gokulkr

I believed Rayaru & Krishna. they have deserted me. i dont wanna live. i want to commit sucide. Rayaru & krishna doesnt exist. even if they exist they hate me.

I believed Rayaru & Krishna. they have deserted me. i dont wanna live. i want to commit sucide. Rayaru & krishna doesnt exist. even if they exist they hate me.

Hinduism have thousands of scriptures and they were written by thousands of Christ like masters and they were written in centuries. Ancient Hindu scriptures Vedas state:"LET NOBLE THOUGHTS COME TO US FROM ALL SIDES." Hindu scripture Srimad Mahabhagavatam states: "LIKE A HONEY BEE GATHERING HONEY FROM ALL TYPE OF FLOWERS THE WISE MEN SEARCH EVERY WHERE FOR TRUTH AND SEES ONLY GOOD IN ALL RELIGIONS." I wish people around the world will open up themselves to good thoughts and stop limiting themselves with dogmas and demagoguery. Since "UTMOST FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND ACTION" is the cardinal principle of Hinduism, almost all Hindu saints have written scriptures and they never ever attach their names to the scriptures. All of them wrote whatever they tele pathically understood after deep meditation. In fact, most of the Hindu scriptures were written as "THIRD PARTY DISCUSSING WITH FOURTH PARTY". For example, Bhagavad Gita is a narration of truths from Lord Krishna [FIRST PERSON] to warrior prince [sECOND PERSON] Arjuna, seen and heard telepathically by Vidhura [THIRD PERSON] and telling that to blind king Dhartharashtra [FOURTH PERSON] and of course, FIFTH PERSON, Veda Vyasa [nobody knows whether that name is a nickname!] writing the whole narration. Hindu epic Ramayana was written as a story told my bird who just lost her mate to the vicious arrow of a hunter. So much so, Hindus have thousands of scriptures, from extreme atheistic nature as well as extreme devotional nature. Once again, nobody knows who wrote all those scriptures and how much time they took to write all those scriptures. Hindu scriptures can be broadly classified into two groups. One is SRUTI - THAT WHICH IS HEARD literature. Another one is SMRITI - THAT WHICH IS REMEMBERED literature VEDAS And UPANISHADS belong to SRUTI format. For long time there were no written literature on them. In fact, the word UPANISHAD can be broken down as UPA [near] NI [down] SHAD [sit] meaning that teachings of Upanishads were conveyed from masters to students when students sat very next to masters and nobody overheard those teachings. All Hindu scriptures were considered as revealed truths of God. In fact Hindu scriptures say that ALL HINDU SCRIPTURES WERE WRITTEN BY GOD. According Christian theologians Holy Bible is considered to be HOLY SPIRIT INSPIRED BOOK. According to Mimamsa school of thought, all sruti literature existed all through eternity in the form of sounds. Therefore those sounds of words of Vedas and Upanishads are very important to Hindus. SRUTI LITERATURE: [ VEDAS & UPANISHADS] FOUR VEDAS: 1. RIG VEDA== [knowledge of hymns] 2. YAJUR VEDA = [ knowledge of liturgy] 3. SAMA VEDA == [ knowledge of Music4. ATHARVA VEDA ======== [ knowledge given Atharvana] TOTAL 108 UPANISHADS . Principle ones 13. Some of the Upanishads are named after the sages who answered all questions. Some as per the first word in the Upanishad. 1. ISA UPANISHAD 2. KENA UPANISHAD 3. KATHA UPANISHAD 4. PRASNA UPANISHAD 5. MUNDAKA UPANISHAD 6. MANDUKYA UPANISHAD 7. AITAREYA UPANISHAD 8. TAITTIRYA UPANISHAD 9. CHANDOGYA UPANISHAD 10. BRIHAD-ARANYAKA UPANISHAD 11 KAUSHIITAKI UPANISHAD 12. SHVETASHVATARA UPANISHAD 13 MAITRI UPANISHAD SMRITI LITERATURE CONSISTS OF LARGE NUMBER OF BOOKS. A. VEDANGAS: scriptures attached to Vedas. 1. DHARMA SUTRAS: [ THE Codes of Manu, Yatnyavalkya etc] 2. JYOTHISHA [ astrology and astronomy ] 3. KALPA [rituals and legal matters] 4. SIKSHA [phonetics ] 5. CHHANDAS [measurements] 6. NIRUKTA [Etymology] 7. VYAKARANA [ grammar ] B. DARSANAS [HINDU JNANA YOGA - PATH OF KNOWLEDGE] : 6 of them 1. NYASA: by sage Gautama wrote Nyaya sutras 2. VAISHESHIKA: by sage Kanada wrote Vaisheshika sutra 3. SAMKHYA: by sage Kapila- Gita starts with this philosophy 4. YOGA: by Pathanjali who wrote PATHANJALI YOGASUTRA 5. MIMAMSA: by sage Jaimini who wrote MIMAMSA SUTRA 6. VEDANTA: by sage Veda Vyasa VEDANTA [AT THE END OF VEDAS meaning it started at the end of Vedic age] has two parts. 1. ADVAIDA PHILOSOPHY- ONE ONLY - great exponent ADI SANKARA 2. DWITA PHILOSOPHY - TWO - almost all Vaishnava saints C. ITHIHASAS: MYTHOLOGICAL SCRIPTURES 1. RAMAYANA - story of Rama, written by Valmiki 2. MAHABHARATA - story of Pandvas & Kauravas 220,000 verses, 18 chapters BHAGAVAD GITA is part of this epic 3. PURANAS - 18 are most important MAHABHAGAVATAM - is the most read important scripture of ISKCON[HAREKRISHNA] 4. TANTRAS - started during vedic age. consistsof cosmology, erotic exercises etcTantra is very important and very vast. There are still a lot more scriptures in Hinduism. I should say that there are more than 1000 scriptures in Hinduism. ========================================== VEDAS Each VEDA consists of four sections. The word Veda comes from the root 'Vid',to know. The word "Veda" in SANSKRIT language means "wisdom" or "knowledge" 1 SAMHITA --hymns to deities 2 BRAHMANA--description of rituals 3 ARANYAKA -"forest texts" dealing with philosophy 4 UPANISHAD -- highest form of philosophical contemplation The Hindu Rig Veda is the foremost book of Hindus. It is the oldest book in the world. Nobody knows when Rig Veda was written. According to B.G. Tilak it was written in 5000 BC. German philosopher Max Muller dates 1500 BC. According some it took centuries to write this book from 1500 B.C. to 500 B.C. In the book "The Celestial Key to the Vedas:" B. G. Sidharth states that earliest portions of the Rig Veda can be dated as far back as 10,000 B.C. German philosopher Max Muller who translated many Hindu scriptures wrote "The Rig-Veda "is the most ancient book of the world. The sacred hymns of the Brahmanas stand unparalleled in the literature of the whole world; and their preservation might well be called miraculous." It is the very first SRUTI literature. It is divided into 10 books called MANDALAS or CIRCLES. Each MANDALA is divided into many ADHYAYAS or chapters. Rig Veda has 10,417 verses. Mandala one is the prayer book of the ancient Rishis [ saints]. Mandala 2 , to 7th describes all the details about the families of the Prajapathis like Vasishta, Bhrighu etc. Mandala 8th again contain hymns. Mandala 9th is devoted to hymns to Soma in association with Soma rituals. Mandala 10th is very philosophical and it contains HYMNS like PURUSHA SUKTA HYMNS IN RIG VEDA: It has 1028 hymns to gods such as DEVENDRA [ GOD OF HEAVEN ], SURYA [sUN], AGNI [FIRE], DYAUS, MARUTS, VARUNA [GOD OF WATERS], USHAS, ASVINS, PRITHVI [EARTH], RUDRA, VAYU [AIR], YAMA [GOD OF DEATH], SOMA [moon], VISVAKARMA [ARCHITECT OF UNIVERSE] etc. Rig Veda recognizes 33 gods, in total. A Rig Vedic hymn has 3 parts. 1. first part is an exhortation 2. second part is the praise of the deity 3. third part is a special request The religion of Rig Veda is called BRAHMANISM. As I stated above, in Rig Veda you see Aryans worshiping all the powers of nature like VAYU, VARUNA, SURYA, SOMA, and AGNI. The Rig Veda does not seem to be a scripture composed during a particular time period. It might have taken several centuries to make this scripture. There is quite a lot to write about Hindu scriptures

