krsna

SB 3.24.12: Lord Brahmā said: My dear son Kardama, since you have completely accepted my instructions without duplicity, showing them proper respect, you have worshiped me properly. Whatever instructions you took from me you have carried out, and thereby you have honored me. SB 3.24.13: Sons ought to render service to their father exactly to this extent. One should obey the command of his father or spiritual master with due deference, saying, "Yes, sir."

If you don't become servant of Krishna, then you serve, you become servant of your wife, your children, your relative, your country, your nation, your dog. At last, if you have no family, then you become servant of your dog. You know in your country it is very usual. If he has nobody, then he keeps a dog, and takes it on the street. His dog passes stool, and he is standing, waiting: "Yes, sir. You pass your stool, I am waiting." Just see. It is practical. If you don't become servant of Krishna, then you have to become servant of the dog. This is nature's way. Therefore intelligent person will take lesson from it, that "I have to become servant. Why not become Krishna's servant? Then I will be happy. There are so many Krishna's servants. They are so happy. Why shall I remain the servant of the maya?" Bhagavad-gita Ch 1 : Verse 30 [London, July 23, 1973]

"Actually a devotee of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu must engage in preaching..." (Cc M 7.153), "...one who knows the conclusion of the sastras... endeavours to preach." (Cc M 25.276), "Because the brahmana is the head (of society), he has to preach...not...that the brahmana should simply eat on behalf of the Lord and not preach..." (NOD Ch.2) "That is the mission of all genuine devotees of the Lord...to enlighten the miserable." (Bhag 1.6.38) "It is the duty of enlightened souls to deliver the fallen ones..." Bhag 1.13.14 "It is the duty of every disciple to carry out the order of the bona fide spiritual master and spread Lord Caitanya's message all over the world." (Cc M.16.64) "Serious students of this Krishna consciousness movement must understand their great responsibility to preach..." (Cc M 23.104) "We are thoroughly instructing both men and women how to preach and actually they are preaching wonderfully." (Cc Adi 7.38) "...all the wives of our students should be trained up for Deity worship and cooking, and when possible they should go on sankirtan party with their husbands and others" (Letter 18/4/70) "Your proposal for a grhastha travelling sankirtan party is a very good one..." (Letter 24/9/71) "...a preacher may be a householder, a sannyasi, a brahmana, a sudra or anyone, provided he knows the science of Krishna." (31/1/69) "I am especially proud how my householder disciples are preaching Lord Caitanya's mission. This is a new thing in the history of the sankirtan movement." ( 20/12/69)

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted His followers to move all over the world to preach in every town and village. In the Caitanya-sampradaya those who strictly follow the principles of Lord Caitanya must travel all over the world to preach the message of Lord Caitanya, which is the same as preaching the words of Krsna--Bhagavad-gita--and Srimad-Bhagavatam. The more the devotees preach the principles of krsna-katha, the more people throughout the world will benefit. Devotees like the great sage Narada, who travel all over to preach, are called gosthanandi. Narada Muni is always wandering throughout the universe just to create different types of devotees. Narada even made a hunter a devotee. He also made Dhruva Maharaja and Prahlada devotees. Actually, all devotees are indebted to the great sage Narada, for he has wandered both in heaven and in hell. A devotee of the Lord is not even afraid of hell. He goes to preach the glories of the Lord everywhere--even in hell--because there is no distinction between heaven and hell for a devotee. Srimad-Bhagavatam 4:30:37

The time and channel should be posted there.

I don't want respect from others. All i want is Krsna's mercy:and so I dedicated a few years 'preaching'-i.e.,distributing books on the streets of Kali-yuga,collecting,etc. But the point is :taking a risk for Krsna's pleasure. He is pleased to see His devotees books distributed to His conditioned souls. And I risked life and limb so that a few souls could come in contact with Srila prabhupada's words of Vedic Truth. Yes?

...into pure Krsna Consciousness?

