Narayanam namastubhyam….

çré-çuka uväca

taà vilokya viniñkräntam

ujjihänam ivoòupam

darçanéyatamaà çyämaà

péta-kauçeya-väsasam

(SB 10.51.1)

çrévatsa-vakñasaà bhräjat

kaustubhämukta-kandharam

påthu-dérgha-catur-bähuà

nava-kaïjäruëekñaëam

(SB 10.51.2)

nitya-pramuditaà çrémat

su-kapolaà çuci-smitam

mukhäravindaà bibhräëaà

sphuran-makara-kuëòalam

(SB 10.51.3)

väsudevo hy ayam iti

pumän çrévatsa-läïchanaù

catur-bhujo ‘ravindäkño

vana-mäly ati-sundaraù

(SB 10.51.4)

lakñaëair närada-proktair

nänyo bhavitum arhati

niräyudhaç calan padbhyäà

yotsye ‘nena niräyudhaù

(SB 10.51.5)

iti niçcitya yavanaù

prädravad taà paräì-mukham

anvadhävaj jighåkñus taà

duräpam api yoginäm

(SB 10.51.6)

 

Translation:

Shukhadev Goswami said: Kalyavana saw the Lord come out from Mathura like the rising moon, the Lord was most beautiful to behold, with his dark blue complexion and yellow silk garment, upon his chest he wore the mark of shrivatsa and kaustubh gem adorned his neck, his four arms wsere steady and long, he displayed ever joyful lotus like face with eyes pink like lotuses, beautifully effulgent cheeks, a pristine smile and glittering shark shaped earrings. The barbarian thought “this person must indeed be Vaasudev, since he posses the characteristics Narada mentioned, he is marked with Shrivatsa, he has four arms, his eyes are like lotuses, he wears the garland of forest flowers and he is extremely handsome. He cannot be anyone else, since he goes on foot and unarmed, I’ll fight him without weapon. ” Resolving thus he ran after the Lord who turned his back and ran away. Kalyavana hoped to catch Lord Krsna but great mystic yogis cannot attain him.

 

Purport:

Although Kalyavana was seeing Lord Krsna with his own eyes, he could not adequately appreciate the beautiful Lord. Thus instead of worshipping Krsna he attacked him, similarly this not uncommon for modern man to attack Krsna in the name of philosophy, law and order and even religion.

 

Friendship and love on material platform is nothing but mutual exploitation

We have just read in the previous chapter of Srimad Bhagvatam that how the very envious and malicious demon Jarasandha was………….. seeking revenge upon Krsna for killing his son in law, Kamsa. Jarasandha and Kamsa were in a very demoniac way, very dear intimate friends, and off course we should know amongst envious people there is really no friendship, it is simply matter of mutual exploitation, real friendship can only be amongst people who base their love for one another on selfless service, on spiritual principles. The so called friends and lovers that we have in this world, Bhagvatam explains they are like fallible soldiers in the sense that when we need them they will certainly desert us because they have no power to truly give us what we require, and what is that? Every soul requires deliverance from this illusion of maya, which is the cause of all pain, frustration and sorrow. A real friend will help you in that way and if someone is not trying to help you in that way, they are not friends at all. In the material world we choose friendships of people who we enjoy illusory material pleasure together with. Someone who has similar interests as I do, someone who likes to play cricket and if I like to play cricket, he becomes my dear friend. Someone who likes to drink alcohol and if I like to drink alcohol, he becomes my dear friend. If someone wants to sit in front of television and waste their brain, if that is my desire that person become my intimate friend. If someone likes to play cards or just talk all nonsense, if this is what I like to do. We make our friends on the basis of how we choose to spoil our human form of lives for useless sense gratification. And this is so called love and what is the nature of that love that as soon as that is no longer accommodating your own sense gratification, there is no more friendship; there is no reason to be friends any more. Not only that, if that person began to interfere with your sense gratification then that person, man or woman, becomes your enemy. In the Vedic society, all marriages were based on responsible commitments to the service of God and therefore there was no such thing as divorce for thousands and thousands of years in this land of India. But in western world especially in modern times going to a church or a ………. or whatever for marriage is simply a formality. But because we have like interest for material enjoyment we marry and therefore 66% becomes divorces within three years that means divorce, you become the worst of enemies. So called love this time exploitation. There is no friendship in this material world except for those who are assisting one another in loving service of Lord Krsna.

