By Narasimha das

Many dishonest preachers pose as scriptural scholars, brahmins or even Vaishnavas. Srila Prabhupada clearly states in His Third Canto Bhagavatam Purports that these kinds of hypocrites who pose as religious authorities yet ignore or deny the real path of devotional service and surrender to Krishna are even more dangerous than avowed atheists who simply do not believe in God or religion in any form.

Atheists and posers sometimes challenge faithful devotees, saying, “What is the use your sentiment and mythologies? Can you predict an eclipse or create a space shuttle? Better you worship scientists, who make our lives easy.”

One infamous atheist posing as a sadhu (Vivekananda) advised devout Hindus to uproot their sacred Tulasi plants and grown eggplants instead. He proposed that growing eggplants would be more useful than growing Tulasi. Similarly, other pseudo-spiritualists advise, “All books are just words on a page. They are under lock and key. Better you listen to me, “a living guru,” or one of my followers, to understand the truth. Unless you accept me and my authority you can’t understand Srila Prabhupada’s books.”

Are Devotees of Krishna Fools?

Srila Prabhupada has often countered the assertion that pure devotees are “foolish” or “blind” followers: “The way of devotional service in neither sentimental nor mundane. It is the path of reality by which the living entity can attain the transcendental happiness of being freed from the three kinds of material miseries… The argument that unless one has proper knowledge one cannot be freed from material miseries is undoubtedly true. But because the lotus feet of the Lord are full of transcendental knowledge, acceptance of His lotus feet completes that necessity… There is no want of knowledge in the devotional service of Vasudeva, the personality of Godhead. He, the Lord, personally takes charge of dissipating the darkness of ignorance from the heart of a devotee. He confirms this in Bhagavad-gita (10.10)”:

tesam satata-yuktanam, bhajatam priti-purvakam

dadami buddhi-yogam tam, yena mam upayanti te

In this connection, Srila Prabhupada also quotes Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.7)

vasudeve bhagavati, bhakti-yogah prayojitah

janaya asu vairagyam, jnanam ca yad ahaitukam

In his Bhagavatam purports (Third Canto, Chapter Five), Srila Prabhupada comments, “The conclusion is that the physical elements may work very wonderfully to the laymen’s eyes, but these workings actually take place under the supervision of the Lord. Those who can mark only the changes of the physical elements and cannot perceive the hidden hands of the Lord behind them are certainly less intelligent person, although they may be advertised as great material scientists.”

Interestingly, in this chapter, “Vidura’s Talks with Maitreya,” two great and highly advanced devotees are meeting but focusing first on the basic premises for understanding both mundane reality and spiritual reality. They do this to show us the example of what’s important to learn first. Srila Prabhupada has pointed out that unless we understand the fundamentals of material existence and spiritual existence simultaneously, attempts to become free from ignorance and misery will prove futile.

Srila Prabhupada comments, “The conception of various controlling demigods who inhabit the higher planetary systems for management of universal affairs is not imaginary, as proposed by persons with a poor fund of knowledge. The demigods are expanded parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord Vishnu, and they are embodied by time, external energy, and partial consciousness of the Supreme. Human beings, animals, birds, and so on are also parts and parcels of the Lord and have different material bodies, but they are not controlling deities of material affairs. They are, rather, controlled by such demigods. Such control is not superfluous; it is as necessary as the controlling departments in the affairs of a modern state.”

This is last sentence (underlined above), is an excellent example. Pious heads of state in ancient India accepted the supremacy of the Lord, the authority of the Vedas, as well as the controls and limitations imposed by Krishna’s empowered representatives, the demigods. In this way, they and their followers were satisfied. But leaders of modern society, while sometimes posing as religious men, don’t accept any authority above their own, or above their manufactured and superfluous laws. They feel that manmade laws are essential to maintain peace, but laws of God may be neglected—even to the extent of trying to forcefully break free from the planet upon which we have been placed.

Although, by Krishna’s arrangements, the earth is the most suitable place for human life, demons are never satisfied with the natural order. They are willing to go to any extreme to defy God. Their plan that men should travel for many months in a metal tube to arrive on a planet (Mars) that they say is barren and extremely harsh is proof of their insane rebellious attitude. They are like a child who holds his breathe until blue just to get his way.

In ancient times, great demons tried to conquer heaven or build a stairway to heaven, but modern demons don’t believe in heaven. For instance, they think the Mars is barren and lifeless, yet they still try to go there by force–just to prove their independence. It’s no wonder, therefore, that they are constantly bewildered by all varieties of illusions and limitations imposed on them by higher authorities.

In this regard Srila Prabhupada comments, “The demigods should not be despised by the controlled living beings. They are all great devotees of the Lord entrusted to execute certain functions of the universal affairs… Demigods like Yamaraja and other controllers are there for the unwanted conditioned souls who always engage in threatening the tranquility of the kingdom of God. Since all the demigods are confidential devotee-servitors of the Lord, they are never to be condemned.”

