Duty Of Grhastha

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First Srila Bhaktivinoda quotes SB 11.18.42] grhino bhuta-raksejya, "The main duties of a householder are to give shelter to all living entities and perform sacrifice."

What is proper occupation? To know this, one should see the behavior of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's followers. As far as possible I will try to briefly compile them in this essay. First I will write about the behavior and occupation of the grhastha, as found in the character of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His devotees.

 

* As a support for his devotional service, a householder should find a suitable wife. (CC Adi 15.26-27)

 

* While maintaining religious family life with one's wife, sons and daughters born in the form of Krsna's servants and maidservants, to nourish them is called maintaining the family. In these activities there is a need for piously accumulating wealth. (CB Antya 5.41, CC Madhya 15.96)

 

* One must be educated at a proper age. But he should not study atheistic literatures. (CB Adi 12.49, Madhya 9.241-242)

 

* Serving guests is the principal duty of a grhastha--this is the Lord's instruction. (CB Adi 14.21, 26)

 

* A grhastha should act with simplicity in his dealings with people; he should not allow any kind of cheating or duplicity in his heart. (CB Adi 14.142)

 

* It is the principal duty of a grhastha to serve superior persons. (CC Adi 15.21)

 

* A householder should take the principles of renunciation to heart; but he should not dress as a renunciant. (CC Madhya 16.237-239)

 

* A householder is dutybound to work for the benefit of everyone. (CC Adi 9.41, 7.92)

 

* A householder should fully depend on the will of the Lord in all his activities. (CB Madhya 28.55)

 

* A householder should cautiously give up the association of nondevotees, women, and uxorious people. (CC Madhya 22.87)

 

* By following his prescribed duties a grhastha Vaisnava should accumulate wealth for his maintenance. He should not accumulate wealth by sinful means. (CB Antya 5.685-688)

 

* A householder should not hanker for another's wife or prostitutes. (CC Madhya 9.227-228)

 

* There is no difference between smartas and Vaisnavas regarding following the codes of religion. (CB Antya 9.388-389)

 

* It is the duty of a grhastha to constantly chant the holy names of the Lord and serve the Vaisnavas and the Lord with the help of his relatives and by the wealth he has earned through his pious life. Regarding serving the Vaisnavas, one should know that there are three types of nonduplicitous devotees. SErving such Vaisnavas is called vaisnava-seva. (CC Madhya 15.104)

 

* There is no need to gather many Vaisnavas by invitation [for prasada --VGD]. Whenever a Vaisnava comes for any purpose he should be properly served with care. By gathering many Vaisnavas, one may commit offenses. (CC Madhya 15.198)

 

* It is the duty of the grhastha Vaisnava to show mercy on the poor and the fallen. (CC Antya 3.238)

 

* A grhastha Vaisnava should not desire to give up his body merely out of some sentiment or anger. (CC Antya 4.57)

 

* There is no consideration of superior or inferior status due to social position in regard to worshipping Krsna. In worldly occupations there are different activities according to the different social divisions, which are due to superior and inferior grades of intelligence. There are no such distinctions in the process of devotional service. (CC Antya 4.66-67, 5.84)

 

* A grhastha Vaisnava should feel satisfied with whatever food and clothing he gets without difficulty. (CB Antya 4.293)

 

* A grhastha Vaisnava should perform devotional service with undeviated attention, knowing Krsna as the Lord of all. He should not disrespect the demigods worshipped by the smarta-sampradaya. (CB Antya 2.243)

 

* It is the duty of a grhastha to work for the benefit of others even by giving up his own self-interest. (CB Antya 3.365)

 

* A grhastha Vaisnava should respect and worship tulasi. (CB Antya 8.159-160)

 

* A householder with devotion is glorious, while a householder without devotion is insignificant. Whatever social dealings a householder has to perform should be done while taking shelter of the holy name of Krsna. (CC Antya 16.6-7)

 

* Everyone is prohibited from corrupt earning or spending, and workers are prohibited from accepting bribes. (CC Antya 9.90, 142-144)

 

* A grhastha should accept a spiritual master who is full of devotion and of pure character. (CB Madhya 21.65)

 

* A householder should be particularly careful not to commit offenses against the Vaisnavas. (CB Madhya 22.33)

 

* Serving devotees is a householder's main duty. (CC Antya 16.57, 60)

 

* In the SB 11.20.27-28 Lord Krsna describes how a householder should act until his natural propensity for enjoying sense objects is overcome and he fully attains the characteristics of a pure devotee: "Having awakened faith in the narrations of My glories, being disgusted with all material activities, knowing that all sense gratification leads to misery, but still being unable to renounce all sense enjoyment, My devotee remains happy and worships Me with great faith and conviction. Even though he is sometimes engaged in sense enjoyment, My devotee knows that all sense gratification leads to a miserable result, and he sincerely repents such activities."

