Tag: Srimad Bhagavatham Canto 2

Srimad Bhagavatham Canto 2 notes for HH Harivilas Maharaj’s classes.

Posted on

SB 2.7.38 Notes – 10/26/21

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.7.38 TODAY (10/26/21):

  • The symptoms of the worst conditions of the material world, at the last stage of this age, called Kali-yuga, are stated in this verse. 
  • The sum and substance of such conditions is godlessness. Even the so-called saints and higher castes of the social orders, generally known as the dvija-janas or the twice-born, will become atheists. 
  • Because of the lack of training or culture in the upper section of the social orders, there are no more to be designated as the dvija-janas, or the twice-born.
  • No one can expect any peace and prosperity in a human society full of uncultured, lower classes of men. 
  • The symptoms of such uncultured social animals are already in vogue, and it is the duty of the leaders of men to take note of it and try to reform the social order by introducing the principles of twice-born men trained in the science of God consciousness.
  • This can be done by expanding the culture of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam all over the world.
  • The Lord instructs that one has to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious to discharge duties, as if in military discipline. 
  • Such an injunction may make things a little difficult; nevertheless duties must be carried out, with dependence on Kṛṣṇa, because that is the constitutional position of the living entity. 
  • The living entity cannot be happy independent of the cooperation of the Supreme Lord, because the eternal constitutional position of the living entity is to become subordinate to the desires of the Lord. 
  • Arjuna was therefore ordered by Śrī Kṛṣṇa to fight as if the Lord were his military commander. One has to sacrifice everything for the good will of the Supreme Lord, and at the same time discharge prescribed duties without claiming proprietorship. 
  • One has to act on the order of the master but should not expect fruitive results. One has to realize that nothing in the world belongs to any individual person, but that everything belongs to the Supreme Lord.
  • When one acts in such Kṛṣṇa consciousness, certainly he does not claim proprietorship over anything. This consciousness is called nirmama, or “nothing is mine.”
  • If there is any reluctance to execute such a stern order, which is without consideration of so-called kinsmen in the bodily relationship, that reluctance should be thrown off; in this way one may become vigata-jvara, or without feverish mentality or lethargy.
  • As there is punishment for disobedience to the order of the supreme executive head, so there is certainly punishment for disobedience to the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 
  • A disobedient person, however great he may be, is ignorant of his own self, and of the Supreme Brahman, Paramātmā and the Personality of Godhead, due to a vacant heart. Therefore there is no hope of perfection of life for him.
  • An ordinary man with firm faith in the eternal injunctions of the Lord, even though unable to execute such orders, becomes liberated from the bondage of the law of karma. 
  • In the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one may not fully discharge the injunctions of the Lord, but because one is not resentful of this principle and works sincerely without consideration of defeat and hopelessness, he will surely be promoted to the stage of pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

SB 2.7.38 TRANSLATION:

Thereafter, at the end of Kali-yuga, when there exist no topics on the subject of God, even at the residences of so-called saints and respectable gentlemen of the three higher castes, and when the power of government is transferred to the hands of ministers elected from the lowborn śūdra class or those less than them, and when nothing is known of the techniques of sacrifice, even by word, at that time the Lord will appear as the supreme chastiser.

Everything mentioned in this verse, all the symptoms discussed here are already happening. We need not wait until the end of the Kali Yuga.  Kali Yuga is still going to last for 427000 years.. 

Example – a woman whom Maharaj knew, her son became an atheist due to modern education, a very unhappy man. Mental problems, no friends, social anxiety, sadness.. Sit in front of the computer…

The symptoms of the worst conditions of the material world, at the last stage of this age, called Kali-yuga, are stated herein. The sum and substance of such conditions is godlessness. Even the so-called saints and higher castes of the social orders, generally known as the dvija-janas or the twice-born, will become atheists. As such, all of them will practically forget even the holy name of the Lord, and what to speak of His activities. The higher castes of society, namely the intelligent class of men guiding the destinies of the social orders, the administrative class of men guiding the law and order of the society, and the productive class of men guiding the economic development of the society, must all be properly well versed in knowledge of the Supreme Lord, knowing factually His name, quality, pastimes, entourage, paraphernalia and personalities. The saints and the higher castes or orders of the society are judged by their proportion of knowledge in the science of God, or tattva-jñāna, and not by any kind of birthright or bodily designations. 

The science of God is explained in BG and SB. If anyone wants to elearn Science, they need to read SB. Nectar of Devotion is a scientific book explaining about every step (in detail)  of devotion. 

Inorder to be liberated – you have to lose the faith in material life. But everyone has tremendous faith in material life. I am going to be happy by making money and doing sense gratification. People are bored of living in Seattle – they want to live in NY or LA as there is more nightlife full of sense gratification. People are listening less and less, hearing BG & SB is the key. 

BG 3.31

Those persons who execute their duties according to My injunctions and who follow this teaching faithfully, without envy, become free from the bondage of fruitive actions.

But an ordinary man with firm faith in the eternal injunctions of the Lord, even though unable to execute such orders, becomes liberated from the bondage of the law of karma. In the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one may not fully discharge the injunctions of the Lord, but because one is not resentful of this principle and works sincerely without consideration of defeat and hopelessness, he will surely be promoted to the stage of pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

My Injunctions – Krishna;’s injunctions – orders 

Without envy – Because people sometimes turn against KC. My life is miserable because of KC. Parents are pushing their own children into sense gratification. 

BG 3.30 

Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight.


We have to learn not to be discouraged and to believe in the words of scriptures and acharyas, we have to be courageous and fight the demon within ourself, that voice that speaks to us dont do this.. Keep sleeping you dont have to wake up early… eat this, it’s ok.. Just follow 3 regs and not the other one.. 

LA – Loose Angeles.. When you associate with devotees who are loose you become loose. 

This verse clearly indicates the purpose of the Bhagavad-gītā. The Lord instructs that one has to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious to discharge duties, as if in military discipline. 

When you enter the military you lose your independence. If you do not follow the authority you are thrown out.. 

Such an injunction may make things a little difficult; nevertheless duties must be carried out, with dependence on Kṛṣṇa, because that is the constitutional position of the living entity. The living entity cannot be happy independent of the cooperation of the Supreme Lord, because the eternal constitutional position of the living entity is to become subordinate to the desires of the Lord. Arjuna was therefore ordered by Śrī Kṛṣṇa to fight as if the Lord were his military commander. One has to sacrifice everything for the good will of the Supreme Lord, and at the same time discharge prescribed duties without claiming proprietorship. Arjuna did not have to consider the order of the Lord; he had only to execute His order. The Supreme Lord is the soul of all souls; therefore, one who depends solely and wholly on the Supreme Soul without personal consideration, or in other words, one who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, is called adhyātma-cetās. Nirāśīḥ means that one has to act on the order of the master but should not expect fruitive results. The cashier may count millions of dollars for his employer, but he does not claim a cent for himself. Similarly, one has to realize that nothing in the world belongs to any individual person, but that everything belongs to the Supreme Lord. That is the real purport of mayi, or “unto Me.” And when one acts in such Kṛṣṇa consciousness, certainly he does not claim proprietorship over anything. This consciousness is called nirmama, or “nothing is mine.” And if there is any reluctance to execute such a stern order, which is without consideration of so-called kinsmen in the bodily relationship, that reluctance should be thrown off; in this way one may become vigata-jvara, or without feverish mentality or lethargy. Everyone, according to his quality and position, has a particular type of work to discharge, and all such duties may be discharged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as described above. That will lead one to the path of liberation.

If the movement to change SP succeeds, then this purport will be eliminated because it is against many people’s belief – they believe that they are independent, they are not subordinate.. It starts with High Five in Kindergarten.. They are lowering academic standards.. So everyone can pass and no one flunks the test.. High five is a job well done.. People do nonsense and they give high five too. It is a symbol of raising self esteem..  is equal..There is no real instruction being given, it is all about high fiving. Great you are able to blow bubble with your bubble gum.  

Such designations, without any knowledge of the science of God and practical knowledge of devotional service, are considered to be all decorations of dead bodies. And when there is too much inflation of these decorated dead bodies in society, they develop so many anomalies in the progressive, peaceful life of the human being. 

There is lots of distress, fear, because of the lack of training and culture in the upper sections of society.. KC is all about being trained in the culture of Krsna. 

BG 3.32

But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not follow them regularly are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and ruined in their endeavors for perfection.

The flaw of not being Kṛṣṇa conscious is clearly stated herein. As there is punishment for disobedience to the order of the supreme executive head, so there is certainly punishment for disobedience to the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A disobedient person, however great he may be, is ignorant of his own self, and of the Supreme Brahman, Paramātmā and the Personality of Godhead, due to a vacant heart. Therefore there is no hope of perfection of life for him.

Because of the lack of training or culture in the upper section of the social orders, there are no more to be designated as the dvija-janas, or the twice-born. The significance of being twice-born has been explained in many places in these great literatures, and again one is reminded herewith that birth, executed by the sex life of the father and the mother, is called animal birth. But such animal birth and progress of life on the animal principles of eating, sleeping, fearing and mating (without any scientific culture of spiritual life) is called the śūdra life or, to be more explicit, the uncultured life of the lower class of men. It is stated herein that the governmental power of society in the Kali-yuga will be passed over to the uncultured, godless laborer classes of men, and thus the nṛdevas (or the ministers of the government) will be the vṛṣalas, or the uncultured, lower-class men of society. No one can expect any peace and prosperity in a human society full of uncultured, lower classes of men. The symptoms of such uncultured social animals are already in vogue, and it is the duty of the leaders of men to take note of it and try to reform the social order by introducing the principles of twice-born men trained in the science of God consciousness. This can be done by expanding the culture of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam all over the world. In the degraded condition of human society, the Lord incarnates as the Kalki avatāra and kills all the demonic without mercy.

Well this is a frightening prediction that is going to happen. Sukhdev Goswami, Suta Gosvami they are trilkalgna.. They can see past present and future.. They predicted things and they are happening. The tendency of electing the low class people as leaders is already there.. 

Queen Elizabeth will be the last monarch. Monarchy failed because kings are no longer trained in KC. They are elected with no qualification no training only for the name and fame and sense 

King Henry the Eighth.. Wanted to dump his wife and get a new wife. The Pope opposed it as it is opposite to the Catholic church rules. So he started his own independent church (Anglican church)  to mend the rules and have more sense gratification..

Not very uplifting to read the history.. Sometimes it is good to learn what mistakes were done in the past.. 

In Islam after Mohammed there was split of Shias and Sunis.. There was blood shed.. 

Hermeneutics – How you can speculate.. License to speculate. 

  • Different interpretations of Bible. 
  • Even in ISKCON.. There is hermeneutics.. There is a set a people who want to change everything negative women in the SP texts.
    Will you accept Marlyn Monroe as ideal woman? No she is a fallen women Will you accept Bill Gates as ideal man? No he is a fallen me

BG 9.32

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya

ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ

striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās

te ’pi yānti parāṁ gatim

O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth – women, vaiśyas [merchants] and śūdras [workers] – can attain the supreme destination.

Is this an indictment of these people? Even the fallen people can go back to Godhead. This is a positive thing. Does it mean all women? All sudras? All vysyas.. No only fallen ones. 

In Introduction Page 31 There is alternate translation. 

We pray to Kunti Devi, Yasodamyai.. But surpanaka is a fallen woman we do not worship her.. 

Reading is not enough, One has to keep hearing to penetrate through the hard skull.. 

All you need is BG and SB

Posted on

SB 2.7.37 Notes -10/25/21

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.7.37:

  •  Lord Buddha incarnates at a time when the people are most materialistic and preaches commonsense religious principles. Such ahiṁsā is not a religious principle itself, but it is an important quality for persons who are actually religious.
  • But before learning these principles of nonviolence one has to learn two other principles, namely to be humble and to be prideless. Unless one is humble and prideless, one cannot be harmless and nonviolent. 
  • In religious principles there must be God in the center; otherwise simple moral instructions are merely subreligious principles, generally known as upadharma, or nearness to religious principles.
  • A pure devotee is never disturbed in any circumstances. Nor is he envious of anyone. Nor does a devotee become his enemy’s enemy; he thinks, “This person is acting as my enemy due to my own past misdeeds. So it is better to suffer than to protest.” 
  • Whenever a devotee is in distress or has fallen into difficulty, he thinks that it is the Lord’s mercy upon him. He thinks, “Thanks to my past misdeeds I should suffer far, far greater than I am suffering now. So it is by the mercy of the Supreme Lord that I am not getting all the punishment I am due. I am just getting a little, by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Therefore he is always calm, quiet and patient, despite many distressful conditions.
  •  If one can mold his family life in this way to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, following these four principles, then there is no need to change from family life to renounced life. But if it is not congenial, not favorable for spiritual advancement, then family life should be abandoned. 
  • But if it is not congenial, not favorable for spiritual advancement, then family life should be abandoned. In all cases, one should be detached from the happiness and distress of family life, because in this world one can never be fully happy or fully miserable
  • One can never restrict the coming and going of happiness and distress, so one should be detached from the materialistic way of life and be automatically equipoised in both cases. To reach that stage, we have to practice unbreakable devotional service. Devotional service to Kṛṣṇa without deviation means engaging oneself in the nine processes of devotional service – chanting, hearing, worshiping, offering respect, etc.
  • These eighteen items combine to form a gradual process by which real knowledge can be developed. Except for these, all other methods are considered to be in the category of nescience
  • University students today are not given instructions in the regulative principles of brahmacarya (celibate student life), nor do they have any faith in any scriptural injunctions. 
  • Śrī Īśopaniṣad warns us of this faulty type of education, and the Bhagavad-gītā gives instructions as to the development of real knowledge. 
  • ISO  mantra 10 states that the instructions of vidyā (knowledge) must be acquired from a dhīra. The dhīras have come to know all these facts by hearing them from superior authorities and have realized this knowledge by following the regulative principles.
  • One can become a dhīra only by submissively hearing from a bona fide spiritual master. 
  • Therefore , one must hear submissively from a dhīra in order to attain actual education.

SB 2.7.37 TRANSLATION:

When the atheists, after being well versed in the Vedic scientific knowledge, annihilate inhabitants of different planets, flying unseen in the sky on well-built rockets prepared by the great scientist Maya, the Lord will bewilder their minds by dressing Himself attractively as Buddha and will preach on subreligious principles.

This incarnation of Lord Buddha is not the same Buddha incarnation we have in the present history of mankind. According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the Buddha incarnation mentioned in this verse appeared in a different Kali age. In the duration of life of one Manu there are more than seventy-two Kali-yugas, and in one of them the particular type of Buddha mentioned here would appear. Lord Buddha incarnates at a time when the people are most materialistic and preaches commonsense religious principles. Such ahiṁsā is not a religious principle itself, but it is an important quality for persons who are actually religious. It is a commonsense religion because one is advised to do no harm to any other animal or living being because such harmful actions are equally harmful to he who does the harm. But before learning these principles of nonviolence one has to learn two other principles, namely to be humble and to be prideless. Unless one is humble and prideless, one cannot be harmless and nonviolent. And after being nonviolent one has to learn tolerance and simplicity of living. One must offer respect to the great religious preachers and spiritual leaders and also train the senses for controlled action, learning to be unattached to family and home, and enacting devotional service to the Lord, etc. At the ultimate stage one has to accept the Lord and become His devotee; otherwise there is no religion. In religious principles there must be God in the center; otherwise simple moral instructions are merely subreligious principles, generally known as upadharma, or nearness to religious principles.

Amazing verses. Rockets are not something new.. They existed millions and millions of years ago. Great Scientist Maya built them.. In the cycles of time.. Satya, Treta, Dwapara yuga, Kali yuga.. V imp to understand the concept of time. It is tremendously expanded when you read BG and SB. We think we are so important.. We are a little speck in time.. It gives us a perspective and helps us to not get puffed that we are unique and make plans.. The only uniqueness is to become a devotee of Krsna.. otherwise everybody else are specks.. In the gigantic universes among billions of universes. 

Buddha;s teachings are a small step towards self realization.. He came to teach people who are hell bent on Violence.. Scientific advancement is only helping to kill people in masses and take control of other countries.. Nothing more than that. 

