Vaniquotes - User contributions [en]

The greatest benefit (of receiving a brahmana) was that a householder could save a great deal of money from being spent on doctor bills because the brahmanas could ordinarily cure all kinds of diseases simply by giving instructions and some medicine

2022-04-16T06:15:14Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"The greatest benefit was that a householder could save a great deal of money from being spent on doctor bills because the brāhmaṇas"|"could ordinarily cure all kinds of diseases simply by giving instructions and some medicine"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Nabakumar}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2021-03-05T05:54:23Z}}
{{last|2021-03-05T05:54:23Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=1|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Greatest Benefit]]
[[Category:Receiving]]
[[Category:Guest]]
[[Category:Householder]]
[[Category:Could]]
[[Category:Save]]
[[Category:A Great Deal]]
[[Category:Being]]
[[Category:Spending Money]]
[[Category:Brahmanas and Money]]
[[Category:Doctor]]
[[Category:Bill]]
[[Category:Because]]
[[Category:Ordinary]]
[[Category:Cure]]
[[Category:All Kinds Of]]
[[Category:Disease]]
[[Category:Instructions of a Brahmana]]
[[Category:Medicine]]
[[Category:Past, Present and Future]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila Chapter 17 Purports - The Pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His Youth]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila Purports]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 62 Chapters, All Purports]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>CC Adi-lila</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
When we were children, such brāhmaṇas would visit householders like humble beggars, and people would derive great benefit from the mercy of such brāhmaṇas. The greatest benefit was that a householder could save a great deal of money from being spent on doctor bills because the brāhmaṇas, aside from explaining the past, present and future, could ordinarily cure all kinds of diseases simply by giving instructions and some medicine. Thus no one was bereft of the benefit of a first-class physician, astrologer and priest. The important members of ISKCON should give careful attention to our Dallas school, where children are being taught Sanskrit and English to become perfect brāhmaṇas.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:CC Adi 17.103|CC Adi 17.103, Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
On another day an astrologer came who was said to know everything—past, present and future. Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu received him with all honor and put this question before him.
</div>
<div class="text">
Brāhmaṇas generally used to become astrologers, Āyur-vedic physicians, teachers and priests. Although highly learned and respectable, such brāhmaṇas went from door to door to distribute their knowledge. A brāhmaṇa would first go to a householder’s home to give information about the functions to be performed on a particular tithi, or date, but if there were sickness in the family, the family members would consult the brāhmaṇa as a physician, and the brāhmaṇa would give instruction and some medicine. Often, since the brāhmaṇas were expert in astrology, people would also be greatly inquisitive about their past, present and future.

Although the brāhmaṇa appeared at Lord Caitanya’s house as a beggar, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu received him with great respect because he was a qualified brāhmaṇa who knew the astrological science perfectly. Although brāhmaṇas would go door to door just like beggars, they were honored as very respectable guests. This was the system in Hindu society five hundred years ago, during the time of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This system was current even one hundred years ago; even fifty or sixty years ago, when we were children, such brāhmaṇas would visit householders like humble beggars, and people would derive great benefit from the mercy of such brāhmaṇas. The greatest benefit was that a householder could save a great deal of money from being spent on doctor bills because the brāhmaṇas, aside from explaining the past, present and future, could ordinarily cure all kinds of diseases simply by giving instructions and some medicine. Thus no one was bereft of the benefit of a first-class physician, astrologer and priest. The important members of ISKCON should give careful attention to our Dallas school, where children are being taught Sanskrit and English to become perfect brāhmaṇas. If they are actually trained as perfect brāhmaṇas, they can save society from rogues and ruffians; indeed, people can live happily under the protection of qualified brāhmaṇas. Therefore the Bhagavad-gītā ([[Vanisource:BG 4.13 (1972)|BG 4.13]]) gives special stress to the division of society (cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ). Unfortunately some people are now claiming to be brāhmaṇas simply by birthright, with no qualifications. Therefore the entire society is in chaos.
</div>
</div>
</div>

The death is inevitable, you die today or tomorrow. So by taking this medicine, if you die, you have the greatest benefit. And if you live, enjoy. If you die, enjoy; if you live, enjoy. Go on chanting

2022-04-16T06:14:57Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"The death is inevitable, you die today or tomorrow. So by taking this medicine, if you die, you have the greatest benefit. And if you live, enjoy. If you die, enjoy; if you live, enjoy. Go on chanting"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Ratnavali}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2015-12-30T09:48:23Z}}
{{last|2015-12-30T09:48:23Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=1|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Death Is Inevitable]]
[[Category:Die]]
[[Category:Today]]
[[Category:Tomorrow]]
[[Category:Take]]
[[Category:Medicine]]
[[Category:Greatest Benefit]]
[[Category:Live]]
[[Category:Enjoy]]
[[Category:Go On]]
[[Category:Chanting]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>1977 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
The death is inevitable, you die today or tomorrow. So by taking this medicine, if you die, you have the greatest benefit. And if you live, enjoy. If you die, enjoy; if you live, enjoy. Go on chanting. (kīrtana) (break) No, I have no objection. (laughter) I am prepared in either way.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:770528 - Conversation C - Vrndavana|770528 - Conversation C - Vrndavana]]
</div>
<div class="text">
Prabhupāda: Bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt ([[Vanisource:SB 10.1.4|SB 10.1.4]]). You'll find..., not find any medicine throughout the universe that you'll be benefited either you die or live. This is the only medicine. In both ways you are... The death is inevitable, you die today or tomorrow. So by taking this medicine, if you die, you have the greatest benefit. And if you live, enjoy. If you die, enjoy; if you live, enjoy. Go on chanting. (kīrtana) (break) No, I have no objection. (laughter) I am prepared in either way. What is that machine they keep? Husking machine?

Upendra: Asking machine?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Husking machine.

Prabhupāda: That from paddy, rice is taken away by beating.

Bhavānanda: (whispering) That's the (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: In your country there is no such thing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Māyāpur we have seen.

Prabhupāda: It is called ḍheṅki.

Bhavānanda: Ḍheṅki.

Prabhupāda: That is Indian. (Bengali) Ḍheṅki? (Bengali)
</div>
</div>
</div>

In the Vedic rituals there are recommendations for performing different types of sacrifice in order to achieve the greatest benefit in life

2022-04-16T06:12:06Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"In the Vedic rituals there are recommendations for performing different types of sacrifice in order to achieve the greatest benefit in life"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Angela}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2020-06-18T17:54:54Z}}
{{last|2020-06-18T17:54:54Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=1|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Vedic Rituals]]
[[Category:There Are]]
[[Category:Recommendation]]
[[Category:Performing Sacrifices]]
[[Category:Different Types Of...]]
[[Category:In Order To]]
[[Category:Achieve]]
[[Category:Greatest Benefit]]
[[Category:In This Life]]
[[Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 02 Chapter 04 Purports - The Process of Creation]]
[[Category:Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 02 Purports]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>SB Canto 2</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
Lord Caitanya was a strict sannyāsī, so much so that He did not allow any woman to come near Him, not even to bow down and offer respects. He never even heard the prayers of the deva-dāsīs offered in the temple of Jagannātha because a sannyāsī is forbidden to hear songs sung by the fair sex. Yet even in the rigid position of a sannyāsī He recommended the mode of worship preferred by the gopīs of Vṛndāvana as the topmost loving service possible to be rendered to the Lord. And Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the principal head of all such goddesses of fortune, and therefore She is the pleasure counterpart of the Lord and is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa.

In the Vedic rituals there are recommendations for performing different types of sacrifice in order to achieve the greatest benefit in life.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:SB 2.4.20|SB 2.4.20, Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
May Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is the worshipable Lord of all devotees, the protector and glory of all the kings like Andhaka and Vṛṣṇi of the Yadu dynasty, the husband of all goddesses of fortune, the director of all sacrifices and therefore the leader of all living entities, the controller of all intelligence, the proprietor of all planets, spiritual and material, and the supreme incarnation on the earth (the supreme all in all), be merciful upon me.
</div>
<div class="text">
<div class="purport">

Since Śukadeva Gosvāmī is one of the prominent gata-vyalīkas, who are freed from all misconceptions, he therefore expresses his own realized perception of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as being the sum total of all perfection, the Personality of Godhead. Everyone is seeking the favor of the goddess of fortune, but people do not know that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the beloved husband of all goddesses of fortune. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said that the Lord, in His transcendental abode Goloka Vṛndāvana, is accustomed to herding the surabhi cows and is served there by hundreds of thousands of goddesses of fortune. All these goddesses of fortune are manifestations of His transcendental pleasure potency (hlādinī-śakti) in His internal energy, and when the Lord manifested Himself on this earth He partially displayed the activities of His pleasure potency in His rāsa-līlā just to attract the conditioned souls, who are all after the phantasmagoria pleasure potency in degraded sex enjoyment. The pure devotees of the Lord like Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who was completely detached from the abominable sex life of the material world, discussed this act of the Lord's pleasure potency certainly not in relation to sex, but to relish a transcendental taste inconceivable to the mundaners who are after sex life. Sex life in the mundane world is the root-cause of being conditioned by the shackles of illusion, and certainly Śukadeva Gosvāmī was never interested in the sex life of the mundane world. Nor does the manifestation of the Lord's pleasure potency have any connection with such degraded things. Lord Caitanya was a strict sannyāsī, so much so that He did not allow any woman to come near Him, not even to bow down and offer respects. He never even heard the prayers of the deva-dāsīs offered in the temple of Jagannātha because a sannyāsī is forbidden to hear songs sung by the fair sex. Yet even in the rigid position of a sannyāsī He recommended the mode of worship preferred by the gopīs of Vṛndāvana as the topmost loving service possible to be rendered to the Lord. And Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the principal head of all such goddesses of fortune, and therefore She is the pleasure counterpart of the Lord and is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa.

In the Vedic rituals there are recommendations for performing different types of sacrifice in order to achieve the greatest benefit in life. Such benedictions as the results of performing great sacrifices are, after all, favors given by the goddess of fortune, and the Lord, being the husband or lover of the goddess of fortune, is factually the Lord of all sacrifices also. He is the final enjoyer of all kinds of yajña; therefore Yajña-pati is another name of Lord Viṣṇu. It is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā that everything be done for the Yajña-pati (yajñārtāt karmaṇaḥ), for otherwise one's acts will be the cause of conditioning by the law of material nature. Those who are not freed from all misconceptions (vyalīkam) perform sacrifices to please the minor demigods, but the devotees of the Lord know very well that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer of all performances of sacrifice; therefore they perform the saṅkīrtana-yajña (śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.23-24|SB 7.5.23]])), which is especially recommended in this age of Kali. In Kali-yuga, performance of other types of sacrifice is not feasible due to insufficient arrangements and inexpert priesthood.

We have information from the Bhagavad-gītā ([[Vanisource:BG 3.10 (1972)|3.10-11]]) that Lord Brahmā, after giving rebirth to the conditioned souls within the universe, instructed them to perform sacrifices and to lead a prosperous life. With such sacrificial performances the conditioned souls will never be in difficulty in keeping body and soul together. Ultimately they can purify their existence. They will find natural promotion into spiritual existence, the real identity of the living being. A conditioned soul should never give up the practice of sacrifice, charity and austerity, in any circumstances. The aim of all such sacrifices is to please the Yajña-pati, the Personality of Godhead; therefore the Lord is also Prajā-pati. According to the Kaṭha Upaniṣad, the one Lord is the leader of the innumerable living entities. The living entities are maintained by the Lord (eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān). The Lord is therefore called the supreme Bhūta-bhṛt, or maintainer of all living beings.

Living beings are proportionately endowed with intelligence in terms of their previous activities. All living beings are not equally endowed with the same quality of intelligence because behind such development of intelligence is the control of the Lord, as declared in the Bhagavad-gītā ([[Vanisource:BG 15.15 (1972)|BG 15.15]]). As Paramātmā, Supersoul, the Lord is living in everyone's heart, and from Him only does one's power of remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness follow (mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca). One person can sharply remember past activities by the grace of the Lord while others cannot. One is highly intelligent by the grace of the Lord, and one is a fool by the same control. Therefore the Lord is Dhiyām-pati, or the Lord of intelligence.

The conditioned souls strive to become lords of the material world. Everyone is trying to lord it over the material nature by applying his highest degree of intelligence. This misuse of intelligence by the conditioned soul is called madness. One's full intelligence should be applied to get free from the material clutches. But the conditioned soul, due to madness only, engages his full energy and intelligence in sense gratification, and to achieve this end of life he willfully commits all sorts of misdeeds. The result is that instead of attaining an unconditional life of full freedom, the mad conditioned soul is entangled again and again in different types of bondage in material bodies. Everything we see in the material manifestation is but the creation of the Lord. Therefore He is the real proprietor of everything in the universes. The conditioned soul can enjoy a fragment of this material creation under the control of the Lord, but not self-sufficiently. That is the instruction in the Īśopaniṣad. One should be satisfied with things awarded by the Lord of the universe. It is out of madness only that one tries to encroach upon another's share of material possessions.

The Lord of the universe, out of His causeless mercy upon the conditioned souls, descends by His own energy (ātma-māyā) to reestablish the eternal relation of the conditioned souls with Him. He instructs all to surrender unto Him instead of falsely claiming to be enjoyers for a certain limit under His control. When He so descends He proves how much greater is His ability to enjoy, and He exhibits His power of enjoyment by (for instance) marrying sixteen thousand wives at once. The conditioned soul is very proud of becoming the husband of even one wife, but the Lord laughs at this; the intelligent man can know who is the real husband. Factually, the Lord is the husband of all the women in His creation, but a conditioned soul under the control of the Lord feels proud to be the husband of one or two wives.

All these qualifications as the different types of pati mentioned in this verse are meant for Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī has therefore especially mentioned the pati and gati of the Yadu dynasty. The members of the Yadu dynasty knew that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is everything, and all of them intended to return to Lord Kṛṣṇa after He had finished His transcendental pastimes on the earth. The Yadu dynasty was annihilated by the will of the Lord because its members had to return home with the Lord. The annihilation of the Yadu dynasty was a material show created by the Supreme Lord; otherwise the Lord and the members of the Yadu dynasty are all eternal associates. The Lord is therefore the guide of all devotees, and as such, Śukadeva Gosvāmī offered Him due respects with love-laden feelings.

</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Woman are considered less intelligent. In the Bhagavad-gita... Their heart is very soft. Just like children, their heart is very soft. But their intelligence is not very sharp. That is the difference. Striyah sudras tatha vaisyah

2022-04-16T06:03:16Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"woman are considered less intelligent. In the Bhagavad-gita... Their heart is very soft. Just like children, their heart is very soft. But their intelligence is not very sharp. That is the difference. Striyah sudras tatha vaisyah"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|MadhuGopaldas}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|28Nov12}}
{{last|28Nov12}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=1|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Consider]]
[[Category:Less Intelligent Women]]
[[Category:Bhagavad-gita Says]]
[[Category:Their]]
[[Category:Soft-hearted]]
[[Category:Just Like]]
[[Category:Children]]
[[Category:Their]]
[[Category:Sharp Intelligence]]
[[Category:Is Not]]
[[Category:Very]]
[[Category:That is the Difference]]
[[Category:Laborer Class - Sudra]]
[[Category:Mercantile Class - Vaisya]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1966 - 1977]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1976]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, Srimad-Bhagavatam‎]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - in India, Vrndavana‎]]
</div>
<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
</div>
<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB1743VrndavanaOctober31976_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="191" link="Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976">
<div class="heading">A woman, vāma-svabhāvā, she can accept that "Because he's the son of a brāhmaṇa, he's brāhmaṇa." Therefore this word is used, vāma-svabhāvā. Because woman are considered less intelligent. In the Bhagavad-gītā... Their heart is very soft. Just like children, their heart is very soft. But their intelligence is not very sharp. That is the difference. Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyāḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, striyaḥ śūdrās tathā... They have been put in one group: w.
</div>

<mp3player>https://s3.amazonaws.com/vanipedia/clip/761003SB-VRNDAVAN_clip3.mp3</mp3player>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976|Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Pradyumna: "She could not tolerate Aśvatthāmā's being bound by ropes, and being a devoted lady, she said: 'Release him, for he is a brāhmaṇa, our spiritual master.' "</p>
<p>Prabhupāda:</p>
:uvāca cāsahanty asya
:bandhanānayanaṁ satī
:mucyatāṁ mucyatām eṣa
:brāhmaṇo nitarāṁ guruḥ
:([[Vanisource:SB 1.7.43|SB 1.7.43]])
<p>So Draupadī, in the previous verse it has been described, vāma-svabhāvā kṛpayā nanāma ca. Vāma-svabhāvā. Vāma, woman. Women, they are very soft-hearted, vāma-svabhāvā. So although Aśvatthāmā killed her sons very mercilessly, and he was arrested and Kṛṣṇa ordered him to be killed, and Arjuna was just preparing to punish him, but vāma-svabhāvā, woman, being very soft-hearted, without any consideration, she immediately offered her respect, nanāma. Not only she offered her respect to Aśvatthāmā being the son of a brāhmaṇa, especially of Droṇācārya, their teacher... So she immediately ordered Arjuna, mucyatāṁ mucyatām: "Release him immediately. You have arrested a brāhmaṇa." Mucyatāṁ mucyatām eṣa brāhmaṇo nitarāṁ guruḥ. "Brāhmaṇa is always our guru. Although he has killed my sons, still, he stands to be my guru, your guru."</p>
<p>So this is Vedic culture, that they know how to offer respect to the proper persons. But Arjuna, he also decided that although Kṛṣṇa ordered him to kill Aśvatthāmā, he's guru's son, although he's not brāhmaṇa; he's brahma-bandhu. He has been described as brahma-bandhu, not brāhmaṇa. But Draupadī, being woman, vāma-svabhāvā, very soft-hearted, she did not consider whether he's actually a brāhmaṇa. The son of a brāhmaṇa, that much she knew. This is the difference, how to calculate whether one is brāhmaṇa or not brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa and brahma-bandhu, these two words are there. Just like if you are the son of a high-court judge, you can be called, you have got the right, that "son of a high-court judge." That is all right. But you cannot claim to become the high-court judge. That is not possible. Unless you are qualified, unless you are actually acting as high-court judge, you cannot be called a high-court judge. Simply by becoming the son of a high-court judge you cannot become the high-court judge. Similarly, simply by becoming the son of a brāhmaṇa, you cannot become a brāhmaṇa. A woman, vāma-svabhāvā, she can accept that "Because he's the son of a brāhmaṇa, he's brāhmaṇa." Therefore this word is used, vāma-svabhāvā. Because woman are considered less intelligent. In the Bhagavad-gītā... Their heart is very soft. Just like children, their heart is very soft. But their intelligence is not very sharp. That is the difference. Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyāḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, striyaḥ śūdrās tathā... They have been put in one group: woman, vaiśya and śūdra. Because they are not very intelligent. They can be molded by another intelligent man to the proper channel. Therefore they require guidance. They require guidance.</p>
<p>This morning I was reading about Sītā-devī's being kidnapped by Rāvaṇa. Now, because there was not Rāmacandra present and Lakṣmaṇa was also not present, she was unguarded and Rāvaṇa took the opportunity to kidnap her. So even Sītā-devī, she is goddess of fortune, she is the spiritual potency of Lord Rāmacandra, she is not ordinary woman, but showing us the example that even Sītā-devī... Sītā-devī is the original potency. Of course, Rāvaṇa could not kidnap Sītā-devī as she is. That is not possible. This is described in another Purāṇa, that when Rāvaṇa came to kidnap Sītā, Sītā-devī disappeared from there and she kept a māyā form, false form, and Rāvaṇa kidnapped her. This is stated in very authoritative scripture. When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was traveling in South India, a brāhmaṇa invited Him. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu at noontime went there, but He saw the brāhmaṇa has not cooked anything. There was nothing prepared. And he was crying and reading Rāmāyaṇa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired, "Brāhmaṇa, why you are in such a depressed condition, you are crying?" "Sir, I am so..." He was in the ecstasy of Hanumān. "Sir, I am so unfortunate that Sītā-devī has been taken by Rāvaṇa and I could not rescue her still." In this way he was puzzled. So he did not cook anything. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu pacified him. Then he cooked. He could understand that "I invited..." It was done. Then, when he was returning, I forget the name of the Purāṇa... Kūrma Purāṇa. He got evidences that Sītā-devī, when she was supposed to be kidnapped by Rāvaṇa, her a false form was kidnapped, and when Sītā-devī was tested, putting her into the fire, she entered into the fire and the māyā Sītā was burned and the original Sītā came out. So it was not possible for Rāvaṇa to touch even the lotus feet of mother Sītā. But apparently it is externally manifested that Sītā was taken away just to teach us that even Sītā-devī...</p>
<p>Sītā-devī is the origin of all potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Cit-śakti. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). The Supreme Personality of Godhead has got many potencies, multipotencies, and one of the potency is hlādinī-śakti, pleasure potency. That pleasure potency is Sītā, Rādhārāṇī, Lakṣmī-devī. This has been described by Svarūpa-dāmodara Gosvāmī, rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau ([[Vanisource:CC Adi 1.5|CC Adi 1.5]]). These are described, that the Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency, Rādhārāṇī, is Kṛṣṇa. But to take pleasure They became two. Ekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau. They became divided into two, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Again, Śrī Caitanya, prakaṭam. When Kṛṣṇa came as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa combined together. Therefore the devotees of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa or Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they worship śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. They say. This is a fact. So Lord Rāmacandra is also Kṛṣṇa. Sītā-devī is also expansion of Rādhārāṇī. They are the same tattva.</p>
:rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan
:nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu
:kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo
:govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
:(Bs. 5.39)
<p>So here the example that even Sītā-devī, the direct potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, she is showing that without being protected, she can be ravished, she can be kidnapped, she can be misused by the rākṣasas. This is the example. Sītā-devī was quite competent, but this is the example.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

When the Muslim heard Raghunatha dasa's appealing voice, his heart softened. He began to cry, and tears glided down his beard

2022-04-13T22:27:58Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"When the Muslim heard Raghunātha dāsa’s appealing voice, his heart softened. He began to cry, and tears glided down his beard"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|MahaprabhuCaitanya}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2017-06-14T23:46:05Z}}
{{last|2017-06-14T23:46:05Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=1|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Muslim]]
[[Category:Raghunatha dasa Gosvami]]
[[Category:Appealing]]
[[Category:Voice]]
[[Category:Soft-hearted]]
[[Category:Began]]
[[Category:Crying]]
[[Category:Tears]]
[[Category:Glide Down]]
[[Category:Bear]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila Chapter 06 - The Meeting of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 62 Chapters]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 20 Chapters]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>CC Antya-lila</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
When the Muslim heard Raghunātha dāsa’s appealing voice, his heart softened. He began to cry, and tears glided down his beard.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:CC Antya 6.29|CC Antya 6.29, Translation]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
When the Muslim heard Raghunātha dāsa’s appealing voice, his heart softened. He began to cry, and tears glided down his beard.
</div>
</div>
</div>

The heart of one who is highly elevated and grave is compared with gold. If one's heart is very soft and gentle, his heart is compared with a cotton swab

2022-04-13T22:22:54Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"The heart of one who is highly elevated and grave is compared with gold. If one's heart is very soft and gentle, his heart is compared with a cotton swab"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Iswaraj}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2017-05-16T15:36:10Z}}
{{last|2017-05-16T15:36:10Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=1|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Soft-hearted]]
[[Category:One Who Is]]
[[Category:Highly]]
[[Category:Elevated]]
[[Category:Grave]]
[[Category:Compared With...]]
[[Category:Gold]]
[[Category:Gentle]]
[[Category:Cotton]]
[[Category:The Nectar of Devotion Chapter 31 - Additional Symptoms]]
[[Category:The Nectar of Devotion Chapters 01 to 51]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Other Books by Srila Prabhupada</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>Nectar of Devotion</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
The heart of one who is highly elevated and grave is compared with gold. If one's heart is very soft and gentle, his heart is compared with a cotton swab. When there is an ecstatic sensation within the mind, the golden heart or grave heart is not agitated, but the soft heart immediately becomes agitated.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:NOD 31|Nectar of Devotion, 31]]
</div>
<div class="text">
As one can detect the color of dye a cloth was soaked in by looking at the cloth, so, simply by understanding the different signs of these symptomatic features, one can understand the actual position. In other words, although attachment for Kṛṣṇa is one, nevertheless, because there exist different kinds of devotees, such attachment is manifested in many varieties. As clothing tinged red appears red, so the temporary appearance of a certain type of feeling can be detected or observed by the specific ecstatic symptom. In fact, all the different humors and mellows of the devotees possess various specific feelings within the mind. And, according to these differences, the symptoms of ecstatic love appear in different forms and degrees. If one's heart is highly elevated, grave and magnanimous, or if one's heart is rough and crude, different symptoms of ecstatic love will appear, influenced by the condition of the heart. Actually, people cannot generally understand such different qualities of mentality, but when one's heart is very soft or gentle, these symptoms become very easily visible, and one can understand very clearly. The heart of one who is highly elevated and grave is compared with gold. If one's heart is very soft and gentle, his heart is compared with a cotton swab. When there is an ecstatic sensation within the mind, the golden heart or grave heart is not agitated, but the soft heart immediately becomes agitated.

To offer another example, a grave, magnanimous heart is compared to a great city, and a soft heart to an insignificant cottage. There may be many lights, or even great elephants in the big city, but no one will take particular notice of them. But when such lights or elephants are seen near a small cottage, everyone can distinctly point them out.

Hardness of the heart is compared to a lightning bolt, with gold and with shellac. The lightning bolt is very strong and never becomes soft. Similarly, the hearts of those who are engaged in severe austerities and penances do not become very easily softened. The golden heart becomes melted at high temperature, as in ecstatic love. And the shellac heart is very easily melted in slight temperature.

Softness of the heart is compared with honey, with butter and with nectar. And the condition of the mind is compared with sunshine. As honey and butter become melted even in slight sunshine, so softhearted persons become easily melted. Nectar, however, is by its nature always liquid. And the hearts of those who are in pure ecstatic love with Kṛṣṇa are by nature always liquified, just like nectar.
</div>
</div>
</div>

Ramananda Raya, a most confidential devotee of the Lord, diplomatically soften the heart of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, despite the fact that the Lord definitely decided not to meet the King

2022-04-13T22:22:16Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"Rāmānanda Rāya, a most confidential devotee of the Lord, diplomatically soften the heart of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, despite the fact that the Lord definitely decided not to meet the King"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|SharmisthaK}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2021-04-18T12:44:16Z}}
{{last|2021-04-18T12:44:16Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=1|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Ramananda Raya]]
[[Category:Most]]
[[Category:Confidential Devotees of God]]
[[Category:Diplomacy]]
[[Category:Soft-hearted]]
[[Category:Caitanya]]
[[Category:Despite]]
[[Category:Fact]]
[[Category:Definitely]]
[[Category:Caitanya's Decisions]]
[[Category:Caitanya's Meetings]]
[[Category:King]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila Chapter 12 Purports - The Cleansing of the Gundica Temple]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila Purports]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 62 Chapters, All Purports]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>CC Madhya-lila</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
Now we see Rāmānanda Rāya, a most confidential devotee of the Lord, diplomatically soften the heart of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, despite the fact that the Lord definitely decided not to meet the King. The diplomacy of Rāmānanda Rāya and entreaties of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and all the other great devotees succeeded. The conclusion is that diplomacy used for the service of the Lord is a form of devotional service.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 12.44|CC Madhya 12.44, Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya was indeed a diplomatic minister for the King. His general behavior was very expert, and simply by describing the King's love for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he gradually softened the Lord's mind.
</div>
<div class="text">
A diplomat in the material world knows how to deal with people, especially in political affairs. Some of the great devotees of the Lord—like Rāmānanda Rāya, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī—were government officers and had a background of very opulent householder life. Consequently they knew how to deal with people. In many instances we have seen the diplomacy of Rūpa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and Rāmānanda Rāya employed in the service of the Lord. When Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī’s father and uncle were to be arrested by government officials, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī hid them and personally met the government officers and settled the affair diplomatically. This is but one instance. Similarly, Sanātana Gosvāmī, after resigning his ministership, was thrown in jail, and he bribed the attendant of the jail so he could leave the clutches of the Nawab and live with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Now we see Rāmānanda Rāya, a most confidential devotee of the Lord, diplomatically soften the heart of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, despite the fact that the Lord definitely decided not to meet the King. The diplomacy of Rāmānanda Rāya and entreaties of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and all the other great devotees succeeded. The conclusion is that diplomacy used for the service of the Lord is a form of devotional service.
</div>
</div>
</div>

The hearts of those above common behavior are sometimes harder than a thunderbolt and sometimes softer than a flower. How can one accommodate such contradictions in great personalities

2022-04-13T22:19:48Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"The hearts of those above common behavior are sometimes harder than a thunderbolt and sometimes softer than a flower. How can one accommodate such contradictions in great personalities"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|HanumanIC}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2017-05-26T12:52:33Z}}
{{last|2017-05-26T12:52:33Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=1|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Those]]
[[Category:Above]]
[[Category:Common]]
[[Category:Behavior]]
[[Category:Sometimes]]
[[Category:Hard]]
[[Category:Than]]
[[Category:Thunderbolt]]
[[Category:Soft-hearted]]
[[Category:Than]]
[[Category:Flower]]
[[Category:How Can]]
[[Category:One]]
[[Category:Accommodate]]
[[Category:Contradiction]]
[[Category:Great Personalities]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila Chapter 07 - The Lord Begins His Tour of South India]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 62 Chapters]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 25 Chapters]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>CC Madhya-lila</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
“The hearts of those above common behavior are sometimes harder than a thunderbolt and sometimes softer than a flower. How can one accommodate such contradictions in great personalities?”
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 7.73|CC Madhya 7.73, Translation]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
“The hearts of those above common behavior are sometimes harder than a thunderbolt and sometimes softer than a flower. How can one accommodate such contradictions in great personalities?”
</div>
</div>
</div>

If one is stone-hearted, then Krsna will stand as stone forever. But if one is soften-hearted by chanting Hare Krsna mantra, then he'll talk with Krsna. That is the difference

2022-04-12T14:55:04Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"If one is stone-hearted, then Krsna will stand as stone forever. But if one is soften-hearted by chanting Hare Krsna mantra, then he'll talk with Krsna. That is the difference"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Rishab}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|26Jun12}}
{{last|26Jun12}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=1|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:If One Is]]
[[Category:Stone-hearted]]
[[Category:Krsna Then]]
[[Category:Krsna's Standing]]
[[Category:Krsna As a Stone]]
[[Category:Forever]]
[[Category:Soft-hearted]]
[[Category:Chanting Hare Krsna]]
[[Category:Talking with Krsna]]
[[Category:That is the Difference]]
</div>
<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
</div>
<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB112LondonAugust171971_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="8" link="Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 17, 1971" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 17, 1971">
<div class="heading">If one is stone-hearted, then Kṛṣṇa will stand as stone forever. But if one is soften-hearted by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then he'll talk with Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. Kṛṣṇa is always present.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 17, 1971|Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 17, 1971]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So this is the process. That we are serving here Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is also very kind. Because if Kṛṣṇa in His spiritual form, He is present... Of course, there is no difference. For Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference, material and spiritual, because everything is spiritual ultimately. But still, taking it accepted that we cannot see spiritual form at the present moment. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 17.136|CC Madhya 17.136]]). Because our senses are not blunt, we cannot see the spiritual form of Kṛṣṇa at the present moment. Therefore because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa with your present eyes, because we cannot serve Kṛṣṇa with our present hand, therefore Kṛṣṇa appears in a way so that we can see, we can touch. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can appear in any way. He is all-powerful. So when He appears just like a stone statue, that does not mean Kṛṣṇa is stone or statue. Kṛṣṇa is the same Kṛṣṇa, but He appears before me just like stone statue because I cannot touch anything beyond this stone. I cannot see beyond this stone. So it is His mercy. Therefore it is called arcā-avatāra, incarnation of worshipable Deity. So we should never think that "Kṛṣṇa is not seeing. If I commit some offense, or..., Kṛṣṇa is in Vaikuṇṭha. Here I can do whatever I like." (laughter) Don't do that. That is a great offense. Therefore there are... We should always think, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is here." We should be respectful just exactly as Kṛṣṇa is here. Don't make differentiation, that "This Kṛṣṇa is stone statue." Similarly...</p>
<p>Therefore the śāstra injunction is arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. To think of the Deity as made of stone, to think of the spiritual master as ordinary man, arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, to accept a Vaiṣṇava as belonging to some caste and creed... Just like in India there are many so-called brāhmaṇas. They think that "These Europeans, they are coming from low-grade family. How we can accept them as brāhmaṇas?" No. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. When one has taken the Vaiṣṇava initiation and properly discharging duties, he should be not be considered belonging to such caste. A spiritual master should not be counted amongst ordinary human beings. Similarly, this Deity, although we know that we have made it from stone, He's not stone. He is stone to the stone-hearted. If one is stone-hearted, then Kṛṣṇa will stand as stone forever. But if one is soften-hearted by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then he'll talk with Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. Kṛṣṇa is always present.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

By various tastes, one’s heart is softened, and there is an awakening of one’s loving propensity to render spontaneous service to the Lord. This is called tatastha-laksana, the marginal symptom of bhava

2022-04-12T14:54:44Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"By various tastes, one’s heart is softened, and there is an awakening of one’s loving propensity to render spontaneous service to the Lord. This is called tatastha-laksana, the marginal symptom of bhava"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Iswaraj}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2021-03-30T06:13:47Z}}
{{last|2021-03-30T06:13:47Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=1|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Various]]
[[Category:Taste]]
[[Category:One]]
[[Category:Soft-hearted]]
[[Category:There Is]]
[[Category:Awakening]]
[[Category:One]]
[[Category:Loving Propensity toward God]]
[[Category:Rendering Service to God]]
[[Category:Spontaneous Service to Krsna]]
[[Category:Is Called...]]
[[Category:Meaning of Sanskrit Words]]
[[Category:Marginal]]
[[Category:Symptoms Of...]]
[[Category:Bhava]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila Chapter 23 Purports - Life's Ultimate Goal — Love of Godhead]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila Purports]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 62 Chapters, All Purports]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>CC Madhya-lila</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
By various tastes, one’s heart is softened, and there is an awakening of one’s loving propensity to render spontaneous service to the Lord. This is called taṭastha-lakṣaṇa, the marginal symptom of bhāva.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 23.6|CC Madhya 23.6, Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
“Bhāva [emotion] has two different symptoms—constitutional and marginal. Now, My dear Sanātana, listen to the symptoms of love.
</div>
<div class="text">
<div class="purport">

The word śuddha-sattva-viśeṣātmā means “situated on the transcendental platform of pure goodness.” In this way the soul is purified of all material contamination, and this position is called svarūpa-lakṣaṇa, the constitutional symptom of bhāva, emotion. By various tastes, one’s heart is softened, and there is an awakening of one’s loving propensity to render spontaneous service to the Lord. This is called taṭastha-lakṣaṇa, the marginal symptom of bhāva.

