Author: Purushottam Nitai Das

Why Parikshit was fearless in front of death?

Srimad Bhagavatam tells the story of King Parikshit who was fearless in front of death. Parikshit was grandson of Arjuna. When he came to know that he is going to die in seven days then instead of becoming fearful or getting into depression he began thinking as how to face the inevitable death courageously.

Death is the final examination

We have heard innumerable stories of great men and women planning meticulously so that they can enjoy living like a king or queen. For them life is precious and for its safety and security they try to build invincible fortress so that life threatening formidable enemies – disease and death – could be warded off.   

But almost all the times without fail the enemy is too powerful to confront and all have to ultimately surrender in front of it.

When Srila Prabhupada had gone to the western countries to teach the message of Vedic literatures then one person challenged him, “Indians are poor people and so there the death rate is so high?” Srila Prabhupada promptly replied, “Death rate all over the world is hundred percent.” Anyone who is living has to die sooner or later.

So, when death knocks at the door then what should be done?

Should we become fearful and hide ourselves behind the curtains or should we look into its gazing eyes and say boldly, “Yes, I am ready to go with you!” Such fearlessness can be achieved only when we have thoroughly prepared ourselves for the ultimate reality of life. It is verily said – Life is a preparation; death is the final examination.

Prahlad was fearless in front of Hiranyakasipu who tried all means to kill him because Prahlad did not fear death.  In fact, Prahlad was not even praying the Lord to protect him, in fact he remembered the Lord always because it gave him great pleasure.  No one can harm us.  Others may just try to give pain to our bodies or try to destroy it which anyway will get destroyed by the powerful time.

Parikshit decides to welcome death

King Parikshit being a devotee of the Lord was well aware that death is inevitable here. So, he was unperturbed. Instead of finding ways to avoid it he decided to face it gloriously. Without wasting even a moment, he approached saintly personalities who could help him to face the challenge of death heroically.

King Parikshit had been cursed by a brahmana boy named Shringi to die in 7 days by the bite of a poisonous snake. Shringi was furious because the king had shown disrespect to his father.  It was indeed true that the king’s action was improper, but it was not so grievous that he should have been condemned to die.  

The scripture and the saintly people explain that the brahmana boy had misused his power and it was in fact the beginning of the falldown of brahmanas. Lord Krishna had departed from this material world and soon after Kaliyuga, the age of downfall, began. Śṛṅgi misusing his power proves that as Kaliyuga entered brahmanas started misusing their power to establish their authority leading to the decline of Vedic culture which was based on unbreakable religious principles.

Parikshit was a saintly king, and he too had the power to not just nullify the curse, but he could have counter cursed Śṛṅgi. But he contemplated on it and concluded that those who are born have to die. “May be as per the will of providence my time to leave this mortal world has come so why not to embrace it”, he thought.

And so, without delay he relinquished his kingdom, his relatives and immediately approached the sages for their guidance.

Duty of a dying man

In the assembly of sages was Sukhadeva Goswami, son of Ved Vyas, a highly realized soul.  Approaching him, the king said, “You are the spiritual master of great saints and devotees. I am therefore begging you to show the way of perfection for all persons, and especially for one who is about to die.” Srimad Bhagavatam 1.19.37

Here we see that the king who was about to die did not beg the sage to give him any benediction or mantra so that his life can be saved. We generally find people approaching God or saintly people for countless material benedictions – wealth, health, success, safety and a long life.

But the king wanted to know the best way by which he can leave his mortal body. The king did not fear death because he was well aware that there is life after death. Death dissipates the body but does not destroy the soul because soul is eternal.

Sukhadeva Goswami was happy to hear the transcendental query. He replied, “O descendant of King Bharata, one who desires to be free from all miseries must hear about, glorify and also remember the Personality of Godhead, who is the Supersoul, the controller and the savior from all miseries. The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life. Srimad Bhagavatam 2.1.5-6

If we remember the Supreme Lord at the time of death then we will also be fearless at the time of death.

You too can face death fearlessly like King Parikshit

Death is a certainty; none of us can avoid it. So instead of fearing it we should be prepared for it. How we lead our life determines our next destination.  And how to lead a virtuous life has been explained in the holy books.

These holy books have been given to us so that we can know about the righteous and unrighteous actions and also learn the art of dying. If we adhere to these guidelines then we can be happy in this life and can be sure of glorious destination when we bid farewell to this world.

King Parikshit was finally bitten by the poisonous snake and the saintly king’s body burned to ashes by the fire of the snake’s poison. Srimad Bhagavatam 12.6.13

The king was fearless in front of death. He faced the death confidently because he was confident of reaching a glorious destination after leaving his mortal body and this mortal world.

King Prahlad advises us “The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can give one complete perfection.” Srimad Bhagavatam 7.6.1

King Parikshit teaches us how to be fearless at the time of death. The king knew that he would die in 7 days and so he planned his last few days in a way so that he remains absorbed in remembering the Lord but we do not know when we are going to die.

So, should we not be always prepared to face the ultimate truth of life and be fearless in front of it?

Questions to ponder?

1. Am I going to die?
2. Am I prepared for it?
3. What will happen to me after I die?

Overcoming obstacles in our spiritual journey|Lessons from Hanuman’s journey to Lanka

Today we sing paeans in glory of Hanuman for his extraordinary service to Lord Rama. It was Hanuman who crossed the gigantic ocean and searched Mother Sita and later burned the entire city of Lanka. But there was a time when Hanuman did not believe that he has the ability to perform such heroic deeds.