"I may say many things to you, but when I say something directly, 'Do it', your first duty is to do that. You cannot argue, 'Sir, you said me like this before.' No, that is not your duty. What I say now, you do it. That is obedience." (lecture by Srila Prabhupada on Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.3, Hyderabad, 15 April, 1975)

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Just like I can't see if there's a speck of dirt on the tip of my nose. So who's gonna pop my bubble of self absorbed conceit? Thing is I 've totally distanced myself from all my peers: as I live as a recluse ,withdrawn in a shell of aloneness,looking out from an my ivory tower and see all others as threats who can expose my vunerability. Fie on the power of Kali to destroy all brotherly relationships and turning them into exchanges of deceit,hypocrisy and hate. /images/graemlins/mad.gif

Q. Some say the eternally conditioned Jiva does not have the inherent capacity for loving devotion and that it must be given by the guru. They say that the idea of "awakening" dormant loving service to Krsna is a misconception. A. The question is whether the jiva's potential for attaining bhava is inherent within itself, or whether it is not inherent within itself and must be given to the jiva by a guru. Those who argue that it is not inherent stress that the svarupa-sakti (internal energy) is not within the jiva, often citing Sridhara Swami's commentary on Visnu Purana and Krsnadasa Kaviraja's explanation of the jiva as being a particle of cit (cit kana--knowledge) with no mention of ananda (bliss). They say that the guru's bhava constituted of svarupa-sakti is given to the disciple. Others, the parivara (spiritual family/lineage) of Bhaktivinoda, say that it is inherent within the jiva and cannot be realized without coming in contact with the guru. They say that the tendency of the jiva toward love in the material world is evidence of its being constituted of not only cit kana but ananda kana as well. They accept the statement of Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami regarding the jivas being cit kana but interpret this to be a reference to the intrinsic form of the jiva, whereas his later statement (jivera 'svarupa' haya--krsnera 'nitya-dasa') refers to the jiva's eternal nature or inclination. In support of their position they also cite examples of disciples who developed a particular bhava for Krsna that was different from that of their guru. For example, a guru in sakhya rati (friendly love) initiated Syamananda, but instead of realizing the same bhava of his guru, he realized madhurya rati (conjugal love) for Krsna. As for awakening dormant love of God, both sides agree with Krsnadasa Kaviraja when he says, krsna prema nitya siddha sadhya kabhu naya, sravanadi suddha citte karaye udaya. They agree, that is, that the prema svarupa of the jiva is eternal (nitya siddha krsna prema). It is not manufactured by any process (sadhya kabhu naya), rather it is awakened (udaya) by devotional processes such as hearing and chanting (sravanadi) after one's consciousness is cleansed (suddha citte) by the same hearing and chanting. They differ only as to the location of the dormant love. Is it in the spiritual realm of Goloka and brought here by the guru, who gives it to the jiva, or is it in the heart of the jiva in potential and awakened by the guru? One might just as well ask further where the "heart" of the jiva is. Anyone who is capable of searching this out will end up in Goloka anyway because that is where the spiritual heart of the jiva resides. There is, of course, much more to the discussion than I can do justice to here, but it is important to note that we find siddhas (perfected devotees) from both sides who are universally accepted as siddhas. Both sides are also in agreement as to the necessity of the guru. Add to this the fact that neophyte followers of either side often tend to make more out of this argument than is warranted in an intellectual effort to secure their own faith. Ultimately, real faith comes from spiritual experience, which comes from spiritual practice and mahat krpa, the mercy of Sri Guru. http://www.swami.org/sanga/ or email sangaeditor@swami.org.

