bhaktajan

As Posted by Mud <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" /><o:p></o:p> Quote:<o:p></o:p> <TABLE class=MsoNormalTable style="WIDTH: 100%; mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 4.5pt 4.5pt 4.5pt 4.5pt" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #666666 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 0.25in; BORDER-TOP: #666666 1pt solid; PADDING-LEFT: 0.25in; BACKGROUND: #e0e0e0; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4.5pt; BORDER-LEFT: #666666 1pt solid; PADDING-TOP: 4.5pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #666666 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid #666666 .75pt">It appears Balavidya dasa does not fully comprehend what this actually means <o:p></o:p> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>It appears this way to you in your dream.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Re: Purport, Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.16.26<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Balavidya dasa has cut-off the quoted sloka just as Srila Prabhupada was completing his statement:<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Balavidya dasa quoted Purport, Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.16.26, thus:<o:p></o:p> " The conclusion is that no one falls from the spiritual world, or Vaikuntha planet, for it is the eternal abode." <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> The correct except [the above truncating may be the root of this perceived contradiction] is thus:<o:p></o:p> Purport, Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.16.26: . . . The conclusion is that no one falls from the spiritual world, or Vaikuntha planet, for it is the eternal abode. But sometimes, as the Lord desires, devotees come into this material world as preachers or as atheists. In each case we must understand that there is a plan of the Lord. . . . <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Ys,<o:p></o:p> Bhaktajan<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> PS: Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami always counted the number of times <o:p></o:p> apparently contradictory statements;<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> immature grasp of siddhanta;<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> dumb fool;<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> mischievous rascal;<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> posture and parade themselves;<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> misinterpretation of certain particular statements of Srila Prabhupada;<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> confused deviants ;<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> These confused deviants have invented a phrase to serve their egoistic motives; this term is "Prabhupada siddhanta". Like the bogus Rtviks, they claim that because Srila Prabhupada is such a great acarya he can give a conclusion that is in opposition to the Vedas.; <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> These deviants are so stupid;<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> the intelligent faithful devotee will understand that there are no internal contradictions within Srila Prabhupada's teachings, and furthermore no contradiction between the conclusion of Srila Prabhupada and the Vedic conclusion. Of course.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p>

WHERE DID YOU FIND THIS? Is it a bogus quote? Tell the truth, where did you find this? awaiting confirmation, Bhaktajan Allow me to paraphrase: "If you give away sastra without a donation, they will think it is cheap and therefore, they will not read." please correct me.

Why "they say"? Are you not writting the above comments your self? Experiment: Shiva, do you know where Alaska is? How do you know? You know because you have accepted it from your chosen guru, no? You can't take me there even if you tried--we would get lost and we'd be asking every native along the way to guide us. I have seen all these galaxy pictures--I don't see anything in them except what I am told is in them, third-hand informants spreading propaganda that certainly will affect the price of rice in China. The science which you are in awe of has proven to be the most influencial creative factor during the last five centuries. The 1900's were a great success in the evolution of technology and science. Regardless of the 200 Millions murderous deaths it caused. Scientific method for everything from making chipatis to making babies are all passed down from a chain of an unbroken succession of sages, Anuties and wellwishers, not nerds. The trick to being the next Bill Gates is to be in the right place at the right time along with the pre-requisit destiny. You can't make this stuff up. ys, Bhaktajan development

"Sub-consciouness" --As per the modern psychiatry, does it exist? [Freud did, others did not] --As per the Vedas, does it exist? Are there any one who is learned regarding this?

Attached is a graphic of the Brahmanda from a Bird's eye view. It is to scale as per A.C. Bhaktivedanta's translations. it has been reduced in size to allow for the up-loading as an attachment--so some of the reference numbers (sloka verse numbers) etc are not legible--but all else is recognizable for those who have the read the 5th canto. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" /><o:p> </o:p> <o:p><o:p></o:p> </o:p> Brahmanda 28% - 7-22-07.bmp

the latest announcements by [karmi] astromoners is that the northeren and southern atmospheres are populated by only a finite number of stars !! That there are only 2,500 (two thousand and five hundred) visible stars that can be countable --[the 'un-detectable' distant stars are another topic]. I heard this last month on NPR (National Public Radio, USA) Radio. It was a astro-Physicist who had just published a book [his name ?]. ys, Bhaktajan

Oh Prabhu, WOW, wow o wow o wow!! My dear Prabhuji, have you seen that 1972 Ratha yatra on DVD yet?? While reading your post I was wondering if you were present --then you mentioned the very large [gold leafed?] Murti. I have the DVD of that festival--I brought it to the mandir to show to the temple President (about 12 months ago) just to show him (and all else in the lobby at the DVD TV Screen) the greatest vision of Srila Prabhupada sitting on a Vyasasana that was set between the Horse Sculptures that flanked the Ratha Cart ---All this was brought into a large auditorium along with the Caitanya Murti. It looked like something from the heavenly planets had landed. Have you seen this DVD? It is part of a set of ITV anthology of Disks. ys, bhaktajan

SCC Adi-lila 7.157 Purport: . . . All the demigods are servants of Krsna; they are not equal with Krsna. Therefore even if one goes to a temple of the pancopasana, as mentioned above, one should not accept the deities as they are accepted by the impersonalists. All of them are to be accepted as personal demigods, but they all serve the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sankaracarya, for example, is understood to be an incarnation of Lord Siva, as described in the Padma Purana. He propagated the Mayavada philosophy under the order of the Supreme Lord. We have already discussed this point in text 114 of this chapter: tanra dosa nahi, tenho ajna-kari dasa. “Sankaracarya is not at fault, for he has thus covered the real purpose of the Vedas under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Although Lord Siva, in the form of a brahmana (Sankaracarya), preached the false philosophy of Mayavada, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu nevertheless said that since he did it on the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there was no fault on his part (tanra dosa nahi). <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" /><o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> SCC Adi-lila 7.128 Purport: . . . Aside from omkara, none of the words uttered by the followers of Sankaracarya can be considered the maha-vakya. They are merely passing remarks. Sankaracarya, however, has never stressed chanting of the maha-vakya omkara; he has accepted only tat tvam asi as the maha-vakya. Imagining the living entity to be God, he has misrepresented all the mantras of the Vedanta-sutra with the motive of proving that there is no separate existence of the living entities and the Supreme Absolute Truth. This is similar to the politician’s attempt to prove nonviolence from the Bhagavad-gita. Krsna is violent to demons, and to attempt to prove that Krsna is not violent is ultimately to deny Krsna. As such explanations of the Bhagavad-gita are absurd, so also is Sankaracarya’s explanation of the Vedanta-sutra, and no sane and reasonable man will accept it. At present, however, the Vedanta-sutra is misrepresented not only by the so-called Vedantis but also by other unscrupulous persons who are so degraded that they even recommend that sannyasis eat meat, fish and eggs. In this way, the so-called followers of Sankara, the impersonalist Mayavadis, are sinking lower and lower. How can these degraded men explain the Vedanta-sutra, which is the essence of all Vedic literature? Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has declared, mayavadi-bhasya Sunile haya sarva-naSa: “Anyone who hears commentary on the Vedanta-sutra from the Mayavada school is completely doomed.” As explained in the Bhagavad-gita (15.15), vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah: all Vedic literature aims at understanding Krsna. Mayavada philosophy, however, has deviated everyone from Krsna. Therefore there is a great need for the Krsna consciousness movement all over the world to save the world from degradation. Every intelligent and sane man must abandon the philosophical explanation of the Mayavadis and accept the explanation of Vaisnava acaryas. One should read Bhagavad-gita As It Is to try to understand the real purpose of the Vedas. <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> SCC Madhya-lila 25.56: . . . In his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura gives the following summary of the six philosophical processes. PrakaSananda admitted that Sripada Sankaracarya, being very eager to establish his philosophy of monism, took shelter of the Vedanta philosophy and tried to explain it in his own way. The fact is, however, that if one accepts the existence of God, one certainly cannot establish the theory of monism. For this reason Sankaracarya refuted all kinds of Vedic literature that establishes the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead. In various ways, Sankaracarya has tried to refute the Vedic literature. Throughout the world, ninety-nine percent of the philosophers following in the footsteps of Sankaracarya refuse to accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Instead they try to establish their own opinions. It is typical of mundane philosophers to want to establish their own opinions and refute those of others. Therefore: (1) The Mimamsaka philosophers, following the principles of Jaimini, stress fruitive activity and say that if there is a God, He must be under the laws of fruitive activity. In other words, if one performs his duties very nicely in the material world, God is obliged to give one the desired result. According to these philosophers, there is no need to become a devotee of God. If one strictly follows moral principles, one will be recognized by the Lord, who will give the desired reward. Such philosophers do not accept the Vedic principle of bhakti-yoga. Instead, they give stress to following one’s prescribed duty. (2) Atheistic Sankhya philosophers like Kapila analyze the material elements very scrutinizingly and thereby come to the conclusion that material nature is the cause of everything. They do not accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the cause of all causes. (3) Nyaya philosophers like Gautama and Kanada have accepted a combination of atoms as the original cause of the creation. (4) Mayavadi philosophers say that everything is an illusion. Headed by philosophers like Astavakra, they stress the impersonal Brahman effulgence as the cause of everything. (5) Philosophers following the precepts of Patanjali practice raja-yoga. They imagine a form of the Absolute Truth within many forms. That is their process of self-realization. All five of these philosophies completely reject the predominance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and strive to establish their own philosophical theories. However, Srila Vyasadeva wrote the Vedanta-sutra and, taking the essence of all Vedic literature, established the supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All five kinds of philosophers mentioned above understand that impersonal Brahman is without material qualities, and they believe that when the Personality of Godhead appears, He is contaminated and covered by the material qualities. The technical term used is saguna. They speak of saguna Brahman and nirguna Brahman. For them, nirguna Brahman means “the impersonal Absolute Truth without any material qualities” and saguna Brahman means “the Absolute Truth that accepts the contamination of material qualities.” More or less, this kind of philosophical speculation is called Mayavada philosophy. The fact is, however, that the Absolute Truth never has anything to do with material qualities because He is transcendental. He is always complete with full spiritual qualities. The five philosophers mentioned above do not accept Lord Visnu as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but they are very busy refuting the philosophies of other schools. There are six kinds of philosophical processes in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place>. Because Vyasadeva is the Vedic authority, he is known as Vedavyasa. His philosophical explanation of the Vedanta-sutra is accepted by the devotees. As Krsna confirms in the Bhagavad-gita (15.15): sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham “I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known; indeed, I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.” The ultimate goal of studying all Vedic literature is the acceptance of Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Krsna consciousness movement is propagating the philosophical conclusion of Srila Vyasadeva and following other great acaryas like Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnu Svami, Nimbarka and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself.

