating two-legged pinnacles
of evolution find themselves striving for the simple pleasure of
sleep, a pleasure fully available to every animal.
Mating
Desmond Morris bluntly puts romance as nothing more than
an instinctive, animalistic desire for sex. When Brahmananda das
first met Srila Prabhupada they talked about this point, which he
relates in the Srila Prabhupada lilamrta:
After I talked about my desire for religious life, I began
telling him about a conflict I had with one of my professors in
English literature. He was a Freudian, so he would explain the
characters in all the novels in a Freudian context and with a
Freudian terminology. Everything was sexual the mother for the
son, this one for that one, and so on. But I would see it in terms of
a religious impulse, or some desire to understand God. I would

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write my papers in that context, and my professor would always
say, The religious can also be interpreted as Freudian.
So I didnt do very well in the course. I mentioned this to the
Swami, and he said, Your professor is correct. I was surprised
I am going to an Indian swami and he is saying the professor was
correct, that everything was based on sex and not religion. This
kind of pulled the rug out from under me. Then he qualified what
hed said. He explained that in the material world everyone is
operating on the basis of sex; everything that everyone is doing is
driven by the sex impulse. So, he said, Freud is correct.
Everything is on the basis of sex. Then he clarified what material
life is and what spiritual life is. In spiritual life, there is a
complete absence of sex desire. This had a profound effect on
me.
A boy once told me that the affection he felt for his girlfriend
was spiritual irrespective of her age and beauty. She was in fact,
young and beautiful, so I replied: Supposing I were to snap my
fingers and she immediately became eighty years old, would you
still feel the same way about her? ErYes, of course, well,
to be honest, no.
As far as the natural result of sex is concerned, pregnancy, can
we be better than the animals? A sow can easily produce thirteen
or fourteen piglets many times throughout her life, whereas a
woman with twins has to struggle to attend to a newsman at her
door. A mosquito can produce a million offspring without much
trouble. Could it be that human life is meant for more than
attempting to perfect the art of romance and reproduction?
Defending
We have bombs, bank accounts, houses, locks, doctors,
insurance policies and peace treaties. Animals have teeth, claws,
nests, bad smells, natural camouflage and speed. But whether we
are a Massachutes Institute of Technology graduate or a mouse,
we are all struggling to survive. No one meets death willingly.
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Every living being in his or her own way tries to get rid of the
distress caused by old age, disease, loss or death.
Instinct vs. Rational Behaviour
People sometimes think that animals function like machines,
without feeling or reasonsolely according to instinct. The
Oxford dictionary says that instinct is an innate propensity to
seemingly rational acts performed without conscious intention. If
this is true for animal behaviour, what makes human behaviour
any different? If animals are driven by innate propensities, what
about our urges to eat, sleep, mate and defend? Do we rationally
decide, Now I will experience the urge to sleep, to evacuate, to
eat or to feel attracted to a member of the opposite sex? No, like
the animals, humans are also driven to action by the machine of
the material energy, of which our body is a part.
When a couple has children, they feel an overpowering urge to
protect, feed, clothe and house them. Conscientious parents
happily neglect their own pleasures and interests for their
childrens sake. We call this love and the animals concern for
her young, instinct. But is there any real difference?
In Vrindavana, I watched a monkey and her baby. The baby
repeatedly crawled away. Tirelessly, the mother retrieved her
errant son by the tail. Suddenly he made a dash for freedom, and,
to apprehend him, she had to exert herself more than she felt
reasonable. She held the restless child with one hand and gave him
a good telling off by angry chattering and gestures. For some time
after that, the baby remained quietly by her side.
If this is simply instinctive, mechanistic behaviour, then surely
our human feelings are no different.
To help resolve this problem whether or not anyone in this
world can express original thought, feelings, actions, etc., the
Bhagavad-gita explains that every living beings behaviour is a
combination of both free will and determinism: The spirit soul
bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of

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activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of
material nature. (BG 3.27) The living entity is the cause of the
various sufferings and enjoyments in this world. (BG 13.21)
Human Form Of Life A Special Creation Of The Lord
As humans and beasts share similar bones, skin, hair, eyes,
noses, hearts and minds, we also share the ability to act rationally.
Animals can learn all kinds of tricks or ways to achieve their
goals. They can also calculate where, when, and how to find food.
Think about the pictures of tigers and lions hunting for food. They
are still, head down and ears flat, in complete concentration,
before they leap on their prey. If they did not concentrate, they
would not be able to get their prey for many days!
For their part, the deer put their heads up, their ears twitching
this way and that way, listening. If they sense their hunter nearby,
they grow still, concentrating, ready to flee. This watchfulness,
continuous and concentrated, saves their lives because many of
them are able to turn away just in time. An all-pervading
intelligence gives animals direction in their migratory and other
habits, but such instinct or higher influence also guides human
behaviour.
Animals can not only be ingenious and artful, but they also
exhibit individuality. No two dogs or horses have exactly the same
natures or ways of doing things. From afar, we may think them all
to be the same, like a group of foreigners, babies or shaven-headed
Hare Krishna monks. When we get to know animals individually,
however, we will understand that they are also distinct persons.
Animals may be able to think about and plan activities that
involve eating, sleeping, mating and defending, but there is no
evidence to indicate that animals try to understand the origin and
purpose of their existence. Srimad-Bhagavatam confirms this
point. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, expanding His own
potency, maya-sakti, created innumerable species of life to house
the conditioned souls. Yet by creating the forms of trees, reptiles,
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animals, birds, snakes and so on, the Lord was not satisfied within
His heart. Then He created human life, which offers the
conditioned soul sufficient intelligence to perceive the Absolute
Truth, and became pleased. (SB 11.9.28)
Lower forms of life, such as the cow and horse, are not
actually suitable to fulfil the purpose of creation. But human life
awards the opportunity to understand ones eternal relationship
with God. As stated in the Vedas, In the human form of life, the
soul is fully endowed with the intelligence to understand spiritual
knowledge. In human life, the soul may speak realised knowledge,
see the truth, know the future, and also understand the reality of
both this world and the next. Taking advantage of the experience
of mortal life, the soul in the human form may endeavour for
immortality. The human body is fully equipped to achieve this
end. Therefore, one must conquer the pushing agents of the
material senses like the urge to speak, the minds demands, actions
of anger, tongue, belly and genitals, and focus all ones energies in
service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to fulfil the actual
purpose of human life.
Five Types Of Consciousness
The Vedic scriptures divide consciousness into five types,
namely covered (avrta), shrunken (sankuchit), budding
(mukullita), blooming (vikasita) and fully bloomed (poorna
vikasita).
Trees and plants, for example, are almost inert. They fall into
the covered consciousness category. They seem to show no sign
of consciousness, but when we observe them carefully, we see
they have a limited consciousness. Other living entities, such as
worms, insects and other animals are in shrunken consciousness.
They are not as covered as the plants, but their consciousness is
not fully developed.
Human beings have budding consciousness. A bud appears
shrunken, but it has the potential to bloom into a flower. Human

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consciousness has similar
potential: it appears
shrunken like the animals,
but humans have the innate
ability to develop their
consciousness to an almost
unlimited extent, up to the
point of knowing the
Absolute Truth, the
Supreme Personality of
Godhead.
Other species do not have this special ability. That is why the
Vedic scriptures consider the human form of life the most elevated
and sacred. When a human being begins to inquire sincerely about
the Absolute Truth, his bud-like spiritual consciousness begins to
expand or evolve. That is the blooming state of consciousness.
When, as a result of his inquiry, he practices regulated spiritual
discipline, he evolves further and further. Finally, he attains
complete God realisation, the fully bloomed state of
consciousness.
One gets a human body after transmigrating through eight
million lower species. Gradually, each fallen soul evolves through
the various stages of consciousnesscovered, shrunken, and
budding. At the budding stage, the embodied soul has the chance
to develop fully his spiritual consciousness by awakening his
relationship with God, the supremely conscious being. If he
neglects that opportunity, he may again undergo transmigration
through the covered, shrunken and budding stages.
The sub-human species are engrossed in bodily consciousness.
Often, human beings are also, but human beings can raise
themselves to higher levels. That is the main difference between
man and the animals. If a man, in spite of his higher faculties,
simply pursues the animal propensities of eating, sleeping, mating
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and defending, he grossly misuses a wonderful gift. He misses a
rare opportunity.
Why is a human being given better standard of life compared
to animals?
There are pigs, dogs, camels, asses whose economic
necessities are just as important to them as ours are to us, but the
economic problems of these animals are solved only under nasty
and unpleasant conditions. During one of my tours, I threw a
chapatti to a monkey under a tree; to my great surprise, two dozen
monkeys rushed there in no time, and had a big fight for that
chapatti. Similarly, a hen cannot eat grains from the ground
without the fear of being caught by the neck by some eagle or cat.
The problems of animals do not stop with eating. You can
sometimes see a bunch of dogs assembled, poised to fight their
opponents to get a bitch. Thus, animals have to fight to get their
basic requirements fulfilled.
The human being, however, is given all facilities for a
comfortable life by the laws of nature, because human form of life
is more important and valuable than animal life. Why is a man
given a better life than that of swine and other animals? Compare
the jobs of a high court magistrate who does very little work but
gets a huge salary, and an ordinary clerk who does hard work
putting rubberstamps all day, sweating and getting a meagre
salary, probably one tenth of what the high court magistrate gets.
The difference is because the high court magistrate has to
discharge duties of a higher nature. Similarly, the duties human
beings have to perform are higher than those of animals, who are
always engaged in feeding their hungry stomachs.
Srila Prabhupada once saw a man wearing a sacred thread, but
pulling a cycle rickshaw. Prabhupada said, J ust see, he is
supposed to do the work of a brahmana reading and reciting
scriptures, performing sacrifice and teaching it to others, accepting

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and giving charity. But because he has given up his dharma, he is
working so hard like an ass.
Thus we have a choice to either abide by the laws of God
given in the scriptures and purify our lives as humans, or to
neglect the injunctions of scriptures and live like animals working
hard for food, mate and shelter.
What is the need of marriage or divorce? Why not a man and
woman just live together?
The scriptures prescribe the system of marriage between man
and woman coming together for the purpose of glorification of
God. If man ignores this injunction of scripture and simply wants
to live together like animals, then he should also be ready to fight
like the dozen dogs in the street who bark at and bite the other
dogs to enjoy with a bitch. This is the reason for increase in illicit
connections and crime rate in many leading countries. Triangular
love (one man wanted by two women or one woman wanted by
two men) has caused heartburning, broken families and several
murders. Marriage is a sacred system based on Vedic civilisation
where a married woman is seen as a mother by all men. A married
woman practices chastity towards her husband and will not leave
her husband to run away with other men, nor will a sane man
touch a married woman.
A human being, because of his elevated intelligence, has the
freedom to choose, either to evolve spiritually and get out of
material consciousness altogether, or to go down to lower
consciousness again. Less intelligent persons often consider
sensual enjoyment the goal of life and squander their lives,
struggling for objects pleasing to their senses. Their absorption in
material ambitions makes lower consciousness their choice by
default. Intelligent persons realise the futility of such endeavours
for bodily pleasures. They realise that everything in the material
world is temporary. By finer intelligence they understand that all
attempts to enjoy end in bondage and misery. That is why,
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throughout history, the wise men were averse to material
enjoyments.
But mere aversion is not enough. One may be averse to
material enjoyment and renounce the world, but the desire for
enjoyment is natural. Because the soul is a minute part of the
Supreme Enjoyer, Krishna, the soul has all His qualities in minute
degree. Therefore, the innate tendency for seeking enjoyment is
inseparable from the soul. A truly intelligent person, therefore,
tries to find the standard of real enjoyment. If such a person is
serious and has good fortune, he comes in touch with a genuine
spiritual teacher, by whose mercy he comes to know what real
enjoyment is. With the spiritual masters guidance, he gets the
opportunity to re-establish his long-lost relationship with God.
This awakening of the souls dormant love of Krishna is an
absolute necessity, because the soul is never fully satisfied unless
united with Him. This is the central theme of the Vedas.
The Different Degrees Of Covering
Lord Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita, As a fire is
covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the
embryo is covered by the womb, the living entity is similarly
covered by different degrees of this lust. (BG 3.38)
A jiva, or soul, that has been condemned to the body of a
plant, is indicated by the Gitas example of an embryo covered by
a womb, because his self-consciousness is almost totally obscured.
Such non-moving forms of life, like trees or plants, are reserved
for living entities that have lived very sinfully. Thus they are put
in a state in which they cannot harm others. Gradually, they will
be granted the privilege of transmigrating to higher species of life
until, after millions of births, they are awarded human birth again.
Upon reaching this human form of life, there is no guarantee that
they will not fall down again through sinful activity.
The second category, that of a mirror covered by dust,
indicates the degree by which consciousness is covered in the

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animal kingdom. If a human being has made his consciousness
cat-like or dog-like, then at the time of death, he may be returned
to a suitable animal body. Though dogs may eat from the gutter
and mate in the street, they incur no karma. On the contrary, they
may be working off sins incurred during misused former human
births. An animal is forced by material nature to act in certain
ways, but only human beings can choose between good karma,
bad karma and akarma, or transcendental karma.
The human beings consciousness is described as fire covered
by smoke. The actual purpose of this human form of life is to
clear away the smoke of illusion, letting the fire of Krishna
consciousness shine forth. There is no measure to the value of
each second of human birth, more precious than all the worlds
gold. Thus, one should begin utilizing every moment towards our
spiritual development. Otherwise, we have no guarantee that we
will have this golden opportunity of human birth again.

What You Weave Now, You Wear Later
As the saying goes, as sure as death, everyone has to face
inevitable death, before transmigrating into the next body. Our
previous book Your Secret J ourney explains in detail the
mechanism of reincarnation, of how the soul leaves one body and
accepts another at death.
What is most important at death is the consciousness in which
we die.
* * *
Lord Krishna states in the Bhagavad-gita (15.8,9):
arra yad avpnoti yac cpy utkrmatvara
ghtvaitni sayti vyur gandhn ivayt

The living entity in the material world carries his different
conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries
aromas. Thus he takes one kind of body and again quits it to take
another. (BG 15.8)
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Srila Prabhupada explains:
Here the living entity is described as ishwara, the controller
of his own body. If he likes, he can change his body to a higher
grade, and if he likes he can move to a lower class. Minute
independence is there. The change his body undergoes depends
upon him. At the time of death, the consciousness he has created
will carry him on to the next type of body. If he has made his
consciousness like that of a cat or dog, he is sure to change to a
cats or dogs body. And if he has fixed his consciousness on
godly qualities, he will change into the form of a demigod. And if
he is in Krishna consciousness, he will be transferred to
Krishnaloka in the spiritual world and will associate with Krishna.
It is a false claim that after the annihilation of this body everything
is finished. The individual soul is transmigrating from one body to
another, and his present body and present activities are the
background of his next body. One gets a different body according
to karma, and he has to quit this body in due course. It is stated
here that the subtle body, which carries the conception of the next
body, develops another body in the next life. This process of
transmigrating from one body to another and struggling while in
the body is called karshati or struggle for existence.
* * *
rotra caku sparana ca rasana ghram eva ca
adhihya mana cya viayn upasevate
The living entity, thus taking another gross body, obtains a
certain type of ear, eye, tongue, nose and sense of touch, which are
grouped about the mind. He thus enjoys a particular set of sense
objects. (BG 15.9)
A human being abhors even the smell of stool, whereas a hog
rushes to consume it as soon as someone moves off after passing
stool. How is it? In both the bodies human and hog the spirit
soul of the same quality is present. Still, depending on what type
of consciousness one cultivates, accordingly the material nature

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offers a certain type of ear, eye, nose and sense of touch to suit the
quality of desire. Why compare a human being and a hog? One
can make a comparison between two human beings. One man may
enjoy consuming hot dog meat or kidney meat of some animal
along with onion, garlic and pickles, with tears gliding down the
cheeks! On the other hand, another human being, in the mode of
goodness, cannot bear to see slaughtered animals hanging in a
meat shop. Thus, these two humans are preparing for two different
future bodies.
Consciousness is originally pure, like water. But if we mix
water with a certain colour, it changes. It is changed according to
the association of the material qualities. Real consciousness is
Krishna consciousness. When, therefore, one is situated in Krishna
consciousness, he is in his pure life. But if his consciousness is
adulterated by some type of material mentality, in the next life he
gets a corresponding body. He does not necessarily get a human
body again; he can get the body of a cat, dog, hog, demigod, or
one of many other forms, for there are 8,400,000 species.
The Fall And The Rise
r-bhagavn uvca
karma daiva-netrea jantur dehopapattaye
striy pravia udara puso reta-karaya
The Personality of Godhead said: Under the supervision of
the Supreme Lord and according to the result of his work, the
living entity, the soul, is made to enter into the womb of a woman
through the particle of male semen to assume a particular type of
body. (SB 3.31.1) After suffering different kinds of hellish
conditions, a man comes again to the human form of body. In
order to give a particular type of human form to a person who has
already suffered hellish life, the soul is transferred to the semen of
a man who is just suitable to become his father. During sexual
intercourse, the soul is transferred through the semen of the father
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into the mothers womb in order to produce a particular type of
body. This process is applicable to all embodied living entities, but
it is especially mentioned for the man who was transferred to the
andha-tamishara hell. After suffering there, when he who has had
many types of hellish bodies, like those of dogs and hogs, is to
come again to the human form, he is given the chance to take his
birth in the same type of body from which he degraded himself to
hell.
The Body Does Not Grow Automatically;
It Is Prepared And Offered By The Material Nature
It may appear to some that when a pregnant woman eats, her
childs body grows automatically. This is like concluding that a
car is produced automatically by a factory, which consumes steel,
paint, rubber, etc., at one end and gives forth a shiny car at the
other. This may seem a facile analogy, but we sometimes have a
very facile conception of procreation: Oh look, he has got your
nose, or, she is just like her dad, etc., as if the parents have got
everything to do with the existence of the baby. Sometimes people
say, another miracle, but are content to let it all remain a
mystery and do not inquire further. Such attitudes are comparable
to thinking that a Rolls Royce appears by chance, or at most, by
the desire and choice of the purchaser.
J ust as we know that every nut and bolt of the car has been
conceived, designed, constructed and carefully placed within the
overall structure, similarly, every organ, bone and cell of our
bodies has been precisely assembled. We may see a woman
putting on weight, or we may scan a developing foetus with the
latest equipment, but we see nothing of the meticulous industry
that is actually taking place. J ust as it is possible to order a car
with a certain colour, style, engine capacity, etc., according to
choice and financial resources, similarly each and every body that
is assembled has a certain kind of eye, ear, nose, colour, growth of

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hair, muscular strength, talent, ability, etc., according to what the
owner desires and deserves.
Our Future Is Determined By
What We Desire And What We Deserve
What we desire and what we deserve the
two factors determine our future. In the
material world we consider What do I want
to do? Next, Can I afford the price of the
facility required to do it? And to what
standard? I may decide to travel by car. I
look for something suitable according to my
taste and my ability to pay. My desire is
called kama and my purchasing power and
fortune is called karma.

Story: The Deliverance of
Nalakuvara and Manigriva
The following abridged version of the story gives valuable
lessons to understand how kama (desire) and karma (activity) play
a role in offering our future body. Please read the story, write
down the morals and discuss in groups:
Excessive Wealth Makes One Intoxicated
The two great demigods, Nalakuvara and Manigriva, were
sons of the treasurer of the demigods, Kuvera, who was a great
devotee of Lord Siva. By the grace of Lord Siva, Kuveras
material opulences had no limit. As a rich mans sons often
become addicted to wine and women, so these two sons of Kuvera
were also addicted to wine and sex. Once, these two demigods,
desiring to enjoy, entered the garden of Lord Siva in the province
of Kailasa on the bank of the Mandakini Ganges. There they drank
much and engaged in hearing the sweet singing of beautiful
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women who accompanied them in that garden of fragrant flowers.
In an intoxicated condition, they both entered the water of the
Ganges, which was full with lotus flowers, and there they began to
enjoy the company of the young girls exactly as the male elephant
enjoys the female elephants within the water.
While they were thus enjoying themselves in the water, all of a
sudden Narada, the great sage, happened to pass that way. He
could understand that the demigods Nalakuvara and Manigriva
were too intoxicated and could not even see that he was passing.
The young girls, however, were not so much intoxicated as the
demigods, and they at once became ashamed at being naked
before the great sage Narada. They began to cover themselves
with all haste. The two demigod sons of Kuvera were so
intoxicated that they could not appreciate the presence of the sage
Narada, and therefore, did not cover their bodies. On seeing the
two demigods so degraded by intoxication, Narada desired their
welfare, and therefore he exhibited his causeless mercy upon them
by cursing them.
Naradas Compassionate Curse
Because the great sage was compassionate upon them, he
wanted to finish their false enjoyment of intoxication and
association with young girls, and wanted them to see Lord Krishna
face to face. He conceived of cursing them as follows. He said that
the attraction for material enjoyment is due to an increase of the
mode of passion. A person in the material world, when favoured
by the material opulence of riches, generally becomes addicted to
three thingsintoxication, sex and gambling. Materially opulent
men, being puffed up with the accumulation of wealth, also
become so merciless that they indulge in killing animals by
opening slaughterhouses. And they think that they themselves will
never die. Such foolish persons, forgetting the laws of nature,
become overly infatuated with the body. They forget that the
material body, even though very much advanced in civilization, up

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to the position of the demigods, will finally turn into ashes or
stool. And while one is living, whatever the external condition of
the body may be, within there is only stool, urine and various
kinds of worms. Thus being engaged in jealousy and violence to
other bodies, materialists cannot understand the ultimate goal of
life, and without knowing this goal of life, they generally glide
down to a hellish condition in their next life. Such foolish persons
commit all kinds of sinful activities on account of this temporary
body, and they are even unable to consider whether this body
actually belongs to them.
To Whom Does Our Body Belong?
Generally it is said that the body belongs to the persons who
feed the body. One might therefore consider whether this body
belongs to one personally or to the master to whom one renders
service. The master of slaves claims full right to the bodies of the
slaves because the master feeds the slaves. It may also be
questioned whether the body belongs to the father, who is the
seed-giving master of this body, or to the mother, who develops
the childs body in her womb.
Sometimes a father gives his daughter in charity to a person
with a view of getting back the daughters child as a son. The
body may also belong to a stronger man who forces it to work for
him. Sometimes a slaves body is sold to a master, and from that
day on the body belongs to the master. And at the end of life, the
body belongs to the fire, because the body is given to the fire and
burned to ashes. Or the body is thrown into the street to be eaten
by the dogs and vultures.
Before committing all kinds of sins to maintain the body, one
should understand to whom the body belongs. Ultimately it is
concluded that the body is a product of material nature, and at the
end it merges into material nature. Therefore, the conclusion
should be that the body belongs to material nature which belongs
to Krishna, and is controlled by Krishna.
Victory Over Death

20
Trees Body Suitable For One In Mode Of Ignorance
The great sage Narada thereafter thought that it was his duty to
put those demigods into a condition where they could not be
falsely proud of their material opulence and prestige. Narada was
compassionate and wanted to save them from their fallen life.
They were in the mode of darkness, and therefore being unable to
control their senses, they were addicted to sex life. It was the duty
of a saintly person like Narada to save them from their abominable
condition. In animal life, the animal has no sense to understand
that he is naked. But Kuvera was the treasurer of the demigods, a
very responsible man, and Nalakuvara and Manigriva were two of
his sons. And yet they became so animalistic and irresponsible
that they could not understand, due to intoxication, that they were
naked. To cover the lower part of the body is a principle of human
civilization, and when men or women forget this principle, they
become no better than animals. Narada therefore thought that the
best punishment for them was to make them immovable living
entities, or trees. Trees are, by natures laws, immovable.
Although trees are covered by the mode of ignorance, they cannot
do harm. The great sage Narada thought it fitting that, although
the brothers would be punished to become trees, by his mercy they
would continue to keep their memory and be able to know why
they were being punished. After changing the body, a living entity
generally forgets his previous life, but in special cases, by the
grace of the Lord, as with Nalakuvara and Manigriva, one can
remember.
Sage Narada therefore contemplated that the two demigods
should remain for one hundred years, in the time of the demigods,
in the form of trees, and after that they would be fortunate enough
to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, by His
causeless mercy. And thus they would be again promoted to the
life of the demigods and become great devotees of the Lord. The
two demigods were favoured by the causeless mercy of Narada

21
and given a chance to grow in Nandas courtyard and see Lord
Krishna face to face.
Nalakuvara And Manigriva Delivered
One day, although child
Krishna was bound up to the
wooden mortar, He began to
crawl towards the twin trees in
order to fulfil the prophecy of His
great devotee Narada. Lord
Krishna knew that Narada was
His great devotee, and that the
trees standing before Him as twin
arjuna trees were actually the sons
of Kuvera. I must now fulfil the
words of My great devotee
Narada, He thought. Then He
proceeded through the passage
between the two trees. Although
He was able to pass through the passage, the large wooden mortar
stuck horizontally between the trees. Taking advantage of this,
with great strength, Lord Krishna began to pull the rope, which
was tied to the mortar. As soon as He pulled, the two trees, with
all their branches and limbs, fell down immediately with a great
sound. Out of the broken, fallen trees came two great
personalities, shining like blazing fire. All sides became
illuminated and beautiful by their presence. The two purified
personalities immediately came before child Krishna and bowed
down to offer their respects and wonderful prayers similar to the
one given below: Henceforward, may all our words describe
Your pastimes, may our ears engage in aural reception of Your
glories, may our hands, legs and other senses engage in actions
pleasing to You, and may our minds always think of Your lotus
feet. May our heads offer our obeisances to everything within this
Victory Over Death

22
world, because all things are also Your different forms, and may
our eyes see the forms of Vaishnavas, who are non-different from
You. (SB 10.10.38)
When the demigods Nalakuvara and Manigriva finished their
prayers, the child, Lord Krishna, the master and proprietor of
Gokula, bound to the wooden grinding mortar by the ropes of
Yashoda, smiled and said, It was already known to Me that My
great devotee Narada Muni had shown his causeless mercy by
saving you from the abominable condition of pride due to
possessing extraordinary beauty and opulence in a family of
demigods. He has saved you from gliding down into the lowest
condition of hellish life. All these facts are already known to Me.
You are very fortunate because not only were you cursed by him,
but you had the great opportunity to see him. If someone is able,
by chance, to see face to face a great saintly person like Narada,
who is always serene and merciful to everyone, then immediately
that conditioned soul becomes liberated. Therefore, O Nalakuvara
and Manigriva, your lives have now become successful because
you have developed ecstatic love for Me. This is your last birth
within material existence. Now you can go back to your fathers
residence in the heavenly planets, and by remaining in the attitude
of devotional service, you will be liberated in this very life.
After this, the demigods circumambulated the Lord many times
and bowed down before Him again and again, and thus they left.
Are Animals Subject To The Same Laws?
An animal certainly possesses desires and abilities and is busy
exploiting all available opportunities for gratification. But he is
like someone who has already purchased a car, which now must
travel along a certain road. He is not in a position to change any of
the conditions to which he is subjected. If he has a ducks body, he
must live by some water, and if he has a tigers body, he must kill
to live. He cannot be praised or blamed because his actions
conform to mechanical law.

23
How is it possible for an animal to determine the nature of his
future situation? Ultimately, his present position must have been
obtained as a result of desires and purchasing power developed in
a body with more freedom of expression and choice. According to
both, logic and Vedic assertion, that body is the human form. In
the human form alone we have freedom to choose. Man is the
architect of his own destiny. Thus the brief span of human
existence is like crossroads, where a traveller can choose one of
many paths. And when one falls down into lower species, one has
to finish the term in those animal species, exactly like a prisoner
who is subjected to imprisonment for a fixed period of time, after
which one again gets an opportunity of a human body.
The human body is awarded to give an opportunity to the
suffering soul, to realise the Lord and return to His abode. If one
neglects this goal, one may repeatedly be cast in innumerable
lower bodies to suffer repeated birth and death. Thus, a sane
human being should wake up to the truth and plan for himself,
how to approach death successfully so that one will not have to
return again to this world of repeated birth and death.
Group Task
The historical story given below illustrates how the way we
live our life and the thoughts we harbour in our minds, greatly
influence our future. If a spiritual aspirant is not careful to
safeguard himself from material attachments that come in the way
of spiritual life, one can become easily misled. Also the story
illustrates the importance of the association of devotees of the
Lord who can warn us when we go wrong. Read the story
carefully and answer the questions that are inserted in between on
a separate sheet.
Story: A Victim Of Affection
Once the world was ruled by a very wise and experienced king
named Maharaja Bharata. Being aware of the ultimate goal of life,
Victory Over Death

24
in the prime of his youth, he renounced everything - his queen,
family and his vast empire - and went to a place called
Pulahashrama on the foothills of the Himalayas. There he lived
alone in the forest along the bank of the Gandaki river. Each
morning, Bharata worshiped the Supreme Lord by chanting the
hymns given in the Rig Veda. Later in the day, he collected
various fruits and roots and, as recommended in the Vedic
scriptures, he offered these simple edibles to Lord Krishna, and
then took them for his food. Even though he had been a great king,
surrounded by worldly opulence, now, by the strength of his
austerities, all his desires for material enjoyment vanished. Thus,
he became free of the root cause of bondage in the cycle of birth
and death. By his constant meditation upon the Personality of
Godhead, Bharata began to experience symptoms of spiritual
ecstasy.
Q: What was great about Bharata Maharaja?
Q: How should a devotee spend his morning time?
Bharata Gives Shelter To The Deer
One day, while Bharata was meditating near the bank of the
river, a doe came there to drink water. While she drank, a lion in
the forest nearby roared loudly. The doe was pregnant, and as she
jumped across the river in great fear, a baby deer fell from her
womb into the swiftly flowing waters. The doe, trembling in fright
and weakened and pained by the miscarriage, entered a cave,
where she soon died.
As the sage Bharata observed the fawn floating helplessly
down the river, he felt great compassion. Bharata lifted the animal
from the water and, knowing it to be motherless, brought it to his
ashrama. Because Bharata was self-realised, he saw all living
beings with equal vision. He fed the deer with fresh green grass
daily and tried to make it comfortable.

25
Q: How did Bharata show his compassion to the deer?
Bharata Becomes Attached To The Deer
& Neglects Spiritual Life
Soon, however, he began to
develop great attachment for the
deer: he lay down with it, walked
with it, bathed with it, and even ate
with it. When he wanted to enter
the forest to collect fruits, flowers
and roots, he would take the deer
with him, fearing that if he left it
behind, it would be killed by dogs,
jackals or tigers. Bharata took great
pleasure seeing the deer leap and
frolic in the forest like a child.
Sometimes he would carry the fawn
on his shoulders. His heart was so
filled with love for the deer that he
would keep it on his lap during the
day, and when he slept, the deer
would rest upon his chest. He was forever petting the deer and
would sometimes even kiss it. Thus, his heart became bound to the
deer in affection.
Being attached to raising the deer, Bharata gradually became
neglectful of his meditation upon the Supreme Lord. He thus
became distracted from the path of self-realisation, which is the
actual goal of human life. The Vedas remind us that the human
form is obtained only after the soul undergoes millions of births in
lower species of life.
Q: What was Bharatas mistake in showing compassion to the deer?
Q: Can you think of items/people that distracted you from the path of
devotional service?
Victory Over Death

26
Q: Write down the common distractions, both positive and negative, that
come during your chanting.
This material world is sometimes compared to an ocean of
birth and death, and the human body is compared to a solid boat
designed to cross this ocean. The Vedic scriptures and the saintly
teachers, or spiritual masters, are compared to expert boatmen, and
the facilities of the human body are compared to favourable
breezes that help the boat ply smoothly to its desired destination.
If, with all these facilities, a person does not fully utilize his life
for self-realisation, then he commits spiritual suicide and risks
taking his next birth in an animal body.
However, even though Bharata was aware of these
considerations, he thought to himself, Because this deer has taken
shelter of me, how can I neglect it? Even though it is disturbing
my spiritual life, I cannot ignore it. To neglect a helpless person
who has taken shelter of me would be a great fault.
Q: Can you think of some material situation in your life where you
thought that sorting out a problem was more important than keeping
your spiritual life steady?
Q: What would you do if somebody or some situation terribly disturbs
your spiritual practices?
Q: Can you suggest a corrective action for Bharatas behaviour?
Bharata Searches Anxiously For The Lost Deer
One day, as Bharata was meditating, he began, as usual, to
think of the deer instead of the Lord. Breaking his concentration,
he glanced around to see where the deer was, and when he could
not discover it, his mind became agitated, like that of a miser who
has lost his money. He got up and searched the area around his
ashrama, but the deer was not to be found anywhere.
Bharata thought, When will my deer return? Is it safe from
tigers and other animals? When shall I again see it wandering in
my garden, eating the soft green grasses? The deer did not return

27
till evening. Bharata became overwhelmed with anxiety, Has my
deer been eaten by a wolf or a dog? Has it been attacked by a herd
of wild boars, or by a tiger who travels alone? The sun is setting
now, and the poor animal who has trusted me since its mother
died, has not yet returned.
He remembered how the deer would play with him. He
remembered how he would sometimes push the deer away from
him, pretending to be annoyed with it for disturbing his worship or
meditation, and how it would then immediately become fearful
and sit down motionless a short distance away. My deer is
exactly like a little prince. Oh, when will he again return? When
will he again pacify my wounded heart?

Q: Can you think of a few scriptural examples where a sadhaka (an
aspiring devotee) got distracted from his spiritual practices and
became attached to something material?
Q: How can a person allured by Maya get out of her clutches?

Bharata Dies Thinking Of The Deer
Unable to restrain himself,
Bharata set out after the deer,
following its tiny hoof prints in the
moonlight. In his madness, he began
to talk to himself, This creature was
so dear to me that I feel as though I
have lost my own son. Due to the
burning fever of separation, I feel as
if I were in the middle of a blazing
forest fire. My heart is now blazing
with distress.
While frantically searching for
the lost deer along the dangerous
forest paths, Bharata suddenly fell
Victory Over Death

28
and was fatally injured. Lying there at the point of death, he saw
that his deer had suddenly appeared and was sitting at his side,
watching over him just like a loving son. Thus, at the moment of
death, the kings mind was completely on the deer. In the
Bhagavad-gita (8.6) we learn, Whatever state of being one
remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without
fail.
Q: Can you explain why the elephant Gajendra and the crocodile got
their respective bodies?
Q: If death comes to you the next moment, what body would you get?
What are your attachments?
King Bharata Becomes A Deer
In his next life, king Bharata got the body of a deer. Most
living entities are not able to remember their past lives, but
because of the spiritual progress the king had made in his previous
life, he could, even though in the body of a deer, understand the
cause of his taking birth in that body. He began to lament, What a
fool I was! I have fallen from the path of self-realisation. I gave up
my family and kingdom and went to a solitary holy place in the
forest to meditate, where I always contemplated on the Lord of the
universe. But due to my foolishness, I let my mind become
attached to of all things a deer. And now I have justly received
such a body. No one is to blame but myself.
But even as a deer, Bharata, having learned a valuable lesson,
was able to continue his progress in self-realisation. He became
detached from all material desires. He no longer cared for the
succulent green grasses, nor did he give a thought to how long his
antlers would grow. He returned to Pulahashrama, the very place
where he had practiced meditation in his previous life. But this
time he was careful never to forget the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Staying near the hermitages of the great saints and
sages, and avoiding all contact with materialists, he lived very

29
simply, eating only hard, dry leaves. When the time of death came
and Bharata was leaving the body of the deer, he loudly uttered
the following prayer, The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the
source of all knowledge, the controller of the entire creation, and
the Supersoul within the heart of every living being. He is
beautiful and attractive. I am quitting this body offering
obeisances unto Him and hoping that I may perpetually engage in
His transcendental loving service.
Q: Can you find out how Ajamila lamented after the disappearance of
the Visnudutas, just as Bharata lamented after occupying the body of
a deer?
Q: After acquiring the body of a deer, what steps did Bharata take in
order to be Krishna conscious?
Q: What precautionary measures do you take to avoid becoming a prey
to women, wealth, followers, vices, etc.?
The Life Of Jada Bharata
In his next life, King Bharata took birth in the family of a pure,
saintly brahmana priest and was known as J ada Bharata. By the
Lords mercy, he could again remember his past lives. As he grew
up, J ada Bharata became very much afraid of his friends and
relatives, because they were very materialistic and not at all
interested in making spiritual progress. Therefore, although he was
very intelligent, he behaved just like a madman. He pretended to
be dull, blind, and deaf, so that mundane people would not try to
talk to him. But within himself, he was always thinking of the
Lord and remembering His glories, which alone can save one from
repeated birth and death.
J ada Bharatas father was filled with affection for his son, and
in his heart he hoped that J ada Bharata would someday become a
learned scholar. Therefore he tried to teach him the intricacies of
Vedic knowledge. But J ada Bharata purposely behaved like a fool
Victory Over Death

30
so that his father would abandon his attempts to instruct him. If his
father told him to do something, he would do exactly the opposite.
Q: Why was J ada Bharata afraid of his friends? Think about what you do
with your friends.
Q: Can you think of two ways to escape materialistic association?
Q: Why did J ada Bharata not want to become a Vedic scholar?
Jada Bharatas Inner Spiritual Advancement
Unknown To People
J ada Bharatas nine step-brothers considered him dull and
brainless, and when their father died, they abandoned all attempts
to educate him. They could not understand J ada Bharatas inner
spiritual advancement. They made him work like a slave in the
fields and his only wages were the small portions of unpalatable
foodstuffs provided by them. Each day, he was insulted and
neglected by ordinary people, who considered him to be nothing
more than a useless fool. But J ada Bharata never protested against
the mistreatment, for he was completely liberated from the bodily
concept of life. Whatever food came his way, he would accept it
and eat, whether it was much or little, palatable or unpalatable. His
body was as strong as a bulls, and his limbs were very muscular.
Because his body was perpetually dirty, his spiritual knowledge
and effulgence were covered, just like a valuable gem covered by
dirt and grime.
Q: Look for a verse in the 12
th
chapter of the Bhagavad-gita where the
equipoised nature of a devotee amidst insult and honour is explained.
Q: Find out a verse in the 6
th
chapter of the Bhagavad-gita where the
equanimity of a self-realised soul is explained.
Q: Think of a situation where you protested against someone mistreating
you. Look for a deeper meaning with the help of the verse, trinad api
sunicena taror api sahishnuna.

31
Jada Bharata Taken For Sacrifice To The Temple Of Goddess
Kali
Once, a leader of a band of dacoits went to the temple of the
goddess Bhadrakali to offer in sacrifice a dull, unintelligent human
being resembling an animal. Such sacrifices are nowhere
mentioned in the Vedas and were concocted by the robbers for the
purpose of gaining material wealth. Their plan was foiled,
however, when the man who was to have been sacrificed escaped,
so the chief robber sent his henchmen out to find him. Searching
through fields and forests in the darkness of night, the robbers
came to a rice field and saw J ada Bharata, who was sitting on high
ground guarding the field against the attacks of wild boars. The
robbers thought J ada Bharata would be a perfect sacrifice. They
bound him with strong ropes and brought him to the temple of
goddess Kali.
Due to his complete faith in the protection of the Supreme
Lord, J ada Bharata did not protest. His consciousness was, My
Lord, I am now surrendered unto You. I am Your eternal servant,
and if You like You can kill me, or if You like You can protect
me. In any case, I am fully surrendered unto You.
Q: Who was the great devotee king who did not budge an inch despite
seeing a gigantic fiery demon about to kill him?
Q: How do we achieve this fearless state of complete faith in the Lords
protection?

Victory Over Death

32
Jada Bharata Saved From Robbers
The robbers bathed J ada
Bharata, dressed him in new silk
garments, and decorated him with
ornaments and garlands. They fed
him a sumptuous last meal and
brought him before the goddess.
J ada Bharata was forced to sit
before the deity. Then, one of the
thieves, acting as the chief priest,
raised a razor-sharp sword to slit
J ada Bharatas throat so they could
offer Kali his warm blood as liquor.
But the goddess could not bear this.
She understood that the sinful
thieves were about to kill a great
devotee of the Lord. Suddenly, the
form of the deity burst open and the goddess herself appeared, her
body burning with an intense, intolerable effulgence. The
infuriated goddess flashed her blazing eyes and displayed her
fierce, curved teeth. Her eyes glowered and she appeared as if she
were prepared to destroy the entire cosmos. Leaping violently
from the altar, she quickly decapitated all the rogues and thieves
with the very sword with which they had intended to kill thesaint
J ada Bharata.
Q: What would you infer from this instance of Kali decapitating her own
worshipers?
Q: Can you think of other examples or stories that show how the
demigods love the Lords devotees and offer blessings or
appreciation or protection or reward to them?

33
Jada Bharata Encounters King Rahugana
After his escape from the Kali temple, J ada Bharata continued
his wanderings, remaining aloof from materialistic men. One day,
as King Rahugana of Sauvira was being carried through the
district on a palanquin resting on the shoulders of several servants,
the men, who were fatigued, began to falter. Realizing they would
need another carrier to help them cross the Ikshumati River, the
kings servants began searching for someone.
Soon they saw J ada Bharata, who appeared to be a good
choice because he was very young and as strong as an ox. J ada
Bharata agreed to follow their order. But because he saw all living
beings as his brothers, J ada Bharata could not perform this task
very well. As he walked, he kept stopping to make sure that he did
not step on any ants. Unaware of what was causing the sudden
jolts, King Rahugana shouted, Whats going on? Cant you carry
the palanquin properly? Why is it jerking like this?
Hearing the threatening voice of the king, the frightened
servants replied that the disturbance was being caused by the new
man, J ada Bharata. The king angrily chastised J ada Bharata,
sarcastically accusing him of carrying the palanquin like a weak,
skinny, tired old man. But J ada Bharata, who understood his true
spiritual identity, knew that he was not his body. He was neither
fat, nor lean, nor thin, nor did he have anything to do with the
lump of flesh and bones that comprised his body. He knew that he
was an eternal spirit soul situated within the body, like a driver
within a machine. Therefore, J ada Bharata remained unaffected by
the kings angry criticism.
J ada Bharata remained silent and kept carrying the palanquin
as before, but the king, being unable to control his temper,
shouted, You rascal, what are you doing? Dont you know that I
am your master? For your disobedience I shall now punish you.
Victory Over Death

34
Jada Bharata Instructs King Rahugana
My dear king, said J ada Bharata, whatever you have said
about me is true. You seem to think that I have not laboured hard
enough to carry your palanquin. That is true, because actually I am
not carrying your palanquin at all. My body is carrying it, but I am
not my body. You accuse me of not being very stout and strong,
but this merely shows your ignorance of the spirit soul. The body
may be fat or thin, or weak or strong, but no learned man would
say such things about the real self within. As far as my soul is
concerned, it is neither fat nor skinny.
J ada Bharata then began to instruct the king, saying, You
think you are the lord and master, and you are therefore trying to
command me, but this is also incorrect, because these positions are
ephemeral. Today you are a king and I am your servant, but in our
next lives our positions may be reversed; you may be my servant
and I your master.
J ust as the waves of the ocean bring pieces of straw together
and then break them apart, the force of eternal time brings living
entities together in temporary relationships, such as master and
servant, and then breaks them apart and rearranges them. In any
case, J ada Bharata continued, who is master, and who is
servant? Everyone is forced to act by the laws of material nature;
therefore no one is a master and no one is a servant.
The Vedas explain that the human beings in this material
world are like actors on a stage, performing under the direction of
a superior. Onstage, one actor may play the role of a master, and
another may play the role of his servant, but they both are actually
the servants of the director. In the same way, all living entities are
the servants of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna. Their roles as
masters and servants in the material world are temporary and
imaginary. After explaining all this to King Rahugana, J ada
Bharata said, If you still think that you are the master and that I
am the servant, I shall accept this. Please order me. What can I do
for you?

35
King Rahugana, who had been trained in spiritual science, was
astonished to hear the teachings of J ada Bharata. Recognizing him
as a saintly person, the king quickly descended from his
palanquin. His material conception of himself as a great monarch
had been obliterated, and he fell humbly to the ground, his body
outstretched, offering obeisances, his head at the feet of the holy
man.
O saintly person, why are you moving through the world
unknown to others? Who are you? Where do you live? Why have
you come to this place? O spiritual master, I am blind to spiritual
knowledge. Please tell me how I may advance in spiritual life.
King Rahuganas behaviour is exemplary. The Vedas declare that
everyone, even kings, must approach a spiritual master in order to
gain knowledge of the soul and the process of reincarnation.
Q: Why is the master-servant relationship in the material world illusory?
Q: What made King Rahugana descend from his palanquin and fall
humbly on the ground?
Q: What is special about Rahuganas behaviour?
J ada Bharata then gave the Vedic knowledge about how the
soul, because of material identification, wanders throughout the
unlimited universes in different species of life. He also explained
how the uncontrolled mind is the greatest enemy of the living
being. J ada Bharata said, My dear king, as long as the
conditioned soul accepts the material body and is not freed from
the contamination of material enjoyment, and as long as he does
not conquer his senses and his mind and come to the platform of
self-realisation by awakening his spiritual knowledge, he is forced
to wander in different places and in different forms in this material
world.
J ada Bharata then revealed his own past lives, In a previous
birth, I was known as King Bharata. I attained perfection by
becoming completely detached from material activities. I was
Victory Over Death

36
fully engaged in the service of the Lord, but I relaxed my control
over my mind and became so affectionate to a small deer that I
neglected my spiritual duties. At the time of death, I could think of
nothing but the deer, so in my next life I had to accept the body of
a deer.
Importance Of Saintly Association
J ada Bharata concluded his teachings by informing the King
that those who desire freedom from the cycle of reincarnation
must always associate with self-realised devotees of the Lord.
Only by associating with exalted devotees can one attain the
perfection of knowledge and cut to pieces the illusory associations
of this material world.
Unless one has the opportunity to get the association of the
devotees of the Lord, he can never understand anything about
spiritual life. The Absolute Truth is revealed only to one who has
attained the mercy of a great devotee, because in the assembly of
pure devotees, there is no question of discussing material subjects
like politics and sociology. In an assembly of pure devotees, there
is discussion only of the qualities, forms, and pastimes of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is praised and worshiped
with full attention. This is the simple secret by which one can
revive his dormant spiritual consciousness, end forever the vicious
cycle of reincarnation, and return to a life of eternal pleasure in the
spiritual world.
Q: What was the main cause of the fall-down of King Bharata?
Q: How can we always remain Krishna conscious?
Q: What are the different ways you can think of to associate with
devotees?
Q: Write 10 lessons that you learnt from the above story.

Chapter 2

Break Free
Of Bonds

Victory Over Death

38
prakte kriyamni guai karmi sarvaa
ahakra-vimhtm kartham iti manyate

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. (BG 3.27)
Emotions That Dictate Our Behaviour
One CEO of a manufacturing company flew into a tirade and
shut everything down. His behaviour erupted. He screamed and
swore, bellowing criticism at the
top of his lungs. Four Vice
Presidents, eight board members
and fourteen managers cringed,
sitting in rigid silence in their
leather-backed chairs. No one
said anything. Not then. You
could feel the thing coming on.
Everyone sensed in hindsight.
And none had a clue about how to
stop it.
Think back on your own
experiences. What might you
have done differently to better
manage the specific situation?
Let us consider an incident
from the life of the great philosopher Socrates that can throw some
light on this problem. Socrates used to spend his evening hours in
philosophical discussions with his friends. During one such
occasion, his wife, who was by nature quarrelsome, shouted at
him in front of all his friends about her usual chores and her
imagined problems. Socrates continued his discussions with a cool
head, but his friends were a little taken over by anxiety. When
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39
Socrates observed that his friends were getting disturbed due to
the rash behaviour of his wife, he suggested to them that they all
proceed to some park to continue the discussion. As soon as they
came out of the house, all of a sudden, there was a downpour of a
large quantity of water from the top, right on the head and body of
Socrates. Everyone was shocked to notice that it was Socrates
wife who had gone to the first floor and poured an entire bucket of
water on him as a display of her anger. But no one could steal the
calmness of Socrates. He smiled and exclaimed, Sometime ago, it
was thundering and now its raining. Thats all!
Socrates was not just a cool-headed gentleman, but a great
realised philosopher who was deeply aware that he was not this
material body. The body is just a covering upon the pure soul, the
spiritual personality. When Socrates was administered poison, he
laughed at those who wanted to kill him and said that they could
not even see him, what to speak of capturing him or killing
him!
How is it that even the most learned and educated are deceived
and overpowered by such forces like anger, lust, pride, greed,
envy and illusion? The original nature of the soul is that of peace,
love, bliss, purity, wisdom and eternity. One who has the
knowledge of the soul, God, and their eternal loving relationship,
can never be bewildered by the pushings and pullings of the mind
and senses.
Modern scientists have hardly begun to understand these
emotions that the living beings exhibit. Most often they wrongly
conclude that these emotions are merely due to some chemical
secretions in the body. But authentic scriptures, like the
Bhagavad-gita and Vedic literatures, give us a detailed account of
such behaviour. Not only do they explain the mechanism of such
behaviour, but they also offer us tangible solutions to modify our
behaviour, to become better gentlemen for the benefit of the home,
nation and the world.
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As pure spirit souls, we all belong to the spiritual realm,
endowed with pure spiritual emotions towards the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; but owing to the separate desire to lord
over material nature, we have come here to this material world.
Here, we are covered over by two material coverings, gross and
subtle, to acclimatize ourselves to the material world. The
Supreme Lord is such a kind father, that He makes a suitable
arrangement to help the souls fulfil their foolish desires to enjoy
the material world. In order to make this possible, He utilizes three
potencies goodness, passion and ignorance to condition them
in a particular manner to allow them to fulfil their desires. For
example, a living entity wants to taste stool. In order to do this
abominable activity, he is endowed with a suitable body in the
mode of ignorance, like that of a pig, which appreciates stool.
Another living entity wants to achieve fame as the one who
possesses the tallest building, and in order to do that, he is offered
a body that can work hard to accomplish his goals.
The Three Unseen Ropes That Bind Us
The material world is like a vast machine, of which we are
tiny, dependent parts. This machine has three gears goodness,
passion and ignorance. These three potencies are employed to
condition the souls differently according to their desires to enjoy
the material world, and to effect a gradual development to a stage
where they can break free of these bonds and return back home,
back to Godhead.
How Would You React?
Let us take a simple situation to illustrate how these three
modes are observed in people. Say a hundred people are sitting
and watching a movie in a theatre and the fire alarm sounds. How
do you think they will react?
Not all of them will react in the same manner.
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People with passion dominating their minds jump up and
begin to run around, searching for a fire extinguisher. Too
much passion creates reliance on activity.
People with ignorance dominating their minds panic and flee,
or faint because of dullness, confusion and fearfulness.
People with goodness dominating their minds will calmly
analyse the situation before acting, and attempt to create order
in a potentially chaotic situation.
In the mode of goodness, one can see things in the right position,
one can hear things in the right position, and one can taste things
in the right position. Sattva, or goodness, lends itself towards
calm, clear, creative thinking, a state of mind that allows one to
find effective solutions to lifes problems. One becomes cleansed
inside and outside.
The lesser qualities of rajas, or passion, can then be relied
upon to implement these solutions, and tamas, or ignorance, to
bring these activities to an end. An influence of too much passion
and ignorance can distort the naturally positive aspects of these
supportive qualities, and have a negative impact on our lives. One
in the mode of passion is never satisfied with the position he has
already acquired; he hankers to increase his position. If he wants
to construct a residential house, he tries his best to have a palatial
house, as if he would be able to reside in that house eternally. And
he develops a great hankering for sense gratification. He always
wants to enjoy sense gratification with family members and
relatives.
One in the mode of ignorance does not work by a regulative
principle. Even though he has the capacity to work, he makes no
endeavour.
Thus the souls, or living entities, conditioned by material
nature are of various types. One is happy (goodness), another is
very active (passion), and another is helpless (ignorance).

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What Is The Purpose Behind
The Three Modes Of Material Nature?
The living entities are called tatastha shakti, or marginal
energy, because their position is like the bank of a river, which
may be wet or dry. Similarly, the living entities can either choose
to serve the Lord with love and devotion, and remain under the
control of Yoga Maya, or they can become rebellious and be away
from the Lord under the control of Maha Maya. Everyone has to
surrender to Krishna, otherwise they will surrender to Maya. This
is natural. As soon as the rebellious living entity comes in contact
with the external energy (material world) or the Lord, he is caught
up under the clutches of three modes of material nature - mode of
goodness, passion, and ignorance. Lord Sri Krishna says in the
Bhagavad-gita:
daiv hy e gua-may mama my duratyay
mm eva ye prapadyante mym et taranti te
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of
material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have
surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it. (BG 7.14)
Another meaning of guna is rope; it is to be understood that
the conditioned soul is tightly tied by the ropes of illusion. A man
bound by the hands and feet cannot free himhe must be helped
by a person who is unbound. Because the bound cannot help the
bound, the rescuer must be liberated. Therefore, only Lord
Krishna, or His bona fide representative, the spiritual master, can
release the conditioned soul. Without such superior help, one
cannot be freed from the bondage of material nature. Devotional
service, or Krishna consciousness, can help one gain such release.
Krishna, being the Lord of illusory energy, can order this
insurmountable energy to release the conditioned soul. He orders
this release out of His causeless mercy on the surrendered soul,
and out of His paternal affection for the living entity, who is
originally a beloved son of the Lord. Therefore, surrender unto the
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lotus feet of the Lord is the only means to get free from the
clutches of the stringent material nature.
As a simple example, we can consider the three primary
colours, yellow, red and blue, which are products of, and
represent, the modes of goodness (yellow), passion (red), and
ignorance (blue). By combining these three colours, one can
produce the entire colour spectrum, and paint pictures, which can
arouse any emotion. Pots of paint do not usually inspire emotion
but, manipulated by an artist, paint appears to possess its own
special potency to enchant the hearts. Similarly, the Supreme
artist, Lord Krishna, and His assistants such as Maya and Lord
Brahma, have expertly designed the material world using
unlimited colour combinations of the three modes of material
nature to attract us to a perverted reflection of the spiritual reality
(praksepatmika shakti, meaning kicking potency), and to entice us
with its false charm (avaranatmika shakti, meaning covering
potency). Although the living entity situated in a particular mode
imagines himself to be happy, it is illusory happiness; but such
illusory happiness appears real to even great sages and demigods.
The material world, which is a perverted imitation of the spiritual
world, offers facility for the conditioned soul to enjoy false
society, false friendship and
false love, imagining it to
be real. This is made
possible by the three modes.
But once the living entity
realises his suffering and
surrenders to the Lord, then
the covering of Maya is
removed, and he can
understand his
constitutional position as an
eternal servant of the Lord.
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All colours, forms, other sense objects and the particular
quality of sense perception, are produced by a combination of the
three modes: goodness, passion and ignorance. How these modes
expand unlimitedly can be understood by considering how three
times three equals nine, three times nine equals twenty seven,
three times twenty seven equals eighty one, and so on.
Which Mode Are You In?
We can analyse anything and see
the mode at work.
People, animals, plants, times of
day, food and places;
Thinking, feeling, willing, acting,
happiness and sadness; and
Sacrifice, austerity, charity,
renunciation, and knowledge are all
predominated by certain
combinations of the modes of
nature.

For example, you can compare the
qualities of the three animals given
below:

Elephant mode of goodness
Eats only fresh vegetarian food,
grass
Large, strong and gentle
Because of its intelligence, learns to
work well with humans

Lion mode of passion
Kills and eats flesh of other animals
Fierce, aggressive nature
Very restless
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J ackal mode of ignorance
Rather than seek its own food, it eats whatever is left over
after another animal has eaten
Tends to be fearful
Lazy animal
Nocturnal, shuns daylight

We can remember times in our lives when we have felt
peaceful, clear headed and kind-hearted towards all creatures,
when the simple beauty of nature pleased us and we contemplated
the purpose of life. At other times, we have felt ourselves driven
by a passionate desire to achieve something, to prove something,
or to satisfy our senses at all costs. Some other times, we have felt
like just sleeping without any goal, or were perhaps bewildered by
an intoxicant.
When in the midst of such moods and feelings, we may have
felt: I am peaceful, I am burning with desire, or I am fresh
and full of energy, or, I am tired, or, I am happy, or, I am
upset. We go through our lives impelled by many different
mixtures of emotions and feelings. Sometimes we may look back
and wonder: Why did I behave like that, or say those things, or
think in that way or react in such a bad manner? Sometimes we
act logically and reasonably, and sometimes we are overcome by
emotional behaviour which we may regret later.
How Does One Become A Secure Prisoner In This World?
A rope is made by twisting fibre in a threefold process. First
the fibre is twisted in three small strands, then three of them are
twisted together, then again three of those are twisted together. In
this way, the rope becomes very strong. Similarly, the three modes
of nature-- goodness, passion, and ignorance-- are mixed, after
which they produce some by-product. Then they are mixed again,
and then again. Thus they are twisted together innumerable
times. Thus one becomes like a secure prisoner in this world.
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When a living entity comes in contact with the material
creation, his eternal love for Krishna is transformed into lust, in
association with the mode of passion. Or, in other words, the sense
of love of God becomes transformed into lust, as milk in contact
with sour tamarind is transformed into yogurt. Then again, when
lust is unsatisfied, it turns into wrath; wrath is transformed into
illusion, and illusion continues the material existence. Therefore,
lust is the greatest enemy of the living entity, and it is lust only
which induces the pure living entity to remain entangled in the
material world.
Wrath is the manifestation of the mode of ignorance; these
modes exhibit themselves as wrath and other corollaries. If,
therefore, the mode of passion, instead of being degraded into the
mode of ignorance, is elevated to the mode of goodness by the
prescribed method of living and acting, then one can be saved
from the degradation of wrath by spiritual attachment. Otherwise,
the material energy binds us more and more. By our own efforts,
we cannot get out of this bondage, which is known as pavarga.
Pavarga is the fifth set of letters in the Sanskrit Devanagari
alphabet. It contains the letters pa, pha, ba, bha, and ma.
Pa - Parishrama = hard labour
Every living entity in this world is struggling very hard to
maintain himself and survive. This is called the hard struggle for
existence. The mudhas are those who are grossly foolish, like
hardworking beasts of burden. They want to enjoy the fruits of
their labour by themselves, and so do not want to part with them
for the Supreme. The typical example of the beast of burden is the
ass. This humble beast is made to work very hard by his master.
The ass does not really know for whom he works so hard day and
night. He remains satisfied by filling his stomach with a bundle of
grass, sleeping for a while under fear of being beaten by his
master, and satisfying his sex appetite at the risk of being
repeatedly kicked by the opposite party. The ass sings poetry and
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philosophy sometimes, but this braying sound only disturbs others.
This is the position of the foolish fruitive worker, who does not
know for whom he should work. He does not know that karma
(action) is meant for yajna (sacrifice).
Pha - Phena = foam
Most often, those who work very hard day and night to clear
the burden of self-created duties say that they have no time to hear
of the immortality of the living being. To such mudhas, material
gains, which are destructible, are lifes all in alldespite the fact
that the mudhas enjoy only a very small fraction of the fruit of
labour. Sometimes, they spend sleepless days and nights for
fruitive gain, foaming in the mouth and, although they may have
ulcers or indigestion, they are satisfied with practically no food;
they are simply absorbed in working hard day and night for the
benefit of illusory masters. Ignorant of their real master, Sri
Krishna, the foolish workers waste their valuable time serving
mammon. Unfortunately, they never surrender to the Supreme
Master of all masters, nor do they take time to hear of Him from
the proper sources.
Ba - Bandha = bondage
Brahma prayed: My dear Lord Krishna, until people become
Your devotees, their material attachments and desires remain
thieves, their homes remain
prisons, and their affectionate
feelings for their family members
remain foot-shackles. (SB
10.14.36)
Apparently, the residents of
Vrindavana, the abode of Lord
Krishna, are simple householders
engaged in ordinary affairs such
as herding cows, cooking, rearing
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children and performing religious ceremonies. However, all these
devotees are intensely engaged in the loving service of Lord
Krishna. The residents of Vrindavana perform all activities in pure
Krishna consciousness, and thus they exist on the most exalted
platform of liberated life. Otherwise, the same activities performed
without Krishna consciousness constitute bondage to the material
world.
Thus, one should not misunderstand the exalted position of the
residents of Vrindavana, nor should one consider oneself highly
religious simply because one performs ordinary domestic affairs
very enthusiastically, but without Krishna consciousness. By
focusing our passionate attachment on our family and society, we
are completely deviated from the progressive path of Krishna
consciousness. Conversely, if we engage our family in the loving
service of the Lord, our endeavours to maintain our family
become part and parcel of our progressive spiritual duties.
Bha - Bhaya = fear
In material life, one is always
in a blazing fire of fear, since no
one knows what will happen next.
Huge gates, tall walls with broken
glass pieces, burglar alarms,
watch dogs or watchmen, security
locks and many more
arrangements are made by man
out of fear. Every living being is
afflicted by lamentation for the
past, illusion about the present
and fear of the future. A sense
enjoyer is afraid of diseases, a wealthy man is afraid of the
government which will extract taxes, a famous man is afraid of
humiliation and a beautiful woman or a handsome man is afraid of
old age. No one is free from fear in this world. The five great
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elements, which support life, can become the cause of death. The
earth gives support but can cause earthquakes; water is a must for
drinking and cleaning but can cause floods; fire is absolutely
essential for cooking but can consume lives; air is indispensable
for survival but can cause typhoons; ether gives space for
everyone in the universe but can cause a stampede when there is
lack of space. Thus, there is danger at every step in the material
world. Lord Sri Krishna is called Abhayacharan - the One
Whose feet bestow fearlessness. Only by taking shelter of the
Lord completely can the jiva become free from all fear.
Ma - Mrtyu = death
All our hopes and plans for happiness and security in this
world are ended by death. Even a small hen pecking on the ground
is constantly fearful that some eagle might pick her up by the beak
and kill her. A wealthy merchant may be ready to spend millions
to extend his stay in this world, but he will lie dead surrounded by
the costliest of the medicines, administered by the best of the
doctors in the most famous hospital of the country. This is the
power of material nature. Death gives equal rights for everyone
without discrimination rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, weak or
strong, educated or uneducated.
The aspects of pavarga can be practically seen in the life of a
modern man. Sometimes sons of farmers, who could have lived an
opulent, natural and healthy life in their village, instead come to
cities, either due to greed for more wealth, or for increasing the
family prestige. But they labour very hard, spend off most of the
wealth earned in the city itself and always live a life full of
threatstravelling in trains where people hang out from doors,
degraded friends full of vices, pick-pockets, drug peddlers,
murders, corruption, danger of AIDS, accidents, lay off from the
job to name a few.
This reminds me of a story of two ratsone from the village
and one from the city. Once, the city rat invited his friend to his
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house in the city. The village rat was amazed to see his friend
living in an opulent marble palace of a big industrialist. His friend
took him to the dining table where there were varieties of curries,
sweets, ice creams, pizzas, bread and jam, and many other items.
Both of them began enjoying the feast until they heard the loud
sound of a cane on the table top, just one or two inches away from
their bodies. The city rat jumped up, and within a few seconds, he
dashed into a small hole in the corner of a room and the village rat
followed him to the best of his speed. The village rat breathed
heavily and asked, What happened? What was that noise? The
city rat replied, Nothing! Dont worry, this is a part of life. When
we do our business here, we have to take extra care not to be hit
by the cane of the servant. Thats all. The village rat returned to
his village saying, What do you mean? It is a part of life! To get
killed? I would rather return to my place where we get abundant
broken rice particles, grains and cereals left behind in the fields,
and there is no life threat there.
One has to keep ones life simple without greed for
accumulating more and more, and make Krishna consciousness
the top priority in life. Then one can attain apavarga, the spiritual
world, where there is no hard struggle for existence, no material
bondage, fear or death.
Characteristics Of One In The Mode Of
Goodness, Passion And Ignorance
Everyone in this world is born with certain propensities. Our
propensities are determined by our state of consciousness, our
occupational capabilities and our spiritual orientation.
Those in the mode of goodness tend to be powerful through
humility. They are clean, selfless, pious, humanitarian, kind,
considerate and pure. Those in the mode of passion tend to be
selfish, egoistic, greedy, lusty and extremely interested in
attracting adoration, distinction and personal profit. Those in the
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mode of ignorance are lazy, unclean, disturbing to others and even
obnoxious. These three principles, which are like ropes that bind
every human being, govern each thought and action, and form the
environment in the material world. Most of us embody a mixture
of these attributes as various modes of nature work on our minds.
People are different in character, habits, needs and desires based
on how they are influenced by the modes.
Mode Of Goodness
A man in the mode of goodness becomes wiser than others.
Because he leads life in accordance to injunctions of scriptures, he
is not so much affected by material miseries. He has a sense of
advancement in material knowledge. He has a sense of
happiness because he is more or less free from sinful reactions.
The representative type is a brahmana, who is supposed to be
situated in the mode of goodness.
When a living entity is situated in goodness, he becomes
conditioned to feel that he is advanced in knowledge and is better
than others. The best examples are the scientist, philosopher
and poet. Each is very proud of his knowledge, and because they
generally improve their living conditions, they feel a sort of
material happiness. This sense of advanced happiness makes them
bound by the goodness of material nature. As long as they have an
attraction for working in that way, they have to take some type of
body. Thus, there is no likelihood of liberation or being transferred
to the spiritual world. Repeatedly, one may become a philosopher,
scientist or a poet, and repeatedly become entangled in the same
disadvantages of birth and death. But, due to illusion of the
material energy, one thinks that that sort of life is pleasant. So,
Krishna tells Arjuna in the Gita: O sinless one, the mode of
goodness, being purer than the others, is illuminating, and it frees
one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode become
conditioned by a sense of happiness and knowledge. (BG 14.6)
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Example Of A Family In The Mode Of Goodness
Dr. and Mrs. Bright and their two children have a small home,
just suitable to their needs, in a peaceful country town. Dr. Bright
is the local M.D., a thoughtful, qualified man, respected for doing
his job honestly and selflessly. His hobby: reading books of
philosophy, poetry and science. Mrs. Bright and the children
(when the children arent in school) farm and garden around the
house, and care for the family cow. The Brights are mildly
prosperous people who give thanks to God for the things they
have and take their religion as a serious duty. By almost anyones
standards, they would have to be considered exceptionally pious.
They dont gamble, and for them, intoxicants are strictly
prohibited. They dont smoke and, what to speak of liquor, they
dont even drink coffee or tea. Dr. Bright has seen too many of his
patients bring trouble to themselves through extramarital affairs,
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so he has always been faithful to his wife, and she, too, has always
been faithful to him. The Brights decided long ago that killing
animals is barbaric, so they never eat meat, fish, chicken or even
eggs. All in all, the Brights lead a clean, simple and happy life.
But the Brights are conditioned by a sense of happiness and
knowledge. They are attached to their harmonious world.
Therefore, they are bound by the mode of goodness.
Mode Of Passion
The mode of passion is characterized by the attraction
between man and woman. Woman has attraction for man, and
man has attraction for woman. This is called the mode of passion.
And when the mode of passion is increased, one develops the
hankering for material enjoyment. He wants to enjoy sense
gratification. For sense gratification, a man in the mode of passion
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wants some honour in society, or in the nation, and he wants to
have a happy family, with nice children, wife and house. These are
the products of the mode of passion. As long as one is hankering
after these things, he has to work very hard. Therefore, in order
to please his wife, children and society, and to keep up his
prestige, one has to work. A man in the mode of passion may be
engaged in fruitive activity; he owns as much as he can and spends
for good causes. Sometimes he tries to open hospitals, give to
charitable institutions, etc., for increasing his prestige and
status in society. Therefore, the whole material world is more or
less in the mode of passion. Formerly, in the Vedic age, the
society was considered to be in the mode of goodness.
Example Of A Family In The Mode Of Passion
The Smiths live in the suburbs in a stylish home filled with
modern conveniences. Each morning, Larry Smith gulps down
breakfast in time to fight traffic to the office. There he sits all day
dealing with different headaches, as he calls them. A hard job,
but worth it, he figures, since it lets him afford the luxuries he
enjoys and still have some money left over for the stock market
and some rather shady business schemes he has going on the side.
Money is the honey, Larry says. Gloria, his wife, wakes up in
time to see that the two older children look decent (family prestige
is important to the Smiths), and sends them off to school. She
spends most of her day with the baby (the one we didnt expect,
says Larry). Either Glorias in the house with the TV going, in the
playground with the other housewives and children, in the beauty
salon, or (sometimes it seems like forever) shopping. All day the
Smiths are active, on the go. At night they relax, but sometimes
their minds are just so wound up that they cant get a good nights
sleep. They squabble with each other, and sometimes they are
depressed, but as Larry jokingly philosophizes, There is no
problem so great that sex cant solve. On the weekends, the
Smiths make a show of being religious, but it is more or less a
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social affair, since in fact they generally disregard the guidelines
of their scriptures. This family is typical of the mode of passion.
Mode Of Ignorance
The mode of ignorance is just the opposite of the mode of
goodness. In the mode of ignorance, one cannot understand what
is what. A man in ignorance is very lazy and has no interest for
spiritual life. He is not even active like the man who is controlled
by the mode of passion. He sleeps more than is required. Six
hours of sleep is sufficient, but a man in the mode of ignorance
sleeps for at least ten to twelve hours a day. Such a man always
appears to be dejected and is addicted to intoxicants and
sleeping. In the mode of ignorance, whatever one does is good
neither for him nor for anyone else.
Example Of A Family In The Mode Of Ignorance
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The mode of ignorance is exemplified by the lives of J ohn
Dull and Betty Grumble. They never got married, but they live
together in squalor, in a cheap apartment in New York City. J ohn
earns by peddling drugs. Religion, they both decided long ago, is
something they want no part of. They spend their time sleeping (at
least 10 to 12 hours a day) or else getting high on drugs, feasting
on beer and salami, and languishing in their apartment. For years
they have dreamed about starting a commune in Spain.
Results Of Action In Different Modes
rdhva gacchanti sattva-sth madhye tihanti rjas
jaghanya-gua-vtti-sth adho gacchanti tmas

Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward
to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the
earthly planets; and those in the abominable mode of ignorance go
down to the hellish worlds. (BG 14.18)
In this verse, the results of actions in the three modes of nature
are more explicitly set forth. There is an upper planetary system,
consisting of the heavenly planets, where everyone is highly
elevated. According to the degree of development of the mode of
goodness, the living entity can be transferred to various planets in
this system. The highest planet is Satyaloka, or Brahmaloka,
where the prime person of this universe, Lord Brahma, resides.
The mode of goodness can take us to Satyaloka.
The mode of passion is mixed. It is in the middle, between the
modes of goodness and ignorance. A person is not always pure,
but even if he should be purely in the mode of passion, he will
simply remain on this earth as a king or a rich man. But because
there are mixtures, one can also go down. People on this earth, in
the mode of passion or ignorance, cannot forcibly approach the
higher planets by machines. In the mode of passion, there is also
the chance of becoming mad in the next life.
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The lowest quality, the mode of ignorance, is described here as
abominable. The result of developing ignorance is very, very
risky. It is the lowest quality in material nature. Beneath the
human level there are eight million species of lifebirds, beasts,
reptiles, trees, etc.and according to the development of the
mode of ignorance, people are brought down to these abominable
conditions. The word tamasa is very significant here. Tamasa
indicates those who stay continuously in the mode of ignorance
without rising to a higher mode. Their future is very dark. There is
an opportunity for men in the modes of ignorance and passion to
be elevated to the mode of goodness, and that process is called
Krishna consciousness. One who does not take advantage of this
opportunity will certainly continue in the lower modes.
Even amongst human beings, there are 4,00,000 species. In the
lower levels of consciousness, a living entity, although in a human
body, behaves like an animal. In a higher level, he is selfish for his
family. In a still higher level, he is concerned about his
community, then concerned about his state or country. At a higher
level, one may become an altruist or a philanthropist. And after
many lifetimes, one starts to inquire about God. The living entity
still develops several conceptions about God in many, many
lifetimes, until he approaches Krishna. To stop the repetition of
birth and death in different forms of life, we must transcend the
covering of material nature and come to the platform of pure
consciousness.
Even Goodness Binds The Living Entity
To return to our earlier example, Dr. Bright, our learned
physician, feels advanced in knowledge and materially happy in
his peaceful library at home. But although his life may seem
pleasant, he is still in the bodily or material concept of life, and
therefore he is in illusion. He thinks that he is Dr. Bright, an
American, a middle-aged man, a husband, a father, a reasonable,
well-educated country gentleman. But these designations are all
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material; they concern only the body and mind. He has not yet
realised that he is neither his body nor his mind; he is a spirit soul,
an eternal servant of Krishna. Since he misidentifies himself with
his body, he must come under the influence of the laws of
nature governing that body. So he must continue suffering the
bodily problems of birth, old age, disease and death.
Elevation To Heavenly Planets Is No Progress
A good prisoner is kept in an A class prison where he can
watch TV, read newspapers, do typing, maintain a library, etc. A
medium prisoner may have to break stones, and a murderer may
be kept in a strict solitary confinement, shackled with strong
chains. Only less intelligent prisoners desire transfer to nicer
prison cells where the mattresses are cleaner, and the sinks have
hot water. Intelligent prisoners want freedom. Ultimately a jail is a
jail. Similarly, whether we are brahmanas in goodness, or
kshatriyas in passion, or vaishyas in passion & ignorance, or
shudras in ignorance, ultimately we are bound by the cycle of birth
and death. We should transcend the three modes by becoming
devotees and return back home, back to Godhead.
Those who seek elevation to heavenly planets may be attached
to the abundant facilities for material enjoyment, but they do not
realise the temporary nature of the material world which makes
one suffer the dualities of enjoyment and suffering in cycles.
When the football goes up, it may appear like a pleasant
experience. But eventually it comes down only to be kicked by
another foot. Thus the football suffers repeated kicks and may
have the satisfaction of flying up between two kicks. This is the
condition of the living entity in the material world.
If one in the mode of goodness is bound in this way, what to
speak of those in the lower modes? Those in passion, like the
Smiths, are bound by their attempts to satisfy their uncontrollable
hankerings and longings. And those in ignorance, like Mr. Dull
and Miss Grumble, are bound by madness, indolence and sleep.
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Our real life is spiritual and so it is eternal, blissful and full of
knowledge. Under the illusion of goodness, however, we look for
this reality in mundane learning and a feeling of material
satisfaction; in passion we seek it in sex and possessions; and in
ignorance we seek it in sleep and intoxication. Thus, our pure
spiritual nature is perverted by impure desires, born of the modes
of nature.
If three thieves are being severely beaten by the police - one
by an iron rod, the second by a brass rod and the third by a gold
rod, can the thief being beaten by the gold rod feel proud?
Similarly, even mundane piety exhibited in the form of performing
sacrifices, giving charity, performing penances, doing social
services, etc., produces mundane material results. They lead one to
heaven and back to earth. Only action on the platform of the soul,
done for the pleasure of the Supreme, can lead to liberation and
beyond.
Free Will And Destiny
If everything is destined, what is the use of sermons and
scriptures?
The argument may be given that if a living entity were subject
to the results of his previous activities there would be no scope for
free will. Once having committed a sinful action, the living entity
would be bound in an endless chain of suffering, being perpetually
subject to previous reactions. If every move we made was
completely controlled by fate, destiny or astrological influences,
how could there be such a thing as right act or wrong act, and why
feel regret toward something we did? And if everything is
destined, why would the scriptures take so much trouble to offer
valuable lessons for the suffering souls to discriminate between
the right and wrong and choose the path of right action?
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What is destined? What is not destined?
prva jamnrjit vidy prva janmrjita dhana agre
dhvati dhvati. By living a righteous life in accordance to
scriptures, one attains a better position in the material world. One
may be rich, learned, beautiful or highborn. Thus it is destined
whether one will be born rich or poor, learned or illiterate,
beautiful or ugly, highborn or lowborn, etc. What is not destined,
however, is the question of how one is going to use all these
facilities awarded or how is one going to behave in difficult
circumstances. That action will decide the future destiny. Herein
lies the free will for the soul to exercise.
One who has all these assets should know that they are all
meant for the advancement of Krishna consciousness.
Unfortunately, when a person is misguided, he misuses his high
position for sense gratification. Thus a good position is often
spoiled by material sense gratification in the form of illicit sex,
meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. One spoils an opulent
position in the material world by driving cars, spending time in
nightclubs or tasting abominable food in restaurants. In these
ways, the plundering senses take away all the assets that the
conditioned soul has acquired with great difficulty.
Destiny does not hamper our free will
A practical example would clarify this point of relationship
between destiny and free will. If I purchase a ticket for an airline
flight, board the plane and commence the flight, once the plane
has taken off, my decision to board the plane forces me to
continue flying until the plane lands. But although I am forced to
accept the reaction of this decision, on board the plane I have
many new decisions I can make. I may accept the food and drink
from the stewardesses or reject it, I may read a magazine or
newspaper, I may sleep, walk up and down the aisle, converse
with other passengers, and so on. In other words, although the
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general contextflying to a particular cityis forcibly imposed
upon me as a reaction to my previous decision to board the plane,
even within that situation I am constantly making new decisions
and creating new reactions. For example, if I cause a disturbance
on the airplane I may be arrested when the plane lands. On the
other hand, if I make friends with a businessman sitting next to me
on the plane, such a contact may lead to a favourable business
transaction in the future. Thus, our destiny does not hamper our
free will; rather a sincere devotee of God can easily overcome the
previous conditionings by humble surrender.
My endeavour or Gods grace?
1. Modern notion: There is no such thing as destiny;
everything is in our own hands (karmavada). It is false and leads
to frustration. Mike Tyson, on becoming the world heavyweight
boxing champion at the age of 19, declared, I am the youngest
champion - and I will be oldest champion. Now, in his forties, he
was trying to make a comeback, but he soon gave up after being
defeated, saying, I cant lie to myself anymore; I cant fight
anymore, and announced retirement.
2. Opposite notion: Everything is determined by destiny;
nothing is in our hands (daivavada). It is false and is used to
justify laziness or irresponsibility. In the Mahabharata, Vidura
clearly tells Dhritarastra, Destiny determines the consequences of
our actions, not our actions themselves. The following story from
the Mahabharata will clarify this point.
Vidura frowned. I do not approve of this, O King. Gambling
always brings with it dispute and fighting. You should be careful
that no dissension arises between your sons and the Pandavas, for
that may cause destruction.
Dhritarastra tried to reassure his brother. When you, me,
Bhisma and Drona are here, what evil can befall us? In any event,
destiny is supreme. Whatever has been ordained by the supreme
power will come to pass. What can our efforts do to avert it? I
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have already arranged for this gambling match for my sons
pleasure. Please do not try to change my mind.
Vidura sighed. Fate is surely all-powerful, O King, but we
nevertheless receive the results of our own acts. We have free will.
The supreme power simply reciprocates with our desires. It is the
consequences of our acts which are inevitable, not the acts
themselves. O lord, consider carefully your motivation in allowing
this gambling match.
Dhritarastra remained silent and Vidura slowly left his
chamber with a heavy heart. Although the king was not a fool, he
was controlled by his covetous and mean-minded son. Viduras
counsel, although aimed at the good of all, was falling on deaf
ears.
3. Actual Vedic teaching: Both karma and daiva combine to
determine the result.
The Vedic texts explain that these two ideologies, karmavada
(endeavour, karma, alone determines success) and daivavada
(destiny, daiva, alone determines success) are the two extremes of
the pendulum of human imagination. In reality, success requires
both endeavour and destiny. For example, in agriculture, a good
harvest requires both diligent ploughing and timely rains.
Ploughing represents endeavour and rains signify destiny. Despite
ploughing, no harvest can result, if there are no rains. Similarly
sometimes, despite our best efforts, we may fail, due to adverse
destiny.
When people are uninformed about the role of destiny in
determining results, failures make them feel hopeless, I am
worthless and cannot do anything well, even when they have the
potential to perform in the future. Consequently, today many of
our brothers and sisters are unfortunately and needlessly suffering
from mental problems like inferiority complex, low self-esteem,
depression and self-pity.
Lord Krishna gives us hope in the Bhagavad-gita by pointing
out that though we dont determine the result, we do play a
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significant role. Going back to the farmer analogy, the farmer
must plough the field for favourable rainfall to produce crops.
Similarly, we must endeavour for destiny to produce results.
Material or Spiritual - Its a question of consciousness
There is a clear-cut difference between the spiritual and
material energies. The body is material and is therefore influenced
by material forces such as karma or astrological powers. The
living entity within the body is spiritual and is transcendental to all
such material energies and influences. The more the living entity
realizes his spiritual position and acts on the spiritual platform, the
more he can become free from the material energy. The more one
identifies with the material body, the more one is then influenced
and controlled by the material forces, such as karma, destiny, the
modes of nature, sensual desires, etc.
Thus, even while in this material world if we simply increase
our Krishna consciousness, we will live in the spiritual world. If
we live in the temple, we live in the spiritual world because in the
temple there is no business other than Krishna consciousness.
There are so many engagements carried out for Krishna. We may
think we are living in New York, Los Angeles or Bombay or
elsewhere, but we are actually living in Vaikuntha. Spiritual or
material its a question of consciousness.
For example, a bug may sit on the same seat with the spiritual
master, but because the spiritual master has developed
consciousness and the bug has not, they are different.
For example, if one rises early in the morning, sings the Lords
names and glorifies Him, worships the Deity, offers Bhoga, or the
offering of food, decorates the Lord with garlands, garments and
ornaments, hears pastimes of the Lord, chants His holy names,
remembers and repeats His glories, engages in devotional service
in the mood of servant of His devotees, then one can experience
living in the spiritual world of love. When one watches horror or
sensuous movies, the mind becomes driven by lust and passion.
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When one is engaged in selfish pursuits for ones own
gratification, the heart becomes duplicitous, the mind gets wound
up, the senses become disturbed, and ones consciousness is
submerged in the material world. Then one is subjected to fear,
attachment, anger, envy, lamentation, illusion, etc., that cause
great suffering.
Thus, one has to make a conscious choice, using ones free
will, to perform with body, mind and words, those items
favourable for returning to the spiritual world. One should also
make deliberate and sometimes strenuous attempts to give up
those items that are unfavourable for Krishna consciousness. This
will pave the way for a bright destiny in the future.