Modern science and most leaders of modern society imagine that advanced techno sciences will one day liberate them and their most wealthy supporters from most restrictions– so they can do whatever they like. They exploit the Earth by force for their own profit and prestige and then reassure their foolish followers, saying “Science will reveal how we can live with all pollution happily, and when we finally destroy this earth with toxic nuclear wastes, viruses and pesticides, we will go live on Mars.”

Sound insane? According the infamous atheist “genius” Steve Hawkins (a bankrolled NASA promoter), human migration to other planets is the only way humans can be saved from extinction. This cripple-minded freak is grossly deformed and confined to a wheel chair and, like many modern scientists, is envious of God and the demigods who confine us all to the miseries and limitations of our frail material bodies on this planet. Insanely, they suggest that although peace and prosperity is not possible on Earth (where we have plenty of fertile land, air, water and other resources just suitable for human life), we will miraculously become free and happy through space travel. As we have heard from Bhagavatam and other Vedic puranas, and have seen practically, demons are never satisfied, even if they conquer a huge kingdom or planet.

O Father, O Lord, O Personality of Godhead, the living entities in the material world can never have any happiness because they are overwhelmed by the three kinds of miseries. Therefore, they take shelter of the shade of Your lotus feet, which are full of knowledge, and we also thus take shelter of them. (SB. 3.5.40)

Materialistic scientists are just like ignorant tribesmen or small children who think that a car runs automatically, with no driver. They can’t understand that the Supreme Lord and His parts and parcels, the living beings, or jivas, are the unseen ingredients who make the world dynamic, animated and alive. Because ignorant and misguided men have no real information of God or the soul, they must remain perpetually bound by the cruel laws of material nature, which confine them to a crippled life of darkness and misery–birth after birth–on this planet and others.

The devotees of the Lord, on the other hand, are fully and forever freed from the miseries and limitations of material existence in both this life and the next. They are not under the control of even the greatest demigod–or even Mother Durga Devi herself. Real devotees of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna are free to move anywhere and everywhere, riding on the “wings of the Vedas”, throughout the material and spiritual words. For learned devotees there are no punishments, time outs, restrictions, fears or miseries, of which birth, old age, disease and death are chief.

Miracles of Devotion

Srila Prabhupada: “Intelligent persons, who are like swans, take shelter of the Lord by all means and do not hover on the mental plane by fruitlessly speculating on different philosophies.”

“Simply by hearing about Your lotus feet with eagerness and devotion and my meditating upon them within the heart, one at once becomes enlightened with knowledge, and on the strength of detachment one becomes pacified. We must therefore take shelter of the sanctuary of Your lotus feet.” (SB. 3.5.42)

Commenting on this verse, Srila Prabhupada explains: “The miracles of meditating on the lotus feet of the Lord with eagerness and devotion are so great that no other process can compare to it. The minds of materialistic persons are so disturbed that it is almost impossible for them to search after the Supreme Truth by personal regulative principles. But even such materialistic men, with a little eagerness for hearing about the transcendental name, fame, qualities and so on can surpass all other methods of attaining knowledge and detachment… Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu strongly recommended this process of hearing from a bona fide devotee, and by following this process one can achieve the highest result, conquering all other methods.”

To give up the path of real freedom and knowledge taught by the Vedas and the bona fide spiritual master in favor of mundane and defective systems of pseudo-science or pseudo-religion is surely the greatest folly, a path of deepening darkness. Srila Prabhupada raises this question: “If liberation is so easy just by hearing about Krishna’s pastimes and glories, why don’t more people take advantage of this easy path to complete freedom?” Srila Prabhupada then explains the answer to this puzzle. It is due their offense to Krishna and His pure devotees, who come to this miserable world just to give everyone the right advice. What is the offense that makes hearing and chanting about Krishna impossible for most people? They deliberately defy, insult or ignore Krishna’s instructions and the advice of His pure devotees. Therefore, such envious persons are prevented by “supernatural control” from understanding the value of hearing and chanting about Krishna. Serious devotees avoid offenses by avoiding offensive persons, particularly pseudo-spiritualists.

Implicated– by bad association

Let us now take a look at what happens when we go to the “other side”, the side not approved by Srila Prabhupada, Lord Caitanya and the entire param para up to Lord Krsna

Aug 5 1973 lecture

Therefore Arjuna is considering, “How can I kill Bhīṣma?” But duty is so strong. Kṛṣṇa is advising, “Yes, he must be killed because he has gone to the other side. He has forgotten his duty. He should have joined you. Therefore he is no more in the position of guru. You must kill him. He has wrongly joined the other party. Therefore there is no harm, killing him. Similarly Droṇācārya. Similarly Droṇācārya. I know they are great personalities, they have got great affection. But only on material consideration they have gone there.” What is that material consideration? Bhīṣma thought that “I am maintained by the money of Duryodhana. Duryodhana is maintaining me. Now he is in danger. If I go to the other side, then I should be ungrateful. He has maintained me so long. And if I, in the time of danger, when there is fighting, if I go to the other side, that will be…” He thought like this. He did not think that “Duryodhana may be maintaining, but he has usurped the property of the Pāṇḍavas.” But it is his greatness. He knew that Arjuna will never be killed because Kṛṣṇa is there. “So from material point of view, I must be grateful to Duryodhana.” The same position was for Droṇācārya. They were maintained.

