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Purâna' 'The Story of the Fortunate One' based on the Divine Discourses of

Bhagavân S'rî Sathya Sai Baba Sai's Verse - Pata Paduma - Text 1. What

is Bhâgavatam? [s'rîmad-]Bhâgavatam is one of the greatest of the eighteen

Purânas. 2. What is the essence of the 18 Purânas? "Paropakaraha Punyaya,

Papaya Parapedanam." To do good to others is merit. To hurt and cause suffering

to others is sin. 3. What is the main theme of

Bhâgavatam? It is the story of the Divine glory of Lord Hari and His devotees.

4. What are the subjects dealt with in Bhâgavatam? It gives a description of

the creation of the universe, the story of the Avatâras, the story of Nârada, a

detailed narration of the Avatâra of Krishna and many other episodes. 5. Who

wrote Bhâgavatam in Sanskrit? Sage Vyâsa. 6. Who inspired the Sage to write

Bhâgavatam? Sage Nârada. [sB, 1:4] 7. Who narrated Bhâgavatam even before

Vyâsa? Brahmâ narrated Bhâgavatam to Vyâsa, sage Vyâsa to S'uka. [sB, 1:1] 8.

How does Vyâsa begin the Bhâgavatam? Sage Vyâsa begins Bhâgavatam as a

narration by the sage S'uka to king Parîkchit who was on his death bed because

of a curse. 9. What is the curse? King Parîkchit was cursed

that he would die of a serpent bite on the seventh day commencing from the day

he was cursed. [sB, 1:18] 10. Who cursed King Parîkchit? Thapasvin Sringi.

[bhagavatha Vahini : 26] 11. Why did he curse? One day king Parîkchit went for

hunting. After some time he was very thirsty and was in search of an âs'rama.

He caught sight of one and entered. He called aloud. But no one answered. He

saw a sage deep in meditation. There were signs of

people moving about, but none came to him. He got angry because he did not

receive the honor due to him as the ruler of the country. He saw a dead serpent

on the ground, he lifted it and put it round the neck of the sage and went his

way. When Sringi, the son of the sage (S'amîka) came to know about the sinful

act, he cursed that the man who committed the sin would die of a serpent bite

within seven days. [sB, 1:18] 12. What was the reaction of Sringi's father to

his son's hasty action? S'amîka did not approve of the hasty action of his son.

He should not have cursed the ruler of the country because it would affect the

entire country. Parîkchit had been a righteous and a kind ruler, but for this

one

impulsive act, yet he could not do anything, but asked his son, to see that the

king was informed about the curse. 13. How did the king receive the curse? King

Parîkchit was sad and sorry for his impulsive act and welcomed the curse as a

boon, because he was given a chance of involving himself in holy activities

before his death. 14. What do we learn from this episode? Whether one commits a

sin, knowingly or unknowingly, one has to suffer the consequences, but

repentance would absolve him of the sins committed. 15. What do we learn about

the life of Sage Nârada from Bhâgavatam? Nârada was the son of a servant maid.

[sB, 1:5-23] She was serving some Rishis who had come to a forest, to stay for

four months (Chathurmasya Vrata). Nârada was a small boy. He would often sit

and listen to these sages. When they were about to leave after four months, he

wanted to follow them. But they advised him, to chant the name of Hari, and to

take to the path of devotion. He was made to realize, that God alone is the

dearest to an individual and none other. One day when Nârada's mother died of a

serpent bite, he left the forest in search of his goal. One day he heard a

divine voice warning him to give up the desire of having the vision of God too.

Then he took to "Soham" ("I am That" - "I am God") meditation and gave up his

life only to take a new life form. 16. What is the special name given to each

chapter in Bhâgavatam?Skanda [Canto].17. How many Cantos are there?Twelve.18.

Who is the famous writer of Bhâgavatam in Telugu?Bammera Pothana. [see

Pothana]19. What is an Avatâra?Avatârana means descent. Avatâra is the descent

of the nameless and attributeless divinity in a form suitable to execute the

task of destroying the wicked and protecting the good.20. How many types of

Avatâras are there?Avatâras are many in number. There are some Avatâras that

appear on earth only for a short time, fulfill the Avataric mission and

disappear, Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Varâha (boar), Narasimha (half-man

half-lion) and Vâmana (dwarfman). There is the Avatâra of Râma who is called an

Amsa-Avatâra because He shared the divinity with His three brothers (Lakshmana,

Satrughna and Bharatha); the Krishna Avatâra is an example of

Purna-Avatâra (total). 21. Mention the 10 Avatâras of Vishnu.The ten Avatâras in

sequence are Matsya, Kurma, Varâha, Narasimha, Vâmana, Paras'urâma, Râma,

Krishna, Buddha and Kalki. Above painting shows:In the center square, Krishna

is shown in His original two-handed form, holding a flute. Surrounding Him are

ten of His eternal incarnations, pictured in the order in which they appear in

the material world, beginning clockwise from the left-hand corner.1. Matsya,

the fish incarnation, is saving the Vedas.2. Kurma, the tortoise incarnation,

is holding the hill on His back.3. Varâha, the boar incarnation, is fighting

with the demon Hiranyâksha.4. Nrisimhadeva, the lion incarnation, is killing

the demon Hiranyakas'ipu.5. Vâmanadeva, the dwarf incarnation, is begging some

land from King Bali.6. Paras'urâma is killing the demoniac kshatriyas.7.

Râmacandra is going off into exile with His wife, Sîtâ, and brother,

Lakshmana.8. Krishna is lifting Govardhana Hill, and beside Him is His brother

Balarâma.9. Lord Buddha.10. Kalki is riding on His horse, killing all the

demons and thus liberating them. S'rî Das'âvatâra-stotramp3 The

Das'âvatara Stotra is a Hymn in salutation to the ten incarnations of Lord Mahâ

Vishnu. The Stotra forms the first section of Gita Govinda, the masterpiece work

of S'rî Jayadeva. He was a court poet of King Lakshmanasena, who ruled Bengal

during the 12th Century. S'rî Jayadeva was a great devotee of Lord Krishna and

a mystic. His mastery of Sanskrit language was matched by his extraordinary

talent in music and dancing.[see for further reading and texts of the Bhajan:

S'rîmad Bhâgavatam Devotional Music Pages] Matsya Purport: The first avatâra

signifies the restoration of true knowledge (Vedas), recovered from the deluge

of egoism, which has to be destroyed in the process. Kurma Purport: The

incarnation of God in the Tortoise form during the churning of the Ocean,

signifies that the churning of the ocean of experience with the churn of

knowledge, towards the Absolute can rest only on the immovable, all-sufficient,

all-sustaining basis of self-evident truth, symbolized by the Tortoise avatâra.