Practical Application Of The Bhagavad-gitas
Message In Corporate Circles
The knowledge of the three modes of material nature helps one
to increase self awareness, take a closer look at oneself, ones
motives and behaviour, which need to be rectified in order to lead
a meaningful life. In modern times, one who becomes educated in
a college in mundane subjects, gets into the business field and is
put in a situation of managing thousands of men as he climbs up
the ladder in the corporate circle. Yet, one is emotionally
immature and incompetent to manage ones own life and
emotions, what then to speak of managing others. The following
section gives a clue of how such a person can apply the Bhagavad-
gita in his everyday life.
Leaders Or Managers Functioning In The Three Modes
When a leader is situated in ignorance:
He feels tired all over.
He collapses in his chair/sofa at night.
His fatigue is mixed with nervousness, tension or anxiety.
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He is not pleasant, and often, there is a sense of low esteem
and of life being a burden.
Depression may be triggered or worsened.
He has undesirable moods, negative thoughts and
dysfunctional behaviour, and takes drugs or alcohol to alter his
mood.
When a leader is situated in passion:
He has a stress-driven mood, characterised by an almost
pleasant sense of excitement and power.
His physical energy feels high, even though he may face high
levels of stress or strain from the long hours of a hectic
schedule.
In a tense energy state, he tends to impatiently push himself
towards one objective after another, rarely pausing to rest or
reflect.
His efforts are infused with a moderate-to-severe level of
physical tension, which, after a while, may be imperceptible to
him.
Without realising it, by allowing this situation to persist, he
blunts his ability to pay deep, genuine attention to his own
needs, other peoples needs and project needs.
He can suddenly wake up to find himself at the edge of
burnout and exhaustion.
When a leader is situated in goodness:
He feels low tension and high energy.
He feels remarkably serene and under control.
He replaces tense energy with an alert, peaceful and more
optimistic presence of mind.
He experiences pleasurable body feelings, and a deep sense of
physical stamina and well being.
He sees that his mental and physical reserves are high.
He experiences the best combination of healthy vitality and
increased creative intelligence.
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He feels a kind of relaxed alertness (mind is deeply relaxed
while one is alert and attentive in ones job).
He gets an extra gear that allows him to do just as much, or
even more, but with fewer struggles, and less wear and tear.
Mode Of Goodness Behaviour
Fatigued people make errors, work slowly and less effectively,
do things the long and routine way, and fail to see efficient short
cuts. Without alertness, there is no attentiveness. Without
attentiveness, there is no performance.
A leader, who desires smooth functioning, has to cultivate
mode of goodness behaviour, as the qualities mentioned above are
desirable for efficiency and performance.
Everyone in this world is subjected to some stimulus or the
other at different times. Between stimulus and response is a
human beings greatest power - the freedom to choose. We may
feel like responding in a certain way, but when we live our lives
close to our values, we can subordinate our feelings to our values.
This will make us act responsibly. Look at the word response-
ability the ability to choose your response. A God-conscious
person never blames anything circumstances, conditions or other
people for his actions. He is aware that he has chosen to respond
pro-actively (based on chosen values), rather than re-actively
(allowing the stimulus to dictate his response). It is not what
happens to us, but our response to what happens to us that hurts
us.
When we study the behaviour of leaders in different modes,
we can easily see that behaviour in the mode of goodness is
desirable to be successful in the long run. The mode of passion is
good to begin or create, but in the long run, one who lacks the
mode of goodness leads himself to burnout and concomitant
failure. Now, is it in our hands whether we want to be leaders in
any one of these modes. Or is every one of us like a programmed
robot who functions according to our past life conditionings,
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upbringing in childhood, our past good or bad association, etc.?
Do we have freedom to decide how we want to act? This question
is the very essence of proactive behaviour. Lord Sri Krishna
addresses this question in the Bhagavad-gita.
One who is used to behaving in passion or ignorance may ask,
If my power of conditioning is tremendous, do I have any control
over it? Do I have a chance to become better? The answer,
according to the Bhagavad-gita is, fortunately, Yes.
rga-dvea-vimuktais tu viayn indriyai caran
tma-vayair vidheytm prasdam adhigacchati
But a person free from all attachment and aversion and able
to control his senses through regulative principles of freedom can
obtain the complete mercy of the Lord. (BG 2.64)
In order to be successful, one should give up all attachment to
wrong things and aversion to the right things. Scriptures explain
that meat eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sexual relations
lead one to degradation and plunge one into passion and
ignorance. Watching horror movies, seeing pornographic pictures,
taking intoxicants, etc., put our mind in turmoil, and make us glide
down to a lower nature. One who wants to become peaceful and
happy should strenuously endeavour to give up attachment to such
unwanted things that produce no good, but unlimited suffering.
Generally, people are lazy, or sometimes even averse to the
favourable things that are aiding supports to internal maturity and
peace of mind, such as all those things that enhance the mode of
goodness:
Diet - fruits, milk, grains, cereals, vegetables, natural products,
sanctified karma-free diet
Dress - simple dress that does not provoke passion
Environment - taking out time to meditate on God by chanting
His names, and being contemplative about the ultimate
purpose of life
Association - company of saintly people
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Reading spiritual literatures like the Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-
Bhagavatam, Mahabharata, Ramayana, etc.
Lord Krishna says that one should give up aversion for these
types of right things that bring one to the mode of goodness. It is
possible for every serious human being to elevate himself by his
will power and, by taking shelter of God, to come to the point of
mode of goodness. This will make one very efficient in day to day
functioning, as well as give an opportunity for understanding the
higher sublime truths easily. The mode of goodness is a good
springboard to understand and apply higher spiritual truths in life,
lead a peaceful and happy life in this world and then elevate one to
the transcendental plane of reaching the lotus feet of the Lord.
Our Endeavour Attracts The Lords Mercy
Everything is possible by our endeavour and the Lords mercy.
Of course, in any case, without the Lords mercy, our endeavour
alone is useless. But our sincere endeavour, imbued with devotion
to the Lord, can attract His mercy. When mother Yashoda was
trying to bind baby Krishna, the rope was falling two inches too
short. The two inches represent our endeavour and mercy of the
Lord. By her sincere endeavour and by Krishnas mercy, she could
bind Him.
Also, one should follow the example of the sparrow that lost
her eggs in the waves of the ocean. A sparrow laid her eggs on the
shore of the ocean, but the big ocean carried away the eggs on its
waves. The sparrow became very upset and asked the ocean to
return her eggs. The ocean did not even consider her appeal. So
the sparrow decided to dry up the ocean. We have forgotten our
real identity as souls, eternal servants of Krishna. Our Krishna
consciousness is like the eggs that have been carried away by the
ocean of Maya.
The sparrow began to pick out the water in her small beak, and
everyone laughed at her for her impossible determination. The
news of her activity spread, and at last Garuda, the gigantic bird
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carrier of Lord Vishnu, heard it. He became compassionate toward
his small sister bird, and so he came to see the sparrow. Garuda
was very pleased by the determination of the small sparrow, and
he promised to help. Garuda at once asked the ocean to return her
eggs lest he himself take up the work of the sparrow. The ocean
was frightened at this, and returned the eggs. Thus, the sparrow
became happy by the grace of Garuda. Similarly, if one practices
Krishna consciousness with determination, despite the onslaught
of the three modes in this material world, by sincerely
surrendering to a pure devoteerepresentative of Sri Krishna
then it is very easy for one to cross over the ocean of material
existence.
A False Meditator Cannot Become Free From The Modes
These days there are so many pseudo-yoga institutes that teach
different types of concocted meditation techniques that are of no
use. Such so-called meditators teach their followers to think, I am
the Supreme Spirit Soul. I am conducting the activities of material
nature. Under my direction the sun is moving and the moon is
rising. They think that by such contemplation or meditation they
can become free, but it is seen that just three minutes after
finishing such nonsensical meditation, they are immediately
captured by the modes of material nature. Immediately after his
high-sounding meditation, a meditator becomes thirsty and
wants to smoke or drink. He is under the strong grip of material
nature, yet he thinks that he is already free from the clutches of
maya. Actually, unless a living entity surrenders unto the Supreme
Personality of Godhead as instructed in the Bhagavad-gita, there is
no liberation or freedom from the clutches of maya. No method of
yoga or meditation, without proper understanding of the science of
God, can help one become happy.

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Circle Of Concern And Circle Of Influence
We have a wide range of concernsour health, our children,
problems at work, the national debt, nuclear war, global
competition, economic recession, government policies, wrong
attitudes, assumptions, etc. We could separate those things in
which we have no particular mental or emotional involvement by
creating a circle of concern.
As we look at those things within our circle of concern, it
becomes apparent that there are some things over which we have
no real control, and others that we can do something about. We
could identify those concerns in the latter group by circumscribing
them within a smaller circle of influence.
By determining which of these two circles is the focus of most
of our time and energy, we can discover much about the degree of
our proactivity (effectivity).
Circle of
concern
Circle of
Influence
Exam study
Self Discipline
Punctuality
Sincerity
No one
should
tease me
Exam
result
I should
get what I
want
I want a
better face
cut
Global
Competition
Everyone
should
love me
Economic
Recession
Government
Policy
Values
Visi on
Beli efs
Attitudes
Assumptions
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Proactive And Reactive Behaviour
Proactive or effective people focus their efforts in the circle of
influence. They work on the things they can do something about.
The nature of their energy is positive, enlarging and magnifying,
causing their circle of influence to increase.
Reactive people, on the other hand, focus their efforts in the
circle of concern. They focus on the weakness or faults of other
people, the problems in the environment, and circumstances over
which they have no control. Their focus results in blaming and
accusing attitudes, reactive language, and increased feelings of
victimisation. The negative energy generated by that focus,
combined with neglect in areas they could do something about,
causes their circle of influence to shrink.
As long as we are working in our circle of concern, we
empower the things within it to control us. We are not taking the
proactive initiative necessary to effect positive change. By
working on ourselves instead of worrying about conditions, we
will be able to influence the conditions.
One way to determine on which circle our attention is focussed
is to distinguish between the HAVEs and BEs. The circle of
concern is filled with the HAVEs:
If only I HAD a project that was as easy as that of others
If only I HAD respectful friends
If I could HAVE more time to myself
The circle of influence is filled with the BEs:
I can BE more patient, BE wise, BE loving. It is the
character focus.
Anytime we think the problem is out there, that thought is
the problem. We empower what is out there to control us. The
change paradigm is outside-in what is out there has to change
before we can change.
The proactive approach is to change from the inside-out: to
be different, and by being different, to effect positive change in
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what is out there I can BE more diligent, I can BE more creative,
I can BE more co-operative.
If I really want to improve my situation, I can work on the one
thing over which I have control myself. I can stop trying to
shape up my wife/subordinate/friend, and work on my own
weaknesses. I can focus on being a great partner, a source of
unconditional love and support. Hopefully, that person will feel
the power of proactive example and respond in kind. But whether
that person does or doesnt, the most positive way I can influence
my situation is to work on myself, on my BEING.
There are so many ways to work in the circle of influence to
BE a better listener, to BE a more loving marriage partner, to BE a
better student, to BE a more cooperative and dedicated employee.
Sometimes, the most proactive thing we can do is to BE happy,
just to genuinely smile.
Problem Solving Through Mode Of Goodness Behaviour
We can apply this new ability of focusing on our area of
influence when we deal with problems. Whether a problem is
direct, indirect, or no control, we have in our hands the first step to
the solution. Changing our habits, changing our methods of
influence and changing the way we see our no control problems,
are all within our circle of influence.
The problems we face fall in one of three areas:
Direct control problems involving our own behaviour
Indirect control problems involving other peoples
behaviour
No control problems we can do nothing about, such as
weather, things of the past, etc.
Direct control problems are solved by working to improve our
own habits like avoiding being aggressive, judgmental,
making snap decisions without hearing both sides,
downplaying, being sarcastic, impatient in listening, being
egomaniacal, etc. Dont argue for other peoples weakness.
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Dont argue for your own. When you make a mistake, admit it,
correct it, and learn from itimmediately. Dont get into a
blaming, accusation mode. Work on things you have control
over. Look at the weaknesses of others with compassion, not
accusation. It is not what they are not doing, or should be
doing, that is the issue. The issue is your own chosen response
to the situation and what you should be doing. If you start to
think the problem is out there, stop yourself. That thought is
the problem.
Indirect control problems are solved by improving our
methods of influence, thereby increasing our circle of
influence, (inside-out, not outside-in) like understanding the
individual, paying attention to details, keeping commitments,
showing integrity, apologizing sincerely when we commit
mistakes and clarifying expectations lead to a positive deposit
in the emotional bank of those who may cause us problems.
No control problems involve taking responsibility to change
the line on the bottom of our face to smile to genuinely and
peacefully accept these problems and learn to live with them.
There are things beyond human control, and one has no other
refuge other than the Lord Himself, who is the source of
everything.
One who acts proactively can appreciate the prayer, O Lord,
give me the courage to change the things which can and ought to
be changed, the serenity to accept the things which cannot be
changed, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Focusing on our area of concern will do little or nothing to
alleviate the problem. Concentrating our energies on those things
within our circle of influence will help us become a part of the
solutions to problems, gradually increasing our circle of influence.
Also, we can work on quadrant two (not urgent but important)
problems in a regular manner to not allow them to turn into
crises improving communication with people, better
preparation, better planning and organizing, taking better care of
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oneself, seizing new opportunities, personal development,
preventive maintenance, empowerment, etc.
Working For Krishna Or Working For Maya
Krishna says, Everyone
is forced to act helplessly
according to the qualities he
has acquired from the modes
of nature; therefore no one can
refrain from doing something,
not even for a moment. (BG
3.5) One may think, Because
I am doing activities, I am
bound by modes. Let me
become inactive. That is not
possible. It is like saying, I
will burn down my house, because I cannot pay tax. One has to
perform activity. But one should know how to perform activities
without becoming entangled in the three modes.
Everyone in this world is making plans and working hard to
improve their financial situation, career growth, living conditions,
family affairs, etc. Everyone lives
in the hope that things are going to
become better. But people do not
exactly know how to lead their
lives in such a way that it will
bring about the ultimate good,
both now and in the future.
If one discards the injunctions
of the scriptures, delights in sense
enjoyment, envies the Supreme
Lord, and fails to submit to Him
and glorify Him, rather makes
systematic mischievous plans to
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exploit and enjoy the resources which solely belong to the Lord,
such a person is racing on the royal path to hell. (Refer BG 3.32,
3.16, 16.23)
Good and bad acts bind us to this world by making us reap
good and bad fruits. But actions performed for the pleasure of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, do not bind us, but
take us back home, back to Godhead. The following verses from
Bhagavad-gita As It Is give us an idea of how one should mould
ones life in order to attain freedom. By following these
instructions of the Lord, one can remain free from accumulating
any more good or bad karma, thereby allowing us to rise above the
influence of the material energy. This is the science of Bhakti
yoga.
Work done as a sacrifice for Vishnu has to be performed;
otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore,
O son of Kunti, perform your prescribed duties for His
satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain free from
bondage. (BG 3.9)
One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering
the results unto the Supreme Lord, is unaffected by sinful action,
as the lotus leaf is untouched by water. (BG 5.10)
Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me
(Sri Krishna), with full knowledge of Me, without desires for
profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy,
fight. Those persons who execute their duties according to My
injunctions and who follow this teaching faithfully, without envy,
become free from the bondage of fruitive actions. (BG 3.30-31)
My dear Arjuna, he who engages in My pure devotional
service, free from the contaminations of fruitive activities and
mental speculation, he who works for Me, who makes Me the
supreme goal of his life, and who is friendly to every living
beinghe certainly comes to Me. (BG 11.55)
Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and
offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without
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fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend. (BG
18.65)
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me.
I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear. (BG
18.66)
The science of bhakti yoga is very easy and simple. Anybody
in any walk of life, be it child, woman, man, young, old, educated,
uneducated all can engage in this process without having to give
up their regular occupations. One can easily become free from the
modes, if one learns the art of serving Sri Krishna with ones
body, mind, senses and words. When one chants the Hare Krishna
maha mantra, eats only prasad, hears Bhagavad-gita As It Is and
Srimad-Bhagavatam from the mouth of pure devotees, associates
with Krishnas devotees regularly, is always eager to serve
Krishna with all of ones resources, then it is a sure-shot way to
become free from the modes and attain the state of pure goodness.
Such a person always thinks, I have to do this activity now. Is it
going to be favourable for my Krishna consciousness? If so, I will
accept it. Is it going to degrade my consciousness? Then I will not
do it. This is how a Krishna conscious person assesses his every
activity.
Two persons, one in Krishna consciousness and the other in
material consciousness, working on the same level, may appear to
be working on the same platform, but there is a wide gulf of
difference in their respective positions. The person in material
consciousness is convinced by false ego that he is the doer of
everything. He does not know that the mechanism of the body is
produced by material nature, which works under the supervision
of the Supreme Lord. The materialistic person has no knowledge
that he is ultimately under the control of Krishna. The person in
false ego takes all credit for doing everything independently, and
that is the symptom of his nescience. He does not know that this
gross and subtle body is the creation of material nature, under the
order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such, his
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bodily and mental activities should be engaged in the service of
Krishna, in Krishna consciousness.
For example, there are two students in a class, one a devotee
and the other a fruitive worker. The devotee student is studying for
Krishna. How is it possible? The subjects he studies in the college
are all about matter. Then how can such study be a Krishna
conscious activity? The devotee student has an understanding that
ultimately, all this college education is to fetch him a job to
maintain his family and dependents, but the real eternal life and
relationship exists for everyone only with Krishna. So he chants
his fixed number of rounds of Hare Krishna maha mantra
everyday, follows four regulative principles, reads Srila
Prabhupadas books, attends weekly classes-- and in this way,
maintains a pure state of consciousness -- besides this, he does his
college education as a prescribed duty.
Although both students appear to be doing the same college
education, there is a gulf of difference between their
consciousnesses. The fruitive student will make multiple plans for
his future and become more and more entangled in the modes of
material nature, whereas the devotee student will lead a life of
Krishna consciousness, gradually become freed from the three
modes, and attain pure goodness. Such a devotee, having attained
the state of pure goodness, becomes directly controlled by
Krishna. The modes stop acting on him and Krishnas mercy
begins to flow through him.
An ideal example would be the case of Arjuna and
Duryodhana. Both Arjuna and Duryodhana had chariots; both had
bows and arrows; both were kshatriyas; both were ready to fight
passionately. Externally it may appear that there was no
difference. But there was a great difference in their consciousness.
Duryodhana was fighting for his own personal motives, while
Arjuna was fighting for the pleasure of Krishna. Duryodhana
thought himself to be the controller of everything and was making
many, many master plans to finish the Pandavas. But Arjuna knew
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that everything was moving and acting under the supreme will of
Krishna, and that he was only an instrument or puppet in
Krishnas hands, to be used in the way Krishna wanted to use him.
Their situation can be compared to an audio tape which gets
unwound on one side and more wound on the other. In the same
way, while a devotee and non-devotee are doing apparently the
same activity, a devotee is becoming liberated, while a non-
devotee is becoming entangled.
Who Can Award Liberation From The Three
Modes?
There are 18 Puranas, 6 meant for the people in the mode of
ignorance (which recommend worship of Siva and Durga), 6
meant for people in the mode of passion (which recommend
worship of Brahma and other demigods), and 6 meant for people
in the mode of goodness (which recommend worship of Visnu).
The Maha Purana, which is Srimad-Bhagavatam, is meant for the
paramahansas, or pure devotees who are transcendental to all the
three modes. Such a platform is known as pure goodness (suddha
sattva).
Although Brahma and Siva are
greatly elevated, it is not possible for
such incarnations of rajo-guna
(passion) and tamo-guna (ignorance) to
release the conditioned soul from the
clutches of maya. Svetasvetara
Upanisad (3.8) confirms that freedom
is possible only by understanding
Krishna. Even Lord Siva affirms that
liberation is achieved only by the
mercy of Visnu. Lord Siva himself
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says: mukti pradata sarvesam visnur eva na samsayah meaning,
There is no doubt that Visnu is the deliverer of liberation for
everyone.
The Supreme Lord Is Transcendental To The
Three Modes
Somebody may say, If all aspects of the world like strength,
intelligence, prowess, sex life -- all come from Krishna, then is it
to be understood that Sri Krishna is also under the three modes of
material nature?
The living entities in this world perform various activities in
the three modes and get bound more and more. On the other hand,
the Supreme Lord also performs activities that are all on a
transcendental plane, although they may appear mundane to the
common man. (BG 9.11) Foolish people consider Lord Sri
Krishna to be some ordinary politician, cow-herding vaishya,
mystic yogi, great diplomat, playboy, wise man, pious being,
detached jnani, and so on. Unfortunately, they cannot understand
Him to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as confirmed in
Bhagavad-gita itself. (BG 10.12-13) He is beyond the modes.
Only one who can understand the science of this truth has any
hope of liberation from this world.
Krishna Is Nirguna, Beyond Three Modes
Therefore, Lord Sri Krishna is nirguna which means, gunas
or modes, although issuing from Him, do not affect Him. That is
one of the special characteristics of Bhagavan, or the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. The word nirguna is sometimes
wrongly interpreted by speculators as devoid of qualities. That is
a wrong understanding. Nirguna means free from the three
modes or, in other words, free from material qualities. But the
Supreme Lord has His name, fame, pastimes, activities, entourage,
etc., which are all completely spiritual and transcendental. Even
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when He descends to this material world, they still remain
transcendental and untouched by matter.

Lord Krishna is supremely pure; He is called shuddham and
pavitram. For example, although He appeared in a kshatriya
family and lived His life in a vaishya family at Vrindavana, He
does not become a kshatriya or a vaishya; He is beyond all
caste and creed.
He is antiseptic and prophylactic (the disease is permanently
cured and never comes back): He is called as apapa viddham,
which means sin cannot touch Him. For example, just as the
sun may absorb urine but never become contaminated,
similarly, Lord Krishna is so divine that the utterance of His
very name can deliver the conditioned soul from all
contaminations. When the sun absorbs urine, it is not polluted,
rather, due to the influence of the sunshine, the polluted,
contaminated place becomes disinfected (refer Ishopanishad,
by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Mantra 8).
Krishna has no duty or obligation to perform (refer BG 3.22).
Even when He does something, no work affects Krishna (refer
BG 4.14). Conditioned souls, bound by their independent
desires for pleasure, try to act. These attempts cause the modes
of material nature to react, causing action and reaction.
Krishna is materially desireless and His activities are within
the internal energy, free of the modes.
Krishna confirms that He is transcendental to the three modes
in the Gita: Know that all states of being-- be they of goodness,
passion or ignorance-- are manifested by My energy. I am, in one
sense, everything, but I am independent. I am not under the modes
of material nature, for they, on the contrary, are within Me. (BG
7.12)
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How Can Krishna, The Supreme Lord, Act
Immorally?
Often people challenge that if Krishna is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who is supposed to be supremely pure
and the father of morality, how can He break moral principles?
Such people are like tenants who refuse to pay the rent to the
owner of the house, asking him to prove his ownership.
There is nothing in this creation which has not emanated from
the Lord. He is the father, owner, controller, caretaker or
maintainer of everything and everyone. People superimpose their
own deficiencies on the Lord and blame Him for what He does not
deserve. This is only due to envy and the desire to lord it over the
material nature. Lord Sri Krishna, being the Supreme Bhagavan,
or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is free to dance with His
devotees, the gopis, in rasa dance, He can steal butter from other
gopis houses; He is not bound by any laws because everything
emanates from Him. When we imitate the same activities of
stealing anything or dancing with women, it is considered
abominable, and one awaits a suitable punishment for such
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misbehaviour. If we want to imitate Krishna dancing with the
gopis, first of all we should lift Govardhan hill as Krishna did.
Transgressions of religious principles by the Supreme
Controller testify to His great power. For example, in a company
there are separately marked parking places for Chief Executive
Officer, Managing Director, Works Manager, Shop
Superintendent, etc., to park their respective cars. But when the
owner of the company comes in with his car, he can park it
anywhere, in any of their parking lots; nobody can quarrel with
him nor will anyone question him.
For big post holders like Prime Minister of India, President of
India, Chief Minister, etc., the traffic rules are not applicable.
Then why should the Supreme Lordfather of all creationbe
bound by the three modes?
The Supreme Lord, Rama or Krishna, is above our mundane
conceptions of good and bad. A small lamp may certainly light
up a dark room, but it is useless to search for the sun with it.
Similarly, our mundane conceptions of proper or improper
behaviour cannot be imposed on the Supreme Lord. It is foolish to
impose mundane morality on the Supreme without knowing Him
to be the fountainhead of all moral and religious principles. It is
like trying to measure the height of Mount Everest with a small
scale ruler. There is no tool to see the sun except the sunlight itself
that is given by the sun; similarly, the activities of Lord Rama and
Lord Krishna are divine and can be truly understood only by the
causeless mercy of the Lord.
Krishna never enjoys or suffers the results of His activities.
Therefore, it is not possible for Him to act irreligiously. He is
transcendental to all religious duties and principles. He is
untouched by the modes of material nature. He is the father and
Supreme Controller of all living entities, either in human society,
in the demigod society in heavenly planets, or in lower forms of
life. He is the Supreme Controller of all living entities and of
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material nature; therefore, He has nothing to do with religious or
irreligious principles.
In Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sukadeva Gosvami informed Parikshit
that the great sages and devotees, who are washed clean of all
conditioned life, can move freely even within the contamination of
material nature by keeping Krishna, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, within their hearts. In this way, they also do not become
subject to the laws of pleasure and pain in the modes of material
nature. How then, is it possible for Krishna, who appears by His
own internal potency, to be subjected to the laws of karma?
Given below are a few arguments made by common people
and suitable refutations to help us understand the position of the
Lord.
Why Did Krishna Kill So Many Demons?
Krishna has no envy towards any living being. Krishna says in
the Bhagavad-gita, samoham sarva bhuteshu na me dveshyosti
na priyah (BG 9.29)
Sometimes, a mother slaps one of her children and embraces
another, according to whatever is beneficial for the child. One
child may be mischievous and not ready to attend to his duty of
doing the homework, whereas the other child may be honest in
finishing the homework in time. The mother gives them treatment
according to what will benefit them. After receiving a slap, the
child will come to his senses and perform his duty. In the same
way, Krishna kills the demons and awards them liberation to
purify them.
Why Did Krishna Adopt Devious Ways To Kill Karna?
Let us hear of the incident of Karnas death from the
Mahabharata.
Karna told Arjuna, O Partha, wait for a moment while I
extract my wheel. Do not cherish thoughts entertained only by
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cowards. I will soon stand again for battle. Remembering virtue
and the codes of warfare, hold off your attack until then.
Hearing his agonized plea, Krishna smiled and replied, It is
fortunate indeed that you remember virtue, O Karna. Men in
distress almost always censure Providence, forgetting their own
evil deeds. Where, O Karna, was your virtue when Draupadi was
brought weeping into the Kuru assembly? Where was it when
Yudhisthira was robbed of his kingdom? When he asked for it to
be returned, after spending his promised 13 years in exile, did
your virtue suggest that it be returned? Was it virtue that conspired
to set fire to the wax house in Varanavata? Did virtue urge you to
laughingly say to Draupadi, O lady, choose another husband?
Was it that same virtue that ordered Dushasana to strip her naked?
When you and six other brave heroes surrounded the boy
Abhimanyu, did virtue then enter your mind? Karnas head fell
and he made no reply. Krishna continued, If it was virtue acting
on all these occasions, then do not waste your time summoning it
now. You wish us to practice piety today, but you will not escape
with your life. After vanquishing you and all their other enemies,
the virtuous Pandavas will regain their kingdom.
For those who try to cheat Krishna, the Lord says, I am the
best among the cheaters. Duryodhana and company tried to cheat
the innocent devotees, the Pandavas. The Lord retaliated with a
blow by making Arjuna the instrument. But when the Lord cheats,
His cheating is also absolute. Vamanadev apparently cheated Bali
Maharaja in a superficial sense, but he achieved the topmost
position of becoming a devotee of the Lord by that act of the Lord.
Why Did Krishna Dance With The Gopis,
Who Were Other Mens Wives?
When Krishna danced with the gopis, He was just eight years
old. It is mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam that all the gopis
danced with Krishna not in their material bodies. They danced
with Krishna in their spiritual bodies. All their husbands thought
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that their wives were sleeping by their sides. The bodies of the
gopis, which were their husbands, were lying in bed, but the
spiritual parts and parcels of Krishna were dancing with Him.
Krishna is the Supreme Person, the whole spirit, and He danced
with the spiritual bodies of the gopis. There is, therefore, no
reason to accuse Krishna in any way (ref: Krishna Book, page
222, para 3).
Most of the gopis in their previous lives were great sages,
expert in the study of the Vedas, and when Lord Krishna appeared
as Lord Ramachandra, they wanted to enjoy with Him. Lord
Ramachandra gave them the benediction that their desires would
be fulfilled when He would appear as Krishna. Therefore, the
desire of the gopis to enjoy the appearance of Lord Krishna was
long cherished. So they approached goddess Katyayani to have
Krishna as their husband. There are many other circumstances
which also testify to the supreme authority of Krishna, and show
that He is not bound by the rules and regulations of the material
world. In special cases, He acts as He likes to favour His devotees.
This is only possible for Him, because He is the Supreme
Controller. People in general should follow the instructions of
Lord Krishna as given in the Bhagavad-gita and should not even
imagine imitating Lord Krishna in the rasa dance. Lord Krishna
sees the gopis, the monkeys, the cows, peacocks, Yamuna, parrots,
all as devotees; it is due to our venomous enjoying mentality that
we tend to distinguish between the superficial forms and get
confused. The Lord appreciates the devotional mood of His
devotees, but a conditioned soul, who is absorbed in bodily
consciousness, cannot think of anything beyond money and sex.
Our limited perception of the Lord does not disqualify Him or His
activities.
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Why Did Krishna Steal Butter From
The Houses Of Elderly Gopis?
Krishna and Balarama belonged to the house of Nanda and
Yashoda, who were the chiefs of the entire cowherd community in
Vrindavana. They had no dearth of cows for supplying milk,
butter, ghee and yogurt. Yet, to increase the love of His devotees
for Him, the Lord would go to the houses of the gopis and steal.
This mischievous activity would arouse such intense love in the
heart of the elderly gopis that they would have long transcendental
talks about it with Yashoda. One can appreciate such pastimes by
hearing them from the lips of pure devotees.
Why Did Krishna Run Away
From The Battle With Jarasandha?
Seventeen times Krishna killed all the associates of J arasandha
but spared the life of J arasandha, so that he might go back and
bring another bunch of demons with him, thereby facilitating the
task for Krishna to kill demons in one stroke. When J arasandha
again attacked Mathura for the eighteenth time, in order to prevent
further killing of soldiers and to attend to other important business
(meeting Rukmini), Lord Krishna left the battlefield without
fighting.
In India, especially in Gujarat, there are many temples of
Krishna which are known as temples of Ranchorji (one who left
the battlefield). Ordinarily, if a king leaves the battlefield without
fighting, he is called a coward, but when Krishna enacts this
pastime, leaving the battlefield without fighting, He is worshiped
by the devotees. The act of Krishnas leaving the battlefield is a
display of one of His six opulences, namely, the Supreme
Renouncer. Even without His military, He alone would have been
sufficient to defeat the army of J arasandha, as He had done
seventeen times before. Therefore, His leaving the battlefield is an
example of His super most opulence of renunciation.
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Difference Between Goodness And Pure Goodness
One who understands the Krishna conscious philosophy
concerning material nature, the living entity, and the interaction of
the modes of nature, is sure to attain liberation. He will not take
birth here in this material world again, regardless of his present
position. (BG 13.24) One who is thus becoming freed from
illusion, and who scientifically understands his pure, natural
consciousness, is sure to become a devotee of the Supreme Lord.
In the beginning, such potential devotees:
Naturally develop the desirable personal qualities that
characterize the mode of goodness.
Strictly avoid all sinful activities: meat eating, gambling,
intoxication and illicit sex.
But beyond that, they seek out a bona fide spiritual master and
then cultivate transcendental knowledge under his guidance.
Thus, each day, they hear scientific information about Krishna
from Vedic scriptures like the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-
Bhagavatam, and
Chant the holy names of God-- Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama
Rama Hare Hare. Chanting this transcendental vibration is
recommended in the scriptures (Kali Santaran Upanisad) as the
best way to transcend the three modes of material nature in our
difficult age of quarrel and hypocrisy.
A devotee of the Lord is free from bondage to the modes
because:
His mind, body and words act spiritually-- in relationship to
Krishna.
He always serves for the pleasure of the Lord.
For the sake of the Lord, he will do any work needed, and
For such work, he will live anywhere-- whether it be in the
country, suburbs or city.
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Thus, we can attain spiritual perfection simply by
remembering our relationship with Krishna and acting in that
relationship. We need not be disturbed by the modes of nature, for
instead of putting our consciousness into material activities, we
can transfer it to activities centred around Krishna. This topmost
yoga is known as bhakti-yoga. When we engage in this topmost
yoga system, we acquire the same spiritual qualities as Krishna.
This is the state of pure goodness.
The mode of goodness, although superior to passion and
ignorance, still binds a person to the material world. Because a
person in the mode of goodness follows the spiritual injunctions
and acts according to religious principles as a matter of duty, he
may be elevated to heavenly planets after death, and he may have
to continue in the cycle of birth and death.
On the other hand, pure goodness is transcendental to the three
modes of material nature. In pure goodness, a person exhibits
complete, unmotivated, uninterrupted devotion to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Krishna. He performs only those
activities which please Krishna. For example,
Arjuna killed his own kinsmen and elders upon the instruction
of Krishna.
Vibhishana left his own brother Ravana to join hands with
Lord Rama.
Prahlada garlanded Lord Nrsimhadeva who killed his father
Hiranyakashipu.
Yudhisthira, who was the personification of religious
principles, told a lie on the Lords plea.
Vasudeva, who was the personification of honesty, slipped out
of the jail carrying baby Krishna, without handing him over to
Kamsa.
Bali rejected his so-called guru Shukracharya for serving Lord
Vishnu.
From the viewpoint of mundane moralists, the above activities
may be difficult to appreciate; but all these activities are
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performed by devotees with complete understanding of the
ultimate principle of dharma total, unalloyed, pinpointed loving
surrender to the Lord without any reservation. Such pure devotees
bring light in this world of darkness to teach us how one should go
beyond all bodily designations of mother, father, brother, king,
relative, etc., and be able to surrender to our eternal friend and
master Sri Krishna. Thus, a devotee in pure goodness acts solely
for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord, without any personal
motives, sometimes even tolerating inconveniences. Such a
devotee returns to the eternal abode of the Supreme Lord.
Symptoms And Behaviour Of A Person
Transcendental To The Three Modes
In a conversation between Arjuna and Lord Krishna in the
Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna submits three different questions and the
Lord answers them one after another as below:
Arjuna inquired, O my Lord, by
which symptoms is one known who is
transcendental to these three modes?
What is his behaviour? And how does
he transcend the modes of nature? (BG
14.21)
The first question deals with
symptoms of a person transcendental to
the three modes. Krishna first indicates
that a person transcendentally situated
has no envy, and does not hanker for
anything. When one is conscious of the material body, he acts
only for sense gratification, but when one transfers the
consciousness to Krishna, sense gratification automatically stops.
A devotee does not enjoy the body, nor does he desire to get out of
it. He need not even try to become free from the influence of the
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modes of material nature. Thus transcendentally situated, the
devotee becomes automatically free.
The next question concerns the dealings, or behaviour, of a
transcendentally situated person. The materially situated person is
affected by so-called honour and dishonour offered to the body,
but the transcendentally situated person is not affected by such
false honour and dishonour. He performs his duty in Krishna
consciousness and does not mind whether a man honours or
dishonours him. He accepts things that are favourable for his duty
in Krishna consciousness; otherwise he has no necessity of
anything material, either a stone or gold. He takes everyone as his
dear friend who helps him in his execution of Krishna
consciousness, and he does not hate his so-called enemy. He is
equally disposed and sees everything on an equal level, because he
knows perfectly well that he has nothing to do with material
existence. Social and political issues do not affect him, because he
knows the situation of temporary upheavals and disturbances. He
does not attempt anything for his own sake. He can attempt
anything for Krishna, but for his personal self, he does not attempt
anything. By such behaviour, one becomes actually
transcendentally situated.
The third question is the means of attaining to the
transcendental position. Krishna says, One who engages in full
devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at
once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to
the level of spiritual perfection. (BG 14.26) One who surrenders
unto Krishna at once surmounts the influence of the modes of
material nature. Krishna is transcendental and a pure spirit soul is
also transcendental. Thus, the living entity in his spiritual position
is as good as Krishna, in quality. It is like a small ornament of
gold, which is in quality as good as the gold in the gold mine. The
difference of individuality between Krishna and the living entity
continues to exist eternally; otherwise there would be no question
of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means the Lord is there, the devotee
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is there and the activity of exchange of love between the Lord and
the devotee is there.
Achieving The Spiritual Body
The conditioned soul is bound up, as though shackled by iron
chains. He is bound up by the false ego, and the mind is the chief
agent which is driving him in this material existence. When the
mind is in the mode of goodness, his activities are good; when the
mind is in the mode of passion, his activities are troublesome; and
when the mind is in the mode of ignorance, he travels in the lower
species of life. The conditioned soul is covered by the material
body, with the mind and the senses, and when he is liberated, this
material covering perishes, but his spiritual body manifests itself
in its individual capacity.
When a living entity gives up this material embodiment and
enters into the spiritual world, he revives his spiritual body, and in
his spiritual body he can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead
face to face. He can hear and speak to Him face to face, and he
can understand the Supreme Personality as He is. From the smrti
also it is understood, vasanti yatra puru sarve vaikuha-
mrtaya: in the spiritual planets everyone lives in bodies
featured like the Supreme Personality of Godheads. As far as
bodily construction is concerned, there is no difference between
the part-and-parcel living entities and the expansions of Vishnu-
murti. In other words, at liberation, the living entity gets a spiritual
body by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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Chapter 3

The Quest for
Happiness

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ye hi samsparsha-ja bhoga dukha-yonaya eva te
ady-antavanta kaunteya na teshu ramate budha

An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of
misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of
Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the
wise man does not delight in them. (BG 5.22)
Why Should I Suffer?
Has this question ever occurred to you, Why can I not go on
perpetually enjoying? The other day when I celebrated my
birthday party with friends and relatives, I was so happy. Where is
that gone? Today when I heard my friend insulting me, my heart
was breaking into pieces. Why cant I be happy always?
Although we may wish good for ourselves and for others, this
material world is designed by the Creator to offer miseries through
the agency of Durga. The situation is similar to a state that
arranges a jail and a jail keeper to punish and maintain the thieves
or law-breakers of the state. Misery means to get what we do not
want and to not get what we want. Scriptures like the Bhagavad-
gita give us an indication that this material world is a temporary
place that is full of miseries like a jail. (BG 8.15) We suffer
because of our sinful mentality and the desire to enjoy
independent of the Supreme Lord. We will continue to suffer birth
after birth if we do not make plans to reform this wrong mentality.
One who desires to achieve happiness should learn the art of
quitting this jail by taking directions from the scriptures, and
returning back home, back to Godhead.
The Material World Is Temporary
A creator of any commodity has the best knowledge about his
product. Similarly, Lord Sri Krishna is accepted by all
authoritative sources to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
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and the source of everything, including the material world. Who
can give us better information about the world we are living in
than Him? He labels this world as dukhalayam, which means
abode of miseries, just as Himalaya means abode of snow, or
pustakalaya means shop of books. Sometimes we find boards
saying beware of dogs or trespassers will be prosecuted.
Anyone who ignores such warnings should be prepared to face
dangerous consequences. Thus, one who is serious about lifes
goal should take note of the Lords teachings in the Bhagavad-
gita.
When a child makes a sand castle on the seashore, parents
laugh at him, thinking of the inevitable destruction of that castle
by the waves that will reach the shore within a short time.
However, such intelligent parents do not see the inevitable force
of time that will strip off all their material acquisitions, and leave
them bare-handed when they have to quit the world. What
arrangements have they made for their next life?
Instead of worrying about preparing their consciousness to
return to God, people are preoccupied with solving petty problems
of this world. Once, when I asked in a classroom, What do you
consider to be the problems of life? someone answered, Solving
the fight between my mother and wife. Another said, My foolish
friend, who is likely to get promoted instead of me. A third one
said, It would be nice if our society can arrange 24 hours water
supply, and make a common reading room with some newspapers
and magazines. Thus, people are caught up in bodily
identifications, solving their day-to-day problems, forgetful that
death is fast approaching.
If a siren blows in a train and a warning is given, Rush out of
the train! Someone has set a time bomb in the train that may
explode at anytime! what would you do? If one shows deaf ears
to such an announcement and is preoccupied in making the
compartment a more comfortable place, saying, It would be nice
to have curtains for the windows; why do they have wooden
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planks for seats, we should arrange cushioned seats; there should
be at least two fans, etc., what would happen to such a fool?
Ignoring the death that awaits everyone, despite hearing the
warning call given by the Vedas, people just want to go on making
adjustments in life and make the material world a better place to
live in. Such people die a repentant death, not knowing where they
are going, nor what body awaits them.
Some people argue, After all, if life has to be tasty, we should
have a mixture of pleasures and pains. Why do these religionists
make a big issue out of these small problems which come and go?
We should learn to enjoy life by ignoring these problems.
However, one is not allowed to stay forever in this world. A rat
may make a hole and live comfortably, thinking that he is
peaceful, until the snake comes and devours him. In the same way,
the laws of material nature are so stringent that at an appropriate
time, one is forced to quit his body at any cost by inevitable Time
which is like a black serpent. No beautiful woman can allure
Death, no rich man can bribe Death and no scholar can present his
arguments in front of Death. Everyone has to pass out of this
world one day.
The Material World Is A Place Of Suffering
All endeavours made in the field of Science are to reduce the
miseries of man and to increase his comforts. A fan or an air
conditioner is used to reduce the misery of sweating, or the heat of
summer. A motor cycle is used to avoid the misery of pedalling.
These are simple examples. In a similar way, advances in Science,
Technology and Medicine are aimed at reducing the miseries and,
if possible, ending them altogether.
A problem can be considered real if it fulfils the following
three criteria: 1) It is common to all, 2) Nobody wants it, and 3)
Nobody can avoid it. In this light, the real problems of life are
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our body and mind, from other living entities, and from superior
agents through natural calamities.
Ultimately, whatever one does in life, the goal is to achieve
happiness. In modern times, people are careful to choose areas of
study which can fetch them maximum money, which can later
bring forth happiness. People want the best education, the finest of
cars, a good life partner, an opulent bungalow to live in, a
comfortable life surrounded by relatives and friends, and enough
fun to enjoy life. There are people who have some or all of these,
but they lack peace of mind. In certain cases, they even want to
end their life due to frustration. What do they lack in their life that
makes them so miserable? The following section based on the
Bhagavad-gita presents the answer to this question.
Nature Of Material Pleasure
An average man in society spends most of his time in
counteracting the problems or pains, kurvan dukha pratikaram
sukhavan manyate grhi. (SB 3.30.9) He tries to repeat the
pleasurable experiences by becoming addicted to the objects that
gave him pleasure opposite sex, situations, things, etc. Most
often, he ignores the presence of others in fulfilling his own
ambitious plans for enjoyment, thus causing pain to them and
conflicting relationships. Sometimes, in order to achieve pleasure,
he does not mind adopting foul means, going against his own
conscience, thus causing an internal conflict. Thus, raga
(attachment to things one should shun) and dvesha (aversion to
good things) toss him like a football, occasionally leaving islands
of tiny pleasures that urge him to continue in the same rat race.
Material Pleasure And Material Pain Are Twins
There are unlimited sense objects for enjoyment, but not one
of them is able to give complete satisfaction. J ust like the riddle
that says, water, water everywhere, not a drop to drink (sea), we
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are surrounded by unlimited varieties of enjoyable objects, but
somehow happiness eludes us. In youth, people fall prey to many
vices with the intense desire for squeezing out some happiness in
life, but where does that struggle end? It can be practically
observed that the worldly pleasures are always mixed with pain,
like sweet rice mixed with sand. Pain is called athithi or an
uninvited guest, who comes to your door unexpectedly.
For example: smoking cancer, illicit sex AIDS, liquor
liver problem, tobacco bronchitis.
Pleasure and pain are born together like twins. They are two
sides of the same coin. We want to separate the pleasure
component from the coin and throw away the pain component.
How is this possible? How can you want a person without his
shadow? Pain and pleasure are inseparable from each other.
J nanis and yogis, understanding that material pleasure and
pain is inseparable, throw away the coin containing both. They
voluntarily accept pains to negate pleasuresin summer, they put
a circle of fire around them and in winter, they meditate in ice cold
water. Generally in summer, we want to stay in an air conditioned
room, and in winter, we prefer rolling ourselves into a thick
woollen blanket. We like eating delicious preparations, but the
yogis eat roots and herbs, that have no taste, to negate the pleasure
of eating. We like living in a family with all friends and relatives;
yogis go to the jungle to live alone, negating all relationships.
Thus, by negating the pleasures, the yogis try to transcend the
dualities of happiness/distress, pleasure/pain, heat/cold, honour/
dishonour, etc.
A devotee of the Lord has another easy way of transcending
the dualities without torturing himself so much like a jnani or a
yogi. He just does what is meant for Krishnas pleasure. He only
eats the remnants after offering bhoga to Krishna. He uses his
body, mind and words to render service to Krishna, based on the
order of guru, thereby spiritualizing all his thoughts, words and
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a palatial building if it is the order of guru. In this manner, he
gives up his independent free will in speculating what is right or
wrong; rather he simply obeys his guru and lives only for his
pleasure. For the sake of guru and Krishna, he will lay down his
life, and for his own sake, he will not enjoy even one penny that is
the property of the Lord. In this way, living a life for Lords
pleasure, he transcends the duality of pleasure and pain. Thus, the
path of a bhakta is very smooth, unlike jnanis and yogis who
artificially refrain from pleasures.
Material Pleasure Is Limited
But Leads To Unlimited Suffering
If somebody tells you, I am
enjoying life, you may ask them:
How much can you enjoy? How
long can you enjoy? These two
questions, how much and how
long, easily expose the nature of
material pleasures. There may be a
dozen five star hotels in the city,
and every day, over fifty varieties of
items may be in the menu. Although
our tongue is hankering to enjoy
delicious preparations, how much
can one enjoy even if he happens to
be the wealthiest person in the city?
All material pleasures have
beginning and end like a cow tied
to a pole cannot enjoy grass beyond the radius of the rope.
One may be proud of having facilities to enjoy now; but how
long can he go on? Rich people who suffer from diabetes or
chronic constipation, are unable to taste any good preparations.
What is the use of all my money? I cannot eat even one laddu,
they feel. An old lady with a hunchback was looking down on the
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ground, searching for the jewel of youth that passed away in her
life. If one is youthful, one may certainly have enormous strength,
but one should not laugh at old people, because the one who
laughs also will turn old like the wet cow dung laughed at dry
dung which was thrown into fire; he didnt realise that the same
thing will happen to him also. Thus, one cannot keep enjoying
forever, even if one possesses all facilities.
The desire to enjoy sex life is deep rooted, but it can never be
quenched by material means. What is the use of one drop of water
in a desert for a thirsty man? yan maithunadi grhamedhi sukham
hi tuccham. (SB 7.9.45) The living entity comes from the
spiritual world, where he experiences unlimited bliss in the service
of the Lord, but when he comes to the material world, the so-
called happiness he gets is not even a drop in comparison to the
ocean of spiritual bliss.
The irony is that even the drop of material pleasure that is
achieved is unsatisfying and accompanied by unlimited suffering,
trpyanti neha krpana bahu dukha bhaja. There is a particular
plant called poison ivy that causes an itching sensation merely by
touching it. As one forgetfully touches other parts of the body, this
itching multiplies more and more and leads to enormous suffering.
By continuous scratching, one may start bleeding. The solution to
stop itching is: (i) stop scratching, and (ii) apply medicine.
Similarly, the only solution to a suffering soul hankering for
pleasure is to give up the endeavour in the material world, and
take to the medicine of chanting the holy names of the Lord. Thus,
trying to gain material pleasures, is compared to pouring petrol in
the fire to put off the fire. The fire only will become aggravated.
Thus, indulging in, or suppressing material pleasures is not the
solution; one should sublimate them by taking to Krishna
consciousness. In spiritual life, one experiences real joy called
satya ananda not mithya ananda. A connoisseur of food may
travel some hundred miles to go to a particular hotel to taste a
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for millions of dollars if it is pleasing to his mind, a connoisseur of
Maths may solve a complicated problem and get great intellectual
satisfaction, a connoisseur of trekking may climb up the
Himalayas, lay a flag at the top, and feel his ego satisfied. Yogis
are connoisseurs of pleasure. They dont become satisfied with
petty pleasures achieved by body, mind, intellect or ego. They
relish the unlimited bliss that comes by surrendering to the Lord in
love and rendering service to Him in divine consciousness.
ramante yogino anante satyananda cidatmani (Padma
Purana)
Material Pleasure Is A Chase After A Mirage
Material pleasure never satisfies a person, it only leads to a
more desperate search for pleasure. In the Bhagavatam (SB
7.13.29), there is an example of a deer who was very thirsty. He
was standing next to a lake of fresh clean water covered with
clumps of grass. Because of grass on the top of the water, he could
not see the water; he ran here and there in search of water and at
last died without achieving it. Our material body has grown upon
the soul and we identify with it. Not knowing our true identity, we
try to satisfy the material body in so many ways, but we are led
only to frustration. The whole world is chasing after material
pleasures without understanding the true nature of the soul that is
just beneath the sheath of material body. Suppose you desire to eat
an ice cream cone. After your desire of eating the ice cream cone
is fulfilled, you get a momentary satisfaction. But soon after this,
your mind will begin to search for another object of pleasure. You
may start thinking, What should I do now? May be I should go to
a movie. In this way, the mind constantly wants a variety of
pleasurable sensations. In fact, one realizes his inability to satisfy
the demands of his mind.
The material world is a perverted reflection of the spiritual
world. J ust like the mannequin of a beautiful girl cannot give any
satisfying relationships, similarly, material bodies cannot quench
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our thirst for happiness. Sometimes it appears that material
pleasures are more easily reachable than spiritual bliss, but it is not
true. A moving image of a seductive woman can make a
passionate man lusty but cannot give him tangible enjoyment.
Once, a crane that spent a lot of time near a lake in search of fish
happened to see a bulls testicle hanging. He thought to himself, if
fish are so easily available, why do people struggle hard to get it
from the lake? Thinking in this way, he put his beaks in between
the two legs of the bull and got a severe kick from it. Not able to
understand what is happening, the crane tried again and again, and
got repeated kicks. This is the condition of one pursuing material
pleasures. A fake rupee note may be very cheap, but it is of no
value. Thus, the material objects are like mere shadows that are
imitations of spiritual objects, and cannot give us the satisfaction
we are looking for.
Material Pleasure Is Not New
We have been situated in the bodies of dogs, cats, etc., for
many lifetimes. We have already had these pleasures millions of
times eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Prahlada Maharaja
calls it punah punas carvita carvananam (SB 7.5.30), meaning,
chewing the chewed. Sometimes, a school-going child chews a
chewing-gum for hours together. It gives a good flavour in the
beginning, but becomes tasteless within a short time. But when the
teacher begins the class, the child keeps it under the desk, and later
takes it and keeps chewing it although there is no taste. Nowadays,
school boys playing cricket chew the chewing gum more out of
fashion than to get any taste out of it!
J ust as in a sugar cane shop, a man squeezes the sugarcane
several times to get one more drop of juice, we also try the same
animalistic pleasures in the human body again and again. Human
body is not meant for such pleasures. While animal bodies are
meant for sense enjoyment, human bodies are meant for sense
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life of Krishna consciousness, a human being can experience
unlimited bliss.
Material Pleasure Ceases To Be Pleasure After Sometime
No same material object can give us pleasure for a long time.
For example, if you are mad after eating gulab jamuns, and you
eat one, two, three A stage will come when you will not want to
eat anymore, and if it is given forcefully, you will feel repulsion
and vomit.
Suppose you are very excited to hear about a picnic to some
place with your friends after a month. You may be counting down
the day of the picnic. Initially, you may enjoy the experience, but
after sometime, you start feeling bored and ask others, When are
we returning back?
If somebody gives you a birthday gift nicely packed in a
shining golden paper pack, how eager are you open it and see
what the gift is! But once the gift is opened, you turn it around
left, right, up, down and see it, and you keep it aside. Now
probably you may not touch it again ever in the future!
A newly wedded couple holds several dreams about marriage
and life with the new partner. They feel some divinity associated
with the whole thing
nightingales are singing,
flowers are showering from
heaven, lakes are blooming
with lotuses, swans are
joyfully swimming back and
forth, peacocks are dancing
and the whole world is
enjoying their marriage.
These things are sometimes
even shown in movies. But
the bridegroom, with a beautiful king-like turban, is raised on a
horse and given all respects for one day, only to tolerate the
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onslaught of all kinds of problems throughout his life. Once the
marriage ceremony is over, the couple has to face the harsh
realities of life getting a job, purchasing a flat, procuring
furniture, raising the newly born child, admitting him in school,
household chores and problems, facing crises, etc. Although they
often proudly tell others that they have been united by love
marriage, they may fight almost like cats and dogs.
Thus, the charm of material pleasures is short lived and turns
into boredom, or dryness, after sometime.
Pleasure Is In The Mind,
Not In The Objects We Chase To Achieve
Suppose somebody gives you a big plate full of a twelve-
course feast, with four types of sweets and four types of sabji, ice
cream, salad, chapattis, pizza and cold drinks. When you are about
to begin, if somebody scolds you strongly, will you be able to eat
peacefully? Your mood is immediately lost and the same food
does not give any satisfaction. When Duryodhana was talking to
Bhisma and was feeling jealous of the Pandavas becoming more
and more victorious in the battle, he rejected delicious food that
was brought to him in the tent due to a disturbed mind. Thus, the
pleasure is in the mind, not in the external objects that we hanker
to achieve in life, thinking that they must be the cause of pleasure.
More Time Is Spent In The Pursuit Of Pleasure
Than In Actually Enjoying It
Duryodhana employed trickery to send the Pandavas on exile
by inviting them for a gambling match. After great efforts, he
succeeded in achieving his ends. But he still could not live
peacefully, because the thought that the Pandavas may return after
twelve years and take back the kingdom haunted him. There are
people who work life long to purchase their own flat in a hundred
storey building. They have so many flats above theirs, so many
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to automobiles, water and power supply is not in their hands and
can be cut at anytime. If the lift doesnt work, they have to climb
up fifty storeys. Still they feel the satisfaction of possessing a flat
in their name: my own piece of earth. But often such people get
a flat at the fag end of their life, not able to enjoy living there even
for a few years!
Amount Of Pain Coupled With Pleasure
Is Far More Than The Pleasure Initially Enjoyed
Suppose, all of a sudden, you get a craving of the tongue to eat
some pizza late at night. Initially, you have to take the trouble to
go to the hotel. You may have to wait in a long queue till your turn
comes. You may have a fight with the waiter for not cooperating
in the matter of giving you the food in time and in the right
manner, or not respecting you properly. After the pizza comes,
you may find it excessively spicy or not well prepared. After
somehow or other consuming it, you may get a momentary
pleasure along with the later consequences of adverse effects on
your health the next day. On one hand, you may suffer heart burn,
nausea and indigestion and on the other hand, you feel a mental
urge to repeat the experience of eating pizza again and again.
Often, people go by the externals. They think, He/She looks
so handsome/beautiful. He/She must be too good. I have to
achieve this persons company in my life as a life-partner. I have
no other goal now. Even after you manage to live with him/her,
you come across many other facets of his/her behaviour that pinch
you and you have to bear with them. A persons superficial beauty
is not representative of his/her qualities. Thus, one begins to
become aware of the sharp ends that abrade and create fire sparks
in their relationship. If one is not mature, the one whom we loved
the most may become one whom we hate the most now. Further,
when such a person leaves your company after some time due to
any unavoidable circumstances, or even temporarily for some
time, you suffer mental agony in his/her separation. Thus, there is
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little pleasure in the beginning, followed by the long tail of
sufferings.
While the common saying goes amongst people of this world,
familiarity breeds contempt, in spiritual circles, familiarity
breeds love. A materialist goes by the superficial material body,
while a devotee sees the real spiritual being in every body. He sees
a brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater alike by
seeing the supersoul seated in the hearts of all these beings. Thus,
in spiritual life, when we come closer to either Krishna or
devotees, we feel an ever increasing attraction as such
relationships exist and are experienced on a spiritual plane.
Material Pleasure Is Risky And Dangerous
The living entity is like a merchant entering a forest in search
of valuable wood and sand to sell them and make money, but
risking his life from the forest animals like tigers. Similarly, this
material world is like a forest of material enjoyment, where the
living entity continues to struggle, completely forgetful of his
original identity as servant of God.
Sense gratification is like licking honey from a razors edge.
Prahlada Maharaja, while preaching to his demoniac classmates,
said, Money is so dear that one conceives of money as being
sweeter than honey. Therefore, who can give up the desire to
accumulate money, especially in household life? Thieves,
professional servants (soldiers) and merchants try to acquire
money even by risking their very dear lives. (SB 7.6.10) Thieves
may enter the house of a rich man to steal money at the risk of
their lives. Because of trespassing, they may be killed by guns or
attacked by watchdogs, but still they try to commit burglary. They
risk their lives only to get some money. Similarly, a professional
soldier is recruited into the army, and he accepts such service,
with the risk of dying on the battlefield, only for the sake of
money. In the same way, merchants go from one country to
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water of the sea to collect pearls and valuable gems. Thus, it is
practically provedand everyone will admitthat money is
sweeter than honey. One may risk everything to acquire money,
and this is especially true of rich men who are too attached to
household life.
Formerly, of course, the members of the higher castesthe
brahmanas, kshatriyas and vaishyas were trained in the guru-
kula to adhere to a life of renunciation and sense control by
practicing brahmacarya and mystic yoga. Then they were allowed
to enter household life. Thus, one should be trained to earn what is
needed for sustenance, rather than be greedy for accumulating
more and more.
Material Pleasure Is A Temporary Mitigation Of Pain
The whole world is chasing after material pleasure, but the fact
is there is no happiness in the material world. What appears to be
happiness is only a temporary mitigation of pain. For instance, in
the earlier days, if policemen wanted to get the truth out of the
mouth of a thief, they would tie the thief to the end of a stick up-
side-down and dunk him in water. After sometime, they would
bring him out. The thief, almost drowning, would take a deep
breath, feeling great relief. After interrogating him, they would
once again dunk him in water. Similarly, in this material world,
we get a little relief from miseries, sandwiched within two thick
layers of suffering.
If one carefully observes ones own life, he can see that every
effort for pleasure only counteracts some type of suffering. If one
has successfully counteracted the suffering, he considers it as
enjoyment. But there is truly no positive enjoyment. For
instance, let us take the example of the heavily crowded trains in
Bombay city. When you are standing on the railway platform, you
may see three trains passing one after another, completely loaded
with people, and you may find your chance of getting in very
bleak. But somehow or other if you get into the fourth train by the
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push of other people, you feel happiness. But inside the train,
your nose gets stuck in someones armpit, your body is bent in
four places and you desire to get a sitting place as your legs are
paining. If you get a small sitting place, even to keep one of your
thighs, you feel happiness. After sometime, by the will of
providence, if you get a window seat, you feel greater happiness,
although squeezed to the window by three people sitting next to
you. Now there is anxiety about how to come out of the crowd to
get down at the next station, otherwise you will miss your station.
Thus, every step is a temporary mitigation of suffering that is
perceived as happiness.
Is Ambition For Happiness Wrong?
The ambition for happiness is natural and good, but the
attempt to derive it from inert matter by so-called scientific
arrangements is an illusory attempt doomed to frustration. Real
happiness, which is known as bliss, can be derived only through
practice of Krishna consciousness, by recognizing the authority of
the Supreme Lord and rendering service to Him.
Every living being desires the topmost level of enjoyment in
this material world, and yet everyone is unhappy here. We can
increase the duration and standard of life to the highest capacity,
and yet by the law of material nature we will be unhappy. The
reason for this is that the quality of happiness that is suitable for
our constitution is different from the happiness that is derived
from material activities.
The living entity is a minute particle of the spiritual energy of
the Lord, which is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, and so he has the
propensity for joy which is spiritual in quality. Unfortunately now,
he is trying in vain to attain his enjoyment from the foreign
atmosphere of material nature. A fish that is taken out of the water
cannot be happy by any arrangement on land. You may give him a
T.V., fridge, air conditioned room, and nice foodstuffs. But unless
it is put back into water, it cannot become happy. Similarly, the

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living entity cannot be really
happy through any amount of
planning conceived by his
illusioned brain in this material
world. He has to be given a
different type of happiness which
is spiritual in essence. Our
ambition should be aimed at
enjoying spiritual bliss and not
this temporary happiness.
If we want to attain happiness,
we need some knowledge of what
happiness is. There is the story of
the foolish man who had no
experience of sugarcane. When he
asked his friend about the characteristics of sugarcane, he was
imperfectly informed that sugarcane resembles the shape of a
bamboo stick. Consequently, he began trying to extract juice from
bamboo sticks, but he was baffled in his attempts. This is the
situation with the illusioned living entity who, in his search for
eternal happiness, tries to extract happiness from this material
world, which is not only full of miseries but is also transient and
flickering.
Seeking Happiness Through Money
In the modern atheistic world, money is sought after by
everyone, because that is the medium of exchange for objects of
sense gratification. Obviously, the expectation of peace in such an
atmosphere of gold rush pandemonium is a utopian dream. From
the highest executive in his skyscraper office down to the coolie in
the street all are working with the thought of accumulating
wealth, legally or illegally. Actually, to work for ones self-
interest is both unlawful and destructive.
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Those who are not
engaged in the transcendental
loving service of the Supreme
Lord wrongly think that since
they are accumulating so
much money day after day,
that wealth is going to bring
future happiness. Krishna says
in the Gita: The demoniac
person thinks So much
wealth do I have today, and I
will gain more according to my schemes. So much is mine now,
and it will increase in the future, more and more. (BG 16.13)
Being bound by hundreds and thousands of desires and absorbed
in lust and anger, they secure money by illegal means for sense
gratification. (BG 16.12)
All Wealth Belongs To The Supreme Lord
And Is Meant For The Pleasure Of The Supreme Lord
Wealth is worshiped and is referred to as Mother Laksmi, or
the goddess of fortune. It is her position to serve Lord Narayana,
the source of all the naras, or living beings. The naras are also
meant to serve Narayana under the guidance of the goddess of
fortune. The living being cannot enjoy the goddess of fortune
without serving Narayana, and therefore, whoever desires to enjoy
her wrongly will be punished by the laws of nature. These laws
will make sure that the money itself will bring about destruction
instead of peace and prosperity.
In Ramayana, we see that all the different associates of Rama
were working for the pleasure of Rama. When Lord Rama goes to
the forest, Mother Sita accompanies Him, Lakshmana serves Him
throughout His life, Hanuman remains His humble servant and
serves Him according to His instructions, Bharata tries to persuade
Lord Rama to come back home and rule Ayodhya, but after

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getting instructions from Lord Rama, goes to Nandagram and
serves Lord Rama by following His instructions. So, the Supreme
Lord is the true enjoyer; everything belongs to Him and is meant
for His service and His pleasure, and all characters in Ramayana,
we see, are working for His pleasure.
The demon Ravana wanted to enjoy Lords property, Mother
Sita, and he stole Her and took Her to Sri Lanka. But Lord Ramas
very dear servant, Hanuman, went to Sri Lanka, met Mother Sita,
set fire to Sri Lanka, and made all facilities for Lord Rama to kill
Ravana and bring back Sita. All the wealth and resources of this
world represent Mother Sita and is meant for the service of Lord
Rama. Those who are devotees like Hanuman, engage everything
in the service of the Supreme Lord, and encourage other people to
do the same. Those who are demons like Ravana, try to exploit the
natural resources for their own sense gratification, and never care
for the authority of the Supreme Lord. Very soon, such demons
will be vanquished by the force of time and everything will be
seized from them at death.
Suffering Is Because Of Unlawful Desires
In the Vedic culture, people would earn money to maintain
ones family and would utilise a portion of this money for
cultivation of spiritual knowledge. But today, the citizens are no
longer satisfied with just enough money for the essential needs in
human life. Now everyone wants money unlimitedly to satisfy
insatiable desires. They want to accumulate unlimited possessions
to highlight their status in society and to feel big.
The laws of nature do not allow us to accept more money than
is required for proper maintenance. There is ample arrangement by
the law of nature to provide every living being with his due share
of food and shelter, but the insatiable lusts of human beings have
disturbed the arrangement set forth by the Almighty Father of all
species of life.
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There is an ocean of salt available. Anyone can collect any
amount of salt from the natural storehouse, but we cannot take
more than what we need. If we take more salt, we spoil the broth,
and if we take less salt, our food becomes tasteless. On the other
hand, if we take only what we require, our food is tasty and we are
healthy.
In proportion to peoples unlawful desires, their
accumulated money is taken away by the agents of illusory energy
in the shape of medical practitioners, lawyers, tax collectors,
societies, constitutions, etc.
Thus, one should accept only his quota and learn to be
satisfied, understanding well that the Supreme Lord, father of all
living beings, has allotted adequate resources for the benefit of all
living beings.
Seeking Happiness Through Sense Gratification
Senses and Sense Objects
When the senses come in contact with the sense objects, there
is pleasure or pain. The senses can be classified as knowledge
acquiring senses (jnanendriya) and working senses (karmendriya).

Knowledge-acquiring
senses
=> Ears, Nose, Skin, Tongue,
Eyes
Working senses => Voice, Legs, Hands, Anus,
Genitals
Sense objects => Sound, Smell, Touch, Taste,
Sight

The senses (indriyas) are the direct link with the external world.
Information is gathered by the five knowledge-acquiring senses,
and the body acts with the help of the five working senses. This
activity of the body is always related to the objects of the senses.
Everything we perceive in the world falls into one of the five
categories of sense objects.

113
The knowledge-acquiring senses dwell upon certain sense
objects which appear attractive/repulsive.

Senses Characteristic of Sense Object
Eyes drag the mind
constantly
towards light, sight, colour and forms
Ears -do- to pleasant and unpleasant sounds
Nose -do- to good and foul smells
Skin -do- to various perceptions such as heat/cold,
softness/hardness,
smoothness/roughness, etc.
tongue -do- to various kinds of tastes such as sweet,
salty, sour, and so on

The position of a person whose mind and senses are
uncontrolled becomes pitiable. On one side, the tongue is pulling
him to arrange for tasty food, then thirst drags one to get a suitable
drink. Simultaneously, the sex organs clamour for satisfaction, and
the sense of touch demands soft, sensuous objects. The belly
harasses one until it is filled, the ears demand to hear pleasant
sounds, the sense of smell hankers for pleasant aromas and the
fickle eyes clamour for pleasing sights. Thus, the senses, organs,
and limbs, all desiring satisfaction, pull the living entity in many
directions.
The following analogy can be found in the pages of the
Upanisads, which helps one in understanding how the soul, gross
body, mind, intelligence and the senses co-ordinate with one
another. The gross material body is like a chariot. The soul is the
passenger in the chariot. The intelligence is the driver and the
mind is the driving instrument (the reins or ropes). Finally, the
senses are the horses. If the senses (horses) are uncontrolled and
wild, the body (chariot) will be led in the wrong direction. If,
however, the intelligence (driver) is strong and resolute, then he
can exercise tight control on the mind (the reins) and thus restrain
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and discipline the senses (horses). The overall purpose of the
whole soul-body arrangement can thus be fulfilled only if the
senses are controlled by a strong intelligence. One achieves strong
intelligence by hearing the scriptures from a bona fide spiritual
master.
A Meditation Technique To Transcend
The Disturbance Of The Senses
hsa harer avanatkhila-loka-tvra-
okru-sgara-vioaam atyudram
sammohanya racita nija-myaysya
bhr-maala muni-kte makara-dhvajasya

A yogi should similarly meditate on the most benevolent
smile of Lord Sri Hari, a smile which, for all those who bow to
Him, dries away the ocean of tears caused by intense grief. The
yogi should also meditate on the Lords arched eyebrows, which
are manifested by His internal potency in order to charm the sex-
god for the good of the sages. (SB 3.28.32)
The bereavement of material existence immediately subsides
when one sees the charming smile of the Lord. The charming
eyebrows of the Lord are so fascinating that they cause one to
forget the charms of sense attraction. The conditioned souls are
shackled to material existence because they are captivated by the
charms of sense gratification, especially sex life. The sex-god is
called Makara-dhvaja. The charming brows of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead protect the sages and devotees from being
charmed by material lust and sex attraction. Yamunacarya, a great
acarya, said that ever since he had seen the charming pastimes of
the Lord, the charms of sex life had become abominable for him,
and the mere thought of sex enjoyment would cause him to spit
and turn his face. Thus, if anyone wants to be aloof from sex
attraction, he must see the charming smile and fascinating
eyebrows of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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dhynyana prahasita bahuldharoha-
bhsruyita-tanu-dvija-kunda-pakti
dhyyet svadeha-kuhare vasitasya vior
bhaktyrdrayrpita-man na pthag didket

With devotion steeped in love and affection, the yogi should
meditate within the core of his heart upon the laughter of Lord
Vishnu. The laughter of Vishnu is so captivating that it can be
easily meditated upon. When the Supreme Lord is laughing, one
can see His small teeth, which resemble jasmine buds rendered
rosy by the splendour of His lips. Once devoting his mind to this,
the yogi should no longer desire to see anything else. (SB
3.28.33)
It is recommended that the yogi visualize the laughter of the
Lord after studying His smile very carefully. These particular
descriptions of meditation on the smile, laughter, face, lips and
teeth, all indicate conclusively that God is not impersonal. It is
described herein that one should meditate on the laughter or
smiling of Vishnu. There is no other activity that can completely
cleanse the heart of the devotee. The exceptional beauty of the
laughter of Lord Vishnu is that when He smiles, His small teeth,
which resemble the buds of jasmine flowers, at once become
reddish, reflecting His rosy lips. If the yogi is able to place the
beautiful face of the Lord in the core of his heart, he will be
completely satisfied. In other words, when one is absorbed in
seeing the beauty of the Lord within himself, the material
attraction can no longer disturb him.
The Four Vices That Corrupt Our Body And Mind
What is sense gratification? If one uses his senses to derive
satisfaction from the sense objects for ones own pleasure, then it
is termed as sense gratification. Such sense gratification is the
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source of all misery. It leads to temporary pleasure or pain and has
no spiritual benefit.
Krishna says in the Gita: An intelligent person does not take
part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the
material senses. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning
and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them. (BG
5.22)
The camel, who often feasts on thorny bushes, mangles his
mouth and enjoys the taste of his own fresh blood. Never mind the
pain and self-mutilation; it is the taste that counts. Sure our camel
is dumb but not much dumber than humans who act in much the
same way. A man has a hacking cough; his doctor has told him he
has to stop smoking. This man smokes two packets of cigarettes a
day. Even the very pack of cigarettes he is holding in his hand,
warns him that cigarette smoking is dangerous to his health. In
short, he is killing himself, and he knows it. But he lights up his
cigarette, smoke after smoke, pack after pack.
Or take an all-American swinging bachelor, enjoying as much
sex as he can get. It probably never occurs to him that with each
sexual encounter, he is sapping his vital energy (The great sages of
India know for millenniums that sexual restraint increases mental
powers and resistance to disease). Then again, it is hard to believe
this philanderer has not felt at least a twinge of anxiety about
contracting herpes, the epidemic and incurable venereal disease, or
felt the pain of loneliness that comes from having sex with
everyone but loving no one. Still, he cannot stop hurting himself
in the name of pleasure.
Then we have the compulsive gambler. Nothing matters to him
but being in the action. He will take out a second mortgage on
his house, or go into debt to loan sharks, just to get money to
gamble. He may lose his job or destroy his family, but he must
gamble.

117
Finally, consider a man, an everyday enjoyer of hamburgers,
bacon and eggs, spaghetti and meatballs, and so on. Eating meat at
every meal is a great pleasure for him. But then come those
unsettling reports from the National Academy of Sciences that
there is definitely a connection between meat eating and cancer.
And if this meat-lover is a bit sensitive, it might occur to him that
he could live perfectly well, and much healthier, on milk products,
grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and so on. He may not understand
that there is something wrong with a way of eating that contributes
to the torture and slaughter of billions of animals every year.
Intoxication, sexual looseness, gambling, meat eatingnot
only do they corrupt the body and mind, bringing suffering now
and later on in life, but they also block spiritual development,
bringing lifetimes of suffering in the cycle of repeated birth, old
age, disease and death. Meat eating, gambling, intoxication and
illicit sex are against the religious principles of mercy,
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truthfulness, austerity and cleanliness respectively. Trying to give
up powerful addictions by will power alone is almost always
futile. But if we get a higher taste through the practice of Krishna
consciousness, it becomes easy. We get that higher taste when we
come in touch with Krishna consciousness.
Out of His mercy, Krishna makes Himself available to us in
many ways so that we can get in touch with Him. The first and
foremost is through His holy names. When we chant the maha
mantra Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare we come directly
in contact with Krishna through transcendental sound. He draws
our mind and heart to Him when we chant His names sincerely.
Another way Krishna makes Himself available to us is through
prasadam, vegetarian food cooked for and offered to Krishna with
devotion. The endless variety of delicious preparations we can
cook for Krishna make giving up meat extremely easy.
So the choice is ours: Either we can continue living like the
camel, whipping our senses with sinful activities and trying to
enjoy the taste of our own blood, or we can give up our addiction
to lower pleasures by getting the higher taste of Krishna
consciousness, which continues eternally.
If one uses the senses in the service of the Master of the senses
(Krishna), then ones senses become purified. Hrshik means
senses. Isha means master. So Hrshikesha means master of
senses, which is a name of Krishna. It is said in the Bhakti-
rasamrta-sindhu (1.1.2):
sarvopadhi vinirmuktam tat paratvena nirmalam
hrsikena hrsikesha sevanam bhaktir ucyate
Bhakti or devotional service, means engaging all our senses
in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service
unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all
material designations and, simply by being employed in the
service of the Lord, ones senses are purified.

119

Are Sufferings Required As A Part Of Life
To Appreciate Happiness?
Some people argue, Of course, we do agree that there are
sufferings in this world. But what is wrong with sufferings? We
can enjoy happiness truly only when there are miseries. If only
happiness is there, we may not know the value of happiness. Do
you think it is true? That you have to necessarily have some
suffering to keep you going ahead to enjoy the real taste of
happiness?
There is a nice moron joke that can be cited as an example.
Once, a moron was hitting his head against a wall constantly.
Somebody asked him why he was doing so. He replied, Actually,
when I am not hitting my head, I feel very happy. So he had to
hit his head again and again to feel the happiness while not hitting
his head!
A big businessman having a plywood business may know that
fire accidents may occur at any time in his shop. He would
certainly keep fire extinguishers ready to face such a calamity if it
ever occurs. Would he ever think, I have so much money. Why
should I not incur some loss through a fire accident, so that I can
know the value of the money I have? He would never desire to
experience any loss of money. That would be foolish.
In the same way, nobody is eager to have any distress in their
lives. In reality, everyone in this world is working towards a
standard of life in which they will not have any distress. Only
foolish people who are lazy take distress to be a part of life and
neglect spiritual solutions. Even if one agrees to go on
experiencing both pleasure and pain in this world, the separating
sword of time will not allow them to continue for a long time. One
should wisely remember this and take to spiritual solutions.

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Is Spiritual Life Not Escapism?
To the degree a person thinks of himself to be the proprietor
and controller of the things he possesses, to that degree he will not
have faith in God. Such a person, who tries to enjoy the resources
provided by God for his own sense enjoyment, is thoroughly made
to suffer by the laws of nature. Sometimes, such people accuse
spiritualists, saying, You say we are foaming and working like
donkeys. But you spiritualists are escapists. If you are courageous,
why dont you face the world like us? You are running away from
the society. You cannot face the reality and so you are seeking
refuge in God simply on a sentimental platform.
The question is: Who is escaping and who is not? Actually,
spiritual life means to face the reality. We are trying to find the
root cause of the problems. But the philosophy of materialists is to
cover up the reality and miseries through science and technology
so that you dont see them obviously anymore. A few examples
can make this point clear.
Why do people watch TV? When people come back from their
jobs, they immediately switch on the TV. This is because the mind
is filled with so many problemsproblems in the office, problems
in promotion, problems with family members, worries due to
unfulfilled goals, fear of forthcoming problems, etc. The moment
you switch on the TV, it helps you to forget about the problems at
least for the time being. So people dont even talk to their family
members and children. What is the result of seeing TV? Children
lose creativity and become caught up in the moving illusions on
the screen. Majority of the TV shows promote serials that
encourage people to indulge more and more in sense enjoyment.
Already people have no understanding of spiritual knowledge,
because of which they commit so many sinful activities, and are
awaiting severe punishment by the laws of nature in future. TV
provides them enough stuff to bombard their minds with more
dirty things that pollute their character and ruin their lives.