He who lives by the sword dies by the sword.. 

 One should be strict with oneself and be tolerant with others. But most people are viceversa.. 

Simplicity of living – One should be a Minimalist . Self controlled and not overindulge and should have sense gratification according to KC. Not according to materialists like freud.. If you have problems in marriage and go to psychologist they suggest to get divorce after couple sessions. 

Tolerance is also explained BG 12th chapter.. 

BG 12.13-14 (READ THIS VERSE IF YOU WANT TO BE DEAR TO KRSNA AND BE A PURE DEVOTEE)

​​One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me – such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.

Coming again to the point of pure devotional service, the Lord is describing the transcendental qualifications of a pure devotee in these two verses. A pure devotee is never disturbed in any circumstances. Nor is he envious of anyone. Nor does a devotee become his enemy’s enemy; he thinks, “This person is acting as my enemy due to my own past misdeeds. So it is better to suffer than to protest.” In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.8) it is stated: tat te ’nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam. Whenever a devotee is in distress or has fallen into difficulty, he thinks that it is the Lord’s mercy upon him. He thinks, “Thanks to my past misdeeds I should suffer far, far greater than I am suffering now. So it is by the mercy of the Supreme Lord that I am not getting all the punishment I am due. I am just getting a little, by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Therefore he is always calm, quiet and patient, despite many distressful conditions.

This is real KC, real lakshana of a pure devotee.. This is if you want to be a devotee. If you do not want to be a devotee then you sleep in.. dont listen.. So you grow up to a be a nonsense. No one can say you did not know.. What do you mean you do not know.. Prabhupada has given everything. You did not try to know. No over eating, over sleeping, no over talking, not playing with gadget all around. You should be self controlled. If you know this 18 points of knowledge, then we will avoid most problems in life.  BG 13.8-12 and ISO 10 both places, SP describes 18 points of knowledge. 

ISO 10 – 

(13) DETACHMENT – One should not be attached to more than the necessities of life required for spiritual advancement.

(14) FREEDOM FROM ENTANGLEMENT WITH CHILDREN, WIFE, HOME AND THE REST – One should not be more attached to wife, children and home than the revealed scriptures ordain.

One should develop spiritual vision. In the body there are 2 souls, jiva and paramatma. DEvotee does not see the body he sees the soul in everyone and in relation to Krsna. He helps everyone at home and outside to remember Krsna. As long as your family members are not inimical to KC,one should be always respectful and do their duty. Doing duty means not sense gratification. Doing duty is making everyone in the family KC by making things comfortable and freeing them from anxiety, to do that you have to be Humble, prideless, tolerant, non violent, and simple . Have a Minimalist life in the family,  It is better to have few good things that are much more satisfying than a whole lot of junk.. If you go to Mayapur everyday they eat Kichidi.. They make their own Kichiri and put a lot of ghee.. This is a simple life and very healthy to eat a few things everyday.. That are very well made. Experts cook do not put too many things they use very few ingredients, but they are well dosed and they are very delicious.. With a very few good things a person is very satisfied. Make life very simple.. One should have a lakshman rekha for the sense enjoyment.. TRain senses to be control.. One should follow 8 regulative principles.. 

As for detachment from children, wife and home, it is not meant that one should have no feeling for these. They are natural objects of affection. But when they are not favorable to spiritual progress, then one should not be attached to them. The best process for making the home pleasant is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one is in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can make his home very happy, because this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very easy. One need only chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, accept the remnants of foodstuffs offered to Kṛṣṇa, have some discussion on books like Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and engage oneself in Deity worship. These four things will make one happy. One should train the members of his family in this way. The family members can sit down morning and evening and chant together Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. If one can mold his family life in this way to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, following these four principles, then there is no need to change from family life to renounced life. But if it is not congenial, not favorable for spiritual advancement, then family life should be abandoned.  (Not right away… After the children are grown)

One must sacrifice everything to realize or serve Kṛṣṇa, just as Arjuna did. Arjuna did not want to kill his family members, but when he understood that these family members were impediments to his Kṛṣṇa realization, he accepted the instruction of Kṛṣṇa and fought and killed them. In all cases, one should be detached from the happiness and distress of family life, because in this world one can never be fully happy or fully miserable.

Biggest mistake – marry, have children and then abandon.. You have to wait until they grow and are independent and take permission from the wife to take sanyas.. Best is if you make everyone KC you need not take Sanyas. 

(15) EVEN-MINDEDNESS AMID PLEASANT AND UNPLEASANT EVENTS – One should not be happy or distressed over desirables and undesirables, knowing that such feelings are just created by the mind.

If you have lot of sugar in Blood if you go to India it attracts mosquitoes.. They know what they want.. In India Jayapataka Swami.. would give us small balls of neem to eat.. Fresh leaves.. Made into pulp and made into balls.. Eat a lot of need make your blood bitter.. And mosquitos wont bite.. 

Happiness and distress are concomitant factors of material life. One should learn to tolerate, as advised in Bhagavad-gītā. 

Law of nature – If we engage in sense gratification, misery will come right away!

One can never restrict the coming and going of happiness and distress, so one should be detached from the materialistic way of life and be automatically equipoised in both cases. Generally, when we get something desirable we are very happy, and when we get something undesirable we are distressed. But if we are actually in the spiritual position these things will not agitate us. To reach that stage, we have to practice unbreakable devotional service. Devotional service to Kṛṣṇa without deviation means engaging oneself in the nine processes of devotional service – chanting, hearing, worshiping, offering respect, etc. – as described in the last verse of the Ninth Chapter. That process should be followed.

Happiness and distress come together always. 

BG 5.22 (SENSE GRATIFICATION IS ALWAYS FOLLOWED BY MISERY)- Therefore, those who are true yogīs or learned transcendentalists are not attracted by sense pleasures, which are the causes of continuous material existence. The more one is addicted to material pleasures, the more he is entrapped by material miseri

Naturally, when one is adapted to the spiritual way of life, he will not want to mix with materialistic men. That would go against his grain. One may test himself by seeing how far he is inclined to live in a solitary place, without unwanted association. Naturally a devotee has no taste for unnecessary sporting or cinema-going or enjoying some social function, because he understands that these are simply a waste of time. There are many research scholars and philosophers who study sex life or some other subject, but according to Bhagavad-gītā such research work and philosophical speculation have no value. That is more or less nonsensical. According to Bhagavad-gītā, one should make research, by philosophical discretion, into the nature of the soul. One should make research to understand the self. That is recommended here.

(16) CONSTANT AND UNALLOYED DEVOTION TO ME –  One should become an unalloyed devotee of the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and serve Him with rapt attention.

That is the most important of the 18 points.. 

Real beginning of spiritual life..

(17) ASPIRING TO LIVE IN A SOLITARY PLACE; DETACHMENT FROM THE GENERAL MASS OF PEOPLE – One should develop a liking for residence in a secluded place with a calm and quiet atmosphere favorable for spiritual culture, and one should avoid congested places where non devotees congregate.

Asat sanga tyaga..  – One who gives up the association of unholy people and only associates with the devotees is a real devotee.. 

(18) ACCEPTING THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-REALIZATION; AND PHILOSOPHICAL SEARCH FOR THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH – One should become a scientist or philosopher and conduct research into spiritual knowledge, recognizing that spiritual knowledge is permanent whereas material knowledge ends with the death of the body.

These eighteen items combine to form a gradual process by which real knowledge can be developed. Except for these, all other methods are considered to be in the category of nescience. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, a great ācārya, maintained that all forms of material knowledge are merely external features of the illusory energy and that by culturing them one becomes no better than an ass. This same principle is found here in Śrī Īśopaniṣad. By advancement of material knowledge, modern man is simply being converted into an ass. Some materialistic politicians in spiritual guise decry the present system of civilization as satanic, but unfortunately they do not care about the culture of real knowledge as it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Thus they cannot change the satanic situation.

Maharaj has been invited as a guest speaker .. what am I going say.. I have to speak the truth.. Not too brutal nor too soft.. A medium approach has to be taken.. 

In the modern society, even a boy thinks himself self-sufficient and pays no respect to elderly men. Due to the wrong type of education being imparted in our universities, boys all over the world are giving their elders headaches. Thus Śrī Īśopaniṣad very strongly warns that the culture of nescience is different from that of knowledge. The universities are, so to speak, centers of nescience only; consequently scientists are busy discovering lethal weapons to wipe out the existence of other countries. University students today are not given instructions in the regulative principles of brahmacarya (celibate student life), nor do they have any faith in any scriptural injunctions. Religious principles are taught for the sake of name and fame only and not for the sake of practical action. Thus there is animosity not only in social and political fields but in the field of religion as well.

Nationalism has developed in different parts of the world due to the cultivation of nescience by the general people.No one considers that this tiny earth is just a lump of matter floating in immeasurable space along with many other lumps. In comparison to the vastness of space, these material lumps are like dust particles in the air. Because God has kindly made these lumps of matter complete in themselves, they are perfectly equipped with all necessities for floating in space. The drivers of our spaceships may be very proud of their achievements, but they do not consider the supreme driver of these greater, more gigantic spaceships called planets

There are innumerable suns and innumerable planetary systems also. As infinitesimal parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, we small creatures are trying to dominate these unlimited planets. Thus we take repeated birth and death and are generally frustrated by old age and disease. The span of human life is scheduled for about a hundred years, although it is gradually decreasing to twenty or thirty years. Thanks to the culture of nescience, befooled men have created their own nations within these planets in order to grasp sense enjoyment more effectively for these few years. Such foolish people draw up various plans to render national demarcations perfectly, a task that is totally impossible. Yet for this purpose each and every nation has become a source of anxiety for others. More than fifty percent of a nation’s energy is devoted to defense measures and thus spoiled. No one cares for the cultivation of real knowledge, yet people are falsely proud of being advanced in both material and spiritual knowledge..

Śrī Īśopaniṣad warns us of this faulty type of education, and the Bhagavad-gītā gives instructions as to the development of real knowledge. This mantra states that the instructions of vidyā (knowledge) must be acquired from a dhīra. A dhīra is one who is not disturbed by material illusion. No one can be undisturbed unless he is perfectly spiritually realized, at which time one neither hankers nor laments for anything. A dhīra realizes that the material body and mind he has acquired by chance through material association are but foreign elements; therefore he simply makes the best use of a bad bargain.

The material body and mind are bad bargains for the spiritual living entity. The living entity has actual functions in the living, spiritual world, but this material world is dead. As long as the living spiritual sparks manipulate the dead lumps of matter, the dead world appears to be a living world. Actually it is the living souls, the parts and parcels of the supreme living being, who move the world. The dhīras have come to know all these facts by hearing them from superior authorities and have realized this knowledge by following the regulative principles.

To follow the regulative principles, one must take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master. The transcendental message and regulative principles come down from the spiritual master to the disciple. Such knowledge does not come in the hazardous way of nescient education. One can become a dhīra only by submissively hearing from a bona fide spiritual master. Arjuna, for example, became a dhīra by submissively hearing from Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead Himself. Thus the perfect disciple must be like Arjuna, and the spiritual master must be as good as the Lord Himself. This is the process of learning vidyā (knowledge) from the dhīra (the undisturbed).

An adhīra (one who has not undergone the training of a dhīra) cannot be an instructive leader. Modern politicians who pose themselves as dhīras are actually adhīras, and one cannot expect perfect knowledge from them. They are simply busy seeing to their own remuneration in dollars and cents. How, then, can they lead the mass of people to the right path of self-realization? Thus one must hear submissively from a dhīra in order to attain actual education.

Posted on

SB 2.7.36 Notes – 10/24/21

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.7.36:

  • The less intelligent persons of the Age of Kali would be not only short-lived, but also perplexed with so many problems of life due to the awkward situation of the godless human society.
  • Real advancement of knowledge means progress of knowledge in self-realization.
  • But in the Age of Kali the less intelligent men mistakenly consider the short lifetime of one hundred years (now factually reduced to about forty or sixty years) to be all in all.
  • They are less intelligent because they have no information of the eternity of life; they identify with the temporary material body existing for forty years and consider it the only basic principle of life. Such persons are described as equal to the asses and bulls.
  • The Lord, as the compassionate father of all living beings, imparts unto them the vast Vedic knowledge in short treatises like the Bhagavad-gītā and, for the graduates, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. 
  • The Purāṇas and the Mahābhārata are also similarly made by Vyāsadeva for the different types of men in the modes of material nature. But none of them are independent of the Vedic principles.
  • As advised in BG13.8–12. One should culture knowledge in the following way:
  • HUMILITY – One should become a perfect gentleman and learn to give proper respect to others.  Humility means that one should not be anxious to have the satisfaction of being honored by others. 
  • PRIDELESSNESS – One should not pose himself as a religionist simply for name and fame.
  • NON VIOLENCE  –  One should not become a source of anxiety to others by the actions of his body, by the thoughts of his mind, or by his words. It means not to put others into distress.
  • TOLERANCE – One should learn forbearance even in the face of provocation from others. It means that one should be practiced to bear insult and dishonor from others.
  • SIMPLICITY – One should learn to avoid duplicity in his dealings with others. Simplicity means that without diplomacy one should be so straightforward that he can disclose the real truth even to an enemy. 
  • ACCEPTING SPIRITUAL MASTER – One should search out a bona fide spiritual master who can lead him gradually to the stage of spiritual realization, and one must submit himself to such a spiritual master, render him service and ask relevant questions. / Because a bona fide spiritual master is a representative of Kṛṣṇa, if he bestows any blessings upon his disciple, that will make the disciple immediately advanced without the disciple’s following the regulative principles. Or, the regulative principles will be easier for one who has served the spiritual master without reservation.
  • CLEANLINESS – Cleanliness is essential for making advancement in spiritual life. There are two kinds of cleanliness: external and internal.  External cleanliness means taking a bath, but for internal cleanliness one has to think of Kṛṣṇa always and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Maha Mantra This process cleans the accumulated dust of past karma from the mind
  • STEADINESS – One must be fixed in the tenets of the revealed scriptures.
    Steadiness means that one should be very determined to make progress in spiritual life. Without such determination, one cannot make tangible progress.  
  • SELF CONTROL – self-control means that one should not accept anything which is detrimental to the path of spiritual progress. One should become accustomed to this and reject anything which is against the path of spiritual progress. This is real renunciation.
  • RENUNCIATION IN THE MATTER OF SENSES – One should not accept more than what he requires for the maintenance of the body. One should not cater to the demands of the senses, which are not necessary. The senses should only be gratified to keep the body fit so that one can discharge his duty in advancing in spiritual life.
  • ABSENCE OF FALSE EGO – One should not falsely identify himself with the gross material body, nor should one consider those who are related to his body to be his own. False ego means accepting this body as oneself. When one understands that he is not his body and is spirit soul, he comes to his real ego.
  • Bhagavad-gītā is simply expounding the science of devotional service. Devotional service is the main and sole objective. Unintelligent commentators on the Bhagavad-gītā try to divert the mind of the reader to other subjects, but there is no other subject in Bhagavad-gītā than devotional service.

SB  2.7.36  TRANSLATION:

The Lord Himself in His incarnation as the son of Satyavatī [Vyāsadeva] will consider his compilation of the Vedic literature to be very difficult for the less intelligent persons with short life, and thus He will divide the tree of Vedic knowledge into different branches, according to the circumstances of the particular age.

Herein Brahmā mentions the future compilation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for the short-lived persons of the Kali age. As explained in the First Canto, the less intelligent persons of the Age of Kali would be not only short-lived, but also perplexed with so many problems of life due to the awkward situation of the godless human society. Advancement of material comforts of the body is activity in the mode of ignorance according to the laws of material nature. Real advancement of knowledge means progress of knowledge in self-realization. But in the Age of Kali the less intelligent men mistakenly consider the short lifetime of one hundred years (now factually reduced to about forty or sixty years) to be all in all. They are less intelligent because they have no information of the eternity of life; they identify with the temporary material body existing for forty years and consider it the only basic principle of life. Such persons are described as equal to the asses and bulls. But the Lord, as the compassionate father of all living beings, imparts unto them the vast Vedic knowledge in short treatises like the Bhagavad-gītā and, for the graduates, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Purāṇas and the Mahābhārata are also similarly made by Vyāsadeva for the different types of men in the modes of material nature. But none of them are independent of the Vedic principles.

