ancient_paztriot

SB 4.31.21 The Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes very dear to those devotees who have no material possessions but are fully happy in possessing the devotional service of the Lord. Indeed, the Lord relishes the devotional activities of such devotees. Those who are puffed up with material education, wealth, aristocracy and fruitive activity are very proud of possessing material things, and they often deride the devotees. Even if such people offer the Lord worship, the Lord never accepts them. PURPORT The Supreme Personality of Godhead is dependent on His pure devotees. He does not even accept the offerings of those who are not devotees. A pure devotee is one who feels He does not possess anything material. A devotee is always happy in possessing the devotional service of the Lord. Devotees may sometimes appear materially poor, but because they are spiritually advanced and enriched, they are most dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such devotees are free from attachment to family, society, friendship, children and so on. They abandon affection for all these material possessions and are always happy in possessing the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. The Supreme Personality of Godhead understands the position of His devotee. If a person derides a pure devotee, he is never recognized by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, the Supreme Lord never excuses one who offends a pure devotee. There are many examples of this in history. A great mystic yogi, Durvasa Muni, offended the great devotee Ambarisa Maharaja. The great sage Durvasa was to be chastised by the Sudarsana cakra of the Lord. Even though the great mystic directly approached the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he was never excused. Those on the path of liberation should be very careful not to offend a pure devotee.

hey!!!! we did not make the list! /images/graemlins/frown.gif but we enjoy the privilege of an infallible secret weapon. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Maybe real estate is the market to get into. I remember hearing Prabhupada say that the slaughterhouses have already killed enough to justify the logic of nuclear war. And now abortion on top of that? Kulapavana, you seem to think 500 years before a nuclear war? I agree with the living underground because of radiation… "become again a mouse"… again a caveman. Why 500? Golden Age is 5,000? (I hope the Golden Age means more than sitting in a cave chanting Hare Krsna because it's too dangerous to go out).

SB 2.10.26 Thereupon, for sexual pleasure, begetting offspring and tasting heavenly nectar, the Lord developed the genitals, and thus there is the genital organ and its controlling deity, the Prajapati. The object of sexual pleasure and the controlling deity are under the control of the genitals of the Lord. PURPORT The heavenly pleasure for the conditioned soul is sexual pleasure, and this pleasure is tasted by the genitals. The woman is the object of sexual pleasure, and both the sense perception of sexual pleasure and the woman are controlled by the Prajapati, who is under the control of the Lord's genitals. The impersonalist must know from this verse that the Lord is not impersonal, for He has His genitals, on which all the pleasurable objects of sex depend. No one would have taken the trouble to maintain children if there were no taste of heavenly nectar by means of sexual intercourse. This material world is created to give the conditioned souls a chance for rejuvenation for going back home, back to Godhead, and therefore generation of the living being is necessary for upkeep of the purpose of creation. Sexual pleasure is an impetus for such action, and as such one can even serve the Lord in the act of such sexual pleasure. The service is counted when the children born of such sexual pleasure are properly trained in God consciousness. The whole idea of material creation is to revive the dormant God consciousness of the living entity. In forms of life other than the human form, sexual pleasure is prominent without any motive of service for the mission of the Lord. But in the human form of life the conditioned soul can render service to the Lord by creating progeny suitable for the attainment of salvation. One can beget hundreds of children and enjoy the celestial pleasure of sexual intercourse, provided he is able to train the children in God consciousness. Otherwise begetting children is on the level of the swine. Rather, the swine is more expert than the human being because the swine can beget a dozen piglets at a time, whereas the human being can give birth to only one at a time. So one should always remember that the genitals, sexual pleasure, the woman and the offspring are all related in the service of the Lord, and one who forgets this relationship in the service of the Supreme Lord becomes subjected to the threefold miseries of material existence by the laws of nature. Perception of sexual pleasure is there even in the body of the dog, but there is no sense of God consciousness. The human form of life is distinct from that of the dog by the perception of God consciousness.

