Daily Reminder

“The fallen souls are very eager to receive novel information every day, and the transcendentalists like Vyasadeva or Narada can supply such eager people in general with unlimited news from the spiritual world. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that the material world is only a part of the whole creation and that this earth is only a fragment of the whole material world.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.5.13 Purport)

Shri Krishna is so attractive that stories describing His activities that one would otherwise consider ordinary are worth hearing about. With the average person, learning of how they go about their day, what they do in the morning, who they talk to and where they travel to is not that important or interesting. Take the same activities but change the object in question and you can get a hit reality television series with millions of viewers each week. The same holds true with famous films and novels. With Krishna, the stories don’t have to be created, as His potency is unlimited. All that is needed is proper storytellers, roles for which Narada Muni and Vyasadeva are perfectly qualified.

Vyasadeva is considered Krishna’s literary incarnation and Narada Muni is his spiritual master. Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the defined version of the “God” that most of us look to in times of trouble. That supreme person is all-pervading, for He can hear all of our prayers, and yet He has an original form as well. Since He draws the attention of every single living entity, it should not be surprising that God would be immeasurably attractive. His facial features are exquisite, His smile beams happiness to the onlookers, and the sound of His precious flute enchants the heart.

In a land where Krishna’s presence is only felt in an impersonal manner, the practice of regulative principles is required in order to take advantage of that presence. Just knowing that there is a personal form of God that should be connected to is rare enough, but then actually carrying through on the practices aimed at forging that connection is another story altogether. To aid the conditioned living beings in their quest for transcendental enlightenment, Krishna sends forth various representatives. Vyasadeva and Narada are two of the most famous helpers for mankind in general.

Vyasadeva is a literary incarnation, responsible for putting into written word so much of Vedic wisdom that was previously known to the keepers of the faith. The science of self-realization, the real definition of dharma, or religious practice, was initially passed down to Lord Brahma, the first created living entity. Implanted into Brahma’s heart, the Veda was the guiding principle for all creatures, yet only the intelligent species could understand it. All forms of life in this world have sprung from Brahma. Even if one doesn’t want to believe in their relation to the heavenly creator, it is an accepted fact that we initially came from somewhere. Because of the influence of time, the knowledge of past generations may not be known with certainty, but we do know that we have ancestors, for life comes from life.

In ancient times the Veda was passed on through aural reception. One person heard the information and then passed it on to their sincere disciples, those interested in hearing the Veda and incorporating its teachings into their lives. Vyasadeva saw the need for recording Vedic wisdom in books and poems. He took past, present and future events relating to God and compiled Puranas, or ancient works consisting of historical events presented in story format. He also authored the Mahabharata, considered the fifth Veda. Vyasadeva had divided the original Veda into four sections, which were subsequently known as the Vedas. Any literature which reached the same conclusion as the Vedas and didn’t deviate from their teachings thus also became known as Vedic literature.

Narada Muni was Vyasadeva’s spiritual master who specifically instructed him to compile a Purana relating only to the Supreme Lord Krishna and devotion to Him. Within the other Puranas, bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, was only hinted at, with many texts proclaiming that fruitive activity, meditation, or impersonal study of Vedanta was the way to go. Vyasadeva had already written so much literature, but he still wasn’t satisfied. Narada Muni, seeing into the mind of his disciple, understood that the cause of his mental despair was the fact that Shri Hari’s pastimes were not glorified fully, nor were they explained in the proper light.

Hari is another name for Krishna which means one who removes the impediments of His devotees. The greatest stumbling block towards acquiring transcendental knowledge is the attachment to material nature that one forms right at the time of birth. It’s strange to think, but the sadness we feel from separation is actually not warranted. That’s because the attachment was formed at some point in time, which means that we were just fine before the attachment came to be. For instance, if we lament over the loss of fortune, we know that previously, at the time of birth, there was nothing acquired through hard work. The later fortune had to be earned through either risk in a business venture or in rarer cases inheritance from previous generations of family members. The same principle of attachment applies to the lamentation that comes from the severing of relationships. In a romantic relationship turned sour, there was a time when we didn’t know the person we were later sad about.