http://www.prabhupadaconnect.com/Tompkins_Square_Park_1966.rm

Physical presence is immaterial. Presence of the transcendental sound received from the Spiritual Master should be the guidance of life. That will make our spiritual life successful. If you feel very strongly about my absence you may place my pictures on my sitting places and this will be source of inspiration for you. (Letter to Brahmananda and other students, 19/1/67) But always remember that I am always with you. As you are always thinking of me, I am always thinking of you also. Although physically we are not together, we are not separated spiritually. So we should be concerned only with this spiritual connection. (Letter to Gaurasundara, 13/11/69) So we should associate by vibration, and not by the physical presence. That is real association. (Lectures SB, 68/08/18) There are two conceptions, the physical conception and the vibrational conception. The physical conception is temporary. The vibrational conception is eternal.[...] When we feel separation from Krsna or the Spirirual Master, we should just try to remember their words or instructions, and we will no longer feel that separation. Such association with Krsna and the Spiritual Master should be association by vibration not physical presence. That is real association. (Elevation to Krsna Consciousness,(BBT 1973), Page 57) Although according to material vision His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarsavati Thakura Prabhupada passed away from this material world on the last day of December 1936, I still consider his Divine Grace to be always present with me by his vani, his words. There are two ways of association - by vani and by vapuh. Vani means words and vapuh means physical presence. Physical presence is sometimes appreciable and sometimes not, but Vani continues to exist eternally. Therefore, one must take advantage of the Vani, not the physical presence. (CC, Antya 5 Conclusion) Therefore we should take advantage of the Vani, not the physical presence. (Letter to Suci Devi Dasi, 4/11/75) I shall remain your personal guidance, physically present or not physically present, as I am getting guidance from my Guru Maharaja. (Room Conversation, Vrindavan, 14/7/77) It is sometimes misunderstood that if one has to associate with persons engaged in devotional service, he will not be able to solve the economic problem. To answer this argument, it is described here that one has to associate with liberated persons not directly, physically, but by understanding, through philosophy and logic, the problems of life. (SB 3:31:48) I am always with you. Never mind if I am physically absent. (Letter to Jayananda, 16/9/67) Paramananda: We're always feeling your presence very strongly, Srila Prabhupada, simply by your teachings and your instructions. We're always meditating on your instructions. Srila Prabhupada: Thank you. That is the real presence. Physical presence is not important. (Room Conversation, Vrndavana, 6/10/77) You write that you have desire to avail of my association again, but why do you forget that you are always in association with me? When you are helping my missionary activities I am always thinking of you, and you are always thinking of me . That is real association. Just like I am always thinking of my Guru Maharaja at every moment, although he is not physically present, and because I am trying to serve him to my best capacity, I am sure he is helping me by his spiritual blessings. So there are two kinds of association: physical and preceptorial. Physical association is not so important as preceptorial association. (Letter to Govinda Dasi, 18/8/69) As far as my blessing is concerned, it does not require my physical presence. If you are chanting Hare Krsna there, and following my instructions, reading the books, taking only Krsna prasadam etc., then there is no question of your not receiving the blessings of Lord Caitanya, whose mission I am humbly trying to push on. (Letter to Bala Krsna, 30/6/74) 'Anyone who has developed unflinching faith in the Lord and the Spiritual Master can understand the revealed scripture unfolding before him'. So continue your present aptitude and you will be successful in your spiritual progress. I am sure that even if I am not physically present before you, still you will be able to execute all spiritual duties in the matter of Krsna Consciousness, if you follow the above principles. (Letter to Subala, 29/9/67) So although a physical body is not present, the vibration should be accepted as the presence of the Spiritual Master, vibration. What we have heard from the Spiritual Master, that is living. (General lectures, 69/01/13) Devotee: ...so sometimes the Spiritual Master is far away. He may be in Los Angeles. Somebody is coming to Hamburg Temple. He thinks 'How will the Spiritual Master be pleased?' Srila Prabhupada: Just follow his order, Spiritual Master is along with you by his words. Just like my Spiritual Master is not physically present, but I am associating with him by his words. (SB Lectures, 71/08/18) Just like I am working, so my Guru Maharaja is there, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Physically he may not be, but in every action he is there. To serve master's word is more important than to serve physically. (Room Conversation, Vrindavan, 2/5/77) So that is called prakata, physically present. And there is another phrase, which is called aprakata, not physically present. But that does not mean, Krsna is dead or God is dead. That does not mean, prakata or aprakata, physically present or not present, it does not matter. (Lectures SB 73/12/11) So, spiritually, there is no question of separation, even physically we may be in far distant place. (Letter to Syama Dasi, 30/08/68) I went to your country for spreading this information of Krsna Consciousness and you are helping me in my mission, although I am not physically present there but spiritually I am always with you. (Letter to Nandarani, Krsna Devi and Subala, 3/10/67) We are not separated actually. There are two - Vani or Vapuh - so Vapu is physical presence and Vani is presence by the vibration, but they are all the same. (Letter to Hamsadutta, 22/6/70) So in the absence of physical presentation of the spiritual master, the Vaniseva is more important. My Spiritual Master Sarsavati Goswami, may appear to be physically not present, but still because I try to serve his instruction, I never feel separated from him. (Letter to Karandhara, 22/8/70) I also do not feel separation from my Guru Maharaja. When I am engaged in his service, his pictures give me sufficient strength. To serve master's word is more important than to serve him physically. (Letter to Syamasundara, 19/7/70)