TLC 19: . . . According to Mayavadi philosophers, Vedanta refers to the Sariraka commentary of Sankaracarya. When impersonal philosophers refer to Vedanta and the Upanisads, they are actually referring to the commentaries of Sankaracarya, the greatest teacher of Mayavadi philosophy. After Sankaracarya came Sadananda-yogi, who claimed that the Vedanta and Upanisads should be understood through the commentaries of Sankaracarya. Factually, this is not so. There are many commentaries on Vedanta and the Upanisads made by the Vaisnava acaryas, and these are preferred to those of Sankaracarya. However, the Mayavadi philosophers influenced by Sankaracarya do not attribute any importance to the Vaisnava understandings. There are four different sects of Vaisnava acaryas—the Suddhadvaita, ViSistadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Acintya-bhedabheda. All the Vaisnava acaryas in these schools have written commentaries on the Vedanta-sutra, but the Mayavadi philosophers do not recognize them. The Mayavadis distinguish between Krsna and Krsna’s body, and therefore they do not recognize the worship of Krsna by the Vaisnava philosophers. Thus when the Mayavadi sannyasis asked Lord Caitanya why He did not study the Vedanta-sutra, the Lord replied, “Dear sirs, you have asked why I do not study Vedanta, and in answer to this I would speak something, but I am afraid that you would be sorry to hear it.” “We shall be very much pleased to hear You,” all the sannyasis replied. “You appear just like Narayana, and Your speeches are so nice that we are taking great pleasure in them. We are very much obliged to see and hear You. Therefore we shall be very glad to hear patiently and accept whatever You say.” The Lord then began to speak on Vedanta philosophy as follows: Vedanta-sutra is spoken by the Supreme Lord Himself. The Supreme Lord, in His incarnation as Vyasadeva, has compiled this great philosophical treatise. Since Vyasadeva is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord, he cannot be likened to an ordinary person, who has the four defects which arise due to contact with material existence. The defects of a conditioned soul are: (1) he must commit mistakes; (2) he must be illusioned; (3) he must possess the tendency to cheat others; and (4) all his senses must be imperfect. We must understand that the incarnation of God is transcendental to all these defects. Thus whatever has been spoken and written by Vyasadeva is considered to be perfect. The Upanisads and Vedanta-sutra aim at the same goal: the Supreme Absolute Truth. When we accept the import of Vedanta-sutra and the Upanisads directly as they are stated, we become glorified. The commentaries made by Sankaracarya, however, are indirect and are very dangerous for the common man to read, for by understanding the import of the Upanisads in such an indirect, disruptive way, one practically bars himself from spiritual realization. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" /><o:p> </o:p> TLC 21: After thus explaining his position, the chief student of PrakaSananda Sarasvati began to chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. When PrakaSananda Sarasvati saw this, he also admitted the fault of Sankaracarya and said, “Because Sankaracarya wanted to establish the doctrine of monism, he had no alternative but to interpret the Vedanta-sutra in a different way. Once one accepts the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the doctrine of monism cannot be established. Therefore by mundane scholarship Sankaracarya has tried to obscure the actual meaning of the Vedanta-sutra. Not only has Sankaracarya done this, but all authors who attempt to give their own views of necessity misinterpret Vedanta-sutra.” Thus Lord Caitanya gave the direct meaning of Vedanta-sutra. No Vedic scripture should be used for indirect speculation. In addition to Sankaracarya, other materialistic philosophers like Kapila, Gautama, Astavakra and Patanjali have put forward philosophical speculation in various ways. Indeed, the philosopher Jaimini and his followers, who are all more or less logicians, have abandoned the real meaning of the Vedas (devotional service) and have tried to establish the Absolute Truth as subject to the material world. It is their opinion that if there is a God, He will be pleased with man and give man all desired results if man simply performs his material activities nicely. Similarly, the atheist Kapila tried to establish that there is no God who created the material world. Kapila has even tried to establish that a combination of material elements caused creation. Similarly, Gautama and Kanada have given stress to this theory that the creation resulted from a fortunate combination of material elements, and they have tried to establish that atomic energy is the origin of creation. Similarly, impersonalists and monists like Astavakra have tried to establish the impersonal effulgence (brahmajyoti) as the Supreme. And Patanjali, one of the greatest authorities on the yoga system, has tried to conceive an imaginary form of the Supreme Lord. In summary it should be understood that all these materialistic philosophers have tried to avoid the Supreme Personality of Godhead by putting forward their own mentally concocted philosophies. However, Vyasadeva, the great sage and incarnation of God head, has thoroughly studied all these philosophical speculations and in answer has compiled the Vedanta-sutra, which establishes the relationship between the living entity and the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the importance of devotional service in ultimately achieving love of Godhead. The verse janmady asya yatah [sB 1.1.1], which appears in the very beginning of Vedanta-sutra, is explained in Vyasadeva’s Srimad-Bhagavatam. In Srimad-Bhagavatam Vyasadeva establishes from the very beginning that the supreme source of everything is a cognizant, transcendental person. The impersonalist tries to explain that the impersonal effulgence of the Supreme Lord (brahmajyoti) is beyond these material modes of nature, but at the same time he tries to establish that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is contaminated by the modes of material nature. The Vedanta-sutra asserts that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not only transcendental to the material modes of nature but that He also has innumerable transcendental qualities and energies. All these various speculative philosophers are one in denying the existence of the Supreme Lord Visnu, and they are very much enthused to propagate their own theories and be recognized by the people. Unfortunate people become enamored of these atheistic philosophers and consequently can never understand the real nature of the Absolute Truth. It is far better to follow in the footsteps of great souls (mahajanas). According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, there are twelve mahajanas, or great souls, and these are: (1) Brahma, (2) Lord Siva, (3) Narada, (4) Vaivasvata Manu, (5) Kapila (not the atheist, but the original Kapila), (6) the Kumaras, (7) Prahlada, (8) Bhisma, (9) Janaka, (10) Bali, (11) Sukadeva Gosvami and (12) Yamaraja. According to the Mahabharata, there is no point in arguing about the Absolute Truth because there are so many different Vedic scriptures and philosophical understandings that no one philosopher can agree with another. Since everyone is trying to present his own point of view and reject others, it is very difficult to understand the necessity for religious principles. Therefore it is better to follow in the footsteps of the great mahajanas, great souls; then one can achieve the desired success. Lord Caitanya’s teachings are just like nectar, and they hold whatever is needed. The best way is to take to this path and follow it. <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> SCC Adi-lila 3.34 Purport: . . . During the time of Lord Caitanya, the influence of Sankaracarya in society was very strong. People thought that one could accept sannyasa only in the disciplic succession of Sankaracarya. Lord Caitanya could have performed His missionary activities as a householder, but He found householder life an obstruction to His mission. Therefore He decided to accept the renounced order, sannyasa. Since His acceptance of sannyasa was also designed to attract public attention, Lord Caitanya, not wishing to disturb the social convention, took the renounced order of life from a sannyasi in the disciplic succession of Sankaracarya, although sannyasa was also sanctioned in the Vaisnava sampradaya. In the Sankara-sampradaya there are ten different names awarded to sannyasis: (1) Tirtha, (2) ASrama, (3) Vana, (4) Aranya, (5) Giri, (6) Parvata, (7) Sagara, (8) Sarasvati, (9) Bharati and (10) Puri. Before one enters sannyasa, he has one of the various names for a brahmacari, the assistant to a sannyasi. Sannyasis with the titles Tirtha and ASrama generally stay at Dvaraka, and their brahmacari name is Svarupa. Those known by the names Vana and Aranya stay at Purusottama, or Jagannatha Puri, and their brahmacari name is PrakaSa. Those with the names Giri, Parvata and Sagara generally stay at BadarikaSrama, and their brahmacari name is Ananda. Those with the titles Sarasvati, Bharati and Puri usually live at Srngeri in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on">South India</st1:place>, and their brahmacari name is Caitanya. Sripada Sankaracarya established four monasteries in India, in the four directions (north, south, east and west), and he entrusted them to four sannyasis who were his disciples. Now there are hundreds of branch monasteries under these four principal monasteries, and although there is an official symmetry among them, there are many differences in their dealings. The four different sects of these monasteries are known as Anandavara, Bhogavara, Kitavara and Bhumivara, and in course of time they have developed different ideas and different slogans. According to the regulation of the disciplic succession, one who wishes to enter the renounced order in Sankara’s sect must first be trained as a brahmacari under a bona fide sannyasi, The brahmacari’s name is ascertained according to the group to which the sannyasi belongs. Lord Caitanya accepted sannyasa from KeSava Bharati. When He first approached KeSava Bharati, He was accepted as a brahmacari with the name Sri Krsna Caitanya Brahmacari. After He took sannyasa, He preferred to keep the name Krsna Caitanya. The great authorities in the disciplic succession had not offered to explain why Lord Caitanya refused to take the name Bharati after He took sannyasa from a Bharati, until Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja volunteered the explanation that because a sannyasi in the Sankara-sampradaya thinks that he has become the Supreme, Lord Caitanya, wanting to avoid such a misconception, kept the name Sri Krsna Caitanya, placing Himself as an eternal servitor. A brahmacari is supposed to serve the spiritual master; therefore He did not negate that relationship of servitude to His spiritual master. Accepting such a position is favorable for the relationship between the disciple and the spiritual master. The authentic biographies also mention that Lord Caitanya accepted the danòa (rod) and begging pot, symbolic of the sannyasa order, at the time He took sannyasa. …………………… <o:p> </o:p> SCC Adi-lila 5.41 Purport: . . . In reply to the commentary of Sankaracarya on the forty-fourth aphorism, it may be said that no pure devotees strictly following the principles of the Pancaratra will ever accept the statement that all the expansions of Visnu are different identities, for this idea is completely false. Even Sripada Sankaracarya, in his commentary on the forty-second aphorism, has accepted that the Personality of Godhead can automatically expand Himself variously. Therefore his commentary on the forty-second aphorism and his commentary on the forty-fourth aphorism are contradictory. It is a defect of Mayavada commentaries that they make one statement in one place and a contradictory statement in another place as a tactic to refute the Bhagavata school. Thus Mayavadi commentators do not even follow regulative principles. It should be noted that the Bhagavata school accepts the quadruple forms of Narayana, but that does not mean that it accepts many Gods. Devotees know perfectly well that the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is one without a second. They are never pantheists, worshipers of many Gods, for this is against the injunction of the Vedas. Devotees completely believe, with strong faith, that Narayana is transcendental and has inconceivable proprietorship of various transcendental potencies. We therefore recommend that scholars consult the Laghu-bhagavatamrta of Srila Rupa Gosvami, where these ideas are explicitly stated. Sripada Sankaracarya has tried to prove that Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha expand through cause and effect. He has compared Them with earth and earthen pots. That is completely ignorant, however, for there is no such thing as cause and effect in Their expansions (nanyad yat sad-asat-param). The Kurma Purana also confirms, deha-dehi-vibhedo ’yam nesvare vidyate kvacit: “There is no difference between body and soul in the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Cause and effect are material. For example, it is seen that a father’s body is the cause of a son’s body, but the soul is neither cause nor effect. On the spiritual platform there are none of the differences we find in cause and effect. Since all the forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are spiritually supreme, They are equally controllers of material nature. Standing on the fourth dimension, They are predominating figures on the transcendental platform. There is no trace of material contamination in Their expansions because material laws cannot influence Them. There is no such rule as cause and effect outside of the material world. Therefore the understanding of cause and effect cannot approach the full, transcendental, complete expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Vedic literature proves this: om purnam adah purnam idam purnat purnam udacyate purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate “The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the complete whole is also complete by itself. Because He is the complete whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.” (Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 5.1) It is most apparent that nondevotees violate the rules and regulations of devotional service to equate the whole cosmic manifestation, which is the external feature of Visnu, with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the controller of maya, or with His quadruple expansions. Equating maya with spirit, or maya with the Lord, is a sign of atheism. The cosmic creation, which manifests life in forms from Brahma to the ant, is the external feature of the Supreme Lord. It comprises one fourth of the Lord’s energy, as confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (ekamsena sthito jagat). The cosmic manifestation of the illusory energy is material nature, and everything within material nature is made of matter. Therefore, one should not try to compare the expansions of material nature to the catur-vyuha, the quadruple expansions of the Personality of Godhead, but unfortunately the Mayavadi school unreasonably attempts to do this. <o:p> </o:p> ……………………………………………………………………………….. SCC Adi-lila 7.64 Purport: . . . Mayavadi sannyasis are always very puffed up because of their knowledge of Sanskrit and because they belong to the Sankara-sampradaya. They are always under the impression that unless one is a brahmana and a very good Sanskrit scholar, especially in grammar, one cannot accept the renounced order of life or become a preacher. Mayavadi sannyasis always misinterpret all the Sastras with their word jugglery and grammatical compositions, yet Sripada Sankaracarya himself condemned such jugglery of words in the verse prapte sannihite kale na hi na hi raksati dukrn karane. Dukrn refers to suffixes and prefixes in Sanskrit grammar. Sankaracarya warned his disciples that if they concerned themselves only with the principles of grammar, not worshiping Govinda, they were fools who would never be saved. Yet in spite of Sripada Sankaracarya’s instructions, foolish Mayavadi sannyasis are always busy juggling words on the basis of strict Sanskrit grammar. Mayavadi sannyasis are very puffed up if they hold the elevated sannyasa title Tirtha, ASrama or Sarasvati. Even among Mayavadis, those who belong to other sampradayas and hold other titles, such as Vana, Aranya or Bharati, are considered to be lower-grade sannyasis. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted sannyasa from the Bharati-sampradaya, and thus He considered Himself a lower sannyasi than PrakaSananda Sarasvati. To remain distinct from Vaisnava sannyasis, the sannyasis of the Mayavadi-sampradaya always think themselves to be situated in a very much elevated spiritual order, but Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in order to teach them how to become humble and meek, accepted Himself as belonging to a lower sampradaya of sannyasis. Thus He wanted to point out clearly that a sannyasi is one who is advanced in spiritual knowledge. One who is advanced in spiritual knowledge should be accepted as occupying a better position than those who lack such knowledge. The Mayavadi-sampradaya sannyasis are generally known as Vedantis, as if Vedanta were their monopoly. Actually, however, Vedanti refers to a person who perfectly knows Krsna. As confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (15.15), vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah: By all the Vedas it is Krsna who is to be known. The so-called Mayavadi Vedantis do not know who Krsna is; therefore their title of Vedanti, or “knower of Vedanta philosophy,” is simply a pretension. Mayavadi sannyasis always think of themselves as real sannyasis and consider sannyasis of the Vaisnava order to be brahmacaris. A brahmacari is supposed to engage in the service of a sannyasi and accept him as his guru. Mayavadi sannyasis therefore declare themselves to be not only gurus but jagad-gurus, or the spiritual masters of the entire world, although, of course, they cannot see the entire world. Sometimes they dress gorgeously and travel on the backs of elephants in processions, and thus they are always puffed up, accepting themselves as jagad-gurus. Srila Rupa Gosvami, however, has explained that jagad-guru properly refers to one who is the controller of his tongue, mind, words, belly, genitals and anger. Prthivim sa Sisyat: such a jagad-guru is completely fit to make disciples all over the world. Due to false prestige, Mayavadi sannyasis who do not have these qualifications sometimes harass and blaspheme a Vaisnava sannyasi who humbly engages in the service of the Lord. <o:p> </o:p>