The age of kali is the most difficult time for people. The whole culture is organized to forget Krsna. Culture is how to do things. Most people earlier refrained from eating meat. Now people are crazy to eat meat. Whenever one does not follow the principles of Sanatana Dharma has to degrade.. 

Example- Gandhi never followed the vedic path fully. He eclectcally chose things from Jainism, islam.. 

He was living like a Yogi.. his actions were different

Unless people follow vedic dharma. Dharma is occupational duty. Sanatana Dharma is an occupational duty that has to be done eternally. 

In schools they do not teach that we are eternal.. They only think that they the 60-100 years of life is what it is and one has to make the most to get all the sense gratification. 

Unless we understand the real knowledge we will waste our life. It will be disaster. Unless we understand our relationship with Krsna which is the ultimate purpose of life, understanding other relationships in this material world is a disaster. 

The real knowledge is described in Bhagavadgita.  Unless we learn this we are the biggest victimizer of ourselves. 

BG 13.8-12 (20 point of knowledge)

Humility; pridelessness; nonviolence; tolerance; simplicity; approaching a bona fide spiritual master; cleanliness; steadiness; self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification; absence of false ego; the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; detachment; freedom from entanglement with children, wife, home and the rest; even-mindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me; aspiring to live in a solitary place; detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization; and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth – all these I declare to be knowledge, and besides this whatever there may be is ignorance.

This is also described in ISO Mantra 10 

ISO 10 – 

The wise have explained that one result is derived from the culture of knowledge and that a different result is obtained from the culture of nescience.

As advised in Chapter Thirteen of the Bhagavad-gītā (13.8–12), one should culture knowledge in the following way:

(1) HUMILITY – One should become a perfect gentleman and learn to give proper respect to others. – 

Knowledge begins with humility

Humility is the first point in the knowledge

This is also described in Lord Chaitanya’s teachings. 

Proper respect to all living entities including animals. 

 Humility means that one should not be anxious to have the satisfaction of being honored by others. 

The material conception of life makes us very eager to receive honor from others, but from the point of view of a man in perfect knowledge – who knows that he is not this body – anything, honor or dishonor, pertaining to this body is useless. One should not be hankering after this material deception. People are very anxious to be famous for their religion, and consequently sometimes it is found that without understanding the principles of religion one enters into some group which is not actually following religious principles and then wants to advertise himself as a religious mentor. As for actual advancement in spiritual science, one should have a test to see how far he is progressing. He can judge by these items.

(2) PRIDELESSNESS – One should not pose himself as a religionist simply for name and fame.

Show bottle pandit – Is interested in his own glorification than glorifying the God. All the man Gods and women Gods in India are puffed with false pride and enamored by the glory and accolades given to such a false person. That is a sign that they are in a very sick mentality.. Example – Nithyananda in the temple his picture is above the altar

(3) NON VIOLENCE –  One should not become a source of anxiety to others by the actions of his body, by the thoughts of his mind, or by his words.

Many times people become agitators to others by saying and doing things.

Nonviolence is generally taken to mean not killing or destroying the body, but actually nonviolence means not to put others into distress. People in general are trapped by ignorance in the material concept of life, and they perpetually suffer material pains. So unless one elevates people to spiritual knowledge, one is practicing violence. One should try his best to distribute real knowledge to the people, so that they may become enlightened and leave this material entanglement. That is nonviolence.

(4) TOLERANCE – One should learn forbearance even in the face of provocation from others.

Tolerance means that one should be practiced to bear insult and dishonor from others. If one is engaged in the advancement of spiritual knowledge, there will be so many insults and much dishonor from others. This is expected because material nature is so constituted. Even a boy like Prahlāda, who, only five years old, was engaged in the cultivation of spiritual knowledge, was endangered when his father became antagonistic to his devotion. The father tried to kill him in so many ways, but Prahlāda tolerated him. So there may be many impediments to making advancement in spiritual knowledge, but we should be tolerant and continue our progress with determination.

(5) SIMPLICITY – One should learn to avoid duplicity in his dealings with others.

Simplicity means that without diplomacy one should be so straightforward that he can disclose the real truth even to an enemy.

Lord Caitanya’s closest followers used diplomacy.. But it was not to cheat the lord. Sometimes devotees may be diplomatic to lead people to Krsna. But otherwise one should be very honest, truthful and straightforward. 

(6) ACCEPTING SPIRITUAL MASTER – One should search out a bona fide spiritual master who can lead him gradually to the stage of spiritual realization, and one must submit himself to such a spiritual master, render him service and ask relevant questions.

As for acceptance of the spiritual master, that is essential, because without the instruction of a bona fide spiritual master one cannot progress in the spiritual science. One should approach the spiritual master with all humility and offer him all services so that he will be pleased to bestow his blessings upon the disciple. Because a bona fide spiritual master is a representative of Kṛṣṇa, if he bestows any blessings upon his disciple, that will make the disciple immediately advanced without the disciple’s following the regulative principles. Or, the regulative principles will be easier for one who has served the spiritual master without reservation.

(7) CLEANLINESS – In order to approach the platform of self-realization, one must follow the regulative principles enjoined in the revealed scriptures.

Cleanliness is essential for making advancement in spiritual life. There are two kinds of cleanliness: external and internal. External cleanliness means taking a bath, but for internal cleanliness one has to think of Kṛṣṇa always and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This process cleans the accumulated dust of past karma from the mind

Whatever we did in previous life is influencing us now.. Kutam always remains – tendency to be attracted to sense gratification in this life. We see that happening in adolescence.. To stop that and purify – hearing about Krsna everyday and chanting everyday. It is not just the rounds. One has to hear everyday.. Without hearing the rounds will be mechanical.. 

(8) STEADINESS – One must be fixed in the tenets of the revealed scriptures.

Steadiness means that one should be very determined to make progress in spiritual life. Without such determination, one cannot make tangible progress.

(9) SELF CONTROL –  One should completely refrain from practices which are detrimental to the interest of self-realization.

And self-control means that one should not accept anything which is detrimental to the path of spiritual progress. One should become accustomed to this and reject anything which is against the path of spiritual progress. This is real renunciation.

What are the practices – Going to unsavory webpages, seeing movies, reading books that are nonsense, listening to lectures that are nonsense.. 

Giving a kid access to the internet is giving a key to the road to hell or a loaded gun. 

(10) RENUNCIATION IN THE MATTER OF SENSES – One should not accept more than he requires for the maintenance of the body.

The senses are so strong that they are always anxious to have sense gratification. One should not cater to these demands, which are not necessary. The senses should only be gratified to keep the body fit so that one can discharge his duty in advancing in spiritual life. The most important and uncontrollable sense is the tongue. If one can control the tongue, then there is every possibility of controlling the other senses. The function of the tongue is to taste and to vibrate. Therefore, by systematic regulation, the tongue should always be engaged in tasting the remnants of foodstuffs offered to Kṛṣṇa and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. As far as the eyes are concerned, they should not be allowed to see anything but the beautiful form of Kṛṣṇa. That will control the eyes. Similarly, the ears should be engaged in hearing about Kṛṣṇa and the nose in smelling the flowers offered to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process of devotional service, and it is understood here that Bhagavad-gītā is simply expounding the science of devotional service. Devotional service is the main and sole objective. Unintelligent commentators on the Bhagavad-gītā try to divert the mind of the reader to other subjects, but there is no other subject in Bhagavad-gītā than devotional service.

Over eating, Diabetes, 

(11) ABSENCE OF FALSE EGO – One should not falsely identify himself with the gross material body, nor should one consider those who are related to his body to be his own.

False ego means accepting this body as oneself. When one understands that he is not his body and is spirit soul, he comes to his real ego. Ego is there. False ego is condemned, but not real ego. In the Vedic literature (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.4.10) it is said, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: I am Brahman, I am spirit. This “I am,” the sense of self, also exists in the liberated stage of self-realization. This sense of “I am” is ego, but when the sense of “I am” is applied to this false body it is false ego. When the sense of self is applied to reality, that is real ego. There are some philosophers who say we should give up our ego, but we cannot give up our ego, because ego means identity. We ought, of course, to give up the false identification with the body.

I am a product of matter – is false ego 

I am a spirit soul – is real ego 

You should identify with the soul and you should identify your family with their soul. It is about seeing the soul in relationship with Krsna not only yourself but also in everyone including your family. 

Example – As soon as I was born I had enemies.. I inherited enemies due to my identification with my body , my family mt ethnicity.. This bodily identification ruins,. 

Whenever you cheat you cheat yourself ultimately.. 

Water in the milk 

Cars made in USA – made to break os new cars can be brought. Now only japanese cars are the most used. 

Posted on

SB 2.7.34-35 Notes – 10/23/21

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.7.34-35 TODAY (10/23/21):

  • The demons (mentioned in this verse) killed would attain salvation either by being merged in the brahmajyoti of the Lord or being allowed to enter into the abodes of the Lord called Vaikuṇṭhas. 
  • This has already been explained by Bhīṣmadeva (First Canto). All persons who participated in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra or otherwise with the Lord or with Baladeva, etc., would benefit by attaining spiritual existence according to the situation of their minds at the time of death. 
  • Those who recognized the Lord would enter Vaikuṇṭha, and those who estimated the Lord as only a powerful being would attain salvation by merging into the spiritual existence of the impersonal brahmajyoti of the Lord. 
  • But every one of them would get released from material existence. 
  • Since such is the benefit of those who played with the Lord inimically, one can imagine what would be the position of those who devoutly served the Lord in transcendental relationship with Him.
  • The demoniac person may not agree to accept the supremacy of the Lord, and it is a fact that he may act according to his own whims, but his next birth will depend upon the decision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and not on himself. 
  • In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Third Canto, it is stated that an individual soul, after his death, is put into the womb of a mother where he gets a particular type of body under the supervision of superior power. 
  • In the material existence we find so many species of life – animals, insects, men, and so on. All are arranged by the superior power. They are not accidental. 
  • As for the demoniac, it is clearly said here that they are perpetually put into the wombs of demons, and thus they continue to be envious, the lowest of mankind. Such demoniac species of men are held to be always full of lust, always violent and hateful and always unclean. 
  • In Kali yuga demons are amongst us. They are in the TV, Rock bands, movies, teachers, in every walk of our lives. 
  • One has to decide whether one wants to associate with the demons and develop demoniac qualities or practice Krsna Consciousness,  associate with devotees and develop Divine nature endowed with Godly qualities.. which are spoken by the lord in BG 16.1-3
  • The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Fearlessness; purification of one’s existence; cultivation of spiritual knowledge; charity; self-control; performance of sacrifice; study of the Vedas; austerity; simplicity; nonviolence; truthfulness; freedom from anger; renunciation; tranquillity; aversion to faultfinding; compassion for all living entities; freedom from covetousness; gentleness; modesty; steady determination; vigor; forgiveness; fortitude; cleanliness; and freedom from envy and from the passion for honor – these transcendental qualities, O son of Bharata, belong to godly men endowed with divine nature.
  • The qualities mentioned herein are explained as transcendental qualities meant for making a person progress in spiritual understanding so that he can get liberated from the material world.

SB 2.7.34-35 TRANSLATION:

All demonic personalities like Pralamba, Dhenuka, Baka, Keśī, Ariṣṭa, Cāṇūra, Muṣṭika, Kuvalayāpīḍa elephant, Kaṁsa, Yavana, Narakāsura and Pauṇḍraka, great marshals like Śālva, Dvivida monkey and Balvala, Dantavakra, the seven bulls, Śambara, Vidūratha and Rukmī, as also great warriors like Kāmboja, Matsya, Kuru, Sṛñjaya and Kekaya, would all fight vigorously, either with the Lord Hari directly or with Him under His names of Baladeva, Arjuna, Bhīma, etc. And the demons, thus being killed, would attain either the impersonal brahmajyoti or His personal abode in the Vaikuṇṭha planets.

All manifestations, in both the material and spiritual worlds, are demonstrations of the different potencies of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The Personality of Godhead Baladeva is His immediate personal expansion, and Bhīma, Arjuna, etc., are His personal associates. The Lord would appear (and He does so whenever He appears) with all His associates and potencies. Therefore the rebellious souls, like the demons and demoniac men, mentioned by names like Pralamba, would be killed either by the Lord Himself or by His associates. All these affairs will be clearly explained in the Tenth Canto. But we should know well that all the above-mentioned living entities killed would attain salvation either by being merged in the brahmajyoti of the Lord or being allowed to enter into the abodes of the Lord called Vaikuṇṭhas. This has already been explained by Bhīṣmadeva (First Canto). All persons who participated in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra or otherwise with the Lord or with Baladeva, etc., would benefit by attaining spiritual existence according to the situation of their minds at the time of death. Those who recognized the Lord would enter Vaikuṇṭha, and those who estimated the Lord as only a powerful being would attain salvation by merging into the spiritual existence of the impersonal brahmajyoti of the Lord. But every one of them would get release from material existence. Since such is the benefit of those who played with the Lord inimically, one can imagine what would be the position of those who devoutly served the Lord in transcendental relationship with Him.

We are in the section where Brahma is explaining Narada about the Lila avatars. 

If you ever want to fight, fight with Krsna – you will merge into brahman or go to vaikuntha planets.. 

Whether you have full material desires, or no desires you should go to Krsna it is a deal for you. We should explain this to demons. 

The same old same old – people are bored and watching TV 24 hours

Weapons on mass destruction – 

Most people especially ones who are mayavadis get stuck in Brahma jyothi

BG 16.19

Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, I perpetually cast into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.

In this verse it is clearly indicated that the placing of a particular individual soul in a particular body is the prerogative of the supreme will. 

Krishna decides what body you will get … 

The demoniac person may not agree to accept the supremacy of the Lord, and it is a fact that he may act according to his own whims, but his next birth will depend upon the decision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and not on himself. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Third Canto, it is stated that an individual soul, after his death, is put into the womb of a mother where he gets a particular type of body under the supervision of superior power. Therefore in the material existence we find so many species of life – animals, insects, men, and so on. All are arranged by the superior power. They are not accidental. As for the demoniac, it is clearly said here that they are perpetually put into the wombs of demons, and thus they continue to be envious, the lowest of mankind. Such demoniac species of men are held to be always full of lust, always violent and hateful and always unclean. The many kinds of hunters in the jungle are considered to belong to the demoniac species of life.

We should be very careful not to associate with demons. There are on Television many demons, people who are out of control.. Rock bands, teachers, TV shows, movies, when you associate with demons, you get contaminated. 

SP once said that – They came from good families.. Gave up liquor, watching TV… Unique qualities of devotees that convince people that KC is a good thing.

In addition to that they developed 64 good qualities. Those qualities are – 

BG 16.1-3  (Godly qualities that develop divine nature)

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Fearlessness; purification of one’s existence; cultivation of spiritual knowledge; charity; self-control; performance of sacrifice; study of the Vedas; austerity; simplicity; nonviolence; truthfulness; freedom from anger; renunciation; tranquillity; aversion to faultfinding; compassion for all living entities; freedom from covetousness; gentleness; modesty; steady determination; vigor; forgiveness; fortitude; cleanliness; and freedom from envy and from the passion for honor – these transcendental qualities, O son of Bharata, belong to godly men endowed with divine nature.

Endowed with Godly qualities to develop divine nature. You have to decide whether you want to associate with the demons and develop demoniac qualities or practice KC associate with devotees and develop Divine nature endowed with Godly qualities.. 

In 1960’s radical changes came in  Gender equality, abortion, no religion in school.. All these changes are still prevailing.. 

The social institution known as varṇāśrama-dharma – the institution dividing society into four divisions of social life and four occupational divisions or castes – is not meant to divide human society according to birth. Such divisions are in terms of educational qualifications. They are to keep the society in a state of peace and prosperity. The qualities mentioned herein are explained as transcendental qualities meant for making a person progress in spiritual understanding so that he can get liberated from the material world.