We find Jarasandha and Kamsa to be dear friends. Jarasandha married his two beloved daughters Asti and Prapti to Kamsa and they made so many wonderful plans together to exploit people, to defy all the Brahmans, to spread atheism. They both had very common interest so they became best friends and when Kamsa was killed, how much that interfered with the sense gratification of Jarasandha. First of all, he had two daughters who became widows. He was attached to his daughters, why, because they came from him. Other women, he didn’t mind if they were defiled and raped, but his own daughters, very protective because “they are mine”, this is material consciousness. And also Kamsa was trying through so many wonderful ways to murder Krsna, who had specifically come, paritnaya sadhunam to kill the dushkritam , to annihilate the demons and Jarasandha knew quite well that he was a demon and the fact that Kamsa had been killed after so many efforts meant that Jarasandha was being threatened. So in this way he made a vow to dedicate his life by any means to murder Krsna. Although both Kamsa and Jarasandha were actually great scholars of the Vedas. Jarasandha was so learned that he knew that unless he give proper charity to Brahmans, he would lose all his powers. So he was very charitable and very respectful to Brahman Class, only so that he could exploit the potency that comes by such pious activities, just to use it to impious activities. We find this again and again, how Hiranyakasipu would so much respect and adoration worship Lord Brahma, how Ravana with so much apparent devotion he worship Lord Shiva and the Brahmans just to get that powers from them, so that they can use it for all sorts of sinful irreligious purposes. So, Jarasandha attacked Mathura on one side and from the other side we find Kalyavana also attacking. Kalyavana was born in a mallecha, yavana, outcaste family; he was a terrible powerful demon. He was attacking from one side while Jarasandha was on the other side.

 

 

Krsna builds most magnificent city: Dvarka

So Krsna and Balarama, they were thinking what can we do, of course they can do anything but just for the purpose of performing a wonderful lila they think like this, “what to do?”. If Jarasandh was coming on the one side and Kalayavana on the other, if we go on either side than the other will come and attack our city and disturb the inhabitants of Dvarka, the Yadus. So what Krsna did is he performed the wonderful pastime of evicting Dvarka, because Mathura was a very vulnerable place, so Krsna decided to erect a beautiful city in the middle of the ocean, that would be surrounded on all sides by water and what had beautiful high walls and also it would be the most magnificent city costumed by him, see Mathura was the city of Kamsa, after Krsna killed Kamsa he took over the city Krsna wanted to build his own city and the most beautiful city that had ever been seen, more magnificent than Indra’s abode in heavenly planets. Krsna specifically petitioned the architect of all the devatas Vishvkarma to come and help and build the city perfectly according to all the scriptural regulations of how buildings should be build. It was most pious and beautiful. Yesterday we heard the description of the various palaces of Dvarka and then Indra the king of the heavens, donated his own personal assembly house ‘Sudharma’ to be the place where Krsna could have his meetings with his ministers. And after erecting this beautiful beautiful city, for everything is made of most precious jewels, gold, silver, marble,………, there was no need for lights everything was so illuminating due to the potency of the Lord and then as all of the Yadavas were sleeping Lord Krsna with his Yogmaya potency he simply transferred them all to Dvarka, so when they woke they were in the most beautiful abode the earth has ever seen, of course, in one sense they were struck with wonder but another they have understood that Krsna can do anything, so they were very happy to be in Dvarka, safe and sound.

 

Difference between devotees view and demons view of lord’s beauty

Meanwhile, after everyone has deserted, Krsna and Balaramji they decided, Balarama and Krsna went as Kalyavana was waiting with millions and millions and mlillions of soldiers, he saw Krsna, such beauty, his heart was actually overwhelmed to see the beauty of Krsna. Narada muni told Kalyavana that this Krsna he is the best enemy for you to fight and he gave him a description and when he saw him he could understand, “This is the Supreme Krsna”. The beautiful opulent form of Krsna completely infatuated the heart of Kalayavana but unable to appreciate the beauty of the Lord he wanted to destroy it this is the difference between material consciousness and spiritual consciousness Krsna says in Gita

“………………………………..”