Translations and purports by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" /><o:p> </o:p> Sri Isopanisad Introduction: . . . 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 generally 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. <o:p> </o:p> Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Introduction: . . . The Lord said that but for these three items—namely, eternal relation with God, exchange of dealings with Him and the attainment of love for Him—all that is instructed in the Vedas is superfluous and concocted. The Lord further added that the Mayavada philosophy taught by Sripada Sankaracarya is an imaginary explanation of the Vedas, but it had to be taught by him (Sankaracarya) because he was ordered to teach it by the Personality of Godhead. In the Padma Purana it is stated that the Personality of Godhead ordered His Lordship Siva to deviate the human race from Him (the Personality of Godhead). The Personality of Godhead was to be so covered so that people would be encouraged to generate more and more population. His Lordship Siva said to Devi: “In the Kali-yuga, I shall preach the Mayavada philosophy, which is nothing but clouded Buddhism, in the garb of a brahmana.” <o:p> </o:p> SB 1.2.3 Purport: . . . Srimad-Bhagavatam is the one unrivaled commentary on Vedanta-sutra. Sripada Sankaracarya intentionally did not touch it because he knew that the natural commentary would be difficult for him to surpass. He wrote his Sariraka-bhasya, and his so-called followers deprecated the Bhagavatam as some “new” presentation. One should not be misled by such propaganda directed against the Bhagavatam by the Mayavada school. From this introductory sloka, the beginning student should know that Srimad-Bhagavatam is the only transcendental literature meant for those who are paramahamsas and completely freed from the material disease called malice. The Mayavadis are envious of the Personality of Godhead despite Sripada Sankaracarya’s admission that Narayana, the Personality of Godhead, is above the material creation. The envious Mayavadi cannot have access to the Bhagavatam, but those who are really anxious to get out of this material existence may take shelter of this Bhagavatam because it is uttered by the liberated Srila Sukadeva Gosvami. It is the transcendental torchlight by which one can see perfectly the transcendental Absolute Truth realized as Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.22 Certainly, therefore, since time immemorial, all transcendentalists have been rendering devotional service to Lord Krnsa, the Personality of Godhead, with great delight, because such devotional service is enlivening to the self. <o:p> </o:p> PURPORT The speciality of devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krsna is specifically mentioned herein. Lord Sri Krsna is the svayam-rupa Personality of Godhead, and all other forms of Godhead, beginning from Sri Baladeva, Sankarsana, Vasudeva, Aniruddha, Pradyumna and Narayana and extending to the purusa-avataras, guna-avataras, lila-avataras, yuga-avataras and many other thousands of manifestations of the Personality of Godhead, are Lord Sri Krsna’s plenary portions and integrated parts. The living entities are separated parts and parcels of the Personality of Godhead. Therefore Lord Sri Krsna is the original form of Godhead, and He is the last word in the Transcendence. Thus He is more attractive to the higher transcendentalists who participate in the eternal pastimes of the Lord. In forms of the Personality of Godhead other than Sri Krsna and Baladeva, there is no facility for intimate personal contact as in the transcendental pastimes of the Lord at Vrajabhumi. The transcendental pastimes of Lord Sri Krsna are not newly accepted, as argued by some less intelligent persons; His pastimes are eternal and are manifested in due course once in a day of Brahmaji, as the sun rises on the eastern horizon at the end of every twenty-four hours. <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> SB 1.3.42 Purport: . . . Sripada Sankaracarya, who preached Mayavada philosophy and stressed the impersonal feature of the Absolute, also recommended that one must take shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna, for there is no hope of gain from debating. Indirectly Sripada Sankaracarya admitted that what he had preached in the flowery grammatical interpretations of the Vedanta-sutra cannot help one at the time of death. At the critical hour of death one must recite the name of Govinda. This is the recommendation of all great transcendentalists. Sukadeva Gosvami had long ago stated the same truth, that at the end one must remember Narayana. That is the essence of all spiritual activities. In pursuance of this eternal truth, Srimad-Bhagavatam was heard by Emperor Pariksit, and it was recited by the able Sukadeva Gosvami. And both the speaker and the receiver of the messages of Bhagavatam were duly delivered by the same medium. <o:p> </o:p> SB 2.8.27 Purport: . . . Srimad-Bhagavatam can be legitimately discussed only among the devotees of the Lord. As the Bhagavad-gita was authoritatively discussed between Lord Krsna and Arjuna (the Lord and the devotee respectively), similarly Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is the postgraduate study of the Bhagavad-gita, can also be discussed between the scholars and devotees like Sukadeva Gosvami and Maharaja Pariksit. Otherwise the real taste of the nectar cannot be relished. Sukadeva Gosvami was pleased with Maharaja Pariksit because he was not at all tired of hearing the topics of the Lord and was more and more anxious to hear them on and on with interest. Foolish interpreters unnecessarily tackle the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam when they have no access to the subject matter. There is no use in nondevotees’ meddling with the two topmost Vedic literatures, and therefore Sankaracarya did not touch Srimad-Bhagavatam for commentation. In his commentation on the Bhagavad-gita, Sripada Sankaracarya accepted Lord Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but later on he commented from the impersonalist’s view. But, being conscious of his position, he did not comment on the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srila Sukadeva Gosvami was protected by Lord Krsna (vide Brahma-vaivarta Purana), and therefore he is known as Brahmarata, and Sriman Pariksit Maharaja was protected by Visnu, and thus he is known as Visnurata. As devotees of the Lord, they are always protected by the Lord. It is clear also in this connection that a Visnurata should hear Srimad-Bhagavatam from Brahmarata and no one else because others misrepresent the transcendental knowledge and thus spoil one’s valuable time. <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Srimad Bhagavatam 3.4.20 Purport: . . . As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (16.20) such envious speculators are without knowledge and are surely condemned life after life. They unnecessarily take shelter of Sripada Sankaracarya, but he was not so drastic as to commit an offense at the lotus feet of Lord Krsna. According to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sripada Sankaracarya preached the Mayavada philosophy for a particular purpose. Such a philosophy was necessary to defeat the Buddhist philosophy of the nonexistence of the spirit soul, but it was never meant for perpetual acceptance. It was an emergency. Thus Lord Krsna was accepted by Sankaracarya as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in his commentation on Bhagavad-gita. Since he was a great devotee of Lord Krsna, he did not dare write any commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam because that would have been a direct offense at the lotus feet of the Lord. But later speculators, in the name of Mayavada philosophy, unnecessarily make their commentary on the catuh-sloki Bhagavatam without any bona fide intent. The monistic dry speculators have no business in the Srimad-Bhagavatam because this particular Vedic literature is forbidden for them by the great author himself. Srila Vyasadeva has definitely forbidden persons engaged in religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and, finally, salvation, from trying to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is not meant for them (Bhag. 1.1.2). <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Srimad Bhagavatam 4.24.17 Purport: . . . Lord Siva, speaking to Parvati-devi, foretold that he would spread the Mayavada philosophy in the guise of a sannyasi brahmana just to eradicate Buddhist philosophy. This sannyasi was Sripada Sankaracarya. In order to overcome the effects of Buddhist philosophy and spread Vedanta philosophy, Sripada Sankaracarya had to make some compromise with the Buddhist philosophy, and as such he preached the philosophy of monism, for it was required at that time. Otherwise there was no need for his preaching Mayavada philosophy. At the present moment there is no need for Mayavada philosophy or Buddhist philosophy, and Lord Caitanya rejected both of them. This Krsna consciousness movement is spreading the philosophy of Lord Caitanya and rejecting the philosophy of both classes of Mayavadi. Strictly speaking, both Buddhist philosophy and Sankara’s philosophy are but different types of Mayavada dealing on the platform of material existence. Neither of these philosophies has spiritual significance. There is spiritual significance only after one accepts the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita, which culminates in surrendering unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Generally people worship Lord Siva for some material benefit, and although they cannot see him personally, they derive great material profit by worshiping him. <o:p> </o:p> Srimad Bhagavatam 4.24.18 Purport: . . . These are twelve great authorities in preaching God consciousness. The name Sambhu means Lord Siva. His disciplic succession is also known as the Visnusvami-sampradaya, and the current Visnusvami-sampradaya is also known as the Vallabha-sampradaya. The current Brahma-sampradaya is known as the Madhva-Gauòiya-sampradaya. Even though Lord Siva appeared to preach Mayavada philosophy, at the end of his pastime in the form of Sankaracarya, he preached the Vaisnava philosophy: bhaja govindam bhaja govindam bhaja govindam muòha-mate. He stressed worshiping Lord Krsna, or Govinda, three times in this verse and especially warned his followers that they could not possibly achieve deliverance, or mukti, simply by word jugglery and grammatical puzzles. If one is actually serious to attain mukti, he must worship Lord Krsna. That is Sripada Sankaracarya’s last instruction.