Varâha Purport: The Boar avatâra is identified with sacrifice both in the

Vishnupurâna and Bhagavata. As sacrifice (of worldly affairs) is essential for

the stability of mind for contemplation on God, it is symbolized by the Boar

form of the Lord. Nrismha Purport: This avatâra illustrates that a true devotee

is fearless (as Prahlâda) and God comes to his rescue. Vâmana Purport: The

Dwarf avatâra shows that valour (as exemplified by King Bali) can find its

fulfilment only in complete surrender. Paras'urâma Purport: When the rulers,

endowed with power for protection of the subjects, had however degenerated into

an oppressive tyranny, it had to be crushed ruthlessly. This is illustrated by

the Paras'urâma avatâra. Râma Purport: The Srî

Râma avatâra is an ideal demonstration of how a man can rise to divinity, by

unswerving adherence to dharma, in all its details. Kalki Purport: The yet to

be avatâra is Kalki, the mighty warrior, born in a pious family, to rid the

world of the oppression of its unrighteous rulers. 22. What was the purpose of

the advent of these Avatâras? a) MATSYA AVATÂRA The purpose for which the

advent of Matsya Avatâra

took place was the restoration of the Vedas from the hands of the demon

Somakasura, who stole them from Brahmâ and hid them in the sea. Dharma is based

on the Vedas, so the protection of the Vedas was the Avatâric task. [sB, 8:24]b)

KURMA AVATÂRAThe gods and demons desired to acquire Amrith (elixir of life),

that would confer immortality and prayed to Lord Nârâyana. He instructed them

to churn the ocean of milk having the mountain Mandhara as the churning-rod and

Vasuki-serpent as the

rope. When the mountain was about to submerge in the ocean creating a vast

deluge, Lord Nârâyana assumed the form of a Tortoise and bore the mountain on

His back. While they were churning, poison emerged out of the ocean. Both the

gods and demons became panick stricken. Then Lord S'iva came and swallowed the

poison. Several things emerged from the ocean both living and non-living. When

at last Amrith was brought by a celestial being, gods and demons fought for the

possession of Amrith. Then Lord Nârâyana had to assume the form of a beautiful

celestial woman to distribute the Amrith. Of course the demons were deprived of

their share because if demons were to be immortal what havoc would result, no

one need to be told. So the purpose of the Tortoise Avatâra was to protect the

good and bad as well and grant immortality to gods (Devata's) [sB, 8:7].c)

VARÂHA AVATÂRALord Nârâyana assumed the form of a boar to bring back to the

surface, the earth that had gone to the bottom of the sea. While the divine

Boar was carrying the earth on his tusks and was still in the water, the demon

Hiranyâksha attacked him. But the Boar clawed and pierced him to death. Thus

the purpose of the Varâha Avatâra was to restore the earth safe and fix it

firmly in its place. [sB, 3:13]d) NARASIMHA AVATÂRALord Nârâyana had to assume

the form of half lion and half man to kill the demon Hiranyakas'ipu.

Hiranyakas'ipu was bent upon taking revenge on Lord Nârâyana because He had

killed his brother Hiranyâksha. Hiranyakas'ipu did penance to Brahmâ and

obtained a boon that he should not die in the hands of any one of the beings

created by Brahmâ. Death should not occur to him either during day or night, on

earth or water or sky nor by any weapon, indoors or outdoors. Hiranyakas'ipu

grew all powerful and arrogant after obtaining the boon. [sB, 7:3] His son was

a born devotee of Hari. The father tried his best to dissuade him from praying

to Hari but in vain. He subjected him to many tortures, yet, Prahlâda would not

give up chanting the name of Hari. At last Hiranyakas'ipu had to challenge his

son to show him his Hari who is said to be omnipresent in a pillar. He struck

the pillar. It split into two. The Lord in the form of Narasimha (man-lion)

emerged and tore him to pieces by his claws. The main purpose of this Avatâra

is to prove his devotee's faith in the omnipresence of God. [sB, 7:8]e) VÂMANA

AVATÂRAWhen the demon Emperor Bali became all powerful desirous of conquering

all the three worlds, Lord Nârâyana decided to curb Bali's pride of strength.

So Lord Nârâyana took the form of a Divine brahmana boy and approached Bali

while he was performing Visvajith Yaga. He demanded a gift of three feet of

land from Bali [sB, 8:19]. Bali agreed, even when his guru Sukrâchâraya warned

Bali not to gift and that the Brahmana lad was none other than Hari come to

bring about his fall. Vâmana grew to such a

stature that with one foot he covered land, with another the sky and questioned

where he should keep his third foot. Then the emperor Bali bent his head and

asked Him to keep His foot on his head. Hari pushed Bali down to the

under-world. Emperor Bali was not in the least sad or sorry because he had the

privilege of giving away a gift to the Lord of the three worlds. Lord Hari

purposely did this only to proclaim to the world the total surrender of Bali to

God. It is indeed strange to understand the ways of the divine. He might seem to

be punishing one externally but the punishment would be only for the redemption

of the punished. [sB, 8:18]f) PARAS'URÂMA AVATÂRA Paras'urâma was the son of

Renukâ and Sage Jamadagni. They had with them the celestial wish fulfilling cow

Kamadhenu. Once Kârtavîryârjuna the ruler of the region visited the âs'ram after

a day's hunting. The Sage received the emperor and his retinue, fed them well

with the help of the celestial cow. Kârtavîryârjuna became envious and drove

the cow and her calf, disregarding the feelings of the Sage. When the party

were proceeding, Paras'urâma accosted them and attacked them. After a fierce

fight chopped off the head of the emperor. Later the sons of the emperor

beheaded Jamadagni Rishi when Paras'urâma was not in the hermitage. Hearing the

loud cries of his mother Renukâ, Paras'urâma returned only to see

his father's head on the ground. Incensed he rushed to the city of Mâhishmatî

and killed all the hundred sons of Kârtavîryârjuna. He took a vow to

exterminate the Kshatriya clan out of existence. The purpose of this Avatâra

was to warn and punish the arrogant rulers (Kshatriyas) who did not give

respect due to the Rishis. [Ramakatha Rasavahini 7d], [sB, 9:15]g) S'RŒ RÂMA

AVATÂRA Lord Nârâyana was born as the son of Dasaratha and shared His divinity

with His three brothers (Lakshmana, Satrughna and Bharatha). The purpose of

the Avatâra was not only to destroy the wicked and to protect the good, but to

set an example to the entire world, how man should observe truth and

righteousness in life. He was the very embodiment of Sathya and Dharma.