 

* When a householder has faith, he should take initiation into the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. (CC Madhya 22.64)

 

* A grhastha Vaisnava must gradually acquire all the qualities mentioned in the Caitanya Caritamrta (Madhya 22.78.80): "Devotees are always merciful, humble, truthful, equal to all, faultless, magnanimous, mild and clean. They are without material possessions, and they perform welfare work for everyone. They are peaceful, surrendered to Krsna, and desireless. They are indifferent to material acquisitions and fixed in devotional service. They completely control the six bad qualities---lust, anger, greed, and so forth. They eat only as much as required, and they are not inebriated. They are respectful, grave, compassionate, and without false prestige. They are friendly, poetic, expert and silent."

 

* A grhastha Vaisnava should be eager to associate with advanced devotees. (CC Madhya 22.83)

 

* Out of all the processes of devotional service, one should give earnest attention to the five limbs mentioned in Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 22.128-129): "One should associate with devotees, chant the holy name of the Lord, hear Srimad Bhagavatam, reside at Mathura, and worship the Deity with faith and veneration. These five limbs of devotional service are the best of all. Even a slight performance of these five awakens love for Krsna."

 

* A grhastha Vaisnava should not endeavor for any knowledge or renunciation other than knowledge of one's relationship with the Lord in devotional service and renunciation born from devotional service. If one begins the worship of Krsna with special care and eagerness, then he achieves all auspiciousness. (CC Madhya 22.145)

 

* A grhastha Vaisnava should constantly chant the holy names while carefully giving up the ten offenses. (CC Antya 4.70-71)

 

* A householder should accept pure devotional service that is not based simply on religious sentiments. (CB Madhya 23.41)

 

* The mood of servitude is proper for a living entity, and the mood of being lord is detrimental. (CB Madhya 23.480, 482)

 

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Duty of Grihasta:

A grhastha's first duty is to be fully dependent on Vasudeva, Krsna, and to try to satisfy Him in all respects by executing one's prescribed devotional service.

 

This devotional service will depend on the instructions of authorities and the association of devotees who are actually engaged in devotional service.

 

The beginning of devotional service is sravanam, or hearing. One must hear from the mouths of realized souls. In this way the grhastha's attraction to his wife and children will gradually be reduced.

 

Should earn what is required and not over-endeavor simply to accumulate money and unnecessarily increase in material comforts.

 

Although a grhastha should externally be very active in earning his livelihood, he should internally be situated as a fully self-realized person, without attachment for material gains.

 

Grhastha should be engaged in occupational duties advised by the spiritual master and sastra.

 

Specifically a grhastha should engage in agricultural activities to earn money.

 

Whatever a grhastha may possess he should equally distribute to all living entities, without discrimination. The best process is to distribute prasada.

 

A grhastha should not be very much attached to his wife; he should engage even his own wife in serving a guest with all attention.

 

Whatever money a grhastha accumulates by the grace of God he should spend in five activities, namely worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead,receiving Vaisnavas and saintly persons, distributing prasada to the general public and to all living entities,offering prasada to his forefathers, and also offering prasada to his own self.

 

The grhastha should also visit the holy places of pilgrimage mentioned in the puranas.

 

In this way he should fully engage in worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead for the benefit of his family, his society, his country, and humanity at large.

 

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Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Piyusa-varsini commentary on Sri Upedeshamrta.

Prajalpa which spoils bhakti is categorized by Bhaktivinoda Thakura into the following 8 categories:

(1) Useless talks

(not about Lord Hari)

 

(2) Arguments

(godless quarrels like nyaya & vaisesika not based on the Vedas)

 

(3) Gossip

(talking about other people to establish one's reputation)

 

(4) Debates

(desire for conquest)

 

(5) Fault-finding in others

(imposing one's bad habits on others)

 

(6) Speaking falsehoods

(because of one's self-interest)

 

(7)Blaspheming devotees

(the worst)

 

(8) Worldly talk

(devoid of God consciousness)

 

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1. Samprarthanatmika - direct prayer glorifying the Lord. We have many examples of this type of prayer in Narottama Dasa's Prarthana.