121
All the advertising industries are used simply to cover up the
reality. The reality is that you are going to be miserable whatever
you do in this material world, until you seek a spiritual solution.
But any advertisement would say, J ust use this product and you
will become happy. They introduce a new car in the market by
making a half-naked woman sit on the top of the car. The
bewildered living entity thinks, When I buy that car, probably she
will also be mine. They practically brainwash the masses by
repeatedly putting up the same slogans on billboards everywhere.
The advertisements use the weakness of people to exploit them.
The living entities constantly struggle to become the enjoyer
and controller, but they are constantly baffled. One cigarette
advertisement says, You get what you want! Is that the reality?
Yes! He will get cancer, bronchitis, teeth problems, etc. So you
are put in conditions that are beyond your control. Misery means
to get what you dont want and to not get what you want. Is there
any sensible person who can say, I get what I want and I dont
get what I dont want? Whether a person is rich or poor, it
doesnt make any difference, because we are all in jail. Somebody
is in an A class jail (rich), somebody is in a B class jail (middle
class), and somebody is in a C class jail (downtrodden). Whatever
be the class, a jail is a jail. Such advertisement, as mentioned
above, attracts the heart of the living entities, because living
entities here dont get what they want. All cosmetics, scents and
hair dyes are sold to hide the decaying nature of the material body.
The razzle-dazzle culture of the five star hotels is so tempting
that we think they are happy. It is all an illusion because of the
veneer of happiness. It is simply mass propaganda to swamp us, to
overwhelm our intelligence of the reality of our suffering
situation. So materialistic life means new and ingenuous ways of
covering up reality. We need to have an X-ray vision to see
through these artificial coverings, into the real problems of life
birth, old age, disease and death.
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The glittering illusory energy of today gives a call to the
confused living entities: Dont worry! Come on! There is no
suffering here! And we think, O! It looks like there is some
hope for me here after all. But the materialist suffers the most
during death, regretting, I have wasted my life.
We have to tell materialists, It is you who are running away
from reality. An ostrich may put his head into the ground when
his enemy is coming to eat him; nevertheless, his enemy is going
to eat him. A soldier may bow down and close his eyes to forget
the enemys bomb, but the bomb is going to explode and kill him.
Similarly, there is suffering in this worldbirth, old age, disease
and death. You cannot turn your face to the other side and hide
yourself from these realities. We want to legitimately face reality
in a bona fide way and people call us escapists. Yes! We certainly
want to escape from suffering and return to the abode of no
suffering the kingdom of God.

Spiritual Bliss Is Positive, Not Mitigation Of
Distress
Spiritual happiness, unlike material pleasure, is not mitigation
of distress, but an ever
expanding positive bliss that
nourishes the soul
thoroughly: anandambudhi
vardhanam prati padam
purnamrta svadanam
(Siksastakam). The spiritual
bliss is achieved in relation
with the Lord, and is not
impeded by any material
conditions. Once the living
entity returns to the

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Positive Spiritual
World

(0, 0) Brahmajyoti

Negative Material
World
kingdom of God, then he experiences an ever-expanding bliss
there. In the spiritual world, it is said that every word is a song,
every gait is a dance, water is nectar, living entities are all non-
envious and pure-hearted, everyone is eager to serve the Lord with
intense devotion. The desire trees are ready to provide any facility
to serve the Lord. Every day is a festival of chanting and dancing
joyfully for the pleasure of the divine couple Sri Sri Radha and
Krishna. Thus, a devotee experiences spiritual emotions in relation
with the Lord.
Consider the ordinate shown in the
figure. In the material world, whether
we experience pleasures or pains, both
are in the negative axis and cause pain
as discussed before. J nanis or yogis,
who may give up both material
pleasure and pain and try to become
free from all desires, may come to the
stage of Brahmajyoti, where they are
situated as spiritual sparks in the
infinite effulgence of Brahman. This
stage is called brahma bhuta, where
there is no lamentation and no
hankering. They may be free from the bondage of the dualities of
material world, but do not have the facility to experience the
loving relationships with the Lord. They only achieve the stage of
shanti, shanti, shanti, or peace. The soul, by nature, is dynamic.
In Brahman, there is no activity. Due to this incompatibility, they
fall down, back into the material world, like a rocket (like the
Skylab rocket) that fell down, back to earth, not having taken
shelter of any planet.
The devotees of the Lord, however, go beyond the origin to
the positive axis, where they experience spiritual emotions in
relationship with the Lord. samah sarveshu bhuteshu mad bhaktir
labhate param (BG 18.54). Thus, after achieving the brahma
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bhuta stage, ones devotional service begins. Whether they
experience spiritual pain or spiritual pleasure is immaterial,
because both are spiritual and relishable.
When Krishna left Vrindavana and went to Mathura, the gopis,
His topmost devotees, felt the pain of intense separation. But in
that separation they perceived the presence of Krishna more than
when Krishna was personally present in Vrindavana. Similarly,
when devotees come together and chant the holy names and
pastimes of the Lord loudly, they can at once feel the presence of
the Lord in their midst in a profound way. This is the Lords
promise. Thus, both separation and union with the Lord are a
source of joy for the devotee.
None of the shortcomings that are associated with material
pleasures are found in the spiritual platform. Devotees chant
Krishnas names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna
Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
everyday. Some devotees, disciples of Srila Prabhupada, have
been chanting the same mantra for the past 30 years and more.
Neither did they want a change of mantra nor did they get bored
with it. They are experiencing such a great joy in chanting that
they get a renewed vigour everyday after chanting to go out and
share the joy with thousands of other people. Some people argue,
Repeating a particular word intoxicates you and gives some joy;
thats why these people imagine something to be spiritual
pleasure. If that were true, why dont we ask someone to chant
coca cola for 30 years and experience some similar happiness?
Nobody can chant such material names even for an hour. But
spiritual names have the potency to purify our hearts from all
unwanted misgivings lust, pride, anger, envy, illusion, greed
and help us perceive clearly the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
who is the embodiment of all pleasure. That is what brings oceanic
happiness in the life of a devotee.

125
How To Become Happy In This World?
Lord Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita, Before giving up
this present body, if one is able to tolerate the urges of the material
senses and check the force of desire and anger, he is well situated
and is happy in this world. (BG 5.23)
If one wants to make steady progress on the path of self-
realization, he must try to control the forces of the material senses.
There are the forces of talk, forces of anger, forces of the mind,
forces of the stomach, forces of the genitals, and forces of the
tongue. One who is able to control the forces of all these different
senses, and the mind, is called gosvami, or swami. Material
desires, when insatiated, generate anger, and thus the mind, eyes
and chest become agitated. Therefore, one must practice to control
them before one gives up this material body. One who can do this
is understood to be self-realized and is thus happy in the state of
self-realization.
Srila Prabhupadas Lecture: Detachment From Pushings Of
The Senses
Read the following excerpts from a lecture by Srila
Prabhupada on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.40, given at Los
Angeles, December 18, 1973. Make groups, read, discuss and
write down the salient points from the lecture:
Pradyumna: Translation: Maharaja Yudhisthira at once
relinquished all his garments, belt and ornaments of the royal
order and became completely disinterested and unattached to
everything. (SB 1.15.40)
Prabhupada: This is required. If you want to go back to home,
back to Godhead, then you will have to completely become
detached to any material things. Even if you have got little
attachment for material things, then you will not be allowed.
Prakrti will say, You just satisfy yourself. You want this. Do it.
So this is renouncement. If you... God has given us freedom,
little freedom. J ust like a child is given freedom. Naturally, out of
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affection, mother, father, gives freedom. But not complete
freedom. Because childs freedom is nonsense. It must be
protected. Therefore all the living entities who have come to this
material world for enjoying, it is also exactly like the child. A
small child, you let him be freehe will catch up sometimes this,
catch up sometimes that. He does not know what is his real
interest. But because he is child, he is catching this, catching that,
catching that. Sometimes he catches fire and burns his hand.
Sometimes he falls down in the water. Sometimes he catches
snake. These are all dangerous things, but he does not know.
So similarly, we are in the modes of material nature. There are
three modes of material nature: sattva-rajas-tama. Those who are
in darkness, tama, completely in darkness, do not know anything.
Exactly like the child does not know what is his actual interest.
Know to..., not. Generally, everyone who is in this material world,
he does not know what is actually, what thing he should capture.
He does not know. That is the difficulty. Mudha. They are
therefore mudha.
Real interest is to capture Krishna. That is real interest. But he
does not know. The capturing power and capacity is there. Even a
child... In the beginning, the children, there are so many other
things. But the child will capture that biscuit, because he knows it
is eatable something. But he does not whether it is poison I am
giving. He does not know that. That discrimination he hasnt got.
But because it appears something to be eatable...
The example, as I was giving in walking, that the fish, he has
got enough food within the ocean. God has provided. But still, he
will capture that tackle, fish-catching tackle, a little something.
For taste, he will capture it, and that means lost life. Similarly, the
bees, the enter the flower, a big flower like lotus flower, enjoying
the smell, but in the evening, with the set of sunset, the petals
close and they remain and suffocated, loses their life.
For... We have got different senses. So this bee is losing his
life on account of this nostril, very powerful, wants to smell.

127
Similarly, the fish is losing its life on account of this tongue.
Similarly, the elephant. Elephant loses... Such a big powerful
animal. But he loses his independence for sex life. You know how
the elephant is captured? A female elephant is induced to attract
the male elephant, and for sex, the male follows the female
elephant, and the female elephant is trained up. He puts him in a
ditch. He falls down. Then he cannot move. You see. That means
in spite of his becoming such a giant animal, powerful animal,
simply for sex life he becomes captivated. You see?
So someone is becoming victim for this sense. Someone is
becoming victim of the sense. This is the world, whoever wants to
study. Similarly, the deer, when the hunter wants to kill them, he
plays very nice flute, and... They are very fond of hearing musical
sound. They stand, and the hunter kills. So one is losing for ear,
one is losing for smelling, another for sight seeing, sight seeing.
We have seen the insects. When there is fire, thousands of insects
will fall and die. What is that? Sight-seeing. Oh, very beautiful
fire. Fall down.
So we have got all these senses, and each of us, each, every
one of us living entities, we are being victim of these material
laws, being captivated by one sense or other. But an animal or an
insect, they have got one sense very powerful, but we the human
being, we have got all senses very powerful. So in the Bhagavata
it has been explained.
J ust like a man has got six wives, and when he comes from
office, his six wives are waiting. One wife has captured his one
hand, another wife has captured another hand. One wife has
captured one leg, another one leg. In this way, some, hair... So in
this way he is incapable. Everyone is asking, You come to my
room. But how he can go? He is captured. So this is the position.
A materialistic person is captivated by so many objects of sense
gratification. That is his prison house. The state laws, if you are
criminal, they put him into the jail. But natures law is such that
you dont require... Your senses will keep you intact in jail. You
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dont require to be handcuffed. The senses are so strong that it will
keep you in this material world, incapable. You cannot move.
Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, daivi hy esha
gunamayi mama maya duratyaya (BG 7.14). Gunamayi. Guna
means qualities. Everyone is compact, bound up by different
qualities: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. And gunamayi
means... Guna means rope also. In this way he was bound up by
the ropes. J ust like if I tie your hands and legs with rope, you are
helpless, similarly, the gunamayi, the mother nature, has tied up,
and we are bound up by the laws, stringent laws of material
nature. So daivi hy esha gunamayi mama maya duratyaya. You
cannot get out of it. It is not possible. How to get out of it? Mam
eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te (BG 7.14). If one is
fully Krishna conscious, he can get out of it. That is the only way.
Bhakti Yoga The Real Key To Unlimited
Happiness
How To Perform Bhakti Yoga To Achieve Devotion To
Krishna
There are two different processes of bhakti-yoga Vaidhi
bhakti and Raganuga bhakti. Raganuga bhakti applies to one who
has actually developed an attachment for Krishna, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, by transcendental love. And the other is
for one who has not developed an attachment for the Supreme
Person by transcendental love.
For this second class, there are different prescribed rules and
regulations one can follow to be ultimately elevated to the stage of
attachment to Krishna. Bhakti-yoga is the purification of the
senses. At the present moment in material existence, the senses are
always impure, being engaged in sense gratification. But by the
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the purified state, they come directly in contact with the Supreme
Lord.
In this material existence, I may be engaged in some service to
some master, but I dont really lovingly serve my master. I simply
serve to get some money. And the master also is not in love; he
takes service from me and pays me. So there is no question of
love. But for spiritual life, one must be elevated to the pure stage
of love. That stage of love can be achieved by practice of
devotional service, performed with the present senses.
This love of God is now in a dormant state in everyones heart.
It is manifested in different ways, but is contaminated by material
association. Now the heart has to be purified of the material
association, and that dormant, natural love for Krishna has to be
revived. That is the whole process.
Regulative Principles Of Bhakti Yoga For Everyone
To practice the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga, one
should, under the guidance of an expert spiritual master, follow
certain principles: one should rise early in the morning, take bath,
enter the temple and offer prayers and chant Hare Krishna, then
collect flowers to offer to the Deity, cook foodstuffs to offer to the
Deity, take prasadam, and so on. There are various rules and
regulations which one should follow. And one should constantly
hear Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam from pure devotees.
This practice can help anyone rise to the level of love of God, and
then he is sure of his progress into the spiritual kingdom of God.
This practice of bhakti-yoga, under the rules and regulations, with
the direction of a spiritual master, will surely bring one to the
stage of love of God.
Working For Krishna
As far as work is concerned, one should transfer his energy
entirely to Krishna conscious activities. As stated in the Bhakti-
rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.255),

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anasaktasya vishayan yatharham upayunjata
nirbandha krishna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam ucyate

No work should be done by any man except in relationship to
Krishna. This is called Krishna-karma. One may be engaged in
various activities, but one should not be attached to the result of
his work; the result should be offered only to Him.
Engagement For A Rich Man
For example, one may be engaged in business, but to
transform that activity into Krishna consciousness, one has to do
business for Krishna. If Krishna is the proprietor of the business,
then Krishna should enjoy the profit of the business. If a
businessman is in possession of thousands and thousands of
dollars, and if he has to offer all this to Krishna, he can do it. This
is work for Krishna. Instead of constructing a big building for his
sense gratification, he can construct a nice temple for Krishna. He
can install the Deity of Krishna and arrange for the Deitys
service, as is outlined in the authorized books of devotional
service. This is all Krishna-karma. One should not be attached to
the result of his work, but the result should be offered to Krishna,
and one should accept as prasadam the remnants of offerings to
Krishna. If one constructs a very big building for Krishna and
installs the Deity of Krishna, one is not prohibited from living
there, but it is understood that the proprietor of the building is
Krishna. That is called Krishna consciousness.
Even if one is not able to practice the regulative principles of
bhakti-yoga, under the guidance of a spiritual master, he can still
be drawn to this perfectional stage by working for the Supreme
Lord. There are many devotees who are engaged in the
propagation of Krishna consciousness, and they require help. So,
even if one cannot directly practice the regulative principles of
bhakti-yoga, he can try to help in such work. Every endeavour
requires land, capital, organization and labour. J ust as in business

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one requires a place to stay, some capital to use, some labour and
some organization to expand, so the same is required in the service
of Krishna. The only difference is that in materialism, one works
for sense gratification. The same work, however, can be
performed for the satisfaction of Krishna, and that is spiritual
activity. If one has sufficient money, he can help in building an
office or temple for propagating Krishna consciousness. Or he can
help with publications. There are various fields of activity, and
one should be interested in such activities. If one cannot sacrifice
the results of his activities, the same person can still sacrifice some
percentage to propagate Krishna consciousness. This voluntary
service to the cause of Krishna consciousness will help one to rise
to a higher state of love for God, whereupon one becomes perfect.
Engagement For A Common Man
If, however, one is not able to construct a temple for Krishna,
one can engage himself in cleansing the temple of Krishna; that is
also Krishna-karma. One can cultivate a garden. Anyone who has
landin India, at least, any poor man has a certain amount of
landcan utilize that for Krishna by growing flowers to offer
Him. One can sow tulasi plants, because tulasi leaves are very
important and Krishna has recommended this in the Bhagavad-
gita. Patram pushpam phalam toyam. Krishna desires that one
offer Him either a leaf, or a flower, or fruit, or a little waterand
by such an offering He is satisfied. This leaf especially refers to
the tulasi. So one can sow tulasi and pour water on the plant. Thus,
even the poorest man can engage in the service of Krishna. These
are some of the examples of how one can engage in working for
Krishna.

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Is There No Risk Of Fall Down In
The Spiritual Path?
One may sincerely accept the path of self-realization, but the
process of cultivation of knowledge and the practice of the
eightfold yoga system are generally very difficult for this age.
Therefore, despite constant endeavour, one may fail for many
reasons. First of all, one may not be sufficiently serious about
following the process. To pursue the transcendental path is more
or less to declare war against the illusory energy, maya.
Consequently, whenever a person tries to escape from the clutches
of the illusory energy, she tries to defeat the practitioner by
various allurements, even while performing transcendental
disciplines. This is called yogac calita-manasa (BG 6.37):
deviation from the transcendental path. Arjuna is inquisitive to
know the results of deviation from the path of self-realization.
There are two ways to progress. Those who are materialists
have no interest in transcendence; therefore they are more
interested in material advancement by economic development, or
in promotion to the higher planets by appropriate work. When one
takes to the path of transcendence, one has to cease all material
activities and sacrifice all forms of so-called material happiness.
If the aspiring transcendentalist fails, then he apparently loses
both ways; in other words, he can enjoy neither material happiness
nor spiritual success. He has no position; he is like a riven cloud.
A cloud in the sky sometimes deviates from a small cloud and
joins a big one. But if it cannot join a big one, then it is blown
away by the wind and becomes a nonentity in the vast sky. One
may ask, Is a spiritualist not a loser of both material life and
spiritual life when he falls down? Why should one take such
unnecessary risk?
Krishna told Arjuna that anyone who engages in the
auspicious path of Krishna consciousness never faces defeat. Even
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accumulated are preserved intact by Krishna. Krishna gives him
remembrance and brings him back to the path very soon. One who
falls down after making little progress, goes to heaven to enjoy
heavenly delights to finish off his material desires, and then
returns to earth to be born in the family of brahmanas or
aristocratic men. Thus, either he gets brahminical training from
birth, or has enough facilities in an aristocratic family for food,
clothing and shelter, so that he has nothing to worry about for the
basic requirements of life. He focuses on spiritual life and returns
to Krishna consciousness very soon. Those who are unsuccessful
after long practice of yoga are born in the house of great devotees
in the next life and are surely great in wisdom.
Krishna ignores the volumes of mistakes that we have
performed, but takes note of even small service that we have
rendered to Him. This is the advantage in spiritual life. One may
be fired by the boss, divorced by the wife, rejected by parents,
diseased in body, penniless and unrespected still he is not barred
from being accepted as Krishnas devotee if he is willing to
surrender to Krishna.
Conclusion
How do you know whether a person is leading a life of
Krishna consciousness? As said earlier, one should always work
for Krishna, dovetailing all ones talents in Krishnas service. A
painter can paint for Krishna, a musician can sing for Krishna, a
writer can write for Krishna, a cook can cook for Krishna, a
student can preach for Krishna, a wealthy man can give money for
service to Krishna, a doctor can cure not only the patients body
but can preach about Krishna, etc. Besides connecting ones
abilities in Krishnas service, one should also follow the
instructions of Srila Prabhupada as given below:

Chanting a prescribed number of rounds of the Hare
Krishna maha mantra everyday.
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Following the four regulative principles no meat eating,
no gambling, no intoxication and no illicit sexual
relationships.
Reading books like Bhagavad-gita As It Is and Srimad-
Bhagavatam.
Preparing and offering bhoga to Krishna and then
honouring prasadam.
Offering the fruit of ones job or business in service of
Krishna.
By this, one can become truly saintly without having to give
up everything. Such a Krishna conscious life has purified the life
of millions of people all over the world in the past, as well as in
the present, preparing them to become eligible for returning back
to Godhead.

Chapter 4

Becoming A
Civilised Human
Being

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Who Can Be Considered A Civilised Human Being?
Out of the 8,400,000 different species of living beings, there
are 400,000 human species. Out of these, there are numerous
lower forms of human life that are mostly uncivilized. The
civilized human beings are those who follow regulative principles
of social, political and religious life. Human society all over the
world is divided into four castes and four orders of life. The four
castes are the intelligent caste, the martial caste, the productive
caste and the labourer caste. These castes are classified in terms of
ones work and qualification, and not by birth. Then again, there
are four orders of life, namely the student life, the householders
life, the retired and the devotional life. In the best interest of
human society, there must be such divisions of life, otherwise no
social institution can grow in a healthy state. And in each and
every one of the abovementioned divisions of life, the aim must be
to please the supreme authority of the Personality of Godhead.
This institutional function of human society is known as the
system of Varnasrama dharma, which is quite natural for civilized
life.
A civilization in which the people do not know how the
devotee or guru, representative of Krishna, should be respected,
how society should be formed, and how one should advance in
Krishna consciousnessa society concerned only with
manufacturing new cars and new skyscrapers every year, and then
breaking them to pieces and making new onesmay be
technologically advanced, but it is not a human civilization. A
human civilization is advanced when its people follow the
Varnasrama system, the system of four orders of life. There must
be ideal, first-class men to act as advisors, second-class men to act
as administrators, third-class men to produce food and protect
cows, and fourth-class men who obey the three higher classes of
society. One who does not follow the standard system of society
should be considered a fifth-class man. A civilised human being is
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not one who wears a costly coat and suit, travels in a fine car, lives
in a lavish bungalow or speaks in stylish English. Despite all ones
education, scholarship and wealth, one is still considered to be
fallen if one does not follow the regulative principles of social,
political and religious life.
Those who are socially and politically developed but who have
no religious principles must be considered naradhamas, or
lowest among men. Nor is religion without God religion,
because the purpose of following religious principles is to know
the Supreme Truth and mans relation with Him. In the Gita, the
Personality of Godhead clearly states that there is no authority
above Him and that He is the Supreme Truth. The civilized form
of human life is meant for reviving mans lost consciousness of
his eternal relation with the Supreme Truth, the Personality of
Godhead Sri Krishna, who is all-powerful. Whoever loses this
chance is classified as a naradhama.
We get information from revealed scriptures that when the
baby is in the mothers womb (an extremely uncomfortable
situation), he prays to God for deliverance, and promises to
worship Him alone as soon as he gets out. To pray to God when
he is in difficulty is a natural instinct in every living being,
because he is eternally related with God. But after his deliverance,
the child forgets the difficulties of birth and forgets his deliverer
also, being influenced by maya, the illusory energy. It is the duty
of the guardians of children to revive the divine consciousness
dormant in them. The ten processes of reformatory ceremonies are
enjoined in the Manu-smrti, which is the guide to religious
principles, and are meant for reviving God consciousness in the
system of Varnasrama. However, no process is strictly followed
now in any part of the world, and therefore 99.9 percent of the
population is naradhama.
The goal of Vedic society is to bring people closer to Krishna.
Attachment to Krishna and attachment to matter are diametrically
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opposed. The more people are attracted to material life, the less
they will be inclined to spiritual life, and vice versa. Therefore, the
Varnasrama system stresses progressive detachment from material
enjoyment. This does not mean that people in Vedic society were
deprived of enjoyment. They were restricted for their own benefit
from the types of sense gratification that cause suffering and
continuous bondage in the cycle of birth, old age, disease, and
death. They were encouraged to enjoy in a more refined way, in
accordance with religious principles. This type of pleasure is
much more enjoyable and conducive to health and well-being, and
it elevates one to higher consciousness and spiritual awareness,
instead of degrading one to lower forms of life. The real purpose
of Varnasrama system is sam siddhir hari toshanam, or to
please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari (SB 1.2.13). So
people of different consciousness have been categorized according
to their quality and activity, so that they may gradually become
purified by performing their prescribed duties in a divine
consciousness.
Varnasrama System

The Vedic society contains four different classes of men,
recognized by their respective tendencies for work, and the system
of social organization based on these divisions is called
Varnasrama. Varna indicates the four social divisions and
Asrama indicates progressive spiritual stages.
TheVarnas are:
(1) An intelligent class of priests,
teachers and advisors, called Brahmanas
(2) A martial/administrative class
of statesmen and soldiers, called Ksatriyas
(3) A mercantile class like farmers
and merchants, called Vaisyas
(4) A labour class like craftsmen
and workingmen, called Sudras
The Asramas are:
(1) Student life, called Brahmacarya
(2) Married life, called Grhastha
(3) Retired life, called Vanaprastha
(4) Renounced life, called Sannyasa
The Four Varnas
Kripana and Brahmana
The kripanas, or miserly persons, waste their time in being
overly affectionate for family, society, country, etc., in the
material conception of life. One is often attached to family life,
namely to wife, children and other members, on the basis of
bodily consciousness or skin disease. The kripana thinks that he
is able to protect his family members from death; or the kripana
thinks that his family or society can save him from the verge of
death. Such family attachment can be
found even in the lower animals,
who also take care of children.
The Vedic wisdom, therefore,
advises that, in order to solve the
perplexities of life and to understand
the science of the solution, one must
approach a spiritual master who is in
the disciplic succession. A person
with a bona fide spiritual master is
supposed to know everything. One
should not, therefore, remain in
material perplexities but should
approach a spiritual master.
A kripana is one who does not
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understand the problems of life. In the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad
(3.8.10), the perplexed man is described as follows: yo v etad
akara grgy aviditvsm lokt praiti sa kpaa. He is a
miserly man who does not solve the problems of life as a human
and who thus quits this world like the cats and dogs, without
understanding the science of self-realization. This human form of
life is a most valuable asset for the living entity who can utilize it
for solving the problems of life. Therefore, one who does not
utilize this opportunity properly is a miser. On the other hand,
there is the brahmana, or he who is intelligent enough to utilize
this body to solve all the problems of life. Ya etad akara grgi
viditvsm lokt praiti sa brhmaa.
Somebody may be miserly to give a coin to a beggar; another
may be miserly to lend his car or empty house to his friend even
for a day or two. But the greatest miser is one who misuses and
wastes the human form of life in useless activities. Once, early
morning, Srila Prabhupada was walking with his disciples along
Golden Gate Parks Stowe Lake. As they passed the shuffleboard
courts and the old men playing checkers, Prabhupada stopped and
turned to the boys. J ust see, he said. Old people in this country
do not know what to do. So they play like children, wasting their
last days, which should be meant for developing Krishna
consciousness. Their children are grown and gone away, so this is
a natural time for spiritual cultivation. But no. They get some cat
or dog, and instead of serving God, they serve dog. It is most
unfortunate. But they will not listen. Their ways are set. Therefore
we are speaking to the youth, who are searching.
Qualities Of The Four Social Divisions
Human society is similar to any other animal society, but to
elevate men from the animal status, the above mentioned divisions
are created by the Lord for the systematic development of Krishna
consciousness. The tendency of a particular man toward work is
determined by the modes of material nature which he has
acquired. Brahmanas are generally situated in the mode of
goodness, ksatriyas in passion, vaisyas in mixed modes of passion
and ignorance, and the sudras are situated in the mode of
ignorance.
The qualities by which these four classes of people work and
by which they can be recognized are given:
Peacefulness, Self-control, Austerity, Purity, Tolerance,
Honesty, Wisdom, Knowledge, and Religiousness these are the
qualities by which the brahmanas work.
Heroism, Power, Determination, Resourcefulness, Courage in
battle, Generosity, and Leadership are the qualities of work for the
ksatriyas.
Farming, Cow protection, and Trade are the qualities of work
for the vaisyas, and for the sudras there is labour and service to
others. (BG 18.42-44)
Why Do The Four Social Divisions Exist?
These four kinds of people, namely the intelligent class,
administrative class, mercantile class and labour class, will always
be seen in any society. These classes are inherent in human
society because, as Krishna says in the Gita:
catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah
tasya kartaram api mam viddhy akartaram avyayam

According to the three modes of material nature and the work
ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created
by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should
know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable. (BG 4.13)
Why do the four divisions exist? Krishna says, maya srstam
because they were created by Me. So these four divisions of
human society the intellectual, martial, mercantile and labour
classes were created by Krishna when He created human society
itself. The divisions are not imposed or artificial. They are
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inherent by the divine will. Thus, in any community, society, or
nation all around the world, you will find people endowed with
brahminical, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra qualities. A practical
illustration given below can clarify this.
In my elementary school class, there was one student, Arvind,
who was very brilliant, and he would finish his Mathematics
homework in the school itself. All other students would go to him
for help in their studies. This boy would remember many, many
things with an amazingly sharp memory. He would speak on the
subject eloquently and was adorned with many godly qualities.
Later, he picked up the Bhagavad-gita, memorized all the verses
and became a great orator and Krishna devotee. Arvind exhibits
the qualities of a brahmana.
There was another boy, Mani, who was tall and well built.
Whenever the students picked up some quarrel with the next
classroom students for getting back their football, they would
quickly call Mani for help. Anybody who saw Mani with his
curved eyebrows would throw the ball and run away. Later, he
joined the Indian Air Force as a pilot. Mani exhibits the quality of
a ksatriya.
There was another boy, Sanjay Seth, who was the son of a
diamond merchant. He once brought a beautiful pencil, with a
rubber on its back. He would scribble something and would rub it
with the backside rubber. When all the students saw this, they
became eager to buy this pencil. He took a list of names and
collected Rs.2/- per head. The next day, he brought a box of
pencils and distributed them to the students. This came to the
notice of the teacher and it was found that he did a good business
with the students by selling Re.1/- pencils for Rs.2/-. Later, his
father admitted him in a private engineering college and Sanjay,
with great difficulty, completed his studies in about seven years.
As soon as he passed out, he joined his fathers business, rather
than go for higher studies. So Sanjay exhibits the quality of a
vaisya.
One boy, Karuppiah, would always sit in the last row of the
class and doze all the time during lecture hours. But whenever one
lecture period would get over, he would rush to the board, clean
the board with the duster, then with a wet cloth, bring four chalk
pieces, put them on the table, and then he would be back to the
last bench... to continue his sleep. He never completed his school
studies, but picked up some practical vocational training and
joined a workshop. Karuppiah exhibits the quality of a sudra.
So people with such different qualities exist and nobody can
deny that. But, unfortunately, today people are not allowed to
work according to their qualities or propensities, besides
cultivating God consciousness. Now everything is mixed up and is
in a great state of chaos.
The Divisions In Society
Are Like The Divisions In Our Body
Although the body has different
parts, they all must cooperate for the
body to survive. This is also true for
the social body. The social body must
have a head to direct it, arms to protect
it, a stomach to feed it, and legs to
support it.
The intelligent class must give
direction to society, based on the
authority of the Vedas, so that every
man may realize his eternal
relationship with God. This is real
intelligence. The brahmanas are
compared to the head.
Next, the administrative class must
protect the society by upholding
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religious principles, and thus putting the general population in a
receptive mood toward the guidance of the brahmanas. The
ksatriyas are compared to the shoulders.
The vaisyas, or the mercantile class, are not meant to open
factories to mass produce useless items and thus enslave millions
of men for the profit of an elite few. As explained in the Gita, the
Vaisyas should produce abundant grains by farming and should
protect cows. In this way, there will never be a scarcity of the two
most essential foods for the human being grains and milk. The
vaisyas are compared to the stomach.
The sudras, or the labour class, can render service to the other
three classes of society, and thus have all their necessities supplied
to them. The sudras are compared to the legs.
If these four kinds of people do their work sincerely, they will
bring the best output, because the kind of work allotted to them is
based on their inclination and quality. A simple, God-centred life,
with higher goals, will be taught by the brahmanas to the rest of
the society. This will make people live happily in this life and the
next, without fighting like cats and dogs for the public wealth.
This is the secret of success in Vedic society.
What Happens Without Varnasrama?
Because there is no institution to teach people how to become
brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras, or brahmacaris,
grhasthas, vanaprasthas and sannyasis, the modern society is
suffering. Have you seen a headless body walking? This is the
condition of modern society.
The modern man wants a classless society. In Vedic
life, everyone is seen equally on a spiritual platform, but the
classes are made to help the individual be comfortably situated
in ones own propensities. In modern times, by the misuse of
brahminical power, the ksatriyas have become independent
tyrants or dictators, the vaisyas are becoming capitalists, and
the sudras demand communism for filling their hungry
stomachs. The society is being run by economic lords, so-
called vaisyas, instead of being managed by competent
ksatriyas, who are guided by capable brahmanas.
In the name of secular government, unqualified people
are taking the supreme governmental posts. Nepotism,
corruption, adultery, bribery, etc., are handed over from the
top as habits that can bring one quick results without any
qualifications. No one is being trained to act according to the
principles of Varnasrama-dharma. Thus, people are becoming
increasingly degraded and are heading in the direction of
animal life. The women are emotionally and socially exploited
in the name of liberation, with no training in chastity and
religious principles. The men, in want of engagement, are busy
in sports, pornographic movies, internet cafes, eve-teasing,
bars, restaurants, etc., with no idea of God or the goal of
human life.
The real aim of life is liberation, but unfortunately, the
opportunity for liberation is being denied to people in general,
and therefore, their human lives are being spoiled.
The Krishna consciousness movement, however, is being
propagated all over the world to re-establish the Varnasrama-
dharma system, and thus save human society from gliding down to
hellish life.
Who Is A Brahmana?
From the example of the social body, we can understand that
no part of society is less important than any other part. Do we
consider our legs less important than our arms? Would we want to
neglect our stomach? Of course not. If you stub your toe, then
immediately, the attention of the head and the working power of
the arms are focused on the injured area. Divisions of the social
body are meant for cooperation not for competition or
exploitation.
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After explaining that He is the creator of the divisions of
society, Krishna explains how to identify these classes. This is
explained in the words guna-karma-vibhagasah. Guna means
quality, and karma means activity. According to Lord
Krishna, the author of Varnasrama, we must judge a man
impartially by his qualifications and work. In other words, family
heritage, nationality, race, colour and creed are not the criteria for
the divisions of society. Only one who exhibits the qualities of a
brahmana and performs the activity of a brahmana can be called a
brahmana.
Rsabhadeva, a king, was certainly a ksatriya. He had a
hundred sons, and out of these, ten were engaged as ksatriyas and
ruled the planet. Nine sons became good preachers of Srimad-
Bhagavatam (maha-bhagavatas), and this indicates that they were
above the position of brahmanas. The other eighty-one sons
became highly qualified brahmanas. These are some practical
examples of how one can become fit for a certain type of activity
by qualification, not by birth. All the sons of Maharaja
Rsabhadeva were ksatriyas by birth, but by quality some of them
became ksatriyas, and some became brahmanas. Nine became
preachers of Srimad-Bhagavatam (bhagavata-dharma-darsanah),
which means that they were above the categories of ksatriya and
brahmana. (SB 5.4.13) From this verse we have good information
of how the castes are qualified according to quality and work.
In the Mahabharata, we come across an instance involving a
discussion between Nahusha and Yudhisthira. Nahusha was a
royal sage and an ancestor of the Pandavas, but was cursed by
Agastya due to his offence to him to fall from heaven and become
a snake in the Himalayan region. Agastya had given him two
boons: whoever came within the snakes reach will become his
food for that day, and when his knowledge of his identity and
relation with the Supreme is reawakened, he would shed the
snakes body and attain his human form.
Once, when the Pandavas reached Vishakayapa within the
Himalayan range, Bhima went for a stroll to explore the places
around. He came across Nahusha in the form of a huge snake who
captured him within his coils. Later, when Yudhisthira came to the
scene, the snake enquired two questions of him, one of which is
relevant to our context:
O King, How can we recognize a true brahmana?
Yudhisthira replied, A brahmana is characterized by the
qualities of honesty, purity, forgiveness, self control, asceticism,
knowledge and religiosity.
The Nahusha snake replied doubtfully, The qualities you
have attributed to brahmanas are also found in other classes of
men.
Yudhisthira smiled, If one finds these qualities in any man,
then he should be known as a brahmana, no matter what his birth
may have been.
Brahmana By Heredity
The Varnasrama institution is constructed to enable one to
realize the Absolute Truth. It is not for artificial domination of one
division over another. When the aim of life, i.e., realization of the
Absolute Truth, is replaced by too much attachment for indriya-
trupti, or sense gratification, the institution of Varnasrama is
utilized by selfish men to impose an artificial predominance over
the weaker section. In the Kali-yuga, or in the age of quarrel, this
artificial predominance is already current, but the saner section of
the people know it well that the divisions of castes and orders of
life are meant for smooth social intercourse and high-thinking
self-realization, and not for any other purpose.
The actual Varnasrama system cannot be accused of
discrimination, nor of limiting the individuals opportunity to
follow his inclinations and aspirations. The caste system of India
today, although using the terminology of Varnasrama (brahmana,
ksatriya, vaisya, sudra), is not actually Varnasrama, because it is
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based on heredity. The Indian caste system has deteriorated and
failed for just this reason. The Indian culture of today is restricted
by the hereditary caste system, and is kept in the custody of
narrow-minded people who are like frogs in a well. If, instead,
India had spread the transcendental message of the Bhagavad-gita
in the generous manner befitting a noble brahmana, then peace
and tranquillity in this world would not be in such acutely short
supply. By the propagation of brahminical culture, the world
would have greatly prospered. Instead, the Vedic culture has been
seriously maimed by the imposition of the hereditary caste system,
and this has had grievously adverse effects on the world. Someone
born into a family of brahmanas, the priestly or intellectual class,
would claim to be a brahmana automatically, whether or not he
had the qualifications, and even if his activities were most
degenerate. This is not at all sensible, nor is it supported by the
Gita.
For example, the son of a high-court judge may receive the
opportunity, by inspiration and instruction, to become a high-court
judge himself. But he still requires training and education before
he seeks an appointment to that post. He cannot claim to be
qualified for such a position merely on the strength of his high
parentage. Similarly, the son of a doctor may naturally desire to
practice medicine and may take advantage of his father's
experience. But he, too, requires long years of training in medical
school. So the argument that birth qualifies one for a certain post
in society contradicts common sense and is not supported by the
instructions of the Bhagavad-gita.
Natural Occurrence Of Various
Social Divisions Is Unavoidable
Anyone is free to take any position in society, provided he
develops the qualifications. Persons possessing brahminical or
priestly qualities in varying degrees are seen in practically every
society. Take for example, the brahminical quality of truthfulness.
All over the world, wherever you go, you will find somebody to
be truthful. Does anyone say, Oh, his father was truthful
therefore he is truthful? This makes no sense. Krishna never says
anything like this. The father may be Hiranyakasipu, a big demon,
but his son can still be Prahlada, a great devotee of the Lord. It is
not that one will inevitably become exactly like ones father. Of
course, it may be; there is every possibility. But still, it is not a
fact that the son unavoidably becomes like the father.
Our point is, wherever you go, you will find a first-class man
who is truthful. Now, wherever you find a truthful man, you can
classify him as a brahmana and train him to serve the social body
in that capacity, as a spiritual teacher and advisor. The fellows
father may be a meat-eater, a gambler or a drunkard, but if he
himself is truthful and agreeable to the brahminical life, then he
can be trained.
Need Of True Brahmanas In Society
The benefit of classifying and training people according to
their own qualities and propensities is to make the whole social
body function harmoniously. The social body must have a brain,
arms, a belly and legs to be complete. If there is no brain, no head,
then what is the use of these arms, legs and belly? It is all dead. So
in human society, if there is not a class of learned, truthful and
honest men men with all the brahminical qualifications then
society is ruined. That is why people are perplexed today. Today,
everyone is trained to be a sudra, a labourer: Go to the factory
and get money. Thats all. And when the man gets some money,
he immediately purchases wine and women. So if you try to make
society classless, you will produce such men useless men
fourth class men, and worse, disturbing to the social body.

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Can One Try To Perform The Prescribed Duties Of
Another?
It is far better to discharge ones prescribed duties, even
though faultily, than anothers duties perfectly. Destruction in the
course of performing ones own duty is better than engaging in
anothers duties, for to follow anothers path is dangerous. (BG
3.35)
Materially, prescribed duties are duties enjoined according to
ones psychophysical condition, under the spell of the modes of
material nature. Spiritual duties are as ordered by the spiritual
master for the transcendental service of Krishna. But whether
material or spiritual, one should stick to his prescribed duties even
up to death, rather than imitate anothers prescribed duties. Duties
on the spiritual platform and duties on the material platform may
be different, but the principle of following the authorized direction
is always good for the performer.
* * *
Story: Ekalavyas Fault
(explanation by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura)

Once, a prince of the Nishada tribe of forest dwellers,
Ekalavya, asked Drona to teach him. Drona replied that his school
was only for kings and princes who exhibited ksatriya qualities.
Ekalavya, strongly desiring greatness in martial sciences, built an
effigy of Drona, worshiped him for skills at weaponry, and
practiced in the woods. Gradually, he became an expert archer.
Once, as he was practicing, a dog began to bark loudly and
disturb him. Immediately, he released seven arrows, even without
seeing the dog, and sealed the animals mouth. Ekalavya posed
himself as a disciple of Drona even though he had been rejected
by him. It was completely against all religious principles. No one
could claim to be a disciple of a guru unless he was accepted as
such by that teacher. He had no devotion to Drona, despite his
outward show of dedication, as he did not accept Dronas order.
His skills were astonishing, but they had been gained by
disobedience.
Drona went to the spot and was angered. The Nishada tribes
people lacked the virtuous qualities of royalty, and they did not
follow the Vedic religion. To give a low-class man great martial
power could be dangerous. Drona had been especially concerned
about Ekalavya, as the Nishada tribe did not cooperate with the
Kurus virtuous rule. Drona would not accept any princes into his
school if they belonged to a race antagonistic to the Kurus.
Ekalavya had shown himself to be lacking in virtue by falsely
posing as his disciple. Clearly he desired only to be great, known
as a student of a famous teacher, but not to actually obey him.
Drona also wanted to show that one cannot please his teacher and
achieve perfection by dishonest means. Thus, for all the above
reasons, he demanded Ekalavya to offer his thumb as a dakshina if
he claimed to be Dronas disciple.
With his firm action, Drona had clearly upheld religious
principles. Thus, Ekalavya, who lacked the virtuous qualities of a
ksatriya, was stopped from imitating a ksatriya for the welfare of
everyone.
* * *
When one is under the spell of the modes of material nature,
one should follow the prescribed rules for his particular situation
and should not imitate others. For example, a brahmana, who is in
the mode of goodness, is non-violent, whereas a ksatriya, who is
in the mode of passion, is allowed to be violent. As such, for a
ksatriya, it is better to be vanquished following the rules of
violence than to imitate a brahmana who follows the principles of
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non-violence. Lord Krishna admonished Arjuna to not give up his
duty of fighting in the battle of Kurukshetra. Everyone has to
cleanse his heart by a gradual process, not abruptly.
However, when one transcends the modes of material nature
and is fully situated in Krishna consciousness, he can perform
anything and everything under the direction of a bona fide
spiritual master. In that complete stage of Krishna consciousness,
the ksatriya may act as a brahmana, or a brahmana may act as a
ksatriya. In the transcendental stage, the distinctions of the
material world do not apply. For example, Vishvamitra was
originally a ksatriya, but later on he acted as a brahmana, whereas
Parashurama was a brahmana but later on he acted as a ksatriya.
Being transcendentally situated, they could do so; but as long as
one is on the material platform, he must perform his duties
according to the modes of material nature. At the same time, he
must have a full sense of Krishna consciousness.
Brahmana and Vaishnava
Even If A Low-Born Candala Becomes Krishna's Devotee,
He Is Considered Greater Than A Brahmana
Krishna says in the Gita: mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi
syuh papa-yonayah striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te 'pi yanti param
gatim: O son of Prtha, those who take shelter in Me, though
they be of lower birth women, vaisyas [merchants] and sudras
[workers] can attain the supreme destination (BG 9.32). It is
clearly declared here by the Supreme Lord that in devotional
service, there is no distinction between the lower and higher
classes of people. In the material conception of life there are such
divisions, but for a person engaged in transcendental devotional
service to the Lord there are no divisions.
Everyone is eligible for the supreme destination. In the
Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.4.18), it is stated that even the lowest, who
are called candalas (dog-eaters), can be purified by association
with a pure devotee. Therefore devotional service and the
guidance of a pure devotee are so strong that there is no
discrimination between the lower and higher classes of men;
anyone can take to it. The most simple man taking shelter of the
pure devotee can be purified by proper guidance. According to the
different modes of material nature, men are classified in the mode
of goodness (brahmanas), the mode of passion (ksatriyas, or
administrators), the mixed modes of passion and ignorance
(vaisyas, or merchants), and the mode of ignorance (sudras, or
workers).
Those lower than them are called candalas, or dog-eaters,
and they are born in sinful families. Generally, the association of
those born in sinful families is not accepted by the higher classes.
Even such people are eligible to perform devotional service. The
process of devotional service is so strong, that the pure devotee of
the Supreme Lord can enable people of all the lower classes to
attain the highest perfection of life. This is possible only when one
takes shelter of Krishna. If one can take complete shelter of
Krishna, then one can become much greater than great jnanis and
yogis.
If a candala becomes an elevated devotee of the Lord then, on
the basis of his merit, he should be respected by all other classes.
There is much scriptural evidence in this regard: the Hari-bhakti-
vilasa (10.91) states, A devotee candala achieves the same
spiritual success as the devotee brahmana. And in the
Bhagavatam (7.9.10), Prahlada Maharaja says, A devotee candala
is many times more elevated than an ordinary ritualistic
brahmana. Indeed, such a devotee candala can be the guru of the
brahmanas. This has been shown throughout history by many
spiritual preceptors who were born in a low caste but who initiated
persons of higher castes. So, the castes are classified according
to merit and activity, but a pure devotee of the Lord is beyond
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all these classifications. He is transcendental to everything
material. Whatever part of this world a person belongs to, if he
follows the instructions of the Supreme Lord in the Bhagavad-
gita, then he attains the transcendental platform and can become
even more elevated than a brahmana.
Difference Between A Brahmana And Vaisnava
A Brahmana works on the platform of goodness, which also
comes in the three modes. Although Brahmanas by quality are
supposed to know about the Supreme Absolute Truth, most of
them approach only the impersonal Brahman manifestation of
Lord Krishna. A person in Krishna consciousness, however, is
above even the brahmanas. But a man who transcends the limited
knowledge of a brahmana and reaches the knowledge of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, becomes a
person in Krishna consciousness in other words, a Vaisnava.
Krishna consciousness includes knowledge of all different plenary
expansions of Krishna, namely Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha, etc. And
as Krishna is transcendental to this system of the four divisions of
human society, a person in Krishna consciousness is also
transcendental to all divisions of human society, whether we
consider the divisions of community, nation or species.
Lord Sri Krishna -- Transcendental To Varnasrama
Although Krishna created the three modes of material nature,
He is transcendental to all of them. Similarly, Krishna explains
that although He created the Varnasrama system, He is
transcendental to it: tasya kartaram api mam viddhy akartaram
avyayam meaning, Although I am the creator of this system,
you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable
(BG 4.13). Lord Krishna, though born to Vasudeva (a ksatriya)
and raised by His foster father, Nanda Maharaja (a vaishya), He
does not belong to any of these divisions, because He is not one of
the conditioned souls, a section of whom form human society.
Varnasrama is prescribed only for those who are under the spell of
the three modes of material nature. Krishna and His pure devotees
are completely transcendental to the three modes, and so are
transcendental to Varnasrama system also.
The Four Asramas
The greatest attachment in the material world is due to sexual
pleasure, described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam as a tight knot
binding one to this material world. Sexual activity that ignores
religious principles increases ones desire to stay in the material
world and decreases ones spiritual intelligence. Therefore, in
Vedic society, sex was limited to marriage, and it was for
procreation only. Vedic society teaches regulated sense
gratification by appropriately classifying the life into four spiritual
stages called asramas. Without regulation, there is no difference
between a human being and an animal. The functions of the four
asramas are as given below.
Brahmacari
The brahmacari asrama is student life, the first quarter of a
mans life. Education in Vedic society did not consist of mere
accumulation of data facts, figures, equations, dates, formulas,
and so on. Vedic education was intrinsically spiritual. It taught the
student practical knowledge about using the material in
conjunction with the laws of God, in order to live happily in this
world and to attain the goal of life, pure God consciousness.
This does not mean, however, that people in the Vedic ages
had inferior material knowledge. Unlike our modern society, with
its inductive attempts to gain knowledge, Vedic society derived
highly developed knowledge from a perfect source: the Vedic
scriptures, which emanate from the Supreme Lord Himself. In this
ancient literature we find descriptions of things modern man
prides himself on having invented only recently: nuclear
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technology, airplanes (Vimana sastra), space travel, to name a
few.
In Vedic society, boys from the age of five would receive their
education from a spiritual master, a guru. One has to study the
Vedas under the guidance of the spiritual master and undergo
many austerities and penances while living under his care. He
should strictly observe celibacy and sense control, and serve him
with humility and dedication. A brahmacari has to live in the
home of the spiritual master just like a servant, and he must beg
alms from door to door and bring them to the spiritual master. He
takes food only under the masters order, and if the master
neglects to call the student for food that day, the student fasts.
They were trained from the very beginning to address every
woman as mother. These are some of the Vedic principles for
observing brahmacarya. After the student studies the Vedas under
the master for a period from 5 to 25 years, he may become a man
of perfect character. Study of the Vedas is not meant for the
recreation of armchair speculators, but for the formation of
character. After this training, the brahmacari is allowed to enter
into household life and marry.
Grhastha
In youth, the senses are very strong. A conditioned soul may
be seriously seeking self-realisation, but is not ready for full
renunciation. After one undergoes the brahmacari training, by
controlling senses and mind under the guidance of a guru, then
one is allowed to enter into family life, which is like a license. A
license holder of a vehicle does not get the liberty to do anything
he wants with the vehicle by breaking the traffic rules, signals,
mishandling the vehicle, starving it without petrol or water, etc.
Similarly, one who enters grhastha asrama gets a wife, who is
actually a spiritual partner in helping the husband to successfully
perform his Krishna conscious duties and gradually achieve
detachment. When old age approaches, he must again take up a
life of penance. The grhastha asrama is given for limited
enjoyment, coupled with the continuous performance of
auspicious activities. However, it is not necessary or compulsory
that everyone get married. The actual standard of brahmacari life
is to go on and take sannyasa; grhastha life is for those who after
training in brahmacari asrama still feel a need to get married.
There are restrictions for householders even in sex life. If one
does not require children, one should not indulge in sex life just
for pleasure. Modern society promotes contraceptives to avoid the
responsibility of children. This is not in the transcendental quality,
but is demoniac. If one wants to make progress in spiritual life,
one should control sex life.
In family life, there is the natural tendency to accumulate
money and acquire material objects. All four asramas are for
spiritual advancement, but only the grhastha asrama allows for
making money. Therefore, the entire Vedic society was
maintained by the householder asrama. A householder has to
perform many sacrifices so that he may achieve further
enlightenment. He must also give charity according to the country,
time and candidate, discriminating among charity in goodness, in
passion and in ignorance.
The grhasthas understood that charity to saintly persons is not
a liability but an asset in ones spiritual account. In Vedic society,
brahmacaris and sannyasis were supported by grhasthas. The
brahmacaris and sannyasis would be setting an example of a life
of renunciation and God consciousness. The householder
benefited by the association of saintly persons because he received
valuable spiritual instructions from them. He knew that a society
without holy men and God conscious preachers, without charity
and sacrifices, is a hellish situation.
Vanaprastha
The stage of retirement from family life is called vanaprastha.
It is the third quarter of life. Modern society postulates the goals
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of life as wealth, fame, beauty, sense gratification, ample
opportunity for sex, and so on. Consequently, people often
continue trying to attain these things until they die. Politicians
cling to their power even when they are senile or invalid. Dying
businessmen pray to their doctors to prolong their life just a little,
so that they can finish some business. Aging film stars get face-
lifts in a vain attempt to trick nature.
Vedic society was based on the understanding that the spirit
soul is covered by a temporary body subject to birth, old age,
disease, and death, and that the soul is the real life eternal,
distinct from matter, and full of knowledge and happiness. The
body, along with all material attributes like fame, wealth, and
beauty, will perish sooner or later.
When the householder reached age fifty, he would enter the
vanaprastha order, giving up his sexual relationship with his wife
and gradually retiring from business and family life. He would
travel to places of pilgrimages, often accompanied by his wife,
and devote more time to spiritual practices, such as reading the
holy scriptures and meditation.
Instead of increasing his attachment to matter at the end of
life, he would gradually detach himself from worldly affairs. He
knew that material accomplishments have no value at the time of
death. When the soul transmigrates into another body, all assets
like cars or bank accounts, have to be left behind. A man is born
without a penny, and he has to leave this world in the same
condition. At death, the only useful asset is knowledge of ones
true self and of ones relationship with God. With this objective,
the retired householder would prepare himself for the final stage
of life.
Sannyasa
The renounced order, sannyasa, is the last stage of life. In
Vedic society, it was entirely reserved for spiritual advancement.
The sannyasi would leave his family in order to give up any
attachment to his wife and children. He would travel without any
possessions, without any insurance plan or material security, and
simply depend on Krishna. His only business was to become
Krishna conscious and preach Krishna consciousness.
A sannyasi, or a person in the renounced order of life, is
considered to be the head, or the spiritual master, of all the social
statuses and orders. A brahmana is considered to be the spiritual
master of the three other sections of a society, namely, the
ksatriyas, the vaisyas and the sudras, but a sannyasi, who is at the
top of the institution, is considered to be the spiritual master of the
brahmanas also. For a sannyasi, the first qualification should be
fearlessness. Because a sannyasi has to be alone without any
support or guarantee of support, he has simply to depend on the
mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one thinks,
After I leave my connections, who will protect me? he should
not accept the renounced order of life. One must be fully
convinced that Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead in
His localized aspect as Paramatma is always within, that He is
seeing everything and He always knows what one intends to do. I
shall never be alone, one should think, Even if I live in the
darkest regions of the forest, I shall be accompanied by Krishna,
and He will give me all protection. That state of mind is
necessary for a person in the renounced order of life.
Then he has to purify his existence. There are so many rules
and regulations to be followed in the renounced order of life. Most
important of all, a sannyasi is strictly forbidden to have any
intimate relationship with a woman. He is even forbidden to talk
with a woman in a secluded place. Lord Caitanya was an ideal
sannyasi, and when He was at Puri, His feminine devotees could
not even come near to offer their respects. They were advised to
bow down from a distant place. This is not a sign of hatred for
women as a class, but it is a stricture imposed on the sannyasi not
to have close connections with women. One has to follow the
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rules and regulations of a particular status of life in order to purify
his existence. For a sannyasi, intimate relations with women and
possession of wealth for sense gratification are strictly forbidden.
Lord Caitanya said, For a sannyasi or anyone who is aspiring to
get out of the clutches of material nature and trying to elevate
himself to the spiritual nature and go back home, back to
Godhead, for him, looking toward material possessions and
women for sense gratification not even enjoying them, but just
looking toward them with such a propensity is so condemned
that he had better commit suicide before experiencing such illicit
desires.
Sannyasi life is meant for distributing knowledge to the
householders and others who have forgotten their real life of
spiritual advancement. A sannyasi should visit the householders
and awaken them to Krishna consciousness. This is the duty of a
sannyasi. If he is actually advanced and so ordered by his spiritual
master, he should preach Krishna consciousness with logic and
understanding, and if one is not so advanced, he should not accept
the renounced order of life. But even if one has accepted the
renounced order of life without sufficient knowledge, he should
engage himself fully in hearing from a bona fide spiritual master
to cultivate knowledge.
Anyone would be honoured and happy to receive sannyasis in
his house, for their presence afforded an opportunity to hear
realized transcendental knowledge. The Vedic literature states that
charity given to a qualified brahmana is returned a thousand times
in the next life, and charity given to a fully realized devotee is
returned by unlimited multiplication. And we find the following
statement regarding the benefit of associating with saintly persons:
The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moments
association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success.
By their preaching, sannyasis created a potent spiritual
atmosphere. Their very presence reminded the attached house
holders that they too would one day have to renounce their
possessions either voluntarily or at death and that they had
better prepare for this ultimate test. Vedic society did not see life
as a one-time event but as a continuous cycle. Preparation for the
next life and worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Lord Krishna, were essential ingredients of social life. Simple
living and high thinking enabled people to concentrate on their
long-term goal of spiritual perfection and God consciousness.
Daivi Varnasrama System
As far as the life-style goes, all ISKCON devotees are
supposed to lead a brahminical standard of life, by following four
regulative principles no meat eating, no gambling, no
intoxication, and no illicit sex and chanting 16 rounds of the Hare
Krishna maha mantra. The ISKCON devotees are trained to
perform service to Krishna in many fields. Devotees may perform
the activities like
Pujari work, preaching, philosophical discussions, etc.
brahminical
Tackle threats to survival of temple, driving cars, etc.
ksatriya
Distribute books, collect funds, purchase goods, etc.
vaisaya
Wash toilets, clean temple room, wash vessels, etc. sudra
Such devotees are considered to be completely transcendental
to all the four varnas and asramas. Similarly in ISKCON, we have
brahmacaris, grhasthas, vanaprasthas, and sannyasis. The
brahmacaris and sannyasis live in temples and practice and preach
Krishna consciousness to the world. The grhasthas do jobs or
businesses and support the brahmacaris and sannyasis in temple
construction and maintenance. These classifications are only
external and superficial. So everyone is given full facility to
advance in Krishna consciousness and become a pure devotee,
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whether he be a brahmacari or grhastha. Everyone is given
guidance by the acharya, the spiritual master, according to ones
propensities.
By following his qualities of work, every man can become
perfect. Now please hear from Me how this can be done. (BG
18.45)
By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and
who is all-pervading, a man can attain perfection through
performing his own work. (BG 18.46)
One should, therefore, know that as part and parcel of the
Supreme Lord, one has his duty to render service unto the
Supreme. Everyone should be engaged in devotional service to the
Lord in full Krishna consciousness. Everyone should think that he
is engaged in a particular type of occupation by Hrishikesha, the
master of the senses. And by the result of the work in which one is
engaged, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna,
should be worshiped. If one always thinks in this way, in full
Krishna consciousness, then, by the grace of the Lord, he becomes
fully aware of everything. That is the perfection of life. The Lord
says in the Bhagavad-gita (12.7), tem aha samuddhart. The
Supreme Lord Himself takes charge of delivering such a devotee.
That is the highest perfection of life. In whatever occupation one
may be engaged, if he serves the Supreme Lord, he will achieve
the highest perfection.
This is called Daivi Varnasrama system, where the goal of
one's life is only serving Krishna. Such a Krishna-centred life is
for the welfare of everyone and we are practically seeing that
people are taking to Krishna consciousness very seriously. Day
after day, engineers, doctors, chartered accountants, businessmen,
professors, etc. are becoming more and more interested to
understand and practice this way of life practiced in ISKCON.
Relationship Between Varnasrama And Vaidhi
Bhakti
The relationship between the aforementioned varnasrama-
dharma and vaidhi-bhakti ought to be examined. The question is,
is the varnasrama institution negated, or should it be abandoned
when one takes to the process of bhakti, or should the rules and
regulations of varnasrama be followed in order to properly
cultivate vaidhi-bhakti?
As we have said, the main reasons for the cultivation of
varnasrama are maintaining the body in good health, improving
the faculty of the mind, promoting social well-being, and learning
the science of the Self. All are conducive to the practice of pure
devotional service.
Who can deny the necessity of the varnasrama institution as
long as the living being is bound up in the human body? If it is
abandoned, and the above-mentioned four principles are lacking,
the jiva will go astray and no good whatsoever will accrue to him.
One should, therefore, strictly adhere to the rules governing
varnasrama for the sake of the mind, society, and ones
advancement in Krishna consciousness.
But the observance of varnasrama-dharma is not the sole
business of the jiva. Therefore, with the assistance of varnasrama-
dharma, one must cultivate pure devotional service. The purpose
of the varnasrama institution is to facilitate the practice of
devotional service.
The question may arise that since the practice of varnasrama is
a dilatory affair, what will ones duty be if a conflict arises with
ones devotional practice? The answer is that if one does not
maintain and nourish the healthy condition of the body, mind,
society, and the pursuit of self-realization, how will it be possible
to cultivate the higher endeavour, devotional service? If,
abandoning the varnasrama institution, one acts independently,
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then the demands of the body and mind will cause one to become
intoxicated with material desire and no sign of devotion will
manifest itself. (First vrsti, sixth dhara, Srila Bhaktivinoda
Thakura: Varnasrama and Vaidhi-Bhakti)
Varnasrama-dharma is a system for regulated satisfaction of
ones material desires. Bhakti, on the other hand, is completely
free from personal desires. Therefore, varnasrama-dharma is not a
part of sadhana bhakti. Still, a devotee who is not yet able to
perform unalloyed devotional service may utilise varnasrama-
dharma to regulate and purify his distracting material desires, and
thus rise to the point of being attracted to unalloyed service.
Therefore varnasrama-dharma, although not an integral part of
sadhana bhakti, can support cultivation of bhakti in its precursor
stages.
Thus, everyone should situate oneself on the platform of a
brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha or sannyasi, and also in a
suitable occupation based on the guidance from a bona fide
spiritual master, and execute Krishna consciousness peacefully
and with full vigour.

Chapter 5

Different Types Of
Yoga

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tapasvibhyo dhiko yog jnibhyo pi mato dhika
karmibhya cdhiko yog tasmd yog bhavrjuna

A yogi is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist
and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all
circumstances, be a yogi. (BG 6.46)

* * * *
What Is Yoga?
The essence of Lord Krishnas teachings in the Bhagavad-gita
is that one must become a yogi. What is yoga? The sanskrit word
yoga literally means union and refers to the union, in love,
between the individual consciousness and the Supreme
consciousness, the soul and God.
Humanity may be divided into two sections, namely, the
regulated and the non-regulated. Those who are engaged simply in
bestial sense gratification, without knowledge of their next life or
spiritual salvation, belong to the non-regulated section. And those
who follow the principles of prescribed duties in the scriptures are
classified amongst the regulated section. The non-regulated
section, both, civilized and uncivilized, educated and uneducated,
strong and weak, are full of animal propensities. Their activities
are never auspicious, because while enjoying the animal
propensities of eating, sleeping, defending and mating, they
perpetually remain in material existence, which is always
miserable. On the other hand, those who are regulated by
scriptural injunctions, and who thus rise gradually to Krishna
consciousness, certainly progress in life.

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167

In the Bhagavad-gita, we discover four basic varieties of yoga
described:

Regulated
(follow the
injunctions of
scriptures)
Unregulated(engaged in
eating, sleeping, mating,
defending with no
knowledge of salvation)
Humanity
Karma Kanda
(follow scriptures
for enjoying
material prosperity)
Karma Yogi
J nana Yogi
Astanga Yogi
Bhakti Yogi
A
U
S
P
I
C
I
O
U
S
Civilised Uncivilised
Strong Weak
Educated Uneducate
MISERABLE AND
INAUSPICIOUS
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A Karma yogi performs his work for God, without the selfish
desire for personal gain.
A J nana yogi cultivates philosophical knowledge for elevation
to spiritual consciousness.
An Astanga yogi or Dhyana yogi takes to a mechanical
meditative practice meant to control the mind and senses and
focus ones concentration on the Supreme.
Hatha yoga is a diluted version of Astanga yoga, primarily
intended to control mind and senses.
All the above yoga systems culminate in Bhakti yoga, the yoga
of selfless love of God, Krishna. Lord Krishna Himself
confirms: Of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great
faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most
intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.
(BG 6.47)
One cannot be called a yogi unless his activities are oriented
towards re-establishing his relationship with God.
The unregulated gross materialists, fruitive workers who
dont follow scriptures:
Characteristics -
Identify with the body, and absorbed in eating, sleeping,
mating and defending,
Have no understanding of life beyond material goals such
wealth, wine and woman,
Have no faith in spiritual truths or the spiritual world, and
Lose the power to discriminate between sinful and pious
activities.
Srila Prabhupada writes:
Hard labour is for hogs and dogs: The human form of life is
meant for liberation, but unfortunately, due to the influence of
Kali-yuga, every day the grhasthas are working hard like asses.
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169
away to earn bread. Especially in the Western countries, I have
seen that people awaken at five oclock to go to offices and
factories to earn their livelihood. People in Calcutta and Bombay
also do this every day. They work very hard in the office or
factory, and again they spend three or four hours in transportation
returning home. Then they retire at ten oclock and again rise
early in the morning to go to their offices and factories. This kind
of hard labour is described in the shastras as the life of pigs and
stool-eaters. Nya deho deha-bhj nloke kan kmn
arhate vid-bhuj ye: Of all 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. (SB 5.5.1)
Grhastha Life And Demoniac Life
One must find some time for hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam and
Bhagavad-gita. This is Vedic culture. One should work eight
hours at the most to earn his livelihood, and either in the afternoon
or in the evening a householder should associate with devotees to
hear about the incarnations of Krishna and His activities and thus
be gradually liberated from the clutches of maya. However,
instead of finding time to hear about Krishna, the householders,
after working hard in offices and factories, find time to go to a
restaurant or a club, where, instead of hearing about Krishna and
His activities, they are very much pleased to hear about the
political activities of demons and non-devotees and to enjoy sex,
wine, women and meat and in this way, waste their time. This is
not grhastha life, but demoniac life. The Krishna consciousness
movement, however, with its centres all over the world, gives such
fallen and condemned persons an opportunity to hear about
Krishna. (SB 7.14.3-4 Purport)
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Karma Kandis, fruitive workers who follow scriptures:
Characteristics -
A grade higher than this mean class of gross materialists,
Believe in the transmigration of the soul,
Fruitive workers who perform pious activities such as sacrifice
and giving in charity,
Their only motive is to ensure that their next life is one of
luxury and sense enjoyment, and
Cannot understand that good and bad activities both lead to
another term of birth and suffering.
Lord Krishna says, Those who study the Vedas and drink soma
juice, seeking the heavenly planets, worship Me indirectly.
Purified of sinful reactions, they
take birth on the pious, heavenly
planet of Indra, where they enjoy
godly delights. When they have thus
enjoyed vast heavenly sense
pleasure and the results of their
pious activities are exhausted, they
return to this mortal planet again.
Thus those who seek sense
enjoyment by adhering to the
principles of the three Vedas
achieve only repeated birth and death. (BG 9.20-21).
What is the problem if I am born as a pious person again?
If one goes to heaven, one has to come down; if one returns to
spiritual world, then no coming down.
A materially pious life may award one high birth, education,
bodily beauty or wealth, but these opulences can cause pride
and make him misuse the facilities awarded. Sometimes, even
demigods in heaven have misused their opulences and were

171
punished. For example, the sons of Kuvera were cursed to
become trees; Indra offended his guru Brhaspati due to pride.
Repeated birth and death causes suffering.
Desire for sense gratification such as long duration of life and
luxuries can make us attached.
One forgets the real goal of life to go back home back to
Godhead.
The material world is a dangerous place for the soul and a
pious person can fall prey to impiety.
Story: Sense gratification makes us mad and
become bad
(taken from Teachings of Lord Kapila by Srila Prabhupada,
TLK17: Taking shelter of Krishna, the Supreme Controller)

The living entity thinks that he is very happy in whatever
body he gets. He may get the body of a dog or the body of a
cat, but he is happy in his body, and he does not want to lose
it. This is called illusion. When an ant sees danger, he will run
like anything. This is because he values his body and does not
want to lose it.
Once, Lord Indra, the King of the heavenly planets, was
cursed by Brhaspati to become a hog. He was going about on
earth enjoying his hog body when finally Lord Brahma came
and told him, My dear Indra, you have suffered enough.
Now come with me and return to your heavenly kingdom.
Indra in the form of a hog said, Where shall I go? To the
heavens, Lord Brahma replied. It was then that Indra said,
No, I have my family and children. How can I go? I am very
happy. Let me remain here. In this way, everyone is thinking
that he is very happy, although he is in a horrible and
fearsome condition. However, one who is actually intelligent
can understand that he is not actually happy, that he is
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suffering. It is said that ignorance is bliss, but this is the bliss
of a hog. When one actually comes to the understanding that
he is not actually happy in the material world, he can begin to
relieve his suffering.
There is no possibility of being liberated from suffering
without taking shelter of Krishnas lotus feet. People are
thinking that they can relieve suffering through abortion, by
killing the child within the womb. In this way, they are
committing one sin after another and becoming more and
more entangled. Consequently, the aborted living entity will
have to enter into the womb of another mother in order to
undergo the birth that he is destined to take. Then, when he
enters the womb of another mother, he may again be killed,
and for many years he may not be allowed to see the light of
the sun. In this Kali-yuga, people are becoming so sinful that
there is no possibility of rescue unless one takes to Krishna
consciousness. The entire human civilization is falling into
the illusory fire of maya. People fly into the fire just like
moths. When there is a beautiful fire, moths come from a long
distance, enter it and go pop, pop, pop. In this way one dies,
takes birth and suffers and dies again.
Yet Krishna and His devotees are so kind and
compassionate that they are unhappy to see all the misery of
this material world. Krishna is the father of all living entities,
and He is very unhappy to see His sons suffer. Krishna
therefore comes and canvasses: Why are you captivated by
this false, so-called happiness? Give up all of this and
surrender to Me. Come to Me, and I will relieve you. You
will then live happily, eternally and blissfully. You will not
have any want, nor will you be troubled by anything. For
this reason Krishna comes. Actually He has no other business
to carry out here because His agent prakrti does everything.


173
If the Kingdom of God is the ultimate goal, why is Karma
kanda prescribed?
Lord Krishna has given the instruction in the Bhagavad-gita
(18.66): sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja
Abandon all varieties of religion and simply surrender unto Me.
There are always going to be people who want to follow
scriptures, but who cannot give up sense gratification of this world
and prepare to return to spiritual world.
Thus, most of the people remain hard working materialists
preferring to avoid God altogether. In order to give such people a
chance, the Vedas offer opportunities for regulated sense
gratification that can be achieved by performing sacrifices to
demigods, offering charity etc. But the goal of the Vedas is not to
promote sense gratification; the goal is to somehow inspire the
people to accept the authority of scriptures and begin following
some religion. This is like a mother who wants to feed the bitter
medicine to her child, but the child refuses to eat the medicine.
She gives a sugar coating to the medicine and intelligently feeds it
to the child. In the same manner the Vedas offer opportunities to
get good health, wealth, prosperity, beautiful wife, bountiful
harvest, good son, promotion to heavenly planets, etc. So instead
of indulging in improper ways of accumulating wealth and
inviting severe wrath of Yamaraj, Krishna says: You act
according to scriptures and then you will get regulated sense
gratification. Such people, by regulated practice, will gradually
attain detachment from sense gratification.
One should clearly understand that Karma-kanda is meant for
gradual upliftment, but it is not an end in itself. But Karma-kandis
are attracted to the rhythm of the Vedas and imagine the heavenly
sense enjoyment to be the end of all attainments. They perform
Vedic mantra chant to attain heavenly planets. Krishna says: Men
of small knowledge are very much attached to the flowery words
of the Vedas, which recommend various fruitive activities for
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elevation to heavenly planets, resultant good birth, power, and so
forth. Being desirous of sense gratification and opulent life, they
say that there is nothing more than this. (BG 2.42-43)
Different Types of Yogis
The Ladder Of Yogic Process
The fruitive workers cannot be counted among the yogis, as
they are interested in satisfying their material desires. The actual
yogis are the Karma yogis, the J nana yogis, the Astanga yogis,
and the Bhakti yogis, as they all accept a transcendental goal.
Factually they are the same, although named differently. The
yogic process is like a ladder one ascends gradually toward the
final goal of the Absolute Truth.
Step 1: Niskama Karma, or renunciation of the fruits of ones
labour.
Step 2: When Knowledge and Austerity are added to it, it becomes
J nana yoga
Step 3: When meditation on the Supreme is added to J nana yoga,
it is Astanga yoga.
Step 4: Finally, loving devotional service to the Supreme Lord is
Bhakti yoga.

BHAKTI YOGA - Loving devotional
service to Krishna
ASTANGA YOGA - Meditation on the
Supersoul in the heart
JNANA YOGA Impersonalist; Knowledge
& Austerity
KARMA YOGA - Renunciation of fruits of ones
labour.


175
Progress Of A Follower Of The Vedic System
The following description (adapted and abridged from
Surrender unto Me by HG Bhurijana prabhu) gives a clear idea
of how a Vedic follower gradually progresses in the yoga ladder:
BG 3.16: My dear Arjuna, one who does not follow in human
life the cycle of sacrifice thus established by the Vedas
certainly leads a life full of sin. Living only for the satisfaction
of the senses, such a person lives in vain.
A materialist lives in vain because human life is meant for
spiritual elevation and he has wasted that opportunity. His
engaging solely in animalistic endeavors ensures his taking a
lower birth.
The performance of karma-kanda sacrifices, however, would
gradually purify him by redirecting his desires from concentration
on the temporal to concentration on the eternal.
Earthly prosperity: Here is how a follower of the Vedic systemprogresses:
Instead of trying to enjoy his senses unrestrictedly, a follower of
the Vedas surrenders to Vedic authority, which then regulates his
actions and engages him in karma-kanda sacrifices. The goal of
those sacrifices is to attain prosperity, either in this life or a future
life. Desiring abundance, he may perform a sacrifice to give birth
to a son, to reap a bountiful harvest or to overcome a disease.
Those are considered low-level sacrifices because their fruits are
limited to this life.
Heavenly prosperity: Gradually, however, by associating with
brahmana priests, he hears about sacrifices that will award him
birth on the higher, heavenly planets. Simultaneously, as he lives
in this world, he inevitably experiences a variety of miseries.
Family members die, droughts occur, his riches are plundered
difficulties must over time arise because that is the nature of the
material world. He is pushed to seriously contemplate Svargaloka:
Why be satisfied with wealth, a son or health in this life? I can go to Svarga,
drink soma-rasa, dance with beautiful women and wander
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blissfully through the Nanda-kanana gardens. Why live for a
hundred years when I can live for thousands?
Karma-kanda sacrifices meant to attain either short-term or
long-term results are born of the mode of passion. They are
performed for selfish, sensual enjoyment. Long-term sacrifices,
however, are a step further on the path because they are based on
the implicit acceptance of the souls eternality. The performer of
the sacrifice will think, I am not this body. Therefore I will
perform opulent sacrifices, leave this body behind and attain
heaven. Within that thought is the seed of eternal spiritual life.
Realizing the temporary miserable nature of the material
world: Then he hears from his priests that there is distress even in
heaven. Indra fears attacks on his kingdom. Thus he realizes that
he too will experience fear even in Svargaloka. Despite having
fulfilled his material desires, he recognizes that his heart is still
devoid of true satisfaction. Gradually the truth of material reality
dawns on him: Birth and death are everywhere, and the material
world is temporary, frustrating and miserable.
Karma Yoga: Over time, he becomes receptive to the philosophy
of transcendence. Having heard from his priests about sacrifices,
and having experienced their results, he has become more trusting
of the priests and the sastras. He has also become more detached from
material life, because performing sacrifices has allowed him to
taste the happiness of sacrificing the hard-earned results of his
work. His goal slowly evolves. He no longer thinks of attaining
more material happiness, but of leaving the material world. Now,
he is ready to consider the jnana-kanda section of the Vedas and to
contemplate a nonmaterial, spiritual life based on the souls eter-
nality. Thus he is no longer a karma-kandi, but a karma-yogi.
A karma-yogi is someone who has accepted transcendence as
his objective. There are two types of karma-yogis: Brahmavadis
(impersonalists) and devotees. Each may be on one of two levels: sakama
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177
Brahmavadi associates with merciful and powerful devotees, he can
abandon his attempts to reach the Brahman and aspire for loving service
at Krishnas lotus feet.
Both types of karma-yogis progress gradually from sakama to
niskama by dutifully performing their prescribed duties. As their
realizations increase, they also become more detached from
matter. Thus they leave their performance of sakama-karma-yoga
and climb to the next rung of the yoga ladder and become
niskama-karma-yogis, performers of dutiful, detached work. Their
work is no longer motivated by fruitive desire, and they perform
their work on the platform of jnana.
Jnana Yoga: While progressing in this way, however, the
niskama-karma-yogi may conclude: My prescribed duties are
meant to bring me material rewards. I no longer have material
desires. I dont want a son or money or a nice house. I have no
desire to go to Svargaloka. I know I am not my body. Because I no
longer have material desires, I do not need to perform my
prescribed duties. When he renounces his work, he becomes a
J nana yogi.
The differences between sakama workers, niskama workers
and a bhakta are explained below:
Sakama worker: Attached to the Fruits of his work and attached
to the specific nature of the work.
For example: I am a tailor. I want to stitch Sankirtan bags for
your devotees for the December Marathon distribution. Please
give me this service. I will take just the charges with very little
profit.
Niskama worker: detached from the fruits of his work, only
remains attached to the work
For example: I am a brahmana cook. I like cooking. I dont
need any pay. I just want to do that service for the Lord. Please
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note, I cant wash the pots myself. You keep everything ready and
I will come and cook the full feast.
Bhakta: The highest stage of work occurs when one is detached
from the fruits of his work and from the work itself. He continues
to work, but his impetus is simply devotional surrender to the
order of guru and Krishna.
For example: Give me any service, prabhu. You dont have to
pay me anything. Engage me in the way you want. I am just a
humble servant of all devotees.
Astanga Yoga: While a J nana yogis understanding of the
Absolute Truth is impersonal, an Astanga yogi, through an
eightfold system, controls the mind and senses and focuses his
intelligence on the form of Lord Visnu seated in the heart with
complete attention. This is called Ishwara pranidhani or
surrender to the Supreme in the Patanjali yoga sutras. Thus, if a
J nana yogi develops a firm faith in the Personality of Godhead
seated within the heart by meditation, then he becomes an Astanga
yogi.
Bhakti Yoga: A Bhakti yogi understands that the impersonal
Brahman feature and localized feature in the heart of every living
being, Paramatma are both emerging from the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. Thus, he surrenders to Sri
Krishna as the ultimate object of love, the ultimate summum
bonum, beyond which no truth exists. Engaging his senses in
varieties of practical services for the pleasure of the Lord, with his
mind, intelligence fully absorbed in remembrance of the Lord, a
Bhakti yogi attains Samadhi, or trance, in such one-pointed loving
absorption. This loving devotional service is the ultimate
attainment of the soul, for at this stage, the soul revives his
original constitutional position, swarupa: muktir hitva anyatha
rupam swarupena vyavasthiti. The moksha or liberation
attained by a J nana yogi by apparent merging in impersonal

179
effulgence is temporary, but a Bhakti yogis mukti or liberation
from material world and transfer to the spiritual world is
permanent.
Difference Between Progress In
Spiritual Path And Material Path

Brainstorm: List down the differences between the path of a
materialist and spiritualist.
Path Of A Materialist
In order to be successful, any material activity must be completed
100% For example, no one can get an engineering degree even if they
complete all papers except one.
Whatever one has acquired life-long, it is finished at death
degrees, bungalows, cars, computers, etc. For example, a honey bee
collects a lot of honey little by little, but a farmer drives them and
takes it all away.
Progress is illusory, as everything including the body is stripped
off at the time of death.
It is impossible to go directly to the university without prior
schooling.
Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita, One who has taken
birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again.
The common saying goes as sure as death. So why should we waste
our time on this dead lump of flesh which is flapping only for a few
moments?
One carries no material credits or acquisitions after death. In
material life, in every birth, one accumulates and loses at death.
There is tremendous struggle involved in trying to succeed in
material life; there is cut-throat competition in every field. People
have to push their competitors down and climb on their shoulders in
order to rise to the top like crabs.
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Material life is a one-hundred-percent-loss-guaranteed bank.
Material activity is always a failure.
Path Of A Spiritualist
Krishna says: svalpam apyasya dharmasya trayate mahato
bhayat: Even a little bit of spiritual activity bears tremendous
results. (BG 2.40) Even a small spiritual deed can save one from
falling down to animal species.
If one becomes 20% purified in this life, then one can begin from
21% in the next life; and if one completes 50% in the second life, one
can begin from 51% in the third life, and so on. Thus, the spiritual
benefits accrue life after life, leading one back to the spiritual world.
For example, Gajendra, Bharata, etc remembered their previous lives
and continued their spiritual life.
Progress of the soul in Krishna consciousness is real and is never
lost, even at death.
In spiritual life, however, although there are strict regulations; by
the Supreme Lords grace alone can one bypass many intermediary
stages and reach the top, or doctorate level.
One who does devotional activities in a small quantity and then
deviates, enjoys for many years on the planets of pious living entities
and then takes birth into a family of righteous people or into a family
of rich aristocracy. Therefore, spiritual activity, whether performed in
a small or a large quantity, never goes in vain.
One who has done a lot of devotional activities but does not
complete 100%, takes birth in a family of very wise
transcendentalists. Such a birth is very rare.
There is no competition; in the spiritual world, there is a place
and swarupa for every one of us. There is no dearth of vacancies
there. We can help each other and advance together to return back
home back to Godhead.
Spiritual account is an imperishable account. Spiritual activity is
always a success.