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that viṣayīra anna khāile malīna hayamana [Cc. Antya 6.278].Such great personalities became darkened because they took money from them, anna. If I am provided by somebody who is too much materialist, then that will affect me. I will become also materialist. I will also become materialist. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned that “Those who are viṣayī, those who are not devotees, do not accept anything from them because it will make your mind unclean.” So therefore a brāhmaṇa and a Vaiṣṇava, they do not accept directly money. They accept bhikṣā. Bhikṣā.

(Note– When we have forgotten our duty to act under the direction of Srila Prabhupada then we are no longer any kind of guru (diksa or siksa) and in fact become a demon (Prabhupada actually uses this word) and he explains the fate above of such persons. We become “darkened” by such association as he bluntly puts it.) Today it has become common for these so called devotees to take very large salaries from Iskcon and what is the result of that? They become materialists he says above.

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Immortal Charity:

Srila Prabhupada’s Gift to the World

By Narasimha das

O spotless one, your answers to all these questions will grant immunity for all material miseries. Such charity is greater than all Vedic charities, sacrifices, penances and so on. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3.7.41)

“The highest perfectional work of charity it to give people in general immunity from the anxieties of material existence. This can be done only by performing activities in devotional service to the Lord. Such knowledge is incomparable. Cultivation of knowledge in the Vedas, performance of sacrifice, and distribution of munificent charities all together cannot form even a part of the immunity from the pangs of material existence that is gained from devotional service. The charity of Maitreya not only will help Vidura, but, due to its universal nature, will deliver all others in all times. Thus Maitreya is immortal.” (SB.3.7.41, Purport)

In this section of Third Canto Bhagavatam, the great saint Vidura puts forward many questions to Maitreya Rishi. His aim was to point out the principles of transcendental loving service to the Lord. He knew that by this understanding anyone, past, present or future, will be liberated from the miseries of material existence and return to the spiritual world via the methods of pure devotion.

In this age, Srila Prabhupada has kindly adjusted the prescribed methods of devotional service found in the Vedas, the Puranas, the Upanisads and Vaishnava commentaries in a way suitable not only for highly intellectual sadhus of Vedic times but for people in general—even those of this present degraded age.

The charity of Srila Prabhupada is meant not only for a small group of disciples or those he personally met and guided, but, due to its “universal nature, will deliver all others in all times”. Thus Srila Prabhupada, like Maitreya Rishi, is immortal. This mystery can never be appreciated by posers whose ulterior aim is to exploit the eternal mission of the Supreme Lord for personal ambition. Nor can it be understood by mayavadis, impersonalists, and sahajiyas. In fact, even prakrita-bhaktas (materialistic devotees) who deliberately remain attached to this material world and fail to appreciate good instructions for detachment may fall again into degradation.

“The demigods in the heavenly planets, and many devotees on this planet also, want to remain in the material world as devotees of the Lord and take advantage of material happiness. They do so at the risk of falling down to the lower status of existence, and this makes the Lord dissatisfied with them.” (SB.3.9.12, Purport)

1. Who is in charge of the fire element in this Universe??

SB 4.1.60-The predominating deity of fire begot in his wife, Svāhā, three children, named Pāvaka, Pavamāna and Śuci, who exist by eating the oblations offered to the fire of sacrifice.

PURPORT-After describing the descendants of the thirteen wives of Dharma, who were all daughters of Dakṣa, Maitreya now describes the fourteenth daughter of Dakṣa, Svāhā, and her three sons. Oblations offered in the sacrificial fire are meant for the demigods, and on behalf of the demigods the three sons of Agni and Svāhā, namely Pāvaka, Pavamāna and Śuci, accept the oblations.

SB 4.1.61-From those three sons another forty-five descendants were generated, who are also fire-gods. The total number of fire-gods is therefore forty-nine, including the fathers and the grandfather.

PURPORT-The grandfather is Agni, and the sons are Pāvaka, Pavamāna and Śuci. Counting these four, plus forty-five grandsons, there are altogether forty-nine different fire-gods.

