Premanjana

“Everyone is seeing God in His different aspects; the only difference is that the theist sees God as the Supreme Personality, the most beloved, Krishna, and the atheist sees the Absolute Truth as ultimate death.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 2, Ch 32)

“Have you seen God? Can you show Him to me?” These are some of the challenging questions often directed at those who are religiously inclined and those who are actively preaching the message of love and respect for the Lord found in India’s most famous religious text, the succinct and complete treatise on Vedic philosophy known as the Bhagavad-gita. Any time a preacher takes to kindly passing on information pertaining to spirituality, there will surely be skeptics, uninterested observers, and those who are not willing to listen. When engaged in ordinary conversation, wherein points and counterpoints are exchanged, generally no conclusion is reached in the end. Therefore in order to learn properly, one must take instruction from someone who has weight, a guru, or spiritual master, one who knows the truth as explained to them by previous authority figures. Yet even when hearing from a guru there is a natural urge to see proof, tangible evidence that God indeed exists. The devotees, those whose eyes have been anointed with transcendental love, see the influence of the Lord everywhere. Yet even the atheists, those who are staunchly against religious principles, are forced to see the influence of the same loveable Divine Entity at every turn, especially at the time that matters most: death.

“The foolish cannot understand how a living entity can quit his body, nor can they understand what sort of body he enjoys under the spell of the modes of nature. But one whose eyes are trained in knowledge can see all this.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.10)

Just as the time of birth represents the beginning of our pursuits for excellence and enjoyment in the current life, the time of death is similarly as important. At this most critical of junctures, the events of one’s life flash before their very eyes, and the desires and reactions to work are aggregated. Upon review by higher authorities, those in charge of the workings of nature, a new body is given, one commensurate with the desires and work of the eternal and minutely autonomous spiritual entity. Therefore the time of death can be considered the most important time in one’s life, a judgment day if you will. For one who is in knowledge – one who understands the workings of nature, the influences of karma, and the eternality of the soul – there is no fear of quitting the body. Rather, the source of all fear is removed by the knowledge that someone is in charge of distributing the results of action. Surely individuals have free will in their choice of engagement, but the results of action cannot be received without the hand of someone more powerful, someone capable of equally and fairly distributing fruits and doling out punishments.

Is there a difference in outcomes for the person who, as a result of the highest knowledge acquired, does not live in fear even at the time of death, compared to one who remains in complete ignorance up until the end of life? To find the answer, let’s see what happens with the same two individuals during the course of their lifetimes prior to death. In any scope of activity, in any endeavor, there are certain rules and regulations, a right way to do something. Adhering to the restrictions and performing prescribed activities ensures a successful outcome, an ideal future condition, one that is deemed favorable by the worker inspired to take action. Neglecting prescribed duties equates to acting in ignorance, a strict defiance of the established codes of conduct. Not surprisingly, taking this route usually leads to an unfavorable condition, one where the ultimate goal is not met. The specific nature of the activity doesn’t really matter, for the dichotomy of outcomes is seen in virtually any engagement. Something as simple as driving illustrates these principles quite clearly. Operating an automobile requires great attention and alertness. Therefore the need for the sobriety of the driver is a given, a necessary requirement to operate a vehicle properly. One who takes to driving while inebriated surely is going against established codes of conduct. A drunk driver is not only a hazard to themselves, but to other innocent civilians and drivers on the road as well.

An interesting point to note is that the motive behind the deviation from established codes of conduct does not cause a difference in outcomes. For instance, one may not know that driving drunk is a bad thing. Maybe they are used to being intoxicated all the time so they were never properly educated on what should be done and what shouldn’t. Will this lack of information make any difference? Is there a difference between a drunk driver who knows that what they are doing is bad versus one who doesn’t? Do the laws of gravity behave differently for one who accidentally falls from a high perch as opposed to one who purposely jumps?

The answers to these questions are quite obvious. The laws of gravity are absolute; they apply to everyone equally. Similarly, ignorance and deviation from righteousness have the same effect on activity for every person, irrespective of the motive for action. The Bhagavad-gita, the Song of God spoken by Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, provides a brief rundown of the workings of nature, the purpose of human life, and the ultimate aim for the individual. When we speak of individuals, the reference is to anything that has a spirit soul inside of it, anything that is considered life. Though we generally associate religion with human society, the workings of nature and the potency of spirit apply to all forms of life. The human species is unique because only in this form can the spirit soul take the necessary steps to turn away from the darkness of ignorance and progress towards the light of knowledge. As we have seen from the examples already mentioned, ignorance does not lead to any favorable condition in any endeavor of importance. In a similar manner, the ultimate objective of the spirit soul – that of finding true pleasure and happiness, the type that never dries out – can only be realized, understood, and acted upon by one who is in knowledge.

“O son of Kunti [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 7.8)

Shri Krishna informs us in the Gita that He is the taste of water. Indeed, His influence is everywhere, for He is responsible for the creation, maintenance, and destruction of nature. The spirit soul is aloof from all visible and invisible elements of nature, but due to its association with a temporary and destructible body, the conditioned soul takes on a false identification. Ignorance thus starts at the time of birth; it is the default condition. If one is not educated on the workings of nature, the transmigration of the soul, and the only source of real pleasure, they will remain in ignorance throughout their lifetime. Those who are fortunate enough to take to sincerely learning about Krishna, who is no different than any other person’s God, will surely be able to see the influence of the Lord everywhere. Though there is a tendency to speak in terms of “My God” and “My religion”, there can be no such things. A religion may be concocted by a particular group of individuals, but the workings of spirit and nature are completely scientific. The only difference between spiritual science and material science is that the spiritual discipline emanating from the Vedas, the oldest scriptures in existence, acknowledges the origin of all matter and spirit. Material science acknowledges many different workings of nature, but ultimately the original cause is taken to be chemicals; random elements that just happened to combine on a whim to create life.