181
Wandering Living Entities - Poor Sons Of The Lord
The living entities are like sons of the Lord, and as such, they
are rightful heirs to the great wealth of their rich father. But
because of the reactions to sins committed in previous lives, they
are roaming about without a home, suffering from acute poverty.
But they do not know who their wealthy father is, or where they
can go to reclaim their valuable inheritance.
Without proper knowledge, they meet many who promise to
help them. A few among these strangers seem rich and prosperous,
but the directions they give do not lead to the fathers house. The
wealthy strangers suggest many paths, such as Karma, J nana or
Dhyana, but the problem of poverty remains unsolved. The living
entities can escape their poverty only by learning and practicing
the science of devotional service to the Supreme Lord.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
explained the science of devotional service to Srila Rupa Gosvami
at Prayaga. These instructions are the crest jewel of teachings for
all humanity. The Lord says: According to their karma, all living
entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of
them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some
are going down to the lower planetary systems. Out of many
millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate
gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master
by the grace of Lord Krishna. By the mercy of both Lord Krishna
and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the
creeper of devotional service. Before coming to the ultimate path
of Bhakti yoga, one may be inspired by one of the following paths
according to ones inclinations, tendencies and attachments even
within the purview of acting within the regulations of religion.
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Karma Yoga
If You Perform Fruitive Activity...
Every good or bad activity performed produces a concomitant
result and to reap the fruits of such actions, one has to be born
again. While reaping the results to previous actions, one creates
fresh karma for which one will reap reactions in future. Thus, the
chain of actions and reactions creates one material body after
another leading to continued suffering of birth, old age, disease
and death.
Analogy: The Banyan Tree Analogy (from the fifteenth
chapter of the Bhagavad-gita)
Perverted reflection of spiritual reality
The entanglement of this material world is compared to a
banyan tree. The banyan tree of the material world is upside
downroots up and branches downbecause it is only a
perverted reflection of the reality of the spiritual world. J ust as a
reflection rests upon water, this tree rests upon the desire of the
living entities.
Higher and lower branches are demigod life and animal life
respectively
As the branches of a real banyan tree produce offshoots that
grow down into roots and further trunks, this reflected tree,
similarly, has endlessly complicated, intertwined trunks, roots and
branches. Thus, the living entity, travelling from one birth to the
next, from the higher branches of demigod life to the lower
branches of animal life, seeks pleasure, but in fact attains only
further entrapment in fruitive action.

183
The three modes are the nourishing water for the growth of
this tree
The three modes of material nature combine to nourish the
various branches of that tree. Depending upon which branch a
living entity is located on, he will possess a certain material body
and a specific type of senses, and according to the combination of
modes that influences that part of the tree, he will be attracted to
particular twigs, or sense objects.
The living entity is ignorantly absorbed in fruitive activities
A soul situated within the complexities of this
incomprehensible tree remains trapped, not able know its
beginning or end. All existence beyond the tree is forgotten, and
he is fully enamoured with the tastes of its fruits and berries.
No liberation from this tree for one attached to fruitive
activities
For one who is engaged in fruitive activities, there is no end
to the banyan tree. He wanders from one branch to another, to
another, to another. The tree of this material world has no end, and
for one who is attached to this tree, there is no possibility of
liberation. If one can understand this indestructible tree of illusion,
then one can get out of it.
One has to become detached, cut off connection with the
reflection of the tree and become situated in the real tree
The real form of this banyan tree (which is the spiritual world)
cannot be understood in this material world. When entangled with
the material expansions of the tree, one cannot see how far the tree
extends, nor can one see the beginning of this tree. Yet one has to
find out the cause. One has to search out the origin of this tree, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, through the association of
persons who are in knowledge of that Supreme Personality of
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Godhead. Then by understanding one becomes gradually detached
from this false reflection of reality, and by knowledge, one can cut
off the connection and actually become situated in the real tree,
the spiritual world.
If You Renounce Action...
The soul cannot be inactive
One may consider becoming inactive to avoid getting good
and bad reactions; but that is impossible for the soul who is
innately active by nature. Have you seen a sack race, where the
individual is gets into a sack and is still able to run the race? How
much faster will he run without the sack? In the same way, either
in the conditioned stage (inside sack of the material body), or
liberated stage (freed from material body), the soul is active by
nature.
An inactive man cannot earn his livelihood
One has to also work for earning ones livelihood to
maintain ones body and dependents. When Arjuna, a warrior,
wanted to forsake his duty of fighting a war, the Supreme Lord,
Krishna advised him, Perform your prescribed duty, for doing so
is better than not working. One cannot even maintain ones
physical body without work. (BG 3.8)
Even by trying to be inactive, a man cannot avoid sin
Although we may take so many precautions against these vices
and sinful reactions, even in the course of ordinary business
exchanges and ventures, we have to commit so many sins. For
instance, we find it necessary and unavoidable in business
dealings to speak lies. Lawyers have to resort to all sorts of
trickery to get around a law in which they have become
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to commit such sinsand incur the sinful reactionswithout any
doubt.
Even if we take all precautions to protect ourselves against
committing any sins, still, unconsciously we kill many ants and
other insects, while discharging even the most ordinary duties,
such as walking from one place to another. The law books, known
as the smritis, mention five kinds of sin which everyone inevitably
commits, no matter how unwillingly. They are as follows: (1) sins
committed by itching, (2) sins committed by rubbing, (3) sins
committed by starting a fire, (4) sins committed by pouring water
from a pot, and (5) sins committed by cleaning the house. Even if
we do not commit any intentional sins, we have to commit the
above five kinds of sin, without a shadow of doubt.
How To Perform Actions Without Material Entanglement?
There is a difference between karma and karma-yoga. Karma
is regulated action for the enjoyment of the fruit by the performer,
but karma-yoga is action performed by the devotee for the
satisfaction of the Lord. Karma-yoga is based on bhakti, or
pleasing the Lord, whereas karma is based on pleasing the senses
of the performer himself. This method of work, or prescribed
duties that does not cause any bondage, is called work with
transcendental results, or karma-yoga.
It is for this reason that the Supreme Lord has explained how
one is to perform activities:
yajnarthat karmano nyatra loko yam karma-bandhanah
tad-artham karma kaunteya mukta-sangah samacara
Work done as a sacrifice for Visnu has to be performed;
otherwise work causes bondage to this material world. Therefore,
O son of Kunti, perform your prescribed duties for His
satisfaction, and in this way you will always remain free from
bondage. (BG 3.9)
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By such work with transcendental results, or karma-yoga, one
becomes free from the reactions or bondage of work and becomes
purified. Further, one develops his transcendental devotion toward
the Absolute Personality of Godhead. Thus by cooking and
offering the food to Lord Krishna or Visnu can save one from
sinful reactions; but cooking food only to satisfy ones senses, will
lead one to sinful reactions and subsequent punishment. Lord
Krishna explains in BG 18.45, how one can attain perfection in
life by worshiping the Lord by offering the fruits of ones
prescribed duties.
Srila Prabhupada writes: In the present age we are witnessing
an enormous expansion of material activities, an endlessly
variegated multiplicity of material engagements. Mills and
factories, as well as hospitals and other institutions, are now in
vogue. In ancient times, there was not so great an expansion of
material activities. In those days the mode of living was simple,
and yet the thoughts were sublime. So now there is a very good
field of activities for the karma-yogis, who can engage all the
various modern institutions in the transcendental service of Visnu,
for the satisfaction of His transcendental senses.
It is incumbent, therefore, to install a temple of Visnu in all the
aforementioned institutions, and in individual homes, for the same
purposeworshiping the Absolute Godhead in the same spirit of
work with transcendental results as was maintained by the sages
of ancient times. Although the all-pervading Personality of
Godhead manifests Himself in His various transcendental, eternal
forms as incarnations or plenary portions or various partial
portions, the sages recommended the worship of the eternal dual
forms of Sri Sri Laksmi-Narayana, Sri Sri Sita-Rama, and Sri Sri
Radha-Krishna. Therefore, it is desired most earnestly that the
proprietors and managers of big mills, factories, hospitals,
universities, hotels, and various other institutions install a temple
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will transform all the workers in these institutions into karma-
yogis. (from the book, Message of Godhead by Srila
Prabhupada)
Practical Examples Of How A Common Man Can Perform
Karma Yoga
Even if one is not able to practice the regulative principles of
bhakti yoga, under the guidance of a spiritual master, he can still
be drawn to this perfectional stage by working for the Supreme
Lord. Karma with an overcoat of devotional service becomes
Karma yoga. This means, whatever work one does or one wants to
do, one can do that work. All one needs to do is to offer the fruits
to the Lord. In Bhakti yoga, one simply does what Lord wants one
to do without any personal preferences of likes and dislikes.
Perform work for Krishna, not for sense gratification
There are many devotees who are engaged in the propagation
of Krishna consciousness, and they require help. So, even if one
cannot directly practice the regulative principles of bhakti yoga,
he can try to help such work. Every endeavour requires land,
capital, organization and labour. J ust as in business one requires a
place to stay, some capital to use, some labour and some
organization to expand, so the same is required in the service of
Krishna. The only difference is that in materialism, one works for
sense gratification. The same work, however, can be performed
for the satisfaction of Krishna, and that is spiritual activity.
Dovetail all talents, resources and activities for the Lords
service
If one has sufficient money, he can help in building an office
or temple for propagating Krishna consciousness. Or he can help
with publications. There are various fields of activity, and one
should be interested in such activities. If one cannot sacrifice the
results of his activities, the same person can still sacrifice some
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percentage to propagate Krishna consciousness. This voluntary
service to the cause of Krishna consciousness will help one to rise
to a higher state of love for God, whereupon one becomes perfect.
Karma Yoga for a Rich Man
For example, one may be engaged in business, but to
transform that activity into Krishna consciousness, one has to do
business for Krishna. If Krishna is the proprietor of the business,
then Krishna should enjoy the profit of the business. If a
businessman is in possession of thousands and thousands of
dollars, and if he has to offer all this to Krishna, he can do it. This
is work for Krishna. Instead of constructing a big building for his
sense gratification, he can construct a nice temple for Krishna, and
he can install the Deity of Krishna and arrange for the Deitys
service, as is outlined in the authorized books of devotional
service. This is all Krishna-karma.
Karma Yoga for a Poor Man
If, however, one is not able to construct a temple for Krishna,
one can engage himself in cleansing the temple of Krishna; that is
also Krishna-karma. One can cultivate a garden. Anyone who has
landin India, at least, any poor man has a certain amount of
landcan utilize that for Krishna by growing flowers to offer
Him. One can sow tulasi plants, because tulasi leaves are very
important and Krishna has recommended this in the Bhagavad-
gita. Patram pushpam phalam toyam: Krishna desires that one
offer Him either a leaf, or a flower, or fruit, or a little waterand
by such an offering, He is satisfied. This leaf especially refers to
the tulasi. So one can sow tulasi and pour water on the plant.
Thus, even the poorest man can engage in the service of Krishna.
These are some of the examples of how one can engage in
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Story: The Fortunate Florist
While entering Mathura, Krishna and Balarama went to a
florist of the name Sudama. As soon as They reached the precinct
of his house, the florist immediately came out and with great
devotion fell down on his face to offer his respectful obeisances.
He offered a nice seat to Krishna and Balarama and asked his
assistant to bring out flowers, betel nuts and pulp of candana. The
florists welcome greatly satisfied the Lord.
The florist very humbly and submissively offered his prayers
to the Lord, saying, My dear Lord, because You have come to
my place, I think all my forefathers and all my worshipable
superiors are pleased and delivered. My dear Lord, You are the
supreme cause of all causes of this cosmic manifestation, but for
the benefit of the residents of this earthly planet, You have
appeared with Your plenary portion to give protection to Your
devotees and annihilate the demons. You are equally disposed as
the friend of all living entities; You are the Supersoul, and You do
not discriminate between friend and enemy. Yet You are pleased
to give Your devotees the special result of their devotional
activities. My Lord, I am praying that You please tell me whatever
You wish me to do, because I am Your eternal servant. If You
would order me to do something, it would be a great favour to
me.
The florist, Sudama, was greatly pleased within his heart by
seeing Krishna and Balarama in his place, and thus, as his choicest
desire, he made two exquisite garlands of various flowers and
presented them to the Lord. Krishna and Balarama were very
much pleased with his sincere service, and Krishna offered the
florist His salutation and benedictions, which He is always
prepared to bestow upon the surrendered souls. When the florist
was offered benedictions, he begged from the Lord that he might
remain His eternal servant in devotional service and by such
service do good to all living creatures.
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Being satisfied with the florist, Lord Krishna not only gave
him whatever benedictions he wanted, but over and above that He
offered him all material opulences, family prosperity, a long
duration of life and whatever else his heart desired within the
material world.

Jnana Yoga
The Jnanis Are Mental Speculators About The Absolute
Truth
The Absolute Truth is understood differently according to the
position of the student as impersonal Brahman, as localized
Paramatma, and as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna,
or Visnu. Brahman, Paramatma
and Bhagavan, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, are not
different. They are simply
different aspects of the complete
Godhead.
For example, looking at a
mountain from a distance, we
may see a hazy cloud, and if we
come nearer, we may see
something green. If we actually
climb the mountain, we will find
many houses, trees and animals.
In the final stage, there are
varietiestrees, animals, men,
houses, and so on. Similarly, the Absolute Truth is not without
variety. J ust as there is material variety in the material world,
there is spiritual variety in the spiritual world.
J nanis are impersonalists who engage in speculative approach
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devotional service, it becomes J nana yoga. Because such
impersonalists are speculating about the Absolute Truth from a
distance, they think that the Absolute Truth has no variety.
Two Classes Of Transcendentalists: Personalist &
Impersonalist
Generally, the transcendentalists can be divided into two
classes.
The personalist devotee, called Bhakti yogi, engages
himself with his body, mind and words in the devotional service
of the Supreme Lord.
The impersonalist, called J nana yogi, also engages himself,
not directly in the service of Krishna, but in meditation on the
impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested.
Bhakti Yogi Certified By Krishna To Be The Best
A dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna in the 12th chapter of
the Bhagavad-gita given below establishes the Bhakti yogi to be
the best:
Arjuna inquired: Which are considered to be more perfect,
those who are always properly engaged in Your devotional service
or those who worship the impersonal Brahman, the
unmanifested? (BG 12.1)
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Those who fix
their minds on My personal form and are always engaged in
worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith are considered
by Me to be most perfect. (BG 12.2)
But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that which
lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading,
inconceivable, unchanging, fixed and immovable-- the impersonal
conception of the Absolute Truth-- by controlling the various
senses and being equally disposed to everyone, such persons,
engaged in the welfare of all, at last achieve Me. (BG 12.3-4)
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Jnanis Become Bhaktas After Many, Many Lifetimes
After many lifetimes of performing J nana yoga, they will
come to the point of surrendering to Krishna:

bahn janmanm ante jnavn m prapadyate
vsudeva sarvam iti sa mahtm su-durlabha

After many births and deaths, he who is actually in
knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all
causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare. (BG 7.19)
Some practical examples of J nana yogis/impersonalists who
became great devotees of the Lord are:
The Four Kumaras, sons of Brahma, who became
devotees by smelling the Tulasi aroma from the lotus feet of
Lord Visnu when they went close to the entrance of Vaikuntha.
Sukadeva Gosvami, son of Vedavyas, was a born self-
satisfied J nani. As soon as he was born (after sixteen years of
stay in his mothers womb, not wanting to see the horrible
material world), he proceeded straight to the forest. There, he
heard some woodcutters singing sweet poetry from Srimad-
Bhagavatam in glorification of Lord Sri Krishna. He inquired
from them and came to know that they were students of his own
father, Vedavyas. He returned to his father to study Srimad-
Bhagavatam and thus, his eternal identity as the devotee of Lord
Krishna in the spiritual world was revealed. He became the most
glorious speaker of Bhagavatam to King Parikshit for seven
days.
At Benaras, there were thousands of sannyasis headed
by their most learned leader Prakasananda Sarasvati.
Prakasananda considered Lord Caitanya as a sentimentalist
sannyasi who was chanting and dancing with the general
populace, instead of behaving gravely and studying Vedanta.
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193
conversing with Him, He along with his followers felt a great
heart transformation. Lord Caitanyas association touched their
hearts and made them weep for their spiritual improvement.
Thus all the impersonalist sannyasis of Benares headed by
Prakasananda soon fell at the feet of Caitanya and asked for his
grace (krpa). Lord Caitanya then preached pure bhakti and
instilled into their hearts spiritual love for Krishna which
obliged them to give up sectarian feelings. The whole
population of Benares, on this wonderful conversion of the
sannyasis, turned into Vaishnavas, and they held a master
sankirtana with their Lord.
Sarvabhauma was a great pandita of the day at Puri and
was an official priest and guru of King Prataparudra. His
readings knew no bounds. He was the best naiyayika of the
times and was known as the most erudite scholar in the Vedanta
philosophy of the school of Sankaracarya. His brother-in-law
Gopinatha Misra introduced Lord Caitanya to Sarvabhauma,
who was astonished at his personal beauty and feared that it
would be difficult for the young man to maintain sannyasa-
dharma during the long run of his life. Sarvabhauma then
requested Mahaprabhu to hear his recitation of the Vedanta-
sutras. Caitanya heard with silence what the great Sarvabhauma
uttered with gravity for seven days. At the end Sarvabhauma
asked, Krishna Caitanya! I think you do not understand the
Vedanta, for you do not say anything after hearing my recitation
and explanations. The reply of Caitanya was that he understood
the sutras very well, but the impersonalistic meaning given by
Sarvabhauma was simply like a cloud covering the shining sun
of the actual Truth. Astonished at this, Sarvabhauma said, If
you understand the sutras, please let me have your
interpretations. Mahaprabhu explained all the sutras with
devotional service as the highest goal of life. The keen
understanding of Sarvabhauma saw the truth, beauty and
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harmony of arguments in the explanations given by Caitanya
and obliged him to utter that it was the first time that he had
found one who could explain the Brahma-sutras in such a simple
manner. He then submitted himself as an advocate and follower.
In a few days, Sarvabhauma turned out to be one of the best
Vaisnavas of the time.
Without Understanding The Variegatedness Of The
Absolute Truth, One Falls Down
The impersonalists, instead of surrendering to the Lord,
assume themselves equal to the Lord and thus proclaim, aham
brahmasmi. The living entity is of course, Brahman; but he is not
Para Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth. It is astonishing to
see how a person who is being kicked by the laws of the Lords
illusory energy at every step can falsely think of becoming one
with the Lord. Srimad-Bhagavatam says that such persons are
aviuddha-buddhaya (SB 10.2.32), which means that because
they falsely think themselves liberated and at the same time think
themselves equal with the Absolute Truth, their intelligence is not
purified.
The Bhagavatam says, Those who are simply puffed up,
thinking themselves liberated by some non-devotional process, are
not intelligent because they have not yet surrendered unto You. In
spite of executing all kinds of austerities and penances or even
arriving at the brink of Brahman realization, they think that they
are in the effulgence of Brahman. But actually, because they have
no transcendental activities, they fall down to material activities.
The cycle of birth and death cannot be stopped unless one is a
pure devotee of the Supreme Lord. It is said, hari vin naiva
sti taranti. One cannot surpass the cycle of birth and death
unless one is favoured by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
One should not be satisfied simply with knowing that he is
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Brahman; that is bhakti. Because non-devotees neglect the
transcendental loving service of the lotus feet of the Personality of
Godhead, their intelligence is not pure, and therefore they fall
down.
Spiritual variety, everlasting and tasty
The Absolute Truth is described as variegated in Brahma-
samhita (5.29): I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first
progenitor, who is tending the cows, fulfilling all desires, in
abodes built with spiritual gems and surrounded by millions of
desire trees. He is always served with great reverence and
affection by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune.
Variety in Vaikuntha and Peace in Brahman
Because the impersonalists are not allowed to enter the
Vaikuntha planets, they simply remain in the Brahman effulgence.
In Brahman, there is no variety but only shanti or peace. Thus
they fall down again into material variety in want of engagement.
Return to material welfare work
Impersonalists have the slogan aha brahmasmi: I am
Brahman, brahma satya jagan mithya: I am the Supreme
Absolute Truth and world is false, danda grahana matrena nara
narayano bhavet: Simply by accepting the danda stick, a man
becomes Narayana. They undergo serious penances and
austerities to reach the platform of impersonal Brahman, but
because there is no pleasure there, they again descend to enjoy
material variety. Although they consider their wives mithya
(false), they return. You have already left. Why do you come
back again? the wives ask. This means that these so-called
sannyasis have nothing to do. We can find many of these
sannyasis doing social welfare activities like building schools,
hospitals, poultry farms, dharmashalas, old age homes, etc.,
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without any connection to God or spirituality. Thus, they lose the
opportunity of human form of life to hear, glorify and remember
the nectarean pastimes of the Supreme Lord that can transport one
to the spiritual world.
The Falling Rocket
We may build a nice spaceship and send it off into space, and
the astronauts may go up there and fly in the impersonal sky, but
eventually they will become tired and pray to God, Please let us
return to land. A rocket needs a planet to land, otherwise it has to
fall down. Some years ago, the sky lab rocket was falling down
back to earth with no shelter to land in the space. These
impersonalists do not know that in the Brahmajyoti, there are
innumerable spiritual Vaikuntha planets floating, the capital of
which is Goloka Vrindavana:

yasya prabh prabhavato jagad-aa-koi- koiv aea-
vasudhdi vibhti-bhinnam
tad brahma nikalam anantam aea-bhta govindam di-
purua tam aha bhajmi

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is endowed with
great power. The glowing effulgence of His transcendental form is
the impersonal Brahman, which is absolute, complete and
unlimited and which displays the varieties of countless planets,
with their different opulences, in millions and millions of
universes.
Therefore, the Brahmajyoti is the spiritual light that emanates
directly from the body of the Lord. Therefore everything in one
sense is connected directly with the personal body of the Supreme
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Why Is The Path Of A Jnana Yogi Troublesome?
To be dumb and dull is unnatural: The unmanifested
realisation is against the nature of the spiritual blissful self. The
soul, by nature, is a loving servant of the Lord and always takes
part in the eternal pastimes of the Lord in the spiritual sky. It is
unnatural for him to remain dull like a dead stone in the variety-
less Brahman or Brahman realisation. Krishna Himself does not sit
down idly. All His pastimes are filled with activity. When we go
to the spiritual world, we will see that Krishna is always engaged
in dancing, eating, and enjoying. He does not sit down to meditate.
Is there any account of the gopis meditating? Did Caitanya
Mahaprabhu sit down to meditate? No, He was always dancing
and chanting Hare Krishna. The spirit soul is naturally active.
Impersonal meditation is risky; but realisation through
Bhakti is easy: Because one spends all his life meditating on the
impersonal, he will have difficulty with the unmanifest, both at the
time of practice and at the time of realization, because one has to
change from an impersonal conception to the real understanding
of Personality of Godhead. A person in Krishna consciousness,
engaged in devotional service, simply by the guidance of the bona
fide spiritual master, simply by offering regulative obeisances
unto the Deity, simply by hearing the glories of the Lord, and
simply by eating the remnants of foodstuffs offered to the Lord,
realizes the Supreme Personality of Godhead very easily. There is
no risk of not realizing the Absolute Truth at the ultimate end.
Impersonlists focus is negation of action; Personalists
focus is on positive action: The impersonalists have to
understand the impersonal Brahman aspect of the Lord through
the method of negation by analysing the differences between
matter and spirit by the neti-neti process (the not this, not this
process). Thus they focus more on what is NOT God, rather than
on what IS God. Thus they resort to seclusion, silence, idle
meditation, negation of action, negation of world, negation of
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food, negation of all that is material, etc. This kind of negation
leads to boredom.
In the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna was refusing to act, and Krishna
was inspiring him to engage in activity. The entire Bhagavad-gita
is an inspiration to work, to engage in Krishna consciousness, to
act on Krishnas behalf. Krishna never tells Arjuna, My dear
friend Arjuna, dont concern yourself with this war. J ust sit down
and meditate upon Me. This is not the message of the Bhagavad-
gita. We are not to refrain from all activity, but only from those
activities that impede our consciousness of Krishna. Meditation
means stopping all nonsensical activity. Those who are advanced
in Krishna consciousness are constantly working for Krishna.
A mother tells only her bad child to sit down and do nothing.
If a child can do nothing but disturb his mother, the mother says,
My dear child, just sit down here and keep quiet. But if the child
can work nicely, the mother says, My dear child, will you please
help me do this? Will you go over there and do that? Sitting still
in one place is just for those who do not know how to work
sensibly. As long as the child sits in one place, he does not raise
havoc. Sitting still means negating nonsense; it is not positive
activity. In negation, there is no life. Positive activities constitute
life, and positive activity is the message of the Bhagavad-gita.
Spiritual life is not Dont do this. Spiritual life is Do this! In
order to act properly, there are certain things that one must know
not to do; therefore certain activities are forbidden.
Bhakti yoga gives positive engagement in the Lords service,
thus nullifying all the mischievous negative tendencies. Instead of
telling a mischievous student to kneel down for hours, a wise
teacher may engage the same mischievous boy to do valuable
work for the school like gardening, arranging the books in the
library, cleaning the water tank, counting the notebooks or books,
etc. The boy would happily engage himself and gradually give up
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senses, namely the eyes, ears, mouth, hands, legs, etc., have full
engagement through seeing the Lords deity, hearing Krishna
katha, singing devotional music, dancing for the Lords pleasure,
etc. Thus, one loses all propensity for sin by engaging in the
Lords service in this way. The idle silent meditation of the
impersonalists is useless and sometimes even dangerous as will be
seen in the example below.
There are many learned sages, philosophers and
transcendentalists who try to conquer the senses, but in spite of
their endeavours, even the greatest of them sometimes fall victim
to material sense enjoyment due to the agitated mind. Even
Visvamitra, a great sage and perfect yogi, was misled by Menaka
into sex enjoyment, although the yogi was endeavouring for sense
control with severe types of penance and yoga practice. And, of
course, there are so many similar instances in the history of the
world. Therefore, it is very difficult to control the mind and senses
without being fully Krishna conscious. Krishna consciousness is
such a transcendentally nice thing that automatically material
enjoyment becomes distasteful. It is as if a hungry man had
satisfied his hunger by a sufficient quantity of nutritious eatables.
When Haridasa Thakura was a young devotee of the Lord, he was
allured by the incarnation of Maya-devi, but Haridasa easily
passed the test because of his unalloyed devotion to Lord Krishna.
A sincere devotee of the Lord shuns all material sense enjoyment
due to his higher taste for spiritual enjoyment in the association of
the Lord. That is the secret of success. One who is not, therefore,
in Krishna consciousness, however powerful he may be in
controlling the senses by artificial repression, is sure ultimately to
fail, for the slightest thought of sense pleasure will agitate him to
gratify his desires.
Jnanis and logicians have no access to the bliss of
Bhakti: In Brahman, the blissful portion (ananda) is not realized;
only the sat (eternal) and cit (knowledge) features are realised.
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J nanis and logicians have no access to the ocean of bliss that a
bhakta derives by rendering devotional service to the Lord. The
following instance clearly illustrates how the great dry logician
Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya became transformed at heart after he
became a devotee of the Lord.
At Indradyumna Sarovar, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya engaged
in water sports with Sri Ramananda Raya, and they both lost their
gravity and became like children. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
saw the exuberance of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya and Ramananda
Raya, He smiled and spoke to Gopinatha Acarya. Tell the
Bhattacarya and Ramananda Raya to stop their childish play
because they are both learned scholars and very grave and great
personalities. Gopinatha Acarya replied, I believe that one drop
of the ocean of Your great mercy has swelled up upon them. A
drop from the ocean of Your mercy can drown great mountains
like Sumeru and Mandara. Since these two gentlemen are little
hills by comparison, it is no wonder that they are being drowned
in the ocean of Your mercy. Logic is like a dry oil cake from
which all the oil has been extracted. The Bhattacarya passed his
life in eating such dry cakes, but now You have made him drink
the nectar of transcendental pastimes. It is certainly Your great
mercy upon him. (Cc Madhya 14.83-88)
Impersonalism is covered Athiesm: If one wants to
ignore this devotional service, there is the danger of turning to
atheism. This is because the soul, in want of variety, becomes
bored in impersonal endeavour and thus turns to materialism or
atheism. Impersonalism is covered atheism. This is nicely
explained in the following story:
Story: Dead or Alive?
Once, a king had a parrot. He called the minister and told him
to give the parrot to someone who can nicely take care of it. The
king also warned that if the parrot dies, the caretaker will be

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beheaded. The minister had given the bird to a caretaker, who one
day, returned to the minister grief-stricken, saying that the bird is
dead. The minister whispered some idea in his ears.
When the man was taken to the king, he was interrogated by
the king: So, how is the parrot?
The man replied, Your majesty, the bird is fine. Only it is lying
on the ground on his left.
Then the king asked, Does it fly?
The man responded, No sir. It does not move its wings. It
does not open its eyes. It does not eat. It does not produce any
sound.
Then the King shouted, You mean to say the bird is dead?
The man replied hastily, No my dear king, No, No.
The King asked in surprise, Then what do you mean by saying all
the above. The bird must be dead.
The man looked down to the ground with his head down and
said, How can I say that my King? If I say that I will be
beheaded.
Similarly, the impersonalists invite the general masses and
give sermons to them: God has no eyes; no hands; no legs; no
body; no name; no form; no qualities or attributes. Then
intelligent people ask them, Sir, do you say God does not exist?
The impersonalist will respond, How can we say that? Then you
will not accept us as mendicants. You will call us atheists. So we
say that indirectly. This is the situation. Thus, impersonalism is
covered atheism.
Imagine how you would feel if somebody tells you that you
have no eyes, no hands, no legs, no name or no form. It would be
the greatest insult to a person. Yes, God does not have one name,
but He has millions of names like Govinda, Yashodanandana,
Gopijanavallabha, etc., and every moment He gets a new name as
He performs an activity. As soon as He climbs on the chariot of
Arjuna, He gets a new name, Parthasarathi; as soon as He lifts
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the Govardhana, He comes to be known as Giridhari. Similarly,
the Lords body in Isopanishad is said to no veins or blood or
flesh. It is supremely pure and spiritual. But to deny the form or
name of the Lord, as impersonalists do, would be an insult to the
Supreme Lord.
The last snare of Maya: Krishna is endowed with all
opulences, transcendental qualities and mystic powers. No
ordinary living being can compare to Him. But the Mayavadis
propagate the wrong theory that the Supersoul and the individual
soul are equal. They teach that when the individual soul becomes
freed from entanglement and becomes liberated, then he becomes
one with God. The actual conclusion of the scriptures is that
Krishna is worshipable and that all other living entities are simply
His servants. Any other realization of ones self beyond this
relationship of eternal servitorship to Krishna is impelled by
maya. It is said that the last snare of maya is to dictate to the living
entity to try to become equal to the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. The first illusion is that he wants to become the Lord of
the material world by accumulating wealth and power, but when
he is frustrated in that attempt, he wants to be one with the Lord.
So both, becoming the most powerful man in the material world
and desiring to become one with the Lord, are different illusory
snares. And because the pure devotees of the Lord are surrendered
souls, they are above the illusory snares of maya. The Mayavadi
philosopher claims to be equal to God, but he cannot reply to the
question of why he has fallen into material entanglement. If he is
the Supreme God, then how is it that he has been overtaken by
impious activities and thereby subjected to the tribulations of the
law of karma? When the Mayavadis are asked about this, they
cannot properly answer. The pure devotee is never puffed up like
the non-devotee class of men who falsely think that they are God.
No one is equal to or greater than the Lord: Even a
great personality like Brahma, endowed with several

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qualifications, (first created living being, direct son of the Lord,
invested with potency to create different grades of living entities,
eternally related with the Lord in the transcendental humour of
friendship, etc.) is still conscious of his position, that he is neither
the Supreme Lord nor supremely powerful. It is possible that some
extremely powerful personality, within or without the universe,
may sometimes show more power than the Lord Himself. Still, the
pure devotee knows that this power is a vibhuti (opulence)
delegated by the Lord, and such a delegated powerful living entity
is never independent. Sri Hanumanji crossed the Indian Ocean by
jumping over the sea, and Lord Sri Ramacandra engaged Himself
in marching over the bridge, but this does not mean that
Hanumanji was more powerful than the Lord. Sometimes the Lord
gives extraordinary powers to His devotee, to glorify His devotee,
but the devotee knows always that the power belongs to the
Personality of Godhead and that the devotee is only an instrument.
Thus, for every individual living entity the process of Krishna
consciousness, which entails full surrender through engagement in
devotional service, is the best way for achieving the ultimate
perfection.
Dhyana Yoga, Or Astanga Yoga
In the Sixth and Eighth Chapters of the Bhagavad-gita, Lord
Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, explains the
Astanga yoga system. Astanga yoga is an eightfold procedure,
including Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara,
Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. According to this system, first of
all one has to control the senses, follow all the rules and
regulations, practice the sitting posture and the breathing process,
one has to drive out the sense objects such as sound, touch, form,
taste and smell by the Pratyahara process in yoga, and then keep
the vision of the eyes between the two eyebrows and concentrate
on the tip of the nose with half-closed lids. Then one should
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concentrate the mind on the form of Visnu within the heart, and
then become absorbed in that form.
The Eightfold Mystic Perfections
The mystic perfections achieved by actually successful yogis
are eight in number.
1. Anima-siddhi: It refers to the power by which one can become
so small that he can enter into a stone. Modern scientific
improvements also enable us to enter into stone, because they
provide for excavating so many subways, penetrating the hills, etc.
So anima-siddhi, the mystic perfection of trying to enter into
stone, has also been achieved by material science. Similarly, all of
the yoga-siddhis, or perfections, are material arts.
2. Mahima-siddhi: For example, in one yoga-siddhi, there is
development of the power to become so light that one can float in
the air or on water. That is also being performed by modern
scientists. They are flying in the air, they are floating on the
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comparing all these mystic yoga-siddhis to materialistic
perfections, we find that the materialistic scientists try for the
same perfections. So actually there is no difference between
mystic perfection and materialistic perfection. A German scholar
once said that the so-called yoga perfections had already been
achieved by the modern scientists, and so he was not concerned
with them. He intelligently went to India to learn how he could
understand his eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord by
means of bhakti yoga, devotional service.
3. Laghima-siddhi: Of course, in the categories of mystic
perfection, there are certain processes which the material scientists
have not yet been able to develop. For instance, a mystic yogi can
enter into the sun planet simply by using the rays of the sunshine.
This perfection is called laghima.
4. Prapti-siddhi: Similarly, a yogi can touch the moon with his
finger. Though the modern astronauts go to the moon with the
help of spaceships, they undergo many difficulties, whereas a
person with mystic perfection can extend his hand and touch the
moon with his finger. This siddhi is called prapti, or acquisition.
With this prapti-siddhi, not only can the perfect mystic yogi touch
the moon planet, but he can extend his hand anywhere and take
whatever he likes. He may be sitting thousands of miles away
from a certain place, and if he likes he can take fruit from a garden
there.
5. Isita-siddhi: The modern scientists have manufactured nuclear
weapons with which they can destroy an insignificant part of this
planet, but by the yoga-siddhi known as isita, one can create and
destroy an entire planet simply at will.
6. Vasita-siddhi: Another perfection is called vasita, and by this
perfection one can bring anyone under his control. This is a kind
of hypnotism which is almost irresistible. Sometimes it is found
that a yogi who may have attained a little perfection in this vasita
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mystic power comes out among the people and speaks all sorts of
nonsense, controls their minds, exploits them, takes their money
and then goes away.
7. Prakamya-siddhi: There is another mystic perfection, which is
known as prakamya (magic). By this prakamya power one can
achieve anything he likes. For example, one can make water enter
into his eye and then again come out from within the eye. Simply
by his will, he can perform such wonderful activities.
8. Kamavasayita-siddhi: The highest perfection of mystic power
is called kamavasayita. This is also magic, but whereas the
prakamya power acts to create wonderful effects within the scope
of nature, kamavasayita permits one to contradict naturein other
words, to do the impossible. Of course, one can derive great
amounts of temporary happiness by achieving such yogic
materialistic perfections.
Story: Monkey Way or Cat Way Which is
Better?
One morning, Prabhupada arrived in the park, stepped out of
his car, and waited for the devotees who had come in another car
to join him. Lilavati had difficulty getting out of the car because
she had her baby, Subhadra, in a carrier on her back. When she
finally did get out of the car, Prabhupada turned and laughed at
her, saying, Ah, burden of affection. Yes, Swamiji, Lilavati
replied. They all began to walk together along the path.
So there are two ways to carry a baby, Prabhupada said,
tapping his cane on the ground in time with his regular stride.
There is the monkey way and the cat way. Do you know this?
No, Swamiji, said Lilavati.
Well, which way do you think is better? Prabhupada asked
her. The monkey way or the cat way? She couldnt understand
or imagine what he meant. Prabhupada continued, The monkey

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baby climbs on the back of the mother and holds on, and this is the
way he travels. And the kitten is carried in the teeth of the mother.
So which is better?
Lilavati could still not understand which way could be better;
they both sounded very difficult to her.
Well, Prabhupada said, the monkey baby is very small and
very weak, and he is holding on to the mother by his own strength.
But the kitten is being supported by the strength of the mother. So
which way do you think is better?
And then she understood. The cat way is better.
Yes, Prabhupada said, that is the difference between the
yogi and the devotee. The yogi is trying to climb on the back of
the Absolute Truth by his own strength, but he is very weak, so he
will fall. But a devotee, he cries out for Krishna-and as he spoke
the word Krishna, Prabhupada held his arms up high and looked
up at the clear morning sky-A devotee cries out for Krishna, and
Krishna picks him up.
Should one not aspire for the eight mystic perfections?
Now one may be eager to achieve the above perfections by the
practice of Astanga yoga. There is a statement in the Caitanya-
caritamrta (Madhya 19.149):
ka-bhakta-nikma, ataeva nta
bhukti-mukti-siddhi-km sakali anta

Because a devotee of Lord Krishna is desireless, he is
peaceful. Fruitive workers desire material enjoyment, jnanis desire
liberation, and yogis desire material opulence; therefore they are
all lusty and cannot be peaceful.
Generally, there are three classes of living entities afflicted
with selfish desire. Although karmis, jnanis and yogis fulfil their
desires by performing various activities, they are never satisfied.
A karmi may work very hard to acquire a million dollars, but as
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soon as he gets a million dollars he desires another million. For
the karmis, there is no end of desire. The more the karmi gets, the
more he desires. The jnanis cannot be desireless because their
intelligence is unsound. They want to merge into the Brahman
effulgence, but even though they may be raised to that platform,
they cannot be satisfied there. There are many jnanis or sannyasis
who, after taking sannyasa and giving up the world as false, return
to the world to engage in politics or philanthropy or to open
schools and hospitals. This means that they could not attain the
real Brahman (brahma satyam). They have to come down to the
material platform to engage in philanthropic activity. Thus, they
again cultivate desires, and when these desires are exhausted, they
desire something different. Therefore the jnani cannot be niskama,
desireless. Nor can the yogis be desireless, for they desire yogic
perfections in order to exhibit some magical feats and gain
popularity. People gather around these yogis, and the yogis desire
more and more adulation. Because they misuse their mystic
power, they fall down again to the material platform. It is not
possible for them to become niskama, desireless.
The conclusion is that only the devotees, who are simply
satisfied in serving the Lord, can actually become desireless. A
Krishna-bhakta has no desire for his own personal benefit. He is
completely protected by the Supreme. Avaya rakibe ka
vivsa plana. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that he is desireless
because Krishna will give him protection in all circumstances. It is
not that he expects any assistance from Krishna; he simply
depends on Krishna just as a child depends on his parents. The
child does not know how to expect service from his parents, but he
is always protected nevertheless. This is called niskama
(desirelessness).

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The Rules And Regulations For Practicing Astanga Yoga
The Astanga yoga process is outlined very specifically in the
Sixth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita (6.13-14). Yoga does not
mean going to some class, paying some money, engaging in
gymnastics, and then returning home to drink, smoke, and engage
in sex. Such yoga is practiced by societies of the cheaters and the
cheated. The authoritative yoga system is here outlined by the
supreme authority, Sri Krishna Himself:
1. The first step is to select a very secluded and sacred place.
Eightfold meditation cannot be performed in a fashionable
city. The yogi often goes to a jungle to practice such
meditation in solitude. But in a jungle, the yogi may think,
Maybe some tiger or snake is coming. What is that noise? In
this way, his mind may be agitated; therefore it is especially
stated that the yogi must be devoid of fear. A deerskin is
especially recommended as a yoga-asana, because it contains a
chemical property that repels snakes; thus the yogi will not be
disturbed by serpents.
2. One has to sit in a straight line, holding ones body, neck, and
head erect, and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Why is
this? This is a method to help concentrate ones mind.
3. Then one should keep the vision of the eyes between the two
eyebrows and concentrate on the tip of the nose with half-
closed lids. One of the dangers of sitting in meditation and
staring at the tip of ones nose is that one will fall asleep. As
soon as one closes his eyes, it is natural to feel sleepy;
therefore it is recommended that the eyes are half closed. Thus
it is said that one should look at the tip of his nose. With ones
sight thus concentrated, the mind should be subdued and
unagitated.
4. The breathing movement is restrained within the nostrils by
neutralizing the up-moving and down-moving air within the
body. By practice of such yoga, one is able to gain control
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over the senses, refrain from outward sense objects, and thus
prepare oneself for liberation.
5. One should not eat too much or sleep too much. By being
regulated in eating, sleeping, recreation, and work, a yogi
should discipline his mental activities.
6. The yogi must also be completely free from sex life. If one
indulges in sex, he cannot concentrate; therefore brahmacarya,
complete celibacy, is recommended to make the mind steady.
By practicing celibacy, one cultivates determination. Thus,
refraining from sex enables one to be very determined and
powerful. It is not necessary to do anything else. This is a
secret people are not aware of. If you want to do something
with determination, you have to refrain from sex. Regardless
of the processbe it hatha yoga, bhakti yoga, jnana yoga, or
whateversex indulgence is not allowed. Sex is allowed only
for householders who want to beget good children and raise
them in Krishna consciousness.
7. One has to drive out the sense objects such as sound, touch,
form, taste and smell by the Pratyahara process in yoga.
8. Thus completely devoid of material desires, one should focus
the mind on the Supersoul. In this state, as a lamp in a
windless place does not waver, the yogi whose mind is
controlled should remain always steady in his meditation on
Supersoul.
9. The Visnu-murti is situated in ones heart, and meditation
upon Him is the object of yoga.
10. Thus practicing control of the body, mind, and activities, the
mystic transcendentalist attains to the kingdom of God (or the
abode of Krishna) by cessation of material existence.
In the stage of perfection called trance, or Samadhi, ones mind is
completely restrained from material mental activities. The yogi
whose mind is thus fixed on Visnu or Krishna, attains the highest
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Destination Of A Dhyana Yogi Or An Astanga Yogi
Krishna says: One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air
between the eyebrows and, by the strength of yoga, with an
undeviating mind, engages himself in remembering the Supreme
Lord in full devotion, will certainly attain to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. (BG 8.10) The words prayana-kale
mean at the time of death. Life is kind of a preparation for the
final examination, which is death. If we pass that examination, we
are transferred to the spiritual world.
At the time of death, a yogi closes the doors of the senses.
Hearing is concentrated on the omkara sound that is within.
Similarly, all the other senses are withdrawn from external
activity. The mind is then concentrated on the Visnu-murti within
the heart. When the yogi has thus withdrawn his senses and
concentrated his mind, he transfers the life air to the top of the
head and decides where he should go. There are innumerable
planets in the material world and beyond these planets is the
spiritual world. The yogis obtain information of these planets from
the Vedic literatures.
Thus, by vibrating omkara and leaving the material body
thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna or
Visnu, the yogi is transferred to the spiritual world. Dhruva
Maharaja was a devotee. The yogis are generally not devotees.
They are, more or less, after some material perfection like
acquiring the mystic perfections and travelling to Siddhaloka. But
generally, one who sees Narayana, he becomes a devotee. And
once a yogis mind fixed in the form of Narayana or Sri Krishna,
then he loses all his material desires and becomes a pure devotee
like Dhruva. Then he can enter into spiritual world.
The yogi has to leave the body at an auspicious time by his
arrangement as explained above or by accidentally leaving the
body at such a time. Otherwise the yogi will enjoy in higher
planets and will again come back.
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The jnanis and yogis are generally impersonalists, and
although they attain the temporary form of liberation by merging
into the impersonal effulgence, the spiritual sky, according to
Srimad-Bhagavatam, their knowledge is not considered pure. By
penances, austerities and meditations, they can rise up to the
platform of the Supreme Absolute, but as has been explained, they
again fall down to the material world, because they have not taken
Krishnas personal features seriously.
Yogis who attain impersonal oneness through meditation,
according to the Patanjali yoga system, reach Siddhaloka.
(Brahmanda Purana, Cc.Adi.5.39) The inhabitants of Siddhaloka
are by nature perfect in the yoga achievements, which are of eight
varieties. Brahmaloka is understood to be the highest planet within
this universe. Siddhaloka is considered to be one of the satellites
of Brahmaloka. All the residents of Siddhaloka are spacemen, and
they can travel in space without mechanical help. The residents of
Siddhaloka can go from one planet to another individually by
virtue of their yogic perfection.
Limitations Of Astanga Yoga For The Age Of Kali Yuga
When Arjuna heard the explanation of the meditational system
of yogahow to sit down, how to keep the body straight, how to
keep the eyes half-closed and how to gaze at the tip of the nose
without diverting ones attention, all this being conducted in a
secluded place, alonehe replied,
yo ya yogas tvay prokta smyena madhusdana
etasyha na paymi cacalatvt sthiti sthirm

O Madhusudana, the system of yoga which You have
summarized appears impractical and unendurable to me, for the
mind is restless and unsteady. (Bg. 6.33)
Herein Arjuna says quite frankly that this astanga yoga system
is very difficult. Indeed, he says that it appears impractical and
unendurable to me.

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Astanga yoga system is impractical for the common man
Actually, the astanga yoga system is not impractical, for were
it impractical, Lord Krishna would not have taken so much trouble
to describe it. It is not impractical, but it appears impractical.
What may be impractical for one man may be practical for
another. Arjuna is representative of the common man in the sense
that he is not a mendicant or a sannyasi or a scholar. He is on the
battlefield fighting for his kingdom, and in this sense he is an
ordinary man engaged in a worldly activity. He is concerned with
earning a livelihood, supporting his family, and so on. Arjuna has
many problems, just as the common man, and generally this
system of astanga yoga is impractical for the ordinary common
man. That is the point being made. It is practical for one who has
already completely renounced everything and can sit in a
secluded, sacred place on the side of a hill or in a cave. But who
can do this in this age? Although Arjuna was a great warrior, a
member of the royal family, and a very advanced person, he
proclaims this yoga system impractical. And what are we in
comparison to Arjuna? If we attempt this system, failure is certain.
The immense qualifications of Arjuna
What was Arjunas great qualification? After all, Arjuna was a
personal friend of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sri
Krishna says, You are My devotee. You are My very dear
friend. In addition to this, Arjuna was renowned as a great
warrior and administrator. Arjuna was praised by Krishna as the
only man worthy of understanding the Bhagavad-gita. He was
such an intelligent man that he could understand the Bhagavad-
gita within one hour, whereas at the present moment great scholars
cannot even understand it in the course of a lifetime. Yet Arjuna
was thinking that controlling the mind was simply not possible for
him. Despite all these qualifications, Arjuna refused to execute the
meditational yoga system described by Sri Krishna. Are we then
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to assume that what was impossible for Arjuna in a more
advanced age is possible for us in this degenerate age? Moreover,
there is no record of Arjunas having executed the yoga system at
any time.
The shortcomings of the Age of Kali yuga
The present age is characterized by a bitter struggle for a life
of short duration. As Kali-yuga progresses, our life span gets
shorter and shorter. Our forefathers lived for a hundred years or
more, but now people are dying at the age of sixty or seventy.
Gradually the life span will decrease even further. Memory,
mercy, and other good qualities will also decrease in this age. In
Kali-yuga, people are not serious about self-realization even by
simple, practical means, and what to speak of this difficult yoga
system, which regulates the mode of living, the manner of sitting,
selection of place, and detachment of the mind from material
engagements.
Despite longer lifespan of Dvapara yuga, Arjuna considered
this system impossible
Five thousand years ago, when Arjuna was living, the life span
was up to one thousand years. In the present age of Kali-yuga, the
life span is limited to a hundred years; in Dvapara-yuga, the life
span was a thousand years; in Treta-yuga, the life span was ten
thousand years; and in Satya-yuga, the life span was one hundred
thousand years. Thus as the yugas degenerate, the life span
decreases. Even though Arjuna was living at a time when one
would live and practice meditation for a thousand years, he still
considered this system impossible.
The imitators of this yoga system are ignorant of its goal
Five thousand years ago, Arjuna had much better facilities
than we do now, yet he refused to accept this system of yoga. In
fact, we do not find any record in history of his practicing it at any

215
time. Therefore, this system must be considered generally
impossible in this age of Kali. Of course, it may be possible for
some very few, rare men, but for the people in general it is an
impossible proposal. If this were so five thousand years ago, what
of the present day? Those who are imitating this yoga system in
different so-called schools and societies, although complacent, are
certainly wasting their time. They are completely ignorant of the
desired goal.
Scriptural Prescriptions For Kali Yuga
Now when we turn to the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the Twelfth
Canto we find Sukadeva Gosvami telling Maharaja Parikshit that
in the golden age, the Satya-yuga, people were living for one
hundred thousand years, and at that time, when advanced living
entities lived for such lengths of time, it was possible to execute
this meditational system of yoga. But what was achieved in the
Satya-yuga by this meditational process, and in the following
yuga, the Treta-yuga, by the offering of great sacrifices, and in the
next yuga, the Dvapara-yuga, by temple worship, would be
achieved at the present time, in this Kali-yuga, by simply chanting
the names of God, hari-kirtana, Hare Krishna. So from
authoritative sources we learn that this chanting of Hare Krishna,
Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare
Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is the embodiment of the
perfection of yoga for this age.
Since this astanga yoga system is considered impossible, the
bhakti yoga system is recommended for everyone. Without
training or education, one can automatically participate in bhakti
yoga. Even a small child can clap at kirtana. Therefore, Lord
Caitanya Mahaprabhu has proclaimed bhakti yoga the only system
practical for this age given in Brhan Naradiya purana:
harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
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In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of
deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no
other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.
Chanting is very simple, and one will feel the results immediately.
This is the only yoga system by which one can quickly attain self-
realization and liberation in this life. One doesnt have to wait for
another lifetime.
Bhakti Yoga
The Real Perfection Of All Yoga
If one practices the regulative principles of Astanga yoga, as
explained earlier, he can attain eight kinds of perfection. But these
are all material powers. Ultimately such yogis are vanquished,
because they cannot retain these material powers indefinitely.
Bhakti-yogis are not interested in
such powers.
Asceticism or penance
without knowledge of soul and
body is imperfect. Theoretical
knowledge of soul without
knowledge of and surrender to the
Supreme Lord is also imperfect.
And fruitive work without
Krishna consciousness is a waste
of time. Therefore, the most
highly praised form of yoga
performance is Bhakti yoga as
explained in the verse:
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah

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And of all yogis, the one with great faith who always abides
in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental
loving service to Me-- he is the most intimately united with Me in
yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion. (BG 6.47)
The bhakti-yogi, acting in Krishna consciousness, works for
the satisfaction of the Lord without self-interest. A Krishna
conscious person does not desire self-satisfaction. Rather, his
criterion of success is the satisfaction of Krishna; therefore he is
considered the perfect sannyasi and the perfect yogi.
The Debts That You Have To Pay
It is the duty of grown-up children to render service to their
aged parents. Proper family life means that the husband should be
protective, the wife chaste, and the children grateful to their father
and mother. Children should think, My father and mother gave
me so much service. When I was unable to walk, they carried me.
When I was unable to eat, they fed me. They gave me an
education. They gave me life. A bona fide son thinks of ways to
render service to his father and mother. And just as a woman is
expected to be faithful to her husband, so the husband should be
grateful for her service and protect her. But when one becomes
irresponsible, one gives up his duty or dharma to parents and
dependents and lives sinfully. For example Ajamila, by the
association with a prostitute, had abandoned his chaste wife and
even old parents.
According to the Vedic social system, as soon as one takes
birth he becomes indebted to so many persons. We are indebted to
the rsis, or great sages, because we derive knowledge from their
transcendental writings, such as the Srimad-Bhagavatam,
compiled by Srila Vyasadeva. The authors of the scripture know
past, present, and future, and we are urged to take advantage of
such invaluable knowledge. Thus we are indebted to the sages.
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Every ordinary conditioned soul is the recipient of
innumerable benefits given by the demigods, who provide sun and
moonshine, rain, wind, food and, ultimately, ones own material
body. In the Bhagavad-gita it is stated, stena eva sa: (Bg. 3.12)
one who does not reciprocate with the demigods by offering them
sacrifice is stena, or a thief.
Similarly, other living entities such as cows are providing us
with innumerable delicious and nutritious foodstuffs. According to
Vedic understanding, the cow is considered one of our mothers
because we drink her milk, just as at birth we drink our mothers
milk. The Srimad-Bhagavatam lists seven mothers: our own
mother, the wife of our teacher or spiritual master, the wife of a
brahmana, the wife of the king, the nurse, the cow, and the earth.
We are indebted to all seven of these mothers, and also to our
father, brothers, friends, relatives, and forefathers.
When we wake up in the morning, our mind is refreshed by
the sweet singing of birds, and on a hot day, we enjoy the cool
shade and breeze of the forest trees. We are accepting service from
innumerable living entities, and we are obligated to repay them.
Apta means ones own family members, to whom one is
certainly obligated according to normal morality, and nrnam
means human society. Until one becomes a devotee of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is certainly a product of his
society. We receive mundane education, culture, tradition and
protection from the society in which we live, and thus we owe a
great debt to society. Of course, our debt to society is not simply
to the present order but to all of our forefathers and ancestors who
carefully preserved moral and social customs so that we, their
descendants, could live peacefully. Therefore, the word pitrnam,
or forefathers, indicates our debt to previous generations.
Also, if someone accepts charity, he becomes indebted, and
that debt has to be repaid, just as borrowed money must be repaid.
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they intend to spend it in Krishnas service. For a devotee to
accept donations just to satisfy his belly is a great sin. According
to the Vedic social structure, only the brahmacari, sannyasi, and
brahmana are allowed to collect money in charity. An ordinary
householder must not. The brahmacari may collect alms from the
public for serving his spiritual master, and a sannyasi may collect
money for serving God, Krishna. Brahmanas and sannyasis who
accept charity from others must accept it with great caution. The
Vedas likewise direct people to give charity to the brahmanas
because they know how to spend it for Krishna.
The easy way to liquidate all your debts through Bhakti Yoga
One Pointed Surrender to the Supreme Lord Krishna
We may well ask, How can one hope to liquidate all his
debts? The answer is: only by taking shelter of the lotus feet of
Krishna, or Mukunda. The name Mukunda indicates one who
liberates us from material contamination. We are indebted to the
demigods, but we cannot take shelter of them. If we actually want
shelter, we should take shelter of Krishna, because He alone can
free us from all debts. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and if He excuses us, then all other departmental
managers, such as the demigods, must also excuse us.
As Krishna recommends, mam eka araa vraja: Simply
surrender unto Me. We should follow Krishnas advice.
Otherwise, it will be very difficult to liquidate all our debts to so
many persons, especially in this Age of Kali. Simply by taking
shelter of Lord Narayana, who is non-different from Mukunda,
Ajamila became free. Similarly, if we want to be free from all
sinful reactions, we have no alternative but to surrender to
Krishna.

devari-bhtpta-n pit
na kikaro nyam ca rjan
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sarvtman ya araa araya
gato mukunda parihtya kartam

O King, one who has given up all material duties and has
taken full shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, who offers shelter
to all, is not indebted to the demigods, great sages, ordinary living
beings, relatives, friends, mankind or even ones forefathers who
have passed away. Since all such classes of living entities are part
and parcel of the Supreme Lord, one who has surrendered to the
Lords service has no need to serve such persons separately. (SB
11.5.41)
One who has not fully surrendered to the devotional service of
the Lord undoubtedly has many material duties to perform as
mentioned earlier. In fact, the members of the Krishna
consciousness society are sometimes criticized by materialistic
persons for giving too much attention to Krishna rather than
working to fulfill all of the above-mentioned obligations.
What is the logic in surrendering to Krishna to liquidate the
debts?
Nourish the tree by watering the root of the tree;
Nourish the body by feeding the stomach;
Liquidate the debts by serving the Supreme Lord.

The Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.31.14) states, yath taror mla-
niecanena tpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopakh: If one waters
the root of a tee, automatically all of the branches, twigs, leaves,
etc., are also nourished. There is no need for, nor any effectiveness
in, separately pouring water on the branches, twigs and leaves of a
tree. The water has to be placed on the root. Similarly,
propahrc ca yathendriym: food must be placed in the
stomach, from where it is automatically distributed to all of the
limbs of the body. It is foolish to try to nourish the whole body by

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rubbing food separately on all the bodily limbs. Similarly, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is the source of all
existence. Everything is emanating from Krishna, everything is
maintained by Krishna, and at the end, everything will merge to
rest in Krishna. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is
the supreme benefactor, friend, protector and well-wisher of every
living entity, and if He is satisfied, then automatically the whole
world will become satisfied, just as all of the bodily limbs are
strengthened and satisfied when food is duly remitted to the
stomach.
It is the Lords mercy that mans seminal injection is potent
and womans ovum is fertile
The example can be given that a man who is working as the
personal secretary to a great king has no further obligation to petty
minor kings. Undoubtedly, an ordinary person has many
obligations within this material world. But according to the
Bhagavad-gita, mayaiva vihitn hi tn: it is actually the Supreme
Lord who is giving all benedictions. For example, one receives
ones body by the mercy of ones parents. However, sometimes
we find that a particular man or woman may become impotent at a
given moment. Sometimes a deformed child is born, and
sometimes a child is born dead. Often the sexual act fails to
produce pregnancy at all. So although all parents desire a
beautiful, highly qualified child, this is often not the case. Thus it
can be understood that ultimately it is by the mercy of the
Supreme Lord that a man and woman are able to produce a child
by the sexual act. It is by the Lords mercy that the mans seminal
injection is potent and the womans ovum is fertile. Similarly, it is
only by the mercy of the Lord that the child is born in a healthy
condition and reaches physical maturity to pursue his own life.
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Krishna is like the wholesaler; demigods are like retailers
The demigods are also not independent. The words parihtya
kartam, giving up other duties, indicate that one should give up
any concept that the demigods are separate from Krishna. It is
clearly stated in Vedic literature that the demigods are different
limbs of the universal body of the Supreme Lord. Whatever
benefits they bestow upon the living entities are all originally
supplied by the Supreme Lord to them.
Krishna is the source of all intelligence
Further, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that the Supreme
Lord is situated in everyones heart and that He only is giving
intelligence and memory. Thus, our forefathers who carefully
preserved cultural traditions were acting with intelligence
provided by the Supreme Lord. They certainly were not acting
with their own independent intelligence. No one can be intelligent
without a brain, and it is only by Krishnas mercy that we receive
a human brain.
Therefore, if we carefully analyze all of our multifarious
obligations toward different classes of living entities, we shall find
that in each and every case it is ultimately by the mercy of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead that we have received a
particular benediction in life.
So although an ordinary person must methodically fulfill all of
his various obligations by executing different types of sacrifices
and charitable activities for the satisfaction of those who have
benefited him, one who is directly serving the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Krishna, at once fulfills all such
obligations because all benedictions ultimately have come from
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The reason why Materialists cannot surrender to the Supreme
Lord
People in general are only eager to receive benedictions from
demigods, family members and society because such benedictions
are conducive to material sense gratification. Less intelligent
persons consider such material progress to be the only goal of life
and thus cannot appreciate the exalted position of pure devotional
service to the Lord. Bhakti yoga, or pure devotional service, is
meant to directly please the senses of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.
The devotees, knowing the inconceivable beauty, strength,
wealth and fame of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, directly
please the Lords senses through loving service and thus receive
the supreme benediction of going back home, back to Godhead.
The devotees return to the Lords abode, where life is eternal, full
of bliss and knowledge.
No demigod, family member or forefather can give one an
eternal life of bliss and knowledge. However, if one foolishly
neglects the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord and instead accepts the
temporary material body to be everything, then one must certainly
perform elaborate sacrifices, austerities and charity and fulfill all
of the obligations mentioned above. Otherwise, one becomes
completely sinful and condemned, even from the material point of
view.
Is not service to parents service to God? If I am already
serving parents, what is the need to serve God?
matru devo bhava, pitru devo bhava dharma: For one
who is a irresponsible fool, drinking wine and lying on the road,
who has to be picked up by his wife and unmarried daughter, the
sastras say that his highest dharma is to serve his family by
respecting parents, taking care of wife and getting his daughter
married.
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Deva dharma: If someone is proud of maintaining his family
dutifully, the sastras say that there is nothing great about
maintaining family as even animals and birds maintain and protect
their family and offspring. A human being should recognize the
fact that all necessities are supplied by demigods and if one does
not perform yajna or sacrifice for them, then one becomes a thief.
Moksha dharma: If one performs sacrifice to demigods, to
achieve all material benefits to lead a happy life, the sastras
condemn such a fruitive worker to give up a life of material
enjoyment and focus on liberation from the clutches of the cycle
of birth, old age, disease and death.
Krishnaika sharan dharma: One who aspires for liberation by
renouncing the world, the sastras condemn his desire for merging
into the Absolute with the desire to become God. Rather, such a
person should realize that nothing belongs to him in the first place
to renounce. He should use everything in the service of the
Supreme Lord and engage in loving devotional service.
Thus, giving up a lower dharma for the sake of a higher
dharma is not considered sinful. For example one who accepts the
renounced order for the sake of uplifting the suffering conditioned
souls is giving up a smaller family to join a larger family of the
universe, realizing all living entities to be children of the Supreme
Lord and a part of one family vasudhaiva kutumbakam. Thus,
his giving up of worldly obligations for the welfare of all living
beings is not sinful. For instance, if a soldier trained by the Indian
army for ten years has to go to war, he may have to forego his
duty to parents and be ready to die for a greater cause.
But Lord Krishna strongly condemns giving up duty by those
who are not yet purified, because such men may become
hypocrites in society and cause havoc. A jnani or a yogi cannot
give up their worldly duties unless they have become completely
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225
bhakta, who acts under the direction of guru and scripture,
achieves the protection of the Lord to renounce everything,
including his prescribed material duties for the service of the
Supreme Lord, even though he may not be completely free from
material desires. The Lord, recognizing the surrender of the
devotee, will quickly purify him and situate him in the platform of
steady devotional service.
Practical Examples Of Complete Surrender
Many great devotees had to give up their attachment to their
relatives (opposed to dharma and the Supreme Lord) to
completely surrender themselves to the Supreme Lord:
Prahlada had to practice devotional service against the will of
his father Hiranyakashipu
Bali had to offer charity to Lord Vamana, against the will of
his preceptor Sukracarya
Vibhishana gave up the company of his brother Ravana due to
his kidnapping Lord Ramas wife
Vasudeva had to stealthily transport his eighth child Krishna
to Gokula to save Him from Kamsa
Arjuna had to kill his adharmic cousins like Duryodhana, and
Kuru elders like Bhisma, etc.
A pure devotee cuts off the limited ties of affection for his family
and widens his activities of devotional service for all forgotten
souls. A typical example is the group of six Gosvamis, who
followed the path of Lord Caitanya. All of them belonged to the
most enlightened and cultured rich families of the higher castes,
but for the benefit of the mass of population, they left their
comfortable homes and became mendicants. To cut off all family
affection means to broaden the field of activities. Without doing
this, no one can be qualified as a brahmana, a king, a public
leader, or a devotee of the Lord.
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Thus, Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita 18.66:
sarva-dharmn parityajya mm eka araa vraja
aha tv sarva-ppebhyo mokayiymi m uca
My dear Arjuna, you are very dear to Me, and therefore only
for your good I will disclose the most secret part of My
instructions. It is simply this: become a pure devotee of Mine and
give yourself unto Me only, and I promise you full spiritual
existence, by which you may gain the eternal right of
transcendental loving service unto Me. J ust give up all other ways
of religiosity and exclusively surrender unto Me and believe that I
will protect you from your sinful acts, and I shall deliver you. Do
not worry any more.
Pious Activities vs. Devotional Service
Thus Narada muni assures in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.17):
tyaktv sva-dharma carambuja harer
bhajann apakvo tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vbhadram abhd amuya ki
ko vrtha pto bhajat sva-dharmata
The word dharma in this verse means occupational duties. If
a person gives up his occupational duties and takes to Krishna
consciousness, strictly following all the rules and regulations, but
if due to his immature execution of devotional service he falls
down, there is still no loss for him. Whatever he does as service to
the Supreme Lord, although it may be a small percentage of his
whole life, will remain to his credit. He does not lose it. Bharata
Maharaja left his worldly duties to perform devotional service in
the forest. Due to becoming materially attached to a deer, he
achieved a deers body in the next life, but his devotional service
was never lost. Very soon, in the subsequent life, he became J ada
Bharata and achieved perfection. Thus, there is no loss in
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227
On the other hand, one who perfectly executes his
occupational duties but fails to worship Krishna ultimately gains
nothing. Strictly discharging ones occupational duties means
living a life of piety.
One is promoted to the heavenly kingdom and as the effects of
your pious activities are finished, one will be forced to return
to this planet.
One must return here in the next life to accept the beneficial
results of his pious actions which means he must accept
another term of material life.
So it is not a sound idea to hope for acquisition of the effects of
pious activities. In the Bhagavad-gita (6.41-43) it is stated that a
man who enters upon the path of self-realization but does not
complete the process, despite having sincerely tried to realize his
relationship with God, is given a chance to appear in a family of
suci or srimat. The word suci indicates a spiritually advanced
brahmana, and srimat indicates a vaisya, a member of the
mercantile community. So the person who fails to achieve self-
realization is given a better chance in his next life due to his
sincere efforts in this life. If even a fallen candidate is given a
chance to take birth in a respectable and noble family, one can
hardly imagine the status of one who has achieved success. By
simply attempting to realize God, one is guaranteed birth in a
wealthy or aristocratic family. But those who do not even make an
attempt, who want to be covered by illusion, and who are too
materialistic and too attached to material enjoyment, must enter
into the darkest regions of hell, as confirmed throughout the Vedic
literature.
Thus, the sinful suffer hellish conditions; the pious enjoy
heaven and keep rotating in the wheel of birth and death. Only one
who surrenders to the Supreme Lord through devotional service
stands the opportunity to get out of samsara and return back home
back to Godhead.
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Developing Attachment to the Lord is the platform of Real
Detachment
Surrendering to the Supreme Lord does not necessarily imply
relinquishing all worldly duties to become a mendicant. It only
indicates offering all our thought, word and deed in the service of
the Supreme Lord in whatever situation we may be. Srila
Prabhupada writes: Renunciation is not as important as
enhancing ones attachment to Krishna. The Krishna
consciousness movement is especially meant for this purpose. We
are preaching the principle that it does not matter whether a man is
a sannyasi or grhastha (householder). One simply has to increase
his attachment for Krishna, and then his life is successful.
(Krishna Book, chap 90)
Real Meaning Of Mukti And Moksha
Generally people are concerned with dharma, artha, kama and
moksa. In the beginning, there is dharma (religion), then artha
(economic development), kama (sense gratification), then moksa
(merging into the Supreme One). Often the word moksa is used
by the people with the idea that one goes beyond the cycle of birth
and death to merge into Brahman to become one with God. The
living entity can never lose his identity even if he enters Brahman.
He remains in that meta-stable state for a long time and falls back
to the material world in want of association and activity. The
material world is an unstable place for the living entity where he
wanders and the spiritual world is the stable place for the living
entity where he is situated in his natural constitutional position of
being a servant of the Supreme Lord.
In His supreme abode, the Supreme Lord has no rival.
Wherever we may be, we find a predominating personality. In the
United States, the predominating personality is the President.
However, when the next election comes, the President will have
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229
rival. Those who want to become rivals are placed in this material
world, under the conditions of material nature. In the spiritual sky,
there is no rivalry, and all the inhabitants therein are liberated
souls. From Srimad-Bhagavatam, we receive information that
their bodily features resemble gods.