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" /><o:p></o:p> Chapter Nine<o:p></o:p> Mother Yasoda Binds Lord Lord Krsna<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9 Summary<o:p></o:p> While mother Yasoda was allowing Krsna to drink her breast milk, she was forced to stop because she saw the milk pan boiling over on the oven. The maidservants being engaged in other business, she stopped allowing Krsna to drink from her breast and immediately attended to the overflowing milk pan. Krsna became very angry because of His mother’s behavior and devised a means of breaking the pots of yogurt. Because He created this disturbance, mother Yasoda decided to bind Him. These incidents are described in this chapter.<o:p></o:p> One day, the maidservants being engaged in other work, mother Yasoda was churning the yogurt into butter herself, and in the meantime Krsna came and requested her to allow Him to suck her breast milk. Of course, mother Yasoda immediately allowed Him to do so, but then she saw that the hot milk on the oven was boiling over, and therefore she immediately stopped allowing Krsna to drink the milk of her breast and went to stop the milk on the oven from overflowing. Krsna, however, having been interrupted in His business of sucking the breast, was very angry. He took a piece of stone, broke the churning pot and entered a room, where He began to eat the freshly churned butter. When mother Yasoda, after attending to the overflowing milk, returned and saw the pot broken, she could understand that this was the work of Krsna, and therefore she went to search for Him. When she entered the room, she saw Krsna standing on the ulükhala, a large mortar for grinding spices. Having turned the mortar upside down, He was stealing butter hanging from a swing and was distributing the butter to the monkeys. As soon as Krsna saw that His mother had come, He immediately began to run away, and mother Yasoda began to follow Him. After going some distance, mother Yasoda was able to catch Krsna, who because of His offense was crying. Mother Yasoda, of course, threatened to punish Krsna if He acted that way again, and she decided to bind Him with rope. Unfortunately, when the time came to knot the rope, the rope with which she wanted to bind Him was short by a distance equal to the width of two fingers. When she made the rope longer by adding another rope, she again saw that it was short by two fingers. Again and again she tried, and again and again she found the rope too short by two fingers. Thus she became very tired, and Krsna, seeing His affectionate mother so tired, allowed Himself to be bound. Now, being compassionate, He did not show her His unlimited potency. After mother Yasoda bound Krsna and became engaged in other household affairs, Krsna observed two yamala-arjuna trees, which were actually Nalaküvara and Maëigriva, two sons of Kuvera who had been condemned by Narada Muni to become trees. Krsna, by His mercy, now began to proceed toward the trees to fulfill the desire of Narada Muni.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.1-2<o:p></o:p> Sri Sukadeva Gosvami continued: One day when mother Yasoda saw that all the maidservants were engaged in other household affairs, she personally began to churn the yogurt. While churning, she remembered the childish activities of Krsna, and in her own way she composed songs and enjoyed singing to herself about all those activities.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.3<o:p></o:p> Dressed in a saffron-yellow sari, with a belt tied about her full hips, mother Yasoda pulled on the churning rope, laboring considerably, her bangles and earrings moving and vibrating and her whole body shaking. Because of her intense love for her child, her breasts were wet with milk. Her face, with its very beautiful eyebrows, was wet with perspiration, and malati flowers were falling from her hair.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.4<o:p></o:p> While mother Yasoda was churning butter, Lord Krsna, desiring to drink the milk of her breast, appeared before her, and in order to increase her transcendental pleasure, He caught hold of the churning rod and began to prevent her from churning.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.5<o:p></o:p> Mother Yasoda then embraced Krsna, allowed Him to sit down on her lap, and began to look upon the face of the Lord with great love and affection. Because of her intense affection, milk was flowing from her breast. But when she saw that the milk pan on the oven was boiling over, she immediately left her son to take care of the overflowing milk, although the child was not yet fully satisfied with drinking the milk of His mother’s breast.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.6<o:p></o:p> Being very angry and biting His reddish lips with His teeth, Krsna, with false tears in His eyes, broke the container of yogurt with a piece of stone. Then He entered a room and began to eat the freshly churned butter in a solitary place.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.7<o:p></o:p> Mother Yasoda, after taking down the hot milk from the oven, returned to the churning spot, and when she saw that the container of yogurt was broken and that Krsna was not present, she concluded that the breaking of the pot was the work of Krsna.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.8<o:p></o:p> Krsna, at that time, was sitting on an upside-down wooden mortar for grinding spices and was distributing milk preparations such as yogurt and butter to the monkeys as He liked. Because of having stolen, He was looking all around with great anxiety, suspecting that He might be chastised by His mother. Mother Yasoda, upon seeing Him, very cautiously approached Him from behind.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.9<o:p></o:p> When Lord Sri Krsna saw His mother, stick in hand, He very quickly got down from the top of the mortar and began to flee as if very much afraid. Although yogis try to capture Him as Paramatma by meditation, desiring to enter into the effulgence of the Lord with great austerities and penances, they fail to reach Him. But mother Yasoda, thinking that same Personality of Godhead, Krsna, to be her son, began following Krsna to catch Him.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.10<o:p></o:p> While following Krsna, mother Yasoda, her thin waist overburdened by her heavy breasts, naturally had to reduce her speed. Because of following Krsna very swiftly, her hair became loose, and the flowers in her hair were falling after her. Yet she did not fail to capture her son Krsna.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.11<o:p></o:p> When caught by mother Yasoda, Krsna became more and more afraid and admitted to being an offender. As she looked upon Him, she saw that He was crying, His tears mixing with the black ointment around His eyes, and as He rubbed His eyes with His hands, He smeared the ointment all over His face. Mother Yasoda, catching her beautiful son by the hand, mildly began to chastise Him.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.12<o:p></o:p> Mother Yasoda was always overwhelmed by intense love for Krsna, not knowing who Krsna was or how powerful He was. Because of maternal affection for Krsna, she never even cared to know who He was. Therefore, when she saw that her son had become excessively afraid, she threw the stick away and desired to bind Him so that He would not commit any further naughty activities.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.13-14<o:p></o:p> The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no beginning and no end, no exterior and no interior, no front and no rear. In other words, He is all-pervading. Because He is not under the influence of the element of time, for Him there is no difference between past, present and future; He exists in His own transcendental form at all times. Being absolute, beyond relativity, He is free from distinctions between cause and effect, although He is the cause and effect of everything. That unmanifested person, who is beyond the perception of the senses, had now appeared as a human child, and mother Yasoda, considering Him her own ordinary child, bound Him to the wooden mortar with a rope.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.15<o:p></o:p> When mother Yasoda was trying to bind the offending child, she saw that the binding rope was short by a distance the width of two fingers. Thus she brought another rope to join to it.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.16<o:p></o:p> This new rope also was short by a measurement of two fingers, and when another rope was joined to it, it was still two fingers too short. As many ropes as she joined, all of them failed; their shortness could not be overcome.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.17<o:p></o:p> Thus mother Yasoda joined whatever ropes were available in the household, but still she failed in her attempt to bind Krsna. Mother Yasoda’s friends, the elderly gopis in the neighborhood, were smiling and enjoying the fun. Similarly, mother Yasoda, although laboring in that way, was also smiling. All of them were struck with wonder.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.18<o:p></o:p> Because of mother Yasoda’s hard labor, her whole body became covered with perspiration, and the flowers and comb were falling from her hair. When child Krsna saw His mother thus fatigued, He became merciful to her and agreed to be bound.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.19<o:p></o:p> O Maharaja Pariksit, this entire universe, with its great, exalted demigods like Lord Siva, Lord Brahma and Lord Indra, is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yet the Supreme Lord has one transcendental attribute: He comes under the control of His devotees. This was now exhibited by Krsna in this pastime.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.20<o:p></o:p> Neither Lord Brahma, nor Lord Siva, nor even the goddess of fortune, who is always the better half of the Supreme Lord, can obtain from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the deliverer from this material world, such mercy as received by mother Yasoda.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.21<o:p></o:p> The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, the son of mother Yasoda, is accessible to devotees engaged in spontaneous loving service, but He is not as easily accessible to mental speculators, to those striving for self-realization by severe austerities and penances, or to those who consider the body the same as the self.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.22<o:p></o:p> While mother Yasoda was very busy with household affairs, the Supreme Lord, Krsna, observed twin trees known as yamala-arjuna, which in a former millennium had been the demigod sons of Kuvera.<o:p></o:p> SB 10.9.23<o:p></o:p> In their former birth, these two sons, known as Nalaküvara and Maëigriva, were extremely opulent and fortunate. But because of pride and false prestige, they did not care about anyone, and thus Narada Muni cursed them to become trees.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Tenth Canto, Ninth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Mother Yasoda Binds Lord Krsna.”<o:p></o:p>