Since the information presented to them lacks any authority, those who take shelter of the mentally concocted theories of material science will remain forever in the dark as to the presence of the Lord. Though nature is quite complicated and considered incomprehensible without years and years of scientific study, the origin of all matter and spirit is not very difficult to perceive of or see. The origin of all life is the Supreme Lord, the only God for all of mankind. One who gradually comes to the light of knowledge will be able to see the Divine Entity’s influence everywhere. One who is in knowledge of God and who uses the acquired information to change their way of life is known as a bhakta, or devotee. Knowledge alone does not lead to a proper vision. For instance, one may have a law degree from a prestigious college, but they will not be considered a lawyer unless and until they take to practicing. In the same way, one may know that the spirit soul within the body is the source of identity and that the Supersoul, the expansion of the Supreme Lord residing within the heart, is the most powerful entity, but if they don’t make any tangible use of this information, their knowledge goes to waste.

What is the behavior of a devotee? How do they see God? The ability of man and the taste of water alone provide enough evidence of God’s existence. Just as a famous philosopher once said, “I think therefore I am”, the ability to think and to know one’s existence are evidence enough of God’s supreme nature. “I am” is taken to be proof of one’s existence, but it’s more important to actually know who we are. In the ignorant state, a person isn’t even aware that they are a human being. A fish doesn’t know that it’s wet, nor does it know when to stop eating. Without sufficient education, the human being is no different than the animal. The higher potential for intelligence available to the human being is meant for inquiring about the Absolute Truth, athato-brahma-jijnasa. When the human being reaches the mature stage, it takes to asking about the Absolute Truth, that one entity who is beyond duality, success and failure, and pain and pleasure. There is only one person that meets this criteria: Lord Krishna.

By taking to bhakti-yoga, a discipline which can involve reading, hearing, worshiping, surrendering, and many other activities, one gradually sees the presence of the Lord everywhere. God certainly does have a form; otherwise He would not be able to speak, give instruction and provide salvation. Void and nothingness are incapable of action; only with a form can an entity produce any tangible results. The Supreme Lord’s form is described in great detail in the classic Vedic texts like the Shrimad Bhagavatam, Ramayana, Bhagavad-gita and Puranas. If we simply take stock of the statements found within these sacred texts, we will be able to get a good idea of what Krishna and His various non-different forms look like. By knowing Krishna’s appearance, we can always remember Him within our hearts and minds.

Goswami Tulsidas, the exalted Vaishnava poet and devotee of Lord Rama, Krishna’s incarnation as a pious prince, through his behavior exemplified the differences between a devotee and a non-devotee very nicely. At the height of his devotional ecstasy, Tulsidas likened himself to a Chatak bird which couldn’t keep its eye off of a raincloud. Lord Rama’s body is of a blue color, similar to that of a dark raincloud. The same hue is present in Lord Vishnu’s and Krishna’s bodies. The Chatak bird is known for only drinking rainwater; hence it is always staring at the cloud that is about to pour rain. Tulsidas uses this analogy to show that a pure devotee doesn’t want anything from anyone else. It only wants to see God at all times. Even if the original form is not there, just the similarity in hue is good enough to constantly remind one of God. The Chatak bird doesn’t need rain to be satisfied, for simply being allowed to practice devotional service is enough to provide pleasure. In fact, the cloud can completely scorn its lover, but as a devoted soul, the Chatak will never stop loving its beloved cloud. Even though the Chatak only eats when there is rain, it nevertheless gazes at its beloved at all times. The devotee, who mimics the Chatak’s behavior, always worships the Lord and sees His influence everywhere, even if there is no perceived return on that investment.

The aim of life is to reach the same level of devotion as the Chatak, wherein one worships the Lord with all their heart in an unmotivated and uninterrupted manner. Lest anyone think this level of affection is impossible to acquire, the spirit soul is already inclined towards such service. The spirit soul, by constitution, is blissful, knowledgeable and eternal. The source of bliss is its natural loving propensity, its inherent desire to associate with the Supreme Spirit, Shri Krishna. In the conditioned state, when one is mired in varying degrees of ignorance, the loving propensity is redirected towards other objects and entities. Even hatred is a product of the misdirection; it is simply the inverse of natural love. Only through devotional service can the loving propensity reach its full potential, a state where love is never interrupted or diminished. The Chatak, which represents the behavior of devotees like Tulsidas and the gopis of Vrindavana, exemplifies the highest level of devotional practice perfectly. In the most purified state, not even the object of affection, the loveable Supreme Lord, is capable of deterring the devotee in its practice of bhakti. Only in the pure loving relationship can the beloved lose its influence over the affectionate behavior of the lover.

“I am the only enjoyer and the only object of sacrifice. Those who do not recognize My true transcendental nature fall down.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 9.24)

Obviously the atheists and non-devotees will remain far away from even understanding the heightened level of affection shown by divine lovers. Through skepticism and strong attachment to matter and sense gratification, the atheist will stubbornly deny the existence of God. Even amongst religionists, there are those who take themselves to be equal to God. Such a notion obviously seems silly, but if one believes that their personal aims and objectives are of paramount importance, the resulting mindset is no different than taking oneself to be equal to the Lord. God’s position is not determined simply on the ability to provide at the highest level. The Supreme Lord is certainly the original proprietor of everything, but this ownership has a deeper meaning. Since Krishna owns everything in this world, the intended use of these objects is for His satisfaction. From this we see that Krishna is also the ultimate enjoyer, the singular beneficiary of sacrifice and religious practice.