In search of Mother Sita, when the monkey warriors of Sugriva saw the vast ocean then they all felt disheartened. Sampati, the brother of Jatayu, informed them that Sita is in Ravana’s Lanka. And Lanka is 100 yojanas i.e. around 800 miles from the shore. Everyone wondered how they can reach there.

Angad, the prince, said that he can go Lanka but is doubtful of returning back. Other monkeys had no ability to cross the ocean. And while the discussion was going on Hanuman was silent. He too was agreeing with all that it is not possible for them to go to Lanka and find Sita. Everyone felt disheartened.

Dealing with self-doubt

At that time, Jambavan, the mighty bear king who was quite old at that time told Hanuman about his real strengths and capabilities. He motivated, guided and persuaded Hanuman to do this gigantic task. Jambavan’s words instilled confidence in Hanuman. He understood and realized his god gifted talent and decided to do this herculean task.

From this incident we understand that how we need a guru in our life. Many times, we may not know our own capabilities. Like Hanuman we may also doubt our abilities. But a guru knows that the Lord has bestowed upon each soul talents which can be positively used. 

We see that how Srila Prabhupada identified potentials in devotees and engaged them in the service of Krishna. These devotees helped Srila Prabhupada in spreading Krishna consciousness movement all over the world and did so many wonderful things for Krishna.  We may not be blessed enough to have the power of Hanuman but if we follow the guidelines of guru then we too can do great service for the Lord.

Beware of comfort zone

In our spiritual journey many times there are possibilities of getting distracted. Distractions are not just the sufferings which we encounter in our spiritual life, but it is the material pleasures which comes in our way.

Hanuman on his way to Lanka was greeted by a mountain, Maināka. With pleasing words Maināka requested Hanuman to rest for a while on his peaks. “You must be tired, and you have to travel a lot. So, just relax for a while and then resume your journey.”

Lord Rama and Mother Sita were separated, and Hanuman’s service was to unite them. So, how can Hanuman relax! He thanked Maināka for his kind words. He respectfully touched the mountain and without relaxing continued with his journey. 

Srila Prabhupada too never relaxed. When at 70 everyone prefers to lead a retired life, he was travelling all over the world preaching the message of Krishna. He was getting up in the middle of the night and writing books. And it is because of his books that today millions of people are practicing devotion to Krishna all over the world.

Like Hanuman and Srila Prabhupada, we should never become slack in our devotional life. We should not get into comfort zone. We are fortunate that we now know that the purpose of our life is to always serve Krishna. So, we should use every moment of our life in Krishna’s service.

Avoiding unnecessary distractions

With all his might Hanuman was flying towards Lanka.  He was completely focussed, and he wanted to reach the city of Ravana as soon as possible. But his journey was interrupted by Surasa, the mother of the Nāgas.

She assumed the form of a Rākṣasī and came in front of Hanuman.  “I have been blessed by Brahma that anyone who comes to my way will have to enter into my mouth. You cannot escape me. Now, I am going to eat you.”

Hanuman said, “Sure, I will fulfil your desire. But now I am on a mission to serve Lord Rama. First let me find Mother Sita.  And after that I will return back and then you can eat me.”

Surasa exclaimed, “No. I will devour you now.”

She opened her mouth and increased its size to eight miles. Hanuman then increased his size to sixteen miles. Surasa expanded her mouth to 20 miles, Hanuman too expanded himself. She again grew in size but now Hanuman reduced himself to the size of a thumb. He then quickly entered her mouth and came out. 

Hanuman said, “By entering your mouth I have respected the benediction of Brahmaji and have also fulfilled your desire. So, now let me continue with my journey.”  Surasa was pleased with the intelligence of Hanuman. She blessed him saying that you will be successful in your mission.

Hanuman teaches an important lesson to us that we should not get into any unnecessary confrontations with others in our devotion journey. We should not get into ego clashes because that will impede our journey. Instead, we should be humble and get out of any unpleasant situation so that we can focus on pleasing the Lord with our service.

Kill envy to advance spiritually

Hanuman continued with his journey. He was moving with the speed of Garuda. Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Vidhyadharas and other celestial beings were watching Hanuman’s prowess and were praising him. But suddenly Hanuman felt that someone is trying to pull him down.  As he looked down, he saw a Rākṣasa woman called Simhika. She was trying to seize Hanuman’s shadow.  

While doing so, she opened her terrific mouth to swallow Hanuman. And hanuman fearlessly entered her mouth. The demigods in the sky were in shock. Simhika was delighted. But her happiness was short lived because Hanuman whose body is as hard as diamond quickly ripped apart her body and burst out of it.

The fearsome Simhika fell dead in the sea. And the fearless Hanuman continued with his journey and finally reached Lanka.

Simhika represents envy. Just like Simhika tried to arrest the progress of Hanuman, similarly, envy arrest our progress. Just like Hanuman destroyed Simhika, similarly, we should completely destroy envy.

Conclusion

Hanuman reached Lanka, found Mother Sita, burnt Lanka and later assisted Lord Rama in his war with Ravana. In Ramayana, we see that Hanuman never got distracted and always served Lord Rama. Similarly, we should never allow any material distractions or attractions to come between us and the Supreme Lord.

And with enthusiasm (utsāhāt), confidence (niścayāt) and patience (dhairyāt), we should always serve the Lord. Nectar of Instruction 3

Meditating upon three important contributions of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura on his 150th appearance day

On the auspicious occasion of 150^th appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, let us meditate upon his contributions in spreading the teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu all over the world.