yo vetti bhautikam deham krsnasya paramatmanah sa sarvasmad bahis-karyah srauta-smarta-vidhanatah mukham tasyavalokyapi sa-celam snanam acaret "One who considers the body of Krsna to be material should be driven out from all rituals and activities of the sruti and the smrti. And if one by chance sees his face, one should at once take bath in the Ganges to rid himself of infection. People jeer at Krsna because they are envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Their destiny is certainly to take birth after birth in the species of atheistic and demoniac life. Perpetually, their real knowledge will remain under delusion, and gradually they will regress to the darkest region of creation." (Prabhupada. From the Brhad-visnu-smrti, as quoted in Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Chapter 9, verse 12, purport.) In his Bhakti-sandarbha (313), Jiva Gosvami quotes this statement concerning the blaspheming of Lord Visnu: ye nindanti hrsikesam tad-bhaktam punya-rupinam sata-janmarjitam punyam tesam nasyati niscitam te pacyante maha-ghore kumbhipake bhayanake bhaksitah kita-sanghena yavac candra-divakarau sri-visnor avamananad gurutaram sri-vaisnavollanghanam tadiya-dusaka-janan na pasyet purusadhaman taih sardham vancaka-janaih saha-vasam na karayet "`One who criticizes Lord Visnu and His devotees loses all the benefits accrued in a hundred pious births. Such a person rots in the Kumbhipaka hell and is bitten by worms as long as the sun and moon exist. One should therefore not even see the face of a person who blasphemes Lord Visnu and His devotees. Never try to associate with such persons.'" (Prabhupada. Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 15, text 261 purport)