 

2. Svadhainyabodhika - expressing humility and embarrassment, informing the Lord: I am very fallen.

 

3. Manah-siksa - examples are Bhajahu Re Mana by Govinda das or Manah-siksa by Raghunatha das Gosvami. In this type of prayer the mind becomes a disciple and we teach it how to deal with the senses and relate to intelligence. We consider the mind a separate entity and tell it: Pull yourself together! Meditate on Krsna! The challenging spirit of intelligence becomes manifest. One function of the intelligence is to challenge the mind.

 

4. Vilapatmika - statements of supreme lamentation. This may be confusing; we hear the devotees are always happy, so how can a devotee lament? But this kind of lamentation is a type of devotional ecstasy - it draws a devotee closer to Krsna.

 

5. Vaisnava Mahimaprakasika - revealing the greatness of the Vaisnavas. Krsna doesn't want to be considered separately from the Vaisnavas, therefore we can please Him by glorifying them.

 

6. Sri-Guru-Vaisnava-vijnapti-rupa - statements of submission and glorification of the Vaisnavas, especially of the guru. The example is Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Ohe! Vaisnava Thakura.

 

7. Sridhama-vase-lipsatmika - expressing the desire to live in the holy places. There are many prayers of this kind, composed by Prabodhananda Sarasvati, glorifying Sri Vrndavana. In one of them he says: Anyone who desires to leave Vrndavana I consider to be a madman.

 

8. Sadhaka-dehe-lalasa-sucika - expressing the desire to practice devotional service.

 

9. Siddha-dehe-lalasamayi - desire to attain siddha-deha and serve Krsna in this spiritual body.

 

10. Aksepabodhika - lamentation again: extreme grief and sorrow that we have fallen to this material world.

 

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In addition to the Vigraha (Deity) form, Lord Narasimha also appears as the self-manifested Shalagrama-Shila. Below are some

details of the Narasimha-salagrama

 

There are twenty-four varieties of Narasimha-salagrama:

 

(1) Laksmi-narasimha (in three subvarieties)

(4) Yogananda-narasimha

(5) Bala-narasimha

(6) Vidyujjihva-narasimha

(7) Vibhisana-narasimha

(8) Adhomukha-narasimha

(9) Patala-narasimha

(10) Sarvati-mukha-narasimha

(11) Raksasa-narasimha

(12) Vidurarana narasimha

(13) Kukushi narasimha

(14) Bhitti-narasimha

(15) Vijaya-narasimha

(16) Kapila narasimha

(17) Jvala-narasimha (3 sub-varieties)

(20) Maha-jvala-narasimha

(21) Suddha-narasimha

(22) Buddha-chakra-narasimha

(23) Damsthra-karala-narasimha

(24) Vakra-damshtra-narasimha

 

The Narasimha salagrama-shilas' generally have four chakras, but sometimes there are only two. They also may have a gaping

mouth with sharp teeth like structures. See image of Narasimha salagram above. Here are some descriptions of four specific Narasimha-shilas:

 

(1) The Narasimha-salagrama has an elongated mouth, tawny hued, a longish cakra and a big belly. This stone is suitable for

worship by ascetics.

 

(2) The Laksmi-narasimha-salagrama has a cakra on its left side, is black in color, and has spots. Its worship makes for bhukti

(worldly prosperity) and mukti (emancipation).

 

(3) The Maha-jvala-nrsimha-murti-salagrama is thick in chape, blue-black in color and has a gaping mouth (aperture). This is fit

for worship only by

mendicants (mahamuni).

 

(4) The Kapila-narasimha-salagrama has a large chakra at the place where the tusk would be located; the color of the stone is

tawny, and there can be seen on the stone the mark of vanamala. This must be worshipped only by celibates (brahmachari-s) for

worldly prosperity (bhukti) or salvation (mukti).

 

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Does anyone here have any information about the other Narasimha-salagrama?.other than the four listed above?