</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Category:Devotional Service to God Causes the Heart to Soften

2022-04-12T14:50:16Z

Shivangi:

[[Category:Devotional Service to God]]
[[Category:Cause]]
[[Category:Soft-hearted]]
[[Category:Devotional Service and Krsna Consciousness - Umbrella Category]]
[[Category:Devotional Service to God - Umbrella Category]]
[[Category:All Categories - Vaniquotes]]

Category:Devotees of God Are Softened at Heart

2022-04-12T14:50:02Z

Shivangi:

[[Category:Devotees of God]]
[[Category:Soft-hearted]]
[[Category:Devotees of God - Umbrella Category]]
[[Category:Devotees of God Are... - Umbrella Category]]
[[Category:Emotions of Devotees of God - Umbrella Category]]
[[Category:Characteristics of Devotees of God - Umbrella Category]]
[[Category:All Categories - Vaniquotes]]

Brahmanas are generally very softhearted and forbearing because they have the power to control the senses and the mind. Daksa, however, was not forbearing

2022-04-11T18:36:39Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"Brahmanas are generally very softhearted and forbearing because they have the power to control the senses and the mind. Daksa, however, was not forbearing"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Krsnadas}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|18Feb13}}
{{last|18Feb13}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=1|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Intellectual Class - Brahmana]]
[[Category:generally]]
[[Category:very]]
[[Category:Soft-hearted]]
[[Category:Forbearing]]
[[Category:because]]
[[Category:they Have]]
[[Category:power]]
[[Category:Control the Senses]]
[[Category:Control the Mind]]
[[Category:daksa]]
[[Category:however]]
[[Category:was Not]]
[[Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 04 Chapter 04 Purports - Sati Quits Her Body]]
[[Category:Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 04 Purports]]
</div>
<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam" class="section" sec_index="1" parent="compilation" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam"><h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
</div>
<div id="SB_Canto_4" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 4"><h3>SB Canto 4</h3>
</div>
<div id="SB4430_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_4" book="SB" index="147" link="SB 4.4.30" link_text="SB 4.4.30">
<div class="heading">A person who is born in a brāhmaṇa family but has no brahminical qualifications is called a brahma-bandhu. Brāhmaṇas are generally very softhearted and forbearing because they have the power to control the senses and the mind. Dakṣa, however, was not forbearing.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 4.4.30|SB 4.4.30, Translation and Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">Dakṣa, who is so hardhearted that he is unworthy to be a brāhmaṇa, will gain extensive ill fame because of his offenses to his daughter, because of not having prevented her death, and because of his great envy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.</p>
</div>
<div class="purport text"><p>Dakṣa is described here as most hardhearted and therefore unqualified to be a brāhmaṇa. Brahma-dhruk is described by some commentators to mean brahma-bandhu, or friend of the brāhmaṇas. A person who is born in a brāhmaṇa family but has no brahminical qualifications is called a brahma-bandhu. Brāhmaṇas are generally very softhearted and forbearing because they have the power to control the senses and the mind. Dakṣa, however, was not forbearing. For the simple reason that his son-in-law, Lord Śiva, did not stand up to show him the formality of respect, he became so angry and hardhearted that he tolerated even the death of his dearest daughter. Satī tried her best to mitigate the misunderstanding between the son-in-law and the father-in-law by coming to her father's house, even without an invitation, and at that time Dakṣa should have received her, forgetting all past misunderstandings. But he was so hardhearted that he was unworthy to be called an Āryan or brāhmaṇa. Thus his ill fame still continues. Dakṣa means "expert," and he was given this name because of his ability to beget many hundreds and thousands of children. Persons who are too sexually inclined and materialistic become so hardhearted because of a slight loss of prestige that they can tolerate even the death of their children.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Nimai Pandita was naturally a soft-hearted person, though strong in his principles

2022-04-11T18:14:00Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"Nimai Pandita was naturally a soft-hearted person, though strong in his principles"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Visnu Murti}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|19Jan10}}
{{last|19Jan10}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=1|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Nimai Pandita]]
[[Category:Naturally]]
[[Category:Soft-hearted]]
[[Category:Person]]
[[Category:Strong]]
[[Category:Principles]]
</div>
<div id="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" class="section" sec_index="3" parent="compilation" text="Other Books by Srila Prabhupada"><h2>Other Books by Srila Prabhupada</h2>
</div>
<div id="Teachings_of_Lord_Caitanya" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" text="Teachings of Lord Caitanya"><h3>Teachings of Lord Caitanya</h3>
</div>
<div id="TLCPrologue_0" class="quote" parent="Teachings_of_Lord_Caitanya" book="OB" index="4" link="TLC Prologue" link_text="Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter Prologue">
<div class="heading">Nimāi Paṇḍita was naturally a soft-hearted person, though strong in his principles. He declared that party feelings and sectarianism were the two great enemies of progress and that as long as he should continue to be an inhabitant of Nadia belonging to a certain family, his mission would not meet with complete success.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:TLC Prologue|Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter Prologue]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The smārta brāhmaṇas became jealous of Nimāi Paṇḍita's success and complained to Chand Kazi against the character of Caitanya as un-Hindu. The Kazi came to Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita's house and broke a mṛdaṅga (khola drum) there and declared that unless Nimāi Paṇḍita ceased to make noise about his queer religion he would be obliged to enforce Mohammedanism on him and his followers. This was brought to Mahāprabhu's notice. He ordered the townspeople to appear in the evening, each with a torch in his hand. This groups, and on his arrival in the Kazi's house, he held a long conversation with the Kazi and in the end communicated into his heart his Vaiṣṇava influence by touching his body. The Kazi then wept and admitted that he had felt a keen spiritual influence which had cleared up his doubts and produced in him a religious sentiment which gave him the highest ecstasy. The Kazi then joined the saṅkīrtana party. The world was astonished at the spiritual power of the Great Lord, and hundreds and hundreds of heretics converted and joined the banner of Viśvambhara after this affair.</p>
<p>It was after this that some of the jealous and low-minded brāhmaṇas of Kulia picked a quarrel with Mahāprabhu and collected a party to oppose him. Nimāi Paṇḍita was naturally a soft-hearted person, though strong in his principles. He declared that party feelings and sectarianism were the two great enemies of progress and that as long as he should continue to be an inhabitant of Nadia belonging to a certain family, his mission would not meet with complete success. He then resolved to be a citizen of the world by cutting his connection with his particular family, caste and creed, and with this resolution he embraced the position of a sannyāsī at Katwa, under the guidance of Keśava Bhāratī of that town, on the 24th year of his age. His mother and wife wept bitterly for his separation, but our hero, though soft in heart, was a strong person in principle. He left his little world in his house for the unlimited spiritual world of Kṛṣṇa with man in general.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

He (Arjuna) did not consider how much the other party was bent upon fighting. All these symptoms are due to softheartedness resulting from his being a great devotee of the Lord. BG 1972 purports

2022-04-11T18:13:00Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"He did not consider how much the other party was bent upon fighting. All these symptoms are due to softheartedness resulting from his being a great devotee of the Lord"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|MadhuGopaldas}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|12Sep12}}
{{last|12Sep12}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=1|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Arjuna's Fighting]]
[[Category:Do Not Consider]]
[[Category:How Much]]
[[Category:Other]]
[[Category:Party]]
[[Category:bend]]
[[Category:All These]]
[[Category:Symptoms]]
[[Category:Due To]]
[[Category:Soft-hearted]]
[[Category:Result]]
[[Category:Being]]
[[Category:Great Devotees of God]]
[[Category:Bhagavad-gita As It Is - 1972 Purports, Chapter 01 - Vaniquotes]]
[[Category:Bhagavad-gita As It Is - 1972 Purports, Chapters 01 to 18 - Vaniquotes]]
</div>
<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is" class="section" sec_index="0" parent="compilation" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is"><h2>Bhagavad-gita As It Is</h2>
</div>
<div id="BG_Chapters_1_-_6" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is" text="BG Chapters 1 - 6"><h3>BG Chapters 1 - 6</h3>
</div>
<div id="BG145_0" class="quote" parent="BG_Chapters_1_-_6" book="BG" index="38" link="BG 1.45" link_text="BG 1.45">
<div class="heading">It is the custom—according to kṣatriya fighting principles—that an unarmed and unwilling foe should not be attacked. Arjuna, however, in such an enigmatic position, decided he would not fight if he were attacked by the enemy. He did not consider how much the other party was bent upon fighting. All these symptoms are due to softheartedness resulting from his being a great devotee of the Lord.

</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:BG 1.45 (1972)|BG 1.45, Translation and Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">I would consider it better for the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra to kill me unarmed and unresisting, rather than fight with them.</p>
</div>
<div class="purport text"><p>It is the custom—according to kṣatriya fighting principles—that an unarmed and unwilling foe should not be attacked. Arjuna, however, in such an enigmatic position, decided he would not fight if he were attacked by the enemy. He did not consider how much the other party was bent upon fighting. All these symptoms are due to softheartedness resulting from his being a great devotee of the Lord.
</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

As honey and butter become melted even in slight sunshine, so softhearted persons become easily melted

2022-04-11T18:11:43Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"As honey and butter become melted even in slight sunshine, so softhearted persons become easily melted"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Iswaraj}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2017-05-16T15:49:44Z}}
{{last|2017-05-16T15:49:44Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=1|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Honey]]
[[Category:Butter]]
[[Category:Become]]
[[Category:Melted]]
[[Category:Slight]]
[[Category:Sunshine]]
[[Category:Soft-hearted]]
[[Category:Persons]]
[[Category:Become]]
[[Category:Easily]]
[[Category:The Nectar of Devotion Chapter 31 - Additional Symptoms]]
[[Category:The Nectar of Devotion Chapters 01 to 51]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Other Books by Srila Prabhupada</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>Nectar of Devotion</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
As honey and butter become melted even in slight sunshine, so softhearted persons become easily melted. Nectar, however, is by its nature always liquid. And the hearts of those who are in pure ecstatic love with Kṛṣṇa are by nature always liquified, just like nectar.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:NOD 31 (1970)|Nectar of Devotion, 31]]
</div>
<div class="text">
Hardness of the heart is compared to a lightning bolt, with gold and with shellac. The lightning bolt is very strong and never becomes soft. Similarly, the hearts of those who are engaged in severe austerities and penances do not become very easily softened. The golden heart becomes melted at high temperature, as in ecstatic love. And the shellac heart is very easily melted in slight temperature.

Softness of the heart is compared with honey, with butter and with nectar. And the condition of the mind is compared with sunshine. As honey and butter become melted even in slight sunshine, so softhearted persons become easily melted. Nectar, however, is by its nature always liquid. And the hearts of those who are in pure ecstatic love with Kṛṣṇa are by nature always liquified, just like nectar.

A pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa is always specifically qualified with nectarean qualifications and sometimes with the qualifications of butter and honey. On the whole, all the different conditions of the heart mentioned above can be melted under certain circumstances, just as a hard diamond sometimes is melted by a combination of certain chemicals. In the Dāna-keli-kaumudī it is stated, "When love develops in the heart of a devotee, he cannot check the transformation of his sentiments. It is just like at the rising of the moon, when the ebb tide of the ocean cannot be checked: immediately there must be movement of high waves." Although in its natural state, the ocean is always very grave and unfathomable, when the moon rises, nothing can check the ocean's agitation. Similarly, those who are pure devotees cannot on any account check the movements of their feelings within.
</div>
</div>
</div>

The way of religion is made by the Supreme Lord (Krsna). No one can manufacture a new path of religion, as is the fashion for certain ambitious persons

2022-04-07T15:41:01Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"The way of religion is made by the Supreme Lord. No one can manufacture a new path of religion, as is the fashion for certain ambitious persons"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Iswaraj}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2019-05-20T14:27:34Z}}
{{last|2019-05-20T14:27:34Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=1|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Krsna Is The Maintainer of Religion]]
[[Category:Krsna's Making]]
[[Category:Krsna Is The Supreme Lord]]
[[Category:No One Can]]
[[Category:Manufacture]]
[[Category:New]]
[[Category:Path of Religion]]
[[Category:Fashion]]
[[Category:Certain]]
[[Category:Ambition]]
[[Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 01 Chapter 08 Purports - Prayers by Queen Kunti and Pariksit Saved]]
[[Category:Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 01 Purports]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>SB Canto 1</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
The way of religion is made by the Supreme Lord. No one can manufacture a new path of religion, as is the fashion for certain ambitious persons.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:SB 1.8.35|SB 1.8.35, Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
And yet others say that You appeared to rejuvenate the devotional service of hearing, remembering, worshiping and so on in order that the conditioned souls suffering from material pangs might take advantage and gain liberation.
</div>
<div class="text">
In the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā the Lord asserts that He appears in every millennium just to reestablish the way of religion. The way of religion is made by the Supreme Lord. No one can manufacture a new path of religion, as is the fashion for certain ambitious persons. The factual way of religion is to accept the Lord as the supreme authority and thus render service unto Him in spontaneous love. A living being cannot help but render service because he is constitutionally made for that purpose. The only function of the living being is to render service to the Lord. The Lord is great, and living beings are subordinate to Him. Therefore, the duty of the living being is just to serve Him only. Unfortunately the illusioned living beings, out of misunderstanding only, become servants of the senses by material desire. This desire is called avidyā, or nescience. And out of such desire the living being makes different plans for material enjoyment centered about a perverted sex life. He therefore becomes entangled in the chain of birth and death by transmigrating into different bodies on different planets under the direction of the Supreme Lord. Unless, therefore, one is beyond the boundary of this nescience, one cannot get free from the threefold miseries of material life. That is the law of nature.

The Lord, however, out of His causeless mercy, because He is more merciful to the suffering living beings than they can expect, appears before them and renovates the principles of devotional service comprised of hearing, chanting, remembering, serving, worshiping, praying, cooperating and surrendering unto Him. Adoption of all the above-mentioned items, or any one of them, can help a conditioned soul get out of the tangle of nescience and thus become liberated from all material sufferings created by the living being illusioned by the external energy. This particular type of mercy is bestowed upon the living being by the Lord in the form of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
</div>
</div>
</div>

The path of religion, or the different kinds of sacrifice recommended above, automatically solves our economic problems. By performance of yajna we can have enough food, enough milk, etc.-even if there is a so-called increase of population. BG 1972 pur

2022-04-07T15:40:08Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"The path of religion, or the different kinds of sacrifice recommended above, automatically solves our economic problems. By performance of"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Nabakumar}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2021-06-01T05:26:42Z}}
{{last|2021-06-01T05:26:42Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=1|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Path of Religion]]
[[Category:Different Kinds Of...]]
[[Category:Sacrifice]]
[[Category:Recommend]]
[[Category:Above]]
[[Category:Automatically]]
[[Category:Solve]]
[[Category:Our]]
[[Category:Economic Problem]]
[[Category:Performing Yajna]]
[[Category:We Can]]
[[Category:Enough]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Milk]]
[[Category:Etcetera]]
[[Category:Even If]]
[[Category:There Is]]
[[Category:So-called]]
[[Category:Increase]]
[[Category:Population]]
[[Category:Bhagavad-gita As It Is - 1972 Purports, Chapter 04 - Vaniquotes]]
[[Category:Bhagavad-gita As It Is - 1972 Purports, Chapters 01 to 18 - Vaniquotes]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Bhagavad-gita As it is</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>BG Chapters 1 - 6</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
The Vedas, therefore, give us a chance for escape by pointing out the paths of religion, economic comfort, regulated sense gratification and, at last, the means to get out of the miserable condition entirely. The path of religion, or the different kinds of sacrifice recommended above, automatically solves our economic problems. By performance of yajña we can have enough food, enough milk, etc.-even if there is a so-called increase of population. When the body is fully supplied, naturally the next stage is to satisfy the senses. The Vedas prescribe, therefore, sacred marriage for regulated sense gratification.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:BG 4.31 (1972)|BG 4.31 (1972), Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
O best of the Kuru dynasty, without sacrifice one can never live happily on this planet or in this life: what then of the next?
</div>
<div class="text">
Whatever form of material existence one is in, one is invariably ignorant of his real situation. In other words, existence in the material world is due to the multiple reactions to our sinful lives. Ignorance is the cause of sinful life, and sinful life is the cause of one's dragging on in material existence. The human form of life is the only loophole by which one may get out of this entanglement. The Vedas, therefore, give us a chance for escape by pointing out the paths of religion, economic comfort, regulated sense gratification and, at last, the means to get out of the miserable condition entirely. The path of religion, or the different kinds of sacrifice recommended above, automatically solves our economic problems. By performance of yajña we can have enough food, enough milk, etc.-even if there is a so-called increase of population. When the body is fully supplied, naturally the next stage is to satisfy the senses. The Vedas prescribe, therefore, sacred marriage for regulated sense gratification. Thereby one is gradually elevated to the platform of release from material bondage, and the highest perfection of liberated life is to associate with the Supreme Lord. Perfection is achieved by performance of yajña (sacrifice), as described above. Now, if a person is not inclined to perform yajña according to the Vedas, how can he expect a happy life? There are different grades of material comforts in different heavenly planets, and in all cases there is immense happiness for persons engaged in different kinds of yajña. But the highest kind of happiness that a man can achieve is to be promoted to the spiritual planets by practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A life of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is therefore the solution to all the problems of material existence.
</div>
</div>
</div>

The Bhagavatam says: dharmam hi saksad-bhagavat-pranitam - the path of religion is directly enunciated by the Lord. Therefore, mental speculation or dry arguments cannot help one progress in spiritual life. BG 1972 purports

2022-04-07T15:38:20Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"the path of religion is directly enunciated by the Lord. Therefore, mental speculation or dry arguments cannot help one progress in spiritual life"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Nabakumar}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2021-06-02T02:53:03Z}}
{{last|2021-06-02T02:53:03Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=1|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam Says]]
[[Category:Path of Religion]]
[[Category:Directly]]
[[Category:Enunciated by God]]
[[Category:Therefore]]
[[Category:Mental Speculation]]
[[Category:Dry]]
[[Category:Argument]]
[[Category:Cannot]]
[[Category:Help]]
[[Category:One (as in someone)]]
[[Category:Progress in Spiritual Life]]
[[Category:Bhagavad-gita As It Is - 1972 Purports, Chapter 04 - Vaniquotes]]
[[Category:Bhagavad-gita As It Is - 1972 Purports, Chapters 01 to 18 - Vaniquotes]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Bhagavad-gita As it is</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>BG Chapters 1 - 6</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
No one can be spiritually realized by manufacturing his own process, as is the fashion of the foolish pretenders. The Bhāgavatam says: dharmaṁ hi sākṣād-bhagavat-praṇītam—the path of religion is directly enunciated by the Lord. Therefore, mental speculation or dry arguments cannot help one progress in spiritual life. One has to approach a bona fide spiritual master to receive the knowledge. Such a spiritual master should be accepted in full surrender, and one should serve the spiritual master like a menial servant, without false prestige.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:BG 4.34 (1972)|BG 4.34 (1972), Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.
</div>
<div class="text">
The path of spiritual realization is undoubtedly difficult. The Lord therefore advises us to approach a bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession from the Lord Himself. No one can be a bona fide spiritual master without following this principle of disciplic succession. The Lord is the original spiritual master, and a person in the disciplic succession can convey the message of the Lord as it is to his disciple. No one can be spiritually realized by manufacturing his own process, as is the fashion of the foolish pretenders. The Bhāgavatam says: dharmaṁ hi sākṣād-bhagavat-praṇītam—the path of religion is directly enunciated by the Lord. Therefore, mental speculation or dry arguments cannot help one progress in spiritual life. One has to approach a bona fide spiritual master to receive the knowledge. Such a spiritual master should be accepted in full surrender, and one should serve the spiritual master like a menial servant, without false prestige. Satisfaction of the self-realized spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. Inquiries and submission constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding. Unless there is submission and service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective. One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master, and when he sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding. In this verse, both blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned. One should not only hear submissively from the spiritual master; but one must also get a clear understanding from him, in submission and service and inquiries. A bona fide spiritual master is by nature very kind toward the disciple. Therefore when the student is submissive and is always ready to render service, the reciprocation of knowledge and inquiries becomes perfect.
</div>
</div>
</div>

I (Vyasadeva) have abided by the rulings and have shown the import of disciplic succession through the explanation of the Mahabharata, by which even women, sudras and others (friends of the twice-born) can see the path of religion

2022-04-07T15:36:52Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"I have also abided by the rulings and have shown the import of disciplic succession through the explanation of the Mahābhārata, by which even women, śūdras and others [friends of the twice-born] can see the path of religion"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Anurag}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2017-09-30T07:32:35Z}}
{{last|2017-09-30T07:32:35Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=1|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Vyasadeva]]
[[Category:Abide]]
[[Category:Ruling]]
[[Category:Show]]
[[Category:Import]]
[[Category:Disciplic Succession]]
[[Category:Through]]
[[Category:Explain]]
[[Category:Mahabharata]]
[[Category:By Which]]
[[Category:Women]]
[[Category:Laborer Class - Sudra]]
[[Category:Others]]
[[Category:Friend]]
[[Category:Twice-born]]
[[Category:Can See]]
[[Category:Path of Religion]]
[[Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 01 Chapter 04 - The Appearance of Sri Narada]]
[[Category:Bhagavatam Verses Spoken by Vyasadeva - Vaniquotes]]
[[Category:Srimad Bhagavatam, Cantos 01 to 09 - All Verse Translations]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>SB Canto 1</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
I have, under strict disciplinary vows, unpretentiously worshiped the Vedas, the spiritual master and the altar of sacrifice. I have also abided by the rulings and have shown the import of disciplic succession through the explanation of the Mahābhārata, by which even women, śūdras and others (friends of the twice-born) can see the path of religion.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:SB 1.4.28-29|SB 1.4.28-29, Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
I have, under strict disciplinary vows, unpretentiously worshiped the Vedas, the spiritual master and the altar of sacrifice. I have also abided by the rulings and have shown the import of disciplic succession through the explanation of the Mahābhārata, by which even women, śūdras and others (friends of the twice-born) can see the path of religion.
</div>
<div class="text">
No one can understand the import of the Vedas without having undergone a strict disciplinary vow and disciplic succession. The Vedas, spiritual masters and sacrificial fire must be worshiped by the desiring candidate. All these intricacies of Vedic knowledge are systematically presented in the Mahābhārata for the understanding of the woman class, the laborer class and the unqualified members of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya families. In this age, the Mahābhārata is more essential than the original Vedas.
</div>
</div>
</div>

He (Dhaumya) was actually the right type of priest of a householder, for he could guide the Pandavas on the right path of religion

2022-04-07T15:26:38Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"He was actually the right type of priest of a householder, for he could guide the Pāṇḍavas on the right path of religion"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Iswaraj}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2019-05-28T15:45:56Z}}
{{last|2019-05-28T15:45:56Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=1|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Dhaumya]]
[[Category:Actually]]
[[Category:Right (Correct)]]
[[Category:Type Of]]
[[Category:Priest]]
[[Category:Householder]]
[[Category:Could]]
[[Category:Guide]]
[[Category:Five Pandavas]]
[[Category:Path of Religion]]
[[Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 01 Chapter 09 Purports - The Passing Away of Bhismadeva in the Presence of Lord Krsna]]
[[Category:Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 01 Purports]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>SB Canto 1</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
He was actually the right type of priest of a householder, for he could guide the Pāṇḍavas on the right path of religion.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:SB 1.9.6-7|SB 1.9.6-7, Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
All the sages like Parvata Muni, Nārada, Dhaumya, Vyāsa the incarnation of God, Bṛhadaśva, Bharadvāja and Paraśurāma and disciples, Vasiṣṭha, Indrapramada, Trita, Gṛtsamada, Asita, Kakṣīvān, Gautama, Atri, Kauśika and Sudarśana were present.
</div>
<div class="text">
Dhaumya: A great sage who practiced severe penances at Utkocaka Tīrtha and was appointed royal priest of the Pāṇḍava kings. He acted as the priest in many religious functions of the Pāṇḍavas (saṁskāra), and also each of the Pāṇḍavas was attended by him at the betrothal of Draupadī. He was present even during the exile of the Pāṇḍavas and used to advise them in circumstances when they were perplexed. He instructed them how to live incognito for one year, and his instructions were strictly followed by the Pāṇḍavas during that time. His name is mentioned also when the general funeral ceremony was performed after the Battle of Kurukṣetra. In the Anuṣāsana-parva of Mahābhārata (127.15-16), he gave religious instructions very elaborately to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. He was actually the right type of priest of a householder, for he could guide the Pāṇḍavas on the right path of religion. A priest is meant for guiding the householder progressively in the right path of āśrama-dharma, or the occupational duty of a particular caste. There is practically no difference between the family priest and the spiritual master. The sages, saints and brāhmaṇas were especially meant for such functions.<div class="translation">

All the sages like Parvata Muni, Nārada, Dhaumya, Vyāsa the incarnation of God, Bṛhadaśva, Bharadvāja and Paraśurāma and disciples, Vasiṣṭha, Indrapramada, Trita, Gṛtsamada, Asita, Kakṣīvān, Gautama, Atri, Kauśika and Sudarśana were present.

</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Deviation in the path of religious system means

2022-04-07T15:22:02Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"deviation in the path of religious system, means"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Rishab}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|05Dec12}}
{{last|05Dec12}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=1|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Deviation|3]]
[[Category:Path of Religion]]
[[Category:Religious System|3]]
[[Category:Vaniquotes English Dictionary A to Z]]
[[Category:Vaniquotes English Dictionary D-E-F]]
[[Category:Vaniquotes English Dictionary P-Q-R]]
[[Category:Vaniquotes English Dictionary P-Q-R]]
[[Category:Vaniquotes English Dictionary S-T-U]]
</div>
<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
</div>
<div id="General_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="11" parent="Lectures" text="General Lectures"><h3>General Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LecturewithTranslatorSanandDecember271975_0" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="166" link="Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 27, 1975" link_text="Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 27, 1975">
<div class="heading">So dharmasya glāni, deviation in the path of religious system, means to forget our eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 27, 1975|Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 27, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">This dharmasya glāni, deviation from the occupational duty... Dharma means occupational duty. Then Kṛṣṇa, out of His causeless mercy, He appears to teach us how to divert your attention and āsakti to Kṛṣṇa. So dharmasya glāni, deviation in the path of religious system, means to forget our eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa ultimately, at the end of the Bhagavad-gītā, He says, as the Supreme Person, He orders, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ([[Vanisource:BG 18.66 (1972)|BG 18.66]]). Therefore He did not come to establish the so-called Hindu dharma or Mussulman dharma or Christian dharma, this dharma or that. He came to establish the real dharma, that is, to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is establishing also in the beginning, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra: ([[Vanisource:SB 1.1.2|SB 1.1.2]]) In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the so-called cheating ways and cheating type of dharmas are kicked out, projjhita, thrown away. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is explaining what is real dharma as it is established by Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ([[Vanisource:BG 18.66 (1972)|BG 18.66]]). So according to dharma-śāstra, material dharma-śāstra, it is said, dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90), up to mokṣa. In this connection Śrīdhara Swami, the great commentator of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he says, atra mokṣa-vāñchā api nirasta: "In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is no chance or opportunity for thinking of so-called liberation." The purpose is that if one fully surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, he immediately becomes liberated. The Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, he says, muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān. Why... For a devotee, why he should be anxious for mukti, because mukti is always standing on his door to give him service, mukulitāñjali-sevā, with folded hands. So a devotee hasn't got to endeavor separately for mukti. As soon as he is engaged in devotional service, mukti is already there. Just like if a person becomes rich man, automatically his poverty is gone away. So a rich man does not require to endeavor separately to drive away poverty. So therefore the central point is, Kṛṣṇa is advising here, "Just increase your āsakti, attachment, for Me. Then everything will come."</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

According to the Bhagavata school, this path of religiosity is also a method of cheating its followers

2022-04-05T17:11:55Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"according to the Bhāgavata school, this path of religiosity is also a method of cheating its followers"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Nirmal}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2021-02-19T11:22:31Z}}
{{last|2021-02-19T11:22:31Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=1|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:According]]
[[Category:Bhagavata School]]
[[Category:Path of Religion]]
[[Category:Method Of...]]
[[Category:Cheating]]
[[Category:Followers]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila Chapter 01 Purports - The Spiritual Masters]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila Purports]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 62 Chapters, All Purports]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>CC Adi-lila</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
As far as the mystic powers of the yogīs are concerned, they are also material entanglements on the path of spiritual realization. One German scholar who became a devotee of Godhead in India said that material science had already made laudable progress in duplicating the mystic powers of the yogīs. He therefore came to India not to learn the methods of the yogīs’ mystic powers but to learn the path of transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord, as mentioned in the great scripture Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Mystic powers can make a yogī materially powerful and thus give temporary relief from the miseries of birth, death, old age and disease, as other material sciences can also do, but such mystic powers can never be a permanent source of relief from these miseries. Therefore, according to the Bhāgavata school, this path of religiosity is also a method of cheating its followers. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly defined that the most elevated and powerful mystic yogī is one who can constantly think of the Supreme Lord within his heart and engage in the loving service of the Lord.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:CC Adi 1.91|CC Adi 1.91, Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
“The great scripture Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, compiled by Mahā-muni Vyāsadeva from four original verses, describes the most elevated and kindhearted devotees and completely rejects the cheating ways of materially motivated religiosity. It propounds the highest principle of eternal religion, which can factually mitigate the threefold miseries of a living being and award the highest benediction of full prosperity and knowledge. Those willing to hear the message of this scripture in a submissive attitude of service can at once capture the Supreme Lord in their hearts. Therefore there is no need for any scripture other than Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.”
</div>
<div class="text">
This verse appears in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam ([[Vanisource:SB 1.1.2|SB 1.1.2]]). The words mahā-muni-kṛte indicate that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was compiled by the great sage Vyāsadeva, who is sometimes known as Nārāyaṇa Mahā-muni because he is an incarnation of Nārāyaṇa. Vyāsadeva, therefore, is not an ordinary man but is empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He compiled the beautiful Bhāgavatam to narrate some of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotees.