SB 4.29.69 Krsna consciousness means constantly associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in such a mental state that the devotee can observe the cosmic manifestation exactly as the Supreme Personality of Godhead does. Such observation is not always possible, but it becomes manifest exactly like the dark planet known as Rahu, which is observed in the presence of the full moon. PURPORT It has been explained in the previous verse that all desires on the mental platform become visible one after another. Sometimes, however, by the supreme will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the whole stockpile can be visible all at one time. In Brahma-samhita (5.54) it is said, karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam. When a person is fully absorbed in Krsna consciousness, his stockpile of material desires is minimized. Indeed, the desires no longer fructify in the form of gross bodies. Instead, the stockpile of desires becomes visible on the mental platform by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this connection, the darkness occurring before the full moon, the lunar eclipse, can be explained as being another planet, known as Rahu. According to Vedic astronomy, the Rahu planet, which is not visible, is accepted. Sometimes the Rahu planet is visible in the presence of full moonlight. It then appears that this Rahu planet exists somewhere near the orbit of the moon. The failure of modern moon excursionists may be due to the Rahu planet. In other words, those who are supposed to be going to the moon may actually be going to this invisible planet Rahu. Actually, they are not going to the moon but to the planet Rahu, and after reaching this planet, they come back. Apart from this discussion, the point is that a living entity has immense and unlimited desires for material enjoyment, and he has to transmigrate from one gross body to another until these desires are exhausted. No living entity is free from the cycle of birth and death unless he takes to Krsna consciousness; therefore in this verse it is clearly stated (sattvaika-nisthe) that when one is fully absorbed in Krsna consciousness, in one stroke he is freed of past and future mental desires. Then, by the grace of the Supreme Lord, everything becomes simultaneously manifest within the mind. In this regard, Visvanatha Cakravarti thakura cites the example of mother Yasoda’s seeing the whole cosmic manifestation within the mouth of Lord Krsna. By the grace of Lord Krsna, mother Yasoda saw all the universes and planets within the mouth of Krsna. Similarly, by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, a Krsna conscious person can see all his dormant desires at one time and finish all his future transmigrations. This facility is especially given to the devotee to make his path clear for returning home, back to Godhead. Why we see things not experienced in this life is explained herein. That which we see is the future expression of a gross body or is already stocked in our mental stockpile. Because a Krsna conscious person does not have to accept a future gross body, his recorded desires are fulfilled in a dream. We therefore sometimes find things in a dream never experienced in our present life. .................................. I'd like to hear someone's purport on the first purport paragraph above. I don't understand it. I'll get the reference verse and post too. Here it is. Didn't help me much. .................................. SB 4.29.68 The mind of the living entity continues to exist in various gross bodies, and according to one’s desires for sense gratification, the mind records different thoughts. In the mind these appear together in different combinations; therefore these images sometimes appear as things never seen or never heard before. PURPORT The activities of the living entity in the body of a dog may be experienced in the mind of a different body; therefore those activities appear never to have been heard or seen. The mind continues, although the body changes. Even in this life-span we can sometimes experience dreams of our childhood. Although such incidents now appear strange, it is to be understood that they are recorded in the mind. Because of this, they become visible in dreams. The transmigration of the soul is caused by the subtle body, which is the storehouse of all kinds of material desires. Unless one is fully absorbed in Krsna consciousness, material desires will come and go. That is the nature of the mind—thinking, feeling and willing. As long as the mind is not engaged in meditation on the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, the mind will desire so many material enjoyments. Sensual images are recorded in the mind in chronological order, and they become manifest one after another; therefore the living entity has to accept one body after another. The mind plans material enjoyment, and the gross body serves as the instrument to realize such desires and plans. The mind is the platform onto which all desires come and go. srila Narottama dasa thakura therefore sings: guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete kariya aikya, ara na kariha mane asa ** Narottama dasa thakura advises everyone to stick to the principle of carrying out the orders of the spiritual master. One should not desire anything else. If the regulative principles ordered by the spiritual master are followed rigidly, the mind will gradually be trained to desire nothing but the service of Krsna. Such training is the perfection of life.

"But the question remains for me why animal sacrifice?" In support of Kulapavana, these sacrifices were also a demonstration on the power of the process. Seeing the animal transformed by the strength of the sacrifice must be very impressive.

I'm finding this section absolutely brilliant! I love the stagey style of these verses. Starts at 4.25.29… http://vedabase.net/sb/4/25/en Women representing man's intelligence? The light is on!

I really cannot imagine how Kali-yuga can continue for so long. Will there be any natural beauty left in 100 years? This is the result of all those untold hours put into making machines that will save people time. The future is a high price to pay for the benefit of a few. So the impression I get from Bhagavatam is that everything is already there in nature. We need create nothing for our own sustenance. That is demonstrated in Satya-yuga. There was the natural balance. With the advancement of time and demoniac qualities, we see people obsessed with lording over others and excessive exploitation. We see the appearance of machines and technology that help them do that. And they are so convinced on this dominance with their machines, they don't see the world crumbling around them… or they don't care… I'll be dead and gone in a few years - (even though the act itself suggests they think they'll be here forever).