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" /><o:p></o:p> Chapter Twelve<o:p></o:p> Vrtrasura’s Glorious Death<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12 Summary<o:p></o:p> This chapter describes how Indra, the King of heaven, killed Vrtrasura despite great reluctance.<o:p></o:p> After Vrtrasura finished speaking, he released his trident against King Indra with great anger, but Indra, using his thunderbolt, which was many times more powerful than the trident, broke the trident to pieces and cut off one of Vrtrasura’s arms. Nevertheless, Vrtrasura used his remaining arm to strike Indra with an iron mace, making the thunderbolt fall from Indra’s hand. Indra, being very ashamed of this, did not pick up the thunderbolt from the ground, but Vrtrasura encouraged King Indra to pick it up and fight. Vrtrasura then spoke to King Indra as follows, instructing him very well.<o:p></o:p> “The Supreme Personality of Godhead,” he said, “is the cause of victory and defeat. Not knowing that the Supreme Lord is the cause of all causes, fools and rascals try to take credit for victory or defeat themselves, but everything is actually under the control of the Lord. No one but Him has any independence. The purusa (the enjoyer) and prakrti (the enjoyed) are under the control of the Lord, for it is by His supervision that everything works systematically. Not seeing the hand of the Supreme in every action, a fool considers himself the ruler and controller of everything. When one understands, however, that the real controller is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is freed from the relativities of the world, such as distress, happiness, fear and impurity.” Thus Indra and Vrtrasura not only fought, but also engaged in philosophical discourses. Then they began to fight again.<o:p></o:p> This time Indra was more powerful, and he severed Vrtrasura’s remaining arm. Vrtrasura then assumed a gigantic form and swallowed King Indra, but Indra, being protected by the talisman known as Narayaëa-kavaca, was able to protect himself even within Vrtrasura’s body. Thus he emerged from Vrtrasura’s abdomen and severed the demon’s head from his body with his powerful thunderbolt. Severing the demon’s head took one complete year to accomplish.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.1<o:p></o:p> Sukadeva Gosvami said: Desiring to give up his body, Vrtrasura considered death in the battle preferable to victory. O King Pariksit, he vigorously took up his trident and with great force attacked Lord Indra, the King of heaven, just as Kaiöabha had forcefully attacked the Supreme Personality of Godhead when the universe was inundated.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.2<o:p></o:p> Then Vrtrasura, the great hero of the demons, whirled his trident, which had points like the flames of the blazing fire at the end of the millennium. With great force and anger he threw it at Indra, roaring and exclaiming loudly, “O sinful one, thus shall I kill you!”<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.3<o:p></o:p> Flying in the sky, Vrtrasura’s trident resembled a brilliant meteor. Although the blazing weapon was difficult to look upon, King Indra, unafraid, cut it to pieces with his thunderbolt. Simultaneously, he cut off one of Vrtrasura’s arms, which was as thick as the body of Vasuki, the King of the serpents.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.4<o:p></o:p> Although one of his arms was severed from his body, Vrtrasura angrily approached King Indra and struck him on the jaw with an iron mace. He also struck the elephant that carried Indra. Thus Indra dropped the thunderbolt from his hand.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.5<o:p></o:p> The denizens of various planets, like the demigods, demons, Caraëas and Siddhas, praised Vrtrasura’s deed, but when they observed that Indra was in great danger, they lamented, “Alas! Alas!”<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.6<o:p></o:p> Having dropped the thunderbolt from his hand in the presence of his enemy, Indra was practically defeated and was very much ashamed. He dared not pick up his weapon again. Vrtrasura, however, encouraged him, saying, “Take up your thunderbolt and kill your enemy. This is not the time to lament your fate.”<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.7<o:p></o:p> Vrtrasura continued: O Indra, no one is guaranteed of being always victorious but the original enjoyer, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan. He is the cause of creation, maintenance and annihilation, and He knows everything. Being dependent and being obliged to accept material bodies, belligerent subordinates are sometimes victorious and sometimes defeated.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.8<o:p></o:p> All living beings in all the planets of this universe, including the presiding deities of all the planets, are fully under the control of the Lord. They work like birds caught in a net, who cannot move independently.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.9<o:p></o:p> Our sensory prowess, mental power, bodily strength, living force, immortality and mortality are all subject to the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not knowing this, foolish people think the dull material body to be the cause of their activities.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.10<o:p></o:p> O King Indra, as a wooden doll that looks like a woman or as an animal made of grass and leaves cannot move or dance independently, but depends fully on the person who handles it, all of us dance according to the desire of the supreme controller, the Personality of Godhead. No one is independent.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.11<o:p></o:p> The three purusas—Karaëodakasayi Visëu, Garbhodakasayi Visëu and Ksirodakasayi-Visëu—the material nature, the total material energy, the false ego, the five material elements, the material senses, the mind, the intelligence and consciousness cannot create the material manifestation without the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.12<o:p></o:p> A foolish, senseless person cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although always dependent, he falsely thinks himself the Supreme. If one thinks, “According to one’s previous fruitive actions, one’s material body is created by the father and mother, and the same body is annihilated by another agent, as another animal is devoured by a tiger,” this is not proper understanding. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself creates and devours the living beings through other living beings.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.13<o:p></o:p> Just as a person not inclined to die must nonetheless give up his longevity, opulence, fame and everything else at the time of death, so, at the appointed time of victory, one can gain all these when the Supreme Lord awards them by His mercy.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.14<o:p></o:p> Since everything is dependent on the supreme will of the Personality of Godhead, one should be equipoised in fame and defamation, victory and defeat, life and death. In their effects, represented as happiness and distress, one should maintain oneself in equilibrium, without anxiety.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.15<o:p></o:p> One who knows that the three qualities—goodness, passion and ignorance—are not qualities of the soul but qualities of material nature, and who knows that the pure soul is simply an observer of the actions and reactions of these qualities, should be understood to be a liberated person. He is not bound by these qualities.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.16<o:p></o:p> O my enemy, just look at me. I have already been defeated, for my weapon and arm have been cut to pieces. You have already overwhelmed me, but nonetheless, with a desire to kill you, I am trying my best to fight. I am not at all morose, even under such adverse conditions. Therefore you should give up your moroseness and continue fighting.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.17<o:p></o:p> O my enemy, consider this battle a gambling match in which our lives are the stakes, the arrows are the dice, and the animals acting as carriers are the game board. No one can understand who will be defeated and who will be victorious. It all depends on providence.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.18<o:p></o:p> Sukadeva Gosvami said: Hearing the straightforward, instructive words of Vrtrasura, King Indra praised him and again took the thunderbolt in his hand. Without bewilderment or duplicity, he then smiled and spoke to Vrtrasura as follows.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.19<o:p></o:p> Indra said: O great demon, I see by your discrimination and endurance in devotional service, despite your dangerous position, that you are a perfect devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul and friend of everyone.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.20<o:p></o:p> You have surmounted the illusory energy of Lord Visëu, and because of this liberation, you have given up the demoniac mentality and have attained the position of an exalted devotee.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.21<o:p></o:p> O Vrtrasura, demons are generally conducted by the mode of passion. Therefore, what a great wonder it is that although you are a demon, you have adopted the mentality of a devotee and have fixed your mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, who is always situated in pure goodness.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.22<o:p></o:p> A person fixed in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord, Hari, the Lord of the highest auspiciousness, swims in the ocean of nectar. For him what is the use of the water in small ditches?<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.23<o:p></o:p> Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: Vrtrasura and King Indra spoke about devotional service even on the battlefield, and then as a matter of duty they again began fighting. My dear King, both of them were great fighters and were equally powerful.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.24<o:p></o:p> O Maharaja Pariksit, Vrtrasura, who was completely able to subdue his enemy, took his iron club, whirled it around, aimed it at Indra and then threw it at him with his left hand.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.25<o:p></o:p> With his thunderbolt named Sataparvan, Indra simultaneously cut to pieces Vrtrasura’s club and his remaining hand.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.26<o:p></o:p> Vrtrasura, bleeding profusely, his two arms cut off at their roots, looked very beautiful, like a flying mountain whose wings have been cut to pieces by Indra.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.27, SB 6.12.28, SB 6.12.29, SB 6.12.27-29<o:p></o:p> Vrtrasura was very powerful in physical strength and influence. He placed his lower jaw on the ground and his upper jaw in the sky. His mouth became very deep, like the sky itself, and his tongue resembled a large serpent. With his fearful, deathlike teeth, he seemed to be trying to devour the entire universe. Thus assuming a gigantic body, the great demon Vrtrasura shook even the mountains and began crushing the surface of the earth with his legs, as if he were the Himalayas walking about. He came before Indra and swallowed him and Airavata, his carrier, just as a big python might swallow an elephant.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.30<o:p></o:p> When the demigods, along with Brahma, other prajapatis and other great saintly persons, saw that Indra had been swallowed by the demon, they became very morose. “Alas,” they lamented. “What a calamity ! What a calamity !”<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.31<o:p></o:p> The protective armor of Narayaëa, which Indra possessed, was identical with Narayaëa Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Protected by that armor and by his own mystic power, King Indra, although swallowed by Vrtrasura, did not die within the demon’s belly.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.32<o:p></o:p> With his thunderbolt, King Indra, who was also extremely powerful, pierced through Vrtrasura’s abdomen and came out. Indra, the killer of the demon Bala, then immediately cut off Vrtrasura’s head, which was as high as the peak of a mountain.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.33<o:p></o:p> Although the thunderbolt revolved around Vrtrasura’s neck with great speed, separating his head from his body took one complete year—360 days, the time in which the sun, moon and other luminaries complete a northern and southern journey. Then, at the suitable time for Vrtrasura to be killed, his head fell to the ground.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.34<o:p></o:p> When Vrtrasura was killed, the Gandharvas and Siddhas in the heavenly planets beat kettledrums in jubilation. With Vedic hymns they celebrated the prowess of Indra, the killer of Vrtrasura, praising Indra and showering flowers upon him with great pleasure.<o:p></o:p> SB 6.12.35<o:p></o:p> O King Pariksit, subduer of enemies, the living spark then came forth from Vrtrasura’s body and returned home, back to Godhead. While all the demigods looked on, he entered the transcendental world to become an associate of Lord Saìkarsaëa.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Sixth Canto, Twelfth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Vrtrasura’s Glorious Death.”<o:p></o:p>