Excerpts from Sarva-samvadini on sastra and reasoning What follows is excerpts from Sarva-samvadini of Srila Jiva Gosvami along with a translation [1] and notes. These excerpts deal with reliability of sastra and the role of (human) reasoning vis-a-vis accepting knowledge from the sastra --- There are some statements in sastra which appear to contradict human sense perception. Srila Jiva Gosvami first presents a sample of such statements: TEXT: nanu vede 'pi "gravanah plavante", "mrd abravid apo 'bruvan" ity-adi-darsanad anaptatvam iva pratiyate. TRANSLATION: [One might ask:] "We see even in the Vedas [satapatha Brahmana 6.1.3.2, 4] statements like 'The stones float' and 'The ground spoke and the water spoke,' which seem to indicate that the Vedas are unreliable." NOTE: In other words, the statements of sastra seem to contradict our sense perception. So aren't these statements indicate that the Vedas are unreliable? The answer, as we shall see is "no". All statements of the Vedas, including the above quoted ones, are reliable. How it is so will be explained here. TEXT: ucyate, karma-visesangi-bhutanam gravnam virya-vardhanaya stutir iyam. TRANSLATION: This we answer -- this praise of the stones is for the purpose of increasing the potency of the stones, which serve a role in a particular ritual. TEXT: sa ca sri-rama-kalpita-setu-bandhadau prasiddhatvena yatha-vad eveti na dosah. TRANSLATION: And this is indeed feasible, since it is well known that the same sort of address to stones occurred in such contexts as the building of the bridge which was arranged by Sri Rama. Thus there is no fault in this praise. NOTE: In other words, the statement in sastra, "the stones float" is true as is proved in particular cases such as when Lord Ramacandra built a bridge of floating stones. In other words, Lord Ramacandra proved the truth of the Vedic statement, "The stones float." TEXT: tatha, "mrd abravid apo 'bruvan" ity-adau tat-tad-abhimani-devataiva vyapadisyata iti jneyam. TRANSLATION: And in statements like "The ground spoke", "the water spoke," we should understand that the demigods presiding over these elements are being referred to. NOTE: This is commonly known among sampradayic scholars of sastra. TEXT: tad evam sarvatraiva sarvathaivapta eva vedah. TRANSLATION: Therefore the Vedas are in all situations and in all respects reliable authority. NOTE: "In all situations" and "in all respects" indicate that *all portions* of sastra are reliable, and *not that only some* portions (dealing with devotional life, etc.) are reliable. It also indicates that they are reliable authority for all time, not that in the modern age of "scientific progress and advancement", the Vedas somehow lose their authority. TEXT: kintu sarvajnesvara-vacanatvenasarvajna-jivair duruhatvat tat-prabhava-labdha-pratyaksa-visesavadbhir eva sarvatra tad-anubhave sakyate, na tu tarkikaih. TRANSLATION: But since they consist of the words of the all-knowing Supreme Lord, finite living beings who do not know everything have difficulty construing what they mean, and so only those who have by His power received special perceptive capacity are able to in all instances realize their meaning. Mental speculators are not able to do this. NOTE: Therefore it is important to listen to the recognized, accomplished liberated Vaisnava acaryas to understand the meaning of sastra. I propose that in ISKCON we accept Srila Prabhupada as such a person (devotees in ISKCON used to accept Srila Prabhupada as such, but now some of them appear to have become overintelligent enough to understand the Bhagavatam "directly" bypassing Srila Prabhupada). People who are merely adept in logic and / or having degrees from the nondevotee academia especially those who have associated with members of the nondevotee academia and whose beliefs, attitudes, understandings and desires have become distorted can neither understand, nor honestly claim to understand, the meaning of sastra. TEXT: tad uktam purusottama-tantre, "sastrartha-yukto 'nubhavah pramanam tuttamam matam / anumadya na svatantrah pramana-padavim yayuh" iti. TRANSLATION: This is stated in the Purusottama-tantra: "Realization incorporating the ideas taught in sastra is considered the most excellent means of correct knowledge. Inference and the other means of knowing cannot independently claim authority." NOTE: Inference means reasoning, and independent inference refers to reasoning not based on sastra, that is, (fallible human) reasoning based on (fallible human) sense perception. TEXT: tathaiva matam brahma-sutra-karaih, "tarkapratisthanat", "srutes tu sabda-mulatvat" ity-adau. tatha ca srutih, "naisa tarkena matir apaneya proktanyenaiva su-jnanaya prestha", "niharena pravrta jalpyas ca" ity-adyah. jalpa-pravrttas tarkika iti sruti-padarthah. TRANSLATION: This is also the opinion of the author of the Brahma-sutras in such sutras as "Because logical speculation is never final" (2.1.11) and "No, because the revealed scriptures say otherwise, and knowledge of the Supreme is derived from transcendental sound" (2.1.27). There are also such statements of sruti as: "My dear boy, this knowledge cannot be obtained by mental speculation. It can be properly understood only when an especially qualified person speaks it" (Katha Upanisad 1.2.9) and "They are enveloped in a fog and prone to useless talk." (Rk-samhita 10.82.7) The sense of the word jalpyah in this sruti text is "speculators engaged in useless talk." NOTE: Upon seeing Brahma-sutra 2.1.27 quoted above, one might think that for knowledge of the Supreme, yes, one must depend on sastra, but in other cases, such as within the empirical field, can one depend on sastra? That is clarified here: TEXT: ata eva varaha-purane, "sarvatra sakyate kartum agamam hi vinanuma / tasman na sa saktimati vinagamam udiksitum" iti. TRANSLATION: Thus it is said in the Varaha Purana: "In all situations one can always apply the traditional authority of scriptures even without using logic. Therefore logic is impotent to see the truth without the help of scripture." NOTE: Yes. "In all situations" one can always depend on the authority of the sastra, *even without using reasoning*. Baradraj: So knowledge is not necessary for faith but faith is necessary for knowledge. Prabhupada: Yes. Therefore devotee, without any knowledge he becomes devotee. That faith, only faith. The devotee advances. Jnanam ca yad ahaituki. Later on, they become automatically full of knowledge because they have strong faith. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Tesam evanukampartham aham ajnana-jam tamah nasayamy: [bg. 10.11] "Because he is faithful, therefore I help him how to get knowledge." Again you come to that. Mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca [bg. 15.15]. Everything is there. (Morning walk; July 21, 1975) We also find that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to accept the Fifth Canto *even when we don't understand it*. The Western ethos of education appears to be that *first* you understand things *and then* you believe. But the sampradayic ethos of sastric education is that you accept the validity of scriptures *whether you understand any portion of it or not* [2] and *then* you try to study and understand it to whatever extent you can. And it is not that all human beings can understand all statements of the scriptures. [...] TEXT: yat tv agame kvacit tarkena bodhana drsyate, tat tatraiva sobhanam agama-rupatvat, bodhana-saukaryartha-matroddista-tarkatvat. TRANSLATION: And when we see sometimes in the revealed scriptures that information is provided by speculative logic, it is in those cases praiseworthy because it is part of scripture, being speculation offered only for the sake of making understanding easier. NOTE: The scriptures also teach very reasonably in order to make understanding easier. TEXT: yadi ca yat tarkena sidhyati, tad eva veda-vacanam pramanam iti syat, tada tarka evastam, kim vedeneti vaidikam-manya api te bahya evety ayam abhiprayah sarvatraiva. TRANSLATION: Persons who imagine themselves followers of the Vedas may say "If something is proven by logic then it must be the very words of the Vedas and authoritative. So let us use logic; what need have we of the Vedas?" But those who speak thus are actually opponents of the Vedas, and this is indicated everywhere. TEXT: ata eva tesam srgalatvam eva gatir ity uktam bharate. TRANSLATION: Thus it is stated in the Mahabharata (Santi-parva, 180.47-49) that these people will become jackals in their next lives. TEXT: yat tu srotavyo mantavyah ity-adisu mananam nama tarko 'ngi-krtah, tatraivam evam uktam yatha kurma-purane, purvaparavirodhena ko nv artho 'bhimato bhavet / ity-adyam uhanam tarkah suska-tarkam ca varjayet iti. TRANSLATION: And when speculation under the name of "reflecting" is acknowledged in such statements as "It should be heard about and reflected on" (Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 2.4.5), it is in the following sense that such is being said, as stated in the Kurma Purana: "Speculation means to conjecture in such ways as asking which meaning of a text is appropriate without contradicting what precedes and follows it. Dry speculation, however, should be rejected." NOTE: In other words, reasoning is okay when we use it to understand the meaning of sastra. This is also stated by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana in the conclusion of his commentary to verse 9 of Laghu-bhagavatamrta: tatha ca veda eva vyasasya pramanam tarkas ca tad-anusari na nivaryate suska-tarkas tu praheya eveti tad-anuyayino me tad eva. And so, Veda is the accepted source of valid knowledge for Vyasa; logic which follows the Veda is not opposed, but dry speculation should definitely be rejected. This is the opinion of Vyasa's followers and (hence) for me. [3] Srila Prabhupada clarified the matter by explaining the difference between mental speculation and acceptable philosophical speculation: As for the difference between mental speculation and philosophical speculation, we take it that everything is known by the psychological action of the mind, so that philosophical speculation is the same as mental speculation if it is merely the random or haphazard activity of the brain to understand everything and making theories, "if's" and "maybe's." But if philosophical speculation is directed by Sastra and Guru, and if the goal of such philosophical attempts is to achieve Visnu, then that philosophical speculation is not mental speculation. It is just like this: Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita that "I am the taste of water." Philosophical speculation in the accepted sense then means to try to understand, under the direction of Sastra and Guru, just how Krishna is the taste of water. (Letter to Chaturbhus, 21 January 1971) So, the approach of trying to understand *how* a sastric statement such as "I am the taste of water" is correct is acceptable. But the approach of trying to understand *if* such a statement is correct is *not acceptable*. However, this is the approach of the nondevotee academia and despite knowing that it is so, some of our devotees don't seem to mind getting trained up by the nondevotee academia to approach the scriptures in such unacceptable ways. --- ENDNOTES: [1] Regarding the translation, I had taken the help of Sri Gopiparanadhana Prabhu of NE-BBT last year on Sarva-samvadini (but translation of the section presented here in this article is not checked by him). I have also consulted a Bengali version of Tattva-sandarbha published along with Sarva-samvadini and Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana's commentary (edition published by Gopinath Gaudiya Math (Mayapur, 1998)). The sections excerpted in this article appear as additional explanations to text 9 of Tattva-sandarbha. [2] More of this perhaps in a separate article. [3] Laghu-bhagavatamrta of Srila Rupa Gosvami, published along with the commentaries of Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana and Vrndavanacandra Tarkalankara (Bengali script) by Haribhakta Das, Gaurabda 503. Submitted by Vidvan Gauranga das (JPS)