2. How did Srila Prabhupada want us to clean in Sri Radha’s the kitchen?

April 22 1976Melbourne

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I remember when I first went to Vṛndāvana and I saw in the villages how they were using dirt and charcoal to clean their pots and pans…

Prabhupāda: Yes, they use it.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I thought the…. It was my condition…. I have never seen before. I thought, “What is this? They are making their pots and pans dirty?” Because, you know, we’re so accustomed to detergents and soaps, and you have to have so many things to clean.

Prabhupāda: That is not also properly clean.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No.

Prabhupāda: The down side of the pan remains black. But if you take some dirt and rub it nicely, it become glisten.

Hari-śauri: Dirt is very first-class for cleaning.

Prabhupāda: Utensils for cooking purpose must be very, very clean. The…. If the black portion remains, in India they will not touch.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Even on the bottom?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: On the outside?

Prabhupāda: They’ll not touch: “Oh, it is still dirty.” But our going on. What can be done?Where there is no cleanliness, little rubbed with soap, that is sufficient. What can be done? But that is not cleanliness. If there is a black spot on the…, it has to…. It will immediately be cleaned. My mother used to see every utensil, whether there is any spot. The maidservant had to surrender. Examine. Then it is no spot. Then it is finished. Otherwise she has to do again.Everything should be neat and clean. The kitchen should be very neat and clean, washed twice daily, opened nicely and smeared with water and gobar. And if you see the kitchen, immediately you’ll feel comfortable. It is very cleanly prepared, then offered to the Deity. Then you take. Automatically your mind becomes cleansed. [break]

3. Who can actually deliver us from this material world?

August 5 1966 NY-

Just like a person who is, I mean, tightly bound-up, hands and feet. Suppose we are sitting here, some people, twenty-five gentlemen, ladies, and all our hands are tightly bound-up by some rope, and if I want to make you free, although my hand is also tightly bound-up, is it possible? No. At least my hand should be free. Then I can open, I can untie, your bindings by the rope. So unless one is free man… And what is that freedom? One who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is free man. And nobody is free man.

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]

Everyone is under the spell of material influence. Nobody’s free.

And one who is, who has surrendered unto Kṛṣṇa, one who has taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness, māyā has nothing to do. Māyā cannot touch.

1. Who is in charge of the fire element in this Universe??

2. How did Srila Prabhupada want us to clean in the kitchen?

3. Who can actually deliver us from this material world?

Hare Krsna–answers to come soon….

Hare Krsna-If one at all, desires to understand the Supreme Lord, then we must take the good advice given by His bona fide representative, Srila Prabhupada

April 16 1974 Bombay lecture—the senses are our problem-if impure they cannot understand Krsna

Everyone becomes a servant of the senses just beginning from the tongue. They eat anything and everything. Therefore they cannot control others senses also. This is the experience of big, big yogis. Therefore in the yoga practice, yama-niyama… In the yoga practice also, it is forbidden, not to allow the tongue to eat anything and everything, no. That is not possible. Similarly, we also ask our devotees not to allow your tongue to touch anything except kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Tongue’s two business: eating, tasting something, and vibrating sound. So if we can control the tongue not to touch anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa, and if we do not allow the tongue to talk anything except Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, then you become the greatest yogi. The greatest yogi. Simply two things. Of course, we have to eat. That’s a fact. Without eating, we cannot exist. So eat. We have got so many nice things, offered to Kṛṣṇa. We offer to Kṛṣṇa all nice things.

As Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, kṛṣṇa baṛo doyāmoy, koribāre jihwā jay, swa-prasād-anna dilo bhāi. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he was a gṛhastha, practical. He experienced. He said, śarīra abidyā-jāl: “This body, material body, is a network of ignorance.” Śarīra abidyā-jāl. Just like a network. If you are put into a net and bound up and thrown into the ocean, then what is your condition of life, just imagine. Similarly, we, pure souls, we have been put into this network of material body, and we are thrown into the ocean of nescience. This is our position, struggle for existence. How to get out of the network? How to get out of the ocean? This is… Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg. 15.7]. This is our position.

So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says this body is the network of ignorance, simply sense gratification. “I shall eat this. I shall eat that. I shall hear this. I shall…” The ear is engaged in hearing nice cinema songs, and the tongue is engaged, going to the restaurant, so many so-called palatable dishes. Similarly, other senses, they are engaged. So the… According to bhakti-yoga system, the first control is recommended to the tongue. That is said, that ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136].

Now, we receive knowledge through the indriyas, but if the indriyas are impure—senses, they are impure—they cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi, na… Beginning. Because beginning is śravaṇam. Bhakti-mārga begins by hearing.