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The Bhagavata Purana, commonly referred to as the Srimad Bhagavatam, is considered the ripened fruit of all Vedic knowledge. Sri Vyasa Muni, the compiler of the Vedic texts, advises us as follows:

 

nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam

shuka-mukhad amrita-drava-samyutam

nigama bhagavatam rasam alayam

muhur aho rasika bhuvi bhavukah

"O expert and thoughtful men, relish Srimad Bhagavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Sri Shuka Muni. Therefore this fruit has become even more tasteful, although its nectarean juice was already relishable for all, including liberated souls."

 

Srimad Bhagavatam is the galitam phalam, or ripened fruit, of all Vedic knowledge. It is exactly like amrita, for by hearing its recitation we can cross beyond birth and death.

 

The Srimad Bhagavatam describes the various incarnations of Lord Hari, and in the process of these descriptions ten important subject matters are explained, namely sarga (the elemental creation), visarga (the secondary creation), sthanam (the planetary systems), poshanam (protection by the Lord), utayah (the creative impetus), manvantara (the periods of Manu), isha-anukatha (the science of God), nirodha (dissolution), mukti (liberation), and ashraya (the supreme shelter).

 

The reciters of Srimad Bhagavatam have utilized three methods to explain these ten subjects, namely by vedic reference (shrutena), by direct explanation (arthena), and by summary explanations given by the great sages (anjasa).

 

The following is a brief explanation of each of these ten subjects.

 

1) Sarga - the elemental creation.

 

Sarga is defined as follows:

 

bhuta-matrendriya-dhiyam

janma sarga udahritah

 

"The elemental creation of sixteen principles of matter - namely the five gross elements (pancha-bhutas), the five objects of sense perception (tan-matras), the five knowledge acquiring senses (jnanendriyas) and the mind - is known as sarga."

 

The five gross elements (pancha-bhutas) are earth, water, fire, air and ether; the five objects of sensual perception (tan-matras) are sound, form, taste, smell, and touch; and the five knowledge acquiring senses (jnanendriyas) are the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. Together with the mind, these sixteen principles are created by the first purusha incarnation, Maha-Vishnu. Within these sixteen principles eight other principles exist subtly, making there a total of twenty-four principles of material existence.

 

2) Visarga - the secondary creation.

 

Visarga is defined as follows:

 

brahmano guna-vaishamyad

visargah paurushah smritah

 

"The secondary creation by Brahma carried out through the interaction of the three modes of nature is known as visarga."

 

By manipulating the sixteen original principles of material existence and by the interaction of the three modes of material nature (sattva, rajas and tamas), Lord Brahma carries out a subsequent creation, more properly described as an assembling of universal ingredients.

 

3) Sthanam - the planetary systems.

 

Sthanam is defined as follows:

 

sthitir vaikuntha-vijayah

 

"The true situation (sthanam) is the realm of Vaikuntha."

 

The entire creation by the Lord is to enable the conditioned souls to satisfy their material desire to lord over the material energy. As such, according to their desires, the Lord creates a suitable situation (sthanam) for them to dwell in. Within the universe, these situations can be divided into fourteen main categories, known technically as bhuvanas, or planetary systems, and 8,400,000 sub-categories, commonly known as species of life. From the topmost sthanam of Brahma-loka (the abode of Lord Brahma) down to the lowest sthanam of Patala-loka, all situations are destructible. In every situation the conditioned living entity is conquered by birth and death. Only by attaining to our eternal constitutional situation in the spiritual realm of Vaikuntha can we conquer the birth and death of this material world. Thus the true sthanam of the living entity is the realm of Vaikuntha. All other temporary situations within this material world cause one to become a victim of material suffering, simply shifting from one situation to the next.

 

4) Poshanam - protection by the Lord.

 

Poshanam is defined as follows:

 

poshanam tad anugrahah

 

"Protection (poshanam) is the causless mercy of the Lord."

 

Poshanam can be defined in two ways according to the mentality of the living entity. For the conditioned souls, poshanam refers to material maintenance. It is the Lord who fulfills the desires of all living entities:

 

nityo nityanam chetanash chetananam

eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman

 

"The supreme eternal among all eternals, the supremely conscious among all the conscious living entities - it is that supreme one among the many who fufills the desires of all."

 

For the devotees of the Lord, poshanam refers to the Lord's causeless mercy and protection. Protection from hunger is the lowest form of protection, which the Lord offers to the conditioned living entities. For the devotees, the Lord's protection is protection from the illusion of maya. The Lord gives the devotee the strength to always remember Him and engage in His devotional service.