There are five kinds of liberation: sayujya, sarupya, salokya,
sarsti, and samipya.
slokya-sri-smpya- srpyaikatvam apy uta
dyamna na ghanti vin mat-sevana jan
A pure devotee does not accept any kind of liberation
salokya, sarsti, samipya, sarupya or ekatvaeven though they are
offered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (SB 3.29.13)
Devotees desire only service to the Lord
Lord Caitanya teaches us how to execute pure devotional
service out of spontaneous love for the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. In the Siksastaka, He prays to the Lord: O Lord, I do
not wish to gain from You any wealth, nor do I wish to have a
beautiful wife, nor do I wish to have many followers. All I want
from You is that in life after life I may remain a pure devotee at
Your lotus feet. There is a similarity between the prayers of Lord
Caitanya and the statements of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Lord
Caitanya prays, in life after life, indicating that a devotee does
not even desire the cessation of birth and death. The yogis and
empiric philosophers desire cessation of the process of birth and
death, but a devotee is satisfied to remain even in this material
world and execute devotional service.
Ekatva or Kaivalya, oneness with the Supreme
It is clearly stated herein that a pure devotee does not desire
ekatva, oneness with the Supreme Lord, as desired by the
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impersonalists, the mental speculators and the meditators. Such
ekatva, or merging into the effulgence of the Supreme Lord, is
called kaivalya, but the happiness derived from kaivalya is
considered by the pure devotee to be hellish because there is no
service there except peace. Out of the two possibilities of merging
in transcendencenamely becoming one with the impersonal
Brahman effulgence and becoming one with the Personality of
Godheadthe latter is more abominable to the devotee. The
devotee is so fond of rendering service to the Supreme Lord that
the five kinds of liberation are not important to him.
Other four types of Liberation
Sometimes, he may accept promotion to the Vaikuntha planets
to serve the Lord there, but he will never accept merging into the
Brahman effulgence, which he considers worse than hellish. When
a devotee is promoted to the spiritual world, Vaikuntha, he
receives four kinds of facilities.
One of these is salokya, living on the same planet as the
Supreme Personality. The Supreme Person, in His different
plenary expansions, lives on innumerable Vaikuntha planets,
and the chief planet is Krishnaloka. J ust as within the material
universe the chief planet is the sun, in the spiritual world the
chief planet is Krishnaloka. From Krishnaloka, the bodily
effulgence of Lord Krishna is distributed not only to the
spiritual world but to the material world as well. In the
spiritual world, there are innumerable Vaikuntha planets, and
on each one the Lord is the predominating Deity. A devotee
can be promoted to one such Vaikuntha planet to live with the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In Sarsti liberation, the opulence of the devotee is equal to the
opulence of the Supreme Lord.
Samipya means to be a personal associate of the Supreme
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231
In sarupya liberation, the bodily features of the devotee are
exactly like those of the Supreme Person but for two or three
symptoms found exclusively on the transcendental body of the
Lord. Srivatsa, for example, the hair on the chest of the Lord,
particularly distinguishes Him from His devotees.
A pure devotee does not accept these five kinds of spiritual
existence, even if they are offered unless there is opportunity for
service to the Supreme Lord, and he certainly does not hanker
after material benefits, which are all insignificant in comparison
with spiritual benefits. When Prahlada Maharaja was offered some
material benefit, he stated: My Lord, I have seen that my father
achieved all kinds of material benefits, and even the demigods
were afraid of his opulence, but still, in a second, You have
finished his life and all his material prosperity. For a devotee
there is no question of desiring any material or spiritual
prosperity. He simply aspires to serve the Lord. That is his highest
happiness.
Misunderstood meaning of Mukti
The Mayavadis
Say that since the Absolute Truth is impersonal, one can
imagine a personal form of the impersonal Absolute Truth for
the time being, but as soon as one becomes liberated the
worship stops.
Accept the description of the pastimes of the Lord as stories
and therefore they interpret them most mischievously, but
actually they are not stories; they are historical facts.
Philosophy is very dangerous to the public, and therefore Lord
Caitanya warned us never to hear from any Mayavadi about
any scripture.
Will spoil the entire process of spiritual practice, and the
person hearing them will never be able to come to the path of
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devotional service to attain the highest perfection, or will be
able to do so only after a very long time.
Bhakti activities, or activities in devotional service, are
transcendental to mukti. This is called pacama-puruartha.
Generally, people engage in the Dharma (activities of religion) for
Artha (economic development) to enjoy Kama (sense
gratification). Ultimately when they are frustrated with the above,
they work with a desire to get rid of all activity and become silent
by hoping to merge into oneness with the Supreme Lord
(moksha). Such aspiration to become one with God is the topmost
form of sense gratification for a living entity and is considered a
hellish mentality by the Vaishnava devotees. Thus all the four
Purusharthas, dharma, artha, kama and moksha, are performed
with a pretentious religious mentality that has nothing to do with
the nature of the soul.
Bhakti is called the pancama purusartha or purusartha
siromani because it involves the real activity of the soul in loving
relationship with God. The Srimad-Bhagavatam, therefore, begins
by stating that all kinds of pretentious religiosity is completely
eradicated from the Bhagavatam. A pure devotee does not even
want salvation, but wants to engage in Gods loving service, and
nothing more.
Real Meaning of Mukti
As soon as one engages in the service of Lord Vasudeva, he
attains his normal constitutional position of being eternal servant
of the Supreme Lord, jivera swarupa haya nityera krsna dasa.
This position is called the liberated stage. Real meaning of Mukti
is defined in Bhagavatam as follows: muktir hitvnyath-rpa
svarpea vyavasthiti: (SB 2.10.6) in the liberated stage, one is
situated in his original Krishna conscious position. He gives up all
engagements in the service of matter, engagements concocted
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233
service, dog service, automobile service and so many other
services conducted under the illusion of I and mine. Thus
Bhakti, devotional service, is transcendental even to mukti,
liberation. Mukti is not very important for a bhakta. Bilvamangala
Thakura says: mukti svaya mukulitjali sevate smt: Mukti
herself is standing with folded hands, waiting to serve the
devotee. (Krishna-karnamrta 107)
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.3.10), Sukadeva Gosvami
encourages everyone, no matter what his present condition, to take
up Krishna-bhakti:
akma sarva-kmo v moka-kma udra-dh
tvrea bhakti-yogena yajeta purua param

A person who has broader intelligence, whether he be full of
all material desire, without any material desire, or desiring
liberation, must by all means worship the supreme whole, the
Love Of God The Ultimate Goal Of Religion
Serve you must, but whom?
Rendering service to Krishna is the natural constitutional
position of the living entity: jivera svaroopa haya krishnera nitya
dasa: The constitutional position of living entity is that he is an
eternal servant of Krishna. But when the living entity comes into
this material world, he forgets Krishna and starts serving so many
other fallible soldiers because of which he is put into suffering.
Nobody can refrain from service. A Prime Minister serves the
country, parents serve their children, a clerk serves his boss, an
old man who has no companion serves a pet dog. So service is
natural for the living entity. J ust as sugar and sweetness cannot be
separated, salt and saltishness cannot be separated, similarly the
soul and his service attitude cannot be separated. The living entity
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can utilize his free will to either serve Krishna in love and
devotion or serve Maya by being rebellious of Krishna.
Rekindle Wisdom, Revive Love
Love of Krishna is in a dormant state in the heart of everyone.
At present, we are not able to experience it due to contamination
by material association. Therefore, the heart has to be purified of
the material association, and that dormant, natural love for
Krishna has to be revived. We do not acquire love of Krishna, but
we revive love of Krishna. Acquire means to achieve something,
which you dont have. Revive means to get back what we
already possessed. Love of Krishna is like a fiery coal covered by
the contamination of ash. Once the ash is blown off, the fire can
be perceived. Similarly, when contaminations are removed,
through surrendering to Krishnas instructions, one can perceive
love of Krishna in ones heart.
Sadhana bhakti awakens the dormant love
Under the guidance of an expert spiritual master, one should
follow certain principles: one should rise early in the morning,
take bath, enter the temple and offer prayers and chant Hare
Krishna, then collect flowers and offer to the Deity, cook
foodstuffs to offer to the Deity, take prasadam, and so on. One
should constantly hear the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-
Bhagavatamfrom pure devotees. This practice of Bhakti yoga,
under the rules and regulations, with the direction of a spiritual
master, will surely bring one to the stage of love of God.
Unalloyed Devotional Service
The definition of a pure devotee, as given by Rupa Gosvami in
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, can be summarized thus: his service is
favourable and is always in relation to Krishna. In order to keep
the purity of such Krishna conscious activities, one must be freed
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Not useless armchair mental speculation
Any desire except for the service of the Lord is called a
material desire. Many arm chair speculators spend their whole
lives researching on Vedanta and Upanishads, without practicing
any spirituality even a bit in their own lives. While smoking on
their hukka, they participate in round table conferences on the
philosophy of the Vedanta and arrive at conclusions of voidism or
impersonalism. This conclusion is useless for a Krishna conscious
person. Only rarely by philosophical speculation can one reach the
conclusion of worshiping Vasudeva, Krishna.
Not pompous rituals without devotion to Krishna
There are many persons who are very much attracted by the
ritualistic activities described in the Vedas. But if one becomes
attracted simply to ritualistic activities without understanding
Krishna, his activities are unfavourable to Krishna consciousness.
Free from all sorts of material desires
There are many, many religious people who aspire for material
profits, heavenly planets, mystic powers, merging into brahman or
becoming God. None of these people can satisfy the Lord, nor can
they themselves become satisfied in such materialistic pursuits.
Only a pure devotee of the Lord can attract the attention of the
Lord and be satisfied in His service. J ust as a chataka bird aspires
for water only from the raindrops coming from the sky, a pure
devotee aspires only for the service of the Lord. To serve the
Lord, he forsakes all kinds of material benefits like wealth,
women, aristocracy and followers. The Lord becomes extremely
pleased with such a devotee and becomes eager to serve him.
Although the Lord demands exclusive love free from motivations,
He is also ready to reciprocate with such love of His beloved
servants. A crying child may be pacified by the mother by giving a
balloon, a toy or a tricycle. But if the child continues crying, his
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mother admonishes him, What do you want? And if he replies,
I want you and nothing else, then the mother realizes that there
is no way her child will be satisfied with anything other than
herself. In the same way, a devotee rejects all the temptations of
this world and only wants to love Krishna with no other
motivations. This is termed as unalloyed devotional service.
How Can One Achieve Pure Love For Krishna?
Srila Rupa Gosvami has also quoted a definition from the
Narada-pancaratra, as follows: One should be free from all
material designations and, by Krishna consciousness, must be
cleansed of all material contamination. He should be restored to
his pure identity, in which he engages his senses in the service of
the proprietor of the senses: hrsikena hrsikesa sevanam.
Serve the Master of the Senses
Everyone is part and parcel of Krishna (mamaivo jva-loke
jva-bhta (Bg. 15.7)), and therefore everyones senses are also
Krishnas. When we use the senses for Krishnas service, we
attain the perfection of life. Therefore, hkea hkea-sevana
bhaktir ucyate. (Cc. Madhya 19.170) When, by our senses
(hrsikena) we serve Hrsikesa, the real master of the senses, that
service is called bhakti. This is a very simple definition of bhakti.
Hrsikesa-sevanam, not hrsika-sevanamservice to the supreme
master of the senses, not to the senses themselves. When we use
our senses for sense gratification, we are in maya, illusion, but
when we use our senses for the gratification of the master of the
senses, that service is called bhakti. In our conditional state, our
senses are engaged in serving our bodily pushings like urges of
speech, mind, anger, tongue, belly, genitals, etc. When the same
senses are engaged in executing the order of Krishna, our
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Sever the Tie of Material Designations
As long as one identifies himself as belonging to a certain
family, caste, nationality, gender, material qualifications, etc., he
is said to be covered with designations. When one is fully aware
that he does not belong to any family, society or country, but is
eternally a servant of Krishna, he then realizes that his energy
should be employed not in the interests of so-called family,
society or country, but in the interests of Krishna. This is purity of
purpose and the platform of pure devotional service in Krishna
consciousness.
Give up the Unfavourable and Accept the Favourable
Things to Bhakti
Krishnas devotees avoid unfavourable things like overeating,
mundane gossip, accumulating more than necessary, over
endeavouring for mundane achievements, slackening in following
regulative principles, bad company, greed, etc. There are positive
favourable things like enthusiasm, determination, patience,
following in the footsteps of previous acaryas, giving up bad
association, following regulative principles like no meat eating, no
gambling, no intoxication, no illicit sex, etc.
Not Idle Meditation, but Dynamic Action
Devotional service is not some state of the heart leading to
idle, silent meditation for people who like to be inactive. One
should engage in positive spiritual activity, seva by body, mind
and words. Thus, a devotee should always try to think of Krishna--
as He is speaking on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra or engaging in
His various pastimes in Vrindavana with His devotees, and try to
plan how to please Him. He should engage his words in preaching
the glories of the Lord. Similarly, we can offer many services with
our bodily activities like distributing Srila Prabhupadas
transcendental books, cooking, cleaning, driving, dancing,
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singing, etc. for Krishna. But most importantly, all such activities
must be performed only in relationship with Krishna.
Under the Guidance of Guru
This relationship is established by connecting oneself with the
bona fide spiritual master, who is the direct representative of
Krishna in disciplic succession through initiation. Therefore, the
execution of Krishna conscious activities with the body should be
directed by the spiritual master and then performed with faith.
From the date of initiation by the spiritual master, the connection
between Krishna and a person cultivating Krishna consciousness
is established. Without initiation by a bona fide spiritual master,
the actual connection with Krishna consciousness is never
performed.
Practical Steps To Achieve Love For Krishna
Bhakti yoga means connecting ourselves with Krishna and
reviving our relationship as His eternal associate. Accepting the
greatness of God is the beginning of Bhakti. Bhakti yoga must
include three items: (1) the servitor, (2) the served, and (3) the
service. One must be present to accept service, and one must be
present to render service. The via media is the process of service
itself, Bhakti yoga.
Reviving our Swarupa, or original identity
The living entities, in their constitutional position love to
become servant or the servant of the servants of Krishna. Lord
Krishna, the all-attractive Supreme enjoyer and Personality of
Godhead is the object of everyones love and service. Every living
being, out of the many, many billions and trillions of living
beings, has a particular relationship with the Lord eternally in a
passive state (shanta rasa), in an active state (dasya rasa), as a
friend (sakhya rasa), as a parent (vatsalya rasa) or as a conjugal
lover (madhurya rasa). This is called svarupa. By the process of

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devotional service, one can revive that svarupa, and that stage is
called svarupa siddhi perfection of ones constitutional
position.
In the spiritual sky, everyone serves the Lord according to his
own svarupa with spontaneous love. Even in the material world, a
devotee chants Hare Krishna and fixes his mind constantly on the
lotus feet of Krishna. When he offers Krishna food, Krishna
directly accepts these eatables, and the devotee becomes
Krishnaized by eating the remnants. In this way, he always
remembers Krishna, and never forgets Krishna. Thus a devotee
does not live in a material plane.
My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your
mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulative
principles of bhakti yoga. In this way develop a desire to attain
Me. (BG 12.9)
Nava Vidha Bhakti: Nine Ways to Serve the Lord
There are nine standard modes of devotional service to the
Lord, and a candidate can choose to adopt any one, two, three,
four or all, however he likes. There are instances in history of
great personalities, including sages and kings, who attained
perfection by this process. Some of them attained success even by
adhering to one single item of devotional service with faith and
perseverance:
1. Sravanam, Hearing: Emperor Parikshit attained the spiritual
platform simply by hearing from such an authority as Sri
Sukadeva Gosvami about glories of Krishna.
2. Kirtanam, Recitation: Sri Sukadeva Gosvami attained the
same simply by recitation, verbatim, of the transcendental
message which he received from his great father, Sri
Vyasadeva.
3. Smaranam, Remembering: Emperor Prahlada attained
spiritual success by remembering the Lord constantly, in
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pursuance of instructions given by Sri Narada Muni, the great
saint and devotee.
4. Pada sevanam, Serving: Lakshmiji, the goddess of fortune,
attained success simply by sitting and serving the lotus feet of
the Lord.
5. Archanam, Worshiping: King Pruthu attained success simply
by worshiping the Lord.
6. Vandanam, Chanting Prayers: Akrura, the charioteer,
attained success simply by chanting prayers for the Lord.
7. Dasyam, Carrying out the orders: Hanuman, the devotee of
Lord Ramacandra, attained success simply by carrying out the
orders of the Lord.
8. Sakhyam, Making friends with the Lord: Arjuna, the great
warrior, attained perfection simply by making friends with the
Lord, who delivered the message of Bhagavad Gita to
enlighten Arjuna and his followers.
9. Atma Nivedanam, Surrendering everything: Emperor Bali
attained success by surrendering everything unto the Lord,
including his personal body.
Emperor Ambarisa adopted all the above nine items, and he
attained perfect success. It is mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam
(9.4.18-20): King Ambarisa fixed his mind on the lotus feet of
Lord Krishna, engaged his words in describing the abode of the
Lord, his hands in cleansing the temple of the Lord, his ears in
hearing the pastimes of the Lord, his eyes in seeing the form of the
Lord, his body in touching the body of the devotee, his nostrils in
smelling the flavor of the flowers offered to the lotus feet of the
Lord, his tongue in tasting the tulasi leaves offered to Him, his
legs in travelling to the holy place where His temple is situated,
his head in offering obeisances unto the Lord, and his desires in
fulfilling the desires of the Lord....and all these qualifications
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Chanting The Holy Name: Meditation For The Modern
Age
There are various methods for God realisation. In this age of
Kali yuga, according to all the revealed Vedic literatures, the
chanting of the Holy names:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
is prescribed as the most sublime method for reviving our
transcendental consciousness.
Krishnaizing Everything

The living entities, who are called the marginal energy,
perform material activities when acting under the inferior, external
energy. And when they engage in activities under the internal,
spiritual energy, their activities are called Krishna conscious.
Energy is a sort of strength, and this strength can be spiritualised
by the mercy of both the bona fide spiritual master and Krishna.
For example, if one finds a beautiful rose in his garden, he can
think, Oh! How beautiful! Let me offer this to Krishna or he can
think, Oh! Let me offer this rose to win the heart of my
girlfriend. Thus, everything can be used either for ones own
sense gratification or for Krishnas service.
In the Caitanya-Caritamrta, Lord Caitanya states that it is a
fortunate person who comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual
master by the grace of Krishna. One who is serious about spiritual
life is given by Krishna the intelligence to come in contact with a
bona fide spiritual master, and then by the grace of the spiritual
master one becomes advanced in Krishna consciousness. In this
way the whole jurisdiction of Krishna consciousness is directly
under the spiritual energy--Krishna and the spiritual master. This
has nothing to do with the material world. Thus acting on a
spiritual plane, a devotee gradually transcends the material world,
even while physically being present in the material world and at
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last returns home back to godhead, to join the eternal service of
the Lord in the spiritual world.
Gradual Development And Direct Method
The culmination of all kinds of yoga practice is Bhakti yoga.
All other yogas are progressions towards the destination of Bhakti
yoga. From the beginning of Karma yoga to the end of Bhakti
yoga is a long way to self-realisation. There are two methods of
attaining Bhakti yoga:
(1) Gradual development, and (2) Direct method.

(1) Gradual Development: The following are the steps
involved in the gradual development of Bhakti yoga:

STEP 4: Previous step requirements +Loving
devotional service to the Supreme
Lord Krishna - BHAKTI YOGA

STEP 3: Renouncing fruits +knowledge +Control
of mind & senses by 8-fold path +
Meditation on Paramatma / Supersoul in
the heart ASTANGA YOGA /
DHYANA YOGA

STEP 2: Renouncing fruits +Speculative knowledge
about Brahman +Austerity - JNANA YOGA

STEP 1: Renouncing fruits of ones labour - KARMA
YOGA / NISKAMA KARMA

STEP 0: Fruitive worker performing rituals for elevation to
heavenly planets, regulated sense gratification
in accordance with Scriptures - KARMA KANDA

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(2) Direct Method: Devotional service in Krishna
consciousness is the direct method. In this process, there are two
stages. To practice the regulative principles of Bhakti yoga under
the guidance of an expert spiritual master for the purification of
the senses is the first stage. This first stage is called as Vaidhi
Bhakti. In this stage, one can develop an attachment for Krishna.
In the second stage, when that attachment develops into a natural
transcendental love for Krishna, one is in direct relationship with
Supreme Lord in devotional service. This is known as Raganuga
Bhakti. Bhakti yoga is the only method, in which Bhakti is the
means and the end. In all other yogic processes like Astanga yoga
or J nana yoga, the means and end are different.
Thus, as stated above, the whole yoga system may be likened
to a staircase, connecting or linking us to the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, Krishna. In order to attain the ultimate, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, we must go to the highest platform, and
that is Bhakti yoga.
Why take a long time climbing the steps? Take the
Elevator
But why walk up all these steps if we have a chance to take an
elevator? By means of an elevator, we can reach the top in a
matter of seconds. Bhakti yoga is this elevator, the direct process
by which we can reach the top in a matter of seconds. We can go
step by step, following all the other yoga systems, or we can go
directly. Since in this age of Kali-yuga, people have short life
spans and are always disturbed and anxious, Lord Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, by His causeless mercy, has given us the elevator by
which we can come immediately to the platform of Bhakti yoga.
The direct means is the chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha
Mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
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The first and foremost devotional engagement is hearing about
Krishna. This is a very powerful transcendental method for
purging the mind of all misgivings. The more one hears about
Krishna, the more one becomes enlightened and detached from
everything that draws the mind away from Krishna. It is
something like curing a disease by expert treatment and
appropriate diet. Hearing the transcendental activities of Lord
Krishna is, therefore, the expert treatment for the mad mind, and
eating foodstuffs offered to Krishna is the appropriate diet for the
suffering patient. This treatment is the process of Krishna
consciousness, the real and topmost yoga system for this age of
Kali.

Chapter 6

Do All Paths Lead To
The Same Goal?

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Different Results Achieved By Worshiping
That Which Is Supreme And That Which Is Not
Supreme
It is a common misconception among the masses that
ultimately all paths are one and a person will reach the same end
result no matter what method he adopts to worship God. The
Vedas say the opposite. They clearly mention that all the different
methods of worship do not lead to the same destination, but they
lead to different destinations. But one should be intelligent to
choose the best destination. Sri Isopanishad says (Mantra 13):
anyad evhu sambhavd anyad hur asambhavt
iti uruma dhr ye nas tad vicacakire

It is said that one result is obtained by worshiping the
supreme cause of all causes and that another result is obtained by
worshiping what is not supreme. All this is heard from the
undisturbed authorities, who clearly explained it.
What Is The Supreme Truth?
From Whom Should We Hear The Truth?
The system of hearing from undisturbed authorities is
approved in this mantra. Unless one hears from a bona fide acarya,
who is never disturbed by the changes of the material world, one
cannot have the real key to transcendental knowledge. The bona
fide spiritual master, who has also heard the sruti-mantras, or
Vedic knowledge, from his undisturbed acarya, never presents
anything that is not mentioned in the Vedic literature. In the
Bhagavad-gita (9.25) it is clearly said that those who worship the
pitrs, or forefathers, attain the planets of the forefathers, that the
gross materialists who make plans to remain here stay in this
world, and that the devotees of the Lord who worship none but
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247
Lord Krishna, the supreme cause of all causes, reach Him in His
spiritual sky.

ynti deva-vrat devn pitn ynti pit-vrat
bhtni ynti bhtejy ynti mad-yjino pi mm
Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the
demigods; those who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors;
those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such
beings; and those who worship Me will live with Me. (BG 9.25)
The devotees of demigods will go to the abode of demigods. In
this material world, there are 14 planetary systems, seven above
and six below. The martyaloka is in the middle. The demigods live
in the higher abodes. One can ascend to such planets only by
performing some pious activities. They are called surendra
lokam meaning the abode of Indra and the demigods (BG 9.20-
21). These are planets of delight available to worshipers of
demigods. But it should be remembered that the demigods and
their planets, along with all the facilities for enjoyment, are all
temporary. Lord Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita that those
who worship Him return to the spiritual world which is eternal and
free from all inebrieties of the material world, but those who
worship demigods return to the cycle of birth and death after the
pious activities are exhausted (BG 8.15-16).
One who is not a devotee of Krishna performs worship of
parents, grandparents, or forefathers, with the conception that
worship of parents is worship of God. But such worship of
forefathers can only take one to Pitrloka, not back to the kingdom
of God.
For a devotee, who surrenders unconditionally to Lord
Krishna, the Lord has promised to free him from all obligations
and sins (BG 18.66). One who becomes the Lords devotee
delivers several generations of his relatives simply by being
engaged in the Lords service.
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Here in Sri Isopanishad also, it is verified that one achieves
different results by different modes of worship. If we worship the
Supreme Lord, we will certainly reach Him in His eternal abode,
and if we worship demigods, like the sun-god or moon-god, we
can reach their respective planets without a doubt. And if we wish
to remain on this wretched planet, with our planning commissions
and our stopgap political adjustments, we can certainly do that
also.
Nowhere in authentic scriptures is it said that one will
ultimately reach the same goal by doing anything or worshiping
anyone. Such foolish theories are offered by self-made spiritual
masters who have no connection with the parampara, the bona
fide system of disciplic succession. The bona fide spiritual master
cannot say that all paths lead to the same goal, and that anyone
can attain this goal by his own mode of worship of the demigods,
or of the Supreme, or whatever.
Any common man can very easily understand that a person
can reach his destination only when he has purchased a ticket for
that destination. A person who has purchased a ticket for Calcutta
can reach Calcutta, but not Bombay. But the so-called spiritual
masters say that any and all paths will take one to the supreme
goal. Such mundane and compromising offers attract many foolish
creatures, who become puffed up with their manufactured
methods of spiritual realization. The Vedic instructions, however,
do not uphold them. Unless one has received knowledge from the
bona fide spiritual master, who is in the recognized line of
disciplic succession, one cannot have the real thing as it is.
Krishna tells Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gita (4.2):
eva parampar-prptam ima rjarayo vidu
sa kleneha mahat yogo naa parantapa
This supreme science was thus received through the chain of
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249
way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and
therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.
When Lord Sri Krishna was present on this earth, the bhakti-
yoga principles defined in the Bhagavad-gita had become
distorted. Therefore, the Lord had to re-establish the disciplic
system beginning with Arjuna, who was the most confidential
friend and devotee of the Lord. The
Lord clearly told Arjuna (Bg. 4.3),
that it was because Arjuna was His
devotee and friend, that he could
understand the principles of the
Bhagavad-gita. In other words,
only the Lords devotee and friend
can understand the Gita. This also
means that only one who follows
the path of Arjuna can understand
the Bhagavad-gita.
At the present moment there
are many interpreters and
translators of this sublime dialogue
who care nothing for Lord Krishna
or Arjuna. Such interpreters
explain the verses of the
Bhagavad-gita in their own way,
and postulate all sorts of rubbish in
the name of the Gita. Such
interpreters believe neither in Sri
Krishna nor in His eternal abode. How, then, can they explain the
Bhagavad-gita?
Krishna clearly says that only those who have lost their sense
worship the demigods for paltry rewards (Bg. 7.20, 23).
Ultimately, He advises that one give up all other ways and modes
of worship and fully surrender unto Him alone (BG 18.66). Only
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those who are cleansed of all sinful reactions can have such
unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord. Others will continue
hovering on the material platform with their paltry ways of
worship, and thus will be misled from the real path under the false
impression that all paths lead to the same goal.
In this mantra of Sri Isopanishad, the word sam-bhavat, by
worship of the supreme cause, is very significant. Lord Krishna
is the original Personality of Godhead, and everything that exists
has emanated from Him. In the Bhagavad-gita (10.8) the Lord
says,
aha sarvasya prabhavo matta sarva pravartate
iti matv bhajante m budh bhva-samanvit

I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds.
Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this
engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their
hearts.
1) Here is a correct description of the Supreme Lord, given by
the Lord Himself. The words sarvasya pra-bhavah indicate
that Krishna is the creator of everyone, including Brahma,
Vishnu and Shiva. And because these three principal deities
of the material world are created by the Lord, the Lord is the
creator of all that exists in the material and spiritual worlds.
2) In the Atharva Veda (Gopala-tapani Upanishad 1.24), it is
similarly said, He who existed before the creation of Brahma
and who enlightened Brahma with Vedic knowledge is Lord
Sri Krishna.
3) Similarly, the Narayana Upanishad (1) states, Then the
Supreme Person, Narayana, desired to create all living beings.
Thus, from Narayana, Brahma was born. Narayana created all
the Prajapatis. Narayana created Indra. Narayana created the
eight Vasus. Narayana created the eleven Rudras. Narayana
created the twelve Adityas. Since Narayana is a plenary

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manifestation of Lord Krishna, Narayana and Krishna are one
and the same.
4) The Narayana Upanishad (4) also states, Devakis son
[Krishna] is the Supreme Lord. The identity of Narayana
with the supreme cause has also been accepted and confirmed
by Sripada Sankaracarya, even though Sankara does not
belong to the Vaishnava, or personalist, cult.
5) The Atharva Veda (Maha Upanishad 1) also states, Only
Narayana existed in the beginning, when neither Brahma, nor
Shiva, nor fire, nor water, nor stars, nor sun, nor moon
existed. The Lord does not remain alone but creates as He
desires.
6) Krishna Himself states in the Moksa-dharma, I created the
Prajapatis and the Rudras. They do not have complete
knowledge of Me because they are covered by My illusory
energy.
7) It is also stated in the Varaha Purana, Narayana is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, and from Him the four-
headed Brahma was manifested, as well as Rudra, who later
became omniscient.
8) Thus, all Vedic literature confirms that Narayana, or Krishna,
is the cause of all causes. In the Brahma-samhita (5.1) also it
is said that the Supreme Lord is Sri Krishna, Govinda, the
delighter of every living being and the primeval cause of all
causes.
The really learned persons know this from evidence given by
the great sages and the Vedas, and thus they decide to worship
Lord Krishna as all in all. Such persons are called budha, or really
learned, because they worship only Krishna.
The conviction that Krishna is all in all is established when
one hears the transcendental message from the undisturbed acarya
with faith and love. One who has no faith in, or love for Lord
Krishna cannot be convinced of this simple truth. Those who are
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faithless are described in the Bhagavad-gita (9.11) as mudhas
fools or asses. It is said that the mudhas deride the Personality of
Godhead because they do not have complete knowledge from the
undisturbed acarya. One who is disturbed by the whirlpool of
material energy is not qualified to become an acarya.
As One Surrenders, The Lord Rewards Accordingly
Everyone is seeking Krishna, the all attractive, whether they
know it or not. The spirit soul is only a part and parcel, but Lord
Krishna is the Supreme whole, and is infinitely blissful. Being a
part and parcel of the Supreme, every soul is supposed to be
blissful. Being covered over by material energy, the soul is
hankering to return back to his natural state of being a servant of
the Lord in blissful consciousness.
The materialists struggle for this bliss by manipulating matter
in various ways, but transcendentalists seek God on a spiritual
plane. The J nanis seek Brahman, the Yogis seek Paramatma, and
the Bhaktas seek Bhagavan Sri Krishna.
Sometimes people ask, Can I see God? One can see God if
one can qualify oneself. Even if one wants to see the Prime
Minister of India, one cannot just go and barge into his room. One
needs certain qualification. One has to first meet the secretary and
he may or may not give an appointment. There is a long string of
formalities and ultimately, one may or may not get an opportunity
to meet him. It is very difficult to get a personal audience with the
Prime Minister, even for a few minutes. Most of the requests by
people are rejected.
But the Prime Ministers personal friend can walk into his
cabin anytime he likes. He need not even knock at the door. He
can just go and come. Why? Because there is a loving
relationship. So, the question is, do you have that loving
relationship by which you can see God? So the key factor is that
the qualification for seeing God is to develop that loving

253
relationship. That is why the Lord says, ye yatha mam
prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamyaham (BG 4.11): You have
to qualify yourself to see Me. According to your level of
qualification, I will reveal Myself to you. This is a formula of
reciprocation between two people. Relationships can take place
between people. It cannot take place between two inanimate or
impersonal objects. So Lord Krishna says that He will reveal
Himself to you to the degree you surrender to Him. The more you
develop a personal relationship with the Lord, the more He will
reciprocate love.
The Bhakta is the highest transcendentalist who has
understood the Lord in-toto, completely. Otherwise all the others
like the Karma yogis, J nana yogis, Astanga yogis, etc., simply
understand the Lord in various parts. It is just like the story of the
six blind men who were trying to describe the elephant. Thus,
Lord Krishna says, If you want to see Me as impersonal, I will
give you the intelligence to achieve that realisation. If you want to
see Me as Paramatma situated in the heart of all living beings, I
will give you that understanding. If you want to see Me as
Krishna, Rasaraj, who is a loving person reciprocating rasas with
My devotees, then I will reciprocate with you in that way. This is
the meaning of as you surrender to Me, I reward you
accordingly.
If God Is One, How To See The Different Paths In
Relation To Him?
As discussed in the previous chapter, one may give up
materialistic sinful life and take up the path of Karma kanda for
achieving his desires; one may even develop a desire for liberation
through Karma yoga, J nana yoga, Astanga yoga and one may
perform meditation, penances, austerities, scriptural study,
introspection, practice of celibacy, mind and sense control,
renunciation of worldly pleasures, avowed truthfulness, etc. Often
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people argue that, yatho mat tatho pat - As many opinions about
the ultimate goal, those many paths are there. Thus, some people
think that one may adopt any path that is appealing to ones mind
and ultimately, one will achieve the same end. In fact, such people
often presume that the path of Bhakti is for emotional people, the
path of J nana is for rational people and the path of Yoga is for
austere people. These presumptions may appear attractive for a
speculative mind, but the scriptures do not approve of such
concoctions.
First of all, one cannot adopt any unauthorised path
propagated by some self-made god or a deviant. The path one
follows has to be authorised by the scriptures like the Bhagavad-
gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, etc. Secondly, even the paths of Karma
yoga, J nana yoga, Hatha yoga, Astanga yoga, etc., are not like
different rivers ultimately entering into the same ocean of the
Absolute Truth. All these different authorised paths are like
different rungs of a ladder, the topmost rung being Bhakti yoga.
Consider the example of the Prime Minister of a country. A
police constable works under the police department which is one
of the energies of the Prime Minister. That is the way he is related
to the Prime Minister. A citizen may know that the government
runs the affairs of the country, but does not have a direct relation
to the Prime Minister. A Member of Parliament can see the Prime
Minister face to face, but has a relation in the mood of awe and
veneration. But a son or wife or mother of the Prime Minister has
the most intimate relation with him. They are so intimately related
to him, that they do not even see him as a Prime Minister, but as a
very near and dear lovable person. They know his likes and
dislikes, interests and concerns, moods and mission, etc. In the
same way, there are many worshipers of various demigods in
charge of various departmental affairs within the universe, like
Brahma, Siva, Karthikeya, Indra, Varuna, etc. They are very
indirectly related with the Lord. Then there are the Karma yogis

255
who offer the fruits of their work to the Supreme government. The
J nana yogis are attached to the impersonal aspect of the Lord and
have no information of the Lords personal nature, qualities and
attributes. They are like a man under the government of a country;
he does not know that behind the government there is a Prime
Minister who runs the government. Similarly, Lord Krishna says
that He is the ultimate support behind the impersonal Brahman
(BG 14.27). The Astanga yogis may be attracted to the impersonal
Brahman or to the personal form of Vishnu seated in the heart of
everyone as Paramatma. If an Astanga yogis meditation
intensifies, he can see Lord Vishnu face to face in a neutral
relationship of awe and veneration. But only a Bhakti yogi is like
a near and dear relative of Lord Sri Krishna. A devotee can know
the desires and interests of the Lord and serve Him in a personal
way.
Thus, Karma yogis, J nana yogis, Astanga yogis and Bhakti
yogis achieve different destinations as will be explained in the
later part of this chapter. But they have some hope of making any
progress only when they take help of Bhakti. In fact, Bhakti is the
mother of J nana (knowledge) and Vairagya (detachment) (SB
1.2.7).
How Does Everyone Follow The Lords Path?
Krishna also says, Everyone follows My path in all respects.
(BG 4.11) Some may say, Whatever I do, I am in the proper path,
as Krishna says. I can devise my own method of worship and
some self-made mantra and I will still go back to Godhead. After
all, Lord Krishna says that everyone follows His path.
Consider what you will see when you take a snapshot of the
Pune-Bombay highway. You will see many cycles, scooters, cars
and buses situated at different points. Some are just starting;
others have traversed one hour and reached Nigdi; some have
traversed 90 minutes and reached Lonavla; others have traversed
150 minutes and reached Karjat. Some are close to Bombay. In
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this way, different vehicles are in different positions. Similarly, in
the path between the material world to the spiritual world, there
are souls situated in different bodies according to their karma and
desire, as if seated in different types of vehicles. Also, different
people, according to their mode of worship, are situated at
different points. Some are on earth, some in heaven, some in
Brahmaloka, some suspended in Brahman, and some very close to
reaching Vaikuntha or Goloka.
Also, from this one main path, there may be deviations. One
may get distracted and go here and there. It is not that all the
vehicles are going towards Bombay. Some are coming from
Lonavla to Pune, thinking that they are going towards Bombay. It
means that although all are situated on the road to God, some are
going towards God and some away from God. When one simply
becomes materialistic and is working hard for sense pleasures, one
is going away from God; on the other hand, one may devote time
for God and be eager to learn about Him and approach Him. They
are progressing towards God. And there are some who have
parked their car at the side and have gone to sleep. Thus, we are
all travellers in this world. We have traversed through many
planets and many species of life. We should know what the correct
road is, how to go on a correct journey, and which the correct train
is.
Imagine that you get into a train and ask your neighbour,
Where are you going? and he says, I dont know where I am
going. I just sat in the train. Wherever the train takes me, I will
go. Anybody will feel that this person is crazy, because he has no
idea of where he is going. Similarly, many people in this world do
not know where they are going. They are simply travelling. When
we get the human form of life, we are supposed to inquire about
the process that one should follow so that one can reach the goal
quickly. If we desire to surrender to Krishna quickly, He will give
us the proper association of devotees and direction as Paramatma.

257
And in this way, we will be able to approach Krishna very easily.
If we desire to be away from Krishna, He will make the necessary
arrangements.
Surrender To Krishna Or Surrender To Maya?
Another meaning of mama
vartmanu vartante is that
everyone is being controlled. The
materialists are being controlled by
the material energy and devotees
are controlled by the Lord.
Devotees are those who have
realised their constitutional position
of being a servant of the Lord,
voluntarily accepted their
subordinate position to the Lord,
and like to be controlled by the
Lord. But the materialists deny
authority of God and want to be
independent. But they are under the
material energy, which is under
Krishnas control.
Those who abide by the laws of the country can move freely.
But those who break the laws are put in prison by the government
and punished. J ail is also one of the departments of the
government. But the jailers are under the indirect control of the
government. People who are law-abiding are directly under the
control of the government. An intelligent person thinks, I have to
be under the control of the Lord, either directly or indirectly. Why
should I be controlled indirectly and suffer? Therefore,
mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah Those
who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of
the divine nature. (BG 9.13)
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Mayadevi is the one who is subjecting everyone to the
stringent laws of material nature. She is the agent for creation,
maintenance and annihilation and she is like the shadow of the
Lord. J ust as when you move your finger in one direction, the
shadow of the finger cannot move in another direction, so the
material energy moves only under the sanction of the Lord, as Sri
Krishna declares in the Bhagavad-gita (BG 9.10): maya
adhyakshena prakrti suyate sa caracaram The material nature
works under my supervision.
Thus, we cannot escape from being controlled by the Lord,
either directly by Him or through His illusory potency. Then why
not submit ourselves and be happy? Sometimes, a criminal runs
away from the police. After trying his best, he finally realises the
futility of running as he is surrounded by the police. Then he gives
up running. An intelligent person understands that, I have been
running away from Krishna for many, many life times. Enough of
it. Let me now surrender to Krishna and be happy. He thus comes
to the transcendental platform and develops knowledge.
Higher Stages Of Perfection For One Who Surrenders To
Krishna
When one comes to the understanding of Brahman, one
understands that one is not the body, but pure spirit soul. One
understands the impersonal aspect of the Lord and is situated in
peace. But the yogi understands that the Lord has form and that
form is the four-handed form of Vishnu. But his devotion is not
mature. As his knowledge and devotion matures, he comes to the
stage of devotion to the Lord. As a Bhakta, he understands Lord
Sri Krishna as the Supreme Person, and exchanges various
flavours of love with the Lord. Even amongst Bhaktas, still there
is more and more perfection. One can serve the Lord in various
relationships depending on ones swaroopa or constitutional
position:

259
Shanta rasa (neutral) the devotee has awe and reverence for
the Lord, like the Four Kumaras
Dasya rasa (servant) the devotee relates with the Lord as a
subordinate, like Hanuman
Sakhya rasa (friend) the devotee relates with the Lord on
equal terms, like Sridama, Arjuna, Uddhava
Vatsalya rasa (parent) the devotee relates with the Lord as a
superior, like Nanda, Yashoda
Madhurya rasa (conjugal) the devotee relates with the Lord
as a lover, like Srimati Radharani and the gopis
In the Shanta rasa, there is a feeling of awe and reverence. As one
becomes more intimate, one experiences a particular joy of being
the servant of the Lord. As the devotion becomes even more
intimate, the feeling
of awe and reverence
disappears
completely and one
relates to Krishna as
an equal and friend.
Even amongst
Krishnas friends,
Arjuna is more
intimate than
Uddhava, but he still
cannot climb on
Krishnas shoulders
or wrestle with Him
like Sridama. The cowherd boyfriends of Krishna in Vrindavana
even steal His tiffin box, tease Him and do not even know that
Krishna is God. Even if someone would tell them, they would not
care. They just think that Krishna is their friend. As love becomes
even more intimate, one feels Krishna to be his or her child, and
He depends on His devotee for His very survival. Mother Yashoda
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would feel, Krishna is dependent on me. And as one goes
further, there is a stage where the devotee does not care for any
formalities. That is the stage of conjugal love. Here, one
experiences all the aspects of the previous stages, coupled with
conjugal love. The gopis of Vrindavana are considered the
topmost devotees of Krishna, who are held in high esteem by great
personalities like Sukadeva Gosvami, Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
Sankaracarya and other acaryas. The unadulterated, unmotivated
love of the gopis for Krishna is the aspiration of every follower of
Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Although the queens of Dwaraka are also
related to Krishna in conjugal love, their relationship with Krishna
is more formal, whereas the relationship that the gopis had was
not at all formal. This informal, innocent love for Krishna is the
highest perfection.
Thus, the highest goal in life is to strike a personal relationship
with Krishna. We are all eternal, Krishna is eternal and the
relationships between us and Krishna are also eternal. In fact, we
all already have a swaroopa or constitutional position in the
spiritual sky, but
having forgotten our
relation with the Lord,
we are foolishly
chasing after the
mirage of material
pleasure. Once a living
entity becomes fixed
up in devotional
service to the Lord, he
can gradually revive
his dormant love of
Krishna and be firmly situated in the service to the Lords lotus
feet. That is the highest goal that everyone should aspire for.


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Destination Of Different Yogis After Death
Jnana Yogis
Being impersonalists, the J nanis attain brahmajyoti. Although
the individual living entity remains within the brahmajyoti as if
homogeneous, still it is like a parrot entering a tree. Because the
parrot has the same colour as the tree, it appears to have merged
into the tree. Still, the parrot has its individuality. Similarly, the
living entity has his individuality, even after entering into
brahmajyoti.
Who can remain alone in a room, year after year, reading some
book and trying to enjoy himself? We cannot remain alone
forever. Eventually we will leave that room and look for some
association. It is our nature to want some recreation with others.
The impersonalists, dissatisfied with the loneliness of their
position in the impersonal effulgence of the Lord, therefore return
again to this material world. This is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam
(10.2.32):
ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninas
tvayy asta-bhavad avis'uddha-buddhayah
aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah
patanty adho 'nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah
O lotus-eyed Lord, although non-devotees 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.
The impersonalists are like astronauts in search of a planet. If
they cannot rest in some planet, they have to return to earth. It is
herein stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (anadrta-yusmad-
anghrayah) that the impersonalist must return to the material
world because he has neglected to serve the Supreme Lord with
love and devotion. As long as we are on this earth, we should
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practice to love and serve Krishna, the Supreme Lord. Only then
can we enter His spiritual planet. If we are not trained up in this
way, we can enter the brahmajyoti as an impersonalist, but there is
every risk that we will again fall down into material existence and
again engage in some social welfare activities of opening
hospitals, schools, dharmashalas, etc.
Out of loneliness, we will search out some association and
therefore return to the material world. What we actually want is
the eternal association of the Supreme Lord. This is our
constitutional position of eternality, knowledge and pleasure. If
we are alone, if we do not associate with the Supreme Lord, that
pleasure is lacking. For want of pleasure, we feel uncomfortable.
For want of pleasure, we will accept any kind of association, any
kind of pleasure. Therefore, out of a kind of desperation, we will
say, All right then, let me have material pleasure again. That is
the risk the impersonalists take.


263
Dhyana Yogis
Krishna says: One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air
between the eyebrows and, by the strength of yoga, with an
undeviating mind, engages himself in remembering the Supreme
Lord in full devotion, will certainly attain to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. (BG 8.10) The words prayana-kale
means at the time of death. Life is a kind of preparation for the
final examination, which is death. If we pass that examination, we
are transferred to the spiritual world.
At the time of death, a yogi closes the doors of the senses,
which is called as pratyahara. Hearing is concentrated on the
omkara sound that is within. Similarly, all the other senses are
withdrawn from external activity. The mind is then concentrated
on the Visnu-murti within the heart. When the yogi has thus
withdrawn his senses and concentrated his mind, he transfers the
life air to the top of the head and decides where he should go.
There are innumerable planets and beyond these planets is the
spiritual world. The yogis obtain information of these planets from
the Vedic literatures. To attain a higher planet, one has to prepare
a particular type of body to enable one to live on that planet. We
cannot attain these planets by artificial, materialistic means,
because a suitable body is necessary to live there. We can stay
within water only a short while, but fish are living there their
entire lives. But the fish does not have a body suitable for living
on the land. Similarly, to enter a higher planet, one has to prepare
a suitable body.
The devotees of Krishna are not interested in any planet within
this material universe, because they know that on all planets the
four basic miseries exist-- birth, old age, disease, and death. In the
higher planets, one's life span may be much greater than on this
earth, but death is ultimately there. Therefore, those who are in
Krishna consciousness are not interested in material life but
spiritual life, which means relief from these fourfold miseries.
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The object of the sat-cakra system is to locate the soul at the
topmost part of the head. From there, one who is perfect in
Dhyana yoga can transfer himself to a higher planet at will. That is
the perfection of this type of yoga. Krishna says: After being
situated in this yoga practice and vibrating the sacred syllable Om,
the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach
the spiritual planets. (BG 8.13) The Dhyana yogi should vibrate
Om while remembering Krishna or Visnu, the Supreme
Thus, by vibrating Om and leaving the material body thinking
of the Supreme Lord, the yogi is transferred to the spiritual world.
These Dhyana yogis who concentrate on Krishna, may enter into
Goloka Vrindavana and attain their swaroopa as trees, grass, etc.
in Shanta rasa, or neutral relationship.
Those who are not personalists, however, cannot enter into the
spiritual planet of Lord Sri Krishna. They remain outside, in the
brahmajyoti effulgence. The impersonalists merge into the
spiritual existence; however, individuality is retained, because the
spirit soul is constitutionally an individual. Because the
impersonalists dont want a personal form, they are placed and
held in the impersonal brahmajyoti. There they exist just as atoms
exist within the sunshine. We are constitutionally sac-cid-ananda--
eternal (sat), full of knowledge (cit), and full of bliss (ananda).
Those who enter the impersonal brahmajyoti cannot remain there
eternally with the knowledge that, Now I am merged. I am now
one with Brahman. Although there is eternality and knowledge,
bliss (ananda) is lacking.
Bhakti Yogis
In the material world, the highest pleasure is found in sex.
That is but a perverted reflection of the pure love of Krishna with
the living entities in the spiritual world. Because we all belong to

265
the spiritual world, we have already seen the beauty of Krishna,
and we had a great love for Krishna in the spiritual world. But as
soon as we come into the material world, we search for the same
beauty of Krishna here. This material world is a place of
forgetfulness of Krishna. And if someone has a small fraction of
Krishnas beauty, then we put all our love in flesh. Actual life is
there in Krishna. Krishna is full of pleasure, and if we train
ourselves to serve Him in Krishna consciousness, it will be
possible at the time of death to transfer ourselves to the spiritual
world and enter into Krishnaloka, Krishnas planet, and enjoy
ourselves in the association of Krishna, the reservoir of all
pleasure.
Krishnas planet is described in Brahma-Samhita (5.29) in this
way:
cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa
laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam
laksmi-sahasra-s'ata-sambhrama-sevyamanam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor,
who is tending the surabhi cows that fulfil all desires, who is
surrounded by millions of purpose (wish-fulfilling) trees and
abodes built with spiritual gems, and who is always served with
great reverence and affection by hundreds and thousands of
goddesses of fortune. In this way, Krishnaloka is described.
There, the houses are made of touchstone (cintamani). Similarly,
the trees there are called desire trees (kalpa-vriksa) because one
can get whatever he desires from them. Here, we can get only
mangoes from a mango tree, but in Krishnaloka, we can get
whatever we desire from any tree because the trees are kalpa-
vriksa. This is just a partial description of Krishnaloka, Krishnas
eternal abode in the spiritual sky.
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Krishna consciousness means always living with Krishna in
His spiritual planet. Because we are conscious of Krishna, we are
already living with Him. We simply have to wait to give up this
material body to go there. For one who remembers Krishna
without deviation, He is easy to obtain: Tasyaham sulabhah
partha: I become very cheap for them. Because one is engaged
in Bhakti yoga, Krishna becomes easily available. We have only
to chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare twenty-four
hours daily. There is no hard and fast rule. We can chant in the
street, in our home or in our office. There is neither expenditure
nor tax.
In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.3), Lord Brahma prays to the
unconquerable Supreme Lord Krishna, known as Ajita:


267
jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva
jivanti san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam
sthane sthitah s'ruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir
ye prayas'o 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyam

O my dear Lord Ajita, those devotees who have thrown away
the impersonal conceptions of the Absolute Truth and have
therefore abandoned discussing empiric philosophical truths
should hear from self-realized devotees about Your holy name,
form, pastimes, and qualities. They should completely follow the
principles of devotional service and remain free from illicit sex,
gambling, intoxication, and animal slaughter. Surrendering
themselves fully with body, words, and mind, they can live in any
ashrama or social status. Indeed, You are conquered by such
persons, although You are always unconquerable.
In this verse, the words jnane prayasam refer to theosophists
and philosophers who are trying year after year, and life after life,
to understand God, or the Absolute Truth. Their attempts are like
those of the frog in a well trying to comprehend the vastness of the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Such attempts are doomed to failure;
therefore Srimad-Bhagavatam recommends that we abandon all
attempts to measure the Supreme. We should become submissive
and try to understand that our position is that of a very
insignificant segment in this creation. By becoming submissive,
hearing from the right source, and trying to apply the teachings in
our daily lives, we can become conquerors of the Supreme. For
one who does this, Lord Krishna becomes easily available.
Bhakti Is The Only Means To The Ultimate Goal
As explained before, there are many paths, and they all dont
lead to the same goal. As Srila Prabhupada said, One has to come
to the point of Krishna consciousness. You may follow the yoga
process, you may follow the philosophical process, you may
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follow the ritualistic process, or you may perform penances or
engage in studying the Vedas. But unless you reach the point of
Krishna consciousness, you will succeed only to a certain degree.
(November 1966, New York)
na sdhayati m yogo na skhya dharma uddhava
na svdhyyas tapas tygo yath bhaktir mamorjit
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, said: My dear
Uddhava, neither through astanga-yoga [the mystic yoga system to
control the senses], nor through impersonal monism or an
analytical study of the Absolute Truth, nor through study of the
Vedas, nor through austerities, charity, or acceptance of sannyasa
can one satisfy Me as much as by developing unalloyed
devotional service unto Me (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.14.20).
One has to come to the
point of Krishna consciousness.
You may follow the yoga
process, you may follow the
philosophical process, you may
follow the ritualistic process, or
you may perform penances or
engage in studying the Vedas.
But unless you reach the point
of Krishna consciousness, you
will succeed only to a certain
degree.
Unfortunately, people
become satisfied with different
degrees of success. Hardly anyone tries to reach the final goal. But
if anyone wants to reach the final goal, then he has to take up the
process of Krishna consciousness (bhaktir mamorjit). That
process alone can take you to the Supreme Lord.

269
Those who are intelligent take to the simple process of
Krishna consciousness. In this age you cannot perform yoga
perfectly, you cannot perform religious rituals perfectly, and you
cannot study perfectly. The circumstances are so unfavourable that
these processes are not possible in this age. Therefore, Lord
Caitanya, by His causeless mercy, has given us the process of
Krishna consciousness, beginning with the chanting of the holy
name. And His teaching is corroborated in the Bhan-nradya
Pura:

harer nma harer nma harer nmaiva kevalam
kalau nsty eva nsty eva nsty eva gatir anyath

In this Age of Kali, simply by chanting the holy name of
Krishna one can attain the ultimate goal. There is no alternative.
There is no alternative. There is no alternative. (Cc. Adi 17.21)
So Lord Caitanya has not manufactured something by
recommending bhakti as the only means to the ultimate goal. He is
quoting from authorized scripture so that people can accept the
path of bhakti. Therefore we should accept this process, especially
the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, and if we follow it very
seriously and sincerely, we will practically see that this is the only
process for swiftly realizing the Supreme Truth, the Absolute
Truth.

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Chapter 7

Art Of Living

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In this chapter, we will discuss some of the practical aspects of
Bhakti yoga, by which one can make swift progress in the path of
Krishna consciousness. J nana, theoretical knowledge, becomes
Vijnana, realised knowledge when put into practice. Or else it is
useless. If one cultivates theoretical knowledge, but does not put it
into practice then what is the use of that knowledge? It is like:
A patient who has received medicines from the doctor keeps
the medicine safely in a cupboard and never takes regular
doses of it. How can he be cured of his disease?
If you purchase a ticket but fail to sit in the train, what is the
use?
Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna, who himself was a
family man, in order to show the world that this timeless message
is meant not only for renunciates but also for householders with
family and social responsibilities, who have an occupation and are
bewildered about proper execution of their duty while pursuing
the ultimate goal of life self realisation. Srila Prabhupada
brought that same message to all of us in the unbroken chain of
disciplic succession.
How Should The Knowledge Of The Bhagavad-Gita
Be Received?
To understand the
Bhagavad-gita, Krishna
advises us to approach a
bona fide spiritual master
who knows the truth (BG
4.34). Spiritual subject
matter is not a subject of
speculation or research. It
can be understood only by
submission and surrender
to a bona fide authority.
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Arjuna was confused about his duty and he surrendered to Krishna
and accepted him as his spiritual master and his illusion was gone.
What was available that day to Arjuna is available to us today.
There are so many commentaries on the Bhagavad-gita
available in the market which carry concoctions of the human
mind, owing to which they putrefy the readers with enjoying
mentality, rather than purify them to become exalted, pure hearted
devotees. Some of the most prominent misconceptions are as
follows:
1. Krishna is a mythological figure. He did not and does not
actually exist.
2. Krishna was a great man, but not the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.
3. Krishna was immoral.
4. There are many gods. They are all the same, and worship of
any of them is the same worship of Krishna.
5. By meditation and spiritual practice, anyone can become as
good as Krishna.
6. It is not the person Krishna who is to be worshiped but the
unborn, eternal nature within Krishna.
7. When Krishna is merciful to me, then I shall surrender to Him.
8. Bhakti is only a stepping stone to the achievement of jnana or
knowledge.
Although none of these ideas have either basis in reality or support
from scripture, and are thus completely fallacious, they have
somehow or other become popular in Hindu society. There are
dozens of fancy-sounding erroneous theories like the above. These
theories are propagated by envious people whose only business is
to make a pompous display of being religious. They divert their
followers away from the actual goal of religion, which is to
surrender wholeheartedly to Krishna.
Lord Krishna clearly mentions in the Bhagavad-gita that the
qualification for hearing or understanding the Bhagavad-gita is:
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bhakto si me sakha ceti: One should be a friend and
devotee of the Lord (BG 4.3)
idam tu te guhyatamam pravakshyami anasuyave: My
dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall
impart to you this most confidential knowledge and
realisation. (BG 9.1)
This confidential knowledge (of the Bhagavad-gita) may
never be explained to those who are not austere, or devoted,
or engaged in devotional service, nor to one who is envious of
Me. (BG 18.67)
Srila Prabhupada writes (BG
4.3 purport) about the envious
commentators as below: There
are two classes of men, namely
the devotee and the demon. The
Lord selected Arjuna as the
recipient of this great science
owing to his being a devotee of
the Lord, but for the demon, it is
not possible to understand this
great mysterious science. There
are a number of editions of this
great book of knowledge. Some
of them have commentaries by
the devotees, and some of them
have commentaries by the demons. Commentation by the devotees
is real, whereas that of the demons is useless. Arjuna accepts Sri
Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and any
commentary on the Gita following in the footsteps of Arjuna is
real devotional service to the cause of this great science. The
demoniac, however, do not accept Lord Krishna as He is. Instead,
they concoct something about Krishna and mislead general readers
from the path of Krishnas instructions. Here is a warning about
such misleading paths. One should try to follow the disciplic
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succession from Arjuna, and thus be benefited by this great
science of Srimad Bhagavad-gita.
Although these commentaries are written by great politicians,
scholars, logicians, academicians, and thinkers, and have found a
place in prominent libraries in the world, still, they were only
accumulating dust without anybody even referring to them. On the
other hand, Srila Prabhupada presented Bhagavad-gita As It Is in
the West and within two or three years, thousands of people
worldwide blossomed in their Krishna bhakti. Many Westerners,
although coming from wealthy and educated backgrounds,
renounced everything and dedicated themselves fully to the
preaching mission of Srila Prabhupada. Thousands of families
coming from various religions took to the Krishna faith and
moulded their lives according to Bhagavad-gita As It Is. How is
such a transformation of heart possible?
It was possible because Srila Prabhupada presented the
Bhagavad-gita exactly as Krishna wanted it to be presented. The
truth speaks for itself. Srila Prabhupada presented the
commentaries in line with all the previous acaryas, or spiritual
masters, coming in the disciplic succession which originates from
Lord Krishna Himself. Spiritual knowledge comes down in
disciplic succession through bona fide acaryas in four
sampradayas Brahma, Sri, Kumara and Rudra sampradayas. J ust
as electricity is produced at the power station, sent through thick
wires held by poles, and is available at a plug point, similarly
spiritual knowledge is spoken by Lord Krishna Himself to
Brahma, Lakshmiji, Rudra and the Kumaras, and is coming down
the line for the benefit of all people. Only when we receive
knowledge in sampradaya, it is safe. All others may be giving
some portion of the truth, but most of the spiritual organisations
have mixed up concepts because they lack connection to
sampradaya.
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What Is A Real Temple?
A real temple is like a university where systematic training is
given about knowledge and its application: Who is God? What is
the goal of human life? How to re-establish our relationship with
God? It is a spiritual hospital. At least one should learn four things
there:
What is the diagnosis of my disease? Ans. Material body
What caused the disease? Ans. wilful disobedience to the Lord
What is the treatment? Ans. Complete surrender to the Lord
What is the medicine? Ans. Hare Krishna Maha Mantra
Then our visit to the temple is successful. A temple is not for
ringing a bell, putting a coin and coming back. Unfortunately,
most of the Indian temples these days are places encouraging
some ritualistic worship. People never hear wisdom that will
answer the facts about life, death, God, Karma, goal of life, etc.
Due to family tradition or social pressure, people visit temples and
celebrate festivals without understanding the meaning and purpose
behind such worship.
A real temple is a place where the real devotees of the Lord
are available to enlighten the visitors. The devotees of the Lord are
living scriptures. They abide by the instructions of the Lord as
given in the scriptures. They have studied the scriptures and can
enlighten anyone about the message of God, and about how
should one lead his life. Such devotees chant the holy names,
dance for the pleasure of the Deities, distribute the mercy of the
Lord in the form of prasadam to the masses, deliver discourses
repeating the message of the previous acaryas to remove the
cataract of ignorance of the general masses. Then one can see the
Lord in the temple in proper perspective.
Srila Prabhupada, following in the footsteps of his spiritual
master, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, opened
temples in India and abroad. In these temples, he established high
standards of deity worship, publishing and distributing Vedic
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literature, mass
distribution of
prasadam, preaching
programs, celebrating
festivals like
J anmashtami, Rama
Navami, etc., and
inviting thousands of
people to join the
occasion. Thus, the
mercy of the Lord is
made available to people in a variety of ways.
One of the important duties of the temple is to engage the
congregation families in the Lords service. Everyone can engage
in the Lords service without discrimination. The male member,
leader of the family, can assist in managing temple affairs, fund
raising, construction, organising festivals, etc., while the women
can stitch dresses for the Deities, make garlands, cook bhoga,
decorate the temple for festivals, make jewellery, etc. Hundreds
and thousands of people are required to take the message of the
Lord to everyone.
At one time, when an epidemic started spreading all over,
government hospitals were full, beds were full. There were
patients everywhere - under the beds, on the sides, in the corridors,
outside, everything was full, and anyone who could do some
treatment was taken for service: Do it, do it, there is so much
need. So many people were required to give this medicine to as
many people as possible.
In the same way, all souls in the material world are suffering
from the disease of lack of Krishna consciousness and they have
come here to enjoy separately from Krishna in illusion. It is a
great service to deliver these children of God and send them back
to their original home the spiritual world. Temples and devotees
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are meant for that. Srila Prabhupada wanted to open temples for
that purpose. Every heart, home and street should have a temple.
What Does A Real Temple Teach The Visitors?
A real temple teaches the importance of:
(1) Association Of Devotees
The scriptures extol
the glories of associating
with a devotee. J ust as a
rod of iron put in fire
assumes the same
qualities of fire, in the
same way, by hearing
and applying what one
hears from a saintly
person, ones heart can
be transformed. A
simple and commonly
known evidence is of Valmiki, how he gave up his sinful life and
became a saintly person.
A sadhu is a devotee of the Lord. His concern, therefore, is to
enlighten people in devotional service. That is his mercy. He
knows that without devotional service, human life is spoiled. A
devotee travels all over the country, from door to door, preaching,
Be Krishna conscious. Be a devotee of Lord Krishna. Dont spoil
your life in simply fulfilling your animal propensities. Human life
is meant for self-realization, or Krishna consciousness. These are
the preachings of a sadhu. He is not satisfied with his own
liberation. He always thinks about others. He is the most
compassionate personality towards all fallen souls. One of his
qualifications, therefore, is karunika, great mercy to the fallen
souls.
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While engaged in preaching work, he has to meet with so
many opposing elements, and therefore, the sadhu has to be very
tolerant. Someone may ill-treat him because the conditioned souls
are not prepared to receive the transcendental knowledge of
devotional service. They dont like it; that is their disease. The
sadhu has the thankless task of impressing upon them the
importance of devotional service. Sometimes, devotees are
personally attacked with violence. Lord J esus Christ was crucified,
Haridasa Thakura was caned in twenty-two marketplaces, and
Lord Caitanyas principal assistant, Nityananda, was violently
attacked by J agai and Madhai. But still they were tolerant because
their mission was to deliver fallen souls.
A sadhu deals with all conditioned souls for their ultimate
relief from material entanglement. Therefore, no one can be
friendlier than a sadhu in relieving a conditioned soul. A sadhu is
calm, and he quietly and peacefully follows the principles of
scripture. A sadhu is also one who follows the principles of
scripture and at the same time, is a devotee of the Lord. One who
actually follows the principles of scripture must be a devotee of
God because all the sastras instruct us to obey the orders of the
Personality of Godhead. A sadhu, therefore, is a follower of the
scriptural injunctions and a devotee of the Lord. All good
characteristics are prominent in a devotee, and he develops all the
good qualities of the demigods, whereas a non-devotee, even
though academically qualified, has no good qualifications or good
characteristics according to the standard of transcendental
realization.
sadhu-sangasarva-sastre kaya: (Cc. Madhya 22.54): This
is the advice of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. All sastras advise us to
associate with a sadhu. Even Canakya Pandita, the great politician,
recommended: tyaja durjana-sasarga bhaja sadhu-
samgamam. One Vaishnava householder asked Caitanya
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Mahaprabhu what the duty of a householder is, and Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu immediately replied, asat-saga-tygaei vaiava-
cra: Dont associate with non-devotees, but search out a
sadhu. (Cc. Madhya 22.87)
At the present moment, it is very difficult to avoid the
company of asadhus, those who are not sadhus. It is very difficult
to find a sadhu for association. Srila Prabhupada has therefore
started this Krishna consciousness movement to create an
association of sadhus so that people may take advantage and
become liberated. There is no other purpose for this society.
Krishna states in the Bhagavad-gita (6.47) that the first-class
sadhu is one who is always thinking of Him. This process is not
very difficult. We should always think of Krishna, but how is this
possible? We think of our business, our dog, our family, our
lovable objects, and so many other things. We have to think of
something. We cannot remain without thinking. We simply have
to divert our thoughts to Krishna. It is the sadhus business to
teach this, and one can learn this in the association of a sadhu.
By the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON temples have
devotees practicing Krishna consciousness and preaching the same
for the benefit of common people. There are college programs,
house programs, school programs, and temple programs where
one can visit and learn how to begin applying the teaching of the
Bhagavad-gita in our daily life. There are special programs
arranged every Sunday, called Sunday Feast, where one can hear
a discourse, participate in the kirtans, honour the divine mercy of
the Lord in the form of prasadam and associate with devotees. One
should try to seek the association of devotees. Without
association, advancement is impossible.
(2) Dangers Of Materialistic Association
More important than associating with devotees is to avoid
materialistic association. Lord Caitanya gave his first instruction
to Sanatana Gosvami: asat sanga tyaga yei vaishnava acara: the
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first thing a Vaishnava should do is to give up the association of
non-devotees.
All mothers are aware,
Which school does my child go
to? Who are his friends?
because you become what you
associate with. If you associate
with those who have great love
for Krishna, then you also
advance and get surcharged. If
you associate with those who
have Krishna as the last priority
in their life, then you also
become like that.
According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, one should understand the
Supreme Lord to be the object of all love and affection, devotees
to be the real friends, the innocent to be proper recipients of our
preaching and envious people to be kept at a distance. One should
follow this standard if one wants to make progress in spiritual life.
Many of us mistake our greatest enemy to be our friend. Can
you guess who that enemy is? A clue -- we give him the most
prominent place at our homes and serve him with our family and
friends, practically everyday. We pay thousands of rupees to get
the association of that enemy and invite him home. Guess who?
The one-eyed demon: T.V. by pressing a button, all the sense
gratification that is there all around the world is at your finger tips.
Parents think, when the child is crying, that they can just press a
button and engage the child for two hours. Of course, the parents
may be relieved, but it is no exaggeration to say that they are
handing over their children in the hands of a deadly witch. What
700 years of Moghul rule and 200 years of British rule could not
do to shake the faith of Indians in Vedic culture, 20 years of TV
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has plucked out the Vedic culture from the root. And
unfortunately, we think it is our friend.
In the West, small children of 10 or 12 years age take guns in
their pockets to school and shoot the teachers and students. When
they were asked why they did this, their answer was that they did
it for fun. What was the fun? Normally, we try to check the
behaviour of the children, but the roots are deep down in their
memory. A research was done on their psychology. After the
research, they found out that there are about 125 channels shown
on the televisions in the West and in one day there about 18,000 to
20,000 scenes of violence that are being shown. As the children
are not much interested in the educative programmes, those scenes
of violence are being registered in their memory, so their thought
patterns are changing accordingly. They have begun to think in
that way. Their consciousness is built on the basis of their
thoughts. Their attitudes, and perceptions towards life and society
have changed, as also their behaviour. Ultimately, their complete
personality has changed. We can thus imagine how their future
will be shaped? If we are not aware of the quality of the inputs
absorbed by the memory, how can we change their behaviour and
personality? When a person gets into this vicious cycle, it is very
difficult for him to mange himself and in the later stages a great
frustration is created. One even finds difficult to survive.
Where do we break this vicious cycle? We all know that
without our conscious awareness the memory is absorbing
maximum negative input. Where do we bring the change from?
Memory Absorbs Input Like A Blotting Paper; Give Good
Quality Input
According to psychologists, the human memory is so powerful
in the early morning hours that it absorbs the inputs like a blotting
paper. We have to be selective, especially in the early morning
hours, when the memory is in a high state of absorbing. As such,
we have to be cautious of the quality of nourishment we are giving
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to our memory, because accordingly our entire system will
function. When I nourish my mind with healthy positive inputs, I
empower my self.
Spiritual dimension thus enables one to empower the self. That
is the only source from where we get quality information or
knowledge. Absorbing the mind in mantra meditation like
chanting Hare Krishna, reading scriptures like the Bhagavad-gita
or Srimad-Bhagavatam in the early morning hours purifies our
heart. Such divine knowledge generates will power and we can
thus take the focus of control in our own hands. Once we are self-
empowered, we look at the problems and situations in a different
way and instead of being influenced and controlled by them, we
can manage them in a better way so as to easily control them. We
can maintain a positive attitude, a positive thinking process and
deal accordingly. This is how we manage our complete inner
mechanism and prepare our consciousness to approach the Lord.
One should also keep a distance from, and give up the
association of:
Pseudo-religious groups that proclaim
some man as avatar or God and demand
blind faith and money from the masses.
Pseudo-yoga institutes that teach only
how to improve physical health through yoga
to have better sex life.
Mayavadi gurus who preach the
bogus philosophy that everyone is God or
can become God.
Sahajiyas or pseudo-devotees, who
take Krishna consciousness to be something
cheap. Without following the rules and
regulations of devotional service, they artificially consider
themselves highly advanced and make a false show of intense
devotion.
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Unscrupulous professional speakers of the Bhagavatam,
who make good money by titillating the mind and senses of the
masses by singing sweet songs on Krishna and reciting the tenth
canto of the Bhagavatam.
So-called sadhus who collect many followers by their
personal charisma, but they have nothing substantial to offer. They
entertain their followers by telling many stories, but hardly care to
teach them philosophy. They are strict with their disciples and
more or less let them do as they please. They offer material
benedictions, promising improved health, increased prosperity,
solving of problems, and so on.
Atheists who are out-rightly opposed to the will and plan
of God, and who subtly or grossly express their rebellion against
God and His scriptures. They may even pose as educated scholars,
scientists, social welfare workers, nationalists, etc.
Pretenders who put up the show of being a great devotee to
attract the publics eye only to earn name, fame, followers, women
and money.
Charismatic crowd-pullers who try to capture the limelight
by putting up all-pervading posters of themselves, ignoring God,
but who teach sub-religious principles of service to society,
parents, demigods, forefathers, or poor people. Such people keep
the masses in darkness.
Such cheaters sometimes pretend to be Vaishnavas. They wear
Vaishnava tilaka, chant the names of Krishna and Rama, and
speak on Krishna and Rama lila. However, their motive is not to
serve Krishna and Rama, but to exploit the sentiment of others.
Such persons should be avoided by those serious to advance in
pure devotional service. Those who are intelligent and sincere
should seek that association by which they can actually become
purified and free from material attachments by performing
regulated devotional service.
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(3) Accepting The Guidance Of A Spiritual Master, Guru
This material world is like an ocean and everyone in this world
is suffocating and suffering as if thrown in the middle of the
ocean. It is like the dark night for the soul. The spiritual master is
the messenger of God who enlightens us and delivers us from the
covering of ignorance. It is impossible for one to be delivered
from this world of suffering and achieve love for God without the
mercy and guidance of a spiritual master.
Intelligent human beings
must always remember that the
soul obtains a human form after
an evolution of many millions of
years in the cycle of
transmigration. The material
world is sometimes compared to
an ocean, and the human body is
compared to a solid boat
designed especially to cross this
ocean. The spiritual master is
compared to an expert boatman,
and the facilities of the human
body are compared to favourable
breezes that help the boat ply
smoothly to its desired
destination. With all these facilities, a human being can fully
utilize his life for self-realization and achieve perfection in this
very life. One should accept the guidance of such a captain
spiritual master in ones life, and safely cross the ocean of material
existence and return back home, back to Godhead.

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What Does The Guru Teach?
How To Be Krishna Conscious In Family Life
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. (SB
5.5.19)
Ordinarily, the spiritual master, husband, father, mother or
superior relative accepts worship from an inferior relative, but
here Rsabhadeva forbids this. First, the father, spiritual master or
husband must be able to release the dependent from repeated birth
and death. If he cannot do this, he plunges himself into the ocean
of reproachment for his unlawful activities. Everyone should be
very responsible and take charge of his dependents, just as a
spiritual master takes charge of his disciple, or a father takes
charge of his son. All these responsibilities cannot be discharged
honestly unless one can save the dependent from repeated birth
and death. Often, parents feel that their foremost duty towards
their children is to provide them with a nice education, a nice
bungalow to live in, a good wife, a good job, etc., but all these
things are temporary. Even cats and dogs have their offspring and
they give protection as well training in eating, sleeping, mating
and defending. But the first responsibility of anyone as a family
member is to liberate the dependent.
Pure Devotional Service To The Divine Couple, Sri Sri
Radha And Krishna
Only Krishna consciousness, especially as taught in the line of
Lord Caitanya, teaches how to be free from all personal motives,
and thus attain ones constitutional position as an eternal servant
of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Srila Rupa
Gosvami has defined this superlative standard thus:

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anyabhilashita shunyam jnana karmady anavrtam
anukulyena krishnanu shilanam bhaktir uttama

One should render transcendental loving service to the
Supreme Lord, Krishna, favourably, without desire for material
profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical
speculation. That is called pure devotional service. (Bhakti-
rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11)
The Krishna consciousness movement of Lord Caitanya
Mahaprabhu is a cultural, philosophical, and scientific
presentation meant for the re-spiritualization of the entire world. It
is a serious education, not an ordinary religion. It is a historically
authorized, natural and transcendental movement meant for a
complete overhauling of the whole social, political, religious,
moral, educational and hygienic principles.
Importance Of Following The Four Regulative Principles
No meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication, no illicit sex. If
one follows these principles, it is very easy to advance in spiritual
life. These are explained later.
Moral And Spiritual Honesty
The whole world is going on the path of immorality and
destruction, whereas the Vedic civilisation teaches the highest
principles of civilised human behaviour.
One should simplify ones life, and not go on increasing
necessities.
Once, a brahmacaris meditation was disturbed by a rat that bit
his loincloth. He got a cat to chase the rat. He had to get a cow to
feed milk to the cat. Now, the cow demanded so much attention
that he had to get married. And to maintain his wife and children,
he gave up his meditation and had to go out and work hard. In this
way, his ultimate purpose was defeated because of increasing
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necessities. We should simplify our life and not increase
necessities.
Highest honesty is to surrender to Krishna.
Once, three thieves broke into a bank, collected a good sum
and ran into the forest. One of the thieves went to pass stool while
the other two awaited him. One of them said, Hey! I think this is
the best moment for us. This fellow will take time to return. Come
on! Let us share the amount between both of us and run away.
The other thief said, No, no. We should be honest in sharing.
What you are saying is not proper. We all worked together to rob
the bank. Now we should all share it together honestly. All the
wealth of the world belongs to the Supreme Proprietor, Sri
Krishna. Without giving to Him, sharing His wealth amongst
ourselves even honestly and enjoying is no less than thievery.
Everything, including grains and gold, is created by God. If
someone gives them in charity, after first claiming proprietorship,
then he is considered a thief.
We should follow the isavasya principle not enjoying
beyond our quota.
One should be intelligent enough to know that, except for the
Lord, no one is a proprietor of anything. One should accept only
those things that are set aside by the Lord as his quota. The cow,
for instance, gives milk, but she does not drink that milk. She eats
grass and straw, and her milk is designated as food for human
beings. Such is the arrangement of the Lord. Thus, we should be
satisfied with those things He has kindly set aside for us, and we
should always consider to whom those things we possess actually
belong. Take, for example, our dwelling, which is made of earth,
wood, stone, iron, cement and so many other material things. If we
think in terms of Sri Isopanishad, we must know that we cannot
produce any of these building materials ourselves. We can simply
bring them together and transform them into different shapes by
our labour. A labourer cannot claim to be a proprietor of a thing
just because he has worked hard to manufacture it. Thus, the guru
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teaches the disciple to remember that, Everything belongs to
Krishna. I should accept only my quota of resources, be satisfied
with it and spend all the balance in Krishnas service.
Charity Is A Must For Householders
yajna dana tapas caiva pavanani maneesinam: One
becomes purified by performing penance, giving charity and
conducting sacrifice. Anything you give to anyone is not charity.
A wrong thing given to a wrong person at the wrong time, place or
circumstance is charity in the mode of ignorance. Giving the right
thing in the right place, but with a wrong motive is in the mode of
passion. For example, some people give charity with the desire,
Let the whole world know how great I am. But J esus said,
When the right hand gives charity, the left hand should not come
to know about it. Charity in the mode of goodness is given with
the thought, The brahmanas dont need it. But I need to give
charity for my purification.
Give Charity to the right person at the right time, place and
circumstances
Transcendental charity directly or indirectly helps others to get
Krishna.
For example, if a millionaires son is wandering like a
beggar in the street, giving him food, clothing, medicine, etc., is
not real help. One should take him back to his father, who can
fulfil all his needs with love.
For example, we should save the drowning man, not just
the coat. Similarly, we should save the suffering souls by giving
them Krishna consciousness and take them back to Godhead, not
just save their bodies by giving food and facilities. Krishna
considers this as the greatest charity.
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How To Dovetail Ones Occupation In Devotional Service?
Depending on whatever your talents or profession are
civil engineer, accountant, doctor, housewife, or student one can
render help to the temple devotees in promoting Krishna
consciousness.
There are grhasthas who make art and craft to preach
Krishna consciousness, stitch clothes for the Lord, make
ornaments for the Lord, help manage temple funds, do gardening
in the temple, sing during temple programs, and help in publishing
books, construction work, etc. All these activities become
completely spiritual as they are meant for promoting Krishna
consciousness.
How Can We Make Our Home into A Temple?
By establishing an altar,
By offering bhoga (food) to the Deity,
By offering arati to the Deity, and
By inviting family members to participate
The aforementioned items as well as the ones given below are
explained elaborately in the book A Beginners Guide To Krishna
Consciousness by His Holiness Bhakti Vikas Swami Maharaj.
How To Remain In Proper Consciousness Always?