SB 4.24.65 My dear Lord, Your absolute authority cannot be directly experienced, but one can guess by seeing the activities of the world that everything is being destroyed in due course of time. The force of time is very strong, and everything is being destroyed by something else—just as one animal is being eaten by another animal. Time scatters everything, exactly as the wind scatters clouds in the sky. PURPORT The process of destruction is going on according to the law of nature. Nothing within this material world can be permanent, although scientists, philosophers, workers and everyone else are trying to make things permanent. One foolish scientist recently declared that eventually life will be made permanent through science. Some so-called scientists are also trying to manufacture living entities within the laboratory. Thus in one way or another everyone is busy denying the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and rejecting the supreme authority of the Lord. However, the Lord is so powerful that He destroys everything in the form of death. As Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (10.34), mrtyuh sarva-haras caham: “I am all-devouring death.” The Lord is just like death to the atheists, for He takes away everything they accumulate in the material world. Hiranyakasipu, the father of Prahlada, always denied the existence of the Lord, and he tried to kill his five-year-old boy due to the boy’s unflinching faith in God. However, in due course of time the Lord appeared as Nrsimhadeva and killed Hiranyakasipu in the presence of his son. As stated in srimad-Bhagavatam (1.13.47), this killing process is natural. Jivo jivasya jivanam: “one animal is food for another animal.” A frog is eaten by a snake, a snake is eaten by a mongoose, and the mongoose is eaten by another animal. In this way the process of destruction goes on by the supreme will of the Lord. Although we do not see the hand of the Supreme Lord directly, we can feel the presence of that hand through the Lord’s process of destruction. We can see the clouds scattered by the wind, although we cannot see how this is being done because it is not possible to see the wind. Similarly, although we do not directly see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we can see that He controls the process of destruction. The destructive process is going on fiercely under the control of the Lord, but the atheists cannot see it.

I'm having a hard time distinguishing time from karma right now… seem synonymous.

SB 4.24.56 Simply by expansion of His eyebrows, invincible time personified can immediately vanquish the entire universe. However, formidable time does not approach the devotee who has taken complete shelter at Your lotus feet. PURPORT In Bhagavad-gita (10.34) it is said that the Lord in the shape and form of death destroys all a person’s possessions. Mrtyuh sarva-haras caham: “I am all-devouring death.” The Lord in the shape of death takes away everything that is created by the conditioned soul. Everything in this material world is subject to perish in due course of time. However, all the strength of time cannot hamper the activities of a devotee, for a devotee takes complete shelter under the lotus feet of the Lord. For this reason only is a devotee free from formidable time. All the activities of the karmis and jnanis, which have no touch of devotional service, are spoiled in due course of time. The material success of the karmis is destined to be destroyed; similarly, the impersonal realization attained by the jnanis is also destroyed in the course of time. aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adho ’nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah (Bhag. 10.2.32) To say nothing of the karmis, the jnanis undergo severe austerities to attain the impersonal brahmajyoti, but because they do not find the lotus feet of the Lord, they fall down again into this material existence. Unless one is fully situated in unalloyed devotional service, there is no guarantee of liberation, even if one is elevated to the heavenly planets or to the impersonal Brahman effulgence. A devotee’s achievement, however, is never lost by the influence of time. Even if a devotee cannot completely execute devotional service, in his next life he begins from the point where he left off. Such an opportunity is not given to the karmis and jnanis, whose achievements are destroyed. The bhakta’s achievement is never destroyed, for it goes on perpetually, be it complete or incomplete. This is the verdict of all Vedic literatures. sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto’bhijayate. If one is unable to complete the process of bhakti-yoga, he is given a chance in his next life to take birth in a pure family of devotees or in a rich family. In such families a person can have a good opportunity to further progress in devotional service. When Yamaraja, the superintendent of death, was instructing his assistants, he told them not to approach the devotees. “The devotees should be offered respect,” he said, “but do not go near them.” Thus the devotees of the Lord are not under the jurisdiction of Yamaraja. Yamaraja is a representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he controls the death of every living entity. Yet he has nothing to do with the devotees. Simply by blinking his eyes, time personified can destroy the entire cosmic manifestation, but he has nothing to do with the devotee. In other words, devotional service which is rendered by the devotee in this lifetime can never be destroyed by time. Such spiritual assets remain unchanged, being beyond the influence of time.

SB 4.23.37 A pure devotee who is executing the different processes of devotional service may be situated in the transcendental position, being completely absorbed in Krsna consciousness, but even he, while discharging devotional service, must hear, read and induce others to hear about the character and life of Prthu Maharaja. PURPORT There is a type of neophyte devotee who is very anxious to hear about the pastimes of the Lord, especially the rasa-lila chapters in srimad-Bhagavatam. Such a devotee should know by this instruction that the pastimes of Prthu Maharaja are nondifferent from the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. An ideal king, Prthu Maharaja exhibited all talents in showing how to rule the citizens, how to educate them, how to develop the state economically, how to fight enemies, how to perform great sacrifices (yajnas), etc. Thus it is recommended for the sahajiya, or the neophyte devotee, to hear, chant and get others to hear about the activities of Prthu Maharaja, even though one may think himself to be in the transcendental position of advanced devotional service.