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" /><o:p></o:p> Below are three stories from the Srimad-Bhagavatam<o:p></o:p> “Vrtrasura’s Glorious Death”,<o:p></o:p> “Prayers by Queen Kunti and Pariksit Saved”, <o:p></o:p> And,<o:p></o:p> “Mother Yasoda Binds Lord Krsna.”<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> [i omitted the purports for brevity] <o:p></o:p> I hope this will bring some insights to you.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Ys,<o:p></o:p> Bhaktajan<o:p></o:p> …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Prayers by Queen Kunti and Pariksit Saved<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.1<o:p></o:p> Süta Gosvami said: Thereafter the Paëòavas, desiring to deliver water to the dead relatives who had desired it, went to the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on">Ganges</st1:place> with Draupadi. The ladies walked in front.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.2<o:p></o:p> Having lamented over them and sufficiently offered Ganges water, they bathed in the <st1:place w:st="on">Ganges</st1:place>, whose water is sanctified due to being mixed with the dust of the lotus feet of the Lord.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.3<o:p></o:p> There sat the King of the Kurus, Maharaja Yudhisöhira, along with his younger brothers and Dhrtarasöra, Gandhari, Kunti and Draupadi, all overwhelmed with grief. Lord Krsna was also there.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.4<o:p></o:p> Citing the stringent laws of the Almighty and their reactions upon living beings, Lord Sri Krsna and the munis began to pacify those who were shocked and affected.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.5<o:p></o:p> The clever Duryodhana and his party cunningly usurped the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">kingdom</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Yudhisöhira</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>, who had no enemy. By the grace of the Lord, the recovery was executed, and the unscrupulous kings who joined with Duryodhana were killed by Him. Others also died, their duration of life having decreased for their rough handling of the hair of Queen Draupadi.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.6<o:p></o:p> Lord Sri Krsna caused three well-performed ASvamedha-yajïas [horse sacrifices] to be conducted by Maharaja Yudhisöhira and thus caused his virtuous fame to be glorified in all directions, like that of Indra, who had performed one hundred such sacrifices.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.7<o:p></o:p> Lord Sri Krsna then prepared for His departure. He invited the sons of Paëòu, after having been worshiped by the brahmaëas, headed by Srila Vyasadeva. The Lord also reciprocated greetings.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.8<o:p></o:p> As soon as He seated Himself on the chariot to start for Dvaraka, He saw Uttara hurrying toward Him in fear.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.9<o:p></o:p> Uttara said: O Lord of lords, Lord of the universe! You are the greatest of mystics. Please protect me, for there is no one else who can save me from the clutches of death in this world of duality.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.10<o:p></o:p> O my Lord, You are all-powerful. A fiery iron arrow is coming towards me fast. My Lord, let it burn me personally, if You so desire, but please do not let it burn and abort my embryo. Please do me this favor, my Lord.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.11<o:p></o:p> Süta Gosvami said: Having patiently heard her words, Lord Sri Krsna, who is always very affectionate to His devotees, could at once understand that ASvatthama, the son of Droëacarya, had thrown the brahmastra to finish the last life in the Paëòava family.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.12<o:p></o:p> O foremost among the great thinkers [munis] [saunaka], seeing the glaring brahmastra proceeding towards them, the Paëòavas took up their five respective weapons.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.13<o:p></o:p> The almighty Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, having observed that a great danger was befalling His unalloyed devotees, who were fully surrendered souls, at once took up His SudarSana disc to protect them.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.14<o:p></o:p> The Lord of supreme mysticism, Sri Krsna, resides within everyone’s heart as the Paramatma. As such, just to protect the progeny of the Kuru dynasty, He covered the embryo of Uttara by His personal energy.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.15<o:p></o:p> O Saunaka, although the supreme brahmastra weapon released by ASvatthama was irresistible and without check or counteraction, it was neutralized and foiled when confronted by the strength of Visëu [Lord Krsna].<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.16<o:p></o:p> O brahmaëas, do not think this to be especially wonderful in the activities of the mysterious and infallible Personality of Godhead. By His own transcendental energy, He maintains and annihilates all material things, although He Himself is unborn.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.17<o:p></o:p> Thus saved from the radiation of the brahmastra, Kunti, the chaste devotee of the Lord, and her five sons and Draupadi addressed Lord Krsna as He started for home.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.18<o:p></o:p> Srimati Kunti said: O Krsna, I offer my obeisances unto You because You are the original personality and are unaffected by the qualities of the material world. You are existing both within and without everything, yet You are invisible to all.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.19<o:p></o:p> Being beyond the range of limited sense perception, You are the eternally irreproachable factor covered by the curtain of deluding energy. You are invisible to the foolish observer, exactly as an actor dressed as a player is not recognized.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.20<o:p></o:p> You Yourself descend to propagate the transcendental science of devotional service unto the hearts of the advanced transcendentalists and mental speculators, who are purified by being able to discriminate between matter and spirit. How, then, can we women know You perfectly?<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.21<o:p></o:p> Let me therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto the Lord, who has become the son of Vasudeva, the pleasure of Devaki, the boy of Nanda and the other cowherd men of Vrndavana, and the enlivener of the cows and the senses.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.22<o:p></o:p> My respectful obeisances are unto You, O Lord, whose abdomen is marked with a depression like a lotus flower, who are always decorated with garlands of lotus flowers, whose glance is as cool as the lotus and whose feet are engraved with lotuses.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.23<o:p></o:p> O HrsikeSa, master of the senses and Lord of lords, You have released Your mother, Devaki, who was long imprisoned and distressed by the envious King Kaàsa, and me and my children from a series of constant dangers.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.24<o:p></o:p> My dear Krsna, Your Lordship has protected us from a poisoned cake, from a great fire, from cannibals, from the vicious assembly, from sufferings during our exile in the forest and from the battle where great generals fought. And now You have saved us from the weapon of ASvatthama.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.25<o:p></o:p> I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.26<o:p></o:p> My Lord, Your Lordship can easily be approached, but only by those who are materially exhausted. One who is on the path of [material] progress, trying to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty, cannot approach You with sincere feeling.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.27<o:p></o:p> My obeisances are unto You, who are the property of the materially impoverished. You have nothing to do with the actions and reactions of the material modes of nature. You are self-satisfied, and therefore You are the most gentle and are master of the monists.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.28<o:p></o:p> My Lord, I consider Your Lordship to be eternal time, the supreme controller, without beginning and end, the all-pervasive one. In distributing Your mercy, You are equal to everyone. The dissensions between living beings are due to social intercourse.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.29<o:p></o:p> O Lord, no one can understand Your transcendental pastimes, which appear to be human and are so misleading. You have no specific object of favor, nor do You have any object of envy. People only imagine that You are partial.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.30<o:p></o:p> Of course it is bewildering, O soul of the universe, that You work, though You are inactive, and that You take birth, though You are the vital force and the unborn. You Yourself descend amongst animals, men, sages and aquatics. Verily, this is bewildering.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.31<o:p></o:p> My dear Krsna, Yasoda took up a rope to bind You when You committed an offense, and Your perturbed eyes overflooded with tears, which washed the mascara from Your eyes. And You were afraid, though fear personified is afraid of You. This sight is bewildering to me.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.32<o:p></o:p> Some say that the Unborn is born for the glorification of pious kings, and others say that He is born to please King Yadu, one of Your dearest devotees. You appear in his family as sandalwood appears in the <st1:place w:st="on">Malaya</st1:place> hills.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.33<o:p></o:p> Others say that since both Vasudeva and Devaki prayed for You, You have taken Your birth as their son. Undoubtedly You are unborn, yet You take Your birth for their welfare and to kill those who are envious of the demigods.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.34<o:p></o:p> Others say that the world, being overburdened like a boat at sea, is much aggrieved, and that Brahma, who is Your son, prayed for You, and so You have appeared to diminish the trouble.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.35<o:p></o:p> And yet others say that You appeared to rejuvenate the devotional service of hearing, remembering, worshiping and so on in order that the conditioned souls suffering from material pangs might take advantage and gain liberation.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.36<o:p></o:p> O Krsna, those who continuously hear, chant and repeat Your transcendental activities, or take pleasure in others’ doing so, certainly see Your lotus feet, which alone can stop the repetition of birth and death.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.37<o:p></o:p> O my Lord, You have executed all duties Yourself. Are you leaving us today, though we are completely dependent on Your mercy and have no one else to protect us, now when all kings are at enmity with us?<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.38<o:p></o:p> As the name and fame of a particular body is finished with the disappearance of the living spirit, similarly if You do not look upon us, all our fame and activities, along with the Paëòavas and Yadus, will end at once.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.39<o:p></o:p> O Gadadhara [Krsna], our kingdom is now being marked by the impressions of Your feet, and therefore it appears beautiful. But when You leave, it will no longer be so.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.40<o:p></o:p> All these cities and villages are flourishing in all respects because the herbs and grains are in abundance, the trees are full of fruits, the rivers are flowing, the hills are full of minerals and the oceans full of wealth. And this is all due to Your glancing over them.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.41<o:p></o:p> O Lord of the universe, soul of the universe, O personality of the form of the universe, please, therefore, sever my tie of affection for my kinsmen, the Paëòavas and the Vrsnis.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.42<o:p></o:p> O Lord of Madhu, as the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You without being diverted to anyone else.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.43<o:p></o:p> O Krsna, O friend of Arjuna, O chief amongst the descendants of Vrsni, You are the destroyer of those political parties which are disturbing elements on this earth. Your prowess never deteriorates. You are the proprietor of the transcendental abode, and You descend to relieve the distresses of the cows, the brahmaëas and the devotees. You possess all mystic powers, and You are the preceptor of the entire universe. You are the almighty God, and I offer You my respectful obeisances.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.44<o:p></o:p> Süta Gosvami said: The Lord, thus hearing the prayers of Kuntidevi, composed in choice words for His glorification, mildly smiled. That smile was as enchanting as His mystic power.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.45<o:p></o:p> Thus accepting the prayers of Srimati Kuntidevi, the Lord subsequently informed other ladies of His departure by entering the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">palace</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Hastinapura</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>. But upon preparing to leave, He was stopped by King Yudhisöhira, who implored Him lovingly.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.46<o:p></o:p> King Yudhisöhira, who was much aggrieved, could not be convinced, despite instructions by great sages headed by Vyasa and the Lord Krsna Himself, the performer of superhuman feats, and despite all historical evidence.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.47<o:p></o:p> King Yudhisöhira, son of Dharma, overwhelmed by the death of his friends, was aggrieved just like a common, materialistic man. O sages, thus deluded by affection, he began to speak.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.48<o:p></o:p> King Yudhisöhira said: O my lot! I am the most sinful man! Just see my heart, which is full of ignorance! This body, which is ultimately meant for others, has killed many, many phalanxes of men.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.49<o:p></o:p> I have killed many boys, brahmaëas, well-wishers, friends, parents, preceptors and brothers. Though I live millions of years, I will not be relieved from the hell that awaits me for all these sins.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.50<o:p></o:p> There is no sin for a king who kills for the right cause, who is engaged in maintaining his citizens. But this injunction is not applicable to me.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.51<o:p></o:p> I have killed many friends of women, and I have thus caused enmity to such an extent that it is not possible to undo it by material welfare work.<o:p></o:p> SB 1.8.52<o:p></o:p> As it is not possible to filter muddy water through mud, or purify a wine-stained pot with wine, it is not possible to counteract the killing of men by sacrificing animals.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Translations of the First Canto, Eighth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Prayers by Queen Kunti and Pariksit Saved.”<o:p></o:p>

<?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p>..........................................................................................................</o:p> <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" /><o:p></o:p> <o:p>Thank you Tackleberry for your encouragement. I hope to be lower than a blade of grass, I'm getting closer and closer each day at a time. </o:p> <o:p>ys,</o:p> <o:p>bhaktajan</o:p> <o:p>..........................................................................................................</o:p> <o:p> <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> There are personalists (theists) and there are impersonalists (atheists). Now learn here what is the standard of measurement for knowledge (vidya). The conclusion of studying the Vedas is the transcendental name, fame, form, personality, paraphernalia, entourage, and, pastimes of none other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead Bhagavan Sri Krishna, son of Vasudeva, brother of Balarama, cousin of Arjuna, source of Mahavisnu and Narayana, the original-original eternal, all-cognizant, all-blissful form of God in his Transcendent Heaven where every soul pursues reciprocal pastimes with Krishna<o:p></o:p> God face to face.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Your servant in Bhaktajan<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> ……………………………………………………………………………………<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> The sages said:<o:p></o:p> The timeless wisdom of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comKrishna</st1:place>'s service,<o:p></o:p> <font color=" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> is expressed in the ancient Sanskrit Vedas. Originally preserved through oral tradition, the Vedas were first put into writing five thousand years ago by Srila Vyasadeva, “the literary incarnation of God.” After compiling the Vedas, Vyasadeva set forth their essence in the aphorisms known as Vedanta-sutras. 1—About five thousand years ago Vyasadeva put the Vedas in writing for the people in this age, Kali-yuga. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> He divided the Vedas into four: Rig, Sama, Atharva and Yajur. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Then he gave the charge of these Vedas to his different disciples. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Then Vyasadeva summarized all Vedic knowledge for scholars and philosophers in what is called the Vedanta-sutra. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> This is the last word of the Vedas. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Vyasadeva was not very satisfied even after compiling many Puranas and Upanisads, and even after writing the Vedanta-sutra. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Then his spiritual master, Narada, instructed him, “Explain the Vedanta-sutra.” <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Vedanta means “ultimate knowledge,” and the ultimate knowledge is Krsna. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Krsna says that throughout all the Vedas one has to understand Him: vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Krsna says, “I am the compiler of the Vedanta-sutra, and I am the knower of the Vedas.” Therefore the ultimate objective is Krsna. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> The Vedanta-sutra simply hints at what is Brahman, the Absolute Truth: <o:p></o:p> “The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything emanates.” <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> This is a summary, but it is explained in detail in Srimad-Bhagavatam. <o:p></o:p> If everything is emanating from the Absolute Truth, then what is the nature of the Absolute Truth? That is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> The Absolute Truth must be consciousness. He is self-effulgent (svarat). <o:p></o:p> We develop our consciousness and knowledge by receiving knowledge from others, but for Him it is said that He is self-effulgent. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> The whole summary of Vedic knowledge is the Vedanta-sutra, and the Vedanta-sutra is explained by the writer himself in Srimad-Bhagavatam. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> 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. 2—Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) is Vyasadeva’s commentary on his own Vedanta-sutras. 3—After compiling the Bhagavatam, Vyasa imparted it to his son, Sukadeva Gosvami. 4—Sukadeva Gosvami later recited the entire Bhagavatam to Maharaja Pariksit in an assembly of learned saints on the banks of the Ganges at Hastinapura (now <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Delhi</st1:place></st1:City> ). 5—Maharaja Pariksit was the emperor of the world and was a great rajarsi (saintly king). Having received a curse that he would die within the seven days, he renounced his entire kingdom and retired to the bank of <st1:place w:st="on">Ganges </ST1:PRiver</ST1:P</st1:place> to fast until death and received spiritual enlightenment. 6—The Bhagavatam begins with Emperor Pariksit’s inquiry to Sukadeva: Maharaja Pariksit: “You are the spiritual master of great saints and devotees. I am therefore begging you to show the way of perfection for all persons, and especially for one who is about to die. Please let me know what a man should hear, chant, remember and worship, and what he should not do. Please explain all this to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<st1:place w:st="on">me.</st1:place></st1:State>” 7—Sukadeva often relates historical episodes and give accounts of lengthy philosophical discussions between such great souls as Narada Muni and Vasudeva. 8—At a later date, the sage Suta Goswami, [who was present at the <st1:place w:st="on"><ST1:PRiver</ST1:P</st1:place> assembly] repeated the Bhagavatam before a gathering of Sages in the forest Naimisaranya. [These sages, concerned about the spiritual welfare of the people in general, gathered to perform a long, continuous chain of penances to counteract the degrading influence of the oncoming age of Kali.] In response to the sages’ request Suta Gosvami repeated from memory the entire Srimad-Bhagavatam, as spoken by Sukadeva to Pariksit. 9—Also, Suta Goswami sometimes responds directly to questions put by Saunaka Rsi, the spokesman for the sages gathered at Naimisaranya. 10—One therefore simultaneously hears two dialogues: A) between Maharaja Pariksit and Sukadeva Goswami on the bank of the <st1:place w:st="on">Ganges</st1:place> , and, B) between the Suta Goswami and Saunaka Rsi, the spokesman for the sages gathered at Naimisaranya. 11—With this understanding of the history of the Bhagavatam, the reader will easily be able to follow its intermingling of dialogues, and events from various sources.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> </o:p> </B>