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, a distinction between real religion and pretentious religion has been clearly made. According to this original and genuine commentation on the Vedānta-sūtra, there are numerous pretentious faiths that pass as religion but neglect the real essence of religion. The real religion of a living being is his natural inborn quality, whereas pretentious religion is a form of nescience that artificially covers a living entity’s pure consciousness under certain unfavorable conditions. Real religion lies dormant when artificial religion dominates from the mental plane. A living being can awaken this dormant religion by hearing with a pure heart.

The path of religion prescribed by Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is different from all forms of imperfect religiosity. Religion can be considered in the following three divisions: (1) the path of fruitive work, (2) the path of knowledge and mystic powers, and (3) the path of worship and devotional service.

The path of fruitive work (karma-kāṇḍa), even when decorated by religious ceremonies meant to elevate one’s material condition, is a cheating process because it can never enable one to gain relief from material existence and achieve the highest goal. A living entity perpetually struggles hard to rid himself of the pangs of material existence, but the path of fruitive work leads him to either temporary happiness or temporary distress in material existence. By pious fruitive work one is placed in a position where he can temporarily feel material happiness, whereas vicious activities lead him to a distressful position of material want and scarcity. However, even if one is put into the most perfect situation of material happiness, he cannot in that way become free from the pangs of birth, death, old age and disease. A materially happy person is therefore in need of the eternal relief that mundane religiosity in terms of fruitive work can never award.

The paths of the culture of knowledge (jñāna-mārga) and of mystic powers (yoga-mārga) are equally hazardous, for one does not know where one will go by following these uncertain methods. An empiric philosopher in search of spiritual knowledge may endeavor most laboriously for many, many births in mental speculation, but unless and until he reaches the stage of the purest quality of goodness—in other words, until he transcends the plane of material speculation—it is not possible for him to know that everything emanates from the Personality of Godhead Vāsudeva. His attachment to the impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord makes him unfit to rise to that transcendental stage of vasudeva understanding, and therefore because of his unclean state of mind he glides down again into material existence, even after having ascended to the highest stage of liberation. This falldown takes place due to his want of a locus standi in the service of the Supreme Lord.

As far as the mystic powers of the yogīs are concerned, they are also material entanglements on the path of spiritual realization. One German scholar who became a devotee of Godhead in India said that material science had already made laudable progress in duplicating the mystic powers of the yogīs. He therefore came to India not to learn the methods of the yogīs’ mystic powers but to learn the path of transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord, as mentioned in the great scripture Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Mystic powers can make a yogī materially powerful and thus give temporary relief from the miseries of birth, death, old age and disease, as other material sciences can also do, but such mystic powers can never be a permanent source of relief from these miseries. Therefore, according to the Bhāgavata school, this path of religiosity is also a method of cheating its followers. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly defined that the most elevated and powerful mystic yogī is one who can constantly think of the Supreme Lord within his heart and engage in the loving service of the Lord.

The path of worship of the innumerable devas, or administrative demigods, is still more hazardous and uncertain than the above-mentioned processes of karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa. This system of worshiping many gods, such as Durgā, Śiva, Gaṇeśa, Sūrya and the impersonal Viṣṇu form, is accepted by persons who have been blinded by an intense desire for sense gratification. When properly executed in terms of the rites mentioned in the śāstras, which are now very difficult to perform in this age of want and scarcity, such worship can certainly fulfill one’s desires for sense gratification, but the success obtained by such methods is certainly transient, and it is suitable only for a less intelligent person. That is the verdict of the Bhagavad-gītā. No sane man should be satisfied by such temporary benefits.

None of the above-mentioned three religious paths can deliver a person from the threefold miseries of material existence, namely, miseries caused by the body and mind, miseries caused by other living entities, and miseries caused by the demigods. The process of religion described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, however, is able to give its followers permanent relief from the threefold miseries. The Bhāgavatam describes the highest religious form—reinstatement of the living entity in his original position of transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord, which is free from the infections of desires for sense gratification, fruitive work, and the culture of knowledge with the aim of merging into the Absolute to become one with the Supreme Lord.

Any process of religiosity based on sense gratification, gross or subtle, must be considered a pretentious religion because it is unable to give perpetual protection to its followers. The word projjhita is significant. Pra- means “complete,” and ujjhita indicates rejection. Religiosity in the shape of fruitive work is directly a method of gross sense gratification, whereas the process of culturing spiritual knowledge with a view to becoming one with the Absolute is a method of subtle sense gratification. All such pretentious religiosity based on gross or subtle sense gratification is completely rejected in the process of bhāgavata-dharma, or the transcendental religion that is the eternal function of the living being.

Bhāgavata-dharma, or the religious principle described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, of which the Bhagavad-gītā is a preliminary study, is meant for liberated persons of the highest order, who attribute very little value to the sense gratification of pretentious religiosity. The first and foremost concern of fruitive workers, elevationists, empiric philosophers and salvationists is to raise their material position. But devotees of Godhead have no such selfish desires. They serve the Supreme Lord only for His satisfaction. Śrī Arjuna, wanting to satisfy his senses by becoming a so-called nonviolent and pious man, at first decided not to fight. But when he was fully situated in the principles of bhāgavata-dharma, culminating in complete surrender unto the will of the Supreme Lord, he changed his decision and agreed to fight for the satisfaction of the Lord. He then said:

<div class="quote_verse">
:naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā
:tvat-prasādān mayācyuta
:sthito ’smi gata-sandehaḥ
:kariṣye vacanaṁ tava
</div>

“My dear Kṛṣṇa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.” ([[Vanisource:BG 18.73 (1972)|BG 18.73]]) It is the constitutional position of the living entity to be situated in this pure consciousness. Any so-called religious process that interferes with this unadulterated spiritual position of the living being must therefore be considered a pretentious process of religiosity.

The real form of religion is spontaneous loving service to Godhead. This relationship of the living being with the Absolute Personality of Godhead in service is eternal. The Personality of Godhead is described as vastu, or the Substance, and the living entities are described as vāstavas, or the innumerable samples of the Substance in relative existence. The relationship of these substantive portions with the Supreme Substance can never be annihilated, for it is an eternal quality inherent in the living being.

By contact with material nature the living entities exhibit varied symptoms of the disease of material consciousness. To cure this material disease is the supreme object of human life. The process that treats this disease is called bhāgavata-dharma, or sanātana-dharma-real religion. This is described in the pages of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore anyone who, because of his background of pious activities in previous lives, is anxious to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam immediately realizes the presence of the Supreme Lord within his heart and fulfills the mission of his life.
</div>
</div>
</div>

It is eternally truth, eternally fact, that you have got your love for Krsna within yourself. Simply you have to revive. That process is easy, very easy. The chanting

2022-04-05T16:57:16Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"It is eternally truth, eternally fact, that you have got your love for Krsna within yourself. Simply you have to revive. That process is easy, very easy. The chanting"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Visnu Murti}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|19Nov12}}
{{last|19Nov12}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=1|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Eternal Truth]]
[[Category:Fact]]
[[Category:You Have]]
[[Category:your]]
[[Category:Love for Krsna]]
[[Category:Within]]
[[Category:Yourself]]
[[Category:Simply]]
[[Category:You Have To]]
[[Category:Revive]]
[[Category:Process]]
[[Category:Easy]]
[[Category:Very Easy]]
[[Category:Chanting]]
</div>
<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
</div>
<div id="General_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="11" parent="Lectures" text="General Lectures"><h3>General Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureGorakhpurFebruary171971_0" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="74" link="Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971" link_text="Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971">
<div class="heading">That is there within yourself, everyone. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti nitya-siddha. It is eternally truth, eternally fact, that you have got your love for Kṛṣṇa within yourself. Simply you have to revive. That process is easy, very easy. The chanting. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). The glittering thing, Kṛṣṇa, or the Kṛṣṇa light. Kṛṣṇa light is within everyone. Nitya-siddha: eternally truth. But it is covered by material contamination. And by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra these nasty, dirty things will be cleansed.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971|Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So we were discussing janma-karma. Janma-karma-guṇānāṁ ca. Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's quality, Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa's entourage, everything. Kṛṣṇa's abode, everything, they are one Absolute Truth. So any of these items you chant, it is as good as chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference. As in the material world there is difference between the object and the name or other paraphernalia, in the spiritual world they are all the same. That we require to understand. Because we have no spiritual understanding at the present moment, we sometimes are misguided, thinking... Just like Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with the gopīs, some rascal people take it as ordinary dealings between young boys and girls. But it is all transcendental. It requires, I mean to say, service attitude to understand this. The whole thing, the basic principle of understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness is surrender. Nobody can understand except one who has fully surrendered him... Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. Sevonmukhe. One whose attitude is to serve, not to challenge, to him only, Kṛṣṇa is revealed, not to others. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 17.136|CC Madhya 17.136]]). These blunt senses, material senses, they cannot understand śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi, beginning from Kṛṣṇa's name. Because devotional service begins from this chanting of Kṛṣṇa's name. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.23-24|SB 7.5.23]]). Not of others, only of Viṣṇu. People are imitating. There are so many imitations, that "Why Kṛṣṇa's name? Let there be Kālī's name be chanted." And there are so many rascals, they say that "Either you chant Kali's name or Kṛṣṇa's name, it is all the same." The śāstra does not say. Śāstra says, harer nāmānukīrtanam. Here is also Śrīdhara Swami quotes from śāstras. Harer nāma ([[Vanisource:CC Adi 17.21|CC Adi 17.21]]). Harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ dhyānaṁ harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ. Kṛṣṇa's activities are all wonderful, adbhuta. No human being can do like that. Harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ, karmaṇaḥ, janma-karma-guṇa..., tad-arthe akhila-ceṣṭitam. At the same time, tad-arthe, for Him, for His sake, akhila-ceṣṭitam... Any endeavor for pushing on Kṛṣṇa's glories, that is also as good as chanting the holy name. When you go out for canvassing, for pushing on this movement, people may not see that you are not chanting and dancing. Suppose you are canvassing for a life member. That topic is also as good as chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra because akhila-ceṣṭitam. One's life must be dedicated simply for Kṛṣṇa's service.</p>
<p>So any way you do it, it is all the same. Absolute. Tad-arthe akhila-ceṣṭitam, ity ady asmin eva purāṇe tatra tatra pathyate. Śrīdhara Swami says, "In this Purāṇa, Mahā Purāṇa, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, these things are explained everywhere, as well as these things are explained in all other Vedic scriptures. Purāṇantare ca pāpa-kṣayaś ca bhavati smaratāṁ tam ahar-niśam iti. These are the authoritative statements; therefore, we have to follow the ācāryas. They pick up nice authorized verses from various Vedic literature and present before you. So Śrīdhara Swami says, purāṇantare. In other Purāṇas also it is stated, pāpa-kṣayaś ca bhavati smaratāṁ tam ahar-niśam. "Anyone who is always absorbed in Your thought, no material scene can effect him, cannot touch him." Pāpa-kṣayam. "And if he has any sinful activities in his past life, that also becomes nullified." Pāpa-kṣayam. Pāpa-kṣayaṁ bhavati smaratāṁ tam ahar-niśam. "Anyone who is always..." Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā that yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā: "One who is always thinking of Me within himself, he is first-class yogi." Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ ([[Vanisource:BG 6.47 (1972)|BG 6.47]]). There is no need of speculating. Simply this easy process, thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that yoginām api sarveṣāṁ. All big, big yogis, there may be, but a person who is always absorbed in thought of Kṛṣṇa within himself, he is greater than all such big, big yogis. Greater than the greatest yogi. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā. Mad-gata means his life is so molded that he cannot stay without thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Mad-gata. He has become absorbed. That is samādhi. Mad-gatenāntarātmanā śraddhāvān. Not for artificial makeshow, but śraddhāvān, with faith and love. Śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ.</p>
<p>But how this stage can be attained? This stage can be attained only by persons who have developed pure love of God. Just like... It is very easy to understand. If you love somebody, always you'll think of him. In this material world also, the so-called love... If a boy loves some girl or a girl loves some boy, naturally, he thinks always of him. So to think of Kṛṣṇa always means you must develop your love. That is there within yourself, everyone. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti nitya-siddha. It is eternally truth, eternally fact, that you have got your love for Kṛṣṇa within yourself. Simply you have to revive. That process is easy, very easy. The chanting. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam ([[Vanisource:CC Antya 20.12|CC Antya 20.12]]). The glittering thing, Kṛṣṇa, or the Kṛṣṇa light. Kṛṣṇa light is within everyone. Nitya-siddha: eternally truth. But it is covered by material contamination. And by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra these nasty, dirty things will be cleansed. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. This is polishing. Polishing. Just like mirror, you polish; you can see very nicely the reflection of your nice face. Similarly, if you polish your heart by chanting, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, then immediately you develop your dormant love of Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as the dormant love of Kṛṣṇa is awakened, immediately you are liberated. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam.</p>
<p>Liberation means to get out of the blazing fire of this material existence. That is liberation. It is simply change of consciousness, that I am thinking in so many ways, my consciousness is polluted in so many ways. But when you think that you are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is your real constitutional position, then that very understanding makes you liberated, immediately. Pāpa-kṣaya bhavati smaratāṁ tam ahar-niśam. Tatraiva ca tasmāt saṅkīrtanaṁ viṣṇu jagan-maṅgalam amhasā... Jagan-maṅgalam amhasā. Śrīdhar Swami gives his comment, tasmāt, therefore; sankīrtanaṁ viṣṇu jagan-maṅgalam amhasā. The world (is) full of sinful reactions. If this saṅkīrtana movement is pushed on there will be peace, there will be auspicity all over the world. It is not that we have introduced a new thing. It is sanctioned by the śāstras and accepted by the authorities. Tasmāt. He said, tasmāt sankirtanaṁ viṣṇu. Viṣṇu, not others. Not for the, of the demigods. Viṣṇu. Saṅkīrtanam viṣṇu jagat maṅgalam amhasā, mahatām api kauravya viddhy aikāntika-niṣkṛtam ity ādi. It is not only good for the sinful persons. Those who are exalted mahātmās, they should not think... They cannot think. If they are actually mahātmās, they cannot think like that. But there are so-called mahātmās. They think that they are very much exalted, they do not require this saṅkīrtanam. Śrīdhara Swami says that this saṅkīrtana movement is not only for the persons who are sinful, but mahatāṁ api. Mahatāṁ api sarveṣāṁ. That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Everywhere.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

The truth is eternal, and as such there cannot be any new opinion about the truth. That is the way of knowing the knowledge contained in the Vedas

2022-04-03T17:16:32Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"The truth is eternal, and as such there cannot be any new opinion about the truth. That is the way of knowing the knowledge contained in the Vedas"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Angela}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2020-05-12T12:29:31Z}}
{{last|2020-05-12T12:29:31Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=1|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Eternal Truth]]
[[Category:As Such]]
[[Category:Cannot]]
[[Category:New]]
[[Category:Opinion]]
[[Category:About]]
[[Category:That Is]]
[[Category:Way]]
[[Category:A Spiritual Master Knows]]
[[Category:Knowledge]]
[[Category:Contains]]
[[Category:Vedas]]
[[Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 02 Chapter 02 Purports - The Lord in the Heart]]
[[Category:Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 02 Purports]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>SB Canto 2</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
The disciplic succession holds that the Vedas were uttered by Lord Kṛṣṇa to Brahmā, by Brahmā to Nārada, and by Nārada to Vyāsadeva, and then by Vyāsadeva to Śukadeva Gosvāmī and so on. So there is no difference between the versions of all the authorities. The truth is eternal, and as such there cannot be any new opinion about the truth. That is the way of knowing the knowledge contained in the Vedas.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:SB 2.2.32|SB 2.2.32, Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
Your Majesty Mahārāja Parīkṣit, know that all that I have described in reply to your proper inquiry is just according to the version of the Vedas, and it is eternal truth. This was described personally by Lord Kṛṣṇa unto Brahmā, with whom the Lord was satisfied upon being properly worshiped.
</div>
<div class="text">
The two different ways of reaching the spiritual sky and thereby getting emancipation from all material bondage, namely either the direct process of reaching the kingdom of God or the gradual process through the other higher planets of the universe, are set forth exactly according to the version of the Vedas. The Vedic versions in this connection are, yadā sarve pramucyante kāmā ye 'sya hṛdi śritāḥ/ atha martyo 'mṛto bhavaty atra brahma samaśnute (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.7) and te 'rcir abhisambhavanti (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 6.2.15): "Those who are free from all material desires, which are diseases of the heart, are able to conquer death and enter the kingdom of God through the Arci planets." These Vedic versions corroborate the version of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and the latter is further confirmed by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who affirms that the truth was disclosed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, to Brahmā, the first authority on the Vedas. The disciplic succession holds that the Vedas were uttered by Lord Kṛṣṇa to Brahmā, by Brahmā to Nārada, and by Nārada to Vyāsadeva, and then by Vyāsadeva to Śukadeva Gosvāmī and so on. So there is no difference between the versions of all the authorities. The truth is eternal, and as such there cannot be any new opinion about the truth. That is the way of knowing the knowledge contained in the Vedas. It is not a thing to be understood by one's erudite scholarship or by the fashionable interpretations of mundane scholars. There is nothing to be added and nothing to be subtracted, because the truth is the truth. One has to accept, after all, some authority. The modern scientists are also authorities for the common man for some scientific truths. The common man follows the version of the scientist. This means that the common man follows the authority. The Vedic knowledge is also received in that way. The common man cannot argue about what is beyond the sky or beyond the universe; he must accept the versions of the Vedas as they are understood by the authorized disciplic succession. In the Bhagavad-gītā also the same process of understanding the Gītā is stated in the Fourth Chapter. If one does not follow the authoritative version of the ācāryas, he will vainly search after the truth mentioned in the Vedas.
</div>
</div>
</div>

The spirit encaged by this body and mind is eternal truth & indestructible. No one can destroy the eternal spirit - that is what we need to understand at the present moment. The indestructible spirit is thus above the conception of violence & nonviolence

2022-04-03T17:16:11Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"the spirit encaged by this body and mind is eternal truth and indestructible. No one can destroy the eternal spirit - that is what we need to understand at the present moment. The indestructible spirit is thus above the conception of violence and nonviolence"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Nabakumar}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2022-01-28T11:55:00Z}}
{{last|2022-01-28T11:55:00Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=1|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Spirit]]
[[Category:Encagement]]
[[Category:Body and Mind]]
[[Category:Eternal Truth]]
[[Category:Indestructible]]
[[Category:No One Can]]
[[Category:Destroy]]
[[Category:That Is]]
[[Category:What]]
[[Category:Need]]
[[Category:Understand]]
[[Category:At the Present Moment]]
[[Category:Above]]
[[Category:Conception]]
[[Category:Violence]]
[[Category:Nonviolence]]
[[Category:Message of Godhead (1990) Chapters 01 to 03]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Other Books by Srila Prabhupada</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>Message of Godhead</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
I really possess my temporary material body and mind, and I must not make myself a laughing stock by denying the existence of my body and mind. At the same time, I must always remember that the body and mind are temporary arrangements. However, the spirit encaged by this body and mind is eternal truth and indestructible. No one can destroy the eternal spirit - that is what we need to understand at the present moment. The indestructible spirit is thus above the conception of violence and nonviolence.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:MOG 2 Transcendental Knowledge|Message of Godhead, 2]]
</div>
<div class="text">
We offer our most sincere and humble obeisances to our spiritual master, who is all merciful and the savior of the fallen. He dissipates the darkness of nescience by opening our eyes with the probe of knowledge transcendental. He reveals this transcendental knowledge for the benefit of all people.

We are very proud of our two small eyes, and puffed up with vanity, we are always enthusiastic to see everything with our own eyes. But we do not know that whatever we are seeing at the present moment is covered with the darkness of nescience, and, as such, whatever we are seeing is either misperceived or only partially perceived. It is not a fact that we can see everything as it is simply by applying our ocular power to it. Every morning when the sun rises, we see this vast mass of matter as if it were just a small disc. Of course, the sun is much larger than the earth on which we live, and thus every morning of every day our self-reliant ocular vanity is put to the test and reduced to absurdity. Our eyes can gather knowledge only under certain favorable conditions. We cannot see things that are too far away from us; we cannot penetrate the darkness, nor can we see things that are very close to the eye, such as our own eyelids. Thus we can be proud of our eyes only under certain favorable conditions created by an external agency, namely the material nature. Otherwise, even though we have our wonderful eyes, we cannot see things in their true perspective. What is true for the eyes is also true for the other senses we use for gathering knowledge.

Under these circumstances, whatever we are experiencing at the present moment is totally conditional and is therefore subject to mistakes and incompleteness. These mistaken impressions can never be rectified by the "mistaker" himself or by another, similar person apt to commit similar mistakes.

In the darkness, if we want to perceive a certain object, we cannot use just our eyes; we have to rely on some other means to aid our perception. So, in the darkness, the object cannot be known to us in its entirety. In such a situation, even if we get some knowledge by touch or otherwise, it is all either mistaken or incomplete. It is just like the group of blind men who had encountered an elephant and tried to describe the strange new creature to one another. One man felt the trunk and said, "This is a huge snake." Another man felt a leg and said, "No, this is a great pillar." And so forth.

There is but one way to perceive things in the depth of darkness. Only if somebody brings a light into the darkness is it truly possible to see things as they are. Similarly, the light of knowledge is kindled by our preceptors, and we can see things as they are only by our preceptors' mercy. From our very birth we have become accustomed to gathering knowledge by the mercy of our preceptors, whether father, mother, or teacher. We can march along the path of progressive knowledge only by the help of such preceptors, from whom we gather experience by submissive hearing.

We go forward on the path of knowledge by the mercy of our preceptors - from learning the alphabet up to completing our university career. And if we want to go still further and acquire knowledge transcendental, we must first of all seek qualified transcendental preceptors who can lead us on the path. The knowledge that we gather by our education in the schools and colleges may help us temporarily in the study of some particular subject in the present span of life, but this acquisition of knowledge cannot satisfy our eternal need for which we hanker life after life, day after day, hour after hour.

To achieve success in any subject, it is necessary to establish a relationship with a master of that subject and to work favorably in that particular line. To acquire a degree at an academic university, we first have to establish a relationship with that institution. We have to abide by the direction of our instructors there and work favorably according to their direction. This is essential in order to achieve the ultimate desired success. In the same manner, if we are really anxious to know the principles of eternal life or life after death, and if we really want to see things in their true perspective, it is necessary for us to establish a relationship with a preceptor who can really open our eyes and lift us from the clutches of nescience. This process of approaching the spiritual master is an eternal verity. No one can do without abiding by this eternal rule.

The process of initiation begins from the date when we establish our transcendental relationship with the spiritual master. In the Upaniṣads and allied scriptures, it is ordained that one must approach with awe and reverence the feet of a spiritual master who is well versed in all the scriptures and who has attained perfection in transcendental knowledge. To attain perfection in transcendental knowledge is to accept the disciplic succession, the spiritual line, by culture, practice, and education in that line. The professional heads of various spiritual societies or communities often may not have attained to this standard of spiritual perfection and so may not possess the qualifications required for being a spiritual master. It is therefore no use to approach such professional spiritual masters as a matter of formality or custom. Attainment of spiritual perfection can never be possible without undergoing spiritual discipline.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the ideal spiritual master, spoke the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā to Marshal Arjuna, His disciple. Here is a perfect example of the relationship between the spiritual master and the disciple. Arjuna was a most intimate friend of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and thus Śrī Kṛṣṇa explained to him the essence of all scriptures, in the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā.

Because we are always very busy in the discharge of our worldly duties, generally we do not wish to understand any philosophy except our mundane philosophy of the stomach and allied subjects. We have extended many branches and sub-branches of this philosophy of the belly in various directions, and thus we have hardly any time to understand the philosophy of gaining eternal life - for which we are perpetually struggling life after life.

Marshal Arjuna pretended to display philosophical ignorance and weakness, like an ordinary man, when with his chariot between the two opposing armies on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, he refused to fight. In this way, age after age, the Personality of Godhead and His beloved confidential-servitor devotees bestow their unbounded mercy by dissipating the darkness of nescience of the people of the world. We could hardly have attained to transcendental knowledge if they had not bestowed such mercy upon us.

Sometimes the Personality of Godhead descends Himself; otherwise, He deputes His confidential servants to do this act of kindness. All the messiahs-saints who have come before or who will come in the future to preach the transcendental message of the kingdom of Godhead - are to be understood as the most confidential servants of the Personality of Godhead. Lord Jesus Christ appeared as the son of Godhead, Muhammad introduced himself as the servant of Godhead, and Lord Caitanya presented Himself as the devotee of Godhead. But whatever may be their identity, all such messiahs were of the same opinion about one thing. They preached unanimously that there is no peace and prosperity in this mortal world. All of them agreed that we have to go to a separate world, where peace and prosperity have their real being. We have to search out our eternal peace and prosperity in the kingdom of God, which is a place other than this mortal world. Even such messiahs and reformers as Lord Buddha - who did not accept the existence of Godhead and preached morality and ethics in the spirit of atheism - and Śaṅkarācārya - who did not accept the Personality of Godhead and preached morality and ethics in the spirit of pantheism - never preached that there is any possibility of attaining eternal peace and prosperity in this material world.

But at the present moment, the leaders of thought and the people in general have decided mistakenly that there is no other world except the one in which we live - that all peace and prosperity are available here, and that there is no existence of any other world wherein we can find a better position than here. According to such leaders, the material body is the actual self, understanding everything that pertains to the body constitutes self-realization, and we have no more duty than satisfying the senses of the body and maintaining it by all means. According to these leaders, God and philosophical approaches to Him are merely leisure pursuits or parlor games to exercise the brain. By such discussions, however, the world does not gain anything of substance.

So Marshal Arjuna pretended to display weakness, placing himself in the category of ordinary people who are illusioned in the material world. And by this action of his, Marshal Arjuna helped in the manifestation of Bhagavad-gītā from the transcendental lips of the Personality of Godhead. Whenever the Personality of Godhead descends to this mortal world, He is accompanied by His confidential servants. Marshal Arjuna is the eternal, confidential servant of the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and thus the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā was taught to him directly for the benefit of the people in general.

Being an unalloyed devotee of the Personality of Godhead, Marshal Arjuna was able to discuss the transcendental philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā even on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. We modern men have no time to get into the details of the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā, even in the midst of our much more ordinary daily duties. But just to teach us, Marshal Arjuna tried to understand the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā at a time when a moment was virtually impossible to spare. All this he did for the sake of people like us, and he fought the battle with full vigor once he had understood the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā.

Affinity for family relations, which Marshal Arjuna displayed overwhelmingly in the manner of the typical modern man, is the sign of our lack of transcendental knowledge. But attaining transcendental knowledge does not necessarily mean renouncing the duties of our ordinary life. After Arjuna had understood the spirit of the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā, the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, never advised him to give up his seemingly ordinary duties. On the contrary, Arjuna fought the battle with even greater energy and vigor after he had obtained the transcendental knowledge imparted by Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The real spirit we attain through transcendental knowledge is self-negation and the determination to render transcendental service unto the Personality of Godhead. The purport of Bhagavad-gītā is this and nothing else.

When Marshal Arjuna was unable to solve the problem posed to him by the impending battle of Kurukṣetra, he surrendered himself as a disciple to Śrī Kṛṣṇa in all submissiveness to hear his problem's solution. At the outset, the Personality of Godhead talked with Arjuna just as a friend talks with a friend. But such friendly discussions generally end in friendly - and fruitless - debate. Thus, Marshal Arjuna surrendered himself as the disciple of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, for a disciple cannot disobey the orders of his spiritual master. That is the relationship between a disciple and his master.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, imparted to Marshal Arjuna the vitally important teachings of Bhagavad-gītā only when He saw that Arjuna had surrendered to Him without any vanity regarding his own erudition, and without any other reservation. It is very common for us, like Arjuna, to try to dissipate our disillusionments by our own devices, culled from our own mundane experience. This attempt to remove our daily bodily and mental difficulties is always misdirected. Unless one tries to solve his problems from the perspective of eternal varities, there cannot be any peace whatsoever, either in this life or in the life after death. That is the supreme teaching of Bhagavad-gītā.

This spiritual subject matter, which is transcendental to the hankerings of the material body and mind, is our supreme need. Unless we reach this transcendental plane of activities, we cannot achieve real peace. This spiritual, transcendental plane is the plane of eternal life, without which the material body and mind would have no existence. However, at present we do not possess any information of this eternal life, although we have much pride, even vanity, about our material knowledge.

We are more or less absorbed in the external material designations, the external dresses that now cover the eternally living soul. And because we have absorbed ourselves in these external designations of the spirit soul, we encounter so much disunity and turmoil. When we are free from such designations - when our real nature will be uncovered - then and only then will we attain our dream of real happiness and peace. Our present attempts to remove the difficulties of the material world - through the pretensions of erudite scientists, great statesmen, and mahātmās - do not reach the spiritual, transcendental plane, but simply garb the body and mind with various colorful dresses. And thus these attempts will be always frustrated. That is the intrinsic instruction of Bhagavad-gītā.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, rebuked Marshal Arjuna, so to say, when Arjuna surrendered unto Him as a disciple, being unable to solve the problems that always confront us in our material existence. Lord Kṛṣṇa said, "Arjuna, I see that you are talking like a learned man, but you may know that you have very little knowledge - because I see that you are lamenting over something for which no one would lament if he were truly learned."

A learned man never laments over a subject which appears and disappears as a matter of course. The material body, which we get from the womb of our mother, becomes transformed after some time into ashes, earth, or stool, as the case may be. And the subtle mental body, which is also material and composed of false ego and intelligence, likewise vanishes when the soul is liberated. Therefore, those who are truly learned do not give much importance to this material body and mind, or to the happiness and distress that pertain only to the material body and mind.

On the other hand, such learned men do give much stress to the happiness and distress of the soul proper, which is spirit and transcends the existence of the body and the mind. When we enter into such culture of knowledge, it is called transcendental knowledge. Marshal Arjuna portrayed himself as a materialistic fool, without any transcendental knowledge, just to teach us, who are cent-percent materialistic fools. For His part, the Personality of Godhead imparted the transcendental knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā, because He found Marshal Arjuna the most deserving person to hear it.

Just like Marshal Arjuna, the prime minister for Nawab Hussain Shah of Bengal - namely Sākara Mallika, who was later known as Sanātana Gosvāmī, one of the chief disciples of Lord Caitanya - represented himself as a materialistic fool before Lord Caitanya, when he met the Lord at Benares. He presented his case before Lord Caitanya as follows: "Ordinary persons, those who have no knowledge of transcendence, address me as a great leader, a great scholar, a mahātmā, a paramahaṁsa, and so on. But I am doubtful whether I am really so; they may be insulting me indirectly by calling me something that I am not. I know that I have no knowledge about myself as I am, but still, some of the materialistic fools address me as learned. This is undoubtedly a joke and an insult."

With these words, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī presented his case. In fact, he really was learned in transcendental knowledge, but he pretended to be a materialistic fool like us. Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī refused to let himself be called a great leader or erudite scholar, since he had no transcendental knowledge. Indirectly, he asserted that there is no greater materialistic fool than one who advertises himself and collects the cheap votes of similar fools to gain fame as a great scholar, great leader, great philosopher, great mahātmā, or great paramahaṁsa, all without any knowledge of his real self, the spirit soul, and without doing any benefit to the soul proper - simply wasting time in the matter of the happiness and distress of the temporary material body and mind. Sanātana means "eternal." Thus, Sanātana Gosvāmī was interested in the eternal happiness of the living entities more than just the temporary happiness of their temporary body and mind. When one thus becomes interested in the permanent happiness of the permanent soul, he becomes a disciple of Sanātana Gosvāmī, or a real "sanātanist," that is, a transcendentalist.

Throughout the world at the present moment, almost all the leaders, scholars, and mahātmās are more or less materialists, without any taste for transcendental knowledge. Thus, in the first instance Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, rebuked Marshal Arjuna and refused to accept him as a paṇḍita or scholar, with a view to teach the so-called learned scholars and leaders of the materialistic fools.