Therefore every lamentation in life is a product of illusion, a temporary attachment that didn’t relate to our true identity. The spirit soul is transcendental to all manifestations of matter. It remains the source of identity at any period in life, even in the future. In the past, we existed somewhere, but right now we don’t specifically know where or under what circumstances. In the future we will continue to exist as well, as the soul cannot be killed.

“For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.20)

Elation comes from finding something supremely attractive. If the subject matter is glorious enough, something as simple as hearing can provide the happiness the soul deserves. Vyasadeva, under the direction of Narada, took to compiling the Bhagavata Purana, which is also known as the Shrimad Bhagavatam. This work focuses entirely on devotional service, which is explained through historical accounts relating to Krishna and His many non-different forms, which are also known as incarnations. Bhakti, or divine love, is meant for Vishnu, or Krishna. The personal forms of the original Personality of Godhead are constitutionally set to accept pure love, prema which does not have any motive except the desired association of the most attractive entity in the world.

Since Krishna is God and so attractive, the stories relating to His pastimes prove to be wonderfully enthralling to the heart. Since Vyasadeva knew that not everyone would accept Krishna as the Supreme Lord right away, and that with that lack of understanding some might not appreciate His pastimes in the same way that one who is liberated from material association would, he sequenced His Bhagavatam in such a way that Krishna’s position as God is explained in the first nine sections, with the holy grail, the sweet fruit of the work, placed into the tenth canto. In this latter section are found Krishna’s childhood pastimes, which captivate the mind, thrill the heart, and are so attractive that they can be heard over and over again without exhaustion.

Though cult films are repeatedly watched by their fans, eventually there comes a time when a new film is anticipated or some other interest takes over the fanatic. With Krishna, His pastimes are so enchanting that hearing about them again and again only increases one’s knowledge of the Lord. With further awareness of Krishna’s position comes even more appreciation of His activities and distribution of causeless mercy to the surrendered souls. With each successive dip into the holy lake made up of Krishna-lila, the refreshed individual gains an enhanced appreciation for Krishna’s associates and how they practice devotion. A sort of top down approach, from appreciating Krishna love for other living entities naturally springs forth.

“When love of Godhead is attained, love for all other beings automatically follows because the Lord is the sum total of all living beings.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, Introduction)

Even dry philosophy becomes attractive when Krishna is attached to it. The Bhagavad-gita, which is a small section of Vyasadeva’s Mahabharata, contains the direct teachings of Krishna. It is not filled with pastimes so much. It has deep wisdom, cutting logic, and truths of life not found in any other text. No other spiritual tradition identifies the individual as spirit soul right in the beginning, when there is the seed of doubt as to what action should be followed. From that identification, the living entity can further understand his position and what needs to be done to find lasting happiness, the kind which corresponds with the primary properties of the soul, namely its eternality, bliss and knowledge.

Through Narada’s persuasion, Vyasadeva gave mankind the jewel of Vedic literature, the Bhagavatam which is still relished to this day. Krishna can be thought about and described day after day, with the mind finding new lessons to take away and attachment to the one person who never leaves any of us increasing. With ordinary stories, the right characters and sequence of events need to be crafted by the author in order to catch the interest of the listener. With Krishna, the attractiveness permeates every one of His behaviors, so just hearing about the Lord’s interactions with mother Yashoda, His stealing of butter from the neighbors, His dancing with the cowherd girls of Vrindavana, His lifting of Govardhana Hill, His delivering of the Bhagavad-gita, and His promise to protect the surrendered souls can attract anyone who is properly situated in consciousness, one who is just dying to provide real nectar for the ears.

In Closing:

In hearing of stories there is already interest,

To give the ears the much desired happiness.

With ordinary stories one finally gets bored,

Not much wisdom or lessons in them stored.

Not the case with Krishna who is most attractive,

Hearing His pastimes mind finds right perspective.

Narada Muni and Vyasadeva greatest storytellers,

Preaching bhakti-yoga, of most valuable jewel sellers.

For hearing their words there is not any cost,

Such pleasurable sound that you’ll never exhaust.

Back to Basics

“One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.55)

The Bhagavad-gita is one of the most famous religious books in the world. Great scholars, religionists, and devotees have studied the Gita in great detail for thousands of years. Though only a very small chapter of a much larger book, the Mahabharata, it captures the essence of Vedic philosophy.