Krishna’s fixed position as the friend of every living entity forms the third aspect of the Supreme Spirit, one that ties the other two pieces together. Krishna’s universal and unending candidacy for friendship informs the sincere soul that God’s endless property, which is visible throughout this world, is meant to be used for His satisfaction through a loving relationship, one that provides pleasure to not only the Ultimate Enjoyer, but also to those He enjoys with: the devotees. Rather than wait for the time of death to see God, by taking to bhakti right now we can see God’s presence everywhere. The divine vision brings supreme bliss and pleasure and allows an individual to remain firmly fixed in their mood of devotion. Those whose eyes have been smeared with the ointment of transcendental love, premanjana, see the influence of their paramour at every step and every corner. By taking to devotional service through regularly chanting, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, we’ll be able to see Krishna at every step we take and with every move we make.

Can’t Touch This

“It is not possible for a chandala to tread heavily on an altar which is beautifully decorated and situated amongst a sacrificial fire, pots, and ladles, and sanctified by the mantras of the brahmanas. Similarly, I, being the religiously wedded wife of one who is Himself ever committed to dharma, am firm in my vows and thus, O lowest of the Rakshasas, it is not possible for me to ever be touched by you, who are a sinner.” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 56.18-19)

This is a beautiful analogy used by Sita Devi, the wife of Lord Rama, to describe how Ravana was unqualified and incapable of touching her. This may seem strange to hear because Ravana, a Rakshasa demon, had just kidnapped Sita from the forest of Dandaka and forcibly brought her to his kingdom of Lanka. Yet as all the great acharyas confirm, Sita Devi could never be touched by Ravana because she always remains completely spiritual. She is God’s wife in the spiritual world, meaning that she is not tainted by any material qualities. Only those elevated personalities, those whose minds have been purified through proper training, can understand and see Sita’s true spiritual form.

The Indian caste system is famous throughout the world. It is usually understood to be a sort of social pecking order, where certain classes of people are deemed more worthy than others. Aside from the four primary castes, there are also those considered untouchable. When learning about Hindu culture in American schools, the issue of the untouchables is almost always broached. The actual Vedic system, however, has nothing to do with social statuses or ostracizing people based on their birth. The caste system, more accurately known as varnashrama-dharma, is a natural ordering of society based on the inherent qualities that people possess and the work they perform. In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, says that He created this system based on guna and karma. He never mentions anywhere that one’s varna, or caste, is inherited at the time of birth.

The reason for the divisions is that every person will have different tendencies. The modern day movements aimed at providing social justice and the equal distribution of wealth are certainly idealistic, but not practical since everyone has different desires and qualities. Not every person has the same work ethic, nor does everyone want to be rich. In fact, if you conducted a poll to find out at what annual salary a person would consider themselves rich, you’d get a wide variety of answers. To some people, earning $100,000 a year is considered great wealth, while others would require multiple millions of dollars before they felt comfortable. These differences in desires and qualities are natural, and they are acquired over the course of many many lifetimes. Vedic teachings tell us that our consciousness at the time of death determines the type of body we inherit in our next birth.

“In whatever condition one quits his present body, in his next life he will attain to that state of being without fail.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.6)

The four varnas of the famous caste system are the brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas, and shudras. Then there are those who are considered so uncivilized that they don’t even fall into any of these categories. These “untouchables” are the mlecchas, yavanas, and chandalas. For the purpose of this discussion, we will focus on the two extreme ends of the spectrum: the brahmanas and the chandalas. The meaning of brahmana is someone who knows Brahman. Most of us understand that there is a personal God who is in control of everything. He is the person we go to when we want things, and He is also in charge of making the impossible seem possible. The Vedas give us further details into God’s nature. He who most of us know as God is actually Bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhagavan, whose original form is that of Shri Krishna, then takes two primary expansions. The Lord is kind enough to live within our body as a minute spirit soul. We also have our own spirit soul that forms the basis of our identity, but God’s soul is there alongside ours. Our soul is known as the jivatma, or just regular atma. Since God’s soul is much more powerful, it is known as Paramatma, or the great soul. The Paramatma can be realized through yoga. Yoga itself means the linking of our soul with God’s expansion residing within our heart. There is a less granular expansion, or classification, of God known as Brahman. Brahman is an all-encompassing energy. Everything, including matter and spirit, is Brahman.

“Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness—these are the qualities by which the brahmanas work.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 18.42)

Those who know Brahman understand that all living entities are an equal part of the creation. There is no difference in quality or quantity between one jivatma and another. To know Brahman and truly understand it, one must possess certain qualities. Such a person must be peaceful, humble, tolerant, wise, etc. These are the qualities, or gunas, of a brahmana. Along with these qualities, brahmanas must perform certain types of work. Their prescribed duties, or karma, include reading the Vedas, teaching others Vedic wisdom, performing sacrifices, teaching others how to perform sacrifices, taking charity, and giving charity.

To be considered a qualified brahmana, one must be properly trained. There are many caste brahmanas in India who inherited their status from their forefathers. Essentially any caste brahmana can trace their family lineage all the way back to a famous sage of the past. Having this sort of ancestry is certainly very nice, and it presents a wonderful opportunity. However, as mentioned before, one’s varna is determined by qualities and work. If we are born in a brahmana family but don’t exude any of the qualities of a brahmana or perform any of their activities, we can’t be considered a bona fide brahmana.

To know Brahman means to know that we are not our bodies. The spirit soul, or atma, represents our identity. Those who live on the bodily conception of life, considering themselves to be Indian, American, black, white, etc., certainly don’t know Brahman. A person born in a brahmana family who doesn’t have respect for all forms of life certainly cannot be considered a qualified teacher of the Vedas. To know Brahman, one must be trained by a qualified brahmana, someone who knows the Truth.