Maybe in the future we'll see businessmen and politicians in ads like these… /images/graemlins/smile.gif .............................. SB 4.23.6 Following the principles of forest living and the footsteps of the great sages and munis, Prthu Maharaja accepted five kinds of heating processes during the summer season, exposed himself to torrents of rain in the rainy season and, in the winter, stood in water up to his neck. He also used to simply lie down on the floor to sleep. PURPORT These are some of the austerities executed by the jnanis and yogis, who cannot accept the process of bhakti-yoga. They must undergo such severe types of austerity in order to become purified from material contamination. panca-tapah refers to five kinds of heating processes. One is enjoined to sit within a circle of fire, with flames blazing from four sides and the sun blazing directly overhead. This is one kind of panca-tapah recommended for austerity. Similarly, in the rainy season one is enjoined to expose himself to torrents of rain and in winter to sit in cold water up to the neck. As far as bedding is concerned, the ascetic should be content with simply lying on the floor. The purpose for undergoing such severe austerities is to become a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, as explained in the next verse.

Alot of microbiology really undermined the Darwin evolution theories because it was found that there was no reasonable way that speech or eyesight or "many micro things" could develop without the supporting system… supporting system has no function other than to assist it's respective fully developed sense which only works with the sum of it's parts. Now take the atomic matter and sub-atomic particles. Since they are interdependent, how can one develop without the other? Have any of the nuclear scientists who have been studying this for years had any religious insight on this? Anyway, no matter how far you go, you will always ask, "Where did this come from?" Does something come from nothing? BEDAZZLE me… Electrons are described as particles and waves… they also come and go, appear and disappear, without seeming cause. Now what are you gonna make of that? And how do you study it? Individual atoms exists - as we- for a duration and get reabsorbed? Right? (Their parts merge with other atoms).