 

5) Utayah - the creative impetus.

 

Utayah is defined as follows:

 

utayah karma-vasanah

 

"The impetus for activity (utayah) is the desire for fruitive work."

 

The conditioned soul forgets that the Lord is his eternal protector and maintainer, and thus an impetus for fruitive activity is manifested for one's self maintenance. This desire for fruitive activity is the driving force behind all work within this material world. The karma-vasanas are the accumulated residue of one's previous activities. Every material activity we perform creates a residual impresion within our consciousness, which is carried with us life after life. The sum total of these impressions form our creative impetus to work.

 

The true impetus of the living entity should be to go back to Godhead, to the supreme abode of Vaikuntha, and activities performed in that direction form the right path of work.

 

6) Manvantara - the change of Manus.

 

Manvantara is defined as follows:

 

manvantarani sad-dharmah

 

"The reign of the Manus (manvantaras) are for establishing the eternal religious principles."

 

Manu is the father of mankind, the progenitor, empowered to guide the human race towards self-realization. Manu provides revealed scriptures to mankind which regulate their activities in a manner that will be for their eternal welfare. When the living entities accept such a regulated path, the Lord provides them with all protection by which they may attain their constitutional situation in Vaikuntha. Thus the desire to go back to Godhead and regulated activities performed to achieve that goal form the proper path of action.

 

 

7) Isha-anukatha - the science of God.

 

Isha-anukatha is defined as follows:

 

avataranucharitam

haresh chasyanuvartinam

pumsam isha-kathah prokta

nanakhyanopabrimhitah

 

"The science of God (isha-anukatha) describes the incarnations of the Personality of Godhead and His different activities together with the activities of His great devotees."

 

The entire material creation is for the ultimate purpose of the living entities' salvation. When the conditioned living entities utilize the creation for secondary purposes, such as material fruitive activity, the Lord incarnates to reclaim these forgetful souls. The Lord directly delivers living entities by His divine appearance as well as by its recorded history. The Supreme Lord is so potent that simpy by hearing about His transcendental activities in His various incarnations one becomes free from material bondage. Thus the topics of the Lord and His devotees, which constitute the science of God, should be given respectful aural reception.

 

8) Nirodha - the disolution.

 

Nirodha is defined as follows:

 

nirodho 'syanushayanam

atmanah saha shaktibhih

 

"The merging of the living entity, along with his conditioned living tendency, with the mystic lying down of the Maha-Vishnu is called the winding up of the cosmic manifestation, or nirodha."

 

As we have briefly mentioned before, the entire material creation offers two facilities to the conditioned living entities. The living entities may either utilize it to fulfill their desire to lord it over material nature, or they may utilize it to go back to Godhead, the spiritual abode of Vaikuntha. For the living entities who take advantage of the science of God as propagated by the Manus, and who develop a desire to act in such a regulated manner, the Lord provides them full protection from the material energy and resituates them in their proper situation in Vaikuntha. For the other living entities, who choose to disregard the science of God, the Lord gives them an interim period of relief at the time of dissolution. This temporary period of relief is technically called nirodha, or the winding up of the cosmic manifestation. All the living entities along with their conditional tendencies (vasanas) merge into the body of Maha-Vishnu to await another creation and another opportunity to take up the science of God. Though the physical bodies are given up at this time, the subtle bodies (sukshma-sariras) remain with the living entities along with their latent desires. This is indicated by the words atmanah saha shaktibhih.

 

9) Mukti - liberation.

 

Mukti is defined as follows:

 

muktir hitvanyatha rupam

sva-rupena vyavasthitih

 

"Liberation (mukti) is the permanent situation of the form of the living entity after he gives up the changeable gross and subtle material bodies."

 

Those living entities who develop a desire to act for their ultimate welfare regulate their life according to the instructions of the Manus. Such living entities receive the mercy and protection of the Lord in the form of His divine activities and incarnations, either personally or in its literary form as the science of God. By hearing the narrations of the Lord's activities these living entities are able to give up all external identification with the principles of material existence and its interaction. Such purified living entities develop their original spiritual bodies and are resituated in their constitutional position in Vaikuntha, the spiritual abode of the Lord. This is technically known as mukti or liberation. The words hitvanyatha rupam indicate that these living entities have become completely free from all material coverings including the sukshma-sarira and related vasanas. The word vyavasthitih indicates the real and eternal sthanam of the living entity - sthitir vaikuntha vijayah.