He destroyed goswami by birth logic

After the disappearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and prominent vaishnava acharyas, many apa-smpradays sprung up. They claimed to follow the teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu but in reality, they were deviants.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura identified 13 apa-smpradays. One of them was jata goswami. jata goswamis laid claim to the title of goswami just because they were born in the family of goswamis. According to them those born in the family of goswami can be goswami and no one else.  

Just like caste by birth was propagated by some so called brahmanas who had no brahminical qualities, similarly certain descendants of vaishnava acharyas started claiming the position of goswami just because they took birth in the family of a goswami. 

But this is not supported by scriptures.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu did not approve caste by birth logic

For example, when Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu started propagating Krishna Consciousness then he appointed many devotees as leaders who did not fit in the caste hierarchy.

For example, Sri Rupa Goswami and Sri Sanatana Goswami had adopted Muslim names and had started working under Muslim ruler to save the Hindu community. They had even been given Muslim names.  

Although externally they were working under a Muslim king but internally they were always absorbed in chanting the names of Lord and were always desirous to associate with Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu made them leaders of all the vaishnavas. Similarly, Haridas Thakura who was born in a Muslim family was designated as namacharya, the acharya of holy name by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Follows the footsteps of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Following the footsteps of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura similarly disapproved goswami by birth logic and spoke strongly against it.

He preached that by sincerely following the teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the vaishnava acharyas one can become perfect and can become goswami. He further said that those born in the family of goswamis should first qualify themselves and then they can be given the title of a goswami.

Just like by taking birth in the family of a doctor one does not become a doctor. Similarly, by taking birth in the family of a goswami one does not automatically becomes a goswami. These irked many who were enjoying the privilege of goswami title. They vehemently opposed him and some even conspired to kill him.

But Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura did not give up. And because of his relentless effort we see that the goswami by birth monopoly is completely smashed. Today many devotees who have been sincerely practicing devotion to Krishna since several years are awarded the title of Goswami or Swami.

Today, we also see devotees irrespective of caste, creed, religion and nationality are happily practicing Krishna Consciousness. The credit goes to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura.

Srila Prabhupada speaks how Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura defeated cast gosvāmī

Srila Prabhupada talks about this contribution of his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura. He says,

“So my Guru Mahārāja’s contribution is that he defeated these caste gosvāmī. He defeated this brahmanism. He created that the same way as Caitanya Mahāprabhu did, that, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

kibā śūdra kibā vipra nyāsi kene naya

yei kṛṣṇa tattva vetta sei guru haya

[Cc. Madhya 8.128]

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, Madhya 8.128

[“Whether one is a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī or a śūdra—regardless of what he is—he can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa.”]

There is no consideration whether a man is a sannyāsī, a brāhmaṇa or a śūdra or a this or a gṛhastha, householder, or… No. Anyone who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he is all right. He is gosvāmī. He is brāhmaṇa.” That is the contribution, say, within hundred years. That is the contribution. And for this reason he had to face so many vehement protests from this brāhmaṇa-class gosvāmīns.”

His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda’s Appearance Day Lecture (prabhupadavani.org)

2. Established Gaudiya Maths to preach the teachings of Lord Chaitanya.

In his lifetime, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura established 64 Gaudiya Maths and these Maths became centres for spreading Krishna Conscious philosophy. He was also pioneer in starting preaching in the western world. For that, he sent devotees to preach in the west. He inspired Srila Prabhupada to start preaching in the western world.

When Srila Prabhupada met him for the first time then Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura advised Srila Prabhupada to use his English speaking skill in preaching to the western people.

In one of the lectures Srila Prabhupada speaks about his first interaction with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura,

“And, I think, in 1922, when I was young man, one of my friends, he took me to Guru Mahārāja. That was my first meeting. And, of course, he was speaking to everyone, but he found me as something. So immediately after my meeting, he said this, that “Why don’t you preach this Caitanya’s cult in the Western countries?” That is a memorable day.” His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda’s Appearance Day Lecture (prabhupadavani.org)

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura sowed the seed of preaching in the western world and Srila Prabhupada took it forward and preached to thousands of people all over the world.

3. Publishing literatures

He gave great emphasis on writing books and publishing devotional literatures. And so, he established printing press and called it bṛhad-mṛdaṅga.

He would say that the sound of mṛdaṅga can reach a certain distance, but Krishna Conscious literatures can reach to every nook and corner of the world and can transform the hearts of people.

He instructed Srila Prabhupada to print books and distribute it widely which Srila Prabhupada did.

We should be grateful to this great acharya

Let us meditate upon these contributions of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura and thank him from the core of our heart for playing such an important role in disseminating the teachings of Lord Chaitanya.

Anyone in any corner of the world, today practicing Krishna Consciousess should be grateful to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura. Let us pray at this lotus feet and beg for his mercy.

Nityananda Trayodasi celebration at Iskcon Newtown, Kolkata

Nityananda Trayodasi i.e. the appearance day of Lord Nityananda was celebrated with fanfare at Iskcon Newtown Kolkata on 22nd Feb 2024. Program included special darshan of the Lord, grand abhishek, Nityananda katha, kirtan, arati and delicious prasadam. 

Devotees throng to temple to take darshan of Lord Nityananda

The presiding deity of the temple, Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga were beautifully and gorgeously dressed. 