Materialists want to be free from birth and death so they can perpetually enjoy sense  gratification. But the devotees want  to so they can eternally serve the lordships… 

In KC we are not denying senses.. We purify the senses. We get the senses engaged in KC. Even one may be Yogi or Jnanis.. The reasons they are doing it is wrong. There is major difference between devotees mayavadis, jnanis, yogis. 

Being KC – Package – Hearing and chanting 

HOMEWORK : 

Write down the scientist definition of science is, the vedic understanding of science is. Read these two articles and compare this to the real science given in Vedic scriptures.

  1. Surprise! the big bang is not the beginning of the universe anymore! (https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/big-bang-beginning-universe/)
  2. Scientists may have solved the mystery of matters origin-(https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/02/26/scientists-may-have-solved-mystery-of-matters-origin/)
Posted on

SB 2.7.33 Notes – 10/22/21

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.7.33:

  • Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and the damsels were so much absorbed in the Rasa dance, almost in madness, a demoniac associate of Kuvera (the treasurer of the heavenly planets) appeared on the scene. 
  • The demon’s name was Śaṅkhacūḍa because on his head there was a valuable jewel resembling a conch shell. He was very puffed up over material opulence. 
  • He thought that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were two ordinary cowherd boys enjoying the company of many beautiful girls. 
  • Generally, in the material world, a person with riches thinks that all beautiful women should be enjoyed by him. Śaṅkhacūḍa also thought that since he belonged to the rich community of Kuvera, he, not Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, should enjoy the company of so many beautiful girls.
  • He therefore decided to take charge of them. He appeared before Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and the damsels of Vraja and began to lead the girls away to the north. He commanded them as if he were their proprietor and husband, despite the presence of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.
  • Being forcibly taken away by Śaṅkhacūḍa, the damsels of Vraja called out the names of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma for protection. The two brothers immediately began to follow them, taking up big logs of śāla wood in Their hands. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid,” They called to the gopīs. “We are coming at once to chastise this demon.” 
  • Very quickly They reached Śaṅkhacūḍa. Thinking the brothers too powerful, Śaṅkhacūḍa left the company of the gopīs and ran in fear for his life. 
  • But Kṛṣṇa would not let him go.  After following him a very short distance, Kṛṣṇa caught him, struck his head with His fist and killed him. He then took the valuable jewel and returned. In the presence of all the damsels of Vraja, He presented the valuable jewel to His elder brother, Balarāma.
  • Lust is only the perverted reflection of the love of God which is natural for every living entity. But if one is educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning, that natural love of God cannot deteriorate into lust. 
  • When love of God deteriorates into lust, it is very difficult to return to the normal condition. 
  • Lust is the greatest enemy of the living entity, and it is lust only which induces the pure living entity to remain entangled in the material world.
  • Advancement of material civilization on the basis of sense gratification means increasing the duration of the material existence of a living entity. Therefore, this lust is the symbol of ignorance by which the living entity is kept within the material world.
  • As for the demoniac, they are perpetually put into the wombs of demons, and thus they continue to be envious, the lowest of mankind. Such demoniac species of men are held to be always full of lust, always violent and hateful and always unclean.
  • Living entities have partial independence, but by misuse of their independence, when the service attitude is transformed into the propensity for sense enjoyment, they come under the sway of lust. 
  • This material creation is created by the Lord to give facility to the conditioned souls to fulfill these lustful propensities, and when completely baffled by prolonged lustful activities, the living entities begin to inquire about their real position.
  • “The origin of everything is the Supreme Brahman.” Therefore the origin of lust is also in the Supreme. If, therefore, lust is transformed into love for the Supreme, or transformed into Kṛṣṇa consciousness – or, in other words, desiring everything for Kṛṣṇa – then both lust and wrath can be spiritualized.
  • Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so powerful that even a late beginner can become a lover of God by following the regulative principles of devotional service. 
  • So, from any stage of life, or from the time of understanding its urgency, one can begin regulating the senses in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service of the Lord, and turn the lust into love of Godhead – the highest perfectional stage of human life.

SB 2.7.33 TRANSLATION:

When the Lord was engaged in His pastimes of the rāsa dance in the forest of Vṛndāvana, enlivening the sexual desires of the wives of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana by sweet and melodious songs, a demon of the name Śaṅkhacūḍa, a rich follower of the treasurer of heaven [Kuvera], kidnapped the damsels, and the Lord severed his head from his trunk.

​​We should carefully note that the statements described herein are the statements of Brahmājī to Nārada, and he was speaking to Nārada of events that would happen in the future, during the advent of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The pastimes of the Lord are known to the experts who are able to see past, present and future, and Brahmājī, being one of them, foretold what would happen in the future. The killing of Śaṅkhacūḍa by the Lord is a more recent incident, after the rāsa-līlā, and not exactly a simultaneous affair. In the previous verses we have seen also that the Lord’s engagement in the affairs of the forest fire was described along with His pastimes of punishing the Kāliya snake, and similarly the pastimes of the rāsa dance and the killing of Śaṅkhacūḍa are also described herein. The adjustment is that all these incidents would take place in the future, after the time when it was being foretold by Brahmājī to Nārada. The demon Śaṅkhacūḍa was killed by the Lord during His pastimes at Horikā in the month of Phālguna, and the same ceremony is still observed in India by the burning of the effigy of Śaṅkhacūḍa one day prior to the Lord’s pastimes at Horikā, generally known as Holi.

Generally the future appearance and the activities of the Lord or His incarnations are foretold in the scriptures, and thus the pseudo incarnations are unable to cheat persons who are in knowledge of the events as they are described in the authoritative scriptures.

Here we see the difference between pure devotees and the demons. The demons are very lusty and always are entrapped by mayam even if they are looking at Krsna and the Gopis.. Śaṅkhacūḍa sees Krsna singing the sweet songs.. And becomes lusty.. 

There is a major difference between the sexual desire of Gopis and the Sankchuda. 

The word Sexual desire used in the context of Gopis is pure love and in the material world it is lust. Only devotees can understand this. When the materialist hears this.. They project their own contaminated view on the pastimes of the Lord. The difference between love and lust is described in BG chapter 3. 

BG 3.41 (Diff between lust and love)

Lust is only the perverted reflection of the love of God which is natural for every living entity. But if one is educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning, that natural love of God cannot deteriorate into lust. When love of God deteriorates into lust, it is very difficult to return to the normal condition. Nonetheless, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so powerful that even a late beginner can become a lover of God by following the regulative principles of devotional service. So, from any stage of life, or from the time of understanding its urgency, one can begin regulating the senses in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service of the Lord, and turn the lust into love of Godhead – the highest perfectional stage of human life.

In the spiritual world everything is eternal. There is no need for procreation. In the spiritual world if something is described as sexual – sweet singing, gestures, they are not not based on procreation or sense gratification, but they based on exhilarating transcendental emotions that are triggered by eyebrows, facial looks, gestures, singing, dancing, one feels transcendental ecstasies in the association of the lord. but in the material world it is a very gross thing, 2 bodies flapping together.. intercourse.. It is a very distorted, perverted reflection of the spiritual world. Example – house of mirrors.. That perverted vision and understanding can be purified through dev service and association of devotees, following rules and regulations.. 

Shankachuda was very wealthy, he was a follower of Kubera. Too much money is actually a curse. We are not supposed to collect more than we need. If we have too much money we should use it in the service of Krsna if not we become entrapped in the cycle of birth and death for innumerable life times.. 

Napolean once said money is a good servant and bad master. When we have lot of money we should not use for Sense gratification, we should use it only for the service of Krsna. We see many rich people — getting engaged in the illicit activities and getting caught.  Example – Prince Andrew, Bill Gates, 

If we read SB we shall know what is going to happen in future.. In that you will not be cheated by cheaters. In Kaliyuga there are many cheaters claiming to be incrtanations. If we know by reading SB what the scheduled incarnations we cannot get cheated.. 

KRSNA BOOK – CHAPTER 34 – ABOUT SHANKACHUDA

At that time, while Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and the damsels were so much absorbed, almost in madness, a demoniac associate of Kuvera (the treasurer of the heavenly planets) appeared on the scene. The demon’s name was Śaṅkhacūḍa because on his head there was a valuable jewel resembling a conch shell. Just as the two sons of Kuvera had been puffed up over their wealth and opulence and did not care for Nārada Muni’s presence, this Śaṅkhacūḍa was also puffed up over material opulence. He thought that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were two ordinary cowherd boys enjoying the company of many beautiful girls. Generally, in the material world, a person with riches thinks that all beautiful women should be enjoyed by him. Śaṅkhacūḍa also thought that since he belonged to the rich community of Kuvera, he, not Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, should enjoy the company of so many beautiful girls. He therefore decided to take charge of them. He appeared before Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and the damsels of Vraja and began to lead the girls away to the north. He commanded them as if he were their proprietor and husband, despite the presence of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. Being forcibly taken away by Śaṅkhacūḍa, the damsels of Vraja called out the names of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma for protection. The two brothers immediately began to follow them, taking up big logs of śāla wood in Their hands. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid,” They called to the gopīs. “We are coming at once to chastise this demon.” Very quickly They reached Śaṅkhacūḍa. Thinking the brothers too powerful, Śaṅkhacūḍa left the company of the gopīs and ran in fear for his life. But Kṛṣṇa would not let him go. He entrusted the gopīs to the care of Balarāma and followed Śaṅkhacūḍa wherever he fled. Kṛṣṇa wanted to take the valuable jewel resembling a conch shell from the head of the demon. After following him a very short distance, Kṛṣṇa caught him, struck his head with His fist and killed him. He then took the valuable jewel and returned. In the presence of all the damsels of Vraja, He presented the valuable jewel to His elder brother, Balarāma.

Because of their riches they think that they can have as much sense gratification as they want.. 

BG 3.37 (LUST IS THE ALL DEVOURING SINFUL ENEMY)

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.

When the child is born it is not lusty.. But as they grow up and begin to associate with modes of material nature and t people in different modes the natural love which is normal transforms into lust  and they become crazy always seeking lusty relationships. When love is transformed to lust it is very very difficult to come back.. 

When a living entity comes in contact with the material creation, his eternal love for Kṛṣṇa is transformed into lust, in association with the mode of passion. Or, in other words, the sense of love of God becomes transformed into lust, as milk in contact with sour tamarind is transformed into yogurt. Then again, when lust is unsatisfied, it turns into wrath; wrath is transformed into illusion, and illusion continues the material existence. Therefore, lust is the greatest enemy of the living entity, and it is lust only which induces the pure living entity to remain entangled in the material world. Wrath is the manifestation of the mode of ignorance; these modes exhibit themselves as wrath and other corollaries. If, therefore, the mode of passion, instead of being degraded into the mode of ignorance, is elevated to the mode of goodness by the prescribed method of living and acting, then one can be saved from the degradation of wrath by spiritual attachment.

When a person gets angry.. The child gets angry..(When you take away a cell phone from the child or ask them not to watch TV….) They develop a terrible mode of ignorance .. imagine when they go to schools and they are taught all kinds of things.. In MSFT Xbox has the highest sales. Xbox is intoxicating. Spiritual world there are no demons,, they only hear about the demons. The whole theme of material education is based on transforming love of God to lust. Even parents contribute to it – they buy xbox, computer, cell phones.. When a child gets hold of these devices.. They are in contact with the lowest class people on this earth, All kinds of filthy things pop up on these cell phones.. The children as young as 3 years old is given the 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead expanded Himself into many for His ever-increasing spiritual bliss, and the living entities are parts and parcels of this spiritual bliss. They also have partial independence, but by misuse of their independence, when the service attitude is transformed into the propensity for sense enjoyment, they come under the sway of lust. This material creation is created by the Lord to give facility to the conditioned souls to fulfill these lustful propensities, and when completely baffled by prolonged lustful activities, the living entities begin to inquire about their real position.

The 3 things in this small pragarph will help us get out of the cycle of birth and death..

  1. We should always bring our children to the temple and do service with them.. 
  2. The cell phone is a dangerous instrument. It is like giving a gun that is loaded. It kills people’s desire to serve Krsna.. 
  3. Steve Jobs predicts that the iPhone can replace everything TV, Radio.. 
  4. Even in the hands of Kids and adults it is lethal. 
  5. The richest persons in this world are now getting caught doing all illicit activities. Bill Gates, Bezos, Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew.. This is all pervasive in society today. Unless we understand this we are going to unwittingly subject our children to it and the natural love for Krsna transforms to lust.
  6. If we become lusty Krsna permits you to try and satisfy the insatiable lust that is never satisfied.. Until you are completely baffled..  Example – Harvey Weinstein, Epstein,. And then they may begin inquiring.. 
  7. Why go through this?  why kids should go through that..? 

“The origin of everything is the Supreme Brahman.” Therefore the origin of lust is also in the Supreme. If, therefore, lust is transformed into love for the Supreme, or transformed into Kṛṣṇa consciousness – or, in other words, desiring everything for Kṛṣṇa – then both lust and wrath can be spiritualized. Hanumān, the great servitor of Lord Rāma, exhibited his wrath by burning the golden city of Rāvaṇa, but by doing so he became the greatest devotee of the Lord. Here also, in Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord induces Arjuna to engage his wrath upon his enemies for the satisfaction of the Lord. Therefore, lust and wrath, when they are employed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, become our friends instead of our enemies.

            How can you engage lust in the service of Krsna. You become lusty to know Krsna and serve Krsna. 

BG 3.39 (LUST CAN NEVER BE SATISFIED)

Thus the wise living entity’s pure consciousness becomes covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire.

It is said in the Manu-smṛti that lust cannot be satisfied by any amount of sense enjoyment, just as fire is never extinguished by a constant supply of fuel. In the material world, the center of all activities is sex, and thus this material world is called maithunya-āgāra, or the shackles of sex life. In the ordinary prison house, criminals are kept within bars; similarly, the criminals who are disobedient to the laws of the Lord are shackled by sex life. Advancement of material civilization on the basis of sense gratification means increasing the duration of the material existence of a living entity. Therefore, this lust is the symbol of ignorance by which the living entity is kept within the material world. While one enjoys sense gratification, it may be that there is some feeling of happiness, but actually that so-called feeling of happiness is the ultimate enemy of the sense enjoyer.

The whole society is planned to make people lusty.. So they can by nice clothes, boats, big homes, yachts.. Vyasadeva, Gautama, .. they all lived very simply.. 

When love becomes lust … it is very difficult to come.. 

We can choose to be eternally a nonsense.. We will continue in this material world forever. Atheists pray that there be nothing after I die.. They do not want to be responsible for all the sins they did. 

Being eternal has its dangers – you can be eternally a nonsense.. 

BG 16.19 (YOU CAN BE ETERNALLY DEMONIAC)

Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, I perpetually cast into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.

In this verse it is clearly indicated that the placing of a particular individual soul in a particular body is the prerogative of the supreme will. 

Krishna decides what body you will get … 

The demoniac person may not agree to accept the supremacy of the Lord, and it is a fact that he may act according to his own whims, but his next birth will depend upon the decision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and not on himself. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Third Canto, it is stated that an individual soul, after his death, is put into the womb of a mother where he gets a particular type of body under the supervision of superior power. Therefore in the material existence we find so many species of life – animals, insects, men, and so on. All are arranged by the superior power. They are not accidental. As for the demoniac, it is clearly said here that they are perpetually put into the wombs of demons, and thus they continue to be envious, the lowest of mankind. Such demoniac species of men are held to be always full of lust, always violent and hateful and always unclean. The many kinds of hunters in the jungle are considered to belong to the demoniac species of life.