This is a little trippy to me when I consider it is Krsna talking to Himself… Visnu to King Prthu… SB 4.20.13 My dear heroic King, please keep yourself always equipoised and treat people equally, whether they are greater than you, in the intermediate stage or lower than you. Do not be disturbed by temporary distress or happiness. Fully control your mind and senses. In this transcendental position, try to execute your duty as king in whatever condition of life you may be posted by My arrangement, for your only duty here is to give protection to the citizens of your kingdom. PURPORT Here is an example of receiving direct instruction from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu. One has to execute the order of Lord Visnu, whether receiving it directly from Him or from His bona fide representative, the spiritual master. Arjuna fought the Battle of Kuruksetra under the direct order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Similarly, here Prthu Maharaja is also being given orders by Lord Visnu regarding the execution of his duty. We have to stick to the principles stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Vyavasayatmika buddhih: every man’s duty is to receive orders from Lord Krsna or from His bona fide representative and take these orders as his life and soul, without personal considerations. srila Visvanatha Cakravarti thakura states that one should not care very much whether he is going to be liberated or not, but he should simply execute the direct order received from the spiritual master. If one sticks to the principle of abiding by the order of the spiritual master, he will always remain in a liberated position. A common man must execute the rules and regulations of varnasrama-dharma by working in his prescribed duty according to the caste system (brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra) and the spiritual-order system (brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa). If one simply executes regularly and strictly the injunctions given for the different divisions of life, then one satisfies Lord Visnu. As a king, Prthu Maharaja was ordered by Lord Visnu to keep himself always aloof from the activities of the bodily situation and to engage always in the service of the Lord and thus keep himself in the liberated stage. The word baddha-sauhrdah in the previous verse is explained herewith. One can fully remain in intimate connection with the Supreme Lord directly or receive orders from His bona fide representative the spiritual master and execute the orders sincerely when one keeps aloof from the activities of the body. The Lord helps us by giving us directions how to act in devotional service and thus advance on the path back home, back to Godhead. He instructs us outwardly in the form of the spiritual master. Therefore, one should not accept the spiritual master as an ordinary human being. The Lord says, acaryam mam vijaniyan nava-manyeta karhicit: one should not treat the spiritual master as an ordinary human being, for he is the substitute for the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Bhag. 11.17.27). One should treat the spiritual master as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and never be envious of him or consider him to be an ordinary human being. If we follow the instruction of the spiritual master and execute devotional service to the Lord, we will remain always free from the contamination of bodily and material activities, and our life will be successful. SB 4.20.14 To give protection to the general mass of people who are citizens of the state is the prescribed occupational duty for a king. By acting in that way, the king in his next life shares one sixth of the result of the pious activities of the citizens. But a king or executive head of state who simply collects taxes from the citizens but does not give them proper protection as human beings has the results of his own pious activities taken away by the citizens, and in exchange for his not giving protection he becomes liable to punishment for the impious activities of his subjects. PURPORT The question may be raised here that if everyone engaged in spiritual activities to attain salvation and became indifferent to the activities of the material world, then how could things as they are go on? And if things are to go on as they ought to, how can a head of state be indifferent to such activities? In answer to this question, the word sreyah, auspicious, is used here. The division of activities in society as arranged by the Supreme Personality of Godhead was not blindly or accidently created, as foolish people say. The brahmana must do his duty properly, and the ksatriya, the vaisya and even the sudra must do the same. And every one of them can achieve the highest perfection of life—liberation from this material bondage. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (18.45). Sve sve karmany abhiratah samsiddhim labhate narah: “By executing one’s prescribed duties, one can attain the highest perfection.” Lord Visnu advised Maharaja Prthu that a king is not enjoined to give up his kingdom and the responsibility of protecting the prajas, or citizens, to instead go away to the Himalayas for liberation. He can attain liberation while executing his royal duties. The royal duty or the duty of the head of state is to see that the prajas, or the general mass of people, are doing their respective duties for spiritual salvation. A secular state does not necessitate a king or head of state who is indifferent to the activities of the prajas. In the modern state the government has many rules and regulations for conducting the duties of the prajas, but the government neglects to see that the citizens advance in spiritual knowledge. If the government is careless in this matter, the citizens will act whimsically, without any sense of God realization or spiritual life, and thus become entangled in sinful activities. An executive head should not be callous to the welfare of the general mass of people while he simply goes on collecting taxes. The king’s real duty is to see that the citizens gradually become fully Krsna conscious. Krsna conscious means completely free from all sinful activities. As soon as there is complete eradication of sinful activities in the state, then there will be no more war, pestilence, famine or natural disturbances. This was actually prevailing during the reign of Maharaja Yudhisthira. If a king or head of the government is able to induce the citizens to become Krsna conscious, then he is worthy to rule over the mass of people; otherwise, he has no right to levy taxes. If the king looks after the spiritual interests of the citizens, he can levy taxes without difficulties. In this way both the subjects and the king will be happy during this life, and in the next life the king will be able to share one sixth of the pious activities of the citizens. Otherwise, by levying taxes on the sinful citizens, he will have to share the reactions of their sinful activities. This same principle can be applied to parents and spiritual masters as well. If parents simply give birth to children like cats and dogs but cannot save their children from imminent death, they become responsible for the activities of their animalistic children. Lately, such children are turning into hippies. Similarly, if a spiritual master cannot direct his disciples to become free of sinful activities, he becomes responsible for their sinful acts. These subtle laws of nature are unknown to the present leaders of society. Since the leaders of society have a poor fund of knowledge and the citizens in general are rogues and thieves, there cannot be an auspicious situation for human society. At the present moment the whole world is full of such an incompatible combination of state and citizens, and therefore there is constant tension, war and anxiety as an inevitable result of such social conditions. SB 4.20.15 Lord Visnu continued: My dear King Prthu, if you continue to protect the citizens according to the instructions of the learned brahmana authorities, as they are received by the disciplic succession—by hearing—from master to disciple, and if you follow the religious principles laid down by them, without attachment to ideas manufactured by mental concoction, then every one of your citizens will be happy and will love you, and very soon you will be able to see such already liberated personalities as the four Kumaras [sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumara]. PURPORT Lord Visnu advised King Prthu that everyone should follow the principles of varnasrama-dharma; then, in whatever capacity one remains within this material world, his salvation is guaranteed after death. In this age, however, since the system of varnasrama-dharma is topsy-turvy, it is very difficult to strictly follow all the principles. The only method for becoming perfect in life is to develop Krsna consciousness. As varnasrama-dharma is executed from different positions by different men, so the Krsna consciousness principles can be followed by everyone in every part of the world. There is a specific purpose in mentioning herein that one should follow the dvijagryas, the most prominent brahmanas, like Parasara and Manu. These great sages have already given us instructions on how to live according to the principles of varnasrama-dharma. Similarly, Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami have given us rules and regulations for becoming pure devotees of the Lord. It is essential, therefore, to follow the instructions of the acaryas in the parampara system, who have received the knowledge as passed down from spiritual master to disciple. In this way, although living in our material condition of life, we can get out of the entanglement of material contamination without leaving our positions. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu advises, therefore, that one does not have to change his position. One simply has to hear from the perfect source (this is called parampara) and follow the principles for practical application in life; thus one can attain the highest perfection of life—liberation—and go back home, back to Godhead. In other words, the change required is a change in consciousness, not in the body. Unfortunately, in this fallen age, people are concerned with the body, not with the soul. They have invented so many “isms” pertaining to the body only, not to the soul. In the modern age of democracy there are so many government representatives voting for legislation. Every day they bring out a new law. But because these laws are only mental concoctions manufactured by inexperienced conditioned souls, they cannot give relief to human society. Formerly, although the kings were autocrats, they strictly followed the principles laid down by great sages and saintly persons. There were no mistakes in ruling over the country, and everything went perfectly. The citizens were completely pious, the king levied taxes legitimately, and therefore the situation was very happy. At the present moment the so-called executive heads are more or less selected from materially ambitious persons who simply look after their own personal interests; they have no knowledge of the sastras. In other words, the executive heads are fools and rascals in the strict sense of the terms, and the people in general are sudras. This combination of fools and rascals and sudras cannot bring about peace and prosperity in this world. Therefore we find periodic upheavals in society in the forms of battles, communal riots and fratricidal quarrels. Under these circumstances, not only are the leaders unable to lead the people toward liberation, but they cannot even give them peace of mind. In Bhagavad-gita it is stated that anyone who lives on concocted ideas, without reference to the sastras, never becomes successful and does not attain happiness or liberation after death.