The eternity of the soul, what happens to us when we die, what causes are happiness and distress; all these topics are covered in the Gita, which contains great quotes such as:

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Lord Krishna, Bg 2.22)

“This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.” (Lord Krishna, Bg 2.24)

To most people, such knowledge is a revelation. In American schools, religion isn’t taught. The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution declares that the Congress cannot declare an official religion for all the people of the country. This has since been misinterpreted to mean that there is a “separation of church and state” which outlaws all mention of God in the public arena. Lawyers today are on a mission to eradicate religion as much as possible from the public realm, though that wasn’t the actual intention of the framers of the Constitution. Though their logic was flawed in many areas, the founding fathers were very religious people. One need only read George Washington’s first Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1789 to see just how much God was on the minds of the people.

We don’t hear about religion in the news unless it’s a story about some priest or religious leader involved in a scandal. Due to this lack of spiritual education, most people spend their entire lives unaware of the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita.

Since it is spoken by Lord Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Bhagavad-gita garners the highest respect from the devotees of Krishna. Though it contains information of the highest import, such information is actually only the beginning of spiritual understanding. The Gita’s most important message is that if we think of Krishna at the time of our death, then our soul will not return to this material world and it will stay with Krishna in the spiritual world forever.

“And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt. Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail… That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.” (Lord Krishna, Bg, 8.5-6, 15.6)

Such information is important to know, but how do we actually achieve this goal? The Gita presents theoretical knowledge, which forms the starting point of our spiritual understanding. Theoretical knowledge is referred to as jnana in Sankskrit. It forms the foundation, but to actually understand what we have learned, we need practical knowledge, known as vijnana. For example, one may read about how to fly an airplane, taking various tests and so forth, but one doesn’t truly understand what piloting involves until they actually get into the cockpit and practice flying the plane themselves. It is only then they get a real understanding of what it means to be a pilot. This same principle holds true in others areas of life. We never truly understand the difficulties our parents faced in raising us until we actually become parents ourselves.

To understand God and to know Him, we have to take to the process of devotional service. Technically known as bhakti yoga, devotional service is the process where we dovetail all our activities with Krishna, or God. If we train ourselves to always think of God during the day, learning to love Him, then surely we will think of Him at the time of death.

Hearing is one of the most important processes of devotional service. If we hear stories about Lord Krishna, then we can gradually understand who He is. We should all naturally love God simply for who He is, but the Lord is still kind enough to come to this material world from time to time and enact pastimes simply for our benefit. By reading stories about Him, we gradually develop an attachment. One can read about Lord Krishna’s pastimes over and over again and never get bored.

We can find these stories in the Puranas, written by Vyasadeva. One would be hard-pressed to find any historical personality who authored more literature than Vyasadeva. He didn’t write simply for entertainment’s sake either, for his works are all of the highest quality since they expound the meaning of the Vedas. There are eighteen major Purnanas, and each one is quite lengthy. The Bhagavata Purana, or Shrimad-Bhagavatam, is considered the highest Purana since it covers Lord Krishna’s birth and childhood pastimes in great detail.

“The Bhagavad-gita is the preliminary study of Shrimad Bhagavatam. Just like before learning any literature, one has to read the first book, ABCD. The Bhagavad-gita is the ABCD. It is just beginning of understanding of what is God. ABC. When one has passed the entrance examination, then he gets the opportunity of studying Shrimad Bhagavatam.” (Shrila Prabhupada, 730227rc.jkt)

After reading Bhagavad-gita, we should all make an effort to read the Bhagavatam and take the next step in rekindling our love for Krishna. Due to our imperfect senses, we can never truly understand God, but by reading stories about Him, as told by His great devotees, we will gradually understand Him better. By knowing and loving God, we automatically book our return flight home, back to Godhead.

The Inconceivable

“Just like Krishna is lifting the hill, then what is the difficulty for God to lift a hill if He is all-powerful? But as soon as they read it, that Krishna is lifting hill, they will take it as mythology. So when God shows that "I am God," that is mythology, and they imagine God. That is rascaldom. When God comes and shows His godly power, they take it as myth, mythology. And they imagine God according to your definition. Is that sanity?” (Shrila Prabhupada)

Comment: The scriptures shouldn’t be interpreted literally but should be looked at more for their inner meaning and symbolism.