Sri Visnusahasranama - A Concise Study In this land of the eternal Vedas, Sages and Saints ; where recitation of stotras is an integral part of Hindu’s way of life, Sri Visnusahasranama is the most popular of all. It is recited by every Hindu, be it a Advaith, Dvaitin or Visistadvaitin. The great epic Mahabharata, is a virtual documentation of the discourses delivered by eminent sages to King Yudhisthira in exile on the several Dharmas - Raja Dharma, Moksa Dharma, Dana Dharma, etc. Sri Visnu Sahasranama Stotra, sung by the Sages of yore and taught by Bhismacarya to Yudhisthira for the good of the world at large is the praise of the Lord with his thousand names. The Alwars to whom the Supreme Lord Narayana opened the flood-gates of Spiritual knowledge, shorn of discrepancies, deviations and ambiguitiesof sorts, were indeed above the Sages. They were full of compassion for teaming millions of humanity, wallowing in the sty of samsara. It is significant that the Alwars have made frequent references to the Lords’s thousand names in their hymns. Nammalwar, the chief of the Alwar Saints, literally implored the people around to chant just any one of the thousand names of the Lord, though not all(Tiruvaymoli X-2-3). These names bespeak the Lord’s auspicious traits(Yani namani gaunani vikhyatani…), each of which is of unlimited dimensions. Actually, the Lord has innumerable auspicious traits, and, therefro His names, spelling out of these traits should be innumerable. Who indeed can exhaust His infinite glory by compressing it within a mere thousand names ? ‘Devonama Sahasravan’ should not, therefore be taken literally to mean a mere thousand - the ‘Sahasram’ stands for ‘anantam’ - the endless(infinite). Of the four yugas, Krta, Treta, Dvapara and Kali, the last one is having its sway. Dharma(righteousness), which has been declining down the ages, has entered a critical phase in the Kaliyuga, notorious for the crumbling down of moral values and rapid degeneration. Even so, present yuga enjoys certain concessions which might well be envied by the earlier yugas. Salvation attained in the earlier yugas through the arduous process of intense meditation, severe penance, special prayers, sacrifices and offerings is vouched in this yuga for the mere recital of Lord’s Holynames. Thus Sri Visnusahasranama Stotra serves not merely as the panacea for all ills & evils besetting this world, but also helps achieve the heaven. ‘Vaidya Sastra’ freely invokes Sahasranama japa for curing dire diseases , generally known to be incurable, ‘Mantra Sastra’ suggests Sahasranama japa for achieving the odds and ends of worldly life, ‘Karma Vibhagam’ prescribes the Sahasranama japa for all the ailments plaguing mankind and of-course Sri Visnusahasranama is a medicine for the fell disease of birth, death and re-birth, which is far more dreadful than the worst of bodily ailments. Sri Visnusahasranama takes the shape as the essence of the expositions of all Sastras and their implications relating to charity and righteousness in the Anusasanika Parva, the core of Mahabharata. Thus the Sahasranama has great authority; its main objective is to reveal the essential reality through the highest truths. The Sahasranama appears as a dialogue between Bhisma, who is equally revered as Vedavyasa, and Yudhisthira, the Dharma-incarnate. Vedavyasa exhorted Yudhisthira by saying, “If you are desirous of knowing all the Dharmas, go to Bhisma, the grand old sire. He who knows all the doctrines and everything else, is capable of resolving all your doubts. He who has seen Indra and other demigods face to face, who is in constant communion with the Brahmarsis, nd who knows Dharma, its subtleties will enlighten you on Dharma”. Sri Krsna said to Yudhisthira “ My thoughts go to the great soul Bhisma, who is like the fire cooling down on the bed of arrows, meditating on me. He is highly intellectual, has a divine aura, is in possession of superior weapons and knows all the Vedas comprehensively. He knows the past, present and future. I would advise you to go to him as the path of Jnana becomes that much poorer in his absence”. Sri Krsna also told Bhisma “What you will presently impart the Pandavas will be established in this world like the Vedas. You are free of weariness and illusion”. Narada too said to Yudhisthira “ Clarify all the doubts in your mind immediately from Bhisma who knows the Dharmas required by the four castes. He has the capacity to acquire everything that can be obtained from the life-long Brahmacharya, Samadhi & Tapas”. Bhisma tells Krsna “Acyuta ! by your grace, I am free of greed, passions, pain and lethargy. I can see the past, present and future like a fruit in one’s palm. I can visualise all the Dharmas in the Vedas and Vendangas due to your grace. I am able to expound all the Dharmas with youthful energy(though old) by constantly meditating on you”. This above lines described the greatness of Bhisma, who included in his teachings the ‘Sri Visnusahasrnama”, prefacing it as the highest Dharma and its chanting as the highest creed of faith. The thousand names of Lord were collated in the form of a stotra by Vyasa, an incarnation of Narayana Himself. It was the same Vyasa who organized the Vedas into divisions in order to facilitate the understanding for men whose power of comprehension has been reduced due to the advent of Kali. It was the same Vyasa who composed the Mahabharata, considered the fifth Veda. Hence the Visnusahsranama considered to the most beneficial to mankind. In the sabhaparva of the Bharata and in the Gajendra episode in Visnu Dharma, the Lord is praised as the possessor of a thousand names. Again, in this very chapter of ‘Sahasranama’ of Anusasanika Parva’ both in the introduction and at the end where the fruits of the recitation are set out, the excellence of the ‘Thousand names’ has been brought out. Right at the beginning, Bhisma stressed the efficacy of reciting the laudatory hymn spelling out the thousand names of the Lord, the God of gods and the Supreme person with no limitations (with reference to place, time etc.). The particular sloka under reference uses the word ‘Satatottitah’-ever-engaged. Continuous praise of the Lord and meditation are a perennial joy of the devotee. If Vasudeva is out from the mind of a devotee even for a moment, it is terrible loss as it would give rise to perverse and unholy thoughts to fill the vaccum. At the end of the hymn, the potency of the recitation is brought by Sri Krsna Himself who said “Arjuna!, one may be desirous of praising by reciting the thousand names. But, on my part, I feel praised by one sloka. There is no doubt about it.” In this context, refer to name 685 in the hymn ‘stavapriyah’-He, who relishes being praised. He is pleased with anything that is uttered in His praise irrespective of who ever lauds Him, how he or she does it, and what language is employed. “ Engane collilum imbam payakkume (Tiruvaymoli VII-9-11). Ayurveda mentions the recitation of sahasarnama as aiding the cure of many diseases with such sayings as “Diabetes gets cured by recitation pf Purusa sukta as well as the thousand names of Bhagavan;” “Similarly, Bhagavan’s thousand names must be uttered (for cure of tuberculosis);” “(For relief from fever), one must recite the Vishnu Sahasranama after conducting the Homa as aforesaid.” Even later poets such as Bana Bhatta, while describing a maternity ward has mentioned “The incessant chanting of Narayana’s thousand names too.” Sri Visnu Sahasranama is accepted with reverence as a panacea even by children, the dumb, dull-witted, women and atheists for recitation, meditation, exposition and comments to get rid of poisions, ghosts, disease, hauntings, sorrow, ill-omens etc., for getting absolved of heinous sins and worldly and other-worldly attainments. Even the Vedas are not as readily accepted as this Hymn. The Vedas are not open to all. Even then, they are divided into various sections, each to be recited by particular sets of people and at particular times (that is, by not all and at all times). The various teachers of sastraik knowledge like Devarsis, Narada, Devasravas, Sumantu etc, who had secured visions of God through strenuous efforts have been delighted in this sacred Hymn. What is more Sri Krsna Himself, the great Teacher of the Gita, listened to this with rapturous delight in the company of others around Bhisma. Thus, the Visnu Sahasranama has the unique distinction among stotras of Being The essence of the Mahabharata, Lauded by great Sages Compiled by the great Vedavyasa Accepted by Bhisma as most superior, Beneficial to one and all, and The expounder of the very same doctrines as of the Gita. At this stage of dissertation, Parasara Bhattar brings in the introductory slokas in the Visnu Sahasranama chapter of Anusasanika Parva of the Mahabharata and with his superb intellect and incisive logic supported by authoritative quotes, establishes praise as the best means and Visnu as the best object of praise. “The same benefit that is obtained in Krta yuga by mediation, in Tretayuga by sacrifice and by ritual worship in Dvapara Yuga, is got in Kaliyuga by the mere laudation of Kesava” - (Visnu Purana 6-2-17). At the same time, it is cautioned that, “The Lord is not easily attainable if one is not spiritually involved even if he offers the whole world to Krsna” (Visnu Dharma - 74)’. Even with this easy way to the Lord through laudation, it is one’s mental purity that is important even as embracing one’s daughter is not the same as his embracing his own wife. Fishes live in sacred rivers like Ganga, groups of birds make their permanent residence in sacred Temple premises. But, as they have no inclination towards the Lord, they are not entitled to the result that a devotee is entitled to. It was Bhisma’s opinion that laudation of the Lord was the most righteous method, because The object of laudation chosen is the dearest to the devotee, It can be performed easily, It does not involve any expenditure or strain, It is attractive as he can mentally conceive the Lord to appear, as it were, before him. It is capable of giving the greatest reward, Moksa, which alone can eradicate the dreaded fear of Samsara , Every body is eligible to adopt this course without any distinction whatsoever, It is universally beneficial, It can be performed without any restriction of place, time and situation and, It is completely free of any auxiliary equipment to perform. The Upanisads and other texts, while describing generally about the nature of the transcendent, the core-truth, existence , propitiation and attainment of the God etc., have described it in general terms, such as ‘Sat’ ‘Asat,’ ‘Brahma’ and Aksara’, and in special terms such as Para (Supreme). But, whenever a contention has arisen whether that entity is Siva, Brahma, Hari etc., it has been clarified by such statements as Narayana is the Trancendent Brahman, Narayana is the ultimate entity” (Narayana Anuvaka), ‘That is the Supreme abode of Visnu’ (Kathopanishad), “Beyond whom there is none” (Svetasvatara); “There is nothing superior to Me” (Gita 7-7) etc., Thus wise men are able to know that Visnu is the Supreme Deity through Statements as above General trend of writings of ‘Creation.’ The powerful inner meanings of Purusa Sukta, Uttara Narayana, etc propounding the highest truths The declarations of Upanisads like Subala, Maitreyaniya, Mahopanishad, Chandogya, Taittriya, Aittriya, Kathavalli, etc. The convictions of great Sages like Parasara, Vyasa, Valmiki, etc., who have known the supreme goal through the propogation of Sattvika Puranas and Epics The unique prowess of the Form, Weapons, Vehicle and the great Doings attributed to the Supreme Lord’s unbridled wealth The comparitive lowliness of everything else around Among the important commentaries on this stotra are by Sankara, Parasara Bhattar and Satyasandha according to Advaitha, Visitadvaitha and the Dvaita respectively. All these scholars have taken pains to explain the derivatives of the names of Lord Vishnu; becomes so many gems all adored by the Lord as his ornaments. The great Parasara Bhattar has shown in his commentary ‘Bhagavadguna Darpana’ how these individual names in this stotra combine to describe the characteristics, qualities, forms activities of the Lord. A dispassionate study of his commentary reflects as to how Bhattar has excelled over the others., obviously because of his familiarity with the hymns of Alwars. His highlight of the special aspects of the Lord’s traits, such as His amazing simpliity (Asrta paratantrya). In this process, Visnusahasranama at once becomes an epitome of all that is said in Vedas, Epics, Puranas and Agama. Right at the commencement of the delineation of the names, Bhattar has vowed as it were, that he would - Scrupulously adhere to the Pancasiddhanta Interpret the names according to grammar, etymology and sayings of Sages avouiding defects like tautology. Doubts arise whether by Pancasiddhantha, Bhattar means - The five-fold doctrine of Para, Vyuha, etc in Pancaratra or The five authorities of Veda, Smriti, Itihasa-Puranas, Pancaratra and DivyaPrabandham It is indeed appropriate here to highlight the importance of Sri Parsara Bhattar to this Sampradayam.

Krsna Is the Source of All Incarnations 1. Suta said: In the beginning of the creation, the Lord first expanded Himself in the universal form of the purusa incarnation and manifested all the ingredients for the material creation. And thus at first there was the creation of the sixteen principles of material action. This was for the purpose of creating the material universe. 2. A part of the purusa lies down within the water of the universe, from the navel lake of His body sprouts a lotus stem, and from the lotus flower atop this stem, Brahma, the master of all engineers in the universe, becomes manifest. 3. It is believed that all the universal planetary systems are situated on the extensive body of the purusa, but He has nothing to do with the created material ingredients. His body is eternally in spiritual existence par excellence. 4. The devotees, with their perfect eyes, see the transcendental form of the purusa who has thousands of legs, thighs, arms and faces--all extraordinary. In that body there are thousands of heads, ears, eyes and noses. They are decorated with thousands of helmets and glowing earrings and are adorned with garlands. 5. This form [the second manifestation of the purusa] is the source and indestructible seed of multifarious incarnations within the universe. From the particles and portions of this form, different living entities, like demigods, men and others, are created. 6. First of all, in the beginning of creation, there were the four unmarried sons of Brahma [the Kumaras], who, being situated in a vow of celibacy, underwent severe austerities for realization of the Absolute Truth. 7. The supreme enjoyer of all sacrifices accepted the incarnation of a boar [the second incarnation], and for the welfare of the earth He lifted the earth from the nether regions of the universe. 8. In the millennium of the rsis, the Personality of Godhead accepted the third empowered incarnation in the form of Devarsi Narada, who is a great sage among the demigods. He collected expositions of the Vedas which deal with devotional service and which inspire nonfruitive action. 9. In the fourth incarnation, the Lord became Nara and Narayana, the twin sons of the wife of King Dharma. Thus He undertook severe and exemplary penances to control the senses. 10. The fifth incarnation, named Lord Kapila, is foremost among perfected beings. He gave an exposition of the creative elements and metaphysics to Asuri Brahmana, for in course of time this knowledge had been lost. 11. The sixth incarnation of the purusa was the son of the sage Atri. He was born from the womb of Anasuya, who prayed for an incarnation. He spoke on the subject of transcendence to Alarka, Prahlada and others [Yadu, Haihaya, etc.]. 12. The seventh incarnation was Yajna, the son of Prajapati Ruci and his wife Akuti. He controlled the period during the change of the Svayambhuva Manu and was assisted by demigods such as His son Yama. 13. The eighth incarnation was King Rsabha, son of King Nabhi and his wife Merudevi. In this incarnation the Lord showed the path of perfection, which is followed by those who have fully controlled their senses and who are honored by all orders of life. 14. O brahmanas, in the ninth incarnation, the Lord, prayed for by sages, accepted the body of a king [Prthu] who cultivated the land to yield various produces, and for that reason the earth was beautiful and attractive. 15. When there was a complete inundation after the period of the Caksusa Manu and the whole world was deep within water, the Lord accepted the form of a fish and protected Vaivasvata Manu, keeping him up on a boat. 16. The eleventh incarnation of the Lord took the form of a tortoise whose shell served as a pivot for the Mandaracala Hill, which was being used as a churning rod by the theists and atheists of the universe. 17. In the twelfth incarnation, the Lord appeared as Dhanvantari, and in the thirteenth He allured the atheists by the charming beauty of a woman and gave nectar to the demigods to drink. 18. In the fourteenth incarnation, the Lord appeared as Nrsimha and bifurcated the strong body of the atheist Hiranyakasipu with His nails, just as a carpenter pierces cane. 19. In the fifteenth incarnation, the Lord assumed the form of a dwarf-brahmana [Vamana] and visited the arena of sacrifice arranged by Maharaja Bali. Although at heart He was willing to regain the kingdom of the three planetary systems, He simply asked for a donation of three steps of land. 20. In the sixteenth incarnation of the Godhead, the Lord [as Bhrgupati] annihilated the administrative class [ksatriyas] twenty-one times, being angry with them because of their rebellion against the brahmanas [the intelligent class]. 21. Thereafter, in the seventeenth incarnation of Godhead, Sri Vyasadeva appeared in the womb of Satyavati through Parasara Muni, and he divided the one Veda into several branches and subbranches, seeing that the people in general were less intelligent. 22. In the eighteenth incarnation, the Lord appeared as King Rama. In order to perform some pleasing work for the demigods, He exhibited superhuman powers by controlling the Indian Ocean and then killing the atheist King Ravana, who was on the other side of the sea. 23. In the nineteenth and twentieth incarnations, the Lord advented Himself as Lord Balarama and Lord Krsna in the family of Vrsni [the Yadu dynasty], and by so doing He removed the burden of the world. 24. Then, in the beginning of Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Anjana, in the province of Gaya, just for the purpose of deluding those who are envious of the faithful theist. 25. Thereafter, at the conjunction of two yugas, the Lord of the creation will take His birth as the Kalki incarnation and become the son of Visnu Yasa. At this time the rulers of the earth will have degenerated into plunderers. 26. O brahmanas, the incarnations of the Lord are innumerable, like rivulets flowing from inexhaustible sources of water. 27. All the rsis, Manus, demigods and descendants of Manu, who are especially powerful, are plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord. This also includes the Prajapatis. 28. All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Sri Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists. 29. Whoever carefully recites the mysterious appearances of the Lord, with devotion in the morning and in the evening, gets relief from all miseries of life. 30. The conception of the virat universal form of the Lord, as appearing in the material world, is imaginary. It is to enable the less intelligent [and neophytes] to adjust to the idea of the Lord's having form. But factually the Lord has no material form. 31. Clouds and dust are carried by the air, but less intelligent persons say that the sky is cloudy and the air is dirty. Similarly, they also implant material bodily conceptions on the spirit self. 32. Beyond this gross conception of form is another, subtle conception of form which is without formal shape and is unseen, unheard and unmanifest. The living being has his form beyond this subtlety, otherwise he could not have repeated births. 33. Whenever a person experiences, by self-realization, that both the gross and subtle bodies have nothing to do with the pure self, at that time he sees himself as well as the Lord. 34. If the illusory energy subsides and the living entity becomes fully enriched with knowledge by the grace of the Lord, then he becomes at once enlightened with self-realization and thus becomes situated in his own glory. 35. Thus learned men describe the births and activities of the unborn and inactive, which is undiscoverable even in the Vedic literatures. He is the Lord of the heart. 36. The Lord, whose activities are always spotless, is the master of the six senses and is fully omnipotent with six opulences. He creates the manifested universes, maintains them and annihilates them without being in the least affected. He is within every living being and is always independent. 37. The foolish with a poor fund of knowledge cannot know the transcendental nature of the forms, names and activities of the Lord, who is playing like an actor in a drama. Nor can they express such things, neither in their speculations nor in their words. 38. Only those who render unreserved, uninterrupted, favorable service unto the lotus feet of Lord Krsna, who carries the wheel of the chariot in His hand, can know the creator of the universe in His full glory, power and transcendence. 39. Only by making such inquiries in this world can one be successful and perfectly cognizant, for such inquiries invoke transcendental ecstatic love unto the Personality of Godhead, who is the proprietor of all the universes, and guarantee cent-percent immunity from the dreadful repetition of birth and death. 40. This Srimad-Bhagavatam is the literary incarnation of God, and it is compiled by Srila Vyasadeva, the incarnation of God. It is meant for the ultimate good of all people, and it is all-successful, all-blissful and all-perfect. 41. Sri Vyasadeva delivered it to his son, who is the most respected among the self-realized, after extracting the cream of all Vedic literatures and histories of the universe. 42. Sukadeva Gosvami, the son of Vyasadeva, in his turn delivered the Bhagavatam to the great Emperor Pariksit, who sat surrounded by sages on the bank of the Ganges, awaiting death without taking food or drink. 43. This Bhagavata Purana is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Krsna to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this Purana. 44. O learned brahmanas, when Sukadeva Gosvami recited Bhagavatam there [in the presence of Emperor Pariksit], I heard him with rapt attention, and thus, by his mercy, I learned the Bhagavatam from that great and powerful sage. Now I shall try to make you hear the very same thing as I learned it from him and as I have realized it.