[Ramakatha Rasavahini], [sB, 9:10-12]h) KRISHNA AVATÂRAThe Krishna Avatâra is

an Avatâra of love and peace. His mission was to protect the good and punish

the wicked. But His main mission was to preach the gospel of life through the

Bhagavad Gîtâ (The Song of the Lord). [bhagavata Vahini] [sB, Canto 10]i)

BUDDHA AVATÂRABy his own example Buddha proved that, every man can attain the

Buddha-state, the enlightened One by taking to the eight fold path. His main

gospel was to conquer desire and to practice love and compassion.j) KALKI

AVATÂRAThe Kalki Avatâra is none other than Sai Avatâra. It is indeed a Yuga

Avatâra. S'rî Sathya Sai is engaged in carrying out the Avatâric mission of the

nine Avatâras through love and love alone.23. What is the inner meaning of the

ten Avatâras in sequence?When we study the advent of the Avatâras in a sequence

we realize that it is the story of evolution of species - from fish to tortoise,

from tortoise to boar; then to half animal and half man, the dwarfish boy, then

the man in whom rajasic tendency dominated. Finally the Avatâras of Râma,

Krishna and Buddha, the ideal man endowed with virtues of Truth, Righteousness,

Love, Peace and Nonviolence.24. What is the relationship between Hiranyâksha,

Hiranyakas'ipu, Prahlâda ('the joy of understanding') and Emperor

Bali?Hiranyâksha and Hiranyakas'ipu were brothers. Prahlâda was the son of

Hiranyakas'ipu. Bali was the grandson of Prahlâda.

[sB, Canto 7, chapters 5,6,7,8,9&10]25. What do we learn from Prahlâda's

story?God would always come to rescue His devotees. God would do anything to

prove the faith of His devotees. Prahlâda believed and preached that Hari is

Omnipresent. The Lord proved his verdict to be true.26. How could Prahlâda

become a devotee of Hari even as an infant?Prahlâda's mother Lelavathi

(Kayâdhu) [sB 7:7] was in Nârada's asram when Prahlâda was in the womb of

Lelavathi (Kayâdhu [sB, 6:18 verses 12-13]). She would constantly listen to the

glory of Lord Vishnu sung by Nârada. This sacred listening (sravana) had an

impact on the child in the womb.27. What was the Mantra always chanted by

him?Om Namo Nârâyanaya. 29. What are the other episodes in the Bhâgavatam?The

story of Dhruva [sB, 4:8-13], Ambarîsha [sB, 2:7], Gajendramoksha [liberation

of the elephant Gajendra, SB, 8:2-4], Ajamila [sB, 6:1-2], Sage Dadhîci [sB,

6:9-10], Daksha [sB, 4:2], Jada Bharatha [sB, 5:9] and Sunakshepa.30. What

lesson do we learn from Dhruva's story. Dedication, devotion, discipline,

discrimination and determination can make one achieve anything related to this

world or spiritual world.31. What was the Mantra that he chanted during the

penance?Om Namo Bhagavate Vâsudevâya32. Who taught this Mantra to Dhruva?Sage

Nârada.33. What do we learn from the story of Ambarîsha?Even when sage Durvâsâ

sent a demon to kill him, Ambarîsha never prayed to Lord Hari to save him. He

left everything to the will of God. This is a supreme example of total

surrender to God. [sB, 9:4-5]34. In which Canto do we have the story of

Krishna?In the Tenth Canto, [called: The Summum Bonum, Krishna, the Supreme

Personality of Godhead].35. Where was Krishna born?Mathurâ - In the Royal

Prison (of King Kamsa) [sB, 10:3]36. What are the details related to His

birth, date, month etc.?Month: Sravana (May), Thithi - Astami (eighth moon-day),

Star: Rohini, Krishnapaksa (new moon).37. Why was he shifted from

Mathurâ?Krishna's uncle Kamsa was determined to kill the eighth child born to

his sister Devakî. To avert this calamity, the Divine child was taken away from

Mathurâ. It was declared by a voice from the sky, "The one who will slay you

will be born as the eighth child of your sister". [sB, 10:1-34] [bhagavatha

Vahini, 43] 38. Why did Kamsa hate Krishna?For fear of being killed by Krishna,

the eighth child of his sister Devakî.39. To which place was Krishna

taken?Repalle [Gokula (cow-village) -Vraja, SB, 10:3]. 40. Who were the parents

of Krishna?Devakî and Vasudeva.41. Who were the foster parents of

Krishna?Yas'odâ and Nanda.42. Who gave the name Krishna to the Divine

child?Sage Garga. [sB, 10-8]43. How does Swami explain the meaning of

Krishna?Krishna means: One Who Attracts. 'Karshathethi

Krishnah'.Krishna means: One who cultivates the heart of the devotee.

'Krishyalhethi Krishnah'.Krishna means: One who is always in bliss and confers

bliss. 'Kushyathethi Krishnah'.44. Who is Balarâma?He (Balarâma) is the Brother

of Krishna.45. How did Kamsa try to kill Krishna?He sent several demons under

the guise of several animals to kill Krishna. [sB, Canto 10, Chapters: 6, 7,

11, 12, 15, 18]46. Who was

Pûtanâ?She was a demoness, who wanted to kill Krishna by suckling Him with her

poisonous breast. [bhagavatha Vahini, 35] [sB, 10-6]47. What was her past

history?Pûtanâ, in a previous life was Ratnavali, the daughter of emperor Bali.

The Lord came as Vâmana to Bali, and asked him to give Him just three feet of

land in his kingdom. Vâmana appeared so charming, shining with all divine

effulgence, that Ratnavali felt how much she would have enjoyed, rearing him, if

he had been her son. All of a sudden she saw Vâmana, placing his foot on Bali's

head; enraged at the sight, she was filled with a desire to kill him. Ratnavali

desired at once to fondle Vâmana as a mother, and also to kill him. So she was

born as Pûtanâ, who suckled Him only to kill Him. In the end she was killed.48.