Response: The Vedas, Mahabharata, and Puranas are all retellings of historical events that took place on this planet and others. Not only past events are covered, but even events that have yet to occur are discussed in detail in these wonderful books, such as the Bhavishya and Kalki Puranas. Since these books contain direct quotations from conversations between great personalities, demigods, and even God Himself, they must be taken literally. We shouldn’t try to imagine the true meaning behind someone’s quote, or even think that these events didn’t take place.

Conversations are conversations. When we talk with our friends in person, on the phone, or through email, they are exchanges of ideas and comments. Very simply put, what we say is what we say. We may go back and not like some of the things we have said, but it doesn’t mean that we didn’t say them. In the same way, the Vedic literatures have conversations between God and His associates, and also conversations between spiritual masters and their disciples. These conversations were specifically chronicled in written form for the benefit of current and future generations of man. The science of self-realization described in the original Vedas and the Vedanta-sutras can appear to be very complicated to many, for it has various aphorisms and postulates that neophytes will have trouble understanding. For this reason, the Puranas, Ramayana, and other great works contain those same teachings but told in the form of stories and conversations.

There are many instances described in the Vedic texts that may seem extraordinary to us. Lord Rama killing 14,000 Rakshasa demons all by Himself, Lord Krishna as a small child lifting a hill with just one finger, Gandhari giving birth to 100 sons…all these seem extraordinary to the common man, for we can’t fathom someone doing these things. God is great. This is the belief of people of all faiths. Yet the Vedas go one step further by trying to describe just how great He is. Of course, God’s greatness is inconceivable. His is described as paramam or Supreme because He possesses six opulences in full and simultaneously. We don’t know any single person who is the wealthiest, most beautiful, most famous, the strongest, the most knowledgeable, and the greatest renunciate at the same time. Yet Krishna possesses all of these attributes, and for this reason He is God. Just because we don’t know anyone capable of performing these great feats, we shouldn’t think that these incidents are merely fabrications of someone’s mind. These sages who composed the Vedic literature were all perfect souls. Having surrendered everything for the service of Krishna, they were given the divine vision to see all these things happen and then be able to write about them. The great Maharishi Valmiki described the events of the Ramayana before they even occurred.

If we think that these incidents are just mythology, then we lose our ability to understand God. In actuality, we can never truly understand God for His is beyond our comprehension. However, through faithfully studying the scriptures under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, we can start to understand Him to some extent. The Lord and His spiritual master must be approached in a humble manner. We all at some point in our life have prayed to God for something. “Please God give me this, give me that, make sure my family is healthy, etc.” The understanding that God is great is something inside of us, part of our core. If we challenge Him, or start thinking that His scriptures are mere mythology, then we are cheating God. We may cheat our friends, coworkers, or enemies and be able to get away with it, but cheating God never pays. He knows and sees all, so if we cheat Him, we are only cheating ourselves. The Bhagavad-gita is probably the most famous Vedic literature, detailing the conversation that took place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra between Lord Krishna and Arjuna some five thousand years ago. There are many high scholars and philosophers who have commented on the Bhagavad-gita, all with the purpose of advancing their own opinions. Many of them have postulated that the events of the Gita actually never happened and that we should study it simply for its symbolism. The ultimate conclusion of the Gita is that people should surrender unto Krishna or God and become His devotee. The flowery language that precedes that is all meaningless unless one comes to the proper conclusion as stated by the Lord Himself. Those who extract any other meaning from the Gita are only cheating God. He has given us such a nice book for us to learn from, so we shouldn’t dishonor Him by making false conclusions.

The Vedic literature should be heard from devotees, otherwise we become prone to believing some of these false theories put forward by mental speculators and pseudo-yogis. Shukadevi Goswami, Vyasadeva, Narada Muni, etc. are all great devotees who presented these works in a mood of devotion. The various quotes and teachings found in the Vedas should also be understood in the proper context. One can pull out quotes to buttress their positions, but these statements should be understood with the full context presented at the same time. For example, there are many conversations in the Vedas where women are criticized for having various shortcomings. However, these faults don’t exist in people who are great devotees, be they men or women. The material world is full of dualities, so any mundane argument will naturally have a counterargument. There may be different teachings presented due to time and circumstance and the ability of the people at the time to grasp Vedic wisdom, but the end goal is always the same. The purpose of the Vedas is to present everything in relation to Krishna, who is the Supreme Absolute Truth. Since He is completely spiritual, mundane dualities don’t exist when discussing topics relating to Him.