The sacrifice is an essential part of religious life in the Vedic tradition. Sacrifice involves voluntarily giving up something that is valuable to you. In the ancient times, kings would perform grand sacrifices where they would offer a horse or some other valuable animal to God. These sacrifices were very intricate and complex, and they required the perfect recitation of specific Vedic hymns and mantras. A qualified brahmana was required to perform these sacrifices, otherwise the desired result would never be achieved. In a properly executed sacrifice, the soul residing within the animal would immediately be promoted to the human species in the next life, and the king would reap tremendous material rewards as a result.

Since the sacrifices required meticulous attention to detail, only trained sages could perform them. By the same token, those who were unclean and not trained in any Vedic discipline were strictly forbidden from taking part in such sacrifices. In the varnashrama system, the shudras are considered the fourth and lowest division. They are laborers by trade, and they receive no formal training in any Vedic discipline. The chandalas, or dog-eaters, are considered even lower. Even in today’s society where meat-eating is quite common, if someone were to start eating dog flesh, they would be considered uncivilized and an odd-ball. In ancient times, these people were not allowed anywhere near a sacrifice, for their presence would taint the whole proceeding. Such a person could surely tread across any normal area of land, but as soon as that same land became sanctified with the paraphernalia of a Vedic sacrifice along with the recitation of mantras by qualified brahmanas, such a person was restricted from setting foot on it.

Now this restriction may seem a little harsh to the lay-person. To properly understand the context, let’s take the example of flying an airplane. A plane is an enormous vehicle, requiring expert pilots to operate it. A pilot must go through hours and hours of training before they are allowed into the cockpit to personally steer a plane from takeoff to landing. We would never think of taking any odd person off the street and asking them to fly a plane, for the results would be disastrous. The plane probably would never even make it off the ground, and if it did, it most certainly would crash. The Vedic sacrifice can be thought of in the same light. Though we may not see its results directly, a yajna, or sacrifice, is performed for the benefit of Lord Vishnu. In fact, the word yajna itself means Vishnu, or the four-handed expansion form of Lord Krishna. All yajnas are meant for the satisfaction of Vishnu, which means that if a non-devotee, or person lacking knowledge of Vishnu, performs a sacrifice, there will be no tangible result. More than just nullifying the effects of the sacrifice, a chandala can do great harm by causing animals to be needlessly killed or causing the ingredients of the sacrifice to be wasted. This is precisely what occurred over time as unqualified brahmanas started taking to animal sacrifice simply as an excuse to eat meat. For this reason, the practice of animal sacrifice was eventually abolished.

This analogy to a chandala being restricted from a yajna was appropriately used by Sita Devi when talking to Ravana. During the Treta Yuga, the second time period of creation, Lord Krishna descended to earth in His all-blissful, all-knowing form of Lord Rama, the handsome prince of Ayodhya. Rama’s wife was Sita Devi, an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. The couple was residing in the forest of Dandaka along with Rama’s younger brother, Lakshmana, when one day Sita was kidnapped by Ravana. The Rakshasa race was quite strong at the time, and their leader was the ten-headed son of Vishrava, Ravana. Though Ravana was quite capable in battle, he knew he didn’t stand a chance against Rama and Lakshmana, so he devised a plan where he could kidnap Sita in Their absence. Successfully taking Sita to his kingdom of Lanka, Ravana tried every which way to win her heart over, but he failed every time.

In the above referenced statement, Sita is letting Ravana know that he can never touch her. She compared him to a chandala, or the lowest class of man. This analogy is important because Ravana certainly viewed himself as high class. He lived in the finest palaces, drank the best wine, and had hundreds of beautiful wives. He even thought that he was a religious person, for he used to regularly perform worship of various demigods. Nevertheless, he lived completely in the bodily conception of life. He didn’t believe in a Supreme God, for he was trying to be God himself through the conquering of enemies and the acquisition of material wealth, strength, and fame. As a Rakshasa, he was accustomed to eating meat. The irony of Ravana’s haughtiness was that he was actually lower than a chandala. A chandala is so low that they eat dog flesh, but Ravana actually ate human flesh on a regular basis. He and his Rakshasa associates would harass the great sages living in the forests, attack their sacrifices, kill them, and then eat their flesh.

“To say nothing of touching mother Sita, a person with material senses cannot even see her. When Ravana kidnapped her, he kidnapped only her material, illusory form.” (Lord Chaitanya, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 9.193)

Sita was dead-on in her characterization of Ravana. The demon certainly did touch her, but just as a chandala can never properly execute a sacrifice, Ravana was never able to actually touch Sita’s spiritual form. He only associated with a material form of Sita, a sort of fake covering. Only devotees can see God and His associates as they are.

If we see God and His pure devotees as being products of material nature, we can never get the true benefit of their association. The impersonalist philosophers, the Mayavadis, encounter this very problem when they try to execute bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. The Mayavadis believe that Brahman is the ultimate feature of God, meaning they don’t believe in a Paramatma or Bhagavan. Because of this, they try to worship some imaginary form of God, or worse, they take God’s authorized forms such as Rama, Krishna, etc. to be products of maya, or material nature. For these reasons their performance of bhakti-yoga is useless. Their viewpoint is no different than how Ravana viewed Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana. In the end, Sita’s words would hold true as Ravana was never able to win her over. Lord Rama eventually came to Lanka and killed the demon and all his soldiers after a series of fierce battles.