Why is Krishna called 'Giridari'?Because He lifted the mountain, Govardhana.

[bhagavatha Vahini, 38] [sB,

10-25]49. Why did he lift the mountain?To protect the people of Repalle and all

living beings from the terrific down pour of rain. Every year the cowherds in

Repalle used to offer worship to Lord Indra for rain. But Krishna advised them

to worship the mountain that gave food to man and pasture to animals, rain as

well. God Indra got angry and cursed them with terrific down pour of rain. [sB,

10-24]50. Why did he not stop the rain?It is

not proper to go against the laws of nature. When any natural calamity occurs,

God may protect His devotees and give strength to withstand but not avert the

calamity.51. What is the story related to Govardhana hill?Govardhana hill was

one of the hills chosen to be hurled into the sea, for the construction of the

bridge by the monkeys in the epic Râmayâna. When the particular mountain was

about to be thrown, the bridge was already completed. It was deprived of the

joy of serving Râma. Then Râma assured the hill, that He would bless the hill

by the next Avatâra. [Ramakatha Rasavahini, 7a]52. Who were the gopikas in

their former lives?gopikas and Gopalas in their previous birth were Rishis in

Krita Yuga. They were able to get only the darsan of the Lord. In Treta Yuga

they were born as monkeys and were able to enjoy the darsan of the Lord as well

as Sambhashanam (talk). In the Dwapara Yuga they were born as gopikas and

Gopalas to enjoy Darsan (seeing), Sambhashan (hearing) and Sparshan

(touching).53. Who was sent to bring Balarâma and Krishna to Mathurâ by

Kamsa?Akrûra ['not cruel, gentle'; name of Krishna's trusted paternal uncle who

was sent to Vraja by Kamsa in an effort

to kill Him]. [sB, 10-36, 10-38, 10-39 & 10-40]54. Why did Krishna kill the

royal washerman?When Balarâma and Krishna were proceeding towards the palace of

Kamsa, they saw the royal

washerman carrying a bundle of royal robes. Krishna snatched the bundle, opened

it, gave one robe to His brother and dressed Himself with another. The

washerman got angry and entered into a quarrel. Krishna gave him a hard slap on

the cheek. He died on the spot. Balarâma could not understand and asked Krishna

to explain. Krishna replied that He had killed the washerman because he wished

to die in His hands. He was the same washerman who had been responsible for

mother Sîtâ's exile (reborn). Later he regretted and requested Râma to kill him

for the unpardonable sin he had committed. Râma assured him that his wish would

be fulfilled only by the next Avatâra in Dwapara Yuga. [sB, 10-41, verse 32 and

further]55. Who is the Guru of Krishna and

Balarâma?Sândipâni. [sB, 10-45 en 10-80]56. What was the Gurudakshina that the

brothers offered?Krishna and Balarâma on hearing the inconsolable grief of

their Guru over the loss of his only son, assured their Guru that they would

bring back his son. They went to the Prabhasa thertha where the lad was drowned

and searched for the demon who swallowed him. They could not find him. They were

told by the king

of the Sea that the lad had been handed over to the Lord of Death (Yamarâya).

They approached Yama and demanded him to hand over the lad to them. Yama at

once handed over the boy to the brothers. Krishna and Balarâma took the boy and

entrusted him to their Guru with folded arms and said "Guruji accept our Guru

Dakshina". Even Avatâras revered their Gurus to set an example to the world.

[bhagavatha Vahini, 41] [sB, 10-45]57. What is the name of another boy who

studied with them?Sudâmâ. [sB, 10-80 & 81] 58. Why was he destined to live in

poverty for some years?Once Balarâma, Krishna and Sudâmâ went to a nearby

forest to collect twigs for the sacrificial fire for their guru. They did

collect some twigs. After some time Krishna said that he was tired and would

like to rest. Sudâmâ opened the packet of parched rice he had brought and began

to munch. He presumed that Krishna was really sleeping. Krishna all of a sudden

questioned Sudâmâ what he

was eating. Sudâmâ replied "nothing". So was he blessed with nothing. One should

never utter lies even for fun. He was destined to live in poverty by his own act

of uttering lies.59. Why did Rukminî prevent Krishna from eating the third

morsel of parched rice?Rukminî wanted to have her share of the parched rice, it

being the favorite food of her Lord. She was His better half, no wonder she

claimed her share.60. Who was Uddhava?Uddhava was the friend of Krishna. [sB,

3-4, 10-46 & Canto 11-11]61. Why did Krishna send Uddhava to Gokulam? What

happened there?Krishna sent Uddhava only to make him realize the devotion of

gopikas, their pointed devotion and total surrender to Krishna. [sB, 10-47]62.

How did Krishna teach Nârada about gopikas' devotion?One day Krishna pretended

as though He had been suffering from severe headache. His wives were very much

worried. Just then Sage Nârada entered. Nârada enquired. Krishna said that the

dust of the real devotees of Krishna, if applied, would cure His headache.

Nârada asked Krishna's wives to give the dust of their feet, since none could

be as devoted to Krishna as they. But they exclaimed in one voice that it would

be a sin. They requested Nârada who always chanted the name of Hari to give dust

of his feet. He too said it would be a sin. Krishna asked Nârada to go to

Vrindâvana and ask the gopikas. At once Nârada went to Vrindâvana and told them

he had come from the Divine presence of Krishna. At once the simple women

surrounded him and enquired how their dear Gopal was

faring. On hearing that their dear Gopala was suffering from headache and that

He had sent Nârada to fetch the dust of their feet; they brought a blanket,

spread it to collect the dust of their feet. They bundled it up and gave it to

Nârada. They requested him to proceed to Dvârakâ at once. The moment the

gopikas collected the dust of their feet, Krishna's headache disappeared. When

Nârada approached Krishna, Krishna said that He had already been relieved. The

true nature of a devotee is to obey the command of the Lord, not to question or

discriminate.63. What is the difference between the devotion of the cowherds of

Vrindâvana and that of the Yadhavas - the kinsmen of Krishna?The gopikas always

declared: "Krishna, we belong to you", while the kinsmen of Krishna and the

Yadhavas said: "Krishna, you belong to

us". 64. Who was Râdhâ?Râdhâ was the cousin sister of Nanda.65. What

is the relationship between Râdhâ and Krishna?Râdhâ is the embodiment of

Prakrithi and Krishna the Purusha. 66. How did Râdhâ describe to Uddhava

that where Krishna is - there she would

be?Râdhâ described to Uddhava how she could never be away from Krishna in the

form of a song and asked him to convey the message to Krishna:"Were You a tree

fully grown, I would wound round You like a creeper". "Were You a blossoming

flower I would hover round the flower like a bee". "Were You the mountain,

Meru, I would cascade like a river". "Were You the boundless sky, I would be a

star in it". "Were You a bottomless sea, I would merge in You like a river".