So these regulative principles are there. So what is, what is the big plan behind these regulative principles? The big plan is: here is the attraction, pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam-to cut down this attraction between male and female. This is the big plan. Otherwise there is no need of the varnasrama. (Srila Prabhupada. Lecture, Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.8, Vrindavan Oct 30, 1976)

India and Indians are going to be in Discovery's focus like never before. The channel, in its arguably biggest investment in India so far, will be shooting an episode on India and Lord Krishna's Dwarka, the submerged city in the western coast of India. The shoot will involve underwater filming which will take viewers to the remains of the once-great city. The cost will easily run into millions of dollars. Discovery had received great reviews and wow ratings when it had telecast the unearthing of Egypt's queen Cleopatra's palace off the coast of modern-day Alexandria. The episode on Dwarka is expected to do even better. Krishna's Dwarka will no doubt see the coming together of religion and history. The episode, according to Discovery's programming director, Pankaj Saxena, will be a part of the channel's special programming plan, dubbed as Atlas, a multi-million dollar project. "The episode on India will be a part of the 26 episodes that Atlas is going to chronicle across 26 countries," Saxena said. Indian viewers need to be patient for the Dwarka episode since the telecast will take place only in 2005.

"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not so send peace, but a sword. "For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. "And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." - Matthew 10:34-36.

"If I think 'I am a vaishnava,' I shall look forward to receiving respect from others. And if the desire for fame and reputation pollute my heart, certainly I shall go to hell." Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada

Saranagati—the Heart of Bhakti I am not actually sure of the difference in these two terms, as both Prapatti and saranagati are understood as the act of self-surrender to God. In prapatti and saranagati one genuinely understands his incapacity to save himself and thus gives himself fully to the Lord. This is summarized in the following verse, written by Vedanta Desika, a celebrated 14th century acharya of the Ramanuja sampradaya. “Lord, I, who am nothing, conform to your will and desist being contrary to it, and with faith and prayer, submit to you the burden of saving my soul (Nyasadashaka 2).” In Gaudiya Vaisnavism saranagati is mentioned in Sri Sanatana Goswami’s Hari-bhakti-vilasa, as well as in Jiva Goswami's Bhakti-sandarbha but it is understood that the term has been introduced into Gaudiya Vaisnavism from the writings of the Ramanuja Sampradaya. Also taken from the works of the Sri Sampradaya, Gaudiya acharyas write that the six limbs of Saranagati are: i) acceptance of the favorable; ii) rejection of the unfavorable; iii) full confidence in the Lord's protection; iv) embracing the Lord's guardianship; v) full self-surrender; and, vi) surrender in humility. In Vaisnavism the path of surrender (prapatti / saranagati) serves as an alternative to certain forms of smarta brahmanism where moksa is thought to be attained by the perfection of various techniques and mantras. As a jiva in his conditioned state is considered unfit for pure bhakti (para bhakti or suddha bhakti) prapatti / saranagati is said to be the means to attain these high devotional states which grant moksa or liberation. In essence saranagati requires that a person feel humble and helpless before God and in this state it is believed that God gives them the inner means and resolve to attain him. In Gaudiya Vaisnavism the means to attain the goal of suddha or pure bhakti is sadhana bhakti or devotional service in practice. Gaudiya Vaisnava acharyas teach that the essence of sadhana bhakti is saranagati or surrender. Without saranagati-self surrender, sadhana bhakti could be viewed as little more than following rules and regulations which would make the practice akin to smarta brahmanism. Thus in Gaudiya Vaisnavism saranagati is considered the innermost heart of sadhana bhakti.

Sports News, India: Sourav Ganguly's tryst with Hare Krishna sect (SPECIAL) 5-June-2004 Kolkata, India : The Hare Krishna sect has found an able champion in India's cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, who says Westerners have often taken a skewed view of Indian religious practices. Revealing a side of his personality that was hitherto little known, Ganguly has written a special article for the order's souvenir on the occasion of the famous chariot festival of Hindu god Jagannath, considered another form of Lord Krishna. Lord Jagannath's chariot festival is on June 19 and the festivities take place in Puri in Orissa where over a million people congregate to pull three huge chariots. "Lord Jagannath looked to them (British colonial rulers) like a demon with bloody lips and their newspapers described him as the 'Moloch of Hindustan', in other words, 'the devil of India'," Ganguly wrote. Ganguly, who is known to be deeply religious and even a little superstitious when it comes to his cricket, wrote: "They (the newspapers) reported that Indians still bow down to wood and stone and they are not civilised people. Standing on the threshold of the 21st century, we can realise that these are misinformed conclusions." A copy of the article was made available to IANS. The two-page signed article describes in detail the genesis of the chariot festival and also the greatness and relevance of the philosophies of the Hare Krishna order or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon). Iskcon, a sect of Hinduism that worships Lord Krishna - the god hailed in Hindu texts as the quintessential lover, friend and philosopher - is headquartered in West Bengal's Mayapur town, about 100 km north of here. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, better known as Srila Prabhupada, established Iskcon in 1966. The Hare Krishna movement has since developed into a worldwide confederation of 10,000 temple devotees and 250,000 congregational devotees. Iskcon has attracted celebrity devotees from around the world, including a scion of the Ford family who married his wife according to Hindu rites in Detroit, as also former Beatle George Harrison. The sect has 350 branches across the world. He concluded: "So confirms the Bhagavad Gita, which says wherever and whenever there is Krishna, or Jagannath, the master of universe, and his devotee, victory is inevitable." Every year, hundreds of thousands of devotees pull the huge chariots of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra in Puri to the sounds of cymbals and conch shells. Many pilgrims, anxious to achieve spiritual immortality or nirvana, throw themselves under the giant wheels of the chariots, and death from such acts is not uncommon. It was not be known if Ganguly is a member of Iskcon, but the cricket superstar did seem to have studied the order's philosophies. "The British Raj is long gone. And Lord Jagannath continues to ride his chariot not only in Puri but on all the continents of the world. "He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, and for the Absolute Truth, there is absolute victory," Ganguly wrote.