It is natural that occasionally certain statements in the Vedas will rub us the wrong away. However, just because we might not agree with them at the time, doesn’t mean that the Vedas are at fault. When we were younger, our parents prohibited us from taking part in many activities. These rules and regulations angered us very much and we thought our parents were in the wrong for imposing such restrictions. However, as we got older, we not only realized that our parents were correct, but we started imposing the same rules on our children. In the same way, the Vedas represent perfect knowledge. The rules and regulations prescribed are those coming down from God Himself, so they cannot be faulty. We may disagree with them, but that is our problem, not God’s. If Krishna or one of His associates say something, we must accept it as fact.

The great founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, summarized all of the Vedic teachings in his numerous books and recorded lectures. One simply needs to consult his teachings in order to gain a firm grasp on the Vedic tenets. Since he was a pure devotee, his explanations and commentaries are perfect. We may not agree with everything in the beginning, but if we continue reading and stay connected with Prabhupada, then we will become perfect devotees.

News We Can Use

“…In our childhood, we saw every village, every town, the transcendental knowledge. Any common man could speak about Ramayana, Mahabharata, Lord Krishna. And system was—still there are, but practically closed now—that in the evening, in the village, everyone should assemble in a place to hear messages from Mahabharata, Ramayana…” (Shrila Prabhupada, Lecture, 720531SB.LA)

“The latest on Michael Jackson…What were the celebs wearing for the big red carpet premiere…Are Brad and Angelina still together?” These stories are all part of the news cycle these days. We are all well acquainted with what is shown to us on the nightly television newscasts and twenty-four hour cable networks. It seems that the stories repeat themselves over and over again. The news media becomes obsessed with celebrity figures and their private lives, and we in turn are kept in the loop. We like to watch the news since it makes us feel like we’re keeping up with the times.

The latest news is what’s talked about at the water cooler at work. “Did you hear about so and so? Oh boy, I can’t believe so and so said that?” These are the typical conversations that take place related to the latest happenings. In the long run, the day to day goings on of celebrities is pretty much useless information. They don’t impact our lives in any significant way. If we rewind to one, five, or even ten years ago, we’ll see that the news stories were very similar. Some celebrity was getting divorced, another couple started dating, or an athlete was arrested for some nefarious activity. What was labeled as “breaking news” in the past, turned out not to be very important to us. We easily could have survived without hearing about it.

During the ancient Vedic times in India, the source of news and entertainment was the recitation of the Puranas. Purana is a Sanskrit word that means “of ancient times”, and the Puranas are so named because they are ancient stories relating to God and His associates. The stories deal with the biological ancestry of man, great wars, backbiting, heroism, good, evil, birth, death, etc. Since the stories detail extraordinary events and feats of strength not seen in today’s world, many mistakenly believe the Puranas to be mythology, but they are actual historical incidents that took place on this planet and other planets in the universe during this creation and previous ones as well. The Puranas even deal with events that have yet to take place.

Vyasadeva is considered the author of the Puranas in their written form, but prior to that, they were passed down through an oral tradition. Instead of watching television or reading newspapers, the nighttime entertainment consisted of listening to brahmanas, or priests, give recitations of stories relating to Lord Krishna and His various incarnations. People used to gather round and listen very attentively, similar to way people today enjoy hearing campfire stories. These stories were heard so often, that most in society were well versed in their details.

