Occasion: Lord Vamandeva’s Appearance Day

Glorification of Lord Vamanadeva by Srila Jayadveva Goswami

“Keçava dhåta-Vämana-rüpa Jaya Jagadéça Hare”. Today we are singing a beautiful prayer which is offered in great devotion by that great vaisnava acarya Srila Jayadeva Goswami. Jayadeva Goswami is very famous for his beautiful glorification of Vrindavan Lila of Sri Sri Radha Govindaji in his work titled “Gita-Govinda”. In the introduction to the “Gita-Govinda”, Srila Jayadeva Goswami offers his prayers to the ten principal incarnations of the Lord. It is called the “Sri Dasavatar Stotra”.

 

Churning of the Ocean of Milk

Today is the divine appearance day of one of these great incarnations of Godhead, Sri Vamanadeva. The story is in great detail found in the Srimad Bhagavatam. It is a very long story. But today I would like to, in summary, explain some of the highlights of this wonderful narrations. We know, at one time, because the demons became very powerful the, demigods approach Lord Narayan, explaining how the Asuras had taken away all of their possessions. At that time the Supreme Lord Narayan instructed the demigods to make truce with the demons under the pretense that together they would churn the ocean of milk. And that through the process of churning the ocean of milk nectar would be created and the Asuras and the demigods would gain that nectar. Anyone who drinks this “Amrit” would become very powerful and unconquerable.

So this is a long story of how the ocean of milk was churned and at last the nectar came out by the divine hands of Dhanvantari, that great avatar of Vishnu. The demons who were more powerful than the demigods at that time grasped the pot of Nectar from Dhanvantri. Of course, although demons can often times make policies to unite with one another ultimately they are all envious of one another and they are fearful of one another. So the demons could not decide that who would drink the nectar first. So they were all fighting amongst themselves. At that time the demigods found themselves in a hopeless situation. So again they appealed to Lord Narayan, “What we to do? Now the demons are already more powerful than us, if they drinks this nectar will be endlessly hopeless”. So Lord Narayan assumed the beautiful form of Mohinimurti.

 

Lord assumes the form of Mohinimurti and cheats Asuras

In this form she was so beautiful that the demons were completely captivated by her attractive features. They could not control their mind and their senses. So ultimately with the desire to please her because she was glancing upon each demon in such a way that indicated, “I am only attracted to you”, they all said, “We will give the nectar to you and whoever you decide, you should give it to that person”. Now every demon was thinking, “She will naturally give it to me because she is looking at me with such love in her eyes”. Mohinimurti took the nectar and gave it to all the demigods! The demons became very much disturbed by this and then Mohinimurti assumed His original form of Narayan and went away. Then the demons realized they had been cheated by Lord Vishnu.

 

Demons fight with Demigods and lose the war

So then, there was a great war. But, because the demigods had just drunk that nectar they defeated the demons very easily and they killed almost all of them. Even the leader of the demons who was at that time was the great Bali Maharaja was also defeated. But Shukracarya was the master of the demons, what you may call spiritual master. There are different types of spiritual masters. But he performed the great sacrifice in which he brought all of the demons back to life. He repaired their limbs and brought them back to life. And then he instructed Bali Maharaja, “If you want to become very powerful, you have to perform a great sacrifice to please the Brahmans. If the Brahmans are pleased, you will attain what is called Brahmatejas, the power of Brahmans then you will become unconquerable”.

 

Demon king, Bali defeats demigods after gaining power from Sacrifice

So Bali Maharaja performed this great sacrifice and in the performance of the sacrifice, he became invincible. His limbs became like steel. He had such power and such potency that he assembled a vast army of millions and millions countless Asuras and they all marched upon the abode of Indra, the king of heaven. When Indra looked out from his palace and saw these multitudes of demons headed by Bali Maharaja, who was effulgent like millions and millions of suns, he became very frightened and he turned to Brihaspati and he said to Brihaspati, “How I am possibly going to counteract this great attack by Bali Maharaja. Look at his forces. His own body looks like it can conquer all the fourteen worlds”.

Brihaspati said , “Bali Maharaj has pleased the descendants of Bhrigu. He has satisfied his guru, Shukracarya and the Brahmans. Therefore you have no power to defend yourselves against him.” You see, even the greatest Asuras they know that their power comes by giving pleasure to higher powers. We find this throughout history. Hiranyakashipu by pleasing Lord Brahma, he attains great power. Ravana by pleasing Brahma and Shankar, he attains great power. And of course the greatest power is the power from the sages and the Brahmans. So Brihaspati knowing well this great science, he told Indra, “The best thing that you can do is run away and hide. It is only if the Supreme Personality of Godhead favors you that you can ever gain your property back. Until then just be patient.”