Now, what is śravaṇam? Chanting. If there is chanting or there is some speaking, then we can hear. That is recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that simply hear. There are many places, recommended, that “Hear.” So but it is said, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. These present blunt senses, material senses, cannot receive even this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. They say, “This is nuisance.” …

Therefore it is said, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. The blunt senses, material senses, they cannot receive. Nāmādi. Not only name, they cannot see Lord Kṛṣṇa’s form. Because hearing and seeing and smelling and tasting and touching… We have got so many senses. So These senses being materially contaminated, it cannot hear what is Kṛṣṇa’s holy name. Ataḥ (śrī) kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Then how to understand Kṛṣṇa? That is recommended. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. You have to engage your tongue first of all in the service of the Lord. The Kṛṣṇa realization begins from the tongue.

How? Now you simply make it a vow that “I shall not talk anything except glorifying the Lord.” Then you become perfect. Very simple method. Simply you have to make this determination, that “I shall not talk anything which is not about Kṛṣṇa, and I shall not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa.” So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching these two things specifically. We are distributing little prasādam. If we get opportunity, we can give sumptuous prasādam. We are doing that in all other centers throughout the whole world. By eating, simply by eating, one can be beloved. It doesn’t require if he simply eats Kṛṣṇa prasādam. It is so nice method. So jihvādau. And hearing. This is recommended here, that ātma-saṁyama-yogāgnau. Ātmā, you have to make a determination, ātma-saṁyama, that “I shall not allow this tongue to take anything in the restaurant. But I can simply allow the tongue… “If you do this, then you become gosvāmī. That is called gosvāmī. Because we are all godāsa. Go means senses.

So actually we are all servants of our senses. The whole activities of the material world means everyone is acting as the servant of his senses, that’s all. This is the material world. Everyone is working. Everyone is working so hard. So when one becomes intelligent, then he understands that “What I am doing? I am thinking that I am master, I am proprietor, I am the head of the family, but what I am doing actually? I am acting as servant of my senses, my son’s senses, my wife’s senses, my daughter’s senses, my servant’s senses. That’s all.” If you speak something wrong even to your servant, the servant will resign, and you will be in trouble. Therefore you have to serve his senses so that he may not be angry. This is our position. So we are simply serving senses, but we are thinking, “I am master.” This is called illusion.

So jñāna-dīpite, when you actually come to the sense of your knowledge, then you come to this conclusion that “What I am? What is my mastership? I am simply serving the senses, different senses.” Even in the outward… [break] …what is the taste of that knowledge. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. What is that? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: [Bg. 7.19] “After many, many births, spoiling the life and spoiling the time by satisfying the senses…” Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. So long you will go on satisfying these senses, either your senses—that is centralized senses—or expanded senses, the senses of your family, senses of your society, senses of your country, nationality, these are all sense gratification process, simply extending. It begins centralized, my senses, then my son’s senses, then my grandson’s senses, then my country’s senses, then… It is sense gratification, that’s all. There is no other business.

So when one becomes enlightened, he offers himself to Kṛṣṇa. There is a verse like this. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ: “My Lord, I have spoiled my time in this way, becoming the godāsa or the servant of the senses.” Kāmādīnām, kāma krodha lobha moha mātsarya. Therefore it is called, kāmādīnāṁ kati na. “I have tried to satisfy them to my utmost.” Kati na katidhā. “What I have not done for them? Still, they are not satisfied. Neither they are merciful.” Teṣāṁ jātā mayi na karuṇā na trapā. Na tṛpta.“They are neither satisfied; neither they are merciful, never.”

You go on serving your family. Nobody will give you relief. If you say that “Now I have done so much for you. Give me relief.” First of all I do not want to be relieve also. That is also another disease. You see? You will be surprised. It is my practical experience. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, before starting, I wrote one letter to Mahatma Gandhi: “Mahatma Gandhi, you have got position. People accept you as a very pious man. Now you have got your sva-rājya, and you are very fond of Bhagavad-gītā. Let us preach Bhagavad-gītā.” I wrote this letter. Unfortunately, a few days after, he was killed. So this is the position. All big, big leaders, they do not want to take relief from this sense gratification business. No. This is the…

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How a liberated soul’s body is controlled by the Lord Himself and not material nature

SB3.33.27-Situated in eternal trance and freed from illusion impelled by the modes of material nature, she forgot her material body, just as one forgets his different bodies in a dream.

PURPORT-A great Vaiṣṇava said that he who has no remembrance of his body is not bound to material existence. As long as we are conscious of our bodily existence, it is to be understood that we are living conditionally, under the three modes of material nature. When one forgets his bodily existence, his conditional, material life is over. This forgetfulness is actually possible when we engage our senses in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. In the conditional state, one engages his senses as a member of a family or as a member of a society or country. But when one forgets all such membership in material circumstances and realizes that he is an eternal servant of the Supreme Lord, that is actual forgetfulness of material existence.

This forgetfulness actually occurs when one renders service unto the Lord. A devotee no longer works with the body for sense gratification with family, society, country, humanity and so on. He simply works for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. That is perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

A devotee always merges in transcendental happiness, and therefore he has no experience of material distresses. This transcendental happiness is called eternal bliss. According to the opinion of devotees, constant remembrance of the Supreme Lord is called samādhi, or trance. If one is constantly in trance, there is no possibility of his being attacked or even touched by the modes of material nature. As soon as one is freed from the contamination of the three material modes, he no longer has to take birth to transmigrate from one form to another in this material world.