When reading these Puranas today, one will find that references are made to previous incidents, such as wars between the demigods and the demons. Comparisons are often made to great heroes and warriors of the past. “I will defeat you just as the wielder of the thunderbolt defeated Vritrasura.” This statement is a reference to the incident where Lord Indra, the chief of the demigods, took on and defeated the demon Vritrasura. This battle is documented in detail in the Bhagavata Purana, but references to it are found in many other books, such as the Valmiki Ramayana. Another comparison that is often made is to that of the fire that takes place when the world ends. The Vedas tell us that this world is constantly going through cycles of creation and destruction. Destruction results from a great fire, caused by Lord Shiva, that envelops the entire earth. When reading the Puranas one will find many references to this with statements such as “When he released his weapon, the impact was so strong that it appeared as if the fire of dissolution had come upon them.” These references aren’t usually explained in detail because it is inferred that the reader knows all the details. That shows just how well versed the citizens were in the tenets of the Vedas. The citizens were so well educated on matters of religion, that those reciting the stories didn’t want to waste time rehashing things that the audience already knew.

Unlike the news, the Puranas contain real information that has everlasting relevance. The Vishnu, Brahmavaivarta, and Bhagavata Puranas, along with the Mahabharata and Ramayana, contain details of the life and pastimes of Lord Krishna and His primary incarnations. There is no higher, more important literature in the world than that which describes God and devotion to Him. These books describe the constitutional position of the soul, why it is put into the material world, and how it can get out and return to the spiritual world.

Of all the Puranas, the Bhagavata Purana, or Shrimad Bhagavatam, is considered the highest. Just as the material world is governed by three qualities or modes, so the eighteen major Puranas are divided by these same qualities. There are six Puranas for each the three gunas: goodness, passion, and ignorance. The Shrimad Bhagavatam is one of the sattvic Puranas, being in the mode of goodness. Other Puranas delve into many material subjects, such as sacrifices and penances prescribed for material advancement. For this reason, the Mahabharata is generally considered suitable for women and shudras, or those who are less intelligent. The Shrimad Bhagavatam doesn’t spend much time discussing the four rewards of material life: dharma (religiosity), artha (economic development), kama (sense gratification), and moksha (liberation). Bhakti yoga, or devotional service to Krishna is completely spiritual and above any material activity and is the main focus of the Bhagavatam.

The Bhagavatam deals primarily with Lord Krishna and devotion to Him. It describes in detail the Lord’s birth in Mathura and childhood pastimes in Vrindavana. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has translated this voluminous work into English and provided commentary as well. We should take advantage of this wonderful opportunity by reading this book and acquainting ourselves with true Vedic wisdom. We watch the news to increase our knowledge, but one who becomes familiar with the teachings of the Puranas actually becomes the most learned scholar of all.

Mega Memory

“Formerly, before Vyasadeva, say, five thousand years ago, before that time there was no need of written literature. People were so sharp in their memory that whatever they would hear from the spiritual master they would remember for life. The memory was so sharp. But in this age—it is called Kali Yuga—we are reducing our bodily strength, our memory…” (Shrila Prabhupada, Lecture, 790902.VP.NV)

According to the shastras, or Vedic scriptures, the earth doesn’t come into being just once, but rather is created and destroyed in repeating cycles. Each creation exists for a fixed time period, which is divided into four ages known as Yugas. The four Yugas are Satya, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali.

Satya Yuga is the first time period beginning at creation. Satya means “truth” so the people living in this age are known for being strictly dedicated to dharma. Dharma means occupational duty or religion, and people abide by it at almost a one hundred percent level in the Satya Yuga. Which each successive Yuga, dharma diminishes in strength by one quarter, thus causing a rise in irreligion. We are currently living in the last Yuga, known as Kali. Kali Yuga is famous for the widespread presence of adharma, or activity which is against the scriptural injunctions. Dharma exists only at one fourth its original strength in the Kali Yuga.

In the classic Vedic system, society is to be managed according to varnashrama dharma. There are four varnas, or societal divisions based on a people’s qualities. The brahmanas are the religious class of people, who are viewed as the highest class members of society. Kshatriyas serve as the warriors and administrators, providing protection to the other three classes of society. Vaishyas are the merchants and businessmen who are entrusted with cow protection, farming, and general economic development. The shudras are the last group, and since they receive no formal training from a spiritual master, their duty is to serve the other three varnas. Shudras are traditionally those of the laborer class. Just as there are four varnas, there are also four ashramas, or stages in one’s life. The first ashrama is known as brahmacharya and it is the time period when one is living a life of complete celibacy and taking instruction from a spiritual master. After completing one’s training under a guru, one then enters the grihastha ashrama, which is married householder life. Then after twenty five years, one retires from family life and enters the vanaprastha ashrama. Finally, the last stage of life is known as sannyasa, where one completely renounces all family attachments and material possessions and lives completely at the mercy of God.