 

Grief of Aditi, the mother of Demigods

So Indra and all the demigods went into hiding and Bali Maharaja simply marched into the city ofIndraand marched onto all the planets of the Devatas and became the king of the Devatas. Now you know the mother of Bali Maharaja is Diti and the mother of Indra is Aditi. They are both the wives of Kasyapa muni. So, Kasyapa Muni after doing his tapsya, came back to the hermitage one day and he saw his beautiful wife Aditi looking fair white, she was lean and thin. She looked like such, in sad state of lamentation. Kasyapa Muni being a very protective and honest husband, felt great compassion and sympathy for her. So he began to enquire, “What is it that has caused you such distress”. She explained, “My children, the demigods, I cannot see them anymore. They are all hiding somewhere and they are all homeless and in poverty-stricken state. How can I be satisfied in my life when my children are in such a condition? So she requested Kasyapa muni to find some answer by which the demigods could again regain their abodes”.

 

Performance of Payo-brata sacrifice by Aditi to please Vishnu

So Kasyapa muni began to contemplate and he explained to Aditi, his wife that only by the mercy of the Lord the great things are done in this world. With the mercy of God, there is no power that can conquer us from the material point of view. Brahmatejas, is most powerful force there is. But even when everything materially against us we should never feel hopeless. Because by the grace of God nothing is impossible. Vishnu Shakti, the power of the Lord is supreme. So Kasyapa told his wife,” You perform the Payo-brata sacrifice. By performing this Payo-brata you will gain the mercy of Lord Narayan and then all of your desires will be fulfilled”. This was the sacrifice that would last for twelve days and she would fast only on milk and worship Lord Narayan, by chanting His holy names and by worshiping His beautiful form.

 

Lord Vishnu appears as son of Kashyapa and Aditi as Lord Vamana

At the end of that twelve days, the supreme Lord of Vaikuntha, Sri Vishnu appeared to her in his most splendid form of four-arms decorated with the conchshell, the disc, the club and the lotus flower. He had a beautiful blackish complexion, lotus eyes and wonderful golden crown and the Kaustubhamani jewel hanging from His most munificent chest. Upon seeing the beautiful form of the Lord, Aditi worshiped with great devotion. Then the Lord knowing her desire promised that He would personally take birth within her womb and by His own divine mercy fulfill all of her desires. So at that time the supreme Lord entered into the body of Kasyapa muni and Kasyapa, who is in a state of Samadhi could feel the presence of God within himself. Then he united with Aditi and through the process he transferred the Lord’s presence into her womb and she became most effulgent and most beautiful because she became the very abode of God. After a short time from her womb the Lord appeared outside of her womb again in His beautiful form as four-armed Narayan. There He explained that He had come to fulfill all of their desires. Kasyapa and Aditi offered their prostrated obeisances and then the Lord right before their eyes transformed His form into a very beautiful golden colored boy. This auspicious Lila took placed on the Shravana Dwadasi which is the day we are celebrating today.

 

Lord Vamanadeva visits Bali, the king of Demons seeking charity

When Lord Vamanadeva appeared, all the Devatas and all the great saints and sages came to that place and they began to offer beautiful gifts and praises to the Lord. Then Lord Vamanadeva in His form of a beautiful Brahman boy began the natural occupation of a Brahman, which is to beg alms. So He went to the place of Bali Maharaja, who was then engaged in another sacrifice. He came to the door of Bali Maharaja with His begging bowl andBalianswered, “You are a brahmana. I am always charitable to the brahmanas, how may I serve you? Ask anything you like. I am the controller of the universe. I’ll fulfill all of your desires”.

Lord Vamanadeva said, “My dearBali, I require only three steps of land from you”.Balimaharaja was somehow insulted by this request. After all he performed such tremendous tapasya and sacrifice just for the prestige of conquering the entire universe and when someone comes to such a prestigious person and ask for something very small, it is like an insult. Bali Maharaja said, “Why you are asking for three steps of land? And you are a dwarf, which means very small. Your steps are not even as big as those of children. If you like I can give you a beautiful palace and most beautiful family. If you want I can give you riches of the king of heaven Indra. I can give you your own planet. I am the controller of all the material facilities within this entire universe. Anything you want is yours, just ask me. Why are you asking for such a crazy, small request of three steps?”.