 

10) Ashraya - the supreme shelter.

 

Ashraya is defined in the following three verses:

 

abhasash ca nirodhash ca

yato 'sty adhyavasiyate

sa ashrayah param brahma

paramatmeti shabdyate

 

"The supreme one who is celebrated as the Supreme Being or the Supreme Soul is the supreme source of the cosmic manifestation as well as its reservoir and winding up. Thus He is the supreme shelter, the Absolute Truth."

 

yo 'dhyatmiko 'yam purushah

so 'sav evadhidaivikah

yas tatrobhaya-vicchedah

purusho hy adhibhautikah

ekam ekatarabhave

yada nopalabhamahe

tritayam tatra yo veda

sa atma svashrayashrayah

 

"The individual person possessing different instruments of senses is called the adhyatmic person, and the individual controlling deity of the senses is called adhidaivic. The embodiment seen on the eyeballs is called the adhibhautic person. All three of the above mentioned stages of different living entities are interdependent. In the absence of one, another is not understood. But the Supreme Being who sees every one of them as the shelter of the shelter is independent of all, and therefore He is the supreme shelter."

 

The Srimad Bhagavata Purana begins with the Vedanta statement "janmady asya yathah" to bring to our attention the supreme source and shelter of all existence - the ashraya-tattva. In order to explain the transcendence of the ashraya the other nine subjects have been explained.

 

In all of existence there are factually only two divisions, namely the dependent (para-tantra) and the independent (sva-tantra). The independent (svarat) refers only to that Supreme Lord invoked in the beginning of Srimad Bhagavatam by the words "om namo bhagavate vasudevaya". Sri Vyasa Muni begins by first offering his obeisances to Bhagavan Sri Krishna (Vasudeva), and then identifies Him as the absolute and independent shelter of everything - janmadyasya yathah svarat satyam param dhimahi. The transcendental Sri Krishna is that tenth subject of Srimad Bhagavatam, and in order to properly describe Him, Sri Vyasa Muni has explained the other nine subject matters.

 

Studied together, these ten subject matters fully establish the Supreme personality of Godhead, Bhagavan Sri Krishna, as the transcendental Absolute Truth. The Vedanta Sutras begin by instructing us to inquire into the nature of the Absolute Truth - atatho brahma jijnasa. This Srimad Bhagavatam is the perfect companion to that inquiry, as it is the natural commentary to the Vedanta Sutras.

 

Both the Vedanta Sutras and the Srimad Bhagavatam begin from the point of understanding the ultimate source of everything. Sri Vyasa Muni, the author of these two texts, begins both with the same verse: janmady asya yathah, "From whom everything emanates." But in the Srimad Bhagavatam he expands and elaborates on this very important philosophical subject in great detail:

 

janmady asya yatah anvayad itaratas carthesv abhijnah svarat

tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye muhyanti yat surayah

tejo-vari-mrdam yatha vinimayo yatra tri-sargo 'mrsa

dhamna svena sada nirasta-kuhakam satyam param dhimahi

 

"I meditate upon Lord Sri Krishna because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of creation, sustenance and destruction on the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of brahmaji, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactionsof the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Sri Krishna, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth."

 

Thus Srimad Bhagavatam is the key to unlock the secrets of the Vedanta Sutras. There is no literature in the world as great as this Srimad Bhagavata Purana. The transcendental narations within it give us light in this dark age of Kali yuga:

 

krishne sva-dhamopagate

dharma-jnanadibhih saha

kalau nashta-drisham esha

puranarko 'dhunoditah

 

"This Bhagavata Purana is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Krishna to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this Purana."

 

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SRILA BHAKTIVINODA THAKUR 1896

"WHILE LOCATED IN THE MAYIC WORLD MAN MUST LIVE PEACEFULLY WITH THE OBJECT OF CULTIVATING THE SPIRIT.

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IN HIS SOCIETY HE MUST LEAD A PURE LIFE, AVOID SINS AND DO AS MUCH GOOD AS HE CAN TO HIS BROTHER MAN.

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HE MUST BE HIMSELF HUMBLE BEARING DIFFICULTIES OF LIFE WITH HEROISM, MUST NOT BRAG OF ANY GOODNESS OR GRANDEUR HE HAS AND MUST TREAT EVERYONE WITH THE RESPECT DUE TO HIM.