J apa (chanting Hare Krishna)
Reading of scriptures
Hearing from advanced devotees
Regularly visiting the temple

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Guru And Disciple
Qualifications Of A Bona Fide Spiritual Master
(Please refer to Chapter 3 of our book Your Best Friend)
Well versed with the science of Krishna (yei krsna tattva vetta
sei guru haya)
Has heard the knowledge in one of the four paramparas
An acharya (one who sets his own example)
Following guru, sadhu and sastra
Has controlled the six urgesspeech, mind, anger, tongue,
belly and genitals
Has realised the conclusion of scriptures by deliberation
Fixed in devotional service to the Supreme Lord
Contribution of such an acarya is the establishment of true
temples that are colleges of higher education where one is
systematically educated and trained to perfect ones life.
Qualifications Of A Disciple
(Please refer to our publication, Your Best Friend)
Inquisitiveness to know the Absolute Truth
Submissive spirit
Service attitude
Diksha (Initiation)
What Happens By Diksha?
Diksha is a process by which
One can awaken his transcendental knowledge and
Vanquish all reactions caused by sinful activity.

divyam jnanam yato dadyat kuryat papasya sankshayam
Diksha actually means initiating a disciple with transcendental
knowledge by which he becomes freed from all material
contamination. (Cc. Madhya. 4.111)
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What If One Does Not Take Diksha?
Unless one is initiated by a bona fide guru, all his devotional
activities are useless. One can descend again into the animal
species.
To Carry The Supreme Personality Of Godhead Within
Ones Heart, One Must Be Initiated By Another Person
Krishna was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to the mind
of Devaki.
Devaki, being thus initiated by Vasudeva, became beautiful by
carrying Lord Krishna.
Unless one is initiated by the right person, who always carries
the Supreme Personality of Godhead within his heart, one
cannot acquire the power to carry the Supreme Personality of
Godhead within the core of ones own heart. The Lords
presence is awakened through initiation by guru.
Initiation Changes A Disciples Life
When Narada was impregnated with spiritual knowledge by
the grace of the great sages, there was a tangible change in his life,
although he was only a boy of 5 years. This is an important
symptom visible after initiation by the bona fide guru.
At The Time Of Initiation, The Disciple:
Agrees to give up sinful activity, and
Agrees to execute the order of the spiritual master
Once, Narada muni met a hunter, Mrigari, who was half
killing animals in the forest. By Narada munis mercy, his heart
transformed and he surrendered to him. As soon as Mrigari fell at
the feet of Narada and said, My dear sir, whatever you say I shall
do, Narada immediately ordered him, First of all, break your
bow. Then I shall tell you what is to be done. J ust as the sinful
act of half-killing animals with the bow was Mrigaris business,
the general people also indulge in the sinful acts of meat eating,
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gambling, intoxication and illicit sex. At the time of initiation, the
disciple promises the spiritual master that he/she will not commit
these four sinful acts again. He promises to execute the order of
guru. The spiritual master takes care of him and elevates him to
spiritual emancipation.
Who Is Qualified?
One who is prepared to practice austerity, celibacy, control
of mind and body, and
One who is eager to receive divya jnana - enlightenment
One should follow the four regulative principles and chant 16
rounds of the Hare Krishna maha mantra every day. The disciple
must also be eager to hear spiritual subject matter to make further
progress in Krishna consciousness.
Diksha, or spiritual initiation, is explained in the Bhakti-
sandarbha (868) by Srila J iva Gosvami:
divya jna yato dadyt kuryt ppasya sakayam
tasmd dketi s prokt deikais tattva-kovidai

By diksha, one gradually becomes disinterested in material
enjoyment and gradually becomes interested in spiritual life.
In Europe and America, many students who come to ISKCON
from rich and respectable families quickly lose all interest in
material enjoyment, and become very eager to enter into spiritual
life. Although they come from very wealthy families, many of
them accept living conditions that are not very comfortable.
Indeed, for Krishnas sake they are prepared to accept any living
condition as long as they can live in the temple and associate with
the Vaishnavas.
When one becomes so disinterested in material enjoyment, he
becomes fit for initiation by the spiritual master.
For the advancement of spiritual life Srimad-Bhagavatam
(6.1.13) prescribes: tapas brahmacaryea amena ca damena ca.
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When a person is serious about accepting diksha, he must be
prepared to practice austerity, celibacy and control of the mind
and body. If one is so prepared and is desirous of receiving
spiritual enlightenment (divyam jnanam), he is fit for being
initiated.
Divyam jnanam is technically called tad-vijnana, or
knowledge about the Supreme. Tad-vijnrtha sa gurum
evbhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) When one is interested in the
transcendental subject matter of the Absolute Truth, he should be
initiated. Such a person should approach a spiritual master in order
to take diksha.
Who Is Not Qualified?
One should not accept a spiritual master without following his
instructions. Nor should one accept a spiritual master just to make
a fashionable show of spiritual life. One must be jijnasu, very
much inquisitive to learn from the bona fide spiritual master. The
inquiries one makes should strictly pertain to transcendental
science (jijsu reya uttamam). The word uttamam refers to
that which is above material knowledge. Tama means the
darkness of this material world, and ut means transcendental.
Generally people are very interested in inquiring about mundane
subject matters, but when one has lost such interest and is simply
interested in transcendental subject matters, he is quite fit for
being initiated.
Choosing The Spiritual Master
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is
the Founder Acarya of ISKCON, as well as the pre-eminent siksha
guru for every one within ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada established
the Governing Body Commission (GBC) in 1970 for managing
and running ISKCON. There are gurus or spiritual masters who
are selected amongst highly qualified devotees and have been
endorsed by the GBC. The guru vows to guide his disciples by his
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own exemplary conduct according to Srila Prabhupadas
teachings, as well as GBC authority. One may choose one of these
authorised spiritual masters and accept diksha after deliberation.
More details can be obtained from the book, The Spiritual Master
and The Disciple, which is a compilation from Srila Prabhupadas
books. (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust)
The Golden Incarnation For The Iron Age
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna Himself, who appeared
500 years ago on this planet earth as the Kali Yuga Avatar,
specifically for the purpose of preaching Krishna-Bhakti, love of
Krishna, through congregational chanting of the Holy Names:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare
Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. In other words, He is
Lord Krishna Himself, teaching the living entities the proper way
to approach Krishna. He is like a teacher who, seeing a student
doing poorly, takes up a pencil and writes, saying, Do it like this:
A, B, C. By this, one must not think that the teacher is learning
his ABCs. Although He appears in the guise of a devotee, we
should always remember that Lord Caitanya is Krishna (God)
Himself teaching us how to become Krishna conscious.
Although Lord Caitanya Himself never declared that He was
Krishna, the Vedic literature reveals that He was. The Srimad-
Bhagavatam (11.5.32), for instance, not only identifies Lord
Caitanya but also describes His mission:
krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah

In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational
chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly
sings the name of Krishna. Although His complexion is not
blackish, He is Krishna Himself. He is accompanied by His
associates, servants, weapons, and confidential companions.
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Still, even if we grant that Lord Caitanya is Krishna, we may
ask, Why did Lord Krishna appear in this form? The answer is:
Lord Krishna in His form of Lord Caitanya most generously
distributes love of God to the fallen people of the age of Kali.
When Lord Krishna appeared on the earth five thousand years
ago, He blessed the world with His loving pastimes in Vrindavana
and with His teachings in the Bhagavad-gita. But with the passage
of time, it became more and more difficult for people to fully
appreciate and take advantage of that blessing. The present age,
the age of Kali, is characterized by the deterioration of spiritual
values and understanding. In the course of time, therefore, people
became confused about Lord Krishnas teachings in the Gita.
Also, the unfortunate people of this age are unable to practice
austerities for self purification in spiritual life. To rescue these
fallen souls, therefore, Lord Krishna again appeared, but this time
as His own pure devotee, Lord Caitanya.
The chanting of the holy names of God as delivered by Lord
Caitanya is not only an easy practice, but it is also the topmost
method for achieving spiritual perfection. No one but the Supreme
Lord Himself could distribute the highest form of devotional
service, and thus Lord Krishna Himself appeared as a devotee.
That is Lord Caitanya.
Lord Caitanya is Lord Krishna in His most merciful feature.
Therefore, even if one doesnt understand Lord Caitanyas identity
as the Supreme Lord, but accepts Him as a saintly person or as a
social reformer and philosopher, one can still derive the highest
benefit by chanting the names of God. Without knowing anything
at all about Lord Caitanya, people throughout the world have
enthusiastically participated in Lord Caitanyas sankirtana
movement of chanting, dancing and partaking of spiritual food
(prasadam). Through the growing Hare Krishna movement, Lord
Caitanyas prediction that His name would be chanted in every
town and village of the world is quickly coming to pass, and
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people all over the world are coming to know the holy name of
Krishna.
Chanting The Holy Name:
Meditation For The Modern Age
There are various methods for God realisation. In this age of
Kali yuga, according to all the revealed Vedic literatures, the
chanting of the Holy names:

is prescribed as the most sublime method for reviving our
transcendental consciousness.
It is the nature of the Hare Krishna maha mantra that anyone
who chants it immediately develops his loving ecstasy for
Krishna. (Caitanya Caritamrta, Adi lila 7.83)
Chanting of the Hare Krishna maha mantra is essential for
every serious devotee of Krishna. We should make it a habit to
chant a prescribed number of rounds everyday. J apa is best
chanted on a japa mala, so as to keep count of the number of times
we are chanting. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of ISKCON and empowered
propagator of the holy name in the present age, fixed sixteen
rounds (16 x 108 chants of the Hare Krishna mantra) as the
minimum for initiated devotees. One may start by chanting one
round and gradually increase to two, four, eight and in this way
come to the standard of sixteen rounds daily. Never decrease the
number of rounds chanted daily. This is all the more important for
initiated devotees.
While chanting a fixed number of rounds, we should focus on
improving the quality of chanting. One should attentively hear
every syllable of the maha mantra and call upon the name of the
Lord in the same mood of a child calling helplessly for its mother.
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This fervent call will attract the attention of the Lord and bring
mercy upon the sincere devotee.
Srila Prabhupada speaks about the nature of the Hare Krishna
maha mantra in his world-renowned audiotape: In the material
concept of life, we are busy in the matter of sense gratification, as
if we were in the lower animal stage. A little elevated from this
status of sense gratification, one is engaged in mental speculation
for the purpose of getting out of the material clutches. A little
elevated from this speculative status, when one is intelligent
enough, one tries to find out the supreme cause of all causes
within and without. And when one is factually on the plane of
spiritual understanding surpassing the stages of sense, mind and
intelligence, he is then on the transcendental plane. This chanting
of the Hare Krishna mantra is enacted from the spiritual platform,
and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of
consciousnessnamely sensual, mental, and intellectual. There is
no need, therefore, to understand the language of the mantra, nor
is there any need for mental speculation, nor any intellectual
adjustment for chanting this maha mantra. It is automatic, from the
spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in the
chanting, without any previous qualification.
The word Hara is the form of addressing the energy of the
Lord, and the words Krishna and Rama are forms of addressing
the Lord Himself. Both Krishna and Rama mean the supreme
pleasure, and Hara is the supreme pleasure energy of the Lord,
changed to Hare in the vocative.
The material energy, called maya, is also one of the
multifarious energies of the Lord. We, the living entities, are also
the energy (marginal energy) of the Lord. The living entities are
described as superior to material energy. When the superior
energy is in contact with the inferior energy, an incompatible
situation arises; but when the superior marginal energy is in
contact with the superior energy, Hara, it is established in its
happy, normal condition.
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These three words, namely Hara, Krishna and Rama, are the
transcendental seeds of the maha mantra. The chanting is a
spiritual call for the Lord and His energy, to give protection to the
conditioned soul. The chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of a
child for its mothers presence. Mother Hara helps the devotee
achieve the Lord Fathers grace, and the Lord reveals Himself to
the devotee who chants this mantra sincerely. No other means of
spiritual realisation is as effective in this age of quarrel and
hypocrisy as the chanting of the maha mantra:
Different Yugas Different Prescribed Methods
There are different techniques of God realisation taught for
different ages. For example, in
Satya yuga : Dhyana yoga, or Astanga yoga
Treta yuga : Yajna fire sacrifices
Dvapara yuga : Elaborate temple deity worship
Kali yuga : Nama sankirtan or chanting of the holy name
Dhyana yoga involves many austerities. One has to be a
celibate and cannot perform this in a fashionable city. One has to
go to the forest, and eat only dry leaves and roots. One has to
control the breathing process through pranayama and control the
mind and senses through pratyahara. One has to make a seat
neither too high nor too low, lay kusa grass, sit on it and meditate
on the Vishnu murti form in the heart. Since this method is so
difficult that even Arjuna rejected it, it is certainly impossible to
perform in the jet age of Kali yuga.
Yajna, or fire sacrifices, involve enormous expenditures for
the ingredients like ghee, silk, grains, gold, etc. Even if one has a
lot of wealth, one may not get qualified brahmanas whose power
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of chanting Vedic mantras can invoke fire automatically without
the use of matchsticks.
Elaborate temple worship requires strict rules and regulations
for deity worship. If a brahmana has to follow all the rules given
in Pancaratrika system completely, then probably he will never
come out of the bathroom. Such a high degree of purity is
required.
Chanting of the Holy Name or Nama sankirtana is the most
merciful and easiest process prescribed for Kali yuga. Chanting
can be done at any place, any time, by anybody (even by the most
fallen) without any restriction. In Kali yuga, chanting is prescribed
as the only yuga dharma as confirmed by the following scriptural
quotes:

kaler doa-nidhe rjann asti hy eko mahn gua
krtand eva kasya mukta-saga para 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 Krishna maha-mantra, one can become free from material
bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.(SB
12.3.51)
kali-kle nma-rpe ka-avatra
nma haite haya sarva-jagat-nistra

In this Age of Kali, the holy name of the Lord, the Hare
Krishna maha-mantra, is the incarnation of Lord Krishna. Simply
by chanting the holy name, one associates with the Lord directly.
Anyone who does this is certainly delivered. (CC.Adi.17.22)
harer nma harer nma harer nmaiva kevalam
kalau nsty eva nsty eva nsty eva gatir anyath

other way. There is no other way. There is no other way. (Brhan-
naradiya Purana 3.8.126)
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hare ka hare ka ka ka hare hare
hare rma hare rma rma rma hare hare
iti oaaka nmn kali-kalmaa-nana
nta parataropya sarva-vedeu dyate

After searching through all the Vedic literature, one cannot
find a method of religion more sublime for this age than the
chanting of Hare Krishna. (Kali Santaran Upanishad 5, 6)
Spiritual Sound & Material Sound
In the Padma Purana, it is mentioned:
nama cintamani krishnas caitanya rasa vigraha
purna suddho nitya mukto abhinnatvam nama naminah

The Holy name of Krishna is transcendentally blissful. It is
Krishna Himself and bestows all benedictions. It is not
contaminated by material qualities and is always liberated,
because the name of Krishna and Krishna Himself are identical.
In the material world, names have no significance. Some
beggar may possess the name Lakshmipati, and an ugly man
may possess the name Sundergopal. Their names have no
connection to their characteristics. Similarly, the name and the
very object are different in the material world.
For example, no one can quench his thirst by repeatedly
shouting Water, water, water This is because the substance
water and the word water is not the same. This is not true about
things on the Absolute plane. The sound vibration Krishna and
the Personality Krishna are non-different. This is the reason why
devotees of the Lord perceive the presence of Krishna as soon as
they chant the holy names of Krishna. And they can go on
chanting hours and hours for many, many years and even life long.
They will never get bored.
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If somebody argues that there is no greatness in simply
repeating some name for a few hours per day life long, then we
can ask him to utter Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola,, for a
couple of hours every day for at least a year. One will get fed up
within a day. It is not possible because it is an ordinary mundane
sound vibration, whereas the Hare Krishna chanting is a spiritual
sound vibration. If one chants Hare Krishna sincerely, it increases
ones ecstasy of chanting.
J ust as a child cannot differentiate between a Rs.500/-
currency note and a newspaper, a layman cannot understand the
difference between ordinary sound vibration and spiritual sound
vibration. The Hare Krishna chant is a spiritual sound vibration
and its results can be perceived by a sincere chanter.
Thus, amongst all the activities performed by a devotee, the
foremost activity is the chanting of Hare Krishna everyday. A
devotee of the Lord chants a prescribed number of rounds
everyday. In ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada has given 16 rounds of
chanting the Hare Krishna maha mantra on an everyday basis, and
following the regulative principles of no meat eating, no
gambling, no intoxication and no illicit sex. Anyone who chants in
this way can maintain a proper consciousness and further engage
in various services to Krishna by utilizing all his energies.
Four Regulative Principles
With the progression of the age of Kali, people are becoming
very proud, and attached to women and intoxication. By the
influence of the age of Kali, even a pauper is proud of his penny.
The women are always dressed in an overly attractive fashion to
victimize the minds of men, and the man is addicted to drinking
wine, smoking, drinking tea and chewing tobacco, etc.
All these habits, or so-called advancement of civilization, are
the root causes of all irreligiosities, and therefore it is not possible
to check corruption, bribery and nepotism. Man cannot check all
these evils simply by statutory acts and police vigilance, but he
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can cure the disease of the mind by the proper medicine, namely
advocating the principles of brahminical culture, or the principles
of austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness.
The principles of religion do not
stand on some dogmas or man-made
formulas, but they stand on four primary
regulative observances, namely Austerity,
Cleanliness, Mercy and Truthfulness. The
mass of people must be taught to practice
these principles from childhood.
Austerity means to accept voluntarily
things which may not be very
comfortable for the body, but are
conducive for spiritual realisation, for
example, fasting for spiritual realisation.
Cleanliness is necessary both for the
mind and for the body. Simply bodily
cleanliness may help to some extent, but cleanliness of the mind is
necessary, and it is effected by glorifying the Supreme Lord. No
one can cleanse the accumulated mental dust without glorifying
the Supreme Lord.
By pride (artificial / real), the resultant action of austerity is
spoiled; (intoxication)
By too much affection for female association, cleanliness is
spoiled; (illicit sex)
By addiction to meat-eating, mercy is spoiled; and (meat-
eating)
By too much lying propaganda, truthfulness is spoiled.
(gambling)
The principles of religion, namely austerity, cleanliness, mercy
and truthfulness, may be followed by the follower of any faith.
The principles of religion are not the dogmas or regulative
principles of a certain faith. One has to see whether the aims of
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religion have been achieved. Sticking to the dogmas and formulas
without attaining the real principles is not good. A secular state
may be impartial to any particular type of faith, but the state
cannot be indifferent to the principles of religion as mentioned
above.
It is the duty of all leaders to see that the principles of religion,
namely austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness, are
established in the state, and that the principles of irreligion,
namely pride, illicit female association or prostitution, intoxication
and falsity, are checked by all means. Those who are addicted to
these irreligious habits may be regulated by the injunctions of the
scripture.
1) No Meat Eating
Most people in todays society eat meat, fish and eggs without
giving it a thought. Now health professionals are discovering that
meat eating is not good for ones health. It leads to diseases like
cancer. Meat-eating is meant for carnivorous animals like the tiger
or dog because:
The gastric juice for digestion is 20 times more concentrated
than in our stomach; they can digest 20 times faster than human
beings. But if human beings eat meat, due to indigestion, it
leads to various complicated diseases.
Their intestines are small and so meat quickly passes through.
Human beings have intestines 30 feet long and meat takes a
long time to pass through. During this period, it can undergo
organic decay and lead to diseases.
Carnivorous animals sweat through their tongues (dog or tiger),
whereas herbivorous beings (like cows, elephants, human
beings) sweat through body pores.
By economic consideration, health consideration, religious
consideration meat-eating is bad. So we should give up meat
eating. The principle of not eating meat includes fish and eggs too.
Fish are living beings, like other animals who have consciousness
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and feel pain. Eggs are a very unclean food and not fit to be
offered to the Lord or eaten.
Eating meat means violence. To eat meat, you must kill and
most of the time, the killing is done in very cruel and painful
ways. As one gets used to killing and violence, his heart becomes
hard and it no longer seems cruel or wrong. A hard-hearted person
is not likely to be merciful.
Mercy is important in spiritual life. The qualities of
forgiveness, pity, kindness and compassion are all aspects of
mercy. Without these qualities, can one be very religious? No,
without mercy, one cannot develop his spiritual life very far.
The Vedic scriptures contain many verses in regard to eating
meat and protecting animals. Dont the following verses indicate
that vegetarianism is recommended?
You must not use your God-given body for killing Gods
creatures, whether they are human, animal, or whatever. (Yajur
Veda, 12.32)
By not killing any living being, one becomes fit for salvation.
(Manu Smrti, 6.60)
Those who are ignorant of real dharma and, though wicked
and haughty, consider themselves as virtuous, kill animals without
any feeling of remorse or fear of punishment. Further, in their next
lives, such sinful persons will be eaten by the same creatures they
have killed in this world. (SB 11.5.14)
The Muslim religion also allows animal slaughter only as a
qurban or sacrifice. Such a sacrifice must be performed near the
mosque. Islam does not allow animal slaughter in slaughterhouses.
It is mentioned in the Quran, that when Allah created the earth, He
produced fruits as food for mankind. (2.35). For those who are
really attached to eating meat, Allah allowed the sacrifice of
animals such as sheep, goats and camels. Such animals could be
sacrificed at the proper place, by proper persons and in the proper
way. Then the body of the animal should be divided into seven
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parts, and six parts distributed to the poor people and the
remainder could be eaten by oneself. Only then it can be classed
as halal or lawful meat, otherwise it is haram or unlawful. The
result of following this procedure is that lusty desires for flesh
eating will diminish, and a person will then start eating only pure
foodstuff like fruits, grains and vegetables, which are actually
intended for humans by God.
Allah allowed sacrificial meat, but not the opening of slaughter
houses where thousands of innocent animals are killed just to
satisfy the tongue. For example, we can find the following ayats
in the Holy Quran (5.3): Forbidden to you are meat of dead
animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and That which has been
killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, that which has been
eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it in due
form; that which is sacrificed on stone altars... Besides that, it is
mentioned that within the limits of the most holy place, Mecca,
slaughtering of animals is prohibited. (Quran 5.1)
You Become What You Eat
You can compare the qualities of the three animals to
understand how we become what we eat.
Elephant mode of goodness: Eats only fresh vegetarian food;
large, strong and gentle; due to its intelligence, it learns to
work well with humans.
Tiger mode of passion: Kills and eats flesh of other animals;
fierce, aggressive nature; very restless.
J ackal mode of ignorance: Rather than seek its own food, it
eats whatever is leftover after another animal has eaten; tends
to be fearful; lazy animal, nocturnal, shuns daylight.
Some people are proud of being vegetarians, but the goal of
life is not to become just vegetarians. For that matter, even
monkeys and elephants are vegetarians. They dont have any
spiritual acumen to understand higher truths of life. Prabhupada
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would say, We are not vegetarians, we are Krishna-tarians! We
eat food that is first offered to Krishna.
Sometimes the question is put before us, You ask us not to
eat meat, but you are eating vegetables. Do you think that is not
violence? The answer is that eating vegetables is also violence,
and vegetarians are also committing violence against other living
entities because vegetables also have life. Non-devotees are killing
cows, goats and so many other animals for eating purposes, and a
devotee, who is vegetarian, is also killing. But here, significantly,
it is stated that every living entity has to live by killing another
entity. That is the law of nature. Jvo jvasya jvanam: one living
entity is the life for another living entity. But for a human being,
that violence should be committed only as much as necessary.
Also, the nervous system of plants is not as developed as animals.
When we kill a plant, an animal and a human being, the proportion
of intensity of pain increases in the same order. Still, there is some
sin associated with killing plants also. That is why devotees of the
Lord offer the food as a sacrifice to Krishna before they consume
it. Once it is offered to Krishna in love and devotion, it becomes a
karma free diet.
By performance of yajnas, offering food to the Lord, all
activities become purified, as it is stated in the Vedas: hra-
uddhau sattva-uddhi sattva-uddhau dhruv smti smti-
lambhe sarvagranthn vipramoka. By performance of yajna,
ones eatables become sanctified, and by eating sanctified
foodstuffs, ones very existence becomes purified. By the
purification of existence finer tissues in the memory become
sanctified, and when memory is sanctified, one can think of the
path of liberation, and all these combined together lead to Krishna
consciousness, the great necessity of present-day society.
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2) No Intoxication
Intoxication means to make drunk, as with an alcoholic liquor
or a drug. There are many, many forms of intoxication. Alcohol,
drugs, nicotine and caffeine are some of the most common means
of intoxication. To learn about Krishna and to reach the spiritual
world, one must be very clear-headed.
Intoxication makes us forget and makes us lose our good
sense. These are two reasons why people WANT to drink or take
drugs. For a short time, while intoxicated, a person can forget his
troubles. The problem is that the troubles havent gone away, and
the good time is over when the intoxication wears off.
Using alcohol and drugs weakens the principle of austerity. It
takes away self control and allows the drugs or alcohol to control
you. Your mind is not your own anymore, and the intoxicant can
make you do foolish things that you will regret later. Intoxication
neither benefits the one who indulges in it, nor others around him.
It gives immediate flickering gratification without caring for the
most dangerous (sometimes even death) consequences.
For spiritual life, we must have the strength to give up some
seemingly pleasurable things to attain a higher goal. Is it not true
even for a successful material life, too? Intoxication robs us of that
strength. It robs us of good intelligence and wise judgment.
Caffeine (in tea and coffee) and nicotine (in cigarettes and
chewing tobacco) are both highly addictive substances. Both cause
many health problems. When one is addicted to anything, it means
that his senses are not under his control. He is being controlled by
something else. In Krishna consciousness, we want to be free to
serve Krishna fully with our senses and our mind, but being under
the control of an addiction hampers that ability. If we become
addicted to Krishna, that will lead us to the ultimate goal of
reaching Krishna in the spiritual world.
All drug addictive substances initially give a feeling of elation,
but very soon make a person glide down to the stage of
depression. In depression, one may again take further intoxication
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to elate oneself, and in this way one becomes more and more
depressed, losing ones proper state of consciousness. This is the
result of intoxicating oneself with tea, wine or cigarettes.
We read in the story of Nalakuvara and Manigriva, how
Narada muni was disgusted when he saw the shameful behaviour
of the two demigods. How foolish they looked with their rolling
eyes and drunken smiles, not even realising that they were not
properly dressed! Narada wanted to stop their degrading
behaviour. He wanted them to be able to see Krishna face to face.
So he cursed them in a way that would accomplish both of these
wishes. They became two tall yamala-arjuna trees. When the
grinding mortar tied to Krishnas hip got stuck between the trees,
the two trees cracked and fell on the ground. Out of the broken,
fallen trees came the two great demigods, shining like blazing fire.
The two purified brothers came before Krishna and bowed down
to offer their respects and prayers. In this way, Manigriva and
Nalakuvara were released from their curse and were able to
personally see Krishna. They had learned a valuable lesson about
the dangers of intoxication.
3) No Illicit Sex
One of the basic principles of spiritual life is realizing that we
are not the body, we are spirit soul. Yet the natural attraction
between men and women is one thing that makes us forget that. A
man sees a woman and immediately thinks, Oh, what a pretty
girl! And I am a handsome man. I wonder if I can impress her so
that she will notice me! A woman sees a man and thinks, How
can I dress myself to make myself more attractive to that man? I
wonder if he thinks I am pretty. Do I look good enough for him, I
wonder? Both are thinking of themselves as man and woman,
attractive or ugly, desirable or undesirable. In other words, they
are thinking of themselves as their bodies. They are not thinking,
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She is a spirit soul. I wonder how she likes to serve the Lord, or
He is Krishnas servant.
The attraction between men and women is the strongest
attraction in the material world. Because of romance, men have
been killed, families have been broken, and wars have been
fought. In this day and age, a lot of emphasis is put on how to
make oneself more attractive to the opposite sex. But this
attraction and desire is simply a distraction for spiritual life.
The scriptures warn us about engaging in illicit sex. That
means sex outside of marriage. In Vedic life, having boyfriends or
girlfriends before marriage or after marriage, is not considered
natural, and not at all beneficial for progressive Krishna
consciousness.
Chastity and modesty are two highly esteemed qualities that
are not often practiced these days. To be chaste means to be pure,
decent and modest in your behaviour. Modesty means to behave in
a way that is considered proper and reserved. Modesty and
chastity can be practiced in the way we speak, act and dress.
The temple is a good example of chastity and modesty in
practice. We come to the temple to concentrate on Krishna. We
are not there to become attracted to the opposite sex. That is why
the men and women are generally on different sides of the temple
room. It is easier to focus on Krishna if you are not thinking about
the cute guy or the pretty girl sitting next to you.
Women wear saris that cover their bodies decently and dont
distract the men. Men wear dhotis and kurtas, loose and
comfortable, which are not made to be dashing and stylish. Would
anyone be looking at Krishna on the altar if all the people in the
temple room were dressed in skirts and boxer shorts? Behaving in
a chaste and modest manner frees our mind, so that we can bring
ourselves to a higher level, one beyond this material body.
The power of man is brahmacarya or celibacy and the power
of women is chastity. Chaste women like Savitri, Gandhari and
Kunti had great powers. That is why in the Vedic lifestyle, a boy
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would be trained in gurukula at the residence of a guru without
discriminationwhether one is son of a king or the son of a poor
man. After learning austerity, self-control, service attitude,
simplicity, honesty, etc., one was allowed to enter into the next
stage of life, namely grhastha ashrama married life.
The Value Of Semen
The vital energy, the Veerya which supports your life, which is
the Prana of the Pranas, which shines in your sparkling eyes,
which glows in your shining cheeks, is a great treasure for you.
Veerya is the quintessence of blood. One drop of semen is
manufactured out of 40 drops of blood. Note here how valuable
this fluid is!
According to Ayurveda, semen is the last dhatu that is formed
out of food. Out of food is manufactured chyle. Out of chyle
comes blood. Out of blood comes flesh. Out of flesh comes fat.
Out of fat comes bone. Out of bones comes marrow. Out of
marrow comes semen. These are the Sapta dhatus that support this
life and body. Semen is the last essence. It is the essence of all
essences.
J ust as sugar is all-pervading in sugarcane, butter in milk, so
also semen is pervading the whole body. J ust as butter milk is thin
after the butter is removed, so also, semen is thinned by its
wastage. The more the wastage of semen the more is the
weakness. In the Yoga Sastras it is said: maranam bindu patanat
jivanam bindu raksanat Falling of semen brings death;
preservation of semen gives life. It is the hidden treasure in man. It
imparts Brahma-Tejas to the face and strength to the intellect.
Modern Medical Opinion
Eminent European medical men also support the statements of
the Yogis of India. Dr. Nicole says: This vital fluid of man
carried back and diffused through his system makes him manly,
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strong, brave and heroic. If wasted, it leaves him effeminate, weak
and physically debilitated and prone to sexual irritation and
disordered function, a wretched nervous system, epilepsy, and
various other diseases and death. The suspension of the use of the
generative organs is attended with a notable increase of bodily and
mental and spiritual vigour.
Dr. E. P. Miller says, All waste of spermatic secretions,
whether voluntary or involuntary, is a direct waste of the life-
force. It is almost universally conceded that the choicest element
of the blood enters into the composition of the spermatic secretion.
If these conclusions are correct, then it follows that a chaste life is
essential to mans well being.
Glory Of Brahmacarya
Brahmacarya is the shield for waging war against the internal
asuras lust, anger and greed. It serves as a gateway to the bliss
beyond. It opens the door to the spiritual world if added to
devotional service. Even Rishis, Devas, Gandharvas and Kinnaras
serve at the feet of a true Brahmacari.
brahmacaryena tapasa deva mrityum upagnataa The Vedas
declare that by Brahmacarya and penance, the Devas have
conquered death. The great Hanuman, Bhisma, Lakshmana are
practical examples. J ust as the oil comes up in a wick and burns
with glowing light, so also, the Veerya or semen flows up by the
practice of Sadhana and is converted into Tejas or Ojas. The
brahmacari shines with Brahmic aura in his face. Brahmacarya is
the blossomed flower of life around which the bees of strength,
patience, knowledge, and purity wander about humming hither
and thither. By the practice of Brahmacarya longevity, glory,
strength, vigour, knowledge, wealth, undying fame, virtues and
devotion to the truth increase.
After Dhanvantari had taught all the details about Ayurveda to
his disciples, they enquired about the keynote of this medical
science. The Master replied, I tell you that Brahmacarya is truly a
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precious jewel. It is the one most effective medicinenectar
indeedwhich destroys diseases, decay and death. For attaining
peace, brightness, memory, knowledge, health and self-realisation,
one should observe Brahmacarya which is the highest dharma.
Brahmacarya is the highest knowledge; Brahmacarya is the
greatest strength. Brahmacarya can undo all inauspicious signs.
When there is purity, the rays of the mind are not dissipated.
Focussing of the mind becomes easy. Concentration and purity go
together. Although a sage talks a few words only, a deep
impression is produced in the minds of the hearers. This is due to
his Ojas Shakti which is conserved by the preservation of semen
and its transmutation.
A true brahmacari in thought, word and deed has wonderful
thought-power. He can move the world. If you develop strict
celibacy, vichara shakti (power of enquiry) and dharana shakti
(power of grasping and holding the truth) will develop.
Continence increases infinitely the power of retentive memory.
The strict celibate has keen and acute memory even in old age.
Lakshmana followed Sri Rama for the long period of 14 years,
though he was perfectly aware of the dangers of the forest.
Lakshmana was pure in thought, word and deed. He led the life of
an ideal brahmacari during the 14 years of exile. He never looked
at the face or body of Sita. His eyes were ever directed towards
her lotus feet only. When Sugriva brought Sitas cloak and jewels,
which she had allowed to fall on the earth while she was being
carried away, Rama showed them to Lakshmana and asked
whether he recognised them. Lakshmana said:
naham janami keyure naham janami kankane
nupura eva janami nityam padabhi vandanat

I do not recognise the bracelets or ear-rings; I know only the
anklets, for I worshiped her feet alone. See how Lakshmana
revered Goddess Sita as mother!
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Thus, the sastras instruct one to see everyone as our mother
except ones own wife. If this system is followed, one can lead a
pure life and be able to focus ones mind on God peacefully.
Illicit sex destroys the pillar of cleanliness. Many diseases are
associated with illicit sex which destroys the cleanliness of the
body. It also destroys the cleanliness of the mind, for one whose
mind dwells on these thoughts loses his purity of mind.
4) No Gambling
Gambling is to play games of chance for money, or to take a
risk in order to gain some advantage. Card games, horse racing,
dog racing, lotteries and casino games are some common types of
gambling.
In gambling, generally the odds are against you. That means
that there is a greater chance that you will lose than win. When
someone gambles, naturally he wants to win, and he may think up
ways of how he can cheat in order to beat the odds. Gambling
encourages cheating and it destroys the pillar of truthfulness.
The whole principle of gambling is based on cheating people
and taking advantage of them. By gambling, one becomes more
and more greedy to accumulate money. In order to accomplish
this, one may beg, borrow, steal or even go to the extent of
murder.
Whose money is being gambled away? If everything is to be
used in Krishnas service, how is gambling a proper use of
money? That money can be used, rather than misused, for very
beneficial things.
Gambling, like intoxication, easily becomes an addiction. The
gambler gets the fever of desire for the big win and easy
money. This fever is impossible to extinguish. Once again, self
control is lost and gambling controls the gambler.
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Controlling The Senses
All of these habits, eating meat, illicit sex, intoxication and
gambling, interfere with spiritual life and material life. And only
one thing is needed to avoid them forever: self-control. Self
control means that the senses are controlled by good intelligence.
This sounds simple, but must really be very difficult if we
examine the number of people who are hooked by these habits and
cannot stop. The Bhagavad-gita also warns of this loss of self-
control in the second chapter (2.58-61, 2.64, 2.68).
Over and over again, Krishna tells Arjuna about the
importance of controlling the senses. We see what can happen if
the senses are allowed to run wild: alcoholism, drug addiction,
compulsive gambling, cancer, venereal disease, AIDS, etc.
How do we control the senses? Is our religion a denying
religion, in which we must always be saying, No, I cant do
thator that eithersorry, I cant do that? Does following
these principles mean that you must grit your teeth and say no
even though you feel that you are missing out on something and it
takes all your will power to resist? No, controlling the senses does
not have to be so difficult.
Society recognizes that addictions are almost impossible to
overcome without Gods help. There are some well known
successful programs that help individuals beat their addictions:
Alcoholics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous and Narcotics
Anonymous are examples. They rely on a 12 step program which
emphasizes the power and control of the Lord. The recovering
addict MUST surrender himself to a higher power (God) and
always rely on His help to overcome the addiction that has control
over him. Only with the Lords help can we control our senses. On
our own, we are very small and weak.
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If we say yes to the following A B C D aspects of Krishna
consciousness, saying no to the harmful things that attract us
will not be so difficult.
Association
Birds of the same feather flock together is a common saying.
The people whom we associate with will also have an influence on
us. By associating with devotees, we get strength and support.
Having friends among people with the same morals and spiritual
goals will help immensely.
Two parrots were brothers. They were sold in the
market. One was bought by a king. Another one was
bought by a butcher. Once, a sadhu was passing by the
butchers shop and happened to hear the parrot calling
out vulgar words. The sadhu plugged his fingers into his
ears and escaped from there. He went to the kings court
where he heard the other parrot speaking sweet words,
Hare Krishna! Please come in sir! Would you like to
have some water? Please take your seat. The king will
arrive in a few minutes. Hare Krishna! Hearing this,
the sadhu expressed his surprise, How is it that your
brother is speaking harsh words and you are speaking
nectarine words? The parrot spoke a verse:
gau aashanena vaakyam shrunoti aham ca rajan
vacananam muneenam
nasty asya dosho na ca mad guno va samsargajaa
dosha guna bhavanti

My brother hears the words of the cow-eating
butcher. I am hearing the divine vibration of the sages
visiting the king. My brother has no fault, nor am I
greater in any way. Its all a result of association that
one gets good or bad qualities.
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Thus by the association of sincere devotees we can also think,
speak and do Krishna conscious things and we can easily control
our senses. In ISKCON temples, Srila Prabhupada has organized
the early morning program of Mangal aratik, Nrsimha arati, Tulasi
arati, Shringar darshan, Guru puja, Srimad-Bhagavatam class and
Bhagavad-gita class in the evening. Any one who regularly attends
these programs, discusses Krishna katha with devotees and
develops loving relationships in the devotional community, will
never hanker for the false mirage love promised by the material
world.
Book Reading
Srila Prabhupada mercifully has left behind a rich volume of
devotional literature that can keep us completely absorbed in
Krishna consciousness 24 hours a day. By reading the scriptures
like the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, we learn about
an eternal blissful life awaiting us when we become purified. We
come to know that there is something much better than the high
you can get from drugs, sex or alcohol. This gives us an incentive
to control our senses. This will be discussed more in the 8
th

chapter, Cultivating Remembrance of Krishna.
Chanting
Chanting the maha mantra helps very much. Chanting Hare
Krishna is the recommended method in this age for self
realisation. If we take to this process on a daily basis, our material
urges will subside. In fact, the real key to spiritual progress lies in
chanting Hare Krishna attentively everyday. As one progresses,
one should focus attention on improving the quality of utterance of
the holy name. When quality improves, three things happen one
gets a taste for more chanting, one feels thoroughly contended and
satisfied, and one feels powerful and eager to preach the glories of
the Lord and His divine name, exactly as a hungry man who has
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eaten a plate full of mahaprasadam feels a great taste in the
tongue, satisfaction, and strength to perform services.
Diet: Eating Krishna Prasadam
By accepting prasadam, food offered to Krishna, our desire to
eat meat and similar things goes away. Prasadam purifies ones
consciousness and helps one to advance quickly.
In the Third Chapter, verse thirteen, Sri Krishna explains that
only the remains of sacrifice are purified and fit for consumption
by those who are seeking advancement in life and release from the
clutches of the material entanglement. Those who do not make an
offering of their food, He says in the same verse, are eating only
sin. In other words, their every mouthful is simply deepening their
involvement in the complexities of material nature. But preparing
nice, simple vegetable dishes, offering them before the picture or
Deity of Lord Krishna and bowing down and praying for Him to
accept such a humble offering enables one to advance steadily in
life, to purify the body, and to create fine brain tissues which will
lead to clear thinking. Above all, the offering should be made with
an attitude of love. Krishna has no need of food, since He already
possesses everything that be, yet He will accept the offering of one
who desires to please Him in that way. The important element, in
preparation, in serving and in offering, is to act with love for
Krishna.
In actuality, Krishna, the Supreme Godhead, has senses, and it
is stated that His senses are interchangeable; in other words, one
sense can perform the function of any other. This is what it means
to say that Krishna is absolute. Lacking senses, He could hardly be
considered full in all opulences. In the Seventh Chapter, Krishna
has explained that He impregnates the living entities into material
nature. This is done by His looking upon material nature. And so
in this instance, Krishnas hearing the devotees words of love in
offering foodstuffs is wholly identical with His eating and actually
tasting. This point should be emphasized: because of His absolute
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position, His hearing is wholly identical with His eating and
tasting. Thus, whoever eats the remnants of food offered to
Krishna becomes purified at heart.
Let us say YES to the ABCD of Krishna consciousness and
NO to the four vices and achieve the ultimate goal of life.

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Chapter 8

Cultivating
Remembrance Of
Krishna

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This chapter, we can say, is the cream of this book as it
focuses on the most essential aspects of devotional service. After
establishing the authenticity of devotional service as the only
means for uprooting ignorance and concomitant misgivings, this
chapter further elaborates on hearing, chanting and remembering
Sri Krishna. The simple illustrations given about how one can
remember Krishna always, and the histories of various
personalities who were in total absorption of Krishna in various
moods, bring out the essential theme of how one should actually
cultivate remembering Krishna in order to prepare himself, or
herself, for returning to Krishna after death.
Understanding The Supreme Position Of Krishna

At the end of the sixth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, Lord
Krishna declared that one who abides in Him with great faith and
thinks of Him within himself and renders transcendental loving
service to Him, is most intimately connected to Him, and is the
highest yogi. In the seventh chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, Lord
Krishna teaches how by hearing about Krishna and His Supreme
position, one can develop firm attachment to Krishna and always
think of Him. Srila Prabhupada writes (BG 7.4):
It is not possible for the Brahman-realized impersonalist or the
Paramatma-realized yogi to understand Krishna, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, as the son of mother Yashoda or the
charioteer of Arjuna.
Even the great demigods are sometimes confused about
Krishna muhyanti yat sraya (SB 1.1.1)
M tu veda na kacana: The Lord says, No one knows Me
as I am. (BG 7.26)
And if one does know Him, then sa mahtm su-durlabha:
Such a great soul is very rare. (BG 7.19)

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323
Therefore, unless one practices devotional service to the Lord,
one cannot know Krishna as He is (tattvatah), even though one is a
great scholar or philosopher. Only the pure devotees can know
something of the inconceivable transcendental qualities in
KrishnaHis being the cause of all causes, His omnipotence and
opulence, and His wealth, fame, strength, beauty, knowledge and
renunciationbecause Krishna is benevolently inclined to His
devotees. He is the last word in Brahman realization, and the
devotees alone can realize Him as He is.
Krishnas Inferior Material Energy
Material energy consists of eight elements earth, water, fire,
air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego. Generally, one who
does not know the science of God (Krishna), assumes that this
material world is for the enjoyment of the living entities and that
the living entities are the purusasthe causes, controllers and
enjoyers of the material energy. Material nature is inferior energy
and the jiva souls are superior energy; both of them are
categorised under prakriti, which means that they belong to Lord
Krishna and are meant for His enjoyment.
This material world is a temporary manifestation of one of the
energies of the Lord. All the activities of the material world are
directed by these three Visnu expansions of Lord Krishna. These
purusas are called incarnations and described in the Satvata-tantra:
vios tu tri rpi purukhyny atho vidu
eka tu mahata sra dvitya tv aa-sasthitam
ttya sarva-bhta-stha tni jtv vimucyate

For material creation, Lord Krishnas plenary expansion
assumes three Visnus. The first one, Maha-Visnu, creates the total
material energy, known as the mahat-tattva. The second,
Garbhodakasayi Visnu, enters into all the universes to create
diversities in each of them. The third, Ksirodakasayi Visnu, is
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diffused as the all-pervading Supersoul in all the universes and is
known as Paramatma. He is present even within the atoms.
Anyone who knows these three Visnus can be liberated from
material entanglement.
Krishnas Superior Spiritual Energy
The inferior energy is matter manifested in different elements,
namely earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false
ego. Both forms of material nature, namely gross (earth, etc.) and
subtle (mind, etc.), are products of the inferior energy. The living
entities, who are exploiting these inferior energies for different
purposes, are the superior energy of the Supreme Lord, and it is
due to this energy that the entire material world functions.
Energies are always controlled by the energetic, and therefore the
living entities are always controlled by the Lordthey have no
independent existence. They are never equally powerful, as some
unintelligent men think. J ust like behind the drama actors and
drama rehearsal, there is a director; behind the family members
and maintenance of home, there is father who fulfils all their
necessities. Similarly all the living entities small and big as
well as material nature are maintained by Krishna.

Krishna Is The Cause Of Everything - There Is No Truth
Beyond Krishna
Superior to both matter and spirit, however, is Krishna the
origin of both. Krishna, however, has no origin. As Brahma
confirms in Brahma Samhita (1.1), iswarah parama krsna sac-
cid-ananda vigrahah, anadir adir govindah sarva karana
karanam, Krishna has a transcendental form that is full of
eternity, knowledge and bliss; He has no beginning, yet He is the
source of everything; indeed, He is the cause of all causes.
Nothing is equal to Him or superior to Him. He cannot be
controlled by anyone or anything. He has no fear from any

325
enemies as no one can harm His sac-cid-ananda body. Many
living entities who considered themselves His enemies such as
Kamsa, Sisupal, Hiranyakasipu, Ravana, etc., have earned the
consequence of their own misdeeds, but Lord Krishna has no
enmity with anyone. No one can do any favour to Him as
everything in the creation belongs to Him.
As mentioned in the verse, yam brahma varunendra rudra
marutah Unto that personality whom Brahma, Varuna, Indra,
Rudra and the Marutas praise by chanting transcendental hymns
and reciting the Vedas with all their corollaries, pada-kramas and
Upanisads, to whom the chanters of the Sama Veda always sing,
whom the perfected yogis see within their minds after fixing
themselves in trance and absorbing themselves within Him, and
whose limit can never be found by any demigod or demonunto
that Supreme Personality of Godhead I offer my humble
obeisances. (SB 12.13.1), all the demigods and the singers of the
Sama Veda glorify Lord Krishna and the perfected yogis always
meditate upon Him in their hearts in trance; in fact, no demigod or
demon can find any limit in knowing Him.
A fragmental part and parcel of the Lord, namely the living
entity, may be the cause of a big skyscraper, a big factory, or even
a big city, but he cannot be the cause of a big universe. The cause
of the big universe is the big soul, or the Supersoul. And Krishna,
the Supreme, is the cause of both the big and small souls.
Therefore, He is the original cause of all causes.
Everything in the world depends on Him, as the existence of a
pearl necklace depends upon its thread. When you remove the
underlying nylon thread from a pearl necklace, then all pearls
would get scattered. Similarly, without the presence, supervision
and sanction of Krishna, nothing can move or act within the
material creation. As all energies sprout from Him, nothing can
exist separate from Him. Thus, if the foolish living entities do not
see Him as the resting place or support or as the source of
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everything, that is due to their being illusioned by maya, external
energy.
Krishna Is The Essence Of Everything
Krishna is not only the cause of everything, but He has entered
into everything as their very essence. For example, Krishna is the
source of water as well as its taste. That taste which quenches our
thirst is Krishna. No one likes to drink sea water, because the pure
taste of water is mixed with salt. Attraction for water depends on
the purity of the taste, and this pure taste is one of the energies of
the Lord. The impersonalist perceives the presence of the Lord in
water by its taste, and the personalist also glorifies the Lord for
His kindly supplying tasty water to quench mans thirst.
Everything in the material world has a certain flavour or
fragrance, as the flavour and fragrance in a flower, or in the earth,
in water, in fire, in air, etc. The uncontaminated flavour, the
original flavour, which permeates everything, is Krishna.
Similarly, everything has a particular original taste, and this taste
can be changed by the mixture of chemicals. So everything
original has some smell, some fragrance, and some taste. That is
the way of perceiving Krishna
The same manure, same water, the same gardener, but
according to different flowers, the fragrance is different. How is
this done? Can any scientist answer? How is it coming differently?
And why there are differences? If it is nature, and the ingredients
are the same, why is nature not producing the same quality or the
same kind of flower or trees or fruits? Why? Therefore, it is
answered in the Bhagavad-gita that nature is not all in all. Nature
cannot work independently. There is superintendence of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna: This kind of bija, or
the seed, will produce this kind of flower and this kind of flavour.
So Krishna is giving us intelligence that If you do not go to the
temple or do not listen to the acarya, you can at least try to
understand My presence when you see a flower or smell a flower.

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Group work for students: Recite the verses BG 7.8-12 from
Bhagavad-gita As It Is with the translations and make a list of the
items, for example, Krishna is the taste in water, etc. without
seeing the one below and check the list given below with your
answers. If any item is missing in the list given below, you can
add it on a separate sheet of paper.

Krishna isthe essence of everything
The taste in water; the intelligence of the intelligent;
The sound in ether; the prowess of all powerful men;
The ability in man; the original fragrance of the earth;
The heat in fire; the light of the sun and the moon;
The life of all that lives; the strength of the strong.
Krishna Is The Very Best Of Everything
We all have experienced that opulences such as outstanding
beauty, outstanding intelligence, outstanding musical talent, etc.
are observable in this world. Such people endowed with such
talent themselves do not know how they got it; they are only
happy that they have it. These opulences make them attractive for
sometime till they possess it; but time destroys everything in this
world. By observing these opulences we can get an indication that
they exist in their completeness in the Absolute Truth, Sri Krishna.
In the tenth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna gives a partial
list of His unlimited opulences (BG 10.19), revealing Him to be
the cause of everything. In BG 10.21-38, we understand how
Krishna is the chief of all qualities and personalities. Thus,
nothing great or small can exist without Krishna. There is no end
to Krishnas opulences. Lord Krishna Himself reveals the truth
about Himself very kindly for us insignificant souls, as we cannot
fathom it with our limited sensory perception: Know that all
opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark
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of My splendour With a single fragment of Myself I pervade
and support this entire universe. (BG 10.41-42)
Group work for students: From the verses BG.10.19-42 from
Bhagavad-gita As It Is, make a list of the opulences that indicate
Krishna as the best of everything and check the list given below
with your answers. If any item is missing below, you can add it to
the list on a separate sheet of paper. In all, Krishna speaks of 82
opulences.
Krishna isthe very best of everything
Among Adityas Vishnu
Of the Vedas.the Sama Veda
Of lightsthe radiant sun
Of immovable things the Himalayas
Among stars..the moon
Of wielders of weaponsLord Rama
Of the sages.. Vyasa
Of those seeking victory.. morality
Of the senses the mind
Of the demigodsIndra
Of vibrations ... transcendental Om
Of secret things.....silence
Of sacrifices. chanting japa
Of flowing rivers.. the Ganges
Among men.. the monarch
Among law keepers..Yamaraj
Of science. science of the Self
Among the demons.. Prahlada
Among logicians.. the conclusive truth
Among subduers.. time
Of seasons.flower-bearing spring
Among beaststhe Lion
Of weaponsthe thunderbolt
Among birdsGaruda

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Among cows the surabhi
Of creators Brahma
Of fishesthe shark
Of all Rudras Siva
Of bodies of water the ocean
Of Yaksas and Raksasas.. Kuvera
Krishnas Virat Rupa Or Universal Form
Krishna is within and He is also without. Thus Krishna
showed Arjuna His external feature as the visva-rupa, the gigantic
cosmic manifestation.
This external body of Krishna is described in the Srimad-
Bhagavatam. There the hills and mountains are described as the
bones of the Lord. Similarly, the great oceans have been described
as different holes in the Lords universal body, and the planet
known as Brahmaloka has been described as the upper portion of
His skull. Those who cannot see God have thus been advised to
see Him in many ways in terms of the material cosmic
manifestation, according to the instructions given in the Vedic
literature.
There are those who can simply think of God as being great
but do not know how great He is. When they think of greatness,
they think of very high mountains, the sky, and other planets.
Therefore, the Lord has been described in terms of such material
manifestations so that while thinking of these different
manifestations, one can think of the Lord. That is also Krishna
consciousness. If one thinks, This mountain is the bone of
Krishna, or if one thinks of the vast Pacific Ocean as Krishnas
navel, one is in Krishna consciousness. Similarly, one may think
of the trees and plants as the hairs on Krishnas body, one may
think of Brahmaloka as the top of Krishnas skull, and one may
think of the Patalaloka planetary system as the soles of Krishnas
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feet. Thus, one may think of Krishna as greater than the greatest
(mahato mahiyan).
The form described below is a highly conceptualised form
originally intended for impersonalists and is a different Virat-Rupa
to the one shown to Arjuna on the battlefield. It is explained in the
Srimad-Bhagavatam that this Virat rupa is a material form while
Krishnas original spiritual form is made up of sac-cid-ananda,
eternity, knowledge and bliss. That spiritual form has no veins or
bones.
Hills/Mountains... Stacks of His bones
The air.. His breath
Physical sound. His sense of hearing
The ten directions His ears
Material aroma. His sense of smell
The blazing fire.His mouth
Trees. The hairs of His body
The sun & moon.. His eyes
Clouds.. Hairs on His head
Alluring material energy.. His smile
Day and night... His eye lids
The passing ages.. His movements
Religion His breast
The horse, mule, camel His nails
Irreligion.. His back
Varieties of birds. His artistry
The Ocean His waist
The brahmanas. His face
Rivers... His veins
The ksatriyas His arms
Twilight.... His dress
The vaisyas...His thighs
The sudras.... Under His feet

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Knowing Krishnas Unique Supremacy
Lord Krishna Does Not Lose His Personal Existence By
Being All-Pervading
The Lord supports and pervades the entire universe through
His energies. The all pervading aspect of the Lord is described as
avyakta murtina, His unmanifest form. The Lord is unmanifest
to material senses, but can be perceived by one whose senses are
purified from desire for independent enjoyment, through the
practice of devotional service. Thus, although Lord Krishna is
everywhere in the material world, still He does not lose His own
personal existence.
The pantheists think that God is everywhere. Therefore, there
is no personal God. Maya tatam idam sarvam: By Me...Maya
means, by me. By Me, or by My energy, I am expanded
everywhere. If you see in the morning, how the sun rises in from
the sea. Immediately, within a second, the whole world becomes
illuminated. The illumination is the expansion of the sunshine. But
because the expansion is there, it does not mean the sun globe is
finished.
Relationship Between Krishna And Material Energy
Krishna has simultaneous connectedness and non-
connectedness with matter. The material world rests on His
energy, but He is aloof. He is the source of the material world and
He maintains it, but He does not directly associate with it.
Although everything rests in Krishna, that does not present even
the smallest of burden to Him. He is not personally connected with
the creation. In this way, the Lords will is executed by His
energies without His having to take direct involvement. He
maintains all that exists while remaining completely separate and
detached from the material world.
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Aside from supporting the creation by His energies, Sri
Krishna is also the intelligence who has set up the system which
governs its workings (BG 9.7-10). The universe runs at a set cycle
of creation, maintenance and destruction. It is Lord Krishna who
controls this process as the Purusha avatars. Maha Vishnu is the
resting place of all material energies, for they enter into His nature
after annihilation.
One should not think, in this connection, that the Supreme
Personality of Godhead has no engagement. In His spiritual world,
He is always engaged. In the Brahma-samhita (5.6) it is stated,
tmrmasya tasysti prakty na samgama: He is always
involved in His eternal, blissful, spiritual activities, but He has
nothing to do with these material activities. Material activities are
being carried on by His different potencies. The Lord is always
neutral in the material activities of the created world. Although He
has control over every minute detail of material activities, He is
sitting as if neutral.
The example can be given of a high-court judge sitting on his
bench. By his order so many things are happeningsomeone is
being hanged, someone is being put into jail, someone is awarded
a huge amount of wealthbut still he is neutral. He has nothing to
do with all that gain and loss. Similarly, the Lord is always
neutral, although He has His hand in every sphere of activity.
The whole cosmic order goes on under Krishnas will. He does
not Himself create or destroy, but the material nature acts by His
desire. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura gives an analogous
example to explain how Krishna has no duty to perform. Krishna
says in the Bhagavad-gita that the material nature works under His
direction: maya adhyakshena prakritih. maya means by My
adhi means from above and aksha means eyes. Everything
is done under Krishnas supervision.
For example The governmental business of a king, like
Ambarisa Maharaja, is carried out by his ministers (prakritis),

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while the uninvolved king merely remains present. All the same,
unless the king is present on his throne, the ministers are incapable
of doing anything. In the same way, unless I give My support as
the supervisor, material nature (prakriti) cannot do anything.
Because He glances over material nature, there is undoubtedly
activity on the part of the Supreme Lord, but He has nothing to do
with the manifestation of the material world directly. He is free
from material nature, but material nature is not free from Him.
Thus although Krishna says, I am the essence and origin of
everything like taste, strength, sex, etc., in the three modes of
material nature still Krishna is not under the three modes. He is
beyond.
Relationship Between Krishna And The Living
Entities In The Material World
Although all living entities are within Krishna, are dependent
on Krishna and are supported by Krishna, they nevertheless act
independently owing to their materialistic desires. How can one
who is completely dependent act
independently? This is an
inconceivable feature of the
relationship between the living
entities and Krishna.
Krishna provides an analogy to
help us understand. The sky, like an
upside-down bowl, contains the
wind. In the same way, all created
beings rest in Me. J ust as the sky is
detached from the wind, Krishna is
detached from the independently
enacted activities of the living
entities. The wind, though in the
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sky, blows freely and independently. The sky restricts only the
area of movement, not the movement itself. Similarly, Krishna
limits the activities of the conditioned living entities, regardless of
the extent of their power, to the circumference of the material
world. Within the material sphere they are free, and Krishna is
detached from their independently enacted activities under the
three modes and from the reactions their activities generate. The
living entities are thus simultaneously fully dependent on Krishna
and independent of Him.
Srila Visvanath Cakravarti Thakura raises a question: Because
Krishna has described, by an analogous example, His acintya-
shakti, or inconceivable mystic power, hasnt His explanation
made the inconceivable conceivable?
He then answers: The sky is non-attached to the wind, which
is contained within it, because the sky and wind are unconscious
matter [and matter does not form attachments]. However, only in
one case does living spirit remain non-attached while living in this
world and controlling it, and that is in the case of the supreme
controller. In this way, the inconceivability [of the supreme
controllers being non-attached] is established. The example of the
non-attached sky is nonetheless offered in order to give ordinary
people an opportunity to begin to understand this subject.
Because He is not personally attached to the activities of the
creation, the Lord is neutral. Lord uses the word, udasinavat: as
if neutral (BG 9.9). The Lord must have some reason for the
world, however, as He is the one who has created it and who
ultimately controls it. He cannot therefore be completely neutral.
He is neutral in the sense that He has no selfish interests at stake in
the events of the material world. It can be said that He creates the
material world to give an opportunity to the independently minded
living entities to be separate from Him as long as they wish to, just
like the master of a dog sometimes takes his dog for a walk while
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eat. Unless the living entity surrenders to Krishna, he may go on
continuing the cycle of action and reaction under the three modes
of material nature. Even by great endeavour, great jnanis and
yogis have failed to cross over the ocean of material existence
because of refusing to surrender to the lotus feet of the Lord.
The Most Confidential Instruction Of Sri Krishna
Is Everything in Creation God?
A Mayavadi considers all created energies as God; such
people argue that you can meditate on anything for getting
concentration, a monkey, a tree, a point or anything. Thats why
they say that one can worship any object as a stepping stone to
reach the impersonal brahman, because everything is God. This is
not the way that Krishna wants us to understand Him.
The Lord says, These are all my energies. I am not in them. I
am aloof. goloka eva nivasati akhilatma bhuto - Lord eternally
resides in Goloka, aloof from material creation. Thus, although
Lord is present in every part of His creation, He is still not lost or
He does not become impersonal. J ust like a big rich man, through
his agents, is dismantling so many big houses and again
constructing skyscrapers. His agents are doing. He has got money
power to spend and he is sitting nicely in an air-conditioned cabin
or playing golf. He has to take no trouble; his energies do
everything for him.
By seeing the energy, we are reminded of the energetic Person
behind the energy. For example, if you see a stone flung into your
window that goes straight and breaks the TV screen, what would
you do? You would immediately look out of the window to look
who was the energetic who supplied energy to this dead stone to
come through the window inside the house. In the same way, all
energies spiritual and material are under Krishna, who is the
Supreme Energetic Personality of Godhead.
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A devotee sees the hand of Krishna and feels the presence and
connection of Krishna when he sees the material nature or His
part-and-parcel living entities. J ust like when a child sees the
shoes of the father at the doorstep and the coat and tie on the
hanger and his suitcase nearby, it immediately reminds the child
of his father and he is confident that the father has returned from
the office. Similarly, observing the opulences of the creation
should remind us of the Master of these opulences, Sri Krishna,
who is their cause and essence of them.
Sri Krishnas form is fully spiritual, beyond a doubt (BG
9.11)
Lord Krishna cannot have a material body. A material body
confines the pure spirit to limiting conditions. The material body
is a product of the three modes of material nature. Lord Krishna
has declared in BG 7.12 and BG 7.14 that the three modes are His
energy and that one can gain freedom from them by taking shelter
of Him. Therefore, how can He be encaged in a material body
composed of the modes of material nature?
Although the Lord appeared on the planet like an ordinary
human, He is not ordinary. His transcendental body has many
forms, some of which more clearly show His position as God. He
exists eternally in a humanlike form to enjoy loving relationships
with His devotees. Sometimes people feel more reverence for
Virat-rupa form or Visnu form as they look different than normal
human being with two hands. Imagine the Vishva-rupa Personality
coming with His millions of hands, legs, bellies and faces to
embrace you and develop loving relationships with you! That
would be a nightmare. Thus, Lord Krishna eternally remains in
His beautiful saumya two-handed form that Arjuna and other
devotees love the most. That should not make one consider Him
foolishly to be like an ordinary human being. It is like considering
the President of India to be another thief when he is coming to
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The Essence Of The Essence Of The Essence Of The
Bhagavad-Gita
How does a Devotee See and Remember Krishna?
Pure devotees, therefore, concentrate their minds directly on
the form of Krishna.
In BG 9.34, Krishna gives four confidential instructions:
(1) man manah: always think of Me
(2) bhava mad-bhaktah: become My devotee
(3) mad-yaji: worship Me and
(4) mam namaskuru: offer obeisances to Me
The Bhagavad-gita is the essence of all Vedic literature. The
first six and that last six chapters can be compared to the cover of
the book, the middle six chapters
being the essence of the Gita.
The Ninth and Tenth chapters
are the essence of the middle six
chapters. J ust like the sweet jam
placed between two slices of
bread, this essential middle
portion provides the essential
wisdom of Gita. Finally, the last
verse of the Ninth chapter, which
is exactly in the middle of the
Gita and which is repeated
practically verbatim at the end of
the Gita, is the most confidential
and essential sloka. It is the
essence of the essence of the
essence and the most confidential of all knowledge: Become a
pure devotee of Lord Krishna.

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sarva-guhyatama bhya u me parama vaca
io si me dham iti tato vakymi te hitam

Because you are My very dear friend, I am speaking to you
My supreme instruction, the most confidential knowledge of all.
Hear this from Me, for it is for your benefit. (BG 18.64)
man-man bhava mad-bhakto mad-yj m namaskuru
mm evaiyasi satya te pratijne priyo si me

Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and
offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without
fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend. (BG
18.65)
sarva-dharmn parityajya mm eka araa vraja
aha tv sarva-ppebhyo mokayiymi m uca

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me.
I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear. (BG
18.66)
In BG 18.64, Krishna states, sarva guhyatamam bhuyah srnu
me paramam vacah: sarva guhyatamam means the most
confidential of all. bhuyah means again. Krishna speaks the
verse in text 9.34 and again as text 18.65. Krishna also says that
these verses, 18.65 and 18.66, are the most confidential
knowledge of all and are His supreme instruction.
Verse 18.65 explains the components of surrender.
Verse 18.66 expresses Krishnas desire that Arjuna surrender.
The Supreme Instruction is to Always Remember the Form of
Krishna.
Think and Act for Krishna
The most confidential part of knowledge is that one should
become a pure devotee of Krishna and always think of Him and
act for Him. One should not become an official meditator. Life

339
should be so moulded that one will always have the chance to
think of Krishna. One should always act in such a way that all his
daily activities are in connection with Krishna. He should arrange
his life in such a way that throughout the twenty-four hours he
cannot but think of Krishna. And the Lords promise is that
anyone who is in such pure Krishna consciousness will certainly
return to the abode of Krishna, where he will be engaged in the
association of Krishna face to face. This most confidential part of
knowledge is spoken to Arjuna because he is the dear friend of
Krishna. Everyone who follows the path of Arjuna can become a
dear friend to Krishna and obtain the same perfection as Arjuna.
The first instruction of Krishna for us is to always think of
Him. It is not sufficient to work hard for Krishna while our minds
wander. Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana comments that here
Krishna says to Arjuna: A so-called devotee of a king, the
kings servant, is actually thinking about his own wife and so on.
His thoughts are not fixed upon the king. Thus he is not actually
the kings devotee. You, however, in contrast with such a person,
should be absorbed in thinking of Me and should be My devotee.
Your mind should always be fixed, like an uninterrupted flow of
honey, on Me, the son of Vasudeva. You should think of Me as
your own master and as the very goal of your life.
Concentrate the Mind upon Krishnas Form
Srila Prabhupada mercifully reveals the most confidential part
of knowledge as below: One should concentrate his mind upon
Krishnathe very form with two hands carrying a flute, the bluish
boy with a beautiful face and peacock feathers in His hair. There
are descriptions of Krishna found in the Brahma-samhita and other
literatures. One should fix his mind on this original form of
Godhead, Krishna. One should not even divert his attention to
other forms of the Lord. The Lord has multiforms as Visnu,
Narayana, Rama, Varaha, etc., but a devotee should concentrate
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his mind on the form that was present before Arjuna.
Concentration of the mind on the form of Krishna constitutes the
most confidential part of knowledge, and this is disclosed to
Arjuna because Arjuna is the most dear friend of Krishnas.
Getting The Vision To See Krishna
Srimati Kunti said: O Krishna, I offer my obeisances unto You
because You are the original personality and are unaffected by the
qualities of the material world. You are existing both within and
without everything, yet You are invisible to all.
-Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.18
Srimati Kuntidevi was quite aware that Krishna is the original
Personality of Godhead, although He was playing the part of her
nephew. Such an enlightened lady could not commit a mistake by
offering obeisances unto her nephew. Therefore, she addressed
Him as the original purusa beyond the material cosmos. Although
all living entities are also transcendental, they are neither original
nor infallible. The living entities are apt to fall down under the
clutches of material nature, but the Lord is never like that. In the
Vedas, therefore, He is described as the chief among all living
entities (nityo nityn cetana cetannm (Katha Upanisad
2.2.13)).
Then again He is addressed as isvara, or the controller. The
living entities or the demigods like Candra and Surya are also to
some extent isvara, but none of them is the supreme isvara, or the
ultimate controller. Krishna is the paramesvara, or the Supersoul.
He is both within and without. Although He was present before
Srimati Kunti as her nephew, He was also within her and everyone
else. In the Bhagavad-gita (15.15) the Lord says, I am situated in
everyones heart, and only due to Me one remembers, forgets, and
is cognizant, etc. Through all the Vedas I am to be known because
I am the compiler of the Vedas, and I am the teacher of the
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341
Queen Kunti affirms that the Lord, although both within and
without all living beings, is still invisible. The Lord is, so to speak,
a puzzle for the common man. Queen Kunti experienced
personally that Lord Krishna was present before her, yet He
entered within the womb of Uttara to save her embryo from the
attack of Asvatthamas brahmastra. Kunti herself was puzzled
about whether Sri Krishna is all-pervasive or localized. In fact, He
is both, but He reserves the right of not being exposed to persons
who are not surrendered souls. This checking curtain is called the
maya energy of the Supreme Lord, and it controls the limited
vision of the rebellious soul.

Brainstorm Quiz: Dear students, foolish people deride
Krishna, thinking of Him to be an ordinary human being.
Now tell me, what makes us convinced that Krishna is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead?

In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Sri Krishna affirms that less
intelligent persons mistake Him to be an ordinary man like us, and
thus they deride Him. The less intelligent persons are those who
rebel against the authority of the Lord. Such persons are known as
asuras. The asuras cannot recognize the Lords authority.
When the Lord Himself appears among us, as Rama,
Nrsimha, Varaha, or in His original form as Krishna, He
performs many wonderful acts which are humanly impossible.
As we shall find in the Tenth Canto of this great literature,
Lord Sri Krishna exhibited His humanly impossible activities
even from the days of His lying on the lap of His mother. He
killed the Putana witch, although she smeared her breast with
poison just to kill the Lord. The Lord sucked her breast like a
natural baby, and He sucked out her very life also.
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Similarly, He lifted the Govardhana Hill, just as a boy picks
up a frogs umbrella, and stood several days continuously just
to give protection to the residents of Vrindavana. These are
some of the superhuman activities of the Lord described in the
authoritative Vedic literatures like the Puranas, Itihasas
(histories), and Upanisads.
He has delivered wonderful instructions in the shape of the
Bhagavad-gita. He has shown marvellous capacities as a hero,
as a householder, as a teacher, and as a renouncer.
He is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by
such authoritative personalities as Vyasa, Devala, Asita,
Narada, Madhva, Sankara, Ramanuja, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, J iva Gosvami, Visvanatha Cakravarti,
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, and all other authorities of the line.
He Himself has declared as much in many places of the
authentic literatures.
And yet there is a class of men with demoniac mentality who
are always reluctant to accept the Lord as the Supreme Absolute
Truth. This is partially due to their poor fund of knowledge and
partially due to their stubborn obstinacy, which results from
various misdeeds in the past and present. Such persons could not
recognize Lord Sri Krishna even when He was present before
them.
Another difficulty is that those who depend more on their
imperfect senses cannot realize Him as the Supreme Lord. Such
persons are like the modern scientist. They want to know
everything by their experimental knowledge. But it is not possible
to know the Supreme Person by imperfect experimental
knowledge. He is described herein as adhoksaja, or beyond the
range of experimental knowledge.
The process of understanding Krishna is sevonmukhaby
rendering service. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau (Brs. 1.2.234)

343
Realization of Vasudeva is possible by rendering service,
beginning with the tongue. The tongue has two functionsto
vibrate and to taste. So if one repeatedly hears and vibrates the
Hare Krishna mantra and tastes prasada, food offered to Krishna,
by this very simple method one will realize Vasudeva, Krishna.
Krishna will reveal Himself. It is not that by our endeavour alone
we can understand Krishna, but our endeavour in loving service
will make us qualified, and then Krishna will reveal Himself
(svayam eva sphuraty ada).
Becoming Fearless Through
Hearing, Chanting And Remembering
Man Is Born To Make Inquiries
A small child walking with his father goes on inquiring
constantly. He asks his father so many odd things, and the father
has to satisfy him with proper answers. When Prabhupada was a
young father in his householder life, he was over flooded with
hundreds of questions from his second son, who was his constant
companion. One day it so happened that a bridegrooms party was
passing their tramcar, and the four-year-old boy, as usual, inquired
what the big procession was. He was given all possible answers to
his thousand and one questions regarding the marriage party, and
finally he asked whether his own father was married! This
question gave rise to loud laughter from all the elderly gentlemen
present, although the boy was perplexed as to why they were
laughing. Anyway, the boy was somehow satisfied by his married
father.
The lesson from this incident is that, since a human being is a
rational animal, he is born to make inquiries. The greater the
number of questions, the greater the advancement of knowledge
and science. The whole of material civilization is based on this
originally large volume of questions put by young men to their
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elders. When elderly persons give the proper answers to the
questions of the youngsters, civilization makes progress, one step
after another. The most intelligent man, however, inquires about
what happens after death. The less intelligent make lesser
inquiries, but the questions of those who are more intelligent go
higher and still higher.
Hearing Material Subject Matters
In the revealed scriptures, there are two nomenclatures for the
householders life. One is grhastha, and the other is grhamedhi.
The grhasthas are those who live together with wife and children
but live transcendentally for realizing the ultimate truth. The
grhamedhis, however, are those who live only for the benefit of
the family members, and are jealous of one another because they
are blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth. They have many
subject matters for hearingpolitical, scientific, social, economic,
and so onbut due to a poor fund of knowledge, they set aside the
question of the ultimate miseries of life, namely miseries of birth,
death, old age and disease.
The process of going back home, back to Godhead, is to hear
about the Supreme Lord and His name, form, attributes, pastimes,
paraphernalia and variegatedness. Foolish people do not know
this. They want to hear something about the name, form, etc., of
everything temporary like cricket stars, cinema heroes and
heroines, political situations, etc., and they do not know how to
utilize this propensity of hearing for the ultimate good. Misguided
as they are, they also create some false literatures about the name,
form, attributes, etc., of the ultimate truth.
There are different kinds of literature for different types of
men of different mentality. Mostly the market literatures which
attract ordinary men are literatures containing refused remnants of
sensuous topics like affairs between cinema actors and actresses,
poetry describing the sweetness of mundane relationships between
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345
relation with the gross body and subtle mind. They are full of
subject matter described in decorative language, mundane similes
and metaphorical arrangements. Yet, with all that, they do not
glorify the Lord.
Sometimes, great mundane poets write poetry that may
impress mundane intellectuals even the window of a rich
mans house wears dress, but the poor slum child is naked amidst
the mess. Such poems can hardly impress a devotee of the Lord
because they do not glorify the all powerful Supreme Personality
of Godhead, who can bring all good to the suffering soul. Such
poetry and prose, on any subject matter, is considered decoration
for a dead body. Spiritually advanced men, who are compared to
swans, do not take pleasure in such dead literatures, which are
sources of pleasure for men who are spiritually dead. These
literatures, in the modes of passion and ignorance, are distributed
under different labels, but they can hardly help the spiritual urge
of the human being.
Frogs Tongue And Snakes Hole
Devotional service to the Lord is rendered by all the limbs or
parts of the body. The senses and the action of the senses are to be
considered impure or materialistic as long as they are employed
only in sense gratification. The purified senses are engaged in the
service of the Lord in toto. In the impure state of a living being,
the various senses are fully engaged in mundane affairs. Many
want to speak something to others, but because they are not
trained to speak on the subject matter of Vedic wisdom, they are
speaking all nonsense, and people are receiving them with no
sense. The frogs croak loudly, with the result that they invite the
snakes to eat them. The human tongue is especially given for
chanting the Vedic hymns and not for croaking like frogs. All our
senses are awarded to us by the Lord and are meant to be used in
His service. The tongue is supposed to glorify the Lord, but if it is
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used for vibrating some mundane nonsense then it is considered a
prostitute.
Similarly, the people of the world should be taught to hear the
transcendental topics of the Lord, and the devotee of the Lord
must speak loudly so that they can hear. If the ear is not engaged
in the service of the Lord by hearing about Him from the
Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam, certainly the holes of the
ear will be filled with some rubbish. Such useless ears holes are
compared to snake holes.
From Whom Should One Not Hear?
Now, there are some who apparently put up a garb of religion
and recite from Vedic literatures. Can we hear from them? It is
said:
avaishnava mukodgeerno putam hari kathamritam
sravanam naiva karthavyam sarpoc cishta yatha payah

If one hears even messages connected to the Lord from the
mouth of non-devotees Mayavadis and professional reciters or
pretenders then ones inclination to love and serve Krishna
becomes stunted exactly as a person who drinks milk mixed with
snake poison dies. Thus, although one can freely distribute the
message of Krishna consciousness to everyone, one should be
very careful in choosing the right representative of God to hear
about God.
When Prahlada told his father Hiranyakashipu of devotional
service, he said: sravanam kirtananm vishnoh smaranam and
not sravanam kirtanam kali or sravanam kirtanam shiva. One
should always hear and chant about Krishna, not about the
demigods. The Mayavadis (impersonalists) say that one may chant
any name, either that of Krishna or those of the demigods, and the
result will be the same. But actually this is not a fact. According to
the authorized version of Srimad-Bhagavatam, one has to hear and
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and hear about all demigods, treating them all equal. Neither is
their worship intense and focussed on Lord Krishna,
understanding Him to be the One Supreme above all other gods,
nor is the worship offered without ulterior motives. Then how can
one expect to develop pure loving sentiments towards the Lord
and return back to the spiritual world?
The other category, the professional reciters of Bhagavatam,
are more interested in making money by entertaining the rich men
by reciting intimate pastimes of the Lord with His topmost
devotees, the gopis, as delineated in the tenth canto. These
pastimes cannot be understood or appreciated genuinely by a
conditioned soul as much as a four year old girl cannot understand
pregnancy. They can be understood only when they are heard
from the lips of an unmotivated pure devotee. By hearing from
such professional reciters, instead of advancing in devotional life,
one falls prey to sahajiyaism and illicit sex relations. One should
carefully avoid hearing from anybody except a pure devotee or
devotees being guided by acaryas coming in a disciplic
succession.
Coming Back To Life By Hearing
When Maharaja Parikshit came to know of his impending
death which was to occur in a week, he went to the banks of the
Ganges and decided to fast until death. Many great saintly persons
from all over the world had assembled for this occasion. Maharaja
Parikshit placed two questions to them: What is the duty of
everyone in all circumstances, and what is the specific duty of one
who is to die very shortly? Srila Prabhupada mentions in his
purport: It appears that upon the inquiry of Maharaja Parikshit,
the great sages were not unanimous in their decision as to what
was to be done. For spiritual salvation, there were many
prescriptions according to the different modes of different persons.
But the ultimate aim of life is to attain the highest perfectional
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state of devotional service to the Lord. As doctors differ, so also
sages differ in their different prescriptions Thus, no one could
give him proper direction.
Sukadeva Gosvami, son of Vyasadeva, who had heard Srimad-
Bhagavatam directly from his father and spiritual master, came
there and gave this direction to him as follows: My dear King, if
you want to be fearless in meeting your death next week (for
actually everyone is afraid at the point of death), then you must
immediately begin the process of hearing and chanting and
remembering Lord Hari. If one can chant and hear Hare Krishna
and always remember Lord Krishna, then he is sure to become
fearless of death, which may come at any moment.
The beginning of Krishna consciousness and devotional
service is hearing, sravanam, which is very important for
progressing in Krishna consciousness. When one links his ears to
give aural reception to the transcendental vibrations, he can
quickly become purified and cleansed in the heart. Lord Caitanya
has affirmed that this hearing cleanses the heart of the
contaminated soul so that he becomes quickly qualified to enter
into devotional service and understand Krishna consciousness.
In the Garuda Purana, the stress on hearing is expressed very
nicely. It is said there, The state of conditioned life in the
material world is just like that of a man lying unconscious, having
been bitten by a snake. This is because both such unconscious
states can be ended by the sound of a mantra. When a man is
snake-bitten, he does not die immediately, but first becomes
unconscious and remains in a comatose condition. Anyone who is
in the material world is also sleeping, as he is ignorant of his
actual self, or his actual duty, and his relationship with God. So
materialistic life means that one is bitten by the snake of maya,
illusion, and thus, without any Krishna consciousness, is almost
dead. Now, the so-called dead man bitten by a snake can be
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expert chanters of these mantras who can perform this feat.
Similarly, one can be brought back into Krishna consciousness
from the deadly unconscious state of material life by the hearing
of the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna
Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare
Hare.
One should stay at a place where the great acaryas [holy
teachers] speak about the transcendental activities of the Lord. If
someone eagerly continues to hear such transcendental sounds,
then certainly he will become freed from all material hunger,
thirst, fear and lamentation, as well as all illusions of material
existence. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also recommended this
process of hearing as a means of self-realization in the present age
of Kali. In this age, it is very difficult to follow thoroughly the
regulative principles and studies of the Vedas which were
formerly recommended. However, if one gives aural reception to
the sound vibrated by great devotees and acaryas, that alone will
give him relief from all material contamination.
The Art Of Reading Transcendental Literature
Srila Prabhupadas books are also recorded sound vibration
and thus, are a form of hearing. One should always remember that
books like the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, along with
the purports of great acaryas like Srila Prabhupada, are spiritual
sound. The message is non-different from that of Lord Krishna
and the previous acaryas. Thus, if anyone reads them with
reverence and assimilates them, then they can once again manifest
their full potency.
Mundane Scholarship Is No Qualification To Understand
Krishna
Reading transcendental literature is different from reading
mundane literature. Mundane novels are read for passing time and
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later thrown away, and the reader then looks for a different taste in
some other new novel. On the other hand, transcendental literature
for a sincere seeker of truth is like grains for a starving man.
Those who are not sincere in their attempt to engage in devotional
service cannot unlock the meaning of scriptures.
Although the Bhagavad-gita is an open book, Lord Sri Krishna
calls it a secret, because it can be understood thoroughly only by
devotees. Sometimes, a shop owner, in the midst of twenty people,
may tell his brother something simply by winking and his brother
will understand the meaning of that gesture immediately. He may
go and get some fruits and milk for the guests. This was possible
for his brother owing to his relationship with his elder brother. In
the same way, Lord Krishna reveals Himself to whomever He
chooses. Nobody can force their way into the mysteries of His
understanding on the pretext of mere scholarship. The actual fact
is that even the least educated person can understand the highest
philosophical truths, provided they have the right attitude.
Story Of A Humble Devotee
There was once a brahmana in South India who was advised
by his guru to read the Bhagavad-gita every day. So the man went
to the local Krishna temple of Ranganath and began his daily
recitation. Neither his linguistic ability nor his erudition was very
great, and so he often made mistakes. People made fun of him, yet
he did not care because he felt very happy as he attended to his
gurus order. In fact, as he read, tears would sometimes well up in
his eyes and his body trembled due to ecstatic emotion.
Lord Caitanya once came that way and asked, Excuse Me,
My dear Sir, but how have you developed such ecstatic love?
What portion of the Bhagavad-gita gives you so much bliss? The
man shyly replied, I am illiterate and therefore do not know the
meaning of the words. Sometimes I read correctly and sometimes
incorrectly, but in any case, I just picture Lord Krishna as
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humbly serves His devotee, I cannot help but cry. Lord Caitanya
then declared, You are the actual authority in the reading of the
Bhagavad-gita. Whatever you know constitutes the real meaning.
This fortunate person not only possessed humility and faith in
his gurus words, he also had faith in the scripture itself. In his
commentary on the Bhagavad-gita, Srila Prabhupada says that to
understand the Gita one must, at least theoretically, accept Lord
Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Unless we do,
how can we take His statements seriously?
Treating Scriptures With Reverence
To help us develop the necessary reverence towards the sastra,
we can keep our books in a special place. In Burma, there are
temples in which the main murti, or form of God on the altar, is
the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Imagine a complete set of Srimad-
Bhagavatam installed in your home! Once, one of Srila
Prabhupadas disciples asked if he and his wife could worship
small deities as they travelled and preached. Srila Prabhupada
advised them to worship his books.
Chanting Krishnas Names Or
Discussing Glories Of The Lord, Kirtanam
Chanting a mantra or hymn softly and slowly is called japa,
and chanting the same mantra loudly is called kirtana. For
example, uttering the maha-mantra (Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama
Rama, Hare Hare) very softly, only for ones own hearing, is
called japa. Chanting the same mantra loudly for being heard by
all others is called kirtana. The maha-mantra can be used for japa
and kirtana also. When japa is practiced, it is for the personal
benefit of the chanter, but when kirtana is performed, it is for the
benefit of all others who may hear. In the Padma Purana, there is a
statement: For any person who is chanting the holy names either
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softly or loudly, the paths to liberation and even heavenly
happiness are at once open.
In the Padma Purana it is also stated, The chanting of the
Hare Krishna mantra is present only on the lips of a person who
has, for many births, worshiped Vasudeva. It is further said in the
Padma Purana, There is no difference between the holy name of
the Lord and the Lord Himself. As such, the holy name is as
perfect as the Lord Himself in fullness, purity and eternity. The
holy name is not a material sound vibration, nor has it any
material contamination. The materialistic senses cannot properly
chant the holy names of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. But by
adopting this chanting process, one is given a chance to actually
purify himself, so that he may very soon chant offencelessly.
People sometimes ask, What is the point of counting how
many mantras we chant? Surely the main thing is to chant with
feeling. If we are trying to get a certain number done, we may end
up thinking of numbers more than Krishna. There is an element
of truth in this. Sometimes, devotees do have the prime motivation
of getting rounds done. Sometimes, one chants when one does
not feel like it, and often a neophyte devotee chants mechanically,
without much feeling for Lord Krishna. Still, according to the
Padma Purana, it is better to chant imperfectly, or offensively,
than not at all, because by regular practice, we will learn to
improve. Krishna sees our attempt and helps us according to our
sincerity of purpose.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam says that one, whose heart does not
melt upon chanting the holy names of the Lord, is steel framed. If
our chanting is not done with feeling, we should have the desire to
at least chant regularly. Any devotee would want the steel-like
heart to melt. How else will it be possible to melt it than by the
heat of Krishnas radiance? And what better way to contact
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Krishna maha mantra on an everyday basis, a fixed number of
rounds, is the only way to link with Krishna on a daily basis.
Srila Prabhupada says that chanting is a spiritual call to the
Lord and His energy (Hare or Radha) to give us protection. He
further says that chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of a child
for its mothers presence. The maha mantra simply means, My
dear Lord, please accept me, or when further elaborated, My
dear Lord, forgetting You, I have fallen into this material world
and have wandered through various species of life for so long.
Please be merciful to me. Please pick me up and engage me once
again in Your service.
As we chant, we try to focus our minds on the sound of the
holy name. Lord Krishna says that we should practice controlling
our restless mind by bringing it back from wherever it has strayed.
When we chant we are also asking Lord Krishna to please be
present. If He kindly comes, He is our guest. And if we ignore
Him by allowing our minds to wander away, how long will our
special guest want to stay? Thus, endeavouring to chant attentively
is pleasing to the Lord, and by chanting regularly, the name, form,
qualities, pastimes, etc., of the Lord is gradually revealed in the
mind of the devotee.
When a person loudly chants the glories of the Lords
activities, qualities, form, etc., his chanting is called sankirtana.
Sankirtana also refers to the congregational chanting of the holy
name of the Lord.
In the Vishnu-dharma, there is a statement glorifying this
process of congregational chanting: My dear King, this word
Krishna is so auspicious that anyone who chants this holy name
immediately gets rid of the resultant actions of sinful activities
from many, many births. In the Adi Purana, Lord Krishna while
addressing Arjuna says, Anyone who is engaged in chanting My
transcendental name must be considered to be always associating
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with Me. And I may tell you frankly that for such a devotee I
become easily purchased.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended that everyone chant
the Hare Krishna maha mantra just to cleanse the dust from the
heart. If the dust of the heart is cleansed away, then one can
actually understand the importance of the holy name. For persons
who are not inclined to clean the dust from their hearts and who
want to keep things as they are, it is not possible to derive the
transcendental result of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. One
should, therefore, be encouraged to develop his service attitude
toward the Lord, because this will help him to chant without any
offence. And so, under the guidance of a spiritual master, the
disciple is trained to render service and at the same time chant the
Hare Krishna mantra.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati also includes memorising and
repeating verses from such literatures as Srimad-Bhagavatam and
Bhagavad-gita as kirtanam. Emperor Parikshit attained the
spiritual platform simply by hearing from such an authority as Sri
Sukadeva Gosvami about the glories of Krishna. Sri Sukadeva
Gosvami attained the same simply by recitation, verbatim, of the
transcendental message which he received from his great father,
Sri Vyasadeva.
Remembering Krishna
Remembering Krishna is a direct result of our absorption in
hearing and chanting. If we are sufficiently stimulated
philosophically and purified by the chanting of the holy name, we
will naturally think of Krishna at every step of our lives. Krishna
consciousness is in many ways the art of adding Krishna to every
aspect of our existence. It is said, Always remember Krishna,
never forget Him. All the rules and regulations of the scriptures
are but servants to this one, essential principle.
Lord Sri Krishna, throughout the Bhagavad-gita, has described
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of the Supreme Brahman, knowledge of the Supersoul, knowledge
of the different types of orders and statuses of social life
(brahmana, ksatriya, etc.), knowledge of the renounced order of
life, knowledge of nonattachment, sense and mind control,
meditation, etc. He has described in so many ways different types
of religion. Now, in the summarizing verse 18.66 of the
Bhagavad-gita, the Lord says that Arjuna should give up all the
processes that have been explained to him; he should simply
surrender to Krishna. That surrender will save him from all kinds
of sinful reactions, for the Lord personally promises to protect
him.
Thus, surrendering to Krishna and concentrating the mind on
the form of Krishna constitutes the most confidential part of
knowledge, and this is disclosed to Arjuna because Arjuna is the
most dear friend of Krishna.
Pure Devotional Service
The Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.1.11) defines pure devotion
thus:
anybhilit-nya jna-karmdy-anvtam
nuklyena knu-lana bhaktir uttam

Uttama bhakti, or unalloyed devotion unto the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, involves the rendering of
devotional service in a way that is favourable to the Lord. This
devotional service should be free from any extraneous motive and
devoid of fruitive karma, impersonal jnana and all other selfish
desires. (BRS 1.1.11, Cc.19.167)
What Is Not Bhakti?
Devotional service is not a matter of sentimental speculation
or imaginative ecstasy.
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Devotional service is not a sentimental activity. The essence of
Vedic knowledge is devotional service, as confirmed in the
Bhagavad-gita (15.15): vedai ca sarvair aham eva vedya. All the
Vedic literature aims at understanding Krishna. The six Gosvamis,
under the direction of Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana
Gosvami, studied various Vedic literatures and picked up the
essence of them, the devotional service of the Lord.
Devotional service is not imaginative ecstasy. In the material
world, so-called devotees sometimes exhibit emotional symptoms.
Such exhibitions do not continue for very long. They are
temporary. We actually see that some emotional imitators exhibit
certain symptoms of wearing sarees imitating gopis, crying, falling
unconscious, etc., but immediately after their exhibition, they are
attracted to smoking, woman-hunting and other things.
What Is Bhakti Or Pure Devotional Service?
Pure Devotional Service is an Active Engagement
Devotion is not passive. When you love someone, you DO
something to please your beloved. Thus, devotional service is
always filled with activities directed towards Krishna. Devotional
service is a sort of cultivation. This activity can be divided into
three categories: bodily activity (kaya), mental activity
(manaseeya), vocal activity (vaak). All activities may be divided
into two classes: one class may be for achieving a certain goal,
and the other may be for avoiding some unfavourable
circumstance. In Sanskrit, these activities are called pravrtti and
nivrtti - positive and negative action. For instance, a diseased
person has to take positive steps to cure a disease by taking
medicines, at the same time be cautious to not eat any items that
will aggravate the disease. For example, a typhoid patient has to
avoid eating any oily items like puris or pakoras. Thus, the bodily,
mental and vocal activities can be further subdivided into two
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Pravrtti Engaging in activity that pleases Krishna.
For example, speaking Krishnas glories is Vocal Pravrtti.
Nivrtti Avoiding activities that displease Krishna.
For example, avoiding envious thoughts is Mental Nivrtti.
The nine processes of devotional service are as follows:
1. Hearing the name and glories of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead
2. Chanting His glories
3. Remembering the Lord
4. Serving the Lords feet
5. Worshiping the Deity
6. Offering obeisances unto the Lord
7. Acting as the Lords servant
8. Making friends with the Lord
9. Surrendering oneself fully to the Lord
Pure Devotional Service is Free from Motives
The underlying principle of devotional service is unalloyed
love for Krishna. This means one should worship the Lord without
any motivation. Sometimes people come to a temple, give a
donation, and bow down before the Deity, intending to please the
Lord. Are they engaged in pure devotional service? It depends
upon their motive. Do they want to please Krishna so that He will
grant them a benediction? Do they want something selfish in
return? Although they ARE engaged in devotional service, as long
as they maintain that ulterior motive, they are not engaged in
PURE devotional service. Pure devotional service has no ulterior
motive. A pure devotee engages in Krishnas service simply for
the sake of pleasing guru and Krishna.
By absorbing our senses in activities centred around Krishna,
we cultivate attachment to Krishna, which will gradually develop
into love. At the same time, all our attachment to the activities that
degrade us to sinful life and bring us suffering will be gone.
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Material desires are those that one wants selfishly for ones
own enjoyment.
Spiritual desires are those that one wants for the pleasure of
Lord.
While material desires bring us suffering, spiritual desires
bring us freedom from suffering.
J nanis and Yogis make futile attempts to give up all material
desires to become free from suffering. But it is like creating a
vacuum in a bulb. It is very difficult. The bulb may explode at
anytime. The Bhaktas or devotees of the Lord easily remove all
material desires in their hearts by replacing them with spiritual
desires. There is a very easy way to do this. Instead of engaging
the mind and senses in chasing after the glittering objects of this
world, we should engage them in serving the master of the senses.
Hear the story of Nalakuvara and Manigriva from your teacher,
how they brought suffering to themselves by engaging senses in
sinful activities and later by the mercy of Narada, engaged their
senses in Lords service.
Pure Devotional Service follows the Disciplic Succession
Knowing which words, thoughts and actions please Krishna is
not a speculative affair. One should learn how to please Krishna
from the spiritual master. By acting under the order of the spiritual
master, all ones activities remain under the shelter of the spiritual,
internal potency of the Lord.
Pure Devotional Service is for Krishna
We can love and serve Krishna either directly, or by loving
and serving those persons and things that are explicitly connected
to Him. By serving Krishnas expansions, His pure devotees, or
His places of pastimes or His paraphernalia, we engage in pure
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Pure Devotional Service is Performed when the Devotee
Intends to Please Krishna
The fact that an activity pleases Krishna does not
automatically mean it is pure devotional service. Sometimes even
demons sent by Kamsa to fight with Krishna gave the Lord the
chance to relish a good fight and to protect His dear devotees
both of which brought Him great pleasure. If we say that pure
devotional service is activity that pleases Krishna, we would have
to include demons like Kamsa as pure devotees. This is obviously
unacceptable.
Consider the example of mother Yashoda leaving Krishna on
the ground from her lap and going to kitchen to stop the boiling
milk from overflowing. Although she made Krishna cry loudly,
still she went to kitchen to look after the padma gandha milk. She
had been boiling it for Krishnas pleasure. Here, Yashoda
apparently displeased Krishna, but Krishna knows her good
intentions to serve Him; thus, Yashodas devotion falls in the
category of pure devotional service.
Pure Devotional Service must not be covered by Karma,
Jnana, Yoga, etc.
Developing knowledge of Krishna, our relationship with Him
and the process of pure devotional service is favourable. Any
knowledge that ultimately arrives at voidistic or impersonal
conclusion is useless and should be avoided.
Karma refers to activities done with some material motive or
involving rituals without proper understanding of Krishnas
supremacy and devotional service. Such Karma should be
avoided.
Non-devotional renunciation, yoga, study of non-devotional
topics like atheistic sankhya philosophy, etc. should be avoided.
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Examples Of Liberation Through Constant
Remembrance Of Krishna
A devotee undoubtedly worships the Lord with rapt attention.
Similarly, even if an enemy always thinks of Krishna, he also
becomes a purified devotee. Such is the absolute nature of
Krishna. For example, a grass worm becomes bee-like because of
constantly thinking of the bee that forces it to enter a hole. By
always thinking of the bee in fear, the grass worm starts to become
a bee. Lord Krishna appears within this material world for two
purposes to protect the devotees and annihilate the demons. The
sadhus and devotees certainly think of the Lord always, but the
demons like Kamsa and Sishupala, also think of Krishna in terms
of killing Him. By thinking of Krishna, both the demons and
devotees attain liberation from the clutches of material maya.
Narada muni, in his discussion with Yudhisthira, mentions
how different persons achieve different types of mukti sayujya,
salokya, sarupya, samipya and sarsti according to their own
intense desire which is called bhava:
gopya kmd bhayt kaso dvec caidydayo np
sambandhd vaya snehd yya bhakty vaya vibho

My dear King Yudhisthira, the gopis by their lusty desires,
Kamsa by his fear, Sishupala and other kings by envy, the Yadus
by their familial relationship with Krishna, you Pandavas by your
great affection for Krishna, and we, the general devotees, by our
devotional service, have obtained the mercy of Krishna. (SB
7.1.31)
One might wonder how one could achieve liberation with such
wrong attitudes as lust, fear, envy etc. But it is important to
consider what the object on which such emotions are focussed is.
Since Krishna is absolute, anyone who remembers Krishna
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purified and achieves liberation. When the mind is somehow or
other fully absorbed in Krishna, the material part is very soon
vanquished, and the spiritual partattraction to Krishna
becomes manifest. If one thinks of Krishna enviously, simply
because of thinking of Krishna, he becomes free from all sinful
reactions and thus becomes a pure devotee. Narada muni
recommends that one somehow or other be absorbed in thoughts
of Krishna, for that will save one from all the dangers of material
existence. Full absorption in thought of Krishna is the highest
platform of bhakti-yoga.
Gopis Obtained Krishnas Mercy By Their Intense Love
The gopis desire to serve Krishna is so intense that their
attraction cannot be easily explained in ordinary terms.
Sometimes, a young boy and a young girl feel great attraction for
one another, but that attraction is mundane lust, which sprouts
from the desire to enjoy and exploit one another. A boy feels that
by the association of the opposite sex, he can get sense
gratification and the girl feels that by the association of the boy,
she can fulfil all her needs like house, garments, jewellery and
protection.
But the gopis attraction for Krishna is owing to their desire to
love and serve Him. This love is selfless; it does not seek any
reward in return. It is spontaneous; it springs from the heart and
manifests as uninterrupted service to the Lord. The gopis are
extolled by the greatest saints like Sukadeva Gosvami,
Sankaracarya, Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the six Gosvamis, as
having achieved the pinnacle of pure devotion. The Caitanya
Caritamrta compares the desires of the spiritual and material world
to gold and iron. The lusty desires of the gopis for Krishna are
compared to gold, and material lusty desires are compared to iron.