SB 3.33.29-Because she was always absorbed in the thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, she was not aware that her hair was sometimes loosened or her garments were disarrayed.

PURPORT-In this verse the word daiva-guptam, “protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead,” is very significant. Once one surrenders unto the service of the Supreme Lord, the Lord takes charge of the maintenance of the devotee’s body, and there is no need of anxiety for its protection. It is said in the Second Chapter, Second Canto, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that afully surrendered soul has no anxiety about the maintenance of his body. The Supreme Lord takes care of the maintenance of innumerable species of bodies; therefore, one who fully engages in His service will not go unprotected by the Supreme Lord. Devahūti was naturally unmindful of the protection of her body, which was being taken care of by the Supreme Person.

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1.) SB3.33.10-The Personality of Godhead said: My dear mother, the path of self-realization which I have already instructed to you is very easy. You can execute this system without difficulty, and by following it you shall very soon be liberated, even within your present body.

PURPORT-Devotional service is so perfect that simply by following the rules and regulations and executing them under the direction of the spiritual master, one is liberated, as it is said herein, from the clutches of māyā, even in this body. In other yogic processes, or in empiric philosophical speculation, one is never certain whether or not he is at the perfectional stage. But in the discharge of devotional service, if one has unflinching faith in the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master and follows the rules and regulations, he is sure to be liberated, even within this present body. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, has also confirmed this. Īhā yasya harer dāsye: regardless of where he is situated, anyone whose only aim is to serve the Supreme Lord under the direction of the spiritual master is called jīvan-mukta, or one who is liberated even with his material body. Sometimes doubts arise in the minds of neophytes about whether or not the spiritual master is liberated, and sometimes neophytes are doubtful about the bodily affairs of the spiritual master. The point of liberation, however, is not to see the bodily symptoms of the spiritual master. One has to see the spiritual symptoms of the spiritual master. Jīvan-mukta means that even though one is in the material body (there are still some material necessities, since the body is material), because one is fully situated in the service of the Lord, he should be understood to be liberated.

Liberation entails being situated in one’s own position. That is the definition in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: muktir. .. svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. The svarūpa, or actual identity of the living entity, is described by Lord Caitanya. Jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya—kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’: [Cc. Madhya 20.108] the real identity of the living entity is that he is eternally a servitor of the Supreme Lord. If someone is one-hundred-percent engaged in the service of the Lord, he is to be understood as liberated. One must understand whether or not he is liberated by his activities in devotional service, not by other symptoms.

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Sri Nityananda Trayodasi

Appearance of Sri Nityananda Prabhu

Nityananda Appearance day

Lord Sri Nityananda Prabhu’s Lotus feet

HAPPY NITYANANDA TRAYODASI!

In celebration of this most auspicious day we want to offer you

the eBook Navadvip Dham Mahatmya By Srila Bhaktivinode

for free download!

Click here to download this book for free!

Srila Prabhupada describes the glories of Lord Nityananda Prabhu.

In Rāḍhadeśa, the part of Bengal where the Ganges is not visible, Nityānanda Prabhu, Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita, Murāri Gupta and Mukunda took birth

Purport

Here rāḍha-deśe refers to the village of the name Ekacakrā in the district of Birbhum, next to Burdwan. After the Burdwan railway station there is another branch line, which is called the Loop Line of the eastern railway, and there is a railway station of the name Mallārapura. Eight miles east of this railway station Ekacakrā Village is still situated. Ekacakrā Village extends north and south for an area of about eight miles. Other villages, namely Vīracandra-pura and Vīrabhadra-pura, are situated within the area of the village of Ekacakrā. In honor of the holy name of Vīrabhadra Gosvāmī, these places are renowned as Vīracandra-pura and Vīrabhadra-pura.

In the Bengali year 1331 (A.D. 1924) a thunderbolt struck the temple of Ekacakrā-grāma. Therefore the temple is now in a broken state. Before this, there were no such accidents in that quarter. Within the temple there is a Deity of Śrī Kṛṣṇa established by Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu. The name of the Deity is Baṅkima Rāya or Bāṅkā Rāya.

On the right side of Baṅkima Rāya is a Deity of Jāhnavā, and on His left side is Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. The priests of the temple describe that Lord Nityānanda Prabhu entered within the body of Baṅkima Rāya and that the Deity of Jāhnavā-mātā was therefore later placed on the right side of Baṅkima Rāya. Afterwards, many other Deities were installed within the temple. On another throne within the temple are Deities of Muralīdhara and Rādhā-Mādhava. On another throne are Deities of Manomohana, Vṛndāvana-candra and Gaura-Nitāi. But Baṅkima Rāya is the Deity originally installed by Nityānanda Prabhu.