Posted on

SB 2.7.32 Notes – 10/21/21

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.7.32:

  • Lord Kṛṣṇa, when He was only seven years old, could snatch the great hill known as the Govardhana Parvata at Vṛndāvana and hold it for seven days continuously with one hand, just to protect the animals and the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana from the wrath of Indra, the heavenly King, who had been denied sacrificial offerings by the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi.
  • Factually there is no need of offering sacrifices to the demigods for their services if one is engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord.
  • In the Vedas, there are different kinds of yajñas prescribed for different kinds of demigods, but all are ultimately offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 
  • For one who cannot understand what the Personality of Godhead is, sacrifice to the demigods is recommended
  • BG 7.20 – Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.
  • As long as the material contamination is not completely washed off, they are by nature nondevotees.
  • In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is recommended that whether one is a pure devotee and is free from all material desires, or is full of material desires, or desires liberation from material contamination, he should in all cases surrender to Vāsudeva and worship Him.
  • BG 7.21 – God has given independence to everyone; therefore, if a person desires to have material enjoyment and wants very sincerely to have such facilities from the material demigods, the Supreme Lord, as Supersoul in everyone’s heart, understands and gives facilities to such persons. 
  • As the supreme father of all living entities, He does not interfere with their independence, but gives all facilities so that they can fulfill their material desires.
  •  BG 7.22 – Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.
  • BG 7.23 – Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.
  • BG 9.21 – When they have thus enjoyed vast heavenly sense pleasure and the results of their pious activities are exhausted, they return to this mortal planet again. Thus those who seek sense enjoyment by adhering to the principles of the three Vedas achieve only repeated birth and death.
  • BG 9.22 – But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form – to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.
  • BG 9.23 – Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith actually worship only Me, O son of Kuntī, but they do so in a wrong way.
  • BG 9.24 – (Final words on Demi God worship) I am the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices. Therefore, those who do not recognize My true transcendental nature fall down.
  • BG 5.20 – A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.
  • The Lord saved the inhabitants and animals of Vrajabhūmi by His personal energy and proved definitely that anyone directly engaged as a devotee of the Supreme Lord need not satisfy any other demigods, however great, even to the level of Brahmā or Śiva. 
  • Thus this incident definitely proved without a doubt that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Personality of Godhead and that He was so in all circumstances, as a child on the lap of His mother, as a boy 7 years old, and as an old man of 125 years of age. 
  • In either case He was never on the level of the ordinary man, and even in His advanced age He appeared a young boy 16 years old. These are the particular features of the transcendental body of the Lord.
  • Ignoring the instructions of the lord, many Brahmanas these days instruct people to do DemiGod worship to fulfill their material desires. Due to profit incentive nature they are corrupting people and condemning them to come out of this cycle of birth and death. One may go upto the heavenly planets but once their pious credit is done they will have to fall down again. It is a continuous vicious cycle. 
  • BG 14.20 –  (Need to read this verse everyday, Mayavadis cannot do this,Only devotees can)  When the embodied being is able to transcend these three modes associated with the material body, he can become free from birth, death, old age and their distresses and can enjoy nectar even in this life.

SB 2.7.32 TRANSLATION:

When the cowherd men of Vṛndāvana, under instruction of Kṛṣṇa, stopped offering sacrifice to the heavenly King, Indra, the whole tract of land known as Vraja was threatened with being washed away by constant heavy rains for seven days. Lord Kṛṣṇa, out of His causeless mercy upon the inhabitants of Vraja, held up the hill known as Govardhana with one hand only, although He was only seven years old. He did this to protect the animals from the onslaught of water.’

Children play with an umbrella generally known as a frog’s umbrella, and Lord Kṛṣṇa, when He was only seven years old, could snatch the great hill known as the Govardhana Parvata at Vṛndāvana and hold it for seven days continuously with one hand, just to protect the animals and the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana from the wrath of Indra, the heavenly King, who had been denied sacrificial offerings by the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi.

Factually there is no need of offering sacrifices to the demigods for their services if one is engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord. 

BG 3.12 – The demigods are authorized supplying agents on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu. Therefore, they must be satisfied by the performance of prescribed yajñas. In the Vedas, there are different kinds of yajñas prescribed for different kinds of demigods, but all are ultimately offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For one who cannot understand what the Personality of Godhead is, sacrifice to the demigods is recommended. According to the different material qualities of the persons concerned, different types of yajñas are recommended in the Vedas. Worship of different demigods is also on the same basis – namely, according to different qualities. For example, the meat-eaters are recommended to worship the goddess Kālī, the ghastly form of material nature, and before the goddess the sacrifice of animals is recommended. But for those who are in the mode of goodness, the transcendental worship of Viṣṇu is recommended. But ultimately all yajñas are meant for gradual promotion to the transcendental position. For ordinary men, at least five yajñas, known as pañca-mahā-yajña, are necessary.

This is further emphasized in Chapter BG 7.20 -22

BG 7.20 

Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.

Those who are freed from all material contaminations surrender unto the Supreme Lord and engage in His devotional service. As long as the material contamination is not completely washed off, they are by nature nondevotees. But even those who have material desires and who resort to the Supreme Lord are not so much attracted by external nature; because of approaching the right goal, they soon become free from all material lust. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is recommended that whether one is a pure devotee and is free from all material desires, or is full of material desires, or desires liberation from material contamination, he should in all cases surrender to Vāsudeva (Can be Krsna or Vasudeva from the first chaturvyuha) and worship Him. As stated in the Bhāgavatam (2.3.10):

BG 7.21

God has given independence to everyone; therefore, if a person desires to have material enjoyment and wants very sincerely to have such facilities from the material demigods, the Supreme Lord, as Supersoul in everyone’s heart, understands and gives facilities to such persons. As the supreme father of all living entities, He does not interfere with their independence, but gives all facilities so that they can fulfill their material desires. 

Material desires are very dangerous.. They can entagle one in this material world. Mayavadis propose eliminating all desires.. But that is not the solution. This is said in BG 3 rd chapter – Nahi kascit.. 


BG 3.5 

Everyone is forced to act helplessly according to the qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment.

It is not a question of embodied life, but it is the nature of the soul to be always active. Without the presence of the spirit soul, the material body cannot move. The body is only a dead vehicle to be worked by the spirit soul, which is always active and cannot stop even for a moment. As such, the spirit soul has to be engaged in the good work of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, otherwise it will be engaged in occupations dictated by the illusory energy. In contact with material energy, the spirit soul acquires material modes, and to purify the soul from such affinities it is necessary to engage in the prescribed duties enjoined in the śāstras. But if the soul is engaged in his natural function of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whatever he is able to do is good for him.

Worship of DemiGods is recommended in the absence of the knowledge of Krsna. It only works when the pandits and priests are genuine devotees. When they are mixed devotees and to have profit incentive .. they do not teach the goal of these rituals and they say worship of God will not satisfy their devotees.. Having BG at home brings quarrels. All these false rumors are spread to insulate people from becoming devotees.. They become devotees of demigods.. They are hindered by these priests. Sukracharya taught Bali  Maharaj that all sacrifices are meant to satisfy Vishnu.. When the lord appeared as Vamana he tried to stop Bali maharaj from giving even a penny to the Lord.. why? Because he was  profit incentive.. Even the devotees are corrupted because of it.. We are taught this profit incentive at home at school by our family..  Example – A devotee wanted to do downine of Amway.. To make money.. To serve.. We are here to give upline to Krsna and not downline.. Nature of the soul is to have desires..  How can one become desireless. 

Some may ask why the all-powerful God gives facilities to the living entities for enjoying this material world and so lets them fall into the trap of the illusory energy. The answer is that if the Supreme Lord as Supersoul does not give such facilities, then there is no meaning to independence. Therefore He gives everyone full independence – whatever one likes – but His ultimate instruction we find in the Bhagavad-gītā: one should give up all other engagements and fully surrender unto Him. That will make man happy.

Both the living entity and the demigods are subordinate to the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore the living entity cannot worship the demigod by his own desire, nor can the demigod bestow any benediction without the supreme will. As it is said, not a blade of grass moves without the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Generally, persons who are distressed in the material world go to the demigods, as they are advised in the Vedic literature. A person wanting some particular thing may worship such and such a demigod. For example, a diseased person is recommended to worship the sun-god; a person wanting education may worship the goddess of learning, Sarasvatī; and a person wanting a beautiful wife may worship the goddess Umā, the wife of Lord Śiva. In this way there are recommendations in the śāstras (Vedic scriptures) for different modes of worship of different demigods. And because a particular living entity wants to enjoy a particular material facility, the Lord inspires him with a strong desire to achieve that benediction from that particular demigod, and so he successfully receives the benediction.

BG 7.22 

Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.

BG 7.23

Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.

When you insist on praying to Demi Gods under the instruction of false brahmins and pandits  you are condemned to stay in this material world forever.. You may go upto heavenly when your punya is done you again fall down.. This is a viscous cycle.. Finally Krsna says in BG 9.22 

BG 9.21

When they have thus enjoyed vast heavenly sense pleasure and the results of their pious activities are exhausted, they return to this mortal planet again. Thus those who seek sense enjoyment by adhering to the principles of the three Vedas achieve only repeated birth and death.

Brahma and Shiva cannot give liberation..

BG 9.22

But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form – to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.

BG 9.23

Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith actually worship only Me, O son of Kuntī, but they do so in a wrong way.

BG 9.24 – Final words on Demi God worship

I am the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices. Therefore, those who do not recognize My true transcendental nature fall down.

Here it is clearly stated that there are many types of yajña performances recommended in the Vedic literatures, but actually all of them are meant for satisfying the Supreme Lord. Yajña means Viṣṇu. In the Third Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly stated that one should only work for satisfying Yajña, or Viṣṇu. The perfectional form of human civilization, known as varṇāśrama-dharma, is specifically meant for satisfying Viṣṇu. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa says in this verse, “I am the enjoyer of all sacrifices because I am the supreme master.” Less intelligent persons, however, without knowing this fact, worship demigods for temporary benefit. Therefore they fall down to material existence and do not achieve the desired goal of life. If, however, anyone has any material desire to be fulfilled, he had better pray for it to the Supreme Lord (although that is not pure devotion), and he will thus achieve the desired result.

BG 5.20 

A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.

Sacrifices recommended in the Vedic literature for satisfaction of the demigods are a sort of inducement to the sacrificers to realize the existence of higher authorities. The demigods are engaged by the Lord as controlling deities of material affairs, and according to the Bhagavad-gītā, when a demigod is worshiped the process is accepted as the indirect method for worshiping the Supreme Lord. But when the Supreme Lord is worshiped directly there is no need of worshiping the demigods or offering them sacrifices as recommended in particular circumstances. Lord Kṛṣṇa therefore advised the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi not to offer any sacrifices to the heavenly King Indra. But Indra, not knowing Lord Kṛṣṇa in Vrajabhūmi, was angry at the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi and tried to avenge the offense. But, competent as the Lord was, He saved the inhabitants and animals of Vrajabhūmi by His personal energy and proved definitely that anyone directly engaged as a devotee of the Supreme Lord need not satisfy any other demigods, however great, even to the level of Brahmā or Śiva. Thus this incident definitely proved without a doubt that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Personality of Godhead and that He was so in all circumstances, as a child on the lap of His mother, as a boy 7 years old, and as an old man of 125 years of age. In either case He was never on the level of the ordinary man, and even in His advanced age He appeared a young boy 16 years old. These are the particular features of the transcendental body of the Lord.

We learnt in previous verses that Krsna’s hair never went grey.. 

He never gets old.. 

He has four hands when he was born

He is not affected by time, miseries in this material world

His hair never get grey.. 

He is completely independent 

He does not have to do anything but He does things to give an example. He came as Lord Caitanya to give an example of good devotee.

To understand Krsna is almost impossible only few people can understand.. It is only when you surrender to Krsna and do devotional service you begin to understand Krsna..

Mamca yo avyabhicharena.. 

Only when you do devotional service you can rise above the modes. 

Also in 14th chapter there is a very nice verse.

BG 14.20 – Who can enjoy the nectar even in this life – This is our verse

When the embodied being is able to transcend these three modes associated with the material body, he can become free from birth, death, old age and their distresses and can enjoy nectar even in this life.

DemiGod worshippers cannot do this, Mayavadis cannot do this, 

How one can stay in the transcendental position, even in this body, in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is explained in this verse. The Sanskrit word dehī means “embodied.” Although one is within this material body, by his advancement in spiritual knowledge he can be free from the influence of the modes of nature. He can enjoy the happiness of spiritual life even in this body because, after leaving this body, he is certainly going to the spiritual sky. But even in this body he can enjoy spiritual happiness. In other words, devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the sign of liberation from material entanglement, and this will be explained in the Eighteenth Chapter. When one is freed from the influence of the modes of material nature, he enters into devotional service.

SB 2.7.27 – There is no doubt about Lord Kṛṣṇa’s being the Supreme Lord. Otherwise, how was it possible for Him to kill a giant demon like Pūtanā when He was just on the lap of His mother, to overturn a cart with His leg when He was only three months old, or to uproot a pair of arjuna trees so high that they touched the sky, when He was only crawling? All these activities are impossible for anyone other than the Lord Himself.

If we understand the unique qualities of Krsna we can go back to Godhead.. These qualities are unique to Krsna and no one can emulate them.. Even Narayana.. Intimate love.. Freedom.. Even where things that are considered as violations of KC those type of are happening in Goloka Vrindavan.. But they are not violations in Goloka Vrindavan.. There in Goloka Vrindavan all activities are prompted by pure love.. Of Course the material world is a perverted reflection of Goloka and if the same activities are done here it would be a sin.. This is what is very confusing for people.. Those people who have material desires never go to Krsna.. Many decent Hindus do not want to worship Krsna because they do not want their kids to be corrupted.. With His activities.. This is because they are not associating or hearing from genuine devotees 

Anything which takes a person away from Krsna is Maya. Lord Caitanya never talked about Lord’s intimate past times in public.. He only did Sankirtan and prasadam distribution.. To do preaching you have to be highly  trained to become successful.. Training – come for Mangala Arti, following all the rules and regulations. There are some devotees who chant but they smoke marijuna – French devotees in Radha Kunda. People somehow or the other they can accommodate this in their mind, but it is nonsense.

Therefore people should associate with genuine devotees. The most genuine devotee is Srila Prabhupada. We associate with Him by following His instructions.. He is simply repeating the same instructions that Krsna gave and Aacharyas have validated. This the way to associate. Following the instruction given by them strictly.. 

How to answer the lady example – where people say we do not want to teach our children about Krsna as they might get corrupted.. 

Speak nicely… do not get angry. Speak about other past times Krsna is 

There is no such thing as sin in the spiritual world, because – 

  1. Everyone is eternal
  2. Everyone has only pure love and devotion for Krsna
  3. If a person has sinful thought immediately they fall down into material world

Therefore what appears as sin in the material world is not a sin.. 

There is no such thing as bodily sex, killing people, hurting people, accidents.. In the spiritual world. 

Unless you becomes purified you will not be able to understand who Krsna is
Even if you convince one person to become a pure devotee Krsna is extremely pleased.. Be gentle, kind to people and help them through difficulties 

The Key is in Spiritual world everything is eternal.. 