(Baba) 67. Describe the end of RâdhâRâdhâ lost all interest in life, she gave

up food and water and was surviving only by chanting the name of Krishna. She

knew that her end was near and wished for the darsan of her dear Krishna. The

mere thought brought Krishna to her side. She requested Krishna to play once on

His Murali (flute). Listening to the Divine music she gave up her life. Krishna

threw away the Murali and from that moment He never touched the Murali

again.68. How did Krishna prove the devotion of Draupadî to Rukminî and

Satyabhâmâ?Rukminî and Satyabhâmâ often used to wonder why Krishna should make

much of Draupadî's devotion. They expressed their doubt. Krishna waited for an

opportunity to make them understand Draupadî's devotion. Krishna along with

Rukminî and Satyabhâmâ went to Draupadî. She was combing her long tresses.

Krishna asked Rukminî and Satyabhâmâ to help His sister to comb her long

tresses. They readily agreed. They parted the hair, one half was taken care of

by Rukminî, the other by Satyabhâmâ. The moment they started combing, they

heard the sound of "KrishnaKrishna" from every hair's end of Draupadî's

long tresses. They could realize the devotion of Draupadî.69. Why did Krishna

try to encounter Narakasura so many times?Krishna purposely planned to

encounter Narakasura [or Bhaumasura] several times. He pretended as though He

ran away in fear. The real reason was to make Narakasura more angry and

hateful. These two would make even a very strong man weak. Krishna's plan was

to make Narakasura's weakness responsible for his fall.

It would be easier to kill him then. [sB, 10-59]70. Why was Satyabhâmâ made to

kill Narakasura?Satyabhâmâ's one weakness was envy. Krishna did not desire that

Narakasura should meet his end in His hands (of divinity) but of envy. Moreover

Narakasura had abducted many a princess and molested them. It was really most

proper that a woman should kill him.71. Who was 'Paundraka Vasudeva'?In

Bhâgavatam there is a character by name Paundraka who sought to become a

possible imitation

of Krishna. He called himself as Paundraka Vasudeva. He got made an imitation

conch and a wheel and carried them about in the two artificially made hands. He

tried to imitate Krishna in every way. He wore a yellow dress, walked just like

Krishna and imitated his gestures. Some fools gathered around him mistaking him

for the Lord. However he was put to shame by Krishna. [sB, 10-66]72. Who were

the rival kings of Krishna?Jarâsandha [sB, 10-72], S'is'upâla [sB, 10-74],

Dantavakra [sB, 10-78].73. How was Garuda's pride pricked?Krishna hearing about

the mischievous pranks of a strange monkey, directed Garuda to proceed and scare

the animal out of the city limits. Garuda failed even though he took with him

the entire army. His pride was humbled. Krishna sent a message to the monkey

who declared himself as Anjaneya (Hanumân) that he should come to His palace.

Anjaneya replied he would obey only the orders of Râma. Krishna again sent

another message that

Râma was inviting him to His audience hall. Anjaneya hurried to see Râma.

Krishna gave him the Darsan of Râma Himself. Satyabhâmâ had offered to change

herself into Sîtâ and stood by the side of Krishna.Anjaneya could not see Sîtâ

in the form Satyabhâmâ. He replied that he longed to see Mother Sîtâ and

wondered who that lady was. Thus Satyabhâmâ's conceit was broken. Then Krishna

asked Rukminî to stand by His side; Anjaneya at once recognized in Rukminî,

Mother Sîtâ.74. Why did Krishna fight with Jâmbavân?Jâmbavân (leader of the

bears) was a close friend of Râma. [Ramakatha Rasavahini, 6b] He had a

fantastic desire. He wished to

fight a duel with Râma. His wish could not be fulfilled. In Dwapara Yuga when

Krishna was accused by the king Satrâjit of having stolen his Syamantaka gem,

He had to go in search of the gem. He went to the forest and followed the

spoors leading to a lion's den. There He found the Syamantaka gem in the

possession of a bear - Jâmbavân. He challenged him to a duel. The duel lasted

for 28 days. At last by a sudden flash of illumination Jâmbavân realized that

his adversary was his friend Râma. At last his wish was fulfilled. He gave to

Krishna not only the Syamantaka gem but his own daughter [Jâmbavatî] in

marriage. [sB, 10-56] 75. What was the constant prayer of Queen Kuntî?Kuntî

constantly prayed to Krishna that she should always be made to experience

sorrow and grief - that would induce her to think always of the Lord. [sB,

1:8]76. What is the greatest command of Krishna?The greatest command of Lord

Krishna was "Be my instrument".77. How did Krishna meet with His end?Krishna

realizing that He should give up His mortal coil, one day went and sat under a

peepul tree. He reclined on the ground and leaned against a tree, and assumed

the form

of Vishnu. His left foot looked like a red lily. A hunter Jarâ by name,

mistaking the red foot for a deer's mouth, struck this red foot with the arrow.

The arrow was a piece of iron remnant of the accursed mace of the rishis with a

sharp point. Krishna was fatally wounded by the arrow. [sB, 1:14, SB, 11-1,

vers 23 & SB, 11-31]78. What is the symbolical significance of the following :

a) Lord Narasimha emerging from the pillar split into two: Lord Narasimha did

not hide Himself inside the pillar. The pillar here stands for deha or human

body. The Lord will manifest Himself only when the pillar or the human body -

consciousness (deha - tathwa) is gone. The moment Hiranyakas'ipu hit the

pillar and split it into two, the Dehi revealed himself. The I-am-the-body

consciousness of man should go. "I am Atma consciousness" must emerge. [sB,

7-8] b) Gajendra Moksha: Gajendra Moksha: The story in short is an elephant

bathing in a lake was caught by a crocodile. The elephant struggled hard

to free itself of the clutches of the crocodile but in vain. At last it prayed

to God for help. The Lord comes and kills the crocodile with His wheel. The

inner significance is: The lake is symbolic of samsara. The individual with a

mind like that of a wild elephant, enters the lake which is in the forest of

life. The mind is thirsty for sensuous pleasures. The moment the man (elephant)