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MARRIAGE WITH A VIEW TO PEACEFUL AND VIRTUOUS LIFE AND WITH A VIEW TO PROCREATE SERVANTS OF THE LORD IS A GOOD INSTITUTION FOR A VAISNAVA.

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SPIRITUAL CULTIVATION IS THE MAIN OBJECT OF LIFE. DO EVERYTHING THAT HELPS IT AND ABSTAIN FROM DOING ANYTHING WHICH THWARTS THE CULTIVATION OF THE SPIRIT.

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HAVE A STRONG FAITH THAT KRISHNA ALONE PROTECTS YOU AND NONE ELSE. ADMIT HIM AS YOUR ONLY GUARDIAN.

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DO EVERYTHING WHICH YOU KNOW KRISHNA WISHES YOU TO DO AND NEVER THINK THAT YOU DO A THING INDEPENDENT OF THE HOLY WISH OF KRISHNA.

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DO ALL THAT YOU DO WITH HUMILITY.

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ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE A SOJOURNER IS THIS WORLD AND YOU MUST BE PREPARED FOR YOUR OWN HOME.

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DO YOUR DUTIES AND CULTIVATE BHAKTI AS A MEANS TO OBTAIN THE GREAT END OF LIFE, KRISHNA-PRITI.

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EMPLOY YOUR BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT IN THE SERVICE OF THE DEITY.

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IN ALL YOUR ACTIONS, WORSHIP THE GREAT LORD. DO THESE WITH YOUR HEART, MIND AND STRENGTH IN THE COMPANY OF SPIRITUAL PEOPLE ALONE, AND YOU WILL SEE KRISHNA IN NO TIME."

 

http://leagueofdevotees.blogspot.com/

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http://leagueofdevotees.blogspot.com/

 

It’s a long-standing and crucial question that, as yet, remains unanswered: just how common is scientific misconduct? In the online, open-access journal PLoS ONE, Daniele Fanelli of the University of Edinburgh reports the first meta-analysis of surveys questioning scientists about their misbehaviours. The results suggest that altering or making up data is more frequent than previously estimated and might be particularly high in medical research.

 

Recent scandals like Hwang Woo-Suk’s fake stem-cell lines or Jon Sudbø’s made-up cancer trials have dramatically demonstrated that fraudulent research is very easy to publish, even in the most prestigious journals. The media and many scientists tend to explain away these cases as pathological deviations of a few “bad apples.” Common sense and increasing evidence, however, suggest that these could be just the tip of the iceberg, because fraud and other more subtle forms of misconduct might be relatively frequent. The actual numbers, however, are a matter of great controversy.

 

Estimates based on indirect data (for example, official retractions of scientific papers or random data audits) have produced largely discrepant results. Therefore, many researchers have asked scientists directly, with surveys conducted in different countries and disciplines. However, they have used different methods and asked different questions, so their results also appeared inconclusive.

 

To make these surveys comparable, the meta-analysis focused on behaviours that actually distort scientific knowledge (excluding data on plagiarism and other kinds of malpractice) and extracted the frequency of scientists who recalled having committed a particular behaviour at least once, or who knew a colleague who did.

 

On average, across the surveys, around 2% of scientists admitted they had “fabricated” (made up), “falsified” or “altered” data to “improve the outcome” at least once, and up to 34% admitted to other questionable research practices including “failing to present data that contradict one’s own previous research” and “dropping observations or data points from analyses based on a gut feeling that they were inaccurate.”

 

In surveys that asked about the behaviour of colleagues, 14% knew someone who had fabricated, falsified or altered data, and up to 72% knew someone who had committed other questionable research practices.

 

In both kinds of surveys, misconduct was reported most frequently by medical and pharmacological researchers. This suggests that either the latter are more open and honest in their answers, or that frauds and bias are more frequent in their fields. The latter interpretation would support growing fears that industrial sponsorship is severely distorting scientific evidence to promote commercial treatments and drugs.

 

As in all surveys asking sensitive questions, it is likely that some respondents did not reply honestly, especially when asked about their own behaviour. Therefore, a frequency of 2% is probably a conservative estimate, while it remains unclear how the figure of 14% should be interpreted.

 

http://leagueofdevotees.blogspot.com/