That as you approach me as you surrender to me I will appear before you accordingly, I’ll reveal myself according to the nature of your desires. Kalayavana was seeing the same beauty as the gopis, what was the difference? The gopis wanted to love Krsna wanted to please Krsna, because they had no selfish material desires, they had pure hearts, but because Kalayavana’s heart was so crocked and vicious and full of sinful desires Kalyavana saw Krsna as a threat as a competititor who should be destroyed, but do not think this is some isolated incident that took place 5000 years ago. It is something that is taking place in our lives every day, because we should know that Krsna is the source of all beauty and opulence, but Krsna explains in Gita also that all the beautiful, wonderful things in this whole creation are a spark of my splendour. They are all reflection of my opulence. If you see a beautiful man or a beautiful woman, What is that beauty? It is the beauty of Krsna in a very minute, infinitely small quantity reflecting through this particular personality or if we see anything wonderful and beautiful in this world whether it be a house or a car or a landscape or some  jewellery , whatever we may see, whatever we may hear we should know it is simply a minute reflection of the beautiful qualities of Krsna manifesting through material nature. Now a devotee, he understands the principle

“………………………………………”

That everything is Krsna’s property, everything is Krsna’s energy, everything is simultaneously one and different from Krsna himself. One because it is all emanating from Krsna and different is because he is Shaktiman the energetic source, that everything that pervades is its energy. As soon as we want to enjoy, exploit anything of this creation we are seeing Krsna as our competitor. Because Krsna is declaring that its meant for me, we are saying “NO” its for me, “Let me enjoy, forget Krsna”. And this is how atheism has begun, very clever, intelligent and sophisticated minds wanted to develop a whole philosophy of life, where you can eat, drink, mate and be marry to anything, to such an extent that you don’t have to feel guilty about anything and anyone because God doesn’t exists. But whether you believe or whether you not believe, Krsna is the supreme controller of everything and ultimately we have to pay the consequences of our selfish, exploitative activities. A devotee wants to be enjoyed by Krsna. Kalyavana seeing Krsna’s wonderful beauty, he became envious, when a devotee sees the beauty of Krsna he became overwhelmed with love. Sometimes people come to our temple RadhaGopinath Mandir, of course, this is such a simple temple, and such an old 98 years broken down old building not many people are envious of us here and the deities in the Vrindavan mood dressed very simple actually, the decorations are their devotees, who like to dance and chant and hear their glories, but sometimes we find in big beautiful temples people say, “Why, why they are building this big beautiful temple? What nonsense? Why not feed the poor?” ask such people “why don’t you feed the people? You are taking all your money to buy nice car, to buy nice stereos, to buy nice food, to buy nice clothes, to buy nice flat for yourself, why don’t you feed the poor, rascal”. But if somebody wants to glorify god with their wealth, they become criminals, but if someone wants to glorify their egos they become heroes, this is modern society. Everything belongs to Krsna, when they see the beautiful diety of Krsna nicely decorated, eating nice foods the envious people, they say, “ Why Krsna? why not me? Why you are chanting Krsna’s name why not my name? Why you are giving Krsna jewels, I should have jewels. Why Krsna is eating so nicely why not me?” But a devotee, we find in the lives of six Goswamis of Vrndavan Raghunathdas Goswami, Rupa Goswami, Sanatan Goswami, Jiv Goswami, Raghunath Bhatt Goswami, Gopal Bhatt Goswami, some of them like Rupa, Sanatana, Raghunath, they were millioners, trillonaries they have so much wealth unlimited, they gave it up, they lived under trees in Vrindavan, they slept on hard, cold ground, they begged for rotis without salt, dry , they would not wear anything but the clothes that were discarded by the Vrajvasis, because it was too old and torn to be …….., this is what they dressed in, this is how they ate, this how they slept, they have place of residence under a different tree every night and yet when wealthy people came to give money, they say build a temple for Govindji, build a temple for Madanmohan. Govindji’s temple is the most beautiful architectural achievement in the history of North India, the most wonderful temple, seven storey high, from top to the bottom it is made out of pure stone, hand carved, nobody can built such temple today, nobody has such devotion, nobody has such wealth to build such temple today, magnificient. Govindji’s temple was so magnificient that when Aurangzeb, the brutal, hateful, conqueror of North India, when he saw this temple he became so envious, that he defiled all the carvings on the temple and torn down with his armies the top four storeys, such a magnificent place and it is explained that Govindji had beautiful jewels, crowns and sharp shaped earrings and golden flutes and meanwhile Rupa Goswami was still sleeping on a hard cold ground, under a different tree every night and begging for rotis, wearing torn refusals as his clothes and yet Srinivas acharya explains

“…………………………..”

That he was constantly immersed in the ultimate ecstasy of divine love in the mood of the gopis. We try to enjoy for ourselves, we try to accumulate for ourselves, we become miserable, you give it to Krsna you become blissful. Giving to Krsna is simply a declaration that I’m no longer your competitor, I’m your servant. Krsna in the form of time will take everything away. We are trying to fight against Krsna in the form of time; we are trying to hold down as long as we can to whatever we have.