Actually, in the Sattvika puranas, there is no mention of the Lord drinking Hiranyasura's blood. And in any case, there is no relation (asaN^gataM) between Lord Narasimha's drinking blood and becoming deluded. The shruti (Mahanarayana Upanishad) says: sarvabhUtasthamekaM nArAyaNaM kAraNarUpaM shokamohavinirmuktaM viShNuM dhyAyan.h | shrIdadhAti... and thus rules out the possibility of Vishnu ever getting deluded (viShNormoha atyantAbhAvasya evAvedanAchcha). Moreover, that all the worlds were terrified of Lord Narasimha is also not correct. It is well known from the Gita verse 'paritrANAya sAdhUnAM vinAshaya cha duShkR^itAM' that the purpose of Vishnu's avataras is to protect the good and punish the wicked. Also, that Lord Narasimha was killed by Sharabha is also incorrect. The following lines in the nR^isimha-tApanIya Upanishad : eSha dehAnte tamasaH paramaM dhAma prApnuyAt.h | yatra virajo nR^isimho bhAsate tatra upAsate | tasadR^ishA munayaH talk of Lord Narasimha being located in 'paramaM dhAma' (Moksha sthAna: vaikuNTha, I guess). At the beginning of tApanIya Upanishad, in the line "kevalaM jyotirekamanAdyanantaM", Lord Narasimha is said to be devoid of a beginning and an end. (Where then is the question of his getting killed by Sharabha?) What more, that the Lord Narasimha killed Sharabha is told in many puranas. The Padma purana says: tau yudhyamAnau cha chiraM vegena balavattamau | na samaM jagmaturdevau nR^isiMhasharabhAkR^itI || tataH kR^iddho mahAkAyo nR^isiMho bhImavikramaH | sahasrakarajAnatra tasya gAtre nyaveshayat.h || patitaM bhImamatyugraM nR^isiMhaH sharabhaM ruShA | ** jaghAna nishitaistIxNaiH nakhairnakhavarAyudhaH || ** sharabhe tasmin.h raudre madhuniShUdanam.h | tuShTuvuH puNDarIkAxaM devA devarShayastathA || The highlighted lines convey that the Lord, using his nails, killed Sharabha. Vamana purana: nikR^itya bAhUrushirA vajrakalpamukhairnakhaiH | merupR^iShThe nR^isiMhena sharabhashchAtha so.apatat.h || Kurma purana: sa chaJNchupaJNchAnanamaShTapAdaM paxadvayADhyaM ghananIlagAtram.h | sphuranmahAtIvrasahasrahastaM sahasrashastraM sharabhasvarUpam.h || karadAdaya pratyekaM mukhaM chaJNchupuTadvayam.h | vidArya cha nR^isiMhastaM hiraNyakashipuM yathA || Agni purana: tataH kshaNena sharabho nAdapUritadiN^.hmukhaH | abhyAshamagamadviShNorvyanadadbhairavasvanam.h || sa tamabhyAgataM dR^iShTvA nR^isiMhaH sharabhaM ruShA | nakhairvidArayAmAsa hiraNyakashipuM yathA || All of them compare the Lord's killing Sharabha (using his nails) to the act of killing Hiranyakashyapa. More so, in the shruti 'hariM harantamanuyanti devAH | vishvasyeshAnaM vR^iShabhaM matInAM', Rudra (conveyed by the word 'IshAna') is said to be killed by Hari. The shruti's interpretation is thus: The shaShThi-vibhakti in vishasya should be taken in the prathamA-vibhakti. The Devas (vishvedevAH) follow that Hari, who destroys (harantaM) Rudra. It should not be said that the Devas follow that Rudra who destroys Hari. For, the Smriti: brahmaNamindraM rudraM cha yamaM varuNameva cha | nihatya harate yasmAttasmAddharirihochyate || (On the account of being the destroyer (nihatya harate yasmAt) of Brahma, Indra, Rudra, Yama and Varuna, he is called 'Hari') clarifies that the very word, Hari, indicates His being the destroyer and not the destroyed. A passage in the Taittariya Aranyaka starts with 'tasyendro vahmirUpeNa dhanurjyAmachChinatsvayam.h' (Indra in the form of Agni himself breaks the 'heart of his bow' into pieces) and concludes 'etadrudrasya dhanuH | rudrasyatveva dhanurArtniH shira utpipeSha | sa pravargyo.abhavat.h' (That bow belonged to Rudra. Since that belonged to Rudra, his 3 heads broke into pieces) and thus conveys an incident where Indra, powered by his antaryAmi Vishnu, severes the head of Rudra (thus establishing Vishnu's supremacy over Rudra). It should not be said that this anecdote does not refer to the well-known Rudra because the singers of Samaveda consider the Rudra with 3 heads and a bow as some other Yaksha and not the well known Rudra. As the above shruti (hariM harantaM) says, it is indeed the destruction of well known Rudra that is referred here. Though Indra is not capable of severing Rudra's head on his own powers, he was able to do that with help from Vishnu's discus and Vishnu Himself. There are pramANas to that effect. The latter portion of Kurma purana says raxitaM naiva shaknoShi svAtmAnamapi shaN^kara | yuddhe kiM jeShyasi tvaM mAM pUrvavR^ittaM mayochyate || yadA madbhaktashakrasya yaj~nadhvamsaH kR^itastvayA | tadA.ahaM te shirashChitvA tatkratU raxito mayA | tato mAM prArthayAmAsa manobhIShTAya pArvatI | tadA vai matprasAdena prANAn.h lebhe bhavAn.h shiva || (Vishnu says:) Hey Shankara, you are not capable of protecting even yourself. How can you win over me in a war? I shall recount an old account (pUrvavR^ittaM). You came to ruin the yajna performed by Indra. Then, I protected that Yajna, having got your head severed. Then, to obtain you back, Parvati prayed to me; after which, you got your life due to my grace. These words are told by Shiva to Parvati praising Vishnu. There is a upAkhyAna to this effect also (atredaM kilopAkhyAnam.h) In some kalpa, Indra without telling other gods, meditating upon Lord Narayana, started a sacrifice. Then the Gods sent Rudra to spoil that yajna. When Rudra created havoc there, Indra meditated upon the Lord. Then Vishnu's chakra beheaded Rudra. Later he was brought to life due to Parvati praying the Lord. This can be seen in Matsya and Narasimha puranas also. Therefore there is all evidence to say that Lord Narasimha is Parabrahma. Sarabha is nothing. shrI madhveshanR^isiMhArpaNamastu

Actually, in the Sattvika puranas, there is no mention of the Lord drinking Hiranyasura's blood. And in any case, there is no relation (asaN^gataM) between Lord Narasimha's drinking blood and becoming deluded. The shruti (Mahanarayana Upanishad) says: sarvabhUtasthamekaM nArAyaNaM kAraNarUpaM shokamohavinirmuktaM viShNuM dhyAyan.h | shrIdadhAti... and thus rules out the possibility of Vishnu ever getting deluded (viShNormoha atyantAbhAvasya evAvedanAchcha). Moreover, that all the worlds were terrified of Lord Narasimha is also not correct. It is well known from the Gita verse 'paritrANAya sAdhUnAM vinAshaya cha duShkR^itAM' that the purpose of Vishnu's avataras is to protect the good and punish the wicked. Also, that Lord Narasimha was killed by Sharabha is also incorrect. The following lines in the nR^isimha-tApanIya Upanishad : eSha dehAnte tamasaH paramaM dhAma prApnuyAt.h | yatra virajo nR^isimho bhAsate tatra upAsate | tasadR^ishA munayaH talk of Lord Narasimha being located in 'paramaM dhAma' (Moksha sthAna: vaikuNTha, I guess). At the beginning of tApanIya Upanishad, in the line "kevalaM jyotirekamanAdyanantaM", Lord Narasimha is said to be devoid of a beginning and an end. (Where then is the question of his getting killed by Sharabha?) What more, that the Lord Narasimha killed Sharabha is told in many puranas. The Padma purana says: tau yudhyamAnau cha chiraM vegena balavattamau | na samaM jagmaturdevau nR^isiMhasharabhAkR^itI || tataH kR^iddho mahAkAyo nR^isiMho bhImavikramaH | sahasrakarajAnatra tasya gAtre nyaveshayat.h || patitaM bhImamatyugraM nR^isiMhaH sharabhaM ruShA | ** jaghAna nishitaistIxNaiH nakhairnakhavarAyudhaH || ** sharabhe tasmin.h raudre madhuniShUdanam.h | tuShTuvuH puNDarIkAxaM devA devarShayastathA || The highlighted lines convey that the Lord, using his nails, killed Sharabha. Vamana purana: nikR^itya bAhUrushirA vajrakalpamukhairnakhaiH | merupR^iShThe nR^isiMhena sharabhashchAtha so.apatat.h || Kurma purana: sa chaJNchupaJNchAnanamaShTapAdaM paxadvayADhyaM ghananIlagAtram.h | sphuranmahAtIvrasahasrahastaM sahasrashastraM sharabhasvarUpam.h || karadAdaya pratyekaM mukhaM chaJNchupuTadvayam.h | vidArya cha nR^isiMhastaM hiraNyakashipuM yathA || Agni purana: tataH kshaNena sharabho nAdapUritadiN^.hmukhaH | abhyAshamagamadviShNorvyanadadbhairavasvanam.h || sa tamabhyAgataM dR^iShTvA nR^isiMhaH sharabhaM ruShA | nakhairvidArayAmAsa hiraNyakashipuM yathA || All of them compare the Lord's killing Sharabha (using his nails) to the act of killing Hiranyakashyapa. More so, in the shruti 'hariM harantamanuyanti devAH | vishvasyeshAnaM vR^iShabhaM matInAM', Rudra (conveyed by the word 'IshAna') is said to be killed by Hari. The shruti's interpretation is thus: The shaShThi-vibhakti in vishasya should be taken in the prathamA-vibhakti. The Devas (vishvedevAH) follow that Hari, who destroys (harantaM) Rudra. It should not be said that the Devas follow that Rudra who destroys Hari. For, the Smriti: brahmaNamindraM rudraM cha yamaM varuNameva cha | nihatya harate yasmAttasmAddharirihochyate || (On the account of being the destroyer (nihatya harate yasmAt) of Brahma, Indra, Rudra, Yama and Varuna, he is called 'Hari') clarifies that the very word, Hari, indicates His being the destroyer and not the destroyed. A passage in the Taittariya Aranyaka starts with 'tasyendro vahmirUpeNa dhanurjyAmachChinatsvayam.h' (Indra in the form of Agni himself breaks the 'heart of his bow' into pieces) and concludes 'etadrudrasya dhanuH | rudrasyatveva dhanurArtniH shira utpipeSha | sa pravargyo.abhavat.h' (That bow belonged to Rudra. Since that belonged to Rudra, his 3 heads broke into pieces) and thus conveys an incident where Indra, powered by his antaryAmi Vishnu, severes the head of Rudra (thus establishing Vishnu's supremacy over Rudra). It should not be said that this anecdote does not refer to the well-known Rudra because the singers of Samaveda consider the Rudra with 3 heads and a bow as some other Yaksha and not the well known Rudra. As the above shruti (hariM harantaM) says, it is indeed the destruction of well known Rudra that is referred here. Though Indra is not capable of severing Rudra's head on his own powers, he was able to do that with help from Vishnu's discus and Vishnu Himself. There are pramANas to that effect. The latter portion of Kurma purana says raxitaM naiva shaknoShi svAtmAnamapi shaN^kara | yuddhe kiM jeShyasi tvaM mAM pUrvavR^ittaM mayochyate || yadA madbhaktashakrasya yaj~nadhvamsaH kR^itastvayA | tadA.ahaM te shirashChitvA tatkratU raxito mayA | tato mAM prArthayAmAsa manobhIShTAya pArvatI | tadA vai matprasAdena prANAn.h lebhe bhavAn.h shiva || (Vishnu says:) Hey Shankara, you are not capable of protecting even yourself. How can you win over me in a war? I shall recount an old account (pUrvavR^ittaM). You came to ruin the yajna performed by Indra. Then, I protected that Yajna, having got your head severed. Then, to obtain you back, Parvati prayed to me; after which, you got your life due to my grace. These words are told by Shiva to Parvati praising Vishnu. There is a upAkhyAna to this effect also (atredaM kilopAkhyAnam.h) In some kalpa, Indra without telling other gods, meditating upon Lord Narayana, started a sacrifice. Then the Gods sent Rudra to spoil that yajna. When Rudra created havoc there, Indra meditated upon the Lord. Then Vishnu's chakra beheaded Rudra. Later he was brought to life due to Parvati praying the Lord. This can be seen in Matsya and Narasimha puranas also. Therefore there is all evidence to say that Lord Narasimha is Parabrahma. Sarabha is nothing. shrI madhveshanR^isiMhArpaNamastu