Lord Nityananda in blue colour on his appearance day looked beautiful. Several devotees since morning started visiting the temple to take darshan of the Lord and seek his blessings.

Acharyas explain that Lord Nityananda is the most merciful incarnation of the Supreme Lord. He showers his mercy even upon most fallen person. In this age of Kaliyuga, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy, everyone is most fallen. And because of our impure consciousness we commit many sins. And this is why we are always miserable.

Lord Nityananda appeared in this world for people like you and me who are most fallen. In spite of our degraded consciousness, even if we show little sincerity and plead Nityananda Prabhu for his mercy then he will immediately give his shelter to us.

He will free us from all the sins. He will free us from material bondage. And most importantly, he will give us Krishna prema.

“Simply by talking of Nityānanda Prabhu one awakens his love for Kṛṣṇa. Thus all his bodily limbs are agitated by ecstasy, and tears flow from his eyes like the waters of the Ganges.” Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 8.23

As it was Nityananda Trayodasi, so, it was the best day for all the devotees to pray for the mercy of Lord Nityananda. 

On this auspicious occasion, devotees were fortunate to get the association of HH Bhakti Chaitanya Swami Maharaj and HH Bhakti Purushottam Swami Maharaj.

Nitai Mora (My Nitai) Song

In the morning, Srimad Bhagavatam class was given by HH Bhakti Chaitanya Swami Maharaj. Maharaj began his class with a heart touching Vaisnav song (Nitai Mora (My Nitai) Song) which extolls the glories of Lord Nityananda. 

“He (Lord Nityananda) does not consider who is poor, or fallen or troubled. Who is not like that? To every person He gives the gift of ecstatic spiritual love”

Lord Nityananda appeared in 1474 almost 550 years ago in Ekachakra dham. He appeared about 12 years before Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

In the class Maharaj elaborately discussed the reason for the appearance of Lord Nityananda and the different inconceivable pastimes of the Lord.

HH Bhakti Chaitanya Swami Maharaj speaks about the glories of Lord Nityananda

This is what Maharaj said:

During the incident when Lord Chaitanya was about to kill Jagai and Madhai, Lord Nityananda said give them to me. Lord Chaitanya said if you really want to forgive Madhai then embrace him. And then your forgiveness will be fruitful.

Lord Nityananda tightly embraced Madhai & in this way Madhai became free from material bondage. And by the touch of Lord Nityananda, Madhai attained all spiritual potency.

Lord Chaitanya is patitpavan i.e. deliverer of fallen. This is his identify. We often ask people, what do you do? Some say, I am doctor or engineer or lawyer.  Similarly, Lord Chaitanya’s occupation is that “he is patitpavan.“

Lord Nityananda is even more merciful than Lord Chaitanya

One of the six symptoms of surrender is to accept the mission of Lord as your mission. This is what Lord Nityananda did. Lord Chaitanya was about to kill Jagai and Madhai. They would have been cut to pieces by the Lord’s Sudarshan chakra. But Lord Nityananda saved them.

So, Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakura makes the point that Lord Nityananda has accepted the identity of patitpavan even more than Lord Chaitanya has because Lord Chaitanya was prepared to kill Jagai and Madhai but Lord Nityananda saved them.

Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakura further says that Lord Nityananda is more one with Lord Chaitanya than Lord Chaitanya is one with himself. As a devotee of Lord Chaitanya, he has accepted the mission of the Lord.

It is said that demon who Lord Rama might kill, Lord Krishna might spare his life. That demon who Lord Krishna might kill, Lord Chaitanya may spare his life kill. And that demon who Lord Chaitanya might kill, Lord Nityananda will not just spare his life but also give him Krishna prema.

Lord Nityananda is an incredible person in so many ways. He is extremely merciful and it is inconceivable.”

Nityananda Prabhu’s instructions of Madhai

Maharaj further quoting Chaitanya Bhagavat said that although Madhai was forgiven but he felt bad because he had hit Lord Nityananda Prabhu with a pot. And because of this blood had started coming out from the forehead of Lord Nityananda.  So, he was feeling miserable from inside.

One day he approached Lord Nityananda and prayed to the Lord saying that how degraded he is and how merciful the Lord is. He said to the Lord that “Your body is so soft that Lord Chaitanya takes rest on it. By remembering your transcendental body, one attains salvation. But I am so sinful that I attacked you.”

Saying these words, tears started coming out from the eyes of Madhai. Lord Nityananda immediately consoled him and said that you are like a child to me. Sometimes a small child hits his father but father does not become offended. So, I am not at all offended.

And then Lord Nityananda said that you should always chant the names of Krishna i.e. the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, never commit any sins again and to serve the devotees you build a ghat. Madhai followed all the instructions of Lord Nityananda. He built a ghat and that ghat came to be known as Madhai Ghat.

Lord Nityananda is our only hope. He transformed the heart of Madhai. So, if we take his shelter then he will transform our heart too.

On the auspicious occasion of Nityananda Trayodasi devotees were again and again praying to the lord for his mercy.  

Abhishek of Lord Nityananda

In the evening the program began at 5 pm with the abhishek of Nitai Gauranga deity.

Throughout the day devotees kept on thronging the temple. Hundreds of devotees came to attend the evening program which started at 5 pm. For the evening program a beautiful pandal was built. Evening program started with the abhishek of the Lord.

For the abhishek, Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga deities were taken on palki from temple to the pandal where abhishek was to be held. Palki procession was accompanied with dancing kirtan. Throughout the procession devotees were showering flower petals on the Lord, fanning the deities with chamar and were blowing conch shells.