In the Kali Yuga, this system is virtually nonexistent. Shudras are praised and held in high regard, while brahmanas are vilified. The most sinful among us serve as our exalted leaders, preaching irreligion as a way of life. We see evidence of this everywhere today, especially with the widespread practices of animal slaughter and abortion. One of the most harmful side effects of Kali Yuga is the overall loss of intelligence and brain power in people. Though we may think that the overall life expectancy is rising, in actuality in previous Yugas the average duration of life was much greater than it is today. This is all a result of overindulgence in sense gratification. When one is constantly hankering after satisfying the needs of the stomach and the genitals, intelligence will be clouded. One is left no time to contemplate the real problems of life, which are birth, old age, disease, and death. When people’s lives revolve around eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, then naturally their intelligence will suffer.

One need only look to the advent of the teleprompter to see a glaring example of how the brainpower of man has rapidly declined. Used by everyone from politicians to television reporters, the teleprompter is a device that provides an electronic visual of the text of a speech given by a speaker. With a teleprompter, one isn’t required to commit a speech to memory. One need only focus their attention on the device while making a speech, for the prompter will scroll through the text at the speaker’s pace, guaranteeing that the speaker will never forget what to say next. Teleprompters are positioned in such a way that the audience usually can’t tell that the speaker is using it. For speeches that are delivered to television audiences, the prompter is usually aligned with the television camera, so the speaker can read the text of the speech while pretending to look directly at the audience watching on their televisions at home.

There is nothing necessarily wrong with teleprompters, since they allow for the smooth delivery of speeches. However, what has happened is that speakers have become lazy as a result of using them. One doesn’t even have to be familiar with the subjects they are talking about since they can just read whatever is put in front of them. As recently as twenty years ago, speakers at least had to memorize the speeches they gave, thus allowing the subject matter to be retained in their minds where it could be processed and pondered over. Today, many speakers, including the President of the United States, have committed embarrassing blunders such as reading the wrong speech or talking out of order due to malfunctions with the teleprompters. There are many world leaders who are great at delivering speeches, but when asked questions on policy in interviews, they stutter and stammer due to lack of knowledge on the subjects they are being questioned on.

In previous Yugas, people’s brains were so sharp that they could memorize millions of Sanskrit verses after only hearing them once. The great Maharishi Valmiki committed the entire Ramayana to memory and would recite it perfectly to others. He even taught it to Lord Rama’s two sons, Lava and Kusha, who would regularly recite it in front of gathered assemblies in their father’s kingdom. Vyasadeva, Lord Krishna’s literary incarnation, authored eighteen Puranas, the Vedanta-sutras, and the Mahabharata all from memory. The Mahabharata itself is probably the longest book ever written so it is amazing to think that one man could commit that entire work to memory. But it wasn’t only Vyasadeva, for he had many disciples who also became expert orators. The Shrimad Bhagavatam, also known as the Bhagavata Purana, was recited by Shukadeva Goswami, Vyasadeva’s son. These people were all exalted brahmanas, who had dedicated their lives to serving Krishna, or God. Their intelligence was top notch as a result. These sages didn’t limit themselves to just memorization, for they had a deep understanding of the topics and stories they would recite.

There is no denying that Kali Yuga is in full force, with its effects seen everywhere. Obviously it is not possible for people to commit such great works to memory anymore. Luckily for us, all hope is not lost. In this age, all the wisdom of the Vedas has been summarized into one short phrase, the maha-mantra:

“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”

Krishna and Rama are names of God, and Hare is His energy. There is no knowledge or truth higher than God. Committing this mantra to memory and regularly reciting it in the presence of others will make us the greatest of orators.

Shrimad Bhagavatam

 

Title: Shrimad Bhagavatam

ISBN: 0-912776-27-7

Author: Krishna-dwaipayana Vyasa, translation and purports by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Versions: Print, Kindle, PDF

Synopsis: Known as the Bhagavata Purana, this work is the crown jewel of Vyasadeva’s writings. While other Puranas touch on various material subjects, the Bhagavatam deals exclusively with devotion to Krishna, the highest duty for mankind. Presented in the form of a conversation between Shukadeva Goswami and Maharaja Parikshit, this book is essentially the encyclopedia of Vedic knowledge, something which can be read over and over again.