Almost all the leaders of the people have popularized various modes of religiosity that have to do only with the material body and mind. But very few of them know that the body and mind are nothing but the outward coat and shirt of the soul proper. Simply by taking care of the outward coat and shirt, one cannot do any good for the real self, the soul proper. Since factually the soul is the chief interest, the real self, no sane man can look after the interest of the outward paraphernalia while overlooking the chief interest, his very self; the interest of the subordinates, the material bodies, is looked after automatically. But no one can serve the chief simply by serving the subordinates. In other words, it is not possible to satisfy one's inner hunger simply by soaping the outer clothing.

So when we speak of a living entity, we must see the body and the mind as two outward coverings, two layers of paraphernalia - and the living force or spirit soul as the chief, central figure. The outward coverings are temporary arrangements, and therefore everything dependent on the outward covering is also a temporary arrangement. Happiness or distress perceived in relation with the temporary arrangement of the body and mind is also temporary. Thus, in Bhagavad-gītā the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, says, "O son of Kuntī! All forms of happiness or distress, such as winter cold or summer heat, are due to material sense perception only. They come and go according to the laws of nature, and they are therefore to be tolerated without our being disturbed. One who is not disturbed by all these comings and goings of temporary happiness and distress - he alone becomes a fit person to attain eternal life."

But at the present stage of our existence, it is difficult to be unaffected by the temporary happiness and distress pertaining to the body and mind. Nor is it possible at present to assert that we are unidentified with the body and mind. Therefore, in our present state of existence, there is no possibility of our being indifferent in these matters of material happiness and distress. Thus, acquiring transcendental knowledge does not mean that we become indifferent to our present state of affairs, but it means that we should not be overwhelmed by the coming and going of happiness and distress.

We must know the nature of those temporary states of material happiness and distress. It would be sheer stupidity to ignore them, or to remain indifferent in matters concerning the spirit soul, around which the material body and mind exist. In fact, if one is fortunate enough to understand the happiness and distress of the spirit soul and gets a taste for transcendental knowledge, then he will be indifferent to the happiness and distress of the body and mind and will relish a transcendental peace eternal, even in the midst of worldly happiness and distress. Real peace can be obtained only in that transcendental stage of existence. That is the state of real contentment. If, after a long time, somebody embarks on a homeward journey, the pleasure of being homeward - bound diminishes the accompanying distress of the journey. The inconveniences of traveling become subordinate to the pleasure of heading homeward.

Sense perception is the cause of feeling all sorts of happiness and distress. Form, taste, odor, sound, and touch are different sense perceptions, which render happiness or distress in cooperation with the mind. In winter, bathing in cold water gives us pain, but in summer, the same cold water gives us pleasure. In winter, fire gives us pleasure and warmth, but in summer, the same fire gives us distress. Thus, neither fire nor water has any intrinsic power to give us happiness or distress, but they appear to us as agents of happiness or distress, according to our mode of sense perception in various circumstances. Therefore, everything that exists in the world is neither an object of happiness nor an object of distress; everything is simply subjective - that is, subject to our sense perceptions as they relate to our processes of thinking, feeling, and willing.

But such temporary sensations of happiness and distress, pertaining to the act of thinking, feeling, and willing under a false ego, are eternally different from the spirit soul and are therefore "unreal reality." Whatever advancement of knowledge, whether in art or science, that has been made by mundane scholars without reference to the eternal spirit soul is but a manifestation of the illusory modes of nature that encompass and limit the material body and mind.

Real peace and happiness can never come about through such advanced materialistic knowledge, deluded as it must be by the illusory modes of nature with a view to playing up this "unreal reality." Rather, as Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, confirms in the Bhagavad-gītā, only those who cultivate transcendental knowledge in relation to the eternal spirit soul and without being disturbed by temporary happiness and distress will be able to escape the cruel hands of birth, death, old age, and disease and will be truly happy by gaining eternal, spiritual life.

We therefore suggest that all those who have tried their utmost to do good for others but have failed despite all honest endeavors should approach Śrī Kṛṣṇa or His bona fide servitors, following the footsteps of Marshal Arjuna. One should try to do good for others, but only after knowing perfectly how to do good for others. Otherwise, if one embraces others in a false sense of altruism, one can get only a temporary benefit for himself in the shape of some profit, adoration, or distinction.

A Hitler, a Mussolini, or any other leader of that materialistic persuasion may offer his followers the mental concoction of doing good together in violent or nonviolent programs, and by such acts of so-called benevolence the leader may get recognition from his followers for some time. But the followers for whom this kind of leader has endeavored to do good will never get any lasting benefit out of such temporarily beneficial work. A void will be felt with the progress of all such benevolent activities. In fact, the followers will be put into more and more distressed conditions by following the path chalked out by this kind of so-called leader. If a blind man pretends to help another blind man cross a road, then both the blind leader and the blind follower shall fall into the further darkness of some unseen ditch. Everyone who is devoid of transcendental knowledge is just like a blind man; such a blind man must first eradicate his blindness before he can attempt to lead others to light.

Everyone who happens to take his birth in India is a potential benefactor of others, because it is on Indian soil alone that the culture of transcendental knowledge has been most elaborately presented, from ancient times to the present. The saints and sages of Bhārata-varṣa, as India has long been known, never tried to cultivate or satisfy artificially the needs of the body and the mind exclusively; they always cultured the transcendental spirit soul, which is above the material body and mind. And even now, the saints and sages continue to do so, in spite of all difficulties. But it would be sheer stupidity if Indian people attempted to do good to others without first themselves attaining transcendental knowledge.

Now, if we want to acquire transcendental knowledge, our first duty will be to understand that the spirit soul is eternal truth. The external ingredients, the body and the mind which develop around the spirit soul, are all relative or partial truths. In the second chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, the Personality of Godhead explains this fact elaborately:

"The spirit soul which pervades this body is eternal, and thus one should understand that no one can destroy the eternal, ever-existing spirit soul. Although this material body is subject to annihilation, the proprietor of the body is eternal. Therefore, O scion of Bharata, knowing this eternal truth, you can go on with your fighting engagement.

"Both the person who thinks the spirit soul can slay and the person who thinks that the spirit soul can be slain are ignorant of the fact that the spirit soul is neither slayer nor slain at any time. The spirit soul is never born, nor can he ever die. He has no past, present, or future, because he is eternal. And although very old, he is always fresh and does not become annihilated even after the annihilation of the body. One who understands the soul as eternal and indestructible - how can he hurt or kill anyone? It is only the outward body and mind that are destroyed.

"The body and the mind are just like a person's outward clothing. The clothing is changed when it is old, and the living person takes on a new set of clothing after giving up the old one.

"The spirit soul can never be struck by the sharp sword, nor can he be burnt by fire. He can never be affected by water or air, and thus, the spirit soul is eternally indestructible, nonflammable, nonevaporable, and noncorrodable. He is permanent, all-pervading, and eternal. He cannot be explained by any human language, nor can he be perfectly conceived of by any human mind. He remains always unchangeable, and knowing all these facts, one should not lament over his disappearance."

In the language of Bhagavad-gītā, the spirit soul is called kṣetrajña, the knower or tiller of the field, whereas the body and mind, the coverings of the spirit soul, are called kṣetra, or the field. In the eleventh chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, discusses the subject matter of kṣetra, kṣetrajña, and also prakṛti (nature, or the phenomenal world, which is enjoyed) and puruṣa (the enjoyer of the phenomenal world). Lord Kṛṣṇa explains that all actions and reactions that take place in this phenomenal world are the actions and reactions of this combination of kṣetra and kṣetrajña, or nature and the enjoyer of nature. For instance, rice paddy is produced by the action and reaction of the field and the tiller, or a child is begotten by the combination of prakṛti, the enjoyed, and puruṣa, the enjoyer. In the same way, whatever we see in the phenomenal world is produced by this combination of kṣetra and kṣetrajña.

This kṣetrajña is the living spirit, whereas the kṣetra is the material which is lorded over. Physics, chemistry, astronomy, pharmacology, economics, sexology, and other material sciences deal with the materials of kṣetra. But the science that deals with spiritual existence - pertaining to kṣetrajña - is called transcendental knowledge. Real culture of knowledge, therefore, pertains not to kṣetra but to kṣetrajña. We shall get full opportunity to discuss all these subjects more elaborately, but for the present we may be satisfied simply by knowing that the kṣetrajña (puruṣa, or enjoyer) is the central objective of all knowledge, because it is this kṣetrajña alone that creates everything in conjunction with the material body and mind and the allied physical elements.

The kṣetrajña is the eternal spirit, whereas the kṣetra is matter, which is temporary and ephemeral. This eternal truth is summarized in the Vedas in the aphorism brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "Spirit is fact and the world is a false shadow." By "false shadow" one should understand that the world is temporary, existing only for the time being. But one should not make the mistake of thinking the world has no existence at all. I really possess my temporary material body and mind, and I must not make myself a laughing stock by denying the existence of my body and mind. At the same time, I must always remember that the body and mind are temporary arrangements. However, the spirit encaged by this body and mind is eternal truth and indestructible. No one can destroy the eternal spirit - that is what we need to understand at the present moment. The indestructible spirit is thus above the conception of violence and nonviolence.

Today, the whole world is mad after the culture of knowledge in relation to temporary arrangements for the gross material body and the subtle material mind. But more important than the body and mind is the spirit, which has been set aside without any proper culture of knowledge. As a result, the darkness of nescience has overshadowed the world and has brought about great unrest, disturbance, and distress. How long can one enjoy external happiness? It is like soaping the outer garments without putting any nourishment into the stomach.

But this eternal truth, the indestructible spirit, does exist as the living entity in each and every body. He is very minute and is finer than the finest atom. Learned experts have attempted to make a measurement of this living spirit. They say that the living spirit, the soul proper, can be measured approximately as one ten-thousandth part of the tip of a hair.

This living spirit remains within the body just like a tiny dose of a potent medicine: the soul spreads its presence all over the body. And thus, we can understand, the sensitivity we experience to even the slightest touch on any part of the body is due to the spreading of this living spirit throughout the body. But when this minute quantity of living spark is gone from the body, the body lies dead, prostrate, and it cannot feel the slightest pain - even if hacked by an ax.

That this minute living spark, the spirit, is not a material thing is proved by the fact that no material scientist has ever been able to create the living spark by any combination or quantity of material substances. Experienced material scientists have been obliged to accept the fact that the living spark cannot be duplicated by material science. Whatever can be created by the manipulation of matter is destructible and temporary. In contrast, the living spark is indestructible, precisely because it can never be constructed by any combination or quantity of matter. We can produce material atomic bombs but not the spiritual spark of life.

There is much advancement of material science all over the world, but regrettably, these advanced scientists have made no attempt to understand the living spark, the spirit, which is always the most important subject. This is our gross ignorance. This is our helplessness.

Śrī Jagadish Chandra Bose, Sir Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin - the brilliant brain substance of each of them stopped working utterly, as soon as this little spark of living substance separated from their respective bodies. If it were possible to create this living substance by chemical or physical combination or permutation of matter, then surely some disciple or other of these great scientists would have brought them back to life and would thus have prolonged their scientific contribution to the world. But no material scientist can create the living spark by any material arrangement, and those who say they can do so in the future are the greatest of fools and hypocrites. The living spirit is eternal - he has no end and no beginning and thus can never be created by any method whatsoever. After all, it is within our experience that every created thing is subject to annihilation. The eternality of the spirit soul is proved through its noncreatability by material means.

And thus one who thinks that he can destroy the living spark also does not know anything about it. The Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, therefore emphatically declares that the living entity, being spirit, is never born. The living entity exists eternally and has no past, present, or future tenses. The spirit is never annihilated, nor can anyone annihilate him, even after the annihilation of the material body. He therefore has no birth and no death. Nor does he grow or diminish by repeated material births and deaths. The spiritual entity is ever fresh and new, although he is the oldest of all. He is always different from the material body and mind, which are always subject to death and annihilation.

The learned scholar, who is aware of this transcendental knowledge, does not try to annihilate anyone or order anyone annihilated, like a fool. One may then ask this question: What was the purpose for which Arjuna fought on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra? The answer is plain and simple. The fight that is fought in pursuance of military duty touches the body only. The effects of war or pitched upheavals touch the body only and not the soul, much as the effects of a sumptuous feast touch the hunger of the stomach only and not that of the mind. None of these material effects ever touches the eternal living entity, the spirit soul, because the living spirit is invincible, nonflammable, nonmoistenable, and nondryable. Everything that is material can be cut into pieces, can be burnt up, can be moistened, and can be dried up in the air. Thus, to illustrate that the living entity, or spirit soul, is entirely metaphysical, the above explanation is given as indirect proof by negation of material attributes.

It is said that the living spirit is eternal, all-pervading, unchangeable, indestructible, and so forth. What is known in India as sanātana-dharma, or "the eternal religion," is meant for this living spirit. That is to say, real spiritualism is transcendental to the various religions that focus on the gross material body or the subtle material mind. This sanātana-dharma, the eternal religion, is never established just for one particular people, place, or time. It is for this reason that sanātana-dharma is also termed all-pervasive. All other religions except the one that is known as sanātana-dharma are meant for the culturing of physical or psychological effects.

The psychological effects of various peoples, places, and times have led us to designate ourselves as Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Congressites, Luddites, Socialists, Bolsheviks, and so forth. Specifically in the field of religion, we have tried to establish many varieties of ephemeral physical and mental arrangements, varieties of denominations, according to various peoples, places, and times. And precisely for this reason, we can envision ourselves "changing religions." One who is a "Hindu" today may become a "Muhammadan" the next day, or one who is a "Muhammadan" today may become a "Christian" the next day, and so on. But when we attain transcendental knowledge and are established in the actual, eternal religion of the actual living entity - the spirit soul - then and then only can we attain real, undeniable peace, prosperity, and happiness in the world. Until that time, there can be no peace and prosperity for us, because we are not situated on the plane of sanātana-dharma, or the eternal religion of the soul.

Being minute and thus invisible to our material eyes, the spirit soul is called inexplicable, inconceivable, and so on. The spirit soul is nonetheless understood to be eternal, because he is never subject to the ordeals of birth, death, disease, and old age or to any other physical transformations. Therefore, eternal peace and prosperity will be established only when there is vigorous propagation of this inexplicable, eternal religion of the living spirit soul. For then only shall we be relieved of physical transformations such as birth, death, disease, and old age. We should always remember, however, that this eternal religion of the soul is never bound by any physical limitation of people, place, or time.
</div>
</div>
</div>

The ksetrajna is the eternal spirit, whereas the ksetra is matter, which is temporary and ephemeral. This eternal truth is summarized in the Vedas in the aphorism brahma satyam jagan mithya: "Spirit is fact and the world is a false shadow"

2022-04-03T17:12:11Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"The ksetrajna is the eternal spirit, whereas the ksetra is matter, which is temporary and ephemeral. This eternal truth is summarized in the Vedas in the aphorism brahma satyam jagan mithya"|"Spirit is fact and the world is a false shadow"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Krsnadas}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|27Nov12}}
{{last|27Nov12}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=1|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Ksetra-jna]]
[[Category:Eternal]]
[[Category:Spirit]]
[[Category:Whereas]]
[[Category:Ksetra]]
[[Category:Inferior Energy - Material Matter]]
[[Category:Which Is]]
[[Category:Temporary]]
[[Category:Ephemeral]]
[[Category:Eternal Truth]]
[[Category:Summary]]
[[Category:Vedas]]
[[Category:Aphorism]]
[[category:Brahman]]
[[Category:Satya]]
[[Category:Spirit]]
[[Category:Fact]]
[[Category:This Material World Is False]]
[[Category:Shadow]]
[[Category:Message of Godhead (1990) Chapters 01 to 03]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Other Books by Srila Prabhupada</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>Message of Godhead</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
The kṣetrajña is the eternal spirit, whereas the kṣetra is matter, which is temporary and ephemeral. This eternal truth is summarized in the Vedas in the aphorism brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "Spirit is fact and the world is a false shadow." By "false shadow" one should understand that the world is temporary, existing only for the time being. But one should not make the mistake of thinking the world has no existence at all. I really possess my temporary material body and mind, and I must not make myself a laughing stock by denying the existence of my body and mind.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:MOG 2 Transcendental Knowledge|Message of Godhead, 2]]
</div>
<div class="text">
We offer our most sincere and humble obeisances to our spiritual master, who is all merciful and the savior of the fallen. He dissipates the darkness of nescience by opening our eyes with the probe of knowledge transcendental. He reveals this transcendental knowledge for the benefit of all people.

We are very proud of our two small eyes, and puffed up with vanity, we are always enthusiastic to see everything with our own eyes. But we do not know that whatever we are seeing at the present moment is covered with the darkness of nescience, and, as such, whatever we are seeing is either misperceived or only partially perceived. It is not a fact that we can see everything as it is simply by applying our ocular power to it. Every morning when the sun rises, we see this vast mass of matter as if it were just a small disc. Of course, the sun is much larger than the earth on which we live, and thus every morning of every day our self-reliant ocular vanity is put to the test and reduced to absurdity. Our eyes can gather knowledge only under certain favorable conditions. We cannot see things that are too far away from us; we cannot penetrate the darkness, nor can we see things that are very close to the eye, such as our own eyelids. Thus we can be proud of our eyes only under certain favorable conditions created by an external agency, namely the material nature. Otherwise, even though we have our wonderful eyes, we cannot see things in their true perspective. What is true for the eyes is also true for the other senses we use for gathering knowledge.

Under these circumstances, whatever we are experiencing at the present moment is totally conditional and is therefore subject to mistakes and incompleteness. These mistaken impressions can never be rectified by the "mistaker" himself or by another, similar person apt to commit similar mistakes.

In the darkness, if we want to perceive a certain object, we cannot use just our eyes; we have to rely on some other means to aid our perception. So, in the darkness, the object cannot be known to us in its entirety. In such a situation, even if we get some knowledge by touch or otherwise, it is all either mistaken or incomplete. It is just like the group of blind men who had encountered an elephant and tried to describe the strange new creature to one another. One man felt the trunk and said, "This is a huge snake." Another man felt a leg and said, "No, this is a great pillar." And so forth.

There is but one way to perceive things in the depth of darkness. Only if somebody brings a light into the darkness is it truly possible to see things as they are. Similarly, the light of knowledge is kindled by our preceptors, and we can see things as they are only by our preceptors' mercy. From our very birth we have become accustomed to gathering knowledge by the mercy of our preceptors, whether father, mother, or teacher. We can march along the path of progressive knowledge only by the help of such preceptors, from whom we gather experience by submissive hearing.

We go forward on the path of knowledge by the mercy of our preceptors - from learning the alphabet up to completing our university career. And if we want to go still further and acquire knowledge transcendental, we must first of all seek qualified transcendental preceptors who can lead us on the path. The knowledge that we gather by our education in the schools and colleges may help us temporarily in the study of some particular subject in the present span of life, but this acquisition of knowledge cannot satisfy our eternal need for which we hanker life after life, day after day, hour after hour.

To achieve success in any subject, it is necessary to establish a relationship with a master of that subject and to work favorably in that particular line. To acquire a degree at an academic university, we first have to establish a relationship with that institution. We have to abide by the direction of our instructors there and work favorably according to their direction. This is essential in order to achieve the ultimate desired success. In the same manner, if we are really anxious to know the principles of eternal life or life after death, and if we really want to see things in their true perspective, it is necessary for us to establish a relationship with a preceptor who can really open our eyes and lift us from the clutches of nescience. This process of approaching the spiritual master is an eternal verity. No one can do without abiding by this eternal rule.

The process of initiation begins from the date when we establish our transcendental relationship with the spiritual master. In the Upaniṣads and allied scriptures, it is ordained that one must approach with awe and reverence the feet of a spiritual master who is well versed in all the scriptures and who has attained perfection in transcendental knowledge. To attain perfection in transcendental knowledge is to accept the disciplic succession, the spiritual line, by culture, practice, and education in that line. The professional heads of various spiritual societies or communities often may not have attained to this standard of spiritual perfection and so may not possess the qualifications required for being a spiritual master. It is therefore no use to approach such professional spiritual masters as a matter of formality or custom. Attainment of spiritual perfection can never be possible without undergoing spiritual discipline.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the ideal spiritual master, spoke the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā to Marshal Arjuna, His disciple. Here is a perfect example of the relationship between the spiritual master and the disciple. Arjuna was a most intimate friend of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and thus Śrī Kṛṣṇa explained to him the essence of all scriptures, in the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā.

Because we are always very busy in the discharge of our worldly duties, generally we do not wish to understand any philosophy except our mundane philosophy of the stomach and allied subjects. We have extended many branches and sub-branches of this philosophy of the belly in various directions, and thus we have hardly any time to understand the philosophy of gaining eternal life - for which we are perpetually struggling life after life.

Marshal Arjuna pretended to display philosophical ignorance and weakness, like an ordinary man, when with his chariot between the two opposing armies on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, he refused to fight. In this way, age after age, the Personality of Godhead and His beloved confidential-servitor devotees bestow their unbounded mercy by dissipating the darkness of nescience of the people of the world. We could hardly have attained to transcendental knowledge if they had not bestowed such mercy upon us.

Sometimes the Personality of Godhead descends Himself; otherwise, He deputes His confidential servants to do this act of kindness. All the messiahs-saints who have come before or who will come in the future to preach the transcendental message of the kingdom of Godhead - are to be understood as the most confidential servants of the Personality of Godhead. Lord Jesus Christ appeared as the son of Godhead, Muhammad introduced himself as the servant of Godhead, and Lord Caitanya presented Himself as the devotee of Godhead. But whatever may be their identity, all such messiahs were of the same opinion about one thing. They preached unanimously that there is no peace and prosperity in this mortal world. All of them agreed that we have to go to a separate world, where peace and prosperity have their real being. We have to search out our eternal peace and prosperity in the kingdom of God, which is a place other than this mortal world. Even such messiahs and reformers as Lord Buddha - who did not accept the existence of Godhead and preached morality and ethics in the spirit of atheism - and Śaṅkarācārya - who did not accept the Personality of Godhead and preached morality and ethics in the spirit of pantheism - never preached that there is any possibility of attaining eternal peace and prosperity in this material world.

But at the present moment, the leaders of thought and the people in general have decided mistakenly that there is no other world except the one in which we live - that all peace and prosperity are available here, and that there is no existence of any other world wherein we can find a better position than here. According to such leaders, the material body is the actual self, understanding everything that pertains to the body constitutes self-realization, and we have no more duty than satisfying the senses of the body and maintaining it by all means. According to these leaders, God and philosophical approaches to Him are merely leisure pursuits or parlor games to exercise the brain. By such discussions, however, the world does not gain anything of substance.

So Marshal Arjuna pretended to display weakness, placing himself in the category of ordinary people who are illusioned in the material world. And by this action of his, Marshal Arjuna helped in the manifestation of Bhagavad-gītā from the transcendental lips of the Personality of Godhead. Whenever the Personality of Godhead descends to this mortal world, He is accompanied by His confidential servants. Marshal Arjuna is the eternal, confidential servant of the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and thus the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā was taught to him directly for the benefit of the people in general.

Being an unalloyed devotee of the Personality of Godhead, Marshal Arjuna was able to discuss the transcendental philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā even on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. We modern men have no time to get into the details of the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā, even in the midst of our much more ordinary daily duties. But just to teach us, Marshal Arjuna tried to understand the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā at a time when a moment was virtually impossible to spare. All this he did for the sake of people like us, and he fought the battle with full vigor once he had understood the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā.

Affinity for family relations, which Marshal Arjuna displayed overwhelmingly in the manner of the typical modern man, is the sign of our lack of transcendental knowledge. But attaining transcendental knowledge does not necessarily mean renouncing the duties of our ordinary life. After Arjuna had understood the spirit of the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā, the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, never advised him to give up his seemingly ordinary duties. On the contrary, Arjuna fought the battle with even greater energy and vigor after he had obtained the transcendental knowledge imparted by Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The real spirit we attain through transcendental knowledge is self-negation and the determination to render transcendental service unto the Personality of Godhead. The purport of Bhagavad-gītā is this and nothing else.

When Marshal Arjuna was unable to solve the problem posed to him by the impending battle of Kurukṣetra, he surrendered himself as a disciple to Śrī Kṛṣṇa in all submissiveness to hear his problem's solution. At the outset, the Personality of Godhead talked with Arjuna just as a friend talks with a friend. But such friendly discussions generally end in friendly - and fruitless - debate. Thus, Marshal Arjuna surrendered himself as the disciple of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, for a disciple cannot disobey the orders of his spiritual master. That is the relationship between a disciple and his master.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, imparted to Marshal Arjuna the vitally important teachings of Bhagavad-gītā only when He saw that Arjuna had surrendered to Him without any vanity regarding his own erudition, and without any other reservation. It is very common for us, like Arjuna, to try to dissipate our disillusionments by our own devices, culled from our own mundane experience. This attempt to remove our daily bodily and mental difficulties is always misdirected. Unless one tries to solve his problems from the perspective of eternal varities, there cannot be any peace whatsoever, either in this life or in the life after death. That is the supreme teaching of Bhagavad-gītā.

This spiritual subject matter, which is transcendental to the hankerings of the material body and mind, is our supreme need. Unless we reach this transcendental plane of activities, we cannot achieve real peace. This spiritual, transcendental plane is the plane of eternal life, without which the material body and mind would have no existence. However, at present we do not possess any information of this eternal life, although we have much pride, even vanity, about our material knowledge.

We are more or less absorbed in the external material designations, the external dresses that now cover the eternally living soul. And because we have absorbed ourselves in these external designations of the spirit soul, we encounter so much disunity and turmoil. When we are free from such designations - when our real nature will be uncovered - then and only then will we attain our dream of real happiness and peace. Our present attempts to remove the difficulties of the material world - through the pretensions of erudite scientists, great statesmen, and mahātmās - do not reach the spiritual, transcendental plane, but simply garb the body and mind with various colorful dresses. And thus these attempts will be always frustrated. That is the intrinsic instruction of Bhagavad-gītā.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, rebuked Marshal Arjuna, so to say, when Arjuna surrendered unto Him as a disciple, being unable to solve the problems that always confront us in our material existence. Lord Kṛṣṇa said, "Arjuna, I see that you are talking like a learned man, but you may know that you have very little knowledge - because I see that you are lamenting over something for which no one would lament if he were truly learned."

A learned man never laments over a subject which appears and disappears as a matter of course. The material body, which we get from the womb of our mother, becomes transformed after some time into ashes, earth, or stool, as the case may be. And the subtle mental body, which is also material and composed of false ego and intelligence, likewise vanishes when the soul is liberated. Therefore, those who are truly learned do not give much importance to this material body and mind, or to the happiness and distress that pertain only to the material body and mind.

On the other hand, such learned men do give much stress to the happiness and distress of the soul proper, which is spirit and transcends the existence of the body and the mind. When we enter into such culture of knowledge, it is called transcendental knowledge. Marshal Arjuna portrayed himself as a materialistic fool, without any transcendental knowledge, just to teach us, who are cent-percent materialistic fools. For His part, the Personality of Godhead imparted the transcendental knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā, because He found Marshal Arjuna the most deserving person to hear it.

Just like Marshal Arjuna, the prime minister for Nawab Hussain Shah of Bengal - namely Sākara Mallika, who was later known as Sanātana Gosvāmī, one of the chief disciples of Lord Caitanya - represented himself as a materialistic fool before Lord Caitanya, when he met the Lord at Benares. He presented his case before Lord Caitanya as follows: "Ordinary persons, those who have no knowledge of transcendence, address me as a great leader, a great scholar, a mahātmā, a paramahaṁsa, and so on. But I am doubtful whether I am really so; they may be insulting me indirectly by calling me something that I am not. I know that I have no knowledge about myself as I am, but still, some of the materialistic fools address me as learned. This is undoubtedly a joke and an insult."

With these words, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī presented his case. In fact, he really was learned in transcendental knowledge, but he pretended to be a materialistic fool like us. Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī refused to let himself be called a great leader or erudite scholar, since he had no transcendental knowledge. Indirectly, he asserted that there is no greater materialistic fool than one who advertises himself and collects the cheap votes of similar fools to gain fame as a great scholar, great leader, great philosopher, great mahātmā, or great paramahaṁsa, all without any knowledge of his real self, the spirit soul, and without doing any benefit to the soul proper - simply wasting time in the matter of the happiness and distress of the temporary material body and mind. Sanātana means "eternal." Thus, Sanātana Gosvāmī was interested in the eternal happiness of the living entities more than just the temporary happiness of their temporary body and mind. When one thus becomes interested in the permanent happiness of the permanent soul, he becomes a disciple of Sanātana Gosvāmī, or a real "sanātanist," that is, a transcendentalist.

Throughout the world at the present moment, almost all the leaders, scholars, and mahātmās are more or less materialists, without any taste for transcendental knowledge. Thus, in the first instance Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, rebuked Marshal Arjuna and refused to accept him as a paṇḍita or scholar, with a view to teach the so-called learned scholars and leaders of the materialistic fools.

Almost all the leaders of the people have popularized various modes of religiosity that have to do only with the material body and mind. But very few of them know that the body and mind are nothing but the outward coat and shirt of the soul proper. Simply by taking care of the outward coat and shirt, one cannot do any good for the real self, the soul proper. Since factually the soul is the chief interest, the real self, no sane man can look after the interest of the outward paraphernalia while overlooking the chief interest, his very self; the interest of the subordinates, the material bodies, is looked after automatically. But no one can serve the chief simply by serving the subordinates. In other words, it is not possible to satisfy one's inner hunger simply by soaping the outer clothing.

So when we speak of a living entity, we must see the body and the mind as two outward coverings, two layers of paraphernalia - and the living force or spirit soul as the chief, central figure. The outward coverings are temporary arrangements, and therefore everything dependent on the outward covering is also a temporary arrangement. Happiness or distress perceived in relation with the temporary arrangement of the body and mind is also temporary. Thus, in Bhagavad-gītā the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, says, "O son of Kuntī! All forms of happiness or distress, such as winter cold or summer heat, are due to material sense perception only. They come and go according to the laws of nature, and they are therefore to be tolerated without our being disturbed. One who is not disturbed by all these comings and goings of temporary happiness and distress - he alone becomes a fit person to attain eternal life."

But at the present stage of our existence, it is difficult to be unaffected by the temporary happiness and distress pertaining to the body and mind. Nor is it possible at present to assert that we are unidentified with the body and mind. Therefore, in our present state of existence, there is no possibility of our being indifferent in these matters of material happiness and distress. Thus, acquiring transcendental knowledge does not mean that we become indifferent to our present state of affairs, but it means that we should not be overwhelmed by the coming and going of happiness and distress.

We must know the nature of those temporary states of material happiness and distress. It would be sheer stupidity to ignore them, or to remain indifferent in matters concerning the spirit soul, around which the material body and mind exist. In fact, if one is fortunate enough to understand the happiness and distress of the spirit soul and gets a taste for transcendental knowledge, then he will be indifferent to the happiness and distress of the body and mind and will relish a transcendental peace eternal, even in the midst of worldly happiness and distress. Real peace can be obtained only in that transcendental stage of existence. That is the state of real contentment. If, after a long time, somebody embarks on a homeward journey, the pleasure of being homeward - bound diminishes the accompanying distress of the journey. The inconveniences of traveling become subordinate to the pleasure of heading homeward.

Sense perception is the cause of feeling all sorts of happiness and distress. Form, taste, odor, sound, and touch are different sense perceptions, which render happiness or distress in cooperation with the mind. In winter, bathing in cold water gives us pain, but in summer, the same cold water gives us pleasure. In winter, fire gives us pleasure and warmth, but in summer, the same fire gives us distress. Thus, neither fire nor water has any intrinsic power to give us happiness or distress, but they appear to us as agents of happiness or distress, according to our mode of sense perception in various circumstances. Therefore, everything that exists in the world is neither an object of happiness nor an object of distress; everything is simply subjective - that is, subject to our sense perceptions as they relate to our processes of thinking, feeling, and willing.

But such temporary sensations of happiness and distress, pertaining to the act of thinking, feeling, and willing under a false ego, are eternally different from the spirit soul and are therefore "unreal reality." Whatever advancement of knowledge, whether in art or science, that has been made by mundane scholars without reference to the eternal spirit soul is but a manifestation of the illusory modes of nature that encompass and limit the material body and mind.