Teachings of the Vedas By His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada -- (Delivered as a lecture by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on October 6, 1969, at Conway Hall, London, England.) Ladies and gentlemen, today's subject matter is the teachings of the Vedas. What are the Vedas? The Sanskrit verbal root of veda can be interpreted variously, but the purport is finally one. Veda means knowledge. Any knowledge you accept is veda, for the teachings of the Vedas are the original knowledge. In the conditioned state, our knowledge is subjected to many deficiencies. The difference between a conditioned soul and a liberated soul is that - the conditioned soul has four kinds of defects. The first defect is that he must commit mistakes. For example, in our country, Mahatma Gandhi was con sidered to be a very great personality, but he committed many mistakes. Even at the last stage `of his life, his assistant warned, "Mahatma Gandhi, don't go to the New Delhi meeting. I have some friends, and I have heard there is danger." But he did not - hear. He persisted in going and was killed. Even great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, President Kennedy-there are so many of them - make mistakes. To err is human. This is one defect of the conditioned soul. Another defect: to be illusioned. Illusion means to accept something which is not: maya. Maya means "what is not." Everyone is accepting the body as the self. If I ask you what you are, you will say, "I am Mr. John; I am a rich man; I am this; I am that." All these are bodily identifications. But you are not this body. This is illusion. The third defect is the cheating propensity. Everyone has the propensity to cheat others. Although a person is fool number one, he poses himself as very intelligent. Although it is already pointed out that he is in illusion and makes mistakes, he will theorize: "I think this is this, this is this." But he does not even know his own position. He writes books of philosophy, although he is defective. That is his disease. T hat is cheating. Lastly, our senses are imperfect. We are very proud of our eyes. Often, someone will challenge, "Can you show me God?" But do you have the eyes to see God? You will never see if you haven't the eyes. If immediately the room becomes dark, you cannot even see your hands. So what power do you have to see? We cannot, therefore, expect knowledge (veda) with these imperfect senses. With all these deficiencies, in conditioned life we cannot give perfect knowledge to anyone. Nor are we ourselves perfect. Therefore we accept the Vedas as they are. You may call the Vedas Hindu, but "Hindu" is a foreign name. We are not Hindus. Our real identification is varnasrama. Varnasrama denotes the followers of the Vedas, those who accept the human society in eight divisions of varna and asrama. There are four divisions of society and four divisions of spiritual life. This is called varnasrama. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita [4.13], "These divisions are every where because they are created by God." The divisions of society are brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. Brahmana refers to the very intelligent class of men, those who know what is Brahman. Similarly, the ksatriyas, the administrator group, are the next intelligent class of men. Then the vaisyas, the mercantile group. These natural classifications are found everywhere. This is the Vedic principle, and we accept it. Vedic principles are accepted as axiomatic truth, for there cannot be any mistake. That is acceptance. For instance, in India cow dung is accepted as pure, and yet cow dung is the stool of an animal. In one place you'll find the Vedic injunction that if you touch stool, you have to take a bath immediately. But in another place it is said that the stool of a cow is pure. If you smear cow dung in an impure place, that place becomes pure. With our ordinary sense we can argue, "This is contradictory." Actually, it is contradictory from the ordinary point of view, but it is not false. It is fact. In Calcutta, a very prominent scientist and doctor analyzed cow dung and found that it contains all antiseptic properties. In India if one person tells another, "You must do this," the other party may say, "What do you mean? Is this a Vedic injunction, that I have to follow you without any argument?" Vedic injunctions cannot be interpreted. But ultimately, if you carefully study why these injunctions are there, you will find that they are all correct. The Vedas are not compilations of human knowledge. Vedic knowledge comes from the spiritual world, from Lord Krsna Another name for the Vedas is sruti. Sruti refers to that knowledge which is acquired by hearing. It is not experimental knowledge. Sruti is considered to be like a mother. We take so much knowledge from our mother. For example, if you want to know who your father is, who can answer you? Your mother. If the mother says, "Here is your father," you have to accept it. It is not possible to experiment to find out whether he is your father. Similarly, if you want to know something beyond your experience, beyond your experimental knowledge, beyond the activities of the senses, then you have to accept the Vedas. There is no question of experimenting. It has already been experimented. It is already settled. The version of the mother, for instance, has to be accepted as truth. There is no other way. The Vedas are considered to be the mother, and Brahma is called the grandfather, the forefather, because he was the first to be instructed in the Vedic knowledge. In the beginning the first living creature was Brahma. He received this Vedic knowledge and imparted it to Narada and other disciples and sons, and they also distributed it to their disciples. In this way, the Vedic knowledge comes down by disciplic succession. It is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that Vedic knowledge is understood in this way. If you make experimental endeavor, you come to the same conclusion, but just to save time you should accept. If you want to know who your father is and if you accept your mother as the authority, then whatever she says can be accepted without argument. There are three kinds of evidence: pratyaksa, anumana and sabda. Pratyaksa means "direct evidence." Direct evidence is not very good because our senses are not perfect. We are seeing the sun daily, and it appears to us just like a small disc, but it is actually far, far larger than many planets. Of what value is this seeing? Therefore we have to read books; then we can understand about the sun. So direct experience is not perfect. Then there is an anumana, inductive knowledge: "It may be like this"-hypothesis. For instance, Darwin's theory says it may be like this, it may be like that. But that is not science. That is a suggestion, and it is also not perfect. But if you receive the knowledge from the authoritative sources, that is perfect. If you receive a program guide from the radio station authorities, you accept it. You don't deny it; you don't have to make an experiment, because it is received from the authoritative sources. Vedic knowledge is called sabda-pramana. An other name is sruti. Sruti means that this knowledge has to be received simply by aural reception. The Vedas instruct that in order to understand transcendental knowledge, we have to hear from the authority. Transcendental knowledge is knowledge from beyond this universe. Within this universe is material knowledge, and beyond this universe is transcendental knowledge. We cannot even go to the end of the universe, so how can we go to the spiritual world? Thus to acquire full knowledge is impossible. There is a spiritual sky. There is another nature, which is beyond manifestation and nonmanifestation. But how will you know that there is a sky where the planets and inhabitants are eternal? All this knowledge is there, but how will you make experiments? It is not possible. Therefore you have to take the assistance of the Vedas. This is called Vedic knowledge. In our Krsna consciousness movement we are accepting knowledge from the highest authority, Krsna. Krsna is accepted as the highest authority by all classes of men. I am speaking first of the two classes of transcendentalists. One class of transcendentalists is called impersonalistic, Mayavadi. They are gener ally known as Vedantists, led by Sankaracarya. And there is another class of transcendentalists, called Vaisnavas, like Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnu svami. Both the Sankara-sampradaya and the Vaisnava-sampradaya have accepted Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sankaracarya is supposed to be an impersonalist who preached impersonalism, impersonal Brahman, but it is a fact that he is a covered personalist. In his commentary on the Bhagavad-gita he wrote, "Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond this cosmic manifestation." And then again he confirmed, "That Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, is Krsna. He has come as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva." He particularly mentioned the names of His father and mother. So Krsna is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by all transcendentalists. There is no doubt about it. Our source of knowledge in Krsna consciousness is the Bhagavad-gita, which comes directly from Krsna. We have published the Bhagavad-gita As It Is because we accept Krsna as He is speaking, without any interpretation. That is Vedic knowledge. Since the Vedic knowledge is pure, we accept it. Whatever Krsna says, we accept. This is Krsna consciousness. That saves much time. If you accept the right authority, or source of knowledge, then you save much time. For example, there are two systems of knowledge in the material world: inductive and deductive. From deductive, you accept that man is mortal. Your father says man is mortal, - your sister says man is mortal, everyone says man is mortal-but you do not experiment. You accept it as a fact that man is mortal. If you want to research to find out whether man is mortal, you have to study each and every man, and you may come to think that there may be some man who is not dying but you have not seen him yet. So in this way your research will never be finished. In Sanskrit this process is called aroha, the ascending process. If you want to attain knowledge by any personal endeavor, by exercising your imperfect senses, you will never come to the right conclusions. That is not possible. There is a statement in the Brahma-samhita: Just ride on the airplane which runs at the speed of mind. Our material airplanes can run two thousand miles per hour, but what is the speed of mind? You are sitting at home, you immediately think of India - say, ten thousand miles away - and at once it is in your home. Your mind has gone there. The mindspeed is so swift. Therefore it is stated, "If you travel at this speed for millions of years, you'll find that the spiritual sky is unlimited." It is not possible even to approach it. Therefore, the Vedic injunction is that - one must approach-the word--compulsory" is used-a bona fide spiritual master, a guru. And what is the qualification of a spiritual master? He is one who has rightly heard the Vedic message from the right source. And he must practically be firmly established in Brahman. These are the two qualities. Otherwise he is not bona fide. This Krsna consciousness movement is completely authorized from Vedic principles. In the Bhagavad- gita Krsna says, "The actual aim of Vedic research is to find out Krsna. " In the Brahma-samhita it is also stated, "Krsna, Govinda, has innumerable forms, but they are all one." They are not like our forms, which are fallible. His form is infallible. My form has a beginning, but His form has no beginning. It is ananta. And His form-so many multiforms-has no end. My form is sitting here and not in my apartment. You are sitting there and not in your apartment. But Krsna can be everywhere at one time. He can sit down in Goloka Vrndavana, and at the same time He is everywhere, all-pervading. He is original, the oldest, but whenever you look at a picture of Krsna you'll find a young boy fifteen or twenty years old. You will never find an old man. You have seen pictures of Krsna as a charioteer from the Bhagavad- gita. At that time He was not less than one hundred years old. He had great-grandchildren, but He looked just like a boy. Krsna, God, never becomes old. That is His supreme power. And if you want to search out Krsna by studying the Vedic literature, then you will be baffled. It may be possible, but it is very difficult. But you can very easily learn about Him from His devotee. His devotee can deliver Him to you: "Here He is, take Him." That is the potency of Krsna's devotees. Originally there was only one Veda, and there was no necessity of reading it. People were so intelligent and had such sharp memories that by once hearing from the lips of the spiritual master they would understand. They would immediately grasp the whole purport. But five thousand years ago Vyasadeva put the Vedas in writing for the people in this age, Kali yuga. He knew that eventually the people would be short-lived, their memories would be very poor, and their intelligence would not be very sharp. "Therefore, let me teach this Vedic knowledge in writing." He divided the Vedas into four: Rg, Sama, Atharva and Yajur. Then he gave the charge of these Vedas to his different disciples. He then thought of the less intelligent class of men-stri, sudra and dvija- bandhu. He considered the woman class and sudra class (worker class) and dvija-bandhu. Dvija-bandhu refers to those who are born in a high family but who are not properly qualified. A man who is born in the family of a brahmana but is not qualified as a brahmana is called dvija-bandhu. For these persons he compiled the Mahabharata, called the history of India, and the eighteen Puranas. These are all part of the Vedic literature: the Puranas, the Mahabharata, the four Vedas and the Upanisads. The Upanisads are part of the Vedas. Then Vyasadeva summarized all Vedic knowledge for scholars and philosophers in what is called the Vedanta-sutra. This is the last word of the Vedas. Vyasadeva personally wrote the Vedanta-sutra under the instructions of Narada, his Guru Maharaja (spiritual master), but still he was not satisfied. That is a long story, described in Srimad Bhagavatam. Vedavyasa was not very satisfied even after compiling many Puranas and Upanisads, and even after writing the Vedanta-sutra. Then his spiritual master, Narada, instructed him, "You explain the Vedanta sutra." Vedanta means "ultimate knowledge," and the ultimate knowledge is Krsna. Krsna says that throughout all the Vedas one has to understand Him: vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham. Krsna says, "I am the compiler of the Vedanta-sutra, and I am the knower of the Vedas." Therefore the ultimate objective is Krsna. That is explained in all the Vaisnava commentaries on Vedanta philosophy. We Gaudiya Vaisnavas have our commentary on Vedanta philosophy, called Govindabhasya, by Baladeva Vidyabhusana. similarly, Ramanujacarya has a commentary, and Madhvacarya has one. The version of Sankaracarya is not the only commentary. There are many Vedanta commentaries, but because the Vaisnavas did not present the first Vedanta commentary, people are under the wrong impression that Sankaracarya's is the only Vedanta commentary. Be sides that, Vyasadeva himself wrote the perfect Vedanta commentary, Srimad Bhagavatam. Srimad Bhagavatam begins with the first words of the Vedanta-sutra:janmady asya yatah.. And that janmady asya yatah is fully explained in Srimad Bhagavatam. The Vedanta-sutra simply hints at what is Brahman, the Absolute Truth: "The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything emanates." This is a summary, but it is explained in detail in Srimad Bhagavatam. If everything is emanating from the Absolute Truth, then what is the nature of the Absolute Truth? That is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Absolute Truth must be consciousness. He is self-effulgent (sva-rat). We develop our consciousness and knowledge by receiving knowledge from others, but for Him it is said that He is self-effulgent. The whole summary of Vedic knowledge is the Vedanta-sutra, and the Vedanta-sutra is explained by the writer himself in Srimad-Bhagavatam. We finally request those who are actually after Vedic knowledge to try to understand the explanation of all Vedic knowledge from Srimad-Bhagavatam and the Bhagavad-gita.