Here is my response: BULLSHIT -- oh, and lots more cow shit! Don't talk your crap to me! I wasn't born yesterday Habibi! I hope to cover you in cow dung and look foward to your thanks. I know the conclusion and the purports of Vedanta! We know the conclusion and the purports of Vedanta! Pay your respects to me from afar, and thus be a rightious man. Talk like a prat and you show your true colors. Yall ain't fooling us. the servant of Krishna's Devotees, Bhaktajan

I must say thanks for the above post -- For so many years I have asked Indians etc to relate their first remeberences of their contacts with Krishna, Puja, Temples, Sadhus/Parents-- and they always acted suprised that they were not able to related too much details. This is so cool to read of the minutia of an inner child's journey. more un-revealed lost kid-pastimes on Bhumi-loka during the start of Kali-yuga, please. ys, Bhaktajan

Now, this is poignant nectar! The best I tell you! Hey everyone please add to this thread, everyone! [No Walter Mittys please] be seeing you, Bhaktajan

Dear Mataji, I am not an expert in this subject. But, I have years experienece in extreme sports. 1st - The cause of hernia [other then a festering disease] is simply: A portion of intestine is being constantly [or intermitantly 'pinched' by the stomach muscles]. 2nd - The stomach muscles [you MUST check this for yourself in a good illustrated anatomy book] are comprised of multiple layers of wide multi-directional (criss-crossing) bands of muscles. 3rd - If these multi-groups of stomach muscles are not kept fit, tight, agile & Stretched -- there is a very easy chance of a portion of the intestine to be pushed-out between these overlapping muscles-- thus when the stomach muscles are engaged as they normally would be used they entrap a pit of the intestinal wall, pinching it and trapping it. 4th - The trick is to free the pinched segment by way of stretching (hatha-yoga). It is not the hatha-yoga regimin that is required--what is needed is to find the one or two contortions that will allow the intestine to be free and clear of the muscle wall. ys, Bhaktajan PS: You MUST check this for yourself in a good illustrated anatomy book --this will make the above clearly logical. BTW, I have done this research twice before for two friends.

Let me introduce you to the following word: "Polyanna" Why do I meantion this word? Because I don't know plainly and definitively what you think you want to say in the above quote! But surely you cannot say yourself definitely what you really feel. Evidently, you have not suffered in life, being alone and without resourses! The lack of humanity over a Bonefide Swami's fall from grace due to the attraction for your mother [or a Devi] is not something you can reconcile. May your disciples cling to you rather than channel surf away from you during your dark night of the soul. Will you vote for Hillary Clinton to prove your humanitarianism? ys, Bhaktajan

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" /><o:p></o:p> The chart below is from the internet and not from the above book which described only three divisions of foods: Alkaline, weak acidic, and acidic. <o:p></o:p> <TABLE class=MsoNormalTable style="WIDTH: 94.08%; mso-cellspacing: 1.5pt" cellPadding=0 width="94%" border=0><TBODY><TR style="HEIGHT: 289.05pt; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; BACKGROUND: #006633; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; BORDER-LEFT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #d4d0c8; HEIGHT: 289.05pt"> Most Alkaline<o:p></o:p> Stevia<o:p></o:p> Maple Syrup, <o:p></o:p> Rice Syrup<o:p></o:p> Lemons, <o:p></o:p> Watermelon, Limes, Grapefruit, <o:p></o:p> Mangoes, Papayas<o:p></o:p> Dates, Figs, Melons, Grapes, Papaya, Kiwi, <o:p></o:p> Blueberries, <o:p></o:p> Apples, Pears, <o:p></o:p> Raisins<o:p></o:p> Asparagus, Onions, <o:p></o:p> Vegetable Juices, <o:p></o:p> Parsley, Raw Spinach, Broccoli, Garlic<o:p></o:p> Okra, Squash, <o:p></o:p> Green Beans, Beets, Celery, Lettuce, <o:p></o:p> Zucchini, <o:p></o:p> Sweet Potato, <o:p></o:p> Carob<o:p></o:p> Almonds<o:p></o:p> Olive Oil<o:p></o:p> Flax Seed Oil<o:p></o:p> Breast Milk<o:p></o:p> Herb Teas, <o:p></o:p> Lemon Water<o:p></o:p> Green Tea<o:p></o:p> </TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; BACKGROUND: #00cc00; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; BORDER-LEFT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #d4d0c8; HEIGHT: 289.05pt"> Weak Acid<o:p></o:p> Raw Honey, <o:p></o:p> Raw Sugar<o:p></o:p> <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com <st1:City w:st="on">Oranges</st1:City></st1:place>, Bananas, Cherries, <o:p></o:p> Pineapple, Peaches, Avocados<o:p></o:p> Carrots, Tomatoes, Fresh Corn, Mushrooms, Cabbage, Peas, <o:p></o:p> Potato Skins, Olives, Soybeans, Tofu<o:p></o:p> Chestnuts<o:p></o:p> Canola Oil<o:p></o:p> Amaranth, Millet, Wild Rice, <o:p></o:p> Quinoa<o:p></o:p> Soy Cheese, Soy Milk, <o:p></o:p> Goat Milk, Goat Cheese, <o:p></o:p> Whey<o:p></o:p> Ginger Tea<o:p></o:p> Processed Honey, <o:p></o:p> Molasses<o:p></o:p> Plums, Processed Fruit Juices<o:p></o:p> Cooked Spinach, <o:p></o:p> Kidney Beans, String Beans<o:p></o:p> Pumpkin Seeds, <o:p></o:p> Sunflower Seeds<o:p></o:p> Corn Oil<o:p></o:p> Sprouted Wheat Bread, Spelt, <o:p></o:p> Brown Rice<o:p></o:p> Venison, Cold Water Fish<o:p></o:p> Eggs, Butter, Yogurt, Buttermilk, <o:p></o:p> Cottage Cheese<o:p></o:p> Tea<o:p></o:p> </TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; BACKGROUND: #ffff66; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; BORDER-LEFT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #d4d0c8; HEIGHT: 289.05pt"> Most Acid<o:p></o:p> White Sugar, <o:p></o:p> Brown Sugar<o:p></o:p> NutraSweet, Equal, <o:p></o:p> Aspartame, <o:p></o:p> Sweet 'N Low<o:p></o:p> Sour Cherries, <o:p></o:p> Rhubarb<o:p></o:p> Blackberries, <o:p></o:p> Cranberries, <o:p></o:p> Prunes<o:p></o:p> Potatoes (without skins), <o:p></o:p> Pinto Beans, <o:p></o:p> Navy Beans, Lima Beans<o:p></o:p> Chocolate<o:p></o:p> Pecans, Cashews<o:p></o:p> Peanuts, Walnuts<o:p></o:p> White Rice, <o:p></o:p> Corn, Buckwheat, Oats, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Rye</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p> Wheat, White Flour, Pastries, Pasta<o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Turkey</st1:country-region></st1:place>, Chicken, <o:p></o:p> Lamb<o:p></o:p> Beef, Pork, Shellfish<o:p></o:p> Raw Milk<o:p></o:p> Cheese, Homogenized Milk, Ice Cream<o:p></o:p> Coffee<o:p></o:p> Beer, Soft Drinks<o:p></o:p> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p>