Real peace and happiness can never come about through such advanced materialistic knowledge, deluded as it must be by the illusory modes of nature with a view to playing up this "unreal reality." Rather, as Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, confirms in the Bhagavad-gītā, only those who cultivate transcendental knowledge in relation to the eternal spirit soul and without being disturbed by temporary happiness and distress will be able to escape the cruel hands of birth, death, old age, and disease and will be truly happy by gaining eternal, spiritual life.

We therefore suggest that all those who have tried their utmost to do good for others but have failed despite all honest endeavors should approach Śrī Kṛṣṇa or His bona fide servitors, following the footsteps of Marshal Arjuna. One should try to do good for others, but only after knowing perfectly how to do good for others. Otherwise, if one embraces others in a false sense of altruism, one can get only a temporary benefit for himself in the shape of some profit, adoration, or distinction.

A Hitler, a Mussolini, or any other leader of that materialistic persuasion may offer his followers the mental concoction of doing good together in violent or nonviolent programs, and by such acts of so-called benevolence the leader may get recognition from his followers for some time. But the followers for whom this kind of leader has endeavored to do good will never get any lasting benefit out of such temporarily beneficial work. A void will be felt with the progress of all such benevolent activities. In fact, the followers will be put into more and more distressed conditions by following the path chalked out by this kind of so-called leader. If a blind man pretends to help another blind man cross a road, then both the blind leader and the blind follower shall fall into the further darkness of some unseen ditch. Everyone who is devoid of transcendental knowledge is just like a blind man; such a blind man must first eradicate his blindness before he can attempt to lead others to light.

Everyone who happens to take his birth in India is a potential benefactor of others, because it is on Indian soil alone that the culture of transcendental knowledge has been most elaborately presented, from ancient times to the present. The saints and sages of Bhārata-varṣa, as India has long been known, never tried to cultivate or satisfy artificially the needs of the body and the mind exclusively; they always cultured the transcendental spirit soul, which is above the material body and mind. And even now, the saints and sages continue to do so, in spite of all difficulties. But it would be sheer stupidity if Indian people attempted to do good to others without first themselves attaining transcendental knowledge.

Now, if we want to acquire transcendental knowledge, our first duty will be to understand that the spirit soul is eternal truth. The external ingredients, the body and the mind which develop around the spirit soul, are all relative or partial truths. In the second chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, the Personality of Godhead explains this fact elaborately:

"The spirit soul which pervades this body is eternal, and thus one should understand that no one can destroy the eternal, ever-existing spirit soul. Although this material body is subject to annihilation, the proprietor of the body is eternal. Therefore, O scion of Bharata, knowing this eternal truth, you can go on with your fighting engagement.

"Both the person who thinks the spirit soul can slay and the person who thinks that the spirit soul can be slain are ignorant of the fact that the spirit soul is neither slayer nor slain at any time. The spirit soul is never born, nor can he ever die. He has no past, present, or future, because he is eternal. And although very old, he is always fresh and does not become annihilated even after the annihilation of the body. One who understands the soul as eternal and indestructible - how can he hurt or kill anyone? It is only the outward body and mind that are destroyed.

"The body and the mind are just like a person's outward clothing. The clothing is changed when it is old, and the living person takes on a new set of clothing after giving up the old one.

"The spirit soul can never be struck by the sharp sword, nor can he be burnt by fire. He can never be affected by water or air, and thus, the spirit soul is eternally indestructible, nonflammable, nonevaporable, and noncorrodable. He is permanent, all-pervading, and eternal. He cannot be explained by any human language, nor can he be perfectly conceived of by any human mind. He remains always unchangeable, and knowing all these facts, one should not lament over his disappearance."

In the language of Bhagavad-gītā, the spirit soul is called kṣetrajña, the knower or tiller of the field, whereas the body and mind, the coverings of the spirit soul, are called kṣetra, or the field. In the eleventh chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, discusses the subject matter of kṣetra, kṣetrajña, and also prakṛti (nature, or the phenomenal world, which is enjoyed) and puruṣa (the enjoyer of the phenomenal world). Lord Kṛṣṇa explains that all actions and reactions that take place in this phenomenal world are the actions and reactions of this combination of kṣetra and kṣetrajña, or nature and the enjoyer of nature. For instance, rice paddy is produced by the action and reaction of the field and the tiller, or a child is begotten by the combination of prakṛti, the enjoyed, and puruṣa, the enjoyer. In the same way, whatever we see in the phenomenal world is produced by this combination of kṣetra and kṣetrajña.

This kṣetrajña is the living spirit, whereas the kṣetra is the material which is lorded over. Physics, chemistry, astronomy, pharmacology, economics, sexology, and other material sciences deal with the materials of kṣetra. But the science that deals with spiritual existence - pertaining to kṣetrajña - is called transcendental knowledge. Real culture of knowledge, therefore, pertains not to kṣetra but to kṣetrajña. We shall get full opportunity to discuss all these subjects more elaborately, but for the present we may be satisfied simply by knowing that the kṣetrajña (puruṣa, or enjoyer) is the central objective of all knowledge, because it is this kṣetrajña alone that creates everything in conjunction with the material body and mind and the allied physical elements.

The kṣetrajña is the eternal spirit, whereas the kṣetra is matter, which is temporary and ephemeral. This eternal truth is summarized in the Vedas in the aphorism brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "Spirit is fact and the world is a false shadow." By "false shadow" one should understand that the world is temporary, existing only for the time being. But one should not make the mistake of thinking the world has no existence at all. I really possess my temporary material body and mind, and I must not make myself a laughing stock by denying the existence of my body and mind. At the same time, I must always remember that the body and mind are temporary arrangements. However, the spirit encaged by this body and mind is eternal truth and indestructible. No one can destroy the eternal spirit - that is what we need to understand at the present moment. The indestructible spirit is thus above the conception of violence and nonviolence.

Today, the whole world is mad after the culture of knowledge in relation to temporary arrangements for the gross material body and the subtle material mind. But more important than the body and mind is the spirit, which has been set aside without any proper culture of knowledge. As a result, the darkness of nescience has overshadowed the world and has brought about great unrest, disturbance, and distress. How long can one enjoy external happiness? It is like soaping the outer garments without putting any nourishment into the stomach.

But this eternal truth, the indestructible spirit, does exist as the living entity in each and every body. He is very minute and is finer than the finest atom. Learned experts have attempted to make a measurement of this living spirit. They say that the living spirit, the soul proper, can be measured approximately as one ten-thousandth part of the tip of a hair.

This living spirit remains within the body just like a tiny dose of a potent medicine: the soul spreads its presence all over the body. And thus, we can understand, the sensitivity we experience to even the slightest touch on any part of the body is due to the spreading of this living spirit throughout the body. But when this minute quantity of living spark is gone from the body, the body lies dead, prostrate, and it cannot feel the slightest pain - even if hacked by an ax.

That this minute living spark, the spirit, is not a material thing is proved by the fact that no material scientist has ever been able to create the living spark by any combination or quantity of material substances. Experienced material scientists have been obliged to accept the fact that the living spark cannot be duplicated by material science. Whatever can be created by the manipulation of matter is destructible and temporary. In contrast, the living spark is indestructible, precisely because it can never be constructed by any combination or quantity of matter. We can produce material atomic bombs but not the spiritual spark of life.

There is much advancement of material science all over the world, but regrettably, these advanced scientists have made no attempt to understand the living spark, the spirit, which is always the most important subject. This is our gross ignorance. This is our helplessness.

Śrī Jagadish Chandra Bose, Sir Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin - the brilliant brain substance of each of them stopped working utterly, as soon as this little spark of living substance separated from their respective bodies. If it were possible to create this living substance by chemical or physical combination or permutation of matter, then surely some disciple or other of these great scientists would have brought them back to life and would thus have prolonged their scientific contribution to the world. But no material scientist can create the living spark by any material arrangement, and those who say they can do so in the future are the greatest of fools and hypocrites. The living spirit is eternal - he has no end and no beginning and thus can never be created by any method whatsoever. After all, it is within our experience that every created thing is subject to annihilation. The eternality of the spirit soul is proved through its noncreatability by material means.

And thus one who thinks that he can destroy the living spark also does not know anything about it. The Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, therefore emphatically declares that the living entity, being spirit, is never born. The living entity exists eternally and has no past, present, or future tenses. The spirit is never annihilated, nor can anyone annihilate him, even after the annihilation of the material body. He therefore has no birth and no death. Nor does he grow or diminish by repeated material births and deaths. The spiritual entity is ever fresh and new, although he is the oldest of all. He is always different from the material body and mind, which are always subject to death and annihilation.

The learned scholar, who is aware of this transcendental knowledge, does not try to annihilate anyone or order anyone annihilated, like a fool. One may then ask this question: What was the purpose for which Arjuna fought on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra? The answer is plain and simple. The fight that is fought in pursuance of military duty touches the body only. The effects of war or pitched upheavals touch the body only and not the soul, much as the effects of a sumptuous feast touch the hunger of the stomach only and not that of the mind. None of these material effects ever touches the eternal living entity, the spirit soul, because the living spirit is invincible, nonflammable, nonmoistenable, and nondryable. Everything that is material can be cut into pieces, can be burnt up, can be moistened, and can be dried up in the air. Thus, to illustrate that the living entity, or spirit soul, is entirely metaphysical, the above explanation is given as indirect proof by negation of material attributes.

It is said that the living spirit is eternal, all-pervading, unchangeable, indestructible, and so forth. What is known in India as sanātana-dharma, or "the eternal religion," is meant for this living spirit. That is to say, real spiritualism is transcendental to the various religions that focus on the gross material body or the subtle material mind. This sanātana-dharma, the eternal religion, is never established just for one particular people, place, or time. It is for this reason that sanātana-dharma is also termed all-pervasive. All other religions except the one that is known as sanātana-dharma are meant for the culturing of physical or psychological effects.

The psychological effects of various peoples, places, and times have led us to designate ourselves as Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Congressites, Luddites, Socialists, Bolsheviks, and so forth. Specifically in the field of religion, we have tried to establish many varieties of ephemeral physical and mental arrangements, varieties of denominations, according to various peoples, places, and times. And precisely for this reason, we can envision ourselves "changing religions." One who is a "Hindu" today may become a "Muhammadan" the next day, or one who is a "Muhammadan" today may become a "Christian" the next day, and so on. But when we attain transcendental knowledge and are established in the actual, eternal religion of the actual living entity - the spirit soul - then and then only can we attain real, undeniable peace, prosperity, and happiness in the world. Until that time, there can be no peace and prosperity for us, because we are not situated on the plane of sanātana-dharma, or the eternal religion of the soul.

Being minute and thus invisible to our material eyes, the spirit soul is called inexplicable, inconceivable, and so on. The spirit soul is nonetheless understood to be eternal, because he is never subject to the ordeals of birth, death, disease, and old age or to any other physical transformations. Therefore, eternal peace and prosperity will be established only when there is vigorous propagation of this inexplicable, eternal religion of the living spirit soul. For then only shall we be relieved of physical transformations such as birth, death, disease, and old age. We should always remember, however, that this eternal religion of the soul is never bound by any physical limitation of people, place, or time.
</div>
</div>
</div>

Can you point out any time in history when there existed such a perfect system (we are always hankering after happiness. So we do not like suffering. So if there is no suffering, that is perfect system)?

2022-04-03T16:38:30Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"Can you point out any time in history when there existed such a perfect system"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Marc|MadhuGopaldas|Rishab}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|13Aug11}}
{{last|24Apr12}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=1|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Questions asked to Srila Prabhupada]]
[[Category:Questions asked to SP... 1976]]
[[Category:Perfect System]]
[[Category:Questions On... History, Historical Facts, Timelines]]
</div>
<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
</div>
<div id="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="9" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1976 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1976 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkMarch161976Mayapura_0" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="54" link="Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura" link_text="Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura">
<div class="heading">It is always existing... Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise why you are sticking to this? This is the proof. You are all young men, you have given up everything. Why you are sticking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura|Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: A leader means that he's following a system. So what are the criterion of...?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That already told. He does not commit any mistake.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that I understand.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: He is not illusioned, he is not a cheater, and he is perfect.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So now you've defined a perfect leader. What is a perfect system? What are the criterion for a perfect system?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Perfect system means from which we do not suffer. That's all.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No suffering.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No suffering.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is the main criterion.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. We are always hankering after happiness. So we do not like suffering. So if there is no suffering, that is perfect system.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Can you point out any time in history when there existed such a perfect system?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: It is always existing.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even now?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise why you are sticking to this? This is the proof. You are all young men, you have given up everything. Why you are sticking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness?</p>
<p>Revatinandana: In the West so many young men are joining different groups?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: They may be rascals. Therefore, therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu... (break) ...told me it is full. But people coming and going, it looks very nice.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Like a house when it has no occupants, it's not so nice as when there are people moving about.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Canakya Paṇḍita says, putra-hīnaṁ gṛhaṁ śūnyam: "In a home where there is no children, sons and daughters, it is zero."</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just like a body without a soul.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Caitya-guru... (Bengali) (break)</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Not for a second we can make our mind vacant. That is not possible. So this vacancy, this mind's business - thinking, feeling and willing - when all of them are engaged in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is called perfect yoga system

2022-04-03T16:36:38Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"Not for a second we can make our mind vacant. That is not possible. So this vacancy, this mind's business"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Krsnadas}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|28Sep12}}
{{last|28Sep12}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=1|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:not For]]
[[Category:Seconds (as in time)]]
[[Category:we Can]]
[[Category:Can Make]]
[[Category:our]]
[[Category:mind]]
[[Category:Vacant]]
[[Category:That Is Not Possible]]
[[Category:Mind's Business]]
[[Category:Thinking, Feeling and Willing]]
[[Category:when]]
[[Category:All Of Them]]
[[Category:Engaging in God's Service]]
[[Category:That is Called...]]
[[Category:Perfection of Yoga]]
[[Category:Perfect System]]
</div>
<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
</div>
<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG71SydneyFebruary161973_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="238" link="Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973">
<div class="heading">Our mind cannot be vacant. We must think of something in the mind. Not for a second we can make our mind vacant. That is not possible. So this vacancy, this mind's business—thinking, feeling and willing—when all of them are engaged in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is called perfect yoga system, or the topmost yoga system.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973|Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">If you want actually peace of your mind or yourself, then you must learn how to love God. Because you are hankering to love the Supreme, but because you have no information of the Supreme, you are placing your love to your body, your society, your country, your family, or if you haven't got anything to love, then you get a dog, cat, and you love it. The loving propensity is there. This is the psychology. Now that loving propensity can attain its perfection, and as soon as you reach that perfectional point, you become happy. This is the formula for happiness. Everyone is trying to become happy, peaceful. That peacefulness, that happiness can be attained only when you increase your attachment or love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are not teaching any kind of faith. There are many different types of faith, so, but unfortunately, maybe due to the slackness of this movement or religious movement, people have lost all faith in religious movement. Maybe there are many reasons. But it cannot be left aside. You cannot give up. If you want actually peace of the mind, peace of yourself, then you must try to love God. That is the only way. Sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.6|SB 1.2.6]]).</p>
<p>So how to love Kṛṣṇa, or God, that is being instructed by Kṛṣṇa. Mayy āsakta. You have to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. When I speak of Kṛṣṇa, you should take it "God," the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, if Supreme Personality of Godhead has got any suitable name, perfect name... God may have many thousands of names, but the most perfect name which we can give to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means "all-attractive." God must be all-attractive. It is not that God is attractive for a certain class of men and not attractive for others. You will find the picture of Kṛṣṇa. Here is Kṛṣṇa's picture, and there are many other pictures also. Here is also. He's attractive to the animals, He's attractive to the trees, He's attractive to the flowers, He's attractive to the water, and what to speak of human beings. He's attractive; therefore His name is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. So if any suitable name can be assigned to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is Kṛṣṇa. That is the verdict of the Vedic literature. Now Kṛṣṇa says, "If you develop your attachment for Me," mayy āsakta-manaḥ pārtha, "My dear Arjuna..." Mayy āsakta-manaḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. It is a yoga, yoga system. You have heard the name of yoga system. There are different kinds of yoga systems, but the foremost and the topmost yoga system is to develop your attachment or constantly being in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is first-class yoga. Yoga actually means to make your connection with the Supreme Lord. That is yoga. Yoga means addition, connect. And viyoga... The opposite word is viyoga. Just like addition and subtraction. Similarly, the yoga, and the opposite word is viyoga, or viyoga. Viyoga means when we are detached from God, and yoga means when we are attached to God. This the two different words. So here it is recommended, yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. It is another practice of yoga, the topmost yoga. In previous to this verse there is another verse,</p>
:yoginām api sarveṣām
:mad-gatenāntarātmanā
:śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
:sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
:([[Vanisource:BG 6.47 (1972)|BG 6.47]])
<p>That is Sixth Chapter. I am speaking from the Seventh Chapter. This Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā concludes with this verse, that yoginām api sarveṣām. There are different types of yogis, but the most important yogi, or the topmost yogi, is he. Who? "Who is always thinking of Me," Kṛṣṇa says. Who is always thinking of God. He's first-class yogi. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā. Yoga means that: always thinking of God. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yogina. The yogi's business is that he's always meditating upon the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is yogi. Mad-gatenāntarātmanā. These are the Vedic version, that dhyānāvasthita. Dhyāna means meditation. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena: just being absorbed in the form of God, Kṛṣṇa. One who is meditating, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā,(?) mind is so trained up that mind cannot think of anything else except God, that is perfection of yoga. Mind..., we, our mind cannot be vacant. We must think of something in the mind. Not for a second we can make our mind vacant. That is not possible. So this vacancy, this mind's business—thinking, feeling and willing—when all of them are engaged in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is called perfect yoga system, or the topmost yoga system.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the impersonalists, they have no idea of the form, form of the Lord. Because they're impersonalist, they do not accept any form of the Lord. But there is the form of the Lord. Form of the Lord, there must be. God is accepted as the supreme father. In Christianity also it is accepted, the supreme father. In every religion He's accepted the supreme person, supreme father, supreme master. So how He can be accepted as imperson? From logical point of view... Just like you are a person, your father is a person, his father is also a person, his father is also a person. Go on, even you do not know your topmost forefather, you know it that he was a person. Similarly, the supreme father, the father of all fathers, how He can be imperson? Logically you cannot conclude. He must be a person. And that is the Vedic version also. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Perfect system

2022-04-03T16:34:49Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"perfect system"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Visnu Murti|Serene}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|07Jul10}}
{{last|08Oct10}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=3|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=7|Con=4|Let=1}}
{{total|15}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Perfect System]]
</div>
<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam" class="section" sec_index="1" parent="compilation" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam"><h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
</div>
<div id="SB_Canto_1" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 1"><h3>SB Canto 1</h3>
</div>
<div id="SB1918_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_1" book="SB" index="334" link="SB 1.9.18" link_text="SB 1.9.18">
<div class="heading">The perfect system of learning is to receive it from authority. The very same system is accepted universally as truth, but only the false arguer speaks against it.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 1.9.18|SB 1.9.18, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">The Vedic system of acquiring knowledge is the deductive process. The Vedic knowledge is received perfectly by disciplic succession from authorities. Such knowledge is never dogmatic, as ill conceived by less intelligent persons. The mother is the authority to verify the identity of the father. She is the authority for such confidential knowledge. Therefore, authority is not dogmatic. In the Bhagavad-gītā this truth is confirmed in the Fourth Chapter ([[Vanisource:BG 4.2 (1972)|BG 4.2]]), and the perfect system of learning is to receive it from authority. The very same system is accepted universally as truth, but only the false arguer speaks against it. For example, modern spacecraft fly in the sky, and when scientists say that they travel to the other side of the moon, men believe these stories blindly because they have accepted the modern scientists as authorities. The authorities speak, and the people in general believe them. But in the case of Vedic truths, they have been taught not to believe. Even if they accept them they give a different interpretation. Each and every man wants a direct perception of Vedic knowledge, but foolishly they deny it. This means that the misguided man can believe one authority, the scientist, but will reject the authority of the Vedas. The result is that people have degenerated.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="SB_Canto_4" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 4"><h3>SB Canto 4</h3>
</div>
<div id="SB42034_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_4" book="SB" index="827" link="SB 4.20.34" link_text="SB 4.20.34">
<div class="heading">The purpose of the Lord's taking birth is to establish devotional service, which is the perfect system of religion, and the purpose of the birth of a devotee is to broadcast the same system of religion, or the bhakti cult, all over the world.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 4.20.34|SB 4.20.34, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">One must understand the transcendental birth of the Lord and the devotee. The purpose of the Lord's taking birth is to establish devotional service, which is the perfect system of religion, and the purpose of the birth of a devotee is to broadcast the same system of religion, or the bhakti cult, all over the world. Pṛthu Mahārāja was an incarnation of the power of the Lord to spread the bhakti cult, and the Lord blessed him to remain fixed in his position. Thus when the King refused to accept any material benediction, the Lord appreciated that refusal very much. Another significant word in this verse is acyuta, which means "infallible." Although the Lord appears in this material world, He is never to be considered one of the conditioned souls, who are all fallible. When the Lord appears, He remains in His spiritual position, uncontaminated by the modes of material nature, and therefore in Bhagavad-gītā the Lord expresses the quality of His appearance as ātma-māyayā, "performed by internal potency." The Lord, being infallible, is not forced by material nature to take birth in this material world.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="SB4283_1" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_4" book="SB" index="1172" link="SB 4.28.3" link_text="SB 4.28.3">
<div class="heading">When both the husband and wife lose their attachment for family and home, the wife returns home to live under the care of her grown-up children and to remain aloof from family affairs. The husband then takes sannyāsa to render some service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the perfect system of civilization. The human form of life is especially meant for God realization.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 4.28.3|SB 4.28.3, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">When both the husband and wife lose their attachment for family and home, the wife returns home to live under the care of her grown-up children and to remain aloof from family affairs. The husband then takes sannyāsa to render some service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the perfect system of civilization. The human form of life is especially meant for God realization. If one is unable to take to the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning of life, he must be trained to accept these principles at the fag end of life. Unfortunately, there is no training even in childhood, nor can one give up his family life even at the end. This is the situation with the city of Purañjana, figuratively described in these verses.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
</div>
<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG29AucklandFebruary211973_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="43" link="Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973">
<div class="heading">According to Vedic system, there should be four classes of men: the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, social order; and spiritual order: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. This is perfect system of human civilization.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973|Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">According to Vedic system, there should be four classes of men: the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, social order; and spiritual order: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. This is perfect system of human civilization. So I shall briefly describe. Brāhmaṇa is compared with the head. Just like you have got your body. In the body there are different departments: the head department, the arms department, the belly department, and the leg department. So to maintain your body fit, you must have all these four departments rightly working. Your brain must work very nicely, your arms must work very nicely, although also the digestive system, intestines, stomach, that must also work very nicely, as well as the legs also must work nicely. Then you are perfectly fit.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG71GainesvilleJuly291971UniversityofFlorida_1" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="231" link="Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971 University of Florida" link_text="Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971 University of Florida">
<div class="heading">Saṅkarṣaṇa expansion: Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa expansion: Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī, Kṣīrodakaśāyī. These are statements. So Kṛṣṇa is the original Viṣṇu, Śyāmasundara. So this is the perfect system.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971 University of Florida|Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971 University of Florida]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So Kṛṣṇa, Śyāmasundara, is the original Viṣṇu. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 10.8 (1972)|BG 10.8]]). Sarvasya means including Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. Everyone. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. So He is the original Viṣṇu. According to śāstra, Vedic literature, He is original Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa, then His first expansion is Baladeva. Baladeva expansion: Saṅkarṣaṇa. Saṅkarṣaṇa expansion: Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa expansion: Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī, Kṣīrodakaśāyī. These are statements. So Kṛṣṇa is the original Viṣṇu, Śyāmasundara. So this is the perfect system. Mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā. "Anyone who is thinking of Kṛṣṇa always within himself, he is first-class yogi." If you want perfection in yoga system, don't be satisfied only by practicing a course of āsana. You have to go further. Actually, the perfection of yoga system means when you are in samādhi, always thinking of the Viṣṇu form of the Lord within your heart, without being disturbed. Therefore the yogis go in a secluded place, and in samādhi they... Controlling all the senses and the mind.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB32514BombayNovember141974_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="436" link="Lecture on SB 3.25.14 -- Bombay, November 14, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 3.25.14 -- Bombay, November 14, 1974">
<div class="heading">It is no longer possible to revive the perfect system, varṇāśrama. Although we are trying to revive, it is not possible. It is very difficult. People are so fallen.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 3.25.14 -- Bombay, November 14, 1974|Lecture on SB 3.25.14 -- Bombay, November 14, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">It is no longer possible to revive the perfect system, varṇāśrama. Although we are trying to revive, it is not possible. It is very difficult. People are so fallen. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 1.1.10|SB 1.1.10]]). They are so disturbed, manda-bhāgyāḥ, unfortunate, and upadrutāḥ, always disturbed. Especially anāvṛṣṭi, durbhikṣa and kara-pīḍita. The people of the Kali-yuga will be very much, I mean to say, harassed by these three things. There will be no rainfall, and... There will be no rainfall, and there, food scarcity and taxation by government, income tax. Income tax is to plunder. If you have got some money, this is the means. So this is all stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. People will be so much harassed that ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā gacchanti giri-kānanam.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB761NewYorkApril91969_1" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="740" link="Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- New York, April 9, 1969" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- New York, April 9, 1969">
<div class="heading">Paramparā system is considered to be perfect system of knowledge. Perfect... I may be imperfect or my disciple may be imperfect, but if you stick to the knowledge coming down from the paramparā system, then I am perfect.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- New York, April 9, 1969|Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- New York, April 9, 1969]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So our, this paramparā system from Lord Caitanya, as we have given account just now, we do not manufacture any knowledge by our fertile brain. We accept knowledge as it is coming down from the supreme authority. That is the process of... That is perfect knowledge. That is perfect knowledge. Just like we receive knowledge from our parents, "This is called lamp, this is called table, this is called book." If you protest against it, "Why shall I call it book? I may call it something else." You can do that, but that is deviation from the knowledge. So paramparā system is considered to be perfect system of knowledge. Perfect... I may be imperfect or my disciple may be imperfect, but if you stick to the knowledge coming down from the paramparā system, then I am perfect. It is so simple, nice thing.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Philosophy_Discussions" class="sub_section" sec_index="13" parent="Lectures" text="Philosophy Discussions"><h3>Philosophy Discussions</h3>
</div>
<div id="PhilosophyDiscussiononSigmundFreud_0" class="quote" parent="Philosophy_Discussions" book="Lec" index="17" link="Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud" link_text="Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud">
<div class="heading">They did not know how things are happening, how human psychology can be controlled. The perfect system is the Vedic system.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud|Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: When you have more sex, then you have no power to beget a male child. When the man is less powerful, a girl is born. When the man is powerful, a boy is born. That is Vedic system. In our country, in (indistinct), there are fewer woman because there the men are very stout and strong. When there is discharge, if the man's discharge is larger, then there is a male child; if the woman's discharge is larger, then there is a female child. So when women will be very easily available, the men will be weak. So what will he beget? He will beget female child, because he has lost his power. Sometimes he becomes impotent. So many desertions. If you don't restrict sex life, there will be so many desertions. And that is happening-impotency, no marriage, woman population more. But they did not know how things are happening, how human psychology can be controlled. The perfect system is the Vedic system.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="PhilosophyDiscussiononMaoTseTung_1" class="quote" parent="Philosophy_Discussions" book="Lec" index="23" link="Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung" link_text="Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung">
<div class="heading">As soon as the tax is realized in terms of pound, shillings, pence, whole difficulty arises. I have produced ten mounds of rice and out of that one-fourth I give to the government or to the king. So I have no anxiety. If I produce twenty mounds, I give one-fourth. If I produce ten mounds, I give one-fourth. If I don't produce I don't give. This is perfect system.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung|Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: That was perfect in Vedic system, that you... The land is supposed to belong to the government or to the king. The king gives you the land that "You make production and give me tax, one-fourth. That's all." So there is no question of profit. If you have produced one kilo, give one-fourth kilo to the king as tax. That is real social system. Actually, according to our Vedic system, everything belongs to God and the king is supposed to be representative of God to manage things. So for his managerial work he requires some money. Therefore I have taken some land for my livelihood. So whatever production is there, I pay one-fourth to the king for management. This is nice system. As soon as the tax is realized in terms of pound, shillings, pence, whole difficulty arises. I have produced ten mounds of rice and out of that one-fourth I give to the government or to the king. So I have no anxiety. If I produce twenty mounds, I give one-fourth. If I produce ten mounds, I give one-fourth. If I don't produce I don't give. This is perfect system.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="PhilosophyDiscussiononMaoTseTung_2" class="quote" parent="Philosophy_Discussions" book="Lec" index="23" link="Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung" link_text="Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung">
<div class="heading">If this system is accepted, then I, if I produce, I give you one-fourth; if I don't produce, I have no anxiety. That is perfect system.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung|Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Śyāmasundara: This Mao Tse Tung believes in using a constant ideological struggle as an accepted...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, no. This ideology has no struggle. Whatever is produced, you pay one-fourth. There is no question of struggle. If I have to pay some fixed tax, ten rupees, for this land I have secured, but if I don't produce, I have no ten rupees, there is struggle. Where I get this ten rupees? Then I have to take loan from somebody else. That brings(?) my anxiety. But if this system is accepted, then I, if I produce, I give you one-fourth; if I don't produce, I have no anxiety. That is perfect system.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
</div>
<div id="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="8" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1975 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1975 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="GardenConversationwithProfessorsJune241975LosAngeles_0" class="quote" parent="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="109" link="Garden Conversation with Professors -- June 24, 1975, Los Angeles" link_text="Garden Conversation with Professors -- June 24, 1975, Los Angeles">
<div class="heading">Just like in your country a young man, he has never learned how to kill and he is drawn in the draft board, "Come on. Go and kill." What he will do? He will hesitate. This is not perfect system. If you want a kṣatriya, you must train them.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Garden Conversation with Professors -- June 24, 1975, Los Angeles|Garden Conversation with Professors -- June 24, 1975, Los Angeles]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Just like Arjuna, he's a kṣatriya. So Kṛṣṇa is criticizing him that "You are a kṣatriya. You have learned how to kill, and now you are hesitating? What is the nonsense?" So kṣatriyas are taught. So they have to rule over. So if required, the demons and the culprit, should immediately cut off his head, duty of the government. So all of a sudden you cannot do that. Just like in your country a young man, he has never learned how to kill and he is drawn in the draft board, "Come on. Go and kill." What he will do? He will hesitate. This is not perfect system. If you want a kṣatriya, you must train them. You must train a class of men as brāhmaṇas. You must train a class of men as kṣatriya and a class of men as agriculturist and cow protection, and balance are workers. That is cātur-varṇyam: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. But the kṣatriya or the president or the secretary, they are sitting very comfortably at our home and some poor young men—"Come on. Go and fight." What is this? What they will fight? They will die there, that's all.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkNovember301975Delhi_1" class="quote" parent="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="252" link="Morning Walk -- November 30, 1975, Delhi" link_text="Morning Walk -- November 30, 1975, Delhi">
<div class="heading">They will have to divert because both, either Chinese or Russian, these are all rascaldom. It is not perfect system.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- November 30, 1975, Delhi|Morning Walk -- November 30, 1975, Delhi]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Then where is equality?</p>
<p>Ambarīṣa: That's why the Chinese and the Russians don't get along. The Chinese say that the Russians have diverted from Marxism.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: They will have to divert because both, either Chinese or Russian, these are all rascaldom. It is not perfect system.</p>
<p>Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: But the chairman of the Russian Communist Party, Mr. Brezhnev, he has about fifteen foreign cars. Each time a foreign dignitary goes, he gives him a special car. So everyone is supposed to be equal, but he is not equal. He has fifteen cars for himself. (break)</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: ...clean city. (break) It is not the same New Delhi as five or ten years before. Huh?</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="9" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1976 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1976 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkMarch161976Mayapura_0" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="54" link="Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura" link_text="Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura">
<div class="heading">Perfect system means from which we do not suffer. That's all.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura|Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: He is not illusioned, he is not a cheater, and he is perfect.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So now you've defined a perfect leader. What is a perfect system? What are the criterion for a perfect system?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Perfect system means from which we do not suffer. That's all.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No suffering.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No suffering.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is the main criterion.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. We are always hankering after happiness. So we do not like suffering. So if there is no suffering, that is perfect system.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Can you point out any time in history when there existed such a perfect system?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: It is always existing.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="InterviewwithNewsweekJuly141976NewYork_1" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="211" link="Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York" link_text="Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York">
<div class="heading">Just like the perfect system: the sun rises from the eastern side. So for millions and trillions of years the system is going on because the system is perfect. It doesn't require change, neither you can change.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York|Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Bali-mardana: In other words the purity is maintained by... The system is perfect to begin with so it remains perfect by being unchanged. If the system is imperfect, you may always be questioning.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. When the system is imperfect, then it has to be changed according to time and circumstance. But if the system is itself perfect, there is no question of... Just like the perfect system: the sun rises from the eastern side. So for millions and trillions of years the system is going on because the system is perfect. It doesn't require change, neither you can change. You cannot ask the sun to rise from the western side. So if the soul is eternal, it does not die or it is slain after the body is finished. But that is eternal fact. Destined in the past present and future, everything.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Correspondence" class="section" sec_index="6" parent="compilation" text="Correspondence"><h2>Correspondence</h2>
</div>
<div id="1969_Correspondence" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Correspondence" text="1969 Correspondence"><h3>1969 Correspondence</h3>
</div>
<div id="LettertoRayaramaLosAngeles20February1969_0" class="quote" parent="1969_Correspondence" book="Let" index="139" link="Letter to Rayarama -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1969" link_text="Letter to Rayarama -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1969">
<div class="heading">I am glad to know that Subala is making good show of business and responsibility, and he is supposed to keep quite accurate accounts of bookkeeping. So you can advise him to follow the system of vouchers. That is the perfect system of account.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Letter to Rayarama -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1969|Letter to Rayarama -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1969]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Regarding your fraternal quarrel, these departmental management sometimes creates such trouble. When I was in New York in the beginning of our activities there was no departmental management. The account was very clearly kept by Gargamuni, corroborated by regular vouchers. That is the true system of keeping accounts. Now whatever is done is done. I am glad to know that Subala is making good show of business and responsibility, and he is supposed to keep quite accurate accounts of bookkeeping. So you can advise him to follow the system of vouchers. That is the perfect system of account.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Perfect system means