 

Vamanadeva’s instructs Bali on Source of Happiness

At that time Vamanadeva spoke. He said, “Balimaharaja, you are a great fool because you do not understand that happiness comes from within and if you are not finding happiness within, you will not be happy under any condition of life”. He said, “I have found peace within myself. Therefore, whether I have nothing or whether I have three steps, whether I can control the whole universe, I am satisfied. But foolish people like you who have not found the real wealth of happiness within them, there is no arrangement within this entire creation that can make them satisfied. You have conquered the entire universe and still you want more, still you are dissatisfied”.

Krishnasays in Bhagavad-Gita that lust for material desire is like fire. It is insatiable the more you feed it, the hungrier you become. Vamanadeva is instructing to all of us, the utter futility of trying to find happiness in the sense objects through any position in this world and yet people are so crazy and foolish that they spend their entire lives under the illusion of Maya – simply trying to find some happiness by bigger name and fame, by more money and by more sense enjoyment. But ultimately as Govinda Das has prayed in his beautiful song,

“e dhana, yaubana, putra, parijana

ithe ki äche paratéti re

kamala-dala-jala, jévana öalamala

bhajahü hari-pada néti re”

SVA.4

“My whole life I have served my family, my society striving for more and more wealth and more and more prestige in this world and at the end of my life all I have to show for it is frustration and anxiety”. This world is “duùkhälayam açäçvatam” it is a place of misery because everything is temporary and the greatest insanity is that people are trying to find happiness in a place of misery. The more you become attached to something, the more you must suffer when it is taken away and it will be taken away. Even when you have it, you are never satisfied, you always desire something else. Hankering and lamenting – this is the business of mind of this material world. Hankering for what you want and then lamenting for what you lose. In the interim when you have it, you are usually fearful that you know someday its going to be lost.

 

Material Wealth, Name and Fame are temporary and give misery

We see even the greatest persons, just like inAmerica athletes are very popular inAmerica. Baseball is the most popular sport inAmerica for the last hundred years. There was one man who broke the most difficult record to break in the baseball. The record was originally made in 1932 or so and no one had come closer to it. This man broke the record. He became the national hero ofAmerica. He became so famous, he was on the front page of every magazine, every newspaper, every talk show inAmerica, on Television, and on Radio. He was the number one most famous man in all of theUnited States. Then about six months later they found out that during his career in baseball he had been gambling and according to baseball, if you gamble its like the worst offense because you are betting on teams in which you are playing that means may be you are loosing on purpose and all that.

So, what happened when he was found to be gambling? It became such big news that he was on the front page of every newspaper and every magazine. It was the biggest news inAmericathat this man is a cheat and rascal as he has been gambling. He was brought to a court and he was put in a jail. Now his very name makes people think, “Ah, just see what he has done!”. First all the children made him hero and then he has completely perverted the whole sports-man image. So he became most unpopular within six months of being the most popular. An American President, he was the most popular president in the last so many decades then all of a sudden thisIrancountry issue came up and he became the most unpopular president. This is the nature of fame and name in this material world.

Lakshmi Devi is the proprietor of wealth, name and fame. And She is also “Chanchal” means She is very flickering and very unsteady. One day, She is with you, other day She is with somebody else. You cannot hold on to these things. No matter how hard you try beyond your power, it is the nature of the world that trying to hold onto your position, your wealth, or your fame is like trying to hold onto sands in a desert. No matter how hard you squeeze, the faster they slip through your fingers. But they will slip through your fingers.

 

Vamanadeva’s instruction to Bali on Principle of Self-satisfaction

Vamanadeva is explaining toBalimaharaja, “You think, you are so great that you conquered Indra, you conquered the entire Universe, you are the wealthiest, the most powerful and the most famous man any where around. You think that I am coming as a beggar because I need something from you. As far as I am concerned you have nothing. If you do not have self realization and peace of mind and love of God then you are in poverty. So please give this three steps of land, I’ll be satisfied”. So Bali Maharaja said, “Yes, yes then you get in your tiny little three steps”.

Shukracharya, guru of Bali instruct Bali not to give charity

At that time Shukracarya, who is the spiritual master ofBalimaharaja could figure out what was happening – that this is Vishnu and He is coming to cheat us. Then he toldBalimaharaja, “Do not give Him anything. He is Narayana. He will cheat you. He will take everything away. I guarantee, I am your guru. It’s my order, do not give Him”. Bali Maharaja was thinking, “What? He began to contemplate, first of all this is a brahmacari. And if the grihastas do not properly respect and serve the brahmacari they will loose everything. They have no dignity and integrity. Even with all their wealth and power, if they loose their dignity and their integrity, it’s all useless. Even from the material point of view and he has come to me. He is a brahaman. He is a brahmacari and if he really is Vishnu then everything belongs to Him anyway. Who am I to say no?”