So let's say we dream of service to Krsna, is that a dream? I don't know the names. There is one story I remember (from CC?) where a brahmana burned his finger while daydreaming of cooking for the Lord. "Caused the Lord to laugh abruptly while being served intimately by Laksmi. So there's an absolute instance. But what about your own imagination with no verification? I mean you could commit many mental offenses from your own imbalances… the way you see it may not be the way the Lord sees it. What force there? A Day In the Life BUY POSTERS I read the news today oh, boy About a lucky man who made the grade And though the news was rather sad Well I just had to laugh and I saw the photograph He blew his mind out in a car He didn’t notice that the lights had changed A crowd of people stood and stared They’d seen his face before, Nobody was really sure if he was from the house of lords. I saw a film today oh, boy The english army had just won the war A crowd of people turned away But I just had a look Having read the book, I’d love to turn you on... Woke up, fell out of bed, Dragged a comb across my head Found my way downstairs and drank a cup, And looking up I noticed I was late. Found my coat and grabbed my hat Made the bus in seconds flat Found my way upstairs and had a smoke, Somebody spoke and I went into a dream Ah I read the news today oh boy Four thousand holes in blackburn, lancashire And though the holes were rather small They had to count them all, Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the albert hall. I’d love to turn you on... - Beatles

I see… said the blind man. /images/graemlins/smile.gif Quite obvious now that you mention it. Thank you both. (Seemed to me they were still hers in the act of giving them away).

Stonehearted? Anyone? The Bhagavatam has this topic subtitle… Earth Supplies Everyone His Food … directed at this verse… SB 4.18.26 The planet earth supplied everyone his respective food. During the time of King Prthu, the earth was fully under the control of the King. Thus all the inhabitants of the earth could get their food supply by creating various types of calves and putting their particular types of milk in various pots. Now we know the earth is Bhumi, a female in this example or story. Never in my life have I seen an instance where we switch genders. People, oceans, boats, anything, keeps it's gender. But my wife said this refering to the earth as "him" follows some literary etiquette. I want to change the topical subtitle to "her". Any help?