 

We should immediately take up Krsna Consciousness

Srila Prabhupada used the example that once there was a great king and his Gurudeva was telling him that, “In this material world people are so attached to the objects of sense gratification that if you don’t give it up now when you are young you will never give it up”, the king said, “no, no, when I become old then I’ll become very detached and very saintly because simply I’ll not want to enjoy anymore. When my eyes don’t see well, my ears don’t see well, my tongue doesn’t taste well, when my body wrecked with pain, then naturally I’ll have no desire to enjoy sense enjoyment, then I can surrender to Krsna easily, thats not a problem. But now that I’m young, youthful, nice senses, strong body, I should use this wonderful facility to enjoy life” he said, “O Mr King you think like this. I want to bring you somewhere and you come with me and bring your young beautiful daughter with you” king said, “Yes gurudeva, I’ll come”. They went to what is like a nursing home, where there is an old man, so old his body was deteriorated, he was coughing mucus like anything, he was on the verge of death. He couldn’t walk, he couldn’t talk, and he was moments away from death total ……. And when the king went into the room with his beautiful young daughter, the man’s eyes completely neglected to pay any respect to the king and went just right to his daughter and were looking so attentively at her and the king was thinking, “O my god, he is at the verge of his death and he is still lusty” and he came out of that place and said, “Gurudeva, I will surrender today. I have learnt my lesson that material desires will never go away, unless we consciously surrender to Krsna.” Krsna in the form of time will take everything away and yet we are trying to stay healthy, and trying to stay young, and trying to keep our senses so nice so that we can continue exploit what is meant for Krsna. This is material existence. And our family members they are so anxious, that we become very very expert, prominent exploiters. Get good education, get your masters degree, get your PHD, get a good job, have beautiful wife, have nice children, have beautiful home, nice car, nice stereo, nice reputation and be a wonderful exploiter, competitor against god. And this is considered love. That they trained you in this way and what is the result death and misery, thats all. And after death all the consequences of what we have done, we have to face, but people don’t want to hear about this, because ignorance is bliss for those who want to compete against Krsna. But Rupa and Sanatana, they were so happy, they were so blissful, they were willing to do anything for others, just to help them become devotees of Krsna, they built this wonderful and beautiful temples, and decorated the deities so nicely, just so the whole world would come and taste the sweetness of Krsna Bhakti, this is devotion, this is human life, this is beautiful life, a life of love and service, is satisfying to the heart. So, Kalyavana upon seeing the beauty and glory of Krsna, he became very envious and he wanted to kill him and he declared war on Krsna. But in those days, even the demons had some self sense of respectability, today the demons, most of them, have no sense of self respect or dignity in their lives, today the demons become terrorists. You remember here in Bombay the bomb blast, what rascal, cowardly, inhuman, even the most terrible demons that we read about in the past would never stoop so low to be such cowards, they would fight you fair and square. Here they just put bombs on buses or on streets or in buildings and innocent men, women, children it doesn’t matter who, they are just blown to pieces and destroyed and killed. They put bombs on airplanes and everyone dies ………… . What type of heroism is that? Its the lowest, most absolutely degraded condition of human existence. But here we find the envious, rascal, demon, Kalyavana, he saw that Krsna, he is coming out to fight me without any weapons, so I must  fight him without any weapons, I must fight him fairly, I must give him a fair chance, and whoever is better will win. We find this amongst so many of the demons of the past. So, Kalyavana dropped all his weapons, and came only with his strong, terrible hands and fists to beat up Krsna to death and Krsna who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the master of all mystic powers, who is the strength of the strong, who is the creator of everything including Kalyavana.

 