Questions by the Sages to Srila Sukhdev goswami 1. O my Lord, Sri Krsna, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Sri Krsna because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmaji, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Sri Krsna, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth. 2. Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhagavata Purana propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhagavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyasadeva [in his maturity], is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhagavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart. 3. O expert and thoughtful men, relish Srimad-Bhagavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Sri Sukadeva Gosvami. Therefore this fruit has become even more tasteful, although its nectarean juice was already relishable for all, including liberated souls. 4. Once, in a holy place in the forest of Naimisaranya, great sages headed by the sage Saunaka assembled to perform a great thousand-year sacrifice for the satisfaction of the Lord and His devotees. 5. One day, after finishing their morning duties by burning a sacrificial fire and offering a seat of esteem to Srila Suta Gosvami, the great sages made inquiries, with great respect, about the following matters. 6. The sages said: Respected Suta Gosvami, you are completely free from all vice. You are well versed in all the scriptures famous for religious life, and in the Puranas and the histories as well, for you have gone through them under proper guidance and have also explained them. 7. Being the eldest learned Vedantist, O Suta Gosvami, you are acquainted with the knowledge of Vyasadeva, who is the incarnation of Godhead, and you also know other sages who are fully versed in all kinds of physical and metaphysical knowledge. 8. And because you are submissive, your spiritual masters have endowed you with all the favors bestowed upon a gentle disciple. Therefore you can tell us all that you have scientifically learned from them. 9. Please, therefore, being blessed with many years, explain to us, in an easily understandable way, what you have ascertained to be the absolute and ultimate good for the people in general. 10. O learned one, in this iron age of Kali men have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed. 11. There are many varieties of scriptures, and in all of them there are many prescribed duties, which can be learned only after many years of study in their various divisions. Therefore, O sage, please select the essence of all these scriptures and explain it for the good of all living beings, that by such instruction their hearts may be fully satisfied. 12. All blessings upon you, O Suta Gosvami. You know for what purpose the Personality of Godhead appeared in the womb of Devaki as the son of Vasudeva. 13. O Suta Gosvami, we are eager to learn about the Personality of Godhead and His incarnations. Please explain to us those teachings imparted by previous masters [acaryas], for one is uplifted both by speaking them and by hearing them. 14. Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Krsna, which is feared by fear personified. 15. O Suta, those great sages who have completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord can at once sanctify those who come in touch with them, whereas the waters of the Ganges can sanctify only after prolonged use. 16. Who is there, desiring deliverance from the vices of the age of quarrel, who is not willing to hear the virtuous glories of the Lord? 17. His transcendental acts are magnificent and gracious, and great learned sages like Narada sing of them. Please, therefore, speak to us, who are eager to hear about the adventures He performs in His various incarnations. 18. O wise Suta, please narrate to us the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Godhead's multi-incarnations. Such auspicious adventures and pastimes of the Lord, the supreme controller, are performed by His internal powers. 19. We never tire of hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Personality of Godhead, who is glorified by hymns and prayers. Those who have developed a taste for transcendental relationships with Him relish hearing of His pastimes at every moment. 20. Lord Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, along with Balarama, played like a human being, and so masked He performed many superhuman acts. 21. Knowing well that the age of Kali has already begun, we are assembled here in this holy place to hear at great length the transcendental message of Godhead and in this way perform sacrifice. 22. We think that we have met Your Goodness by the will of providence, just so that we may accept you as captain of the ship for those who desire to cross the difficult ocean of Kali, which deteriorates all the good qualities of a human being. 23. Since Sri Krsna, the Absolute Truth, the master of all mystic powers, has departed for His own abode, please tell us to whom the religious principles have now gone for shelter.

Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha (1460-1539) -- a short sketch Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha is probably the scholar of Tattvavaada held in highest esteem next to Sri Jayatiirtha. His work has been to write detailed commentaries on the works of Srimad Ananda Tiirtha and Sri Jayatiirtha, and to show Tattvavaada as being placed on a firm logical footing; his work is considered to be of the highest significance, particularly because it is accepted even by his opponents that his understanding of their schools is second to none. Thus, there is no possibility of claiming Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha's critiques to be invalid on account of his having misstated the positions he wishes to criticize. Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha also keeps a tempo that is hard for the less skilled to even conceive of, let alone match. His logic is exceptionally hard to beat, because of his uncanny knack of knowing exactly what the opponent is going to say, and using this information to lead the opponent on to traps of logic that are dozens of steps deep, and impossible to work through or around. One feels that while one gropes in the dark and tries to guess where one is and struggles to find one's way, Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha not only knows one's present position to a nicety, he also knows all the possible ways one might proceed, in advance of oneself, and has a proper plan of action already planned out for any further move one might make. Thus, holding one's own in a debate with Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha is very similar to making one's way across a field laid with mines; one does not know where to put one's foot next, and very often, even a secure retreat to a former safe position is impossible, after one has taken a few steps down in hopes of making progress. In summation, it is hardly a stretch to say that Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha is the very personification of mastery of skill in dialogue and debate, that every logician and philosopher wishes to be. In addition to his pellucid and luminescent writings, Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha is also known for the influence he had on the Vijayanagara empire, especially for the fact that it was under his tutelage that it had its heyday, and produced its greatest ruler. Perhaps even more importantly, it is noted that he was responsible for providing a healthy atmosphere in which the Hari-daasa tradition could sprout and flourish; he disregarded all highbrow disapprobation of the lower castes, as he showed by his acceptance of the low-caste Kanaka Daasa as a shishya, on par with his other students, and by his even arranging to prove to them that Kanaka Daasa was a greater devotee than any of them. An inauthentic biography of Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha can be found in the work Vyaasayogicharita, by the Smaarta poet Somanatha (Bangalore, 1926). This is a champu kaavya ("A kind of elaborate and highly artificial composition in which the same subject is continued through alterations in prose and verse" -- from Apte's dictionary) which two was first presented by the poet in Krishnadevaraaya's court using two reciters. The work however makes significant digressions from Tattvavaada, for instance when at the very outset, it names Balaraama as one of the avatars of Vishnu. However, the fact that such a work was even written by an adherent of another doctrine is an indicator of Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha's popularity even among his opponents. An authentic biography of Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha is the one by his immediate disciple Sri Srinivasa Tiirtha. Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha was born around 1460 in Bannur which is in the Mysore district in the modern Karnataka state. He and his brother and sister were born as a result of the blessings of Brahmanya Tiirtha, and the young Yatiraaja (the future Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha) was presented to Brahmanya Tiirtha after he had completed the a comprehensive study of subjects like kaavya, naaTaka, alankaara, and vyaakaraNa. Having been impressed with the young Yatiraaja's quick mind and great aptitude for learning, Brahmanya Tiirtha secretly meditated to ordain him into the sanyaasa order. Yatiraaja, though respectful of his Guru, had his doubts about receiving such diiksha, and finally consented after receiving a vision in which Vishnu Himself instructed him not to try to avert his destiny. Shortly after Yatiraaja's ordination as Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha, Sri Brahmanya Tiirtha passed on. Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha left for Kanchi after his succession to the piiTha and spent many years there studying the six systems of philosophy, and thus gave the finishing touches to his mastery of subjects like Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, and Navya-Nyaaya, in addition to Tattvavaada. After Kanchi, he continued his studies at Mulbagal which was the seat of Sripadaraja and a hub for learning like Kanchi. There he studied Vedanta for about five to six years. Around this time, he distinguished himself at the court of Saluva Narasimha at Chandragiri by winning several debates against renowned opponents. During this time he was entrusted the worship of Lord Srinivasa at Tirupati, a task that he performed for twelve years, from 1486-1498. Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha left for Vijayanagara after persistent invitations by its royalty and ministers, and stayed there for the major part of the rest of his life. Among the several debates he had at Vijayanagara, a notable one is that with Basava Bhatta of Kalinga which lasted for thirty days, before Basava Bhatta lost comprehensively. However the 'golden period' of Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha's life started after Krishnadevaraya ascended the throne of Vijayanagara, for what were the one-and-twenty greatest years of the kingdom's history. Krishnadevaraya had a lot of regard for Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha, as is evident from the historical evidence that shows Krishnadevaraya regarded Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha as his Kuladevata, as well as from several honorific references in the writings of Krishnadevaraya. Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha is responsible for the continuation of the high regard and recognition earned by the system started by Srimad Ananda Tiirtha. He has been respected by many scholars from other schools, including the likes of Appaya Dikshita, Pakshadhara Mishra, Madhusuudana Sarasvati, and Basava Bhatta. He is known for his warm-heartedness and sympathy even toward proponents of other systems of philosophy, while being a staunch Maadhva himself. In fact, his elucidation of the principles of Advaita and Vishishtaadvaita were so outstanding that he even had pupils of these doctrines, who learned those from him in preference to learning it from a guru in their own tradition. Among his nine major works, his most important ones are Nyaayaamrta, TarkataaNDava, and Chandrika, collectively known as Vyaasa-Traya. In his magnum opus Nyaayaamrta, he justifies the philosophy of Tattvavaada and shows that Monism is untenable on every ground, and that the reality of the world cannot be rejected, compromised, or diluted for any reason -- physical, rational, or spiritual. The TarkataaNDava is a refutation of the principles of Nyaaya-Vaisheshika. Taatparya-Chandrika, or Chandrika as it is known for short, is a commentary on Sri Jayatiirtha's Tattvaprakaashikaa and deals with the Suutra-Prasthaana of Tattvavaada. It is, in fact, a significant contribution to the literature on the analysis of the Brahma-Suutra, because it makes an in-depth comparative study of the Bhaashyas of Shankara, Raamaanuja, and Ananda Tiirtha. He has composed beautiful devotional songs in Kannada, thus contributing significantly to the Daasa-saahitya. He was also the Guru of Purandara Daasa and Kanaka Daasa, two outstanding luminaries of the Hari-Daasa tradition, the former also the founder of modern Karnataka music, and is probably the greatest singer-saint in history. He cast off his mortal body on the 8th of March, 1539. His Brndaavana is at Nava-Vrndavana, which is located on an island in the Tungabhadra river, near Anegondi, very close to Hampi. Here, in the company of eight other eminent Maadhva ascetics, he continues to meditate, and to bless devotees with true knowledge.