not an exact match, but close (Theist)… SB 4.18.6 My dear King, the seeds, roots, herbs and grains, which were created by Lord Brahma in the past, are now being used by nondevotees, who are devoid of all spiritual understanding. PURPORT Lord Brahma created this material world for the use of the living entities, but it was created according to a plan that all living entities who might come into it to dominate it for sense gratification would be given directions by Lord Brahma in the Vedas in order that they might ultimately leave it and return home, back to Godhead. All necessities grown on earth—namely fruits, flowers, trees, grains, animals and animal by-products—were created for use in sacrifice for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu. However, the planet earth in the shape of a cow herein submits that all these utilities are being used by nondevotees, who have no plans for spiritual understanding. Although there are immense potencies within the earth for the production of grains, fruits and flowers, this production is checked by the earth itself when it is misused by nondevotees, who have no spiritual goals. Everything belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and everything can be used for His satisfaction. Things should not be used for the sense gratification of the living entities. This is the whole plan of material nature according to the directions of this material nature. In this verse the words asadbhih and adhrta-vrataih are important. The word asadbhih refers to the nondevotees. The nondevotees have been described in Bhagavad-gita as duskrtinah (miscreants), mudhah (asses or rascals), naradhamah (lowest of mankind) and mayayapahrta-jnanah (those who have lost their knowledge to the power of the illusory energy). All these persons are asat, nondevotees. Nondevotees are also called grha-vrata, whereas the devotee is called dhrta-vrata. The whole Vedic plan is that the misguided conditioned souls who have come to lord it over material nature should be trained to become dhrta-vrata. This means that they should take a vow to satisfy their senses or enjoy material life only by satisfying the senses of the Supreme Lord. Activities intended to satisfy the senses of the Supreme Lord, Krsna, are called krsnarthe ’khila-cestah. This indicates that one can attempt all kinds of work, but one should do so to satisfy Krsna. This is described in Bhagavad-gita as yajnarthat karma. The word yajna indicates Lord Visnu. We should work only for His satisfaction. In modern times (Kali-yuga), however, people have forgotten Visnu altogether, and they conduct their activities for sense gratification. Such people will gradually become poverty-stricken, for they cannot use things which are to be enjoyed by the Supreme Lord for their own sense gratification. If they continue like this, there will ultimately be a state of poverty, and no grains, fruits or flowers will be produced. Indeed, it is stated in the Twelfth Canto of Bhagavatam that at the end of Kali-yuga people will be so polluted that there will no longer be any grains, wheat, sugarcane or milk.

Indra was very upset he didn't get his portion of sacrifice at the Govardhana Hill incident - as many other demigods have been. Does anyone know any of the mechanics involved in this process? Exactly how do they recieve sacrifice and what does it do for them? .......................... Bg 3.11 The demigods are empowered administrators of material affairs. The supply of air, light, water and all other benedictions for maintaining the body and soul of every living entity are entrusted to the demigods, who are innumerable assistants in different parts of the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Their pleasures and displeasures are dependant on the performance of yajnas by the human being. Some of the yajnas are meant to satisfy particular demigods; but even in so doing, Lord Visnu is worshiped in all yajnas as the chief beneficiary. It is stated also in the Bhagavad-gita that Krsna Himself is the beneficiary of all kinds of yajnas: bhoktaram yajna-tapasam. Therefore, ultimate satisfaction of the yajnapati is the chief purpose of all yajnas. When these yajnas are perfectly performed, naturally the demigods in charge of the different departments of supply are pleased, and there is no scarcity in the supply of natural products.

SB 4.16.7 PURPORT In other words, it is the duty of the king to look after the comforts of the citizens, even at the cost of his own personal convenience. This is not the case, however, in Kali-yuga, for in Kali-yuga the kings and heads of state enjoy life at the cost of taxes exacted from the citizens. Such unfair taxation makes the people dishonest, and the people try to hide their income in so many ways. Eventually the state will not be able to collect taxes and consequently will not be able to meet its huge military and administrative expenses. Everything will collapse, and there will be chaos and disturbance all over the state.

SB 4.12.51 The narration of Dhruva Maharaja is sublime knowledge for the attainment of immortality. Persons unaware of the Absolute Truth can be led to the path of truth. Those who out of transcendental kindness take on the responsibility of becoming master-protectors of the poor living entities automatically gain the interest and blessings of the demigods.

Cool post and comments. This answered a question I was thinking of earlier… "Actually the living entity is in the subtle body, even though the gross body apparently changes… " I was trying to make a mental analogy between body and soul like mutual interdependency at the atomic level. Couldn't do it. This subtle body goes a long way to explain that idea. But I suspect it still doesn't fit.

Government foster care is drugs and television. No wonder they don't want to hear from you. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