On the eastern side of the temple is a ghāṭa known as Kadamba-khaṇḍī on the bank of the Yamunā, and it is said that the Deity of Baṅkima Rāya was floating in the water and Lord Nityānanda Prabhu picked Him up and then installed Him in the temple. Thereafter, in a place known as Bhaḍḍāpura, in the village of Vīracandra-pura, about half a mile west, in a place underneath a nima tree, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was found. For this reason, the Rādhārāṇī of Baṅkima Rāya was known as Bhaḍḍāpurera Ṭhākurāṇī, the mistress of Bhaḍḍāpura. On another throne, on the right side of Baṅkima Rāya, is a Deity of Yogamāyā.

Now the temple and temple corridor rest on a high plinth, and on a concrete structure in front of the temple is a meeting hall. It is also said that on the northern side of the temple there was a Deity of Lord Śiva named Bhāṇḍīśvara and that the father of Nityānanda Prabhu, Hāḍāi Paṇḍita, used to worship that Deity. At present, however, the Bhāṇḍīśvara Deity is missing, and in his place a Jagannātha Svāmī Deity has been installed. Lord Nityānanda Prabhu did not factually construct any temples. The temple was constructed at the time of Vīrabhadra Prabhu. In the Bengali year 1298 (A.D. 1891), the temple being in a dilapidated condition, a brahmacārī of the name Śivānanda Svāmī repaired it.

In this temple there is an arrangement to offer foodstuffs to the Deity on the basis of seventeen seers of rice and necessary vegetables. The present priestly order of the temple belongs to the family of Gopījana-vallabhānanda, one of the branches of Nityānanda Prabhu. There is a land settlement in the name of the temple, and income from this land finances the expenditures for the temple. There are three parties of priestlygosvāmīs who take charge of the temple management, one after another. A few steps onward from the temple is a place known as Viśrāmatalā, where it is said that Nityānanda Prabhu in His childhood used to enjoy sporting with His boyfriends by enacting the rāsa-līlā and various other pastimes of Vṛndāvana.

Near the temple is a place named Āmalītalā, which is so named because of a big tamarind tree there. According to a party named the Neḍādi-sampradāya, Vīrabhadra Prabhu, with the assistance of twelve hundred Neḍās, dug a great lake of the name Śvetagaṅgā. Outside of the temple are tombs of the Gosvāmīs, and there is a small river known as the Mauḍeśvara, which is called the water of Yamunā. Within half a mile from this small river is the birthplace of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu. It appears that there was a big meeting hall in front of the temple, but later it became dilapidated. It is now covered by banyan trees. Later on, a temple was constructed within which Gaura-Nityānanda Deities are existing. The temple was constructed by the late Prasannakumāra Kārapharmā. A tablet was installed in his memory in the Bengali year 1323 (A.D. 1916), in the month of Vaiśākha (April-May).

The place where Nityānanda Prabhu appeared is called Garbhavāsa. There is an allotment of about forty-three bighās (fourteen acres) of land to continue the worship in a temple there. The Mahārāja of Dinājapura donated twenty bighās (6.5 acres) of land in this connection. It is said that near the place known as Garbhavāsa, Hāḍāi Paṇḍitaconducted a primary school. The priests of this place, listed in a genealogical table, were as follows: (1) Śrī Rāghavacandra, (2) Jagadānanda dāsa, (3) Kṛṣṇadāsa, (4) Nityānanda dāsa, (5) Rāmadāsa, (6) Vrajamohana dāsa, (7) Kānāi dāsa, (8) Gauradāsa, (9) Śivānanda dāsa and (10) Haridāsa. Kṛṣṇadāsa belonged to the Ciḍiyā-kuñja at Vṛndāvana. The date of his disappearance is Kṛṣṇa-janmāṣṭamī. Ciḍiyā-kuñja is a place now managed by thegosvāmīs of Śiṅgāra-ghāṭa in Vṛndāvana. They are also known as belonging to the Nityānanda family, most probably on the basis of their relationship with Kṛṣṇadāsa.

Near Garbhavāsa is a place called Bakulatalā, where Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and His boyfriends used to take part in sporting activities known as jhāla-jhapeṭā. There is abakula tree there that is wonderful because all its branches and subbranches look like the hoods of serpents. It has been suggested that by the desire of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Anantadeva manifested Himself in that way. The tree is very old. It is said that formerly it had two trunks, but later on, when the playmates of Nityānanda Prabhu felt inconvenience in jumping from the branches of one trunk to those of the nother, Nityānanda Prabhu, by His mercy, merged the two trunksinto one.