steps into the lake of samsara, the crocodile (attachment) catches hold of the

man. The man struggles hard to free himself of the bondage. When he becomes

weak, he prays to God and asks to save him. When an individual caught in the

bondage of samsara, if he prays to God in complete surrender then God will

certainly release him from bondage. [sB, 8:2] c) Kaliya

Mardhana; Kaliya Mardhana: [sB, 10-16 & 17] A serpent by name Kaliya was

poisoning the atmosphere and the waters of the Yamunâ with its breath. All

those who approached that area - men, cattle and birds fell dead. Krishna, the

blue boy of Vrindâvana, jumped into the depths of the river and forced the foul

snake to rise above the level of the river and leaping on its hoods danced upon

them. The pressure of His tender feet was enough to force the deadly poison out

from the fangs of the monstrous cobra, and render it harmless for ever. The

inner significance: In the mind-lake of man, there lurks a poisonous cobra with

six hoods, lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and hate. The name of the Lord

when continuously

chanted, dives into the depths of the mind-lake and forces the sixhooded cobra

to come to surface, so that it may be destroyed. Allow the Divine Name to

dance, on the six hooded cobra in the mind-lake. Then the cobra would be tamed

and made Sathvic. [bhagavatha Vahini, 40] d) Rasakreda; Rasa Lila or Kreda:

This indeed is a much misunderstood and misinterpreted episode. The blue boy of

Vrindâvana dancing in the moonlight with the Gopis, each gopika dancing with a

Krishna. [sB, 10-33]

The Lord multiplied Himself into many and stood beside every gopi. The inner

meaning of the divine sport is: The entire universe is verily a Vrindâvanaam.

All gopikas are the jîvas. Every jîva longs to be with the Lord, and await the

call of the flute. The sport is the joy, the Lord, the Paramatma shares with

the gopikas or the jîva-âtmâs. [bhagavatha Vahini, 35] e) gopika

Vastrapaharana; gopika Vasthrapaharanam: This is yet another misinterpreted

and misconstrued episode by ordinary people. Not recognizing the divinity, they

revile Krishna as a philanderer, and a thief, who stole away the saris of

gopikas when they were bathing in the river.

[sB, 10-22] Krishna gave away the saris the moment the gopikas lifted their

hands in total surrender and prayed to Him to save them from shame. The meaning

is that unless a spiritual aspirant loses his body consciousness and prays to

God for grace, he would not win the grace of God. In fact deha means that which

is worn, a vasthra. When the gopikas questioned Krishna whether it was Dharma

(righteous) on His part to steal away their dress, Krishna said it was the

gopikas who were not observing Svadharma (Atma dharma or their true nature) but

observing Paradharma (Dehadharma or body consciousness). f) Navanetha Chora;

Navanetha Chora: Krishna is described as a butter thief. Krishna did not

actually desire butter - but He desired the pure mind kept in the heart-pot of

the gopikas. Navanetha means pure mind. Mind made pure by constant churning

that is the sadhana (devotion) of namasmarana (remembering the Lord's name).

[see for example: SB, 10-8] g) Krishna having eight queens and sixteen thousand

gopikas; Krishna, the husband of eight queens and sixteen thousand

gopikas:First of all one must understand the meaning of (bhartha) husband: One

who is the over-lord, the one who looks after. Who else can truly be called a

husband than God. Here the

body is the residence for divine consciousness or God. In the body there are six

spiritual centers through which the Kundalini shakthi (the coiled 'serpent'

power, the divine energy) rises from the Muladhara chakra (basal energy centre)

to Sahasrara, (the thousand petalled lotus center) on top. In between, there are

four centers. When the Kundalini awakened, reaches the Sahasrara, enlightenment

takes place. The Kundalini reaches the Hridhaya Chakra (lotus of the heart with

8 petals). The 8 petals stand for 8 spirits, 8 directions and 8 guardians.

Krishna being the husband or Lord of these eight queens representing the 8

petals. The Kundalini Shakthi rises again to Sahasrara, a thousand petalled

lotus, each petal having 16 Kalas or rays. So 16.000 gopikas are these 16.000

Kalas, then the illumination takes place. [sB, 10-58 and

footnote*] h) Kshirasagara Manthana. Kshera Sagara Manthan: Kshera means milk,

Sagara means ocean, Manthan means churning. Once the Devas (demi-gods) and

Asuras (demons) desired to become immortal for which they should obtain Amrith

to drink. Lord Nârâyana instructed them to churn the milky ocean, having the

Mandhara mountain as the churning rod and Vasuki serpent as the rope. The Devas

and the Asuras began to churn. All of a sudden the mountain began to sink; they

were frightened. The Lord assumed the form of a tortoise and bore the mountain

on His back. The churning continued. Poisonous fumes emanated and the churners

were scared. Then Lord S'iva came and drank

away the poison. They churned and churned. Many things emerged - living and

nonliving, human and divine. At last they got Amrith but this Amrith was only

given to the Deva's. [Ramakatha Rasavahini, 7b] [sB, Canto 8] The inner

meaning:The ocean of milk is the human heart filled with satvic tendencies

(kindness, purity and goodness). An individual in whom are present both the

good impulses (gods) and bad impulses (asuras) contemplate on God. This

contemplation or sadhana is the churning process. At times desires (poison)

will overtake him. If he

prays to God, He would chase away the desires and the individual continues his

sadhana. All of a sudden he might feel he might die without tasting the

immortal drink. Once again his prayer will win for him God's grace, till at

last God gives him strength and courage to subdue bad impulses and continue his

sadhana. Once again he might be tempted to pray for worldly things but he should

churn and churn on to secure amrith that would grant him immortality. Here

amrith stands for liberation from the cycle of birth and death.79. What is

Uddhava Gîtâ?Uddhava Gîtâ as the name indicates, are the teachings of Krishna

to Uddhava (a confidential friend of Krishna in Vrndâvana). It is considered to

be an amplification of the Bhagavad Gîtâ. The main emphasis is on the yoga of

renunciation and of course the other yogas of Karma, Bhakti and

Jnana (work, worship and wisdom) are also explained. The same lesson of total

surrender is taught and the extinction of the 'I' and 'My' sense are also

emphasized. [sB, Canto 11, General History]80. How does Swami explain the

meaning of the following:a) Bhâgavatam Bhâgavatam: Bha + Ga + Va + Ta + M

'Bha' stands for Bhakti (devotion) 'Ga' stands for Jnana (wisdom)'Va' stands

for Vairagyam (detachment)'Tha' stands for thathvam (That you are)'M' stands

for Mukti (liberation).Bhâgavatam enables one to attain liberation through

devotion, wisdom, detachment and Atmajnana

(knowledge of Atma). b) Gopala Gopala: 'Go' means not only cow but all beings,

Jîvas. So Gopala means one who is the Lord of all beings. c) Raadhaa Raadhaa:

This word when spelt from the other side is 'Aadhaar' then it also becomes

'Aaradh' and then into 'Dhaaraa' and then 'Dharaa'. 'Raadha' believed that

Krishna is the 'Aadhaara', or the basis. She did 'Aaraadh' worship to Krishna

in a continuous Dhaara or stream. In fact she herself is Dhara or Prakrithi

while Krishna is Purusha. d) Murali Murali: The flute

has 9 holes and it's hollow melody emanates when one breathes through the hollow

reed. Human body is verily a nine holed instrument and if it is rendered hollow

devoid of all passions then the Lord will make one His Divine instrument of

music. [sB, 4:25] e) Kleem Krishna, Govindaya, Gopijana Vallabhaya - Svaha.

Krishna is the Lord of the five elements and is described as Kleem Krishnaya,

Govindaya, Gopijana Vallabhaya-Svaha. Kleem refers to the earth; Krishnaya to

water. Govindaya to Agni (fire); Gopijana Vallabhaya to Vayu (air), Svaha to

ether. Thus Krishna principle is embodied in the five elements. Divinity is

immanent in all the five elements. 81. What are the different types of Sadhanas

prescribed for the four Yuga's?The Yuga's and Sadhanas prescribed: Krita Yuga -

Dhyana (meditation) and Thapas ( penance) Treta Yuga - Yaga and Yagn'a or vedic

sacrificial ceremony Dwapara Yuga - Archana or worshipKali Yuga - Nama Smarana

(remembrance of the Lord's name) 82. What are the nine types of devotion?They

are: Sravanam (listening) Smaranam (contemplation and chanting)Kirtanam

(singing) Archanam

(worship) Vandanam (namaskar, obeisance) Padasevanam (pressing the feet of the

Lord) Dasyam (seva or devotional service)Sneham (friendship) Atmanivedanam

(surrendering of body, mind and everything to God).83. Who are the exponents of

these types of devotion?They are: King Parîkchit - Sravanam (listening) Prahlâda

- Smaranam (chanting) Leelaa Shuka - Kirtanam (singing) S'rî Lakshmî -

Padhasevanam (pressing the feet) Akrûra - Vandanam (obeisance) Prithu

Chakravarthi - Archanam (worship) [sB, 4-15 etc.] Arjuna - Sneham (friendship)

Hanumân - Dasyam (service) Emperor Bali - Atma-Nivedanam (surrender) 84. What

are the six types of devotion?They are:Shantha Bhakti (balanced and

peaceful)Sakhya Bhakti (the brotherly or friendship)Dasya Bhakti (that of a

servant) Vathsalya Bhakti (that of a mother) Anuraga Bhakti (affection) Madhura

Bhakti (supreme love eager to merge in the Lord).85. Who are the exponents of

these types of devotion?They are:Bhîshma,

Arjuna, Anjaneya (Hanumân), gopikas and gopalas, Yas'odâ, Râdhâ.86. What

according to Baba is the fifth Purushartha (goals of material life)?The fifth

Purushartha is Parama Prema (Bhakti).87. What was the question put by

Yudhishthhira to Nârada when S'is'upâla met with his death in the hands of

Krishna?How could the sinful S'is'upâla who hated S'rî Krishna from his boyhood

days, deserve the unique favor of the Lord; the Lord caused the Atma Jyoti of

S'is'upâla to merge in Him. [see also: SB, 10-74]88. What was the answer of

Nârada?Sage Nârada said that thinking constantly of the Lord even through hate

will earn God's favor, because the individual who hates the Lord vehemently

will be thinking only of his enemy, thus diverting his mind from sensuous

objects. Concentration on the Lord is important even in hatred.89. What was the

secret of the birth related to that of Râvana and Kumbhakarna, Hiranyâksha and

Hiranyakas'ipu, S'is'upâla and Dantavakra?Hiranyâksha, Hiranyakas'ipu, Râvana

and Kumbhakarna, S'is'upâla and Dantavakra were none other than the gate

keepers of the Lord's abode, Jaya and Vijaya. [sB 3:15 etc.] One day they did

not permit the four Kumâras (Sanaka, Sanâtana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumâra) to

enter Vaikunthha mistaking them for small children. The Kumâras cursed them to

be born as mortals. The Lord appeared at the gate apologized to the

brahmana-sages for the treatment meted out to them by His servants. The Lord

asked Jaya and Vijaya whether they would prefer to be born seven times as

devotees or three times as enemies. Jaya and Vijaya preferred to be born as

Asuras (enemies) so that they may return to the Lord's abode soon. They were

assured they would remain firmly united in thought intensified by anger and

return to His service.90. What is the incident that proves women are more

devoted?The incident that proves that women are more devoted is that of the

wife of Kuchela or Sudâmâ, who induced her husband to go to Krishna for help.

[sB, 10-80, verse 6]There is yet another incident. Once Krishna was in the

forest with His friends. The gopas told Krishna that they were very hungry.

Krishna asked them to go to a particular place where some Brahmanas were

performing a yagn'a and request them to give some food. The rithviks (priests)

were very angry with these boys and said they would be given food only after

offering it to God. The gopas ran to Krishna and told Him what had happened.

Krishna asked the gopas to go and request the women who were busy cooking in

the kitchen to give some food. When the women heard that Krishna and His

friends

were hungry, they immediately made arrangements to carry all the food to the

place where Krishna was. They served food with delight to all the children.