“Ranchore” lila – whatever Krsna does is perfect

Someone may asks, “Why Krsna creates demons?” He creates everyone but he gives everyone free choice, “You can be whatever you like and I will give you all facility, you want to be blessed, loving devotee I’ll give you all facility, you want to exploit my property I’ll give you all facility”. So he came chasing at Krsna and what did Krsna do and he turned his back and ran away, “Sri bhagvana Krsna lal ki jaya”. Why did you run away?, Kalyavana was shouting terrible acquisition, “Krsna, what is this? You are coward, you are running from battle. You have turned your back upon one who has challenged you and you are running.” And Kalyavana began to run after him and he ran and he ran and basically Krsna was just walkig, but he was walking so fast that Kalyavana who was hrunning with full speed, he couldn’t catch him. Why did Krsna ran away? Krsna become to known as “Ranchore”, Ranchore means one runs away from the battle field, in the material world to be a coward is a great insult but when Krsna runs away his devotees glorify him, so this day 5,000 years later people are still glorifying Krsna as he who has ran away from the battle field. In Gujrat perhaps the most famous of all temples is ‘indakore’ it is Ranchore Mandir. Last year when we went Dvarka we stopped to have darshan at the Ranchore Mandir, millions, tens and millions of people come from far away and wide to worship Ranchore. Traditionally, on various ekadasis people walk hundreds of miles, they will not even take a vehicle, just to have a blessed darshan of Ranchore, to worship him, to offer him their lives, to chant his holy names and who is Ranchore, Ranchore means Krsna who ran away from the battle field. Do you know of any human being in the history of the world that is glorified for running away from a fight. Can you think of anyone we have here assembled perhaps hundred devotees, you are all educated, you studied history, can anybody think of one person who is famous for or glorified for running away from a battle. We read about man who are famous when they give their lives in the battle fields but who run away, it is only one person that is ever being glorified for this, Krsna. “Haribol”. Why? Because whatever Krsna does is perfect. Krsna is so wonderful, when he steals then he is praised for his stealing, he stole butter from the rafters of the gopis and 5,000 years later still tears flow from our eyes when we chant the holy name “Makhanchore”. 5,000 years later and millions of years to come for the rest of the eternity all devotees will weep in ecstatic love upon calling out the name “Gopivasanhara”, stealer of gopis clothes and when mother Yasoda would ask, “Krsna, why did you steal the butter?” Krsna said, “I did not do it.” And yet when we hear the story of Krsna telling lies we become immersed in ecstatic love, we want to hear the story again and again and again without ……………… . And when Krsna, whatever he does even he pass urine on gopis floor, Sukdeva Goswami the greatest of all sanyasis, explains in great ecstasy this pastime in the Srimad Bhagvatam, until this day that we hear about it brings joy to our hearts name one person in history that became famous for passing urine on someones floor, Krsna. Because whatever Krsna does even when he runs away from the battle field, we love him, we worship him, because he is Krsna, because whatever he does is perfect, whatever he does is simply for the pleasure of his devotees and actually we will read why Krsna ran away from the battle field, only for the pleasure of his devotee, otherwise he could have done like this and Kalyavana have been dead, why he ran away, because one great devotee named Mucukunda was sleeping in a cave. Mucukunda has fought so hard to help the demigods against the demons he was given a benediction and what was that benediction, he was so tired after fighting so long  he just wanted to sleep, just like after Mayapur and Jagganath Puri Yatra some of the devotees, I ask them in the train what can I do for you they say, “just let me sleep”, they just wanted to sleep because they are so exhausted, so Mucukunda just wanted to sleep, he said, “ You want to give me benediction give me this that anyone who tries to wake me up that with my eyes I will burn him to ashes” , so he was sleeping for a long time, what seva was he doing, sleeping. Krsna knew that in his heart of hearts he wanted perform devotional service, so Krsna wanted to wake him up, but who could wake him up, even Krsna didn’t want to wake him up, because the demigods gave the benediction that whoever wakes me will be burn to ashes and Krsna never likes to make his devotees liars, just like you know how he took the form of the half man and half lion to kill Hiranyakasipu and not break the vows of Brahma. So, Krsna wanted to wake Muchukunda but how to wake him, this Kalyavana let him wake him up. Krsna is so expert, so Krsna just walked him to a cave, where Mucukunda was sleeping and it was pitch dark and Krsna just hid in a corner of the cave Kalyavana just saw some body lying on the ground, Mucukunda’s body and he was thinking, “What this Krsna, what an insult challenge him to fight, first he runs away, then he goes to sleep.

“Wake up you rascal and fight me” and he kicked the body lying on the ground very hard, so hard that he woke up, and Mucukunda looked upon him and fire came out of his eyes and Kalyavana was burnt to ashes. “HariBol”. Whatever, Krsna does is perfect. However he appears to be dealing with us, we should know that he has his master plan which is always to uplift us, protect us, in order to bring us to his Lotus feet, we must have this faith. Therefore, through in any situation in life understanding the glory of Krsna’s mercy we go on chanting his holy name, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Thank you very much Hari Bol.

 

Questions and Answers

Question: Whatever Krsna does……………. inspite of Krsna’s perfect plan?