Abhishek started with the arati of the Lord with nine pista lamps. First sandalwood oil was applied to the Lord which was followed by til paste. After that the two deities were bathed with sacred items like milk, curd,ghee, gomoy, gomutra, honey, sugar candy water, kusa grass water, fruit juices like green grapes, black grapes, watermelon and pomegranate, sugar cane juice, kesar water, rose water, coconut water, sarvausadhi, mahausadhi, pancapuspa jal and flower petals.

Devotees’ experience mercy of Lord Nityananda

After the abhishek, there was Nityananda katha by HH Bhakti Chaitanya Swami Maharaj Devotees were also blessed to have the association of HH Bhakti Purushottam Swami Maharaj on Nityananda Trayodasi. Maharaj beautifully spoke about the glories of Lord Nityananda.

After the katha there was Gaur Arati in which everyone enthusiastically participated. Devotees joyfully sang and danced for the pleasure of the Lord.  

Program concluded with delicious prasadam for all the devotees who came for the program.

Everyone felt blessed and happy and experienced mercy of Lord Nityananda on this auspicious day of Nityananda Trayodasi.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.79,16-18| Lord Balarama teaches us what to do in the holy places

Lord Balarama personally teaches us all what to do when we visit the holy places.

When Mahabharat war was about to take place then Lord Balarama decided not to take side of the Pandavas or the Kauravas.  Instead, he decided to travel to holy places. Generally, people go on pilgrimage to purify themselves and attain freedom from sins.

But Lord Balarama is the first expansion of Krishna, he is free from all sins. In fact, by taking his shelter people become free of all the sins.  Then what was the need for him to go to these holy places? 

Lord Balarama is Adi guru, the first spiritual master. And the spiritual master teaches many important lessons to the people by his personal example.

So, by visiting the dhams (holy places) Lord Balarama is teaching us the necessity of going on pilgrimage.

But it is not just about going to these holy places, but it is also equally important to know what to do when we are in these sacred places.

Three activities of Lord Balarama

We see that Lord Balarama primarily did three things in dhams.

1. He took bath in the holy rivers.

He bathed in rivers like Kauśikī, Sarayū, Gomatī, Gaṇḍakī, Vipāśā, Śoṇa,Ganges,Veṇā,Pampā, Bhīmarathī, Kāverī and in the seven branches of the Godāvarī River. He also went to to Prayāga.

2. He gave charity

At Rāmeśvaram, he gave ten thousand cows to brāhmaṇas in charity.

3. He associated with the saintly people

During his pilgrimage he met great sages like Pulaha Ṛṣi & Agastya Ṛṣi. He offered prayers to Agastya Ṛṣi and got blessings from the great sage.

Conclusion

So, Lord Balarama teaches us what activities we should do when we are in the holy places

Following the footsteps of Lord Balarama, we should also take out time to visit holy places. And also perform above three activities which will purify us from the sins and take us closer to Krishna.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.79,16-18

“There at Setubandha [Rāmeśvaram] Lord Halāyudha gave brāhmaṇas ten thousand cows in charity. He then visited the Kṛtamālā and Tāmraparṇī rivers and the great Malaya Mountains. In the Malaya range Lord Balarāma found Agastya Ṛṣi sitting in meditation. After bowing down to the sage, the Lord offered him prayers and then received blessings from him. Taking leave from Agastya, He proceeded to the shore of the southern ocean, where He saw Goddess Durgā in her form of Kanyā-kumārī. Next He went to Phālguna-tīrtha and bathed in the sacred Pañcāpsarā Lake, where Lord Viṣṇu had directly manifested Himself. At this place He gave away another ten thousand cows.” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.79,16-18

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.47.21|Śrī Advaita Ācārya teaches “Our only desire should be to serve Krishna”

In the kingdom of Krishna everyone always carry the desire to serve Krishna. And we also see that Krishna too loves to serve his devotees. 

If we read scriptures and the life of great devotees, we find that they carry only one desire in their heart and their desire is to become servant of Krishna. What to talk about the pure devotees, even the first expansion of the Supreme Lord, Lord Balarama, wants to become a humble servant of Krishna.

Śrī Advaita Ācārya considers himself a servant

In Chaitanya lila, we see that Śrī Advaita Ācārya always considered himself a servant of Lord Chaitanya.

When Lord Chaitanya appeared then Śrī Advaita Ācārya was 60 years old, old enough to be grandfather of Lord Chaitanya. And so, Lord Caitanya would give him respect. But Śrī Advaita Ācārya did not like this.  So, once he enacted a pastime and he started preaching Mayavada philosophy.

When Lord Caitanya heard about this, he became extremely angry, and he started beating Śrī Advaita Ācārya. Śrī Advaita Ācārya wife, Srimati Sita Thakurani started begging Lord Caitanya to stop beating an elderly person else he will die.

But Śrī Advaita Ācārya was enjoying it. He wanted to convey to the whole world that see although Lord Caitanya considers me an acharya and gives me respect but actually Lord Caitanya is the real acharya and we all should serve him.

Śrī Advaita Ācārya thinks, “Lord Caitanya considers Me His spiritual master, yet I feel Myself to be only His servant.” Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta,Ai-līlā, 6.52

Śrī Advaita Ācārya is an incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇu and Sadasiva. He came here to propagate pure devotion to Krishna and to teach us that our only goal of life should be to always serve Krishna.