This shows that women are more devoted. It is their instinctive selfless love

that gives them the right to enter the mansion where paramatma lives. [sB,

10-23]91. Why did the gopikas perform the Kathyayani Vrata?The Kathyayani Vrata

was performed by the gopis on a particular Monday in the month of Karthika

(August). They desired to realize the unchanging and permanent aspect of

Krishna through this Vrata (vow offering). They considered

Krishna as their Natha. Natha does not mean husband but one who takes care of

one and all. The gopikas aspired to realize this aspect of Krishna as a result

of their Vrata (Vow).92. What is the story that illustrates the power of

uttering the sacred name?The story of Ajamila. Though a brahmana by birth and

pious by nature suddenly fell in love with a mean woman and gave birth to many

children and thus became a sinner. At the time of dying he called endearingly

his last son of whom he was fond of 'Nârâyana' and breathed his last. Since he

died uttering though unwittingly the sacred name of the Lord Nârâyana, he was

taken to heaven and not to hell. Of course, the story is only to inspire us to

always chant the name of God because we do not know when death will come to us.

[sB, 5:1,2]93. Comment upon Daksha Yajn'a.Daksha Prajâpati married the last

daughter of Manu and gave birth to sixteen daughters. The last one Satî was

married to S'iva. Once he (Daksha) performed a great Yajn'a to which he invited

everyone except S'iva. Against the wishes of her Lord, Satî visited the Yaga.

She was not only not welcomed but ignored completely. Unable to bear the

insult, Satî sat in yoga to give up her breath. Her body caught fire. Lord

S'iva became indignant. He threw down a piece of His matted hair. There arose a

fierce human form. He was Vîrabhadra. He went and did havoc in the Yajn'a hall

of Daksha. Swami says the Yajn'a of Daksha turned into a

battle because he ignored Lord S'iva (God), whereas the battle of Kurukshetra

was transformed into a Dharma Kshetra and a Yajn'a because it was led by Lord

Krishna. [sB, 4:1-7]94. What does the story of Dadhîci illustrate? Lord Indra

wanted to destroy the demon Vritrâsura [sB, 6:9] who had become very powerful.

Lord Nârâyana asked Indra to request Sage Dadhîci [sB, 6:10] to gift his body

so that a very powerful weapon may be made from Dadhîci's bones. Dadhîci's

bones acquired such great potency because of the constant recitation of

'Nârâyana Kavacha'. Dadhîci, a self realized individual did not care a bit for

the body, agreed and gladly cast away his body. Indra extracted a powerful

weapon from the bones of Dadhîci and Lord Nârâyana sharpened it by His own

power. Dadhîci's spirit of sacrifice is indeed very great. "There is nothing

greater than parting with one's own body for the good of all".95. Reference to

context:a) "Do the cows have shoes, I too will not have" These words were

spoken by the boy

Krishna to Yas'odâ. One day Krishna asked Yas'odâ for permission to go with

other gopalas and with the cows when they go for grazing. Yas'odâ said that

till she got a pair of shoes for him to wear, he should not go because His

tender feet would get hurt while he walked in the forest. Krishna replied that

His mother always addressed him as Gopala, meaning one who is the leader of the

cows. Being a leader he must set an example. Since the cows do not have any

shoes nor his comrades, he should not wear any shoes. This is how He set an

example for all leaders. b) "In this world Krishna is the only Purusha, all the

others are women". These words were spoken by Râdhâ to the watchman of

Vrindâvana. One day Râdhâ wanted to enter Vrindâvana. There was a watchman who

did not allow Râdhâ to

enter saying that Krishna instructed him only to allow men to enter. Then Râdhâ

replied: "Oh you poor fellow, know the truth; in this world Krishna is the only

Purusha, all the others are women". Krishna knew how Râdhâ would reply and so He

had asked the watchman to behave like that, so that the entire world may know

Râdhâ's attitude towards Krishna. c) "Oh Murali: How fortunate you are, you are

very near and dear to Krishna. What is the secret behind this?" These words

were spoken by a certain gopi in a soliloquy (monologue) to the Murali that was

lying by the side of Krishna while He was sleeping. They wanted to know how it

enjoyed the breath of Krishna, the touch of Krishna and always the company of

Krishna. d) "We can also become Muralis in the hands of Krishna". This is

Râdhâ's reply to the gopika: "Examine the Murali carefully, you will see that

it is hollow and has no pulp in it; hence the sweet breath of Krishna flows

through it freely producing melodious music. We must also render ourselves

hollow getting rid of all desires. Then Krishna will make us His instrument of

music".96. "Krishna and Balarâma are considered to be the patrons of the twin

occupations necessary for the sustenance of human beings". Explain it.Krishna

is always referred to as the cowherd of Vrindâvana, so He is the representative

and the caretaker of the cows that are responsible for cultivation and dairy

farm. Balarâma who

is always depicted as 'holding a plough' - which is the representative of

agriculture and farming - another important occupation for man to engage

himself for his sustenance.97. What does the sudden arrival of the Sage S'uka,

when king Parîkchit was awaiting death, signify?The unexpected arrival of Sage

S'uka signifies that the Lord would certainly fulfill the genuine desire of a

sincere spiritual seeker by sending a Guru at the appropriate time to enlighten

him. [sB, 1:19], [bhagavatha Vahini, 29]98. Explain the meaning of "Hrudaya

Vrindâvana".The devotee's heart itself is a Vrindâvana. The Jîva (resident) is

verily Râdhâ along with the gopikas in the form of ideas performing Lilas with

Atma-Krishna."Regard your heart as Vrindâvana, yourself as Râdhâ and surrender

yourself to Krishna (Atma) the Lord. Your thoughts must be like the thoughts of

the gopikas" 99. Why is Lord Krishna considered "Lila Manusha

Vigraha"?Lila Manusha Vigraha

(form, appearance) means the Divine manifesting as man for performing His Lilas

(miraculous deeds). He is Purna Avatâra subduing and transcending Mâyâ,

manifesting His Divinity to the world in full, though at times He might behave

as if He were subject to Mâyâ (or worldly illusion).100. How does Baba describe

Bhâgavatam?Bhâgavatha is a huge tree. Lord Nârâyana is verily the seed of this

tree. Brahmâ is the plant (that emerges from the seed as a sprout, sapling, a

plant and then into a tree). Nârada is the trunk. Sage Vyâsa is the branches.

The sacred story of Krishna is the fruit, filled with sweet juice. Original

Text: Quiz on BhâgavatamISBN: 81-7208-197-9Published in India by: The Convenor,

S'rî Sathya Sai Books

and Publications Trust, Prashanthi Nilayam, India (Links and pictures by

Vahini.org) Devotional Music; Krishna Bhakti music by S'rîmad Bhâgavatam.The

bhajans or devotional chants are all written by Vaishnav Âcâryas.

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