Posted on

SB 2.7.31 Notes – 10/20/21

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.7.31:

  • The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana were always engaged in thinking of Kṛṣṇa, in constant meditation on the Personality of Godhead in a particular form of samādhi, or trance of bhakti-yoga. They had no fear of the miseries of material existence.
  • They were extensively busy in the hard labor of their day’s work, and due to the day’s hard labor they were engaged in sound sleep at night. 
  • So practically they had very little time to devote to meditation or to the other paraphernalia of spiritual activities. But factually they were engaged in the highest spiritual activities only. 
  • Everything done by them was spiritualized because everything was dovetailed in their relationship with Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa
  • One should discharge one’s duty on Lord Kṛṣṇa’s behalf, and all one’s actions will be saturated with Kṛṣṇa thought, the highest pattern of trance in spiritual realization.
  • Lord in BG 3.9 says – Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has to be performed; otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, O son of Kuntī, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain free from bondage.
  • The rituals and sacrifices mentioned in the karma-kāṇḍa division of the Vedic literature are meant to encourage gradual development of self-realization.
  • Self-realization means understanding Kṛṣṇa and one’s eternal relationship with Him.
  • “O my Lord, a person who is chanting Your holy name, although born of a low family like that of a caṇḍāla [dog-eater], is situated on the highest platform of self-realization.
  • One must be intelligent enough to understand the purpose of the Vedas, without being attached to the rituals only, and must not desire to be elevated to the heavenly kingdoms for a better quality of sense gratification. 
  • To be elevated to the spiritual position, one should not act for any material gain. Acts should be performed for the ultimate gain of being transferred to the spiritual kingdom, back to home, back to Godhead.
  • In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that any activity which leads to devotional service to the Lord should be accepted. That is the highest criterion of religion. 
  • A devotee of the Lord should accept any kind of work, sacrifice or charity (yajna, dana, tapa) which will help him in the discharge of devotional service to the Lord.
  • In the material world, by the spell of māyā, or illusion, this eternal relation with the Supreme Personality of Godhead is forgotten, and so the living being is conditioned under the law of struggle for existence and survival of the fittest.
  • The Bhagavad-gītā, being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the essence of all Vedic wisdom. It is nicely presented by the Lord Himself for all who have very little time to go through the vast Vedic literatures like the Upaniṣads, Purāṇas and Vedānta-sūtras. 
  • The Bhagavad-gītā can be consulted in all critical times, not only for solace from all kinds of mental agonies, but also for the way out of great entanglements which may embarrass one in some critical hour.
  • One can derive the same benefit from the Bhagavad-gītā as Arjuna did in the personal presence of the Lord.
  • BG 4.19 – One is understood to be in full knowledge whose every endeavor is devoid of desire for sense gratification. He is said by sages to be a worker for whom the reactions of work have been burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge.
  •  A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, fully engaged in self-realization, has very little time to falsely possess any material object. For maintaining body and soul, he does not require unfair means of accumulating money. He does not, therefore, become contaminated by such material sins. He is free from all reactions to his actions.

SB 2.7.31 TRANSLATION:

Lord Kṛṣṇa saved His foster father, Nanda Mahārāja, from the fear of the demigod Varuṇa and released the cowherd boys from the caves of the mountain, for they were placed there by the son of Maya. Also, to the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, who were busy working during daytime and sleeping soundly at night because of their hard labor in the day, Lord Kṛṣṇa awarded promotion to the highest planet in the spiritual sky. All these acts are transcendental and certainly prove without any doubt His Godhood.

Nanda Mahārāja, the foster father of Lord Kṛṣṇa, went to take his bath in the river Yamunā in the dead of night, mistakenly thinking that the night was already over; thus the demigod Varuṇa took him to the Varuṇa planet just to have a look at the Personality of Godhead Lord Kṛṣṇa, who appeared there to release His father. Actually there was no arrest of Nanda Mahārāja by Varuṇa because the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana were always engaged in thinking of Kṛṣṇa, in constant meditation on the Personality of Godhead in a particular form of samādhi, or trance of bhakti-yoga. They had no fear of the miseries of material existence. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is confirmed that to be in association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead by full surrender in transcendental love frees one from the miseries inflicted by the laws of material nature. 

This is verse Bg 3.9 

(BG 3.9) perform work for Lord’s satisfaction

Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has to be performed; otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, O son of Kuntī, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain free from bondage.

You can perform daily activities for your satisfaction or You can perform daily activities for the satisfaction of Krsna.. There is a huge difference between both. This describes the sublime concept – Great art of work as said in BG 2. Verse – Yoga koshalam.. 

Greatest artistic component is to dovetail everything you do for the service of Krsna.. 

(BG 2.49)

All purposes served by a small well can at once be served by a great reservoir of water. Similarly, all the purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind them.

The rituals and sacrifices mentioned in the karma-kāṇḍa division of the Vedic literature are meant to encourage gradual development of self-realization. And the purpose of self-realization is clearly stated in the Fifteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā (15.15): the purpose of studying the Vedas is to know Lord Kṛṣṇa, the primeval cause of everything. So, self-realization means understanding Kṛṣṇa and one’s eternal relationship with Him.

If you look up the definition of Self realization in the dictionary -..it says fulfilment of one’s potential.. All the meanings of words in dictionary are incomplete and misleading.  You can only understand yourself through the relationships you have.. 

The relationship of the living entities with Kṛṣṇa is also mentioned in the Fifteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā (15.7). The living entities are parts and parcels of Kṛṣṇa; therefore, revival of Kṛṣṇa consciousness by the individual living entity is the highest perfectional stage of Vedic knowledge. This is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.33.7) as follows:

“O my Lord, a person who is chanting Your holy name, although born of a low family like that of a caṇḍāla [dog-eater], is situated on the highest platform of self-realization. Such a person must have performed all kinds of penances and sacrifices according to Vedic rituals and studied the Vedic literatures many, many times after taking his bath in all the holy places of pilgrimage. Such a person is considered to be the best of the Āryan family.”

One should have done all kinds of penances and sacrifices to come to the point of chanting a minimum of 16 rounds everyday..

So one must be intelligent enough to understand the purpose of the Vedas, without being attached to the rituals only, and must not desire to be elevated to the heavenly kingdoms for a better quality of sense gratification. 

That eliminates over 90 percent of the people who actually do sacrifices, yajnas piligrimages. For better quality of sense gratification.. The purpose of Vedic rituals is described in Bg 17. 25

BG 17.25 (purpose of vedic rituals)

Without desiring fruitive results, one should perform various kinds of sacrifice, penance and charity with the word tat. The purpose of such transcendental activities is to get free from material entanglement.

To be elevated to the spiritual position, one should not act for any material gain. Acts should be performed for the ultimate gain of being transferred to the spiritual kingdom, back to home, back to Godhead.

This is the real definition of Yajna.. Without desiring fruitive results..But unfortunately most of the sacrifices or yajnas done in India by Hindus are for the fruitive results.. Example – One priest came to our temple very early years in Seattle and did a yajna for a person and said that his book has a mantra for anything you want.. This is a direct violation of this verse in BG 17.25.
Yajna, Dana, Tapa – When you perform religious activities with material motive you get more entangled.. In the 18th chapter Krsna continues this theme and SP describes in more detail. 

BG 18.6 (Yajna, Dana, Tapa should be performed without any attachment)

All these activities (Yajna, Dana, Tapa)  should be performed without attachment or any expectation of result. They should be performed as a matter of duty, O son of Pṛthā. That is My final opinion.

Although all sacrifices are purifying, one should not expect any result by such performances. In other words, all sacrifices which are meant for material advancement in life should be given up, but sacrifices that purify one’s existence and elevate one to the spiritual plane should not be stopped. Everything that leads to Kṛṣṇa consciousness must be encouraged. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is said that any activity which leads to devotional service to the Lord should be accepted. That is the highest criterion of religion. A devotee of the Lord should accept any kind of work, sacrifice or charity which will help him in the discharge of devotional service to the Lord.

Over 99 percent of rituals or sacrifices being done in Hinduism is wrong.. That is why there is so much suffering around the world. In Islam, Christinity, Hindusim.. Everywhere people are mislead by the priests or authorities..  This is further explained in SB 

SB 1.15.25 – 26 (Why people are conditioned in the struggle for existence, disparity and survival of the fittest.)

O King, as in the ocean the bigger and stronger aquatics swallow up the smaller and weaker ones, so also the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to lighten the burden of the earth, has engaged the stronger Yadu to kill the weaker, and the bigger Yadu to kill the smaller.

 In the material world the struggle for existence and survival of the fittest are laws because in the material world there is disparity between conditioned souls due to everyone’s desire to lord it over the material resources. This very mentality of lording it over the material nature is the root cause of conditioned life. And to give facility to such imitation lords, the illusory energy of the Lord has created a disparity between conditioned living beings by creating the stronger and the weaker in every species of life. The mentality of lording it over the material nature and the creation has naturally created a disparity and therefore the law of struggle for existence. In the spiritual world there is no such disparity, nor is there such a struggle for existence. In the spiritual world there is no struggle for existence because everyone there exists eternally. There is no disparity because everyone wants to render service to the Supreme Lord, and no one wants to imitate the Lord in becoming the beneficiary. The Lord, being creator of everything, including the living beings, factually is the proprietor and enjoyer of everything that be, but in the material world, by the spell of māyā, or illusion, this eternal relation with the Supreme Personality of Godhead is forgotten, and so the living being is conditioned under the law of struggle for existence and survival of the fittest.

This is amazing information. Huge meaning of words here. It is explaining why people are suffering. The misinformation that people have accepted as truth is forcing them to suffer unnecessarily. There is such a thing as the spell of maya.. In the morning people wake up late.. Drink coffee.. Listen to bad news rush to the office in traffic.. To pay this bill. That bill. Meet deadlines to get salaries.. Trouble sleeping, anxiety.. What kind of civilization it is.. No time to go to temple or church, always struggling with something.. 

Example – Truck given to Les Schwab and the catalytic convertor got stolen.. Redmond has changed. It is a very dangerous place.. Devanath.. 5 houses have been vandalized in the last 3 months.. 

People dont get visas, corona shots and they walk across the border – free stamps to eat food, free houses, free clothes.. Very strange things are happening now.. Why is it happening.. Because of greed. People are hoarding and not sharing.. Half the country of Haiti is coming into USA. They have been exploited by US.. 

If you look at Goswamis they lived under trees with one cloth and hardly they produced tremendous transcendental literature.. 

Not every one can be like that.. But one can be minimalist.. 

SB 1.15.27 (BG for critical hour and a solution for all our problems)

Now I am attracted to those instructions imparted to me by the Personality of Godhead [Govinda] because they are impregnated with instructions for relieving the burning heart in all circumstances of time and space.

Herein Arjuna refers to the instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā, which was imparted to him by the Lord on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. The Lord left behind Him the instructions of the Bhagavad-gītā not for the benefit of Arjuna alone, but also for all time and in all lands. The Bhagavad-gītā, being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the essence of all Vedic wisdom. It is nicely presented by the Lord Himself for all who have very little time to go through the vast Vedic literatures like the Upaniṣads, Purāṇas and Vedānta-sūtras. It is put within the study of the great historical epic Mahābhārata, which was especially prepared for the less intelligent class, namely the women, the laborers and those who are worthless descendants of the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and higher sections of the vaiśyas. The problem which arose in the heart of Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra was solved by the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā. 

Your problems are dwarfed by the problems of Arjuna.. 

Again, after the departure of the Lord from the vision of earthly people, when Arjuna was face to face with being vanquished in his acquired power and prominence, he wanted again to remember the great teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā just to teach all concerned that the Bhagavad-gītā can be consulted in all critical times, not only for solace from all kinds of mental agonies, but also for the way out of great entanglements which may embarrass one in some critical hour.

The merciful Lord left behind Him the great teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā so that one can take the instructions of the Lord even when He is not visible to material eyesight. Material senses cannot have any estimation of the Supreme Lord, but by His inconceivable power the Lord can incarnate Himself to the sense perception of the conditioned souls in a suitable manner through the agency of matter, which is also another form of the Lord’s manifested energy. Thus the Bhagavad-gītā, or any authentic scriptural sound representation of the Lord, is also the incarnation of the Lord. There is no difference between the sound representation of the Lord and the Lord Himself. One can derive the same benefit from the Bhagavad-gītā as Arjuna did in the personal presence of the Lord.

BG can solve your problems and my problems just like the problems of Arjuna are solved.. Just this one book.. Can save you.. Arjuna was defeated by dacoits and could not protect the wives of Krsna.. The only solace was to remember the instructions given by Krsna to him..  What are those instructions – ? 

BG 4.19 (Instructions from Krsna that helped Arjuna – every endeavor devoid of sense gratification)

One is understood to be in full knowledge whose every endeavor is devoid of desire for sense gratification. He is said by sages to be a worker for whom the reactions of work have been burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge.

What is that perfect knowledge? 

Bg 4.21 (Perfect knowledge – acting only for the bare necessities)

Such a man of understanding acts with mind and intelligence perfectly controlled, gives up all sense of proprietorship over his possessions and acts only for the bare necessities of life. Thus working, he is not affected by sinful reactions.

A Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not expect good or bad results in his activities. His mind and intelligence are fully controlled. He knows that because he is part and parcel of the Supreme, the part played by him, as a part and parcel of the whole, is not his own activity but is only being done through him by the Supreme. When the hand moves, it does not move out of its own accord, but by the endeavor of the whole body. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always dovetailed with the supreme desire, for he has no desire for personal sense gratification. 

Supreme desire – Learn BG and teach others.. That is what Krsna wants from us.. 

He moves exactly like a part of a machine. As a machine part requires oiling and cleaning for maintenance, so a Kṛṣṇa conscious man maintains himself by his work just to remain fit for action in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. He is therefore immune to all the reactions of his endeavors. Like an animal, he has no proprietorship even over his own body. A cruel proprietor of an animal sometimes kills the animal in his possession, yet the animal does not protest. Nor does it have any real independence. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, fully engaged in self-realization, has very little time to falsely possess any material object. For maintaining body and soul, he does not require unfair means of accumulating money. He does not, therefore, become contaminated by such material sins. He is free from all reactions to his actions.

This is what Krsna is teaching to Arjuna.. Arjuna is relieved of his anxiety when he remembers this.. 

It is not possible for the common man in this age to follow all the rules and regulations of the Vedic rituals, nor is it possible to study all of the Vedānta and the Upaniṣads thoroughly. It requires much time, energy, knowledge and resources to execute the purposes of the Vedas. This is hardly possible in this age. The best purpose of Vedic culture is served, however, by chanting the holy name of the Lord, as recommended by Lord Caitanya, the deliverer of all fallen souls. the best purpose of Vedānta philosophy is served by inoffensively chanting the holy name of the Lord. Vedānta is the last word in Vedic wisdom, and the author and knower of the Vedānta philosophy is Lord Kṛṣṇa; and the highest Vedāntist is the great soul who takes pleasure in chanting the holy name of the Lord. That is the ultimate purpose of all Vedic mysticism.

 Here it is clearly mentioned that the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana were extensively busy in the hard labor of their day’s work, and due to the day’s hard labor they were engaged in sound sleep at night. So practically they had very little time to devote to meditation or to the other paraphernalia of spiritual activities. But factually they were engaged in the highest spiritual activities only. Everything done by them was spiritualized because everything was dovetailed in their relationship with Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The central point of activities was Kṛṣṇa, and as such, the so-called activities in the material world were saturated with spiritual potency. That is the advantage of the way of bhakti-yoga. One should discharge one’s duty on Lord Kṛṣṇa’s behalf, and all one’s actions will be saturated with Kṛṣṇa thought, the highest pattern of trance in spiritual realization.

This is an amazing verse and purport. This is tell tale of difference between Bhakti Yoga and Dhyana yoga or any other false yogas proposed today.. 

When you are taking care of cows and growing vegs, grains.. Is hard labor, when doing it for the lord.. One should offer everything to Krsna.. KC – dovetail everything you do for the pleasure of Krsna.. 