The Mahabharata

Title: The Mahabharata

ISBN: 8121505933

Author: Krishna-dwaipayana Vyasa, translated into English prose by Kisari Mohan Ganguli

Versions: Print, Kindle

Synopsis: This is probably one of the longest books ever written, making it worthy of being called an epic. Literally meaning “Great India”, this work is very famous and revolves around the historical events that took place in India some five thousand years ago involving the plight of five brothers, known as the Pandavas, to regain their kingdom. This book has everything: riveting stories, details on the origin of man, the proper rules of conduct for all classes of society, and descriptions of the spiritual world. The most appealing part of this book is the inclusion of even more pastimes of Lord Krishna. As with most Vedic literature, the Mahabharata was originally recited orally by learned sages. Because of that, it was assumed that the audiences already knew about Lord Krishna, thus the details of His early life aren’t included. However, the Mahabharata contains many conversations and dialogues between Krishna and others that aren’t found in any other book. The translator doesn’t appear to be a devotee, but rather a high scholar. Regardless, the translation appears to be done very well and the content alone makes this book worth reading.

Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa

Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, also referred to as Vyasadeva or Vyasa, is the literary incarnation of Lord Krishna and is known as the father of all Vedic literature. Originally, the Veda, meaning “truth” or “knowledge”, was one doctrine that was passed down through oral tradition in India. Vyasadeva put the Veda into written scripture and divided it into four parts, collectively known as the Vedas. For this reason, he is also referred to as Veda Vyasa.

Vyasadeva appeared as the son of the sage Parashara and his wife Satyavati. His mission was to make the Vedas more understandable to the society at large. Aside from the original Vedas, he wrote almost all the other major Vedic texts including the Puranasa, Vedanta-sutra, and the Upanishads. Aside from the original doctrine, the term “Vedas” also refers to any literature authored by Vyasadeva or any other literature based on his works.  His most famous work is the Mahabharata, also known as the fifth Veda. The Mahabharata means “great India” and contains the history of India revolving primarily around the Bharata War which took place some five thousand years ago. The Bharata War involved two families, the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Vyasadeva was the grandfather of Arjuna, the Pandava’s most prominent warrior. The Mahabharata contains many conversations and stories by various sages and touches on many subjects of Vedic wisdom, but the hidden jewel of the work is its inclusion of the discussion between Lord Krishna and Arjuna that took place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. This conversation is known as the Bhagavad-gita and contains the essence of all Vedic knowledge.

After having written voluminous works on Vedic teachings, Vyasadeva was still not satisfied. At the insistence of his spiritual master Narada Muni, he then wrote the Bhagavata Purana, also known as the Shrimad Bhagavatam. Unlike his previous works, the Bhagavatam doesn’t touch on material subjects but instead deals primarily with Lord Krishna and His activities. The Bhagavatam clearly states that Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that devotion to Him is the highest form of religion.

Vyasadeva was the perfect spiritual master. He committed all his works to memory and he taught his disciples to recite them in public. When reading the Puranas in their current form, one will find that they are usually just transcripts of recitations given to an audience by one of his disciples. At the end of the recitation, the poet will usually inform the audience that they originally heard the story from Vyasa. In this way, all the important Vedic texts are attributed to him. He is the original spiritual master, and devotees worship him on the appearance day anniversary of their spiritual master, which is known as Vyasa Puja.

 

Krishna’s Mercy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to giving the gift of Krishna to one and all.

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Understanding the constitutional position of the soul and its relationship with God is a very complex philosophy that is described at great length in the ancient Vedic texts of India. The great saints of India, such as A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Maharishi Valmiki, Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, and Tulsidas have all written extensively about Krishna.

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Their works are considered sacred texts and are unmatched in their quality. Krishna’s Mercy attempts to distribute as many of their books as possible by promoting the books in our newsletters, writing blog articles discussing teachings found in their books, providing links on our website to purchase their books, and through book donations to local libraries and bookstores.

 

Krishna’s Mercy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to delivering Krishna prasadam to one and all.

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