The lesson here is that if we want to truly get the benefit of association with God, we must be properly trained from a devotee. The devotees of Lord Vishnu, Vaishnavas, are actually above brahmanas in stature because they understand Bhagavan. Since Bhagavan is the source of Brahman, Vaishnavas automatically acquire all the qualities of a brahmana. In this age, we can all become Vaishnavas, regardless of our ancestry, simply by regularly chanting God’s names in a loving way, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. This chanting is known as the sankirtana-yajna, and unlike sacrifices of the past, there are no restrictions on its performance. Any person can chant and receive all the glorious benefits. This is Krishna’s mercy for the people of this age, and we should most certainly take advantage of it.

For Your Welfare

“For your welfare, O Raghava, having received your permission to follow you, I like to serve you, O great hero, while living in the forest.” (Sita Devi speaking to Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, Sec 27)

This statement of Sita Devi is so pure and wonderful that it warms the heart. One can read this one line over and over again and still enjoy the bliss brought on by the purest sentiment ever uttered. The two key phrases of this statement are “for your welfare” and “I like to serve you.”

Sita Devi was the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, known as the goddess of fortune. According to the Vedas, there is one God and He appoints various demigods, deputies in a sense, to manage the affairs of the material world. Lakshmi is a manifestation of God’s pleasure potency, known as hladini-shakti. Woman is the energy of man, or the better-half. Lakshmi is God’s energy, providing good fortune to devotees so that they may in turn use that fortune to serve God. As God’s pleasure potency, Lakshmi is completely devoted to Him and serves Him constantly. Many thousands of years ago, she came to earth in the form of the beautiful princess named Sita. Since she serves as God’s wife in the spiritual world, she naturally assumed the same role in the material world. Sita was married to Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Krishna. Lord Rama was born in the dynasty of kings known as the Ikshvakus, who were all very pious. Lord Rama’s father was Maharaja Dashratha, the king of Ayodhya.

After enjoying a brief period of married life, Lord Rama was unexpectedly ousted from the kingdom by His father and ordered to spend fourteen years in exile in the forest. Only the Lord was ordered to go, but Sita wanted to accompany Him. Lord Rama was hesitant to bring her along since forest life would be very difficult compared to the luxurious life they were used to living in the kingdom. Sita Devi vehemently argued in favor of her going and one of her statements was that she should like to go with Rama for His welfare, in order that she may serve Him.

In general, most of us think of our welfare first. We live with ourselves every day, so naturally we are looking to please our personal interests first. We eat what we want, sleep when we want, and go where we want. This is the benefit of independence as we see it. According to the Vedic philosophy, we are spirit souls at our core, but due to our desire to be like God and enjoy, we were placed in this material world. While here, are souls are placed in various types of bodies based on our desires and qualities. Currently in the human form, we seek after sense gratification, thinking ourselves to be the proprietor of our possessions.

On the surface, seeking sense gratification doesn’t seem to be harmful. After all, acting in our self-interest should make us happy. Yet we find that this happiness is hard to come by. Evidence of this can be seen by studying the actions of those who are extremely successful materially, the wealthy. Whether it’s Bill Gates or Warren Buffet, we see that amassing tremendous amounts of wealth doesn’t bring satisfaction in the arena of sense gratification. Once people become free from the desire to earn more money, they take to the practice of philanthropy. They engage in charitable acts of opening hospitals, schools, and various other non-profit entities.

Charity is a wonderful activity because it purifies us. Instead of concentrating on our own welfare, we become concerned with the disposition of others. Acquiring fame and fortune are very nice, and we feel fortunate and blessed to be in such a position. Conversely, it pains us to see those who aren’t as fortunate, so through charity, we try to alleviate that pain. Charity is also an act of love. Wanting more for someone else than you want for yourself is the definition of love. Love is the most liberating feeling because it brings us back to our natural constitutional position as spirit souls. Originally, we all had a pure loving relationship with God, and that was forgotten once we entered this material world.

The other important phrase in Sita’s statement was “I like to serve you.” This is an anathema to many people. As previously mentioned, we have a tendency to give priority to serving our interests over serving others. This phrase is also in stark contrast with the teachings of the modern day feminist movement. Wanting liberation from the perceived bondage of the past, the feminist movement that took hold in the late 1960s aimed at giving independence to women. This movement taught women to break free of their reliance on men and not to cow-tow to them. Wanting to be on par with men, women began refusing to have doors held open for them, to have men compliment them, and to let men pay for lunches and dinners. The idea was that women could do anything that men could do.

Now there is nothing wrong with independence per se. Self-reliance is a very good thing because it affords one a chance at peace, which leaves more time for God realization. However, it is a mistake for anyone, man or woman, to get caught up in the idea of independence. We spirit souls have a minute amount of independence in that we have a choice in how our senses will react with nature in the form of work. Still, we actually have no control over the results or fruits of our work. This is all determined by the laws of material nature, put into place by God. These laws, collectively known as the system of karma, represent the ultimate system of fairness, providing good and bad results for all fruitive action. Simply put, good or bad things can happen to us based on what we do. We may work very hard at something, but that doesn’t guarantee success. Winning and losing, success and failure, victory and defeat, these are all determined by our karma and the karma of others. Thinking that we are the doers is the first mistake made by the living entities. We actually have no independence.