Shukracarya was motivated. Because you know, some so called gurus, they are attracted to the wealth of their disciples. So Sukracarya was thinking aboutBali, “If you are poor I become poor also. So you must obey me, do not give him anything. No obligation to give him”. Shukracarya began to recite so many rules and regulations of the Vedas to justify Bali Maharaja to take back his promise from Vamanadeva. Then Bali Maharaja said, “Sukracarya, the guru is supposed to tell to surrender to Vishnu, when you are telling me not to surrender to Vishnu. Therefore you are bogus guru. I reject you”. Then Shukracarya became very angry and said, “I curse you that you will loose everything”. And Bali Maharaja just told him go.

 

Bali surrenders at the Lotus Feet of Lord Vamanadeva

Then Bali Maharaja turned to Vamanadeva and said, “You take your three steps”. At that time Lord Vamanadeva began to expand larger and larger and larger in size, until His body was so big that nobody could see the beginning and the end of it. And with His first step He covered all the lower and middle planetary systems. With His second step He covered the entire upper planetory system and He reached the very end of the universe. At that time His foot touched the very covering of the universe, which is the border. The universes are floating in the Karanodaka ocean and it’s the perspirations of Vishnu Himself. When He peered the covering of the Universe the ocean began to leak into the universe. That was the holy riverGangesand the first thing She did after it leaked is it fell onto the feet of Vamanadeva and washed His lotus feet. Therefore theGangesis considered not only to be the direct the perspiration of the Vishnu but it is the water that had directly washed the feet of the supreme Lord Vamanadeva. Therefore every drop ofGangeswater is Charanamrita – holy pure water that has washed the Lotus Feet of the Lord.

Then Vamanadeva came back and reduced to His normal size and looked at Bali Maharaja and said, “You have promised Me three steps of land, with My two steps I covered everything you have owned. Therefore you owe Me one step, where should I put it. You are a thief, you deserve to be punished”. Vamanadeva is the Lord of the Universe. At this time He tookBali’s position and Garuda understanding the mind of Vamanadeva, took the snake of Varuna which became like a rope and he tied it around Bali Maharaja and arrested Him and brought him to court. There he explained toBali, “You are thief, you are a criminal, you are dishonest, and you are a liar. You promised Me three steps, where will the other step go?”. Bali Maharaja was very humble. He began to offer his prayers to the Lord. Prahlad Maharaja, was the grand father ofBali. Prahalad Maharaj’s son was Virochana and Virochana’s son wasBali. At that time Prahalad, his grand father began to explain to Bali Maharaja, “You are very lucky that all these material possessions, are all like such a burden upon you. But Vishnu has liberated you from all of them. Now you have the chance to surrender totally at His lotus feet. Therefore I consider you the most fortunate”. Then his own wife Vinjabali also began to praise the good fortune of Bali Maharaja.

 

Vamanadeva reciprocates Bali’s surrender by being His doorkeeper

Vamanadeva explained toBali, “I have taken everything away from you but I’ll give you one planet it is in the lower planet but it is higher than the heavenly planets, it is called Sutala. But still you have not told Me where to put my third step”. At that timeBalimaharaja exhibited the highest principle of surrender. There are nine processes of devotional service – Shravanam, Kirtanam, Smaranam, Vandanam, Padasevanam, Dasyam, Pujanam, Sakhyam, and Atmanivedanam. The combination of all the nine processes of devotional service is Atmanivedanam, which means to surrender everything to the Lord andBalimaharaja is considered to be the topmost example of this devotion. He said, “My Lord. Please take your lotus foot and place it on top of my head. I surrender unto you”. At that time the Lord bestowed Bali Maharaja with the greatest benediction by placing His lotus foot upon his head and Bali Maharaja thus attained the supreme perfection of life.

 

True wisdom means to know everything belongs to Krishna

Whatever you have, it isKrishna’s. Surrender means to simply accept the truth. Do not surrender means to live a lie. The truth is thatKrishnais the proprietor of everything. He is the creator, preserver and annihilator of everything that exists. To think that anything is ours, whether be our body, our intelligence, our strength, our wealth and our reputation is the greatest illusion. But to accept that everything is meant for the pleasure of God, everything is meant for His service that is the truth.