We can all understand the Sudama story and why Krsna favored such a selfless person. But one can wonder why Druhva Maharaja achieved so much success from a material motive… .................................... SB 4.12.40 After observing the glories of Dhruva Maharaja, the great sage Narada, playing his vina, went to the sacrificial arena of the Pracetas and very happily chanted the following three verses. PURPORT The great sage Narada was the spiritual master of Dhruva Maharaja. Certainly he was very glad to see Dhruva’s glories. As a father is very happy to see the son’s advancement in every respect, so the spiritual master is very happy to observe the ascendancy of his disciple. SB 4.12.41 The great sage Narada said: Simply by the influence of his spiritual advancement and powerful austerity, Dhruva Maharaja, the son of Suniti, who was devoted to her husband, acquired an exalted position not possible to attain even for the so-called Vedantists or strict followers of the Vedic principles, not to speak of ordinary human beings. PURPORT In this verse the word veda-vadinah is very significant. Generally, a person who strictly follows the Vedic principles is called veda-vadi. There are also so-called Vedantists who advertise themselves as followers of Vedanta philosophy but who misinterpret Vedanta. The expression veda-vada-ratah is also found in the Bhagavad-gita, referring to persons who are attached to the Vedas without understanding the purport of the Vedas. Such persons may go on talking about the Vedas or may execute austerities in their own way, but it is not possible for them to attain to such an exalted position as Dhruva Maharaja. As far as ordinary kings are concerned, it is not at all possible. The specific mention of kings is significant because formerly kings were also rajarsis, for the kings were as good as great sages. Dhruva Maharaja was a king, and at the same time he was as learned as a great sage. But without devotional service, neither a great king, a ksatriya, nor a great brahmana strictly adhering to the Vedic principles can be elevated to the exalted position attained by Dhruva Maharaja. SB 4.12.42 The great sage Narada continued: Just see how Dhruva Maharaja, aggrieved at the harsh words of his stepmother, went to the forest at the age of only five years and under my direction underwent austerity. Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead is unconquerable, Dhruva Maharaja defeated Him with the specific qualifications possessed by the Lord’s devotees. PURPORT The Supreme Godhead is unconquerable; no one can conquer the Lord. But He voluntarily accepts subordination to the devotional qualities of His devotees. For example, Lord Krsna accepted subordination to the control of mother Yasoda because she was a great devotee. The Lord likes to be under the control of His devotees. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said that everyone comes before the Lord and offers Him exalted prayers, but the Lord does not feel as pleased when offered such prayers as He does when a devotee, out of pure love, chastises Him as a subordinate. The Lord forgets His exalted position and willingly submits to His pure devotee. Dhruva Maharaja conquered the Supreme Lord because at a very tender age, only five years old, he underwent all the austerities of devotional service. This devotional service was of course executed under the direction of a great sage, Narada. This is the first principle of devotional service—adau gurv-asrayam. In the beginning one must accept a bona fide spiritual master, and if a devotee follows strictly the direction of the spiritual master, as Dhruva Maharaja followed the instruction of Narada Muni, then it is not difficult for him to achieve the favor of the Lord. The sum total of devotional qualities is development of unalloyed love for Krsna. This unalloyed love for Krsna can be achieved simply by hearing about Krsna. Lord Caitanya accepted this principle—that if one in any position submissively hears the transcendental message spoken by Krsna or about Krsna, then gradually he develops the quality of unalloyed love, and by that love only he can conquer the unconquerable. The Mayavadi philosophers aspire to become one with the Supreme Lord, but a devotee surpasses that position. Not only does a devotee become one in quality with the Supreme Lord, but he sometimes becomes the father, mother or master of the Lord. Arjuna also, by his devotional service, made Lord Krsna his chariot driver; he ordered the Lord, “Put my chariot here,” and the Lord executed his order. These are some examples of how a devotee can acquire the exalted position of conquering the unconquerable. SB 4.12.43 Dhruva Maharaja attained an exalted position at the age of only five or six years, after undergoing austerity for six months. Alas, a great ksatriya cannot achieve such a position even after undergoing austerities for many, many years. PURPORT Dhruva Maharaja is described herein as ksatra-bandhuh, which indicates that he was not fully trained as a ksatriya because he was only five years old; he was not a mature ksatriya. A ksatriya or brahmana has to take training. A boy born in the family of a brahmana is not immediately a brahmana; he has to take up the training and the purificatory process. The great sage Narada Muni was very proud of having a devotee-disciple like Dhruva Maharaja. He had many other disciples, but he was very pleased with Dhruva Maharaja because in one lifetime, by dint of his severe penances and austerities, he had achieved Vaikuntha, which was never achieved by any other king’s son or rajarsi throughout the whole universe. There is the instance of the great King Bharata, who was also a great devotee, but he attained Vaikunthaloka in three lives. In the first life, although he executed austerities in the forest, he became a victim of too much affection for a small deer, and in his next life he had to take birth as a deer. Although he had a deer’s body, he remembered his spiritual position, but he still had to wait until the next life for perfection. In the next life he took birth as Jada Bharata. Of course, in that life he was completely freed from all material entanglement, and he attained perfection and was elevated to Vaikunthaloka. The lesson from the life of Dhruva Maharaja is that if one likes, one can attain Vaikunthaloka in one life, without waiting for many other lives. My Guru Maharaja, Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada, used to say that every one of his disciples could attain Vaikunthaloka in this life, without waiting for another life to execute devotional service. One simply has to become as serious and sincere as Dhruva Maharaja; then it is quite possible to attain Vaikunthaloka and go back home, back to Godhead, in one life. ........................... I don't understand this… "… which was never achieved by any other king’s son or rajarsi throughout the whole universe." I was under the impression alot of kings returned home. King's son? But sons become kings.