2022-04-03T16:32:51Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"Perfect system means"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Rishab}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|29Feb12}}
{{last|29Feb12}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=1|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Perfect System]]
[[Category:Vaniquotes English Dictionary A to Z]]
[[Category:Vaniquotes English Dictionary P-Q-R]]
[[Category:Vaniquotes English Dictionary S-T-U]]

</div>
<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
</div>
<div id="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="9" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1976 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1976 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkMarch161976Mayapura_0" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="54" link="Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura" link_text="Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura">
<div class="heading">Perfect system means from which we do not suffer. That's all.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura|Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So now you've defined a perfect leader. What is a perfect system? What are the criterion for a perfect system?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Perfect system means from which we do not suffer. That's all.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No suffering.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No suffering.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is the main criterion.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. We are always hankering after happiness. So we do not like suffering. So if there is no suffering, that is perfect system.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Can you point out any time in history when there existed such a perfect system?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: It is always existing.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even now?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise why you are sticking to this? This is the proof. You are all young men, you have given up everything. Why you are sticking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness?</p>
<p>Revatinandana: In the West so many young men are joining different groups?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: They may be rascals.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Sudras, the working class, would help the higher three classes by manual labor. This is the perfect social system

2022-04-03T16:31:22Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"Śūdras, the working class, would help the higher three classes by manual labor. This is the perfect social system"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Nirmal}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2020-09-18T08:31:53Z}}
{{last|2020-09-18T08:31:53Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=1|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Laborer Class - Sudra]]
[[Category:Work]]
[[Category:Class]]
[[Category:Would]]
[[Category:Help]]
[[Category:Higher]]
[[Category:Three]]
[[Category:Labor]]
[[Category:This Is]]
[[Category:Perfect System]]
[[Category:Social]]

[[Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 04 Chapter 17 Purports - Maharaja Prthu Becomes Angry at the Earth]]
[[Category:Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 04 Purports]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>SB Canto 4</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
The citizens, being skinny due to hunger, approached the King and informed him that necessary action should be taken. The structure of the varṇāśrama-dharma was so nice that the brāhmaṇas would guide the head of state. The head of state would then give protection to the citizens. The kṣatriyas would take charge of protecting the people in general, and under the protection of the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas would protect the cows, produce food grains and distribute them. Śūdras, the working class, would help the higher three classes by manual labor. This is the perfect social system.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:SB 4.17.9|SB 4.17.9, Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
The great sage Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, at the time King Pṛthu was enthroned by the great sages and brāhmaṇas and declared to be the protector of the citizens, there was a scarcity of food grains. The citizens actually became skinny due to starvation. Therefore they came before the King and informed him of their real situation.
</div>
<div class="text">
Information is given herein concerning the selection of the king by the brāhmaṇas. According to the varṇāśrama system, the brāhmaṇas are considered to be the heads of the society and therefore to be situated in the topmost social position. The varṇāśrama-dharma, the institution of four varṇas and four āśramas, is very scientifically designed. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, varṇāśrama-dharma is not a man-made institution, but is God-made. In this narration it is clearly indicated that the brāhmaṇas used to control the royal power. When an evil king like Vena ruled, the brāhmaṇas would kill him through their brahminical powers and would select a proper ruler by testing his qualifications. In other words, the brāhmaṇas, the intelligent men or great sages, would control the monarchical powers. Here we have an indication of how the brāhmaṇas elected King Pṛthu to the throne as the protector of the citizens. The citizens, being skinny due to hunger, approached the King and informed him that necessary action should be taken. The structure of the varṇāśrama-dharma was so nice that the brāhmaṇas would guide the head of state. The head of state would then give protection to the citizens. The kṣatriyas would take charge of protecting the people in general, and under the protection of the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas would protect the cows, produce food grains and distribute them. Śūdras, the working class, would help the higher three classes by manual labor. This is the perfect social system.
</div>
</div>
</div>

The purpose of the Lord's taking birth is to establish devotional service, which is the perfect system of religion, and the purpose of the birth of a devotee is to broadcast the same system of religion, or the bhakti cult, all over the world

2022-04-03T16:30:43Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"The purpose of the Lord's taking birth is to establish devotional service, which is the perfect system of religion, and the purpose of the birth of a devotee is to broadcast the same system of religion, or the bhakti cult, all over the world"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Serene}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|21Jul13}}
{{last|21Jul13}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=1|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:God's Purpose]]
[[Category:God's Birth]]
[[Category:God Establishes Devotional Service to God]]
[[Category:Which Is]]
[[Category:Perfect System]]
[[Category:Devotional Service to God is the Perfect System of Religion]]
[[Category:Birth]]
[[Category:Purpose of Devotees of God is to Broadcast the Perfect System of Religion]]
[[Category:Purpose of Devotees of God is to Broadcast the Bhakti Cult All Over the World]]
[[Category:Broadcasting the Krsna Consciousness Movement]]
[[Category:Broadcasting Devotional Service to God]]
[[Category:One And The Same]]
[[Category:Bhakti Cult - Devotional Service to God]]
[[Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 04 Chapter 20 Purports - Lord Visnu's Appearance in the Sacrificial Arena of Maharaja Prthu]]
[[Category:Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 04 Purports]]
</div>
<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam" class="section" sec_index="1" parent="compilation" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam"><h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
</div>
<div id="SB_Canto_4" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 4"><h3>SB Canto 4</h3>
</div>
<div id="SB42034_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_4" book="SB" index="827" link="SB 4.20.34" link_text="SB 4.20.34">
<div class="heading">One must understand the transcendental birth of the Lord and the devotee. The purpose of the Lord's taking birth is to establish devotional service, which is the perfect system of religion, and the purpose of the birth of a devotee is to broadcast the same system of religion, or the bhakti cult, all over the world.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 4.20.34|SB 4.20.34, Translation and Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">The great saint Maitreya told Vidura: The Supreme Personality of Godhead amply appreciated the meaningful prayers of Mahārāja Pṛthu. Thus, after being properly worshiped by the King, the Lord blessed him and decided to depart.</p>
</div>
<div class="purport text"><p>Most important in this verse are the words pratinandyārthavad vacaḥ, which indicate that the Lord appreciated the very meaningful prayers of the King. When a devotee prays to the Lord, it is not to ask for material benefits but to ask the Lord for His favor; he prays that he may be engaged in the service of the Lord's lotus feet birth after birth. Lord Caitanya therefore uses the words mama janmani janmani, which mean "birth after birth," because a devotee is not even interested in stopping the repetition of birth. The Lord and the devotee appear in this material world birth after birth, but such births are transcendental. In the Fourth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā the Lord informed Arjuna that both He and Arjuna had undergone many, many births previously, but the Lord remembered everything about them whereas Arjuna had forgotten. The Lord and His confidential devotees appear many times to fulfill the Lord's mission, but since such births are transcendental, they are not accompanied by the miserable conditions of material birth, and they are therefore called divya, transcendental.</p>
<p>One must understand the transcendental birth of the Lord and the devotee. The purpose of the Lord's taking birth is to establish devotional service, which is the perfect system of religion, and the purpose of the birth of a devotee is to broadcast the same system of religion, or the bhakti cult, all over the world. Pṛthu Mahārāja was an incarnation of the power of the Lord to spread the bhakti cult, and the Lord blessed him to remain fixed in his position. Thus when the King refused to accept any material benediction, the Lord appreciated that refusal very much. Another significant word in this verse is acyuta, which means "infallible." Although the Lord appears in this material world, He is never to be considered one of the conditioned souls, who are all fallible. When the Lord appears, He remains in His spiritual position, uncontaminated by the modes of material nature, and therefore in Bhagavad-gītā the Lord expresses the quality of His appearance as ātma-māyayā, "performed by internal potency." The Lord, being infallible, is not forced by material nature to take birth in this material world. He appears in order to reestablish the perfect order of religious principles and to vanquish the demoniac influence in human society.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead; no one can excel You, nor can anyone come up to an equal level with You. The perfect social system is that in which You remain in the center, being served as the Supreme

2022-04-03T16:27:22Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead; no one can excel You, nor can anyone come up to an equal level with You. The perfect social system is that in which You remain in the center, being served as the Supreme"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Mayapur}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|19Jun12}}
{{last|19Jun12}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=1|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Krsna Is The Supreme Personality of Godhead]]
[[Category:No One Can Excel Krsna]]
[[Category:Anyone]]
[[Category:Come Up]]
[[Category:No One Is Equal to Krsna]]
[[Category:With You]]
[[Category:Perfect System]]
[[Category:Social]]
[[Category:That In]]
[[Category:In Which]]
[[Category:Krsna's Remaining]]
[[Category:Krsna Is The Center]]
[[Category:Being]]
[[Category:Serving Krsna]]
[[Category:Krsna Is Supreme]]
[[Category:Krsna Book Chapter 60 - Talks Between Krsna and Rukmini]]
[[Category:Krsna Book Chapters 01 to 90]]
</div>
<div id="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" class="section" sec_index="3" parent="compilation" text="Other Books by Srila Prabhupada"><h2>Other Books by Srila Prabhupada</h2>
</div>
<div id="Krsna_The_Supreme_Personality_of_Godhead" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" text="Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead"><h3>Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead</h3>
</div>
<div id="KB60_0" class="quote" parent="Krsna,_The_Supreme_Personality_of_Godhead" book="OB" index="64" link="KB 60" link_text="Krsna Book 60">
<div class="heading">Rukminī said to Kṛṣṇa: "You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead; no one can excel You, nor can anyone come up to an equal level with You. The perfect social system is that in which You remain in the center, being served as the Supreme, and all others engage as Your servitors. In such a perfectly constructed society, everyone can remain eternally happy and blissful."
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:KB 60|Krsna Book 60]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">"My dear Lord, You have stated that a marriage between persons equal in social standing, beauty, riches, strength, influence and renunciation can be a suitable match. But this status of life can be possible only by Your grace. You are the supreme perfectional source of all opulences. Whatever opulent status one may have is all derived from You. As described in the Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 1.1.1|SB 1.1.1]])—You are the supreme source from which everything emanates, the reservoir of all pleasures. Therefore, persons endowed with knowledge desire only to achieve You, and nothing else. To achieve Your favor, they give up everything—even the transcendental realization of Brahman. You are the supreme, ultimate goal of life. You are the reservoir of all interests of the living entities. Those who are actually well motivated desire only You, and for this reason they give up everything to attain success. They therefore deserve to associate with You. In the society of the servitors and served in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one is not subjected to the pains and pleasures of material society, which functions according to sex attraction. Therefore everyone, whether man or woman, should seek to be an associate in Your society of servitors and served. You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead; no one can excel You, nor can anyone come up to an equal level with You. The perfect social system is that in which You remain in the center, being served as the Supreme, and all others engage as Your servitors. In such a perfectly constructed society, everyone can remain eternally happy and blissful.</p>
<p>"My Lord, You have stated that only the beggars praise Your glories, and that is also perfectly correct. But who are those beggars? Those beggars are all exalted devotees, liberated personalities and those in the renounced order of life. They are all great souls and devotees who have no other business than to glorify You. Such great souls forgive even the worst offenders. These so-called beggars execute their spiritual advancement in life, tolerating all tribulations in the material world. My dear husband, do not think that I accepted You as my husband out of my inexperience; actually, I followed all these great souls. I followed the path of these great beggars and decided to surrender my life unto Your lotus feet."</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

This awakening of divine consciousness enthralls a devotee, who thus relishes his eternal transcendental mellow. Such an awakening is awarded only to those convinced by devotional service about the transcendental nature of the Personality of Godhead

2022-03-31T14:52:03Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"This awakening of divine consciousness enthralls a devotee, who thus relishes his eternal transcendental mellow. Such an awakening is awarded only to those convinced by devotional service about the transcendental nature of the Personality of Godhead"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Nirmal}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2021-02-13T14:32:08Z}}
{{last|2021-02-13T14:32:08Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=1|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Awakening]]
[[Category:Divine Consciousness]]
[[Category:Consciousness of a Devotee of God]]
[[Category:Relish]]
[[Category:Transcendental Mellows]]
[[Category:Awakened Devotees of God]]
[[Category:Awarding Devotees of God]]
[[Category:Convinced about God]]
[[Category:God's Transcendental Nature]]
[[Category:Personality of Godhead]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila Chapter 01 Purports - The Spiritual Masters]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila Purports]]
[[Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 62 Chapters, All Purports]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>CC Adi-lila</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
The Lord declares that by enlightenment in theistic knowledge He awards attachment for Him to those who constantly engage in His transcendental loving service. This awakening of divine consciousness enthralls a devotee, who thus relishes his eternal transcendental mellow. Such an awakening is awarded only to those convinced by devotional service about the transcendental nature of the Personality of Godhead.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:CC Adi 1.49|CC Adi 1.49, Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
“To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.”
</div>
<div class="text">
This verse of the Bhagavad-gītā ([[Vanisource:BG 10.10 (1972)|BG 10.10]]) clearly states how Govindadeva instructs His bona fide devotee. The Lord declares that by enlightenment in theistic knowledge He awards attachment for Him to those who constantly engage in His transcendental loving service. This awakening of divine consciousness enthralls a devotee, who thus relishes his eternal transcendental mellow. Such an awakening is awarded only to those convinced by devotional service about the transcendental nature of the Personality of Godhead. They know that the Supreme Truth, the all-spiritual and all-powerful person, is one without a second and has fully transcendental senses. He is the fountainhead of all emanations. Such pure devotees, always merged in knowledge of Kṛṣṇa and absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, exchange thoughts and realizations as great scientists exchange their views and discuss the results of their research in scientific academies. Such exchanges of thoughts in regard to Kṛṣṇa give pleasure to the Lord, who therefore favors such devotees with all enlightenment.
</div>
</div>
</div>

Various agents of the external energy make explicit propaganda to try to root out the very seed of DC. But this is impossible to do, because although circumstances may choke up a living being's divine consciousness for the time being, it cannot be killed

2022-03-31T14:45:24Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"Various agents of the external energy make explicit propaganda to try to root out the very seed of divine consciousness. But this is impossible to do, because although circumstances may choke up a living being's divine consciousness for the time being, it cannot be killed"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Nabakumar}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2021-12-17T03:37:30Z}}
{{last|2021-12-17T03:37:30Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=1|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Various]]
[[Category:Agents]]
[[Category:External Energy]]
[[Category:Make]]
[[Category:Explicitly]]
[[Category:Propaganda]]
[[Category:Try To]]
[[Category:Root]]
[[Category:Out]]
[[Category:Very]]
[[Category:Seed]]
[[Category:Divine Consciousness]]
[[Category:This Is]]
[[Category:Impossible]]
[[Category:Because]]
[[Category:Although]]
[[Category:Circumstances]]
[[Category:May (Might)]]
[[Category:Choking]]
[[Category:Living Beings]]
[[Category:For The Time Being]]
[[Category:Cannot Be]]
[[Category:Kill]]
[[Category:Mukunda-mala-stotra Chapters 01 to 06]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Other Books by Srila Prabhupada</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>Mukunda-mala-stotra (mantras 1 to 6 only)</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
Modern civilization promotes such a life of forgetfulness, with an improved economic condition for eating and so on. Various agents of the external energy make explicit propaganda to try to root out the very seed of divine consciousness. But this is impossible to do, because although circumstances may choke up a living being's divine consciousness for the time being, it cannot be killed. In his original identity the living entity is indestructible, and so also are his original spiritual qualities.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:MM 3|Mukunda-mala-stotra mantra 3, Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
O Lord Mukunda! I bow down my head to Your Lordship and respectfully ask You to fulfill this one desire of mine: that in each of my future births I will, by Your Lordship's mercy, always remember and never forget Your lotus feet.
</div>
<div class="text">
The world in which we live is a miserable place. It is, so to speak, a prison house for the spirit soul. Just as a prisoner cannot move or enjoy life fully, so the living entities who have been conditioned by the laws of material nature cannot experience their actual ever-joyful nature. They cannot have any freedom, because they must suffer four principal miseries — birth, old age, disease, and death. The laws of material nature impose this punishment upon the living entities who have forgotten the Lord and who are busy making plans for lasting happiness in this desert of distress.

By the mercy of the Lord, the pure devotee knows all this very well. Indeed, his whole philosophy of life is based on this understanding. Advancement of knowledge means to understand the naked truth of this world and to not be deluded by the temporary beauty of this phantasmagoria.

The material nature is not at all beautiful, for it is an "imitation peacock." The real peacock is a different thing, and one must have the sense to understand this. Those who are mad after capturing and enjoying the imitation peacock, as well as those who have a pessimistic view of the imitation peacock but lack any positive information of the real peacock — both are illusioned by the modes of material nature. Those who are after the imitation peacock are the fruitive workers, and those who simply condemn the imitation peacock but are ignorant of the real peacock are the empiric philosophers. Disgusted with the mirage of happiness in the material desert, they seek to merge into voidness.

But a pure devotee does not belong to either of these two bewildered classes. Neither aspiring to enjoy the imitation peacock nor condemning it out of disgust, he seeks the real peacock. Thus he is unlike either the deluded fruitive worker or the baffled empiricist. He is above these servants of material nature because he prefers to serve the Lord, the master of material nature. He seeks the substance and does not wish to give it up. The substance is the lotus feet of Mukunda, and King Kulaśekhara, being a most intelligent devotee, prays to gain that substance and not the shadow.

A pure devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa, or Mukunda, is not at all afraid of any circumstance that may befall him. Despite all difficulties, therefore, such a pure devotee asks nothing from the Lord on his own account. He is not at all afraid if by chance he has to visit the hellish worlds, nor is he eager to enter the kingdom of heaven. For him both these kingdoms are like castles in the air. He is not concerned with either of them, and this is very nicely expressed by King Kulaśekhara in Text 6.

A pure devotee of the Lord like King Kulaśekhara does not pray to God for material wealth, followers, a beautiful wife, or any such imitation peacocks, for he knows the real value of such things. And if by circumstance he is placed in a situation where he possesses such things, he does not try to artificially get out of it by condemnation.

Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, a great associate of Lord Caitanya's, was a very rich man's son who had a beautiful wife and all other opulences. When he first met Lord Caitanya at Pāṇihāṭi, a village about forty miles from Calcutta, Raghunātha dāsa asked permission from the Lord to leave his material connections and accompany Him. The Lord refused to accept this proposal and instructed Raghunātha dāsa that it is useless to leave worldly connections out of sentimentality or artificial renunciation. One must have the real thing at heart. If one finds himself entangled in worldly connections, one should behave outwardly like a worldly man but remain inwardly faithful for spiritual realization. That will help one on the progressive march of life. Nobody can cross over the big ocean in a sudden jump. What was possible for Hanumān by the grace of Lord Rāma is not possible for an ordinary man. So to cross the ocean of illusion one should patiently cultivate devotion to the Lord, and in this way one can gradually reach the other side.

Although a pure devotee does not bother himself about what is going to happen next in his material situation, he is always alert not to forget his ultimate aim. King Kulaśekhara therefore prays that he may not forget the lotus feet of the Lord at any time.

To forget one's relationship with the Lord and thus to remain overwhelmed by material hankerings is the most condemned mode of life. This is exactly the nature of animal life. When the living entity is born in a species of lower animals, he completely forgets his relationship with the Lord and therefore remains always busy in the matter of eating, sleeping, fearing, and mating. Modern civilization promotes such a life of forgetfulness, with an improved economic condition for eating and so on. Various agents of the external energy make explicit propaganda to try to root out the very seed of divine consciousness. But this is impossible to do, because although circumstances may choke up a living being's divine consciousness for the time being, it cannot be killed. In his original identity the living entity is indestructible, and so also are his original spiritual qualities. One can kill neither the spirit soul nor his spiritual qualities. To remember the Lord and desire to serve Him are the spiritual qualities of the spirit soul. One can curb down these spiritual qualities by artificial means, but they will be reflected in a perverted way on the mirror of material existence. The spiritual quality of serving the Lord out of transcendental affinity will be pervertedly reflected as love for wine, women, and wealth in different forms. The so-called love of material things — even love for one's country, community, religion, or family, which is accepted as a superior qualification for civilized human beings — is simply a perverted reflection of the love of Godhead dormant in every soul. The position of King Kulaśekhara is therefore the position of a liberated soul, because he does not want to allow his genuine love of God to become degraded into so-called love for material things.

The words bhave bhave are very significant here. They mean "birth after birth." Unlike the jñānīs, who aspire to merge with the impersonal Absolute and thereby stop the process of repeatedly taking birth, a pure devotee is never afraid of this process. In the Bhagavad-gītā ([[Vanisource:BG 4.9|4.9]]) Lord Kṛṣṇa says that His birth and deeds are all divyam, transcendental. In the same chapter ([[Vanisource:BG 4.5|BG 4.5]]) the Lord says that both He and Arjuna had had many, many previous births, but that while the Lord could remember all of them, Arjuna could not. For the Lord there is no difference between past, present, and future, but for the living being who has forgotten the Lord there is a difference, on account of his being forgetful of the past and ignorant of the future. But a living entity who always remembers the Lord and is thus His constant companion is as transcendentally situated as the Lord Himself. For such a devotee birth and death are one and the same, because he knows that such occurrences are only ephemeral flashes that do not affect his spiritual existence.

We may use a crude example to illustrate the difference between a devotee's death and an ordinary man's death. In her mouth the cat captures both her offspring and her prey, the rat. Such capturings may appear the same, but there is a vast difference between them. While the rat is being carried in the cat's mouth, his sensation is poles apart from that of the cat's offspring. For the rat the capture is a painful death strike, while for the offspring it is a pleasurable caress.

Similarly, the death of an ordinary man is vastly different from a devotee's passing away from the active scene of material existence. The death of an ordinary man occurs against the background of his past good and evil deeds, which determine his next birth. But for a devotee the case is different. Even if the devotee has failed to perfect his devotional service, he is guaranteed to take birth in a good family — a family of learned and devoted brāhmaṇas or a family of rich vaiśyas (merchants). A person who takes birth in such a family has a good chance to practice devotional service and improve his spiritual condition.

Unfortunately, in this iron age the members of well-to-do families generally misuse their wealth. Instead of improving their spiritual condition, they are misled by faulty association and fall victim to sensuality. To be saved from this faulty association, King Kulaśekhara prays fervently to the Lord that he may never forget His lotus feet in any future birth. A devotee who perfects his devotional service certainly goes back to Godhead without a doubt, so for him there is no question of birth or death. And, as mentioned above, a devotee who does not achieve complete perfection is guaranteed to take his birth in a learned and well-to-do family. But even if a devotee is not given the advantage of good parentage, if he can attain the benediction of always remembering the lotus feet of the Lord, that is greater than any number of material assets. Constant remembrance of the Lord's name, fame, qualities, and so on automatically nullifies the reactions of all vices and invokes the blessings of the Lord. This constant remembrance of the lotus feet of the Lord is possible only when one engages in His active service.

A pure devotee therefore never asks the Lord for wealth, followers, or even a beautiful wife. He simply prays for uninterrupted engagement in the Lord's service. That should be the motto of life for all prospective students in devotional service.
</div>
</div>
</div>

If you keep divine association, then your consciousness is made divine

2022-03-31T14:45:06Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"If you keep divine association, then your consciousness is made divine"}}
{{1080 videos navigation|When we accept any self-realization process, it is practically declaring war against the illusory energy, maya|0688|God is pure, and His kingdom is also pure, and anyone who wants to enter there, he must be pure also|0690}}
[[:Vanipedia:Category:Prabhupada 0689 - in all Languages|''' This page has been translated in many languages.''']]
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Rishab}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|11Apr14}}
{{last|11Apr14}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=1|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:If We (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Keeping Ourselves (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Divine Consciousness]]
[[Category:Our Association (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Our (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Our Consciousness (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Made]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1966 - 1977]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1969]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, Bhagavad-gita As It Is]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - in USA, Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Pages with Videos]]
[[Category:Yoga System Bhagavad-gita Chapter 6|8c]]
[[Category:Characteristics of Creation - videos‎]]
[[Category:Describing Human Society - videos]]
[[Category:Direct Instruction to Disciples – videos]]
[[Category:Transmigration of the Soul - videos‎]]
[[Category:Acting in Proper Consciousness - videos]]
</div>
<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
</div>
<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG63545LosAngelesFebruary201969_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="220" link="Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969" link_text="Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969">
<div class="heading">If you want divine life, if you want spiritual elevation back to Godhead, back to home, that means eternal life, blissful life, full of knowledge, then we have to train ourselves in divine consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That you can very easily do by association. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 2.62 (1972)|BG 2.62]]). If you keep divine association, then your consciousness is made divine. And if you keep hellish association, demonic association, then your consciousness is trained up in that way.
</div>
{{youtube_right|NG2bY7r63A0|If You Keep Divine Association, Then Your Consciousness is Made Divine <br/>- Prabhupāda 0689}}
<mp3player>https://s3.amazonaws.com/vanipedia/clip/690220BG-LA_Clip3.mp3</mp3player>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969|Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Devotee: "By virtue of the divine consciousness of his previous life, he automatically becomes attached to the yogic principles - even without seeking them. Such an inquisitive transcendentalist, striving for yoga, stands always above the ritualistic principles of the scriptures ([[Vanisource:BG 6.44 (1972)|BG 6.44]])."</p>
<p>Prabhupada: Yes.</p>
<p>Devotee: "But when the yogi..." </p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, let me explain this. "By virtue of divine consciousness." We are preparing this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, divine consciousness. And the consciousness will go. Just like the flavor, the aroma of a rose flower is carried by the air and if the air passes through us we also experience the rose flavor. Similarly, when we die, this material body is finished. "Dust thou art, dust thou beist." This is made of five elements: earth, water, air, fire, ether. So the… So far earthy materials are concerned, that is mixed up. Somebody burns this body, somebody buries, or somebody throws it for being eaten by the animals. The three system in the human society. Just like in India, Hindus, they burn the body. So the body comes, transformed into ashes - means earth. Ash means earth. Those who are burying the bodies of their forefathers, the body turns into dust, as the Christian Bible says, "dust thou art." This body is dust and again turns into dust. And those who are throwing for being eaten by the animals and birds, vultures, just like in India you have got the community, Parsee community. They do not burn, neither they bury. They throw, and the vultures immediately comes and eat. Then the body turns into stool. </p>
<p>So either it will turn into ashes, or into dust, or into stool. This beautiful body, which you are soaping so nicely, it will turn into three stages, stool, ashes, or dust. So the finer elements - means mind, intelligence and ego - that is, altogether it is called consciousness. That will carry you, the spirit soul, small particle of spirit. That will be carried by these three finer elements: mind, intelligence and ego. And according to the… Just like the flavor, if it is rose flavor aroma, you enjoy, "Oh it is very nice." But it is filthy flavor, passing through stool or any other filthy place and you say, "Oh, it is very bad smell." So this consciousness will carry you either in a stool smell or rose flavor, according to your work, as you make your consciousness. So if you make your consciousness, train your consciousness into Kṛṣṇa, then it will carry you to Kṛṣṇa. This is not very difficult to understand. You cannot see the air but you can experience by smelling. "Oh the air is passing through like this." Similarly, these different kinds of body are developed according to the consciousness. </p>
<p>So if you have trained up your consciousness to the yogic principle, then you get a body, similar body. You get good chance, you get good parents, good family where you'll be allowed to practice this system, and automatically you'll get chance again to revive your same consciousness in which you left your previous body. That is explained here. By virtue of divine consciousness. Therefore our present duty is how to make the consciousness divine. That should be our business. If you want divine life, if you want spiritual elevation back to Godhead, back to home, that means eternal life, blissful life, full of knowledge, then we have to train ourselves in divine consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That you can very easily do by association. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 2.62 (1972)|BG 2.62]]). If you keep divine association, then your consciousness is made divine. And if you keep hellish association, demonic association, then your consciousness is trained up in that way. </p>
<p>So we have to train our consciousness, divine. That is the duty of human form of life. If we make our consciousness divine, then we are preparing for next divine life. As there are different grades of life, so human form of life is a chance to make your next life completely divine. Completely divine means eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. So automatically, by divine consciousness, you’ll try to contact with persons who are developing divine consciousness. So this is explained in this verse. Go on.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

The Supreme Father does not forget His rebellious sons. He creates scriptures for them like the Vedas and Puranas in order to revive their lost relationship with Him and awaken their divine consciousness

2022-03-31T14:41:09Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"the Supreme Father does not forget His rebellious sons. He creates scriptures for them like the Vedas and Purāṇas in order to revive their lost relationship with Him and awaken their divine consciousness"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Nabakumar}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2021-12-10T16:25:58Z}}
{{last|2021-12-10T16:25:58Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=1|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Supreme Father]]
[[Category:God Does Not]]
[[Category:God's Forgetfulness]]
[[Category:Rebellious]]
[[Category:Son of God]]
[[Category:God's Creation]]
[[Category:Scripture]]
[[Category:Likeness]]
[[Category:Vedas]]
[[Category:Puranas]]
[[Category:In Order To]]
[[Category:Revive]]
[[Category:Their]]
[[Category:Lost Relationship with God]]
[[Category:Awakening]]
[[Category:Divine Consciousness]]
[[Category:Mukunda-mala-stotra Chapters 01 to 06]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Other Books by Srila Prabhupada</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>Mukunda-mala-stotra (mantras 1 to 6 only)</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
A father is naturally inclined to act for the good of his son, and when the father chastises his son, that chastisement is also mixed with affection. Similarly, all the living entities who have lost their place in paradise due to disobedience to the Supreme Father are put into the hands of the material energy to undergo a prison life of the threefold miseries. Yet the Supreme Father does not forget His rebellious sons. He creates scriptures for them like the Vedas and Purāṇas in order to revive their lost relationship with Him and awaken their divine consciousness. Intelligent persons take advantage of the knowledge contained in these scriptures and thus attain the highest perfection of life.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:MM 1|Mukunda-mala-stotra mantra 1, Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
O Mukunda, my Lord! Please let me become a constant reciter of Your names, addressing You as Śrī-vallabha ("He who is very dear to Lakṣmī"), Varada ("the bestower of benedictions"), Dayāpara ("He who is causelessly merciful"), Bhakta-priya ("He who is very dear to His devotees"), Bhava-luṇṭhana-kovida ("He who is expert at plundering the status quo of repeated birth and death"), Nātha ("the Supreme Lord"), Jagan-nivāsa ("the resort of the cosmos"), and Nāga-śayana ("the Lord who lies down on the serpent bed").
</div>
<div class="text">
A devotee of Godhead is he who glorifies the Personality of Godhead under the dictation of transcendental ecstasy. This ecstasy is a by-product of profound love for the Supreme, which is itself attained by the process of glorification. In this age of quarrel and fighting, the process of chanting and glorification recommended here by King Kulaśekhara is the only way to attain perfection.