By her one statement, Sita Devi summed up the meaning of life. People search far and wide, speculating and proposing various theories and racking their brains for the answers to life’s questions, but that is all unnecessary. The perfection of life can be achieved when one surrenders everything unto God and willingly becomes His servant. Just as loving others by performing charitable works brings us temporary joy, performing charity for God and loving Him will bring us eternal happiness. The aim of life should be to one day reach the same platform of loving devotion that Sita Devi had. We should all hope to share the same sentiments towards God that Sita did. In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna describes the four types of people that come to Him:

“O best among the Bharatas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.” (Bg. 7.16)

Most of us fall into the category of wanting something from God, artha-arthi. This is very natural, for we know that God is the greatest and that He can supply us with everything. However, this is a second class form of worship. Instead of asking something from God, we should offer services to Him. God isn’t in need of anything, but we should still want to serve Him for His benefit. This is the highest form of love as exemplified by God’s wife, Sita Devi. We too can exhibit this form of love through the practice of bhakti yoga, or devotional service. God ultimately wants to see everyone happy, and He knows that serving Him allows us to achieve the ultimate pleasure. It is for this reason that the Lord gladly accepts our service.

The best way to serve the Lord is to constantly chant His holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare”. By chanting and following the regulative principles of bhakti yoga, we will be following the great example set forth by Sita Devi. Her love was so pure and spontaneous that Lord Rama was forced to take her with Him to the forest. Through her love, she was able to purchase the Lord. May Sita be always in Rama’s company, and may we always remember and honor her pure devotion.

The Good Son

“In Vedic society, after the death of a relative, especially one’s father or mother, one must go to Gaya and there offer oblations to the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 17.8 Purport)

According to the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, it is very important for parents to beget sons, more so than begetting daughters. Having a baby girl definitely isn’t a bad thing, but a son is able to rescue even the most sinful of parents from going to hell in the afterlife.

Upon taking birth, every one of us incurs three separate debts. We owe a debt to our forefathers, known as the pitrs. They are the progenitors of our family, and it is due to their efforts that we take birth in the family that we do. We also owe a debt to the rishis, or great sages of the past. Their tireless efforts produced a body of literary work unmatched in human history. The Vedic literature combined is by far and away the largest set of scriptures known to mankind. It took the effort and dedication of great saints to produce such insightful and pertinent reading material. We are all forever indebted to them for their contribution to mankind. We are also indebted to the devatas, or demigods. There is only one God, Lord Krishna, but He has deputies who handle various departments of the material creation. These agents are known as the demigods. Shiva, Ganesha, Lakshmi, Indra are a few of the well-known devatas. They are in charge of producing rain, which in turn produces the food that sustains our life. They are also in charge of administering justice, doling out wealth, and even creating and destroying the earth.

We can pay off these debts by following the path enjoined in the shastras. To honor the great saints, we should rigorously study the primary Vedic texts, such as the Bhagavad-gita, Shrimad Bhagavatam, and Ramayana. They gave us these books to read and use as a guideline for our day to day affairs, so we shouldn’t neglect them. The demigods are pleased by the performance of sacrifice. All Vedic sacrifices involve fire and the offering of oblations in the form of clarified butter or ghee. By performing these regularly, the demigods become happy. The debt we owe to our forefathers can be satisfied by begetting sons. A son carries on the family name, ensuring that the traditions and reputation set forth by generations past will continue. The true benefit of having sons lies in their ability to offer pinda to the departed souls.

After a father or mother dies, one observes a shradda ceremony, which is a way to pay homage to the deceased. A pinda, a small ball of food, is offered to the departed soul. According to the Bhagavad-gita, when we die, our next birth is determined by our consciousness at the time of death. If we are sinful then we go to the hellish planets for a certain time period, at the expiry of which we return back to earth. The same goes for those ascending to heaven. However, the most sinful people remain in an intermediate state, where they are perpetually stuck in a subtle body. They are considered too sinful to even get another body after death. For these people, it is extremely important to have someone available to offer them food in the form of the pinda. After the initial shradda ceremony, the pinda is then offered annually on the anniversary of the person’s death. Only a son is fit for delivering the sinful soul. The word for son in Sanskrit is putra, which has a special significance. There is a specific hell referred to as put, so since the son can deliver one from such a hellish condition, he is referred to as putra.

“In Gaya there is Vishnu temple, and in the Vishnu temple the oblation is offered at the lotus feet of the… There are many practical cases that one’s father or mother became ghost after death, and after offering oblations at the lotus feet of Vishnu at Gaya, he was delivered. There are many cases.”  (Shrila Prabhupada, Lecture, Surat, Jan 3rd, 1971)

The offered food gives sustenance to the sinful soul, eventually absolving them of their sins. If a sinful person begets a son who is pious enough to recognize the need to offer pinda, then God can’t be too angry with the sinful person, for at least they have produced good offspring.

For these reasons, it is very important to beget sons who are very pious. It takes just one great person to redeem generations worth of sinful family members. There are two great examples in this regard. The great devotee of Krishna, Prahlada Maharaja, was born in a family of demons. His father Hiranyakashipu was an avowed atheist who denied the supremacy of God. However, Prahlada was a devotee from his very birth, and due to his devotion to Krishna, the Lord personally appeared before him. Hiranyakashipu had tried in various ways to kill his five year old son, but Prahalada survived all the attempts. Finally God had enough and personally appeared in the form of a half-man half-lion specially to kill Hiranyakashipu. Being killed directly by the Lord is the greatest of boons, for the Lord offers liberation to such people. In essence, Prahlada’s piety resulted in the salvation of his father.

A similar situation occurred with Bhagiratha, a descendant of the great King Sagara. Also a very pious person, Bhagiratha was able to bring the Ganges River, Mother Ganga, down from heaven to earth. Since the Ganges emanates from the lotus feet of Lord Krishna, it is considered sacred. When the river initially came to earth, it washed over the ashes of the sixty thousand sons of King Sagara. Therefore, not only were those sons granted liberation, but up to five previous generations in Bhagiratha’s line were emancipated from the repeated cycle of birth and death, simply through Bhagiratha’s pious deeds.