Answer : No, does not mean that at all. Kalyavana, Jarasandha, Kamsa, they were acting utterly imperfect because they were misusing what Krsna had given them, to go against the will of Krsna. But its Krsna’s perfect plan that he gives everyone the free choice. Anyone who misuses their free choices as perfect is in ignorance. It is not possible to ever come back to Krsna consciousness understanding as long as we justify our ignorance in this way. If we act against the order of Krsna, if we deviate from the instructions of our spiritual master, which is the means by which Krsna’s order is coming to our lives, then we are imperfect. But Krsna’s plan is that he gives us that choice. The overall Krsna’s arrangement is perfect, but if we do not act according to the in harmony with his will, we are imperfect. Our senses are imperfect, our minds are imperfect, but its Krsna’s perfect plan that he has given us such imperfect instruments, why, because when we surrender onto him by following his instruction, we become perfect. But if we are not surrendering to him and we are not following his instruction then all we have nothing but imperfection in our lives. What are the four defects, imperfect senses, inferably illusioned, tendency to cheat, invariably making mistakes, these are the four defects of all souls, who are not willing to surrender to the will of Krsna. If we are not surrendering to Krsna we are nothing but imperfect, when we surrender to Krsna by his divine will he makes us perfect, so when we surrender to the perfect we become perfect, but when we refuse to surrender to the perfect we are all replayed with nothing but imperfections. But thats Krsna’s plan and his plan is perfect. I remember one time one devotee in the garden of new Vrindavan he asked Srila Prabhupada, “Can you explain to us about our siddha deha, about our eternal loving form in the spiritual world with Krsna.” And Srila Prabhupada became like a lion, he chastised that person for even asking that question, he said, “You are so full of imperfections, how will you ever understand these perfect realizations. First give up your bad habits then Krsna will naturally reveal this knowledge to you.” But it is Krsna’s plan that when we act against his will, he gives a reaction, that is his mercy and ultimately those reactions are meant to teach us a lessons to simply become humble and surrender to Krsna. To surrender to Krsna doesn’t mean being a great spiritual warrior, because the greatest spiritual warrior is actually the person who is totally humble. To surrender to Krsna means

Trinad api sunicena, taror api sahisnuna,

amanaina man dena kirtanya sada harih

Surrendering to Krsna means to be humble like a blade of grass. The real spiritual warrior, in any phase, in any circumstances of life he remains humble, he remains server, he remains prideless, that is surrendering to Krsna. We live for him that is surrender. That is perfect.

“………………………………………………”
Krsna says those who have too much proud they are bewildered , they think themselves as the doers, “Actually I’m the doer” . When you humble yourself and accept that Krsna is the doer, I will just do as he likes. Then we plug in to the perfection of Krsna. As long as we have our independent desires, then whatever we think and whatever we do is imperfect.

Question: “ I was saying that modern people are very much interested in sending their children into colleges and get a good job and things like that, does it mean that you are against the education?”

Answer : “Am I against the education? I’m not against anything but Krsna is against. Krsna is against illusion. Krsna is against ignorance. All compassionate souls who are trying to serve Krsna are also against ignorance and illusion. Modern education, what to do, it is what it is, but it can be utilized for the service of Krsna, if we train our children with proper consciousness, How to be humble servants? Teach them to go to the college if you teach them to be humble servants, and use your skills for the upliftment of the human kind and the service of god, but simply to send them with the idea that they will become nice sense enjoyers, nice exploiters, that is not love at all, that is ignorance. And they are not going to learn anything about spiritual life and the purpose of life in their colleges or in their schools. If anything they will learn to daunt the virtues of spirituality goals. So, therefore parents should be Krsna conscious themselves and give the children good spiritual training and good satsang, when you send them to the college or to the school they have a proper motivation, the proper purpose behind their education. So many of our young devotees are going to colleges and to schools, Nimai Pandit he goes to college, he hates it but he goes, because he wants to use his education in Krsna’s service, so he goes. Kishori goes to college, she is learning to be a doctor for Krsna, Kavita she goes to school for Krsna, but you see they understand “What is the goal of life? the purpose of life?” and whether they get  masters degree or PhD everything, its good if they use it for Krsna. There is need of those types of educated people, there is a great need. So that people who have such high power for education, can lead people on the right path of life, rather than just exploiting people. Tell your sons go to school , but you also tells them to chant Hare Krsna, come and enjoy with the devotees, you listen to your parents they are devotees, you will become first class human beings, no problem with education if we have a proper understanding of what the purpose of life is? We are not against school, we are against ignorance, we against people wasting their human existence.

 

Question:

Answer : Krsna says that only by undivided devotional service can he be understood, but are there examples of devotees just like story of a old lady in Vrindavan who, just because bring water to the temple everyday without fail she was guaranteed to go back to godhead, even though she had some other illicit connections, doing other things?”

“ what illicit connections?”

“ I don’t know. I’m not actually sure about the story……….”