God-The Only Being God is the Absolute or the Purushottama. He is perfect. He is Sat-Chit-Ananda. He is infinite, eternal, omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. He has all the auspicious qualities also. The Sruti texts which say that He has no attributes, mean only that He has not the ordinary qualities. God is real. There is no other reality besides Him. He is the only Being. He is the source for this universe and all souls. He is the first cause and the only cause. God is the material as well as the efficient cause of the universe. He creates the world by the mere force of His Will. Brahman manifests Himself, of His own Will, as the universe and the individual souls, but He does not undergo any change in His essential nature. Things come out of the Akshara (Sat-Chit-Ananda), like sparks from fire. Brahman is the Creator of the world. He is also the world itself. God is personified as Krishna (in Bhagavath Gita its clearly specified), when He possesses the qualities of wisdom and action. He appears in various forms to please His devotees. The World Of Nature And The World Of False Relations Creation is manifestation of Brahman. The universe is the effect of Brahman. The universe is as eternal and real as Brahman Himself. The inanimate universe is filled with Brahman. The world is not an illusory appearance. It is not different from Brahman in essence. Jagat is the world of Nature. It is not illusory. It is real. It is God Himself in one form. But, the Samsara or temporal involvement is illusory. This is created by the soul around its ‘I-ness’ and ‘mine-ness’. The separation from God on account of egoism makes the soul forget its original, true, divine nature. Samsara is a product of the soul’s imagination and action which play round its ‘I-ness’ and ‘mine-ness’. On account of its selfishness, it puts itself in wrong relations with other souls and with the objective universe. It creates a web of its own and gets itself entangled in it. This is an illusion, because the web has no reality. This Samsara, the world of false relations created by the soul, is alone Maya. Samsara or Maya rises because the soul, which is not apart from God, tries to set itself up as an independent reality or entity in its own right. The self which is something apart from God is illusory. Its body is illusory and its world also is illusory. All this is Samsara. It is very different from the world of Nature. Jiva And Brahman Analogy of the Spark and the Fire The Jivas are not effects. They are Amsas or parts of God. They issue from Him spontaneously as sparks from fire. Brahman is the whole. The Jiva or the individual soul is part; but, there is no real difference between Brahman and the individual soul, because the individual soul is of identical essence with Brahman.(According to Ramanuja, the parts are really different from the whole.) The soul is one with Brahman. It is as real and eternal as Brahman. The individual soul is not Brahman screened by the veil of Avidya. It is itself Brahman, with the attribute ‘bliss’ being obscured or suppressed. Ananda or bliss is suppressed or obscured in the individual soul. Ananda and consciousness are suppressed or obscured in matter or the inanimate world. When the soul attains bliss, and the inanimate world attains both consciousness and bliss, the difference between Brahman and these vanishes. The soul is both a doer and an enjoyer. It is atomic in size, but it pervades the whole body by its quality of intelligence, just as sandalwood pervades even the places where it does not exist by its sweet fragrance and just as a lamp, though confined only to a part of a room, illuminates the whole room. Classification Of Souls There are three kinds of souls: (i) The pure (Suddha) Jivas. The divine qualities (Aisvarya) are not obscured in these souls by ignorance. (ii) The worldly Jivas (Samsarin). These souls are caught in the net or clutches of Avidya or ignorance. They experience births and deaths on account of their connection with gross and subtle bodies. (iii) Mukta Jivas or liberated souls. These souls are freed from the bonds of Samsara through Vidya or Knowledge. When the soul attains the final emancipation, it recovers its suppressed qualities and becomes one with God or Brahman. The world appears as Brahman to one who has realised the Truth or Brahman. There is another classification of souls, viz., Pushti souls, Maryada souls and Pravahika souls. All these are different from one another in their origin, nature and final end. They all issue from God with their differences. The Pushti souls are the highest, as they issue from the Ananda-Kaya or the bliss-body of God. These souls are the Amsa (parts) of His body. God is the Amsi (the whole). These are the souls of grace. They have the divine seed in them which bears fruit in the end. They ultimately reach the goal through the grace of the Lord. They have communion and fellowship with Lord Krishna. They develop Bhakti through the grace of the Lord. Bhakti is the means and the end in itself. The Maryada souls are generated from the Vak or the Word of God. They are governed by law, not by grace. They perform their ritualistic duties, at first with selfish interests. Later on, they develop Nishkama-Bhava (unselfish attitude) and do their ritualistic routine without any self-interest. This purifies their mind. They reach the Akshara, which is a kind of vestibule to the abode of God. Afterwards they attain the supreme abode of God. The Pravahika souls issue from the mind of God. They are the Samsaric Jivas. They are souls neither of grace nor of law. They are in continuous motion (Pravaha). These three kinds of souls have further sub-divisions and cross-divisions into Pushti-Pushti, Pushti-Maryada, Pushti-Pravahika, Maryada-Maryada, Maryada-Pushti, Maryada-Pravahika, Pravahika-Pravahika, Pravahika-Pushti and Pravahika-Maryada. The Way Of Grace The way of life and salvation, preached by Vallabha is called Pushti Marga. The soul of man has become weak and lean on account of sin. It is, therefore, in dire need of the grace of God for its upliftment and emancipation. God’s grace gives Pushti (nourishment) and Poshana (strength); and hence the name Pushti Marga or the Way of Grace. The individual soul can attain the final emancipation only through the grace of God. Bhakti is the chief means of salvation. Jnana is useful. Maha Pushti or the highest grace removes great obstacles and helps in the attainment of God. The Bhakti generated by special grace is known as Pushti Bhakti. The Four Kinds of Bhakti This Pushti-Bhakti is of four kinds: (i) Pravaha Pushti-Bhakti, (ii) Maryada Pushti-Bhakti, (iii) Pushti Pushti-Bhakti and (iv) Suddha Pushti-Bhakti. Pravaha Bhakti is the path of those who while leading the worldly life, perform works which will lead to the attainment of God-realisation. Worldly life is compared to the flow of a river (Pravaha). Maryada Bhakti is the path of those who are rendered fit to attain knowledge which is useful for worship, through the grace of the Lord. They know all about the ways of God. They depend upon their own efforts to obtain knowledge. In Pushti Bhakti, the devotees lead a life of self-restraint. They hear discourses about the Lord. They do Kirtana and sing His Name. They do Japa of Mantra. Suddha Pushti-Bhakti or the Purest Type of Devotion In Suddha Pushti-Bhakti, the devotees do Kirtana and sing the Lord’s Name. They praise God. They develop a strong passion for doing these. This kind of devotion is generated by the Lord Himself. The Lord’s grace descends on the devotees. Then they develop a liking for God. This liking grows into Prema Bhakti (taste for God). The devotees acquire knowledge about God. Then they get attachment to God (Asakti). Then they develop a strong passion for attaining God. This is the ripe condition of love and Asakti. It is called Vyasana. This strong passion, or Vyasana, leads to the attainment of the highest bliss, the summum bonum or the end. When love for Sri Krishna becomes intense, the devotee sees Lord Krishna everywhere. Hence everything becomes an object of love for him. He identifies himself with everything. The Gopis had this experience. They saw Krishna everywhere. They saw themselves also as Krishna. This is Para Bhakti or supreme devotion which becomes akin to the knowledge or Brahman-Jnana of the Vedantins or Jnanins. The inner and outer world is full of Krishna or Purushottama for such devotees. The fruit of this devotion is admission to the eternal sports or Lilas of Sri Krishna. The supreme goal is not Mukti or emancipation. The highest goal is eternal service of Lord Krishna and participation in His sports in the celestial Vrindavana. Those who have developed Vyasana, or strong passion for God, reject with scorn the four kinds of Mukti. The Maryada-Bhaktas attain Sayujya Mukti, i.e., they become one with Sri Krishna. The Pushti-Bhaktas reject Mukti and take part in the sports or Lilas of Sri Krishna. They choose with intense delight the eternal service of Sri Krishna. The Bhaktas assume the forms of cows, birds, trees and rivers and enjoy the company of Sri Krishna, which bestows infinite joy. These sports are similar to those which Sri Krishna did in Vraja and Vrindavana. Some of the devotees become Gopas and Gopis and join the sports in the celestial Vrindavana. Different Kinds of Liberated Souls The liberated souls are of different kinds. Some have freed themselves like Sanaka. Some dwell in the city of God and attain salvation through the grace of the Lord. Some others develop perfect love and become the associates of God. /images/graemlins/smile.gif OM NAMAH SIVAYA /images/graemlins/smile.gif OM NAMO VENKATESAYA NAMAHA /images/graemlins/smile.gif JAI SHRI KRISHNA

hamare hari haaril ki lakari, maan vachan karma Nannadan ko dridh kare ura pakari, jagat sovat sapane sau kaan kaan jakari, suant yog laagat aeso ali - jyo karavi kakari yah to sur teen hi ko dije, jin ko man chakari - Written By Surdasji This is the occasion when Udhouvaji was sent to Gopijan in Shrimad Gokul (by Shri Krishna when he was in Mathura). Udhouvaji was to give Shri Krishna's message along with some advise to the Gopijans. Also small lesson to teach Gopijan so they not "miss" Shri Krishna. Udhouvaji was very proud of his "gyan" where as Gopigan were were innocent. So There is a bird name Haaril in India - it picks up a stick with his both feet right after his birth - once it takes it -it will keep it all the time - sleep, fly, day and night - when it dies - the small stick is still not dropped - Gopis were telling Udhouvji that our love is like this - Your education of keeping the staydy mind (part of Yoga - etc) is not our way - All we know is that - "We are His and He is ours." Whether he remembers us or not - we will keep him (his love) with us all the time. This is the Dradh Vishwas - deep faith. Gopijan tells Udhovaji - please Give your explanations to someone whose MAAN (mind) is not clear - we know our MAAN is with ONE and ONLY - "SHRI KRISHNA" and IT IS THERE ALL THE TIME. Only thing we know that our "prembhakti" and our love is toward Shri Krishna at any time and anywhere. /images/graemlins/smile.gif OM NAMAH SIVAYA /images/graemlins/smile.gif OM NAMO VENKATESAYA /images/graemlins/smile.gif OM SRI KRISHNAYA NAMAHA

hamare hari haaril ki lakari, maan vachan karma Nannadan ko dridh kare ura pakari, jagat sovat sapane sau kaan kaan jakari, suant yog laagat aeso ali - jyo karavi kakari yah to sur teen hi ko dije, jin ko man chakari - Written By Surdasji This is the occasion when Udhouvaji was sent to Gopijan in Shrimad Gokul (by Shri Krishna when he was in Mathura). Udhouvaji was to give Shri Krishna's message along with some advise to the Gopijans. Also small lesson to teach Gopijan so they not "miss" Shri Krishna. Udhouvaji was very proud of his "gyan" where as Gopigan were were innocent. So There is a bird name Haaril in India - it picks up a stick with his both feet right after his birth - once it takes it -it will keep it all the time - sleep, fly, day and night - when it dies - the small stick is still not dropped - Gopis were telling Udhouvji that our love is like this - Your education of keeping the staydy mind (part of Yoga - etc) is not our way - All we know is that - "We are His and He is ours." Whether he remembers us or not - we will keep him (his love) with us all the time. This is the Dradh Vishwas - deep faith. Gopijan tells Udhovaji - please Give your explanations to someone whose MAAN (mind) is not clear - we know our MAAN is with ONE and ONLY - "SHRI KRISHNA" and IT IS THERE ALL THE TIME. Only thing we know that our "prembhakti" and our love is toward Shri Krishna at any time and anywhere. /images/graemlins/smile.gif OM NAMO VENKATESAYA /images/graemlins/smile.gif OM NAMO BHAGAVATHE VASUDEVAYA /images/graemlins/smile.gif OM SRI KRISHNAYA NAMAHA /images/graemlins/smile.gif OM NAMAH SIVAYA

The Rig Veda is the oldest of the Vedas. All the other Vedas are based upon it and consist to a large degree of various hymns from it. It consists of a thousand such hymns of different seers, each hymn averaging around ten verses. The Rig Veda is the oldest book in Sanskrit or any Indo-European language. Its date is debatable. While the term Vedic is often given to any layer of the Vedic teachings including the Bhagavad Gita, technically it applies primarily to the Rig Veda. The Rig Veda is the book of Mantra. It contains the oldest form of all the Sanskrit mantras. It is built around a science of sound which comprehends the meaning and power of each letter. Most aspects of Vedic science like the practice of yoga, meditation, mantra and Ayurveda can be found in the Rig Veda and still use many terms that come from it. While originally several different versions or rescensions of the Rig Veda were said to exist, only one remains. Its form has been structured in several different ways to guarantee its authenticity and proper preservation through time.