Posted on

SB 2.7.30 Notes – 10/19/21

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.7.30:

  • One day Lord Kṛṣṇa as the naughty child disturbed His mother Yaśodā, and she began to tie up the child with ropes just to punish Him. But no matter how much rope she used, she found it always insufficient. 
  • Thus she became fatigued, but in the meantime the Lord opened His mouth, and the affectionate mother saw within the mouth of her son all the universes situated together.
  • The mother was astonished, but out of her deep affection for Kṛṣṇa she thought that the Almighty Godhead Nārāyaṇa had kindly looked after her son just to protect Him from all the continuous calamities happening to Him. 
  • Because of her deep affection for Kṛṣṇa, she could never think that her very son was Nārāyaṇa, the Personality of Godhead Himself. 
  • That is the action of yoga-māyā, the internal potency of the Supreme Lord, which acts to perfect all the pastimes of the Lord with His different types of devotees. Who could play such wonders without being God?
  • The Lord’s activities, forms and deeds are all inconceivable to our limited thinking power, and because He is inconceivably powerful, everything is possible in Him.
  • Therefore no one can calculate Him exactly; every action of the Lord is bewildering to the common man. He cannot be understood by the Vedic knowledge, but He can be easily understood by the pure devotees because they are intimately related with Him.
  • The devotees therefore know that although He appears amongst the animals, He is not an animal, nor a man, nor a ṛṣi, nor a fish. He is eternally the Supreme Lord, in all circumstances.
  • The Lord’s being the Supreme and at the same time a plaything in the presence of His pure devotee is displayed in this past time. 
  • The Lord’s pure devotee renders service unto the Lord out of unalloyed love only, and while discharging such devotional service the pure devotee forgets the position of the Supreme Lord. 
  • The Supreme Lord also accepts the loving service of His devotees more relishably when the service is rendered spontaneously out of pure affection, without anything of reverential admiration. 
  • Generally the Lord is worshiped by the devotees in a reverential attitude, but the Lord is meticulously pleased when the devotee, out of pure affection and love, considers the Lord to be less important than himself.The Lord’s pastimes in the original abode of Goloka Vṛndāvana are exchanged in that spirit. 
  • The friends of Kṛṣṇa consider Him one of them. The parents of the Lord (who are all pure devotees) consider Him a child only. 
  • The Lord accepts the chastisements of the parents more cheerfully than the prayers of the Vedic hymns. Similarly, He accepts the reproaches of His fiancees more palatably than the Vedic hymns. 
  • When Lord Kṛṣṇa was present in this material world to manifest His eternal pastimes of the transcendental realm of Goloka Vṛndāvana as an attraction for the people in general, He displayed a unique picture of subordination before His foster mother, Yaśodā.
  • Yogīs cannot capture Kṛṣṇa by severe penances and austerities, but mother Yaśodā, despite all obstacles, was finally able to catch Kṛṣṇa without difficulty. Bhaktas can capture Kṛṣṇa simply by love and affection. This is the example shown here by mother Yaśodā. 
  • Kṛṣṇa therefore confirms that if one wants to capture Him, one must undertake devotional service.
  • Bhaktas enter even the planet of Kṛṣṇa very easily, but the less intelligent yogīs and jñānīs, by their meditation, remain running after Kṛṣṇa. Even if they enter Kṛṣṇa’s effulgence, they fall down.
  • The Lord, in His naturally childish playful activities, used to spoil the stocked butter of mother Yaśodā by breaking the pots and distributing the contents to His friends and playmates, including the celebrated monkeys of Vṛndāvana, who took advantage of the Lord’s munificence. 
  • Mother Yaśodā saw this, and out of her pure love she wanted to make a show of punishment for her transcendental child. She took a rope and threatened the Lord that she would tie Him up, as is generally done in the ordinary household. 
  • Seeing the rope in the hands of mother Yaśodā, the Lord bowed down His head and began to weep just like a child, and tears rolled down His cheeks, washing off the black ointment smeared about His beautiful eyes.
  • He is feared often by fear personified, yet He is afraid of His mother, who wanted to punish Him just in an ordinary manner. 
  • This exchange of love between the mother and the son was performed in a natural way, and Kuntī, remembering the scene, was bewildered, and she could do nothing but praise the transcendental maternal love. Indirectly mother Yaśodā is praised for her unique position of love, for she could control even the all-powerful Lord as her beloved child.

10/19/21 – SB 2.7.30

When the cowherd woman [Kṛṣṇa’s foster mother, Yaśodā] was trying to tie the hands of her son with ropes, she found the rope to be always insufficient in length, and when she finally gave up, Lord Kṛṣṇa, by and by, opened His mouth, wherein the mother found all the universes situated. Seeing this, she was doubtful in her mind, but she was convinced in a different manner of the mystic nature of her son.

One day Lord Kṛṣṇa as the naughty child disturbed His mother Yaśodā, and she began to tie up the child with ropes just to punish Him. But no matter how much rope she used, she found it always insufficient. Thus she became fatigued, but in the meantime the Lord opened His mouth, and the affectionate mother saw within the mouth of her son all the universes situated together. The mother was astonished, but out of her deep affection for Kṛṣṇa she thought that the Almighty Godhead Nārāyaṇa had kindly looked after her son just to protect Him from all the continuous calamities happening to Him. Because of her deep affection for Kṛṣṇa, she could never think that her very son was Nārāyaṇa, the Personality of Godhead Himself. That is the action of yoga-māyā, the internal potency of the Supreme Lord, which acts to perfect all the pastimes of the Lord with His different types of devotees. Who could play such wonders without being God?

It is impossible for people to understand this unless they become devotees and render devotional service. This is incredulous, even great scholars, scientists cannot understand this.. 

SB 10.9.10 (DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOGIS AND DEVOTEES)

While following Kṛṣṇa, mother Yaśodā, her thin waist overburdened by her heavy breasts, naturally had to reduce her speed. Because of following Kṛṣṇa very swiftly, her hair became loose, and the flowers in her hair were falling after her. Yet she did not fail to capture her son, Kṛṣṇa.

Yogīs cannot capture Kṛṣṇa by severe penances and austerities, but mother Yaśodā, despite all obstacles, was finally able to catch Kṛṣṇa without difficulty. This is the difference between a yogī and a bhakta. Yogīs cannot enter even the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣu (Brahma-saṁhitā 5.40). In that effulgence there are millions of universes, but yogīs and jñānīs cannot enter that effulgence even after many, many years of austerities, whereas bhaktas can capture Kṛṣṇa simply by love and affection. This is the example shown here by mother Yaśodā. Kṛṣṇa therefore confirms that if one wants to capture Him, one must undertake devotional service.

bhaktyā mām abhijānāti

yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ

tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā

viśate tad-anantaram

(Bg. 18.55)

Bhaktas enter even the planet of Kṛṣṇa very easily, but the less intelligent yogīs and jñānīs, by their meditation, remain running after Kṛṣṇa. Even if they enter Kṛṣṇa’s effulgence, they fall down.

Further explained in Prayers of Queen Kunti – 

SB 1.8.30 (MOTHER KUNTI SAYS HOW LORD’S TRANSCENDENTAL PAST TIMES ARE CONTRADICTORY AND BEWILDERING)

Of course it is bewildering, O soul of the universe, that You work, though You are inactive, and that You take birth, though You are the vital force and the unborn. You Yourself descend amongst animals, men, sages and aquatics. Verily, this is bewildering.

The transcendental pastimes of the Lord are not only bewildering but also apparently contradictory. In other words, they are all inconceivable to the limited thinking power of the human being. The Lord is the all-prevailing Supersoul of all existence, and yet He appears in the form of a boar amongst the animals, in the form of a human being as Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, etc., in the form of a ṛṣi like Nārāyaṇa, and in the form of an aquatic like a fish. Yet it is said that He is unborn, and He has nothing to do. In the śruti mantra it is said that the Supreme Brahman has nothing to do. No one is equal to or greater than Him. He has manifold energies, and everything is performed by Him perfectly by automatic knowledge, strength and activity. All these statements prove without any question that the Lord’s activities, forms and deeds are all inconceivable to our limited thinking power, and because He is inconceivably powerful, everything is possible in Him. Therefore no one can calculate Him exactly; every action of the Lord is bewildering to the common man. He cannot be understood by the Vedic knowledge, but He can be easily understood by the pure devotees because they are intimately related with Him. The devotees therefore know that although He appears amongst the animals, He is not an animal, nor a man, nor a ṛṣi, nor a fish. He is eternally the Supreme Lord, in all circumstances.

SB 1.8.31(MOTHER KUNTIS REALIZATION OF DAMODAR PAST TIMES)

My dear Kṛṣṇa, Yaśodā took up a rope to bind You when You committed an offense, and Your perturbed eyes overflooded with tears, which washed the mascara from Your eyes. And You were afraid, though fear personified is afraid of You. This sight is bewildering to me.

Here is another explanation of the bewilderment created by the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is the Supreme in all circumstances, as already explained. Here is a specific example of the Lord’s being the Supreme and at the same time a plaything in the presence of His pure devotee. The Lord’s pure devotee renders service unto the Lord out of unalloyed love only, and while discharging such devotional service the pure devotee forgets the position of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord also accepts the loving service of His devotees more relishably when the service is rendered spontaneously out of pure affection, without anything of reverential admiration. Generally the Lord is worshiped by the devotees in a reverential attitude, but the Lord is meticulously pleased when the devotee, out of pure affection and love, considers the Lord to be less important than himself.

Gopi or the Gopas, Mother yasoda they think they are superior to the lord. 

 The Lord’s pastimes in the original abode of Goloka Vṛndāvana are exchanged in that spirit. The friends of Kṛṣṇa consider Him one of them. They do not consider Him to be of reverential importance. The parents of the Lord (who are all pure devotees) consider Him a child only. The Lord accepts the chastisements of the parents more cheerfully than the prayers of the Vedic hymns. Similarly, He accepts the reproaches of His fiancees more palatably than the Vedic hymns. When Lord Kṛṣṇa was present in this material world to manifest His eternal pastimes of the transcendental realm of Goloka Vṛndāvana as an attraction for the people in general, He displayed a unique picture of subordination before His foster mother, Yaśodā. The Lord, in His naturally childish playful activities, used to spoil the stocked butter of mother Yaśodā by breaking the pots and distributing the contents to His friends and playmates, including the celebrated monkeys of Vṛndāvana, who took advantage of the Lord’s munificence. 

Monkeys are still there… they steal, break things, they are Krsna’s friends.. 

Mother Yaśodā saw this, and out of her pure love she wanted to make a show of punishment for her transcendental child. She took a rope and threatened the Lord that she would tie Him up, as is generally done in the ordinary household. Seeing the rope in the hands of mother Yaśodā, the Lord bowed down His head and began to weep just like a child, and tears rolled down His cheeks, washing off the black ointment smeared about His beautiful eyes. This picture of the Lord is adored by Kuntīdevī because she is conscious of the Lord’s supreme position. He is feared often by fear personified, yet He is afraid of His mother, who wanted to punish Him just in an ordinary manner. Kuntī was conscious of the exalted position of Kṛṣṇa, whereas Yaśodā was not. Therefore Yaśodā’s position was more exalted than Kuntī’s. Mother Yaśodā got the Lord as her child, and the Lord made her forget altogether that her child was the Lord Himself. If mother Yaśodā had been conscious of the exalted position of the Lord, she would certainly have hesitated to punish the Lord. But she was made to forget this situation because the Lord wanted to make a complete gesture of childishness before the affectionate Yaśodā. This exchange of love between the mother and the son was performed in a natural way, and Kuntī, remembering the scene, was bewildered, and she could do nothing but praise the transcendental maternal love. Indirectly mother Yaśodā is praised for her unique position of love, for she could control even the all-powerful Lord as her beloved child.

These are all Very confidential subjects. The Lord becomes vulnerable by pure devotion. Yet, Lord Chaitanya came to teach us pure devotion and He demonstrated that one does not have to become a big pandit, but they simply have to be pure in their motivation to serve the lord, the lord reciprocates according to their feelings for HIm. Everybody, even the lowest of mankind, can go back to Lord Krsna. Viswamitra muni was meditating for 60,000 years, Saubari muni was meditating under water for 10000 years. We dont even live 100 years in that short period of time if we take up to the easy process given Lord Caitanya which is – Chant Hare Krsna, Eat Prasadam, Sing and Dance ecstatically, Take prasadam to fullest satisfaction, regularly hear SB & BG from Bonafide devotees everyday, Bow down before deities, Take darshan of the Lord regularly , become pujari and worship the deity, associate always with strict devotees who always follow the rules and regulations. 

It is more fun to do these things than going to work, paying taxes, 

You see Vyasadeva – lived in a hut and wrote vedas.
Guatama muni – always chanting Hare Krsna .. I don’t need a hut continued chanting on the banks of the river

It is an enjoyable tapasya.. Tapasya of Vishwamitra was not enjoyable..Lord Caitanya made it very easy.. People say it is too easy please something difficult.. You cannot even do this how can you do the other things.. It is impossible to meditate in himalayas in winter.. Freezing weather… There are billions of people only handful of them go to Himalayas and meditate there.. 

These are interesting things..  SP has given us everything to us. People say that SP only gave the basics , the higher stuff you can get them from other books.. That is not true. Srila Prabhupada has given everything in his books  – BG, SB, CC & NOD. If you read these books with the devotees it is enough.. 

Srila Prabhupada ki jai!

Damodarashtakam ki Jai!

Posted on

SB 2.7.28 & 29  Notes – 10/15//21

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.7.28 & 29:

  • The Lord’s activities are always superhuman, and that distinguishes Him from the ordinary living being. 
  • Uprooting a gigantic banyan or arjuna tree and extinguishing a blazing forest fire simply by closing one’s eyes are certainly impossible by any kind of human endeavor. 
  • But not only are these activities amazing to hear, but in fact all other activities of the Lord, whatever He may do, are all superhuman.
  • Whoever knows the superhuman activities of the Lord, due to their very transcendental nature, becomes eligible to enter the kingdom of Kṛṣṇa, and, as such, after quitting this present material body, the knower of the transcendental activities of the Lord goes back home, back to Godhead.
  • One who can understand the truth of the appearance of the Personality of Godhead is already liberated from material bondage, and therefore he returns to the kingdom of God immediately after quitting this present material body. 
  • Such liberation of the living entity from material bondage is not at all easy. But the devotee, simply by understanding the transcendental nature of the body and activities of the Lord, attains the abode of the Lord after ending this body and does not run the risk of returning to this material world.
  • Although there are many transcendental forms of the Lord, they are still one and the same Supreme Personality of Godhead. One has to understand this fact with conviction.
  • “The one Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternally engaged in many, many transcendental forms in relationships with His unalloyed devotees.
  • He who accepts this truth on the strength of the authority of the Vedas and of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and who does not waste time in philosophical speculations attains the highest perfectional stage of liberation
  • Anyone who understands Lord Kṛṣṇa to be the Supreme, or who says unto the Lord, “You are the same Supreme Brahman, the Personality of Godhead,” is certainly liberated instantly, and consequently his entrance into the transcendental association of the Lord is guaranteed. 
  • Anyone who does not understand Lord Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is surely in the mode of ignorance and consequently he will not attain salvation simply, so to speak, by licking the outer surface of the bottle of honey, or by interpreting the Bhagavad-gītā according to mundane scholarship. 
  • Such puffed-up mundane scholars have to wait for the causeless mercy of the devotee of the Lord. One should therefore cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness with faith and knowledge, and in this way attain perfection.
  • BG 9.8 (Refutes the Darwin’s theory) – The whole cosmic order is under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end.
  • After creating different species of life, Lord has no connection with them. The creation takes place to accommodate the inclinations of the various living entities, and so the Lord does not become involved with it.

  • Faith precedes knowledge

SB 2.7.28 

Then also when the cowherd boys and their animals drank the poisoned water of the river Yamunā, and after the Lord [in His childhood] revived them by His merciful glance, just to purify the water of the river Yamunā He jumped into it as if playing and chastised the venomous Kāliya snake, which was lurking there, its tongue emitting waves of poison. Who can perform such herculean tasks but the Supreme Lord?

SB 2.7.29

On the very night of the day of the chastisement of the Kāliya snake, when the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi were sleeping carefreely, there was a forest fire ablaze due to dry leaves, and it appeared that all the inhabitants were sure to meet their death. But the Lord, along with Balarāma, saved them simply by closing His eyes. Such are the superhuman activities of the Lord.

Although in this verse the Lord’s activity has been described as superhuman, it should be noted thatthe Lord’s activities are always superhuman, and that distinguishes Him from the ordinary living being. Uprooting a gigantic banyan or arjuna tree and extinguishing a blazing forest fire simply by closing one’s eyes are certainly impossible by any kind of human endeavor. But not only are these activities amazing to hear, but in fact all other activities of the Lord, whatever He may do, are all superhuman, as confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.9). Whoever knows the superhuman activities of the Lord, due to their very transcendental nature, becomes eligible to enter the kingdom of Kṛṣṇa, and, as such, after quitting this present material body, the knower of the transcendental activities of the Lord goes back home, back to Godhead.

BG 4.9 

janma karma ca me divyam

evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti so ’rjuna

One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.