Cultivating desire to serve Krishna

Even in Vrindavan we see that mood is of servitorship. Everyone wants to serve Krishna – Nanda Maharaja, Mother Yashoda, gopis, gopas, cows, peacocks, river Yamuna, in fact everyone serves Krishna.  

The gopis would always consider themselves as Krishna’s maidservants.

“O Uddhava! It is indeed regrettable that Kṛṣṇa resides in Mathurā. Does He remember His father’s household affairs and His friends, the cowherd boys? O great soul! Does He ever talk about us, His maidservants? When will He lay on our heads His aguru-scented hand?” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa) 10.47.21

In this this world we see that everyone wants to become masters but in the kingdom of Krishnan everyone wants to serve Krishna. There no one wants to enjoy with Krishna but everyone wants to give joy to Krishna. And while doing so they experiences unlimited bliss.

Today is the appearance day of Śrī Advaita Ācārya. Let us pray at his lotus feet to purify our heart and give us benediction so that we also cultivate the desire to always serve Krishna’s lotus feet.

Note: This article is based on the Srimad Bhagavatam class given by HG Acharya Ratna Prabhu @Iskcon Newtown, Kolkata on 16th Feb 2024 on the auspicious occassion of Śrī Advaita Ācārya appearance day.

The three different mercies of Lord Balarama

Lord Balarama bestows upon us three different mercies which helps us to get the shelter of Krishna.

Lord Balarama is Adi Guru, the first guru.  A guru is one who shows the right path to his disciples for his ultimate benefit.  Our ultimate benefit is to get connected to Krishna and return back to the kingdom of Krishna.

Sincere devotees who want to return back to the kingdom of Krishna face different challenges in their spiritual journey.  But if we take shelter of Lord Balarama then he mercifully removes obstacles which is preventing us to attain Krishna.

Let us reflect upon the three mercies of Lord Balarama.

Three mercies of Lord Balarama

He removes ignorance from our heart

In ignorance, we think that we can be happy away from Krishna. And unfortunately, we think that we can be happy in this world with tons of material desires in our heart.  These material desires rarely get fulfilled. And even if it gets fulfilled it never satisfies our heart.  

So, Lord Balarama as guru enlightens us with spiritual knowledge making us understand that our attachment to material desires is the greatest cause of our suffering. And so, we should give it up immediately and start cultivating spiritual desire in our heart.  Once we start doing so, we start seeing that our miseries slowly start disappearing.

He makes our heart fertile making it suitable for the seed of bhakti to fructify

Have we ever thought that why Lord Balarama carries plough with him? We never see him tilling the land. But still, he carries a plough. What could be the reason behind this?

Acharyas explain that Lord Balaram carries plough to make our heart fertile which is a barren field now. He not just makes our heart fertile, but he also sows the seed of bhakti in our heart. In our fertile heart devoid of material desires the seed of bhakti fructifies quickly giving us great bliss.

He removes anarthas which prevents us from practicing devotion to Krishna sincerely

In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says that lust, anger and greed are the gateway to hell. These 3 anarthas are the greatest stumbling block in our spiritual journey.  And Krishna says that we should get rid of this as soon as possible.

tri-vidhaṁ narakasyedaṁ

dvāraṁ nāśanam ātmanaḥ

kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas

tasmād etat trayaṁ tyajet

“There are three gates leading to this hell – lust, anger and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.” Bhagavad Gita 16.21

We have been in this material creation of the Lord since time immemorial gratifying our senses. And because of this these 3 anarthas are deep rooted in our heart. And to uproot it we need Lord Balarama, who is the first expansion of Krishna. 

He has the capability to free us from these anathas. Once our heart is free from lust, anger and greed, we can then start practicing devotion to Krishna with great enthusiasm.

Begging for Lord Balaram’s shelter

So, let us pray to Lord Balarama and seek his mercy so that he removes our ignorance and grants us freedom from anarthas (vices) so that we can sincerely, seriously and enthusiastically practice devotion to Krishna and ultimately attain the lotus feet of Krishna.   

The great gift of holy name by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

In this fallen age of Kaliyuga, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has given us the gift of holy name which gives us relief from all the miseries. Anyone can take shelter of the holy name.

And whoever takes shelter of the holy names soon becomes free from all sinful reactions and attain happiness. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu again and again has highlighted the importance of taking shelter of holy name.

In Prayag, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu demonstrated how great the holy name is by giving the example of Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrī Vallabha [Anupama Mallika].

Wonderful effect of chanting the holy names of Krishna

Once when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was in Prayag, Śrī Vallabha Bhaṭṭa, who was a great learned scholar, came to meet him. Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrī Vallabha [Anupama Mallika] were also present there. The two brothers offered obeisances to Śrī Vallabha Bhaṭṭa.

But when Śrī Vallabha Bhaṭṭa tried to go near the two brothers, both of them ran away to a distant place.

Rūpa Gosvāmī said, “I am untouchable and sinful. Please do not touch me.”

When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu heard this, he smiled and said, “Yes, do not go near to them or touch them because they belong to a low caste, and you are learned scholar.”  Vallabh Bhatta being a devotee of the Lord immediately understood what Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is trying to say. He also understood that the Supreme Lord is testing him.

He immediately said, “I see these two brothers always chanting the names of Krishna, so, how can they be fallen or untouchable. In fact, in my opinion which is also collaborated by the sastras they are even greater than the brahmanas.”  

Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya then recited the following verse: “ My dear Lord, one who always keeps Your holy name on his tongue becomes greater than an initiated brāhmaṇa. Although he may be born in a family of dog-eaters and may therefore, by material calculation, be the lowest among men, he is still glorious. This is the wonderful effect of chanting the holy name of the Lord. It is therefore concluded that one who chants the holy name of the Lord should be understood to have performed all kinds of austerities and great sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas. He has already taken his bath in all the holy places of pilgrimage, he has studied all the Vedas, and he is actually an Āryan.” Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.72

Burning all the sinful reactions

When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu heard this, he was very pleased. He immediately quoted the scriptures wherein it is mentioned that one who begins to take shelter of all merciful Supreme Lord and chant his names then he immediately transcends all material designations.

Holy name burns his all past sinful reactions, he becomes pure and glorious. But if a person is born in a brahmana family and is a learned Vedic scholar but if he not practicing devotion to Krishna and not chanting his names then such a birth or knowledge is of no use.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “A person who has the pure characteristics of a brāhmaṇa due to devotional service, which is like a blazing fire burning to ashes all the sinful reactions of past lives, is certainly saved from the consequences of sinful acts, such as taking birth in a lower family. Even though he may be born in a family of dog-eaters, he is recognized by learned scholars. But although a person may be a learned scholar in Vedic knowledge, he is not recognized if he is an atheist.” Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.74

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu further says.

“For a person devoid of devotional service, birth in a great family or nation, knowledge of the revealed scriptures, performance of austerities and penance, and chanting of Vedic mantras are all like ornaments on a dead body. Such ornaments simply serve the concocted pleasures of the general populace.” Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.75

Krishna never discriminates

We all are children of Krishna. And each one of us has a right to get connected to our spiritual father. Krishna does not discriminate amongst his children. This is why he is always present as Paramatma in the heart of all living entities.

As Paramatma, he is in the heart of a brahmana, kshatriya, Vaisya, sudra, animals, plants, ants, insects. So, if Krishna treats everyone equally then why we the lesser mortals should discriminate others? 

Holy name transforms lives of thousands of people all over the world

How fortunate we are that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave us the shelter of the holy name which gives complete perfection! And also established that anyone can chant the holy names of Krishna.

Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita 18.66 says that if we surrender to him then we will attain freedom from all sins and fear.  The same Krishna comes as Lord Chaitanya to teach us how to surrender to him. And that is by chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. This is the medicine for the age of Kaliyuga.

harer nāma harer nāma

harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva

nāsty eva gatir anyathā

“In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.” Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.242

In Chaitanya Charitamrita, we see how thousands of people including the most sinful Jagai and Madhai got transformed by taking shelter of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the holy names.

Srila Prabhupada carried the Mahamantra and distributed it freely all over the world. It created a great revolution.  People irrespective of caste, creed, colour, nationality came together to chant the names of Krishna. Holy name empowered them to give up all sinful habits, they became pure and dedicated their lives to serve Krishna forever.  

Holy name bestows upon us eternal happiness

This shows how effective the holy name of Krishna is. It works for everyone. Anyone who chants it sincerely starts experiencing bliss. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has bestowed upon us great benediction by gifting us the holy name of Krishna.

If the whole world starts following his teachings and chant the names of Krishna, then everyone will be free from all fear and miseries. 

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says that we should not get bogged down with material pains, pleasures and prestige because these things keep on coming and going as long as we are living in this world.  

Instead of that we should constantly devote our life in chanting the names of Krishna – kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ.

If we do so, we will never be unhappy but always be happy even in this life. And will return back to our original spiritual home after we leave this world.

Bhagavad Gita teaches how to give up bad habit

Bhagavad Gita teaches us how to give up bad habit in an effective way. The holy books say it is by developing higher taste – paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate

viṣayā vinivartante
nirāhārasya dehinaḥ
rasa-varjaṁ raso ’py asya
paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate

Bhagavad Gita 2.59

Though the embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.

Let us see how to apply it in life.

Do not focus on the bad habit which you want to give up

For example, if you have the habit of smoking cigarette daily then do not continuously think about giving up smoking. If you keep on thinking about giving up smoking, cursing yourself for this bad habit, then it means that your mind will be always flooded with the thoughts of smoking. And then your mind will force you to again smoke and you will end up smoking.  

Similarly, if you have a habit of wasting time on internet watching movies then do not keep on thinking about giving up watching internet.

Solution

So, what is the Solution?

Cultivate higher taste:

But what does it mean? It means to choose a better alternative. For that you will have to set a goal in your life. Like, growing in your job or if you are a student then how to gain expertise in a subject which you like the most. And focus on that.

If you focus on these positive things, then automatically lower thoughts like smoking or wasting time on internet won’t trouble you.

Spiritualise your mind

Also, make a routine to read 5 verses of Bhagavad Gita daily. It won’t take more than 15 minutes. And chant one round of Hare Krishna Mahamantra which takes around 6-7 minutes.

Bhagavad Gita wisdom will enlighten you; chanting will purify your thoughts.

And all these steps will eventually help you to give up the bad habit which is making you unhappy daily.

Assault of sadhus in West Bengal’s Purulia. Why it’s happening again and again?

The recent incident of assault of three sadhus in Bengal’s Purulia on January 12, 2024, shows how the sadhus have become soft target for the miscreants. People have still not forgotten how a mob killed sadhus in Palghar, Maharashtra.

This incident was also like Palghar. The assault happened in Purulia when the sadhus were on the way to Gangasagar for a holy bath on the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti.