The First Step in God Realization 1. Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: My dear King, your question is glorious because it is very beneficial to all kinds of people. The answer to this question is the prime subject matter for hearing, and it is approved by all transcendentalists. 2. Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, leave many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor. 3. The lifetime of such an envious householder is passed at night either in sleeping or in sex indulgence, and in the daytime either in making money or maintaining family members. 4. Persons devoid of atma-tattva do not inquire into the problems of life, being too attached to the fallible soldiers like the body, children and wife. Although sufficiently experienced, they still do not see their inevitable destruction. 5. O descendant of King Bharata, one who desires to be free from all miseries must hear about, glorify and also remember the Personality of Godhead, who is the Supersoul, the controller and the savior from all miseries. 6. The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life. 7. O King Pariksit, mainly the topmost transcendentalists, who are above the regulative principles and restrictions, take pleasure in describing the glories of the Lord. 8. At the end of the Dvapara-yuga, I studied this great supplement of Vedic literature named Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is equal to all the Vedas, from my father, Srila Dvaipayana Vyasadeva. 9. O saintly King, I was certainly situated perfectly in transcendence, yet I was still attracted by the delineation of the pastimes of the Lord, who is described by enlightened verses. 10. That very Srimad-Bhagavatam I shall recite before you because you are the most sincere devotee of Lord Krsna. One who gives full attention and respect to hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam achieves unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord, the giver of salvation. 11. O King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all, including those who are free from all material desires, those who are desirous of all material enjoyment, and also those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge. 12. What is the value of a prolonged life which is wasted, inexperienced by years in this world? Better a moment of full consciousness, because that gives one a start in searching after his supreme interest. 13. The saintly King Khatvanga, after being informed that the duration of his life would be only a moment more, at once freed himself from all material activities and took shelter of the supreme safety, the Personality of Godhead. 14. Maharaja Pariksit, now your duration of life is limited to seven more days, so during this time you can perform all those rituals which are needed for the best purpose of your next life. 15. At the last stage of one's life, one should be bold enough not to be afraid of death. But one must cut off all attachment to the material body and everything pertaining to it and all desires thereof. 16. One should leave home and practice self-control. In a sacred place he should bathe regularly and sit down in a lonely place duly sanctified. 17. After sitting in the above manner, make the mind remember the three transcendental letters [a-u-m], and by regulating the breathing process, control the mind so as not to forget the transcendental seed. 18. Gradually, as the mind becomes progressively spiritualized, withdraw it from sense activities, and by intelligence the senses will be controlled. The mind too absorbed in material activities can be engaged in the service of the Personality of Godhead and become fixed in full transcendental consciousness. 19. Thereafter, you should meditate upon the limbs of Visnu, one after another, without being deviated from the conception of the complete body. Thus the mind becomes free from all sense objects. There should be no other thing to be thought upon. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, is the Ultimate Truth, the mind becomes completely reconciled in Him only. 20. One's mind is always agitated by the passionate mode of material nature and bewildered by the ignorant mode of nature. But one can rectify such conceptions by the relation of Visnu and thus become pacified by cleansing the dirty things created by them. 21. O King, by this system of remembrance and by being fixed in the habit of seeing the all-good personal conception of the Lord, one can very soon attain devotional service to the Lord, under His direct shelter. 22. The fortunate King Pariksit, inquiring further, said: O brahmana, please describe in full detail how and where the mind has to be applied and how the conception can be fixed so that the dirty things in a person's mind can be removed. 23. Sukadeva Gosvami answered: One should control the sitting posture, regulate the breathing process by the yogic pranayama and thus control the mind and senses and with intelligence apply the mind to the gross potencies of the Lord [called the virat-rupa]. 24. This gigantic manifestation of the phenomenal material world as a whole is the personal body of the Absolute Truth, wherein the universal resultant past, present and future of material time is experienced. 25. The gigantic universal form of the Personality of Godhead, within the body of the universal shell, which is covered by sevenfold material elements, is the subject for the virat conception. 26. Persons who have realized it have studied that the planets known as Patala constitute the bottoms of the feet of the universal Lord, and the heels and the toes are the Rasatala planets. The ankles are the Mahatala planets, and His shanks constitute the Talatala planets. 27. The knees of the universal form are the planetary system of the name Sutala, and the two thighs are the Vitala and Atala planetary systems. The hips are Mahitala, and outer space is the depression of His navel. 28. The chest of the Original Personality of the gigantic form is the luminary planetary system, His neck is the Mahar planets, His mouth is the Janas planets, and His forehead is the Tapas planetary system. The topmost planetary system, known as Satyaloka, is the head of He who has one thousand heads. 29. His arms are the demigods headed by Indra, the ten directional sides are His ears, and physical sound is His sense of hearing. His nostrils are the two Asvini-kumaras, and material fragrance is His sense of smell. His mouth is the blazing fire. 30. The sphere of outer space constitutes His eyepits, and the eyeball is the sun as the power of seeing. His eyelids are both the day and night, and in the movements of His eyebrows, the Brahma and similar supreme personalities reside. His palate is the director of water, Varuna, and the juice or essence of everything is His tongue. 31. They say that the Vedic hymns are the cerebral passage of the Lord, and His jaws of teeth are Yama, god of death, who punishes the sinners. The art of affection is His set of teeth, and the most alluring illusory material energy is His smile. This great ocean of material creation is but the casting of His glance over us. 32. Modesty is the upper portion of His lips, hankering is His chin, religion is the breast of the Lord, and irreligion is His back. Brahmaji, who generates all living beings in the material world, is His genitals, and the Mitra-varunas are His two testicles. The ocean is His waist, and the hills and mountains are the stacks of His bones. 33. O King, the rivers are the veins of the gigantic body, the trees are the hairs of His body, and the omnipotent air is His breath. The passing ages are His movements, and His activities are the reactions of the three modes of material nature. 34. O best amongst the Kurus, the clouds which carry water are the hairs on His head, the terminations of days or nights are His dress, and the supreme cause of material creation is His intelligence. His mind is the moon, the reservoir of all changes. 35. The principle of matter [mahat-tattva] is the consciousness of the omnipresent Lord, as asserted by the experts, and Rudradeva is His ego. The horse, mule, camel and elephant are His nails, and wild animals and all quadrupeds are situated in the belt zone of the Lord. 36. Varieties of birds are indications of His masterful artistic sense. Manu, the father of mankind, is the emblem of His standard intelligence, and humanity is His residence. The celestial species of human beings, like the Gandharvas, Vidyadharas, Caranas and angels, all represent His musical rhythm, and the demoniac soldiers are representations of His wonderful prowess. 37. The virat-purusa's face is the brahmanas, His arms are the ksatriyas, His thighs are the vaisyas, and the sudras are under the protection of His feet. All the worshipable demigods are also overtaken by Him, and it is the duty of everyone to perform sacrifices with feasible goods to appease the Lord. 38. I have thus explained to you the gross material gigantic conception of the Personality of Godhead. One who seriously desires liberation concentrates his mind on this form of the Lord, because there is nothing more than this in the material world. 39. One should concentrate his mind upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who alone distributes Himself in so many manifestations just as ordinary persons create thousands of manifestations in dreams. One must concentrate the mind on Him, the only all-blissful Absolute Truth. Otherwise one will be misled and will cause his own degradation.

The Suddhadvaita Philosophy Of Sri Vishnuswami Introduction The philosophy of Sri Vishnuswamicharya is Suddha-Advaita or pure monism, because he does not admit Maya like Sankara, and believes that the whole world of matter and souls is real and is only a subtle form of God. Those who bring Maya for the explanation of the world are not pure Advaitins, because they admit a second to Brahman. Vishnuswami holds that Brahman can create the world without any connection with such a principle as Maya, but Sankara traces the universe to Brahman through the power of Maya. Hence the philosophy of Vishnuswami is called pure monism or Suddhadvaita. Vishnuswami expounded that system in the Anu-Bhashya, his commentary on the Brahma Sutras. He called it Suddha-Advaita or pure monism as against Sankara’s Kevala Advaita and Ramanuja’s Visishta-Advaita. Vishnuswami was a Telugu Brahmin of South India. He migrated to the north and developed the views of Vishnuswamin who belonged to the thirteenth century. His system of thought is known by the name Brahma-Vada. Vishnuswami says that the entire universe is real and is subtly Brahman. The individual souls and the world are, in essence, one with Brahman. Jiva, Kala (time) and Prakriti or Maya are eternal existences, but they have no separate existence apart from Brahman. Vishnuswami was a great Sanskrit scholar. He preached with great zeal the Vaishnava cult and philosophy. He was the founder of the great Vaishnava Mutts. Vishnuswami accepts the authority not only of the Upanishads, the Bhagavad-Gita and the Brahma Sutras, but also of the Bhagavata Purana. The scriptures are the final authority for Vishnuswami. Stress on Worship and Grace Vishnuswami’s religion is a religion addressed to the worship of Vishnu in the form of Krishna. It is centred round the conception of a personal and beneficent God who is Sat-Chit-Ananda. Lord Krishna is the highest Brahman. His body consists of Sat-Chit-Ananda. He is called Purushottama. Vishnuswami’s followers worship Krishna. Vishnuswami lays great stress on Pushti (grace) and Bhakti (devotion). Maha-Pushti is the highest grace or Anugraha which helps the aspirants to attain God-realisation. God-The Only Being According to Vishnuswami, God is the Absolute or the Purushottama. He is perfect. He is Sat-Chit-Ananda. He is infinite, eternal, omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. He has all the auspicious qualities also. The Sruti texts which say that He has no attributes, mean only that He has not the ordinary qualities. God is real. There is no other reality besides Him. He is the only Being. He is the source for this universe and all souls. He is the first cause and the only cause. God is the material as well as the efficient cause of the universe. He creates the world by the mere force of His Will. Brahman manifests Himself, of His own Will, as the universe and the individual souls, but He does not undergo any change in His essential nature. Things come out of the Akshara (Sat-Chit-Ananda), like sparks from fire. Brahman is the Creator of the world. He is also the world itself. God is personified as Krishna, when He possesses the qualities of wisdom and action. He appears in various forms to please His devotees. The World Of Nature And The World Of False Relations Creation is manifestation of Brahman. The universe is the effect of Brahman. The universe is as eternal and real as Brahman Himself. The inanimate universe is filled with Brahman. The world is not an illusory appearance. It is not different from Brahman in essence. Jagat is the world of Nature. It is not illusory. It is real. It is God Himself in one form. But, the Samsara or temporal involvement is illusory. This is created by the soul around its ‘I-ness’ and ‘mine-ness’. The separation from God on account of egoism makes the soul forget its original, true, divine nature. Samsara is a product of the soul’s imagination and action which play round its ‘I-ness’ and ‘mine-ness’. On account of its selfishness, it puts itself in wrong relations with other souls and with the objective universe. It creates a web of its own and gets itself entangled in it. This is an illusion, because the web has no reality. This Samsara, the world of false relations created by the soul, is alone Maya. Samsara or Maya rises because the soul, which is not apart from God, tries to set itself up as an independent reality or entity in its own right. The self which is something apart from God is illusory. Its body is illusory and its world also is illusory. All this is Samsara. It is very different from the world of Nature. Jiva And Brahman Analogy of the Spark and the Fire The Jivas are not effects. They are Amsas or parts of God. They issue from Him spontaneously as sparks from fire. Brahman is the whole. The Jiva or the individual soul is part; but, there is no real difference between Brahman and the individual soul, because the individual soul is of identical essence with Brahman.(According to Ramanuja, the parts are really different from the whole.) The soul is one with Brahman. It is as real and eternal as Brahman. The individual soul is not Brahman screened by the veil of Avidya. It is itself Brahman, with the attribute ‘bliss’ being obscured or suppressed. Ananda or bliss is suppressed or obscured in the individual soul. Ananda and consciousness are suppressed or obscured in matter or the inanimate world. When the soul attains bliss, and the inanimate world attains both consciousness and bliss, the difference between Brahman and these vanishes. The soul is both a doer and an enjoyer. It is atomic in size, but it pervades the whole body by its quality of intelligence, just as sandalwood pervades even the places where it does not exist by its sweet fragrance and just as a lamp, though confined only to a part of a room, illuminates the whole room. Classification Of Souls There are three kinds of souls: (i) The pure (Suddha) Jivas. The divine qualities (Aisvarya) are not obscured in these souls by ignorance. (ii) The worldly Jivas (Samsarin). These souls are caught in the net or clutches of Avidya or ignorance. They experience births and deaths on account of their connection with gross and subtle bodies. (iii) Mukta Jivas or liberated souls. These souls are freed from the bonds of Samsara through Vidya or Knowledge. When the soul attains the final emancipation, it recovers its suppressed qualities and becomes one with God or Brahman. The world appears as Brahman to one who has realised the Truth or Brahman. There is another classification of souls, viz., Pushti souls, Maryada souls and Pravahika souls. All these are different from one another in their origin, nature and final end. They all issue from God with their differences. The Pushti souls are the highest, as they issue from the Ananda-Kaya or the bliss-body of God. These souls are the Amsa (parts) of His body. God is the Amsi (the whole). These are the souls of grace. They have the divine seed in them which bears fruit in the end. They ultimately reach the goal through the grace of the Lord. They have communion and fellowship with Lord Krishna. They develop Bhakti through the grace of the Lord. Bhakti is the means and the end in itself. The Maryada souls are generated from the Vak or the Word of God. They are governed by law, not by grace. They perform their ritualistic duties, at first with selfish interests. Later on, they develop Nishkama-Bhava (unselfish attitude) and do their ritualistic routine without any self-interest. This purifies their mind. They reach the Akshara, which is a kind of vestibule to the abode of God. Afterwards they attain the supreme abode of God. The Pravahika souls issue from the mind of God. They are the Samsaric Jivas. They are souls neither of grace nor of law. They are in continuous motion (Pravaha). These three kinds of souls have further sub-divisions and cross-divisions into Pushti-Pushti, Pushti-Maryada, Pushti-Pravahika, Maryada-Maryada, Maryada-Pushti, Maryada-Pravahika, Pravahika-Pravahika, Pravahika-Pushti and Pravahika-Maryada. Pushti Marga Or The Way Of Grace The way of life and salvation, preached by Vishnuswami is also called Pushti Marga. The soul of man has become weak and lean on account of sin. It is, therefore, in dire need of the grace of God for its upliftment and emancipation. God’s grace gives Pushti (nourishment) and Poshana (strength); and hence the name Pushti Marga or the Way of Grace. The individual soul can attain the final emancipation only through the grace of God. Bhakti is the chief means of salvation. Jnana is useful. Maha Pushti or the highest grace removes great obstacles and helps in the attainment of God. The Bhakti generated by special grace is known as Pushti Bhakti. The Four Kinds of Bhakti This Pushti-Bhakti is of four kinds: (i) Pravaha Pushti-Bhakti, (ii) Maryada Pushti-Bhakti, (iii) Pushti Pushti-Bhakti and (iv) Suddha Pushti-Bhakti. Pravaha Bhakti is the path of those who while leading the worldly life, perform works which will lead to the attainment of God-realisation. Worldly life is compared to the flow of a river (Pravaha). Maryada Bhakti is the path of those who are rendered fit to attain knowledge which is useful for worship, through the grace of the Lord. They know all about the ways of God. They depend upon their own efforts to obtain knowledge. In Pushti Bhakti, the devotees lead a life of self-restraint. They hear discourses about the Lord. They do Kirtana and sing His Name. They do Japa of Mantra. Suddha Pushti-Bhakti or the Purest Type of Devotion In Suddha Pushti-Bhakti, the devotees do Kirtana and sing the Lord’s Name. They praise God. They develop a strong passion for doing these. This kind of devotion is generated by the Lord Himself. The Lord’s grace descends on the devotees. Then they develop a liking for God. This liking grows into Prema Bhakti (taste for God). The devotees acquire knowledge about God. Then they get attachment to God (Asakti). Then they develop a strong passion for attaining God. This is the ripe condition of love and Asakti. It is called Vyasana. This strong passion, or Vyasana, leads to the attainment of the highest bliss, the summum bonum or the end. When love for Sri Krishna becomes intense, the devotee sees Lord Krishna everywhere. Hence everything becomes an object of love for him. He identifies himself with everything. The Gopis had this experience. They saw Krishna everywhere. They saw themselves also as Krishna. This is Para Bhakti or supreme devotion which becomes akin to the knowledge or Brahman-Jnana of the Vedantins or Jnanins. The inner and outer world is full of Krishna or Purushottama for such devotees. The fruit of this devotion is admission to the eternal sports or Lilas of Sri Krishna. The supreme goal is not Mukti or emancipation. The highest goal is eternal service of Lord Krishna and participation in His sports in the celestial Vrindavana. Those who have developed Vyasana, or strong passion for God, reject with scorn the four kinds of Mukti. The Maryada-Bhaktas attain Sayujya Mukti, i.e., they become one with Sri Krishna. The Pushti-Bhaktas reject Mukti and take part in the sports or Lilas of Sri Krishna. They choose with intense delight the eternal service of Sri Krishna. The Bhaktas assume the forms of cows, birds, trees and rivers and enjoy the company of Sri Krishna, which bestows infinite joy. These sports are similar to those which Sri Krishna did in Vraja and Vrindavana. Some of the devotees become Gopas and Gopis and join the sports in the celestial Vrindavana. Different Kinds of Liberated Souls The liberated souls are of different kinds. Some have freed themselves like Sanaka. Some dwell in the city of God and attain salvation through the grace of the Lord. Some others develop perfect love and become the associates of God.