The Lord’s descent from His transcendental abode is already explained in the sixth verse. One who can understand the truth of the appearance of the Personality of Godhead is already liberated from material bondage, and therefore he returns to the kingdom of God immediately after quitting this present material body. Such liberation of the living entity from material bondage is not at all easy. The impersonalists and the yogīs attain liberation only after much trouble and many, many births. Even then, the liberation they achieve – merging into the impersonal brahma-jyotir of the Lord – is only partial, and there is the risk of returning to this material world. But the devotee, simply by understanding the transcendental nature of the body and activities of the Lord, attains the abode of the Lord after ending this body and does not run the risk of returning to this material world.

You do not have to be a scholar to go back to Godhead. You need to simply have faith in the words of the lord, devotees of the lord and the acharyas like Narada muni.. This faith is demonstrated by the uninterrupted devotional service, they never stop the devotional service. One may say that let;s go for vacation.. One should say no I cannot miss my service. 

Example – Maharaj met the Caretaker of Ananta Alwar.. Who walked to Tirumala by walking with pregnant wife to serve Lord Balaji.. The caretaker was an old man. He has sons who are IT in the US.. they ask him to come.. He told Maharaj I dont want to leave my service and go.. Very dedicated! It is all material education.. Is there something wrong with staying back in tirupathi and serving the lord? No.. 

One can fall down from Brahma Jyothi, Vaikuntha and one does not fall from Goloka.. 

 In the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.33) it is stated that the Lord has many, many forms and incarnations: advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam. Although there are many transcendental forms of the Lord, they are still one and the same Supreme Personality of Godhead. One has to understand this fact with conviction, although it is incomprehensible to mundane scholars and empiric philosophers. 

They always find differences between Krsna, Vishnu, Narayana.. But they do not understand that it is all one supreme lord expanding into infinite forms.. Yogis can only expand into 10 forms which can do identical activities., Anyone who claims to be Krsna is a nonsense or a rascal.. There are plenary expansions of the Lord, individual jivas.. Who receives a specific power from the lord. Example – Vyasadeva, …Shakti Avesha avataras.. Non devotees do not hear on a regular basis.. They cannot understand the subtleties..

As stated in the Vedas (Puruṣa-bodhinī Upaniṣad):

eko devo nitya-līlānurakto

bhakta-vyāpī hṛdy antar-ātmā

“The one Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternally engaged in many, many transcendental forms in relationships with His unalloyed devotees.” This Vedic version is confirmed in this verse of the Gītā personally by the Lord. He who accepts this truth on the strength of the authority of the Vedas and of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and who does not waste time in philosophical speculations attains the highest perfectional stage of liberation. Simply by accepting this truth on faith, one can, without a doubt, attain liberation. The Vedic version tat tvam asi is actually applied in this case. Anyone who understands Lord Kṛṣṇa to be the Supreme, or who says unto the Lord, “You are the same Supreme Brahman, the Personality of Godhead,” is certainly liberated instantly, and consequently his entrance into the transcendental association of the Lord is guaranteed. In other words, such a faithful devotee of the Lord attains perfection, and this is confirmed by the following Vedic assertion:

tam eva viditvāti mṛtyum eti

nānyaḥ panthā vidyate ’yanāya

“One can attain the perfect stage of liberation from birth and death simply by knowing the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and there is no other way to achieve this perfection.” (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.8) That there is no alternative means that anyone who does not understand Lord Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is surely in the mode of ignorance and consequently he will not attain salvation simply, so to speak, by licking the outer surface of the bottle of honey, or by interpreting the Bhagavad-gītā according to mundane scholarship. Such empiric philosophers may assume very important roles in the material world, but they are not necessarily eligible for liberation. Such puffed-up mundane scholars have to wait for the causeless mercy of the devotee of the Lord. One should therefore cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness with faith and knowledge, and in this way attain perfection.

Faith precedes Knowledge. Example – If you go buy a ticket to fly from Seattle to Mumbai.,. Do you have the knowledge that you will actually reach mumbai.. NO. Then why did you buy the ticket.. Because you have the faith that it will reach Mumbai..you buy the ticket..  Of Course you have to have knowledge to strengthen your faith. But it always starts with faith.  The most complicated and evolved human being is Brahma.. All the draminism and we evolve from monkeys is not true.. To understand the truth you have to reach BG. 

In Bg 8th chapter all the species were created in the beginning of creation. Who do you believe? Do you believe what is taught in school or what is said by the lord in Bhagavadgita. We believe what Krsna says.. They do not believe what Krsna Says.. they believe in scientists. Therefore people get confused.  Even devotees get confused.. Who should we believe that is a fundamental question in life.. SP says –  We should believe in Krsna. SP is a genuine pure  devotee of Krsna.. We follow what Sp says.. 

BG 9.8  – AMAZING REFUTATION OF DARWINISM 

The whole cosmic order is under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end.

Now, as far as the living entities are concerned, they are impregnated into this material nature, and as a result of their past deeds they take different positions. Thus the activities of this material world begin. The activities of the different species of living beings begin from the very moment of creation. It is not that all is evolved. The different species of life are created immediately along with the universe. Men, animals, beasts, birds – everything is simultaneously created, because whatever desires the living entities had at the last annihilation are again manifested. It is clearly indicated here by the word avaśam that the living entities have nothing to do with this process. The state of being in their past life in the past creation is simply manifested again, and all this is done simply by His will. This is the inconceivable potency of the Supreme Personality of God. And after creating different species of life, He has no connection with them. The creation takes place to accommodate the inclinations of the various living entities, and so the Lord does not become involved with it.

We have faith in SP and Krsna.. Therefore it says – Prakritam.. 

We have real vested interest in what Krsna Says. He promises that we have a chance to Go back to Godhead if we believe what He says.  

If we says someone that Lord appeared with 4 hands.. They will not believe it and say that we are crazy. Just having that faith in that one point you go back to Godhead. 

Posted on

SB 2.7.27 – Part 6 Notes – 10/16/21

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.7.27 – Part 6 TODAY (10/16/21):

  • BG 11.54 – My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.
  • The Personality of Godhead is addressing Lord Brahmā and specifying with great emphasis Himself, pointing out that it is He, the Personality of Godhead, who existed before the creation, it is He only who maintains the creation, and it is He only who remains after the annihilation of the creation. Brahmā is also a creation of the Supreme Lord. 
  • Before the creation there was none except Vāsudeva. There was neither Brahmā nor Śaṅkara. Only Nārāyaṇa was there and no one else, neither Brahmā nor Īśāna.
  • The form of the Lord exists in all circumstances of creation, maintenance and annihilation. The existence of the Personality of Godhead implies the existence of the Vaikuṇṭhalokas, as the existence of a king implies the existence of a kingdom.
  •  The existence of the Personality of Godhead implies the existence of the Vaikuṇṭhalokas, as the existence of a king implies the existence of a kingdom.
  • The kingdom of Godhead is not void as conceived by the impersonalists.
  • The creator I and the created I are both accepted in the Vedas as qualitatively one because both of them are nityas and cetanas.
  • The lord also performs activities – BG 3.24  – If I did not perform prescribed duties, all these worlds would be put to ruination. I would be the cause of creating unwanted population, and I would thereby destroy the peace of all living beings.
  • The activities of Brahmā and other demigods during the maintenance of the creation are to be understood as the activities of the Lord. 
  • The Personality of Godhead is never formless. In the material world He may not be visible in His personal form to the less intelligent class of men, and therefore He may sometimes be called formless. But actually He is always in His eternal form in His Vaikuṇṭha planets as well as in other planets of the universes as different incarnations
  • The difference between the created and the creator is always there, although both the creator and created are of the same quality.
  • As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries. 
  • They will never understand the mysteries of Lord’s understanding and will never believe it and act with that belief.

10/16/21 – SB 2.7.27 TRANSLATION:

There is no doubt about Lord Kṛṣṇa’s being the Supreme Lord. Otherwise, how was it possible for Him to kill a giant demon like Pūtanā when He was just on the lap of His mother, to overturn a cart with His leg when He was only three months old, or to uproot a pair of arjuna trees so high that they touched the sky, when He was only crawling? All these activities are impossible for anyone other than the Lord Himself.

Materialistic people who are completely confused about the purpose of life,. They cannot understand anything about Krsna. Hence they waste their entire life. Very few people, even amongst devotees people understand Krsna.. “Manushyanaam sahasresu… “ 

It s a rare thing to understand Krsna and believe in the infinite potencies.. Understanding is not enough, believing it and acting in that belief is very rare. 

BG 11.54 

My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.

There is great mystery about understanding Krsna.. Guhyam means mystery.. 

BG 4 th Chapter – Bhakta sakh cheti.. Rahasyam.. Mystery cannot be understood one who is in sense gratification.. Then Maharaj read the Homeworks submitted by kids [Sreshta & Shanmukh]. 

SB 7.5.31

Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṇu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.

SB 2.9.33 

Brahmā, it is I, the Personality of Godhead, who was existing before the creation, when there was nothing but Myself. Nor was there the material nature, the cause of this creation. That which you see now is also I, the Personality of Godhead, and after annihilation what remains will also be I, the Personality of Godhead.

One of the 4 nutshell verses of SB .. the whole SB is based on these 4 verses SB 2.9.31 – 34. Krishna is the cause and the effect. Lot of things are said in this verse. 

We should note very carefully that the Personality of Godhead is addressing Lord Brahmā and specifying with great emphasis Himself, pointing out that it is He, the Personality of Godhead, who existed before the creation, it is He only who maintains the creation, and it is He only who remains after the annihilation of the creation. Brahmā is also a creation of the Supreme Lord. 

IMPERSONALIST THEORY OF ONENESS

The impersonalist puts forth the theory of oneness in the sense that Brahmā — also being the same principle of “I,” because he is an emanation from the I, the Absolute Truth — is identical with the Lord, the principle of I, and that there is thus nothing more than the principle of I, as explained in this verse. Accepting the argument of the impersonalist, it is to be admitted that the Lord is the creator I and that the Brahmā is the created I. Therefore there is a difference between the two I’s, namely the predominator I and the predominated I. Therefore there are still two I’s, even accepting the argument of the impersonalist. But we must note carefully that these two I’s are accepted in the Vedic literature (Kaṭhopaniṣad) in the sense of quality. The Kaṭhopaniṣad says:

Understanding is not enough.. You might have a false understanding like Mayavadis.. BG 15.7, we are parts and parcels of Krsna. Krishna is Sat chit ananda vigraha.  We are exactly same as Krsna as far as eternity goes..  some knowledge, we also have limited ananda without Krsna.. Even, ananda with Krsna there is a competition between measurement and increment.. We have the same qualities of Krsna.. But not complete like Krsna…

nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām

eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān

The creator I and the creatded I are both accepted in the Vedas as qualitatively one because both of them are nityas and cetanas. But the singular I is the creator I, and the created I’s are of plural number because there are many I’s like Brahmā and those generated by Brahmā. It is the simple truth. The father creates or begets a son, and the son also creates many other sons, and all of them may be one as human beings, but, at the same time from the father, the son and the grandsons are all different. The son cannot take the place of the father, nor can the grandsons. Simultaneously the father, the son and the grandson are one and different also. As human beings they are one, but as relativities they are different. Therefore the relativities of the creator and the created or the predominator and the predominated have been differentiated in the Vedas by saying that the predominator I is the feeder of the predominated I’s, and thus there is a vast difference between the two principles of I.

In another feature of this verse, no one can deny the personalities of both the Lord and Brahmā. Therefore in the ultimate issue both the predominator and predominated are persons. This conclusion refutes the conclusion of the impersonalist that in the ultimate issue everything is impersonal. This impersonal feature stressed by the less intelligent impersonalist school is refuted by pointing out that the predominator I is the Absolute Truth and that He is a person. The predominated I, Brahmā, is also a person, but he is not the Absolute. For realization of one’s self in spiritual psychology it may be convenient to assume oneself to be the same principle as the Absolute Truth, but there is always the difference of the predominated and the predominator, as clearly pointed out here in this verse, which is grossly misused by the impersonalists. Brahmā is factually seeing face to face his predominator Lord, who exists in His transcendental eternal form, even after the annihilation of the material creation. The form of the Lord, as seen by Brahmā, existed before the creation of Brahmā, and the material manifestation with all the ingredients and agents of material creation are also energetic expansions of the Lord, and after the exhibition of the Lord’s energy comes to a close, what remains is the same Personality of Godhead. Therefore the form of the Lord exists in all circumstances of creation, maintenance and annihilation. The Vedic hymns confirm this fact in the statement vāsudevo vā idam agra āsīn na brahmā na ca śaṅkara eko nārāyaṇa āsīn na brahmā neśāna, etc. Before the creation there was none except Vāsudeva. There was neither Brahmā nor Śaṅkara. Only Nārāyaṇa was there and no one else, neither Brahmā nor Īśāna. Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya also confirms in his comments on the Bhagavad-gītā that Nārāyaṇa, or the Personality of Godhead, is transcendental to all creation, but that the whole creation is the product of avyakta. Therefore the difference between the created and the creator is always there, although both the creator and created are of the same quality.

KINGDOM OF SUPREME LORD

The other feature of the statement is that the supreme truth is Bhagavān, or the Personality of Godhead. The Personality of Godhead and His kingdom have already been explained. The kingdom of Godhead is not void as conceived by the impersonalists. The Vaikuṇṭha planets are full of transcendental variegatedness, including the four-handed residents of those planets, with great opulence of wealth and prosperity, and there are even airplanes and other amenities required for high-grade personalities. Therefore the Personality of Godhead exists before the creation, and He exists with all transcendental variegatedness in the Vaikuṇṭhalokas. The Vaikuṇṭhalokas, also accepted in the Bhagavad-gītā as being of the sanātana nature, are not annihilated even after the annihilation of the manifested cosmos. Those transcendental planets are of a different nature altogether, and that nature is not subjected to the rules and regulations of material creation, maintenance or annihilation. The existence of the Personality of Godhead implies the existence of the Vaikuṇṭhalokas, as the existence of a king implies the existence of a kingdom.

ACTIVITIES OF THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD

The impersonalist adduces no activity in the Supreme, but in this discussion between Brahmā and the Supreme Personality of Godhead the Lord is said to have activities also, as He has His form and quality. The activities of Brahmā and other demigods during the maintenance of the creation are to be understood as the activities of the Lord. The king, or the head executive of a state, may not be seen in the government offices, for he may be engaged in royal comforts. Yet it should be understood that everything is being done under his direction and everything is at his 

command. 

BG 3.23 & 24 (Even Krsna performs His duties /work)

He performs the duties of ideal householder when in Dwaraka.. 

THE PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD IS NEVER FORMLESS.

 In the material world He may not be visible in His personal form to the less intelligent class of men, and therefore He may sometimes be called formless. But actually He is always in His eternal form in His Vaikuṇṭha planets as well as in other planets of the universes as different incarnations. The example of the sun is very appropriate in this connection. The sun in the night may not be visible to the eyes of men in the darkness, but the sun is visible wherever it has risen. That the sun is not visible to the eyes of the inhabitants of a particular part of the earth does not mean that the sun has no form.

In the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (1.4.1) there is the hymn ātmaivedam agra āsīt puruṣa-vidhaḥ. This mantra indicates the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Kṛṣṇa) even before the appearance of the puruṣa incarnation. In the Bhagavad-gītā (15.18) it is said that Lord Kṛṣṇa is Puruṣottama because He is the supreme puruṣa, transcendental even to the puruṣa-akṣara and the puruṣa-kṣara. The akṣara-puruṣa, or the Mahā-Viṣṇu, throws His glance over prakṛti, or material nature, but the Puruṣottama existed even before that. The Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad therefore confirms the statement of the Bhagavad-gītā that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person (Puruṣottama).

If you do not understand this you cannot remain as a devotee. We are faced with so much misinformation, basically lies,, how do we wave through this ocean of misinformation.. To hear every day.. Sthane stuta.. 

Lord caiatanya received from Ramananda Rai = regularly sit and hear SB from the great souls. Radharani can sing 16000 ragas. Greatest musicians in the world can only sing 2oo notes.. Atheists reject spiritual world.. Mayavadis; give a misinterpretation ofthe spiritual world.. 

Homework for next week: 

Explain from SB 1.1.1 the following phrase “Nirasta Kuhakam.. “

“Which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world” What are those illusory representations of material world that dont exist in spiritual world but exist in the material world.