Persons who are infected with the disease of material attachment and who suffer from the pangs of repeated birth and death cannot relish such recitation of the Lord's glories, just as a person suffering from jaundice cannot relish the taste of sugar candy. By nature sugar candy is as sweet as anything, but to a patient suffering from jaundice it tastes as bitter as anything. Still, sugar candy is the best medicine for jaundice. By regular treatment with doses of sugar candy, one can gradually get relief from the infection of jaundice, and when the patient is perfectly cured, the same sugar candy that tasted bitter to him regains its natural sweetness.

In the same way, glorification of the transcendental name, fame, attributes, pastimes, and entourage of the Personality of Godhead tastes bitter to those who are suffering from the infection of material consciousness, but it is very sweet to those who have recovered from this infection.

All mundane philosophers, religionists, and people in general, who are constantly suffering from the threefold miseries of material existence, can get freedom from all such troubles simply by chanting and glorifying the holy name, fame, and pastimes of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord, the Absolute Truth, is all spirit, and therefore His name, fame, and pastimes are nondifferent from Him. All of them are identical. In other words, the holy name of the Lord is the Lord Himself, and this can be understood by realization. By chanting the holy names of the Lord, which are innumerable, one can actually associate with the Lord personally, and by such constant personal touch with the all-spiritual Lord, one will become spiritually self-realized. This process of self-realization is very suitable for the fallen souls of this age, when life is short and when people are slow in understanding the importance of spiritual realization, prone to be misled by false association and false spiritual masters, unfortunate in every respect, and continuously disturbed by innumerable material problems.

King Kulaśekhara, an ideal pure devotee of the Lord, shows us by his own realization how to offer prayers to the Lord. Since he is a mahā-jana, an authority in the line of devotional service, it is our prime duty to follow in his footsteps in order to achieve the highest devotional platform.

He first addresses the Lord as Śrī-vallabha, "He who is very dear to Lakṣmī." The Lord is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and His consort, Lakṣmī, is a manifestation of His internal potency. By expanding His internal potency, the Lord enjoys His spiritual paraphernalia. In the highest spiritual realization, therefore, the Lord is not impersonal or void, as empiric philosophers conceive Him to be. Although He is not of the material world, He is much more than simply a negation of material variegatedness. He is positively the supreme enjoyer of spiritual variegatedness, of which Lakṣmī, the internal potency, is the fountainhead.

King Kulaśekhara next addresses the Lord as Varada, "the bestower of benedictions," because it is He alone who can deliver to us the actual substance — spiritual bliss. When we detach ourselves from His association, we are always in the midst of want and scarcity, but as soon as we get in touch with Him, our gradual endowment with all bliss begins. The first installment of this bliss is the clearance of the layer of dust that has accumulated in our hearts due to millions of years of material association. As soon as the dust of materialism is brushed aside, the clear mirror of the heart reflects the presence of the Lord. And as soon as we see Him we are automatically freed from all kinds of aspirations and frustrations. In that liberated state, everything is blissful in relation with the Lord, and one has no desires to fulfill and nothing to lament over. Thus, following the benediction, full spiritual bliss comes upon us, ushering in full knowledge, full life, and full satisfaction with our whole existence.

King Kulaśekhara next addresses the Lord as Dayāpara, "He who is causelessly merciful," because there is no one but the Lord who can be a causelessly merciful friend to us. He is therefore also called Dīna-bandhu, "the friend of the needy." Unfortunately, at times of need we seek our friends in the mundane world, not knowing that one needy man cannot help another. No mundane man is full in every respect; even a man possessing the greatest riches is himself needy if he is devoid of a relationship with the Lord. Everything is zero without the Lord, who is the digit that transforms zero into ten, two zeros into one hundred, three zeros into one thousand, and so on. Thus a "zero man" cannot become happy without the association of the Lord, the supreme "1."

The supreme "1" always wants to make our zero efforts valuable by His association, just as a loving father always wants an unhappy son to be in a prosperous position. A rebellious son, however, stubbornly refuses the cooperation of the loving father and thus suffers all sorts of miseries. The Lord, therefore, sends His bona fide representatives to all parts of the material creation, and sometimes He even comes Himself to reclaim His fallen sons. For this purpose He also exhibits the actual life in the transcendental world, which is characterized by relationships with Him in servitorship, friendship, parenthood, and consorthood. All relationships in the material world are but perverted reflections of these original relationships. In the mundane world we experience only the shadow of the reality, which exists in the spiritual world.

The all-merciful Lord is always mindful of our difficulties in the mundane world, and He is more eager to get us to return home, back to Godhead, than we are eager to go. He is by nature merciful toward us, despite our rebellious attitude. Even in our rebellious condition we get all our necessities from Him, such as food, air, light, water, warmth, and coolness. Yet because we have detached ourselves from Him, we simply mismanage this paternal property. The leaders of society, despite all their materialistic plans, are misleaders, for they have no plan to revive our lost relationship with the Lord. His bona fide devotees, however, try their utmost to broadcast the message of our transcendental relationship with Him. In this way the devotees work to remind the fallen souls of their actual position and to bring them back home, back to Godhead. Such stainless servants of Godhead are very dear to Him. They receive such special favor from the Lord for their compassionate work that they can even go back to Godhead in this very lifetime and not be forced to take another birth.

The Lord is therefore next addressed as Bhakta-priya, meaning "He who is very dear to His devotees" or "He who is very affectionate to His devotees." In the Bhagavad-gītā ([[Vanisource:BG 9.29|9.29]]) the Lord very nicely describes His sublime and transcendental affection for His devotees. There the Lord declares that although He is undoubtedly equally kind to all living beings — because all of them are part and parcel of Him and are His spiritual sons — those who are especially attached to Him by love and affection, who regard nothing dearer than Him, are particularly dear to Him.

An example of such a pure devotee is Lord Jesus Christ, who agreed to be mercilessly crucified rather than give up preaching on behalf of God. He was never prepared to compromise on the issue of believing in God. Such a son of God cannot be other than dear to the Lord. Similarly, when Ṭhākura Haridāsa was told to give up chanting the holy name of God, he refused to do so, with the result that he was flogged in twenty-two marketplaces. And Prahlāda Mahārāja persisted in disagreeing with his father, the great atheist Hiraṇyakaśipu, and thus voluntarily accepted the cruelties his father inflicted upon him. These are some examples of renowned devotees of the Lord, and we should simply try to understand how dear such devotees are to Him.

The Lord has emphatically declared that no one can vanquish His devotee under any circumstances. A good example is Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. When the great mystic yogī Durvāsā deliberately attempted to take the life of Ambarīṣa, the Lord suitably punished Durvāsā, even though he was a powerful yogī who could approach all the demigods and even the Lord Himself.

Sometimes, even at the risk of having to cross many stumbling blocks, a devotee relinquishes all family connections and homely comforts for the Lord's service. Can the Lord forget all these sacrifices of His bona fide devotee? No, not even for a moment, for the relationship between the Lord and His devotee is reciprocal, as He clearly says in the Bhagavad-gītā ([[Vanisource:BG 9.29|9.29]]): "Whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend — is in Me — and I am also a friend to him."

A devotee is never as eager to see the Lord as he is to render service to Him. Yet the Lord does appear before His devotee, for He is just like an affectionate father, who is more eager to see his son than the son is to see him. There is no contradiction in such a quantitative difference in affection. Such a disparity exists in the original reality — between the Lord and His devotees — and is reflected here not only in the relations between parents and children in human society but even in the animal kingdom. Parental affection is exhibited even among lower animals because originally such affection in its fullness exists in God, the original father of all species of living beings. When a man kills an animal, God, the affectionate father, is perturbed and is pained at heart. Thus the slaughterer of the animal is suitably punished by the material energy, just as a murderer is punished by the government through police action.

By the mercy of the Lord, a devotee develops all the good qualities of God, for a devotee can never remain in the darkness of ignorance. A father is always anxious to impart knowledge and experience to his son, but the son can choose whether to accept such instructions. A submissive devotee becomes automatically enlightened in all the intricacies of knowledge because the Lord, from within, dissipates his ignorance with the self-illumined lamp of wisdom. If the Lord Himself instructs the devotee, how can he remain foolish like the mundane wranglers?

A father is naturally inclined to act for the good of his son, and when the father chastises his son, that chastisement is also mixed with affection. Similarly, all the living entities who have lost their place in paradise due to disobedience to the Supreme Father are put into the hands of the material energy to undergo a prison life of the threefold miseries. Yet the Supreme Father does not forget His rebellious sons. He creates scriptures for them like the Vedas and Purāṇas in order to revive their lost relationship with Him and awaken their divine consciousness. Intelligent persons take advantage of the knowledge contained in these scriptures and thus attain the highest perfection of life.

For His devotees, the Lord personally descends to this world to give them relief and save them from the insane acts of miscreants. It is foolish to try to impose the limits of an ordinary living being upon the unlimited potency of Godhead and obstinately maintain that the Supreme Lord cannot descend. To mitigate His devotees' material pangs, He descends as He is, yet He is not infected by material qualities.

As soon as a person agrees to surrender unto the Lord, the Lord takes complete charge of him. Satisfied with the activities of such a devotee, He gives him instruction from within, and thus the devotee becomes pure and advances on the path back to Godhead. The Lord is expert at guiding such a pure devotee, who is not at all anxious for material superiority. A pure devotee does not wish to possess material wealth, nor does he want to have a great following, nor does he desire a beautiful wife, for by the mercy of the Lord he knows the insignificance of material happiness. What he very sincerely desires at heart is to continue in the loving service of the Lord, even at the risk of taking birth again.

When a neophyte devotee deviates from the path of pure devotion and wants to simultaneously enjoy sense gratification and discharge devotional service, the all-merciful Lord very tactfully corrects the bewildered devotee by exhibiting before him the real nature of this material world. In the material world all relationships are actually mercenary but are covered by an illusory curtain of so-called love and affection. The so-called wives and husbands, parents and children, and masters and servants are all concerned with reciprocal material profit. As soon as the shroud of illusion is removed, the dead body of material so-called love and affection is at once manifest to the naked eye.

The Lord expertly removes the shroud of illusion for the neophyte devotee by depriving him of his material assets, and thus the devotee finds himself alone in the midst of his so-called relatives. In this helpless condition he experiences the awkwardness of his so-called relationships with his so-called wife and children. When a man is financially ruined, no one loves him, not even his wife or children. Such a poverty-stricken devotee more perfectly fixes his faith in the Lord, and the Lord then delivers him from the fate of frustration.

The entire cosmic creation is the Lord's expert arrangement for the delusion of the living beings who try to be false enjoyers. The living being's constitutional position is to be a servant of the Lord, but in the transcendental relationship the servant and the Lord are in one sense identical, for the Lord also serves the servant. The typical example is Śrī Kṛṣṇa's becoming the charioteer of His eternal servant Arjuna. Illusioned mundaners cannot understand the transcendental and reciprocal relationship between the Lord and His devotees, and therefore they want to lord it over material nature or cynically merge with the Absolute. Thus a living being forgets his constitutional position and wants to become either a lord or a mendicant, but such illusions are arrangements of Māyā, the Lord's illusory potency. A false life either as a lord or a mendicant meets with frustration until the living being comes to his senses and surrenders to the Lord as His eternal servant. Then the Lord liberates him and saves him from repeated birth and death. Thus the Lord is also addressed here as Bhava-luṇṭhana-kovida, "He who is expert at plundering the status quo of repeated birth and death." A sensible man understands his position as the eternal servant of the Lord and molds his life accordingly.

The Lord is also addressed as Nātha, the real Lord. One can attain the perfection of life only by serving the real Lord. The entire material atmosphere is surcharged with the false lordship of the living beings. The illusioned beings are all struggling for false lordship, and thus no one wants to serve. Everyone wants to be the lord, even though such lordship is conditional and temporary. A hardworking man thinks himself the lord of his family and estate, but actually he is a servant of desire and the employee of anger. Such service of the senses is neither pensionable nor terminable, for desire and anger are masters who are never to be satisfied. The more one serves them, the more service they exact, and as such the false overlordship continues until the day of annihilation. As a result, the foolish living being is pushed into degraded life and fails to recognize the Lord as the beneficiary of all activities, the ruler of the universe, and the friend of all entities. One who knows the real Lord is called a brāhmaṇa, but one who fails to know Him is called a kṛpaṇa, or number-one miser.

The Lord of the creative energy is called Ananta-śayana. The material energy is impregnated by the glance of this feature of the Lord and is then able to give birth to all organic and inorganic matter. Ananta-śayana sleeps on the bed of Śeṣa Nāga, who has a form like a serpent but is identical with the Lord. Because He sleeps on a serpent bed, the Lord is also known as Nāga-śayana. By His spiritual energy Śeṣa Nāga sustains all the planetary globes upon His invisible hoods. Śeṣa Nāga is popularly known as Sańkarṣaṇa, or "that which keeps balance by the law of magnetism." In the scientific world this feature of the Lord is referred to as the law of gravitation, but factually this law, which keeps all the planets floating in space, is one of the energies of the Lord. All the universes are born with the exhalation of the Lord as He lies on Śeṣa Nāga, and all of them are annihilated with His inhalation. Due to these functions of creation, maintenance, and annihilation, the Lord is celebrated by the name Jagan-nivāsa, indicating that He is the supreme resort of all the universes.

There are hundreds of thousands of other names of Lord Viṣṇu, and each one of them is as powerful as the Lord Himself. One can constantly chant any name of the Lord and thereby constantly associate with Him. There are no hard and fast rules for chanting His names. At any time and any stage of life one can freely chant them, but we are so unfortunate that we are too misled even to adopt this simple process. This is the way of Māyā, the Lord's misleading energy. However, one can avoid her ways simply by always remembering the lotus feet of the Lord. King Kulaśekhara prays for this facility from Mukunda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
</div>
</div>
</div>

Association is so important. So if we become serious for developing divine consciousness, then this is the only association - we have established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

2022-03-30T15:29:39Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"association is so important. So if we become serious for developing divine consciousness, then this is the only association—we have established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Alakananda}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|01Dec10}}
{{last|01Dec10}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=1|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Our Association (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:So Important]]
[[Category:If We (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:We Become (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Our Seriousness (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Develop]]
[[Category:Divine Consciousness]]
[[Category:Our Consciousness (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:This Is]]
[[Category:The Only]]
[[Category:I Am Establishing (Prabhupada)]]
[[Category:We Have (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:ISKCON]]
[[Category:Establishing the Krsna Consciousness Movement]]
</div>
<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
</div>
<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG63545LosAngelesFebruary201969_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="220" link="Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969" link_text="Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969">
<div class="heading">Association is so important. So if we become serious for developing divine consciousness, then this is the only association—we have established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Here simply the method how one can become divine conscious, that is taught. So this is a good chance.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969|Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Devotee: "When the yogi engages himself with sincere endeavor in making further progress being washed of all contaminations, then ultimately, after many, many births of practice, he attains the supreme goal."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. So it is a question of practice. Just like a child born, he does not know how to smoke, how to drink, but by association he becomes a drunkard, a smoker, intoxication. By association. So it is a question of association only. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. If the association is good, our carrier is being spoiled because we are not keeping good association. So this is explained here, that: "But when the yogi engages himself with sincere endeavor in making further progress." Just like in business also, there are so many association, corporation. Because by becoming member of that corporation the particular type of business flourishes. They have got exchange. They can make exchange, bill of exchange, stock exchange. So association is so important. So if we become serious for developing divine consciousness, then this is the only association—we have established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Here simply the method how one can become divine conscious, that is taught. So this is a good chance. We invite everyone to join and the process is very simple. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you'll feel. There is no difficult process. The children also can take part and actually they are taking part. You don't require any previous qualification. That you must have passed your master of degree examination or this or that. Whatever you are, you simply come and join this association and you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the advantage of this society. It is clear. Please try to understand.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

As fire is kindled from wood by another fire, the divine consciousness of man can similarly be kindled by another divine grace

2022-03-30T15:27:55Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"As fire is kindled from wood by another fire, the divine consciousness of man can similarly be kindled by another divine grace"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Visnu Murti}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|25Dec10}}
{{last|25Dec10}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=1|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Fire]]
[[Category:Kindle]]
[[Category:Wood]]
[[Category:Another]]
[[Category:Divine Consciousness]]
[[Category:Man]]
[[Category:Similarly]]
[[Category:Divine Grace of a Spiritual Master]]
[[Category:Prabhupada's Analogies]]
[[Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 01 Chapter 02 Purports - Divinity and Divine Service]]
[[Category:Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 01 Purports]]
</div>
<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam" class="section" sec_index="1" parent="compilation" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam"><h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
</div>
<div id="SB_Canto_1" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 1"><h3>SB Canto 1</h3>
</div>
<div id="SB1232_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_1" book="SB" index="54" link="SB 1.2.32" link_text="SB 1.2.32">
<div class="heading">The Lord can be realized through the aural reception of the transcendental message, and that is the only way to experience the transcendental subject. As fire is kindled from wood by another fire, the divine consciousness of man can similarly be kindled by another divine grace. His Divine Grace the spiritual master can kindle the spiritual fire from the woodlike living entity by imparting proper spiritual messages injected through the receptive ear.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 1.2.32|SB 1.2.32, Translation and Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">The Lord, as Supersoul, pervades all things, just as fire permeates wood, and so He appears to be of many varieties, though He is the absolute one without a second.</p>
</div>
<div class="purport text"><p>Lord Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by one of His plenary parts expands Himself all over the material world, and His existence can be perceived even within the atomic energy. Matter, antimatter, proton, neutron, etc., are all different effects of the Paramātmā feature of the Lord. As from wood, fire can be manifested, or as butter can be churned out of milk, so also the presence of the Lord as Paramātmā can be felt by the process of legitimate hearing and chanting of the transcendental subjects which are especially treated in the Vedic literatures like the Upaniṣads and Vedānta. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the bona fide explanation of these Vedic literatures. The Lord can be realized through the aural reception of the transcendental message, and that is the only way to experience the transcendental subject. As fire is kindled from wood by another fire, the divine consciousness of man can similarly be kindled by another divine grace. His Divine Grace the spiritual master can kindle the spiritual fire from the woodlike living entity by imparting proper spiritual messages injected through the receptive ear. Therefore one is required to approach the proper spiritual master with receptive ears only, and thus divine existence is gradually realized. The difference between animality and humanity lies in this process only. A human being can hear properly, whereas an animal cannot.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

A person in the divine consciousness, although engaged in seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving about, sleeping, and breathing, always knows within himself that he actually does nothing at all. BG 5.8-9 - 1972

2022-03-30T15:26:53Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"A person in the divine consciousness, although engaged in seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving about, sleeping, and breathing, always knows within himself that he actually does nothing at all"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Anurag}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2018-12-19T12:45:38Z}}
{{last|2018-12-19T12:45:38Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=1|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Person]]
[[Category:Divine Consciousness]]
[[Category:Although]]
[[Category:Engage]]
[[Category:See]]
[[Category:Hearing]]
[[Category:Touch]]
[[Category:Smell]]
[[Category:Eating]]
[[Category:Moving]]
[[Category:About]]
[[Category:Sleep]]
[[Category:Breathing]]
[[Category:Always]]
[[Category:Know]]
[[Category:Within]]
[[Category:Actually]]
[[Category:Does]]
[[Category:Nothing]]
[[Category:Bhagavad-gita As It Is - 1972 Translations, Chapter 05 - Vaniquotes]]
[[Category:Bhagavad-gita As It Is - 1972 Translations, Chapter 05 - Vaniquotes by Verse Order|v08]]
[[Category:Bhagavad-gita As It Is - 1972 Translations, Chapters 01 to 18 - Vaniquotes]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Bhagavad-gita As it is</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>BG Chapters 1 - 6</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
A person in the divine consciousness, although engaged in seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving about, sleeping, and breathing, always knows within himself that he actually does nothing at all. Because while speaking, evacuating, receiving, opening or closing his eyes, he always knows that only the material senses are engaged with their objects and that he is aloof from them.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:BG 5.8-9 (1972)|BG 5.8-9 (1972), Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
A person in the divine consciousness, although engaged in seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving about, sleeping, and breathing, always knows within himself that he actually does nothing at all. Because while speaking, evacuating, receiving, opening or closing his eyes, he always knows that only the material senses are engaged with their objects and that he is aloof from them.
</div>
<div class="text">
A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is pure in his existence, and consequently he has nothing to do with any work which depends upon five immediate and remote causes: the doer, the work, the situation, the endeavor and fortune. This is because he is engaged in the loving transcendental service of Kṛṣṇa. Although he appears to be acting with his body and senses, he is always conscious of his actual position, which is spiritual engagement. In material consciousness, the senses are engaged in sense gratification, but in Kṛṣṇa consciousness the senses are engaged in the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa's senses. Therefore, the Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always free, even though he appears to be engaged in things of the senses. Activities such as seeing, hearing, speaking, evacuating, etc., are actions of the senses meant for work. A Kṛṣṇa consciousness person is never affected by the actions of the senses. He cannot perform any act except in the service of the Lord because he knows that he is the eternal servitor of the Lord.
</div>
</div>
</div>

Krsna advises in BG 18.65: man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru. The perfect yoga system consists of always thinking of Krsna, always engaging in devotional service, always worshiping Krsna and always offering obeisances unto Him

2022-03-29T14:51:48Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"The Lord advises in Bhagavad-gītā: man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru"|"The perfect yoga system consists of always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, always engaging in devotional service, always worshiping Kṛṣṇa and always offering obeisances unto Him"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Nirmal}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2020-11-10T18:51:55Z}}
{{last|2020-11-10T18:51:55Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=1|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Krsna's Advice]]
[[Category:Perfect System]]
[[Category:Yoga System]]
[[Category:Consisting]]
[[Category:Always Thinking of Krsna]]
[[Category:Always Engaging in Devotional Service to God]]
[[Category:Engaging in Devotional Service to Krsna]]
[[Category:Worshiping Krsna]]
[[Category:Always]]
[[Category:Offering Obeisances]]
[[Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 05 Chapter 19 Purports - A Description of the Island of Jambudvipa]]
[[Category:Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 05 Purports]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>SB Canto 5</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
The Lord advises in Bhagavad-gītā: man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). The perfect yoga system consists of always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, always engaging in devotional service, always worshiping Kṛṣṇa and always offering obeisances unto Him.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:SB 5.19.15|SB 5.19.15, Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
Therefore, O Lord, O Transcendence, kindly help us by giving us the power to execute bhakti-yoga so that we can control our restless minds and fix them upon You. We are all infected by Your illusory energy; therefore we are very attached to the body, which is full of stool and urine, and to anything related with the body. Except for devotional service, there is no way to give up this attachment. Therefore kindly bestow upon us this benediction.
</div>
<div class="text">
The Lord advises in Bhagavad-gītā: man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru ([[Vanisource:BG 18.65 (1972)|BG 18.65]]). The perfect yoga system consists of always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, always engaging in devotional service, always worshiping Kṛṣṇa and always offering obeisances unto Him. Unless we practice this yoga system, our illusory attachment for this bad body, which is full of stool and urine, is impossible to give up. The perfection of yoga consists of giving up attachment for this body and bodily relationships and transferring that attachment to Kṛṣṇa. We are very attached to material enjoyment, but when we transfer that same attachment to Kṛṣṇa, we traverse the path of liberation. One has to practice this yoga system and none other.
</div>
</div>
</div>

Knowledge received from the greatest personality, greatest authority, is, according to Vedic system, accepted as perfect

2022-03-29T14:51:21Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"knowledge received from the greatest personality, greatest authority, is, according to Vedic system, that is accepted as perfect"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Krsnadas}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|08Oct11}}
{{last|08Oct11}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=1|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Knowledge]]
[[Category:Receiving From]]
[[Category:Greatest]]
[[Category:Person]]
[[Category:Greatest Authority]]
[[Category:According]]
[[Category:Vedic Principles]]
[[Category:Vedic System]]
[[Category:Accepted As...]]
[[Category:Perfect System]]
</div>
<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
</div>
<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG436NewYorkJuly181966_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="138" link="Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966" link_text="Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966">
<div class="heading">You'll find so many verses in the Bhagavad-gītā which may appear to be dogmatic. The Lord says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Arjuna, there is nobody else greater than Me. There is no greater authority than Me." Kṛṣṇa says. Now, apparently, it appears very dogmatic. Suppose if I say before you that, "There is nobody greater than me," oh, you'll think, "Oh, Swamiji is very proud." Yes. If a man like me, who is conditioned by so many, I mean to say, restrictions, if I say that I am the greatest of all, that is a blasphemy. I cannot say that. But Kṛṣṇa can say. Because the history of life from Kṛṣṇa, we can understand that actually He was the greatest personality. At least, during His time, He was the greatest personality in every field of activities. Now knowledge received from the greatest personality, greatest authority, is, according to Vedic system, that is accepted as perfect.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966|Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966]]: </span><div class="text" style="display: inline; "><p style="display: inline; ">There are two kinds of processes of acquiring knowledge. One process is deductive, and the other process is inductive. Those who are student of logic, you know that there are two processes: deductive knowledge and inductive knowledge. Deductive knowledge is considered to be more perfect. And what is that? Just like "Man is mortal." This is a truth, accepted. How man is mortal, nobody's going to enter into discussion. It is accepted that man is mortal. Now, Mr. Johnson is a man. So he is mortal. This is the deductive conclusion. Because man is mortal and Johnson is a man, therefore he's mortal. This is the process of deductive knowledge. Now, how this man is mortal, this truth established? The other party, those who are inductive, follower of inductive process, they want to see actually by experiment and observation how man is mortal. They want to study, "This man dies. That man dies. That man dies. That man dies." Therefore they make a general conclusion, "Well, all men are mortal."</p>
<p>Now, in the inductive process you have got some defects. What is that? Now, your experience is limited. Suppose if you have not seen a man who is not mortal, who is not mortal. There may be. Because you are going on with your personal experience, but your personal experience is always imperfect. That I have already discussed. Because we have got our senses with limited power. And there are so many defects in our conditioned stage. Therefore inductive process is not always perfect. The deductive process, from the authority, the knowledge received, is always perfect. So Vedic process is deductive process. Vedic process is deductive process.</p>
<p>You'll find so many verses in the Bhagavad-gītā which may appear to be dogmatic. The Lord says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: ([[Vanisource:BG 7.7 (1972)|BG 7.7]]) "My dear Arjuna, there is nobody else greater than Me. There is no greater authority than Me." Kṛṣṇa says. Now, apparently, it appears very dogmatic. Suppose if I say before you that, "There is nobody greater than me," oh, you'll think, "Oh, Swamiji is very proud." Yes. If a man like me, who is conditioned by so many, I mean to say, restrictions, if I say that I am the greatest of all, that is a blasphemy. I cannot say that. But Kṛṣṇa can say. Because the history of life from Kṛṣṇa, we can understand that actually He was the greatest personality. At least, during His time, He was the greatest personality in every field of activities. Now knowledge received from the greatest personality, greatest authority, is, according to Vedic system, that is accepted as perfect.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

According to Vedic system, there should be four classes of men: the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, social order; and spiritual order: brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasa. This is perfect system of human civilization

2022-03-29T14:50:13Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"According to Vedic system, there should be four classes of men: the ''brāhmaṇa'', ''kṣatriya'', ''vaiśya'', ''śūdra'', social order; and spiritual order: ''brahmacārī'', ''gṛhastha'', ''vānaprastha'', and ''sannyāsa''. This is perfect system of human civilization"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|MadhuGopaldas}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|20Mar13}}
{{last|20Mar13}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=1|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:According]]
[[Category:Vedic System]]
[[Category:Should Be]]
[[Category:Four]]
[[Category:Class of Men]]
[[Category:Brahmana Class]]
[[Category:Intellectual Class - Brahmana]]
[[Category:Administrative Class - Ksatriya]]
[[Category:Mercantile Class - Vaisya]]
[[Category:Laborer Class - Sudra]]
[[Category:Social Orders (Varnas)]]
[[Category:Spiritual Orders (Asramas)]]
[[Category:Brahmacari]]
[[Category:Grhastha]]
[[Category:vanaprastha]]
[[Category:Sannyasa]]
[[Category:This Is]]
[[Category:Perfect System]]
[[Category:Human Civilization]]
[[Category:1973 Pages Needing Audio|Z]]
[[Category:Audio Not Available]]
</div>
<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
</div>
<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG29AucklandFebruary211973_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="43" link="Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973">
<div class="heading">According to Vedic system, there should be four classes of men: the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, social order; and spiritual order: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. This is perfect system of human civilization. So I shall briefly describe. Brāhmaṇa is compared with the head. Just like you have got your body. In the body there are different departments: the head department, the arms department, the belly department, and the leg department.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973|Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">
Prabhupāda:</p>
:''evam uktvā hṛṣīkeśaṁ''
:''guḍākeśaḥ parantapaḥ''
:''na yotsya iti govindam''
:''uktvā tūṣṇīṁ babhūva ha''
:([[Vanisource:BG 2.9 (1972)|BG 2.9]])
<p>Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your coming here and participate in this great movement. So this evening I shall present before you topics between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. I think most of you know the ''Bhagavad-gītā''. The subject matter of ''Bhagavad-gītā'' is talking between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa was driver of the chariot. Both of them were in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He played just like an ordinary human being as friend of Arjuna. And when Arjuna was little disturbed . . . Because this battle was arranged between two parties of cousin-brothers . . . And when Arjuna saw the other party, all his relatives, family members, so he hesitated to fight, and there was some argument. Kṛṣṇa said that "You are a ''kṣatriya''. You are king. It is your duty to fight."</p>
<p>According to Vedic system, there should be four classes of men: the ''brāhmaṇa'', ''kṣatriya'', ''vaiśya'', ''śūdra'', social order; and spiritual order: ''brahmacārī'', ''gṛhastha'', ''vānaprastha'', and ''sannyāsa''. This is perfect system of human civilization. So I shall briefly describe. Brāhmaṇa is compared with the head. Just like you have got your body. In the body there are different departments: the head department, the arms department, the belly department, and the leg department. So to maintain your body fit, you must have all these four departments rightly working. Your brain must work very nicely, your arms must work very nicely, although also the digestive system, intestines, stomach, that must also work very nicely, as well as the legs also must work nicely. Then you are perfectly fit. Similarly, in the social system there must be the head department. (aside:) This child is disturbing. The head department means the most intellectual part of the society, the most intelligent portion of the society. In the society there are naturally four classes of men, very intelligent class of men, politicians, mercantile people and ordinary workers, in every society all over the world, all over the universe. You can name them differently, but these four classes are there. That is by nature's system. ''Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ'' ([[Vanisource:BG 4.13 (1972)|BG 4.13]]). By nature's way or by God's arrangement, there are four classes of men. The most intelligent class of men is called the brāhmaṇas. Intelligent means one who knows up to the Supreme Lord. And then next intelligent class: the politicians, administrators. Next intelligent class: the mercantile class, traders. And the fourth class man means worker. They have no intelligence, but they depend on others for their livelihood. So there are first-class, second-class, third-class, fourth-class men everywhere, any part of the world.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Both the lowest of fools and he who is transcendental to all intelligence enjoy happiness, whereas persons between them suffer the material pangs