“she had undivided devotion, she didn’t have any illicit connections, she was simple, she was uneducated, she was old, all she had the capacity to do was to bring water to the deities, but because every single day, without fail, she struggled and strained with her old aged body to carry these jugs of water to RadhaDamodar Temple Prabhupada said she would definitely go back to godhead, she was exhibiting undivided devotion”

“So she fully engaged her whole life, serving Krsna”

“Yes, what she was doing her life before, Prabhupada never told us but this particular time of her life, she was giving everything to Krsna. She didn’t had much all she had is the little energy that was left in her body to carry the water from the Jamuna, to ……… Krsna, it was her water,the Jamuna water is free for everyone and she was ……… Krsna because she is not a Brahman goswami she was just carrying the water everyday to assist the devotees in their service to Krsna. The every single day whether she was sick whether she was diseased didn’t matter, Krsna was waiting for that water, and she brought it.

“ so how about the story of how Brajbasis fall down and become monkeys in their next lives and go back to godhead after that, where is there undivided devotion?”

“the undivided devotion of the monkeys”

“when did they exhibited undivided surrender?”

“for the monkeys, see they didn’t go back to godhead they become monkeys and as monkeys they had to suffer terribly and through that suffering by always eating the dust of Vrindavan, then as monkeys they can’t commit any offenses, because offenses are not held against animals, they are simply being purified by the dust of Brajbhumi constantly. So, by Srimati Radharani’s mercy, because they have somehow or other taken shelter of holy dham, she gives some special concession and let those hogs and monkeys go back to godhead, because they become completely purified by living the life of eating the ground of Vrindavan. You see the hogs, constantly their body covered with dirt of Vrndavan, they are always eating the dirt of Vrndavan so they become purified. They are special, inconceivable krpas, krpa means unconditional mercy comes upon them, they deserve nothing, but simply because somehow or other they took shelter of Vrndavan dham Sri Radharani gives them special mercy and by the time they die they had undivided devotion by her mercy.

Hmm.. so u want to become monkey?”

“I already am.”

“You already are. That is no good excuse, life is meant to be nice devotee. You should be a Hanuman monkey, nice devotee monkey.”

“Maharaj, how do you give sinful desire to Krsna, supposed to give everything to Krsna?”

“By giving it up, that’s how you give it to Krsna. By saying Krsna take it away, it’s yours, I’ll not do it. You have sinful desire, if you act on it then you become sinful. But if you say ‘Krsna there is sinful desire in my heart but I will not act on it, I’ll chant your holy name and in this way give it to you’. Beg Krsna ‘take it away from me’. That is how we give it to Krsna, by begging ‘Krsna take this desire away from me’. But if you act on it, it should not be considered an offering to Krsna. This is how we give our sinful desires to Krsna, by restraining our senses, by acting according to what Krsna wants and begging Krsna ‘take this desire away, I’ll only do your will’. That is how Krsna will take it away, if we really want him to take it away, he will take it away, but if we want to keep it to ourselves and enjoy it then all we get is Karmic reaction. And for devotees it’s not exactly a Karmic reaction but it’s Krsna, he will suitably punish us just to make us sober and sincere and how he punishes us that is perfect, providing when punishment comes, we say ‘Krsna, I have had enough, I am yours, I surrender’. ”

 

Question : “Maharaj, you said that Krsna do not want to break the benediction or vows given to his devotees, then why are we advice not to accept/offer prasadam to demigods?”

“Not exactly like that, the reason why, generally Vaishnavs do not accept prasad of demigods, is because usually people who worship demigods are very materialistic, they are worshipping in the modes of passion and ignorance, their consciousness goes into that food, which is passion and ignorance. The consciousness in which they cook food is generally ‘I am gonna, offer this because I want my material desire fulfilled’. It’s completely filled, that food with material desire of cook and the person is offering it. Therefore generally we find Vaishnavas will only take food from sincere Vaishnavas, who are cooking with pure desire to satisfy Krsna. When you are cooking with a pure desire to satisfy Krsna, when Krsna accepts that it becomes mahaprasad and that Prasad is completely purifying to our hearts. But generally prasadam offered to demigods are cooked by materialistic people, offered by materialistic people and in reciprocation the demigod simply reciprocates with their material desire and that’s type of potency within that Prasad. But we find when a great devotee worships Lord Shiva, we will take Prasad from Gopeshwar Mahadev in Vrndavan and Kamal Mahadev in Khamval because we know that these are cooked by devotees who are worshipping Lord Shiva with pure devotion not for material desires. In fact strict devotees, they will not take food cooked by materialistic people, to offer to Krsna, because even though it is offered to Krsna, all the material ambition of those materialistic people is within that food and it spoils your consciousness. Here at the temple at one time, there were hired people cooking, it’s not at all pleasing to Krsna and when we distribute that Prasad, yes, Krsna painfully accepts it, and all those material desires of those people, you eating it. Therefore even though it’s a great austerity and even though Prasad made be much more simple, when it is cooked by devotees it has genuine pure spiritual potency and that’s pleasing to Krsna.”