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As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.33.39):
vikrita vraja-vadhbhir ida ca vio
raddhnvito nuuyd atha varayed ya
bhakti par bhagavati pratilabhya kma
hd-rogam v apahinoty acirea dhra

If a bona fide listener hears of Krishnas pastimes with the
gopis, which seem to be lusty affairs, the lusty desires in his heart,
which constitute the heart disease of the conditioned soul, will be
vanquished, and he will become a most exalted devotee of the
Lord. Thus, hearing about Krishnas pastimes with the gopis
purifies us, while hearing about lusty affairs of man and woman of
this world putrefies us. Thus, they have the opposite effects.
It is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that anyone who is
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yogis. Thus, persons who are constantly engaged in the
transcendental meditation of seeing Krishna, internally and
externally, by thinking of Him playing the flute, entering the
Vrindavana forest and tending the cows with the cowherd boys,
have really attained the perfection of samadhi. Samadhi (trance)
means absorption of all the activities of the senses in a particular
object, and the gopis who are absorbed in remembrance of
Krishna always have achieved the perfection of samadhi.
When Krishna went to the forest with His cowherd boyfriends
and cows, the gopis did not physically take part, but their hearts
went with Him. And because their hearts went, they were able to
enjoy His company through strong feelings of separation. To
acquire this strong feeling of separation is the teaching of Lord
Caitanya and His direct disciplic succession of Gosvamis. When
we are not in physical contact with Krishna, we can associate with
Him like the gopis, through feelings of separation. Krishnas
transcendental form, qualities, pastimes and entourage are all
identical with Him. Devotional service to Krishna in feelings of
separation elevates the devotee to the highest perfectional level, to
the level of the gopis.
It is stated in Srinivasa Acaryas prayer to the six Gosvamis
that they left the material opulences of government service and
princely status of life, and went to Vrindavana, where they lived
just like ordinary mendicants, begging from door to door. But they
were so enriched with the gopis feelings of separation that they
enjoyed transcendental pleasure at every moment. Similarly, when
Lord Caitanya was at J agannatha Puri, He was in the role of
Radharani, feeling separation from Krishna. Lord Caitanya would
run after a sand dune calling, Govardhana! thinking it to be the
Govardhana mountain. He would jump into the Ganges by seeing
the blackish water, being reminded of the Yamuna. Those who are
in the disciplic succession of the Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya,
followers of Lord Caitanya, should always feel separation from
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Krishna, worship His transcendental form and discuss His
transcendental teachings, His pastimes, His qualities and His
entourage. That will enrich the devotees to the highest devotional
perfection. Feeling constant separation while engaged in the
service of the Lord is the perfection of Krishna consciousness.
Chapter 21, The Gopis Attracted by the Flute, Chapter 31,
Songs by the Gopis and Chapter 34, The Gopis Feelings of
Separation from Prabhupadas book, Krishna, The Supreme
Personality of Godhead will give a deeper understanding of the
pure love of the gopis for Krishna.
Kamsa Obtained Krishnas Mercy By Fear
Kamsa was an uncle of Krishna. According to the prophecy,
he was supposed to be killed by the eighth son of Devaki. Out of
fear of death, he imprisoned Devaki and Vasudeva and killed all
their children one by one. By divine arrangement, He could not
kill the eighth son, Krishna. Later, when Kamsa came to know that
Krishna is going to be the cause of his death, he made a plot to kill
Krishna by inviting Him for a wrestling match.
When Krishna visited Mathura, Kamsa was restless the entire
previous night. Thinking of his imminent death at the hands of
Krishna, he began to have many inauspicious visions, and he
could understand that Krishna and Balarama, who had approached
the precincts of the city, were his messengers of death. Kamsa saw
various kinds of inauspicious signs while both awake and
dreaming, like when he looked in the mirror, he could not see his
head, although the head was actually present.
Kamsa was completely absorbed in thought of Krishna and
Balarama out of great fear. When his two wives came inside his
room, he leapt to his feet and screamed, Krishna Balarama!
Wherever he turned around, he saw Krishna with the discus
Sudarshan in his hand, coming to kill him. Thus, Kamsa could not
rest that night. J ust after the night expired, he busily arranged for
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In the wrestling match, Krishna and Balarama defeated Canura
and Mustika very easily. Although everyone cheered, Kamsa
became morose and wanted to drive Krishna and Balarama out of
Mathura. He ordered that Nanda Maharaja, Vasudeva and his
father Ugrasena should all be killed without delay. Hearing this,
Lord Krishna became angry and jumped on Kamsa, dragged him
to the wrestling dais and threw him down. Simply from the strokes
of His fist, Kamsa lost his vital force. To assure His parents that
Kamsa was dead, Lord Krishna dragged him just as a lion drags an
elephant after killing it. When people saw this, there was a great
roaring sound from all sides as some spectators expressed their
jubilation and others cried in lamentation.
From the day Kamsa heard he would be killed by the eighth
son of Devaki, he was always thinking of Krishna with His wheel
in hand, and because he was very much afraid of his death, he was
thinking of Krishna in that form twenty-four hours a day, without
stoppingeven while eating, while walking and while
breathingand naturally he got the blessing of liberation. In the
Bhagavad-gita, it is stated, sad tad-bhva-bhvita: (Bg. 8.6) a
person gets his next life according to the thoughts in which he is
always absorbed. Kamsa was thinking of Krishna with His wheel,
which means Narayana, who holds a wheel, conch-shell, lotus
flower and club.
According to the opinion of authorities, Kamsa attained
sarupya-mukti after death; that is to say, he attained the same form
as Narayana (Vishnu). On the Vaikuntha planets, all the
inhabitants have the same bodily features as Narayana. After his
death, Kamsa attained liberation and was promoted to
Vaikunthaloka. From this instance, we can understand that even a
person who thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as an
enemy gets liberation or a place in a Vaikuntha planet, so what to
speak of the pure devotees, who are always absorbed in favourable
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366
thoughts of Krishna? Even an enemy killed by Krishna gets
liberation and is placed in the impersonal brahmajyoti.
Sishupala Obtained Krishnas Mercy By Envy
Sishupala, the king of Chedi, had been born with three eyes
and four arms. As soon as he took birth, he screamed and brayed
like an ass. An invisible voice from the heavens prophesied that he
would grow up powerful and fearless, but that one day he would
be killed by a great hero. When Sishupalas mother asked the
voice who that hero would be, the voice replied that the childs
extra arms and third eye would disappear when he was placed
upon the lap of the person who would one day kill him. This came
to pass when young Sishupala was placed upon Krishnas lap.
Horrified when she realised that Krishna would kill her son,
Sishupalas mother begged, Please grant me a boon, O Krishna.
Pardon my son for the offences he may commit against You. I
desire his welfare and long life.
Krishna replied, O blessed lady, even when Sishupala
deserves to be killed, I will forgive him. Indeed, I shall tolerate
one hundred offences from him.
King Yudhisthira arranged to perform the Rajasuya sacrifice.
He invited all the
qualified brahmanas
and sages to take part
and appointed them to
different positions as
priests in charge of the
sacrificial arena.
Present by the
invitation of King
Yudhisthira to
participate in the great
sacrifice were all the
exalted demigods like

367
Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva and Indra, the King of heaven,
accompanied by their associates, as well as the predominating
deities of higher planetary systems like Gandharvaloka,
Siddhaloka, J anoloka, Tapoloka, Nagaloka, Yaksaloka,
Raksasaloka, Paksiloka and Caranaloka, as well as famous kings
and their queens.
After all arrangements were made for Yudhisthiras sacrifice,
the next consideration was who should be worshiped first in the
ceremony. This particular ceremony is called Agra-puja. Agra
means first, and puja means worship. This Agra-puja is
similar to the election of a president. In the sacrificial assembly,
all the members were very exalted.
Yudhisthira asked his counsellors who they felt was fit to
receive the worship. There was some uncertainty. Some suggested
Brahma, while others Shiva and some Vyasadeva. Yudhisthira
then asked Bhisma, O Kuru chief, who do you consider to be the
best of all those present here today? Who should receive the first
worship, the Agra puja?
Bhisma replied, As the sun shines among the luminous
objects, so Krishna shines among all kings. He is without doubt
the most worthy of the first offering.
Sahadeva, on Bhismas command, stood up and announced to
the assembly: Emperor Yudhisthira would like to offer the Agra
puja to Krishna. Even though the principal gods are present, they
are all subordinate to Krishna. He is the ultimate goal of all yogis
and ascetics who aim for self realisation. But what need is there
for me to speak of His glories? All you exalted personalities are
well aware of Krishnas position. Indeed, Krishna is the Supersoul
of all. Therefore, by satisfying Him, we will satisfy all created
beings. Sahadeva continued to glorify Krishna for several more
minutes. When he stopped speaking, the rishis, celestials and
assembled kings resoundingly approved.
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First of all, King Yudhisthira, along with his brothers, wives,
children, other relatives and ministers, washed the lotus feet of
Lord Krishna and sprinkled the water on their heads. After this, he
offered Lord Krishna various kinds of yellow silken garments and
presented heaps of jewellery and ornaments before Him for His
use. King Yudhisthira felt such ecstasy by honouring Krishna, his
only lovable object, that tears glided down from his eyes, and
although he wanted to, he could not see Lord Krishna very well.
When Lord Krishna was thus worshiped by King Yudhisthira, all
the members present in the assembly stood up with folded hands
and began to chant, J aya! J aya! Namah! Namah! All joined
together to offer their respectful obeisances to Krishna, and there
were showers of flowers from the sky.
In that meeting, King Sishupala was also present. He was an
avowed enemy of Krishna for many reasons, especially because of
Krishnas having stolen Rukmini from the marriage ceremony.
Therefore, he could not tolerate such honour to Krishna and
glorification of His qualities. Instead of being happy to hear the
glories of the Lord, he became very angry. When everyone offered
respect to Krishna by standing up, Sishupala remained in his seat,
and became angrier at Krishnas being honoured. He suddenly
leapt to his feet and began to roar angrily.
Surely destiny is supreme. Otherwise how could this injustice
have occurred? How could those present have been influenced by
the words of a foolish boy? There are many personalities here
much more worthy of worship than Krishna. The great rishis, the
gods and all the earths kings are present.
Krishna is not even a king. He is nothing but the son of a
cowherd man. We cannot even ascertain His caste or social
position. He seems to care nothing for Vedic injunctions and
principles. How then can He be worshipped in this assembly?
Sishupala frowned. His coppery eyes challenged those in the
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369
most powerful person present. There are many others present who
are more qualified than Krishna in every way. Yudhisthira could
have worshipped any one of them before selecting Krishna. He
admonished Yudhisthira for insulting him by worshipping
Krishna.
Sishupala turned to address Krishna, As for You, Krishna,
why have You allowed Yourself to be worshipped like this? You
are exactly like a dog that has stolen the offerings of ghee meant
for a sacrifice and is licking them up in solitude. As a wife is to an
impotent man, or a beautiful sight to a blind man, so is this
worship to You, who are not even a king.
Some left the assembly censuring Sishupala, while others took
up their swords and shields in order to fight with him. Bhisma at
once stood up and justified the selection of Krishna. He who does
not approve of the worship of Krishna, who is the oldest person in
the universe, deserves no respect at all. O King of Chedi, we do
not worship Krishna out of material motivations. Krishna is the
Supreme Person, in whom the universe itself is established.
Foolish men like you can never understand this. Bhisma gave
numerous reasons why Krishna should be worshipped. He
described the many wonderful feats Krishna had achieved. Even
as a child, He had slain the many powerful demons Kamsa had
sent to kill Him. In the end, He had even killed Kamsa himself.
Once, Krishna had lifted the Govardhan hill with one hand and
held it for a full week. No one could show more knowledge or
wisdom than Krishna.
When Bhisma stopped speaking, Sahadeva rose and lifted his
left foot. He was angry, and his voice boomed, If there is any
man here who feels Krishna should not be worshipped, then let
him step forward. I shall place my left foot on his head. Who will
give me a reply? As Sahadeva spoke, the sky reverberated with
voices crying, Excellent! Well spoken! and showers of flowers
fell on his head.
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370
Narada then spoke, Those men who will not worship Krishna
should be considered dead even though breathing. They should not
even be gazed upon.
Sishupala became even angrier. He turned towards his
supporters and shouted, Here I am, ready to lead you. Let us
stand in battle against the Yadus and the Pandavas. Let us act
quickly so that this sacrifice may not be concluded successfully.
Everyone should know that we did not agree to Krishna being
worshipped. Yudhisthiras supporters also prepared themselves
for battle.
Yudhisthira was alarmed to see his sacrifice about to be
spoiled, even as it had almost reached its conclusion. He turned
anxiously to Bhisma and said, O grandsire, these kings are seized
by wrath and seem bent upon battle. What should I do to avoid my
sacrifice being spoiled and my subjects being harmed?
Bhisma laughed and replied in a voice which Sishupala could
hear clearly, O best of the Kurus, have no fear that Sishupala can
create any disturbance in Krishnas presence. He and his
supporters are like a pack of dogs barking at a sleeping lion. Only
as long as Madhava does not act can they exhibit their valour. It
seems that Krishna now desires to take back to Himself the power
He gave to Sishupala. That is why the Chedi kings intelligence
has become so perverse.
Sishupala could not tolerate Bhismas words and he screamed
in response, O most infamous wretch of your race, are you not
afraid to speak such words in front of all these kings? With you as
their leader, the Kurus are like blind men being led by another
blind man. You have simply given us pain by describing the deeds
of the powerless cowherd Krishna. Arrogant and foolish as you
are, it is a wonder that your tongue does not split into a hundred
parts. Sishupala railed on, insulting both Bhisma and Krishna. O
wretch, although you pose as virtuous and learned, we can see
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371
are impotent have you taken your famous vow of celibacy. You
deserve to die at the hands of these kings.
Hearing his noble grandfather insulted so grievously, Bhima
became enraged. He stood up, appearing like Death, preparing to
swallow every creature at the end of the yuga. Being caught by
Bhisma, Bhima sat down, glaring at Sishupala like the ocean
unable to transgress its shores.
Bhisma concluded, This wretch is thus destined to be killed
by Krishna. His time has come. Therefore, he roars like this,
caring nothing for ourselves or the infallible and unknowable
Krishna. A man on the verge of death loses his senses and will say
anything. Sishupala delivered another harsh speech.
Then Krishna spoke so that everyone could hear. This cruel-
hearted man is My aunts son, yet he always wishes Me and My
relatives ill. Once, when I was away from Dwaraka, he came and
set light to My city. He killed many citizens and took away many
more in chains. This wretch even stole saintly Akruras wife. On
another occasion, cunningly disguising himself, he ravished the
princess of Vishala, who was the intended bride of the Kurusha
king. Obviously desiring a speedy death, he even tried to possess
the chaste Rukmini. I have tolerated these and numerous other
insults at his hands, only because I made a promise to My aunt.
But I promised to bear only one hundred insults. That number has
now become full. I shall therefore slay Sishupala now in your
presence.
Sishupala laughed derisively and continued to blaspheme.
Krishna thought of His discus weapon, the Sudarshan chakra. It
immediately appeared in His hand and Krishna released it. The
chakra left Krishnas hand and streaked toward Sishupala even as
he tried desperately to draw his sword to fend off the chakra, but
the powerful disc weapon was too swift. It caught him on the neck
and immediately severed his head from his body. As he dropped to
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372
the ground, a fearful effulgence was seen to leave his body and
enter into Krishna.
The merging of Sishupalas soul into the transcendental body
of Krishna reminds us of the story of J aya and Vijaya, who fell to
the material world from the Vaikuntha planets upon being cursed
by the four Kumaras. For their return to the Vaikuntha world, it
was arranged that both J aya and Vijaya, for three consecutive
births, would act as deadly enemies of the Lord, and that at the
end of these lives, they would return to the Vaikuntha world and
serve the Lord as His associates.
Although Sishupala acted as the enemy of Krishna, he was not
for a single moment out of Krishna consciousness. He was always
absorbed in thought of Krishna, and thus, he first got the salvation
of sayujya-mukti, merging into the existence of the Supreme, and
was finally reinstated in his original position of personal service.
The Bhagavad-gita corroborates the fact that one who is absorbed
in the thought of the Supreme Lord at the time of death
immediately enters the kingdom of God after quitting his material
body. After the salvation of Sishupala, King Yudhisthira rewarded
all the members present in the sacrificial assembly.
Although Krishna is unaffected by favourable prayers or
unfavourable blasphemy, one should not think that he can
blaspheme the Supreme Lord like Sishupala. This is not the
regulative principle. Bhakti-yoga means nuklyena
knulanam: (Cc. Madhya 19.167) one should serve Krishna
very favourably. This is the real injunction.
Sishupalas achievement of oneness with the Supreme Lord
was different because J aya and Vijaya, from the very beginning of
their material existence, were ordained to treat the Supreme Lord
as an enemy for three lives and then return home, back to
Godhead. J aya and Vijaya inwardly knew that Krishna is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, but they purposely became His
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373
beginning of their lives, they thought of Lord Krishna as an
enemy, and even though blaspheming Lord Krishna, they chanted
the holy name of Krishna constantly along with their inimical
thoughts. Thus, they were purified because of chanting the holy
name of Krishna. It is to be understood that even if a blasphemer
can be freed from sinful activities by chanting the holy name of
the Lord, certainly, freedom is assured for a devotee who is
always favourable to the service of the Lord.
Yadus Obtained Krishnas Mercy By Familial
Relationship
All of the residents of Vrindavana and Dwarakanamely, the
cowherd men and the members of the Yadu familyare eternally
perfect devotees of the Lord. As the Lord descends by His
causeless mercy upon this planet, so, in order to help in the
pastimes of the Lord, these devotees also come here. They are not
ordinary living entities or conditioned souls. They are ever-
liberated persons, associates of the Personality of Godhead. And
just as Lord Krishna behaves like an ordinary man when He
descends to this planet, so the
members of the Yadu dynasty and the
residents of Vrindavana execute
activities just like ordinary men. But
they are not ordinary men. They are
as liberated as Lord Krishna Himself.
In the Padma Purana, Uttara-
khanda section, it is stated, J ust as
Lord Ramacandra descends along
with Laksmana (an expansion of
Sankarsana) and Bharata (an
expansion of Pradyumna), so the
members of the Yadu dynasty and the
cowherd men of Vrindavana also
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374
descend with Lord Krishna in order to join in the transcendental
pastimes of the Lord. When the Supreme Lord returns to His
eternal abode, His associates return with Him to their respective
places. As such, these ever-liberated Vaishnavas are not bound by
the material laws of birth and death.
Pandavas Obtained Krishnas Mercy By Great Affection
When Maharaja Parikshit travelled to various parts of his
kingdom, he heard the glories of the devotion of his forefathers,
the Pandavas, and how Lord Krishna was very affectionate to
them. He heard that out of His causeless mercy, Lord Krishna,
Who is universally obeyed, rendered all kinds of service to the
Pandavas by accepting posts ranging from chariot driver to
president, to messenger, friend, night watchman, etc., according to
the will of the Pandavas, obeying them like a servant and offering
obeisances like one younger in years. When he heard this,
Maharaja Parikshit became overwhelmed with devotion to the
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Lord Krishna is everything to the unalloyed devotees like the
Pandavas. The Lord was for them the Supreme Lord, the spiritual
master, the worshipable Deity, the guide, the chariot driver, the
friend, the servant, the messenger and everything they could
conceive of. And thus, the Lord also reciprocated the feelings of
the Pandavas. The Lords dealings with His devotees appear to be
ordinary human dealings, but one who knows them in truth
becomes at once eligible to go back home, back to Godhead. The
Pandavas were so malleable to the will of the Lord that they could
sacrifice any amount of energy for the service of the Lord, and by
such unalloyed determination, they could secure the Lords mercy
in any shape they desired.
Lord Krishna saved the Pandavas from various dangerous
encounters. Devaki was once put into difficulty by her envious
brother, otherwise she was well. But Kuntidevi and her sons were
put into one difficulty after another for years and years together.
They were put into trouble by Duryodhana and his party due to the
kingdom, and each and every time, the sons of Kunti were saved
by the Lord. Once, Bhima was administered poison in a cake.
Another time, they were put into the house made of shellac and set
afire. Draupadi was dragged out, and attempts were made to insult
her by stripping her naked in the vicious assembly of the Kurus.
The Lord saved Draupadi by supplying an immeasurable length of
cloth, and Duryodhanas party failed to see her naked. Similarly,
when they were exiled in the forest, Bhima had to fight with the
man-eater demon Hidimbi Rakshasa, but the Lord saved him. It
was not finished there. After all these tribulations, there was the
great Battle of Kurukshetra, and Arjuna had to meet such great
generals as Drona, Bhisma and Karna, all powerful fighters. And
at last, even when everything was done away with, there was the
Brahmastra released by the son of Dronacharya to kill the child
within the womb of Uttara, and so the Lord saved the only
surviving descendant of the Kurus, Maharaja Parikshit.
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Thus, Lord Krishna was intimately associated with the
Pandava family owing to their complete surrender to His lotus
feet. The affection of Yudhisthira for Krishna is seen when he
renounced the world at once by giving up the throne as soon as he
came to know that Krishna had left the world to return to His own
abode. Thus, the Pandavas conquered the heart of the Lord
through affection.
Somehow Or Other One Should Think Of Krishna
katamo pi na vena syt pacn purua prati
tasmt kenpy upyena mana ke niveayet

Narada said: Somehow or other, one must consider the form
of Krishna very seriously. Then, by one of the five different
processes mentioned above, one can return home, back to
Godhead. Atheists like King Vena, however, being unable to think
of Krishnas form in any of these five ways, cannot attain
salvation. Therefore, one must somehow think of Krishna,
whether in a friendly way or inimically. (SB 7.1.32)
Impersonalists and atheists always try to circumvent the form
of Krishna. Great politicians and philosophers of the modern age
even try to banish Krishna from the Bhagavad-gita. Consequently,
for them, there is no salvation. But Krishnas enemies think, Here
is Krishna, my enemy. I have to kill Him. They think of Krishna
in His actual form, and thus, they attain salvation. Devotees,
therefore, who constantly think of Krishnas form favourably, are
not only liberated, but achieve the personal association of the
Lord.
Yudhisthira as well as Nala, both were very pious kings.
Amongst them, Yudhisthira is more famous owing to being a
devotee of Lord Krishna. Thus, without a relation with the Lord,
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377
Results Of Favourable And
Unfavourable Devotional Service
The attraction of Kamsa to Krishna in fear and the attraction of
Sishupala in envy are not accepted as devotional service, however,
because their attitudes are not favourable. Devotional service
should be executed only in a favourable frame of mind. Therefore,
according to Srila Rupa Gosvami, such attractions are not
considered to be in devotional service.
There may be some difficulty in understanding that both the
gopis and Kamsa achieved the same goal, so this point should be
clearly understood, because the attitudes of Kamsa and Sishupala
were different from that of the gopis. Although in all these cases,
the focus is on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all of the
devotees are elevated to the spiritual world, there is still a
distinction between these two classes of souls.
In the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is said that the
Absolute Truth is one and that He is manifested as impersonal
Brahman, Paramatma (Supersoul) and Bhagavan (the Supreme
Personality of Godhead). Here is a spiritual distinction. Although
Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan are the same-and-one
Absolute Truth, devotees like Kamsa or Sishupala could attain
only to the Brahman effulgence. They could not have realization
of Paramatma or Bhagavan. That is the distinction.
An analogy can be given with the sun globe and the sunshine:
to remain in the sunshine does not mean one has gone to the sun
globe. The temperature of the sun globe is different from the
temperature of the sunshine. One who has gone through the
sunshine in jet planes or in spaceships has not necessarily gone to
the sun globe. Although the sunshine and the sun globe are
actually one and the same, still there is a distinction, for one is the
energy and one is the energetic source. The Absolute Truth and
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His bodily effulgence are in the same way simultaneously one and
different.
Kamsa and Sishupala attained to the Absolute Truth, but they
were not allowed to enter into the Goloka Vrindavana abode.
Impersonalists and the enemies of the Lord are, because of
attraction to God, allowed to enter into His kingdom, but they are
not allowed to enter into the Vaikuntha planets or the Goloka
Vrindavana planet of the Supreme Lord. To enter the kingdom and
to enter the kings palace are not the same thing.
Srila Rupa Gosvami describes the different achievements of
the impersonalists and the personalists. Generally, those who are
impersonalists and are inimical to the Supreme Personality of
Godhead get entrance only into the impersonal Brahman, when
and if they reach spiritual perfection. The impersonalist
philosophers are in one sense like the enemies of the Lord,
because the out-and-out enemies of the Lord and the
impersonalists are both allowed to enter only into the impersonal
effulgence of the brahmajyoti.
Sometimes, an impersonalist may gradually elevate himself to
the personal conception of the Lord. The Bhagavad-gita confirms
this: After many births and deaths, he who is actually in
knowledge surrenders unto Me. By such surrender, an
impersonalist can be elevated to Vaikunthaloka (spiritual planet)
where, as a surrendered soul, he attains bodily features like those
of the Lord.
An Exemplary Journey To Vrindavana
Akrura was one of the descendants in the family of Yadu and
was a great devotee of Lord Krishna. Kamsa sent him to
Vrindavana as a messenger to invite Krishna and Balarama for the
wrestling match. Akrura was completely absorbed in
remembrance of the Lord while travelling to Vrindavana as
explained below:

379
Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the spiritual
master of all spiritual masters. He is the deliverer of all fallen
souls and the proprietor of the three worlds. Anyone who is able to
see Him by eyes smeared with love of Godhead enjoys a festival
of seeing. Today I shall be able to see the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, who, by His transcendental beauty, has attracted the
goddess of fortune to live with Him perpetually.
Aspiring For A Benediction From Krishnas Hands
As soon as I arrive in Vrindavana, I will get down from this
chariot and fall prostrate to offer my obeisances to the Supreme
Lord, the master of material nature and all living entities. The
lotus feet of Krishna are always worshiped by great mystic yogis,
so I shall also worship His lotus feet and become one of His
friends in Vrindavana like the cowherd boys. When I bow down
before Lord Krishna in that way, certainly He will place His
fearless lotus hand on my head. His hand is offered to all
conditioned souls who take shelter under His lotus feet. Krishna is
the ultimate goal of life for all
people who fear material
existence, and certainly, when I
see Him, He will give me the
shelter of His lotus feet. I am
aspiring for the touch of His
lotus-like hand on my head.
When that hand touched the
presentations of King Indra and
King Bali, they became
qualified to be lords of the
universe, and when that lotus-
like hand wiped the pearl-like
drops of perspiration from the
faces of the gopis as they
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danced with Krishna in the rasa-lila, it relieved all their fatigue of
dancing and they became refreshed immediately.
Thus, Akrura was expecting a benediction from that supreme
hand of Krishna. Krishnas hand is capable of bestowing
benedictions upon all kinds of men if they take to Krishna
consciousness. If one wants material happiness like the king of
heaven, he can derive that benediction from the hand of Krishna;
if one wants liberation from the pangs of material existence, he
can also get that benediction from the hand of Krishna; and if one
in pure transcendental love for Krishna wants personal association
and the touch of His transcendental body, he can also gain that
benediction from His hand.
Clearing Sins By Merciful Embrace
Although Akrura was trusted by the enemy of Krishna, his
heart was clear. He was a pure devotee of Krishna. He risked
becoming Kamsas deputy just to meet Krishna. He was certain
that although he was going as a representative of Kamsa, Krishna
would not accept him as an enemy. Even though I am on a sinful
mission, being deputed by Kamsa, when I approach the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, I shall stand before Him with all humility
and folded hands. Surely He will be pleased with my devotional
attitude, and maybe He will smile lovingly and look upon me and
thereby free me from all kinds of sinful reactions. Since Krishna
knows my heart, certainly when I approach Him, He will embrace
me. Not only am I a member of the Yadu dynasty, but I am His
relative and an unalloyed, pure devotee. By His merciful embrace,
surely my body, heart and soul will be completely cleansed of the
actions and reactions of my past life. When our bodies touch, I
will immediately stand up with folded hands, with all humility.
Certainly Krishna and Balarama will call me Akrura, Uncle, and
at that time, my whole life will be glorious. Unless one is
recognized by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his life cannot
be successful.

381
It is clearly stated here that one should try to be recognized by
the Supreme Personality of Godhead by ones service and
devotion, without which the human form of life is condemned.
Appropriate Mood For Entering Vrindavana
In this way, Akrura meditated on Sri Krishna on his journey
from Mathura. He reached Vrindavana by the end of the day.
Akrura passed the whole journey without knowing how long it
took. When he reached Vrindavana, the sun was setting. As soon
as he entered the boundary of Vrindavana, he saw the hoof prints
of the cows and Lord Krishnas footprints, impressed with the
signs of His solesthe flag, trident, thunderbolt and lotus flower.
These symbols on the soles of the Lords transcendental lotus feet
are worshiped by all the demigods and other great personalities
throughout the three worlds. Upon seeing the footprints of
Krishna, Akrura immediately jumped down from the chariot out of
respect. He became overwhelmed with all the symptoms of
ecstasy, he wept, and his body trembled. Out of extreme jubilation
upon seeing the dust touched by the lotus feet of Krishna, Akrura
fell flat on his face and began to roll on the ground.
Akruras journey to Vrindavana is exemplary. One who
intends to visit Vrindavana should follow the ideal footsteps of
Akrura and always think of the pastimes and activities of the Lord.
As soon as one reaches the boundary of Vrindavana, he should
immediately smear the dust of Vrindavana over his body without
thinking of his material position and prestige. Srila Narottama
dasa Thakura has sung in a celebrated song, viaya chiy kabe
uddha habe mana: When my mind will be purified after leaving
the contamination of material sense enjoyment, I shall be able to
visit Vrindavana. Actually, one cannot go to Vrindavana by
purchasing a ticket. The process of going to Vrindavana is shown
by Akrura. For more information, please read Chapter 37,
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Akruras Arrival in Vrindavana from the book Krishna, The
Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Remembering And Praying To Krishna
When Kunti was living in Hastinapura with her five children,
Krishna had sent Akrura to study the situation there. When Kunti
met him, she especially inquired about Krishna and Balarama, her
glorious nephews. She asked,
Does Krishna, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Who
is very affectionate to His
devotees, remember my sons?
Does Balarama remember us?
She felt herself helpless
and exclaimed, My dear
Krishna, my dear Krishna! You
are the supreme mystic, the
Supersoul of the universe. You
are the real well-wisher of the
whole universe. My dear
Govinda, at this time You are
far away from me, yet I pray to
surrender unto Your lotus feet.
I am now grief-stricken with
my five fatherless sons. I can fully understand that but for Your
lotus feet, there is no shelter or protection. Your lotus feet can
deliver all aggrieved souls because You are the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. One can be safe from the clutches of
repeated birth and death by Your mercy only. My dear Krishna,
You are the supreme pure one, the Supersoul and the master of all
yogis. What can I say? I can simply offer my respectful obeisances
unto You. Accept me as Your fully surrendered devotee.

383
Although Krishna was not present before her, Kunti offered
her prayers to Him as if she were in His presence face to face.
This is possible for anyone who cultivates remembrance of
Krishna by following in the footsteps of Kunti. Krishna does not
have to be physically present everywhere. He is actually present
everywhere by spiritual potency, and one simply has to surrender
unto Him sincerely. Then one can always remember Him.

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Chapter 9

Art Of Dying

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anta-kle ca mm eva smaran muktv kalevaram
ya prayti sa mad-bhva yti nsty atra saaya

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. (BG 8.5)
The Imperceptible Time Factor
In this material world, everyone is in ignorance. Even Brahma
was ignorant until he was given knowledge by Krishna. Therefore,
no one should be proud of his knowledge. Everyone in this
material world is busy making plans to enjoy as much as he can. A
particular living entity desires, If I can get the opportunity to
obtain the post of Brahma, then I can create a big universe. Thus,
he receives the body of Brahma. And the small insect thinks, If I
can create a small hole within this room, then I can live very
peacefully and eat. Thus, Brahma desires to create a universe, we
desire to create a skyscraper, and an ant desires to create a hole in
a room, but the quality of the work is the same. We are all fools,
however, because we do not realize that because these things are
material, they will not last. Because of ignorance, we think, This
will be very nice. That will be very nice. We create some desire,
and then we work accordingly. This results in so many difficulties.
Time Devours Everything
Time turns clean faces into wrinkled ones, thus changing
young into old. It turns black hair to white and
sends the old to the graveyard. It makes all fond
events turn into mere photographic memories to
be seen and remembered in old age with a deep
sigh. With the rising and setting of the sun, one
day is removed from the calendar of our life
(SB 2.3.17). Only those who realise that, I am
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not this perishable, decayable body, but pure unchanging spirit
soul eternal servant of the Lord can go beyond time.
The worlds movements for freedom through political,
economic, social, and cultural propaganda can do no benefit to
anyone, for they are controlled by superior power. A conditioned
living being is under the full control of material nature,
represented by eternal time, and acts under the dictation of the
different modes of nature. There are three material modes of
nature, namely goodness, passion and ignorance. Unless one is
situated in the mode of goodness, one cannot see things as they
are. The passionate and the ignorant cannot even see things as they
are. Therefore, a person who is passionate and ignorant cannot
direct his activities on the right path. Only the man in the quality
of goodness can help to a certain extent.
Most persons are passionate and ignorant, and therefore, their
plans and projects can hardly do any good to others. Above the
modes of nature is eternal time, which is called kala, because it
changes the shape of everything in the material world. Even if we
are able to do something temporarily beneficial, time will see that
the good project is frustrated in due course of time. The only thing
possible to be done is to get rid of eternal time, kala, which is
compared to kala-sarpa, or the cobra snake, whose bite is always
lethal. No one can be saved from the bite of a cobra. The best
remedy for getting out of the clutches of the cobra-like kala or its
integrity, the modes of nature, is bhakti-yoga, as it is
recommended in the Bhagavad-gita (14.26). The highest
perfectional project of philanthropic activities is to engage
everyone in the act of preaching bhakti-yoga all over the world
because that alone can save the people from the control of maya,
or the material nature represented by kala, karma and guna.
Prahladas Analysis Of Life And Time
Prahlada, a great devotee of the Lord, has analysed how a man
spends his valuable life:
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Every human being has a maximum duration of life of one
hundred years, but for one who cannot control his senses, half of
those years are completely lost because at night he sleeps twelve
hours, being covered by ignorance. Therefore, such a person has a
lifetime of only fifty years. (SB 7.6.6)
In the tender age of childhood, when everyone is bewildered,
one passes ten years. Similarly, in boyhood, engaged in sporting
and playing, one passes another ten years. In this way, twenty
years are wasted. Similarly, in old age, when one is an invalid,
unable to perform even material activities, one passes another
twenty years wastefully. (SB 7.6.7)
One whose mind and senses are uncontrolled becomes
increasingly attached to family life because of insatiable lusty
desires and very strong illusion. In such a madmans life, the
remaining years are also wasted because even during those years
he cannot engage himself in devotional service. (SB 7.6.8)
Sankara also said: balyavastha kridasakta, tarunavastha
taruni sakta vriddhavastha cinta magna, para brahmani kopi na
sakta In childhood, one is attached to playing, in youth, one is
attached to beautiful women, in old age, one is absorbed in
varieties of lamentation; Alas! No one realises the need of
searching for that Supreme Truth which is the source of all bliss!
Thus, youth is the best time for cultivation of spiritual
knowledge. Unfortunately, in youth, the mind, body and senses
are very strong, but one is blinded by material attachment. In old
age, all ones energy of the body is exhausted, the mind is filled
with worries and is in turmoil, and the senses are worn out and
incapable. But one may have some wisdom about the world. How
wonderful is the combination of wisdom of the old and
youthfulness of the young. This miracle is possible if one gets the
company of a devotee in his early stage of life. Then he does not
have to undergo all the complications of material life to learn how
dirty the material world is. He can learn that simply by hearing the
sublime message of Srimad-Bhagavatam from a pure devotee.
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The Strong Knot Of Material Attachment
Real Family And Shadow Family

It is said that it is
easier to maintain a
great empire than a
small family, especially
in these days, when the
influence of Kali-yuga
is so strong that
everyone is harassed
and full of anxieties
because of accepting
the false presentation of mayas family. The family we maintain is
created by maya. It is the perverted reflection of the family in
Krishnaloka. In Krishnaloka also, there are families, friends,
society, father, and mother; everything is there, but they are
eternal. Here, as we change bodies, our family relationships also
change. Sometimes we are in a family of human beings,
sometimes in a family of demigods, and sometimes a family of
cats or dogs.
Family, society and friendship are flickering, and so they are
called asat. It is said that as long as we are attached to this asat
this temporary, nonexistent society and familywe are always
full of anxieties. The materialists do not know that the family,
society and friendship here in this material world are only
shadows, and thus, they become attached. Naturally their hearts
are always burning, but in spite of all inconveniences, they still
work to maintain such false families because they have no
information of the real family association with Krishna.

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The False Love That Charms Man
Family life within the kingdom of the illusory energy, maya, is
just like a prison for the eternal living entity. In prison, a prisoner
is shackled by iron chains and iron bars. Similarly, a conditioned
soul is shackled by the charming beauty of a woman, by her
solitary embraces and talks of so-called love, and by the sweet
words of his small children. Thus, he forgets his real identity.
Womanly love exists
just to agitate the mind of
man. Actually, in the
material world there is no
love. Both the woman and
the man are interested in
their own sense-gratification.
For sense gratification, a
woman creates an illusory
love, and the man becomes
enchanted by such false love
and forgets his real duty.
When there are children as
the result of such a
combination, the next
attraction is to the sweet
words of the children. The love of the woman at home and the talk
of the children make one a secure prisoner, and thus he cannot
leave his home. Such a person is termed, in Vedic language, a
grhamedi, which means one whose centre of attraction is
home. The word grhastha refers to one who lives with family,
wife, and children but whose real purpose of living is to develop
Krishna consciousness. One is therefore advised to become a
grhastha, not a grhamedi. The grhasthas concern is to get out
of the family life created by illusion and enter into real family life
with Krishna, whereas the grhamedis business is to repeatedly
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chain himself to so-called family life, in one life after another, and
perpetually remain in the darkness of maya.
The Cut-Throat Competition For Survival
In the Bhagavad-gita, the Personality of Godhead Himself
certifies the material world as an impermanent place that is full of
miseries. There is no question of happiness in this material world,
either individually or in terms of family, society, or country. If
something is going on in the name of happiness, that is illusion.
Here in this material world, happiness means successful
counteraction of distress. The material world is so made that
unless one becomes a clever diplomat, his life will be a failure.
What to speak of human society, even in the society of lower
animals, the birds and beasts cleverly manage their bodily
demands of eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. Human
society competes nationally or individually, and in the attempt to
be successful, the entire human society becomes full of
diplomacy. We should always remember that in spite of all
diplomacy and all intelligence in the struggle for existence,
everything will end in a second by the supreme will. Therefore, all
our attempts to become happy in this material world are simply a
delusion offered by maya.
Material Attachment Makes One Blind
The present human civilization is primarily based on the
principles of sleeping and sex indulgence at night, earning money
in the day and spending the same for family maintenance. Modern
man is busy finding out ways to send rockets to other planets, but
he has not sorted out the problems connected to his own aging
body that is destined to die. He knows nothing beyond money and
sex. All other variegated activities like sports, movies, education,
welfare activities, and cultural, social, altruistic and philanthropic
activities are all different forms of sense-gratification concocted
by the conditioned soul to enjoy separately from Krishna. Such a
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form of human civilization, devoid of knowledge of difference
between matter and spirit soul, is condemned by the Bhagavata
school.
This material world is called the world of death. Every living
being, beginning from Brahma, whose duration of life is some
thousands of millions of years, down to the germs who live for a
few seconds only, is struggling for existence. Therefore, this life is
a sort of fight with material nature, which imposes death upon all.
In the human form of life, a living being is competent enough to
come to an understanding of this great struggle for existence, but
being too attached to family members, society, country, etc., he
wants to win over the invincible material nature by the aid of
bodily strength, children, wife, relatives, etc. Although he is
sufficiently experienced in the matter by dint of past experience
and previous examples of his deceased predecessors, he does not
see that the so-called fighting soldiers like the children, relatives,
society members and countrymen are all fallible in the great
struggle.
One should examine the fact that his father or his fathers
father has already died, and that he himself is therefore also sure
to die, and similarly, his children, who are the would-be fathers of
their children, will also die in due course. No one will survive in
this struggle with material nature. The history of human society
definitely proves it, yet the foolish people still suggest that in the
future, they will be able to live perpetually, with the help of
material science. This poor fund of knowledge exhibited by
human society is certainly misleading, and it is all due to ignoring
the constitution of the living soul.
This material world exists only as a dream, due to our
attachment to it. Otherwise, the living soul is always different
from the material nature. The great ocean of material nature is
tossing with the waves of time, and the so-called living conditions
are something like foaming bubbles, which appear before us as
bodily self, wife, children, society, countrymen, etc. Due to lack of
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knowledge of the self, we become victimized by the forces of
ignorance and thus, spoil the valuable energy of human life in a
vain search after permanent living conditions, which are
impossible in this material world.
No One Is Interested In You Except
The Plight Of Old Age
A man who has spent all his life in Godlessness is sure to be
caught up in a struggle, especially due to his greed for earning
more and enjoying more with his family. When he suffers reverses
in his occupation, he tries again and again to improve himself, but
when he is baffled in all attempts and is ruined, he accepts money
from others because of excessive greed. Thus, the unfortunate
man, unsuccessful in maintaining his family members, is bereft of
all beauty. He always thinks of his failure, grieving very deeply.
Seeing him unable to support them, his wife and others do not
treat him with the same respect as before, even as miserly farmers
do not accord the same treatment to their old and worn-out oxen.
Not only in the present age, but from time immemorial, no one
has liked an old man who is unable to earn in the family. Even in
the modern age, in some communities or states, the old men are
given poison so that they will die as soon as possible. In some
cannibalistic communities, the old grandfather is sportingly killed,
and a feast is held in which his body is eaten. Here, the example is
given that a farmer does not like an old ox that has ceased to work.
Similarly, when an attached person in family life becomes old and
is unable to earn, he is no longer liked by his wife, sons,
daughters, and other kinsmen, and he is consequently neglected,
what to speak of not being given respect.
Once upon a time, an old man was counting his last days on
his death bed. His son got fed up of maintaining his old father and
he put him just outside the house and fed him some meagre food
like a household dog. One day, the old man observed a cat biting
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and breaking the broom stick. He was upset and made a sound.
The son came running and thought that his father was about to die.
Probably he had something very important to say about some
hidden treasure somewhere. Now his father was practically
speechless. The son rushed and brought the doctor, who told him
that his father was at the verge of death and that it would cost Rs.
50,000/- ($1000) to revive him. The son had a tug of war going on
in his heart, Will the treasure that my father reveals exceed this
amount? It should be at least double. Then it is worth reviving
him, otherwise, to hell with this old man. The son guessed that
the treasure could be a huge ancestral property awaiting him from
many generations. He paid $1000 to the doctor and asked him to
revive his father. When his father got up, he at once pointed to the
cat and shouted, You foolish son, stop the cat from breaking the
broomstick. I have worked hard all my life to provide you all
wonderful facilities like vehicles, vessels, furniture and this broom
stick. These are the valuables I am leaving behind for you. Take
good care. Saying this, the father fell back on the bed and died.
The son lamented and felt like beating up his dead father.
Although the story appears to portray the worldly relationships
very badly, reality is not much far from what we read in this story.
People are quite selfish and they think only about themselves.
It is judicious, therefore, to give up family attachment before
one attains old age and take shelter of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. A person should employ himself in the Lords service
so that the Supreme Lord can take charge of him and he will not
be neglected by his so-called kinsmen.
Family attraction is so strong that even if a person is neglected
by family members in his old age, he cannot give up family
affection, and he remains at home just like a dog.
There was once an old man who appointed his young son to
take care of his textile business. Being constantly interrupted and
interrogated by his old father, the son wanted him to take
vanaprastha and focus on God consciousness. He arranged for a
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Bhagavata saptah for seven days especially for his father. After it
got over, the son saw that his father had not changed even a bit,
because he never attended the program. Rather, he was attending
to the business most of the time. The son sought the advice of
some wise men and decided to send his father on a holy
pilgrimage to over twenty places. When the father returned, he
went straight to the shop to enquire about the business and give his
valuable suggestions, and asked the son to move out. The son was
surprised at the strong attachment of this old man. He made up his
mind one day and took his old father to the graveyard to show him
a dead body being burnt, so that he may get some detachment.
When the old father saw the flames and smoke emerging from the
funeral pyre of a wealthy merchant, his face grew pale and
serious. The son became happy at this and asked his father,
Please tell me, what your realization is? The old father replied,
My son, my heart is breaking to see that I have wasted all my life
in this cloth business. If only I had started sandalwood business
and sold it for wealthy mens funerals, how much money I could
have made? Come, it is not too late. We will wind up the cloth
business and start a sandalwood business. The old mans son
collapsed and almost fainted seeing the strong material attachment
of his old father.
In the Vedic way of life, it is advised that before getting too
weak and being baffled in material activities, and before becoming
diseased, one should give up family life and engage oneself
completely in the service of the Lord for the remaining days of his
life. Therefore, the Vedic scriptures enjoin that as soon as one
passes fifty years of age, he must give up family life and live alone
in the forest. After preparing himself fully, he should become a
sannyasi, travel widely, and distribute the knowledge of spiritual
life to each and every home.
Before meeting death, a man is sure to become a diseased
invalid, and when he is neglected by his family members, his life
becomes less than a dogs because he is put into so many
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miserable conditions. Vedic literatures enjoin, therefore, that
before the arrival of such miserable conditions, a man should
leave home and die without the knowledge of his family members.
If a man leaves home and dies without his familys knowing, that
is considered a glorious death. But an attached family man wants
his family members to carry him in a great procession even after
his death, and although he will not be able to see how the
procession goes, he still desires that his body be taken gorgeously
in procession. Thus, he is happy without even knowing where he
has to go when he leaves his body for the next life.
Dhritarashtra exemplifies such attachment that was later
uprooted by his brother Vidura, the great Vaishnava devotee.
After the battle of Kurukshetra, Yudhisthira and his four brothers
would go every day to offer their respects to their paternal uncle,
Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra had contrived of many plots to destroy
the Pandavas, finally declaring war on them, but the result was
that every one of his hundred sons died. Even after he lost the war,
he still refused to welcome his nephews, the sons of his brother
Pandu. This was a great insult to King Yudhisthira.
One day, Dhritarashtras younger brother, Vidura, a great
Vaishnava, went to Dhritarashtra and said, My dear brother, you
are so shameless that first you declare war against the Pandavas,
and now that you are an old man, you still do not receive King
Yudhisthira as your guest, yet you live in his house at his expense.
Are you so shameless, my dear brother? Vidura spoke in this way
just to help Dhritarashtra break his attachment to family life.
Dhritarashtra was an old man, and all his sons were dead, but he
still sat in his household arrangement, eating nicely prepared food.
From this we can understand that family attachment is very strong.
Vidura chastised Dhritarashtra: You are coughing up mucus
because you are very old, and your liver is weak. You will die
very soon, yet you are still sitting in your comfortable chair, just
like a dog. Have you no more shame than a dog, which always sits
waiting for his master to feed him?
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Upon hearing Viduras harsh words, Dhritarashtras hard heart
softened, and he replied, Yes! My dear brother Vidura, please let
me know what I should do. Vidura said, Come with me
immediately to the forest. For the remaining days of your life, just
engage yourself in Krishna consciousness. Come with me. So
without telling anyone, Dhritarashtra left with Vidura, and
Gandhari, Dhritarashtras faithful wife, followed. Together they
went to the forest to end their lives in meditation on the Lord.
No One Can Protect Us Without The Lords Mercy
Our friends, relatives and so-called wives and children are not
only fallible, but also bewildered by the outward glamour of
material existence. As such,
they cannot save us. Still we
think that we are safe within
the orbit of family, society or
country. Have you seen when
some near or dear relative
goes out of station, the
relatives go to send him off.
They wave their hands with
tears brimming in their eyes,
feeling separation for the
relative. They await a phone
call from them intimating
their safe arrival. But they
have no power to protect him during travel. Nowadays, there are
accidents in trains, cars, buses, aeroplanes, and practically
everywhere.
Prahlada Maharaja describes (SB 7.9.20), how through
parental care, through remedies for different kinds of diseases, and
through means of protection on the water, in the air and on land,
there is always an endeavour for relief from various kinds of
suffering in the material world, but none of them are guaranteed
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measures for protection. They may be beneficial temporarily, but
they afford no permanent benefit. Despite the presence of a father
and mother, a child cannot be protected from accidental death,
disease and various other miseries. No one can help, including the
parents. Ultimately the shelter is the Lord, and one who takes
shelter of the Lord is protected. This is guaranteed. As the Lord
says in the Bhagavad-gita (9.31), kaunteya pratijnhi na me
bhakta praayati: O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My
devotee never perishes. Therefore, unless one is protected by the
mercy of the Lord, no remedial measure can act effectively. One
should consequently depend fully on the causeless mercy of the
Lord.
A wealthy man may be administered with the costliest of
medicines by world-
renowned doctors in the
most famous hospital, and
yet can die pitiably
surrounded by medicines
if the Lord does not want
to save him. A man
drowning in an ocean may
see a boat or ship passing
by but may not be
rescued, as his loud shouts
for help may go unheard
in the roaring sound of the
waves. But if the Lord
wants to give protection to these people, He may easily do so by
His inconceivable potency.
This gross material body made of five elements is already
under the control of eternal time (kala), action (karma) and the
modes of material nature (guna). How, then, can it, being already
in the jaws of the serpent, protect others? (SB 1.13.46)
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Imagine a frog whose rear is already in the mouth of a serpent,
trying to catch a fly to eat. Similarly, every one of us is already
being gradually devoured by imperceptible Time. Not realizing
this, in ignorance, we worry that we could not give protection to
someone very dear to us. When no one knows who will die first
and who will survive, where is the question of one giving
protection to the other? Both are fallible souls. Those who slept
the night in Latur never had an idea that they wont be alive to
wake up the next morning, and would be devoured by an
earthquake. This is the kind of dangerous world we have chosen to
live in.
Nature (Prakriti) is so strong that no one can overcome her
stringent laws. So-called scientists, philosophers, religionists and
politicians should therefore conclude that they cannot offer
facilities to the people in general. They should make vigorous
propaganda to awaken the populace and raise them to the platform
of Krishna consciousness. We can never be happy without the
mercy of the Supreme Lord (tvad-upekitnm). If we keep
displeasing our Supreme Father, we shall never be happy within
this material world, in either the upper or lower planetary systems.
Persons who are devoid of the knowledge of atma-tattva are
misguided, but those who are devotees of the Lord and have
perfect realization of transcendental knowledge are not
bewildered.
Life Is A Preparation; Death Is The Final Exam
Watch Your Thought, Word And Deed
As discussed in the earlier chapters, mental existence
transforms into a tangible form as soon as there is an opportunity.
The subtle body is a body of desires based on which we get the
next gross body. Every thought, word and deed matters in
contributing the type of body that is awarded to us in the next life.
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Thus, our whole life is a sort of preparation for achieving the next
body.
For example, before a building is constructed, a blue print of
the building is made and various ingredients for its construction
are brought together cement, stones, lime, reinforcement bars,
bricks, glass, paint, cement mixer, etc. Eventually, construction
starts and the building comes up. In the same way, our activities
now are preparing a particular type of consciousness that will
decide the next body. It is said:
Watch your thoughts they become words;
Watch your words they become actions
Watch your actions they become habits;
Watch your habits they become character
Watch your character it becomes your culture
Suppose I am a businessman. If I simply do business up till the
point of death, naturally my mentality will be business-like. One
Calcutta businessman, at the time of death, asked about the
management of his mill. He might have taken his next birth as a
rat in his mill. This is possible. At the time of death, whatever you
are thinking will carry you to your next body. Krishna is very
kind, and whatever mentality one is absorbed in at the time of
death, Krishna will provide an appropriate body: All right, you
are thinking like a rat? Become a rat. You are thinking like a
tiger? Become a tiger. You are thinking like My devotee? Come
to Me.
By chanting Hare Krishna, we can mould our thoughts so that
we are always thinking of Krishna. As Krishna recommends in the
Bhagavad-gita (6.47), yoginm api sarve mad-
gatenntartman: The first-class yogi is he who always thinks
of Me within his heart. The Krishna consciousness movement is
especially meant for helping the members of human society come
to this state of full Krishna consciousness. Then, at the end of life,
one will simply remember Krishna. Whatever you practice
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throughout your life will determine your consciousness at death.
That is natural. One who properly prepares for the time of death is
really intelligent, while one who thinks he can remain at home
forever and enjoy the association of his wife and children is a fool.
Despite the onslaught of Western and other cultures, India has
still some remnants of Vedic culture due to the deep roots created
by the life of people based on teachings of scriptures. Most of the
rites and rituals, fasts and festivals, worship and pilgrimages are
all continuing in form, but the sublime essence behind them
everything should be done for the Lords pleasure alone; we are
all His servants -- is not often remembered.
We have to understand the science of God the sambandha
jnana who am I? Who is God? What is my relationship with
Him? This should be systematically learnt from a practicing
devotee and put into practice in our everyday life. Nothing
happens by chance. No progress happens without taking initiative.
The best moment is the current moment. If I want a change, I have
to act RIGHT NOW. Postponing spiritual life to tomorrow is not
much different from postponing it to next life. We should feel the
need of a positive change and we should do the needful to bring
about that change by altering our lifestyle. This means cutting
down unwanted or unnecessary engagements that may seem too
good to give up but will not benefit even a farthing in our eternal
relation with God. This desire to understand God and achieve His
permanent shelter becomes strong by association with devotees
who are very serious about returning to God.
Practice Make The Man Perfect
One should be convinced that this material world is
temporary, that one has to wind up his activities and leave behind
car, computer, suitcase, cell phone, bungalow, family and friends
for another destination. If this is forgotten, then one continues his
life in the chase behind the illusion of wealth, position, facilities,
fame, etc., that delude him, appearing to be substantial. The great
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souls are never attracted by the false promises of maya. Therefore,
Bhaktivinoda Thakura says: ka-janma hao yath tuy dsa
bahirmukha brahma janme nhi Let me become an insect in
a place where Your devotee is present, because if I fall down in
the dust of the feet of a devotee, my life will be successful. I
would not want to be a Brahma and not be a devotee of Krishna.
To become Brahma is not a very easy thing. Brahma is such a big
post, and it is given to a very qualified living entity who is highly
advanced in austerities and penance. But he is also a living entity
like us. In America, there are many citizens, and President Ford is
also a citizen, but by dint of his ardent labour and diplomacy, he
captured the post. Still, he is an ordinary citizen. President Nixon,
for example, was dragged down and is no longer President. This is
because he was an ordinary citizen. Similarly, if we like, we may
also become Brahma. Because we are in ignorance, maya, at any
time we may forget Krishna. Therefore, we must always engage in
Krishna consciousness so that we shall not forget Him. If we
always think of Krishna, there is a chance that we shall remember
Krishna at the end of life (ante
narayana-smti).
Everything takes practice. For
example, if one wants to dance on
the stage, one has to perform many
rehearsals to practice how to dance.
Then, if one becomes an expert
dancer, when one dances on stage,
one will receive acclaim, Ah, a
very good dancer. But one cannot
say, I shall go immediately to the
stage and become a good dancer.
That is not possible. One may say,
No, no, no. I shall not attend the
rehearsal. J ust give me the stage,
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and I shall perform. But the director will not allow this, for one
cannot become a good dancer without practice. The real purpose
of life is to remember Krishna when ones life comes to an end
(ante narayana-smti). If at the time of death one can remember
Krishna, ones life is successful.
Sportsmen who go to the Olympics put their sweat and toil in
net practice. The practice goes on for weeks, months and years
together. Even after becoming perfect in their field they still do
not stop the practice. They know that if they have to make it in the
Olympics, they have to rise early
morning and go for practice; they
have to eat a particular type of diet
to keep good health; they have to
avoid bad habits to keep vigour and
alertness. They are always eager to
learn more tips from other
experienced people to improve
themselves.
If people are endeavouring to be so well prepared for just
bagging the gold medal in the Olympics which they will leave
behind at death, how much more a devotee should practice
Krishna consciousness seriously if he or she is keen to return back
to Godhead? It is said that a devotee should count the holy names
like a business man happily counts his dollar notes or rupee notes;
a devotee should never feel aversion for chanting. Similarly, a
devotee should accept all that is favourable for becoming more
and more Krishna conscious very enthusiastically.
A grass-worm confined in a hole of a wall by a bee always
thinks of the bee in fear and enmity and later becomes a bee
simply because of such remembrance. Similarly, if the conditioned
souls somehow or other think of Krishna, who is sac-cid-nanda-
vigraha (Bs. 5.1), they will become free from their sins. Whether
thinking of Him as their worshipable Lord or as an enemy,
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because of constantly thinking of Him, they will regain their
spiritual bodies. (SB 7.1.28-29)
There are two ways of constantly thinking of Krishnaas a
devotee and as an enemy. A devotee, of course, by his knowledge
and tapasya, becomes free from fear and anger and becomes a
pure devotee. Similarly, an enemy, although thinking of Krishna
inimically, thinks of Him constantly and also becomes purified.
This is because Krishna is absolute. The acaryas have
recommended that one should think of Krishna favourably in the
mood of a devotee and not enemy. Somehow or other if one can
think of Krishna in any way, in terms of His name, form, qualities,
paraphernalia or anything pertaining to Him, then it will make one
pure, and he will become a devotee. Our Krishna consciousness
movement is, therefore, trying to introduce the system of
somehow or other letting everyone hear the holy names of Krishna
and take Krishnas prasada. Thus, one will gradually become a
devotee, and his life will be successful.
A devotee should mould his or her life in such a way that one
can take darshan of the deities, sing songs in glorification of the
Lord, hear pastimes from Srimad-Bhagavatam and Caitanya
Caritamrta, eat Krishna prasadam and call the Lord everyday by
chanting His names. All these activities should absorb us totally in
remembrance of Krishnas sac-cid-ananda form, so that one day,
gradually, all our material coverings will be shed away and we
will revive our spiritual body to join the Lord in the spiritual world
in His eternal service.
The Golden Rule For Perfection
Krishna gives us the clue in the Bhagavad-gita, as to what
should be our state of mind at the time of death, so that we may
return back to Him. Krishna says:
anta-kale ca mam eva smaran muktva kalevaram
yah prayati sa mad-bhavam yati nasty atra samsayah
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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. (BG 8.5)
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. (BG
8.6)
tasmat sarvesu kalesu mam anusmara yudhya ca
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir mam evaisyasy asamsayah
Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form
of Krishna and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of
fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and
intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt. (BG
8.7)
These instructions of Lord Krishna to Arjuna are very
important for all men. A person, who at the end of his life, quits
his body thinking of Krishna, attains the transcendental nature of
the Supreme Lord, but it is not true that a person who thinks of
something other than Krishna (like impersonal brahman) attains
the same transcendental state.
It is absurd to think that all paths lead to the same goal. If I
take a ticket to Calcutta, I cannot expect the train to take me to
Madras. Similarly, unless one has aspired to love and serve
Krishna while being in this body, he cannot expect to go the
Supreme abode of Goloka Vrindavana to join the Lord in His
eternal pastimes. If someone imagines the Lord to have no form or
attribute and desires to merge into brahman, he will have to go to
brahmajyoti. So it is very important for everyone to know the
siddhanta, meaning conclusion, about the ultimate destination of
the living entity to be achieved.
So if one has to return to Krishnas abode, one has to think of
Krishna and remember Krishna at the time of death. How can one
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think of Krishna at the time of death? If one is always engaged in
thinking of Krishna and serving Krishna throughout ones life,
then one can think of Krishna at the time of death. If one wants to
bag the first rank in the state board exam of 10th standard, he has
to prepare throughout the year. Similarly, this life is a preparation
period, to train our body and mind to love and serve Krishna.
The residents of Vrindavana like the gopis, gopas, cows,
calves, etc., were constantly immersed in thoughts about Krishna.
They knew no one but Krishna. They wanted to please no one but
Krishna. So our ideal is to become like Vrajabasis or residents of
Vrindavana - simply doing all our activities for Krishnas
pleasure. The more a person develops a taste for hearing about
Krishna and serving Him with faith and devotion, the more is the
guarantee for that person to return back to Godhead. The Padma
Purana reminds us:
ALWAYS THINK OF KRISHNA
NEVER FORGET KRISHNA

This is the golden rule for achieving
perfection. The best way to remember
Krishna is to regularly, on a daily basis,
chant a prescribed number of rounds of
the maha mantra:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
As stated in Padma Purana,
smartavya satata visnu: we should
always remember Lord Vishnu. Vismartavyo na jtucit: we
should never forget the Lord. This is the perfection of life. (SB
6.16.53-54 purport)
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A devotee should always be alert, keeping his mind in a
sanguine state so that he can always remember Lord Sri Krishna.
The sastras state, smartavya satata visnu: in devotional life,
one should always remember Lord Vishnu. (CC Adi 12.51
purport)
Death: The Separating Sword Of Time
Time And Tide Wait For No One
Lord Krishna exhibited His
Universal form to Arjuna, in
which Arjuna could see many
faces, eyes, arms, thighs, legs,
bellies and many terrible teeth.
Arjuna saw that even the great
demigods were disturbed at
seeing the Lords Universal form.
Arjuna could see Bhisma, Drona,
Karna and all the other soldiers
rushing into the Lords fearful
mouths and some were trapped with their heads smashed between
the teeth. Arjuna saw the Lord devouring all people from all sides
with His flaming mouths. Covering the entire universe with His
effulgence, He was manifest with scorching rays.
At that time, Arjuna asked, O Lord of lords, so fierce of form,
please tell me who You are...I want to know about You, for I do
not know what Your mission is. (BG 11.31) The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: Time I am, the great destroyer of
the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people. With the
exception of you (Pandavas), all the soldiers here on both sides
will be slain. (BG 11.32) Time is destruction and all
manifestations are to be vanquished by the desire of the Supreme
Lord. This is the law of nature.
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The great politician-pandita Chanakya said that even one
moment of time cannot be returned, even if one is prepared to pay
millions of dollars. One cannot calculate the amount of loss, in
wasting valuable time. Whether material or spiritual, one should
be very alert in utilizing the time which he has at his disposal. A
conditioned soul lives in a particular body for a fixed
measurement of time, and it is recommended in the scriptures that
within that small measurement of time, one has to finish Krishna
consciousness and thus gain release from the influence of the time
factor. But, unfortunately, those who are not in Krishna
consciousness are carried away by the strong power of time
without their knowledge, as clouds are carried by the powerful
wind.
Death Comes Without Announcement
Do you know how death comes to a person? It is something
like a robber coming to you and keeping his pistol on the temple
of your head! A robber keeps his pistol on your head, and
demands all that you have. You cannot deny him. If you do so,
you will be shot dead.
Once, a lady in America had not paid the rent for her house.
One fine morning, policemen came, broke open the house and
removed all the furniture and things from the house. Only her bed
in which she was lying was left. That also was carried like a
stretcher by two policemen on either side and thrown out. When
she woke up, she saw that all her things, along with herself, have
been thrown out and the house has been sealed. She started crying
and went to the nearby telephone booth to phone her husband, but
in the mean time people came on bikes and trucks and started
stealing the fridge, TV and other equipments from her property.
This is how death comes to us. It is a fact! One not so fine
morning we are going to be chucked out of this body for which we
are spending all our time! It is not pessimism as some people
think. It is harsh reality!
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Duty Of A Dying Man
Among the most intelligent of men was Maharaja Parikshit,
the great king of the entire world, who was accidentally cursed by
a brahmana to meet death from the bite of a serpent within seven
days. When the king was informed of the unfortunate curse, he at
once left his palatial home and went to the bank of the Ganges,
which was near his capital, to prepare for his impending death.
Because he was a great king, almost all the great sages and learned
scholars assembled at the place where the king was fasting prior to
leaving his mortal body. Sukadeva Gosvami was unanimously
accepted to preside at that meeting, although his great father,
Vyasadeva was also present. The King respectfully offered
Sukadeva Gosvami the principal seat of esteem and asked him
relevant questions regarding his passing from the mortal world,
which was to take place on the seventh day thenceforward.
The great king, as a worthy descendant of the Pandavas, who
were all great devotees, placed the following relevant inquiries
before the great sage Sukadeva: My dear Sir, you are the greatest
of the great transcendentalists, and therefore I submissively beg to
ask you about my duties at this moment. What is the duty of
everyone in all circumstances? I am just on the verge of my death.
Therefore, what should I do at this critical hour? What is the duty
of a dying man? Please kindly give me directions at this critical
hour.
Sri Sukadeva Gosvami responded to the kings relevant
inquiries by advising him as follows:
tasmad bharata sarvatma bhagavan isvaro harih
srotavyah kirtitavyas ca smartavyas cecchatabhayam
O descendant of Bharata, it is the duty of mortal men to
inquire about, hear about, glorify, and meditate upon the
Personality of Godhead, who is the most attractive person because
of His fullness in opulence. He is called Hari because He alone
can undo the conditional existence of a living being. If we at all
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want to be freed from conditional existence, we must make
relevant inquiries about the Absolute Truth so that He may be
pleased to bestow upon us perfect freedom in life. (SB 2.1.5)
Thus, Maharaja Parikshit heard Srimad-Bhagavatam from Sri
Sukadeva Gosvami for seven days and seven nights without any
food or water, with intense eagerness and successfully left his
body remembering Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
and went back to Godhead.
This is an exemplary death. Thus, one should constantly hear
glorification about the name, form, pastimes and activities of the
Supreme Lord, and remember and discuss them constantly, so that
one may be able to think of Krishna at the hour of death.
One should not do anything, either good or bad, on his own
account, but must execute everything on behalf of the Supreme
Lord, the ultimate proprietor of everything that be. Therefore, one
should first of all hear about the Lord. When one has perfectly and
scrutinizingly heard, one must glorify His acts and deeds, and thus
it will become possible to remember constantly the transcendental
nature of the Lord. Hearing about and glorifying the Lord are
identical with the transcendental nature of the Lord, and by so
doing, one will be always in the association of the Lord. This
brings freedom from all sorts of fear.
etvn skhya-yogbhy sva-dharma-parinihay
janma-lbha para pusm ante narayana-smti

The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by
complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic
powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to
remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life. (SB
2.1.6)
Narayana is the transcendental Personality of Godhead beyond
the material creation. Everything that is created, sustained, and at
the end annihilated is within the compass of the mahat-tattva
(material principle) and is known as the material world. The
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existence of Narayana, or the Personality of Godhead, is not
within the jurisdiction of this mahat-tattva, and as such, the name,
form, attributes, etc. of Narayana are beyond the jurisdiction of the
material world.
One can achieve the highest perfection, provided one is able to
reach the stage of Narayana-smriti, or constant remembrance of
the Personality of Godhead. This is possible only by the
association of a pure devotee, who can give a finishing touch to
the transcendental activities of all jnanis, yogis or karmis, in terms
of prescribed duties defined in the scriptures. There are many
historical instances of the achievement of spiritual perfection, such
as that of the Sanakadi rishis, or the nine celebrated Yogendras,
who attained perfection only after being situated in the devotional
service of the Lord. None of the devotees of the Lord ever
deviated from the path of devotional service by taking to other
methods as adopted by the jnanis or yogis. Everyone is anxious to
achieve the highest perfection of his particular activity, and it is
indicated herein that such perfection is Narayana-smriti, for which
everyone must endeavour his best. In other words, life should be
moulded in such a manner that one is able to progressively
remember the personality of Godhead in every step of life.
Although King Parikshit was left only with seven days for his
death, still Sukadeva Gosvami encouraged him by quoting the
example of King Khatvanga, who perfected his life in a few
moments by taking shelter of the Supreme Lord. Thus, Sukadeva
Gosvami spoke the Srimad-Bhagavata Purana that glorifies the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, and administered it as the
panacea for King Parikshit who transcended death within those
seven days.
At The Final Hour
In that diseased condition, a mans eyes bulge due to the
pressure of air from within, and his glands become congested with
mucus. He has difficulty breathing, and upon exhaling and
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inhaling he produces a sound like ghura-ghura, a rattling within
the throat. In this way he comes under the clutches of death and
lies down, surrounded by lamenting friends and relatives, and
although he wants to speak with them, he no longer can because
he is under the control of time. (SB 3.30.16-17)
For formalitys sake, when a man is lying on his deathbed, his
relatives come to him, and sometimes they cry very loudly,
addressing the dying man, O my father!, O my friend! or O
my husband! In that pitiable condition the dying man wants to
speak with them and instruct them of his desires, but because he is
fully under the control of the time factor, death, he cannot express
himself, and that causes him in-conceivable pain.
A person who had no idea other than to properly maintain his
family members must have family affairs in his last thoughts. That
is the natural sequence for a common man. The common man does
not know the destiny of his life. He is simply busy in this present
flash of life, maintaining his family. At the last stage, no one is
satisfied with how he has improved the family economic
condition. Everyone thinks that he could not provide sufficiently.
Because of his deep family affection, he forgets his main duty of
controlling his senses and improving his spiritual consciousness.
Sometimes a dying man entrusts the family affairs to either his
son, or some relative, saying, I am going. Please look after the
family. He does not know where he is going, but even at the time
of death he is anxious about how his family will be maintained.
Sometimes it is seen that a dying man requests the physician to
increase his life at least for a few years so that the family
maintenance plan which he has begun can be completed. These
are the material diseases of the conditioned soul. He completely
forgets his real engagementto become Krishna consciousand
is always serious about planning to maintain his family, although
he changes families one after another.
Ones mentality at the time of death is all-important. But if we
become complacent and think, Oh, death takes placewhat of
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it? then we cannot advance on the spiritual path. J ust as the air
carries fragrances, so a persons mentality at the time of death will
carry him to his next life. If he has cultivated the mentality of a
Vaishnava, a pure devotee of Krishna, then he will immediately be
transferred to Vaikuntha. But if he has cultivated the mentality of
an ordinary karmi, a fruitive worker, then he will have to stay in
this material world to suffer the consequences of the kind of
mentality he has thus created.
What happens after death? There are two kinds of
transmigration of a living entity after passing away from the
present body. One kind of transmigration is to go to the controller
of sinful activities, who is known as Yamaraja, and the other is to
go to the higher planets, up to Vaikuntha. For a sinful materialist,
the constables of Yamaraja are appointed to bind him and subject
him to varieties of punishments. Further details about this can be
read from SB 3.30.19-34.
Death Of A Devotee And A Demon
One may ask, The devotees die, and the non-devotees also
die. What is the difference?
For Devotees, Death Comes As Krishna; For Demons, Krishna
Comes As Death. So there is a gulf of
difference between a devotee and a
materialist in their way of life as well
as their consciousness, which will
naturally reflect on how they face
death. For a devotee there is no pain,
pleasure or material perfection. One
may argue that at the time of death a
devotee also suffers because of giving
up his material body. But in this
connection, the example may be
given that a cat carries a mouse in its mouth and also carries a
kitten in its mouth. Both the mouse and the kitten are carried in the
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same mouth, but the perception of the mouse is different from that
of the kitten.
It is the same mouth, but the kittens are comfortable and safe,
whereas the rat is feeling the jaws of death. Similarly, at the time
of death the devotees are transferred to the spiritual realm,
Vaikuntha, whereas the ordinary sinful man is dragged down to
the hellish regions by the Yamadutas, the constables of Yamaraja.
Thus, for a demon, Krishna comes as death and for a devotee
death comes as Krishna.
Remembering Krishna At Death Is More Than A Mental
Trick
One may think, After all, if I have to think of Krishna at the
time of death, then why bother now in my youth? I will enjoy life
in the way I want. And after everything is done, I will shoot
myself shouting, Hare Krishna and go back home, back to
Godhead. In this way, I dont have to give up material enjoyment
and at the same time perform any austerities like the foolish
devotees. Thus, I will have the best of both worlds. Such people
think they are more intelligent than Krishna. But Krishna says in
the Gita that He is the best cheater of all cheaters. Who can cheat
Krishna? A person who has led a materialistic life throughout
cannot think of Krishna even if he endeavours to, at the time of his
death. How can a student who has not prepared anything for his
exam get a distinction?
Actually, we have no power to think of Krishna at the time of
death, because death is a very agonizing experience involving
intense pain. When we cannot constantly think of Krishna in a
normal condition, how can we foolishly expect to think of Krishna
in such a miserable condition? It is impossible. But Krishna can
make it possible, by showing His mercy upon us, if He is pleased
by our sincerity in serving Him.
Gajendra, the elephant, who offered several wonderful prayers
in glorification of Lord Krishna, praised the Lord calling Him as,
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nama atma pradeepaya sakshine paramatmane which means
that the Lord is self-effulgent and is the witness in the heart of
every living entity. The sun is self-effulgent can be seen when it
manifests itself.
A rich landlord, with his money power, wanted to summon the
sun in the sky at the dead of night and he was ready to pay his
whole wealth in charity if somebody could help him. But no one
could help him. In the same way, Lord Krishna cannot be forced
to appear by anybody, but He appears according to His will to a
pure devotee who worships Him in love. The sun cannot be
observed by a candle or torchlight. One observes the sun using the
light provided by the sun itself. Similarly, the Lord can be seen by
His own mercy only and not by our mundane scholarship which is
like a candle in front of the sun. The Lord is present in the heart of
every living entity and witnessing our thoughts, speech and
actions at every moment whether we are able to know His
presence or not.
One lady was on her death bed counting her last days. One of
our doctor devotees wanted to make her chant Hare Krishna
before dying so that she may attain a better birth. When this doctor
devotee went close to her ears and said, Please chant Hare
Krishna, the old lady responded, What is that? Again the
doctor devotee requested her to say, Hare Krishna. The old lady
replied, What is it? This went on several times. Somebody came
and told her that her son has called from America. The old lady
jumped off from her bed and rushed to attend to the phone call
although she was terribly sick. She shouted on the phone, You
foolish son, I may die at anytime. Why didnt you turn up to settle
the property, the bank balance and the shops that we own in the
city? She went on and on and later that afternoon, she passed
away. J ust see how, if someone has not practiced chanting Hare
Krishna regularly throughout their life, they just cannot do it at the
end. One needs the blessings, permission and mercy of the Lord to
be able to invoke the holy name on the tongue at the time of death.
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A hand may grasp an object, but it cannot grasp the object
without the help of the eyes, but the hand is unaware of the help
he takes from the eyes for grasping the object. Similarly, the living
entity thinks himself great in accomplishing his goals in life, but
he does not know that the Supersoul, seated in his heart is the
supervisor and sanctioner of all our pleasures and pains.
Thus, at the time of death, it is only by the power of the Lords
mercy, one is fortunate to remember Him in love and thus attain
Him.
Waking Up To Reality
Due to repeated birth and death in so many material bodies, we
have all forgotten that we are part and parcel of God, that we have
an intimate relationship with Him, and that somehow or other we
have fallen into this material world. It is very difficult to exactly
pinpoint the origin of this forgetfulness. But even though we have
forgotten Him since time immemorial, Krishna is so merciful that
in order to remind us of our spiritual identity and our oneness with
Him as His parts, He comes personally and teaches us what we
have forgotten. And when He departs He leaves behind the
scripture, especially the Bhagavad-gita, where He requests, sarva-
dharmn parityajya mm eka araa vraja: Please give up
all your nonsense and surrender unto Me. I shall give you all
protection. (Bhagavad-gita 18.66)
Krishna is the father of all living entities. He is not happy that
all these souls in the material world are rotting like hogs.
Therefore He sends His representatives. But if the conditioned
souls insist on staying here, what can Krishna or His servant do?
They allow us to go on with our materialistic activities, because
the first condition for getting out of the material prison house is
that we must desire to get out. When we finally become disgusted
with our predicament, we pray, My dear Lord, I have served lust,
anger, and greed for so long, but they are still unsatisfied, and now
I have become disgusted with serving them. Now, my dear Lord
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Krishna, my intelligence is awakened, and I have come to You.
Please engage me in Your service.
The living entity is the marginal energy (tatastha shakti) of the
Lord, which means he can choose to be controlled by Krishnas
inferior, material energy or His superior, spiritual energy. We
devotees have chosen to come to Krishna consciousness. In other
words, we have agreed to surrender to Krishna and submit to the
protection of His internal, spiritual energy. Surrender to Krishna
begins with chanting the Hare Krishna mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare
Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama,
Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The word Hare indicates the devotional
energy of Krishna, Krishna means the all-attractive Supreme
Personality of Godhead, and Rama means the Supreme
Enjoyer.
But there are many who will not come, because they do not
agree to come under the control of Krishnas spiritual energy. But
Krishna does not interfere. He says, You may remain in the
material world or come to Mewhatever you like. We have been
given minute independence and the intelligence to discriminate
between what to do and what not to do.
The ear is the most important organ for learning what is to be
done and what is not to be done for our ultimate benefit. We must
hear from the superior authority. At night we sleep peacefully,
unaware that someone might be coming to chop off our head.
However, our sense of hearing is acute, even in the sleeping state.
If someone cries out, Wake up! Wake up! Someone is coming to
kill you! we can be saved. Similarly, we are sleeping under the
influence of material nature. We seem to be awake and acting, but
Prakriti (material nature) is doing the actingnot us. We are
being forced to act according to our association with the different
modes of material nature. Although we are in the sleeping
condition, our ear does not sleep, and it helps us to rise out of
ignorance. If we hear from the right personthe spiritual
masterand from the Vedic scriptures, we can awaken to our
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original, constitutional position as eternal servants of Krishna. The
first prescription is sravanam, hearing about Krishna. If we
simply hear about Krishna, we will automatically wake up. The
injunction of the Vedas is uttihata jgrata prpya varn
nibodhata: Wake up! Get up! We have to understand the great
benediction that we have in this human form of life. Now it is high
time to utilize it and get free from the clutches of the material
modes of nature. This is the only business in the human form of
life.