The reason for assault of sadhus in Purulia

As per the media reports, while on the way the sadhus asked three girls in Purulia who were going to Kali temple for something. But due to language problem the girls thought that these sadhus were following them. They informed the local people about these sadhus.

The locals thought that these sadhus are “kidnappers in disguise” and they are threating the girls. They caught the sadhus and forcibly took them to Durga temple. There these sadhus were mercilessly assaulted, stripped naked and their vehicle was vandalised. Fortunately, some sane man informed the police.

Fortunately lives are saved

The police immediately intervened and the life of the three holy men were saved. The video of the assault of sadhus in Bengal’s Purulia has been widely shared. It is so painful to see the three elderly sadhus wearing saffron robes being beaten by the mob. One of the sadhus is being stripped naked. It is so disgusting. It is so difficult to watch the video. 

From the video we can easily see that how people have become so cruel. People are assaulting and others are shamelessly watching. They do not have any fear of the law. The incident was similar to Maharashtra’s Palghar incident. In Palghar too the locals falsely accused the holy men as kidnappers and killed them.

But in Palghar the police were mute spectator but to the credit of the police, in Purulia they came and saved the lives of the sadhus. 12 people have been arrested in connection to the incident.

There was a time when the sadhus were revered in India but these days due to systematic brainwashing these holy men are looked with suspicion.

Why assault on Hinduism?

In TVs and movies, it is common to see men wearing tilak and saffron robes indulging in immoral activities. Making fun of Hindu culture and faith have become so common in TV serials and movies that now a days people just overlook it. And this has emboldened those who have an agenda to demean Hinduism. 

The movie Annapoorani tests the tolerance of Hindus

For example, the makers of the movie Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food went to such an extent that they started propagating that Lord Rama ate meat. It has already been clarified by many learned Vedic scholars that Lord Rama never ate meat.

But still people driven by agenda are misinterpreting Sanskrit text and trying to say that Lord Rama ate meat. After facing severe backlash Netflix was forced to remove the movie from its platform.

Co-producers of the movie, Zee Studios tendered an apology, “We have no intentions as co-producers of the film to hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus and Brahmins community and would like to hereby apologise for the inconvenience caused and hurt caused to the sentiments of the respective communities. (sic)”

But while making the movie, did the writer, director, actor, producer not think that they are playing with the sentiments of the Hindus? Or was it just an experiment to test to what extent they can go to hurt the sentiments of the Hindus.

Also, the movie is now available on YouTube. Will the makers of the movie remove the controversial content of the movie from You Tube too?

Distorting the Vedic scriptures, playing with the sentiments of the Hindus should stop immediately.

The government whether at centre or at state should take cognizance of these instances and make sure that unsocial elements should not be allowed to disturb the harmony in the society.

The reason why Krishna comes again and again

If we turn the pages of history, we will find that the government would be very careful in ensuring that the religious principles remained enforced.

The righteous rulers would consider the holy men who would dedicate their lives in the service of God as a valuable asset to the society. These men of God were protected and nicely cared.

Even the Supreme Lord expects us to live as per the codes given in the sastras. So, they appear again and again to educate us about this.

Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita tells us why he comes to this world. He says,

yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glānir bhavati bhārata

abhyutthānam adharmasya

tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion – at that time I descend Myself.” Bhagavad Gita 4.7

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi yuge yuge

“To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.” Bhagavad Gita 4.8

So, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears in this world to protect the righteous, punish the unrighteous and to establish religious principle.

This is why when Arjuna was not willing to fight the war then Krishna insisted that being a warrior it is his duty to protect those who are on the path of dharma. It is his responsibility to punish the evil.

Maharaj Parikshit about the duty of the king or ruler

In Srimad Bhagavatam we find that Maharaj Parikshit followed the path of his grandfather, Arjuna. As a king, he would punish those who would commit any crime. His mission was to make sure that every citizen is living as per the injunctions of the scriptures.

Maharaj Parikshit explicates the duties of a king (or a ruler) as follows.

• “…the king’s good name, duration of life and good rebirth vanish when all kinds of living beings are terrified by miscreants in his kingdom. It is certainly the prime duty of the king to subdue first the sufferings of those who suffer…” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.17.10-11
• “Whoever causes offenseless living beings to suffer must fear me anywhere and everywhere in the world. By curbing dishonest miscreants, one automatically benefits the offenseless.” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.17.14
• “An upstart living being who commits offenses by torturing those who are offenseless shall be directly uprooted by me, even though he be a denizen of heaven with armor and decorations.” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.17.15
• “The supreme duty of the ruling king is to give all protection to law-abiding persons and to chastise those who stray from the ordinances of the scriptures in ordinary times, when there is no emergency.” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.17.16

Set an example by punishing the miscreants

India is the holiest country because here appeared Lord Rama and Lord Krishna. In this land of Bharatvarsa, the Supreme Lord should always be glorified and those who chant and glorify their names should be honoured, respected and protected.

In this holy land of India, the government’s responsibility at the centre or at the state is to protect the holy men and holy women. The assault of three sadhus in Bengal’s Purulia is a grim reminder that the unsocial elements do not fear law. They think that they can get away with it even after commiting such crimes.

So, the government should ensure that those who assaulted the sadhus should be severely punished. It is not so difficult to identify the culprits because there are many videos of the assault.

The punishment should set an example so that in future no miscreants should dare to harm harmless holy men and holy women.