Another place nearby is named Hāṅṭugāḍā. It is said that Lord Nityānanda Prabhu brought all the holy places there. Therefore the people in the surrounding villages go there instead of to the Ganges to take bath. It is named Hāṅṭugāḍā because Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu used to perform the dadhi-ciḍā festival of distributing chipped rice with yogurt prasāda there and He took the prasāda kneeling down. A sanctified lake in this place is always full of water throughout the year. A great fair is held there during Goṣṭhāṣṭamī, and there is another big fair on the birthday of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu. In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā it is described that Halāyudha, Baladeva, Viśvarūpa and Saṅkarṣaṇa appeared as Nityānanda Avadhūta.

(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (1975 Edition) Adi-Lila 13.61 – The Advent of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu)

After this function at the house of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, Nityānanda Prabhu appeared, and when He met with Lord Caitanya He got the opportunity to see Him in His six-armed form.

Purport

The form of Ṣaḍ-bhuja, the six-armed Lord Gaurasundara, is a representation of three incarnations. The form of Śrī Rāmacandra is symbolized by a bow and arrow, the form of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is symbolized by a stick and flute like those generally held by a cowherd boy, and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is symbolized by a sannyāsa-daṇḍa and kamaṇḍalu, or waterpot.Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu was born in the village of Ekacakra in the district of Birbhum as the son of Padmāvatī and Hāḍāi Paṇḍita. In His childhood He played like Balarāma. When He was growing up, a sannyāsī came to the house of Hāḍāi Paṇḍita, begging to have thepaṇḍita’s son as his brahmacārī assistant. Hāḍāi Paṇḍita immediately agreed and delivered his son to him, although the separation was greatly shocking, so much so that Hāḍāi lost his life after the separation. Nityānanda Prabhu traveled on many pilgrimages with the sannyāsī. It is said that for many days He lived at Mathurā with him, and at that time He heard about Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pastimes in Navadvīpa. Therefore He came down to Bengal to see the Lord. When Lord Nityānanda came to Navadvīpa, He was a guest at the house of Nandana Ācārya. Understanding that Nityānanda Prabhu had arrived, Lord Caitanya sent His devotees to Him, and thus there was a meeting between Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu.

(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (1975 Edition) Adi-lila 17.12 – The Pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His Youth)

Krishna Path Newsletter – Srimad Bhagavatam First Canto Chapter 6 For Free Download

The Meaning of the Auspicious Marks on the Lotus Feet of Lord Nityananda Prabhu

Hare Krsna-Below We will find some very interesting points about personal behavior for a Vaisnava which are definitely applicable to all of us in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy.

Jan 7 1976

My dear Bhakta Ralph

Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you letter, undated.

There is no reason why you cannot associate with any of my disciples, providing that they adhere to our principles. As long as Siddha Svarupa Maharaja and Tusta Krishna Maharaja act as sannyasis, ie. dress in dhoti, keep shave headed with sikha, follow strictly the rules and regulations and preach from my books, I have no objection. Sometimes there will be a little misunderstanding between Godbrothers, that is even going on amongst liberated souls. What is important is that everyone must engage in Krishna’s service under the direction of the spiritual master.

I hope this meets you well. Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

72-08-26 letter

My Dear Gaurasundara,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 20, 1972, and I am quite surprised to read it. This does not sound like you. All along I have been discouraged in every way by my Godbrothers, but still I have stuck to my duty, keeping my Spiritual Master always in front. Because there is some fighting or bickering amongst us, that does not mean that I should go away. If I have understood the order of my Spiritual Master rightly, then I must perform my duty under any circumstances and never one think of going away under disgust. I have appointed you to be my GBC representative in South America because I think that you are very much responsible and capable to do it, and I am very fond of you and your good wife Govinda dasi for helping me all along. So do not be disturbed or worried by some small thing, rumor, or misunderstanding. There is no plot amongst our so-called big men against you or Siddha-swarup Ananda. That is childish.

Where have you got this idea to retire and simply translate books? That is not in our line. My Spiritual Master has given me the instruction to spread this movement all over the world and you are my good disciples, are helping me do this. Without your good help I could not have done anything, so practically you can take all the credit for spreading this Krsna Consciousness movement and fulfilling the prophecy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. If there is some incident and I claim that no one is cooperating with me or no one will work with me, that is my defect, not theirs. The Vaisnava devotee must think like this. We should not find fault with others and criticize and go away, that is not the Vaisnava way.Better we should always be willing to offer all respects to others and consider them as our superiors always.

Meanwhile, hoping this meets you in good health.

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Sri Nityananda Trayodasi

Appearance of Sri Nityananda Prabhu

Nityananda Appearance day

HAPPY NITYANANDA TRAYODASI!

In celebration of this most auspicious day we want to offer you

the eBook Navadvip Dham Mahatmya By Srila Bhaktivinode

for free download!

Click here to download this book for free!

Srila Prabhupada describes the glories of Lord Nityananda Prabhu.

We all should follow Srila Prabhupada’s example