The following story illustrates the power of the Holy Names of
Krishna, how a brahmana falls prey to vices and is at the verge of
being taken by the Yamadutas, but was saved by the Vishnudutas
because of his reciting the holy name. Read the history carefully,
form groups and come up with a minimum of 10 essential
concepts that you learnt from it.
Story: Visitors From Beyond
Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his
body, that state he will attain without fail.
Bhagavad-gita 8.6
As the soul sets out on its mysterious journey after death, it
may, according to the traditions of the worlds great religions,
meet with beings from other levels of realityangels who help it,
or judges who weigh its good and evil deeds on the scales of
cosmic justice. A variety of religious art objects, spanning the
entire range of mans cultural history, depict such scenes. A
painting on a fragment of Etruscan pottery shows an angelic figure
attending a fallen warrior. A Christian mosaic from the Middle
Ages shows a grim St. Michael, the scales of justice in his hands.
Many people who have had near-death experiences often report
encountering such beings.
In the Vedic scriptures of India, we learn of the servants of
Lord Vishnu, who appear at the time of death to accompany the
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pious soul on its way to the spiritual world. The Vedas also tell of
the fearsome agents of Yamaraja, the lord of death, who forcefully
arrest the soul of a sinful man and prepare it for its next
incarnation in the prison of a material body. In this historical
account, the servants of Vishnu and the servants of Yamaraja
dispute the fate of the soul of Ajamila, deciding whether he should
be liberated or reincarnated.
In the city of Kanyakubja, there once lived a young saintly
brahmana priest named Ajamila, who fell from the path of
spiritual life and lost all of his good qualities when he fell in love
with a prostitute. Giving up his priestly duties, Ajamila now made
his living through robbery and gambling and passed his life in
debauchery.
By the time he was eighty-eight years old, Ajamila had
fathered ten sons by the prostitute. The youngest, a baby, was
named Narayanaone of the names of the Supreme Lord, Vishnu.
Ajamila was very attached to his young son and derived great
pleasure watching the childs early attempts to walk and talk.
One day, without warning, the time of death arrived for the
foolish Ajamila. Terrified, the old man saw before him gruesome
figures with fierce, twisted faces. These subtle beings, with ropes
in their hands, had come to forcibly escort him to the court of
Yamaraja, the lord of death. Seeing these ghoulish creatures,
Ajamila became bewildered, and out of affection for his beloved
child, who was playing a short distance away, he began to cry
loudly, Narayana! Narayana! With tears in his eyes, weeping for
his young son, the great sinner Ajamila unconsciously chanted the
holy name of the Lord.
Hearing their masters name chanted with great feeling by the
dying Ajamila, the order carriers of Vishnu, the Vishnudutas,
arrived within a second. They appeared just like Lord Vishnu
Himself. Their eyes were exactly like the petals of a lotus flower;
they wore helmets of burnished gold, glimmering silk garments
the colour of topaz, and their perfectly formed bodies were
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decorated with garlands of sapphire and milk-white lotuses. They
appeared fresh and youthful, and their dazzling effulgence
illuminated the darkness of the death chamber. In their hands they
held bows, arrows, swords, conch-shells, clubs, discs, and lotus
flowers.
The Vishnudutas saw the servants of Yamaraja, the
Yamadutas, snatching Ajamilas soul from the core of his heart,
and with resounding
voices they cried, Stop!
The Yamadutas, who
had never before
encountered any
opposition, trembled upon
hearing the Vishnudutas
harsh command. Who are
you? Why are you trying
to stop us? they asked.
We are the servants of
Yamaraja, the lord of
death.
The agents of Vishnu
smiled and spoke in
voices as deep as the
rumbling of rain clouds,
If you are truly the
servants of Yamaraja, you
must explain to us the meaning of the cycle of birth and death.
Tell us: Who must enter this cycle, and who must not?
The Yamadutas replied, The sun, fire, sky, air, demigods,
moon, evening, day, night, the directions, water, land, and the
Supersoul, or the Lord within the heart, all witness the activities of
everyone. The candidates for punishment in the cycle of birth and
death are those who are confirmed by these witnesses to have
deviated from their religious duties. In proportion to the extent of
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ones religious or irreligious actions in this life, one must enjoy or
suffer the corresponding reactions of karma in the next.
Originally the living beings exist in the spiritual world as
eternal servants of God. But when they give up the service of the
Lord, they must enter the material universe, comprised of the three
modes of naturegoodness, passion, and ignorance. The
Yamadutas explained that the living beings who desire to enjoy
this material world come under the control of the modes and,
according to their specific relationship with these modes, acquire
suitable material bodies. A being in the mode of goodness obtains
the body of a demigod, one in the mode of passion takes birth as a
human, and one in the mode of ignorance enters the lower species.
All of these bodies are like the bodies we experience in
dreams. When a man goes to sleep, he forgets his real identity and
may dream that he has become a king. He cannot remember what
he was doing before he went to sleep, nor can he imagine what he
will do upon waking. In the same way, when a soul identifies with
a temporary, material body, he forgets his real, spiritual identity,
as well as any previous lives in the material world, although most
souls in a human body have already transmigrated through all
8,400,000 species of life.
The living entity thus transmigrates from one material body
to another in human life, animal life, and life as a demigod, the
Yamadutas said. When the living entity gets the body of a
demigod, he is very happy. When he gets a human body, he is
sometimes happy and sometimes sad. And when he gets the body
of an animal, he is always fearful. In all conditions, however, he
suffers terribly, experiencing birth, death, disease, and old age. His
miserable condition is called samsara, or transmigration of the
soul through different species of material life.
The foolish embodied living entity, the Yamadutas
continued, unable to control his senses or his mind, is forced to
act according to the influence of the modes of material nature,
even against his own desires. He is like a silkworm that uses its
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own saliva to create a cocoon and then becomes trapped in it. The
living entity traps himself in a network of his own fruitive
activities and then can find no way to free himself. Thus he is
always bewildered and repeatedly dies and is reborn.
Because of his intense material desires, said the Yamadutas,
a living entity takes birth in a particular family and receives a
body like that of either the mother or the father. That body is an
indication of his past and future bodies, just as one spring-time is
an indication of past and future spring-times.
The human form of life is especially valuable, because only a
human can understand the transcendental knowledge that can free
him from the cycle of birth and death. But Ajamila had wasted his
human life.
In the beginning, the Yamadutas said, Ajamila studied all
the Vedic literatures. He was a reservoir of good character and
conduct. He was very mild and gentle, and he kept his mind and
senses under control. He was always truthful, knew how to chant
the Vedic mantras, and was very pure. Ajamila always showed
proper respect to his spiritual master, guests, and the elderly
members of his householdindeed, he was free from false
prestige. He was benevolent to all living beings and never envied
anyone.
But once, Ajamila, following the order of his father, went to
the forest to collect fruits and flowers. On the way home, he came
upon a very lusty, low-class man shamelessly embracing and
kissing a prostitute. The man was smiling, singing, and enjoying
himself as if this were proper behaviour. Both the man and the
prostitute were drunk. The prostitutes eyes were rolling in
intoxication, and her dress had become loose, partially exposing
her body. When Ajamila saw this prostitute, the dormant lusty
desires in his heart awakened, and in illusion, he fell under their
control. He tried to remember the instructions of the scriptures,
and with the help of his knowledge and intellect he tried to control
his lust. But because of the force of Cupid within his heart, he was
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unable to control his mind. After that, he always thought of the
prostitute, and within a short time he took her in as a servant in his
house.
Ajamila then gave up all of his spiritual practices. He spent
the money he had inherited from his father for presents for the
prostitute and even rejected his beautiful young wife, who came
from a respectable brahmana family.
This rascal Ajamila got money any way he could, legally or
illegally, and used it to maintain the prostitutes sons and
daughters. Before death, he did not undergo atonement. Therefore,
because of his sinful life, we must take him to the court of
Yamaraja. There, according to the extent of his sinful acts, he will
be punished and then returned to the material world in a suitable
body.
After hearing the statements of the Yamadutas, the servants of
Lord Vishnu, who are always expert in logic and argument,
replied, How painful it is to see that those in charge of upholding
religious principles are needlessly punishing an innocent person.
Ajamila has already atoned for all of his sins. Indeed, he has
atoned not only for sins performed in this life, but for those
performed in millions of previous lives as well, because he
chanted the holy name of Narayana in a helpless state of mind at
the time of death. Therefore, he is now pure and eligible for
liberation from the cycle of reincarnation.
The chanting of the holy name of Lord Vishnu, the
Vishnudutas said, is the best process of atonement for a thief or a
drunkard, for one who betrays a friend or relative, for one who
kills a priest, or for one who indulges in sex with the wife of his
guru or another superior. It is also the best method of atonement
for one who murders women, the king, or his father, for one who
slaughters cows, and for all other sinful men. Simply by chanting
the holy name of Lord Vishnu, such sinful persons may attract the
attention of the Supreme Lord, who therefore considers, Because
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this man has chanted My holy name, it is My duty to give him
protection.
In this present age of quarrel and hypocrisy, one who wants
liberation from reincarnation should chant the Hare Krishna maha-
mantra, the great mantra of deliverance, because it completely
cleanses the heart of all material desires that keep one trapped in
the cycle of birth and death.
The Vishnudutas said, One who chants the holy name of the
Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins,
even if he chants jokingly or for musical entertainment. This is
accepted in the scriptures and by all learned scholars.
If one chants the holy name of Lord Krishna and then dies in
an accident or is killed by a deadly animal, from disease, or by a
weapon, one is immediately freed from having to take birth again.
As a fire burns dry grass to ashes, the holy name of Krishna burns
to ashes all of ones karmic reactions.
The Vishnudutas then said, If a person unaware of the
potency of a medicine takes that medicine, or is forced to take it, it
will act even without his knowledge. Even if one does not know
the value of chanting the holy name of the Lord, the chanting will
still be effective in liberating one from reincarnation.
At the time of death, said the Vishnudutas, Ajamila
helplessly and very loudly chanted the holy name of the Lord,
Narayana. That chanting alone has already freed him from having
to take birth again for his sinful life. Therefore, do not try to take
him to your master for punishment by another term of
imprisonment in a material body.
The Vishnudutas then released Ajamila from the ropes of the
servants of the lord of death. Ajamila came to his senses and, free
from fear, paid his heartfelt respects to the Vishnudutas by bowing
his head at their feet. But when the Vishnudutas saw that Ajamila
was trying to say something to them, they disappeared.
Was this a dream I saw? Ajamila wondered. Or was it
reality? I saw fearsome men with ropes in their hands coming to
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drag me away. Where have they gone? And where are those four
radiant persons who saved me?
Ajamila then began to reflect on his life. Being a servant of
my senses, how degraded I became! I fell down from my position
as a saintly brahmana and begot children in the womb of a
prostitute. Indeed, I gave up my chaste and beautiful young wife.
Whats more, my father and mother were old and had no other
friend or son to look after them. Because I did not take care of
them, they lived with great pain and difficulty. It is now clear that
a sinful person like myself should have been forced in his next life
to suffer hellishly.
I am such an unfortunate person, said Ajamila, but now that
I have another chance, I must try to become free from the vicious
cycle of birth and death.
Ajamila immediately renounced his prostitute wife and
journeyed to Haridwar, a place of pilgrimage in the Himalaya
Mountains. There he took shelter at a Vishnu temple, where he
practiced bhakti-yoga, the yoga of devotional service to the
Supreme Lord. When his mind and intelligence were fixed in
perfect meditation on the form of the Lord, Ajamila again saw
before him four celestial beings. Recognizing them as the same
Vishnudutas who had saved him from the agents of death, he
bowed down before them.
There at Haridwar, on the banks of the Ganges, Ajamila gave
up his temporary, material body and regained his eternal, spiritual
form. Accompanied by the Vishnudutas, he boarded a golden
aircraft and, passing through the airways, went directly to the
abode of Lord Vishnu, never again to reincarnate in this material
world.

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Chapter 10

Passing The Final
Exam

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What Does It Mean To Pass
The Final Exam Of Death?
Death: The Ultimate King Of The Material World

There are people who say that they do not want to surrender to
anyone. They claim that they need no support or shelter to
surrender to. In spite of their illusory sense of independence, in
due course of time, they are forced to embrace the feet of death
personified and surrender to Him. So death is the ultimate
controller or the king in the material world. No one else can be
considered as a king. There are so many kings who have come and
gone like Napoleon Bonaparte, Hitler, Alexander, etc. Where are
they all now? No beautiful woman can charm death, no wealthy
man can bribe death and no scholar can debate with death. When
death comes, everyone has to salute, whether they like it or not.
Desire For Eternal Life Is Natural
Fear of death is implicitly present in every conditioned living
entity. Why is it that all of us have a deep rooted desire to live
eternally in a blissful consciousness? What is it within us that
constantly impels us to seek pleasure? Who are we? Most people
designate themselves as, I am an Indian or American or
European. However, today a person claiming to be an Indian may
soon become an American citizen, if he obtains a green card.
Rapidly advancing modern science has made the sex of a human
also a temporary designation! Today, a male can clinically and
legally become a female, and vice versa, through surgery. In spite
of all these temporary designations and labels that we apply to
ourselves, we inherently remain the same persons through the
various changes. If we are not this body, then who are we?
The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, explains about the real
identity of every one of us. We are in fact tiny parts and parcels of
the Supreme whole possessing the same qualities of God in
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minuteness sac-cid-ananda. The material body is like a dress
superimposed on the soul to wander in the material world. Due to
our constitutional nature, we seek eternity by trying to avoid
death. Even a tiny insect will display its best talents to escape
death. All animals, birds and insects have their techniques to
escape from their enemies. Humans spend a major portion of the
countrys earning for defence. We all seek knowledge by going to
schools and colleges. We seek pleasure by searching for it in
things and relationships of this world.
What Is The Meaning Of Conquering Death?
Actually, the soul never dies even at the time of death. It just
goes from one body to another, similar to a person moving from a
scooter into a car. But owing to our identification with the material
body, we imagine that, everything is going to be finished. So
foolish people try to preserve the material body, hoping to keep
this decaying rotting material body eternal. This is avidya or
ignorance.
Sometimes, people foolishly attempt to create artificial
methods by which they can postpone old age (like hair-dyes or
face-lifts) or overcome death (artificial respiration). Their idea is
to somehow or other continue their existence in this world and
undergo the cycle of happiness and distress. There are some
people who want to be in happiness always and there are others,
who being harassed and embarrassed by various miseries, claim,
Well, if there were no miseries then where is the spice to enjoy
the sweet moments of life? Is it necessary to have miseries to
appreciate happiness, or one can experience absolute happiness
continuously and be satisfied always? Would any student want to
get fail marks in at least one or two papers in order to be able to
taste the sweetness of getting a distinction in other papers? It is
obvious that no one wants old age or disease or death. Because
these things happen inevitably, somebody may artificially pose to
have no problem or may try to forget the real problems by
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absorbing oneself in TV, movies, or tranquilizers. But the fact is a
fact. Death is considered a nuisance in ones busy planning and
happy life.
But how does one conquer death? A materialist who does not
surrender to God would want to conquer death by fighting against
the natural laws that have been created by God. Many people in
the past had a desire to go on living in this world and they tried
many different methods for survival. It is not possible for anyone
to live within this body forever and enjoy. This is not the meaning
of conquering death. The real meaning of conquering death is:
To realize the fact that, I am not this body. I am pure spirit
soul, part and parcel of God. I am servant of God.
To recognize that since time immemorial, we have been
wandering within this material world in search of happiness,
only obtaining more and more suffering.
To be able to perceive our entanglement in the complicated
network of action and reaction that has grown like a huge
banyan tree whose roots spread far and wide and are difficult
to cut.
To sever that tree that has sprouted by association of the three
modes through the sword of detachment and pure loving
attachment to Sri Krishna, and become eligible to return back
home, back to Godhead.
Defeated By Death
Cruel Death: The Least Expected, But The Most Sure
Since the creation of the material world, everyone has been
trying to attain a permanent life, but the laws of nature are so cruel
that no one has been able to avoid the hand of death. No one wants
to die, nor does anyone want to become old or diseased. The laws
of nature, however, do not allow anyone immunity from old age,
disease or death. Nor has the advancement of material knowledge
solved these problems. Material science can discover the nuclear

431
bomb to accelerate the process of death, but it cannot discover
anything that can protect man from the cruel hands of old age,
disease and death.
From the Puranas we learn of the activities of Hiranyakashipu,
a king who was very much advanced materially. Wanting to
conquer cruel death by his material acquisitions and the strength
of his nescience, he underwent a type of meditation so severe that
the inhabitants of all the planetary systems became disturbed by
his mystic powers. He forced the creator of the universe, the
demigod Brahma, to come down to him. He then asked Brahma
for the benediction of becoming amara, by which one does not die.
Brahma said that he could not award the benediction because even
he, the material creator who rules all planets, is not amara. As
confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (8.17), Brahma lives for a long
time, but that does not mean he is immortal.
Hiranya means gold, and kashipu means soft bed. This
cunning gentleman Hiranyakashipu was interested in these two
thingsmoney and womenand he wanted to enjoy them by
becoming immortal. He asked many benedictions from Brahma in
the hope of indirectly fulfilling his desire to become immortal.
Since Brahma told him that he could not grant the gift of
immortality, Hiranyakashipu requested that he not be killed by any
man, animal, god or any other living being within the 8,400,000
species. He also asked that he not die on land, in the air or water,
or by any weapon. In this way, Hiranyakashipu foolishly thought
these guarantees would save him from death. Ultimately, however,
although Brahma granted him all these benedictions, he was killed
by the Personality of Godhead in the form of Nrsimha, the Lords
half-lion, half-man incarnation, and no weapon was used to kill
him, for he was killed by the Lords nails. Nor was he killed on
the land, in the air or in the water, for he was killed on the lap of
that wonderful living being, Nrsimha, who was beyond his
conception.
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The whole point here is that even Hiranyakashipu, the most
powerful of materialists, could not become deathless by his
various plans. What, then, can be accomplished by the tiny
Hiranyakashipus of today, whose plans are thwarted from moment
to moment?
Sri Isopanishad instructs us not to make one-sided attempts to
win the struggle for existence. Everyone is struggling hard for
existence, but the laws of material nature are so hard and fast that
they do not allow anyone to surpass them. In order to attain a
permanent life, one must be prepared to go back to Godhead.
The process by which one goes back to Godhead is a different
branch of knowledge, and it has to be learned from revealed Vedic
scriptures such as the Upanishads, Vedanta-sutra, Bhagavad-gita
and Srimad-Bhagavatam. To become happy in this life and attain a
permanent blissful life after leaving this material body, one must
study this sacred literature and obtain transcendental knowledge.
The conditioned living being has forgotten his eternal relationship
with God and has mistakenly accepted the temporary place of his
birth as all in all. The Lord has kindly delivered the above-
mentioned scriptures in India, and other scriptures in other
countries to remind the forgetful human being that his home is not
here in this material world. The living being is a spiritual entity,
and he can be happy only by returning to his spiritual home.
Has Science Progressed At Least An Inch Towards
Stopping Aging Or Attaining Immortality?
Even in these days of so-called advancement of knowledge,
there is no conclusive remedial measure either for old age or for
death. Old age is the notice of the arrival of death and no one can
refuse the supreme judgment of eternal time.
The famous president of the United States, J ohn F. Kennedy,
busy in his plan-making business, was also called by invincible,
eternal Time. At the spur of the moment, he had to helplessly
surrender his life, wife, children, wealth, position, etc.

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Since time immemorial, the attempts made by many demoniac
persons to overcome death by artificial means have been shattered
by supremely powerful Time. A Texan oil millionaire, Miller
Quarles, at the ripe old age of 81, has proclaimed in the
newspapers, I want to live forever. So he has ploughed his
fortune of millions of dollars into the scientific quest for
immortality. Modern man has spent enormous time, energy,
wealth and resources to find out the mechanism of aging. All he
has researched out now is that, we know the mechanism of how
we are aging, but we have no power to stop it. The attempt to stop
aging is not much different from trying to control the movement
of the sun or the moon by artificial means!
There are people who give huge amounts of money to doctors
and then they die. They say, After I die, preserve my body and
some day if you find out a method to revive the dead, please
revive me also. I have got so much important business left to do. I
have many plans to expand my business, but it seems that I cannot
live more. Good business, not for those who pay, but who are on
the receiving end!
One Dr. Ansari, a heart surgeon, experienced a severe pain in
his chest while travelling in a train. Very soon, the pain intensified
and he died on the spot, crying, My mother, father, brother,
sister, grandmother, grandfather, all of them are doctors. I myself
am a heart surgeon. But I cannot be saved at this moment. J ust see
my plight!
Die Before You Die: The Formula Of The Wise
Are Discussions On Death Not Pessimism?
Somebody may argue, You are very pessimistic. Why are you
thinking of death so much? Talk about life. However, discussion
about the subject matter of death is not pessimistic talk, because
death is not an imagination. Death is the ultimate reality which
every one of us will have to face in our own lives. Pessimism
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means imagining something evil about anything unnecessarily. In
the case of death, we are not imagining anything. Death is a
reality. One has to talk of death, realize its evil and make
wholehearted efforts to overcome it.
As long as a man is in the full vigour of life, he forgets the
naked truth of death, which he has to meet. Thus, a foolish man
makes no relevant inquiry about the real problems of life.
Everyone thinks that he will never die, although he sees evidence
of death before
his eyes at every
second. Here is
the distinction
between
animalism and
humanity. An
animal, like a
goat, has no
sense of its
impending death.
Although its
brother goat is
being
slaughtered, the
goat, being allured by the green grass offered to it, will stand
peacefully waiting to be slaughtered next. On the other hand, if a
human being sees his fellow man being killed by an enemy, he
either fights to save his brother or leaves, if possible, to save his
own life. That is the difference between a man and a goat.
An intelligent man knows that death is born along with his
own birth. He knows that he is dying at every second and that the
final touch will be given as soon as his term of life is finished. He
therefore prepares himself for the next life, or for liberation from
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It is ignorance of death and life that distinguishes an animal
from a man. The modern setup of human civilization is a risky one
because it offers no education about relevant inquiries into the
essential principles of life. Like animals, people do not know that
they are going to be slaughtered by the laws of nature. They are
satisfied with a bunch of green grass, or a so-called jolly life, like
the waiting goat in a slaughterhouse.
Achieving Freedom Through Detachment
In a public vehicle like a railway carriage, we meet and sit
down together with some unknown friends and become members
of the same vehicle for a short time, but in due course we separate,
never to meet again. Similarly, in a long sojourn of life, we get a
temporary sitting accommodation in a so-called family, country,
or society, but when the time is up, we are unwillingly separated
from one another, never to meet again.
Thus, in Vedic life, a boy is sent to the gurukula, where he
learns to:
Respect and serve guru and elders
Control the mind and senses for a higher purpose
Perform austerities like fasting on special days, rising early in
the morning, etc.
Maintain cleanliness, internal and external
Render menial services like cooking, cleaning, washing,
gardening, etc.
Worship the Lord and chant the mantras
Lead a simple life of not overly depending on others for every
small thing; rather, learn to do things oneself with limited
facilities that are naturally available
Cultivate loving relationships with friends based on spiritual
understanding
By living a pure life aimed at returning to God, one develops a
taste for spiritual subject matter. After this training even if one
enters into grhastha ashram, he can very easily detach himself at
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50 years of age to take vanaprastha, owing to prior training. Thus,
he can proceed to sannyasa ashram smoothly and simply live for
the welfare of the masses.
In the Bhagavatam, we find the reference of Dhruva Maharaja
who went to the jungle to perform severe penances to attain a
kingdom greater than his fathers. After Dhruva Maharaja
achieved the darshan of the Lord, he returned and took up the
charge of the kingdom. Very soon, after consulting with all the
ministers, King Uttanapada enthroned Dhruva as the king and
quickly retired from his kingly duties, to dedicate the rest of his
life for self realization.
This was not new in those days. In Vedic life, cultivating God
consciousness was very natural for everyone, because people
knew that after revolving through many, many species of life, one
attains this rare human form. People knew that this rare human
body should not be wasted in futile attempts to enjoy ones senses;
rather, one should prepare his consciousness for returning back to
Godhead.
How To Die Before You Die
In fact, one is supposed to kill all his temporary attachments to
this world just before dying. His only attachment should be to the
lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri
Krishna. That is why it is said, die before you die. Either we
voluntarily give up enjoying and surrender to the Lord, or the
material nature will forcibly strip away all that we have
accumulated and dispatch us to the next destination with empty
hands.
When King Pracinabarhishat was preached to by Sri Narada
muni about how materialistic way of life ultimately leads to
suffering, he became so anxious to go and practice spiritual life
that he did not even wait for his sons, the Pracetas, to come back
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required to take up to spiritual life seriously and immediately
because death can come at any moment.
Heroes Who Conquered Death
Fearless Attitude By Taking Refuge Of One Whom Fear
Fears
The Conviction Of Avanti Brahmana
The eleventh canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam presents the story
of a mendicant sannyasi from the Avanti country as an example of
how one should tolerate the disturbances and offences created by
evil persons. This is a practical illustration of how one has to die
before dying if one wants to be purified. All this is possible when
one takes shelter of Lord Mukunda.
Harsh words pierce ones heart even more severely than
arrows. Yet, a mendicant brahmana from the city of Avanti, even
while being attacked by wicked men, considered this trouble to be
simply the consequence of his own past deeds and tolerated it with
utmost sobriety. Previously, the brahmana had been an
agriculturalist and merchant. He had been extremely greedy,
miserly and prone to anger. As a result, his wife, sons, daughters,
relatives and servants were all deprived of every kind of
enjoyment and gradually came to behave unaffectionately toward
him. In due course of time, thieves, family members and
providence took away the sum total of his wealth. Finding himself
without any property and abandoned by everyone, the brahmana
developed a deep sense of renunciation.
He considered how the earning and preservation of wealth
involve great effort, fear, anxiety and confusion. Because of
wealth, there arise fifteen unwanted itemsthievery, violence,
lying, deception, lust, anger, pride, feverishness, disagreement,
hatred, distrust, conflict, attachment to women, gambling and
intoxication.
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When this meditation arose in his heart, the brahmana could
understand that the Supreme Lord Sri Hari had somehow become
satisfied with him. He felt that only because the Lord was pleased
with him had the apparently unfavourable turn of events in his life
occurred. He was grateful that a sense of detachment had arisen in
his heart and considered it the factual means for delivering his
soul.
In this condition, he determined to engage the duration of his
life in the worship of Lord Hari and thus accepted the mendicant
order of tridandi-sannyasa. Subsequently, he would enter different
villages to beg charity, but the people would harass and disturb
him. He simply tolerated all this, remaining firm as a mountain.
He remained fixed in his chosen spiritual practice and sang a song
renowned as the Bhikshu-gita.
The Avanti brahmana, therefore, became determined to cross
over the insurmountable ocean of material existence by rendering
service to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, Mukunda, with the
same perfect faith in the Lord, as exhibited by the great devotees
of the past.
etam sa asthaya paratma-nishham
adhyasitam prvatamair maharshibhi
aham tarishyami duranta-param
tamo mukundaghri-nishevayaiva

I shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of nescience by
being firmly fixed in the service of the lotus feet of Krishna. This
was approved by the previous acaryas, who were fixed in firm
devotion to the Lord, Paramatma, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. (SB 11.23.57)
Only when one can focus his intelligence on the lotus feet of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead can the mind be completely
subdued. This is the essence of all practical prescriptions for
spiritual advancement. When one comes to the platform where one
is more humbler than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree,

439
devoid of all sense of false prestige and expects no respect in
return, then one can chant the holy names of the Lord constantly
and remember Him. This means one has already passed the final
exam. Such pure souls cannot be separated from the Lord for even
one moment.
The Fearless Unconquerable Prahlada Pacifies Anger
Personified, Nrsimhadeva
Hiranyakashipu, by dint of his austerities, became a ruler of all
the three worlds and demanded everyone to accept him as the
supreme. To his great surprise, although no one could raise any
opposition to his voice, his own tender son Prahlada always
glorified Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu considered Vishnu his
sworn enemy as Vishnu had killed his brother, Hiranyaksha. Now
he could not tolerate his own son siding with Vishnu. He ordered
the teachers to teach him materialistic subjects.
Prahlada Maharaja did not carry out the orders of his teachers,
for he was always engaged in worshiping Lord Vishnu.
Hiranyakashipu tried to kill Prahlada Maharaja, even by having a
snake bite him and by putting him under the feet of elephants, yet
he was unsuccessful.
Although the teachers tried to educate the boy Prahlada in
politics, economics and other material activities, he did not care
for their instructions. Instead, he continued to be a pure devotee.
Prahlada Maharaja never liked the idea of discriminating between
ones friends and enemies. Because he was spiritually inclined, he
was equal toward everyone.
Once, Hiranyakashipu inquired from his son what the best
thing was that he had learned from his teachers. Prahlada
Maharaja replied that a man engrossed in the material
consciousness of duality, thinking, This is mine, and that belongs
to my enemy, should give up his householder life and go to the
forest to worship the Supreme Lord.
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When Hiranyakashipu heard from his son about devotional
service, he decided that this small boy had been polluted by some
friend in school. Thus, he advised the teachers to take care of the
boy so that he would not become a Krishna conscious devotee.
However, when the teachers inquired from Prahlada Maharaja
why he was going against their teachings, Prahlada Maharaja
taught the teachers that the mentality of ownership is false and that
he was therefore trying to become an unalloyed devotee of Lord
Vishnu. The teachers, being very angry at this answer, chastised
and threatened the boy with many fearful conditions. They taught
him to the best of their ability and then brought him before his
father.
Hiranyakashipu affectionately took his son Prahlada on his lap
and then inquired from him what the best thing was that he had
learned from his teachers. As usual, Prahlada Maharaja began
praising the nine processes of devotional service, such as
sravanam and kirtanam. Thus the King of the demons,
Hiranyakashipu, being extremely angry, chastised the teachers,
Shanda and Amarka, for having wrongly trained Prahlada
Maharaja. The so-called teachers informed the King that Prahlada
Maharaja was automatically a devotee and did not listen to their
instructions. When they proved themselves innocent,
Hiranyakashipu inquired from Prahlada where he had learned
Vishnu-bhakti. Prahlada Maharaja replied that those who are
attached to family life do not develop Krishna consciousness,
either personally or collectively. Instead, they suffer repeated birth
and death in this material world and continue simply chewing the
chewed. Prahlada explained that the duty of every man is to take
shelter of a pure devotee and thus become eligible to understand
Krishna consciousness.
Enraged at this answer, Hiranyakashipu threw Prahlada
Maharaja from his lap. Since Prahlada was so treacherous that he
had become a devotee of Vishnu, who had killed his uncle
Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu asked his assistants to kill him. The

441
assistants of Hiranyakashipu struck Prahlada with sharp weapons,
threw him under the feet of elephants, subjected him to hellish
conditions, threw him from the peak of a mountain and tried to kill
him in thousands of other ways, but they were unsuccessful.
Hiranyakashipu therefore became increasingly afraid of his son
Prahlada Maharaja and arrested him. The sons of
Hiranyakashipus spiritual master, Sukracharya, began teaching
Prahlada in their own way, but Prahlada Maharaja did not accept
their instructions. While the teachers were absent from the
classroom, Prahlada Maharaja began to preach Krishna
consciousness in the school, and by his instructions all his class
friends, the sons of the demons, became devotees like him.
Thus, the small boy devotee Prahlad never feared anybody
owing to his unflinching devotion to the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Although so many attempts were made to put him to
death, death could never touch him. Even today, in the assembly
of great Vaishnavas, the pastimes of Prahlada are glorified over
and over again owing to the fearless unalloyed devotion of
Prahlada.
After Hiranyakashipu was killed, the Lord continued to be
very angry, and the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, could not
pacify Him. Even mother Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, the
constant companion of Narayana, could not dare come before
Lord Nrsimhadeva. Then Lord Brahma asked Prahlada Maharaja
to go forward and pacify the Lords anger. Prahlada Maharaja,
being confident of the affection of his master, Lord Nrsimhadeva,
was not afraid at all. He very gravely appeared before the Lords
lotus feet and offered Him respectful obeisances. Lord
Nrsimhadeva, being very much affectionate toward Prahlada
Maharaja, put His hand on Prahladas head and smiled.
Lord Nrsimhadeva appeared for the benefit of all human
society, not only for Prahladas personal benefit. The fierce form
of Lord Nrsimhadeva may appear most awful to a non-devotee,
but to the devotee the Lord is always affectionate as He is in other
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442
forms. Conditioned life in the material world is actually extremely
fearful. Indeed, a devotee is not afraid of anything else. Fear of
material existence is due to false ego.
Not Captured By Death But Conquered Death
Dhruva Climbing On The Head Of Death
Dhruva, as a young child, went to the forest for six months,
practiced penance and achieved the blessed darshan of the
Supreme Lord. Thus, he became a pure devotee. After he ruled the
kingdom for many years, he left his kingdom, and retired to
Badrikasrama. There he performed intense devotional service with
his body and mind, exhibiting
symptoms of ecstatic love. As
soon as the symptoms of his
liberation were manifest, he
saw a very beautiful airplane
coming down from the sky, as
if the brilliant full moon were
coming down. He saw two
beautiful associates of Lord
Vishnu who had similar forms
like Vishnu. Dhruva offered
obeisances and chanted the
Lords glories. They had come
to take Dhruva to the
Vaikuntha planet.
Before getting aboard,
Dhruva Maharaja worshiped the airplane, circumambulated it, and
also offered obeisances to the associates of Vishnu. In the
meantime he became as brilliant and illuminating as molten gold.
He was thus completely prepared to board the transcendental
plane. (SB 4.12.29)
When Dhruva Maharaja was attempting to get on the
transcendental plane, he saw death personified approach him. Not

443
caring for death, however, he took advantage of the opportunity to
put his feet on the head of death, and thus he got up on the
airplane, which was as big as a house. (SB 4.12.30)
When Dhruva Maharaja boarded the airplane, he took
advantage of the arrival of death personified, who came to offer
him obeisances. Putting his feet on the head of death, he got up on
the unique airplane. This is a fitting example of how a devotee
conquers death. Far from mourning or lamenting, a devotee is so
absorbed in the remembrance of the Lord, that he has nothing to
worry about death. Rather, death personified feels blessed to have
the lotus feet of the devotee on his head.
Parikshit Prepared For Facing Death
Among the most intelligent of men was Maharaja Parikshit,
the great king of the entire world, who was accidentally cursed by
a brahmana to meet death from the bite of a serpent within seven
days. When the king was informed of the unfortunate curse, he at
once left his palatial home and went to the bank of the Ganges,
which was near his capital, to prepare for his impending death.
Because he was a great king, almost all the great sages and learned
scholars assembled at the place where the king was fasting prior to
leaving his mortal body. Being a descendent of the lineage of great
devotees the Pandavas, and having had a personal encounter
with Lord Sri Krishna in the womb of his mother, King Parikshit
was a great devotee. He took the curse as a benediction from the
Lord to detach himself from all worldly engagements and retire to
the bank of the Ganges and hear the glories of the Lord. His words
show that he is hardly afraid of death:
ta mopayata pratiyantu vipra
gaga ca devi dhta-cittam ie
dvijopasa kuhakas takako va
daatv ala gayata vinu-gatha

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444

O brahmanas, just accept me as a completely surrendered
soul, and let mother Ganges, the representative of the Lord, also
accept me in that way, for I have already taken the lotus feet of the
Lord into my heart. Let the snake-birdor whatever magical thing
the brahmana createdbite me at once. I only desire that you all
continue singing the deeds of Lord Vishnu. (SB 1.19.15)
This fearlessness of death comes only when one has found the
shelter of Lord Sri Nanda nandan, whose lotus feet are called as
abhaya charanaravinda the lotus feet that bestow fearlessness.
One Moment Of Divine Thought Is Superior To Million
Years Of Prolonged Life
King Khatvanga Cuts Bondage In A Moment
The materialists want to prolong life as much as possible
because they have no information of the next life. They want to
get the maximum comforts in this present life because they think
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445
the eternity of the living being and the change of covering in the
material world has played havoc in the structure of modern human
society. Consequently, there are many problems, multiplied by
various plans of modernized man. The plans for solving the
problems of society have only aggravated the troubles.
Even if it is possible to prolong life more than one hundred
years, advancement of human civilization does not necessarily
follow. The Bhagavatam says that certain trees live for hundreds
and thousands of years. At Vrindavana, there is a tamarind tree
(the place is known as Imlitala) which is said to have existed since
the time of Lord Krishna. In the Calcutta Botanical Garden, there
is a banyan tree said to be older than five hundred years, and there
are many such trees all over the world.
Swami Sankaracarya lived only for thirty-two years, and Lord
Caitanya lived for forty-eight years. Does it mean that the
prolonged lives of the abovementioned trees are more important
than Sankara or Caitanya? Prolonged life without spiritual value is
not very important. One may doubt that trees have life because
they do not breathe. But modern scientists like Bose have already
proved that there is life in plants, so breathing is no sign of actual
life. The Bhagavatam says that the bellows of the blacksmith
breathes very soundly, but that does not mean that the bellows has
life. The materialist will argue that life in the tree and life in man
cannot be compared because the tree cannot enjoy life by eating
palatable dishes or by enjoying sexual intercourse. In reply to this,
the Bhagavatam asks whether other animals like the dogs and
hogs, living in the same village with human beings, do not eat and
enjoy sexual life. The specific utterance of Srimad-Bhagavatam in
regard to other animals means that persons who are simply
engaged in planning a better type of animal life consisting of
eating, breathing and mating are also animals in the shape of
human beings. A society of such polished animals cannot benefit
suffering humanity, for an animal can easily harm another animal
but rarely do good.
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446
There is a story of a great king named Maharaja Khatvanga,
who was a great devotee of Lord Krishna. He was invited by the
demigods in the higher planets to fight demons, and as a king, he
fought the battles to the full satisfaction of the demigods. The
demigods, being fully satisfied with him, wanted to give him some
benediction for material enjoyment, but Maharaja Khatvanga,
being very much alert to his prime duty, inquired from the
demigods about his remaining duration of life. This means that he
was not as anxious to accumulate some material benediction from
the demigods as he was to prepare himself for the next life. He
was informed by the demigods, however, that his life would last
only a moment longer. The king at once left the heavenly
kingdom, which is always full of material enjoyment of the
highest standard, and coming down to this earth, took ultimate
shelter of the all-safe Personality of Godhead. He was successful
in his great attempt and achieved liberation. This attempt, even for
a moment, by the saintly king, was successful because he was
always alert to his prime duty.
khavago nama rajarir jatveyattam ihayua
muhrtat sarvam utsjya gatavan abhaya harim

The saintly King Khatvanga, after being informed that the
duration of his life would be only a moment more, at once freed
himself from all material activities and took shelter of the supreme
safety, the Personality of Godhead. (SB 2.1.13)
A fully responsible man should always be conscious of the
prime duty of the present human form of life. The activities to
meet the immediate necessities of material life are not everything.
One should always be alert in his duty for attainment of the best
situation in the next life. Human life is meant for preparing
ourselves for that prime duty. Maharaja Khatvanga is mentioned
herein as a saintly king because even with the responsibility of
state management, he was not at all forgetful of the prime duty of
life. Such was the case with other rajarshis (saintly kings), like

447
Maharaja Yudhisthira and Maharaja Parikshit. They were all
exemplary personalities on account of their being alert in
discharging their prime duty.
It Is Not The Triumph But The Struggle That Determines
Victory
It Is Not The Victory That Matters, But To Have Fought
Well
Often, success in this world is estimated by whether or not one
achieves the victory flag at the end. In spiritual mathematics, the
Lord appreciates the devotees sincere efforts even if the devotee
does not succeed in his attempt. After all, the real victory is the
Lords satisfaction and pleasure. What is the use of a victory that
does not please the Lord?
Jatayus Sacrifice
When mother Sita was being carried by the demon Ravana,
she called out to the trees, the rivers, birds and animals, begging
them to inform Rama that she had been abducted. J ust then, Sita
saw J atayu, sleeping while perched atop a tree. Sita called out to
him, J atayu, please help me. Please go now and tell Rama that I
have been kidnapped by the evil Ravana!
Hearing Sitas cries, J atayu awakened, and seeing how she
was being roughly handled by Ravana, he challenged the king of
the Raksasas, saying O Ravana, I am J atayu, the king of the
vultures. How can you dare to lay your hands on the wife of
another? Beware, for you are carrying a poisonous snake in your
arms! I am now 60,000 years old and without weapons, but I will
not allow you to carry away Sita. I warn you, give up your evil
intentions, or else prepare to be thrown from your chariot like a
ripe fruit from a tree!
Thus challenged, Ravana angrily rushed towards J atayu. As
the fighting began, it appeared that two great mountains were
striking one another. Ravana threw many weapons towards J atayu,
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448
while the giant vulture gouged Ravana with his taloned feet.
Although many powerful arrows pierced J atayu, the sight of Sita
crying upon Ravanas chariot enabled him to tolerate the pain.
J atayu warded off the onslaught of arrows with his wings and
managed to break Ravanas bow with his feet. Gaining this
advantage, J atayu quickly cut off Ravanas armour, and with his
sharp claws he killed the mules yoked to the chariot. He smashed
the chariot to pieces while simultaneously decapitating Ravanas
driver with his beak. His chariot broken, Ravana fell to the ground
while tightly clasping Sita in his arms. As they exhibited this
wonderful display of prowess, all the creatures watching
applauded J atayus valour.
However, J atayu was old,
and soon became exhausted.
Ravana rose up into the sky,
holding Sita with one hand, and
bearing a sword in another.
Condemning Ravana, J atayu
suddenly swooped upon his
back and began pulling his hairs
so hard that the Raksasa kings
lip quivered with indignation.
Pressing Sita tightly to his left
thigh, Ravana struck back at
J atayu with the palm of his
hand. J atayu, however, dodged
the blow and then tore off
Ravanas ten left arms with his
powerful beak. Ravanas arms,
however, were replaced by new arms. Leaving Sita aside, the king
of the Raksasas began beating J atayu with his fists and feet.
The fighting continued for nearly an hour. Finally, in
desperation, Ravana took up his sword and cut off J atayus wings,
feet and flanks, causing him to fall mortally wounded to the

449
ground. Greatly distressed, Sita rushed to where J atayu lay,
embracing him with tears in her eyes. However, Ravana quickly
grabbed Sita by the hair and carried her off, as she cried out in
grief, Rama! Rama!
Thereafter, while combing the forest, Rama and Laksmana
came upon the fallen J atayu, lying in a pool of blood. Rama
thought he was a Raksasa disguised as a bird, who had devoured
Sita and was now resting. Thus, as Rama approached, He fitted an
arrow to his bow, ready to release it. However, upon drawing near,
Rama understood that it was J atayu, and that he had been fatally
wounded while trying to rescue Sita from the clutches of Ravana.
Understanding the situation, Rama threw his bow aside and
embraced J atayu. Seeing the plight of his servant, Rama became
doubly aggrieved.
Rama anxiously asked, O J atayu, please tell me everything
you know about Sita and her abductor.
The dying J atayu related all that had happened and
commented, Ravana took Sita at the time of day known as vinda.
If a person looses something at that time, he will surely reclaim it
very soon. My dear Rama, do not be overly aggrieved because of
Sita, for you shall certainly regain her after killing the Raksasa
king in the battle. Then, as J atayu described Ravanas exalted
lineage, he gasped his last breath, uttering, Rama! Rama!
Rama told Laksmana, I am more saddened by the death of
J atayu, who gave his life for My sake, than the kidnapping of Sita.
Go and bring some wood so that We can cremate his body. Let it
be known that J atayu will attain the highest destination as a
reward for his service to Me.
Laksmana prepared the funeral pyre, and Rama placed
J atayus body upon it and lit the fire. The brothers made the
offerings for the benefit of J atayus departed soul and chanted
Vedic mantras. Rama and Laksmana then went to the banks of the
river Godavari to offer oblation of waters, and then took bath.
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From a material view point, one may say that after all, J atayu
could not save mother Sita and he lost the battle with Ravana. But
Lord Rama valued the service rendered by J atayu for His sake,
despite his old age. What is especially very important is the
determination of J atayu to lay down everything, including his life,
for the sake of Lord Rama. Thus his death was glorious. For a
ksatriya, laying down his life in the battle is considered more
glorious, rather than running away. A ksatriya who leaves his
body in the battle will ascend to heaven. But if someone lays
down his life for the sake of the Lord, then they will ascend to
Vaikuntha.
It is said, Do your best and leave the rest to God. J atayu did
whatever best he could do to save Sita. And at the end, at the time
of leaving his body, he was instrumental in giving valuable
information to Rama regarding Ravana.
Often, people plan to come to Vrindavana in their old age to
leave their bodies. But as far as Srila Prabhupada was concerned,
he once said that if he has to leave his body preaching in America,
he would not mind. He was ready to die preaching the Lords
message. But the Lord arranges everything for His pure devotee.
He brought Prabhupada to His own vicinity, Vrindavana, before
he ascended to the spiritual world. Similarly, J atayu was accepted
as father by Rama. This was proved when Rama performed the
final funeral rites for him. What could be a greater blessing?
Quitting At Will With Eyes On The Lords Form Still
The Chivalrous Bhisma
In the Mahabharata, Bhismas role is very unique, as he was
Krishnas devotee, but fought on the opposite side of the Pandavas
for esoteric reasons. Although it is well known that he had made a
promise to always side with whoever was in rule in the Kuru
dynasty, and though he had, once, out of humility, proclaimed that
he was siding with the Kauravas due to having eaten their salt, the
actual reason Bhisma fought on the side of Duryodhana was to

451
give pleasure to Sri Krishna in Veerya rasa (chivalrous mood). For
a devotee of the calibre of Bhisma, opinion of worldly people or
criticism of moralists is immaterial, because for the sake of the
Lord, a devotee would do anything and everything. Thus, he
increased the transcendental pleasure of the Lord by fighting with
Him. Sri Bhismadeva is a great devotee of the Lord in the relation
of servitorship. Thus, his throwing of sharp arrows at the
transcendental body of the Lord is as good as the worship of
another devotee who throws soft roses upon Him.
The Battle of Kurukshetra was fought on military principles,
but at the same time, in a sporting spirit, like a friends fight with
another friend. Duryodhana criticized Bhismadeva, alleging that
he was reluctant to kill Arjuna because of paternal affection. A
ksatriya cannot tolerate insults on the principle of fighting.
Bhismadeva therefore promised that the next day he would kill all
the five Pandavas with special arrows made for the purpose.
Duryodhana was satisfied, and he kept the arrows with him to be
delivered the next day during the fight. By trickery, Arjuna took
the arrows from Duryodhana, and Bhismadeva could understand
that this was the trick of Lord Krishna.
So he took a vow that the next day Krishna would have to take
up weapons Himself, otherwise His friend Arjuna would die. In
the next days fighting, Bhismadeva fought so violently that both
Arjuna and Krishna were in trouble. Arjuna was almost defeated.
The situation was so tense that he was about to be killed by
Bhismadeva the very next moment.
At that time, Lord Krishna wanted to please His devotee,
Bhisma, by keeping Bhismas promise, which was more important
than His own. Seemingly He broke His own promise. He had
promised before the beginning of the Battle of Kurukshetra that
He would remain without weapons, and would not use His
strength for either of the parties. But to protect Arjuna, He got
down from the chariot, took up the wheel of the chariot and
hurriedly rushed at Bhismadeva in an angry mood, as a lion goes
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452
to kill an elephant. He
dropped His covering cloth
on the way, and out of great
anger, He did not know that
He had dropped it.
Bhismadeva at once gave up
his weapons and stood to be
killed by Krishna, his
beloved Lord. The fighting
of the day was thus ended at
that very moment, and
Arjuna was saved. Of course there was no possibility of Arjunas
death because the Lord Himself was on the chariot, but because
Bhismadeva wanted to see Lord Krishna take up some weapon to
save His friend, the Lord created this situation, making Arjunas
death imminent. He stood before Bhismadeva to show him that his
promise was fulfilled and that He had taken up the wheel.
The dealings of Lord Krishna and Bhismadeva on the
Battlefield of Kurukshetra are interesting because the activities of
Lord Sri Krishna appeared to be partial to Arjuna and at enmity
with Bhismadeva, but factually, all this was especially meant to
show special favour to Bhismadeva, a great devotee of the Lord.
The astounding feature of such dealings is that a devotee can
please the Lord by playing the part of an enemy. The Lord, being
absolute, can accept service from His pure devotee even in the
garb of an enemy. The Supreme Lord cannot have any enemy, nor
can a so-called enemy harm Him because He is ajita, or
unconquerable. But still He takes pleasure when His pure devotee
beats Him like an enemy or rebukes Him from a superior position,
although no one can be superior to the Lord. These are some of the
transcendental reciprocatory dealings of the devotee with the
Lord. And those who have no information of pure devotional
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453
Knowing the time of Bhismas passing, Lord Krishna
appeared in front of him for the pleasure of His own devotee. The
appearance of Lord Krishna at the deathbed of Bhisma is due to
Bhismas being an unflinching devotee of the Lord. Arjuna had
some bodily relation with Krishna because the Lord happened to
be his maternal cousin. But Bhisma had no such bodily relation.
Therefore, the cause of attraction was due to the intimate relation
of the soul.
Although it was cent percent certain that Bhismadeva was
approaching Vaikuntha-dhama just after leaving his material body,
still, as a humble Vaishnava, he desired to see the beautiful face of
the Lord, for after quitting the present body, he might not be in a
position to see the Lord any more. A Vaishnava is not puffed up,
although the Lord guarantees His pure devotee entrance into His
abode.
Bhismadeva had the ability to quit his body by his own will.
He was not being forced by the laws of nature. He was so
powerful that he could stay in his body as long as he desired. He
got this benediction from his father. He desired that the Lord
appear before him in His four-handed Narayana feature so that he
might concentrate upon Him and thus be in trance in that
meditation. Then his mind might be sanctified with thinking of the
Lord. Thus he did not mind wherever he might go. A pure devotee
is never very anxious to go back to the kingdom of God. He
entirely depends on the good will of the Lord. He is equally
satisfied even if the Lord desires him to go to hell. The only desire
that a pure devotee entertains is that he may always be in rapt
attention, thinking of the lotus feet of the Lord. Bhismadeva
wanted this much only: that his mind be absorbed in thinking of
the Lord and that he pass away thus. That is the highest ambition
of a pure devotee.
Thereupon that man who spoke on different subjects with
thousands of meanings and who fought on thousands of
battlefields and protected thousands of men, stopped speaking and,
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454
being completely freed from all bondage, withdrew his mind from
everything else and fixed his wide-open eyes upon the original
Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, who stood before him, four-
handed, dressed in yellow garments that glittered and shined. (SB
1.9.30)
In the momentous hour
of leaving his material
body, Bhismadeva set the
glorious example
concerning the important
function of the human form
of life. The subject matter
which attracts the dying
man becomes the beginning
of his next life. Therefore,
if one is absorbed in
thoughts of the Supreme
Lord Sri Krishna, he is sure to go back to Godhead without any
doubt. Thus, Bhismadeva, the great devotee and General, attained
the Vaikuntha-dhama at his own will.
The passing away of the great devotee, Namacarya Haridas
Thakura is explained in Antya lila 11.1-57 by Srila Prabhupada.
Seeing the wonderful death of Haridas Thakura by his own will,
which was just like a great mystic yogis, everyone remembered
the passing away of Bhisma.
The Man Who Built A House In Which
The Whole World Can Live
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
travelled to America at the advanced age of seventy, and created
the miracle of a Krishna conscious explosion all over the world
within twelve short years in the form of temples, deity worship,
farm communities, book distribution, harinam sankirtana, ratha
yatras, gurukulas, BTG magazines and many, many more

455
activities. He travelled over fourteen times around the globe in
twelve years, untiringly preaching the message of Krishna.
J ust as Bhisma saw Krishna at the end, Srila Prabhupada also
saw Krishna. As Bhisma gave instructions from a bed of arrows,
Srila Prabhupada also gave instructions from a position that was
so painful and difficult that it seemed a humanly impossible feat.
Srila Prabhupada had eaten almost nothing for six months, and his
body was so emaciated. According to the doctors, his body was in
such a condition that he was in intense pain. But Prabhupada
remained completely collected and noble and grave. And he was
teachinguntil the end. He was teaching Svarupa Damodara that
life comes from life, not from matter. He was preaching and
giving instructions to so many devotees. He was showing us that
one should preach with every breath he has. And he was teaching
us how to die.
The time of death, as King Kulashekhara prays, is very
difficult. Death means that the soul cannot stand to live in the
body any more. Everything collapses. Whatever the cause is
heart failure, electric
shock, wearing out of the
body it means that the
situation has become
unbearable for the soul.
Srila Prabhupada
taught us how it is
possible to go step by step
to death in Krishna
consciousness. On one of
his last days, he told
Shatadhanya Maharaja,
Dont think that this is
not going to happen to
you. Because one may
tend to think, Yes,
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456
Prabhupada has departed, but we are still here. We will carry on in
our youthful way after his departure. But the same thing is going
to happen to us! He underwent what everyone has to undergo
death, which is so fearful --- in a way that was perfect and
glorious. When we have to go, we can cling to the memory of how
a great soul left his bodyalways thinking of Krishna,
surrounding himself with the medicine of chanting Hare Krishna,
wanting to hear about Krishna, and being very detached from the
misery of the material condition.
When Bhisma was about to pass away, all the great souls in
the universe, namely the rishis amongst demigods, brahmanas and
kings, all situated in goodness were assembled there. We can just
imagine such a great assembly of important personalities from all
over the universe. Certainly everyone there would have had his
own idea of spiritual life. So if someone were to appeal to them
all, he would have to know the ultimate universal principles of
religion. He would have to speak in such a way that everyone
would be willing to give up sectarian beliefs or would see that all
sectarian beliefs were included within his teachings. This was
Bhismas greatness as a Mahajan, a leading authority in spiritual
knowledge, and Srila Prabhupada was also qualified in that way
to teach Sanatana dharma so expertly that it could be accepted by
all people all over the world. Srila Prabhupadas expertise was that
he knew exactly how to preachto hippies, or Indians, or women,
or anybody. Srila Prabhupada had a compassionate, expert,
philosophical, humorous, tolerant, completely non-sectarian
temperament. What he did cannot be appreciated enough. And
whatever anyone does after him should never be thought to be
independent of what Srila Prabhupada has done.
Srila Prabhupada taught by his life and in his books. Whatever
Srila Prabhupada did was instructive: the way he ate, the way he
walked, the way he dressed, the way he lay down, the way he
breathed, the way he moved. Everything a great soul does should
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457
Bhisma was a great soul, and the particular details of his
passing away are instructive for everyone. This is real education:
learning how to die. The dog dies, the cat dies, the human being
dies. When the cat and the dog die, there is no meaning, but a
human being is supposed to understand the process for going back
to the spiritual world at the time of death. Ante narayana smriti:
The ultimate test is whether at the time of death you are able to
remember Narayana or Krishna.
The Holy Name: The Only Medicine To Save One
From The Jaws Of Death
Earlier we had mentioned about the Vedic system of life. Now
comparing that with the modern educational system and lifestyle,
we can easily see that a modern child is moulded in the following
way:
No respect for elders, neglectful, sarcastic, rebellious,
opposing, arguing
Uncontrolled mind exhibits itself from the external behaviour,
eating anything anywhere and behaving in many irregular
ways, unprincipled lifestyle
Late nights and late mornings, bad habits like eating late at
night, drinking, smoking, etc.
All menial services done by machines or servants; one just
eats and sleeps, leading to lack of humility
No systematic education on science of God; no proper
understanding of meaning and purpose of life. Consequently,
one is not inspired to learn about worshiping the Lord.
Luxurious life with accumulated commodities and broken or
no relationship, depending more and more on machines that
make life complicated.
Thus, the people of Kali yuga work hard for a livelihood and
are constantly tormented by a variety of bad association that keep
them as weaklings in spiritual life. But the movement of Lord
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458
Caitanya has introduced the nama sankirtana of the holy name that
is easy for anyone and everyone.
In the history of Ajamila,
Yamaraja specifically advises
his servants who should be
brought to him for punishment
and who should not be
brought to him. He ordered
them not to bring the
devotees, who always lick the
honey at the lotus feet of the
Lord, who are equal to
everyone, and who try to
preach Krishna consciousness
because of sympathy for all
living entities. Devotees are
not liable to punishment by
Yamaraja, but persons who have no information of Krishna
consciousness cannot be protected by their material life of so-
called family enjoyment. He specifically advises the Yamadutas to
bring him the materialistic persons who are attached to household
life merely for sex.
Yamaraja ordered his messengers to bring to him those who
neglect to chant the holy name:
jihva na vakti bhagavad-gua-namadheya
ceta ca na smarati tac-caraaravindam
krishnaya no namati yac-chira ekadapi
tan anayadhvam asato kta-viu-ktyan

My dear servants, please bring to me only those sinful
persons who do not use their tongues to chant the holy name and
qualities of Krishna, whose hearts do not remember the lotus feet
of Krishna even once, and whose heads do not bow down even
once before Lord Krishna. Send me those who do not perform

459
their duties toward Vishnu, which are the only duties in human
life. Please bring me all such fools and rascals. (SB 6.3.29)
Glories Of The Holy Name
The scriptures glorify the holy name in many different ways
by emphasizing different aspects as given below. We request the
reader to take out time and go through the references from the
books of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada and the books on the holy name by his disciples like
H.H. Satsvarupa das Gosvami (J apa Reform Notebook), H.H.
Sacinandan Swami (Nectarean Ocean of the Holy Name), H.H.
Mahanidhi Swami (Art of Chanting Hare Krishna), etc.
Authoritative Nature Of The Holy Name

harer nma harer nma
harer nmaiva kevalam
kalau nsty eva nsty eva
nsty eva gatir anyath

other way. There is no other way. There is no other way. (Cc.
Adi 17.21)
nma cintmai ka
caitanya-rasa-vigraha
pra uddho nitya-mukto
bhinnatvn nma-nmino

The holy name of Krishna is transcendentally blissful. It
bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Krishna Himself, the
reservoir of all pleasure. Krishnas name is complete, and it is the
form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under
any condition, and it is no less powerful than Krishna Himself.
Since Krishnas name is not contaminated by the material
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460
qualities, there is no question of its being involved with maya.
Krishnas name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never
conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the
name of Krishna and Krishna Himself are identical. (Cc. Madhya
17.133)
etvn eva loke smin
pus dharma para smta
bhakti-yogo bhagavati
tan-nma-grahadibhi

Devotional service, beginning with the chanting of the holy
name of the Lord, is the ultimate religious principle for the living
entity in human society. (SB 6.3.22)
etan nirvidyamnnm
icchatm akuto-bhayam
yogin npa nirta
harer nmnukrtanam

O King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after
the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way
of success for all, including those who are free from all material
desires, those who are desirous of all material enjoyment, and also
those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge.
(SB 2.1.11)
Ocean Of Bliss

tue tavin rati vitanute tuval-labdhaye
kara-kroa-kaambin ghaayate karrbudebhya sphm
ceta-prgaa-sagin vijayate sarvendriy kti
no jne janit kiyadbhir amtai keti vara-dvay

I do not know how much nectar the two syllables Krish-na
have produced. When the holy name of Krishna 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

461
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. (Cc. Antya 1.99)
ceto-darpaa-mrjana bhava-mah-dvgni-nirvpaa
reya-kairava-candrik-vitaraa vidy-vadh-jvanam
nandmbudhi-vardhana prati-pada prmtsvdana
sarvtma-snapana para vijayate r-ka-sakrtanam

Glory to the Sri Krishna sankirtana, which cleanses the heart
of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of
conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This sankirtana
movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because
it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all
transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental
bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are
always anxious. (Siksastaka 1)
The Holy Name Vanquishes Sins

tasmt sakrtana vior
jagan-magalam ahasm
mahatm api kauravya
viddhy aikntika-niktam

Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear King, the chanting of
the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of
the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the sankirtana
movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe.
Please try to understand this so that others will take it seriously.
(SB 6.3.31)
aho bata va-paco to garyn
yaj-jihvgre vartate nma tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvu sasnur ry
brahmncur nma ganti ye te

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Oh, how glorious are they whose tongues are chanting Your
holy name! Even if born in the families of dog-eaters, such
persons are worshipable. Persons who chant the holy name of
Your Lordship must have executed all kinds of austerities and fire
sacrifices and achieved all the good manners of the Aryans. To be
chanting the holy name of Your Lordship, they must have bathed
at holy places of pilgrimage, studied the Vedas and fulfilled
everything required. (SB 3.33.7)
avaenpi yan-nmni
krtite sarva-ptakai
pumn vimucyate sadya
siha-trastair mgair iva

If one chants the holy name of the Lord, even in a helpless
condition or without desiring to do so, all the reactions of his
sinful life depart, just as when a lion roars, all the small animals
flee in fear. (Garuda Purana)
nmno hi yvat akti
ppa-nirharae hare
tvat kartu na aknoti
ptaka ptak nara

Simply by chanting one holy name of Hari, a sinful man can
counteract the reactions to more sins than he is able to commit.
(Brhad-visnu Purana)
Goal Of Life And Ultimate Success Is To Remember The
Holy Name At Death

etvn skhya-yogbhy
sva-dharma-parinihay
janma-lbha para pusm
ante nryaa-smti


463
The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by
complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic
powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to
remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life. (SB
2.1.6)

ka tvadya-pada-pakaja-pajarntam
adyaiva me viatu mnasa-rja-hasa
pra-praya-samaye kapha-vta-pittai
kahvarodhana-vidhau smaraa kutas te

O Lord Krishna, 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? (MM 33)
nmoccraa-mhtmya
hare payata putrak
ajmilo pi yenaiva
mtyu-pd amucyata

My dear servants, who are as good as my sons, just see how
glorious is the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. The greatly
sinful Ajamila chanted only to call his son, not knowing that he
was chanting the Lords holy name. Nevertheless, by chanting the
holy name of the Lord, he remembered Narayana, and thus he was
immediately saved from the ropes of death. (SB 6.3.23)
Everything Becomes Faultless By Chanting The Holy
Name

mantratas tantrata chidra dea-kalarha-vastuta
sarva karoti nichidram anusakrtana tava

There may be discrepancies in pronouncing the mantras and
observing the regulative principles, and, moreover, there may be
discrepancies in regard to time, place, person and paraphernalia.
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But when Your Lordships holy name is chanted, everything
becomes faultless. (SB 8.23.16)
Holy name is the way; but it is also the goal, Krishna Himself
(Kings treasury, Nectarean Ocean page 34)
Chanting Hare Krishna - Some Practical Tips
The following tips are given with the idea that the reader is
already knowledgeable about chanting Hare Krishna, probably 16
rounds a day and is eager to know some tips for improving the
quality of his/her chanting.
Mood Of Chanting
The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His energy, to
give protection to the conditioned soul. The chanting is exactly
like the genuine cry of a child for its mothers presence. Mother
Hara helps the devotee achieve the Lord Fathers grace, and the
Lord reveals Himself to the devotee who chants this mantra
sincerely. No other means of spiritual realisation is as effective in
this age of quarrel and hypocrisy as the chanting of the maha
mantra.
Three Stages Of Chanting Hare Krishna
Nama-aparadha: Chanting with ten offences against the Holy
Name. As long as the chanting is performed with offences, it is
absolutely impossible to attain love of God. Nothing else should
be aspired than to progress to the next stage as quickly as possible.
Offences have to be given up.
Nama-abhasa: Abhasa means reflection. This is chanting on
the clearing stage with the deliberate endeavour to avoid offences
and to hear the holy name with full attention. At this stage, pure
love of God will not manifest immediatelyit is only attained by
Suddha-nama. By serving the spiritual master with full attention
while chanting in Namabhasa, one gradually rises to the platform
of Suddha-nama and thus attains the final goal - pure love of God.

465
Suddha-nama: This is the pure stage of chanting where
Krishna fully reveals Himself, together with the entirety of His
innumerable potencies.
Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita anta kale ca mam eva
(BG 8.5) that anybody who remembers Him at the time of death
will certainly attain Him. One should chant Hare Krishna in such a
way that, at the last point of life, one will be able to remember
Krishna without fail, so that one can return back home, back to
Godhead.
Why arent we able to appreciate the sweetness of the holy
name as described in the scriptures?
Srila Rupa Gosvami in Vidagdha Madhava says: I do not
know how much nectar the two syllables Krish-na have
produced. When the holy name of Krishna 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.
Why are we not able to feel the taste like that? The reason is
that we are in a diseased state of conditioned life. It is just like the
condition of a jaundiced person drinking sugarcane juice.
Although the sugarcane juice is naturally sweet, still a jaundiced
person finds it bitter due to his disease. Similarly, although the
holy name is naturally sweet, we feel it is bitter due to our
conditioned consciousness. But the remedy for a jaundiced person
is to go on drinking sugarcane juice until he becomes cured.
Similarly, if we go on chanting Hare Krishna, one day, the taste
for the holy name will arise in our heart.

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466
Obstacles In Chanting Hare Krishna And Remedies
Inattentiveness
During chanting, instead of concentrating on the holy name,
one may tend to become inattentive due to varieties of thoughts
entering the mind:

Abominable grossly sinful thoughts like sex enjoyment, etc.,
Contemplation on the days prasadam menu,
Lamentation of some past unfortunate event,
Misunderstanding and quarrel that took place with someone,
Unfulfilled plans and modifications to fulfil them,
Detailed analysis of day to day plans for projects,
Thoughts about the welfare of relatives, friends or
dependants, and
Spiritual ideas for development in our area of devotional
service.
Overcoming Inattentiveness
1. Remember DEATH
King Kulasekhara says: Now that I am chanting in good
health, let me die thinking of Krishna. (krsna tvadiya pada
pankaja...)
Bhismadeva also drove all other thoughts out at the time of
passing away. At the time of death, you will be forced to give up
all these thoughts. But do it now to save yourself for chanting.
A suitable meditation before one starts chanting is:
At the time of death, your body will simply be placed upon a
funeral stretcher, lifted on the shoulder by four persons and carried
to the cremation grounds. Alas! The cremation fire will then enter
your mouth and totally consume your tongue. There will be
nothing you can do to save yourself, for at that time, it will be too
lateyou will be unable to speak anymore. Refrain: Oh, why does

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my heart not weep from chanting the holy names Hare Krishna?
(Bhaktivinoda Thakura)
Although the mind may stubbornly want us to obey it, we can
make a bold statement: I will certainly attend to all those things
as per your desire but NOT NOW. Now let everything else wait.
Now my only business is to cry out Hare Krishna exactly like a
child crying for his mother. I have no other business for the
coming two hours. We should announce this policy and stick to it
with determination without letting loose. LET EVERYTHING
ELSE WAIT!!!
We can also COMPLETELY AVOID talking, socializing,
attending phone calls, gesturing, joking, etc. during chanting.
There are other times for that.
2. Remember SUFFERING
Generally we dont cry out unless we are devastated. When we
hear of accidents, dangerous and deadly diseases, pains and
inabilities in old age, then we become fearful. Otherwise when we
are youthful and full of vigour, we unfortunately fail to call the
Lord helplessly.
(e.g.) Once, in one of our temples in the early morning hours,
there was a brief earthquake. All the devotees and gurukula
children who were fast asleep were jolted out of their beds. The
earth appeared to be shaking terribly and devotees were hurled to
and fro. Some devotees became fearful that the earth might break
open and suck everyone into it. In great fear every one cried out
the Holy name: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna. The
earthquake subsided in a few minutes. Later in the Bhagavatam
class, one sannyasi commented about it: I wish the earthquake
would have continued eternally... Everyone was stunned,
wondering why Maharaja was speaking like this. Maharaja
continued, ...because devotees were calling out to Krishna in
such a helpless attitude together Everyone burst into laughter.
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3. Have a prayerful mood
Be troubled. Be bothered. Then you can reform chanting. Even
in the material world, reform comes out of intolerance at injustice.
To be concerned about improving ones deficiencies in japa is the
first requirement. Otherwise, if we just absent-mindedly go on
chanting without even stopping to think that our chanting NEEDS
IMPROVEMENT, then where is the question of actually
improving?
Read Siksastakam prayers: namnam akari bahuda
Read sections of scriptures where the Holy name is glorified:
Ajamila pastime, Haridas Thakuras instructions about the holy
name, Lord Caitanyas descriptions in Adi lila, chapter 7, about
chanting the holy name under the direction of Isvara Puri.
Appreciate them and try to pray in a similar mood.
We should sing devotional songs like mangala arati samsara
davanala or Nrsimha arati attentively, knowing the meaning of
the song while imbibing the appropriate mood of the prayer. The
morning program should not be performed as a mere ritual in a
machine-like way. Such robot like ritualistic performance will
gradually become a bad habit and we will become unconscious to
what we are singing, speaking or chanting. This inattentiveness is
very dangerous in the long run. It makes a devotee dull and devoid
of any spiritual consciousness.
We have in the past been victims of uncontrolled senses. We
should pray to Krishna when we chant: Please save me from
Maya. Please save me from my raging senses. Please, Lord,
engage my senses in Your service. Please let me chant Hare
Krishna sincerely. Please do not let me go away from Your lotus
feet into the jaws of maya. This prayerful attitude as we chant,
realizing our dangerous position, will be more effective than just
touching the tongue to the upper portion of the palate while
muttering some sound.
The devotee should chant feeling a personal connection with
his spiritual master. We should always remember that we

469
promised our spiritual master to chant Hare Krishna without
offences, including the offence of inattentive chanting. It is a
personal obligation, and one should chant keeping the order of the
spiritual master in mind and therefore keeping the personal
connection.
Poor Clarity
Of course, the mind is sometimes thinking of other things
besides the sound of Krishnas names. Then at least we should
maintain the virtue of pronouncing the names clearly and of
staying alert.
Poor clarity is produced due to several reasons:
Mumbling the words due to feeling sleepy
Missing one Hare regularly due to chanting too fast
Inattentiveness in hearing
Haste to finish 16 rounds and go for some other
important business
Lack of interest in chanting
In order to test our clarity we can chant, record our chanting
on a tape and later check it. Especially after 2 or 3 rounds, one
may observe some loss of clarity or mumbling of words. This
defect needs immediate attention. Otherwise, in the long run, it
becomes a habit and one finds it difficult to give up this bad habit.
Improving Clarity
Chanting in japa circles, in the association of other family
members or devotees is very useful. Devotees can help one
another when they find someone loosing clarity or dozing during
chanting.
It is essential for everyone to learn the most essential item of
devotional service chanting Hare Krishna on a regular basis, to
save oneself from earning the wrath of Yama and to develop
loving attraction for Sri Krishna. In this age of Kali yuga, by being
dedicated to the service of Lord Krishna throughout his/her life,
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470
by strictly following the regulative principles as taught by Srila
Prabhupada in his books, and fervently calling the Lord at the time
of death, one can surely reach the lotus feet of Krishna. Be
conscious of the Final exam. Our prayers to the acaryas for their
best wishes upon us. Let us be well prepared from now, before
that final momentthe final exam approaches us. That is real
victory over death!

Victory Over Death

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Chapter 1

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