All this doesn’t mean that having a daughter is a bad thing. For women, their importance lies in the influence they can have on their husbands. A husband and wife share the same spiritual fate, so if a son offers pinda to the departed father, the departed mother will also be fed. In this way, a good son is beneficial to both parents. Also, while living, a woman can prove beneficial to her husband if she herself is very pious and dedicated to God.

Begetting a son serves as an insurance policy more than anything else. Regardless of whether our children are boys or girls, we should try to provide them the necessary tools for returning back home, back to Godhead. We should be committed to making sure that the birth of our children will be the last birth they have to take. If one is Krishna conscious in this life, then they are assured of returning back to Krishna’s spiritual planet after death, where having once gone, one never returns. The best way to ensure our path to eternal heaven is for us to change our way of life now, instead of relying on the future services of our offspring. God is so nice that He gives us what we want. If we sincerely desire to return to His home, then He will give us the means to do so.

Be Always Charitable

“Do you give away jewels to the brahmanas and edibles to the beggars longing for them, and make haste without delay. Confer upon the brahmanas valuable ornaments, excellent clothes, pleasant toys, beds, conveyances and other fine things in your possession and then what remains do you distribute amongst the servants.” (Lord Rama speaking to Sita Devi, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, Sec 30)

God is most kind to His devotees. They are the one group of people that He never forgets and whom He holds very dear. A great example of this was displayed by Lord Rama many thousands of years ago.

Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, personally descends to earth from time to time in order to give pleasure and protection to His devotees. Thousands of years ago, a great Rakshasa demon by the name of Ravana was ascending to power, killing everyone in his wake. Known for feasting off flesh, Ravana and his band of Rakshasas were harassing the great sages of the world and interrupting their regular worship of God. For this reason, Krishna appeared as Lord Rama, a pious prince and expert warrior destined to kill Ravana and restore the laws of dharma to the world.

As part of His pastimes, the Lord willingly accepted an order from His father to spend fourteen years in the forest as an exile. Maharaja Dashratha, the king of Ayodhya, was forced to give such an order to Rama, His eldest son, due to a promise he had made to his youngest wife Kaikeyi. Lord Rama had no problem with such a request since He was God Himself and possessed the quality of renunciation to the fullest extent. Lord Rama’s wife, Sita Devi, was able to convince Him to allow her to come along to the forest after a lengthy argument. Right before leaving, Rama instructed Sita to give away all of the couple’s valuable possessions to the brahmanas.

Such an incident is very striking due to its timing. The Lord and His wife were in the midst of the most trying time in their lives up to that point. Yet the first thing they thought of was how to please the priestly class of men in society, the brahmanas. For most of us, in times of distress, charity is the last thing that we think about. It’s quite natural for one to focus on one’s own problems and give way to excessive lamentation during such occasions. But Sita and Rama were no ordinary people. They were the same Radha and Krishna, Lakshmi and Narayana, but in the dress of human beings. They saw it as their duty to set a good example for generations to come.

Bona fide brahmanas, who are classified as such based on qualities and work, are held in such high esteem because they have abandoned everything and surrendered their life unto Krishna. It is important to note the distinction between qualified brahmanas and those who claim to be brahmanas by birth.

“According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.13)

One cannot belong to a caste simply by birthright, for the varnashrama dharma system is based on the qualities a person possesses and not who their mother or father is. True brahmanas are those who have realized the meaning of life, which is to surrender unto God and to love Him. This is the last instruction given by Lord Krishna Himself in the Bhagavad-gita:

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” (Bg 18.66)

The lesson here is that we should not be overly attached to our possessions. Material wealth and opulence is only temporary and should be treated as such. We have a tendency to hoard our possessions and constantly hanker after bigger and better things. Special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas bring out these feelings, especially in children. However, the Vedas teach us the right way to celebrate all occasions, good and bad. Sacrifice and charity are the means of purification in this world. One cannot make advancements in spiritual understanding without performing tapasya, the voluntary acceptance of austerities. To live an austere lifestyle, one has to detach themselves from worldly possessions or at the very least limit their possessions to things of necessity. We can take steps towards achieving this goal by acting charitably.

Charity is often associated with acts of benevolence towards those we view as less fortunate. Philanthropists open hospitals and schools in underprivileged neighborhoods, and they give away millions of dollars to the needy. While this is all very nice, the Vedas instruct us to only give charity to worthy individuals. All wealth originally belongs to God, emanating from Goddess Lakshmi, who is Sita Devi herself. She gives wealth and fortune to God through her service, and she kindly provides us some of that wealth in order that we may use it in the same manner, in service to God. The brahmanas are God’s dependents, so all charity should be directed towards them. When wealth is sacrificed in this way, it benefits both the giver and the receiver, whereas charity on the material platform often benefits no one. Lord Rama and Sita Devi are the kindest of all. May we repay that kindness by sacrificing our time, energy, and money in service to them and their devotees.

Vyasa Puja 2009

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased to guide a devotee from within and without. From within He guides him as the Supersoul, and from without He guides him as the spiritual master.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 8.79 Purport)

Vyasa Puja is the celebration of the appearance day of the spiritual master. Vyasadeva, also known as Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, is the literary incarnation of Lord Krishna. He is the author of almost every significant Vedic text, which includes the four Vedas, the Puranas, the Upanishads, and the Vedanta-sutra. One will be hard-pressed to find anyone who has authored more literature in their lifetime than Vyasadeva has. The bona fide guru, or spiritual master, is one who represents Vyasadeva and his teachings.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), which is more commonly known as the Hare Krishna Movement. A bona fide spiritual master in the line descending from Vyasadeva, and notably Lord Chaitanya, he spread Krishna prema, love for God, throughout the world in a very short period of time starting in the late 1960s.