So Balimaharaja accepted the supreme truth and surrendered everything to the Lord. Of course from the material point of view it appears that it is a great risk when you surrendered to the Lord. But one must have faith. The basis of bhakti is faith. Without faith there is no meaning to our spirituality. Sometimes people are attracted to mysticism. But actually as long as we are depending on those things we are never strongly founded in faith in God. Faith in God means faith in His words. Therefore in surrendering to the Lord there is always materially a great risk. But if one has faith that there in no risk at all, one must be willing to make this leap of faith in order to make advancement in spiritual life. Bali Maharaja risked loosing everything but he had faith that God is good. Therefore in return Bali Maharaja was given a planet Sutala which is actually higher than heavenly planets, that was like a Spiritual planet and there the Lord Himself appeared as His doorman to protect his abode. BecauseBalimaharaja surrendered everything to Vishnu, He (Vishnu) became his servant accepting the menial position of his doorman.

 

Krishna becomes subservient to the surrendered devotee

Although Krishna is the proprietor, the enjoyer and the master of everything, for one who surrenders to Krishna, He becomes subordinate to that love. One who is willing to be the slave of God utterly, unconditionally, only for such a person does the Lord become the servant of that love. Spiritual life is slavery. “Everything for you. Nothing for me. And I have faith that you are good and Your love is perfect. Therefore I have nothing to fear and surrendering everything”. And as long as you are considering things by our material calculations that I have give this much to Krishna then I will only have this much left. What kind of nonsense is that? It is alreadyKrishna’s. What is this? Who are you to give or take?

Like me going into the State Bank of Indiaand saying, “Well, I think I’ll give you a loan for one thousand dollars out of this purse – here take it. Does that makes sense? It’s crazy. It makes better sense than what we are doing here in this world! We are saying “I’ll donate this much to you or I’ll loan this much to you. I am very kind. It’s His! Everything is His! It is the truth”.

Krishna says,

“sarva-dharmän parityajya

mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja

ahaà tväà sarva-päpebhyo

mokñayiñyämi mä çucaù”

Bhagavad-Gita 18.66

 

Translation:

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

This is the word of God. If we surrender, we should not fear. But how much we are fearful! We are afraid, if I surrender, what will my parents think. Oh, my God, they might think that I am not normal and what will my friends think, they will think my God he is gone crazy and what will my business associates think? They will think oh my God, who is this crazy fellow – becoming a Hare Krishna, surrendering toKrishna! Whole society will think that way. Madhavendra Puri, he made a prayer like this. He said, “My dear Lord Shyamsundar! Since I am surrendering to you, my family has rejected me as being a crazy person; the society, my friends, they all just rid me off as something that’s just beyond hope. The whole world is against me now my Lord, but I do not care. Because I know if you are pleased, that is only truth in life. Let them say what they want”. So, yes. If you are surrendering toKrishnathere is a great risk materially. Many people will think that this person, he is just so insecure that he is taking some crutch in the name of religion because he cannot make it in the world and be successful like me. That’s the modern day interpretation of someone who becomes religious. If you are actually really a strong successful man, you do not need God. Then if you do, you just perform some ritual and you go some once a week that’s all! That’s all the society asks for. Who cares what God asks for? That’s the society asks for. And the God, He knows, “I am the great, he won’t interfere too much. Therefore, when someone takes to religion such a person thinks ah, it’s because he is weak. It’s because he cannot make it in the world. He has to take shelter of some God”.

So if you are surrendered toKrishna, to the degree you surrender, to that degree such materialistic persons are going to condemn you in such a way. What to speak, if you give money, people will think you are crazy; you are giving your money. What do you have left? Surrender means everything, your name and your fame.

 

The Superexcellence of Gopis’ Surrender to Krishna

The Gopis of Vrindavan they gave up their homes, their families, their fame, even their distinction as being a religious women and even their chastity becauseKrishnacalled them. They understood that everything belongs toKrishna. Therefore the Gopis personified the ultimate renunciation, ”Krishnawhatever you desire. Let your will be done”. Rupa Goswami explains that this is the basis of a devotees thinking, “Whatever I give to youKrishna, I’ll not be the looser but I’ll gain hundreds and millions and thousands of times more. Because one drop of your mercy is more valuable than everything in this creation, multiplied by millions and millions of times. Because everything in this creation will vanish today or tomorrow but one drop of your mercy is like eternal nectar that will give me life, that will give me bliss, that will give me inner treasures of wealth for ever”.