Re: Colitis <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" /><o:p> </o:p> The following are excerpted synopsizes from: The Acid-Alkaline Diet by Christopher Vasey, ND <o:p> </o:p> There is only a minimum of discussion of colitis in the book. I hope this is helpful to you. Acidity is an 'umbrella' reference term that refers to the ph-levels of any bodily organ or system. Acids are natural but acids in abundance require alkaline minerals to counteract the acids—the body uses alkaline minerals reserves already in the body to facilitate elimination/neutralization/oxidation of acids [elimination is via sweat, respiration, and urine]. Ys, Bhaktajan <o:p> </o:p> ………………………………………………………………………….. <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> "How Acidification makes the body sick" <o:p> </o:p> The first factor is the improper metabolic functions of the body due to a lack of or a depletion of enzymes [enzymes are derived from minerals and vitamins]. <o:p> </o:p> The second is the corrosive nature of acidity within the tissues ie: urethritis, cystitis, arthritis, neuritis, enteritis, colitis, and burning sensations in the anus. <o:p> </o:p> Access acids allow for microbial and viral infection as well. Acid activity lowers white blood cell count and strength. <o:p> </o:p> The third is loss of minerals which are stored in all the body's tissues. Best known ailments are those affecting the skeleton and teeth [ie: osteoporosis, rheumatism, sciatica, brittle and sensitive teeth, weak hair structure and finger nails and gums, eyes, spinal column, lungs]. <o:p> </o:p> Acidification causes great fatigue, irritability and depression. "ph" = potential to release hydrogen ions. The ph scale is 0 to 14. 7 indicates ideal neutral ph balance. [0 = absolute acidity. 14 = total alkalinity —where no hydrogen ions are released]. <o:p> </o:p> Strong acids come primarily from animal sources [fresh milk is not acidic]: uric, sulfuric and phosphoric acids. <o:p> </o:p> Weak acids are: citric, oxalic, pyruvic, and acetylsalicylic acids. Weak acids are called 'volatile acids' because they are eliminated by respiration. <o:p> </o:p> Magnesium, calcium, sodium, cobalt, copper and potassium are alkaline minerals. Sulfur, Chlorine, phosphorus, fluoride, iodine and silicon are acidic minerals. <o:p> </o:p> Modern diets are composed primarily by acidic foods (proteins, cereals, sugars, tobacco, coffee, tea, alcohol). <o:p> </o:p> Acidosis sufferers must reduce their consumption of acids and "increase consumption of alkaline foods", reduce stress levels and beware of chemical additives and too many antibiotics. <o:p> </o:p> Note: there are alkaline foods and there are acidic food and there are weak acid foods. <o:p> </o:p> Reversing the acidification of the body goes to the root of these ailments and treats them all. <o:p> </o:p> Taking Alkaline supplements is very helpful as a buffer, thus maintaining proper blood ph levels. <o:p> </o:p> Check urinary ph level with drug store bought 'litmus paper'. Note: The first morning passing of urine must be the darkest thus most acidic, otherwise these is a retainage of acid elements within the body. <o:p> </o:p> Water aids in de-acidification [2 to 3 liters per day]. Carbonated & chlorinated water is acidic. Filtered, distilled water are stripped alkaline minerals. Mineral/Spring water listed as having a ph of 7 or higher is ideal. To a lesser degree tap water filters strip calcium from the water thus making it acidic. Green and colored vegetables are the best source of minerals including potatoes [raw, steamed, braised, roasted or juiced is ideal]. <o:p> </o:p> Toasting bread reduces its acidifying affects. <o:p> </o:p> The most alkaline foods are: bananas, almonds, almond paste milk, potatoes, fresh milk, fresh whey, and fresh large curd cheese, fresh butter, fresh yogurt, blackstrap molasses, ginseng, wheat germ. <o:p> </o:p> Best for de-acidifying the body: Green food [wheat sprouts, barley grass, alfalfa sprouts, spirolina, kamut sprouts], enzyme supplements, prebiotic and probiotic complexes, and antioxidant complexes. <o:p> </o:p> Glucose is transformed into citric acid, then pyruvic acid, succinic acid, and fumaric acid in succession, ending finally as lactic acid. This acid is then attacked by another enzyme that transforms it into energy—if there is an enzyme deficiency, the glucose transformation comes to a halt, and the result is acidification. <o:p> </o:p> 'Microform bacteria' [ie: candida albicans, other yeasts and fungi] in the intestinal flora causing gas, bloating and colitis, etc must be de-acified before spreading as fungal diseases (mycoses) as well as causing certain nervous disorders. ………………………………………………………………………….. <o:p> </o:p> So, this should get you interested in researching this topic yourself. Ys, bhaktajan <o:p> </o:p>

Dear Sriman Mjan, Below is my sincere attempt to attract you to the best milk-sweets in the cosmos---at your local Hare Krishna Festival. [i like to fill a puri with halava and then pour sweet rice nectar over that . . . ] ............................................................................................................................. What is Krishna Consciousness? Nothingness and Something-ness both existed together and sustained each other since time-immemorial, together this is called the material manifestation or the Cosmos. <?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p> Something-ness may be found either conscious or in-animated. <o:p></o:p> The Self: Each conscious Individual, within the cosmos, has as its own address a "Vector Point" [X-Y-Z Axis Intersection]—which is indivisible, individual, eternal, and conscious. <o:p></o:p> An animated conscious individual may occupy a body [encasement]. <o:p></o:p> This encasement allows the pursuit of its own gratification by way of: 1 Eating, 2 Sleeping, 3 Mating, 4 Defense (Physical, mental, ego). <o:p></o:p> After the temporal stages of birth, growth, old age and death the vector point retains only the spirit of 'direction toward a **goal'. <o:p></o:p> Thus by dint of prior cultivated interests, inherits a new body/encasement which accommodates another lifetime for the pursuit of gratification(s) along the same lines of interests that where cultivated during its last life. When this is repeated since time immemorial the sages call this 'samsara' [the cycle of birth and death]. <o:p></o:p> [**the goal is often without guidance thus the 4 pursuits become the ultimate means and end of life's journey to nowhere except repeated gratification. Proper guidance allows us to reconcile, "What in the hell are we doing here?" during a lifetime]. <o:p></o:p> The setting of the above pastimes [of every animated or inanimated individual point] is a large empty space of Nothingness [the sages call this empty space: 'brahman']. <o:p></o:p> The in-animated elements within the cosmos are of two kinds: 1 gross matter [earth, water, fire, air, either], and, 2 subtle [mind, intelligence, ego]. <o:p></o:p> The mystery of life is the attainment of transcendence. Some say the attainment of nirvana, or merging with the primordial 'Nothingness' is the goal. <o:p></o:p> The chain of succession of knowledge that comes to us from Vyasadeva shows us [through dissatisfaction with our own pursuits —life time after life times of gratification in countless species of life— in varying births of different status] that the goal of life is to seek the 'Absolute Truth' not relative truths. <o:p></o:p> The conclusion of the Vedas and thus the conclusion of Vedanta is the 'Absolute Truth' known as the personage known as <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comKrishna</st1:place> Consciousness? <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = " /><st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place>. We know this 'Absolute Truth' in the same way we know who are real father is: from our mother [except for those who cultivated future disadvatages]. The Vedas are like our mother telling us who are father is etc, etc. <o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> Consciousness is the top most mystic yoga discipline: Remembering the transcendental name, fame, form, personality, paraphernalia, entourage, and, pastimes of none other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead Bhagavan Sri Krishna, son of Vasudeva, brother of Balarama, cousin of Arjuna, source of Mahavisnu and Narayana, the original-original eternal, all-cognizant, all-blissful form of God in his Transcendent Heaven where every soul pursues reciprocal pastimes with God face to face. <o:p></o:p> Yoga is to re-link with this 'Absolute Truth', thus remembering Krishna's form assists the minute living entity [conscious Individual Vector Point] at death so as to acquire a next birth that further cultivates Krsna Conscousness till successful completion. Remembering Krishna in the material world is prescribed thus [it is also the easiest]: Chant <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place>'s names. Chant the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra. Read the Bhagavad-gita's Chapter 10 "The Opulence of the Absolute” to learn where to see God's opulence spread through-out the cosmos <o:p></o:p> ys, Bhaktajan <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> </B>

The Information in the Gita that defines Varnasrama Dharma is data to be used by the intellegentsia of society. To know that these divisions exist is a revelation onto its self. This data is to inform those who teach, and those who govern. It is a guide map as to how, why and what to teach to whom. [sudden realization: the military already utilizes such VD structure when assessing who will be promoted to what position]. These are natural and absolute divisions of "work skills". Why fight it intellectually, when you should be washing pots? [oh, geez--this is a rhetorical question] ys, bhaktajan

<o:p></o:p> A) Physical presence = Dhira = Don't be disdurbed<o:p></o:p> Sri Isopanisad 10 Purport: <o:p></o:p> . . . To follow the regulative principles, one must take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master. . . . Such knowledge does not come in the hazardous way of nescient education. One can become a dhira only by submissively hearing from a bona fide spiritual master. Arjuna, for example, became a dhira by submissively hearing from Lord Krsna, the Personality of Godhead Himself. Thus the perfect disciple must be like Arjuna, and the spiritual master must be as good as the Lord Himself. This is the process of learning vidya (knowledge) from the dhira (the undisturbed). <o:p></o:p> . . . Thus one must hear submissively from a dhira in order to attain actual education.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Ys, Bhaktajan<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………<o:p></o:p> ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p>B) Dear Alex-ji,<o:p></o:p> <FONT color=black>What I think would be a priceless contribution from you would be to hear the theological journey you have traveled up to and including the point of introduction to Srila Prabhupada's books. What metaphysical & philosophical [jnani] maxims have you progress through to get to the point of seeing <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comKrishna</st1:place> as the goal of moksa (mukti, liberation, salvation, the conclusion of vedanta)? <o:p></o:p></b></b> <b><b><font face=" /><st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> as the goal of moksa (mukti, liberation, salvation, the conclusion of vedanta)? <o:p></o:p> Ys, Bhaktajan<o:p></o:p> ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………<o:p></o:p> ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> C) Dear Prabhujis who have had personal conflicts during the time they also associated with ISKCON,<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> 1) Over the Christmas <st1:place w:st="on">Holiday</st1:place> I found an old tape recording of a phone conversation [from 1996] with my ex-sister in-law regarding my recent divorce and lost of child custody (with my children who were born into the Iskcon movement as vegetarians). At one point in the phone conversation I said something like, "I've given away a lot of my hindu paraphernalia and I'm having some 'political arguments' with the authorities of the Movement" —but this was not true! I was not having any 'political arguments' with the temple —I was simply working very hard at the time and so I didn't attend the temple so often. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> This reminded me of the rtvik topic:<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> I, hereby, speculate that every person, indeed every single person who complains about the management of the Iskcon 'Household' and alleges that Iskcon Authorities are dysfunctional are actually 'transferring' their own 'un-resolved personal conflicts' upon Iskcon.<o:p></o:p> They are telling their own karmi-loved ones [family and friends] that they need not worry about being 'brainwashed' by his/her association because he/she is distancing themselves from the Iskcon Institution. While this rational is passed-on to the karmi friends and family to placate fears of cult control—they then set upon a self-perpetuating goal of fixing-up Iskcon by their own prowess. <o:p></o:p> Ys, Bhaktajan<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> 2) HH Satsvarupa's fall-down: Youth is for the young. Old age is for renunciation. We owe thanks to those who have fallen so as to show the difficulty of the path before us all. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> When we are all old [lest be taken before old age] we must have gotten all seeds of lust reconciled with our own petty smallness in the cosmos. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Our lives drag on. We march through the mire of daily duties, day after day, tax day after tax day, japa bead after japa bead—all so boring and dull and plainly simple—but in the end it all passes like a cloud long gone with the wind. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> This is the irony: So much time to accomplish just one overall goal, develop yourselves into honorary Old Wise Men/Women during the course of all the years of your youth—no excuse allowed at the end.<o:p></o:p> Ys, Bhaktajan<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..<o:p></o:p> ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..<o:p></o:p> Dear Alex-ji,<o:p></o:p>The occupation of which post I speak of is the one that engages you as an authority on the workings of Iskcon or any type of religious Institution, or any entity larger than your own household, telephone bill, electric bill, income taxes, green card status, bowel movement, heart rate during sleep, insurance premiums etc.. <o:p></o:p> Ys, Bhaktajan<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p>

Dear Alex J, Long before and for years since Srila Prabhupada's appearance in America spiritually oriented book could always be found that were all fluff. Krishnamurti etc etc, "everyone is onejust love each other" --this stuff is what filled countless books meant to be read by neophytes of the first order. What is missing is cogent points that are established by textual reference and hard won experience. Many established devotees don't respond to any of these postings because they know how it was before the Gita "as-it-is" appeared to us. We know what has yet to be said; and we know what is re-hashed 'speaking points' and we know when great minds speak insightful things. Quoting populist novelists from the industrial revolution and sci-fi writers doesn't cut the muster for me. It's like my dear Satavarupa Goswami's poetry writings--I have no time to delve into such mental wanderings. English literature classes are full of fiction writers who would only dream of doing what Rod Sterling did: write "The Twilight Zone" all on his own. Such expert writtings is to be commended. But 'expertise' is what we should be after--it's one of the "26 Qualities of a Devotee", not just a hack. ys, Bhaktajan