There has been a long held belief amongst many in India that the Vedas and their teachings are the sole property of Hindus, or more specifically, those born into the varnashrama dharma system. The Vedas prescribe society to be divided into four varnas, or classes, and one’s duration of life to be divided into four ashramas, or modes of life. The four varnas are brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya, and shudra. According to the strict Vedic definition, everyone is born a shudra, meaning one who is untrained in any religious principles. This naturally makes sense since we are all born ignorant. One may be the son of a brahmana, kshatriya, or vaishya, but that doesn’t automatically mean they belong to the same caste or varna as their father. Rather, one has to be trained by a guru and given the sacred thread, which signifies the second and more important birth. However, over time the system in India degraded to a point where people started claiming to belong to a certain caste simply by birth. Investiture of the sacred thread was done more as a formality, for no one was taking any training from a guru. This practice is still going on, with many claiming to be brahmanas (priestly class) simply by birthright, though they engage in all sorts of sinful activity such as meat eating, gambling, and intoxication.

Those claiming brahminical status simply from birthright do so because they have some lineage to a famous rishi of the past, such as Kashyapa, Vashishta, Katyanana, Upamanyu, etc. These were all great brahmanas of the past, and one will find stories about them in the Purnanas, Ramayana, and other Vedic texts. While it is certainly very nice to have a family lineage that goes back that far, simply being born in a high family isn’t enough. One has to exhibit the qualities and work, guna and karma, to be classified as part of a certain caste.

“According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.13)

Lord Krishna declares that one’s caste should be determined by qualities (guna) that are inherent in them and by the work (karma) that they perform. In this manner, varnashrama dharma is actually open to anyone, provided they are trained by a bona fide spiritual master. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Krishna Himself, was the first person to really spread Krishna prema to those born outside of the Hindu religion. This is the character of a true saint, for he believes that Krishna’s mercy should be made available to anyone and everyone, regardless of what family they were born into. By teaching others about Krishna, and urging them to become His devotees, one performs the highest service to his fellow man.

In 1965, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada brought Lord Chaitanya’s movement to America. His own spiritual master, Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupada, urged Shrila Prabhupada to translate the great Vedic texts into English and spread the message to the Western world. Shrila Prabhupada took this directive very seriously and his sincere efforts spawned a worldwide movement which continues to this very day. Krishna is now a household name known throughout the world.

Those born into Hindu families are very fortunate in that they know about Krishna from their very childhood. Almost every Hindu family has some sort of altar in their home, whereby they regularly perform arati at least twice a day. Though they might not offer everything they eat to the Lord, they make sure to offer Him some type of sweet at least twice a day, distributing the prasadam to their friends and family. Being a part of such family traditions, one naturally grows up to have a deep love and respect for Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, Sita, Ganesha, and especially Hanuman. The stories of the Ramayana and Mahabharata are known to almost all Hindus, for in India there are many books and movies about them.

But what about those who aren’t born into such a family? Where does that leave them? Thanks to Shrila Prabhupada, millions of people around the world became acquainted with Vedic culture. He turned thousands of whites, blacks, men, women, Americans, Europeans, and others, whether they were Indian or not, into perfect brahmanas by requiring them to strictly adhere to the four regulative principles (no meat eating, gambling, intoxication, and illicit sex) and to regularly chant the maha-mantra: “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.” Considering how engrained meat eating and intoxication are in the Western culture, such a feat was nothing short of a miracle.

Though no longer physically present in this world, Prabhupada continues to teach to this day through His many books and recorded lectures. On this occasion of Vyasa Puja, let us humbly offer our obeissances to a true jagad-guru.  Shrila Prabhupada ki jai!.

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Uddhava Gita

 

Title: Uddhava Gita

ISBN: 0-912776-60-9

Author: Krishna-dwaipayana Vyasa, commentaries and purports by Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura

and Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, translated by Bhumipati Dasa

Versions: Print, E-Book

Synopsis: Similar to the Bhagavad-gita, this book focuses on the instructions given by Lord Krishna to His friend Uddhava, just prior to the Lord’s returning to the spiritual world. Part of the Shrimad Bhagavatam, the teachings in this book are very similar to those found in the Bhagavad-gita, yet at the same time it delves into other topics not found in any other Vedic literature. Spoken directly by God, this book is a great read.

Care Package – 2009-03-31

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Prasadam

 Prasadam is food that has first been offered to God. Meaning “the Lord’s mercy”, prasadam is prepared specifically for God and offered to His deity, and is thus considered sacred.

The tongue is very difficult to satisfy since it is always craving different kinds of foods. Due to this desire, we end up eating things that we shouldn’t. In acquiring such food, we go to great lengths such as killing innocent animals. We become bound up in the material world through our eating and thus have to suffer the results through the laws of karma.

Prasadam is considered “karma-free” food since it is sanctified by God. Prasadam is prepared and offered to satisfy God and not to satisfy our senses. We purify ourselves by remembering that God supplies us everything and that we should aim to please Him instead of ourselves. In preparing and eating prasadam, we thank God for everything He has done for us and we pray that we will always remember Him.

In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna:

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.”

When we prepare and offer food specifically for God, He eats the food but through His mercy he leaves the remnants for us.

Due to its auspicious nature, prasadam should be distributed to as many people as possible. This sanctified food ignites a spiritual spark in the soul which will eventually reawakens one’s dormant love for God. Vedic literature references many historical incidents where people have had the good fortune of partaking of prasadam, sometimes even by accident, and have had their lives made perfect as a result. It is believed that anyone who regularly partakes of it, will at the very least return as a human being in their next life.

 

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