2022-03-28T11:27:01Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"Both the lowest of fools and he who is transcendental to all intelligence enjoy happiness, whereas persons between them suffer the material pangs"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Iswaraj}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2017-10-31T08:15:48Z}}
{{last|2017-10-31T08:15:48Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=1|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Both]]
[[Category:Lowest]]
[[Category:Fool]]
[[Category:Who Is]]
[[Category:Transcendental]]
[[Category:Enjoy]]
[[Category:Happiness]]
[[Category:Whereas]]
[[Category:Persons]]
[[Category:Between]]
[[Category:Suffering]]
[[Category:Material]]
[[Category:Pangs]]
[[Category:Bhagavatam Verses Spoken by Vidura - Vaniquotes]]
[[Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 03 Chapter 07 - Further Inquiries by Vidura]]
[[Category:Srimad Bhagavatam, Cantos 01 to 09 - All Verse Translations]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>SB Canto 3</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
Both the lowest of fools and he who is transcendental to all intelligence enjoy happiness, whereas persons between them suffer the material pangs.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:SB 3.7.17|SB 3.7.17, Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
Both the lowest of fools and he who is transcendental to all intelligence enjoy happiness, whereas persons between them suffer the material pangs.
</div>
<div class="text">
The lowest of fools do not understand material miseries; they pass their lives merrily and do not inquire into the miseries of life. Such persons are almost on the level of the animals, who, although in the eyes of superiors are always miserable in life, are unaware of material distresses. A hog's life is degraded in its standard of happiness, which entails living in a filthy place, engaging in sex enjoyment at every opportune moment, and laboring hard in a struggle for existence, but this is unknown to the hog. Similarly, human beings who are unaware of the miseries of material existence and are happy in sex life and hard labor are the lowest of fools. Yet because they have no sense of miseries, they supposedly enjoy so-called happiness. The other class of men, those who are liberated and are situated in the transcendental position above intelligence, are really happy and are called paramahaṁsas. But persons who are neither like hogs and dogs nor on the level of the paramahaṁsas feel the material pangs, and for them inquiry about the Supreme Truth is necessary. The Vedānta-sūtra states, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now one should inquire about Brahman." This inquiry is necessary for those who are between the paramahaṁsas and the fools who have forgotten the question of self-realization in the midst of life in sense gratification.
</div>
</div>
</div>

It is clear that in spite of His (Krsna's) being in the material world, He is the same unborn, eternal form of bliss and knowledge, changeless in His transcendental body and intelligence. BG 1972 purports

2022-03-28T11:26:07Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"it is clear that in spite of His being in the material world, He is the same unborn, eternal form of bliss and knowledge, changeless in His transcendental body and intelligence"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Nabakumar}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2021-05-28T03:23:18Z}}
{{last|2021-05-28T03:23:18Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=1|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Clear]]
[[Category:In Spite Of]]
[[Category:Krsna in the Material World]]
[[Category:Krsna Being]]
[[Category:Krsna Is Unborn]]
[[Category:Same]]
[[Category:Krsna's Eternal Form]]
[[Category:Krsna's Blissfulness]]
[[Category:Krsna Is Knowledge]]
[[Category:Krsna Is Changeless]]
[[Category:Krsna's Transcendental Body]]
[[Category:Transcendental Intelligence]]
[[Category:Bhagavad-gita As It Is - 1972 Purports, Chapter 04 - Vaniquotes]]
[[Category:Bhagavad-gita As It Is - 1972 Purports, Chapters 01 to 18 - Vaniquotes]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Bhagavad-gita As it is</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>BG Chapters 1 - 6</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
We never see a picture of Kṛṣṇa in old age because He never grows old like us, although He is the oldest person in the whole creation-past, present, and future. Neither His body nor His intelligence ever deteriorates or changes. Therefore, it is clear that in spite of His being in the material world, He is the same unborn, eternal form of bliss and knowledge, changeless in His transcendental body and intelligence. Factually, His appearance and disappearance are like the sun's rising, moving before us, and then disappearing from our eyesight. When the sun is out of sight, we think that the sun is set, and when the sun is before our eyes, we think that the sun is on the horizon.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:BG 4.6 (1972)|BG 4.6 (1972), Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.
</div>
<div class="text">
The Lord has spoken about the peculiarity of His birth: although He may appear like an ordinary person, He remembers everything of His many, many past "births," whereas a common man cannot remember what he has done even a few hours before. If someone is asked what he did exactly at the same time one day earlier, it would be very difficult for a common man to answer immediately. He would surely have to dredge his memory to recall what he was doing exactly at the same time one day before. And yet, men often dare claim to be God, or Kṛṣṇa. One should not be misled by such meaningless claims. Then again, the Lord explains His prakṛti or His form. Prakṛti means nature as well as svarūpa, or one's own form. The Lord says that He appears in His own body. He does not change His body, as the common living entity changes from one body to another. The conditioned soul may have one kind of body in the present birth, but he has a different body in the next birth. In the material world, the living entity has no fixed body but transmigrates from one body to another. The Lord, however, does not do so. Whenever He appears, He does so in the same original body, by His internal potency. In other words, Kṛṣṇa appears in this material world in His original eternal form, with two hands, holding a flute. He appears exactly in His eternal body, uncontaminated by this material world. Although He appears in the same transcendental body and is Lord of the universe, it still appears that He takes His birth like an ordinary living entity. Despite the fact Lord Kṛṣṇa grows from childhood to boyhood and from boyhood to youth, astonishingly enough He never ages beyond youth. At the time of the Battle of Kurukṣetra, He had many grandchildren at home; or, in other words, He had sufficiently aged by material calculations. Still He looked just like a young man twenty or twenty-five years old. We never see a picture of Kṛṣṇa in old age because He never grows old like us, although He is the oldest person in the whole creation-past, present, and future. Neither His body nor His intelligence ever deteriorates or changes. Therefore, it is clear that in spite of His being in the material world, He is the same unborn, eternal form of bliss and knowledge, changeless in His transcendental body and intelligence. Factually, His appearance and disappearance are like the sun's rising, moving before us, and then disappearing from our eyesight. When the sun is out of sight, we think that the sun is set, and when the sun is before our eyes, we think that the sun is on the horizon. Actually, the sun is always in its fixed position, but owing to our defective, insufficient senses, we calculate the appearance and disappearance of the sun in the sky. And, because His appearance and disappearance are completely different from that of any ordinary, common living entity, it is evident that He is eternal, blissful knowledge by His internal potency-and He is never contaminated by material nature. The Vedas also confirm that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is unborn, yet He still appears to take His birth in multi-manifestations. The Vedic supplementary literatures also confirm that even though the Lord appears to be taking His birth, He is still without change of body. In the Bhāgavatam, He appears before His mother as Nārāyaṇa, with four hands and the decorations of the six kinds of full opulences. His appearance in His original eternal form is His causeless mercy, according to the Viśvakośa dictionary. The Lord is conscious of all of His previous appearances and disappearances, but a common living entity forgets everything about his past body as soon as he gets another body. He is the Lord of all living entities because He performs wonderful and superhuman activities while He is on this earth. Therefore, the Lord is always the same Absolute Truth and is without differentiation between His form and self, or between His quality and body. A question may now be raised as to why the Lord appears and disappears in this world. This is explained in the next verse.
</div>
</div>
</div>

Advanced transcendentalists are called sudhiyah. Sudhi means "intelligence," sudhi means "highly advanced," and sudhi means "devotee."

2022-03-28T11:22:14Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"Advanced transcendentalists are called sudhiyaḥ. Sudhī means"|"sudhī means"|"highly advanced"|"and sudhī means"|"devotee"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Nirmal}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2020-10-19T13:43:05Z}}
{{last|2020-10-19T13:43:05Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=1|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Advanced]]
[[Category:Transcendentalists]]
[[Category:Is Called...]]
[[Category:Meaning of Sanskrit Words]]
[[Category:Transcendental]]
[[Category:Highly]]
[[Category:Devotee]]
[[Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 04 Chapter 20 Purports - Lord Visnu's Appearance in the Sacrificial Arena of Maharaja Prthu]]
[[Category:Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 04 Purports]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>SB Canto 4</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
Those who are advanced in transcendental consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, are never envious, neither of the soul nor of the activities of the soul under the influence of material nature. Advanced transcendentalists are called sudhiyaḥ. Sudhī means "intelligence," sudhī means "highly advanced," and sudhī means "devotee." One who is both devoted and highly advanced in intelligence does not take action against the soul or the body. If there is any discrepancy, he forgives. It is said that forgiveness is a quality of those who are advancing in spiritual knowledge.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:SB 4.20.3|SB 4.20.3, Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
O King, one who is advanced in intelligence and eager to perform welfare activities for others is considered best amongst human beings. An advanced human being is never malicious to others. Those with advanced intelligence are always conscious that this material body is different from the soul.
</div>
<div class="text">
In daily life we find that when a madman commits murder, he is excused even by a high-court judge. The idea is that a living entity is always pure because he is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When he falls into the clutches of material energy, he becomes a victim of the three modes of material nature. Indeed, whatever he does, he does under the influence of material nature. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā ([[Vanisource:BG 5.14 (1972)|BG 5.14]]):

<div class="quote_verse">
:na kartṛtvaṁ na karmāṇi
:lokasya sṛjati prabhuḥ
:na karma-phala-saṁyogaṁ
:svabhāvas tu pravartate
</div>

"The embodied spirit, master of the city of his body, does not create activities, nor does he induce people to act, nor does he create the fruits of action. All this is enacted by the modes of material nature."

Actually the living entity, or soul, does not do anything; everything is done under the influence of the modes of material nature. When a man is diseased, the symptoms of the disease become a source of all kinds of pain. Those who are advanced in transcendental consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, are never envious, neither of the soul nor of the activities of the soul under the influence of material nature. Advanced transcendentalists are called sudhiyaḥ. Sudhī means "intelligence," sudhī means "highly advanced," and sudhī means "devotee." One who is both devoted and highly advanced in intelligence does not take action against the soul or the body. If there is any discrepancy, he forgives. It is said that forgiveness is a quality of those who are advancing in spiritual knowledge.
</div>
</div>
</div>

Grtsamada was a great scholar of the Rg-veda, and thus he was highly respected by the brahmana community. He lived a life of celibacy and was powerful in every respect

2022-03-28T11:07:15Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"he was a great scholar of the Rg-veda, and thus he was highly respected by the brahmana community. He lived a life of celibacy and was powerful in every respect"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|MadhuGopaldas}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|22Nov12}}
{{last|22Nov12}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=1|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Grtsamada]]
[[Category:Great]]
[[Category:Rg Veda]]
[[Category:Vedic Scholars]]
[[Category:Highly]]
[[Category:Respectfulness]]
[[Category:Brahmana Community]]
[[Category:Live]]
[[Category:Life]]
[[Category:Celibacy]]
[[Category:Powerful]]
[[Category:In Every Respect]]
[[Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 01 Chapter 09 Purports - The Passing Away of Bhismadeva in the Presence of Lord Krsna]]
[[Category:Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 01 Purports]]
</div>
<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam" class="section" sec_index="1" parent="compilation" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam"><h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
</div>
<div id="SB_Canto_1" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 1"><h3>SB Canto 1</h3>
</div>
<div id="SB1967_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_1" book="SB" index="323" link="SB 1.9.6-7" link_text="SB 1.9.6-7">
<div class="heading">Gṛtsamada: One of the sages of the heavenly kingdom. He was a close friend of Indra, the King of heaven, and was as great as Bṛhaspati. He used to visit the royal assembly of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and he also visited the place where Bhīṣmadeva breathed his last. Sometimes he explained the glories of Lord Śiva before Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. He was the son of Vitahavya, and he resembled in features the body of Indra. Sometimes the enemies of Indra mistook him to be Indra and arrested him. He was a great scholar of the Ṛg-veda, and thus he was highly respected by the brāhmaṇa community. He lived a life of celibacy and was powerful in every respect.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 1.9.6-7|SB 1.9.6-7, Translation and Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">All the sages like Parvata Muni, Nārada, Dhaumya, Vyāsa the incarnation of God, Bṛhadaśva, Bharadvāja and Paraśurāma and disciples, Vasiṣṭha, Indrapramada, Trita, Gṛtsamada, Asita, Kakṣīvān, Gautama, Atri, Kauśika and Sudarśana were present.</p>
</div>
<div class="purport text"><p>Parvata Muni: is considered to be one of the oldest sages. He is almost always a constant companion of Nārada Muni. They are also spacemen competent to travel in the air without the help of any material vehicle. Parvata Muni is also a devarṣi, or a great sage amongst the demigods, like Nārada. He was present along with Nārada at the sacrificial ceremony of Mahārāja Janamejaya, son of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. In this sacrifice all the snakes of the world were to be killed. Parvata Muni and Nārada Muni are called Gandharvas also because they can travel in the air singing the glories of the Lord. Since they can travel in the air, they observed Draupadī's svayaṁvara ceremony (selecting of her own husband) from the air. Like Nārada Muni, Parvata Muni also used to visit the royal assembly in the heaven of King Indra. As a Gandharva, sometimes he visited the royal assembly of Kuvera, one of the important demigods. Both Nārada and Parvata were once in trouble with the daughter of Mahārāja Sṛñjaya. Mahārāja Sṛñjaya got the benediction of a son by Parvata Muni.</p>
<p>Nārada Muni: is inevitably associated with the narrations of the Purāṇas. He is described in the Bhāgavatam. In his previous life he was the son of a maidservant, but by good association with pure devotees he became enlightened in devotional service, and in the next life he became a perfect man comparable with himself only. In the Mahābhārata his name is mentioned in many places. He is the principal devarṣi, or the chief sage amongst the demigods. He is the son and disciple of Brahmājī, and from him the disciplic succession in the line of Brahmā has been spread. He initiated Prahlāda Mahārāja, Dhruva Mahārāja and many celebrated devotees of the Lord. He initiated even Vyāsadeva, the author of the Vedic literatures, and from Vyāsadeva, Madhvācārya was initiated, and thus the Madhva-sampradāya, in which the Gauḍīya-sampradāya is also included, has spread all over the universe. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu belonged to this Madhva-sampradāya; therefore, Brahmājī, Nārada, Vyāsa, down to Madhva, Caitanya and the Gosvāmīs all belonged to the same line of disciplic succession. Nāradajī has instructed many kings from time immemorial. In the Bhāgavatam we can see that he instructed Prahlāda Mahārāja while he was in the womb of his mother, and he instructed Vasudeva, father of Kṛṣṇa, as well as Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira.</p>
<p>Dhaumya: A great sage who practiced severe penances at Utkocaka Tīrtha and was appointed royal priest of the Pāṇḍava kings. He acted as the priest in many religious functions of the Pāṇḍavas (saṁskāra), and also each of the Pāṇḍavas was attended by him at the betrothal of Draupadī. He was present even during the exile of the Pāṇḍavas and used to advise them in circumstances when they were perplexed. He instructed them how to live incognito for one year, and his instructions were strictly followed by the Pāṇḍavas during that time. His name is mentioned also when the general funeral ceremony was performed after the Battle of Kurukṣetra. In the Anuṣāsana-parva of Mahābhārata (127.15-16), he gave religious instructions very elaborately to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. He was actually the right type of priest of a householder, for he could guide the Pāṇḍavas on the right path of religion. A priest is meant for guiding the householder progressively in the right path of āśrama-dharma, or the occupational duty of a particular caste. There is practically no difference between the family priest and the spiritual master. The sages, saints and brāhmaṇas were especially meant for such functions.</p>
<p>Bādarāyaṇa (Vyāsadeva): He is known as Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana, Dvaipāyana, Satyavatī-suta, Pārāśarya, Parāśarātmaja, Bādarāyaṇa, Vedavyāsa, etc. He was the son of Mahāmuni Parāśara in the womb of Satyavatī prior to her betrothal with Mahārāja Śantanu, the father of the great general Grandfather Bhīṣmadeva. He is a powerful incarnation of Nārāyaṇa, and he broadcasts the Vedic wisdom to the world. As such, Vyāsadeva is offered respects before one chants the Vedic literature, especially the Purāṇas. Śukadeva Gosvāmī was his son, and ṛṣis like Vaiśampāyana were his disciples for different branches of the Vedas. He is the author of the great epic Mahābhārata and the great transcendental literature Bhāgavatam. The Brahma-sūtras—the Vedānta-sūtras, or Bādarāyaṇa-sūtras—were compiled by him. Amongst sages he is the most respected author by dint of severe penances. When he wanted to record the great epic Mahābhārata for the welfare of all people in the age of Kali, he was feeling the necessity of a powerful writer who could take up his dictation. By the order of Brahmājī, Śrī Gaṇeśajī took up the charge of noting down the dictation on the condition that Vyāsadeva would not stop dictation for a moment. The Mahābhārata was thus compiled by the joint endeavor of Vyāsa and Gaṇeśa.</p>
<p>By the order of his mother, Satyavatī, who was later married to Mahārāja Śantanu, and by the request of Bhīṣmadeva, the eldest son of Mahārāja Śantanu by his first wife, the Ganges, he begot three brilliant sons, whose names are Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu and Vidura. The Mahābhārata was compiled by Vyāsadeva after the Battle of Kurukṣetra and after the death of all the heroes of Mahābhārata. It was first spoken in the royal assembly of Mahārāja Janamejaya, the son of Mahārāja Parīkṣit.</p>
<p>Bṛhadaśva: An ancient sage who used to meet Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira now and then. First of all he met Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira at Kāmyavana. This sage narrated the history of Mahārāja Nala. There is another Bṛhadaśva, who is the son of the Ikṣvāku dynasty (Mahābhārata, Vana-parva 209.4-5)</p>
<p>Bharadvāja: He is one of the seven great ṛṣis and was present at the time of the birth ceremony of Arjuna. The powerful ṛṣi sometimes undertook severe penances on the shore of the Ganges, and his āśrama is still celebrated at Prayāgadhāma. It is learned that this ṛṣi, while taking bath in the Ganges, happened to meet Ghṛtacī, one of the beautiful society girls of heaven, and thus he discharged semen, which was kept and preserved in an earthen pot and from which Droṇa was born. So Droṇācārya is the son of Bharadvāja Muni. Others say that Bharadvāja the father of Droṇa is a different person from Maharṣi Bharadvāja. He was a great devotee of Brahmā. Once he approached Droṇācārya and requested him to stop the Battle of Kurukṣetra.</p>
<p>Paraśurāma, or Reṇukāsuta: He is the son of Maharṣi Jamadagni and Śrīmatī Reṇukā. Thus he is also known as Reṇukāsuta. He is one of the powerful incarnations of God, and he killed the kṣatriya community as a whole twenty-one times. With the blood of the kṣatriyas he pleased the souls of his forefathers. Later on he underwent severe penances at the Mahendra Parvata. After taking the whole earth from the kṣatriyas, he gave it in charity to Kaśyapa Muni. Paraśurāma instructed the Dhanur-veda, or the science of fighting, to Droṇācārya because he happened to be a brāhmaṇa. He was present during the coronation of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and he celebrated the function along with other great ṛṣis.</p>
<p>Paraśurāma is so old that he met both Rāma and Kṛṣṇa at different times. He fought with Rāma, but he accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He also praised Arjuna when he saw him with Kṛṣṇa. When Bhīṣma refused to marry Ambā, who wanted him to become her husband, Ambā met Paraśurāma, and by her request only, he asked Bhīṣmadeva to accept her as his wife. Bhīṣma refused to obey his order, although he was one of the spiritual masters of Bhīṣmadeva. Paraśurāma fought with Bhīṣmadeva when Bhīṣma neglected his warning. Both of them fought very severely, and at last Paraśurāma was pleased with Bhīṣma and gave him the benediction of becoming the greatest fighter in the world.</p>
<p>Vasiṣṭha: The great celebrated sage among the brāhmaṇas, well known as the Brahmarṣi Vasiṣṭhadeva. He is a prominent figure in both the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata periods. He celebrated the coronation ceremony of the Personality of Godhead Śrī Rāma. He was present also on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. He could approach all the higher and lower planets, and his name is also connected with the history of Hiraṇyakaśipu. There was a great tension between him and Viśvāmitra, who wanted his kāmadhenu, wish-fulfilling cow. Vasiṣṭha Muni refused to spare his kāmadhenu, and for this Viśvāmitra killed his one hundred sons. As a perfect brāhmaṇa he tolerated all the taunts of Viśvāmitra. Once he tried to commit suicide on account of Viśvāmitra's torture, but all his attempts were unsuccessful. He jumped from a hill, but the stones on which he fell became a stack of cotton, and thus he was saved. He jumped into the ocean, but the waves washed him ashore. He jumped into the river, but the river also washed him ashore. Thus all his suicide attempts were unsuccessful. He is also one of the seven ṛṣis and husband of Arundhatī, the famous star.</p>
<p>Indrapramada: Another celebrated ṛṣi.</p>
<p>Trita: One of the three sons of Prajāpati Gautama. He was the third son, and his other two brothers were known as Ekat and Dvita. All the brothers were great sages and strict followers of the principles of religion. By dint of severe penances they were promoted to Brahmaloka (the planet where Brahmājī lives). Once Trita Muni fell into a well. He was an organizing worker of many sacrifices, and as one of the great sages he also came to show respect to Bhīṣmajī at his deathbed. He was one of the seven sages in the Varuṇaloka. He hailed from the Western countries of the world. As such, most probably he belonged to the European countries. At that time the whole world was under one Vedic culture.</p>
<p>Gṛtsamada: One of the sages of the heavenly kingdom. He was a close friend of Indra, the King of heaven, and was as great as Bṛhaspati. He used to visit the royal assembly of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and he also visited the place where Bhīṣmadeva breathed his last. Sometimes he explained the glories of Lord Śiva before Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. He was the son of Vitahavya, and he resembled in features the body of Indra. Sometimes the enemies of Indra mistook him to be Indra and arrested him. He was a great scholar of the Ṛg-veda, and thus he was highly respected by the brāhmaṇa community. He lived a life of celibacy and was powerful in every respect.</p>
<p>Asita: There was a king of the same name, but herein the Asita mentioned is the Asita Devala Ṛṣi, a great powerful sage of the time. He explained to his father 1,500,000 verses from the Mahābhārata. He was one of the members in the snake sacrifice of Mahārāja Janamejaya. He was also present during the coronation ceremony of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira along with other great ṛṣis. He also gave Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira instructions while he was on the Añjana Hill. He was also one of the devotees of Lord Śiva.</p>
<p>Kakṣīvān: One of the sons of Gautama Muni and the father of the great sage Candakausika. He was one of the members of Parliament of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira.</p>
<p>Atri: Atri Muni was a great brāhmaṇa sage and was one of the mental sons of Brahmājī. Brahmājī is so powerful that simply by thinking of a son he can have it. These sons are known as mānasa-putras. Out of seven mānasa-putras of Brahmājī and out of the seven great brāhmaṇa sages, Atri was one. In his family the great Pracetās were also born. Atri Muni had two kṣatriya sons who became kings. King Arthama is one of them. He is counted as one of the twenty-one prajāpatis. His wife's name was Anasūyā, and he helped Mahārāja Parīkṣit in his great sacrifices.</p>
<p>Kauśika: One of the permanent ṛṣi members in the royal assembly of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. He sometimes met Lord Kṛṣṇa. There are several other sages of the same name.</p>
<p>Sudarśana: This wheel which is accepted by the Personality of Godhead (Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa) as His personal weapon is the most powerful weapon, greater than the brahmāstras or similar other disastrous weapons. In some of the Vedic literatures it is said that Agnideva, the fire-god, presented this weapon to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but factually this weapon is eternally carried by the Lord. Agnideva presented this weapon to Kṛṣṇa in the same way that Rukmiṇī was given by Mahārāja Rukma to the Lord. The Lord accepts such presentations from His devotees, even though such presentations are eternally His property. There is an elaborate description of this weapon in the Ādi-parva of the Mahābhārata. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa used this weapon to kill Śiśupāla, a rival of the Lord. He also killed Śālva by this weapon, and sometimes He wanted His friend Arjuna to use it to kill his enemies (Mahābhārata, Virāṭa-parva 56.3).</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Unfortunately, there are many great scholars of the Vedas who do not know the ultimate purport of studying them. BG 1972 purports

2022-03-28T11:05:20Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"who do not know the ultimate purport of studying them" }}

{{notes|}}

{{compiler|Labangalatika}}

{{complete|ALL}}

{{first|02Feb09}}

{{last|02Feb09}}

{{totals_by_section|BG=1|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}

{{total|1}}

{{toc right}}

[[Category:Unfortunately]]

[[Category:There Are Many]]

[[Category:Great]]

[[Category:Vedic Scholars]]

[[Category:Do Not Know]]

[[Category:Ultimate]]

[[Category:Purport]]

[[Category:Study]]
[[Category:Bhagavad-gita As It Is - 1972 Purports, Chapter 09 - Vaniquotes]]
[[Category:Bhagavad-gita As It Is - 1972 Purports, Chapters 01 to 18 - Vaniquotes]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Bhagavad-gita As it is</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>BG Chapters 7 - 12</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
The word trai-vidyāḥ refers to the three Vedas, Sāma, Yajur and Ṛg. A brāhmaṇa who has studied these three Vedas is called a tri-vedī. Anyone who is very much attached to knowledge derived from these three Vedas is respected in society. Unfortunately, there are many great scholars of the Vedas who do not know the ultimate purport of studying them.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:BG 9.20 (1972)|BG 9.20 (1972), Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
Those who study the Vedas and drink the soma juice, seeking the heavenly planets, worship Me indirectly. They take birth on the planet of Indra, where they enjoy godly delights.
</div>
<div class="text">
The word trai-vidyāḥ refers to the three Vedas, Sāma, Yajur and Ṛg. A brāhmaṇa who has studied these three Vedas is called a tri-vedī. Anyone who is very much attached to knowledge derived from these three Vedas is respected in society. Unfortunately, there are many great scholars of the Vedas who do not know the ultimate purport of studying them. Therefore Kṛṣṇa herein declares Himself to be the ultimate goal for the tri-vedīs. Actual tri-vedīs take shelter under the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and engage in pure devotional service to satisfy the Lord. Devotional service begins with the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and side by side trying to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth. Unfortunately those who are simply official students of the Vedas become more interested in offering sacrifices to the different demigods like Indra, Candra, etc. By such endeavor, the worshipers of different demigods are certainly purified of the contamination of the lower qualities of nature and are thereby elevated to the higher planetary system or heavenly planets known as Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka, etc. Once situated on those higher planetary systems, one can satisfy his senses hundreds of thousands of times better than on this planet.
</div>
</div>
</div>

Those operating in the modes of ignorance and passion cannot be as perfect as that system in the mode of goodness. In Bhagavad-gita everything has been divided into three qualitative divisions; therefore religious systems are similarly categorized

2022-03-26T15:28:59Z

Shivangi:

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"Those operating in the modes of ignorance and passion cannot be as perfect as that system in the mode of goodness. In Bhagavad-gītā everything has been divided into three qualitative divisions; therefore religious systems are similarly categorized"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Angela}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2020-09-23T13:41:21Z}}
{{last|2020-09-23T13:41:21Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=1|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Those]]
[[Category:Operation]]
[[Category:Mode of Ignorance]]
[[Category:Mode of Passion]]
[[Category:Cannot Be]]
[[Category:Perfect System]]
[[Category:Mode of Goodness]]
[[Category:Bhagavad-gita Says]]
[[Category:Everything]]
[[Category:Have Been]]
[[Category:Divide]]
[[Category:Three]]
[[Category:Qualitative]]
[[Category:Divisions]]
[[Category:Therefore]]
[[Category:Religious System]]
[[Category:Similarly]]
[[Category:Categories]]
[[Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 04 Chapter 22 Purports - Prthu Maharaja's Meeting with the Four Kumaras]]
[[Category:Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 04 Purports]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>SB Canto 4</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
Another important point mentioned in this connection is anindayā—we should not criticize others' methods of religion. There are different types of religious systems operating under different qualities of material nature. Those operating in the modes of ignorance and passion cannot be as perfect as that system in the mode of goodness. In Bhagavad-gītā everything has been divided into three qualitative divisions; therefore religious systems are similarly categorized.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:SB 4.22.24|SB 4.22.24, Translation and Purport]]
</div>
<div class="quote_translation">
A candidate for spiritual advancement must be nonviolent, must follow in the footsteps of great ācāryas, must always remember the nectar of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, must follow the regulative principles without material desire and, while following the regulative principles, should not blaspheme others. A devotee should lead a very simple life and not be disturbed by the duality of opposing elements. He should learn to tolerate them.
</div>
<div class="text">
<div class="purport">

The devotees are actually saintly persons, or sādhus. The first qualification of a sādhu, or devotee, is ahiṁsā, or nonviolence. Persons interested in the path of devotional service, or in going back home, back to Godhead, must first practice ahiṁsā, or nonviolence. A sādhu is described as titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 3.25.21|SB 3.25.21]]). A devotee should be tolerant and should be very much compassionate toward others. For example, if he suffers personal injury, he should tolerate it, but if someone else suffers injury, the devotee need not tolerate it. The whole world is full of violence, and a devotee's first business is to stop this violence, including the unnecessary slaughter of animals. A devotee is the friend not only of human society but of all living entities, for he sees all living entities as sons of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He does not claim himself to be the only son of God and allow all others to be killed, thinking that they have no soul. This kind of philosophy is never advocated by a pure devotee of the Lord. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām: a true devotee is the friend of all living entities. Kṛṣṇa claims in Bhagavad-gītā to be the father of all species of living entities; consequently the devotee of Kṛṣṇa is always a friend of all. This is called ahiṁsā. Such nonviolence can be practiced only when we follow in the footsteps of great ācāryas. Therefore, according to our Vaiṣṇava philosophy, we have to follow the great ācāryas of the four sampradāyas, or disciplic successions.

Trying to advance in spiritual life outside the disciplic succession is simply ludicrous. It is said, therefore, ācāryavān puruṣo veda: one who follows the disciplic succession of ācāryas knows things as they are (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2). Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] in order to understand the transcendental science, one must approach the bona fide spiritual master. The word smṛtyā is very important in spiritual life. Smṛtyā means remembering Kṛṣṇa always. Life should be molded in such a way that one cannot remain alone without thinking of Kṛṣṇa. We should live in Kṛṣṇa so that while eating, sleeping, walking and working we remain only in Kṛṣṇa. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society recommends that we arrange our living so that we can remember Kṛṣṇa. In our ISKCON society the devotees, while engaged in making Spiritual Sky incense, are also hearing about the glories of Kṛṣṇa or His devotees. The śāstra recommends, smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇuḥ: Lord Viṣṇu should be remembered always, constantly. Vismartavyo na jātucit: Viṣṇu should never be forgotten. That is the spiritual way of life. Smṛtyā. This remembrance of the Lord can be continued if we hear about Him constantly. It is therefore recommended in this verse: mukundācaritāgrya-sīdhunā. Sīdhu means "nectar." To hear about Kṛṣṇa from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā or similar authentic literature is to live in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Such concentration in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be achieved by persons who are strictly following the rules and regulative principles. We have recommended in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement that a devotee chant sixteen rounds on beads daily and follow the regulative principles. That will help the devotee be fixed in his spiritual advancement in life.

It is also stated in this verse that one can advance by controlling the senses (yamaiḥ). By controlling the senses, one can become a svāmī or gosvāmī. One who is therefore enjoying this supertitle, svāmī or gosvāmī, must be very strict in controlling his senses. Indeed, he must be master of his senses. This is possible when one does not desire any material sense gratification. If, by chance, the senses want to work independently, he must control them. If we simply practice avoiding material sense gratification, controlling the senses is automatically achieved.

Another important point mentioned in this connection is anindayā—we should not criticize others' methods of religion. There are different types of religious systems operating under different qualities of material nature. Those operating in the modes of ignorance and passion cannot be as perfect as that system in the mode of goodness. In Bhagavad-gītā everything has been divided into three qualitative divisions; therefore religious systems are similarly categorized. When people are mostly under the modes of passion and ignorance, their system of religion will be of the same quality. A devotee, instead of criticizing such systems, will encourage the followers to stick to their principles so that gradually they can come to the platform of religion in goodness. Simply by criticizing them, a devotee's mind will be agitated. Thus a devotee should tolerate and learn to stop agitation.

Another feature of the devotee is nirīhayā, simple living. Nirīhā means "gentle," "meek" or "simple." A devotee should not live very gorgeously and imitate a materialistic person. Plain living and high thinking are recommended for a devotee. He should accept only so much as he needs to keep the material body fit for the execution of devotional service. He should not eat or sleep more than is required. Simply eating for living, and not living for eating, and sleeping only six to seven hours a day are principles to be followed by devotees. As long as the body is there it is subjected to the influence of climatic changes, disease and natural disturbances, the threefold miseries of material existence. We cannot avoid them. Sometimes we receive letters from neophyte devotees questioning why they have fallen sick, although pursuing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They should learn from this verse that they have to become tolerant (dvandva-titikṣayā). This is the world of duality. One should not think that because he has fallen sick he has fallen from Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness can continue without impediment from any material opposition. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa therefore advises in Bhagavad-gītā ([[Vanisource:BG 2.14 (1972)|BG 2.14]]), tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata: "My dear Arjuna, please try to tolerate all these disturbances. Be fixed in your Kṛṣṇa conscious activities."

</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>