But we can chant for love Let's cut the idle talk so we can Chant for love We always have the time to quarrel About such problems as money and war Let's put it off until tomorrow Who needs another dose of sorrow? It don't necessitate an act of faith To chant for love What alibi is strong enough to wait To chant for love Though we don't hold the reigns of power Somebody else seems to be in control We mustn't waste another hour We'll get directly to the soul If we can Chant For a world united Chant For a world that's dying for love The Hare Krishna plays a drum and bell When he chants for love The tribal priest is afraid of hell So he chants for love I am not pushing some religion Don't get me wrong, I never mess with such things Just be true to your own vision This is your personal decision The Dervish spins to a "Hu Hu Hu" When he chants for love Nobody knows what the angels do When they chant for love You're at the bottom of the ladder Someone may try to tell you where you should start But the words, they never matter If you can feel it in your heart Then you can Why don't you chant? You can chant Chant, chant, chant Rundgren /images/graemlins/cool.gif

Spreading the word, from his wheelchair Influenced by the founder of ISKCON, this 49-year-old is in India to share his philosophy. Shalini Nair Mumbai, June 28: HIS achievement of single-handedly distributing 30,000 Bhagwad Gitas across the world was no easy task. Especially when a debilitating bone disease has left him bound to a wheelchair for the rest of life. For Richard Mullel aka Radhanath Dasa, his disability has never been a deterrent. A native of Pennsylvania in the US, Dasa was born to the president of a steel company. After an encounter with Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Dasa decided to give up his well-paying job for a higher spiritual life. He was 19 then. Dasa travelled all over the US for the next two years, distributing Vedic literature. A few years later, he fell prey to ankylosing spodylitis. The degenerative disease gradually took over till both legs had to be amputated. But for Dasa, who believes the spirit is stronger than the body, his disability only strengthened his faith. “If I had no spiritual life, I would have cried out, ‘Why me?’ But I know that whatever I am going through now is my karma,” says Dasa, who is currently in Mumbai to impart his philosophy to followers here. No matter where he is, Dasa goes out onto the streets and distributes carnations and religious books to spread his faith. Keen to reach children, he has also launched an online newsletter for kids. “I want to spread the message of the Lord till my last breath. ‘Self-realised souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth,’” he says, enunciating a verse from the Bhagwad Gita.

Puri Chariot Festival Ends http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp? slug=Grand+Puri+rath+yatra+ends&id=56234 PURI, INDIA, June 28, 2004: It is the end of the annual festivities at the temple town of Puri as the deities of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra made their way back to the Jagannath temple. Devotees were seen dancing in religious fervor at the beginning of Lord Jagannath's final journey on Sunday. Despite the scorching heat pilgrims lined up early in the morning and waited for hours outside the Gundicha temple to catch a final glimpse of the Lord. And as the deities emerged for the final Bahuda yatra, the crowds broke into frenzy. "It was Lord Jagannath's wish that I make this journey and I have come. It's been an enlightening experience as it has brought me immense peace. Even heaven may not match this peace that I have attained," said a devotee. After spending a week in the Gundicha temple, the deities made their way back through the streets of Puri and like mere mortals eager to get home, luck seemed to be on their side as everything happened with clockwork precision, including the Pahandi ceremony where they climbed their chariots. Apart from memories of a grand spectacle some devotees are taking back much more. "I am making one documentary for all the old Vaishnavs who can not come to Puri as they are old. I am recording the rath yatra and they can see it on TV," says another devotee. With the deities back at the Jagannath temple, life in Puri will go back to normal until it's time for the Lord to make his next annual journey through the streets of the temple town.

What is that story of the king who took with him his pretty young daughter to the bed of a dying man (that man immediately glanced lustfully at the king's daughter) wanting to know if men still lust over women at the time of death ?