So Bali Maharaja, he surrendered everything willingly with that faith thatKrishnais good. And he was a demon! But because even though that he was born in a family of Asuras, because he surrendered to the Lord, he became one of the twelve Mahajanas, one of the twelve greatest authorities of spiritual life. You know what his associates were thinking? Can you imagine?Balimaharaja – his own guru rejected him and all of the demons who were around him, the ministers, the associates they were all terribly horrified by his decision! “You are going to surrender?” He was in the face of tremendous social pressure. He was in the face of loosing everything he worked so hard for in his life materially. But he had faith. And in the end he became so great that Vamanadeva, Vishnu Himself became his servant. The Lord is captured by the love of His devotee.

 

Krishna is eager to receive us in Goloka, our original home

When we go back to the Goloka Vrindavan the Lord greets us with warm embrace and with tears of love in His eyes, He begins to extol His appreciation, ”That in order for you to come here from material world you had to endure insults, you had to give up what was most precious to you, you had to undergo many trials, tribulations, tests, and hardships and you underwent them all for My shake. Do not think that it was unnoticed. From within your heart I was watching every moment and you have conquered Me by your love, by your sacrifice, by your surrender. Now I have brought you back to your natural position of Goloka Vrindavana. Now we will enjoy our Divine Lila together eternally”. That is the price of Krishna Consciousness. The price of Krishna Consciousness, the pure devotional service is complete faith. ThatKrishnais the supreme proprietor of everything. That everything is meant for His enjoyment and that He is my best well-wishing friend in all circumstances of life.

“bhoktäraà yajïa-tapasäà

sarva-loka-maheçvaram

suhådaà sarva-bhütänäà

jïätvä mäà çäntim åcchati”

Bhagavad-Gita 5.29

Translation:

“A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.”

Surrendering to Guru, the representative of Krishna

And as my best well wishing friend whatever He does is perfect. If I simply surrender to Him at every stage of life I have nothing to fear. He will protect, he will maintain, he will uplift me. And of courseKrishnaexplains in Bhagavad-Gita

“tad viddhi praëipätena

paripraçnena sevayä

upadekñyanti te jïänaà

jïäninas tattva-darçinaù”

Bhagavad-Gita 4.34

 

Translation:

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.”

That we surrender to Krishna in this earth by surrendering to His divine representative, the spiritual master and by surrendering to those great Sadhus, who are acting exclusively on His behalf and all the scriptures and all the faith on the Supreme benevolent merciful position of Krishna and faith in His divine representatives.

 

Summary Learnings from Vamanadeva’s Lila

So this most beautiful story of Vamanadeva is most instructive because it teaches us how even a man surrounded by demons and the Asuras, even a man who out of great aspiration for wealth and position performed tremendous Tapasya to gain the whole earth and all the planets in fact, even such a person attained instant liberation, the highest platform of the eternal pleasure in the heart of God by surrendering everything. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He is that same Vamana Avatar! That same Supreme Personality of Godhead! The Lord appears according to time and circumstance in different forms to fulfill his mission of establishing pure devotional service on earth. Lord Caitanya has given us such a merciful and beautiful opportunity that what was available to Bali Maharaja is available to every living being in the human form of life in this age of Kali Yuga. If you simply surrender to the process of chanting the name of the God – “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. But, of course, while we are chanting, for it to have real effect, we have to have this proper service attitude. We have to chant the name of God in the spirit that we are the menial servants of the name of the Lord and the devotees of the Lord. Then the Lord will appear in His most munificent opulence within His name and by gradually becoming purified through service to the devotees and through chanting the name of God, gradually our faith develops.  It become stronger and stronger and stronger. As our faith develops naturally our aspiration is to surrender more and more and more without fear, and with great hope and confidence in the love of God.

Written by

Radhanath Swami

H.H Radhanath Swami is one of today’s most beloved and respected spiritual teachers. A Bhakti Yoga practitioner for 40 years, he is a guide, community builder, philanthropist, and acclaimed author.Born and raised in Chicago,at the age of 19 he discovered India's Mystical devotional tradition and now spread his message of compassion and love around the world.

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About Me

Radhanath Swami

H.H Radhanath Swami is one of today’s most beloved and respected spiritual teachers. A Bhakti Yoga practitioner for 40 years, he is a guide, community builder, philanthropist, and acclaimed author.Born and raised in Chicago,at the age of 19 he discovered India's Mystical devotional tradition and now spread his message of compassion and love around the world.