God has given us common sense to select our sampradaya and try to reach God.The so called "sense" that is used to acquire mundane things & mundane affairs is not a common sense. Our so called parents brand the latter as common sense & former as nonsense. They want to pull us (me) in the materialistic whirlpool rather than realising God. Its not a act of a parent with a "common sense". In my sampradaya marriage is not compulsory whereas in some sampradaya it may be compulsory. Hers an example from Past :- Hiranyakashipu was father of Lord Prahlad.Hiranyankashipu was evil & showing Prahlad evil way. But Lord Prahlad had more common sense than his father & attained God. This shows common sense has nothing to do with "no. of years" lived in this mundane world. Also Lord Vibishena was younger than Ravana. But Vibishena had much more common sense then Ravana.

So "Daitya Sudham" applies to which God ? (Shiva or Vishnu) Theres a "Daitya Sudham Temple" near "Somanatha" Temple in Saurashtra - Gujarat. So thats why i am asking. I am a sourashtrian. My Community Deity is hypothesized as Deity of "Daitya Sudham Temple". But i am in Tamilnadu now. Only our ancestors lived in Gujarat. So please reply correctly. /images/graemlins/smile.gif OM NAMAH SIVAYA /images/graemlins/smile.gif OM NAMO VENKATESHAYA

someone reply to my above question.

Vedas, An Overview Primary or Classic Vedas consist of invocations to the One Divine and the divinities of nature, such as the Sun, the Rain, the Wind, the Fire and the Dawn - as well as prayers for matrimony, progeny, prosperity, concord, domestic rites, formulas for magic, and more. They are composed in beautiful metrical verses, generally of three or four lines. Rg-Veda The heart of the entire Veda with 10,552 verses. Rg-Veda Interpretation (Poorna Pragnya) Sama-Veda Mainly liturgical selections from the Rg-Veda arranged for melodious chanting, apr. 2000 verses Yajur-Veda as Sama-Veda, but for cadenced intonation, apr. 2000 verses Atharva-Veda Nearly 6,000 verses of prayers, charms and rites are unique Besides its Samhita, each Veda includes one or two Brahmanas, ceremonial handbooks, and Aranyakas, ritual interpretations, plus many inestimable Upanishads, metaphysical dialogs. In all there are over 100,000 Vedic verses, and some prose, in dozens of texts. The Vedangas and Upavedas are collections of texts that augment and apply the Vedas as a comprehensive system of sacred living. Jyotisha Vedanga delineates auspicious timing for holy rites. look at astrology and Jai Maharaj's texts Kalpa Vedanga defines public rituals in the Srauta and Sulba sutras, domestic rites in the Grihya Sutras and religious law in the Dharma Sastras. Four other Vedangas ensure the purity of mantra recitation, through knowledge of phonetics, grammar, poetry and the way of words. The Upavedas expound profound sciences: Artha-Veda unfolds statecraft Ayur-Veda sets forth medicine and health Dhanur-Veda discusses military science Gandharva-Veda illumines music and the arts Sthapatya-Veda explains architecture In addition, the Kama Sutras detail erotic pleasures. The Agamas, too, have ancillary texts, such as the Upagamas and Paddhatis, which elaborate the ancient wisdom. The Epics maybe the Mahabharata and Ramayana as the two main classics.

Goswami Shri Vallabhji Maharaj Lekhwala Date of Birth: V.S. 1703 Shravan Vad 14. Special Features: He was popularly know as 'Kaka Vallabhji'. Episodes: He has written a commentary on Shri Subodhiniji called "Lekh". Therefore he is famous as Lekhwala. Like Goswami Shri Dwarkeshji whose bhavna's padas of seven swaroops are famous, similarly he also has made such famous padas. In that he has not written his name but written Das in the end. These padas are given in the last vachnamruts of Shri Girdharlalji Maharajshri's 120 vachnamrut. Granthas: Commentary on Shri Subodhiniji called Lekh

SRI JAGANNATHA DASA- THE HARIKATHAMRITHASARA AND ITS GREATNESS In the field of religion and philosophy apart from the great Acharyas, the saints of Karnataka developed the cult of devotion through their soul-stirring music and bhajana in their mother tongue. Through melodious songs our famous dasas gave wholesome advice to the common people in ethics and religion. Many of them were highly cultured both in Sanskrit and philosopy and well versed in the study of the doctrines of Dwaita philosophy through their songs in simple and easily understandable style so that everyone whether learned or illiterate could easily follow the path of rightenonsness for God-realization. The central aim of the dasas' works is to inculcate faith in God and the need for the grace of God. This is the only means of salvation for the redemption of the soul from the cycle of births and deaths. The spirit of devotion is inculcated by means of legends, of puranas, epics and the exposition of the doctrines of Dwaita philosophy as propounded by Sri Anandha Tirtha. Among the great dasas who lived after Purandara Dasa, Sri Jangannatha Dasa stands foremost. Aparoksha is the reward for bhakthi and upasana continued in proper form for a certain period. Aparoksha is God-vision. Gnana, bhakthi and Vyragya are the three essential and fundamental requisites for God-realization. It takes place only when the Lord chooses to appear in Divine Light before the inner gaze of the baktha. The form, the Lord chooses to present, differs for each jeeva. The Lord is pleased to appear before only those whom he chooses. Sri Jagannatha Dasa is one of the Aparoksha gnanis. Sri Jagannatha Dasa was born at Manavi in Karnataka State on Sravane Suddha Dwadasi in the yearkeelaka-Sakha 1649. He was the son of Narasappa a petty officer (Karnam) under the Nawab of Hyderabad. Sri Jagannatha Dasa studied all granthas under able masters. ""Aparoksha gnana marks a turning point in the journey of life. The knot of the heart bursts asunder, all doubts get exploded for ever, the store of Karma vanishes when the Supreme Lord is visioned face to face" thus says the Sruthi. Rupam Haresthatha thasya sarvapapani basmasate Yanthi poorvanyutharani na slesham na yanthi Kaanichith. "When one sees clearly the-form of Hari according to his own merit at the time of release, then all his previous sins are burnt into ashes and some of his future sins do not attach to him." (M.B. T. Nirnaya) One night Sri Padaraja, Sri Vyasaraja, Sri Vadiraja and Sri Purandara Dasa appeared in a dream to Jagannatha Dasa and directed him to read all Madhwa sastras including the Bhagavatham, Bharatham, the Puranas and to compile a book called "Harikathamrutha sara" depicting the greatness of Hari and to dedicate it to Lord Hari. Accordingly by the grace of the Lord and the blessings of the gurus Sri Jagannatha Dasa very quickly mastered all the scriptures and compiled a book called "Harikathaamrutha-sara" in canarese and Sanskrit (mixed), containing the quintessence of all works, - Sruthis, Smrithis, Bharatha, Upanishads, Bhagavatham, Puranas and the works of Sri Madhwacharya, as directed to him in his dream. He composed Harikathamruthasara in 33 sandhis (topics) including palastuthi sandhi to be sung in different ragas just like "Gita Govinda" of Sri Jayadeva. The Harikarthamruthasara contains the quintessence of all the works of Sri Madhwacharya (Ananda Tirtha) and also of Bagavatha, Puranas, Upanishads, Sruthis, Smrithis, etc. Great stress is laid upon bhakthi and nitya karma, as Amala bhakthi is the only sadhana to attain moksha. In these days it is not practicable or even possible for a detailed study of all the works of our Acharya and understand them in full. Hence the one book that covers all fields of spiritual knowledge is "Harikathamruthsara". It contains all classes of sciences from anatomy to the highest philosophy of the soul and the way to attain Moksha-such as Paramathma mahima, acharana padhathi, Panch a bhedha, tharathamya, Vyapthi Rase Vibhaga yagyas, varnashrama dharma, hari namasmarana mahima, Bhojane, nivedhana paddhathi, prathima puja paddhathi, Bimbopasana vidhi, Sri Narayana avathara rupas, greatness, of sarvothama, Lakshmi and Vigneswara and Kali (Yuga) dharmas as depicted in the Garuda purana and other various matters of philosophy. Some of the benefits derived from the study of Harikathamruthasara are given below. The bondage of sufferings is removed. It intensifies pathi bakthi to a female and gives happiness to the male and enables one to become ajeevanmuktha. It gives long life, happiness, good health, prosperity and creates intense bakthi. It gives a greater value to the reader than a bath in the Ganges. Finally it leads one to attain Divine grace for the salvation of the soul. It gives peace of mind and leads one to have a calm atmosphere of Godliness and piety. The erudite scholarship of Sri Sankarshana Wodeyar in having mastered the complete works of Sri Madhwacharya with Sudha and Bashya once under the able guidance of Sri Sri Vishwapriya Tirtha, the pontiff of Sode Mutt and again under his guru Sri Sri Satyaparayana Tirtha, the pontiff of the Utharadhi Mutt enabled him to write his masterly commentary on Harikathamruthasara in Canarese with word by word meaning followed by explanations with proper references. His fame rests' on his famous commentary.

Yes above incident proves God loves all. God doesnt see any discrimation. My only worry is that why the "so called" priests behave arrogantly to "low-caste" people & they give more respect to "so-called brahmanas". Frankly, speaking i hate these priests. Only because of their behaviours, Hinduism is getting bad name & other religions such as Christanity & Buddhism are taking advantage of this. This should be changed. Only Rayaru can make this things happen. Lets go & cry before him to change this things. /images/graemlins/smile.gif OM SRI SRI GURU RAGHAVENDRAYA NAMAHA /images/graemlins/smile.gif OM SRI SRI GURU MADWACHARYA NAMAHA /images/graemlins/smile.gif OM NAMO VENKATESHAYA NAMAHA /images/graemlins/smile.gif OM SRI KRISHNAYA NAMAHA

Pray to Sri Sri Guru Raghavendraswamy that you will get a good vaishnava as a husband. Only guruji can help you. Moreover, a "Guest" had told to listen to your parents, just because they lived more in this planet. Its a great joke. Spirituality has no connection with "no. of years" lived in this planet. Dont listen to your parents. They just want to do their duties by making your marry. They cant give you salvation & they are least bothered about your salvation. Only God Vishnu can give you salvation. So Pray to Sri Sri Guru Raghavendraswamy & guruji will definitely help you. I too am in same situation like you. But i had surrendered to Guru Raghavendraswamy. I am sure guruji will take care of everything. /images/graemlins/smile.gif OM SRI GURU RAGHAVENDRAYA NAMAHA /images/graemlins/smile.gif OM SRI GURU MADWACHARYAYA NAMAHA