“Doesn’t Krsna takes all the Karma from the prasadam?”

“It depends. If it’s cooked with love and devotion and offered with love and devotion, he will take the Karma out. But it’s not just a mechanical process. It’s not the way you offer like pushing mechanical bottle and chemicals out. When you cook with devotion, its offered with devotion, all the Karma goes out and all that is left is mercy.”

“So there are different kinds of prasadam?”

“yes”

“Is there any way you can tell?”

“Hmm..”

“I mean, most people can tell that?”

“You can tell that. If you are eating Prasad that is cooked by sincere Vaishnavas, following the regulative principles, chanting the holy names, even they may have material desires, they honestly, sincerely trying to give it up, Krsna will remove all the Karma. But who have intention to follow principles or give up their sinful activities, but who are just cooking for money, how will Krsna reciprocate with such an offering. If its utter emergency situation and there is nothing else to eat except that and offer to Krsna then no doubt Krsna will make some concession, but still it’s not good for you. But if it’s cooked by devotees, sincere devotees then you should know that it’s a pure Prasad, that will take you home back to godhead.”

“Maharaj, we know that we have many desires from millions of life time. It seems like Krsna is sort of.One desires goes and more and more desires comes, there is infinite amount of them”

“Like waves in the ocean. How many waves are in ocean? Can anyone count. If you count all the waves in ocean, that is hardly a fraction of how many desires are in our hearts. So what to do? Be just a humble devotee, sincerely try to follow gurudev, serve the vasihnavas and helplessly cry out the holy names

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare

Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare

Krsna takes you out of the ocean….

Ceto darpan marjnam bhava maha davagni nirvapanam

We have no power to swim across this ocean of material existence, which is filled with innumerable waves of material desires. But for one who he honestly, humbly and sincerely endeavours to surrender to Krsna, Bhagvatam explains that their ocean become reduced to the size of water contained in hoof print of a calf. You cannot make the ocean into water of the hoof print of calf, but Krsna can do it. So all you can do is try your best and just try to please Krsna and his devotees and chant his names and he will do the rest. This is a guarantee; he will purify all those desires.”

“If we have material desire then we can’t be sincere..”

“No, you can be sincere with millions of material desires, sinscere means you don’t want to act by them, you want to give them up, you want to serve Krsna, you want to serve his devotees despite all these terrible desires of your heart, that is sinscerity that you are honestly endeavouring. Hope against hope. You just go on performing devotional service. Krsna is the supreme purifier, he is the supreme saviour by his mercy we can cross over all material obstacles, without his mercy we have no hope. Then he has given his promise,

“…………………………………………….”

You worship me, think of me, become my devotee, I will bring you to me without fail, this is my promise. Just alwaya think of Krsna, become his devotee, worship him, bow down to him. If you honestly endeavour in this way, Krsna promises that he will deliver you and the more material desires that are in our hearts the more we realise only Krsna can save me. If we think, we have no material desires, then we think, “Oh, I’m a great soul.” Then you have no access to Krsna. Therefore even the greatest, most spotless pure sinless beings when they pray to Krsna they say, “I’m the most sinful, I’m the most wicked, I;m the most fallen, only you can save me.” How is that? Because they know unless you feel that way, so humble, you can not really turn to Krsna. The neophyte devotees they think that they are becoming advance, but the advanced devotee think, “I’m the most fallen”, when you think that you are advanced you can’t turn to Krsna, but when you think that you are fallen, you have no one but Krsna to turn to. So one devotee ask, “Is there any time, when I’m not fallen any more?” No. The more you advance more you realise that you are fallen for the rest of eternity. Hari Bol. But in that state of feeling you find yourself utterly fallen, you are reaching out for Krsna with such intensity that he fills you with his unlimited, infinite, ecstatic love, when you see Krsna, you are filled with such love, that your heart is just dispersing with ecstasy, that when you think of yourself you think, “I’m most fallen” and in that you never give up thinking of Krsna. This is what great acharyas have taught us. So just chant Hare Krsna, stop thinking so much, just chant Hare Krsna. Hari Bol.  ”

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.